London warned British-Iranian dual nationals against all travel to Iran on Friday due to Tehran's "continued arbitrary detention and mistreatment" of such citizens.

The move comes as Britain continues to try to secure the release from jail of dual national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

Tehran has also recently sentenced an Iranian British Council employee, Aras Amiri, to 10 years in prison on charges of spying.

In a statement, the Foreign Office said British-Iranian dual nationals faced an "unacceptably higher risk of arbitrary detention and mistreatment" than nationals of other countries.

"The security forces may be suspicious of people with British connections, including those with links to institutions based in the UK, or which receive public funds from, or have perceived links to, the British government," the statement said.

British-Iranian mother Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested by Iranian authorities in 2016 as she was leaving Tehran.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who worked for the Thomson Reuters Foundation, was put on trial and is now serving a five-year jail sentence for allegedly trying to topple the Iranian government.

"Dual nationals face an intolerable risk of mistreatment if they visit Iran," Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said.

"Despite the UK providing repeated opportunities to resolve this issue, the Iranian regime's conduct has worsened.

"Having exhausted all other options, I must now advise all British-Iranian dual nationals against travelling to Iran.

"The dangers they face include arbitrary detention and lack of access to basic legal rights, as we have seen in the case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who has been separated from her family since 2016."

The Iranian government does not recognise dual nationality, meaning the Foreign Office's ability to provide consular support is limited.

Hunt added: "Regrettably, I must also offer a message of caution to Iranian nationals resident in the UK -- but who return to visit family and friends -- especially where the Iranian government may perceive them to have personal links to UK institutions or the British government."

London warned British-Iranian dual nationals against all travel to Iran on Friday due to Tehran's "continued arbitrary detention and mistreatment" of such citizens.

London warned British-Iranian dual nationals against all travel to Iran on Friday due to Tehran's "continued arbitrary detention and mistreatment" of such citizens. The move comes as Britain continues to try to secure the release from jail of dual national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. Tehran has also recently sentenced an Iranian British Council employee, Aras Amiri, to 10 years in prison on charges of spying. In a statement, the Foreign Office said British-Iranian dual nationals faced an "unacceptably higher risk of arbitrary detention and mistreatment" than nationals of other countries. "The security forces may be suspicious of people with British connections, including those with links to institutions based in the UK, or which receive public funds from, or have perceived links to, the British government," the statement said. British-Iranian mother Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested by Iranian authorities in 2016 as she was leaving Tehran. Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who worked for the Thomson Reuters Foundation, was put on trial and is now serving a five-year jail sentence for allegedly trying to topple the Iranian government. "Dual nationals face an intolerable risk of mistreatment if they visit Iran," Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said. "Despite the UK providing repeated opportunities to resolve this issue, the Iranian regime's conduct has worsened. "Having exhausted all other options, I must now advise all British-Iranian dual nationals against travelling to Iran. "The dangers they face include arbitrary detention and lack of access to basic legal rights, as we have seen in the case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who has been separated from her family since 2016." The Iranian government does not recognise dual nationality, meaning the Foreign Office's ability to provide consular support is limited. Hunt added: "Regrettably, I must also offer a message of caution to Iranian nationals resident in the UK -- but who return to visit family and friends -- especially where the Iranian government may perceive them to have personal links to UK institutions or the British government."

UK warns British-Iranians against all travel to Iran

President Donald Trump on Friday said it is a "good thing" if Iran is confused by US policy.

In a tweet, Trump lambasted the media for what he said was its "fraudulent and highly inaccurate coverage of Iran."

But in his view, the coverage had one positive effect.

"At least Iran doesn't know what to think, which at this point may very well be a good thing!" he tweeted.

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The Fake News Media is hurting our Country with its fraudulent and highly inaccurate coverage of Iran. It is scattershot, poorly sourced (made up), and DANGEROUS. At least Iran doesn’t know what to think, which at this point may very well be a good thing!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1129382204990214144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The White House has sent mixed signals in recent days, amid multiple US media reports of infighting in Trump's cabinet over how hard to push Washington's arch-foe Iran.

The Trump administration has ordered non-essential diplomatic staff out of Iraq, citing threats from Iranian-backed Iraqi armed groups, and sent an aircraft carrier and heavy B-52 bombers to the region.

According to US media reports, Trump's long-hawkish national security advisor John Bolton is pushing a hard line on Iran, but others in the administration are resisting.

Trump himself said recently that he has to "temper" Bolton.

On Thursday, when asked if there would be a war with Iran, Trump told CNN: "I hope not."

US coalition partners in Iraq had suggested earlier this week that the threat level there had not risen significantly, and members of Congress demanded to see the information behind the administration's apparent preparation for possible conflict.

President Donald Trump on Friday said it is a "good thing" if Iran is confused by US policy. In a tweet, Trump lambasted the media for what he said was its "fraudulent and highly inaccurate coverage of Iran.

President Donald Trump on Friday said it is a "good thing" if Iran is confused by US policy. In a tweet, Trump lambasted the media for what he said was its "fraudulent and highly inaccurate coverage of Iran." But in his view, the coverage had one positive effect. "At least Iran doesn't know what to think, which at this point may very well be a good thing!" he tweeted. The Fake News Media is hurting our Country with its fraudulent and highly inaccurate coverage of Iran. It is scattershot, poorly sourced (made up), and DANGEROUS. At least Iran doesn’t know what to think, which at this point may very well be a good thing! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 17, 2019 × The White House has sent mixed signals in recent days, amid multiple US media reports of infighting in Trump's cabinet over how hard to push Washington's arch-foe Iran. The Trump administration has ordered non-essential diplomatic staff out of Iraq, citing threats from Iranian-backed Iraqi armed groups, and sent an aircraft carrier and heavy B-52 bombers to the region. According to US media reports, Trump's long-hawkish national security advisor John Bolton is pushing a hard line on Iran, but others in the administration are resisting. Trump himself said recently that he has to "temper" Bolton. On Thursday, when asked if there would be a war with Iran, Trump told CNN: "I hope not." US coalition partners in Iraq had suggested earlier this week that the threat level there had not risen significantly, and members of Congress demanded to see the information behind the administration's apparent preparation for possible conflict.

Donald Trump says 'good thing' that Iran confused by US stance

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Friday urged China and Russia to take "concrete action" to safeguard the 2015 nuclear deal as he warned of a "dangerous" situation amid rising tensions with the US.

Tensions have ratcheted up with the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-sending-carrier-bombers-to-mideast-is-psychological-warfare-iran-216721">US deploying an aircraft carrier group</a> and B-52 bombers to the Gulf last week over alleged threats from Iran.

On a visit to Beijing, Zarif said he would talk with Chinese officials about "bilateral ties and the very dangerous issues that are ongoing in our region today", according to a video published on the Iranian foreign ministry website.

Washington has deployed more troops in the Gulf, one of the world's most strategic waterways, in what US officials said was a reaction to photographs showing Iran had loaded missiles onto small traditional boats.

On Wednesday the US State Department ordered the evacuation of most personnel from the US embassy and consulate in Iraq, fearing an attack by Iranian-directed Shiite militias.

Iran on Thursday rejected negotiations with the US, but said it was showing "maximum restraint".

Amid escalating tensions in the region, Zarif has called on the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/european-union-supports-iran-nuclear-deal-may-talk-to-uss-pompeo-mogherini-218310"> international community to save the nuclear deal</a>, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA.

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Iran signed the deal with China, Russia, Germany, Britain, France and the United States. International sanctions were eased in return for curbs on Tehran's nuclear programme.

But last year President Donald Trump walked away from the accord. The US has since then slapped sweeping sanctions on Iran.&nbsp;

"So far the international community has mostly released statements rather than taking action," Zarif said.

"If the international community and other JCPOA member countries and our friends in the JCPOA like China and Russia want to keep this achievement, it is required that they make sure the Iranian people enjoy the benefits of the JCPOA with concrete actions," he added.

'Maximum pressure'

Zarif said last week that only Russia and China had supported Iran and helped it keep the nuclear deal going, and accused other parties to the agreement of letting Tehran down.

China was one of the eight global buyers -- India, Turkey, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Italy and Greece -- that was allowed to import Iranian crude oil before the US ended waivers in early May.

Zarif's China trip comes after visits to Turkmenistan, India and Japan in the past week.

Despite Washington's campaign of "maximum pressure" against Iran, the Islamic Republic has vowed to keep selling oil to its main customers, especially China, even if it requires using indirect means.

On May 8, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Iran would stop observing restrictions on stocks of enriched uranium and heavy water agreed under the nuclear deal in retaliation for the US withdrawal and the reimposition of sanctions.

In his announcement, Rouhani threatened to go further if the European members of the deal failed to start delivering on their promises to help Iran circumvent US sanctions within 60 days.

China in response called on all parties to uphold the nuclear deal in what it called a "shared responsibility".

European nations have also called on all partners to the deal to help salvage it while expressing frustration at Iran's demands for help in circumventing US sanctions.

One European diplomat called on China to buy Iranian oil as it is less exposed to the United States.

"They are now very exposed to the dollar but it is also a question of political choice," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"The reality for the Chinese is that they are in a global trade war with the Americans, they are in the middle of negotiations and they are not quite so sure if they want to load the boat," the diplomat added.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Friday urged China and Russia to take "concrete action" to safeguard the 2015 nuclear deal as he warned of a "dangerous" situation amid rising tensions with the US.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Friday urged China and Russia to take "concrete action" to safeguard the 2015 nuclear deal as he warned of a "dangerous" situation amid rising tensions with the US. Tensions have ratcheted up with the US deploying an aircraft carrier group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf last week over alleged threats from Iran. On a visit to Beijing, Zarif said he would talk with Chinese officials about "bilateral ties and the very dangerous issues that are ongoing in our region today", according to a video published on the Iranian foreign ministry website. Washington has deployed more troops in the Gulf, one of the world's most strategic waterways, in what US officials said was a reaction to photographs showing Iran had loaded missiles onto small traditional boats. On Wednesday the US State Department ordered the evacuation of most personnel from the US embassy and consulate in Iraq, fearing an attack by Iranian-directed Shiite militias. Iran on Thursday rejected negotiations with the US, but said it was showing "maximum restraint". Amid escalating tensions in the region, Zarif has called on the international community to save the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA. × Iran signed the deal with China, Russia, Germany, Britain, France and the United States. International sanctions were eased in return for curbs on Tehran's nuclear programme. But last year President Donald Trump walked away from the accord. The US has since then slapped sweeping sanctions on Iran. "So far the international community has mostly released statements rather than taking action," Zarif said. "If the international community and other JCPOA member countries and our friends in the JCPOA like China and Russia want to keep this achievement, it is required that they make sure the Iranian people enjoy the benefits of the JCPOA with concrete actions," he added. 'Maximum pressure' Zarif said last week that only Russia and China had supported Iran and helped it keep the nuclear deal going, and accused other parties to the agreement of letting Tehran down. China was one of the eight global buyers -- India, Turkey, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Italy and Greece -- that was allowed to import Iranian crude oil before the US ended waivers in early May. Zarif's China trip comes after visits to Turkmenistan, India and Japan in the past week. Despite Washington's campaign of "maximum pressure" against Iran, the Islamic Republic has vowed to keep selling oil to its main customers, especially China, even if it requires using indirect means. On May 8, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Iran would stop observing restrictions on stocks of enriched uranium and heavy water agreed under the nuclear deal in retaliation for the US withdrawal and the reimposition of sanctions. In his announcement, Rouhani threatened to go further if the European members of the deal failed to start delivering on their promises to help Iran circumvent US sanctions within 60 days. China in response called on all parties to uphold the nuclear deal in what it called a "shared responsibility". European nations have also called on all partners to the deal to help salvage it while expressing frustration at Iran's demands for help in circumventing US sanctions. One European diplomat called on China to buy Iranian oil as it is less exposed to the United States. "They are now very exposed to the dollar but it is also a question of political choice," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "The reality for the Chinese is that they are in a global trade war with the Americans, they are in the middle of negotiations and they are not quite so sure if they want to load the boat," the diplomat added.

Iran urges China, Russia 'concrete action' to save nuclear deal

President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said Moscow was sorry to see Iran's nuclear deal falling apart<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/no-assurances-from-pompeo-on-iran-russia-218954"> but stressed Russia was not "a fire brigade"</a> to "rescue everything."

Tensions have sharply escalated between arch-rivals Washington and Tehran since US President Donald Trump withdrew last year from the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/americas/us-iran-tensions-trump-administration-orders-non-emergency-embassy-staff-to-leave-iraq-218924">Iran nuclear deal which removed sanctions</a> in exchange for curbs on Iran's nuclear programme.

Putin spoke to reporters after hosting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday for the highest-level bilateral talks in nearly a year.

"We regret that the deal is falling apart," Putin said following talks with Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen on Wednesday.

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"After the signing of the agreement Iran was and still is the world's most verifiable and transparent country in this sense."

"Iran is fulfilling all of its obligations," said Putin, citing the International Atomic Energy Agency.

He urged Iran not to quit the 2015 agreement but added there was only so much Moscow could do.

"Russia is not a fire brigade," Putin said.

"We cannot rescue everything that does not fully depend on us. We've played our part."

Putin also said that after Washington's withdrawal Europe could do "nothing" to salvage the deal.

Earlier Wednesday Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed concern that tensions over Iran escalated despite assurances from Pompeo that Washington was not seeking war.

"So far we notice the continued escalation of tensions around this subject," Peskov said.

"We are saddened to see the decisions taken by the Iranian side," Peskov added, while arguing that Washington has been provoking Iran.&nbsp;

In Sochi, Pompeo said his country did not want war with Iran, despite a spike in tensions that has seen the Pentagon dispatch nuclear-capable bombers to the region.

Peskov sought to play down those statements.

"There were no assurances from Pompeo," Putin's spokesman said.

"And one can hardly talk about some sort of assurances."&nbsp;

Washington last year pulled out of a nuclear deal backed by Europe, Russia and China, which curbed Iran's nuclear ambitions in return for sanctions relief.&nbsp;

Since then it has slapped sweeping sanctions on Iran.

On Sunday, mysterious attacks by unknown assailants against four ships in the region, including two from Saudi Arabia, pushed talk of war up another notch.

Washington has accused Iran of planning "imminent" attacks in the region and on Wednesday, the US ordered all non-emergency staff to leave its embassy in the Iraqi capital Baghdad and consulate in Arbil.

President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said Moscow was sorry to see Iran's nuclear deal falling apart but stressed Russia was not "a fire brigade" to "rescue everything.

President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said Moscow was sorry to see Iran's nuclear deal falling apart but stressed Russia was not "a fire brigade" to "rescue everything." Tensions have sharply escalated between arch-rivals Washington and Tehran since US President Donald Trump withdrew last year from the Iran nuclear deal which removed sanctions in exchange for curbs on Iran's nuclear programme. Putin spoke to reporters after hosting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday for the highest-level bilateral talks in nearly a year. "We regret that the deal is falling apart," Putin said following talks with Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen on Wednesday. "After the signing of the agreement Iran was and still is the world's most verifiable and transparent country in this sense." "Iran is fulfilling all of its obligations," said Putin, citing the International Atomic Energy Agency. He urged Iran not to quit the 2015 agreement but added there was only so much Moscow could do. "Russia is not a fire brigade," Putin said. "We cannot rescue everything that does not fully depend on us. We've played our part." Putin also said that after Washington's withdrawal Europe could do "nothing" to salvage the deal. Earlier Wednesday Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed concern that tensions over Iran escalated despite assurances from Pompeo that Washington was not seeking war. "So far we notice the continued escalation of tensions around this subject," Peskov said. "We are saddened to see the decisions taken by the Iranian side," Peskov added, while arguing that Washington has been provoking Iran. In Sochi, Pompeo said his country did not want war with Iran, despite a spike in tensions that has seen the Pentagon dispatch nuclear-capable bombers to the region. Peskov sought to play down those statements. "There were no assurances from Pompeo," Putin's spokesman said. "And one can hardly talk about some sort of assurances." Washington last year pulled out of a nuclear deal backed by Europe, Russia and China, which curbed Iran's nuclear ambitions in return for sanctions relief. Since then it has slapped sweeping sanctions on Iran. On Sunday, mysterious attacks by unknown assailants against four ships in the region, including two from Saudi Arabia, pushed talk of war up another notch. Washington has accused Iran of planning "imminent" attacks in the region and on Wednesday, the US ordered all non-emergency staff to leave its embassy in the Iraqi capital Baghdad and consulate in Arbil.

Russia is not a fire brigade to rescue Iran deal: Putin

Trade dispute between US and China and sanctions on Iran have affected exports. Chinese exporters say they are facing revenue loss due to both reasons.

Chinese exporters face revenue loss amid US-China trade war, Iran sanctions

The European Union told United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to exercise maximum restraint and avoid any escalation on the military side with Iran. Tensions have been mounting in the Gulf a year after Washington withdrew from a landmark deal that curbed Iran's nuclear programme.

'Maximum restraint': EU reject US escalation with Iran

This segment of WION brings to you top stories of the morning from across the globe. Watch this video to get updated with the latest information.

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning, May 14th 2019

&nbsp;

The Iran nuclear deal, the Afghan peace process and India's import of Iranian oil were the three important subjects of discussion when <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/iranian-foreign-minister-javad-zarif-visits-india-as-us-sanctions-weigh-in-218495">Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif</a> met external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Zarif's Delhi visit is part of tour to countries such as Russia, China, Turkmenistan and Iraq to brief about the Iran Nuclear deal among other issues.

This is the second visit by Iranian foreign minister to India this year and a significant one since it comes as tensions rise in West Asia due to Tehran - Washington showdown.

Saving the Nuclear Deal

Iran foreign minister Zarif briefed his country's position on the 2015 Iran Nuclear deal or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and steps taken by Tehran as part of the deal.&nbsp;

Recalling the steps announced by Iranian President Rouhani on May 8 including decisions linked to the export of enriched material and heavy water, the visiting foreign minister mentioned that 60 days timeline given to EU-3 (France, Germany and UK) and other parties to JCPOA for restoring the oil and banking channels which has been blocked due to American sanctions.

New Delhi, reiterated its position on the deal and said it would like all parties to the agreement to continue to fulfil their commitments. Remember the US had withdrawn from the 2015 deal. Tehran is now banking on the EU to save the deal now.

Afghan Peace Process

The Afghan peace process was discussed by both sides with the spokesperson of the ministry of external affairs Raveesh Kumar in a tweet on the Zarif-Sushma meet said, "Good exchange of views on the evolving regional situation, including Afghanistan."

Iran's Chabahar port plays an important role in connecting India with Afghanistan and India last year took partial control of it. Chabahar port is also central to International North-South Transport (INSTC) Corridor which will connect Mumbai to Moscow.

Both sides expressed satisfaction at the operationalization of the interim contract on the &nbsp;Chabahar Port between India Ports Global Limited (IPGL) and Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO).

In January, India formally established shipping lanes with the Chabahar port and now every two weeks Indian ships go from three Indian ports—Mumbai, Kandla and Mundra to the port in Iran.

India has been engaging with regional countries such as Russia, Iran, China and Central Asian countries on the Afghan peace process and supports an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled process.

Import of Iran Oil

The Iranian Foreign Minister landed in Delhi from Turkmenistan on Monday. Speaking to media on his arrival, he lauded his countries ties with India and said New Delhi "is one of our most important partners - economic, political and regional."

On the oil Imports by India, Zarif said, "the two sides have designed a special financial system to augment trade and economic cooperation."

During the Tuesday talks, external affairs minister said New Delhi will take any final decision on continuation of import of Iran oil only after election results "keeping in mind our commercial considerations, energy security and economic interests."

India is one of the largest importers of Iranian oil, but due to the American sanctions faces pressure from Washington to cut oil imports from the west Asian country.

&nbsp;

The Iran nuclear deal, the Afghan peace process and India's import of Iranian oil were the three important subjects of discussion when Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif met external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday.

The Iran nuclear deal, the Afghan peace process and India's import of Iranian oil were the three important subjects of discussion when Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif met external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday. Zarif's Delhi visit is part of tour to countries such as Russia, China, Turkmenistan and Iraq to brief about the Iran Nuclear deal among other issues. This is the second visit by Iranian foreign minister to India this year and a significant one since it comes as tensions rise in West Asia due to Tehran - Washington showdown. Saving the Nuclear Deal Iran foreign minister Zarif briefed his country's position on the 2015 Iran Nuclear deal or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and steps taken by Tehran as part of the deal. Recalling the steps announced by Iranian President Rouhani on May 8 including decisions linked to the export of enriched material and heavy water, the visiting foreign minister mentioned that 60 days timeline given to EU-3 (France, Germany and UK) and other parties to JCPOA for restoring the oil and banking channels which has been blocked due to American sanctions. New Delhi, reiterated its position on the deal and said it would like all parties to the agreement to continue to fulfil their commitments. Remember the US had withdrawn from the 2015 deal. Tehran is now banking on the EU to save the deal now. Afghan Peace Process The Afghan peace process was discussed by both sides with the spokesperson of the ministry of external affairs Raveesh Kumar in a tweet on the Zarif-Sushma meet said, "Good exchange of views on the evolving regional situation, including Afghanistan." Iran's Chabahar port plays an important role in connecting India with Afghanistan and India last year took partial control of it. Chabahar port is also central to International North-South Transport (INSTC) Corridor which will connect Mumbai to Moscow. Both sides expressed satisfaction at the operationalization of the interim contract on the Chabahar Port between India Ports Global Limited (IPGL) and Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO). In January, India formally established shipping lanes with the Chabahar port and now every two weeks Indian ships go from three Indian ports—Mumbai, Kandla and Mundra to the port in Iran. India has been engaging with regional countries such as Russia, Iran, China and Central Asian countries on the Afghan peace process and supports an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled process. Import of Iran Oil The Iranian Foreign Minister landed in Delhi from Turkmenistan on Monday. Speaking to media on his arrival, he lauded his countries ties with India and said New Delhi "is one of our most important partners - economic, political and regional." On the oil Imports by India, Zarif said, "the two sides have designed a special financial system to augment trade and economic cooperation." During the Tuesday talks, external affairs minister said New Delhi will take any final decision on continuation of import of Iran oil only after election results "keeping in mind our commercial considerations, energy security and economic interests." India is one of the largest importers of Iranian oil, but due to the American sanctions faces pressure from Washington to cut oil imports from the west Asian country.

Foreign minister Javad Zarif, Sushma Swaraj discusses Iran nuclear deal & Afghan peace process

EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini, who met privately with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday, said EU member states continued "to fully support the nuclear deal with Iran." Washington has increased its pressure on the European Union to isolate Iran internationally and walk away from the 2015 nuclear deal.

EU to continue to do business with Iran despite sanctions by US

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/european-union-rich-poor-divide-widens-but-still-a-worldwide-low-217922">European Union </a>fully supports the international nuclear accord with Iran and wants rival powers to avoid any further escalation over the issue, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said on Monday.

"We will continue to support it as much as we can with all our instruments and all our political will," Mogherini told reporters before a meeting with the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany, who are signatories to the deal.

United States Secretary of State <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-state-secretary-pompeo-to-visit-brussels-monday-to-discuss-iran-official-218245">Mike Pompeo</a> is also expected to meet EU officials in Brussels on Monday to talk about Iran.

Mogherini said she was informed during the night of Pompeo's arrival to Brussels where EU foreign ministers are gathered for a regular monthly meeting.

"We will be here all day with a busy agenda. So we will see during the day how and if will manage to arrange a meeting. He's always welcome obviously, but there are no precise plans at the moment," Mogherini said.

Pompeo is on his way to the Black Sea resort of Sochi where he plans to meet Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday to discuss Iran.

European countries said last week they wanted to preserve Iran's nuclear deal and rejected "ultimatums" from Tehran, after Iran relaxed restrictions on its nuclear programme and threatened moves that might breach the 2015 international pact.

Iran's move was in response to US sanctions imposed following Donald Trump's withdrawal of the United States from the accord with Tehran a year ago.

The European Union fully supports the international nuclear accord with Iran and wants rival powers to avoid any further escalation over the issue, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said on Monday.

The European Union fully supports the international nuclear accord with Iran and wants rival powers to avoid any further escalation over the issue, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said on Monday. "We will continue to support it as much as we can with all our instruments and all our political will," Mogherini told reporters before a meeting with the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany, who are signatories to the deal. United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is also expected to meet EU officials in Brussels on Monday to talk about Iran. Mogherini said she was informed during the night of Pompeo's arrival to Brussels where EU foreign ministers are gathered for a regular monthly meeting. "We will be here all day with a busy agenda. So we will see during the day how and if will manage to arrange a meeting. He's always welcome obviously, but there are no precise plans at the moment," Mogherini said. Pompeo is on his way to the Black Sea resort of Sochi where he plans to meet Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday to discuss Iran. European countries said last week they wanted to preserve Iran's nuclear deal and rejected "ultimatums" from Tehran, after Iran relaxed restrictions on its nuclear programme and threatened moves that might breach the 2015 international pact. Iran's move was in response to US sanctions imposed following Donald Trump's withdrawal of the United States from the accord with Tehran a year ago.

European Union supports Iran nuclear deal, may talk to US' Pompeo: Foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-says-iran-nuclear-pact-must-be-upheld-216980"> imposed new sanctions on Iran</a>, targeting revenue from its exports of industrial metals, the latest salvo in tensions between Washington and Tehran over a 2015 international accord curbing the Islamic Republic's nuclear program.

Iran had announced hours earlier that it was relaxing some restrictions on its nuclear program, steps that stopped short of violating the deal with world powers for now, but threatening more action if countries do not shield it <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-will-resume-uranium-enrichment-if-world-powers-do-not-keep-nuclear-agreement-promise-rouhani-216939">from US sanctions</a>.

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An executive order issued by Trump covers Iran's iron, steel, aluminium, and copper sectors, the government's largest non-petroleum-related sources of export revenue and 10 percent of its export economy, a White House statement said.

&nbsp;

"Tehran can expect further actions unless it fundamentally alters its conduct," Trump said.

The administration says the nuclear deal, negotiated by Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, was flawed as it is not permanent, does not address Iran's ballistic missile program and does not punish it for waging proxy wars in the Middle East.

Tensions between the two countries were already high when the Trump administration said last weekend that it was deploying a carrier strike group and bombers to the Middle East in response to what it said were "troubling indications and warnings" from Iran.

On Wednesday, a senior administration official said the United States was "not escalating militarily against Iran" and accused Iran of being "provocative." It was in Iran's best interests to continue complying with the pact, the official said.

The executive order effectively bans entities from the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of those minerals and their products from Iran or face sanctions.

It also says any individuals and entities would be subject to US sanctions if they knowingly engaged in a significant transaction for the sale, supply, or transfer to Iran of significant goods or services used in connection with those industrial metal sectors.

The US Treasury said it was allowing a 90-day winding down period for transactions related to Iran's metals sectors and warned against entering into any new business after May 8, saying that would not be considered a wind-down activity.

A year ago, Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the nuclear deal signed by Iran, Russia, China, Britain, France, Germany and the United States. The accord relaxed international sanctions on Iran in return for Tehran accepting curbs on its nuclear program that were designed to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. Tehran has said it pursued a peaceful nuclear program only.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced changes on Wednesday that experts said seemed tailored to ensure Tehran avoids triggering the deal's mechanism to punish it for violations, at least for now. The main new measure that takes effect now would have limited practical impact: a halt to Iran's sales of enriched uranium and heavy water to other countries.

The deal allows such sales so Iran can keep reducing its stockpiles below maximum thresholds, but Washington already effectively barred the sales with a sanctions move last week. For now, Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium is still well below the deal's cap and heavy water is less sensitive.

"The Iranian people and the world should know that today is not the end of the JCPOA," Rouhani said in a televised address, using the acronym for the nuclear deal. "These are actions in line with the JCPOA."

Rouhani also threatened that in 60 days Iran would resume enrichment of uranium beyond the low fissile purity - suitable for civilian nuclear power generation - allowed under the deal, unless the five other powers signed up to it found a way to protect Iran's oil and banking industries from U.S. sanctions.

Tehran halting compliance with some elements of the nuclear deal was "nothing less than nuclear blackmail of Europe," Tim Morrison, special assistant to the U.S. president and senior director for weapons of mass destruction, told a conference.

"Now is the time for the community of nations to strongly condemn Iran’s nuclear misconduct and increase pressure on the regime to comply with US demands," Morrison said.

Morrison said the United States would move quickly against any attempt by European countries to undermine Washington's sanctions pressure on Iran. He advised them against using the so-called Special Purpose Vehicle to facilitate non-dollar trade to circumvent US sanctions.

From this month, Washington has effectively ordered countries worldwide to stop buying Iranian oil or face sanctions of their own. The Trump administration has revoked waivers that had allowed some countries to continue buying Iranian oil and it aims to reduce Iranian crude exports to zero.

Washington has also blacklisted Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist group. Iran responded with threats to close the Gulf's Strait of Hormuz - the conduit for about a third of the world's seaborne oil exports - if its ships were blocked there.

"We have made our focus diplomatic isolation and economic pressure and that policy is working," Brian Hook, Special Envoy for Iran, said in a briefing. Hook said that more nations now, compared with a year ago, were in agreement with the United States on Iran.

Washington's European allies opposed Trump's decision to pull out and have tried, so far in vain, to find ways to blunt the economic impact of new U.S. sanctions, which include an all-out effort to block Iran's oil exports to throttle its economy.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday imposed new sanctions on Iran, targeting revenue from its exports of industrial metals, the latest salvo in tensions between Washington and Tehran over a 2015 international accord curbing the Islamic Republic's nuclear program.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday imposed new sanctions on Iran, targeting revenue from its exports of industrial metals, the latest salvo in tensions between Washington and Tehran over a 2015 international accord curbing the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. Iran had announced hours earlier that it was relaxing some restrictions on its nuclear program, steps that stopped short of violating the deal with world powers for now, but threatening more action if countries do not shield it from US sanctions. An executive order issued by Trump covers Iran's iron, steel, aluminium, and copper sectors, the government's largest non-petroleum-related sources of export revenue and 10 percent of its export economy, a White House statement said. "Tehran can expect further actions unless it fundamentally alters its conduct," Trump said. The administration says the nuclear deal, negotiated by Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, was flawed as it is not permanent, does not address Iran's ballistic missile program and does not punish it for waging proxy wars in the Middle East. Tensions between the two countries were already high when the Trump administration said last weekend that it was deploying a carrier strike group and bombers to the Middle East in response to what it said were "troubling indications and warnings" from Iran. On Wednesday, a senior administration official said the United States was "not escalating militarily against Iran" and accused Iran of being "provocative." It was in Iran's best interests to continue complying with the pact, the official said. The executive order effectively bans entities from the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of those minerals and their products from Iran or face sanctions. It also says any individuals and entities would be subject to US sanctions if they knowingly engaged in a significant transaction for the sale, supply, or transfer to Iran of significant goods or services used in connection with those industrial metal sectors. The US Treasury said it was allowing a 90-day winding down period for transactions related to Iran's metals sectors and warned against entering into any new business after May 8, saying that would not be considered a wind-down activity. A year ago, Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the nuclear deal signed by Iran, Russia, China, Britain, France, Germany and the United States. The accord relaxed international sanctions on Iran in return for Tehran accepting curbs on its nuclear program that were designed to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. Tehran has said it pursued a peaceful nuclear program only. Meanwhile, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced changes on Wednesday that experts said seemed tailored to ensure Tehran avoids triggering the deal's mechanism to punish it for violations, at least for now. The main new measure that takes effect now would have limited practical impact: a halt to Iran's sales of enriched uranium and heavy water to other countries. The deal allows such sales so Iran can keep reducing its stockpiles below maximum thresholds, but Washington already effectively barred the sales with a sanctions move last week. For now, Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium is still well below the deal's cap and heavy water is less sensitive. "The Iranian people and the world should know that today is not the end of the JCPOA," Rouhani said in a televised address, using the acronym for the nuclear deal. "These are actions in line with the JCPOA." Rouhani also threatened that in 60 days Iran would resume enrichment of uranium beyond the low fissile purity - suitable for civilian nuclear power generation - allowed under the deal, unless the five other powers signed up to it found a way to protect Iran's oil and banking industries from U.S. sanctions. Tehran halting compliance with some elements of the nuclear deal was "nothing less than nuclear blackmail of Europe," Tim Morrison, special assistant to the U.S. president and senior director for weapons of mass destruction, told a conference. "Now is the time for the community of nations to strongly condemn Iran’s nuclear misconduct and increase pressure on the regime to comply with US demands," Morrison said. Morrison said the United States would move quickly against any attempt by European countries to undermine Washington's sanctions pressure on Iran. He advised them against using the so-called Special Purpose Vehicle to facilitate non-dollar trade to circumvent US sanctions. From this month, Washington has effectively ordered countries worldwide to stop buying Iranian oil or face sanctions of their own. The Trump administration has revoked waivers that had allowed some countries to continue buying Iranian oil and it aims to reduce Iranian crude exports to zero. Washington has also blacklisted Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist group. Iran responded with threats to close the Gulf's Strait of Hormuz - the conduit for about a third of the world's seaborne oil exports - if its ships were blocked there. "We have made our focus diplomatic isolation and economic pressure and that policy is working," Brian Hook, Special Envoy for Iran, said in a briefing. Hook said that more nations now, compared with a year ago, were in agreement with the United States on Iran. Washington's European allies opposed Trump's decision to pull out and have tried, so far in vain, to find ways to blunt the economic impact of new U.S. sanctions, which include an all-out effort to block Iran's oil exports to throttle its economy.

Trump targets Iran's iron, steel, aluminium & copper sectors in new sanctions

The European Union and the foreign ministers of Germany, France and Britain on Thursday said they were still committed to the Iran nuclear deal but would not accept ultimatums after Iran announced it was scaling back curbs to its nuclear programme.

After <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-vows-more-sanctions-for-iran-tells-europe-to-stop-doing-business-with-tehran-217159">Tehran's announcement </a>and threat to take more action that could violate the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, US&nbsp;President Donald Trump imposed new sanctions on Iran, targeting revues from exports of its industrial metals.

"We reject any ultimatums and we will assess Iran's compliance on the basis of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-targets-irans-iron-steel-aluminium-copper-sectors-in-new-sanctions-217134">Iran's performance</a> regarding its nuclear-related commitments under the JCPOA and the NPT (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons)," the statement read, with JCPOA referring to the Iran nuclear deal.

They said they regretted the re-imposition of sanctions by the United States and added that they remained committed to preserving and fully implementing the Iran nuclear deal.

"We are determined to continue pursuing efforts to enable the continuation of legitimate trade with Iran," said the European states, adding that included getting a special purpose vehicle aimed at enabling business with Iran off the ground.

A year ago, Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the nuclear deal signed by Iran, Russia, China, Britain, France, Germany and the United States.

The accord relaxed international sanctions on Iran in return for Tehran accepting curbs on its nuclear programme that were designed to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons.

Tehran has said it pursued only a peaceful nuclear programme.

The European Union and the foreign ministers of Germany, France and Britain on Thursday said they were still committed to the Iran nuclear deal but would not accept ultimatums after Iran announced it was scaling back curbs to its nuclear programme.

The European Union and the foreign ministers of Germany, France and Britain on Thursday said they were still committed to the Iran nuclear deal but would not accept ultimatums after Iran announced it was scaling back curbs to its nuclear programme. After Tehran's announcement and threat to take more action that could violate the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, US President Donald Trump imposed new sanctions on Iran, targeting revues from exports of its industrial metals. "We reject any ultimatums and we will assess Iran's compliance on the basis of Iran's performance regarding its nuclear-related commitments under the JCPOA and the NPT (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons)," the statement read, with JCPOA referring to the Iran nuclear deal. They said they regretted the re-imposition of sanctions by the United States and added that they remained committed to preserving and fully implementing the Iran nuclear deal. "We are determined to continue pursuing efforts to enable the continuation of legitimate trade with Iran," said the European states, adding that included getting a special purpose vehicle aimed at enabling business with Iran off the ground. A year ago, Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the nuclear deal signed by Iran, Russia, China, Britain, France, Germany and the United States. The accord relaxed international sanctions on Iran in return for Tehran accepting curbs on its nuclear programme that were designed to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. Tehran has said it pursued only a peaceful nuclear programme.

European Union rejects any ultimatums after Iran's move on nuclear deal

Iran will resume <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-to-reduce-nuclear-commitments-state-media-216851">high-level enrichment</a> of uranium if world powers do not keep their promises under a 2015 nuclear agreement, President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday, responding to the US withdrawal from the deal a year ago.

In a speech broadcast on national television, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/france-suggests-sanctions-could-be-reimposed-if-iran-reneges-on-deal-216860">Rouhani said the remaining</a> signatories - the United Kingdom, France, Germany, China and Russia - had 60 days to implement their promises to protect Iran's oil and banking sectors from US sanctions.

Rouhani has written to the leaders of those countries, saying it will start rolling back some of its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal on Wednesday, and will no longer sell enriched uranium and heavy water to other nations.

"If the five countries came to the negotiating table and we reached an agreement, and if they could protect our interests in oil and banking sectors, we will go back to square one (and will resume our commitments)," Rouhani said.

Iran told ambassadors from the signatory countries that it would roll back some of its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal, state broadcaster IRIB reported on Wednesday.

Rouhani warned of a firm response if Iran's nuclear case is referred again to the United Nations Security Council, but said Tehran was ready for negotiations over its nuclear programme.

He also said his country will no longer sell enriched uranium and heavy water to other nations.

Meanwhile, the US military said that B-52 bombers will be part of additional forces being sent to the Middle East to counter what the Trump administration says are "clear indications" of threats from Iran to US forces there.

White House national security adviser John Bolton had said on Sunday that the United States was deploying a carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Middle East.

Captain Bill Urban, a spokesman for US&nbsp;Central Command, said that the bomber task force would consist of B-52 bombers.

However, Iran's top security body dismissed the US&nbsp;plan to send forces to the region as "psychological warfare."

The US military confirmed that the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group had already been scheduled to go to the Middle East, but that its movement was "expedited" due to heightened tension with Iran.

Iran will resume high-level enrichment of uranium if world powers do not keep their promises under a 2015 nuclear agreement, President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday, responding to the US withdrawal from the deal a year ago.

Iran will resume high-level enrichment of uranium if world powers do not keep their promises under a 2015 nuclear agreement, President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday, responding to the US withdrawal from the deal a year ago. In a speech broadcast on national television, Rouhani said the remaining signatories - the United Kingdom, France, Germany, China and Russia - had 60 days to implement their promises to protect Iran's oil and banking sectors from US sanctions. Rouhani has written to the leaders of those countries, saying it will start rolling back some of its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal on Wednesday, and will no longer sell enriched uranium and heavy water to other nations. "If the five countries came to the negotiating table and we reached an agreement, and if they could protect our interests in oil and banking sectors, we will go back to square one (and will resume our commitments)," Rouhani said. Iran told ambassadors from the signatory countries that it would roll back some of its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal, state broadcaster IRIB reported on Wednesday. Rouhani warned of a firm response if Iran's nuclear case is referred again to the United Nations Security Council, but said Tehran was ready for negotiations over its nuclear programme. He also said his country will no longer sell enriched uranium and heavy water to other nations. Meanwhile, the US military said that B-52 bombers will be part of additional forces being sent to the Middle East to counter what the Trump administration says are "clear indications" of threats from Iran to US forces there. White House national security adviser John Bolton had said on Sunday that the United States was deploying a carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Middle East. Captain Bill Urban, a spokesman for US Central Command, said that the bomber task force would consist of B-52 bombers. However, Iran's top security body dismissed the US plan to send forces to the region as "psychological warfare." The US military confirmed that the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group had already been scheduled to go to the Middle East, but that its movement was "expedited" due to heightened tension with Iran.

Iran will resume uranium enrichment if world powers do not keep nuclear agreement promise: Rouhani

The United States said Friday it would start imposing sanctions over Iranian exports of enriched uranium allowed under a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-putin-discuss-possible-new-nuclear-accord-white-house-215736">nuclear deal </a>rejected by President Donald Trump, even as it granted waivers to allow the accord to survive.

The move comes amid growing Iranian frustration with the nuclear deal, with which UN inspectors say Tehran is complying but which has not led to a promised economic boom, with the Trump administration instead imposing sweeping sanctions.

Under the 2015 deal, which was negotiated under former president Barack Obama and still enjoys strong support among European powers, Iran was limited to keeping 300 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 3.67 per cent -- far below the level needed to build nuclear weapons.

As part of the agreement, Iran was to sell any enriched uranium above that threshold on international markets in return for natural uranium, with Russia a key player.

But in Friday's policy change, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States would start to impose sanctions on anyone involved in the trade of natural for enriched uranium -- as well as in the storage of Iranian heavy water that was in excess of limits.

"The Trump administration continues to hold the Iranian regime accountable for activities that threaten the region's stability and harm the Iranian people. This includes denying Iran any pathway to a nuclear weapon," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said.

At the same time, the United States issued new three-month waivers to allow the continuation of the major parts of the nuclear deal.&nbsp;

In particular, the United States said it will not target the transfer of scrap and spent nuclear fuel out of Iran and will not impose sanctions overwork at Bushehr, the country's only civilian nuclear power station, although it said it may punish any activity that expands the site.

The Trump administration pulled out of the nuclear accord a year ago and instead vowed, "maximum pressure" aimed at curbing the regional role of Iran, arch-rival of US allies Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Some observers believe that the Trump team is trying to goad Iran into breaking the terms of the nuclear deal, thereby causing it to collapse and significantly deepening Tehran's international isolation.

The United States said Friday it would start imposing sanctions over Iranian exports of enriched uranium allowed under a nuclear deal rejected by President Donald Trump, even as it granted waivers to allow the accord to survive.

The United States said Friday it would start imposing sanctions over Iranian exports of enriched uranium allowed under a nuclear deal rejected by President Donald Trump, even as it granted waivers to allow the accord to survive. The move comes amid growing Iranian frustration with the nuclear deal, with which UN inspectors say Tehran is complying but which has not led to a promised economic boom, with the Trump administration instead imposing sweeping sanctions. Under the 2015 deal, which was negotiated under former president Barack Obama and still enjoys strong support among European powers, Iran was limited to keeping 300 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 3.67 per cent -- far below the level needed to build nuclear weapons. As part of the agreement, Iran was to sell any enriched uranium above that threshold on international markets in return for natural uranium, with Russia a key player. But in Friday's policy change, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States would start to impose sanctions on anyone involved in the trade of natural for enriched uranium -- as well as in the storage of Iranian heavy water that was in excess of limits. "The Trump administration continues to hold the Iranian regime accountable for activities that threaten the region's stability and harm the Iranian people. This includes denying Iran any pathway to a nuclear weapon," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said. At the same time, the United States issued new three-month waivers to allow the continuation of the major parts of the nuclear deal. In particular, the United States said it will not target the transfer of scrap and spent nuclear fuel out of Iran and will not impose sanctions overwork at Bushehr, the country's only civilian nuclear power station, although it said it may punish any activity that expands the site. The Trump administration pulled out of the nuclear accord a year ago and instead vowed, "maximum pressure" aimed at curbing the regional role of Iran, arch-rival of US allies Saudi Arabia and Israel. Some observers believe that the Trump team is trying to goad Iran into breaking the terms of the nuclear deal, thereby causing it to collapse and significantly deepening Tehran's international isolation.

US targets Iran uranium but lets nuclear deal stay alive

The&nbsp;Joint&nbsp;Commission&nbsp;of the&nbsp;Joint&nbsp;Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) held its first meeting in&nbsp;Vienna&nbsp;on Wednesday since the establishment of the European Union's (EU) so-called special purpose vehicle (SPV) designed to facilitate trade with&nbsp;Iran.

The meeting was hosted by Helga Schmid, Secretary General of the European External Action Service, and attended by representatives from China, France, Germany, Russia, Britain and Iran.

The meeting was held&nbsp;without&nbsp;the United States, which endorsed the&nbsp;nuclear&nbsp;deal&nbsp;with Tehran during the Obama administration but withdrew from it under President Donald Trump in spite of the EU's repeated calls for it to remain in the&nbsp;deal.

Since the U.S.' withdrawal in May last year, some other countries involved, including major European powers such as Germany, France, and Britain, have tried to keep the&nbsp;deal&nbsp;alive.

In a statement after the meeting, all parties reiterated their commitments to upholding and implementing the&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;nuclear&nbsp;deal&nbsp;and enhancing coordination in this regard. Fu Cong, head of the Department of Arms Control of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, called for unity and efforts by all parties to push for the implementation of the&nbsp;deal.

At the end of January, the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and Britain launched the special purpose vehicle to secure trade with&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;and skirt the U.S.' anti-Iran&nbsp;sanctions after Washington pulled out of the landmark 2015&nbsp;nuclear&nbsp;deal.

By launching the SPV mechanism, or the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX), the three European countries reiterated "their resolute commitment and continued efforts to preserve the&nbsp;Joint&nbsp;Comprehensive Plan of Action".

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;will establish a mirror structure this month and hopes the two mechanisms can work with each other.

"We hope that in the coming weeks, INSTEX would become operational. This is for all the goods and commodities, not only humanitarian goods but maybe it started from humanitarian, in order to set the patterns for doing business with&nbsp;Iran," said Araghchi.

The Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) held its first meeting in Vienna on Wednesday since the establishment of the European Union's (EU) so-called special purpose vehicle (SPV) designed to facilitate trade with Iran.

The Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) held its first meeting in Vienna on Wednesday since the establishment of the European Union's (EU) so-called special purpose vehicle (SPV) designed to facilitate trade with Iran. The meeting was hosted by Helga Schmid, Secretary General of the European External Action Service, and attended by representatives from China, France, Germany, Russia, Britain and Iran. The meeting was held without the United States, which endorsed the nuclear deal with Tehran during the Obama administration but withdrew from it under President Donald Trump in spite of the EU's repeated calls for it to remain in the deal. Since the U.S.' withdrawal in May last year, some other countries involved, including major European powers such as Germany, France, and Britain, have tried to keep the deal alive. In a statement after the meeting, all parties reiterated their commitments to upholding and implementing the Iran nuclear deal and enhancing coordination in this regard. Fu Cong, head of the Department of Arms Control of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, called for unity and efforts by all parties to push for the implementation of the deal. At the end of January, the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and Britain launched the special purpose vehicle to secure trade with Iran and skirt the U.S.' anti-Iran sanctions after Washington pulled out of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal. By launching the SPV mechanism, or the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX), the three European countries reiterated "their resolute commitment and continued efforts to preserve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action". Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran will establish a mirror structure this month and hopes the two mechanisms can work with each other. "We hope that in the coming weeks, INSTEX would become operational. This is for all the goods and commodities, not only humanitarian goods but maybe it started from humanitarian, in order to set the patterns for doing business with Iran," said Araghchi.

Iran nuclear deal joint commission meets in Vienna without US

The Revolutionary Guards on Sunday accused "enemies" of Iran of trying to sabotage the country's missiles so that they would "explode mid-air" but said the bid was foiled.

"They tried as best as they could to sabotage a small part which we import so that our missiles would not reach their target and explode mid-air," Fars news agency reported, quoting the Guards' aerospace commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh.

"But they couldn't do a damn thing because we had seen this coming from the start and had reinforced this sector," he added, accusing Iran's "enemies" of sabotage without naming any specific country.

Iran reined in most of its nuclear programme under a landmark 2015 deal with major powers in return for sanctions relief but has continued to develop its ballistic missile technology.

Earlier this month the New York Times reported that the US administration of President Donald Trump was pushing a secret programme aimed at sabotaging Iranian rockets and missiles.&nbsp;

It said Washington was trying to "slip faulty parts and materials into Iran's aerospace supply chains" as part of a campaign to undercut Tehran's military.

In May, Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal &nbsp;known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, and reimposed sanctions on Tehran

UN Security Council Resolution 2231 -- adopted just after the nuclear deal -- calls on Iran "not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons".

Tehran insists that its missile programme is "purely defensive" and compliant with the resolution but it has developed medium-range ballistic missiles capable of reaching arch-foe Israel.

Hajizadeh, whose remarks were also reported by Tasnim news agency, said similar sabotage attempts had happened before and targeted Iran's nuclear and oil sectors.

The Revolutionary Guards on Sunday accused "enemies" of Iran of trying to sabotage the country's missiles so that they would "explode mid-air" but said the bid was foiled.

The Revolutionary Guards on Sunday accused "enemies" of Iran of trying to sabotage the country's missiles so that they would "explode mid-air" but said the bid was foiled. "They tried as best as they could to sabotage a small part which we import so that our missiles would not reach their target and explode mid-air," Fars news agency reported, quoting the Guards' aerospace commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh. "But they couldn't do a damn thing because we had seen this coming from the start and had reinforced this sector," he added, accusing Iran's "enemies" of sabotage without naming any specific country. Iran reined in most of its nuclear programme under a landmark 2015 deal with major powers in return for sanctions relief but has continued to develop its ballistic missile technology. Earlier this month the New York Times reported that the US administration of President Donald Trump was pushing a secret programme aimed at sabotaging Iranian rockets and missiles. It said Washington was trying to "slip faulty parts and materials into Iran's aerospace supply chains" as part of a campaign to undercut Tehran's military. In May, Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, and reimposed sanctions on Tehran UN Security Council Resolution 2231 -- adopted just after the nuclear deal -- calls on Iran "not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons". Tehran insists that its missile programme is "purely defensive" and compliant with the resolution but it has developed medium-range ballistic missiles capable of reaching arch-foe Israel. Hajizadeh, whose remarks were also reported by Tasnim news agency, said similar sabotage attempts had happened before and targeted Iran's nuclear and oil sectors.

Bid by 'enemies' to sabotage missiles foiled: Iran Revolutionary Guards

Iran has been adhering to a deal with world powers limiting its nuclear programme, the UN atomic watchdog said Friday, as diplomatic wrangling continues over the future of the accord.

The latest report from the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that Iran was still complying with the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with global powers under which Tehran drastically scaled back its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief.

The IAEA's latest report showed that over the past three-month period, Iran's stock of heavy water had risen from 122.8 to 124.8 metric tonnes and that it held 163.8kg of enriched uranium, up from 149.4kg in November.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/irans-hassan-rouhani-says-us-sanctions-are-terrorist-act-198591">Iran's Hassan Rouhani says US sanctions are 'terrorist act'</a>

Both levels are within the limits foreseen by the JCPOA.

Last week, European nations rejected a call from US Vice President Mike Pence to follow the US lead in withdrawing from the Iranian nuclear deal.

Israel has welcomed the US withdrawal from the deal, claiming that Iran is harbouring a secret atomic warehouse.

Without naming specific countries, in January IAEA chief Yukiya Amano rejected pressure on the agency, saying: "If our credibility is thrown into question, and, in particular, if attempts are made to micro-manage or put pressure on the Agency in nuclear verification, that is counter-productive and extremely harmful."

In May, US President Donald Trump dramatically withdrew from the JCPOA. This was followed by sweeping new American sanctions on Iran in November.

Trump's own intelligence chiefs have contradicted him over the question of Iran's adherence to the deal.

Last month Central Intelligence Agency Director Gina Haspel told a Senate hearing that Iran was "technically" in compliance with the JCPOA.

The European Union -- along with the European signatories to the deal, collectively known as the E3 -- have been scrambling to find ways to keep the deal alive, last month setting up a special payments vehicle to bypass US sanctions.

However, while Iran initially welcomed the creation of the vehicle -- called INSTEX -- as a "first step", last week Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the mechanism "falls short of the commitments by the E3 to save the nuclear deal". 
&nbsp;

Iran has been adhering to a deal with world powers limiting its nuclear programme, the UN atomic watchdog said Friday, as diplomatic wrangling continues over the future of the accord.

Iran has been adhering to a deal with world powers limiting its nuclear programme, the UN atomic watchdog said Friday, as diplomatic wrangling continues over the future of the accord. The latest report from the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that Iran was still complying with the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with global powers under which Tehran drastically scaled back its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief. The IAEA's latest report showed that over the past three-month period, Iran's stock of heavy water had risen from 122.8 to 124.8 metric tonnes and that it held 163.8kg of enriched uranium, up from 149.4kg in November. Also read: Iran's Hassan Rouhani says US sanctions are 'terrorist act' Both levels are within the limits foreseen by the JCPOA. Last week, European nations rejected a call from US Vice President Mike Pence to follow the US lead in withdrawing from the Iranian nuclear deal. Israel has welcomed the US withdrawal from the deal, claiming that Iran is harbouring a secret atomic warehouse. Without naming specific countries, in January IAEA chief Yukiya Amano rejected pressure on the agency, saying: "If our credibility is thrown into question, and, in particular, if attempts are made to micro-manage or put pressure on the Agency in nuclear verification, that is counter-productive and extremely harmful." In May, US President Donald Trump dramatically withdrew from the JCPOA. This was followed by sweeping new American sanctions on Iran in November. Trump's own intelligence chiefs have contradicted him over the question of Iran's adherence to the deal. Last month Central Intelligence Agency Director Gina Haspel told a Senate hearing that Iran was "technically" in compliance with the JCPOA. The European Union -- along with the European signatories to the deal, collectively known as the E3 -- have been scrambling to find ways to keep the deal alive, last month setting up a special payments vehicle to bypass US sanctions. However, while Iran initially welcomed the creation of the vehicle -- called INSTEX -- as a "first step", last week Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the mechanism "falls short of the commitments by the E3 to save the nuclear deal".

Iran adhering to terms of 2015 nuclear deal: UN atomic watchdog

Iran is ready to work with all of its neighbours to secure peace in the Middle East in the face of US&nbsp;and Israeli aggression, President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday (February 17), in his latest attempt to weaken ties between regional rival Saudi Arabia and America.

Iran and Saudi Arabia have been fighting proxy wars for years, backing opposing sides in conflicts in Syria and Yemen.

But pressure is building on Tehran after US President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of a 2015 nuclear deal with six world powers and reimposed sanctions. Saudi Arabia welcomed the move.

In a public speech in the southern Hormozgan province, broadcast live on state TV, Rouhani said, "We want to establish brotherly ties with all countries of the region ... Iran has never started any aggression in the region."

Rouhani's previous overtures to Saudi Arabia, such as after his election in 2013 and efforts by his Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in 2017, have had no success, and some analysts were sceptical his latest attempt would be different.

Iran accuses Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates of supporting militant Sunni groups that carry out attacks against Iranian forces, including a suicide bombing on Wednesday in Iran's southeastern province that borders Pakistan.

Sunni group Jaish al Adl (Army of Justice), which says it seeks greater rights and better living conditions for the ethnic minority Baluchis, claimed responsibility for the attack that killed 27 members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards Corps.

The Revolutionary Guards have threatened Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Pakistan with retaliation.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Pakistan deny backing the militants. Iran's foreign ministry on Sunday summoned Pakistan's ambassador to protest about Wednesday's attack.

Iran is ready to work with all of its neighbours to secure peace in the Middle East in the face of US and Israeli aggression, President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday (February 17), in his latest attempt to weaken ties between regional rival Saudi Arabia and America. Iran and Saudi Arabia have been fighting proxy wars for years, backing opposing sides in conflicts in Syria and Yemen. But pressure is building on Tehran after US President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of a 2015 nuclear deal with six world powers and reimposed sanctions. Saudi Arabia welcomed the move. In a public speech in the southern Hormozgan province, broadcast live on state TV, Rouhani said, "We want to establish brotherly ties with all countries of the region ... Iran has never started any aggression in the region." Rouhani's previous overtures to Saudi Arabia, such as after his election in 2013 and efforts by his Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in 2017, have had no success, and some analysts were sceptical his latest attempt would be different. Iran accuses Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates of supporting militant Sunni groups that carry out attacks against Iranian forces, including a suicide bombing on Wednesday in Iran's southeastern province that borders Pakistan. Sunni group Jaish al Adl (Army of Justice), which says it seeks greater rights and better living conditions for the ethnic minority Baluchis, claimed responsibility for the attack that killed 27 members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards Corps. The Revolutionary Guards have threatened Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Pakistan with retaliation. Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Pakistan deny backing the militants. Iran's foreign ministry on Sunday summoned Pakistan's ambassador to protest about Wednesday's attack.

Iran President Rouhani says Iran ready to improve ties with Gulf states

US&nbsp;Vice President Mike Pence pressed European countries on Saturday&nbsp;to withdraw from a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/iran-says-us-hit-by-hysteria-since-dropping-nuclear-deal-189680">nuclear deal </a>between Iran and major powers and urged them to be wary of using telecoms equipment supplied by Chinese provider Huawei.

"The time has come for all of us to act. The time has come for our European partners to stop undermining US sanctions against this murderous, revolutionary regime. The time has come for our European partners to stand with us, and with the Iranian people, our allies and friends in the region," Pence said.

"The time has come for our European partners to withdraw from the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/iran-sticking-to-nuclear-deal-conditions-iaea-176925">Iran nuclear deal</a> and join us as we bring the economic and diplomatic pressure necessary to give the Iranian people, the region, and the world, the peace, security and freedom they deserve."

He also called for the European Union must to recognise <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-raises-pressure-on-venezuelas-maduro-via-sanctions-aid-airlift-197708">Venezuelan</a> congress leader Juan Guaido as the president of the South American country, pressing not just individual European governments but the bloc as a whole.

"We call on the European Union to step forward for freedom and recognise Juan Guaido as the only legitimate president of Venezuela," Pence said.

Pence said Guaido, who has declared himself interim leader and has won the US&nbsp;and international support to replace <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/venezuelas-maduro-blasts-us-for-stealing-billions-and-offering-crumbs-197688">Nicolas Maduro</a>, deserved that "the rest of the world" recognise him, and called Maduro a dictator who must step down.

The audience at the speech included the largest American delegation to ever attend the Munich Security Conference. 
&nbsp;

US Vice President Mike Pence pressed European countries on Saturday to withdraw from a nuclear deal between Iran and major powers and urged them to be wary of using telecoms equipment supplied by Chinese provider Huawei.

US Vice President Mike Pence pressed European countries on Saturday to withdraw from a nuclear deal between Iran and major powers and urged them to be wary of using telecoms equipment supplied by Chinese provider Huawei. "The time has come for all of us to act. The time has come for our European partners to stop undermining US sanctions against this murderous, revolutionary regime. The time has come for our European partners to stand with us, and with the Iranian people, our allies and friends in the region," Pence said. "The time has come for our European partners to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and join us as we bring the economic and diplomatic pressure necessary to give the Iranian people, the region, and the world, the peace, security and freedom they deserve." He also called for the European Union must to recognise Venezuelan congress leader Juan Guaido as the president of the South American country, pressing not just individual European governments but the bloc as a whole. "We call on the European Union to step forward for freedom and recognise Juan Guaido as the only legitimate president of Venezuela," Pence said. Pence said Guaido, who has declared himself interim leader and has won the US and international support to replace Nicolas Maduro, deserved that "the rest of the world" recognise him, and called Maduro a dictator who must step down. The audience at the speech included the largest American delegation to ever attend the Munich Security Conference.

Pence calls for EU to leave Iran nuclear deal, recognise Guaido as Venezuelan president

China's foreign ministry spokesman<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-intelligence-extremely-naive-on-iran-they-are-wrong-trump-193947"> Geng Shuang said the country </a>highly appreciates the efforts made by European countries to uphold the Iran nuclear deal and supports the establishment of the new trade mechanism for Iran.

Foreign ministers of<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-is-loser-by-abandoning-iran-nuclear-deal-rouhani-171418"> France, Germany and UK on Thursday</a> had issued a joint statement announcing the establishment of a trade mechanism for Iran - the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX).

Geng said that the new mechanism shows the EU's efforts to uphold the Iran nuclear deal.

"It fully demonstrated the EU's determination to uphold multilateralism. China firmly supports the continued cooperation between the EU and Iran to put the mechanism into operation as soon as possible and open it to third parties so as to promote normal economic and trade cooperation between the international community and Iran. We also firmly support the political and diplomatic efforts led by the EU to safeguard the Iran nuclear deal," said Geng.

According to the spokesman, China always maintains that the deal is an important outcome of multilateralism and an international agreement approved by the United Nations Security Council.

He said the deal should be fully and effectively implemented, which is conducive to the peace and stability in the Middle East, as well as the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, and is also in the common interests of the international community.

"We hope that relevant parties can proceed from the overall and long-term interests, stick to the direction of political and diplomatic settlement and jointly uphold this deal," said Geng.

Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - plus Germany struck the nuclear deal in July 2015, under which Iran should roll back its nuclear program in exchange for the lift of the sanctions imposed on it.

China's foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the country highly appreciates the efforts made by European countries to uphold the Iran nuclear deal and supports the establishment of the new trade mechanism for Iran.

China's foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the country highly appreciates the efforts made by European countries to uphold the Iran nuclear deal and supports the establishment of the new trade mechanism for Iran. Foreign ministers of France, Germany and UK on Thursday had issued a joint statement announcing the establishment of a trade mechanism for Iran - the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX). Geng said that the new mechanism shows the EU's efforts to uphold the Iran nuclear deal. "It fully demonstrated the EU's determination to uphold multilateralism. China firmly supports the continued cooperation between the EU and Iran to put the mechanism into operation as soon as possible and open it to third parties so as to promote normal economic and trade cooperation between the international community and Iran. We also firmly support the political and diplomatic efforts led by the EU to safeguard the Iran nuclear deal," said Geng. According to the spokesman, China always maintains that the deal is an important outcome of multilateralism and an international agreement approved by the United Nations Security Council. He said the deal should be fully and effectively implemented, which is conducive to the peace and stability in the Middle East, as well as the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, and is also in the common interests of the international community. "We hope that relevant parties can proceed from the overall and long-term interests, stick to the direction of political and diplomatic settlement and jointly uphold this deal," said Geng. Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - plus Germany struck the nuclear deal in July 2015, under which Iran should roll back its nuclear program in exchange for the lift of the sanctions imposed on it.

Firmly support EU efforts to safeguard Iran nuclear deal: China

China has dramatically reduced its trade with Iran in line with US sanctions, raising questions whether Iran will remain committed to an international agreement that puts severe limits on its nuclear endeavours.

Reduced Chinese trade also suggests that Iran is likely to face increased obstacles as it seeks to blunt the impact of the harsh US sanctions imposed last year in a bid to force the Islamic republic to change its regional and defence policy.

China’s apparent willingness to accommodate the sanctions is remarkable given Beijing’s declared efforts to salvage the 2015 international agreement that curbed Iran’s nuclear program as well as its escalating trade and technology dispute with the United States.

Bourse &amp; Bazaar, a self-described media and business diplomacy company operated by Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, the founder of the Europe-Iran Forum, disclosed China’s reduced trade on almost the same day that the US Justice Department filed criminal charges against Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei and its chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou.

The Justice Department asserts that the company and Meng violated Iran sanctions in addition to stealing US robotic technology.

Based on a review of trade data from China’s General Customs Administration, Bourse &amp; Bazaar concluded that Chinese trade with Iran had dropped by 70 per cent in the first two months after the re-imposition of US sanctions.

In addition, China’s Bank of Kunlun, the vehicle China used in the past for business with Iran because it had no exposure to the United States and as a result was not vulnerable to US sanctions, said in December that it would restrict its business with Iran to humanitarian trade, effectively excluding all other transactions.

China replaced Europe as Iran’s main trading partner in 2012 at a time that Iran was under United Nations sanctions. Those sanctions were lifted with the conclusion of the nuclear agreement in 2015.

Bourse &amp; Bazaar said Chinese exports to Iran had dropped to $400 million in the period from October to December of last year compared to $1.2 billion in the same period in 2017.

“China may be abandoning the policy of sustaining trade with Iran in direct contravention of US sanctions, introducing both economic risks in regards to Iran’s continued industrialization and political risks in regards to Iran’s continued compliance with the JCPOA,” the report said, referring to the nuclear accord by the initials of its official designation, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

The report said that Iran relies on China for the import of badly needed industrial machinery and technology funded by its oil exports.

Iranian oil exports to China rebounded after the US gave China and seven other countries a six-month waiver but that did not revive Chinese exports, the report said.

Chinese compliance with US sanctions, at least in terms of trade could put to the test Iran’s declared commitment to the nuclear agreement in the wake of US President Donald J Trump’s withdrawal from the accord last May.

Iran has said its continued commitment would be determined by whether the accord remained in its interest, determined primarily by the ability and willingness of the other signatories to the agreement -- China, the European Union, Britain, France, Germany and Russia – to help it blunt the impact of the US sanctions.

The signatories have so far maintained that Iran has complied with the agreement even if the European Union recently sanctioned Iran’s intelligence ministry for allegedly targeting Iranian dissidents in the Netherlands, Denmark and France.

Germany subsequently banned Mahan Air, an Iranian airline sanctioned by the United States, from landing at its airports, asserting that Mahan Air had ferried fighters and weapons to Iranian-backed forces in Syria. Mahan Air operated four flights a week to Duesseldorf and Munich.

The signatories’ position appeared to be supported by a Worldwide Threat Assessment by the US intelligence community that in effect concluded that the Trump administration’s Iran policy had so far failed.

"We continue to assess that Iran is not currently undertaking the key nuclear weapons-development activities we judge necessary to produce a nuclear device,” Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats told the Senate Intelligence Committee in a hearing on the 42-page report.

The report warned that US policy could empower Iranian hard-liners; had sparked at best only sporadic uncoordinated anti-government protests in the Islamic Republic; had failed to persuade Iran to change its regional and defense policy; and could prompt it to pursue more aggressive policies to counter perceived US, Saudi and Israeli attempts to destabilise the regime in Tehran.

Disclosure of Chinese willingness to comply to some degree with US sanctions as well as the European sanctions come in advance of a conference in Warsaw next month convened by the United States to discuss peace and security in the Middle East.

The conference, to which Iran has not been invited, is widely seen as a US effort to bolster support for its Iran policy. Russia and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini have said that they would not be participating in the meeting.

An article in China’s state-owned Global Times discussing the Warsaw meeting under the headline, Poland is getting closer to the US, but should China be worried? Noted that Poland had arrested on espionage charges a former Chinese employee of Huawei and was considering banning the company.

The European Union, in a bid to blunt the impact of the US sanctions, is believed to be on the verge of launching a financial clearinghouse known as the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) that would allow European companies to continue to trade with Iran in accordance with EU law and could be open to other partners such as China.

The vehicle is being conceived as an alternative to the Brussels-based Society for the Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) international financial messaging system used by more than 10,000 banks worldwide.

The US has blacklisted tens of Iranian banks and pressured SWIFT into agreeing to steer clear of handling transactions of those banks.

The Bourse &amp; Bazaar report warned that continued Chinese refusal to buck US sanctions and ensure Iran has the necessary industrial machinery and technology to keep its economy running would fuel unemployment in the country that could be “devastating and destabilising.”

The report said Iran was more likely to withdraw from the nuclear agreement in a move that could significantly raise tensions in the Middle East as a result of Chinese rather than European compliance with US sanctions.

“If the nuclear deal collapses due to extraordinary economic pressures in Iran, China may be to blame,” the report said. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

China has dramatically reduced its trade with Iran in line with US sanctions, raising questions whether Iran will remain committed to an international agreement that puts severe limits on its nuclear endeavours.

China has dramatically reduced its trade with Iran in line with US sanctions, raising questions whether Iran will remain committed to an international agreement that puts severe limits on its nuclear endeavours. Reduced Chinese trade also suggests that Iran is likely to face increased obstacles as it seeks to blunt the impact of the harsh US sanctions imposed last year in a bid to force the Islamic republic to change its regional and defence policy. China’s apparent willingness to accommodate the sanctions is remarkable given Beijing’s declared efforts to salvage the 2015 international agreement that curbed Iran’s nuclear program as well as its escalating trade and technology dispute with the United States. Bourse & Bazaar, a self-described media and business diplomacy company operated by Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, the founder of the Europe-Iran Forum, disclosed China’s reduced trade on almost the same day that the US Justice Department filed criminal charges against Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei and its chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou. The Justice Department asserts that the company and Meng violated Iran sanctions in addition to stealing US robotic technology. Based on a review of trade data from China’s General Customs Administration, Bourse & Bazaar concluded that Chinese trade with Iran had dropped by 70 per cent in the first two months after the re-imposition of US sanctions. In addition, China’s Bank of Kunlun, the vehicle China used in the past for business with Iran because it had no exposure to the United States and as a result was not vulnerable to US sanctions, said in December that it would restrict its business with Iran to humanitarian trade, effectively excluding all other transactions. China replaced Europe as Iran’s main trading partner in 2012 at a time that Iran was under United Nations sanctions. Those sanctions were lifted with the conclusion of the nuclear agreement in 2015. Bourse & Bazaar said Chinese exports to Iran had dropped to $400 million in the period from October to December of last year compared to $1.2 billion in the same period in 2017. “China may be abandoning the policy of sustaining trade with Iran in direct contravention of US sanctions, introducing both economic risks in regards to Iran’s continued industrialization and political risks in regards to Iran’s continued compliance with the JCPOA,” the report said, referring to the nuclear accord by the initials of its official designation, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The report said that Iran relies on China for the import of badly needed industrial machinery and technology funded by its oil exports. Iranian oil exports to China rebounded after the US gave China and seven other countries a six-month waiver but that did not revive Chinese exports, the report said. Chinese compliance with US sanctions, at least in terms of trade could put to the test Iran’s declared commitment to the nuclear agreement in the wake of US President Donald J Trump’s withdrawal from the accord last May. Iran has said its continued commitment would be determined by whether the accord remained in its interest, determined primarily by the ability and willingness of the other signatories to the agreement -- China, the European Union, Britain, France, Germany and Russia – to help it blunt the impact of the US sanctions. The signatories have so far maintained that Iran has complied with the agreement even if the European Union recently sanctioned Iran’s intelligence ministry for allegedly targeting Iranian dissidents in the Netherlands, Denmark and France. Germany subsequently banned Mahan Air, an Iranian airline sanctioned by the United States, from landing at its airports, asserting that Mahan Air had ferried fighters and weapons to Iranian-backed forces in Syria. Mahan Air operated four flights a week to Duesseldorf and Munich. The signatories’ position appeared to be supported by a Worldwide Threat Assessment by the US intelligence community that in effect concluded that the Trump administration’s Iran policy had so far failed. "We continue to assess that Iran is not currently undertaking the key nuclear weapons-development activities we judge necessary to produce a nuclear device,” Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats told the Senate Intelligence Committee in a hearing on the 42-page report. The report warned that US policy could empower Iranian hard-liners; had sparked at best only sporadic uncoordinated anti-government protests in the Islamic Republic; had failed to persuade Iran to change its regional and defense policy; and could prompt it to pursue more aggressive policies to counter perceived US, Saudi and Israeli attempts to destabilise the regime in Tehran. Disclosure of Chinese willingness to comply to some degree with US sanctions as well as the European sanctions come in advance of a conference in Warsaw next month convened by the United States to discuss peace and security in the Middle East. The conference, to which Iran has not been invited, is widely seen as a US effort to bolster support for its Iran policy. Russia and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini have said that they would not be participating in the meeting. An article in China’s state-owned Global Times discussing the Warsaw meeting under the headline, Poland is getting closer to the US, but should China be worried? Noted that Poland had arrested on espionage charges a former Chinese employee of Huawei and was considering banning the company. The European Union, in a bid to blunt the impact of the US sanctions, is believed to be on the verge of launching a financial clearinghouse known as the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) that would allow European companies to continue to trade with Iran in accordance with EU law and could be open to other partners such as China. The vehicle is being conceived as an alternative to the Brussels-based Society for the Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) international financial messaging system used by more than 10,000 banks worldwide. The US has blacklisted tens of Iranian banks and pressured SWIFT into agreeing to steer clear of handling transactions of those banks. The Bourse & Bazaar report warned that continued Chinese refusal to buck US sanctions and ensure Iran has the necessary industrial machinery and technology to keep its economy running would fuel unemployment in the country that could be “devastating and destabilising.” The report said Iran was more likely to withdraw from the nuclear agreement in a move that could significantly raise tensions in the Middle East as a result of Chinese rather than European compliance with US sanctions. “If the nuclear deal collapses due to extraordinary economic pressures in Iran, China may be to blame,” the report said. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

In line with US sanctions, China dramatically reduces trade with Tehran

France's finance minister said that a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/iran-accuses-france-of-destabilising-region-192969">European-backed system to facilitate</a> non-dollar trade with Iran and circumvent US&nbsp;sanctions should be established in the coming days.

The "special purpose vehicle" allowing <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/japan-starts-process-of-importing-iranian-oil-iran-191747">European countries to trade with Iran</a> will be created in the next few days French finance minister Bruno Le Maire said on France Inter radio.

"The United States imposed extra-territorial sanctions to Iran. That means that our companies can no longer do trade with Iran because they can simply not get paid as all the payments go through banks which depend on American banks and American investments," Maire said.

France foreign minister had already spoken about this earlier last week.

Le Maire said that through this agreement which should be signed in the next few days, Europe is showing that it is capable of "resisting" the two great world powers, the US and China.

"We are going to create in the coming days an independant European financial institution with Great Britain, Germany and France. The agreement will be signed in the next few days so that we are can continue, thanks to this independant financial institution, to trade with Iran even if the United States doesn't want that," &nbsp;Maire informed.

Meanwhile, Iran said on Monday it was not holding talks with France over its ballistic missile development, after Paris said it was ready to impose more sanctions if European attempts to address the programme in discussions with Tehran made no progress.

French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian had said on Friday that France was ready to impose further curbs if no progress was made in talks over the programme, described by Tehran as purely defensive but seen in the West as a destabilising factor in a volatile region.

"Our missile programme is a defensive programme that we only discuss it inside the country. I cannot confirm holding any secret talks with France over our missile programme," Qasemi said, when asked about Le Drian's remarks.

"We talk about regional and political issues with France ... but our missile capability is not negotiable ... we have repeatedly said that during our political talks with France."

France's finance minister said that a European-backed system to facilitate non-dollar trade with Iran and circumvent US sanctions should be established in the coming days.

France's finance minister said that a European-backed system to facilitate non-dollar trade with Iran and circumvent US sanctions should be established in the coming days. The "special purpose vehicle" allowing European countries to trade with Iran will be created in the next few days French finance minister Bruno Le Maire said on France Inter radio. "The United States imposed extra-territorial sanctions to Iran. That means that our companies can no longer do trade with Iran because they can simply not get paid as all the payments go through banks which depend on American banks and American investments," Maire said. France foreign minister had already spoken about this earlier last week. Le Maire said that through this agreement which should be signed in the next few days, Europe is showing that it is capable of "resisting" the two great world powers, the US and China. "We are going to create in the coming days an independant European financial institution with Great Britain, Germany and France. The agreement will be signed in the next few days so that we are can continue, thanks to this independant financial institution, to trade with Iran even if the United States doesn't want that," Maire informed. Meanwhile, Iran said on Monday it was not holding talks with France over its ballistic missile development, after Paris said it was ready to impose more sanctions if European attempts to address the programme in discussions with Tehran made no progress. French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian had said on Friday that France was ready to impose further curbs if no progress was made in talks over the programme, described by Tehran as purely defensive but seen in the West as a destabilising factor in a volatile region. "Our missile programme is a defensive programme that we only discuss it inside the country. I cannot confirm holding any secret talks with France over our missile programme," Qasemi said, when asked about Le Drian's remarks. "We talk about regional and political issues with France ... but our missile capability is not negotiable ... we have repeatedly said that during our political talks with France."

Will be creating independent European financial institution to trade with Iran: France

By Kourosh Ziabari

Iranian society is divided more than ever. Social fragmentation stems from a range of issues, including foreign policy failures, widespread corruption, a lack of transparency, restrictions on the media and the infringement of civil liberties.

The US withdrawal from Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — aka the nuclear deal — has added to Iran‘s rifts by pitting a large group of people against the government and turning Iranians against each other. The result is that ordinary people are expressing themselves in ways that might sound irrational, such as fiercely clashing with fellow citizens on social media. For the people, there are not many reasons to be happy, and this public frustration has manifested itself on the internet. Iranians want to express themselves, but they are doing so by being counterproductive.

Iranian authorities continuously talk of the country as a role model for the Muslim world and as an independent nation that doesn’t bow down to global superpowers. Instead, the government says the country gains strength from the piety, resistance and steadfastness of its people and the revolutionary values that govern society. These are fancy statements that officials make all the time. But how close are they to reality?

Indeed, Iran has been through colossal difficulties ever since the 1979 revolution. It survived one of the longest wars of the 20th century with Saddam Hussein’s Iraq in the 1980s, which left around a million people dead. Iran has also had to deal with economic sanctions since the early days of the revolution.

Iranians who were part of the movement that toppled the kingdom of autocratic ruler Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi justify the difficulties and sanctions that Iran faces, even though they seem unhappy with the situation today. But young Iranians have different expectations. They are responding to new developments and emerging challenges with extreme passion — but not necessarily with logic — and exhibiting impatience with how they behave online.

Iran’s challenges are characterised by crippling economic sanctions imposed by the US over its nuclear programme. This makes the trade with Iran difficult and adds to socioeconomic difficulties for the people. Skirmishes continue between the state and the more educated, pro-reform youths, as manifested in several crackdowns on universities in recent years and the closure of hundreds of independent, pro-reform newspapers. Added to this is the imprisonment of tens of talented journalists, students and human rights activists.

The authorities make unfulfilled promises and find themselves unable to address the dilemmas ahead for the country. These government failures are making the online behaviour of Iranian youths who want to express their opinion about the state of affairs both antagonistic and unsafe. 
 
Lost 'online ethics'

Twitter is one of several social networks that are banned in Iran. However, the majority of government officials — including the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — maintain Twitter accounts. No specific reason is mentioned for the continued ban of the network. When asked why it’s blocked, authorities cite vague reasons such as defending “national security” and “ethical values.”

But the paradoxical approach of the government to public access of Twitter and Facebook aside, there are many Iranians who conveniently attack and abuse each other on such platforms (using a VPN) over politics. The use of vulgar and threatening language has become rampant in Twitter conversations about the state of the country and nuclear politics. Article 19, a UK-based nonprofit, mentioned in a report that the online behaviour of Iranians has become remarkably unsafe and risky.

It’s common to see Iranians on Twitter exchanging insults over something said by the president, the fluctuation of oil prices or rising exchange rates. This is one of the ways that Iran’s deep divisions, shaped and grown under the Islamic Republic, can be seen. People do not respect and trust each other, and they have a lack of tolerance for differences of opinion.

Why? Because the strongmen in Iran who are in high positions and have the authority to implement reform use religion and moral values as the grounds for their misleading and prone-to-failure political decisions. And they undermine the same values by failing to practice what they preach.

It was only after the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal that Ayatollah Khamenei challenged US President Donald Trump using strong language, saying: “You cannot do a damn thing!” It was shortly after this when a group of Iranian politicians set the US flag on fire in parliament and ripped up a copy of the JCPOA. Promoting aggression of this kind only influences public sentiment. So, when those who boast of religious and ethical values undermine the same values in their words and actions, nothing less should be expected of the general public but a replication of belligerent acts in similar ways.

These days, aggression and having a verbal conflict online over politics has turned into a habit for many Iranians, and those who feel protected — i.e., supporters of hardliners and conservatives — are engaged in online campaigns of hatred more ferociously.&nbsp; 
 
Iranian trolls

There are many well-known instances of Iranian users attacking and insulting international celebrities, including football players, actors and even politicians and their families via social media. When Barack Obama was in office, thousands of Iranian users flocked his Instagram page in July 2015 to either express their thanks or anger over the JCPOA. They bombarded his profile with hundreds of comments about the agreement as if it was the proper platform to exchange views and wage a battle over the nuclear deal.

It is believed that the Iranian government has online trolls who promote the narrative of the state concerning domestic and international issues. A 2012 report by researchers of the Oxford University, titled “Troops, Trolls and Troublemakers: A Global Inventory or Organized Social Media Manipulation,” estimates that there are 20,000 individuals affiliated with the government to wage propaganda games online in favour of Tehran. These trolls utilise social media networks to carry certain messages at critical political junctures to manipulate public sentiment.

Online Iranian trolls also react to sports events. In 2014, thousands of Iranians bombarded the Facebook page of Argentine superstar Lionel Messi after he scored the sole winning goal for Argentina in a FIFA World Cup match against Iran. In 2013, shortly after the Iran-Italy match in the FIVB World League, hundreds of Iranians took to the Instagram page of Italian volleyball player Ivan Zaytsev and flooded it with insults. Zaytsev had secured 19 consecutive points for Italy in two sets and an easy victory for his squad against Iran. He expressed sorrow over the comments he received from Iranians.

These are all symptoms of a society that is grappling with economic sanctions, unanswered questions, stagnation, an identity crisis and wide gaps that make the future bleak. The people of Iran, especially its youths, are looking for avenues to speak their mind and express their frustration. But, for a number of reasons, they are doing so in ways that are morally and professionally indefensible. 
 
(Kourosh Ziabari is an award-winning Iranian journalist)

(This article was originally published on The Fair Observer. Read the <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/middle_east_north_africa/iranian-youth-iran-news-social-media-latest-world-news-today-23490/">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

By Kourosh Ziabari Iranian society is divided more than ever. Social fragmentation stems from a range of issues, including foreign policy failures, widespread corruption, a lack of transparency, restrictions on the media and the infringement of civil liberties.

By Kourosh Ziabari Iranian society is divided more than ever. Social fragmentation stems from a range of issues, including foreign policy failures, widespread corruption, a lack of transparency, restrictions on the media and the infringement of civil liberties. The US withdrawal from Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — aka the nuclear deal — has added to Iran‘s rifts by pitting a large group of people against the government and turning Iranians against each other. The result is that ordinary people are expressing themselves in ways that might sound irrational, such as fiercely clashing with fellow citizens on social media. For the people, there are not many reasons to be happy, and this public frustration has manifested itself on the internet. Iranians want to express themselves, but they are doing so by being counterproductive. Iranian authorities continuously talk of the country as a role model for the Muslim world and as an independent nation that doesn’t bow down to global superpowers. Instead, the government says the country gains strength from the piety, resistance and steadfastness of its people and the revolutionary values that govern society. These are fancy statements that officials make all the time. But how close are they to reality? Indeed, Iran has been through colossal difficulties ever since the 1979 revolution. It survived one of the longest wars of the 20th century with Saddam Hussein’s Iraq in the 1980s, which left around a million people dead. Iran has also had to deal with economic sanctions since the early days of the revolution. Iranians who were part of the movement that toppled the kingdom of autocratic ruler Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi justify the difficulties and sanctions that Iran faces, even though they seem unhappy with the situation today. But young Iranians have different expectations. They are responding to new developments and emerging challenges with extreme passion — but not necessarily with logic — and exhibiting impatience with how they behave online. Iran’s challenges are characterised by crippling economic sanctions imposed by the US over its nuclear programme. This makes the trade with Iran difficult and adds to socioeconomic difficulties for the people. Skirmishes continue between the state and the more educated, pro-reform youths, as manifested in several crackdowns on universities in recent years and the closure of hundreds of independent, pro-reform newspapers. Added to this is the imprisonment of tens of talented journalists, students and human rights activists. The authorities make unfulfilled promises and find themselves unable to address the dilemmas ahead for the country. These government failures are making the online behaviour of Iranian youths who want to express their opinion about the state of affairs both antagonistic and unsafe. Lost 'online ethics' Twitter is one of several social networks that are banned in Iran. However, the majority of government officials — including the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — maintain Twitter accounts. No specific reason is mentioned for the continued ban of the network. When asked why it’s blocked, authorities cite vague reasons such as defending “national security” and “ethical values.” But the paradoxical approach of the government to public access of Twitter and Facebook aside, there are many Iranians who conveniently attack and abuse each other on such platforms (using a VPN) over politics. The use of vulgar and threatening language has become rampant in Twitter conversations about the state of the country and nuclear politics. Article 19, a UK-based nonprofit, mentioned in a report that the online behaviour of Iranians has become remarkably unsafe and risky. It’s common to see Iranians on Twitter exchanging insults over something said by the president, the fluctuation of oil prices or rising exchange rates. This is one of the ways that Iran’s deep divisions, shaped and grown under the Islamic Republic, can be seen. People do not respect and trust each other, and they have a lack of tolerance for differences of opinion. Why? Because the strongmen in Iran who are in high positions and have the authority to implement reform use religion and moral values as the grounds for their misleading and prone-to-failure political decisions. And they undermine the same values by failing to practice what they preach. It was only after the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal that Ayatollah Khamenei challenged US President Donald Trump using strong language, saying: “You cannot do a damn thing!” It was shortly after this when a group of Iranian politicians set the US flag on fire in parliament and ripped up a copy of the JCPOA. Promoting aggression of this kind only influences public sentiment. So, when those who boast of religious and ethical values undermine the same values in their words and actions, nothing less should be expected of the general public but a replication of belligerent acts in similar ways. These days, aggression and having a verbal conflict online over politics has turned into a habit for many Iranians, and those who feel protected — i.e., supporters of hardliners and conservatives — are engaged in online campaigns of hatred more ferociously. Iranian trolls There are many well-known instances of Iranian users attacking and insulting international celebrities, including football players, actors and even politicians and their families via social media. When Barack Obama was in office, thousands of Iranian users flocked his Instagram page in July 2015 to either express their thanks or anger over the JCPOA. They bombarded his profile with hundreds of comments about the agreement as if it was the proper platform to exchange views and wage a battle over the nuclear deal. It is believed that the Iranian government has online trolls who promote the narrative of the state concerning domestic and international issues. A 2012 report by researchers of the Oxford University, titled “Troops, Trolls and Troublemakers: A Global Inventory or Organized Social Media Manipulation,” estimates that there are 20,000 individuals affiliated with the government to wage propaganda games online in favour of Tehran. These trolls utilise social media networks to carry certain messages at critical political junctures to manipulate public sentiment. Online Iranian trolls also react to sports events. In 2014, thousands of Iranians bombarded the Facebook page of Argentine superstar Lionel Messi after he scored the sole winning goal for Argentina in a FIFA World Cup match against Iran. In 2013, shortly after the Iran-Italy match in the FIVB World League, hundreds of Iranians took to the Instagram page of Italian volleyball player Ivan Zaytsev and flooded it with insults. Zaytsev had secured 19 consecutive points for Italy in two sets and an easy victory for his squad against Iran. He expressed sorrow over the comments he received from Iranians. These are all symptoms of a society that is grappling with economic sanctions, unanswered questions, stagnation, an identity crisis and wide gaps that make the future bleak. The people of Iran, especially its youths, are looking for avenues to speak their mind and express their frustration. But, for a number of reasons, they are doing so in ways that are morally and professionally indefensible. (Kourosh Ziabari is an award-winning Iranian journalist) (This article was originally published on The Fair Observer. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Iranian youths want to speak their mind

Alarm bells went off last September in Washington's corridors of power when John Bolton’s national security council asked the Pentagon for options for military strikes against Iran. &nbsp;

The council’s request was in response to three missiles fired by an Iranian-backed militia that landed in an empty lot close to the US embassy in Baghdad and the firing of rockets by unidentified militants close to the US consulate in the Iraqi port city of Basra.

“We have told the Islamic Republic of Iran that using a proxy force to attack an American interest will not prevent us from responding against the prime actor,” Bolton said at the time.

Commenting on the council’s request, a former US official noted that “people were shocked. It was mind-boggling how cavalier they were about hitting Iran.”

Then US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, like Bolton an Iran hawk, worried that military strikes would embroil the United States in a larger conflagration with Iran.

The request, moreover, seemed to call into question US President Donald J Trump’s promise to America’s European allies that he would rein in Bolton who has a long track record of advocating military action against Iran.

Months before joining the Trump administration in the spring of 2018, Bolton drafted at the request of Trump’s then strategic advisor, Steve Bannon, a plan that envisioned US support “for the democratic Iranian opposition,” “Kurdish national aspirations in Iran, Iraq and Syria,” and assistance for Iranian Arabs in the oil-rich Iranian province of Khuzestan and the Baloch who populate the Pakistani province of Balochistan and Iran’s neighbouring Sistan and Baluchistan province.

Frustrated by the Trump administration’s failure to respond to his suggestions, Bolton published the memo in December 2017.

Almost to the day two years after the publication and two months before the 40th anniversary of the Iranian revolution, Bolton asserted in a policy speech in Cairo, that the United States had “joined the Iranian people in calling for freedom and accountability… America’s economic sanctions against the (Iranian) regime are the strongest in history, and will keep getting tougher until Iran starts behaving like a normal country.” Bolton was referring to harsh US sanctions imposed in 2018 by Trump after withdrawing the United States from the 2015 international agreement that curbed Iran’s nuclear program.

Bolton’s plan stroked with Saudi thinking about the possibility of attempting to destabilise Iran by stirring unrest among its ethnic minorities. The thinking was made public in a November 2017 study by the International Institute for Iranian Studies, formerly known as the Arabian Gulf Centre for Iranian Studies, a Saudi government-backed think tank.

The study argued that Chabahar, the Indian-backed Iranian deep-sea port at the top of the Arabian Sea, posed “a direct threat to the Arab Gulf states” that called for “immediate countermeasures.” Pakistani militants claimed in 2017 that Saudi Arabia had stepped up funding of militant madrassas or religious seminaries in Balochistan that allegedly serves as havens for anti-Iranian, anti-Shiite fighters.

Bolton’s memo followed an article he wrote in The New York Times in 2015 headlined ‘To Stop Iran’s Bomb, Bomb Iran’ at the time that President Barak Obama was negotiating the international agreement to curb Iran’s nuclear program.

Bolton argued in the op-ed that diplomacy would never prevent the Islamic republic from acquiring nuclear weapons. “The inconvenient truth is that only military action like Israel’s 1981 attack on Saddam Hussein’s Osirak reactor in Iraq or its 2007 destruction of a Syrian reactor, designed and built by North Korea, can accomplish what is required. Time is terribly short, but a strike can still succeed,” Bolton wrote.

The memo was written at about the same time that Bolton told a gathering of the Iranian opposition group Mujahedin-e-Khalq that “the declared policy of the United States of America should be the overthrow of the mullahs’ regime in Tehran” and that “before 2019, we here will celebrate in Tehran.”

While Bolton has remained outspoken even if he has been careful in his wording as a national security advisor, other past advocates of military action against Iran have taken a step back.

Mike Pompeo has since becoming secretary of state hued far closer to the Trump administration’s official position that it is pursuing behavioural rather than regime change in Iran. But as a member of the House of Representatives, Pompeo suggested in 2014 launching “2,000 sorties to destroy the Iranian nuclear capacity.”

While the Trump administration has largely explained its hard line towards Iran as an effort to halt the country’s missile development, roll back its regional influence, and ensure that the Islamic Republic will never be able to develop a nuclear weapon, Bolton has suggested that it was also driven by alleged Iranian non-compliance with the nuclear accord.

“Report: Iran's secret nuclear archive ‘provides substantial evidence that Iran's declarations to IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency) are incomplete &amp; deliberately false.’ The President was right to end horrible Iran deal. Pressure on Iran to abandon nuclear ambitions will increase,” Bolton tweeted this month, endorsing a report by the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security.

Based on Iranian documents obtained by Israel, the report identified an allegedly undeclared Iranian nuclear site. “Documentation seized in January 2018 by Israel from the Iranian ‘Nuclear Archive’ revealed key elements of Iran’s past nuclear weaponization program and the Amad program more broadly, aimed at development and production of nuclear weapons. The material extracted from the archives shows that the Amad program had the intention to build five nuclear warhead systems for missile delivery,” the report said.

Similarly, Bolton this month told Israeli prime minister Benyamin Netanyahu on a visit to Jerusalem that “We have little doubt that Iran’s leadership is still strategically committed to achieving deliverable nuclear weapons. The United States and Israel are strategically committed to making sure that doesn’t happen.”

Bolton’s assertion contrasted starkly with the then Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats’ assessment in his 2017 Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community that “we do not know whether Iran will eventually decide to build nuclear weapons.”

Bolton’s hardline position within the Trump administration could be cemented if Iran were to decide that upholding the nuclear agreement no longer served its interest. Anti-agreement momentum in Iran has been fuelled by the European Union’s seeming inability or unwillingness to create a financial system that would evade US sanctions and facilitate trade with Europe.

Bolton’s hard line has also been bolstered by the imposition of European Union sanctions on Iran’s ministry of intelligence and two individuals on charges of plotting to kill leaders of an Iranian Arab separatist movement in Denmark and the Netherlands.

An Iranian abrogation of the nuclear agreement would likely lead to a reshuffle of the Iranian cabinet and the appointment of hardliners that would, in turn, bolster Bolton’s argument that the Iran issue has to be resolved before the United States can militarily truly disengage from the Middle East and South Asia.

Hardliners like Bolton may have one more development going for them: Disillusionment in Iran with the government of President Hassan Rouhani is mounting.

The disappointment is being fuelled not only by the failure of the nuclear accord to drive economic growth and the government’s mismanagement of the economy and inability to take on nepotism, vested interests such as the Revolutionary Guards and the growing income gap accentuated by the elite’s public display of ostentatious wealth, but also the fact that Rouhani appears to have lost interest in reform and implementing change.

“Unfortunately, Rouhani´s second term has been extremely ignorant (about the demands) of the twenty-four million people who make up Iranian civil society. Most of the reformists believe that he no longer wants to interact (with the reform movement). All that concerns him is to emerge from the remaining two years (of his second term) undamaged, and thus maintain his privileged spot in the pyramid of power,” said Abdullah Naseri, a prominent reformist and adviser to the former president Mohammad Khatami. Naseri was referring to the 24 million people who voted for Rouhani.

A reformist himself, Khatami warned that “if the nezam (establishment) insists on its mistakes… (and) reform fails, the society will move toward overthrowing the system.”

The roots of Bolton’s thinking lie in a policy paper entitled US Defense Planning Guidance that has been in place since 1992. The paper stipulates that US policy is designed “to prevent any hostile power from dominating a region whose resources under consolidated control be sufficient to generate global power.” The paper goes a long way in explaining why the US and Saudi Arabia potentially would be interested in destabilising Iran by stirring unrest among its ethnic minorities.

Iran scholar Shireen Hunter suggests that squashing Iran’s ambition of being a regional and global player may be one reason why senior Trump administration officials, including Bolton, Pompeo and Rudolph Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer, alongside the Saudis support the Mujahedin e-Khalq even if its domestic support base is in question.

“The MEK was willing to support Saddam Hussein and cede Iran’s (oil-rich) Khuzestan province to Iraq. There is no reason to think that it won’t similarly follow US bidding,” Hunter said referring to the Mujahedeen’s support of Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.

Bolton appeared to be fortifying what amounted to the most hard-line approach towards Iran in an administration that was already determined to bring Iran to its knees by elevating Charles Kupperman, a long-time associate and former Reagan administration official, to deputy national security adviser.

Kupperman, a former Boeing and Lockheed Martin executive, previously served on the board for the Center for Security Policy, a far-right think tank advocating for a hawkish Iran policy founded by Frank Gaffney, a former US government official who is widely viewed as an Islamophobe and conspiracy theorist.

Similarly, Trump, reportedly on Bolton’s advice, hired this month Richard Goldberg as the national security council’s director for countering Iranian weapons of mass destruction.

As a staffer for former Senator Mark Kirk, Goldberg helped write legislation that served as the basis for the Obama administration’s sanctions regime on Tehran prior to the nuclear deal. He went on to work for the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, which advocates a hard line towards Iran.

Earlier, Bolton hired Matthew C Freedman, who in March 2018, together with Kupperman and Bolton registered the Institute for a Secure America as a non-profit organization on the day that Trump announced Bolton’s appointment as a national security advisor.

A long-standing Bolton associate and one-time member of Trump’s transition team, Freedman worked in the 1980s and 1990s as a foreign lobbyist with Paul Manafort, who managed Trump’s election campaign for several months and was last year convicted as part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into alleged collusion between the campaign and Russia to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.

Bolton, Kupperman and Freedman also established in 2015 the Foundation for American Security and Freedom to campaign against the Iran nuclear deal.

David J Rothkopf, a former Clinton administration official who wrote a definitive history of the National Security Council described Bolton as a man “who has never crossed a bridge he hasn’t burned behind him, who is surrounding himself with what appears to be a second-tier group of advisers who have spent a disproportionate amount of time on the swamp side of things — as consultants or working on his extreme political projects.”

Said journalist and political commentator Mehdi Hasan: “You underestimate John Bolton at your peril… In 2003, Bolton got the war he wanted with Iraq. As an influential, high-profile, hawkish member of the Bush administration, Bolton put pressure on intelligence analysts, threatened international officials, and told barefaced lies about weapons of mass destruction. He has never regretted his support for the illegal and catastrophic invasion of Iraq, which killed hundreds of thousands of people. Now, he wants a war with Iran.”

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Alarm bells went off last September in Washington's corridors of power when John Bolton’s national security council asked the Pentagon for options for military strikes against Iran.

Alarm bells went off last September in Washington's corridors of power when John Bolton’s national security council asked the Pentagon for options for military strikes against Iran. The council’s request was in response to three missiles fired by an Iranian-backed militia that landed in an empty lot close to the US embassy in Baghdad and the firing of rockets by unidentified militants close to the US consulate in the Iraqi port city of Basra. “We have told the Islamic Republic of Iran that using a proxy force to attack an American interest will not prevent us from responding against the prime actor,” Bolton said at the time. Commenting on the council’s request, a former US official noted that “people were shocked. It was mind-boggling how cavalier they were about hitting Iran.” Then US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, like Bolton an Iran hawk, worried that military strikes would embroil the United States in a larger conflagration with Iran. The request, moreover, seemed to call into question US President Donald J Trump’s promise to America’s European allies that he would rein in Bolton who has a long track record of advocating military action against Iran. Months before joining the Trump administration in the spring of 2018, Bolton drafted at the request of Trump’s then strategic advisor, Steve Bannon, a plan that envisioned US support “for the democratic Iranian opposition,” “Kurdish national aspirations in Iran, Iraq and Syria,” and assistance for Iranian Arabs in the oil-rich Iranian province of Khuzestan and the Baloch who populate the Pakistani province of Balochistan and Iran’s neighbouring Sistan and Baluchistan province. Frustrated by the Trump administration’s failure to respond to his suggestions, Bolton published the memo in December 2017. Almost to the day two years after the publication and two months before the 40th anniversary of the Iranian revolution, Bolton asserted in a policy speech in Cairo, that the United States had “joined the Iranian people in calling for freedom and accountability… America’s economic sanctions against the (Iranian) regime are the strongest in history, and will keep getting tougher until Iran starts behaving like a normal country.” Bolton was referring to harsh US sanctions imposed in 2018 by Trump after withdrawing the United States from the 2015 international agreement that curbed Iran’s nuclear program. Bolton’s plan stroked with Saudi thinking about the possibility of attempting to destabilise Iran by stirring unrest among its ethnic minorities. The thinking was made public in a November 2017 study by the International Institute for Iranian Studies, formerly known as the Arabian Gulf Centre for Iranian Studies, a Saudi government-backed think tank. The study argued that Chabahar, the Indian-backed Iranian deep-sea port at the top of the Arabian Sea, posed “a direct threat to the Arab Gulf states” that called for “immediate countermeasures.” Pakistani militants claimed in 2017 that Saudi Arabia had stepped up funding of militant madrassas or religious seminaries in Balochistan that allegedly serves as havens for anti-Iranian, anti-Shiite fighters. Bolton’s memo followed an article he wrote in The New York Times in 2015 headlined ‘To Stop Iran’s Bomb, Bomb Iran’ at the time that President Barak Obama was negotiating the international agreement to curb Iran’s nuclear program. Bolton argued in the op-ed that diplomacy would never prevent the Islamic republic from acquiring nuclear weapons. “The inconvenient truth is that only military action like Israel’s 1981 attack on Saddam Hussein’s Osirak reactor in Iraq or its 2007 destruction of a Syrian reactor, designed and built by North Korea, can accomplish what is required. Time is terribly short, but a strike can still succeed,” Bolton wrote. The memo was written at about the same time that Bolton told a gathering of the Iranian opposition group Mujahedin-e-Khalq that “the declared policy of the United States of America should be the overthrow of the mullahs’ regime in Tehran” and that “before 2019, we here will celebrate in Tehran.” While Bolton has remained outspoken even if he has been careful in his wording as a national security advisor, other past advocates of military action against Iran have taken a step back. Mike Pompeo has since becoming secretary of state hued far closer to the Trump administration’s official position that it is pursuing behavioural rather than regime change in Iran. But as a member of the House of Representatives, Pompeo suggested in 2014 launching “2,000 sorties to destroy the Iranian nuclear capacity.” While the Trump administration has largely explained its hard line towards Iran as an effort to halt the country’s missile development, roll back its regional influence, and ensure that the Islamic Republic will never be able to develop a nuclear weapon, Bolton has suggested that it was also driven by alleged Iranian non-compliance with the nuclear accord. “Report: Iran's secret nuclear archive ‘provides substantial evidence that Iran's declarations to IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency) are incomplete & deliberately false.’ The President was right to end horrible Iran deal. Pressure on Iran to abandon nuclear ambitions will increase,” Bolton tweeted this month, endorsing a report by the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security. Based on Iranian documents obtained by Israel, the report identified an allegedly undeclared Iranian nuclear site. “Documentation seized in January 2018 by Israel from the Iranian ‘Nuclear Archive’ revealed key elements of Iran’s past nuclear weaponization program and the Amad program more broadly, aimed at development and production of nuclear weapons. The material extracted from the archives shows that the Amad program had the intention to build five nuclear warhead systems for missile delivery,” the report said. Similarly, Bolton this month told Israeli prime minister Benyamin Netanyahu on a visit to Jerusalem that “We have little doubt that Iran’s leadership is still strategically committed to achieving deliverable nuclear weapons. The United States and Israel are strategically committed to making sure that doesn’t happen.” Bolton’s assertion contrasted starkly with the then Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats’ assessment in his 2017 Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community that “we do not know whether Iran will eventually decide to build nuclear weapons.” Bolton’s hardline position within the Trump administration could be cemented if Iran were to decide that upholding the nuclear agreement no longer served its interest. Anti-agreement momentum in Iran has been fuelled by the European Union’s seeming inability or unwillingness to create a financial system that would evade US sanctions and facilitate trade with Europe. Bolton’s hard line has also been bolstered by the imposition of European Union sanctions on Iran’s ministry of intelligence and two individuals on charges of plotting to kill leaders of an Iranian Arab separatist movement in Denmark and the Netherlands. An Iranian abrogation of the nuclear agreement would likely lead to a reshuffle of the Iranian cabinet and the appointment of hardliners that would, in turn, bolster Bolton’s argument that the Iran issue has to be resolved before the United States can militarily truly disengage from the Middle East and South Asia. Hardliners like Bolton may have one more development going for them: Disillusionment in Iran with the government of President Hassan Rouhani is mounting. The disappointment is being fuelled not only by the failure of the nuclear accord to drive economic growth and the government’s mismanagement of the economy and inability to take on nepotism, vested interests such as the Revolutionary Guards and the growing income gap accentuated by the elite’s public display of ostentatious wealth, but also the fact that Rouhani appears to have lost interest in reform and implementing change. “Unfortunately, Rouhani´s second term has been extremely ignorant (about the demands) of the twenty-four million people who make up Iranian civil society. Most of the reformists believe that he no longer wants to interact (with the reform movement). All that concerns him is to emerge from the remaining two years (of his second term) undamaged, and thus maintain his privileged spot in the pyramid of power,” said Abdullah Naseri, a prominent reformist and adviser to the former president Mohammad Khatami. Naseri was referring to the 24 million people who voted for Rouhani. A reformist himself, Khatami warned that “if the nezam (establishment) insists on its mistakes… (and) reform fails, the society will move toward overthrowing the system.” The roots of Bolton’s thinking lie in a policy paper entitled US Defense Planning Guidance that has been in place since 1992. The paper stipulates that US policy is designed “to prevent any hostile power from dominating a region whose resources under consolidated control be sufficient to generate global power.” The paper goes a long way in explaining why the US and Saudi Arabia potentially would be interested in destabilising Iran by stirring unrest among its ethnic minorities. Iran scholar Shireen Hunter suggests that squashing Iran’s ambition of being a regional and global player may be one reason why senior Trump administration officials, including Bolton, Pompeo and Rudolph Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer, alongside the Saudis support the Mujahedin e-Khalq even if its domestic support base is in question. “The MEK was willing to support Saddam Hussein and cede Iran’s (oil-rich) Khuzestan province to Iraq. There is no reason to think that it won’t similarly follow US bidding,” Hunter said referring to the Mujahedeen’s support of Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. Bolton appeared to be fortifying what amounted to the most hard-line approach towards Iran in an administration that was already determined to bring Iran to its knees by elevating Charles Kupperman, a long-time associate and former Reagan administration official, to deputy national security adviser. Kupperman, a former Boeing and Lockheed Martin executive, previously served on the board for the Center for Security Policy, a far-right think tank advocating for a hawkish Iran policy founded by Frank Gaffney, a former US government official who is widely viewed as an Islamophobe and conspiracy theorist. Similarly, Trump, reportedly on Bolton’s advice, hired this month Richard Goldberg as the national security council’s director for countering Iranian weapons of mass destruction. As a staffer for former Senator Mark Kirk, Goldberg helped write legislation that served as the basis for the Obama administration’s sanctions regime on Tehran prior to the nuclear deal. He went on to work for the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, which advocates a hard line towards Iran. Earlier, Bolton hired Matthew C Freedman, who in March 2018, together with Kupperman and Bolton registered the Institute for a Secure America as a non-profit organization on the day that Trump announced Bolton’s appointment as a national security advisor. A long-standing Bolton associate and one-time member of Trump’s transition team, Freedman worked in the 1980s and 1990s as a foreign lobbyist with Paul Manafort, who managed Trump’s election campaign for several months and was last year convicted as part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into alleged collusion between the campaign and Russia to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Bolton, Kupperman and Freedman also established in 2015 the Foundation for American Security and Freedom to campaign against the Iran nuclear deal. David J Rothkopf, a former Clinton administration official who wrote a definitive history of the National Security Council described Bolton as a man “who has never crossed a bridge he hasn’t burned behind him, who is surrounding himself with what appears to be a second-tier group of advisers who have spent a disproportionate amount of time on the swamp side of things — as consultants or working on his extreme political projects.” Said journalist and political commentator Mehdi Hasan: “You underestimate John Bolton at your peril… In 2003, Bolton got the war he wanted with Iraq. As an influential, high-profile, hawkish member of the Bush administration, Bolton put pressure on intelligence analysts, threatened international officials, and told barefaced lies about weapons of mass destruction. He has never regretted his support for the illegal and catastrophic invasion of Iraq, which killed hundreds of thousands of people. Now, he wants a war with Iran.” (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Anti-nuclear deal momentum is growing in Iran

Iran on Friday said the United States is suffering from "hysteria" over its inability to find alternatives to the landmark nuclear deal it walked away from last year.

Washington "pulled out of a comprehensive and legitimate agreement achieved through negotiation, and is now afflicted with chronic hysteria as it can't find an alternative to it", foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said on his Telegram channel.

The US pulled out of the 2015 nuclear accord negotiated with Iran in May last year and reimposed punishing economic sanctions on the country.

The charge was Tehran's first reaction to anti-Iran remarks made Thursday by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Cairo while on a whistle-stop tour of the region.

Speaking at the American University, the top US diplomat said Washington was creating an anti-Iran front -- the Middle East Strategic Alliance -- bringing together Gulf countries as well as Egypt and Jordan.

"It's time for old rivalries to end, for the sake of the greater good of the region," Pompeo said.

Ghasemi called Pompeo's proposed plan "a path with no benefit for America" and said that it proves the current US administration is the enemy of Iran and its people.

Pompeo's tour is aimed at reassuring US allies after President Donald Trump's shock decision to withdraw all 2,000 American troops from Syria.

Iran on Friday said the United States is suffering from "hysteria" over its inability to find alternatives to the landmark nuclear deal it walked away from last year.

Iran on Friday said the United States is suffering from "hysteria" over its inability to find alternatives to the landmark nuclear deal it walked away from last year. Washington "pulled out of a comprehensive and legitimate agreement achieved through negotiation, and is now afflicted with chronic hysteria as it can't find an alternative to it", foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said on his Telegram channel. The US pulled out of the 2015 nuclear accord negotiated with Iran in May last year and reimposed punishing economic sanctions on the country. The charge was Tehran's first reaction to anti-Iran remarks made Thursday by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Cairo while on a whistle-stop tour of the region. Speaking at the American University, the top US diplomat said Washington was creating an anti-Iran front -- the Middle East Strategic Alliance -- bringing together Gulf countries as well as Egypt and Jordan. "It's time for old rivalries to end, for the sake of the greater good of the region," Pompeo said. Ghasemi called Pompeo's proposed plan "a path with no benefit for America" and said that it proves the current US administration is the enemy of Iran and its people. Pompeo's tour is aimed at reassuring US allies after President Donald Trump's shock decision to withdraw all 2,000 American troops from Syria.

Iran says US hit by 'hysteria' since dropping nuclear deal

Iran said on Sunday it would continue missile tests to build up its defences and denied this was in breach of UN&nbsp;resolutions following US&nbsp;allegations that Tehran had tested a new missile capable of carrying multiple warheads.

US&nbsp;Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday condemned what he called Iran's testing of a medium-range ballistic missile in violation of the 2015 international agreement on the Iranian nuclear programme, from which Washington has withdrawn.

"Missile tests...are carried out for defence and the country's deterrence, and we will continue this," Brigadier- General Abolfazl Shekarchi, spokesman for Iran's armed forces, was quoted as saying by the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

"We will continue to both develop and test missiles. This is outside the framework of (nuclear) negotiations and part of our national security, for which we will not ask any country's permission," Shekarchi said.

He did not confirm or deny Iran had tested a new missile.

Earlier, US&nbsp;National Security Adviser John Bolton tweeted: "Iran just test-fired a... ballistic missile capable of reaching Israel and Europe. This provocative behaviour cannot be tolerated."

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi also said Iranian missiles were purely defensive and added, "There is no Security Council resolution prohibiting missile programme and missile tests by Iran".

UN Resolution 2231 enshrined Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States in which Tehran curbed its disputed uranium enrichment programme in exchange for an end to international sanctions.

The resolution says Iran is "called upon" to refrain for up to eight years from work on ballistic missiles designed to deliver nuclear weapons.

Iran has repeatedly said its missile programme is purely defensive and denied that its missiles are capable of being tipped with nuclear warheads, or that it has any intent of developing nuclear weapons through uranium enrichment.

Qasemi, addressing Pompeo, said: "It is...ironic that you cite a resolution that you have not only breached through your unilateral and unlawful withdrawal form the accord, but that you also encourage others to breach, or even threaten to punish and sanction them if they carry it out."

In May, President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the nuclear deal, approved before he took office, and reimposed sanctions on Tehran. Trump said the deal was flawed as it did not include curbs on Iran's development of ballistic missiles or its support for armed proxies in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon and Iraq.

Separately, Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused the United States of arming militant groups which fight against the Tehran-backed Syrian government and the Iran-aligned Houthi movement in Yemen.

"US (is) proliferating advanced weapons to extremists incl Al Qaeda &amp; ISIS (Islamic State)," Zarif said on Twitter, referring to a British newspaper report that said many arms supplied by Britain and the United States had ended up in the hands of militias fighting in the Yemen war.

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said on Twitter that he was deeply concerned by "Iran's test-firing of a medium-range ballistic missile. Provocative, threatening and inconsistent with UNSCR 2231".

"Our support for (the Iran nuclear accord) in no way lessens our concer

Iran said on Sunday it would continue missile tests to build up its defences and denied this was in breach of UN resolutions following US allegations that Tehran had tested a new missile capable of carrying multiple warheads.

Iran said on Sunday it would continue missile tests to build up its defences and denied this was in breach of UN resolutions following US allegations that Tehran had tested a new missile capable of carrying multiple warheads. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday condemned what he called Iran's testing of a medium-range ballistic missile in violation of the 2015 international agreement on the Iranian nuclear programme, from which Washington has withdrawn. "Missile tests...are carried out for defence and the country's deterrence, and we will continue this," Brigadier- General Abolfazl Shekarchi, spokesman for Iran's armed forces, was quoted as saying by the semi-official Tasnim news agency. "We will continue to both develop and test missiles. This is outside the framework of (nuclear) negotiations and part of our national security, for which we will not ask any country's permission," Shekarchi said. He did not confirm or deny Iran had tested a new missile. Earlier, US National Security Adviser John Bolton tweeted: "Iran just test-fired a... ballistic missile capable of reaching Israel and Europe. This provocative behaviour cannot be tolerated." Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi also said Iranian missiles were purely defensive and added, "There is no Security Council resolution prohibiting missile programme and missile tests by Iran". UN Resolution 2231 enshrined Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States in which Tehran curbed its disputed uranium enrichment programme in exchange for an end to international sanctions. The resolution says Iran is "called upon" to refrain for up to eight years from work on ballistic missiles designed to deliver nuclear weapons. Iran has repeatedly said its missile programme is purely defensive and denied that its missiles are capable of being tipped with nuclear warheads, or that it has any intent of developing nuclear weapons through uranium enrichment. Qasemi, addressing Pompeo, said: "It is...ironic that you cite a resolution that you have not only breached through your unilateral and unlawful withdrawal form the accord, but that you also encourage others to breach, or even threaten to punish and sanction them if they carry it out." In May, President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the nuclear deal, approved before he took office, and reimposed sanctions on Tehran. Trump said the deal was flawed as it did not include curbs on Iran's development of ballistic missiles or its support for armed proxies in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon and Iraq. Separately, Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused the United States of arming militant groups which fight against the Tehran-backed Syrian government and the Iran-aligned Houthi movement in Yemen. "US (is) proliferating advanced weapons to extremists incl Al Qaeda & ISIS (Islamic State)," Zarif said on Twitter, referring to a British newspaper report that said many arms supplied by Britain and the United States had ended up in the hands of militias fighting in the Yemen war. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said on Twitter that he was deeply concerned by "Iran's test-firing of a medium-range ballistic missile. Provocative, threatening and inconsistent with UNSCR 2231". "Our support for (the Iran nuclear accord) in no way lessens our concer

Iran says it will continue missile tests after US allegation

Iran's parliament approved a government economic reshuffle on Saturday, days before new US&nbsp;sanctions on Tehran's oil exports take effect, after President Hassan Rouhani said Washington was isolated among its allies in its confrontation with Iran.

"It does not happen often that the US&nbsp;makes a decision and its traditional allies abandon it," Rouhani told parliament before the vote to approve the new appointments.

Academic Farhad Dejpasand, widely seen as a technocrat, received a vote of confidence by a wide margin as the new minister of economics and finance.

The reshuffle, approved in a parliamentary session carried live on state TV, also brought in new industry, labour and roads ministers.

Washington reintroduced sanctions against Iran’s currency trade, metals and auto sectors in August after it pulled out from a multinational 2015 deal that lifted sanctions in return for limits on Iran’s nuclear programme.

European countries have criticised the United States for withdrawing from the accord and have been putting together a package of economic measures to help offset the impact of US&nbsp;pressures on Tehran's economy.

Diplomats told Reuters that a new European Union mechanism to facilitate payments for Iranian exports should be legally in place by Nov. 4, when the next phase of US&nbsp;sanctions targeting Iran's vital oil exports take effect, although it will not be operational until early next year.

"Our main enemy, America, faces us with a drawn sword and we have to fight it and we have to unite. Regardless of factions ... we are all part of the Iranian nation," Rouhani said earlier, urging MPs to vote for his proposed ministers.

"Part of our economic problems has to do with the (high) rate of exchange of hard currencies, but our foreign exchange reserves are better than in any of the past five years," he said, without giving figures.

The cabinet changes come as the government faces intense pressure over the economic instability mostly caused by the US&nbsp;sanctions.

The economy has markedly deteriorated in the past year, suffering rising inflation and unemployment, a 70 per cent fall in the value of the rial currency so far this year and state corruption.

"A year ago no one would have believed ... that Europe would stand with Iran and against America," Rouhani said.

"Russia, China, India, the European Union, and some African and Latin American countries are our friends. We have to work with them and attract investments," he added.

Mohammad Shariatmadari, the outgoing industries minister, was approved to head the Labour, Cooperatives and Social Affairs Ministry.

Parliament also approved the appointment of Mohammad Eslami to head the Urban Development and Roads Ministry, while Reza Rahmani, who previously headed a parliamentary commission on mining and industry, became the new industry, mines and trade minister.

Iran's parliament approved a government economic reshuffle on Saturday, days before new US sanctions on Tehran's oil exports take effect, after President Hassan Rouhani said Washington was isolated among its allies in its confrontation with Iran.

Iran's parliament approved a government economic reshuffle on Saturday, days before new US sanctions on Tehran's oil exports take effect, after President Hassan Rouhani said Washington was isolated among its allies in its confrontation with Iran. "It does not happen often that the US makes a decision and its traditional allies abandon it," Rouhani told parliament before the vote to approve the new appointments. Academic Farhad Dejpasand, widely seen as a technocrat, received a vote of confidence by a wide margin as the new minister of economics and finance. The reshuffle, approved in a parliamentary session carried live on state TV, also brought in new industry, labour and roads ministers. Washington reintroduced sanctions against Iran’s currency trade, metals and auto sectors in August after it pulled out from a multinational 2015 deal that lifted sanctions in return for limits on Iran’s nuclear programme. European countries have criticised the United States for withdrawing from the accord and have been putting together a package of economic measures to help offset the impact of US pressures on Tehran's economy. Diplomats told Reuters that a new European Union mechanism to facilitate payments for Iranian exports should be legally in place by Nov. 4, when the next phase of US sanctions targeting Iran's vital oil exports take effect, although it will not be operational until early next year. "Our main enemy, America, faces us with a drawn sword and we have to fight it and we have to unite. Regardless of factions ... we are all part of the Iranian nation," Rouhani said earlier, urging MPs to vote for his proposed ministers. "Part of our economic problems has to do with the (high) rate of exchange of hard currencies, but our foreign exchange reserves are better than in any of the past five years," he said, without giving figures. The cabinet changes come as the government faces intense pressure over the economic instability mostly caused by the US sanctions. The economy has markedly deteriorated in the past year, suffering rising inflation and unemployment, a 70 per cent fall in the value of the rial currency so far this year and state corruption. "A year ago no one would have believed ... that Europe would stand with Iran and against America," Rouhani said. "Russia, China, India, the European Union, and some African and Latin American countries are our friends. We have to work with them and attract investments," he added. Mohammad Shariatmadari, the outgoing industries minister, was approved to head the Labour, Cooperatives and Social Affairs Ministry. Parliament also approved the appointment of Mohammad Eslami to head the Urban Development and Roads Ministry, while Reza Rahmani, who previously headed a parliamentary commission on mining and industry, became the new industry, mines and trade minister.

Rouhani reshuffles economic team, says US isolated against Iran

Iran sold oil to private buyers through its energy exchange for the first time on Sunday, as part of its efforts to counter the imminent return of US sanctions.&nbsp;

Only 280,000 barrels were sold out of one million offered, and went for $74.85 per barrel, more than $4 below the initial asking price.

The identity of the buyer remained a secret, with the conservative Fars news agency saying only that a conglomerate of private firms had made the purchase through three brokerages.

The US is set to reimpose sanctions on Iran's oil industry on November 5, following President Donald Trump's decision to walk out of the 2015 nuclear deal in May.&nbsp;

The plan to sell oil to private companies on the energy exchange was floated back in July by first vice-president Eshaq Jahangiri with the aim of "defeating America's efforts ... to stop Iran's oil exports."

The government hopes selling to private buyers, rather than direct to foreign clients, will make it harder for the US to monitor and stop its sales.&nbsp;

"With the imminent return of a new wave of sanctions, the government is determined to utilise the manoeuvering ability of the private sector to sell Iran's oil and find new markets," Hamidreza Salehi, director of Iran's energy exports federation, told semi-official news agency ILNA.

Some estimates show Iran's crude exports have already dropped by a third since May when it was selling around 2.5 million barrels per day.

The government currently intends to offer oil on the energy exchange once a week, according to Fars.&nbsp;

Its initial base price on Sunday was $79.16, but it received limited bids as much as $16 lower as trading began, the exchange's website showed.

The final buyer only emerged after the base price was dropped to $74.85 in the closing hours.

The head of Iran's securities and exchange organisation, Shapour Mohammadi, promised on Friday that the identity of the buyer would not be revealed.

Iran sold oil to private buyers through its energy exchange for the first time on Sunday, as part of its efforts to counter the imminent return of US sanctions. Only 280,000 barrels were sold out of one million offered, and went for $74.

Iran sold oil to private buyers through its energy exchange for the first time on Sunday, as part of its efforts to counter the imminent return of US sanctions. Only 280,000 barrels were sold out of one million offered, and went for $74.85 per barrel, more than $4 below the initial asking price. The identity of the buyer remained a secret, with the conservative Fars news agency saying only that a conglomerate of private firms had made the purchase through three brokerages. The US is set to reimpose sanctions on Iran's oil industry on November 5, following President Donald Trump's decision to walk out of the 2015 nuclear deal in May. The plan to sell oil to private companies on the energy exchange was floated back in July by first vice-president Eshaq Jahangiri with the aim of "defeating America's efforts ... to stop Iran's oil exports." The government hopes selling to private buyers, rather than direct to foreign clients, will make it harder for the US to monitor and stop its sales. "With the imminent return of a new wave of sanctions, the government is determined to utilise the manoeuvering ability of the private sector to sell Iran's oil and find new markets," Hamidreza Salehi, director of Iran's energy exports federation, told semi-official news agency ILNA. Some estimates show Iran's crude exports have already dropped by a third since May when it was selling around 2.5 million barrels per day. The government currently intends to offer oil on the energy exchange once a week, according to Fars. Its initial base price on Sunday was $79.16, but it received limited bids as much as $16 lower as trading began, the exchange's website showed. The final buyer only emerged after the base price was dropped to $74.85 in the closing hours. The head of Iran's securities and exchange organisation, Shapour Mohammadi, promised on Friday that the identity of the buyer would not be revealed.

Iran sells oil on exchange in bid to counter sanctions

By Giorgio Cafiero 
 
On October 1, Iran carried out six missile strikes against Islamic State (IS) targets in Abu Kamal, situated in eastern Syria near the Iraqi border. Iran’s state-owned television showed one missile carrying slogans “Death to America,” “Death to Israel” and “Death to al Saud.” The bold move was officially a retaliation for the deadly attack in Ahvaz, in the Iranian Province of Khuzestan, nine days earlier, which the Iranian leadership blames on IS.&nbsp;

In addition to killing “many terrorists” in Abu Kamal, as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed, the missiles also eviscerated stockpiles of the Islamic State’s ammunition and infrastructure. By firing missiles over Iraq into Syria, the Iranians delivered a powerful message to Washington at a time when the Trump administration ratchets up its aggression against the Islamic Republic.

Put simply, the message is that five months after the US withdrew from the Joint Plan of Comprehensive Action (JCPOA), better known as the Iran nuclear deal, Tehran will not change its regional conduct or cave in to pressure from the United States, Israel and certain Arab Gulf states. When it comes to Syria, Iran is set to remain in the country despite the White House’s stated goal to cause a retreat of Iranian forces and proxies. As Tehran begins conducting a more muscular and “offensive” approach in the region following America’s JCPOA decision, hardline elements within the Iranian regime — chiefly within the IRGC, which carried out the October 1 missile strikes — are being empowered.

Also, the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) October 3 ruling ordered Washington to ensure that its anti-Iran sanctions do not harm humanitarian assistance or civil aviation security. This left officials in Tehran more determined to stay their rigid course even if the ICJ lacks the teeth to enforce the ruling against the United States, which was rejected by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Other recent instances of Tehran acting confidently against perceived security menaces and asserting a stronger regional clout came on September 8 when Iran killed at least 11 people in long-range missile attacks on the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan’s headquarters in Koya, Iraq, which belongs to the Kurdistan Regional Government. During the previous month, Iranian officials stated that over the previous several months, Iran’s military had transferred several dozen short-range ballistic missiles to Tehran-sponsored Shia militias in Iraq to deter attacks against Iran’s homeland. Depending on from where in Iraq they are placed, these missiles (Zelzal, Fateh-110 and Zolfaqar) can reach both the Saudi and Israeli capitals.

Pressures within Iran

Such acts, along with the Iranian intelligence ministry’s alleged role in the foiled plot to attack a gathering by the militant Iranian opposition group Mujahedeen-e Khalq in France in June, illustrate how hardliners within the Islamic Republic are demonstrating more will to operate with greater autonomy from the central government, without obtaining permission before acting in the region. As the Iranian economy continues to suffer many ills, from rising unemployment and inflation to excess liquidity, as Washington’s sanctions continue to hurt the country, President Hassan Rouhani appears to find himself in a difficult political situation. That the parliament has summoned Rouhani to provide answers to questions about the country’s economic crises, and with a number of voices calling for his impeachment, the extent to which his centrist government has failed to meet the average Iranian citizen’s expectations about the economic rewards that JCPOA was to bring is clearly highlighted.

As such pressures within Iran intensify, moderate elements within the government struggle to maintain relevance in the country’s political arena. With nationalist sentiments on the rise, moderates have been prompted to align, at least to some degree, with hardliners in support of Tehran’s assertive conduct across the region. For the Iranian leadership, given the Trump administration’s rhetoric and conduct that leave many Iranians fearing a US-orchestrated regime change plot, engaging the White House at this point would be humiliating, particularly given how anti-Iranian Trump’s foreign policy has been since he entered the Oval Office.

Now with the Trump administration calling on Iran to leave Syria, and with a number of Sunni Arab states appearing set on welcoming the regime of Bashar al-Assad back from the cold, the White House, along with its Arab Gulf allies, seems optimistic about plans to accept Assad staying in power for the long term, but only with his regime putting space between itself and Iran. IRGC leaders, however, have declared that Iranian forces will remain in Syria as long as the Damascus regime demands their presence. Given how much Assad owes Iran for his survival, it is difficult to imagine the Syrian regime being in any position to push out the Iranians, who currently wield unprecedented influence over the Baathist order in Damascus.

Further Away from Diplomacy 
 
That Iran’s missiles landed within three miles of US troops in Syria on October 1 shows how grave the risks are of intense friction originating in Washington and Tehran spiralling out of control in the Middle East. With US National Security Adviser John Bolton declaring on September 24 that the US military would remain in Syria “as long as Iranian troops are outside Iranian borders and that includes Iranian proxies and militias,” the 2,000 US troops currently in the country face a likelier possibility of a direct confrontation with Iran’s roughly 10,000 IRGC forces in Syria.

Doubtless, Syria will remain a major point of contention between the US and Iran. Even when bilateral relations were at their warmest after the signing of the Iran nuclear deal in 2015 while Barack Obama was in the White House, Washington and Tehran had serious conflicts of interest in Syria notwithstanding their mutual interest in defeating IS. The JCPOA resolved neither both sides’ opposing stakes in the Syrian crisis nor any other non-nuclear issue. Yet the nuclear deal afforded both the US and Iran the means to build on some degree of trust to work toward finding common ground on such regional issues such as Syria, along with Iraq, Yemen and Afghanistan.

Without the JCPOA as a foundation, Washington and Tehran are set to address their conflicting interests in Syria on terms that move farther away from diplomatic strategies, raising serious risks of an American-Iranian war that could bring far more devastation and instability to the Middle East than the US-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. 
 
(Giorgio Cafiero is the founder and CEO of Gulf State Analytics, a geopolitical risk consultancy based in Washington, DC)

(This article was originally published on Fair Observer. Read the <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/middle_east_north_africa/syria-iran-nuclear-deal-us-middle-east-politics-news-10891/">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

 
&nbsp;

By Giorgio Cafiero On October 1, Iran carried out six missile strikes against Islamic State (IS) targets in Abu Kamal, situated in eastern Syria near the Iraqi border.

By Giorgio Cafiero On October 1, Iran carried out six missile strikes against Islamic State (IS) targets in Abu Kamal, situated in eastern Syria near the Iraqi border. Iran’s state-owned television showed one missile carrying slogans “Death to America,” “Death to Israel” and “Death to al Saud.” The bold move was officially a retaliation for the deadly attack in Ahvaz, in the Iranian Province of Khuzestan, nine days earlier, which the Iranian leadership blames on IS. In addition to killing “many terrorists” in Abu Kamal, as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed, the missiles also eviscerated stockpiles of the Islamic State’s ammunition and infrastructure. By firing missiles over Iraq into Syria, the Iranians delivered a powerful message to Washington at a time when the Trump administration ratchets up its aggression against the Islamic Republic. Put simply, the message is that five months after the US withdrew from the Joint Plan of Comprehensive Action (JCPOA), better known as the Iran nuclear deal, Tehran will not change its regional conduct or cave in to pressure from the United States, Israel and certain Arab Gulf states. When it comes to Syria, Iran is set to remain in the country despite the White House’s stated goal to cause a retreat of Iranian forces and proxies. As Tehran begins conducting a more muscular and “offensive” approach in the region following America’s JCPOA decision, hardline elements within the Iranian regime — chiefly within the IRGC, which carried out the October 1 missile strikes — are being empowered. Also, the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) October 3 ruling ordered Washington to ensure that its anti-Iran sanctions do not harm humanitarian assistance or civil aviation security. This left officials in Tehran more determined to stay their rigid course even if the ICJ lacks the teeth to enforce the ruling against the United States, which was rejected by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Other recent instances of Tehran acting confidently against perceived security menaces and asserting a stronger regional clout came on September 8 when Iran killed at least 11 people in long-range missile attacks on the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan’s headquarters in Koya, Iraq, which belongs to the Kurdistan Regional Government. During the previous month, Iranian officials stated that over the previous several months, Iran’s military had transferred several dozen short-range ballistic missiles to Tehran-sponsored Shia militias in Iraq to deter attacks against Iran’s homeland. Depending on from where in Iraq they are placed, these missiles (Zelzal, Fateh-110 and Zolfaqar) can reach both the Saudi and Israeli capitals. Pressures within Iran Such acts, along with the Iranian intelligence ministry’s alleged role in the foiled plot to attack a gathering by the militant Iranian opposition group Mujahedeen-e Khalq in France in June, illustrate how hardliners within the Islamic Republic are demonstrating more will to operate with greater autonomy from the central government, without obtaining permission before acting in the region. As the Iranian economy continues to suffer many ills, from rising unemployment and inflation to excess liquidity, as Washington’s sanctions continue to hurt the country, President Hassan Rouhani appears to find himself in a difficult political situation. That the parliament has summoned Rouhani to provide answers to questions about the country’s economic crises, and with a number of voices calling for his impeachment, the extent to which his centrist government has failed to meet the average Iranian citizen’s expectations about the economic rewards that JCPOA was to bring is clearly highlighted. As such pressures within Iran intensify, moderate elements within the government struggle to maintain relevance in the country’s political arena. With nationalist sentiments on the rise, moderates have been prompted to align, at least to some degree, with hardliners in support of Tehran’s assertive conduct across the region. For the Iranian leadership, given the Trump administration’s rhetoric and conduct that leave many Iranians fearing a US-orchestrated regime change plot, engaging the White House at this point would be humiliating, particularly given how anti-Iranian Trump’s foreign policy has been since he entered the Oval Office. Now with the Trump administration calling on Iran to leave Syria, and with a number of Sunni Arab states appearing set on welcoming the regime of Bashar al-Assad back from the cold, the White House, along with its Arab Gulf allies, seems optimistic about plans to accept Assad staying in power for the long term, but only with his regime putting space between itself and Iran. IRGC leaders, however, have declared that Iranian forces will remain in Syria as long as the Damascus regime demands their presence. Given how much Assad owes Iran for his survival, it is difficult to imagine the Syrian regime being in any position to push out the Iranians, who currently wield unprecedented influence over the Baathist order in Damascus. Further Away from Diplomacy That Iran’s missiles landed within three miles of US troops in Syria on October 1 shows how grave the risks are of intense friction originating in Washington and Tehran spiralling out of control in the Middle East. With US National Security Adviser John Bolton declaring on September 24 that the US military would remain in Syria “as long as Iranian troops are outside Iranian borders and that includes Iranian proxies and militias,” the 2,000 US troops currently in the country face a likelier possibility of a direct confrontation with Iran’s roughly 10,000 IRGC forces in Syria. Doubtless, Syria will remain a major point of contention between the US and Iran. Even when bilateral relations were at their warmest after the signing of the Iran nuclear deal in 2015 while Barack Obama was in the White House, Washington and Tehran had serious conflicts of interest in Syria notwithstanding their mutual interest in defeating IS. The JCPOA resolved neither both sides’ opposing stakes in the Syrian crisis nor any other non-nuclear issue. Yet the nuclear deal afforded both the US and Iran the means to build on some degree of trust to work toward finding common ground on such regional issues such as Syria, along with Iraq, Yemen and Afghanistan. Without the JCPOA as a foundation, Washington and Tehran are set to address their conflicting interests in Syria on terms that move farther away from diplomatic strategies, raising serious risks of an American-Iranian war that could bring far more devastation and instability to the Middle East than the US-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. (Giorgio Cafiero is the founder and CEO of Gulf State Analytics, a geopolitical risk consultancy based in Washington, DC) (This article was originally published on Fair Observer. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Iran delivers powerful message to US on Syria

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/why-this-storm-just-before-general-elections-mj-akbar-to-take-legal-action-over-sexual-assault-allegations-171421">'Why this storm just before general elections?' MJ Akbar issues </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/why-this-storm-just-before-general-elections-mj-akbar-to-take-legal-action-over-sexual-assault-allegations-171421">statement,</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/why-this-storm-just-before-general-elections-mj-akbar-to-take-legal-action-over-sexual-assault-allegations-171421"> moves for legal action</a>

Shortly after returning to India, Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar on Sunday released a detailed statement over sexual harassment allegations against him describing them as "false and fabricated." According to reports, the minister is set to take legal action against accusations made against him.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-is-loser-by-abandoning-iran-nuclear-deal-rouhani-171418">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-is-loser-by-abandoning-iran-nuclear-deal-rouhani-171418"> is </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-is-loser-by-abandoning-iran-nuclear-deal-rouhani-171418">loser</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-is-loser-by-abandoning-iran-nuclear-deal-rouhani-171418"> by abandoning Iran nuclear deal: Iranian President Rouhani</a>

Iran's president boasted Sunday that the United States has lost against the Islamic republic's "righteousness and wisdom" by walking out of the landmark nuclear deal.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-dismisses-threat-of-sanctions-over-khashoggi-warn-of-retaliation-171430">Saudi dismisses </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-dismisses-threat-of-sanctions-over-khashoggi-warn-of-retaliation-171430">threat</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-dismisses-threat-of-sanctions-over-khashoggi-warn-of-retaliation-171430"> of sanctions over Khashoggi, warns of retaliation</a>

Saudi Arabia on Sunday dismissed threats of sanctions over the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi adding that it will retaliate if any such action is taken against the oil-rich country.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/zombie-storm-leslie-smashes-into-portugal-spain-171434">'Zombie' storm Leslie smashes into Portugal, Spain</a>

Storms packing nearly 180 kilometre-per-hour winds hit Portugal early Sunday leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power before carrying heavy rain on into Spain, authorities said.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/maldives-judges-hear-strongmans-election-challenge-171447">Maldives judges hear strongman's election challenge</a>

Maldives judges on Sunday heard a petition by strongman president Abdulla Yameen to have his recent election defeat annulled, potentially triggering US sanctions and plunging the archipelago into fresh turmoil.

'Why this storm just before general elections?' MJ Akbar issues statement, moves for legal action Shortly after returning to India, Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar on Sunday released a detailed statement over sexual harassment allegations against him describing them as "false and fabricated.

'Why this storm just before general elections?' MJ Akbar issues statement, moves for legal action Shortly after returning to India, Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar on Sunday released a detailed statement over sexual harassment allegations against him describing them as "false and fabricated." According to reports, the minister is set to take legal action against accusations made against him. US is loser by abandoning Iran nuclear deal: Iranian President Rouhani Iran's president boasted Sunday that the United States has lost against the Islamic republic's "righteousness and wisdom" by walking out of the landmark nuclear deal. Saudi dismisses threat of sanctions over Khashoggi, warns of retaliation Saudi Arabia on Sunday dismissed threats of sanctions over the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi adding that it will retaliate if any such action is taken against the oil-rich country. 'Zombie' storm Leslie smashes into Portugal, Spain Storms packing nearly 180 kilometre-per-hour winds hit Portugal early Sunday leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power before carrying heavy rain on into Spain, authorities said. Maldives judges hear strongman's election challenge Maldives judges on Sunday heard a petition by strongman president Abdulla Yameen to have his recent election defeat annulled, potentially triggering US sanctions and plunging the archipelago into fresh turmoil.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Iran's president boasted Sunday that the United States has lost against the Islamic republic's "righteousness and wisdom" by walking out of the landmark nuclear deal.

"Everyone knows that America has lost legally and politically by giving up on its international obligations and that we have achieved victory," said President Hassan Rouhani in a speech at the University of Tehran to mark the beginning of the school year.

"There are but a few countries in the world that would call the US withdrawal from the JCPOA (nuclear deal) a good move," he added.

"Those that are cautious express disappointment, those that are more frank say it was a mistake, and the outspoken say it was illegal."

Washington pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers in May and is reimposing punishing sanctions on the country, hoping to pressure Tehran into what President Donald Trump calls a "better deal".

The US is due to complete the reimposition of sanctions on November 5, targeting Iran's oil sector and central bank.

The other parties to the agreement -- Russia, China, the UK, France and Germany -- have all pledged to continue to try to make the deal work, despite their firms being vulnerable to the US sanctions if they keep doing business with Iran.

Rouhani said Iran's response had left Washington "empty-handed".

"They expected us to leave the JCPOA hours after they announced they are, and what would have happened? The case would have returned to the UN Security Council, turned against Iran and isolated us," he said.&nbsp;

He said Iran had lost nothing by staying in the deal and could leave "whenever" it chooses.

Iran's president boasted Sunday that the United States has lost against the Islamic republic's "righteousness and wisdom" by walking out of the landmark nuclear deal.

Iran's president boasted Sunday that the United States has lost against the Islamic republic's "righteousness and wisdom" by walking out of the landmark nuclear deal. "Everyone knows that America has lost legally and politically by giving up on its international obligations and that we have achieved victory," said President Hassan Rouhani in a speech at the University of Tehran to mark the beginning of the school year. "There are but a few countries in the world that would call the US withdrawal from the JCPOA (nuclear deal) a good move," he added. "Those that are cautious express disappointment, those that are more frank say it was a mistake, and the outspoken say it was illegal." Washington pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers in May and is reimposing punishing sanctions on the country, hoping to pressure Tehran into what President Donald Trump calls a "better deal". The US is due to complete the reimposition of sanctions on November 5, targeting Iran's oil sector and central bank. The other parties to the agreement -- Russia, China, the UK, France and Germany -- have all pledged to continue to try to make the deal work, despite their firms being vulnerable to the US sanctions if they keep doing business with Iran. Rouhani said Iran's response had left Washington "empty-handed". "They expected us to leave the JCPOA hours after they announced they are, and what would have happened? The case would have returned to the UN Security Council, turned against Iran and isolated us," he said. He said Iran had lost nothing by staying in the deal and could leave "whenever" it chooses.

US is loser by abandoning Iran nuclear deal: Iranian President Rouhani

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Iran nuclear deal joint commission meets in Vienna without US

Bid by 'enemies' to sabotage missiles foiled: Iran Revolutionary Guards

Iran adhering to terms of 2015 nuclear deal: UN atomic watchdog

Iran President Rouhani says Iran ready to improve ties with Gulf states

Pence calls for EU to leave Iran nuclear deal, recognise Guaido as Venezuelan president

Firmly support EU efforts to safeguard Iran nuclear deal: China

In line with US sanctions, China dramatically reduces trade with Tehran

Will be creating independent European financial institution to trade with Iran: France

Iranian youths want to speak their mind