New Dimensions of human rights violations - Zaeri Amirani

Almost every day when browsing through the media, a new sanction by the U.S. government on other countries comes up. They are applied so frequently that it seems imposing sanctions has become the favorite pastime of the U.S. The sanctions which are so called "punitive", are imposed on any state that acts against the will of the U.S. says says Iran’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka Zaeri Amirani.

The Ambassador said that although such measures were meant to target governments and force them to back down, the ultimate victims were the people.

"The sanctions and its political, economic and legal aspects have been widely addressed by politicians and the mass media, but its impact on the people in the country receiving the sanctions has received less attention. A significant matter that relates to some basic rights of the people and disregarding it, could be considered a form of human rights violation.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, proclaimed by the General Assembly in 1948, entitles all people to have the right to life, liberty, nationality, freedom of thought, conscience and religion, the right to work and to be educated and the right to food and housing. All economic sanctions targeting any state will directly influence the people and their quality of life, hence depriving them of a normal life, is in contradiction with human rights principles.

When it comes to Iran, sanctions go beyond the limits and take newer forms to fulfill multi–pronged purposes. Sanctions become a race for the U.S. and its allies to compete on imposing the strongest restrictions and to boast about. The history of sanctions against Iran dates back to almost four decades. The first sanctions along with freezing Iran’s assets, which kicked in against the country in 1979 and aggravated by eight years of Saddam imposed war, inflicted heavy casualties and grievous sufferings on the Iranian people.

Imposition of severe sanctions on Iran, which at times are eased in parts and reimposed again, has been an inalienable part of U.S. policy towards Iran during the past forty years. However, it’s not the sanctions per se that are important here, but it’s the double standards approach on human rights and its philanthropic gesture towards Iranian people that matters.

Many instances of violation of Iranian people’s rights can be seen, by taking a brief glance at what is happening in the international arena. The U.S. decision to unilaterally withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and rejecting recent ruling by the International Court of Justice ordering Washington to lift restrictive measures linked to humanitarian trade, food, medicine and civil aviation are the most recent cases to name a few.

The nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was finalized in 2015 in Vienna by Iran and six world powers and endorsed by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231, to restrict Iran nuclear program in return for the lifting of sanctions. Needless to mention that all member states are required to commit themselves to implement the JCPOA and normalize their economic, trade and banking relations with Iran.

The US pulled out of the agreement in May 2018 and reimposed tough sanctions on Iran. It’s so much surprising that a UN member blames and imposes sanctions on a country which abides by the UN Security Council resolution. Worse is to persuade other members to cease implementing the JCPOA by cutting their ties with Iran and threatening to punish countries and companies which keep their cooperation with Iran. This is a true indication of unilateralism and disrespect to international norms and a clear breach of international law.

It goes without saying that violation of international treaties, imposition of oppressive sanctions against innocent people, bullying, intimidation and lack of basic decorum for nations and cultures, results in extremism in the world, which in turn leads to turmoil, bloodshed and finally violation of human rights", the Ambassador said

Ambassador Amirani, quoting Iran’s famous 13th century poet Saadi said ;

Human beings are members of a whole In creation of one essence and soul If one member is afflicted with pain Other members uneasy will remain If you have no sympathy for human pain The name of human you cannot retain.

How China is helping Iran skirt U.S. sanctions

By Syed Zafar Mehdi

TEHRAN - Shortly after the Trump administration reimposed sweeping sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made an important announcement. It was a calculated move to avoid a major embarrassment. The hawks in the power corridors of Washington had anticipated the backlash of sanctions on U.S. foreign policy with many global powers rebuffing Trump’s foolhardy move.

Pompeo said eight countries would be exempted from the draconian sanctions on buying Iranian crude oil due to special circumstances. The countries included China, India, Italy, Greece, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Turkey.

Many of these countries had quite clearly indicated that they would not be cutting oil imports from Iran under the U.S. pressure, most importantly China, Turkey, and India – three of Iran’s largest oil customers.

While India has its own strategic interests in maintaining good relations with Tehran, for instance, the Chabahar port project in Sistan-Baluchistan, Turkey’s relations with Washington have hit a new low following sanctions and trade tariffs imposed by the U.S.

China, which has emerged as a viable counterweight to U.S. hegemony in the world and a protagonist of new international economic policy, has unambiguously reaffirmed its commitment to keep alive the Iran nuclear deal and stand by the Islamic Republic of Iran.

On November 5, when the petroleum-related sanctions came into effect, Chinese foreign ministry said it will continue to “hold a fair, objective and responsible attitude” and “resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights”, while reiterating its opposition to the unilateral U.S. sanctions.

“China feels sorry for the U.S.' decision and we noticed that the international world as a whole opposes the practice of such unilateral sanctions,” foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a press briefing.

She said Iran has been seriously fulfilling its obligations under the JCPOA and its efforts have been recognized by the International Atomic Energy Agency dozen times. She also affirmed that China will firmly safeguard its lawful rights while continuing to adhere to JCPOA and urged relevant parties to stand on the “right side of history”.

China has maintained that implementing the Iranian nuclear deal is akin to safeguarding the authority of UN Security Council, basic norms of international law, international non-proliferation treaty and peace and stability in the Middle East.

As one of the remaining signatories of the JCPOA, along with European Union countries who are exploring options to circumvent the U.S. sanctions, Beijing wants to keep the deal alive. China, believe experts, is in a better position compared to other Asian countries as it is not subservient to U.S. interests and is already embroiled in a bitter trade war with Washington.

For all parties of the JCPOA, Iranian crude oil is the main commodity of interest, particularly for Beijing. In 2017, one-third of Iran’s oil was supplied to China, which underlines the significance of oil trade between the two countries. China’s commitment to continue importing oil from Iran is very likely to deal a body blow to U.S. ploy of reducing Iranian oil imports to zero and ‘starving’ the Iranian nation.

Hu Xijin, chief editor of the influential Chinese daily Global Times, told Tehran Times that there was no possibility of Washington reducing the Iranian oil exports to zero, “because Washington lacks righteousness to do so, therefore it can’t have the full support of the international community”.

To continue oil trade in different currencies other than dollar, Iran has been in talks with key allies, including China. On September 29, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said Tehran would circumvent sanctions by conducting trade in all currencies to avoid using the US dollar. “You can use your own currency. Sell stuff in your own currency, buy stuff in the other country’s currency, and at the end of a specific period, balance it out in a non-dollar currency. It’s quite possible and may even be profitable,”

China, which is the largest oil importer in the world with around nine million barrels imports every day, has been making concerted efforts to reshape the global oil market with increased usage of its currency in oil trading. If Chinese currency manages to replace the U.S. dollar, it will be a masterstroke.

U.S. has been rendered friendless and isolated in its quest to tear up the Iran deal and force countries to cut oil imports from Iran. European Union has already refused to back down on the Iran deal, exploring ways to develop payment channels to facilitate payments related to Iran’s exports. The goal, according to a statement issued by EU, “is to protect the freedom of other economic operators to pursue legitimate business with Iran”.

Beijing has expressed its full support to the EU's proposal to set up a "special payments system" to facilitate trade with Iran and safeguard the Iranian nuclear deal, which experts believe will significantly reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar in the global oil trade. That will be a game-changer.

Message from Tehran: Time to Save Humanity from US Threats

By: Kayhan Int’l 

The message from Tehran, following Friday’s visit to the Iranian capital by the presidents of Russia and Turkey for a tripartite summit with the host country’s president, and before start of which the two visiting dignitaries’ meeting with the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, is loud and clear.

Though the theme of the talks was common for the three countries which are facing illegal American sanctions and which are determined to see Syria cleared of the presence of terrorists of all hue and colour that are backed by the US – the chief mischief-monger still trying to destabilize West Asia despite the firm verdict of the regional people against Washington’s unwanted military presence – the indication of the success of the Tehran gathering were the words of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in his separate meetings with President Vladimir Putin and Tayyeb Rajab Erdoghan.

"The US poses a threat to humanity” but it is possible to successfully contain the Americans through cooperation, as could be gleaned from the "real defeat’ 

Washington has suffered in Syria where it failed to achieve its nefarious goals, he told President Putin, an Orthodox Christian, who it is worth recalling had last November following his meeting in Tehran with Ayatollah Khamenei, said he felt liking meeting Jesus (peace upon him).

On Friday, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution pointed to Putin that the US bid to change the system of government in Iran is nothing new, since "for the past forty years the US has been trying to topple the Islamic Republic of Iran, but we have grown over 40 times (more powerful) in this period, which means Iran’s resistance and its achievements is another successful example of containment of the US.” 

On the same day, Ayatollah Khamenei in his meeting with President Rajab Tayyeb Erdoghan stressed that "unity and cooperation among Muslim states will definitely facilitate the resolution of problems and that is why hegemonic powers, led by the US, are scared of the knitting of ranks of the Ummah and formation of an Islamic power.”

The Turkish president who is currently the target of the devilish designs of the US, said lack of coherence among Muslim states was the reason of the present pathetic situation, and the answer lies "in greater solidarity and fraternity among independent Muslim states, especially Turkey and Iran, to counter the plots of the West.”

In view of these statements as well as the wording of the joint communique released by the presidents of Iran, Russia, and Turkey following their tripartite talks, whatever the minor differences in the viewpoints of the three countries on how to tackle the situation in Syria, one thing is crystal clear. All efforts should be make for a political situation, if not the offensive on Idlib, the last remaining hideout of the terrorists in Syria, cannot be further delayed and is essential if the terrorists turn down the overtures of the government in Damascus to surrender.

Full preparations have been made by Syria and its allies for deliverance of the three-and-a-half million civilian population being held hostage by the estimated 50-thousand odd terrorists, with the minimum loss and with necessary relief measures for the people that might be displaced, even if these macabre criminals resort to their worn-out tactic of gassing sections of civilians under their rule in a bid to blame Damascus and solicit support from the US – ironically the principal supplier of the dangerous chemicals to them.
The US very well knows the consequences of military meddling. If the US and its accomplices (chiefly Saudi Arabia and Israel) are foolish enough to order the terrorists to use chemicals, then all hell will break loose on not just the perpetrators but also their backers, and this time they will be made to suffer physical losses, as the patience of the Syrian government is running thin vis-à-vis the repeated acts of aggressions of its enemies. 

Iran, Turkey and Russia which are eager to expand their economic and commercial relations as well, want stability in the region, and the three countries think that their joint cooperation, not just in Syria but also in several bilateral and multilateral fields, is capable of defeating the different diabolical designs of the Great Satan, which has neither any justification to prolong its continued illegal military presence nor its unilateral measures to undermine international accords to impose sanctions on the Free World.

As said earlier, the evil of the American administration can be contained and rolled back from the entire region including Iraq, Yemen, the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and also Afghanistan, if Tehran, Moscow, and Anakara, which have stable economies and thriving political systems, further coordinate their stances and solidify their joint will to defuse the flames of the crises being fanned by the US and its accomplices in crimes against humanity, including Saturday’s sedition in Basra where miscreants on the payroll of the US and Saudi Arabia burned down the Iranian consulate and offices of parties that won the recent parliamentary polls in Iraq, in a vain bid to prevent the emergence of an independent and broad-based national government in Baghdad.