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  1. #126
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Chortle

    The story: In a rare warning, an outlet affiliated with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) has asserted that Israel may be planning to engage in “mischief.” This comes amid reports that the Israeli military has been ordered to prepare to strike Iran. The Islamic Republic has warned that any aggression will receive a strong and immediate response. The escalation comes as Tehran and world powers continue their efforts to salvage the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.


    The coverage: Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Dec. 12 stated that he had ordered the Israel Defense Forces to prepare for a strike against Iran. Reports say he has also presented a timeline for when such an attack may happen, but no further details are available yet...

    Iranian state media issues rare warning of possible Israeli '''mischief''' | Amwaj.media

  2. #127
    Thailand Expat OhOh's Avatar
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    US doesn’t want Iran to have missiles. Some of its neighbors are fine though

    Iran says it needs its ballistic missile force to deter US and Israeli aggression, an argument rejected by consecutive American presidents. But the US silence over Saudi Arabia’s effort to build its own missiles is deafening.

    "Recent news reports, based on analysis of high-resolution photographs, conclude that Saudi Arabia has purchased from China the technology necessary to manufacture solid-fuel ballistic missiles.This news comes at a time when the US is seeking to ratchet the pressure up on Iran in an effort to compel it to eliminate its own indigenous ballistic missile production capability, which America and its allies have labeled a threat to regional and global security.

    According to the reports, US intelligence first detected the technology transfer during the presidency of Donald Trump. The Trump administration, however, turned a blind eye to the Saudi efforts. President Joe Biden is now confronted with a virtual fait accompli, with the Saudi effort too advanced to be nipped in the bud without creating a major crisis between the two nations.
    On the surface, the Saudi effort to develop a manufacturing capability is reflective of its own history of ballistic missile acquisition, which revolves around the notion of them being a force of deterrence, to be used as a weapon of retaliation only. History backs this claim up.

    In his autobiography ‘Desert Warrior’ Prince Khaled Bin Sultan, the Joint Forces Commander during Operation Desert Storm in the Gulf War, describes the initial Saudi foray into acquiring a strategic missile capability. After a series of consultations with the Chinese in 1986, King Fahd decided that Saudi Arabia would purchase DF-3 liquid fueled medium-range missiles, and he placed Prince Khaled in charge of the effort, known by its codename ‘East Wind.’

    It took two years for Prince Khaled to complete the task. By the time the first DF-3 missiles arrived on Saudi soil, Khaled had overseen a massive construction campaign to build operational, logistical, and training facilities for the missiles and their crews, many of whom had undergone specialized training in China.

    This effort had been undertaken in great secrecy, and when news of it broke, there was a tremendous amount of speculation about the Saudis’ intentions. They maintained that the DF-3 was intended for deterrence only–it was a weapon of retaliation, not first strike. My personal experience during Desert Storm serves to confirm this–the American planners had tried to incorporate the Saudi DF-3 missiles into the opening attacks targeting Iraqi ballistic missile facilities, but the Saudis balked, declaring they should only be used if Iraq attacked Saudi Arabia with its own missiles.

    This is, of course, precisely what happened–on January 20, 1991, Iraq fired several Al Hussein missiles at targets in Saudi Arabia, including the capitol, Riyadh, the first of dozens that would be launched over the course of the war. Prince Khaled ordered several DF-3 missiles to be readied for operation, holding off only on the fueling of the missiles. But King Fahd demurred, declaring that the DF-3 missiles were a weapon of last resort, and that Saudi Arabia would do better by showing restraint in the face of Iraqi provocation.
    Since that time, Saudi Arabia has not used its DF-3 missiles in combat, reinforcing its contention that they are a force of deterrence. For deterrence to succeed, however, the threat of use must be willing. While it is impossible to predict with certainty how the Saudi leadership would respond to a scenario where the use of the DF-3 was necessary, it is critical that if such a decision is ever made, the missiles perform as needed.

    The DF-3 is an ageing system. Moreover, because it is liquid-fueled, before it can be launched it must go through a lengthy fueling process which increases its vulnerability to hostile attack.

    Back in 1988, the only viable threat to the Saudi DF-3 came from Israel. Today, Saudi Arabia must deal with Iran’s proven ability to launch near-pinpoint ballistic missile attacks at relatively short notice. In short, Iran could destroy the Saudi DF-3 force before a single missile could be launched. The DF-3 is no longer a viable deterrent.

    The Saudis had taken measures to improve the survivability of its missile force through the purchase, in 2014, of solid-fuel DF-21 missiles from China. While the DF-21 has road mobility in its favor, and its operation, storage, and maintenance is greatly improved over the DF-3, it is 1960s technology designed to be used with a nuclear weapon. Its poor accuracy (a circular error of probability, or CEP, of around 400 meters) means that the missile is practically useless when employed with a conventional warhead.

    What the Saudis are now seeking to acquire is the ability to manufacture a solid-fueled rapid response precision missile, giving it parity with Iran’s capabilities. By focusing on developing a technology base, as opposed to simply buying a more modern finished product from China, Saudi Arabia aims to be able to match Iran step-for-step in terms of ballistic missile tech – a sign that it is serious about acquiring and sustaining strategic parity with its principal regional adversary.

    On the face of it, the Saudi acquisition of Chinese missile technology makes perfect sense – too much so. For the Biden administration to acquiesce to the Saudi endeavor, it would be validating Iranian claims regarding its own ballistic missile acquisition effort. Iran’s history of ballistic missile use shows that it, too, views its missile force as a weapon of retaliation. Iran fired SCUD missiles during the Iran-Iraq War, only after Iraq had fired hundreds of missiles against Iranian targets. Iran likewise fired SCUD missiles against MEK terrorist camps inside Iraq from 1994 to 2001, and it fired more advanced missiles against ISIS targets in Syria in 2017, both times in retaliation for terrorist attacks.

    More recently, Iran fired 12 missiles against US forces stationed at Al Asad air base, in Iraq, again in retaliation for the US assassination of Qassem Soleimani.

    The raison d’etre of Iran’s ballistic missile force, however, is to deter Israel and the United States from conducting any large-scale attack against targets on Iranian soil–especially its nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities. To date, this deterrence has worked and, given its proven ability to deliver precision conventional attacks over long distances, will continue to work in the foreseeable future.

    The US, together with its European and regional allies, has made Iran giving up its ballistic missile capability a prerequisite, along with the elimination of its nuclear enrichment infrastructure, for any normalization of relations. Iran’s argument that its missile force provides a necessary deterrence against military adventurism by the US, Israel, and the Gulf Arab states has fallen on deaf ears.

    With the US now remaining silent about Saudi Arabia’s new missile production effort, however, it will be extremely difficult for American policy makers to square the difference between their rejection of Iran’s missile capabilities while embracing Saudi Arabia’s acquisition of the same. Hypocrisy, however, is not a stranger to US policy and those who craft it, and one can rest assured that the US will continue to oppose the proliferation of ballistic missile technology in the Persian Gulf region as long as it has a Farsi accent.

    https://www.rt.com/op-ed/544713-saudi-arabia-iran-ballistic-missiles/


    It appears that only some unauthorised "rule makers" wish to decide which countries are allowed to defend themselves and others are forbidden.
    A tray full of GOLD is not worth a moment in time.

  3. #128
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Why wouldn't Saudi want missiles? Iran has been attacking it from Yemen.

    Lobbing a few back at Teheran might be a good deterrent.

  4. #129
    5 4 Knoll
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    Shia and Sunnis obliterate each other in Persia ad Howdy Alabia be a tragic temporary setback to submission of all Dhimmis to the Islamic agenda. It'd be hard to reduce Pakistan, Afghanistan much of Iraq and Syria and Lebanon to a more terrible state than today, surely thee towel heads have learnt it was better under Picot Sykes

    Pedo Esptein Piss be Upon him
    Quote Originally Posted by Latindancer View Post
    I just want the chance to use a bigger porridge bowl.

  5. #130
    Thailand Expat OhOh's Avatar
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    Implementing Iran-China deal not to depend on Vienna talks


    Jan 17, 2022, 9:50 AM

    "Chairman of Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission said that the implementation of a 25-year deal between Iran and China does not depend on the outcome of the Vienna talks. Speaking in an interview with Mehr news agency on Monday, Vahid Jalalzadeh said that China invested in Iran in the sanctions period, so, implementation of a 25-year deal between the two countries does not depend on the outcome of Vienna talks.

    Turning to the outset of the implementation of a deal between Iran and China, Jalalzadeh added, “Presently, Islamic Republic of Iran is negotiating with the P4+1 group of countries for the removal of anti-Iranian sanctions on the one hand and country’s senior officials have important trips on the agenda to strengthen Iran's relations with the eastern countries on the other hand."

    He referred to the historic visit of Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi to the Russian Federation in the coming days and stipulated that these measures indicate that Iran has not put all its foreign policy’s capacities in Vienna talks and relations with the Western countries.

    In reaction to some claims that the implementation of the Iran-China deal strictly hinges on the outcome of Vienna talks, Jalalzadeh said, “It is for years that the United States has imposed tough and oppressive sanctions on Iran but China bought oil from Iran during the sanctions period and invested in our country. When the US unilaterally imposed tough sanctions on Iran, China showed that it did not pay attention to these sanctions and increased its cooperation with Iran day by day. Accordingly, Iran is seeking to strengthen its ties with China within the framework of bilateral cooperation.”

    The most important point that should be taken into consideration regarding the Iran-China deal is that many parts of the 25-Year Strategic Deal do not require currency and financial exchanges and are enforceable, he added"

    Implementing Iran-China deal not to depend on Vienna talks - Mehr News Agency

  6. #131
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Who gives a fuck about Iran and Chinkystan?

    The chinkies are just after cheap oil. They'll help terrorists any way they can as long as they can make money out of it.

    They're probably already funding the taliban and providing them scaffolding, machetes and acid.

  7. #132
    Thailand Expat OhOh's Avatar
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    Positive sounds from the ongoing discussions.

    Iran Unbound. What it means

    Posted on February 17, 2022 by M. K. BHADRAKUMAR

    "The negotiations in Vienna over the revival of the Iran nuclear deal, known as JCPOA, are almost certainly close to an agreement. The surest sign is that crude oil futures were sharply lower in mid-morning Asian trade Feb. 17 despite bearish developments due to the rising tensions on the Ukraine-Russia border. Even an interim deal could potentially increase oil exports by 700,000 b/d, according to S&P Global Platts Analytics, easing the persistent tightness in oil markets.
    Iran’s top negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani said on Twitter Feb. 16 that US and Iran were nearing an agreement. “After weeks of intense negotiations, we have come closer to an agreement than ever, but nothing has been agreed until everything has been agreed,” Kani tweeted. Earlier in the day, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the sides were in the “very final stages” of negotiations.

    The Iranian news agency IRNA reported, “The eighth round of talks on lifting sanctions in Vienna began on January 26 and has now reached a point where the success or failure of the talks depends solely on the political decisions of the West. If the Western parties make the necessary decisions, the remaining issues can be resolved and a final agreement reached within a few days. Based on the principles and instructions, the Iranian delegation has put its clear proposals and demands on the remaining issues on the table, and now it is the west that has to make its own decisions.”

    What a paradox that the US and its European allies are about to facilitate Iran’s integration into the western economy that will make it the last frontier for the industrial world’s post-pandemic recovery — a country whose access to buy medicines during the Covid-19 pandemic was blocked by Washington not too long ago!

    Iran is a fabulously rich country endowed with mineral resources of all kinds. Iran’s proved natural gas reserves exceed 1,200 trillion cubic feet, second only to Russia, and it is the third largest producer of natural gas in the world after the United States and Russia. It also accounts for close to 10 percent of the world’s total oil reserves. Simply put, an energy superpower is appearing in the world energy market in the coming weeks.

    Not only that, Iran is also rich in diverse mineral resources. According to the US Geological Survey, Iran’s zinc, copper and iron ore reserves are some of the largest in the world. Besides, it has large reserves of a range of minerals such as chromium, lead, manganese, sulphur, gold, uranium, titanium, etc. – and it is also home to vast reserves of lithium. The sanctions had frozen Iran’s assets and affected, amongst other things, investment in gas, oil and petrochemicals, together with banking and insurance transactions, and shipping. The deal in Vienna will lead to the country’s economy being reopened to investment, technology transfer and global trade.

    For the world at large, ‘business as normal’ with Iran will unlock some of the most stupendous riches on the planet. Iran’s purchasing power is incredible as it will generate a huge income with oil price hovering around $90 per barrel. Statista ranks Iran as the fifth leading country worldwide based on natural resources value ($27.3 trillion) as of 2021 — above China ($23 trillion) and way above India ($0.11 trillion.)
    Unsurprisingly, Iran’s integration into the world economy makes the stuff of geopolitics. In a nutshell, an authentic regional power is rising, which has great potential to be a global power, given its agricultural and technological base, trained manpower, large domestic market (population: 85 million) and geographical location.

    For example, in another 3-5 years, Iran can be a major alternate source of energy for the European continent, rivalling Russia; yet, if Iran joins hands with Russia to create a cartel or to reach an arrangement in market share, the two of them alone will be accounting for some 40-45% of the world’s total gas reserves! Quite obviously, Russia-Iran partnership is going to be a hugely strategic template of global politics.
    Iran and Russia are already throwing sand in the gears of the US sanctions regime. Both are now connected through the Russian SPFS (System for Transfer of Financial Messages) and the Iranian SEPAM (Iran’s financial telecommunications system) so as to bypass US-controlled systems. They are using a new system as an alternative to payments through SWIFT to protect themselves from Washington’s sanctions.

    It is all about ditching the US dollar and protecting the two countries’ banks and bank-rollers from secondary sanctions! By the way, Tehran has joined the Russia-led free-trade zone, the Eurasian Economic Union. As things stand, the new system of payment between Iran and Russia and trade in local currencies are here to stay. The two neighbours have got used to their new system of payment and trade in local currencies and their partnership will continue even after the US lifts its sanctions and returns to the nuclear deal.

    Importantly, Russia and Iran have proven that trade in local currencies works. They are officially circumventing unilateral and secondary sanctions imposed by the US, and have shown that it is much safer to bilaterally trade in local currencies instead of taking the dollar risk. To be sure, this will not be a short-lived project so long as Washington’s unilateral foreign policy practices continue.
    The same can be said in regard of the China-Iran relations. Iran is potentially a major hub for China’s Belt and Road Initiative. The two countries have worked out a 25-year road map for economic cooperation envisaging Chinese investment in Iran to the tune of $400 billion. The specifics of the agreement are largely in line with China’s ongoing Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), spending billions in infrastructure investment with an eye on long term influence and economic and security hegemony.

    Major sectors include oil, gas, petrochemical, renewables, nuclear power, and energy infrastructure. The draft agreement also covered the high-tech and military cooperation, as well as port construction to facilitate Iran’s integration in China’s BRI trade routes. Again, one novel feature payments for all transactions will be in local currencies.

    The single biggest geopolitical significance of the deal in Vienna will be that it tolls the bell for the US’ weaponisation of dollar. From now onward, the law of diminishing returns will be at work. This means that the status of the US dollar as the world currency is coming under serious challenge for the first time.

    China and Russia are also accelerating their de-dollarisation push to enhance the security and convenience of their bilateral trade against potential unilateral US sanctions. Bulk commodity goods will become the main business area in which local currencies – China’s yuan and Russia’s ruble — will be used in mutual trade settlement, thanks to the robust growth of China-Russia trade, which reached a record $146.88 billion in 2021, up 35.8% from the previous year and is expected to soar to $200 billion by 2024.

    Clearly, all three — China, Russia and Iran — have felt the urge to hedge risks by the US monopoly over the global payments infrastructure, and it is becoming an irreversible trend to promote non-dollar transactions. The repercussions for the debt-ridden American economy will be far-reaching.

    In political terms, the lifting of the sanctions against Iran will have deleterious impact on the US’ capacity to influence events in West Asia. Israel is already showing signs of panic, as the regional balance is shifting dramatically. On the other hand, Iran has dozens of scores to settle with the US — something like what China calls its ‘century of humiliation’!
    If Iran, Russia and China make coordinated moves, it will have repercussions in other regions such as the Horn of Africa and the Persian Gulf, the Caspian, Afghanistan and Central Asia, etc. All indications are that Tehran has plans to throw down the gauntlet to the US right in its Carribean backyard — in Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba, which also happen to have close, friendly ties with Russia and China. (The proven oil reserves of Venezuela, by the way, exceed 300 billion barrels, the largest in the world.)

    Overall, therefore, with the geopolitical backing of Russia and China and the shackled removed from the lifeline for its economy, we can expect to see a revitalised and vastly more emboldened Iran – one with newfound energy to broaden its global reach. The Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently singled out Iran as ‘a member of the team’ — implying partnership with similar vision and common geo-strategic objectives."

    Iran Unbound. What it means. - Indian Punchline

  8. #133
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Good stuff. As long as these mad mullahs don't get their hands on a nuke.

  9. #134
    Thailand Expat OhOh's Avatar
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    Iran assessing new elements bearing on Vienna talks: Shamkhani

    March 7, 2022 - 18:52

    "Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, said Iran understands the negative move made by the countries participating in the talks.

    “The positive and negative moves by the countries participating in the Vienna talks are being made with the aim of securing interests and are understandable. The only factor affecting our interaction with the P4+1 is securing the interests of the people of Iran. Thus, we're assessing new elements that bear on the negotiations and will accordingly seek creative ways to expedite a solution,” Shamkhani said on Twitter.

    The tweet came after Russia demanded guarantees from the United States that the sanctions being imposed by the West on Russia over Ukraine won’t impede Russia’s economic and military cooperation with Iran in case the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), is revived.
    Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the sanctions the West imposed on Russia over Ukraine will create a problem for the Iran nuclear deal and demanded written guarantees from the U.S. that these sanctions won’t impede Russia-Iran cooperation in case the JCPOA is revived.

    “We want an answer - a very clear answer - we need a guarantee that these sanctions will not in any way touch the regime of trade-economic and investment relations which is laid down in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action,” the Russian foreign minister said.

    He added, “We have asked for a written guarantee ... that the current process triggered by the United States does not in any way damage our right to free and full trade, economic and investment cooperation and military-technical cooperation with the Islamic Republic.”

    A senior Iranian lawmaker has said that the Russian demand for guarantees from the U.S. is a “bilateral” issue between Moscow and Washington.

    The lawmaker, Abolfazl Amouei, who is a member of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy, said the Russian demand stems from wider concerns in the world over the U.S. compliance with its commitments.
    In remarks to Tasnim News, Amouei said Iran hasn’t put forward a Russian-styled demand on guarantees and “in fact, this issue should be settled between Russia and the United States because it has to do with bilateral issues currently happening between the two countries in Ukraine.”

    “Iran has done its utmost to distance the Vienna talks from the ongoing relations in Eurasia, Eastern Europe and the developments in Ukraine. For this reason, Americans must be able to convince all parties of their intentions,” he added.
    In a sense, the onus is now on the U.S. to convince other partners to the Vienna talks to proceed with what is taking shape in the negotiations.

    According to Amouei, the U.S. track record in not complying with its commitments has aroused concerns in countries beyond Iran.

    “The fact is that today the concern about the implementation of U.S. commitments is a concern beyond Iran. And various countries are concerned about whether the Americans will live up to their obligations under the agreement if the JCPOA is revived."

    Iran assessing new elements bearing on Vienna talks: Shamkhani - Tehran Times



    Last edited by OhOh; 08-03-2022 at 11:23 PM.

  10. #135
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Thus, we're assessing new elements that bear on the negotiations and will accordingly seek creative ways to expedite a solution,” Shamkhani said on Twitter.
    Translation: "We'll sign anything with oil and gas prices the way they are. Fuck Putin".

  11. #136
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    Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to media questions following talks with Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Moscow, March 15, 2022

    15 March 2022 16:37

    Here is the Q&A questions and answers from The Russian Foreign Minister

    "Question (translated from Farsi):

    They say Russia has demanded written guarantees from the United States at the talks in Vienna, so that any sanctions against Moscow would not affect its relations with Tehran. Can this prevent agreements from being reached? Or will the American side’s illogical demands lead to this?


    Sergey Lavrov:


    We have received written guarantees. They are actually included in the text of the agreement on the resumption of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on the Iranian nuclear programme. All projects and areas of activity envisaged by the JCPOA have been protected, including the direct involvement of our companies and specialists, including cooperation on the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, which is a flagship cooperation project, and in the context of all existing plans associated with it. The Americans try to accuse us of slowing the agreement process almost every day. This is a lie. Certain capitals have yet to approve the agreement, but Moscow is not one of them.

    Question (translated from Farsi, addressed to Hossein Amir-Abdollahian):

    Yesterday you spoke on the phone with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmitry Kuleba. He wanted to give you a message for Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. How would you comment on this?

    Sergey Lavrov (adds after Hossein Amir-Abdollahian):

    During our meeting, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian spoke to me about the phone call he had with the Ukrainian Foreign Minister. He conveyed to me Dmitry Kuleba’s wish that we need to “stop the war” as soon as possible. This is exactly what we are doing – we are stopping the war that the Kiev regime has been waging against the population of Donbass for the past eight years or more. This war must stop. Especially now, when once again we can see the true face of the radical nationalists in Kiev. Yesterday, they used Tochka-U systems to fire cluster munitions at the centre of Donetsk killing 20 and injuring even more civilians. All these facts are being hushed up in the West, which continues to whip up hysteria by spreading patent fake news.

    We have handed over some materials to our Iranian friends (we are distributing them to all our counterparts). They contain concrete facts to show what the current Ukrainian government is like, what approaches Ukrainian officials (starting with the president) express, and how they treat their obligations under the United Nations Charter, UN resolutions, the OSCE and the Minsk agreements. They signed the Package of Measures and then ignored it with the connivance (or even encouragement) of our Western colleagues.

    The negotiations are ongoing on Ukraine’s neutral military status with security guarantees for all participants in this process; Ukraine’s demilitarisation to prevent any threat to the Russian Federation from its territory ever; and the termination of that country's nazification policy supported by a number of Ukrainian legal acts, including the abolition of all discriminatory restrictions imposed on the Russian language, education, culture and media in Ukraine.

    Question:

    Russia has repeatedly said that there is no alternative to the JCPOA. There are some reports that the United States may suggest a new agreement without Russia’s participation. Does Moscow have any counter proposals?

    Sergey Lavrov:

    This is yet another attempt to lay the blame at the wrong door. We have never made any excessive demands. All our rights in cooperation with Iran on JCPOA projects are reliably protected. If the Americans have not yet made a final decision on resuming the JCPOA, they probably want to shift the blame for this on somebody else. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said that at this point, the obstacles are being created by the US’s excessive demands.

    Question:

    The nuclear deal could unfreeze Iran’s oil exports. Would this affect Russian oil exports? Is there any mechanism to smooth over such consequences in relations between Moscow and Tehran?


    Sergey Lavrov:

    The nuclear deal is bound to unblock Iran’s oil exports. We enthusiastically supported this important part of the agreement.

    As for the impact of Iranian oil on the world market, this will affect all exporting and importing countries. There are mechanisms to prevent volatile surprises. First, there is OPEC+, of which Iran is a member. When new amounts of hydrocarbons appear in the world market, it drafts an agreement on an optimal distribution quota. I am sure that constructive work lies ahead as soon as all issues linked with Iran’s oil on the world market are settled.

    Question:

    Having cited considerable evidence, Russia raised the issue of bio-laboratories in Ukraine. Is the international community interested in this issue? Is it ready to talk about this? Will Moscow return to this issue?

    Sergey Lavrov:

    I would not describe the reaction of the international community as “interest.” The reaction is sooner a negative surprise and wariness. The revealed facts point to the enormous scale of the US’s unlawful activities on spreading its military bio-laboratories all over the world. There are hundreds of them, including almost 30 in Ukraine. Many of them have been established in other former Soviet states right along the perimeter of the borders of Russia, China and other countries.

    We will demand that this issue be reviewed in the context of the commitments assumed by all participants in the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction. We will do all we can to force the Americans to stop blocking our proposal from 20 years ago on the need to create a special mechanism for verifying any alarming reports on the appearance of substances that may be used to develop biological weapons. They are against this mechanism because it would make any bioactivity transparent. They do not want transparency because they find it more expedient to do everything under their own control, as they have been doing up until now.

    I am convinced that the international community has realised (and will realise again) that such activities are unacceptable and fraught with lethal threats to civilians on a massive scale."

    https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/1804343/


    The Russian Foreign Minister's remarks on the meeting are also at the same link.

  12. #137
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Obviously no-one reads that shit hoohoo.

    Is it Putin trying to persuade the Iranians not to do a deal to sell oil and gas to the West?

  13. #138
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Yeah looks like the mad mullahs are doing a bit of sucking up alright.

    The British-Iranian detainees Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori have been released from custody, Iranian officials said on Wednesday morning. The news was later confirmed by Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s lawyer in Iran and by her MP in the UK, Tulip Siddiq.
    Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori released from custody in Iran | Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe | The Guardian

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