Iran News Roundup: 19 June 2012
Moscow Talks Concludes Talks concluded today with the parties agreeing to an “early follow-on technical-level meeting” in Istanbul on July 3rd, to be followed by a meeting at the deputy-level between the EU and Iran (Reuters 6/19). EU representative Catherine Ashton said the P5+1 remains “absolutely unified in seeking a swift diplomatic resolution to international […]
Iran News Roundup: 18 June 2012
Talks Resume in Moscow In what Reuters calls a “nervous atmosphere,” talks between the P5+1 and Iran resumed today in Moscow. A western diplomat said, “Ashton is willing to stay in Moscow as long as it takes,” although the climate inside the meetings was “tense and tough,” according to another unnamed Western source (Al-Monitor 6/18; Reuters […]
Iran News Roundup: June 14, 2012
US-Russia Strain over Iran’s Role in Syria Russia and Iran, strong allies of Syria, allege the US has sent weapons and troops into Syria to assist opposition forces (NYT 6/13). The claims were denied and countered by US accusations that Russia supplies Syrian opposition groups with helicopter gunships, an allegation denied by the Russian government […]
Iran News Roundup: June 13, 2012
IEA: Iran’s Oil Exports Fall 40% The International Energy Agency reported Iran’s oil exports have fallen approximately 40% since the start of the year, from 2.5 million barrels a day to 1.5 million barrels per day, as a result of sanctions (Chicago Tribune 6/13). Reuters estimates Iran has lost $35 billion in oil revenue this […]
Iran News Roundup: June 12, 2012
China Not Exempted from Sanctions The Obama Administration announced yesterday that seven more countries that import Iranian oil, including India and Turkey, would be exempt from the oil sanctions going into effect in less than a month. (NYT 6/11/12; Washington Post 6/11/12) Notably absent from the list of exempt nations is China, currently the largest importer […]
Iran News Round Up: June 11, 2012
Recap from Last Week: After IAEA inspectors and Iranian negotiators failed to reach an agreement in Vienna last week, doubts have surfaced that suggest that talks between the P5+1 and Iran scheduled for next week might fall through. (ABC News 6/10/12) An Iranian negotiator stated Sunday that the talks could stall as a result of […]
Iran New Round-Up: June 8, 2012
IAEA and Iran fail to reach a deal ahead of political talks in Moscow, Where U.S. May “Go Big” The United Nations nuclear watchdog has been working to broker an action plan to provide access to restricted sites, namely the Parchin facility, where there are suspicions Iran conducted conventional high-explosive tests ten years ago that […]