Tag - Iran

Iranian Foreign Minister in Moscow for nuclear deal talks

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian arrived in Russia to hold talks with the country's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to revive the 2015 nuclear deal. The agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), aimed to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions, in exchange for sanctions relief. “The window of dialogue is still open and one of the topics of the conversation with Mr. Lavrov is the JCPOA and the return of parties to their commitments,” Mr. Amirabdollahian said in Moscow.

Iran’s President ‘welcomes’ invitation by Saudi king: Official

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi “welcomed” an invitation from Saudi Arabia’s King Salman to visit the kingdom following the reconciliation deal between the two countries, an Iranian official said on Sunday. “In a letter to President Raisi … the king of Saudi Arabia welcomed the deal between the two brotherly countries [and] invited him to Riyadh,” tweeted Mohammad Jamshidi, the Iranian president’s deputy chief of staff for political affairs. He added: “Raisi welcomed the invitation”.

“Deal with Iran does not mean consensus on all issues”: Saudi Arabia

The kingdom's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said that the Saudi-Iranian agreement didn't mean that consensus would be met on all issues. "Our arrival at this agreement, which will lead to the resumption of political relations, does not mean that we have resolved all outstanding differences between our two countries," he stated. "It is evidence of our common desire to solve them through talks and dialogue with peaceful means and diplomatic tools," he added.

Imprisoned American calls on Biden to secure release

United States citizen imprisoned by Iran on spying charges requested President Joe Biden to secure his release and that of two other US nationals. “I implore you, sir, to put the lives and liberty of innocent Americans above all the politics involved and to just do what is necessary to end this nightmare and bring us home,” Siamak Namazi told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in a telephone interview.

US dismisses Iranian claim of prisoner-swap deal

Washington dismissed as false a claim by Tehran's foreign minister that the US and Iran had made a deal to exchange prisoners. Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian told state TV earlier that a deal had recently been brokered and a prisoner exchange would happen within a “short period”. “On our part, everything is ready, while the US is currently working on the final technical co-ordination”, Mr. Amirabdollahian said.

Iran, Saudi Arabia agree to resume relations after tensions

Dubai: Iran and Saudi Arabia on Friday agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies after years of tensions between the two countries. The deal, struck in Beijing this week, represents a major diplomatic victory for the Chinese as Gulf states perceive the United States was slowly withdrawing from the wider Middle East. The two countries released a joint communique with China on the deal.

Regional powers welcome Saudi Arabia-Iran nexus

Arab countries and the international community welcomed an agreement reached by Saudi Arabia and Iran to restore diplomatic relations and reopen embassies on both sides. The agreement came after talks hosted by China between the two countries on March 6-10, according to a communique released by the three nations.

Schoolgirl poisonings an ‘unforgivable crime’: Khamenei

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called the poisoning of schoolgirls across the country an “unforgivable crime”. These are his first comments on the issue that fuelled anger against the government at home and abroad. Speaking at a tree-planting ceremony at his office, Mr Khamenei said authorities “should seriously pursue the issue of student poisoning”. “If it is proven that the students were poisoned, the perpetrators of this crime should be severely punished. There will be no amnesty for these people,” he added.

“Iran sending ‘gifts of death’ to Yemen”: Officials

A Yemeni official accused Iran of sending “gifts of death” to his war-wracked country as the two sides clashed publicly at a UN summit for poor nations on Monday. Othman Majali harangued Iran as it backs Yemen's Houthi rebels. His speech at the Least Developed Countries meeting in Qatar, drew a terse response from Iranian Vice President Mohsen Mansouri.

Iran agrees to boost inspections at nuclear sites

Vienna: Iran agreed to reconnect surveillance cameras at several nuclear sites and increase the pace of inspections, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said. UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi hailed "a marked improvement" in his discussions with the Iranian government. Grossi has been in Tehran for talks with Iranian officials following the discovery of uranium particles enriched to near weapons-grade level.

Schoolgirls in Iran hospitalized after suspected poisonings

It was reported that dozens of Iranian schoolgirls across five provinces had been admitted to hospital in a suspected new wave of poisoning attack. Hundreds of cases of respiratory distress were reported in recent months among schoolgirls around the country. Iranian officials believe the girls might have been poisoned and blamed Tehran’s enemies.

IAEA’s chief to travel to Iran

Vienna: The U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Thursday that its chief Rafael Grossi would travel to Iran for "high-level meetings"." Director General @rafaelmgrossi will travel to Tehran for high-level meetings," the IAEA said on Twitter, confirming a visit first announced by Iran. "The DG will hold a press conference upon his return to Vienna on Saturday, late afternoon," it added.

Iran to shun India’s Raisina Dialogue

Dubai: Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday that Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian would not attend the Raisina Dialogue in India. He also criticized the video posted by the conference organizers showing protests in the Islamic Republic. "The foreign minister's attendance was on the agenda ... but we witnessed an unprofessional action by the organizers in the form of a clip," Nasser Kanaani said in a televised news conference.

President felicitates Iran on 44th anniversary of Revolution

Islamabad: President Dr. Arif Alvi felicitated the Leader of the Islamic Revolution of Iran Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, on the 44th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. In his message to the president, he said that the fraternal relations between Pakistan and Iran were rooted in linguistic, cultural, and religious bonds. He said that Pakistan remained committed to strengthening these ties across the entire gamut of bilateral relations, President Secretariat Press Wing said in a press release on Sunday.

Iran’s currency hits record low

Iran’s currency reached an all-time record low amid rising tensions with the West and the unrest gripping the country. On Sunday, the United States dollar went past the 450,000-rial mark for the first time on the open market. Central Bank of Iran governor, Ali Salehabadi, had been sacked after a previous rapid depreciation of the rial in late December that saw it slump to more than 440,000 against the greenback at the open market.

Iran vows ‘reciprocal’ response to EU over Guards terror label vote

Tehran: On Sunday, Iran warned the European Union that it would take "reciprocal" measures after the European Parliament voted to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist group. "The parliament is working to place elements of European countries’ armies on the terrorist list" of the Islamic republic, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Twitter.

Former Iranian president’s son freed

Tehran: A son of former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has been freed after serving more than seven years of a 10-year jail sentence for fraud. Iranian media reported that Mehdi Hashemi, 53, left Tehran’s Evin prison late Tuesday. Hashemi was convicted of fraud, embezzlement, and undermining national security in August 2015.

Russia, Iran discuss energy and transport projects

The Kremlin revealed that Putin, on a phone call, discussed energy and transport projects with Iran’s President Raisi. In a readout of the call, the Kremlin said that the two leaders had discussed deepening their “mutually beneficial projects in the energy, transport and logistics sectors” and their desire to “normalize” the situation in Syria.

Iran sentences Belgian national to 40 years in prison

Tehran: A court in Iran sentenced a Belgian national to a total of 40 years in prison, dozens of lashes, and financial penalties for spying and other charges. Former aid worker Olivier Vandecasteele received the preliminary sentences, on four charges, according to the official news outlet of the Iranian judiciary.

Iranians protest in front of French embassy

Tehran: Dozens of Iranians gathered outside the French embassy in Tehran to protest against caricatures of the Islamic republic's supreme leader by French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo. The magazine published caricatures of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in support of the months-long protests in Iran. Iran warned France over the "insulting and indecent" caricatures, which appeared in a special edition to mark the anniversary of the deadly 2015 attack on the magazine's Paris offices.

Britain to proscribe Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as terror group: Report

It emerged that Britain would officially declare Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group. The move, which would be announced within weeks, was supported by Britain’s security minister, Tom Tugendhat, and Home Secretary Suella Braverman, the report said. The UK Home Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.

Iran’s Raisi vows ‘no mercy’ for ‘hostile’ protestors

Tehran: President Ebrahim Raisi said on Tuesday that Iran would show "no mercy" towards "hostile" opponents of the Islamic republic. Addressing a crowd in Tehran, Raisi accused "hypocrites, monarchists and all anti-revolutionary currents". "The embrace of the nation is open to everyone, but we will show no mercy to those who are hostile," said the ultraconservative president at a funeral procession for unidentified soldiers.

Iran arrests seven for links to UK over protests

Dubai: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards arrested seven people on Sunday, including dual nationals linked to the United Kingdom. According to a statement published by state media: "Seven main leaders of the recent protests related to the UK were detained by intelligence services of the IRGC (Revolutionary Guards) including dual nationals who were trying to leave the country," the statement read.

Western claims show ‘effectiveness’ of the drones: Iran

On Sunday, Iran’s top general said that Western claims that its drones were being used by Russia against Ukraine showed the ‘effectiveness’ of Tehran’s unmanned aerial vehicles. Kyiv and its Western allies accused Russia of using Iranian-made drones to carry out attacks against Ukraine in the months-long conflict. In response, Western nations sanctioned many Iranian firms and military generals, including the chief of the staff of Iran’s armed forces, Major General Mohammad Bagheri.

Iranian protestors demand fall of clerical rule

On Monday, Iranian shops shut their doors in several cities, following calls for a three-day nationwide general strike from protesters seeking the fall of clerical rulers. The head of the judiciary blamed “rioters” for threatening shopkeepers. The semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that an amusement park at a Tehran shopping center was closed by the judiciary because its operators were not wearing the hijab properly.

Khamenei’s niece urges world to cut ties with Tehran

Dubai: On Nov 27, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's nice, a well-known rights activist, called on foreign govts to cut all ties with Tehran. The appeal was made over Iran's violent crackdown on popular unrest provoked by the death in police custody of a young woman. "O free people, be with us and tell your governments to stop supporting this murderous and child-killing regime," Farideh Moradkhani, Khamenei's niece, said in the video. "This regime is not loyal to any of its religious principles and does not know any rules except force and maintaining power," she added.

Iran accuses Israel, Western spy services of plotting civil war

On Nov 17, Iran indicted its arch-enemy Israel and Western intelligence services of plotting to start a civil war in the Islamic Republic. “Various security services, Israel, and some Western politicians who have made plans for civil war, destruction, and the disintegration of Iran should know that Iran is not Libya or Sudan,” Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian tweeted. Tehran accuses Western adversaries of stoking nationwide unrest, which had been joined by Iranians from all walks of life since the Sept. 16 death of Mahsa Amini.

Iran calls for change in ‘unfriendly’ Saudi behavior

On Monday, Iran said that it would use diplomacy to change Saudi Arabia’s “unfriendly” behavior. It also accused its regional rival of encouraging the weeks-long protest movement sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini. “Our country does not seek conflict in the region and adheres to the path of negotiations with Saudi Arabia,” Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani told reporters. He said that Iran would not “incite instability in the region”, adding that Tehran considered its neighbors’ security “as its own”.

KSA informs US of possible attack by Iran: Officials

The United States assures Saudia Arabia that the threats are concerning, and it will defend the Kingdom and other Middle East allies from Iran. "We are concerned about the threat picture, and we remain in constant contact through military and intelligence channels with the Saudis," the National Security Council said in a statement, "We will not hesitate to act in the defence of our interests and partners in the region". While Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanani, responded that, "The Islamic Republic of Iran considers the establishment and improvement of stability and security in the region to be possible through constructive engagement with neighbours and will pursue it seriously."