Rights bodies’ silence over U.S. sanctions regretful: Iranian Judiciary 

TEHRAN - Head of the Judiciary's High Council for Human Rights Ali Bagheri Kani  on Thursday called on the relevant human rights bodies no to keep mum on the U.S. “cruel sanctions” on the Iranian people.

Iranians suffering due to U.S. ‘maximum pressure’ policy: Russian envoy

TEHRAN — Russia’s permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna has criticized the United States’ “maximum pressure” policy against Iran, saying such approach has brought about many negative outcomes, especially suffering of the Iranian people.

Iran underscores peaceful settlement of conflict in Yemen

TEHRAN- Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs on Wednesday underscored Tehran’s long-held policy that a comprehensive Yemeni-Yemeni dialogue would be the best choice to put an immediate end to the crisis in Yemen.

China sympathizes with Iran over coronavirus outbreak 

TEHRAN - The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, in her Twitter account on Friday, sympathized with Iran over the outbreak of coronavirus and vowed Beijing’s more assistance to Tehran to overcome the disease.   

Swiss humanitarian channel for Iran finalized

TEHRAN — The United States and Swiss governments have finalized the terms of a humanitarian trade agreement, which would allow companies to send food, medicine and other critical supplies to Iran.

Tehran says eyeing developments in Syria’s Idlib

TEHRAN — Tehran has reacted to the recent developments in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib, saying it is fully monitoring the recent developments in that area.

Iran-UAE flight permit will be issued soon 

TEHRAN- The Iranian Foreign Ministry is paving the way for the Iranian nationals residing in the UAE to return home from Dubai or Abu Dhabi. 

Leader expresses gratitude to medical staff fighting Coronavirus

TEHRAN– The Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei hailed the efforts and services of the Iranian health ministry, doctors, nurses and medical staff in combat to beat the outbreak of coronavirus.

Russia, Iran to hold consultations on nuclear cooperation in spring: Ryabkov

VIENNA (UrduPoint News/Sputnik) - Moscow and Tehran will hold consultations on nuclear cooperation in the spring, and the future of the project of Iran's Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant re-purposing will be on the agenda, among other topics, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told Sputnik on Wednesday.

Rouhani: Coronavirus must not act as ‘enemy weapons’ to shut down economy

TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani warned on Wednesday that the novel coronavirus epidemic should not be used as a “weapon by the enemies” to halt “work, activities and production” in the country.

U.S. sanctions foreign entities over Iran’s missile program

TEHRAN — The U.S. Department of State has imposed sanctions against 13 foreign entities and individuals in China, Iraq, Russia and Turkey for what it called supporting proliferation programs in Iran, North Korea and Syria.

Beijing resolved to keep JCPOA alive: Chinese envoy

TEHRAN - Wang Qun, the Chinese envoy to the Vienna-based international organizations, said on Wednesday that his country will do its best to save the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the official name for the 2015 nuclear deal. 

Araghchi slams Dubowitz for cheering coronavirus spread in Iran

TEHRAN — Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has slammed Mark Dubowitz, the CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), over cheering the spread of coronavirus in Iran.

Rouhani’s government urges approval of FATF-related bills by Expediency Council 

TEHRAN - The government of President Hassan Rouhani, in a 9-paragraph statement on Wednesday, urged the Expediency Council to remove the existing barriers in the way of approving the CFT and Palermo bills.

Iran, Azerbaijan to broaden military cooperation

TEHRAN - Azeri Deputy Defense Minister for Logistics Lieutenant General Mammadov Fuad Nadir held a meeting in Tehran on Wednesday with Major General Ali Abdullahi, the deputy chief of the general staff of Iran’s Armed Forces for coordination affairs.

Iran strongly condemns Israeli air strikes on Gaza, Damascus

TEHRAN – Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi strongly condemned on Tuesday the Zionist regime of Israel’s air strikes on Gaza and Damascus.

Trump has confessed Iran ‘hates’ Daesh, Zarif says

TEHRAN – Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said late on Tuesday that Donald Trump has admitted that Iran “hates” the Daesh terrorist group, also called ISIS.

Anybody who spreads fake news about coronavirus will get 3-year sentence: Iranian MP

TEHRAN - The spokesman for the judicial and legal affairs committee of the parliament warned on Wednesday that a 3-year sentence has been set for those who spread fake news or rumors about coronavirus in the country. 

Europeans have been slow in implementing INSTEX: U.S. professor

TEHRAN - Matthew Anthony Evangelista, a U.S political science professor at Cornel University, has said that the Europeans have been “slow” in implementing the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX).

Urgent action needed to lift medical bans on Iran, physician tells WHO

TEHRAN - A top Iranian physician and media activist has urged the World Health Organization to take urgent action to help lift medical sanctions against Iran as the country is struggling to contain a rapid outbreak of the novel coronavirus.

EU’s Schmid: We have a ‘collective responsibility’ to preserve nuclear deal

TEHRAN - Helga Schmid, secretary general of the European External Action Service (EEAS), said on Tuesday that all sides have a collective responsibility to preserve the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the JCPOA.

Twitter unblocks Shamkhani’s account after complaints

TEHRAN — Social media giant Twitter, which had blocked the account of Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), in a blatant violation of freedom of expression, has unblocked the top Iranian security official’s account after complaints were lodged against the move.

By Ali A. Jenabzadeh

The FATF blacklist and its reverse impact on stock market

TEHRAN - It may seem a little too soon, but I believe the world is on the threshold of facing a new kingdom, an economic one. Here is the story of The Kingdom.

U.S. plans to complete maximum pressure on Iran through coronavirus: Shamkhani

TEHRAN - Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary Ali Shamkhani said on Tuesday that the U.S. has made plans to use the outbreak of coronavirus in Iran as a pretext to complete its maximum pressure strategy against Iran but Iran will succeed to control the virus.

Rouhani: Coronavirus outbreak will be reined in soon

TEHRAN – In a live televised program on Tuesday afternoon, President Hassan Rouhani assured the Iranian citizens that the coronavirus outbreak will be controlled in the shortest period of time.

Govt. must continue efforts to reduce consequences of FATF blacklisting: analyst

TEHRAN - Mehdi Motaharnia, a political analyst, has said that the government must continue efforts to reduce consequences of being blacklisted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

Iran’s Shamkhani to Pompeo: U.S. still hiding truth about Ain al-Asad, influenza fatalities

TEHRAN – While U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expresses concern about what he calls Iran’s “cover-up” of coronavirus, the White House has not still given a precise report about the damages inflicted on Ain al-Asad air base, the number of fatalities from influenza in 2019-2020, and the downing of the U.S. spy aircraft in Afghanistan, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary Ali Shamkhani said on Tuesday.

By staff and agency

Ways and means to improve situation around nuclear deal to be discussed: Russian diplomat

Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s permanent representative to the Vienna-based international organizations, has said that ways and means to improve situation around the 2015 nuclear deal will be discussed at the Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Wednesday.

Pakistani envoy submits credentials to Zarif

TEHRAN — Pakistan’s new ambassador to Tehran, Rahim Hayat Qureshi, submitted a copy of his credentials to Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Tuesday.

Moscow sees JCPOA Joint Commission as opportunity for de-escalation

TEHRAN — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says Wednesday’s Joint Commission meeting of the JCPOA would be an opportunity to stop the escalation of tensions surrounding the Iran nuclear agreement.