1. Iran Studying Incentives Package 2. Iran’s Largest River in Esfahan “Dried Up” 3. Future Oil Output Increase in Iraq and Saudi Arabia 4. Tehran and Rome Dispute over Street Names
Foreign Minister Mottaki said yesterday that Iran is studying “seriously and constructively” the revamped package of incentives, which is intended to sway it from enriching uranium.
Mottaki, however, rejected a G-8 statement on 27 June suggesting Iran’s enrichment program poses a proliferation risk.
Following his statement, there were mixed signals coming from the Majlis today. Member of the Majlis Energy Commission Emad Hosseini said that Iran would start negotiating the 5+1 package next week… while another Commission member said the government would “examine a number of reports,” based on studying that package, and then make a counterproposal.
2. Iran’s Largest River in Esfahan “Dried Up”
The water of Esfahan’s Zayandeh-Rud river is drying up. The conservative Jam-e Jam Newspaper yesterday quoted a state official attributing the recent drought and pollution to the decrease in the river’s water level to 1,000 cubic meters.
The river has been the source of water for the irrigation of dozens of fields in the region and for drinking water for 15 cities and more than 4 million people in central Iran. The Agriculture Minister warned that some 30 provinces are facing various levels of drought. Earlier this year, the Deputy of the Ministry of Energy said that Iran would be facing “the worst drought in 40 years” this year, and that rain levels were 44 percent below average.
3. Future Oil Output Increase in Iraq and Saudi Arabia
Iraq is opening its oil fields to foreign investors for the first time in 40 years. The country’s oil reserves reportedly hold 115 billion barrels of crude. This makes its reserves the largest after Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Another oil production increase will come from Saudi Arabia. The kingdom will begin drilling in its largest untapped giant oilfield in the eastern desert. The Saudis believe this area could produce 1.2 million barrels per day once it becomes operational. That amount could surpass the combined production of Qatar, Indonesia and Ecuador.
4. Tehran and Rome Dispute over Street Names
The mayor of Rome is supporting a proposal to name a street in his city “18 Tir,” meaning 9 July, after the widespread student protests in Iran, which took place on that date in 1999. This move, however, is prompting Iran’s City Council to name a street “Martyr Edoardo [Mahdi] Agnelli.”
Agnelli was the son of Italian industrialist senator Giovanni Agnelli. He was born to a Christian father and Jewish mother but reportedly converted to Shiite Islam after studying Eastern Philosophy at Princeton University. Agnelli died in controversial circumstances in November 2000. Italian investigators suspected he committed suicide, but Iranian media claim he was murdered because of his conversion to Islam.
