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TOP STORIES
The Treasury Department imposed sanctions Tuesday on the
governor of Iran's central bank and another senior bank official,
accusing them of funneling millions of dollars to Hezbollah, the
Lebanese militia designated as a terror group by the U.S.
German insurer Allianz is preparing to wind down
Iran-related business due to possible U.S. sanctions, a spokesman
said on Tuesday.
Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militia designated
as a terror group by the U.S., is tapping a money-laundering
ministate in Latin America that poses an escalating risk to U.S.
national security, according to a report published Tuesday... The
report was prepared by political risk consultancy Asymmetrica, funded
and jointly published by the Washington-based nonprofit Counter
Extremism Project.
NUCLEAR DEAL & NUCLEAR PROGRAM
European powers vowed to keep the 2015 nuclear deal
alive without the United States by trying to keep Iran's oil and
investment flowing, but admitted they would struggle to provide the
guarantees Tehran seeks. British, French and German foreign
ministers, along with the EU's top diplomat, discussed the next steps
with their Iranian counterpart, a week after U.S. President Donald
Trump abandoned the pact he branded "the worst deal ever"
and reimposed U.S. sanctions on Iran.
European powers must give Iran guarantees that it will
receive the economic benefits of the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran's
foreign minister said on Tuesday, warning that there was not much
time for them to deliver those assurances.
Boris Johnson has cautioned against seeking regime
change in Tehran and warned the United States not to target British
businesses in its quest to sink the Iran nuclear deal.
The top advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
said on Wednesday he doubted Tehran's talks with European nations to
save the nuclear deal after U.S. withdrew from it would be fruitful.
"I doubt that the talks with the Europeans will be fruitful. I hope
we see good results, but .... we should become self-sufficient,"
Ali Akbar Velayati was quoted as saying by Fars news agency.
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS, & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
When international sanctions against Iran were lifted at
the start of 2016, Europe was fast to revive economic relations with
the country. This blossoming of trade and investment might soon be
cut short.
Iran said on
Wednesday that new sanctions imposed on it by Washington were an
attempt to derail efforts to save the 2015 nuclear deal by its
remaining signatories following the U.S. withdrawal from the
accord.
Why should Europeans fear sanctions now? All they have to
do is bluff, and the U.S. will bend.
Defense lawyers say a Turkish banker convicted of
helping Iran evade U.S. sanctions deserves leniency, but prosecutors
want him locked up for at least 15 years.
A senior official at Iran's state-owned oil supplier met
Chinese buyers this week to ask them to maintain imports after U.S.
sanctions kick in, three people familiar with the matter said, but
failed to secure guarantees from the world's biggest consumer of
Iranian oil.
U.S.-IRAN RELATIONS
Arab leaders love the idea that President Trump is ready
to give Iran a punch in the nose. But is this White House truly
serious about challenging Iranian power in the Middle East? The
evidence is mixed, at best. I heard passionate enthusiasm for
Trump's decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal from
prominent Arabs gathered here last weekend for a conference sponsored
by the Beirut Institute. They know that scuttling the nuclear deal
could be dangerous and that the region is already a powder keg. But
many Arab leaders don't seem to care.
America has options that do not involve taking a
hands-off approach to Iran or invading and occupying it.
SYRIA, RUSSIA, ISRAEL & IRAN
President Trump's decision to exit the Iran nuclear deal
makes it even more urgent and necessary for the United States to
develop a regional strategy to cope with Tehran's ambitions in the
Middle East. A new report from the Bipartisan Policy Center's Task
Force on Managing Disorder in the Middle East offers three strategic
policy options for the United States to address Iran's destabilizing
regional behavior. The report, U.S. Policy Toward Iran: Strategic
Options, concludes that if the United States were to pull up stakes
and leave Syria, pro-Iranian elements would gain a greater foothold
and Iran would be able to position forces and advanced weapons on the
borders of American allies.
Despite the two blows Iran sustained last week, Israel
cannot afford to be complacent or overly satisfied. It will need to
follow meticulously the updated policies adopted by each of the
theater's involved actors. Thus far, Israel has held separate policies
regarding Iran's nuclear program and the Iranian proxy war and
malevolent influence. Now, it must develop an integrative long term
policy and strive for coordinated efforts and meaningful cooperation
with the United States, European countries, and the countries of the
region. Operational and strategic coordination with Russia remains
essential.
GULF STATES, YEMEN, & IRAN
An Iran-Saudi Arabia war is unlikely, but it is now more
likely than ever before.
HEZBOLLAH & LEBANON
The Donald Trump administration is sending more than $90
million worth of military equipment to help the Lebanese army protect
its borders, the latest sign that the United States is sticking by
Beirut despite Hezbollah's growing influence. The Pentagon notified
Congress on April 25 that it would be providing the Lebanese Armed
Forces with 7-ton and 2.5-ton trucks as well as US Army Humvees
mounted with .50-caliber machine guns, according to documents
reviewed by Al-Monitor. The aid package draws from the Pentagon's
$1.4 billion global train-and-equip fund.
Now that Donald Trump has pulled America out of the Iran
deal, he must remember that close to home, he is being faced across
the Mexican border by Hezbollah, one of the deadliest non-state
adversaries to threaten the US in recent times, a terror group that
is a solid proxy of the Iranian regime.
TERRORISM & EXTREMISM
Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations,
lashed out at Iran on Tuesday, calling the country the "common
thread" that connects violent incidents in the Middle East.
IRAQ & IRAN
The secretary-general of Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, an
Iranian-supported Iraqi militia group, has threatened that its forces
will fight Israel to seize Jerusalem, according to Shafaaq, an Arab
outlet.
Already pressured by the U.S. withdrawal from the
nuclear deal, Iran faces a major test in managing Shi'ite cleric
Moqtada al-Sadr, a formidable opponent who beat Tehran's longtime
allies to achieve a shock victory in Iraq's parliamentary election.
But If Tehran overplays its hand by squeezing Sadr out of a
coalition government dominated by its allies, it risks losing
influence by provoking conflict between Iranian-backed Shi'ites and
those loyal to Sadr.
The top adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
said on Tuesday that the election results in Iraq were "very
good" and said Tehran respects the will of the Iraqi
people.
AFGHANISTAN & IRAN
With Afghanistan's western Farah Province on the verge
of falling to the Taliban, Afghan officials and tribal leaders in the
province accuse neighboring Iran and Pakistan of aiding the
insurgents for political and economic ends.
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