Obama Folds To Iran (Again), Will Delay New Sanctions After Rouhani Threat
On Thursday, we detailed the Obama administration’s plan to impose fresh sanctions on Iran in connection with the test-firing of Tehran’s next-generation, surface-to-surface ballistic missile the Emad back in October.
While the launch did not technically violate the nuclear accord (on which the ink is barely dry), it did run afoul of a UN Security Council resolution on developing and testing missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads. That prompted some US lawmakers to call for new penalties against the country just as international sanctions are set to be lifted.
The new measures reportedly target around a dozen companies and individuals with ties to Tehran’s ballistic missiles program including:
- U.A.E.-based Mabrooka Trading and its founder, Hossein Pournaghshband
- Hong Kong-based Anhui Land Group
- Five officials from Iran’s Ministry of Defense for Armed Forces Logistics, or MODAFL including Sayyed Javad Musavi, a key figure at a MODAFL subsidiary which has been the subject of Treasury Dept. sanctions in the past
Iran immediately responded, calling the sanctions “arbitrary and illegal.” As a reminder, the Iranians vigorously defend their right to pursue what they call “defensive” capabilities. Tehran says its missile program falls into that category.
For his part, President Hassan Rouhani was not pleased and ordered his defence minister to immediately expand Iran's missile programme. This is precisely what we warned would happen on the heels of the Emad launch when we said the following:
“..imposing sanctions on countries in order to deter their defense buildup (Iran) or otherwise force them into acting in a way that fits your definition of being an internationally responsible country (Russia) is a fool's errand to the extent that it only serves to aggravate the situation and perpetuates still more of the very same behavior you're trying to deter in the first place."
Of course the more immediate question for The White House was whether the new sanctions would derail the nuclear accord which, as regular readers are no doubt aware, is a rather important part of Obama’s legacy. John McCain - among others - have accused the administration of tolerating incessant Iranian sabre rattling in a desperate attempt to preserve the deal. “Strict, aggressive, and consistent enforcement is critical to punishing Iran for its destabilizing behavior and making the nuclear deal work,” McCain said, in the wake of an “incident” in the Strait of Hormuz involving what Washington says was a “close call” with Iranian rockets.
In a move that will almost certainly infuriate GOP lawmakers, The White House has decided to mothball the new sanctions. “The White House has delayed its plan to impose new financial sanctions on Iran for its ballistic missile program,” WSJ reports, citing US officials. The move comes “amid growing tensions with Iran over the nuclear deal struck earlier this year,” The Journal adds. Here’s more:
U.S. officials offered no definitive timeline for when the sanctions would be imposed after the decision was made Wednesday to delay them. At one point, they were scheduled to be announced Wednesday morning in Washington, according to a notification the White House sent to Congress.
Republican leaders on Thursday accused the Obama administration of losing its will to challenge Iran after Tehran countered on Thursday that it would accelerate the development of its arsenal.
“If the president’s announced sanctions ultimately aren’t executed, it would demonstrate a level of fecklessness that even the president hasn’t shown before,” said Rep. Mike Pompeo (R., Kan.), a leading critic of the nuclear deal, in an interview.
Critics of the planned sanctions had already charged they weren’t an adequate U.S. response to Iran’s continuing development of its missile program.
President Hassan Rouhani said Thursday morning on Twitter that he had instructed Iran’s Ministry of Defense to accelerate the development of ballistic missiles in response to the news reports of the impending U.S. sanctions.
The State Department was keen to note that the decision was not in any way related to Rouhani's comments. In a hilariously absurd testament to just how indecisive the current administration has become, Obama was apparently ready to announce the sanctions at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, then got cold feet and pushed the announcement back "a few hours" before cancelling it altogether. Here's The Times again:
The White House on Wednesday morning sent a notification to Congress that the Treasury Department would announce at 10:30 a.m. new sanctions on nearly a dozen companies and individuals in Iran, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates for their alleged role in developing Iran’s ballistic missile program. The sanctions would have been the first imposed on Iran since the nuclear agreement was reached last July in Vienna.
The White House then sent a second email to congressional offices at 11:12 a.m. stating the sanctions announcement had been “delayed for a few hours,” according to a copy of the communications seen by The Wall Street Journal.
In a final White House email sent just after 10 p.m., officials said the sanctions had been delayed, and didn’t specify when they might go ahead.
It's unclear what exactly unfolded between say, 9 a.m. Wednesday morning and lunchtime, but it seems logical to assume that someone conveyed Iran's position to the administration and, upon learning that Rouhani (not to mention the Ayatollah) were about to blow a fuse, Obama simply called the whole thing off.
Needless to say, this will be trotted out endlessly as further evidence that America has become weak, that the President "leads from behind," and that the nuclear was indeed "historic" - a "historic" failure.
On that note, we close with two statements, one from The White House and one from Rouhani. Compare and contrast.
The White House: "We are considering various aspects related to additional designations, as well as evolving diplomatic work that is consistent with our national security interests, and as such we will not be announcing any additional designations today."
Rouhani: "We have never negotiated regarding our defense capabilities including our missile program and will not accept any restrictions in this regard."
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Pussy.
Happy New Year!
He looks doped out of his mind! ;-)
Just like with athletes being tested for drugs, all countries’ leaders should be subject to un-announced drug testing.
If any of them are caught RWI (ruling while intoxicated), they should be sent to North Korea to meet Lil Kim’s favorite anti-aircraft gun. ;-)
Looney
P.S. I would give “Lil Kim Square Pants” a pass on drug testing. I would even allow him to use the best drugs possible! ;-)
The rumor that POTUS is taking an AIDS regimen are completely unfounded and untrue.
"I think I've been quite a good President..."
WTF!
+1
If a President had the nerve to say that 100 years ago he might have gotten a very real beating.
Obama confused "Sanctions" with "Dribble, Mulligan and Woopsie".
Guys got balls Gotta admit, doin' this shit right out in front of everybody
Obama's prophetic role requires him to allow Iran to "develop nuclear weapons." You'll find out why this September: http://redefininggod.com/2015/08/obama-the-antichrist-and-divine-interve...
"Guys got OVERIES Gotta admit, doin' this shit right out in front of everybody"
Fixed it for ya, Knuks. Happy New Year !
You mean 'Ovaries' by any chance, or am I missing something...
Sorry....too hung over for spel chek
I no what you mean...
Dun it myself a few times...
OK, Obama is feckless. But not because of their decision to delay or cancel sanctions.
The fecklessness derives from an obvious lack of foreign policy. Everything is doen ad hoc, with a pathetic lack of understanding of either the other protagonist or of the consequences of the ad hoc action.
US State Department seems to either have no influence on US policy formulation, or is staffed entirely by fools with no knowledge of history, understanding of foreign cultures or societies, no ability to analyse information concerning or perceptions/intentions of foreign persons, and consequently absolutely clueless in anticipating the future actions of others.
If the State Department DOES influence policy, why is it so incompetent? Is it the education system, organisational bias, HR selection processes, or have its staff become victims of the propaganda (propagated narrative) saturating US media?
Your assumption that they want peace is faulty.
If peace, the people who did the 9/11 FF Treason will hang. They cannot allow peace, and will take no step to achieve it, everything will be in the other direction.
Now, doesn't the world make more sense with that interpretation?
Now do you understand their evil? 9/11 FF, the Israeli-Neocon wars that have killed 100s of 1000s and the continuing coverup of the 9/11 coverup.
Our entire political and business and MSM and military and ... leaderships are complicit in treason.
I am not asserting the administration wants peace, but I am asserting their foreign policy lacks cogent understanding, analysis, cohesiveness and planning. This sort of reactive activity reveals inept policy formulation & implementation, regardless of their objectives.
If you think their sole objective is chaos, then current behaviour is effective (with all its inherent risks). But I believe the objectives are more specific than that. The reality is they continue to be out-manouvered by people with weaker hands because of their own ineptitude and ignorance.
BTW - I despise their associations and what I believe to be their true objectives.
When you are the king of paper tigers, you dont need any balls.
"A solid B+"
Hmm, you're obviously a very generous soul...
Harlequin001
NO one here at Zero Hedge would know it better than you that the US CAN NOT keep unilaterally attacking every nation that don’t agree with US.
Second, the US needs to play both sides of the Muslim world.
Third, that the Iran sells it oil in dollar.
Then don't say a $%^#@ word about sanctions if you are going to reverse yourself in days or less. From the playground to the White House this sort of behavior makes you and yours look like a complete idiot. this is the only thing thta Obama does well.
Read some of the foreign press. Not much else other than shrouded disdain.
One of my neo-con buds the other day said "The Rest of the World must wonder ... etc." So I explained of the disdain, desire not to align too closely (only gets ya fucked), hatred, view as aggressor, etc. He argued with it. Asked him what foreign press he reads. None. So here's a guy who can't stand O, thinks it's fucked up but that the rest of the world loves us.
Said the foreign press is wrong.
Then talked to a Progressive friend. Rest of the world loves us and O is doing a great job.
The foreign press is wrong. Which do you read? None... But they're wrong.
So here's the cake they take. Don't have any exposure to it but they're wrong for not agreeing with their view of the world, when the conversation was simply about foreign view/opinions of the US.
Holy BeeJesus!
Maybe I misunderstand you, but if you think the international community feels safer with Obama at the helm, I beg to differ. I couldn't care less what the Guardian opines any more than the WSJ.
I believe Knucks was giving examples of Americans across the political spectrum holding very strong perceptions of how the world views the US, even though these individuals make no effort whatsoever to discover what ROW thinks (their perceptions are informed solely from domestic sources). Their perceptions are founded on ignorance, fed by confirmation bias, and yet vigorously defended.
Self-delusion.
If these, presumably well educated, folk delude themselves thus, how many others do likewise? And what does that mean for future US policy choices?
I would argue we don't have a foreign policy as much as bureaucratic inertia from aged bureaucrats peppered by emotional reactions to perceived sleights.
I don't disagree. I am sure there are objectives, but policy includes not just objectives, but also strategic and tactical choices, and it is at that level I believe it all falls into disarray. It surely doesn't help that there are publicly declared objectives and quite different true objectives, leading to confused decision-making internally.
It seems to me USG decisions are driven by simplistic and naive understandings of the ROW, founded on the misbegotten assumption everyone thinks like an American. Patently untrue, leading to neverending surprises.
Hmmmm. He's given a script by the handlers. He's told what to say. And there's alot of in-fighting amongst the cartel.
There's no way to know what he REALLY believes. Or whether he's got another agenda beyond what the neocons are spinning. But in all this confusion. WW3 is somehow being avoided. "Acta non verba". Watch what is DONE. Not what is SAID.
So the point then should be to back it up one step and make sure the "handlers"--neocons or otherwise--get their message right and stick to it.
We seldom had these probs before the psycho was elected.
Maybe he is the first non-psycho?
This is all court politics, and the major thing we know is we CAN"T know, words not acts. Plenty of insanity out of all the major players, Breedlove running troops around over E Europe and playing military games, plenty in MIC making anti-Russian noises and proposing no-fly zones over Syria, ... And we helped Turkey in shooting down Russia's bomber, certainly.
That is, we continue to do a lot of things that keep Israeli-Neocon necks out of nooses and advance the Likhud's interpretation of Zionism and Israel's place in the world, but do nothing for citizens of the United States.
I interpret the criticism of Obama as being pressure from the Israeli-Neocons for more military action everywhere. Obama is blamed for every slowdown, change of plan, ... That is probably the only thing he has done right, if so.
Obama is a demonstarted worthless leader. Jews, Israel, Zionists had nothing to do with this. Considering he attended a Madrassa as a child in Indonesia, one could argue more pursuasively that islamic thinking impacts his failures.
As Tyler puts it "It's unclear what exactly unfolded between say, 9 a.m.Wednesday morning and lunchtime" but if you had access to who said what you'd get clear evidence of who really calls the shots in the White House. During that period orders came in from "the boss", whoever that is, and policy was changed.
Iran quit selling its oil for dollars long time ago. Now it gets Yuan and Rubles. The petro dollar is almost dead
Iran quit selling its oil for dollars long time ago. Now it gets Yuan and Rubles. The petro dollar is almost dead
"I think I've been quite a good President..."
WTF!
Drugs! Just look at him.
Ruling While Intoxicated meet Policing While Intoxicated
Police unions don't support expanded drug testing for *gun and badge* agents at the local, state, or federal level. Believe me there are plenty of drugs in the military and gov't jobs in general.
Don't get me started on Aggravated PWI with steroids, alcohol, pills, and hard drugs.
Nah, he's just counting the days to his exit - then onward to joining the exhorbitant speaking fees circuit and endless golf with Bill, GW and HW.
"He looks doped out of his mind! ;-)
Just like with athletes being tested for drugs, all countries’ leaders should be subject to un-announced drug testing.
If any of them are caught RWI (ruling while intoxicated), they should be sent to North Korea to meet Lil Kim’s favorite anti-aircraft gun. ;-)
Looney
P.S. I would give “Lil Kim Square Pants” a pass on drug testing. I would even allow him to use the best drugs possible! ;-)"
He fell off the CHOOM WAGON again.
lol
I often wonder, a guy like 0, if just for a few seconds, during almost 8 yrs. being the HNIC, if there ever was a realization of the carnage to the planet his decisions/INdesisions have wrought..
If the sale of his soul was worth the #43 designation, the guilt, the embarassment..
Strangely, Iv'e never wondered this Hillary Rodham..
He does look like he's drugged.
How can any of this be a surprise. We knew he was a Marxist radical of the Saul Alinsky school. Plus he is a Muslim sympathizer. He's NOT Muslim.....but he is sympathetic to what Islam really is. A radical, quasi-Marxist ideology with a so called religion wrapped around it to give it "legitimacy". An Islamic version of the socialist Catholic ideology of "Liberation Theology" that was all the rage in Central America back in the day.
We knew he was Anti-Military and a dove. We knew he was a Mega-Narcissist. So how can today's story be any surprise or an outrage. We voted him in. We failed to get him out either by the ballot or the bullet.
Get over it and Happy New Year. Just wait until you get the best of both the Obama mentality and the Bush Neo-Con Mentality in Hillary Clinton.
Vote up! 20
Vote down! -10
Pussy.
Happy New Year!
I think you should volunteer to go fight in Iran. Prove you're not a pussy.
I can't wait until we get a new spineless weasel to replace our current spineless weasel.
What you need is a President, instead of an arsewipe who's sole purpose is to give all your money to bankers, weapons manufacturers and other vested interests.
Oh, sorry, you're fucked...
"I can't wait until we get a new spineless weasel to replace our current spineless weasel."
What you need is to make sense, have proper leaders who discuss honestly with others instead of constantly lying, cheating, conniving, speaking out of both sides of their mouths and trying to get the best of the whole world.
You need to stop believing there is anything "exceptional" about the USA. At the moment, the only exceptional thing about you is your astonishing stupidity.
You may not believe it. But lots of Americans are hip to the difference. Some of us understood "exceptionlism" as humility from being blessed to live where freedoms were protected. Not because we were CHOSEN. And GRATITUDE was the proper response. Not forcing "democracy" down the worlds throat. That shit's been the USG's agenda since the neo-bolshviks took over. It happened on our watch. And America will suffer the consequences.
Americans are just as flawed as the rest of humanity. More so. The gang that OWNS the USG doesn't know humility. Nor gratitude. Greed, avarace, mendacity and over-reach are outing them more each day. So take heart. There are lots of Americans who SEE. Tick-tock.
Fix. If you even think the president runs the USofA, then ... The president is an actor and that is all.
Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.
Clearly the South was right!
A guy walks into the shrinks office covered in nothing but Cling Wrap and the psychiatrist says " clearly I can see you're nuts."
Friday humor- Near Year style.
NORTH - 1 SOUTH - 0
HALFTIME!