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Reuters: "Iran's President Hassan
Rouhani accused Western powers of trying to exploit differences between
the world's Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims to divert attention from the
Israel-Palestinian conflict, state television reported on Friday.
Rouhani's comments came as tens of thousands of Iranians joined
anti-Israel rallies across the country to express support for the
Palestinians. They chanted 'Death to Israel' and 'Death to America' and
burned the Israeli flag. 'The global arrogance (the United States and
its allies) wants to create discord among Muslims ... Unity is the only
way to restore stability in the region,' Rouhani said. 'We stand with
the dispossessed Palestinian nation.' ... 'The Zionist regime (Israel)
is a regional base for America and the global arrogance ... Disunity
and discord among Muslim and terrorist groups in the region ... have
diverted us from the important issue of Palestine,' Rouhani said."
http://t.uani.com/29grpM8
AP: "Iranians staged
anti-Israel rallies across the country on Friday, with protesters
condemning the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and
chanting 'death to Israel.' Tens of thousands of people marched in the
capital, Tehran, as part of the al-Quds day rallies held each year on
the last Friday of Ramadan. Some protesters trampled the Israeli flag
and also chanted 'down with the USA.' Similar rallies took place across
the country, Iranian state media reported. In a speech ahead of Friday
prayers in Iran, the deputy commander of Iran's powerful Revolutionary
Guard lashed out at Israel. Gen. Hossein Salami also hit out at
officials in Iraq's semi-autonomous northern region and other unnamed
regional powers accused of provoking unrest along Iran's western and
northwestern borders, where Iranian forces have clashed with Kurdish
separatists. 'I warn ... officials in northern Iraq to fulfil their
commitments. We will decisively destroy any place that is the origin of
threats against our ruling system, and we will be unbound by any
cautions,' he said." http://t.uani.com/297BVAn
Tasnim
(Iran): "A
senior Iranian commander called on the Tel Aviv regime to learn from
its past mistakes, saying that hundreds of missiles are ready across
the Islamic regions to hit Israel in case of any wrong move by
Zionists. 'Today, the grounds for the annihilation and collapse of the
Zionist regime (of Israel) are provided more than ever,' Lieutenant
Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Brigadier
General Hossein Salami said, addressing the weekly Friday Prayers in
Tehran held after massive rallies marking the International Quds Day.
'Today, more than 100,000 missiles are ready to fly from Lebanon,' he
said, adding that whenever the Zionists attempt to repeat their past
mistakes based on their wrong estimates, the missiles will be fired and
hit Israel and will lead to new developments. The commander went on to
say that in addition to missiles, there are 'tens of thousands of
destructive long-range missiles' in some other Islamic regions, which
are targeting the entire Israeli-occupied territories, ranging from
Haifa to Tel Aviv, and are ready for order to remove Israel from the
political geography of the world. '...If the Zionists make a wrong
move, all the occupied territories will come under attack from
dedicated fighters and God willing, the territories will be liberated,'
Brigadier General Salami noted." http://t.uani.com/297Mlo4
Tasnim
(Iran): "Iranian
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif highlighted the Zionist regime of
Israel's heinous crimes against the Palestinian people and said the
regime and Takfiri (extremist) groups are considered as a common threat
to the world. 'The Zionist regime and Takfiri groups are, in fact, a
single danger, both of which are guided by same powers in the world and
the region,' Zarif told reporters at a massive rally in Tehran on
Friday morning, held to mark the International Quds Days. 'The Takfiri
currents and their supporters have forgotten the reality of Israel's
enmity against the Islamic world and have targeted Muslims, instead of
the regime' the Iranian top diplomat said." http://t.uani.com/29lwDnd
Nuclear
& Ballistic Missile Program
Press
TV (Iran): "Iranian
Parliament (Majlis) Speaker Ali Larijani says the Islamic Republic will
discard a nuclear deal it has struck with six world powers if Western
countries attempt to re-apply economic pressure on Iran under new
pretexts. Speaking on Thursday, Larijani said Iran can see no change in
the behavior of the countries with which it has struck the nuclear
deal, which is known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
'We keep zooming in on their behavior and we see no kind of compromise
or conciliatory behavior,' he said, emphasizing, however, that the
sides to the JCPOA have no intention of doing away with the nuclear
agreement... Larijani said that the Western countries have 'concerns'
on other issues and seek to re-impose the sanctions against Iran under
such allegations as Iranian involvement in terrorism and the status of
human rights in the country. 'We have already told the Westerners,' the
Iranian Parliament speaker said, 'that if they engage in looking for
pretexts so they can re-impose the sanctions under new excuses, we will
discard the nuclear deal.' Larijani said one of the Western objectives
in trying to apply pressure to Iran with new bans is to 'reduce Iranian
influence in the region.'" http://t.uani.com/297G6vP
US-Iran
Relations
The
Hill: "The
Navy's top officer said Thursday that an investigation into Iran's
detention of 10 sailors and the seizure of their two riverine boats in
the Arabian Gulf earlier this year showed that Iran broke international
law. 'These two boats and their crew members had every right to be
where they were on that day,' said Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John
Richardson during a press briefing. 'The investigation concluded that
Iran violated international law by impeding the boat's innocent passage
transit and they violated sovereign immunity by boarding, searching and
seizing the boats and by photographing and videotaping the crew,' he
said. The investigation's conclusion now raises the question of whether
and how the Obama administration will seek redress from Iran... Senate
Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) said the report
confirmed Iran's 'flagrant violations of international,' and criticized
the administration for thanking Iran for releasing the sailors. 'The
Navy investigation confirms what has been obvious from the beginning:
that Iran's obstruction, boarding, and seizure of sovereign U.S. Navy
vessels at gunpoint and the detention, interrogation, and recording of
10 American sailors were flagrant violations of international law,' he
said in a statement. 'Yet five months later, the Administration has
shamefully failed to retract its craven statements of gratitude and
praise for Iran's illegal behavior. This Administration's groveling to
Iran has placed all American service members at greater risk,' he
added." http://t.uani.com/29lwXm9
Reuters: "U.S. sailors who blundered
into Iranian waters in January divulged sensitive information to their
captors while held at gunpoint by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard
Corps, a U.S. Navy report said on Thursday. It said some of the 10 crew
members gave away capabilities of their vessels, one of them disclosing
his vessel's potential speed and suggesting it was on a 'presence'
mission to demonstrate U.S. military power in the Gulf. The incident,
which embarrassed the United States, rattled nerves days before
implementation of a U.S.-nuclear accord between Iran and world powers
negotiated by the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama. 'It is
clear that some, if not all, crew members provided at least some
information to interrogators beyond name, rank, service number and date
of birth,' the report said." http://t.uani.com/299XYsX
Free
Beacon: "Iran
used 'intimidation tactics' when interrogating the 10 American sailors
arrested in the Persian Gulf in January, according to a Navy
investigation into the incident. Members of Iran's Islamic
Revolutionary Guards Corp Navy interrogated the U.S. crewmembers
individually to obtain information about U.S. forces, according to the
declassified investigation findings released Thursday. Iran's detention
of the American personnel overnight on Jan. 12 violated international
law and sovereign immunity, investigators concluded. Details
surrounding the incident, which has fueled efforts by Iran to embarrass
the United States, have been sparse since U.S. Central Command released
a preliminary timeline of the event days after the arrests. The newly
released findings cast light on the events leading up to the sailors'
detention, as well as their treatment and interrogation while in
Iranian custody. 'Interrogators employed intimidation tactics such as
slapping the table, spinning the captive's chair, or threatening to move
them to the Iranian mainland; no crewmember was harmed,' the findings
state. Iranian personnel demanded to know what the U.S. boats were
doing wading into Iranian territorial waters, where they came from, and
'where their mothership was.' The Iranians interrogated the crewmembers
as a group and later individually interrogated seven of the 10
Americans in a separate room. The sole female crewmember's
interrogation was also recorded. The Iranians asked questions about
U.S. forces and also collected passwords to the sailors' personal
phones and laptops during their overnight detention." http://t.uani.com/29xFJMs
Free
Beacon: "The
Obama administration is withholding from congressional leaders
documents and information related to a $1.7 billion U.S. taxpayer
funded payout to Iran earlier this year, furthering accusations the
cash was part of a 'ransom payment' to free U.S. hostages from Iranian
custody, according to communications obtained by the Washington Free
Beacon and conversations with lawmakers. The controversy over this
payment-which arose from the settlement of a longstanding legal dispute
with Iran-has deepened in recent weeks after Iranian officials
disclosed that nearly all of the U.S. money had been spent to
strengthen Iran's military. Congressional efforts to compel the Obama
administration to come clean about the payment have yet to yield
results, prompting a separate effort to determine whether the White
House overpaid Iran and is now withholding information that would prove
this claim, according to documents obtained by the Free Beacon.
Lawmakers suspect that key records relating to the $1.7 billion payout
were not properly maintained over the years and are now seeking to
force the Obama administration to hand over the evidence. The timing of
the March legal settlement has raised questions on Capitol Hill among
lawmakers who view it as part of the Obama administration's effort to
free 10 U.S. sailors who had been abducted by Iran. It also is
suspected that the payout was another byproduct of last summer's
nuclear agreement with Iran." http://t.uani.com/29gZ7zX
Business
Risk
Reuters: "Iran said on Thursday
it was under no obligation to buy A380 superjumbo jets, state news
agency IRNA reported, raising further questions over part of a landmark
deal with European planemaker Airbus. The order for the double-decker
jetliners grabbed attention in January as part of a preliminary deal
signed in Paris for 118 Airbus planes worth $27 billion (20.27 billion
pound). Iran has also provisionally agreed to buy or lease 109 Boeing
jets. Reuters reported on Monday, however, that Tehran was having
second thoughts about whether to take delivery of the order for a dozen
A380 superjumbo jets. 'We have freedom to choose ... we have no
obligation and commitment to buy A380 planes,' Roads and Urban
Development Minister Abbas Akhoundi said, according to IRNA... 'Rouhani
has been criticised by his (hardline) rivals publicly and in private
meetings over the deals made to buy or lease new airplanes,' a senior
official, who asked not to be named, said." http://t.uani.com/29aGRdy
Sanctions
Relief
Bloomberg: "Ratings agency Fitch
has visited Iran as more foreign banks signal an interest in working in
the country six months after sanctions were lifted, according to a top
Iranian central bank official. Fitch made a trip to Tehran earlier this
month to make an initial assessment of the economy, Akbar Komijani,
deputy governor of the Central Bank of Iran, said in an interview on
the sidelines of the International Financial Congress in St.
Petersburg. He didn't elaborate on the meetings. Fitch 'have started to
review the developments in the financial sector and banking sector
situations, and in general the macroeconomic conditions,' he said.
'They are starting their regular activity.' A Fitch spokesman in London
referred Bloomberg to a March statement confirming the company was in
discussions with Iran but declining to say if, or when, it was likely
to issue a rating. European and Asian banks, including 'major' lenders,
are returning to the Islamic Republic, Komijani said in the interview.
'Some of the medium-sized and small banks have accelerated their
operations.'" http://t.uani.com/29j9Efp
Weekly
Standard: "A
senior International Monetary Fund official expressed optimism about
Iran's ability to increase global confidence in its economy Wednesday,
after months of international reluctance to invest and trade there
despite sanctions relief from the Iran deal. 'They are attempting to
restore confidence where sanctions removal is creating opportunities,'
said David Lipton, the IMF's first deputy managing director, during an
event at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 'They want to
and are trying to open accounts with foreign banks.' Businesses have
been wary to invest in Iran due to sanctions that are still in effect,
as well as the Islamic Republic's history of money laundering and
financing terrorism. Secretary of State John Kerry has been campaigning
to promote investment in the Islamic Republic after Iranian complaints
that the nation was not experiencing the full benefits of sanctions
relief. Lipton, who met with 'reform-oriented' officials during a visit
to Iran in May, praised state efforts to respond to criticism from the
Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an intergovernmental financial
watchdog that has had Iran on its so-called blacklist. FATF temporarily
suspended countermeasures against Iran in its latest assessment of the
country's financial climate. 'The Central Bank is dedicated to creating
an anti-money laundering, countering financing [of] terrorism
supervisory regime,' Lipton said. 'They have passed a counter-terrorism
financing law. It's not perfect, but it's a start.' He said that the
Central Bank's supervisory regime would give confidence to foreign
companies looking to do business with Iran, though he did not deny that
the country might continue engaging in illicit activities." http://t.uani.com/29aDsaV
Reuters: "A supertanker with Iranian
crude is heading toward Poland's Baltic Sea port of Gdansk, trade
sources said and ship-tracking data showed, as Iran continues to claw
back market share after the lifting of Western sanctions. It was not
immediately clear whether the buyer was Polish refiners PKN Orlen or
Grupa Lotos, or whether the oil would remain in Poland or be shipped to
Germany, which is connected by pipeline to Gdansk. Regardless of the
ultimate destination, the cargo is the first Iranian crude sold into
this part of the Baltic Sea market since January's lifting of
sanctions, intensifying the battle for market share between top
producers including Russia and Saudi Arabia. The Atlantas Very Large
Crude Carrier (VLCC) left Iran's main oil export terminal Kharg Island
laden with 2 million barrels of crude on June 27, Reuters ship tracking
showed, and is destined for Gdansk." http://t.uani.com/29bUOnc
Extremism
AFP: "Tens of thousands joined
pro-Palestinian rallies in Tehran Friday, as the annual Quds Day
protests take on broader meaning for a region mired in bitter disputes
and war. Israel and its perceived supporters in the United States and
Britain are still the main bogeymen of the Quds (Jerusalem) Day
protests, which saw thousands more rally across Iran and in allied
countries. But the focus has also turned to the deepening rivalry with
Saudi Arabia and extremists such as ISIS... Many - from young children
to elderly ladies - sported red bandannas with 'I love fighting Israel'
written on them. President Hassan Rouhani, attending the rally, said
regional conflicts were making it increasingly difficult to address the
Palestinian issue. 'Today, due to the divisions in the Islamic world,
the presence of takfiris (Sunni extremists) and terrorists in the
region ... we are far away from the ideal of liberating Palestine,' he
told state TV, calling for greater unity between Muslims... However,
much of the vitriol at the protests was also turned on Iran's main
regional rival, Saudi Arabia... One group carried a fake coffin
featuring Saudi Arabia's leaders and slogans against Daesh Sunni
extremists." http://t.uani.com/29bX8e8
Terrorism
Al-Monitor: "Hamas has decided to
resume public relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran after years
of apathy between them as a result of the Syrian crisis. Signs
confirming the rapprochement came from the deputy chairmen of Hamas'
political bureau, Mousa Abu Marzouk and Ismail Haniyeh. In a June 15
interview with Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV, Abu Marzouk praised Iran
for the first time since Hamas left the Syrian capital of Damascus. He
said, 'The support offered by Iran to the Palestinian resistance - be
it in logistics, training or funds - is unmatched and beyond the
capabilities of other countries. Iran's support and backing to the
resistance and the Palestinian cause is clear, explicit and equal to
the stance of Arab, Muslim and free peoples of the world who back and
support the resistance.' Relations between Hamas and Tehran began to
deteriorate in 2012, after the wave of Arab Spring revolutions reached
Syria, which is the main ally of Iran in the Middle East... Abu
Marzouk's statements and Haniyeh's telephone call came to confirm the change
occurring in the Islamic movement's relationship with Tehran and
endorsed the fact that relations between them had been restored with a
resumption of Iranian funding... The source, who requested anonymity,
added, 'Hamas' military wing strongly endorsed the resumption of said
relations, especially in light of the urgent need for funds and
military support that only Iran can provide.'" http://t.uani.com/29gpFT6
Asharq
Al-Awsat: "Palestinian
sources revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that three Hamas leaders
have been spending relentless efforts to restore the organization's
relationship with Iran. Hamas had undergone disputes with Iran
concerning standpoints taken on the Syria war. The Palestinian
organization, unlike Iran, had widely supported the Syrian revolution
against dictator Bashar al-Assad. Sources revealed that Palestinian
leader of Hamas' military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades,
Marwan Issa along with other military leaders like, Yehya al-Sinwar,
Mahmoud al-Zahar, have maintained contact with Iran over the past
period. The three commanders had uninterruptedly received financial and
military aid from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC),
exceeding 45 million dollars annually- noting that prior to dispute
rising, Hamas' military division received far more significant
financial and military aid from Iran. Sources revealed that internal
friction strikes the Hamas organization with the group's military
division often being in disagreement with its political administration.
The military wing looks forward to restoring connections with Iran and
delivering them into a stronger state, guaranteeing the constant flow
of funds." http://t.uani.com/29aG1xo
Syria
Conflict
Free
Beacon: "U.S.
intelligence agencies recently identified nine training camps inside
Iran where jihadists from Afghanistan are being schooled for fighting
in Syria, according to U.S. defense officials. The camps are part of a
large-scale paramilitary training program run by Iran's Islamic
Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Islamic shock troops, to battle
Syrian rebels opposing the regime of Bashar al Assad that Tehran is
backing. The camps were identified in satellite photographs located in
areas of northeastern Iran close to the Iraqi border, said officials
familiar with intelligence reports of the training. Iran is
predominantly Shiite Islam and the Afghan fighters are mostly Shiite
refugees who settled in Iran over the past several years. A State
Department official said he was aware of the reports. 'If true, it would
be a cruel exploitation of a group of vulnerable people already living
in a precarious situation as refugees,' the official said. 'And it
would be another unfortunate reminder of the depths to which Iran is
willing to go to continue to prop up the Assad regime.'" http://t.uani.com/297PhB2
Domestic
Politics
AP: "Iran's official news
agency says authorities have removed the chiefs of four of the
country's major commercial banks from their posts for receiving
'unconventionally' high salaries. Thursday's report by IRNA says the
Saderat, Mellat and Mehr Iran bank chiefs have been replaced and that
the chief of the Refah bank was replaced earlier in the week. Some of
the bankers reportedly had monthly salaries equivalent to up to $60,000
while at the same time being recipients of substantial low-interest
loans from their own banks. The development comes after Iran's Supreme
Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier this month said bankers' case
went 'against values and ideals' of the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution."
http://t.uani.com/29aXUKy
Opinion
& Analysis
UANI
Chairman Senator Joseph I. Lieberman & UANI Advisory Board Member
Giulio Terzi in Israel Hayom: "On Friday, July 1, thousands of Iranians will
gather in the streets for Quds Day, whose main purpose is to call for
'Death to Israel.' Israeli, and probably American, flags will be
burned, along with the likenesses of the leaders of both countries.
These annual regime-organized rallies are in their fourth decade. But
now, the belligerence embodied in Quds Day stretches far beyond the
borders of Iran, with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Iran's
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei providing funding to enable the
participation of anti-Israel extremists in cities around the world. At
the same time, some global leaders and corporate executives are too
anxious to believe that Iran has changed in the wake of the conclusion
of the nuclear deal. They are eager to find signs of reform from Tehran
to justify business pursuits and to open lines of trade. But there is
no greater proof, no more revealing time, for the world to understand
the true nature of the Iranian regime than on Quds Day. While some want
us to see peace, moderation, and even friendship with Iran, the
objective truth continues to be Iranian extremism, hostility, and
violence. While some want to see lucrative business opportunities, the
reality is that there are severe business risks in Iran that are too
great to be ignored for the sake of short-term economic benefit. Just
last week, the Financial Action Task Force announced that it would keep
Iran on its blacklist because it remains 'concerned with the terrorist
financing risk emanating from Iran and the threat this poses to the
international financial system.' The U.S. State Department recently
declared again that Iran remains the world's leading state sponsor of
terrorism, supporting groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, whose attacks on
Israelis, Syrians, Palestinians, Lebanese, and Americans brought death
and destruction. Iran also commits gross human rights violations
against its own people, and sets up front companies owned by the
sanctioned Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, funneling the revenue
directly into the hands of the ayatollah for nefarious purposes at home
and abroad. The regime still kidnaps and holds hostage people from
countries which are at the same time pursuing business opportunities
with Iran. The most important point for business executives to
understand is that businesses doing business in Iran are still subject
to severe economic sanctions due to the country's non-nuclear related
behavior. Rouhani himself is a walking contradiction. Last year, he
spoke hopefully of ongoing talks between Iran and U.S. diplomats while
marching in Quds Day demonstrations alongside signs declaring 'Death to
Zionism' and 'Death to America.' Days later, Iran finalized the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action with the 'Great Satan,' America.
Fortunately, nearly one year after the nuclear agreement was signed,
there remains considerable wariness and aversion from countries,
businesses and financial institutions to broker deals with Tehran. Why?
Because, they are not blind to the authoritarian and extremist essence
of the ayatollah and his regime. They cannot ignore his bellicose
statements, and his regime's vociferous support for such appalling
activities as the Holocaust cartoon contest, which his office deemed
'excellent' and 'appreciated' just weeks ago. And they should not
conclude that there is no more risk to doing business in Iran." http://t.uani.com/29xB8db
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Eye on Iran is a periodic news summary from United Against
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