Iran ponders nuclear flexibility to fill its empty coffers

Debka 10-Nov-13

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Javad Zarif asked Sunday, Nov. 10 for an urgent meeting with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the day after France aborted a nuclear accord at the Geneva conference with the six powers, debkafile’s exclusive sources report. They want to warn him that unless Iran shows flexibility on Western demands regarding its 20-percent enriched uranium stocks and the Arak heavy water reactor, negotiations with the powers will remain stalled. Sanctions relief is urgent because the government is running out of money for current needs.

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November 11, 2013 Briefs

   US slams new Israeli settlement construction planning

   "We are deeply concerned by this latest report” that Israel is planning 20,000 settler homes in the West Bank, said State Department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki Tuesday. The decision by Housing Minister Uri Ariel to issue tenders for long-term planning was partly suspended by Prime Binyamin Netanyahu, who put on ice the small undeveloped West Bank area of E1, long under dispute with Washington.

   Britain restores diplomatic ties with Iran

   Their charges d’affaires will take up non-resident posts in the two capitals.

US drive for a deal with Iran tripped up by many feet

11 Nov. Secretary of State John Kerry landed in Dubai Monday, Nov. 11, to try and break up the unique bond between European governments, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf Arab states and Israel which stalled the US-Iranian nuclear deal in Geneva. debkafile: Washington shows no sign of toning down its deal with Iran, although US undersecretary Wendy Sherman and EU’s Catherine Ashton are blamed for damaging the process by opening the draft to amendments by Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zerif, which even Kerry was not ready to sign.

November 12, 2013 Briefs

   FM Lieberman makes US ambassador first appointment

   In his first statement as reinstalled foreign Minister Tuesday, Avigdor Lieberman said: “Our relations with the US are paramount, and without that we can’t maneuver in the present world. Disagreements are natural and always existed, and simply don’t need to be heard the way they are outside.” Lieberman called for calm in the current disagreement with the US, without referring to Iran or the Palestinians. He made a meeting with US ambassador Dan Shapiro his first appointment on his first day in office (after a court cleared him of graft charges).

   Israel: Iran’s nuclear program cost its economy a loss of $170b

   Israeli officials told Western media Tuesday that Iran had invested $40bn in developing its nuclear program and lost another $130bn, according to Israeli estimates, from the international sanctions imposed on its economy.

   Zarif accuses Kerry of spin on Geneva nuclear talks failure

   Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif refuted US Secretary of State John Kerry’s accusation in Abu Dhabi Monday that Iran had walked out of Geneva. He blamed Western divisions for the failure of nuclear talks. "No amount of spinning can change what happened in Geneva Saturday. But it can further erode confidence,” said the Iranian minister.

   Israeli Navy thwarts Gaza arms smuggling by sea

   Since the Egyptian army destroyed hundreds of smuggling tunnels through Sinai to the Gaza Strip, Palestinian terrorist organizations have turned to smuggling weapons in by sea. The IDF reports that every week, the Israeli Navy thwarts several attempts to secrete arms shipments, mostly rockets, to Gaza.