|
TOP STORIES
The U.S. threatened to slap sanctions on countries that
don't cut oil imports from Iran to "zero" by Nov. 4, part
of the Trump administration's push to further isolate Tehran both
politically and economically, a senior U.S. State Department official
said. Buyers of Iranian crude had expected the U.S. would allow them
time to reduce their oil imports over a much longer period, by
issuing sanctions waivers for nations that made significant efforts
to cut their purchases. That expectation was partly based on previous
comments from top Trump officials, as well as the Obama
administration's earlier effort to wean the world off Iranian oil
over several years.
At least some buyers of Iranian supplies in the world's
biggest oil market are considering acquiescing to U.S. President
Donald Trump's demands. As the American administration piles pressure
on its allies to entirely halt purchases of Iranian supplies, Japan's
Fuji Oil Co. and Taiwan's Formosa Petrochemical Corp. are considering
ending imports from the OPEC member -- though they are yet to make a
final decision. South Korea has already put some imports on hold
while Emirates National Oil Co. in the U.A.E. is trying alternatives
to cargoes from the Islamic Republic.
Iran's Supreme leader called on the judiciary to punish
those "who disrupt economic security" on Wednesday,
following protests earlier this week over the rial's collapse and the
prospect of more hardships to come thanks to U.S. measures against
Tehran.
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS, & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
The United States has told countries to cut all imports
of Iranian oil from November and is unlikely to offer any exemptions,
a senior State Department official said on Tuesday as the Trump
administration ramps up pressure on allies to cut off funding to Iran.
Indonesia's government decided last month to freeze
Pertamina's deal to operate the Mansouri oil field in Iran because it
wanted to preserve the country's "good relationship" with
the United States, Pertamina's Acting Chief Executive Nicke Widyawati
said on Tuesday.
Japan and South Korea, two major buyers of Iranian oil,
are in talks with the U.S. government in a bid to avoid adverse
impacts from Washington's reimposition of sanctions aimed at cutting
Iran out of international markets.
Security solutions provider Westminster Group said it
expected to post positive earnings in 2018, though it had suspended
work in Iran following President Trump's decision to pull out of an
historic nuclear accord.
Washington's decision to shorten the deadline for
cutting off Iranian crude exports threatens to reduce global oil
supplies much sooner than anticipated. The big question: Can Saudi Arabia
make up for the loss in time?
Removing Iranian oil from the global market by November
as called for by the United States is impossible, an Iranian oil
official told the semi-official Tasnim news agency on Wednesday.
Oil prices rose on Wednesday on a supply disruption in
Canada, falling U.S. crude stocks, uncertainty over Libyan exports
and after U.S. officials told importers to stop buying Iranian crude
from November. Brent crude LCOc1 was up 30 cents a barrel at $76.61
by 0800 GMT. U.S. light crude CLc1 was 25 cents higher at $70.78.
The devaluation of the Iranian rial first gained serious
steam back in April, partly due to fears of returning US sanctions.
As such, the administration of President Hassan Rouhani on April 10
implemented what it called a rate unification policy in order to prevent
further depreciation of the national currency. Market fears were
found to be justified when US President Donald Trump on May 8 decided
to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
SYRIA, RUSSIA, ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH, LEBANON & IRAN
The Russian military's main air force base in Syria
announced on Tuesday an end to a ceasefire agreement reached with the
U.S. and Jordan in southwest Syria, citing breaches by insurgent
groups. The decision comes at a time when Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad stages a new offensive to retake one of the last rebel-held
regions in the country... The ceasefire collapse also occurred as
airstrikes reportedly struck Damascus International Airport on
Tuesday... The U.K.-based, pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for
Human Rights reported that Israeli warplanes struck "a shipment
of Iranian weapons" that had arrived at the airport, while
Russia's state-run Sputnik News highlighted reports claiming an
Iranian cargo plane may have been the target.
PROTESTS & HUMAN RIGHTS
Angry protesters in Iran's capital held a third day of
demonstrations on Tuesday over the country's anemic economy as
President Hassan Rouhani told the nation that it faces an
"economic war" with the United States following America's
pullout from the nuclear deal. While online videos showed
demonstrators again confronting police on Tehran's streets and
alleyways, the protests looked far smaller than those on Monday, when
security forces fired tear gas on crowds in front of parliament.
Iran has detained a journalist who served as an adviser
to a prominent opposition leader under house arrest. The
semi-official ISNA news agency quoted the Tehran prosecutor as saying
that Hengameh Shaidi was "on the run" for months before she
was arrested on Kish Island. The prosecutor, Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi,
did not specify the charges, but accused her of insulting the
judiciary with "criminal tweets."
It is the duty of all Iranians to help the government
overcome economic problems, a senior Revolutionary Guards commander
said Wednesday, according to Fars News.
People with disabilities in Iran face discrimination,
abuse, and an inaccessible environment, Human Rights Watch and the
Center for Human Rights in Iran said in a joint report released
today.
Judging by the enthusiastic reactions in Israel to the
renewal of the demonstrations in Iran this week, you'd be forgiven
for inferring that the Islamic Republic is nearing collapse, soon to
be replaced by a Western-style democracy, and that the nuclear deal
will be abrogated and Iran will withdraw its forces from Syria and
sign a peace agreement with Israel.
OTHER IRANIAN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS
Iran's judiciary must confront those who disrupt
economic security, its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said
Wednesday, according to his official website. "The
atmosphere for the work, life and livelihood of the people must be
secure," Khamenei said in a meeting with judiciary officials,
according to his site. "And the judiciary must confront those
who disrupt economic security."
In the past two weeks, south-western cities of Iran -
historically known as Arabistan (Khuzestan officially) - have been
witnessing protests against water shortage. People have already been
suffering as a result of low water quality that has left the locals
of cities such as Abadan, Muhammerah (Khorramshahr) and Bawi with
little to consume.
GULF STATES, YEMEN, & IRAN
Eight Hezbollah militants from Lebanon have been killed
in a Saudi-led coalition attack in Maran in northern Yemen, near the
Saudi border. The presence of Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite militia members
in the Houthi stronghold of Saada province supports the coalition
accusation that Tehran supplies ballistic missiles to the Houthis,
and Hezbollah technicians launch them at targets in Saudi Arabia.
MISCELLANEOUS
If you look at the numbers, Trump's travel ban could be
described more accurately as an "Iran ban." Of the total of
those likely to be affected, Iranians make up the majority.
|
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment