LATEST: Rouhani Appeals to Parliament to Accept His 5th Nominee for Science Minister

A day after nuclear talks between Iran and the 5+1 Powers failed to reach a comprehensive agreement, Western countries has offered both incentive and punishment for Tehran’s economy.

The Central Bank of Iran said Tuesday that the Islamic Republic had received another $900 million in unfrozen assets under the interim nuclear Joint Plan of Agreement from November 2013.

South Korea transferred $500 million while India released $400 million to CBI accounts in Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

Iran has received $7 billion in unfrozen assets under the interim agreement, which took effect in January and was extended in July.

Under another extension of the interim agreement, announced on Monday to maintain negotiations, Iran is to receive $4.2 billion over six months.

However, as Iran received the latest funds — which will cover some of its falling revenues from the drop in the global oil price — the US and the European Union announced extensions of their sweeping sanctions on Tehran.

The EU said the measures, which took effect in July 2012, will continue to June 30, 2015. The US Treasury extended American sanctions to the same date.

The long-running US sanctions were bolstered by EU restrictions on insurance for shipping which limited Iran’s oil exports, as well as constraints on trade in gold, precious metals, and petrochemical products.

On Monday night, President Rouhani had declared on State TV:

There is no doubt in the continued operation of Iran’s nuclear technology and installations and today, the negotiating sides are of this belief that pressures and sanctions against Iran don’t yield any fruit.

The centrifuges will never stop operation and people will have a better life.


Rouhani Appeals to Parliament to Accept His 5th Nominee for Science Minister

President Hassan Rouhani has appealed in person to Parliament to approve his latest nominee for Science, Technology, and Higher Education Minister.

In the past 15 months, the Majlis has dismissed the Science Minister and rejected three other nominees presented by Rouhani.

Hardline MPs have criticized Rouhani for his “soft” approach to higher education, including the reinstatement of students who were expelled and professors who were dismissed after the disputed 2009 Presidential elections.

On Wednesday, Rouhani presented his third nominee in two months, Mohammad Farhadi, to lead the Ministry. Initial reactions indicate that Farhadi may be accepted by some of the MPs who have blocked the President’s previous selections.

Speaker of Parliament Maintains Regime Support for Nuclear Talks

Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani, a central figure in the regime’s aprroach to nuclear talks, has maintained support for the Rouhani Government.

Speaking to Basij activists on Tuesday, Larijani said Iran and the 5+1 Powers had “acted sensibly” in extending negotiations to July 1.

On Sunday, Larijani — often used as an outlet for the views of the Supreme Leader — told hardline MPs in a closed-door meeting that they refrain from criticism of the Government, as the talks in Vienna failed to reach agreement on a comprehensive settlement.

In another sign of the Supreme Leader’s views, the head of Iran’s armed forces, General Hassan Firouzabadi, said that negotiations are not likely to resolve the nuclear issue, but Iran should “try to get as many positive outcomes as possible” through the talks.