By M.A. Saki

U.S. cannot invoke snapback mechanism after JCPOA withdrawal: international law expert

TEHRAN – Seyed Yaser Ziaee, an associate professor of international law from the University of Qom, says it is not possible for the United States to invoke snapback sanctions against Iran based on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which it abandoned in May 2018.

Lebanon receives first medical aid shipment from Iran

TEHRAN — Lebanese Health Minister Hamad Hassan says his country has received the first shipment of medical aid from Iran to help Beirut in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

Iran will give ‘decisive response’ to any U.S. provocation, top MP warns

TEHRAN — Chairman of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee has warned the U.S. that any provocative action in the region with the purpose of fomenting insecurity will draw a “decisive response” from Iran.

‘Germany blacklisted Hezbollah to serve Israel’s interests’

TEHRAN - Jalil Rahimi Jahanabadi, chairman of the Majlis Judicial and Legal Committee, has said that Germany blacklisted Lebanon’s Hezbollah to serve the interests of the Zionist regime of Israel.

Russia slams U.S. obstruction of IMF loan to Iran

TEHRAN - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin has slammed the United States for obstructing Iran’s request to receive loan from the International Monetary Fund.

Rouhani says U.S. acts impeding Iran’s fight against coronavirus

TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday that the United States’ actions, which are against human rights, have impeded Iran’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

U.S. military presence endangers regional security, Iran says

TEHRAN – The Iranian Foreign Ministry reiterated on Monday that the presence of U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf endangers regional security and also disrupts shipping in the strategic waterway.

House lawmakers urge Pompeo to take action to renew Iran arms embargo

TEHRAN — Hundreds of U.S. House representatives in both parties are calling on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to take “increased diplomatic action” to renew a UN arms embargo on Iran set to expire in October.

Iran condemns any destabilizing action in Iraq

TEHRAN - Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi condemned on Sunday any action in Iraq which weakens stability and peace in the country.

‘U.S. attempt to extend arms embargo on Iran to reach nowhere’

TEHRAN - Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s permanent representative to the Vienna-based international organizations, has said that the United States’ attempt to extend arms embargo on Iran will reach nowhere.

‘U.S. attempt to present itself as JCPOA participant proves paradox in its foreign policy’

TEHRAN - Dennis Jett, a former U.S. diplomat, has said that the United States’ attempt to present itself as a participant to the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, proves paradox in Washington’s foreign policy.

Trump’s hollow and angsty threat to Iran showed he must be really out of his mind

(Raw Story) – A tweet by the U.S. President Donald Trump on April 22 said, “I have instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea.” Trump seems to be talking the language of war while indulging in politics by other means. Like his ban on immigration, Trump is resorting to distractions to turn attention away from his incompetence in tackling the COVID-19 crisis in the United States.

Zarif discusses U.S. sanctions with Cuban FM

TEHRAN – Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has discussed the “illegal” and “unilateral” sanctions of the United States with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Eduardo Rodriguez Parrilla.

Russia criticizes U.S. for not saying a word about its obligations under resolution 2231

TEHRAN - Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s permanent representative to the Vienna-based international organizations, has criticized the United States for not saying a “single word” about its obligations under the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 the confirms the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

Blacklisting of Hezbollah by Germany is to satisfy U.S., Israel: ex-diplomat

TEHRAN - Alireza Sheikh-Attar, a former Iranian ambassador to Germany, has said that Germany’s action in blacklisting Lebanon’s Hezbollah was to satisfy the United States and the Zionist regime of Israel.

Parliamentary committee to mull U.S. move regarding JCPOA

TEHRAN — A top Iranian lawmaker has said the United States’ new plan regarding the 2015 nuclear agreement will be discussed in an upcoming meeting of the parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee.

Without Hezbollah, ISIS would have reached Europe, Shamkhani tells Germany

TEHRAN — Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), has reacted to Germany for designating Lebanon’s Hezbollah as a terrorist group, saying ISIS failed to reach Europe because it was defeated by Resistance groups such as Hezbollah.

By staff and agency

EU says U.S. no longer a party to nuclear deal

EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell has said that the United States can no longer be considered as a participating member of the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the JCPOA.

If Washington starts war, Tehran will decide its end, Rezaee warns

TEHRAN - Secretary of Iran’s Expediency Council Mohsen Rezaee has said the Islamic Republic will fire missiles at American bases across the region if the U.S. takes military actions against Iran in the Persian Gulf.

‘The UAE knows that Trump and Pompeo will one day leave and it’s Iran which will remain’

UAE aware of Iran’s military, economic power: expert

TEHRAN — Director of the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) at Georgetown University has said the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is fully aware of Iran’s economic and military power.

Netanyahu pushed U.S. to attack Iran with fabricated nuclear documents: report

TEHRAN — The Iranian nuclear documents presented by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were an Israeli fabrication designed to trigger U.S. into a war with Iran, according to an investigation.

U.S. seeks indefinite UN arms embargo on Iran: AP

TEHRAN — The U.S. has circulated a draft UN resolution that would indefinitely extend a UN arms embargo on Iran set to expire in October, U.S. officials and UN diplomats said on Tuesday.

Iran to build houses on Persian Gulf islands

Persian Gulf islands to be turned into residential areas: Iranian admiral

TEHRAN — The Iranian islands of the Persian Gulf will be turned into residential areas, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy Chief Alireza Tangsiri announced on Wednesday.  

UN human rights office concerned over non-existent forceful lockdown in Iran

TEHRAN — The UN human rights office has voiced concern about “excessive and sometimes deadly force” to ensure lockdowns and curfews due to the COVID-19 pandemic in more than a dozen countries, including Iran.

By staff and agency

Key Biden adviser slams ‘sheer hypocrisy’ of White House to extend Iran arms embargo

Tony Blinken, the Joe Biden campaign’s chief foreign policy adviser, has slammed the Donald Trump administration’s “sheer hypocrisy” for relying on a mechanism in the 2015 nuclear deal to reinstate multilateral sanctions on Iran should the United Nations fail to extend an arms embargo on Tehran.

All littoral states tasked to preserve Persian Gulf heritage: ambassador

TEHRAN - Mohammad Ali Hosseini, the Iranian ambassador to Pakistan, has said that all countries bordering the Persian Gulf are responsible to preserve the historical heritage of this strategic waterway.

Rouhani: It is Persian Gulf not New York Gulf

TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday that the United States must know that the waterway in the region is the Persian Gulf and not the New York or Washington Gulf.

Right-wing think tanks are using Covid-19 to push war with Iran: In The Times

TEHRAN — In an article published in In The Times on Monday, Sarah Lazare argues that two right-wing think thanks in America, namely the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) and American Enterprise Institute (AEI), are pushing for war against Iran amid the coronavirus pandemic.

By staff and agency

U.S. faces tough, messy battle if it pushes plan to extend Iran arms embargo

In a report published by Reuters on Tuesday, it is said that the United States will face a tough, messy battle if it uses a threat to trigger a return of all United Nations sanctions on Iran as leverage to get the 15-member Security Council to extend and strengthen an arms embargo on Tehran, diplomats said.

Zarif, Lavrov dismiss ‘delusional’ U.S. plan for nuclear deal

TEHRAN — Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov have dismissed U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s “delusional” plan to keep Washington a participant state in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in order to extend the UN arms embargo on Iran.