Archive for February, 2017

Iran Lifts Ban Preventing US Wrestlers From Attending Tournament – ABC News

Iran announced Sunday that it has lifted its ban on U.S. wrestlers from attending the freestyle World Cup later this month in the Iranian city of Kermanshah -- a retaliatory move announced Friday, in response to President Donald Trump's executive order forbidding visas for Iranians.

"Following the court ruling suspending #MuslimBan & the requests from Iranian Wrestling Federation & FILA, US Wrestlers' visa will be granted," tweeted Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's minister of foreign affairs.

Iranian news agency IRNA on Friday quoted the country's foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi as saying a special committee reviewed the case of the U.S. team for the tournament, and "eventually the visit ... was opposed." The competition is set for Feb. 16-17.

Rich Bender, executive director of USA Wrestling, the sport's governing body in the U.S., had said in a statement last week, "We don't think politics [should] have any role in this. But, unfortunately, sometimes you can't control that."

ABC News' Marcus Wilford contributed to this report.

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Iran Lifts Ban Preventing US Wrestlers From Attending Tournament - ABC News

How Iran-US relations plummeted in a week – CNN

Travel bans, missile tests, sanctions and insults have been ping-ponged in a provocative show of force by both sides. It all raises concerns over the future of a deal, brokered by the Obama administration, that requires Iran to heavily restrict its nuclear program.

Iran threatens reciprocal measures through legal, consular and diplomatic actions.

January 29: Iran conducts a ballistic missile test, the first such test since Trump took office.

Iran establishes a committee to deal with the US travel ban. The committee is tasked with issuing directives to Iranian embassies worldwide, aimed at "upholding the dignity of Iranians outside of the country, especially those in the United States," Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi says.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweets that he will discuss the renewal of sanctions against Iran with Trump. Netanyahu is due to visit the White House on February 15.

"It cannot be that Iranian aggression will remain without an answer," Netanyahu says, adding he has ways of "undoing" the Iran nuclear accord.

January 31: UN Security Council holds talks on the missile test.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner says the US is "well aware of and deeply troubled by Iran's longstanding provocative and irresponsible activities."

Iran suggests Trump is trying to detract attention from a fallout over the travel ban.

Iran's Foreign Ministry says it will mull whether to allow the US wrestling team to enter the country for the World Cup.

Iran's defense minister, Brig. Gen. Hossein Dehqan, officially confirms the missile test, even though other officials have previously commented on it.

February 2: Trump says, "Nothing's off the table," when asked if he might respond to the missile test with military action.

Sources tell CNN that the White House is expected to impose additional sanctions on Iranian entities.

In response, Iran's Foreign Ministry says it will implement legal measures against Americans and US companies that have played a part in "creating and helping extremist terrorist groups in the region."

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How Iran-US relations plummeted in a week - CNN

Will Trump’s Next Iran Sanctions Target China’s Banks? – Forbes

Will Trump's Next Iran Sanctions Target China's Banks?
Forbes
Friday, the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned individuals and companies in three networks for procuring technology and/or materials to support Iran's ballistic missile program. The measures are partly in reaction to Iran's ...

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Will Trump's Next Iran Sanctions Target China's Banks? - Forbes

Iran world’s ‘biggest state sponsor of terrorism,’ Mattis says – CNN

Eshaq Jahangiri, Iran's first vice president, dismissed the remarks from Mattis as "useless claims," saying that Iran had been instrumental in the fight against ISIS, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency, or IRNA.

"The Iranian government and nation do not care in the least for the worn-out and threadbare remarks made by the American officials," Jahangiri said.

Mattis said Iran's "misconduct and misbehavior" would have to be addressed.

"We have a responsibility with the rest of the nations to be absolutely clear with Iran in this regard. It does no good to ignore it. It does no good to dismiss it," Mattis said in Tokyo, where he met with his Japanese counterpart to discuss security issues.

But he said the recent tensions with Iran did not warrant an increase in the number of US forces in the Middle East.

"We always have the capability to do so, but at this time I don't think it's necessary," he said.

As Mattis made his comments Saturday, Iran's air force was conducting military drills, including missile systems, radar and electronic warfare command and control exercises, in the northern Semnan province, the semiofficial Fars news agency reported.

These drills are aimed at "showing strength, intelligence and readiness for all-round defense against any threat" and are being done "in contempt of sanctions and threats," the report said.

The commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force spoke Saturday on drill sidelines.

"I'd say with confidence that foreign threats against the Islamic Establishment (of Iran) are futile," said Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, quoted by the Tasnim News Agency.

He said US outcry over Iranian missile tests is a pretext for expressing hostility toward Iran.

"Should the enemy make a mistake, our roaring missiles will rain down on them," Hajizadeh said.

On Friday, the US Treasury Department said it was applying sanctions on 25 individuals and companies connected to Iran's ballistic missile program and those providing support to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force. That included three separate networks linked to supporting the missile program, which the United States opposes.

Trump tweeted Friday that Iran was "playing with fire" and he would not be as "kind" to Tehran as former President Barack Obama.

Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Friday it too would ensure "legal restrictions" were imposed on the "American individuals and companies which have a role in aiding extremist and terrorist groups or contribute to the suppression and murder of the defenseless people in the region," IRNA reported.

Trump has been a longtime critic of the accord, which was brokered after two years of talks with the five members of the UN Security Council and Germany in 2015.

Nasser Hadian, a professor of international relations at Tehran University, told CNN this week it was unlikely the Trump administration would tear up the agreement.

Abandoning the accord "would serve hard-line interests in Iran," he said.

CNN's Jennifer Deaton contributed to this report.

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Iran world's 'biggest state sponsor of terrorism,' Mattis says - CNN

Netanyahu to press Britain for ‘common stand’ against Iran – Jerusalem Post Israel News

Netanyahu and May. (photo credit:GALI TIBBON / AFP,REUTERS)

Hours before leaving for London for his first meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May since she took office in May, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday morning that Israel is on the cusp of a very significant diplomatic period.

Speaking at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said that in his discussions with May and with British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, he will emphasize the need for a common stand against the Iranian aggression that has reared its head in recent days. This needs to be done on a regular basis, especially in light of their defiance of the world order.

His comments come just days after US President Donald Trump and his National Security Adviser Michael Flynn put the Iranians on notice that their disruptive behavior in the region and the world will not be tolerated.

National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Minister Yuval Steinitz praised Trump for his position on Iran, telling reporters before the cabinet meeting that finally a US president has stood up and said 'we will restrain Iran's misbehavior and its spread in the Middle East. We will not let them continue to develop ballistic missiles, we will not let them continue to transfer weapons to Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.'

Netanyahu told the cabinet that he will talk to May about strengthening the two countries diplomatic, security, economic and technological ties, including close cooperation in the field of cyber security.

Netanyahu will be in London for 24 hours, coming back to Israel on Monday evening.

He did not mention in the brief opening statements to the cabinet either the controversial settlement regulation bill, that is expected to come for a vote Monday evening, or the White House statement on settlements issued on Friday.

That statement said that the US desire for peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians has remained unchanged for 50 years. While we dont believe the existence of settlements is an impediment to peace, the construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements beyond their current borders may not be helpful in achieving that goal. As the President has expressed many times, he hopes to achieve peace throughout the Middle East region.

The statement said that the Trump administration has not taken an official position on settlement activity and looks forward to continuing discussions, including with Prime Minister Netanyahu when he visits with President Trump later this month.

Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with Trump on February 15.

Steinitz, however, did relate to the White House statement, saying that it was positive from Israel's perspective.

Steinitz said the statement was a fresh, positive change for Israel that unequivocally states that settlements are not an obstacle to peace, and that building and construction inside the settlements is acceptable to the US.

He said he did not remember the last time there was such a reasonable and logical US statement about settlements.

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Netanyahu to press Britain for 'common stand' against Iran - Jerusalem Post Israel News