Iran Cuts Oil Exports to Six European Countries

Oil Counter Sanction

Responding to the sanctions imposed by the EU against its oil and banking sectors, Iran today announced that it has cut oil exports to the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, France, Greece and Portugal effective immediately. The EU had given its members, including the six, a grace period until July to stop their import of Iranian oil.

The ambassadors of the six countries were summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran late on Wednesday and were told of Iran’s decision [Fars News Agency, 15 February].

Diplomatic Fallout From Storming the British Embassy

The diplomatic fallout from the storming and ransacking of the British embassy in Tehran continued today:

• In an extremely rare diplomatic move, Britain ordered the expulsion of the entire diplomatic staff of the Iranian embassy in London and evacuated all of its own diplomats from Iran,
• Norway announced that it has closed its embassy in Tehran,
• France, Germany and the Netherlands all recalled their ambassadors from Iran,
• Italy said it is considering to close its embassy in Tehran.

Dutch Frigate Liberates Iranian Vessel

The HNLMS Tromp (F 803)

Radio Netherlands reported today that on Saturday a Dutch De Zeven Provincien class frigate (FFGHM), the HNLMS Tromp (F 803), took action to liberate an Iranian fishing vessel which had been hijacked by Somali pirates. The Dutch marines apprehended six pirates aboard and two pirates were killed in exchange of fire with the marines. The Dutch ministry of defense reports that shortly after the liberation of the Iranian vessel, a hijacked merchant vessel approached the frigate, apparently with the intention of re-hijacking the Iranian dhow, but it turned back when the frigate fired several warning shots.

Meanwhile, the Iranian Navy is reporting that its own warships today foiled an attempted hijacking by Somali pirates of an Iranian merchant vessel, the Iran Faraz (IMO 9283758) tanker off the Gulf of Aden.

Iran Faraz tanker (IMO 9283758)

File Photos: U.S. Navy and and Meshkov@sana.od.ua at vesseltracker.com

(Mark Pyruz contributed to this post.)

IRGC Uncovers “Plot” to Overthrow Islamic Republic

Press TV reported today that an IRGC unit tasked with monitoring Iranian cyberspace says it has uncovered a “plot” supported by the Netherlands to topple the Islamic Republic. Islamic Republic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said Holland was funding online media initiatives by the opposition to stage a “soft revolution.” [Press TV, 11 April]

The “plot” just uncovered by IRGC is a bill adopted four years ago by the Dutch parliament to allocate 15 million euro to fund a Persian-language online newspaper and to help human rights groups critical of the Islamic Republic policies.

The IRGC did not elaborate on how an online newspaper based in Holland can topple the government in Tehran. Either the “uncovering” of a four-year old program is an excuse to further limit Internet activities in Iran or it is an indicative of IRGC’s lack of trust in the popularity and legitimacy of the government that can be overthrown by an online newspaper based in Holland.