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Latest update: 22/11/2011
- IAEA - Iran - nuclear Iran
Western powers slap new economic sanctions on Iran
The United States, Canada and Britain on Monday announced a series of new economic sanctions on Iran in the wake of a new report by the international nuclear agency that Iran had secretly carried out research on an atomic bomb.
By News Wires (text)
REUTERS - The United States, Britain and Canada on Monday announced new sanctions on Iran's energy and financial sectors, steps analysts said may raise pressure on Tehran but were unlikely to halt its nuclear program.
The United States named Iran as an area of "primary money laundering concern," a step designed to dissuade non-U.S. banks from dealing with it; blacklisted 11 entities suspected of aiding its nuclear programs; and expanded sanctions to target companies that aid its oil and petrochemical industries.
The United States stopped short, however, of targeting Iran's central bank, a step that could have cut it off from the global financial system, sent oil prices skyrocketing and jeopardized U.S. and European economic recovery.
In a coordinated action, Britain ordered all British financial institutions to stop doing business with their Iranian counterparts, including the Iranian central bank. A source familiar with the sanctions said the steps would not directly target trade in Iranian oil.
Canada said it would ban the export of all goods used in Iran's petrochemical, oil and gas industry and "block virtually all transactions with Iran," including with its central bank, with an exception for Iranian-Canadians to send money home.
While not taking concrete actions, France urged European Union and other nations to immediately freeze the assets of Iran's central bank and to suspend purchases of Iranian oil, steps it called "sanctions on an unprecedented scale."
The series of announcements were in response to a Nov. 8 International Atomic Energy Agency report that presented intelligence suggesting Iran had worked on designing an atomic bomb and may still be secretly carrying out related research.
That report, calls by U.S. lawmakers to sanction Iran's cental bank and media speculation about a possible Israeli military strike against Iran's nuclear sites have pushed the Obama administration to seek tougher sanctions against Tehran.
Not the straw that breaks the camel's back
Analysts said they did not believe the steps would dissuade Iran from pursuing its nuclear program, which Washington and its allies suspect is a cover for seeking nuclear arms. Iran says its nuclear work is entirely peaceful.
"Is this the straw that will break the camel's back? No," said George Perkovich, director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Washington think tank.
The range of unilateral steps planned by Western powers reflects the difficulty of persuading Russia and China not to veto further measures at the U.N. Security Council, where they have supported four previous sanctions resolutions.
The U.S. decision to name Iran as a money laundering concern has no direct effect - U.S. banks are already barred from transactions with Iranian financial institutions - and seems more a warning about the risks of dealing with Iran.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said any bank that deals with Iran's central bank or other financial institutions runs the risk of supporting Iran's "illicit activities" such as its alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons, support for terrorism and efforts to evade sanctions.
"Any and every financial transaction with Iran poses grave risk of supporting those activities, so financial institutions around the world should think hard about the risks of doing business with Iran," Geithner said in a joint appearance with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to announce the steps.
While the United States already seeks to prevent non-U.S. companies from large-scale investment in Iran's energy sector, the sanctions announced on Monday would also target companies providing goods, services and technology for such activities.
Separately, diplomats said EU governments could reach a preliminary deal on Tuesday to add about 190 Iranian people and entities to a list of those targeted by asset freezes and travel bans.
The new EU measures will likely aim at industries such as shipping and will be formalized at a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Dec. 1, but discussions on possible further steps could take place in the coming days, diplomats said.
'Sanctions are a lose-lose game'
U.S. sanctions have already made it extremely difficult for many global oil companies and traders to obtain bank financing to trade Iranian crude, of which less than a third goes to Europe with the rest flowing to China and India.
In Tehran, Trade Minister Mehdi Ghazanfari said sanctions were hitting the Iranian economy but warned Western countries they were harming their own interests.
"Sanctions are a lose-lose game in which both sides make a loss. If they don't invest in our oil projects, they will lose an appealing market," Ghazanfari told a news conference before the British and U.S. announcements.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has often said sanctions have little effect and in some cases make the economy stronger by making Iran find domestic solutions to challenges.
Ghazanfari reiterated that Iran had found alternatives to Western imports and investments but did not deny the downside.
"Facing hardship in a fight is inevitable. I admit projects will get harder as our trading costs will go up, delays will hit projects and money transfer will get harder," he said.
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Comments (24)
IRAN'S NUCLEAR
PLEASE AMERICA AND YOUR FRIENDS WE KNOW THAT YOU WANT SHOW YOUR SUPERPOWERS BUT YOU GUYS YOUR CAUSING TROUBLES
coments
usa should go on to fight alshababu like iran
what can be the reason behined
i am syed mehdi raza, ex chief engineer from Pakistan, worked for IRISL from year 2000 to 2006, in the end company left no choice fro me but to left the company. i worked as second engineer untill 2005, company made promise to promote me as chief engineer, but refused later, i left the company, year 2006, company called me again as chief engineer for their 32 year old vessel, Iran Ehasn. i believed in the company promise & served for seven month, when i report for rejoining to IRISL main fleet as chief engineer, company refuse bluntly. Since then, i am happily working with other companies as second engineer, but on very new ships & with very good wages. you people must think, where the great IRISL is standing now. your management treat me in a very insulting bahaviour. being sayyed & shiate, i believed in whom, you must understand. my bad pray is chasing you. just think & re think.
iran
I know every dog has its own day for years American thought there above others now some one doesn't even fill there existence its painful isn't it
apple
i want see apples garden place in iran
sanctions on Iran
It is a topsy-turvy world. Nobody knows why other countries can
not continue their Nuclear Programs;while The US & its allies can.
Nobody knows how The US dares to attack any sovereign country whenever
it finds any pretext.Nobody knows how such naked violence in the name
of Peace Keeping can be stopped. And finally, nobody seems to know why
this country should be called a civilized one at all!
Double standard policies of US and EU bringing lot of problems in
the World. If they don't have any problem with India, Pakistan, Israel
and North Korea holding Nuclear Weapons, why they are so worried about
Iran about its Nuclear Program???
It's a silly move by the EU. Undoubtedly they were under pressure
from America and Israel. This could push the price of oil up, which
will only hurt debt ridden European countries. If oil prices go up,
Iran may not suffer so much because higher oil prices mean higher
revenue. And Iran will just sell more oil to China. Let's hope we
escape another global recession.
i think needless to worry for US threat of war on Iran as the EU
have accepted the embargo with expected but veiled support from Russia
and China as such the US itself stands isolated over the issue.
Regards,
m.s.bhaikatti
latur maharashtra india
msbhaikatti@gmail.com
Iran nuclear issue
I don't know the reason why USA and its allies don't like developing Islamic Nations.? If they are bothered about nuclear fears why didn't they stop Israel?
on iran
America should stop interfering in other country matter and alone them to leave
on iran
America should understand that everyone country have there oun rights to leave there life and America stop interfering in the matter of others country leave them alone
IRAN
Lets all together fight gatecrashers
IRAN
Lets all together fight gatecrashers
Against Iranian Move
Please Work hard To Endure peace on Earth.Co-Existence of Palistine and Israel should be Your claim. Otherwise the International community should stop you from harming Israel and at the End of time the World fight agaist you to save Israel.
iraq
Statement No. 80 / The trained soldiers and security companies are the faces of the brutal occupation
Tolerance of religious authority, Mr. Hassani Sarkhi ( God keep you )
Peace, mercy and blessings of God and
Some ask about the purpose of the Declaration and statement and rallying to the cause of rejection of the occupation and end:
Why not eat at all? As many claim it does not benefit from this situation because the occupation ends with a natural and effective the end of this year .. and that Iraq needs to be trained in order to prepare
Army and police properly
Iraq to protect and preserve its security and safety of his people .. And that the cause of the issue of ordinary being trained in all the countries that buy the equipment and weapons from other countries like America and other ... And similar claims and statements
Please is your statement of position sense and good about what is happening in the Iraqi arena May Allah reward you
10/02/2011
In The Name of Allah The Almighty says
Wonder of all wonder is not of opportunists and customers, but who claims to knowledge and understanding of national and statesmanship and objective reading and see the broad mass of society and the course of things I do not know why is all of these in the trap, but traps the forces of arrogance and the brutal occupation and has been associated with persons and bodies and the possibilities of media paid devoid of professional The lowest grades of Ethics .. How leaves the oppressed Iraqi people in this wilderness big and dark intellectual cultural applied to take waves of tribulation and tricks and deceit, hypocrisy, left and right, but deceive and mesmerizing Bohon things Otfhaa until he became clearer Massadik lightly Pharaonic and obedience humiliating degrading ignorant obscurantism where you, O wise people where judges and lawyers, where university professors Where are the doctors and students, engineers, writers and intellectuals Wayne Wayne Wayne journalists, teachers, politicians, and the national society where clerics and pious people of integrity, honest Iraqis Where Where Where Iraqis Iraqis ...??!! But as long as we have said and Gana and our club and we have appealed and we advise and guide us and begging, but where respondent .. {He said: O my people have I told you .. And advised you but do not like mentors norms 79} .. And unto God and to Him we shall return There is no power except in Allah the Almighty ... But with all that ingratitude, evasion, denial and non-response and lack of advice, I would with having be obliged to speak and recall might be the anniversary of useful and after all they are sorry to God, but perhaps they are cautious. .. and here I will mention the following points in short, a number of
Sarkhi Hassani 7 of a November 1432
http://al-hasany.com/index.php?pid=118
Iranian right
we all are with Iran,,,we think it is Iran's right to have nuclear energy,,,,
iranian right
i think Iranian slap the american and england with closing hormoz strait,,and 1 thing more,,,when you speak about Iran respect to this country,,no one able to slap it,,,may be your ancestors where Iranian,,so respect to Iran is equal to respect to yourself,,,,,,having nuclear energy is iranian right,,,no one are able to change it,,,please understand it and tell to your friend also bye
sanctions
I am sorry to inform you that,according to my informat5ions,preparations are underway for violent actions in response to "the proposed violation of Iran territory and strikes.Also,you would be perplexed by the nature of retalation.Anyway,in two weeks times,you will be astonished by something which you have never been prepared for.
Newclear power iran
The iran has right to get newclear power no country has bound to iran to stop his newclear activities. If israil get newclear power iran has right to get the power if USA get power iran's right to get newclear power.
iranian nuc sys
i am very proud of Iran bcz Iran still against to america.it is very hard target.only one man army to us n Europe countries.come to save all Muslims n call the Muslim nations to under one flag.it is very huge victory to us.
Israel existence and territorial demand
Well,let me tell you that a time will come when the territorial integrity of Israel will be at stake and the west won't be able to give a helping hand to your awkward greed,coupled with foolish exageration of being the chosen people,when you are taken for granted and have to look for a piece of land to settle,eversince your ejection from Germany.Now,you are doing things which you abhorr.Doomsday is nearing for you,as you are acting savagely with the true owner of land in Palestine.Do you know the history of palestine.
nuclear power of iran
i m with iran
to proxy
i am doing a report on the Iran's nuclear program and i need to interview someone and i was wondering if i could interview you proxy since u live there
to proxy
proxy i am doing a report on the Iran's nuclear program and since u live there i would like to if i could interview u online or sumthin cuz i need to interview someone
proxy
please send 4 me proxy beacuse i live in iran
Western powers slap new economic sanctions on Iran
There has to be responsibility of everyone in the preservation of peace. And in this issue deal with the Iranian nuclear program, not with threats, bluster instigation, and with lies, much less that will address the issue. For some fools who want to ignite the conflict issue, to establish reasons for claiming fictitious apparent reason, and disguise the real reason to take advantage of the situation - and it's not - the thing must be done in a balanced way to reach a common consensus and always use common sense, not with brute force as some crazy arsonist thinking to solve everything at the base of the armed struggle.
It would be very irresponsible dare frenzied attack of some kind against Iran, which could cause an international catastrophe of unforeseeable consequences.
And unfounded accusations and without consistency against Iran is not the way to peace and, likewise, will not succeed for the cessation of hostilities. The IAEA is a United Nations bodies, should also have their share of responsibility, and should always be at the service of preserving peace in the world.
However, when it comes to Israel, who seems unwilling to engage in peace, and has no morals, because Israel has nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction and, moreover, this state does not meet even the resolutions of the United Nations, much less consider the international community and the free world. And when it comes to Israel are not made sanctions or restrictive measures; settlements that Israel is illegal and provocative measures in Palestinian territory, contrary to the international community.
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