Target: Iran

[goldenequity]

Iran is now a global Pariah. A boogeyman. Attack attack attack!
The world's new 'center' of planet wide terror. (oh noooozzzzz)
Hezbollah. Republican Guard. Missile tech. Nuke tech. Energy. Exports. Strait of Hormuz. Media.... We needed a thread on Iran
(It's really BRICS v Empire isn't it Iran just gets thrown under the bus too. )

========

WEAPONIZING TRADE

EU targets Iran’s steel exports with hefty duties



The European Union is targeting Iran’s hot-rolled steel, planning to hit imports from the country with punitive trade tariffs.

According to a document cited in the European media, the European Commission
is proposing duties of up to 23 percent for steel from Iran's Mobarakeh Steel Co.

European steel lobby group Eurofer is at the center of the campaign
and has forced Europe’s trade policy oversight European Commission to intervene and check imports.

The bloc’s steel producers have been pressuring the continent’s leaders to copy America’s draconian regulations,
including levies of more than 500 percent on steel imports in some cases.

Brazil, Russia and Ukraine are the other countries which the Commission plans to target with duties of up to 33 percent.

In June, China reacted furiously after the European Union set duties of up to 35.9 percent on Chinese hot-rolled steel.

Eurofer has said Iranian exports to Europe had leapt to more than 1 million tonnes annually,
accusing Mobarakeh of "trade distorting measures."

Steel is the second biggest industry in the world after oil and gas.
The commodity was Iran's largest export item after oil, gas and petrochemicals last year,
partly because of the slump in domestic construction.

Iran enjoys a competitive advantage because production costs are tied to the low energy prices in the country.

Last month, Austria said it had allocated a credit line of 1 billion euros for a major steel production project in southern Iran.

[goldenequity]

[goldenequity]

REUTERS July 20, 2017
Russia calls new US sanctions against Iran unfounded


MOSCOW - New US sanctions against Iran over its ballistic missile program are unfounded,
a senior Russian Foreign Ministry official said on Thursday, the RIA news agency reported.

Washington slapped new economic sanctions against Iran on Tuesday over its ballistic missile program,
saying Tehran's "malign activities" in the Middle East had undercut any "positive contributions" coming from the 2015 Iran nuclear accord.

RIA also cited Mikhail Ulyanov, head of the Foreign Ministry's department for non-proliferation and arms control,
as saying that the United States was fulfilling its own part of the Iran nuclear deal "very badly."

========

Kuwait expels Iranian diplomats over 'terror' cell

A senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP around 15 Iranian diplomats were expelled.

He declined to comment on whether the Iranian ambassador was among those ordered to leave.

Kuwait also ordered the closure of the Iranian "military, cultural and trade" missions, the official said.

[goldenequity]

The Spectator Index
BREAKING: Iran has summoned Kuwait's top diplomat in Tehran over deterioration in relations.

[Iowa]

Dunno if their boogey man status every really went away. They were hated for in 79 and the 80s. The US reminds me of some lumox kid who keep trying to push around some other kid. Other kid eventually explodes and lumox don't know what hit him. US $#@!s with Iran you see some real $#@! hitting the fan everywhere.

[goldenequity]

Dunno if their boogey man status every really went away. They were hated for in 79 and the 80s. The US reminds me of some lumox kid who keep trying to push around some other kid. Other kid eventually explodes and lumox don't know what hit him. US $#@!s with Iran you see some real $#@! hitting the fan everywhere.

True. It goes back to the Iran/Iraq war and Regan.
G.H.W. Bush was VP (following his stint as CIA director)
US jumped into the middle (as always).. aid, weapons (+ chemical), intelligence etc. etc. (Yemen 2.0)
and sided with Saddam when he was gassing Iran among other things.
Iran took it as a declaration of War... which it was.
http://www.iranchamber.com/history/a...rming_iraq.php

The Beirut Marine BLT Barracks bombing happened on October 23, 1983 killing 241.
Though denied, Iran probably organized it.
btw.. it had nothing to do with Hezbollah, a common misperception.
Hezbollah was put together as the US withdrew from Beirut in 1985.

Bad blood is real.

CIA/UK overthrew their government in '53.
The installed Shah's secret police SAVAK tortured a million people during his reign.
Reagan then helps Saddam slaughter their people by the tens of thousands.
Why would they forget?

Reagan is far from a hero in Iran and Lebanon.

[goldenequity]

BREAKING
TRUMP warns Iran of serious undisclosed consequences if Tehran doesn't quickly hand over US prisoners held illegally

Trump Issues Ultimatum To Iran Over Americans Unjustly Detained By Tehran

[goldenequity]

per usual.. articles/reports never provide any info on maritime coordinates to fact check for territorial trespass or not

US Navy Ship Fires Warning Shots At Iranian Ship In Persian Gulf


A U.S. Navy ship fired warning shots at an Iranian ship in the Persian Gulf on Tuesday, U.S. defense officials confirmed to Fox News.

The U.S. Navy coastal patrol ship fired warning shots from its .50-caliber machine gun at an Iranian patrol boat when it came within 150 yards of the ship in the Persian Gulf, according to two U.S. defense officials.

The Iranian ship ignored repeated radio calls from the USS Thunderbolt, which also launched flares to warn the fast approaching Iranian ship, officials said.

The incident happened Tuesday as a formation of U.S. Navy warships was doing an exercise in the Northern Persian Gulf.

It’s the first time since January a U.S. Navy warship has fired warning shots at an Iranian vessel which approached too close.

[goldenequity]

I would file this as Iran combating asymmetric warfare


Iran's Parliament Passes a Motion to Decriminalize Drug Use, Making it Legal for the Government to Hand out Diluted Drugs to Addicts

Iran appears to be on the verge of overhauling its drug-related policies. While a new bill is being amended in parliament to stop the execution of petty drug smugglers, another plan is also under study for allowing state organs to distribute drugs -- primarily opium -- among addicts

our objective is to sever the relation between drug addicts and narco-traffickers.’

“220,000 to 250,000 drug smugglers in Iran, and that is a serious source of social harm,”

“Iran currently has 2.8 million addicts whose cost for the country’s economy is 500 trillion rials (roughly $15 billion). Out of that, 200 trillion rials go to smugglers and dealers.”

July 16, 2017, parliament approved a proposal to amend Iran’s 1997 Law to Combat Drugs to limit the death penalty for some nonviolent, drug-related offenses.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are two origins of producing and trafficking various types of narcotic in the region.

Iranian police officials maintain that drug production in Afghanistan has undergone a 40-fold increase
since the US-led invasion of the country in 2001.

[AZJoe]

I would file this as Iran combating asymmetric warfare


Iran's Parliament Passes a Motion to Decriminalize Drug Use, Making it Legal for the Government to Hand out Diluted Drugs to Addicts

Iran appears to be on the verge of overhauling its drug-related policies. While a new bill is being amended in parliament to stop the execution of petty drug smugglers, another plan is also under study for allowing state organs to distribute drugs -- primarily opium -- among addicts

PNAC and AEI have just concluded this leaves Washington no other option but to bomb Iran.
Of course all options are on the table, so long as those options are limited to eventually bombing Iran.

[goldenequity]

Iran successfully tests Phoenix space rocket meant to deliver small satellites into orbit – Update: US complains




Iran says it has successfully tested the Simorgh rocket, a two-stage vehicle meant to deliver small space satellites into orbit. The test comes years behind schedule and may be the second one for the rocket.

Named after a mythical beast of Persian folklore, the rocket was first unveiled under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2010 as part of the celebrations of Iran’s first domestic satellite launch.

The Iranian space program is viewed with concern by some observers. While Simorgh is designated as a satellite launch vehicle, the technology is close to what is used by missiles carrying military payloads, so critics of Iran say it is merely trying to obtain longer-range ballistic missiles, potentially capable of delivering a nuclear warhead. Iran denies it has any intention of creating a nuclear weapon, and says it is in compliance with the terms of an international deal which put restrictions on its nuclear program to ensure that it remains civilian.

The United States considers Iran's launch of a satellite to space with a long-range rocket to be a provocative act that violates a UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR), US Department of State spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a briefing on Thursday.

"We would consider that a violation of the UNSCR 2231," Nauert told reporters. "We consider that to be continued ballistic missile development. We also remain very concerned about Iran's support for terrorism. We consider this to be a provocative action."

[goldenequity]

US hits Iran with more sanctions in response to space launch


The sanctions target six Iranian subsidiaries of the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group.
The Treasury Department says that group is "central" to Iran's ballistic missiles program.

The U.S. has said that launch flouted a U.N. Security Council resolution
because the technology is inherently designed to be able to carry a nuclear payload.

The sanctions come as the Trump administration continues debating its Iran policy and whether to scrap the 2015 nuclear deal.

[goldenequity]

[goldenequity]

[goldenequity]

US Navy fires warning shots at Iranian vessel in Persian Gulf for 2nd time in days – Tehran


The US Navy ships were intercepted by IRGC missile boats near the Resalat gas-oil field,
when they approached the Iranians and dispatched a helicopter at 4pm on Friday, according to the statement.
Then American warships opened fire in what the IRGC described as “a provocative and unprofessional move.”
The Americans then left the area, the IRGC added, while the Iranians went on with their patrol.

A US aircraft carrier “flew a helicopter near the Resalat oil and gas platform and approached the IRGC’s ships,”
IRGC Navy said in a statement, adding that the US also resorted to shooting flares to warn the Iranian side.

In response, Navy spokesman Lieutenant Ian M. McConnaughey called the move “safe and professional.”

“The US warships in a provocative and unprofessional move began firing warning shots at the Iranian vessels,
to which the IRGC Navy’s ships paid no attention and continued with their mission.”

It is the second confrontation between US and Iranian navies in the Persian Gulf this week.

[goldenequity]

Kudos.


US Student in Iran to Attend Olympiad despite Team’s Withdrawal



An American student has traveled to Iran alone to attend the 2017 International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI 2017) in Tehran
despite the US team’s withdrawal from the event.

The student received an applause from the participants and spectators at the opening ceremony on July 29, 2017.

The IOI 2017 is an annual event in which high school students compete with each other in the field of computer sciences.
The week-long International Olympiad in Informatics hosted by the Iranian Education Ministry is underway in Iran.

The Islamic Republic had agreed to the US team’s traveling to Tehran to attend the event.
However, the American team pulled out of the race due to unknown reasons.
Still, an American student decided to come to Iran alone to take part in the competition.

[goldenequity]

Finally finished it.
A word about this new article via Buzzfeed --
I liked it but only using my lens to filter out the 'Iran Threatens to take over the Planet' narrative... it was restrained.. but it was there.
It's focus is the 'Iran Threat' so, it makes no mention of any neocon/Israeli/Sunni transgressions..
rather
provides readable/understandable insight into how well Iran/Shiite strategies are accomplishing their goals.
Trans-border Militias have totally become effective on the ground and no amount of F-16s are effective at stopping it.

I see the 'goal' as the reinforcement of Sovereigns... namely Iraq, Syria, Iran and Lebanon. You might add Yemen.
Pakistan & Afghanistan are not really involved... though the US sees the Iran boogeyman as being 'everywhere'.
And it's definitely not (imo) primarily about spreading the Shiite ideology. (Palestinians are Sunni... as an obvious example.)
Like I said I enjoyed the article.

Iran has enlisted tens of thousands of young Shiite men into an armed network that is challenging the US across the Middle East. The Trump administration is not prepared.

[goldenequity]

Al-Sadr

If you don't already know him... get to know/research this guy.
He didn't always, but is now/lately/cleverly playing 'both sides against the middle' in Iraq.
I compare his tactics similar to Barzani.

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Iraqi Shiite Cleric Moqtada al-Sadr Arrives in Saudi Arabia




Iraqi Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr arrived in Saudi Arabia on his first official visit to it in 11 years.

The Spin

►“Al-Sadr is one of the few Shiite clerics in Iraq who demand the need to establish balanced relations with all neighboring countries.”



The Reality

►An Internal Iraqi political agressive 'reformer' developing a 'protest' following.

►stays 'outside' of government yet constant critic.

►Clever long time 'player' w/ aspirations of 'revolution' & regime change.

►Al-Sadr works to deny the general idea that Iraq is a follower of Iran. (so he 'uses' Nationalism)

►“Al-Sadr opposes the Iranian orientation in several issues of the region, especially the situation in Syria,”

►Al-Sadr is working to end the existence of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU)

►Claims Iran is trying to strengthen PMU at the expense of the government forces.

►Al-Sadr has repeatedly called for dissolving PMU and integrating it with the official forces at the end of the war against ISIS.

►He called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to leave after the US missile strike on Al-Shaerat airport in Syria.



Above all... he desires political control and is OBVIOUSLY willing to 'play ball' and 'bargain' w/ the hegemons. (just like Barzani.)
bin Salman is like: 'Who do I make the check out to?" hahaha

[AZJoe]

US Navy fires warning shots at Iranian vessel in Persian Gulf for 2nd time in days – Tehran

What if Iranian ships sailed into the Gulf of Mexico and fired warning shots at any US Navy ships that dared approach them?

[donnay]

PNAC and AEI have just concluded this leaves Washington no other option but to bomb Iran.
Of course all options are on the table, so long as those options are limited to eventually bombing Iran.

Check out this think tank: Center for a New American Security-- http://www.voltairenet.org/article186381.html

[goldenequity]

Check out this think tank: Center for a New American Security-- http://www.voltairenet.org/article186381.html

Liberal Hawks

AntiWar.com - Justin Raimondo
The New Neocons

Supporters of imperial expansion have regrouped to create:
the Center for a New American Security,
which plays in the Democratic Party
a role equivalent to that of
the Project for a New American Century
within the Republican Party.





Published on Jun 29, 2017
CNAS 2017: Keynote Address by Secretary John F. Kelly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83_SdeO82Fo

Jun 29, 2017
CNAS 2017: Keynote Address by LTG H.R. McMaster

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jRYYhSXNiE

[goldenequity]

I wanted to include this important post to this thread... thnx Swordsmyth.

Iraq and Iran have reached an agreement to commission a feasibility study of a crude oil pipeline that would export oil from Iraq’s northern fields in Kirkuk via Iran, the oil minister of Iran, Bijan Zanganeh, said on Sunday after a meeting with his Iraqi counterpart Jabar al-Luaibi.
The two ministries reached an agreement about an international company that will carry out the feasibility study of the pipeline plan, Zanganeh was quoted as saying by the oil ministry’s new service.
In February, the two neighboring countries had signed a memorandum of understanding to study the possibility to build such a pipeline.

More at: http://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-Ne...Crude-Oil.html

This is huge.
This is the Sovereigns v Centcom/Barzani.
Great chess move.
Probably China or France would build it. (guess)
=============




Good background info here when 4 months ago,
Kurds attempted to raise their Flag over gov't buildings in Kirkuk.



Don't miss the above. srsly... it tells of the complete hegemon treachery concerning this vast stolen oil field.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi1zlQvSn80

[goldenequity]

[Swordsmyth]

Kurdistan Claims Iraq-Iran Oil Pipeline Violates U.S. Sanctions

http://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Kurdistan-Claims-Iraq-Iran-Oil-Pipeline-Violates-US-Sanctions.html

[goldenequity]

Zarif meets EU FM Mogherini in Tehran for Inauguration Ceremony






Takeaways from Rouhani's inauguration speech at Iranian parliament

[Jamesiv1]

In the year of 2000 there were seven countries without a Rothschild owned or controlled Central Bank:
Afghanistan
Iraq
Sudan
Libya
Cuba
North Korea
Iran

The only countries left in 2003 without a Central Bank owned or controlled by the Rothschild Family were:
Sudan
Libya
Cuba
North Korea
Iran

The only countries left in 2011 without a Central Bank owned or controlled by the Rothschild Family are:
Cuba
North Korea
Iran

https://www.google.com/search?q=whic...hrome&ie=UTF-8

[goldenequity]

Iraq and Iran struggle for control over Popular Mobilization Units
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/orig...#ixzz4p14nD1Yd

This is going to be a key issue for the Sovereigns: Iran, Iraq & Syria.
These are the Shiite dominated militias. Some are trans-border... fighting in Syria. Some are 'Iraq only'.
They are a parallel fighting force, well trained and combat hardened.

Iran and Syria have both squared off against the hegemons. Iraq of course is infiltrated by them.
As ISIS 'disappears' and 'disbands' into civilian Iraq (there are 'thousands' who have 'melted' away)
Iraq will have it's hands full. Can they 'afford' to disband the PMU's?

Some have agreed to be absorbed into regular ranks of Iraqi army.
Some have not... and see their 'mission' as patriotic Iraqis to defy Kurd/CENTCOM mission creep,
and are inclined and organized around Iranian trained commanders.

This will no doubt play into coming Iraqi politics and contention between rival leaders.
Lots of guns. Lots of soldiers. Lots of rivalry.
What else do you need for a Civil War?

[goldenequity]

Iraq and Iran struggle for control over Popular Mobilization Units
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/orig...#ixzz4p14nD1Yd

This is going to be a key issue for the Sovereigns: Iran, Iraq & Syria.
These are the Shiite dominated militias. Some are trans-border... fighting in Syria. Some are 'Iraq only'.
They are a parallel fighting force, well trained and combat hardened.

Iran and Syria have both squared off against the hegemons. Iraq of course is infiltrated by them.
As ISIS 'disappears' and 'disbands' into civilian Iraq (there are 'thousands' who have 'melted' away)
Iraq will have it's hands full. Can they 'afford' to disband the PMU's?

Some have agreed to be absorbed into regular ranks of Iraqi army.
Some have not... and see their 'mission' as patriotic Iraqis to defy Kurd/CENTCOM mission creep,
and are inclined and organized around Iranian trained commanders.

This will no doubt play into coming Iraqi politics and contention between rival leaders.
Lots of guns. Lots of soldiers. Lots of rivalry.
What else do you need for a Civil War?

US-led Coalition Strikes PMU In Border Area

[Brian4Liberty]

Seems that the majority of MSM/neoconservative conversations about South Korea eventually bring up Iran.

The strategy: "Look at the mess we have with a nuclear North Korea, we have a chance to stop Iran now, before they get nukes."

[goldenequity]

With a 500 mile border against an unstable, Saudi backed Sunni Afghanistan...
it's no 'surprise' that Iran has employed the 'use' of proxies and aid
to fight
the use of proxies and aid.

NYT
In Afghanistan, U.S. Exits, and Iran Comes In
http://archive.is/p1yTd#selection-1615.0-1615.45