Abe’s visit to Iran falls within historic ties: government

TEHRAN - Ali Rabiei, the government spokesman, said on Tuesday that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to Iran is within the framework of historic relations between the two countries.

British embassy supports subversive movements, MP says

TEHRAN – The British embassy has supported subversive movements and is in contact with the opposition, a parliamentarian warned on Tuesday.

Empty threats show enemies’ weakness: general

TEHRAN – Chief of the Iranian Army’s ground forces says the empty threats uttered by enemies show their “weakness” and “inability”.

UN watchdog confirms Iran’s promised uranium enrichment hike

TEHRAN - Iran has followed through on a threat to accelerate its production of enriched uranium, the head of the UN's atomic watchdog has said, departing from his usual guarded language to say he was worried about increasing tension.

Japanese analyst calls on Abe to invite Rouhani to G20 summit: Yomiuri Shimbun

TEHRAN – A Japanese analyst has proposed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe invite Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to the G20 summit, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported, according to IRNA.

Nizar Zakka being delivered to Lebanon: source

TEHRAN – A Iranian news outlet on Monday reported that Nizar Zakka, a Lebanese-American national who had been imprisoned in Iran since 2015 on charges of working with the U.S. intelligence service, was to be freed and handed over to Lebanon later the day.

Culture of resistance poses challenge to U.S.: general

TEHRAN – The United States has been challenged with the power of the Islamic Revolution and the “culture of resistance” in the region, a top military aide to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday.

Any act against Iran will set the region on fire, Rezaee warns

TEHRAN – The Americans are well aware that any act of aggression against Iran will set the entire region aflame, Mohsen Rezaee, secretary of the Expediency Council, said on Saturday.

Mousavian enumerates seven conditions for success of Abe’s visit in mediating between Iran and U.S.

Princeton researcher says Abe visit shows Iran’s diplomatic skill

TEHRAN - Hossein Mousavian, a Middle East expert who now works as a researcher at Princeton University, has described a planned visit by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Tehran as “positive” and said it shows effectiveness of Iran’s diplomacy.

U.S. pressure on Iran out of frustration: Zarif

TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Sunday that the United States is exerting pressure on Iran out of “frustration” and “weakness”.

Rouhani to attend CICA summit in Tajikistan

TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani will travel to Dushanbe, Tajikistan, next week to attend the 5th summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), according to Mehr news agency.

‘Iran to give most crushing response to aggressors even beyond borders’

TEHRAN (FNA) – Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, the top military aide to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, underscores Iran’s high deterrence power, warning enemies of an immediate crushing response in case of any aggression.

“Our missiles are not ‘designed’ for nukes, which we’re not developing”, Zarif tell Pompeo

Zarif lambasts ‘conceited interpretation’ of Resolution 2231

TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has dismissed a claim by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about the nature of Iran’s missile program.

Europe trying hard to de-escalate Iran-U.S. tensions: Germany

TEHRAN – German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Saturday that the European countries are doing their best to de-escalate tensions between Iran and the United States.  

‘U.S., Israel won’t allow the likes of Saudis to acquire atomic bomb’

TEHRAN – An expert on Middle East affairs believes that the United States and Israel would never allow the likes of Saudi Arabia to acquire nuclear weapons because the Zionist regime wants to be the only superpower and nuclear power in the region.

By staff and agency

Former U.S. official says Trump’s approach toward Iran is a ‘strategic mistake’

Ernest J. Moniz, a former U.S. energy secretary, has said that U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration’s approach toward Iran is a “strategic mistake”.

Advisor denounces US-KSA-UAE support for killing Sudanese demonstrators

TEHRAN - Hossein Amir Abdollahian, a senior foreign policy advisor to the Iranian parliament speaker, on Thursday condemned the U.S., the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the United Arab Emirates (UEA) for supporting the killing of Sudanese demonstrators.

Emami Kashani urges officials, nation to resist threats

TEHRAN – Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani, a Tehran Friday prayer leader, has called on the Iranian officials and people to resist against the threats against the country by the enemies.

Education minister resigns to run for parliament

TEHRAN – Education Minister Mohammad Bat'haei has resigned from his post in order to run for parliament in the 2020 elections, Tasnim reported.

Tehran says expects change and not ‘word-play’ by U.S.

TEHRAN – Hours after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo offered to engage with Iran without pre-conditions, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said Tehran expected a change in U.S. behavior rather than “word-play”.

Washington defunds anti-Iran Twitter account after being exposed

TEHRAN – The U.S. State Department has stopped funding a Twitter account after the account was exposed as working for the body.

U.S. maximum pressure against Iran will reach nowhere: diplomat

TEHRAN – The British Ambassador to Tehran, Rob Macaire, has said that the U.S. policy of exerting maximum pressure against Iran will reach nowhere.

Oil to surpass $100 if first bullet fired in Persian Gulf: Rahim Safavi

TEHRAN – Oil prices will jump beyond $100 a barrel if the first bullet in fired in the Persian Gulf, a top military aide to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday, warning that the U.S. military vessels in the Persian Gulf are within the range of Iranian missiles.

Two European diplomats arrested at sinful party in Tehran

TEHRAN – Two European diplomats were arrested at a mixed-gender party in Tehran in the early hours of Friday and were released after identification.

IAEA report proves Iran’s support for multilateralism: envoy

TEHRAN – Iran’s ambassador and permanent representative to the Vienna-based international organizations said on Friday night that the International Atomic Energy Agency’s latest report shows Tehran’s goodwill in preserving multilateralism in international relations.

300,000 expected to attend Imam Khomeini’s memorial

TEHRAN – The 30th anniversary of the demise of Imam Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic, will be held at his mausoleum in south Tehran on Tuesday, according to the secretary of the Central Committee of Commemoration of Imam.

U.S. pressure on Tehran rooted in Iran’s regional power: Zarif

TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif believes that the U.S. has exerted greatest pressure on Tehran because of Iran’s power in the West Asia region.

Iranian envoy: S. Arabia, Israel, Egypt, and UAE have been developing missiles with long ranges

TEHRAN - Hamid Baeidinejad, Tehran’s ambassador to London, has said Iran’s missile program is not the only one in the region, IRNA reported on Friday.

Iran strongly rejects Saudi claims of ‘regional interference’

TEHRAN (Press TV) – A senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official has strongly denounced fresh claims made by Saudi Arabia about what Riyadh describes as Iran’s meddling in the internal affairs of regional countries.

Russian ambassador: U.S. to bear guilt for possible collapse of JCPOA

TEHRAN – Russia’s ambassador to Iran says the U.S. is to be accountable for a probable collapse of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, from which Washington withdrew in 2018.