AFP: US President Barack Obama tightened the noose on Iran’s battered banking system Tuesday and lauded an EU move to choke Tehran’s oil exports, amid evidence that sanctions are beginning to bite.
Obama lauds Iran oil embargo as US turns the screw
Iran slams EU oil embargo, warns could hit U.S.
Reuters: Iran accused Europeans on Monday of waging “psychological warfare” after the EU banned imports of Iranian oil, and U.S. President Barack Obama said Washington would impose more sanctions to address the “serious threat presented by Iran’s nuclear program.”
EU adds Iran’s Bank Tejarat to sanctions list
Reuters: The European Union has included Iran’s state-owned Bank Tejarat among entities it is blacklisting to raise pressure on Tehran over its nuclear programme, according to an EU document published on Tuesday.
Iran revives Gulf threats after EU sanctions
AP: Senior Iranian lawmakers stepped up threats Monday that Islamic Republic warships could block the Persian Gulf’s oil tanker traffic after the latest blow by Western leaders seeking to rein in Tehran’s nuclear program: A punishing oil embargo by the European Union that sharply raises the economic stakes for Iran’s defiance.
Geithner, Clinton Say EU Ban on Iran Oil a ‘Strong Step’
Bloomberg: U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the European Union’s agreement to ban oil imports from Iran and to freeze assets of the Iranian central bank are a “strong step” to “dramatically increase the pressure on Iran” and are consistent with steps the U.S. has taken.
US hits Iran’s Bank Tejarat with sanctions
AFP: The US Treasury on Monday announced sanctions against Iran’s Bank Tejarat, claiming all of the Islamic Republic’s major state-owned banks have now been subjected to punitive measures.
Iran steps back from warning on U.S. ships
New York Times: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Saturday that it considered the likely return of American warships to the Persian Gulf part of routine activity, backing away from previous warnings to Washington not to re-enter the area.
Nato will keep strait of Hormuz open, U.S. ambassador says
Bloomberg: U.S. Ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Ivo Daalder said the alliance will keep the Strait of Hormuz open in the face of Iranian threats to close the shipping channel.
EU agrees to slap oil embargo on Iran: diplomats
AFP — European Union nations agreed Monday to slap an oil embargo against Iran’s oil exports in a bid to halt funding of the country’s disputed nuclear programme, EU diplomats said.
Iran sanction bill exempts BP project
Wall Street Journal: British and European Union officials have convinced some U.S. lawmakers to ensure that any new sanctions against Iran exempt a BP PLC-led natural-gas project, as Western governments try to isolate Tehran without harming their own energy security.
