Thread: Iran News and Editorials

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

I'm so glad you can tell all of that from a couple of posts.

Forget the fact that the sanctions are to try and emusculate the Mullahocracy, not the Iranian people, who basically have no real power in their own country anyway.

I don't give a fuck as long as it has the desired effect - stopping an evil bunch of terrorist psychopaths obtaining weapons grade nuclear materials.

As for the Shi'a majority, the only country I know that has that is Iran, and that's only because back in the day they were forced to convert or be killed.

I can tell that because you wrote it in a post a few days ago.seems you cannot even remember what you write. Sanctions affect the Iranian people obviously just like they affected the Iraqi people before them,the ones in power have ways and means to get what they want to have a nice life. Everybody knows that much except you it would seem.Bahrain has a Shia majority,duh!!!



Today the monarchy is attempting to mitigate the Shia majority by extending citizenship to as many as 100,000 Sunnis from Yemen, Syria, Jordan and Pakistan and offering them employment in the security services. This policy has not only enraged unemployed Shia, but also angered local Sunnis who are hard pressed to find work


http://mideast.foreignpolicy.com/pos.../09/09/bahrain

Actually, that all goes back to about 2003, and the Shi'a have been "enraged" since the '70s.

If you want to discuss Bahrain, there is a thread for that. This one is about Iran.

29/06/2012

DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has reopened an old oil pipeline built by Iraq to bypass Gulf shipping lanes, giving Riyadh scope to export more of its crude from Red Sea terminals should Iran try to block the Strait of Hormuz, industry sources told Reuters.
Riyadh took the step as international pressure grows on Iran to curb a nuclear program that Western powers say has a covert military purpose. A European Union embargo on buying Iranian oil takes full effect on Sunday, cutting Tehran's income.
With the sanctions regime tightening on Iran, grains traders said its attempts to secure millions of metric tons (1.1023 tons) of wheat through barter deals with India and Pakistan are failing, and Tehran is about to pay premium prices on international markets to secure food supplies and stave off popular unrest.
Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili warned world powers on Thursday against adopting "unconstructive measures" that harm talks, state television reported. "Those who replace logic in talks with illegitimate tools are responsible for harming the constructive trend of talks," Jalili wrote to EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
The effects of tensions have been diverse, with Saudi Arabia's decision to widen its export routes the latest evidence of states in the region preparing for difficulties.
The Iraqi Pipeline in Saudi Arabia (IPSA), laid across the kingdom in the 1980s after oil tankers were attacked in the Gulf by both sides during the Iran-Iraq war, has not carried Iraqi crude since Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990.
Saudi Arabia confiscated the pipeline in 2001 as compensation for debts owed by Baghdad and has used it to transport gas to power plants in the west of the country in the last few years.
Iran threatened in January to block the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for U.S. and European sanctions that target its oil revenues in an attempt to stop the nuclear program.
An EU ban on Iranian oil starts on Sunday and Israel has threatened military action against the country's nuclear facilities if talks with Western powers fail to stop uranium enrichment.
Alarmed, Saudi Arabia has now quietly reconditioned IPSA to carry crude, test pumping along the line over the last four to five months, several sources with knowledge of the project say.
"The testing started because Saudi Arabia wanted to secure alternative routes to export oil," an industry source in Saudi Arabia said.
Western industry sources said the tests through the 1.65-million barrel-a-day line had delivered into storage facilities at Mu'ajjiz near Yanbu on the Red Sea for at least four months.
More than a third of the world's seaborne oil exports pass through the narrow Strait of Hormuz from the oilfields of Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Qatar's liquefied natural gas exports are all shipped through Hormuz.
PETROLINE
Worried about its reliance on Gulf shipping, Saudi Arabia increased its capacity in 1992 to pump oil from fields predominantly clustered in the east across the country to the Red Sea. Capacity rose to about 5 million barrels a day through two parallel pipelines known as the Petroline.
Saudi crude exports run as high as 8 million bpd but rising demand for its crude in Asia, shipped out of the Gulf, and falling demand from Europe, usually sourced from Red Sea ports, meant Petroline's pumping capacity was never fully used.
The smaller Petroline pipeline was converted to carry natural gas from the east to booming industrial centers in the west a few years ago, slashing Saudi's east-west crude transport capacity to Red Sea ports.
Saudi Red Sea industries are now reliant on gas fed from fields over 1,000 km away and the prospect of cutting them off to export crude through Petroline during a Gulf shipping blockade is not an attractive option.
Until recently the Saudi government had considered the risk of such a disruption in the Gulf too small and its western gas needs too great to switch Petroline fully back to oil. But as tensions over Iran's nuclear program rose, it decided to put IPSA on standby to transport more crude west in an emergency.
The United Arab Emirates has built its own Hormuz bypass pipeline, which is due to start exporting from the Gulf of Oman next month.
With its oil income crimped by embargoes and its ability to import essential products curtailed by sanctions targeting its banking system, Iran had turned to India and Pakistan for wheat to meet some of its needs, but grain traders say talks with both Delhi and Islamabad are deadlocked.
Food is not targeted under Western sanctions aimed at deterring Iran's nuclear program, but in recent months it has paid high prices for grain to work around a freeze on financial transactions due to the measures.
"There is great doubt in the market about whether the Indian deal will happen. They are never going to get the phyto-sanitary standards worked out," a European grains trader said. "The Indian wheat cannot reach the standards the Iranians traditionally demand."
As Iran's second-biggest crude client, India hoped to reassure Tehran on quality and secure wheat sales to help settle part of its $10 billion a year-plus oil import bill through a barter-style mechanism using rupees. India said last week it can export up to 3 million metric tons of wheat if supplies are requested.
In Washington, sources said the Obama administration is expected to extend exceptions on Iran financial sanctions to China and Singapore, perhaps as early as Thursday.
"There should be an announcement today," on China - Iran's top buyer of crude - and on Singapore which buys fuel oil from the OPEC member, said one of the sources who works in the U.S. government. Earlier this month the administration granted exceptions to India and six other economies. Japan and 10 EU countries got the exceptions in March.
Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi warned South Korea on Thursday that Tehran would reconsider ties with Seoul if the country stopped importing oil from Iran, the official IRNA news agency reported.
South Korea announced on Monday it would halt imports of Iranian crude from July 1 due to an EU ban on insuring tankers carrying Iranian oil, becoming the first major Asian consumer of Iranian crude to announce suspension of crude imports.

Iran’s top Asian oil buyers cut imports 18% TOKYO: Asia’s top buyers of Iranian oil cut imports by more than a quarter of a million barrels per day in the first five months of the year as they prepared for US sanctions that take effect on Thursday and EU curbs that bite from Sunday.

Most of Iran’s exports flow to Asia and Tehran acknowledged for the first time on Wednesday that its oil exports had fallen sharply, down as much as 30 percent from normal volumes of 2.2 million barrels daily. The International Energy Agency estimates Tehran’s exports have fallen even more, and pegs the reduction at 40 percent since the start of the year.

The latest import numbers from Iran’s top four Asian buyers show purchases have fallen by 257,741 barrels per day, or 18 percent, in the first five months of this year.

Imports by Japan, China, India and South Korea from Iran fell 25 percent in May alone to 999,230 bpd from 1,338,193 bpd a year earlier, according to Thomson Reuters calculations from the Asian countries’ customs data. Year to date imports by the four countries fell to 1,192,881 bpd from 1,450,622 bpd. At today’s prices that reduction amounts to a loss of around $24 million a day from Iran’s oil earnings.

The sanctions are designed to restrict the flow of funds to Iran because Western governments believe the country is working on building nuclear weapons, although Tehran has maintained its nuclear program is strictly for civilian purposes.

S Korea to halt imports from July: South Korea this week became Iran’s first major Asian customer to announce a halt in imports from July after the government failed to convince EU leaders to give it waivers on an insurance ban on tankers carrying Iranian oil.

The world’s fourth biggest buyer of Iranian crude imported 192,211 bpd in the first five months of this year, down 16 percent from a year earlier, data from state-run Korean National Oil Corp showed on Monday.

Japan’s crude imports from Iran fell by a third in the first five months of 2012 to an average 238,859 barrels per day, according to data from the country’s Ministry of Finance, which released its figures for May on Thursday.

Both South Korea and Japan depend on the United States for their security but have no natural resources of their own, so they have scrambled to find other sources as they sought to reduce Iran imports.

Those efforts have been rewarded with waivers from the tough U.S. financial sanctions that start on Thursday.

But the EU ban has proven the most effective restrictions on Iran’s oil exports yet as 90 percent of the world’s shipping companies rely on European insurers to lay off the risks from personal injury and environmental clean-up claims.

Japan has been cutting purchases from Iran even though its demand for oil to fuel power plants has risen after all the country’s nuclear stations were shut down in the wake of the Fukushima disaster last year.

Overall crude imports rose 7.1 percent to about 3.4 million barrels a day in May. China, which hasn’t received a waiver from US restrictions, has cut Iran imports by 25 percent to 389,857 bpd so far this year, according to government data.

Still, both China and Japan plan to keep some oil flowing from Iran.

Japan’s parliament last week approved an unprecedented law that allows Tokyo to provide cover of up to $7.6 billion for incidents involving tankers bringing Iranian oil to the country. Unipec, the trading arm of China’s top refiner Sinopec Corp , requested Iran to deliver July-loading crude cargoes to Chinese ports, sources said last week.

One source estimated Sinopec will lift about 500,000 bpd for July, a level similar to the average amount the top Asian refiner bought from Iran last year. Japan has made nominations for about 120,000 bpd in June and July, sources said last week.

India, which has a waiver from US restrictions, has allowed state refiners to import Iranian oil, with Tehran arranging shipping and insurance, from July 1.

India’s imports of Iranian crude fell by 38 percent in May to 243,293 bpd.

They’ve risen 9.4 percent to an average 371,954 barrels per day since the beginning of the year, as Indian refiners drew higher volumes to meet their commitments under annual deals that ended on March 31, 2012 and build stocks. reuters

China, Singapore cut back on Iranian crude
Published: June 29, 2012 at 7:15 AM
WASHINGTON, June 29 (UPI) -- China and Singapore became the latest countries to get protection from U.S. sanctions because of moves away from Iranian crude, a U.S. official said.
U.S. and European sanctions targeting the Iranian energy sector go into force within days. Countries that "significantly" cut back on the amount of crude oil imported from Iran are protected from U.S. sanctions.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that China and Singapore have met the requirements to get an exemption, bringing the number of exempted countries to 20.
U.S. and European governments have expressed concern Iran is financing a controversial nuclear program with its oil-dependent economy. Clinton said more transparency from Tehran was needed to allay international concerns.
"Failure to do so will result in continuing pressure and isolation from the international community," she said in a statement.
The International Energy Agency states that Iranian crude oil imports have declined to the point that Tehran is out nearly $8 billion in oil revenue per quarter, Clinton said.
A lack of crude oil exports from Libya during last year's war prompted the IEA to call on member states to release oil from strategic petroleum reserves to offset liquidity concerns. Oil markets in 2012 are said to be well supplied as Tehran's consumers had several months to prepare for the decline in Iranian crude.


Read more: China, Singapore cut back on Iranian crude - UPI.com

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Actually, that all goes back to about 2003, and the Shi'a have been "enraged" since the '70s.

If you want to discuss Bahrain, there is a thread for that. This one is about Iran.

That article is from 2010. You did not even know that Bahrain is a Shia majority country. Geez your lack of knowledge is getting to be legendary.

I'm quite well aware of the history and demographics of Bahrain, thank you, and all of this recent reporting pays no heed whatsoever to the fact that the Bahraini-Iranians and Bahranis have been festering for decades.

And like I said, there is another thread for that if you would like to learn about it.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

I'm quite well aware of the history and demographics of Bahrain,

Not according to your own post where you stated that Iran was the only Shia majority country you knew. Which means you did not know that Bahrain is a Shia majority country. 1-0 to the Arsenal. Many thanks.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

One source estimated Sinopec will lift about 500,000 bpd for July, a level similar to the average amount the top Asian refiner bought from Iran last year.

The Chinese buy the same amount as last year?

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

China and Singapore became the latest countries to get protection from U.S. sanctions because of moves away from Iranian crude, a U.S. official said. U.S. and European sanctions targeting the Iranian energy sector go into force within days. Countries that "significantly" cut back on the amount of crude oil imported from Iran are protected from U.S. sanctions.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that China and Singapore have met the requirements to get an exemption, bringing the number of exempted countries to 20.

The Chinese gain US protection from sanction due to their "significant" cut back of imported Iranian crude.

Which is it ?

I think the "cut back" is in the price they are paying for it. Remember the whole point of sanctions is to cut off the money supply.

Originally Posted by Primo

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

I'm quite well aware of the history and demographics of Bahrain,

Not according to your own post where you stated that Iran was the only Shia majority country you knew. Which means you did not know that Bahrain is a Shia majority country. 1-0 to the Arsenal. Many thanks.

Would you even know the population of Bahrain if you didn't look it up on Wikipedia?

Anyway, as I said there's a Bahrain thread, so post there if you want to learn more. This is a thread about IRAN you dim twat.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Remember the whole point of sanctions is to cut off the money supply.

Wrong. The whole point of sanctions is to stop Iran's nuclear program,everybody knows that except you.Have you got a brain rattling around in your head somewhere? I think not.

^ Well technically even that's wrong, but as you're just being a pedantic little wanker, I won't bother explaining it to you.

Originally Posted by OhOh

One could read this as suggesting any ship engaging in an act, or threat, detrimental to the coastal state does not have free passage. Which presumably means Iran has the right to deny passage.

Iran certainly has the right to do whatever it likes, as long as it accepts the consequences.

It could probably do with the oil price being a bit higher right now.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

^ Well technically even that's wrong, but as you're just being a pedantic little wanker, I won't bother explaining it to you.

Wrong again. The whole point of sanctions is to try and stop Iran's nuclear program,that you did not even know that explains a lot about your posts. Maybe you can makeup some fantasy version of events where there is another reason why all these sanctions are being piled on Iran,oh I forgot you have already done that. LOL. Just be a man and admit you were wrong yet again.I have come to the conclusion that you are an idiot as proven by your own posts.

Do you actually have anything useful to add?

Or do you just intend to keep being a silly little c**t every post?

The sanctions are being applied to cut off the money. The obvious primary intention is to try and force the somewhat peeved Iranian people to topple the Mullahs.

It also has the added bonus of making it hard for the mullahs to fund Syria.

The implication is obviously that they're telling the Mullahs "co-operate and we'll lift the sanctions".

The sanctions have no direct effect on the nuclear programme whatsoever. They'll find a way to pay for that anyway if they want to and I hope it doesn't come to that.

Bit too complex for a retard like you, I'd imagine.

Iran Says It Has ‘Inalienable Right’ to Enrich Uranium


By Peter S. Green - Jun 29, 2012 11:41 PM GMT+0300



Iran is declaring that it has an “inalienable right” to enrich uranium, reasserting a stand that is rejected by world powers and may prevent a deal to resolve Western suspicions it seeks to build nuclear weapons.
Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Mohammad Khazaee, said in New York today that Iran’s position is that international law and the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty guarantee its right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes and allow it to obtain nuclear-related technology from any country that’s signed the treaty.
The U.S. and its allies have said the treaty provides general assurances about the peaceful use of civilian nuclear technology, in compliance with international safeguards, not the specific right to enrich asserted by Iran. The enrichment process produces fuel for use in electric power reactors or, with further processing, for nuclear bombs.
Reading from a letter he said was sent yesterday to European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton by Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, Khazaee said Iran was ready to “provide specific proposals” for talks planned July 3 in Istanbul with technical experts representing China, France, Germany, Russia, the U.K. and U.S.
“Any gesture which damages the confidence building process would be counterproductive” and Iranian officials will give an “appropriate and proportional response,” Jalili wrote in the letter, a reference to an EU embargo on imports of Iranian oil sales effective July 1.
Khazaee said economic sanctions on Iran will lead to a “standoff” in negotiations.
Talks Stalled

High-level talks between world powers and Iran stalled this month in Moscow. A central issue in the negotiations is whether Iran will stop producing 20 percent enriched uranium, a level of purity a step short of bomb grade, and move current stockpiles out of the country to show it isn’t seeking the capability to produce nuclear weapons.
No date was set for resumption of the high-level negotiations, pending the outcome of the technical-level talks. Both Israel and the U.S. have threatened military strikes against Iran’s enrichment facilities if Iran fails to agree to steps to ensure it won’t be able to develop nuclear weapons capabilities.
Israel has demanded that Iran to give up all uranium enrichment so that it would not have the capability to produce bomb material. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on May 30 that Iran must be stopped before it develops a nuclear weapon and warned that the clock is “ticking faster” for Israel than it is for the U.S.
Sanctions Dispute

Khazaee said that if Western nations lift their unilateral and multilateral sanctions, Iran will discuss their concerns about an alleged military dimension to Iran’s nuclear program. Iran isn’t attempting to make nuclear weapons, he said.
The U.S. and EU have said they will not drop or ease sanctions until there is a deal with Iran that resolves the nuclear issues. Ashton said June 25 that EU sanctions on oil imports from Iran will begin on July 1 as agreed by the bloc’s governments.
Iran is the No. 2 producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries after Saudi Arabia, and earns more than half of its government revenue from oil sales, according to the International Monetary Fund. The EU collectively was the second- largest buyer of Iranian oil after China in the first half of 2011, according to the U.S. Energy Department.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

The sanctions have no direct effect on the nuclear programme whatsoever.

Just admit you were wrong,be a man. Oh sorry I forgot you have no balls as such. The sanctions are in place to get the Iranians back to talks about their nuclear program and put pressure on them to stop it, numbnuts,they are not in place to get the people to overthrow the government of Iran as if you knew anything,which you do not,you would know that the opposition in Iran would continue with its nuclear program if they were in power. OK dumbass.

Oh dear, not just a wanker, a clueless wanker who knows nothing of Iran nor its people.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Oh dear, not just a wanker, a clueless wanker who knows nothing of Iran nor its people.

I obviously know more than you. You do not know that the Iranian opposition are all for their nuclear program for starters and you also have not got a clue what the sanctions are for. All round you are a dummy as proven everyday on this very forum.

Yes wanker.

The Iranians will always tell you they are proud of their country's achievements.

They get arrested, tortured, even killed for criticising the guardian council and its puppet government.

Do you believe everything you see on Press TV or RT?

You've never heard of the Green revolution? You don't know the criteria for *standing* for Parliament in Iran.

Do you even know what the Iranian opposition is?

No, you're a witless