Iran

Iran is a major player, supporting the government of Syria, and offering support to the government of Iraq in its struggle against ISIS.

It has a nuclear program which proved to be highly controversial and is a subject of P5+1 negotiations.


 * 05.09.14 IAEA report highlights:
 * The Annex to the Director General’s November 2011 report (GOV/2011/65) provided a detailed analysis of the information available to the Agency at that time, indicating that Iran has carried out activities that are relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device.
 * 20% U-235 (447.8 kg of such nuclear material), all of which has been further processed through downblending or conversion into uranium oxide. 7765 kg remain in the form of UF6 enriched up to 5% U-235.
 * IAEA and Iran held discussions on the practical measures relating to the initiation of high explosives and to neutron transport calculations.
 * IAEA and Iran held discussions on the need or application for the development of Exploding Bridge Wire detonators.
 * (J.)Iran is not implementing its Additional Protocol. The Agency will not be in a position to provide credible assurance about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran unless and until Iran provides the necessary cooperation with the Agency, including by implementing its Additional Protocol
 * (L. ,p. 14) "While the Agency continues to verify the non-diversion of declared nuclear material at the nuclear facilities... the Agency is not in a position to provide credible assurance about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran, and therefore to conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities".
 * --Resup (talk) 05:45, 7 November 2014 (UTC)

22 September, 2014 english.alarabiya.net U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday raised the threat of Islamic militants in Iraq and Syria directly with his Iranian counterpart in high-level talks in New York, a U.S. official said, according to Agence France Presse.

Kerry, PBS interview, as reported by TASS, 01 November, 2014 Iran participation in fighting ISIS cannot affect negotiations on Iran nuclear program

IAEA. OCT. 31, 2014, NY Times The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Yukiya Amano, said commitments Iran had made to provide more information on what he called “possible military dimensions” had not been carried out. He said that while he had received assurances from Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, that he was “willing to clarify the ambiguity” in documents and computer records that appear to show work on a variety of technologies that can be used to detonate a weapon, the cooperation had not been forthcoming.

'Endgame'. www.usnews.com Initial position was opposing any enrichment inside Iran; an option to export nuclear energy fuel from Russia a solution. Currently, discussion seems to be about number of centrifuges and 'closing a path to weapon' (how exactly do you 'close a path'? - asked Mowgli. It's a jungle out there, is it not?) --Resup (talk) 05:44, 6 November 2014 (UTC)

Despite Nuclear Talks, U.S. Seen As 'Great Satan' In Iran. Nov. 05, 2014 RFERL: The United States remains "the Great Satan" despite nuclear negotiations between Iran and Washington, Iranian hard-liners conveyed in a November 4 message marking the 35th anniversary of the takeover of the U.S. embassy in the Islamic republic. The statement was issued by anti-U.S. demonstrators who gathered outside the former U.S. embassy in Tehran -- dubbed the "Nest of Spies" -- and called for resistance against the United States, which they decried as an oppressor. Iran’s conservative-dominated parliament should also be vigilant regarding any potential nuclear agreement, according to the statement:
 * 04.11.14 Tashin news agency google translated: "3. The participants in this grand gathering of Ashoura, password and authority of the state and the nation against the hegemonic system and follow the school of Ashura, Yazid times the strength and resistance to oppressive America and the powers, while supporting the government and the oppressor and the know arrogant diplomacy in the nuclear negotiations with P5 + 1 and emphasize compliance framework drawn up by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution of Iran zealous for the inalienable right people, meticulous removal of unilateral sanctions against Iran and take care cruel and respected representatives of Parliament Houshmandi The definitive agreements and their potential to seriously consider the demands of the real sponsors of terrorism, violence and extremism and false claims law of nations, will not let the greed Khlly on the road to discrimination and, and the inalienable rights of obstructing nation forward"."Thirteenth of November 1393 Solar Hjry- Coinciding with the tenth of Moharram 1436 AH Fourth of November 2014 Mena Lo Alzlh - Death to America Death to Israel Death to Britain"

Nuclear Talks
24.11.14 is talks deadline. Iran nuclear talks: Diplomats ponder extending deadline--Resup (talk) 22:30, 23 November 2014 (UTC)

28.3.15 A framework agreement is discussed. It is believed by some observers that some sort of a deal before the self-imposed March 31 deadline is close. Progress on some of the issues; but not all issues indicated.

Iranian defector: “The US negotiating team are mainly there to speak on Iran’s behalf with other members of the 5+1 countries and convince them of a deal ”  (Amir Hossein Motaghi). --Resup (talk) 00:17, 29 March 2015 (UTC)

30.3.15 Lavrov leaves Iran talks; Kerry is determined to cave (what?)
 * Lavrov returns, says 'Good chance' of deal, --and an earlier episode with Lavrov  (30.3.15) --Resup (talk) 12:50, 31 March 2015 (UTC)

How France Became an Iran Hawk --Resup (talk) 05:51, 31 March 2015 (UTC)

1.4 A pause in the negotiations taken by Iran - TASS quoting European diplomatic sources.--Resup (talk) 15:43, 1 April 2015 (UTC)

2.4 Framework agreement details published--Resup (talk) 19:24, 2 April 2015 (UTC)
 * "Iran Accuses U.S. of Lying About New Nuke Agreement", freebeacon.com, 2.4.15
 * "The solutions are good for all, as they stand. There is no need to spin using "fact sheets" so early on". Javad Zarif, 2.4.15
 * --Resup (talk) 04:10, 3 April 2015 (UTC)
 * Sanctions to be terminated,.... enrichment will go on... -Presstv-Iran, 4.4.15
 * Iran’s Persian statement on ‘deal’ contradicts Obama’s claims-NYPost, 4.4.15
 * --Resup (talk) 00:10, 5 April 2015 (UTC)

4.7.15 Ministers to reconvene in Vienna, amid reports that one of the sticking points, on sanctions lifting (reimposing in case of non-compliance) mechanism was agreed by technical experts  --Resup (talk) 16:28, 4 July 2015 (UTC)

14.7 Iran nuclear  deal reached -jpost, Sources: Iran and the 6 reached nuclear accord-TASS (Russian) Iran nuclear agreement 'reached' - diplomats in Vienna -BBC


 * Iran will reduce its current stockpile of low-enriched uranium, which can be processed into bomb-grade fuel, by 98 percent to 300 kilograms (about 660 pounds) for 15 years.
 * Iran will reduce by two-thirds, to 5,060, the number of centrifuges operating to enrich uranium at its primary processing center in Natanz. Remaining centrifuges get moved to a continuously monitored storage site. Taken together, the limits on fuel and centrifuges would extend, to one year, the amount of time necessary for Iran to produce enough weapons-grade material for a single bomb if it should abandon the accord.
 * International sanctions against Iran will be lifted, allowing it to start selling oil again on international markets and using the global financial system for trade.
 * An international arms embargo on Iran would be eased gradually, with the pace determined in part by whether the International Atomic Energy Agency judges the Iranian nuclear program to be entirely peaceful.
 * Should Iran be judged by an international panel not to be living up to the accord, the sanctions could “snap back” under an unusual mechanism. The panel would consist of the United States, Britain, China, France, Germany, the European Union, Russia and Iran itself, with a majority vote of the eight members sufficient to restore the sanctions.
 * New restrictions prevent Iran, for a set period of time, from experimenting with designing warheads and conducting experiments on “multipoint detonations” and other nuclear weapons-related triggers and technologies (source: NY Times)

White House presentation Congress to Start Review of Iran Nuclear Deal

USA-Iran
22.5.2015 A bill allowing Congress to review any agreement reached with Iran is signed

Iran provided small number of troops in support of Iraq (apparently at Beiji refinery compound) -unofficial report.

Updated Nov. 6, 2014 7:22 p.m. WSJ: Obama Wrote Secret Letter to Iran’s Khamenei About Fighting Islamic State Presidential Correspondence With Ayatollah Stresses Shared U.S.-Iranian Interests in Combating Insurgents, Urges Progress on Nuclear Talks.

Nov 06 2014 US Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham: "It is outrageous that, while the cries of moderate Syrian forces for greater U.S. assistance fall on deaf ears in the White House, President Obama is apparently urging Ayatollah Khamenei to join the fight against ISIS." "The Administration needs to understand that this Iranian regime cares more about trying to weaken America and push us out of the Middle East than cooperating with us. ... The consequences of this ill-conceived bargain would destroy the Syrians' last best chance to live in freedom from the brutal Assad regime." --Resup (talk) 17:09, 7 November 2014 (UTC)

Russia-Iran
Caspian-5 group meets, all oil and gas producers, and including Russia and Iran Caspian Sea Summit Kicks Off In Russia --Resup (talk) 13:16, 29 September 2014 (UTC)--Resup (talk) 13:16, 29 September 2014 (UTC)