As activists prepare to hold another mass demonstration against the government’s handling of a now-suspended extradition bill, the government’s official logs reveal that in the first quarter of this year the UK approved an export licence for £1.9m of “telecommunications interception equipment” to Hong Kong. This was just weeks before protests against the controversial proposed treaty with mainland China began in March.
Daily Archives: 20. Juli 2019
Iran releases new propaganda video of Revolutionary Guard commandos abseiling from a helicopter and hijacking British ship just minutes after Hunt told regime of his ‚extreme disappointment‘
– The Stena Impero was seized in the Strait of Hormuz at 4pm yesterday by Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces
– British-registered tanker was ordered to turn to the north and was taken into Iranian territorial waters
– Warship HMS Montrose, which was patrolling the Persian Gulf, did a U-turn and raced to help captured ship
– A second vessel, the British-operated Mesdar was seized by Iran but was released after being inspected
– Following an emergency COBRA meeting, Iran was warned it faces ‚serious consequences‘ for their actions
Zarif: Iran tells EU oil sales to Russia, China not enough
(18.07.2019)
Zarif told Russia‘s TASS: „We expect them to implement their obligations to normalize economic relations between Iran and other countries.“ He added: „The Europeans – both E3 and the entire EU – are part of it [the deal] and they have to implement their commitments.“
China‘s crude imports from Iran drop 67% on month in May to 255,000 b/d as waiver expires
(27.07.2019)
China imported 1.08 million mt, or 255,065 b/d, of crude oil from Iran in May, down 66.7% from the five-year high of 3.24 million mt in April as the US‘ sanction waivers for Iranian oil expired on May 2.
No Evidence of Russia Buying Iran’s Oil in Claimed Defiance of US Sanctions
(16.07.2019)
Russian media said Moscow secured its first, and so far only, Iranian oil delivery in November 2017,
Russia agrees with Saudi Arabia to extend OPEC+ oil output deal
(29.07.2019)
Putin, speaking after talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, told a news conference the deal – which is due to expire on Sunday – would be extended in its current form and with the same volumes.
At summit with Russia, Israel and US demanded Iran leave Lebanon, Iraq — report
(17.07.2019)
During a trilateral meeting between the national security advisers of Israel, the US and Russia in late June, Jerusalem and Washington demanded that Moscow ensure the withdrawal of Iran’s forces from Lebanon and Iraq, as well as from Syria, Channel 13 news reported Tuesday.
The demand was seen as a condition for US and Israeli support for a long-term arrangement to secure peace in war-ravaged Syria.
GULF CRISIS: Iran calls UK ‘economic terrorists’ and taunts Royal Navy with pics of seized tanker with 23 captives on board
The HMS Montrose was dispatched while the Stena Impero was in Omani waters but the warship arrived after the tanker had entered the Strait of Hormuz.
A defence source told the Times the Iranians appeared to be taking a „very aggressive stance“ and were viewed as having been „ready to engage“ HMS Montrose.
Iran tensions: UK oil tanker was seized in Oman waters in ‘hostile act’, says defence secretary
Defence secretary Penny Mordaunt has said the UK-registered oil tanker seized by Iran was intercepted in Omani waters, describing the incident as a “hostile act”.
The Stena Impero, a British-flagged ship carrying crude oil, was boarded and captured by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Friday.
Polling ends, vote count underway for 16 PA seats in erstwhile FATA
PESHAWAR: The polling process has ended peacefully and the vote count is underway on Saturday for 16 Provincial Assembly (PA) seats in merged districts of erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
PM Imran Khan embarks on three-day official visit to US
Prime Minister Imran Khan early on Saturday flew to the United States on a three-day official visit, as he was invited by US President Donald Trump.
U.S. military has begun reestablishing air base inside Saudi Arabia
In June the U.S. military began moving equipment and hundreds of troops back to a military base in Saudi Arabia that the U.S. deserted more than 15 years ago, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the deployment.
Over the coming weeks the deployment to Prince Sultan Air Base, intended to counter the threat from Iran, will grow to include fighter jets and Patriot long-range missile defense systems, the officials said.
NATO ships exercise in the Black Sea
(19.07.2019)
Over 2,000 forces and 27 ships are taking part in exercise Breeze 2019 in the Black Sea. The Bulgarian-led maritime exercise, which began on 12 July, involves forces from 12 NATO Allies – Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Greece, Italy, Poland, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States.
Bundesregierung verurteilt Festsetzung von Handelsschiffen im Golf auf das Schärfste. Gefährliche weitere Verschärfung einer ohnehin angespannten Lage. Fordern Iran auf, auch zweitens Schiff unverzüglich freizugeben. Solidarität mit unseren ?? Partnern.
Sommerpressekonferenz mit der Bundeskanzlerin: „Es liegt noch viel Arbeit vor uns“
Was die Bundesregierung für den Klimaschutz tut und welche weiteren Vorhaben im Herbst anstehen, darüber hat Bundeskanzlerin Merkel in Berlin mit der Hauptstadtpresse gesprochen.
Netanyahu: ‚Europe might ignore Iran threat until nuclear missiles hit‘
(16.07.2019)
Israel’s top minister has mentioned the Eu Union would possibly no longer get up to the specter of Iran “till Iranian nuclear missiles fall on Eu soil”.
Mr Netanyahu likened Europe’s method to Iran’s contemporary breaches of a 2015 deal restricting its nuclear programme to the appeasement of Nazi Germany.
Britain warns Iran of ‚serious consequences‘ if British-flagged oil tanker not released
„It is essential that freedom of navigation is maintained and that all ships can move safely and freely in the region,“ Hunt said late Friday, ahead of an emergency government meeting. He subsequently told British media that „we’re looking at a diplomatic way to resolve the situation, but we are very clear that it must be resolved.“
Iran‘s gamble on a tanker seizure will end its credit — even among friends
In seizing a foreign tanker which it accuses of „violating international regulations,“ Tehran has resorted to a form of piracy in international waters.
At a time when Iran might have begun to win friends and influence people in the world‘s corridors of power, it‘s showing that it really could be the force of dangerous instability that its most ardent enemies have claimed.
Netanyahu: We won‘t hold back responding to strikes from populated areas
The Lebanese government, he said, “is not objecting to the military entrenchment of Hezbollah on its territory. It will also bear the responsibility for any attack.”
Netanyahu warned that Israel will deploy “great force” if it must embark on another war in order to ensure victory. “Even if we have to stand alone against Iran and its entities we will,” he said.
Trump says US will talk to UK about tanker Iran seized
“We’re going to be speaking with the U.K., and this only goes to show what I’m saying about Iran: trouble, nothing but trouble,” Trump told reporters while departing the White House.
Trump did not say whether the incident would prompt a response, saying, “Let’s see what happens.“
Where WERE the Royal Navy? Former First Sea Lord is ‚amazed‘ that British tankers were not escorted by our warships despite ministers knowing for weeks of Iranian shipping threat
– Lord West slammed UK for not anticipating retaliation from Iranian forces in Gulf
– Found it ‚bizarre‘ British vessels passing through Strait of Hormuz unguarded
– Two ships were captured by Iran last night, days after UK seized Iranian oil tanker