U.S. Sen. Asks Albright To Press Total S.A. on Iran Deal, Dow Jones News, June 9  

WASHINGTON - A key U.S. senator has written to Secretary of State Madeleine Albright asking her to try to convince the French oil company Total S.A. (TOT) to stop negotiating with Iran to develop the giant South Pars gas field.

"I have written to the Secretary of State (Albright) urging her to use all the tools at their disposal to convince the French not to move forward with this deal," Senator Sam Brownback said in a statement Monday. The Kansas Republican is chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, which oversees Middle East policy….

"If the French oil company Total enters into this multi-billion dollar agreement to re-pressurize Iran's oil fields, it is totally unacceptable....Should the Total-South Pars project go ahead, I have urged her (Albright) to recommend to the President that he impose sanctions under the Iran and Libya Sanctions Act, as well as any additional sanctions available to him," Brownback said….

Brownback is the second senator to write the administration about the latest possible Total contract with Iran… 

Turkey May Sever Ties with Iran, Syria, Radio Israel, June 8 

Turkey's daily newspapers today reported that the crises in Ankara's relations with Iran and Syria will intensify in coming weeks and the government may even order the closing down of their in Ankara.

The rumor in Ankara is that Rafsanjani, who is supposed to attend an upcoming Islamic conference in Istanbul, may cancel his visit.

Iran Rejects U.S. Conditions for Renewing Relations, Dow Jones News, June 9 

TEHRAN - U.S. conditions for renewing ties with Iran are merely rhetoric, an Iranian newspaper said Monday.

President Clinton said last month that for Washington to establish relations with Iran, it must stop trying to wreck attempts to reach peace in the Middle East, halt the development of weapons of mass destruction and end support of terrorism.

The English-language Iran News, which is close to the Foreign Ministry, called the conditions "irrational." The paper added that "His statement was pure rhetoric which we have been hearing all along."

Iran has repeatedly said groups like Hamas in the Palestinian territories and Hezbollah in Lebanon, both of which the U.S. considers terrorist, are guerrillas fighting Israel's illegitimate occupation of their land….

Admitting to Effects of U.S. Sanctions, Reuter, June 6 

TEHRAN - … foreign investment is still urgently needed in the oil industry, Iran's main hard currency earner. Technologies are outdated and if not upgraded will result in rapid depletion of the country's oil reserves, economists said.

"Economic reform and restructuring can only be realized in connection with domestic and foreign policy," Bijan Khajehpour, a Tehran management consultant and editor of Iran Focus monthly, said.

Khajehpour said U.S. sanctions had had a negative psychological effect on Iranians as well as foreigners.

"First, Iranians feel they're under pressure and things they want are not fully available to them, and foreigners are fearful of a clash with the Americans.

"Second, Iran's oil and gas industry has suffered badly and needs huge sums of investment and new technology."

Don’t Forget the Imam, State-run Radio, June 7

[Excerpts from remarks by mullah Yassoubi, representative of Khamenei at Friday prayer's sermon in western province of Illam]

… Brothers and sisters, we undoubtedly owe our lives to Imam [Khomeini]. But the government officials failed and their presence in the ceremony [marking the eighth anniversary of Khomeini’s death] was very insignificant. They were very few.

As government officials you must have visible presence in the Friday prayers, in the mass prayers, and in all ceremonies which are held by the government. while [last] Wednesday and Thursday were official holidays, it was intended for taking part in the ceremonies to mourn the Imam’s death, not for going out for hiking and entertainment… Don’t forget the Imam….

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