“Despite the intensified dialogue between the Agency and Iran since January 2012, during which time 10 rounds of talks have been held, no agreement has been reached,” Director General Yukiya Amano told the Agency’s Board of Governors at a meeting in Vienna.

“To be frank, for some time now, we have been going around in circles. This is not the right way to address issues of such great importance to the international community, including Iran,” he stated.

Mr. Amano said Iran is not providing the necessary cooperation to enable the IAEA to provide credible assurance about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities. “The Agency therefore cannot conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities,” he said.

“Iran continues to advance its heavy water-related projects. The number of centrifuges installed by Iran also continues to increase, as does the amount of enriched uranium it holds,” he continued. “These activities are in clear contravention of resolutions adopted by the Board of Governors and the United Nations Security Council.”

Iran’s nuclear programme – which its officials have stated is for peaceful purposes, but some other countries contend is driven by military ambitions – has been a matter of international concern since the discovery in 2003 that the country had concealed its nuclear activities for 18 years in breach of its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The IAEA has been engaged with Tehran on a structured approach to resolving all outstanding issues. Mr. Amano reported that no agreement has been reached so far on the structured approach document.

“We need to achieve concrete results without further delay to restore international confidence in the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear activities,” he stated. “In order to achieve that objective, the Agency has made clear its view of the elements which the structured approach should contain.

“First and foremost, Iran has to address the Agency’s requirement to conduct effective verification. Unless Iran does so, it will not be possible for the Agency to resolve outstanding issues, including those relating to possible military dimensions to Iran’s nuclear programme.”

He called on Iran to engage with the Agency to achieve concrete results in resolving all outstanding issues “with a sense of urgency.”

Mr. Amano also told the 35-nation Board that he remains concerned about the situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), particularly since its announcement of a third test of a nuclear weapon in February.

“Once again, I strongly urge the DPRK to fully implement all relevant resolutions of the Security Council, the IAEA General Conference and the Board of Governors,” said Mr. Amano.

“I reiterate my call for the DPRK to fully comply with the NPT and to cooperate promptly and fully with the Agency. The IAEA remains ready to contribute to the peaceful resolution of this issue by resuming its nuclear verification activities once political agreement is reached among the countries concerned.”

The Board of Governors, one of the Agency’s main policy-making bodies, meets five times a year at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna. It is meeting to discuss the IAEA’s work on nuclear verification, safety, security and the peaceful use of nuclear technologies.

The “Heads of Mission” report for 2012, obtained by the daily newspaper Haaretz and sent to EU member states’ foreign ministries at the beginning of January 2013 calls upon the EU member states to “prevent, discourage and raise awareness” concerning the “problematic implications of financial transactions and direct investments within the EU in support of the settlement activities,” Ha’aretz said.

Also, according to the report seven of the 10 recommendations deal with imposing direct or indirect sanctions by the European Union on bodies and organizations involved in construction in the settlements.

The report also condemned the Israeli government for seeking to expand the East Jerusalem neighborhoods of Har Homa, Gilo and Givat Hamatos.

Those plans are “systematic, deliberate and provocative” and aimed at preventing the Holy City from becoming the capital of two states.

Relations between Israel and the EU have deteriorated in recent months, with Europe voicing increasing discontent over Israeli plans to build new settler homes in and around annexed east Jerusalem.

Israel considers all of Jerusalem its capital and does not see construction in the eastern sector as settlement building while in the eyes of the international community settlement construction in east Jerusalem and the West Bank is a violation of international law.

In a related development, the Palestinian Authority said on Wednesday that it will sue Israel for the prison death of Arafat Jaradat, Maan news agency reported.

Jaradat, 30, died in Israel’s Megiddo prison on Saturday, a week after he was arrested and accused of throwing stones.

An autopsy showed the father of two died from extreme torture while Israel says the autopsy was inconclusive.

“Iran has not moved on any of the important questions over the past few months. Therefore, we must increase the sanctions pressure,” German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said on Sunday.

Ahead of a meeting of foreign ministers in Luxembourg, diplomats said the measures would focus on dealings with Iran’s banks, trade and gas imports and agree for the first time to hit Iran’s telecoms sector, according to AFP.

Western powers suspect Iran’s nuclear program is a cover for developing weapons, something Iran denies.

According to analysts, sanctions announced by the US and EU, as well as those imposed by the UN Security Council, have done major damage to the Islamic Republic’s economy.

All dealings between European and Iranian banks will be banned above a certain “relatively low” threshold, although exceptions will be allowed in some medical and humanitarian cases, a diplomat said, according to AFP, while imports of Iranian gas, though small, will be prohibited, and an extra 30 companies put on a list of firms hit by an EU assets freeze.

Meanwhile, as violence intensifies in Syria, the EU decided to introduce restrictive measures to increase pressure on the government of President Bashar al-Assad. In total, 18 sets of restrictive measures have been introduced since the beginning of the crisis. The EU has called consistently for President Assad to step aside and make way for a peaceful transition, along the lines of the action plan adopted by the League of Arab States (LAS).

The new sanctions will be formally approved at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Monday and will target Syrian airlines, its arms industry and travel ban and asset freeze on 28 Syrians, according to Reuters.

The measures come as the West strives to find a solution to end the violence in Syria, or formulate sanctions that could have a significant impact on the Syrian government and force it to stop violence against rebels. An estimated 31,000 people have died in more than 18 months of fighting according to activists and human rights groups.

Clinton traveled to Turkey after wrapping up a 11-day nine-nation Africa tour. In Istanbul, Clinton will have “lengthy and in-depth conversation” with Turkey’s president, prime minister and foreign minister that will focus on adding pressure and isolating the Syrian regime, extending humanitarian assistance to Syrian refugees in Turkey and to discuss a democratic transition in post-Assad Syria a U.S. official said.

Clinton is expected to propose with Turkey’s leaders ways to effectively impose sanctions against the Syrian regime. Syria’s relations with Turkey have hit their lowest point after a Turkish fighter jet was shot down by Syrian fire in June.

In Istanbul, Clinton is also expected to announce an additional $5.5 million in aid for those fleeing fighting that monitoring groups say has now claimed over 21,000 lives. 

Turkey is currently home to more than 50,000 refugees living in camps along the Syrian border.
 The UN announced on Friday that there were more than 6,000 new arrivals in Turkey this week alone, many from the Syrian city of Aleppo and surrounding villages, while others came from Idlib and Latakia.

Meanwhile, the US on Friday imposed sanctions on the Syrian state-run oil company Sytrol for conducting business with Iran, in a bid to cut off revenues to the Iranian and Syrian regimes, according to a statement by the State Department.

State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said the penalties against energy firm Sytrol come after it delivered $36 million worth of gasoline to Iran in April significantly exceeding the monetary thresholds for triggering sanctions under this law.

The U.S. Treasury also said it was adding the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah, which has close ties with Iran and Syria, to a blacklist of organizations targeted under Syria-related sanctions.

Meanwhile, Fighting has spilled across the border, as Jordnanian and Syrian forces clashed in the Tel Shihab-Turra border region on Friday, according to Al Jazeera. 

A source in Jordan confirmed the fighting but said there seem to have been no Jordanian deaths.

Lawmaker Javad Karimi Qodoosi said 150 of parliament’s 290 members had signed the bill, describing the strait as “the world’s lock” to which Iran holds the key.

“If the sanctions continue, the countries that have imposed sanctions have no right to cross the Strait of Hormuz without harm,” he said. His comments were reported by the semi-official ISNA news agency Friday.

Iranian officials say the final decision is in the hands of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khomeini. Iran’s foreign minister indicated recently that such a move was unlikely.

Iranian leaders have warned that Tehran would order the closure if the country’s oil exports are blocked. On July 1, he European Union banned imports of Iranian crude, part of Western sanctions over Iran’s nuclear program which Iran insists is solely for peaceful purposes.

Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia has already taken precautionary steps against the possibility of Iran shutting down Hormuz Strait, including the reopening of an old pipeline built by Iraq to bypass the strait and export more crude via the Red Sea terminals, Reuters reported while the United States has also sent four minesweepers to the Gulf to bolster the U.S. Fifth Fleet after Iran renewed its threats for the closure of Hormuz.

“A heavy battle has begun by … enemies against the Iranian nation,” the official IRNA news agency quoted  Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad  as saying on Thursday in his first major speech since a European Union oil embargo took effect this month.

“A big part of the government is working round the clock … to stand up to them,” he added. “The government will not retreat one iota from their rights, values and principles against weakening materialistic powers,” he added.

According to statistics from Korea National Oil Corp, a state-run institution, Seoul imported a total of 25.25 million barrels from Iran during the first four months of 2011, representing a 10% decrease from the 28.1 million barrels during the same period a year ago. The increase of imports in April accounted to 7.5 million barrels, a 42% rise from the same period last year.

“The increase in Iran crude oil imports in April might be because they are importing more in advance due to given notice about halting Iran crude oil imports,” Yoo Young-kook, senior analyst at KTB Investment & Securities Co, said, ” according to Arabian gazzette.

“Another scenario is that there might be an expectation that Iran sanctions will be resolved positively so the purchase is increasing,” he added.

There are  two South Korean oil refineries which import Iranian crude:  SK Energy and Hyundai Oilbank. According to reports, both refineries have annual deals to increase oil imports from Iran in 2012. SK Energy has stated it will stop importing Iranian oil in July when the European Union’s sanctions come into effect.

South Korea is the fourth-largest importer of Iranian oil. S. Korea is trying to make up for the losses by seeking deals with other Middle East countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar, Arabiangazzete reported.

The US and the EU have imposed tough financial sanctions as well as oil embargoes against Iran since the beginning of 2012, claiming that the country’s nuclear energy program includes a military component.

Tehran refutes such acussations, insisting its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

EU High Representative Catherine Ashton said: “The EU sanctions target the Syrian regime, not the civilian population. As long as the repression continues, we will continue to put pressure on those responsible for it.”

This is the fifteenth time the EU imposes restrictive measures against the Syrian regime since the start of the violent repression against the civilian population. Today’s decisions bring the total number of persons subject to sanctions to 128 whereas 43 entities are now affected by an EU asset freeze.

The EU reiterates its call on the Syrian authorities to fully and immediately comply with the Joint UN-League of Arab States Special Envoy Kofi Annan’s plan as endorsed by UNSC resolutions 2042 and 2043 and abide by all their commitments to the UN. The EU recalls that the main responsibility for the ceasefire and the successful implementation of the plan lies with the Syrian authorities. The Syrian government must ensure without delay the necessary conditions for an effective operation and full and fast deployment of the UN observation mission, including full freedom of movement and agreement on the use of air assets. It must fully withdraw its troops and heavy weapons from population centres. The EU is deeply concerned about the continued violence in Syria, including the recent deadly bomb attacks, notably the ones in Damascus on 10 May. Acts of terrorism cannot be justified under any circumstances.

The EU underlines that a complete cessation of violence by all parties is an essential step in the full implementation of Kofi Annan’s Plan, whose crucial goal is to facilitate a peaceful Syrian-led and inclusive dialogue leading to a political solution that meets the democratic aspirations of the Syrian people on the basis of the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council, UN General Assembly and League of Arab States.

The EU recalls its full support to Kofi Annan’s six point plan, welcomes the progress to date to deploy members of the UN supervision mission to Syria (UNSMIS) and urges continued prompt deployment of the full mission. It recalls that the Syrian authorities are responsible for ensuring the security and safety of the mission. The EU and its Member States are providing support to the mission, as requested by the UN. The EU calls on all States concerned, and in particular the Members of the UN Security Council, to continue to support Kofi Annan and use all their influence to ensure that the UNSC resolutions 2042 and 2043 are fully implemented. The EU underlines that the six-point plan is not an open-ended offer and that the plan and the deployment of UNSMIS constitute the best opportunity to support a peaceful solution to the crisis. It recalls that the UNSC remains seized of the matter.

The EU remains extremely concerned by the human rights situation in Syria, in particular the systematic and widespread human rights violations committed by the regime. It condemns the Syrian government’s increased use of targeted assassinations and arbitrary detentions as a means of repressing all opposition. The Syrian regime must immediately release all political prisoners and human rights defenders, and ensure freedom to demonstrate peacefully. The EU recalls that all those responsible for human rights violations should be held accountable.

The EU calls on all sides to respect the safety of humanitarian workers and deplores the death of two humanitarian workers killed on 24 and 26 April. The EU reiterates its call on the Syrian authorities to grant immediate, unimpeded and full access of humanitarian organisations to all areas of Syria in order to provide relief to the one million people identified as in need of humanitarian assistance. The UN Humanitarian Response Plan needs to be implemented immediately and humanitarian capacities in the country strengthened. The EU continues to support the efforts made by neighbouring countries to host Syrian refugees who fled violence in Syria.

The European Union remains committed to the Syrian people’s struggle for freedom, dignity and democracy. The EU urges all opposition groups to continue to support Kofi Annan’s efforts and to be ready to provide leadership and engage in a national political process as foreseen in the six point plan endorsed by UNSC. The Syrian National Council and other opposition groups must pursue their efforts to put aside their differences and to agree on a set of shared principles and mechanism under the auspices of the League of Arab States for working towards an inclusive, orderly and peaceful transition in Syria.

Finally, the EU approved today further designations of individuals and entities to be subject to restrictive measures. The EU will continue its sanctions policy targeting the regime, not the civilian population, as long as repression continues. The EU will also continue to urge the international community to join its efforts, in taking steps to apply and enforce restrictive measures on the Syrian regime and its supporters. It calls on all Syrians to dissociate themselves from the repressive policy of the regime in order to facilitate a political transition.”

An executive order announced by President Obama states that the two nations had committed serious human rights abuses and are “rapidly increasing their capabilities to disrupt, monitor, and track communications networks that are essential to the ability of Syrians and Iranians to communicate with each other and the outside world.”

Furthermore, the Executive Order establishes financial and travel bans for companies and individuals that have sold, leased, or otherwise provided services that helped acquire and utilize such technology to oppress their people.

Six Iranian and Syrian companies or government branches along with the head of Syria’s intelligence directorate are already subject to sanctions, Aljazeera reported.

The order also authorizes sanctions against third-country entities or individuals where they meet the criteria in the executive order.

Obama announced the sanctions in a speech at the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington in an effort to halt atrocities by regimes using technology, by tracking or monitoring social media and using the Internet.

While mobile and social technology has been accredited for bringing about political and regime changes in other Middle East countries, some regimes have used technology to track dissidents or block internet access.