Netanyahu Says Has New 'Proof' of Iran Nuclear Weapons Program

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised address Monday he had new "proof" of an Iranian nuclear weapons plan that could be activated at any time, as the US considers whether to pull out of the atomic accord with Tehran.

But while Netanyahu accused Israel's main enemy Iran of lying about its nuclear ambitions, he did not provide evidence that it had actively worked to obtain an atomic weapon since the 2015 agreement between Tehran and six world powers.

Iran has always denied it sought a nuclear weapon, insisting its atomic program was for civilian purposes.

Netanyahu made the comments in an elaborate presentation that included props, video and slides, broadcast live on television from Tel Aviv.

He said Israel had obtained tens of thousands of files "a few weeks ago in a great intelligence achievement," saying they had been moved to a secret compound in Tehran in 2017 that looked dilapidated from the outside.

The material obtained weighed a half a ton, he said. As he spoke, binders that he said held copies of original documents were on shelves behind him, as were cases containing CDs.

"Tonight we're going to reveal new and conclusive proof of the secret nuclear weapons program that Iran has been hiding for years from the international community in its secret atomic archive," Netanyahu said.

"We're going to show you Iran's secret nuclear files." He then laid out what he said was a years-old secret nuclear weapons program stored away and which could be put into action at any time. The details have been shared with the United States and will also be given to other countries and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), he said.

'Boy Who Cries Wolf'

After Netanyahu's statement was announced but before he spoke, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif already dismissed it. "The boy who can't stop crying wolf is at it again," he wrote on Twitter. 

"You can only fool some of the people so many times." Zarif then took to twitter again to lambast both Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump, who has a May 12 deadline to decide on whether or not to walk away from the nuclear deal.

Trump "is jumping on a rehash of old allegations already dealt with by the IAEA to 'nix' the (2015 nuclear) deal", Zarif tweeted.

"How convenient. Coordinated timing of alleged intelligence revelations by the boy who cries wolf just days before May 12," he added.

Trump has derided the nuclear deal with Iran as "insane" partly because its restrictions on Iran's nuclear activities begin expiring in 2025.

Most world powers however say the nuclear deal is working as intended for now and is the best way to keep Iran from acquiring the bomb.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany left Washington last week after talks with Trump which failed to secure any promise to keep the deal alive.

'Dominate the Middle East' 

The Israeli premier has repeatedly called for the accord—which Iran signed with Britain, France, China, Russia, the United States and Germany— to either be altered or scrapped.

He says the agreement does not prevent Tehran from eventually obtaining nuclear weapons and says the lifting of sanctions has increased Tehran's ability to finance proxy militants in the Middle East.

Netanyahu also wants to see curbs on Iran's missile program. On Monday, he said the nuclear deal was "based on Iranian lies and Iranian deception."

"Even after the deal, Iran continued to preserve and expand its nuclear weapons know-how for future use," Netanyahu said.

His presentation came after he met visiting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday and spoke with Trump by phone on Saturday. Pompeo reiterated during the visit that Trump will withdraw from the nuclear deal "if we can't fix it."

Trump and his Middle East allies argue the deal, approved by Barack Obama,  was too weak and needs to be replaced with a more permanent arrangement and supplemented by controls on Iran's missile program.

Pompeo, a former CIA chief and congressman, also joined Netanyahu in lashing out at Iran on Sunday. "Iran's ambition to dominate the Middle East remains," Pompeo said.

Rob Malley, a former official in Obama's administration, said on Twitter that "for those who have followed the Iranian nuclear file, there is nothing new in (Netanyahu's) presentation".

"All it does is vindicate need for the nuclear deal. But the Israeli prime minister has an audience of one: Trump. And he's unfortunately unlikely to reach the same conclusion."

Israel is considered the Middle East's sole nuclear-armed nation, though it has never acknowledged the capability.

Photo Credit: Kremlin

Netanyahu to Speak on 'Significant Development' on Iran Nuclear Deal

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will speak Monday on a "significant development" on the Iran nuclear deal, his office said, as the White House considers whether to pull out of the landmark accord that Israel opposes.

Netanyahu will give the statement at Israel's defence ministry in Tel Aviv at 8:00 pm (1700 GMT). It follows US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit on Sunday and a telephone conversation between Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump on Saturday.

Trump is due to decide on May 12 whether to reimpose sanctions on Tehran, putting in peril the 2015 nuclear accord.

Pompeo has warned that the United States will withdraw from the agreement "if we can't fix it."

The Israeli premier has repeatedly called for the accord between world powers and his country's main enemy to either be altered or scrapped.

He alleges the agreement does not prevent Iran from eventually obtaining nuclear weapons and says the lifting of sanctions has increased Tehran's ability to finance proxy militants in the Middle East.

Most world powers however say the nuclear deal is working as intended for now and is the best way to keep Iran from acquiring the bomb.

Israel is also deeply concerned over Iran's presence in Syria, where it is backing President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Netanyahu has pledged to stop Iran from entrenching itself militarily in the neighbouring country.

On Monday, a monitor said missile strikes on central Syria killed 26 pro-regime fighters, most of them Iranians, in a raid it said bore the hallmarks of an Israeli operation.

Israeli Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz told army radio that he was "not aware" of the strikes.

The latest such attacks came amid heightened tensions after Damascus and Tehran accused Israel on April 9 of conducting deadly strikes against a military base in central Syria.

Pompeo joined Netanyahu in lashing out at Iran when the two met in Tel Aviv on Sunday. "Iran's ambition to dominate the Middle East remains," Pompeo said.

Photo Credit: Wikicommons

Putin, Macron Urge 'Strict' Observance of Iran Nuclear Accord: Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin and French leader Emmanuel Macron on Monday called for the "strict observance" of the current Iran nuclear accord, with US President Donald Trump still deciding whether to scrap the agreement.

"The Presidents of Russia and France spoke in favor of keeping the Plan and its strict observance," the Kremlin said, referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. 

The statement was released after Macron called Putin to inform him of his talks with Trump in the United States.

Trump faces a May 12 deadline to decide on the fate of the Iran nuclear accord and is demanding changes that European capitals believe would represent a legal breach.

On Sunday, US National Security Advisor John Bolton said the mercurial US president had not yet decided whether to scrap the accord.

Macron, who held talks with Trump last week, has positioned himself as an emissary for European officials seeking a compromise that would keep the deal intact.

Macron has earlier proposed an additional deal that extends Iran's nuclear restrictions.

Russia has said that there was "no alternative" to the agreement and that Iran's position was on the issue was paramount.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani rejected any hopes of rewriting the nuclear deal.

Photo Credit: Wikicommons

Tehran Dismisses Pompeo's 'Unfounded' Accusations

Iran on Monday dismissed "unfounded" accusations by new US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over its "ambition to dominate the Middle East."

Pompeo lashed out at Tehran on Sunday during a rapid tour of Middle East allies ahead of a crucial White House decision on whether to quit a landmark 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.

Speaking during a visit to Iran's arch-rival and key US ally Saudi Arabia just days after he took office, Pompeo accused Tehran of destabilising the Middle East through its support for Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and for rebels in Yemen.

"The US secretary of state's remarks on the presence and role of the Islamic Republic of Iran in certain countries in the region are a repetition of absurd and unfounded accusations," Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghassemi said in a statement Monday.

Iran's presence in Syria and Iraq is in response to requests from the two countries' governments and is part of "the fight against terrorism in the region", he said.

"This assistance will continue as long as (these) governments need help in this fight," he said. Ghassemi also reiterated previous government statements denying Saudi and US accusations that Iran is supplying weapons to Yemen's Huthi rebels, backed politically by Tehran. 

Such charges are "a false problem, created solely for the purpose of diverting the attention of international public opinion from the atrocities committed by Saudi Arabia in its daily attacks" in Yemen, he said.

Shiite-dominated Iran and Sunni heavyweight Saudi Arabia, which cut diplomatic ties in January 2016, are engaged in a region-wide struggle for influence and back rival sides in Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.

Tehran has deployed "military advisors" and thousands of Iranian and Afghan "volunteer" fighters to Syria and Iraq.

Saudi Arabia launched a military coalition in 2015 to battle Huthi rebels in Yemen who had seized the capital Sanaa the previous year.

The United Nations and rights groups have slammed the Saudi-led campaign for causing civilian casualties and sparking a humanitarian crisis.

Photo Credit: Mehr

Europe Backs Iran Deal as 'Best Way' to Counter Nuclear Threat

The leaders of Britain, France and Germany have reiterated their commitment to the Iran nuclear deal "as the best way of neutralising the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran", Downing Street said Sunday.

Prime Minister Theresa May talked by phone with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday and Sunday when they agreed the current deal also left out some "important elements," it said.

"Our priority as an international community remained preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon," it said.

"They agreed that there were important elements that the deal does not cover but which we need to address—including ballistic missiles, what happens when the deal expires, and Iran's destabilizing regional activity.

"They committed to continue working closely together and with the US on how to tackle the range of challenges that Iran poses—including those issues that a new deal might cover."

Both Macron and Merkel held talks in Washington this week with US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to quit the 2015 pact with Iran negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama.

The pair tried to sell Trump on the idea of the deal being a stepping stone to a longer-term, broader agreement, pitching a "four pillars" solution.

The first column is Iran's nuclear program under the current accord. The others would target the country's nuclear activities after 2025 when so-called sunset clauses kick in, beef up global leverage against its regional influence and curtail its ballistic missile program.

US National Security Advisor John Bolton said Sunday that Trump had not yet decided whether or not to scrap the pact.

"He has made no decision on the nuclear deal, whether to stay in or get out," he told Fox News.

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Iran Newspaper Chief Freed After Arrest

The head of Iran's reformist newspaper Shargh was freed Sunday, a day after being arrested over a report on "prostitution" in a northeastern city that angered residents, Iranian media said.

Mehdi Rahmanian, the director of the newspaper, was released in the afternoon after paying bail of 500 million rials (USD 9,000), the ILNA news agency reported.

The courts had summoned him "after a complaint by a group of residents of the Shahid Rajai neighborhood of Mashhad," the semi-official ISNA news agency reported, quoting the city's deputy prosecutor Hassan Heydari.

"The newspaper had described some of the district's women as prostitutes." Mashhad's Khorassan newspaper said Rahmanian had been detained after initially failing to pay the bail.

Shargh on April 8 published a report on the murder of a six-year-old Afghan girl in the impoverished Shahid Rajai district of Mashhad, the second-largest city in Iran.

The article quoted an official from an association for children and poor people who said the district was home to several brothels and that drugs were sold there.

Khorassan said the article had provoked an angry protest by residents in front of the local mosque three days later.

Heydari said the prosecution had asked Rahmanian to "take action" against the journalist who wrote the article and "repair" the damage caused but measures were not taken.

Like other reformist newspapers, Shargh returned to the newsstands in late 2012 after being banned for several years.

It is one of the main reformist newspapers and a key supporter of President Hassan Rouhani, a moderate conservative elected to a second term in 2017.

Since taking office, Rouhani has been the target of intense criticism by ultra-conservatives, who dominate the judiciary and the security services.

Photo Credit: Ted Regencia

'No Decision' by Trump on Iran Nuclear Deal: Bolton

US President Donald Trump has not decided whether or not to scrap the Iran nuclear deal, US National Security Advisor John Bolton said Sunday.

"He has made no decision on the nuclear deal, whether to stay in or get out," Bolton told Fox News Sunday.

"He is certainly considering the framework, the four pillars that President (Emmanuel) Macron laid out in their meeting last week," said Bolton, referring to efforts to supplement the Iran deal with additional measures to make it more palatable to Trump.

In 2015 the United States, along with other nations, struck a deal with Iran to end a 12-year standoff over that country's nuclear program, which was feared to be leading towards an atomic weapons capability.

Iran agreed to freeze its nuclear program in return for the lifting of punishing international sanctions, but Trump has criticized the deal as not going far enough.

Britain, France and Germany—the three European countries that signed the Iran nuclear deal—are working to head off Trump's threat to walk away from the accord and reimpose sanctions.

Trump has called the existing accord "insane" and "ridiculous," in part because its restrictions start to expire in 2025.

French President Emmanuel Macron has proposed an additional deal that extends Iran's nuclear restrictions while also curbing its ballistic missile program and support for militias in the Middle East.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani rejected any hopes of rewriting the nuclear deal itself.

Photoe Credit: Wikicommons

Germany's Merkel Says Existing Iran Deal 'Not Sufficient' to Curb Iran Ambitions

AFP Correction: Headline corrected to remove reference to 'nuclear program' to better reflect original German speech. 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, standing alongside President Donald Trump at the White House, said Friday that the existing international accord on Iran is not enough to curb the Islamic republic's regional ambitions. 

The so-called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, signed by Tehran and six world powers including Germany and the United States, is "a first step that has contributed to slowing down their activities in this particular respect," Merkel told reporters.

"But we also think from a German perspective that this is not sufficient in order to see to it that Iran's ambitions are curbed and contained." 

"Europe and the United States ought to be in lock step on this," she said.

Photo Credit: Wikicommons

'No Decision' Yet on Iran Deal: Mattis

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Thursday said no decision had been made on whether the United States is going to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal.

President Donald Trump is due on May 12 to announce his decision about whether America will stay in the historic pact, as US and European diplomats work on a supplemental deal to address his concerns.

"I can assure you there has been no decision made on any withdrawal from JCPOA," Mattis said of the deal, which is officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

"The discussions are ongoing in the national security staff and those of us who are charged with that responsibility of giving the president advice. It's going on today as we speak," Mattis told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Though he thinks the deal is flawed, Mattis has previously said he supports America staying in it, telling lawmakers in October it is in the US national interest to do so.

But Mattis offered no such support Thursday. "There are obviously aspects of the JCPOA... that can be improved on. We are working with our European allies on it at this time, and again at this time the decision has not been made whether we can repair it enough to stay, or if the president if going to decide to withdraw from it," he said.

Trump, who campaigned on scrapping the Iran deal, has branded it as "insane" and the "worst" in history.

"This is a deal with decayed foundations. It's a bad deal, it's a bad structure. It's falling down," Trump said Tuesday. "We're going to see what happens on the 12th."

Photo Credit: Wikicommons

Merkel Heads for Tough Trump Talks on Trade, Iran Nuclear Deal

German Chancellor Angela Merkel visits US President Donald Trump on Friday for a last-ditch European effort to prevent a transatlantic trade war and save the Iran nuclear deal.

Merkel's working trip is expected to be far more business-like than this week's pomp-filled state visit by French President Emmanuel Macron, who has built a warm rapport with Trump despite stark policy differences.

Trump's lavish welcome for Macron, with hugs and much back-slapping, contrasted sharply with a tense White House event in March last year in which Trump appeared to ignore Merkel's offer of a handshake.

Despite Merkel's more sober style, her objective will be the same as Macron's—to persuade Trump to back off his dual threats of punitive measures that could spark a transatlantic trade war and scrapping the Iran nuclear deal.

Trump last month announced tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum, claiming foreign imports were harming US national security by undermining the domestic production needed for military readiness.

After an outcry from US allies, Trump granted a temporary exemption to key partners including the EU—but this expires on May 1.

On the eve of Merkel's Washington visit, Berlin's hopes were dim that the EU may be spared the sweeping customs duties, to which it has vowed to retaliate, potentially setting off spiraling counter-measures.

"From today's perspective, we must assume that the tariffs will come on May 1," said a German government source." And then we will see how we will handle it."

'Juggling Act'

The next looming deadline is May 12, the date by which Trump has threatened to tear up the landmark 2015 agreement to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons in return for relief from international sanctions.

Trump has called the agreement, which Germany helped negotiate, "insane" and the "worst deal ever," demanding that its "disastrous flaws" be fixed.

The EU and other signatory powers have sought to convince Trump not to abandon the pact, warning that it was the best defense against a regional nuclear arms race.

Macron pitched the idea of seeking a separate pact to curb Iran's ballistic missile program and support for militias in the Middle East.

The German foreign ministry has insisted that "the biggest priority is maintaining the existing nuclear accord," while Merkel has also called Iran's ballistic missile programme a "cause for concern."

The talks won't be helped by the rocky relations between Germany's veteran leader and the billionaire and former reality TV star Trump.

'Difficult Partner'

Trump has repeatedly berated the EU's top economy for its huge trade surplus with the US and spending too little on NATO joint defense.

He has criticized Merkel for opening German borders since 2015 to a mass influx of mostly Muslim refugees, while she has watched with dismay Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord.

Merkel routinely praises the a rules-based international order to tackle global problems from conflict and terrorism to environmental destruction, in stark contrast to Trump's "America First" stance.

"Angela Merkel is on her third US president in her long tenure as chancellor of Germany," said think-tank the German Marshall Fund of the United States. 

"It is no secret that she sees the current resident of the White House as a 'difficult partner.' Her return to Washington this week, by all accounts, will be a juggling act."

Merkel—who developed close relationships with Trump's predecessors Barack Obama and George W. Bush—this week stressed that, despite the differences, she wants to preserve the bedrock strategic partnership.

"The transatlantic alliance, given the many non-democratic developments in this world," she said, "is a great treasure that I certainly want to cherish and nurture."

The Berliner Zeitung daily looked ahead to Merkel's tough diplomatic mission just after Macron's charm offensive, saying that "she can hardly follow Macron's best-buddy act, but she does need a strategy."

Photo Credit: Wikicommons

China Warns US Against Causing 'Damage' to Trade in Huawei Probe

China warned the United States on Thursday against harming trade after a report that US authorities had opened an investigation into suspected violations of Iran sanctions by China's Huawei Technologies.

A US Justice Department probe would come on the back of subpoenas issued to the company by the US Commerce and Treasury Departments over sanctions-related issues, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Huawei—one of the world's largest telecommunications equipment and services providers—has been under tough scrutiny in the United States, where government national security officials say that its alleged close links to the Chinese government make it a security risk.

Its US business has been tightly constrained by worries it could undermine US competitors and that its cellphones and networking equipment, used widely in other countries, could provide Beijing with avenues for espionage.

The Journal report gave no details about the investigation. The New York Times has reported that the company has been subpoenaed by the Commerce and Treasury Departments over alleged violations of Iran and North Korea sanctions.

Huawei would not comment on the Journal report. "Huawei complies with all applicable laws and regulations where it operates, including the applicable export control and sanction laws and regulations of the UN, US and EU," spokesman Charles Zinkowski said in a statement.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said she had seen the report.

"We hope that the US doesn't take any further steps to damage confidence in the American business environment," Hua said at a regular press briefing.

Hua added that China hopes "the US doesn't do things that damage its domestic economy and the normal, transparent, mutually beneficial development of international trade."

Signaling the rising unease in the United States towards Huawei and fellow Chinese telecoms group ZTE Corp, last month the Federal Communications Commission proposed a new rule that would restrict small telecoms carriers from purchasing "equipment or services from companies that pose a national security threat."

Major US telecoms companies have already steered clear of the two Chinese firms, sometimes on the strong suggestions of US officials.

The cases come as the United States and China are gearing up for a potential trade war, with the high-tech sector among the concerns for both sides.

Photo Credit: Wikicommons

France's Macron Pessimistic About Future of Iran Nuclear Pact

Donald Trump may well pull out of the Iran nuclear deal for domestic political reasons, French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday, after he and his American counterpart held talks addressing the agreement's future.

Near the end of his three-day state visit, Macron told US media that while he did not know specifically what Trump will decide, he believes the US leader "will get rid of this deal on his own, for domestic reasons." 

Trump—a fierce opponent of the July 2015 agreement signed by Tehran and international powers—must declare by May 12 if he will essentially walk away from the existing deal when the renewal deadline arrives on May 12, or stay in.

Macron had come to Washington in part to plead for a more comprehensive "new agreement" that would address what he and Trump believe to be shortcomings of the existing accord.

Trump has branded the Iran deal "insane" and the "worst" in history.

"I have no inside information" on what decision Trump will make on the agreement, Macron told journalists. 

But "I listen to what President Trump is saying and it seems to me that he is not very eager to defend it."

Macron recalled that Trump made killing the Iran nuclear accord a campaign pledge during his 2016 presidential run.

"The rational analysis of all his statements does not make me think that he will do everything to maintain" the agreement signed with Iran to prevent the Islamic republic from acquiring an atomic bomb.

Asked whether such a decision would signify a personal failure for him, Macron stressed that his role "is not to try to convince President Trump to walk away from his campaign commitments."

Instead he offered further defense of the deal, saying "I'm trying to prove that this agreement makes sense."

The proposal that Macron put forward to his US counterpart involves preserving the existing agreement on the first of "four pillars" of a future deal. 

The others would address the period after 2025, when certain clauses concerning nuclear activities will sunset; Tehran's highly controversial ballistic missile program; and its "destabilizing" role in the region. 

"For me it's progress, it avoids falling into the complete unknown if the US decision is a hard exit," said Macron, who confirmed that the proposal was a strategy coordinated with European partners and not a unilateral one. 

Photo Credit: Wikicommons

Iran Deal 'Needs To Be Preserved': EU's Mogherini

The EU's diplomatic chief insisted Wednesday that the current Iran nuclear deal was working and "needs to be preserved", after US President Donald Trump and French counterpart Emmanuel Macron called for a new agreement with Tehran.

The landmark 2015 deal to curb Iran's nuclear program is hanging in the balance, with Trump threatening to walk away from the accord unless it is expanded to include Iran's ballistic missile program and regional activities by a May 12 deadline.

Trump slammed the deal as "insane" at the White House with Macron on Tuesday but said there was a "great shot" at a new accord, while Macron said he wanted to work for a new arrangement.

The EU's Federica Mogherini, who has staunchly defended the deal, said Wednesday that it was working and was "essential for European security" but appeared to leave the door open for some new arrangement.

"On what can happen in the future we'll see in the future, but there is one deal existing, it's working, it needs to be preserved," the former Italian foreign minister said as she arrived for a donor conference on Syria in Brussels.

Europe, led by Britain, France and Germany, has repeatedly tried to persuade Trump not to abandon the 2015 deal, which gave Iran massive sanctions relief and the guarantee of a civilian nuclear program in return for limiting enrichment that could produce weapons grade fuel.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will renew those calls when she follows Macron to Washington on Friday.

Photo Credit: Wikicommons

Iran's Rouhani Questions 'Right' to Seek New Nuclear Deal

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday questioned the legitimacy of demands for a fresh nuclear agreement with Tehran, after the leaders of the US and France called for a "new" deal.

"Together with a leader of a European country they say: 'We want to decide on an agreement reached by seven parties'. What for? With what right?" Rouhani said in a speech.

US President Donald Trump has fiercely criticized a three-year-old deal reached by world powers to curb Iran's nuclear program, and threatened to pull the US out of the agreement. 

Trump is eyeing a broader pact that also limits Iran's ballistic missile program and support for armed groups across the Middle East. 

European signatories to the 2015 deal have been scrambling to salvage it, with French President Emmanuel Macron saying Tuesday after talks with Trump that he wished "for now to work on a new deal with Iran".

Iran has repeatedly insisted it is sticking to the nuclear deal and will not negotiate over its missile program. 

Rouhani took aim at Trump—a former real estate mogul and TV reality star—and accused him of lacking in experience.

"You are just a businessman... you have no experience in politics or law or international agreements," he said. "How can he pass judgements on international affairs?"

Rouhani insisted that by agreeing to the nuclear accord in 2015 Tehran "showed goodwill to the world".

"We wanted to prove to the world that Iran does not seek to acquire weapons
of mass destruction."

Photo Credit: IRNA

Trump, Macron Call for 'New' Nuclear Deal with Iran

US President Donald Trump and French counterpart Emmanuel Macron called for a "new" deal with Iran Tuesday, looking beyond disagreements over a landmark nuclear accord that still hangs in the balance.

Trump laid transatlantic divisions bare during a visit by the French president, pillorying a three-year old agreement designed to curb Iran's nuclear program.

The US leader described the deal as "insane" and "ridiculous," despite European pleas for him not to walk away.Instead, Trump eyed a broader "deal" that would also limit Iran's ballistic missile program and support for militant groups across the Middle East.

"I think we will have a great shot at doing a much bigger, maybe, deal," said Trump, stressing that any new accord would have to be built on "solid foundations."

"They should have made a deal that covered Yemen, that covered Syria," said Trump. "No matter where you go in the Middle East, you see the fingerprints of Iran behind problems."

Macron admitted after meeting Trump that he did not know whether the US president would walk away from the nuclear deal when a May 12 decision deadline comes up. 

"I can say that we have had very frank discussions on that, just the two of us," Macron told a joint press conference with Trump at his side.

Putting on a brave face, he said he wished "for now to work on a new deal with Iran" of which the nuclear accord could be one part.

Neither Trump nor Macron indicated whether Iran would get something in return for concessions on its ballistic programs, activities in the Middle East or extending nuclear controls beyond 2025.

Trump—true to his background in reality TV—teased his looming decision.

"This is a deal with decayed foundations. It's a bad deal, it's a bad structure. It's falling down," the US leader said. "We're going to see what happens on the 12th."

Trump's European allies have repeatedly tried to persuade him not to abandon the 2015 deal, which gave Iran massive sanctions relief and the guarantee of a civilian nuclear program in return for limiting enrichment that could produce weapons grade fuel.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will renew those calls when she visits Washington on Friday.

Iran, meanwhile, has warned it will ramp up enrichment if Trump walks away from the accord, prompting a blunt warning from the US leader.

"They're not going to be restarting anything. If they restart it, they're going to have big problems, bigger than they ever had before. And you can mark it down," he said.

Simmering Tensions

For months American and European officials have been working behind the scenes trying to find a compromise on Iran that allows the mercurial US president to claim a public victory, while keeping the deal intact.

More hawkish American officials accuse Europeans—particularly Germany—of putting business interests ahead of security, and of opposing a tougher stance against Iran to safeguard investments in the Islamic Republic.

That charge is sharply rejected by European officials, who are increasingly frustrated at spending time dealing with Trump's complaints rather than tackling Iran's behavior.

The disagreement threatens to plunge transatlantic relations to their lowest point since the Iraq War.

Trump's comments on Iran contrasts markedly with the exuberant welcome he gave the French leader.

Tuesday morning both men waxed lyrical about shared heroes of yore—from the Marquis de Lafayette to Alexis de Tocqueville—as they listened to strains of "La Marseillaise" and "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Later, the Trumps rolled out the red carpet for the Macrons once more at a lavish state dinner—of which the US first lady was said to have fine-tuned every last detail, from gold tableware to white floral centerpieces, for star guests including Apple CEO Tim Cook and media mogul Rupert Murdoch.

Melania Trump dazzled in a sequined Chanel dress of black Chantilly lace, while Brigitte Macron stepped out in a long-sleeved creamy white gown with gold lattice detailing by Louis Vuitton.

"May our friendship grow even deeper, may our kinship grow even stronger, and may our sacred liberty never die," Trump said in his toast to the Macrons.

In turn, the French leader spoke at length of "how deep, how strong, and how intense the relationship is between our two countries," and marveled at the unforeseen rapport he has forged with Trump. 

"I got to know you, you got to know me. We both know that none of us easily changes our minds, but we will work together, and we have this ability to listen to one another," he said.

The key question is whether Macron can translate that privileged relationship into concrete results—as he also pushes for a permanent exemption for Europe from US steel and aluminum tariffs.

Earlier in the Oval Office, Trump offered a striking—and slightly awkward—sign of their much-vaunted intimacy. "We have a very special relationship, in fact I'll get that little piece of dandruff off," Trump said, swiping something off Macron's jacket. "We have to make him perfect—he is perfect."

Photo Credit: Jacques Witt/SIPA

Netanyahu Turns Up Volume as Iran Deadline Nears

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a fresh call Monday for an overhaul of the Iran nuclear deal as US President Donald Trump's deadline for further Iranian concessions edged closer.

Trump has threatened to tear up the 2015 agreement that lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbs to its nuclear activity, unless it curbs its ballistic missile program by May 12.

"Israel will not allow regimes that seek our annihilation to acquire nuclear weapons," Netanyahu told an audience of diplomats in a speech in Jerusalem.

"This is why this deal has to be either fully fixed or fully nixed," he said in English.

Iran says it is ready to relaunch its nuclear program—which the West suspects is designed to produce a bomb—if Trump kills the deal.

Netanyahu said the 2015 agreement leaves Iran able to quickly reboot its nuclear program to enable military production.

"It gives Iran a clear path to a nuclear arsenal," he said. "It allows, over a few years, unlimited enrichment of uranium, the core ingredient required to produce nuclear bombs."

The United States delivered much the same message Monday, at a meeting of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in Geneva.

Christopher Ford, US Assistant Secretary for International Security and Nonproliferation, said the Islamic republic's nuclear program remained "dangerously close to rapid weaponization."

Iran insists it never intended to build a nuclear weapon.

Photo Credit: Wikicommons

Russia, China to Stop Bid to 'Sabotage' Iran Deal: Lavrov

China and Russia will block any attempts to "sabotage" the Iran nuclear agreement, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday, as US President Donald Trump mulls whether to scrap the deal.

Trump has set a May 12 deadline to "fix" the 2015 accord, which curbs Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief and was the fruit of intense diplomacy involving the US, European powers, Russia and China.

"There are attempts to interfere with the international order upon which the United Nations depends," Lavrov said after talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing.

"We said clearly with China that we will stop attempts to sabotage these agreements that were passed in a UN Security Council resolution," Lavrov said.

He was speaking on the eve of a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a regional security bloc spearheaded by Moscow and Beijing.

Calling the Iran agreement "one of the biggest achievements in international diplomacy in recent times", Lavrov said that "revising this document is unacceptable."

Trump has threatened to abandon the accord unless European capitals agree to supplement it with tougher controls on Iran's missile program and its future ability to enrich nuclear fuel.

His partners maintain that  implementation of the agreement under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is the best way to prevent Tehran from seeking an atomic bomb.

Iran warned Saturday it was ready to "vigorously" resume nuclear enrichment if the United States ditches the deal.

Photo Credit: Wikicommons

Iran Bans Banks From Using Cryptocurrencies

Iran banned the use of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies by banks and financial institutions on Monday amid ongoing debate over how best to regulate the technology.

"The use of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in all the country's monetary and financial centers was banned," the central bank said in a statement overnight. 

It said the government's money-laundering committee had taken the decision in late December and it was now being put into effect. 

The ban came because "all cryptocurrencies have the capacity to be turned into a means for money-laundering and financing terrorism and in general can be turned into a means for transferring criminals' money," it added. 

Many in Iran see great potential in digital currencies as a way to overcome problems related to international sanctions and difficulties facing the country's ailing banks. 

Earlier this year, the country's 36-year-old telecoms minister Mohammad-Javad Azari Jahromi set up a team to create Iran's own cryptocurrency. 

But there are also fears that the technology could undermine the country's already weak banking system and exacerbate capital flight. 

Iranians working in the fledgling private cryptocurrency market said the ban was unlikely to affect their operations.

"This ruling referred directly to banks, financial institutions and currency exchangers that work with the central bank," Hadi Nemati, who works for cryptocurrency exchange platform Coinex, told AFP. 

"In my opinion, it doesn't include the general public -- it's not a total ban on cryptocurrencies." 

Coinex had however halted activity on its exchange platform because "we always want to make sure we comply with the law", he said. "But I have seen other crypto exchanges were still working normally."

Photo Credit: PXHere

Can Macron's White House Visit Save the Iran Deal?

French President Emmanuel Macron seems, as much as any world leader, to have developed some kind of rapport with his American counterpart Donald Trump.

But will their apparent bond prove productive as European capitals struggle to save the Iran nuclear deal from Trump's impulsive wrath?

The idea will be tested Monday when the young French leader begins a state visit in Washington, and European diplomats have a lot invested in what seems a tricky task.

There is not much time. Trump is due to decide by May 12 whether talks with Paris, Berlin and London on tougher anti-Iran measures have advanced far enough.

If he feels the "flaws" in the 2015 deal have not been adequately repaired, he may decide to withdraw his support, opening the way for renewed US sanctions that could torpedo the whole accord.

Europe would see this as a disaster, both in terms of the deal itself—a central plank in their non-proliferation strategy—and in terms of relations with Washington.

If anyone can talk down Trump, it might be Macron, who has better relations with the White House than his British and German counterparts Theresa May and Angela Merkel.

Paris was the first European ally to suggest tougher measures against Iran's ballistic missile programs to "supplement" the nuclear deal—but will that suffice?

Trump also wants to reform the agreement itself to end the so-called "sunset clauses" that would allow Iran to progressively restart parts of its nuclear program after 2025.    

But the West cannot unilaterally reopen the text. Iran has said the deal is final and warned it is ready to relaunch its nuclear program—which the West alleges is designed to produce an atomic bomb—if it fails.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told reporters in New York on Saturday that Iran is not seeking to acquire a nuclear bomb, but that its "probable" response to a US withdrawal would be to restart production of enriched uranium—a key bomb-making ingredient.

In addition, the agreement was the fruit of months of intense diplomacy between Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States—under
EU auspices.

Only Trump wants to rip it up. "It's a dialogue of the deaf," complained one European envoy. A US diplomat acknowledged that getting Trump to buy in will be the "trickiest" part of the
problem. British, French and German representatives have been in deep talks with the
US State Department's head of policy Brian Hook on what a supplemental deal
would look like.

'He Hates The Deal'

But the representatives complain privately that, despite progress with their American counterparts, they have no idea whether they are close to an agreement that the mercurial president would accept. To appease Trump, European capitals are working on a document that would amount to a political engagement to prevent Iran from returning to the nuclear path after the 2015 deal starts to expire.

The Europeans could even call such a statement a new "deal," if it convinces the US leader to stay within the terms of the original and "true" agreement.

Therein lies the rub. "He hates the deal," another European diplomat acknowledged.

All Hook can say is that once he comes to terms with his European partners, it will be up to Trump, in consultations with his hardline new NationalSecurity Advisor John Bolton, to decide.

"If we can reach an agreement, then that will be presented to the president by the secretary of state and the NSA, and then he will make a decision on whether he wants to remain in the deal or stop waiving sanctions," Hook said.

"We always have to prepare for any eventuality, and so we are engaged in contingency planning because it would not be responsible not to engage in it."

The appointment of Bolton, an avowed Iran hawk, fueled Europe's pessimism, as did the nomination of CIA director Mike Pompeo to become the next US secretary of state.

But Pompeo, who has always talked tough on Iran, played down the significance of the May 12 deadline in his Senate confirmation hearing. "I want to fix this deal. That's the objective," he told US lawmakers concerned that he might push for war. 

"If there is no chance to fix it, I'll recommend to the president we do our level best to work with our allies to achieve a better outcome and better deal. Even after May 12th, even after May 12th, there's still much diplomatic work to be done."

No Plan 'B'

As the deadline looms, even some of the more hawkish Washington pundits—critics of the deal when it was signed—have begun to suggest that the return of US nuclear-related sanctions could be postponed until a new fixed date.

But if all the talk fails and Trump follows his clear inclination to tear up the "terrible deal," there appears to be no Plan B, at least from Europe. "Anyone who wants to blow up the Iran deal has first to tell us what he will do if Iran relaunches its uranium enrichment program," France's ambassador to the United States Gerard Araud tweeted in exasperation.

After Macron's visit, there is only one from Merkel, whose chemistry with the US leader appears more toxic than productive, and then the ball in Trump's hands.

Photo Credit: The White House

Iran Threatens to 'Vigorously' Resume Enrichment if US Quits Deal

Iran warned Saturday it is ready to "vigorously" resume nuclear enrichment if the United States ditches the 2015 nuclear deal, and said further "drastic measures" are being considered in response to a US exit.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told reporters in New York that Iran is not seeking to acquire a nuclear bomb, but that its "probable" response to a US withdrawal would be to restart production of enriched uranium—a key bomb-making ingredient.

"America never should have feared Iran producing a nuclear bomb, but we will pursue vigorously our nuclear enrichment," added Zarif, who is in the United States to attend a UN meeting on sustaining peace.

US President Donald Trump has set a May 12 deadline for the Europeans to "fix" the 2015 agreement that provides for curbs to Iran's nuclear program in exchange for relief from financial sanctions. 

Zarif's comments marked a further hardening of rhetoric following a warning earlier this month from Iranian President Hassan Rouhani that Washington would "regret" withdrawing from the nuclear deal, and that Iran would respond within a week if it did.

The fate of the Iran deal will be a key issue during French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to Washington beginning Monday, followed by talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Washington on Friday.

Zarif said the European leaders must press Trump to stick to the deal if the United States "intends to maintain any credibility in the international community" and to abide by it, "rather than demand more."

The foreign minister also warned against offering any concessions to Trump.

"To try to appease the president, I think, would be an exercise in futility," he said.

European leaders are hoping to persuade Trump to save the deal if they, in turn, agree to press Iran to enter into agreement on missile tests and moderating its regional influence in Yemen, Syria and Lebanon.

No One-Sided Deal

If the United States buries the deal, Iran is unlikely to stick to the agreement alongside the other signatories - Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia, said the foreign minister.

"That's highly unlikely," he said. "It is important for Iran to receive the benefits of the agreement and there is no way that Iran would do a one-sided implementation of the agreement."

European diplomats have argued that the deal could be salvaged without the United States, with a view to bringing Washington back in the fold at a later time, possibly under a new administration.

"The United States under the Trump administration has done everything it could to prevent Iran from benefiting from this agreement," Zarif charged.

The foreign minister warned of "drastic measures" under discussion in Iran. Zarif declined to specify, pointing to "what certain members of our parliament are saying about Iran's options." 

Despite the threats of a tough response to a US pullout, Zarif also left open the possibility of diplomatic action during a 45-day period to formally notify the withdrawal.

"Whether other things can be done during those 45 days ... is a hypothetical question that needs to be addressed at that time," said Zarif.

A decision by Trump to walk away, he warned, would send a message to all governments "that you should never come to an agreement with the United States, because at the end of the day, the operating principle for the United States is, what's mine is mine, what's yours is negotiable."

Photo Credit: President.ir