Europe Still Trying to Find Loophole on Iran Sanctions

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Europe Still Trying to Find Loophole on Iran Sanctions
Europe still trying to find loophole on Iran sanctions

Iran Focus

London, 3 Oct – Almost five months after Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear accord, the countries still party to the deal are becoming increasingly desperate to find loopholes to the US sanctions on Iran.

While a second lot of US sanctions on Iran, this time targeting its oil industry and central bank, will come into place on November 5 and it doesn’t seem likely that any country or company will get the sanctions waivers they desire, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has written that he will allow the five other countries (the UK, Germany, France, Russia, and China) a “short grace period” to offset these sanctions. This came after a meeting between the six nations at the UN General Assembly.

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US Calls Iran Attack on Syria “Reckless”

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US Calls Iran Attack on Syria “Reckless”
attack on Syria “reckless”

Iran Focus

London, 2 Oct – The US has called an Iranian missile attack on supposed militant targets in eastern Syria “reckless, unsafe and escalatory”.

In a statement on Monday, Pentagon spokesperson Commander Sean Robertson said that Iran took no measures to notify other military powers in the country of the predawn missile strike, something that “professional” military forces, like the US-led coalition, would have done to ensure maximum safety.

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House Prices in Tehran Rise 74% in Past Year

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House Prices in Tehran Rise 74% in Past Year
House prices in Tehran

Iran Focus

London, 1 Oct – In the past year, the average cost of buying a house in Tehran has jumped by a massive 74%, according to the Central Bank of Iran. In the past Iranian month (August 21-September 21) alone, residential unit prices have jumped by 9.4%.

The CBI reports that the one square meter of an average unit in Tehran is currently worth around 84,000,000 rials ($2,000, based on Iran’s artificial exchange rate, or $500, based on the global exchange). The latter figure is more relevant in this case, as sellers can’t get cheap dollars based on the government rate.

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Over 2,000 Sign Letter Demanding the Release of Iranian Political Prisoner

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Over 2,000 Sign Letter Demanding the Release of Iranian Political Prisoner
Iranian-political-prisoner

Iran Focus

London, 1 Oct – Over 2,200 doctors and civil rights activists have sent a letter to the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and the chairs of the Iranian Parliament’s Health and Cultural Commissions, voicing their concerns over the deteriorating health of Farhad Maysami, a prominent publisher, physician and cultural activist currently held behind bars.

The letter reads: “The way Mr. Maysami is treated is not only inappropriate for a teacher, publisher and physician, but it’s also unbecoming for any of the dissidents in the Shi’ite country [Iran].”

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UK Set to Outlaw Both So-Called “Military Wing” and “Political Wing” of Hezbollah

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UK Set to Outlaw Both So-Called “Military Wing” and “Political Wing” of Hezbollah
Military of Hezbollah

Iran Focus

London, 1 Oct – Home Secretary of the United Kingdom, Sajid Javid, will announce at next week’s Conservative Party Annual Conference the decision to proscribe the Iranian-backed, Lebanese-based terror organization Hezbollah in its entirety, following formal reconsideration of the UK’s position on the Iranian sponsored terrorist group.

In July, Stephen Crabb MP attacked the “entirely artificial distinction” between Hezbollah’s two wings. In fact, Hezbollah’s own leadership mocks the idea of two separate entities. The Home Secretary is expected to announce that he will be taking action to ban all parts of Hezbollah.

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Iran’s Loadings Halved by China’s Sinopec Due to U.S. Pressure

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Iran’s Loadings Halved by China’s Sinopec Due to U.S. Pressure
Sinopec Corp

Iran Focus

London, 1 Oct – As China’s state refiner, Sinopec Corp, comes under intense pressure from Washington to comply with a U.S. ban on Iranian oil from November, people with knowledge of the matter said that the company is halving loadings of crude oil from Iran this month.

Volumes were not specifically identified, but based on the prevailing supply contract between the top Chinese refiner and the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), its loadings would be reduced to about 130,000 barrels per day (bpd) — 20 percent of China’s average daily imports from Iran in 2017.

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Ordinary Iranians Crave Modernity

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Ordinary Iranians Crave Modernity
Iranian youth

Iran Focus

London, 28 Sep – While the mullahs in Iran rage on about the “Great Satan” and scream that their people hate the US, the young people in Tehran and other major cities are enjoying Western media and culture. In fact, 60% of Iran’s 82 million people are under 30 and many of them are obsessed with Western pop culture.

Mohammadreza Azali, 31, co-founder of Iran’s tech news website Techrasa and a tech road show called Silk Road Startup, said: “We love American music. We watch American TV series and movies… Whatever is trendy in the U.S. is trendy in Iran.”

While Saeed Mohammadi, who co-founded Iran’s e-commerce platform Digikala, said: “This generation, this post-revolutionary generation, we don’t accept extremism. There are lots of us. We have the potential to revolutionize this country within a decade.”

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US Intelligence Predicts Attack From Iran

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US Intelligence Predicts Attack From Iran
Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps

Iran Focus

London, 28 Sep – US intelligence suggests that Iranian-backed militias and proxy forces could be planning an attack on US military forces or interests in the Middle East, according to three defence officials.

The officials said that their concern is mainly focused on the threat from Iran-backed forces in Syria and several other locations in the Middle East – something that they called ongoing and worrisome – but refused to describe the specific intelligence from the recent assessment as more information continues to be gathered through public statements from the mullahs and intercepting overhead satellites.

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A New Strike by Iranian Truckers to Protest Rising Costs and Stagnant Wages

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A New Strike by Iranian Truckers to Protest Rising Costs and Stagnant Wages
A New Strike by Iranian Truckers

Iran Focus

London, 28 Sep – Another nationwide strike by Iranian truck drivers has begun in protest of rising costs. A few months ago, a trucker’s strike drew international support and caused shortages at gas stations.

On Wednesday, video clips were posted online showing trucks idle in at least six regions: Ahvaz, Ardabil, Borujerd, Qazvin, Shahreza and Urmia. It has been verified that this is the fourth consecutive day of reports of the widespread strike by truckers in Iran.

The truckers are protesting low wages, which they see as unfair in light of the rapidly rising costs for parts and supplies.

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SWIFT Must Disconnect Iran Banks

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SWIFT Must Disconnect Iran Banks
SWIFT

Iran Focus

London, 28 Sep – At the United Nations this week, Iran President Hassan Rouhani refused to meet with President Trump. It appears that both Rouhani and his European backers are waiting to see if Trump will force the SWIFT financial-messaging service to disconnect Iranian banks in November. Without SWIFT, Europe’s plan to sidestep US sanctions will be more likely not to succeed.

US and European supporters of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), released a think tank report a week before Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal. The report outlined ways in which Europe could evade US sanctions by processing payments to Iran through European central banks. After Trump’s announcement of US withdrawal from the deal, the European Commission announced it would do exactly that.

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