Tag Archives: iran

International, U.S.

Venezuela to break U.S. oil sanctions with Iran, will cancel oil shipments to U.S. instead

On May 24, the United States imposed new oil sanctions against Iran, and that includes Venezuela’s state controlled PDVSA oil company.

Syria, Iran and Venezuela co-own an oil refinery in the Syrian state of Homs.

Venezuela’s Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez, says they have a right to do business with whomever they wish: “This is a right we are not going to renounce.”

On May 25, Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro, announced that plans were underway to stop exporting oil to the United States: “There are several proposals that are being evaluated by President Chavez to respond to the United States’ imperialist pretensions.”

International

Karzai slams U.S.; says Iran, not the U.S., is more trustworthy

“Afghanistan places greatest trust in Iran, and the aid by the Islamic Republic of Iran for the reconstruction of Afghanistan has been practical and operational.”-Afghan President Hamid Karzai

On May 25, Karzai met with Chairman of the Iranian Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, Alaeddin Boroujerdi.

Boroujerdi said Iran is ready to help Afghanistan become independent of the Untied States.  Iran has already helped with construction, and is the main supplier of refined fuel to Afghanistan.

International, U.S.

German bank continues violating sanctions against Iran

European-Iranian Trade Bank AG (EIH Bank), based in Hamburg Germany, says it will not abide by European Union sanctions against Iran.

Earlier in the week the EU froze the bank’s assets.  Bank officials say it will not stop them: “Nothing has changed; the same Bundesbank office which approved our transactions during the investigation will continue to approve our transactions under sanctions.”-Norbert Eisenmenger, EIH finance and marketing

Last year the United States blacklisted the EIH bank, saying the bank was providing financial services for other banks doing business with Iran.

International, U.S.

Obama sanctions Syria, Iran

U.S. Treasury Department announced that President Barak Obama has imposed sanctions against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and other Syrian officials.

The sanctions also include two Iranian officials.  Also, Obama signed a similar order against at least 10 Syrian officials on April 29.

“As a result of this action, any property in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons in which the individuals listed in the Annex have an interest is blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them.”-U.S. Treasury statement

 

 

 

International, U.S.

Iraq announces military union with Iran

Could this be the real reason the U.S. doesn’t want to leave Iraq?  Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki made it clear that Iraq and Iran are coming together to act as a regional power.

On May 16, Maliki told Iranian media that Iraq and Iran will expand military, as well as economic, cooperation.  He said the ongoing situation in the Middle East (caused by Western forces) demands that the ancient powers of Iraq and Iran must work together to create stability in the Middle East.

Business/Economics, International

President Ahmadinejad shuts down Iranian Oil Ministry, just follwing Iranian law

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dismissed the Oil Ministry, and says he will run Iran’s Oil Ministry himself: “The Iranian government and Parliament (Majlis) have consensus on the Oil Ministry merger…I am the caretaker for the Oil Ministry.”

Iran’s Five Year Development Plan requires the merger of several Ministries, to make the government more efficient.  Those mergers are Roads and Transportation with Housing and Urban Development, Energy with Oil, Industries and Mines with Commerce, and Welfare and Social Security with Labor and Social Affairs.

Despite the fact that the mergers are required by law, under the five year plan, Ahmadinejad is being criticized by those ministers who’ve lost their jobs.

Some Parliament members say Ahmadinejad was supposed to get their approval before merging the ministries.  Ahmadinejad says the Parliament did approve the Oil Ministry merger.

 

 

International, Opinion

Leaked UN report says Iran & China violated UN sactions against North Korea. Is this the “smoking gun” the U.S. is looking for?

In a suppossedly “leaked” United Nations report, Iran is accused of dealing with North Korea, for nuclear missile technology.  That violates UN sanctions against North Korea.

The report also suggests the deals were made through a third party, possibly China.

The report infers that Iran is trying to get nuclear weapons technology as well. It points out that North Korea’s nuclear program is mainly for weapons. The report is to be submitted to the UN Security Council.

This is obviously going to be used by the U.S. as the “smoking gun” reason for taking military action against Iran.

The problem with the accusations is that North Korea has a lousy record of ballistic missile tests, while Iran has enjoyed success with its own missile program.  So it’s probably not a case of Iran trying to get missile technology, but North Korea.

The other problem is that it doesn’t make sense that Iran and North Korea were going through China to do the deals.  China has much better missile technology, so why not deal directly with China?  It’s possible that China did not want to share its missile technology.

Also, if Iran was trying to get nuclear weapons technology, again, why not deal with the more reliable Chinese?

The panel of “experts” who put together the UN report included a representative from China, who reportedly refused to sign the report.

 

International, U.S.

former Blackwater founder setting up mercenary force in United Arab Emirates

New York Times reporting that former Blackwater founder, Erik Prince, has set up a mercenary force in U.A.E.  The force is mainly made up of Colombians, but includes South Africans, Germans, British and U.S. citizens.

United States officials say if the mercenary group does not have U.S. approval then the U.S. citizens involved could face criminal charges.

Reports say United Arab Emirates is using the mercenary force to build up its own military, in preparation for possible war with Iran.

 

 

Idaho, International

Idahoan interviewed by Iranian media, says U.S. foreign & domestic policy is two headed beast, not about democracy

An Idaho political commentator was interviewed by Iranian PressTV, which aired on May 13.

Controversial Mark Glenn, high school teacher turned political commentator,  stated that United States foreign policy is controlled by corporate America, and Israel: “…with Tel Aviv as well we have to keep in mind that this is a two-headed beast, it’s not just the U.S. and her political/business interests.”

Glenn also said that corporate capitalism and true democracy are not compatible: “Where there is freedom as far as capitalism goes where there is true freedom to choose, capitalism cannot thrive. Capitalism as much as we are told it is a supporter of a free market and competition, in true essence it is not. We do not want the people to have the opportunity to choose for themselves to make choices in their own best interests and so America at the highest political level is not in the least bit interested to have any form of democracy- it is the iron fist in a velvet glove.”

Events in the Middle East and North Africa will only make the U.S. government more aggressive:  “…if the U.S. and Israel manage to lose control of these governments in that part of the world they are going to up the ante as the saying goes and they are going to apply even more desperate measures to maintain the kind of control that they have enjoyed…”