Iranian President Hassan Rouhani presented a draft state budget of about $39 billion to parliament on Sunday, saying it was designed to resist U.S. sanctions by limiting dependence on oil exports, which Washington has targeted. U.S. President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of a multilateral nuclear deal with …
Read More »Gas rationing sparks riots in Iran
The timing of the announcement suggested an urgent scramble to fill a budget gap caused partly by severe American sanctions. Angry protests over the price increases soon followed. Filling a car at a gas station in Tehran on Friday after the government abruptly raised prices on fuel.Credit…Vahid Iran abruptly raised …
Read More »US air force calls for Arab unity in face of Iran
United States Air Force Chief of Staff David Goldfein on Saturday pressed Gulf Arab states to reconcile differences and unify military capabilities as tensions with Iran simmer. Washington sees an ongoing dispute that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and non-Gulf state Egypt have with Qatar as a threat …
Read More »Iran wants Israel for all religions
Iran is not calling for the elimination of Jewish people, but it thinks people of all religions should decide Israel’s future, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Friday in a speech posted on his official website. “Calling for the elimination of the state of Israel does not mean …
Read More »Iran discovers new 53 billion barrel oilfield
Iran has discovered a new oilfield in the southwest of the country that has the potential to boost its reserves by about a third, President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday. “Workers and the exploration arm of the National Iranian Oil Company …have found an oilfield with 53 billion barrels of …
Read More »UAE calls for international negotiations with Iran
Iran should come to the negotiating table with world powers and Gulf countries to seek a new deal that would deescalate regional tensions and revive its economy, a senior United Arab Emirates official said on Sunday. Tensions in the Gulf have risen since attacks on oil tankers in a vital …
Read More »Russia backs Iran’s enrichment plans
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Friday that Iran’s latest move to scale back its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal did not pose a threat to the non-proliferation regime, Interfax news agency reported. Iran said on Thursday it had resumed uranium enrichment at its underground Fordow nuclear plant, stepping further …
Read More »Iran shoots down drone over port city
A semi-official Iranian website reported on Friday that Iran had shot down a drone over its southern port city of Mahshahr, without providing further details. The Iran Front Page website did not say whether it was a military or civilian drone. Iranian officials were not available to comment. The Young …
Read More »Iran holding UN nuclear inspector
The European Union and United States expressed concern on Thursday over Iran’s holding of an inspector from the U.N. nuclear watchdog last week, with the U.S. envoy to the agency calling it an “outrageous provocation” that must have consequences. Reuters first reported on Wednesday that Iran had briefly held the …
Read More »UN nuclear insecptors heading to Iran
U.N. nuclear inspectors are on the ground in Iran and will report back on relevant activities, an International Atomic Energy Agency spokesman said on Wednesday after Iran said it injected uranium gas into centrifuges at its Fordow site. “We are aware of the media reports today related to Fordow. Agency …
Read More »Iran taking further steps to enrich uranium
Iran said on Monday it would take another step away from the 2015 nuclear deal by developing centrifuges to speed up its uranium enrichment, its nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi said. “Today, we are witnessing the launch of the array of 30 IR-6 centrifuges,” Salehi, who heads Iran’s Atomic Energy …
Read More »Iraqis killed trying to break into Iraqi consulate
Three protesters were shot dead by Iraqi security forces who opened fire on a crowd trying to storm the Iranian consulate in the Shi’ite Muslim holy city of Kerbala overnight, security and medical sources said on Monday. The incident was the latest sign of anti-Iranian anger that has emerged during …
Read More »Iranians commemorate US embassy seizure
Thousands of Iranians chanted “Death to America” near the old U.S. embassy on Monday, the 40th anniversary on the seizure of the mission and a day after Iran’s supreme leader vowed it would not lift a ban on talks with the United States. State television showed crowds packing the streets …
Read More »Iranian-Syrian memorandum to rebuilt Syrian national grid
By Khawla Hassan – Iran signed a preliminary agreement with Syria on Saturday to help rebuild its ally’s electricity grid, Iranian state media reported. A memorandum of understanding signed by the two countries’ electricity ministers in Tehran covered the construction of power plants, transmission lines, cutting losses in Syria’s electricity …
Read More »Saudi Arabia returning Iranian fishermen
Saudi Arabia has freed 19 Iranian fishermen detained 10 months ago by the kingdom’s coastguard, an Iranian official was quoted as saying on Thursday, following talks between the two regional rivals. The crews of two separate fishing boats had been captured when “bad weather forced the boats into Saudi Arabia’s …
Read More »US claims Iran spent billions on Shiite militias
Iran has spent $16 billion on its “militias” in Iraq and Syria, U.S. Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV on Thursday. He did not give more details on the militias or say when Iran had spent the money. Source: Reuters
Read More »US renews wavers over Iran sanctions
The United States plans to allow Russian, Chinese and European companies to continue work at Iranian nuclear facilities to make it harder for Iran to develop a nuclear weapon, two sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. The Trump administration, which last year pulled out of the 2015 Iran …
Read More »Iran not optimistic about end of Islamic State
Iran said on Sunday the death of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi will not mean the end of the group and its ideology, Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei tweeted. “The killing of Baghdadi will not end Daesh (the Islamic State) and its ideology … which was created and flourished …
Read More »Syrians told Iran Baghdadi was killed
Iran was informed by sources in Syria that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed, two Iranian officials told Reuters on Sunday. “Iran was informed about Baghdadi’s death by Syrian officials who got it from the field,” one of the officials said. The second Iranian official confirmed it. Source: …
Read More »Pentagon chief in Saudi Arabia
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday, with tensions simmering between the United States and Iran, and Russia seeking to increase its regional influence. Esper is likely to meet King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on his first trip to the key Middle East …
Read More »Pompeo on assurance mission to Israel
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo underscored U.S.-Israeli efforts to counter Iran in talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday, in an apparent attempt to ease concerns in Israel that Tehran could exploit a U.S. military pullback in Syria. Pompeo and Netanyahu met in Jerusalem hours after Turkey agreed with …
Read More »Japan deploying forces to Strait of Hormuz
Japan has decided to dispatch its own self-defense troops to the Strait of Hormuz area instead of joining the U.S.-coalition to protect merchant vessels passing through key Middle Eastern waterways, the Asahi newspaper reported. The decision is in line with a previous Japanese media report that Japan would not join …
Read More »US launched cyberattack following Aramco strike
The United States carried out a secret cyber operation against Iran in the wake of the Sept. 14 attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities, which Washington and Riyadh blame on Tehran, two U.S. officials have told Reuters. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the operation took place …
Read More »US charges Turkish bank with penetration Iran sanctions
U.S. prosecutors on Tuesday charged Turkey’s majority state-owned Halkbank (HALKB.IS) with taking part in a multibillion-dollar scheme to evade U.S. sanctions against Iran – an indictment that may complicate tension between NATO allies Washington and Ankara. The charges unsealed in federal court in Manhattan mirror those against one of Halkbank’s …
Read More »About time revolutionary guards developed new weapons, Khamenei
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards on Sunday to develop more advanced and modern weapons, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported, amid rising regional tensions. “The Guards should have advanced and modern weapons … Your weapons should be modern and updated. It should be developed at …
Read More »Pakistan interceding between Iran and Saudi
Pakistan will do its utmost to enable talks between arch regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Sunday in Tehran, adding that he will travel to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. “Pakistan does not want conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia…I am happy to facilitate …
Read More »Putin says Iran missile nothing to do with nuclear deal
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Iran’s missile program should be dealt with as a separate matter to its nuclear program. Putin was speaking in an interview with Arab broadcasters, including Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV, ahead of his first visit to Saudi Arabia in over a decade. “It is possible, and …
Read More »Major new gas find in Iran
Iran has discovered a new natural gas field with a 19-trillion-cubic-feet reserve in the southern province of Fars, the Oil Ministry’s website SHANA reported on Sunday. “The new natural gas field is in the southern part of Fars province with 19 tcf gas in place,” SHANA quoted Reza Dehghan, deputy …
Read More »Why Iran and the U.S. are at an impasse and how to reduce Mideast tensions in spite of that
By Seyed Hossein Mousavian A lot of effort went in to trying to arrange a meeting between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and President Trump last month when they were in New York to attend the U.N. General Assembly. President Emmanuel Macron of France, Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain, Chancellor Angela …
Read More »Iran prepared to talk to Saudi, says Zarif
Iran is prepared to hold talks with regional rival Saudi Arabia, with or without the help of a mediator, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday, ahead of a visit by Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. Asked about reports that Khan, due to arrive in Iran at the weekend, may …
Read More »Iranian tankers attacked off Saudi Red Sea coast
An Iranian-owned oil tanker was hit by two missiles in the Red Sea off Saudi Arabia’s coast on Friday, Iranian media and officials reported, stoking tension in a region that has faced a series of attacks on crude ships and oil facilities since May. The Sabiti, which was set ablaze, …
Read More »Saudi Arabia in defence talks with US
Saudi Arabia’s deputy defense minister said on Thursday he discussed regional security and military cooperation with senior U.S. government officials at a time of heightened tension with Iran following last month’s attacks on Saudi oil facilities. Saudi Arabia and the United States blamed common foe Tehran for the Sept. 14 …
Read More »Abu Dhabi in defence talks with Saudi
The de facto ruler of the United Arab Emirates held talks with Saudi Arabia’s deputy defense minister in Abu Dhabi on Sunday on military and defense matters and regional security at a time of heightened tensions with common foe Iran. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan and …
Read More »Iran will pursue every means to sell its oil
Iran will use every possible way to export its oil, Iranian Oil Ministry’s website SHANA quoted Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh as saying on Sunday, adding that exporting crude was the country’s legitimate right. “We will use every possible way to export our oil and we will not succumb to America’s …
Read More »Microsoft claims Iranians hacked presidential election
A hacking group that appears to be linked to the Iranian government has carried out a campaign against a U.S. presidential campaign, Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) said on Friday. Microsoft saw “significant” cyber activity by the group that also targeted current and former U.S. government officials, journalists covering global politics and …
Read More »Iran foils assassination plot against Quds Force leader
A senior Iranian official said on Thursday that Tehran had foiled a plot by Israeli and Arab agencies to assassinate Major-General Qassem Soleimani, head of the elite Quds Force. State media quoted Hossein Taeb, the Revolutionary Guards security chief, as telling a conference that the plotters had planned to buy …
Read More »Russia backs Iran over Saudi Aramco attacks
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that there was no evidence that Iran was responsible for an attack on Saudi oil infrastructure last month and that the United States had not presented any proof of Iran’s role. France tried to set up a meeting between the leaders of Iran …
Read More »Iran planning new pipeline beyond Gulf
Iran is building a $1.8 billion oil pipeline to its port of Jask outside the mouth of the Gulf, the country’s oil minister said, as part of plans to protect its exports against potential problems in the region and to boost shipments of Caspian oil. Iran has been planning since …
Read More »US navy in talks with Saudi over Iran
The commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command visited Riyadh over the weekend to discuss with the head of Saudi Arabia’s naval forces reinforcing defenses against Iranian threats, the command said on Tuesday. The meeting followed a Sept. 14 drone and missile attack on two Saudi oil facilities that initially …
Read More »Putin plans Iran talks over nuclear deal, Gulf crisis
Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to discuss Iran’s nuclear deal and situation in the Strait of Hormuz with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at their bilateral meeting in Armenia on Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Source: Reuters
Read More »Rouhani’s brother sentened to 5 year in prison
An Iranian court sentenced the brother of President Hassan Rouhani to five years in prison, a judiciary spokesman was quoted as saying on Tuesday by the semi-official Fars news. In May, Hossein Fereydoun was sentenced to an unspecified jail term in a corruption case that the president’s supporters allege was …
Read More »Saudi Arabia inching closer to Russia
In the two weeks since attacks blamed on missiles or drones shut down half of Saudi Arabia’s oil output, the country that has arguably moved most deftly to position itself for any upside is Russia. Within hours of the attacks, Moscow’s state arms exporter said it would hold talks with …
Read More »Rouhani says Trump willing to drop sanctions
The United States offered to remove all sanctions on Iran in exchange for talks, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Friday upon returning to Tehran from the United Nations General Assembly in New York, according to his official website. “The German chancellor, the prime minister of England (Britain) and the …
Read More »Seized British tanker finally heading home
The British-flagged Stena Impero tanker left Iran’s Bandar Abbas port on Friday and was heading for Dubai so the crew could be repatriated, the owner said, after the ship was detained in July by Iranian forces during a row with Britain. The Stena Impero was seized by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards …
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