The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for twin attacks that killed at least fifty-two&nbsp;people and injured ninety-one in southern Iraq on Thursday.&nbsp;

In a statement released by its propaganda arm Amaq, IS said several suicide bombers had staged the assault on a restaurant and a security checkpoint.

The attackers struck at midday, opening fire on a restaurant before getting into a car and blowing themselves up at a nearby security checkpoint, officials said.

Security sources said the attackers were disguised as members of the Hashed al-Shaabi, a mainly Shiite paramilitary alliance which has fought alongside the army and police against the Islamic State jihadist group in northern Iraq.

The toll from the attacks was fifty-two dead and ninety-one&nbsp;wounded, said Abdel Hussein al-Jabri, deputy health chief for the mainly Shiite province of Dhiqar of which Nasiriyah is the capital.

Jabri told AFP that many of the wounded were in serious condition.

The area targeted is used by Shiite pilgrims and visitors from neighbouring Iran headed for the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala further north, although Dhiqar has previously been spared the worst of Iraq&#39;s violence.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks in a statement carried by its Amaq propaganda arm.

It said several suicide bombers had staged the assault on a restaurant and a security checkpoint, killing &quot;dozens of Shiites&quot;.

The toll makes it the deadliest IS attack in Iraq since pro-government forces drove the jihadists out of second city Mosul in July.

The Sunni extremist group regularly stages attacks in Iraq, where it has also lost swathes of territory to US-backed pro-government forces.

Thursday&#39;s attacks come as Iraqi forces backed by tribal fighters close in one of the last IS bastions in the country: the Al-Qaim area on the border with war-ravaged Syria.

&nbsp;

People died in twin gun and car bomb attack in southern Iraq

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for twin attacks that killed at least fifty-two people and injured ninety-one in southern Iraq on Thursday. In a statement released by its propaganda arm Amaq, IS said several suicide bombers had staged the assault on a restaurant and a security checkpoint. The attackers struck at midday, opening fire on a restaurant before getting into a car and blowing themselves up at a nearby security checkpoint, officials said. Security sources said the attackers were disguised as members of the Hashed al-Shaabi, a mainly Shiite paramilitary alliance which has fought alongside the army and police against the Islamic State jihadist group in northern Iraq. The toll from the attacks was fifty-two dead and ninety-one wounded, said Abdel Hussein al-Jabri, deputy health chief for the mainly Shiite province of Dhiqar of which Nasiriyah is the capital. Jabri told AFP that many of the wounded were in serious condition. The area targeted is used by Shiite pilgrims and visitors from neighbouring Iran headed for the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala further north, although Dhiqar has previously been spared the worst of Iraq's violence. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks in a statement carried by its Amaq propaganda arm. It said several suicide bombers had staged the assault on a restaurant and a security checkpoint, killing "dozens of Shiites". The toll makes it the deadliest IS attack in Iraq since pro-government forces drove the jihadists out of second city Mosul in July. The Sunni extremist group regularly stages attacks in Iraq, where it has also lost swathes of territory to US-backed pro-government forces. Thursday's attacks come as Iraqi forces backed by tribal fighters close in one of the last IS bastions in the country: the Al-Qaim area on the border with war-ravaged Syria.

At least 52 killed in twin attacks in southern Iraq, IS claims responsibility

Iraq&#39;s parliament voted on Tuesday to reject an Iraqi Kurdish independence referendum planned for Sept. 25, authorising the prime minister to take all measures to preserve Iraq&#39;s unity, a lawmaker said.

&quot;Kurdish lawmakers walked out of the session but the decision to reject the referendum was passed by a majority,&quot; Mohammed al-Karbouli said.

Kurdish lawmaker Majid Shingali said Kurds would reject the decision.

&quot;This decision has no value and we will not implement it,&quot; he told Reuters.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi&rsquo;s government had previously rejected the referendum as unilateral and unconstitutional.

The United States and other Western nations fear the September vote in Iraqi Kurdistan could ignite a new conflict with Baghdad and possibly neighboring countries, diverting attention from the war against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria.

Turkey, along with Iraq, Iran and Syria, also opposes the idea of Iraqi Kurdish independence, fearing separatism could spread to their own Kurdish populations.

Kurds have sought an independent state since at least the end of World War I, when colonial powers divided up the Middle East and left Kurdish-populated territory split between modern-day Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria.

"Kurdish lawmakers walked out of the session but the decision to reject the referendum was passed by a majority," Mohammed al-Karbouli said.

Iraq's parliament voted on Tuesday to reject an Iraqi Kurdish independence referendum planned for Sept. 25, authorising the prime minister to take all measures to preserve Iraq's unity, a lawmaker said. "Kurdish lawmakers walked out of the session but the decision to reject the referendum was passed by a majority," Mohammed al-Karbouli said. Kurdish lawmaker Majid Shingali said Kurds would reject the decision. "This decision has no value and we will not implement it," he told Reuters. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s government had previously rejected the referendum as unilateral and unconstitutional. The United States and other Western nations fear the September vote in Iraqi Kurdistan could ignite a new conflict with Baghdad and possibly neighboring countries, diverting attention from the war against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria. Turkey, along with Iraq, Iran and Syria, also opposes the idea of Iraqi Kurdish independence, fearing separatism could spread to their own Kurdish populations. Kurds have sought an independent state since at least the end of World War I, when colonial powers divided up the Middle East and left Kurdish-populated territory split between modern-day Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria.

Iraqi parliament rejects Iraqi Kurdish referendum

By:&nbsp;Tridivesh Singh Maini &amp; Sandeep Sachdeva*

New Delhi,&nbsp;while consistently expanding strategic and economic ties with the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC) and Israel, has also sought to strengthen ties with Tehran, which has tense relations with both. The Nuclear Deal of 2015, signed between Iran and (P5+1) countries opened new vistas for India in Iran, which is strategically located and is India&rsquo;s potential gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia.&nbsp;

During his visit to Iran in 2016, PM Modi signed an agreement, not just committing financial assistance&nbsp;to the tune of 500 Million USD for phase 1 of the development of the Chabahar Project, but also a three nation agreement with Iran and Afghanistan&nbsp;for establishing a land, transit and trade corridor. India will build a <a href="http://russiancouncil.ru/en/blogs/tridivesh-en/33618/">500-km rail line</a> from Chabahar port from the southern coast of Iran to Zahedan, close to the Afghan border, at a cost of $1.6 billion as part of the transit corridor to Afghanistan. &quot;It will open new routes for India, Iran, and Afghanistan to connect among themselves,&quot; said PM Modi with regard to the corridor.

India&rsquo;s main aim was to get access to Afghanistan and Central Asia. Pakistan has continuously opposed India&rsquo;s entry into the <a href="http://russiancouncil.ru/en/blogs/tridivesh-en/33618/">APTTA</a>&nbsp;(Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement), even though Afghanistan has been in favour of India joining the agreement. APTTA is a transit trade agreement as it is quite evident from its name. Currently, Afghan goods can come into India, but trucks stop at Wagah (Pakistani side of the border). India, however, has been deprived of land access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.

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<h5>Given India&rsquo;s increasingly close ties with the US, and importance of Iran in the context of connectivity with Afghanistan and Central Asia, striking a balance may be a challenge given Trump&rsquo;s unpredictability.</h5>
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There have been some hitches with regard to the Chabahar project kicking off by 2018. The <a href="https://www.google.co.in/amp/www.firstpost.com/india/chabahar-port-why-future-of-india-iran-project-hinges-on-outcome-of-narendra-modi-donald-trump-meet-3722647.html/amp">companies which are to develop customised equipment jetties and container terminals</a> were not willing to take part in the bidding process. The banks were not ready to facilitate the financial transactions involving Iran due to the uncertain policies of Trump administration towards&nbsp;Iran. Apart from this, there was a delay in <a href="http://m.economictimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/iran-india-trade-charges-on-delay-of-chabahar-port/articleshow/56990454.cms">loan disbursement of $ 150 million</a>&nbsp;with India and Iran blaming each other for the delay. Transport minister, Nitin Gadkari who attended Iranian President Rouhani&rsquo;s swearing in on August 5, 2017, categorically stated:

&quot;India and Iran have been historically sharing special ties. We are keen on developing Chabahar Port and are hopeful of starting operations in 12 to 18 months.&quot;

US-Iran ties

India, however, needs to carefully observe Trump&rsquo;s warnings to Iran on the nuclear deal. Iran has categorically stated, that it will quit the Nuclear Deal if more sanctions are imposed. Rouhani&#39;s exact words were:&nbsp;&quot;Iran could quit the nuclear deal within hours if the US imposes more sanctions.&quot;

Even though Iran has followed the conditions of the deal, Trump has threatened about imposing sanctions. The Secretary of State Rex Tillerson,&nbsp;however, has made it clear on umpteen occasions, that the US will not scrap the deal. Interestingly, Tillerson has also stated, that he and the US President have differences over the deal. Whereas President Trump is in favour of calling off the deal and imposing new sanctions, secretary of state <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-tillerson-iran-idUSKBN1AH5E7">Tillerson </a>subscribes to the view, that America should not strike the deal rather engage with Iran to bring stability in the neighbourhood, especially in Iraq and Syria by holding it accountable.&nbsp;

Given India&rsquo;s increasingly close ties with the US, and importance of Iran in the context of connectivity with Afghanistan and Central Asia, striking a balance may be a challenge given Trump&rsquo;s unpredictability. 
&nbsp; 
Iran-Pakistan ties&nbsp;

New Delhi should also observe carefully Iran&rsquo;s support for Pakistan, particularly after Trump&rsquo;s speech on August 21 where he warned Pakistan to take more concrete action against terror groups operating on Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Iran came to the defence of Pakistan, with foreign ministry spokesman, Bahram Ghasemi saying:

&quot;What presently the US is highlighting to condemn other countries with is the result of years of wrong and inappropriate policies of Americans in the countries of the region, especially Afghanistan.&rdquo;

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<h5>Iran already has strong economic ties with China, moving closer to Pakistan would not be good news for India.</h5>
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Iran already has strong economic ties with China, and it moving closer to Pakistan would not be good news for India. New Delhi has been trying to jointly work with both Afghanistan and Iran much to the chagrin of the Pakistan army.&nbsp;

Significantly, in May 2017, Iran had taken a tough stance against certain terror groups operating from Pakistan, warning that it would hit the bases of Sunni militant groups operating in Pakistan. In April 2017, Ten Iranian border guards had been killed by militants and Iran blamed Sunni groups operating from Pakistan. <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-pakistan-security-idUSKBN1840SY">Major General Mohammad Baqeri</a>, head of the Iranian armed forces had said, &ldquo;If the terrorist attacks continue, we will hit their safe havens and cells, wherever they are.&rdquo;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Middle East

New Delhi should also be watching the gradual softening of Iran towards Saudi Arabia and Turkey. On the sidelines of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting in Istanbul earlier this month, the <a href="#vgi=11831571547160704589&amp;amp=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.al-monitor.com%252Fpulse%252Fen%252Foriginals%252F2017%252F08%252Firan-zarif-jubeir-saudi-fm-handshake-istanbul-shamkhani-deal.amp.html&amp;ampidx=0&amp;ampct=1504066232985">foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia</a> met and exchanged greetings. Earlier this month Iranian chief of staff of the armed forces, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-iran-military-idUSKCN1AW1PT">Major-General Mohammad Baqeri</a> paid a visit to Turkey to explore possible synergies in counter-terrorism and the Syrian conflict. This is a clear indication of a significant improvement in bilateral ties. It has also been reported, that their high-level officials are likely to meet again.&nbsp;

While New Delhi has strong ties with both, and this has been a challenge in the past, the tensions were also to the benefit of India. Due to tensions between Iran and GCC countries, especially Saudi Arabia, New Delhi could also pressurise both sides to urge Pakistan to take action against terror groups. Apart from strengthening of India-US ties, Saudi Arabia has been apprehensive about India getting too close to Iran. This has resulted in Riyadh not just adopting a more nuanced stand on terrorism emanating from Pakistan and extraditing terrorists, but also strengthening security cooperation with India.&nbsp;

While currently, India is bogged down with numerous domestic challenges, and other foreign policy priorities, especially with China,&nbsp;a close watch should be kept on Iran&rsquo;s next moves not just in the context of its deal with the US, but also on&nbsp;its ties with Pakistan and GCC countries.&nbsp;

*Sandeep Sachdeva is an Independent Policy Analyst associated with The Jindal School of International Affairs, Sonipat.

Iran already has strong economic ties with China, and it moving closer to Pakistan would not be good news for India.

By: Tridivesh Singh Maini & Sandeep Sachdeva* New Delhi, while consistently expanding strategic and economic ties with the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC) and Israel, has also sought to strengthen ties with Tehran, which has tense relations with both. The Nuclear Deal of 2015, signed between Iran and (P5+1) countries opened new vistas for India in Iran, which is strategically located and is India’s potential gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia. During his visit to Iran in 2016, PM Modi signed an agreement, not just committing financial assistance to the tune of 500 Million USD for phase 1 of the development of the Chabahar Project, but also a three nation agreement with Iran and Afghanistan for establishing a land, transit and trade corridor. India will build a 500-km rail line from Chabahar port from the southern coast of Iran to Zahedan, close to the Afghan border, at a cost of $1.6 billion as part of the transit corridor to Afghanistan. "It will open new routes for India, Iran, and Afghanistan to connect among themselves," said PM Modi with regard to the corridor. India’s main aim was to get access to Afghanistan and Central Asia. Pakistan has continuously opposed India’s entry into the APTTA (Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement), even though Afghanistan has been in favour of India joining the agreement. APTTA is a transit trade agreement as it is quite evident from its name. Currently, Afghan goods can come into India, but trucks stop at Wagah (Pakistani side of the border). India, however, has been deprived of land access to Afghanistan and Central Asia. Given India’s increasingly close ties with the US, and importance of Iran in the context of connectivity with Afghanistan and Central Asia, striking a balance may be a challenge given Trump’s unpredictability. × There have been some hitches with regard to the Chabahar project kicking off by 2018. The companies which are to develop customised equipment jetties and container terminals were not willing to take part in the bidding process. The banks were not ready to facilitate the financial transactions involving Iran due to the uncertain policies of Trump administration towards Iran. Apart from this, there was a delay in loan disbursement of $ 150 million with India and Iran blaming each other for the delay. Transport minister, Nitin Gadkari who attended Iranian President Rouhani’s swearing in on August 5, 2017, categorically stated: "India and Iran have been historically sharing special ties. We are keen on developing Chabahar Port and are hopeful of starting operations in 12 to 18 months." US-Iran ties India, however, needs to carefully observe Trump’s warnings to Iran on the nuclear deal. Iran has categorically stated, that it will quit the Nuclear Deal if more sanctions are imposed. Rouhani's exact words were: "Iran could quit the nuclear deal within hours if the US imposes more sanctions." Even though Iran has followed the conditions of the deal, Trump has threatened about imposing sanctions. The Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, however, has made it clear on umpteen occasions, that the US will not scrap the deal. Interestingly, Tillerson has also stated, that he and the US President have differences over the deal. Whereas President Trump is in favour of calling off the deal and imposing new sanctions, secretary of state Tillerson subscribes to the view, that America should not strike the deal rather engage with Iran to bring stability in the neighbourhood, especially in Iraq and Syria by holding it accountable. Given India’s increasingly close ties with the US, and importance of Iran in the context of connectivity with Afghanistan and Central Asia, striking a balance may be a challenge given Trump’s unpredictability. Iran-Pakistan ties New Delhi should also observe carefully Iran’s support for Pakistan, particularly after Trump’s speech on August 21 where he warned Pakistan to take more concrete action against terror groups operating on Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Iran came to the defence of Pakistan, with foreign ministry spokesman, Bahram Ghasemi saying: "What presently the US is highlighting to condemn other countries with is the result of years of wrong and inappropriate policies of Americans in the countries of the region, especially Afghanistan.” Iran already has strong economic ties with China, moving closer to Pakistan would not be good news for India. × Iran already has strong economic ties with China, and it moving closer to Pakistan would not be good news for India. New Delhi has been trying to jointly work with both Afghanistan and Iran much to the chagrin of the Pakistan army. Significantly, in May 2017, Iran had taken a tough stance against certain terror groups operating from Pakistan, warning that it would hit the bases of Sunni militant groups operating in Pakistan. In April 2017, Ten Iranian border guards had been killed by militants and Iran blamed Sunni groups operating from Pakistan. Major General Mohammad Baqeri, head of the Iranian armed forces had said, “If the terrorist attacks continue, we will hit their safe havens and cells, wherever they are.” Middle East New Delhi should also be watching the gradual softening of Iran towards Saudi Arabia and Turkey. On the sidelines of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting in Istanbul earlier this month, the foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia met and exchanged greetings. Earlier this month Iranian chief of staff of the armed forces, Major-General Mohammad Baqeri paid a visit to Turkey to explore possible synergies in counter-terrorism and the Syrian conflict. This is a clear indication of a significant improvement in bilateral ties. It has also been reported, that their high-level officials are likely to meet again. While New Delhi has strong ties with both, and this has been a challenge in the past, the tensions were also to the benefit of India. Due to tensions between Iran and GCC countries, especially Saudi Arabia, New Delhi could also pressurise both sides to urge Pakistan to take action against terror groups. Apart from strengthening of India-US ties, Saudi Arabia has been apprehensive about India getting too close to Iran. This has resulted in Riyadh not just adopting a more nuanced stand on terrorism emanating from Pakistan and extraditing terrorists, but also strengthening security cooperation with India. While currently, India is bogged down with numerous domestic challenges, and other foreign policy priorities, especially with China, a close watch should be kept on Iran’s next moves not just in the context of its deal with the US, but also on its ties with Pakistan and GCC countries. *Sandeep Sachdeva is an Independent Policy Analyst associated with The Jindal School of International Affairs, Sonipat.

India should be careful about Iran's softening of stance towards Pakistan and China

Iran and Saudi Arabia will soon exchange diplomatic visits, Tehran said, in a possible sign of tensions easing after the archrivals cut ties last year.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told local media the visits would take place after this year`s hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, which is due to start at the beginning of September.

&quot;Visas have been delivered for the two sides. The final steps need to be completed so our diplomats can go inspect our embassy and consulate in Saudi Arabia and for Saudi diplomats to come inspect their embassy and consulate,&quot; Zarif told news agency ISNA.

It would be the first exchange of diplomats between the two countries since they cut ties in January 2016, after Iranians stormed Saudi Arabia`s embassy in Tehran in response to the execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.

There have been signs of a thaw in relations in recent months, including an agreement to allow Iranians to participate in this year`s hajj, a pilgrimage that Muslims must perform at least once in their lifetimes if they are able to do so.

Iranians were unable to attend the hajj last year after talks on security and logistics fell apart.

Relations between Tehran and Riyadh have been at their worst in years, with the countries trading frequent accusations of meddling and supporting different sides in conflicts in Syria and Yemen.

Zarif urged Riyadh to reconsider its foreign policy.

&quot;Saudi Arabia`s behaviour goes against its own interests. We want security and stability throughout the region and insist on the need to fight against the dangers that threaten us all,&quot; he said.

&quot;Saudi Arabia has not benefitted from two years of war and horrific acts against the Yemeni people, on the contrary,&quot; he said. &quot;It`s the same in Syria or in Bahrain. We hope they will choose another path.&quot;

&nbsp;

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told local media the diplomatic visits would take place after this year`s hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, which is due to start at the beginning of September

Iran and Saudi Arabia will soon exchange diplomatic visits, Tehran said, in a possible sign of tensions easing after the archrivals cut ties last year. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told local media the visits would take place after this year`s hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, which is due to start at the beginning of September. "Visas have been delivered for the two sides. The final steps need to be completed so our diplomats can go inspect our embassy and consulate in Saudi Arabia and for Saudi diplomats to come inspect their embassy and consulate," Zarif told news agency ISNA. It would be the first exchange of diplomats between the two countries since they cut ties in January 2016, after Iranians stormed Saudi Arabia`s embassy in Tehran in response to the execution of a prominent Shiite cleric. There have been signs of a thaw in relations in recent months, including an agreement to allow Iranians to participate in this year`s hajj, a pilgrimage that Muslims must perform at least once in their lifetimes if they are able to do so. Iranians were unable to attend the hajj last year after talks on security and logistics fell apart. Relations between Tehran and Riyadh have been at their worst in years, with the countries trading frequent accusations of meddling and supporting different sides in conflicts in Syria and Yemen. Zarif urged Riyadh to reconsider its foreign policy. "Saudi Arabia`s behaviour goes against its own interests. We want security and stability throughout the region and insist on the need to fight against the dangers that threaten us all," he said. "Saudi Arabia has not benefitted from two years of war and horrific acts against the Yemeni people, on the contrary," he said. "It`s the same in Syria or in Bahrain. We hope they will choose another path."

Iran, Saudi Arabia set to restore ties

Qatar is to restore full diplomatic relations with regional power Iran, its foreign ministry announced Thursday, in a significant move at a time of diplomatic friction within the Gulf.

A statement from the ministry said Qatar aimed to bolster relations between the two countries, which share the world`s largest natural gas field.

&quot;The State of Qatar announced today that its ambassador to Tehran will return to exercise its diplomatic duties,&quot; read the statement.

Qatar was also seeking to &quot;strengthen bilateral relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran in all fields&quot;, it added.&nbsp;

Doha pulled its ambassador from Tehran in January 2016 following attacks on the Saudi Arabian embassy, spurred by Riyadh&#39;s decision to execute a Shiite cleric in the kingdom.

The decision to restore ties comes as Qatar is locked in a diplomatic impasse with Iran`s great regional rival, Saudi Arabia, which has accused Doha of ties to Shiite Iran and support for Sunni Islamist extremist groups. Qatar denies the accusations.&nbsp;

On June 5, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates severed all diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar in what has become the worst political crisis to grip the Gulf region in decades.

Ironically, the crisis may have pushed Iran and Qatar closer together.&nbsp;

Qatar`s move may be seen as provocative among those countries which have cut ties, but Saudi Arabia and its allies have not yet responded.

Political and business leaders in Qatar have argued that they have to maintain ties with Iran because of the gas field, which Doha calls the North Field and in Tehran is known as South Pars.

Qatar has also turned to Iran to help food imports as previously most supplies came through Saudi Arabia, which sealed off Qatar`s only land border as part of the boycott.&nbsp;

A statement from the foreign ministry said Qatar aimed to bolster relations between the two countries, which share the world`s largest natural gas field

Qatar is to restore full diplomatic relations with regional power Iran, its foreign ministry announced Thursday, in a significant move at a time of diplomatic friction within the Gulf. A statement from the ministry said Qatar aimed to bolster relations between the two countries, which share the world`s largest natural gas field. "The State of Qatar announced today that its ambassador to Tehran will return to exercise its diplomatic duties," read the statement. Qatar was also seeking to "strengthen bilateral relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran in all fields", it added. Doha pulled its ambassador from Tehran in January 2016 following attacks on the Saudi Arabian embassy, spurred by Riyadh's decision to execute a Shiite cleric in the kingdom. The decision to restore ties comes as Qatar is locked in a diplomatic impasse with Iran`s great regional rival, Saudi Arabia, which has accused Doha of ties to Shiite Iran and support for Sunni Islamist extremist groups. Qatar denies the accusations. On June 5, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates severed all diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar in what has become the worst political crisis to grip the Gulf region in decades. Ironically, the crisis may have pushed Iran and Qatar closer together. Qatar`s move may be seen as provocative among those countries which have cut ties, but Saudi Arabia and its allies have not yet responded. Political and business leaders in Qatar have argued that they have to maintain ties with Iran because of the gas field, which Doha calls the North Field and in Tehran is known as South Pars. Qatar has also turned to Iran to help food imports as previously most supplies came through Saudi Arabia, which sealed off Qatar`s only land border as part of the boycott.

A year after tensions, Qatar to restore diplomatic relations with Iran

The United States wants to know if the United Nations atomic watchdog plans to inspect&nbsp;Iranian military sites to verify Tehran&#39;s compliance with a 2015 nuclear deal, the US&nbsp;ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said on Tuesday.

Haley will meet with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) officials in Vienna on Wednesday for what she described as a fact-finding mission, which is part of President Donald Trump&#39;s review of the deal&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;made with world powers to curb its nuclear program in return for the lifting of most sanctions.

&quot;If you look ... at past&nbsp;Iranian behavior, what you&#39;ve seen is there have been covert actions at military sites, at universities, things like that,&quot; Haley, a member of Trump&#39;s cabinet, told Reuters in an interview.

&quot;There were already issues in those locations, so are they including that in what they look at to make sure that those issues no longer remain?&quot; she said. &quot;They have the authority to look at military sites now. They have the authority to look at any suspicious sites now, it&#39;s just are they doing it?&quot;

She said she was traveling to Vienna to ask questions, not to push the IAEA to do anything.

A spokesman for the IAEA said it had no immediate comment and that there were no public statements planned on the meeting.

Iran&#39;s top authorities have flatly rejected giving international inspectors access to their military sites, and&nbsp;Iranian officials have told Reuters that any such move would trigger harsh consequences.

&quot;Why would they say that if they had nothing to hide? Why wouldn&#39;t they let the IAEA go there?&quot; Haley said.

Iran&#39;s atomic chief was quoted by state media as saying on Tuesday that&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;could resume production of highly enriched uranium within five days if the nuclear deal was revoked.

In April, Trump ordered a review of whether a suspension of sanctions on&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;related to the nuclear deal - negotiated under President Barack Obama - was in the US&nbsp;national security interest. He has called it &quot;the worst deal ever negotiated.&quot;

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned last week that&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;could abandon the nuclear agreement &quot;within hours&quot; if the United States imposes any more new sanctions.

Most UN&nbsp;and Western sanctions were lifted 18 months ago under the nuclear deal.&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;is still subject to a UN&nbsp;arms embargo and other restrictions, which are not technically part of the deal.

The IAEA polices restrictions the deal placed on&nbsp;Iran&#39;s nuclear activities and reports quarterly.

Haley said some of the questions she had were: &quot;Are you looking at everything? Are you looking at those places where there has been covert activity in the past? Are you able to get access to these areas? Or are you being delayed? Are you being shut out from those things?&quot;

Under US&nbsp;law, the State Department must notify Congress every 90 days of&nbsp;Iran&#39;s compliance with the nuclear deal. The next deadline is October, and Trump has said he thinks by then the United States will declare&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;to be non-compliant.

&quot;We don&#39;t know if he&#39;s going to certify or decertify the deal,&quot; said Haley, adding that she would report back to Trump and the national security team.

The US&nbsp;review of its policy toward&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;is also looking at Tehran&#39;s behavior in the Middle East, which Washington has said undermines US&nbsp;interests in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon.

UN&nbsp;Secretary-General Antonio Guterres believes the&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;nuclear deal is &quot;one of the most important diplomatic achievements in our search for, for peace and stability,&quot; UN&nbsp;spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday

&quot;Everyone involved needs to do its utmost to protect and support that agreement,&quot; Dujarric told reporters.

Iranian military sites to verify Tehran's compliance with a 2015 nuclear deal, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said on Tuesday

The United States wants to know if the United Nations atomic watchdog plans to inspect Iranian military sites to verify Tehran's compliance with a 2015 nuclear deal, the US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said on Tuesday. Haley will meet with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) officials in Vienna on Wednesday for what she described as a fact-finding mission, which is part of President Donald Trump's review of the deal Iran made with world powers to curb its nuclear program in return for the lifting of most sanctions. "If you look ... at past Iranian behavior, what you've seen is there have been covert actions at military sites, at universities, things like that," Haley, a member of Trump's cabinet, told Reuters in an interview. "There were already issues in those locations, so are they including that in what they look at to make sure that those issues no longer remain?" she said. "They have the authority to look at military sites now. They have the authority to look at any suspicious sites now, it's just are they doing it?" She said she was traveling to Vienna to ask questions, not to push the IAEA to do anything. A spokesman for the IAEA said it had no immediate comment and that there were no public statements planned on the meeting. Iran's top authorities have flatly rejected giving international inspectors access to their military sites, and Iranian officials have told Reuters that any such move would trigger harsh consequences. "Why would they say that if they had nothing to hide? Why wouldn't they let the IAEA go there?" Haley said. Iran's atomic chief was quoted by state media as saying on Tuesday that Iran could resume production of highly enriched uranium within five days if the nuclear deal was revoked. In April, Trump ordered a review of whether a suspension of sanctions on Iran related to the nuclear deal - negotiated under President Barack Obama - was in the US national security interest. He has called it "the worst deal ever negotiated." Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned last week that Iran could abandon the nuclear agreement "within hours" if the United States imposes any more new sanctions. Most UN and Western sanctions were lifted 18 months ago under the nuclear deal. Iran is still subject to a UN arms embargo and other restrictions, which are not technically part of the deal. The IAEA polices restrictions the deal placed on Iran's nuclear activities and reports quarterly. Haley said some of the questions she had were: "Are you looking at everything? Are you looking at those places where there has been covert activity in the past? Are you able to get access to these areas? Or are you being delayed? Are you being shut out from those things?" Under US law, the State Department must notify Congress every 90 days of Iran's compliance with the nuclear deal. The next deadline is October, and Trump has said he thinks by then the United States will declare Iran to be non-compliant. "We don't know if he's going to certify or decertify the deal," said Haley, adding that she would report back to Trump and the national security team. The US review of its policy toward Iran is also looking at Tehran's behavior in the Middle East, which Washington has said undermines US interests in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres believes the Iran nuclear deal is "one of the most important diplomatic achievements in our search for, for peace and stability," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday "Everyone involved needs to do its utmost to protect and support that agreement," Dujarric told reporters.

Iranian military sites asked, to be verified under nuclear deal, by US ambassador

Iran&#39;s new communications minister said&nbsp;Tuesday&nbsp;that negotiations were underway <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-suspended-377000-accounts-last-year-for-trying-to-promote-extremism-13642">with microblogging site Twitter to unblock the service</a>, which has been banned for years despite being used even by the country&#39;s supreme leader.

&quot;(Twitter) has announced that it is prepared to negotiate to resolve problems,&quot; Mohammad-Javad Azari Jahromi told the Iran daily newspaper.

&quot;Considering the current situation there are grounds for such negotiation and interaction. Twitter is not an immoral environment needing to be blocked,&quot; he added.

The 36-year-old Jahromi became Iran&#39;s youngest-ever minister this week, and the first to be born after the 1979 Islamic revolution.

His selection has been criticised by rights groups over his involvement in surveillance during and after the mass anti-regime protests of 2009.

But Jahromi is also seen as a critic of online censorship in Iran, where sites such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter remain banned even if millions use them daily through easily available privacy software.

There was no immediate response from Twitter to his comments.

He said officials were also looking at ways to unblock YouTube while still censoring &quot;immoral content&quot; on the site, and that a pilot project was being run, allowing universities to access the site.

Jahromi added that the final decision on unblocking Twitter did not lie with his ministry, but with the Supreme Council for Cyberspace, which includes members of the hardline judiciary.

Twitter was banned at the time of mass anti-regime protests in 2009, that followed allegations of massive rigging in the re-election of president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

But despite the ban, the US messaging service is widely used by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has official accounts in several languages, as well as President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Even Ahmadinejad joined the service this year.

Separately, Jahromi rejected allegations he was involved in interrogations during the 2009 protests.

&quot;I wasn&#39;t responsible for surveillance, I was in charge of the technical infrastructure for the surveillance industry, and I consider it an honour,&quot; he said in a meeting with lawmakers this week, according to the Shahrvand newspaper.

Iran's new communications minister Mohammad-Javad Azari Jahromi said

Iran's new communications minister said Tuesday that negotiations were underway with microblogging site Twitter to unblock the service, which has been banned for years despite being used even by the country's supreme leader. "(Twitter) has announced that it is prepared to negotiate to resolve problems," Mohammad-Javad Azari Jahromi told the Iran daily newspaper. "Considering the current situation there are grounds for such negotiation and interaction. Twitter is not an immoral environment needing to be blocked," he added. The 36-year-old Jahromi became Iran's youngest-ever minister this week, and the first to be born after the 1979 Islamic revolution. His selection has been criticised by rights groups over his involvement in surveillance during and after the mass anti-regime protests of 2009. But Jahromi is also seen as a critic of online censorship in Iran, where sites such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter remain banned even if millions use them daily through easily available privacy software. There was no immediate response from Twitter to his comments. He said officials were also looking at ways to unblock YouTube while still censoring "immoral content" on the site, and that a pilot project was being run, allowing universities to access the site. Jahromi added that the final decision on unblocking Twitter did not lie with his ministry, but with the Supreme Council for Cyberspace, which includes members of the hardline judiciary. Twitter was banned at the time of mass anti-regime protests in 2009, that followed allegations of massive rigging in the re-election of president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. But despite the ban, the US messaging service is widely used by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has official accounts in several languages, as well as President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Even Ahmadinejad joined the service this year. Separately, Jahromi rejected allegations he was involved in interrogations during the 2009 protests. "I wasn't responsible for surveillance, I was in charge of the technical infrastructure for the surveillance industry, and I consider it an honour," he said in a meeting with lawmakers this week, according to the Shahrvand newspaper.

Twitter is not an immoral environment needing to be blocked, says Iran's communications minister

An Israeli television report said on Tuesday that Iran is building a facility in northwest Syria to manufacture long-range rockets, and showed satellite images it said were of the site under construction.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned last week that Iran was strengthening its foothold in its ally Syria as Islamic State fighters were being displaced, and said Israel was watching developments and would act against any threat.

&quot;Our policy is clear: We vehemently oppose the military buildup by Iran and its proxies, primarily Hezbollah, in Syria and we will do whatever it takes to protect Israel&#39;s security,&quot; he said in a speech.

The Channel 2 television news report showed images it said were taken by an Israeli satellite showing a site in northwest Syria near the Mediterranean coastal town of Baniyas, saying some of the construction indicated explosives would be stored there.

It compared images of buildings it said were of a rocket factory near Tehran to structures at the Syrian site and said there was a strong resemblance between them.

Netanyahu has been harshly critical of a 2015 deal that six world powers including the United States under then-president Barack Obama struck with Iran to curb its nuclear programme in return for an end to multilateral sanctions.

Iran is Israel&#39;s avowed enemy, and Israel argues that the agreement fails to prevent Iranian weapons posing a threat to its very existence. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.

The United States last month slapped new economic sanctions on Iran over its ballistic missile program and said Tehran&#39;s &quot;malign activities&quot; in the Middle East had undercut any &quot;positive contributions&quot; from the 2015 accord curbing its nuclear program.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump has frequently criticised the agreement as being too soft on Tehran, which remains subject to a UN&nbsp;arms embargo and other restrictions.

US&nbsp;news reports have said that Israeli intelligence officials will discuss the situation in Syria and Lebanon with US&nbsp;counterparts in Washington this week.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned last week that Iran was strengthening its foothold in its ally Syria as Islamic State fighters were being displaced, and said Israel was watching developments and would act against any threat

An Israeli television report said on Tuesday that Iran is building a facility in northwest Syria to manufacture long-range rockets, and showed satellite images it said were of the site under construction. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned last week that Iran was strengthening its foothold in its ally Syria as Islamic State fighters were being displaced, and said Israel was watching developments and would act against any threat. "Our policy is clear: We vehemently oppose the military buildup by Iran and its proxies, primarily Hezbollah, in Syria and we will do whatever it takes to protect Israel's security," he said in a speech. The Channel 2 television news report showed images it said were taken by an Israeli satellite showing a site in northwest Syria near the Mediterranean coastal town of Baniyas, saying some of the construction indicated explosives would be stored there. It compared images of buildings it said were of a rocket factory near Tehran to structures at the Syrian site and said there was a strong resemblance between them. Netanyahu has been harshly critical of a 2015 deal that six world powers including the United States under then-president Barack Obama struck with Iran to curb its nuclear programme in return for an end to multilateral sanctions. Iran is Israel's avowed enemy, and Israel argues that the agreement fails to prevent Iranian weapons posing a threat to its very existence. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. The United States last month slapped new economic sanctions on Iran over its ballistic missile program and said Tehran's "malign activities" in the Middle East had undercut any "positive contributions" from the 2015 accord curbing its nuclear program. US President Donald Trump has frequently criticised the agreement as being too soft on Tehran, which remains subject to a UN arms embargo and other restrictions. US news reports have said that Israeli intelligence officials will discuss the situation in Syria and Lebanon with US counterparts in Washington this week.

Is Iran building long-range rockets in Syria?

Islamic State issued a video on Wednesday threatening new attacks in the Iranian capital Tehran and calling on young Iranians to rise up and launch jihad in their country.

A man wearing a black ski mask and holding an AK-47, seated alongside two others, made the threat in a video bearing the Islamic State&#39;s Amaq news agency logo and showing footage of two attacks in Tehran in June claimed by the militant group.

&quot;The same way we are cutting the necks of your dogs in Iraq and Syria we will cut your necks in the centre of Tehran,&quot; the man said, speaking accented Farsi.

Islamic State, a Sunni Muslim group which has sought to establish a caliphate in parts of the Gulf but is now under pressure from national armies and international groups in Syria and Iraq, sees Iran, which is predominantly Shi&#39;ite, as one of its biggest enemies in the region.

The group killed at least 18 people in attacks on parliament in Tehran and the mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini on June 7.

Iran&#39;s Revolutionary Guards fired several missiles at Islamic State bases in Syria on June 18 in response to that attack. Iranian officials have also announced the arrests of dozens allegedly linked to the attacks.

Another portion of the video showed militants in black ski masks speaking out against Shi&#39;ites in Arabic and threatening attacks against them in Iraq.

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Islamic State, a Sunni Muslim group, sees Iran, which is predominantly Shi'ite, as one of its biggest enemies in the region

Islamic State issued a video on Wednesday threatening new attacks in the Iranian capital Tehran and calling on young Iranians to rise up and launch jihad in their country. A man wearing a black ski mask and holding an AK-47, seated alongside two others, made the threat in a video bearing the Islamic State's Amaq news agency logo and showing footage of two attacks in Tehran in June claimed by the militant group. "The same way we are cutting the necks of your dogs in Iraq and Syria we will cut your necks in the centre of Tehran," the man said, speaking accented Farsi. Islamic State, a Sunni Muslim group which has sought to establish a caliphate in parts of the Gulf but is now under pressure from national armies and international groups in Syria and Iraq, sees Iran, which is predominantly Shi'ite, as one of its biggest enemies in the region. The group killed at least 18 people in attacks on parliament in Tehran and the mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini on June 7. Iran's Revolutionary Guards fired several missiles at Islamic State bases in Syria on June 18 in response to that attack. Iranian officials have also announced the arrests of dozens allegedly linked to the attacks. Another portion of the video showed militants in black ski masks speaking out against Shi'ites in Arabic and threatening attacks against them in Iraq.

Islamic State releases video threatening new attacks in Iran

Iran said on Thursday that new sanctions imposed by the United States had violated its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and that the country would respond.

&quot;We believe that the nuclear deal has been violated and we will react appropriately,&quot; deputy foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said on state television, following news that US President Donald Trump had signed the new sanctions into law.

&quot;We will certainly not fall into the trap of US policy and Trump, and our reaction will be very carefully considered.&quot;

Trump signed off the new sanctions, which also target Russia and North Korea, on Wednesday.&nbsp;

The sanctions target Iran&#39;s missile programme and human rights violations, which were not covered under the 2015 nuclear deal.&nbsp;

However, Iran says they go against the spirit of the agreement and said earlier this week that it would lodge a complaint with the commission that oversees its implementation.&nbsp;

The sanctions target Iran's missile programme and human rights violations, which were not covered under the 2015 nuclear deal.?

Iran said on Thursday that new sanctions imposed by the United States had violated its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and that the country would respond. "We believe that the nuclear deal has been violated and we will react appropriately," deputy foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said on state television, following news that US President Donald Trump had signed the new sanctions into law. "We will certainly not fall into the trap of US policy and Trump, and our reaction will be very carefully considered." Trump signed off the new sanctions, which also target Russia and North Korea, on Wednesday. The sanctions target Iran's missile programme and human rights violations, which were not covered under the 2015 nuclear deal. However, Iran says they go against the spirit of the agreement and said earlier this week that it would lodge a complaint with the commission that oversees its implementation.

New US sanctions violate 2015 nuclear deal: Iran

Iran has&nbsp;&quot;successfully&quot; tested a satellite-launch rocket capable of propelling a satellite weighing 250 kilograms (550 pounds) to an altitude of 500 kilometres (300 miles) above the earth, state television said.

The launch comes even as the US House passed a new sanctions bill on Tuesday targeting Iran over its missile programme.

The launch marked the official inauguration of Iran&#39;s Imam Khomeini space centre, named after the late founder of the Islamic republic, built for sending satellites into space, the television said, without giving its location.&nbsp;Iran&#39;s state television reported that the&nbsp;launch vehicle was named Simorgh after a bird in Iranian mythology

President Hassan Rouhani said had said on Wednesday that Iran would respond in kind to any breach by the United States of a 2015 nuclear deal after the House of Representatives passed a new sanctions bill.

&quot;If the enemy steps over part of the agreement, we will do the same, and if they step over the entire deal, we will do the same too,&quot; Rouhani had said at a cabinet meeting.

The Iranian parliament&#39;s national security and foreign affairs committee said it would hold an extraordinary session on Saturday to discuss its formal response.&nbsp;

The parliament voted earlier this month to fast-track a bill introduced in June that would increase funds for Iran&#39;s missile programme and Revolutionary Guards.&nbsp;

&quot;We must always develop our defence capability and we will strengthen our defensive weapons regardless of the opinion of others,&quot; Rouhani said.

&nbsp;

The satellite launch comes even as the US House passed a new sanctions bill targeting Iran over its missile programme

Iran has "successfully" tested a satellite-launch rocket capable of propelling a satellite weighing 250 kilograms (550 pounds) to an altitude of 500 kilometres (300 miles) above the earth, state television said. The launch comes even as the US House passed a new sanctions bill on Tuesday targeting Iran over its missile programme. The launch marked the official inauguration of Iran's Imam Khomeini space centre, named after the late founder of the Islamic republic, built for sending satellites into space, the television said, without giving its location. Iran's state television reported that the launch vehicle was named Simorgh after a bird in Iranian mythology President Hassan Rouhani said had said on Wednesday that Iran would respond in kind to any breach by the United States of a 2015 nuclear deal after the House of Representatives passed a new sanctions bill. "If the enemy steps over part of the agreement, we will do the same, and if they step over the entire deal, we will do the same too," Rouhani had said at a cabinet meeting. The Iranian parliament's national security and foreign affairs committee said it would hold an extraordinary session on Saturday to discuss its formal response. The parliament voted earlier this month to fast-track a bill introduced in June that would increase funds for Iran's missile programme and Revolutionary Guards. "We must always develop our defence capability and we will strengthen our defensive weapons regardless of the opinion of others," Rouhani said.

Iran successfully test-fires satellite-launch rocket

Kuwait has expelled Iranian diplomats and closed some embassy missions after the emirate&#39;s top court convicted a &quot;terror&quot; cell of links to the Islamic republic, the foreign ministry said.

Kuwait had convicted 23 men last year including one Iranian of spying for Iran. The group was known as the &quot;Abdali cell&quot;.

&quot;The government of the state of Kuwait decided to take actions in accordance with diplomatic norms and in abidance with the Vienna conventions with regards to its relationship with the Islamic Republic of Iran,&quot; acting Information Minister Sheikh Mohammad al-Mubarak al-Sabah said.

Reuters reported Kuwait&#39;s foreign ministry summoned Tehran&rsquo;s ambassador and ordered the number of diplomats to be cut from 19 to four and the closure of the cultural and military missions.

A senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP around 15 diplomats were ordered to leave.

Meanwhile, Iran dismissed the&nbsp;terror link claim as &nbsp;&quot;baseless&quot; and threatened to hit back at Kuwait&#39;s decision to expel its diplomats.

&quot;Iran&#39;s strong objection has been communicated to Kuwait&#39;s charge d&#39;affaires. It was reiterated that Iran reserves the right to a reciprocal measure,&quot; said foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi in a statement.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

A senior government official said around 15 diplomats were ordered to leave

Kuwait has expelled Iranian diplomats and closed some embassy missions after the emirate's top court convicted a "terror" cell of links to the Islamic republic, the foreign ministry said. Kuwait had convicted 23 men last year including one Iranian of spying for Iran. The group was known as the "Abdali cell". "The government of the state of Kuwait decided to take actions in accordance with diplomatic norms and in abidance with the Vienna conventions with regards to its relationship with the Islamic Republic of Iran," acting Information Minister Sheikh Mohammad al-Mubarak al-Sabah said. Reuters reported Kuwait's foreign ministry summoned Tehran’s ambassador and ordered the number of diplomats to be cut from 19 to four and the closure of the cultural and military missions. A senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP around 15 diplomats were ordered to leave. Meanwhile, Iran dismissed the terror link claim as "baseless" and threatened to hit back at Kuwait's decision to expel its diplomats. "Iran's strong objection has been communicated to Kuwait's charge d'affaires. It was reiterated that Iran reserves the right to a reciprocal measure," said foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi in a statement.

Kuwait expels Iranian diplomats over 'terror cell' links

Iranian forces killed two suspected members of an armed group and arrested five others in the southeastern province of&nbsp;Sistan-Baluchestan.

&quot;A group of seven terrorists who wanted to attack a barracks in Chabahar (in Sistan-Baluchestan province) was dismantled. Five people, including two nationals from a neighbouring country, were arrested and two others were killed. Unfortunately, an intelligence agent was also killed,&quot; official news agency IRNA quoted Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi as saying.

The minister also accused Saudi Arabia of fomenting trouble by sponsoring terrorist groups in Iran.&nbsp;

Tensions between the two regional rivals has seen a spike after the twin attacks on parliament and the shrine of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Tehran on June 7.&nbsp;

Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif,&nbsp;said, &quot;We have intelligence that Saudi Arabia is actively engaged in promoting terrorist groups operating on the eastern side of Iran in Baluchistan.&quot;&nbsp;

Sistan-Baluchistan is the south-eastern province of Iran, sharing borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan. The province has been repeatedly attacked by Sunni militants. &nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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Iranian forces also arrested five on suspicions of belonging to an armed group in Sistan-Baluchestan province

Iranian forces killed two suspected members of an armed group and arrested five others in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan. "A group of seven terrorists who wanted to attack a barracks in Chabahar (in Sistan-Baluchestan province) was dismantled. Five people, including two nationals from a neighbouring country, were arrested and two others were killed. Unfortunately, an intelligence agent was also killed," official news agency IRNA quoted Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi as saying. The minister also accused Saudi Arabia of fomenting trouble by sponsoring terrorist groups in Iran. Tensions between the two regional rivals has seen a spike after the twin attacks on parliament and the shrine of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Tehran on June 7. Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said, "We have intelligence that Saudi Arabia is actively engaged in promoting terrorist groups operating on the eastern side of Iran in Baluchistan." Sistan-Baluchistan is the south-eastern province of Iran, sharing borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan. The province has been repeatedly attacked by Sunni militants.

Iranian forces kill two suspected members of armed group

&nbsp;An audio message purporting to come from the spokesman of Islamic State called on followers to launch attacks in the United States, Europe, Russia, Australia, Iraq, Syria, Iran, and the Philippines during the Islamic holy month of Ramzan, which began in late May.

The audio clip was distributed on Monday on Islamic State&#39;s channel on Telegram, an encrypted messaging application. It was attributed to the militant group`s official spokesman, Abi al-Hassan al-Muhajer.&nbsp;

The authenticity of the recording could not be independently verified, but the voice was the same as a previous audio message purported to be from the spokesman.

&quot;O lions of Mosul, Raqqa, and Tal Afar, God bless those pure arms and bright faces, charge against the rejectionists and the apostates and fight them with the strength of one man,&quot; said al-Muhajer. Rejectionist is a derogatory term used to refer to Shi&#39;ite Muslims.

&quot;To the brethren of faith and belief in Europe, America, Russia, Australia, and others. Your brothers in your land have done well so take them as role models and do as they have done.&quot;

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An unverified audio message distributed on?Islamic State's channel on Telegram called on followers to launch?attacks in the US, Europe, Russia, Australia, Iraq, Syria, Iran, and the Philippines

An audio message purporting to come from the spokesman of Islamic State called on followers to launch attacks in the United States, Europe, Russia, Australia, Iraq, Syria, Iran, and the Philippines during the Islamic holy month of Ramzan, which began in late May. The audio clip was distributed on Monday on Islamic State's channel on Telegram, an encrypted messaging application. It was attributed to the militant group`s official spokesman, Abi al-Hassan al-Muhajer. The authenticity of the recording could not be independently verified, but the voice was the same as a previous audio message purported to be from the spokesman. "O lions of Mosul, Raqqa, and Tal Afar, God bless those pure arms and bright faces, charge against the rejectionists and the apostates and fight them with the strength of one man," said al-Muhajer. Rejectionist is a derogatory term used to refer to Shi'ite Muslims. "To the brethren of faith and belief in Europe, America, Russia, Australia, and others. Your brothers in your land have done well so take them as role models and do as they have done."

Islamic State calls for attacks in US, Europe, Middle East, Asia during Ramzan

Iran said Thursday that five of its nationals who killed 17 people in twin attacks in Tehran were Islamic State members who had been to the group&#39;s strongholds in Iraq and Syria. Wednesday&#39;s <a href="http://Iran twin attacks: 13 killed, Iran Guards claim US, Saudi 'involved'">attacks on Tehran&#39;s parliament complex and the shrine of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini</a>, which also wounded more than 50 people, were the first claimed by IS in Iran.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/attackers-raid-iran-parliament-twelve-killed-3635">Also see:&nbsp;Attackers raid Iran parliament, twelve killed</a>

&quot;The five known terrorists... after joining the Daesh (IS) terrorist group, left the country and participated in crimes carried out by this terrorist group in Mosul and Raqa,&quot; the intelligence ministry said in a statement. It suggested there were only five attackers rather than the six originally reported.

An official said previously that those who attacked the parliament complex had been dressed as women. The ministry released their photographs and first names.

It said they were part of a network that entered Iran in July-August 2016 under the leadership of &quot;high-ranking Daesh commander&quot; Abu Aisha intending to carry out &quot;terrorist operations in religious cities&quot;.

Abu Aisha was killed and the network forced to flee the country, the statement said. It was unclear when the five men returned to Iran ahead of Wednesday&#39;s attacks. IS on Thursday released a video of the five attackers before the assault, via its Amaq propaganda agency.&nbsp;

&quot;Allah permitting, this is the first brigade that was established (in Iran) but it will not be the last,&quot; one said in the video message, as the group sat masked in a circle with their weapons. The jihadist group had earlier released footage of the attackers from inside the building, also via Amaq -- a rare claim of responsibility while an assault was still going on.

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The evil they promote

Following the attacks, US President Donald Trump said the United States would &quot;grieve and pray&quot; for the victims, but added: &quot;We underscore that states that sponsor terrorism risk falling victim to the evil they promote.&quot;

The statement was condemned by foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who tweeted: &quot;Repugnant WH (White House) statement... as Iranians counter terror backed by US clients.&quot;

Trump was also criticised on social media by Iranians, who recalled their government&#39;s offers of support and the candlelight vigils held in Iran after the attacks of September 11, 2001 in the United States.

&quot;Iranians lit candles for you on 9/11. You kick them while they&#39;re down. Classy,&quot; tweeted Ali Ghezelbash, an Iranian business analyst.

The US president has long accused Iran of backing terrorism and has threatened to tear up a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and major powers.&nbsp;

Even as Washington expressed its condolences on Wednesday, the US Senate advanced legislation to impose new sanctions on Iran, partly for what the bill described as the regime&#39;s &#39;support for acts of international terrorism&#39;. Iran&#39;s elite Revolutionary Guards have pointed the finger at regional rival Saudi Arabia -- a close US ally -- which Tehran accuses of funding extremism and groups including IS.

IS has threatened to step up recruitment within Iran, releasing its first Persian-language video in March in which it threatened to &quot;conquer Iran and restore it to the Sunni Muslim nation as it was before.&quot; The Sunni jihadists of IS consider Shiite Iranians to be apostates, and Tehran is deeply involved in fighting the group in both Syria and Iraq.

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Khomeini shrugs off attacks&nbsp;

The attackers were armed with rifles and pistols and at least two blew themselves up with suicide vests, Iranian media reported. Police said a further five people were arrested around Khomeini&#39;s shrine on suspicion of involvement.

In the midst of the unfolding attacks, the intelligence ministry said a third team had been stopped before the attacks started, but no further details have since been given. Sunni Gulf Arab states are in the midst of a major diplomatic crisis after Saudi Arabia and its allies cut ties with Qatar on Monday over claims it supports extremism and has fewer tensions with Iran.

Iranian leaders sought to play down the attacks, with supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei saying: &quot;These firecrackers that happened today will not have the slightest effect on the will of the people.&quot;

(AFP)

Iran said the five nationals involved in the twin attacks in Tehran were Islamic State members who had been to the group's strongholds in Iraq and Syria

Iran said Thursday that five of its nationals who killed 17 people in twin attacks in Tehran were Islamic State members who had been to the group's strongholds in Iraq and Syria. Wednesday's attacks on Tehran's parliament complex and the shrine of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, which also wounded more than 50 people, were the first claimed by IS in Iran. Also see: Attackers raid Iran parliament, twelve killed "The five known terrorists... after joining the Daesh (IS) terrorist group, left the country and participated in crimes carried out by this terrorist group in Mosul and Raqa," the intelligence ministry said in a statement. It suggested there were only five attackers rather than the six originally reported. An official said previously that those who attacked the parliament complex had been dressed as women. The ministry released their photographs and first names. It said they were part of a network that entered Iran in July-August 2016 under the leadership of "high-ranking Daesh commander" Abu Aisha intending to carry out "terrorist operations in religious cities". Abu Aisha was killed and the network forced to flee the country, the statement said. It was unclear when the five men returned to Iran ahead of Wednesday's attacks. IS on Thursday released a video of the five attackers before the assault, via its Amaq propaganda agency. "Allah permitting, this is the first brigade that was established (in Iran) but it will not be the last," one said in the video message, as the group sat masked in a circle with their weapons. The jihadist group had earlier released footage of the attackers from inside the building, also via Amaq -- a rare claim of responsibility while an assault was still going on. The evil they promote Following the attacks, US President Donald Trump said the United States would "grieve and pray" for the victims, but added: "We underscore that states that sponsor terrorism risk falling victim to the evil they promote." The statement was condemned by foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who tweeted: "Repugnant WH (White House) statement... as Iranians counter terror backed by US clients." Trump was also criticised on social media by Iranians, who recalled their government's offers of support and the candlelight vigils held in Iran after the attacks of September 11, 2001 in the United States. "Iranians lit candles for you on 9/11. You kick them while they're down. Classy," tweeted Ali Ghezelbash, an Iranian business analyst. The US president has long accused Iran of backing terrorism and has threatened to tear up a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and major powers. Even as Washington expressed its condolences on Wednesday, the US Senate advanced legislation to impose new sanctions on Iran, partly for what the bill described as the regime's 'support for acts of international terrorism'. Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have pointed the finger at regional rival Saudi Arabia -- a close US ally -- which Tehran accuses of funding extremism and groups including IS. IS has threatened to step up recruitment within Iran, releasing its first Persian-language video in March in which it threatened to "conquer Iran and restore it to the Sunni Muslim nation as it was before." The Sunni jihadists of IS consider Shiite Iranians to be apostates, and Tehran is deeply involved in fighting the group in both Syria and Iraq. Khomeini shrugs off attacks The attackers were armed with rifles and pistols and at least two blew themselves up with suicide vests, Iranian media reported. Police said a further five people were arrested around Khomeini's shrine on suspicion of involvement. In the midst of the unfolding attacks, the intelligence ministry said a third team had been stopped before the attacks started, but no further details have since been given. Sunni Gulf Arab states are in the midst of a major diplomatic crisis after Saudi Arabia and its allies cut ties with Qatar on Monday over claims it supports extremism and has fewer tensions with Iran. Iranian leaders sought to play down the attacks, with supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei saying: "These firecrackers that happened today will not have the slightest effect on the will of the people." (AFP)

Iran says Teheran attackers had been in Iraq, Syria for IS

Iran said on Thursday that five of its nationals who were killed in twin attacks in Tehran were Islamic State members who had been to the group&#39;s strongholds in Iraq and Syria.

Wednesday&#39;s attacks on Tehran&#39;s parliament complex and the shrine of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, which also wounded more than 50 people, were the first claimed by IS in Iran.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/iran-twin-attacks-13-killed-iran-guards-claim-us-saudi-involved-16527">Also Read:&nbsp;Iran twin attacks: 13 killed, Iran Guards claim US, Saudi &#39;involved&#39;</a>

&quot;The five known terrorists... after joining the Daesh (IS) terrorist group, left the country and participated in crimes carried out by this terrorist group in Mosul and Raqa,&quot; the intelligence ministry said in a statement. It suggested there were only five attackers rather than the six originally reported.

An official said previously that those who attacked the parliament complex had been dressed as women. The ministry released their photographs and first names.

It said they were part of a network that entered Iran in July-August 2016 under the leadership of &quot;high-ranking Daesh commander&quot; Abu Aisha intending to carry out &quot;terrorist operations in religious cities&quot;.

Abu Aisha was killed and the network forced to flee the country, the statement said. It was unclear when the five men returned to Iran ahead of Wednesday&#39;s attacks. IS on Thursday released a video of the five attackers before the assault, via its Amaq propaganda agency.&nbsp;

&quot;Allah permitting, this is the first brigade that was established (in Iran) but it will not be the last,&quot; one said in the video message, as the group sat masked in a circle with their weapons. The jihadist group had earlier released footage of the attackers from inside the building, also via Amaq -- a rare claim of responsibility while an assault was still going on.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/attackers-raid-iran-parliament-twelve-killed-3635">See also: Attackers raid Iran parliament, twelve killed</a>

Following the attacks, US President Donald Trump had said the United States would &quot;grieve and pray&quot; for the victims, but added: &quot;We underscore that states that sponsor terrorism risk falling victim to the evil they promote.&quot;

The statement was condemned by foreign&nbsp;minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who tweeted: &quot;Repugnant WH (White House) statement... as Iranians counter-terror backed by US clients.&quot;

Trump was also criticised on social media by Iranians, who recalled their government&#39;s offers of support and the candlelight vigils held in Iran after the attacks of September 11, 2001 in the United States.

&quot;Iranians lit candles for you on 9/11. You kick them while they&#39;re down. Classy,&quot; tweeted Ali Ghezelbash, an Iranian business analyst.

The US president has long accused Iran of backing terrorism and has threatened to tear up a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and major powers.&nbsp;

Even as Washington expressed its condolences on Wednesday, the US Senate advanced legislation to impose new sanctions on Iran, partly for what the bill described as the regime&#39;s &#39;support for acts of international terrorism&#39;. Iran&#39;s elite Revolutionary Guards have pointed the finger at regional rival Saudi Arabia -- a close US ally -- which Tehran accuses of funding extremism and groups including IS.

IS has threatened to step up recruitment within Iran, releasing its first Persian-language video in March in which it threatened to &quot;conquer Iran and restore it to the Sunni Muslim nation as it was before.&quot; The Sunni jihadists of IS consider Shiite Iranians to be apostates, and Tehran is deeply involved in fighting the group in both Syria and Iraq.

(AFP)

Iran said the that five nationals involved in the twin attacks in Tehran were Islamic State members who had been to the group's strongholds in Iraq and Syria

Iran said on Thursday that five of its nationals who were killed in twin attacks in Tehran were Islamic State members who had been to the group's strongholds in Iraq and Syria. Wednesday's attacks on Tehran's parliament complex and the shrine of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, which also wounded more than 50 people, were the first claimed by IS in Iran. Also Read: Iran twin attacks: 13 killed, Iran Guards claim US, Saudi 'involved' "The five known terrorists... after joining the Daesh (IS) terrorist group, left the country and participated in crimes carried out by this terrorist group in Mosul and Raqa," the intelligence ministry said in a statement. It suggested there were only five attackers rather than the six originally reported. An official said previously that those who attacked the parliament complex had been dressed as women. The ministry released their photographs and first names. It said they were part of a network that entered Iran in July-August 2016 under the leadership of "high-ranking Daesh commander" Abu Aisha intending to carry out "terrorist operations in religious cities". Abu Aisha was killed and the network forced to flee the country, the statement said. It was unclear when the five men returned to Iran ahead of Wednesday's attacks. IS on Thursday released a video of the five attackers before the assault, via its Amaq propaganda agency. "Allah permitting, this is the first brigade that was established (in Iran) but it will not be the last," one said in the video message, as the group sat masked in a circle with their weapons. The jihadist group had earlier released footage of the attackers from inside the building, also via Amaq -- a rare claim of responsibility while an assault was still going on. See also: Attackers raid Iran parliament, twelve killed Following the attacks, US President Donald Trump had said the United States would "grieve and pray" for the victims, but added: "We underscore that states that sponsor terrorism risk falling victim to the evil they promote." The statement was condemned by foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who tweeted: "Repugnant WH (White House) statement... as Iranians counter-terror backed by US clients." Trump was also criticised on social media by Iranians, who recalled their government's offers of support and the candlelight vigils held in Iran after the attacks of September 11, 2001 in the United States. "Iranians lit candles for you on 9/11. You kick them while they're down. Classy," tweeted Ali Ghezelbash, an Iranian business analyst. The US president has long accused Iran of backing terrorism and has threatened to tear up a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and major powers. Even as Washington expressed its condolences on Wednesday, the US Senate advanced legislation to impose new sanctions on Iran, partly for what the bill described as the regime's 'support for acts of international terrorism'. Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have pointed the finger at regional rival Saudi Arabia -- a close US ally -- which Tehran accuses of funding extremism and groups including IS. IS has threatened to step up recruitment within Iran, releasing its first Persian-language video in March in which it threatened to "conquer Iran and restore it to the Sunni Muslim nation as it was before." The Sunni jihadists of IS consider Shiite Iranians to be apostates, and Tehran is deeply involved in fighting the group in both Syria and Iraq. (AFP)

Parliament, shrine attacks: Iran confirms own citizens linked to IS

Iran&#39;s elite Revolutionary Guards on Wednesday said the United States and Saudi Arabia were &quot;involved&quot; in the twin attacks&nbsp;Iran&#39;s parliament complex and the shrine of its revolutionary leader.

&quot;The Revolutionary Guards have always proven that they will never allow the blood of innocents to be spilt without revenge,&quot; they said in a statement.&nbsp;

&quot;This terrorist action, coming one week after the meeting of the president of the United States with the leader of one of the region&#39;s reactionary governments (Saudi Arabia)... shows they are involved in this savage action.&quot;

The United States condemned &quot;terrorist&quot; attacks in Iran&nbsp;that killed 12&nbsp;people.

&quot;The depravity of terrorism has no place in a peaceful, civilized world,&quot; State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said.

US President Donald Trump&nbsp;expressed sympathy for the victims of a terror attack in Iran, but issued a barbed warning that the country was reaping what it sowed.

&quot;We grieve and pray for the innocent victims of the terrorist attacks in Iran, and for the Iranian people, who are going through such challenging times,&quot; Trump said in a brief statement.

&quot;We underscore that states that sponsor terrorism risk falling victim to the evil they promote.&quot; 
 
Twelve&nbsp;people were killed and 39 injured in twin attacks claimed by the Islamic State group on Wednesday, its emergency services chief said.&nbsp;

Dozens of people were wounded in the attacks, which ended after a standoff lasting several hours as the gunmen holed up in parliamentary office buildings.&nbsp;

Iranian media said all four terrorists were killed and that the siege was over.

A security guard was killed when gunmen burst into Tehran&#39;s parliament complex, while a gardener was killed when armed assailants entered the grounds of Khomeini&#39;s mausoleum in the south of the city, the ISNA news agency reported.&nbsp;

Lawmaker Elias Hazrati said three assailants, one with a pistol and two with AK-47 assault rifles, raided parliament, according to the state television website.

&nbsp;

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Attackers raided Iran&#39;s Parliament and set off a suicide bomb at the Mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini in Tehran on Wednesday, killing at least five people (WION)
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ISNA news agency quoted a member of the parliament as saying that all the parliament doors were shut and one of the assailants was surrounded by the security forces.

One member of parliament told state broadcaster IRIB that there were four gunmen inside the parliamentary complex in central Tehran, armed with rifles and a pistol.

In a separate incident, an armed man opened fire at the mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini and wounded a number of people, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

ISNA quoted an unnamed source saying that the attacker at the mausoleum had blown himself up.

&quot;Fighters from the Islamic State attacked the Khomeini mausoleum and the parliament building in Tehran,&quot; the agency said, citing a &quot;security source&quot;.

Saurabh Kumar, Indian envoy to Iran has said no Indian has been harmed in the attacks.&nbsp;

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini launched the Islamic revolution in 1979.

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First photo of suicide explosion&#39;s aftermath at Imam Khomeini Mausoleum <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TehranShooting?src=hash">#TehranShooting</a> <a href="https://t.co/8wjUjMZW8t">pic.twitter.com/8wjUjMZW8t</a>
&mdash; Press TV (@PressTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressTV/status/872357179126415360">June 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
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People gather outside Iran Parliament in central Tehran after the shooting incident <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tehranshooting?src=hash">#tehranshooting</a> <a href="https://t.co/OGZ90zchZS">pic.twitter.com/OGZ90zchZS</a>
&mdash; Press TV (@PressTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressTV/status/872354165019873280">June 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
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(WION with Agency inputs)

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attacks

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards on Wednesday said the United States and Saudi Arabia were "involved" in the twin attacks Iran's parliament complex and the shrine of its revolutionary leader. "The Revolutionary Guards have always proven that they will never allow the blood of innocents to be spilt without revenge," they said in a statement. "This terrorist action, coming one week after the meeting of the president of the United States with the leader of one of the region's reactionary governments (Saudi Arabia)... shows they are involved in this savage action." The United States condemned "terrorist" attacks in Iran that killed 12 people. "The depravity of terrorism has no place in a peaceful, civilized world," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said. US President Donald Trump expressed sympathy for the victims of a terror attack in Iran, but issued a barbed warning that the country was reaping what it sowed. "We grieve and pray for the innocent victims of the terrorist attacks in Iran, and for the Iranian people, who are going through such challenging times," Trump said in a brief statement. "We underscore that states that sponsor terrorism risk falling victim to the evil they promote." Twelve people were killed and 39 injured in twin attacks claimed by the Islamic State group on Wednesday, its emergency services chief said. Dozens of people were wounded in the attacks, which ended after a standoff lasting several hours as the gunmen holed up in parliamentary office buildings. Iranian media said all four terrorists were killed and that the siege was over. A security guard was killed when gunmen burst into Tehran's parliament complex, while a gardener was killed when armed assailants entered the grounds of Khomeini's mausoleum in the south of the city, the ISNA news agency reported. Lawmaker Elias Hazrati said three assailants, one with a pistol and two with AK-47 assault rifles, raided parliament, according to the state television website. Attackers raided Iran's Parliament and set off a suicide bomb at the Mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini in Tehran on Wednesday, killing at least five people (WION) × ISNA news agency quoted a member of the parliament as saying that all the parliament doors were shut and one of the assailants was surrounded by the security forces. One member of parliament told state broadcaster IRIB that there were four gunmen inside the parliamentary complex in central Tehran, armed with rifles and a pistol. In a separate incident, an armed man opened fire at the mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini and wounded a number of people, the semi-official Fars news agency reported. ISNA quoted an unnamed source saying that the attacker at the mausoleum had blown himself up. "Fighters from the Islamic State attacked the Khomeini mausoleum and the parliament building in Tehran," the agency said, citing a "security source". Saurabh Kumar, Indian envoy to Iran has said no Indian has been harmed in the attacks. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini launched the Islamic revolution in 1979. First photo of suicide explosion's aftermath at Imam Khomeini Mausoleum #TehranShooting pic.twitter.com/8wjUjMZW8t — Press TV (@PressTV) June 7, 2017 × People gather outside Iran Parliament in central Tehran after the shooting incident #tehranshooting pic.twitter.com/OGZ90zchZS — Press TV (@PressTV) June 7, 2017 × (WION with Agency inputs)

Iran twin attacks: 13 killed, Iran Guards claim US, Saudi 'involved'

An Iraqi Shi&#39;ite force backed by Iran said it pushed Islamic State out of several villages on the border with Syria on Monday, potentially reopening a supply route to send Iranian weapons to President Bashar al-Assad.

The manoeuvre could also be the prelude to a connection with the Assad&#39;s Iranian-backed forces, although they are yet to reach the Iraqi border from the Syrian side.

Syrian rebel sources have warned of advances by the Syrian army and Iranian-backed militia to reach the border.

The territory taken by the Popular Mobilisation force on Monday is located north of the Islamic State-held town of Baaj.

For Popular Mobilisation, it is a step towards achieving a linkup with Assad forces, giving him a significant advantage in fighting the six-year rebellion against his rule.

But the territory is connected with land held by US-backed Syrian Kurdish groups on the Syrian side, who are more focused on fighting Islamic State than Assad.

It is not known whether the Syrian Kurds would allow the Iraqi Shi&#39;ite force to use their territory to reach Assad&#39;s troops, deployed further south and further west.

In a statement on its website, Popular Mobilisation described its advance to the border with Syria as &quot;a Ramadan miracle&quot;, referring to the Muslim fasting month which started over the weekend.

Popular Mobilisation is taking part in the US-backed Iraqi campaign to defeat Islamic State in the city of Mosul and the surrounding province of Nineveh.

Iraqi government armed forces are focusing their effort on dislodging insurgents from the city of Mosul, Islamic State&#39;s de-facto capital in Iraq.

While reporting nominally to Iraq&#39;s Shi&#39;ite-led government, Popular Mobilisation has Iranian military advisers, one of whom died last week fighting near Baaj.

&nbsp;

MOSUL CAMPAIGN

Iran has helped to train and organise thousands of Shi&#39;ite militia fighters from Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan in the Syrian conflict. Fighters from Lebanon&#39;s Hezbollah are also working closely with Iranian military commanders in Syria.

Eight months into the Mosul campaign, Islamic State fighters have been dislodged from all of the city except an enclave by the western bank of the Tigris river.

Iraq&#39;s army on Saturday launched a new offensive to take the militants&#39; enclave, which includes the densely populated Old City, amid concern over the fate of the civilians trapped there.

Up to 200,000 people still live behind Islamic State lines in Mosul, struggling to get food, water and medicine, UN Humanitarian Coordinator Lise Grande told Reuters.

Government forces have been dropping leaflets over the districts telling families to flee, but many have remained out of fear of getting caught in the crossfire.

&quot;We have been informed by authorities that the evacuation is not compulsory ... If civilians decide to stay ... they will be protected by Iraqi security forces,&quot; said Grande.

&quot;People who choose to flee will be directed to safe routes. The location of these will change depending on which areas are under attack and dynamics on the battlefield,&quot; she added.

&quot;The fighting is extremely intense,&quot; a government advisor told Reuters. &quot;The presence of civilians means we have to be very cautious,&quot; he said, speaking on condition of anonymity, explaining the slow progress of the campaign.

(Reuters)

This could potentially reopen a supply route to send Iranian weapons to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad

An Iraqi Shi'ite force backed by Iran said it pushed Islamic State out of several villages on the border with Syria on Monday, potentially reopening a supply route to send Iranian weapons to President Bashar al-Assad. The manoeuvre could also be the prelude to a connection with the Assad's Iranian-backed forces, although they are yet to reach the Iraqi border from the Syrian side. Syrian rebel sources have warned of advances by the Syrian army and Iranian-backed militia to reach the border. The territory taken by the Popular Mobilisation force on Monday is located north of the Islamic State-held town of Baaj. For Popular Mobilisation, it is a step towards achieving a linkup with Assad forces, giving him a significant advantage in fighting the six-year rebellion against his rule. But the territory is connected with land held by US-backed Syrian Kurdish groups on the Syrian side, who are more focused on fighting Islamic State than Assad. It is not known whether the Syrian Kurds would allow the Iraqi Shi'ite force to use their territory to reach Assad's troops, deployed further south and further west. In a statement on its website, Popular Mobilisation described its advance to the border with Syria as "a Ramadan miracle", referring to the Muslim fasting month which started over the weekend. Popular Mobilisation is taking part in the US-backed Iraqi campaign to defeat Islamic State in the city of Mosul and the surrounding province of Nineveh. Iraqi government armed forces are focusing their effort on dislodging insurgents from the city of Mosul, Islamic State's de-facto capital in Iraq. While reporting nominally to Iraq's Shi'ite-led government, Popular Mobilisation has Iranian military advisers, one of whom died last week fighting near Baaj. MOSUL CAMPAIGN Iran has helped to train and organise thousands of Shi'ite militia fighters from Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan in the Syrian conflict. Fighters from Lebanon's Hezbollah are also working closely with Iranian military commanders in Syria. Eight months into the Mosul campaign, Islamic State fighters have been dislodged from all of the city except an enclave by the western bank of the Tigris river. Iraq's army on Saturday launched a new offensive to take the militants' enclave, which includes the densely populated Old City, amid concern over the fate of the civilians trapped there. Up to 200,000 people still live behind Islamic State lines in Mosul, struggling to get food, water and medicine, UN Humanitarian Coordinator Lise Grande told Reuters. Government forces have been dropping leaflets over the districts telling families to flee, but many have remained out of fear of getting caught in the crossfire. "We have been informed by authorities that the evacuation is not compulsory ... If civilians decide to stay ... they will be protected by Iraqi security forces," said Grande. "People who choose to flee will be directed to safe routes. The location of these will change depending on which areas are under attack and dynamics on the battlefield," she added. "The fighting is extremely intense," a government advisor told Reuters. "The presence of civilians means we have to be very cautious," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity, explaining the slow progress of the campaign. (Reuters)

Iran-backed Iraqi force says takes Islamic State villages near Syria

Washington has announced a bumper arms deal with Saudi Arabia, heralding the package as a major boost to long-standing security ties and a way to further isolate Iran.

Administration officials claim the agreement, worth $110 billion over the next decade, is the biggest single arms deal in American history, and it will see US defence firms flow everything from ships and tanks to the latest anti-missile systems to the kingdom.

The deal also reportedly includes the renewed sale of precision-guided munitions that had been blocked under president Barack Obama&#39;s administration, for fear the Saudis would use them on civilian targets in Yemen, where Riyadh is prosecuting a war against Iranian-backed Huthi rebels.

While not all its aspects have been made public, the thrust of the deal aims to help the Saudi military bolster its defences to deter bitter rival Iran and its missile program.

The agreement clears the way for the sale of Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile technologies, providing Riyadh with state-of-the-art capabilities that could thwart an Iranian rocket.

&quot;This package of defence equipment and services support the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region in the face of Iranian threats, while also bolstering the kingdom&#39;s ability to contribute to counterterrorism operations across the region,&quot; said Mike Miller, State Department director of regional security and arms transfers.

While the Trump administration claimed the weapons package was the biggest ever and said it firmed up bilateral ties between the United States and the oil kingdom, many of the weapons sales had actually been in the pipeline for years.

Observers are mixed about the significance of the deal, which comes under a broader series of investments that the State Department says could tot up to $350 billion.

&quot;Both sides have an incentive to show this as a break with the past and an opening to a new era,&quot; said Derek Chollet, a former assistant secretary of defence for international security affairs and a senior advisor at the German Marshall Fund.

But he sees the reality as more of a natural progression from a process begun under Barack Obama, who approved more than $100 billion in arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

&quot;I ask myself if Hillary Clinton was president, what would have been different about this Saudi trip? In terms of the arms sales, maybe not a lot,&quot; Chollet told AFP.

Many of the sales were set in motion months or years ago, but Trump&#39;s son-in-law Jared Kushner scrambled to ensure the deal was finalised ahead of the US leader&#39;s visit to Saudi Arabia.&nbsp;

According to The New York Times, he even called Lockheed Martin chief Marillyn Hewson to see if she could knock down the price of the THAAD system.

Lockheed is one of the big winners from the deal, which also includes the sale of the firm&#39;s Multi-Mission Surface Combatant Ships and associated gear, for an estimated cost of more than $11 billion.

These ships would allow Riyadh to increase patrols in the strategic Gulf and Red Sea straits in the face of Iranian threats.

The &quot;naval modernization plan would make Saudi Arabia a much more important partner in dealing with the asymmetric threat Iran poses in the Gulf,&quot; said Anthony Cordesman, an expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.The sale of precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia has drawn broad ire internationally.&nbsp;

For more than two years, Saudi Arabia has led an Arab coalition conducting air strikes and other operations against Iran-backed rebels in Yemen, in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

Rights groups have repeatedly criticised the coalition over civilian casualties.

Yemen &quot;is on the brink of famine in part because the Saudis have intentionally destroyed transit hubs and key bridges, and blocked the delivery of humanitarian aid into Yemen,&quot; Democratic Senator Chris Murphy wrote in an opinion piece.&nbsp;

&quot;By selling the Saudis these precision-guided weapons more, not fewer, civilians will be killed because it is Saudi Arabia&#39;s strategy to starve Yemenis to death to increase their own leverage at the negotiating table. They couldn&#39;t do this without the weapons we are selling them.&quot;

Israel has expressed concerns about US arms sales to Saudi Arabia eroding its own defensive edge in the region, but the deal does not include the sale of F-35 stealth fighters, which the Jewish state now owns.

&quot;There is nothing in this package of sales, taken individually or as a whole, that will undermine Israel&#39;s qualitative military edge,&quot; Miller said.

The cosy relationship Trump is fostering with Saudi Arabia belies the views of many of his supporters at home, who blame the kingdom for the September 11, 2001 terror attacks against America.

Of the 19 hijackers of planes used that day, 15 came from Saudi Arabia, also the birthplace of Al-Qaeda founder and attack mastermind Osama bin Laden.

(AFP)

The agreement clears the way for the sale of Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile technologies, providing Riyadh with state-of-the-art capabilities that could thwart an Iranian rocket

Washington has announced a bumper arms deal with Saudi Arabia, heralding the package as a major boost to long-standing security ties and a way to further isolate Iran. Administration officials claim the agreement, worth $110 billion over the next decade, is the biggest single arms deal in American history, and it will see US defence firms flow everything from ships and tanks to the latest anti-missile systems to the kingdom. The deal also reportedly includes the renewed sale of precision-guided munitions that had been blocked under president Barack Obama's administration, for fear the Saudis would use them on civilian targets in Yemen, where Riyadh is prosecuting a war against Iranian-backed Huthi rebels. While not all its aspects have been made public, the thrust of the deal aims to help the Saudi military bolster its defences to deter bitter rival Iran and its missile program. The agreement clears the way for the sale of Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile technologies, providing Riyadh with state-of-the-art capabilities that could thwart an Iranian rocket. "This package of defence equipment and services support the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region in the face of Iranian threats, while also bolstering the kingdom's ability to contribute to counterterrorism operations across the region," said Mike Miller, State Department director of regional security and arms transfers. While the Trump administration claimed the weapons package was the biggest ever and said it firmed up bilateral ties between the United States and the oil kingdom, many of the weapons sales had actually been in the pipeline for years. Observers are mixed about the significance of the deal, which comes under a broader series of investments that the State Department says could tot up to $350 billion. "Both sides have an incentive to show this as a break with the past and an opening to a new era," said Derek Chollet, a former assistant secretary of defence for international security affairs and a senior advisor at the German Marshall Fund. But he sees the reality as more of a natural progression from a process begun under Barack Obama, who approved more than $100 billion in arms sales to Saudi Arabia. "I ask myself if Hillary Clinton was president, what would have been different about this Saudi trip? In terms of the arms sales, maybe not a lot," Chollet told AFP. Many of the sales were set in motion months or years ago, but Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner scrambled to ensure the deal was finalised ahead of the US leader's visit to Saudi Arabia. According to The New York Times, he even called Lockheed Martin chief Marillyn Hewson to see if she could knock down the price of the THAAD system. Lockheed is one of the big winners from the deal, which also includes the sale of the firm's Multi-Mission Surface Combatant Ships and associated gear, for an estimated cost of more than $11 billion. These ships would allow Riyadh to increase patrols in the strategic Gulf and Red Sea straits in the face of Iranian threats. The "naval modernization plan would make Saudi Arabia a much more important partner in dealing with the asymmetric threat Iran poses in the Gulf," said Anthony Cordesman, an expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.The sale of precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia has drawn broad ire internationally. For more than two years, Saudi Arabia has led an Arab coalition conducting air strikes and other operations against Iran-backed rebels in Yemen, in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. Rights groups have repeatedly criticised the coalition over civilian casualties. Yemen "is on the brink of famine in part because the Saudis have intentionally destroyed transit hubs and key bridges, and blocked the delivery of humanitarian aid into Yemen," Democratic Senator Chris Murphy wrote in an opinion piece. "By selling the Saudis these precision-guided weapons more, not fewer, civilians will be killed because it is Saudi Arabia's strategy to starve Yemenis to death to increase their own leverage at the negotiating table. They couldn't do this without the weapons we are selling them." Israel has expressed concerns about US arms sales to Saudi Arabia eroding its own defensive edge in the region, but the deal does not include the sale of F-35 stealth fighters, which the Jewish state now owns. "There is nothing in this package of sales, taken individually or as a whole, that will undermine Israel's qualitative military edge," Miller said. The cosy relationship Trump is fostering with Saudi Arabia belies the views of many of his supporters at home, who blame the kingdom for the September 11, 2001 terror attacks against America. Of the 19 hijackers of planes used that day, 15 came from Saudi Arabia, also the birthplace of Al-Qaeda founder and attack mastermind Osama bin Laden. (AFP)

US-Saudi arms mega deal seeks to counter Iran

Iran welcomes cooperation at all levels to bring stability to the Middle East, President Hassan Rouhani told his French counterpart on Monday, hours after US President Donald Trump lambasted Tehran again as he tours the region.

In a telephone call, Rouhani told France&#39;s new president Emmanuel Macron he was hopeful that Europe would not copy Trump&#39;s stance against the Islamic Republic.

Visiting Iran&#39;s arch-foe Saudi Arabia on Sunday, Trump singled out Iran as a key source of funding and support for militant groups in the Middle East, sending a tough message to Tehran the day after Rouhani won a second presidential term.

He said on Monday in Jerusalem that shared concern about Iran was driving Israel and many Arab states closer, calling Tehran a real threat in the region.

&quot;The Islamic Republic is ready for cooperation in all levels with other countries, including France, to fight against terrorism and to resolve the Syrian crisis,&quot; Rouhani was quoted saying to Macron by Iran&#39;s state news agency IRNA.&nbsp;

The French leader had called to congratulate him on being re-elected in Friday&rsquo;s presidential vote.

&quot;We should bring peace and stability back to the region. We hope Europe does not fall into the trap of countries that promote their wrong interpretations of the region,&quot; Rouhani was also quoted as saying.

Paris, which is at odds with Iran over the crisis in Syria, took one of the hardest lines against Tehran during negotiations between Iran and major powers in 2015, but has been quick to restore trade ties.

French carmakers PSA and Renault are taking advantage of their lack of US operations by piling into a resurgent Iranian market that is still off-limits to rivals fearful that Trump&#39;s administration will impose sanctions.

France has said it backs Trump&#39;s call to strengthen the monitoring of the deal, but that it is committed to implementing it, including the lifting of sanctions.&nbsp;

Asked earlier on Monday whether Paris agreed with Trump&#39;s call to isolate Iran, the French foreign ministry said it would &quot;work towards developing political dialogue that should be part of a constructive approach with regard solving regional crises&quot;.&nbsp;

Rouhani said at a news conference on Monday that stability could not be achieved in the Middle East without Tehran`s help.

(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

In a telephone call, Rouhani told France's new president Emmanuel Macron he was hopeful that Europe would not copy Trump's stance against the Islamic Republic

Iran welcomes cooperation at all levels to bring stability to the Middle East, President Hassan Rouhani told his French counterpart on Monday, hours after US President Donald Trump lambasted Tehran again as he tours the region. In a telephone call, Rouhani told France's new president Emmanuel Macron he was hopeful that Europe would not copy Trump's stance against the Islamic Republic. Visiting Iran's arch-foe Saudi Arabia on Sunday, Trump singled out Iran as a key source of funding and support for militant groups in the Middle East, sending a tough message to Tehran the day after Rouhani won a second presidential term. He said on Monday in Jerusalem that shared concern about Iran was driving Israel and many Arab states closer, calling Tehran a real threat in the region. "The Islamic Republic is ready for cooperation in all levels with other countries, including France, to fight against terrorism and to resolve the Syrian crisis," Rouhani was quoted saying to Macron by Iran's state news agency IRNA. The French leader had called to congratulate him on being re-elected in Friday’s presidential vote. "We should bring peace and stability back to the region. We hope Europe does not fall into the trap of countries that promote their wrong interpretations of the region," Rouhani was also quoted as saying. Paris, which is at odds with Iran over the crisis in Syria, took one of the hardest lines against Tehran during negotiations between Iran and major powers in 2015, but has been quick to restore trade ties. French carmakers PSA and Renault are taking advantage of their lack of US operations by piling into a resurgent Iranian market that is still off-limits to rivals fearful that Trump's administration will impose sanctions. France has said it backs Trump's call to strengthen the monitoring of the deal, but that it is committed to implementing it, including the lifting of sanctions. Asked earlier on Monday whether Paris agreed with Trump's call to isolate Iran, the French foreign ministry said it would "work towards developing political dialogue that should be part of a constructive approach with regard solving regional crises". Rouhani said at a news conference on Monday that stability could not be achieved in the Middle East without Tehran`s help. (Reuters)

Iran: President Rouhani hopeful Europe will not copy Trump's stance against Islamic Republic

Vote counting began in Iran on Saturday after a high turnout in an unexpectedly tight presidential election pitting President Hassan Rouhani, who wants to normalise ties with the West, against a hardline judge who says he has already gone too far.

More than 40 million votes were cast, the interior ministry said, indicating a turnout of about 70 per cent in Friday&#39;s vote, roughly similar to the showing in 2013 elections when Rouhani swept into office in a landslide victory.

Voting was extended by six hours because many people were still waiting in line. Iranian newspapers praised the turnout, carrying headlines like &quot;a historical victory for Iranians&quot;.

Pro-reform news websites said Rouhani was the victor. They offered no evidence, but the big turnout could favour Rouhani, whose backers&#39; main worry has been apathy among reformist-leaning voters disappointed with the slow pace of change.

Rouhani, 68, who took office promising to open Iran to the world and give its citizens more freedom at home, faced an unexpectedly strong challenge from hardliner Ebrahim Raisi, a protege of supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

The election is important &quot;for Iran&#39;s future role in the region and the world&quot;, Rouhani, who struck a deal with world powers two years ago to curb Iran&#39;s nuclear programme in return for the lifting of most economic sanctions, said after voting.

Raisi, 56, has accused Rouhani of mismanaging the economy and has travelled to poor areas, speaking at rallies pledging more welfare benefits and jobs.

He is believed to have the backing of the powerful Revolutionary Guards security force, as well as the tacit support of Khamenei, whose powers outrank those of the elected president but who normally steers clear of day-to-day politics.

&quot;I respect the outcome of the vote of the people and the result will be respected by me and all the people,&quot; Raisi said after voting, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

However, Raisi later appeared at the Ministry of Interior in Tehran on Friday and complained of a shortage of ballot sheets at many polling stations, according to Fars. More ballot sheets were subsequently sent out, the agency reported.&nbsp;

In the last election, Rouhani won more than three times as many votes as his closest challenger. But this time the outcome might be much closer, as other conservative rivals have backed out and thrown their support behind Raisi.

The Guards and other hardliners hope that a win for Raisi will give them an opportunity to safeguard economic and political power they see as jeopardised by the lifting of sanctions and opening of the country to foreign investment.

During weeks of campaigning, the two main candidates exchanged accusations of corruption and brutality in unprecedentedly hostile television debates. Both deny the other&#39;s accusations.

Rouhani has urged the Guards not to meddle in the vote, a warning that reflects the political tension. Suspicions that the Guards and the Basij militia under their control falsified voting results in favour of hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad led to eight months of nationwide protests in 2009, which were violently suppressed.

Stark Choice

For ordinary Iranians, the election presents a stark choice between competing visions of the country.

Rouhani, known for decades as a mild-mannered establishment insider rather than a gung-ho reformer, has taken on the mantle of the reform camp in recent weeks, with fiery campaign speeches that attacked the human rights records of his opponents.

&quot;I voted for Rouhani to prevent Raisi&#39;s victory. I don&#39;t want a hardliner to be my president,&quot; said Ziba Ghomeyshi in Tehran. &quot;I waited in the line for five hours to cast my vote.&quot;

Many pro-reform voters are still lukewarm Rouhani supporters, disappointed with his failure to make broader changes during his first term. But they are anxious to keep out Raisi, who they see as representing the security state at its most fearsome: in the 1980s he was one of four judges who sentenced thousands of political prisoners to death.

&quot;I am on my way to vote for Rouhani. I like his detente policy with the world. I know he is not a reformist, but who cares? What matters is that he is not Raisi,&quot; government employee Yousef Ghaemi, 43, said by phone in the western city of Kermanshah.

For conservatives, the election represents a chance to restore the values of the 1979 revolution, which requires elected officials to be subordinate to the Shi&#39;ite Muslim clergy and supreme leader.

&quot;I cast my vote already - I voted for Raisi because he is a follower of Imam Khamenei. He will not confront the leader if elected. He will protect our Islamic identity,&quot; said Mehran Fardoust, 36, a shopkeeper near the Imam Reza Shrine in the holy city of Mashhad, Raisi&#39;s home town.

Despite the removal of nuclear-related sanctions in 2016, lingering unilateral US sanctions that target Iran&#39;s record on human rights and terrorism have kept foreign companies wary of investing, limiting the economic benefits so far.

Raisi has focused his campaign on the economy, visiting rural areas and villages and promising housing, jobs and more welfare benefits, a message which could have resonated with millions of poor voters angry at the Tehran elite.

If no candidate wins more than 50 per cent of the vote, the top two, presumably Rouhani and Raisi, will face each other a second time in a run-off in a week.

(Reuters)

More than 40 million votes were cast, the interior ministry said, indicating a turnout of about 70 per cent in Friday's vote

Vote counting began in Iran on Saturday after a high turnout in an unexpectedly tight presidential election pitting President Hassan Rouhani, who wants to normalise ties with the West, against a hardline judge who says he has already gone too far. More than 40 million votes were cast, the interior ministry said, indicating a turnout of about 70 per cent in Friday's vote, roughly similar to the showing in 2013 elections when Rouhani swept into office in a landslide victory. Voting was extended by six hours because many people were still waiting in line. Iranian newspapers praised the turnout, carrying headlines like "a historical victory for Iranians". Pro-reform news websites said Rouhani was the victor. They offered no evidence, but the big turnout could favour Rouhani, whose backers' main worry has been apathy among reformist-leaning voters disappointed with the slow pace of change. Rouhani, 68, who took office promising to open Iran to the world and give its citizens more freedom at home, faced an unexpectedly strong challenge from hardliner Ebrahim Raisi, a protege of supreme leader Ali Khamenei. The election is important "for Iran's future role in the region and the world", Rouhani, who struck a deal with world powers two years ago to curb Iran's nuclear programme in return for the lifting of most economic sanctions, said after voting. Raisi, 56, has accused Rouhani of mismanaging the economy and has travelled to poor areas, speaking at rallies pledging more welfare benefits and jobs. He is believed to have the backing of the powerful Revolutionary Guards security force, as well as the tacit support of Khamenei, whose powers outrank those of the elected president but who normally steers clear of day-to-day politics. "I respect the outcome of the vote of the people and the result will be respected by me and all the people," Raisi said after voting, according to the semi-official Fars news agency. However, Raisi later appeared at the Ministry of Interior in Tehran on Friday and complained of a shortage of ballot sheets at many polling stations, according to Fars. More ballot sheets were subsequently sent out, the agency reported. In the last election, Rouhani won more than three times as many votes as his closest challenger. But this time the outcome might be much closer, as other conservative rivals have backed out and thrown their support behind Raisi. The Guards and other hardliners hope that a win for Raisi will give them an opportunity to safeguard economic and political power they see as jeopardised by the lifting of sanctions and opening of the country to foreign investment. During weeks of campaigning, the two main candidates exchanged accusations of corruption and brutality in unprecedentedly hostile television debates. Both deny the other's accusations. Rouhani has urged the Guards not to meddle in the vote, a warning that reflects the political tension. Suspicions that the Guards and the Basij militia under their control falsified voting results in favour of hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad led to eight months of nationwide protests in 2009, which were violently suppressed. Stark Choice For ordinary Iranians, the election presents a stark choice between competing visions of the country. Rouhani, known for decades as a mild-mannered establishment insider rather than a gung-ho reformer, has taken on the mantle of the reform camp in recent weeks, with fiery campaign speeches that attacked the human rights records of his opponents. "I voted for Rouhani to prevent Raisi's victory. I don't want a hardliner to be my president," said Ziba Ghomeyshi in Tehran. "I waited in the line for five hours to cast my vote." Many pro-reform voters are still lukewarm Rouhani supporters, disappointed with his failure to make broader changes during his first term. But they are anxious to keep out Raisi, who they see as representing the security state at its most fearsome: in the 1980s he was one of four judges who sentenced thousands of political prisoners to death. "I am on my way to vote for Rouhani. I like his detente policy with the world. I know he is not a reformist, but who cares? What matters is that he is not Raisi," government employee Yousef Ghaemi, 43, said by phone in the western city of Kermanshah. For conservatives, the election represents a chance to restore the values of the 1979 revolution, which requires elected officials to be subordinate to the Shi'ite Muslim clergy and supreme leader. "I cast my vote already - I voted for Raisi because he is a follower of Imam Khamenei. He will not confront the leader if elected. He will protect our Islamic identity," said Mehran Fardoust, 36, a shopkeeper near the Imam Reza Shrine in the holy city of Mashhad, Raisi's home town. Despite the removal of nuclear-related sanctions in 2016, lingering unilateral US sanctions that target Iran's record on human rights and terrorism have kept foreign companies wary of investing, limiting the economic benefits so far. Raisi has focused his campaign on the economy, visiting rural areas and villages and promising housing, jobs and more welfare benefits, a message which could have resonated with millions of poor voters angry at the Tehran elite. If no candidate wins more than 50 per cent of the vote, the top two, presumably Rouhani and Raisi, will face each other a second time in a run-off in a week. (Reuters)

Counting of votes begins for Iran's Presidential election

The head of the Iranian armed forces warned Islamabad today that Tehran would hit bases inside Pakistan if the government does not confront Sunni militants who carry out cross-border attacks.

Ten Iranian border guards were killed by militants last month. Iran said Jaish al Adl, a Sunni militant group, had shot the guards with long-range guns, fired from inside Pakistan.

The border area has long been plagued by unrest from both drug smuggling gangs and separatist militants.

&quot;We cannot accept the continuation of this situation,&quot; Major General Mohammad Baqeri, the head of the Iranian armed forces was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA.

&quot;We expect the Pakistani officials to control the borders, arrest the terrorists and shut down their bases.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;If the terrorist attacks continue, we will hit their safe havens and cells, wherever they are,&quot; he said.

Iran&#39;s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif visited Pakistan last week and asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to improve the border security. Pakistan assured Iran it would deploy additional troops along its border.

In 2014 Iran warned it would send troops to Pakistan to retrieve five Iranian border guards kidnapped by Jaish al Adl. Pakistan said at the time that such action would be violation of the international law and warned Iranian forces not to cross the border.

Iran refrained from sending the troops when a local Sunni cleric stepped in and resolved the situation.

Four of the guards were released a few months later, but one was killed by the militants.

Jaish al Adl is a Sunni militant group that has carried out several attacks against Iranian security forces with the aim of highlighting what they say is discrimination against minority Sunni Muslims in Iran, where the majority are Shi&#39;ites.

The group claimed responsibility for attacks that killed eight border guards in April 2015 and 14 border guards in October 2013.

(Reuters)

The border area has long been plagued by unrest from both drug smuggling gangs and separatist militants.

The head of the Iranian armed forces warned Islamabad today that Tehran would hit bases inside Pakistan if the government does not confront Sunni militants who carry out cross-border attacks. Ten Iranian border guards were killed by militants last month. Iran said Jaish al Adl, a Sunni militant group, had shot the guards with long-range guns, fired from inside Pakistan. The border area has long been plagued by unrest from both drug smuggling gangs and separatist militants. "We cannot accept the continuation of this situation," Major General Mohammad Baqeri, the head of the Iranian armed forces was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA. "We expect the Pakistani officials to control the borders, arrest the terrorists and shut down their bases." "If the terrorist attacks continue, we will hit their safe havens and cells, wherever they are," he said. Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif visited Pakistan last week and asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to improve the border security. Pakistan assured Iran it would deploy additional troops along its border. In 2014 Iran warned it would send troops to Pakistan to retrieve five Iranian border guards kidnapped by Jaish al Adl. Pakistan said at the time that such action would be violation of the international law and warned Iranian forces not to cross the border. Iran refrained from sending the troops when a local Sunni cleric stepped in and resolved the situation. Four of the guards were released a few months later, but one was killed by the militants. Jaish al Adl is a Sunni militant group that has carried out several attacks against Iranian security forces with the aim of highlighting what they say is discrimination against minority Sunni Muslims in Iran, where the majority are Shi'ites. The group claimed responsibility for attacks that killed eight border guards in April 2015 and 14 border guards in October 2013. (Reuters)

Ready to hit militant base inside Pakistan: Iran Army

Iran&#39;s foreign ministry has summoned Pakistan&#39;s ambassador in Tehran to protest against the killing of nine Iranian border guards by Sunni militants attacking from neighbouring Pakistan, Iran&#39;s state news agency IRNA reported on Friday.

The Sunni Muslim militant group called Jaish al Adl, or the Army of Justice, has claimed responsibility for the attack on Wednesday in Iran&#39;s Sistan-Baluchestan Province.

&quot;Iran expects Pakistan to take serious and essential measures to arrest and punish those terrorists responsible for the killing of our nine guards,&quot; IRNA quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi as saying.

&quot;The message was delivered to Ambassador Asif Ali Khan Durrani on Friday,&quot; he said.

Iran&#39;s southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province, whose majority population is Sunni Muslim Baluch people like those across the border in Pakistan&#39;s Baluchistan province, lies on a major transit route for drug smugglers. It has long been plagued by unrest both from them and from separatist militants.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also called on Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to prosecute the militants who had killed the Iranian border guards.

&quot;Regrettably, a lack of appropriate measures and necessary prosecution on the part of the Pakistani government have caused great loss of lives and property for Iran,&quot; Rouhani said in a statement, quoted by the semi-official Mehr news agency.

&quot;We expect those responsible for this terrorist attack to be arrested and prosecuted,&quot; President Hassan Rouhani said in a letter to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

(Reuters &amp; AFP)

Sunni Muslim militant group called Jaish al Adl, or the Army of Justice, has claimed responsibility for the attack

Iran's foreign ministry has summoned Pakistan's ambassador in Tehran to protest against the killing of nine Iranian border guards by Sunni militants attacking from neighbouring Pakistan, Iran's state news agency IRNA reported on Friday. The Sunni Muslim militant group called Jaish al Adl, or the Army of Justice, has claimed responsibility for the attack on Wednesday in Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan Province. "Iran expects Pakistan to take serious and essential measures to arrest and punish those terrorists responsible for the killing of our nine guards," IRNA quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi as saying. "The message was delivered to Ambassador Asif Ali Khan Durrani on Friday," he said. Iran's southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province, whose majority population is Sunni Muslim Baluch people like those across the border in Pakistan's Baluchistan province, lies on a major transit route for drug smugglers. It has long been plagued by unrest both from them and from separatist militants. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also called on Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to prosecute the militants who had killed the Iranian border guards. "Regrettably, a lack of appropriate measures and necessary prosecution on the part of the Pakistani government have caused great loss of lives and property for Iran," Rouhani said in a statement, quoted by the semi-official Mehr news agency. "We expect those responsible for this terrorist attack to be arrested and prosecuted," President Hassan Rouhani said in a letter to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. (Reuters & AFP)

Iran summons Pakistan envoy over border guards killings

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Wednesday accused Iran of &#39;alarming ongoing provocations&#39; to destabilise countries in the Middle East as the Trump administration launched a review of its policy towards Tehran.

Tillerson told reporters the review, which he announced on Tuesday, would not only look at Tehran&#39;s compliance with a 2015 nuclear deal but also its behaviour in the region which he said undermined US interests in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon.

His tough words matched those of US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who said in a visit to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday that Iran&#39;s destabilising influence would have to be overcome to end the conflict in Yemen.

President Donald Trump ordered the review to evaluate whether suspension of sanctions related to the nuclear deal was &quot;vital to the national security interests of the United States,&quot; Tillerson said

Though there was no sign the Trump administration intended to walk away from the deal, Tillerson twice cautioned that if left unchecked Tehran could become a threat like North Korea, which is also under pressure over its nuclear ambitions.

In a letter to US House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan released late on Tuesday, Tillerson declared that Iran was meeting its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal but there were concerns about Tehran&#39;s role as a state sponsor of terrorism.

&quot;A comprehensive Iran policy requires we address all of the threats posed by Iran and it is clear there are many,&quot; Tillerson told reporters at the State Department.

Tillerson said the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers failed &quot;to achieve the objective of a non-nuclear Iran and only delays their goal of becoming a nuclear state.&quot;

Failed approach

Iran has yet to comment on the Trump administration&#39;s review, but Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei warned in November that Tehran would retaliate if the United States breached the nuclear agreement.

Tillerson said one of the mistakes in the way the agreement was put together was that it ignored all the other serious threats Iran posed outside of its nuclear programme.

&quot;That is why we have to look at Iran in a very comprehensive way in terms of the threat it poses in all areas of the region and the world,&quot; he added.

&quot;This deal represents the same failed approach of the past that brought us to the current imminent threat we face from North Korea,&quot; Tillerson said of the nuclear deal.

The nuclear agreement, negotiated during Barack Obama&#39;s presidency, placed limitations on Iran&#39;s nuclear programme in exchange for lifting economic sanctions against Iran.

Tillerson&#39;s notice to Congress was part of a 90-day process in which the president has to certify that Iran is complying with the nuclear accord. It is the first update under the Trump administration.

The next test of Trump&#39;s attitude towards the nuclear deal will be in May when he must decide whether to extend sanctions waivers for Iran first signed by President Barack Obama.

During his presidential campaign, Trump called the agreement &quot;the worst deal ever negotiated&quot; and said he would review it once he reached office.

The European Union&#39;s foreign policy chief, Frederica Mogherini, said last month after meetings with senior Trump administration officials she was reassured in the talks that the US&nbsp;was committed to fully implementing the deal.

(Reuters)

Tillerson said that the review will not only look at Iran's compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal but also at its behaviour in the region

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Wednesday accused Iran of 'alarming ongoing provocations' to destabilise countries in the Middle East as the Trump administration launched a review of its policy towards Tehran. Tillerson told reporters the review, which he announced on Tuesday, would not only look at Tehran's compliance with a 2015 nuclear deal but also its behaviour in the region which he said undermined US interests in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon. His tough words matched those of US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who said in a visit to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday that Iran's destabilising influence would have to be overcome to end the conflict in Yemen. President Donald Trump ordered the review to evaluate whether suspension of sanctions related to the nuclear deal was "vital to the national security interests of the United States," Tillerson said Though there was no sign the Trump administration intended to walk away from the deal, Tillerson twice cautioned that if left unchecked Tehran could become a threat like North Korea, which is also under pressure over its nuclear ambitions. In a letter to US House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan released late on Tuesday, Tillerson declared that Iran was meeting its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal but there were concerns about Tehran's role as a state sponsor of terrorism. "A comprehensive Iran policy requires we address all of the threats posed by Iran and it is clear there are many," Tillerson told reporters at the State Department. Tillerson said the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers failed "to achieve the objective of a non-nuclear Iran and only delays their goal of becoming a nuclear state." Failed approach Iran has yet to comment on the Trump administration's review, but Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei warned in November that Tehran would retaliate if the United States breached the nuclear agreement. Tillerson said one of the mistakes in the way the agreement was put together was that it ignored all the other serious threats Iran posed outside of its nuclear programme. "That is why we have to look at Iran in a very comprehensive way in terms of the threat it poses in all areas of the region and the world," he added. "This deal represents the same failed approach of the past that brought us to the current imminent threat we face from North Korea," Tillerson said of the nuclear deal. The nuclear agreement, negotiated during Barack Obama's presidency, placed limitations on Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for lifting economic sanctions against Iran. Tillerson's notice to Congress was part of a 90-day process in which the president has to certify that Iran is complying with the nuclear accord. It is the first update under the Trump administration. The next test of Trump's attitude towards the nuclear deal will be in May when he must decide whether to extend sanctions waivers for Iran first signed by President Barack Obama. During his presidential campaign, Trump called the agreement "the worst deal ever negotiated" and said he would review it once he reached office. The European Union's foreign policy chief, Frederica Mogherini, said last month after meetings with senior Trump administration officials she was reassured in the talks that the US was committed to fully implementing the deal. (Reuters)

Tillerson accuses Iran of 'alarming provocations' amid review of nuclear deal

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump has ordered an inter-agency review of whether the lifting of sanctions against Iran under a 2015 nuclear deal was in the United States&#39; national security interests, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Tuesday.

Tillerson said in a statement that Iran remained compliant with its commitments under the deal to rein in its nuclear programme but there were concerns about its role as a state sponsor of terrorism.

He said he had notified US&nbsp;House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, the top Republican in Congress, of the decision on Tuesday and of Iran&#39;s compliance under the deal, clinched under the Obama administration.

&quot;President Donald J&nbsp;Trump has directed a National Security Council-led interagency review of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action that will evaluate whether suspension of sanctions related to Iran pursuant to the JCPOA is vital to the national security interests of the United States,&quot; Tillerson said in the statement.

&quot;It remains a leading state sponsor of terror, through many platforms and methods,&quot; Tillerson said.

The 2015 deal between Iran and six major powers restricts Tehran&#39;s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international economic sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

Trump has called the agreement &quot;the worst deal ever negotiated&quot;.

(Reuters)

Tillerson said Iran remained compliant with its commitments to rein in its nuclear programme, but is a state sponsor of terrorism

US President Donald Trump has ordered an inter-agency review of whether the lifting of sanctions against Iran under a 2015 nuclear deal was in the United States' national security interests, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Tuesday. Tillerson said in a statement that Iran remained compliant with its commitments under the deal to rein in its nuclear programme but there were concerns about its role as a state sponsor of terrorism. He said he had notified US House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, the top Republican in Congress, of the decision on Tuesday and of Iran's compliance under the deal, clinched under the Obama administration. "President Donald J Trump has directed a National Security Council-led interagency review of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action that will evaluate whether suspension of sanctions related to Iran pursuant to the JCPOA is vital to the national security interests of the United States," Tillerson said in the statement. "It remains a leading state sponsor of terror, through many platforms and methods," Tillerson said. The 2015 deal between Iran and six major powers restricts Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international economic sanctions against the Islamic Republic. Trump has called the agreement "the worst deal ever negotiated". (Reuters)

Trump orders review of lifting sanctions against Iran: Tillerson

After a period of enigmatic statements, US President Donald Trump&rsquo;s approach to the complicated West Asia region&nbsp;has now become totally clear: Deliver more bombs, send more men, fight more wars. This is perfectly in line with&nbsp;President Trump&#39;s need to present himself as capable of resolving all the problems that, according to him, the previous administration left behind.&nbsp;

In the first US military&nbsp;action clearly directed against Syria&rsquo;s President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s forces, the US army attacked the al-Shayrat air base on Thursday night with more than 50 Tomahawk cruise missiles. According to Russian sources, six Syrian fighter jets&nbsp;have been destroyed.&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump said that his decision to clear the attack came because, according to his staff, the recent chemical attack which occurred in&nbsp;Khan Sheikhun was conducted by air forces which took off&nbsp;from al-Shayrat.

The details&nbsp;of this&nbsp;chemical attack, which killed at least 70 people, are&nbsp;still unclear, and while&nbsp;it seems likely to have been carried out by&nbsp;the Syrian Air Force, an investigation is still ongoing. The US-led coalition forces, the UN and several NGOs believe that Assad&rsquo;s Air Force delivered bombs containing chemical agents. Russia has an alternative version, which states&nbsp;that Syrian forces bombed a warehouse where anti-Assad fighters were storing chemical weapons. &nbsp; &nbsp;

The al-Shayrat bombing is just the last action of a US strategy which has been in place since at least a month.

The US military had already scaled up the presence of its elite forces in northern Syria, where the Arab/Kurds Syrian Democratic Forces are now very close to Raqqa, the Islamic State&#39;s capital city.&nbsp;

In Mosul, despite the hundreds of thousands of civilians still living in the western part of the city, the US-led coalition increased the intensity and frequency of its airstrikes. This choice has already had&nbsp;deadly consequences. On March 17,&nbsp;more than one hundred people&nbsp;who were hiding inside some houses were killed.&nbsp;

Many countries supported Trump&rsquo;s increased military action. Right after the missile strike against&nbsp;al-Sharyat, the UK, Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Israel openly backed the US decision. Later on, so did Canada and Jordan. Full support also came from Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, who said in a statement that,&nbsp;&ldquo;He understands efforts to deter further attacks. There is a clear distinction between airstrikes on military targets and the use of chemical weapons against civilians&rdquo;.

The General Command of the Syrian Army characterised the attack as&nbsp;&ldquo;blatant aggression&rdquo;, and said that this action makes the United States a &ldquo;partner&rdquo; of the Islamic State and other terrorist organisations. The Syrian news agency SANA reported that the army command said that the strike &ldquo;sends wrong messages to the terrorist organisations that would embolden them further to use chemical weapons in the future every time they suffer heavy losses in the battlefield&rdquo;.

After an initial silence, the Syrian presidency issued a statement defining the US strike as &ldquo;an unjust and arrogant aggression&rdquo;.

The American attack is a prominent obstacle on the path of a possible positive development of US-Russia relations. Moscow did not appreciate the fact that they were not informed, and has already declared&nbsp;willingness to take the issue to the UN Security Council. (A Pentagon spokesman said Russian troops in the air base were informed, but US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the Russian government itself was not informed prior to the attack.

Russia is the main and major ally of President Assad in the Syrian conflict, and finds itself now forced to find a way to respond to the&nbsp;US decision.&nbsp;

Russian President Vladimir Putin called a meeting of his security council and, according to spokesman Dmitry Peskov, all the participants expressed &ldquo;deep concern at the inevitable negative consequences of these aggressive actions for the joint effort to fight terrorism&rdquo;.&nbsp;

Russian defence ministry spokesman Gen&nbsp;Igor Konashenkow said&nbsp;that his country will continue to support President Assad, and will shortly strengthen Syrian air defences in order to better protect their ally&rsquo;s military infrastructure.&nbsp;

The Russian foreign ministry also declared&nbsp;that from now on&nbsp;they consider the agreement made with the US in order to respectively&nbsp;ensure flight&nbsp;safety during operations in Syria null and void.

It is not only about Russia, but also about US-Iran relations, which are currently very bad. Tehran is sending thousands of militiamen and weapons into Syria to support Assad, and US Secretary of Defence James Mattis has long thought that Iran is the major threat to any peace process in West Asia. During his confirmation hearing, Mattis clearly said that it was time for the US to re-establish the effectiveness of their deterrent power.

The US, and their regional allies - including Turkey - see Iranian involvement in both Iraq and Syria as an expansionist game that the country is playing in order to establish their hegemony in West Asia. On the other hand, this is exactly what Tehran thinks about the US intervention in the region.&nbsp;

This attack also opens a new front for the US which was, at least according to their UN ambassador&nbsp;Nikki Haley, focused only on fighting the Islamic State. Bombing Syrian air forces&nbsp;openly contradicts&nbsp;this line, and also is an open act of war against President Assad, and therefore against Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah and Moscow.

The US has&nbsp;never been neutral in their wars in West Asia, used as a way to secure their presence in a strategic area very close to the world&#39;s major oil resources. They have done it in Iraq, where they have been present since 2003,&nbsp;and it seems they are ready to do it also in Syria.

The US missile&nbsp;strike against the al-Sharyat airbase is neither resolutive nor truly effective in destroying the overall military capability of the Syrian army. It is more of a show of strength, a way to continue to push the specious narrative of the US as the guarantor of international law, a sort of neutral actor fighting against terrorism and for democracy. The now irritated Russia has been playing the same game since&nbsp;deciding&nbsp;to enter the battlefield alongside&nbsp;Assad.

The willingness to again push&nbsp;this old and creaky narrative is creating a further diplomatic impasse, which hinders an already faraway solution to&nbsp;the Syrian conflict.

(WION)

American missiles may have struck Syria, but a message was sent to both Russia and Iran

After a period of enigmatic statements, US President Donald Trump’s approach to the complicated West Asia region has now become totally clear: Deliver more bombs, send more men, fight more wars. This is perfectly in line with President Trump's need to present himself as capable of resolving all the problems that, according to him, the previous administration left behind. In the first US military action clearly directed against Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad's forces, the US army attacked the al-Shayrat air base on Thursday night with more than 50 Tomahawk cruise missiles. According to Russian sources, six Syrian fighter jets have been destroyed. US President Donald Trump said that his decision to clear the attack came because, according to his staff, the recent chemical attack which occurred in Khan Sheikhun was conducted by air forces which took off from al-Shayrat. The details of this chemical attack, which killed at least 70 people, are still unclear, and while it seems likely to have been carried out by the Syrian Air Force, an investigation is still ongoing. The US-led coalition forces, the UN and several NGOs believe that Assad’s Air Force delivered bombs containing chemical agents. Russia has an alternative version, which states that Syrian forces bombed a warehouse where anti-Assad fighters were storing chemical weapons. The al-Shayrat bombing is just the last action of a US strategy which has been in place since at least a month. The US military had already scaled up the presence of its elite forces in northern Syria, where the Arab/Kurds Syrian Democratic Forces are now very close to Raqqa, the Islamic State's capital city. In Mosul, despite the hundreds of thousands of civilians still living in the western part of the city, the US-led coalition increased the intensity and frequency of its airstrikes. This choice has already had deadly consequences. On March 17, more than one hundred people who were hiding inside some houses were killed. Many countries supported Trump’s increased military action. Right after the missile strike against al-Sharyat, the UK, Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Israel openly backed the US decision. Later on, so did Canada and Jordan. Full support also came from Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, who said in a statement that, “He understands efforts to deter further attacks. There is a clear distinction between airstrikes on military targets and the use of chemical weapons against civilians”. The General Command of the Syrian Army characterised the attack as “blatant aggression”, and said that this action makes the United States a “partner” of the Islamic State and other terrorist organisations. The Syrian news agency SANA reported that the army command said that the strike “sends wrong messages to the terrorist organisations that would embolden them further to use chemical weapons in the future every time they suffer heavy losses in the battlefield”. After an initial silence, the Syrian presidency issued a statement defining the US strike as “an unjust and arrogant aggression”. The American attack is a prominent obstacle on the path of a possible positive development of US-Russia relations. Moscow did not appreciate the fact that they were not informed, and has already declared willingness to take the issue to the UN Security Council. (A Pentagon spokesman said Russian troops in the air base were informed, but US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the Russian government itself was not informed prior to the attack. Russia is the main and major ally of President Assad in the Syrian conflict, and finds itself now forced to find a way to respond to the US decision. Russian President Vladimir Putin called a meeting of his security council and, according to spokesman Dmitry Peskov, all the participants expressed “deep concern at the inevitable negative consequences of these aggressive actions for the joint effort to fight terrorism”. Russian defence ministry spokesman Gen Igor Konashenkow said that his country will continue to support President Assad, and will shortly strengthen Syrian air defences in order to better protect their ally’s military infrastructure. The Russian foreign ministry also declared that from now on they consider the agreement made with the US in order to respectively ensure flight safety during operations in Syria null and void. It is not only about Russia, but also about US-Iran relations, which are currently very bad. Tehran is sending thousands of militiamen and weapons into Syria to support Assad, and US Secretary of Defence James Mattis has long thought that Iran is the major threat to any peace process in West Asia. During his confirmation hearing, Mattis clearly said that it was time for the US to re-establish the effectiveness of their deterrent power. The US, and their regional allies - including Turkey - see Iranian involvement in both Iraq and Syria as an expansionist game that the country is playing in order to establish their hegemony in West Asia. On the other hand, this is exactly what Tehran thinks about the US intervention in the region. This attack also opens a new front for the US which was, at least according to their UN ambassador Nikki Haley, focused only on fighting the Islamic State. Bombing Syrian air forces openly contradicts this line, and also is an open act of war against President Assad, and therefore against Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah and Moscow. The US has never been neutral in their wars in West Asia, used as a way to secure their presence in a strategic area very close to the world's major oil resources. They have done it in Iraq, where they have been present since 2003, and it seems they are ready to do it also in Syria. The US missile strike against the al-Sharyat airbase is neither resolutive nor truly effective in destroying the overall military capability of the Syrian army. It is more of a show of strength, a way to continue to push the specious narrative of the US as the guarantor of international law, a sort of neutral actor fighting against terrorism and for democracy. The now irritated Russia has been playing the same game since deciding to enter the battlefield alongside Assad. The willingness to again push this old and creaky narrative is creating a further diplomatic impasse, which hinders an already faraway solution to the Syrian conflict. (WION)

ANALYSIS: Uncovering Trump's Syria policy

The United Nations&#39;&nbsp;Syria envoy sent an urgent appeal Saturday to Russia, Iran and Turkey seeking help to restore a ceasefire, warning that escalating violence was threatening peace talks in Geneva.&nbsp;

UN mediator Staffan de Mistura sent letters to Moscow and Tehran, which back the Damascus regime, as well as Ankara which supports the Syrian opposition, expressing concern over surging violence around the Syrian capital and central Hama province.&nbsp;

&quot;Growing violations in recent days are undermining the ceasefire&quot;, agreed at separate negotiations in Kazakhstan&#39;s capital Astana overseen by the three countries, de Mistura&#39;s office said in a statement.&nbsp;

The violence has had &quot;significant negative consequences for the safety of Syrian civilians, humanitarian access and the momentum of the political process&quot; in Geneva, it added.&nbsp;

De Mistura asked the countries concerned &quot;to undertake urgent efforts to uphold the ceasefire&quot;, said the statement issued during a fifth round of UN-brokered talks in the Swiss city.&nbsp;

Opposition and jihadist fighters have in the past week launched attacks on government positions around Damascus and Hama. The regime has responded with air strikes and other bombardments.&nbsp;

Syrian government negotiators met the UN mediator earlier Saturday for a session focused on terrorism, which is one of four issues on the agenda this round.&nbsp;

The others are governance, elections and drafting a new constitution. The main opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) met later with de Mistura&#39;s team, and the talks focused on forming a new government to replace President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s regime -- the rebel&#39;s top priority.

Citing the recent violence, HNC delegation chief Nasr al-Hariri called the Assad government &quot;a killing machine&quot;, while characterising recent rebel attacks on regime positions as &quot;a must for us to defend ourselves.&quot;

Asked if rising violence could see the talks collapse, Hariri said: &quot;if we don&#39;t have that real ceasefire then things will deteriorate very badly.&quot;

Hariri also fiercely condemned Saturday&#39;s air strike on the opposition held town of Hammuriyeh that killed at least 16 civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The latest round of talks wrapped up a second full day with little hope of a breakthrough and rivals still deadlocked on key issues. They have not yet met face-to-face.&nbsp;

Years of diplomatic efforts have failed to end the Syrian conflict, which has killed more than 320,000 people and displaced millions since it started in March 2011 with protests against Assad&#39;s regime.

(AFP)

Opposition and jihadist fighters have in the past week launched attacks on government positions around Damascus and Hama. The regime has responded with air strikes and other bombardments

The United Nations' Syria envoy sent an urgent appeal Saturday to Russia, Iran and Turkey seeking help to restore a ceasefire, warning that escalating violence was threatening peace talks in Geneva. UN mediator Staffan de Mistura sent letters to Moscow and Tehran, which back the Damascus regime, as well as Ankara which supports the Syrian opposition, expressing concern over surging violence around the Syrian capital and central Hama province. "Growing violations in recent days are undermining the ceasefire", agreed at separate negotiations in Kazakhstan's capital Astana overseen by the three countries, de Mistura's office said in a statement. The violence has had "significant negative consequences for the safety of Syrian civilians, humanitarian access and the momentum of the political process" in Geneva, it added. De Mistura asked the countries concerned "to undertake urgent efforts to uphold the ceasefire", said the statement issued during a fifth round of UN-brokered talks in the Swiss city. Opposition and jihadist fighters have in the past week launched attacks on government positions around Damascus and Hama. The regime has responded with air strikes and other bombardments. Syrian government negotiators met the UN mediator earlier Saturday for a session focused on terrorism, which is one of four issues on the agenda this round. The others are governance, elections and drafting a new constitution. The main opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) met later with de Mistura's team, and the talks focused on forming a new government to replace President Bashar al-Assad's regime -- the rebel's top priority. Citing the recent violence, HNC delegation chief Nasr al-Hariri called the Assad government "a killing machine", while characterising recent rebel attacks on regime positions as "a must for us to defend ourselves." Asked if rising violence could see the talks collapse, Hariri said: "if we don't have that real ceasefire then things will deteriorate very badly." Hariri also fiercely condemned Saturday's air strike on the opposition held town of Hammuriyeh that killed at least 16 civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The latest round of talks wrapped up a second full day with little hope of a breakthrough and rivals still deadlocked on key issues. They have not yet met face-to-face. Years of diplomatic efforts have failed to end the Syrian conflict, which has killed more than 320,000 people and displaced millions since it started in March 2011 with protests against Assad's regime. (AFP)

UN Syria envoy urges Russia, Iran and Turkey to help restore ceasefire

The chief of Israel&#39;s armed forces said on Tuesday the death last year of the top Hezbollah military commander was an assassination by the Iranian-backed Lebanese group itself.

Hezbollah has maintained the commander, Mustafa Badreddine, was killed near Damascus by artillery fire from insurgent groups fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. But a war monitoring group said no rebel shelling occurred in the area at that time.

&quot;According to (media) reports, he was killed by his superiors, which points to the extent of the cruelty, complexity and tension between Hezbollah and its patron, Iran,&quot; Israeli Lieutenant-General Gadi Eisenkot said.

&quot;These reports corresponded with the information we have and with our assessment,&quot; he said in a speech in central Israel.

Al Arabiya news channel said earlier this month that Iran, which like Hezbollah has forces in Syria supporting Assad in its civil war, was unhappy with Badreddine and wanted him removed from the battlefield.

Eisenkot did not give any details on the circumstances of Badreddine&#39;s death, which was reported in May 2016.

A senior Israeli security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters last week that Badreddine and Iran were at odds over &quot;how to wage the Syrian campaign&quot;. A meeting was arranged near the Damascus airport, where a Hezbollah security official shot him dead.

In Beirut, Mohammed Afif, a Hezbollah spokesman, said Israel&#39;s allegations were &quot;lies that do not deserve comment&quot;.

The US&nbsp;government believed Badreddine, 55, was in charge of Hezbollah&#39;s military operations in Syria. He was one of five Hezbollah members indicted by the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon in the 2005 killing of Rafik al-Hariri, one of Lebanon&#39;s most prominent Sunni Muslim figures.

Hezbollah denied any involvement and said the charges were politically motivated.

For years, Badreddine masterminded military operations against Israel from Lebanon and overseas and managed to escape capture by Arab and Western governments.

Israel, which fought Hezbollah in a 2006 war and has targeted the group in Syria over alleged arms transfers, had called his death good news but stopped short of claiming responsibility.

In a letter, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif extended condolences &quot;for the martyrdom of this great jihadist...who embodied devotion and vigour and was legendary in his defence of high Islamic goals and his defence of the Lebanese people who resist oppression and terrorism&quot;.

(Reuters)

Hezbollah claimed he was killed in artillery fire by forces loyal to Assad, but a war monitoring group said no rebel shelling occurded there

The chief of Israel's armed forces said on Tuesday the death last year of the top Hezbollah military commander was an assassination by the Iranian-backed Lebanese group itself. Hezbollah has maintained the commander, Mustafa Badreddine, was killed near Damascus by artillery fire from insurgent groups fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. But a war monitoring group said no rebel shelling occurred in the area at that time. "According to (media) reports, he was killed by his superiors, which points to the extent of the cruelty, complexity and tension between Hezbollah and its patron, Iran," Israeli Lieutenant-General Gadi Eisenkot said. "These reports corresponded with the information we have and with our assessment," he said in a speech in central Israel. Al Arabiya news channel said earlier this month that Iran, which like Hezbollah has forces in Syria supporting Assad in its civil war, was unhappy with Badreddine and wanted him removed from the battlefield. Eisenkot did not give any details on the circumstances of Badreddine's death, which was reported in May 2016. A senior Israeli security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters last week that Badreddine and Iran were at odds over "how to wage the Syrian campaign". A meeting was arranged near the Damascus airport, where a Hezbollah security official shot him dead. In Beirut, Mohammed Afif, a Hezbollah spokesman, said Israel's allegations were "lies that do not deserve comment". The US government believed Badreddine, 55, was in charge of Hezbollah's military operations in Syria. He was one of five Hezbollah members indicted by the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon in the 2005 killing of Rafik al-Hariri, one of Lebanon's most prominent Sunni Muslim figures. Hezbollah denied any involvement and said the charges were politically motivated. For years, Badreddine masterminded military operations against Israel from Lebanon and overseas and managed to escape capture by Arab and Western governments. Israel, which fought Hezbollah in a 2006 war and has targeted the group in Syria over alleged arms transfers, had called his death good news but stopped short of claiming responsibility. In a letter, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif extended condolences "for the martyrdom of this great jihadist...who embodied devotion and vigour and was legendary in his defence of high Islamic goals and his defence of the Lebanese people who resist oppression and terrorism". (Reuters)

Israel says 2016 killing of top Hezbollah commander was inside job

When Sadegh married his college sweetheart, he never thought he&#39;d end up as one of those Iranians facing ruin and even prison because of huge sums demanded by his wife&#39;s family.

But the &quot;mehrieh&quot; (&quot;affection&quot;) system, in which future husbands agree to pay a certain number of gold coins to the bride in the event of divorce, has left thousands of men in Iran languishing in jail and many more destitute.

&quot;Our mehrieh was high, around 800 gold coins, but when we were planning the wedding, we didn&#39;t think about how it might end,&quot; said Sadegh, who was divorced last year after eight years of marriage.

Each gold coin is worth around 10 million rials ($300). A worker on Iran&#39;s average wage would need 50 years to earn 800 gold coins.

&quot;Even when the problems started and we talked about separation, it was supposed to be mutual and no mehrieh was going to be paid,&quot; said Sadegh, who spoke to AFP on condition that his full name not be used.

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But then his wife&#39;s family got involved, and suddenly Sadegh found himself in court where he was told to pay 110 coins immediately or go to jail.

&quot;The thought of ending up in prison for this, like in the movies, seemed ridiculous,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

&quot;Mehrieh is good as a financial support for women in a patriarchal society like Iran, but it has become a business.&quot;

Pleading he was broke, the judge brokered a deal in which Sadegh agreed to pay the equivalent of 120 coins, one per month.

That meant a decade of payments, each taking just under half his photographer&#39;s salary.

Then, five months in, he lost his job.

&#39;Sword over man&#39;s head&#39; 
It could have been even worse. At last count, the judiciary said some 2,297 men were in jail for failing to pay their mehrieh after a divorce.

A glimmer of hope surfaced this week in Tehran, where a ceremony was held to celebrate the work of donors who pay off the debts of prisoners as a show of Islamic charity.

They have freed 1,700 mehrieh-convicts over the past year.&nbsp;

&quot;Unfortunately, today competition among families has led to ever-increasing mehrieh,&quot; said Hadi Sadeghi, a cleric and judiciary official who helps coordinate the releases.

He said mehrieh, whose level is negotiated by the families at the time of a couple&#39;s engagement as per ancient Islamic custom, had lost its simple traditional function as a form of dowry for the newly-weds to buy furniture.

Now the payment is usually delayed and brandished against men as a threat in case of divorce, or even worse, is used by unscrupulous families for extortion.

&quot;The worst case is when families turn it into a business. Boys need to be careful not to be deceived,&quot; said the cleric.&nbsp;

&quot;Using mehrieh as a sword over the man&#39;s head is wrong too. It only leads to more arguments and divorces.&quot;

Officials agree that mehrieh has in recent decades degenerated into a status symbol, and that families are often just too stubborn to back down when a marriage falls apart.

&quot;Many families, when they go to wed their girls, their first question is mehrieh,&quot; said Alireza Afsary, who runs a foundation supporting prisoners.&nbsp;

&quot;Some laws need to be amended and some cultural and social issues need to change.&quot;

The courts have tried to intervene, saying they will only force husbands to pay a maximum of 110 gold coins, but even this is beyond the means of many Iranians.

- Way to redress balance - 
Still, many women see mehrieh as a way of redressing the balance for divorced women, who are often shunned by society.&nbsp;

Some exchange mehrieh for promises they will be allowed to work or study, or have child custody in the event of a divorce.&nbsp;

&quot;A woman who gets married is always afraid of not having real rights at the time of separation, so she tries to guarantee her rights through mehrieh,&quot; said Safi, a married woman in her 20s.

But all agree it has done nothing to slow soaring divorce rates in Iran as the country modernises and women enjoy increased freedoms. There were more than 165,000 this year, up 15 percent compared to five years ago.

&quot;If they are looking for ways to support women, and for men to show loyalty to their families, they should have new rules... for example giving them a legal right to half the man&#39;s property,&quot; said another young woman, Shima, 28.

As for Sadegh, he is trapped, still having to come up with 10 million rials a month despite being unemployed. He missed the last payment. The threat of prison hangs heavy over him.&nbsp;

&quot;We were classmates and were together for a year or two before marriage. Her family said they have a tradition of high mehrieh and couldn&#39;t reduce it. My family tried to refuse, but I loved her so we didn&#39;t insist.&nbsp;

&quot;We thought everything was going to go on smoothly forever.&quot;

(AFP)

Under the mehrieh system, future husbands agree to pay a certain number of gold coins to their wives in the event of a divorce

When Sadegh married his college sweetheart, he never thought he'd end up as one of those Iranians facing ruin and even prison because of huge sums demanded by his wife's family. But the "mehrieh" ("affection") system, in which future husbands agree to pay a certain number of gold coins to the bride in the event of divorce, has left thousands of men in Iran languishing in jail and many more destitute. "Our mehrieh was high, around 800 gold coins, but when we were planning the wedding, we didn't think about how it might end," said Sadegh, who was divorced last year after eight years of marriage. Each gold coin is worth around 10 million rials ($300). A worker on Iran's average wage would need 50 years to earn 800 gold coins. "Even when the problems started and we talked about separation, it was supposed to be mutual and no mehrieh was going to be paid," said Sadegh, who spoke to AFP on condition that his full name not be used. Mehrieh is good as a financial support for women in a patriarchal society like Iran, but it has become a business × But then his wife's family got involved, and suddenly Sadegh found himself in court where he was told to pay 110 coins immediately or go to jail. "The thought of ending up in prison for this, like in the movies, seemed ridiculous," he said. "Mehrieh is good as a financial support for women in a patriarchal society like Iran, but it has become a business." Pleading he was broke, the judge brokered a deal in which Sadegh agreed to pay the equivalent of 120 coins, one per month. That meant a decade of payments, each taking just under half his photographer's salary. Then, five months in, he lost his job. 'Sword over man's head' It could have been even worse. At last count, the judiciary said some 2,297 men were in jail for failing to pay their mehrieh after a divorce. A glimmer of hope surfaced this week in Tehran, where a ceremony was held to celebrate the work of donors who pay off the debts of prisoners as a show of Islamic charity. They have freed 1,700 mehrieh-convicts over the past year. "Unfortunately, today competition among families has led to ever-increasing mehrieh," said Hadi Sadeghi, a cleric and judiciary official who helps coordinate the releases. He said mehrieh, whose level is negotiated by the families at the time of a couple's engagement as per ancient Islamic custom, had lost its simple traditional function as a form of dowry for the newly-weds to buy furniture. Now the payment is usually delayed and brandished against men as a threat in case of divorce, or even worse, is used by unscrupulous families for extortion. "The worst case is when families turn it into a business. Boys need to be careful not to be deceived," said the cleric. "Using mehrieh as a sword over the man's head is wrong too. It only leads to more arguments and divorces." Officials agree that mehrieh has in recent decades degenerated into a status symbol, and that families are often just too stubborn to back down when a marriage falls apart. "Many families, when they go to wed their girls, their first question is mehrieh," said Alireza Afsary, who runs a foundation supporting prisoners. "Some laws need to be amended and some cultural and social issues need to change." The courts have tried to intervene, saying they will only force husbands to pay a maximum of 110 gold coins, but even this is beyond the means of many Iranians. - Way to redress balance - Still, many women see mehrieh as a way of redressing the balance for divorced women, who are often shunned by society. Some exchange mehrieh for promises they will be allowed to work or study, or have child custody in the event of a divorce. "A woman who gets married is always afraid of not having real rights at the time of separation, so she tries to guarantee her rights through mehrieh," said Safi, a married woman in her 20s. But all agree it has done nothing to slow soaring divorce rates in Iran as the country modernises and women enjoy increased freedoms. There were more than 165,000 this year, up 15 percent compared to five years ago. "If they are looking for ways to support women, and for men to show loyalty to their families, they should have new rules... for example giving them a legal right to half the man's property," said another young woman, Shima, 28. As for Sadegh, he is trapped, still having to come up with 10 million rials a month despite being unemployed. He missed the last payment. The threat of prison hangs heavy over him. "We were classmates and were together for a year or two before marriage. Her family said they have a tradition of high mehrieh and couldn't reduce it. My family tried to refuse, but I loved her so we didn't insist. "We thought everything was going to go on smoothly forever." (AFP)

Iran pre-nups land thousands of men in jail

Iran&rsquo;s Supreme Leader called on Palestinians on Tuesday to pursue an uprising against Israel, suggesting the Israeli government was a &quot;cancerous tumour&quot; that should be confronted until Palestinians were completely liberated.

&quot;... by Allah&rsquo;s permission, we will see that this intifada will begin a very important chapter in the history of fighting and that it will inflict another defeat on that usurping regime,&quot; Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, according to his website.

The Supreme Leader&rsquo;s bellicose comments, made during a two-day conference in Tehran focused on its support for the Palestinians, come at a time of increasingly heated rhetoric between Iran, Israel and the United States.

While on a visit to Washington last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News that Israel and the United States had a &quot;grand mission&quot; to confront the threat of a nuclear Iran.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump has already been highly critical of a deal hammered out between Iran and world powers, including the United States, in 2015 intended to partially lift sanctions on Tehran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme.

Iran says its programme is for purely peaceful means.

When Iran carried out a ballistic missile test in late January, Trump&rsquo;s then national security adviser Mike Flynn said the administration was putting Iran &quot;on notice&quot;.

Ordinary Iranians have been posting their concerns about a possible military confrontation between Iran and the United States on social media.

Khamenei did not mention any Iranian military attack against Israel in his comments on Tuesday and was focused on gains that Palestinians could make in any confrontation with Israel, which he described as tumour developing into &quot;the current disaster&quot;. &nbsp;

&quot;The Palestinian intifada continues to gallop forward in a thunderous manner so that it can achieve its other goals until the complete liberation of Palestine,&quot; he said, according to the transcript of the speech posted on his website.

(Reuters)

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's comments?come at a time of increasingly heated rhetoric between Iran, Israel and the United States

Iran’s Supreme Leader called on Palestinians on Tuesday to pursue an uprising against Israel, suggesting the Israeli government was a "cancerous tumour" that should be confronted until Palestinians were completely liberated. "... by Allah’s permission, we will see that this intifada will begin a very important chapter in the history of fighting and that it will inflict another defeat on that usurping regime," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, according to his website. The Supreme Leader’s bellicose comments, made during a two-day conference in Tehran focused on its support for the Palestinians, come at a time of increasingly heated rhetoric between Iran, Israel and the United States. While on a visit to Washington last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News that Israel and the United States had a "grand mission" to confront the threat of a nuclear Iran. US President Donald Trump has already been highly critical of a deal hammered out between Iran and world powers, including the United States, in 2015 intended to partially lift sanctions on Tehran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme. Iran says its programme is for purely peaceful means. When Iran carried out a ballistic missile test in late January, Trump’s then national security adviser Mike Flynn said the administration was putting Iran "on notice". Ordinary Iranians have been posting their concerns about a possible military confrontation between Iran and the United States on social media. Khamenei did not mention any Iranian military attack against Israel in his comments on Tuesday and was focused on gains that Palestinians could make in any confrontation with Israel, which he described as tumour developing into "the current disaster". "The Palestinian intifada continues to gallop forward in a thunderous manner so that it can achieve its other goals until the complete liberation of Palestine," he said, according to the transcript of the speech posted on his website. (Reuters)

Iran Supreme Leader calls on Palestinians to pursue uprising against Israel

Kazakhstan said on Wednesday a new round of Astana talks on the Syria conflict led by Russia, Turkey and Iran scheduled to begin February 15 would be delayed by a day due to unexplained &quot;technical reasons&quot;.

&quot;The negotiations have been moved to February 16 for technical reasons,&quot; a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told AFP by telephone without elaboration.&nbsp;

A subsequent statement from the foreign ministry said the talks would begin at 0600 GMT on Thursday.&nbsp;

The &quot;closed format&quot; negotiations come after representatives from Damascus and the armed opposition failed to make a breakthrough at indirect talks in the city in January. &nbsp;

The meeting -- pushed by key regime supporter Moscow -- is viewed as a warm-up for UN-led negotiations on the protracted war that are due to begin in Geneva on February 23. &nbsp;

While Kazakh officials said they invited both the Syrian government and rebels for the new talks, several of the regime opponents who took part in the previous Astana talks told AFP that they have not received invitations. &nbsp;

Damascus has confirmed it will be represented again by its ambassador to the UN, Bashar al-Jaafari.&nbsp;

Russia is sending presidential envoy Alexander Lavrentiev while Iran said it is dispatching deputy foreign minister Hossein Jaberi Ansari.

UN envoy on Syria Staffan de Mistura said he would not participate personally in the latest Astana meeting but that his office would be represented by a &quot;technical team&quot;.&nbsp;

Jordan will also be represented by a &quot;high-level delegation&quot; government spokesman Mohamed Momani said.

The Astana initiative has left the West on the sidelines of the latest push to end the war in Syria that has claimed more than 300,000 lives since 2011.&nbsp;

Moscow has invited the US to participate as an observer but the State Department has yet to confirm Washington will be involved.&nbsp;

Talks are likely to focus on bolstering a shaky ceasefire on the ground after Moscow, Tehran and Ankara agreed to establish a &quot;mechanism&quot; aimed at ensuring the truce.&nbsp;

The Geneva negotiations are expected to be wide-ranging, focussing on the key issues that divide the government and rebel sides, including the fate of President Bashar al-Assad.&nbsp;

(AFP)

Kazakhstan's foreign ministry said the talks have been moved to Feb 16 and will begin at 0600 GMT

Kazakhstan said on Wednesday a new round of Astana talks on the Syria conflict led by Russia, Turkey and Iran scheduled to begin February 15 would be delayed by a day due to unexplained "technical reasons". "The negotiations have been moved to February 16 for technical reasons," a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told AFP by telephone without elaboration. A subsequent statement from the foreign ministry said the talks would begin at 0600 GMT on Thursday. The "closed format" negotiations come after representatives from Damascus and the armed opposition failed to make a breakthrough at indirect talks in the city in January. The meeting -- pushed by key regime supporter Moscow -- is viewed as a warm-up for UN-led negotiations on the protracted war that are due to begin in Geneva on February 23. While Kazakh officials said they invited both the Syrian government and rebels for the new talks, several of the regime opponents who took part in the previous Astana talks told AFP that they have not received invitations. Damascus has confirmed it will be represented again by its ambassador to the UN, Bashar al-Jaafari. Russia is sending presidential envoy Alexander Lavrentiev while Iran said it is dispatching deputy foreign minister Hossein Jaberi Ansari. UN envoy on Syria Staffan de Mistura said he would not participate personally in the latest Astana meeting but that his office would be represented by a "technical team". Jordan will also be represented by a "high-level delegation" government spokesman Mohamed Momani said. The Astana initiative has left the West on the sidelines of the latest push to end the war in Syria that has claimed more than 300,000 lives since 2011. Moscow has invited the US to participate as an observer but the State Department has yet to confirm Washington will be involved. Talks are likely to focus on bolstering a shaky ceasefire on the ground after Moscow, Tehran and Ankara agreed to establish a "mechanism" aimed at ensuring the truce. The Geneva negotiations are expected to be wide-ranging, focussing on the key issues that divide the government and rebel sides, including the fate of President Bashar al-Assad. (AFP)

Syria peace talks delayed due to 'technical reasons': Kazakhstan

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