Russia to build Eight new nuclear reactors in Iran

Russia to build Eight new nuclear reactors in Iran. (Fars).

"Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant has been built based on Russian technology and we have agreed on construction of eight more nuclear reactors for the country," President Putin said on Friday.

The Russian president also vowed that his country will help Iran in implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Russia built Iran's only operating nuclear power reactor, at Bushehr.

Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom said earlier it was in talks with Iran on the potential construction of more reactors there but revealed no details. Rosatom officials could not immediately be reached for comment on Thursday.

In December, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced that Iran has plans to generate more electricity through the nuclear energy in the coming years by building a second nuclear power plant in Bushehr.

Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi has on different occasions announced that Iran is ready to continue its mutual cooperation with Russia in peaceful nuclear energy.

The Islamic Republic signed the Bushehr contract with Russia in 1995 and the nuclear power plant reached its full capacity by August 2012. It is located about 18 kilometers South of the provincial capital.

“Based on our estimates, the second nuclear power plant will be built in the same province and I hope that we can use the facilities of this province,” Rouhani added.

In relevant remarks in November, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi said most of Iran's new power plants will be built near the country's coasts in the South and the North.

Salehi said a majority of Iran’s new nuclear facilities will be on the Southern coasts of the Persian Gulf and Northern coasts of the Caspian Sea while another part would be in Central Iran.

“The power plants should have access to a huge source of water. The new power plants will be supported by desalinations, mainly located in Southern parts of the country,” the top Iranian nuclear official pointed out.

“We are not obliged to introduce to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) the nuclear facilities that we are to build in the future and only 180 days before entry of nuclear substances there, we will inform the IAEA of them,” Salehi said.

Also in October, Salehi announced that Iran has plans to generate more electricity through the nuclear energy in the coming years.

“We are considering construction of power plants along the coasts of the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea as well as the Central parts of Iran, but priority is given to the Persian Gulf coasts because we want to pave the way for (construction of) water desalination facilities to supply drinking water for the Southern provinces of Iran,” Salehi told reporters at the time.

Iranian officials say the Persian Gulf country needs enough atomic reactors to generate a total of 20,000 megawatts of electricity by 2020.

#Putin and #Rouhani to meet in #Baku Sunday. #Russia granting Iran 2.2 billion euro loan and sign contracts for 8 #nuclear power plants.

— Amir Taheri (@AmirTaheri4) August 5, 2016

Russian Dep For Min Ryabkov: We Will Not At This Time Be Returning To Nuclear Arms Reduction Talks With U.S.

Russian Dep For Min Sergey Ryabkov: We Will Not At This Time Be Returning To Nuclear Arms Reduction Talks With U.S. Under 'New START' Treaty. (Memri).

To mark the fifth anniversary of the New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty), which was signed in April 2010 and came into force on February 5, 2011, U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice stated: "We look forward to full implementation of the Treaty and continue to call on Russia to answer the President's invitation five years ago to begin talks on further reductions to our nuclear arsenals."[1]

Ryabkov to the effect that Russia will not at this time be returning to nuclear arms reduction talks with the U.S.   

In an interview, Ryabkov explained Russia's rejection of Security Advisor Rice's call, outlining two reasons: First, the U.S. is stepping up its military capability by developing its anti-missile defense system and its Prompt Global Strike (PGS) precision conventional weapons program, and second, the U.S. is currently undermining the Russian defense industry through its sanctions against Russia.

Following are excerpts from statements by Ryabkov, from interviews with the TASS[2] and Russia Today[3] news agencies and from reports in the Russian daily Kommersant[4] on this issue.

In a February 6, 2016 interview, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov told Russia Today: "The Russian side's position regarding the possibility of further negotiations on the [New] START, and regarding nuclear arms reduction in general, hasn't changed. We have reached the point where further bilateral Russian-American negotiations in this field are not possible."

He added that Russia would only consider resuming negotiations if the above mentioned circumstances changed, and if the parties to the talks come to the dialogue as "equal sovereign states."

The same day, commentator Michael Belyaev wrote in Kommersant that the main reason for this Russian position is that "in light of the current U.S. policy towards Russia, the U.S. proposals are [an attempt] to impose a game by 'American rules' – There is no way that such a proposal can be seriously considered."

The Obama admin is deliberately limiting the U.S.’ ballistic missile defense program.

The Obama administration is deliberately limiting the United States’ ballistic missile defense program. (Heritage).

Recently the Russian strategic missile forces’ commander Col. Gen. Sergei Karakayev said Russia’s new missiles will have the capability to neutralize any future U.S. missile defense system.

For now, Karakayev is right—not because the missiles are invincible, but because the Obama administration is deliberately limiting the United States’ ballistic missile defense program. This must change.

The U.S. missile defense plans changed under the Obama administration.

Our current administration decided to pursue a European Phased Adaptive Approach, a modified missile defense plan emphasizing medium-range ballistic missile threat, instead of putting a radar and two-stage ground-based interceptors in Europe.

The Obama administration was to augment protection of the U.S. homeland in the 2020 timeframe. But the Obama administration decided to cancel that aspect of the plan and focus on short- and medium-range missile defense protection for the European allies (Russia happened to object to this part of the plan most).

The United States therefore is deliberately pursuing a missile defense program to be able to intercept only a handful of incoming ballistic missiles of first, not as technologically advanced, generations.

Given the spread of ballistic missiles—their increasing sophistication, range, and lethality—it is time to put U.S. missile defense policy on a sound track.

Additionally, in light of Russia’s aggressive behavior and a desire to use its nuclear and ballistic missile leverage to blackmail the U.S. and its allies, the United States should plan for a comprehensive-layered ballistic missile defense system capable of shooting down all ballistic missiles.

To do so, the United States will have to pursue a space-based ballistic missile defense layer as well as continue to work on future technologies—for example, directed energy. Hmmmmm........'Flexibility'.

'Flexibility' - Obama 'Admin' ready to 'surrender' to North Korea as well?

Obama 'Admin' ready to 'surrender' to North Korea as well? (SP).

flashback 2008: “They don’t pose a serious threat to us in the way the Soviet Union posed a threat to us,” Obama told a cheering audience, explaining why he doesn’t think we need to worry about “tiny” countries like Venezuela, Cuba, North Korea, and Iran.

Washington is open to the idea of talking to North Korea on the resumption of stalled denuclearization negotiations, and is ready for dialogue to take place, "whether in Pyongyang or in some other place," according to US Special Envoy for North Korea Policy Sung Kim.

The six-party talks on North Korea's denuclearization, involving North Korea, South Korea, the US, China, Russia and Japan have been halted since 2008. Pyongyang has signaled its readiness for the negotiations to resume, with Washington saying that North Korea must first demonstrate its commitment.

With Washington and Pyongyang not maintaining formal diplomatic relations, Kim said that his mission keeps in contact with North Korea through its New York-based UN mission. So far, Kim said that Pyongyang has shown no interest in holding talks with the US.

Kim noted that the US would work with all the members of the six-party talks to resume talks and "to achieve progress in implementing the Joint Statement," reached in 2005 after Pyongyang promised to give up its nuclear program in exchange for diplomatic recognition and economic concessions.

Earlier this year, North Korea proposed a new round of talks, "without preconditions," with Washington responding that they are not interested in "talks for the sake of talks," demanding that Pyongyang first begin taking steps toward denuclearization instead.

Russian experts cited by Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper are split on the significance of Kim's remarks. The newspaper noted that while the US's apparent readiness to hold talks can be useful in dissuading Pyongyang from new weapons testing, "on the other hand, Washington has made it clear that the DPRK's tactic of 'raising the degree of tension' works: once Pyongyang demonstrated the seriousness of its intentions for new testing, Washington immediately began talking about their readiness to resume negotiations." Hmmmm.....Never met an U.S. Enemy he did not embrace.Read the full story here.

Russian intelligence warship moored in Havana on eve of US-Cuba talks.....(Free WiFi).

More pictures of #russiannavy Vishnya spy ship "Viktor Leonov" in Havana today pic.twitter.com/45rms0SD84
— 7FBTK (@7FBTK) January 20, 2015

Russian intelligence warship moored in Havana on eve of US-Cuba talks.(Yahoo).

A Russian intelligence warship docked in Havana on Tuesday, a day before the start of historic US-Cuba talks aimed at normalizing diplomatic relations.

There was nothing stealthy about the arrival of the Viktor Leonov CCB-175, which was moored to a pier in Old Havana where cruise ships often dock. But the visit was not officially announced by Cuban authorities.

US officials in Washington played down the presence of the Russian vessel, saying it was perfectly legal and not at all out of the ordinary.

"It's not unprecedented. It's not unusual. It's not alarming," a defense official told AFP.

The Vishnya or Meridian-class intelligence ship, which has a crew of around 200, went into service in the Black Sea in 1988 before it was transferred seven years later to the northern fleet, according to Russian media.

The vessel previously docked in Havana in February and March last year, staying there for a few days. Those visits were also unannounced.

The highest-level US delegation to visit Havana since 1980 arrives Wednesday for two days of talks aimed at normalizing diplomatic and immigration relations between the former Cold War foes.

The former Soviet Union was Cuba's main patron during the Cold War.

The Viktor Leonov is part of Russia’s Northern Fleet and is fitted with a wide range of intelligence equipment, a crew of 220 and high-tech electronics. Hmmm......The most 'transparent 'Admin' Evah.More here.

#Cuba offers free calls home, wifi to @statedept Roberta Jacobson @WHAAsstSecty and US delegates - tks Victor Leonov pic.twitter.com/JTHusa8Xbc
— Karl Penhaul (@karlpenhaul) January 20, 2015

"CHANGE" - Russian ministry of foreign affairs calls Obama 'admin' the 'Washington regime'.

"CHANGE" - Russian ministry of foreign affairs calls Obama 'admin' the 'Washington regime'. (Mid.ru). [GoogleTranslate].

Comment of the Russian Foreign Ministry regarding the continuing anti-Russian attacks by the U.S. Administration:

Judging by the unrelenting campaign of defamation against Russia organized by the American administration, blatant lies are increasingly being relied upon there to conduct foreign policy. Take for one the new statements by the U.S. President’s press secretary, Josh Earnest, who directly accuses our country of destroying the Malaysian Airlines airliner over Ukraine.

As is now Washington’s wont, in corroboration never mind evidence, not even simple references to facts are adduced, which one could consider and comment on. Everything in Washington is limited to mentioning certain “intelligence data” that cannot in any way be presented, and what is completely absurd, “information in social media”. In other words, the Washington regime in their constructs bases itself on anti-Russian conjectures gathered on the Internet that do not correspond to reality. Who is littering the Web with such rubbish is clear: the same Washington, and probably also Kyiv.

Nevertheless, a number of questions arise for the American side, which is increasingly isolating itself from the possibility of adequately understanding anything apart from its own schemes and conclusions. Before appointing “guilty ones,” the USA should answer the ten questions from the Russian Defense Ministry and the twenty-two questions posed through the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency. Why does Washington then remain silent? Apparently because Washington has nothing to reply. Or because the response boils down to one word: “sanctions”.

We will get through this, but it is deplorable that at the same time the USA is continuing to push Kyiv towards crushing the dissatisfaction of the Russian-speaking population by force. There is only one conclusion: the administration of B. Obama bears its share of responsibility for the internal conflict in Ukraine and its grave consequences.More here.

Russian bear returns to Nile Delta?

Russian bear returns to Nile Delta?(RT).

The United States declared that it was partially cutting its military aid to Egypt on October 9, 2013. The move was described as part of a new US ‘recalibration’ in the Middle East. It was criticized by the Egyptian military as a hindering step that would weaken the Egyptian military while it was fighting rogue elements, particularly in the Sinai Peninsula.

America aid to the Egyptian military has ebbed. The task has been covertly been outsourced to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Arab petro-sheikhdoms of the Persian Gulf. All things considered, Washington can no longer afford to fund the Egyptian military. Cairo senses that America is in a state of decline too and has begun looking for alternatives to the US sponsorship.

About one month after the US government partially suspended its military aid to Egypt, on November 11, 2013, a Russian missile cruise ship, the Varyag, made a port call to the Mediterranean docks of the ancient Egyptian city of Alexandria. Days later, this port call was followed by a Russian Navy auxiliary vessel docking at the Egyptian port of Safaga. The second Russian ship was the Boris Butoma, a naval supply or replenishment ship. 

Russia has not made a port call to Egypt since 1992 and it has not had a significant military presence in Egypt since the Soviet era during the Cold War.

The Russian port calls were matched on the diplomatic levels by the Kremlin on November 13, 2013. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu arrived with large delegations to Egypt in what Lavrov described as a “historic” event. The two cabinet ministers were sent to Cairo by the Kremlin as feelers to get a sense of the mood in Egypt.

There are questions being asked about the Egyptian side’s intentions. Are Egyptian officials reaching out to Russia as a bargaining chip against the US or are they reaching out as a genuine alternative to the US? In other words, is Cairo turning to Moscow as a means of bargaining with Washington or as a response to US control and pressure?



After the Russian visit to Egypt, US Secretary of State John Kerry returned to Egypt to protect US influence. It looks like Cairo wants flexibility and leverage against the US as a means of loosening Washington’s grip so that the Egyptian regime is not dragged down with the American’s sinking imperial order. 

The fall of the Muslim Brotherhood and dissolution of the regional alliance against Syria has sent a negative message to all of America’s allies and clients. Everyone in region, corrupt and just alike, is more aware than ever that the US will not protect them. Instead they have noticed that those that are aligned with Iran and Russia are the ones that remain standing. Read the full story here.

Video - Putin's Soviet rebuild and Obama's 'Flexibility'.

Video - Putin's Soviet rebuild and Obama's 'Flexibility'. HT: EzraLevant.

U.S. tactical nuclear weapons must be withdrawn from Europe - Russian Defense Ministry.

U.S. tactical nuclear weapons must be withdrawn from Europe - Russian Defense Ministry.(RBTH).

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov has called for withdrawal of U.S. tactical nuclear armaments from the territories of non-nuclear countries and dismantlement of the related infrastructure."As an expert on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) I have a question why nuclear armaments are deployed on the territories of non-nuclear countries. What is the nuclear weaponry control system of NATO states? In my opinion, this is a violation of Articles 1 and 2 of the NPT," the deputy minister told reporters on Wednesday.

Article 1 of the NPT prohibits nuclear powers to transfer nuclear armaments to non-nuclear countries or to entrust them with control over such weapons. Article 2 prohibits non-nuclear states to acquire and use nuclear weapons.
"How does the concept of joint use of nuclear weapons look in this context? NATO states refuse to discuss this issue under the pretext this is an internal affair of the alliance and deny their violation of the NPT provisions," the deputy minister said.

Tactical nuclear weapons deployed in NATO states in Europe may be rapidly relocated towards Russian borders, which actually makes them strategic, he said.
At the same time, Russia is incapable of rapid delivery of its non-strategic nuclear weapons to the U.S. territory and these weapons do not endanger U.S. security, Antonov noted.
"We think that the United States and, obviously, NATO countries must decide on the withdrawal of U.S. nuclear weapons to the U.S. territory. But this would not be enough. There is also military industrial and technological infrastructure in West European countries. We think this infrastructure should be destroyed," Antonov said.Hmmm......Flexibility Russian style......Bend over Comrade.Read the full story here.

Video - "RESET" - Russian politicians Refused to Shake Obama's Hand (July 6-8, 2009).

"Tit-For-Tat" - Obama to Skip APEC Summit in Vladivostok - Spokesman.

"Tit-For-Tat" - Obama to Skip APEC Summit in Vladivostok - Spokesman.(RN).U.S. President Barack Obama will not be attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit (APEC-2012) in Russia’s Vladivostok, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said on Monday. “I'm not aware of any foreign travel that we’d be taking, with the exception of the Mexico trip, before November, but I’ll have to take the question,” Carney told a press briefing. The question concerning Obama’s participation in the 2012 APEC summit came in the wake of the news that Russian President Vladimir Putin decided against participating in the G8 summit in the U.S. on May 18-19. Former president and current Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will go in Putin's place. “The President spoke with President Putin and will be meeting with President Putin at the G20 in Mexico and looks very much forward to that. The fact of the matter is we have a comprehensive relationship with Russia that's built on working together in areas where we agree and that has borne significant successes, that approach, and then be very clear about where we disagree but not letting those disagreements undermine the overall relationship,” Carney said.Hmmmm......Don't want to 'caught' talking 'flexibility' again?Read the full story here.