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Iran is complying with the nuclear deal reached with international powers in 2015, the UN atomic watchdog said in its latest quarterly report on Friday.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that Iran's stock of low-enriched uranium was 101.7 kilograms (225 pounds), far below the 300 kilograms limited by the deal.

Low-enriched uranium can be used for nuclear power and other peaceful purposes, but when further enriched can be used to make a nuclear weapon.

The United States, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia reached the accord with Iran in 2015. In exchange for Iran limiting its nuclear program punishing international sanctions against Iran were dropped. Tehran says it never intended to create nuclear weapons.

The IAEA report also said that Iran was complying with the 130-ton limit on so-called heavy water, at 124.2 tons, and has not enriched uranium above a 3.67 percent limit.

In its November report, the UN watchdog said Iran's stockpile had slightly exceeded the limit, prompting criticism from the Obama administration, which said the deal specified excess stock must be delivered to a foreign buyer.

Iran then sent 11 kilograms to Oman, a country that has acted as a mediator between Tehran and the West, in anticipation it would be sold to a buyer.

Plutonium can be extracted from fuel rods used in heavy water reactors to makenuclear weapons.

"Iran has not conducted any uranium enrichment or related research and development activities" at its Fordo nuclear plant, the IAEA added.

The UN watchdog also said verification has continued in line with the agreement.

The report is the first issued since Donald Trump took over the White House.Trump has criticized the accord as the "worst deal ever negotiated."

Iran committed to among other things cutting by two-thirds its uranium centrifuges, dramatically reducing its stockpile of uranium and removing the core of the Arak reactor.

cw/msh(AFP, AP, Reuters)

Excerpt from:
UN watchdog: Iran complying with nuclear deal - Deutsche Welle

WASHINGTON A proposal the Trump administration is considering to designate Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization has stalled over warnings from defense and intelligence officials that the move could backfire, according to officials familiar with the matter.

"If you do that, there is no way to escalate, and you would foreclose any possibility of talking to the Iranians about anything," one of the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Momentum behind a possible presidential order has slowed amid an internal debate that has included concerns it could undermine the fight against Islamic State, draw opposition from key allies, torpedo any U.S.-Iran diplomatic prospects, and complicate enforcement of the Iran nuclear deal, U.S. and European sources said.

The proposal - part of a broader effort to make good on President Donald Trump's vow to take a tougher line against Iran - would, if implemented, take the unprecedented step of blacklisting the entire IRGC as a "Foreign Terrorist Organization."

That would go far beyond the targeted sanctions already imposed on individuals and entities linked to the IRGC, Iran's most powerful security force, which also controls large swathes of the Iranian economy and wields great political influence.

The proposal has been in the works for weeks, and was originally expected to be rolled out this month. But while the idea remains under consideration, it is unclear when or even if an announcement might be forthcoming, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Iran denies any involvement in terrorism, though it is listed by the State Department along with Syria and Sudan as a state sponsor of terrorism.

A decision on the matter was complicated by the Feb. 13 resignation of Trump's national security adviser, Michael Flynn, over disclosures that he discussed U.S. sanctions on Russia with the Russian ambassador before taking office. Flynn was one of the Trump White House's leading Iran hawks, and was spearheading the crafting of a strategy for confronting Tehran.

DEFENSE, INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS RAISE OBJECTIONS

Even before Flynn's departure, however, officials from the Pentagon and U.S. and foreign intelligence agencies had raised objections to naming the IRGC a terrorist group.

Such a move would be the first time the 1996 Foreign Terrorist Organizations law, which has been applied to militant groups such as al-Qaeda and Islamic State, has been wielded against an entire institution of a foreign government, potentially subjecting it to a wide range of U.S. sanctions.

It likely would complicate the U.S. fight against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, defense and other officials said, also speaking on the condition of anonymity. Shi'ite militias backed by Iran and advised by IRGC fighters are battling Sunni jihadist groups there, putting them on the same side as American forces.

It could encourage Iranian-backed forces in Iraq and Syria to curtail action against Islamic State and possibly even sponsor actions against U.S.-backed or American forces in Iraq, one official said. The Revolutionary Guards answer to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Naming Iran's most influential military force a terrorist group also could further inflame proxy conflicts elsewhere, including in Yemen, that the United States and its regional allies say Iran is fueling, the officials said. Iran denies those allegations.

"That move could potentially backfire" in Iran's domestic politics, too, said one of the officials. "The Iranians are a major source of trouble ... but those kind of moves would only help the hardliners" in Iran and undercut more moderate leaders such as Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

In addition, said another of the officials, adding the IRGC to the terrorist list would cause friction with U.S. European allies, who in the wake of the 2015 nuclear agreement are trying to rebuild business ties to Iran, which often means contact with the Revolutionary Guard and the companies it controls.

For now, the officials said, the discussion of naming the IRGC a terrorist organization is still in play, but apparently on the back burner. A European security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said U.S. counterparts told him the order is on hold.

A failure to go forward with the IRGC terrorist designation, which also has gained some support among U.S. lawmakers, could disappoint those looking for a strong response to Iran's recent ballistic missile test.

The new administration warned Tehran at the time that it was being put "on notice" and then imposed a series of new sanctions on Iranian individuals and companies, which a White House official said was just an "initial" step.

(Additional reporting by Mark Hosenball and Phil Stewart; Writing by Matt Spetalnick; Editing by John Walcott and James Dalgleish)

BEIRUT Militants attacked two Syrian security offices in the western city of Homs on Saturday with guns and suicide bombers, killing at least 42 people including a senior officer, a war monitor said.

North Korea is evading international sanctions with a sophisticated network of overseas companies, enabled partly by its continued access to the international banking system, says a forthcoming United Nations report seen by Reuters.

SHANGHAI A fierce blaze at a hotel in southeastern China killed 10 people, the official Xinhua news agency said in a post on its official microblog on Saturday.

More:
Trump proposal for terrorist listing of Iran Revolutionary Guard in limbo: sources - Reuters

This past September I visited Iran with six other Americans. We traveled by van from Shiraz in the south through the heartland to Tabriz in the north with major stops in Yazd, Esfahan, Kashan, and Tehran. We were welcomed wherever we went, from the smallest village to the Iranian capital. We visited astonishing antiquities, such as Persepolis, that tell the story of this ancient, beautiful country. And we fell in love with Esfahan. There is a Persian proverb that states, "Esfahan is half the world."

The Iranian people sought to engage us, talk with us, take our photographs, and tell us, "We love Americans!" Cellphones prevail in Iran as does the internet. The median age of Iranians is 30.1 in a population of over 80 million.

We learned that they allow for other religions. About 90 percent of Iranians practice Shi'ism, the official religion of Iran. About 9 percent are Sunni Muslim, and 1 percent is Christian, Jewish, Zoroastrian, and others. We visited Muslim mosques, a Roman Catholic cathedral, a Jewish synagogue, and the Zoroastrian Temple of Yazd.

Since 1979 and the Iran hostage crisis, the U.S. has declined to maintain an American embassy in Tehran. The old one exists but is now under the control of the Iranian government. The British government reopened its embassy after it was shut down in 2011 as the result of a mob attack.

As our Iranian guide explained, women in Iran vote, drive cars, are well-educated, and can run for public office. Rules exist about women covering their heads and bodies with appropriate clothing, but we noted that half wore amazing fashion items in rainbows of colors while still following the rules.

Our well-traveled Iranian guide was a woman in her 30s holding advanced degrees. I said to her, "When you visit America, my tourmates will want you to come to New York, California and Santa Fe. I invite you to come to Duluth and meet the real people in the middle of the USA." Her response was, "Why would I go where I am not welcome?" I was stunned! Doesn't everyone want to come to America?

Governments have their disagreements, their diplomatic stances, and their conflicting historic references. But people of all nations share a reality, hoping for a better tomorrow. We yearn to view other countries face-to-face, assuming we are allowed to travel back and forth. The Earth is small. It requires not only environmental attention but human connections, including the modeling of freedom.

Diane Fay Skomars of Duluth is retired from the University of Minnesota Duluth where she was director of development. She traveled to Iran with BJ Adventures (bjadventures.com).

More:
Local View: From Duluth to Iran, we are all connected - Duluth News Tribune

The former capital city of Isfahan will host the 35th International Association of Science Parks (IASP) World Conference in 2018. Deputy Minister of Research and Technology Vahid Ahmadi made the announcement on Wednesday, adding that given the development in Iran of knowledge-based activities, Irans bid for hosting the International Association of Science Parks (IASP) World Conference 2018 has been approved by the IASP board of directors, which is an opportunity for Iran to show its capacities and potentials on the international scene. Irans Isfahan Science and Technology Town (ISTT) had been running against Karolinska Institutet Science Park, Sweden, for the hosting event. Ahmadi went on to add that in the past three years, the total value of Irans knowledge-based production exports reached $200 million, with $125 million made in the current fiscal. Last year, $125 million knowledge-based and technological products were exported to regional countries and to European states, he said, adding UAE, China, Kazakhstan and several countries in Eastern Europe are waiting to import Iranian knowledge-based products. These companies include computer software and applications as well as industrial machinery, to name a few of the sectors exporting their products and services. Iran has been active in the field of science parks and incubators and has had the largest number of IASP members in the region. According to Ahmadi, currently 39 science and technology parks and 180 technology business incubators are active in Iran, with 30,000 people employed in the sector. The large number of science parks has created a large pool of specialists interested to participate in IASP World Conference. According to President of ISTT Mehdi Keshmiri, Isfahan Science and Technology Town (ISTT) has been a member of IASP for more than l5 years during which it haspromoted IASP not only in Iran, but also in other countries in the region. ISTT is proud of the fact that it has been able to assume a leadership position in West Asia and North Africa region and hold the presidency of this division three times since its establishment. In the past 15 years, ISTT has organized regional conferences including joint IASP and ASPA (Asian Science Park Association) meetings, Keshmiri said in his welcoming message. Moscow hosted the previous edition of the conference in 2016.

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Iran to Host 2018 IASP World Conference - Financial Tribune

Foreign Ministers Mevlut Cavusoglu (L) of Turkey and Mohammad Javad Zarif of Iran attend a meeting in Moscow, Russia, Dec. 20, 2016. (photo byREUTERS/Maxim Shemetov)

Author:Fehim Tatekin Posted February 24, 2017

For hundreds of years, since the 1639 Qasr-e Shirin Treaty, Turkey and Iran have maintained a pretty peaceful coexistence, not letting occasional political spats and regional rivalry affect their economic relations. Both sides have become masters of not crossing critical thresholds in their relations. But political tensions arising from the Syrian civil war have eroded that mastery, and economic relations are now threatened.

Sometimes, Turkey just can't seem to help itself. Other times, its diplomatic lapses seem intentional. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu both managed to insult Iran recently in high-profile venues, resulting in high-profile economic damage.

In a statement last week in Bahrain, Erdogan accused Iran of trying to split Iraq and Syria by resorting to Persian nationalism, which he said had to be prevented. Cavusoglu, speaking Feb. 19 at the Munich conference, said, Iran is trying to create two Shiite states in Syria and Iraq. This is very dangerous. It must be stopped.

Not surprisingly, Tehran was angry. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi replied strongly, saying those who support terror organizations, who cause bloodshed, who lead the way to tensions and instability in the region cannot escape from their responsibility by accusing others. We are acting patiently, but there is a limit to that. If our Turkish friends repeat these type of remarks, we will have to respond.

The tension cast a shadow over the Turkey-Iran Business Forum scheduled for Feb. 25 in Tehran. Turkey was going to be represented by Minister of Economy Nihat Zeybekci, and Iran by Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh. Because of the polemics between the two countries, Zeybekci canceled his trip. The forum was then postponed. It's not known if new dates are being set.

This was major. The Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (DEIK) had arranged for executives from about a hundred Turkish companies to attend. Officials also had planned during the forum to inaugurate the Turkish Trade Center in Tehran.

Turkish businessmen had been waiting for such a forum, hoping to find lucrative opportunities in energy, petrochemicals, mining, construction, retailing, logistics and tourism as some sanctions on Iran are being lifted. DEIK issued a statement saying that the meeting could have been instrumental in increasing the volume of trade to the desired level of $30 billion in two years.

Turkish companies that had not already prepared to go to Tehran soon after the sanctions started being lifted aren't sure if they can manage their projects in Iran. None of them have pulled out, but they are taking their time to engage, worried that doing business in Iran might not be as easy as before. For example, the Iranian Civil Aviation Department has been delaying the issuance of permits for charter flights to Turkey. This began before the current tension arose, but it contributes to economic uncertainty and caused severe disappointment in Turkeys tourism sector, which hosts an average of 1.5-2 million Iranians every year.

Organizers felt the Turkey-Iran Business Forum could have gone a long way toward facilitating trade.

It's important to understand the background of the tension between Ankara and Tehran. No doubt, Turkey is trying to find someone to blame for the disaster in Syria and for Ankara losing its influence in Iraq. Turkish officials try to explain their situation by saying they could succeed were it not for Iranian interference. But there are three other important factors.

First is Turkeys desperate need for hot money from the Gulf to ease its shortage of market funds. Ankara hopes that by adopting an anti-Iran stance, relations with Shiite-phobic Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries will be smoother and profitable.

Second, while looking for markets for its all-important defense industry, Turkey has noted that Gulf countries spend generously on armaments. The political masterminds in Ankara are trying to promote an exaggerated sense of the "Iranian threat" to encourage Gulf countries to buy Turkish weapons.

Turkeys pro-Islamic daily, Yeni Safak, a virulently anti-Iran newspaper, has run headlines such as Before missiles hit Mecca and Before Mecca wars begin, before tanks surround Kaaba that reflect the Turkish governments motivation.

Ibrahim Karagul, the dailys editor-in-chief, wrote Feb. 16, "Though the US and Europe largely supply the region's defense needs, and billion-dollar arms agreements are being made with these countries," Turkey's defense industry will see new opportunities, partly because of rising security threats.

"It is no longer speculation that the Gulf funds that were directed toward different sectors until now are going to create a new wave in Turkey's relations with the region," he wrote. Joint defense agreements also breed rapport, though "the situation is beyond economy for Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries like Qatar and Bahrain; these countries are under serious threat.

He added, There is concern about an Iranian expansion that would target the entire Arab world, which it feels no need to hide, with plans to take over Mecca. The Iranian missiles sent through Yemen to Jeddah and Riyadh have revealed Tehran's intentions."

The third factor is a desire to grab a partnership opportunity with the new US administration. Gulf countries are delighted that President Donald Trump has again made Iran a target. This is the concept Erdogan has his eyes on.

Read More: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2017/02/turkey-iran-tensions-hit-turkish-economy.html

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Is Iran-Turkey tension intentional? - Al-Monitor