(VIDEO) ABQ Says "Sanction Israel"

A half dozen members of the Albuquerque-based grassroots human rights organization "the Coalition to Stop $30 Billion to Israel" explain why they are so pleased to see their billboard message up again calling for the U.S. to be a more honest broker between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority.

Yes you guessed it, a bunch of misinformed ignorant bleeding hearts, once again!!!

(NEWS) Iran Possesses 2.8 Tons Of Uranium Despite Obama's Sanctions

"Iran continues to snub the United Nations and has produced 2.8 tons of enriched uranium, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported Monday. Iran previously enriched uranium to a five percent grade, but increased the purification level to nearly 20 percent last February.

U.S. President has claimed that harsher sanctions against Iran have affected Iran, but the latest nuclear report indicates that the sanctions, which may be hurting Iran economically, have not stopped it from enriching the key ingredient for a nuclear bomb. Americans officials said Monday they are 'worried' by the IAEA report."

(BLOG) Iranian Trade With The West Soars Despite Sanctions

"New data shows that trade between Iran and Western powers is rising despite the standoff over Iran’s nuclear program.

Trade between Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council has soared despite a newly imposed round of international economic sanctions on Iran, the semi-official Iranian news broadcaster Press TV has claimed.

A Press TV report claimed that while Iranian imports from the U.S. and the U.K. have suffered under the new sanctions regime, exports to both countries rose by 76 percent and 61 percent, respectively, over the last four months. Trade with China, by many account’s Iran’s most important trading partner, saw a 50 percent rise in exports and a 40 percent rise in imports, the news agency found."

(NEWS) Iran Is Trying To Evade Sanctions

"US official says Iran using front companies to ship dangerous cargo.

The US imposed sanctions on three shipping companies located in Malta that belong to Iran's national sea cargo transporter on Friday, US Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Stuart Levey said in an opinion article he wrote in Monday's Financial Times.

Levey said that Iran's national maritime carrier, the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines, forges documents, changes ship names and sends cargo through front companies located abroad in order to get around international sanctions imposed on Teheran for conduct surrounding its nuclear and ballistic missile programs."

(NEWS) Siemens Parts Caught Headed For Iran

"German customs catch sanctions-breaking shipments in Frankfurt.

Customs at Frankfurt airport found a delivery of Siemens AG equipment that was headed to Iran, German weekly Der Spiegel reported on Saturday night.

The switches, components and computer modules, manufactured by the German engineering giant, were allegedly headed for Moscow in June, and from there would be sent to the nuclear reactor at Bushehr, despite EU sanctions on Iran."

(NEWS) EU Imposes New Iran Sanctions

"Restrictions follow last month's unilateral US sanctions.

The European Union formally adopted new energy sanctions against Iran Monday which target the country's energy, banking, and foreign trade sectors.

The move comes on the heels of the unilateral US sanctions passed last month by the Senate. The EU sanctions were agreed to in principle by European leaders in June, and are the latest in a series of measures taken by the international community in an effort to halt Iran's nuclear program."

(NEWS) Russian Official: Iran Won't Get Our Missiles

"Military official says Moscow will not supply Iran with 'large missile systems' due to UN sanctions.

Russia's Interfax news agency cites a top military official as saying the UN's latest Iran sanctions, which Moscow has backed, rule out the delivery of missile systems.

Russia has yet to fulfill a 2007 contract with Iran over the delivery of the sophisticated S-300 defense missiles. The West has urged against arming a state suspected of running a covert nuclear weapons program."

(NEWS) Iran Admits Sanctions Could Bite

"A senior Iranian official has acknowledged for the first time that sanctions against the country could slow down its nuclear programme.

Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran's atomic energy agency, told the ISNA news agency on Wednesday that the sanctions could have some impact.

'Maybe they will slow down the work but they will not stop it, that's certain,' Salehi said."

(NEWS) UAE Ambassador: 'Bomb Iran'

"Yousef al-Otaiba says 'we cannot live with a nuclear Iran.'

The United Arab Emirates ambassador to the United States said Tuesday that it would be worthwhile to bomb Iran's nuclear program, The Washington Times reported.

Ambassador Yousef al-Otaiba reportedly endorsed the military option if sanctions do not stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons."

(NEWS) Iran Planes 'Refused' Fuel In U.K., Germany, United Arab Emirates

"U.A.E. denies such measures and Germany says no ban has been put into place; Iran threatens to retaliate.

Iranian officials accused Germany, Britain and the United Arab Emirates on Monday of refusing to refuel Iranian passenger planes due to unilateral U.S. sanctions imposed over its nuclear program, and threatened to retaliate against the move.

'Since last week, our planes have been refused fuel at airports in Britain, Germany and UAE because of the sanctions imposed by America,' Mehdi Aliyari, Secretary of the Iranian Airlines Union, told Iran's ISNA news agency."

(NEWS) Ahmadinejad: New Sanctions 'Pathetic'

"Iranian president says new US measures won't stop nuclear program.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called the latest US sanctions passed against the Islamic Republic 'pathetic' on Saturday in his first speech since the new measures were signed into law by US President Barack Obama on Thursday, Reuters reported.

The US legislation affects the gasoline, financial, insurance and shipping sectors, among others, as it seeks to impose a heavy economic cost on Iran for continuing with its nuclear program."

(NEWS) Dubai: Iran Smuggles Nuclear Equipment Via UAE Ports

"UAE ambassador to IAEA confirms reports of forbidden goods transiting Dubai to Iran.

United Arab Emirates Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency Hamad al-Kaabi has confirmed reports that Iran is using Dubai ports to smuggle equipment needed for its nuclear program, but noted the steps his country had taken to clamp down on blacklisted companies.

This is the first official acknowledgement from the state that it is a popular transit point for smuggling."

(NEWS) Obama Signs Iran Sanctions Into Law

"Israeli businessmen urge American companies to boycott Teheran.

After years of congressional efforts, sweeping new Iran sanctions will become law Thursday night when US President Barack Obama signs the bill on his desk.

The legislation affects the gasoline, financial, insurance and shipping sectors, among others, as it seeks to impose a heavy economic cost on Iran for continuing with its nuclear program."

(NEWS) Iran: Sanctions Do Not Ban S-300 Russian Missiles

"Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani says deal for supply of sophisticated air defense missiles concluded before fresh UN sanctions approved

A senior Iranian official says new UN sanctions would not prevent Russia from delivering sophisticated air defense missiles to Iran as agreed under a 2007 contract.

Iran's Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani says the contract for delivery of the powerful S-300 air defense missiles to Iran was concluded before the UN Security Council approved new sanctions earlier this month and therefore had 'nothing to do' with the resolution."

(NEWS) Iran: Sanctions Won't Stop Us

"Mottaki tells Security Council: UN measures won't affect nuke program.

The latest round of Security Council sanctions against Iran will not prevent the country from proceeding with its nuclear program, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Thursday.

In a letter addressed to the fifteen member-states of the UN Security Council and communicated by AFP, Mottaki wrote that Teheran 'considers that the adoption of such resolutions [against Iran] will not affect its utterly peaceful nuclear program.'"

(NEWS) Stuart Levey: The Man Trying To Make Anti-Iran Sanctions Work

"Stuart Levey was given a big stick when the Bush administration made him the first under secretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence. But the stick only started to hurt its targets -- terrorist groups and rogue nations -- when he figured out how to soft-talk nations and private businesses into going along.

Levey is that rarity -- a senior government official who has transitioned not just between two administrations, but between two presidents with profound foreign policy differences.

President Obama's decision to keep Levey and his office in place has less to do with ideology and more with how Levey has made the office into a tool that has effectively squeezed Iran and North Korea and hindered the ambitions of terrorist groups."

(NEWS) Iran Suffering From $19 Billion Drop In Energy Revenue

"Iran’s oil exports plummeted 24 percent over the 12-month period ending last February and energy revenues dropped by $19 billion, according to reports published by the semi-official Fars News Agency.

Oil production also has dropped, primarily due to the international sanctions that make it harder for other countries to invest in the Islamic Republic’s gas and oil industry. The Financial Times reported in May that oil production dropped by 300,000 barrels a day."

(NEWS) French Oil Giant Shuns Iran

"Gasoline company Total joins list of global suppliers who stopped fuel sales to Islamic Republic.

Total joined on Monday a growing list of oil companies that have stopped gasoline sales to Iran amid a US drive to isolate Tehran and international efforts to curb the Islamic Republic's nuclear program.

'Total has suspended its sales of gasoline or refined products to Iran,' a Total spokesman said, declining to say if the French oil major's decision was linked to the approval by the US Congress of tough new unilateral sanctions that could hurt US companies doing business with Tehran."

(NEWS) Iranian Official: Sanctions Result Of Our Support For Palestinians

"Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani says that the Western pressure on his country over its nuclear program is political and stems from the Islamic Republic's support for the Palestinians."

(NEWS) Oren: 'Terror May Follow Iran Sanctions'

"Oren warns Teheran may use Hizbullah, Hamas to start new ME war.

Iran might respond to sanctions passed against it in the US last week with terrorist violence in the Middle East, said Israel's Washington Ambassador Michael Oren on Tuesday in an interview with Foreign Policy magazine.

Oren said that Teheran would respond to the sanctions by either returning to the negotiating table or by starting a war in the Middle East to divert attention from the sanctions and its nuclear program. He said that in the case of Iran deciding to start a war, they would use Hamas and Hizbullah to attack Israel and perhaps others."