TEHRAN (Iran News) Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei has condemned new U.S. sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic, noting that they show Washington’s entrenched hostility toward the Iranian nation.

Baqaei, in a statement carried by the Foreign Ministry late on Saturday, criticized the United States’ newly announced sanctions that target more than two dozen individuals and entities accused of being engaged in commercial and banking activities with Iran.

The sanctions are in line with the United States’ controversial maximum pressure campaign, he said, dismissing the measure as both inhumane and futile.

Baqaei further asserted that such unilateral actions flagrantly contravene established international legal principles, reinforcing the perception of long-standing hostility from the U.S. administration.

The official said that the coercive economic restrictions, which are designed to exacerbate hardships for Iranian citizens and deprive them of fundamental human rights, would only serve to fortify Iran’s determination in safeguarding its legitimate national interests against the U.S.’s excessive demands.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced the sanctions on Saturday, designating over 30 Iranian individuals and entities for what it described as money laundering in line with Iran’s “shadow banking” network.

The sanctions are in line with the United States’ controversial maximum pressure campaign, he said, dismissing the measure as both inhumane and futile.

Baqaei further asserted that such unilateral actions flagrantly contravene established international legal principles, reinforcing the perception of long-standing hostility from the U.S. administration.

The official said that the coercive economic restrictions, which are designed to exacerbate hardships for Iranian citizens and deprive them of fundamental human rights, would only serve to fortify Iran’s determination in safeguarding its legitimate national interests against the U.S.’s excessive demands.

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He said using the regional trade experience is a must for boosting exports and Iran’s presence in the EAEU and the way it can accept its commitments in accordance with the country’s development goals should be put on the agenda of the custodians of the country.

The Islamic Republic of Iran exported $594 million worth of non-oil products to Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)’s member states.

Meanwhile speaking in the inaugural ceremony of the forum, Chairman of Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (TCCIMA) Masoud Khansari said that the country exported $594 million worth of non-oil products to Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)’s member states and imported $396 million worth of non-oil products from EAEU in return.

In a competitive economy, countries grow, he said, adding, “Accordingly, unions were set up in east Asia and could settle both security and economic challenges.”

He then pointed to the issue of transport as the most important issue in economic relations between Iran and Eurasia, and added, “Given the suitable situation of road fleet, we can increase the transport via land among countries,”

Elsewhere in his remarks, Khansari pointed to the issue of exchanging technology and technical know-how between Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union and stated, “In the field of training, we enjoy the high capability to expedite bilateral exchanges and communications.”

Turning to the issue of single currency unit between EAEU member states, Khansari added, “Using a currency pact instead of U.S. dollar can reduce the monopoly of the dollar so that it will be the benefit of all member states of the Eurasian Economic Union.”

He then referred to the initiative of “One Belt One Road” that can be a successful model between countries for the development of regional peace and stated, “It is hoped that the Islamic Republic of Iran would enhance its ties with EAEU’s member states in line with realizing most economic objectives.”

Meanwhile addressing the forum, the chairman of the Board of Directors and Managing Director of the Export Guarantee Fund of Iran Abdollah Sajjadi said that Iran’s Export Guarantee Fund to Eurasian Economic Union countries covers up to $800 million.

Referring to the limitations of Iran’s banking system due to outrageous U.S. sanctions, he stated that the issuance of mutual guarantees with the help of peer institutions is one of the new strategies of this supporting institution to secure foreign trade.

Pointing to the allocation of $800 million to Eurasian Economic Union countries, including Russia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, and Belarus, he said that supporting exports through covering Eurasian political and commercial risks will be the fund’s top priority.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran called for setting up a joint bank between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Addressing the forum, Askhat Orazbay stated that unjust and unilateral sanctions imposed against Iran should be lifted.

Setting up a joint bank between Iran and Kazakhstan as well as launching a bartering system between the two countries is mandatory, he added.

As long as sanctions are not lifted, the two countries should focus on the products that are not subject to sanctions, the envoy stipulated.

Turning to the adverse effects of sanctions, he said that sanctions have reduced volume of trade and business between the two countries extremely, he said, adding, “Under such circumstances, customs duties o the products that are not subject to sanctions should first be reduced and secondly, a bilateral trade agreement should be inked between the two countries regarding free trade zone, so that Kazakhstan welcomes the two options wholeheartedly.”

He lashed out at the lack of a banking system between Iran and Kazakhstan and reiterated, “Lack of an integrated banking system was one of the main problems between the two countries so that it is proposed to set up a joint bank between Iran and Kazakhstan.”

Attended by senior officials including the TCCIMA Head Masoud Khansari, the Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) Head Hamid Zadboum, and the Head of Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) Reza Mir-Ashrafi, the event was held in collaboration with Persian Gulf Studies Center (PGSC) and the Iran-Russia, Iran-Kazakhstan, and Iran-Armenia Joint Chambers of Commerce.

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IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK

TEHRAN – Spokesman of the Petroleum Products Exporters Union Seyed Hamid Hosseini says Iraq realize that Iran needs gas export revenues to Iraq,  as the country is in critical condition and despite having money in the Iraqi bank accounts, it faces problem for paying $200m for the purchase of medicines.

Speaking to ILNA and on the possibility of losing the Iraq market due to decreasing gas to this country because of not paying its dues, Hosseini said that according to the agreement, Iran should deliver 50 million cubic meters of daily gas to Iraq, and it has fulfilled its obligation to date but when according to this agreement no money is paid, Iran can stop exporting.

He said by stopping export of gas to Iraq or reducing it, Iran will not lose the Iraq gas market because no country can export gas to this country, and regarding electricity, Iraq by getting gas from Iran produces 6500 megawatts of electricity and Iran itself provides Iraq wit exports 1200 megawatts of electricity while Iraq needs 20,000 megawatts of electricity. He noted irregardless of Iran, if any country like Turkey, Kuwait or Saudi Arabia connects to the power network of Iraq, it will not meet the needs of this country. He noted that the capital of Iraq, Baghdad, is connected to the electricity network for just 4 to 5 hours during the day and in the remaining ours of the day, generators provide power for Baghdad citizens, so Iran is not concerned about any rival.

Hosseini said that the total electricity production of Iraq is around 15,000 megawatts and if the country wants to focus on industry and develop it, its needs will rise, therefore, the country will be the purchaser of Iran gas and electricity for years.

He reiterated in case the money is not paid, it is natural to cut the export and it is an ordinary rule in trade, adding that when Iran, in the winter, needs gas and it does not get export revenues, it is natural to take such an action.

Hosseini said that to date, Iran has tolerated it and been ready to get his money in different forms but it has been in vain and now it has been forced to reduce or cut the gas export.

He added that Iraq should understand that Iran needs its money and despite having money in the bank account it cannot spend $200m for the purchase of medicines and when its money is blocked in Iraq, it will be to the benefit of neither Iraq nor Iran.

Hosseini said that now it seems Iraq has started some moves for paying its dues, expressing hope that during Iranian energy minister’s visit to Baghdad this problem would be resolved.

He noted that the main reason behind this problem is the U.S. sanctions and also since Iraq is currently under Chapter VI of the UN Charter is not in charge of its financial resources and all revenues of this country are first deposited in another account and then it is transferred to the account of the government. He noted that Iraq is concerned about the U.S. sanctions and halt in its forex revenues and for this reason it precautions.

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According To Iran News,  Philippines Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran Wilfredo C. Santos on Tuesday met and held talks with Chairman of the Philippines-Iran Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group Mr. Alireza Salimi.

During the meeting, Salimi said that Iran and the Philippines in the past years have advanced their relations based on the mutual interests, adding that the international developments have failed to cause any disruption in Tehran-Manila ties.

He then pointed to the old and sustainable relation between both states in different fields like economic, cultural and political, adding that formation of parliamentary friendship groups is a move for boosting and developing bilateral relations, reiterating that Majlis fully supports bolstering and strengthening relations in the economic, trade and cultural fields.

Salimi, who is a member of presiding board of Majlis, added that joint cooperation in regional and international bodies is to the benefit of both countries, and boosting level of relations in agro and economic sectors are of the important issues for both states.

He then pointed to the assassination of Iranian scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, and the U.S. sanctions and urged international organizations to probe this terrorist and anti-human rights act.

Mr. Santos, for his part, pointed to the historic relation between Tehran and Manila, and called Iran an important, peace-loving and historic country in the Middle East.

He also stated that Iran is a friendly country which has always supported the Philippines in diplomatic, regional and international relations especially in the UN.

He also praised Iran’s growth in technology, defense and scientific equipment and its special stand in the world nano-technology, announcing his country’s readiness for expansion of ties in this sector.

Santos then emphasized parliamentarian interactions between both states and exchanges of delegations between parliaments of both countries.

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IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK

TEHRAN – Iran’s former ambassador to China believes Turkey is pursuing another policy to take advantage from the condition that the U.S. sanctions on Iran has created for them and they are after  restoring their relations with the Central Asian states independent of Iran.

Speaking to ILNA, Mohammad Hossein Malaek, reacting to the newly launched railway network between Turkey and China, said that the direct railway between China and countries in the region is pursued both by China and countries like Turkey and Iran which is keen to become regional power. He added that besides this, the Turkish have another policy to take advantage of opportunities which have been created due to the U.S. sanctions on Iran and they are after having relation with the Central Asia independent of Iran.

He further said that Turkey has tried to direct different gas pipeline from Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan toward Turkey to round Iran and it is also investing on rail network between Baku in Azerbaijan and Port of Almaty in Kazakhstan.

Malaek noted that on the whole, Turkey’s general policy is to adjust their relations with the Central Asia and they prefer to connect to China which is the center of production and services in the world.

He added that such similar behaviors and attitudes from Turkey are nothing new, adding that after Turkey reached agreement with Russia on the Karabakh issue it defined some MoUs to connect Azerbaijan, Armenia, Nakhichevan and Turkey together. He reiterated that this idea that Turkey adopts a policy for eliminating Iran from the regional passages is nothing strange.

Malaek also said Iran has a railway which has potential to join Europe but the problem is than Lake Van in Turkey is between Iran and Turkey and for years Turkey does not accept this railway network to round the lake. So when trains reach Lake Van, they have to transfer their cargos to ships in order to be taken to the other side of the lake and again the cargoes are loaded on the trains to continue their journeys, he added. This has created problem for transportation of goods and reduced the speed of delivery, he said.

The former envoy said that the Turks have been pursuing this policy for years and even Afghans decide to reach Europe via Iranian route, they will face with Turkish dilemma. He said Turkey has created this headache for us and anybody connects Iran will face with the same headache.

On the goals of China for connecting to Turkey, Malaek said that China’s policy is to deprive the U.S. marine connections via land connections and it is why China has been connected to Turkey via railway. He noted in the hypothetical war the U.S. as a major marine power can close all marine routes but China has revived all land routes by the Silk Road to rescue itself from the hypothetical U.S. marine siege. So China is after different ways to take its products and services to the consumption and production markets of the world, he concluded.

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IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK

TEHRAN – Head of Health Economy Commission of Tehran Chamber of Commerce Mr. Nasser Riahi says COVID-19 vaccine produced by two American companies will definitely arrive in Iran, saying that currently 30 percent of Iran’s monthly imported medicines are from the U.S. as one should consider this point that vaccine is not under the U.S. sanctions.

Speaking to ILNA, Riahi explained the latest development on imports of COVID-19 vaccine to Iran, saying that according to reports, two American COVID-19 vaccine producers have applied for getting license for distribution of the vaccine and it is expected the vaccine to be distributed in the U.S. in a week.

He noted that production of COVID-19 vaccine in India is in its last stages and some countries have pre-purchased the vaccine.

Riahi went on to say that except the U.S. which does not follow the World Health Organization directives, other countries according to the directives of the WHO, are allowed to first vaccinate their health staff and three percent of their total populations and then gradually vaccinate the remaining population.

He said he is not optimistic Iranians to have access to the vaccine before the New Year (late March), reacting to some reports that Iran air navigation is getting ready for imports of the vaccine and said if it is true, he is not aware of it.

Riahi reiterated that issues like sanctions or transfer of money cannot hinder imports of the vaccine, noting that sanctions cannot be an obstacle for importing the COVID-19 vaccine.

He also said that in the condition that the country imports medicines worth of 100m euros monthly, the expense of importing the COVID-19 vaccine is lower but one should not forget that the producers do not sell entirely the vaccine to any country.

He said Indian-made COVID-19 vaccine is the cheapest one that each dose of it will cost around $4 while the vaccines produced by American companies will cost between 20 to 30 dollars per dose.

On the price of China-made vaccine, Riahi said each dose of Chinese vaccine may cost between 30 to 70 dollars.

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IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK

TEHRAN – Secretary of Iranian Automobile Importers Association believes the country can skirt the U.S. sanctions for imports of cars.

Speaking to ILNA, Mehdi Dadfar said Majlis lawmakers agree the idea imports of cars and they believe imports determine some part of car demands in the country and there is no need to Majlis decision on imports of cars because decision to ban the imports has been taken by the related ministry and it can be lifted by the ministry.

On the remarks about probable imports of cars, he said he hopes this would happen and it should happen but no talks have been held about the probable scenario but the association has offered its proposal.

He expressed hope that ban on imports of cars would be lifted soon, reiterating that importers do not need the forex offered by the domestic sources and the imports will be done through foreign capital. He noted that companies have announced that they do not need any forex from the Central Bank or NIMA system for imports and they can skirt the sanctions by the overseas assets.

Dadfar admitted that currently the price of foreign cars in the country is high but in case the ban is lifted, the prices will become balanced and may be halved.

He then pointed to the details of nine-paragraph proposal to the government, saying that the association is ready to import cars with the forex of Iranians abroad.

He reiterated that lifting the ban on car imports will be first to the benefit of the people and then to the companies involved in the imports, noting that some 15,000 people in 680 economic enterprises were busy in this job and now the number has dropped to 2,000 people and in case the car imports begin, 13,000 people who have lost their jobs will back to their jobs.

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IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK

TEHRAN – A member of Tehran Chamber of Commerce believes Iran’s carpet export is in a very bad condition due to several existing problems.

Speaking to ILNA, Mr. Razi Miri said that the current condition because of the Coronavirus has put the people in bad a situation in the target countries for exports, and by the way Iran is currently under the U.S. sanctions and it has problem in trade and transfer of money and transportation.

He added due to these problems, Iran’s exports are currently in a very bad condition. On using method of bartering goods for carpet exports, he said export of carpet and the like goods like traditional goods is not like the export of industrial goods which are in great number. He added it means one consignment of carpet export may value between 10,000 to 20,000 dollars, adding that carpet export can on aggregate have huge amount of turnover but the figure for each individual is not a big number. So this method is not compatible with bartering because importers need a big amount of money and exporter of carpet cannot provide it, he noted.

Miri went on to say that so bartering cannot happen in this case and this issue creates many problems for exporters of carpet.

On the effects of volatile forex rate in the market, he said the rise and fall of the dollar rate not only is a disaster for the carpet exporter but also for all exporters.

Miri stated that this is the worst condition for an exporter who does not know his future of trade.

Touching upon the condition of carpet producers and exporters, he said the condition is very bad because carpet is not a basic commodity and it is considered a luxurious commodity. He said in normal condition, the target markets can help the industry but currently due to the coronavirus pandemic, all of the target markets are in bad condition, and by the way Iran is under sanctions and traders have problem for trade with the target markets especially in transfer of money and transportation.

Miri concluded his words by saying that the carpet export condition is currently very bad.

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According To Iran News, Iran has asked the United States to comply with the temporary verdict issued by the International Court of Justice in The Hague over Tehran’s case against Washington.

Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations Majid Takht-Ravanchi said the U.S. is breaching the court ruling by imposing different sanctions on Iran.

In a speech at the UN General Assembly, the top Iranian envoy referred to the United States’ use of coercive measures as a foreign policy tool.

He touched upon the sanctions that Washington has imposed on Iran over the recent years, saying the bans have intensified after the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Takht-Ravanchi noted the sanctions have directly or indirectly targeted Iranian companies and people and affected Iran’s free trade potential.

“This comes as the U.S. president has blatantly announced that the toughest sanctions will be slapped against Iran, leading to more problems for the Islamic Republic,” he said.

“In response to these illegal and unlawful measures which run counter to the principles of the UN Charter, international law and the 1955 bilateral agreement between Iran and the United States, the Islamic Republic of Iran brought a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice and called on the court to issue a provisional order to stop the United States’ illegal actions,” he said.

“On October 3, 2018, the International Court of Justice issued, by consensus, a binding provisional order obligating the US to stop its restrictive measures in accordance with its commitments under a treaty of amity, and to guarantee that restrictions do not apply to permits needed to transfer money in areas stipulated in the court ruling,” he said.

“Unfortunately, the U.S. has not abided by the court’s provisional order so far and has, ironically enough, imposed more sanctions and tightened its coercive measures, so much so that more Iranian banks have come under sanctions recently amid the spread of the coronavirus outbreak,” he said.

The Iranian ambassador to the UN said these sanctions have created problems for Iran with regards to the procurement of medicines and equipment needed to combat COVID-19.

“The U.S. is obliged to abide by the court order, and any non-compliance will bring international responsibility for the US. The court has asked both parties to the lawsuit to avoid any measures that would worsen or intensify the case,” he said.

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IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK

TEHRAN – Chairman of Iran-China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry says the new sanctions which were imposed by the U.S. administration on Iran and some entities is nothing new and it is just like “playing with names”.

Speaking to ILNA, Majid-Reza Hariri talked about new U.S. sanctions which were imposed by the U.S. Treasury on some companies active in China and some part of Iran’s Petrochemical industry, saying that there is nothing new in these sanctions because the U.S. has earlier imposed a set of sanctions and in the framework of those sanctions, the country just plays with the names and sanctioning them. He reiterated that recent sanctions are just the same sanctions which had already been imposed and even Chinese media have called it a rehash in order to show these sanctions are redundant.

Hariri noted that it had already been announced that some parts of Iran’s petrochemical industry was under sanctions and now those individuals and entities who do not observe the sanctions are slapped with sanctions.

On the impacts of sanctions on the probable talks with the U.S., he said it seems the goal behind these sanctions is mostly to provide a psych atmosphere and it has no certain impact.

He added but the practical impact is that either Joe Biden who seems in driving seat or Donald Trump wins the election, if we are to take our problems with us to the negotiating table with the U.S., they can be used.

Hariri noted that so, at the time of negotiations if the number of the sanction cases is more, it will have more bulky look on the table and each case will need talks, and as the result, they uselessly make the case heavier just to show it bulky on the table.

He stated that the more the number of cases, the more talks and concessions will be needed.

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