Iran

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This Iran War Vet has some Advice for Trump: Don't Play Checkers with the Grandmasters of Chess
This Iran War Vet Has Some Advice for Trump: Don't Play Checkers with the Grandmasters of Chess

War is not our business, but negotiations and diplomacy are. War is not our purpose. Peace is our mission. Peace is our philosophy in life, and your right, "Diplomacy is our Art."

August 07th, 2019 -
Dear President Trump,
In a recent Tweet, you claimed that “Iranians never won a war, but never lost a negotiation.” As a world citizen and a veteran of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, I have firsthand experience with the bitterness of war, and I have a few suggestions and responses for you.

First, I would advise you against using the words win and winning to describe war, especially from a US perspective. American history is filled with bitter experiences of losing wars. Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and even the engagement in Yemen—none of these horrifying interventions has ever reached their goals.

You should recognize that the first step in any combat is understanding your adversary. As an experienced Iranian war veteran, I strongly suggest you study the culture and history of an old civilization like Iran. Iranians, those you label as living in a “terrorist nation,” are proud that in the past 250 years we have never initiated a war. We are proud that we have never invaded, intruded and oppressed other nations, neither in our neighborhood nor even in response to our foes.
Nonetheless, there is a delicacy in the sophisticated culture of Iran that separates us from you and your hawkish #Bteam—Bolton, Bin Salman and Bibi Netanyahu. The major difference is the view we each have toward war. For us, war is not an option; we never choose to go to war; we only respond to war.

In 1915, during WWI, Rais Ali Delvary, a young man from a tiny village near the Persian Gulf, gathered a group together to defend the country from the British invaders. They stopped the intruders who violated Iran’s neutrality during the war. Rais Ali’s slogan at the time is still applicable today. “We are in this war not to win over the invaders’ capital and assets; we are in this war to save our capital and assets from loss.” That is how we define losing and winning in a war. Rais Ali and his people won that war, as his disciples did almost a century later, and will do it again if they have to.

Mr. President, Iran has never initiated a war. Iran has never seized other nations’ resources to gain wealth and benefit for itself but Iran, of course, has and will vigorously defend its belongings, resources, life, and identity. Iran has done that throughout its four thousand years of history and will do it again if necessary. Rais Ali and his team did it in 1915. People in my generation did it in 1980-88 when the whole world stood behind Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussain and helped him throughout those terrible eight years of war. We Iranians sacrificed everything to defend our nation.

Under the world’s watch, Saddam Hussain dropped bombs and used chemical weapons on civilians. In the end, he was not able to seize even an inch of our homeland. Iranians became one body in defense of our homes and families.

We lost hundreds of thousands of precious lives. To this day, Iranians, despite our differences, are all proud of the eight years we spent defending our country. Losing so many lives was a terrible tragedy and the nation still mourns the lives lost during those eight years. However, we stood firm and saved our homeland. Iran is still Iran; we did not lose an inch of terrain.

Mr. President, in our lexicon, the one who starts a war is the only loser. The one who plans to steal the happiness, life, and wellbeing of others is the real loser.

War is not our business, but negotiations and diplomacy are. War is not our purpose. Peace is our mission. Peace is our philosophy in life, and you are right, diplomacy is our art.

Iran has proven its mastery in the art of diplomacy. Diplomacy, forbearance and patience are inclinations that cannot be achieved by billions of dollars of weapons. The United States’ allies in the region, including Saudi’s Bin-Salman and Israel’s Bibi Netanhayu, can testify to that. They have spent many billions of dollars in arms sales but have not been able to dominate Iran.

Just be aware, Mr. President, that your friends on the #Bteam are pushing you into the same quagmire they created with Iraq. In desperation, they have now tied the hands of our master of diplomacy, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, by imposing sanctions on him. They should have learned their lesson by now—they might be able to ties the hands of our master chessplayers, but we will find other ways to move the pawns and horses. And a final word of advice: Don’t play checkers with the grandmasters of chess.

Sincerely,
Habib Ahmadzadeh

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JCPOA, Regional Developments on Agenda of Talks in Moscow: Zarif - Politics news - Tasnim News Agency
September, 02, 2019 - Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said a number of subjects, including the 2015 nuclear deal and the latest developments in the region, will be discussed in a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Monday.



"In addition to bilateral talks and bilateral cooperation, we will hold talks (with Russians) on regional issues" such as the Israeli regime's recent assaults against regional states, Zarif told reporters upon arrival in Moscow on Sunday.

The comments came after the Hezbollah resistance movement attacked Israel’s military vehicles earlier in the day in response to recent Israeli drone attacks in Lebanon.

Zarif further said that he would discuss other subjects during his Monday talks with Lavrov.

"We are on the verge of the Astana talks (on Syria) in Turkey, and there is a need for coordination. We also need coordination on the Yemen issue."

He said the "serious developments in Afghanistan" will also be on the agenda of his Monday talks.

"Iran's special envoys for Afghanistan, Yemen, and Syria (are) in the delegation visiting Russia, and will hold talks with their counterparts," Zarif added.

The top diplomat said he would also brief the Russian "friends" on the latest developments regarding the Iran nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), particularly the recent talks held in France. "We have common stances on the JCPOA with Russia and China and many other global developments," he said.

Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, US, Britain, France, and Germany) on July 14, 2015, reached a conclusion over the text of the JCPOA.

The accord took effect in January 2016 and was supposed to terminate all nuclear-related sanctions against Iran all at once, but its implementation was hampered by the US policies and its eventual withdrawal from the deal.

On May 8, 2018, US President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the nuclear accord. Following the US withdrawal, Iran and the remaining parties launched talks to save the deal.

However, the EU’s failure to ensure Iran’s economic interests forced Tehran to stop honoring certain commitments, including an unlimited rise in the stockpile of enriched uranium.

Spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Behrouz Kamalvandi said recently that the country’s enriched uranium stockpile has reached 360 to 370 kilograms.

US Has No Right to Bar Zarif from UN: Iranian Spokesman - Politics news - Tasnim News Agency
September, 02, 2019 - The spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the US government has no right whatsoever to deny Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif entry for an upcoming session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.



In an interview with IRIB, Abbas Mousavi underlined that Washington has no right, in legal terms, to ban the preside
nts or foreign ministers of other countries from taking part in the annual meetings of the UN General Assembly.

In an interview with IRIB, Abbas Mousavi underlined that Washington has no right, in legal terms, to ban the presidents or foreign ministers of other countries from taking part in the annual meetings of the UN General Assembly.

He said the US move to impose sanction on Zarif was aimed at disrupting his presence in the UN General Assembly.

“If all goes well, the trip by Mr. Zarif and his accompanying delegation (to New York) will take place, and he will be pursuing active diplomacy in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly and inside the United Nations,” Mousavi added.

The 74th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 74) will open on September 17.

Russia Assumes Presidency in UN Security Council - Other Media news - Tasnim News Agency
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During the session of the General Assembly, presidents, heads of government and foreign ministers from the UN member-states will deliver their program speeches at the organization and hold multilateral and bilateral talks on the most pressing issues of the international agenda.

"From September 1, Russia will become the president of the UN Security Council," Spokesman for Russia's Permanent Mission to the UN Fedor Strzhizhovsky told TASS.

The presidency of the UN Security Council rotates monthly among its members according to the alphabetical order of the names of the countries in English. "The program of our presidency will be presented at the briefing of (Russian Permanent Representative) Vasily Nebenzya on September 3 after it is officially backed by the Security Council’s member states," the diplomat said.

According to Strzhizhovsky, a large number of events at the Security Council are scheduled for September. "Besides, our presidency will coincide with the opening of the 74th session of the General Assembly and the high-level week," he added. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will head Russia’s delegation at the UN General Assembly’s session, the diplomat said.

Russia’s First Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyansky said earlier that Lavrov could take part in the high-level United Nations Security Council meetings due to be held in late September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly’s general debates. According to him, two UNSC meetings have been scheduled, which will be devoted to regional cooperation.

The UN Security Council brings together 15 member states, including five permanent members - the United Kingdom, China, Russia, the United States and France. Each of them has a veto power, which allows them to block resolutions. Half of non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms each year. Currently, the non-permanent members are Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Germany, Indonesia, Cote d’Ivoire, Kuwait, Peru, Poland and South Africa.

The UN Security Council’s president is tasked with drawing up the program of the organization, which under Article 24 of the UN Charter holds the responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, while other UN members must observe these resolutions. The president also makes decisions regarding the requests for holding emergency meetings.

Iran-Russia Cooperation Benefits Region, World: Zarif - Politics news - Tasnim News Agency
September, 02, 2019 - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif highlighted the importance of bilateral ties between Tehran and Moscow and said the two sides’ close cooperation is to the benefit of both nations as well as other countries in the region and the world.



The Iran-Russia joint cooperation commission has had a special role in expanding the relations between the two countries, Zarif said at a joint press conference in Moscow on Monday.

Russia and Iran to hold joint naval drills in Indian ocean
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif shake hands following a meeting in Moscow on Monday. (AFP)

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France pushes $15 billion credit line plan for Iran, if U.S. allows it

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Iran says it is able to resume production of 20% enriched uranium in two days

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Iranian tanker Adrian Darya 1 goes dark off Syria

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https://twitter.com/x/status/1168958889754320899

By Max Blumenthal
From her influential post at the Treasury Department, Sigal Mandelker has vowed to defend “our great partner, Israel” by sanctioning Iran. Her actions have resulted in FBI interrogations of US citizens who attended a conference in Iran and the likely liquidation of a bank that partnered with the US government.
This is part one of a two part series on the growing impact of the US economic war on Iran.

Several US citizens have been questioned by the FBI and threatened with arrest for their participation in New Horizon, a public media conference held each year in Iran.

The interrogations and threats are the result of orders apparently delivered by Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Sigal P. Mandelker, a militantly pro-Israel lawyer with longstanding ties to right-wing political networks.

Mandelker was reportedly involved in brokering the infamous Florida deal that allowed the wealthy child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein to avoid federal charges.

Since Mandelker’s appointment as Under Secretary of Treasury in 2017, she has been described on pro-Israel news sites as a “former Israeli” and “Israeli-born.”

Asked by The Grayzone if Mandelker currently holds Israeli citizenship, and if so, whether she was given a special exemption that allowed her to obtain a security clearance, the US Department of Treasury did not reply.

Mandelker’s actions against the US citizens who participated in New Horizon represent an under-acknowledged but significant escalation in the Trump administration’s strategy of “maximum pressure” to bring about regime change in Iran. As the Atlantic noted, Mandelker is “the one with her hand on the lever” of Trump’s unilateral sanctions policy against Iran.

Michael Maloof, a former security analyst in the US Department of Defense, was among the New Horizon attendees who has been visited by the FBI. Bureau agents appeared at Maloof’s Virginia home in the early morning last May to inquire about his participation in the conference. Sander Hicks, another participant in New Horizon, claimed that others who joined the conference had been threatened with arrest if they attended again.

“OFAC [the US Office of Financial Sanctions Regulations] is supposed to restrict exchanges of money, but this conference was just an exchange of ideas,” Maloof told The Grayzone. “They’re interpreting the regulations to say that even if you associate with someone who has been sanctioned, you are subject to fines and imprisonment. I haven’t seen anything in the regulations that allows that, but they’ve set the bar so low that anyone can be designated.”

The New Horizon Conference is an annual event overseen by Iranian TV host and filmmaker named Nader Talebzadeh and his wife, Zeina Mehanna, a Lebanese writer. Both were placed under financial sanctions this year by the Treasury Department’s Office of Financial Sanctions Regulations [OFAC] on the grounds that they had organized events where Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps “recruitment and collection efforts were made.”

“We wrote to OFAC challenging them about their accusations, however, they only responded by acknowledging the receipt of our letter. Nothing more!” Mehanna complained to The Grayzone.

She insisted that “we are not in contact with the IRGC nor have we ever been funded by them.”

Negative scrutiny of the New Horizon Conference began in 2014 with a series of reports by the pro-Israel pressure group, the Anti-Defamation League [ADL]. The ADL openly coordinates with local and federal US law enforcement, and escorts law enforcement officials on annual training and lobbying tours of Israel.

According to the ADL, New Horizon was an “anti-Semitic gathering” that “included U.S. and international anti-Semites, Holocaust deniers and anti-war activists.”

There was some truth to the charge: over the years, New Horizon has played host to an array of conspiracy cranks and figures with disturbing records of vehemently anti-Jewish statements.

The event has also featured well-known anti-war activists and former US national security professionals seeking to forge relations with a country that has been under sustained Western economic and military attack for decades.

Peter Van Buren, an author and former diplomat who served in the State Department for 24 years, attended New Horizon this May in the city of Mashhad. He returned with a colorful account for Reuters of life in Iran under escalating US sanctions.

“Outside, in Mashhad city, there were no demonstrations, no flag burnings, and when I visited the central mosque here after Friday prayers more people were interested in a selfie with a foreigner than anything else,” Van Buren reported.

Maloof, too, said his attendance of the conference was motivated by a desire to build diplomatic bridges. “We felt that it was important for dialogue to go [to New Horizon]. And I don’t agree with the US position on Iran,” he explained. “All we did was went there, talked and met with people, and this is the only way you’re going to have better relations.”

Maloof emphasized, “We’re all still US patriots, but we believe there’s another way to go about things than looking at everything in Iran through the prism of Israel.”

Asked if there was any interaction with IRGC officials or assets at the event, Maloof insisted, “We were not approached by anyone. And those of us who are national security veterans, we’re very attuned to that stuff.”

Under Mandelker’s guidance, the Trump administration designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization this April, provoking Iran to counter by branding all US military personnel in the Middle East as terrorists.

Since then, Mandelker has expanded her target list in Iran and across the region, even sanctioning institutions that collaborate with the US government.

Sanctioning a USAID partner

On August 30, the Treasury Department’s OFAC sanctioned an Iranian oil tanker and its captain after it was freed from detention in Gilbraltar. Mandelker claimed that the vessel was used to “transfer large volumes of oil, which attempt to mask and sell illicitly to fund the regime’s malign activities and propagate terrorism.”

That same day, Treasury sanctioned Jammal Trust Bank in Lebanon, claiming that it and its subsidiaries had been “brazenly enabling Hizballah’s financial activities.”

“Jammal Trust provides support and services to Hizballah’s Executive Council and the Martyrs Foundation, which funnels money to the families of suicide bombers,” Mandelker declared.

But Hezbollah has not employed suicide bombing as a tactic since the 1980’s. And as Asia Times noted, Jammal Trust partnered with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) as recently as last year on public initiatives intended to help impoverished communities in Lebanon.

Because Lebanon’s economy is so thoroughly dollarized, the sanctions represent a likely death sentence for Jammal, preventing it from carrying out transactions in the US currency.

Notably, the bank is owned by a Shia businessman with close ties to Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and one of several who have been targeted under the watch of Mandelker. Berri was reportedly threatened with US sanctions this April by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for his insufficient hostility to Hezbollah.

When New Horizon’s Mehanna was sanctioned, her personal savings account in Lebanon was frozen.

“I got a call that I need to go to the bank and close my account,” Mehanna told The Grayzone. “The teller told me that the bank was informed by US Treasury Department to close my account because it had dollars! They closed my account, gave me a mere $400, and I was told politely to leave.”

She said she was given no documentation that her account had been closed. She recalled, “We just left the bank in total shock and bewilderment.”

It was all in a day’s work for Mandelker, the most militant official to serve in a department overseen by a long line of pro-Israel ideologues.

“That is why we have this massive sanctions regime. Because we know Iran is threatening our great partner, Israel!”

At a gathering of the elite Aspen Security Conference this July, Mandelker put her extreme views on display when she accused former Obama officials of mollycoddling Iran.

Seated beside Wendy Sherman, Obama’s Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, and Jeremy Bash, the CIA’s ex-chief of staff, Mandelker declared that Iran was “posing an incredibly destabilizing presence in the region. They’re threatening our great ally in the region, Israel!”

She went on: “And after the JCPOA [the Iran nuclear deal], what did the Obama administration do to curb that kind of behavior? Nothing!”

“That’s not true,” Sherman protested.

“Bad actors need money to do bad things,” Mandelker continued. “That is why we have this massive sanctions regime. Because we know Iran is threatening our great partner, Israel!”

While media at the event focused on the dust-up between Trump and Obama officials, they ignored the stunning admission by a US official to advancing provocative policies on Israel’s behalf.

But this was the role that Mandelker and her predecessors have played since her position was established during the second Bush administration by her mentor, Stuart Levey.

Like Mandelker, Levey is an unabashedly ultra-Zionist ideologue. His 1985 senior thesis at Harvard University was a paean to the creation of Israel, declaring that the Zionist movement had created a “morally exemplary” state that “would be a light unto other nations.”

As journalist Phil Weiss noted, Levey’s thesis advisor was Martin Peretz, the neoconservative former New Republic publisher who emigrated to Israel after triggering protests with his declaration, “Muslim life is cheap, especially for Muslims.”

At the dawn of the so-called “war on terror,” Levey successfully lobbied Bush’s national security team to turn up the heat on Iran, a country that considered Al Qaeda its mortal enemy. His weapon of choice was sanctions, convincing the Bush administration to blacklist Iran’s Central Bank and sever Tehran’s ties to the global financial system.

“Stuart Levey’s war is like ‘Charlie Wilson’s War,’ ” an unnamed State Department official told the New York Times, referring to a former Texas congressman’s campaign to undermine the Soviet Union by funneling arms to Afghan insurgents. “It’s the most direct and aggressive stuff we’ve got going. It delivers.”

Mandelker learned the ropes in Levey’s Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, developing an innovative arsenal of financial weapons against the enemies of Israel, a state for which she and her boss clearly felt a passionate attachment.

She came to the job with the conservative movement credentials she gained as a clerk in the office of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and as a card-carrying member of the right-wing Federalist Society.

Mandelker’s husband, Stephen Capozolla, has worked as a spokesman for the Alliance for American Manufacturing, a Washington-based lobbying group, while pumping out columns denying climate change for the right-wing site, Breitbart.com.

In 2008, while Mandelker served in Bush’s Department of Justice, she approved the notorious deal that allowed the wealthy child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein to escape federal prosecution.

“I was told Epstein ‘belonged to intelligence’ and to leave it alone,” Alex Acosta, the former US attorney who brokered the deal, told the Trump administration’s transition team.

When Mandelker returned to government in March 2017, she earned immediate praise from Levey, her former boss, who called her “an asset.” Michael Chertoff, another close colleague, described her as his “eyes and ears” when he was at the Department of Homeland Security.

Pro-Israel websites also buzzed about the appointee, homing in on her alleged Israeli roots.

“Mandelker…isn’t just Jewish, she’s Israeli!”

The right-wing Jewish Press described Mandelker as an “Israeli-born deputy secretary,” while the Israeli security blog, Debka File, referred to her as a “former Israeli.” Meanwhile, the Jerusalem-based blogger, Jewlicious, called Mandelker a current Israeli citizen. When asked how he knew she maintained her citizenship, the blogger said he didn’t know, but that “she was born in Israel.”

According to Mandelker’s bio at the Treasury Department, however, she was born in Chicago, Illinois.

The Treasury Department did not respond to questions from The Grayzone about Mandelker’s citizenship status. It would be unusual for a US official to obtain a security clearance while maintaining dual citizenship, however, Mandelker’s former colleague at the Department of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, was reportedly born an Israeli citizen.

Whatever her citizenship status is, Mandelker has made no secret of her desire to advance the geopolitical imperatives of “our great partner, Israel.”

Her sanctions blacklist is broadening by the day, resulting in even former US national security officials being visited by the FBI for their participation in an Iranian media event.

How the sanctioning of that conference came about is the subject of heavy intrigue. According to Mehanna, the co-founder of the New Horizon Organization, she and husband were targeted as the result of a separate US investigation into a former US counter-intelligence officer and her alleged handler, another American citizen.

The latter suspect American was an anchor for Press TV, Iran’s state broadcaster. Known as Mazrieh Hashemi, she was jailed by federal authorities this January when she attempted to return to the US to visit her family.

How Hashemi’s imprisonment was spun by US authorities into the sanctioning of New Horizon will be chronicled in the next installment of this series.

 

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By Max Blumenthal
From her influential post at the Treasury Department, Sigal Mandelker has vowed to defend “our great partner, Israel” by sanctioning Iran.

The Iron-hand ...

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U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday left the door open to a possible meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the upcoming U.N. General Assembly in New York.

UK and Israeli leaders agree on need to stop Iran getting nuclear weapon

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed during a meeting in London on the need to prevent Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon, Downing Street said on Thursday.

Britain deeply concerned at Iran's plan for faster uranium enrichment
Britain said on Thursday it was concerned and disappointed by Iran's plan to take another step away from a 2015 nuclear deal by starting to develop centrifuges to speed up uranium enrichment.

U.S. Treasury warns anyone fueling Iran tanker risks being blacklisted

The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday warned that anyone around the world who helps fuel Iranian vessels blacklisted by Washington runs the risk of being designated as well.

Iran's Zarif tweets: U.S. Treasury is nothing more than a 'jail warden'

The U.S. Treasury is nothing more than a "jail warden", Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted on Thursday, a day after Washington imposed fresh sanctions designed to choke off the smuggling of Iranian oil.

Iran to inform EU within hours on reducing commitment to nuclear deal: IRNA
Iran will inform the European Union within hours of its decision to further scale back its commitment to its 2015 nuclear deal with major world powers, the foreign minister said on Thursday, according to state news agency IRNA.

Iran to develop centrifuges for faster uranium enrichment

Iran on Wednesday said it would take another step away from a 2015 nuclear deal by starting to develop centrifuges to speed up its uranium enrichment but it also gave European powers two more months to try to save the multilateral pact.

No trade mechanism until Iran passes terrorism financing laws: French diplomat

A European trade mechanism to barter humanitarian and food goods with Iran will not work until Tehran sets up a mirror company and meets international standards against money-laundering and terrorism financing, a French diplomatic source said.

Trump Administration cool to French plan for $15 billion Iranian credit line: officials
The Trump administration views a French proposal to extend a $15 billion credit line to Iran with some skepticism, U.S. officials said on Wednesday, adding that they had not seen any concrete proposal that would be in keeping with U.S. sanctions on Tehran.

U.S. will not provide waivers for Iran credit line plan: official
A senior U.S. diplomat said on Wednesday the United States would not provide any sanctions waivers to accommodate a French proposal to extend a $15 billion credit line to Iran.

Iran has released seven crew members of seized tanker Stena Impero: Sweden foreign minister

Iran has released seven of the 23 crew members of the British-flagged tanker Stena Impero that was seized earlier this summer, Sweden's foreign minister said on Wednesday.

Seven of tanker Stena Impero's crew reach Dubai after Iran frees them

Seven of the 23 crew members of the British-flagged tanker Stena Impero that was seized by Iran in July reached Dubai on Thursday after Tehran agreed to their release, a Russian official said.

 

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Bolton: No sanctions relief until Iran stops lying and spreading terror

US National Security Advisor John Bolton said Iran needs to stop lying and spreading terror. (File/AFP)

September 07, 2019 - US National Security Advisor John Bolton said, “We can talk, but #Iran’s not getting any sanctions relief until it stops lying and spreading terror!”
Bolton tweeted a picture showing what appears to be a satellite image of the Iranian ship, the Adrian Darya.

“Anyone who said the Adrian Darya-1 wasn’t headed to #Syria is in denial,” President Donald Trump security advisor wrote on Friday.

“Tehran thinks it’s more important to fund the murderous Assad regime than provide for its own people,” Bolton said.

Bolton tweeted a picture showing what appears to be a satellite image of the Iranian ship Adrian Darya-1

The Adrian Darya, which carries 2.1 million barrels of Iranian crude worth some $130 million, switched off its AIS beacon just before 1600 GMT Monday, according to the ship-tracking website MarineTraffic.com. The ship was some 45 nautical miles (83 kilometers) off the coast of Lebanon and Syria, heading north at its last report.

The tanker, which was pursued by the US across the Mediterranean Sea, slowed to a near-stop on Sunday off the coast of Syria.

Iranian tanker Adrian Darya 1 photographed off Syrian port Tartus: U.S. satellite firm

The Iranian oil tanker Adrian Darya 1 at the center of a dispute between Tehran and Western powers, which went dark off Syria earlier in the week, has been photographed by satellite off the Syrian port of Tartus, Maxar Technologies Inc., a U.S. space technology company said on Saturday.

Iran further breaches nuclear deal, says it can exceed 20% enrichment

Iran said on Saturday it was now capable of raising uranium enrichment past the 20% level and had launched advanced centrifuge machines in further breaches of commitments to limit its nuclear activity under a 2015 deal with world powers.

Iran seizes ship with Filipino crew for alleged fuel smuggling in Gulf
Iran's coast guard has seized a foreign tugboat suspected of smuggling fuel in the Gulf and detained its 12 Filipino crew members, state television reported on Saturday.

Iran 'inching' toward place where talks could be held: Pentagon chief

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Friday that it appeared Iran was inching toward a place where talks could be held, days after U.S. President Donald Trump left the door open to a possible meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

Denmark discusses Hormuz naval mission with European allies

Denmark's prime minister said on Friday that it is in talks with a number of European allies about an international naval mission to ensure safe shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S., France to discuss Strait of Hormuz navy coordination

Defense Secretary Mark Esper and his French counterpart will discuss on Saturday how France's navy could coordinate with Washington to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a senior U.S. defense official said on Friday.

Britain will support U.S. in Iran talks if deal can be made: UK defense minister

Britain will always help the United States along a path to talks with Iran if a deal can be made, British defense minister Ben Wallace said on Friday, although he cautioned that Iran should be judged by its actions rather than words.

 

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Netanyahu is manipulating everything in his little game-book to start a major confrontation with Iran. He doesn't realize how pathetic he appears with his juvenile demonstrations?

IAEA found uranium traces at Iran 'atomic warehouse'

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the IAEA to visit the site last year. (Reuters)

Sunday September 08, 2019 - Samples taken by the UN nuclear watchdog at what Israel’s prime minister called a “secret atomic warehouse” in Tehran showed traces of uranium that Iran has yet to explain, two diplomats who follow the agency’s inspections work closely say.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is investigating the particles’ origin and has asked Iran to explain the traces. But Tehran has not done so, according to the diplomats, stoking tensions between Washington and Tehran. US sanctions have slashed Iranian oil sales and Iran has responded by breaching its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Exclusive: IAEA found uranium traces at Iran 'atomic warehouse' - diplomats

Samples taken by the U.N. nuclear watchdog at what Israel's prime minister called a "secret atomic warehouse" in Tehran showed traces of uranium that Iran has yet to explain, two diplomats who follow the agency's inspections work closely say.

Iran Urges IAEA to Uphold Professionalism, Impartiality - Politics news - Tasnim News Agency

Acting director general of the UN nuclear agency, Cornel Feruta, met with Zarif in Tehran on Sunday.

Feruta arrived in Tehran on Sunday morning and had separate meetings with Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi and Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani.

Acting director general of the UN nuclear agency, Cornel Feruta, met with Zarif in Tehran on Sunday.

In the gathering, Iran’s top diplomat highlighted the country’s close cooperation with the IAEA, which has resulted in successive reports from the UN nuclear agency confirming the Islamic Republic’s compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), stressing the need for the continuation of cooperation at this juncture.

Zarif also called on the IAEA to observe the principles of professional work, maintain the confidentiality of activities, and keep doing its duties impartially.

The foreign minister also underscored that Iran’s decision to reduce commitments to the JCPOA in response to the EU’s failure to honor its undertakings was in conformity with the Article 36 of the nuclear deal.
For his part, the visiting IAEA official said the UN nuclear agency tries to build trust and carries out verification activities professionally and impartially.

Iran says cuts in commitment allowed under nuclear deal: Fars

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Sunday Iran's reduction of commitments under its 2015 nuclear deal were allowed under the accord, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2019/09/07/2092375/iran-s-activation-of-centrifuges-should-not-be-over-dramatized-Russia

September, 07, 2019 - “Decision of #Iran to use more advanced centrifuges shouldn’t be over-dramatized. Yes, it’s another deviation from #JCPOA, but new activities will remain verifiable by #IAEA and reversible. No proliferation threat. Just a strong signal that balance within the JCPOA must be restored,” Ulyanov tweeted on Saturday.

As a third step in Iran's reduction of commitments under the deal, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) said on Saturday it had activated 20 IR-4 and 20 IR-6 centrifuges for research and development purposes.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said it was aware of the reports “related to Iran’s centrifuge research and development. The Vienna-based agency said its “inspectors are on the ground in Iran and they will report any relevant activities to IAEA headquarters.”

Iran's nuclear chief: EU has failed to fulfill 2015 deal commitments

Iran's nuclear chief said on Sunday the European parties to the 2015 nuclear deal have failed to fulfill their commitments under the pact, a day after Tehran announced further breaches of limits on its nuclear activity set by the accord.

Iranian tanker reaches destination, oil sold: ministry tells TV

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman on Sunday said an Iranian oil tanker at the center of a dispute between Tehran and Western powers had reached its destination and sold its oil, state television reported.

Tehran says Iranian tanker unloaded cargo on Mediterranean coast

An Iranian tanker at the center of a dispute between Tehran and Western powers has delivered its cargo after docking somewhere on the Mediterranean coast, Iran's state news agency IRNA quoted a Foreign Ministry spokesman as saying.

U.S. will sanction whoever purchases Iran's oil: official

The United States will continue to impose sanctions on whoever purchases Iran's oil or conducts business with Iran's Revolutionary Guards and no oil waivers will be re-issued, a U.S. official said on Sunday.

Iran says British oil tanker could be released soon

The British-flagged oil tanker seized by Iran could be released after the imminent completion of legal proceedings against the tanker, Iranian state television reported on Sunday.

Iran’s Top General to Visit China - Politics news - Tasnim News Agency

September, 08, 2019 - Heading a high-ranking military delegation, Major General Baqeri will travel to China on Wednesday at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart.

During the visit, the top Iranian general is scheduled to hold talks with Chief of the Joint Staff Department of China’s Central Military Commission Li Zuocheng and a number of other senior officials.

Baqeri’s meetings in China would reportedly revolve around regional developments, enhancement of Iran-China defense ties, and promotion of cooperation between the two countries.

Iran and China have close diplomatic, economic, trade and energy ties, and in recent years have developed their military relations as well.

 

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Canada sells Iran properties to compensate ‘victims of terror’

Cityscape and landscape view of Ottawa, Canada

September 13, 2019 - Some $21 million of Iranian property has been sold in Canada after authorities ordered it be seized to compensate victims of attacks backed by Tehran.

On 7 August the Superior Court of Justice in Ontario ruled that funds from the $21.1 million asset sale should be distributed to victims of Hamas and Hezbollah attacks. The two groups are said to be backed by Iran, making Tehran “a state sponsor of terrorism”.

One of two properties sold was the former Iranian Cultural Centre in Ottawa which raised a staggering $20 million.

In addition to the proceeds of the sale of the properties, the victims were awarded a share of some $2 million seized from Iran’s bank accounts.

“The Iranian regime unwaveringly and unabashedly provides tens of billions of dollars for terrorist organisations that have destroyed innocent lives across the globe, including those of Canadians,” said Danny Eisen, spokesperson for the Canadian Coalition Against Terror, which lobbied to change the law so victims could seek redress from states that sponsor terrorism.

Under the Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act in Canada, victims can pursue through the courts claims for compensation using Canadian assets of state sponsors of terrorism.

At present only Iran and Syria are designated as such by Ottawa.

Canada severed diplomatic relations with Iran in 2012. During his election campaign in 2015, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged to restore ties with Iran however this never saw fruition.

Iran continues to denies it has any links to the attacks which the court cases are based on, saying victims should have been asked to prove Tehran’s involvement and not based judgement on the US’ allegations.

 

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https://twitter.com/x/status/1174497380936273920

https://soundcloud.com/rttv%2Fcrosstalk-crosstalk-on-trump-iran-locked-and-loaded

Published time: 18 Sep, 2019 / 26:00

Again we stand on the brink of war. We should not be surprised: official Washington was quick to blame Iran for the attack on Saudi energy assets. Iran has denied involvement, while the Houthis have claimed responsibility. Will Trump take the neocon bait and set the Middle East on fire? CrossTalking with Mohammad Marandi, Ahmed Alibrahim, and Nicolas J. S. Davies

 

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U.S. issues visas for Iran's Rouhani, Zarif to travel to U.N. meeting

The United States has issued visas allowing Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to travel to New York for the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations next week, Iran's U.N. mission said on Thursday.

Iran's Zarif leaving on Friday for U.N. meeting: spokesman

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is to leave for New York on Friday to attend the U.N. General Assembly, the ministry spokesman tweeted on Thursday, after earlier reports of a U.S. delay in issuing a visa for the visit.

Military strike against Iran would result in 'all-out war': Zarif
Any U.S. or Saudi military strike against Iran would bring "all-out war", Tehran said on Thursday, keeping up a drumbeat of warnings to its adversaries after they accused the Islamic Republic of a strike on Saudi oil facilities.

Kuwait foreign minister discusses with Iranian counterpart de-escalating tensions in region
Kuwait's foreign minister received a call from his Iranian counterpart where the two discussed measures to de-escalate tensions in the region to avoid more dangers, state news agency KUNA reported on Friday.

As chance of Trump, Rouhani meeting at U.N. fades, talk turns to Security Council

The chances of a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani while they are both in New York next week for the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations have dwindled since an attack on Saudi oil facilities.

 

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Iran may release British-flagged tanker within hours, Swedish owner says: SVT

Stena Impero, the British-flagged tanker detained by Iran on July 19, may be released within hours, Swedish television on Sunday quoted the head of the Swedish firm that owns the vessel as saying.

Iran to present plan for Gulf security at U.N. this week

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will present a plan for creating security in the Gulf in cooperation with other countries in the region when he attends the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week.

Iran navy commander says Iran ready to defend its marine borders
The head of Iran's navy said on Sunday that the Islamic Republic is ready to defend its marine borders and would deliver a "crushing reaction" to any aggression.

Iranian held by Somali pirates since 2015 freed
An Iranian sailor held hostage by Somali pirates was dying of malnutrition, a former British army officer who helped negotiate his release told Reuters on Sunday. Three other Iranian hostages remain in Somalia.

Saudi Arabia says if attack launched from Iran, it would be an act of war: CNN
If an investigation shows that last week's attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities was launched from Iranian territory, the kingdom would consider it an act of war, but Riyadh is currently seeking a peaceful resolution, a senior Saudi official said.

Australia offers Trump only limited commitment on Iran: PM

Australia is not getting involved with the United States in its pursuit of aims in relation to Iran, beyond a commitment to freedom of navigation in the region, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said after talks with U.S. President Donald Trump.

United States sending troops to bolster Saudi defenses after attack
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday approved sending American troops to bolster Saudi Arabia's air and missile defenses after the largest-ever attack on the kingdom's oil facilities, which Washington has squarely blamed on Iran.

Saudi Arabia to wait for investigation before responding to attacks: minister

Saudi Arabia will wait for the results of an investigation before responding to last weekend's attack on its oil facilities, for which it believes Iran is responsible, a senior official said on Saturday.

Pompeo says U.S. mission is to avoid war with Iran but measures in place to deter
The United States aims to avoid war with Iran and the additional troops ordered to be deployed in the Gulf region are for "deterrence and defense,", U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday.

 

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British tanker Stena Impero is free to leave after completion of judicial and legal process: Iran ambassador to UK
The detained British-flagged tanker Stena Impero is "free to leave," Iran's ambassador to the United Kingdom, Hamid Baeidinejad, tweeted on Monday.

British tanker Stena Impero free to leave: Iran ambassador to UK

The detained British-flagged tanker Stena Impero is "free to leave," Iran's ambassador to the United Kingdom, Hamid Baeidinejad, said on Twitter on Monday.

Trump on Iran meeting: "We'll see what happens"

U.S. President Donald Trump, arriving at the United Nations General Assembly on Monday, was asked about the possibility of meeting Iranian leader Hassan Rouhani after tensions over an attack on Saudi oil facilities.

Rouhani says Iran resists sanctions, drives U.S. "desperate"

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday new U.S. sanctions blacklisting Iran's central bank for a second time pointed to U.S. "desperation" in the face of Iranian resistance.

Iran to present plan for Gulf security at U.N. this week

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will present a plan for creating security in the Gulf in cooperation with other countries in the region when he attends the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week.

 

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'While Russia expecting response from the US to confirm their refusal to start a nuclear war:'

Iranian Foreign Minister: "I'm not confident that we can avoid a war"

On September 22nd, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif gave an interview to CBS News’ Margaret Brennan. In the interview Zarif...

southfront.org

23.09.2019