Tag Archives: SANCTIONS

The U.S. Confirms Israeli Involvement in Attack on Iran Nuclear Site

Israel is behind the fire at the centrifuge production facility for uranium enrichment in Natanz, Iran. This is the assertion made by a source in The New York Times in an electronic version of the paper published Sunday, June 5.

“A Middle Eastern intelligence official with knowledge of what happened said Israel was responsible for the attack on the Natanz nuclear facility, a powerful explosive device was used,” the paper said.

The newspaper does not say which intelligence service is being referred to.

A member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC, an elite force in the Iranian military) has allegedly confirmed to the press that an explosive device went off at the Natanz site on July 2.

However, the newspaper explains that it is unable to verify the information about Israel’s involvement in the incident. It is also not known how the device arrived at the site. Israeli officials on Sunday did not give a clear answer to the question of whether the country had organized the sabotage in Iran, the article notes.

It is specified that the incident occurred last week.

Earlier, spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Behrouz Kamalvandi said there had been no casualties as a result of the incident, but there had been considerable material damage.

The United States Special Envoy for Iran, Brian Hook, said in an interview with Channel 13 on July 1 that the US authorities were considering the possibility of using military force against Iran if it would be necessary to prevent the country from getting nuclear weapons.

On May 27, U.S. State Department chief Mike Pompeo said U.S. authorities gave Iran two months to complete its nuclear program projects, after which they would be subject to sanctions.

In 2015, Iran, the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France, and Germany signed a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The document implies the lifting of sanctions against Tehran in exchange for an end to nuclear development.

In 2018, the U.S. side withdrew from the treaty, reinstated some sanctions against Iran, and imposed new ones. A year later, President of the Islamic Republic Hassan Rouhani announced that Tehran was suspending some of its obligations under the nuclear deal.

The US imposes sanctions on Turkey over deal with Russia

The United States has been imposing sanctions on the Turkish Defense Industry Authority (SSB) since April 7, as well as four officials for a “major deal” with Russia’s defense sector in 2017.

This is stated in the notification in the US Federal Register.

According to the document, the head of the SSB, Ismail Demir, and three other officials who work in it was sanctioned. They will no longer be able to visit the United States, their assets in American jurisdiction will be blocked and Americans will be banned from doing business with them.

The sanctions are imposed under Countering America’s Adversaries through the Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

What kind of agreement was concluded in 2017, between Turkey and Russia is not specified, but it can be assumed that we are talking about a contract for the supply of Moscow to Ankara S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems.

Earlier, Turkey said that it would not abandon the S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems purchased from Russia, even despite the threat of US sanctions.

Recall that NATO explained why Turkey does not need Russian missile systems — they are incompatible with the technologies of the Alliance and can not be integrated into its air defense.

Macron announced the extension of the quarantine to all regions of France

The quarantine regime currently in force in 19 regions of France will be extended from April 3 to all regions of the country due to the deterioration of the sanitary situation. This was announced on Wednesday by French President Emmanuel Macron in a televised address to the nation.

“The rules, which were previously introduced in 19 departments of the country, will be extended to the whole of France on Saturday evening,” he said.

According to Macron, they will be in effect within the next four weeks.

Macron said that the authorities will strengthen control and sanctions for violating the quarantine regime.

Poland has imposed sanctions against vessels involved in the construction of the Nord Stream 2

The Polish authorities have begun to impose sanctions against the vessels Krebs Geo and Krebs Jet, which take part in the construction of the Russian gas pipeline Nord Stream 2.

This was stated by the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure of Poland Grzegorz Witkowski, reports WiznesAlert.

It is noted that the authorities have deprived the German shipowner’s vessels Krebs Geo and Krebs Jet of the Polish flag. Now they can be detained if they appear in Polish waters.

“We decided to start the procedure of removing the registration from the Polish flag. So that Poland has nothing to do with these two courts, “ Witkowski said.

According to him, all the documents submitted by the special services have already been studied, so there should be no problems with the cancellation of registration.

Earlier, representatives of the Green Party in Germany promised to stop Nord Stream 2.

In addition, the United States named the main condition for new sanctions against Nord Stream 2.

Sanctions against China: bold, stupid — or pointless?

In view of the harassment of the Uighur minority in China by the Chinese authorities, the European Union has imposed sanctions on Beijing for the first time in 30 years. According to the decision of the EU foreign ministers, the sanctions are imposed on four representatives of the Communist Party of China in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, as well as the organization responsible, according to the EU, for the management of correctional camps for the “re-education” of this Muslim minority. Beijing’s response was not long in coming.

To see a partner in Beijing? Hardly…

The EU should re-check its attitude to Beijing, — says De Volkskrant:

“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth — this is the language that Beijing speaks fluently. His latest movie, namely the imposition of sanctions on European politicians, officials, and scientists, is just a light warm-up in the business of conducting “military operations” with the help of legal weapons. … And now Brussels has felt it for itself. … In order to pass the controversial investment agreement through the European Parliament, despite all the criticism, the European Commission needs a strong political rear. However, against the background of such an extensive sanctions list compiled by China, Brussels will have to reconsider its attitude towards Beijing. It is becoming increasingly difficult to see China as anything other than a rival.»

They try to maneuver all the time

The EU at least makes some gestures, “ notes Neue Zurcher Zeitung:

“This measure is a step towards the formation of a common pan-European policy towards China. However, it should be recognized: the goal is still very far away and is in a fog. The European Union, that is, the backbone of the 27 countries, does not manage to develop a coherent and consistent strategy towards China. Back in December, the EU concluded an investment agreement with Beijing after long negotiations. … A number of European countries, including France and Germany, insist on their right to pursue their own policies towards China. … In fact, this means nothing more than that the Europeans are still trying to maneuver between the option of investment and the option of sanctions.”

Beijing can still be useful to Europe!

Now the European Union should have set its priorities quite differently, — the Hungarian pro-government newspaper Magyar Hirlap is indignant:

“For several months now, the pages of the world press have been full of headlines about the inability of the European Union to provide its countries with a covid vaccine. … In this regard, it is particularly piquant that the EU is starting to impose sanctions against China right now when the call to buy vaccines from the east is getting louder and louder — including as a result of mistakes made by Brussels. As Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said: such a position is senseless, harmful — and aimed only at an external effect.”

This hasn’t worked before

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung does not believe that EU sanctions will have any effect:

“China is no longer the same developing country that was once sanctioned after the Tiananmen Square events. Now it is a rearing world power, with which Germany conducts a very intensive and extensive trade. The Chinese leadership is confident in its own abilities: unlike in the past, it has both the means and the will to resist Western pressure. The EU, as a union of democratic states, cannot look with indifference at human rights violations. However, there are other opportunities to raise this issue in the dialogue with China. In any case, the EU’s decisions are unlikely to have a serious effect. For example, the sanctions of 1989, including the arms embargo, did not lead to China becoming more politically open, nor to the country refusing to increase its military potential.”