Pompeo fails to sway allies on Iran in awkward surprise visit

TEHRAN - U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo made scant progress persuading European Union counterparts to take a harder line toward Iran during a quick visit on May 13 to Brussels, with the EU standing behind the nuclear accord abandoned by Washington -- and warning of a potential military conflict.

By Ramin Hosein Abadian

U.S. faking insecurity in Iraq: New strategy to push Baghdad into compliance 

TEHRAN - Apparently, U.S. government is not going to end its suspicious and hostile actions in Iraq anytime soon. These activities have been rapidly increasing over the last five months, intensifying pressure on Iraq into yielding to the White House demands. 

By Martin Love

Whether more U.S. sparked chaos or real accord is the question that haunts the world

NORTH CAROLINA - Iran’s leaders, Iran’s many friends and the people of Iran well know what is afoot right now with the Trump Administration, with John Bolton and Mike Pompeo, and with at least some members of the U.S. Congress and with other Neocons in D.C. “think tanks” and their various institutions.

Trump orders aides to avoid open conflict with Iran: Report

TEHRAN (Press TV) – U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered his administration to avoid a military confrontation with Iran, the New York Times and Reuters have reported.

U.S. does not seek war with Iran, says Mike Pompeo

TEHRAN - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the United States does not seek a war with Iran, amid rapidly growing tensions between the two countries.

By Yuram Abdullah Weiler

Upping the Ante: U.S. officials threaten Iran...again

“The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces.” —John Bolton

Special adviser to Mogherini says U.S. pressure is making Iran’s compliance with the JCPOA impossible 

Mogherini reiterates support for Iran nuclear deal

TEHRAN – European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said on Monday she would continue to support the 2015 nuclear pact because Iran continued to comply with inspections, Euronews reported.

Trump's Iran Escalation Poses a Threat for Germany

The U.S. under Donald Trump is exacerbating tensions with Iran, leading many to fear war may be just around the corner. Any military conflict would have dire consequences for Europe, but the Americans remain undeterred.

Iran high on Pompeo’s Russia agenda: U.S.

TEHRAN – U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will head to Russia next week for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid heightened U.S.-Russia tensions over the crisis in Venezuela and the Trump administration’s hardline policy on Iran, the State Department said Friday, AP reported.

By Martin Love

Trump’s “Threat” Administration is a one trick pony so far

The Trump Administration ought to be renamed “The Threat Administration”. Even the so-called “special relationship” between the U.S. and the U.K. has been threatened simply because the Brits seem to want to buy top of the line Chinese 5G Huawei broadband technology. In fact, it’s not hard to get the impression that Trump and his foreign policy team, Bolton and Pompeo especially, are now bouncing off the bloody walls of the White House of late frustrated by their own failures so far and beginning to bump in to each other.

By Mohammad Homaeifar

The message Iran should have for Europe

TEHRAN - Once again, a new scheme has been devised to curb Iran missile activity. This time the top officials of Germany, Britain, and France, led by Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, have started a dangerous game. 

By M.A. Saki

It is not the way to counter sanctions

TEHRAN - At a meeting of the Majlis (Parliament) on Monday, it was decided not to increase gasoline price and not even ration it.

North Korea launches short-range projectiles, South says

North Korea fired several short-range projectiles off its east coast on Saturday, in a move likely to raise tensions as denuclearization talks with the United States remain stalled.

Iran condemns U.S. military threats against Venezuela

TEHRAN - Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi has condemned the United States for threatening to use military force to topple the legitimate Venezuelan government.

By staff and agency

Zarif does not think Iran-U.S. military war is imminent

Iranian Foreign Ministry Mohammad Javad Zarif has said that he does not think war between Iran and the United States is imminent.

Zarif’s ‘clever’ remarks angered Bolton, Pompeo: top MP

TEHRAN – A top lawmaker says Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s “righteous” and “clever” remarks have agitated U.S. national security advisor John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Foreign Policy: Trump’s ‘hollow triumph’ on Iran will come at exceedingly high cost

In a commentary on its website on April 26, the Foreign Policy said Donald Trump’s new Iran sanctions will hurt the United States in the long term.

U.S. is ending exemptions to Iran sanctions: Pompeo

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday the United States is not extending any waivers exempting importers of Iranian oil from U.S. sanctions and there will be no grace period for those economies to comply.

U.S. to announce all countries importing Iranian oil will be subject to sanctions: Post

The State Department is set to announce all countries that continue to import Iranian oil will be subject to U.S. sanctions, The Washington Post reported on Sunday.

North Korea: If US wants to talk, put someone 'more mature' than Pompeo in charge

North Korea's Foreign Ministry has issued a stinging rebuke of United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, hours after the country claimed to have tested a new tactical weapon.

It is the U.S. regime which should change its nature: Iran

TEHRAN - Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Wednesday that it is the U.S. regime which must change its nature and not Iran.

Trump responsible for what happens to U.S. forces in region: advisor

TEHRAN - Hossein Amir Abdollahian, a senior foreign policy advisor to the parliament speaker, has said that President Donald Trump is responsible for anything happens to the U.S. forces in the Middle East region.

Tehran: Pompeo’s claim that Iran interferes in Venezuela is ‘ridiculous’ 

TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi on Sunday denounced the U.S. Secretary of State’s claim that Iran is interfering in the internal affairs of Venezuela, describing it as “ridiculous”.

Blocking aid to flood victims shows U.S. animosity towards Iranians: Larijani

TEHRAN – By blocked the accounts of Iran’s Red Crescent Society the United is practically preventing aid to the Iranian flood victims by other countries, a move which Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said on Saturday clearly shows the depth of Washington’s animosity toward the Iranian people.

Zarif rebukes Trump and Pompeo’s contradictory remarks about Iran

TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Friday that President Donald Trump and his secretary of state Mike Pompeo make “contradictory” claims against Iran depending on the occasion.

​​​​​​​By Daniel Larison

Trump’s Orwellian Iran policy

In a recent interview, Pompeo admits that the administration has no interest in negotiating with the Iranian government:

Zarif rejects Pompeo’s flood remarks as ‘demagogic’

TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Thursday that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s remarks on devastating floods in Iran are “unprofessional, interventionist and demagogic”.

Iran calls Pompeo’s remarks ‘provocative, meddlesome, and undiplomatic’

Pompeo’s accusations against Hezbollah are ‘rude and irrational’: Iran

TEHRAN – The Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Sunday calling U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s accusations against Iran “provocative, meddlesome, and undiplomatic”, saying such comments once again showed Washington’s policy of paternalism toward independent nations.

Zarif after Pompeo remarks: Even Torah distorted to serve Iranophobia

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the Trump administration is giving voice to Israel's falsification of the Torah to promote Iranophobia.   

Iranians will not give in to pressure: Rouhani

TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday that the Iranian people will resist economic pressure created by the United States’ sanctions and will not “give in to enemies”.