WarSclerotic

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt will visit Iran for the first time on Monday for talks with the Iranian government on issues including the future of the 2015 nuclear deal, his office said in a statement.

In May, U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned the deal, negotiated with five other world powers during Democratic President Barack Obama’s administration, and earlier this month the United States restored sanctions targeting Iran’s oil, banking and transportation sectors.

Hunt’s office said he would meet Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and would stress that the U.K. is committed to the nuclear deal as long as Iran sticks to its terms. He will also discuss European efforts to maintain nuclear-related sanctions relief.

“The Iran nuclear deal remains a vital component of stability in the Middle East by eliminating the threat of a nuclearized Iran. It needs 100% compliance, though, to survive,” Hunt said in a statement ahead of the visit.

“We will stick to our side of the bargain as long as Iran does. But we also need to see an end to destabilizing activity by Iran in the rest of the region if we are going to tackle the root causes of the challenges the region faces.”

Hunt will also discuss Iran’s role in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, his office said, and press Iran on its human rights record, calling for the immediate release of detained British-Iranian dual nationals where there are humanitarian grounds to do so.

“I arrive in Iran with a clear message for the country’s leaders: putting innocent people in prison cannot and must not be used as a tool of diplomatic leverage,” he said.

Iran will continue to export oil despite U.S. sanctions, which are part of a psychological war doomed to failure,Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday.

By reimposing sanctions on OPEC’s third biggest crude producer, Washington wants to force Tehran to drop its ballistic missile program, further curb its nuclear work and limit its support for proxy militias from Syria to Lebanon and Yemen.

“We will not yield to this pressure, which is part of the psychological war launched against Iran,” Rouhani said in a speech in the city of Khoy, broadcast live on state television.

“They have failed to stop our oil exports. We will keep exporting it. … Your regional policies have failed and you blame Iran for that failure from Afghanistan to Yemen and Syria,” he added, to chants of “Death to America.”

Rouhani said Washington lacked the necessary international support for its sanctions, and noted that it had granted temporary waivers to eight major buyers of Iranian oil.

“America is isolated now. Iran is supported by many countries. Except for the Zionist regime [Israel] and some countries in the region, no other country backs America’s pressure on Iran,” he said.

The European Union, France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China, participants with the United States in the 2015 deal that lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program, have been trying to find ways to circumvent the U.S. limitations.

In particular, the EU has been trying to establish a Special Purpose Vehicle for non-dollar trade with Iran. But this has not stopped foreign businesses ranging from oil companies and other entities from leaving Iran for fear of incurring U.S. penalties.

Iran has threatened to exit the deal if its economic benefits are not preserved, but Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi told a news conference that it remained “hopeful that the Europeans can save the deal.”

The SPV was conceived as a clearing house that could be used to help match Iranian oil and gas exports against purchases of EU goods, circumventing U.S. sanctions, which are based on the global use of the dollar for oil trade.

The EU wanted to have the SPV set up by this month, but no country has offered to host it, six diplomats told Reuters last week.

“We expect EU to implement the SPV as soon as possible,” Qassemi said. “Iran adheres to its commitments as long as other signatories honor theirs.”

Senior IDF officials on Sunday attended a special ceremony ‎marking the dissolution of a special administration heading the ‎military’s efforts to aid Syrians affected by the civil war raging off ‎Israel’s northern border.‎

Launched in the summer of 2016, Operation Good Neighbor has ‎provided tons of food, medicine and clothing to displaced Syrians. Israel also provided life-saving medical care to hundreds of wounded Syrians, who were admitted to ‎hospitals in northern Israel as needed. ‎

‎”Despite the newfound stability of the regime in Syria, this sector ‎still poses many complex challenges for Israel,” GOC Northern ‎Command Maj. Gen. Yoel Strick said at the ceremony, held on an ‎IDF base near the Golan Heights border. ‎

‎”We are well aware of Iran’s increasing attempts to establish itself ‎militarily in many areas of Syria,” he continued. “We see how the Iranians are trying ‎to transfer weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon through Syria. ‎We know that Hezbollah is trying to establish terrorist ‎infrastructures on the Syrian Golan Heights, near our border, but ‎the IDF will not allow this to happen.”

Strick ‎further warned that ‎‎”anyone seeking to undermine Israeli civilians’ ‎security, in the immediate or distant future, will encounter a strong ‎and determined response by a military that is well aware of what is ‎going on beyond its borders. We will counter those who want to ‎harm us.”‎

Lt. Col. Eyal Dror, who headed the Operation Good Neighbor ‎Administration, told Israel Hayom he felt “privileged to have ‎overseen this operation, which in many ways epitomized Israel’s ‎defense concept.”

“This was an amazing project that illustrated how ‎Israel makes the decision to aid the civilian population in an enemy ‎state,”‎ he said.

Habayit Hayehudi leader Naftali Bennett and fellow party member ‎Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked announced Monday that they were ‎standing by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his effort to ‎stabilize the coalition and avert early elections. ‎

Netanyahu has been sparing no effort to prevent snap ‎elections in the wake of Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman’s surprise ‎resignation as defense minister last week. ‎

Bennett had initially demanded to be named defense minister in ‎Lieberman’s place, threatening to bolt the coalition if his demand was not met, but Netanyahu refused, saying he plans to keep ‎the defense portfolio at this time. ‎

Had Bennett withdrawn his party from the coalition, it would have lost its majority in the Knesset and mandated immediate elections.

In a special televised statement from the IDF’s headquarters in Tel ‎Aviv on Sunday, Netanyahu urged his coalition partners to “act responsibly” and refrain from ‎destabilizing the government further, saying, “We are facing one of ‎our most complex security situations and at a time like this, ‎you don’t bring down a government. At a time like this you don’t ‎call an election.”‎

Bennett and Shaked, however, were not convinced, and Habayit ‎Hayehudi reiterated its demand to name Bennett the defense ‎minister, saying that the government was not viable otherwise. ‎

Still, in a press conference in Jerusalem on Monday, they backtracked the demand and announced that they were putting the good of the state ahead of their own political considerations and remaining in the coalition, withdrawing all demands.  ‎

‏”‏The State of Israel is experiencing a crisis of confidence with ‎respect to security,” Bennett said. “The problem is not our enemies ‎‎– ruthless enemies are nothing new to us. Now, like in the past, it’s ‎not right to mix politics and security. There is no apocalypse on the ‎horizon. We have enemies, but it is not the enemy that worries me. ‎Something bad is happening to us from within.”

‎”For quite a few years now, including over the last decade of the ‎governments headed by Netanyahu, Israel has stopped winning. … ‎We restrain and restrain our troops and our soldiers are now more afraid of the military ‎advocate general than of [Hamas military leader] Yahya Sinwar. We ‎have gone from defeating the enemy to containing the enemy and ‎things that were once clear are suddenly questioned,” Bennett said.‎

Touching on last week’s cross-border clash with Gaza, Bennett said, “After over ‎‎530 Hamas rockets were fired on Israeli communities, we still ‎try to convince ourselves that everything is fine and that Hamas is ‎more deterred than it has ever been.”

‎”Common sense has given way to legal debates and our [defense] ‎system has become cumbersome,” he argued. “Terrorists are ‎awarded monthly salaries, their homes remain standing, their ‎families are revered and we stand idly by, doing nothing to stop it.

‎”Hamas and Hezbollah grow more emboldened by the day because they ‎believe we’re afraid to confront them,” he continued. “What the prime minister calls ‎‎’prudence’ is perceived by our enemies as hesitation and weakness ‎‎– that’s a very fine line.‎”

‎”We have come to think that there is ‎no solution for terrorism, ‎terrorists and missiles; ‎that there’s nothing we can do; that we ‎can’t win. ‎But there is something we can do and there is a ‎solution: ‎When Israel wants to win, we will win,” he ‎declared.‎

Habayit Hayehudi was established “to offer a political alternative, to ‎replace hesitation with determination, fatigue with initiative and ‎awkwardness with confidence and our actions have proven that we ‎can change the course,” Bennett said.‎

‎”To restore deterrence against our enemies and to instill creativity ‎and innovation [in the military], I asked the prime minister to name ‎me defense minister. After the previous defense minister proved ‎to be an utter failure, I wanted to assume responsibility,” Bennett went on to say. “When the prime minister and I met on Friday, I made it clear that ‎I was not giving him any ultimatums and appreciated him saying ‎he viewed me as a candidate for the position. Still, for reasons that ‎are his own, Netanyahu has decided to keep the defense portfolio for himself.”  ‎

“He promised the public to change course, to revolutionize defense ‎and security.‎ If the prime minister is serious, and I want to believe he is, then I ‎say – we are pulling all of our political demands and we will stand ‎by you in the monumental task of ensuring that Israel is victorious ‎again,” Bennett added. “I’m sure I’ll be made to pay a political price in the coming days, ‎but that’s okay. I’ll get over it. I prefer to see the prime minister ‎defeat me in politics than to see [Hamas leader Ismail] Haniyeh defeat the ‎State of Israel.”

Actions speak louder than words

Bennett’s decision to remain in the government still means the ‎coalition numbers only 61 out of a total of 120 MKs, giving it a very narrow majority with ‎which to function until the next election, set for November 2019.‎

‎”I don’t know how long this government can last with only 61 MKs ‎and I haven’t changed my mind – this will be an uphill battle. But ‎we’re willing to give it a try,” Bennett said. ‎

‎”If the government chooses the right path, and acts like a true right-wing government, then it’s worth a try. The ball is in the prime ‎minister’s court. The coming weeks will put the security ‎revolution he promised to the test. … The public has had enough of declarations. They want actions. We will not be spectators on the sidelines and ‎we will do our best to help,” Bennett concluded. ‎

Shaked echoed Bennett’s sentiments, saying that Habayit Hayehudi viewed its spot in the coalition as a means of achieving a “national mission.” She added that the ‎party “will never run away from responsibility or risk public interest ‎for political gain.”‎

She reiterated that Bennett was “the best man for the job of ‎defense minister,” and criticized Lieberman, saying, “Israel’s ‎security policy, if there is one, has come to reflect hesitation. ‎Striving for victory has been replaced by the defense minister’s shameful ‎resignation – a gift he gave to Hamas that will forever be a mark of ‎Cain.”‎

Habayit Hayehudi, she stated, “Will not augment the victory ‎Lieberman gave to the terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip. They – and ‎the entire Middle East – are watching us. … Habayit Hayehudi has ‎chosen to exercise national responsibility and we will continue being ‎this government’s national conscience.” ‎

Early rumors that Bennett was planning to withdraw Habayit Hayehudi out of ‎the coalition infuriated senior officials in the religious Zionist camp, ‎who accused him of preferring his own narrow political interests ‎over those of his constituents. ‎

Several religious Zionist rabbis have called an ‎emergency meeting for later this week to discuss their options. One ‎official told Israel Hayom that the rabbis were “seriously ‎considering” forming a new religious Zionist party to counter ‎Habayit Hayehudi, as the rabbis disapprove of the political direction ‎in which Bennett is leading the party. ‎

Iran and Iraq could increase their bilateral trade from the current $12 billion to $20 billion annually, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday, despite concerns over the impact of renewed U.S. sanctions.

Rouhani spoke after meeting with visiting Iraqi President Barham Salih, two weeks after the United States restored sanctions targeting Iran’s oil industry as well as its banking and transportation sectors.

“Through bilateral efforts, we can raise this figure [for bilateral trade] to $20 billion in the near future,” Rouhani said in comments broadcast live on state television.

“We held talks on trade in electricity, gas, petroleum products and activities … in the field of oil exploration and extraction,” Rouhani said.

Iraq is seeking U.S. approval to allow it to import Iranian gas for its power stations. Iraqi officials say they need more time to find an alternative source of gas than the 45-day waiver granted by the United States.

“It will be important to create free trade zones at our shared border and to connect the two countries’ railways,” Salih said.

“We will not forget your support for the Iraqi people in the fight against [Iraqi dictator] Saddam [Hussein]. Neither do we forget Iran’s stand in the recent fight against terrorism,” Salih, an Iraqi Kurd, added.

Salih later met Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who called for maintaining unity among ethnic and religious groups in Iraq and resisting foreign interference.

“The only way to counter plots [by Iraq’s enemies] is by strengthening the unity of all Iraqi groups, including Kurds, Arabs, Shiites and Sunnis,” Khamenei said, according to his website.

“Some governments in the region and outside of it hold a deep grudge against Islam … and Iraq, and interfere in Iraq’s internal affairs and they must be strongly resisted,” he said.

Iran accuses the United States and regional rival Saudi Arabia of exploiting divisions among Shiite and Sunni Muslims. The U.S. and the Saudis denounce Iran as fueling conflicts in countries including Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.

“We seek to boost cooperation [with Iran] at all levels … in order to serve the interests of both countries,” the ayatollah’s website quoted Salih as saying.

Iran wields wide influence in neighboring Iraq, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards played a key role in training and arming the mainly Shiite militias that helped defeat Islamic State.

Iraq imports a large range of goods from Iran, including food, agricultural products, home appliances, air conditioners and car parts. Iranian imports to Iraq were worth about $6 billion in the year ending March 2018, or about 15 percent of Iraq’s total imports for 2017.

Iraqi officials said last week that Iraq had agreed to sell foodstuffs to Iran in return for Iranian gas and energy supplies. Iranian trade officials denied that any food-for-gas scheme could be set up as Iran was a net exporter of food to Iraq.

“We have exported more than $6 billion to Iraq in the past seven months and we could import goods for that amount but not food items,” Yahya Al-e Eshaq, head of the Iran-Iraq chamber of commerce, was quoted as saying by the ILNA news agency.

A spokesman for an association of Iranian gas and petrochemical exporters said Iraq wanted to pay for the gas imports in its currency, the dinar, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported.