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Reuters: "Leaders from more than 50
Muslim nations accused Iran on Friday of supporting terrorism and
interfering in the affairs of regional states, including Syria and
Yemen, a condemnation that may widen the divide between Iran and its
main rival, Saudi Arabia. The leaders, including Iranian President
Hassan Rouhani, have been attending a summit in Istanbul this week of
the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to discuss a
such issues as the humanitarian fall-out from Syria's civil war. 'The
conference deplored Iran's interference in the internal affairs of the
States of the region and other member states including Bahrain, Yemen,
Syria, and Somalia, and its continued support for terrorism,' the OIC
said in its final summit communique. It also stressed the need for
'cooperative relations' between Iran and other Muslim countries,
including refraining from the use or threat of force." http://t.uani.com/1Nx40Pa
WSJ: "The European Union's top
foreign policy official pledged Saturday the bloc would do what it can
to get large regional banks working with Iran in a bid to ease tensions
between Tehran and Washington over the benefits of last year's nuclear
agreement. Federica Mogherini was in Tehran on Saturday at the head of
the largest delegation of EU officials to visit Iran in years. The two
sides announced a string of joint projects-from the energy sector to
migration and joint research work-in a bid to broaden a bilateral
relationship that was long restricted by the dispute over Iran's
nuclear program. Ms. Mogherini, who chaired the negotiations which
produced last July's nuclear agreement, said in a press conference with
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif the bloc was trying to 'reassure'
major European banks that they should start engaging again in Iran.
'The main message that I have delivered here is the fact that we
Europeans have as much as an interest as the Iranians that this issue
is solved,' she said in a sit-down with a small group of reporters
later. 'We have an economic interest also in coming back here as the
first trading partner...In order to do that we need our banks to be
present here.' ... In a separate sit-down Saturday, Iranian Foreign
Minister Javad Zarif acknowledged that while U.S. officials may not be
doing anything that breaches the letter of last year's nuclear accord,
they were undermining its spirit. 'All we're asking the United States
isn't to interfere and to assure...international banks that they will
not be fined again illegally for doing business with Iran,' he said....
However, Ms. Mogherini said Iran also needs to make changes at home to
entice more western banks. That includes reforms to improve the
business and financial environment-and more contentiously, to improve
the political framework for investors so that they don't risk creating
links with outlawed firms or groups. 'There are ways in which we can
help each other,' she said. Among the new projects announced on Saturday,
the EU and Iran will start work on some joint civil nuclear projects
and start discussions on broadening oil and gas links." http://t.uani.com/1Vx6V1X
AP: "A top Iranian official on
Friday accused the U.S. and the European Union of failing to honor last
year's nuclear deal by keeping Iran locked out of the international
financial system. The White House insisted Washington is committed to
fulfilling its part of the accord and said Tehran wants concessions
that weren't part of the deal. The historic accord took effect in
January and envisions Iran curtailing its nuclear program in exchange
for billions of dollars in sanctions relief. The head of Iran's central
bank, Valiollah Seif, said in a speech Friday that Iran's counterparts
have not lived up to their commitments and that 'almost nothing' has
been done as part of the deal. 'In general, we are not able to use our
frozen funds abroad,' Seif said at the Council on Foreign Relations
through a translator. Seif was in Washington to attend the spring
meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. 'They
(Iran's partners) have not honored their obligations.' He urged
Washington to do more to encourage international banks to do business
with Iran and ease Iran's access to U.S. financial institutions.
Otherwise, he said, the deal 'breaks up on its own terms.' He did not
elaborate. White House press secretary Josh Earnest insisted Friday
that Western nations are doing their part. 'The United States, along
with the rest of the international community, is committed to living up
to our end of the bargain,' he told reporters. Earnest said that the
agreement does not involve giving Iran access to the U.S. financial
system and that such a move is not being contemplated. State Department
spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. already has fulfilled its part of
the nuclear deal. 'There is no need to do more, when we have met all of
our commitments,' Kirby told reporters later in the day." http://t.uani.com/1Sn2wLv
U.S.-Iran
Relations
Reuters: "U.S. Secretary of Defense
Ash Carter said on Saturday (April 16) that Iran is exercising a
'maligned influence' in the Middle East against which U.S. troops are
serving as a deterrent. Speaking to U.S. troops stationed at Al Dhafra
Air Base in Abu Dhabi, Carter said the recent nuclear deal with Iran
was positive but did not rule Iran out as a threat. 'We have the
nuclear deal with Iran, which is a good deal in the sense that it took
the nuclear weapons out of the picture, provided it's implements and
all of that, and we're watching that. But that doesn't take Iran out of
the picture, and the possibility of either outright aggression or the
kind of malign activity that you see them exercising in the region that
a lot of our friends and partners including our hosts here and other in
the regions are concerned about,' he said. Carter, who also spoke about
the need to destroy the Islamic State, said U.S. troops were in the
region to back up U.S. allies. 'So you too are part of the system of
deterrents and countering Iran's malign influence in the region,
standing tall with our friends,' he said. The U.S. Secretary of Defense
is in the gulf region to talk with leaders in Saudi Arabia and other
Gulf countries about the fight against Islamic State militants and other
defense issues." http://t.uani.com/1MD2LTy
AP: "Secretary of State John
Kerry is concerned a general of Iran's hardline Revolutionary Guard
Corps may be visiting Moscow in violation of a U.N. travel ban. Kerry
raised the matter of Qassem Soleimani in a conversation Friday with
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. But State Department spokesman
John Kirby said the U.S. couldn't confirm media reports on its own that
Soleimani is in the Russian capital. Friday's claim isn't the first of
a trip by Soleimani to Moscow. A previous one was never confirmed. The
head of the elite Quds special forces is subject to a five-year U.N.
travel ban. Kirby said Friday that 'such travel, if true, would be a
violation' and a 'serious matter of concern.'" http://t.uani.com/26auDou
Business
Risk
ICHRI: "In a signed statement
addressed to Iran's supreme leader, 54 leading business people and
economists from countries around the world asked Ayatollah Khamenei to
stop the harassment and discrimination against Baha'i business owners
in Iran. 'We view the recent spate of business closures by Iranian
authorities not only as a violation of religious freedom and human
rights, but also as an affront to the freedom to do business,' the
letter, which was signed by prominent figures from Brazil, India,
Australia, Germany, the US, and the UK, stated. The letter noted that
since October 2014, Iranian authorities had closed at least eighty
Baha'i-owned businesses in the cities of Kerman, Rafsanjan and Sari
because their owners had temporarily closed their doors to observe
Baha'i holy days, and had pressured Baha'i business owners to sign
pledges that they would no longer close their shops on Baha'i holy
days. 'The closing of Baha'i businesses and the constant harassment of
Baha'is are against Iran's international commitments guaranteeing
freedom of religion,' said Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the
International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. 'The business
community worldwide should let Iran know that if Iran wishes to be open
for business it must respect the law and the rights of Baha'is,' he added."
http://t.uani.com/1SgmXHQ
Bloomberg: "Three months after a nuclear
deal was implemented between Iran and western powers, the Islamic
Republic has been unable to tap about $100 billion held abroad and is
seeking access to the U.S. financial system to help pay its bills,
Central Bank Governor Valiollah Seif said. While Iranian deposits held
abroad are supposed to be accessible, Seif said Friday that European
banks are worried about running afoul of U.S. regulations. He wants the
U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control to issue guidelines
encouraging European banks to be more receptive to Iran. Seif met
Treasury Secretary Jack Lew Thursday on the sidelines of the IMF-World
Bank meetings in Washington to discuss his concerns. So far, Iran has
gotten 'almost nothing' from the accord, which was implemented on Jan.
16, Seif said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. 'One of the
needs that we definitely have goes back to converting currencies to pay
our suppliers. It requires having access to the U.S. financial
system.'" http://t.uani.com/1pbcPaW
Sanctions
Relief
Bloomberg: "After lifting international
and federal sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program, the Barack
Obama administration is turning its attention to state governments. On
April 8, the State Department's lead coordinator for Iran nuclear implementation,
Stephen Mull, sent letters to the governors of all 50 states as well as
some local officials. He asked them to reconsider any laws on the books
that called for divesting state funds, such as pensions, from
businesses interacting with Iran's economy, or laws that would deny
contracts to companies that do business with Iran. The State Department
has signaled this might be coming. Over the summer, Secretary of State
John Kerry told Congress he would be asking states not to interfere
with the implementation of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, which
relaxes some economic sanctions... 'Some states have adopted laws
designed to incentivize Iran to change its behavior in certain ways,'
Mull wrote in a letter to Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner, which I obtained
over the weekend. 'If that is the case in your state, I would urge you
to consider whether the implementation of the JCPOA, which verifiably
ensures that Iran's nuclear program is and will remain exclusively
peaceful, addresses the underlying concerns with Iran articulated in
your state's law.' ... John Kirby, the State Department's spokesman,
told me in a statement that similar letters had been sent out to the
governors of all 50 states... As for Governor Rauner, it looks for now
that he won't be taking Mull's advice. When asked for a response to
Mull's letter, Rauner's office pointed me to a statement from the
governor's spokeswoman back in August. At the time, she said, 'Iran
remains the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism and Illinois law
would not prevent the implementation of the nuclear agreement now under
congressional review. Illinois taxpayers should not be asked to
subsidize Iranian terrorism.' Eight months later, it looks like
Illinois taxpayers will keep their sanctions on Iran, despite requests
from the Obama administration." http://t.uani.com/1qBvyxE
AP: "Iran's foreign minister on
Saturday called on the United States to ease restrictions on
non-American banks doing business with the Islamic Republic, saying it
would help reassure Iranians over last year's nuclear deal. 'Iran will
definitely put pressure on the United States to pave the way for the
cooperation of non-American banks with Iran,' Mohammad Javad Zarif said
during a press conference with visiting EU foreign policy chief
Federica Mogherini. 'The other party, particularly the United States,
is required to implement its commitments in banking cooperation,' he
said, referring to the historic agreement, which lifted sanctions on
Iran in return for it curbing its nuclear activities. Zarif added that
the 'Iranian people should feel results from the nuclear deal.' ...
Mogherini said 'we can reassure our financial sector and our banking
system on the fact that we would welcome very much on the European side
their engagement in Iran, as this would constitute a good basis for our
economic cooperation.'" http://t.uani.com/1S5tp7K
Reuters: "The European Union said on
Saturday it would support Iran's bid to join the World Trade
Organization but it urged Tehran to refrain from further ballistic
missile tests after the highest-level talks with Iran in more than a
decade. Seeking to capitalize on last year's nuclear deal, EU foreign
policy chief Federica Mogherini led a team of seven European
commissioners on a one-day trip to Tehran where they agreed to
cooperate on everything from banking to energy to transport issues. 'It
is in the European interest and in the Iranian interest to make sure
that banks engage and feel confident to come to Iran and facilitate and
support this new economic engagement,' Mogherini said at a news
conference with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Tehran.
With a view to opening a full EU diplomatic mission in Iran an EU
liaison team will be sent to Tehran, Mogherini and Zarif said in a
joint statement. 'Today is a new beginning in Iran and EU relations. We
hope this cooperation between the Iranian nation and European Union
brings about shared interests and global development,' Zarif was quoted
as saying by the state news agency IRNA." http://t.uani.com/1U2emNF
WSJ: "Iranian liquefied natural
gas could start to play a significant part of the European Union's
energy mix after the next three to four years, the bloc's energy chief
said after meeting officials here to map out future energy ties. Energy
Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete was in Iran as part of an EU mission
seeking to expand commercial and political ties with the country
following last year's nuclear deal and January's lifting of sanctions
on Tehran. In recent months, many national governments have led delegations
to the Iranian capital and unveiled plans for ramped-up energy
investment and business although there are significant obstacles still
in delivering on some of those proposals. This weekend was the first
chance for the EU to plot out a broader framework for energy ties. Mr.
Cañete met on Saturday with Iran's oil and energy ministers. On Sunday,
he held talks with Iran's powerful Vice President Ali Akbar Salehi, a
veteran official who also heads Iran's atomic agency... Following his
meetings in Tehran, Mr. Cañete said he now believes significant volumes
could already start flowing in the next three to four years. That, he
said, is because Iranian authorities are looking to complete three LNG
plants that were in the works before sanctions were tightened early in
the decade... The next milestone will be a business forum on energy
that Mr. Cañete hopes will happen early next year. The EU would take
energy operators, policy makers and financial institutions to the forum
to explore opportunities and tackle a key issue: the form of future
energy contracts." http://t.uani.com/1Spqzwq
AP: "Air France resumed flights
to Iran Sunday after last year's landmark deal to curb Iranian nuclear
activities, as part of larger French and European efforts to rebuild
trade ties long frozen by sanctions. The direct flight from Paris to
Tehran was the first since 2008. French Transport Minister Alain
Vidalies and a business leaders' delegation were on board flight AF 378
that took off from Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport after noon. Air
France CEO Frederic Gagey was optimistic the line would prove
profitable. 'It's a touristic destination which I believe is going to
become very popular, very attractive,' he said. Air France is also
counting on Paris to become a hub for American and other tourists
headed to Tehran. Asghar Fakhrieh Kashan, Iran's deputy transport
minister, welcomed the resumption of the flight. 'The current situation
has fortunately given the opportunity to both countries to restore
their relations to their normal former state. It interestingly seems
that the Islamic Republic's aviation sector has been dominated by
France and French industries,' he said. The resumption of flights will
restore a longstanding aviation link between the two countries. The
airline operated flights to Tehran from 1946 until October 2008, when
they were suspended amid U.N. and EU sanctions against Iran over its
nuclear program. The plans have sparked debate within the airline, with
some female crew members objecting to having to cover their hair while
in Iran, in line with Iranian law. Air France said earlier this month
it would allow female pilots and cabin crew to opt out of assigned
Tehran flights if they object to covering their hair... Air France will
fly to Iran three times a week. German carrier Lufthansa and Austrian
Airlines also run several flights a week connecting Iran and Europe.
British Airways plans to resume operations to Iran starting this
summer." http://t.uani.com/1qT58HY
WSJ: "The European Union will send
aviation security experts to Iran in May, looking at removing Iranair
from an EU blacklist for unsafe airlines. Iran Air was blacklisted in
2010 due to safety concerns with its planes, said Jakub Adamowicz, a
spokesman for the European Commission, the bloc's executive. Twelve of
the airline's planes were exempted from the ban, allowing the Iranian
flag-carrier to maintain some service into Europe. 'What will happen
now is that there will be technical assessments in May, to see if
Iranair solved the issues. These are technical discussions, not a
political decision. The safety of flights is not conditioned by the
nationality of an airline,' Mr. Adamowicz said." http://t.uani.com/1Wb2OHS
NYT: "Almost six years ago, the
European Union sharply curtailed access to its airspace for Iran's
aging airline fleet. But officials in Brussels say they are now
prepared to loosen some of those restrictions as the easing of Western
sanctions gradually allows new planes and spare parts to enter Iran
after decades of isolation... The European Union banned most planes
operated by Iran's state-owned flag carrier, Iran Air, from its skies
in 2010 because of concerns over their airworthiness. With an average
age of more than 26 years, the airline's fleet is one of the world's
oldest, and European and American trade restrictions had prohibited the
sale of the spare parts needed to keep the planes properly maintained.
In an interview before this weekend's visit, Violeta Bulc, the European
Union's transport commissioner, said that easing flight restrictions on
Iran Air was a 'key priority' for Brussels, which is also keen to
expand European airlines' access to Iran's $400 billion economy. Ms.
Bulc expressed cautious optimism that European Union inspections of the
airline's maintenance operations, scheduled to begin next month, would
pave the way to increase air transport links between Iran and Europe,
which she argued would have economic and diplomatic benefits. 'We need
to re-establish these connections,' Ms. Bulc said. 'We need to
re-establish trust.' ... Ms. Bulc cited air transport as a 'key
enabler' of economic growth and credited air services agreements that
the European Union has concluded in recent years with several countries
in the western Balkans, the Middle East and North Africa with
significantly bolstering air traffic between those regions and Europe.
'Every new destination opens new potential for business development,'
Ms. Bulc added." http://t.uani.com/22HzV6k
Reuters: "South Korean President Park
Geun-hye will make a state visit to Iran from May 1 to 3 to meet
President Hassan Rouhani and initiate discussions with Iran on a wide
range of areas including energy and engineering, her office said on
Monday. Park's visit will be the first by a South Korean leader since
the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1962 and her
office said it hoped the visit would help deepen ties after sanctions
on Iran were lifted. South Korea, the world's fifth-largest crude
importer, is one of the largest buyers of Iranian oil. Its import of
Iranian crude surged 81 percent in March from the same month a year
earlier, after sanctions were lifted. South Korea said it planned to
increase imports of Iranian oil this year to meet growing demand,
especially of condensate, a super light oil that can be processed into
fuels and petrochemicals... South Korea hopes its engineering and
ship-building industries can benefit from Iran's return to markets
after the sanctions were lifted. Its ship builders, along with Chinese
yards, hope to be in line for huge orders as Iran modernizes its aging
fleet of super tankers, which is the world's largest. Most South Korean
ship builders, including Hyundai Heavy Industries and Samsung Heavy
Industries are likely to bid for new contracts, according to shipping
sources." http://t.uani.com/1pb3YpO
Reuters: "When Dubai businesswoman
Negin Fattahi-Dasmal opened the first branch of her luxurious nail
salon chain in Iran this year, it was met with both excitement and
scepticism among image-conscious young Iranians. Despite -- or perhaps
partly because of -- strict Islamic dress codes, cosmetics sales in
Iran are among the highest in the Middle East. Women are required to
wear modest clothes and headscarves, but their faces and hands are not
covered, and many express their individuality with lipstick, mascara
and nail polish in styles that would seem elaborate by Western
standards. With most international economic sanctions now lifted after
a nuclear agreement with world powers that took effect this year,
Fattahi-Dasmal thinks it is time to bring in a high-end international
brand. Her chain of nail salons, N.Bar, already has a customer base
among the thousands of well-off young Iranians who holiday in nearby
Dubai, where they can sunbathe, shop and dress with relative freedom...
'The way women dress and look is still one of the red lines in the
Islamic Republic,' said Afshin Sadeghizadeh, a brand management
consultant in Tehran and former editor of Iran's Style magazine. 'The
brands going to Iran should be ready to face resistance from
conservatives or even get shut down and expelled from Iran,' he said.
Some conservatives even see foreign luxury brands as part of a war
against the Islamic Republic. The Tasnim news agency, close to the
Islamic Revolutionary Guards, last week reported that the CIA could spy
on Iranians through fake eyelashes or skin care lotions... Some brands
have been held up by the difficulty of finding a partner who is a good
fit for their business and not linked to any entity designated under
U.S. sanctions that remain in place. 'Iran has potential but we are
still at the stage of finding the right partner,' said Jean Cassegrain,
chief executive of handbag maker Longchamp, adding that the process
could take considerable time." http://t.uani.com/1U265ZU
Reuters: "Russia and Iran have solved
all legal issues regarding over $5 billion worth of loans which Moscow
agreed to issue to Tehran, paving the way for the disbursement of the
first part of the credits, Russian Deputy Finance Minister Sergei
Storchak was quoted on Monday as saying. Russia agreed in November to
issue these loans to finance joint projects in infrastructure,
transport and geological exploration involving Russian companies in
Iran. This year, Russia has said it may issue the first tranche of the
loans, worth $2.2 billion, to be spent on the electrification of Iran's
railways and the construction of a power station by Russian
companies." http://t.uani.com/26atU6K
AP: "Turkey and Iran agreed
Saturday to boost economic cooperation between their neighboring
nations, aiming to triple their trade to reach $30 billion annually,
Turkey's president said. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, speaking Saturday at a joint press
conference in Ankara, prioritized banking cooperation and easing custom
duties to foster investment and increased trade. They also hope to
boost tourism between their citizens, a sector that took a hit in Turkey
after deadly suicide bombings in Ankara and Istanbul. Rouhani said his
country could fulfill Turkey's energy needs - the country already
imports natural gas from Iran... Erdogan said the two nations, which
are at odds over Syria, should work together 'to tackle the problems of
sectarianism and terrorism' that are shaking the region." http://t.uani.com/23SnjvK
Reuters: "Despite the political
divisions, Turkey could be one of the major beneficiaries as Rouhani,
bolstered by reformist gains in February elections, pursues plans to
strengthen the private sector and welcome foreign investors. Turkey
imports large amounts of natural gas from Iran and the two countries
are looking to boost banking and trade ties, with the goal of tripling
bilateral trade to $30 billion annually in the coming years. 'The
situation is ripe for cooperation between Turkey and Iran in the
post-sanctions era,' Rouhani said. 'The most important part is closer
ties between banks and credit lines. We decided to improve banking
relations. Turkish banks can now establish branches in Iran to help
facilitate economic relations between the two countries,' he
added." http://t.uani.com/1Nx5FUL
Extremism
AP: "Iran's President Hassan
Rouhani on Sunday vowed to defend Muslim countries against terrorism
and Israel while insisting that its neighbors should not feel
threatened. Speaking during a National Army Day parade in which Iranian
forces displayed sophisticated air defense systems recently acquired
from Russia, Rouhani praised Tehran's role in helping the Syrian and
Iraqi governments roll back the Islamic State group. 'If tomorrow your
capitals face danger from terrorism or Zionism, the power that will
give you a positive answer is the Islamic Republic of Iran,' he said.
But he added that Iran would only help if Muslim countries asked it to,
and said its military power was purely for defensive and deterrent
purposes." http://t.uani.com/1TeJJ5d
Military
Matters
Reuters: "Iran showed off parts of its
new Russian S-300 missile defense system during National Army Day on
Sunday, where President Hassan Rouhani said the country's armed forces
were no threat to neighboring countries. Every year, Iran's armed
forces hold parades across the country to mark Army Day. In a ceremony
in Tehran, broadcast live on state television, trucks carrying the
missiles drove past a podium where Rouhani and military commanders were
standing. Soldiers also marched passed the podium and fighter jets and
bombers took part in an air display. 'The power of our armed forces is
not aimed at any of our neighbors ... Its purpose is to defend Islamic
Iran and act as an active deterrent,' Rouhani was quoted as saying by
the state news agency IRNA, in a speech at the Army Day ceremony.
Russia delivered the first part of the S-300 missile defense system to
Iran last week, one of the most advanced systems of its kind that can
engage multiple aircraft and ballistic missiles around 150 km (90
miles) away." http://t.uani.com/1YCO8QU
Regional
Destabilization
AP: "Jordan says it is recalling
its ambassador to Iran for consultations, suggesting the decision is
linked to continued tensions between Tehran and Jordan ally Saudi
Arabia. Government spokesman Mohammed Momani said on Monday that Jordan
took the step because of what he described as Iranian interference in
the 'internal affairs of neighboring countries, especially Gulf
countries.' He did not cite a specific trigger for the decision, but
suggested it was linked to the attacks on two Saudi diplomatic missions
by protesters in Shiite-led Iran earlier this year. The attacks came
after the execution of a prominent Shiite cleric by Saudi Arabia.
Momani said in comments published by the state news agency Petra that
Iran has 'not responded' to calls by Jordan and others to respect the
sovereignty of Arab countries." http://t.uani.com/1QhwhsM
AP: "President Barack Obama sets
out this week on his first in a series of international farewell tours,
a sometimes wistful tradition for presidents in legacy mode. But in a
reminder of this president's uneven ties to allies, Obama's first stop
will involve more damage control than nostalgia, more friction than
fondness. When Obama lands in Riyadh on Wednesday for a Persian Gulf
summit, he'll be met by leaders roiled by his recent public complaints
about global 'free riders' and harboring deep distrust of his dealings
with Iran and his posture in Syria... 'We're not at all going to take
our eye off the ball when it comes to the threats posed by Iran,'
deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said. But he said the
president's comments reflect the firm belief that 'ultimately there's
not a military resolution to the challenges in the region.'" http://t.uani.com/1r9YJc3
Syria
Conflict
FT: "Iran has deployed the
regular army in its first overseas operation since the 1979 Revolution
to bolster Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad amid fears in Tehran that
Russia may agree to his removal. Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have
maintained a discreet presence in Syria since the civil war began five
years ago. But reports of the deaths of Iranian commandos in Syria has
shed light over a shift in the Islamic Republic's policy. Tehran has
kept its army at home for decades and tried to keep conflict at bay
through a strategy - manned and managed by the Guards - of fighting its
regional rivals through proxies in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. Syria is
crucial to its success. It is on the 'frontline' with Israel and is an
important bridge to Hizbollah, Iran's Shia proxy force in Lebanon...
Diplomats based in Damascus believe that Iran has boosted its military
presence in Syria in an attempt to increase its influence amid an
apparent rift between the Assad regime and its other patron, Russia,
over how to handle peace talks. 'They [the Iranians] saw it as an
opportunity to move closer to the regime,' said one official. Iran has
vowed that it will not compromise on the fate of Mr Assad, and backs
his offer to include opposition figures in a national unity government
while ruling out a 'transitional governing body with full executive
powers' -- the formula agreed at talks in Geneva in 2012... Ali Akbar
Velayati, a senior adviser to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei, said last week that Iran would not accept any measure which
would cut the Syrian president's term, which is due to end in 2021. In
comments which could be directed at Russia as well as the US, he said:
'Americans say Bashar al-Assad should go but Assad should stay as the
legal Syrian president until his term finishes. Any conditions for his
departure are our red line.'" http://t.uani.com/1QhxzEe
Saudi-Iran
Tensions
Reuters: "A deal to freeze oil output
by OPEC and non-OPEC producers fell apart on Sunday after Saudi Arabia
demanded that Iran join in despite calls on Riyadh to save the
agreement and help prop up crude prices. The development will revive
oil industry fears that major producers are embarking again on a battle
for market share, especially after Riyadh threatened to raise output
steeply if no freeze deal were reached. Iran is also pledging to ramp
up production following the lifting of Western sanctions in January,
making a compromise with Riyadh almost impossible as the two fight
proxy wars in Yemen and Syria. Some 18 oil nations, including non-OPEC
Russia, gathered in the Qatari capital of Doha for what was expected to
be the rubber-stamping of a deal - in the making since February - to
stabilize output at January levels until October 2016. But OPEC's de
facto leader Saudi Arabia told participants it wanted all members of
the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to take part in
the freeze, including Iran, which was absent from the talks. Tehran had
refused to stabilize production, seeking to regain market share
post-sanctions. After five hours of fierce debate about the wording of
a communique - including between Saudi Arabia and Russia - delegates
and ministers announced no deal had been reached. 'We concluded we all
need time to consult further,' Qatar's energy minister Mohammed al-Sada
told reporters. Several OPEC sources said if Iran agreed to join the
freeze at the next OPEC meeting on June 2, talks with non-OPEC
producers could resume." http://t.uani.com/1SNy8Hn
Human
Rights
Guardian: "A newly elected female MP in
Iran is to be barred from entering the next parliament apparently
because she is alleged to have shaken hands with an unrelated man
during a trip abroad. Minoo Khaleghi, a reformist politician and
environmental activist, has denied claims about the handshake, which
would be illegal under Iran's Islamic law. Khaleghi was elected in
February as a new member of the Iranian parliament, the Majlis, from
the constituency of Isfahan, the country's top tourist destination. She
had been qualified to run, meaning that the powerful guardian council,
which vets all candidates, had approved her candidacy. But the
controversial body of clerics and jurists has changed its mind,
nullifying her votes even though election officials endorsed the results
in Isfahan and found no major discrepancy in the counting process.
Critics, including the outspoken MP Ali Motahari, have warned that the
disqualification of a candidate who had been initially qualified and
then elected sets a dangerous precedent. It also puts a spotlight on
the role of the guardian council, an unelected body which has blocked a
significant number of reformists and dissidents from running in Iranian
elections in recent years." http://t.uani.com/1QhyoNb
ICHRI: "Mohammad Seifzadeh, the
prominent Iranian human rights lawyer who for years defended political
prisoners in Iran and railed against the inhumane conditions of their
incarceration, was freed on March 10, 2016 after serving his own
five-year prison sentence, and spoke at length about the harsh
conditions he experienced first-hand as a political prisoner. Seifzadeh
described the denial of medical care and critically needed hospitalization,
white torture (sensory deprivation and isolation), poor nutrition,
unsanitary quarters, insufficient fresh air, and denial of family
visits in an extended interview with the International Campaign for
Human Rights in Iran. These conditions directly violate Iran's own laws
and State Prison Procedures. 'Seifzadeh's imprisonment for defending
human rights in Iran was a travesty of justice to begin with,' said
Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the International Campaign for Human
Rights in Iran, 'and the conditions he and other political prisoners
face are an affront to the rule of law and the most minimal standards
of humane treatment.' 'President Rouhani needs to defend his citizens
and confront the Judiciary over these violations,' added Ghaemi." http://t.uani.com/1qT9wqz
Domestic
Politics
Rudaw
(Kurdistan):
"When Iran reached a nuclear deal with the United States and the
West which led to the lifting of decades-old sanctions against the
Islamic Republic, Ahmed Sadeqi and his co-workers who eke out a living
as day laborers in a city in Iranian Kurdistan, had hoped there were
better times ahead. But in Iran's Kurdish regions, which remain among
the country's poorest, not much has changed for people like Sadeqi.
Even before sunrise, the 47-year-old had arrived at the Mellat Park in
the predominantly Kurdish city of Bokan in Iran's Western Azerbaijan
province, together with other day laborers hoping for work and a chance
to earn a little bit of money. 'We had thought that the labor market
would be reactivated after years of slump. But at least in the Kurdish
cities -- if not in all parts of Iran - this business is as slow as any
other,' Sadeqi told Rudaw English... 'The deal and the ending of
sanctions had no impact on our lives. We are a family of seven and we
still seriously struggle to survive, just as we were during the
sanctions,' he explained... In the Kurdish city of Mahabad, Mohammad
Maroufi and his wife Shkufa Amiri said they had sold nearly all their
belongings over the past two months in order to pay people smugglers
who would get them to Turkey, for a chance to get to Europe. 'We have
no hope for a better life in Kurdistan of Iran, with or without sanctions.
Even if the end of sanctions means a better economy, it will take
decades for that to trickle down to us here,' Maroufi complained."
http://t.uani.com/1TeFIxP
Opinion
& Analysis
NYT
Editorial:
"Since concluding the nuclear deal with the United States and
other major powers last July, Iran has yet to realize the expected
economic benefits. The Iranians are frustrated, but to a large extent
have themselves to blame. The agreement promised an end to sanctions
imposed by the United Nations and the European Union in return for a
freeze on Iran's nuclear program. Iran has fulfilled its part; so have
the major powers, and businesses are flocking to Iran in search of
deals. Technically, Iran is free to export crude oil and access about
$50 billion in foreign exchange reserves in foreign banks. Even so,
Iran is having trouble rebuilding its economy. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,
the supreme leader, complained last month that 'our banking trade, our
efforts to return wealth from their banks, various kinds of businesses
that require financial services, all of these are still facing
problems.' One impediment is that most American sanctions remain in
place because of Iran's involvement in terrorism and human rights
abuses and its testing of ballistic missiles. Iran knew that lifting
all American sanctions was never part of the nuclear deal. This means
American companies are still banned from doing business in Iran, except
for trade in civil aviation, carpets and agricultural products. Also,
Iran is still barred from using the American financial system, and its
dollars, through which most international business is conducted. Many
foreign banks who are free to engage with Iran hesitate to do so,
fearing they will run afoul of American sanctions. Before the nuclear
deal, Iran was largely isolated from the international banking system.
It has not kept up with strict new rules to prevent money-laundering
and terrorist financing. Experts say Iranian banks are badly run,
politicized and lack transparency - warning signs for risk-averse
foreign banks. Iran's warlike behavior in the region - supporting
President Bashar al-Assad in Syria, arming Hezbollah and testing
missiles - further discourages investment. As President Obama said
recently, 'Businesses want to go where they feel safe, where they don't
see massive controversy, where they can be confident that transactions
are going to operate normally.' Iran can help itself by reforming its system
and becoming a more constructive force in the region." http://t.uani.com/1VxKJW1
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Eye on Iran is a periodic news summary from United Against
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