UN Ambassador Nabenzya Sez Disengagement of Forces in Southwest Syria to Take Place Shortly

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On Friday, Ambassador to the UN V A Nebenzya noted the existence of an agreement on disengagement of forces in southwestern Syria and stated that’d come into effect shortly in comments on reports concerning an agreement regarding the pullout of Iranian forces from southern Syria. He said:

I heard the news that was in the press and elsewhere about an agreement reached on disengagement in southwestern Syria and I think my understanding is that an agreement was reached, whether it’s been implemented as of now I can’t answer, but I understand that the parties involved in reaching the agreement are satisfied with what they reached. If it hasn’t been done by now, it’ll be done in the near future.

On 31 May, Israeli ambassador in Moscow Gary Koren told us that the Israeli government was satisfied with Russia’s position on the Iranian military presence on the Syrian-Israeli border. He said Israel and Russia held intense discussions regarding Iranian deployments in Syria, which he believes are aimed at Israel. Earlier, Minister of Foreign Affairs S V Lavrov said:

Only Syrian troops should remain at the Syrian-Israeli border. The agreements reached in 2017 envisioned a pullout of all the foreign troops from that zone of de-escalation.

In the meantime, earlier this week, Syrian President Assad told RT there had never been any “Iranian troops” in Syria.

2 June 2018

TASS

http://tass.com/politics/1007683

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Macron Emphasises “We Must Follow” All Inked Agreements… Even Iran Deal

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On Friday, during a plenary session of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), French President Emmanuel Macron stated that all parties must honour signed accords, including the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on the Iranian nuclear programme:

I want us to respect each other so that there won’t be any kind of interference. If we sign an agreement, we need to stick to it, no matter who chooses to leave. What we sign, we must follow. We must fight for sovereignty to remain an inalienable right. I’m committed to the sovereignty of France and the choice it made when it signed a nuclear agreement with Iran. It was our choice. Today, we need to develop a multilateral approach to international issues. It includes sovereignty. We can’t trust each other if we don’t respect ourselves, and I think that we need to fight for all to respect sovereignty in this sphere. Sovereignty serves as a necessary base for cyberspace, data protection, and sovereign debates. There needs to be strong sovereignty for us to implement all global rules.

In 2015, Iran and six major powers (Russia, the USA, France, the UK, China, and Germany) agreed on a final Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which particularly stipulated the removal of sanctions imposed on Tehran. In turn, Iran would limit its nuclear programme and submit it to international supervision. On 8 May, Trump announced that Washington was pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal. He said that the USA would restore previous sanctions against Iran and introduce new ones in case Tehran attempted to pursue its nuclear ambitions. In the wake of Trump’s decision, the leaders of the UK, Germany, and France called on other participants of the deal to continue their commitments to it. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that Tehran wouldn’t abandon the JCPOA and would continue to comply with its obligations, as long as the agreement takes into account Iran’s interests. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed disappointment in Trump’s decision and called it a front for the USA to settle its political scores with Iran.

25 May 2018

TASS

http://tass.com/world/1006600

26 May 2018. Trump Lies About American Military “Power”

Russian and Chinese troops at a joint exercise… the USA is overmatched and outgunned… why does Trump boast so?

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Ode to the Motherland (English subs)

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March of the Volunteers (English subs)

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Trump boasted about American military “power”. That’s a lie, especially, in the Korean context. The PRC backs the DPRK… the PRC has the largest army in the world, over three times the size of the US ground forces (USMC and US Army combined). In 1950, the Chinese Peoples Volunteers whipped the racist Anglos and their ROK accomplices. China accepted the human cost involved in fighting an opponent with more firepower then they had. However, China had better infantry, skilled in infiltration and night attacks, with the motivation of defending the motherland (the DPRK IS next-door to the PRC). Today, the Chinese troops are as skilled and motivated as their grandfathers were, and they’re far better equipped than the 1950 force that kicked the shit out of the Americans. China would deploy a modern mechanised force to repel an American invasion of the DPRK. That is, the Yanks would be on the receiving end of artillery, MRLs, and airstrikes… all of which they haven’t had to deal with in their dirty little imperial wars.

The USA is overextended and has no forces to spare, yet, Trump issues bombastic threats. Trust me, it doesn’t impress Xi, Putin, or Rouhani. The danger is that Trump could order a military action in an attempt to rescue Republican chances in November. There’s nothing in the cupboard… nothing but some understrength and not fully equipped reserve forces that really aren’t ready for the big time. Imperial adventures bog down US forces in Afghanistan and the Middle East, with further troops tied down in Europe… along with penny-packets scattered in Africa and Latin America. Trump can’t withdraw anything and he’s stuck like a fly in a spider web. Russia and Iran are peer forces, which means that the USA has to keep its troops in Europe and the Middle East at current levels. Trump has no conventional forces to apply.  That makes the danger of Trump using nukes too high for comfort. God willing, Mattis and the generals will keep Pompeo, Haspel, and Bolton in check (the generals aren’t as anywhere near as hot for war as the political figures are). If not, we’re in the deep kimchi and no one knows how that’d end. We’re all stuck on the rollercoaster and a smirking and impulsive juvenile has the controls.

BMD

EU Slams Pompeo’s Iran Strategy: It Won’t Make Region Safer From Nuclear Threat

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US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s promise to slap the “strongest sanctions in history” on Tehran after Washington’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal prompted an outcry from European officials. EU foreign policy Chief Federica Mogherini, commenting on the possible unprecedented sanctions against Iran pledged by Pompeo, warned:

There’s no alternative to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Secretary Pompeo’s speech hasn’t demonstrated how walking away from the JCPOA made or will make the region safer from the threat of nuclear proliferation or how it puts us in a better position to influence Iran’s conduct in areas outside the scope of JCPOA. The Iran nuclear deal is the result of more than a decade of complex and delicate negotiations; it’s the best possible outcome, striking the right balance. This deal belongs to the international community, endorsed by the UN Security Council. The international community expects all sides to keep the commitments they made more than two years ago. Iran’s adheres to the JCPOA; the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed ten times that Iran delivered on all its nuclear-related commitments.

Just hours before Pompeo’s speech on Iran, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson declared:

Washington’s plan to tighten the screws against the Islamic Republic won’t work. If you try now to fold all those issues… the ballistic missiles, Iran’s misbehaviour, Iran’s disruptive activity in the region and the nuclear question… if you try to fold all those into a giant negotiation, I don’t see that being very easy to achieve, in anything like a reasonable timetable. After Washington’s exit from the Iran nuclear deal, the prospect of a new jumbo Iran treaty is going to be very, very difficult. I’m not totally pessimistic about the situation. In the end, there’s a deal to be done that gives Iran greater economic access to the West but also constrains it. I think, in the end, we’ll get back to the kind of additions to the JCPOA that we initially envisaged, but it may take a long time.

For his part, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said:

Berlin took into account the US position. It didn’t come as a surprise. During my visit to Washington later this week, I’ll meet with Pompeo to discuss the issue. The situation hasn’t changed for us. During its summit in Sofia, the EU gave a unified signal that we want to keep the Iran nuclear deal. Without this agreement, we could run the risk that Iran could restart a nuclear programme.

In turn, the Iranian Foreign Ministry used stern language to comment on Pompeo’s speech:

Iran rejects the allegations and lies in this so-called new strategy; it condemns the US Secretary of State’s open interference in its internal affairs and its unlawful threats against a UN member state. Pompeo’s remarks are a naïve attempt to divert the international community’s attention away from Washington’s violation of the JCPOA. The US government will be responsible for the consequences of any persecution as well as unlawful and violent actions against the Iranian nation. The insignificant, insulting, and secondary remarks of the new US Secretary of State and his unacceptable attitude to the great and civilised Iranian nation testify to the US government officials’ despair and helpless stance on the Iranians.

In his speech “After the Deal: A New Iran Strategy” at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, Pompeo pledged:

The USA will apply unprecedented financial pressure on Tehran via sanctions. The sting of sanctions won’t ease until Iran changes its course. The new sanctions will be the strongest in history and will make Tehran battle to keep its economy alive. The USA would hold any entity conducting business with Tehran to account; we hope that US allies beyond Europe will support the new anti-Iranian sanctions.

In early May, President Donald Trump announced the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, in a move that sparked a cold snap in Washington’s ties with its European allies and co-signatories to the deal, including the EU, Germany, France, the UK, Iran, Russia, and China.

22 May 2018

Sputnik International

https://sputniknews.com/world/201805221064672753-pompeo-iran-sanctions-mogherini

Editor:

The USA is sounding desperate. It doesn’t have the ground forces to attack Iran… neither can it count on any from its allies, especially not from the KSA and Israel, which are its only local allies with any substantive ground forces (and they don’t match the Iranian ground forces in size). Naval force is irrelevant, as carriers couldn’t operate in the Persian Gulf and Iran could trade via land links to China and Russia. Air forces would face a robust air-defence system. Therefore, the only card left to the peevish Anglo toddlers is the nuclear option. With the adolescent Trump in charge, we’re in the deep kimchi, indeed. The only saving grace in this is that Hillary would’ve already used nukes on Iran… God alone knows what that would’ve led to.

The world holds its breath and waits…

BMD