◆ SpookStack

in what is expected to be a difficult negotiation when the Biden administration 1/5, Motevalll, 3.57M)} reports that South Korea “ordered its neval 101 Young to waters near the Strait of Harmuz on Tuesday.” ‘Treasury Sanctions Chinese Firm Tied Iran‘s Steel Industry. {2/5} reports that on Tuesday, the US “blacklisted @¢ Chinese campeny that makes & laments | for ‘stee! production, 12 Tranian stees! end metais makers and three foreign-based sales agents of a major iranian metals and mining holding company, seeking to deprive iran of “revenues.” Reuters says the Treasury Depa: tment “named the China-based cornpary as Kaifeng ‘Pingmei New Carbon Materials Technology Co Ltd. (KFCC), saying if specialized in the manufacture | of carbon materiais and provided thousands of metric tonnes of materiais to franian steal companies between December 2019 and June 2620.” Treasury Secretary Mnuchin released a ‘statement reading, “The Trump Administration rernains cormmitted to denying revenues flowing to ‘the Iranian regime as it continues to sponsor terrorist groups, support oppressive regimes, and | seek weapons of mass destruction.” i? AP Analysist Trump Moves Make It Harder For Biden To Engage With Iran. The (2/5, Burns, Baldor} reports in an analysis that Joe Biden is “facing an increasingly Puncertein s situation when it comes to Tran,” dus to its “provacative moves...and less-tharn-coherent | actions by ‘the outgoing Trurnp administration.” In “the past week alone, President Donald Trurnp’s — team has dispatched &-52 born bers ta the Persian Gulf in response to alleced Iranian attack planning and reversed an order to bring horne the USS Nimitz, the only U.S. aircraft carrier in the region.” The AP adds that on | Monday, Tran’ ‘announced if had resumed advanced ure enrichment in violation of ar deal.” According to the AP, “This comb: “coming y Coming just twa » weeks before [Biden's] inauguration threatens to derail or rat gash delay Biden’s nope te return the U.S. to the nuclear accord that Trurnp withdrew from in 2018." in a@ separate story, the AB (1/5) reports that “later comments Tuesday by the head of Iran's S civilian nuclear program suggested Tehran’s current production of uranium enriched ta 20% wouldnt reach ms eis needed fora nucless weapon for over two years, potentially giving time for “negotiations under” Biden. Raewers (1/5, Cha} says Biden “aims to revive the nuclear agreernent, but any thaw is likely tO pose & dip omatic chall feNge. * Reuters continues, “Since Trump ebandoned the veal, iran Was steps that violate it; Biden says Iran must be fil Hy ¢ compliant before the deal can be restored, ‘while Iran seys “Washi nyqgtar: must “8 ‘Mohan Peace Talks Resume in Qatar. erate (41/8, Canstable, 10.52M) says that on Tuesday, “Afghan delegates flew to reopen peace talks with Taliban ieaders amid a rash of mutual recriminations, mixed Sonal from | U.S, officiais and a continued spate of assassinetions targeting prominent civillans.’ ‘Also Tuesday, Zaimay Khaliizad, “the U.S. disilomat who brokered a separate U.S. deal with the “Taliban in February, arrived in Kabul’ from Gatar. According to the Post, “While both Afghan and -Yaliban officials have issued recent staternents saying they were committed to the talks...their messeg tinged with anger ard blame that beded Hi fer the new round.” The Post adds that “same observers in Kabul pr adicted that the tai ‘KS which are resuming after a two-week holiday hiatus, would probably collapse.” The ¥ f2/5, Amiri, Donati, Subscription “Publication, 8.41M) provides similar coverage. es were ‘Countries Along Former Soviet Borders Rebuilding Their Defenses. ; Ch, ‘3, een Publication, &. 41M} reports countries alon o the fort mer and are moving to rebuild their defenses. The Journal focuses in particular on S Sweden, which At Start Of North Xorean Party Congress, Kim Says Five-Year Economic Plan Failed. FBI(21cv558)- -59