Archive for the ‘Iran’ Category

Iran Postpones Unification Of Official And Open Market Exchange Rates – Forbes


Forbes
Iran Postpones Unification Of Official And Open Market Exchange Rates
Forbes
The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) has indicated that it will not be able to unify the country's official and open market exchange rates by March 20, as previously planned. Iran has been living with two exchange rates for the Iranian rial for several years ...

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Iran Postpones Unification Of Official And Open Market Exchange Rates - Forbes

Iran: Israelis and Saudis coordinating on certain issues in region – Jerusalem Post Israel News

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman (L) and Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir address the 53rd Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, February 19, 2017. (photo credit:ARIEL HERMONI/DEFENSE MINISTRY/REUTERS)

Iran on Monday rejected Israeli and Saudi claims that the Islamic Republic was a destabilizing force in the region, saying that it came as no surprise that Jerusalem and Riyadh share the same views.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi made the comments after both Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir each said at the Munich Security Conference on Sunday that Iran constitutes a threat to each of their countries, has not moderated its behavior in the wake of the 2015 nuclear deal and should face renewed economic pressure from the international community.

While the Israeli and Saudi ministers stopped short of saying they would cooperate to thwart Iran, Qassemi said that Jerusalem and Riyadh are already working "hand in glove" in the Middle East and their matching assessments given on Sunday came as no surprise.

The parallelism between the positions of the Saudi foreign minister and the Israeli war minister on Iran is not coincidental. Many instances of evidence indicate coordination between the two regimes in regional cases, Iranian official news agency Press TV quoted Qassemi as saying.

The Iranian official said that Liberman's and Jubeir's claims against Iran reflected their countries' "painful desperation."

Both regimes think they should stir the international atmosphere against Iran as a means of making up for their multitudinous defeats and frustrations in the region, he charged.

Qassemi said that Israel's attempts to enlist a Muslim country in its efforts against Iran were "pathetic."

In addition to Liberman and Jubeir, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif also spoke at Sunday's Munich Security Conference. While Liberman called for an alliance with Sunni states, Jubeir did not directly respond when asked if he envisions a coalition with Israel against Tehran.

Jubeir, who spoke after Liberman and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlet Cavusoglu, pointedly rejected a new Iranian call for a dialogue with Sunni Arab Gulf states, telling the conference that the Islamic Republic is trying to upend the order in the Middle East and seeks the destruction of Saudi Arabia.

The Iranians speak of wanting to turn a new page, wanting to look forward, not backward. This is great, but what about the present? he asked. We cant ignore what they are doing in the region. We cant ignore their constitution which calls for the export of the revolution. How can one deal with a nation whose intent is to destroy us?

Liberman, meanwhile, accused Iran of trying to undermine Saudi Arabia and termed Maj.-Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, the No.1 terrorist in the world.

If you ask me, What is the biggest news in the Middle East? I think that [for] the first time since 1948 the moderate Arab world, Sunni world, understands that the biggest threat for them is not Israel, not Jews and not Zionism, but Iran and Iranian proxies, Liberman said, pointing to Hezbollah in Lebanon, Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip and the Houthi militia in Yemen.

Ben Lynfield and Anna Ahronheim contributed to this report.

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Steinitz: Trump’s test is to expel Iran from Syria – Jerusalem Post Israel News

Iranian Revolutionary Guard members in Tehran carry the casket of Iran Revolutionary Guards Brigadier General Mohsen Ghajarian, who was killed in the northern province of Aleppo , Syria . (photo credit:ATTA KENARE / AFP)

US President Donald Trump fails to expel Iran from Syria and prevent its expansion, there will be a very negative impact on the United States, Israel and the world, Energy and Water Minister Yuval Steinitz told the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations on Monday.

Steinitz, who is a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus security cabinet, said the world is getting more dangerous and the global order has been under attack since the so-called Arab Spring began.

The most urgent issue and the first big challenge of the Trump administration is Syria, Steinitz said.

The mission of Iran is to make Syria into an Iranian stronghold and an extension of the Islamic Republic.

The last thing we want is to have Iran on our northern border, and it is not a theoretical possibility.

Steinitz said that if Trump manages to prevent such a disaster, it would be an important step that would lead to other initiatives in the region and beyond.

Since world powers made a deal with Iran, he said, the Islamic Republic had expanded operations all over the region.

In Washington there were hopes Iran would moderate itself after the deal, but it only became more dangerous, he said. We had hoped the Iranian nuclear structure would be completely dismantled forever. Instead it was partially dismantled for 10 years.

Steinitz said the most dangerous threats to global order are Iran and North Korea.

While it seems we are much more disturbed by Iran than North Korea, there actually is very strong linkage between the behavior and ambitions of North Korea and Iran, he said. If you fail to contain North Korea, you will have to deal with Iran. If you let North Korea develop more, Iran will follow.

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Protests in Iranian City Where ‘Everything Is Covered in Brown Dust’ – New York Times


New York Times
Protests in Iranian City Where 'Everything Is Covered in Brown Dust'
New York Times
TEHRAN Days of protests over dust storms, power failures and government mismanagement in one of Iran's most oil-rich cities subsided on Sunday after security forces declared all demonstrations illegal. Residents of Ahvaz, a city with a majority Arab ...
New Political Unrest in the Oil-Rich Fields of IranAmerican Thinker
Man taking selfie among seven dead in Iran stormsArab News
Iran's Arab minority holds protests, regime cracks downDaily Sabah

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Protests in Iranian City Where 'Everything Is Covered in Brown Dust' - New York Times

Senators eye new sanctions against Iran – The Hill

Sen. Lindsey GrahamLindsey GrahamTrumps feud with the press in the spotlight Senators eye new sanctions against Iran Republicans play clean up on Trump's foreign policy MORE (R-S.C.) revealed plansSundayto introduce legislation that would imposefurther economic sanctionson Iran,according to a Reuters report.

Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, mentioned the plans for increased measures during a panel discussion at the 2017 Munich Security Conference.

"I think it is now time for the Congress to take Iran on directly in terms of what theyve done outside the nuclear program," Graham said.

Graham said he and other senators would be introducing a measure to hold Iran accountable for its actions, Reuters reported.

Tehran violated the U.N. Security Council resolutions by testing ballistic missiles earlier this month.

Sen. Chris MurphyChris MurphySenators eye new sanctions against Iran For Trump and Russia, the fall of Michael Flynn is only the beginning Overnight Finance: Trump's Labor pick withdraws | Ryan tries to save tax plan | Trump pushes tax reform with retailers MORE (D-Conn.), who participated in the same conference panel as Graham, said there will need to be aconversation about what the proportional response is" to Iran's missile test.

"I don't necessarily think there's going to be partisan division over whether or not we have the ability as a Congress to speak on issues outside of the nuclear agreement," Murphy said.

Murphy, who serves on theSenate Foreign Relations Committee,also said the U.S. will have to decide its level of involvement in Iran.

"We have to make a decision whether we are going to get involved in the emerging proxy war in a bigger way than we are today, between Iran and Saudi [Arabia]," he said.

Tensions between the U.S. and Iran escalated after Trump sanctioned dozens of Iranian individuals and companies in early February, according to aWall Street Journal report.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif, who also attended the Munich Security Conference, said Iran doesnt respond well to coercion and threats.

We dont respond well to coercion. We dont respond well to sanctions, but we respond very well to mutual respect. We respond very well to arrangements to reach mutually acceptable scenarios, Zarif saidon Sunday, according to anAP report.

Graham blasted Iran, calling it a bad actor that's sending mixed messages.

"To Iran, I say, if you want us to treat you differently then stop building missiles, test-firing them in defiance of U.N. resolution and writing 'Death to Israel' on the missile. That's a mixed message," Graham said.

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Senators eye new sanctions against Iran - The Hill