Iran’s first nuclear power reactor will start up on 21 August when Russia begins loading nuclear fuel in the reactor built in the southern city of Bushehr on the Persian Gulf. In an agreement with Iran, the Russian atomic agency Rosatom will provide the fuel and will take the spent fuel back to Russia. Iran’s own enriched uranium will not be used for the operation of the Bushehr nuclear reactor.
Photo: Arash Khamooshi / ISNA
Collection of Paykaap (IPS-16) and Tir (IPS-18) class fast attack craft. Note the non-uniformity of construction among the front row of vessels.
The decrepit Arab establishment gets jealous as Iran and Turkey woo the Arab people.
The fox (the West) tells the skeptical raven (Iran) it must be trusted with a portion of its capture.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said today in Tehran that the Israelis have sent their agents inside Iran to assassinate him. Ahmadinejad did not give any further details, but the implication was the alleged plot is ongoing. He made the claim during a speech to a gathering of Iranian students abroad on summer visit to Tehran. Iran’s semi-official news agency Fars carried the speech [Fars News Agency, 2 August].
By Nader Uskowi
Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has made no public reactions to the personal appeal by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula to grant asylum by Brazil to Sakineh Mohammadi, the Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning for adultery. Lula said on Saturday he hoped his friendship and regard for the Iranian president, the supreme leader, and the Iranian people was “worth something” and the Iranian leaders would accept Brazil’s offer of asylum for Mohammadi.
UPDATE (2 August): The US urged Iran to accept the asylum offer from Brazil for Sakineh Mohammadi.
"If Brazil is willing to accept... this woman, we would hope that Iran would consider that as a humanitarian gesture," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said on Monday. "And the fact that Brazil has stepped up and indicated a willingness to resolve it, we hope Iran will listen." [AFP, 2 August].
Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, appearing today on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” said allowing Iran to develop a nuclear weapon was “unacceptable” and he had a plan to attack Iran if needed to prevent it. The admiral added, however, that he was “extremely concerned” about the possible repercussions of such an attack for its "unintended consequences that are difficult to predict in what is an incredibly unstable part of the world” [NBC, 1 August].
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula today offered to give asylum to Sakineh Mohammadi, an Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning for adultery.
The international law firm Clyde & Co has outlined the ramifications of the new tough EU sanctions for energy, insurance, transport and financial sectors. Their overview was appeared on Wednesday’s issue of the International Freighting Weekly (ifw). The highlights are as follows:
Insurance: It is prohibited to provide insurance or reinsurance to the government of Iran, any entities incorporated in Iran or subject to its jurisdiction, or to any entities acting on behalf of or controlled by Iranian entities. The sole exception to this ban is the provision of health and travel insurance to individuals.
Energy: The sale, supply or transfer of equipment and technology to Iran for the following key sectors is prohibited: refining, production and exploration of oil and gas, and liquefied natural gas. The provision of technical assistance or training, or financing or financial assistance in respect of the above items or any technical assistance or training is prohibited. Providing finance extends to the granting of any loan or credit to the Iranian oil sector, the acquisition or extension of participation in enterprises engaged in the Iranian oil sector (including the acquisition of participating shares or securities), and the creation of any joint venture in the Iranian oil sector are also prohibited.
Finance: Grants, financial assistance and concessional loans to the government of Iran, with the exception of humanitarian, developmental and agricultural purposes, are prohibited. This includes the Iranian government's participation in international financial institutions. Member states of the EU will exercise enhanced monitoring over activities of specific financial institutions within their jurisdiction, including banks domiciled in Iran (and particularly the Central Bank of Iran) and their EU and non-EU based branches and subsidiaries, and also over financial entities that are not domiciled in Iran but are controlled by entities domiciled in Iran. The opening of new branches, subsidiaries or representative offices of Iranian banks in the EU, and the establishment by them of new joint ventures, ownership interests or correspondent-banking relationships is prohibited.
Capital: It is prohibited to participate in the direct or indirect sale or purchase of public or public-guaranteed bonds issued by the government of Iran, the Central Bank of Iran or any banks domiciled in Iran (including their EU-based branches or subsidiaries), including providing brokering or assistance in respect of the sale or purchase of these bonds.
Fund Transfer: Funds being transferred to or from Iran are subject to new reporting requirements:
- Transfers of funds for foodstuffs, healthcare or humanitarian purposes may be carried out without prior authorization, but transfers above €10,000 must be notified to the relevant competent authority of the member state.
- Any other transfer under €40,000 may be carried out without prior authorization, but must be notified to the relevant competent authority if above €10,000;
- All transfers above €40,000 must be authorized prior to the transfer by the relevant competent authority.
- Member States are required to inform other Member States of any rejected authorizations.
Cargo Inspection: All goods from/to a member state to/from Iran are now required to have additional pre-arrival or pre-departure information. All member states are required to inspect all cargo, air and sea, to and from Iran if they have reasonable grounds to believe that the cargo contains items, the sale, supply, transfer or export of which is prohibited under these sanctions. Member states may request inspections on the high seas, with the consent of the flag state. Member states are required to co-operate with inspection requests by other member states.
Any prohibited items will be seized and disposed of by the member states, and the costs of this disposal are to be met by the exporter/importer, or any other person responsible for the attempted supply, sale or transfer.
Transport:
- Sea: The provision of bunkering or ship supply services, or servicing of vessels by nationals of member states to Iranian-owned or contracted vessels, including chartered vessels, is prohibited if that national has reasonable grounds to believe that the vessel carries items prohibited under the sanctions, with the exception of services necessary for humanitarian purposes or if the cargo has been inspected, and if necessary, seized and disposed of.
- Air:
Member states are to take all necessary measures to prevent access to airports under their jurisdiction by cargo flights operated by Iranian carriers or originating from Iran, with the exception of mixed cargo and passenger flights. The provision of engineering and maintenance services to Iranian cargo aircraft shall be prohibited if there are reasonable grounds to believe that the cargo aircraft carries items prohibited under the sanctions, with the exception of services necessary for safety or humanitarian purposes, or if the cargo has been inspected, and if necessary, seized and disposed of.
Technical Assistance: It is prohibited to provide technical assistance, training, investment services, brokering services, financing or financial assistance (including grants, loans and export credit insurance) in respect of the provision of nuclear-related technology to Iran.
Export/Import: The sanctions prohibit the sale, transfer or supply to Iran of goods or technology which could contribute to enrichment-related, reprocessing or heavy water-related activities, or to the development of nuclear weapons systems. The export to Iran of dual-use goods and technology is also prohibited. The ban also covers arms and all other related material. The ban will not apply if the items are for food, agricultural, medical or other humanitarian purposes.
Asset Freeze: The assets of those persons listed in Annex I to the Council Decision appended to the sanctions are frozen, as well as the assets of those persons engaged in, directly associated with or providing support for Iran's development of nuclear weapon delivery systems. Entities present on the list of freezing orders now include subsidiaries of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) including Irano Hind Shipping Company, IRISL Benelux NV and South Shipping Line Iran.
Travel and Educational Bans:
Travel to and from member states by designated persons, listed in Annex I to the Council Decision, is prohibited. This list will updated as and when new persons are designated by the UN and other bodies.
Member states must also take measures to prevent the specialized teaching or training within their territories or by their nationals of Iranian nationals in disciplines which might contribute to Iran's development of nuclear weapons.
Start Date: The sanctions went into effect on 26 July 2010. The prohibitions do not apply to the execution of any obligation relating to the delivery of goods under contracts concluded prior to that date.
US Sanctions: The United States sanctions regime against Iran remains unchanged: Prohibitions on US persons from exporting, re-exporting, selling or supplying goods and technology to Iran, participating in any transactions including transportation, financing or brokering transactions, and the servicing of accounts of certain Iranian banks. Prohibitions on US persons trading in Iranian oil or refined petroleum products, or supplying goods or technology which would benefit the Iranian oil industry. The enabling act passed on 1 July 2010 amends the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996, and prohibits the provision of refined petroleum or support related to the production of refined petroleum to Iran. It includes in its definition of “person” financial institutions, insurers, underwriters, guarantors and any other business organization including foreign subsidiaries, parents or affiliates.
The US State Department said on Wednesday that it hoped to hold high-level meetings in the coming weeks with Iran and the five major world powers to discuss Iran’s nuclear program.
The Japanese M Star tanker, which was carrying approximately 2.3 million barrels of crude, was damaged in an explosion near the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf. The owners, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, said the explosion could have been a terrorist attack on the tanker.
“We believe it’s highly likely an attack. There is nothing that can explode in that part of the vessel,” Mitsui spokesman Eiko Mizuno said [AP, 28 July].
The incident caused no oil leak and the vessel is heading toward UAE port of Fujairah on its own power.
UPDATE (29 July): The tanker arrived at Fujairah on Wednesday evening. The tanker bore no sign of external attack. Investigation was underway to establish the cause of the incident.
By Nader Uskowi
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told the state-owned Press TV on Monday he has “precise” information the US is planning to attack two countries in the region, presumably Iran being one of them.
Iranian Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi has warned Israel that “any injudicious action” will lead to the annihilation of Israel [Press TV, 26 July].
The Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said today Iran is ready to re-start immediately talks with the Western powers over a nuclear fuel swap agreement. He made this remarks at the sideline of a meeting with his Turkish and Brazilian counterparts in Istanbul.
IRGC Commander Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari has dismissed the likelihood of a US attack against Iran.
Reuters is reporting that Iranian oil and banking officials are in talks with their Chinese counterparts to replace dollar and euro with yuan for payment for its crude oil. It was clear if the switch would be only for the sale of oil to China, or it could extend to worldwide sale of Iranian crude.
