Iran declares its readiness to return to all its obligations under the nuclear agreement

[DoD]

5 hours ago, yota691 said:

Warnings of a project to export Iranian oil and gas to Syria through Iraq

 

Can't help but wonder what kind of effect on our beloved RV that US sanctions on Iraq will have. I just don't think the Iraqi's are smart enough or brave enough to stand up to Iran. Iraq is poised to go down with it's brother Iran....

[3n1]

6 hours ago, DoD said:

I just don't think the Iraqi's are smart enough or brave enough to stand up to Iran. Iraq is poised to go down with it's brother Iran....

 

yup only ones with any back bone is the Peshmerga army .... heck half of parliament and the iraqi army is rooted in Iran,  isn't this a fun speculative investment, cheers dod  

[yota691]

After Trump's tweet .. French-American clash over the position on Iran

- One Hour Has Passed

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said his country did not need any permission to make a stand on Iran.

This came in response to US President Donald Trump's remarks on Thursday that French President Emmanuel Macron has no right to speak to Iran on behalf of the United States.

France expresses its position with full sovereignty towards Iran and is firmly committed to peace and security in the region, he said.

The minister stressed that Paris is committed to the nuclear agreement with Iran signed in 2015, saying that the rising tensions in the Gulf "require political initiatives to restore the conditions of dialogue."

He said Macron's diplomacy was "fully transparent with our partners," and he kept the US side informed.

On Thursday, Trump criticized his French counterpart for sending "contradictory signals" to Iran, stressing that "no one but the United States speaks for it."

"Iran has serious financial problems," Trump said in a tweet on Twitter. They are desperate to talk to the United States, but they receive contradictory signals from all those who claim to represent us, including President Macron. ”

Macron invited his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani to attend the upcoming G-7 summit in Biarritz, France, on August 24-26, which could be an opportunity to meet the US president, Rouhani said. Refusal. The Elysée Palace officially denied such an offer.

In parallel with the intensification of economic, diplomatic and military pressure on Tehran, the US president has recently repeated calls for dialogue. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said he had received an invitation to visit the White House and meet Trump, saying he had rejected it.

Macron, who defends the nuclear deal with Tehran from which the United States withdrew, has been in regular contact with his Iranian counterpart. He does not hide his hope to play the role of mediator.

Source: Al Jazeera + Agencies

[yota691]

Tehran to Washington: Do not wait for our contact

 

 

 2019/08/11 07:16:05

 

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday it was not interested in US calls for negotiations, as long as sanctions on the country's economy and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei continued.

"Waiting for a US call from Iran is useless because Tehran will not be the first to negotiate with Washington," Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said, adding that Iran would not take part in negotiations with the United States that did not respect international laws.

Mousavi pointed out that the refusal to negotiate is due to what he called "economic terrorism" practiced by the United States, in addition to the sanctions imposed on the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, which makes Washington's calls "not sincere because they coincide with the continued pressure and threat."

[yota691]

Iranian Presidency: Dependence on oil revenues must be zero

22:14 - 11/08/2019

 

  

Information / follow - up

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's deputy president, Mohammad Baqer Nubakht, called on Sunday to cut the proportion of oil money in national budget revenues.

At the first meeting to record the country's budget for the next Iranian year (beginning March 21, 2020), the official noted that under the country's embargo conditions, the country's revenue from oil exports should be minimized.

He added that the dependence on funds from the sale of oil should be little even in normal circumstances, stressing the need to reduce this credit and get it to zero.

Earlier, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani believed that the impact of US sanctions on his country's economy would have been less had it not been so heavily dependent on oil revenues, pointing to the importance of reforming Iran's economic structure.

Last year, the United States, in a unilateral move, withdrew from the "nuclear deal" with Tehran and reimposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic, including in relation to secondary sanctions (ie, targeting other countries that maintain trade with Tehran). Finished 25 N

[yota691]

Zarif: America turned the Gulf into a sulfur can

Release date:: 2019/8/12 14:28 • 53 times read

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused the United States on Monday of turning the Gulf region into a "flammable sulfur can."

"The Gulf is tight and the more foreign ships there are, the less secure it is," Zarif said in an interview. 
"The region was flooded with weapons by America and its allies, turning it into a flammable sulfur can."

[yota691]

Under the US sanctions .. What do you know about the auto industry in Iran?

- 37 Minutes Have Passed

Iran's auto industry is the third largest after the oil, gas and petrochemical industry, accounting for 10% of the GNP, and employs about 855,000 employees.

Iran is currently ranked 20th in the list of the most productive countries and the second in the region after Turkey, after it was ranked 12 globally and first in the region in 2017, according to the website of the International Organization of Car Manufacturers (OICA).

Iran produces more than one million cars annually, and its production capacity for 2017 reached 1.534 million cars, in addition to buses and trucks.

Due to U.S. sanctions on Iran, car production fell in 2018 to 955,000. But this year production is expected to rise to 1 million.

The first car 
Under license from the British company Talbot, Iran made its first car Peykan (1967) in the company "Iran National" or what is known today as "Iran Khodro." In the same year, it also produced passenger buses and trucks.

To date, Iran Khodro is one of the largest automobile manufacturers along with Saipa, which produces about 90% of the country's total vehicles.

There are also many car manufacturers in Iran, including Pars Khodro, Kerman Motor, Zamyad, Bahman and two Khodro managers.

Withdrawals 
The auto sector suffers from several problems, such as high prices of raw materials, low production, quality decline and lack of development of models, especially recently after the renewal of US sanctions on the sector and the withdrawal of major foreign companies such as "Peugeot, Renault, Mazda, Hyundai" from the country.

US sanctions have also stopped or reduced the export of Iranian cars to countries in the region such as Russia, Ukraine, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Mauritania and Lebanon.

However, Iran has domestic plants in countries such as Iraq, Syria, Azerbaijan, Venezuela, Belarus and Senegal.

Mohammad Hassan Shujai Fard, dean of the Automotive Engineering Faculty of Iran University of Science and Technology, says the automotive sector suffers from a lack of its own strategy, and since the state has shares in major car companies, the business plan and strategy of this sector change automatically as governments change.

There are also large companies and a window in the manufacture of spare parts do not allow to change models or develop cars, because they have to develop their mechanisms that have been operating for decades.

Said Saeed Laylaz, an economist and expert in the automotive sector in an interview with Al Jazeera Net saying: "The auto sector in Iran faces four challenges," the first political and diplomatic, as long as Iran faces these global crises, it will naturally be subjected to obstacles to export or attract foreign capital.

The second challenge is the US sanctions, which have caused a lack of cooperation with large companies and the transfer of advanced technology to the country, as well as the difficulty of importing raw materials in the automotive industry, although 30 to 80% of the parts of the car manufactured in the country according to each model.

The third challenge, says Leylaz, is ownership, since the state owns part of the sector and does not have the flexibility and efficiency of the private sector. The final challenge is the countrys working environment, administrative routine and banking system.

Low quality 
Iranians complain about low quality and exorbitant car prices, especially after sanctions have been reinstated and the value of the local currency depreciated against foreign exchange.

Therefore, the car market was affected after people rushed to buy local cars, which led to higher prices compared to last year between 70 and 135% according to models, in addition to the high prices of raw materials for the production of the car.

For example, PRIDE, the cheapest car in Iran, is currently priced at $ 3,750, up from $ 1,750 in June last year. The average salary of a government employee is $ 238 a month.

Imported cars 
As for imported cars, the state has closed its auto registration site this year. It does not currently allow foreigners to enter the country in order to preserve funds inside the country as well as protect nationalism, which has led to a rise in the price of foreign cars on the market.

Previously all customs taxes imposed on the entry of a foreign car ranged between 100 and 150% of the price of the car in international markets and abroad.

Five decades have passed since the first car industry in Iran, and this sector continues to swing on the waves of political turmoil and crises facing the country. Does this sector reach the coast of safety or is it approaching day by day the clutches of political whales?

Source: Al Jazeera

[yota691]

Bolton wants Britain to talk about a free trade agreement

By ahad5 12/08/2019 02:40 PM | The number of readings: 25

 

US National Security Adviser John Bolton told British officials that President Donald Trump wants a successful British exit from the European Union that Washington will support with a free trade agreement between the two countries.

As the UK prepares to leave the EU on October 31, the biggest political shift since World War II, many diplomats expect London to become more dependent on the United States.

Bolton, who is in London for two days for talks with British officials, is seeking to improve relations with Prime Minister Boris Johnson after the sometimes tense between Trump and former Prime Minister Theresa May.

Bolton's main message is that the United States will help mitigate the effects of Brexit through a free-trade agreement negotiated between US Trade Representative Robert Lightitzer and his British counterpart Liz Truss.

During his meetings with British officials, Bolton plans to urge them to better align British policy on Iran with Washington's hard-line policies toward Tehran. / End 1

[yota691]

Washington seeks to tighten London policy on Iran

- 40 Minutes Have Passed

The timing of the US rush to Britain and the resumption of post-Brexit FTA talks, after being suspended under Theresa May, reveals that Washington has quickly picked up the signals of new British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has joined a US military force in the Gulf to counter threats Iran International Navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Observers believe that US President Donald Trump does not separate the files from each other.

LONDON (Reuters) - US President Donald Trump wants a successful British exit from the European Union that Washington will support with a free trade agreement between the two countries, US National Security Adviser John Bolton told British officials on Monday, as Washington seeks to better align London's policy on Iran with its hard-line policies toward Tehran.

As the UK prepares to leave the European Union on October 31, the biggest political shift since World War II, many diplomats expect London to become more dependent on the United States.

Bolton, who is in London for two days for talks with British officials, is seeking to improve relations with Prime Minister Boris Johnson after the sometimes tense between Trump and former Prime Minister Theresa May.

Bolton's key message is that the United States will help mitigate the effects of Brexit through a free-trade agreement negotiated between US Trade Representative Robert Leitzer and his British counterpart Liz Truss.

Bolton's visit comes at a time when Britain is experiencing a political crisis coinciding with the decline of the pound sterling to its lowest level in years with the imminent departure of Britain from the European Union. Johnson has pledged to investigate the twice-delayed Brexit, which is due to come into force on October 31, even if it leaves the EU without an agreement.

Valuers are worried about the British economy and major industries that Brexit without agreement could lead to border chaos and global financial turmoil in the near term.

The EU refuses to renegotiate last year's deal with former British Prime Minister Theresa May with Brussels, which Johnson and his supporters see as unfair.

A complete separation of the United Kingdom from the European Union would allow London to immediately launch negotiations for a free trade agreement with the United States. US President Donald Trump, who has long criticized the May administration for Brexit, expressed support for Johnson and confirmed in late July that the two countries had already started trade talks.

During his meetings with British officials, Bolton plans to urge them to align British policy on Iran more closely with Washington's hard-line policies toward Tehran. Britain and its European allies' adherence to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran angered the United States, which pulled out last year.

The British government announced on August 5 that it would participate in a "maritime security mission" alongside the United States to protect merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf.

By announcing joining a US-led international military force in the Strait of Hormuz to protect merchant ships from Iranian threats, Britain has humiliated Washington's difficulties in setting up the force, opening the doors for other reluctant international powers to join. Observers believe that London's support for Trump's hard-line policies towards Iran after its reservation earlier weakens European diplomatic avenues to save the nuclear deal with Tehran.

London's accession to a US military force destroys European efforts to save the remainder of the nuclear deal with Iran

The United States launched the idea of the coalition in June after attacks on several ships in the Gulf region, after attributing it to Iran, which denies this. The idea is for each country to accompany its merchant ships with the support of the US military, which will take over air surveillance of the region and command operations.

The Europeans have rejected the offer because they do not want to take part in US President Donald Trump's policy of exerting "extreme pressure" on Iran and are trying to keep the deal on Iran's nuclear program.

The test of Trump's new prime minister, Boris Johnson, to join a US-led military force reinforced London's chances of reviving stalled efforts to reach a post-Brexit trade deal with the United States.

But that could pose a threat to British military ships, as they may have to abide by the more aggressive US rules of engagement that London does not support. Observers believe that London's accession to a US military force could destroy the British efforts to save the remainder of the 2015 agreement with Iran, which Trump withdrew last year.

Concerns about a Middle East war with global repercussions have grown since the United States last year pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, reimposed sanctions on it, and Gulf security, which passes through a fifth of the world's oil supplies, has jumped to the top of the agenda. Since May, when Washington accused Tehran of being behind bombings that damaged six tankers over several weeks.

The Arabs

[Butifldrm]

Iran Starts Building Isotope Production Centre at Fordow Nuclear Site – Atomic Energy Organisation

 

© AP Photo / Vahid salemi

MIDDLE EAST

14:08 13.08.2019(updated 15:03 13.08.2019)Get short URL

 0 40

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Earlier this day, Mehr news agency reported that Iran inaugurated the construction of an isotope production centre at the Fordow nuclear site near the city of Qom.

The Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran has confirmed that Tehran has begun the construction of an isotope production centre at the Fordow nuclear site.

Mehr news agency previously reported about the inauguration ceremony that was attended by Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran.

The centre will research methods to produce stable isotopes, including through distillation and heat exchange. These can be used in medicine, industry and science.

The facility is expected to be built by mid-May 2020 and equipped after September of the same year.

Iran was accused of enriching uranium at the underground Fordow facility before signing a deal in 2015 to scale down its nuclear activities.

In its turn, Tehran repeatedly denied that the Fordow facility was intended to produce weapons-grade uranium, saying that it was tasked only with producing low-enriched uranium for power plants.

On 8 May, Iran announced that it was partially discontinuing some of its obligations under the JCPOA, exactly one year after the US unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal and re-imposed wide-ranging sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201908131076539276-iran-starts-building-isotope-production-centre-at-fordow-nuclear-site--reports/

[Butifldrm]

POMPEO WARNS OF THE END OF THE ARMS EMBARGO ON IRAN

 

Tuesday, August 13, 2019 9:59 PM

Follow - up / National News Center

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned allies on Tuesday that a UN embargo on arming Iran was nearing the end.

In a tweet on Twitter, Pompeo used a digital clock to show the countdown. Time remaining before UN arms embargo on Iran expires… ”

According to UN Resolution 2231, which followed the conclusion of the 2015 nuclear agreement, a deadline for a series of sanctions was set for October 18, 2020.

The resolution asked UN member states to observe a number of restrictions in dealing with Iran, including the sale or transfer of tanks, armored vehicles, heavy artillery, warships and related spare parts.

The resolution also included training and financial services aimed at facilitating arms transfers.

"Time is running out for international agreements that restrict the Iranian regime. For example, the brutal Revolutionary Guards commander, Qasem Soleimani, will be allowed to travel on October 18, 2020. Soon after, the Iranian regime will also be free to sell weapons to anyone, including terrorist agents, and countries such as Russia and China will be able to sell Tanks, missiles and air defense systems to Iran. ”

The statement said this would lead to "a new arms race in the Middle East and further destabilize the region and the world."

The United States pulled out of the nuclear deal in May 2018, and Pompeo later said UN restrictions on Iran should not end in 2020.

America's European allies remain committed to the agreement, but have expressed concern about Iranian meddling in the Middle East and its ballistic missile program.

https://nnciraq.com/14827/

[yota691]

Qatari Foreign Minister responds to Saudi Arabia from the gateway to suppor t the year of Iraq: Maliki Shiite marginalized

Political | 12:59 - 14/08/2019

 

 

 

 

News Torgomh- balances 
new Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, Wednesday, emphasizing that the accusations countries boycott of his country of supporting terrorism is unfair, and while noting that his country supported Iraq 's Sunnis, expressed optimism not the end of the Gulf crisis.

"ISIL continues to pose a grave threat to the region despite its recent defeats on the battlefield. The terrorist group could rise again if Washington and its Arab allies fail to address the root causes that Fueling religious extremism. " 
"Military victories over ISIS must be celebrated, but the ideology of the terrorist group must be eliminated in order to defeat any version of the organization," he said. 
"Part of ISIS is likely to dissolve throughout the Middle East population, and countries in the region need to become more responsive to their people and the needs of their people," he said.
The Qatari minister touched on a wide range of other issues, including the future of the Iranian nuclear agreement, the growing economic relations between Qatar and the United States and relations between Qatar and the boycotting countries (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt) that accuse Qatar of supporting terrorist groups and radical Islam. 
About eight months ago, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates gathered to impose an economic and diplomatic blockade on Qatar, a wealthy country located above some of the world's largest proven natural gas reserves. 
Sheikh Al - Thani: "Our country has been subjected to unjust aggression, it claims Saudi Arabia and others have created" Alhaoua is not necessary for the region. " 
With regard to Iranian relations, Sheikh stressed that the " comprehensive Arab world trade with Iran , "dominated by the United Arab Emirates, which accuses Qatar has stronger ties with Iran. "
"How close are we to Iran when we are in the forefront against Iranian policy in Syria, Iraq and Yemen?" 
"Qatar stands with Iraq's Sunni Muslim population while it has been marginalized under Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who is believed to have close ties to Iran," he said. 
Despite US mediation efforts, the Qatari minister said he was "not optimistic about the speedy end of the crisis in the Gulf Cooperation Council."

[yota691]

Iraqi proposal to secure navigation in the Gulf

Political | 10:43 - 14/08/2019

 

 

 

Baghdad - Mawazine News 
revealed a political source, that Iraq is about to submit a proposal to a number of countries on navigation in the Gulf, indicating that the proposal aims to secure navigation and prevent the entry of any other parties. 
The source said that "Iraq is currently working on the maturity of a proposal to be submitted to the countries concerned with the file of navigation in the Arabian Gulf, based on the participation of the Arab countries overlooking the Gulf force to ensure navigation and coordination among them on navigation in the Gulf, particularly the Strait of Hormuz." 
He added that "Iraq is making efforts to contain the crisis that any stop will reflect significantly and negatively on all countries bordering the Gulf, including Iraq," pointing out that "there are countries welcome the proposal of Iraq, but other countries are not known its position." 
 He stressed that "Baghdad will approach several parties to this proposal soon after maturing all the details."
 The Israeli Foreign Minister, Yisrael Katz, announced that his country is participating in the US plan to secure navigation in the waters of the Arabian Gulf from Iranian threats, according to the "Times of Israel" and "Yediot Aharonot", Israeli, while Foreign Minister Mohammed Ali al-Hakim, the day before yesterday Monday, Iraq refused Israel's participation in any force to secure the passage of ships in the Arabian Gulf

[yota691]

 

Iranian presidency: the release of the tanker "Grace-1" is going positively

 

14-08-2019 01:32 PM 
Number of Views: 62

Orbit Agency -

Baghdad

TEHRAN (Reuters) - The release of the Iranian tanker Grace 1 held in Gibraltar is proceeding positively, the president's office said on Wednesday.

This comes after the authorities denied Gibraltar, which belongs to Britain, the Iranian information, which spoke on Tuesday for the release of a nearby Iranian oil tanker, which was seized in early July.

 

[yota691]

Washington asks to keep detention of Iranian tanker in Gibraltar

 

August 15, 2019 - 1:33 PM 
Readings: 32 ━ Category :

 

 

Follow / Step Press

The US Department of Justice has filed a request to detain the supertanker Grace 1, which is due to be heard by the Gibraltar prosecutor.

The tanker, carrying Iranian oil, was detained off the coast of Gibraltar on 4 July.

She was due to be released on Thursday after the prosecutor indicated he would not issue a new order to detain the tanker.

However, it was suspended until 16:00 British time summer time to decide, after receiving the US request.

Authorities in Gibraltar said the US request was based on "a number of allegations currently under consideration."

The detention of the tanker has sparked a diplomatic crisis between Britain and Iran, which has escalated further in recent weeks.

On July 19, the IRGC detained a Swedish-owned oil tanker, flying the British flag, in the Gulf.

The United Kingdom announced last week that it would join US-led forces in the Gulf to protect merchant ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the world's main oil corridor.

[Pitcher]

https://oilprice.com/Geopolitics/Middle-East/Chinas-Ultimate-Play-For-Global-Oil-Market-Control.html
 

China’s Ultimate Play For Global Oil Market Control

By Yossef Bodansky - Aug 15, 2019, 6:00 PM CDT

All attention is focused on the twists-and-turns of the very noisy US-Iran dispute in the Persian Gulf, but all the while the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is rapidly and quietly consolidating a dominant presence in the area with the active support of Russia.

Beijing, as a result, is fast acquiring immense influence over related key dynamics such as the price of oil in the world market and the relevance of the petrodollar. The PRC and the Russians are capitalizing on both the growing fears of Iran and the growing mistrust of the US. Hence, the US is already the main loser of the PRC’s gambit.

The dramatic PRC success can be attributed to the confluence of two major trends:

(1) The quality and relevance of what Beijing can offer to both Iran and the Saudi-Gulf States camp; and

(2) The decision of key Arab leaders — most notably Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin ‘Abd al-’Aziz al Sa’ud (aka MBS) and his close ally, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (aka MBZ) — to downgrade their traditional close ties with the US, and reach out to Beijing to provide a substitute strategic umbrella.

Hence, the PRC offer to oversee and guarantee the establishment of a regional collective security regime — itself based on the Russian proposals and ideas first raised in late July 2019 — is now getting considerable positive attention from both shores of the Persian Gulf. Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, and Oman appear to be becoming convinced that the PRC could be the key to the long-term stability and prosperity in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula.

Iran is also considering the expansion of security cooperation with Russia as an added umbrella against potential US retaliation.

Overall, according to sources in these areas, the US was increasingly perceived as an unpredictable, disruptive element.

The profound change in the attitude of the Saudi and Emirati ruling families, who for decades have considered themselves pliant protégés of the US, took long to evolve. However, once formulated and adopted, the new policies have been implemented swiftly.

The main driving issue is the realization by both MBS and MBZ that, irrespective of the reassuring rhetoric of US Pres. Donald Trump and Jared Kushner, their bitter nemesis — Qatar — is far more important to the US than the rest of the conservative Arab monarchies and sheikhdoms of the GCC. The last straw came in early July 2019 in the aftermath of the visit of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to Washington, DC. Sheikh Tamim received an extravagant reception from both Pres. Trump in person and official Washington. Trump lavished praises on Qatar and the Emir, and emphasized the US renewed commitment “to further advancing the high-level strategic cooperation between our two countries”.

There are good reasons for the US preference of Qatar.

The Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar is by far the most important US base in the entire greater Middle East. Qatar is mediating between the US and several nemeses, including Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey. Qatar is providing “humanitarian cash” to HAMAS in the Gaza Strip, thus buying quiet time for Israel. Qatar has given generous “political shelter” to numerous leaders, seniors, and commanders of questionable entities the US would like to protect but would never acknowledge this (including anti-Russia Chechens and other Caucasians, and anti-China Uighurs). Related: Gibraltar Releases Iranian Tanker

Qatari Intelligence is funding and otherwise supporting the various jihadist entities which serve as proxies of the CIA and M?T (Milli ?stihbarat Te?kilat?: the Turkish National Intelligence Organization) in the greater Middle East (mainly Syria, Iraq, Libya, Jordan, Yemen) and Central Asia (mainly Afghanistan-Pakistan, China’s Xinjiang and Russia’s Caucasus and the Turkic peoples of eastern Siberia).

On top of this, Qatar is purchasing billions of dollars’ worth of US-made weapons; and paying cash on-time (unlike the habitually late Saudis who now cannot afford to pay what they’ve already promised).

Moreover, the Middle East is awash with rumors that Qatari businessmen saved the financial empire of the Kushner family by investing at least half-a-billion dollars in the 666 5th Avenue project in New York. The rumors are very specific in that the investment was made for political reasons on instruction of the Emir. In the conspiracies-driven Arab Middle East, such rumors are believed and serve as a viable motive for the policies of the Trump White House: an ulterior motive the Saudis and Gulfies cannot challenge. 

The handling by the Trump White House of the Iranian shootdown of the US RQ-4A/BAMS-D Global Hawkdrone on June 20, 2019, only exacerbated further the anguish of both MBS and MBZ. Both of them, along with other Arab leaders, urged the Trump White House to strike hard at Iran in retaliation. Both MBS and MBZ communicated in person with the most senior individuals at the White House. They were stunned to learn that Trump communicated directly with Tehran on the possibility of a largely symbolic retaliatory strike, and the prospects of bilateral negotiations.

Both MBS and MBZ consider the last-minute cancellation of the US retaliatory strike a personal affront and humiliation because Trump did not accept and follow their positions and demands for action. Both MBS and MBZ are now convinced that not only the US demonstrated weakness and lack of resolve, but that Pres. Trump was personally not committed to fighting Iran on behalf of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf sheikhdoms.

Furthermore, there is growing trepidation in Saudi Arabia about the viability of the Pakistani guarantees to the Kingdom, particularly concerning nuclear deterrence.

In the past, Islamabad mediated the Saudi purchase of ballistic missiles from the PRC (procurements which are supported by Pakistani military technicians and security personnel) and had allocated two nuclear warheads for launch from Saudi Arabia in case of an Iranian attack, all in return for lavish Saudi funding of Pakistan’s nuclear and strategic weapons programs.

However, there has been a profound turnaround in Pakistani policies starting in the Summer of 2019.

First, Pakistan reached a comprehensive military agreement with Turkey with the latter providing weapons and other military systems, as well as training, in order to replace US and Western systems which were no longer available. In the first area of active cooperation, Turkey mediated modalities for trilateral cooperation (Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan) in fighting Baluchi jihadists and insurgents. Second, Pakistan is expediting the shipping of huge quantities of Iranian gas to western China by mainly using existing pipelines, from the Fars fields to Chabahar, then via the Iran-Pakistan pipeline to Gwadar, and then via the CPEC (the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) pipeline to Xinjiang. As well, Iran and Pakistan cooperate closely in negotiations with various Afghan factions to ameliorate any US achievements in the Doha negotiations with the Taliban.

Hence, both MBS and MBZ wonder, can Saudi Arabia trust Pakistan to deter and confront Iran and its allies on behalf of Saudi Arabia?

Concurrently, with the face-off with the US not going away, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamene‘i convened anew the key Iranian leaders in order to reiterate the tenets of Tehran’s strategy and to reinforce their resolve. Khamene‘i stressed his and Iran’s commitment to becoming the leading regional power, and repeated that there was no possibility for a negotiated compromise with the US. In the meeting, Khamene‘i stated “three directives for Iran” which were to be followed and realized under any condition. As reported by authoritative commentator Elijah Magnier, Khamene‘i’s directives are:

“1. Adherence to Iran’s right to nuclear enrichment and everything related to this science at all costs. Nuclear enrichment is a sword Iran can hold in the face of the West, which wants to take it from Tehran. It is Iran’s card to obstruct any US intention of ‘obliterating’ Iran.

“2. Continue to develop Iran’s missile capability and ballistic programs. This is Iran’s deterrent weapon that prevents its enemies from waging war against it. SayyedAli Khamene‘i considers the missile program a balancing power to prevent harm against Iran.

“3. support Iran’s allies in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen, and never abandon them, because they are essential to Iran’s national security.”

Elijah Magnier further explained that “SayyedKhamene‘i recommended these commandments to preserve the Islamic Republic of Iran, and that each of these three items is equally important for the safety of Iran, its existence and continuity, and national and strategic security.”

The aggregate objective of these three directives, Khamene‘i elaborated, was to enable and expedite the ascent of Iran as a regional power. The Iranian strategic ascent would manifest itself by tight control over both the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al Mandab, as well as the entire Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea; that is, controlling the region’s oil and gas exports. Emboldened, the Iranians would intensify their demands for the return of “traditional Iranian territory”, starting with Bahrain [even though the Iranian Government of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi had formally relinquished its claim on Bahrain in 1970 — Ed.].

There can be expected to be growing demands from Tehran to empower the Shi’ite population of the eastern Arabian Peninsula — where all the oil and gas reserves are located — in accordance with Iran’s long-term commitment to the establishing of an Islamic Republic of Eastern Arabia.¹ These are all traditional long-term demands of Iran. The novelty in Khamene‘i’s most recent address is the assertiveness and immediacy of the Iranian quest to meet these demands.

The importance and essence of Khamene‘i’s message spread across the Persian Gulf quickly. Consequently, both MBS and MBZ are cognizant that Khamene‘i’s Tehran was unlikely to compromise or go back on these commitments and objectives. There was no similar indication of resolve coming from Trump’s Washington. Thus, MBS, MBZ and most other Arab leaders had become increasingly convinced that the US would sooner or later withdraw from the Persian Gulf and the greater Middle East. The current bluster and assertiveness of the Trump Administration could not negate the overall trend: that of the US disengagement and withdrawal.

The Arab leaders believe that the US would empower Israel as a subcontractor, but Israel has its own priorities and vital interests. Michael Young articulated the perception of the region’s leaders in the August 7, 2019, issue of The National of the UAE. “A new regional security order is emerging, with Israel taking a much more interventionist approach and playing a military rôle partly replacing that previously fulfilled by Washington, particularly with regard to Iran. Israel’s efforts to counter Iran have paralleled those of a number of Arab states, with all sides adapting to a new situation in which the US has decided to militarily disengage from the Middle East.”

Both MBS and MBZ concluded that they need a far stronger strategic umbrella than the US and Israel could offer in order to survive in the era of Iran’s ascent.

As a result, MBZ reached out to Beijing in early July 2019. After comprehensive preparatory negotiations, MBZ arrived in Beijing on July 20, 2019, for a milestone visit in which he met PRC Pres. Xi Jinping for lengthy discussions. According to PRC senior officials, Mohammed bin Zayed and Xi Jinping “elevated the two countries’ relationship to that of a strategic partnership”. The key outcome was the UAE’s acceptance of the dominance of the PRC and Russia in the Persian Gulf.

“The UAE and China are moving towards a promising future,” MBZ said in his concluding meeting with Xi Jinping. His visit aimed at “developing co-operation and a comprehensive strategic partnership, as well as opening new horizons for joint action in various sectors,” MBZ explained. Xi Jinping responded by stressing “the profound significance of China-Arab relations”. The PRC and the UAE would now work closely together to transform the Persian Gulf into “a security oasis” rather than a new “source of turmoil”.

Significantly, Xi Jinping referred to “a hundred years of grand plan” when describing the PRC’s relations with the UAE. MBZ also signed a large number of bilateral agreements, both economic and strategic.

While in Beijing, Mohammed bin Zayed asked Xi Jinping to mediate a deal with Tehran in order to negate the US-driven escalation and possible war. The PRC moved very fast, and within a few days dispatched to Tehran a high-ranking delegation led by the head of the International Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Song Tao. His mandate was to discuss the new security regime for the Persian Gulf, as well as the conditions for increasing PRC purchase of Iranian oil in disregard of the US sanctions. On the Iranian side, Song Tao’s official host was the highly influential Secretary of the Expediency Council, Mohsen Rezaei. This meant that Khamene‘i was directly involved. Song Tao stayed in Tehran for three days and met with a large number of senior officials, mostly members of Khamene‘i’s innermost circle of confidants and advisors.

All the Iranian officials were very assertive regarding Iran’s resolve to withstand US pressure at all cost, and eager for PRC cooperation in stabilizing the region and preventing war.

Rezaei articulated Iran’s strategy. “Any kind of insecurity and conflict in this region would carry harm to global peace and security,” he stated. “Americans and Britain have been fanning the flames of war in the Persian Gulf region and they want to pretend they have control over the Strait of Hormuz and the movement of vessels. Of course, we do not allow this to happen. In the meantime, we expect cooperation from our friends in China.”

He hoped for Chinese cooperation in preventing escalation. Should such cooperation fail to materialize, Iran would have to act boldly. “Persian Gulf security is our security and we have to respond to their attacks and destabilizing actions in order to maintain security,” Rezaei stated. Tehran’s preference is for the PRC to help in securing “free shipping and security in the Persian Gulf”.

The Head of Iran’s Foreign Policy Strategic Council, Kamal Kharrazi, reminded Song Tao that “both Iran and China are opposed to US’s unilateralism and hegemony”.

Hence, both countries should work closely together in confronting the US. The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Ali Larijani, also stressed that close cooperation “can help counter the US animosity and neutralize its consequences”. He suggested that Russia should be brought into the new security regime in the Persian Gulf. Larijani urged the PRC to expedite its anti-US intervention in the Persian Gulf because “success of this plan is contingent upon practical steps”. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif noted “the two countries’ common strategic outlook toward international developments”, and urged close cooperation in order to reverse “Washington’s attempts to impose its own hegemony on the world”.

All the Iranian officials had no problem with some form of rapprochement with the UAE and Saudi Arabia provided they did neither participate in a war against Iran, nor permit the US to use their territory and bases for strikes against Iran and Iranian proxies.

The PRC delegation was impressed by the Iranian eagerness to cooperate and to accept a PRC umbrella.

Song Tao told his interlocutors that “the mission of the delegation is to strengthen the strategic coordination and dialogue between the two countries and we are willing to confront challenges and problems together”. He agreed with the imperative to jointly confront the US, and accepted the need to move fast jointly. Song Tao concurred that “there are complicated and rapid developments happening on the international stage that have created challenges for the countries of China and Iran, but our resolve and determination is to support Iran’s legal and legitimate rights to development and progress”. Song Tao promised to discuss in Beijing concrete ideas how to improve and expand the PRC’s policy of “long-term strategic” ties with Iran in view of the current situation in the Persian Gulf.

By now, the PRC Government had already organized the first meeting between Emirati and Iranian senior officials. First, on July 26, 2019, an Emirati “peace delegation” arrived in Tehran for secret discussions on the new modalities of bilateral relations, new security regimes in the Persian Gulf and Yemen (from where the UAE is withdrawing to the chagrin of Saudi Arabia), and overall GCC-Iran relations. The emphasis was on crisis management and the prevention of accidental escalation in the Persian Gulf. On July 30, 2019, the UAE dispatched a high-level Coast Guard delegation to Tehran.

Officially, the two sides discussed maritime border control and patrolling in order to avoid misunderstandings and clashes. The delegation included an undeclared senior emissary of MBZ. He assured his Iranian interlocutors that the UAE was ready for a fundamental change of relationship with Iran including a “rapprochement” and expansion of trade. The UAE also committed to distancing from the US, accepting PRC influence in the entire region, and working with Iran for a regional security regime.

One of the key issues raised with the Emirati delegation in Tehran was the Saudi position. The UAE emissary asserted that all of the recent activities, including the request for PRC mediation, were the outcome of close coordination between MBZ and MBS. However, he explained, given the close relations between MBS and the Trump White House, MBS felt more constrained in making a dramatic shift the way MBZ did.

Therefore, on July 31, 2019, Zarif offered an olive branch.

He declared that “Iran is prepared for dialogue if Saudi Arabia is also ready”. He repeated the message in an interview with the official IRNA. “If Saudi Arabia is ready for talks, Iran is always ready for negotiation with neighbors,” Zarif stated. Tehran “is interested in cooperation with [her] neighbors.” Just to be on the safe side, the next day — August 1, 2019 — Iran sent a reminder of the alternative. The Houthis launched a ballistic missile attack on Saudi military positions near Dammam city.

Located in the Shi’ite area on the shores of the Persian Gulf, Dammam is a critical center of the Saudi oil infrastructure, including a major oil port. Riyadh got the message. Hence, on August 3, 2019, the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash stated that “the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia prefer a political approach to their problems with Iran”.

Iran acted on the message. High-level emissaries traveled secretly to Mecca in early August 2019 as part of the Iranian delegation to prepare for the Hajj (August 9-14, 2019). They held secret talks about the future of the Persian Gulf with Saudi senior officials. These talks were personally supervised and micromanaged by MBS, who made all the decisions and determined the Saudi positions. Although the Saudis were forthcoming, and repeatedly expressed their desire to avoid escalation and fighting, they were also reticent to break with the US. Related: China Still Reluctant To Buy U.S. Crude Oil

Simply put, the Saudis — reflecting the persona of MBS — were risk-averse and incapable of making concrete decisions. They neither said “no” to anything, nor did they commit to anything concrete.

The Iranian negotiators were encouraged by the overall spirit of the negotiations, but frustrated with the slow progress of the discussions. Therefore, on August 7, 2019, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif taunted Riyadh. He urged Saudi Arabia to make its own decision rather than be subservient to the US.

“Some countries see their future and security hinged upon dependence and regard security as something purchasable, and think that they can maintain their security by paying money and buying weapons and learn nothing from history,” Zarif said. “How come [Saudi Arabia] did not realize that money does not bring security?” The Saudi posture is in stark contrast to the posture of the Islamic Republic of Iran. “We never buy security, nor do we sell security because we derive our security, development, and legitimacy from [our] people,” Zarif concluded. 

One of the reasons Tehran felt confident to prod both Riyadh and Abu Dhabi was that both were by now engulfed in a major crisis concerning the US. For a long time, MBS, MBZ and their close aides suspected that the US was hiding major matters from them. While the Trump White House kept demanding uncompromising confrontation with Tehran and warning against any and all contacts, MBS and MBZ suspected that Washington was not itself following these principles. Both Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have long known about active channels and mediation efforts by Doha, but whenever the subject came up, Trump’s Washington would assure them that the Qatar channel was only procedural and not much different from the US interests office in the Swiss Embassy in Tehran.

Then, on August 5, 2019, the US Ambassador to Iraq, Matthew Tueller, dropped the bomb.

“We have direct communication channels with Tehran,” he acknowledged. And these are not simple channels. While diplomatic discussions and de facto negotiations are taking place via the good services of Doha, the back-channel in Baghdad was specifically with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC: Pasdaran) Qods Force. These contacts were aimed to minimize the likelihood of clashes and misunderstandings in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and the Persian Gulf. This venue was most logical because the local Iranian Ambassador is Brig. Gen. Iraj Masjedi who is the right-hand man and deputy of Qods Force Commander Maj.-Gen. Qassem Soleimani.

According to Iraqi senior officials, some of the US-Iranian communications regarding the aftermath of the shoot-down of the US drone were held via this venue. The US also used this channel to try and convince Tehran not to attack the US forces in al-Tanf (southern Syria) and in the Ein al-Assad Air Base and adjacent bases (western Iraq).

Both Riyadh and Doha were stunned and humiliated because the Trump White House did not bother to inform them of the Baghdad back-channel, while pressuring them to avoid all contacts and negotiations with Iran.

Another reason for the growing self-confidence and assertiveness of Iran was the most recent evolution of its strategic relations with Russia. On July 28, 2019, the Commander of the Iranian Navy, Rear Adm. Hossein Khanzadi, was in Russia, ostensibly for the Navy Day celebrations. He conducted major discussions about a new level of military cooperation specifically in order to counter the US Navy threats.

At the end of the visit, Khanzadi reported in Tehran: “Iranian and Russian armed forces have signed a ‘classified’ deal to expand cooperation through a series of projects, one of which will be joint military drills in the Persian Gulf before the end of the year.” “Some articles of this agreement are classified, but overall, it is aimed at expanding military cooperation between the two countries.”

Khanzadi termed the new agreements a “turning point” in the “military-to-military ties between Iran and Russia”. The agreement includes Russian-Iranian joint naval maneuvers to be held in the northern part of the Indian Ocean and in the Strait of Hormuz before the end of 2019. A major part of the classified agreement concerned giving the Russian Navy base-level installations in the Iranian Navy facilities in Chabahar, Bandar-e-Bushehr, and in the Strait of Hormuz (Bandar-e-Jask and/or Bandar Abbas).

The Russian Navy would also be able to use a Naval Aviation airbase near Bandar-e-Bushehr. In addition to technical, logistics and communications personnel, Russia would keep in these bases SPETSNAZ detachments for both local security and the ability to help Russian and allied ships in distress in the Persian Gulf.

On August 3, 2019, Khamene‘i’s closest aides conducted sensitive talks with a secret delegation of Russian officials. Tehran wanted to ascertain the Russian reaction to a US attack on Iran in case of a major escalation. “[An] attack on Iran would be an attack on Russia,” the Russians stated without equivocation. Hence, Khamene‘i formally approved and ratified the new agreements with Russia on August 4, 2019. Khamene‘i also authorized follow-up high-level discussions in Moscow about jointly implementing the Russian “proposed security plan for the Persian Gulf”, while adapting it to the new agreement with the PRC. The first rounds of discussions took place on August 6-7, 2019.

Russia, it was clear, had no problem with the new PRC rôle and stature in the Persian Gulf. 

Meanwhile, the continued contacts with Washington reinforced Tehran’s conviction that a major confrontation in the greater Middle East remained possible despite the day-to-day cooling down of the situation in the Persian Gulf. Khamene‘i instructed better coordination of the diplomatic and military preparations for the next phase.

The new challenge for the IRGC was to up-date the contingency plans for the confrontation and war with the US and Israel under the new conditions where the US could no longer use bases in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain (on top of Qatar and Iraq which had long ago announced they would not permit the US to use their territories and installations for strikes against Iran). It was imperative for the Qods Force to ascertain firsthand how confident Tehran was about the new position of the Arab royals from across the Gulf. 

As a result, on August 6, 2019, Qassem Soleimani met Mohammed Javad Zarif at the Foreign Ministry in downtown Tehran.

They discussed coordination of forthcoming regional crises and diplomatic initiatives. They agreed that the current dynamic vis-à-vis the US could lead to either a US capitulation and withdrawal, or to a major escalation all over the greater Middle East. Soleimani believed the latter option was more likely. Therefore, Soleimani and Zarif discussed how to better utilize the Russian and PRC umbrella to not only shield Iran against US onslaught, but to also convince the Arab states to stay out of the fighting.

Soleimani assured Zarif that “the IRGC’s Qods Force is fully supportive of the diplomatic apparatus of the country in all encounters against the US harsh policies”. In a brief photo-op, Soleimani addressed the newly-imposed US sanctions on Zarif, and “congratulated the Foreign Minister on becoming a target of the US anger and animosity because of [his] affiliation with [the] Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamene‘i”.

In early August 2019, the Gulf sheikhdoms and Saudi Arabia agreed to seek and accept the PRC umbrella as proposed to them, and so notified Beijing. According to the plan, the PRC would provide an overall umbrella capable of containing and restraining the US, while Russia would join China in calming down Iran and ameliorating threats to the Arabs.

Among the Arab leaders involved, Mohammed bin Zayed was the most enthusiastic and active in embracing the new regional order which was effectively anti-US. Mohammad bin Salman followed, but somewhat hesitantly. MBS was afraid to acknowledge the collapse of what he had perceived to be his close personal relations with the upper-most echelons of the Trump White House: that is, Trump and Kushner.

On August 6, 2019, the PRC Ambassador to Tehran, Chang Hua, delivered the decision of the Forbidden City to play the active and leading rôle in the establishment of a new regime of collective security in the Persian Gulf.

Beijing was convinced, he stated, that “any projects and initiatives that aim to strengthen security in the Persian Gulf must be proposed and carried out by the regional countries themselves”. Chang Hua explained that “the Chinese side, as President Xi Jinping has said, is hopeful that the Persian Gulf will remain a region of peace and security”. The PRC was ready to actively contribute to the sustenance of peace and security in this crucial area. “The Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz are the most critical channel and gateway in the world for transferring energy; therefore, they are significant for the world’s policy-making, security and economy,” Chang Hua concluded.

The PRC also started to implement specific undertakings.

First came the decision to increase the importation of Iranian oil, not only to help an ally in distress, but also as an affront to the United States. According to PRC senior officials in Beijing: “China continues oil imports from Iran to show independence from US sanctions.” The PRC also agreed to purchase oil with yuans, euros, and other currencies in order to reduce their vulnerability to US financial sanctions. The PRC would continue to import its Iranian crude via at least a dozen Iranian tankers also in order to demonstrate to all that “China [is] a country powerful enough to bust US sanctions”.

Moreover, the anticipated large-scale PRC imports of Iranian crude would have a major impact on the price of oil. Experts in the US and Europe concluded that under such circumstances, the oil price could sink by as much as $30 a barrel. The experts worried that the PRC might decide to purchase large quantities of Iranian oil as a retaliation for the trade/tariff war with the US.

“This decision would both undermine US foreign policy and cushion the negative terms-of-trade effects on the Chinese economy of rising US tariffs,” concluded a Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Research report. Significantly, the original price estimate discussed between the US and Saudi Arabia was $60 a barrel. That estimate was based on the idea that increased Saudi and US oil production would fill the gap created by the imposition of the US sanctions on Iranian oil. But the PRC commitment to buying more Iranian oil invalidated this plan. Thus, while the UAE was willing to accept such a price drop as a necessary evil needed to prevent a calamitous regional war, Saudi Arabia was furious, given its financial woes which the oil price hike could have eased.

Meanwhile, also on August 6, 2019, the PRC Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Ni Jian, formally informed Abu Dhabi that, should there be a deterioration in the security situation, the PRC’s PLA Navy would start escorting tankers and other commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf. “If there happens to be a very unsafe situation, we will consider having our navy escort our commercial vessels,” Ni Jian stated.

Officially, Beijing did not rule out coordination with the US-led initiative to escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. However, given the PRC commitment to buying and shipping Iranian oil that the US initiative was intended to prevent, the prospects for PRC cooperation would probably be nil. Ni Jian emphasized the PRC support for regional security arrangements and regional negotiations of the type the UAE has with Iran. “We have the position that all disputes should be sorted by peaceful means and by political discussions, not ... military actions,” Ni Jian concluded.

Beijing’s agreeing to assume a major, and, for the PRC, unprecedented, rôle in the Persian Gulf comes at a crucial time for the PLA.

On July 28, 2019, the PRC issued a major White Paper titled China’s National Defense in the New Era. The document constituted an authoritative statement regarding the PRC’s military reforms and strategic aspirations under the leadership of Xi Jinping.

For the first time, an official PRC defense document acknowledged the rivalry with the US military and clearly articulated China’s long-term goal to confront and challenge “US dominance”. These goals would be attained through, among other things, the expansion of the PRC “power projection capabilities”, particularly the Navy’s. The White Paper heralded a significant shift in maritime strategy from “near seas defense” to “the combination of near seas defense and far seas protection”. Adopting the “far seas” strategy, the White Paper stated, would enable the PRC to “build itself into a maritime power”.

Xi Jinping’s longer-term objective was for the PLA to become a global force. With the new rôle in the Persian Gulf, Xi Jinping’s PRC was taking a major step toward attaining this goal.

[Pitcher]

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/China-Prepares-Its-Nuclear-Option-In-Trade-War.html
 

China Prepares Its “Nuclear Option” In Trade War

By Simon Watkins - Aug 13, 2019, 6:00 PM CDT

As the trade war with the U.S. continues to escalate, China has re-engaged with Iran on three key projects and is weighing the use of what both Washington and Beijing term the ‘nuclear option’, a senior oil and gas industry source who works closely with Iran’s Petroleum Ministry told OilPrice.com last week.

For the first of these projects - Phase 11 of the supergiant South Pars non-associated gas field (SP11) - last week saw a statement from the chief executive officer of the Pars Oil and Gas Company (POGC) that talks had resumed with Chinese developers to advance the project. Originally the subject of an extensive contract signed by France’s Total before it pulled out due to re-imposed U.S. sanctions on Iran, talks had been well-advanced with the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) to take up the slack on development. As per the original contract, CNPC had been assigned Total’s 50.1 percent stake in the field when the French firm withdrew, giving it a total of 80.1 percent in the site, with Iran’s own Petropars Company holding the remainder. At the same time, Iran was desperate to increase the pace of development of the fields in its oil-rich West Karoun area, including North Azadegan, South Azadegan, North Yaran, South Yaran, and Yadavaran, in order to optimise oil flows ahead of further clampdowns on exports by the U.S.

China, though, which at that time was engaged in just the opening shots of the trade war with the U.S. was loathe to completely disregard all U.S. sensibilities when it came to Iran but equally saw itself as a longstanding partner of the Islamic Republic, not to mention always being cognisant of its need to ensure diversity of energy supply. At that point, China agreed a trade-off with the U.S. that in exchange for it halting active development of SP11 it would be allowed to continue its activities in North Azadegan and would be able to go ahead with its development of Yadavaran – the second of China’s major Iran projects. China told the U.S. that its continued involvement in North Azadegan could easily be justified to anyone else who might be interested – such as the mainstream media – on the basis that it had already spent billions of dollars developing the second phase of the 460 square kilometre field. Similarly, China said at the time, its ongoing activities on Yadavaran could be justified by dint of the fact that the original contract had been signed in good faith in 2007, way before the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal in May 2018 and thus, legally speaking, it had every right to go ahead. Related: Will Shale Rise From The Dead?

The third of China’s major as yet unfinished projects in Iran was the build-out of the Jask oil export terminal, which – crucially, particularly in the current security situation – does not lie within the Strait of Hormuz or even in the Persian Gulf, but rather in the Gulf Of Oman. Even before the new U.S. sanctions, the Kharg export terminal was not ideal for use by tankers as the narrowness of the Strait of Hormuz means that they have to go very slowly through it. With the new sanctions in place and ***-for-tat tanker seizures regularly occurring, China would have little choice but to put at least a couple of its own warships into the Gulf to safeguard their passage or stop buying Iranian oil entirely, neither of which Beijing particularly wants to do.

So, according to the plans, a US$2 billion or so 1,000 kilometre oil pipeline will connect Guriyeh in the Shoaybiyeh-ye Gharbi Rural District, in Khuzestan Province (south-west Iran), to Jask County, in Hormozgan Province (south Iran), with any financing required over and above that provided for Iran to be made readily available  from China. Also to be constructed in Jask is an initial 20 storage tanks each capable of storing 500,000 barrels of oil, and related shipping facilities, at a cost of around US$200 million. Overall, the intention is for Jask to have the capacity to store up to 30 million barrels and export one million barrels per day of crude oil. There are adjunct plans to build a large petrochemicals and refining complex in Jask as well, with the prime market for produced petchems – including gasoline, gas oil, jet fuel, sulphur, butadiene, ethylene and propylene, and mono-ethylene glycol - again being China. According to a recent comment by the director of projects at Iran’s National Petrochemical Company, Ali Mohammad Bossaqzadeh, the project would be built and run by Bakhtar Petrochemicals Holding, although ‘other foreign companies’ may take part. In fact, according to the Iran source, China has also offered to send as many engineers and other professionals required in such a project to Iran for as long as necessary.

Having said that, and aware of the leverage that it had with Iran as one of the very few countries still willing to engage in developing its fields in the midst of increasingly vigorously-imposed sanctions, China has sought deal sweeteners from Iran, and has been given them. In order for it to reactivate its development of SP11, China will get a 17.25 percent discount for nine years on the value of all gas it recovers. “This is the value of the gas as applied to CNPC’s cost-return formula against the open market valuation, and currently the net present value of the site is US$116 billion,” the Iran source told OilPrice.com. For its part, China has agreed to increase the production from its oil fields in the West Karoun area – including North Azadegan and Yadavaran - by an additional 500,000 bpd by the end of 2020. This dovetails with Iran’s plan to increase the recovery rate from these West Karoun fields that it shares with Iraq from the current 5 percent (compared to Saudi Arabia’s 50 percent). “For every one percent increase, the recoverable reserves figure would increase by 670 million barrels, or around US$34 billion in revenues with oil even at US$50 a barrel,” the Iran source said.

If there is any further pushback from the U.S. on any of these Chinese projects in Iran, then Beijing will invoke in full force the ‘nuclear option’ of selling all or a significant part of its US$1.4 trillion holding of U.S. Treasury Bills, with a major chunk of the paper due to be sold in September on this basis. This massive holding of these bonds - through which the U.S. finances its economy and is an important factor both in the value of the dollar and therefore in the health of U.S. international companies especially – has been used as a bargaining chip before by China, especially when it feels threatened. Back in 2007, just before the great financial crisis, a number of senior Chinese figures at various state-run think tanks – through which China often signals its big geopolitical threats – stated that the large-scale selling of this massive Treasury Bill holding would trigger a dollar crash, a huge spike in bond yields, the collapse of the housing market and stock market chaos. Related: The Revival Of A $53 Billion Megaproject

Such a tactic would neatly fit into China’s overall strategy to have the renminbi challenge the U.S. dollar’s status as the key global reserve currency and the prime currency for global energy transactions. “The long-planned sequencing for this was inclusion in the SDR {Special Drawing Rights] mix, which happened in 2016, increasing use as a trading currency, which followed that, use as the key currency of an international energy trading exchange, which has occurred with the creation of the renminbi-denominated Shanghai International Energy Exchange in last year, and the calls from big oil producers and other major trading nations to use the renminbi, which has been happening over the past few years,” the head of a New York-based commodities hedge fund told OilPrice.com. Only recently, Leonid Mikhelson, chief executive officer of Russian oil major, Novatek, said that future sales to China denominated in renminbi is under consideration and that U.S. sanctions accelerate the process of Russia trying to switch away from U.S. dollar-centric oil and gas trading and the damage from potential sanctions that go with it. “This has been discussed for a while with Russia’s largest trading partners such as India and China, and even Arab countries are starting to think about it... If they do create difficulties for our Russian banks then all we have to do is replace dollars,” he said. “The trade war between the U.S. and China will only accelerate the process,” he added.

The trade war with the U.S., though, may be the very reason why this policy is not being pushed right now by China, Rory Green, Asia economist for TS Lombard told OilPrice.com last week. “With the renminbi weakening, and set to reach 7.50 to the [U.S.] dollar level if the U.S. imposes 25 percent tariffs on all Chinese exports, it is more difficult for China to persuade the big oil producers like Russia, Iran, Iraq, Venezuela, to make the switch away from the dollar,” he said. “For China as well, the timing is not quite right, as its use of Eurodollar financing is currently significant, it has a lot of dollar-denominated bonds rolling over shortly, and its balance of payments needs a relatively healthy U.S. demand profile, but China wants to get away from the dollar system and that is the overall direction of travel,” he concluded.

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https://oilprice.com/Energy/Oil-Prices/Oil-Markets-Face-Nightmare-Scenario.html
 

Oil Markets Face Nightmare Scenario

By Nick Cunningham - Aug 14, 2019, 6:00 PM CDT

Oil prices rose sharply on Tuesday after President Trump decided to delay tariffs, recognizing the negative impact tariffs would have on the U.S. economy. But by Wednesday, oil prices crashed again, as financial markets see the risk of economic recession rising in spite of the tariff delay.

The closely-watched spread between two-year and 10-year treasury yields finally flipped, the first time that has occurred since 2007. Yields on two-year notes are trading higher than 10-year treasuries, a phenomenon that has reliably preceded past economic recessions. Financial markets took note, and sold off stocks and commodities of all types.

This problem has been brewing for a while, with the early signs of an inverted yield curve showing up last year. Economists and analysts have been watching this for months, but the spread received a jolt after the recent announcement from President Trump regarding a new round of tariffs. He now seems to have regretted that decision, but market traders are not assuaged. The tariff delay “doesn’t really change the outlook on the trade tensions,” Louis Kuijs, chief Asia economist at Oxford Economics in Hong Kong, told Bloomberg. “We expect further policy easing in the coming months to help stabilize growth amid the above headwinds.”

The negative sentiment might be here to stay because reams of other data point to an economic slowdown.

For instance, China’s latest industrial data for July was the weakest since 2002. Germany’s economy contracted in the second quarter and is nearing recession. The same is true of the UK, which also saw GDP fall in the second quarter.

Car sales in China have declined for 13 of the last 14 months. Car sales in India and Germany also fell sharply in July. Global manufacturing activity and trade volumes are down. Related: A Booming Niche In Energy’s Hottest Market

The ECB is expected to cut interest rates again, and the U.S. Federal Reserve might be compelled to do so again, after only recently cutting rates for the first time in a decade.

Some economists think bond yields could go to zero or even into negative territory if recession hits. “This is the ultimate indicator that something is fundamentally wrong with the world economy,” Adam Posen, president of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, told the Washington Post. “The escalation of the trade war is making it worse.”

Notably, yields on 30-year treasuries plunged in recent days as well, a sign that capital is flowing into safe haven assets as fears of recession take hold.

After routinely boasting that the trade war was hurting China more than the U.S., and that China was forced to pay billions of dollars to the U.S. government because of tariffs, President Trump essentially admitted that U.S. consumers were bearing the brunt of the impact when he called off some of his proposed tariffs on Tuesday.

On the one hand, stepping back from the brink could put both sides on the path to a negotiated settlement – Chinese and American negotiators are scheduled for face-to-face talks in September – but it could also signal vulnerability.

Viewed from the perspective of Beijing, the flip-flopping from the U.S. is an admission from Trump that he can’t survive politically if the U.S. economy slows down too much. For Xi Jingping, there is little incentive to offer concessions of any significance. If that is the lesson then the trade war could drag on indefinitely. Related: Oil Prices Crash On Recession Fears

Notably, the delay of U.S. tariffs saw oil prices soar on Tuesday as it seemed to take away a major economic headwind. But the bump was temporary, with prices falling back just as sharply on Wednesday after the raft of poor economic data and the inverted yield curve pointed to an oncoming economic recession.

Some analysts don’t say any major pitfalls to oil prices. “Oil demand in China and the US is unlikely to weaken noticeably as a result of the trade conflict, though if this were to happen Saudi Arabia would further reduce its output,” Commerzbank said in a note. “Thanks to the OPEC+ production cuts, the oil market will be undersupplied in any case in the second half of the year.”

Perhaps. But on the current trajectory, a supply glut is looming in 2020. On that much, most agree. But the problem is that recent price downturns were largely the result of U.S. shale growing faster than demand. This time around, the danger is much larger. A global economic recession would bring the expected supply glut forward, and make it much worse.

[Pitcher]

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/China-Still-Reluctant-To-Buy-US-Crude-Oil.html
 

China Still Reluctant To Buy U.S. Crude Oil

By Tsvetana Paraskova - Aug 14, 2019, 12:00 PM CDT

The end of the truce in the U.S.-China trade war and the highly unpredictable nature of the next moves in the trade spat have made traders in China even more reluctant to buy U.S. crude oil despite its favorable economics, Chinese traders have told S&P Global Platts.

Chinese refiners and traders have been staying away from U.S.-origin crude cargoes for months amid the trade war, despite the fact that China doesn’t have tariffs imposed on U.S. oil. The escalation of the trade war at the beginning of this month, when U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States would levy a 10-percent tariff on the remaining US$300 billion worth of Chinese imports that hadn’t been subject to tariffs yet, has made China’s oil traders and refiners even more reluctant to contract U.S. cargoes.   

“They won’t buy unless the US ceases tariffs and withdraws the statement saying that China was a currency manipulator,” a trader based in Shanghai and dealing with a U.S. crude oil supplier told S&P Global Platts, adding that Chinese customers are not touching spot cargoes and not even thinking of long-term agreements.

Some Chinese companies, however, do have such long-term deals, like Unipec, the trading unit of China’s biggest refiner Sinopec. According to S&P Global Platts, Unipec’s actual imports from the U.S. of crude oil into China are much lower than the volumes it is buying because many of the U.S.-origin cargoes are being sold midway en route to China to third parties.

Earlier this month, refinery and trading sources told S&P Global Platts that U.S. crude oil is unlikely to become a target of possible Chinese retaliatory tariffs. American crude oil is currently not an essential trade item between the United States and China, and China will likely target goods that could hurt more U.S. exporters and create maximum impact for U.S. exports in possible retaliatory tariffs, refinery and trade sources in China have told S&P Global Platts.

[Synopsis]

      

 

 

https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/walter_scott_118003

 

THEE "sand" "box" "players" HAVE ALWAYS "played" THAT "game"!!!

 

When JFK visited Pastakhan, he rode around in an open motorcade. No issues.

 

WON'T happen TODAY for MOST ANYBODY!!!

 

SO........................................................................................

 

UNDER Former Prez'dent Flimsy Carter's "Presidential" "Administration" (      ) Iran FLIPPED TO THEE Mu lah lahs FROM THEE Shah Man. THEE Shah Man HAD TO HAVE A "good" "idea" ABOUT THEE Mu lah lahs AND PLEADED FOR HELP FROM The United States Of America TO INCLUDE The United States Of America Embassy IN Iran SO THEE "senior" "embassy" "imbeciles" COULD NOT CLAIM NO "knowledge" OF THEE Mu lah lahs AND THEIR "intent".

 

SO.........................................................................................

 

A MAJOR Insanian, to INCLUDE the Insanian IRGC, "mess" WITH MAJOR TENTACLES!!!

 

Enter China.

 

      

 

The United States Of America can JUST cancel the debt/bonds AND SAY COME AND TAKE IT!!!

 

WHAT, pray tell, WILL China DO???!!!

 

NO MO Trade WITH The United States Of America BECAUSE THEE Chinese Financial System collapsed???!!!

 

China manipulating THEIR currency IS a Whirled Wide NO NO!!!

 

China HAS FAR LESS EFFECTIVE MOVES THAN The United States Of America.

 

REMEMBER WHEN Billy (goat) SINGED "pegging" THEE Yuan/Renminbi TO THEE USD???!!!

 

THEN THEE Yuan/Renminbi WENT TO A "partial" "peg" LATER???!!!

 

THEE HUGE "financial" 'leverage" THAT was "given" THEE Chinese BY Billy (goat)!!!

 

      

 

Back to Iran, using significant retaliatory strikes against Iran with Insanian loss of life, ESPECIALLY Iranian civilian life, WOULD HAVE BEEN A HUGE BLACK MARK AGAINST The United States Of America INTERNATIONALLY. I believe The True The United States Of America Patriot President Donald J Trump MADE THEE RIGHT CHOICE TO MUSTER THEE PROTOCOLS ON FULL THROTTLE THEN Exercise APPROPRIATE Moderation.

 

THEE Insanians, to INCLUDE the Insanian IRGC, WILL "mess" "up" IN Iran, THEE Persian Gulf, THEE Strait Of Hormuz, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, AND/OR Yemen SOON ENOUGH. I hope and pray it will be a bloodless engagement for Coalition Forces. THEE Rooskers AND Chinese KNOW THEIR LIMITATIONS IN COMPARISON TO The United States Of America. THEE French WILL ATTEMPT TO SLAP A "digital" "tax" ON EVERYTHING WHILE I am pretty sure Germany AND ESPECIALLY Great Bri'ian WILL GET OFF THEE FENCE AND FULLY ENGAGE THEE COALITION IN THEE EVENT OF "rouge" Insanian, to INCLUDE Insanian IRGC, "activities" "warranting" AN "effective" "adequate" "response".

 

Beside, THEE Israelis WILL BOMB TO EXTINCTION ANY Insanian, to INCLUDE Insanian IRGC, "nuclear" "threats" ANYWHERE IN THEE Muddle East.

 

Go Moola Nova!

[yota691]

From dropping the American drones to the release of the Iranian tanker

By Alialhajj 16/08/2019 12:00 AM | Read

 

After 41 days of illegal detention of the Iranian oil tanker by the Gibraltar authorities, the ship was released Thursday by order of the Supreme Court.

- The maritime dispute between Iran on the one hand and the United States and Britain on the other ended with another solid victory for the Islamic Republic of Iran. Yesterday, the US spy plane was shot down, and today the Iranian oil tanker is released. This victory is reinforced by the fact that it came despite coordination and cooperation between Britain and America on this issue.

- While it was previously announced that the seizure of the Iranian oil tanker by Britain was at the request of the United States. This indicates that the detention was illegal and that the US-planned scenario of presenting Iran as a threat to international shipping security failed.The US administration's efforts to form a maritime coalition against the Islamic Republic of Iran, too, would fail.

- America, which was talking about inviting other countries to participate in the international anti-Iranian coalition based on the detention of the Iranian oil tanker "Grace 1" by the authorities of Gibraltar, has reaped from this scheme only another defeat that should be recorded in the record of other historical defeats.

- The Zionist entity also exerted great efforts to confiscate the Iranian oil tanker "Grace 1" under the pretext of compensation to what he described as victims of Iranian terrorism, but all efforts failed and went unheeded.

- The release of the ship "Grace" today demonstrates the allegation that the tanker was stopped for transporting oil to Syria, considering that the matter is an international violation that has no place in the dictionary of international laws, just as Iran's ambassador in London, Eid Ahmadinejad, has stated explicitly that Iran has not accepted Any pledge contrary to the legitimacy of the transfer of oil to Syria.

- The Grace ship was released today, but there was no word on a deal between Iran and Britain over the British tanker held in Iran. This means that Iran still explicitly affirms the need to respect the laws and regulations of maritime navigation, and that it is only demanding the fulfillment of its legal rights in this regard.

- After the downing of the US spy plane, this is the second official loss for America against Iran in the last two months.

  

 

[yota691]

Iran reveals its plan to put the Iraqi army under the umbrella of the Popular Mobilization

- 3 Hours Have Passed

BAGHDAD - A call by Yusuf al-Nassiri, a leader of the al-Nujaba movement included in the US terrorism list, for the dissolution of the Iraqi army was a critical embarrassment for the PMU's leaders in the country, but revealed a new aspect of the Iranian vision.

The Nujaba movement is closely linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. Though its leader and fighters are Iraqis, she is openly loyal to Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.

The suspicious association between the Nujaba and the Revolutionary Guards included the movement by the US Treasury on terrorist organizations' regulations in March.

Although Nasseri's remarks caused great embarrassment to the Hashd leadership, they revealed part of the Iranian vision for the future of the Iraqi army.

It is widely believed that Iran's interest in creating, structuring and engineering the PMF is aimed at turning it into an alternative to the Iraqi army, which was severely weakened during the two premierships of former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki between 2006 and 2014, before recovering somewhat during the prime minister's term. Former Haider al-Abadi between 2014 and 2018.

The Iraqi army file was one of the most important points of disagreement between al-Maliki and Abadi. Regain its prestige, which was later achieved by defeating ISIS.

Observers described official reactions as timid, amid a consensus that Nasseri made his remarks from a position of power, knowing the inability of the Iraqi state to pursue him, because of its close proximity to Iran and its Revolutionary Guards.

Observers believe that the IRGC's disclosure of its intentions about the fate of the Iraqi army, in such a public manner, may signal the different rules of play in the region.

Naciri's comments come at a time of great escalation between Iran and the United States. Tehran fears that the high degree of confidence enjoyed by senior leaders of some brigades of the army and counterterrorism, to the United States, affect Iraq's position on the crisis in the region.

Tehran, according to observers, neutralizes the Iraqi army during any conflict with the United States, which Nasseri tried to express.

According to the Iranian vision, which is revealed by Iraqi politicians, Tehran will not mind the survival of the Iraqi military establishment, represented by the army, provided that it belongs to the Popular Mobilization, in an explicit simulation of the model of the Revolutionary Guards, to which the Iranian army.

The Iranian plan does not end when the Iraqi army is turned into a mere weak follower of the Hashd, but extends to empowering the Hashd itself politically. Prime Minister.

The Nujaba movement gained fame by being linked to sectarian killings based on sectarian motivations in Iraq, and its activities during the Syrian crisis, where it was part of the militias under the command of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Qods Force in the Revolutionary Guards.

The Al-Nujaba Movement, the Hezbollah Brigades, and the Sayyid al-Shuhada Brigades are among the most radical militias against the interests of the Iraqi state and the most loyal to Iran.

The movement on August 6 launched a strange threat from Tehran, declaring that it would topple any Iraqi government, hostile to Iran, within weeks.

The movement's spokesman, Nasr al-Shammari, said that "the elites, can overthrow any government in Baghdad take steps against the Islamic Republic (Iran) within weeks," noting that "the Americans are aware of this."

Days later, the movement's leader, Yusuf al-Nasseri, a cleric, demanded the dissolution of the Iraqi army and the proclamation that the Popular Mobilization was the first Iraqi army, not the reserve.

Nasiri said the Iraqi army was a “mercenary, not an authentic”, recalling that some of its members had fled when ISIS invaded large parts of the country in the summer of 2014, calling for the formation of a ministry in the name of the Popular Mobilization instead of the Ministry of Defense, criticizing that the Iraqi army fighters receive monthly salaries.

Nasseri's remarks prompted the Joint Operations Command, the country's top general, to wave the prosecution of "those who try to offend the army." 
l 
The deputy commander of the Joint Operations Abdul Ameer Aarallah -oho the most prominent Iraqi generals, who have adopted Abadi during the war against al Daash- The leader of the nujaba, Joseph of Nazareth, the face of the Iraqi army "harsh charges, challenging patriotism , " asserting that " the leadership of the Joint Operations Reserves the legal right to take appropriate action. ”

For its part, the Popular Mobilization Command said that it has followed the reactions that followed the statements of Nasseri, noting that he "does not belong to the crowd and does not have any position or official capacity", and that it is "an abuse that expresses his personal point of view and does not concern us either far away".

Since the disbanding of the Iraqi army by the US occupation authority in 2003, it has become clear that the presence of the institution is undesirable, which explains the failure of all attempts to create an alternative army, although the United States wasted billions of dollars to achieve this.

The Iraqi political observer that the defeat of the army was required in order to prove the weakness and emaciation and the inability of the military to do its only duty to defend the borders of Iraq, which opened the door to give more false national legitimacy to the Iranian project to establish an alternative to the national army through The Popular Mobilization Institution of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which allowed Qassem Soleimani to manage part of the combat operations in the Mosul liberation war that destroyed the bulk of the city.

The Iraqi observer believed that the call to disband the Iraqi army and replace it with militias affiliated to Iran is not new and embodies an Iranian decision taken before the US invasion.

He said in a statement to the "Arabs" that Iran does not want to see anything, no matter how fictitious reminders of its defeat in 1988, the day agreed to stop the eight-year war. It is a double-minded attitude that involves hatred of the past and thinking of depriving Iraqis of an impartial military force in their future patriotism.

The Arabs

[yota691]

After her release, the Iranian tanker Grace-1 changed its name

Release date:: 2019/8/16 11:03 • 254 read times

An Iranian official announced the launch of a new name for the Iranian tanker "Grace-1", which was detained in Gibraltar in early July and was released yesterday.

The deputy head of the Iranian Maritime Organization, Jalil Islami, said in a press statement on Thursday that the released ship will leave Gibraltar at the request of its owners, under the name of "Adrian Darya" (Red Sea Fires in Persian) and will raise the flag of Iran instead of the flag. Panama. 
The authorities of Gibraltar and Britain detained the tanker on July 4 on the grounds that it was heading to Syria with a shipment of oil in violation of European sanctions against Syria. 
Gibraltar decided to release the tanker after receiving assurances from Tehran about its destination, despite a US request to extend her detention.

[yota691]

2019/08/17 01:01:22

Iran threatens to increase its stockpile of enriched uranium

 

Follow / tomorrow

TEHRAN (Reuters) - The Iranian government threatened on Saturday to increase its stockpile of enriched uranium by using more modern centrifuges in the third phase of reducing its commitments to a nuclear deal.

 

 

"In the third phase of the reduction of nuclear commitments, we will have many options, including the adoption of advanced centrifuges," Mohammad Ebrahim Rezaei, head of Iran's parliament's nuclear committee, told Mehr news agency.

"While we still use the old IR1 centrifuges, the most advanced machines, the IR6 and IR8, are ready to be implemented," he said, noting that the new locally-made centrifuges have the potential to increase uranium enrichment from 26 to 48 times more than existing IR- 1.

He pointed out that activating heavy water or changing the way of collecting and storing heavy water and supplying uranium enrichment are other options available to Iran and could be on the agenda of the Nuclear Energy Organization within the framework of the third step of reducing the pledges of the nuclear agreement.

He said that Western countries should be aware that the only reason for Iran to stop developing its nuclear program is its commitment to the nuclear agreement, which led to the closure of a number of centrifuges, stressing that it can be undone and that these measures will come into force step by step.

Tehran has reneged on its nuclear obligations twice in accordance with Articles 26 and 36 of the 2015 Agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

As a first step, Iran has increased its stockpile of enriched uranium to more than 300 kilograms set by the joint work plan, while in the second step began enriching uranium to purity rates beyond the limits of the nuclear agreement of 3.76%.

[yota691]

The Gibraltar government rejects a US request to maintain the detention of the Iranian oil tanker

Political | 03:04 - 18/08/2019

 

 

 

BAGHDAD - 
Gibraltar authorities on Sunday rejected a US request to keep the Iranian oil tanker detained. 
Continued..