Zarif urges dialogue with regional Arab states to maintain security

TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has called on Iran’s Arab neighbors to seize on the opportunity to advance cooperation among the region’s countries.

Biden seeking to review U.S. relations with Riyadh: analyst

TEHRAN - Reza Mirabian, an expert on Saudi Arabia, says the Biden administration is seeking to review relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia.

Germany evading accountability for arming Saddam with chemical weapons: Iranian diplomat

TEHRAN - Esmaeil Baghaei Hamaneh, the permanent representative of Iran to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, has criticized Germany for not being accountable for its role in equipping Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s regime with chemical weapons.

Seizing power by war in Afghanistan unacceptable, Shamkhani says

Shamkhani says Iran won’t ‘recognize’ any group to take power through violence

TEHRAN - Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said on Wednesday that Iran will not “recognize” any group to seize power by war in Afghanistan.

Politician sees management instability as main hurdle for economic and technological progress 

TEHRAN – A member of the Expediency Council chiefly blames an instability in management system for economic and technological inefficiencies in Iran, saying in countries in which there is stability in management system the manager knows that he will not be dismissed because of differences with his superior and this encourages him to take “brave” decisions.

Salvation of JCPOA one of the most acute topics, Russian FM says

TEHRAN – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that salvaging the 2015 Iran nuclear is one of the most urgent issues he discussed with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Five Iranians dead in avalanche on Turkish border

TEHRAN – Five Iranian nationals stuck in an avalanche on the border with Turkey have unfortunately lost their lives, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday, adding that efforts are underway to bring their bodies back home.

Iran says won’t reverse nuclear measures unless U.S. implements UNSCR 2231

TEHRAN – Iran will not back down from the nuclear steps it has taken in response to the United States withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal unless the new U.S. administration returns to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

Maximum pressure policy is a failed policy, Javani says

TEHRAN - Brigadier General Yadollah Javani, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Deputy Commander for Political Affairs, has said the Iranian nation’s resistance, the Leader’s guidelines and the country’s military power “have worked well to defeat the U.S. maximum pressure policy against Iran,” Fars reported on Monday.

There is will by both U.S. and Iran to return to JCPOA

‘U.S. must really and logically take the first step to return to the JCPOA’

TEHRAN- Kourosh Ahmadi, an international relations expert, says if there is political will by both the United States and Iran to return to the nuclear deal and therefore it is not difficult to revive the JCPOA.

Global effort needed to end chilling effects of U.S. sanctions on Iran: Guardian 

In a commentary on January 22, The Guardian said the U.S. sanctions on Iran may have been unilateral, but their chilling effect was global and therefore global efforts, especially by the Europeans, are needed to end them.

Iran rules out mediation on South Korean-flagged tanker

TEHRAN – Iran will not accept any third party mediation on the South Korean ship seized by Iranian authorities on charges of polluting the environment, says the spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry.

MP: Iran should not let Tel Aviv, Riyadh to aggravate Iran’s ties with the West

TEHRAN - Jalil Rahimi Jahanabadi, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Parliament, suggest all “should support the government to manage tensions and challenges between Iran and the West and not allow Israel and some rival countries in the region, such as Saudi Arabia, to aggravate the situation.”

Zarif to embark on regional tour on Monday

TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will start a tour of regional countries on Monday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

More U.S. sanctions have led to stronger Iran: Hatami

TEHRAN - Brigadier General Amir Hatami, Iran’s defense minister, said on Saturday that “the sanctions imposed by the former U.S. administration against Iran’s shipping and transportation will further strengthen the two sectors.”

Analyst: IRGC, Army drills plunge the enemy into defensive position

TEHRAN- Jafar Qanadbashi, an expert on West Asian affairs, has said, “The Zionist regime had adjusted its military arrangement in such a way that if the opportunity arose and it received the green light from other powers, it would hit Iran, but the recent exercises plunge them into a defensive position.”

Iran says terror acts aimed to provide pretext for foreign presence in Iraq

Iranian parliament speaker sympathizes with Iraqis

TEHRAN– Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s Parliament, on Thursday denounced the terror attacks in Baghdad which killed and wounded a number of civilians.

Iran won’t renegotiate JCPOA: Vaezi

TEHRAN – Iran had once negotiated the 2015 nuclear deal – officially called the JCPOA - and it will not renegotiate it anymore, but it will pursue the lifting of sanctions, Mahmoud Vaezi, the Iranian president’s chief of staff, said on Friday.

EU’s Borrell hopeful to see revival of JCPOA

TEHRAN – European Union foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell has sharply criticized the Trump administration for the U.S withdrawal from the JCPOA and insists it is necessary the new U.S. President Joe Biden rejoin the deal as soon as possible.

Iran welcomes Qatari call for regional dialogue

TEHRAN – Iran has welcomed the Qatari foreign minister’s call for a dialogue between Iran and the Persian Gulf’s Arab states.

Zarif holds phone talks with Turkish counterpart ahead of Caucasus tour

TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif spoke by phone with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu on Tuesday night.

Iraqi, British officials discuss Iran-U.S. rift

TEHRAN – Qasim al-Araji, Iraq’s national security advisor, has discussed with the British ambassador to Iraq, Stephen Hickey, the necessity to put an end to disagreements between Iran and the United States.

Expert enumerates nine hurdles to revitalizing JCPOA

TEHRAN - A West Asia security and nuclear policy specialist at Princeton University, enumerates nine hurdles to revitalize the nuclear deal – JCPOA - that Iran signed with the 5+1 nations - the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany - in July 2015.

U.S. must unconditionally lift all sanctions, Iran insists

TEHRAN – Iran will not renegotiate the 2015 nuclear deal and that the U.S. must lift all sanctions it imposed on Iran since 2018, Majid Takht Ravanchi, Iran’s ambassador to the UN, said in an interview with ISNA on Tuesday.

Syria strongly denies reports of Israeli-Syrian meeting

TEHRAN – Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates has responded to press reports about an alleged meeting between high-ranking Syrian and Israeli officials at the Russian military base in Hmeimim.

Iran: We haven’t received any messages from the Biden team

TEHRAN – Ali Rabiei, the Iranian government spokesman, said on Tuesday that Tehran’s position over a possible return of the Biden administration to the JCPOA has been uttered repeatedly by Iranian officials.

Iranian Army to stage ‘offensive’ military exercise on Tuesday

TEHRAN – The Iranian Army’s Ground Force will hold an offensive military exercise on Tuesday near the country’s southern coasts of Makran, top military generals announced on Monday.