Thursday, September 24, 2015

Eye on Iran: Ayatollah Khamenei: US Evil Policies, Israeli Crimes, Muslims' Main Worries






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Tasnim (Iran): "Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said the crux of the matter for Muslims is the US vicious policies towards the Middle East as well as the Israeli regime's atrocities against Palestinians and frequent desecration of Al-Aqsa Mosque.  'Today, the US malicious policies in this region (West Asia and North Africa) - which have caused wars, bloodshed, destruction, displacement, poverty, underdevelopment and ethnic and sectarian rifts - in addition to the Zionist regime's crimes... and its frequent desecration of Al-Aqsa Mosque and trampling over the lives and properties of the oppressed Palestinians, is the main problem of you Muslims,' Ayatollah Khamenei said in a message to the Hajj Congress on Wednesday. The Leader also urged the Muslim clerics and political, cultural elites not to neglect their responsibility to deal with those main problems. Imam Khamenei stressed that the tragic events in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, the West Bank and Gaza, and some other countries in Asia and Africa emanate from the plots hatched by the global arrogance." http://t.uani.com/1G4QJtd

Reuters: "Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei denounced Israel on Wednesday for what he called its 'insult' to Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque in connection with Israeli actions at one of Islam's holiest places. Israeli-Palestinian strife has risen sharply in recent weeks as Arab states and Palestinians have accused Israeli forces of violations at the mosque. 'The Zionist regime's crimes in Palestine and repeated insult of the sacred sanctuary of the al-Aqsa Mosque ... are the foremost problem for Muslims,' Khamenei was quoted as saying by his official website. Khamenei described Israeli behavior towards Palestinians as the 'ultimate degree of ruthlessness and evil.'" http://t.uani.com/1LzsFVN

Fox News: "The Iranian government is pressing the U.S. and others to give even more ground to Tehran in the already-sealed nuclear agreement, posing a new headache as the Obama administration and others try to implement the deal. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier this month demanded that sanctions be lifted entirely, not just suspended. A top Khamenei adviser reiterated that demand over the weekend -- ahead of potential informal talks on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Secretary of State John Kerry plans meet in the coming days in New York with his Iranian counterpart, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. According to Iran's Fars News Agency, Iranian officials also plan to meet with all members of the P5+1 group, which negotiated the deal, in New York on Sept. 28. These reported plans prompted one group, the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), to question whether talks were being 'reopened,' in order to address Khamenei's concerns." http://t.uani.com/1OUI5Vs

Nuclear Program & Agreement

Free Beacon: "Multiple senior Iranian officials have vowed in recent weeks to violate the recently inked nuclear accord that aims to constrain the Islamic Republic's contested nuclear enrichment program, according to multiple comments by top Iranian leaders. Iranian leaders, including President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, have said that the country has 'no intention' of abiding by a United Nations Security Council Resolution that encompasses the deal and other restrictions on Tehran's rogue activities, according to these comments. These officials said that Iran views the recent Iranian nuclear deal secured in Vienna as separate from the resolution endorsing the deal and further prohibiting Iran from developing advanced ballistic missiles and purchasing other types of arms, according to the Middle East Media Research Institute, or MEMRI, which issued a report compiling recent statements by Iran." http://t.uani.com/1KBHZfc

Fars (Iran): "Iranian Supreme Leader's top adviser for international affairs Ali Akbar Velayati underscored that as emphasized by the Islamic Republic since the beginning of the nuclear negotiations, the sanctions against Tehran should be terminated. 'The recent emphasis laid by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei on the termination of the sanctions mirrored the same views he has had since the beginning (of nuclear talks with the world powers) and it should be materialized,' Velayati told FNA on Saturday. He referred to Ayatollah Khamenei's remarks that Iran would act upon its undertakings only if the sanctions were terminated and that if the world powers didn't keep their promises, Tehran would continue nuclear progress irrespective of the agreement, and said, 'It is understood from the Supreme Leader's remarks that balance is necessary in the two sides' measures and in case of imbalance, nothing will be done.'" http://t.uani.com/1FhGjMg

Free Beacon: "Gen. David Petraeus spoke before the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday morning, where he delivered his opinion on the administration's nuclear agreement with Iran and noted key weaknesses in the deal. 'The nuclear agreement negotiated by the Obama administration contains many positive elements,' Petraeus said. 'It also contains problematic elements.' After saying that the deal will put restrictions on the Iranian regime for the next 10 to 15 years, the retired four-star general, who served more than 37 years in the Army, warned that the U.S.'s approach to the Ayatollah's use of his new power and resources as the deal expires will determine the fate of the agreement. 'It will also, however, increase considerably the resources available for the Iranian regime to pursue maligned activities and in the longer term, as constraints imposed by the agreement expire, the risk of Iranian proliferation will increase,' Petraeus said. 'The key question going forward is what will be the relationship of the United States to Iranian power? Will we seek to counter it, or to accommodate it?'" http://t.uani.com/1Pxg30m

Congressional Action

The Hill: "Sen. Jeanne Shaheen is reaching out to America's European allies to press for unity in enforcing the nuclear deal with Iran. The New Hampshire Democrat sent a letter to ambassadors from Germany, France and Great Britain, which were all involved in the international talks with Iran, asking them to stand together with the U.S. as the pact goes into effect. '[R]esponding to potential Iranian violations will require our continued cooperation, particularly regarding possible small-scale incidents of Iranian non-compliance,' she wrote to the three ambassadors. 'I look forward to the joint efforts of our two governments to develop a common approach to this challenge.' ... '[A] unified response to any Iranian violation is the best way to ensure the long-term success of this agreement,' Shaheen told the ambassadors in her letter. In closing, she urged the diplomats to keep up the joint pressure on Iran's violations of human rights and broader meddling in the region, including its support of the Syrian regime of Bashar Assad." http://t.uani.com/1OUS7pA

Reuters: "Republican U.S. Senator Ted Cruz said on Tuesday that Congress should use legislation funding the government to force President Barack Obama's administration to hand over more information about the nuclear agreement with Iran. Days after a deadline passed for Congress to vote on the nuclear pact, the 2016 presidential hopeful said any legislation to fund the government after Sept. 30 must require the administration to hand over information about 'secret side deals' involving inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities... Any stop-gap funding bill should use 'the power of the purse to force this administration to hand over the Iranian side deals,' Cruz told reporters at the U.S. Capitol. Cruz said it would be Obama, not him, who would force a government shutdown if the president jeopardized government-wide funding by refusing to detail the Iran side deals." http://t.uani.com/1Vb8S4O

The Hill: "Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) says the Senate should use its short-term spending bill to force President Obama to hand over the 'side deals' between Iran and international inspectors. 'I believe what Congress should do is a pass a continuing resolution that funds the government, but that provides two conditions,' he told reporters on Tuesday. 'Number one, it does not give taxpayer funds to a private organization - Planned Parenthood - that is under multiple criminal investigations. Number two, it uses the power of the purse to force this administration to hand over the Iranian side deals.'" http://t.uani.com/1Ms6bED

The Hill: "Rep. Paul Ryan is warning the White House not to lift any unnecessary financial penalties against Iran. The Wisconsin Republican and chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee told President Obama in a letter on Tuesday that he has 'serious questions' about whether the White House will 'keep in place tax rules that discourage conducting business with Iran' in the wake of the completed nuclear deal... In his letter this week, Ryan worried whether the administration is seeking to lay off some of the tax penalties that would be in store for companies planning to do business with Iran once the initial sanctions are lifted. Those tax penalties can be lifted by the White House, if it so chooses. He asked the White House to commit to not waiving those penalties during the remainder of Obama's term in office." http://t.uani.com/1L8qrOm

Sanctions Relief

Bloomberg: "Diplomacy came first, now it's money's turn. Two months after Iran and six world powers signed a landmark nuclear agreement, foreign companies are seeking to secure a foothold in an economy bigger than Thailand's and oil reserves rivaling those of Canada. On Tuesday, Novo Nordisk A/S, the world's biggest maker of insulin, said it will build a plant to assemble its FlexPen pre-filled devices in Iran to expand in a country where millions suffer from diabetes. France, one of the countries that signed the accord with Iran, opened a trade office in Tehran this week to boost business ties. With the nuclear accord all but certain to overcome domestic opposition in Iran and the U.S., scores of foreign investors are visiting Tehran to scour for opportunities to expand into one of the largest untapped frontier markets in the world... France sent a delegation of more than 100 executives to Tehran this week. Communications Minister Mahmoud Vaezi said Orange SA is interested in acquiring a stake in a local Iranian phone company, according to the state-run Fars news agency." http://t.uani.com/1KBDcKR

Bloomberg: "Executives from some of Europe's biggest companies are aiming to consolidate their links with Iran as the Islamic Republic prepares to rejoin the global economy. Some 500 representative from companies including Alstom SA, RWE AG, the Tehran Stock Exchange and the National Iranian Oil Co. will meet in Geneva on Thursday and Friday to discuss everything from trade finance to business diplomacy at the second Europe-Iran Forum. The event is the first major investment conference to take place since Iran reached a deal with international powers in July to ease economic sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program... Back in Switzerland, traders at Vitol Group, Glencore Plc and Trafigura Beheer BV, some of the world's oil-trading champions, are also anxiously awaiting the lifting of sanctions imposed by the U.S. and the EU that prohibit dealing in Iranian oil. As Iran and world powers neared a deal this summer, Glencore executives and Iranian officials held 'exploratory talks' regarding 'potential business opportunities subject to the removal of sanctions,' the trading company said in a July statement." http://t.uani.com/1Px9QBG

FT: "More than 100 top companies from the CAC 40, including Total, Peugeot and Airbus arrived in Tehran on Monday as part of an economic and political delegation to forge business links ahead of the lifting of international sanctions on Iran. But like many of their peers, the large French banks were nowhere to be seen. 'So far, second- and third-tier European banks have visited Iran,' said one senior Iranian banker. 'Banks are the most scared of all European entities and won't take any risks due to the prices they have paid for violation of sanctions.' The cautious approach comes as commercial banks avoid being hit by massive fines after US regulators charged some European banks with money laundering and terrorist finance and imposed large penalties... 'Banks need to be 110 per cent sure that there is no risk,' said an Iranian business consultant. 'That means companies are only putting their baskets to keep a place but cannot sign any contracts at this stage, which is why we see a lot of smoke but no fire.'" http://t.uani.com/1YDlQaU

Reuters: "A senior Chinese official has offered Iran help with upgrading its manufacturing technology to boost its economy, saying that the two countries are good partners who have weathered many storms together, the government said on Thursday. Zhang Yi, head of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, is in Iran on a three-day trip as a special envoy of the Chinese government. The commission is a ministry-level body that directly oversees 112 central government industrial and service conglomerates. In a statement on its Weibo microblog, the commission said that Zhang had met with Iranian and Chinese companies in Tehran on Wednesday, telling them that China was Iran's best partner for infrastructure construction and manufacturing." http://t.uani.com/1Kx8RjH

Reuters: Iran has postponed a crucial conference to present new oil contracts to investors in London to February 2016 from December 2015 as industry sources said Tehran was still waiting for Western sanctions to be lifted. The global oil industry has been eagerly watching Tehran's plans for the conference as Iran, OPEC's third largest oil producer, holds the world's fourth largest oil reserves and the largest for natural gas... The conference has been already postponed four times, including the current delay, because of uncertainty over sanctions and as Iranian officials are still working on the model for new contracts... The new dates for the London conference have been tentatively set for February 22-24, the organisers said on the web site. http://t.uani.com/1L8j0Xl

Reuters: "India is ready to invest more than $15.2 billion to build projects in Iran including taking up full-scale development of Chabahar Port if Tehran offers better terms including cheaper gas, Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday. India is one of the handful countries that continued trade links with Iran, isolated by Western countries against its disputed nuclear programme. New Delhi is Tehran's second biggest oil client after Beijing. 'We are ready to make a huge investment in Iran and this is mainly linked to gas pricing offered by Iran ... Gas price is a crucial issue,' Gadkari told a news conference. Days before the historic nuclear deal between Tehran and the West in July, President Hassan Rouhani offered India a greater role in infrastructure projects including overall development of Chabahar port. India hopes to take a decision on Iran's latest offer by early October after obtaining reports from other ministries including petroleum, chemical and fertiliser, and steel by Monday, Shipping Secretary Rajive Kumar said... In May, Gadkari and his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Ahmad Akhoundi, signed an $85 million deal for India to lease two existing berths at the port and use them as multi-purpose cargo terminals." http://t.uani.com/1Kx9No0

Reuters: "South Africa is considering building an oil refinery that will process Iranian crude to bolster its petrol supply and reduce its dependence on foreign companies, a government official said on Tuesday. Plans for the new refinery were being 'conceptualised' Tseliso Maqubela, the deputy director general for petroleum and petroleum products regulation at the energy ministry, said. He could not estimate the cost or time frame for construction. Pretoria has said it will resume oil imports from Tehran 'tomorrow' if sanctions are lifted but without its own refinery, it would have to rely on foreign oil companies who own refineries in Africa's most developed economy." http://t.uani.com/1NOFNX6

Terrorism

AP: "Two men found guilty of plotting to derail a passenger train in Canada with support from al-Qaida were sentenced Wednesday to life in prison. Chiheb Esseghaier and Raed Jaser must serve a minimum of 10 years before becoming eligible for parole on their life sentences. A jury convicted Esseghaier, a Tunisian national, earlier this year of planning to derail a Via train heading from New York to Toronto and four other terror-related charges. Jaser was found guilty of conspiring to commit murder in support of terrorism and two other charges. Jaser, who was born in the United Arab Emirates to Palestinian parents but is not an UAE citizen, was living in Toronto when he was arrested in 2013. Investigators say the men received guidance from members of al-Qaida in Iran." http://t.uani.com/1Px81oq

Human Rights

ICHRI: "When Iranian president Hassan Rouhani addresses the United Nations General Assembly on September 28, 2015, his third trip to the organization's New York headquarters since his election in June 2013, he will stand on a record of great success in the nuclear negotiations-and abject failure in delivering on his pledges to defend basic civil rights and liberties in Iran. The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran calls on all government and UN officials, business and civil society leaders, and journalists who will be meeting with Rouhani and his delegation in New York to use every interaction with Iranian officials to press them to end the repression gripping the country and respect its citizens' most basic civil liberties, particularly the right to peaceful dissent. Elected by a large margin over two years ago promising greater political and social freedoms, Rouhani presides over a country held in a firm chokehold by repressive security and intelligence organizations controlled by the Revolutionary Guards, and a Judiciary that ignores Iran's own laws to suppress all dissent in the country. 'His citizens are being thrown in prison for peacefully criticizing their government,' said Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. 'Rouhani hides behind an 'independent' Judiciary but he is still head of state. It is indefensible that Rouhani has been silent and inconsequential on basic human rights.'" http://t.uani.com/1LPSNY5

RFE/RL: "When reports emerged earlier this month that prominent Iranian Internet entrepreneur Arash Zad had been arrested in August at Tehran's Imam Khomeini airport, it was unknown who apprehended him, or why. But suspicion has since fallen on the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps' (IRGC) intelligence arm, whose increased activities could indicate that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has rejuvenated the much-feared unit so he can gain greater control over the country... The IRGC's intelligence unit, which falls under the supreme leader's direct authority, could serve as a useful tool if Khamenei cannot fully trust the Intelligence Ministry to do as he wishes. There is precedent for the supreme leader and the hard-line faction of the Iranian establishment to use the IRGC unit or others as a parallel intelligence apparatus -- Iran witnessed a surge in the operations of alternative intelligence bodies under former reformist President Mohammad Khatami, whose attempts at reform were blocked by hard-liners." http://t.uani.com/1KE1W61

HRW: "The Iranian authorities should immediately release seven teachers apparently detained for peaceful union activities. By stepping up the arrests and sentencing of outspoken teachers in the weeks prior to the start of the school year on September 23, 2015, the authorities appear to be sending a message to other educators not to speak out about their concerns. Since April 2015, security forces have detained five prominent members of Iran's Teachers' Association, as well as the secretary general of the Teachers Organization of Iran. Authorities have brought new charges against another educator who had recently completed a six-year sentence in connection with his union activities. In all of the cases, the authorities have cited 'security concerns' to justify the detentions. 'Iran has a clear pattern of arresting and harassing teachers for speaking out about the problems that they and their students face,' said Eric Goldstein, deputy Middle East director. 'The government should encourage those who seek to improve education rather than arresting them on apparently spurious security charges.'" http://t.uani.com/1FwbCCI

Foreign Affairs


NBC News: "The NSA will probably spy on foreign leaders like Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during the UN General Assembly in New York this week, applying a 'full court press' that includes intercepting cellphone calls and bugging hotel rooms, former intelligence analysts told NBC News. A top-secret report on a previous NSA operation against Iran's U.N. delegation illustrates just how extensive this electronic surveillance can be. The document, obtained by NBC News, shows the U.S. bugged the hotel rooms and phones of then-Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his entire 143-member delegation in 2007, listening to thousands of conversations and learning the 'social networks' of Iran's leadership. The three-page document, called 'Tips for a Successful Quick Reaction Capability,' recounted what happened when the NSA was asked by the Bush administration for blanket surveillance of Ahmadinejad's September 2007 trip to the UNGA." http://t.uani.com/1KE4YHu

Opinion & Analysis

WSJ Editorial: "The current fad of the 'selfie' photograph has a new category with the news that Iran has been allowed to self-inspect its suspected nuclear site at Parchin. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed Monday that Iran had turned over samples that the Iranians had themselves collected from the military site that IAEA inspectors haven't been allowed to visit in a decade. The Iranians did take IAEA director Yukiya Amano on a supervised tour of Parchin on Sunday, and he announced himself well pleased with what his agency received. 'The agency can confirm the integrity of the sampling process and the authenticity of the samples,' Mr. Amano said. But their authenticity and integrity are not the decisive issues. What matters is whether they provide a complete picture of Iran's previous nuclear work. On that score Mr. Amano has to settle for whatever Iran provides him. He also isn't about to say that the self-inspection process he recently endorsed has produced inadequate results-at least not if he wants to keep his job. We are a long way from the go-anywhere, look-at-anything inspections that President Obama promised during negotiations. The Parchin selfies are especially dangerous because they are likely to set a new arms-control precedent for inspecting contested military sites in the future. Gone are the kind of intrusive inspections that even Saddam Hussein had to tolerate until he kicked out inspectors. This is now the era of the selfie inspection, when rogue regimes provide their own samples, and inspectors-at-a-distance announce their gratitude for the cooperation." http://t.uani.com/1G4H1Hm

Daily Star (Lebanon) Editorial: "President Hassan Rouhani insisted Tuesday that the country's forces were the best shield against 'terrorism' in the region: He seems to be forgetting, however, that Iran has been sponsoring violence and intolerance from Lebanon to Yemen. In Iraq and Syria, in particular, Iran's military and financial assistance has been most influential. Across Damascus and elsewhere in the country, powerful Iranian individuals are reported to be buying up property and large tracts of land, part of a concerted effort to tangibly change the demographics of the country in favor of a minority. Were Rouhani's words to be accurate, that would surely be welcomed by the people and governments of the Middle East. But it is so far removed from reality that it would be laughable if the situation were not so tragic. Tehran has shown a fundamental lack of respect for the concept of sovereignty, continuing to prop up the governments in Damascus and Baghdad. Syria's war would look very different in the absence of Iranian support, in terms of widespread military support, and the helpful recruitment of militia from Afghanistan and Pakistan. In Yemen it is has shown a determination to back a minority uprising against a legitimate government, offering a crucial lifeline in military support, advisers and finance, something Rouhani denied. Further afield, if not directly involved, Iran continues to sponsor a plethora of proxy groups, from southeast Asia to South America, taking advantage of gaps in society, as it does in the Middle East. Offering aid and assistance where people desperately need it. But such supposedly benevolent assistance comes with a price. If Iran meant what it said - that it was committed to combatting terrorism - this would be welcomed. But this is divorced from reality." http://t.uani.com/1G4KeXv
         

Eye on Iran is a periodic news summary from United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) a program of the American Coalition Against Nuclear Iran, Inc., a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Eye on Iran is not intended as a comprehensive media clips summary but rather a selection of media elements with discreet analysis in a PDA friendly format. For more information please email Press@UnitedAgainstNuclearIran.com

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