Iran says U.S. sanctions on Khamenei mean end of diplomacy

[snoop1130]

Iran says U.S. sanctions on Khamenei mean end of diplomacy

by Parisa Hafezi

 

FILE PHOTO: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei waves his hand as he arrives to deliver a speech during a ceremony marking the 30th death anniversary of the founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Tehran, Iran June 4, 2019. Official Khamenei website/Handout via REUTERS

 

DUBAI (Reuters) - New U.S. sanctions against Iran’s supreme leader and foreign minister have closed off diplomacy, Iran said on Tuesday, blaming the United States for abandoning the only route to peace just days after the two foes came within minutes of conflict.

 

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing sanctions on Monday against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior figures. Sanctions against Foreign Minister Mohmmad Javad Zarif are expected later this week.

 

The moves came after Iran shot down a U.S. drone last week and Trump called off a retaliatory air strike minutes before impact, which would have been the first time the United States had bombed Iran in decades of hostility between them.

 

Trump said he decided at the last minute that too many people would die.

 

“Imposing useless sanctions on Iran’s Supreme Leader and the commander of Iran’s diplomacy is the permanent closure of the path of diplomacy,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Twitter.

 

“Trump’s desperate administration is destroying the established international mechanisms for maintaining world peace and security,” Mousavi tweeted.

 

In a televised address, President Hassan Rouhani said sanctions against Khamenei would have no practical impact because the cleric had no assets abroad.

 

Rouhani, a pragmatist who won two elections on promises to open Iran up to the world, described the U.S. moves as desperate and called the White House “mentally retarded” - an insult Iranian officials have used in the past about Trump but a departure from Rouhani’s own comparatively measured tone.

 

Rouhani and his cabinet run Iran’s day-to-day affairs, while Khamenei, in power since 1989, is Iran’s ultimate authority.

 

“The White House actions mean it is mentally retarded,” Rouhani said. “Tehran’s strategic patience does not mean we have fear.”

 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the situation around Iran was developing toward a dangerous scenario, RIA news agency reported.

 

“OPEN DOOR”

 

Trump’s hawkish national security adviser, John Bolton, visiting Israel, repeated earlier offers to hold talks, as long as Iran was willing to go beyond the terms of a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers which Trump abandoned last year.

 

“The president has held the door open to real negotiations to completely and verifiably eliminate Iran’s nuclear weapons program, its pursuit of ballistic missile delivery systems, its support for international terrorism and other malign behavior worldwide,” Bolton said in Jerusalem. “All that Iran needs to do is to walk through that open door.”

 

The United States has imposed crippling economic sanctions against Iran since last year, when Trump withdrew from an agreement between Tehran and world powers to curb Iran’s nuclear program in return for the lifting of sanctions.

 

The crisis has escalated sharply since last month, when the Trump administration tightened the sanctions, ordering all countries to halt purchases of Iranian oil.

 

That has effectively starved the Iranian economy of the main source of revenue Tehran uses to import food for its 81 million people, and left Iran’s pragmatic faction with no benefits to show for its nuclear agreement.

 

Washington says the 2015 agreement reached under Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama did not go far enough because it is not permanent and does not cover issues beyond the nuclear program, such as missiles and regional behavior.

 

Iran says there is no point negotiating with Washington when it has abandoned a deal that was already reached.

 

The downing of the U.S. drone - which Iran says was over its air space and the United States says was international skies - was the culmination of weeks of rising tensions that had begun to take on a military dimension.

 

The United States and some regional allies have blamed Iran for attacks on tankers in the Gulf, which Tehran denies. Washington’s European allies have repeatedly warned both sides of the danger that a small mistake could lead to war.

 

Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev came to Iran’s support, saying the drone was in Iranian airspace when it was shot down and that the evidence on the tanker attacks was of poor quality and unprofessional, not enough to draw conclusions.

 

During a visit to Jerusalem, Patrushev also said it was unacceptable to portray Iran as a threat to international security and called for restraint to help defuse the situation.

 

Washington says forcing Iran to the table is the purpose of its sanctions. Tehran has said it is willing to talk if the United States lifts the new sanctions first, although Tuesday’s statements appear to toughen that stance.

 

Trump is leaving a path open to diplomacy with Iran but Tehran would be making a mistake if it interprets his restraint over the downing of a drone as weakness, U.S. disarmament ambassador Robert Wood told a conference in Geneva.

 

“We will not initiate a conflict against Iran, nor do we intend to deny Iran the right to defend its airspace but if Iran continues to attack us, our response will be decisive,” he said.

 

U.S. officials have launched a diplomatic campaign to rally their allies in the face of the escalating crisis. Foreign Secretary Mike Pompeo jetted to the Middle East on Monday to meet leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Gulf Arab states that favor the toughest possible line against Iran.

 

The U.S. envoy on Iran, Brian Hook, is visiting Europe, where he is likely to get a frostier reception from allies who support the nuclear deal. They believe Trump’s decision to quit the accord was a mistake that has strengthened Iran’s hardline faction, weakened its pragmatists and endangered regional peace.

 

Iran says it still aims to comply with the nuclear deal, but cannot do so indefinitely unless it receives some benefits. It has given European countries until July 8 to find a way to shield its economy from U.S. sanctions, or else it will enrich uranium to levels banned under the deal.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-06-25

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[from the home of CC]

you back a country into a corner till it starves and it's going to bite..

[Tug]

That’s not surprising Donald hasent a clue about diplomacy he only know (bulley) do as I say or I’ll shive you in the eye of course Iran would tell Donald to stuff it

[sweatalot]

14 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

you back a country into a corner till it starves and it's going to bite..

just wait until they are toothless

[Morch]

Quote

end of diplomacy

Quote

the only route to peace

Quote

the permanent closure of the path of diplomacy

 

Just a couple of days ago, Iranian officials reiterated that there's no interest in negotiations, talks or any such things with the USA. Leaves the question of whether they were bluffing then, posturing now or just engaging in standard issue conflict-talk. Maybe all three.

 

Quote

In a televised address, President Hassan Rouhani said sanctions against Khamenei would have no practical impact because the cleric had no assets abroad.

 

That's the first of a three part report series on assets under control of Khamenei, titled Assets of the Ayatollah:

 

Khamenei controls massive financial empire built on property seizures

https://www.reuters.com/investigates/iran/#article/part1

 

More here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Khamenei#Financial_assets

 

And here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Execution_of_Imam_Khomeini's_Order

 

[Basil B]

Has there ever been any meaningful diplomacy with the west since the overthrow of the Shih???

[Basil B]

29 minutes ago, sweatalot said:

just wait until they are toothless

Has Donald banned the export of toothpaste?

[Jingthing]

Has there ever been any meaningful diplomacy with the west since the overthrow of the Shih???

The nuclear deal that 45 irrationally trashed. If this leads to war its all on the buffoon president.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[candide]

33 minutes ago, Morch said:

 

Just a couple of days ago, Iranian officials reiterated that there's no interest in negotiations, talks or any such things with the USA. Leaves the question of whether they were bluffing then, posturing now or just engaging in standard issue conflict-talk. Maybe all three.

 

 

That's the first of a three part report series on assets under control of Khamenei, titled Assets of the Ayatollah:

 

Khamenei controls massive financial empire built on property seizures

https://www.reuters.com/investigates/iran/#article/part1

 

More here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Khamenei#Financial_assets

 

And here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Execution_of_Imam_Khomeini's_Order

 

Very interesting links. However, unless I overlooked them too quickly, it does not seem to address the case of assets under U.S. jurisdiction.

[Morch]

1 hour ago, candide said:

Very interesting links. However, unless I overlooked them too quickly, it does not seem to address the case of assets under U.S. jurisdiction.

I think the other parts (perhaps more so the second) parts of the Reuters series may answer some questions. I have no idea if the new announced sanctions relate to this. As far as I'm aware there were already relevant sanctions in place to begin with.

[bristolboy]

2 hours ago, Morch said:

 

Just a couple of days ago, Iranian officials reiterated that there's no interest in negotiations, talks or any such things with the USA. Leaves the question of whether they were bluffing then, posturing now or just engaging in standard issue conflict-talk. Maybe all three.

 

 

 

Or maybe they mean it.

[Puchaiyank]

Lived and worked in Iran...met some very nice people...now have poor excuse for prehistoric leadership...keep'um barefoot, pregnant, and ignorant...our way or highway attitude...we are right and the rest of the world be damned...

 

 

[bristolboy]

55 minutes ago, Puchaiyank said:

Lived and worked in Iran...met some very nice people...now have poor excuse for prehistoric leadership...keep'um barefoot, pregnant, and ignorant...our way or highway attitude...we are right and the rest of the world be damned...

 

 

?Despite the various obstacles for women entering an educational setting, they manage to comprise the majority of college attendees and outperform their male peers on university admissions tests as well as in graduation rates.^[4]"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women's_education_in_Iran

[Cryingdick]

Who cares? Let them rot in obscurity. Eventually if they refine enough Israel will hit them and nobody will say anything. It's not worth the time for the USA.

[ezzra]

With the Iranian rial in the crapper, huge unemployment and  deppining inflation the Iranian people will at some point buckle under pressure and will demand change in leadership, however, the Iranian being crafty and cunning people who invented the Chess game, must understand that Trump will not yield unless they will come to the negotiating table, and even where Iran thinks that they're 100% on the right side, they should still come to talk and listen and maybe give in a little and by doing so, gain a lot...

[Cryingdick]

Just now, ezzra said:

With the Iranian rial in the crapper, huge unemployment and  deppining inflation the Iranian people will at some point buckle under pressure and will demand change in leadership, however, the Iranian being crafty and cunning people who invented the Chess game, must understand that Trump will not yield unless they will come to the negotiating table, and even where Iran thinks that they're 100% on the right side, they should still come to talk and listen and maybe give in a little and by doing so, gain a lot...

 

They are irrational islamic zealots. 

[bristolboy]

26 minutes ago, Cryingdick said:

Who cares? Let them rot in obscurity. Eventually if they refine enough Israel will hit them and nobody will say anything. It's not worth the time for the USA.

Trump admits he lacks exit strategy for an Iran war

https://www.rollcall.com/news/whitehouse/trump-admits-lacks-exit-strategy-war-iran-tensions-boil

[Cryingdick]

Just now, bristolboy said:

Trump admits he lacks exit strategy for an Iran war

https://www.rollcall.com/news/whitehouse/trump-admits-lacks-exit-strategy-war-iran-tensions-boil

Doesn't need one as we will never put boots on the ground. And again a comment not pertinent to the topic at hand. 

[Srikcir]

27 minutes ago, Cryingdick said:

Doesn't need one as we will never put boots on the ground.

You're interpretation.

This is another irresponsible "Fire & Fury" speech.

Trump's implied threat is that he doesn't need an exit strategy when he destroys Iran in a war.

You think Bolton wouldn't use a war to overthrow the Iranian regime? Can't do that without "boots on the ground."

Maybe the Secretary of Defense might think an exit strategy would be needed (but there's no Secretary of Defense).

Same was thought of 'no exit strategy plan' by POTUS G.W. Bush on Iraq war with his Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld - both in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[Cryingdick]

2 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

You're interpretation.

This is another irresponsible "Fire & Fury" speech.

Trump's implied threat is that he doesn't need an exit strategy when he destroys Iran in a war.

You think Bolton wouldn't use a war to overthrow the Iranian regime? Can't do that without "boots on the ground."

Maybe the Secretary of Defense might think an exit strategy would be needed (but there's no Secretary of Defense).

Same was thought of 'no exit strategy plan' by POTUS G.W. Bush on Iraq war with his Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld - both in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It will be done through airstrikes. Bolton is in Israel tonight it isn't a coincidence. It won't be done under the preface of nation building.

[Morch]

4 minutes ago, Cryingdick said:

It will be done through airstrikes. Bolton is in Israel tonight it isn't a coincidence. It won't be done under the preface of nation building.

 

Bolton's visit to Israel is for other purposes. Still to to with Iran, but not quite what you're on about.

[bristolboy]

1 hour ago, Cryingdick said:

Doesn't need one as we will never put boots on the ground. And again a comment not pertinent to the topic at hand. 

The US already has vulnerable boots on the ground. In a place called Iraq. Heard of it? Judging by your prediction about how a conflict with Iran would go, I doubt it.

[sammieuk1]

Blowing up 3rd party tankers pipelines and shooting down drones is very diplomatic though ????

[bristolboy]

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

With the Iranian rial in the crapper, huge unemployment and  deppining inflation the Iranian people will at some point buckle under pressure and will demand change in leadership, however, the Iranian being crafty and cunning people who invented the Chess game, must understand that Trump will not yield unless they will come to the negotiating table, and even where Iran thinks that they're 100% on the right side, they should still come to talk and listen and maybe give in a little and by doing so, gain a lot...

Trump won't yield? You mean like when he decided not to launch an airstrike in retalition for the drone attack? Not only that, he actually praised Iran for attacking the drone instead of planeful of Americans. Maybe Hallmark will be so inspired by Trumps backtrack, that they will launch a new line of greeting cards. Something like this:

 

To Our Angry Crazy Neighbor. Thank you so much for putting bullet holes in our car instead of in us. 

????????????????????????

[bristolboy]

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

With the Iranian rial in the crapper, huge unemployment and  deppining inflation the Iranian people will at some point buckle under pressure and will demand change in leadership, however, the Iranian being crafty and cunning people who invented the Chess game, must understand that Trump will not yield unless they will come to the negotiating table, and even where Iran thinks that they're 100% on the right side, they should still come to talk and listen and maybe give in a little and by doing so, gain a lot...

As for the negotiating table...really? With Iran policy under the management of Pompeo and or Bolton. You know, Iran has other options. Like threatening to sink the reelection chances of Trump.

[Rimmer]

Troll posts and replies have been removed

[soalbundy]

That isn't much of a threat, the USA never did do diplomacy, it's my way or the highway.

[Ozman52]

9 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

threatening to sink the reelection chances of Trump.

similar to torpedoing a sinking ship?

[ezzra]

35 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

Trump won't yield? You mean like when he decided not to launch an airstrike in retalition for the drone attack? Not only that, he actually praised Iran for attacking the drone instead of planeful of Americans. Maybe Hallmark will be so inspired by Trumps backtrack, that they will launch a new line of greeting cards. Something like this:

 

To Our Angry Crazy Neighbor. Thank you so much for putting bullet holes in our car instead of in us. 

????????????????????????

The best thing about Trump is, that even Trump doesn't know what Trump will do next and this is driving the Iranians mad, they can't figure the flucker out and what he will do next, he contradict himself left right and center, however, one one thing he's not wavering on and is that Iran WILL NOT HAVE a nuclear weapons, Period...

[bristolboy]

2 hours ago, Ozman52 said:

similar to torpedoing a sinking ship?

1 stone, 2 birds.