Iranian official calls for negotiations with Washington in Iraq

[yota691]

Ankara: Turkey-Iraq pipelines can not be used as an alternative to Iran's oil

Economy | 02:35 - 05/05/2019

 

 

 

BAGHDAD - 
Turkish Foreign Minister Mouloud Gaooshoglu said on Sunday that buying oil for Turkey from countries other than Iran was too expensive. 
"Buying oil for Turkey from countries other than Iran is very expensive, and America knows that," Oglu said. 
He added that the oil pipelines stretching between Turkey and Iraq as an alternative have been badly damaged by the practices of "Dahesh" and that the repair takes some time.

[yota691]

Iran: Retracting controversial draft resolution .. Arrest of news source

 

 2019/05/05 15:30:46

A member of the main body of the Iranian parliament, Ali Asghar Yousef Nejad, revealed on Sunday the retreat from the introduction of "gasoline rationing" for an unknown period. 
At the same time, the press announced the arrest of Zepa Ismaili, a spokeswoman for the National Oil Distribution and Refining Company of the Oil Company, for publishing the details of the gasoline rationing project last week, which confused the country for two days. 
"The government has stopped implementing it and has not set another time to put it back," he said. 
"The parliament must be informed before the approval, where the proceeds of rising benzene prices will be paid," he said. 
According to the Iranian parliamentarian that the project to ration gasoline and raise prices will increase the high inflation and stagnation in the event of implementation, stressing the need to form a committee of experts from the government and parliament decided in this regard.
It is noteworthy that the announcement of the abolition of the gasoline rationing project temporarily, came after a meeting held by Iranian Oil Minister Begin Zengne with the Energy Committee in Parliament, after a fuss at the gas stations and stand in long lines in the streets, last week, to get gasoline before raising prices. 
The decision to cancel the rationing project coincided with reports published by Iranian agencies about the arrest of the spokeswoman of the National Company for Distribution and Refining of the Oil Company, Zeba Ismaili, after revealing the plan details of the gasoline rationing project, including the new price and the time of implementation. 
Ismayli was an employee of Fars News and the Radio and Television Corporation before moving to the oil company.
On Wednesday, the agencies of Fars News and Tasnim, close to the Revolutionary Guards, announced the government's plan to implement the gasoline rationing project, citing a source at the National Company for Distribution and Refining of the oil company, which caused the motorists to stand in Long queues on petrol stations ahead of the price hike, despite the Ministry of Oil denied the news.

[Carrello]

The US is deploying a carrier and bombers to the Middle East in a warning to Iran

PUBLISHED AN HOUR AGOUPDATED AN HOUR AGO

KEY POINTS

• The United States is deploying a carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Middle East, U.S. national security advisor John Bolton said on Sunday.
• This is to send a clear message to Iran that any attack on U.S. interests or its allies will be met with “unrelenting force,” Bolton said.

US national security adviser John Bolton in Jerusalem to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on August 20, 2018.

Sebastian Scheiner | AFP | Getty Images

The United States is deploying a carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Middle East to send a clear message to Iran that any attack on U.S. interests or its allies will be met with “unrelenting force,” U.S. national security advisor John Bolton said on Sunday.

 

 

Amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran, Bolton said the decision was “in response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings.”

“The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or regular Iranian forces,” Bolton said in a statement.

It marked the latest in a series of moves by President Donald Trump’s administration against Iran in recent weeks.

Washington has said it will stop waivers for countries buying Iranian oil, in an attempt to reduce Iran’s oil exports to zero. It has also blacklisted Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The Trump administration’s efforts to impose political and economic isolation on Tehran began last year when it unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal it and other world powers negotiated with Iran in 2015.

 

“The United States is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the U.S. Central Command region to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force,” Bolton said.

Bolton, who has spearheaded an increasingly hawkish U.S. policy on Iran, did not provide any other details.

A U.S. official said the forces “have been ordered to the region as a deterrence to what has been seen as potential preparations by Iranian forces and its proxies that may indicate possible attacks on U.S. forces in the region.”

The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the United States was not expecting any imminent attack on U.S. forces.

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/06/bolton-us-to-deploy-carrier-bombers-to-middle-east-in-iran-warning.html

Edited May 6, 2019 by Carrello

[10 YEARS LATER]

" Unrelenting Force " Careful Iran . . . 

 

Only a gosh damn fool would wish that crashing down atop his head.

[yota691]

Iran announces Wednesday its position on the nuclear deal

Monday 06 May 2019 :

01:23 pm

41 

A source close to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Monitoring Committee announced that Iranian President Hassan Rowhani would announce next Wednesday Iran's agendas for reciprocal measures toward a US exit from the nuclear deal through a direct dialogue broadcast by the Iranian Broadcasting and Television Commission. 

The source said in a press statement that the expected programs will be included in Articles 26 and 36 of the nuclear agreement and at present the issue of getting out of the nuclear agreement is not on the table. 

The partial and total reduction of some of Iran's obligations and the start of nuclear activities that had been suspended under the Nuclear Agreement represented the first step taken by Iran in response to the US withdrawal from the nuclear agreement and the European Union's deadlines in implementing their obligations.

The source said that EU officials, who had made unfulfilled promises over the past year, had been briefed on the decision informally.

[MyLadiesDaddy]

Look out for the " Rope A Dope" Iran. 

You're about to get a serious Wake up call. 

[Half Crazy Runner]

9 hours ago, 10 YEARS LATER said:

" Unrelenting Force " Careful Iran . . . 

 

Only a gosh damn fool would wish that crashing down atop his head.

 

I don’t think the leaders in Iran are known for their wisdom 😆

[Butifldrm]

Tehran is preparing to announce its response to Washington's withdrawal from the nuclear deal

16:11 - 06/05/2019

0

    

Information / follow-up ...

President Hassan Rowhani will announce next Wednesday on practical measures, the Iranian response to the withdrawal of Washington from the nuclear agreement.

Rohani is expected to announce next Wednesday, the first anniversary of Washington's withdrawal from the agreement, Tehran's resumption of some nuclear activities that had been suspended under the nuclear deal, the agency quoted an informed source close to the nuclear watchdog commission as saying.

According to the source, Tehran's withdrawal from the nuclear agreement is not at this stage, adding that Rouhani "may announce a partial or total reduction of some of Iran's commitments in the agreement."

Since US President Donald H. Trump's announcement last year to withdraw from the nuclear deal, Washington has been working to tighten sanctions against Iran .

Washington announced last month that it would suspend the exemptions and exemptions it had given to some countries from applying the sanctions it imposed on Tehran in an effort to prevent Iran from exporting its oil.

 

https://www.almaalomah.com/2019/05/06/404750/

 

 

[nannab]

Iran is to much as the world waits with bated breath for a

response after a year. 

 

Good afternoon Butifldrm and thanks  

[Pitcher]

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/China-Set-To-Defy-US-Sanctions-On-Iran.html
 

China Set To Defy U.S. Sanctions On Iran

By Tim Daiss - May 06, 2019, 3:00 PM CDT

Tensions between Washington and Beijing could soon peak if China positions itself to defy President Trump’s repeal of Iranian oil sanctions waivers. On Saturday,noted Chinese analysts said that China might not submit to U.S. sanctions pressure over its Iranian oil imports because Iran is a key investor in China’s Belt and Road Initiative as well as a key energy partner.

Two weeks ago, the Trump Administration surprised both domestic and international energy markets players and watchers when it refused to extend 180-day waivers for Iranian oil first put in place in November. Washington also said it would place sanctions on any country that continues to buy Iranian oil after May 2. Japan, China, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Italy, Greece, and Turkey - all of Iran’s biggest oil clients - were initially granted 180-day waivers.

As a result of the U.S. move, London-traded, global oil benchmark Brent crude breached the psychologically important $75 per barrel price point. Since then, Brent has pared those gains by nearly $5 per barrel amid a host of factors, including a jump in U.S. crude inventories to their highest level since September 2017 as well as U.S. production hitting a record 12.3 million barrels per day (bpd), cementing its top global oil producer slot ahead of Russia and Saudi Arabia. Brent ended the trading session on Friday at just under $71 per barrel, while U.S. oil benchmark, NYMEX-traded West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) futures ended the session at $61.94 per barrel, up 13 cents, but losing nearly 3 percent for the week, its second consecutive week of declines.

Chinese stratagems

According to a report in the Beijing-based Global Times,experts in the country also said that China’s energy security wouldn’t be affected too much by the removal of oil sanctions waivers due to diversification of supply, while the issue could even offer Beijing a new bargaining chip in ongoing trade negotiations with Washington as both sides try to reach an agreement to end nearly a year of ***-for-tat trade tariffs. It should be noted that the Global Times is known for expressing hawkish views, sometimes in adherence with the official Chinese Communist Party (CCP) line and sometimes not. Related: OPEC Is Facing An Existential Crisis

"China has multiple overseas oil suppliers, so the U.S. sanctions won't have a huge impact on China's energy security,” said Bai Ming, deputy director of China’s Ministry of Commerce's International Market Research Institute. Hua Liming, a Middle East studies expert and a former Chinese ambassador to Iran said “it [the removal of waivers] doesn't mean China will submit to the U.S. and cut off its energy trade ties with Iran, because Iran is a key partner of China in economy, politics and security. According to state-run Xinhua news agency, Iranian oil imports make up some 6 percent of China’s total crude imports, making the Islamic Republic China’s seventh largest oil importer.

 

Counter point

Others, however, at least internationally, offer a different take, claiming that Beijing will not damage its relations with Washington further by challenging the removal of the Iranian oil sanctions waivers.

Moreover, many claim that if China resists calls to end Iranian oil imports, it could jeopardize ongoing sensitive trade talks, which appear to be heading to successful conclusion.

Moreover, Japanese, Chinese, South Korean and Indian kowtow to U.S. pressure to stop importing Iranian oil will play into the hands of Saud Arabia, Russia, and other OPEC members as they battle for an increasing part of overall Asian and more especially Chinese oil market share.

[yota691]

Tehran will announce tomorrow the suspension of parts of the nuclear agreement

Rouhani reveals a plan of several stages to respond to the American withdrawal

Tuesday - 2 Ramadan 1440 AH - 07 May 2019 AD Issue Number [14770]

 

 

London: Middle East

 

TEHRAN (Reuters) - President Hassan Rowhani will announce on Wednesday Iran's response to the withdrawal of US President Donald Trump from the nuclear deal, state news agencies reported, quoting a source familiar with the matter, saying that Tehran had informed the signatory parties of a partial or total suspension of some of its commitments. Nuclear agreement. One of the Iranian agencies quoted an official in the committee overseeing the implementation of the nuclear agreement, it is possible that Rohani announced on Iranian television "a plan of several stages to implement the corresponding response to the withdrawal of the United States from the nuclear agreement," but denied that the Iranian step to withdraw from the agreement Nuclear, saying that "the issue of withdrawal from the nuclear agreement is not on the table at the moment."

"The partial and total reduction of some of Iran's commitments and the resumption of part of the nuclear activities that were suspended under the nuclear agreement is the first Iranian step to respond to the US withdrawal from the nuclear agreement and the European countries' failure to fulfill their commitments," the official said. 

Iranian agencies' reports differed on statements made by the Iranian official regarding Iran's plans to return, and agencies quoted official sources as saying they would resume their activities under paragraphs 26 and 36 of the nuclear deal. Other sources said: "Iran's activities will be in the context of paragraphs (36) and (37) of the agreement." Article 26 of the nuclear agreement stipulates that European and American sanctions should not be imposed and that a Security Council resolution be passed to impose sanctions on Iran over its nuclear activities.

According to Article 36, "If Iran or any of the signatories to the nuclear agreement does not meet its obligations under the agreement, the case can be referred to the Joint Commission for resolution. The Joint Commission will have 15 days to resolve the problem, unless the time period is extended by majority consensus. If there is a belief that the problem has not been resolved in the Joint Commission, the case will be referred to the Foreign Ministers. Ministers will have 15 days to resolve the problem, unless the time period is extended by consensus. If the issue is not resolved by the Ministers, the case will be referred to a three-member advisory body: a member of the complaining party, a member representing the party facing the complaint, and a third independent member. The advisory body shall provide a non-binding opinion within 15 days. If the problem is not resolved after 30 days, the Joint Committee shall consider the Advisory Body's opinion for a period of not more than five days to resolve the problem.

Article 37 says that if the Security Council hears the complaint, including good faith efforts by the parties to resolve the differences, a decision must be made to continue lifting the sanctions. If the resolution is not approved within 30 days in this case, the old Security Council resolutions will come back. These provisions shall not apply to contracts signed between any Party and Iran prior to the date of the request; provided that the activities are in accordance with the nuclear agreement and previous and current Security Council resolutions. The Security Council will consider the views of the States concerned or the opinion of the Advisory Body. "

Iran, in turn, has stressed that if sanctions are fully or partially reinstated, it will deal with this as a reason to halt the implementation of its obligations under the nuclear agreement. At the end of May, 2018, Iran's deputy foreign minister threatened to withdraw Iran from paragraph 36 if Tehran did not seriously take the Europeans to preserve the nuclear deal. This was before Tehran began negotiations with European countries to discuss alternatives to compensate for the US withdrawal from the agreement and the return of sanctions. 

Earlier, in August 2017, Iran's Atomic Energy Organization chief Ali Akbar Salehi said Tehran would surprise the United States if it came out of the nuclear deal, adding that Iran would "return to enriching uranium by 20 percent within five days."

The United States announced last Friday several measures aimed at Iran's nuclear program, and suspended sanctions exemptions related to the exchange of uranium enriched with natural uranium. The nuclear deal allows Iran only to possess 300 kilograms of enriched uranium of 3.67 per cent. The second exemption was aimed at transporting heavy water outside the Iranian territory, which provides for the possession of quantities not exceeding 30 tons. State Department spokesman Morgan Ortagos said in a statement that the measure was aimed at forcing Iran to halt production of low-enriched uranium, a demand Iran has repeatedly rejected. 

The United States agreed to grant Britain, China, Russia and France 90-day exemptions to modify the Fordo facility, redesign the Arak facility 

, Bushehr nuclear power plant supplies and a nuclear safety training program for civilians.

The Iranian response came in the words of Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, who said Tehran would continue enriching uranium and producing heavy water regardless of the US decision. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif last week referred to "multiple options" to be discussed at the highest levels in Tehran these days to respond to the White House's moves. One is withdrawal from the NPT. 

However, the official IRNA news agency reported that the Iranian official said yesterday that his country has left the door open to diplomacy, noting that «Iran's steps another opportunity for diplomacy, and rectify the unilateral way followed by the parties to the agreement, and return to the previous point and work according to the terms of the agreement» .

The Iranian official criticized the positions of the European countries for a year since the withdrawal of Donald Trump from the agreement, and said: «they made promises not implemented» and pointed out that Tehran informed European officials informally about its decision in the agreement. 

The Iranian declaration is preceded by a meeting between the parties to the nuclear agreement, which is supposed to be held in Vienna today at the level of experts to discuss the latest status of the nuclear agreement and the implementation of the special European mechanism launched by Britain, France and Germany in order to circumvent the US sanctions. 

Iranian Chief Justice Ibrahim Ramei on Sunday criticized parties that were sending signals about Iran's willingness to negotiate with the United States.

[Butifldrm]

US deploys aircraft carrier and bomber task force to Middle East after 'credible Iran threat'

Previous

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The Abraham Lincoln and its strike group of ships and combat aircraft have been operating in the Mediterranean Sea recently. (File/AFP)

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The Abraham Lincoln and its strike group of ships and combat aircraft have been operating in the Mediterranean Sea recently. (File/AFP)

Next

Updated 7 sec ago

AP

May 06, 201901:32

 

WASHINGTON: The US is dispatching an aircraft carrier and other military resources to the Middle East following “clear indications” that Iran and its proxy forces were preparing to possibly attack US forces in the region.

US Acting Defense Secretary Shanahan said on Monday that the aircraft carrier and bombers ordered to Middle East were “prudent repositioning of assets in response to indications of a credible threat by Iranian regime forces.” 
Shanahan said on Twitter that the US will hold the “Iranian regime accountable for any attack on US forces or our interests.”
At the White House, national security adviser John Bolton said Sunday night that the US is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the US Central Command region, an area that includes the Middle East. In a statement, he said the move was in response to “a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings,” but did not provide more details.
US forces at sea and on land were thought to be the potential targets, and the Pentagon approved the deployments in response to those indications, according to the defense official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the official wasn’t authorized to speak publicly.

 

The Abraham Lincoln and its strike group of ships and combat aircraft have been operating in the Mediterranean Sea recently. Bolton’s reference to the Central Command area would mean the Lincoln is headed east to the Red Sea and perhaps then to the Arabian Sea or the Arabian Gulf, which would take several days. The US Navy currently has no aircraft carrier in the Arabian Gulf.
Bolton said the US wants to send a message that “unrelenting force” will meet any attack on US interests or those of its allies.
“The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces,” he said.
Along with the Lincoln, Bolton mentioned “a bomber task force,” which suggested the Pentagon is deploying land-based bomber aircraft somewhere in the region, perhaps on the Arabian Peninsula.
Speaking to reporters while flying to Europe, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the actions undertaken by the US had been in the works for a little while.
“It is absolutely the case that we have seen escalatory actions from the Iranians and it is equally the case that we will hold the Iranians accountable for attacks on American interests,” Pompeo said. “If these actions take place, if they do by some third-party proxy, a militia group, Hezbollah, we will hold the Iranian leadership directly accountable for that.”
Asked about “escalatory actions,” Pompeo replied, “I don’t want to talk about what underlays it, but make no mistake, we have good reason to want to communicate clearly about how the Iranians should understand how we will respond to actions they may take.”
Asked if the Iranian action were related to the deadly events in Gaza and Israel — militants fired rockets into Israel on Sunday and Israel responded with airstrikes — Pompeo said, “It is separate from that.”
The Trump administration has been intensifying a pressure campaign against Iran.
Last month, President Donald Trump announced the US will no longer exempt any countries from US sanctions if they continue to buy Iranian oil, a decision that primarily affects the five remaining major importers: China and India and US treaty allies Japan, South Korea and Turkey.
The US also recently designated Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group, the first ever for an entire division of another government.
Trump withdrew from the Obama administration’s landmark nuclear deal with Iran in May 2018 and, in the months that followed, reimposed punishing sanctions including those targeting Iran’s oil, shipping and banking sectors.
Bolton and Pompeo have in recent months spoken stridently about Iran and its “malign activities” in the region.

Iran nuclear deal: from US exit to new sanctions

The United States unilaterally withdrew a year ago from a multi-country deal under which Iran had agreed to halt its nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of biting sanctions.
Here are key developments in the bitter standoff since then.

On May 8, 2018, President Donald Trump announces the US withdrawal from the 2015 pact, saying "we cannot prevent an Iranian nuclear bomb under the decaying and rotten structure of the current agreement."
The move heralds the reinstatement of US sanctions, in two rounds.
The US warns other countries to end trade and investment in Iran and to stop buying its oil or face punitive measures.
But Britain, France, Germany -- who were also parties to the deal alongside Russia and China -- insist Iran has abided by its commitments to limit its nuclear activities, and say they are determined to save the agreement.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani reacts that Tehran could scrap the curbs it agreed in the deal. But he calls on the remaining parties to save the accord.

Washington warns on May 21 that Tehran will be hit with the "strongest sanctions in history" unless it capitulates to further demands over its missile programme and "destabilising activities" in the Middle East.
A top US official says on July 2 that Washington is determined to force Iran to change its policies by slashing its oil exports.
On July 6, Tehran's five remaining partners in the nuclear accord vow to back "the continuation of Iran's exports of oil and gas".
On July 16, EU countries reject American demands to isolate Tehran economically.
A day later, European sources say the US has dismissed requests to spare EU firms from sanctions penalties.

On July 22, Rouhani warns the US that any conflict with Iran would be the "mother of all wars".
Trump tweets that he should stop making threats "OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES".

On August 7, Washington reimposes a first set of sanctions that target Iran's access to US banknotes and key industries, including cars and carpets.
Within hours, German carmaker Daimler says it is halting its activities in Iran. French energy giant Total and other major international firms follow suit.
On November 5, the United States imposes the second wave of sanctions aimed at significantly reducing Iran's oil exports and cutting it off from international finance.
However it lists eight countries that will be granted temporary waivers: China, India, Italy, Greece, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Turkey.
At the end of January 2019, Britain, France and Germany launch a trade mechanism known as INSTEX in a bid to bypass US sanctions on Iran and allow Tehran to keep trading with EU companies.

On March 7 Washington accuses Iran of carrying out three missile-related launches and urges international measures.
On April 2, London, Paris and Berlin call for a UN report on Iran's ballistic missile activity.
On April 8, the United States designates Iran's elite military force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a "foreign terrorist organisation".
Tehran immediately declares Washington a "state sponsor of terrorism" and its forces in the region "terrorist groups".

On April 22, Trump announces his decision to cancel the sanctions exemptions on oil imports.
On April 28, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warns that leaving the 1970 Non-Proliferation Treaty -- aimed at stopping the spread of nuclear arms -- is among its "many options" for retaliation against US sanctions.

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1493141/middle-east

[Butifldrm]

 

US sending aircraft carrier to Mideast, citing Iran threats

 

By LOLITA BALDOR and ZEKE MILLER 43 minutes ago

 

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is sending an aircraft carrier group to the Middle East ahead of schedule and warning that Iran and its proxy forces are showing “troubling and escalatory” indications of a possible attack on American forces in the region.

Exactly what prompted the action was unclear, but it marked a further step in sharply rising tensions between the Trump administration and the Islamic Republic.

National security adviser John Bolton said Sunday night the U.S. was deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the Middle East, intending to send a message that “unrelenting force” will meet any attack on American forces or allies.

“The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or regular Iranian forces,” Bolton said.

Neither Bolton nor other officials would provide any details about the supposed threat, which comes as the Trump administration wages a campaign of intensifying pressure against Iran and nearly a year after it withdrew from an Obama-era nuclear deal with Tehran.

In Iran, the semi-official ISNA news agency on Monday quoted an anonymous official as saying that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani planned a broadcast address Wednesday and might discuss “counteractions” Tehran will take over America’s withdrawal from the international nuclear deal.

The agreement limited Iran’s enrichment of uranium amid Western concerns that Tehran’s program could allow it to build nuclear weapons. Iran insists its program is for peaceful purposes.

With its pressure campaign, the U.S. administration is trying to get Iran to halt activities such as supporting militant activities that destabilize the Middle East and threaten U.S. allies, including Israel, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said.

“Our objective is to get the Islamic Republic of Iran to behave like a normal nation,” Pompeo told reporters during a visit to Finland. “When they do that, we will welcome them back.”

The order to the carrier group would get the Abraham Lincoln into the Middle East about two weeks earlier than initially planned following exercises in the Mediterranean region, according to a U.S. defense official who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly, so spoke on the condition of anonymity. It forces the ships to cancel a planned stop in Croatia.

For years, the U.S. maintained a carrier presence in the Persian Gulf and Middle East region. During the height of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there were two carriers in the area, but that was reduced to one.

Last year the administration decided to end the continuous carrier presence, and send a strike group only intermittently into the region. The U.S. Navy currently has no aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf.

Bolton said the U.S. wants to send a message that “unrelenting force” will meet any attack on U.S. interests or those of America’s allies.

Jon Alterman, senior vice president at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, questioned whether the U.S. adequately understands Iranian motivations and actions, and whether the military move was warranted.

“I don’t think we should let the Iranians pull our chain at the time and place of their choosing,” he said. “You can communicate seriousness to the Iranians without moving a lot of assets around, because moving assets is expensive and keeps assets from being in other places.”

He added, however, that Iran has the capability to harm Americans, but it’s difficult to assess the situation without knowing more about the intelligence that prompted the move.

Mark Dubowitz, who studies Iran for the Washington-based policy institute Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said a credible threat of overwhelming force “will make war less likely.”

“If past is prologue, the regime will always move aggressively forward when it senses American weakness and recoil when it sensed American strength,” Dubowitz said.

Along with the Lincoln, Bolton mentioned “a bomber task force,” which suggested the Pentagon is deploying land-based bomber aircraft somewhere in the region, perhaps on the Arabian Peninsula.

Pompeo said the actions undertaken by the U.S. have been in the works for a while. The request for the accelerated move came over the weekend from the military’s U.S. Central Command after reviewing various intelligence reports for some time, according to the U.S. official. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan approved the request on Sunday.

“It is absolutely the case that we have seen escalatory actions from the Iranians and it is equally the case that we will hold the Iranians accountable for attacks on American interests,” Pompeo said. “If these actions take place, if they do by some third-party proxy, a militia group, Hezbollah, we will hold the Iranian leadership directly accountable for that.”

Asked about “escalatory actions,” Pompeo replied, “I don’t want to talk about what underlays it, but make no mistake, we have good reason to want to communicate clearly about how the Iranians should understand how we will respond to actions they may take.”

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Monday that the carrier move sends an important message to Iran but the administration needs to give Congress more information.

“I worry that it could be misinterpreted,” Blumenthal said. “I’m trusting that it isn’t meant as a provocative act, but I need to know what the thought process and justifications are.”

Asked if the Iranian action was related to the deadly events in Gaza and Israel — militants fired rockets into Israel on Sunday and Israel responded with airstrikes — Pompeo said, “It is separate from that.”

The Trump administration has been intensifying its pressure campaign against Iran.

Last month, President Donald Trump announced the U.S. would no longer exempt any countries from U.S. sanctions if they continue to buy Iranian oil, a decision that primarily affects the five remaining major importers: China and India and U.S. treaty allies Japan, South Korea and Turkey.

The U.S. also recently designated Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group, the first ever for an entire division of another government.

Trump withdrew from the Obama administration’s landmark nuclear deal with Iran in May 2018 and, in the months that followed, reimposed punishing sanctions including those targeting Iran’s oil, shipping and banking sectors.

___

Associated Press writers Robert Burns and Matthew Lee contributed to this report.

https://www.apnews.com/c13d7c2ce4a1429bad83d5482f9193f3

[Pitcher]

2 minutes ago, Butifldrm said:

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Monday that the carrier move sends an important message to Iran but the administration needs to give Congress more information.

“I worry that it could be misinterpreted,” Blumenthal said. “I’m trusting that it isn’t meant as a provocative act, but I need to know what the thought process and justifications are.”

 

This statement by Senator Blumenthal is disingenuous.  

 

Congress knows what’s going on. You’re damn right we are pushing on Iran and we are pushing hard.  Get ready Congress.  One more move by Iran and it will be their last under that regime.  Firing 600 rockets into Israel will not and should not be tolerated.

[10 YEARS LATER]

15 hours ago, Half Crazy Runner said:

 

I don’t think the leaders in Iran are known for their wisdom 😆

 

Nailed it ! ! ! 

[blueskyline]

 

 

A newspaper reveals a US deal to give Iraq an exemption from Iran's sanctions in exchange for conditions

The Iraqi street

2019-05-07 02:06

 

791 views

 

Al-Arab newspaper reported a US offer to give Iraq an exception to Iran's sanctions in exchange for conditions related to the electricity sector, noting that Iraq is studying the offer seriously and may agree.

The newspaper quoted a political source as saying that "Washington offered to give Iraq an exception to the implementation of sanctions on Iran, in exchange for US companies to facilitate the implementation of contracts in the electric power sector," noting that "the United States believes that Iraq may take about four years to resolve the problem of lack Electricity, and it will spend about $ 20 billion in this sector, not 14 billion as the government plans. "21-12-2018
He added that "Washington does not oppose linking the access of companies to the facilities to implement projects on the sanctions file on Iran," explaining that "this formula, will ensure the United States to operate companies in Iraq within the financial investments huge, as well as ensure Iraq's access to the stage of self-sufficiency of electricity, Of its organic association with Iran in this file. " 

"The Iraqi government is seriously considering the American offer, and may agree to it," the source said. 

Iraq imports electricity from Iran and the gas needed to operate its power plants, meaning that its main purchases are for one sector. 

According to the US deal on Iraq, Baghdad can continue to buy electricity and gas from Iran, until US companies finish implementing projects that allow Iraq to generate the energy it needs at home.

https://www.alsumaria.tv/news/alsumariav3-articles/303269/صحيفة-تكشف-عن-صفقة-اميركية-لمنح-العراق-استثناء-من?src=web-push&utm_campaign=Softimpact-Web-Push&utm_source=SI-Push-Documents&utm_term=Softimpact-Push-Documents&utm_medium=SI-Push-3

 

[yota691]

After the escalation of risks to its military in Iraq .. America sends a force to strike the Middle East

Political | 08:53 - 07/05/2019

 

 

 

BAGHDAD - 
The reason for Washington's decision to send a force to the Middle East is due to heightened risks to US troops in Iraq by Iran and its allies, senior US officials have revealed. 
In an interview with The New York Times, the White House and the Pentagon took the decision to send a US aircraft carrier and a group of troops to the Gulf, which was announced last night by National Security Advisor John Bolton, Intelligence reports monitor new activities of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards in Iraq, as of Friday. 
One official also pointed to new US concerns about the security of waterways where the Iranian navy is carrying out operations.
The two officials gave no further details on the nature of the "new risks" posed by Iranian forces and their regional allies to US forces in Iraq. 
The New York Times said that the comments by these US officials would raise new questions in the leadership of Iraq on whether the administration of President Donald Trump intends to exploit the United States military presence in its territory in the implementation of its agenda against Tehran. 
The newspaper reported last March that consultations are under way in Washington over the possibility of including some Iraqi armed factions backed by Iran on the terrorism list, although they also have the support of the Iraqi government, some of which participate in the political life of the country.
A US military official confirmed that Washington's decision to send the strike group headed by the Abraham Lincoln carrier with a force of bombers to the Middle East was due to "clear indications" that Iran and its affiliates were planning to attack the US military. 
These developments came after the United States tightened its pressure on Iran, with the abolition of exemptions granted to a number of countries on sanctions on Iranian oil exports, with the aim of reducing them to zero. 
In this context, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, recently listed by the United States on its list of terrorist organizations, renewed its threat to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz to international shipping.

[yota691]

US offer to grant Iraq an exemption from Tehran sanctions

Political | 11:31 - 07/05/2019

 

 

 

BAGHDAD - 
A political source revealed on Tuesday a US offer to grant Iraq an exception to sanctions against Iran. 
The source said that "Washington has offered to Iraq to grant an exception to the implementation of sanctions on Iran, in exchange for US companies to facilitate the implementation of contracts in the electricity sector," noting that "the United States believes that it may take up to four years to resolve the problem of power shortages, And it will spend about 20 billion dollars in this sector, not 14 billion as the government plans. " 
He added that "Washington does not oppose linking the access of companies to the facilities to implement projects with the sanctions file on Iran," pointing out that "this formula, will ensure the United States to operate companies in Iraq within the financial investments huge, as well as ensure Iraq's access to the stage of self-sufficiency of electricity , To get rid of the organic link to Iran in this file. "
The source continued, "The Iraqi government is studying the American offer seriously, and may agree."

[Butifldrm]

 

2019/05/07 11:44

• Number of readings 31
• Section: Iraq
•  

Hezbollah Brigades warns: Washington is planning to hit three sides

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Hezbollah guerrillas in the popular rally on Tuesday (May 7th, 2019) suspended the arrival of the US-led force to the Middle East, warning of a dangerous escalation targeting three sides.

"This dangerous military escalation by the United States is directed against the Islamic Republic of Iran in the first instance and the resistance axis in general," Phalange spokesman Mohammad Mohi told local media.

"These moves indicate that America wants to take the region into a collision and make it unstable, as it did during the past years when it mobilized gangs and made the region into wars, and not the axis of resistance and steadfastness of the peoples of the region."

The spokesman of the Hezbollah Brigades said that "America is the only target, hit three factions, the resistance factions and the popular crowd and Iran, and do not see in the Daash and al Qaeda or any terrorist organization any danger to its presence, and this is a big implicit recognition, as it is who manages these groups."

"The United States must leave Iraq, so as not to be threatened, as it claims, and we do not need it," Mohi said.

He concluded by saying that "America is moving to introduce the region into a new crisis and instability, a prelude to the announcement of the deal of the century, which they announced after the month of Ramadan, and these introductions are threats and blackmail of the countries of the region, to accept this deal, or be subjected to aggression by America And its allies. "

Two senior US officials confirmed earlier that the reason for Washington's decision to send the force to the Middle East was due to the increased risk to US troops in Iraq by Iran and its allies.

 

 Follow the obelisk

http://almasalah.com/ar/news/170441/كتائب-حزب-الله-تحذر-واشنطن-تخطط-لضرب-3-جهات

[Butifldrm]

BOMBSHELL: Iran Was Preparing To Attack U.S. Forces, Trump Sends A Warning They Won’t Forget

 May 6, 2019  J.R.

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It appears as though Iran was working behind the scenes and planning an attack on American forces.

Bet you didn’t expect to hear that today.

 

President Trump did exactly what a strong commander-in-chief would do by sending the Ayatollahs a message they aren’t likely to forget in the near future.

 

The United States deployed an aircraft carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Middle East in response to “clear indications” Iran and Iranian proxies were planning an attack on U.S. forces in the region, U.S. officials said.

Late Sunday night, the White House made the surprise announcement that the USS Abraham Lincoln and a bomber task force were being deployed in response to unspecified “troubling and escalatory indications and warnings.”

A statement from national security adviser John Bolton said the deployments were intended “to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force.”

“The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces,” the statement continued.

U.S. officials told ABC News the deployments were in response to “clear indications” Iranian and Iranian proxy forces were preparing for a possible attack against U.S. forces on land, including in Iraq and Syria, and at sea. U.S. Central Command requested approval from acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan to move additional assets into the region, which Shanahan approved on Sunday, one official said.

 

https://ilovemyfreedom.org/bombshell-iran-was-preparing-to-attack-u-s-forces-trump-sends-a-warning-they-wont-forget/

[chris2028]

My my my seeing that carrier brings back memories for me. Being a young 17/18 yr old getting told we were heading to the med sea to assist with Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan after 9/11 was terrifying to me and alot of other young sailors. But once the nerves settled it was game on and we did our duties. Anchors away my boys anchors away! 

 

[Butifldrm]

Javad Zarif‏Verified account @JZarif

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The #B_Team is at it again: From announcements of naval movements (that actually occurred last month) to dire warnings about so-called “Iranian threats”. If US and clients don't feel safe, it's because they're despised by the people of the region— blaming Iran won’t reverse that.

 

4:32 AM - 7 May 2019

[blueskyline]

https://www.alsumaria.tv/news/alsumariav3-articles/303322/رئيس-الوزراء-لا-توجد-علاقة-بين-اتفاقنا-مع-أكسون-مو?src=web-push&utm_campaign=Softimpact-Web-Push&utm_source=SI-Push-Documents&utm_term=Softimpact-Push-Documents&utm_medium=SI-Push-303322......

Abdul-Mahdi for Alsumaria: a clear for Washington to raise the exception of Iraq from Iranian sanctions in exchange for facilities

Policy

2019-05-07 15:43

Source:

Alsumaria News

 

140 views

 

Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi on Tuesday denied Washington's offer to exempt Iraq from sanctions against Iran for some facilities.

"There is no truth to the talk that America has raised Iraq's exemption from sanctions against Iran in return for providing some facilities to US companies that are competent in the Iraqi sector," Abdul-Mahdi said in response to a question from Alsumaria News correspondent during the weekly press conference. 

For his part, the Prime Minister pointed out that it was agreed with Siemens on a road map on the subject of electricity.

 

Abdul Mahdi said that "Iraq is on the stage of reconstruction, especially in the sectors of oil and electricity

[Pitcher]

I don’t understand why we are allowing Iran to skate with Iraq.  Iraq can trade with SA, Jordan or some other ME country.  If you are going to put the screws to Iran go all in and bring it to a head.  

[Half Crazy Runner]

4 hours ago, chris2028 said:

My my my seeing that carrier brings back memories for me. Being a young 17/18 yr old getting told we were heading to the med sea to assist with Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan after 9/11 was terrifying to me and alot of other young sailors. But once the nerves settled it was game on and we did our duties. Anchors away my boys anchors away! 

 

 

Thank you for your service!! 🇺🇸