Iran sends its final response on the nuclear deal to the United States

[yota691]

 

Abdel Moneim Ibrahim

 

Iran is following in the footsteps of (Hitler) .. and the major countries do not learn from their mistakes!

Last Monday, five global nuclear powers pledged to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and avert nuclear conflict in a statement A rare participant before the review of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons later this year, (News agencies) said that regardless of the current disputes that have caused great tension between each of the China, Russia and their Western partners the five powers said they consider avoiding war between countries with nuclear weapons and reducing Strategic risks are our first responsibility.

This joint statement between the major nuclear powers is undoubtedly a positive step to avoid the outbreak of nuclear wars in the world. Or at least between them as major countries, but he cannot be a real guarantor of The outbreak of wars between other countries in the world, or a deterrent to rogue countries such as Iran from owning weapons Nuclear threatens the world.

The joint statement among the elders secures safety from the nuclear danger among themselves only, leaving the door open for rogue states Like Iran and North Korea to do what you want towards others, as long as what you do from fires is not Touches her clothes are like a major!

The issuance of this statement coincided with Iran's escalation of its military operations through its arms against Western interests in more than one country From a region in the Middle East, a compound in Baghdad airport housing advisory forces from the coalition has been exposed The international organization led by the United States of America on Monday thwarted two booby-trapped drones, coinciding with the anniversary The second is to assassinate the Iranian military commander, Qassem Soleimani, and the deputy head of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces, Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, in a strike American near the airport itself.

On the other hand, the Houthi rebels in Yemen confiscated a ship flying the UAE flag in the southern Red Sea in exchange for The city of Hodeidah, which is controlled by the Houthis, and that the ship was carrying medical equipment, and was carrying out a naval mission From the Yemeni island of (Socotra) to the port of Jizan in Saudi Arabia, and she was carrying special field equipment on board Operating the Saudi field hospital on the island, which includes ambulances, medical equipment, communications equipment, tents, a field kitchen and a laundry Maidan, technical and security support attachments, and the Iranian-backed Houthis had previously attacked shipping in the Red Sea Using booby-trapped boats to attack commercial ships at sea, as well as attacking Saudi ships and ports.

Major Powers Statement on Pledge to Non-Proliferation of Atomic Weapons and Avoid Nuclear Conflict Does Not Deter Iran from Its geographical expansion and aggression through its armed militia arms in other countries, whether Arab or other, and if it does not The major powers deal with this Iranian influence decisively and sternly, because Iran's fire will reach Europe as well, and the problem of The major powers are compromising with Iran and trying to appease it rather than deter it on the ground, and Iran is deliberately provoking it. America in more than one direction, especially in Iraq, Syria and Yemen, with the intention of pushing the American forces to withdraw from ( the entire Middle East), until it becomes the undisputed master of the situation, and Iran does not hide the reality of these trends Through its leaders in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, it boasts of having a mistakeAn open geography extending from Iran to Iraq through Syria and Lebanon to control the security of the Mediterranean The port of Latakia in Syria as a huge warehouse for weapons and explosives and the sectarian militias loyal to it in Syria and Lebanon through (Hezbollah) Allah

As for the major signatories to the Declaration on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, they do not care what Iran does to the countries Arab countries, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf states, and what their Houthi militias are doing in Yemen and the Red Sea, this has remained far away about their cities and does not threaten the security of their people, and this is the grave mistake that some European countries made when Hitler was paving the way to Nazism that sparked World War II. At that time, Britain and Russia pacified the ambitions of Nazi Germany, then the whole of Europe and even the whole world paid the price for those naive taunts...

[yota691]

Tehran on the "Vienna Talks": The countdown has begun

internationals

2022-01-08 | 15:02

 

3,138 views

 

"The countdown to reaching a final agreement has begun," Ali Bagheri Kani, "the chief Iranian negotiator," announced at the Vienna talks between Tehran and world powers on the Iran nuclear deal.

In a statement to reporters after a meeting between representatives of the 5+1 group in Vienna, Bagheri Kani confirmed that the talks are making progress, noting that most of the countries participating in these talks acknowledge this progress.

He pointed out that differences in the negotiations over lifting US sanctions imposed on Tehran are "reducing", adding: "The countdown to reaching a final agreement has begun."

[yota691]

NATIONAL SECURITY

110 Republican Lawmakers Call on Biden To Abandon Iran Nuclear Talks

Pressure mounts on Biden to ditch talks as Tehran expands weapons program

Uranium conversion facility outside Isfahan, Iran / Getty Images

Adam Kredo • January 12, 2022 10:30 am

 

 

A coalition of more than 100 Republican lawmakers is calling on the Biden administration to abandon negotiations with Iran aimed at securing a revamped nuclear agreement, according to a letter sent Wednesday to the State Department and obtained exclusively by the Washington Free Beacon.

"We write to urge you to immediately withdraw from the fruitless Vienna talks to re-enter the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and instead strongly enforce existing sanctions against Iran, particularly with respect to the oil trade between Iran and the People's Republic of China," the lawmakers write in a letter spearheaded by House Foreign Affairs ranking member Michael McCaul (R., Texas) and cosigned by 109 other lawmakers. "Further delay of action on this only further enables Iran's malign activities, including their aggressive nuclear pursuits."

The letter is a sign that Republicans are united against reentering the 2015 accord. It also comes as negotiations with Tehran drag into a second year, with the Iranian regime demanding further concessions from the Biden administration, including the full reversal of sanctions on the country's nuclear program and regional terrorism enterprise.

As diplomatic talks resume after months of delays, Iran has greatly expanded its nuclear program, including its enrichment of uranium, a main component in an atomic weapon. Iran is now enriching and stockpiling highly enriched uranium, which can only used for a bomb. This work has continued in the face of ongoing sanctions and opposition from the international community. Senior Biden administration officials have acknowledged in recent weeks that Iran is stalling negotiations while it advances its nuclear program.

"Iran is charging forward with its nuclear program, using advanced centrifuges and producing equipment for such centrifuges while stockpiling increasing quantities of uranium enriched at 20 percent and 60 percent purity," the GOP lawmakers write. "Iran also continues to gain irreversible knowledge through this nuclear work. While the Administration has consistently indicated a willingness to negotiate toward a return to the JCPOA, Iran has made a return even less valuable for the [international community] as it makes greater nuclear gains and gets closer to the deal's sunsets."

The letter notes that Iran also refuses to comply with the International Atomic Energy Agency's oversight work, blocking inspectors and preventing them from accessing contested nuclear sites. Iran's intransigence is "further diminishing the world’s visibility on Iran's nuclear program," the lawmakers say.

Only increased sanctions and full enforcement of restrictions will stop Iran's march toward a nuclear weapon, not endless negotiations in Vienna, the lawmakers maintain.

Iran's illicit oil shipments, which skyrocketed in 2021 as China boosted its imports—as the Free Beacon first reported last week—are the latest flashpoint in the talks. The Biden administration says it is prepared to lift all sanctions on Iran's oil sector, drawing ire from Republicans who say this decision will give Iran access to billions of dollars in cash windfalls. In turn, the regime can use that money to fuel terror attacks on the United States and its allies in the region.

Republican lawmakers want the Biden administration to immediately issue new sanctions on Iran for its ongoing illicit oil shipments to China, Venezuela, Russia, and other countries. Iran is taking in at least $1.3 billion a month from these sales, the lawmakers disclose.

"Reports in November showed that [China] continued to import an average of over half a million barrels of Iranian oil per day," according to the Republicans. "It is well past time for the Administration to end these farcical negotiations and fully enforce our existing sanctions to slash this vital source of revenue for the Iranian regime."

Rep. Darell Issa (R., Calif.), a prominent critic of the accord, told the Free Beacon, "the Biden administration needs to let go of its dream of a White House signing ceremony with the Mullahs of Iran."

The State Department told the Free Beacon last week that it is prepared to waive all sanctions on Iran's oil program but that for now these sanctions are still being enforced—a claim that Republicans and watchdog groups dispute.

"We are engaging in meaningful diplomacy through the talks in Vienna to achieve a mutual return to compliance with JCPOA commitments, which would of course include lifting sanctions on Iranian oil exports," a State Department spokesman told the Free Beacon.

The GOP leaders say in their letter that this strategy has not borne fruit and urge the Biden administration to reverse course and implement further sanctions.

As negotiations continue, there have been growing signs that the Biden administration is frustrated with Tehran's demands.

Iran envoy Robert Malley said in late December that "it seems very clear [Iran] is trying to build leverage by expanding their nuclear program and hoping to use that leverage to get a better deal."

State Department spokesman Ned Price said last month that Iran "has at best been dragging its feet in the talks while accelerating its nuclear escalation." The United States, Price said, is not seeing "sufficient urgency" from Tehran. "The last couple rounds also started with new nuclear provocations and then were characterized by, in some cases, vague, unrealistic, unconstructive positions on the part of Iran," Price said.

A State Department official, speaking only on background, said diplomacy with Iran is the best way to roll back Iran's nuclear advances.

"We’ve seen Iran’s actions outside the framework of the JCPOA. It has opted to highly accelerate the development of its nuclear program without restraint," the State Department said, referring to the nuclear deal by its official acronym. "As of February 2021, Iran had 10 times the amount of enriched uranium permitted under the deal, and it has continued to produce more."

"The status quo without mutual compliance with the JCPOA is untenable," the official said. "That is why the State Department is pursuing a path of meaningful diplomacy to achieve a mutual return to compliance with the JCPOA."

The State Department further vowed that, on President Joe Biden's watch, Iran will not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. "This administration believes that diplomacy, in coordination with our allies and regional partners, is the best path to achieve that goal," the official said.

Update 3:10 p.m.: This post has been updated to include comment from the State Department.

[yota691]

Blinken: A few weeks to save the Iran nuclear deal..otherwise we will resort to other options

Blinken
(AFP)
January 14, 2022
04:54 AM
91   

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken warned that there are only "a few weeks" left to save the Iranian nuclear agreement, stressing that his country is "ready" to resort to "other options" if the ongoing negotiations in Vienna to revive this agreement fail.

"I think we have a few weeks to see if we can return to mutual compliance" with the terms of the agreement that his country withdrew from in 2018 and gradually liberated from its effects after that, Blinken said in an interview with US public radio.

The US minister also warned that the remaining deadline to reach an agreement is only weeks and "not months."

"We are really running out of time," he added, because "Iran is getting closer and closer to the moment when it can produce, in a very short period of time, enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon."

Blinken also warned that the Iranians are making achievements in the nuclear field “that will become more and more difficult to undo, because they are learning things and doing new things after they broke the restrictions stipulated in the agreement” concluded in 2015 and imposed restrictions on Iran’s atomic activities in exchange for the easing of sanctions imposed on Tehran.

Stressing that reaching an agreement in Vienna "would be the best outcome for America's security," Blinken threatened that if the Vienna negotiations did not produce an agreement, "we will discuss other steps and other options, once again, in close coordination with the countries concerned."

“These are exactly the options we are working on with our partners in Europe, the Middle East and beyond. Everything is in due time, but this has been the subject of intense work in the past weeks and months,” an implicit reference to the possibility of military action against Iran.

Blinken stressed that the Americans "are ready for either path, but it is clear that it would be much better for our security and the security of our allies and partners if we return" to the Vienna Agreement, "however, if we are not able to do so, we will deal with this issue in other ways."

Iran is holding talks in Vienna aimed at reviving the 2015 agreement regarding its nuclear program, with the parties that are still affiliated with it (France, Britain, Russia, China and Germany).

The United States, which unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in 2018, participates indirectly in the talks.

During the past days, the statements of those involved in the negotiations reflected some progress, with an emphasis on the persistence of differences between them on various issues. The Vienna negotiations began in April 2021 between Iran and the countries that are still party to the agreement (France, Britain, Germany, Russia and China), with indirect US participation.

After being suspended for nearly five months, the talks resumed at the end of November.

Tehran stresses the priority of lifting the economic sanctions imposed on it by Washington in the aftermath, and obtaining guarantees that the US withdrawal will not be repeated.

On the other hand, the United States and the European parties focus on the importance of Iran's return to full respect for its commitments under the agreement, which it began retracting from in 2019 in response to Washington's withdrawal.

The 2015 agreement allowed for the lifting of economic sanctions imposed on Iran, in exchange for limiting its nuclear activities and ensuring the peacefulness of its program.

However, its effects have become null and void since former US President Donald Trump decided to unilaterally withdraw his country from it in 2018, re-imposing severe sanctions. President Joe Biden, who succeeded Trump in early 2021, expressed his willingness to return his country to the nuclear agreement, but only on the condition that Tehran once again complied with its inclusions.

 

[yota691]

China expresses opposition to US sanctions on Iran

Wang Yi and Hussein Amir Abdullahian
January 15 2022
09:01 AM
221   

China reiterated its opposition to unilateral sanctions from the United States on Iran in a meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir Abdollahian, while supporting efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal between major powers and Iran.

Today, Saturday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry website published a summary of the meeting held on Friday between Wang and his Iranian counterpart in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province.

During his visit, the Iranian Foreign Minister is scheduled to announce the inauguration of a 25-year cooperation agreement between the Islamic Republic and China.

 

Wang said the United States bears primary responsibility for the persistent difficulties with Iran after its unilateral withdrawal from the nuclear deal in 2018.

He stressed that China firmly supports the resumption of negotiations on the nuclear deal, but he made it clear that China firmly opposes illegal unilateral sanctions against Iran and manipulation Political issues include human rights and interference in the internal affairs of Iran and other countries in the region.

After the United States withdrew from the nuclear deal, it reimposed sanctions that hit Iran's economy hard and said the terms of the deal were not enough to limit Iran's nuclear activities, ballistic missile program and regional influence.

The United States and Iran are in indirect talks about the possibility of reaching a compromise to renew the agreement and allay fears of a wider war in the Middle East.

A source close to the negotiations said on Friday that many issues remained unresolved.
 

[horsesoldier]

Political Theater....China already has made many profitable inroads into the M.E. A guess only, but is Iran being propped up on the quiet by China ? If so, all the crying Iran does-political theater.

We’re only getting the picture the media (s) deem necessary to keep ALL the different menacing Bogeymen front & center in minds of the global herd of cattle: mooooo...gunshot.....STAMPEDE!!!! [ politically speaking ]
 

The Power Brokers win, again. The fear Generated around the world is, of all the political & socioeconomic “ Onions “ the most multi-layered of them all. 

[yota691]

An Iranian source told Al-Sabah: The nuclear negotiations are at a standstill

Wednesday 19 January 2022 159

 

 Tehran: morning 

 

The current nuclear negotiations in Vienna are still stalled after optimism about reaching an agreement decreased due to the outstanding issues that need "political decisions," according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh.

An Iranian source close to the negotiations said, in an interview with Al-Sabah, that four issues are still pending on the discussion table, and negotiators are working to find practical solutions to them, after the American negotiator Robert Malley made it clear that it is not possible to skip core issues for reasons related to Congressional decisions.

The source explained that "the first of these four issues is Trump's sanctions, some of which the American side believes are not related to the Iranian nuclear program, but rather to other issues, and therefore they cannot be touched, while the Iranian side insists that they are related to this program and must be removed based on UN Security Council Resolution 2231." .

The source added, "As for the other issue, it is the guarantees that are still pending, as the Iranian side insists on setting up a mechanism to ensure that Trump's withdrawal from the agreement will not be repeated," noting that "the American side confirmed that Washington cannot give such guarantees as the negotiating parties are working to put A mechanism for alternative guarantees in which the US administration participates with European countries.

The source pointed out that "the third issue is the verification of the mechanism of lifting sanctions, as some parties propose that the US Treasury submit a written pledge not to oppose commercial exchanges with Iranian banks and to allow foreign investments in Iran without opposition from this ministry," adding, "The pledge is as well." By not opposing the activation of the European INSTEX mechanism for commercial dealings with Iran. 

[shixjr]

If you don't hold something over their heads, Iran will keep doing what they are doing.  If the chance to have all their frozen funds returned to them wasn't dangled over Iraq's head, they never would have made reparations to Kuwait.

[horsesoldier]

Nuclear Negotiations with a known Terrorist State...what is wrong with this picture.

It’s a rhetorical question I know. 

[shixjr]

12 minutes ago, horsesoldier said:

Nuclear Negotiations with a known Terrorist State...what is wrong with this picture.

Ah come on Horsesoldier, you are being too hard on them!  What could go wrong??!!  😆😆

[horsesoldier]

1 hour ago, shixjr said:

Ah come on Horsesoldier, you are being too hard on them!  What could go wrong??!!  😆😆

Why golly gee willikers, when U put it like that...everything ! 

[Stelardoc]

On 1/19/2022 at 10:34 AM, horsesoldier said:

Why golly gee willikers, when U put it like that...everything ! 

Smurphy's Law of International Geopolitics

[horsesoldier]

19 minutes ago, Stelardoc said:

Smurphy's Law of International Geopolitics

So if’n I’m picking up what youse is laying down, this “ Law “ would also apply to the Brandon Administration.

[Stelardoc]

7 minutes ago, horsesoldier said:

So if’n I’m picking up what youse is laying down, this “ Law “ would also apply to the Brandon Administration.

True dat !!  and It spreads like the Plandemic which is "Lawlessness." 

[yota691]

Iranian Parliament: Reviving the nuclear deal within two months

internationals

2022-01-23 | 07:05

 

 

 

Source:

agencies

 

714 views

 

 

Today, Sunday, an official in the Iranian parliament expected that the nuclear agreement with international powers would be revived within the next two months.

A spokesman for the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, Mahmoud Abbaszadeh Mishkini, said that "the nuclear negotiations will end before the end of the current Iranian year, on March 21, and an agreement will be reached during this period."

 

Meshkini added in an interview with the news agency "Khabar Online": "Iran is not interested in time as much as it is interested in reaching a good result in the Vienna negotiations."

The Iranian parliamentarian accused Western countries and the United States of seeking what he called "imposing a bad deal on Iran."

Meshkini explained that "according to the Westerners themselves, we have passed the sanctions and we have good and golden cards to play in the negotiations, and that reaching a good and profitable agreement for all is achievable."

 

He added that "a bad agreement means that they" the West and America " will achieve their goal, while Iran fails to achieve its demands, and we will not enter into a bad agreement in any way."

The eighth round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the 4+1 group is currently underway, with the aim of reaching an understanding that would revive the nuclear agreement, from which the United States withdrew in mid-2018.

[yota691]

Iranian Official: Good Steps In Vienna Negotiations To Lift The Embargo

Author: Ahad5 On 01/23/2022 - 2:00 PM  71

A Member Of The Iranian Parliament's National Security And Foreign Policy Committee, Fida Hossein Maleki, Confirmed On Sunday That Very Good Steps Have Been Taken In The Vienna Nuclear Negotiations To Lift The Unjust Embargo.

Representative Maleki Said In A Press Statement That Very Good Steps Were Taken In The Field Of Lifting The Ban, And The Other Side Before There Was A Decision By The New Iranian Government To Lift All Forms Of Embargo.

The Member Of The National Security And Foreign Policy Committee Continued, Saying: The Negotiations On The Nuclear File Are Proceeding With Difficulty Because The Other Side Has Excessive Demands On Iran's Nuclear Activities In The Negotiations, And Iran Has Not And Will Not Back Down From Its Legitimate Positions, And This Led To A Kind Of Slow Negotiation.

Maliki Added That Setting A Date For The End Of The Negotiations Is An Escape Forward For The Other Party, And It Can Be Used For Internal Consumption And Pressure On Iran, And This Timing Will Not Affect Iran's Position.

Referring To The US Military Threat, He Said That Talking About The Military Option Is A Political Ploy And For The Internal Consumption Of The Other Party, Because This Issue Will Never Be Practical, As Iran Also Has Many Options On The Negotiating Table.

[yota691]

The US Navy seizes a ship "exiting Iran" carrying "explosive raw materials" to the Houthis

48 minutes ago

Iran

 

Today, Sunday, January 23 (January 23), the US Navy announced that it had stopped a ship “exited from Iran” carrying 40 tons of chemical fertilizers that can be used to make explosives in international waters in the Gulf of Oman, which was destined for the Houthis in Yemen.

According to Agence France-Presse, the US Navy said the ship left Iran and moved in a direction previously used to smuggle weapons to Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Today, Sunday, the US Navy said that the same ship was carrying thousands of weapons last year, and it was stopped and handed over to the Yemeni Coast Guard.

According to the report, "a destroyer and a patrol ship equipped with a guided missile, from the US Fifth Fleet stationed in Bahrain, stopped a stateless ship that was passing through Iran on a route that was historically used to transport weapons to the Houthis in Yemen."

The fleet said that US forces discovered about 40 tons (36,300 kilograms) of urea fertilizer, a chemical compound for agricultural use also known as a raw material for making explosives.

Iranian regime officials have not yet commented on this news.

It is noteworthy that Western countries, especially the United States, along with Israel and some Arab countries, have in recent years accused Iran of sending weapons to groups acting on its behalf in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen; This is something Iran denies.

It is noteworthy that the supply, sale or transfer of weapons directly or indirectly to Houthi fighters violates UN Security Council resolutions and US sanctions.

The recent arrest of a ship departing from Iran came at a time when tensions in the region have again escalated after a drone and missile attack by Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Abu Dhabi.

Following the Houthi attacks on Abu Dhabi, the Saudi-led coalition forces launched several large-scale air strikes against the Yemeni Houthis, killing dozens.

It is noteworthy that the Houthis targeted the UAE on January 17 with drones, killing 3 Pakistanis and Indians and wounding 6 others.

In the aftermath of the attacks, the Revolutionary Guards' Fars News Agency wrote that these measures were a "new practical warning" from the Iran-backed Houthis to the UAE.

Western countries, including the United States and Britain, condemned the Houthi attacks on Abu Dhabi, and the United Nations Security Council described these attacks as "terrorist", and strongly condemned them.

It should be noted that the war in Yemen began in 2014 when the Houthi militia seized the capital, Sanaa, and large parts of northern Yemen in a coup against the country's legitimate government. A few months later, the Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened to assist the official government.

A boat carrying drugs seized in the Sea of Oman

It was also reported today, Sunday, that a British Navy ship had confiscated large quantities of smuggled drugs worth about $26 million from a boat crossing the Sea of Oman on January 15th.

The Combined Maritime Operations Task Force said in a statement issued today that it seized 663 kilograms of heroin, 87 kilograms of methamphetamine and 291 kilograms of hashish and marijuana from the boat.

The British Navy would not comment on the source of the drugs, who produced them or their final destination.

It is noteworthy that over the past decade, Iran has witnessed a significant rise in methamphetamine, known as "glass", which has also increased its smuggling to neighboring countries.

On December 30, the US Navy announced that it had seized 385 kilograms of heroin, worth about $4 million, from a fishing vessel in the Arabian Sea, possibly set off from Iran.

[yota691]

Five lies that condemn Biden's Iran diplomacy

by Michael Rubin

 

 | January 23, 2022 06:00 AM

 

The Biden administration’s efforts to engage Iran are on life support despite a year of near-constant concessions.

Rather than blame Tehran or acknowledge that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has agency, White House press secretary Jen Psaki blames former President Donald Trump for the failure. "Iran’s increased capability and capacity, their aggressive actions that they have taken through proxy wars around the world, would be happening if the former president had not recklessly pulled out of the nuclear deal with no thought as to what might come next," she declared.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

00:24

/

01:02

 

 

 

 

 

Psaki’s statement is dishonest. The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, President Barack Obama’s signature Iran nuclear deal, legalized Iran’s nuclear program and offered Tehran tremendous financial rewards in exchange for temporary constraints on Iran’s nuclear enrichment. Rather than help ordinary Iranians, sanctions relief and new investment poured disproportionately into Revolutionary Guards coffers and financed its malign activities in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Bahrain, and Yemen.

Returning to the deal would be a big mistake. Consider five problems with the agreement, both then and now.

• 1) The final deal contradicted Obama’s guarantees. Obama repeatedly assured the public that his nuclear diplomacy would address key concerns such as Iran’s underground nuclear bunker and its illicit enrichment. When he unveiled the deal, though, it legalized both.  

• 2) The deal weakened nonproliferation efforts. The White House and its surrogates repeated the talking point that the deal cut off Iran’s path to nuclear weapons. The reality, however, was that it reversed decades of counterproliferation precedent that required states to give up their nuclear infrastructure and submit to decades of intrusive inspections.
   
• 3) An end run around Congress. Obama and his aides implied their deal was like a treaty, but not only did they never submit it for Senate ratification, they also maneuvered so that the deal never required majority support. Congress never trusted the White House, though, and so required access to all side deals. Obama reneged on this promise, believing he had a fait accompli. Good deals stand on their merits; they don’t need end runs.
   
• 4) The hostage ransom. In 2016, I testified in Congress about Obama's hostage ransom. Two State Department officials denied payments were a ransom, but, in hindsight, they lied about not only the ransom, but also its amount.
   
• 5) Ignoring Congress. As Biden has sought to revive the nuclear deal, he, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Iran envoy Rob Malley have reportedly green-lighted tens of billions of dollars in sanctions relief. They may think the price is worth it, but it is not alone their call: The White House and State Department have ignored more than two dozen congressional inquiries into the proposed relief. Once again, ignoring oversight forfeits confidence; it does not build it.

Trump’s withdrawal from the JCPOA was inelegant, even if it was legal. It would have been better if Trump had pushed the types of intrusive inspections of dual-use military sites that Tehran rejected and pushed Iran into violations, if not its own unilateral withdrawal. There would have been no need to back away from the deal, however, if it did its job. The simple fact is it did not. Both Obama and Biden and the team of staffers they shared realize this, though, hence their dissimulation and obfuscation.

If Biden wants bipartisan support, he must start his negotiations at home and address the real concerns that Republicans have with his Iran strategy. America is at its most effective on the world stage when its strategies have bipartisan backing. Conversely, when the White House tries a political end run, what results is not a triumph, but a train wreck.

Michael Rubin (@mrubin1971) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner's Beltway Confidential. He is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

[yota691]

US State Department: Diplomacy is the best way to deal with Chinese oil imports from Iran

energy

Jan 21 2022

 

China added to its reserves 4 million barrels of Iranian oil (Getty)

 

When asked about China storing Iranian oil in its government reserves and mentioning it in its customs data, the US State Department said that sanctions are still in place and will be applied, but Washington believes that diplomacy is the best way to address the matter.

"We are aware of Chinese companies' purchases of Iranian oil. We have used our own sanctions powers to respond to Iran's sanctions evasion, including for those doing business with China, and will continue to do so if necessary," a ministry spokesman told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. .

"But we are taking it up diplomatically with the Chinese as part of our dialogue on Iran policy and we generally believe that is the most effective way to address our concerns," he added.

 

On Thursday, Chinese customs announced the first Chinese imports of Iranian crude in a year, despite the continuation of sanctions.

 

Data from the General Administration of Customs showed that China imported 260,312 tons (1.9 million barrels) of Iranian crude oil in December. The administration's last recorded flow of Iranian oil into the country was in December 2020, and it was twice the new amount.

"It is (China's) attempt to calm oil prices. The main objective is to show the world that there is more supplies even if it is only available to them," said a major oil trader, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

The replenishment of China's strategic petroleum reserves also comes ahead of a plan to draw from its emergency stockpile in rare coordination with the United States aimed at helping bring down global oil prices, which hit a seven-year high this week.

In the past, China secretly imported Iranian oil, without official customs data indicating the shipments, with buyers fearing US sanctions.

This also comes as world powers are engaged in difficult negotiations with Tehran to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement, including lifting US sanctions on Iranian oil. The administration of former US President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement and reimposed sanctions.

Iran, which has the world's fourth largest oil reserves, relies heavily on crude revenues, but sanctions have prevented it from pumping it at levels close to its production capacity since 2018.

4 million barrels

A trade source and shipment tracking company "Fortexa Analytics" told Reuters that China has dumped nearly four million barrels of Iranian crude into government reserve tanks in the southern port city of Zhanjiang over the past few weeks.

A senior trade source familiar with the shipment said it was emptied at a government reserve site in Zhanjiang in late December.

This was followed by unloading a shipment of similar size at the same port for reserve stock, according to "Fortexa Analytics", which specializes in tracking ships.

"There were reports of Iranian crude imports earlier, but somewhat discreetly. Now I think the Chinese are openly testing the US response," said Tilak Doshi, director at Doshi Consulting in Singapore.

China's imports of Iranian oil continued despite US sanctions that, if implemented, would allow Washington to isolate its violators from the US economy.

 

The volume of shipments exceeded 500,000 barrels per day on average between August and October, as buyers considered that the advantage of obtaining crude at cheap prices outweighed the risks of violating US sanctions.

Traders said earlier that Iranian crude was being exported to China as oil from Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia to evade sanctions, reducing supplies from Brazil and West Africa.

According to shipping data and dealer estimates, imports from Iran accounted for about six percent of China's imports of crude oil.

It is expected that China will withdraw some of its strategic stocks near the beginning of the Lunar New Year.

(Reuters)

[yota691]

US Senator: Trump's Withdrawal From The Agreement With Iran Is The Stupidest And Most Dangerous Foreign Policy Decision In 50 Years

 

LAST UPDATE 01/24/2022 | 4:46 PM

Information / translation.

US Senator Grace Murphy said that former US President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the multilateral agreement with Iran is one of the stupidest and most dangerous US foreign policy decisions in the past fifty years.

And the senator's website stated in a report translated by the agency that "Senator Murphy has drawn in a graph showing the rapid growth of Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium in the wake of the American withdrawal."

And he said in his tweet to him on the social networking site Twitter that "Trump's withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action ... will be classified as one of the dumbest and most dangerous foreign policy decisions in the past fifty years."

The report added, "The Democratic senator is one of the fiercest critics of Trump's withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and his sanctions on Iran. He urged US President Joe Biden to reverse his predecessor's policy on Iran and return to the nuclear deal.

On the other hand, and in the context of the negotiations held in Vienna, the Islamic Republic stressed that the lifting of US sanctions should happen in practice, and that it was seeking guarantees that the United States would not withdraw from the deal again, while Iran did not allow the United States to attend the Vienna negotiations because of its withdrawal. of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. As a result, the other participants are conducting mixed diplomacy between the two sides.” finished /25 z

[yota691]

JANUARY 28, 2022

Feb 4 Panel | Iran Nuclear Talks at a Turning Point

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Image credit: UNIS Vienna

The Institute for Peace and Diplomacy will host a panel discussion titled “Iran Nuclear Talks at a Turning Point” on February 4, 2022 from 11:00 AM to 12:15 PM (EST).

 

In recent weeks, all parties involved in the Iran nuclear negotiations have acknowledged that there has been some progress made in the Vienna talks. Yet, the United States has repeatedly stated that the time is running out with only a few weeks left to revive the nuclear deal. Meanwhile, Russia, in coordination with the US, has proposed an interim agreement with Iran that would involve limited sanctions relief in return for reimposing some restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear program. In response, Iran has consistently ruled out any deadlines for the nuclear talks while still insisting on a permanent solution, backed by guarantees and verifications, to restore the JCPOA.

Despite Iran’s refusal to engage in direct negotiations with the US, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said that Tehran is now willing to negotiate directly with Washington if nuclear talks reach an advanced state that requires such dialogue between the two countries. As Iran and the US move closer to reviving the nuclear deal, the opposition voices have also ramped up their pressure on the Biden administration to undermine any potential deal with Iran. More than 100 Republicans in the US House of Representatives called on Biden to “immediately withdraw” from the Vienna talks and “strongly reinforce” existing sanctions. In the same vein, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennet has made it clear that Israel will not be bound to any agreements with Iran, suggesting that it would maintain its freedom of action regardless of the outcomes of the negotiation with Iran.

Panelists:

• Trita Parsi: Executive Vice-President, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft
• Adnan Tabatabai: CEO, Center for Applied Research in Partnership with the Orient
• Barbara Slavin: Director, Future of Iran Initiative, Atlantic Council

Moderator:

• Bijan Ahmadi: Executive Director, Institute for Peace & Diplomacy

[yota691]

Iranian FM: We may directly negotiate with the US in Vienna to reach an agreement

Amir-Abdollahian also spoke about ongoing talks with Saudi Arabia, saying Riyadh is responsible for deciding when the embassies of the two nations will reopen

ByNews Desk- January 24 2022

(Photo credit: Iranian foreign ministry)

 

 

Speaking at the first National Conference on Iran and Neighbors on 24 January, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian did not rule out the possibility of direct negotiations with the US in the ongoing Vienna talks.

“The United States sends messages calling for direct talks with us. Our talks with the United States are through [the EU’s Enrique] Mora and one or two JCPOA member states in Vienna. We did not have any direct negotiations [with the US] at all. However, if we reach a stage in the negotiation process where reaching a good agreement requires having a dialogue with the United States at some level, we will not ignore it,” Amir-Abdollahian said.

The US is barred from engaging directly in Vienna talks after unilaterally withdrawing from the nuclear deal in 2018.

Meanwhile, the spokesman for the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission has said that if Washington shows good will, Iran may directly negotiate with them.

“If the Americans are in good faith and act on what they sign, we can negotiate with them, but they have not proven that in practice,” Mahmoud Abbaszadeh Meshkini told Iran’s state TV.

Amir-Abdollahian went on to criticize the European troika’s (France, UK, Germany) actions, claiming that when it comes to sanctions they connect the issue to the US, but when it comes to nuclear issues they claim that this is Iran’s “area of responsibility.”

He also said that the Ebrahim Raisi administration intends to keep  neighboring countries informed on what is happening in Vienna.

“We do not welcome the idea of adding new members from the region to the talks, but we keep our neighbors informed,” he said.

Amir-Abdollahian: Saudis must decide on reopening of embassies in Tehran and Riyadh

Elsewhere in his remarks, Iran’s top diplomat referred to the negotiations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, saying that, while Iran welcomes dialogue, it is political will which determines the outcome of negotiations, not prolonged talks.

“Saudi Arabia must now decide when to open the embassies of the two countries. We welcome the new round of talks, and we would also like to point out that long talks do not necessitate a return to normal relations alone, but a political decision. We in the government have decided that Saudi Arabia can take the necessary steps to restore relations with Iran whenever it reaches a conclusion,” the foreign minister said.

He then added that Tehran has left the path of dialogue open for Riyadh, saying: “Whenever Saudi Arabia decides to return its diplomatic relations with Iran to normal, we welcome a reopening of embassies and the return of relations to normal and even development of relations with Saudi Arabia.”

Speaking on the other challenges Iran faces in West Asia, Amir-Abdollahian named Afghanistan as one of the foreign policy challenges of the Raisi administration.

He said that Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s acting foreign minister, had asked Iran to hand over the Afghan embassy in Tehran to the Taliban, but Iran rejected them.

“We help Afghanistan by sending fuel, but we firmly insist on Taliban forming an inclusive government with an eye on maintaining sustainable security,” Amir-Abdollahian said.

The top diplomat went on to note that Iran will enter the debate of recognizing the Taliban after they form an inclusive government.

“Once the inclusive government is formed with known standards and with the participation of the Taliban, Pashtuns, and other ethnic groups in Afghanistan, then we can decide to recognize the new government in Afghanistan and hand over the Afghan embassy in Tehran to the official governing body in Afghanistan,” he said.

[Hotcurl]

Smoke some more Dude ............ you're dreaming and imaginating .........................

 

Just sayin' ...............

 

Semper Fi

 

RV there yet ? 

[yota691]

Abdel Moneim Ibrahim
Biden made a secret deal with Iran, while its missiles bombed the region!
Just as America made a (deal) in Doha with the extremist (Taliban) movement and handed them over (rule) in Afghanistan in August 2021, it is now in the process of concluding a (secret deal) with Iran that would enable it to acquire a (nuclear weapon). It threatens the countries of the region and the world, and strengthens its arms and armed militias in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and the Gaza Strip. Gaza

In the Afghan deal, America did not consult and did not involve its European and NATO allies, and contented itself with putting them before the matter. Reality, accepting (the deal) and withdrawing from Afghanistan! It is also concluding a "secret deal" with Iran without involving the Arab Gulf states in the negotiations. It did not even involve the European countries that squandered seats in the Vienna Hotel due to the large number of their delegates sitting there Alone with Iran!

So America has a long track record of making (unilateral) deals without caring about the positions of its allies. Whether in Europe or the Arab Gulf states, on the basis of (I am your supreme Lord..so worship me)!, and not Not only that, but the administration of President (Joe Biden) does not inform (the US Congress), which is the legislative authority On the details of its secret deals with (Taliban) and with Iran! Yesterday, a comment was published on reports of a proposal (interim agreement) in the (Vienna) talks, two members said In the US House of Representatives, the (Biden) administration did not inform Congress of this (secret agreement) with Iran, After NBC announced

The positions (Biden) and his administration in the White House regarding the conclusion of a secret deal with Iran on its nuclear file, which he considers Many members of the US Congress have succumbed to US indifference and surrender to Iran, which is now benefiting from these US setbacks. It escalates its provocations and aggression against America's allies in the region (or those whom America once considered allies). )! The recent dangerous Iranian military escalation against Saudi Arabia and the UAE is among the negative US indicators that Iran is benefiting from And what is Iran's addition to civilian sites in the (UAE) as a military target for its missile attacks and through its drones? The booby-trapped car only confirms its aggressive intentions against all countries in the region in the near future.

Let us stop in front of a simple indicator confirming Iran's aggressive tendencies, as the official Iranian newspaper (Kayhan), which is close to From the guide (Khamenei) on its cover a picture of the Emirates Towers, and written above it in bold (Evacuate the commercial towers. Ansar Allah's missiles are on the way!) Observers considered what the newspaper did as a direct Iranian terrorist threat to the UAE through the Houthi terrorists, and evidence confirming Iran's direct involvement in the terrorist attacks launched by the Houthis on the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

But the truth is that (Houthis) only adopt in their name these attacks, especially the last one against the Emirates, and that the IRGC forces The Iranian Revolutionary is the one who pays these attacks, given that the distance between Sanaa and Abu Dhabi is about 1,500 km, and it is doubtful that the Houthis are technically capable of carrying out these attacks Far towards (Abu Dhabi) .. The Houthis had previously claimed in September 2019 an attack on Aramco facilities in Abqaiq in Saudi Arabia, then it became clear from the investigations that the attacks did not come from Yemen, but from naval sites Affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

In summary, America is about to conclude a (secret deal) with Iran regarding its nuclear file, to the extent that it can of making a nuclear bomb, leaving Iran to demobilize and enjoy its ballistic missiles and booby-trapped marches against all the countries of the region and not Saudi Arabia and the UAE alone.. Therefore, the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council must prepare their military, political and security equipment Well, and to think of new international alliances away from America, which has failed its friends everywhere in the world.

[yota691]

Iran awaits "actual" measures for Washington's decisions to lift sanctions

Monday 07 February 2022 181

 

 Tehran: Muhammad Salih Sedqian 

Iran cautiously welcomed the step of lifting the ban on dealing with its nuclear program while negotiations are still going on in Vienna to settle the remaining differences in order to reach an agreement satisfactory to all parties involved in the negotiations. 

 

The United States had canceled the ban on the Arak reactor, which works on producing heavy water, in addition to the Tehran reactor, which works in the field of research and studies, in a move it said would contribute to the continuation of 

negotiations.  

On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said, "Iran is serious about reaching a good agreement in which the sanctions imposed by former US President Donald Trump will be lifted, but he said that lifting sanctions alone is not sufficient unless it is accompanied by practical measures to remove these sanctions," noting. He added that "the negotiating team in Vienna received several messages from the American side reassuring the good intentions of the United States, but we did not see serious initiatives that can be trusted, and we are waiting for some sanctions to be practically canceled."

He denied that his country accepted a temporary agreement, or that it had reached an interim agreement with the American side.

Iran says that it does not want to be bitten twice after the 2015 nuclear agreement did not bring it any economic benefits, and now it does not want to go back to square one unless the new agreement is accompanied by practical steps and guarantees not to withdraw from the nuclear agreement. 

In turn, the head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee in the Iranian parliament, Vahid Jalalzadeh, said: "The nuclear agreement signed in 2015 has lost its luster," adding: "Iran does not accept less than it and does not accept more than it, in reference to Iran's non-acceptance of Iran." Discussing any file outside the framework of the 2015 agreement, and the interim agreement has been completely removed from the negotiating table.”

The foreign exchange market in the Iranian market was affected, as the exchange rate of the US dollar fell to the level of 26 thousand and 700 tomans per dollar, after it was 28 thousand tomans per dollar last week due to the news that the Vienna negotiations would soon reach an agreement, but the former Iranian diplomat Amir Ali Abu Al-Fath ruled out that it will be reached. He said that the Iranian and American sides will reach a solution in the end because there are no other options. 

In addition, Iranian Oil Minister Javad Oji said that China will invest 15 to 20 billion dollars in Iranian oil industries within the framework of the strategic agreement signed between the two countries for a period of 25 years, while Iran will allocate an equivalent amount of oil production to improve the performance of oil and gas facilities.

European and American companies want to enter Iran's oil and gas facilities to develop these facilities after removing the embargo imposed on Iran.