Iranian official calls for negotiations with Washington in Iraq

[Butifldrm]

Swedish companies withdraw from Iran because of sanctions

 

Economy News Baghdad Swedish companies have gradually cut back on deals with Iran, Swedish Minister for European Union and Trade Affairs Ann Linde said. "The signals we received from the Swedish companies we talked to indicate that in general they have reduced their business in Iran so that their business in the United States is not at risk, which is a much bigger market," the minister told Swedish news agency TT. She noted that some big companies prefer to wait until the end of the current period, as was the case with the sanctions against Iran. The sanctions have affected the work of the Swedish automakers mainly. Scania, a truck manufacturer whose dealings with Iran accounted for about 5 percent of its total sales, said at the end of July it had canceled all deals it would not be able to complete before mid-August. . Iran is also one of the most important markets for Swedish exports, particularly in the mining, telecommunications and transportation sectors.Because of previous sanctions, Swedish exports to Iran have fallen from 670 million euros to 100 million annually. By lifting the sanctions, exports in 2017 increased to 430 million euros, accounting for 0.3 percent of all Swedish exports.

Views 13   Date Added 08/08/2018 http://economy-news.net/content.php?id=13174

[Butifldrm]

WATCH 

Iranians Chant 'Death to the Dictator' as U.S. Sanctions Take Aim at Already Weak Economy

As Trump sanctions snapback, video of labor and social protests go viral on social media with scenes of protesters attacking the Iranian government

 Aug 08, 2018 2:22 PM

 

In this picture released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, May 23, 2018Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP

 

The Trump administration brought back economic sanctions on Iran Tuesday and expects the measures to have a significant impact on the Iranian economy.

The move comes as Iran has been roiled by mass protests over labor shortages and women's rights. Videos circulating on social media show crowds leaving a soccer match yelling "death to the dictator! Death to Khamenei! Death to Rouhani!" and "Islamic regime must get lost!” 

skip - 3

Raman Ghavami@Raman_Ghavami

Watch this
Breaking on #IranUpdate,
100 thousand of anti regime protestors who were watching the football match are leaving the stadium and all of them are chanting "death to the dictator, death to Khamenei, death to Rouhani, and Islamic regime must get lost."#Iran#IranProtests

2:21 PM - Aug 3, 2018

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119 people are talking about this

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mahsti25@mahsti25metana1

Here is Shiraz, #Iran
People do not want this regime. They chant:

”Death to the dictator”@DOTArabic #IranRegimeChange

4:12 AM - Aug 4, 2018

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92 people are talking about this

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Social media has been a powerful tool in fueling anti-government protests in Iran and is often disrupted by the government in an effort to crackdown on protesters. Other social media videos purport to show women shouting "death to the dictator." 

skip - 4

Lisa Daftari✔@LisaDaftari

Women take the lead in #IranProtests shouting "Death to the Dictator!"

12:24 PM - Aug 6, 2018

197

110 people are talking about this

 

The so-called snapback sanctions target Iran's purchases of U.S. dollars, metals trading and other dealings, coal, industrial-related software and its auto sector.

The officials added that Trump was ready to meet with Iran's leaders at any time in an effort to forge a new agreement with Tehran after President Donald Trump withdrew from a 2015 nuclear deal in May.

 

"There is no question that these financial sanctions are going to continue to bring significant financial pressure," one official told reporters on a conference call.

Washington brought back some of the measures against Iran that it suspended under the 2015 deal between world powers and Tehran under which international sanctions were lifted in return for curbs on Iran's nuclear program.

Some of the sanctions came back on Tuesday at 12:01 a.m. EDT (0401 GMT). The United States also plans to re-introduce potentially more damaging sanctions on Iranian oil in November.

The renewed sanctions are part of the broader strategy under Trump aimed at cutting off the Iranian leadership's access to resources.

They are aimed at modifying Iran's behavior not bring about a "regime change" targeting President Hassan Rouhani, the officials added.

The officials said the Iranian government's handling of current social and labor protests in were concerning.

"We are deeply concerned about reports of Iranian regime’s violence against unarmed citizens," one official said. "The United States supports the Iranian people’s right to peacefully protest against corruption and oppression without fear of reprisal," the official added.

Trump "will meet with the Iranian leadership at any time to discuss a real comprehensive deal that will contain their regional ambitions, will end their malign behavior and deny them any path to a nuclear weapon," one official said.

Asked about any possible exemptions to the renewed sanctions, officials said they would examine any requests on a case-by-case basis.

https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/iran/iranians-chant-death-to-dictator-as-trump-sanctions-hit-weak-economy-1.6361335?utm_campaign=General&utm_medium=web_push&utm_source=Push_Notification

[Butifldrm]

U.S. Bracing for Cyberattack From Iran in Response to Trump's Renewed Sanctions

A wave of attacks that U.S. authorities blamed on Iran between 2012 and 2014 targeted banks and caused tens of millions of dollars in damage

 

Aug 08, 2018 1:14 PM

 

 

Iranian protestors burn a representation of a U.S. flag during a gathering after their Friday prayer in Tehran, Iran, Friday, May 11, 2018AP Photo/Vahid Salemi

 

The U.S. is bracing for cyberattacks Iran could launch in retaliation for the re-imposition of sanctions this week by U.S. President Donald Trump, cybersecurity and intelligence experts say.

Concern over that cyber threat has been rising since May, when Trump pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal, under which the U.S. and other world powers eased economic sanctions in exchange for curbs on Iran’s nuclear program. The experts say the threat would intensify following Washington’s move Tuesday to re-impose economic restrictions on Tehran.

“While we have no specific threats, we have seen an increase in chatter related to Iranian threat activity over the past several weeks,” said Priscilla Moriuchi, director of strategic threat development at Recorded Future, a global real-time cyber threat intelligence company. The Massachusetts-based company predicted back in May that the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear agreement would provoke a cyber response from the Iranian government within two to four months.

U.S. intelligence agencies have singled out Iran as one of the main foreign cyber threats facing America, along with Russia, China and North Korea. A wave of attacks that U.S. authorities blamed on Iran between 2012 and 2014 targeted banks and caused tens of millions of dollars in damage. They also targeted but failed to penetrate critical infrastructure.

Iran denies using its cyber capabilities for offensive purposes, and accuses the U.S. of targeting Iran. Several years ago, the top-secret Stuxnet computer virus destroyed centrifuges involved in Iran’s contested nuclear program. Stuxnet, which is widely believed to be an American and Israeli creation, caused thousands of centrifuges at Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility to spin themselves to destruction at the height of the West’s fears over Iran’s program.

 

“The United States has been the most aggressive country in the world in offensive cyber activity and publicly boasted about attacking targets across the world,” said Alireza Miryousefi, spokesman for Iran’s diplomatic mission at the United Nations, contending that Iran’s cyber capabilities are “exclusively for defensive purposes.”

Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who heads the elite Quds Force of Iran’s hard-line paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, has sounded more ominous, warning late last month about Iran’s capabilities in “asymmetric war,” a veiled reference to nontraditional warfare that could include cyber attacks.

The Trump administration says it re-imposed sanctions on Iran to prevent its aggression — denying it the funds it needs to finance terrorism, its missile program and forces in conflicts in Yemen and Syria.

The sanctions restarted Tuesday target U.S. dollar financial transactions, Iran’s automotive sector and the purchase of commercial planes and metals, including gold. Even stronger sanctions targeting Iran’s oil sector and central bank are to be re-imposed in early November. European leaders have expressed deep regret about the U.S. actions. They hit Iran at a time when its unemployment is rising, the country’s currency has collapsed and demonstrators are taking to the streets to protest social issues and labor unrest.

Norm Roule, former Iran manager for the office of the Director of National Intelligence, said he thinks Tehran will muster its cyber forces in response.

“I think there is a good chance Iran will use cyber, probably not an attack that is so destructive that it would fragment its remaining relationship with Europe, but I just don’t think the Iranians will think there is much cost to doing this,” Roule said. “And it’s a good way to show their capacity to inflict economic cost against the United States.”

 

“Iran’s cyber activities against the world have been the most consequential, costly and aggressive in the history of the internet, more so than Russia. ... The Iranians are destructive cyber operators,” Roule said, adding that Iranian hackers have, at times, impersonated Israeli and Western cyber security firm websites to harvest log-in information.

The office of Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats declined to comment Tuesday on the likelihood that Iran will answer the sanctions with cyber operations against the U.S. When the U.S. pulled out of the nuclear deal, the FBI issued a warning saying that hackers in Iran “could potentially use a range of computer network operations — from scanning networks for potential vulnerabilities to data-deletion attacks — against U.S.-based networks in response to the U.S. government’s withdrawal” from the nuclear pact.

Accenture Security, a global consulting, managing and technology company, also warned Tuesday that the new sanctions would “likely to push that country to intensify state-sponsored cyber threat activities,” particularly if Iran fails to keep its European counterparts committed to the nuclear pact.

Josh Ray, the firm’s managing director for cyber defense, said it hasn’t seen any evidence that Iran has launched any new cyber operations, but he said Iran has the capability to do it and has historically operated in a retaliatory manner.

“This still remains a highly capable, espionage-related type threat,” Ray said. “Organizations need to take this threat seriously. They need to understand how their business could potentially be impacted.”

Recorded Future’s Moriuchi anticipated that businesses most at risk were those victimized in Iranian cyberattacks between 2012 and 2014 — they include banks and financial services, government departments, critical infrastructure providers, and oil and energy.

Those cyberattacks cost nearly 50 financial institutions tens of millions of dollars. The repeated attacks disabled bank websites and kept hundreds of thousands of customers from accessing their online accounts. U.S. prosecutors indicted several Iranians, alleging they worked at the behest of the Iranian government.

One defendant allegedly targeted the computer systems of the Bowman Dam in Rye, New York. No access was gained, but prosecutors said the breach underscored the potential vulnerabilities of the nation’s critical infrastructure.

In March, the Justice Department also announced charges against nine Iranians accused of working at the behest of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to steal large quantities of academic data from hundreds of universities in the United States and abroad as well as email accounts belonging to employees of government agencies and private companies.

https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/u-s-bracing-for-cyberattack-from-iran-after-trump-renews-sanctions-1.6361254

[Pitcher]

The U.S. is bracing for cyberattacks Iran could launch in retaliation for the re-imposition of sanctions this week by President Donald Trump, The Telegram cited cybersecurity and intelligence experts as saying on Wednesday.

Concern over that cyber threat has been rising since May, when Trump pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal, under which the U.S. and other world powers eased economic sanctions in exchange for curbs on Iran's nuclear program. 

 

The experts say the threat would intensify following Washington's move Tuesday to re-impose economic restrictions on Tehran.

"While we have no specific threats, we have seen an increase in chatter related to Iranian threat activity over the past several weeks," said Priscilla Moriuchi, director of strategic threat development at Recorded Future, a global real-time cyber threat intelligence company.

 

The Massachusetts-based company predicted back in May that the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear agreement would provoke a cyber response from the Iranian government within two to four months.

US intelligence agencies have singled out Iran as one of the main foreign cyber threats facing America, along with Russia, China and North Korea.

 

A wave of attacks that US authorities blamed on Iran between 2012 and 2014 targeted banks and caused tens of millions of dollars in damage. 

 

They also targeted but failed to penetrate critical infrastructure.

 

https://www.thebaghdadpost.com/en/Story/30438/US-braces-for-possible-cyberattacks-after-Iran-sanctions

[Pitcher]

Iraqi authority emphasizes standing by Iran

Baghdad, Aug 8, IRNA - Leader of the Iraqi National Wisdom Movement Ammar Hakim said that Iran is strategic depth of Iraq, adding its 'our duty to stand by Iran'.

Hakim made the remarks Tuesday in reaction to the US economic pressures on Iran.  

Iran is under pressure, sanctions that targeted its economic and political system, he said. 

Iraq should help Iran feel about sanctions, since Iran stood by Iraq in all crises.

Enjoying about 1300 km common borders with Iraq and the relations between two countries are the most reason for supporting Iran, he added.

After Washington's May 8 exit from the landmark Iran Deal formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the US gave 90 to 180 wind-down period to other countries before it starts re-imposing oil sanctions on Tehran on November 4. 

Part of the US illegitimate sanctions are to be imposed on Iran as of August 9.

http://www.irna.ir/en/News/82995576

[Pitcher]

I’ve been reading a number of articles where Iraqi “ leaders” are spewing anti American views and cozining up to Iran. 

 

When yo take into account the protests and news articles against Abadi it is not hard to see Iran is exerting it’s power in Iraq and this does not bode well for our investment imo.  The government is more and more looking like it is Iran sympathetic and anti US. 

 

In this artiicle it states Iraq should stand with Iran since It helped Iraq during its tough times.  One question for this fellow.

Who liberated Iraq from Saddam and who destroyed Isis?   Yes, it was the USA!!  It may be time to start exerting some US power with these Iraqi politicians.   

[Pitcher]

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iranian-backed Asaib Ahl al-Haq has criticized Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi for abiding by the United States’ decision to reimpose sanctions on Iran.

In a statement on Wednesday, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, one of the factions of the Hashd al-Shaabi militias, rejected the US sanctions, describing Washington’s decision as a clear violation of humanitarian and legal norms.

“The sensitive situation in Iraq and its inter-linked interests require the country’s leaders to make proper decisions by considering its sovereignty, not through fear and subordination,” the statement read, urging the leaders to place “the country’s interest over others’ interests.”

Maintaining Iraq’s neutrality by not taking the side of the Iranian front does not mean it has to be part of the US front and support its unilateral decisions, Asaib Ahl al-Haq said.

During his weekly press briefing on Tuesday, Abadi said Iraq would not react to the US-Iran dispute as Washington reimposed sanctions on the neighboring country but said Baghdad would abide by them “to protect the interests of our people.”

“Asaib Ahl al-Haq regrets the remarks made by the Iraqi Prime Minister,” the statement continued, adding it was unnecessary for Abadi “to bound himself and the state of Iraq with such an obligation since he is running a caretaker government and should not make such a decisive decision.”

“We assure that such a decision is non-binding for the next government,” the Shia militia said. “We hope the new government’s decision considers Iraq’s sovereignty and interests.”

Meanwhile, Iraqi President Fuad Masum, in an interview with US-based al-Hurra Iraq on Tuesday, warned of an Iranian response that might affect the situation in Iraq and its neighboring countries as well.

On Monday, the Trump administration announced the first stage of the re-imposition of economic sanctions on Iran which had initially ended with the 2015 nuclear deal.

 

 

http://www.irna.ir/en/News/82995576

[ChuckFinley]

Iran is definitely the problem child here. Until it get addressed we will be dealing with these a$$ Wipe. 

[KDuesing]

 

Guess he didnt notice Iraq mostly voted Iran out in the last elections.

[Butifldrm]

TEHRAN: Tehran is considering trading currencies to avoid sanctions

 

9 minutes ago

2790 views

+ -

NRT

TEHRAN (Reuters) - The government may turn to digital currency trading through local banks, a move that could help it overcome the dollar's dominance and avoid US sanctions, Iranian officials said .

The Minister of Communications and Technology Iranian information, Mohammad Jahromi, in remarks on Wednesday, August 8, the Iranian President, Hassan Rowhani, the Central Bank and the Ministry of Communications was commissioned to hold a joint meeting on digital currencies and make new proposals for circulation, as quoted by the Iranian news agency "IRNA " .

"The government's vision is that these currencies are not necessarily a threat but can create opportunities," he said .

Analysts believe that digital currencies in Iran are banned, but after the first package of US sanctions on Iran came into force on Tuesday, Tehran could go to these currencies, which are not censored, especially since sanctions are aimed at the Iranian banking system, The Iranian government's purchase of the US dollar, the gold trade, and the sale of government bonds.

Venezuela, which also imposes sanctions on the United States, had earlier developed its own currency, backed by oil reserves, to circumvent sanctions, which restricted its sales of crude oil .

It is worth noting that the digital currencies have been very large in the past two years despite the warnings of the central banks around the world of the risk of investing in them, unlike the dollar or the euro, digital currencies are not supported by a central bank or government, but are manufactured through electronic devices using calculations very complex .

R.

http://www.nrttv.com/AR/News.aspx?id=3179&MapID=5

[Butifldrm]

An Iraqi has gone to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait after sanctions against Iran

Stop bank transfers between Baghdad and Tehran

 

 arabic

 09/08/2018 - 12:52

Iraq

 

 

 

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The Iraqi government is seeking to import electricity and daily goods from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait against the backdrop of sanctions imposed on Iran, 10 billion dollars, noting that the financial transfer between Baghdad and Tehran has stopped.

"Bank transfers between Iraqi and Iranian banks have stopped and trade has been paralyzed by US sanctions against Iran," the newspaper said in its report.

"These sanctions have led the Iraqi government to move towards the Gulf markets to meet the need for energy and consumer goods, to avoid any negative repercussions in domestic markets," she said.

The newspaper pointed out that "the volume of trade exchange between Baghdad and Tehran has reached during the past years to more than ten billion dollars annually."

Noting that "the Iraqi government continues, currently, unannounced consultations with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to supply electricity and commercial goods important to the country."

The newspaper quoted the appearance of Mohammed Saleh, economic adviser to the outgoing Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi, "The Iraqi government began looking for alternative sources of Iranian energy due to economic sanctions imposed by the United States of America on Iran," noting that these alternatives "will reduce the amount of damage caused On the economic sanctions on Tehran in the Iraqi market. "

US President Donald Trump has imposed new and comprehensive sanctions on Iran after withdrawing from its nuclear deal in 2015 to force Tehran to agree to a new deal aimed at halting its nuclear work.

The US Treasury has sent a letter to the Central Bank of Iraq obliges Iraqi banks to stop their dealings with Iranian banks and banks threatened to "freeze the assets of the bank and put it on the black list in case of violation of instructions issued by the US Treasury.

"The government is moving towards the Gulf states, especially Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, to compensate for its energy needs, while relying on the development of the gas and electricity industry locally," Saleh was quoted as saying.

The newspaper said that "Prime Minister Haider Abadi earlier commissioned the Minister of Electricity Qassim Fahdawi and advanced cadres of the ministry to go immediately to Saudi Arabia to sign a memorandum of cooperation in the field of energy after the suspension of the Iranian line carrier of electric power to work, but withdrew the hand of Fahdawi before his visit Saudi".

"The sanctions imposed on Iran will be reflected negatively on the volume of commercial activity between Tehran and Baghdad," he said, stressing that "the cessation of financial transfers between the two countries."

US sanctions, according to the report, are aimed at Iran's exports in the transport sector as well as its commercial activities, purchases of gold and other basic minerals, and the Iranian government's acquisition or acquisition of the US dollar. The sanctions have been in effect since early Tuesday.

"Iran is the largest exporter of daily consumer goods to Iraq, as well as the import and assembly of Iranian cars, where the number of workers in car assembly plants about 5000 Iraqi workers," Saleh said, pointing out that "the number of Iranian visitors to the holy places up to three million visitors in One year, "as the Iranian currency continues to fall against the US dollar as gold prices soar.

In contrast, the Chairman of the Economic Committee in the House of Representatives former Jawad al-Bolani, the Iraqi government's commitment to implement the economic sanctions on Tehran, stressing that "part of the trade exchange between the two countries necessitates the sustainability of the requirements of Iraq daily."

"These daily necessities that Iraq needs after the cessation of its factories and laboratories are known to the international community, which requires the Iraqi government to secure them," a newspaper report quoted Bolani as saying, calling on the Iraqi government to "create a balance in dealing with international sanctions."

"Iraq is against international sanctions, and there is an experiment in Iraq that has weakened the country and the people," Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said at his weekly conference on Tuesday, August 7, 2018. "We do not support the sanctions because they are a strategic mistake, but we are obliged to respect them."

"The daily trade exchange with Iran on the level of goods and consumer goods, such as milk and others, amounts to 10 million dollars a day," he said, adding that "annual trade volume of consumer goods, equipment, cars, oil, gas and electricity reaches more than 10 billion dollars a year" .

He stressed that "there are funds owed by the Iraqi government due to pay to Iran because of electricity bills and gas access to power stations in Iraq," pointing out that "zeroing these funds need a way to lead to pay in light of these sanctions."

"The low volume of trade exchange between Iraq and Iran depends on the treatment of Iraqi state institutions and their commitment to economic sanctions imposed by Washington, which requires the Council of Ministers to develop a vision to deal with US actions."

http://www.basnews.com/index.php/ar/news/iraq/457974

[yota691]

BAGHDAD: Trade between Iraq and Iran continues despite Washington sanctions

 

money and business Economy News _ Baghdad The Baghdad Chamber of Commerce revealed on Thursday the continuation of trade exchange between Iraq and Iran despite the issuance of the package of US sanctions.  On Monday, US President Donald Trump imposed comprehensive sanctions on Iran after it pulled out of its nuclear deal in 2015. The sanctions target Iran's purchases in the automotive and transportation sector as well as its business and purchases of gold and other basic metals.  The head of the Baghdad Chamber of Commerce, Jaafar al-Hamdani, said in an interview with "Economy News" that the recent US sanctions on Iran did not affect the Iraqi-Iranian trade, because "there is no action taken by us and trade continues on the same pattern and was not affected until right Now". Al-Hamdani added that "the private sector is bound by the decisions that will be issued by the Iraqi government in this regard." The volume of trade exchange carried out by the private sector of Iraq and Iran more than 5 billion dollars annually.  "The presence of a large number of Iranian companies operating in the Iraqi market, and any action will be taken because of US sanctions on Iran will affect the trade relations between the two countries and create a kind of unrest in the Iraqi market."  Political and economic relations between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran have been strained for years because of Iran's nuclear program. Views 16   Date Added 09/08/2018

[yota691]

Foreign Affairs: Iraq against the principle of the blockade of any state

09/8/2018 12:00 am  Political rejection of US sanctions on Iran  ,  Baghdad / Al- Sabah  said the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, on Wednesday that Iraq rejects the principle of the embargo on any country because it hurts people in the first place, comes at a time when successive reactions Iraqi actions rejecting US sanctions against neighboring Iran. In a statement received by Al-Sabah, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmad Mahjoub said in a statement that "Iraq rejects the principle of the blockade of any country," pointing out that this harms the basic level of peoples in various social strata. Iraq positions neighboring Iran supervising to stand by his side in the crises "He pointed out that" no harm to one of the countries only and reflected negatively on the security and stability of the region as a whole, "noting that" while the Ministry praises the position of the Islamic Republic with Iraq in Countering terrorism and supporting it, it calls on the international community to press for dissuasion The US administration to continue these sanctions, "He continued," We find that the negative impact will be significant on Iraq and the entire region in terms of economic and social, being an important geographical neighborhood. For his part, Vice President Nuri al-Maliki, in a statement received "morning", a copy of it, "his rejection and denunciation" of the US sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic of Iran, and all unilateral sanctions on the peoples, "  adding that" to punish the people through the imposition of the policy of starvation and intimidation is a policy that has been the major countries against countries that oppose its policies hostile, and have our people suffered from starvation and siege policy during the previous regime. "  in addition, he refused to vice president of the former parliament, Humam Hammoudi , the overall US sanctions , which affected the Islamic Republic of Iran.  He called on Sheikh Hamoudi in Statement issued by his office Lamy, the government has to demand from the US administration not to Iraq 's commitment to those sanctions , and to reject any negative effects affecting Iraq, especially that our country is going through an exceptional condition because of the ongoing confrontation with terrorism and bear the effects of this devastating war for years. "

[yota691]

Due to the suspension of bank transfers between Baghdad and Tehran, Iraq has moved towards Saudi Arabia and Kuwait

Readers

 

 

Due to the suspension of bank transfers between Baghdad and Tehran, Iraq has moved towards Saudi Arabia and Kuwait

 

09-08-2018 03:10 PM

 

The Euphrates -

 

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The Iraqi government is seeking to import electricity and daily goods from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait over sanctions imposed on Iran, which has an annual trade volume of about 10 billion dollars, Between Baghdad and Tehran has stopped. 

The newspaper said in its report that 'bank transfers between Iraqi and Iranian banks stopped, and paralyzed the trade movement because of the sanctions imposed by the United States on Iran'. 

"These sanctions have led the Iraqi government to move towards the Gulf markets to meet the need for energy and consumer goods, in order to avoid any negative repercussions in the domestic markets." 

The newspaper pointed out that "the volume of trade exchange between Baghdad and Tehran reached over the past years to more than ten billion dollars annually." 

Noting that 'the Iraqi government continues, currently, unannounced consultations with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to supply electricity and commercial goods important to the country'. 

The newspaper quoted the appearance of Mohammed Saleh, economic adviser to the outgoing Prime Minister Haider Abadi, that 'the Iraqi government began looking for alternative sources of Iranian energy due to economic sanctions imposed by the United States of America on Iran,' indicating that these alternatives' will reduce the extent of damage caused by Economic sanctions on Tehran in the Iraqi market '. 

US President Donald Trump has imposed new and comprehensive sanctions on Iran after withdrawing from its nuclear deal in 2015 to force Tehran to agree to a new deal aimed at halting its nuclear work. 

The US Treasury has sent a letter to the Central Bank of Iraq obliges Iraqi banks to stop their dealings with banks and banks of Iran threatened to 'freeze the assets of the bank and put it on the black list in case of violation instructions issued by the US Treasury'. 

"The government is moving towards the Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, to compensate for its energy needs, while relying on the development of the gas and electricity industry locally," the report quoted Saleh as saying. "Consultations with Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are continuing and will not stop." 

The newspaper said that 'Prime Minister Haider Abadi earlier commissioned the Minister of Electricity Qassim Fahdawi and the advanced cadres of the ministry to go immediately to Saudi Arabia to sign a memorandum of cooperation in the field of energy after the suspension of the Iranian line carrier of electric power to work, but withdrew the hand of Fahdawi before his visit Saudi'. 

"The American sanctions imposed on Iran will be reflected negatively on the volume of commercial activity between Tehran and Baghdad," he said, stressing that 'stop financial transfers between the two countries'. 

US sanctions, according to the report, are aimed at Iran's exports in the transport sector as well as its commercial activities, purchases of gold and other basic minerals, and the Iranian government's acquisition or acquisition of the US dollar. The sanctions have been in effect since early Tuesday. 

"Iran is the largest exporter of daily consumer goods to Iraq, as well as the import and assembly of Iranian cars, where the number of workers in car assembly plants about 5000 Iraqi workers," noting that "the number of Iranian visitors to the holy places up to three million visitors in One year ', as the Iranian currency continues to decline against the US dollar with the rapid rise in the prices of gold coins. 

In contrast, the Chairman of the Economic Committee in the former House of Representatives Jawad al-Bolani, the Iraqi government's commitment to implement the economic sanctions against Tehran, stressing that 'part of the trade exchange between the two countries necessitates the sustainability of the requirements of Iraq daily.' 

"The daily requirements that Iraq needs after the cessation of its factories and laboratories are known to the international community, which requires the Iraqi government to secure them," the report quoted Bolani as saying that the Iraqi government is "to create a balance in dealing with international sanctions." 

"Iraq is against international sanctions, and there is an experiment in Iraq that has weakened the country and the people," Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said at his weekly conference on Tuesday, August 7, 2018. "We do not support the sanctions because they are a strategic mistake, but we are forced to respect them." 

"The daily trade exchange with Iran on the level of goods and consumer goods, such as milk and others, reaches 10 million dollars a day," he said, adding that "the annual trade volume of consumer goods, equipment, cars, oil, gas and electricity reaches more than 10 billion dollars a year" . 

And confirms that 'there are funds owed by the Iraqi government due to pay to Iran because of the electricity bills and gas access to power stations in Iraq,' pointing out that 'zeroing of these funds need a way to lead to payment in light of the existence of these sanctions'. 

"The low volume of trade exchange between Iraq and Iran depends on the handling of Iraqi state institutions and their commitment to economic sanctions imposed by Washington, which requires the Council of Ministers to develop a vision to deal with US actions.

[yota691]

Italy's biggest bank is negotiating with America to lift sanctions on Iran

Readers

 

 

Italy's biggest bank is negotiating with America to lift sanctions on Iran

 

08-08-2018 02:52 PM

 

The Euphrates -

 

UniCredit, the largest bank in Italy, is currently negotiating with the US to exempt it from sanctions if it deals with Iran, newspaper sources said. 

According to press sources, this famous bank is trying to reach an agreement with the United States to allow him to work with the Iranian side and continue its previous activities. 

"We are confident that we can reach an agreement with the states in this regard this year," said Jean-Pierre Bustier, general secretary of the Italian bank. 

The bank has been audited in 2011 by the United States following its previous cooperation with Iranian companies. The US Department of Justice began investigations in 2012.

[Butifldrm]

An Iranian deputy demands Iraq pay $ 1100 billion in war compensation

 

2 hours ago

 

+ -

NRT

Iranian parliamentarian Mahmoud Sadeghi called on the Iraqi government to pay $ 1100 billion in compensation for the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s .

The MP said the reformist movement, in a tweet on Twitter on Wednesday, August 8, that the Iraqi government to pay up to 1100 billion US dollars in compensation and losses from the war launched by the former Iraqi regime, according to Article 6 of UN resolution 598 .

"The Iranian government was delaying the claim for compensation and loss of war because of the plight of the Iraqi people ."

 The statement comes in response to statements by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, in which he stressed Iraq's commitment to the package of US sanctions on Tehran.

"The government does not support sanctions because it is a strategic mistake, but it is obliged to respect them," the Foreign Ministry said in its statement. "Iraq rejects the principle The siege on any country that harms the basic level of peoples in various social strata . "

R.

http://www.nrttv.com/AR/News.aspx?id=3183&MapID=2

[Butifldrm]

Iraq 's economy opens to the Gulf and Turkish markets as an alternative to Iran

 

 Twilight News    

 

 58 minutes ago

 

 

Iraqi government sources announced on Thursday unannounced consultations with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Turkey to open up their markets. 
The official Jordanian news agency quoted an Iraqi government source as saying that intensive consultations were being held by competent Iraqi government bodies with the concerned authorities in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, other Gulf countries and Turkey in an attempt to open up their markets and compensate for the shortfall due to the imposition of US economic sanctions against Iran on August 6. 
He added that Iraq's goal of the new openness is to meet the need for energy sources and consumer goods, to avoid any negative repercussions in the internal markets of Iraq. 
Bank transfers between Iraqi and Iranian banks have been suspended and commercial movement paralyzed by US sanctions on Iran.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi said last Tuesday that he would abide by US sanctions against Iran to protect the Iraqi people.

 

Keywords: 

http://www.shafaaq.com/ar/Ar_NewsReader/18745a81-d03b-4979-8590-fb28627b4220

[Pitcher]

Thank you for these articles Yota and Butifldrm. The banking shutdown between Iran and Iraq is a story to keep an eye on.  You can almost see the battle lines being drawn. SA Kuwait UAE and a few others against Iran Syria and Qatar along with Iran supported militias 

Iraq is smack dab in the middle with a predominantly Shite population which is sympathetic to Iran.  Wow  We may be headed towards a big ME war this fall .  

[Hotcurl]

3 hours ago, Butifldrm said:

An Iranian deputy demands Iraq pay $ 1100 billion in war compensation

 

2 hours ago

 

+ -

NRT

Iranian parliamentarian Mahmoud Sadeghi called on the Iraqi government to pay $ 1100 billion in compensation for the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s .

The MP said the reformist movement, in a tweet on Twitter on Wednesday, August 8, that the Iraqi government to pay up to 1100 billion US dollars in compensation and losses from the war launched by the former Iraqi regime, according to Article 6 of UN resolution 598 .

"The Iranian government was delaying the claim for compensation and loss of war because of the plight of the Iraqi people ."

 The statement comes in response to statements by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, in which he stressed Iraq's commitment to the package of US sanctions on Tehran.

"The government does not support system" rel="">support sanctions because it is a strategic mistake, but it is obliged to respect them," the Foreign Ministry said in its statement. "Iraq rejects the principle The siege on any country that harms the basic level of peoples in various social strata . "

R.

http://www.nrttv.com/AR/News.aspx?id=3183&MapID=2

 

Is he smoking Crack or just need money to buy some  ? ........... 

 

I think the "statute of limitations" is long gone on this one, sorry.

 

Semper Fi

GO RV

 

[6ly410]

https://www.alghadpress.com/news/اهم-اخبار-الاقتصاد-في-العراق-والعالم/170052/اقتصادي-التجار-سيلجؤون-للمنافذ-غير-الرسمية-للحد-منThe economic expert, Hamam al-Shamma, said Thursday that traders will resort to the informal outlets to limit the impact of the Iranian sanctions on Iraq, noting that the impact of sanctions will not be large on the country.

Trade between Iraq and Iran is the main point that will be the focus of the impact on Iraq, because there is a trade of more than 13 billion dollars with Iran," al-Shamma told al-Ghad Press.

"Most of the trade exchange between the two countries is through informal channels and most goods are border trade, but the problem lies in trade through official border crossings," he said.

The Iranian and Iraqi traders will turn the trade from the official border ports to the informal outlets where the trade of Iraq and Iran will turn and trade between the local currencies will be carried out by the dinar and the tuman," he said.

"The Iraqi-Iranian economy will not see major changes in Iraq through US sanctions on Iran, but there are other aspects of trade relations between the two countries, such as the import of cars and heavy goods, and these services will be greatly affected," he said.

 

Edited August 9, 2018 by 6ly410

[navira]

Dinar and the Tuman?

[ChuckFinley]

25 minutes ago, navira said:

Dinar and the Tuman?

What is and what could have been.  

[Pitcher]

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s comments that his country would abide by US sanctions has taken Iranian media by surprise.

"As a matter of principle we are against sanctions in the region," Abadi said at a press conference Aug. 8. "Blockade and sanctions destroy societies and weaken regimes." He added that they are a "strategic mistake" but that Iraq "will abide by them."

Given Iran's immediate and unconditional support for Iraq after the rise of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group in northern Iraq in 2014, compared with that of the delayed and conditional support of the United States, Iranian media and social media users were very critical of Abadi's support of US sanctions. One official even mentioned memories of the Iran-Iraq War.

Iranian parliamentarian Mahmoud Sadeghi, who is an outspoken official, particularly on Twitter, tweeted, "The Iraqi government, according to Article 6 of Resolution 598 [which ended the Iran-Iraq War], owes the Iranian government 1.1 trillion dollars in reparations for the imposed war [Iran-Iraq War]. The Iranian government, given the restrictions on the people of Iraq, has postponed its demands on these reparations. Now, the prime minister of Iraq, instead of paying up, will cooperate against oppressive sanctions against the people of Iran."

An article in Russian-funded Sputnik by Emad Abshenas wrote that Abadi, who is still trying to form a government after the Iraqi elections in May, made double-sided comments both criticizing the sanctions and abiding by them in order to attract maximum approval from Iraq's parliament. Abshenas wrote that during Iraqi elections officials attempt to portray themselves as being bipartisan and independent and there is no country better suited than Iran for officials to use in order to achieve this end, either through indirect criticism or with friendly gestures toward Saudi Arabia, Iran's regional foe. Abshenas noted that Abadi visited Saudi Arabia before visiting Iran, despite the closer relations between Tehran and Baghdad.

Abshenas said that Iranians, unlike the Americans, do not incessantly remind the Iraqis of Iranian contributions in the fight against IS, nor of Iran's support for Abadi's rise to the position of prime minister The article suggested that Abadi may not only turn his back on Iran but could also one day turn against Iran.

A number of domestic Iranian media outlets also covered Iraqi criticism of Abadi's decision to cooperate with US sanctions, particularly comments by Iraqi groups who are politically aligned with Iran.

In an article for IR Diplomacy, analyst Mohammad Sadeghi al-Hashemi wrote that Iran "has always been honorable with respect to Iraq." He asked how Abadi could make such a decision knowing that sanctions will lead to "hunger, poverty, sickness and deprivation." He continued that Abadi's support of US sanctions has "no benefit for the people of Iraq."

Hashemi concluded that Abadi's statement that Iraq will abide by US sanctions indicates that he is seeking Washington's approval for the formation of his government after the elections. He questioned why Iraq should stand alone to support these sanctions when Russia, Europe, China, Pakistan and India have all expressed opposition to them.

Seyyed Hashem al-Mousavi, a spokesman for Kataib Hezbollah, a Shiite paramilitary group that receives Iranian support, asked, "Since when has the Iraqi nation become part of the project to sanction other nations?" Referring to the group's fight against the Islamic State, he said, "We have given blood for the consolidation of the country and we will not allow anyone to encroach upon our independence."

Echoing similar comments made by Hashemi, Mousavi said, "This is not a [United Nations] Security Council decision that we must submit to." He added, "Two-thirds of the world is standing with Iran."

Referring to Iran's support in the fight against IS and Iranian advisers killed in Iraq by the terrorist group, Mousavi said, "It is not clear who is advising you? Is the reward for goodness not goodness that you cooperate with Iran's enemies? How will you answer the people of Iran after they supported us with all of their existence? How will you answer the families of their martyrs?"

 

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2018/08/iran-sanctions-trump-iraq-pm-abadi-reactions-pmu-isis.html

 

[Calijim]

Bye bye iatolla Trump is the big daddy.

[Butifldrm]

What prevents Iraq from violating US sanctions against Iran?

BAGHDAD, Aug 9 (Reuters) - The economic expert, Majid al-Suri, played down the possibility of Iraq breaking US sanctions against Iran, especially with regard to trade exchange in hard currency.

"This is not the first time that US sanctions have been imposed on Iran, but in terms of the degree of Iraq's commitment to them, there is inevitably something related to the remittances in dollars and euros," al-Surri said. When remittances pass through the United States and are therefore monitored and can not be ignored. "

"But what can not be controlled is the bilateral trade exchange between the two countries without the dollar and the euro and thus outside the framework of banks, which continued when the imposition of previous sanctions, where there is an inability to control the border crossings as well as the length of the border between Iraq and Iran, which allows Necessarily by breakthroughs ".

A first package of sanctions by Washington came into force on Tuesday following US President Donald Rumsfeld's  decision in May to abandon the nuclear deal signed in 2015 in a move opposed by other signatories.

The first package included sanctions on the financial and commercial sectors, followed by another in November, targeting energy, most notably "oil the nerve of the economy." [1]

https://www.iraqpressagency.com/?p=281895