The State Department stated on August 18 that it delayed a $400 million payment to Iran on January 17 in order "to retain maximum leverage" and ensure the release of three American prisoners who were freed the same day. The Obama administration denied the payment was a "ransom" and said it was the first installment of a legal settlement with Iran related to arms purchases that the United States never fulfilled. The prisoner release was a separately negotiated agreement, according to the administration, but the timing of the two transactions became linked in an effort to resolve a series of issues between the United States and Iran on the same day.
News Briefs
August 18, 2016
-- New York Times
August 7, 2016
The Iranian government confirmed on August 7 that it had executed Shahram Amiri, an Iranian nuclear scientist who spent about 14 months in the United States in 2009 and 2010. The Iranian judiciary stated that Amiri had been hanged for disclosing state secrets. After disappearing from Saudi Arabia sometime in 2009, Amiri reportedly defected to the United States and shared intelligence with US authorities on Iran's nuclear program. In July 2010, Amiri returned to Tehran, where he was reportedly imprisoned and tortured.
-- Guardian
July 20, 2016
The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on three senior al-Qaida members located in Iran: Faisal Jassim Mohammed Al-Amri Al-Khalidi, Yisra Muhammad Ibrahim Bayumi, and Abu Bakr Muhammad Muhammad Ghumayn. The men have been involved in financial, military, communications, and logistics roles in the terrorist organization.
-- U.S. Department of the Treasury
July 18, 2016
Russia has delivered the first shipment of missiles for the S-300 air defense system to Iran. The missiles indicate that Russia is selling Iran the advanced S-300 PMU2 version. Iran displayed parts of this system during a military parade in April and plans to have the system operational by March 2017.
July 18, 2016
A document outlining Iran's long-term uranium enrichment plan, which was obtained by the Associated Press, reveals Iran's intention to expand its enrichment program after the first ten years of the nuclear agreement. According to the document, Iran will install between 2,500 and 3,500 advanced centrifuges--five times as efficient as the machines currently installed--between years 11 and 13 of the deal. These advanced centrifuges will allow Iran to produce weapons grade uranium more quickly, reducing Iran's "breakout" time. The document, which was approved by the United States and five other world powers as part of the nuclear agreement, was submitted to the International Atomic Energy Agency but has not been made public.
-- Associated Press
July 15, 2016
Iran conducted an unsuccessful test of a version of the North Korean BM-25 Musudan ballistic missile on the evening of July 11-12, according to intelligence sources. The test, which failed when the missile exploded shortly after liftoff, was conducted near Saman, a site where Iran has conducted missile tests in the past. The effort was at least the fourth time Iran has conducted a missile test since concluding the nuclear agreement in July 2015. The BM-25 missile has a maximum range of about 2,500 miles.
-- Fox News
July 11, 2016
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi confirmed that Iran had completed the sale of 32 tons of heavy water to the United States, in a deal worth an estimated $8.6 million. The U.S. Department of Energy previously announced the deal in April. Aragchi also said that Iran is currently in negotiations with Russia over the sale of an additional 44 tons of heavy water.
-- Tasnim News Agency
July 9, 2016
Iranian procurement agents sought to obtain technology to advance its chemical, biological, nuclear, and missile programs from Germany, according to German intelligence data and reports. Eight of the 16 German states reported Iranian attempts at illicit procurement in their 2015 intelligence reports. Iranian agents focused their efforts on industrialized west German states that host advanced engineering and technology companies.
-- Jerusalem Post
June 24, 2016
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international body that monitors money laundering, kept Iran on its blacklist of high-risk countries but suspended some of its restrictions on Iran for one year. The move came in response to Iran's pledge to adopt a plan to address deficiencies in its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing policies. If Iran fails to demonstrate progress on these issues at the end of one year, FAFT said it will reimpose the restrictions.
-- Wall Street Journal
June 23, 2016
Boeing Co. plans to sell 80 airplanes directly to Iran Air in a deal worth up to $17.6 billion, the U.S. firm disclosed in a letter to two U.S. lawmakers. The proposed sale includes: four Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental jumbo jets; 40 737 Max jets; 15 long-range 777-300ER jets; and 15 future-generation 777-9X aircraft. Boeing would also help Iran Air lease an additional 29 new Boeing 737s. The agreement has not been finalized and requires the approval of the U.S. government.
-- Wall Street Journal