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Stories
WSJ:
"The White House said Tuesday that the U.S. has 'strong indications'
that Iran violated United Nations Security Council resolutions with its
ballistic missile test over the weekend. White House press secretary Josh
Earnest said, however, the move wouldn't complicate efforts to implement
the nuclear deal with Iran, whose parliament approved that agreement on
Tuesday by a vote of 161-59. 'This is altogether separate from the
nuclear agreement that Iran reached with the rest of the world,' Mr.
Earnest said. 'In contrast to the repeated violations of the U.N.
Security Council resolution that pertains to their ballistic missile
activities, we've seen that Iran over the last couple of years has
demonstrated a track record of abiding by the commitments that they made
in the context of the nuclear talks.' Iran's state news agency said
Sunday that the government test-fired a new long-range,
surface-to-surface ballistic missile. The test took place the same day as
Iran's parliament approved the general outlines of the nuclear pact in a
preliminary vote. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Tuesday that
the U.S. planned to raise Iran's missile test at the U.N. Security
Council. 'We'll continue to do this for any and all Iranian violations of
U.N. Security Council resolutions,' he said. Mr. Earnest suggested the
ballistic missile test was intended to alleviate concerns among
hard-liners in Iran who oppose the nuclear deal. He said the U.S. is
still gathering more information about the test before rendering a final determination."
http://t.uani.com/1NH5Ilh
Reuters:
"Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post reporter jailed in an espionage
case in Tehran, heard of his conviction on Iranian state TV and is
depressed and angry about being deprived of information about his case,
his brother said on Tuesday. Ali Rezaian said their mother, Mary Breme
Rezaian, spoke with the reporter in a room at Tehran's Evin prison on
Tuesday and described him as 'terribly depressed' at the way the case had
been handled. Jason Rezaian, who was arrested in July 2014 and holds U.S.
and Iranian citizenship, was given 20 days to appeal, the Iranian news
service ISNA said on Sunday, when the verdict was announced. Ali Rezaian
said he had no information about any negotiations that may be going on
between the United States and Iran in the case. Iranian parliament
speaker Ali Larijani hinted last month at the possibility of an exchange
for Iranian prisoners in America... White House spokesman Josh Earnest
said on Tuesday there was 'not much clarity' around the case and
administration had not been informed of a verdict through official
channels. 'As this goes on it becomes more and more difficult for Jason,'
Ali Rezaian said. 'The ambiguity makes it worse.'" http://t.uani.com/1G5zrlz
AP:
"A senior council of clerics and officials in Iran on Wednesday
approved implementing the landmark nuclear deal with world powers,
sealing the final required step in the process despite hard-liners'
efforts to derail it. Iranian state television reported that the Guardian
Council, one of the top leadership bodies in Iran's cleric-ruled system,
gave final approval to a bill passed by parliament to implement the deal.
The 12-member council, half appointed by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei and half by the country's judicial chief with parliament's
approval, must sign off on all bills before they become law. The bill
grants responsibility for implementing the deal to Iran's Supreme
National Security Council, the top security body of the country, which
President Hassan Rouhani heads. It allows Iran to withdraw from the
agreement if world powers do not lift sanctions, impose new sanctions or
restore previous ones. The bill also requires the Iranian government to
work toward the nuclear disarmament of Israel, which has the region's
sole, if undeclared, nuclear arsenal. The bill also says the government
should take 'necessary measures' to prevent the U.S. and the West from
penetrating the country through the deal, a concern mentioned by Khamenei
himself in recent weeks... On Tuesday, hard-line lawmakers had sought to
prevent its approval in parliament, but 161 lawmakers voted for
implementing the nuclear deal, while 59 voted against it and 13
abstained. Another 17 did not vote at all, while 40 lawmakers did not
attend the session." http://t.uani.com/1GHd1S6
Nuclear Program
& Agreement
AP:
"Iran's Revolutionary Guard opened the doors of a secret underground
missile base to state TV, showing off medium- and long-range missiles.
The station Wednesday aired footage of long tunnels with ready-to-fire
missiles on the back of trucks. The broadcast said the facility is one of
hundreds of underground missile bases around the country. It didn't
disclose the location but said it was 500 meters (1,600 feet)
underground. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the Guard's aerospace branch,
boasted that the facility is the 'tip of the iceberg' of the Guard's
military might. The broadcast appeared aimed at showing that the Guard
will continue its missile program despite U.N. Security Council resolutions
and despite Iran's nuclear deal with the West. Days earlier, Iran said it
successfully test-fired a new long-range surface-to-surface
missile." http://t.uani.com/1VSvtOP
Fars (Iran):
"A sum of 220 Iranian lawmakers in a statement appreciated the
Defense Ministry for its successful test-firing of the country's new
precision-guided long-range ballistic missile, Emad, that can be
controlled until the moment of impact. 'We, the Iranian lawmakers,
appreciate the Iranian Defense Industries' efforts and advancements that
have been made through reliance on scientific and defense jihad and
neutralizing the oppressive sanctions and that set a model of success for
the resistance economy; we once again declare our all-out support for
boosting the country's defense power,' the statement said. The MPs said
that it goes without saying that the successes made under the auspices of
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei and in line with
national prowess will make the enemies disappointed. Iran on Sunday successfully
test-fired the country's new precision-guided long-range ballistic
missile that can be controlled until the moment of impact. 'This missile
(Emad) which has been fully designed and made by Iranian Defense
Ministry's scientists and experts is the country' first long-range
missile with navigation and strike controlling capability; it is capable
of hitting and destroying the targets with high-precision,' Iranian
Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan told reporters after
the successful test of Emad missile. The Iranian Defense Minister
reiterated that the manufacture and successful testing of Emad missile is
a technological and operational jump in a strategic field, and said, 'We
don't ask for anyone's permission for boosting our defense and missile
power; we resolutely continue our defense programs, specially in the
missile field, and Emad missile is a conspicuous example.'" http://t.uani.com/1OBK3ty
U.S.-Iran
Relations
WashPost:
"Secretary of State John F. Kerry on Tuesday defended the decision
not to make the release of three Americans imprisoned in Iran a condition
for a nuclear agreement with Iran. Kerry, speaking at a news conference
in Boston, said the State Department had raised the issue of the three
Americans, including Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian, on the
sidelines at every meeting during months of negotiations. But he said
negotiators did not want to make their fate an integral part of the talks
- which he characterized as a decision 'not to hold a nuclear agreement hostage
to hostages.' 'And in our judgment, it was the right thing to do because
it could have complicated both significantly and perhaps have resulted in
nothing happening on either,' he said. 'So I think it was the right
strategy to pursue.' ... Kerry bemoaned the fact that there is still no
official confirmation of the verdict against Rezaian, just Iranian media
reports of what the judiciary spokesman said. He said the State
Department is continuing a 'dialogue' with Iran regarding the Americans,
'and we will until they come home.'" http://t.uani.com/1G5y0U3
AP:
"The brother of Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post journalist
detained in Iran and convicted in secret, described his brother's
imprisonment as 'cruel and inhumane' Tuesday and called on the U.S. government
to take 'any appropriate actions' to win his freedom. Ali Rezaian told
The Associated Press in an interview in Washington that the charges were
'trumped up' and there was no evidence that his brother tried to access
security information... Ali Rezaian said there was no reason for his
brother to be in prison, and that the family has received no information
about the verdict. 'I would call it unjust, I would call it cruel and
inhumane, I would say Jason's lost 14 months of his life, half of his marriage,
to being held without any evidence on charges that are completely trumped
up,' Rezaian said... Asked about the possibility, aired by Iranian
officials, that Rezaian could be swapped for Iranian prisoners in the
U.S., his brother Ali said: 'His fate shouldn't be tied to anybody else,
but that being said if that's what needs to happen then I think the
(U.S.) government should take any appropriate actions to try and get him
out.'" http://t.uani.com/1X3yfDi
Sanctions Relief
RFE/RL:
"Iranian President Hassan Rohani says his country will face new
conditions once the sanctions are removed, which he suggested could
happen in the coming months... Speaking in a live televised interview,
the Iranian president said compatriots should expect a 'major economic boom.'
He said the uptick in commerce would happen 'not only because sanctions
will be removed, and not only because the resistive economy will be
implemented, but because of the hope and participation our nation has in
the economy.' ... 'After the sanctions relief, we will enter a
competitive international atmosphere,' he said while adding that the deal
will create 'new activities and more cooperation with the world.' Rohani
also noted that in recent weeks there has been an 'influx' of foreign
delegations visiting Iran with an eye on potential future business after
the sanctions are lifted. 'Every day 10 to 20 companies have been coming
to Iran,' Rohani said. He said the visits of foreign delegations to
Tehran are a sign that there will be 'different economic conditions in
the future.'" http://t.uani.com/1X3xdao
Shana (Iran):
"Iran's Petroleum Minister Bijan Zangeneh and visiting Japanese
Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida met here on Monday discussing oil, gas,
and petrochemical joint ventures following removal of sanctions. Kishida,
who is heading a 23-member delegation of Japanese businessmen and
officials, met his counterpart Mohammad-Javad Zarif in the morning.
Resource-poor Japan is seeking to secure stable supplies of crude oil and
natural gas from Iran and is making arrangements for setting
up a bilateral committee to deal with energy and infrastructure
development and other economic issues, media reports in Tokyo said...
Also on Sunday, Director of International Affairs in Iranian Petroleum Ministry
said the giant Japanese refiner Showa Shell is in negotiations with Iran
over volume of buying crude oil from Iran after sanctions are lifted.
'Showa Shell's senior officials are accompanying the Japanese foreign
minister during his visit to Iran with the sale of crude to the major
Asian refiner on the agenda of the talks,' Mohsen Qamsari told
Shana." http://t.uani.com/1VS6S1H
Sanctions
Enforcement
Reuters:
"Canadian authorities have charged two Quebec men with illegally
exporting railway equipment worth several million dollars to Iran in
defiance of sanctions against the Tehran government, police said on
Tuesday. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said in a statement
that the two accused were directors of closely held Romic Marc Rail Inc,
based in a suburb of Montreal. The men charged are Hugo Dreckmann, 75,
and Michael Allen, 67, the RCMP said. On the company's website Dreckmann
is listed as managing director and Allen is listed as
vice-president." http://t.uani.com/1X3qPQz
Syria Conflict
AP:
"Iran has sent hundreds of troops into northern and central Syria,
its first such deployment in the country's civil war, joining fighters
from its Lebanese ally Hezbollah in an offensive against rebels and
taking advantage of cover from Russia's air campaign, a regional official
and Syrian activists said Wednesday. Their arrival is almost certain to
fuel a civil war in Syria which has already claimed the lives of more
than 250,000 people and displaced half of the country's population. It
also highlights the far-reaching goals of Russia's military involvement
in Syria. Russia began carrying out airstrikes in Syria on Sept. 30, and
Syrian troops and allied militiamen began a ground offensive against
rebels in central Syria a week later... The arrival of Iranian troops
reinforces fighting under the cover of Russian air power further
strengthens the view that Russia's main goal is to shore up Syrian
President Bashar Assad's embattled government. The official, who has deep
knowledge of operational details in Syria, said the Iranian fighters
began arriving in Syria about two weeks ago, after the Russian airstrikes
began, and have accelerated in recent days. The Iranian-backed Hezbollah
group has also sent a fresh wave of fighters to Syria, he told The
Associated Press. He said the Iranian fighters were arriving at Damascus
airport and transported to a military base in the coastal town of Latakia
from where they were deploying on the ground - mainly in the central Hama
province and northern Aleppo province... Iranian and Syrian officials
have long maintained that Iran has advisers and military experts in
Syria. Wednesday's news is the first confirmation of Iranian fighters
taking part in combat operations in Syria." http://t.uani.com/1LaQGkb
Reuters:
"A delegation of Iranian lawmakers arrived in Damascus on Wednesday
in the build-up to a joint operation against insurgents in northwest
Syria, and said U.S.-led efforts to fight rebels had failed. The visit,
led by the chairman of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign
Policy Commission, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, came as Iranian troops prepared
to bolster a Syrian army offensive that two senior officials told Reuters
would target rebels in Aleppo. The attack, which the officials said would
be backed by Russian air strikes, underlined the growing involvement in
the civil war of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's two main allies,
which has alarmed a U.S.-led coalition opposed to the president that is
bombing Islamic State militants. 'The international coalition led by America
has failed in the fight against terrorism. The cooperation between Syria,
Iraq, Iran and Russia has been positive and successful,' Boroujerdi was
quoted as saying by Iran's state broadcaster IRIB as he arrived at
Damascus airport. The delegation was due to meet Assad, said officials.
Iran has sent thousands of troops into Syria in recent days to bolster
the planned ground offensive in Aleppo, the two officials told Reuters.
Iran's Tasnim news agency reported two senior officers from Iran's
Revolutionary Guards - Major General Farshad Hasounizadeh and Brigadier
Hamid Mokhtarband - were killed fighting Islamic State militants in Syria
on Monday, though it did not say where. Another senior Revolutionary
Guards commander, Hossein Hamedani, was killed last week while advising
the Syrian army near Aleppo." http://t.uani.com/1MzSsxq
Reuters:
"Syria's army along with Iranian and Hezbollah allies will soon
launch a ground attack supported by Russian air strikes against
insurgents in the Aleppo area, two senior regional officials told Reuters
on Tuesday. Control of Aleppo city and the surrounding province in the
area near the Turkish border is divided among the Syrian government,
insurgent groups fighting Assad and the Islamic State group that controls
some rural areas near the city. 'The big battle preparations in that area
are clear,' said one of the officials familiar with the plans. 'There is
a large mobilization of the Syrian army ... elite Hezbollah fighters, and
thousands of Iranians who arrived in stages in recent days.'" http://t.uani.com/1LM4ZbV
Reuters:
"In another sign of Iran's central role in support of President
Bashar al-Assad, a team of Iranian lawmakers arrived in Damascus on
Wednesday, and pictures circulated on social media showed the head of the
Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force, Qassem Soleimani, in western Syria.
Soleimani was pictured in a wooded area of northern Latakia province
addressing Iranian officers and Hezbollah fighters with a microphone,
wearing dark clothes as he spoke to the men in camouflage. 'This leak at
this time is deliberate and part of managing the battle in which the
Russian Sukhois (warplanes) are taking part,' said Salem Zahran, a
Lebanese media pundit with close ties to Hezbollah and the Syrian
government." http://t.uani.com/1LaRLZ7
AP:
"The foreign ministers of Germany and Iran will take part in a
conference Saturday in Tehran to discuss the situation in Syria and
Iran's future role in the region following the nuclear agreement. The
meeting is organized by the Munich Security Conference and the Institute
for Political and International Studies. The organizers said in a
statement Wednesday that German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier
and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif will meet with some 60
other participants for 'an informal exchange.' They said those attending
include the foreign ministers of Afghanistan and Iraq, the prime minister
of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish Regional Government and the U.N.'s
deputy peace envoy for Syria." http://t.uani.com/1jolJzT
AP:
"Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific said Wednesday it has stopped
flying over Iran and the Caspian Sea following an air safety agency
warning about Russian missiles fired at Syria. The airline's decision to
reroute flights comes after Russia stepped up its military campaign
against Islamic State group fighters in Syria. It started firing cruise
missiles from its military warships in the Caspian Sea on Sept. 30. 'In
view of the situation in the region, Cathay Pacific suspended all flights
over Iran and Caspian Sea since last Thursday until further notice,' the
airline said in a statement. 'We continue to monitor and review the
situation on a daily basis.' The European Aviation Safety Agency issued a
safety bulletin to airlines last week about cruise missiles targeted at
Syrian rebels fired by Russian warships in the Caspian Sea. It said the
missiles must cross Iran and Iraq below flight routes used by commercial
aircraft." http://t.uani.com/1K8PfyA
Human Rights
AP:
"An award-winning Iranian filmmaker whose work focuses on the
travails of modern life and political expression in the Islamic Republic
has been sentenced to six years in prison over his movies. The conviction
of Keywan Karimi follows similar punishments for other artists and
journalists in Iran, even as its moderate government moves toward detente
with the West over its contested nuclear program. The case underscores
both the murky limits of expression in Iran and the power hard-liners
still maintain in the country. 'I don't know what happened that I should
go to jail for six years,' Karimi told The Associated Press. 'I speak
about the government, I speak about society, I speak about (graffiti), I
speak about a laborer. 'Watch my movies and ... (then) judge me.' Both
Karimi and his lawyer Amir Raeisian say a court sentenced the filmmaker
on charges of 'insulting sanctities' in Iran... The footage involved both
a 'video clip' and a film he directed called 'Writing on the City,' which
focuses on political graffiti in Iran from its 1979 Islamic Revolution to
its contested 2009 election." http://t.uani.com/1k4Pi9P
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