|
|
|
Join
UANI
Top Stories
AP: "Iran has started cutting back on some nuclear
technology, which could be reengineered to make nuclear weapons, in line
with a deal with six world powers, a U.N. nuclear agency report said
Wednesday. However, diplomats familiar with the report said that the
country is keeping thousands of machines that could be used for such a
purpose on standby. The U.N's International Atomic Energy Agency report
and the diplomats' assessments present a mixed picture of the pace of
Iran's moves to comply with the July 14 deal it signed with the six
countries and come about a month after the deal was formally adopted on
Oct. 18. Since then, the report showed that Iran has significantly reduced
the number of centrifuges meant to enrich uranium, which can produce
nuclear fuel, isotopes for research, or the core of an atomic bomb,
depending on the degree of enrichment. It said 11,308 centrifuges were
standing at Iran's main enrichment center as of Nov. 15, about 3,000
fewer than previously. It also noted cuts at a smaller facility, for a
total reduction of about 4,500 of the nearly 20,000 machines Iran had
previously set up. But the diplomats said all of the machines that have
been taken out were previously idle. Thousands of centrifuges that were
spinning uranium into enriched levels used for fuel are no longer online
but remain on standby and can be restarted at short notice." http://t.uani.com/1Oh9n71
Reuters: "Officials have been speculating about the speed at
which Iran can dismantle the centrifuges, sensitive machines that spin at
supersonic speeds to purify uranium to levels at which it can be used as
fuel in power stations or, potentially, weapons. Disconnecting and moving
the machines is a time-consuming process if it is to be done without
damaging the equipment, making it one of the steps most likely to delay
implementation of the deal, and therefore the lifting of sanctions. 'They
have been dismantling centrifuges that did not contain hexafluoride,' the
senior diplomat said, referring to uranium hexafluoride, the feedstock
for centrifuges. 'Dismantling centrifuges that have or have had hexafluoride
is a much more complicated thing than the clean ones.' ... Iran was also
carrying out an annual inventory at all its enrichment sites, meaning
that enrichment had stopped across the country, the report said. 'This is
the first time at this point in time that none of the three enrichment
plants are operating,' the senior diplomat said. Iran's stockpile of
low-enriched uranium had increased by 460.2 kg in the past three months
to 8,305.6 kg, the report said. Under the deal with major powers, that stockpile
must be slashed to no more than 300 kg." http://t.uani.com/215f5jq
Bloomberg: "Oil and banking sanctions against Iran might be
lifted by mid-January based on the pace at which technicians are removing
and mothballing nuclear equipment at the country's uranium-enrichment
facilities. Iran removed 4,530 centrifuges during the 28 days ending Nov.
15, a rate of 162 machines per day, according to an International Atomic
Energy Agency report issued late Wednesday. Based on current work rates,
Iran may be able to fulfill its part of the nuclear deal agreed with
world powers by Jan. 12. 'By the time you have this down to a routine,
it's not much more difficult than changing a set of tires,' said Robert
Kelley, a nuclear engineer and former IAEA director who has supervised
centrifuge disassembly projects. 'There's no reason the Iranians cannot
continue at the same pace.'" http://t.uani.com/1lwCOZm
Nuclear Program & Agreement
Tasnim (Iran): "Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Chief Ali
Akbar Salehi announced on Thursday that the document on redesigning
Iran's Arak heavy water rector has been signed by all parties to the July
14 nuclear agreement, and the grounds are now set for implementation of
the accord. 'We were informed today that all foreign ministers of the six
countries in the (nuclear) negotiations as well as the European Union
Foreign Policy Chief have signed the document on redesigning and
modernizing the Arak heavy water reactor,' Salehi said, adding that the
document has been officially adopted. As per the Joint Comprehensive Plan
of Action (JCPOA - the text of the nuclear deal), the other side was
supposed to guarantee its cooperation on the reconfiguration of Arak
reactor, Salehi noted, adding that the guarantee has now been given.
Since the document has been signed by six countries as well as the EU
representative, it has high political, legal, and international credit,
the Iranian nuclear chief stated. He further noted that the sextet have
declared in this document that they will cooperate with Iran in
redesigning the reactor and providing the required equipment, as well as
in different phases of the project." http://t.uani.com/215kmr9
Extremism
Fars (Iran): "Iran's Army Commander Major General Ataollah Salehi
blamed the western countries for nurturing and spreading terrorism in the
world, saying the recent terrorist attack in Paris by the ISIL was a
backfiring of certain western states' support for the terrorist group.
'Today terrorism has emerged in the region under different names of
al-Qaeda, Taliban, Somali pirates and the ISIL and we should be aware of
it,' General Salehi told reporters in the Southern city of Shalamcheh on
Wednesday. He referred to the regional conditions and the terrorist
incidents in France, and said, 'The West is the culprit behind the spread
of corruption and terrorism and the western officials should know that
they are nourishing a viper in their bosoms.' In relevant remarks on Tuesday,
Iranian Supreme Leader's Deputy Chief of Office for International Affairs
Ayatollah Mohsen Qomi condemned the Friday night's terrorist attacks in
Paris, but meantime, said the tragedy was a backfiring of the West's
support for terrorist groups. 'The West was punished by the incident in
France for its unreasonable supports for these terrorist groups and it is
clear that we are not pleased with the killing of innocent people but
these conditions are the result of the West-created plights in the
Middle-East,' Ayatollah Qomi said in Tehran." http://t.uani.com/1Qwklsx
IRNA (Iran): "Ayatollah Hossein Nouri Hamedani said on Thursday
that the recent terrorist operation in Paris has justified new waves of
Islamophobia to expel Muslims and set ablaze the holy Quran. The role of
the Zionist regime in Paris incident is very strong, he said, adding that
enemies are vigilant and spare no efforts to mastermind plots." http://t.uani.com/1Xb13YI
Sanctions Relief
Tasnim (Iran): "An official with Iran Khodro Company (IKCO), the
Middle East's biggest carmaker, said negotiations have been held with
Germany's Daimler AG, the maker of Mercedes-Benz cars, over manufacturing
new-age engines in Iran. Mohammad Hazrati, the export manager at Iran
Khodro Diesel (IKD), a subsidiary of IKCO, told Azerbaijan's Trend news
agency on Wednesday that IKD and Daimler AG have started preliminary
talks to produce new engines following the recent nuclear deal and the
ensuing lifting of anti-Tehran sanctions." http://t.uani.com/1NdXceb
Press TV (Iran): "Russian officials say the country is negotiating with
Iran over the local production of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ 100)
airliner to replace the ageing Iranian fleet on regional routes. Russia's
Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin says Moscow may deliver a large
batch of SSJ 100 planes - described as the country's most modern
commercial jets - to Iran before 2020. Rogozin told the Russian media
that the batch could comprise about 100 planes. The planes can be in part
be localized by Iranian producers if Tehran makes the political decision
to purchase ready-made aircraft, he told Rossiya 24 TV during a two-day trip
to Iran. 'Last night, one of the largest Iranian airlines held
negotiations with UAC on the possible delivery of ready planes within
five years. Different digits have been mentioned and I can mention them
too - approximately 100 planes,' Rogozin added." http://t.uani.com/1MVKDlu
Tehran Times: "The giant French automaker Renault has vended 6300
cars in the Iranian market in October 2015, compared to 2600 cars traded
in the same month last year, according to Renault's official website. The
sales volume is nearly two and a half times more on the year-on-year
comparison, up 142 percent. In addition to monthly data, the report puts
the company's car sales to Iran in the first ten months of 2015 at
30,030, up 7.3 percent relative to the 28,000 record reported for the
same time expansion last year. The automaker's yearly sales to Iran in
2014 totaled 36,300 cars, down 9 percent compared to 39,600 cars in 2013.
Renault's car shipments to Iran in 2012 and 2011 stood at 100,783 and
93,626, respectively." http://t.uani.com/1QPFNrL
Syria Conflict
WSJ: "The Obama administration and European and Arab allies
are seeking to peel Russia away from its alliance with Iran, a
partnership that has bolstered Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, said
senior diplomats involved in efforts to end Syria's lengthy conflict. The
efforts, which have unfolded quietly through meetings involving Russian
President Vladimir Putin and Middle Eastern leaders, are meant to coax
support from Moscow for a limit on Mr. Assad's time in power. Such a step
would solidify an emerging international coalition and help clear the way
for a more concerted military effort to counter Islamic State in Syria
and Iraq. Iran is seen as a brake on those efforts because of its more
staunchly pro-Assad position, which it wants the Kremlin to support. If
Russia holds fast to Iran and Mr. Assad, it would undermine hopes for an
international consensus. A senior U.S. official on Tuesday said
Washington has seen 'increased tensions between Russia and Iran over the
question of the future of Syria.' U.S. and European officials also said
they believe Iran's elite military unit, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard
Corps, has withdrawn some troops from Syria in recent weeks, because of a
strain on its resources." http://t.uani.com/1X0OqEH
Free Beacon: "At least 53 highly trained Iranian fighters have been
killed in Syria as of mid-November, causing political strain in the
Iranian government, which has sought to downplay and hide these deaths
from public view, according to disclosures from an Israeli security
organization. Iranian members of the country's Revolutionary Guard Corps
have shifted in recent months from serving in an advisory role to
becoming full-fledged fighters alongside forces backing embattled
President Bashar al-Assad in Syria. At least 2,000 Iranian fighters are
now believed to be operating in the country. This had led to a 'sharp
increase in the number of Iranian dead' and suggests that the Islamic
Republic has moved to the 'front line' of the pro-Assad ground offensive,
according to information published by the the Meir Amit Intelligence and
Terrorism Information Center, an Israeli think-tank and intelligence
organization. Intelligence compiled by the center indicates that trained
Iranian fighters have taken to the front lines, with at least 53 corps
fighters having been killed as of Nov. 15, including senior commanders.
The uptick in the number of those killed fighting for Assad has caused
internal tension in Tehran and forced the government to launch public
campaigns aimed at galvanizing public support for its war effort. 'The
heavy losses incurred by Iran in Syria have required the Iranian
leadership to provide justification for Iran's military involvement in
Syria and explanations for the high number of Iranians killed,' the Meir
Amit center wrote in a recent brief on the situation. 'To that end the
regime instituted a media campaign to enlist public opinion to support
Iranian involvement in Syria and obviate any possible criticism.'" http://t.uani.com/1QPDbdg
Human Rights
ICHRI: "The journalist Solmaz Ikdar has been sentenced to
three years in prison for 'insulting the Supreme Leader' and 'propaganda
against the state.' The charges were based on content she posted on her
Facebook page. The trial, presided over by Judge Moghisseh, took place on
October 20, 2015, and Ikdar's sentence was issued on November 10, 2015, a
source told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. Ikdar,
33, has spent her journalism career writing for several reformist
publications, including Shargh, Bahar, Farhikhtegan, and Mardom-e Emrooz.
Her sentencing takes place within the context of an intensified campaign
by hardliners against journalists and reformists in Iran. During recent
weeks, several Iranian journalists have been arrested by the
Revolutionary Guards' Intelligence Organization. Authorities in Iran have
also cracked down particularly hard on any dissenting opinion expressed
on social media, a platform they have come to fear due to its widespread
use among Iranian youth." http://t.uani.com/1XaQRiI
ICHRI: "The journalist Rayhaneh Tabatabaie, 35, has been
informed that the Appeals Court has approved her one-year prison sentence
and two-year ban on political and media activities issued in November
2014 by Judge Salavati. A source told the International Campaign for
Human Rights in Iran that the charge of 'propaganda against the state'
against Tabatabaie was based on her Facebook posts that were critical of
the government, as well as her activities in the Young Reformists
Election Headquarters, a group formed in 2013 to promote the election of
Hassan Rouhani to the presidency. She was also accused of causing
religious tensions by interviewing prominent Sunni figures such as
Mowlavi Abdolhamid, the Friday Prayer Leader of the city of Zahedan. The
decision takes place within a context of an intensifying crackdown on
journalists and reformists in Iran, and a particular targeting of any
dissent expressed on social media platforms." http://t.uani.com/1MVGvSz
Domestic Politics
Reuters: "Iran's hardline judiciary arrested the son of a
former minister of culture on Wednesday on suspicion of involvement in a
controversial oil contract, according to the semi-official Fars news
agency. Four years ago, Iran's government tried to bypass the
international sanctions on its oil and gas sector and buy an oil rig from
a European company. Even though Tehran ended up paying out $87 million,
the rig was never delivered to Iran. Fars, quoting an unnamed source,
said: 'Mohammad Mohajerani's arrest was related to his role in the
missing oil rig case.' Mohammad Mohajerani denied all allegations against
him in a statement published on ILNA news agency in August, saying all
his activities had been 'in the framework of the Islamic Republic
economic regulations.' A few Iranian officials have been arrested in Iran
in the last few months as part of a judicial investigation into possible
corruption related to the deal." http://t.uani.com/1MoUsqI
Opinion & Analysis
J. Matthew McInnis in TNI: "Iran may have joined in condemning
the Islamic State's (ISIS) vicious attack in Paris on November 13, but
the terrorist strike also gives Tehran a major diplomatic opportunity to
advance its goals in region. The United States, France, and other world
powers are striving to build a more effective anti-ISIS campaign. Yet
Iran's own murky relationship with the extremist group may confound these
efforts... Iran's fear of ISIS, however, does not make it an ideal
partner in combating the group. First, many within Iran's leadership
believe the Islamic State is ultimately a creation of the Gulf Arab
states and the Western powers. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC)
Brigadier General Massoud Jazayeri condemned the Paris attacks, but also
attributed them to the French government's support of ISIS. He warned
Western leaders not to misuse the tragedy to justify wars, 'such as what
happened after the September 11th attacks to the people of Afghanistan
and Iraq.' Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian reiterated
Iran's previous warnings to the Gulf States and the West that supporting
the Islamic State could foment insecurity within their own countries.
This misunderstanding hampers Iran's strategic thinking, and leads to
ineffective policies. Second, Iran and the international community do not
share the same primary objectives in Syria. The international community
views the Islamic State as a more significant threat than Assad. For
Iran, however, preventing Assad's fall is paramount; battling ISIS
remains a secondary priority. ISIS is not such an immediate threat that
Iran is willing to work with opposition forces at the expense of its
primary goal of keeping Assad in power. Third, ISIS also serves a
practical purpose for Iran. IS's reign of terror and global ambitions
have effectively distracted the international community from President
Assad's butchering of his own people. The United States and France are
already pushing for greater cooperation with Russia in Syria, an implicit
boon for Tehran's new joint campaign with Moscow to preserve the current
Syrian regime. Finally, ISIS helps undermine the viability and
credibility of any alternative to Assad's rule. For Iran there is
distinction with little difference between ISIS (accused of receiving
support from Sunni Arab states and the West) and other Syrian opposition
groups (known to receive support from the Sunni Arab states and the
West). Tehran is happy to let the extremist organization fight it out
with the various Sunni opposition groups that remain Assad's most
pressing political threat... Regardless of its sympathetic rhetoric,
Tehran has no qualms about using ISIS to serve its immediate goals. It
would be a mistake for US negotiators in Vienna--in the hopes of creating
a broader anti-ISIS coalition--to accommodate Tehran's demands that Assad
could stay indefinitely. Such a course would fuel Iran's longer-term
ambitions of regional hegemony, and sacrifice the chance at a genuine
political solution in Syria." http://t.uani.com/1Mp4CYr
Simon Chin & Valerie Lincy in Wisconsin Project on
Nuclear Arms Control: "As part of the nuclear agreement with Iran, 36
entities will be removed from the United Nations blacklist when the deal
is implemented next year. This represents about one-third of the
entities on the U.N. list and covers entities that have been linked to
undeclared nuclear work or illicit nuclear procurement. The
removals also set in motion similar action by the European Union and the
United States. The troubling result is that early on in the
lifetime of the agreement, most of these entities may not appear on
international screening lists. The first round of U.N. sanctions relief
will arrive on Implementation Day, the date when the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) verifies that Iran has fulfilled its first set of
nuclear-related commitments under the deal. This is expected
sometime in 2016. This sanctions relief is not contingent upon the
findings of the IAEA's investigation into Iran's alleged past nuclear
weapons work. And it will come well before the Agency has completed
its longer-term assessment of Iran's nuclear program and gives it a clean
bill of health-the so-called 'Broader Conclusion' that 'that all nuclear
material in Iran remains in peaceful activities.' This conclusion
will be reached only if Iran is fully cooperative with inspectors, has
resolved concerns about its past nuclear activities, and addresses all of
the Agency's questions about its ongoing nuclear program. In addition to
removal from the U.N. list, these 36 entities will also be cleared from
the European Union blacklist on Implementation Day. And all but one
of these entities will no longer be covered by U.S. secondary sanctions,
meaning that non-U.S. entities may do business with them without risk of
being sanctioned by the United States. The majority of delisted entities
are Iranian government officials and nuclear scientists and engineers
(20). Removals also include nuclear research and production
facilities (11), subsidiaries of Iran's national shipping company (3),
and the Malaysian branch of Iran's Bank Mellat. The initial set of
removals from the U.N. list includes the Atomic Energy Organization of
Iran (AEOI), the main Iranian organization for research and development
in the field of nuclear technology. The AEOI and its subsidiaries
have been repeatedly linked to undeclared nuclear work and illicit
procurement." http://t.uani.com/1lwHtuj
|
|
Eye on Iran is a periodic news summary from United Against
Nuclear Iran (UANI) a program of the American Coalition Against Nuclear
Iran, Inc., a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code. Eye on Iran is not intended as a comprehensive
media clips summary but rather a selection of media elements with
discreet analysis in a PDA friendly format. For more information please
email Press@UnitedAgainstNuclearIran.com
United Against Nuclear
Iran (UANI) is a non-partisan, broad-based coalition that is united in a
commitment to prevent Iran from fulfilling its ambition to become a
regional super-power possessing nuclear weapons. UANI is an
issue-based coalition in which each coalition member will have its own
interests as well as the collective goal of advancing an Iran free of
nuclear weapons.
|
|
|
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment