Iranian official calls for negotiations with Washington in Iraq

[Butifldrm]

A report on the imminent outbreak of the oil war between Tehran and Washington

 

Note the United States and Iran

7 hours ago

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Digital Media NRT

A report by the Center for Research and Strategic Studies on Sunday highlighted the US sanctions on the Iranian oil sector and the fears of the oil war between Washington and Tehran, pointing out that one of Iran's urgent options is to try to play in the Iraqi oil exports paper by re-confusing those exports A possible means .

The report, published today, October 14, 2018, that Iranian officials are concerned that any party to extract Iran's share of the oil market after the entry into force of US sanctions on the fourth of November next, and therefore threaten and threaten all those who commit such treason against Iran that he will pay Their price is expensive.

He added that "Washington has begun to coordinate a series of understandings with some Gulf countries on the support of oil stability, as confirmed by President Donald Trump, that Saudi Arabia will support the market stability by two million barrels if required, as well as the remarkable decline of Iranian oil exports by 800 thousand barrels per day, Is no longer than the level of 1.3 million barrels per day, which created a state of panic inside Iran has made Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei meets with the heads of the three authorities and called for urgent solutions.

 "The most important thing facing Tehran today is the success of this plan and the subsequent decline in oil prices. Pressure has begun to bear fruit by reducing the purchase of oil by several countries such as South Korea and India, "Demonstrations and protests have also begun to return to the streets of Iranian cities, especially the large-scale strike of truck drivers at the state level, prompting the judiciary to threaten to execute the organizers of this protest, which paralyzed the Iranian state . "

The strategy of compensating for Iran's oil quota and pumping more supplies into the markets will play a bigger role in reducing oil prices and thus strengthen Washington's capabilities in the face of Tehran. All these measures will increase the chances of strangling Iran economically. Is now the most important weapon in the policy of pressuring Iran to surrender. 

He pointed out that "Iran's urgent options are trying to play in the paper exports of Iraqi oil, through the use of paper fields Basra, which is the best solution to save them from falling into the abyss, and this strategy will be by re-confusing Iraqi oil exports by any means, , Or by targeting terrorist attacks planned by any of its Iraqi militias on demand, and this has become Iran's biggest targets for the rapid disruption of the global oil market, in addition to trying to coordinate with some oil-producing countries, particularly Venezuela, which lives The other is finished Which would be an ideal opportunity to reduce the world supply and thus ignite the price of a barrel of oil. This would force Washington to review the decision to restrict Tehran's oil exports in support of global price stability. "

 According to observers, the Iranian regime is no longer afraid of military confrontation, as fear of the consequences and consequences of economic sanctions, where the gradual decline in the resources of the state, may end the fall of the regime unless Tehran begins direct dialogue with Washington. . 

 He concluded by saying that "Iran will not hesitate to practice the diplomacy of the edge of the oil abyss, according to the barrel barrel strategy, and the principle is darker, and now there is no choice on the horizon to emerge from the crisis suffocating, and is fully aware that the oil paper that brought Khomeini and revolution, Khamenei and his state if they are successfully recruited by America . "

R.

http://www.nrttv.com/AR/News.aspx?id=5419&MapID=3

[yota691]

Iraq renews Trump's stance against Iran and discusses with it three files

 

 Twilight News    
 53 minutes ago

The delegation of the Iraqi parliament headed by First Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Hassan al-Kaabi met on Monday in the Swiss capital of Geneva with the delegation of the Iranian Republic headed by the representative of Tehran in the Islamic Consultative Assembly Fatima Hosseini on the sidelines of the 139th General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

Al-Kaabi and the current parliamentary delegation reiterated their total rejection of the American blockade in any way against the Iranian people, denouncing what he called the "policy of starvation" imposed on the peoples.

Al-Kaabi said in a statement to the twilight news that "the need to activate parliamentary friendship committees between the two countries to serve the interests of the two peoples, also discussed important files such as water and electricity and the expansion of economic activities,

In turn, the Iranian delegation praised the formation of the Iraqi presidencies and the task of appointing the prime minister to form a government, stressing the keenness of the Islamic Republic to increase cooperation in fields of common interest, especially trade, economic and security against terrorism.

"We, as brotherly peoples with whom we have historical ties and ties, should not allow any American-Zionist project to separate the two peoples and move towards progress and promote stability," he said.

Keywords: 

[Pitcher]

Khamenei, Khatami and the collapse of Iran

Men of law follow the common phrase "acknowledgement is the master of evidence." When the acknowledgement comes from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as well as from former President Mohammad Khatami, everyone must be certain that the earthquake has already hit Iran and that the aftershocks and backlash are incisively approaching.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in a speech broadcast on state television, acknowledged that Iran is living under a crippling situation due to US sanctions and that its economy is facing great difficulties.

Khamenei certainly failed to convince public opinion that American imperialism is the cause and that the ruling regime is innocent, especially since everyone knows the regime spent billions over four decades on the mullahs’ adventures abroad, while the Iranian rial has lost about 75 percent of its value since the beginning of 2018.

Khamenei does not have his feet on the ground; he lives in a state known in medical science as a "stage of denial", which is especially common in cases of terminal illness. The person denies the illness in a psychological attempt to escape, although it fails to cure the disease.

Khamenei did the same in his speech. He pointed out that "Tehran will slap Washington and defeat it by defeating the sanctions." But the man has failed to tell his people how and in what way he will be able to jump over the sanctions of the past, let alone the next major hurdle of a second set of sanctions to be introduced by the US on November 4, which aims to suspend the sale of Iranian oil abroad.

Just three days before Khamenei's remarks, former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, the man who tried to falsely present himself to the world as a dove rather than a falcon, spoke to a number of casualties of the eight-year Iran-Iraq War and referred to the disastrous situation facing Iran, whose future will not escape from one of two scenarios: either an internal coup in the regime or a popular revolution.

Khatami opined that "when a society is dissatisfied with the status quo, does not hear its words in any way, does not deal with its needs and questions, and the windows of dialogue, transportation and freedom of expression are closed by legal means, there will be either a coup or a revolution."

The former president's remarks clearly express the deteriorating state of the Iranian social fabric, the state of dissolution and internal degeneration, which is not pacified by tranquilizers or sedatives. Evasiveness and playing upon contradictions does not spare them from their inevitable fate.

The Iranians realize that they are caught in the "mullah trap" and that the historical demands of the people have not been and will not be achieved through the hands of the clerical rulers, who insist on suicide by refusing to cooperate with the international community or stop its nuclear ambitions.

Recently, while the events were accelerating, themullahs fired ballistic missiles in Iraq and Syria with the pretext being that the missiles were directed at the heart of ISIS-affiliated terrorist groups there; however, those far off know that Iran is the biggest supporter ofterrorism around the world.

Iran's ballistic missiles are a political and military message to the United States and its allies in the region that "Tehran is ready for revenge." But it is an unprovoked revenge for the Iranian self that forgets or neglects what is known in military science as the "balance of prudence", or that for every missile or bullet fired that could hit the US or Arab Gulf, the gates of hell would be opened upon the Iranians.

Prominent Iranian intellectuals see the breakdown on the horizon. Among them is Elaheh Kulai, a professor of Iranian political science and former MP, who has warned of the possibility of Iran’s dissolution along the lines of the Soviet Union if measures are not taken to solve the economic crisis.

But the reality of the situation shows us that Iran is motivated by a historical coercion, which makes it repeat the mistakes of the past. But this time it seems that stubbornness and arrogance will be the tools that do the work of shovels in the Iranian body, which has become worn out, with the knowledge of Khamenei and Khatami.

When the dogmatic mentality is so monopolistic in a particular people, its conditions always turn out to be the worst. The ruling ideology will inevitably be infected by two deadly viruses: isolationism and unilateralism on one hand and bitter corruption on the other.

The unilateralism of Khomeini’s Iran is what made the present regime a self-centered dictatorship rejecting the existence of the other, no matter its denomination or ideology.

It is perhaps a tragedy that, one hundred years ago in Iran, a Christian cleric defended the rights and existence of Christians, Zoroastrians and Jews in parliament, while today non-Muslims have no place even in the city council and Sunni Muslims are oppressed and rejected.

Corruption usually prevails under oppressive regimes; there is no supervision or transparency, no accountability of icons, and billions of dollars are spent with no benefit for the people.

Collapse is usually an inherent mark of unilateralism and the mentality of one orientation. The ruler sees only a narcissistic, enlightened picture of himself, while that is not the case. It goes without saying that corruption is the mainstay of unilateralism, and corruption leads to security and surveillance breaches in all aspects of life.

While senior Iranian officials obtain all the financial and service facilities, the people are suffering from the hardships of living, which is evident in the slogans that rang out through the demonstrations demanding the fall of Palestine, in an unmistakable reference to the falsity of the bet on the Revolutionary Guards and Quds Force, who have wreaked havoc in the Arab world and may have provided security cover for Israel. Iranian bullets have not known how to liberate Jerusalem, the flower of cities, and never will.

Iran’s collapse has already started, and without facilitation or intimidation. A great rift has grown between the mullahs and the people. The revolution orcoup d'état that Khatami and Khamenei speak of is inevitable in the near future, especially after the masses lost their confidence in the rulers.

Iranian protests began with demands to improve the economy, but they clearly soon became politically motivated in essence, with protesters denouncing Iran’s intervention in Syria and shouting slogans of "Death to Khamenei" and "Death to Rouhani".

When the Iranian government finds no solutions other than its repressive security apparatuses, those who arrested some 8,000 people in the first weeks ofprotests in December 2017, it is a return to the biography of the former Shah of Iran, who relied on hisSAVAK intelligence service, living by the sword and forgetting that those who live by the sword also die by it.

You cannot expect rational actions from the mullahs. The time has passed and the last hour is coming, but it is regrettable that it will not come before Tehran goes down the path of the “Samson option”, destroying itself while attempting to destroy its enemies.

 

https://www.thebaghdadpost.com/en/Story/32295/Khamenei-Khatami-and-the-collapse-of-Iran

[Butifldrm]

 

Mr. Al-Kaabi to the Iranian delegation: We reject all forms of US sanctions against your people .. The Iranian delegation confirms: We will not allow the American Zionist project to differentiate us

 

 October 15, 2018 14 Views

Calling for the expansion of economic activities between the two countries .. 
Mr. Al-Kaabi to the Iranian delegation: We reject all forms of US sanctions against your people .. And the Iranian delegation confirms: We will not allow the American Zionist project to differentiate us

 

The delegation of the Iraqi parliament headed by First Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Mr. Hassan Al-Kaabi met today (Monday) in Geneva with the delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran headed by Fatima Hosseini, representing Tehran in the Islamic Consultative Council.

Mr. Al-Kaabi and the current parliamentary delegation reiterated their total rejection of the American blockade in any way against the Iranian people, denouncing what he called "a policy of starvation" imposed on the peoples. He stressed the need to activate parliamentary friendship committees between the two countries to serve the interests of the two brotherly peoples. Such as water and electricity, and the expansion of economic activities to enhance mutual relations.

In turn, the Iranian delegation praised the formation of the Iraqi presidencies and the task of appointing the prime minister to form a government, stressing the keenness of the Islamic Republic to increase cooperation in fields of common interest, especially trade, economic and security against terrorism.

"We, as brotherly peoples with whom we have historical ties and ties, should not allow any American-Zionist project to differentiate between the two peoples and move towards progress and promote stability.

 

http://ar.parliament.iq/2018/10/15/السيد-الكعبي-للوفد-الايراني-نرفض-كل-أش/

[Laid Back]

The iraní people deserve a better future.

 

I believe the second set of sanctions on November 4 will create chaos inside the country. We could see a revolution or military coup.

 

The oil price is going to raise. 

 

Thanks for the post Pitcher

[Pitcher]

I agree LB but I fear for the people who try to revolt.  People are being executed who oppose the Mullahs.  I would like to say more but I am unable.  

[fnbplanet]

I don't even think they make it to November 5th.

[Laid Back]

3 hours ago, Pitcher said:

I agree LB but I fear for the people who try to revolt.  People are being executed who oppose the Mullahs.  I would like to say more but I am unable.  

I understand my friend. .... Thanks for your input.

My parents and my siblings are living in similar situation under Maduro’s

dictatorship in Venezuela. When people try to revolt, they get tortured or killed.

 

I would like to say more but I’m unable for the safety of my family in Venezuela 

[yota691]

Russia and Iran agree to increase joint oil production to 1 million barrels per day

 

Arab and international Economy News _ Baghdad Russia and Iran have agreed to increase joint production of oil to one million barrels per day, the Russian news agency TASS reported Tuesday, quoting Iranian Oil Minister Bijen Zenghan and Russian Energy Alexander Novak. This comes as US sanctions on Iran's oil sector come into force on November 4, with a ban on oil exports and sanctions on importers, whether governments or institutions, while China said it would continue to buy Iranian oil. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said during a meeting with his Iranian counterpart in Moscow that he had discussed the sharp rise in oil prices. "We also talked about the need to establish stable and stable rules of the game in the oil sector."The meeting, according to "Tass" to discuss the issue of oil production in the near future within the framework of the OPEC agreement and major producers from outside. In May of 2017, Iran and Russia reached an agreement to start oil supplies under the 2014 oil-for-goods program, when US economic sanctions against Iran were still in force. The price of Brent crude is about $ 80 a barrel now, after falling from its highest level in 4 years, early this month, at $ 86 a barrel. Russia's oil production is about 11.2 million barrels per day, according to figures from the Ministry of Energy, while Iran's daily production according to OPEC, about 3.45 million barrels per day. Views 8   Date Added 16/10/2018

 

[yota691]

As US sanctions approach, Iranian oil exports fall

16-10-2018 12:40 PM

Readers

 

Baghdad News -

 

 

Turkey and Italy are the last buyers of Iranian crude outside of China, India and the Middle East, according to data from tankers and industry sources, in a new sign that shipments are heavily affected by imminent US sanctions. 

Iran has exported 1.33 million bpd since the beginning of October to India, China, Turkey and the Middle East, and no ships carrying Iranian oil have been shown to Europe, according to Reuters data. 

However, a sector source tracks exports as much as 1.5 million barrels a day, including ships not shown on the AIS satellite tracking system, including a one million-ton tanker en route to Italy.

At least 2.5 million bpd in April, before US President Donald Trump announced a US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and reinstated sanctions. The figures also show a continued decline from the 1.6 million bpd level recorded in September.
 

 

 

 

[Butifldrm]

The US Treasury is imposing new sanctions on Iran

US Treasury Building

 

3 hours ago

14672 views

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Digital Media NRT

The US Treasury Department on Tuesday ordered a series of new sanctions against Iran, including Basij and networks supporting its infrastructure, including five investment firms and three banks .

US administration officials said today (Oct. 16, 2018) that "the Basij is involved in internal violence inside Iran and violations of human rights, such as the recruitment of children in the fighting in Syria . "

The officials stressed: "We continue to urge countries to cut Iranian oil exports, and this is our focus for the fourth of November and beyond "

They added that "more companies leave Iran every day, and this reveals the weaknesses in the Iranian economy."

The administration is preparing a new strategy in Syria that will focus on confronting Iran and its militias, according to US media .

The second package of US sanctions against Iran will come into effect early next month, including the punishment of countries that import oil and gas from Iran, the main source of Tehran's nuclear program.

 

H

http://www.nrttv.com/AR/News.aspx?id=5510&MapID=2

[yota691]

Sources predict America's full cut to the Internet entirely from Iran early next month

Date of release: 2018/10/17 10:55 • 342 times read

(International: Al Furat News) Iranian sources have speculated that the United States may cut off the Internet entirely from Iran by November 4.

US sanctions on Iran will come into effect on the fourth of next month and will be tougher on the shipping sector and the central bank of Iran. 
The International Court of Justice on Tuesday issued a ruling ordering the United States to ease the sanctions it had imposed on Iran after its withdrawal from the nuclear deal last year. 
The court, whose decisions are binding but do not have the tools to implement them, said the sanctions affected humanitarian aid and needed medicines and violated the 1951 treaty. 
The United States replied that the court had no authority in the matter because it affected US national security. 
The Iranian economy shrank after US President Donald Trump ordered a re-imposition of sanctions in May, and the Iranian currency has fallen sharply.
Other parties to the agreement - Britain, France, Germany and Russia - have pledged to continue to abide by the agreement, but many major companies have already withdrawn from Iran. 
Tehran considered the US sanctions a violation of international law and an attempt to "change the regime"

[yota691]

Treasury Sanctions Vast Financial Network Supporting Iranian Paramilitary Force That Recruits and Trains Child Soldiers

 

October 16, 2018

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took action today against a vast network of businesses providing financial support to the Basij Resistance Force (Basij), a paramilitary force subordinate to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).  Among other malign activities, the IRGC’s Basij militia recruits, trains, and deploys child soldiers to fight in IRGC-fueled conflicts across the region. This Iran-based network is known as Bonyad Taavon Basij, which is translated as Basij Cooperative Foundation, and is comprised of at least 20 corporations and financial institutions.  The Bonyad Taavon Basij employs shell companies and other measures to mask Basij ownership and control over a variety of multibillion-dollar business interests in Iran’s automotive, mining, metals, and banking industries, many of which have significant international dealings across the Middle East and with Europe.

“The Bonyad Taavon Basij network is an example of how the IRGC and Iranian military forces have expanded their economic involvement in major industries, and infiltrated seemingly legitimate businesses to fund terrorism and other malign activities.  This vast network provides financial infrastructure to the Basij’s efforts to recruit, train, and indoctrinate child soldiers who are coerced into combat under the IRGC’s direction,” said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.  “The international community must understand that business entanglements with the Bonyad Taavon Basij network and IRGC front companies have real world humanitarian consequences.  This helps fuel the Iranian regime’s violent ambitions across the Middle East.”

OVERVIEW OF TODAY’S ACTION

Today’s action targets Iran’s Basij Resistance Force for its connection to the IRGC and support to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), along with Bonyad Taavon Basij and its complex network of intermediary companies and financial institutions, which fund its violent domestic and regional conduct.  The entities designated today comprise part of the Basij’s economic conglomerate, and are deeply entrenched in major Iranian industries, such as automotive, mines and metals, tractor manufacturing, and banking.  These entities are being designated as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism.  The IRGC and its domestic suppression arm, the Basij, use the monies generated from this network to support terrorism along with committing a variety of human rights abuses at home and abroad. 

The IRGC-QF was designated pursuant to E.O. 13224 on October 25, 2007.  The IRGC-QF’s parent organization, the IRGC, was designated pursuant to E.O. 13224 on October 13, 2017.  OFAC is designating the Basij pursuant to E.O. 13224 for being owned or controlled by the IRGC, and for assisting, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or technological support for, or financial or other services to or in support of, the IRGC-QF.  Basij was also designated by OFAC in 2011 pursuant to E.O. 13553 for its involvement in the violent crackdowns and serious human rights abuses occurring in Iran following the June 2009 contested presidential election and for being controlled by the IRGC. 

THE BASIJ: support TO IRGC-QF, INCLUDING RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING OF CHILD SOLDIERS

The Basij, a paramilitary force formed soon after the 1979 revolution, is one of the Iranian regime’s primary enforcers of internal security.  The Basij, which came under the formal authority of the IRGC in 2007, has branches in every province and city in Iran.  Its activities include indoctrinating schoolchildren and providing combat training to children as young as 12-years-old. 

High-definition photo	High-definition photo
High-definition photo	High-definition photo

Pictures obtained from the Basij’s own websites, Basijpress and Basijnews, and Iran’s MehrNews.

In addition to its involvement in violent crackdowns and serious human rights abuses in Iran, the Basij recruits and trains fighters for the IRGC-QF, including Iranian children, who then deploy to Syria to support the brutal Assad regime.  Since at least early 2015, the Basij has recruited and provided combat training to fighters before placing them on a waiting list for deployment to Syria.

In addition to Iranian nationals, the Basij also recruits Afghan immigrants to Iran, including children as young as 14-years-old, to join the Fatemiyoun Brigade, a militia made up of Afghan fighters under the control of the IRGC-QF in Syria.  Some of these Afghan recruits, reportedly coerced to fight on the side of the Assad regime in Syria, choose instead to flee to Europe.  The Basij also recruit Pakistani nationals to join the Zainabiyoun Brigade, a militia comprised of Pakistani nationals under the control of the IRGC-QF in Syria.

High-definition photo

Screenshot of a November 25, 2017 video broadcast by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) news agency purporting to show a 13-year old Basij member in the Syrian border city of Abu Kamal.  He said he was a “defender of the shrine,” the euphemism the Iranian government uses for fighters it sends to Syria and Iraq.  He names two of his fellow soldiers who were killed in Syria.  In the video, the boy speaks about his motivation to join forces in Syria.

In addition to committing acts of violence at home and abroad and supporting the IRGC-QF’s involvement in the Syrian civil war, the Basij, through its economic arm, Bonyad Taavon Basij, has increased its involvement in Iran’s major industries such as the metals and minerals, automotive, and banking sectors.

BONYAD TAAVON BASIJ: FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONGLOMERATE PROVING LIFELINE TO THE BASIJ

In addition to providing social welfare services, including housing and financial support, to Basij members, Bonyad Taavon Basij manages Basij members’ economic activities by funding small companies.  However, as its role in domestic oppression and support for the IRGC-QF’s external meddling has increased, Bonyad Taavon Basij has expanded its reach into Iran’s economy by establishing several investment firms through its financial and investment offshoot Mehr Eqtesad Bank.

Formerly known as Mehr Finance and Credit Institution, Mehr Eqtesad Bank pays the equivalent of hundreds of millions of dollars each year to Bonyad Taavon Basij in the forms of dividends and interest free lines of credit. 

OFAC is designating Bonyad Taavon Basij pursuant to E.O. 13224 for being owned or controlled by the Basij, and also for assisting, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or technological support for, or financial or other services to or in support of, the Basij.

OFAC is also designating Mehr Eqtesad Bank pursuant to E.O. 13224 for being owned or controlled by Bonyad Taavon Basij, and also for assisting, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or technological support for, or financial or other services to or in support of, the Basij and Bonyad Taavon Basij.

BANK MELLAT: MAJOR IRANIAN BANK SUPPORTING BONYAD’S MEHR EQTESAD BANK

Bank Mellat has provided Mehr Eqtesad Bank, an institution owned by Bonyad Taavon Basij, hundreds of millions of dollars each year in the form of dividends, interest free loans, and lines of credit, supporting an institution that facilitates and funds the Basij’s domestic and foreign aggression.

OFAC is designating Bank Mellat pursuant to E.O. 13224 for assisting, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or technological support for, or financial or other services to or in support of, Mehr Eqtesad Bank. 

INTERMEDIARY COMPANIES OBSCURING THE BASIJ’S REACH INTO IRANIAN INDUSTRIES

Mehr Eqtesad Bank’s investment firm, Mehr Eqtesad Iranian Investment Company, acts as an intermediary for the economic entrenchment of the Basij and Bonyad Taavon Basij.  Mehr Eqtesad Iranian Investment Company also further obfuscates the Basij’s entrenchment into Iranian industries through its own investment firms.  Mehr Eqtesad Iranian Investment Company pays Mehr Eqtesad Bank the equivalent of billions of dollars annually in profit obtained through its direct or indirect investment in various Iranian industries.

OFAC is designating Mehr Eqtesad Iranian Investment Company pursuant to E.O. 13224 for being owned or controlled by Mehr Eqtesad Bank, and also for assisting, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or technological support for, or financial or other services to or in support of, Mehr Eqtesad Bank.

In addition to Mehr Eqtesad Iranian Investment Company, OFAC is designating five other investment firms pursuant to E.O. 13224:  Tadbirgaran Atiyeh Investment Company, Negin Sahel Royal Company, Mehr Eqtesad Financial Group, and Technotar Engineering Company are being designated for being owned or controlled by Mehr Eqtesad Iranian Investment Company, and Taktar Investment Company is being designated for being owned or controlled by Technotar Engineering Company.

Tadbirgaran Atiyeh is a shareholder of several companies in different Iranian industries, including the automotive and construction sectors.   

Additional Companies within Bonyad Taavon Basij’s Network

The Middle East’s Largest Tractor Manufacturer, Generating Millions of Dollars for the Basij 

Iran Tractor Manufacturing Company (ITMC), the largest tractor manufacturer in the Middle East and North Africa was established in 1968 and predates Iran’s 1979 revolution and the creation of the Basij.  However, ITMC is now owned by Mehr Eqtesad Iranian Investment Company and its Negin Sahel Royal Company, generating millions of dollars in profit for the investment firms that represent the economic agenda of the Basij and its Bonyad Taavon Basij.

OFAC is designating Iran Tractor Manufacturing Company (ITMC) pursuant to E.O. 13224 for being owned or controlled by Mehr Eqtesad Iranian Investment Company and Negin Sahel Royal Investment Company.

A Shell Company:  Basij’s Gateway to Iran’s Zinc and Lead Industries

The Basij’s involvement in Iran’s major industries extends to Iran’s mining of zinc, lead, and other minerals.  This is also done through intermediaries to further obfuscate ties to the Basij and its companies.  Technotar Engineering, which is an engineering firm owned by Mehr Eqtesad Iranian Investment Company, specializes in the production of refueling equipment, but it has recently purchased Taktar Investment Company.  

Taktar Investment Company in turn purchased Iran’s Zinc Mines Development Company (IZMDC), Iran’s preeminent, multibillion-dollar zinc and lead mining and processing holding company, which owns several subsidiary mining, smelting, and mineral production complexes.  Technotar and Taktar serve as intermediaries to obscure Mehr Eqtesad Iranian Investment Company’s control over IZMDC.  Calcimin, which is owned by IZMDC, acts as an intermediary to maintain ownership over four additional mineral companies:  Bandar Abbas Zinc Production Company, Qeshm Zinc Smelting And Reduction Company, Zanjan Acid Production Company, and Parsian Catalyst Chemical Company.

OFAC is designating Technotar Engineering Company pursuant to E.O. 13224 for being owned or controlled by Mehr Eqtesad Iranian Investment Company.  OFAC is also designating Taktar Investment Company pursuant to E.O. 13224 for being owned or controlled by Technotar Engineering Company.

OFAC is designating IZMDC pursuant to E.O. 13224 for being owned or controlled by Taktar Investment Company.

OFAC is designating Calcimin pursuant to E.O. 13224 for being owned or controlled by IZMDC.  Additionally, OFAC is designating Bandar Abbas Zinc Production Company, Qeshm Zinc Smelting and Reduction Company, Zanjan Acid Production Company, and Parsian Catalyst Chemical Company pursuant to E.O. 13224 for being owned or controlled by Calcimin.

Iran’s Largest Steel Producer, Generating Millions of Dollars of Profit for Bonyad Taavon Basij Subsidiaries

Esfehan’s Mobarakeh Steel Company, the largest steel maker in the Middle East and North Africa region, is used as a revenue stream for Bonyad Taavon Basij’s economic conglomerate.  Esfahan’s Mobarakeh Steel Company has provided millions of dollars each year to Mehr Eqtesad Iranian Investment Company, an entity with close ties to the Basij and its Bonyad Taavon Basij. 

OFAC is designating Esfahan’s Mobarakeh Steel Company pursuant to E.O. 13224 for assisting, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or technological support for, or financial or other services to or in support of, Mehr Eqtesad Iranian Investment Company.

OFAC is designating Andisheh Mehvaran Investment Company pursuant to E.O. 13224 for being owned or controlled by IZMDC, and also for assisting, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or technological support for, or financial or other services to or in support of, IZMDC.

Andisheh Mehvaran acted as an investment firm for IZMDC, obtaining profit from its investments in large entities such as Parsian Bank, Sina Bank, and Bahman Group.  OFAC is designating Parsian Bank, Sina Bank, and Bahman Group pursuant to E.O. 13224 for assisting, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or technological support for, or financial or other services to or in support of, Andisheh Mehvaran Investment Company.

GLOBAL IMPACT

A number of the below entities have known business ties with companies around the globe.  International companies from Asia to Europe that partner with companies associated with the Basij are conducting business that could contribute to the ongoing human rights abuses and terrorism the Basij exports to the region. Treasury urges international companies to ensure they are conducting the necessary due diligence to avoid engaging in sanctionable activity with entities that support the Iranian regime’s malign activity.  

SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS

As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of these entities that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons must be blocked and reported to OFAC.  OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all dealings by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of blocked or designated persons. 

In addition, persons that engage in certain transactions with the entities designated today may themselves be exposed to designation.  Furthermore, any foreign financial institution that knowingly facilitates a significant transaction or provides significant financial services for any of the entities designated today could be subject to U.S. correspondent account or payable-through sanctions.

Identifying information on the entities designated today.

A chart describing the entities designated today.

Last week, Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued a comprehensive advisory highlighting Iran’s deceptive practices.  Financial institutions are advised to sophisticate their compliance programs in anticipation of continued attempts to circumvent sanctions.

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US Issues Sanctions Targeting 20 Iranian Entities, Including 4 Banks

CC BY-SA 2.0 / Ensie & Matthias / Central Bank of Iran, Tehran

 

20:01 16.10.2018(updated 14:13 17.10.2018)

Earlier reports stated that on November 4 a new wave of US sanctions will directly hit Iran's oil exports and banking operations and is expected to disconnect the Middle East state from international financial channels.

The US Treasury announced Tuesday that twenty entities, including four banks, will be targeted by new Iran's sanctions.

"This Iran-based network is known as Bonyad Taavon Basij, which is translated as Basij Cooperative Foundation, and is comprised of at least 20 corporations and financial institutions," the release said.

READ MORE: Iran Found New Partners for Oil Exports Despite US Sanctions — Vice-President

The designations target four Iranian banks — Bank Mellat, Sina Bank, Parsian Bank, Mehr Eqtesad Bank — and five investment firms, including Negin Sahel Royal Company and Mehr Eqtesad Financial Group.

 

© REUTERS / RAHEB HOMAVANDI

US Seeks to Replace Iran's Falling Oil Sales With Crude Exports - Special Envoy

The US Treasury's move comes amid an earlier announcement by Brian Hook, US special representative for Iran, that the US hasn't changed its stance on looming Iranian sanctions.

 

The US sanction policy against Iran has commenced when the relations between Washington and Tehran deteriorated following the US withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal in May.

After the move, the US pledged to reinstate anti-Iranian sanctions over several waves, with financial restrictions introduced this past summer and energy sanctions planned for November 4. The US withdrawal has prompted other signatories, including Russia, China and the European powers to try to salvage the landmark nuclear deal.

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World War 3: Russia vows to protect Syria with MISSILES as Assad aims to increase allies

 

SYRIA has declared the delivery of new, modern missiles from Russia as a new means to not only secure Syria but the entire Middle East as Assad aims to increase his regional allies.

 

By NICHOLAS FRAKES

PUBLISHED: 05:22, Wed, Oct 17, 2018 | UPDATED: 06:21, Wed, Oct 17, 2018

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Russia: S-300 missile systems delivered to Syria

 

 

 

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem and Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari spoke together and praised their countries’ victories over ISIS.

Mr al-Muallem said that the defeat of ISIS "will benefit all the countries of the region and the world”.

Over the past seven years, Syria has faced battles with not only ISIS but airstrikes from Israeli fighter jets as well.

Russia had hoped to maintain a balance between Syria and Israel, but, earlier this year, a Russian II-20 surveillance plane was shot down by Syrian anti-air defence during a response to an Israeli air raid.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1032563/world-war-3-syria-receive-missile-russia-look-boost-tie-iraq

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Israel, US send secret delegation to Ukraine to train against S-300 – report

Russian, Syrian outlets say the teams got instruction from their Ukrainian counterparts on capabilities of advanced missile defense system that Putin just gave Assad

By TOI STAFF and AGENCIES16 October 2018, 9:56 am  2

In this illustrative photo taken on August 27, 2013, a Russian S-300 air defense system is on display at the opening of the MAKS Air Show in Zhukovsky outside Moscow, Russia (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev, File)

Israel and the United States sent a secret military delegation to Ukraine to test the Russian-made S-300 missile defense system, which Moscow recently provided to Syria, Hadashot TV news reported Monday, citing Syrian and Russian news outlets.

There was no comment on the reports from either Israel or the US.

According to the reports, members of the Ukrainian military instructed their US and Israeli counterparts on the capabilities of the system, as well as running through various possible scenarios.

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One Russian report said that F-15 planes are training in Ukraine against the S-300 as part of an international exercise that includes Israeli pilots. It wasn’t immediately clear if the Israeli pilots were flying or merely observing from the ground.

Tensions remain high between Russia and Ukraine since Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and the subsequent conflict in eastern Ukraine. The Kremlin has been known to direct misinformation as a tool in the conflict.

It has been widely reported that the Israeli Air Force has been training against the S-300 in exercises in Greece, perhaps since 2007. Israel and the US are both thought to be using stealth aircraft in Syrian maneuvers.

Two of three new F-35 fighter jets land on an airstrip in the Israeli Air Force’s Nevatim base in southern Israel on June 24, 2018. (Israel Defense Forces)

The IAF returned its fleet of F-35 stealth fighters to full service on Sunday, after grounding it last week in light of the state-of-the-art aircraft’s first-ever crash, which took place in the United States, the army said. The pilot ejected safely.

Israeli planes have carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria against what it says are Iranian and Hezbollah targets, but there have been no reports of suspected Israeli airstrikes since the accidental Syrian downing of a Russian plane during an Israeli airstrike in Syria, an incident that raised tensions between Israel and Russia.

Fifteen Russians were killed in the September 17 incident, which Moscow blamed on Israel, accusing its pilots of using the larger Russian plane as cover.

Israel disputes the Russian findings and says its jets were back in Israeli airspace when the plane was downed.

In response, Moscow announced new measures to protect its military in Syria, including equipping Damascus with S-300 air defense systems.

Russia and Israel set up a hotline in 2015 to avoid accidental clashes in Syria, but the new measures have led to concern among Israelis that their strikes will now be limited there.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opens the winter session of the Knesset on October 15, 2018. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)

At the opening of the Knesset’s winter session on Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed ties with Russia, saying he is in “direct, frequent contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin” to confront the “complex, very difficult challenges in our region.”

Netanyahu said his personal relationship with Putin has enabled unprecedented “trust” between the two countries.

“This is very important for Israel’s security,” he said.

The prime minister said last week that he had told Russia’s vice premier that Israel must continue to hit hostile targets in neighboring Syria despite Moscow’s decision to equip Damascus with the S-300.

Netanyahu said at a press conference that he told Maxim Akimov in talks in Jerusalem that Israel would continue to fight what it says are Iranian attempts to entrench itself militarily in Syria and channel advanced weaponry to its Lebanese ally, the Hezbollah terror group.

Despite the delivery of the S-300 air defense systems to the Syrian military, Israel was committed as a matter of self-defense to continue its “legitimate activity in Syria against Iran and its proxies, which state their intention to destroy us,” Netanyahu said.

Judah Ari Gross and Raoul Wootliff contributed to this report.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-us-send-secret-delegation-to-ukraine-to-train-against-s-300-report/

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Russia accuses US of transferring ISIS from Syria to Afghanistan and Iraq

By

 Leith Aboufadel

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2018-10-18

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BEIRUT, LEBANON (2:20 P.M.) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused the U.S. government on Thursday of transferring the so-called “Islamic State” (ISIS/ISIL/IS/Daesh) from Syria to neighboring Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Moscow is concerned with Washington’s transfer of Daesh militants to Iraq and Afghanistan,” Lavrov said during a press conference on Thursday.

 

“Russia calls on the U.S. to explain relocation of Daesh fighters to Iraq and Afghanistan,” he added, as quoted by the Interfax News Agency.

Russia has accused the United States of transferring Daesh terrorists to Afghanistan on a number of occasions in the past.

Washington has repeatedly denied these allegations from Moscow.

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/russia-accuses-us-of-transferring-isis-from-syria-to-afghanistan-and-iraq/

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Lavrov: There are facts that prove America's move from Syria to Iraq

14:07 - 18/10/2018

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Information / Baghdad ..

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed on Thursday that there are facts that prove that the United States is transporting elements of the terrorist organization "Da'ash", pointing out that Washington is carrying out suspicious activities in the east of the Euphrates.

"Any presence of any foreign forces in Syria without an invitation from the Syrian government is illegal," Lavrov said in remarks published by the official Syrian news agency SANA. "Russia is present in Syria at the official invitation of that government, .

He added that "Washington is conducting dubious activities east of the Euphrates expressed his country's concern about the facts that prove the American forces to transfer terrorists," urging "from Syria to Iraq and Afghanistan."

On the Sochi agreement on the province of Idlib, Lavrov pointed out that "the agreement is being implemented," stressing that "any dialogue on Syria should be based on UN Security Council Resolution 2254, which gives the Syrians the right to decide the future of their own country." Ending / 25

https://www.almaalomah.com/2018/10/18/355687/

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US said planning targeted economic sanctions to push Iran out of Syria

New Trump administration strategy will deny reconstruction aid to areas hosting Tehran’s forces, sanction Russian and Iranian companies delivering aid, TV report says

By TOI STAFF16 October 2018, 9:48 pm  1

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A US soldier sits on an armored vehicle at a newly installed position in Manbij, north Syria, April 4, 2018. (Hussein Malla/AP)

The Trump administration is reportedly planning to impose economic pressure including targeted sanctions in a bid to push Iranian forces out of Syria.

The new plan, part of a broader White House strategy to contain Iran in the region, stops short of endorsing military force against Iran or its proxies in Syria, NBC News reported Tuesday.

The new strategy employs targeted sanctions and the withholding of reconstruction aid to pressure Syrians to push foreign powers out of their war-ravaged country.

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It calls for sanctions against Iranian or Russian companies working on reconstruction in Syria in a bid to limit their influence after the end of the civil war. It also calls for withholding American reconstruction aid to areas that continue to host Iranian or Russian forces, according to NBC News, which cited “five people familiar with the plan.”

Curbing “Iranian malign influence in Syria so that it cannot threaten the region, to include ensuring the withdrawal of Iranian-backed forces from Syria” is a key element of US President Donald Trump’s Syria strategy, according to an unnamed administration official quoted in the report.

The official mentioned three additional goals: Deterring the deployment of chemical weapons by the Damascus regime, advancing a political transition after the war’s end, and defeating the Islamic State group.

“The United States will continue to seek to hold Assad accountable for his crimes,” the official added. “Pursuant to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018, the administration will soon submit to Congress a strategy for Syria that reflects the president’s key priorities.”

“There’s a real opportunity for the US and its allies to make the Iranian regime pay for its continued occupation of Syria,” Mark Dubowitz, head of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank, was quoted as saying.

The US is limited in its options against Iran’s presence in Syria in part because of US law. US operations in the region are regulated under the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) law passed in 2001 by the US Congress.

But that law allows the use of force only in defensive situations or against groups responsible for the 9/11 attacks and their associates.

“If the new strategy means opening the door to using force against Iran or Iranian military forces in Syria there needs to be a new Authorization for Use of Military Force,” NBC quoted Yale Law School’s Prof. Oona Hathaway as saying. “Targeting Iran clearly falls outside the scope of the current AUMF which only includes groups with ties to 9/11. Iran doesn’t meet that test. It would be amazing if [the Trump administration tries] to make the claim this falls under the current AUMF. That would be stretching this AUMF way past its breaking point.”

Instead, the Trump administration will use sanctions and other economic levers, which fall under the president’s legal purview and would be administered through the State Department and White House, to pressure Iran to leave Syria.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-said-planning-targeted-economic-sanctions-to-push-iran-out-of-syria/

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Kd : 83071274 (6712403)

 Date: 2018/10/19 Time: 18:07 

 

 

The International Financial Action Group (IFG) gives Iran a four-month deadline

 

The 
International Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has acknowledged that the Islamic Republic of Iran has made progress in the implementation of the 'Program of Action' and given four months to complete the reforms.

The International Financial Action Task Force (FATF) said on Friday that Iran has until February to complete reforms that make it committed to international norms. 
"The FATF decided at its meeting this week to continue to suspend countermeasures," Fataf said, expressing disappointment at the fact that the bulk of the action plan is still pending and expects Iran to move forward with reform quickly. "He said. 
The United States failed to re-impose measures against the Islamic Republic of Iran during the meeting of the International Financial Action Group (FATF). 
The website of the Iranian government said that the United States' attempts at the FATF meeting to re-impose countermeasures to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
According to news reports, the US delegation has made efforts to reactivate countermeasures, which were suspended more than two years ago. 
These attempts have failed in the light of the overwhelming majority of members of the group opposed to the American position. 
The meeting of the International Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on combating money laundering began last Sunday in Paris with the participation of more than 800 delegates from 204 countries and international organizations, including the International Monetary Fund, the United Nations and the World Bank. 
At the meeting, which ended Friday, 140 reports were examined on important issues aimed at maintaining the integrity of the financial system and participating in global security. 
Finished

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Oil falls as Saudi Arabia pledges to play "responsible role"

 

Oil worker in southern Iraq

energy Economy News Baghdad: Oil prices fell on Tuesday after Saudi Arabia said it would play a "responsible" role in energy markets despite continuing concerns before the United States imposes new sanctions on Iranian exports next month . Brent crude fell 55 cents a barrel to $ 79.28 by 0735 GMT. US crude lost 35 cents to $ 69.01 . New US sanctions on Iran will begin on November 4 and Washington says it wants to halt Tehran's exports . Saudi Arabia says it will keep enough supplies in the market, despite the isolation it faces due to the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, while signs of high crude exports from the Middle East are showing . Views 68   Date Added 23/10/2018

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Iran's oil minister: US sanctions can not stop our oil exports

 

Arab and international Economy News Baghdad: The United States will not be able to stop Iran's oil exports by imposing sanctions on Tehran, the official Tasnim news agency quoted Oil Minister Begin Zengane as saying, warning that sanctions would keep the market volatile . "As long as America targets Iran, one of the world's largest oil producers, the volatility in the oil market will continue," the agency quoted the Iranian minister as saying . The United States has said it plans to impose new sanctions on Iran's oil sector on November 4 . Views 0   Date Added 23/10/2018