Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 16 august 2017
Iranian president threatens to revitalize nuclear program

By NASSER KARIMI in Iran’s ballistic missile pro-
Associated Press gram and anyone who
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s does business with them.
president warned Tuesday The U.S. legislation also ap-
that it could ramp up its nu- plies terrorism sanctions to
clear program and quickly the Guard and enforces an
achieve a more advanced existing arms embargo. If
level if the U.S. continues Washington continues with
“threats and sanctions” “threats and sanctions”
against his country, which against Iran, Tehran could
signed a landmark nuclear easily step up its nuclear
accord with world powers activities, Rouhani said in
in 2015. Hassan Rouhani’s parliament Tuesday.
remarks to lawmakers were “In an hour and a day,
his most direct warning that Iran could return to a more
the deal could fall apart advanced (nuclear) level
and risked ratcheting up than at the beginning of
tensions with the United the negotiations” that pre-
States. President Donald ceded the 2015 deal, Rou-
Trump has repeatedly said hani said, though he under-
he wants to scuttle the ac- lined that Iran’s preference
cord, which limited Iran’s is to remain in the accord.
ability to produce a nucle- The maneuvering around
ar weapon while ending Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, center, arrives at his seat after a speech in a session of parliament the Iran deal comes at a
most sanctions against it. to debate his proposed cabinet, in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2017. Iran’s president issued time when tensions have
a direct threat to the West on Tuesday, claiming his country is capable of restarting its nuclear
Nikki Haley, the U.S. am- program within hours — and quickly bringing it to even more advanced levels than in 2015, when skyrocketed between the
bassador to the United Iran signed the nuclear deal with world powers. U.S and North Korea, which
Nations, said late Tuesday: (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) has tested nuclear weap-
“The nuclear deal must not responsible for its missile ballistic missile program and response to U.S. legislation ons and threatened in re-
become ‘too big to fail.’” launches, support for ter- the foreign operations of its passed earlier this month cent weeks to fire a ballistic
“Iran, under no circum- rorism, disregard for human paramilitary Revolutionary imposing mandatory pen- missile into the waters off
stances, can ever be al- rights and violations of U.N. Guard. The move came in alties on people involved the U.S. territory of Guam.q
lowed to have nuclear Security Council resolu-
weapons,” she said in a tions.”
statement. “At the same Earlier this week, Iran’s par- AS thousands flee:
time, however, we must liament voted to increase
also continue to hold Iran spending on the country’s Iraq steps up airstrikes on IS-held town

By BALINT SZLANKO his 12-member family, said fire during their escape
QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA he had left Tal Afar months from the militants, she said.
Associated Press ago and gone to a village A woman was killed, and
BADOUSH, Iraq (AP) — on the outskirts to escape they had to bury her by the
Thousands of Iraqis have hunger, airstrikes and vio- road. Lise Grande, the U.N.
fled an Islamic State-held lence from the militants. humanitarian coordinator,
town west of Mosul as Iraqi “Those who tried to escape said conditions in Tal Afar
and coalition warplanes were captured and shot in are “very tough.”
step up strikes ahead of a the head. They killed my “Thousands of people are
ground offensive to drive son,” he said. “He tried to leaving, seeking safety
out the militants. escape, he was caught and assistance. Families
Tal Afar and the surround- and they killed him.” escaping northeast are
ing area is one of the last He said severe shortages trekking 10 and up to 20
pockets of IS-held territory have caused the price hours to reach mustering
in Iraq after victory was de- of food to skyrocket in Tal points. They are exhausted
clared in July in Mosul, the Afar, which has been be- and many are dehydrated
country’s second-largest sieged by Iraqi forces for when they finally arrive,”
city. The town, about 150 months, with a kilogram she said.
kilometers (93 miles) east of (2.2 pounds) of sugar sell- Lt. Gen. Anwar Hama, of
the Syrian border, sits along ing for $50. the Iraqi air force, told The
a major road that was “There was nothing. We Associated Press that air-
once a key IS supply route. were eating pieces of strikes this week have tar-
On Monday, hundreds of bread with water,” he said. geted IS headquarters, tun-
exhausted civilians were Alia Imad, a mother of nels and weapons’ stores.
brought by Iraqi army three whose family paid But Iraqi forces, closely
trucks from the front line $300 to a smuggler to lead backed by the U.S.-led co-
to a humanitarian collec- them to safety, said there is alition, are not expected
tion point just west of Mo- no drinking water left in the to push into the town for
sul. Many described a har- town. “Most people drink another few weeks, ac-
rowing journey of a day or water that’s not clean. The cording to an Iraqi officer
more from Tal Afar, with no majority are surviving on overseeing the operation.
food or water. that and a bit of bread,” He spoke on condition of
Jassem Aziz Tabo, an el- she said. The group she anonymity in line with regu-
derly man who arrived with was with had come under lations. q