Ahmadinejad blames Iran’s intelligence agencies for Natanz attack; UK signs trade deal with Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein
Ahmadinejad blames Iran’s intelligence agencies for Natanz attack
Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has held Iran’s intelligence agencies responsible for the attack on Natanz nuclear plant. He has also revealed that the attack cost Iran a loss of $10 billion. In his accusations, Ahmadinejad has blamed the intel agencies for using their resources to spy on people and intervene in domestic affairs rather than protecting the country’s vital installations.
Ahmadinejad has levelled these charges during a media interview. Curiously, just days after this interview, the Guardian Council, which is the controller of Iranian elections, rejected the presidential candidacy of Ahmadinejad. Elections will take place on 18th June in Iran. In the same interview, Ahmadinejad also touched upon a wide range of sensitive issues, such as corruption, the need for reforms, relations with regional countries and the United States. His accusations appear to have rubbed salt in the wounds of the administration.
Ahmadinejad's accusation has raised eyebrows in Iran as several incidents of fire at vital installations followed the Natanz cyberattack. Iran could neither stop nor find its origin. Recently, the Iranian navy's largest vessel, 'Kharg', caught fire and sank under suspicious circumstances. Then, a big oil refinery near the capital Tehran went into flames. Iran is, in fact, helplessly facing sabotage one after the other while its intelligence agencies remain clueless.
UK signs trade deal with Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein
The United Kingdom has signed a trade deal with Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. The deal could help create 18,000 jobs in the UK. The pact will help the UK to boost its fish processing industry and also to give access to agricultural markets of the three signatory countries.
Post-Brexit, the UK is speedily signing international trade agreements with several countries and blocs: – The UK signed a historic and long-awaited $1 trillion trade deal with the European Union. – UK has inked a trade deal with Japan, making nearly all British exports tariff-free. – India has become the second-largest FDI source for the UK. The UK has also signed a $1 bn trade deal with India. – UK has signed a Free Trade Agreement with Vietnam – UK is all set to sign a trade deal with Australia in a few days. – It is also reportedly seeking to join a trans-Pacific trade pact.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is emerging as a 'dealmaker' for the UK's trade which otherwise had stagnated considerably. His policies are helping the UK to come out from the worst recession of 300 years created by the pandemic. Also, Johnson appears to have dispelled the bogeyman of trade issues projected to emerge after Brexit.