Swiss Top Diplomat Holds 'Fruitful' Talks in Iran on Peace, Rights

Switzerland's Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said he had "fruitful" talks in Iran on Monday regarding "peace, economic development and human rights.”

The Swiss embassy in Tehran handles US interests in Iran, since ties were cut in the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Switzerland has also played a major role in prisoner swaps between Tehran 
and Washington.

Iran-US tensions have escalated since 2018, after President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear agreement and reimposed tough sanctions on the Islamic republic.

Cassis held talks with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif before later meeting with President Hassan Rouhani.

The Swiss top diplomat held the meetings as part of a three-day visit to Tehran celebrating a century of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

"Peace, economic development and human rights—fruitful discussion with my counterpart," Cassis wrote on Twitter after the talks.

Zarif called the talks "excellent" on Twitter and said "while appreciating Swiss efforts to mitigate US sabotage, a return to normal trade is global priority.”

Rouhani reiterated that Iran was "open" to the United States to reverse its "mistakes", repair "its illegal actions" and rejoin the nuclear agreement, said state news agency IRNA.

According to the US Department of State, Secretary Mike Pompeo had a phone call with Cassis before his Tehran visit, raising speculation the visit involved talks on Tehran-Washington relations.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh denied the "speculations" on Monday, saying it was a planned visit delayed over the novel coronavirus outbreak and "not related to Iran and the US.”

"I'm glad we could establish together the Swiss Humanitarian Channel for the transfer of food and medical supplies to the people of Iran," Cassis said on Twitter.

The Swiss channel is a payment mechanism aimed at enabling food, medicine and other humanitarian aid to be sent to Iran without breaking US sanctions.

Humanitarian goods are theoretically exempt from sanctions, but international purchases of such supplies are almost impossible since banks are wary of falling foul of the US over doing business with Iran.

The channel—known by its acronym SHTA—was established and conducted its first transaction earlier this year.

Photo: IRNA

Swiss Humanitarian Channel to Iran Takes Effect

A new Swiss payment mechanism allowing food, medicine and other humanitarian aid to be sent to Iran without stumbling over US sanctions has officially taken effect, Bern said Thursday.

The system was created to allow Swiss companies in the food, pharmaceutical and medical sectors to make aid shipments to Iran without drawing the wrath of Washington for breaching a vast range of sanctions against the Islamic country.

"The Swiss Humanitarian Trade Arrangement (SHTA), a payment mechanism to enable humanitarian goods to be delivered to Iran, came into effect on 27 February," the Swiss economic affairs ministry (SECO) said in a statement.

Iran has been facing severe medical shortages since the US pulled out of a landmark nuclear deal and reimposed crippling sanctions on the country in 2018.

Washington had exempted humanitarian goods, especially medicines and medical equipment from its punitive measures.

But international purchases of such supplies are forestalled by banks being wary of conducting any business with Iran, for fear of falling foul of sanctions themselves.

This has sent medicine prices in Iran soaring and has had severe consequences, especially for people suffering from rare or special diseases that require imported medication.

An Iranian representative, Farhad Memelohi, for instance told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva Thursday that "at least 15 Iranian children with epidermolysis bullosa (EB) had died due to the lack of medication and equipment, resulting from US sanctions."

He said the Swedish pharmaceutical company supplying protective bandages for patients who suffer from the genetic condition that results in easy and dangerous blistering of the skin, "halted their supplies due to the restrictions."

The new coronavirus epidemic, which has hit Iran particularly hard, has put further pressure on the health system and there is a shortage of face masks.

SECO said Swiss authorities had been working "intensively" since late 2018 to implement a humanitarian payment mechanism, hailing that the SHTA agreement had finally taken effect.

"In this way, Switzerland is helping to supply the Iranian population with agricultural commodities, food, medicines and medical equipment ... in keeping with Switzerland's humanitarian tradition," it said.

Under the agreement, the US Treasury Department will provide involved Swiss banks and companies "with the necessary assurances that financial transactions can be processed in accordance with US legislation."

In return, the exporters and banks will provide SECO with "detailed information about their business activities and business partners in Iran and the transactions they carry out," the statement said.

Swiss authorities will then make that information available to their US counterparts, and they will work together to ensure "increased due diligence" regarding the transactions, it added.

A pilot transaction was conducted last month after the Swiss government approved the agreement in principle, allowing for an initial payment for the shipment of cancer drugs and medicines required for organ transplants to Iran.

Photo: Fars

Iran Says its Tanker Held in Saudi Arabia Released

An Iranian tanker held in Saudi Arabia since being forced to seek repairs at Jeddah port has been released and is returning to the Islamic republic, a minister said Sunday.

The Happiness 1 tanker "has been released following negotiations and is now moving toward Persian Gulf waters," said transport minister Mohammad Eslami, quoted by state news agency IRNA.

The ship had been forced to seek repairs in Saudi Arabia in early May after suffering "engine failure and loss of control", the Iranian oil ministry's SHANA news agency said at the time.

The rare docking came despite escalating tensions between staunch enemies Iran and Saudi Arabia.

"Yesterday, with follow-ups from the ports and maritime authority the issue
was resolved," Eslami said.

"The tanker is moving towards the Persian Gulf with the permission of the Jeddah port, towed by two Iranian tug boats."

Iran's national tanker company said in a statement that on top of "political and diplomatic negotiations" the tanker's release required "the payment of related costs" demanded by Saudi Arabia.

According to a July 2 report by Mehr News Agency, Iran paid "over $10 million to Jeddah port for repairs and maintenance" of the tanker.

Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic ties with Iran in 2016, after its missions in the country were attacked in demonstrations over the kingdom executing prominent Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr.

They still lack direct diplomatic channels, and Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi on Sunday thanked "Switzerland and Oman as well as related Saudi parties for offering services and facilities" to resolve the issue.

Photo: FleetMon

US Plan to End Iranian Oil Exports 'A Fantasy': Rouhani

A plan by the United States to cut Iran's oil production to zero is a "fantasy," Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Tuesday during his European tour to rally support for the 2015 nuclear deal. 

Washington has said it wants to pressure Iran to change its behavior by taking away all revenue Tehran generates from crude sales, part of the confrontational approach adopted by President Donald Trump, who pulled out of the historic nuclear pact in May. 

"These are exaggerated statements that can never be implemented," Rouhani told reporters in Bern, after holding talks with Swiss authorities on a range of issues, including the nuclear deal. 

"Such a scenario would mean the US was imposing its imperialist policy in flagrant violation of international law," he said. 

"This is really a baseless fantasy," he added, condemning an "unjust" scenario where all oil producers are allowed to export crude except Iran. 

Washington has said it is confident the world has enough spare oil capacity to replace Iranian crude, and Trump has said that he has persuaded Saudi Arabia to balance the market by boosting its own production. 

The international community still overwhelmingly backs the nuclear deal which opened new opportunities to deepen economic relations with Iran. 

But many believe nations will have to sever ties once Washington reimposes sanctions, to avoid losing access to US markets and financing. 

Rouhani and Swiss President Alain Berset both underscored the importance of the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, substantial parts of which were negotiated in Switzerland. 

The deal was signed in Vienna, where Rouhani will hold further talks on Wednesday. 

Photo Credit: Swiss Presidency

Iranian President Flies to Europe to Rally Support

President Hassan Rouhani departed Iran on Monday for a trip to Europe billed as of "prime importance" after the US pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.

Rouhani was set to visit Switzerland and Austria as part of Tehran's ongoing efforts to secure Europe's continued support for the landmark agreement.

The Iranian president left Tehran on an early afternoon flight and was due to land in Zurich in the mid-afternoon, Iranian state media reported.

His delegation will travel on to Vienna Wednesday, according to authorities in Austria, where the historic nuclear deal was signed in July 2015. 

The trip will be an "opportunity to talk about the future of the (nuclear) agreement," Rouhani told reporters at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport before boarding his flight, state television showed.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is also scheduled to hold talks with Swiss officials in Bern.

The visit comes nearly two months after US President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled out of the agreement, to the ire of the other signatories—China, France, Germany, Britain and Russia—which along with the European Union have continued to back the accord. 

Rouhani's European trip will be of "prime importance" as it could "provide a more precise picture of cooperation between Iran and Europe," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghassemi said in comments carried by the semi-official ISNA news agency on Saturday.

Austria on Sunday took over the European Union's six-month rotating presidency, while Switzerland represents US interests in Iran owing to the absence of diplomatic relations between Washington and Tehran.

Vienna, where the deal was signed, is also the home of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, which monitors Iran's compliance with the accord.

The nuclear deal has been the cornerstone of Rouhani's policy of greater openness with the West, and the US departure has seen him severely criticized by ultra-conservatives at home. 

Even before Trump's decision, Iranians had long complained that the hoped-for uptick in foreign investment after the deal had not materialized. 

Washington's decision paves the way for new US sanctions against Tehran, which will encompass businesses from third countries that continue to operate in Iran. 

A number of foreign firms have already announced they would cease their Iranian activities in light of the looming imposition of sanctions. 

Failure 'Very Dangerous'

While in Switzerland officials are due to sign agreements on economic cooperation, according to Iran's official IRNA news agency.

Rouhani will meet with the Swiss president, Alain Berset, and his two-day visit will coincide with a bilateral economic forum on health and nutrition, although it was not clear whether he will attend in person.

There will be a similar focus on finances in Vienna, where the Iranian president is expected to sign memorandums on economic cooperation according to Austrian media. 

Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said he will speak plainly with Rouhani about Iran's role in the Middle East, as Tehran continues to deny accusations it is destabilizing the region.

Kurz will also find "clear words" to discuss the human rights situation in Iran, the chancellor told Austrian news agency APA.

The European tour is part of a broader diplomatic effort by Tehran to rally support in the wake of Trump's May 8 withdrawal from the deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Last month Rouhani visited China, where he discussed the future of the nuclear deal with his Chinese and Russian counterparts on the margins of a security summit. 

Zarif meanwhile embarked on a tour of Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia.

The foreign minister on June 24 warned that failing to save the nuclear deal would be "very dangerous" for Tehran. 

But the Iranian government has also said it will not continue to abide by the agreement if doing so goes against its economic interests. 

Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, has demanded Europe provide a number of economic guarantees in order for Tehran to continue its commitment. 

Increasing the pressure on Iran's European partners, he ordered preparations be made to quickly restart nuclear activities in case talks collapse.

Photo Credit: IRNA

Iran's Rouhani in Europe in July to Seek Backing for Nuclear Deal

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will visit Austria and Switzerland next month as part of a campaign by Tehran to secure continued European backing for the 2015 nuclear accord.

The future of the landmark deal was thrown into doubt when President Donald Trump announced last month that the United States would withdraw and reimpose sanctions that would hit international businesses operating in Iran.

The other parties to the agreement—Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia—have vowed to stay in the accord but their companies risk huge penalties if they keep doing business in the Islamic republic.

Iran has already warned it is ready to resume uranium enrichment to 20 percent "within days" if the deal falls apart and warned Europe that time was running out.

The visits were announced Monday by the presidencies of both European countries.

Rouhani will visit Switzerland on July 2-3 and then head on July 4 to Vienna—home of the UN nuclear watchdog the IAEA which monitors Iran's compliance with the accord.

Relations between Tehran and Bern, which represents Iran's interests in the United States, have been deepening in recent years, and Rouhani will be welcomed with full military honors, a statement from the Swiss presidency said.

Vienna played host to marathon talks that began in June 2013 and led to the signing in July 2015 of the deal aimed at preventing Iran from building an atomic bomb.

Photo Credit: IRNA