Tag Archives: Iran Nuclear Deal

Iranian Lawmakers Approve Nuclear Deal

The Iranian Parliament has given its approval to the deal Tehran reached with world powers over its nuclear program, state media reported.

The deal was passed with 161 votes in favor, 59 against and 13 abstentions, the official IRNA news agency said. Debate over the legislation was so intense that physical fights broke out among lawmakers, and some hard-line opponents of the deal cried when the bill passed.

The deal, which has been widely praised by some and completely criticized by many, including politicians in the United States and especially Israel, regards Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Government international sanctions on Iran will be lifted in return for restrictions on its nuclear program. This agreement has been hard fought in order to prevent Iran from being able to develop an atomic bomb.

The bill now goes before the Guardian Council for review. The 12-member clerical body, which is charged with interpreting the country’s constitution. This body could approve or reject it as well as revise and send back to the parliament for reconsideration.

The final say on all matters of state, including the nuclear deal, rests with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who has vowed that the historic agreement won’t change his government’s stance toward the United States. Khamenei has made many threats to the United States and Israel even during the negotiations and continues to do so.  

Under the agreement, Iran is expected to start work on rolling back its nuclear program from 18 October – labelled as adoption day – which includes taking out thousands of centrifuges at its enrichment facilities and pulling out its heavy-water reactor and filling it with concrete.

Netanyahu’s Powerful Address to U.N.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stayed firm on Israel’s stance on the Iran nuclear deal with a powerful speech to the U.N. Thursday. The power came with his words but was intensified by his silence.

“Seventy years after the murder of six million Jews, Iran’s rulers promise to destroy my country, murder my people,” Netanyahu said. “And the response from this body— the response from nearly every one of the governments represented here— has been absolutely nothing. Utter silence. Deafening silence.”

What followed was a stone cold silence delivered by the Prime minister as he stared down the assembly. No one spoke or stirred as Netanyahu remained quiet for nearly a minute.

“The days when the Jewish people remained passive in the face of genocidal enemies— those days are over.”

The speech was Netanyahu’s first major address since the Iran nuclear deal survived a debate in the U.S. Congress. Netanyahu also reached out to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

“I am prepared to immediately resume direct negotiations with the Palestinian Authority without any preconditions whatsoever,” Netanyahu said. “Unfortunately, President Abbas said yesterday that he is not prepared to do this. I hope he changes his mind.”

Abbas stated in his own address to the U.N, “Israel has destroyed the foundations upon which the political and security agreements are based. We therefore declare that we cannot continue to be bound by these agreements and that Israel must assume all its responsibilities as an occupying power.”

Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with President Obama in November.

U.N Summit, World Leaders Meet to Discuss Global Problems

Today five of the most powerful men in the world will be speaking at this historic meeting at the U.N. United States President Obama, Russia’s President Putin, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani

U.N. Secretary- General Ban Ki Moon called for a political solution to the war in Syria that has left more than 200,000 dead and unleashed a torrent of refugees. “The global humanitarian system is not broken; it is broke,” he said. He also urged world leaders to work together in order to banish the “blatant brutality” of extremist groups, such as the Islamic State.

U.S. President Barack Obama said they would work with any country to solve the crisis and war in Syria but that we must also not allow Syrian President Bashar Assad to stay in office. When speaking about the conflict in Ukraine, he said the world cannot stand by while Russia violates Ukraine’s integrity and sovereignty.

The need to protect and nurture the environment was first thing on Chinese President, Xi Jinping’s agenda in his speech today. “We should care for nature and not place ourselves above it. We should reconcile industrial development with nature.” He added that China would never pursue “hegemony, expansion or sphere of influence” in the world. And he pledged $1 billion over the next decade to support U.N. efforts to further global peace and development.

Russian President Putin stressed the importance of combating the ISIS threat in Syria stating that it must be done in cooperation with the Syrian government. “We think it is an enormous mistake to refuse to work with the Syrian government and its armed forces,” Putin said. “No one but the Syrian forces and Kurdish militia are seriously fighting against the Islamic state.” The alternative is to arm terrorists who threaten Europe, Russia and other countries, he said.

The Iranian President Hassan Rouhani praised the Iranian/U.S. agreement on nuclear weapons as an example of global cooperation. On the terroristic threats in the middle east, he stated firmly the terrorist “wave of destruction has gone beyond the Middle East and the Arab world and reached the shores of the United States and Europe,” he added. “Without the U.S. invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, and U.S. support for the Zionist regime, the terrorists would not have justification for their actions.”

President Obama and Putin are scheduled for an intense meeting this afternoon at the White House to discuss their differences on Syria and the Ukraine.

Iran Asks China to Help in Middle East Crisis

Iran is asking China to come in and help resolve the unrest in the Middle East along with offering more opportunities for Chinese businesses once the sanctions against the nation are lifted under the agreement with the United States and six other world powers.

China has been pushing the United States to complete the deal with Iran and lift the sanctions that have been economically hampering Iran.

“China and Iran find mutual benefits in many areas,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said.  “I agreed with [Chinese Foreign] Minister Wang Yi that we share similar views on regional issues, which should be solved in a political way. We would like to cooperate with China on issues in Yemen, Syria and the Middle East, seeking a political solution.”

China has long been opposed to the sanctions placed on Iran by the United States and European nations.  Wang told reporters he looks forward to the deal’s implementation because of the benefit to Chinese businesses and added he believes the two nations can work together for peace in their regions.

“We both agree that the unrest in West Asia and North Africa regions is not sustainable, it should be solved in a political way and we should seek a solution that can address the concerns of different parties,” Wang said.

Senate Democrats Block Bill to Condemn Iran Nuclear Deal

Senate Democrats have blocked the resolution of disapproval on the Iran nuclear deal by keeping the bill from being able to have a formal vote.

The move means the Democrats will filibuster any attempt to bring the bill to the floor for a vote, which would require 60 total votes to obtain cloture.

Republican leaders in the Senate said they would be bringing the measure back up for debate along with proposing new sanctions against Iran despite the nuclear deal.  The number 2 Republican in the Senate, Sen. John Cornyn, pointed out that earlier this year Democrats voted to give Congress a say on the deal but the filibuster blocks that exact thing from happening.

“We’ll revisit the issue next week and see if maybe any folks want to change their minds,” Republican majority leader, Mitch McConnell said in a speech.

The President, however, chose to focus on the fact Democrats blocked the bill from being able to get an up or down vote in the Senate chamber means the deal will go into effect.

“This vote is a victory for diplomacy, for American national security, and for the safety and security of the world,” President Obama said. “I am heartened that so many senators judged this deal on the merits, and am gratified by the strong support of lawmakers and citizens alike.”

House leadership said they will go forward with their votes condemning the deal.

“This is a bad deal with decades-long consequences for the security of the American people and our allies. And we’ll use every tool at our disposal to stop, slow, and delay this agreement from being fully implemented,” House Speaker John Boehner told a news conference.

Iran Nuclear Deal Now Virtually Unstoppable

A 34th Democratic Senator has announced they will stand behind President Obama’s Iran nuclear deal, assuring that a Presidential veto of a measure of disapproval will be upheld.

Retiring Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski announced her support of the deal Wednesday.

“No deal is perfect, especially one negotiated with the Iranian regime,” Mikulski said in a statement. “I have concluded that this Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is the best option available to block Iran from having a nuclear bomb. For these reasons, I will vote in favor of this deal.”

The victory for the White House came on the same day Secretary of State John Kerry gave a major speech in Philadelphia defending the deal.

“President Obama and I are convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that the framework that we have put forward will get the job done,” Kerry said.

The White House is now expected to try and obtain 41 senators to support the deal so they can stop the resolution of disapproval from ever reaching the President’s desk and forcing a veto.  It was unclear if the House or Senate will pick up the resolution first after the August recess.

Oil Prices Hit 6 1/2 Year Lows

Oil prices opened today by falling 6 percent to a 6 1/2 year low as markets worried about a Chinese-led global economic slowdown.

The markets were already steadily falling due to a season of plentiful oil supply.  However, one oil market analyst said the common forces of supply and demand are not causing the problems within the oil market prices.

“Today’s falls are not about oil market fundamentals. It’s all about China,” Carsten Fritsch, senior oil analyst at Commerzbank in Frankfurt, told the Reuters Global Oil Forum. “The fear is of a hard landing and that things get out of the control of the Chinese authorities.”

West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell below $39 a barrel early Monday, a level that had not been reached since 2009.  The market had closed on Friday at $40.29.  In June 2014, oil was hovering around $100 a barrel.

The prices could fall significantly further if the Iranian nuclear deal between the Obama Administration and Iran is approved. The lifting of restrictions because of the deal would have Iranian oil flooding into the world market supply.  Iranian officials said they would be aiming to raise production.

“We will be raising our oil production at any cost and we have no other alternative,” Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said. “If Iran’s oil production hike is not done promptly, we will be losing our market share permanently.”

The company that tracks gasoline prices for AAA reports that gas prices at the pump for Americans will likely fall below $2 after averaging around $3.40 a year ago.

Major Jewish Senator Announces Opposition to Iran Nuclear Deal

Senator Chuck Schumer, the New York Democrat who is in line to become the next leader of the Democrats in the senate after the retirement of Sen. Harry Reid, has announced that he will not support the nuclear deal with Iran.

“After deep study, careful thought and considerable soul-searching, I have decided I must oppose the agreement and will vote yes on a motion of disapproval,” Schumer wrote in a 1,600-word post on the website Medium.

“I will vote to disapprove the agreement, not because I believe war is a viable or desirable option, nor to challenge the path of diplomacy,” he added later. “It is because I believe Iran will not change, and under this agreement it will be able to achieve its dual goals of eliminating sanctions while ultimately retaining its nuclear and non-nuclear power.”

Sen. Schumer also said he would vote to override a veto by President Obama to Congress voting to reject his Iran deal.

Schumer is the latest Jewish member of Congress to oppose the deal.  Last week, Rep. Steve Israel of New York, most senior Democrat in the House, said he would oppose the deal.  The ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Nita Lowey of New York, also said she would oppose the Iran deal.

California Rep. Adam Schiff, ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, downplayed the announcement of Schumer and other Jewish New York congressional members whose constituents see a connection between terror attacks in New York City and Iran’s sponsorship of terrorism around the world.

“There was no one in their constituency who had not been directly impacted by the attacks of 9/11,” Mr. Schiff said of New York lawmakers, “It had a real impact in the New York Jewish community.”

U.S. Pledges to Defend Israel from Iranian Attacks

The United States has told Israeli officials that if Iran attacks the nation in any way, the U.S. will be there to defend them.

“We have an ally relationship. The word ‘ally’ means something to us. It means that if you are attacked, we will defend you. That is what an ally relationship means… We use that term sparingly,” the senior defense official told the Times of Israel.

“We think that this deal decreases the need and likelihood of an attack. That’s why we signed it. We understand that military action is always an option. It’s an option for the United States,” the official said. “It’s an option for Israel. But the goal is to have an agreement that makes a military attack less needed. But Israel has the right to self-defense. We understand that.”

The two nations are reportedly working on a new “memorandum of understanding” that will increase America’s defense commitment to Israel.

The officials told the Times that administration officials are not pleased with Iran’s continued calls for wiping Israel off the map.

“That is not the way countries should act in today’s world,” the official said of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei’s calls for Israel’s annihilation. “That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t sign a deal that helps decrease the likelihood of them becoming a nuclear state. That’s the very reason we signed it.”

Saudi Prince Says Iran Deal Worse Than North Korea Deal

One of America’s biggest allies in the Middle East is not happy with the Iran nuclear deal and one of their major leaders spoke out against it.

Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan, who had been Saudi ambassador to the United States from 1981 to 2005, has written a column where he compares the Iran nuclear deal to a similar deal with North Korea that failed.

Prince Bandar claims the failure of the Iran deal will have worse consequences.

The Prince writes in his column that former President Bill Clinton would not have agreed to the deal had he known all the facts and that the deal with North Korea showed “the strategic foreign policy analysis was wrong and there was a major intelligence failure” according to a translation of the piece by the Washington Post.

He says the same situation applies to the Iran deal “where the strategic foreign policy analysis, the national intelligence information, and America’s allies in the region’s intelligence all predict not only the same outcome of the North Korean nuclear deal but worse – with the billions of dollars that Iran will have access to.”

Prince Bandar said that Saudi leaders are looking at the possibility that they will have to act without or against America in dealing with Iran.

“People in my region now are relying on God’s will, and consolidating their local capabilities and analysis with everybody else except our oldest and most powerful ally,” he writes.

The writing seemed to back up the claims of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the proposed deal.

“Iran will get a jackpot, a cash bonanza of hundreds of billions of dollars, which will enable it to continue to pursue its aggression and terror in the region and in the world,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday. “One cannot prevent an agreement when negotiators are willing to make more and more concessions to those who, even during the talks, keep chanting: ‘Death to America.’ ”

The United Nations voted to endorse the Iranian deal Monday morning.