Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif

Israeli leaders have vowed not to let Iran get a nuclear weapon after it said it was enriching uranium to 20 percent purity at Natanz and the secretive Fordow underground facility.

Tensions were mounting as a US aircraft carrier reversed its decision to leave the Gulf after Iran told the international nuclear watchdog of its scaled-up operation on Monday. It is installing 1,000 new centrifuges to speed up the process.

Enriching uranium to 20 percent – enough to make reactor fuel – is prohibited under the nuclear deal negotiated in 2015, from which Donald Trump withdrew the US in 2018. Weapons-grade uranium is enriched to 90 percent.

However, leaders of the Islamic Republic are in combative mood following the assassination of senior Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh at the end of last year, the fifth atomic expert to be killed. Iranian leaders blame Israel.

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has said the US and Israel are plotting to instigate a “casus belli” – cause of war – in Trump’s final days as commander-in-chief. Trump is thought more likely to approve an attack on Iran than US President-Elect Joe Biden, who takes office in two weeks’ time.

In recent days, Trump reversed a “de-escalation” decision from his defence secretary and ordered the homeward-bound USS Nimitz back to the Persian Gulf, with Trump’s officials citing unspecified threats from Iran.

Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran’s move to enrich uranium to 20 percent purity “cannot be explained in any way, other than a desire to continue realising its goal of developing a military nuclear programme. Israel will not allow that.”

The Fordow announcement comes a year after Iranian General Qassem Soleimani was killed by an American drone in Baghdad on 3 January 2020. Thousands of Iranians marked his death on the streets of Tehran on Sunday.

Under the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran was limited to 3.67 percent enrichment, but after Trump withdrew the US, reimposed sanctions, and added additional measures, Iran has said it is no longer bound by its obligations.

US President-Elect Joe Biden is believed to be considering a renewal of the nuclear deal, despite US allies such as Israel and Saudi Arabia being so vehemently opposed to it. Israelis say the sanction relief helps Iran fund groups like Hezbollah.

It comes as Iranian forces seized a South Korea-flagged ship, claiming that it was polluting Iranian waters. Analysts say the real reason is South Korea’s refusal to unlock frozen oil-revenue accounts.

Source: https://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/israel-will-not-allow-iran-to-get-nuclear-bomb-amid-uranium-enrichment/

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Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller has reversed his decision to redeploy the aircraft carrier Nimitz, keeping the vessel in the Persian Gulf after threats from Iran against President Trump.

“Due to the recent threats issued by Iranian leaders against President Trump and other U.S. government officials, I have ordered the USS Nimitz to halt its routine redeployment,” said Miller in a statement released on Sunday.

“The USS Nimitz will now remain on station in the U.S. Central Command area of operations,” he added. “No one should doubt the resolve of the United States of America.”

Three days earlier, the carrier had been ordered to return home in a show of de-escalating tensions with Iranian leadership.

It is unclear what led to Miller’s reversal, but The New York Times notes that messaging from Iranian officials has increased in severity in the past few days.

The newspaper added that Trump administration officials indicated on Sunday that the decision was influenced by the upcoming week, which involves a Georgia runoff election and the certification of President-elect Joe Biden‘s victory, with the White House reportedly opposed to the image of an aircraft carrier moving away from the Middle East.

A senior military official told reporters last week that U.S. intelligence reports indicated that Iran might possibly seek revenge for the killing of top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani by carrying out an attack on Sunday, the one-year anniversary of his death.

Iran’s foreign minister, Javad Zarif, accused Trump on New Year’s Eve of attempting to “fabricate pretext for war” with threats of retaliation.

Iran is suspected of being behind the December rocket attack against the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, the largest such attack in a decade.

Source: https://thehill.com/news-by-subject/defense-homeland-security/532484-pentagon-keeping-aircraft-carrier-in-persian-gulf

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The UN arms embargo on Iran has expired as part of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) agreement covering Iran’s nuclear programme. 

The JCPOA set an expiry date for the arms embargo of 18 October 2020, after five years after the adoption of the agreement.

Other restrictions, such as financial transaction and travel restrictions, have also been lifted as part of the agreement.

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif tweeted that the “normalization of Iran’s defense cooperation with the world is a win for the cause of multilateralism and peace and security in our region.”

“the Islamic Republic of Iran may procure any necessary arms and equipment from any source without any legal restrictions and solely based on its defensive needs, and may also export defensive armaments based on its own policies,” Javad Zarif added in a statement.

The Iranian Foreign Minister added that the country would continue to sustain its policy of self-sufficiency in the field of defense equipment manufacturing. This policy had been in place since the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War.

“Unconventional arms, weapons of mass destruction, and a buying spree of conventional arms have no place in Iran’s defense doctrine. The country’s deterrence stems from native knowledge and capability, as well as our people’s power and resilience,” the statement added.

Source:  https://internationalinsider.org/un-arms-embargo-on-iran-lifted/

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BRUSSELS — The EU reiterated its support for the nuclear deal brokered with Iran, also expressing concerns Friday that the escalating tensions in the region could lead to a resurgence of the Islamic State’s activities.

The EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell called the urgent meeting of European foreign affairs ministers in Brussels after the U.S. killing of Iranian general, Qassem Soleimani, in a drone attack in Iraq on Jan. 3.

Tehran responded earlier this week with missile strikes at U.S. bases and announced it would no longer respect limits set under the 2015 nuclear deal on how many centrifuges it can use to enrich uranium, fuelling fears Iran could quickly start building a nuclear arsenal.

“We need to understand that the fight against Daesh is not over,” said NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg, who attended the meeting in the EU capital and referred to an alternative name for the Islamic State group.

“We have made enormous progress but Daesh can return.”

In an attempt to avoid an escalation between Iran and the United States, EU leaders have intensified diplomatic activities, trying to keep alive the nuclear deal while making sure the U.S.-led anti-IS coalition continues to operate in Iraq. In the wake of the killing of Soleimani, Iraq’s parliament called for the withdrawal of all foreign troops from the country.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas reiterated Germany’s position that the fight against IS in Iraq needs to continue.

“I can’t rule out that, if the anti-IS coalition leaves Iraq then IS will regenerate so much that it can carry out attacks in Europe again,” said Maas, speaking to German broadcaster n-tv.

And Denmark’s foreign affairs minister, Jeppe Kofod, said IS is the threat for Europe.”

Despite calls from U.S. President Donald Trump to break away from the nuclear deal, the European Union remains committed to the treaty.

“Thanks to this deal Iran is not a nuclear power,” Borrell said.

Iran struck the deal in 2015 with the United States, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia, and China. It has, however, been damaged by Trump’s decision to unilaterally abandon it in 2018 and to impose sanctions that have hurt Iran’s economy.

Iran has gradually rolled back its commitment to the accord and the recent escalation of tensions between Iran and the U.S. has dealt further blows to the pact.

“We are of the opinion that this agreement makes sense because it holds Iran to not developing nuclear weapons, and so we want this agreement to have a future,” Maas said upon arrival at the meeting. “But of course it only has a future if it is complied with, and we expect that from Iran.”

Despite its decision to get rid of restrictions in relation to its enrichment capacity, Iran has not stopped collaborating with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and has made clear it is ready to return to its commitments if sanctions are lifted.

Delivering the meeting’s conclusions, Borrell urged Iran to get back “to full compliance without delay” to make sure the deal can be salvaged.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian continued to insist the accord “is not dead” and said Iran could get access to atomic weapons within “one or two years” if the deal continues to lose its substance.

In a phone call with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson also reaffirmed his support for the deal.

Borrell has invited Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif to Brussels for talks, but a date for his visit has yet to be set.

In front of Ghassam Salamé, the head of the UN Support Mission in Libya, the Council also addressed the current crisis in the war-torn country, with Borrell warning of an increased risk of terror activities if a cease-fire is not quickly reached.

Libya is currently governed by dueling authorities, in the east and the west, each relying on different militias. The east-based government is backed by the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, as well as France and Russia. The western, Tripoli-based government receives aid from Turkey, Qatar, and Italy.

Borrell said the presence of fighters coming from Syria and Sudan has been detected in Libya recently and insisted the conflict could lead to a new influx of refugees in Europe.

“This crisis may spiral out of control,” Borrell said.

———

Frank Jordans and Geir Moulson in Berlin, Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this story.

Source: https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/eu-foreign-ministers-gather-brussels-salvage-iran-deal-68191220

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Israel will prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, vowed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel will never allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons “for the future of the Middle East and the world,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, hours after Tehran announced it was again acting to breach the 2015 nuclear deal.

Speaking at an event in Jerusalem on Tuesday night, Netanyahu stated that “given Iran’s efforts to expand its nuclear weapons program, expand its enrichment of uranium for making atomic bombs, I repeat here once again: We will never let Iran develop nuclear weapons.”

“This is not only for our security and our future; it’s for the future of the Middle East and the world,” he underscored.

Earlier in the day, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi announced that the country will start production of 5% enriched uranium at the Fordo plant on Wednesday, as part of its decision to take another step away from the Nuclear Deal.

There are some 1,000 centrifuges installed at the underground Fordo Fuel Enrichment Plant. Light water reactors require uranium to be enriched from 0.7% to 3-5% to make it suitable for fuel.

While the US has withdrawn from the agreement, four European countries are still committed to it. This is the fourth time Iran has announced it is taking action to scale back the nuclear deal.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that Tehran’s step is a response to “disloyalt[y] shown by the US and the European states” towards the agreement.

“Our response to US economic terrorism and blackmail is opposite of what Donald Trump was led to believe,” Zarif said on Twitter on Tuesday, adding that it was as “a remedy to US+E3 violations.”

“Abide by your obligations and we’ll reverse course,” Zarif told the European signatory countries.

A US State Department spokesperson stated that Iran has no credible reason to expand its uranium enrichment program, other than a clear attempt at nuclear extortion that will only deepen its political and economic isolation.”

“We will continue to impose maximum pressure on the regime until it abandons its destabilizing behavior, including proliferation-sensitive work,” the statement said.

Source:  https://unitedwithisrael.org/netanyahu-israel-will-never-allow-iran-to-get-a-nuclear-bomb/

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Iran’s National Security chairman emphasized that the military has been working on new ways to take advantage of their enemy’s weaknesses.

In an interview with Iran’s Channel 5 earlier this month, the chairman of Iran’s National Security Agency threatened Israel and America if either country made a “mistake” against Iran, reports MEMRI.

“If Israel or America makes a mistake, Israel won’t live for longer than 20 or 30 minutes. We have thought about all these things,” Mojtaba Zonnour said.

Zonnour told the interviewer that they are “tracking every change in the forces in America’s military bases,” and that “America has 36 bases in the region. The closest one is in Bahrain, and the farthest is in Diego Garcia Island in the Indian Ocean.”

Iran’s National Security chairman emphasized that the military has been working on new ways to take advantage of their enemy’s weaknesses.

“If they shoot, they will be hit. When the Leader [Khamenei] says that the days of hit-and-run are over, he is not speaking out of emotion or excitement. His words are backed up by what has already been done,” he said.

Zonnour also defended the comment made by Iran Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, who said that one of the reasons why the Iranian Nuclear agreement failed was because of a missile that had ‘Israel must be destroyed’ written on it.

“I have also heard this, but even if this is true, we have dozens of answers for it. The fact that we exist today and that we have a position and make demands about why the JCPOA is not being implemented, and our president travels honorably throughout the world… This is all thanks to our defensive deterrence and those missiles that have ‘Death to Israel’ written on them,” he said.

Israel is not taking Iran’s threats lightly.

On Thursday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi unveiled a new five-year plan of operations that will be primarily focused on combating the growing Iranian threat.

The plan is code-named “Momentum,” and will include massive investments in the IDF’s military capabilities, such as beefing up Israel’s mid-sized drone fleet, acquiring large numbers of precision-guided missiles from the U.S., and obtaining more air defense batteries.

Source: https://worldisraelnews.com/iran-we-can-destroy-israel-in-less-than-half-an-hour/

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Zarif appeared for a pre-recorded interview on Fox News Sunday with host Chris Wallace to discuss the Trump administration’s hardline stance against Iran and the Persian Gulf Nation’s continued compliance with the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal.

The Iranian leader told Wallace that Trump’s adviser Bolton, along with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Israel and the UAE – which he dubbed the “B Team” – want to change the current regime governing his country.

Javad Zarif@JZarif

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TEHRAN, Iran (AP) – Iran’s president said Friday that Iranians would “resist” the Trump administration’s acceptance of Israel’s control over the occupied Golan Heights, adding his voice to many Arab nations, including a number of U.S. allies, who have denounced the U.S. decision.

Hassan Rouhani said the U.S. move is “trampling on international regulations about the Golan.” Iranians too “should resist and that way gain victory” over the U.S. and Israel, he said.

Israel seized the Golan in the 1967 Mideast war after Syria had for years used the strategic plateau to shell northern Israel.

President Donald Trump’s formal recognition last week of Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan sparked widespread international condemnation. The announcement was a major shift in American policy and gave Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a needed political boost ahead of April elections.

Syria and many Arab states slammed Trump’s move.

Meeting in the Turkish Mediterranean coastal city of Antalya on Friday, the Turkish and Russian foreign ministers also denounced the decision.

“I feel this is the conscious, deliberate demonstration of permissiveness,” Russia’s Sergei Lavrov told reporters at a joint news conference. “Such demonstration of permissiveness, along with intimidations, ultimatums, and sanctions, are basically the toolkit which the U.S. use in foreign policy. It is sad.”

Turkey’s top diplomat, Mevlut Cavusoglu, said the decision “does not add to the region’s peace and stability, on the contrary, it creates unrest and chaos in the region.”

“It is out of the question for us to accept and recognize such a decision,” he added.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Thursday the decision is a reminder to Arab and Muslim countries that U.S. and Israel “will steal your lands.”

Iran doesn’t recognize Israel and supports Syria and anti-Israeli militant groups like Hamas and the Lebanese Hezbollah group.

Source: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/mar/29/iran-to-resist-trump-decision-on-israels-hold-over/

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