Mediaboss Marketing

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Tuesday that the US and Russian presidents had a good discussion on Iran in their teleconference on Ukraine.

Russia and the United States actually worked well together, even in tense circumstances, back in the 2014, 2015 period to produce the joint comprehensive plan of action. This is an area where Russia and the United States can continue to consult closely to ensure that Iran never acquires [nuclear weapons], Sullivan said.

After seven rounds of multilateral negotiations in Vienna to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran has presented new demands unacceptable to the United States and its three European allies who signed the 2015 agreement.

Essentially, Iran is asking for all sanctions imposed since former president Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement be lifted first before it commits itself to the limitations of the JCPOA again.

The last round of the Vienna talks ended on December 3, with no clarity as to when they will resume. Iran said Tuesday that talks will restart on Thursday, but so far others have not confirmed this.

Russia and China, Irans diplomatic supporters, are also signatories of JCPOA and the US needs their support to put pressure on Iran. Anecdotal information says that both Moscow and Beijing were taken aback by Irans positions in the Vienna talks last week, but it is not clear how far they are ready to lean on Tehran.

Sullivan stopped short of providing a clue as to what Russia is prepared to do at this juncture to persuade Iran to adopt a more reasonable negotiating posture.

Sullivan was asked if a return to the JCPOA means releasing frozen funds and lifting sanction, allowing Iran to carry on with its activities in the Middle East, a point that critics of the administrations policy of returning to a purely nuclear deal with Iran have voiced.

Sullivan replied with the argument that the nuclear deal has no impact on Irans proxy forces in the region. Trumps withdrawal from the agreement did not rein in pro-Iran groups in Lebanon or Yemen, and the opposite is also true. Nothing about the nuclear deal stops the United states capacity to deal with those proxies and we are prepared to do so., the national security advisor said.

When Trump abandoned the nuclear agreement one his demands was that Tehran change its malign behavior in the region and stop grooming and supporting militant forces.

The Biden Administration has also expressed concern over Irans regional policies and its ballistic missile program but has argued that the JCPOA should be restored first, and other matters pursued later. But critics say that once the nuclear deal is revived the US must lift key sanctions, which would give Tehran a financial lifeline, leaving no incentive for further talks.

The Biden Administrations Iran strategy is also based on close coordination with European allies, unlike Trump who abandoned the JCPOA against the advice of allies. Sullivan reiterated that allies are important.

The more Iran demonstrates a lack of seriousness at the negotiating table, the more unity there is among the P5+1, and the more they will be exposed as the isolated party in this negotiation. So really the ball is in Irans court as to whether it wants to show up and demonstrate that its going to be serious or not, Sullivan maintained.

More here:
Sullivan Says Good Discussion With Putin On Iran As Talks Stall - Iran International

Irans customs department says exports of steel and metals have increased this year compared with last year, reaching $4.5 billion, amid US sanctions on Iran.

The spokesman of the Customs Organization, Ruhollah Latifi, told local media that in the first 8 months of the current Iranian calendar year exports have already topped all last years sales by $800 million.

Latifi announced that that exports of steel, iron, iron ore and construction steel constitute 14 percent of all exports that total $31 billion, in the eight-month period. Exports of metal products and iron ore last year was $3.7 billion, he said.

The World Steel Association last month said that Irans production fell by 15 percent in October, following smaller declines earlier this year. The declines were due to shortages of electricity.

Iran has been suffering from an power shortages in recent years as its natural gas production, feeding power plants, fails to keep up with domestic demand. Lack of investments and technology resulting from years of various sanctions have gradually reduced output in operating gas fields.

Export of non-oil products has become more important for Iran as US sanctions have reduced oil exports its main revenue-generating commodity.

Here is the original post:
Iran Says Exports Of Steel, Metals Have Increased This Year - Iran International

JNS.org An investigation into a major security breach at the home of Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz, surrounding a cleaner at his house who had not been vetted by the Shin Bet security agency and is being indicted for allegedly offering to spy for Iran, has ended with a written reprimand for two high-ranking Shin Bet officials, the agency announced on Tuesday evening.

Shin Bet head Ronen Bar appointed an external committee to probe how suspect Omri Gorenwho had multiple criminal convictionswould have been employed at Gantzs home. The committee was comprised of three retired Shin Bet officials, including two former department heads and a former division leader.

The committee submitted its findings to Bar, along with recommendations for action to be taken. The committee described the affair as a professional failure, citing lack of coordination at the professional level and in work procedures.

On the basis of the investigations findings, Bar decided to issue a written reprimand to two senior officials in the organization.

December 8, 2021 10:50 am

Meanwhile, the Shin Bet has evaluated security arrangements for the individuals for whom it is responsible, and tightened background checks and testing procedures for anyone employed in close circles of officials provided with Shin Bet security.

Bar also issued instructions to add additional levels of intelligence and operational security when it comes to the officials whom it secures.

However, Bar did praise the rapid action taken to locate and arrest Goren within 48 hours of the time that he allegedly contacted a hostile entity.

Despite the success in thwarting [the plot], we failed to prevent it, Bar said. If the process had worked, a person like this would never have been working near a protectee. The failure that took place in this isolated incident allowed us to take an in-depth look at the processes and mechanisms involving the issue of those employed close to protectees.

The probe gave us a chance to examine professional work processes in the service, he added. The conclusions of the investigative committee, as well as an in-depth process of learning lessons, have already been translated into actions on the ground that will significantly reduce the chance of incidents like this happening again.p

View post:
Shin Bet Head: 'We Thwarted But Failed to Prevent Iran Spy Plot' - Algemeiner

Liz Truss has said the 400 million that Britain owes Iran is a legitimate debt that the Government wants to pay.

The Foreign Secretary was asked about the amount at a Chatham House event on Wednesday, where she set out her foreign policy aims.

Ms Truss said the Government was going to work night and day to prevent the Iranian regime from ever getting a nuclear weapon.

Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of Iranian detainee Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe (Aaron Chown/PA)

(PA Wire)

But she said they were also working to resolve the issue over the debt relating to a cancelled order for 1,500 Chieftain tanks dating back to the 1970s which has been linked to the continued detention of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and other UK-Iranian dual nationals held in the country.

Ms Truss said: We do want to pay this debt, we recognise its a legitimate debt.

But of course, there are lots of issues, which Im sure you are quite well aware of.

She added that she had spoken to her Iranian counterpart, but said: It is not simple, for various reasons.

And she said: Im also pressing for the return of our unfairly detained British nationals, including Nazanin.

Ms Truss also warned Iran that a meeting in Vienna on Thursday was the countrys last chance to revive a nuclear deal.

The Foreign Secretary previously said a meeting at the end of November was the countrys last opportunity to agree to the original JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, known as the Iran nuclear deal).

Richard Ratcliffe and his daughter, Gabriella, protest in Parliament Square, London about the continued detention of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe (Kirsty OConnor/PA)

(PA Media)

On Wednesday she said: This is really the last chance for Iran to sign up, and I strongly urge them to do that, because we are determined to work with our allies to prevent Iran securing nuclear weapons.

So they do need to sign up to the JCPOA agreement. Its in their interest.

Iran has ramped up its uranium enrichment since the US, under former president Donald Trumps leadership, withdrew from the landmark nuclear agreement between world powers and Iran in 2018.

The US has offered to lift some sanctions in exchange for Iran returning to full compliance with its nuclear commitments.

See the original post here:
Truss: We want to pay 400 million we owe Iran - The Independent

8 December In a new commitment to support national immunization efforts, the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) have signed an agreement for a partnership to strengthen the local vaccine cold chain system, with a focus on remote and underprivileged areas of the country.

The high calibre joint agreement was signed by WHO Representative and Head of Mission Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain and UNIDO Representative Ms Maryam Javan Shahraki, during an official ceremony at the WHO country office on 6 December, in the presence of authorities from the Expanded Programme on Immunization, International Relations Department of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education and United Nations Resident Coordinator in the Islamic Republic of Iran Mr Stefan Priesner.

The cooperation will lay the foundation to equip cold rooms located in the provinces of Golestan in the northeast, and Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad in the west, with eco-friendly, resilient, and sustainable cooling systems within the framework of a project titled Developing sustainable and resilient cold chain to facilitate access to COVID-19 tools in Islamic REpublic of Iran. It has been defined and funded to support the Ministry of Health and Medical Education in line with a global mutual agreement in place between the two UN agencies since 1989, according to which various two-way activities including on personnel, joint projects, and financing services are foreseen and committed globally.

It aims to promote the sustainable eco-friendly cold chain system and create an innovative business model through cooperation with the public or private local communities in combination with technical knowhow, as well as shared expertise of both agencies in industrial, technical, and health-related areas to effectively support the government to respond to and cope with the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

The novel coronavirus pandemic has overwhelmed economies and societies around the world, including the Islamic Republic of Iran, increasing the need for safe and effective vaccination for all as a critical measure to control the epidemic in countries, where the success of immunization efforts depends on maintaining cold chains.

The purpose of the vaccine cold chain is to maintain product quality from the time of manufacture until the point of administration by ensuring that vaccines are stored and transported within WHO-recommended temperature ranges. The vaccine cold chain is a global network of cold rooms, freezers, refrigerators, cold boxes, and carriers that keep vaccines at just the right temperature during each link on the long journey from the manufacturing line to the syringe.

Go here to see the original:
WHO and UNIDO support immunization infrastructure in Islamic Republic of Iran by enhancing sustainability and resilience of cold chain systems - Iran...