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Fox News:
"A former top military intelligence official under President Obama
on Wednesday blasted the administration's pursuit of a nuclear deal with
Iran, calling it a 'placeholder' based on 'wishful thinking.' Retired Lt.
Gen. Michael Flynn, former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency,
delivered pointed and detailed criticism of the Iran deal framework -- as
well as the U.S. response to the violence in Iraq and Syria. 'It is clear
that the nuclear deal is not a permanent fix but merely a placeholder,'
he told a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee. In written and delivered
testimony, he said the 10-year timeframe on parts of the deal 'only
[makes] sense' if the U.S. thinks a 'wider reconciliation' with Iran is
possible. He called this 'wishful thinking,' adding that 'regime change'
is the best way to stop Iran's nuclear weapons program. Flynn also
asserted that Iran has 'every intention' of building a nuclear weapon,
and their desire to destroy Israel is 'very real.' 'Iran has not once
(not once) contributed to the greater good of the security of the
region,' he said, noting their fighters 'killed or maimed thousands of
Americans and Iraqis' in Iraq." http://t.uani.com/1B5jA3M
VOA:
"Three weeks before a deadline for a comprehensive nuclear deal with
Iran, the failure to address the Islamic Republic's ballistic missile
program in any agreement could be a dangerous omission, a panel of
experts told U.S. lawmakers Wednesday... David Cooper of the U.S. Naval
War College testified before the House Foreign Affairs sub-committee on
the Middle East and North Africa, that the links between medium and
long-range missiles and a nuclear payload are clear. 'At this moment,
Iran is the only country in the world that says it has no nuclear weapons
ambitions and yet has fielded an intermediate-range ballistic missile,'
Cooper said. Robert Joseph, senior scholar at the National Institute for
Public Policy, underlined what's at stake if a deal that is flawed - as
he sees it - goes forward. 'If there is an agreement along the lines described
by the White House and the Iranian leadership, I believe it will
represent the single greatest strategic mistake in the national security
area in the last 35 years,' he said... Retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael
Flynn (former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency) said he fears
the consequences if the deal now on the table goes through. 'Once
sanctions are lifted, the genie is out of the bottle; we're going to see
proliferation in the region because we've looked at this too narrowly,'
he said." http://t.uani.com/1C0PRDZ
JPost:
"[Brigadier General Hossein] Salami said that while the United
States 'speaks loftily about security and global development, it remains
our worst, most vicious enemy.' Salami accused the West of using
innovative means to disseminate 'inappropriate films' whose goal is to
'destroy the world's moral fabric, which will in turn lead to a collapse
of global security.' The deputy commander went on to accuse the West of
bolstering their military arsenals all the while combining their might
with 'diplomatic barbarism.' 'They are moving further away from the
values of God, which will ultimately lead to their demise,' Salami said.
Iran's enemies lack any appreciation for human life, the officer said.
'The gravest threat to Iran today is having its young people being
influenced by the ideas and the culture of the enemy,' he said. Salami
said that while Iran is working to bolster its military capabilities, it
is also making efforts to prevent 'foreign influence' from seeping into
the country." http://t.uani.com/1FaZ6l1
Nuclear Program & Negotiations
Reuters:
"Iran's envoy to the U.N. nuclear agency declined on Thursday to
commit to nuclear transparency measures that were part of a preliminary
deal Tehran and world powers reached in April, deflecting U.S. demands to
implement such provisions. The United States urged Iran to implement the
so-called Additional Protocol, which allows more intrusive access to
Iranian sites, and Code 3.1, which requires from Iran early notification
of the construction of any new nuclear facilities. 'These are the issues
still under discussion and I believe we should wait to see the final
text... and before that, we cannot prejudge anything,' Reza Najafi told
reporters. He added that Iran and the powers could seal a final deal by
their self-imposed June 30 deadline, despite lingering disputes over the
capacity of Iran's uranium enrichment programme, the extent of U.N.
inspections and sanctions relief for Tehran... Laura Kennedy, U.S. envoy
to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, told a session of
the IAEA's 35-nation governing board that it 'remains critical for Iran
to implement the provisions of Modified Code 3.1 ... without delay'...
Kennedy further said Iran had still not resolved longstanding IAEA
questions about the 'possible military dimensions' (PMD), mainly before 2003,
of its nuclear programme." http://t.uani.com/1B8C5Ef
Reuters:
"Any deal with Iran must be verifiable and there are no guarantees
on this yet, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Thursday. 'We
must be able to verify the sites,' Fabius told BFM TV. 'We don't yet have
certainty on this.' 'We want a deal with Iran but ... the deal must be
verifiable, solid, robust and today we don't have guarantees on this,' he
said. 'A deal that cannot be verified cannot be implemented.'" http://t.uani.com/1MLh5Vr
Reuters:
"The next round of Iran nuclear negotiations will be 'pretty tough,'
a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday ahead of new talks including top
diplomats from the seven countries involved... 'As we expected after
Lausanne, the next portion of this process will be pretty tough because
we will be getting down to the details,' the official told reporters as
negotiators from the seven prepared to converge on Vienna for a new
round... The U.S. official said the sides were having 'detailed discussions'
about access to Iran's military sites. 'We know there will not be an
agreement until we can resolve that the IAEA will be able to verify
whatever way is appropriate, whatever is necessary for this agreement,
and that will include having managed access to a variety of sites and
places in order to get this deal done,' the official said." http://t.uani.com/1B8Cuqj
NJJN:
"Six people who keep a close eye on Iranian nuclear negotiations
told a Whippany audience June 2 that a tentative agreement being pressed
by the Obama administration was dangerous for Israel, the United States,
and Arab nations in the Middle East. The 90-minute panel on 'the emerging
Iran nuclear deal' was organized by the Community Relations Committee of
the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ and sponsored by it and
seven other Jewish organizations... When Mark Wallace, CEO of United
Against Nuclear Iran, asked the audience to indicate whether they
believed the proposal was 'a bad deal,' all but one person in the
audience raised a hand... 'What you or I say is irrelevant,' Wallace told
the audience. 'I would suggest to you that Iran has definitely become
nuclear and the dangers have increased.... All the reasons we wanted to
prevent Iran from going nuclear are on the ascent.... Right now Iran is
acting like a nuclear power and the threats to all of our security are
happening right now.' http://t.uani.com/1MLqWKQ
Sanctions
Relief
Bloomberg:
"Oil-importing nations bought the most Iranian crude last month
since world powers tightened sanctions on the country three years ago,
according to the International Energy Agency. Imports of Iranian crude
reached 1.4 million barrels a day in May, up 235,000 a day from April and
the highest level since June 2012, the last month before the U.S. and European
Union imposed new restrictions on oil trade and financial transactions,
the IEA said. The nation pumped 2.85 million barrels a day last
month." http://t.uani.com/1B8CM08
Bloomberg:
"Oil producers pushing for an end to the U.S. crude export ban have
a new line of attack: If Iran gets to sell oil in the world market, why
can't we? Should Iran strike a deal with the U.S. and five other nations
in the coming weeks to limit its nuclear program, more Iranian oil could
flow onto the market as sanctions are eased. Iranian producers will then
be freer to sell oil than their American competitors, the argument goes.
'If Iranian oil sanctions are lifted, it, in my view, imposes sanctions
on U.S. oil producers if we keep the oil export ban in place,' Senator Lisa
Murkowski, an Alaska Republican who's become the chief advocate for
lifting limits, said Tuesday." http://t.uani.com/1e5txnB
Press TV (Iran):
"An Italian producer of agriculture equipment is investing in Iran's
northwestern Moghan which is a major hub in the country's food industry,
local media report. The Nardi Group will soon open an office in Parsabad
after its chief executive Virgilio Mazzardo visited the region to assess
investment potentials, the IRNA news agency reported. He visited Moghan
Agro-Industrial and Animal Husbandry Company (MAIAHC) and local
farmlands, announcing interest in investment in the region, MAIAHC's
president Orujali Mohammadi said. Mohammadi said the Italian company will
initially produce agriculture machinery in Iran, with a vision to export
them later." http://t.uani.com/1JMufBG
Trend:
"Iran is holding an international maritime exhibition in Tehran from
June 6 to 9. Foreign companies have attended the show hoping to find
market in the post-sanctions Iran. There is a lot that can be done in
Iran after the removal of the sanctions, Zeljko Bezjak, counselor and
head of energy at the Croatian company Adriadiesel told Trend June 7 on
the fairground in Tehran. Bezjak whose company makes vessels of different
types and carries out many other maritime activities said that the
possibility is high that his company can start doing business with Iran
after sanctions are removed... 'There are powerful companies in Iran,
great possibilities, and the Iranian market is a good one,' Bezjak noted.
'We can offer services in oil spill recovery, offshore drilling, fire
fighting, chemical and oil tankers, ship and yacht building, and our
specialty making engines for vessels.'" http://t.uani.com/1B8HkE1
Trend:
"At its third international maritime exhibition, Iran is hosting
foreign companies willing to find a way into the country's market after
Iran is freed from economic sanctions. The Iranian market is a very
important market with lots of well-educated people, very strong petroleum
market, and a lot of money from the oil, Hans-ole Madsen, senior vice
president at the Philippine International Container Terminal Services
Inc., EME Region told Trend at the company's booth on the fairground in
Tehran on June 7. He said his presence in Iran is justified by the fact
that besides its own market, Iran can provide a good gateway for a lot of
the stans as well as the Far East. Madsen whose company has built
container ports for 22 countries said his company held talks with the
Iranian Ports and Sailing Organization the day before, hoping to find a
good market in Iran." http://t.uani.com/1dyRAdG
Sanctions
Enforcement
WSJ:
"U.S. officials said Wednesday the Obama administration is actively
working to block Tehran from using nine recently acquired Airbus Group SE
jets in a battle over sanctions weeks before the two sides are supposed
to complete a final nuclear deal. Iranian officials this week threatened
to take legal action against the U.S. if it seeks to block the use of the
jets, according to Iranian media. Officials have said the country plans
to use the planes on international flights. But a senior administration
official said Wednesday the U.S. would continue to 'vigorously' enforce
the sanctions it has in place on Iran despite the advanced state of
nuclear talks... 'We have identified the planes in question and listed
their tail numbers,' the official said. 'I have been quite explicit with
the Iranians...that we will try to disrupt this action because Mahan Air
has been a designated entity for some time,' the official said." http://t.uani.com/1JMqUT7
Iraq Crisis
Bloomberg:
"The two bearded clerics gazing from billboards in Baghdad were
familiar yet out of place. Portraits of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the
founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and his still-ruling successor
have appeared in Iraq's capital and southern cities in recent months.
Other posters feature Iranian commanders killed fighting Islamic State
militants, who have spread their rule across Iraq's north and west. While
Iran is asserting unprecedented influence over its neighbor as the
Shiite-led governments combat a shared Sunni jihadist foe, the images
have stirred a public and political reaction that highlights why claims
by Saudi Arabia and other U.S. allies of an Iranian takeover are misplaced.
Sitting outside his shop in central Baghdad, Ahmed Abdul Hussein, 45,
says he doesn't know who put up the posters and they aren't welcome. It's
a feeling shared by others, Shiite and Sunni alike. In recent weeks, both
Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi and top Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali Al
Sistani have said that while Iran's help and friendship is welcome, it
must respect Iraqi sovereignty." http://t.uani.com/1I3yFjb
Syria Conflict
NOW Lebanon:
"Iranian commanders overseeing the Assad regime's fighting efforts
on the frontlines south of Idlib have reportedly executed three Syrian
army officers. London-based Al-Quds al-Arabi said that the three officers
were Sunnis who were among the regime troops that withdrew from the
Mahmbel and Bsanqoul checkpoints following rebel advances in the southern
Idlib province area on Saturday. The three officers, who were also
accompanied by several soldiers, were accused deserting their duty and
'betraying the homeland,' the daily reported Sunday. According to the report,
none of the other Syrian officers or soldiers present at the time were
able to prevent the execution as 'officers responsible for military
operations in the Jourin area are under the command of Iranian officers.'
A Free Syrian Army (FSA) commander told the paper that 'the regime has
handed over the operations room to Iranian officers and leadership.' 'The
recent execution has caused a state of fear and terror among remaining
regime troops,' the FSA commander added, saying he expected 'more
defections and more field executions.'" http://t.uani.com/1L3hlRE
Opinion &
Analysis
Ray Takeyh &
Roger Zakheim in WSJ: "Speaking about Iran's nuclear
program last month in an interview intended to reassure Israelis,
President Barack Obama said that 'a military solution will not fix it,
even if the United States participates.' Such denigrations of the
deterrent power of force have long been noticed in Iran. In a speech last
July, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, gloated: 'There are
very few people in today's world who take these military threats
seriously.' And why should they? The U.S. administration is engaged in
sensitive negotiations while systematically depriving itself of leverage.
Military force may not be the ideal solution to the Iran nuclear issue,
but it is an indispensable backdrop to viable diplomacy. By far the most
effective agreement ever negotiated with Iran came in 2003, when the
Islamic Republic agreed to suspend all its nuclear activities. The
Europeans spearheaded the talks, but American power fortified their
mandate. In the intervening decade, Iranian officials-including President
Hasan Rouhani, according to his memoir-noted the concern that Iran had
about George W. Bush at the height of his power. The fear of being the
target of American retribution led Iran to dispense with its program.
After that fear dissipated in 2005, Iran resumed its nuclear activities.
Contrast that with today: In contravention of sound strategy, the Obama
team has been eager for negotiations while denigrating its coercive
power. It is a staple of the administration's rhetoric that sanctions
only led to massive accumulation of centrifuges by Iran. This point is
often noted by President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry.
Paradoxically, it is a talking point put forth by Iran's foreign
minister, Javad Zarif, a diplomat skilled at seducing. Had Iranians
sensed that the U.S. was prepared to enforce its 'red lines' with force,
then they may have been less inclined to dismiss American mandates and
the International Atomic Energy Agency demands for access to atomic
sites. The question now is whether anything can be done to restore the
luster of the military option and convince the Islamic Republic that it
may pay for nuclear intransigence... Signaling that we have no intent to
use force weakens our deterrence posture, arguably more than if we had no
military presence in the Middle East. Moreover, it has probably helped
convince Iran that it can sign a deal and have a nuclear weapon, too.
What's missing from the equation is a renewed emphasis on developing the
21st-century equivalent to the Strategic Defense Initiative to counter
the Iranian nuclear program. Perhaps the ingredients for such a
capability reside in the Pentagon's 'offset strategy,' though policy
makers have directed this effort almost exclusively toward countering
China. For an administration that has prioritized developing innovative
defense capabilities, the Obama team has shown remarkably little interest
in applying those efforts to the Iran scenario. The result is a military
option that lacks credibility, fails to strengthen our diplomacy and
possibly invites Tehran to develop a nuclear program while fearing little
consequence." http://t.uani.com/1C0Qvl0
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Eye on Iran is a periodic news summary from United Against
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email Press@UnitedAgainstNuclearIran.com
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commitment to prevent Iran from fulfilling its ambition to become a
regional super-power possessing nuclear weapons. UANI is an
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