In Case You Missed It: RS "Had Decided to Suspend Its Activities in Iran After Being Urged to Pull Out by U.S. Pressure Group United Against Nuclear Iran"

In Case You Missed It: RS "Had Decided to Suspend Its Activities in Iran After Being Urged to Pull Out by U.S. Pressure Group United Against Nuclear Iran" 

UANI Campaign Success Profiled by Reuters

Russian firm to halt Iran ship work as pressure grows

By Jonathan Saul
Reuters
September 5, 2012

A Russian firm has decided to stop verifying safety and environmental standards for one of Iran's biggest shipping groups, a letter showed, the latest international company wary of being caught up in Western sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

Iran is under growing pressure over its disputed nuclear program and companies are cutting ties with its vital shipping sector, which transports most of its crude oil, for fear of losing lucrative U.S. business.

Moscow opposes concerted trade pressure on Tehran by Washington and its allies, making the Russian company's decision unusual.

A letter seen by Reuters showed St. Petersburg-based Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS), among the top 13 global ship classification societies, had decided to suspend its activities in Iran after being urged to pull out by U.S. pressure group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI).

A targeted campaign by UANI, which includes former U.S. ambassadors on its board and is funded by private donations, has already led to other classification societies exiting Iran.

Without certification from classification societies, vessels are unable to secure insurance cover or call at most international ports.

"The decision has been taken to suspend RS activities in Iran," its chief executive Mikhail Ayvazov wrote in a letter to UANI dated August 31. ...

UANI chief executive Mark Wallace said: "It is significant that Russia's leading classification society will now refuse to do business with the IRISL. Iran's friends are becoming fewer."

Western sanctions have targeted Iran's oil industry, a vital source of government revenue, aiming to ratchet up pressure on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to halt nuclear work, which Tehran says is for peaceful purposes rather than military.

"Iran will find ways around it but it's getting harder for them every day," a ship industry source said. ...

There are more than 50 classification societies. Members of the top 13, including Germany's Germanischer Lloyd and France's Bureau Veritas, have left Iran in recent months after being targeted by UANI. Others such as Britain's Lloyd's Register have pulled out, citing Western sanctions. ...

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