President Barack Obama said that Iran is still "a year or more" away from having the capacity and knowledge to build a nuclear weapon, according to U.S. intelligence. Obama noted that the U.S. judgment differs from the Israelis', who believe Tehran is only months away from reaching nuclear weapons capability.
News Briefs
October 1, 2013
Iran's foreign exchange reserves have fallen from $90 billion to no more than $70 billion in the last nine months and only $15 billion may be immediately accessible, according to experts. Research by Roubini Global Economics and the Foundation for Defense of Democracies shows that much of Iran's reserves are deposited in overseas accounts and can only be used to purchase products in in these countries.
-- YNet News
September 23, 2013
Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran's atomic energy organization, announced that Russia would hand over control of the 1,000-megawatt Bushehr nuclear reactor to Iran on September 23. Russian experts will remain at the plant for an additional two years to provide technical assistance. Moscow is also providing the plant with nuclear fuel for ten years, with Iran committing to return the spent fuel.
-- Agence France-Presse via Fox News
September 22, 2013
Iran displayed its 2,000 km range Shahab-3 ballistic missile, as well as its Sejil and Ghadr missiles, in a military parade marking the start of Sacred Defense Week. The solid-fuel Sejil missile has two stages and a greater range than the Shahab-3.
-- Fars News
September 6, 2013
The General Court of the European Union ruled that sanctions imposed on seven Iranian companies should be thrown out because E.U. countries had not established that the companies support proliferation. The companies include Post Bank of Iran, the Iran Insurance Company, Good Luck Shipping, and the Export Development Bank of Iran. The sanctions will stay in place for at least two months, pending any appeal to the European Court of Justice.
-- New York Times
September 5, 2013
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani appointed Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as the country’s chief nuclear negotiator. Iran's nuclear negotiations had previously been controlled by the Supreme National Security Council and had been led by Saeed Jalili.
-- Wall Street Journal
August 28, 2013
The International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran has installed more than 1,000 advanced IR-2m centrifuges and is preparing to set-up 2,000 more. Iran has also increased the number of older IR-1 centrifuges to 15,000, most of which are operating. The IR-2m is estimated to be three to four times more effective at uranium enrichment than the IR-1. The IAEA also stated that Iran has delayed the start-up date for the plutonium-producing Arak reactor to after the first quarter of 2014.
-- Associated Press
August 27, 2013
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani appointed Reza Najafi as Tehran's next ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency. He replaces Ali Asghar Soltanieh.
-- Reuters
August 21, 2013
China has increased fuel oil imports from Iran in 2013, exploiting a loophole in U.S. sanctions aimed at punishing countries that import Iranian oil. These sanctions require reductions in crude oil, not fuel oil, which is a byproduct in the refining process. In 2012, China imported less than $1 million worth of fuel oil from Iran, compared to $495 million in the first seven months of 2013. Some Chinese refineries are configured to process fuel oil into more valuable fuels.
-- The Wall Street Journal
August 16, 2013
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani appointed former Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi as head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), replacing Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani. As director of AEOI, Salehi will be responsible for the operation of Iran’s nuclear facilities, but will not be directly involved in nuclear negotiations. A new head of the Supreme National Security Council, a position usually involved in nuclear negotiations, has not yet been appointed.
-- Reuters