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Chinese refiners seek to increase oil imports from Iran and Russia

By
IFP Media Wire
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China’s independent refiners are set for crude buying frenzy as they seek to use import quotas before they expire in less than three months.

 

That’s likely to boost demand for crude that can be delivered quickly, such as Russia’s ESPO oil from the Far East that typically takes less than a week to be shipped. Chinese independent processors, also known as teapots, usually seek to use up quotas so they can apply for comparable volumes in the next year.

 

Teapots will have to pay up if they want ESPO, however, after spot differentials for the grade surged. While the latest deals were slightly lower than previous transactions, they’re still near the highest premium in 21 months. That’s likely to prompt processors to consider other grades from the Middle East, or even sanctioned crude from Iran stored in tankers offshore Asia, said traders.

 

There are millions of barrels of crude floating off China and around Singapore and Malaysia that include Iranian oil, as well as volumes of various grades in bonded storage that refiners could access, according to traders who asked not to be identified. The spot market is already trading December-loading cargoes.

 

Alternatively, some teapots could look at grades from the Persian Gulf such as Oman and Upper Zakum, said the traders. However, an oil-laden ship from the region usually takes about three weeks to reach China, adding uncertainty as to whether they could be delivered by year-end, they said.

 

In the latest ESPO deal, China National Chemical Corp., known as ChemChina, purchased two cargoes that will load in the latter half of December. Teapots account for about a quarter of China’s overall oil-processing capacity and the shopping spree may provide an additional short-term demand boost to a market being roiled by an energy crunch.

Iranian expert: Agreement with Venezuela sends political message

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Iran Rejects US Allegations on Ties with Venezuela

Tabatbaei also described the announcement by Iran and Venezuela of their decision to sign the agreement as a roadmap. He said both countries are under US sanctions and are on the same page regarding many international issues and “this is positive”. 

The former Iranian ambassador to Bolivia added that Iran and Venezuela both have good economic potential possibilities and can to somee extent satisfy each other’s economic needs. 

He however noted that Tehran and Caracas are trying to get the sanctions lifted. According to him, Iran has shown that it will not leave its old friends and allies even if it normalizes ties with the West but he expressed doubt as to whether that holds true for Venezuela.

Tabatabaei reiterated that the Venezuelan government is seeking to take some measures against its opponents at home led by Juan Guaido and is ready to give concessions to the West and the US and it’s likely that Caracas will even breach the agreement with Iran. 

He urged the Iranian government to take the issue into account upon signing the agreement. He also noted that it would be wrong to say the economies of the two countries complement each other but they can satisfy some of their economic needs through the deal.  Tabatabaei said Venezuela will benefit from the agreement more than Iran and it’s going to help Caracas to resolve part of its economic problems. 

He also said Venezuela offers good economic opportunities for Iran regarding exports of engineering,  technical and construction services. 

Over a dozen killed in Damascus twin blasts

By
IFP Media Wire
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At least 14 people have been killed after a bus was mangled in a suspected terrorist attack as it crossed a bridge in Jisr al-Rais in Damascus. Two explosive devices were set off, obliterating the vehicle, state media reported.

According to preliminary reports, the explosions also injured three people.

The vehicle was carrying Syrian military service members, who were presumably the target of the attack

A third explosive device was reportedly defused by a bomb squad.

China demands US explanation about nuclear sub accident

By
IFP Media Wire
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A Chinese military spokesperson on Tuesday urged the United States to clarify an incident involving a US nuclear submarine, and to cease conducting the so-called “freedom of navigation” operations in the South China Sea.

Tan Kefei, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks when responding to an inquiry about a US nuclear submarine that had recently collided with an unknown object in the South China Sea, causing some damages and injuries.

“We notice that the US military has deliberately delayed and concealed the details of the incident,” Tan said, adding that such an irresponsible and secretive approach makes China and the countries surrounding the South China Sea have no choice but to question the truth of the incident and the intentions of the US side.

The root cause of the incident is that the United States has for a long time frequently dispatched aircraft carriers, strategic bombers, nuclear submarines and other advanced weapon systems into these waters, Tan noted, adding that such a show of force has heightened tensions and undermined peace and stability in the region.

Tan also mentioned that recently, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia have established a trilateral security partnership to carry out cooperation on nuclear-powered submarine, giving the non-nuclear-weapon state Australia access to nuclear materials that can be used to make nuclear weapons, posing a huge risk of nuclear proliferation and a grave challenge to regional peace and security.

“China urges the United States to take seriously the concerns of all parties, take a responsible attitude and give a detailed account of the incident as soon as possible, so as to give a satisfactory explanation to the international community and regional countries,” he stated.

Gangs seek $17mn for US, Canadian missionaries kidnapped in Haiti

By
IFP Media Wire
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Justice Minister Liszt Quitel told the newspaper that the notorious 400 Mawozo gang is asking $1 million per hostage.

The Mawozo gang controls the Ganthier commune in the eastern suburbs of the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince, where the group of 16 U.S. nationals and one Canadian was kidnapped on Saturday while traveling to visit an orphanage.

The hostages include five children, ranging from 8 months to 15 years old, Christian Aid Ministries, the nonprofit sponsoring the missionaries’ efforts in Haiti, confirmed Tuesday. The adults in the group are aged between 18 and 48 years old. 

Earlier on Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the FBI was involved in a coordinated U.S. government effort to get the Americans to safety.

The agents had arrived in Haiti the previous day to assist the State Department in securing the missionaries’ release, a source close to the Joe Biden administration told NBC News.

The Human Rights Analysis and Research Center, a Haitian nonprofit group, says it has recorded at least 628 kidnappings since January, of whom 29 were foreign nationals. September had a 300 percent increase in the number of incidents compared to July, the center announced.

As the search for the kidnapped missionaries intensified on Monday, Haitians held a general strike in Port-au-Prince to protest pervasive violence and the country’s devastated economy. Conditions for the vast majority have only worsened since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July and a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in August that killed 2,200 and further damaged an already weak infrastructure.

Armed gangs even now control access to medical assistance, one doctor in the country told NBC News.

Dr. Richard Frechette has to negotiate with gangs to ensure the passage of liquified oxygen he needs to treat Covid-19 patients at St. Luke’s Hospital in Port-au-Prince.

“It’s hair-raising because you’re going to have 40 people dead in your hospital in a matter of hours if you don’t succeed … And it’s very complex when you have to go through a gang to get oxygen,” he noted over the phone from Port-au-Prince.

Christian Aid Ministries said the group’s work in Haiti included providing medicine to clinics, teaching Haitian pastors, and most recently, coordinating a rebuilding project for Haitians who lost their homes in an earthquake in August. 

In an update Monday, they asked for prayers from “believers around the world, including our many Amish and Mennonite supporters.”

Arman Abdolali’s execution postponed again

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Abdolali’s lawyer says the execution, which was scheduled for Wednesday morning, has not been carried out.

Abdolali was earlier moved to solitary confinement in a prison in Karaj in preparation for his death sentence to be carried out.

This is the third time that the 25-year-old’s planned hanging is stopped.

Arman was 17 when he was arrested for the murder of Ghazaleh Shakour.

He was sentenced to death in 2015 a year after Shakour disappeared. Her body has never been found.

Many Iranian celebrities have called on the judiciary to grant him a stay of execution.

Russia rules out recognition of Taliban

By
IFP Media Wire
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Russia is not considering any possibility of the official recognition of the Taliban movement, Lavrov said on Tuesday.

“The official recognition [of the Taliban] is not being discussed and it has been stated publicly,” he told journalists after a meeting with the participants in the 18th annual session of the Valdai international discussion club.

He noted that “like other countries that have influence in the region,” Russia maintains contacts with the Taliban and hopes the Taliban will keep its promises and take measures to ensure the inclusiveness of the Afghan government not only from the ethnic but also from the political point of view.

Pentagon chief in Ukraine amid Moscow-Kiev tensions

By
IFP Media Wire
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No third countries have the right to influence Ukraine’s determination of its future foreign policy, Austin said at a joint briefing with Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Taran in Kyiv on Tuesday, commenting on the reaction of Russia to the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO.

“No third country has the right to veto NATO membership. Ukraine, as I have already noted, has the right to decide its future foreign policy without external interference. I will say that our support for Ukrainian sovereignty is unshakable and we will continue to work together for in order to assure that we are in the right place, and Ukraine can defend itself,” Austin added.

The US intends to support defense reform in Ukraine until it reaches the criteria for NATO membership, Austin noted.

Austin stated that following the NATO summit in June 2014, NATO allies pledged support for Ukraine in its intentions to become a full member of NATO. The United States remains unwavering in support of Ukraine’s defense reform, which will help achieve the criteria for full NATO membership.

He announced the United States has a duty to help Ukraine, and US President Joe Biden has noted that on several occasions.

Austin also said that he likes Ukraine, the people of Ukraine, and the United States has a responsibility to help them. President Biden has emphasized this on several occasions – about the US commitment to support Ukraine, its territorial integrity and integrity. He added that he is here to reassure in the US serious intentions.

The accession of Ukraine to NATO is a “worst-case scenario” that would cross a “red line” for Moscow’s interests and, if Kiev were accepted as a member, Russia would be forced to take measures to protect its national security.

That’s according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who told Parisian TV channel France 5 about the threat Moscow perceives from the US-led bloc, while also noting that Russia wishes to be a part of a prosperous Europe.

“Ukraine’s accession to NATO would be the worst-case scenario,” Peskov told the French journalists for a program called ‘Vladimir Putin: Master of the Game’.

“This is a scenario that goes beyond the red lines of Russia’s national interests. This is a scenario that could force Russia to take active measures to ensure its own security,” he explained.

Peskov also responded to accusations that the movement of Russian troops near the country’s frontier with Ukraine was a threat to the West.

“Of course, we can understand your feelings. But we prefer that you Europeans become better informed,” the Kremlin spokesman added.

“Because, before the Russian troops were moved to that region, there were large NATO exercises held near the Russian border. Everyone talks about the concentration of Russian troops all the time, but nobody talks about the concentration of NATO troops,” he stated.

Peskov also batted away suggestions that Russia is interested in a “divided Europe” and called for the European Union to have its own independent army and defense system, outside of the American-led bloc.

“It is not clear whether Americans will stay in Europe and continue to defend Europeans against those ‘terrible Russians’,” he noted.

Iran calls for identifying assassins of General Soleimani

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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general-ghasem-soleimani

Kazem Gharibabadi, deputy Judiciary chief for International Affairs and Secretary of Iran’s Human Rights Headquarters, in a tweet, referred to his meeting with Iraq’s justice minister, saying he told  the Iraqi official a joint committee must be formed to probe the assassination and convene a session for this purpose as soon as possible.  

General Soleimani and his companions including Abu Mahdi Muhandes, a commander of Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces were killed in a US drone strike in January 2020 outside Baghdad’s airport. 

In the tweet, Gharibabadi added that he also spoke with Iraq’s justice minister about legal, judicial and human rights issues as well as about the need to investigate the problems of nationals of the two countries. 

Gharibabadi was until recently Iran’s envoy to the international organizations in Vienna and after the end of his tenure, he was appointed as the secretary of Iran’s Human Rights Headquarters.

Iran: Israel’s crimes should not go unpunished

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-

Takht Ravanchi was speaking at the UN Security Council session on the situation in the Middle East and the Palestinian issue on Tuesday.

He said the current situation in occupied Palestine is worrying and the continuation of these circumstances is a cause of concern for the international community.

Takhta Ravanchi said the crisis in the occupied Palestinian territories will come to an end only if the undeniable rights of the Palestinian people are recognized and restored.

He added that the only solution to this crisis is holding a referendum in line with historical realities and international law and with the participation of all Palestinians including Muslims, Christians and Jews.

Elsewhere, Takht Ravanchi responded to accusations leveled against Iran by the Israeli regime’s  representative to the UN. He flatly rejected the allegations, saying Tel Aviv’s representative was playing the victim in a bid to distract the international community’s attention from the regime’s crimes against Palestinians.

Takht Ravanchi noted that Israel’s claims against Iran’s peaceful nuclear program are totally unfounded as the civilian nature of the Islamic Republic’s atomic activities has time and again been verified by the IAEA.

The Iranian representative to the Un said the Israeli regime’s accusations against Iran are merely aimed at covering up the danger its own nukes pose to the region and the whole world.
He urged the international community to force Israel into joining the nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, give up its threatening nuclear activities and put all its nuclear facilities under the supervision of the IAEA.

Takht Ravanchi said the threat from the Israel nukes is a gross violation of the UN Charter, especially Article 2 thereof and, therefore, it must be condemned by the UN Security Council.
He added that Iran reserves the right to do all it can to protect itself from Israel’s threats.

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