Eye on Iran: With Few Buyers, Iranian Oil Armada Heads to China Ahead of U.S. Sanctions

TOP STORIES With Few Buyers, Iranian Oil Armada Heads to China Ahead of U.S. Sanctions | Reuters An unprecedented volume of Iranian crude oil is set to arrive at China's northeast Dalian port this month and in early November before U.S. sanctions on Iran take effect, according to an Iranian shipping source and data on Refinitiv Eikon. France Says Planned EU Mechanism to Enable Iran Trade May Have Wider Use | Reuters France's foreign ministry said on Thursday a so-called Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) that the European Union is considering creating to enable trade with Iran could be used more broadly to help the bloc avoid the extraterritorial reach of U.S. law. Haley Rips Into Iran's 'Crony Terrorism,' Use of Child Soldiers in Fiery Return to Security Council | Fox News U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley, returning to the Security Council for the first time since she announced her intention to step down earlier this month, tore into Iran's alleged use of child soldiers on Thursday and accused the regime of "crony terrorism." NUCLEAR DEAL & NUCLEAR PROGRAM What the IAEA Doesn't Know - or Want to Know - About Iran's Nuclear Program | Joshua Block for the Hill There is a lot that we don't know about Iran's nuclear program. There is a lot we will be unable to know because the deal has too many holes, and the IAEA is unable - or unwilling - to address them. SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS, & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS   Asia Oil Buyers Said to See More Chance for U.S. Waivers On Iran | Bloomberg Asian buyers of Iranian oil are gaining confidence they will win U.S. consent for some imports to continue even after American sanctions snap back next month. Iran: Between Braggadocio and Suicidal Action | Amir Taheri for Asharq al-Awsat (U.K.) Getting ready for what they think will be the regime's biggest challenge yet, the leadership in Tehran is looking to Iran's near or far neighbors to help beat new sanctions being prepared by the Trump administration in Washington. Under study is a plan with three key objectives. MISSILE PROGRAM Iran's Navy-Killer Missiles Now Have Double the Range | Jared Keller for the National Interest Iran just sent a veiled warning to the U.S. military: We see you, and now we can reach you everywhere. PROTESTS & HUMAN RIGHTS Iran's Chief Prosecutor: Women Watching Half-Naked Men Play Soccer Is Sinful | Al Arabiya (Saudi Arabia / UAE) Iran's Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Jafar Montazeri threatening officials who allow women to enter football stadiums has caused an uproar among Iranian activists. IRANIAN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS Khamenei Instructs Iranian Scholars to Look Eastward | Al Monitor During an Oct. 17 speech to young scholars and academics in the country, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei encouraged young Iranian scientists to "look east." Khamenei spoke of the "necessity of having scientific relations with countries that are moving in the direction of growth," and added, "These countries are primarily in Asia." RUSSIA, SYRIA, ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH, LEBANON & IRAN Putin Says It's Not Up to Russia to Persuade Iran to Pull Out of Syria | Reuters President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that it was not up to Russia to persuade Iran to pull its forces out of Syria, and that the governments calling for Iran to leave should provide guarantees that they would not meddle in Syria's affairs. Miss Earth Lebanon Is Stripped of Her Title After Posing for a Photo with Miss Earth Israel | Daily Mail (U.K.) Miss Earth Lebanon has been stripped of her title after posing for a photograph with Miss Earth during the international pageant in the Philippines. The photo shows Miss Earth Lebanon Salwa Akar standing with her arm around Miss Israel, Dana Zreik, with both of them making a 'peace' sign with their hands. GULF STATES, YEMEN, & IRAN Yemen's Vice President: Iran Sponsors Terrorism Project in Region | Al Arabiya (Saudi Arabia / UAE) Yemeni Vice President General Ali Mohsen Saleh said that Iran is supporting and sponsoring terrorism and sabotaging projects in the region through the Houthi militias, which caused suffering for the Yemenis and targeted neighboring countries. CYBERWARFARE Iranian-Backed Pages Spread Fake News of A Saudi Coup | National (UAE) An Iran-backed twitter account, with tens of thousands of followers, spread sensational fake rumours that a coup against the Saudi Arabian monarch was taking place near the capital in late April. 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@uani.com. 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