Draft Iran Sanctions Conference Report
House and Senate conference co-chairs Rep. Howard Berman and Sen. Chris Dodd announced today they have formed an agreement on new Iran sanctions legislation, which they are circulating to other members of the conference committee today. niacINsight has obtained a copy of the legislation, which is expected to be approved formally by the Congress and […]
UN Sanctions Pass, US Rejects Fuel Swap Deal
The UN Security Council passed a new round of sanctions against Iran this morning, by a vote of 12 in favor, 2 opposed, and one abstention. At the same time, American diplomats have reported that the US, along with Russia and France, has rejected the nuclear fuel swap deal recently negotiated by Brazil and Turkey. […]
UN Sanctions Vote Expected Wednesday
Via Laura Rozen, the United Nations Security Council is expected to vote on a new round of Iran sanctions Wednesday. The United Nations Security Council is expected to vote on a new Iran sanctions resolution on Wednesday, two diplomatic sources have told POLITICO. “The goal is Wednesday,” one European diplomat said of the anticipated vote […]
Shifting on 20% enrichment?
Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and Permanent Envoy to the IAEA Ali Asghar Soltanieh relayed seemingly coordinated messages yesterday, hinting that Iran might consider giving up its 20% enrichment work, which is currently the biggest stumbling block for the fuel swap deal. While reiterating the usual assertion that uranium enrichment is allowed under the NPT, […]
What the fuel swap means for a “new era in diplomacy”
As experts urge Western powers to consider the fuel swap proposal, here is an overview of what is at stake for some of the major powers involved, from special niacINsight correspondent Shawn A: Brazilian ambitions to assert itself on the world stage — and its capacity to frustrate US efforts on Iran — took center […]
Iran, Nonproliferation Experts Support Fuel Swap as Basis for Engagement
Contact: Phil Elwood, (917) 379-3787 Today, a group of Iran experts and non-proliferation experts are releasing a statement urging Western powers to use the recently-negotiated fuel swap deal as a first step towards a larger agreement on Iran’s nuclear issue and beyond. The experts — which include Former Chief Weapons Inspector in Iraq David Kay […]
Why Aren’t More Iran War Hawks Called Anti-Israel?
[vodpod id=Video.3715847&w=425&h=350&fv=] John Podhoretz, the editor of the neoconservative Commentary Magazine, had this to say yesterday about Obama’s approach to Iran (via the Corner): Nothing would both surprise me, please me, and make me revisit a great deal of my thinking over the last couple of years, than if Barack Obama chooses to strike the […]
Taking “Yes” for an Answer
Reviving an issue that most observers have declared to be dead in the water, the Federation of American Scientists is calling on the US to accept Iran’s counter-proposal on the Tehran Research Reactor fuel-swap. In sum, the P5+1 should agree to Iran’s proposal to place 1200kg of low-enriched uranium (LEU) under IAEA seals inside Iran, […]
Iran’s Bond-Villain Plan for Naval Superiority
Iran has purchased a super-advanced speedboat and is going to use it to sink an American warship in the Persian Gulf! Well, we don’t know for sure that they’re using it to sink an American warship, but they’re definitely up to something. Actually, there’s not even any evidence that the boat is for military purposes; or […]
BREAKING: Washington Times headlines misleading
The Washington Times has been having a rough time lately. From the passage of health care reform, Obama’s new START Treaty, and the rumors that they might go out of business, they’ve had to go to some lengths to sell papers. So imagine my surprise when I read the headline in today’s paper “CIA: Iran […]
Iran at a Crossroads – LIVESTREAMING Here
UPDATE: It’s confirmed, we’ll be Livestreaming our conference here at niacINsight tomorrow. So tune in between 9:00 and 2:00 to see what’s happening! Iran used to be a pretty black-and-white issue. You either wanted war, or not. Diplomacy, or not. Regime change, or not. Those days of simple choices between two clear opposites–they’re long gone. […]
Tehran dismisses another US sanction
Last Thursday the US senate passed a broad, indiscriminate sanctions bill that would restrict Iran’s importation of petroleum; predictably this move was promptly dismissed by authorities in Tehran. It is reported, (via www.presstv.com) that Ramin Mehman-Parast, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman told the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) that the US will not persuade Iran to […]