Europe Begs Tehran to Avoid Cutting Oil Exports

  A prominent Iranian lawmaker announced that the European countries have demanded the parliament to stop passing a double-urgency bill on cutting the country’s oil exports to the EU members. “So far the ambassadors of several European countries such as France, Greece, Germany and Italy have desperately rushed to the parliament to call for restraint against passing a bill on stopping [the Iranian] oil exports to Europe,” Vice-Chairman of the parliament’s Energy Commission Nasser Soudani said on Saturday. Soudani further highlighted that the double-urgency bill is still on the table and that the Iranian lawmakers have expressed readiness to approve it. After months of debates, the EU member states eventually reached an agreement in their…

Saudi Arabia Unable to Fulfill Oil Pledge

  Analysts believe that Saudi Arabia cannot live up to its promise to fill the oil-supply gap in case the US-led European Union imposes a ban on Iranian oil supplies. Analysts said failure could put further price pressure on markets already roiled by tensions linked to efforts to curb Tehran’s peaceful nuclear program. There are encouraging signs that the West is re-examining the prospects for a diplomatic solution. But that does not mean the European Union is likely to drop proposed measures to ban Iranian oil imports from mid-year that are due to be discussed by its foreign ministers on Monday. Iran fired back this week after Ali al-Naimi, the Saudi energy minister, said in…

Oil Sanctions against Iran to Harm European Consumers

The Iranian oil ministry in a statement downplayed the effects of the US and EU’s unilateral oil sanctions against Tehran, and said such embargoes will merely harm the European economies and oil consuming countries. European sanctions against Iran’s oil exports will affect world economy and hurt European and non-European countries, the statement said on Monday. “Hurried decision by EU states to use oil as a political tool will have a negative effect on the world economy and especially on recovering European economies which are fighting to overcome the global financial crisis,” it added. The statement continued that since just 18 percent of oil produced by Iran is exported to European countries, Islamic Republic can easily…

Oil up on Iran, Nigeria supply worries

LONDON (Reuters) – Brent crude rose more than $1 to over $113 on Thursday on worries a showdown between Iran and the West in the Middle East Gulf and a strike in Nigeria could disrupt oil supplies. Tension between the West and Iran over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program has increased after an Iranian nuclear scientist was blown up in his car by a motorbike hitman on Wednesday, prompting Tehran to blame Israeli and U.S. agents. Brent crude futures for February rose $1.64 to a high of $113.88 a barrel and was trading close to that level by 1225 GMT. U.S. crude oil was up more than $1 above $102. Iran has threatened to close…

‘Iran oil sanctions bad idea if they work’

Any sanctions on Iran’s oil sector imposed over the country’s nuclear program will backfire on the United States, regardless of their outcome, says an energy economist and columnist. “Oil sanctions are a bad idea if they work, and a bad idea if they fail,” wrote Robin M. Mills on the award-winning Foreign Policy website. If the sanctions work, American allies will be punished and some economically vulnerable countries, such as Greece, will suffer a cutoff of oil just at the time they can least afford it, he explained. Or, if they “succeed” more dramatically, and Iran’s exports are really interrupted, oil prices will soar, “plunging the world back into renewed recession,” Mills added. “But most likely, oil…

China completes over 30 pct of its space navigation program

China has launched its 10th navigation satellite into orbit as part of a project to develop its own global satellite navigation system, Xinhua news agency reported on Friday. A Long March-3A carrier rocket carrying the Beidou or Compass navigation satellite took off at 5.07 a.m. Friday (local time) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China’s Sichuan Province. The agency said it was 153rd launch of the Long March carrier rockets. By 2020, China plans to form a network of a total of 30 satellites, capable of providing global navigation service to users around the world. Beidou currently provides navigation services within China and the neighboring regions. After completion, the project would become an…

Russia: National Comprehensive dialogue only solution to settle crisis in Syria

Russia on Saturday underlined that the national comprehensive dialogue is the only solution to settle the crisis in Syria. The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Deputy Foreign Minister Michel Bogdanov received the Syrian Ambassador in Moscow Ryad Haddad, discussing with him the situation in Syria and the region. The statement added that the two sides stressed the importance of the halt of violence in Syria regardless of its source and resolving the domestic issues through a national comprehensive dialogue to make social, political and economic changes that meet the interests of all Syrians.

The signs of the new cold war

The international scene is complicated . If we monitor the international relations , we will reach to a conclusion that we are at the beginning of a cold war . The signs are clear and plenty . The Economic crisis in the west pushes it to search for financial resources . In the past , the imperialism was the description of the western movements to guarantee  enough resources and finance . The current tool for the west is the democracy . The west is using the democracy as an effective tool in occupying nations and seizing their resources and wealths . The trick ,that the west is looking for the freedom in the third world,…

Russia concerned by U.S. military plans in Central Asia, Afghanistan

Xinhua News Agency November 17, 2011 MOSCOW: Russia was concerned by U.S. plans to expand its military presence in Central Asia and to set up large military bases in Afghanistan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday. “It is still unclear how the (U.S.) troops’ withdrawal scheduled in 2014 after the end of anti-terrorism operations corresponds to the U.S. plans to set up in Afghanistan quite big military bases,” Lavrov told reporters after his talks with visiting Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna here. Lavrov said Moscow had discussed the issue with Afghan and U.S. representatives, but “there are more questions than answers so far.” “Moreover, information comes in periodically that our American colleagues want…

No need for American military buildup in Asia Pacific — Australian Greens, protesters

By Vienna Ma | Xinhua CANBERRA: U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday received warm welcome in Australia, but the Australian Greens and some protesters disagreed with his statement that there is a need for an American military buildup in the Asia-Pacific region. In a joint media conference with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Obama and Gillard announced the two countries have agreed to increase joint military initiatives to enhance the alliance, which will see the U.S. boost its military activities in Australia from 2012. Senator Robert Brown, Parliamentary leader of the Australian Greens, said such move means Australia has given up the alternative of an independent foreign policy and independent future in the region. Brown said…