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becoming more and more fraught with some reports indicating Iran’s crude oil exports could soon fall to their lowest in decades.
“The simplest solution to operationalise the Instex and STFI [Iran’s counterparty entity] mechanisms is for EU companies and entities to buy Iranian crude and for Europe to open a credit line for its export- ers to start exporting to Iran,” Hemmati wrote in an Instagram post on May 13.
Separately, although both Donald Trump and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have this week talked down the prospect of a military clash between their countries, May 15 saw the US announce it was pulling all non-emergency staff from Iraq and Ira- nian government and military officials make aggresssive comments aimed at Washington and Tel Aviv.
Iran’s Minister of Defence Amir Hat- ami declared that Iran will defeat the American and Israeli alliance, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency
(IRNA). “We will defeat the American- Zionist front,” he reportedly said.
Major General Hossein Salami, com- mander of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolu- tionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was, mean- while, reported by Fars news agency,
to have said: “We are on the cusp of a full-scale confrontation with the enemy. This moment in history, because the enemy has stepped into the field of con- frontation with us with all the possible capacity, is the most decisive moment of the Islamic revolution.”
The US has beefed up its military forc- es in the Gulf region. It has lately sent an an aircraft carrier, B-52 bombers, Patriot missiles and an amphibious assault ship in a show of force against what the US claims are Iranian threats to its troops
and interests in the region. However, whether or not the US has intelligence indicating a heightened military threat to its armed forces from Iran is unclear. A British general on May 14 said he saw no increased threat (he was later slapped down by the Pentagon) and reports in US media outlets refer to anonymous briefings from officials who say Trump administration hawks are exaggerating even insignificant changes on the ground.
The Washington Post on May 16 ran an article citing US officials making the case that Trump is frustrated by advisers because he is not convinced the time is right to attack Iran. He is still report- edly pushing for talks with the Iranians aimed at striking a revised nuclear deal, but Tehran has rebuffed any idea of talk- ing to Trump.
“The nuclear deal caps the level of purity to which Iran can enrich uranium at 3.67%, far below the 90% needed to achieve nuclear-weapons-grade”
XVI CIS, Baltic States and Caucasus
Bond Congress
Batumi June 13—14, 2019
Hosted by:
Lead partners:
O cial partners:
Sponsors:
Sponsor of gala dinner:
GROUP OF COMPANIES
With contribution from:
www.bne.eu