Countries with weapons-usable highly enriched uranium
• The U.S. said Friday that it would extend exemptions from sanctions to 11 countries.
• These countries first got the immunity in March from an American law adopted late last year.
• The law aimed to up pressure on Iran to force it to suspend its uranium enrichment activities.
“We welcome the U.S. decision,” Singapore’s foreign ministry said in an e-mailed statement. “Since May 2012, no Iranian crude oil was imported.”
The United States is applying the law aka sanctions to put pressure, to restrict Iran's oil exports to effect the Islamic republic's financial resources. Because Washington and its allies have widespread suspicions that it is developing nuclear weapons. The U.S. has banned foreign financial institutions found to have done business with Iran's central bank, which clears oil transactions, from operating in the United States aimed to force it to suspend its uranium enrichment activities.
"We have brought significant pressure to bear on the Iranian regime, and we will continue to work with our partners to ratchet up the pressure on Iran to meet its international obligations," Hillary Clinton said "The United States is determined to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and has pursued a dual-track policy to do so," she added. Clinton said Japan has "taken significant steps to reduce its crude oil purchases, which is especially notable considering the extraordinary energy challenges it has faced in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster." Japan and the EU countries, including Britain, France and Germany, "have again qualified for an exception to sanctions" authorized by the fiscal 2012 National Defense Authorization Act, based on reductions in the volume of their crude oil purchases from Iran, Clinton said in a statement.
The governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency adopted a resolution expressing "serious concern" about Iran's nuclear program, including its continuing and expanding uranium enrichment activities.
The U.S. and Israel have been locking horns with each other over Iran these days, with Washington rejecting a "clear red line" over Iran's controversial nuclear plan as demanded by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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- NYT Buries the Lead on Iran | FAIR Blog (fair.org)
- Iran may increase their uranium supply (bigpondnews.com)
- Iran close to building A-bomb like never before (english.pravda.ru)
- Iran's spiritual leader threatens to boost uranium enrichment if sanctions persist (panarmenian.net)
- Iranian cleric warns of uranium upgrade (bigpondnews.com)
- Now is not the time to strike Iran (ynetnews.com)
- Obama Rebuffs Netanyahu on Nuclear 'Red Line' for Iran (nytimes.com)
- Iran: an Irksome Prelude to War (counterpunch.org)
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