Iran-IAEA Talks in Vienna

Senior IAEA officials today met with Iran’s nuclear negotiators at the Iranian diplomatic mission in Vienna. Monday’s talks lasted five hours, ending late in the afternoon and will resume on Tuesday. The two sides declined to make any comments on today’s meeting. The main agenda of the talks are IAEA’s concerns about possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear program.

Iran to Launch Fajr Satellite

Iran's Defense Ministry announced today that it will launch its indigenous Fajr (Dawn) satellite into orbit in June. The reconnaissance satellite is powered by solar energy. Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi called the planned launch as yet another technological step forward for the country’s space program.

The Fajr satellite will be sent up on board an upgraded version of Safir (Ambassador) rocket. It will be placed in elliptical orbit of 400 km in radius, and will remain in space for a year and a half.

Iran launched its first indigenous satellite, Omid (Hope), in 2009 (pictured above). In June 2011, Iran put the 15.3-kilogram Rasad (Observation) orbiter in space. Rasad's mission was to take images of the Earth and transmit them along with telemetry information to the ground stations.

Iran also launched Navid-e Elm-o Sanat (Harbinger of Science and Industry), a telecom, measurement and scientific satellite into orbit last February. The country plans to launch its first manned mission to space by 2019.

File Photo: Omid (Hope) Satellite being sent into orbit on board Safir (Ambassador) rocket in 2009. Fars/Press TV Photo.

2-3 GCC Countries to Form Union on Monday

Bahrain's Information Minister Samira Rajab said today that Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and possibly a third GCC country will announce on Monday the formation of a new political union with common foreign, security and military policies. The announcement will be made in Riyadh at the GCC summit, Reuters reported.

The three countries will maintain their national sovereignty and membership in the UN and other international organizations, much like the EU members. The extent of their economic and monetary cooperation and integration, however, was not reported. Qatar is believed to be the third member. The membership in the newly formed union would remain open to the remaining GCC countries.

"The great dream of the peoples of the region is to see the day when borders disappear with a union that creates one Gulf," said Bahraini prime minister [BNA, 13 may].

The decision to form a regional union is believed to have been prompted by the need to respond to the growing uprising of the Shia majority in Bahrain and the perceived threats by Iran, heightened by Ahmadinejad’s visit to Abu Musa Island which is claimed by the UAE.

Iran-IAEA to Hold Talks on Monday

P5+1 Watching

Iran and the IAEA will hold talks on Monday, their first in three months. IAEA chief inspector Hermann Nackaerts and Iran’s ambassador to IAEA Ali Asghar Soltanieh met in early February on the second of two fruitless IAEA visits to Tehran. Soltanieh has termed the resumption of the talks as proof of Iran’s determination to cooperate with the agency.

The IAEA talks will be closely watched by the P5+1 who will hold their own talks with Iran on 23 May in Baghdad. The West in particular will be looking for any sign of Iran’s serious intention to address IAEA’s alleged evidence of weaponization of its nuclear program.

Former French PM in Tehran- Update

Former French Prime Minister Michel Rocard arrived in Tehran on a 3-day visit for meetings with senior Iranian officials. Today, he met with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi at his office in downtown Tehran. Rocard, a member of the French Socialist Party, is facilitating fresh contacts between Iran and the new French Socialist government of president-elect Francois Hollande, said Michel Dubois, a senior aide who accompanies Rocard during his trip. 

Hollande will be sworn in as the new president on 15 May. Salehi told Rocard that he hopes the election of Francois Hollande will lead to the expansion of Tehran-Paris relations [IRNA, 12 May]. 

Photo: Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi Greeting Former French PM Michel Rocard. Tehran. 12 May 2012. IRNA Photo

Iran Oil Exports Fall in April

The International Energy Agency (IEA) reported today that Iran’s crude oil exports fell again in April and could be down by as much as one million barrels a day this quarter as many countries reduce imports ahead of sanctions that come into effect on 1 July [Wall Street Journal, 11 May].

Iran's oil production remained steady at 3.3 million barrels a day in April, but 15% to 25% of that oil wasn't sold and had to be pumped into floating tanker storage, the IEA said. The process can continue for couple of more months before the storage capacities are reached and some oil fields are shut down.

Preliminary trade figures show Iran’s crude exports fell by 600,000 barrels a day to 1.6 million barrels a day in April. IEA said a top official at Iran’s oil ministry declined to comment on the latest data.

GCC Arabs to Discuss Union

Monday Meeting Faces Obstacles to Form Political Union

The heads of the Arab states of the Persian Gulf will meet on Monday to discuss formation of a proposed “GCC Arab Union” in response to what they perceive as growing threats from Iran and the changing political environment after the recent Arab uprisings.

Saudi Arabia is already expected to announce a union with Bahrain whose own monarchy is being threatened by a rising popular discontent. But the further expansion of such union would faces immense challenges. The smaller GCC states fear domination by Saudi Arabia.

Qatar in particular does not want to lose its newly found status of a rich country, rapidly being developed, and increasingly asserting itself as a serious player in regional and Arab politics. This is the country that has founded Al Jazeera, the most watched news network in the Arab world and one of the best in the world, acted aggressively and triumphantly in Libya and is now, along with the Saudis, leading the Arab world to isolate Assad’s regime in Syria. A membership in a GCC Arab Union might bring an end to the independence required to be as active and carry such projects.

On Monday, the GCC (Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman) might instead form consultative commissions to coordinate foreign and defense policies, without diluting their national sovereignty.

No Alternative to Central Bank Payments for Oil – U.S. Treasury

Iran Private Exporters to Sell Oil to Prevent Sanctions

US Treasury’s Undersecretary David Cohen who supervises the Iran sanctions portfolio said today that he was skeptical that Iran could find an alternative payment system to its central bank.

"It's fair to say that we are going to be very skeptical about efforts to develop alternative payment methods," Cohen said. "Our presumption going in is anyone buying oil from Iran is ultimately paying the central bank of Iran, even if there is some intermediary step," he added [Reuters, 10 May].

Cohen made the remarks while discussing sanctions against Iran at the Center for Strategic and International in Washington.

The current sanctions that will go into full effect on 1 July is designed to limit Iran’s oil exports by stopping financial institutions from conducting oil transactions with Iran's central bank. On Wednesday, Iran announced that it will authorize the country’s private exporters to sell up to 20 percent of its crude exports by finding ways to avoid routing payments through the central bank. Cohen’s remarks were in response to Iran’s latest action to avoid sanctions.

Arabian Gulf, My Foot

By Paul Iddon

The term 'Arabian Gulf' is a superficial and historically devoid name for the body of water that has been for millennia unequivocally accepted as the 'Persian Gulf'.

The Persian Gulf from space.

 “Why you call it Gulf, you've been to school haven't you?” the last Shah of Iran asked the late interviewer Mike Wallace when Wallace simply referred to the Persian Gulf as 'the Gulf'. The late Shah quickly followed up by asking Mr. Wallace what the name he learned in school was, Wallace quickly confirmed the obvious, that it was of course the Persian Gulf. The name of the body of water has deep historical relevance and was accordingly for that reason referred to as the Persian Gulf by the peoples of the world. Even the Arabs -- until the rise of pan-Arabism in the 1960's -- referred to the gulf by its historically relevant and rightful name.

Today with tensions rising between the Islamic Republic and the Arab Gulf states the name is being hotly contested. The current Iranian regime isn't necessarily a very credible representative and protector of the Persian identity (if the coinage of the name “Islamic Gulf” – which is said to be one of the alternative names proposed for the Persian Gulf – did in fact originate from Khomeini's regime then that essentially proves that point) that is deeply rooted in ancient history which predates Islam itself.

The National Persian Gulf day in Iran commemorates the expulsion of the Portuguese from the island of Bahrain by Shah Abbas, which saw the town of Bandar Abbas which he named after himself become a highly significant trade post for the empires of the day. This was about 40 years after that begun a lengthy period in which the British Empire controlled many of the Arab Gulf states, states which didn't become independent until 1971, after about two centuries. The United Arab Emirates is a state derived from the older Trucial Coast State -- other Arab Gulf states like Kuwait were also only formed as independent political entities following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the decline of British political influence and control within the region.  

This doesn't necessarily disqualify them from having a say in the dispute, which they started. But it does show the underlying superficiality to their claim that Arabian Gulf should be the rightful name of the Gulf. To put it mildly, history isn't on their side.

Whilst the present Iranian regime has taken a lot of measures such as the prevention of civil airliners who don't refer to the Gulf as the 'Persian Gulf' from entering Iranian airspace real heartfelt grievances are felt by a very wide and broad spectrum in Iranian society, as was saliently demonstrated by the recent anger over Google Maps not labeling the Gulf at all. Google's stated reason for not doing so was because it didn't want to get involved in the ever more growing and increasingly more heated dispute between Iran and the Arabs.

The Arab Gulf Emirate Kingdoms and Sheikdoms have since the early 1970's grown to be economic as well as political powers in the region (say what he did about his policy of separating oil from politics we've learned since retrospectively looking at the Shah's reign that the two are to a very large extent inseparable). This development coupled with economic sanctions being leveled against Iran for over 30 years now has seen a large decline in trade between Iran and the west and have made Arab nationalists more aggressive in their marginalization of Iran in its own neighbourhood.

And on the topic of marginalization just look at the sordid exploits of the Bahraini ruling oligarchy which they have levelled against the majority of the Bahraini people – the Shia – whom have been economically marginalized, on sectarian grounds, and are directly and brutally suppressed and prevented from organizing and participating in peaceful demonstrations.

This dispute in a broader sense represents the continued plight of the Iranian people whose heritage has seen both domestic and foreign elements attempting to undermine the national traditions which are derived from Ancient Persian civilization. Granted, Persians in Iran are a very narrow majority and there are indeed some fringe elements in this debate who harbour deep chauvinistic and bigoted attitudes and undertones towards the Arabs. Nevertheless, Persian culture has and will always have a profound cultural influence and will continue to define a large part of the identity of the Iranian nation and her inhabitants as a whole.

If the current US administration stated stance and its rhetoric regarding its declaration of support for the democratic and secular movements in Iran is to be believed it must reflect a clear understanding of that basic elementary fact and in doing so salute and commend the various Iranian nationalists and patriots in their struggle against opportunist obscurantists both foreign and domestic. They also shouldn't be expected to exhibit the slightest degree of compunction in confronting these said malevolent entities as by doing so they are defending a fundamental part of their national identity.

Iran Naval Forces pennant list

[Amended 5/7/12]

Submarines

901          Tareq (ex-B 175) (SSK)
902          Noor (ex-B 224) (SSK)
903          Yunes (ex-B 220) (SSK)
xxx          Qaem (SS)
xxx          Fateh (SS)
xxx          Nahang (SSM)
xxx          Ghadir (SSM)
xxx          Ghadir xxx (SSM)
xxx          Ghadir xxx (SSM)
945          Ghadir 945 (SSM)
946          Ghadir 946 (SSM)
947          Ghadir 947 (SSM)
948          Ghadir 948 (SSM)
949          Ghadir 949 (SSM)
950          Ghadir 950 (SSM)
951          Ghadir 951 (SSM)
952          Ghadir 952 (SSM)
953          Ghadir 953 (SSM)
954          Ghadir 954 (SSM)
955          Ghadir 955 (SSM)
956          Ghadir 956 (SSM)
957          Ghadir 957 (SSM)
958          Ghadir 958 (SSM)
959          Ghadir 959 (SSM)
960          Ghadir 960 (SSM)

Destroyers (non-operational)

D5           Damavand (ex-Artemiz, ex-HMS Sluys) (DD)
D7           Babr (ex-USS Zellars) (DD)
D9           Palang (ex-USS Stormes) (DD)

Frigates

71            Alvand (ex-Saam) (FFG)
72            Alborz (ex-Zaal) (FFG)
73            Sabalan (ex-Rostam) (FFG)
76            Jamaran (FFGH)
77            Velayat (bldg) (FFGH)

Corvettes

81            Bayandor (ex-US PF 103) (FS)
82            Admiral Naghdi (ex-US PF 104) (FS)

Patrol Forces

201          Kayvan (ex-61) (PB)
202          Tiran (ex-63) (PB)
204          Mahan (ex-64) (PB)
211          Parvin (ex-PGM 103) (PC)
212          Bahram (ex-PGM 112) (PC)
213          Nahid (ex-PGM 122) (PC)
P 221       Kaman (PGGF)
P 222       Zoubin (PGGF)
P 223       Khadeng (PGGF)
P 224       Peykan (PGGF)
P 225       Joshan (PGGF)
P 226       Falakhon (PGGF)
P 227       Shamshir (PGGF)
P 228       Gorz (PGGF)
P 229       Gardouneh (PGGF)
P 230       Khanjar (PGGF)
P 231       Neyzeh (PGGF)
P 232       Tabarzin (PGGF)
P 233       Derefsh (PGGF)
P 234       Kalat (PGGF)
P 313-1    Shahid Mehdavi (ex-Fath) (PTFG)
P 313-2    Shahid Kord (ex-Nasr) (PTFG)
P 313-3    Shahid Shafihi (ex-Saf) (PTFG)
P 313-4    Shahid Towsali (ex-Ra'ad) (PTFG)
P 313-5    Shahid Hejat Zadeh (ex-Fajr) (PTFG)
P 313-6    Shahid Dara (ex-Shams) (PTFG)
P 313-7    Shahid Absalan (ex-Me'raj) (PTFG)
P 313-8    Shahid Rahisi Raisi (ex-Falaq) (PTFG)
P 313-9    Shahid Golzam (ex-Hadid) (PTFG)
P 313-10  Shahid Sahrabi (ex-Qadr) (PTFG)

Mine Warfare Forces

301           Hamzeh (ex-Sahrokh, ex-MSC 2706) (YDT)
312           Riazi (ex-MSI 14) (MS)

Amphibious Warfare Forces and Auxiliaries

21             Hejaz (LST)
22             Karbala (LST)
24             Farsi (LST)
25             Sardasht (LST)
26             Sab Sahei (LST)
xx             Iran Asr (ex-Arya Akian) (LST)
xx             Iran Ghadr (ex-Arya Dakht) (LST)
101           Fouque (LSL)
102           xxx (LSL)
103           xxx (LSL)
400           Dolphin (ex-US ARD 29, ex-FD 4) (YFDB)
411           Kangan (AWT)
412           Taheri (AWT)
xxx           Shahid Marjani (AWT)
xxx           Amir (AWT)
421           Bandar Abbas (AORLH)
422           Busher (AORLH)
424           Daylam (AWT)
431           Kharg (AORH)
441           Chah Bahar (ex-Amphion, AR 13) (AR)
471           Delvar (AEL)
472           Sirjan (AEL)
481           Charak (AKL)
482           Chiroo (AKL)
483           Soroo (AKL)
xxx           Silim (AWT)
xxx           Dayer (AWT)
511           Hengam (LSLH)
512           Larak (LSLH)
513           Tonb (LSLH)
514           Lavan (LSLH)
802           Hamzah (ex-Shahsavar) (AGG)
xxx           Abnegar (ex-Glimmer) (YGS)
1401         Hendijan (PBO)
1402         Sirik (PBO)
1403         Konorak (PBO)
1404         Gavatar (PBO)
1405         Moqam (PBO)
1406         Bahregan (ex-Geno) (PBO)
1407         Kalat (PBO)
1408         Genaveh (PBO)
1409         Rostami (PBO)
1410         Nayband (PBO)
15xx         Ghiam 1 (Pilot Craft)
1701         xxx (Water Barge) (YWN)
1702         xxx (Water Barge) (YWN)
1703         xxx (Kaew-class Fuel Lighter) (YO)
1704         xxx (Kaew-class Fuel Lighter) (YO)
1712         xxx (Garbage Disposal Lighter) (YG)
xxxx         Iran Parak (YO)
xxxx         Iran Shalak (YO)
xxxx         Iran Youshat (YO)
xxxx         Macham (PBO)
xxxx         Koramshahr (PBO)
--              Haamoon (YTB)
--              Hirmand (YTB)
--              Menab (YTB)
--              Hari-Rud (YTB)
--              Aras (YTM)
--              Alban (YT)
--              Sefid-Rud (YTB)
--              Atrak (YTM)
--              Abad (YT)
--              Aslam (YT)
--              Dehloran (YT)
--              Ilam (YT)
--              Hangam (YT)
--              Daryavand II (YT)
--              Khandag (YT)
--              Arvand (YT)
--              Karkeh (YT)

Type abbreviations:

SS          Submarine, general
SSK        Patrol submarine with ASW capability
SSM       Submarine, midget
DD         Destroyer
FFG       Guided missile frigate
FFGH     Guided missile frigate, helicopter
FS          Corvette
PB          Coastal patrol vessel under 45 m w/o heavy armament
PBO       Offshore patrol vessel between 45 and 60 m
PC          Patrol force vessel 35-55 m primarily for ASW role
PGGF     Patrol force vessel 35-55 m equipped with at least 76 mm gun, force guided missile system, speed in excess of 35 kt
PTFG     Attack boat, speed in excess of 35 kt, equipped with guided missile system
YDT       Diving tender
LST        Landing ship tank with bow doors and/or landing ramp
LSL        Landing ship logistic
LSLH      Landing ship logistic, helicopter
MS          Minesweeper
AEL        Ammunition ship capable of underway replenishment, small
AKL        Cargo ship, light
AWT       Water tanker
AORLH   Replenishment oiler, small, helicopter
AORH     Replenishment oiler, helicopter
AGG       Auxiliary misc., with force guided missile system
AR          Repair ship
YDT        Diving tender
YFDB      Floating dry dock, large
YG          Garbage lighter
YGS        Survey launch
YO          Fuel lighter
YTB        Harbor tug, large
YTM       Harbor tug, medium
YT          Harbor tug (unspecified)
YWN       Water barge

Iran Not to Triple Gasoline Price

The Iranian government today denied it would treble the price of gasoline as part of the second phase of the government-subsidy removal reforms. On Friday, the speaker of Majlis, Ali Larijani, told reporters in Tehran that the government intended to do exactly that, to triple gasoline price to pay for monthly cash payouts. A statement issued by the office of President Ahmadinejad said the speaker’s comments were “entirely false.” [Fars News Agency, 7 May].

The Iranians now pay 7,000 rials per liter for gasoline, or roughly $2.20 per gallon at the official currency rate, after they use up their monthly allowance of 50 liters (13 gallons) at 4,000 rials per liter ($1.25 per gallon). Speaker Larijani said on Friday that the government wanted to increase the price to 20,000 rials per liter or $6.20 per gallon.

Iran Criticizes Afghan-US Strategic Pact

Iran's foreign ministry today denounced the new strategic pact signed between Afghanistan and the United States, saying it would give rise to instability in Afghanistan.

"Iran is concerned about the strategic pact signed between Afghanistan and the US," foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said. "Not only will the strategic pact not resolve Afghanistan's security problems, but it will intensify insecurity and instability in Afghanistan," he added [IRNA, 6 May].

President Barack Obama on Wednesday signed the pact with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, defining post-2014 ties with Kabul. Some US forces would remain in Afghanistan to train Afghan forces and engage the remenants of Al-Qaeda, but the US would not maintain permanent military bases in the country.

Hollande Is Elected President of France

Francois Hollande wins the French presidential runoff elections with 52 percent of the votes, defeating the sitting president Nicolas Sarkozy. Hollande becomes the first Socialist president since Francois Mitterrand and only the second in the Fifth Republic.  

Hollande Winning French Presidency

Belgium’s Le Soir has called the French presidential elections for Francois Hollande with 53 percent of the vote. Three exit polls conducted by Harris Interactive, Sofres and Opinion Way also show Holland winning by 53 percent. Hollande will become the first Socialist president since Mitterrand. 

File Photo: Francois Hollande: Caroline Blumberg/EPA

Iran Exhibition to Open in Afghanistan

Iran’s exclusive exhibition is to open 13-15 June in the Afghan capital of Kabul. Iranian companies swill showcase their products in energy, construction and foodstuff. Iran is pushing to expand it exports to Afghanistan.  

Iran also serves as one of Afghanistan’s main transit route linking the landlocked country to seaports of Bandar Abbas and Chabahar. Iran is working with Afghan government in building railroad connection to the western city of Herat to expand cross-border transportation.

Conservatives and Religious Fundamentalists Win Parliamentary Elections in Iran

The United Principlist Front (UPF), a coalition of traditional conservative politicians loyal to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenie, won the runoff elections overwhelmingly. In Tehran, the UPF led by Qolam-Ali Hadad Adel, Khamenei’s senior advisor and father-in-law to his powerful son Mojtaba, will control 18 of the 30, or 60 percent of the seats. Preliminary results from the provinces show the same trend.

The Resistance Front (RF), a coalition of ultraconservative politicians led by the fundamentalist Shia senior cleric Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, has finished second in Tehran, capturing 33 percent of the seats. Two independent candidates were also elected in Tehran.

The supporters of President Ahmadinejad and his chief of staff Mashaie were big losers in the elections. They did not gain a single seat in Tehran and their prospects in the provinces were as bleak. Opposition figures and supporters of the Green Movement were not allowed to run in the elections.

The Ninth Majlis, the newly elected parliament, will convene late May. It is arguably the most right-wing Majlis in the history of the Islamic Republic.

Majlis Elections in Iran

Sharp Turn to the Right

In the second round of the parliamentary elections taking place in the country today, 65 of 290 seats are being contested. The traditional conservatives loyal to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei and the ultraconservatives and fundamentalists loyal to Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi are expected to dominate the Ninth Majlis, making it the most right-wing Majlis in the history of the Islamic Republic.

Qolam Ali Haddad Adel, Khamenei’s senior advisor and father-in-law to his powerful son Mojtaba, is expected to be chosen as the speaker of the new Majlis. President Ahmadinejad and his circle of supporters seem to be the biggest losers in these elections.

UNSC Permanent Members Call on Iran to Cooperate with IAEA

The United States, China, Russia, France and Britain today called on Iran to fully cooperate with the IAEA over its nuclear program.

“We remain concerned by Iran's persistent failure to comply with its obligations under UNSC resolutions and to meet the requirements of the IAEA Board of Governors Resolutions,” the five permanent members of the Security Council said in a statement on the sidelines of a non-proliferation meeting in Vienna.


“We stress the need and urgency for Iran to reach an agreement with the IAEA on a structured approach, including on access to relevant sites and information... to resolve all outstanding issues, particularly those relating to possible military dimensions,” they said.

Today’s statement comes days before IAEA and Iran are to resume talks on the country’s nuclear intentions. The talks are scheduled for 14-15 May in Vienna.

Saudi Arabia Warns Iran Over Three Islands

Saudi Arabia today issued a stern warning to Iran that it would not tolerate threats to the sovereignty of the Arab states of the Persian Gulf. The warning comes after recent moves by Iran to reestablish its own sovereignty over the three islands of Abu Musa and Greater and Lesser Tunbs which are strategically situated on the Gulf's shipping lanes.  President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited Abu Musa in April and members of the Iranian Majlis were introducing a bill to establish a “Persian Gulf Province” with Abu Musa as its capital. The UAE also claims ownership over the same three islands.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Nayef delivered the warning in a speech at a meeting of GCC interior ministers in Riyadh today:

“Any harm that comes across any of our countries is harm that touches us all,” Prince Nayef said.

Nayef also condemned what he called Iran's "occupation" of the three islands and its role in the Bahraini uprising.

“We stress that Saudi Arabia and the rest of the council countries are standing in a unified line with Bahrain and the UAE to protect sovereignty and stability, considering their security a part of the council's security as a whole,” Nayef said.

Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said in a speech over the weekend that the Arab states of the Persian Gulf are pushing ahead with plans for a political union that would involve joint foreign and defense policies, an idea floated by Saudi King Abdullah last December.
[On GCC Union, please read our 30 April post].

Source: Reuters, 2 May 2012

Iran Denies China and Japan Have Cut Oil Imports

Iran’s sate oil company NIOC is denying that China and Japan have sharply cut imports of Iranian crude. The company’s international affairs director said today in Tehran that China has not decreased imports and Japanese refineries have extended their contracts with NIOC until the year’s end.

“China (has) not decreased (the imports) at all… and all of the contracts between Japanese refineries and NIOC have been extended until the end of the year,” said Mohsen Qamsari, NIOC’s international affairs director [Mehr News Agency, 2 May].

However, China's customs figures showed March imports of Iranian oil had fallen by more than half to between 220,000 and 280,000 barrels per day, according to Dow Jones Newswires. And the data from Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry showed that Japan imported 36 percent less oil from Iran in March 2012 from a year earlier [Press TV, 2 May].

“Oil exports to Chinese and Japanese refineries in the current year have not decreased at all,” Qamsari insisted. 

Lloyd’s Register Ends Ties with Iran

Iran state-owned Press TV reported that Lloyd’s Register, the leading maritime risk management organization, has stopped classification and certification of nearly 60 tankers and containerships owned by the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) and the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL). Lloyd’s Register began its operations in Iran in 1936.

A ship is known as being in class if it meets all the minimum requirements of Lloyd's Rules, and such a status is a needed for a ship to get insurance.

The Lloyd’s move follows the decision late last year by DNV, another major assessment firm, the to end its ties with Iran. There are still other smaller firms that could assess and certify Iranian tanker vessels.