Iran gathers envoys to lay ground for Israel response
Iran's foreign ministry on Monday convened a meeting of foreign ambassadors and representatives to lay down a "legal case" for retaliation it is planning against Israel for the assassination of Palestinian group Hamas' chief in Tehran last week, according to a source with knowledge of the matter.
Iran's acting foreign minister Ali Bagheri-Kani "was mostly trying to lay down the case that would justify Iran's response [to the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh]," the source said. "He said the response would be definite and decisive, but did not say when it would come or how."
The meeting came as numerous countries, in the Mideast Gulf and elsewhere, pressed on with round-the-clock efforts to try to contain the situation.
Haniyeh was killed on 31 July while in Tehran for the inauguration of Iran's new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, the day prior. State television had shown him present at the ceremony. Israel has not explicitly acknowledged its involvement. But Iranian officials have little doubt that Israel was behind the hit, particularly given rising tensions emanating from the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
"All the evidence and indications clearly show that the Zionist regime is behind this vile and despicable act," foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said today at his weekly press briefing, referring to Israel.
Jordan's foreign minister Ayman Safadi was in Tehran on Sunday, 4 August, to discuss escalating regional tensions with Bagheri-Kani.
"We want our region to live in security, peace and stability, and want the escalation to end," Safadi said.
Prior to the visit, Safadi had said Jordan would not accept being dragged into the escalation.
"If there is any escalation, our first priority is to protect Jordan and the safety of Jordanians," he said. "Anyone who wants to violate our skies, we will confront that."
Relations between Amman and Tehran have soured since Iran launched its first ever direct attack on Israel on 13 April, a response to an Israeli attack on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria. Jordan, which borders Israel, helped shoot down at least some of the more than 300 Iranian missiles and drones that had entered its airspace, headed for Israeli targets.
When and how?
Iranian officials are adamant that the country will retaliate for the assassination in Tehran, and will do so in a serious manner.
"When the Zionists receive a strong and decisive response, they will know that they made a mistake in their calculations," Islamic Revolutionary Guard commander in chief Hossein Salami said today.
There has been no clear indication from Iran about when it will carry out any retaliation, or what form this would take.
"The Zionist entity will receive a strike at the appropriate place and time to understand that what it has done is foolish," Salami said.
Related news posts
Volatile energy prices risk the transition: IEF
Volatile energy prices risk the transition: IEF
Houston, 18 September (Argus) — High or volatile energy prices risk undermining emissions reductions efforts, International Energy Forum (IEF) secretary-general Joseph McMonigle said today at the Gastech conference in Houston, Texas. "If the public starts to connect high prices and volatility to the energy transition, we're in big trouble and we risk losing public support for the transition and climate policy," he said. McMonigle made his comments on a panel with several energy ministers, who discussed the issues of balancing energy security concerns with transitioning to cleaner fuel sources for electricity. When asked what he would consider a "call to action" for the global energy sector, McMonigle suggested investments in emerging technologies. "I think to allow trading of carbon credits is really important to accelerate the transition," he said. "Also, to provide financing for CCS (carbon capture and storage), which I think is one of the technologies that does not have enough investment behind it." By David Haydon Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Citgo auction result delayed amid last-minute motions
Citgo auction result delayed amid last-minute motions
Houston, 18 September (Argus) — The US court-appointed special master overseeing the auction of US refiner Citgo plans to object to a last-minute motion from the Venezuelan government to delay the sale process by four months. The Republic of Venezuela and state-owned oil company PdV filed a motion on Tuesday seeking a four-month pause in the sale of its refining subsidiary Citgo, which is being auctioned off to satisfy debts owed by PdV. Special master Robert Pincus said in a court filing today that he intends to object to Venezuela's motion for a pause. The last-minute motion from Venezuela comes days after the US District Court for the District of Delaware was expected to announce results of the winning bidder. The court asked for a second extension to the auction process in August, delaying announcing a successful bidder to on or about 16 September with a sale hearing on 7 November. But Pincus is now dealing with last-minute legal challenges filed last week outside of the Delaware courts by so-called "alter ego" claimants seeking to "circumvent" the Delaware court's sales process and "jump the line" for enforcing claims against PdV, the special master said in a filing last week. Bidders for Citgo's 804,000 b/d of refining capacity, terminals, retail fuel stations and other plants expect the assets to be sold free and clear of future claims by PdV creditors. Unresolved legal liabilities could lower the value bidders are willing to pay for Citgo, decreasing the pool of money available to those owed by PdV. By Nathan Risser Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
US seeks to purchase 6mn bl for SPR
US seeks to purchase 6mn bl for SPR
Washington, 18 September (Argus) — President Joe Biden's administration is trying to purchase 6mn bl of sour crude for delivery to the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) as part of a plan to issue solicitations when prices are "favorable for taxpayers." The US Department of Energy (DOE) today released a solicitation to purchase up to 6mn bl of sour crude for delivery in February-May to the SPR's Bayou Choctaw site in Louisiana. If the purchase is successful, it would be the largest single purchase since the Biden administration launched its crude purchase program in early 2023. The solicitation offers a chance for the administration to buy crude for the SPR at a lower price than earlier purchases. Nymex WTI crude futures for delivery in February settled at $68.41/bl on Tuesday. The lowest-priced crude purchase under Biden was a 1.7mn purchase at a price of $72/bl in June 2023, and the average purchase price is about $76/bl. Bids for the solicitation are due by noon ET on 25 September. DOE has already purchased more than 50mn bl of sour crude for the SPR, of which 30mn bl have already been delivered. On 9 September, DOE said it purchased 3.42mn bl of sour crude for the SPR's Bryan Mound storage site at a price of $72.46/bl from the trading firm Macquarie Commodities Trading. The crude will be delivered in January-March, adding to an earlier purchase of nearly 2.5mn bl that will be delivered to the Bryan Mound site over the same time frame. By Chris Knight Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
US Fed cuts rate by half point, signals more to come
US Fed cuts rate by half point, signals more to come
Houston, 18 September (Argus) — The US Federal Reserve cut its target interest rate by 50 basis points today, the first rate cut since 2020, with officials signaling they expect to make another half point worth of cuts by the end of 2024. The Fed's Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) lowered the federal funds rate to 4.75-5pc from the prior range of 5.25-5.5pc, which was a two-decade high. The Fed had kept the target rate unchanged since July 2023 after hiking it for more than a year in the most aggressive increase campaign in four decades to quash inflation, which peaked at 9.1pc in mid-2022. "The committee has gained greater confidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward 2pc and judges that the risks to achieving its employment and inflation goals are roughly in balance," the FOMC said in its statement after the two-day meeting. "Job gains have slowed, and the unemployment rate has moved up but remains low." The Fed board and policymakers, in their latest economic projections, expect the target rate range will end 2024 near a midpoint of 4.4pc compared with an end of year midpoint of 5.1pc projected in June, which implies further cuts amounting to 50 basis points by the end of 2024. By Bob Willis Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Business intelligence reports
Get concise, trustworthy and unbiased analysis of the latest trends and developments in oil and energy markets. These reports are specially created for decision makers who don’t have time to track markets day-by-day, minute-by-minute.
Learn more