All 80 nuclear warheads in Mideast owned by Israel: Zarif

TEHRAN – Referring to recent statistics released by a Stockholm-based research institute, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said all proven nuclear warheads stationed in the Middle East are entirely owned by the Zionist regime of Israel.

Iran does not need to extend range of missiles over 2000 kilometers: IRGC chief

TEHRAN – The commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said on Tuesday the range of Iranian missiles is 2000 kilometers and the country does not need to extend it.

World entering new ‘dangerous’ era after U.S. nuclear deal exit: Princeton researcher

Hossein Mousavian, a Princeton University researcher, has said that the Middle East, and the world at large, are entering a new dangerous era after the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.

Tehran to stand beside Doha, Rouhani says in phone call with Qatari emir

TEHRAN – In telephone conversation on Monday President Hassan Rouhani told Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani that Iran will “stand beside” Doha in difficult days.

Iran, Switzerland hold third round of political talks

TEHRAN – Iran and Switzerland held their third round of political talks in Tehran on Monday.

President Rouhani to visit Austria, Switzerland

TEHRAN – Accepting invitations extended by his Swiss and Austrian counterparts, President Hassan Rouhani of Iran will travel to those two European countries in late June, amid continued uncertainty over the future of the 2015 nuclear agreement between Tehran and world powers.

Ex-minister predicts bleak future for U.S.-North Korea ties

TEHRAN – Former Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi has highlighted the U.S. government’s lack of commitment to its international obligations and expressed pessimism about the future of a recent rapprochement between Washington and Pyongyang.

Iran, Canada started no talks on resuming ties: Vaezi

TEHRAN – Iran’s presidential chief of staff Mahmoud Vaezi has said that Iran and Canada had started no talks on resuming relations that the Canadian parliament decided to stop it.

Iran welcomes extension of ceasefire in Afghanistan

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman on Sunday called for extension of truce between the Afghan government and Taliban in Afghanistan.

Families of martyred nuclear scientists meet Leader

TEHRAN – Families of martyred nuclear scientists met on Friday morning with Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ISNA reported.

‘Saudis seeking to starve Yemenis into submission’

TEHRAN – Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, a senior foreign policy advisor to the parliament speaker, says the Saudi-led blockade on Yemen is aimed at forcing Yemeni people to give up under starvation.

Trump’s anti-Iran remarks ‘empty rhetoric’: ex- defense chief

TEHRAN – Whenever the Americans tried to pressure Iran into doing something, their attempts failed miserably and did not produce the results they wanted, says former defense minister Hossein Dehqan, noting that U.S. President Donald Trump’s anti-Iran remarks are just “empty rhetoric”.

Iran calls Paris hostage taking ‘inhuman’

TEHRAN - Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi has condemned a hostage taking incident in Paris as “inhuman” and “hostile”.

Energy minister: Iranians will disappoint Netanyahu over his water remarks

TEHRAN – Reacting to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s offer to help Iranians overcome water shortage, Iran’s energy minister said on Wednesday that Iranians will let the Israeli regime down as they have done during the past 40 years since the victory of the Islamic Revolution.

Zarif in Pretoria for talks with South African officials

TEHRAN – Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif visited South Africa on Tuesday evening at the head of a politico-economic delegation for talks with the country’s top officials on bilateral relations and the future of the Iran nuclear deal following the U.S. withdrawal from the multilateral agreement.

Iran’s border guard killed in clash with drug smugglers

TEHRAN – An Iranian border guard was killed on Tuesday in armed clashes with drug smugglers in the southeastern province of Sistan-Balouchestan.

Measures taken to ease investment in Iran after U.S. JCPOA exit

TEHRAN – Iran’s Parliament speaker announced on Tuesday that certain measures have been taken to tackle the problems facing investment in Iran since Trump exited the U.S. from the nuclear deal and plans to reinstate sanctions on Tehran.

Mousavian says Iran feels threatened by export of Wahhabism

Ex-senior diplomat proposes three steps to settle Mideast crises

Hossein Mousavian, former Iranian diplomat and a current Princeton University researcher, has elaborated on root causes of crises and instability in the Middle East.

By staff and agency

EU is taking steps to protect companies in Iran

The European Union is taking steps to protect EU companies investing in Iran from renewed U.S. sanctions on Tehran after U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal.

Iran’s Soleimani says Saudis interfered in Lebanese elections

TEHRAN - General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the IRGC Quds Force, said on Monday that Saudis attempted to interfere in Lebanon’s May elections.

Iran cautions North Korea ahead of Trump-Kim summit

TEHRAN – Iran said on Monday that it welcomes any attempt to restore peace and stability to the Korean Peninsula but advised Pyongyang to practice vigilance in dealing with “oath-breaking” Washington.

No change to Fordow plant as long as nuclear deal is preserved: Iran

TEHRAN - Behrooz Kamalvandi, spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said on Saturday that there will be no change to the Fordow nuclear plant as long as the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, is preserved.

Larijani tells EU time running out to confirm stance on JCPOA

TEHRAN – Ali Larijani, the speaker of the Majlis (Parliament) said on Sunday that it is needed that the European Union to clarify stance on the 2015 nuclear deal (officially called the JCPOA) sooner.

Rouhani at SCO summit: Unilateral sanctions damage legal int’l business

Addressing the 18th summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on Sunday in Qingdao, China, President Hassan Rouhani described the United States’ move to impose its own policies on others as a growing threat, saying “unilateral sanctions damage the process of legal international business”.

Beijing says to continue economic cooperation with Tehran

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson has announced that Beijing will continue economic cooperation with Iran.

Parliamentary group opposes Iran joining FATF as fate of nuclear deal is in disarray

TEHRAN – A number of conservative Iranian lawmakers, who are members of the Velayat (Jurisprudence) faction, issued a statement on Saturday calling on other fellow parliamentarians not to approve the legislation on joining the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as the U.S. pullout from the nuclear agreement has put the fate of the accord in disarray.

Zarif: World should rise up to resist U.S. extreme unilateralism

In a letter to his counterparts around the world, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has warned that the U.S. exit from the multilateral 2015 nuclear agreement shows that “the specter of an extreme unilateralism is once again hovering upon the world, and we all should rise up and resist it.”

Remaining JCPOA parties must ‘guarantee’ Iran’s benefits: Zarif

TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says for the 2015 nuclear accord to stay alive, the remaining signatories need to guarantee that Iran will be “unconditionally” compensated with the return of American sanctions.

Rouhani says U.S. unilateralism is ‘dangerous’

TEHRAN – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Friday that the U.S. unilateralism is “dangerous” to the entire world.

IRGC general: Hezbollah able to fire 100,000 missiles at Israel

TEHRAN – Brigadier General Hossein Salami, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)’s second-in-command, said on Friday that Hezbollah resistance forces are capable of firing 100,000 missiles at Israel.