Iran Condemns New US Sanctions Over Missile Test

The UN says Iran must refrain from testing missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads

Iran has denounced new sanctions imposed by the US over its ballistic missile programme.

The sanctions had "no legal or moral legitimacy", a foreign ministry spokesman said.

In October, Iran tested a precision-guided ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead, in defiance of a UN ban.

The US move came after global economic sanctions on Iran were lifted in line with a deal on its nuclear programme.

The new US Treasury sanctions prevent 11 entities and individuals linked to the programme from using the US banking system.

Announcing the measures, Adam J Szubin, US acting under-secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said: "Iran's ballistic missile programme poses a significant threat to regional and global security, and it will continue to be subject to international sanctions."

However, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari said on Monday: "Iran's missile programme has never been designed to be capable of carrying nuclear weapons."

He said: "The US sanctions against Iran's ballistic missile programme... have no legal or moral legitimacy."

Mr Ansari added: "America sells tens of billions of dollars of weaponry each year to countries in the region. These weapons are used in war crimes against Palestinian, Lebanese and most recently Yemeni citizens."Iran has denounced new sanctions imposed by the US over its ballistic missile programme.

The sanctions had "no legal or moral legitimacy", a foreign ministry spokesman said.

In October, Iran tested a precision-guided ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead, in defiance of a UN ban.

The US move came after global economic sanctions on Iran were lifted in line with a deal on its nuclear programme.

The new US Treasury sanctions prevent 11 entities and individuals linked to the programme from using the US banking system.

Announcing the measures, Adam J Szubin, US acting under-secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said: "Iran's ballistic missile programme poses a significant threat to regional and global security, and it will continue to be subject to international sanctions."

However, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari said on Monday: "Iran's missile programme has never been designed to be capable of carrying nuclear weapons."

He said: "The US sanctions against Iran's ballistic missile programme... have no legal or moral legitimacy."

Mr Ansari added: "America sells tens of billions of dollars of weaponry each year to countries in the region. These weapons are used in war crimes against Palestinian, Lebanese and most recently Yemeni citizens."

The US had threatened to impose the missile test sanctions earlier but US sources said they were delayed as Washington did not want to undermine the nuclear deal negotiations - particularly over the prisoner swap.

The sanctions were announced only after a plane carrying the released prisoners had left Iran.

President Barack Obama hailed the nuclear deal as "smart".

"Once again, we're seeing what's possible with international diplomacy," he said.

But he said the US would "remain steadfast in opposing Iran's destabilising behaviour elsewhere" - such as its missile tests.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday of the new sanctions: "Any action will be met by a reaction."

Lifting the nuclear sanctions

Nuclear sanctions have been in place since 2006, on top of other sanctions stretching back decades:

• The economic sanctions being lifted now were imposed progressively by the US, EU and UN in response to Iran's nuclear programme
• The EU is lifting restrictions on trade, shipping and insurance in full
• The US is suspending, not terminating, its nuclear-related sanctions; crucially, Iran can now reconnect to the global banking system
• The UN is lifting sanctions related to defence and nuclear technology sales, as well as an asset freeze on key individuals and companies
• Non-nuclear US economic sanctions remain in place, notably the ban on US citizens and companies trading with Iran, and US and EU sanctions on Iranians accused of sponsoring terrorism remain in place

A flurry of Iranian economic activity is anticipated:

• Nearly $100bn (£70bn) of Iranian assets are being unlocked
• Iran is expected to increase its daily export of 1.1m barrels of crude oil by 500,000 shortly, and a further 500,000 thereafter
• Iran is reportedly poised to buy 114 new passenger planes from the Airbus consortium

What it means for Iran's economy and world markets

The new US missile-related sanctions target:

• A trading network the US says was "involved in procuring goods for Iran's ballistic missile programme" and used "front companies in third countries to deceive foreign suppliers"
• Five Iranian individuals "who have worked to procure ballistic missile components"

Source:BBC

Iran: US imposes new sanctions over missile test

New sanctions over Iran's ballistic missile programme - here, celebrated on a military truck during a parade in Tehran last year - come a day after international nuclear sanctions were lifted

The US has imposed fresh sanctions on Iranian companies and individuals over a recent ballistic missile test.

The new sanctions prevent 11 entities and individuals linked to the missile programme from using the US banking system.

The move came after international nuclear sanctions on Iran were lifted as part of a deal hailed by President Barack Obama on Sunday as "smart".

Four American-Iranians were also freed in a prisoner swap as part of the deal.

Among them was Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian - whom President Obama described as "courageous". A fifth American was freed separately.

Rezaian and two of the others freed arrived in Geneva from where they were travelling to a US base in Germany.

The US said it had offered clemency to seven Iranians being held in the US for sanctions violations.

Negotiations over the prisoner exchange delayed the US Treasury's imposition of the latest sanctions - originally intended to be announced in December.

'Significant threat'

They were triggered by Iran conducting a precision-guided ballistic missile test capable of delivering a nuclear warhead last October, violating a United Nations ban.

"Iran's ballistic missile programme poses a significant threat to regional and global security, and it will continue to be subject to international sanctions," said Adam J Szubin, US acting under-secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.

Moments later, President Obama hailed the nuclear deal, which is being implemented following verification by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that Iran had restricted its sensitive nuclear activities.

"This is a good day because once again we're seeing what's possible with international diplomacy," Mr Obama said.

"For decades," he said, "our differences meant our governments almost never spoke - ultimately, that did not advance America's interests."

And he defended a separate settlement at an international legal tribunal which will see the US repay Iran $400m (£280m) in funds frozen since 1981 plus a further $1.3bn in interest - saying there was no point "dragging this out".

Earlier, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the nuclear deal opened a "new chapter" in the country's relations with the world.

The deal has been welcomed by many governments, the UN and EU - but disparaged by some US Republicans and Israel, which says it allows Iran to continue to "spread terror".

Source: BBC

Iran nuclear deal: 'New chapter' for Tehran as sanctions end

US suspicion of Iran goes back decades

Iran "has opened a new chapter" in its ties with the world, President Hassan Rouhani said, hours after international nuclear sanctions were lifted.

The move came after the international nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, said Iran had complied with a deal designed to prevent it developing nuclear weapons.

Most Western governments hailed the move but Israel accused Tehran of still seeking to build a nuclear bomb.

Four dual US-Iran nationals were released from jail by Iran on Saturday.

They include Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, who was arrested in 2014 and jailed in November for espionage.

Early reports said all four had left the country.

However unnamed US officials later said that one of the four, Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari, was not on the plane headed for Switzerland.

A fifth American, Matthew Trevithick, has also been released separately.

The US offered clemency to seven Iranians being held in the US for sanctions violation.

Sanctions on Iran

Nuclear sanctions have been in place since 2006, on top of other sanctions stretching back decades:

• The economic sanctions being lifted now were imposed progressively by the US, EU and UN in response to Iran's nuclear programme.

• The EU is lifting in full restrictions on trade, shipping and insurance.

• The US is suspending, not terminating, its nuclear-related sanctions; crucially, Iran can now reconnect to the global banking system.

• The UN is lifting sanctions related to defence and nuclear technology sales, as well as an asset freeze on key individuals and companies

Non-nuclear US economic sanctions remain in place, notably the ban on US citizens and companies trading with Iran, and US and EU sanctions on Iranians accused of sponsoring terrorism remain in place.

A flurry of Iranian economic activity is anticipated:

• Nearly $100bn (£70bn) of Iranian assets are being unlocked

• Iran is expected to increase its daily export of 1.1m barrels of crude oil by 500,000 shortly, and a further 500,000 thereafter

• Iran is reportedly poised to buy 114 new passenger planes from the Airbus consortium

What it means for Iran's economy and world markets

UN, US and EU sanctions have hit Iran hard for years.

Mr Rouhani said everyone was happy with the deal, apart from those he described as warmongers in the region - Israel and hardliners in the US Congress.

"We Iranians have reached out to the world in a sign of friendliness, and leaving behind the enmities, suspicions and plots, have opened a new chapter in the relations of Iran with the world," he said in a statement to the nation on Sunday morning.

The lifting of sanctions was "a turning point" for Iran's economy, he added, saying the country needed to be less reliant on oil revenues.

The prospect of Iran doubling its crude oil exports has contributed to the continuing fall in the oil price. Benchmark Brent crude closed below $29 (£20.3) on Friday.

Share prices in Saudi Arabia, the Arab world's largest stock market, fell more than 6% following the lifting of sanctions. Markets Qatar and Dubai also opened down 6% on Sunday.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said Iran's compliance and the lifting of sanctions would contribute to improved regional and international peace and security.

However US Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan said the Obama administration had moved to lift economic sanctions "on the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism".

And Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "Without an appropriate reaction to every violation, Iran will realise it can continue to develop nuclear weapons, destabilise the region and spread terror."

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says lifting of sanctions is a victory for Iranian nation. It is one for him too.

Mr Rouhani had pledged to strike a deal ending the nuclear standoff. He just delivered his biggest promise. This will boost his allies in parliamentary elections next month.

But hardliners will not sit and watch. They call the shots in domestic, security and cultural areas. There is always danger of a backlash unless Mr Rouhani's faction shares the post-sanctions financial benefits with them.

Expectations are high, and managing them will be a difficult job. The impact of lifting of sanctions in livelihoods of many Iranian will not come overnight. Rouhani now says will focus on boosting foreign direct investment and Iran's non-oil exports. Easier said than done.

Yukiya Amano, the head of the IAEA, will visit Tehran on Sunday for talks on how to continue monitoring Iran's nuclear programme.

The IAEA said it had installed a device at the Natanz plant to monitor Iran's uranium enrichment activities in real time, in order to verify that uranium enrichment levels were kept at up to 3.67% as agreed in the deal with world powers.

As part of the deal, Iran had to drastically reduce its number of centrifuges and dismantle a heavy-water reactor near the town of Arak, both of which could be used in creating nuclear weapons.

Iran has always maintained its nuclear programme is peaceful, but opponents of the deal - such as some US Republicans - say it does not do enough to ensure the country cannot develop a nuclear bomb.

Source: BBC

UN condemns attack on Saudi embassy in Iran

Protests against the execution of Nimr al-Nimr have continued in Tehran

The UN Security Council has strongly condemned an attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran by protesters angered by the execution of a Shia cleric.

The statement made no mention of the execution of the cleric, Nimr al-Nimr.

Saudi Arabia broke off diplomatic ties with Iran on Sunday after its embassy was ransacked and set alight.

On Monday, Turkey's Deputy PM Numan Kurtulmus urged both countries to calm the row, saying the Middle East was "already a powder keg".

Great rivalry explained: Why don't Iran and Saudi Arabia get along?

Spiralling tensions: Why crisis is 'most dangerous for decades'

How row is playing out: Iran and Saudi media reaction

Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr: Who was leading Saudi Shia cleric?

The UN Security Council, in response to a Saudi letter, condemned the attack on the embassy in Tehran and another attack on a Saudi consulate in the Iranian city of Mashhad.

The council called on Iranian authorities "to protect diplomatic and consular property and personnel, and to respect fully their international obligations in this regard".

It urged both sides to "maintain dialogue and take steps to reduce tensions in the region".

However, it made no reference to Saudi Arabia's execution on Saturday of Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr and 46 others after they were convicted of terror-related offences.

Sunni-Shia divide

• The split arises from a dispute soon after the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 over who should lead the Muslim community
• Sunnis are estimated to make up between 85% and 90% of Muslims
• Though the two branches have co-existed for centuries and share many fundamental beliefs and practices, differences lie in the fields of doctrine, ritual, law, theology and religious organisation

Sunnis and Shia: Islam's ancient schism

Speaking in New York, Saudi UN ambassador Abdallah al-Mouallimi said the dispute between the two countries could be resolved if Iran stopped "interfering in the affairs of other countries, including our own".

Riyadh has previously accused Iran of interfering in Arab affairs.

Saudi Arabia and Iran are respectively the key Sunni Muslim and Shia powers in the region and back opposing sides in Syria and Yemen.

Turkish riot police protected the Saudi consulate from Shia Muslim protesters in Istanbul

Mr Mouallimi said peace efforts in those countries should not be affected by the spat but criticised Iran's contribution to the process.

"The Iranians even before the break of diplomatic relations have not been very supportive, not very positive in these peace efforts," he said.

"They have been taking provocative and negative positions... and I don't think the break in relations is going to dissuade them from such behaviour."

Saudi Arabia had earlier criticised UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon who had spoken of his "dismay" at the executions. Mr Mouallimi described Mr Ban's comments as "misinformed".

Following the attacks on the missions, Saudi authorities announced late on Sunday that they were severing diplomatic relations with Iran. They said that all commercial and air traffic links were being cut and that Saudi citizens were banned from travelling to Iran.

On Monday, some of Riyadh's allies joined diplomatic action against Iran.

Bahrain and Sudan severed relations with Iran and the UAE has downgraded its diplomatic team.

There have been violent protests in Shia areas of Bahrain

Bahrain, which is ruled by a Sunni monarchy but has a majority Shia population, gave Iranian diplomats 48 hours to leave the country.

The Sudanese foreign ministry said its action was on response to "the barbaric attacks on the Saudi Arabian embassy in Tehran and its consulate in Mashhad".

Mr Kurtulmus criticised the attacks on the Saudi missions but also Saudi Arabia's execution of Nimr al-Nimr.

He called on Iran to protect all diplomatic missions and said that Turkey was against "all instances of capital punishment especially when it is politically motivated".

"For us it is not possible to support capital punishment by any country," he was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency.

"We want both countries to immediately move away from the situation of tension that will obviously only add to the already severe tensions existing in the Middle East. The region is already a powder keg. Enough is enough. We need peace in the region."

On Monday, a White House spokesman also called on both countries to "show some restraint and to not further inflame tensions that are on quite vivid display in the region".

But Iran's foreign ministry accused the Saudis of "continuing the policy of increasing tension and clashes in the region".

The row also affected global markets, sending oil and gold prices higher on Monday.

Source:BBC

Saudi Arabia's allies Bahrain, Sudan and UAE act against Iran

A number of Saudi Arabia's allies have joined diplomatic action against Iran after the Saudi embassy in Tehran was attacked amid a row over the execution of a Shia Muslim cleric.

Bahrain and Sudan have both severed relations with Iran, and the UAE has downgraded its diplomatic team.

Saudi Arabia on Sunday severed ties and gave Iran's diplomats two days to go.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said trade links with Iran would be cut and air traffic links stopped.

But in an interview with Reuters news agency, Mr al-Jubeir also said Iranian pilgrims travelling to holy sites in Mecca and Medina would still be allowed to enter.

Saudi Arabia and Iran are respectively the key Sunni and Shia powers in the region and back opposing sides in Syria and Yemen.

On Monday, a White House spokesman called on both countries to "show some restraint and to not further inflame tensions that are on quite vivid display in the region".

Great rivalry explained: Why don't Iran and Saudi Arabia get along?

Spiralling tensions: Why crisis is 'most dangerous for decades'

How row is playing out: Iran and Saudi media reaction

Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr: Who was leading Saudi Shia cleric?

Saudi Arabia and Iran - key figures

Population: Iran 81.8m; Saudi Arabia 27.7m

GDP: Iran $416.5bn; Saudi Arabia $746.2bn

Export trade/year: Iran - Saudi Arabia $111m; Saudi Arabia - Iran $79.4m

Active army size: Iran 545,000; Saudi Arabia 233,500

Defence spending: Iran $6.3bn; Saudi Arabia $56bn

(Sources: CIA country guide, World Bank, the OEC, Global Firepower. Figures are for latest available year)

Bahrain, which is ruled by a Sunni monarchy but has a majority Shia population, on Monday gave Iranian diplomats 48 hours to leave the country.

It accused Iran of "increasing, flagrant and dangerous meddling" in the internal affairs of Gulf and Arab states.

It said the attack on the Saudi embassy was part of a "very dangerous pattern of sectarian policies that should be confronted... to preserve security and stability in the entire region".

Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy's 5th Fleet, has frequently accused Iran of fomenting unrest in the country since 2011 - a charge Tehran denies.

After demonstrations over the weekend, further protests were held by the Shia Muslim community in Bahrain on Monday.

A Sudan foreign ministry statement read: "In response to the barbaric attacks on the Saudi Arabian embassy in Tehran and its consulate in Mashhad... Sudan announces the immediate severing of ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran."

Sunni-Shia divide

• The split arises from a dispute soon after the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 over who should lead the Muslim community

• Sunnis are estimated to make up between 85% and 90% of Muslims

• Though the two branches have co-existed for centuries and share many fundamental beliefs and practices, differences lie in the fields of doctrine, ritual, law, theology and religious organisation

Sunnis and Shia: Islam's ancient schism

The United Arab Emirates is downgrading its diplomatic representation in Tehran, including a recall of its ambassador, but has said it will continue trade links.

There are fears sectarian strife may spread in the region following the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr and 46 others in Saudi Arabia on Saturday after they were convicted of terror-related offences.

On Monday, two Sunni mosques in Iraq were bombed and the Sunni imam of another killed.

Saudi Arabia announced late on Sunday that it was severing diplomatic relations with Iran after demonstrators stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran. Protesters set the building on fire before being driven away by police.

Iran's foreign ministry on Monday accused the Saudis of "continuing the policy of increasing tension and clashes in the region".

Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari said: "Saudi Arabia sees not only its interests but also its existence in pursuing crises and confrontations and attempts to resolve its internal problems by exporting them to the outside."

He defended Iran's response to the embassy attack, saying it had "acted in accordance with its obligations to control the broad wave of popular emotion". Fifty arrests were made.

Source: BBC

Saudi Arabia breaks off ties with Iran after al-Nimr execution

Iranian protesters set fire to the Saudi embassy in Tehran on Sunday

Saudi Arabia says it has broken off diplomatic ties with Iran, amid a row over the Saudi execution of a prominent Shia Muslim cleric.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir was speaking after demonstrators had stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran.

Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr and 46 others were executed on Saturday after being convicted of terror-related offences.

Mr Jubeir said that all Iranian diplomats must leave Saudi Arabia within 48 hours.

Saudi Arabia was recalling its diplomats from Tehran, he said.

Mr Jubeir said Saudi Arabia would not let Iran undermine its security, accusing it of having "distributed weapons and planted terrorist cells in the region".

"Iran's history is full of negative interference and hostility in Arab issues, and it is always accompanied by destruction," he told a news conference.

US state department spokesman John Kirby said: "We will continue to urge leaders across the region to take affirmative steps to calm tensions".

"We believe that diplomatic engagement and direct conversations remain essential," he said.

Earlier, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that the Sunni Muslim kingdom would face "divine revenge" for the execution - an act which also angered Shia Muslims elsewhere in the Middle East.

Ayatollah Khamenei called Sheikh Nimr a "martyr" who had acted peacefully.

Protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran late on Saturday, setting fire to the building before being driven back by police. The Saudi foreign ministry said none of its diplomats had been harmed in the incident.

Iran is Saudi Arabia's main regional rival - they back opposing sides in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen.

Relations between the countries have been strained over various issues in recent decades, including Iran's nuclear programme and deaths of Iranians at the Hajj pilgrimage in 1987 and again in 2015.

Source: BBC