|
|
|
Join UANI
Top
Stories
Times of
Israel: "A
senior Iranian military commander boasted that the Islamic Republic could
'raze the Zionist regime in less than eight minutes.' Ahmad Karimpour, a
senior adviser to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' elite unit al-Quds
Force, said if Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei gave the order to destroy
Israel, the Iranian military had the capacity to do so quickly. 'If the
Supreme Leader's orders [are] to be executed, with the abilities and the
equipment at our disposal, we will raze the Zionist regime in less than
eight minutes,' Karimpour said Thursday, according to the semi-official
Fars News Agency. A senior Iranian general on May 9 announced that the
country's armed forces successfully tested a precision-guided,
medium-range ballistic missile two weeks earlier that could reach Israel,
the state-run Tasnim agency reported. 'We test-fired a missile with a
range of 2,000 kilometers and a margin of error of eight meters,'
Brigadier General Ali Abdollahi was quoted as saying at a Tehran science
conference. The eight-meter margin means the 'missile enjoys zero error,'
he told conference participants. Iran in March tested ballistic missiles,
including two with the words 'Israel must be wiped off the earth'
emblazoned on them, according to the US and other Western powers...
Khamenei has repeatedly threatened to annihilate the Jewish state, and in
September 2015 suggested Israel would not be around in 25 years. In a
quote posted to Twitter by Khamenei's official account on September 9,
2015, Khamenei addressed Israel, saying, 'You will not see next 25
years,' and added that the Jewish state will be hounded until it is
destroyed." http://t.uani.com/1U73uJF
Press
Trust of India:
"Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Iran, an advocacy
group in the United States (US) said he should focus his efforts on
pressuring Tehran to halt its 'destabilising and provocative' behaviour.
It also claimed that Iran should not be rewarded with lucrative business
opportunities as there are 'numerous risks' for Indian companies in doing
business there. The United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), one of the most
influential anti-Iran advocacy groups in the US, said Iran's
'irresponsible and belligerent' behaviour is in complete contrast to
Modi's 'powerful and timely determination' to tackle terrorism and
corruption. Modi has a 'special opportunity to focus his efforts on
pressuring Iran to halt its destabilising and provocative behaviour,
rather than prematurely rewarding the regime with lucrative business
opportunities,' UANI Chairman Senator, Joseph Lieberman and UANI CEO
Ambassador Mark Wallace said in a statement released ahead of Modi's
visit to Iran on 22-23 May. Modi's strategically important visit, at the
invitation of the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, becomes crucial as India
looks at stepping-up engagement with the sanctions-free energy-rich
nation. Modi will also meet Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
during the visit. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in New
Delhi that the visit will provide thrust to expanding bilateral
cooperation in the wake of lifting of sanctions against Iran earlier this
year. 'The visit of Prime Minister to Iran will seek to build on these
commonalities by focusing on specific cooperation in regional
connectivity and infrastructure, developing energy partnership, boosting
bilateral trade, facilitating people-to-people interaction in various
spheres and promoting peace and stability in the region,' the MEA
statement said. 'For these reasons, India's formidable economic and diplomatic
power should not be used to further embolden and enable Tehran,' it
added. The influential group warned that the 'risks' of doing business
with the Iranian regime are 'simply too great and too numerous' for
Indian companies and the larger global business community. 'World leaders
cannot declare they are fighting terrorism and corruption around the
world, while at the same time doing business with Tehran,' it said.
Citing the tough stand taken by Modi against terrorism and corruption,
UANI said his call to the international community to tackle terrorism
together is 'particularly relevant' to Iran, which the group described as
the 'world's leading state sponsor of terrorism.'" http://t.uani.com/22lQvtY
AP: "A group the White House
recently identified as a key surrogate in selling the Iran nuclear deal
gave National Public Radio $100,000 last year to help it report on the
pact and related issues, according to the group's annual report. It also
funded reporters and partnerships with other news outlets. The
Ploughshares Fund's mission is to 'build a safe, secure world by
developing and investing in initiatives to reduce and ultimately
eliminate the world's nuclear stockpiles,' one that dovetails with
President Barack Obama's arms control efforts. But its behind-the-scenes
role advocating for the Iran agreement got more attention this month
after a candid profile of Ben Rhodes, one of the president's top foreign
policy aides. In The New York Times Magazine article, Rhodes explained
how the administration worked with nongovernmental organizations,
proliferation experts and even friendly reporters to build support for
the seven-nation accord that curtailed Iran's nuclear activity and
softened international financial penalties on Tehran. 'We created an echo
chamber,' said Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser, adding that
'outside groups like Ploughshares' helped carry out the administration's
message effectively... The 33-page document lists the groups that
Ploughshares funded last year to advance its nonproliferation agenda. The
Arms Control Association got $282,500; the Brookings Institution,
$225,000; and the Atlantic Council, $182,500. They received money for Iran-related
analysis, briefings and media outreach, and non-Iran nuclear work. Other
groups, less directly defined by their independent nuclear expertise,
also secured grants. J-Street, the liberal Jewish political action group,
received $576,500 to advocate for the deal. More than $281,000 went to
the National Iranian American Council. Princeton University got $70,000
to support former Iranian ambassador and nuclear spokesman Seyed Hossein
Mousavian's 'analysis, publications and policymaker engagement on the range
of elements involved with the negotiated settlement of Iran's nuclear
program.'" http://t.uani.com/22lNjhX
U.S.-Iran
Relations
Press TV
(Iran): "Leader
of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the US
hostility against the Islamic Republic stems from Iran's defiance of
Washington's arrogant policies. 'The main cause of all these enmities and
fabrication of pretexts is [Iran's] defiance of Arrogance (a reference to
the hegemonic powers led by the US),' the Leader said while addressing a
commencement ceremony for graduates of Imam Hussein Military Academy in
Tehran on Monday. Ayatollah Khamenei was referring to the US hostile stances
against Iran's nuclear program, missile power and human rights record.
'Were the Iranian nation ready to surrender, they (arrogant powers) would
have comprised over [Iran's] missile power and nuclear energy and they
would have made no mention of human rights,' said the Leader. Regarding
Iran's missile program, Ayatollah Khamenei said: 'Recently they have
embarked on massive [media] hype campaign, but they must know that such
hues and cry will have no effect and they cannot do a damn thing.' The
Leader said the US officials have acknowledged that the Iranian nation
refuses to submit to the bullying tactics of arrogant powers due to its
adherence to Islamic ideology. Ayatollah Khamenei highlighted
'steadfastness', 'defiance of the enemy' and 'safeguarding the
revolutionary and Islamic identity' as the main factors of the strength
of the Islamic establishment and the Iranian nation." http://t.uani.com/1sMOwD5
AP: "Iran 'will try to speed up'
the case involving a detained U.S. permanent resident who advocates
Internet freedom, an official said Monday, making the first government
acknowledgement of the man's detention. Hossein Jaberi Ansari's brief
comments focused on Lebanese citizen Nizar Zakka, who disappeared in
Tehran in September after attending a government-sponsored conference.
Although no charges have been announced, Iranian media has accused him of
being an American spy, allegations vigorously rejected by his family and
associates. 'The Iranian government will try to speed up the process of
addressing this issue and provide any help possible, but ultimately a
legal case should be addressed by judicial authorities,' Ansari said in
Tehran at a weekly news conference. 'Any verdict by the judicial
authorities will be the final ruling and we do not intervene in judicial
rulings.' ... At least two Iranian-Americans are imprisoned in the
Islamic Republic, Iranian-American businessman Siamak Namazi and his
80-year-old father Baquer Namazi. Also unaccounted for is former FBI
agent Robert Levinson, who vanished in Iran in 2007 while on an
unauthorized CIA mission." http://t.uani.com/22lNgTg
Sanctions
Relief
AP: "India said Monday it will
invest up to $500 million in a deal to develop a strategic port in Iran
and both countries planned a number of projects they say are worth
hundreds of millions of dollars. The deal and plans were announced during
a visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the first such trip in
more than a decade. In a ceremony marking the agreements, Modi said the
bilateral agreement to develop Chabahar, in southern Iran, and the
'availability of about $500 million from India for this purpose is an
important milestone,' in relations between the two countries. The
development of the port of Chabahar expands a trade route for the
land-locked countries of central Asia that bypasses Pakistan. Modi also
described cooperation in the oil and gas industries as key components of
economic cooperation between Tehran and Delhi. President Hassan Rouhani
said working on the port can be a 'great symbol' of cooperation between
Iran and India. He said Iran's energy resources and Indian mines can pave
ground for cooperation in the aluminum, steel and petrochemical
industries. The two leaders will discuss the port project later with
visiting Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. Modi will also meet Iran's
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The two countries also signed a
number of agreements to enhance technological, petrochemical and banking
cooperation. India also began paying back $6 billion in debt from past
oil purchases, last week giving Iran $750 million. It has said it will
pay back the remainder of the debt." http://t.uani.com/25hF4sk
Reuters: "Indian refiners have cleared
part of the $6.4 billion owed to Iran for crude oil imports in euros
through Turkey's Halkbank, three sources privy to the payment said on
Saturday. This is the first payment to Iran by India since the lifting of
Western sanctions against the Persian Gulf nation earlier this year and
comes just ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit beginning on
Sunday. State refiner Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd paid $500
million while Indian Oil Corp (IOC.NS) has settled $250 million through
the Union Bank of India, the sources said. The refiners had been holding
back 55 percent of the oil payments to Iran after the route to make
payments through Halkbank was stopped in 2013, although payment of some
of those funds was allowed after an initial temporary deal to lift the
sanctions. It is not yet known when the second installment will be paid,
the sources said. India is one of the biggest buyers of Iranian crude,
and is set to import at least 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) from Iran in
the year from April 1. But it built up a backlog of payments when Iran
was under sanctions." http://t.uani.com/1XMUrU7
Reuters: "Iran has no plans to freeze
the level of its oil production and exports, Deputy Oil Minister
Rokneddin Javadi was quoted on Sunday as saying, as the country tries to
raise its crude exports to pre-sanctions levels. 'Under the present
circumstances, the government and the Oil Ministry have not issued any
policy or plan to the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) towards halting
the increase in the production and exports of oil,' Javadi, who also
heads the state-run NIOC, told Iran's Mehr news agency. 'Currently,
Iran's crude oil exports, excluding gas condensates, have reached 2
million barrels per day (bpd),' Javadi said. 'Iran's crude oil export
capacity will reach 2.2 million barrels by the middle of summer.' A
meeting of the OPEC exporters' group, including Iran, is scheduled for
June 2. Plans for a deal between OPEC and non-OPEC producers to shore up
crude prices by freezing output fell apart in April when Saudi Arabia
demanded that Iran, its main rival for influence in the region, join
in." http://t.uani.com/1WKpaS6
Press
Trust of India:
"India's Tata Motors is in talks with a local manufacturer here to
set up a joint venture for assembling its petrol cars in Iran as it looks
to tap the fast growing market that has just emerged from sanctions. Tata
Motors is talking to Iran Khodro Company for a joint venture to assemble
knocked down units of the petrol versions of its models, including the
latest compact car Tiago, Bolt and Zest, which are powered by the
company's new Revotron petrol engines, sources said here. Knocked down
version of the cars will be imported and assembled at Iran Khodro's
manufacturing facility after adding local contents like tyres and
batteries. Tata Motors will use Iran Khodro's sales network to sell the
cars. The branding will be of Tata Motors and Iran Khodro will be just a
contract manufacturer, they said, adding that Tata Motors will start
assembling in Iran in less than 2 years." http://t.uani.com/25buKi4
Reuters: "Russian shipbuilder Krasnye
Barrikady has been awarded a near-$1 billion contract by Iran to build
five offshore drilling rigs for use on Iran's part of the Gulf shelf, a
company official told Reuters. The project, which was under discussion
for almost two years, will be financed jointly by Russia and Iran, the
official said. Iran will soon make a 15 percent advance payment on the
$200 million price of the first rig, he said." http://t.uani.com/20qr48Y
Mehr
(Iran): "LG
International Corp., the trading arm of South Korea's LG Group, said
Friday that it has signed a tentative deal with the Iranian government to
cooperate in developing electric vehicles and establishing necessary
infrastructure. Under the deal, LG International will work with local
companies to develop electric vehicles and build charging stations. They
also agreed to produce about 60,000 units of EVs by 2023. Other details
on the terms of the agreement were not known. Both sides are seeking to
finalize the deal within this year. LG International will oversee the
project jointly with the Iranian government. Other affiliates, such as LG
Electronics, LG Chem and LG Innotek, will lead efforts to develop
batteries, electric motors and key auto parts, the company said." http://t.uani.com/1WczkuW
IRNA
(Iran):
"Director General of Foreign Ministry's Political and International
Affairs Department Hamid Baeedinejad said on Sunday that banking
restrictions on Iran to convert foreign exchanges to Euro have been abolished.
In a message on his telegram social network account, he said Iran is not
going to give up till complete implementation of the Joint Comprehensive
Plan of Action (JCPOA). According to him, removal of financial resections
against the Islamic Republic demands a national resolve. Baeedinejad
cited as evidence the conversion of some $ 750 million by Indian
companies in Euro in a bank in Turkey for paying the first installment of
their debts to Iran. This indicates that restrictions on transfer of huge
amount of money as well as exchange of funds from Rupee to Euro are now
abolished, Baeedinejad said." http://t.uani.com/1sxFNnB
Terrorism
AFP: "The man killed by a US drone
attack in Pakistan and believed to be Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar
Mansour had just returned from Iran when his vehicle was struck, security
officials told AFP Sunday. The driver -- who also died in Saturday's
attack -- was a civilian who worked for a local rental company, according
to the officials, contradicting the US account that he was a 'second
combatant'. The US late Saturday said Mansour was 'likely killed' in the
attack in Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan. Afghanistan's
spy agency said Sunday that Mansour was dead. Neither the Taliban nor
Pakistan have confirmed the death. Pakistani ID documents found on the
alleged militant leader could shed light on the degree of official
support he received in the country. His passport showed he had left for
Iran on March 28 and returned the day he was killed. 'He was returning
from Iran when he was hit by a drone strike near the town of Ahmad Wal,'
one security official said." http://t.uani.com/1TFrrMq
Syria
Conflict
Reuters: "Lebanese Shi'ite group
Hezbollah on Friday vowed to strengthen its presence in war-torn Syria
and send more leaders to the conflict, a week after its top military
commander there was killed. The death of Mustafa Badreddine, who
Hezbollah said was killed near Damascus by shellfire from Sunni Islamist
rebels, was one of the biggest blows yet to the Iranian-backed group's
leadership. Hezbollah, Lebanon's most powerful political and military
group, has provided crucial support to the Syrian army, along with Iranian
forces and the Russian air force. The group is estimated to have lost
around 1,200 fighters in Syria's five-year-old conflict. 'No death of any
of our leaders has driven us from the battle. This precious blood will
push us to a larger, stronger and more sophisticated presence,' leader
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in a speech broadcast live on the group's Al
Manar television. 'We are staying in Syria. More leaders will go to Syria
than the number that were there before. We will be present in different forms
as well,' he said without elaborating. 'We will complete this battle.'
Nasrallah spoke on a big screen, projected live in a hall in southern
Beirut as part of a ceremony honouring Badreddine a week after his
death... At least four prominent figures in Hezbollah have been killed in
Syria since January 2015. A number of high-ranking Iranian officers have
also been killed, either fighting Syrian insurgents or in Israeli
attacks." http://t.uani.com/1YRAhXt
Saudi-Iran
Tensions
AFP: "A senior Saudi religious
leader on Friday warned against those who would 'wreak havoc' under the
guise of pilgrimage, an apparent swipe at the kingdom's rival Iran. The
comments by Sheikh Saleh bin Abdullah bin Hameed at the Grand Mosque in
Mecca coincide with a dispute between Shiite Iran and its Sunni regional
rival Saudi Arabia over this year's hajj... In comments carried by the
official Saudi Press Agency, he accused 'aggressors' of trying to exploit
the pilgrimage to divert attention 'from the suffering' in their own
country. 'They want to take advantage of the worship season and the
gathering of Muslims and the holy sites for political gain, to wreak
havoc and cause chaos, and that leads to divisions and sowing discord,'
said the imam, whose website lists him as an adviser to the Saudi Royal
Court. On May 12 Iran said its nationals will miss the annual hajj in
September this year and accused Saudi Arabia of 'sabotage'. The hajj dispute
is the latest strain between the two countries which have had no
diplomatic relations since January. Riyadh cut ties with Tehran after
demonstrators burned its embassy and a consulate following the Saudi
execution of a prominent Shiite cleric. In the first dialogue since ties
were severed, a delegation from Tehran held four days of talks in Saudi
Arabia last month aimed at reaching a deal for Iranians to join the
pilgrimage. But talks became deadlocked. Among the points of contention,
the Iranians demanded to be able to hold their own rituals, including
protests chanting 'Death to America, death to Israel,' according to a
statement from the Saudi hajj ministry carried by Al-Riyadh newspaper.
Saudi Arabia seeks to keep political slogans out of the pilgrimage."
http://t.uani.com/1sxDdxH
Human
Rights
FT: "Kim Kardashian, the American
reality television star, may be famous around the world for her revealing
pictures on social media but for Iran's hardliners, she has a more
sinister identity as the face of a modelling conspiracy threatening the
security of the Islamic Republic. Mostafa Alizadeh, a spokesman for the
state-run Centre to Combat Organised Cybercrime, this week alleged that
Ms Kardashian had collaborated with Instagram, the social media platform,
to encourage Iranian women to post images of themselves violating
obligatory Islamic dress code and undermining the country's morals. The
plot, he said, was masterminded by some Gulf Arab states and Britain, who
deployed 'serious financial support' to target women and young people. To
counter the threat, 'Operation Spider II' was launched. Some 150 beauty
salons and photo studios in Tehran were shut down and around 30 models,
make-up artists and photographers were prosecuted - eight of whom remain
in detention. The incident was more than just a tussle over dress codes.
Hardline segments of the Iranian regime - mainly based in the
Revolutionary Guards, the judiciary and the outgoing parliament - believe
that despite last year's nuclear agreement, the US wants to bring about
regime change in Tehran, through a 'soft' campaign encouraging young
people - and women in particular - to challenge the Islamic revolution's
ideology through social media. But reformists say the crackdown, which
has also seen some concerts cancelled and occupants of cars stopped for
'un-Islamic' behaviour, is part of an increasingly tense power struggle
between hardliners and moderate forces close to president Hassan Rouhani,
who seeks re-election next year... But the crackdown has failed to
convince many ordinary Iranians that the hardliners are motivated by
religion or even ideology. A woman teacher in the capital said: 'This is
a country where prostitutes freely advertise on social media and look for
customers in the streets, but educated and professional women end up in
jail.'" http://t.uani.com/25hDHK9
Daily
Telegraph:
"Ever since eight models in Iran were arrested for the 'un-Islamic'
offence of being pictured with their hair down earlier this month, the
clash between the country's women and its 'morality police' has been
raging - so much so, that some are now turning to dressing as men in
order to avoid sanctions. Images of short-haired, androgynously-dressed
women shared on social media signal a growing sense of frustration with
the country's regime, which doles out penalties to those engaging in
behaviours inspired by 'the Western imperialist powers [trying] to change
the Iranian-Islamic life-style of our nation.' Wearing a hijab - a veil
covering the head and chest - is mandatory for women, as is dressing in
loosely-fitting clothing during sporting activities." http://t.uani.com/20qvfBG
Opinion
& Analysis
UANI
Advisory Board Member Giulio Terzi in New Europe: "There is no shortage of
conferences being held around the world this year as the nuclear deal
between Iran and the international community - the Joint Comprehensive
Plan of Action (JCPOA) - goes into effect. Without exception, these
events paint a rosy picture where economic opportunities abound in Tehran
for international investment. The theme of the recent 3rd annual
Europe-Iran Forum in Zurich, for instance, was 'Devise and implement your
ideal Iran strategy'... Though the location and the organizer may vary
from week to week or month to month, all of these gatherings have one
thing in common: a glaring lack of transparency and balance in the tenor
and scheduling, in what is a subject of the utmost import to the global
community. It is important that the corporate world realizes that
contrary to popular perception, Iran is not open for business. The
creation of a narrow agreement between Iran and the United States
controlling the nuclear program in Tehran has been confused for a 21st
century gold rush into supposedly the last untapped market in the Middle
East. Businesses are being readily encouraged to pursue
opportunities in Tehran in nearly every sector, with no acknowledgement
of the huge risks deriving from sanctions and restrictions that are still
very much in place. I attended the Europe-Iran forum to pose
important questions and drive an honest conversation in an otherwise
slanted conference. What I found, surprisingly, was a number of
speakers - from business, law firms, finance and think tanks - who, when
asked in the question and answer sessions outlined serious problems for
foreign companies attempting to enter the Iranian market. Experts cited a
lack of legal protection for foreign tenders (as Iran is not part of the
World Trade Organization). They talked about the absence of protection
for confidential information belonging to investors - as Iran has no
trade secrecy laws and, they might have added, a major problem with cyber
security. There were repeated warnings that the Iranian financial system
was years away from functioning properly within the global economy. Or,
as one market analyst bluntly told the audience: 'Banking is a mess.' How
is it, though, that these issues are not front and center in any
disucssion of business investment in Iran? Conference organizers have a
responsibility to address these reailities, in addition to leading frank
discussions about the immediate, mid- and long-term business climates in
Tehran. Events that obfuscate the truth, ignore legal obstacles and pay
no mind to the timelines upon which many key transactions will hinge do a
grave dissservice to those in attendance. It is imperative that
future conferences develop programming that takes these significant
issues into account, and bring together a slate of speakers who can
properly discuss all sides of the issue. Iran's ongoing belligerent
actions must be a part of any conversation as well. Ballistic
missile testing; state-sponsored terrorism of Hezbollah; Hamas and
the Islamic Jihad; an infamous Holocaust cartoon contest scheduled
to begin on May 14, fueling anti-Semitism; and horrific human
rights violations of its own people-the Ayatollah has made clear that the
Iranian agenda has not changed, and we must take these actions seriously.
Sanctions successfully stifling the Iranian economy brought President
Rouhani to the negotiating table; in fruition the JCPOA has operated in
name only. Nothing done by President Rouhani or the Ayatollah has
signaled the slighest change in Iran's behavior, or hegemonic
goals. Put in the simplest of business terms: the risks far
outweigh the benefits of any investment in Iran today. While that
may change in time, businesses and investors must heed caution and ask
the difficult questions until those sponsoring events around the world
honor their role and lead a fair and honest dialogue about the real
business climate in Iran." http://t.uani.com/1YRILhg
|
|
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