Iran

[mrtn]

Britain has sent a mediator to Iran to discuss the freeing of a British-flagged tanker

They should have sent a certain tanker instead, that would have helped.

 

[Ca.]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1154465897743912960

https://twitter.com/x/status/1154318385293004800

 

[angelburst29]

U.S. sees European maritime security effort in Gulf as 'complementary'

FILE PHOTO: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford arrives to testify before a Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing on the proposed FY2020 budget for the Defense Department on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., May 8, 2019. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein

The United States believes a proposed European initiative to bolster maritime security in the Gulf would complement ongoing U.S. efforts there instead of being a "stand-alone" operation, the top U.S. general said on Wednesday.

Washington in June first proposed some sort of multinational effort open to all allies and partners to bolster maritime security in the Gulf after accusing Iran of attacking oil tankers around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint between Iran and Oman.

Britain called this week for a European-led naval mission to ensure safe shipping through the strait after Iran seized a British-flagged tanker, raising questions about whether the U.S. initiative would move ahead separately.

Asked about the British proposal, U.S. Marine General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said his discussions “right now wouldn’t indicate that that’s a stand-alone effort that’s separate from ours.”

“I view that as a European contribution to maritime security that would be complementary, if not integrated, with what the United States is doing,” Dunford told a small group of reporters traveling with him in Afghanistan. He did not say whether he had discussed the matter directly with Britain.

Dunford said the U.S. military’s Central Command, which is headquartered in Tampa, Florida, would host a “force generation conference” on Thursday on the U.S. initiative. Such events usually aim to see what kinds of military assets partner nations might be able to contribute.

Britain begins escorting all UK vessels through Hormuz Strait

Britain has started sending a warship to accompany all British-flagged vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, a change in policy announced on Thursday after the government previously said it did not have resources to do so.

Crew of tanker seized by Iran have spoken to families: owners
The owners of a British-flagged oil tanker seized last week by Iran said crew members had been able to talk directly to their families for a limited time and all those on board were reported to be safe and well.

Germany ready to take part in Hormuz naval mission: RND media group
Germany is ready to take part in a British plan for a European-led naval mission to ensure safe shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, media group RND reported, citing participants in a meeting of parliament's foreign relations committee.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Different countries to participate in patrolling Strait of Hormuz — Pompeo

US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo noted that the United States does not want war with Iran.

NEW YORK, July 23, 2019 - Countries from around the world will participate in a coalition that will patrol the Strait of Hormuz to ensure freedom of navigation in the region, US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo told WFTV-9 on Monday.

"We are working to change the behavior of the leadership of the Islamic Republics of Iran. And we are building out a coalition that will patrol the Strait of Hormuz to keep those shipping lanes, those sea lanes open," Pompeo said. "There'll be nations from all around the world that participate in that. These are the deterrent activities," he added.

Russia has not received any offers from the United States considering Washington's initiative to create an international coalition for patrolling the Strait of Hormuz, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said.

Moscow Says Received No Invitation to Join US' Coalition for Patrolling Strait of Hormuz

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia has not received any offers from the United States considering Washington's initiative to create an international coalition for patrolling the Strait of Hormuz, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov...

sputniknews.com

23.07.2019

'Russia, China, Venezuela, North Korea and Turkey maybe?'

US Invited EU, Asian Countries to Join Coalition to Secure Strait of Hormuz - Pompeo
26.07.2019

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The United States has invited Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Norway, South Korea and the United Kingdom, among others, to join an international coalition to ensure security in the Strait of Hormuz, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in the wake of recent security incidents in the area.

"We are at the beginning stage of developing our maritime security initiative. We will be a part of that but so will be the nations from all across the world. We’ve asked the Brits, the French, the Germans, the Norwegians, the Japanese, the South Koreans, the Australians. I am sure I missed a few", Pompeo said in an interview with Fox News, released late on Thursday.

The US secretary of state insisted that every country that was interested in ensuring security in the Strait of Hormuz needed to participate in the initiative to protect not only its own interests but "fundamental understanding of free and open waterways".

Earlier this week, Pompeo said that the United States was seeking to form an international coalition to secure the Strait of Hormuz, connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

Moreover, the Pentagon has announced that the United States is developing an intentional maritime security framework dubbed Operation Sentinel to enhance securityin the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Oman following attacks on oil tankers there.

Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz area escalated in June when several separate attacks involving oil tankers took place in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The United States claimed that Iran was behind the incidents, while Tehran denied any wrongdoing. Tehran subsequently shot down a US surveillance drone over the coastal area of Hormozgan, prompting threats by the United States.

The situation further escalated after an Iranian vessel was seized by Gibraltar over suspicions of being involved in oil shipments to Syria in violation of EU sanctions. The move was slammed by Tehran. Madrid has said that the tanker was captured at the request of the United States.

Furthermore, last Friday, Iranian forces seized a tanker with 23 crew members onboard in the Strait of Hormuz over alleged violations of international navigation norms.

Pompeo Says He Would Go to Iran for Talks ‘If That's The Call’
26.07.2019

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a television interview on Thursday that he would go to Iran for talks if it was necessary, as tensions between Tehran and Washington have escalated this year.

Asked if he would be willing to go to Tehran, Pompeo said in an interview with Bloomberg TV: "Sure. If that's the call, I'd happily go there ... I would welcome the chance to speak directly to the Iranian people."

Tensions between Iran and the United States have been high since last year, when President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the Iranian Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal, reimposing sanctions on Tehran. The two countries have strained their relationship further over the past three months following attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Iran.

Trump and Iranian leaders have both publicly said talks were possible, although each side have different conditions for negotiations to take place. However, the top military adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday Tehran would not negotiate with Washington under any circumstances, hardening Iran's position amid the crisis.

 

[angelburst29]

Pompeo Says He Would Go to Iran for Talks ‘If That's The Call’
26.07.2019

Asked if he would be willing to go to Tehran, Pompeo said in an interview with Bloomberg TV: "Sure. If that's the call, I'd happily go there ... I would welcome the chance to speak directly to the Iranian people."

I imagine, if Pompeo went to Iran - it would be a very short & quick visit ... they don't have any "Swiss Chocolate" to entice a week's vacation?

Iran test fires Shahab-3 medium-range ballistic missile — US media

AP Photo/Fars News Agency, Omid Vahabzadeh, archive

According to Fox News, Shahab-3 ballistic missile was launched in the early hours on July 25 from the southern part of Iran.

NEW YORK, July 26, 2019 - Iran has test fired a medium-range ballistic missile on Friday, Fox News television channel reported citing an unnamed senior official in the US administration.

According to Fox News, Shahab-3 ballistic missile was launched in the early hours on July 25 from the southern part of Iran and, after covering a distance of about 960 kilometers (600 miles) to the north of Iran, it landed in a desert not far from Tehran.

"We are aware of reports of a projectile launched from Iran, and have no further comment at this time," the television channel cited its high-ranking source in the administration as saying on Thursday.

The reported ballistic missile launch comes in the wake of the recently strained relations between Tehran and the West.

The situation exacerbated on July 19, when the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), an elite military force of the Islamic Republic, seized the UK-flagged tanker Stena Impero in the Strait of Hormuz for "the violations of international maritime regulations."

According to the IRGC, the tanker was escorted towards the shore for further investigation.

Azerbaijan rescues crew from Iranian ship before it sinks in Caspian Sea
Azerbaijan rescued all nine crew members of an Iranian cargo vessel on Friday before it sunk in the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan's state maritime agency said on Friday.

It was unclear what cargo the ship, the SHABAHANG, was carrying.

The maritime agency said the vessel had sent a distress signal on Friday afternoon after getting into trouble near the Azeri port of Lenkoran.

Two helicopters and a border patrol vessel had then rushed to the area and rescued the ship’s crew, it said. It gave no details about why the ship had run into trouble or where the vessel was heading.

Flags of inconvenience: noose tightens around Iranian shipping

FILE PHOTO: A Panama flag flies on the stern of the Iranian oil tanker Grace 1 as it sits anchored after it was seized earlier this month by British Royal Marines off the coast of the British Mediterranean territory on suspicion of violating sanctions against Syria, in the Strait of Gibraltar, southern Spain July 20, 2019. REUTERS/Jon Nazca/File Photo

Somewhere on its journey from the waters off Iran, around Africa's southern tip and into the Mediterranean, the Grace 1 oil tanker lost the flag under which it sailed and ceased to be registered to Panama. Iran later claimed it as its own.

The ship carrying 2 million barrels of Iranian crude was seized by British Royal Marines off Gibraltar, raising tensions in the Gulf where Iran detained a UK-flagged ship in retaliation.

Grace 1 remains impounded, not because of its flag but because it was suspected of taking oil to Syria in breach of EU sanctions, an allegation that Iran denies.

Yet Panama’s move on May 29 to strike it from its register mid-voyage was part of a global squeeze on Iranian shipping.

Nations that register vessels under so-called “flags of convenience” allowing them to sail legally have de-listed dozens of tankers owned by Iran in recent months, tightening the economic noose around it.

In the biggest cull, Panama, the world’s most important flag state, removed 59 tankers linked to Iran and Syria earlier this year, a decision welcomed by the United States which wants to cut off Tehran’s vital oil exports.

Panama and some other key flag states are looking more closely at the thousands of ships on their registers to ensure they comply with U.S. sanctions that were re-imposed against Iran last year and tightened further since.

A Reuters analysis of shipping registry data shows that Panama has de-listed around 55 Iranian tankers since January, Togo has de-listed at least three and Sierra Leone one.

That represents the majority of its operational fleet of tankers, the lifeblood of the oil-dominated economy, although Iran may have re-registered some ships under new flag states.

When a vessel loses its flag, it typically loses insurance cover if it does not immediately find an alternative, and may be barred from calling at ports. Flags of convenience also provide a layer of cover for a vessel’s ultimate owner.

International registries charge fees to ship owners to use their flags and offer tax incentives to attract business. Iran said it still had plenty of options.

“There are so many shipping companies that we can use. In spite of U.S. pressure, many friendly countries are happy to help us and have offered to help us regarding this issue,” said an Iranian shipping official, when asked about tankers being de-listed.

Some nations have expressed caution, however. The world’s third biggest shipping registry, Liberia, said its database automatically identified vessels with Iranian ownership or other connections to the country.

“Thus, any potential request to register a vessel with Iranian connection triggers an alert and gets carefully vetted by the Registry’s compliance and management personnel,” the registry said.

Liberia said it was working closely with U.S. authorities to prevent what it called “malign activity” in maritime trade.

IRANIAN FLAG
In many cases Iran has re-listed ships under its own flag, complicating efforts to move oil and other goods to and from the dwindling number of countries willing to do business with it.

Some shipping specialists said the Iranian flag was problematic because individuals working for the registry in Iran could be designated under U.S. sanctions, and so present a risk for anyone dealing with vessels listed by them.

“Most insurance companies or banks will not be able to deal with the Iranian flag as it is in effect dealing with the Iranian state,” said Mike Salthouse, deputy global director with ship insurer the North of England P&I. Customs officials may also sit up and take notice.

“One of the problems with an Iranian-flagged ship is that there is a 50 percent chance that a customs officer will undertake a search, which means the cargo will be delayed,” said a U.N. sanctions investigator, who declined to be named. “These all add to the costs.”

A former U.S. diplomat said Washington was often in contact with Panama and other flag states to keep vessel registries “clean”.

“We are continuing to disrupt the Qods Force’s illicit shipments of oil, which benefit terrorist groups like Hezbollah as well as the Assad regime (in Syria),” said a spokesman at the U.S. State Department.

Qods Force refers to an elite unit of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps that is in charge of the Guards’ overseas operations, and Hezbollah is an Iran-backed, heavily armed Shi’ite Muslim group that forms part of Lebanon’s coalition government.

“Nearly 80 tankers involved in sanctionable activity have been denied the flags they need to sail,” the spokesman added.

FALSE FLAGS
De-flagging Iranian ships is just one way the international community can squeeze Iran. U.S. sanctions on oil exports aim to reduce Iran’s sales to zero. Iran has vowed to continue exporting.

In the first three weeks of June Iran exported around 300,000 barrels per day (bpd), a fraction of the 2.5 million bpd that Iran shipped before President Donald Trump’s exit in May last year from the 2015 nuclear deal with major powers.

Egypt could also complicate life for Tehran if it denies passage to tankers heading to the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal. The alternative route around Africa, taken by Grace 1 before its seizure, is far longer.

Refinitiv shipping data showed the Masal, an Iranian-flagged oil tanker, anchored in the Suez Canal’s waiting zone on July 6. It stayed there until July 12, when it began to sail south. It exited the Red Sea on July 17 and docked at Larak Island, Iran on July 23.

Two Egyptian intelligence sources told Reuters that the tanker was halted in the Red Sea in July by authorities “without anyone knowing the reason”. A second senior Iranian government official involved in shipping declined to comment when asked about the Masal.

The Suez Canal Authority’s spokesman said Egypt did not bar vessels from crossing the canal except in times of war, in accordance with the Constantinople Convention. He declined to comment further.

Britain tightened the screw when it seized the Grace 1 supertanker on July 4, accusing it of violating sanctions against Syria.

Two Iranian-flagged ships have been stranded for weeks at Brazilian ports due to a lack of fuel, which state-run oil firm Petrobras refuses to sell them due to U.S. sanctions. Two more Iranian ships in Brazil could also be left without enough fuel to sail home.

A recent incident off Pakistan’s coast last month points to the lengths Iran has gone to in order to keep trading.

The Iranian cargo carrier Hayan left from the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas on June 3 and set sail for Karachi on Pakistan’s coast, according to ship tracking data from maritime risk analysts Windward.

On June 7, it changed its name to Mehri II and its flag to that of Samoa, the data showed, as it made its way toward Karachi port. Six days later, the vessel conducted a ship-to-ship transfer of its unknown cargo further up Pakistan’s coast. The ship then returned home, changing its flag back to Iran and its name back to Hayan.

Imran Ul Haq, spokesman for the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency, said they had no information, when asked about the Iranian ship’s activity. Iran has frequently used ship-to-ship transfers to move oil and oil products since U.S. sanctions were reimposed.

Shipping data also show that a separate Iranian-owned cargo ship, the Ya Haydar, has been sailing around the Gulf and reporting its flag as that of Samoa. Samoa denies allowing Iran to register any ships under its flag.

“The said vessels Hayan or Ya Haydar are not, and have never been listed, nor registered on the Samoa’s registry of vessels,” said Anastacia Amoa-Stowers of the Maritime department at Samoa’s Ministry of Works, Transport & Infrastructure.

“Given there are currently no Iranian ships listed on Samoa’s registry, there is no action to de-list a vessel. Additionally, there has never been any Iranian ships listed on Samoa’s vessel registry – previously and at present.”

Amoa-Stowers said Samoa was a closed registry, meaning that any foreign vessel flying its flag was doing so illegally. The second senior Iranian government official involved in shipping declined to comment when asked about the two vessels.

A spokeswoman with the International Maritime Organization said the UN’s shipping agency had received information from Samoa which has been circulated to member states.

Iran says India given consular access to 18 crew of the detained British vessel

Iran granted India consular access to 18 Indian crew members of the detailed British vessel Stena Impero, the Iranian ambassador to Britain said.

 

[angelburst29]

Iran says meeting with parties to nuclear deal 'constructive'

An emergency meeting with parties to Iran's 2015 nuclear deal was constructive but there are unresolved issues and Tehran will continue to reduce its nuclear commitments if Europeans fail to salvage the pact, Iranian official Abbas Araqchi said on Sunday.

Iran says meeting with parties to 2015 nuclear deal was 'constructive'

An emergency meeting with parties to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal was "constructive", the nation's senior nuclear negotiator Abbas Araqchi said after the talks in Vienna.

Foreign forces would stoke regional tension: Iranian president

The presence of foreign forces would be the main source of tension in the Gulf, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday in a meeting with Oman's foreign minister in Tehran, according to the official presidency website.

China says all parties at Vienna nuclear meeting aim to safeguard nuclear deal
All parties to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran want to safeguard the accord and strongly oppose Washington's decision to unilaterally re-impose sanctions on Tehran, the head of the Chinese delegation said after a meeting of the pact members.

Oman not mediating in escalating regional tensions: Oman minister

Oman is not undertaking any mediation efforts around rising tensions in the Gulf region but is in contact with "all parties" in order to maintain stability in the Strait of Hormuz, Oman's minister in charge of foreign affairs said on Sunday.

Oman, Iran cooperating on navigation in Hormuz: Oman minister
Oman and Iran were cooperating on navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, Oman's minister in charge of foreign affairs said on Sunday after meeting Iranian officials in Tehran.

Britain's seizure of Iranian tanker is violation nuclear deal: Iranian deputy foreign minister

Britain's seizure of an Iranian oil tanker in Gibraltar is a violation of the 2015 nuclear deal, Abbas Araqchi, a senior member of the team who negotiated the deal and a deputy foreign minister, said on Sunday, according to the ISNA news agency.

Iran says a European naval coalition for Gulf would send hostile message: Fars
European countries forming a naval coalition for the Gulf would send a hostile message, Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei said on Sunday, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

 

[angelburst29]

Iranian ship Bavand sets sail from Brazil, second vessel following soon

An Iranian ship called Bavand, which had been at the heart of a geopolitical spat between Brasilia and Tehran, set sail from Brazil on Monday after receiving fuel from state-run Petroleo Brasileiro, the port of Paranaguá said.

Britain tells Iran: release ship to 'come out of the dark'

Britain told Iran on Monday that if it wants to "come out of the dark" it must follow international rules and release a British-flagged oil tanker seized by its forces in the Gulf.

Iran's foreign policy is to confront American hegemony: Iran vice president

Iran's foreign policy is to confront American hegemony and protect multilateralism, Iranian Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri said on Monday, adding that its reduction of commitments under a nuclear deal could be reversed if other parties upheld their side of the agreement.

 

[angelburst29]

In a letter to the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly, Russia said that it is "ready for cooperation with all interested parties to implement this and other constructive proposals".

Russia presents to UN its concept of collective security in Persian Gulf

© EPA-EFE/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH

UNITED NATIONS, July 29, 2019 - Russia's concept of collective security in the Persian Gulf has been distributed as an official document approved by the United Nations. The document has been obtained by TASS.

"In the current conditions, energetic and effective action is needed at an international and regional levels in the interests of improving and further stabilizing the situation in the Persian Gulf, overcoming the prolonged crisis stage and turning this sub-region to peace, good neighborly relations and sustainable development," the document said.

"Practical work on launching the process of creating a security system in the Persian Gulf may be started by holding bilateral and multilateral consultations between interested parties, including countries both within the region and outside of it, UN Security Council, LAS [League of Arab States], OIC [Organization of Islamic Cooperation], GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council]," the document added.

In a letter to the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly, Russia said that it is "ready for cooperation with all interested parties to implement this and other constructive proposals."

On July 23, the Russian Foreign Ministry presented the Concept of collective security in the Persian Gulf. The document envisages forming an initiative group to prepare an international conference on security and cooperation in the Persian Gulf, which would later lead to establishing an organization on security and cooperation in this region.

China welcomes Russian concept of collective security in Persian Gulf

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying © AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

The concept stipulates creating an initiative group to organize an international conference on security and cooperation in the Persian Gulf.

BEIJING, July 25, 2019 - China welcomes the Russian Foreign Ministry proposed concept of collective security in the Persian Gulf zone, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a regular briefing on Thursday.

"We welcome the Russian initiative," she said. "We would also like to boost cooperation, coordination and communication with all the corresponding parties."

The spokesperson also stressed that "peace and stability in the Persian Gulf region are of utmost importance to ensure safety and development of the region and the world as a whole." "We believe that to ensure stability and safety in the region it is vital to establish good neighborly relations based on mutual respect," Hua Chunying underlined.

On July 23, the Russian Foreign Ministry introduced the concept of collective security in the Persian Gulf. It stipulates creating an initiative group to organize an international conference on security and cooperation in the Persian Gulf, which will later lead to creating a security and cooperation organization in the region.

Moreover, Moscow put forward an initiative to establish demilitarized zones in the region and proposed rejecting the permanent deployment of squads of non-regional states and establishing hot lines between the military.

Iran's Zarif calls on Trump to reject hawkish allies' thirst for war

Iran's foreign minister called on Tuesday on U.S. President Donald Trump to reject his hawkish allies' thirst for war, adding that Iranians had outlasted every aggressor for millennia.

Germany's Scholz seeks to calm Gulf tension: newspapers

German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz has appealed for efforts to prevent an escalation of tensions in the Gulf, and said the country was working closely with France and Britain, according to an interview with the Funke group of newspapers.

Rivals Iran and UAE to hold maritime security talks
Iran was to revive maritime security talks on Tuesday with traditional foe the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in an apparent bid to calm tensions in the Gulf, although a Gulf official described the discussions as routine and technical.

 

[angelburst29]

Iranian Revolutionary Guards seized an Iraqi oil tanker in the Gulf which they said was smuggling fuel and detained seven crewmen, Iran's state media reported on Sunday, in a show of power amid heightened tension with the West.

Iran seizes Iraqi oil tanker smuggling fuel in Gulf: TV

A screen grab from video footage from Iran's state-run English language Press TV showing, according to the source, a foreign oil tanker smuggling fuel in the Gulf, taken from a video broadcasted on August 4, 2019. Press TV/Reuters TV

The vessel was intercepted near Iran’s Farsi Island in the Gulf, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency said. The elite Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has a navy base on Farsi Island which is located north of the Strait of Hormuz.

“The IRGC’s naval forces have seized a foreign oil tanker in the Persian Gulf that was smuggling fuel for some Arab countries,” the Guards commander Ramezan Zirahi told state TV.

The state news agency IRNA, quoting the Guards, said it was an Iraqi ship that was seized on Wednesday night in the Gulf.

Zirahi said it was carrying 700,000 liters of fuel, without elaborating on the nationalities of the detained crewmen.

“The boats of the IRGC navy were patrolling the area to control traffic and detect illicit trade when they seized the tanker,” Fars quoted Zirahi as saying, adding that the seizure was in coordination with Iran’s judicial authorities.

“The tanker was transferred to the Bushehr port, where its fuel was handed over to the authorities,” Zirahi told TV.

Iran’s English-language Press TV aired a video that it said “shows the process through which the IRGC have halted the ship and taken it into custody”. “The ship was seized in Iranian territorial waters and had been transporting diesel fuel,” it added.

Another oil tanker, the Panama-flagged MT Riah, was captured by the elite force last month for allegedly smuggling fuel.

PressTV-Iran seizes foreign tanker smuggling fuel in Persian Gulf
Iran has confiscated a foreign oil tanker in the Persian Gulf that was smuggling fuel to some Arab countries.

A commander with Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Ramezan Zirahi, told Fars news agency on Sunday that patrols from the IRGC’s Naval District 2 had seized the ship near the Persian Gulf island of Farsi on Wednesday night after intelligence gathering.

"The foreign vessel was receiving fuel from other ships and was transferring it to the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf," he said, without naming countries. “700,000 liters of fuel have been seized and seven sailors, from different nationalities, have been detained.”

Zirahi said coordination for the detainment had been made with judicial sources.

On July 14, the IRGC seized the Panamanian-flagged Riah tanker for smuggling one million liters of Iranian fuel south of Larak Island in the Persian Gulf.




PressTV-By sanctioning Zarif, US forfeited right to diplomacy: Iran

Spokesman for the Iranian administration Ali Rabiei addresses reporters in Tehran, on August 4, 2019. (Photo by IRNA)

The administration of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says that by targeting Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif with sanctions, the United States has forfeited its right to diplomatically engage the Islamic Republic.

Ali Rabiei, spokesperson for the Iranian administration, made the remark at a routine press conference on Sunday with reference to the US administration’s recent imposition of sanctions on Zarif.

“Is it anything but risible for a government to constantly claim to be open to negotiation and then place sanctions on the foreign minister of the very country that it invites to talks?” Rabiei asked. “They invite him (Zarif) to talks in a meeting with a Senator and then they place sanctions on him!”

He was referring to a recent meeting between US Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky and Zarif reported by The New Yorker during which Paul extended an invitation on behalf of US President Donald Trump to Iran’s top diplomat.


Rabiei said the sanctions were in breach of all diplomatic regulations and an “unprecedented development” in the history of global diplomacy.

PressTV-Trump invited Zarif to White House, was snubbed: Report
Shortly before the United States placed sanctions on Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, US President Donald Trump invited him for a meeting at the White House through an intermediary while he was in the US, a report says.

According to the report, written by Robin Wright for American magazine The New Yorker, Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, and reportedly tapped by Trump as a go-between with Iran, extended the invitation to Zarif during a meeting at the residence of Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations (UN) in New York on July 15.

The Iranian foreign minister was in the US for an event at the UN, and he rejected the invitation after consulting Tehran, according to the report, which cited “American and Iranian sources and a well-informed diplomat.”

An intermediary had reached out to Iran on Paul’s behalf three weeks before Zarif arrived in New York for the UN event, it said.

Zarif had his concerns.

He told Paul that the meeting would have no substance and would be little more than a photo op for Trump, who has used opportunities like that before to claim his administration is interested in diplomacy.

Nevertheless, and after the meeting with Paul, “Zarif relayed the overture to Iran’s leaders. They did not approve a meeting — at this time,” the report said.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry did not immediately comment on the report. Iranian officials have said in the past that while they are open to diplomacy, the US would have to return to the 2015 Iran deal or lift certain sanctions before any engagement could take place.

On Wednesday, some two weeks after Trump failed to get the meeting with Zarif, the US said that it was imposing sanctions on the Iranian foreign minister for being Iran’s “primary spokesperson around the world.” The US had already restricted Zarif’s movements in the US, reportedly over fears that he made Iran’s case — in fluent English — in interviews with various US media, including Trump’s favorite channel Fox News.

Trump had also already been snubbed by President Hassan Rouhani of Iran — eight times.

U.S. 'very confident' it can build maritime initiative in Gulf: Pompeo

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday that he was "very confident" the United States would be able to build a maritime coalition in the Gulf, despite a lukewarm response from European and Asian allies.

 

[angelburst29]

War with Iran is the mother of all wars: Iran president

War with Iran is the mother of all wars, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday in a speech broadcast live on state TV, warning once again that shipping might not be safe in the Strait of Hormuz oil waterway.

Iran asks U.N. chief to push back against U.S. sanctions on foreign minister

Iran asked U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday to push back against the United States after it imposed sanctions on Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, describing the move as a "a dangerous precedent."

Iran's detention of UK-flagged tanker unacceptable: owner

The continued detention of British-flagged tanker Stena Impero is "unacceptable and unjustifiable" and there are concerns for the welfare of the crew after 19 days in confinement, the vessel's owner said on Tuesday.

 

[Oxajil]

Some games have been banned in Iran and Syria. Good riddance, I suppose!

Jun 23, 2019

A decade after the release of League of Legends, and the game remains one of the most popular multiplayer titles out there. However, League of Legends players in Iran and Syria attempting to log on today were met with a message that explained they can't play the game for the foreseeable future. "Due to U.S. laws and regulations, players in your country cannot access League of Legends at this time. Such restrictions are subject to change by the U.S. government, so if and when that happens, we will look forward to having you back on the rift."

[...]

This means that League of Legends players living in Iran and Syria who have spent real money on the game can't access their accounts. Some have figured out ways around the ban, however, using things like VPNs. League of Legends players in Iran and Syria without access to VPNs will have to wait for the conflict between Iran and the United States to resolve before the ban will be lifted.

Source

 

[angelburst29]

German designated to head Iran trade vehicle bows out at last minute
European efforts to launch a barter-based trade conduit with Iran that would help offset the effects of U.S. sanctions on Tehran suffered a setback when its designated head bowed out at the last minute.

Iran says any external military presence in Gulf 'source of insecurity'

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter on Friday that any military presence in the Gulf from outside the region would be a "source of insecurity" for Iran, and Tehran would act to safeguard its security.

Iran warns against any Israeli involvement in Gulf maritime coalition
Any Israeli involvement in any maritime coalition in the Gulf is a "clear threat" to Iran's national security and the Islamic Republic has a right to confront the threat, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Friday, according to a statement on the Foreign Ministry website.

Trump accuses France's Macron of sending 'mixed signals' to Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said no one is authorized to speak to Iran on behalf of the United States, and he accused French President Emmanuel Macron of sending "mixed signals" to Tehran over possible talks.

After Trump rebuke, France says it speaks for itself on Iran

France does not need the permission of other states to try to defuse tensions with Iran, its foreign minister said on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump accused President Emmanuel Macron of sending "mixed signals" to Tehran.

 

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Gibraltar to release Iranian oil tanker on Thursday: Sun newspaper

The British territory of Gibraltar will on Thursday release an Iranian oil tanker seized by Royal Marines in the Mediterranean in July, the Sun newspaper reported, citing sources close to Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo.

U.S. has applied to seize Grace 1 tanker, Gibraltar says
The U.S. Department of Justice has applied to seize the Iranian tanker Grace 1, which is being held in Gibraltar on suspicion of smuggling oil to Syria in breach of European Union sanctions, the British overseas territory said on Thursday.

Gibraltar decides to free seized Iranian tanker; U.S. seeks to hold it

Britain's Mediterranean territory Gibraltar decided on Thursday to free a seized Iranian oil tanker, but did not immediately indicate when or if the ship would set sail after the United States launched a new, last-minute legal bid to hold it.

Iran said Grace 1 would not discharge cargo in Syria: Gibraltar Chronicle
Gibraltar decided to release the Grace 1 tanker after receiving formal written assurances from the Iranian government that it would not discharge its cargo in Syria, the Gibraltar Chronicle reported on Thursday.

U.S. failed to stop release of oil tanker, says Iran envoy in London
The Iranian ambassador in London accused the United States of desperately trying to stop the authorities in Gibraltar from releasing the Grace 1 Iranian oil tanker, saying the American effort had been defeated.

Iran's Zarif accuses U.S. of 'piracy attempt' over tanker held in Gibraltar

Iran's foreign minister accused the United States on Thursday of attempted piracy in trying to prevent Gibraltar's release of an Iranian oil tanker.

UK says Iran must abide by the assurances on Grace 1 tanker
Britain said on Thursday Iran must abide by assurances it had given that the Grace 1 tanker would not travel to Syria, and said it would not allow Iran or anyone to bypass European Union sanctions.

Iranian tanker's owner says ship will head to Mediterranean ports - report
The owner of an Iranian oil tanker that was seized off Gibraltar says the ship will head to Mediterranean ports, an Iranian maritime official was quoted as saying on Thursday, after Gibraltar decided to free the tanker.

Iran tanker can leave when ready, U.S. legal block still looms: Gibraltar

An Iranian tanker detained in Gibraltar for breaching EU sanctions could be allowed to leave on Friday, though a last minute U.S. legal bid to halt it could yet end up back in court, the territory's first minister said.

Iran denies commitments in exchange for tanker release
Iran has made no commitments to gain the release of its tanker from detention in Gibraltar, an Iranian government spokesman was quoted as saying on Friday, reiterating that Grace 1 was never bound for Syria as alleged by its captors.

Poland may join U.S.-led mission in Strait of Hormuz

Poland is considering supporting a U.S.-led mission to protect the Strait of Hormuz, but has not made a formal decision yet.

Iranian tanker moving, but still anchored in Gibraltar: witness

The Grace 1 Iranian tanker caught in a standoff between Tehran and the West started to move on Friday, but its anchor was still down in the port of Gibraltar, a Reuters reporter saw a day after its detention was lifted.

Iran tanker shifts position but still at anchor off Gibraltar

An Iranian tanker caught in the standoff between Tehran and the West shifted position on Friday, but its anchor was still down off Gibraltar and it was unclear if it was ready to set sail soon.

 

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Iranian tanker at center of standoff with West leaves Gibraltar, shipping data shows

The Iranian tanker caught in a standoff between Tehran and the West left Gibraltar on Sunday night, shipping data showed, hours after the British territory rejected a U.S. request to detain the vessel further.

Iran warns U.S. against seizing released Iranian oil tanker
Iran has warned the United States against any new attempt to seize an Iranian oil tanker in open seas after it left Gibraltar, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said on state television on Monday.

Iran's Zarif rules out talks with U.S. over a new nuclear deal

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Monday said Iran is not interested in talks with Washington, but any mediation should focus on bringing the United States back to the 2015 nuclear deal which it left last year.

Iran tanker heads to Greece after release, Iran warns U.S against seizure attempt
An Iranian tanker sailed through the Mediterranean toward Greece on Monday after it was released from detention off Gibraltar, and Tehran said that any at U.S. move to seize the vessel again would have "heavy consequences".

 

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A new version of the official website of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei offering French, Russian, and Spanish editions has been unveiled.

PressTV

The new versions, which are run by the office for preservation and dissemination of Ayatollah Khamenei’s works, were unveiled during a ceremony in Tehran on Monday, ISNA reported.

August 19, 2019 - The ceremony was held on the occasion of Eid al-Ghadir, which commemorates the Prophet of Islam, Prophet Mohammad (PBUH)’s announcing Imam Ali (AS), the first Shia Imam, as his successor in 632 CE.

A number of media and foreign policy personalities were to attend the event, scheduled to be inaugurated by a speech of the head of Iran's Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, Kamal Kharrazi.

Khamenei.ir was first launched in 2003, covering news stories concerning the Leader as well as relaying Ayatollah Khamenei’s statements.

The website is considered to be the definitive and ultimate source of content about Ayatollah Khamenei, besides being relied on for the immediacy and relevance of its information.

The new editions have been launched amid an ongoing all-out media warfare waged by the United States and its Western and regional allies, which seeks to portray the Islamic Republic in a bad light by vilifying the country and its activities.

Iran not interested in renewing nuclear talks with US: FM Zarif
PressTV
Monday, August 19, 2019 -Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the Islamic Republic has no interest in engaging in a fresh round of nuclear talks with the United States, over a year after Washington unilaterally withdrew from a previous landmark agreement reached between Iran and six world powers in 2015.

“Iran is not interested in negotiations with the United States to clinch a new nuclear accord,” Iran's top diplomat said in a joint press conference with Finland's Foreign Affairs Minister Pekka Haavisto in Helsinki on Monday, adding, “We had detailed negotiations with the United States and it was not us who left the negotiating table.”

Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council – the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China – plus Germany signed the nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), on July 14, 2015 and started implementing it on January 16, 2016.

Under the JCPOA, Iran undertook to put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions.

Since May, Iran has been suspending some of its commitments under the nuclear deal. Tehran has rowed back on its nuclear commitments twice in compliance with articles 26 and 36 of the JCPOA.

The spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Behrouz Kamalvandi, said earlier this month that the country would take the third step in scaling back its commitments under the JCPOA "in a matter of a month" if European signatories to the agreement continue to renege on their obligations.


PressTV-Iran to slash JCPOA commitments in 3rd phase 'in a month'
Iran says will take the third step in scaling back its nuclear deal commitments "in a matter of a month," if the other signatories fail to honor their obligations
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"If the opposite side fails to live up to its commitments in the remaining one month [set as a deadline], the third phase of reducing JCPOA obligations will start as per what the president has previously declared in his capacity as head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council," Kamalvandi said.

Elsewhere in his Monday remarks, Iran's foreign minister said, “There is no agreement that would satisfy all parties. It would suffice if nobody would disagree with an agreement.”

Elsewhere in his Monday remarks, Iran's foreign minister said, “There is no agreement that would satisfy all parties. It would suffice if nobody would disagree with an agreement.”

Zarif added that if there ever was going to be any mediation between Iran and the United States over the nuclear deal, "it must primarily focus on how to make Washington resume fulfilling its obligations under the JCPOA."

He emphasized that the Islamic Republic is always ready for negotiations and interaction, but it is against raising human rights issues to achieve political goals.

"Despite America's unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA, Europe must remain committed to this agreement," the top Iranian diplomat said.

Emphasizing that the US sanctions on the Islamic Republic amount to waging an economic by Washington against the Iranian nation, Zarif said, "The US not only imposes sanctions against us, but it also forces others to sanction us."

The Iranian foreign minister pointed to Washington's attempts to zero out Iran's oil exports, saying, "No international body has banned Iran's oil sale," while stressing that "Iran is not committed to the European Union's decisions and Europe is not also seeking to impose its own decisions on any non-EU state."

Zarif also condemned Britain's "illegal and unlawful" move to seize the Adrian Darya 1 supertanker in the Strait of Gibraltar last month carrying Iranian oil.

Britain’s naval forces unlawfully seized the vessel, then known as Grace 1, and its cargo of 2.1 million barrels of oil in the Strait of Gibraltar on July 4 under the pretext that the supertanker was carrying crude to Syria in violation of the European Union’s unilateral sanctions against the Arab country.

The measure, which marked a rare imposition of EU regulations on a non-EU member state, was vehemently condemned by Tehran as an act of “piracy" done at the request of Washington.

The Iranian top diplomat emphasized that the seizure of the Iranian supertanker was done on baseless grounds, saying, "Now, we are happy that this seizure is over and we hope that it will lead to a decrease in tensions. However, we are witnessing that the US still seeks to increase tensions."

Gibraltar’s government said on Sunday that it has knocked back a request by Washington to extend Adrian Darya 1's detention.

“The EU sanctions regime on Iran is fundamentally different to that of the US,” the Gibraltar Government said in a statement.


PressTV-Gibraltar rejects US demand to detain Iran-run tanker
Gibraltar’s government knocks back a US request to detain the Adrian Darya 1.

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday unveiled a warrant for the seizure of the Iran-operated supertanker. The DOJ also alleged that there had been “a scheme to unlawfully access the US financial system to support illicit shipments to Syria from Iran.”

US unilateralism will target European partners: Zarif
In another development also on Monday, the Iranian foreign minister said businesspeople expect Europe to take more steps in line with the JCPOA to enhance trade ties with Iran.

"The US unilateral measures have not remained limited to Iran and have also targeted [Washington's] European partners," Zarif said in a meeting with Finnish Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari in Helsinki.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (2nd L) and Finnish Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari (2nd R) meet in Helsinki on August 19, 2019. (Photo by IRNA)

There are ways such as enhancing bilateral trade ties and using multilateral interaction within the framework of initiatives, including Europe's payment mechanism with Tehran, officially called the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX), in order to counter Washington's unilateral measures and reduce its economic war against Iran, he added.

The three European signatories to the JCPOA unveiled late in January the long-awaited direct non-dollar payment mechanism meant to safeguard their trade ties with Tehran following the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal and in the face of Washington's "toughest ever" sanctions against the Islamic Republic.


PressTV-Defying US, Europe launches payment channel with Iran
In a blow to US sanctions against Iran, the European parties to the 2015 nuclear deal unveil a direct payment channel with Tehran meant to protect bilateral trade ties.

In its initial stage, INSTEX will facilitate trade of humanitarian goods such as medicine, food and medical devices, but it will later be expanded to cover other areas of trade, including Iran’s oil sales. However, it has not resulted in any trade deals so far.

Skinnari, for his part, expressed hope that Finland would boost its economic cooperation with Iran.

He said his country is concerned about increasing tensions, but as the president of the European Union, it would play a constructive role in easing tensions.

On the first leg of a three-nation Scandinavian tour, the Iranian foreign minister arrived in the Finnish capital on Sunday for high-level talks with European officials on ways to ease tensions in the West Asia region.

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