TToI:‘"Sparks fly"’ over US policy on Iran at meeting between Netanyahu and US envoy

[twa]

There was no immediate official reaction from Israel to Mr. Nasrallah’s speech, or warnings about the need for a military response against Hezbollah in Lebanon

When Israeli's quit jawing it's time to find a hole.

[visionary]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...89D09N20121014

Iran says Hezbollah drone sent into Israel proves its capabilities

Iran said on Sunday the launch of a drone aircraft into Israel by Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah was a sign of the Islamic Republic's military capabilities.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility on Thursday for the launch of the drone aircraft which Israel shot down last weekend after flying 25 miles into the Jewish state, saying the drone's parts were manufactured in Iran and assembled in Lebanon.

Tensions have increased in the region with Israel threatening to bomb the nuclear sites of Hezbollah's patron Iran if diplomacy and sanctions fail to stop Iranian nuclear activity the West suspects is meant to develop a weapons capability. Tehran says it is seeking only civilian nuclear energy.

Iran has threatened in turn to attack U.S. military bases in the Middle East and retaliate against Israel if attacked.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...89D0B720121014

Iran says it will cut imports of non-essential goods

Iran said it would seek to cut imports of non-essential goods and urged its citizens to reduce their use of foreign-made mobile telephones and cars, as the country struggles to cope with Western economic sanctions.

The policies suggest the government is moving the economy onto an austerity footing to resist the sanctions, which have been imposed over Iran's controversial nuclear program and have slashed its income from oil exports this year.

Authorities have divided imports into 10 categories based on how essential they are, and will provide importers with dollars at a subsidized rate to buy basic goods, Deputy Industry Minister Hamid Safdel was quoted as saying on Sunday.

Meanwhile, importers of goods in two non-essential categories will have to obtain dollars at much more expensive rates on the open market, the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) quoted him as saying.

Goods in these two categories include cigarette papers, wallpaper, mobile phones, luggage, clothing and cars, ISNA reported. It said about $10 to $12 billion was spent annually on importing luxury and non-essential goods into Iran.

[visionary]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/16/wo...er=rss&emc=rss

European Union Intensifies Sanctions on Iran

The European Union toughened sanctions against Iran on Monday because of the disputed Iranian nuclear program, banning trade in sectors like finance, metals and natural gas, and making business transactions in many other areas far more cumbersome.

The European Union’s foreign ministers agreed to the measures, the most far-reaching since it slapped a ban on oil imports in July, at a regular meeting in Luxembourg.

In a joint statement, the ministers expressed “serious and deepening concerns over Iran’s nuclear program” and said Iran “is acting in flagrant violation of its international obligations.”

The decision to intensify pressure on Iran comes amid growing evidence that sanctions aimed at forcing Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment activities have begun to inflict serious damage to its economy.

“We want to see a negotiated agreement,” said Catherine Ashton, the Union’s foreign policy chief who represents six major powers including the United States, ahead of the meeting. “But we will continue to keep up the pressure,” Ms. Ashton said, adding that the sanctions policy “is important because it’s quite clearly having an effect.”

[visionary]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/23/wo...ef=world&_r=1&

Iran’s Political Infighting Erupts in Full View

A long and bitter rivalry between Iran’s president and an influential band of brothers in the political hierarchy exploded into the open on Monday, signaling new fractures in the facade of unity as the country confronts worsening economic conditions and isolation over the disputed Iranian nuclear program.

In a letter published by Iranian news sites, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused the head of the powerful judiciary, Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani, of protecting “certain individuals” from prosecution for economic corruption who are widely understood to be high officials, including Ayatollah Larijani’s oldest brother.

Mr. Ahmadinejad also demanded access to Tehran’s Evin prison, to visit one of his aides who has been held for nearly a month. In order to build his case, Mr. Ahmadinejad referred to a range of articles in the Iranian Constitution that explain the powers of the president.

The accusation escalated a simmering conflict between Mr. Ahmadinejad and opponents among influential clerics, parliamentarians and commanders. It followed a decision announced on Sunday by Iran’s judiciary to deny Mr. Ahmadinejad access to the prison — a humiliating slap at the president’s authority.

Mr. Ahmadinejad had wanted to visit Ali Akbar Javanfekr, his press adviser and former head of the official Islamic Republic News Agency, imprisoned since September on a six-month sentence for having insulted Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Mr. Javanfekr’s arrest and conviction had also been seen as a move to curtail presidential powers.

Adding insult to injury, a judiciary statement said Mr. Ahmadinejad had been informed his visit would be “inappropriate” and divert attention from Iran’s economic problems.

Both Mr. Ahmadinejad’s government and his opponents have been trying to cast each other as responsible for double-digit inflation, high unemployment and a devaluation of the national currency. These economic indicators have worsened in recent months with the bite of antinuclear sanctions, which have constricted Iran’s ability to sell oil and do routine banking transactions.

[visionary]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...89M0SW20121023

Exclusive: Turkish gold trade booms to Iran, via Dubai

To see one of Iran's financial lifelines at work, pay a visit to Istanbul's Ataturk International Airport and find a gate for a flight to Dubai.

Couriers carrying millions of dollars worth of gold bullion in their luggage have been flying from Istanbul to Dubai, where the gold is shipped on to Iran, according to industry sources with knowledge of the business.

The sums involved are enormous. Official Turkish trade data suggests nearly $2 billion worth of gold was sent to Dubai on behalf of Iranian buyers in August. The shipments help Tehran manage its finances in the face of Western financial sanctions.

The sanctions, imposed over Iran's disputed nuclear program, have largely frozen it out of the global banking system, making it hard for it to conduct international money transfers. By using physical gold, Iran can continue to move its wealth across borders.

"Every currency in the world has an identity, but gold means value without identity. The value is absolute wherever you go," said a trader in Dubai with knowledge of the gold trade between Turkey and Iran.

The identity of the ultimate destination of the gold in Iran is not known. But the scale of the operation through Dubai and its sudden growth suggest the Iranian government plays a role.

Iranian gold buyers may want to conceal their Turkish gold deliveries for fear of attracting attention from the United States, which is pressing countries around the world to shrink their economic ties with Iran.

The buyers may also want to make their purchases less vulnerable to any possible interference by Turkey's government. Turkey's close relationship with Iran has begun to sour as the two states find themselves on opposite sides of the civil war in Syria, with Turkey advocating the departure of President Bashar al-Assad and Iran remaining Assad's staunchest regional ally.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...89M0EP20121023

Iran says may stop oil sales if sanctions tighten

Iran said on Tuesday it would stop oil exports if pressure from Western sanctions got any tighter and that it had a "Plan B" contingency strategy to survive without oil revenues.

Western nations led by the United States have imposed tough sanctions on the Islamic Republic this year in an attempt to curb its nuclear program that they say is designed to produce atomic weapons. Tehran says its nuclear plans are peaceful.

"If sanctions intensify we will stop exporting oil," Iranian oil minister Rostam Qasemi told reporters in Dubai.

Qasemi's statement is the latest in a series of threats of retaliation by Tehran in response to the sanctions, which have heightened political tensions across the Middle East and, analysts say, led to a sharp drop in Iranian oil exports.

"We have prepared a plan to run the country without any oil revenues," Qasemi said, adding, "So far to date we haven't had any serious problems, but if the sanctions were to be renewed we would go for 'Plan B'.

"If you continue to add to the sanctions we (will) cut our oil exports to the world... We are hopeful that this doesn't happen, because citizens will suffer. We don't want to see European and U.S. citizens suffer," he said, adding that the loss of Iranian oil on the market would drive up oil prices.

[visionary]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012...ran?CMP=twt_gu

Britain rejects US request to use UK bases in nuclear standoff with Iran

Britain has rebuffed US pleas to use military bases in the UK to support the build-up of forces in the Gulf, citing secret legal advice which states that any pre-emptive strike on Iran could be in breach of international law.

The Guardian has been told that US diplomats have also lobbied for the use of British bases in Cyprus, and for permission to fly from US bases on Ascension Island in the Atlantic and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, both of which are British territories.

The US approaches are part of contingency planning over the nuclear standoff with Tehran, but British ministers have so far reacted coolly. They have pointed US officials to legal advice drafted by the attorney general's office which has been circulated to Downing Street, the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defence.

This makes clear that Iran, which has consistently denied it has plans to develop a nuclear weapon, does not currently represent "a clear and present threat". Providing assistance to forces that could be involved in a pre-emptive strike would be a clear breach of international law, it states.

"The UK would be in breach of international law if it facilitated what amounted to a pre-emptive strike on Iran," said a senior Whitehall source. "It is explicit. The government has been using this to push back against the Americans."

[visionary]

https://twitter.com/Reuters

Iran fired on unarmed U.S. drone on November 1 over international airspace, didn't hit aircraft - Pentagon
2:37 PM

http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/1...-on-u-s-drone/

FIRST ON CNN: Iranian jets fire on U.S. drone

Two Iranian Su-25 fighter jets fired on an unarmed U.S. Air Force Predator drone in the Persian Gulf last week, CNN has learned.

The incident raises fresh concerns within the Obama administration about Iranian military aggression in crucial Gulf oil shipping lanes.

The drone was in international airspace east of Kuwait, U.S. officials said, adding it was engaged in routine maritime surveillance.

Although the drone was not hit, the Pentagon is concerned.

Two U.S. officials explained the jets were part of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps force, which has been more confrontational than regular Iranian military forces.

The Obama administration did not disclose the incident, which occurred just days before the presidential election on November 1, but three senior officials confirmed the details to CNN.

[AsburySkinsFan]

https://twitter.com/Reuters

http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/1...-on-u-s-drone/

Soooooo, their air force can't hit an unmanned drone.....Top Gun material.

[JMS]

It really sounds like the sanctions are crippling. I think they are in full effect now as they were staged to go in progressively. I hope they give them time to work it does seem like Iran's starting to crack.

[pjfootballer]

Like Iraq's "Imperial Guard," I bet Iran's "Revolutionary Guard Corps Force" are 10 fighter jets and donkey.

[visionary]

http://amanpour.blogs.cnn.com/2012/1...-lead-on-iran/

Mending fences with Obama: Israel says it follows U.S. lead on Iran

Israel is signaling a major change in tone toward U.S. President Barack Obama now that he has won reelection.

In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Thursday, Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister, Danny Ayalon, gave what could only be described as a ringing endorsement of the Obama administration’s handling of Iran’s nuclear program. It has been a very contentious issue between the two allies, with the U.S. fearing Israel might unilaterally strike Iran’s nuclear sites and drag the U.S. into an regional war.

But Ayalon told Amanpour that despite past differences with the Obama administration over Iran, “I think today we can safely say that we are very much on the same page and will continue to follow the lead of the U.S.”

[visionary]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...8AG0F320121117

U.S. denies visas to Iran officials for U.N. meeting: report

The United States has denied visas to Iranian officials hoping to attend a U.N. meeting in New York, Iran's state news agency reported on Saturday.

The Iranian judiciary's Human Rights Headquarters said in a statement that the United States denied visas to members of an Iranian delegation that planned to travel to a meeting of the United Nations' Third Committee, which focuses on social issues and human rights, state news agency IRNA said.

"The U.S. government, by not issuing visas to the members of the delegation, wants to ruin the possibility of the presence of the delegation, and prevent its members from conducting their mission of interacting and cooperating with the United Nations," said the statement, according to IRNA.

The judiciary body urged U.N. officials to warn the United States against such decisions and remind it of its obligations as U.N. host country, IRNA reported. It did not say how many Iranian officials had applied for visas from the United States or when they wanted to travel.

[visionary]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/...9010EV20130102

Iran says captures two U.S.-made miniature surveillance drones

Iran has captured two miniature U.S.-made surveillance drones over the past 17 months, Iranian media reported on Wednesday.

Several drone incidents over the past year have highlighted tension in the Gulf as Iran and the United States flex their military capabilities in the vital oil exporting region in a standoff over Iran's disputed nuclear program.

The lightweight RQ11 Raven drones were brought down by Iranian air defense units in separate incidents in August 2011 and November 2012, Rear Admiral Amir Rastegari told Fars news agency.

"Much of the data of these drones has been decoded by the Army's jihad and research center," he said, without elaborating.

[Hubbs]

"Much of the data of these drones has been decoded by the Army's jihad and research center," he said, without elaborating.

Ah yes, the ol' "jihad and research" center. They go together like lamb and tuna fish.