By Mohammad Homaeefar

Tehran celebrates Trump’s fall

TEHRAN – Iranian officials have been celebrating U.S. President Donald Trump’s downfall in the presidential election without rejoicing over Joe Biden’s victory, indicating that while Tehran is happy with the defeat of the “maximum pressure” guy, it remains distrustful of the U.S. foreign policy even under a new Democratic leadership.

Raisi urges support for brave, revolutionary managers

TEHRAN — Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Raisi has urged support for courageous and revolutionary managers so that they thrive in the era of sanctions.

Iran's welfare services to the elderly significant amid sanctions, pandemic: UNFPA

TEHRAN – The Welfare Organization of Iran has attained a great achievement through providing significant services to the elderly despite sanctions and the COVID-19 pandemic, Leila Joudane, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative to Iran has said.

China to sanction Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon over U.S. Taiwan arm sales

China and the United States seem to be headed toward a new high in tensions, with Beijing announcing plans to slap sanctions on major American firms involved in arms sales to Taiwan

Iranian hospitals hobbled by sanctions in fight against Covid: Financial Times

In a neighborhood of the historic city of Isfahan, workers toil day and night to build a new hospital as Iran’s overwhelmed health system struggles to cope with the soaring number of Covid cases.

Coronavirus is worse in Iran because of U.S. sanctions: Foreign Ministry

TEHRAN – Iran’s Foreign Ministry said in a tweet on Monday that coronavirus has been a deadly disease everywhere but it is worse in Iran due to U.S. sanctions.

U.S. after showing chaos, statelessness in Iran: Rabiei

TEHRAN – Government spokesman Ali Rabiei says the U.S. is seeking to show a kind of chaos and statelessness in Iran, according to Mehr.

Iran has found ways to circumvent U.S. sanctions: MP

TEHRAN – Abolfazl Amouei, the spokesman for the Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said on Monday that Iran has found ways to get around U.S. sanctions and tackle economic challenges.

Few new sanctions left to impose on Iran, Russia: Robert O'Brien

TEHRAN – The U.S. has little opportunity left to impose new sanctions against Russia and Iran, as there are already many of them, U.S. National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien has said.

Moscow blasts Washington over Iran-related sanctions on Chinese firms

TEHRAN – Russia has blasted the United States for trying to substitute the UN Security Council with regard to Iran, urging the U.S. to stop humiliating itself in such pointless endeavor.

Rouhani: Enemies have invested in domestic disputes

TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani says that his administration has thwarted U.S. ominous goal to bring about the collapse of national economy through sanctions.

UN Special Rapporteur criticizes U.S. for unilateral sanctions on Iran during COVID-19

TEHRAN - Alena Douhan, the United Nations Special Rapporteur, has said the adverse effects of unilateral sanctions could hamper the delivery of, and access to, medical equipment needed to combat COVID-19 in countries such as Iran.

Atlantic Council: New U.S. sanctions ‘more window dressing’

TEHRAN – In a report on Wednesday, the Atlantic Council described the new round of U.S. sanctions against Iran as “more window dressing than anything of strategic import”, as Iran’s banking sector was already subject to a substantial level of sanctions.

Rouhani says UN arms embargo on Iran will be lifted by Oct. 18

TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani congratulated the Iranian people on the imminent lifting of a UN arms embargo on Iran, saying the country would be able to buy and sell arms as of mid-October.

Attempt to return UN sanctions ‘a diplomatic defeat for Trump’: Harvard Kennedy School fellow

TEHRAN – A Stanton Nuclear Security Fellow on Managing the Atom of the Harvard Kennedy School has described Washington’s attempt to return UN sanctions on Iran as a “diplomatic defeat” for President Donald Trump.

Unilateral coercive measures may hamper global efforts to combat pandemic: Iran’s health minister

TEHRAN – Unilateral coercive measures may not only hamper effective interventions in combating the pandemic but in general terms, will hinder our global goals and regional commitment to achieve Universal Health Coverage, Health Minister Saeed Namaki said.

MP says U.S. destroyed chances of talks with Iran by reneging on JCPOA

TEHRAN – Mohammad Hossein Asafari, a lawmaker, said on Sunday that the U.S. unilateral withdrawal from a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers has destroyed the windows of talks with the U.S.

‘U.S. seeks to block Iran exports through sanctions’

TEHRAN – The new U.S. sanctions on Iran, which targeted a number of Iranian banks, are intended to prevent Iran from boosting its exports, Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami said on Sunday.

Iran says U.S. seeking to starve Iranians

TEHRAN – Saeed Khatibzadeh, the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, said on Sunday that the U.S. intends to starve the Iranian people, according to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) news agency.

China: U.S. sanctions on Iran threatens people’s life

TEHRAN – Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying says the United States’ sanctions on Iran and other countries pose a direct threat to ordinary people’s life and health due to the continued spread of the coronavirus.

Rouhani dismisses U.S. sanctions as internal ‘political propaganda’

TEHRAN – In his first response to the new sanctions the U.S. imposed on Iran on Thursday, President Hassan Rouhani said these sanctions were imposed to serve political goals in the United States.

Zarif: U.S. after blowing up Iran’s food, medicine payment channels

TEHRAN — Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the United States is seeking to blow up Iran’s remaining channels to pay for food and medicine.

National Interest cites reasons why America won’t win a sanctions showdown over Iran

United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 makes for dry reading. The resolution and its appendices are over a hundred pages long, laying out the provisions of the UN’s acceptance of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) brokered between Iran and the five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany.

Judiciary to prosecute 45 Americans linked with U.S. sanctions on Iran

TEHRAN – Head of the Iranian Judiciary’s High Council for Human Rights, Ali Bagheri-Kani, has announced that 45 people linked to the U.S. sanctions on Iran will be prosecuted.

Iran’s tourism achieves growth despite sanctions: minister

TEHRAN – Iran’s tourism sector achieved a growth [of almost ten percent year on year] in the previous Iranian calendar year 1398 (March 2019-March 2020) despite the adverse effects of the U.S. sanctions, Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan said on Saturday.

U.S. sanctions impede Iran’s ability to fight Covid-19: Zarif

TEHRAN — Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has accused the United States of impeding Iran’s ability to fight the coronavirus outbreak, saying that U.S. sanctions have prevented the purchase of critical medical supplies.