Qatar Calls for GCC Talks with Iran

Qatar has called for countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to hold talks with Iran, the foreign minister said in an interview aired Tuesday, after Doha reconciled with its neighbors following a rift.

Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, who has previously called for dialogue with Iran, told Bloomberg TV he was "hopeful that this would happen and we still believe this should happen.”

"This is also a desire that's shared by other Gulf Cooperation Council countries," he said.

It comes weeks after GCC hawks Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE re-established ties with Qatar after breaking them off in June 2017 partly over allegations that Qatar was too close to Iran. Doha denied the accusations.

Qatar and Iran share one of the world's largest gas fields and Doha maintains cordial relations with Tehran.

Doha is a close ally of Washington and has previously mediated between the US and Iran suggesting that Sheikh Mohammed's intervention could be timed as a signal to the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden. Biden is due to take office on Wednesday.

The current occupant of the White House, President Donald Trump, has pursued a policy of "maximum pressure" on Iran and pulled the United States out of a multilateral nuclear deal with it in 2018.

Tehran's arch-rival Riyadh, the dominant GCC power, has not publicly indicated any willingness to engage with Iran.

Instead Saudi Arabia insisted that this month's rapprochement with Qatar meant the Gulf family would be better able to combat "the threats posed by the Iranian regime's nuclear and ballistic missile programme".

"Qatar will facilitate negotiations, if asked by stakeholders, and will support whoever is chosen to do so," added Sheikh Mohammed.

Photo: Wikicommons

UN Nuclear Watchdog Has 'Serious Concern' at Iran Denying Inspections

By Jastinder Khera

Iran has now accumulated enriched uranium at nearly eight times the limit of a 2015 deal and has for months blocked inspections at sites where historic nuclear activity may have occurred, the UN watchdog said Friday.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) noted "with serious concern that, for over four months, Iran has denied access to the Agency... to two locations," according to a report seen by AFP.

The IAEA has questions as to the possible "use or storage of nuclear material" at the two sites and that one of them "may have been used for the processing and conversion of uranium ore including fluorination in 2003".

The aforementioned site "underwent significant changes in 2004, including the demolition of most buildings", the IAEA report noted.

A third site where the IAEA has queries about the possible presence of undeclared natural uranium "underwent extensive sanitization and leveling in 2003 and 2004," according to the report.

The findings are expected to be discussed at a meeting of the agency's board of governors, which has been delayed until the week starting June 15.

The United States has been particularly vocal in its criticism of Iran for 
refusing access to the sites.

A diplomatic source said that they "expect that the board will be united to request Iran to provide access" for the agency.

Escalating Tensions

In a separate report, the IAEA warned that Iran's enriched uranium stockpile is now almost eight times the limit set in a 2015 deal.

The limit was 300 kilograms (661 pounds) of enriched uranium in a particular compound form, which is the equivalent of 202.8 kg of uranium. 

In comparison to the latter number, the report said Iran's stockpile stood at 1,571.6 kg on May 20.

The highest level of enrichment in the stockpile is currently 4.5 percent, over the deal's limit of 3.67 percent but far below the more than 90 percent level experts say would be necessary for a nuclear weapon.

A diplomatic source said that Iran's rate of enrichment had not significantly changed since the agency's previous report on the issue in early March. 

The IAEA says that it still has access to all the nuclear sites needed in order to monitor Iran's current nuclear activity despite difficulties caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The agency has been chartering aircraft to get its inspectors to Iran due to the collapse in availability of commercial flights to the country, which has been hard hit COVID-19.

Inspectors are also being tested for the virus before departing for Iran and before they return. 

Iran has been progressively breaking the restrictions laid down in the 2015 deal in retaliation for US President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the accord in 2018 and the US's subsequent re-imposition of sanctions. 

Iran reached the deal to curb its nuclear activities in return for sanctions relief with the United States—under president Barack Obama—Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China.

Last week the US said it was ending waivers in its sanctions for nations that remain in the Iran nuclear accord, bringing the deal further to the verge of collapse.

Tensions between Tehran and Washington escalated after Trump abandoned the deal and the long-standing enemies have appeared to come to the brink of a direct conflict twice in the past year.

The most recent was in January when Iran fired a barrage of missiles at US troops stationed in Iraq in retaliation for a US drone strike that killed Qasem Soleimani, a top Iranian general.

 Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Friday brushed aside Trump's hopes of diplomatic progress after the two countries carried out a prisoner swap.

"We achieved humanitarian swap *despite* your subordinates' efforts," Zarif tweeted, emphasizing that it was the US that had walked away from the 2015 deal.

Photo: Wikicommons

Iran's Khamenei Rules Out Talks with US

By Amir Havasi

Iran's supreme leader on Sunday again ruled out negotiations with Washington, a day before the 40th anniversary of the hostage crisis at the US embassy in Tehran.

"Those who see negotiations with the US as the solution to every problem are certainly mistaken," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said during a speech to mark the anniversary, according to his official website.

"Nothing will come out of talking to the US, because they certainly and definitely won't make any concessions."

On November 4, 1979, less than nine months after the toppling of Iran's American-backed shah, students overran the embassy complex to demand the United States hand over the ousted ruler after he was admitted to a US hospital.

It took a full 444 days for the crisis to end with the release of 52 Americans, but the US broke off diplomatic relations with Iran in 1980 and ties have been frozen ever since.

Khamenei, however, said the Iran-US "disputes" did not start with the embassy takeover.

"It goes back to the 1953 coup, when the U.S. overthrew a national govt.—which had made the mistake of trusting the U.S.—and established its corrupt and puppet govt. in Iran," his Twitter account said in English.

That CIA-organised coup, supported by Britain, toppled the hugely popular prime minister Mohammad Mossadegh who was responsible for nationalising Iran's oil industry.

The coup reestablished the rule of country's last shah, Mohammad-Reza Pahlavi, who had fled the country in August 1953 after trying to dismiss Mossadegh.

Tensions have escalated again between Tehran and Washington since US President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal last year and reimposed unilateral sanctions.

Khamenei pointed to North Korea's negotiations with the US as a sign of Washington's untrustworthiness, tweeting that "they took photos and praised each other, but the Americans did not lift sanctions even a bit.

"That's how they are in negotiations; they'll say we brought you to your knees and won't make any concessions at the end."

'American Demands'

Khamenei called French President Emmanuel Macron's efforts to set up talks between Iran and the US "naive".

He said Tehran had tested Washington by calling on it to lift sanctions and return to the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which gave Iran sanctions relief in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.

Macron's efforts to initiate a phone call between US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September ended in failure.

Rouhani stressed he would only hold talks with the US if sanctions were lifted first.

Khamenei said Macron had considered a meeting with Trump to be "the solution to all of Iran's problems," making the French president either "very naive" or the "accomplice" of the United States.

And "for the sake of testing and to clarify for everyone, I said despite the fact that America had made a mistake in leaving the JCPOA, if they lift all sanctions, they (the US) can take part in the JCPOA although I knew they would not accept, as they did not," he added.

Slamming the seemingly unending "American demands", Khamenei said that after telling Iran to not be "active in the region" and end its production of missiles, Washington will next "say give up religious laws and don't insist on the issue of the hijab."

Tehran has hit back three times with countermeasures since May in response to Washington's withdrawal from the nuclear deal by suspending parts of its compliance with the agreement's terms.

It has threatened to go even further if remaining parties to the deal —Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia—cannot help it circumvent US sanctions.

Photo: IRNA

Key Senators Circulate Legislation Banning Iran Nuclear Waivers

By Nick Wadhams

Two of the U.S. Senate’s staunchest opponents of the Iran nuclear deal drafted legislation that would bar President Donald Trump from renewing waivers allowing the Iran to maintain a limited civil nuclear program.

The legislation from Republicans Ted Cruz of Texas and South Carolina’s Lindsey Graham is part of a broader effort by hardline opponents of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which Trump withdrew the U.S. from last year, to end the few remaining benefits Iran still gets from the accord. They circulated their draft legislation to officials at the Departments of Treasury, State and Energy this week, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter.

When Trump backed out of the nuclear accord, he imposed a raft of new sanctions designed to choke Iran’s economy and compel it to agree to stricter limits on its nuclear and missile programs. But he left intact a set of sanctions waivers allowing Iran to work with nations that remain in the deal. The point was to limit nuclear weapons proliferation and ensure Iran doesn’t enrich uranium to high levels.

The bill from Graham and Cruz would end three waivers allowing work at a reactor at Arak, an enrichment facility at Fordow, and the Tehran Research Reactor, according to the draft. The administration renewed those waivers for 90 days on July 31 and has been debating whether to do so again.

The State Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Iran moved in recent months to exceed the 2015 deal’s limits on enriched uranium stockpiles, though President Hassan Rouhani’s government insists it is still meeting the terms of the accord.

Proponents of the legislation say the Tehran government channeled a covert nuclear-weapons program through civil nuclear projects in the early 2000s. They also argue that ending the waivers would make it harder for a Democratic president to revive the deal should Trump not be re-elected next year.

Photo: wikicommons

Iran Continues Breaching Uranium Stockpile and Enrichment Limits

By Jonathan Tirone

International inspectors reported that Iran continued to exceed nuclear limits imposed under its landmark deal with world powers, a breach that has complicated European efforts to salvage the accord abandoned by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said Friday that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile stood at 357 kilograms (787 pounds) and that it had enriched the heavy metal to a maximum purity of 4.5%, according to the six-page restricted document seen by Bloomberg News. The 2015 deal allows Iran to accumulate only 300kg of uranium enriched to 3.67%.

“The agency has continued to evaluate Iran’s declarations,” acting Director General Cornel Feruta wrote in the quarterly assessment sent to the IAEA’s board. “The agency continues to verify the non-diversion of declared nuclear material” while assessments of potential “undeclared nuclear material and activities for Iran remain ongoing,” Feruta said.

It’s the first inspections report since the death of IAEA Director Yukiya Amano in July and arrives at a sensitive diplomatic juncture. Monitors have come under intense U.S. and Israeli pressure to re-activate a probe into Iran’s past work on military uses for its nuclear know-how, an act that Tehran’s government says is unnecessary and would be antagonistic.

‘All Sites’

The report reiterated that over the last three months the IAEA had been allowed access “to all the sites and locations in Iran which it needed to visit.” The Vienna-based agency has hundreds of inspectors monitoring Iran, both on the ground daily at the country’s nuclear sites, as well as remotely using surveillance technologies.

Monitors urged Iran to provide “timely and proactive cooperation” regarding all sites. They said “technical discussions” continue on new, advanced nuclear equipment undergoing testing.

Ensuring the IAEA keeps wider inspections powers granted under the agreement is one reason top European foreign ministers met Friday in Helsinki. “The nuclear deal is the only deal on the table that prevents Iran from getting a nuclear weapon,” U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said before meeting his French and German counterparts.

While Iran acknowledges it’s breached limits set under the so-called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, it rejects that it has violated the accord. That’s because the document allows participants to cease meeting commitments “in whole or in part” in the event of an unresolved dispute. Tehran’s government argues that Europe has an obligation to help it avoid reimposed U.S. sanctions, something the bloc has so far struggled to do.

Iran has warned that if it’s not able to resume oil sales, it’s prepared to escalate the nuclear dispute even further by enriching uranium to levels closer to what would be needed for military purposes.

The standoff over oil exports, that’s included the tit-for-tat seizing of tankers by U.K. and Iranian authorities, has also fueled concerns of a military confrontation in the Persian Gulf.

Photo: IRNA

Yukiya Amano, Japanese Diplomat Who Led Iran Probe, Dies at 72

By Jonathan Tirone

Yukiya Amano, the Japanese diplomat who led the International Atomic Energy Agency for a decade, handling the investigation of Iran and the aftermath of the Fukushima meltdowns, has died at the age of 72.

The IAEA confirmed his death in a written statement without elaborating on the cause or location. Amano’s poor health had begun to interfere with his day-to-day duties over the last year and he had planned to resign from the agency.

The IAEA published a message Amano had intended to include in a letter to the Board of Governors announcing his decision to step down: “During the past decade, the Agency delivered concrete results to achieve the objective of ’Atoms for Peace and Development’. I am very proud of our achievements, and grateful to member states and agency staff.”

Amano played an instrumental role in several of the most consequential international developments over the last decade. He led the IAEA’s investigation into Iran’s nuclear history after he assumed office in 2009. After the Fukushima nuclear meltdowns two years later, Amano’s agency was charged with assessing the accident’s international impact and drafting new safety standards.

“So saddened by the loss,” wrote European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini wrote via Twitter. He was “a man of extraordinary dedication and professionalism, always at the service of the global community in the most impartial way.”

Amano oversaw the probes that detailed the military dimensions of Iran’s nuclear work before issuing the report that ended the IAEA’s active investigation and allowed the 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers to come into force. That accord between Iran and world powers gave IAEA inspectors the most robust verification system in existence anywhere in the world, he often repeated.

His death will thrust the agency into an unexpected leadership battle as nuclear tensions with Iran increase. His deputies will assume some duties while the IAEA board organizes elections. The IAEA’s 35-member board is scheduled to convene Sept. 9 in the Austrian capital.

Photo: IAEA

Zarif Says U.S. ‘Shot Itself in the Foot’ by Quitting Iran Deal

By Margaret Talev and David Wainer

The U.S. “shot itself in the foot” by pulling out of the nuclear accord with Iran, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said, offering a grim outlook for the chance of opening talks with President Donald Trump.

Zarif, in an interview Wednesday with Bloomberg Television, also accused European countries that are part of the agreement of failing to carry out their own commitments under the 2015 deal and after the U.S. withdrawal. He said promises to allow Iran to sell oil and repatriate money have failed to materialize.

Addressing U.S. allegations that Iran has never given up its goal of building nuclear weapons, Zarif said Iran has the technical ability to pursue them “very rapidly” but “we’re not going to” because Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made a “religious commitment” that they are forbidden, Zarif said in the interview with Bloomberg Editor in Chief John Micklethwait.

“If we wanted to build nuclear weapons, we could have built it a long time ago,” said Zarif, who was in New York to address a United Nations meeting.

Nevertheless, Zarif signaled that Iran will continue to pursue what he called the Islamic Republic’s rights under the accord to respond to the U.S. withdrawal and failed European efforts to deliver promised benefits to the Iranian economy.

Tensions have soared in the Persian Gulf region since the Trump administration stopped issuing sanctions waivers for buyers of Iranian oil and reimposed crippling economic measures against Tehran. In response, Iran has started gradually breaching parts of the nuclear accord, confirming in July that it had surpassed agreed caps on its stockpiles of enriched uranium and exceeded the allowable level of enrichment.

“Yeah, we will continue with the steps, and these steps are legal, in line with the agreement,” Zarif said, when asked about the likelihood of continuing uranium enrichment.

The threat of conflict appeared to climb even higher following a spate of attacks on ships in the Persian Gulf region in May and June, the downing of an American drone last month and the recent British seizure of a tanker carrying Iranian crude, which U.K. officials said was violating sanctions by heading toward Syria. Last month Trump said he called off retaliatory strikes on Iran over the drone, which U.S. officials claim was over international waters and Iran says was over their territory.

Zarif, who has been Iran’s foreign minister since 2013, was the lead negotiator in the multi-party nuclear accord reached in 2015 during the Obama administration that Trump has repeatedly called the “worst deal ever.”

Pressed on how to engage with the U.S. in a way that eases tensions, Zarif suggested that the burden falls on Trump. He also expressed skepticism of renegotiating the accord, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, to include talks on Iran’s missile program.

“You don’t buy a horse twice,” he said.

Secretary of State Michael Pompeo says the U.S. “maximum pressure” campaign is working and that the Trump administration is open to talks with Tehran without preconditions. But Pompeo has also laid out a series of 12 conditions for the easing of American sanctions. Iran wants sanctions eased before any talks.

Addressing U.S. accusations that Tehran fuels instability across the Mideast, Zarif said the primary culprits for regional turmoil are its rivals Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E., who buy billions of dollars in weapons from the U.S. Dismissing an issue U.S. officials have cited in recent days, Zarif said that under no circumstances could Iran give up its missiles given the arms buildup by its enemies in the region.

Pressed on whether there’s a diplomatic solution to U.S.-Iran tensions, Zarif suggested that President Hassan Rouhani’s government is drawing lessons from Trump’s threats against Mexico over trade and immigration, and that it was clear to Tehran that Washington would keep asking for more even if the two parties were to eventually strike a new deal.

“After renegotiating NAFTA he raised a new demand and he tried to push Mexicans into giving in a bit more,” Zarif said. “So he always believes, it seems, that ‘What’s mine is mine and what’s yours is negotiable.”’

Zarif rejected the idea that Iran is waiting for next year’s U.S. election to put a Democratic president in office who might be open to reentering the nuclear deal.

“No country in their right mind would make their foreign policy based on results they don’t have any control over,” he said. He went on to give Trump a “better than 50% chance” of winning reelection.

Photo: IRNA

IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano Prepares to Step Down

By Jonathan Tirone

The international body in charge of inspecting Iran’s nuclear program is searching for new leadership after health problems forced its director to plan an early end to his term.

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Yukiya Amano seeks to leave the Vienna-based agency by March, according to two diplomats briefed on the matter who asked not to be named in return for discussing the private conversations. An official IAEA announcement is expected as early as next week.

“The director general is in contact with members of the board of governors regarding his future plans,” the agency’s press office said in a statement. “He will make a formal communication to the board at an appropriate time.”

Amano, 72, missed an extraordinary board meeting last week because of health issues, the second time in less than a year. His shortened term, which was originally set to expire in December 2021, will thrust the agency into an unexpected leadership battle as its Iran inspectors can expect scrutiny to increase.

“It’s unprecedented for an IAEA director general to resign due to inability to perform duties due to health reasons,” said Tariq Rauf, the agency’s former head of policy coordination. “The IAEA statute is silent on the matter.”

Chief Policy Coordinator Cornel Feruta could be asked to assume some leadership duties while the IAEA board organizes elections, according to the diplomats. Amano’s office is informing ambassadors that he wants to ensure “an orderly transition process” in the midst of rising tensions with Iran, they said.

IAEA investigators continue reviewing material for any new information about Iran’s past weapons activities. Agency labs are similarly assessing environmental samples taken from a warehouse alleged to have stored radioactive material that may not have been declared. It will be up to Amano or his successor to decide whether inspectors’ conclusions warrant an IAEA board report.

Amano was instrumental in raising pressure on Iran by issuing a series of reports that detailed the military dimensions of its earlier nuclear work. His approach drew criticism after leaked diplomatic cables suggest he was “solidly in the U.S. court” when it came to dealing with Tehran’s government.

Amano subsequently issued the December 2015 report ending the IAEA’s active investigation into Iran’s past military-related activities. The 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers gives IAEA inspectors the most robust verification system in existence anywhere in the world, he has said.

“This is hugely significant,” Ian Stewart, a nuclear policy adviser at King’s College in London, said in a Tweet. “Amano seemed intent on staying indefinitely and brought a very particular approach to the agency.”

The IAEA frequently drew criticism for the way it disclosed information under his leadership as public access to meetings and data became increasingly restricted. During the Fukushima nuclear meltdowns, diplomats chided it for being slow to communicate the degree of danger.

It will be up to the IAEA’s 35-member board to determine the election schedule for the next director. They’re scheduled to convene Sept. 9 in the Austrian capital.

Photo: Wikicommons

Iran Set to Exceed Nuclear Deal Uranium Enrichment Cap

By Kay Armin Serjoie and Amir Havasi

Iran said Sunday it was set to breach the uranium enrichment cap set by an endangered nuclear deal within hours as it seeks to press other parties into keeping their side of the bargain.

The Islamic republic also threatened to abandon more commitments unless a solution is found with parties to the landmark 2015 agreement.London said Iran had "broken the terms" of the accord and along with Berlin urged Tehran to halt its advance towards breaching the cap.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that Tehran could further scale back its commitments to the deal, but "all such steps are reversible" if European countries deliver on their part.

The move to start enriching uranium above the agreed maximum purification level of 3.67 percent comes despite opposition from the European Union and the United States, which has quit the deal.

President Hassan Rouhani's order to exceed the threshold would be implemented "in a few hours" after the last technical details were sorted, Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi said live on state television.

Rouhani initially flagged Tehran's intentions on May 8, exactly a year on from US President Donald Trump abandoning the multilateral pact.

The Iranian president has said the move is in response to a failure by remaining parties to help Iran work around biting sanctions reimposed by the US.

The arch-rivals have been locked in an escalating war of words with Washington blaming Iran for a series of attacks on tanker ships and Tehran shooting down an American surveillance drone, raising fears of a conflict that both sides have said they want to avoid.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said in recent days that Iran has exceeded a 300-kilogram limit on enriched uranium reserves, a cap that was imposed by the 2015 deal.

Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday singled out Iran's declining oil sales and the effect of financial sanctions as the main issues that needed to be solved, or Tehran would further step back from its nuclear commitments.

"We hope we can reach a solution otherwise after 60 days we will take the third step as well," he said, adding that Tehran would give further details at an "opportune moment.”

Iran has previously threatened to also resume building as of July 7 a heavy water reactor—capable of one day producing plutonium—in Arak in central Iran, a project that had been mothballed under the agreement.

However since Iran delivered its ultimatum on the Arak reactor "good technical progress" had been made with parties on modernizing the reactor in a way that would not produce military grade plutonium, convincing Iran to postpone its decision, Araghchi said.

'At any Level'

The 2015 deal was reached between Iran and six world powers—Britain, China, France, Germany, the United States and Russia—and saw Tehran agree to drastically scale down its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.

Washington began reimposing sanctions in August 2018 and has targeted crucial sectors including oil exports and the banking system, fueling a deep recession.

Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi said Sunday that this body was fully ready to enrich uranium "at any amount and at any level" if ordered to do so.

A top advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hinted Friday it could reach five percent.

The 3.67 percent enrichment limit set in the agreement is far below the more than 90 percent level required for a nuclear warhead.Iran says that it is not violating the deal, citing terms of the agreement allowing one side to temporarily abandon some of commitments if it deems the other side is not respecting its part of the accord.

'Playing with Fire'

Britain and Germany said Sunday they were coordinating with other partners to the deal.

In separate statements, their foreign ministries called on Iran to "stop and reverse all activities inconsistent with its commitments."

France expressed "great concern" and demanded Tehran "Iran halt all activities that do not meet its commitments," a foreign ministry spokeswoman said.

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke to Rouhani by phone Saturday and pledged to "explore by July 15 the conditions for a resumption of dialogue between all parties," according to a statement from the Elysee Palace.

Iran says it exercised "strategic patience" for a year after the US withdrawal, waiting for the remaining partners to make good on promised economic benefits.

Trump has warned Iran that it is "playing with fire" by scrapping limits set by the accord.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday's announcement was a “very dangerous step" and called on France, Britain and Germany to impose "harsh sanctions" on Iran.

The IAEA has scheduled a special meeting on Iran's nuclear program for July 10.

Photo: IRNA

IAEA to Hold Special Meeting on Iran on 10 July

The UN's nuclear watchdog said Friday it will hold a special meeting on Iran's nuclear program next week, days after Tehran breached one of the limits set in a 2015 deal with world powers.

The meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s board of governors would be held "on 10 July at 14:30," an IAEA spokesman said.

Earlier, the US mission in Vienna said in a statement that the American Ambassador to International Organizations Jackie Wolcott had requested the special meeting to discuss the IAEA's latest report on Iran, issued earlier this week.

In it, the IAEA confirmed that Iran had breached the limit of 300kg for stockpiles of enriched uranium as stipulated under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The US statement described the news of the breach as "concerning.”

"The international community must hold Iran's regime accountable," the statement added.

Iran has said that as of Sunday it will begin breaking another key limit set in the JCPOA, which restricts the enrichment level of its uranium stockpile to 3.67 percent.

Iran has said the breaches announced so far would be reversible "within hours" if progress is made in providing Iran with relief from US sanctions.

The US was originally a party to the JCPOA but in May 2018 President Donald Trump dramatically withdrew from the accord.

Since then the US has re-imposed sanctions and has attempted to prevent Iran from exporting oil, a vital part of its economy.

Analysts say that the breaches announced by Iran so far mean very little in terms of any possible attempt by Tehran to develop a nuclear weapon, but are rather designed to pressure the remaining parties to the JCPOA.

Russia is also a party to the JCPOA and its ambassador to international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, said in a tweet Friday that an IAEA board of governors' meeting was "not a proper place to consider" what he called "Iranian deviations from (the) JCPOA".

"From the viewpoint of (the) IAEA mandate they don't constitute violation or concern," Ulyanov said.

Photo:

Iran to Exceed Uranium Enrichment Maximum Despite Calls for Rethink

By Amir Havasi

Iran ignored US and EU warnings Wednesday and announced it will exceed the maximum enrichment level it agreed for uranium within days in response to the failure of the other parties to a 2015 nuclear deal to provide it with promised relief from sanctions.

Iran is acting on its May 8 threat to suspend parts of the agreement in response to US President Donald Trump's reimposition of crippling sanctions after withdrawing from it in May last year.

“On July 7, our enrichment level will no longer be 3.67 percent. We will put aside this commitment. We will increase (the enrichment level) beyond 3.67 percent to as much as we want, as much as is necessary, as much as we need," Rouhani said during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

The enrichment maximum set in the agreement is sufficient for power generation but far below the more than 90 percent level required for a nuclear warhead.

Rouhani stressed that Iran's action would be reversed if the other parties to the nuclear deal made good on their side of the bargain—relief from sanctions.

"We will remain committed to the (nuclear deal) as long as the other parties are committed. We will act on the JCPOA 100 percent the day that the other party acts 100 percent (too).”

Iran has sought to pressure the other parties—Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia—to save the deal.

It announced on May 8 it would no longer respect the limits set on the size of its stockpiles of enriched uranium and heavy water.

It threatened to abandon further nuclear commitments, including exceeding the agreed uranium enrichment maximum from July 7.

Rouhani said Iran will also deliver on its threat to resume construction of a heavy water reactor after July 7 and will bring it to the condition that "according to you, is dangerous and can produce plutonium."

He added the measures can be reversed in "hours" if the other parties "live up to their commitments."

'Playing with Fire'

US President Donald Trump warned Monday that Iran is "playing with fire" after Tehran said it had exceeded the limit set on its enriched uranium stockpile.

Rouhani said it was the US that started the fire and Washington has to "put it out" by returning to the nuclear deal.

His adviser, Hesamodin Ashena, warned Trump against listening to hawks in his administration, hinting aggression against Iran could make him a "one-term president.”

"We have unseated an American president in the past, we can do it again," he tweeted, referring to Jimmy Carter whose bid for a second term was marred by the Iran hostage crisis in 1980.

Israel urged European states to slap sanctions on Iran for abandoning its nuclear commitments.

Russia voiced regret but said the move was a consequence of US pressure, which has pushed the deal towards collapse.

The diplomatic chiefs of Britain, France, Germany and the EU said they were "extremely concerned" and urged Iran to reverse its decision.

Europe has sought to save the nuclear deal by setting up a payment mechanism known as INSTEX which is meant to help Iran skirt the US sanctions.

Rouhani dismissed the mechanism as "hollow", saying it was useless to Iran because it failed to provide for financing of purchases of Iranian oil.

He took issue with the EU for calling on Iran to stay committed to the deal, saying the deal "is either good or bad. If it's good, everyone should stay committed to it," not just Iran.

Photo: IRNA

Photo: IRNA

IAEA Says Iran Adhering to Terms of Nuclear Deal

Iran has been adhering to a deal with world powers limiting its nuclear program, the UN atomic watchdog said Friday, as diplomatic wrangling continues over the future of the accord.

The latest report from the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that Iran was still complying with the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with global powers under which Tehran drastically scaled back its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief.

The IAEA's latest report showed that over the past three-month period, Iran's stock of heavy water had risen from 122.8 to 124.8 metric tonnes and that it held 163.8kg of enriched uranium, up from 149.4kg in November.

Both levels are within the limits foreseen by the JCPOA.

Last week European states rejected a call from US Vice President Mike Pence to follow the US lead in withdrawing from the Iranian nuclear deal.

Photo Credit: MSC

Germany Rejects US Call to Leave Iran Nuclear Deal

Germany on Friday rejected an appeal by US Vice President Mike Pence for Europeans to withdraw from the Iranian nuclear deal and isolate Tehran.

Foreign Minister Heiko Maas defended the 2015 agreement under which Iran drastically scaled back its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief.

"Together with the Brits, French and the entire EU we have found ways to keep Iran in the nuclear agreement until today," Maas told the Munich Security Conference.

A day earlier, Pence accused Tehran of planning a "new Holocaust" with its opposition to Israel and regional ambitions in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen.

Maas said that "our goal remains an Iran without nuclear weapons, precisely because we see clearly how Iran is destabilizing the region".

Without this agreement, "the region will not be safer and would actually be one step closer to an open confrontation," he added. 

Pence at a conference on the Middle East in Warsaw on Thursday denounced the retention by the Europeans of the nuclear agreement.

He also criticized the initiative of France, Germany and Britain to allow European companies to continue operating in Iran despite US sanctions.

Photo Credit: Jochen Zick

Pence Demands EU Allies Leave Iran Nuclear Deal

US Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday demanded that European Union allies leave the Iran nuclear deal and warned of further US sanctions on Tehran.

Speaking at a conference in Poland attended by Israel and senior Arab leaders, Pence denounced Iran as the "greatest threat to peace and security in the Middle East" and accused the clerical regime of plotting a "new Holocaust" with its regional ambitions.

Pence denounced a new initiative by France, Germany and Britain to let European businesses keep operating in Iran despite renewed US sanctions.

"It's an ill-advised step that will only strengthen Iran, weaken the EU and creates still more distance between Europe and the United States," Pence said.

"The time has come for our European partners to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and join with us as we bring the economic and diplomatic pressure necessary to give the Iranian people, the region and the world the peace, security and freedom they deserve," he said.

As Iran's clerical state marks 40 years since the overthrow of the pro-US shah, Pence vowed maximum pressure while not explicitly urging regime change.

"As Iran's economy continues to plummet, as the people of Iran take to the streets, freedom-loving nations must stand together and hold the Iranian regime accountable for the evil and violence it has inflicted on its people, on the region and the wider world," he said.

US sanctions "will get tougher still" unless Iran "changes its dangerous and destabilising behavior," Pence said.

The European Union, including summit host Poland, has shown no sign of rejecting the 2015 accord negotiated under former US president Barack Obama in which Iran constrained its nuclear program in return for promises of sanctions relief.

EU officials say they acknowledge concerns about Iran but believe the deal, with which Tehran has complied, is working and that the clerical state is not the only problematic actor in the region.

Photo Credit: Wikicommons

Iran's Rouhani Says US Will Eventually Rejoin Nuclear Deal

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani predicted Wednesday that the United States would eventually rejoin an international nuclear deal, saying talks this week at the United Nations showed his counterpart Donald Trump's isolation.

"The United States of America one day, sooner or later, will come back. This cannot be continued," Rouhani told a news conference.

"We are not isolated; America is isolated," he said.

Rouhani pointed to a session of the Security Council chaired by Trump earlier Wednesday, where the leaders of Britain and France backed the nuclear deal, as well as a statement by European powers who say they will find ways to continue business with Iran and evade impending sanctions.

"We do hope with all the law-abiding and multilateral-oriented countries that we can ultimately put this behind us in an easier fashion than it was earlier anticipated," Rouhani said.

The elected Iranian leader said that his government would stay in the 2015 agreement, under which Tehran sharply scaled back its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief.

"Until such time that we keep reaping the benefits of that agreement for our nation and people, we shall remain in the agreement," he said.

"Should the situation change, we have other paths and other solutions that we can embark upon," he said.

Rouhani downplayed the sharp words from the US administration, including a warning Tuesday by Trump's national security advisor, John Bolton, that Iran would have "hell to pay" if it crosses the United States.

"During the past 40 years we have been subjected to that type of language many times," he said.

"In this American administration, unfortunately, the language has been said to be somewhat unique and they speak with a different style, presumably because they are new to politics," he said.

Photo Credit: IRNA

Rouhani Says Trump Seeking Iran Leadership 'Overthrow'

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani accused his US counterpart Donald Trump of trying to topple his government Tuesday as he poured cold water on the idea of resuming talks with Washington after its pullout from an international nuclear accord.

"It is ironic that the US government does not even conceal its plan for overthrowing the same government it invites to talks," Rouhani said in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly.

"For dialogue to take place, there is no need for a photo opportunity. The 
two sides can listen to each other right here in this Assembly. 

"I am starting the dialogue right here, and state, in unequivocal terms, that the question of international security is not a toy in American domestic politics."

Rouhani took the podium a few hours after Trump called for Iran's isolation in his UN address, accusing the leadership of Iran of sowing "chaos, death and destruction" as he defended his decision to ditch the Iran nuclear accord.

The five remaining parties to the 2015 accord—France, Britain, Germany, China and Russia—agreed during a meeting in New York late Monday to set up a payment system to preserve business ties with Iran despite US sanctions.

The Iranian leader said he was pleased that the international community did not follow the Trump administration's "unilateral and illegal withdrawal from the JCPOA," the JointComprehensive Plan of Action as the nuclear deal is known. 

"Unlawful unilateral sanctions in themselves constitute a form of economic terrorism," said Rouhani. 

Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal in May, to the dismay of European allies, Russia and China which had invested years in negotiations to achieve a milestone agreement on keeping Iran's nuclear ambitions in check.

In his UN address last year, Trump bashed the nuclear deal as "an embarrassment," signalling that the United States was ready to walk away.

Trump and Rouhani declined to meet on the sidelines of the General Assembly session. 

Photo Credit: IRNA

Iran Still Abiding By Nuclear Deal Terms: IAEA

Iran is sticking to the terms of its nuclear deal with world powers, a UN atomic watchdog report showed Thursday, despite ongoing uncertainty over its future.

The report from the International Atomic Energy Agency showed that Iran was still complying with the key parameters of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), agreed in 2015 by Iran and the US, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany.

It comes despite the future of the deal being thrown into doubt after US President Donald Trump withdrew from the pact in May and re-imposed US
sanctions.

The latest report says the IAEA had had access "to all the sites and locations in Iran which it needed to visit."

The agency repeated language in its previous report emphasizing the importance of "timely and proactive cooperation in providing such access" on Iran's part.

A senior diplomat with knowledge of the issue said that the language was a way "to send a message to Iran to prevent potential problems" rather than being caused by any particular behavior on the part of the Iranians.

The report said Iran's stockpiles of low-enriched uranium and heavy water had both slightly increased since the last report in May, but were still under the limits agreed in the deal.

Iran's economy has been battered by the return of US sanctions following Trump's decision, undermining support for the deal within Iran.

'No avoiding' Further Talks

On Wednesday Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tehran should be ready to "set aside" the JCPOA if it is no longer in the country's national interests.

However, Khamenei said talks should continue with European states, who have been trying to find a way to salvage the agreement.

Last week, the EU agreed an EUR 18 million package of assistance to Iran "for projects in support of sustainable economic and social development" in the Islamic Republic, the first tranche of a wider package worth EUR 50 million."

Most foreign firms have abandoned investment projects in Iran, and the next phase of renewed US sanctions in November will hit the crucial oil sector.

Speaking on Thursday while attending meetings of EU foreign and defense ministers, the EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said that despite disagreements with Iran over other issues, "we believe that addressing regional disagreements with Iran can be done in a more effective manner if we maintain the nuclear deal in place".

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, also speaking in Vienna, said that in his opinion Iran was respecting "the fundamentals of the JCPOA."

However, he added that "Iran cannot avoid discussions, negotiations on three other major subjects that worry us," namely Iran's ballistic missile program, the long-term future of its nuclear program and its role in conflicts in the wider region.

In June, in a bid to mount pressure on the Europeans, Iran announced a plan to increase its uranium enrichment capacity with new centrifuges in the event that the agreement collapses, while still denying any desire to build a nuclear weapon.

Under the 2015 agreement, Iran can only enrich uranium to 3.67 percent—far below the roughly 90-percent level needed for nuclear weapons.

Photo Credit: IAEA

Trump Says Willing to Meet With Iranian Leaders 'Any Time'

US President Donald Trump said Monday he was willing to meet with Iran's leaders with "no preconditions" and "any time they want"—one week after tensions soared between Washington and Tehran.

"I would meet with Iran if they wanted to meet. I don't know if they are ready yet," Trump told a White House press conference with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte at his side.

"No preconditions," he added. "They want to meet, I'll meet. Any time they want."

A week ago, after a provocative warning from Iranian President Hassan Rouhani not to "play with the lion's tail," Trump blasted back a reply on Twitter—in all caps.

"NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE," Trump warned Rouhani.

In May, Trump—who has made Iran his public enemy number one—announced the US withdrawal from what he called a "defective" multinational nuclear deal with Tehran, and moved to reinstate punishing sanctions.

The 2015 agreement came in response to fears that Iran was developing a nuclear bomb. Washington's European allies maintain their support for the deal and have vowed to stay in it, though their businesses fear US penalties.

"I ended the Iran deal. It was a ridiculous deal," Trump said. 

"If we could work something out that's meaningful, not the waste of paper that the other deal was, I would certainly be willing to meet."

Trump has repeatedly shown a willingness to cast traditional diplomatic protocol aside and meet with leaders shunned by other administrations, including North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. 

"I believe in meeting," Trump said Monday.

"Speaking to other people, especially when you are talking about potentials of war and death, and famine and lots of other things, you meet."

On July 23, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington was not afraid to sanction top-ranking leaders of the "nightmare" Iranian regime.

Photo Credit: Wikicommons

Trump, Iran Drama Escalates—via Twitter

Tensions are mounting between Donald Trump and Iran—the US president's raw tweet threatening Tehran was met Monday with a similarly bilious reply, upping the ante in the high-stakes game of diplomatic chicken.

Trump's tweeted warning late Sunday to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani—all in capital letters, the digital equivalent of shouting—sparked questions about Washington's strategy towards the Islamic republic.

The US is regularly suspected of backing the idea of regime change, but analysts say its current stance may simply be an attempt to pivot after a week of dire headlines over Trump's much-maligned summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin and a relative lack of progress on North Korea.

The saber-rattling began when Iranian President Hassan Rouhani cautioned Trump not to "play with the lion's tail," saying that conflict with Iran would trigger the "mother of all wars"—prompting the furious salvo from the US leader.

The Republican leader's response was reminiscent of the belligerent tone he took with North Korea last year.

"NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER  CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE," Trump warned Rouhani on Twitter.

"WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS!"

A few hours later, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif fired back. "COLOR US UNIMPRESSED," Zarif wrote in English, mimicking Trump's caps-lock message.

"We've been around for millennia & seen fall of empires, incl our own, which lasted more than the life of some countries. BE CAUTIOUS!"

While Trump's "tough stand" was hailed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, it also provoked an avalanche of questions about its exact meaning and impact.

When asked about the president's motivations, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said he was focused on "the safety and security of the American people" and ensuring Tehran did not acquire nuclear weapons.

But she seemed to downplay concerns about his aggressive posturing, saying Trump has been "pretty strong since day one in his language toward Iran."

Concerns? 'None at all'

In May, Trump—who has made Iran his public enemy number one—announced the US withdrawal from what he called a "defective" multinational nuclear deal with Tehran, and moved to reinstate punishing sanctions.

For some analysts in Washington, Trump's harsh words were a political smoke screen.

"Frustrated by no progress w/NK; angered by negative push back post Helsinki, Trump is looking to vent, act tough, and change channel," said Aaron David Miller, a former US diplomat and Middle East negotiator for several administrations.

"If nothing else, Trump's ALL CAPS tirade reflect(s) reality that US has no Iran policy. Empty/ridiculous US rhetoric in response to same from Iran."

After speaking with European officials about Trump's warnings, International Crisis Group president Rob Malley said diplomats on the continent were not "really taking it seriously."

In Europe, Trump's tirade is seen as a way to distract from controversy over his summit with Putin and special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and a Russian effort to sway the 2016 election.

But the president stood by his remarks. Asked by reporters at the White House whether he had concerns about provoking tensions with Iran, Trump said "None at all."

Saber-Rattling

While US ties with Iran and North Korea are different on several fronts, the words used by Trump to denigrate Tehran are similar in tone to those he directed last August at North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Several observers noted the similarities between the threats on Iran, and Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign towards Pyongyang.

In September 2017, in his first speech to the United National General Assembly, Trump threatened to "totally destroy" North Korea.

Nearly a year on, Trump has met Kim—who he once called "Rocket Man" on a "suicide mission"—for a landmark summit, and follow-up talks are underway between the two sides.

However, concrete progress has been scant so far on denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

Democrats have expressed alarm about Trump's Iran bluster.

"Reckless Iran rhetoric creates risks—especially if words are unbacked by actionable strategy," Senator Richard Blumenthal said.

Photo Credit: Wikicommons

Iran Lodges Complaint Against US Over Renewed Sanctions

Iran has lodged a complaint with the International Court of Justice against the United States' reimposition of sanctions, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday. 

The complaint was registered the previous day, spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said on the ministry's website.

The goal is "to hold US accountable for its unlawful re-imposition of unilateral sanctions," Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on Twitter. 

"Iran is committed to the rule of law in the face of US contempt for diplomacy and legal obligations. It's imperative to counter its habit of violating (international) law," he added.

The complaint came in response to Washington's decision in May to abandon the 2015 nuclear deal and reimpose sanctions on Iran. 

Tehran says the action violates international obligations, including the 1955 US-Iran Treaty of Amity—an agreement signed well before Iran's 1979 revolution, but which is still invoked in ongoing legal battles. 

Iran and the US have not had diplomatic relations since 1980 when American embassy officials were held hostage in Iran. 

Zarif addressed world diplomats and Iranian businessmen at a lavish Tehran hotel on Monday night, in a meeting designed as a show of continued mutual support in the face of US aggression. 

"This administration in the United States doesn't know how to behave towards the world... it breaks international treaties as a tool. It is necessary to put a stop to this behavior," Zarif said. 

Austrian ambassador Stefan Scholz, whose country currently holds the presidency of the European Union, said "unorthodox and innovative measures" were being considered to allow banking transactions to continue after US sanctions return.

"We are all in this together, since the EU is facing a net loss of EUR 10 billion (USD 11.7 billion) in lost trade with Iran next year," Scholz said. 

The ICJ is already due to hear a complaint on October 8 that Iran lodged two years ago against the United States for freezing around USD 2 billion of its assets held abroad. 

Photo Credit: ICJ