United Against Nuclear Iran objects to promoting business to the Islamic Republic while ignoring the county’s support for terrorism and its belligerent behavior.
By HERB KEINONThousand of Basij soldiers stage mock seige of Temple Mount in Iran(photo credit: FARS)
The United Against Nuclear Iran organization on Wednesday slammed a two-day Europe-Iran forum currently taking place in Zurich for promoting business to the Islamic Republic while ignoring the county’s support for terrorism and its belligerent behavior.UANI CEO Mark Wallace and its chairman, former US senator Joe Lieberman, issued a statement saying that it was “alarming” to see the event “blindly promoting business opportunities and investments in Iran without any acknowledgment of the severe risks or discussion of Iran’s troubling and belligerent behavior.”Iran, the statement said, “remains, the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism.From ballistic missile tests and shows of force, to political and financial support of terrorist regimes around the world, Iran has made it clear to the world that the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal] has yielded no real change or transformation in Tehran.”A disservice is being provided the world’s business community by presenting Iran as a “hospitable, ripe investment opportunity,” the group said. It also said it was “concerning” that the forum’s lead partners were Iran’s Bank Pasargad and the Iran Mines and Mining Industry Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO).The properties of both institutions remains blocked in the US.UANI sent a representative, former Italian foreign minister Giulio Terzi, to the parley to raise the alarm about doing business with an unrepentant Iran.“It is our hope that minister Terzi’s presence will launch more equitable, substantive dialogue among conference attendees, and offer sorely needed transparency during an otherwise imbalanced forum,” the statement read.Among topics at the conference were the following: “What are the secrets to successful marketing and communications in Iran?”; “What makes Iran’s capital markets such an attractive investment opportunity?”; and “What does it take to establish a successful manufacturing operation in Iran?”