A planned China and Russia-led show of support for Iran at next month's Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit is likely to be primarily symbolic unless the group opts to honour the Islamic republic's bid to be upgraded from observer to full member.

Yet, even a symbolic SCO gesture at its June 9-10 gathering in the Chinese city of Qingdao that would denounce the US withdrawal from the 2015 international nuclear agreement with Iran and imposition of harsh sanctions could prove tricky.

The meeting is expected to be attended by the presidents of China, Russia, Iran, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. It will come a day after the leaders of G-7 that groups the United States, the European Union, Japan, Canada, Britain, France and Germany are unlikely to find common ground on Iran at their summit in Quebec.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will presumably not look kindly at solidarity at a time that the underlying motto of US and Saudi policy towards Iran appears to be isolation and regime change.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE moreover fear that membership in the SCO, which groups four Central Asian nations as well as Pakistan and India alongside China and Russia, would grant Iran a veto over their potential association with the grouping. With Israel and others interested in joining the SCO, that may be the reason why the group has so far dragged its feet on Iranian membership.

China and Russia, like Europe are signatories of the nuclear agreement, but less concerned than Britain, France and Germany about the threat of US sanctions against their own companies who do business in Iran. At least officially, they have so far not factored in a potential Saudi and UAE response to efforts to defeat the sanctions and salvage the agreement.

As a result, Chinese and Russian state-backed companies are maneuvering to profit from European firms like French oil company Total that are leaving Iran in the belief that the European Union will not be able to shield them from US retaliation.

Swiss lender Banque de Commerce et de Placements (BCP) said on Tuesday that it had suspended new transactions with Iran and was winding down Iran-related activities. Earlier, Germany's second biggest lender, DZ Bank, said it would halt financial transactions with Iran in July.

For its part, India, despite being dependent on energy from the Gulf, has vowed to keep trading with Iran irrespective of the fallout from US sanctions. "India follows only UN sanctions, and not unilateral sanctions by any country," said Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj.

Pakistan could find itself in the most difficult situation given its close political, military and cultural ties to Saudi Arabia and the UAE and its 700-kilometre long border with Iran.

The degree to which SCO members could find themselves between a rock and a hard place will depend on what strategy the United States and Saudi Arabia adopt in possible attempts to change the Iranian regime.

So far, the Trump administration appears to see economic pressure that would fuel already widespread discontent in Iran as its best bet. That could change however if efforts by SCO members as well as Europe succeed in countering US sanctions and salvaging the nuclear deal.

Complicating the debate about how best to confront Iran is the fact that senior aides to President Donald J Trump have close ties to a controversial Iranian exile group, the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK) or Holy Warriors of the People, seeking the overthrow of the government in Tehran that also enjoys Saudi support.

The group, believed to be responsible for the killing of several American military personnel and contractors in Iran in the 1970s, was designated by the US Treasury in 1997 and delisted in 2012, a year after a host of former US and British officials, came out publicly in support of the group.

Many of the officials have attended and addressed MEK rallies, allegedly in exchange for handsome fees and all-expenses paid trip. MEK, which first gained recognition for its opposition to the Shah of Iran, has denied paying for speaking engagements.

Trump's national security advisor John Bolton and Richard Giuliani, one of his top lawyers, were among the speakers.

"The declared policy of the United States of America should be the overthrow of the mullah's regime in Iran. Before 2019, we here will celebrate in Tehran," Bolton told an MEK rally less than a year before his appointment by Trump.

"The regime is evil, and it must go. Free Iran," added Giuliani.

Others who have backed the group include former FBI director Louis Freer, former British home secretary Lord Waddington, former US Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, three former chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, two former directors of the CIA, former commander of NATO Wesley K Clark, two former US ambassadors to the United Nations, former national security advisers Fran Townsend and General James Jones, and 93 members of Congress.

US officials said at the time that the group had been delisted after it had renounced violence and cooperated in closing a paramilitary base in Iraq from where it was operating since declaring its support in 1983 for Iraq in the Iran-Iraq war.

"As far as the MEK is concerned, their guy is in the White House. They're tied in this together. John Bolton is the MEK's guy in the White House," said Joanne Stocker, a journalist who has tracked the group for almost a decade.

The group also has the backing of Saudi Arabia, which has developed plans and invested in building blocks for potential covert operations to destabilise Iran.

A Syrian opposition news website reported this week that Saudi Arabia was funding and providing logistical support to the US-backed Democratic Union Party (PYD), a battle-hardened Syrian Kurdish group that has proven its mettle in fighting the Islamic State.

The public face of the kingdom's backing of the MEK is former Saudi intelligence chief and ex-ambassador to Britain and the United States, Prince Turki al-Faisal.

"Your legitimate struggle against the (Iranian) regime will achieve its goal, sooner or later. I, too, want the fall of the regime," Prince Turki, echoing the statements by Messrs. Bolton and Giuliani, told an MEK rally in Paris in 2017.

One-time MEK National Liberation Army commander and security chief, Massoud Khodabandeh, who turned against the group in the second half of the 1990s, says that "I personally have brought money and gold from Saudi Arabia to Iraq for the Mujahedeen... It was three trucks of gold... I would say about a ton each."

A 2012 report by the Library of Congress identified Khodabandeh and his wife as Iranian intelligence agents. The report said the couple had agreed to cooperate with the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security after it threatened to kill Khodabandeh's brother and confiscate extensive real estate holdings in Tehran owned by his mother.

More recently, MSNBC reported that Gulf states had funded construction of an MEK military base in Albania.

The MEK has denied receiving any foreign assistance, insisting that it is wholly funded by members and supporters.

The MEK is widely believed to have been responsible for a series of bombings in Iran in the immediate aftermath of the 1979 toppling of the Shah that killed scores of post-revolution leaders.

Dutch media reports suggested last week that an Iranian exile killed in Amsterdam in 2015 was an MEK operative who had been sentenced to death in Iran for bombing a gathering of officials in Teheran in 1981.

Seventy-three people were killed in the attack, including Ayatollah Mohammed Beheshti, the second most powerful cleric at the time after Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, as well as four ministers and numbers of members of parliament.

It's unclear what degree of support the MEK enjoys in Iran today with many analysts convinced that the group lost sympathy when it sided with Iraq against Iran. Groups associated with the MEK have claimed credit for protests in recent years in the oil-rich province of Khuzestan, that has a significant ethnic Arab population. Iranian Arab activists deny the groups' assertions.

Saudi backing of groups like the MEK and PYD as well as ultra-conservative, anti-Shiite, anti-Iranian forces in the troubled Pakistani province of Balochistan that borders on Iran could potentially pose a serious problem for the leaders of the SCO.

Heightened tension in Balochistan could threaten China's $50 billion plus infrastructure and energy investment in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a crown jewel of China's Belt and Road initiative.

So far, China is in good company with much of the international community opposed to abrogation of the Iranian nuclear agreement and, at least in word, determined to defeat US efforts to bring Iran to its knees with sanctions.

Yet, like many in the international community with Europe in the lead, China may find that putting its money where its mouth is could prove in the final analysis problematic.

Similarly, Russia has much at stake after having forged close cooperation with Saudi Arabia in managing world oil prices while attempting to ensure that Iran’s presence in Syria does not escalate into a war with Israel.

If Europe's Achilles Heel is obstacles to putting credible mechanisms in place to protect its companies against US sanctions, China's weak spot is its ruthless campaign to tame Islam in China, particularly among Uighurs in the strategic northwest province of Xinjiang.

So far, it has been able to do so with little international response because Saudi Arabia and other Islamic states have looked the other way. The question is whether an effective Chinese countering of US sanctions that would significantly weaken the impact on Iran may prompt Saudi Arabia and others to revisit the issue.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

For its part, India, despite being dependent on energy from the Gulf, has vowed to keep trading with Iran irrespective of the fallout from US sanctions.

A planned China and Russia-led show of support for Iran at next month's Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit is likely to be primarily symbolic unless the group opts to honour the Islamic republic's bid to be upgraded from observer to full member. Yet, even a symbolic SCO gesture at its June 9-10 gathering in the Chinese city of Qingdao that would denounce the US withdrawal from the 2015 international nuclear agreement with Iran and imposition of harsh sanctions could prove tricky. The meeting is expected to be attended by the presidents of China, Russia, Iran, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. It will come a day after the leaders of G-7 that groups the United States, the European Union, Japan, Canada, Britain, France and Germany are unlikely to find common ground on Iran at their summit in Quebec. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will presumably not look kindly at solidarity at a time that the underlying motto of US and Saudi policy towards Iran appears to be isolation and regime change. Saudi Arabia and the UAE moreover fear that membership in the SCO, which groups four Central Asian nations as well as Pakistan and India alongside China and Russia, would grant Iran a veto over their potential association with the grouping. With Israel and others interested in joining the SCO, that may be the reason why the group has so far dragged its feet on Iranian membership. China and Russia, like Europe are signatories of the nuclear agreement, but less concerned than Britain, France and Germany about the threat of US sanctions against their own companies who do business in Iran. At least officially, they have so far not factored in a potential Saudi and UAE response to efforts to defeat the sanctions and salvage the agreement. As a result, Chinese and Russian state-backed companies are maneuvering to profit from European firms like French oil company Total that are leaving Iran in the belief that the European Union will not be able to shield them from US retaliation. Swiss lender Banque de Commerce et de Placements (BCP) said on Tuesday that it had suspended new transactions with Iran and was winding down Iran-related activities. Earlier, Germany's second biggest lender, DZ Bank, said it would halt financial transactions with Iran in July. For its part, India, despite being dependent on energy from the Gulf, has vowed to keep trading with Iran irrespective of the fallout from US sanctions. "India follows only UN sanctions, and not unilateral sanctions by any country," said Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj. Pakistan could find itself in the most difficult situation given its close political, military and cultural ties to Saudi Arabia and the UAE and its 700-kilometre long border with Iran. The degree to which SCO members could find themselves between a rock and a hard place will depend on what strategy the United States and Saudi Arabia adopt in possible attempts to change the Iranian regime. So far, the Trump administration appears to see economic pressure that would fuel already widespread discontent in Iran as its best bet. That could change however if efforts by SCO members as well as Europe succeed in countering US sanctions and salvaging the nuclear deal. Complicating the debate about how best to confront Iran is the fact that senior aides to President Donald J Trump have close ties to a controversial Iranian exile group, the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK) or Holy Warriors of the People, seeking the overthrow of the government in Tehran that also enjoys Saudi support. The group, believed to be responsible for the killing of several American military personnel and contractors in Iran in the 1970s, was designated by the US Treasury in 1997 and delisted in 2012, a year after a host of former US and British officials, came out publicly in support of the group. Many of the officials have attended and addressed MEK rallies, allegedly in exchange for handsome fees and all-expenses paid trip. MEK, which first gained recognition for its opposition to the Shah of Iran, has denied paying for speaking engagements. Trump's national security advisor John Bolton and Richard Giuliani, one of his top lawyers, were among the speakers. "The declared policy of the United States of America should be the overthrow of the mullah's regime in Iran. Before 2019, we here will celebrate in Tehran," Bolton told an MEK rally less than a year before his appointment by Trump. "The regime is evil, and it must go. Free Iran," added Giuliani. Others who have backed the group include former FBI director Louis Freer, former British home secretary Lord Waddington, former US Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, three former chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, two former directors of the CIA, former commander of NATO Wesley K Clark, two former US ambassadors to the United Nations, former national security advisers Fran Townsend and General James Jones, and 93 members of Congress. US officials said at the time that the group had been delisted after it had renounced violence and cooperated in closing a paramilitary base in Iraq from where it was operating since declaring its support in 1983 for Iraq in the Iran-Iraq war. "As far as the MEK is concerned, their guy is in the White House. They're tied in this together. John Bolton is the MEK's guy in the White House," said Joanne Stocker, a journalist who has tracked the group for almost a decade. The group also has the backing of Saudi Arabia, which has developed plans and invested in building blocks for potential covert operations to destabilise Iran. A Syrian opposition news website reported this week that Saudi Arabia was funding and providing logistical support to the US-backed Democratic Union Party (PYD), a battle-hardened Syrian Kurdish group that has proven its mettle in fighting the Islamic State. The public face of the kingdom's backing of the MEK is former Saudi intelligence chief and ex-ambassador to Britain and the United States, Prince Turki al-Faisal. "Your legitimate struggle against the (Iranian) regime will achieve its goal, sooner or later. I, too, want the fall of the regime," Prince Turki, echoing the statements by Messrs. Bolton and Giuliani, told an MEK rally in Paris in 2017. One-time MEK National Liberation Army commander and security chief, Massoud Khodabandeh, who turned against the group in the second half of the 1990s, says that "I personally have brought money and gold from Saudi Arabia to Iraq for the Mujahedeen... It was three trucks of gold... I would say about a ton each." A 2012 report by the Library of Congress identified Khodabandeh and his wife as Iranian intelligence agents. The report said the couple had agreed to cooperate with the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security after it threatened to kill Khodabandeh's brother and confiscate extensive real estate holdings in Tehran owned by his mother. More recently, MSNBC reported that Gulf states had funded construction of an MEK military base in Albania. The MEK has denied receiving any foreign assistance, insisting that it is wholly funded by members and supporters. The MEK is widely believed to have been responsible for a series of bombings in Iran in the immediate aftermath of the 1979 toppling of the Shah that killed scores of post-revolution leaders. Dutch media reports suggested last week that an Iranian exile killed in Amsterdam in 2015 was an MEK operative who had been sentenced to death in Iran for bombing a gathering of officials in Teheran in 1981. Seventy-three people were killed in the attack, including Ayatollah Mohammed Beheshti, the second most powerful cleric at the time after Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, as well as four ministers and numbers of members of parliament. It's unclear what degree of support the MEK enjoys in Iran today with many analysts convinced that the group lost sympathy when it sided with Iraq against Iran. Groups associated with the MEK have claimed credit for protests in recent years in the oil-rich province of Khuzestan, that has a significant ethnic Arab population. Iranian Arab activists deny the groups' assertions. Saudi backing of groups like the MEK and PYD as well as ultra-conservative, anti-Shiite, anti-Iranian forces in the troubled Pakistani province of Balochistan that borders on Iran could potentially pose a serious problem for the leaders of the SCO. Heightened tension in Balochistan could threaten China's $50 billion plus infrastructure and energy investment in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a crown jewel of China's Belt and Road initiative. So far, China is in good company with much of the international community opposed to abrogation of the Iranian nuclear agreement and, at least in word, determined to defeat US efforts to bring Iran to its knees with sanctions. Yet, like many in the international community with Europe in the lead, China may find that putting its money where its mouth is could prove in the final analysis problematic. Similarly, Russia has much at stake after having forged close cooperation with Saudi Arabia in managing world oil prices while attempting to ensure that Iran’s presence in Syria does not escalate into a war with Israel. If Europe's Achilles Heel is obstacles to putting credible mechanisms in place to protect its companies against US sanctions, China's weak spot is its ruthless campaign to tame Islam in China, particularly among Uighurs in the strategic northwest province of Xinjiang. So far, it has been able to do so with little international response because Saudi Arabia and other Islamic states have looked the other way. The question is whether an effective Chinese countering of US sanctions that would significantly weaken the impact on Iran may prompt Saudi Arabia and others to revisit the issue. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: How much solidarity with Iran can the China-led SCO afford?

US President Donald Trump said Friday he had reached a deal to keep Chinese telecoms giant ZTE running, rolling back some penalties in exchange for security guarantees -- a move that infuriated Democrats and some in his own party.

The news comes as the US prepares to send a trade delegation back to Beijing next week to continue talks aimed at defusing a potentially serious trade dispute with China after the countries exchanged huge tit-for-tat threats on imports.

In a tweet Friday evening the US president praised his plan while lambasting Democrats as well as the Barack Obama administration, who he said: "let phone company ZTE flourish with no security checks."

"I closed it down then let it reopen with high-level security guarantees, change of management and board, must purchase US&nbspparts and pay a $1.3 Billion fine. Dems do nothing."

In a follow-up tweet, he called the "so-called Trade Deals" struck by Democrats "the laughing stock of the world!"

The New York Times had reported earlier of a deal with China's ZTE that would lift crippling sanctions slapped on the company.

The reported terms of the deal closely match the conditions US President Donald Trump and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross described earlier this week as a means for the firm to escape the export ban that nearly shuttered its operations.

It provoked a harsh reaction among some members of Congress, however, as lawmakers have been critical of the administration for signalling it might ease the pressure on a company that violated US sanctions on Iran and North Korea and repeatedly lied to US officials.

Democrat Nancy Pelosi, the House Minority Leader, slammed Trump's deal as "a staggering betrayal of the American people."

"Trump pledged to fight for Americans, but he's now using US&nbspgovernment resources to enrich ZTE (a foreign company designated a national cybersecurity risk)," Pelosi tweeted.

ZTE was fined $1.2 billion in March 2017, but last month Washington banned the sale of crucial US components to the company after finding it had lied multiple times and failed to take action against employees responsible for sanctions violations.

Under the new deal brokered by the Commerce Department, according to the Times, ZTE would pay a substantial fine, hire American compliance officers to be placed at the firm and make changes to its current management team.

Even while US officials said the ZTE penalties were a national security issue separate from the trade talks with Beijing, Trump said Tuesday he was looking at easing the tough sanctions on ZTE "as a favour" to Chinese President Xi Jinping.&nbsp

Alternatives&nbsp

On Thursday, Ross said that at Trump's request, his department was looking at alternatives to the harsh penalty he chose to impose.

But, he said, "if we do decide to go forward with an alternative, what it literally would involve would be in planting people of our choosing into the company to constitute a compliance unit and that unit would report back to the Department of Commerce."

Top Republican and Democrat senators have denounced the compromise and one even vowed to block it.

The reprieve for ZTE came just after Washington and Beijing called a halt to a spiralling trade dispute sparked by US accusations of China's unfair practices and the alleged theft of US technology, with Washington suspending plans to impose tariffs on as much as $150 billion in Chinese imports.

Trump also faced accusations of quid-pro-quo after pledging to soften sanctions on ZTE just days after AFP reported a Chinese state firm would pour cash into a Trump-tied real estate venture in Indonesia.

Lawmakers were incensed by Trump's offer last week to rescue the company and Chinese jobs, which came via Twitter in the midst of the trade talks with Beijing. The president angrily denied back-pedalling.

Top Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who chairs a key subcommittee on foreign relations, denounced the move and vowed lawmakers would work on "veto-proof legislation" to stop the deal.

Tweeting again on Friday, Rubio again accused the administration of reaching an agreement that was beneficial to China.

"It is a great deal... for #ZTE & China. #China crushes US companies with no mercy & they use these telecom companies to spy & steal from us," he said on Twitter.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also decried the deal.

"If the administration goes through with this reported deal, President Trump would be helping make China great again. Would be a huge victory for President Xi, and a dramatic retreat by Pres Trump," he tweeted. "Both parties in Congress should come together to stop this deal in its tracks."

Asked by AFP for comment, a Commerce spokesman said no information was available.

US President Donald Trump said Friday he had reached a deal to keep Chinese telecoms giant ZTE running, rolling back some penalties in exchange for security guarantees

US President Donald Trump said Friday he had reached a deal to keep Chinese telecoms giant ZTE running, rolling back some penalties in exchange for security guarantees -- a move that infuriated Democrats and some in his own party. The news comes as the US prepares to send a trade delegation back to Beijing next week to continue talks aimed at defusing a potentially serious trade dispute with China after the countries exchanged huge tit-for-tat threats on imports. In a tweet Friday evening the US president praised his plan while lambasting Democrats as well as the Barack Obama administration, who he said: "let phone company ZTE flourish with no security checks." "I closed it down then let it reopen with high-level security guarantees, change of management and board, must purchase US&nbspparts and pay a $1.3 Billion fine. Dems do nothing." In a follow-up tweet, he called the "so-called Trade Deals" struck by Democrats "the laughing stock of the world!" The New York Times had reported earlier of a deal with China's ZTE that would lift crippling sanctions slapped on the company. The reported terms of the deal closely match the conditions US President Donald Trump and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross described earlier this week as a means for the firm to escape the export ban that nearly shuttered its operations. It provoked a harsh reaction among some members of Congress, however, as lawmakers have been critical of the administration for signalling it might ease the pressure on a company that violated US sanctions on Iran and North Korea and repeatedly lied to US officials. Democrat Nancy Pelosi, the House Minority Leader, slammed Trump's deal as "a staggering betrayal of the American people." "Trump pledged to fight for Americans, but he's now using US&nbspgovernment resources to enrich ZTE (a foreign company designated a national cybersecurity risk)," Pelosi tweeted. ZTE was fined $1.2 billion in March 2017, but last month Washington banned the sale of crucial US components to the company after finding it had lied multiple times and failed to take action against employees responsible for sanctions violations. Under the new deal brokered by the Commerce Department, according to the Times, ZTE would pay a substantial fine, hire American compliance officers to be placed at the firm and make changes to its current management team. Even while US officials said the ZTE penalties were a national security issue separate from the trade talks with Beijing, Trump said Tuesday he was looking at easing the tough sanctions on ZTE "as a favour" to Chinese President Xi Jinping. Alternatives On Thursday, Ross said that at Trump's request, his department was looking at alternatives to the harsh penalty he chose to impose. But, he said, "if we do decide to go forward with an alternative, what it literally would involve would be in planting people of our choosing into the company to constitute a compliance unit and that unit would report back to the Department of Commerce." Top Republican and Democrat senators have denounced the compromise and one even vowed to block it. The reprieve for ZTE came just after Washington and Beijing called a halt to a spiralling trade dispute sparked by US accusations of China's unfair practices and the alleged theft of US technology, with Washington suspending plans to impose tariffs on as much as $150 billion in Chinese imports. Trump also faced accusations of quid-pro-quo after pledging to soften sanctions on ZTE just days after AFP reported a Chinese state firm would pour cash into a Trump-tied real estate venture in Indonesia. Lawmakers were incensed by Trump's offer last week to rescue the company and Chinese jobs, which came via Twitter in the midst of the trade talks with Beijing. The president angrily denied back-pedalling. Top Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who chairs a key subcommittee on foreign relations, denounced the move and vowed lawmakers would work on "veto-proof legislation" to stop the deal. Tweeting again on Friday, Rubio again accused the administration of reaching an agreement that was beneficial to China. "It is a great deal... for #ZTE & China. #China crushes US companies with no mercy & they use these telecom companies to spy & steal from us," he said on Twitter. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also decried the deal. "If the administration goes through with this reported deal, President Trump would be helping make China great again. Would be a huge victory for President Xi, and a dramatic retreat by Pres Trump," he tweeted. "Both parties in Congress should come together to stop this deal in its tracks." Asked by AFP for comment, a Commerce spokesman said no information was available.

White House reaches deal to lift sanctions on China's ZTE

As fuel prices hit record highs, the government may be mulling a tax cut.&nbsp

Petrol was selling in Delhi on Sunday at <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/petrol-diesel-prices-hit-record-highs-in-delhi-138381">Rs 76.24 a litre</a>, the highest ever since September 14, 2013.&nbsp

On Monday, prices climbed even higher to Rs 76.57 a litre.&nbsp

This is the eighth straight day fuel prices have risen.&nbsp

Oil retailers had frozen prices on April 24 — after being nudged by the government to do so&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp— as Karnataka went to the polls.&nbsp

The freeze was lifted on May 14, two days after the elections.&nbsp

The retailers are now trying to catch up with global oil prices.&nbsp

On Sunday however, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said in Bhubaneshwar that the Centre was "sensitive" about "rising fuel prices". That alternatives were being explored and that he hoped something would "work out soon".&nbsp

That, news reports said Monday, indicated the government may be thinking about a tax cut.&nbsp

Pradhan has so far&nbspruled out an excise cut, saying the price rise is temporary. He has blamed the price rise on OPEC's decision to cut production, US sanctions on Iran, and the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/venezuela-maduro-wins-presidential-vote-138497">instability in Venezuela</a>.&nbsp

He has instead urged states to cut VAT and bring fuels under the GST regime.&nbsp

But the minister's statement on Sunday, the reports said, indicates a rethink by the government in order to avoid the public outcry getting any louder. 
&nbsp

Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Sunday that the Centre was 'sensitive' about 'rising fuel prices'. That alternatives were being explored and that he hoped something would 'work out soon'

As fuel prices hit record highs, the government may be mulling a tax cut. Petrol was selling in Delhi on Sunday at Rs 76.24 a litre, the highest ever since September 14, 2013. On Monday, prices climbed even higher to Rs 76.57 a litre. This is the eighth straight day fuel prices have risen. Oil retailers had frozen prices on April 24 — after being nudged by the government to do so — as Karnataka went to the polls. The freeze was lifted on May 14, two days after the elections. The retailers are now trying to catch up with global oil prices. On Sunday however, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said in Bhubaneshwar that the Centre was "sensitive" about "rising fuel prices". That alternatives were being explored and that he hoped something would "work out soon". That, news reports said Monday, indicated the government may be thinking about a tax cut. Pradhan has so far&nbspruled out an excise cut, saying the price rise is temporary. He has blamed the price rise on OPEC's decision to cut production, US sanctions on Iran, and the instability in Venezuela. He has instead urged states to cut VAT and bring fuels under the GST regime. But the minister's statement on Sunday, the reports said, indicates a rethink by the government in order to avoid the public outcry getting any louder.

As fuel prices hit record highs, government may be mulling a tax cut

Chinese businessman Sheng Kuan Li didn’t worry about sanctions when he decided in 2010 to invest $200 million in a steel mill in Iran that started producing ingots and billet within months of the lifting of punitive measures against the Islamic republic as part of 2015 international nuclear agreement with Iran.

With no operations in the United States, Mr. Li was not concerned about being targeted by the US Treasury. Mr. Li, moreover, circumvented financial restrictions on Iran by funding his investment through what he called a "private transfer," a money swap that was based on trust and avoided regular banking channels.

In doing so, Mr. Li was following standard Chinese practice of evading the sanctions regime by using alternative routes or establishing alternative institutions that were in effect immune.

To be able to continue to purchase Iranian oil while sanctions were in place, China, for example, established the Bank of Kunlun to handle Chinese payments.

The Chinese experience in circumventing the earlier sanctions will come in handy with Beijing rejecting US President Donald J. Trump’s renewed effort to isolate Iran and force it to make further concessions on its nuclear and ballistic missiles programs as well as the Islamic republic’s regional role in the Middle East by walking away from the 2015 agreement and reintroducing punitive economic measures.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in response to Mr. Trump’s announcement that the People’s Republic was committed to the deal and would "maintain communication with all parties and continue to protect and execute the agreement fully."

China’s likely willingness to circumvent US sanctions is one factor that will influence Iran’s decision on whether it will stick to the agreement. Iran’s decision depends on the readiness and ability of the other signatories - Britain, France, Germany and Russia – to also stand up to the United States.

China’s experience in circumventing sanctions could come in handy as Europe, that like China has rejected Mr. Trump’s move and vowed to ignore the sanctions, weighs ways of putting its money where its mouth is by attempting to shield European companies from potential US punitive action. One possibility would be to use alternative Chinese financial networks.

Nonetheless, this time round, rejecting and violating US sanctions may prove for China as well as the other signatories to be a trickier undertaking. Last time round, China and the other signatories were part of an international consensus that aimed to force Iran to accept restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program even if they at times circumvented the sanctions.

China and other signatories are in the wake of the re-imposition of US sanctions likely to be operating in a far more confrontational environment in which the subtext of Mr. Trump’s decision as well the positions of Saudi Arabia and Israel appears to be a policy that seeks to achieve regime change in Tehran.

Saudi Arabia, as well as the United Arab Emirates, have suggested in recent months in their 11-month old economic and diplomatic boycott of Qatar that they are willing to quietly sanction those who fail to support them.

There is little reason to doubt that they would do the same in their confrontation with Iran with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman describing the dispute with Qatar as "trivial’ in comparison to the kingdom’s existential battle with Iran.

Saudi Arabia demonstrated its greater assertiveness by forcing major multi-national financial institutions to choose sides in the Gulf spat. In response to Saudi pressure, JP Morgan and HSBC last month walked away from participating in a $12 billion bond sale.

Earlier, Doha Bank, Qatar’s fifth-biggest lender, was forced to reduce the size of a two-year, $575 million bank loan that it had raised in December 2015 to $400 million, when it sought a one-year extension of the facility because Chinese, Hong Kong and Japanese banks opted not to participate.

In the utmost consequence, China’s concerted effort to remain aloof of the Middle East’s multiple conflicts could be severely compromised if it were forced to take sides in a conflict between Iran, a country with which China feels that it has much in common and that it in the past has helped develop its ballistic and nuclear programs, and Saudi Arabia, a more recently found friend that is economically important to the People’s Republic.

To be sure, greater Saudi assertiveness does not mean that the kingdom does not have to tread carefully in potentially seeking to penalize China and others for their potential refusal to go along with Mr. Trump’s confronting of Iran.

Saudi Arabia desperately needs foreign investment to implement Prince Mohammed’s Vision 2030, a far-reaching plan for social and economic reform that aims to diversify the kingdom’s conservative society and oil-dependent economy and turn it into the 21st century, knowledge-based state.

China, moreover, is one of Saudi Arabia’s foremost oil export markets. While the Saudi military remains focussed on US and European arms purchases, China, at a time that a military confrontation with Iran is not beyond the realm of the possible, is a source of weaponry the United States has been so far unwilling to sell to the kingdom.

With the United States refusing to share its most advanced drone technology, China agreed last year to open its first overseas defense production facility in Saudi Arabia. State-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) will manufacture its CH-4 Caihong, or Rainbow drone as well as associated equipment in Saudi Arabia. The CH-4 is comparable to the US armed MQ-9 Reaper drone.

The stakes in the battle to save the Iranian nuclear deal in the wake of Mr. Trump’s decision go however far beyond a belief that the nuclear deal is serving its purpose in curbing potential Iranian nuclear ambitions and economic opportunity.

Leveraging its experience, an effort by China together with Russia and Europe that keeps the Iranian nuclear deal in place and thwarts US sanctions would deliver one of the heaviest body blows to US credibility and perceptions of US power since Mr. Trump came to office in January of last year.

Said a Middle Eastern diplomat: "A successful countering of US sanctions would demonstrate beyond doubt limits to America’s ability to impose its will. That would have wide-reaching consequences, not in the least question marks in Saudi Arabia and Israel on the degree to which they can risk continuing putting most of their eggs in Washington’s basket."

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Leveraging its experience, an effort by China together with Russia and Europe that keeps the Iranian nuclear deal in place

Chinese businessman Sheng Kuan Li didn’t worry about sanctions when he decided in 2010 to invest $200 million in a steel mill in Iran that started producing ingots and billet within months of the lifting of punitive measures against the Islamic republic as part of 2015 international nuclear agreement with Iran. With no operations in the United States, Mr. Li was not concerned about being targeted by the US Treasury. Mr. Li, moreover, circumvented financial restrictions on Iran by funding his investment through what he called a "private transfer," a money swap that was based on trust and avoided regular banking channels. In doing so, Mr. Li was following standard Chinese practice of evading the sanctions regime by using alternative routes or establishing alternative institutions that were in effect immune. To be able to continue to purchase Iranian oil while sanctions were in place, China, for example, established the Bank of Kunlun to handle Chinese payments. The Chinese experience in circumventing the earlier sanctions will come in handy with Beijing rejecting US President Donald J. Trump’s renewed effort to isolate Iran and force it to make further concessions on its nuclear and ballistic missiles programs as well as the Islamic republic’s regional role in the Middle East by walking away from the 2015 agreement and reintroducing punitive economic measures. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in response to Mr. Trump’s announcement that the People’s Republic was committed to the deal and would "maintain communication with all parties and continue to protect and execute the agreement fully." China’s likely willingness to circumvent US sanctions is one factor that will influence Iran’s decision on whether it will stick to the agreement. Iran’s decision depends on the readiness and ability of the other signatories - Britain, France, Germany and Russia – to also stand up to the United States. China’s experience in circumventing sanctions could come in handy as Europe, that like China has rejected Mr. Trump’s move and vowed to ignore the sanctions, weighs ways of putting its money where its mouth is by attempting to shield European companies from potential US punitive action. One possibility would be to use alternative Chinese financial networks. Nonetheless, this time round, rejecting and violating US sanctions may prove for China as well as the other signatories to be a trickier undertaking. Last time round, China and the other signatories were part of an international consensus that aimed to force Iran to accept restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program even if they at times circumvented the sanctions. China and other signatories are in the wake of the re-imposition of US sanctions likely to be operating in a far more confrontational environment in which the subtext of Mr. Trump’s decision as well the positions of Saudi Arabia and Israel appears to be a policy that seeks to achieve regime change in Tehran. Saudi Arabia, as well as the United Arab Emirates, have suggested in recent months in their 11-month old economic and diplomatic boycott of Qatar that they are willing to quietly sanction those who fail to support them. There is little reason to doubt that they would do the same in their confrontation with Iran with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman describing the dispute with Qatar as "trivial’ in comparison to the kingdom’s existential battle with Iran. Saudi Arabia demonstrated its greater assertiveness by forcing major multi-national financial institutions to choose sides in the Gulf spat. In response to Saudi pressure, JP Morgan and HSBC last month walked away from participating in a $12 billion bond sale. Earlier, Doha Bank, Qatar’s fifth-biggest lender, was forced to reduce the size of a two-year, $575 million bank loan that it had raised in December 2015 to $400 million, when it sought a one-year extension of the facility because Chinese, Hong Kong and Japanese banks opted not to participate. In the utmost consequence, China’s concerted effort to remain aloof of the Middle East’s multiple conflicts could be severely compromised if it were forced to take sides in a conflict between Iran, a country with which China feels that it has much in common and that it in the past has helped develop its ballistic and nuclear programs, and Saudi Arabia, a more recently found friend that is economically important to the People’s Republic. To be sure, greater Saudi assertiveness does not mean that the kingdom does not have to tread carefully in potentially seeking to penalize China and others for their potential refusal to go along with Mr. Trump’s confronting of Iran. Saudi Arabia desperately needs foreign investment to implement Prince Mohammed’s Vision 2030, a far-reaching plan for social and economic reform that aims to diversify the kingdom’s conservative society and oil-dependent economy and turn it into the 21st century, knowledge-based state. China, moreover, is one of Saudi Arabia’s foremost oil export markets. While the Saudi military remains focussed on US and European arms purchases, China, at a time that a military confrontation with Iran is not beyond the realm of the possible, is a source of weaponry the United States has been so far unwilling to sell to the kingdom. With the United States refusing to share its most advanced drone technology, China agreed last year to open its first overseas defense production facility in Saudi Arabia. State-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) will manufacture its CH-4 Caihong, or Rainbow drone as well as associated equipment in Saudi Arabia. The CH-4 is comparable to the US armed MQ-9 Reaper drone. The stakes in the battle to save the Iranian nuclear deal in the wake of Mr. Trump’s decision go however far beyond a belief that the nuclear deal is serving its purpose in curbing potential Iranian nuclear ambitions and economic opportunity. Leveraging its experience, an effort by China together with Russia and Europe that keeps the Iranian nuclear deal in place and thwarts US sanctions would deliver one of the heaviest body blows to US credibility and perceptions of US power since Mr. Trump came to office in January of last year. Said a Middle Eastern diplomat: "A successful countering of US sanctions would demonstrate beyond doubt limits to America’s ability to impose its will. That would have wide-reaching consequences, not in the least question marks in Saudi Arabia and Israel on the degree to which they can risk continuing putting most of their eggs in Washington’s basket." (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Playing US sanctions - China walks a fine line in Iran

President Donald Trump on Tuesday pulled the United States out of an international agreement aimed at stopping Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb, and said he would reimpose economic sanctions on Tehran immediately.

The decision is likely to raise the risk of conflict in the Middle East, upset America`s European allies and disrupt global oil supplies.

"This was a horrible one-sided deal that should have never, ever been made," Trump said at the White House. "It didn`t bring calm. It didn`t bring peace. And it never will."

The 2015 deal, worked out by the United States, five other international powers and Iran, eased sanctions on Iran in exchange for Tehran limiting its nuclear programme.

Trump says the agreement, the signature foreign policy achievement of Trump`s predecessor Barack Obama, does not address Iran`s ballistic missile programme, its nuclear activities beyond 2025 nor its role in conflicts in Yemen and Syria.

Trump said he was willing to negotiate a new deal with Iran, but Tehran has already ruled that out and threatened unspecified retaliation if Washington pulled out.

Iranian state television said on Tuesday that Trump`s decision to withdraw was "illegal, illegitimate and undermines international agreements."

Renewing sanctions would make it much harder for Iran to sell its oil abroad or use the international banking system.

The Iran deal may remain partially intact, even without the United States. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani suggested on Monday that Iran could remain in the accord with the other signatories that stay committed to it.

Trump`s move is a snub to European allies such as France, Britain and Germany who are also part of the Iran deal and tried hard to convince the U.S. president to preserve it. The Europeans must now scramble to decide their own course of action with Tehran.

China and Russia are also signatories to the Iran deal.

Oil prices dived as much as 4 percent on Tuesday as media reports rattled markets with doubts about whether Trump would withdraw Washington.

Trump did not provide details of what he described as the “highest level of economic sanctions” that he is reimposing on Iran.&nbsp;

But he implied that he was going beyond not renewing waivers on sanctions related to Iran’s oil exports and its central bank that were due to expire on Saturday and reimpose all of the other U.S. sanctions that were suspended under the nuclear deal.

Iran`s growing military and political power in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq worries the United States, Israel and U.S. Arab allies such as Saudi Arabia.&nbsp;

Israel has traded blows with Iranian forces in Syria since February, stirring concern that major escalation could be looming.

Trump said the 'disastrous' deal was an embarrassment for the US

President Donald Trump on Tuesday pulled the United States out of an international agreement aimed at stopping Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb, and said he would reimpose economic sanctions on Tehran immediately. The decision is likely to raise the risk of conflict in the Middle East, upset America`s European allies and disrupt global oil supplies. "This was a horrible one-sided deal that should have never, ever been made," Trump said at the White House. "It didn`t bring calm. It didn`t bring peace. And it never will." The 2015 deal, worked out by the United States, five other international powers and Iran, eased sanctions on Iran in exchange for Tehran limiting its nuclear programme. Trump says the agreement, the signature foreign policy achievement of Trump`s predecessor Barack Obama, does not address Iran`s ballistic missile programme, its nuclear activities beyond 2025 nor its role in conflicts in Yemen and Syria. Trump said he was willing to negotiate a new deal with Iran, but Tehran has already ruled that out and threatened unspecified retaliation if Washington pulled out. Iranian state television said on Tuesday that Trump`s decision to withdraw was "illegal, illegitimate and undermines international agreements." Renewing sanctions would make it much harder for Iran to sell its oil abroad or use the international banking system. The Iran deal may remain partially intact, even without the United States. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani suggested on Monday that Iran could remain in the accord with the other signatories that stay committed to it. Trump`s move is a snub to European allies such as France, Britain and Germany who are also part of the Iran deal and tried hard to convince the U.S. president to preserve it. The Europeans must now scramble to decide their own course of action with Tehran. China and Russia are also signatories to the Iran deal. Oil prices dived as much as 4 percent on Tuesday as media reports rattled markets with doubts about whether Trump would withdraw Washington. Trump did not provide details of what he described as the “highest level of economic sanctions” that he is reimposing on Iran. But he implied that he was going beyond not renewing waivers on sanctions related to Iran’s oil exports and its central bank that were due to expire on Saturday and reimpose all of the other U.S. sanctions that were suspended under the nuclear deal. Iran`s growing military and political power in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq worries the United States, Israel and U.S. Arab allies such as Saudi Arabia. Israel has traded blows with Iranian forces in Syria since February, stirring concern that major escalation could be looming.

Trump pulls out of Iran nuclear deal, reimposes US sanctions

Iran on Saturday slammed new US sanctions against 10 of its citizens and an Iranian company over their alleged involvement in a massive state-sponsored hacking and intellectual property theft scheme.

The US Treasury Department unveiled charges on Friday against nine Iranians along with sanctions against 10 individuals and the Mabna Institute, which it accused of hacking hundreds of universities on behalf of Iran&#39;s Revolutionary Guards.

Foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghassemi called the accusations &quot;false&quot;.

&quot;Iran condemns the United States&#39; provocative, illegal and unjustified actions, which are a major new sign of the hostility and animosity of US leaders towards the Iranian people,&quot; he said in a statement on the ministry&#39;s website.

&quot;They will not prevent the scientific development of the Iranian people.&quot;

The two founders of the Mabna Institute, Gholamreza Rafatnejad, 38, and Ehsan Mohammadi, 37, were among the nine Iranians indicted in New York and whose assets are subject to US seizure.

Since 2013, the Mabna Institute carried out cyber intrusions into the computer systems of 144 US universities, the Treasury Department said, and 176 universities in 21 foreign countries.

Mabna Institute employees and contractors &quot;engaged in the theft of valuable intellectual property and data from hundreds of US and third-country universities... for private financial gain,&quot; it said.

&quot;For many of these intrusions, the defendants acted at the behest of the Iranian government and, specifically, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps,&quot; Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said.

The US Department of Labour, the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, dozens of private firms and non-governmental organisations such as the United Nations Children&#39;s Fund were also allegedly targeted.

Geoffrey Berman, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said the Iranians conducted &quot;spearphishing&quot; attacks designed to steal passwords from email accounts in what he called one of the largest state-sponsored hacking schemes ever uncovered.

Since taking office in January 2017, US President Donald Trump has adopted a tough stance against Iran and repeatedly denounced a landmark deal that Tehran reached with world powers to curb its nuclear programme.

Trump said in January that the 2015 deal must be &quot;fixed&quot; by May 12 or the United States will walk away.

Iran on Saturday slammed new US sanctions against 10 of its citizens and an Iranian company over their alleged involvement in a massive state-sponsored hacking and intellectual property theft scheme

Iran on Saturday slammed new US sanctions against 10 of its citizens and an Iranian company over their alleged involvement in a massive state-sponsored hacking and intellectual property theft scheme. The US Treasury Department unveiled charges on Friday against nine Iranians along with sanctions against 10 individuals and the Mabna Institute, which it accused of hacking hundreds of universities on behalf of Iran's Revolutionary Guards. Foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghassemi called the accusations "false". "Iran condemns the United States' provocative, illegal and unjustified actions, which are a major new sign of the hostility and animosity of US leaders towards the Iranian people," he said in a statement on the ministry's website. "They will not prevent the scientific development of the Iranian people." The two founders of the Mabna Institute, Gholamreza Rafatnejad, 38, and Ehsan Mohammadi, 37, were among the nine Iranians indicted in New York and whose assets are subject to US seizure. Since 2013, the Mabna Institute carried out cyber intrusions into the computer systems of 144 US universities, the Treasury Department said, and 176 universities in 21 foreign countries. Mabna Institute employees and contractors "engaged in the theft of valuable intellectual property and data from hundreds of US and third-country universities... for private financial gain," it said. "For many of these intrusions, the defendants acted at the behest of the Iranian government and, specifically, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps," Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said. The US Department of Labour, the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, dozens of private firms and non-governmental organisations such as the United Nations Children's Fund were also allegedly targeted. Geoffrey Berman, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said the Iranians conducted "spearphishing" attacks designed to steal passwords from email accounts in what he called one of the largest state-sponsored hacking schemes ever uncovered. Since taking office in January 2017, US President Donald Trump has adopted a tough stance against Iran and repeatedly denounced a landmark deal that Tehran reached with world powers to curb its nuclear programme. Trump said in January that the 2015 deal must be "fixed" by May 12 or the United States will walk away.

Iran slams US sanctions over hacking scheme

Apple has reportedly blocked its app store access in Iran from Thursday afternoon.

What appears to be a ban, users are not able to install or uninstall any application, instead, the screen shows a message saying &#39;the App Store is unavailable in the country region you&#39;re in&#39;&nbsp;on their screen.

The app store restriction is IP address based as users have reported using the app store through virtual private network (VPN).

A tech support site Bleeping computer also quoted a researcher in their report&nbsp;saying that he was only able to access app store through VPN.

Apple has not issued any official statement regarding the restricted access.

Apple already does not&nbsp;sell its products in Iran due to US-imposed economic sanctions.

People import their iPhone&nbsp;from other countries.

Being a US company Apple has restricted its access in other ways in the past.

In 2017 all apps made by Iranian developers were removed from the store.

Many people on Twitter showed an outrage toward the company for blocking app store access.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/AppStore?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AppStore</a> why is Iran blocked from the list of countries able to download or update the applications which are available for all the world?We are also human and we pay for your products. We should be able to use App Store!
&mdash; Sina Keshavarz (@Sina_Dreamer) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sina_Dreamer/status/973853292777193473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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So <a href="https://twitter.com/Apple?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Apple</a> officially did it finally ;( <a href="https://t.co/NboTdPoFpC">pic.twitter.com/NboTdPoFpC</a>
&mdash; Meysam Firouzi (@R00tkitSMM) <a href="https://twitter.com/R00tkitSMM/status/974320282436501504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
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I really feel sorry for <a href="https://twitter.com/Apple?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Apple</a>&#39;s decision to completely <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ban?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ban</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Iranian?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Iranian</a> users from the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Appstore?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Appstore</a>. We are humans and demand <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EqualRights?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EqualRights</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/AppleSupport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AppleSupport</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Iran?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Iran</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Apple?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Apple</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StopTheBan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StopTheBan</a> <a href="https://t.co/VWwPfo9TxF">pic.twitter.com/VWwPfo9TxF</a>
&mdash; Ali Fatehi (@fatehi1997) <a href="https://twitter.com/fatehi1997/status/974376036354977792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/Apple?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Apple</a> what is the problem here? Your customer is not the Govt of Iran it is the people, the citizens of Iran. Why are you diss-ing them? All your customers, world-wide, feel this in a very negative way. Has the Persian customer done &quot;bad&quot; to you?<a href="https://t.co/YU5FA7ckqi">https://t.co/YU5FA7ckqi</a>
&mdash; Ric Fink (@ricfink) <a href="https://twitter.com/ricfink/status/974389228971835392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Outrageous move from <a href="https://twitter.com/Apple?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@apple</a> to totally block <a href="https://twitter.com/AppStore?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AppStore</a> in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Iran?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Iran</a>. Steve Job believed that &quot;Man is the creator of change in this world. As such, he should be above systems and structures, and not subordinate to them.&quot; For <a href="https://twitter.com/tim_cook?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tim_cook</a> this excludes Iranians. <a href="https://t.co/Nwkx0Z9Mvl">https://t.co/Nwkx0Z9Mvl</a>
&mdash; Esfandyar Batmanghelidj (@yarbatman) <a href="https://twitter.com/yarbatman/status/974548525710110720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

What appears to be a ban, users are not able to install or uninstall any application

Apple has reportedly blocked its app store access in Iran from Thursday afternoon. What appears to be a ban, users are not able to install or uninstall any application, instead, the screen shows a message saying 'the App Store is unavailable in the country region you're in' on their screen. The app store restriction is IP address based as users have reported using the app store through virtual private network (VPN). A tech support site Bleeping computer also quoted a researcher in their report saying that he was only able to access app store through VPN. Apple has not issued any official statement regarding the restricted access. Apple already does not sell its products in Iran due to US-imposed economic sanctions. People import their iPhone from other countries. Being a US company Apple has restricted its access in other ways in the past. In 2017 all apps made by Iranian developers were removed from the store. Many people on Twitter showed an outrage toward the company for blocking app store access. @AppStore why is Iran blocked from the list of countries able to download or update the applications which are available for all the world?We are also human and we pay for your products. We should be able to use App Store! — Sina Keshavarz (@Sina_Dreamer) March 14, 2018 × So @Apple officially did it finally ;( pic.twitter.com/NboTdPoFpC — Meysam Firouzi (@R00tkitSMM) March 15, 2018 × I really feel sorry for @Apple's decision to completely #ban #Iranian users from the #Appstore. We are humans and demand #EqualRights. @AppleSupport #Iran #Apple #StopTheBan pic.twitter.com/VWwPfo9TxF — Ali Fatehi (@fatehi1997) March 15, 2018 × .@Apple what is the problem here? Your customer is not the Govt of Iran it is the people, the citizens of Iran. Why are you diss-ing them? All your customers, world-wide, feel this in a very negative way. Has the Persian customer done "bad" to you?https://t.co/YU5FA7ckqi — Ric Fink (@ricfink) March 15, 2018 × Outrageous move from @apple to totally block @AppStore in #Iran. Steve Job believed that "Man is the creator of change in this world. As such, he should be above systems and structures, and not subordinate to them." For @tim_cook this excludes Iranians. https://t.co/Nwkx0Z9Mvl — Esfandyar Batmanghelidj (@yarbatman) March 16, 2018 ×

Iranian iPhone users blocked from App Store: Reports

The Kremlin insisted US sanctions against Russia were &quot;illegal&quot; today, a day after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to extend measures put in place during the Ukraine crisis.

&quot;We have never been the initiator of these sanctions, we consider them illegal and harmful not just to the people of our two countries but the whole world,&quot; Russian presidential press spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today, Interfax news agency reported.

Washington imposed sanctions on Moscow following Russia&#39;s 2014 annexation of the Crimean peninsula and Moscow&#39;s backing of rebels in eastern Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin this week set the course for a new arms race with Washington as he boasted of a new generation of &quot;invincible&quot; Russian weapons developed in response to the threat posed by the US.

The moves come as relations between the global powers plummeted to levels not seen since the Cold War, despite candidate Trump&#39;s promises to mend fences.

As well as the Ukraine crisis, Russia and the US have clashed over the conflict in Syria and accusations that Moscow interfered in the US election in 2016.

Washington imposed sanctions on Moscow following Russia's 2014 annexation of the Crimean peninsula and Moscow's backing of rebels in eastern Ukraine

The Kremlin insisted US sanctions against Russia were "illegal" today, a day after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to extend measures put in place during the Ukraine crisis. "We have never been the initiator of these sanctions, we consider them illegal and harmful not just to the people of our two countries but the whole world," Russian presidential press spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today, Interfax news agency reported. Washington imposed sanctions on Moscow following Russia's 2014 annexation of the Crimean peninsula and Moscow's backing of rebels in eastern Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin this week set the course for a new arms race with Washington as he boasted of a new generation of "invincible" Russian weapons developed in response to the threat posed by the US. The moves come as relations between the global powers plummeted to levels not seen since the Cold War, despite candidate Trump's promises to mend fences. As well as the Ukraine crisis, Russia and the US have clashed over the conflict in Syria and accusations that Moscow interfered in the US election in 2016.

Russia slams 'illegal and harmful' extended US sanctions

Beijing has protested against Washington&#39;s decision to impose sanctions against Chinese companies accused of conducting illicit economic deals with North Korea, the foreign ministry said.&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump on Friday announced measures targeting more than 50 North Korea-linked shipping companies, vessels and trade businesses, hailing the package as the &quot;heaviest sanctions ever&quot; levied on the nuclear-armed regime.&nbsp;

The measures, which the US says are aimed at forcing Pyongyang to roll back its banned nuclear and weapons programmes, apply to companies located or registered in North Korea, China, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Marshall Islands, Tanzania, Panama and Comoros.

Washington has been locked in a nuclear standoff with Pyongyang, which is trying to develop missiles that could deliver an atomic weapon to major US cities, and the sanctions are designed to put the squeeze on North Korea&#39;s already precarious economy and fuel supply.

&quot;China is strongly opposed to the United States&#39; long-arm jurisdiction and unilateral sanctions on Chinese entities and individuals,&quot; foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Saturday.

&quot;We have lodged solemn representations to the United States and asked the US&nbsp;to immediately cease the wrong practice so as to avoid undermining relevant cooperation between the two sides,&quot; he added.

China, North Korea&#39;s only major ally, has steadfastly rebuffed Washington&#39;s calls for a full oil embargo -- fearing the chaotic collapse of the Pyongyang regime -- but has accepted caps agreed at the United Nations.

&quot;We will never allow Chinese citizens or companies to be engaged in activities that violate resolutions from the United Nations Security Council,&quot; Geng said.

But Washington says its latest measures target entities that have helped Pyongyang evade UN sanctions.

The North Korean military and broader economy depend heavily on imports of coal and oil from Russia and China, with the latter accounting for some 90 percent of the country&#39;s trade.

Last year, the Security Council adopted a series of resolutions to ban North Korean exports of commodities, including coal, iron and steel.

US President Donald Trump on Friday announced measures targeting more than 50 North Korea-linked shipping companies, vessels and trade businesses

Beijing has protested against Washington's decision to impose sanctions against Chinese companies accused of conducting illicit economic deals with North Korea, the foreign ministry said. US President Donald Trump on Friday announced measures targeting more than 50 North Korea-linked shipping companies, vessels and trade businesses, hailing the package as the "heaviest sanctions ever" levied on the nuclear-armed regime. The measures, which the US says are aimed at forcing Pyongyang to roll back its banned nuclear and weapons programmes, apply to companies located or registered in North Korea, China, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Marshall Islands, Tanzania, Panama and Comoros. Washington has been locked in a nuclear standoff with Pyongyang, which is trying to develop missiles that could deliver an atomic weapon to major US cities, and the sanctions are designed to put the squeeze on North Korea's already precarious economy and fuel supply. "China is strongly opposed to the United States' long-arm jurisdiction and unilateral sanctions on Chinese entities and individuals," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Saturday. "We have lodged solemn representations to the United States and asked the US to immediately cease the wrong practice so as to avoid undermining relevant cooperation between the two sides," he added. China, North Korea's only major ally, has steadfastly rebuffed Washington's calls for a full oil embargo -- fearing the chaotic collapse of the Pyongyang regime -- but has accepted caps agreed at the United Nations. "We will never allow Chinese citizens or companies to be engaged in activities that violate resolutions from the United Nations Security Council," Geng said. But Washington says its latest measures target entities that have helped Pyongyang evade UN sanctions. The North Korean military and broader economy depend heavily on imports of coal and oil from Russia and China, with the latter accounting for some 90 percent of the country's trade. Last year, the Security Council adopted a series of resolutions to ban North Korean exports of commodities, including coal, iron and steel.

Beijing protests US sanctions on Chinese firms over North Korea ties

China responded angrily Saturday to new sanctions the United States imposed on North Korea, maintaining they were counterproductive to efforts to halt Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear and long-range missile development programs.

China asked the United States to &quot;withdraw&quot; the sanctions imposed on North Korea.Calling the move as &quot;long-arm jurisdiction&quot;, China demanded the US to also revoke the sanctions levied against Chinese companies and individuals.&nbsp;

&quot;China is strongly opposed to the United States` long-arm jurisdiction and unilateral sanctions on Chinese entities and individuals based on its domestic laws,&quot; Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said in a statement.

&quot;China has been fully and completely implementing relevant UN resolutions on the Democratic People`s Republic of Korea (DPRK), fulfilling its due responsibilities, and never allowed Chinese people and companies to engage in any activities violating UN resolutions&quot;, Geng said, adding that any violations would be dealt with seriously.

Donald Trump announced on Friday what he called the "largest ever" set of sanctions against North Korea and threatened a "phase two" if the measures weren't effective

China responded angrily Saturday to new sanctions the United States imposed on North Korea, maintaining they were counterproductive to efforts to halt Pyongyang's nuclear and long-range missile development programs. China asked the United States to "withdraw" the sanctions imposed on North Korea.Calling the move as "long-arm jurisdiction", China demanded the US to also revoke the sanctions levied against Chinese companies and individuals. "China is strongly opposed to the United States` long-arm jurisdiction and unilateral sanctions on Chinese entities and individuals based on its domestic laws," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said in a statement. "China has been fully and completely implementing relevant UN resolutions on the Democratic People`s Republic of Korea (DPRK), fulfilling its due responsibilities, and never allowed Chinese people and companies to engage in any activities violating UN resolutions", Geng said, adding that any violations would be dealt with seriously.

China reacts angrily to new US sanctions against North Korea

US Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday Washington would soon unveil its &quot;toughest sanctions ever&quot; on North Korea, adding that the regime in Pyongyang would not be allowed to &quot;hijack&quot; the upcoming Olympics.

Speaking in Japan before attending the opening ceremony of the Winter Games in South Korea, Pence pledged that Washington would &quot;intensify its maximum pressure campaign&quot; on the North, working with Tokyo.

&quot;I&#39;m announcing today that the United States will soon unveil the toughest and most aggressive round of economic sanctions on North Korea ever,&quot; he said, without giving further details.

Pence&#39;s three-day visit to Japan came as Washington seeks to bolster ties with its allies in the region and maintain pressure on the regime in Pyongyang despite a recent thaw on the peninsula.

&quot;All options are on the table and the US has deployed some of our most advanced military assets to Japan and the wider region to protect our homeland and our allies and we will continue to,&quot; vowed Pence.

To highlight what Washington calls the regime&#39;s human rights &quot;abuses&quot;, the vice president will attend the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Olympics with the father of the late former North Korea prisoner Otto Warmbier.

The US and North Korea have been locked in a fierce war of words.

US President Donald Trump has mocked North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un as &quot;rocket man&quot; and the young dictator has threatened to rain nuclear destruction on the United States.&nbsp;

But Kim has taken a more conciliatory tone in 2018, calling for detente with the South Koreans and accepting an invitation for his country to participate in what is being billed as the &quot;peace Olympics.&quot;

The two Koreas held a rare high-level meeting last month and the North&#39;s ceremonial head of state is due to arrive Friday, the highest-ranking Pyongyang official ever to visit the South.

Nevertheless, the peninsula remains tense, with the North slamming anti-Pyongyang activists who protested against its participation as a &quot;spasm of psychopaths.&quot;

For his part, Abe said that Japan and the US had &quot;confirmed... that we can never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea.&quot;

Abe added that the allies would urge other countries not to be &quot;captivated by the charm offensive of North Korea.&quot;En route to Japan, Pence declined to rule out a meeting with the North Korean delegation also attending the opening ceremony, offering the faintest hope of a diplomatic breakthrough.

&quot;I have not requested a meeting, but we&#39;ll see what happens,&quot; Pence said during a stop in Alaska.

However, he appeared to take a tougher line in Tokyo, saying that North Korea must not be allowed to &quot;hijack the message and imagery of the Olympic Games.&quot;

&quot;We will not allow North Korea to hide behind the Olympic banner the reality that they enslave their people and threaten the wider region,&quot; he said.

It is not clear how long any respite in tensions will last after the Games, especially when the United States and South Korea resume their delayed joint annual military exercises, a perennial irritant for Pyongyang.

North Korea&#39;s official KCNA news agency warned on Tuesday the resumption of the drills will throw the Korean peninsula back to &quot;the grim phase of catastrophe&quot;.

Earlier Wednesday, Pence inspected Japan&#39;s missile defence system and stressed the &quot;unwavering&quot; commitment to what he called a &quot;critical&quot; alliance.

He will address troops at a US air base outside Tokyo on Thursday before heading on to South Korea.

Pence pledged that Washington would 'intensify its maximum pressure campaign' on the North, working with Tokyo

US Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday Washington would soon unveil its "toughest sanctions ever" on North Korea, adding that the regime in Pyongyang would not be allowed to "hijack" the upcoming Olympics. Speaking in Japan before attending the opening ceremony of the Winter Games in South Korea, Pence pledged that Washington would "intensify its maximum pressure campaign" on the North, working with Tokyo. "I'm announcing today that the United States will soon unveil the toughest and most aggressive round of economic sanctions on North Korea ever," he said, without giving further details. Pence's three-day visit to Japan came as Washington seeks to bolster ties with its allies in the region and maintain pressure on the regime in Pyongyang despite a recent thaw on the peninsula. "All options are on the table and the US has deployed some of our most advanced military assets to Japan and the wider region to protect our homeland and our allies and we will continue to," vowed Pence. To highlight what Washington calls the regime's human rights "abuses", the vice president will attend the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Olympics with the father of the late former North Korea prisoner Otto Warmbier. The US and North Korea have been locked in a fierce war of words. US President Donald Trump has mocked North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un as "rocket man" and the young dictator has threatened to rain nuclear destruction on the United States. But Kim has taken a more conciliatory tone in 2018, calling for detente with the South Koreans and accepting an invitation for his country to participate in what is being billed as the "peace Olympics." The two Koreas held a rare high-level meeting last month and the North's ceremonial head of state is due to arrive Friday, the highest-ranking Pyongyang official ever to visit the South. Nevertheless, the peninsula remains tense, with the North slamming anti-Pyongyang activists who protested against its participation as a "spasm of psychopaths." For his part, Abe said that Japan and the US had "confirmed... that we can never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea." Abe added that the allies would urge other countries not to be "captivated by the charm offensive of North Korea."En route to Japan, Pence declined to rule out a meeting with the North Korean delegation also attending the opening ceremony, offering the faintest hope of a diplomatic breakthrough. "I have not requested a meeting, but we'll see what happens," Pence said during a stop in Alaska. However, he appeared to take a tougher line in Tokyo, saying that North Korea must not be allowed to "hijack the message and imagery of the Olympic Games." "We will not allow North Korea to hide behind the Olympic banner the reality that they enslave their people and threaten the wider region," he said. It is not clear how long any respite in tensions will last after the Games, especially when the United States and South Korea resume their delayed joint annual military exercises, a perennial irritant for Pyongyang. North Korea's official KCNA news agency warned on Tuesday the resumption of the drills will throw the Korean peninsula back to "the grim phase of catastrophe". Earlier Wednesday, Pence inspected Japan's missile defence system and stressed the "unwavering" commitment to what he called a "critical" alliance. He will address troops at a US air base outside Tokyo on Thursday before heading on to South Korea.

Pence announces 'toughest' US sanctions on North Korea

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev lashed new US sanctions as a &quot;full-fledged economic war&quot; on Moscow, saying they crushed hopes for repairing ties and demonstrated President Donald Trump&#39;s &quot;total weakness ... in the most humiliating way.&quot;

Trump reluctantly signed off on the new sanctions Wednesday, bowing to domestic pressure after the White House failed to scupper the bill or water it down.

Medvedev warned the move would have &quot;consequences&quot;, saying &quot;it ends hopes for improving our relations with the new US administration.&quot;

&quot;Second, it is a declaration of a full-fledged economic war on Russia,&quot; Medvedev said on his Facebook page.

Taunting the notoriously thin-skinned US president, Medvedev added: &quot;The Trump administration has shown its total weakness by handing over executive power to Congress in the most humiliating way&quot;.

Trump signed the legislation behind closed doors and his reluctance was on full display in an angry signing statement in which he called the legislation &quot;significantly flawed.&quot;

&quot;In its haste to pass this legislation, the Congress included a number of clearly unconstitutional provisions,&quot; he said, including curbs on the president&#39;s ability to &quot;negotiate&quot; with Russia.

&quot;I built a truly great company worth many billions of dollars. That is a big part of the reason I was elected. As president, I can make far better deals with foreign countries than Congress,&quot; Trump claimed.

The legislation - which also includes measures against North Korea and Iran - targets the Russian energy sector, giving Washington the ability to impose sanctions on companies involved in developing Russian pipelines, and placing curbs on some Russian weapons exporters.

Iran, too, reacted angrily, saying the new sanctions against it &quot;violated&quot; its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, and warned it would respond &quot;appropriately.&quot;

With regards to Russia, the sanctions notably constrains Trump&#39;s ability to waive the penalties - a statement of mistrust from the Republican-controlled Congress, which remains unsettled by Trump&#39;s warm words for President Vladimir Putin.

In his statement, Trump said: &quot;The Framers of our Constitution put foreign affairs in the hands of the President. This bill will prove the wisdom of that choice.&quot;

In a searing rebuttal, maverick Republican Senator John McCain said: &quot;The framers of our constitution made the Congress and the President coequal branches of government. This bill has already proven the wisdom of that choice.&quot;

&quot;I hope the president will be as vocal about Russia&#39;s aggressive behaviour as he was about his concerns with this legislation.&quot;

The sanctions seek to penalise the Kremlin for allegedly meddling in the 2016 US presidential election and for Russia&#39;s annexation of Crimea.

&nbsp;

The Russian Prime Minister said the new sanctions end hopes of improving relations with the new US administration

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev lashed new US sanctions as a "full-fledged economic war" on Moscow, saying they crushed hopes for repairing ties and demonstrated President Donald Trump's "total weakness ... in the most humiliating way." Trump reluctantly signed off on the new sanctions Wednesday, bowing to domestic pressure after the White House failed to scupper the bill or water it down. Medvedev warned the move would have "consequences", saying "it ends hopes for improving our relations with the new US administration." "Second, it is a declaration of a full-fledged economic war on Russia," Medvedev said on his Facebook page. Taunting the notoriously thin-skinned US president, Medvedev added: "The Trump administration has shown its total weakness by handing over executive power to Congress in the most humiliating way". Trump signed the legislation behind closed doors and his reluctance was on full display in an angry signing statement in which he called the legislation "significantly flawed." "In its haste to pass this legislation, the Congress included a number of clearly unconstitutional provisions," he said, including curbs on the president's ability to "negotiate" with Russia. "I built a truly great company worth many billions of dollars. That is a big part of the reason I was elected. As president, I can make far better deals with foreign countries than Congress," Trump claimed. The legislation - which also includes measures against North Korea and Iran - targets the Russian energy sector, giving Washington the ability to impose sanctions on companies involved in developing Russian pipelines, and placing curbs on some Russian weapons exporters. Iran, too, reacted angrily, saying the new sanctions against it "violated" its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, and warned it would respond "appropriately." With regards to Russia, the sanctions notably constrains Trump's ability to waive the penalties - a statement of mistrust from the Republican-controlled Congress, which remains unsettled by Trump's warm words for President Vladimir Putin. In his statement, Trump said: "The Framers of our Constitution put foreign affairs in the hands of the President. This bill will prove the wisdom of that choice." In a searing rebuttal, maverick Republican Senator John McCain said: "The framers of our constitution made the Congress and the President coequal branches of government. This bill has already proven the wisdom of that choice." "I hope the president will be as vocal about Russia's aggressive behaviour as he was about his concerns with this legislation." The sanctions seek to penalise the Kremlin for allegedly meddling in the 2016 US presidential election and for Russia's annexation of Crimea.

Russia lashes out at new US sanctions, calls them 'full-fledged economic war'

Russia may impose counter-measures on the United States after US President Donald Trump signed into law a new round of economic sanctions on Moscow, the Russian foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

The new US penalties were short-sighted and risked harming global stability, it said in a statement on its website.

&quot;It&#39;s high time to realise that threats and attempts to exert pressure on Russia will not make it change its course or sacrifice its national interests,&quot; the statement read.

US President Donald Trump signed into law a new round of economic sanctions on Moscow that targets the Russian energy sector

Russia may impose counter-measures on the United States after US President Donald Trump signed into law a new round of economic sanctions on Moscow, the Russian foreign ministry said on Wednesday. The new US penalties were short-sighted and risked harming global stability, it said in a statement on its website. "It's high time to realise that threats and attempts to exert pressure on Russia will not make it change its course or sacrifice its national interests," the statement read.

Russia may impose counter-measures on US after new sanctions: foreign ministry

Iran said on Thursday that new sanctions imposed by the United States had violated its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and that the country would respond.

&quot;We believe that the nuclear deal has been violated and we will react appropriately,&quot; deputy foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said on state television, following news that US President Donald Trump had signed the new sanctions into law.

&quot;We will certainly not fall into the trap of US policy and Trump, and our reaction will be very carefully considered.&quot;

Trump signed off the new sanctions, which also target Russia and North Korea, on Wednesday.&nbsp;

The sanctions target Iran&#39;s missile programme and human rights violations, which were not covered under the 2015 nuclear deal.&nbsp;

However, Iran says they go against the spirit of the agreement and said earlier this week that it would lodge a complaint with the commission that oversees its implementation.&nbsp;

The sanctions target Iran's missile programme and human rights violations, which were not covered under the 2015 nuclear deal.?

Iran said on Thursday that new sanctions imposed by the United States had violated its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and that the country would respond. "We believe that the nuclear deal has been violated and we will react appropriately," deputy foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said on state television, following news that US President Donald Trump had signed the new sanctions into law. "We will certainly not fall into the trap of US policy and Trump, and our reaction will be very carefully considered." Trump signed off the new sanctions, which also target Russia and North Korea, on Wednesday. The sanctions target Iran's missile programme and human rights violations, which were not covered under the 2015 nuclear deal. However, Iran says they go against the spirit of the agreement and said earlier this week that it would lodge a complaint with the commission that oversees its implementation.

New US sanctions violate 2015 nuclear deal: Iran

All the parties to the Iran nuclear deal are abiding by its terms, the European Union said on Thursday, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/iran-says-nuclear-deal-violated-by-new-us-sanctions-18531">despite Tehran&#39;s charges that new US sanctions breach the agreement</a>.

Tehran says the new measures violate its 2015 deal with world powers that eased sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme, an agreement which US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to tear up.

&quot;So far we consider that all parties have been implementing their commitments under the deal,&quot; Catherine Ray, a spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, told a press briefing in Brussels.

&quot;We expect their continued adherence,&quot; Ray said when asked to comment on the Iranian charges.

Ray based her expectation on a July 21 meeting in Vienna of the Mogherini-chaired commission that brings together Iran and the other parties to discuss the deal&#39;s implementation.

Mogherini&#39;s office issued a statement at the time saying the meeting&#39;s participants confirmed their continued adherence and &quot;stressed the need to ensure its full and effective implementation in a constructive atmosphere.&quot;

Ray said the joint commission allowed for the Iranian view on new US sanctions to be widely discussed.

The United States enacted Wednesday new sanctions targeting Iran&#39;s ballistic missile programme, alleging human rights abuses and its support for the Lebanese Hezbollah, which Washington calls a terrorist group.

Following the nuclear deal, Washington and the EU lifted sanctions related to Iran&#39;s atomic programme that the West alleged was for military purposes but Tehran said was peaceful.&nbsp;

Mogherini is due in Tehran on Saturday for the inauguration of Hassan Rouhani, who was re-elected to a second term as president in May.

EU countries Britain, France and Germany, which signed the deal along with Russia, China and the United States, remain firm backers of the agreement and have criticised the Trump administration for threatening to scrap it.&nbsp;

EU comments came despite Tehran's charges that new US sanctions breach the agreement

All the parties to the Iran nuclear deal are abiding by its terms, the European Union said on Thursday, despite Tehran's charges that new US sanctions breach the agreement. Tehran says the new measures violate its 2015 deal with world powers that eased sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme, an agreement which US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to tear up. "So far we consider that all parties have been implementing their commitments under the deal," Catherine Ray, a spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, told a press briefing in Brussels. "We expect their continued adherence," Ray said when asked to comment on the Iranian charges. Ray based her expectation on a July 21 meeting in Vienna of the Mogherini-chaired commission that brings together Iran and the other parties to discuss the deal's implementation. Mogherini's office issued a statement at the time saying the meeting's participants confirmed their continued adherence and "stressed the need to ensure its full and effective implementation in a constructive atmosphere." Ray said the joint commission allowed for the Iranian view on new US sanctions to be widely discussed. The United States enacted Wednesday new sanctions targeting Iran's ballistic missile programme, alleging human rights abuses and its support for the Lebanese Hezbollah, which Washington calls a terrorist group. Following the nuclear deal, Washington and the EU lifted sanctions related to Iran's atomic programme that the West alleged was for military purposes but Tehran said was peaceful. Mogherini is due in Tehran on Saturday for the inauguration of Hassan Rouhani, who was re-elected to a second term as president in May. EU countries Britain, France and Germany, which signed the deal along with Russia, China and the United States, remain firm backers of the agreement and have criticised the Trump administration for threatening to scrap it.

Despite Iran reservations, EU says all parties sticking to Iran nuclear deal

Iran on Saturday condemned new sanctions passed by the US Congress against its missile programme, which President Donald Trump is set to sign into law, and vowed to continue it.

&quot;We will continue with full power our missile programme,&quot; foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi told state broadcaster IRIB.

&quot;We consider the action by the US as hostile, reprehensible and unacceptable, and it&#39;s ultimately an effort to weaken the nuclear deal,&quot; Ghasemi added, referring to a 2015 agreement with the United States and other world powers that lifted some sanctions on Tehran.

&quot;The military and missile fields... are our domestic policies and others have no right to intervene or comment on them.

&quot;We reserve the right to reciprocate and make an adequate response to the US actions,&quot; he said.

The sanctions bill, which also targets Russia and North Korea, was passed by the US Senate on Thursday, two days after being approved by the House of Representatives.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Friday that President Donald Trump will sign the bill into law.

Separately on Friday, Washington imposed new sanctions targeting Iran&#39;s missile programme a day after Tehran tested a satellite-launch rocket.

The US Treasury singled out six companies owned or controlled by Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group, which it said was central to the programme, freezing their US assets and barring US citizens from dealing with them.

The sanctions bill, which also targets Russia and North Korea, was passed by the US Senate on Thursday, two days after being approved by the House of Representatives

Iran on Saturday condemned new sanctions passed by the US Congress against its missile programme, which President Donald Trump is set to sign into law, and vowed to continue it. "We will continue with full power our missile programme," foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi told state broadcaster IRIB. "We consider the action by the US as hostile, reprehensible and unacceptable, and it's ultimately an effort to weaken the nuclear deal," Ghasemi added, referring to a 2015 agreement with the United States and other world powers that lifted some sanctions on Tehran. "The military and missile fields... are our domestic policies and others have no right to intervene or comment on them. "We reserve the right to reciprocate and make an adequate response to the US actions," he said. The sanctions bill, which also targets Russia and North Korea, was passed by the US Senate on Thursday, two days after being approved by the House of Representatives. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Friday that President Donald Trump will sign the bill into law. Separately on Friday, Washington imposed new sanctions targeting Iran's missile programme a day after Tehran tested a satellite-launch rocket. The US Treasury singled out six companies owned or controlled by Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group, which it said was central to the programme, freezing their US assets and barring US citizens from dealing with them.

Iran to carry on missile programme, condemns US sanctions

The US&nbsp;House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to slap new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea, despite President Donald Trump&#39;s objections to the legislation.

The sanctions bill coincided with lawmakers taking steps to show they are willing to push hard as they investigate possible meddling by Russia in the 2016 presidential election and potential collusion by Republican Trump&#39;s campaign.

The Trump administration has objected to a provision that would oblige the president to obtain congressional approval before easing any sanctions on Moscow.

The Senate Judiciary Committee said on Tuesday it wanted Paul Manafort, a former campaign manager for Trump, to appear at a hearing as part of its investigation.

Also on Tuesday, Trump&#39;s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, spent three hours with the House of Representatives intelligence panel, his second straight day on Capitol Hill answering questions about his contacts with Russians during the campaign.

Moscow has denied it worked to influence the election in the Republican candidate&#39;s favor, and Trump has denied his campaign colluded.

The sanctions bill, passed 419 votes to 3 in the House, must also pass the Senate before it can be sent to the White House for Trump to sign into law or veto.

The bill, which had the support of both Republicans and Democrats in the House, aims to punish Russia for its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and over conclusions by US&nbsp;intelligence agencies that it interfered in the US&nbsp;election.

An earlier version was passed overwhelmingly by the Senate, but there are differences between the two measures that must now be worked out.

The measure&#39;s fate in the Senate is uncertain. A spokesman for John Cornyn, the no&nbsp;2 Republican, said on Tuesday there had been no decision on when the Senate might begin to consider the House bill.

Republican Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters on Monday there were still issues under discussion and that any announcement about a deal to move the bill forward &quot;seemed somewhat premature.&quot;

The White House has said the president had not yet decided whether he would sign the measure, which would potentially hamper Trump&#39;s hopes of pursuing improved relations with Moscow.

Rejecting the bill would carry a risk that his veto could be overridden by lawmakers.

Late on Monday, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Trump was still studying the bill and considering whether he would support it.

The bill has raised concerns in the European Union, where the legislation could result in fines for companies helping Russia build gas pipelines like the 9.5 billion euro ($11.1 billion) Nord Stream 2 project.

The sanctions bill coincided with lawmakers taking steps to show they are willing to push hard as they investigate possible meddling by Russia in the 2016 presidential election

The US House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to slap new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea, despite President Donald Trump's objections to the legislation. The sanctions bill coincided with lawmakers taking steps to show they are willing to push hard as they investigate possible meddling by Russia in the 2016 presidential election and potential collusion by Republican Trump's campaign. The Trump administration has objected to a provision that would oblige the president to obtain congressional approval before easing any sanctions on Moscow. The Senate Judiciary Committee said on Tuesday it wanted Paul Manafort, a former campaign manager for Trump, to appear at a hearing as part of its investigation. Also on Tuesday, Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, spent three hours with the House of Representatives intelligence panel, his second straight day on Capitol Hill answering questions about his contacts with Russians during the campaign. Moscow has denied it worked to influence the election in the Republican candidate's favor, and Trump has denied his campaign colluded. The sanctions bill, passed 419 votes to 3 in the House, must also pass the Senate before it can be sent to the White House for Trump to sign into law or veto. The bill, which had the support of both Republicans and Democrats in the House, aims to punish Russia for its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and over conclusions by US intelligence agencies that it interfered in the US election. An earlier version was passed overwhelmingly by the Senate, but there are differences between the two measures that must now be worked out. The measure's fate in the Senate is uncertain. A spokesman for John Cornyn, the no 2 Republican, said on Tuesday there had been no decision on when the Senate might begin to consider the House bill. Republican Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters on Monday there were still issues under discussion and that any announcement about a deal to move the bill forward "seemed somewhat premature." The White House has said the president had not yet decided whether he would sign the measure, which would potentially hamper Trump's hopes of pursuing improved relations with Moscow. Rejecting the bill would carry a risk that his veto could be overridden by lawmakers. Late on Monday, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Trump was still studying the bill and considering whether he would support it. The bill has raised concerns in the European Union, where the legislation could result in fines for companies helping Russia build gas pipelines like the 9.5 billion euro ($11.1 billion) Nord Stream 2 project.

US House approves new Russia sanctions, defying Trump

The Trump administration could respond to North Korea&#39;s latest failed missile test by speeding up its plans for new US sanctions against Pyongyang, including possible measures against specific North Korean and Chinese entities, a US official told Reuters on Friday.

With North Korea acting in defiance of pressure from the United States and North Korea&#39;s main ally, China, Washington could also conduct new naval drills and deploy more ships and aircraft in the region as a show of force, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

&quot;It&#39;s possible that something could be sped up,&quot; the official said of the potential for imposing a limited package of targeted sanctions on North Korea. &quot;Something that&#39;s ready to go could be taken from the larger package and expedited.&quot;

The source said the ballistic missile launch was the kind of &quot;provocation&quot; that had been anticipated ahead of South Korea&#39;s May 9 election, and President Donald Trump could use the test-firing to further press China to do more to rein in North Korea.

US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the missile fired from a region north of Pyongyang was probably a medium-range missile known as a KN-17 and appears to have broken up within minutes of taking off.

Should North Korea test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile as it has threatened, Washington would consider it a more dangerous milestone, the administration official told Reuters, suggesting it would draw a much tougher US response.

The Trump administration is especially worried about Pyongyang&#39;s work to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the United States. Washington is also watching closely for the possibility of North Korea&#39;s sixth nuclear test.

The missile test came just hours after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned the United Nations Security Council that failure to curb North Korea&#39;s nuclear and ballistic missile programs could lead to &quot;catastrophic consequences.&quot;

The official said any new sanctions could be rolled out in coming days and may hit a number of entities that have already been &quot;vetted&quot; by the US government for such measures, while the administration continues crafting a broader sanctions package.

The targets, the official said, could include financial institutions and front companies in North Korea as well as China, which could anger Beijing.

While Trump has praised Chinese President Xi Jinping for signalling increased cooperation on the North Korea issue, the official said Beijing still &quot;needs to draw some sort of line in the sand&quot; with Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile programs.

The military options under active consideration include displays of US power in the region meant to deter North Korea and reassure US allies South Korea, the official said.

But it stops short of pre-emptive U.S. military strikes, which could run the risk of massive North Korean retaliation and huge casualties in Japan and South Korea and among US forces in both countries.

(Reuters)

Washington could conduct new naval drills and deploy more ships and aircraft in the region

The Trump administration could respond to North Korea's latest failed missile test by speeding up its plans for new US sanctions against Pyongyang, including possible measures against specific North Korean and Chinese entities, a US official told Reuters on Friday. With North Korea acting in defiance of pressure from the United States and North Korea's main ally, China, Washington could also conduct new naval drills and deploy more ships and aircraft in the region as a show of force, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "It's possible that something could be sped up," the official said of the potential for imposing a limited package of targeted sanctions on North Korea. "Something that's ready to go could be taken from the larger package and expedited." The source said the ballistic missile launch was the kind of "provocation" that had been anticipated ahead of South Korea's May 9 election, and President Donald Trump could use the test-firing to further press China to do more to rein in North Korea. US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the missile fired from a region north of Pyongyang was probably a medium-range missile known as a KN-17 and appears to have broken up within minutes of taking off. Should North Korea test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile as it has threatened, Washington would consider it a more dangerous milestone, the administration official told Reuters, suggesting it would draw a much tougher US response. The Trump administration is especially worried about Pyongyang's work to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the United States. Washington is also watching closely for the possibility of North Korea's sixth nuclear test. The missile test came just hours after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned the United Nations Security Council that failure to curb North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs could lead to "catastrophic consequences." The official said any new sanctions could be rolled out in coming days and may hit a number of entities that have already been "vetted" by the US government for such measures, while the administration continues crafting a broader sanctions package. The targets, the official said, could include financial institutions and front companies in North Korea as well as China, which could anger Beijing. While Trump has praised Chinese President Xi Jinping for signalling increased cooperation on the North Korea issue, the official said Beijing still "needs to draw some sort of line in the sand" with Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile programs. The military options under active consideration include displays of US power in the region meant to deter North Korea and reassure US allies South Korea, the official said. But it stops short of pre-emptive U.S. military strikes, which could run the risk of massive North Korean retaliation and huge casualties in Japan and South Korea and among US forces in both countries. (Reuters)

US could respond to Pyongyang's latest failed missile test by speeding up sanctions

China on Monday said it had &quot;lodged representations&quot; with the United States over Washington&#39;s new sanctions list targeting Iran, which includes Chinese companies and individuals.

The sanctions on 25 people and entities imposed on Friday by President Donald Trump&#39;s administration, and came two days it had put Iran &quot;on notice&quot; following a ballistic missile test.

Those affected by the sanctions cannot access the US financial system or deal with US companies, and are subject to secondary sanctions, meaning foreign companies and individuals are prohibited from dealing with them or risk being blacklisted by the United States.

The list includes two Chinese companies and three Chinese people, only one of whom the US Treasury Department explicitly said was a Chinese citizen, a person called Qin Xianhua.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said that Beijing had lodged a protest with Washington, and that such sanctions, particularly when they harmed the interests of a third party, were &quot;not helpful&quot; in promoting mutual trust.

&quot;We have consistently opposed any unilateral sanctions,&quot; Lu told a regular press briefing.

Executives of two Chinese companies included on the list said on Sunday they had only exported &quot;normal&quot; goods to the Middle Eastern country and didn&#39;t consider they had done anything wrong.

China has in the past been angered by what it calls unilateral sanctions placed on Chinese firms by the United States and others in relation to Iran or North Korea&#39;s nuclear ambitions.

China has close economic and diplomatic ties with Tehran, but was also instrumental in pushing through a landmark 2015 deal to curb Iran&#39;s nuclear program.

(Reuters)

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said that such sanctions, particularly when they hurt a third party, are not helpful in promoting ties

China on Monday said it had "lodged representations" with the United States over Washington's new sanctions list targeting Iran, which includes Chinese companies and individuals. The sanctions on 25 people and entities imposed on Friday by President Donald Trump's administration, and came two days it had put Iran "on notice" following a ballistic missile test. Those affected by the sanctions cannot access the US financial system or deal with US companies, and are subject to secondary sanctions, meaning foreign companies and individuals are prohibited from dealing with them or risk being blacklisted by the United States. The list includes two Chinese companies and three Chinese people, only one of whom the US Treasury Department explicitly said was a Chinese citizen, a person called Qin Xianhua. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said that Beijing had lodged a protest with Washington, and that such sanctions, particularly when they harmed the interests of a third party, were "not helpful" in promoting mutual trust. "We have consistently opposed any unilateral sanctions," Lu told a regular press briefing. Executives of two Chinese companies included on the list said on Sunday they had only exported "normal" goods to the Middle Eastern country and didn't consider they had done anything wrong. China has in the past been angered by what it calls unilateral sanctions placed on Chinese firms by the United States and others in relation to Iran or North Korea's nuclear ambitions. China has close economic and diplomatic ties with Tehran, but was also instrumental in pushing through a landmark 2015 deal to curb Iran's nuclear program. (Reuters)

Beijing lodges 'protest' with US over Iran sanctions affecting Chinese companies

US President-elect Donald Trump said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that he would keep intact sanctions against Russia &quot;at least for a period of time,&quot; but added he would be open to lifting sanctions if Moscow proves helpful in battling terrorists and reaching other goals important to Washington.

Trump&nbsp;also said he wouldn&#39;t commit to the &quot;One-China&quot; policy until he sees progress from Beijing in its currency and trade practices.

In excerpts published by the Wall Stree Journal, Trump said, &quot;If you get along and if Russia is really helping us, why would anybody have sanctions if somebody&rsquo;s doing some really great things?&quot;

Trump told the newspaper he is prepared to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin some time after he is sworn in on January 20.

&quot;I understand that they would like to meet, and that&rsquo;s absolutely fine with me,&quot; he said. Asked if he supported the &quot;One-China&quot; policy on Taiwan that has underpinned US relations with Beijing for decades, Trump told the Journal: &quot;Everything is under negotiation including One-China.&quot;

Trump angered the Chinese by taking a congratulatory phone call after his election win from Taiwan&#39;s leader and questioning the &quot;One-China&quot; policy. The United States has acknowledged the Chinese position that there is only One-China and that Taiwan is part of China.

Trump has said in the past he would label China a currency manipulator after he takes office. In the interview, he said he wouldn&rsquo;t take that step on his first day in the White House. &ldquo;I would talk to them first,&quot; he said. &quot;Certainly they are manipulators,&quot; he added. &quot;But I&rsquo;m not looking to do that.&quot;

But he made plain his displeasure with China&rsquo;s currency practices. &quot;Instead of saying, &#39;We&rsquo;re devaluating our currency,&#39; they say, &#39;Oh, our currency is dropping.&#39; It&rsquo;s not dropping. They&rsquo;re doing it on purpose,&quot; he said, according to the Journal.

&quot;Our companies can&rsquo;t compete with them now because our currency is strong and it&rsquo;s killing us,&quot; the Journal quoted Trump as saying.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

'If you get along and if Russia is really helping us, why would anybody have sanctions if somebody?s doing... really great things?' he said

US President-elect Donald Trump said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that he would keep intact sanctions against Russia "at least for a period of time," but added he would be open to lifting sanctions if Moscow proves helpful in battling terrorists and reaching other goals important to Washington. Trump also said he wouldn't commit to the "One-China" policy until he sees progress from Beijing in its currency and trade practices. In excerpts published by the Wall Stree Journal, Trump said, "If you get along and if Russia is really helping us, why would anybody have sanctions if somebody’s doing some really great things?" Trump told the newspaper he is prepared to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin some time after he is sworn in on January 20. "I understand that they would like to meet, and that’s absolutely fine with me," he said. Asked if he supported the "One-China" policy on Taiwan that has underpinned US relations with Beijing for decades, Trump told the Journal: "Everything is under negotiation including One-China." Trump angered the Chinese by taking a congratulatory phone call after his election win from Taiwan's leader and questioning the "One-China" policy. The United States has acknowledged the Chinese position that there is only One-China and that Taiwan is part of China. Trump has said in the past he would label China a currency manipulator after he takes office. In the interview, he said he wouldn’t take that step on his first day in the White House. “I would talk to them first," he said. "Certainly they are manipulators," he added. "But I’m not looking to do that." But he made plain his displeasure with China’s currency practices. "Instead of saying, 'We’re devaluating our currency,' they say, 'Oh, our currency is dropping.' It’s not dropping. They’re doing it on purpose," he said, according to the Journal. "Our companies can’t compete with them now because our currency is strong and it’s killing us," the Journal quoted Trump as saying. (Reuters)

Trump open to lifting Russia sanctions if Moscow 'is helpful'

President Vladimir Putin ruled out on Friday expelling anyone in retaliation for Washington&#39;s decision to throw out 35 Russian diplomats and impose sanctions on two of the country&#39;s intelligence agencies.

RIA news agency quoted Putin as saying he would consider the actions of President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office next month, when deciding on further steps in Russia-US&nbsp;relations.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov proposed to Putin that Moscow expel 35 US&nbsp;diplomats and ban US&nbsp;diplomatic staff from using two facilities in Moscow, his ministry said.

This followed President Barack Obama&#39;s decision to expel the 35 Russian diplomats suspected of spying and to impose sanctions on the two Russian intelligence agencies over their alleged involvement in hacking US&nbsp;political groups in the 2016 presidential election. Lavrov said the allegations that Russia interfered in U.S. elections were baseless.

Putin rejected Lavrov&#39;s plan. &quot;We will not expel anyone,&quot; he said in a statement. He also said he saw the sanctions as another step to undermine relations between Moscow and Washington, and he regretted that the Obama administration was ending its term in such a way.

Russian officials have portrayed the US&nbsp;sanctions as a last act of a lame-duck president and suggested that Trump could reverse them when he takes over the White House in January.

Earlier Russian Prime Minster Dmitry Medvedev said the Obama administration was ending its term in &quot;anti-Russia death throes&quot;.

&quot;It is regrettable that the Obama administration, which started out by restoring our ties, is ending its term in an anti-Russia death throes. RIP,&quot; Medvedev, who served as president in 2009 when Obama tried to improve Russia-US&nbsp;relations, wrote on his official Facebook page.

The US&nbsp;sanctions also closed two Russian compounds in New York and Maryland that the administration said were used by Russian personnel for &quot;intelligence-related purposes&quot;.

(Reuters)

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had earlier proposed to expel US?diplomats in retaliation

President Vladimir Putin ruled out on Friday expelling anyone in retaliation for Washington's decision to throw out 35 Russian diplomats and impose sanctions on two of the country's intelligence agencies. RIA news agency quoted Putin as saying he would consider the actions of President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office next month, when deciding on further steps in Russia-US relations. Earlier, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov proposed to Putin that Moscow expel 35 US diplomats and ban US diplomatic staff from using two facilities in Moscow, his ministry said. This followed President Barack Obama's decision to expel the 35 Russian diplomats suspected of spying and to impose sanctions on the two Russian intelligence agencies over their alleged involvement in hacking US political groups in the 2016 presidential election. Lavrov said the allegations that Russia interfered in U.S. elections were baseless. Putin rejected Lavrov's plan. "We will not expel anyone," he said in a statement. He also said he saw the sanctions as another step to undermine relations between Moscow and Washington, and he regretted that the Obama administration was ending its term in such a way. Russian officials have portrayed the US sanctions as a last act of a lame-duck president and suggested that Trump could reverse them when he takes over the White House in January. Earlier Russian Prime Minster Dmitry Medvedev said the Obama administration was ending its term in "anti-Russia death throes". "It is regrettable that the Obama administration, which started out by restoring our ties, is ending its term in an anti-Russia death throes. RIP," Medvedev, who served as president in 2009 when Obama tried to improve Russia-US relations, wrote on his official Facebook page. The US sanctions also closed two Russian compounds in New York and Maryland that the administration said were used by Russian personnel for "intelligence-related purposes". (Reuters)

Russia's Putin rules out expelling US diplomats

At least 50 people were killed in clashes between anti-government protesters and Congolese police on Monday.&nbsp; 
 
The opposition is protesting in the capital Kinshasa against President Joseph Kabila&#39;s bid to extend his mandate unconstitutionally.&nbsp; 
 
Demonstrators are demanding the resignation of Kabila, who has ruled the Democratic Republic of Congo since 2001. They have also called for further demonstrations. 
 
Angry crowds torched the offices of politicians loyal to Kabila and tore down giant posters of the president. 
 
Rights groups reported dozens of arrests of protesters and journalists in the capital as well as in Goma and Kisangani, where anti-government marches also took place. 
 
&quot;Today&#39;s march shows that the security forces have not switched their tactics and are still clamping down on anyone opposed to Kabila,&quot; said Ida Sawyer, senior researcher at Human Rights Watch. 
 
The opposition has accused Kabila of plotting to extend his tenure by delaying elections that were supposed to be held in November until at least next year. His supporters have denied the charge.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The sad and painful death toll from these barbaric and extremely savage acts is as follows: 17 dead of which three were policemen,&quot; said Interior Minister Evariste Boshab, condemning &quot;the use of violence to incite disorder and chaos&quot;. 
 
There has been growing international pressure on Kabila to step down when his term ends in December.&nbsp; 
 
The latest violence has prompted a threat of further sanctions from the United States on those responsible for violence and repression. 
 
It had imposed targeted sanctions on a Kinshasa police chief in June. 
 
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon too urged Congolese national security forces to exercise restraint. 
 
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault added that European nations will discuss the possibility of imposing sanctions.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
 
&nbsp;

Opposition demanded President Joseph Kabila's resignation, accusing him of plotting to extend his tenure by delaying elections

At least 50 people were killed in clashes between anti-government protesters and Congolese police on Monday. The opposition is protesting in the capital Kinshasa against President Joseph Kabila's bid to extend his mandate unconstitutionally. Demonstrators are demanding the resignation of Kabila, who has ruled the Democratic Republic of Congo since 2001. They have also called for further demonstrations. Angry crowds torched the offices of politicians loyal to Kabila and tore down giant posters of the president. Rights groups reported dozens of arrests of protesters and journalists in the capital as well as in Goma and Kisangani, where anti-government marches also took place. "Today's march shows that the security forces have not switched their tactics and are still clamping down on anyone opposed to Kabila," said Ida Sawyer, senior researcher at Human Rights Watch. The opposition has accused Kabila of plotting to extend his tenure by delaying elections that were supposed to be held in November until at least next year. His supporters have denied the charge. "The sad and painful death toll from these barbaric and extremely savage acts is as follows: 17 dead of which three were policemen," said Interior Minister Evariste Boshab, condemning "the use of violence to incite disorder and chaos". There has been growing international pressure on Kabila to step down when his term ends in December. The latest violence has prompted a threat of further sanctions from the United States on those responsible for violence and repression. It had imposed targeted sanctions on a Kinshasa police chief in June. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon too urged Congolese national security forces to exercise restraint. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault added that European nations will discuss the possibility of imposing sanctions. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Congo anti-government march turns violent, at least 50 dead

North Korea said on Sunday that the United States&rsquo; push for further sanctions against the country was &ldquo;laughable&rdquo;. 
 
With its fifth and biggest nuclear test on Friday, North Korea vowed to continue strengthening its nuclear power, having reportedly mastered the ability to mount a warhead on a ballistic missile. 
 
A US special envoy met Japanese officials on Sunday, saying later that the US may launch unilateral sanctions against North Korea. 
 
&quot;The group of Obama&#39;s running around and talking about meaningless sanctions until today is highly laughable, when their &#39;strategic patience&#39; policy is completely worn out and they are close to packing up to move out,&quot; state-run KCNA news agency cited a North Korean foreign ministry spokesman as saying on Sunday. 
 
The United States, Britain, and France have pushed for new sanctions against North Korea. 
 
Obama said South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had agreed to work with the UN Security Council to enforce existing measures and to take &quot;additional significant steps, including new sanctions&quot;. 
 
South Korea&#39;s top nuclear envoy also spoke to his Chinese counterpart and emphasised the need for fresh measures, the South Korean foreign ministry said in a statement. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

And it vowed to continue strengthening its nuclear power

North Korea said on Sunday that the United States’ push for further sanctions against the country was “laughable”. With its fifth and biggest nuclear test on Friday, North Korea vowed to continue strengthening its nuclear power, having reportedly mastered the ability to mount a warhead on a ballistic missile. A US special envoy met Japanese officials on Sunday, saying later that the US may launch unilateral sanctions against North Korea. "The group of Obama's running around and talking about meaningless sanctions until today is highly laughable, when their 'strategic patience' policy is completely worn out and they are close to packing up to move out," state-run KCNA news agency cited a North Korean foreign ministry spokesman as saying on Sunday. The United States, Britain, and France have pushed for new sanctions against North Korea. Obama said South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had agreed to work with the UN Security Council to enforce existing measures and to take "additional significant steps, including new sanctions". South Korea's top nuclear envoy also spoke to his Chinese counterpart and emphasised the need for fresh measures, the South Korean foreign ministry said in a statement. (WION with inputs from agencies)

North Korea calls push for sanctions 'laughable'

North Korea said on Friday that the new US sanctions targeting its leader Kim Jong-Un amounted to a &quot;declaration of a war&quot; and vowed to take strong retaliatory measures. 
 
The move by the United States constituted &quot;the worst-ever hostile act&quot; and &quot;an open declaration of a war&quot; against the North, Pyongyang&#39;s foreign ministry said in a statement, carried by the official Korean Central News Agency. 
 
The US on Wednesday placed Kim on its sanctions blacklist, calling him directly responsible for a long list of serious human rights abuses. 
 
The sanctions are the first that name the country&#39;s &quot;Supreme Leader&quot;, as well as the first targeting of the reclusive state for rights violations. 
 
Pyongyang, in its first response to the sanctions, urged Washington to withdraw them immediately, warning that the North would instantly cut off all diplomatic channels if they failed to do so. 
 
&quot;The United States has dared to challenge the highest authority of ours, committing the worst-ever hostile act that goes beyond confrontation over the so-called human rights issue. This constitutes an open declaration of a war,&quot; the statement said. 
 
&quot;Now that the US has made a declaration of a war against us, all issues arising from relations with the US will forthwith be handled in accordance with DPRK&#39;s wartime laws,&quot; it said, using the official acronym for North Korea. 
 
Pyongyang will take &quot;extremely strong countermeasures&quot; in response, it added, without elaborating on what this could entail. 
 
Ten other top officials were also blacklisted by the US, accused of being behind widespread abuses that have made North Korea &quot;among the world&#39;s most repressive countries&quot;. 
 
South Korea on Thursday welcomed the move by the US, saying it hoped the move would shine a light on human rights &quot;violations&quot; in the North. 
 
(AFP)

Pyongyang vowed to take 'extremely strong countermeasures', but it did not say what those might be

North Korea said on Friday that the new US sanctions targeting its leader Kim Jong-Un amounted to a "declaration of a war" and vowed to take strong retaliatory measures. The move by the United States constituted "the worst-ever hostile act" and "an open declaration of a war" against the North, Pyongyang's foreign ministry said in a statement, carried by the official Korean Central News Agency. The US on Wednesday placed Kim on its sanctions blacklist, calling him directly responsible for a long list of serious human rights abuses. The sanctions are the first that name the country's "Supreme Leader", as well as the first targeting of the reclusive state for rights violations. Pyongyang, in its first response to the sanctions, urged Washington to withdraw them immediately, warning that the North would instantly cut off all diplomatic channels if they failed to do so. "The United States has dared to challenge the highest authority of ours, committing the worst-ever hostile act that goes beyond confrontation over the so-called human rights issue. This constitutes an open declaration of a war," the statement said. "Now that the US has made a declaration of a war against us, all issues arising from relations with the US will forthwith be handled in accordance with DPRK's wartime laws," it said, using the official acronym for North Korea. Pyongyang will take "extremely strong countermeasures" in response, it added, without elaborating on what this could entail. Ten other top officials were also blacklisted by the US, accused of being behind widespread abuses that have made North Korea "among the world's most repressive countries". South Korea on Thursday welcomed the move by the US, saying it hoped the move would shine a light on human rights "violations" in the North. (AFP)

North Korea says US sanctions targeting leader amount to a 'declaration of war'

The United States on Wednesday declared North Korea as a &quot;primary money laundering concern&quot; and moved to further block its ability to use the US&nbsp;and world financial systems to fund its weapons programmes. 
The US&nbsp;Treasury Department called for a prohibition on certain US&nbsp;financial institutions opening or maintaining correspondent accounts, which are established to receive deposits from or make payments on behalf of a foreign institution, with North Korean financial institutions. 
The department also prohibited the use of US&nbsp;correspondent accounts of third parties to process transactions for North Korean financial institutions. 
The announcement came days after the latest failed missile launch by North Korea. Tensions in the region have been high since January when North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test and then followed that with a satellite launch and test launches of various missiles. 
Those efforts have all fuelled calls in Washington, and abroad, for a clampdown on Pyongyang. 
US&nbsp;law already&nbsp;prohibits&nbsp;US&nbsp;financial institutions from engaging in transactions with North Korean institutions, but Treasury`s latest actions would impose additional controls, especially the prohibitions on the use of third-country banks&#39;&nbsp;US&nbsp;accounts to process transactions for North Korea. 
&quot;This is meaningful,&quot; said Victor Cha, Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. &quot;This is designating the entire country, which means essentially that any entity that is interested in interacting with US&nbsp;financial institutions should no longer have any business with North Korea.&quot; 
&quot;Most, if not all, entities, if faced with the choice of having access to the US&nbsp;financial system or doing business with North Korea, are going to make the obvious choice,&quot; Cha added. 
South Korea&#39;s foreign ministry on Thursday welcomed the move, which it said in a statement would boost the effectiveness of existing sanctions on the North and have a broader impact than a 2005 US&nbsp;Treasury measure that targeted a bank in the Chinese territory of Macau. 
About $24 million of North Korean funds were&nbsp;frozen at Macau`s Banco Delta Asia (BDA) after the US&nbsp;Treasury accused it of helping to channel earnings from the North&#39;s illicit activities, leading to a frantic attempt by Pyongyang to retrieve the money. 
Pyongyang has, since, developed tactics to skirt financial restrictions by resorting to informal means to transfer money, including the use of bulk cash hand-carried by officials. 
Adam Szubin, acting US under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said that Washington is expecting&nbsp;other governments and financial authorities to make similar moves to prevent Pyongyang from &quot;abusing&quot; global financial institutions to support its development of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles. 
&quot;The regime is notoriously deceitful in its financial transactions in order to continue its illicit weapons programs and other destabilising activities,&quot; Szubin said in a statement. 
The Treasury was asked&nbsp;to assess North Korea&#39;s status as a money laundering jurisdiction under the &quot;North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act,&quot; passed nearly unanimously by the US&nbsp;Congress in February. 
A UN&nbsp;Security Council resolution in early March also required member states to sever correspondent banking relationships with North Korean financial institutions within 90 days.

Washington takes action to restrict Pyongyang from using international money channels to fund its weapons programme

The United States on Wednesday declared North Korea as a "primary money laundering concern" and moved to further block its ability to use the US and world financial systems to fund its weapons programmes. The US Treasury Department called for a prohibition on certain US financial institutions opening or maintaining correspondent accounts, which are established to receive deposits from or make payments on behalf of a foreign institution, with North Korean financial institutions. The department also prohibited the use of US correspondent accounts of third parties to process transactions for North Korean financial institutions. The announcement came days after the latest failed missile launch by North Korea. Tensions in the region have been high since January when North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test and then followed that with a satellite launch and test launches of various missiles. Those efforts have all fuelled calls in Washington, and abroad, for a clampdown on Pyongyang. US law already prohibits US financial institutions from engaging in transactions with North Korean institutions, but Treasury`s latest actions would impose additional controls, especially the prohibitions on the use of third-country banks' US accounts to process transactions for North Korea. "This is meaningful," said Victor Cha, Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. "This is designating the entire country, which means essentially that any entity that is interested in interacting with US financial institutions should no longer have any business with North Korea." "Most, if not all, entities, if faced with the choice of having access to the US financial system or doing business with North Korea, are going to make the obvious choice," Cha added. South Korea's foreign ministry on Thursday welcomed the move, which it said in a statement would boost the effectiveness of existing sanctions on the North and have a broader impact than a 2005 US Treasury measure that targeted a bank in the Chinese territory of Macau. About $24 million of North Korean funds were frozen at Macau`s Banco Delta Asia (BDA) after the US Treasury accused it of helping to channel earnings from the North's illicit activities, leading to a frantic attempt by Pyongyang to retrieve the money. Pyongyang has, since, developed tactics to skirt financial restrictions by resorting to informal means to transfer money, including the use of bulk cash hand-carried by officials. Adam Szubin, acting US under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said that Washington is expecting other governments and financial authorities to make similar moves to prevent Pyongyang from "abusing" global financial institutions to support its development of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles. "The regime is notoriously deceitful in its financial transactions in order to continue its illicit weapons programs and other destabilising activities," Szubin said in a statement. The Treasury was asked to assess North Korea's status as a money laundering jurisdiction under the "North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act," passed nearly unanimously by the US Congress in February. A UN Security Council resolution in early March also required member states to sever correspondent banking relationships with North Korean financial institutions within 90 days.

US moves to block North Korea's access to world financial system

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