International sanctions could be reimposed on Iran if it reneges on commitments under its nuclear deal, sources at the French presidency said on Tuesday after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-to-reduce-nuclear-commitments-state-media-216851">Tehran said it would scale back its compliance</a> a year after Washington pulled out.

The US military said on Tuesday that B-52 bombers would 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&nbsp;forces there.

Iran dismissed announcement of a US aircraft carrier deployment as old news, recycled for psychological warfare, and said it would soon announce plans to roll back some of its commitments under the 2015 deal.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pompeo-in-baghdad-on-unannounced-visit-iraq-government-source-216847">unannounced visit to Iran`s neighbour Iraq </a>on Tuesday and met with the Iraqi prime minister after telling reporters Washington was concerned about Iraqi sovereignty because of increasing Iranian activity.

He said afterwards he had talked to the Iraqis about the importance of Iraq ensuring it was able to protect Americans in the country and said he hoped the US&nbsp;deployments would make "the Iranians think twice about attacking American interests."

He said the Pentagon had warned of very specific threats "that were going to happen fairly soon."

"We’ve learned about them and we’re taking every action to deter them," he said.

Asked about Iran`s warning that it would soon announce plans to roll back some of its 2015 commitments, Pompeo said,&nbsp;"We`ll obviously have to wait and see what they choose to do. ... I think everyone will look at the Iranians` decision and to make their own assessment of how much increased risk there is."

Tensions have risen on the eve of the anniversary of President Donald Trump`s withdrawal from the agreement, under which Iran agreed to curbs on its nuclear programme in return for the lifting of international sanctions.

The Trump administration has restored US sanctions and extended them, effectively ordering countries around the world to stop buying Iranian oil or face sanctions of their own.

Iran has continued complying with the deal. Washington`s European allies, which oppose the US&nbsp;pullout, have tried and failed to come up with ways to blunt the economic impact of the US&nbsp;move while urging Iran to continue to comply.

Iranian media reported that Tehran would write to the countries still signed up to the deal - US&nbsp;allies Britain, France and Germany as well as Russia and China - on Wednesday to give them details about plans to "diminish its commitments" under the deal.

Iranian state news reports have said Iran does not plan to pull out, but will revive some nuclear activity that was halted under the deal.

A French presidential source said the European countries did not yet know precisely what steps Iran was now planning, but they could have to reimpose sanctions on Iran if those steps amount to reneging.

"We do not want Tehran to announce tomorrow actions that would violate the nuclear agreement, because in this case we Europeans would be obliged to reimpose sanctions as per the terms of the agreement," the source said.

"We sent messages to Tehran to say that we were determined to implement the agreement, that we really wanted them to stay in this agreement even though we took into account the complexity of the situation and passed on the same messages to our American allies," the source said.

A second French official later said that if Tehran failed to comply with the deal, the issue would be treated through a dispute mechanism under the accord itself, which could lead to the reimposition of UN&nbsp;Security Council sanctions.&nbsp;

US officials have spoken in recent days of intelligence suggesting a military threat from Iran, although they have not given specific details.

"PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE"

Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said on Monday he had approved dispatching the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike force and bombers due to indications of a "credible threat by Iranian regime forces".&nbsp;

While he gave no details, US&nbsp;officials have told Reuters there were "multiple, credible threats" against US forces on land, including in Iraq, by Iran and proxy forces, and at sea.

US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said four B-52s would be deployed to the region, though that number could change. The United States has regularly maintained a bomber presence in the region, and B-1 bombers were there as recently as last month.&nbsp;

Keyvan Khosravi, spokesman for Iran`s Supreme National Security Council, said the Abraham Lincoln was already due in the Gulf and dismissed the announcement as a "clumsy" attempt to recycle old news for "psychological warfare."

On Tuesday, the Pentagon 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 the tensions with Iran.

The United States typically rotates an aircraft carrier in the Gulf to serve as the flagship of its Fifth Fleet based in Bahrain. The previous carrier in the area, the John C Stennis, left in April to sail for home at the end of its deployment.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter,&nbsp;"If US&nbsp;and clients don`t feel safe, it`s because they`re despised by the people of the region - blaming Iran won’t reverse that."

Iran`s state-run Press TV earlier said,&nbsp;"The deployment seems to be a `regularly scheduled` one by the US Navy, and Bolton has just tried to talk it up." 
A military adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Washington was "neither willing nor capable" of military action against Iran, the semi-official news agency ISNA reported.

Unnerved by the war of words, Iran’s rial currency extended its fall on Tuesday, hovering around a seven-month low of 150,500 against the dollar on the unofficial market, foreign exchange websites reported.

Since withdrawing from the nuclear deal, Washington has given waivers to some countries, mainly in Asia, to keep buying Iranian oil for a limited time. But last week it said it would now end the waivers to reduce Iran`s crude exports to zero.

The administration also blacklisted Iran`s elite Revolutionary Guard Corps as terrorists. The Guards control a large swathe of Iranian industry, so their blacklisting could make it harder for foreign companies to do business with Iran.

Iran has responded by declaring all US&nbsp;forces in the Middle East to be terrorists. It has also made threats to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf if Tehran were barred from using it. Around 30 per cent of the world`s seaborne oil exports pass through the strait.

International sanctions could be reimposed on Iran if it reneges on commitments under its nuclear deal, sources at the French presidency said on Tuesday after Tehran said it would scale back its compliance a year after Washington pulled out.

International sanctions could be reimposed on Iran if it reneges on commitments under its nuclear deal, sources at the French presidency said on Tuesday after Tehran said it would scale back its compliance a year after Washington pulled out. The US military said on Tuesday that B-52 bombers would 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. Iran dismissed announcement of a US aircraft carrier deployment as old news, recycled for psychological warfare, and said it would soon announce plans to roll back some of its commitments under the 2015 deal. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made an unannounced visit to Iran`s neighbour Iraq on Tuesday and met with the Iraqi prime minister after telling reporters Washington was concerned about Iraqi sovereignty because of increasing Iranian activity. He said afterwards he had talked to the Iraqis about the importance of Iraq ensuring it was able to protect Americans in the country and said he hoped the US deployments would make "the Iranians think twice about attacking American interests." He said the Pentagon had warned of very specific threats "that were going to happen fairly soon." "We’ve learned about them and we’re taking every action to deter them," he said. Asked about Iran`s warning that it would soon announce plans to roll back some of its 2015 commitments, Pompeo said, "We`ll obviously have to wait and see what they choose to do. ... I think everyone will look at the Iranians` decision and to make their own assessment of how much increased risk there is." Tensions have risen on the eve of the anniversary of President Donald Trump`s withdrawal from the agreement, under which Iran agreed to curbs on its nuclear programme in return for the lifting of international sanctions. The Trump administration has restored US sanctions and extended them, effectively ordering countries around the world to stop buying Iranian oil or face sanctions of their own. Iran has continued complying with the deal. Washington`s European allies, which oppose the US pullout, have tried and failed to come up with ways to blunt the economic impact of the US move while urging Iran to continue to comply. Iranian media reported that Tehran would write to the countries still signed up to the deal - US allies Britain, France and Germany as well as Russia and China - on Wednesday to give them details about plans to "diminish its commitments" under the deal. Iranian state news reports have said Iran does not plan to pull out, but will revive some nuclear activity that was halted under the deal. A French presidential source said the European countries did not yet know precisely what steps Iran was now planning, but they could have to reimpose sanctions on Iran if those steps amount to reneging. "We do not want Tehran to announce tomorrow actions that would violate the nuclear agreement, because in this case we Europeans would be obliged to reimpose sanctions as per the terms of the agreement," the source said. "We sent messages to Tehran to say that we were determined to implement the agreement, that we really wanted them to stay in this agreement even though we took into account the complexity of the situation and passed on the same messages to our American allies," the source said. A second French official later said that if Tehran failed to comply with the deal, the issue would be treated through a dispute mechanism under the accord itself, which could lead to the reimposition of UN Security Council sanctions. US officials have spoken in recent days of intelligence suggesting a military threat from Iran, although they have not given specific details. "PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE" Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said on Monday he had approved dispatching the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike force and bombers due to indications of a "credible threat by Iranian regime forces". While he gave no details, US officials have told Reuters there were "multiple, credible threats" against US forces on land, including in Iraq, by Iran and proxy forces, and at sea. US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said four B-52s would be deployed to the region, though that number could change. The United States has regularly maintained a bomber presence in the region, and B-1 bombers were there as recently as last month. Keyvan Khosravi, spokesman for Iran`s Supreme National Security Council, said the Abraham Lincoln was already due in the Gulf and dismissed the announcement as a "clumsy" attempt to recycle old news for "psychological warfare." On Tuesday, the Pentagon 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 the tensions with Iran. The United States typically rotates an aircraft carrier in the Gulf to serve as the flagship of its Fifth Fleet based in Bahrain. The previous carrier in the area, the John C Stennis, left in April to sail for home at the end of its deployment. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter, "If US and clients don`t feel safe, it`s because they`re despised by the people of the region - blaming Iran won’t reverse that." Iran`s state-run Press TV earlier said, "The deployment seems to be a `regularly scheduled` one by the US Navy, and Bolton has just tried to talk it up." A military adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Washington was "neither willing nor capable" of military action against Iran, the semi-official news agency ISNA reported. Unnerved by the war of words, Iran’s rial currency extended its fall on Tuesday, hovering around a seven-month low of 150,500 against the dollar on the unofficial market, foreign exchange websites reported. Since withdrawing from the nuclear deal, Washington has given waivers to some countries, mainly in Asia, to keep buying Iranian oil for a limited time. But last week it said it would now end the waivers to reduce Iran`s crude exports to zero. The administration also blacklisted Iran`s elite Revolutionary Guard Corps as terrorists. The Guards control a large swathe of Iranian industry, so their blacklisting could make it harder for foreign companies to do business with Iran. Iran has responded by declaring all US forces in the Middle East to be terrorists. It has also made threats to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf if Tehran were barred from using it. Around 30 per cent of the world`s seaborne oil exports pass through the strait.

France suggests sanctions could be reimposed if Iran reneges on deal

Iran will reduce some of its commitments to the nuclear deal in response to the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-president-donald-trump-aims-to-bring-irans-oil-exports-down-to-zero-216628">United States</a>' decision to withdraw from the accord, state news agency IRNA said on Tuesday.

"This will be communicated to the ambassadors of the five countries" still party to the deal -- Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia -- at a meeting on Wednesday with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, IRNA reported.

Watch-<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-understanding-trumps-sustained-attacks-on-iran-216518">Gravitas: Understanding Trump's Sustained Attacks On Iran</a>

A foreign diplomat in Tehran confirmed to AFP that the ambassadors of the five countries had been invited to a meeting with Araghchi on Wednesday at the foreign ministry.

The US unilaterally withdrew on May 8, 2018 from the 2015 multilateral deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) under which Iran agreed to halt its nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of biting sanctions.

President Hassan Rouhani is also set to send a letter to the five countries' heads of state in order to "clearly emphasise how much Iran has commanded patience regarding the JCPOA," IRNA reported.

"But opportunities have been lost, and the counterparts have been unable to live up to their commitments in the JCPOA, in a way that Iran is left no way but to reduce its commitments," the news agency said, adding that Rouhani's letter would be a "political" one.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was also expected to explain the "technical and legal details of reduction of Iran's commitments" in a separate letter to Federica Mogherini, the European Union's foreign affairs chief.

According to IRNA, Iran would reduce its commitments in two phases, with the second coming two months after the first.

"If the counterparts do undertake any new measures Iran will return to the previous situation" before it cut its commitments, it reported, without elaborating on which commitments Iran would step back from.

"Iran's clear request is for the banking and oil situation to return to before the US withdrawal" in May 2018, IRNA said.

The three European parties to the deal -- Britain, France and Germany -- tried to save the accord with a trade mechanism meant to bypass reimposed US sanctions, but their attempt was dismissed by Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a "bitter joke".

Iran will reduce some of its commitments to the nuclear deal in response to the United States' decision to withdraw from the accord, state news agency IRNA said on Tuesday.

Iran will reduce some of its commitments to the nuclear deal in response to the United States' decision to withdraw from the accord, state news agency IRNA said on Tuesday. "This will be communicated to the ambassadors of the five countries" still party to the deal -- Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia -- at a meeting on Wednesday with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, IRNA reported. Watch-Gravitas: Understanding Trump's Sustained Attacks On Iran A foreign diplomat in Tehran confirmed to AFP that the ambassadors of the five countries had been invited to a meeting with Araghchi on Wednesday at the foreign ministry. The US unilaterally withdrew on May 8, 2018 from the 2015 multilateral deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) under which Iran agreed to halt its nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of biting sanctions. President Hassan Rouhani is also set to send a letter to the five countries' heads of state in order to "clearly emphasise how much Iran has commanded patience regarding the JCPOA," IRNA reported. "But opportunities have been lost, and the counterparts have been unable to live up to their commitments in the JCPOA, in a way that Iran is left no way but to reduce its commitments," the news agency said, adding that Rouhani's letter would be a "political" one. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was also expected to explain the "technical and legal details of reduction of Iran's commitments" in a separate letter to Federica Mogherini, the European Union's foreign affairs chief. According to IRNA, Iran would reduce its commitments in two phases, with the second coming two months after the first. "If the counterparts do undertake any new measures Iran will return to the previous situation" before it cut its commitments, it reported, without elaborating on which commitments Iran would step back from. "Iran's clear request is for the banking and oil situation to return to before the US withdrawal" in May 2018, IRNA said. The three European parties to the deal -- Britain, France and Germany -- tried to save the accord with a trade mechanism meant to bypass reimposed US sanctions, but their attempt was dismissed by Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a "bitter joke".

Iran to reduce nuclear commitments: State media

Iran announced on Wednesday it was scaling back curbs to its<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-will-not-allow-nuclear-armed-iran-benjamin-netanyahu-216991"> nuclear programme</a> under a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-will-resume-uranium-enrichment-if-world-powers-do-not-keep-nuclear-agreement-promise-rouhani-216939">2015 deal </a>with world powers and threatened to do more -- including enriching uranium to a higher level -- if countries did not shield it from US sanctions.

A year after Washington pulled out of the nuclear deal with Iran, President Hassan Rouhani unveiled measures that do not appear to violate the deal's terms yet, but could do so in the future if Iran were to persist on the course he set out.

Rouhani said Tehran would halt a programme to sell excess enriched uranium and heavy water to other countries, an arrangement used under the nuclear deal to keep its own stockpiles below permitted caps.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/report-iran-to-reduce-commitments-to-2015-nuclear-deal-216930/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

And he threatened that in 60 days Iran would resume enrichment of uranium beyond the low level permitted under the deal, unless the five other powers signed up to it find a way to protect Iran's oil and banking industries from US sanctions.

"If the five countries came to the negotiating table and we reached an agreement, and if they could protect our interests in the oil and banking sectors, we will go back to square one," Rouhani said.

"The Iranian people and the world should know that today is not the end of the&nbsp;Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action&nbsp;(JCPOA)," he said, using the acronym for the nuclear deal. "These are actions in line with the JCPOA."

The 2015 deal was signed between Iran, the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany. Iran agreed to curbs on its nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions.

Washington's European allies opposed President Donald Trump's decision to pull out. They have tried to find ways to blunt the economic impact of new US sanctions in the hope of persuading Tehran to continue to abide by it. However, their efforts have largely failed, with all major European companies abandoning plans to do business with Iran for fear of US punishment.

France's defence minister said she wanted to keep the nuclear deal alive and warned Iran it could face more sanctions if it did not honour its part of the deal.

"Today nothing would be worse than Iran, itself, leaving this agreement," Florence Parly told BFM TV.

China said the agreement should be implemented and called on all sides to avoid an escalation of tensions.

Tensions

The weeks leading up to the anniversary of Trump's withdrawal from the agreement have seen a sharp tightening of US sanctions and an increase in tensions on other fronts.

From this month, Washington has effectively ordered countries around the world to stop buying any Iranian oil or face sanctions of their own, revoking waivers that had allowed some countries to continue buying Iranian oil. It says it aims to reduce Iranian crude exports to zero.

Washington has also blacklisted Iran's Revolutionary Guards force as a terrorist organisation and Iran responded with threats to close the Gulf's strait of Hormuz if its ships were blocked there.

Washington announced the deployment of an aircraft carrier to the Gulf to counter what it says are Iranian threats. Tehran says the USS Abraham Lincoln is replacing another carrier that had already left the area under a scheduled rotation and calls the announcement "psychological warfare" based on old news.

The looming total ban on oil sales is likely to sharply increase the economic hardship for Iran's 80 million people, and finding a response is the biggest test yet for Rouhani, a pragmatist who has faced strong opposition from the hardline faction of Iran's leadership throughout his six years in office.

The nuclear deal was the flagship policy of Rouhani, who won two landslide elections on promises to end Iran's isolation and open its economy up to the world. The ultimate authority in Iran is in the hands of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, a cleric in power since 1989, who signed off on the nuclear deal but remains close to the hardline faction that challenges Rouhani.

Washington's European allies say Trump's repudiation of the deal hurts the pragmatic wing of Iran's leadership and plays into the hands of hardliners. It means ordinary Iranians see no economic benefits from Rouhani's efforts to open the country.

The Trump administration argues that the deal, negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama, was flawed because it is not permanent, does not address Iran's missile programme and does not punish Iran for meddling in the affairs of other countries.

Trump's hard line is backed by Israel and by Washington's Arab allies in the Gulf, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which see Iran as a foe and which gain leverage over global oil prices by keeping Iranian crude off the market.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted: "After a year of patience, Iran stops measures that US has made impossible to continue." Zarif said the remaining countries had a "narrowing window" to save the deal. 
&nbsp;

Iran announced on Wednesday it was scaling back curbs to its nuclear programme under a 2015 deal with world powers and threatened to do more -- including enriching uranium to a higher level -- if countries did not shield it from US sanctions.

Iran announced on Wednesday it was scaling back curbs to its nuclear programme under a 2015 deal with world powers and threatened to do more -- including enriching uranium to a higher level -- if countries did not shield it from US sanctions. A year after Washington pulled out of the nuclear deal with Iran, President Hassan Rouhani unveiled measures that do not appear to violate the deal's terms yet, but could do so in the future if Iran were to persist on the course he set out. Rouhani said Tehran would halt a programme to sell excess enriched uranium and heavy water to other countries, an arrangement used under the nuclear deal to keep its own stockpiles below permitted caps. × And he threatened that in 60 days Iran would resume enrichment of uranium beyond the low level permitted under the deal, unless the five other powers signed up to it find a way to protect Iran's oil and banking industries from US sanctions. "If the five countries came to the negotiating table and we reached an agreement, and if they could protect our interests in the oil and banking sectors, we will go back to square one," Rouhani said. "The Iranian people and the world should know that today is not the end of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)," he said, using the acronym for the nuclear deal. "These are actions in line with the JCPOA." The 2015 deal was signed between Iran, the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany. Iran agreed to curbs on its nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions. Washington's European allies opposed President Donald Trump's decision to pull out. They have tried to find ways to blunt the economic impact of new US sanctions in the hope of persuading Tehran to continue to abide by it. However, their efforts have largely failed, with all major European companies abandoning plans to do business with Iran for fear of US punishment. France's defence minister said she wanted to keep the nuclear deal alive and warned Iran it could face more sanctions if it did not honour its part of the deal. "Today nothing would be worse than Iran, itself, leaving this agreement," Florence Parly told BFM TV. China said the agreement should be implemented and called on all sides to avoid an escalation of tensions. Tensions The weeks leading up to the anniversary of Trump's withdrawal from the agreement have seen a sharp tightening of US sanctions and an increase in tensions on other fronts. From this month, Washington has effectively ordered countries around the world to stop buying any Iranian oil or face sanctions of their own, revoking waivers that had allowed some countries to continue buying Iranian oil. It says it aims to reduce Iranian crude exports to zero. Washington has also blacklisted Iran's Revolutionary Guards force as a terrorist organisation and Iran responded with threats to close the Gulf's strait of Hormuz if its ships were blocked there. Washington announced the deployment of an aircraft carrier to the Gulf to counter what it says are Iranian threats. Tehran says the USS Abraham Lincoln is replacing another carrier that had already left the area under a scheduled rotation and calls the announcement "psychological warfare" based on old news. The looming total ban on oil sales is likely to sharply increase the economic hardship for Iran's 80 million people, and finding a response is the biggest test yet for Rouhani, a pragmatist who has faced strong opposition from the hardline faction of Iran's leadership throughout his six years in office. The nuclear deal was the flagship policy of Rouhani, who won two landslide elections on promises to end Iran's isolation and open its economy up to the world. The ultimate authority in Iran is in the hands of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, a cleric in power since 1989, who signed off on the nuclear deal but remains close to the hardline faction that challenges Rouhani. Washington's European allies say Trump's repudiation of the deal hurts the pragmatic wing of Iran's leadership and plays into the hands of hardliners. It means ordinary Iranians see no economic benefits from Rouhani's efforts to open the country. The Trump administration argues that the deal, negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama, was flawed because it is not permanent, does not address Iran's missile programme and does not punish Iran for meddling in the affairs of other countries. Trump's hard line is backed by Israel and by Washington's Arab allies in the Gulf, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which see Iran as a foe and which gain leverage over global oil prices by keeping Iranian crude off the market. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted: "After a year of patience, Iran stops measures that US has made impossible to continue." Zarif said the remaining countries had a "narrowing window" to save the deal.

Iran rolls back nuclear commitments under pact abandoned by Washington

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Wednesday not to allow <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-rolls-back-nuclear-commitments-under-pact-abandoned-by-washington-216990">Iran to acquire nuclear arms</a> after the Islamic Republic said it would abandon limits on its nuclear activities agreed in a 2015 deal.

"This morning on my way here I heard that Iran intends to continue its nuclear programme," Netanyahu said at a ceremony on Israel's annual day of remembrance for its fallen soldiers and civilian victims of militant attacks.

"We shall not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon," he said in Hebrew.

Netanyahu has been an outspoken opponent of Iran's landmark nuclear deal with major powers and was the leading supporter of US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from it and reimpose crippling economic sanctions last year.

Israel is considered the leading military power in the Middle East and is widely believed to possess its sole if undeclared, nuclear arsenal.

On Wednesday Tehran said it was ending curbs on its uranium enrichment stockpile agreed under the 2015 deal until other powers help it bypass the renewed US sanctions.

Iran does not recognise its archfoe Israel and opposition to the Jewish state has been a central tenet of official policy since the Islamic revolution.

Iran has supported Palestinian and other anti-Israel groups, including Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah.

Israel has said publicly that it has carried out hundreds of air and missile strikes targeting the forces of Iran and Hezbollah in neighbouring Syria.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Wednesday not to allow Iran to acquire nuclear arms after the Islamic Republic said it would abandon limits on its nuclear activities agreed in a 2015 deal.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Wednesday not to allow Iran to acquire nuclear arms after the Islamic Republic said it would abandon limits on its nuclear activities agreed in a 2015 deal. "This morning on my way here I heard that Iran intends to continue its nuclear programme," Netanyahu said at a ceremony on Israel's annual day of remembrance for its fallen soldiers and civilian victims of militant attacks. "We shall not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon," he said in Hebrew. Netanyahu has been an outspoken opponent of Iran's landmark nuclear deal with major powers and was the leading supporter of US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from it and reimpose crippling economic sanctions last year. Israel is considered the leading military power in the Middle East and is widely believed to possess its sole if undeclared, nuclear arsenal. On Wednesday Tehran said it was ending curbs on its uranium enrichment stockpile agreed under the 2015 deal until other powers help it bypass the renewed US sanctions. Iran does not recognise its archfoe Israel and opposition to the Jewish state has been a central tenet of official policy since the Islamic revolution. Iran has supported Palestinian and other anti-Israel groups, including Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah. Israel has said publicly that it has carried out hundreds of air and missile strikes targeting the forces of Iran and Hezbollah in neighbouring Syria.

Israel will 'not allow' nuclear-armed Iran: Benjamin Netanyahu

Iran&nbsp;said it had started scaling back parts of its commitments under its 2015 nuclear deal on Wednesday (May 8) and threatened to do more if world powers did not protect it from US sanctions, a year after Washington pulled out of the pact.

In a speech broadcast on national television,<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-must-resist-us-sanctions-through-oil-non-oil-exports-iran-president-rouhani-215895&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjpx7Xv04viAhW1juYKHYO2BE8QFjACegQIDhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2FsuGHqiemgNk0MV3DOw9q"> President Hassan Rouhani</a> said Tehran would move on to resuming high-level uranium enrichment if the remaining signatories Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia - did not make good on promises to shield its oil and banking sectors in the next 60 days.

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.

Rouhani warned of a firm response if&nbsp;Iran's nuclear case is referred again to the United Nations Security Council, but said Tehran was ready for negotiations over its nuclear programme.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump pulled out of the deal last year, and subsequently reimposed tough sanctions on&nbsp;Iran, including on its lifeblood oil exports with the stated intent of reducing them to zero and starving&nbsp;Iran's economy.

Iran said it had started scaling back parts of its commitments under its 2015 nuclear deal on Wednesday (May 8) and threatened to do more if world powers did not protect it from US sanctions, a year after Washington pulled out of the pact.

Iran said it had started scaling back parts of its commitments under its 2015 nuclear deal on Wednesday (May 8) and threatened to do more if world powers did not protect it from US sanctions, a year after Washington pulled out of the pact. In a speech broadcast on national television, President Hassan Rouhani said Tehran would move on to resuming high-level uranium enrichment if the remaining signatories Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia - did not make good on promises to shield its oil and banking sectors in the next 60 days. 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. 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. US President Donald Trump pulled out of the deal last year, and subsequently reimposed tough sanctions on Iran, including on its lifeblood oil exports with the stated intent of reducing them to zero and starving Iran's economy.

Iran will reduce its commitments to nuclear deal, says Rouhani

From Withdrawing From Iran Nuclear Deal To Imposing Sanctions On Iran, Here'S A Look At Trump'S Tough Stance Has Impacted Iran.

Gravitas: Understanding Trump's Sustained Attacks On Iran

US President Donald Trump's first ever speech at the UN general assembly in 2019 saw him call Iran, a cover for a corrupt dictatorship. Trump also aims to bring Iran's Oil exports down to zero. Watch full video to know more.

US President Donald Trump aims to bring Iran's Oil exports down to zero

Anti-Semitism Has Risen In The U.S. Despite Trump'S Pro-Israel Stance. Why Is It So?

Gravitas: Pompeo Said Trump Was Sent By God To Save Israel From Iran

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-sending-carrier-bombers-to-mideast-is-psychological-warfare-iran-216721">US sending carrier, bombers to Mideast is 'psychological warfare': Iran</a>

Iran's top security body dismissed as "psychological warfare" a US announcement that a carrier strike group and bombers are being sent to the Middle East as a message to Tehran, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/americas/donald-trump-xi-jinping-and-trade-a-high-stakes-game-of-chicken-216697">Donald Trump, Xi Jinping and trade: A high-stakes game of chicken</a>

What happens when the planet's two biggest economies play a high-stakes game of chicken?

The world may be about to find out, with President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping both holding favourable enough economic hands to make it hard to predict who blinks first, analysts said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-top-trade-negotiator-to-visit-us-despite-tariffs-216689">China's top trade negotiator to visit US despite tariffs</a>

China said Tuesday its top trade negotiator will visit the United States for talks with American counterparts this week even as Washington stepped up pressure with plans to hike tariffs and complaints that Beijing was backtracking on its commitments.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/icse-isc-exam-results-declared-two-students-score-100-marks-216725">ICSE, ISC exam results declared, two students score 100% marks</a>

Girls outshone boys in the ICSE Class 10 and 12 examinations, with two students scoring 100 per cent marks.

This is the first time that students have scored 100 per cent marks in the ISC exam.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-says-jihadi-threat-persists-despite-arrests-216736">Sri Lanka says jihadi threat persists despite arrests</a>

Sri Lankan authorities have arrested or killed all the jihadists responsible for Easter suicide bombings, but the island still faces the threat of "global terrorism," the prime minister said Tuesday.

US sending carrier, bombers to Mideast is 'psychological warfare': Iran Iran's top security body dismissed as "psychological warfare" a US announcement that a carrier strike group and bombers are being sent to the Middle East as a message to Tehran, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday.

US sending carrier, bombers to Mideast is 'psychological warfare': Iran Iran's top security body dismissed as "psychological warfare" a US announcement that a carrier strike group and bombers are being sent to the Middle East as a message to Tehran, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday. Donald Trump, Xi Jinping and trade: A high-stakes game of chicken What happens when the planet's two biggest economies play a high-stakes game of chicken? The world may be about to find out, with President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping both holding favourable enough economic hands to make it hard to predict who blinks first, analysts said. China's top trade negotiator to visit US despite tariffs China said Tuesday its top trade negotiator will visit the United States for talks with American counterparts this week even as Washington stepped up pressure with plans to hike tariffs and complaints that Beijing was backtracking on its commitments. ICSE, ISC exam results declared, two students score 100% marks Girls outshone boys in the ICSE Class 10 and 12 examinations, with two students scoring 100 per cent marks. This is the first time that students have scored 100 per cent marks in the ISC exam. Sri Lanka says jihadi threat persists despite arrests Sri Lankan authorities have arrested or killed all the jihadists responsible for Easter suicide bombings, but the island still faces the threat of "global terrorism," the prime minister said Tuesday.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Iran's top security body dismissed as "psychological warfare" a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-and-britain-condemn-us-oil-and-nuclear-sanctions-on-iran-215981">US announcement</a> that a carrier strike group and bombers are being sent to the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-air-appoints-new-us-sanctioned-ceo-216413">Middle East as a message to Tehran</a>, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday.

US National Security Adviser John Bolton said on Sunday the United States was deploying the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Middle East.

"Bolton's statement is a clumsy use of a burnt-out happening for psychological warfare," Tasnim quoted Keyvan Khosravi, spokesman for the Supreme National Security Council, as saying. Khosravi said the carrier had arrived in the Mediterranean weeks ago.

US acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said on Monday he had approved dispatching the carrier strike group and bombers due to indications of a "credible threat by Iranian regime forces". He provided no details of the underlying intelligence.

Iran's state-run Press TV earlier said: "The deployment seems to be a 'regularly scheduled' one by the US Navy, and Bolton has just tried to talk it up."

Separately, a military adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the United States was "neither willing nor capable" with respect to an attack on Iran, the semi-official news agency ISNA reported.

Brigadier General Hossein Dehgan said Washington would have a hard time convincing world opinion and regional countries to accept an all-out war against Iran, and to mobilise resources for such a conflict.

Iranian newspapers and commentators have widely dismissed Washington's announcement as a "bluff" and "empty rhetoric".

Iran said last month it was prepared for a US decision to end waivers granted to buyers of Iranian oil, as the elite Revolutionary Guards repeated their threat to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf if Tehran was barred from using it. Around 30 per cent of the world's seaborne oil exports get shipped through the strait.

While neither Shanahan nor Bolton elaborated on the gist of US intelligence, other US officials told Reuters there were "multiple, credible threats" against US forces on land, including in Iraq, by Iran and proxy forces and at sea.

Last week, President Donald Trump's administration said it would end waivers for countries buying Iranian oil in an attempt to reduce Iran's crude exports to zero following Washington's withdrawal from world powers' 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran.

The administration also blacklisted Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps.

US-Iranian tensions escalated further after Washington acted on Friday to force Tehran to stop producing low-enriched uranium and expanding its only nuclear power plant. Washington's step intensified a campaign aimed at halting Tehran's ballistic missile programme and curbing its regional power.

Iran will revive part of its halted nuclear programme in response to the US withdrawal from the nuclear accord but does not plan to pull out of the agreement itself, state media reported on Monday.

Iran's top security body dismissed as "psychological warfare" a US announcement that a carrier strike group and bombers are being sent to the Middle East as a message to Tehran, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday.

Iran's top security body dismissed as "psychological warfare" a US announcement that a carrier strike group and bombers are being sent to the Middle East as a message to Tehran, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday. US National Security Adviser John Bolton said on Sunday the United States was deploying the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Middle East. "Bolton's statement is a clumsy use of a burnt-out happening for psychological warfare," Tasnim quoted Keyvan Khosravi, spokesman for the Supreme National Security Council, as saying. Khosravi said the carrier had arrived in the Mediterranean weeks ago. US acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said on Monday he had approved dispatching the carrier strike group and bombers due to indications of a "credible threat by Iranian regime forces". He provided no details of the underlying intelligence. Iran's state-run Press TV earlier said: "The deployment seems to be a 'regularly scheduled' one by the US Navy, and Bolton has just tried to talk it up." Separately, a military adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the United States was "neither willing nor capable" with respect to an attack on Iran, the semi-official news agency ISNA reported. Brigadier General Hossein Dehgan said Washington would have a hard time convincing world opinion and regional countries to accept an all-out war against Iran, and to mobilise resources for such a conflict. Iranian newspapers and commentators have widely dismissed Washington's announcement as a "bluff" and "empty rhetoric". Iran said last month it was prepared for a US decision to end waivers granted to buyers of Iranian oil, as the elite Revolutionary Guards repeated their threat to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf if Tehran was barred from using it. Around 30 per cent of the world's seaborne oil exports get shipped through the strait. While neither Shanahan nor Bolton elaborated on the gist of US intelligence, other US officials told Reuters there were "multiple, credible threats" against US forces on land, including in Iraq, by Iran and proxy forces and at sea. Last week, President Donald Trump's administration said it would end waivers for countries buying Iranian oil in an attempt to reduce Iran's crude exports to zero following Washington's withdrawal from world powers' 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran. The administration also blacklisted Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps. US-Iranian tensions escalated further after Washington acted on Friday to force Tehran to stop producing low-enriched uranium and expanding its only nuclear power plant. Washington's step intensified a campaign aimed at halting Tehran's ballistic missile programme and curbing its regional power. Iran will revive part of its halted nuclear programme in response to the US withdrawal from the nuclear accord but does not plan to pull out of the agreement itself, state media reported on Monday.

US sending carrier, bombers to Mideast is 'psychological warfare': Iran

The United States is sending an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-and-britain-condemn-us-oil-and-nuclear-sanctions-on-iran-215981">aircraft carrier strike group</a> and a bomber task force to the Middle East in a "clear and unmistakable" message to Iran, National Security Advisor John Bolton said on Sunday.

"In response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings, the United States is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the US Central Command region," Bolton said in a statement.

The deployment is aimed at sending "a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force," Bolton said.

"The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces."

The statement did not specifically state why the deployment is taking place now, but it comes during a deadly escalation between Gaza-based Palestinian militants and Israel in which the two sides have traded a barrage of rocket fire and air strikes in recent days.

The deployment also comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran over the latter's nuclear program, with the US taking aim at Iranian enriched uranium exports with sanctions.

The United States is sending an aircraft carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Middle East in a "clear and unmistakable" message to Iran, National Security Advisor John Bolton said on Sunday.

The United States is sending an aircraft carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Middle East in a "clear and unmistakable" message to Iran, National Security Advisor John Bolton said on Sunday. "In response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings, the United States is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the US Central Command region," Bolton said in a statement. The deployment is aimed at sending "a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force," Bolton said. "The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces." The statement did not specifically state why the deployment is taking place now, but it comes during a deadly escalation between Gaza-based Palestinian militants and Israel in which the two sides have traded a barrage of rocket fire and air strikes in recent days. The deployment also comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran over the latter's nuclear program, with the US taking aim at Iranian enriched uranium exports with sanctions.

US to send aircraft carrier, bomber task force to Iran in response to escalatory indications: NSA Bolton

The United States is deploying a carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Middle East to send a clear message to Iran that any attack on US interests or its allies will be met with "unrelenting force," US national security adviser John Bolton said on Sunday. Amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran, Bolton said the decision was "in response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings."

US deploying carrier, bombers to Middle East in warning to Iran -Bolton

More Than 600 Hamas Rockets Rained On Israel Over The Weekend As Tit-For-Tat Fighting Continues Between Israel & Palestine. Palki sums up the latest bout of deadly violence that rocket Israel and Gaza. Is Iran behind the Gaza escalation? Here's a detailed summary

Israel & Palestine reach an uneasy truce after yet another bout of deadly violence

Tehran has appointed a new CEO to head national airline Iran Air, state news reported, replacing its first female CEO with a US-blacklisted pilot.

Touraj Dehghani Zanganeh, a former air force commander who features on a US Treasury sanctions list, was named for the post at a Sunday cabinet meeting.

He will replace Farzaneh Sharafbafi, the first Iranian woman to boast a PhD in aerospace, who led the airline for two years.

Zanganeh was previously CEO of Meraj Air, which was also sanctioned by the US in 2014.

Individuals on the Specially Designated Nationals List are generally prohibited from having US bank accounts.

US persons can also face civil or criminal penalties for engaging in business dealings with them, according to the US treasury.

Iran Air had been planning to upgrade its ageing fleet after long-standing US sanctions were lifted following the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.

But when US President Donald Trump pulled out of the accord early last year and reimposed crippling economic sanctions, the treasury department revoked licenses for Boeing and Airbus to sell passenger jets to Iran.

Tehran has appointed a new CEO to head national airline Iran Air, state news reported, replacing its first female CEO with a US-blacklisted pilot. Touraj Dehghani Zanganeh, a former air force commander who features on a US Treasury sanctions list, was named for the post at a Sunday cabinet meeting.

Tehran has appointed a new CEO to head national airline Iran Air, state news reported, replacing its first female CEO with a US-blacklisted pilot. Touraj Dehghani Zanganeh, a former air force commander who features on a US Treasury sanctions list, was named for the post at a Sunday cabinet meeting. He will replace Farzaneh Sharafbafi, the first Iranian woman to boast a PhD in aerospace, who led the airline for two years. Zanganeh was previously CEO of Meraj Air, which was also sanctioned by the US in 2014. Individuals on the Specially Designated Nationals List are generally prohibited from having US bank accounts. US persons can also face civil or criminal penalties for engaging in business dealings with them, according to the US treasury. Iran Air had been planning to upgrade its ageing fleet after long-standing US sanctions were lifted following the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers. But when US President Donald Trump pulled out of the accord early last year and reimposed crippling economic sanctions, the treasury department revoked licenses for Boeing and Airbus to sell passenger jets to Iran.

Iran Air appoints new US-sanctioned CEO

Iran has mobilised all its resources to sell oil in a "grey market", bypassing US sanctions that Tehran sees as illegitimate, state media quoted Deputy Oil Minister Amir Hossein Zamaninia as saying on Sunday.

The United States, which last year withdrew from a 2015 Iran nuclear deal with world powers, has told buyers of Iranian oil to stop purchases by May 1 or face sanctions.

Iran says it will continue to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-and-britain-condemn-us-oil-and-nuclear-sanctions-on-iran-215981">export oil in defiance of US sanctions</a>, part of a campaign by Washington aimed at halting Tehran's ballistic missile programme and curbing its regional power.

"We have mobilised all of the country's resources and are selling oil in the 'grey market'," state news agency IRNA quoted Zamaninia as saying.

Zamaninia gave no details about the "grey market", but Iran is widely reported to have sold oil at steep discounts and often through private firms during sanctions earlier this decade.

"We certainly won't sell 2.5 million barrels per day as under the (nuclear deal)," Zamaninia said, giving no figures for current sales.

"We will need to make serious decisions about our financial and economic management, and the government is working on that."

"This is not smuggling. This is countering sanctions which we do not see as just or legitimate," Zamaninia said.

Iran has mobilised all its resources to sell oil in a "grey market", bypassing US sanctions that Tehran sees as illegitimate, state media quoted Deputy Oil Minister Amir Hossein Zamaninia as saying on Sunday.

Iran has mobilised all its resources to sell oil in a "grey market", bypassing US sanctions that Tehran sees as illegitimate, state media quoted Deputy Oil Minister Amir Hossein Zamaninia as saying on Sunday. The United States, which last year withdrew from a 2015 Iran nuclear deal with world powers, has told buyers of Iranian oil to stop purchases by May 1 or face sanctions. Iran says it will continue to export oil in defiance of US sanctions, part of a campaign by Washington aimed at halting Tehran's ballistic missile programme and curbing its regional power. "We have mobilised all of the country's resources and are selling oil in the 'grey market'," state news agency IRNA quoted Zamaninia as saying. Zamaninia gave no details about the "grey market", but Iran is widely reported to have sold oil at steep discounts and often through private firms during sanctions earlier this decade. "We certainly won't sell 2.5 million barrels per day as under the (nuclear deal)," Zamaninia said, giving no figures for current sales. "We will need to make serious decisions about our financial and economic management, and the government is working on that." "This is not smuggling. This is countering sanctions which we do not see as just or legitimate," Zamaninia said.

Iran using all resources to sell oil in 'grey market': Deputy minister

The United States' allies in Europe have criticised its recent decisions to restrict oil trade with Iran and to limit the extension of waivers for nuclear non-proliferation projects.

"We ... take note with regret and concern of the decision by the United States not to extend waivers with regards to trade in oil with Iran," Britain's foreign office said in a joint statement with its German and French counterparts and the European Union.

"We also note with concern the decision by the United States not to fully renew waivers for nuclear non-proliferation projects," Britain's foreign office added.

Washington acted on Friday to force Iran to stop producing low-enriched uranium and expanding its only nuclear power plant, intensifying a campaign aimed at halting Tehran's ballistic missile programme and curbing its regional power.

Last week, the United States said it would stop waivers for countries buying Iranian oil, in an attempt to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero.

The United States' allies in Europe have criticised its recent decisions to restrict oil trade with Iran and to limit the extension of waivers for nuclear non-proliferation projects.

The United States' allies in Europe have criticised its recent decisions to restrict oil trade with Iran and to limit the extension of waivers for nuclear non-proliferation projects. "We ... take note with regret and concern of the decision by the United States not to extend waivers with regards to trade in oil with Iran," Britain's foreign office said in a joint statement with its German and French counterparts and the European Union. "We also note with concern the decision by the United States not to fully renew waivers for nuclear non-proliferation projects," Britain's foreign office added. Washington acted on Friday to force Iran to stop producing low-enriched uranium and expanding its only nuclear power plant, intensifying a campaign aimed at halting Tehran's ballistic missile programme and curbing its regional power. Last week, the United States said it would stop waivers for countries buying Iranian oil, in an attempt to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero.

EU and Britain condemn US oil and nuclear sanctions on Iran

The United States on Friday warned that assisting Iran in expanding its Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant could invite sanctions, according to the US State Department Spokesperson.

The latest announcement is part of United States` "unprecedented maximum pressure campaign" on Iran, as per an official press release.

Washington also targetted Iran`s enriched uranium exports through its statement on May 3.

"Starting May 4, assistance to expand Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant beyond the existing reactor unit could be sanctionable. In addition, activities to transfer enriched uranium out of Iran in exchange for natural uranium could be sanctionable," Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in the statement.

"Iran must stop all proliferation-sensitive activities, including uranium enrichment, and we will not accept actions that support the continuation of such enrichment. We will also no longer permit the storage for Iran of heavy water it has produced in excess of current limits; any such heavy water must no longer be available to Iran in any fashion," the statement added.

"The US will continue to apply maximum pressure until #Iran`s leaders change their destructive behaviour, respect the rights of their people, and return to the negotiating table," the US State Department tweeted.

The relations between Iran and the United States have worsened after the latter pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal after US President Donald Trump came into power.

Washington re-imposed sanctions on nuclear cooperation with Iran, including by re-designating Atomic Energy Organization of Iran entities, and by placing new limits on foreign assistance that could expand Iran`s nuclear program in November 2018.

Furthermore, in March 2019, the US designated an additional 31 Iranian individuals and entities "linked to Iran`s WMD proliferation-sensitive activities," as per the US Department of State.&nbsp;

The United States on Friday warned that assisting Iran in expanding its Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant could invite sanctions, according to the US State Department Spokesperson.

The United States on Friday warned that assisting Iran in expanding its Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant could invite sanctions, according to the US State Department Spokesperson. The latest announcement is part of United States` "unprecedented maximum pressure campaign" on Iran, as per an official press release. Washington also targetted Iran`s enriched uranium exports through its statement on May 3. "Starting May 4, assistance to expand Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant beyond the existing reactor unit could be sanctionable. In addition, activities to transfer enriched uranium out of Iran in exchange for natural uranium could be sanctionable," Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in the statement. "Iran must stop all proliferation-sensitive activities, including uranium enrichment, and we will not accept actions that support the continuation of such enrichment. We will also no longer permit the storage for Iran of heavy water it has produced in excess of current limits; any such heavy water must no longer be available to Iran in any fashion," the statement added. "The US will continue to apply maximum pressure until #Iran`s leaders change their destructive behaviour, respect the rights of their people, and return to the negotiating table," the US State Department tweeted. The relations between Iran and the United States have worsened after the latter pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal after US President Donald Trump came into power. Washington re-imposed sanctions on nuclear cooperation with Iran, including by re-designating Atomic Energy Organization of Iran entities, and by placing new limits on foreign assistance that could expand Iran`s nuclear program in November 2018. Furthermore, in March 2019, the US designated an additional 31 Iranian individuals and entities "linked to Iran`s WMD proliferation-sensitive activities," as per the US Department of State.

Assisting expansion of Iran's nuclear power plant may invite US sanctions

An <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-must-resist-us-sanctions-through-oil-non-oil-exports-iran-president-rouhani-215895&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiardnn_YHiAhXUV3wKHRrVANUQFjAEegQIABAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0Ewyf7yKRS9d7E-Erxrd6p">Iranian </a>court has sentenced President Hassan Rouhani’s brother to an unspecified jail term, state news agency IRNA reported on Saturday, in a corruption case the president’s supporters allege is politically motivated.

"This person (Hossein Fereydoun) was found not guilty on some charges, while he was sentenced to prison on other accusations," IRNA quoted judiciary official Hamidreza Hosseini as saying.&nbsp;

Hosseini said he was unable to give details as the sentence could still be appealed, the agency added.

The trial of Fereydoun, along with six co-defendants, began in February without the judiciary giving details of the charges. He had initially been held in 2017 before being released on bail.

Some Rouhani supporters have seen the charges against Fereydoun, a close adviser to the president and a senior diplomat who took part in talks that led to the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, as a move by the hardline judiciary to discredit the pragmatic Rouhani.

The judiciary has denied having any political motivation in cases it tries.&nbsp;

Rouhani was born Hassan Fereydoun before adopting his new surname.

An Iranian court has sentenced President Hassan Rouhani’s brother to an unspecified jail term, state news agency IRNA reported on Saturday, in a corruption case the president’s supporters allege is politically motivated.

An Iranian court has sentenced President Hassan Rouhani’s brother to an unspecified jail term, state news agency IRNA reported on Saturday, in a corruption case the president’s supporters allege is politically motivated. "This person (Hossein Fereydoun) was found not guilty on some charges, while he was sentenced to prison on other accusations," IRNA quoted judiciary official Hamidreza Hosseini as saying. Hosseini said he was unable to give details as the sentence could still be appealed, the agency added. The trial of Fereydoun, along with six co-defendants, began in February without the judiciary giving details of the charges. He had initially been held in 2017 before being released on bail. Some Rouhani supporters have seen the charges against Fereydoun, a close adviser to the president and a senior diplomat who took part in talks that led to the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, as a move by the hardline judiciary to discredit the pragmatic Rouhani. The judiciary has denied having any political motivation in cases it tries. Rouhani was born Hassan Fereydoun before adopting his new surname.

President Rouhani's brother handed jail term in graft case: Iranian judiciary

Iran President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday said Iran must counter <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-will-file-legal-case-against-us-for-sanctions-hassan-rouhani-204088">US sanctions</a> by continuing to export its oil as well as boosting non-oil exports.

Rouhani's comments, carried live on Iranian TV, came a day after Washington acted to force Iran to stop producing low-enriched uranium and expanding its only nuclear power plant, intensifying a campaign aimed at halting its ballistic missile programme and curbing its regional power.

"America is trying to decrease our foreign reserves ... So we have to increase our hard currency income and cut our currency expenditures," Rouhani said.

"Last year, we had we non-oil exports of $43 billion. We should increase production and raise our (non-oil) exports and resist America's plots against the sale of our oil."

Friday's move, which Rouhani made no direct reference to, was the third punitive <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-is-loser-by-abandoning-iran-nuclear-deal-rouhani-171418">US action</a> taken against Iran in as many weeks.

Last week, it said it would stop waivers for countries buying Iranian oil, in an attempt to push Iran's oil exports to zero. The United States also blacklisted Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Efforts by the Trump administration to impose political and economic isolation on Tehran began with last year's US withdrawal from the nuclear deal it and other world powers negotiated with Iran in 2015.

Iran President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday said Iran must counter US sanctions by continuing to export its oil as well as boosting non-oil exports. Rouhani's comments, carried live on Iranian TV, came a day after Washington acted to force Iran to stop producing low-enriched uranium and expanding its only nuclear power plant, intensifying a campaign aimed at halting its ballistic missile programme and curbing its regional power.

Iran President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday said Iran must counter US sanctions by continuing to export its oil as well as boosting non-oil exports. Rouhani's comments, carried live on Iranian TV, came a day after Washington acted to force Iran to stop producing low-enriched uranium and expanding its only nuclear power plant, intensifying a campaign aimed at halting its ballistic missile programme and curbing its regional power. "America is trying to decrease our foreign reserves ... So we have to increase our hard currency income and cut our currency expenditures," Rouhani said. "Last year, we had we non-oil exports of $43 billion. We should increase production and raise our (non-oil) exports and resist America's plots against the sale of our oil." Friday's move, which Rouhani made no direct reference to, was the third punitive US action taken against Iran in as many weeks. Last week, it said it would stop waivers for countries buying Iranian oil, in an attempt to push Iran's oil exports to zero. The United States also blacklisted Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps. Efforts by the Trump administration to impose political and economic isolation on Tehran began with last year's US withdrawal from the nuclear deal it and other world powers negotiated with Iran in 2015.

Iran must resist US sanctions through oil, non-oil exports: Iran President Rouhani

Saudi Arabia's coast guard assisted an Iranian oil tanker with engine trouble off the coast of Jeddah in the Red Sea after Riyadh received a request for help from Iran, the state news agency SPA said on Thursday.

Iran, which confirmed that its vessel had broken down in the area, and Saudi Arabia are arch-adversaries in the Middle East, backing opposite sides in several regional wars.

SPA said the Iranian tanker "Happiness 1" and its 26 crewmembers were found 70 km (43 miles) southwest of Jeddah Islamic Port and the captain had requested a tow due to "engine failure and loss of control".

"The kingdom received an official request for help, through its permanent delegation to the United Nations in New York, from the Iranian charge d'affaires in the Iranian delegation," SPA quoted a coast guard spokesman as saying.

"All necessary precautions were taken for the safety of the crew and to ensure there is no environmental damage and to provide assistance," it added.

The National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) said the tanker had suffered engine failure but there had been no leak of its contents into the Red Sea, according to SHANA, the Iranian oil ministry's news agency.

"On Tuesday, the vessel, with 26 crew members aboard, was sailing in the Red Sea towards the Suez Canal when its engine failed due to water leakage to the engine room," SHANA said. It said the crew were 24 Iranians and two Bangladeshis.

SHANA said the tanker was now safe with no injuries reported, and there was no environmental damage from the incident.

The United States decided to end all waivers on Iranian oil imports by May 1 after which buyers of oil from the Islamic Republic could face sanctions.

Saudi Arabia's coast guard assisted an Iranian oil tanker with engine trouble off the coast of Jeddah in the Red Sea after Riyadh received a request for help from Iran, the state news agency SPA said on Thursday.

Saudi Arabia's coast guard assisted an Iranian oil tanker with engine trouble off the coast of Jeddah in the Red Sea after Riyadh received a request for help from Iran, the state news agency SPA said on Thursday. Iran, which confirmed that its vessel had broken down in the area, and Saudi Arabia are arch-adversaries in the Middle East, backing opposite sides in several regional wars. SPA said the Iranian tanker "Happiness 1" and its 26 crewmembers were found 70 km (43 miles) southwest of Jeddah Islamic Port and the captain had requested a tow due to "engine failure and loss of control". "The kingdom received an official request for help, through its permanent delegation to the United Nations in New York, from the Iranian charge d'affaires in the Iranian delegation," SPA quoted a coast guard spokesman as saying. "All necessary precautions were taken for the safety of the crew and to ensure there is no environmental damage and to provide assistance," it added. The National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) said the tanker had suffered engine failure but there had been no leak of its contents into the Red Sea, according to SHANA, the Iranian oil ministry's news agency. "On Tuesday, the vessel, with 26 crew members aboard, was sailing in the Red Sea towards the Suez Canal when its engine failed due to water leakage to the engine room," SHANA said. It said the crew were 24 Iranians and two Bangladeshis. SHANA said the tanker was now safe with no injuries reported, and there was no environmental damage from the incident. The United States decided to end all waivers on Iranian oil imports by May 1 after which buyers of oil from the Islamic Republic could face sanctions.

Saudi Arabia assists Iranian oil tanker in Red Sea, no injuries

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/if-us-stops-one-method-for-iran-oil-export-we-will-find-another-way-president-rouhani-214686">Iranian President Hassan Rouhani</a> signed a bill into law on Tuesday declaring all US&nbsp;forces in the Middle East terrorists and calling the US&nbsp;government a sponsor of terrorism.

The bill was passed by parliament last week in retaliation for President Donald Trump's decision this month to designate <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-guards-drone-spies-on-us-warships-in-gulf-report-214587">Iran</a>'s elite Revolutionary Guards a foreign terrorist organisation.

It was not clear what the impact of the new Iranian law might have on US&nbsp;forces or their Middle East operations.

Rouhani instructed the ministry of intelligence, ministry of foreign affairs, the armed forces, and Iran's supreme national security council to implement the law, state media reported.

The law specifically labels as a terrorist organisation the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), which is responsible for US military operations in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

"These two forces (Guards and CENTCOM) that are designated as terrorist groups reciprocally might confront (each other) in the Persian Gulf or any other region. The United States will surely be responsible for such a situation,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA on Tuesday.

The United States has already blacklisted dozens of entities and people for affiliations with the Guards, but until Trump's decision not the organisation as a whole.

Comprising an estimated 125,000-strong military with army, navy and air units, the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) also command the Basij, a religious volunteer paramilitary force, and control Iran's ballistic missile programmes. The Guards' overseas Quds forces have fought Iran's proxy wars in the region.

Long-tense relations between Tehran and Washington took a turn for the worse in May 2018 when Trump pulled out of a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, reached before he took office, and reimposed sanctions.

Revolutionary Guards commanders have repeatedly said that US&nbsp;bases in the Middle East and US aircraft carriers in the Gulf are within range of Iranian missiles.

Rouhani said on Tuesday the Islamic Republic will continue to export oil despite US sanctions aimed at reducing the country's crude shipments to zero.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani signed a bill into law on Tuesday declaring all US forces in the Middle East terrorists and calling the US government a sponsor of terrorism.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani signed a bill into law on Tuesday declaring all US forces in the Middle East terrorists and calling the US government a sponsor of terrorism. The bill was passed by parliament last week in retaliation for President Donald Trump's decision this month to designate Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards a foreign terrorist organisation. It was not clear what the impact of the new Iranian law might have on US forces or their Middle East operations. Rouhani instructed the ministry of intelligence, ministry of foreign affairs, the armed forces, and Iran's supreme national security council to implement the law, state media reported. The law specifically labels as a terrorist organisation the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), which is responsible for US military operations in the Middle East and Afghanistan. "These two forces (Guards and CENTCOM) that are designated as terrorist groups reciprocally might confront (each other) in the Persian Gulf or any other region. The United States will surely be responsible for such a situation,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA on Tuesday. The United States has already blacklisted dozens of entities and people for affiliations with the Guards, but until Trump's decision not the organisation as a whole. Comprising an estimated 125,000-strong military with army, navy and air units, the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) also command the Basij, a religious volunteer paramilitary force, and control Iran's ballistic missile programmes. The Guards' overseas Quds forces have fought Iran's proxy wars in the region. Long-tense relations between Tehran and Washington took a turn for the worse in May 2018 when Trump pulled out of a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, reached before he took office, and reimposed sanctions. Revolutionary Guards commanders have repeatedly said that US bases in the Middle East and US aircraft carriers in the Gulf are within range of Iranian missiles. Rouhani said on Tuesday the Islamic Republic will continue to export oil despite US sanctions aimed at reducing the country's crude shipments to zero.

Iran designates as terrorists all US troops in Middle East

Oil prices dipped on Tuesday on expectations rising output from the United States and producer club OPEC would offset most of the shortfall expected from US sanctions on Iran, but analysts said markets remained tight.

Brent crude futures were at $71.86 per barrel at 0103 GMT, down 18 cents, or 0.3 per cent, from their last close.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $63.42 per barrel, down 8 cents from their previous settlement.

Oil prices surged by around 40 per cent between January and April, lifted by supply cuts led by the Middle East-dominated producer club of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) as well as by US&nbsp;sanctions on producers Iran and Venezuela.

But prices came under downward pressure late last week after US&nbsp;President Donald Trump openly pressured OPEC and its de-facto leader Saudi Arabia to raise output to meet the supply shortfall caused by the tightening Iran sanctions.

Stephen Innes, head of trading at SPI Asset Management, said the producer group "will want to avoid at all cost oil prices surging to levels that will trigger demand devastation, (while) it is clearly in OPEC's best interest to maintain a solid floor on prices".

Bank of America Merrill Lynch said, "Iranian oil production will fall to 1.9 million barrels per day in 2H19 from 3.6 million barrels per day in 3Q18 as US sanctions kick in and waivers eventually expire".

Despite this, the bank said it expected "a nearly balanced market in 2019" as output from OPEC and also the United States will rise.

French bank BNP Paribas said it expected oil prices "to rise in the near-term" as crude producers were "over-tightening the market in the face of unplanned supply outages and resilient oil demand".

The bank said it expected crude markets to climb until the third quarter of 2019, adding that prices would then "start to become vulnerable to a sharp rise in US exports of light crude thanks to pipeline and terminal capacity expansion".

US exports exceeded 3 million barrels per day (bpd) for the first time in early 2019 amid a more than 2 million bpd production surge over the past year, to a record of more than 12 million bpd.

BNP Paribas said it saw WTI averaging $63 per barrel in 2019, up $2 from its previous forecast, while Brent will average $71 per barrel, up $3 from an earlier estimate.

"In 2020, we see WTI averaging $64 per barrel and Brent $68 per barrel," the bank said.

Oil prices dipped on Tuesday on expectations rising output from the United States and producer club OPEC would offset most of the shortfall expected from US sanctions on Iran, but analysts said markets remained tight.

Oil prices dipped on Tuesday on expectations rising output from the United States and producer club OPEC would offset most of the shortfall expected from US sanctions on Iran, but analysts said markets remained tight. Brent crude futures were at $71.86 per barrel at 0103 GMT, down 18 cents, or 0.3 per cent, from their last close. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $63.42 per barrel, down 8 cents from their previous settlement. Oil prices surged by around 40 per cent between January and April, lifted by supply cuts led by the Middle East-dominated producer club of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) as well as by US sanctions on producers Iran and Venezuela. But prices came under downward pressure late last week after US President Donald Trump openly pressured OPEC and its de-facto leader Saudi Arabia to raise output to meet the supply shortfall caused by the tightening Iran sanctions. Stephen Innes, head of trading at SPI Asset Management, said the producer group "will want to avoid at all cost oil prices surging to levels that will trigger demand devastation, (while) it is clearly in OPEC's best interest to maintain a solid floor on prices". Bank of America Merrill Lynch said, "Iranian oil production will fall to 1.9 million barrels per day in 2H19 from 3.6 million barrels per day in 3Q18 as US sanctions kick in and waivers eventually expire". Despite this, the bank said it expected "a nearly balanced market in 2019" as output from OPEC and also the United States will rise. French bank BNP Paribas said it expected oil prices "to rise in the near-term" as crude producers were "over-tightening the market in the face of unplanned supply outages and resilient oil demand". The bank said it expected crude markets to climb until the third quarter of 2019, adding that prices would then "start to become vulnerable to a sharp rise in US exports of light crude thanks to pipeline and terminal capacity expansion". US exports exceeded 3 million barrels per day (bpd) for the first time in early 2019 amid a more than 2 million bpd production surge over the past year, to a record of more than 12 million bpd. BNP Paribas said it saw WTI averaging $63 per barrel in 2019, up $2 from its previous forecast, while Brent will average $71 per barrel, up $3 from an earlier estimate. "In 2020, we see WTI averaging $64 per barrel and Brent $68 per barrel," the bank said.

Oil dips as rising OPEC, US output seen making up for Iran sanctions shortfall

Quitting a treaty designed to stop the spread of nuclear weapons is one of Iran's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-foreign-minister-zarif-believes-trump-does-not-want-war-but-could-be-lured-into-conflict-213338">"numerous choices" </a>after the United States tightened sanctions on Tehran, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was on Sunday quoted as saying by state media.

Washington has decided not to renew exemptions from <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-sanctions-wont-change-iran-policies-javad-zarif-184363">US sanctions </a>to buyers of Iranian oil, in an effort to cut Iran's vital oil exports to zero.

"The Islamic Republic's choices are numerous, and the country's authorities are considering them,... and leaving NPT (nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) is one of them," state broadcaster IRIB's website quoted Zarif as saying.

Iran Guards drone spies on US warships&nbsp;

An Iranian Revolutionary Guards' drone successfully carried out a surveillance flight over an American aircraft carrier in the Gulf, Tasnim news agency claimed in a Sunday report on its website.

A video published by the agency, which could not be immediately verified, shows a light blue coloured drone with the name "Ababil III" written on the wings in Farsi and Latin script.

It is seen taking off from a desert base near the sea, as the soundtrack of an action movie plays in the background, and flies over first an escort ship and then an aircraft carrier with fighter planes parked on the deck.&nbsp;

"The naval force of Sepah (the Guards' Farsi name) is aware of all the movements of American terrorist forces in the region and the Persian Gulf and closely monitors them," Tasnim wrote.

Tasnim did not name the aircraft carrier or say when the video was shot.

In the Koran, Ababil refers to a type of magical birds that protected Islam's holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia against an invader king's elephant army by dropping stones on them.

The Tasnim report comes nearly three weeks after the United States branded the Guards as a "foreign terrorist organisation" and added it to a blacklist.

Iran swiftly retaliated by declaring US troops "terrorists".

The Guards is an ideological military force that works in parallel to the regular army.&nbsp;Its naval arm is charged with the defence and the security of the Gulf, including the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a global shipping route where American forces routinely pass.

(With inputs from AFP)

Quitting a treaty designed to stop the spread of nuclear weapons is one of Iran's "numerous choices" after the United States tightened sanctions on Tehran, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was on Sunday quoted as saying by state media.

Quitting a treaty designed to stop the spread of nuclear weapons is one of Iran's "numerous choices" after the United States tightened sanctions on Tehran, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was on Sunday quoted as saying by state media. Washington has decided not to renew exemptions from US sanctions to buyers of Iranian oil, in an effort to cut Iran's vital oil exports to zero. "The Islamic Republic's choices are numerous, and the country's authorities are considering them,... and leaving NPT (nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) is one of them," state broadcaster IRIB's website quoted Zarif as saying. Iran Guards drone spies on US warships An Iranian Revolutionary Guards' drone successfully carried out a surveillance flight over an American aircraft carrier in the Gulf, Tasnim news agency claimed in a Sunday report on its website. A video published by the agency, which could not be immediately verified, shows a light blue coloured drone with the name "Ababil III" written on the wings in Farsi and Latin script. It is seen taking off from a desert base near the sea, as the soundtrack of an action movie plays in the background, and flies over first an escort ship and then an aircraft carrier with fighter planes parked on the deck. "The naval force of Sepah (the Guards' Farsi name) is aware of all the movements of American terrorist forces in the region and the Persian Gulf and closely monitors them," Tasnim wrote. Tasnim did not name the aircraft carrier or say when the video was shot. In the Koran, Ababil refers to a type of magical birds that protected Islam's holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia against an invader king's elephant army by dropping stones on them. The Tasnim report comes nearly three weeks after the United States branded the Guards as a "foreign terrorist organisation" and added it to a blacklist. Iran swiftly retaliated by declaring US troops "terrorists". The Guards is an ideological military force that works in parallel to the regular army. Its naval arm is charged with the defence and the security of the Gulf, including the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a global shipping route where American forces routinely pass. (With inputs from AFP)

Leaving nuclear treaty one of 'numerous choices' after US sanctions move: Iran Foreign Minister Zarif

Iran's top general warned Sunday Tehran could close the strategic Strait of Hormuz shipping route if it faces more "hostility", news agency ISNA said, as the US tightens up sanctions.&nbsp;

"We are not after closing the Strait of Hormuz but if the hostility of enemies increase, we will be able to do so," armed forces chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri told semi-official ISNA.

"Also if our oil does not go through the strait, other countries' oil will certainly not cross the strait, too," he added.&nbsp;

The statement came after Washington said on Monday it would start imposing sanctions on countries such as India, China and Turkey that buy Iranian oil.&nbsp;

Eight countries were initially given six-month reprieves after the United States reimposed sanctions on Iran in November, following President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from a 2015 nuclear accord.&nbsp;

Iranian officials have repeatedly warned the Islamic republic could shut down the strait, a vital shipping lane for international oil supplies, should it find its national interests or security threatened.

"We believe Iran will continue to sell its oil ... (and) use the Strait of Hormuz. But if the United States takes the crazy measure of trying to prevent us from doing that, then it should be prepared for the consequences," foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Wednesday.

"It is in our vital national security interest to keep the Persian Gulf open, to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. We have done that in the past and we will continue to do that in the future," he added.

Iran's top general warned Sunday Tehran could close the strategic Strait of Hormuz shipping route if it faces more "hostility", news agency ISNA said, as the US tightens up sanctions.

Iran's top general warned Sunday Tehran could close the strategic Strait of Hormuz shipping route if it faces more "hostility", news agency ISNA said, as the US tightens up sanctions. "We are not after closing the Strait of Hormuz but if the hostility of enemies increase, we will be able to do so," armed forces chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri told semi-official ISNA. "Also if our oil does not go through the strait, other countries' oil will certainly not cross the strait, too," he added. The statement came after Washington said on Monday it would start imposing sanctions on countries such as India, China and Turkey that buy Iranian oil. Eight countries were initially given six-month reprieves after the United States reimposed sanctions on Iran in November, following President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from a 2015 nuclear accord. Iranian officials have repeatedly warned the Islamic republic could shut down the strait, a vital shipping lane for international oil supplies, should it find its national interests or security threatened. "We believe Iran will continue to sell its oil ... (and) use the Strait of Hormuz. But if the United States takes the crazy measure of trying to prevent us from doing that, then it should be prepared for the consequences," foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Wednesday. "It is in our vital national security interest to keep the Persian Gulf open, to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. We have done that in the past and we will continue to do that in the future," he added.

Iran warns could shut Hormuz Strait if tensions grow

India is stuck in the proverbial ‘rock and a hard place’ syndrome in relation to the US embargo on energy trade with Iran. The choice is limited; continue pursuing the strategic relationship with the US as one of the more important swing states with mutuality of future interests or resist the US coercion and follow the principle of strategic autonomy by remaining engaged with Iran for the many strategic advantages that the option provides. Both options have their extreme negatives too. An analysis of this needs context and brief explanation.

India imports almost 80 per cent of its energy need. Of this, almost 11 per cent comes from the Islamic Republic of Iran, third in the quantified list of imports after Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action of July 15, 2015, Iran was given a reprieve from sanctions which allowed it to pursue trade, especially of oil; it worked to India’s interests even as the arrangement was essentially aimed at bringing Iran into the international trade and monetary system. This period also saw a surge in Indo-Iran relations with the agreement on development and usage of the Iranian port of Chabahar which promised the long-elusive surface access for India to Afghanistan and Central Asia.

However, on May 8, 2018, quoting alleged Iranian reneging on the nuclear deal, the Trump Administration pulled out of the deal struck by its predecessor. In November 2018, India got another reprieve with leeway granted to it and seven other nations on importing Iranian oil for a further six months. The others were China, Greece, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Turkey.&nbsp;

China and India remain the two largest importers of Iranian oil. Six months later, the US, as part of renewed vigour in its Middle East strategy, has revoked the leeway given to the eight nations. Iran’s oil, shipping, and banking industries could take a significant hit and its weakened currency could plunge further under these sanctions, which President Trump has said are intended to stop what he considers Iran’s unacceptable actions in the Middle East.&nbsp;

These include Iran’s support to Bashir Assad in Syria and to the Hezbollah, actions which have demonstratively enhanced Iran’s influence in the Levant. It was evident for some time that the six-month reprieve given would not be extended. The last step which confirmed that this was going to happen was the recent US declaration of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist entity.&nbsp;

Iran’s continued support to the Houthi rebels in Yemen irks Saudi Arabia even as Iran’s overall military power in the region is perceived as growing Shia power in the sectarian struggle against the Sunnis. The strong Iranian presence in the Levant, even by proxy, hurts US interests. The Iranian missile development programme and support to Hezbollah does likewise to Israeli interests. The current US strategy in the Middle East is focussed upon the emasculation of Iran aiming at internal instability with a segment of the people rebelling and this leading to a change in regime.

Internationally, the Iranian threat, as perceived by the US and its Middle East allies, is not considered sufficiently potent to exercise such measures to punish it. However, for the US it’s a legacy threat and quite psychological, going back to the black days of 1979-80 when as a superpower it was held hostage by a ragtag group of Iranian youth.

How does it all affect India? The potential withdrawal of Iran’s oil resources from the market has raised the price of oil to $75. Besides that, the continuation of import against the US embargo will invite secondary sanctions from the US which essentially means some form of exclusion from the international banking system that is controlled by the US due to the dollar trade. The US, however, said the sanctions, will not hurt global oil supply as other nations will step up production. For India, it is not so simple; the economic effect means higher import bills and purchase deals which will not carry the Iranian provisions of being freight-free and with a line of credit.

If India acquiesces completely to the US diktat, it stands to lose much of the strategic advantage it has built through its relationship with Iran. The strategically located port of Chabahar on which India had struck a tripartite deal with Iran and Afghanistan in 2015 gave it for the first time a capability to approach Afghanistan by other than an aerial route; overland access having been denied by Pakistan all these years, even after the emergence of the independent Central Asian Republics (CARs) in 1992.&nbsp;

However, with the US now sold out on greater Pakistani involvement in striking a deal with the Afghan Taliban even the argument of an enhanced Indian role in stabilizing Afghanistan may not work in obtaining special favours from the US. Diplomatically having Iran in a favourable disposition towards India would always cut advantage for us in the context of Pakistan and any contemplated role in Afghanistan. It’s also been reported that the US is demanding its pound of flesh for the support it is extending to India over the UN designation of Masood Azhar as an international terrorist.

In the dilemma that it finds itself the Indian government has limited choice. Resisting the US under the belief that the Trump Administration has only a 20 months balance period in its term and that things will eventually change will be a folly. The US presidential scenario for 2020 is completely uncertain and 20 months is a long period for a peeved President Trump to coerce India even further than it already has. The question is the extent to which the US needs India’s support; is it more than the support India needs from the US. The US has largely sidelined India on Afghanistan knowing that its presence at the high table will always irk Pakistan. However, in the Indo Pacific and more specifically the Indian Ocean India’s cooperation is crucial for the US, as a balancing force against China.&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-resisting-us-pressure-on-iran-2743509">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

India is stuck in the proverbial ‘rock and a hard place’ syndrome in relation to the US embargo on energy trade with Iran. The choice is limited; continue pursuing the strategic relationship with the US as one of the more important swing states with mutuality of future interests or resist the US coercion and follow the principle of strategic autonomy by remaining engaged with Iran for the many strategic advantages that the option provides.

India is stuck in the proverbial ‘rock and a hard place’ syndrome in relation to the US embargo on energy trade with Iran. The choice is limited; continue pursuing the strategic relationship with the US as one of the more important swing states with mutuality of future interests or resist the US coercion and follow the principle of strategic autonomy by remaining engaged with Iran for the many strategic advantages that the option provides. Both options have their extreme negatives too. An analysis of this needs context and brief explanation. India imports almost 80 per cent of its energy need. Of this, almost 11 per cent comes from the Islamic Republic of Iran, third in the quantified list of imports after Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action of July 15, 2015, Iran was given a reprieve from sanctions which allowed it to pursue trade, especially of oil; it worked to India’s interests even as the arrangement was essentially aimed at bringing Iran into the international trade and monetary system. This period also saw a surge in Indo-Iran relations with the agreement on development and usage of the Iranian port of Chabahar which promised the long-elusive surface access for India to Afghanistan and Central Asia. However, on May 8, 2018, quoting alleged Iranian reneging on the nuclear deal, the Trump Administration pulled out of the deal struck by its predecessor. In November 2018, India got another reprieve with leeway granted to it and seven other nations on importing Iranian oil for a further six months. The others were China, Greece, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Turkey. China and India remain the two largest importers of Iranian oil. Six months later, the US, as part of renewed vigour in its Middle East strategy, has revoked the leeway given to the eight nations. Iran’s oil, shipping, and banking industries could take a significant hit and its weakened currency could plunge further under these sanctions, which President Trump has said are intended to stop what he considers Iran’s unacceptable actions in the Middle East. These include Iran’s support to Bashir Assad in Syria and to the Hezbollah, actions which have demonstratively enhanced Iran’s influence in the Levant. It was evident for some time that the six-month reprieve given would not be extended. The last step which confirmed that this was going to happen was the recent US declaration of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist entity. Iran’s continued support to the Houthi rebels in Yemen irks Saudi Arabia even as Iran’s overall military power in the region is perceived as growing Shia power in the sectarian struggle against the Sunnis. The strong Iranian presence in the Levant, even by proxy, hurts US interests. The Iranian missile development programme and support to Hezbollah does likewise to Israeli interests. The current US strategy in the Middle East is focussed upon the emasculation of Iran aiming at internal instability with a segment of the people rebelling and this leading to a change in regime. Internationally, the Iranian threat, as perceived by the US and its Middle East allies, is not considered sufficiently potent to exercise such measures to punish it. However, for the US it’s a legacy threat and quite psychological, going back to the black days of 1979-80 when as a superpower it was held hostage by a ragtag group of Iranian youth. How does it all affect India? The potential withdrawal of Iran’s oil resources from the market has raised the price of oil to $75. Besides that, the continuation of import against the US embargo will invite secondary sanctions from the US which essentially means some form of exclusion from the international banking system that is controlled by the US due to the dollar trade. The US, however, said the sanctions, will not hurt global oil supply as other nations will step up production. For India, it is not so simple; the economic effect means higher import bills and purchase deals which will not carry the Iranian provisions of being freight-free and with a line of credit. If India acquiesces completely to the US diktat, it stands to lose much of the strategic advantage it has built through its relationship with Iran. The strategically located port of Chabahar on which India had struck a tripartite deal with Iran and Afghanistan in 2015 gave it for the first time a capability to approach Afghanistan by other than an aerial route; overland access having been denied by Pakistan all these years, even after the emergence of the independent Central Asian Republics (CARs) in 1992. However, with the US now sold out on greater Pakistani involvement in striking a deal with the Afghan Taliban even the argument of an enhanced Indian role in stabilizing Afghanistan may not work in obtaining special favours from the US. Diplomatically having Iran in a favourable disposition towards India would always cut advantage for us in the context of Pakistan and any contemplated role in Afghanistan. It’s also been reported that the US is demanding its pound of flesh for the support it is extending to India over the UN designation of Masood Azhar as an international terrorist. In the dilemma that it finds itself the Indian government has limited choice. Resisting the US under the belief that the Trump Administration has only a 20 months balance period in its term and that things will eventually change will be a folly. The US presidential scenario for 2020 is completely uncertain and 20 months is a long period for a peeved President Trump to coerce India even further than it already has. The question is the extent to which the US needs India’s support; is it more than the support India needs from the US. The US has largely sidelined India on Afghanistan knowing that its presence at the high table will always irk Pakistan. However, in the Indo Pacific and more specifically the Indian Ocean India’s cooperation is crucial for the US, as a balancing force against China. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Resisting US pressure on Iran: India is stuck between rock and hard place

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif does not believe US President Donald Trump wants war with Iran, but he told on Wednesday that Trump could be lured into a conflict.

"I don't think he wants war," Zarif said in an interview at the Iranian mission to the United Nations in New York. "But that doesn't exclude him being basically lured into one."

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Zarif's remarks.

Zarif said a so-called "B-team," including Trump's national security adviser John Bolton, an ardent Iran hawk, and conservative Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could goad Trump into conflict with Tehran.

"Those who have designed the policies that are being pursued do not simply want a negotiated solution. But let me make it clear that Iran is not seeking confrontation, but will not escape defending itself," he said.

In somewhat cryptic remarks, Zarif also warned of the possibility that people could try "to plot an accident" that could trigger a broader crisis.

Tensions between Tehran and Washington have risen since the Trump administration withdrew last year from an international nuclear deal with Iran and began ratcheting up sanctions. Earlier this month, the United States blacklisted Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and demanded buyers of Iranian oil stop purchases by May or face sanctions.

The US blacklisting of the IRGC, Iran's most powerful security organisation with huge stakes in the economy, was the first time any nation has labelled another country's military a terrorist organisation.

Zarif said Iran would act with "prudence" in response to what he saw as dangerous policies by the United States. In one example, he said Iran would still allow U.S. warships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important oil artery.

Rules of engagement

Zarif called the decision on the IRGC "absurd," but suggested that Iran did not plan to respond militarily unless the United States changed the rules of engagement guiding how it interacts with Iran's forces. The U.S. military has not suggested it would change its behaviour after the blacklisting.

"We will exercise prudence but it doesn't mean that if the United States changed the rules of the game, or changed the rules of engagement, it would be able to get away with that," Zarif said.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and some senior military commanders have threatened to disrupt oil shipments from the Gulf countries if Washington tries to strangle Tehran oil exports.

Carrying one-third of the world's seaborne oil every day, the Strait of Hormuz links the Middle East crude producers to markets in the Asia Pacific, Europe, North America and beyond.

When asked if U.S. warships could still pass through the Strait of Hormuz, Zarif - a veteran diplomat who has been foreign minister for more than six years - said: "Ships can go through the Strait of Hormuz."

"If the United States wanted to continue to observe the rules of engagement, the rules of the game, the channels of communication, the prevailing protocols, then in spite of the fact that we consider U.S. presence in the Persian Gulf as inherently destabilising, we're not going to take any action," Zarif said.

The United States has accused Tehran of destabilising the Middle East and helping to prop up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in a civil war that began in 2011.

Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force, the overseas arm of the IRGC, appeared on frontlines across Syria.

Zarif said Iran would remain "vigilant" in Syria and in Iraq after investing resources to fight there. "And we will not simply abandon that, that fight," Zarif said.

'PhD ' in sanctions-busting

Zarif, the US-educated architect of the 2015 nuclear deal who came under attack from anti-Western hardliners in Iran after Trump pulled out of the agreement last year, signalled Tehran would be resilient in the face of US sanctions.

"I mean there are always ways of going around the sanctions. We have a PhD in that area," Zarif said.

The United States on Monday demanded buyers of Iranian oil stop purchases by May or face sanctions, ending six months of waivers which allowed Iran's eight biggest buyers, most of them in Asia, to continue importing limited volumes.

Zarif acknowledged that oil sanctions hurt ordinary Iranians and the government would do whatever it could to sell oil to provide for its citizens.

When asked who else Iran might consider selling oil to, Zarif said: "If I told you, we won't be able to sell it to them."

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif does not believe US President Donald Trump wants war with Iran, but he told on Wednesday that Trump could be lured into a conflict.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif does not believe US President Donald Trump wants war with Iran, but he told on Wednesday that Trump could be lured into a conflict. "I don't think he wants war," Zarif said in an interview at the Iranian mission to the United Nations in New York. "But that doesn't exclude him being basically lured into one." The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Zarif's remarks. Zarif said a so-called "B-team," including Trump's national security adviser John Bolton, an ardent Iran hawk, and conservative Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could goad Trump into conflict with Tehran. "Those who have designed the policies that are being pursued do not simply want a negotiated solution. But let me make it clear that Iran is not seeking confrontation, but will not escape defending itself," he said. In somewhat cryptic remarks, Zarif also warned of the possibility that people could try "to plot an accident" that could trigger a broader crisis. Tensions between Tehran and Washington have risen since the Trump administration withdrew last year from an international nuclear deal with Iran and began ratcheting up sanctions. Earlier this month, the United States blacklisted Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and demanded buyers of Iranian oil stop purchases by May or face sanctions. The US blacklisting of the IRGC, Iran's most powerful security organisation with huge stakes in the economy, was the first time any nation has labelled another country's military a terrorist organisation. Zarif said Iran would act with "prudence" in response to what he saw as dangerous policies by the United States. In one example, he said Iran would still allow U.S. warships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important oil artery. Rules of engagement Zarif called the decision on the IRGC "absurd," but suggested that Iran did not plan to respond militarily unless the United States changed the rules of engagement guiding how it interacts with Iran's forces. The U.S. military has not suggested it would change its behaviour after the blacklisting. "We will exercise prudence but it doesn't mean that if the United States changed the rules of the game, or changed the rules of engagement, it would be able to get away with that," Zarif said. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and some senior military commanders have threatened to disrupt oil shipments from the Gulf countries if Washington tries to strangle Tehran oil exports. Carrying one-third of the world's seaborne oil every day, the Strait of Hormuz links the Middle East crude producers to markets in the Asia Pacific, Europe, North America and beyond. When asked if U.S. warships could still pass through the Strait of Hormuz, Zarif - a veteran diplomat who has been foreign minister for more than six years - said: "Ships can go through the Strait of Hormuz." "If the United States wanted to continue to observe the rules of engagement, the rules of the game, the channels of communication, the prevailing protocols, then in spite of the fact that we consider U.S. presence in the Persian Gulf as inherently destabilising, we're not going to take any action," Zarif said. The United States has accused Tehran of destabilising the Middle East and helping to prop up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in a civil war that began in 2011. Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force, the overseas arm of the IRGC, appeared on frontlines across Syria. Zarif said Iran would remain "vigilant" in Syria and in Iraq after investing resources to fight there. "And we will not simply abandon that, that fight," Zarif said. 'PhD ' in sanctions-busting Zarif, the US-educated architect of the 2015 nuclear deal who came under attack from anti-Western hardliners in Iran after Trump pulled out of the agreement last year, signalled Tehran would be resilient in the face of US sanctions. "I mean there are always ways of going around the sanctions. We have a PhD in that area," Zarif said. The United States on Monday demanded buyers of Iranian oil stop purchases by May or face sanctions, ending six months of waivers which allowed Iran's eight biggest buyers, most of them in Asia, to continue importing limited volumes. Zarif acknowledged that oil sanctions hurt ordinary Iranians and the government would do whatever it could to sell oil to provide for its citizens. When asked who else Iran might consider selling oil to, Zarif said: "If I told you, we won't be able to sell it to them."

Iran Foreign Minister Zarif believes Trump does not want war, but could be lured into conflict

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/west-asia/iran-has-suffered-from-terrorists-operating-from-pakistan-imran-khan-to-president-rouhani-212892&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiRwfm0s-vhAhXJuY8KHet6BtcQFjABegQIEBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2dGht5GN8_qZ3zmEetgk6i">Iran</a> on Wednesday criticized US talks with the Taliban on ending the Afghanistan war, saying Washington was elevating the role of the militants.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif acknowledged that Iran had also opened a dialogue with the Taliban but said that the US push for a deal with the extremists was "seriously wrong."

"An attempt to exclude everybody and just talk to the Taliban has alienated the government, has alienated the region, has alienated everybody else and it achieved nothing, as you've seen from the statement that came from the Taliban," Zarif said, apparently referring to the militants' announcement of a new spring offensive.

"I was the first to say that in any peace in Afghanistan, the Taliban cannot be set aside or isolated," Zarif said at the Asia Society in New York, which he was visiting to take part in a UN session.

"But you cannot negotiate the future of Afghanistan with the Taliban.

The Taliban only represent a segment of Afghan society, not all of it," he said.

President Donald Trump has voiced impatience at ending the longest-ever US war, launched after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad is set shortly to hold a fresh round of talks in Qatar with the Taliban, with early indications saying Washington will agree to pull troops and that the militants will promise not to allow foreign extremists on their soil.

But the Taliban have refused to negotiate with President Ashraf Ghani's internationally recognized government, with a would-be breakthrough meeting recently collapsing in a dispute over the delegation list.

Despite its tense relations with the United States, Iran had quietly backed the initial US invasion that ousted the Taliban, Sunni Muslims who imposed an austere interpretation of Islam over Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001.

Iran, led by Shiite clerics, nearly went to war with the Taliban in 1998 after an attack on its consulate in the Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif killed nine Iranian diplomats and a journalist.

But Iran has more recently sought to build relations with the Taliban, mindful of preserving interests in the neighbouring country.

Iran on Wednesday criticized US talks with the Taliban on ending the Afghanistan war, saying Washington was elevating the role of the militants. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif acknowledged that Iran had also opened a dialogue with the Taliban but said that the US push for a deal with the extremists was "seriously wrong.

Iran on Wednesday criticized US talks with the Taliban on ending the Afghanistan war, saying Washington was elevating the role of the militants. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif acknowledged that Iran had also opened a dialogue with the Taliban but said that the US push for a deal with the extremists was "seriously wrong." "An attempt to exclude everybody and just talk to the Taliban has alienated the government, has alienated the region, has alienated everybody else and it achieved nothing, as you've seen from the statement that came from the Taliban," Zarif said, apparently referring to the militants' announcement of a new spring offensive. "I was the first to say that in any peace in Afghanistan, the Taliban cannot be set aside or isolated," Zarif said at the Asia Society in New York, which he was visiting to take part in a UN session. "But you cannot negotiate the future of Afghanistan with the Taliban. The Taliban only represent a segment of Afghan society, not all of it," he said. President Donald Trump has voiced impatience at ending the longest-ever US war, launched after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad is set shortly to hold a fresh round of talks in Qatar with the Taliban, with early indications saying Washington will agree to pull troops and that the militants will promise not to allow foreign extremists on their soil. But the Taliban have refused to negotiate with President Ashraf Ghani's internationally recognized government, with a would-be breakthrough meeting recently collapsing in a dispute over the delegation list. Despite its tense relations with the United States, Iran had quietly backed the initial US invasion that ousted the Taliban, Sunni Muslims who imposed an austere interpretation of Islam over Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. Iran, led by Shiite clerics, nearly went to war with the Taliban in 1998 after an attack on its consulate in the Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif killed nine Iranian diplomats and a journalist. But Iran has more recently sought to build relations with the Taliban, mindful of preserving interests in the neighbouring country.

Iran denounces US talks with Taliban on ending Afghanistan war

President Donald Trump may count Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi among his international allies, but New Delhi is smarting over unexpected US decisions it sees as ignoring the interests of an increasingly close partner.

The Trump administration this week said it would start to sanction countries that do not comply with its orders to stop buying oil from Iran, demanding that eight governments -- including India and China -- end all imports when six-month waivers run out next week.

The move, which triggered a hike in global oil prices that could disproportionately hit poorer Indians, came just as Modi was campaigning for a new mandate in ongoing, multi-phase elections.

The Iran diktat followed Trump's announcement in March that India, along with Turkey, would no longer enjoy a preferential trading status for a wide range of manufactured goods.

Trump, who has rocky relations with the leaders of numerous Western allies, has publicly highlighted his bond with Modi.

India's main opposition Congress party quickly seized on the Iran sanctions to attack Modi.

Trump, while popular among much of the Hindu right, has also drawn resentment in India over viral reports that he mimics Modi's accent in private -- a far cry from the reverential treatment US presidents since Bill Clinton have shown Indian leaders.

An Indian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, described New Delhi as "surprised and disappointed" by the decision on Iran, saying the Trump administration had sent a message in March that India's cuts in imports were sufficient to be granted a fresh waiver.

"We thought that, as a major defence and strategic partner, the United States would take into consideration our concerns," the official said.

Trump is seeking to eliminate Iran's top source of revenue in a bid to curb the clerical regime's regional clout, including its backing of Shiite militants.

India is the world's third-largest oil importer.

The official said the South Asian nation has cut Iranian oil from 17 to five per cent of its total crude imports and had also ended oil purchases from Venezuela, succumbing to US pressure as Trump tries to oust leftist President Nicolas Maduro.

"We did this not because we agree with the US, but because we are strategic partners," he said.

Similarly, the official said the Trump administration ignored a detailed proposal from New Delhi when it announced it would scrap its designation in the Generalized System of Preferences, which grants favourable access to goods from developing countries.

India is proposing a 90-day delay in implementation as the government cannot make a counter-proposal under laws that forbid policy decisions during elections, the official said.

Another rift could come up as India -- a Cold War partner of the Soviet Union turned major buyer of US defence equipment -- finalizes its purchase of Russia's advanced S-400 missile system.

Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently told AFP that India has been "heard and understood" by the United States, which imposed sanctions on China and has warned NATO ally Turkey over buying the S-400.

Few expect India and the United States to drift apart significantly, let alone return to their Cold War estrangement, with the major parties in both democracies broadly supporting a strong relationship.

And Trump pleased Modi in February by backing India's air incursions into rival Pakistan, home to virulently anti-Indian militants, in response to an attack on Indian forces in Jammu and Kashmir.

Tanvi Madan, a fellow at the Brookings Institution and director of its India Project, said that this week's sanctions decision for the United States "is about Iran, not about its approach to India."

"But I think that India will feel once again that it will be collateral damage," she said.

"It reinforces the sense in India that the US isn't factoring in Indian interests when it comes to these decisions, yet they affect India."

Madan added that New Delhi was less concerned about oil than with preserving a relationship with Tehran, even while developing close ties with Iran's rivals Israel and Saudi Arabia.

India is hoping to keep working with Iran on its Chabahar port, through which New Delhi hopes to send supplies to war-torn Afghanistan, cracking the landlocked country's reliance on Pakistan.

Madan said there was one wild card that could shake up US-India ties -- if China seized on the rift and offered reconciliation with India by making concessions on the Asian giants' myriad disputes.

"Will, that happen? I find it hard to believe the Chinese will get around to doing it," she said.

"But the possibility exists."

President Donald Trump may count Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi among his international allies, but New Delhi is smarting over unexpected US decisions it sees as ignoring the interests of an increasingly close partner.

President Donald Trump may count Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi among his international allies, but New Delhi is smarting over unexpected US decisions it sees as ignoring the interests of an increasingly close partner. The Trump administration this week said it would start to sanction countries that do not comply with its orders to stop buying oil from Iran, demanding that eight governments -- including India and China -- end all imports when six-month waivers run out next week. The move, which triggered a hike in global oil prices that could disproportionately hit poorer Indians, came just as Modi was campaigning for a new mandate in ongoing, multi-phase elections. The Iran diktat followed Trump's announcement in March that India, along with Turkey, would no longer enjoy a preferential trading status for a wide range of manufactured goods. Trump, who has rocky relations with the leaders of numerous Western allies, has publicly highlighted his bond with Modi. India's main opposition Congress party quickly seized on the Iran sanctions to attack Modi. Trump, while popular among much of the Hindu right, has also drawn resentment in India over viral reports that he mimics Modi's accent in private -- a far cry from the reverential treatment US presidents since Bill Clinton have shown Indian leaders. An Indian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, described New Delhi as "surprised and disappointed" by the decision on Iran, saying the Trump administration had sent a message in March that India's cuts in imports were sufficient to be granted a fresh waiver. "We thought that, as a major defence and strategic partner, the United States would take into consideration our concerns," the official said. Trump is seeking to eliminate Iran's top source of revenue in a bid to curb the clerical regime's regional clout, including its backing of Shiite militants. India is the world's third-largest oil importer. The official said the South Asian nation has cut Iranian oil from 17 to five per cent of its total crude imports and had also ended oil purchases from Venezuela, succumbing to US pressure as Trump tries to oust leftist President Nicolas Maduro. "We did this not because we agree with the US, but because we are strategic partners," he said. Similarly, the official said the Trump administration ignored a detailed proposal from New Delhi when it announced it would scrap its designation in the Generalized System of Preferences, which grants favourable access to goods from developing countries. India is proposing a 90-day delay in implementation as the government cannot make a counter-proposal under laws that forbid policy decisions during elections, the official said. Another rift could come up as India -- a Cold War partner of the Soviet Union turned major buyer of US defence equipment -- finalizes its purchase of Russia's advanced S-400 missile system. Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently told AFP that India has been "heard and understood" by the United States, which imposed sanctions on China and has warned NATO ally Turkey over buying the S-400. Few expect India and the United States to drift apart significantly, let alone return to their Cold War estrangement, with the major parties in both democracies broadly supporting a strong relationship. And Trump pleased Modi in February by backing India's air incursions into rival Pakistan, home to virulently anti-Indian militants, in response to an attack on Indian forces in Jammu and Kashmir. Tanvi Madan, a fellow at the Brookings Institution and director of its India Project, said that this week's sanctions decision for the United States "is about Iran, not about its approach to India." "But I think that India will feel once again that it will be collateral damage," she said. "It reinforces the sense in India that the US isn't factoring in Indian interests when it comes to these decisions, yet they affect India." Madan added that New Delhi was less concerned about oil than with preserving a relationship with Tehran, even while developing close ties with Iran's rivals Israel and Saudi Arabia. India is hoping to keep working with Iran on its Chabahar port, through which New Delhi hopes to send supplies to war-torn Afghanistan, cracking the landlocked country's reliance on Pakistan. Madan said there was one wild card that could shake up US-India ties -- if China seized on the rift and offered reconciliation with India by making concessions on the Asian giants' myriad disputes. "Will, that happen? I find it hard to believe the Chinese will get around to doing it," she said. "But the possibility exists."

With Iran and trade rifts, India feels brushed aside by Donald Trump

Oil prices inched lower on Wednesday on signs that global markets remain adequately supplied despite a jump to 2019 highs this week on Washington's push for tighter sanctions against Iran.

Brent crude futures were at $74.24 per barrel at 0058 GMT, down 27 cents, or 0.4 per cent, from their last close.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $66.02 per barrel, down 28 cents, or 0.4 per cent, from their previous settlement.

Crude futures rose to 2019 highs earlier in the week after the United States said on Monday it would end all exemptions for sanctions against Iran, demanding countries halt oil imports from Tehran from May or face punitive action from Washington.

US sanctions against oil exporter Iran were introduced in November 2018, but Washington allowed its largest buyers limited imports of crude for another half-year as an adjustment period.

With Iranian oil exports likely declining sharply from May as most countries bow to US pressure, global crude markets are expected to tighten in the short-run, Goldman Sachs and Barclays bank said this week.

Despite this, analysts said global oil markets remained adequately supplied thanks to ample spare capacity from the Middle East dominated Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Russian and also the United States.

The International Energy Agency (IEA), a watchdog for oil-consuming countries, said in a statement on Tuesday that markets are "adequately supplied" and that "global spare production capacity remains at comfortable levels."

The biggest source of new oil supply comes from the United States, where crude oil production has already risen by more than 2 million barrels per day (bpd) since early 2018 to a record of more than 12 million bpd early this year, making America the world's biggest oil producer ahead of Russia and Saudi Arabia.

"Total oil supplies from the United States are expected to grow by 1.6 million bpd this year," the IEA said.

Commercial inventories in the United States are also high.

US crude oil inventories rose by 6.9 million barrels in the week to April 19 to 459.6 million, data from industry group the American Petroleum Institute showed on Tuesday.

Oil prices inched lower on Wednesday on signs that global markets remain adequately supplied despite a jump to 2019 highs this week on Washington's push for tighter sanctions against Iran.

Oil prices inched lower on Wednesday on signs that global markets remain adequately supplied despite a jump to 2019 highs this week on Washington's push for tighter sanctions against Iran. Brent crude futures were at $74.24 per barrel at 0058 GMT, down 27 cents, or 0.4 per cent, from their last close. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $66.02 per barrel, down 28 cents, or 0.4 per cent, from their previous settlement. Crude futures rose to 2019 highs earlier in the week after the United States said on Monday it would end all exemptions for sanctions against Iran, demanding countries halt oil imports from Tehran from May or face punitive action from Washington. US sanctions against oil exporter Iran were introduced in November 2018, but Washington allowed its largest buyers limited imports of crude for another half-year as an adjustment period. With Iranian oil exports likely declining sharply from May as most countries bow to US pressure, global crude markets are expected to tighten in the short-run, Goldman Sachs and Barclays bank said this week. Despite this, analysts said global oil markets remained adequately supplied thanks to ample spare capacity from the Middle East dominated Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Russian and also the United States. The International Energy Agency (IEA), a watchdog for oil-consuming countries, said in a statement on Tuesday that markets are "adequately supplied" and that "global spare production capacity remains at comfortable levels." The biggest source of new oil supply comes from the United States, where crude oil production has already risen by more than 2 million barrels per day (bpd) since early 2018 to a record of more than 12 million bpd early this year, making America the world's biggest oil producer ahead of Russia and Saudi Arabia. "Total oil supplies from the United States are expected to grow by 1.6 million bpd this year," the IEA said. Commercial inventories in the United States are also high. US crude oil inventories rose by 6.9 million barrels in the week to April 19 to 459.6 million, data from industry group the American Petroleum Institute showed on Tuesday.

Oil dips on well supplied markets despite tighter Iran sanctions

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-attacks-show-islamic-state-influence-outlives-caliphate-213101">Sri Lanka attacks show Islamic State influence outlives caliphate</a>

The devastating bomb attacks in Sri Lanka, claimed by Islamic State jihadists, show that the influence of the group's extremist ideology remains dangerously intact even after the collapse of its so-called caliphate in Iraq and Syria, experts say.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/you-cant-make-these-stupid-statements-imran-khan-comes-under-oppositions-attack-for-saying-terrorists-used-pakistan-soil-against-iran-213106">'You can't make these stupid statements': Imran Khan comes under Opposition's attack for saying terrorists used Pakistan soil against Iran</a>

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday came under attack by the Opposition for acknowledging in Tehran that in the past militants had used his country's soil to carry out attacks in Iran.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-polls-2019-regrettable-that-cpi-m-has-not-found-a-place-in-bihar-mahagathbandhan-says-sitaram-yechury-213114">Lok Sabha polls 2019: Regrettable that CPI (M) has not found a place in Bihar 'mahagathbandhan', says Sitaram Yechury</a>

Sitaram Yechury, the general secretary of Communist Party of India (Marxist) has said that it is regrettable that the left party has not found a place in the Bihar grand alliance of opposition parties.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/in-rohingya-camps-a-political-awakening-faces-a-backlash-213115">In Rohingya camps, a political awakening faces a backlash</a>

It was after Mohib Ullah scored his first political victories that the death threats began in earnest. On a recent morning, the Rohingya refugee leaned back on a plastic chair in the Bangladesh camp where he lives and translated the latest warning, sent over the WhatsApp messaging app.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-france-plan-bid-to-tackle-extremism-on-social-media-213120">New Zealand, France plan bid to tackle extremism on social media</a>

In the wake of the Christchurch attack, New Zealand said on Wednesday that it would work with France in an effort to stop social media from being used to promote terrorism and violent extremism.

Sri Lanka attacks show Islamic State influence outlives caliphate The devastating bomb attacks in Sri Lanka, claimed by Islamic State jihadists, show that the influence of the group's extremist ideology remains dangerously intact even after the collapse of its so-called caliphate in Iraq and Syria, experts say.

Sri Lanka attacks show Islamic State influence outlives caliphate The devastating bomb attacks in Sri Lanka, claimed by Islamic State jihadists, show that the influence of the group's extremist ideology remains dangerously intact even after the collapse of its so-called caliphate in Iraq and Syria, experts say. 'You can't make these stupid statements': Imran Khan comes under Opposition's attack for saying terrorists used Pakistan soil against Iran Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday came under attack by the Opposition for acknowledging in Tehran that in the past militants had used his country's soil to carry out attacks in Iran. Lok Sabha polls 2019: Regrettable that CPI (M) has not found a place in Bihar 'mahagathbandhan', says Sitaram Yechury Sitaram Yechury, the general secretary of Communist Party of India (Marxist) has said that it is regrettable that the left party has not found a place in the Bihar grand alliance of opposition parties. In Rohingya camps, a political awakening faces a backlash It was after Mohib Ullah scored his first political victories that the death threats began in earnest. On a recent morning, the Rohingya refugee leaned back on a plastic chair in the Bangladesh camp where he lives and translated the latest warning, sent over the WhatsApp messaging app. New Zealand, France plan bid to tackle extremism on social media In the wake of the Christchurch attack, New Zealand said on Wednesday that it would work with France in an effort to stop social media from being used to promote terrorism and violent extremism.

Pakistan <a href="https://www.wionews.com/west-asia/iran-has-suffered-from-terrorists-operating-from-pakistan-imran-khan-to-president-rouhani-212892">Prime Minister Imran Khan </a>on Tuesday came under attack by the Opposition for acknowledging in Tehran that in the past militants had used his country's soil to carry out attacks in Iran.

Addressing a joint press conference with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the end of his two-day trip (April 21-22) to Tehran, Khan had said, "I know Iran has suffered from terrorism (perpetrated) by groups operating from Pakistan. We (need to) have trust in each other that both countries will not allow any terrorist activity from their soil. We hope this will build confidence between us".

During a discussion on Khan's visit to Iran in National Assembly, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khurrum Dastigir said, "Prime Minister's statement is against the national security as for the first time he has admitted the use of (the country's) soil for terrorism in Iran."

"No prime minister has ever made such a confession on foreign soil," Dastagir said, adding that only a day earlier, "the foreign minister had stated that terrorists had entered from Iran to carry out activities in Balochistan."

"Pakistan is exposed internationally by such statements," the PML-N lawmaker said.

Dastagir said that the prime minister has committed "diplomatic blunders" and "through his statements, he has hurt the national security".

He also attacked Khan for his earlier statement that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's re-election could help in moving towards a settlement of Kashmir issue.

Pakistan Peoples Party legislator and former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar said, "We are worried for the country after seeing it continually become a laughing stock. This is not funny anymore. You cannot play with the destiny of this country anymore."

She said that the prime minister had publicly spoken about the use of Pakistani territory against Iran in the past also, but others who had said much less severe things were ousted from the country and cases were filed against them and their right to be elected was taken away.

She also referred to Khan's other statements in which he had said Japan and Germany share borders.

"You cannot make these stupid statements and expect us to stand behind you," Khar said.

Defending Khan, Pakistan's Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari said "he was quoted out of context" on his acknowledgement of the use of Pakistani soil by terrorists against Iran.

On Khan's statement about Japan and Germany sharing borders, Mazari said that it was "slip of tongue" when he said that Japan and Germany were neighbours and as he wanted to say France and Germany.

Later, the Opposition staged protest in front of the Speaker's chair demanding an explanation from Khan in the floor of the House.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday came under attack by the Opposition for acknowledging in Tehran that in the past militants had used his country's soil to carry out attacks in Iran.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday came under attack by the Opposition for acknowledging in Tehran that in the past militants had used his country's soil to carry out attacks in Iran. Addressing a joint press conference with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the end of his two-day trip (April 21-22) to Tehran, Khan had said, "I know Iran has suffered from terrorism (perpetrated) by groups operating from Pakistan. We (need to) have trust in each other that both countries will not allow any terrorist activity from their soil. We hope this will build confidence between us". During a discussion on Khan's visit to Iran in National Assembly, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khurrum Dastigir said, "Prime Minister's statement is against the national security as for the first time he has admitted the use of (the country's) soil for terrorism in Iran." "No prime minister has ever made such a confession on foreign soil," Dastagir said, adding that only a day earlier, "the foreign minister had stated that terrorists had entered from Iran to carry out activities in Balochistan." "Pakistan is exposed internationally by such statements," the PML-N lawmaker said. Dastagir said that the prime minister has committed "diplomatic blunders" and "through his statements, he has hurt the national security". He also attacked Khan for his earlier statement that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's re-election could help in moving towards a settlement of Kashmir issue. Pakistan Peoples Party legislator and former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar said, "We are worried for the country after seeing it continually become a laughing stock. This is not funny anymore. You cannot play with the destiny of this country anymore." She said that the prime minister had publicly spoken about the use of Pakistani territory against Iran in the past also, but others who had said much less severe things were ousted from the country and cases were filed against them and their right to be elected was taken away. She also referred to Khan's other statements in which he had said Japan and Germany share borders. "You cannot make these stupid statements and expect us to stand behind you," Khar said. Defending Khan, Pakistan's Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari said "he was quoted out of context" on his acknowledgement of the use of Pakistani soil by terrorists against Iran. On Khan's statement about Japan and Germany sharing borders, Mazari said that it was "slip of tongue" when he said that Japan and Germany were neighbours and as he wanted to say France and Germany. Later, the Opposition staged protest in front of the Speaker's chair demanding an explanation from Khan in the floor of the House.

'You can't make these stupid statements': Imran Khan comes under Opposition's attack for saying terrorists used Pakistan soil against Iran

iran

Iran, News on Iran, stories on Iran, articles on Iran, Iran stories at Wion, Iran news, Iran latest news