Thursday, November 29, 2012

UANI Applauds Barbados for Ending Its Reflagging of Iranian Vessels

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 29, 2012
Contact: Nathan Carleton, press@uani.com 
Phone: (212) 554-3296

UANI Applauds Barbados for Ending Its Reflagging of Iranian Vessels
 
New York, NY - Today, United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) applauded Barbados for ending its reflagging of Iranian vessels.

In a letter sent October 26 to Barbadian officials, UANI called on the nation to "cease the flagging of all Iranian vessels."

Wrote UANI CEO, Ambassador Mark D. Wallace: "Barbados has reflagged as many as three vessels owned, managed, or operated by the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines ... By collaborating with IRISL, Barbados is undermining U.S., EU, and UN sanctions ..."

UANI has since held discussions with Barbadian officials, as well as officials from another government speaking on behalf of Barbados. This week, Barbados directly informed UANI that it would no longer certify Iranian vessels, and stated that it has "completed the deregistration of all ships with Iranian interests."

UANI accepts this pledge and applauds Barbados for its decision.

Said Ambassador Wallace:

We applaud Barbados for ending its reflagging of Iranian vessels. No country should be reflagging Iranian vessels, given the risks and stakes involved. We thank Barbadian officials for discussing this with UANI, and for acting responsibility. We call on the international community to impose a complete shipping blockade on the Iranian regime.

UANI has highlighted the shipping industry as an area where the international community can further pressure Iran. In a March 17 Wall Street Journal Op-Ed, six UANI board members wrote that "the world must deny Iran's access to international shipping, a move that would severely affect the regime given its dependence on global trade and seaborne crude oil exports."

Barbados joins Hong Kong, Moldova and Mongolia in ending its reflagging of Iranian vessels. All thirteen of the world's major shipping services have now stopped certifying Iranian vessels following UANI's campaign, including Bureau Veritas, Germanischer Lloyd, the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping, Korean Register of Shipping, China Classification Society, and ClassNK.

Click here to read UANI's October 26 letter to Barbados.
Click here to learn more about UANI's Shipping Campaign.

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United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is a program of the American Coalition Against Nuclear Iran, Inc., a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran should concern every American and be unacceptable to the community of nations. Since 1979 the Iranian regime, most recently under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's leadership, has demonstrated increasingly threatening behavior and rhetoric toward the US and the West. Iran continues to defy the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United Nations in their attempts to monitor its nuclear activities. A number of Arab states have warned that Iran's development of nuclear weapons poses a threat to Middle East stability and could provoke a regional nuclear arms race. In short, the prospect of a nuclear armed Iran is a danger to world peace.

United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is a non-partisan, broad-based coalition that is united in a commitment to prevent Iran from fulfilling its ambition to become a regional super-power possessing nuclear weapons.  UANI is an issue-based coalition in which each coalition member will have its own interests as well as the collective goal of advancing an Iran free of nuclear weapons.


The Objectives of United Against a Nuclear Iran
  1. Inform the public about the nature of the Iranian regime, including its desire and intent to possess nuclear weapons, as well as Iran's role as a state sponsor of global terrorism, and a major violator of human rights at home and abroad;
  2. Heighten awareness nationally and internationally about the danger that a nuclear armed Iran poses to the region and the world;
  3. Mobilize public support, utilize media outreach, and persuade our elected leaders to voice a robust and united American opposition to a nuclear Iran;
  4. Lay the groundwork for effective US policies in coordination with European and other allies;
  5. Persuade the regime in Tehran to desist from its quest for nuclear weapons, while striving not to punish the Iranian people, and;
  6. Promote efforts that focus on vigorous national and international, social, economic, political and diplomatic measures.
UANI is led by an advisory board of outstanding national figures representing all sectors of our country.

  
American Coalition Against Nuclear Iran | 45 Rockefeller Plaza | New York | NY | 10111

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