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Senate rejects attempt to derail Iran deal in victory for Obama

Congressional Republicans are vowing to continue their efforts to combat the Iran nuclear deal even if Democrats successfully block a resolution disapproving of the agreement. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Senate Democrats on Thursday blocked a Republican effort to scuttle the Iran nuclear deal, delivering a major victory to the Obama administration. It has become clear in recent days that the White House can prevent Congress from immediately rejecting the deal, but the successful filibuster of the resolution of disapproval ensures that President Obama won’t have to rely on his veto pen to preserve a major piece of his foreign policy agenda. The vote on the procedural motion was 58 to 42 and 60 votes were needed to consider the resolution attacking the agreement. The debate over the highly controversial agreement struck this summer between Tehran, the United States and other world powers is not over with House Republicans promising […]

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Honor ceiling, Iran tells OPEC

OPEC members, notably Iran, are ignoring production agreements to the detriment of oil prices, Iran’s Oil Ministry says. File photo by Maryam Rahmanian/UPI TEHRAN, Sept. 10 (UPI) — The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries will have to review production levels to make room for Iran or face consequences, Iran’s Oil Ministry said. An opinion piece published by SHANA, the Oil Ministry’s official news website, said crude oil markets are skewed toward the supply side by 2 million barrels. Once all sanctions pressures ease, Iran could add another 1 million barrels of oil per day to the global marketplace almost immediately, it said. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zangeneh said his country could become the second-largest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, after Saudi Arabia, within seven or eight months of sanctions relief. The minister said Iran will increase net oil production by more than 1.5 million bpd, bringing […]

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U.S. Designing Secret Way to Monitor Iran’s Nuclear Program

WASHINGTON—The U.S. intelligence chief said Wednesday that the government is designing a secret way to monitor Iran’s compliance with a pending agreement aimed at curbing its nuclear program, which will go beyond scrutiny from the International Atomic Energy Agency. “We are fielding some independent capabilities, which I can’t go into…that will enable us to have good insight into the nuclear industrial enterprise of Iran, if I can call it that,” U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said at a Washington conference called the Intelligence and National Security Summit, without offering any details. Mr. Clapper, who has spent more than 50 years working in a variety of government intelligence posts, stopped short of predicting whether the Iranian government would abide by the nuclear agreement, which the White House and five other world powers brokered with the Iranians. But he said the U.S. and others would likely know if Iranians […]

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U.N. Atomic Agency Queries Iran on Ambiguities About Past Nuclear Work

The United Nations atomic agency has sent questions to Iran in a bid to shed light on continued “ambiguities” about Tehran’s past nuclear work, the organization said Wednesday. Under an agreement between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency, the organization had until Sept. 15 to submit the questions that relate to written information Tehran provided on Aug. 15 about its past nuclear activities. Iran says its nuclear program has always been purely peaceful. Many Western officials believe Iran worked in the past on gaining nuclear weapons know-how. The IAEA probe into Iran’s work has become a flash point of critics of the July 14 nuclear agreement between Iran and six major powers with critics saying the terms of the probe will allow Tehran to avoid a serious accounting for its past actions. “The IAEA submitted on 8 September questions to Iran on ambiguities regarding the information Iran provided […]

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Republican Revolt Stalls House Debate on Iran Nuclear Deal

WASHINGTON — House Republican leaders on Wednesday postponed debate on President Obama’s landmark nuclear accord with Iran amid a revolt by some Republicans who claimed the White House had not disclosed secret side agreements on the deal. The delay of the historic debate because of Republican infighting opened a new twist in the White House’s effort to move forward with the accord, but it appeared it would have little impact on its prospects. Under the legislation passed this spring that gave Congress a say in the nuclear deal, lawmakers have until mid-September to approve or disapprove the accord. If they do nothing, it goes into force. On Tuesday, the administration succeeded in securing the votes needed in the Senate to block the Republican disapproval resolution on the deal in that chamber, sparing Mr. Obama from having to use his veto pen. But even as the White House seemed to […]

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Contain Iran with oil, U.S. export backers say

Contain Iran with a decision to lift the ban on U.S. crude oil exports, supporters say. Photo by Ali Mohammadi/UPI WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 (UPI) — With Iran expecting to return to the global energy market, U.S. allies need a reliable source of crude oil in the way of exports, a production supporter said. The House Foreign Affairs Committee scheduled hearings Wednesday on the implications of a nuclear agreement reached in July between Iran, the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, plus Germany. Supporters of the agreement, which gives Iran widespread sanctions relief in exchange for nuclear assurances, describe it as a victory for diplomacy. Opponents worry about potential national security concerns for the United States and its allies in Israel. George Baker, executive director of the Producers for American Crude Oil Exports, said lifting a 1970s ban on domestic crude oil exports would send a de facto […]

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Democratic Support for Iran Nuclear Deal Reaches Critical Threshold

Sen. Ron Wyden (D., Ore.) said Tuesday he would endorse the Iran nuclear deal. WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama on Tuesday crossed a key threshold in building support for the Iran nuclear deal , winning the backing of enough Senate Democrats that he could avoid having to use a veto to advance the accord. The new support, of 42 senators, means a shift in focus in the debate over the agreement, which was reached in Vienna in July. What had been a struggle to win over undecided lawmakers turned Tuesday into wrangling over procedure. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) had been planning a formal floor debate over the Iran deal. But Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) now has enough support to block the legislation—technically, a resolution disapproving the deal—on procedural grounds, and he worked Tuesday to keep Democrats in line behind the strategy. Such a move would […]

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Iran awaits Austrian energy investments

Iran welcomes Austrian president and representatives from energy company OMV to review post-sanctions trade relations. File photo by Maryam Rahmanian/UPI TEHRAN, Sept. 8 (UPI) — Iran is preparing to welcome Austrian oil and natural gas company OMV back to the energy sector as sanctions pressure eases, a deputy Iranian minister said. Austrian President Heinz Fischer arrived Monday in Tehran, leading business delegates to the country to review potential trade relations with the Islamic republic. Amir-Hossein Zamani-Nia, the Iranian deputy oil minister in charge of international affairs, told the oil ministry’s officials news site SHANA, the Iranian energy sector was opening its doors to investors . "Using new technologies, OMV is ready to double production of Iran’s oil and gas fields through enhanced oil recovery and improved oil recovery methods," he said, without specifics. SHANA reports Rainer Seele, the chief executive officer at OMV, met Tuesday with Oil Minister Bijan […]

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Iran Sanctions Seen Lifted in Early 2016 by Nuclear Envoys

People celebrate after the 5+1 nuclear agreement was announced on Vali Asr Avenue in Tehran, Iran, on July 14, 2015. Oil and financial sanctions on Iran will probably be lifted within the first three months of 2016, according to four western diplomats familiar with the nuclear monitoring process. Under the terms of a July 14 accord between world powers and Iran, sanctions imposed internationally on the Persian Gulf nation will be lifted in return for restrictions on nuclear work. The Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency will assess when Iran has fulfilled the terms of deal, paving the way for the removal of restrictions. The monitoring necessary for that to happen will probably be in place by January or February, according to three of the envoys. A fourth saw restrictions lasting as late as March. All of the officials have knowledge of the IAEA’s verification regime in Iran and asked […]

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Congress Set to Duel Over Iran Nuclear Pact This Week

WASHINGTON—Lawmakers set to begin a bruising foreign policy fight over the Iran nuclear accord this week are likely to hand President Barack Obama a narrow and partisan victory, but one that saddles Democratic supporters with uncertain political consequences. Both chambers return to Washington on Tuesday after Congress’ annual summer recess, kicking off a fractious fall that will feature acrimonious debate and a possible veto fight over the nuclear agreement. The issue also will set the tone for showdowns later this year over government spending. A stream of Democratic endorsements dribbling out over recent weeks has all but guaranteed the White House will be able to implement the deal before Mr. Obama leaves office in less than two years. The agreement, reached in Vienna on July 14, imposes strict curbs on Iran’s nuclear program that will start to be eased after 10 years. In exchange, the U.S., the European Union […]

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Chevron’s hands still tied on Iran

Chevron said there’s been no formal outreach to Iran because of prohibitive U.S. sancitons. File photo by Mohammad Kheirkhah/UPI SAN RAMON, Calif., Sept. 4 (UPI) — U.S. oil major Chevron Corp. does not engage with discussions with Iranian officials because of existing U.S. law, a spokesperson said. Iran is vetting interest from European energy companies examining the post-sanctions options in the country. European sanctions are easing in the wake of a breakthrough July nuclear agreement. U.S. sanctions remain in place. Chevron spokesperson Erika Conner said in response to email questions U.S. sanctions prohibit the company from following its European counterparts into Iran. "We remain in strict compliance with existing U.S. and international laws, and regulatory frameworks that govern commercial activity with Iran," she said. "Chevron acts in full compliance with U.S. law and does not engage in discussions with Iran." Iran said it could become the second largest producer […]

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Saudi Arabia welcomes Iran nuclear deal after Obama meeting: foreign minister

U.S. President Barack Obama (R) meets with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington September 4, 2015. Saudi Arabia is satisfied with U.S. President Barack Obama’s assurances about the Iran nuclear deal and believes the agreement will contribute to security and stability in the Middle East, the country’s foreign minister said on Friday. Speaking after a White House meeting between Obama and Saudi King Salman in Washington, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said Obama had assured Salman that the agreement prevents Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, includes inspections of military and suspected sites, and has a provision for the snapback of sanctions if Iran violates the agreement. Iran and six world powers, including the United States, negotiated an agreement in July that lifts economic sanctions on Iran in return for limits on its nuclear program. "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia […]

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Inside Israel’s Bid to Derail Iran Pact

JERUSALEM—In early August, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood in front of 22 Democratic U.S. lawmakers. He closed the door and instructed an aide to clear his schedule for the afternoon. There was nothing more important, he told the members of Congress, than answering their questions on the Iranian nuclear deal, however long it took. For the next two hours, the prime minister worked the room, according to many of the lawmakers present. His props included a large white board on which he wrote their questions. At one point, he drew what he called a “nuclear gun” to underline his fears. Although Mr. Netanyahu didn’t explicitly tell them to vote against the deal, his feelings were clear. It would seriously jeopardize Israel’s security, he told them. “They weren’t twisting my arm but they were certainly trying to convince me,” said Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, a New Jersey Democrat, one […]

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Iran’s Khamenei backs parliamentary vote on nuclear deal with powers: state TV

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks live on television after casting his ballot in the Iranian presidential election in Tehran June 12, 2009. Iran’s Supreme Leader said on Thursday he favored a parliamentary vote on its nuclear deal reached with world powers and called for sanctions against Tehran to be lifted completely rather than suspended, state television reported. President Hassan Rouhani, a pragmatist whose 2013 election paved the way to a diplomatic thaw with the West, and his allies have opposed such a parliamentary vote, arguing this would create legal obligations hampering the deal’s implementation. "Parliament should not be sidelined on the nuclear deal issue … I am not saying lawmakers should approve the deal or reject it. It is up to them to decide," said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all state policy in Iran. “I have told the president that it is […]

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Iran’s Supreme Leader Orders Parliament to Vote on Nuclear Deal

Photo Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, during a ceremony in Tehran last month. He is widely seen as the architect behind the nuclear agreement. Credit Supreme Leader Official Website, via European Pressphoto Agency TEHRAN — A day after President Obama secured enough votes to ensure approval of the Iranian nuclear deal in the United States Congress, Iran ’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , on Thursday ordered Parliament to vote on the agreement and threatened to cancel the pact entirely if the West merely suspended, rather than canceled, economic sanctions, state news media reported. While the Iranian Parliament is expected to approve the agreement, the announcement nonetheless represented a setback for President Hassan Rouhani and his nuclear negotiators, who have long held that the deal should be ratified by the Supreme National Security Council, which Mr. Rouhani heads. Their fear is that a debate in Parliament will provide […]

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Iran puts figure on 2016 oil production goals

Iran could be producing more than 4 million barrels of oil per day by the end of next year, oil minister says. File photo by Maryam Rahmanian/UPI TEHRAN, Sept. 2 (UPI) — Iranian oil production by the end of 2016 will be in excess of 4 million barrels per day, more than in the pre-sanctions era, the nation’s oil minister said. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zangeneh said the country will increase net oil production by more than 1.5 million barrels per day, bringing total production for the Islamic republic to just over 4 million bpd. "Around the end of next year, we will be close to this figure," he said in an interview broadcast by CNN . Zangeneh said his country could become the second largest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, after Saudi Arabia, within seven or eight months of sanctions relief. Production during the pre-sanctions […]

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Obama Nears Needed Votes on Iran Nuclear Deal

Photo Senator Bob Casey, Democrat of Pennsylvania, said in a statement that he would support the Iran nuclear deal, despite deep concern that Iran would not hold up its end of the bargain. Credit Andrew Harnik/Associated Press WASHINGTON — President Obama all but clinched victory for his Iran nuclear deal on Tuesday, as two Democratic senators threw crucial support behind the landmark accord. The announcements by the senators, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Chris Coons of Delaware, came a week before the Senate was to formally debate a Republican resolution disapproving the agreement between Iran and six world powers. Mr. Obama would veto any such resolution, and with further announcements of support for the accord expected as soon as Wednesday, any move to override him would almost certainly fail. Mr. Coons’s decision in particular is likely to have resonance with the few remaining undecided Democrats. As an outspoken member […]

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Obama Gains Support of Two Senators for Iran Deal

Photo Senator Bob Casey, Democrat of Pennsylvania, said in a statement that he would support the Iran nuclear deal, despite deep concern that Iran would not hold up its end of the bargain. Credit Andrew Harnik/Associated Press WASHINGTON — Two Democratic senators threw crucial support behind the Iran nuclear deal on Tuesday, almost assuring that President Obama would have the votes to overcome congressional opponents seeking to derail the landmark accord. The announcements by the senators, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Chris Coons of Delaware, came a week before the Senate returned to formally debate a Republican resolution disapproving the accord among Iran and six world powers. With the support of Mr. Casey and Mr. Coons, the chances of Congress torpedoing it are becoming ever more slim. Mr. Coons, an outspoken voice on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, received personal, written assurances from Mr. Obama on Tuesday on a […]

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OPEC: Iran has many projects on tap

A July nuclear deal could pave the way for Iran’s return to the global energy stage by the end of the year. OPEC finds the country has billions of dollars of new projects on tap. Photo by Ali Mohammadi/UPI VIENNA, Sept. 1 (UPI) — Iran could mark its return to the global energy stage when, perhaps by the end of the year, it starts $185 billion worth of new projects, OPEC said. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries said in a monthly newsletter it’s expecting Iran to bring new projects online as sanctions pressure eases. Iran, which is a member of OPEC, has been preparing for the day when sanctions are released and international oil companies again express interest in investing in the country. "Iran has drawn up a list of some 50 oil and gas projects worth $185 billion which it intends to start developing once longstanding economic […]

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After Peshmerga victory, homes looted and destroyed

Volunteers with Peshmerga forces clash with Islamic State militants in Daquq, south of Kirkuk, on Sept. 30, 2014. (AKO RASHEED/Reuters) In the wake of a recent military victory against the Islamic State (IS) militant group south of Kirkuk, forces belonging to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) have overseen the destruction and looting of homes belonging to displaced Sunni Arab residents.The looting began on Aug. 27 at the end of a major Peshmerga offensive – supported by air strikes by the U.S.-led coalition – which dislodged IS fighters from a half-dozen villages around the Daquq district in southern Kirkuk provinc… This content is for registered users. Please login to continue. If you are not a registered user, you may purchase a subscription or sign up for a free trial .

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Indian Oil Said to Plan $3 Billion Petrochemicals Unit in Iran

Indian Oil Corp. is seeking to build a $3 billion petrochemicals plant in Iran, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter. The plan hinges on assurances from Iran that the 1 million-ton-a-year project will have access to cheap natural gas as feedstock, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information isn’t public. A company spokesman didn’t respond to requests for comment by phone, text message and e-mail. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is eyeing energy and infrastructure investments totaling billions of dollars in Iran, including upstream gas production and port developments. India has sought to secure ties with Iran and ensure access to its abundant hydrocarbons as years of sanctions on the Persian Gulf nation may be nearing an end. Economic and financial restrictions on Iran, once the second-biggest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, left it in need of […]

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Iran Deal Opens a Vitriolic Divide Among American Jews

Photo Representative Jerrold Nadler, Democrat of New York, in 2014. Mr. Nadler has announced his support for the nuclear accord with Iran. Credit Andrew Burton/Getty Images WASHINGTON — The attacks on Representative Jerrold Nadler, Democrat of New York, since he announced his support for the nuclear accord with Iran have been so vicious that the National Jewish Democratic Council and the Anti-Defamation League both felt compelled this week to publicly condemn Jewish voices of hate. On the other side, three Jewish Democrats in the House who oppose the deal released a joint statement denouncing “ad hominem attacks and threats” against not only supporters like Mr. Nadler but also Jewish opponents, who have been accused of “dual loyalties” and treason. This August recess has not produced the kind of fiery town hall-style meetings that greeted lawmakers in 2009 before their vote on the Affordable Care Act, but in one small […]

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Iran: Low oil prices no production deterrent

Iran must ignore low price of crude oil when considering potential market share, oil minister says. File Photo by UPI Photo/Mohammad Kheirkhah TEHRAN, Aug. 28 (UPI) — Iran must ignore the lower price of crude oil and work to increase the rate of production to ensure its share of the market, the country’s oil minister said. Iran, since reaching a multilateral nuclear agreement that could bring sanctions relief, has hosted representatives from companies like Italy’s ENI and Royal Dutch Shell. Iran’s crude oil production in July was around 3.1 million barrels per day, an increase of six tenths of a percent from the previous month and about 13 percent less than the peak rate in the pre-sanctions era. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zangeneh said his country could become the second largest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, after Saudi Arabia, within seven or eight months of sanctions […]

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Obama on cusp of winning Iran nuclear vote

Sign up for quick access to a wealth of global business news, including: Obama on cusp of winning Iran nuclear vote Newspaper + Premium online Newspaper + Premium online Premium Full FT.com subscription Premium Full FT.com subscription Standard Full news & archive Standard Full news & archive Trial Try Premium online Trial Try Premium online Price Monthly Annual $66.30 $11.77 per week $53.00 $9.25 per week $36.00 $6.45 per week $1.00 for 4 weeks $1.00 for 4 weeks FT Alphaville plus selected FT blogs yes yes yes yes Unlimited FT.com article access yes yes yes yes Unlimited mobile and tablet access yes yes yes yes Unlimited fast FT yes yes yes yes 5 year company financials archive yes yes yes yes The LEX column yes yes no yes ePaper access yes yes no yes Three exclusive weekly emails yes yes no yes Daily newspaper delivery yes no no For […]

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Iran wary of foreign control over oil

Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh frets over foreign manipulation in an eventual post-sanctions Iran. File photo by Maryam Rahmanian/UPI TEHRAN, Aug. 26 (UPI) — With Iranian sanctions set for U.S. congressional review, Iran’s oil minister made it clear there will be no major foreign control over its reserves. Republican leaders in the U.S. Congress are working to court their adversaries in the Democratic Party to move against the July deal reached between Iran, the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, plus Germany. Countering delicate partisanship that saw some key Democrats moving in opposition of President Barack Obama , Sen. Harry Reid , D-Nev., said he would "do everything" in his power to uphold the agreement . Opponents said the nuclear agreement could spark an arms race in the region, though supporters singled it out as a victory for U.S. diplomacy. Iran under the terms of the deal […]

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Iran says some in OPEC do not want high oil price

The logo of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is pictured at its headquarters in Vienna, Austria, August 21, 2015. Iran’s Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh blamed the latest drop in oil prices on some members of OPEC and questioned whether any OPEC emergency meeting would reach an agreement, the oil ministry’s news agency Shana reported. "To balance the oil price… OPEC members should balance their production. An emergency meeting has been requested and we don’t have a problem with that," Shana cited Zanganeh as saying. "But as you know the result of OPEC meetings should be approved by all members, I think some members do not want the price of oil to be high and they want to damage other countries by low prices." Zanganeh, said on Sunday that holding an emergency OPEC meeting may be "effective" in stabilizing the oil price. Algeria said earlier this month […]

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IAEA: Iran Provides Sizable Amount of Info for Nuclear Probe

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Yukiya Amano of Japan addresses the media during a news conference after a meeting of the IAEA board of governors at the International Center in Vienna, Austria, Tuesday Aug. 25, 2015. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak) Iran has provided a "substantive volume" of information to the U.N. atomic agency on allegations that it worked on nuclear arms, the agency’s chief said Tuesday, but declined to characterize the value of the documents. Yukiya Amano said it would be premature to say how useful the information given by Iran last week would be in the investigation being conducted by his International Atomic Energy Agency . "We need to see the whole picture to have an assessment," he told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of the IAEA’s 35-nation board, convened to seek approval — and funds — for the agency’s assigned task of […]

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Iran says will reclaim full oil market share post-sanctions

Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh wave to journalists as he arrives for a meeting of OPEC oil ministers at OPEC’s headquarters in Vienna December 4, 2013. Iran will ramp up crude oil production and reclaim its lost share of exports shortly after international sanctions on the OPEC member are lifted, Iran’s Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said on Tuesday. "After lifting sanctions, Iran will take back the market share of more than 1 million barrels a day that it lost," Zanganeh was quoted as saying by Shana, the oil ministry’s news agency. "To this end, in the first days after sanctions are lifted 500,000 barrels a day will be added to Iran’s production, and in a short time after that a further 500,000 barrels a day will be added." Zanganeh also said Iran’s oil exports had increased by 15 percent in the first four months of the current Iranian year, […]

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Iran Pushes Back on Nuclear Disclosure at Vienna IAEA Meeting

VIENNA—Iranian officials warned the United Nations atomic agency not to bow to pressure from U.S. lawmakers to detail its probe into Tehran’s past nuclear work, warning Iran will “not accept” any leaks of their discussions. Speaking after a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors in Vienna, Iranian Ambassador Reza Najafi dismissed the charge that Iran ever worked on nuclear weapons, reiterating Iran’s line that these were “baseless allegations” used to justify sanctions on his country. “The IAEA should at the same time exercise utmost vigilance to ensure full protection of all confidential information coming to its knowledge,” Mr. Najafi told reporters. “We won’t accept any kind of leakage of classified information by anyone.” The IAEA investigation into Iran’s past actions has become a focal point for skeptics of the nuclear agreement Iran reached with six world powers on July 14. The deal still needs approval […]

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U.K. Says Iran Sanctions Could Start to be Lifted in Spring 2016

LONDON—Sanctions against Iran could begin to be eased as early as next spring, Britain’s foreign secretary said Monday, the latest sign of thawing ties between Tehran and the West. During a two-day visit to Iran, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said he expected preparatory business negotiations to take place well ahead of the formal lifting of sanctions. However, he added that the U.K. and Iran still have a fundamental disagreement on Syria. Mr. Hammond met with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani Monday. The foreign secretary had arrived in the Iranian capital a day earlier to attend the reopening of the British embassy there after nearly four years. Iran also formally reopened its embassy in London. The diplomatic moves follow a landmark nuclear agreement last month between Iran, the U.S. and five other world powers. Mr. Hammond also said Iran and the U.S. could endorse the deal by October. “We could […]

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Fourth tanker leaves Iranian floating storage since nuclear deal: Platts cFlow

Another tanker has left Iran’s floating storage fleet, the fourth to detach from one of two flotillas based in the Persian Gulf since Iran’s landmark nuclear deal July 14, Platts cFlow ship-tracking software shows. The National Iranian Tanker Company-owned Nancy had been observed anchored off Kharg Island for 135 days until August 19, when its transponder was shut off, making the ship "invisible" to vessel-tracking software. The 2.1 million-barrel vessel then reappeared briefly Sunday in the UAE’s Fujairah waiting zone — where ships often bunker prior to long journeys or conduct ship-to-ship transfers — before going invisible Monday, bound for an unknown destination, Platts cFlow data showed. Sanctions related to Iran’s nuclear program are unlikely to be lifted before the end of the year. The UN’s nuclear watchdog is scheduled to deliver its final report on Iranian compliance with the July deal by December 15. Analysts at ESAI Energy […]

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IAEA says needs more money to implement Iran nuclear deal

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Yukiya Amano addresses a news conference after a board of governors meeting at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, Austria, June 8, 2015. The U.N. nuclear watchdog needs more money to carry out its role under a deal to curtail Iran’s nuclear program, its chief Yukiya Amano said on Tuesday, putting the annual cost for the agency at 9.2 million euros ($10.63 million). The costs for the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) verification and monitoring activities in Iran have so far been met through extra-budgetary contributions from member states, Amano said. He called on member states to provide the IAEA with the money it needed for its work in Iran and said the 800,000 euros per month it had already received would be exhausted by the end of next month. (Reporting By Shadia Nasralla; Editing by Janet Lawrence )

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Europe Doesn’t Share U.S. Concerns on Iran Deal

PARIS — Given the sound, fury and millions of dollars swirling around the debate in Washington over the Iranian nuclear deal, the silence in Europe is striking. It’s particularly noticeable in Britain, France and Germany , which were among the seven countries that signed the deal on July 14. Here in France, which took the toughest stance during the last years of negotiation, the matter is settled, according to Camille Grand, director of the Strategic Research Foundation in Paris and an expert on nuclear nonproliferation. “In Europe, you don’t have a constituency against the deal,” he said. “In France, I can’t think of a single politician or member of the expert community who has spoken against it, including some of us who were critical during the negotiations.” Mr. Grand said the final agreement was better than he had expected. “I was surprised by the depth and the quality of […]

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Wild Cards Remain as Democrats Add Supporters on Iran Deal

Photo Senator Harry Reid, the Democratic leader, endorsed the Iran nuclear accord on Sunday. Credit Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images WASHINGTON — With Senator Harry Reid ’s undiluted endorsement Sunday of the Iran nuclear accord, followed by Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan on Monday, supporters of the deal are closing in on the number they need to ensure it goes into force. But the ranks of undecided Democrats are still full of quirks and wild cards, from a freshman senator from Michigan whose closest aide has a pro-Israeli government bent to lawmakers inclined toward avoiding military conflict but from states where any position in support of President Obama is toxic. More vexing still, Democratic leaders worry that Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, could allow a resolution of disapproval of the deal to be loaded with politically charged amendments, such as making it contingent on Iran ’s recognizing the […]

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Why Water Is More Important To Iran’s Future Than Oil

As Congress prepares to vote on the Iran nuclear deal, the focus remains on what separates the Islamic republic from the United States , which, depending on your worldview is either a lot, or everything. The truth is that similarities, though perhaps few in number, do exist. Similar though contrasting religious convictions, a penchant for exceptionalism, and pistachios aside, water management stands to be a defining issue for both nations – and, truthfully, the world – as we approach mid-century. Water management in the United States is a historically dense – and increasingly dry – topic. In the early twentieth century, thousands of ill-conceived and wanton public works projects reclaimed vast swathes of the arid deserts dotting the west. The mega metropolises and industrial-scale agribusinesses that the Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation wrought are the definition of Manifest Destiny, and at the very least unsustainable. That fact […]

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Future Risks of an Iran Nuclear Deal

WASHINGTON — As President Obama begins his three-week push to win approval of the Iran nuclear deal, he is confronting this political reality: His strongest argument in favor of passage has also become his greatest vulnerability. Mr. Obama has been pressing the case that the sharp limits on how much nuclear fuel Iran can hold, how many centrifuges it can spin and what kind of technology it can acquire would make it extraordinarily difficult for Iran to race for the bomb over the next 15 years. His problem is that most of the significant constraints on Tehran’s program lapse after 15 years — and, after that, Iran is free to produce uranium on an industrial scale. “The chief reservation I have about the agreement is the fact that in 15 years they have a highly modern and internationally legitimized enrichment capability,” said Representative Adam B. Schiff, a California Democrat […]

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Iran says an OPEC emergency meeting may stop oil price slide: Shana

The logo of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is pictured at its headquarters in Vienna, Austria, August 21, 2015. Iran’s Oil Minister, Bijan Zanganeh, said on Sunday that holding an emergency OPEC meeting may be "effective" in stabilizing the oil price, Iran’s oil ministry news agency Shana reported. Algeria said earlier this month that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries could hold an emergency meeting to discuss the drop in oil prices but other OPEC delegates said no meeting was planned. "Iran endorses an emergency OPEC meeting and would not disagree with it," Zanganeh told reporters in Tehran, according to Shana. U.S. oil prices CLc1 fell below $40 a barrel on Friday for the first time since the 2009 financial crisis, pressured by signs of oversupply in the United States and weak Chinese manufacturing data. [O/R] OPEC is not due to meet until Dec. 4. While […]

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Iran to Raise Oil Output ‘at Any Cost’ to Defend Market Share

Iran plans to raise oil production “at any cost” to defend the country’s market share and joins calls for an emergency OPEC meeting to help shore up crude prices. “We will be raising our oil production at any cost and we have no other alternative,” said Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh, according to his ministry’s news website Shana. “If Iran’s oil production hike is not done promptly, we will be losing our market share permanently.” Iran had the second-biggest output in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries before U.S.-led sanctions banning the purchase, transport, finance and insuring of its crude began July 2012. Oil producers such as BP Plc and Royal Dutch Shell Plc have expressed interest in developing its reserves, the world’s fourth-biggest, once sanctions are removed. Zanganeh was speaking during the first visit by a British foreign secretary to Iran since 2003. Philip Hammond was accompanied by […]

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Israel Came Close to Attacking Iran, Ex-Defense Minister Says

JERUSALEM — A former Israeli defense minister, Ehud Barak, revealed new details to his biographers about how close Israel came to striking Iran ’s military facilities in 2010, 2011 and 2012 and why it did not despite his and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’s desire to do so, according to interview excerpts aired on Israeli television Friday night. Mr. Barak, who also previously served as Israel’s prime minister, said that he and Mr. Netanyahu were ready to attack Iran each year but that in 2010, the military chief of staff said Israel lacked the “operational capability”; in 2011, two key ministers waffled at the last minute; and in 2012, the timing did not work out because of a joint United States-Israel military exercise and visit by the American defense secretary. He noted that the two ministers who balked in 2011, Moshe Yaalon and Yuval Steinitz, “are the most militant […]

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Prospect of Self-Inspections by Iran Feeds Opposition to Nuclear Deal

To the most strident opponents of President Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran , the suspicious behavior at a military base about 12 miles southeast of Tehran has become a rallying call to defeat the accord, especially as it now appears that Iranian officials may be allowed to take their own environmental samples at the site and turn them over to inspectors. It did not take long for the speaker of the House, John A. Boehner, to question whether “anyone at the White House has seen the final documents” establishing rules for inspections. Though the International Atomic Energy Agency says it will monitor the collection, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Ed Royce, declared that, “International inspections should be done by international inspectors. Period.” But as in most debates about the Iran deal, the sound bites — on both sides — do not entirely align with reality, or […]

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Iran Prepares to Lure Foreign Investors After Nuclear Deal

Photo Sadjad Ghoroghi, who runs a mining company in Zanjan in northwestern Iran. He said he had long dreamed of finding a foreign investor willing to help expand his operations. Credit Newsha Tavakolian for The New York Times ZARRINABAD, Iran — When Iran ’s Revolutionary Guards Corps took over the nation’s telecommunications monopoly in 2009, the move was denounced as another dark step in the hard-line military group’s seizure of the levers of power. “It’s not just a matter of the Guards dominating the economy, but of controlling the state,” Alireza Nader, an expert on Iran and the co-author of a comprehensive RAND Corporation report on the Revolutionary Guards, said at the time . Last month, however, the company, the Telecommunication Company of Iran, was put up for sale, as the Revolutionary Guards now seem more interested in cashing in on what Iranian leaders are hoping will be a […]

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Iran plans full oil market return

Iranian government spokesman said other producers need to prepare to make room for more of the country’s crude oil on the market. File Photo by UPI Photo/Mohammad Kheirkhah TEHRAN, Aug. 20 (UPI) — Once sanctions pressure on the energy sector is released, Iran must work to reclaim its share of the global market, a government spokesman said. Iran, under the terms of a November 2013 agreement, is allowed some oil exports in exchange for commitments to curb parts of its nuclear research activity. A multilateral agreement reached in July to further curb nuclear research activity could result in more export options. Iran in December produced just under 2.8 million barrels per day, down about 20 percent from 2011 levels. The country reported to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries oil production for July at 3.13 million bpd, an increase of six tenths of a percent from the previous month. […]

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Obama lays out case for Iran nuclear deal in letter to Congress

U.S. President Barack Obama, flanked by guest observers including U.S. Representative Mike Simpson (R-ID) (L), delivers remarks before signing the Sawtooth National Recreation Area and Jerry Peak Wilderness Additions Act into law at his desk in the Oval Office at the White… U.S. President Barack Obama laid out his case for lawmakers to back the nuclear deal with Iran in a letter released by the White House, the latest step by the administration to gain support for a deal critical to the president’s legacy. In an Aug. 19 letter to Representative Jerrold Nadler, a Democrat from New York, Obama spelled out arguments he has made repeatedly in recent weeks: that the deal with Tehran was a good one, that Washington was enhancing its security cooperation with Israel, and that the United States would maintain its ability to punish Iran for destabilizing activities in the Middle East. "Should Iran seek […]

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Atomic energy watchdog says critics ‘misrepresent’ Iran nuclear agreement

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Yukiya Amano speaks to reporters Aug. 5 after briefing the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the Iran nuclear accord. (Michael Mathes/AFP/Getty Images) The international watchdog agency charged with verifying Iran’s compliance with the recent nuclear deal said Thursday that critics of the deal “misrepresent” its plans for doing so. In an unusual rebuttal from his headquarters in Vienna, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Yukiya Amano said he was “disturbed” by suggestions “that the IAEA has given responsibility for nuclear inspections to Iran.” Amano’s statement came after deal opponents seized on a news service account of IAEA plans to assess the “possible military dimensions,” or PMDs, of Iranian nuclear activity before 2003 to expand their criticism of the broader agreement restricting Iran’s future nuclear program. U.S. intelligence has said that 2003 was when Tehran stopped trying to develop an atomic weapon. The Associated […]

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IAEA says access to Iran’s Parchin military site meets demands

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Yukiya Amano attends a news conference during a board of governors meeting at the United Nations headquarters in Vienna September 10, 2012. The United Nations nuclear watchdog said it is satisfied with access Iran will grant it to the country’s Parchin military site, suspected by some states to have in the past hosted atomic bomb-related experiments. Without International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmation that Iran is keeping promises enshrined in a landmark nuclear deal reached with world powers on July 14, the country will not be granted much-needed relief from sanctions. According to data given to the IAEA by some member states, Parchin might have housed hydrodynamic experiments to assess how specific materials react under high pressure, such as in a nuclear blast. Asked if Iran would be allowed to conduct inspections itself to address concerns about Parchin, the IAEA said it […]

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Democratic Senator Menendez announces opposition to Iran deal

Senator Bob Menendez speaks at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey August 18, 2015. Senator Robert Menendez issued a scathing critique of the U.S.-led international nuclear deal with Iran on Tuesday and became the second senior lawmaker from President Barack Obama’s own party to announce he would vote to kill the pact with Tehran. Defying Obama and many other fellow Democrats, Menendez said in a speech in his home state of New Jersey: "I will vote to disapprove the agreement and, if called upon, would vote to override a veto" by the president. The Senate and House of Representatives have to vote by Sept. 17 on a "resolution of disapproval" being brought by majority Republicans aiming to sink the deal. Obama is trying to gather enough support among Democrats to sustain a veto of the resolution. Under the agreement between six major powers and Iran, new curbs […]

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Divisions and Inertia in Congress May Hand Obama a Victory on Iran Deal

WASHINGTON — Partisanship has become the pre-eminent scapegoat for American political failure, an all-purpose explanation for Washington’s inability to act. Yet in rare circumstances, it can actually guarantee action. So, notwithstanding an acrimonious debate, polarization makes the United States’ acceptance of the Iran nuclear deal very likely. That is because the mechanism for congressional consideration, agreed on by Republican leaders and the White House , reverses the typical legislative imperative. Instead of requiring an extraordinary majority to act, it requires one to stop action — which means partisanship is all President Obama needs to approve the deal. The Republican-controlled House and Senate can pass a resolution next month disapproving the deal, as lawmakers in both parties expect they will. Mr. Obama can then veto that resolution, as he has promised to do. To override that veto and block the deal, Republican leaders would need two-thirds majorities in each chamber. […]

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US should reject Iran deal, consider oil exports to keep allies: key Democrat

A key Senate Democrat on Tuesday said the P5+1 should have struck a better nuclear deal with Iran, urging Congress to reject the agreement and the Obama administration to assuage US allies by considering exports of US oil to countries that had previously purchased Iranian crude. Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey, a former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has been one of a handful of Democrats to break from President Barack Obama on the Iran deal. In a speech at Seton Hall University in his home state, Menendez said Congress should pass a resolution of disapproval on the nuclear pact, and the Obama administration should renegotiate with Iran for more stringent restrictions on its nuclear program. And as it negotiates, the US should "consider licensing the strategic export of American oil to allied countries struggling with supply because Iranian oil remains off the market," he said. […]

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