24 dec 2013
A group of US senators introduced an anti-Iran bill.
A new report has revealed the names of 15 Democratic senators who are threatening to push the United States into a war with Iran by introducing a new sanctions bill.
The Huffington Post on Monday named the anti-Iran senators, who introduced the bill last week. Nineteen Republican senators also cosponsored the legislation.
Under a nuclear agreement reached in Geneva last month, the United States should not impose fresh economic sanctions against Iran over the next six months.
Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) is leading the charge to pass legislation in January that would impose additional sanctions on Iran.
Other Democratic senators are Sen. Mark Begich (Alaska), Sen. Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.), Sen. Ben Cardin (Md.), Sen. Bob Casey (Pa.), Sen. Chris Coons (Del.), Sen. Joe Donnelly (Ind.), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Sen. Kay Hagan (N.C.), Sen. Mary Landrieu (La.), Sen. Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Sen. Mark Pryor (Ark.), Sen. Charles Schumer (N.Y.) and Sen. Mark Warner (Va.).
The bill proposes boycotting Iranian oil exports within a year and the blacklisting of Iran's mining, engineering and construction industries.
The Senate bill also calls for "diplomatic, military and economic support" to Israel in case Tel Aviv decides to launch an attack against Iran’s nuclear energy program.
President Barack Obama, however, threatened to veto the bill introduced in the Senate.
He also warned that the United States should not impose further sanctions against Iran "if we are serious" about seeking a final agreement.
"There is no need for new sanctions legislation. Not yet," Obama said. "It's not going to be hard for us to turn the dials back, strengthen the sanctions even further. I'll work with members of Congress to put even more pressure on Iran."
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had warned that the Geneva agreement will be “dead” if Washington imposes new sanctions.
A new report has revealed the names of 15 Democratic senators who are threatening to push the United States into a war with Iran by introducing a new sanctions bill.
The Huffington Post on Monday named the anti-Iran senators, who introduced the bill last week. Nineteen Republican senators also cosponsored the legislation.
Under a nuclear agreement reached in Geneva last month, the United States should not impose fresh economic sanctions against Iran over the next six months.
Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) is leading the charge to pass legislation in January that would impose additional sanctions on Iran.
Other Democratic senators are Sen. Mark Begich (Alaska), Sen. Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.), Sen. Ben Cardin (Md.), Sen. Bob Casey (Pa.), Sen. Chris Coons (Del.), Sen. Joe Donnelly (Ind.), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Sen. Kay Hagan (N.C.), Sen. Mary Landrieu (La.), Sen. Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Sen. Mark Pryor (Ark.), Sen. Charles Schumer (N.Y.) and Sen. Mark Warner (Va.).
The bill proposes boycotting Iranian oil exports within a year and the blacklisting of Iran's mining, engineering and construction industries.
The Senate bill also calls for "diplomatic, military and economic support" to Israel in case Tel Aviv decides to launch an attack against Iran’s nuclear energy program.
President Barack Obama, however, threatened to veto the bill introduced in the Senate.
He also warned that the United States should not impose further sanctions against Iran "if we are serious" about seeking a final agreement.
"There is no need for new sanctions legislation. Not yet," Obama said. "It's not going to be hard for us to turn the dials back, strengthen the sanctions even further. I'll work with members of Congress to put even more pressure on Iran."
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had warned that the Geneva agreement will be “dead” if Washington imposes new sanctions.
21 dec 2013
President Barack Obama issued a stern defense of his outreach to Iran on Friday, warning US lawmakers not to derail diplomatic efforts to curtail the country's nuclear program.
In an end-of-year news conference, Obama said efforts in Congress to pass tougher economic sanctions could damage recent moves to halt Tehran's alleged drive to refine nuclear fuel and build a weapon.
And he once again underlined that any break in the diplomatic momentum towards a deal could force Washington into another military conflict with a Middle East power.
Obama said the six-month interim agreement struck last month between Iran and world powers should stand as a test of Tehran's willingness to come to a deal with the international community.
"It is very important to test whether that's possible, not because it's guaranteed but because the alternative is us having to engage in some kind of conflict to resolve the problem with all kinds of unintended consequences," he said.
"It is my goal to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, but I sure would rather do it diplomatically."
The United States and five more world powers -- Britain, China, France, Germany, and Russia -- met Iranian envoys in Geneva last month and agreed a six-month deal to reduce nuclear tensions.
Iran agreed to place its nuclear plants under UN watch, to halt new uranium enrichment and to dilute moderately enriched fuel stockpiles in exchange for a loosening of Western economic sanctions.
Washington's goal is to slow Tehran's enrichment drive while drawing its regime into talks on a final deal that will end fears, denied by Iran, that it intends to build a nuclear weapon.
Iran insists it never intended to build a bomb, but its main regional foes Israel and Saudi Arabia, traditional US allies with good support among Washington lawmakers, want stronger action.
Some influential members of Congress, from both Obama's Democratic Party and his Republican rivals, are pushing to pass laws that would tighten already strict US sanctions.
Obama's Secretary of State John Kerry has warned that this could torpedo the Geneva deal, and Obama himself took the opportunity Friday to warn against any attempt to thwart the diplomatic track.
"We lose nothing during this negotiation period," he insisted. "There is no need for new sanctions legislation -- not yet."
“Now, if Iran comes back and says, we can't give you assurances that we're not going to weaponize ... it's not going to be hard for us to turn the dials back, strengthen sanctions even further," he said.
"I will work with members of Congress to put even more pressure on Iran. But there is no reason to do it right now," he added.
On Thursday, 26 US senators introduced a bill to strengthen Iran sanctions, but it was not clear when it would come for a vote, and the chamber is due to go into recess until the new year.
The White House warned that Obama would in any case veto the bill, meaning that it would not become US law.
Iran is following Washington's disputes closely and last week had already reacted angrily when the US administration blacklisted a dozen international firms for allegedly evading previous sanctions.
In an end-of-year news conference, Obama said efforts in Congress to pass tougher economic sanctions could damage recent moves to halt Tehran's alleged drive to refine nuclear fuel and build a weapon.
And he once again underlined that any break in the diplomatic momentum towards a deal could force Washington into another military conflict with a Middle East power.
Obama said the six-month interim agreement struck last month between Iran and world powers should stand as a test of Tehran's willingness to come to a deal with the international community.
"It is very important to test whether that's possible, not because it's guaranteed but because the alternative is us having to engage in some kind of conflict to resolve the problem with all kinds of unintended consequences," he said.
"It is my goal to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, but I sure would rather do it diplomatically."
The United States and five more world powers -- Britain, China, France, Germany, and Russia -- met Iranian envoys in Geneva last month and agreed a six-month deal to reduce nuclear tensions.
Iran agreed to place its nuclear plants under UN watch, to halt new uranium enrichment and to dilute moderately enriched fuel stockpiles in exchange for a loosening of Western economic sanctions.
Washington's goal is to slow Tehran's enrichment drive while drawing its regime into talks on a final deal that will end fears, denied by Iran, that it intends to build a nuclear weapon.
Iran insists it never intended to build a bomb, but its main regional foes Israel and Saudi Arabia, traditional US allies with good support among Washington lawmakers, want stronger action.
Some influential members of Congress, from both Obama's Democratic Party and his Republican rivals, are pushing to pass laws that would tighten already strict US sanctions.
Obama's Secretary of State John Kerry has warned that this could torpedo the Geneva deal, and Obama himself took the opportunity Friday to warn against any attempt to thwart the diplomatic track.
"We lose nothing during this negotiation period," he insisted. "There is no need for new sanctions legislation -- not yet."
“Now, if Iran comes back and says, we can't give you assurances that we're not going to weaponize ... it's not going to be hard for us to turn the dials back, strengthen sanctions even further," he said.
"I will work with members of Congress to put even more pressure on Iran. But there is no reason to do it right now," he added.
On Thursday, 26 US senators introduced a bill to strengthen Iran sanctions, but it was not clear when it would come for a vote, and the chamber is due to go into recess until the new year.
The White House warned that Obama would in any case veto the bill, meaning that it would not become US law.
Iran is following Washington's disputes closely and last week had already reacted angrily when the US administration blacklisted a dozen international firms for allegedly evading previous sanctions.
20 dec 2013
US President Barack Obama would veto legislation imposing new sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear program, the White House said Thursday.
The bill attempts to secure automatic sanctions should Iran break the deal, a key Israeli demand, and promises Israel support if it feels the need to launch such an attack.
White House spokesman Jay Carney says the sanctions would undermine American diplomatic efforts, a claim made by other international powers as well – most recently this Thursday by Russian President Vladimir Putin who called them a "counterproductive decision."
13 Democrats and 13 Republicans introduced the "Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act" despite the Obama administration's insistence that passing such a measure would disrupt delicate negotiations between Tehran and world powers. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif also has said a new sanctions law would kill the interim agreement.
The proposed bill sets restrictions that would go into effect if Tehran violates an interim nuclear deal it reached with world powers last month or lets the agreement expire without a long-term accord.
A Senate vote won't happen until January at the earliest, and it's unclear whether the bill will have enough support to pass.
The bill attempts to secure automatic sanctions should Iran break the deal, a key Israeli demand, and promises Israel support if it feels the need to launch such an attack.
White House spokesman Jay Carney says the sanctions would undermine American diplomatic efforts, a claim made by other international powers as well – most recently this Thursday by Russian President Vladimir Putin who called them a "counterproductive decision."
13 Democrats and 13 Republicans introduced the "Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act" despite the Obama administration's insistence that passing such a measure would disrupt delicate negotiations between Tehran and world powers. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif also has said a new sanctions law would kill the interim agreement.
The proposed bill sets restrictions that would go into effect if Tehran violates an interim nuclear deal it reached with world powers last month or lets the agreement expire without a long-term accord.
A Senate vote won't happen until January at the earliest, and it's unclear whether the bill will have enough support to pass.
19 dec 2013
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Russian President Vladimir Putin says further sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran over its nuclear energy program are “counterproductive,” Press TV reports.
Asked by Press TV about his take on the latest US sanctions against Iranian companies and individuals, Putin described any new restrictive measures against Tehran as counterproductive. Speaking at his annual news conference in Moscow on Thursday, the Russian president added that the sanctions will adversely affect the recent deal struck between Iran and the six world powers in the Swiss city of Geneva over Tehran’s civilian nuclear activities. Putin also defended Iran’s right to access peaceful nuclear technology, |
stressing that no country has the right to demand any discriminatory restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program.
On December 12, the administration of US President Barack Obama issued new sanctions against more than a dozen companies and individuals for “providing support for” Iran’s nuclear energy program.
The new sanctions came despite an interim deal which was signed between Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council -- the United States, China, Russia, France and Britain -- plus Germany in Geneva on November 24 to pave the way for the full resolution of the West’s decade-old dispute with Iran over the country’s nuclear energy program.
Under the Geneva deal, the six countries have undertaken to lift some of the existing sanctions against the Islamic Republic in exchange for Iran agreeing to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities during a six-month period. It was also agreed that no more sanctions would be imposed on Iran within the same timeframe.
On December 15, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the recent US sanctions against a number of Iranian entities a very wrong move, noting that Tehran still honors the interim nuclear deal it reached with the six world powers.
On December 12, the administration of US President Barack Obama issued new sanctions against more than a dozen companies and individuals for “providing support for” Iran’s nuclear energy program.
The new sanctions came despite an interim deal which was signed between Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council -- the United States, China, Russia, France and Britain -- plus Germany in Geneva on November 24 to pave the way for the full resolution of the West’s decade-old dispute with Iran over the country’s nuclear energy program.
Under the Geneva deal, the six countries have undertaken to lift some of the existing sanctions against the Islamic Republic in exchange for Iran agreeing to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities during a six-month period. It was also agreed that no more sanctions would be imposed on Iran within the same timeframe.
On December 15, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the recent US sanctions against a number of Iranian entities a very wrong move, noting that Tehran still honors the interim nuclear deal it reached with the six world powers.
Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Mark Kirk (R-IL)
A number of American senators have introduced new legislation to impose further sanctions against Iran in order to disrupt the Geneva nuclear agreement.
In a blatant move to oppose President Barack Obama’s request for not imposing fresh sanctions, 13 Democrats and 13 Republicans sponsored the new Senate bill on Thursday.
Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Sen. Robert Menendez and Sen. Mark Kirk wrote the bill, which proposes boycotting Iranian oil exports within a year and the blacklisting of Iran's mining, engineering and construction industries.
“A credible threat of future sanctions will require Iran to cooperate and act in good faith at the negotiating table," Sen. Menendez was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
Republican Senator Kirk also claimed that the draft law is "an insurance policy to defend against Iranian deception."
Under the Senate bill, more sanctions will be imposed if Iran breaches the terms of the Geneva deal and it calls for "diplomatic, military and economic support" to Israel in case Tel Aviv decides to launch an attack against Iran’s nuclear energy program.
The new legislation will put the Obama administration in peril because under the November 24 nuclear deal no new economic sanctions should be imposed for the duration of the six-month interim accord.
Last week, US Secretary of State John Kerry told senators that passing new sanctions legislation now would violate the interim deal with Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had warned that the agreement will be “dead” if the United States imposes additional sanctions.
“The entire deal is dead. We do not like to negotiate under duress. And if Congress adopts sanctions, it shows lack of seriousness and lack of a desire to achieve a resolution on the part of the United States,” Zarif said.
Meanwhile, the US announced new sanctions against a number of companies and individuals last week for “providing support for” Iran’s nuclear program.
Iran called December sanctions counterproductive, saying they might undermine the agreement. Tehran said they “violated the spirit of the Geneva deal.”
A number of American senators have introduced new legislation to impose further sanctions against Iran in order to disrupt the Geneva nuclear agreement.
In a blatant move to oppose President Barack Obama’s request for not imposing fresh sanctions, 13 Democrats and 13 Republicans sponsored the new Senate bill on Thursday.
Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Sen. Robert Menendez and Sen. Mark Kirk wrote the bill, which proposes boycotting Iranian oil exports within a year and the blacklisting of Iran's mining, engineering and construction industries.
“A credible threat of future sanctions will require Iran to cooperate and act in good faith at the negotiating table," Sen. Menendez was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
Republican Senator Kirk also claimed that the draft law is "an insurance policy to defend against Iranian deception."
Under the Senate bill, more sanctions will be imposed if Iran breaches the terms of the Geneva deal and it calls for "diplomatic, military and economic support" to Israel in case Tel Aviv decides to launch an attack against Iran’s nuclear energy program.
The new legislation will put the Obama administration in peril because under the November 24 nuclear deal no new economic sanctions should be imposed for the duration of the six-month interim accord.
Last week, US Secretary of State John Kerry told senators that passing new sanctions legislation now would violate the interim deal with Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had warned that the agreement will be “dead” if the United States imposes additional sanctions.
“The entire deal is dead. We do not like to negotiate under duress. And if Congress adopts sanctions, it shows lack of seriousness and lack of a desire to achieve a resolution on the part of the United States,” Zarif said.
Meanwhile, the US announced new sanctions against a number of companies and individuals last week for “providing support for” Iran’s nuclear program.
Iran called December sanctions counterproductive, saying they might undermine the agreement. Tehran said they “violated the spirit of the Geneva deal.”
