Iranian official calls for negotiations with Washington in Iraq

[Pitcher]

Im reading a bunch of articles while watching the ball game. I like to post things that the board may find interesting.  

[rw.sutton]

The "MOTHER", of all wars! Yeah right! Everytime I think of those sailors on their knees begging for life whil there little PT boats held them captive, it goes all through me. Damn Obama, tried his best to make, America a laughing stock of the world!

Well gown wearers better tighten up those war bonnet's, and tell Allah Babba good bye, your not messing with Bamm Bamm!

[Pitcher]

Yes that was a very low point watching our sailors on their knees.  I just read an article that China is demanding the US Navy to leave the South China Sea Immediately!!  That’s not happening!!  

[Pitcher]

CAIRO — 

Iraq has begun to apply new U.S. economic sanctions against Iran, turning back shipments of Iranian goods at a number of border crossings, according to Al Hurra TV, quoting Iranian merchants.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who is straddling the political fence as he seeks a second term following parliamentary elections in May, told journalists Wednesday that he was "totally opposed to the principle of sanctions, given the price [Baghdad] itself had paid for international sanctions [under Saddam Hussein]."

FILE - Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi delivers a speech at an economic development conference in Tokyo, April 5, 2018.

Nonetheless, Abadi said he would apply them, since "the world does business in dollars and it would hurt the interests of the Iraqi people" if he ignored them.

Iran is Iraq's second-largest trading partner after Turkey, causing concern that strict implementation of sanctions could hurt the economies of both countries. Iraq imported more than $6.5 billion in goods and services from Iran last year, including consumer goods, building materials, raw materials, natural gas and electricity.

Merchants in Baghdad told Arab media in recent days that upward of two-thirds of the consumer goods they sell are Iranian-made, raising concerns about a possible closure of the border with Iran. Most analysts point out, though, that the Iraqi government does not control many of its land or sea border crossings and that pro-Iranian Shiite proxy militias are likely to continue illicit trade with Tehran.

Washington-based Gulf analyst Theodore Karasik told VOA that applying the sanctions would be difficult at various levels, especially for "Kurdish factions which are close to Tehran," which he said "would probably have a difficult time implementing the sanctions, and could ignore or work around them."

He added that many Kurds have family ties on both sides of the border, making strict sanctions enforcement more difficult "because the family comes first and not the state."

Fine line

Veteran Saudi analyst and commentator Jamal Khashoggi told VOA that Iraq's Abadi "must maintain good relations with both the U.S. and Iran in order to remain in power." He joked that Abadi "probably has breakfast with the Americans and lunch with the Iranians," and most likely was "telling the Americans that he will respect the sanctions," while claiming to the Iranians that he "is obliged to say that."

FILE - An Iraqi merchant receives a delivery of Iranian-made air coolers, at his shop in central Baghdad.

Khashoggi said many regional states find themselves in the same dilemma as Iraq. "They are a friend to America and don't want to be on the wrong side of Donald Trump, but they want to maintain their economic relationship with the Iranians," he said.

Khashoggi said that "Qatar, the UAE and Turkey, along with Oman and India, have the same problem as Iraq, so Donald Trump's decision to impose the sanctions is going to have a major impact throughout the Middle East."

Political science professor Hilal Khashan, who teaches at the American University of Beirut, said Iraq has been trying to reach out to its Sunni Gulf state neighbors in order to diversify its strategic relations. He noted that Iraqi delegations approached both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait recently, "and there was talk about linking the Iraqi electricity network to the Gulf Cooperation Council grid, via Kuwait."

Competing interests

Khashan said the Saudis were noncommittal "because they do not completely trust the Iraqi government or Abadi." Moreover, he posited that even if they wanted to "open up to Iraq," the Iranians would "probably not allow them to go very far."

Khashoggi said the Saudis, nevertheless, are "interested in improving the relationship with Iraq," which he said "has improved in recent times." He said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman began to open up to Iraq "two years ago, and continued along that path, with some hiccups, here and there." By maintaining dialogue with Iraq, Khashoggi said, "Saudi Arabia is hoping that it could weaken Iranian influence in Iraq."

Analyst Karasik believes the U.S. would be wise to attempt to focus the implementation of sanctions by Iraq against Iran on key industries that help Iran maintain its foothold in Iraq.

"That type of pressure on Baghdad must be carefully calibrated because of the economic relationship between the two countries, so that Iraq's economy doesn't suffer at a time when it needs to be boosted," he said.

Political turbulence and a wave of rioting across parts of southern Iraq have created fresh instability in the country at a time when government security forces and the Shiite militias backing them up were on the verge of destroying the militant Islamic State group.

 

 

https://www.voanews.com/a/iran-s-economic-worries-mount-as-iraq-applies-new-us-sanctions/4523778.html

[yota691]

 Obama lied about Iran and now Congress may be coming after him!

[yota691]

 

Iraq stops importing cars from Iran

 

 Twilight News    
 8 hours ago

The Iraqi authorities decided to stop the import of Iranian cars, explaining that their markets will be affected greatly as they depend on the import of goods on Tehran and Beijing.

The agency "Agence France Presse," quoting an Iraqi official, saying that his country "comply with US sanctions against Iran, and took a decision to stop the import of Iranian cars."

The Iraqi official said that "the Iraqi government's demand to exclude the car industry to ensure the continuation of the factory, which provides 5 thousand jobs, and is currently pending a decision," and stressed that "this puts all workers to the loss of their jobs."

Keywords: 

[yota691]

Energy Agency: Commercial war and sanctions against Iran threaten the oil market

 10 August 2018 1:06 PM
Directly it said the International Energy Agency said the US plan to apply sanctions against Iran , targeting oil may dramatically affect the global supply and deplete global production capacity reserve.

"If the oil sanctions against Iran come into effect, maintaining the global supply could be very difficult, coinciding with production problems elsewhere," she said in a report released Friday. "This will come at the expense of maintaining reserve oil capacity."

The Paris-based agency said market expectations as a result would be less calm than they are now.

The United States is threatening to implement sanctions against companies or entities that will import oil from Iran starting in November, and economic sanctions against Tehran have been launched starting this week.

The International Energy Agency warned of the impact of trade tensions on the energy market and said it threatened to reduce growth significantly in some exporting countries.

At the same time, she pointed out that the risk of disruption of trade may recede as quickly as it grows.

 

 

[ChuckFinley]

5 hours ago, yota691 said:

 Obama lied about Iran and now Congress may be coming after him!

I wish but unlikely. The Dems will not stand for it, unless their heads are in the noose. Then they will be ratting each other out. 

[yota691]

Iran tested an anti-ship missile in the Strait of Hormuz

Readers

 

 

Iran tested an anti-ship missile in the Strait of Hormuz

 

11-08-2018 12:16 PM

 

The Euphrates -

 

Analysts do not hide Iran's apparent desire to send a message to the United States after its war games in which it said it aimed to "face potential threats" from enemies. 

A US official said on Friday that Iran tested a short-range anti-ship missile in the Strait of Hormuz during its naval exercises last week, while Washington believes it is a message from Iran to the United States with the re-imposition of sanctions on Tehran. 

But the official did not mention that such a missile test was unusual during naval maneuvers or that it was carried out unsafe, pointing out that it took place within what could be described as Iranian territorial waters in the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard has confirmed on Sunday that it has conducted military exercises in the Gulf in recent days, saying it was aimed at 'confronting potential threats' from enemies. 
Gen. Joseph Fotill, commander of the US Central Command earlier this week, said the scope and scale of the exercises were similar to maneuvers by Iran in the past. But the timing of these exercises was aimed at drawing Washington's attention. 

"It is quite clear to us that they are trying to use this maneuver to send us a message that, as we approach this period of sanctions here, they have some capabilities," he told reporters at the Pentagon. 

Iran is angered by US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the international agreement on Iran's nuclear program and re-impose sanctions on Tehran. Senior Iranian officials said their country would not succumb easily to a new US campaign aimed at halting Iran's vital oil exports. 

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei backed last month's proposal by President Hassan Rowhani that Iran would halt oil exports in the Gulf if its exports were halted. 

Fotel said the US military was fully aware of Iran's military activities. 

"We are aware of what is happening and we are still ready to protect ourselves as we seek to achieve our goal of freedom of navigation and freedom of trade in international waters."

[Butifldrm]

Number of readings  169

Section:  Iraq

 

Expert: Abadi's policies keep the dinar from collapsing

 

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's decision to suspend trade in dollars with Iran is in Tehran's interest and shows the purity of Baghdad's intention, economic expert Salama Smisem said Friday (August 10, 2018).

"The Iraqi move is aimed at preventing the dollar from flowing into Iran and thus preserving the Iraqi dinar from collapse, in return for the smuggling of the dollar," Smisem said in a press statement.

She added that the decision is a political and economic goal for the continuity of economic dealings between Iraq and Iran, especially after the overlap of human and family ties between the two countries.

"The Iraqi move is in the interests of the Iranian economy and shows the clear intention of Iraq toward Iran," she said.

It should be noted that the Office of Prime Minister Haider Abadi had earlier confirmed that Iraq would have to give up the dollar in trade accounts with Iran.

Follow the obelisk

http://almasalah.com/ar/news/146811/خبيرة-سياسات-العبادي--تحافظ-على-الدينار-من-الانهيار

[newbieDA]

4 hours ago, Butifldrm said:

Number of readings  169

Section:  Iraq

 

Expert: Abadi's policies keep the dinar from collapsing

 

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's decision to suspend trade in dollars with Iran is in Tehran's interest and shows the purity of Baghdad's intention, economic expert Salama Smisem said Friday (August 10, 2018).

"The Iraqi move is aimed at preventing the dollar from flowing into Iran and thus preserving the Iraqi dinar from collapse, in return for the smuggling of the dollar," Smisem said in a press statement.

She added that the decision is a political and economic goal for the continuity of economic dealings between Iraq and Iran, especially after the overlap of human and family ties between the two countries.

"The Iraqi move is in the interests of the Iranian economy and shows the clear intention of Iraq toward Iran," she said.

It should be noted that the Office of Prime Minister Haider Abadi had earlier confirmed that Iraq would have to give up the dollar in trade accounts with Iran.

Follow the obelisk

http://almasalah.com/ar/news/146811/خبيرة-سياسات-العبادي--تحافظ-على-الدينار-من-الانهيار

 

I think it was a very smart move. ty Butifdrm

[Pitcher]

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A senior Iraqi politician on Thursday asked Tehran to compensate its neighbor with billions of dollars for the “millions killed” after the Iranian government “let al-Qaeda” cross over into Iraq after the fall of the Ba’athist regime.

Faiq al-Sheikh Ali—head of the newly-formed “Civilized Alliance” that won 3 seats in the May 12 Iraqi election—made the statement on social media in response to Mahmoud Sadeghi, a member of Iranian Parliament (Majlis), who demanded reparations from Baghdad for the eight-year war, which he estimated at USD 1.1 trillion.

 

In a social media post, Sadeghi lamented Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s decision to abide by the US-re-imposed sanctions on Iran.

“In response to the representative in the Islamic Consultative Assembly [Majlis member], that demanded USD 1.1 billion as compensation for war,” Ali began in his post, mistakenly translating the original post by Sadeghi which demanded USD 1.1 trillion.

“On behalf of families of the victims of terrorism, I ask you and your country to pay 11 billion US dollars as compensation for the 1 million Iraqis you killed when you let al-Qaeda into our country since 2003 under the pretext of fighting the Americans!” Ali said on his Twitter account.

Backing Sadeghi’s words, the Vice-President of Iran Massoumeh Ebtekar stated, “besides [the Iran-Iraq war damages], the reparations for [damages] to the environment due to the war with Iraq, Kuwait, and pollution to the Persian Gulf…must be added.”

Ebtekar claimed that the eighth government of Iran—beginning from August 2001 headed by Mohammad Khatami—had estimated the environmental damages at billions of dollars.

The demands for reparations come after this week’s US announcement of renewed sanctions on Iran, which is experiencing ongoing protests in response to high unemployment and inflation.

After Iran itself, Iraq will likely be the most affected by country by the US sanctions because of its heavy dependence on raw materials in addition to consumer goods and food coming from Iran.

Iraq, also suffering from high unemployment and in the throes of month-long protests in the southern and central provinces, is likely to lose thousands of jobs in the state-owned auto-assembling plant known as the State Company for Automotive Industry (SCAI), heavily reliant on export from Iran.

According to an official source in the Ministry of Commerce, the volume of Iranian exports to Iraq over the past year reached USD 6.7 billion, compared to about 77 million dollars of exports flowing the opposite way into Iran. 

“The Iraqi market is a large consumer of Iranian goods: agricultural, autos, foodstuffs, and others such as building materials and so on,” Mazhar Mohammed Salah told AFP on Wednesday.

He added that Iraq receives between “two million and three million Iranians for religious tourism annually, which represents a major economic activity that will be deprived of Iraq."

In addition to the money paid by Iranians making pilgrimages in Iraq for travel, food, and lodging, each tourist pays $40 in fees for a permit to enter Iraq.

“The Iraqi economy will be affected,” Salah warned.

 

http://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/89ab3a76-8998-4d23-9c9a-801036c13a16

 

[new york kevin]

Why can't Iraq produce its own natural gas and use that instead of importing it from Iran? Don't they just burn off their natural gas as it is right now. Stop burning it off and start refining it. Also, through some additional refining process you can make some really fertile fertilizer from refined natural gas. If I am not mistaken. Flood the M.E. with exported Iraqi fertilizer and turn that desert into productive farmland.

[yota691]

The representative of Imam Khamenei issues a statement on the Iraqi positions of US sanctions

Date of release: 2018/8/11 22:27 • 3133 times read

(International: Euphrates News) Mujtaba al-Husseini, the representative of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Iraq, issued a statement on Iraqi positions on recent US sanctions against Iran.

"I have received several statements condemning and condemning the position of President Donald Trump of the Islamic Republic of Iran and from many quarters, including some of the scientific seminaries, universities, parties, movements, resistance factions, the custodians of some Iraqi cultural and political institutions and some prominent Shiites and Sunnis," Husseini said in a statement issued Saturday. In which they expressed their strong condemnation of this position and rejected his brutal attempts against the brave Iranian people. 
"" I saw it my duty to appreciate and thank their solidarity with the Islamic Republic of the leadership, government and people, which shows their gratitude and gratitude Vajhm brotherhood and Tawasi in the Almaalim.
"After the rise of the Iranian Muslim people under the leadership of Imam Khomeini, the Americans and their allies cut off the hands of America and after the victory of the Revolution, America did not save evil, conspiracy or plan," Husseini said. Unjust and not to pour it on this young regime and the resistance people. " 
The representative of the leader of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, said that "despite all the challenges, the Islamic Republic has resisted and has not failed to resolve the people's determination to continue the path and fight injustice under the wise leadership of the guardian jurist, but the Islamic Republic has become an example of all resistance and a pillar of all oppressed, . 
"We do not care about the economic blockade and we are not afraid of America," he said,
"Today, the Islamic Republic has become one of the greatest powers in the world, and it has overcome the great Satan and surpassed him. His hopes of power over Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Palestine and other oppressed people have been defeated in their struggle and their plight." 
He concluded by wishing "the two brotherly countries (Iran and Iraq) and the entire Islamic nation with pride and honor" to "thank all those who stood by and stand by our side steadfastly," reassuring them that "the coming days will witness that we are the victors. From this stage as we have exceeded all conspiracies for forty years. "
Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said last Tuesday that Iraq is not interfering with US sanctions against Iran, but said that the government "will abide by it to protect the interests of Iraq, we can not get out of the international system of the global economy and we can not harm the interests of our people. Big". 
The first package of new US sanctions on Iran entered into force last Tuesday and the second package of sanctions will be implemented in November. 
The first package includes the freezing of financial transactions and imports of raw materials, as well as targeting the automotive and commercial aviation sectors. 
The sanctions also prohibit the Iranian government from buying or possessing US currency, Tehran's trade in precious metals, business transactions in Iranian rials, and activities related to Iran's sovereign debt.

[yota691]

The US ambassador urges Britain to abandon its suppor t for a nuclear deal with Iran

Posted by Reuters

 

Date: 1:10 PM, August 12 

The United States urged Britain on Sunday to abandon its support for a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and join forces with Washington to counter the global threat Tehran says it represents.

US President Donald Trump, despite the opposition of his European allies, announced the US withdrawal from the agreement between world powers and Iran, which provides for the lifting of international sanctions imposed in return for restricting its nuclear program.

Since then Britain, France and Germany have been trying to keep the deal, while Trump has prepared new sanctions, saying a more comprehensive and balanced agreement is needed. Iran has condemned the sanctions as "unilateralism".

The US ambassador to Britain, Woody Johnson, criticized Tehran for funding "proxy wars and malicious activities" rather than investing in its economy. Iran needed to make concrete and structural changes to act as a natural state, he said.

"Until then America will intensify the pressure and we want Britain to stand in our line," Johnson wrote in the Sunday Telegraph.

"It is time to move away from the flawed 2015 agreement. We ask that the world Britain take advantage of its great diplomatic influence and influence and join us as we lead a concerted global effort to reach a truly comprehensive agreement. "

The Foreign Office, in response to a request to comment on Johnson's article, to the remarks of Alistair Burt, Minister of Middle East Affairs, which was ruled out last week following the US position. 

Burt said the deal was an important part of regional security and that his government, along with the European Union, was trying to protect British companies from US sanctions because of dealing with Iran. He said Britain was ready to hold talks with the United States on how to calm its concerns over Iran.

Iranian President Hassan Rowhani said last week that Trump's exit from the nuclear deal was illegal and that Iran would not bow to Washington's new campaign to stifle its oil exports.

But protests erupted in Iran as its currency depreciated and inflation rose. Protests usually begin with slogans about rising prices and allegations of corruption but soon turn into anti-government demonstrations.

[yota691]

Expert: Iraq's commitment to US sanctions on Iran and Turkey will inflict significant damage

© Sputnik. Igor Michalev

 

14:15 12.08.2018

The Iraqi political expert, Ibrahim al-Sarraji, that Baghdad's commitment to US sanctions imposed on Iran and Turkey will inflict great damage on the Iraqi economy, stressing that the position of Baghdad under these harsh sanctions is very difficult on the political and economic levels.

Cairo - Sputnik . "The US sanctions imposed on Iran and Turkey will have a significant negative effect on Iraq. The volume of trade exchange between Baghdad and Tehran exceeds 13 billion dollars a year. There are also Iranian companies and facilities in the field of oil, gas and gas," al-Sarraji told Sputnik. Liquefied petroleum, and the supply of electricity to the majority of the provinces. "

 

"In the event that Iraq is committed to the US sanctions [the official position is announced], his economy will be affected very significantly, in addition to the Iranian and Turkish goods represent two-thirds of the Iraqi market," he said. "A food crisis, for example, This will reflect very negatively on the daily lives of citizens. "

The political expert pointed out that "Iraq is in a very difficult position, pointing out that Prime Minister Haider Abadi said a few days ago that Baghdad will abide by sanctions, and on the other side there are large blocs and political parties against these sanctions and believes that it will starve the Iraqi people as well, .

As for the position of the Iraqi government to abide by the US sanctions, Al-Sarraji said: "Abadi said he will abide by and there are political and economic agreements between Baghdad and Washington. My slaves are now in a very awkward position. There is very great damage on the Iraqi economy. Baghdad has no alternative to cooperating with Iran. , And also the large Iranian security support for the Iraqi forces, especially the popular crowd will be affected, and will affect the conduct of security and military operations.

"On the other hand, his remarks provoked an Iranian reservation, which Tehran considered treacherous, which gave a lot to the Iraqi people, especially in its war against the organization calling [the prohibited terrorist in Russia]."

The political expert added that Iraq can certainly not stand against the US administration alone, and Abadi or others can not say that he will not abide by the decisions of the United States, keeping track of "Iraq's oil revenues are placed in the accounts of US banks, and this means that the US administration knows how to punish Iraq on any Deal with Iran, or break the blockade it imposed against it. "

Al-Sarraji pointed out that "the position of the Iraqi government is very weak, can not say no to the American administration, and also its position is very difficult with Iran, and the US side will insist on Iraq's full commitment to the decisions of the blockade of Iran, knowing that Iran will emerge from this siege, Its oil is sold to countries that do not recognize US decisions such as North Korea, China, India and others. "

 

 

As for the differences we are witnessing today under US pressure than before the lifting of the sanctions after the signing of the nuclear agreement in July 2015, Al-Serraji said: "The sanctions were not before 2015. Today, the great American reservation and pressure from US partners such as Israel, And the Gulf states on Iran is very large, the United States did not ask Iraq before 2015 to abide by sanctions. "

"Iraq has not changed its economic policy, sanctions have not forced him to do so before 2015, and now he will. In addition, the US administration now has included the Bank of the country, run by Iraqi National Congress Chairman Aras Habib, on its terrorism list, The Central Bank of Iraq is blacklisted and deprived of these transactions, so the situation is now completely different. "

"We heard that the United States proposed to the government to deal with Saudi Arabia, for example, as an alternative to Iran in the Iraqi market, but this needs a period of time, not to mention the popular rejection of Saudi goods, and to prevent their purchase by some governments," Serraji said. "We do not have a real alternative to Iran, and also in the field of electrical interconnection. Iran is the largest supplier of power stations and generators."

"Saudi Arabia or other countries can not be an immediate substitute for Iran in Iraq, and Iranian goods can not be cut off overnight," Serraji said.

"The American influence on the prime minister's industry, or at least giving instructions to the prime minister is very large, and I do not think that any prime minister, even if Abadi changed to take decisions against American will. "

[newbieDA]

Iran: Iraq’s commitment to US sanctions will lead to the collapse of the Iranian currency

August 12, 2018

 

 

money and business

Economy News Baghdad: Deputy Chairman of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce, Bitarram Sultani, the Iraqi government’s commitment to US sanctions against Iran, considering that this will lead to the rise of the dollar and the collapse of the Iranian currency . “One of the reasons for the rise of the US dollar is the cooperation of the Iraqi government with US sanctions against Iran, ” said Bitarram Soltani in a tweet to him via his official Twitter account . “The commitment of the Iraqi government to implement sanctions will lead to a reduction of the dollar entry from Iraq to Iran, ” Soltani said. “How does a friend country and a brother behave like this, what do we expect from other countries?” Soltani slammed Iraq’s commitment to US sanctions. ! “. The Iranian official wondered at the end of a tweet about the real winner in the relationship between Iraq and Iran . Iran is the second country after Turkey in terms of volume of trade with Iraq, where the volume of trade exchange between Iraq and Iran in 2017 about 6.7 billion dollars, of which only $ 77 million is the value of Baghdad’s exports to Tehran . The Iraqi authorities decided to stop importing Iranian cars, fearing that their markets would be affected by US sanctions . Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said last Tuesday that he was obliged to abide by US sanctions despite not being “sympathetic” to them .

http://economy-news.net/content.php?id=13234

[yota691]

Haidar al-Abadi rejects "false interpretations" of the Iraqi position against Iran's sanctions

 Kurdistan24 Erbil |

one hour ago

 

 

---

Prime Minister of Iraq Haider Abadi

 

Haidar Abadi Iran sanctions 

A +AA-

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi on Sunday rejected "false interpretations" of the Iraqi position on the sanctions imposed on Iran.

This came during the presiding over the meeting of the Ministerial Council for National Security.

According to the office of Abadi, the meeting stressed the depth of relations between Iraq and Iran and the great interests that link the two countries.

Abadi expressed his rejection of the erroneous interpretations and politicized statements of Iraq's official position, which condemned the policy of starving the peoples, he said.

Abadi said earlier that Iraq did not sympathize with the US sanctions imposed on Iran, but would abide by it to protect its interests.

"In principle, we are against sanctions in the region," he told a news conference.

Abadi said these sanctions are fundamentally and strategically incorrect, but he stressed that his country will abide by them to protect the interests of the Iraqi people and said, "We do not interact with them and do not sympathize with them, but we abide by them."

US President Donald Trump has 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 activities and purchases of gold and other basic metals.

Ahmed's bracelet

[yota691]

The Iraqi Security Council refuses to politicize Baghdad's stance against US sanctions against Tehran

Published: 12.08.2018 | 17:47 GMT |

facebook / @IraqPMMediaOffice

Meeting of the Iraqi Security Council on 12 August

 

 

The Iraqi Security Council, led by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, stressed the depth of relations between Iraq and Iran and refused to politicize Baghdad's stance against US sanctions against Tehran.

 

The press office of Abadi said in a statement issued after the meeting of the Security Council that it was "confirmed the depth of relations between the two countries and the great interests that bind them and the importance of preserving them."

"The Council rejects the misinterpretations and politicized statements of the official position of Iraq, which condemned the policy of starvation of peoples and expressed by ... Abadi."

The Iraqi prime minister said last Tuesday that his government is obliged to support US sanctions imposed on Iran over the withdrawal of Washington from the nuclear agreement with Tehran.

"We reject the sanctions and consider them a fundamental and strategic mistake, but we can only commit ourselves to the interests of the Iraqi people ... I am not satisfied with them," Abbadi said.

"Iraq has to pay war compensation to Iran of 1.1 billion dollars. We have not demanded such compensation before, because we took into account the difficult circumstances of Iraq," said Iranian Deputy Speaker Mahmoud Sadeghi.

Source: Media Office of the Iraqi Prime Minister + Agencies

[Pitcher]

Iraq's Abadi cancels Iran amid tensions over US sanctions -

 

 

Iraqi PM Haidar al-Abadi has canceled a visit toIran that was scheduled for next Wednesday after Tehran refused the premier's compliance with US sanctions against the Mullah's regime. 

An Iraqi official who requested anonymity said "Abadi will visit Ankara only without Tehran, because of the overcrowding of his agenda and the lack of integration of the preparation for his visit to Iran".

 

"The Iranians are not satisfied with Abadi's recent statements about US sanctions against Tehran," the official said.

On Saturday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasimi said Tehran knew nothing about Abadi's visit.

 

Abadi said he would abide by sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump against Iran. 

 

https://www.thebaghdadpost.com/en/Story/30592/Iraq-s-Abadi-cancels-Iran-amid-tensions-over-US-sanctions

[Pitcher]

Iran said to cancel visit by Iraq's prime minister

BAGHDAD –  Iran has cancelled a visit by Iraq's prime minister after he said that while he was opposed to renewed U.S. sanctions on Tehran he had no choice but to abide by them, an Iraqi official said Sunday.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi was to visit Iran and Turkey later this week. The official said the Turkey visit, beginning Tuesday, will go ahead as planned.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media. Government spokesman Saad al-Hadithi declined to comment.

 

Iran has maintained close ties to Iraq's government since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein, Tehran's archenemy. Iraq has since forged close ties with Washington, forcing its government to delicately balance relations with both. Iraq has occasionally mediated between Iran and the United States and sponsored talks between the two.

Since taking office in 2014, al-Abadi has sought to project an image of independence from Iran while maintaining friendly relations.

But he appears to have angered Tehran by telling reporters last week that while he opposed the sanctions in principle, Iraq could not violate them and risk punitive action by President Donald Trump's administration.

"Can I, the prime minister of Iraq, endanger the interests of Iraqis just to take a stand?" he said. "We don't sympathize with the sanctions, we don't think they are appropriate and we don't interact with them, but we are committed to protect our people."

Last week the U.S. began restoring sanctions that had been lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, which Trump withdrew from in May.

The administration says the renewed sanctions are meant to pressure Tehran to halt its alleged support for international terrorism, its military activity in the Middle East and its ballistic missile programs.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/08/12/iran-said-to-cancel-visit-by-iraqs-prime-minister.html

 

 

[Pitcher]

ERBIL - An Iraqi MP has strongly criticized the country's government for "being soft on Iran" in reacting to Tehran's demands for the old Iraq-Iran war reparations, calling on the UN to intervene and decide which side should compensate the other.

MP Fayaq Sheikh Ali said on Sunday in a statement on his Twitter account that the Islamic Republic "cannot insult the Iraqis whenever it wants to" and that it can't ask for compensation "for no reasons".

Sheikh Ali has also criticized the Iraqi government, noting that it should be braver against the neighboring country's request of war reparations.

Earlier, Iran asked Iraq for a total of $ 11 billion where the Iraqi lawmaker responded to it and said that Tehran should reimburse Baghdad with $ 22 billion for "sending the Islamic State to Iraq and leading one million Iraqis to death".

 

http://www.basnews.com/index.php/en/news/iraq/458713

[Pitcher]

After cancellation of Abadi’s Tehran visit, Iraqi government praises relations with Iran

 

---

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei meets with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in Tehran in 2017. (Photo: IRNA)

 

 

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Iraqi government has praised its relations with Iran and calls for maintaining strategic ties with its neighboring country.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi headed a meeting of the Ministerial Council of the National Security in Baghdad on Sunday to discuss the security situation, combating the terrorists’ sleeper cells, and strengthening intelligence efforts to eradicate terror, a statement from the Prime Minister’s Media Office (PMO) said.

“Regarding the relations between Iraq and the Islamic Republic of Iran, the meeting emphasized the deep relations between the two countries where great interests are binding them together,” the statement said.

The meeting also stressed the importance of maintaining relations with Iran, it added.

The Iraqi government rejects all the misinterpretations and politicized statements about Iraq’s official position on the US sanctions on Iran, the statement noted.

Earlier on Sunday, the PMO announced the cancellation of Abadi’s official visit to Iran without providing further clarification.

The statement comes a day after the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to an Iraqi official who claimed on Saturday that Abadi was to visit both Turkey and Iran this week.

Iran’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said they were not informed of any plans by the Iraqi Prime Minister to visit Tehran.

During a press briefing last week, Abadi said Iraq would not react to the US-Iran dispute as Washington re-imposed sanctions on the neighboring country but would abide by the decision.

 

http://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/176204d7-b2da-4428-94a1-cf639d4af122

 

[10 YEARS LATER]

Iran's total financial & economic collapse is coming: so now they're trying to Shake Down Iraq for _ " 11 BILLION DOLLARS " ( say it like Goldmember ) 

[Pitcher]

The art of the Iranian deal: How Trump can talk to Tehran

Iranian experts say US needs to deliver confidence-building measures for Tehran to open its doors to negotiations.

 

 

In 2015, Iran, the US and other world powers reached a nuclear deal - only to be trashed by Trump in May [File: Reute

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Tehran, Iran - It was September 1980. The Iran hostage crisis involving 52 American diplomats and citizens was in its 10th month. On the streets of the capital, there were no signs of the anti-American sentiment fading away. Within a few days, the Iran-Iraq War would erupt, drowning the region in more blood.

In Bonn, capital of then-West Germany, an Iranian diplomat was on a mission to deliver a message to the Americans from Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The secret memo delivered by Sadegh Tabatabai would serve as the first draft of the 1981 Algiers Accord, between Iran and the US, which would pave the way for the release of the American hostages after 444 days in captivity. 

As the Algiers agreement demonstrated, Iran proved it was willing to cut a deal with the US even at the peak of hostilities between the two countries, Iranian political experts said. With the right conditions, based on "mutual respect", Tehran and Washington, DC can engage in new talks, despite President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the nuclear deal and reimpose sanctions on Iran.

WATCH: Trump says he would 'certainly meet' with Iran's Rouhani (2:01)

"The door to negotiations is never closed," Fereshteh Sadeghi, a Tehran-based political analyst, told Al Jazeera. 

Sadeghi said the Iranian leadership has decades of experience talking with the Americans, including top secret discussions with a Republican administration in the run-up to the war in Afghanistan, and later the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

So it is not far-fetched that negotiations could happen again amid heated rhetoric, she said. 

 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/07/art-iranian-deal-trump-talk-tehran-180716082953755.html

 

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