World

Iran Grants Free Trade Status to Syria, Thumbing Nose at Western Sanctions

Iran Syria Free Trade Agreement Thumbs Nose at Western Sanctions

Thumbing its nose at international economic sanctions, Iran decided Tuesday to grant Syria free trade status.

The Iranian Minister of Transportation and Housing Ali Nikzad flew to Damascus to share the news that the Iranian parliament approved the free trade agreement, which he hopes will enhance cooperation between the countries.

Iran’s Press TV reports:

Mr. Nikzad reaffirmed his country’s support for Syria and keenness on having best relations in all fields.

In turn, The Syrian minister of economy Mr. Mohammad Nedal al-Sha’ar called on Iranian businessmen and companies to invest in Syria.

He added that the committee’s meetings will focus on cooperation in the economic, trade, housing, transport, and tourist and banking sectors.

With both Iran and Syria subject to international economic sanctions, the bill mandates free trade over the next five years. According to AFP:

[Chairman of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission] Allaedin Boroujerdi said the proposed pact was “a firm response” to the United States and its allies “investing billions of dollars to change the political structure of the Syrian government.”

…”Iran stands next to Syria and remains committed to developing bilateral relations,” the Iranian minister [Ali Nikzad] said upon arrival in Damascus, according to SANA.

This agreement offers much needed moral and economic support for the isolated regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Though Iranian officials recently criticized the harsh response of Assad’s Syrian security forces against demonstrators, the two countries have been staunch regional allies, comprising a sort of Shi’ite “axis of evil” including the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah. Bashar Assad and the senior Syrian leadership are Alawites, belonging to the Shi’ite branch of Islam.

Damascus has for decades hosted the headquarters of major Palestinian terrorist groups including Hamas and the Marxist groups the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

Most notably, Syria has been a conduit for the transfer of Iranian arms and treasure to Hezbollah military operatives in next-door Lebanon who have used those weapons to target Israeli civilians in Northern Israel.

In the past, Iran and Syria have traded freely in support for terrorism. The efficacy of their free trade economic partnership in more savory fields remains to be seen.

The question also remains: Will private Iranian investors want to invest in a country in the grips of raging civil unrest?

Comments (25)

  • Mahdi Al-Dajjal
    Posted on December 14, 2011 at 5:28pm

    Great! So now Iranians won’t have to pay any import taxes on what? falafel? The Syrians don’t export anything but gaudy furniture, trinkets and cheap ammunition.

    Report Post » Mahdi Al-Dajjal  
  • eric6161
    Posted on December 14, 2011 at 4:43pm

    Pray for the Muslims… may they bow down before Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. May they quit worshiping the devil and his angels.

    Report Post »  
  • don young
    Posted on December 14, 2011 at 4:35pm

    Once we get obama replaced they will stop there bull we need a real man in the white house not what we have right now.

    Report Post »  
  • garbagecanlogic
    Posted on December 14, 2011 at 4:32pm

    Cheech and Chong (or Dumb & Dumber) of the middle east.

    The U.S. Out Of The U.N.
    The U.N. Out Of The U.S.

    Report Post »  
  • SFsuper49er
    Posted on December 14, 2011 at 2:44pm

    Sanctions won’t work… There just red tape to act like something is being done while Iran keeps turning wrenches …

    Report Post »  
  • Vechorik
    Posted on December 14, 2011 at 1:03pm

    AWESOME NEW VIDEO FROM THE RON PAUL CAMPAIGN
    (foreign affairs in a nutshell)
    “WHY THEY HATE US!” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPFQaLh-ycM

    Report Post »  
  • JoeNY
    Posted on December 14, 2011 at 12:18pm

    Why all the long faces? Isn’t this just an example of a “sanctuary nation”?? All Iran is doing is providing aid and comfort to another country that is being exploited by the rest of the world…. Kind of sounds like San Fransisco as any illegal immigrant can live there, we are a “sanctuary city”.

    Yeah right. Let’s see how that ends up….

    Report Post »  
  • Rational Man
    Posted on December 14, 2011 at 12:11pm

    How stupid! How is Syria going to make up for “western sanctions”. Syria is more of a toilet than Iran.
    Yea, Ackmadoodle, you sure showed us alright! No wonder these people live in the stone age!

    Report Post » Rational Man  
  • spfoam1
    Posted on December 14, 2011 at 11:46am

    We will have to grant them both equal target status.

    Report Post »  
  • Lloyd Drako
    Posted on December 14, 2011 at 10:38am

    Why should a country that is itself subject to sanctions care about sanctions?

    Report Post » Lloyd Drako  
  • ColoradoMaverick
    Posted on December 14, 2011 at 10:34am

    This is the Obama Foreign Policy in action.

    Report Post » ColoradoMaverick  
    • AJAYW
      Posted on December 14, 2011 at 11:02am

      Obama will go over there later and get on his knees bowing to both countrys saying hes sorry for our country mistreatment of them.

      Report Post »  
  • smackdown33
    Posted on December 14, 2011 at 10:16am

    Let’s see, NAFTA granted Mexico a free trade status. Mexico is where Fidel Castro was housed for his training of communist insurgents that were financed by the Jew, Ricardo Wolf.
    Are we any different?

    Report Post »  
  • flfshrmn
    Posted on December 14, 2011 at 9:12am

    With all the “democracy” that has spread over the middle east the US sure has a lot of War ships deploying to that region, 4 Carrier fleets total thus far. The Nobel peace winner is talking sanctions on one hand, but keep an eye on his other hand folks. It will be just like Libiya, the “kinnetic excersize” only on a much larger scale and more difficult for the Lib Media pump stations to ignore. And the “shooting” down of the drone………who landed that thing? It didn’t have a scratch on it and no visible dammage. The other drone that malfunctioned was being loaded piece by piece onto a flatbed. I dont for one second believe the Iranians reassembled and touched up the paint job for the photo op. All questions will be answered soon enough.

    Report Post » flfshrmn  
  • carbonyes
    Posted on December 14, 2011 at 8:33am

    Not long before Iran’s “peaceful” nuclear development facilities will be rained upon. It will be no thanks to Obama, nor will he be alerted ahead of time, for he would alert the Iranians. That it the kind of Muslim Sympathizer-in-Chief that the idiotic people of this country voted for.

    Report Post »  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on December 14, 2011 at 8:28am

    There will be war in the middle east soon enough, and as with the beginning of WW1 we will be all but assured of being drawn into it.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • Lloyd Drako
      Posted on December 14, 2011 at 10:42am

      Nonsense. Even leaving aside those involving Israel, over the last 50 years there have been several large-scale wars in the Middle East which the US managed to stay out of. The best example is probably the Iran-Iraq War of 1980-1988, which cost hundreds of thousands of lives, and in which by and large the US backed Saddam’s Iraq, though without any actual US combat involvement. Stop indulging in apocalyptic fantasies.

      Report Post » Lloyd Drako  
  • KangarooJack
    Posted on December 14, 2011 at 8:27am

    Iran is not thumbing it’s nose at the West-Iran is ensuring it’s alliance.

    I’m with that one poster who always types the U.S out of the U.N.

    Report Post » KangarooJack  
  • SpankDaMonkey
    Posted on December 14, 2011 at 7:57am

    .
    Can you see the thought bubble?

    If only Obama were here holding his ankles, on another Apology Tour this would be perfect…..

    Report Post » SpankDaMonkey  
    • Escapee1
      Posted on December 14, 2011 at 8:24am

      PERFECT assessment of our Pretender-In-Chief! We are the laughing stock of the world….

      Report Post »  
  • lukerw
    Posted on December 14, 2011 at 7:49am

    Are you kidding? Iran has always been involved in Syria & Lebenon!

    Report Post » lukerw  
  • qpwillie
    Posted on December 14, 2011 at 7:49am

    Ol’ Dinner Jacket is getting frisky these days. He must have or at least think he has some backing. Maybe from China and/or Russia?

    I’m sure he must be chomping at the bits, waiting for the troops to clear out of Iraq.

    Report Post » qpwillie  

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