Lavrov: Russia May Consider Iran's Request on Buying Tanks, Military Jets.

Lavrov: Russia May Consider Iran's Request on Buying Tanks, Military Jets.(SP).

Deliveries of S-300 air defense systems to Iran will be completed by year-end, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Sputnik.

"I believe they [deliveries] are likely to be completed this year," Lavrov said.

"The number [of S-300s] is in strict accordance with the contract. Frankly, I'm afraid of giving the wrong information now, I simply cannot remember [the exact number]. But the number is absolutely adequate in terms of Iran ensuring its legitimate security interests and protecting its airspace," he added.

"Now, by the way, bans on providing Iran with certain types of weapons — tanks, armored personnel carriers and combat aircraft — have been lifted and transferred to a permissive mode. So Iran can voice interest in these types of weapons. If we receive any requests, we will, of course, consider them," Lavrov said.

"I will repeat that the S-300s are not covered by any restrictions, neither are many types of small arms and light weapons. Therefore, all possibilities are open here. As for the permissive mode, which requires UN Security Council approval, if and when Iran expresses an interest in acquiring any of these items, the appropriate procedures will be implemented," he added. Read the full story here.

Kerry: Iran ‘Absolutely’ Deserves All Benefits of Nuclear Agreement.

Kerry: Iran ‘Absolutely’ Deserves All Benefits of Nuclear Agreement. (SP)

On Monday, State Department spokesperson Mark Toner said that the US government had no intention of allowing Iran to access the US financial system.


Asked during an interview on MSNBC’s Morning Joe why the US Department of Treasury was ‘sanctioning’ the idea of helping Tehran get access to the US dollar and get more investments, Kerry said that Washington was "working very hard to do what is fair."

Moreover, when pressed about whether or not Tehran deserves such consideration, Kerry explained that in terms of the nuclear agreement Iran "absolutely deserves the benefits of the agreement they struck."

"We’ve in fact tried to work to make sure that the banks that are supposed to be doing legitimate business with respect to the transactions that are okay after the agreement that they’re operating," 

Kerry said. "It’s fair for Iran to get what it deserves because it kept it’s part of the bargain to date, with respect to the nuclear agreement." Hmmmm.........High crimes and misdemeanors. Read the full story here.

Israel Requests US Bunker-Busting Bombs with Increased Power.

Israel Requests US Bunker-Busting Bombs with Increased Power. (IMRA).

On Monday, Joe Biden will land at Ben Gurion Airport, for his last visit as Vice President of the United States. Ostensibly, this is one of the more boring visits: current Democratic administration is in his last year, and Biden himself had decided not to run for the Democratic presidential nomination, as many vice presidents have done before him.

Still, the visit arouses huge interest, especially in the Israeli defense establishment. The reason: the discussions with the United States regarding a new framework agreement for defense aid entered the final straight, and Biden might bring about some news on the matter, or at least a hint.

Anyway, shortly after Biden's visit, the defense minister will visit Washington, after which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will also visit the United States. Therefore, the aid agreement is expected to be signed by the end of March, at the latest. Israel is counting on the American administration to be generous towards Israel's defense needs at this time, in order to win the support of the Jewish vote (and mostly the Jewish donors) prior to the presidential elections.

Aid or "Compensation"?

To understand how the coming month will be crucial in terms of the Israeli defense ministry, we need to understand the context: the US elections will be held in November 2016, whereas the previous defense aid agreement between Israel and the United States will expire in 2017. The 10-years-long agreement set the extent of the defense aid back in 2007. According to the soon to be expired agreement, Israel received each year $ 3.1 billion. This is a huge sum, which constitutes more than 20 percent of Israel's defense budget. Under the terms of the aid, the Ministry of Defense has received permission to convert half a billion dollars each year into NIS, to use the money for local acquisitions. The remainder is used as the primary budget source, to finance IDF equipment of central combat platforms such as fighter jets and helicopters.

Beyond the generous annual aid, Israel receives additional aid from the United States for special projects. For example, the US has funded the equipping of seven of the nine Iron Dome batteries. In addition, the US DoD had collaborated with the Israeli defense establishments in the development and funding of other major missile defense projects - "Arrow 3" and "David's Sling".

It was recently reported that the Americans will also deliver funds for projects that will assist the fight against underground tunnels built by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Furthermore, the IDF and the US military has an agreement in which Israel could use American military equipment, kept in storages in Israel, in emergencies. To top that, the US Army also operates an innovative and classified radar system in the Har-keren mountaintop in the Negev region. Israelis are not allowed to see it firsthand (the closed US area on Israeli soil generates considerable resentment in the defense establishments).

Harming the Israeli national honor or not, the new aid agreement on the agenda is also considered as compensation for the nuclear deal with Iran in summer 2015. The truth is that the compensation is not for the nuclear deal, but for the massive arms sales of American companies in the Persian Gulf.

Not many are aware, but the entire region is in an intense arms race, as Iran plans to spend no less than $ 20 billion of its funds, which were frozen during the economic sanctions, in order to finance the procurement of advanced weapons systems, primarily from Russia. Iran's neighboring countries fear its massive procurement and its transformation to a nuclear power, sooner or later (no leader in the Persian Gulf believes that the agreement will prevent Iran from attaining a nuclear bomb). For this reason, they also acquire weapons, mainly from France and the United States (including many squadrons of modern fighter aircraft, made by the two countries).

This massive equipping is a great celebration for the US defense companies, but these weapons may one day be directed against Israel. Because the United States is committed to maintaining Israel's qualitative edge (under a law passed years ago in Congress) - Israel is expected to receive increased aid, to allegedly ensure this advantage.

Aid Talks

Sources very involved in the defense and diplomatic relations between Israel and the United States, are confident that Israel had already missed an excellent opportunity to boost the "compensation". It was near the time the agreement with Iran was signed. "Before signing the agreement, the American government was willing to give Israel almost everything it had wanted, to "silence" the criticism of the agreement. But because the Prime Minister has decided to fight Obama, the Americans have taught him a lesson and did not promise any compensation," said a source close the subject.

Now, as mentioned, Israel hopes that the Democrats' electoral considerations prevail over the US administration's hostility towards the current Israeli government. But what Israel really wants and what would be the extent of the new aid? Talks over the subject between Israeli and American teams began last fall, as part of negotiations between the Israeli Defense Ministry and the Pentagon. During those conversations, Head of the IDF Planning Directorate, Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin, presented the IDF's needs to his US colleagues.

During the past few weeks, the aid negotiations was intensified and the reins were passed to PM Netanyahu's hands, who deals with the issue closely. The person who coordinates for the subject is the acting Head of the National Security Council, Ya'akov Nagel, who works regularly with the head of the US National Security Council, Dr. Susan Rice. Originally, Nagel started in the Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure (MAFAT) in IMOD, and is currently a candidate for Heading MAFAT. Other major candidates mentioned, were Brig. Gen. (Res.) Dr. Danny Gold, who is considered as the father of "Iron Dome"; Maj. Gen. (Res.) Ami Shafran; and Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Eytan Eshel and Brig. Gen. (Res.) Shmuel Yachin. The four of them served as Heads of the IDF's R&D department.

Meanwhile, a new Head of the National Security Council was appointed this week, instead of Yossi Cohen, who has been appointed as Head of Mossad in early January: Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Avriel Bar-Yosef, originally a Navy officer, received the prestigious appointment.

Back to the US aid: the two main questions on the agenda are concerning the sum of the annual aid, in the decade between 2017 and 2027, and the quality of weapons that Israel will receive. Israel expects a significant boost in the annual aid, as part of "compensation" for the nuclear deal. Sums of even 4 and 5 billion dollars were heard. The second question, which depends on the actual sum of the defense aid, is what weapons systems Israel could purchase with that money.

Israel is already planning on at least two squadrons of the future F-35 fighter (the first aircraft of this model will land on Israeli soil this December), but in the Air Force they fantasize about no less than four squadrons by the end of the next decade. In addition, they desire an additional F-15 squadron, a modern array of transport helicopters and refueling aircraft, as well as an aircraft which is half helicopter and half fighter, the V-22.

In addition to aircraft, Israel-US talks involve advanced air-to-ground missiles and much-needed weapons, should it turn out that Iran has been fooling the world and continues to strive for a nuclear bomb. These weapons include, mainly, bunker-busting bombs, more advanced and heavier than the "Lite" version of bunker-busting bombs that the air force received five years ago.

Some of the systems discussed between Israel and the United States are highly classified. In many cases, it is expected that the Americans would agree to include such systems in the weapons arsenal supplied to Israel, only if they know that Israeli defense industries are already developing similar systems in parallel.

Not all interests of Israel and the US are overlapping, but from Israel's perspective, the aid agreement shall determine Israel's military power for many decades. Thus, this month will bring about crucial decisions, and all negotiation tricks will come into play, by both sides.

Iran - Ayatollah Khamenei defends 'Death to America' calls.

Iran - Ayatollah Khamenei defends 'Death to America' calls. (Fars).

TEHRAN (FNA)- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said the global Zionism network dictates the US and many EU members' policies vis-a-vis Iran.

Addressing a large crowd from East Azarbaijan province in Tehran on Wednesday, Ayatollah Khamenei said, "The US and many European governments' policies are dominated by this (Zionist) netwrok, and the Americans' dealing with Iran's nuclear issue should be understood within this particular framework."

"Following the lengthy trend of the talks and the pursuing nuclear deal, a US official has in recent days said they would take (the necessary) action to dissuade foreign investments in Iran," the Leader reminded, adding in response that "this demonstrates the depths of the US hostility toward the Iranian nation."

He said the Iranian team of nuclear negotiators and their backers at home made industrious efforts to strike a deal in a bid to improve Iranian economy through foreign investment, "but the Americans now want to block this path".

"And that's exactly why it has been repeatedly stated that Americans are not trustworthy," the Iranian Leader reiterated.

In response to Washington's protests against the slogan of 'Death to America' in nationwide rallies, the Leader said, "When you act like this, when your past and present is nothing but open hostility, what else do you expect from the Iranian people?"

In conclusion, the Leader said, "The reality is this: After the marathon talks and the (nuclear) deal, they are now saying 'we won't'. In broad daylight, they threaten us with new sanctions."

In relevant remarks on September 3, Ayatollah Khamenei had blasted the US statesmen for their contradictory remarks after the nuclear agreement with Tehran, and called on Iranian officials show more sensitivity and give proper response to their comments.

"In the nuclear talks with are negotiating with the 5+1, but the US administration is, in fact, the main party; but the US officials speak very badly and a decision needs to be taken about the manner they speak," Ayatollah Khamenei said in a meeting with the head and members of Iran's Assembly of Experts in Tehran.

"Don’t say that the Americans are uttering these words to convince their internal rivals; of course, I believe that the internal disputes in the US are real and they have differences and the reason for such a difference is clear to us but what is officially said needs a response and if no response is given to them, the other side's remarks will be entrenched," he added.

Iran's 'Staunchest ally' the Obama 'admin' lost track of Iranian nuclear shipments to Russia.

Iran's 'Staunchest ally' the Obama 'admin' lost track of Iranian nuclear shipments. HT :IMRA

The United States, which pledged vigorous oversight, has acknowledged that it lost track of Iranian nuclear shipments.

The State Department acknowledged that Washington failed to monitor the transfer of Iranian uranium shipments to Russia. A senior official said tons of Iranian low-enriched uranium arrived in Russia and was taken to an unidentified location.

"It has not yet been decided where exactly Russia will put this information," State Department lead coordinator on Iran, Stephen Mull, said.

In a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Feb. 11, Mull was grilled by Rep. Chris Smith regarding Iranian uranium shipments to Russia.

Mull could not tell the House committee the destination of the 25,000 pounds of enriched uranium, but emphasized that Russia could be trusted with the nuclear material.

"We obviously have many differences under many years with Russia, but one of the features of our relationship is pretty close cooperation on protection of nuclear material," Mull said.

But under questioning, Mull acknowledged that Washington did not verify the Iranian shipment, part of Teheran's nuclear agreement with the P5+1 nations. 

The official said Russia, rather than the International Atomic Energy Agency, was responsible for the Iranian uranium. Instead, IAEA attended the loading of the Iranian uranium on the Russian ship.

"This is a flaw in my opinion," Smith said. "This cannot be allowed to stand." Hmmm............High crimes and misdemeanors

Source: http://www.menewsline.com/article-1173,36354-U-S-Loses-Track-Of-Iranian-Urani.aspx

Iran soon to showcase controversial Emad missile.

Iran soon to showcase controversial Emad missile. (Taz).

Iran will showcase its Emad ballistic missile during the Iranian revolution anniversary demonstrations on Feb. 11, said the Propagation Office of Iranian Defense Ministry Feb. 9.

The Emad is the latest generation of Iran’s long-range ground-to-ground ballistic missiles, which can be guided to assure that intended targets are hit, according to the Iranian officials.

In October 2015, Iran test fired the Emad missile triggering controversies.

In particular, several Western sources claimed that Tehran violated the UN Security Council’s resolution 2231 by test-firing the Emad, suggesting it is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.

The UNSC resolution 2231, adopted July 20, 2015, endorses the nuclear deal between Tehran and the world powers and calls upon Iran not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles that can deliver nuclear weapons, as well as launching ballistic missiles, such as Emad.

The Defense Ministry’s Propagation Office today also said that during the revolution anniversary demonstrations, Iran will demonstrate its Simorgh satellite carrier as well.



Simorgh is a two-phase satellite carrier, built by Iran’s defense industry sector as part of the country’s aerospace program. It can deliver the satellites up to 100 kilogram of weight to the 500-kilometer orbit.

The Simorgh features a first stage built from bundling four separate 64,000-pound-thrust engines and a 30,000-pound-thrust engine as a second stage. Although Iran has acknowledged a lift capacity of just 100 kilograms, Nader Uskowi, a Washington-based consultant and blogger on Iran, said optimization of its current design should allow for delivering a 700-kilogram payload into low Earth orbit.

Despite its size, Simorgh as currently designed falls far short of meeting ICBM-class thrust-to-payload requirements, experts say. “This mammoth cannot carry a reasonable re-entry vehicle the 10,000 kilometers needed to reach the United States,” said Uzi Rubin, a former director of Israel’s Missile Defense Organization who consults internationally on missile development programs.

“It’s not the capability that’s significant, but the audacity of the whole thing,” said Rubin. “These guys are thinking big time. They’re diligently following a road map that includes the ability to project strategic power beyond this region.”

Given the rigorous pace and demonstrated achievements of Iran’s missile development program, the Simorgh “could be Iran’s road to an ICBM,” said Tal Inbar, director of Israel’s Fisher Institute Space Research Center.

“For now, it’s untested and extremely inefficient, but in the future, it could be configured to deliver a crude payload to the continental United States,” he said. Hmmm......Anyone seeing similarities to North Korea's 'satellite carrier'? Read the full story here.

Iranian officers visiting North Korea

Satellite images expose Iran's Duplicitous Nuclear Strategy.

Satellite images expose Iran's Duplicitous Nuclear Strategy. HT: Stratfor.

Iran's nuclear deal with the West has come into effect, but that does not mean international concerns about Tehran's nuclear program have been fully resolved. Iran has continued to develop certain military technologies, including ballistic missiles, that could someday be used to support nuclear capabilities. Meanwhile, it has kept its activities at several military installations around the country cloaked in secrecy.

Satellite imagery provided by our partners at AllSource Analysis gives a clear picture of the dual nature of Iran's approach to its nuclear program throughout its negotiations with the West.

The pictures of the Parchin Military Complex, taken in July 2010 and January 2016, respectively, show how Tehran removed potentially incriminating traces of activity at the site while talks were ongoing. It also constructed an underground facility within the complex, where research and weapons development could be concealed. Read the full story here.

Iran to construct Two new Nuclear power plants in Bushehr soon: Salehi.

Iran to construct Two new Nuclear power plants in Bushehr soon: Salehi. (IranFrontPage).

Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi says the Islamic Republic is set to begin the construction of two more nuclear power plants in the southern city of Bushehr soon, Press TV reports.

“In the construction of nuclear power plants, as I have already stated, we hopefully, within the next few months, will be witnessing the launching of new reactors. Activities are going on and they are expanding even in some areas,” Salehi said in an exclusive interview with Press TV on Saturday.

He added that Iran and Russia have signed agreements for the construction of “two big reactors in Bushehr.”

In November 2014, Tehran and Moscow struck a deal to build eight more nuclear power plants in Iran.

Russia has already built a power plant in Bushehr. The agreement for Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant was finalized in 1995, but the project was delayed several times due to a number of technical and financial issues.

The 1,000-megawatt plant, which is operating under the full supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), reached its maximum power generation capacity in August 2012.
In September 2013, Iran officially took over from Russia the first unit of its first 1,000-megawatt nuclear power plant for two years.

Salehi said the recognition of Iran’s enrichment activities by the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, was “one very good achievement” within a nuclear agreement reached between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries, dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“We are one among the very few or probably the very exceptional countries that its enrichment activity has been recognized by an international body such as the UN Security Council,” the AEOI head said, adding, “One of the achievements within this framework is the fact that we were able to sell or we got this opportunity to sell our enriched uranium and get in return natural uranium or the yellowcake.”

He described JCPOA as a “good deal” that allows Iran to enter the club of countries that can enrich uranium and sell it at global market.


Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the United States, France, Britain, China and Russia – plus Germany started to implement JCPOA on January 16.

Quoting materials from Iran Front Page is permitted only if the source is mentioned by name.

Saudi Arabia not ruling out their own nuclear bomb in response to Iran.

Saudi Arabia not ruling out their own nuclear bomb in response to Iran. (INN).

Saudi Arabia is not ruling out developing a nuclear bomb if its regional rival Iran obtains one, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told the Reuters news agency on Tuesday.

Asked if Saudi Arabia had discussed seeking a nuclear bomb in the event Iran managed to obtain one, al-Jubeir replied the country would do "whatever we need to do in order to protect our people".


"I don't think it would be logical to expect us to discuss any such issue in public and I don't think it would be reasonable to expect me to answer this question one way or another," he told Reuters.  Read the full story here.

Iran's Basij Commander: US Bought Freedom of Spies by Releasing $1.7 bln of Iran's Frozen Assets.

Iran's Basij Commander: US Bought Freedom of Spies by Releasing $1.7 bln of Iran's Frozen Assets. (Fars).

Commander of Iran's Basij (volunteer) Force Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi said the US agreed to release $1.7 of Iran's frozen funds in a bid to buy freedom of its spies held by Tehran.

The US agreed to repay Iran a $400 million debt and $1.3 billion in interest dating to the Islamic revolution.

"The annulment of sanctions against Iran's Bank Sepah and reclaiming of $1.7mln of Iran's frozen assets after 36 years showed that the US doesn’t understand anything but the language of force," Naqdi said, addressing Basij forces in Tehran on Wednesday.

"This money was returned for the freedom of the US spy and it was not related to the (nuclear) negotiations," he added.

4 Iranian-American nationals who were held for various charges in Iran were freed under a prisoners swap deal on Saturday after the implementation of the nuclear deal clinched between Tehran and the world powers in July. A fifth inmate was also released separately.

"Based on an approval of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) and the overall interests of the Islamic Republic, four Iranian prisoners with dual-nationality were freed today within the framework of a prisoner swap deal," the office of Tehran prosecutor said.

The four Iranian-Americans, Jason Rezaian, Amir Hekmat, Saeed Abedini and Nosratollah Khosrawi Roudsari who were jailed in Iran on various charges in recent years, have all been released.

Meantime, a US official said a fifth dual nationality prisoner would also be released by Iran separate from the swap deal. Later reports named this fifth prisoner as Mathew Trevithick.

According to the swap deal, the US also freed 7 Iranian-Americans who were held for sanctions-related charges and asked the Interpol to stop prosecution of 14 other Iranian nationals. 

But according to what Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari said on Monday, the number of the Iranians whose charges have been dropped stands at 21.

The 7 Iranian inmates freed by the US were named as Nader Modanlou, Bahram Mechanic, Khosrow Afqahi, Arash Ghahreman, Touraj Faridi, Nima Golestaneh and Ali Sabounchi.

The 14 Iranians who were mentioned in earlier reports and had charges dropped on Saturday included Saeed Jamili, Jalal Salami, Matin Sadeqi, Alireza Moazzemi Goudarzi, Mohammad Abbas Mohammadi, Kourosh Taherkhani, Sajjad Farhadi, Seyed Ahmad Abtahi, Gholamreza Mahmoudi, Hamid Arabnejad, Ali Moattar, Mohammad Ali She'rbaf, Amin Ravan and Behrouz Dolatzadeh.

Jaberi Ansari did not name the other 7 Iranians whose charges have been dropped.

Republican presidential front-runner Trump pledges to move US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Republican presidential front-runner Trump pledges to move US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. (Jpost).

Republican presidential front-runner seems to make about-face from prior remarks on committing to recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s undivided capital.

“They want it in Jerusalem,” the front-runner among Republican presidential candidates said in an interview posted Tuesday by The Brody File, a Christian Broadcasting Network show. “Well I am for that 100 percent. We are for that 100 percent.”

David Brody, the CBN journalist, had asked Trump whether he agreed with GOP rivals, including Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who have pledged to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem once elected.

Trump’s agreement seemed to be an about-face from remarks in December at the Republican Jewish Coalition, when the real estate magnate refused to commit to recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s undivided capital.

Calling US President Barack Obama “the worst thing that has ever happened to Israel” for negotiating the recent Iran-nuclear deal, Trump pledged loyalty to Israel. Read the full story here.             

Video - Iran's Atomic Energy Org. Spokesman Explains What Is Being Done in the Core of the Arak Nuclear Reactor

Iran's Atomic Energy Organization Spokesman Kamalvandi Explains What Is Being Done in the Core of the Arak Nuclear Reactor. (MEMRI).

In an interview on Iranian TV on January 14, Behrouz Kamalvandi, the spokesman of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization, explained that the core of the nuclear reactor at Arak had been removed and would be preserved whole, "as a symbol of our nuclear industry."

US Treasury imposes new ballistic missile sanctions on Iran.

US Treasury imposes new ballistic missile sanctions on Iran. (RT).

The US Treasury says it is imposing new ballistic missile sanctions on Iran after Tehran released five American prisoners. The move also comes less than a day after some of the sanctions imposed on Iran over its nuclear program were removed by the US and EU.

Washington has imposed sanctions on 11 companies and individuals for helping to supply Iran’s ballistic missile program, the Treasury Department stated.

“Iran’s ballistic missile program poses a significant threat to regional and global security, and it will continue to be subject to international sanctions,” Adam J. Szubin, acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said in a press release.

“We have consistently made clear that the United States will vigorously press sanctions against Iranian activities outside of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – including those related to Iran’s support for terrorism, regional destabilization, human rights abuses, and ballistic missile program.”

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control says it will also block the assets of Mabrooka Trading, a company based in the United Arab Emirates, for providing Iran with parts used in their ballistic missiles. Others sanctioned include companies and individuals involved in the program, which supervised the testing of two ballistic missiles in 2015.

President Barack Obama’s administration delayed implementing the sanctions for more than two weeks, while negotiations to release two US prisoners being held in Iran were taking place, Reuters reported, citing its sources.

Obama is also expected to make a statement later on Sunday, regarding the Iran deal and the release of five prisoners. Hmmmm......First you let them build and test the missile ...than you sanction them, closing the barn after the cow escaped. 

Iran got Pres Obama to cancel sanctions over illegal missile test by threatening to scuttle prisoner swap.

Iran got Pres Obama to cancel sanctions over illegal missile test by threatening to scuttle prisoner swap. (Reuters).

The day before the Obama administration was due to slap new sanctions on Iran late last month, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif warned U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry the move could derail a prisoner deal the two sides had been negotiating in secret for months.

Kerry and other top aides to President Barack Obama, who was vacationing in Hawaii, convened a series of conference calls and concluded they could not risk losing the chance to free Americans held by Tehran.

At the last minute, the Obama administration officials decided to delay a package of limited and targeted sanctions intended to penalize Iran for recent test-firings of a ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead.

This account of previously unreported internal deliberations was provided by two people with knowledge of the matter.

A third official said Obama had approved the decision to delay the sanctions.

A U.S. official said on Saturday there was no connection between the nuclear deal and the release of the Americans.

The prisoner swap could also come under scrutiny from critics who have questioned the Obama administration’s resolve in dealing with Iran and ability to follow through on its pledge to keep a hard line on sanctions outside those imposed on its nuclear program.

Details of the prisoner talks were a closely held secret, so even within the Obama administration few people realized how perilously close the swap came to falling through.

On Dec. 29, Kerry told Zarif the United States intended to impose new sanctions on Iran over the missile test firings, which were deemed to have violated a United Nations ban, according to a U.S. official and congressional sources.

Zarif countered that if Washington went ahead, the prisoner swap was off, the sources said.

Kerry spoke by phone that night with Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and a White House official and the decision was made to hold off on any sanctions announcement, they said. Hmmm........Four prisoners in exchange for ICBM tests ......What could go wrong? Read the full story here.

Related:

U.S. Sen. Chris Coons still believes Obama 'admin' will implement Iran sanctions.

Israeli source: Iran will first invest freed-up funds in military aid for Hezbollah and Hamas

Israeli source: Iran will first invest freed-up funds in military aid for Hezbollah and Hamas. (TOI).

Hamas and Hezbollah will soon find themselves in possession of upgraded weaponry thanks to Tehran, official tells Army Radio.

The economic sanctions on Iran would most probably be lifted Saturday, a source in Jerusalem told Army Radio, and he warned that the first investment by the Islamic Republic would be military and not civilian.

The unnamed source said that Iran’s first priority would be to spend its newly freed-up funds on military acquisitions, and not on civilian investments, Army Radio reported.

Furthermore, the source said, the implementation of the agreement would have a direct impact on the region, as terror groups Hezbollah and Hamas — both recipients of Iranian largesse — found themselves in possession of new and modern weaponry.

Zarif and Mogherini met Saturday in Vienna to “finalize” last July’s nuclear deal, the EU foreign policy chief said on Twitter. Read the full story here.

Iran FM Zarif : Sanctions to be lifted today

Iran FM Zarif : Sanctions to be lifted today. (Taz).

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said that by implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, aka nuclear deal) the sanctions on the country will be lifted today.

Zarif made the remarks upon his arrival in Vienna, Austria to meet with his US counterpart John Kerry and the EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini over the Iran nuclear deal, the state IRINN TV reported Jan. 16.

International sanctions were imposed on Iran with regard to the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.
“An IAEA report, verifying that Iran has fulfilled its commitments under the JCPOA, will be issued today,” Zarif said, adding after that, Iran and P5+1 will today issue a joint statement and the implementation of the nuclear deal will start.


He added that the nuclear deal’s implementation indicates that the problems can be settled via diplomacy, not through pressures or sanctions.

Earlier, Abbas Araqchi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, said that the guideline of removing the US and EU sanctions against the Islamic Republic were finalized last week.

U.S. Sen. Chris Coons still believes Obama 'admin' will implement Iran sanctions.

U.S. Sen. Chris Coons still believes Obama 'admin' will implement Iran sanctions. (NCRI).

United States Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) is calling for President Barack Obama to move forward with new sanctions against Iran's regime over a pair of recent ballistic missile tests, The Hill reported on Monday.

"I don't know why the administration has hesitated, but I am urging them publicly and privately to move ahead with those designations," he told reporters. "I am concerned with the hesitation to move forward with the ballistic missile related designations."

Sen. Coons is among a growing number of Democrats, including some who supported the Iran nuclear deal, who have called on the president to take a firm response to two missile tests late last year. They argue that the administration's response should show Iran's regime that it will not be able to cheat on the nuclear agreement.

The Obama administration suggested late last year that it was preparing new sanctions against individuals tied to the Iranian regime's missile program, before walking back those statements.

Sen. Coons, who supported the Iran nuclear deal, said it was "very clearly communicated and it played a role in my decision" to support the nuclear agreement that the United States was still able to sanction Iran's regime on non-nuclear issues including its missile program or support for terrorist groups.

The administration has gotten bipartisan criticism over its handling of the Iranian missile tests, which lawmakers say violate United Nations Security Council resolutions.


Senate Republicans are calling on Obama to block lifting sanctions under the Iran nuclear deal because of the recent ballistic missile tests, rejecting the administration's argument that the two are separate issues. The move would likely undermine the nuclear agreement. Hmmmm......Liberals and Democrats they really believe anything you tell them.

Video - First footage from the moment when US sailors were captured by Iran's IRGC.

RT @abasinfo First footage from the moment when #US sailors were captured by #Iran's #IRGC. #Marines pic.twitter.com/vbGipxaQER

— Harry Boone (@towersight) January 13, 2016

Part 2: First footage from the moment when #US sailors were captured by #Iran's #IRGC. #marines pic.twitter.com/vFyto44oGD

— Abas Aslani (@abasinfo) January 13, 2016

Footage of #US marines having Iranian #food while they were held in #Iran. #marines #navy #Pentagon pic.twitter.com/mtk2J0Yef9

— Abas Aslani (@abasinfo) January 13, 2016

Iranian commander: U.S. Congress should “take lesson” from US boats seizure.

Iranian commander: U.S. Congress should “take lesson” from US boats seizure. (Taz).

Iranian Armed Forces' Chief of Staff Major General Hassan Firouzabadi has urged the US Congress to “take a lesson” from the seizure of two American boats, as well as 10 sailors onboard.

Earlier today, Iran’s IRGC said on its website that it released the US sailors, who were arrested Jan. 12 as they drifted into Iranian waters in the Persian Gulf in their patrol boats.

“I hope those in the US Congress who pose obstacles [presumably to the implementation of the nuclear deal between Iran and the world powers] will take a lesson from the incident that took place in the north of the Persian Gulf, which probably won’t be the American forces’ last mistake in the region,” Tasnim news agency quoted Firouzabadi as saying Jan. 13.

“If the Iranian commanders didn’t show tact and goodwill, the Americans would have a serious catastrophe,” he further said. Read the full story here.

IRGC Navy Commander: Iranian Missiles were Locked on US Aircraft Carrier https://t.co/cEgAVLSe60

— MFS - The Other News (@MFS001) January 13, 2016

U.S. Apologized to #Iran after #Iran blocked strait of Hormuz? pic.twitter.com/A7d5CA8F2f

— MFS - The Other News (@MFS001) January 13, 2016

In immediate terms it was for this money that #Iran released captured #USNavy sailors within 24 hours today! https://t.co/80qAn7XDDI

— Zulfi Rao (@ZulfiRao1) January 13, 2016

Iran: seizure of US boat lesson 2 sanctions "troublemakers" in Congress. Saddest? WH agrees https://t.co/jpUkY3wa1w pic.twitter.com/XRHf4NPbQi

— Anne Bayefsky (@AnneBayefsky) January 13, 2016

Iran - IRGC Releases U.S. Sailors after US Apology.

Iran - IRGC Releases U.S. Sailors after US Apology. (TN).

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) released ten US Navy sailors who had been captured inside Iran’s territorial waters in the Persian Gulf on Tuesday.

The IRGC Public Relations in a statement on Wednesday said the sailors were freed following an apology from the US and after technical and operational investigations indicated that the intrusion into Iranian territorial waters was "unintentional".

It also underlined that the US has pledged to prevent such mistakes in the future.

The seizure took place at 4:30 P.M. local time, Tuesday, when the two American combat vessels, with 10 armed sailors on board, entered Iran’s territorial waters near the island of Farsi.

The IRGC said the captured US troops, including 9 men and a woman, were treated properly, are fully safe and have been transferred to an appropriate location.

The USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier had been drifting out southeast of the Iranian island of Farsi in the international waters when the Iranian forces seized the two boats, while the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle had been also patrolling in the international waters northeast of the island at the time of the seizure, the IRGC added.

Later, US Secretary of State John Kerry spoke by phone with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif about the issue.

U.S. Apologized to #Iran after #Iran blocked strait of Hormuz? pic.twitter.com/A7d5CA8F2f

— MFS - The Other News (@MFS001) January 13, 2016

In immediate terms it was for this money that #Iran released captured #USNavy sailors within 24 hours today! https://t.co/80qAn7XDDI

— Zulfi Rao (@ZulfiRao1) January 13, 2016

IRGC Navy Commander: Iranian Missiles were Locked on US Aircraft Carrier https://t.co/cEgAVLSe60

— MFS - The Other News (@MFS001) January 13, 2016

💥 PHOTOS: #IRGC released the US sailors. #Iran #US" pic.twitter.com/UZGtKzREZM

— Hasan Sari (@HasanSari7) January 13, 2016

#Iran End of Mystery - US navy boats seized by IRGC navy were Riverine Command Boat. pic.twitter.com/urpYep9rPr

— Green lemon (@green_lemonnn) January 13, 2016