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Tag: Iran Sanctions

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Obama’s Middle East Approach Favors Iran over Saudi Arabia

The notion that the Obama administration’s talking points increasingly sound like they are coming out of Tehran was further solidified this week, culminating with an op-ed published by Bloomberg confirming that the State Department acquiesced to Iran’s demand to reject new missile sanctions.

John Moore/AP

Saudi Arabia Pumps Oil Before Iran Sanctions Lifted

Fearing a flood of crude oil when the Iran sanctions are lifted in the next few months, Saudi Arabia is pumping an extra 1.5 million barrels a day and signing long-term export contracts at low prices in a desperate effort to grab cash flow and avoid bankruptcy.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Western Companies Could Unwittingly Fund Iran Militia

Iran’s religious militia may be about to receive funds via unwitting investors from Britain and other Western nations after taking control of hundreds of companies. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which has been accused of sending arms to Hezbollah as

Barack Obama

Obama’s Iran Deal: Two False Choices

Critics of the Iran deal have pointed out that President Barack Obama has imposed a false choice on Congress: accept a bad deal, or go to war—as if those are the only two alternatives. In fact, Obama has imposed a second false choice: either cooperate with the international community, or go it alone.

John Kerry exasperated (Olivier Douliery / Getty)

Kerry Admits: States Can Keep Iran Sanctions

During his testimony on Tuesday before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Secretary of State John Kerry admitted that states may retain their own sanctions against Iran. However, Kerry said, the Obama administration “will take steps” to urge the states “not to interfere.”

Wang Qun, Laurent Fabius, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Federica Mogherini, Javad Zarif, Philip Hammond, John Kerry

Reported Deal on ‘Snap-Back’ Iran Sanctions Has 3 Fatal Flaws

With one month left for talks, news has emerged that the P5+1–six powers negotiating with Iran (Russia, China, France, Britain, Germany and the U.S.)–have reached a deal on “snap-back” Iran sanctions–i.e. sanctions that would be removed as part of a nuclear deal but which would automatically be restored if Iran broke the agreement, due June 30. Reuters suggested that all that remained was for Iran to agree, and a major obstacle would be gone. Yet the snap-back “deal” has three fatal flaws.

AP Photo/Richard Drew

Iran’s Foreign Minister: The Trouble with Obama’s Nuke Deal Is ‘Basically Everything’

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif gave a genial interview to Der Spiegel this week, with the German magazine describing him as “relaxed and cheerful” throughout. In his relaxed and cheerful way, Zarif continued Iran’s practice of making the Obama administration look foolish, rewriting the so-called “nuclear deal” on the fly and scoffing at the administration’s talking points.

AFP PHOTO / IRANIAN PRESIDENCY WEBSITE / MOHAMMAD BERNO

Report: Iran Violated Sanctions By Purchasing Aircraft

REUTERS– A senior Israeli official took a swipe at the United States on Tuesday over Iran’s reported purchase of second-hand civilian aircraft, saying the acquisition violated international sanctions and went ahead despite a tip-off from Israel. Iranian Transport Minister Abbas Akhoondi was

Tom Cotton

Sen. Tom Cotton Calls Out ‘Cowardly’ Iranian Foreign Minister on Twitter

Sen. Tom Cotton Zarif takes on Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, challenging him to come to Washington, D.C. to “debate Iran’s record of tyranny, treachery, & terror” and mocking Zarif’s “cowardly character,” as exhibited by how he “hid in US during Iran-Iraq war while peasants & kids were marched to die.”

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Iran Wants Sanctions Relief up Front Before Deal

The Iranian regime apparently believes it can extract additional concessions from world powers as the deadline for a March 31 deal approaches, according to a report by Bloomberg News from Lausanne, Switzerland. Iran wants UN sanctions to be lifted up front–not kept in place for several years while international monitors measure Iranian compliance, as the U.S. and other powers (Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom, and Germany) have said was a non-negotiable provision.

AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

Veto-Proof Majority of House Sends Obama Letter on Iran

367 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have sent President Barack Obama a letter expressing concern about the ongoing negotiations with Iran towards a nuclear deal that would keep its nuclear infrastructure in place, as the regime continues to hide information about its nuclear program from international inspectors. Unlike a recent letter sent by 47 Senators to the Iranian leadership, this letter is bipartisan, and more diplomatic–but no less opposed to a “bad deal.”