Us Iran Tensions

Jaishankar speaks to Iranian EAM, seeks release of Indians on MSC Aries

On the Iran-Israel hostilities, Jaishankar, during the phone conversation, called for avoiding escalation, exercising restraint and returning to the path of diplomacy

Amid deepening ties, Iran set to buy Russia's Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets

Iran has finalized a deal to buy Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets from Russia, state media reported, as defense cooperation between the two countries deepens, reported Times of Israel

Exchange of messages on revival of 2015 nuclear deal continues: Iran

Exchange of messages among different parties to revive a 2015 nuclear deal continues through different channels, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said

Iranian Speaker holds Trump legally accountable for killing Soleimani

Speaker of Iran's Parliament says former US President Donald Trump and all his "accomplices" must be held legally accountable for the assassination of late military commander Qasem Soleimani in 2020

Decision to withdraw from Iran nuke deal great strategic blunder: Official

The previous Donald Trump administration's decision to withdraw from the JCPOA, a crucial agreement on the Iranian nuclear programme, is one of the greatest strategic blunders of US foreign policy in recent years, a top official has said. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known commonly as the Iran nuclear deal or Iran deal, was reached in Vienna on July 14, 2015, between Iran and the P5+1 together with the European Union. "This (Joe Biden) administration considers the decision on the part of the last administration to withdraw from the JCPOA, one of the greatest strategic blunders of American foreign policy in recent years," State Department Spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at his daily news conference on Monday. The P5+1 include the five permanent members of the Security Council -- China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States -- plus Germany, which during the Barak Obama administration had entered into an agreement with Iran. The reason the .

Window of negotiations to revive nuclear deal still open, says Iran

'The Americans once again refused to come to the negotiating table this time, citing Iran's internal developments and some other issues, such as the Ukraine conflict'

Iran expelled from UN women's commission; India abstains on resolution

In an unprecedented move, Iran has been expelled from the United Nation's Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in a vote on which India abstained

Iran's currency falls further against the dollar amid anti-govt protests

Iran's currency fell to a record low against the dollar on Sunday, with nationwide anti-government protests now in their third month. A breakdown in negotiations to restore Tehran's nuclear deal has also hurt the value of the rial. Traders in Tehran were exchanging the rial at around 370,000 to the dollar on Sunday, up from 368,000 on Thursday. Iran's currency was trading at 32,000 rials to the dollar at the time of the 2015 nuclear accord that dropped international sanctions in exchange for tight controls on Iran's nuclear program. Iran has been gripped by nationwide protests since September. Demonstrations broke out following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the country's morality police. She was detained by the force for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic's strict dress code for women. The status of the morality police remains unclear after Iran's chief prosecutor, Mohamed Jafar Montazeri, said last week that the force had 'closed down.'' Iranian state

Russia, Iran moving toward full defence 'partnership', claims Biden govt

The Biden administration is accusing Russia of moving to provide advanced military assistance to Iran, including air defense systems, helicopters and fighter jets, part of deepening cooperation between the two nations as Tehran provides drones to support Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby on Friday cited U.S. intelligence assessments for the allegations, saying Russia was offering Iran an unprecedented level of military and technical support that is transforming their relationship into a full-fledged defense partnership. Kirby said Russia and Iran were considering standing up a drone assembly line in Russia for the Ukraine conflict, while Russia was training Iranian pilots on the Sukhoi Su-35 fighter and Iran could receive deliveries of the plane within the year. These fighter planes will significantly strengthen Iran's air force relative to its regional neighbors, Kirby said. The U.S. allegations are part of a deliberat

US hits prominent Turkish biz executive with Iranian oil sanctions

The Biden administration is imposing sanctions on a prominent Turkish businessman reportedly close to Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for violations of US restrictions on the sales of Iranian oil. The Treasury Department announced Thursday it was penalizing Sitki Ayan and a number of companies he and his family and associates control for facilitating the sale of hundreds of millions of dollars of Iranian oil for Iran's Revolutionary Guard. Ayan and his firms have also laundered the proceeds of those sales for both the Guard and Lebanon's Hezbollah movement, both of which are designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the US, Treasury said. The sanctions include a freeze on any assets Ayan or the targeted companies may have in US jurisdictions and bar Americans from doing any business with them. Ayan's companies have established international sales contracts for Iranian oil with foreign purchasers, arranged shipments of oil, and helped launder the proceeds, obscuring t

Iran accuses US of seeking to cause chaos to force concessions in nuke deal

'We do not let anybody incite riots and terrorism in our country'

Fifa 2022: Iran-US World Cup clashes remain rife with political tension

The last World Cup clash between the United States and Iran 24 years ago is considered one of the most politically charged matches in soccer history. This time, the political overtones are just as strong and relations perhaps even more fraught as the U.S. and Iran face off once again on Tuesday in Qatar. Iran's nationwide protests, its expanding nuclear program and regional and international attacks linked back to Tehran have pushed the match beyond the stadium and into geopolitics. No matter the outcome, tensions are likely only to worsen in the coming months. When relations soured between the U.S. and Iran depends on who you ask. Iranians point to the 1953 CIA-backed coup that cemented Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi's power. Americans remember the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover and 444-day hostage crisis during the Iranian Revolution. In soccer, however, the timeline is much simpler as this will be only the second time Iran and the U.S. have played each other in the World Cup. The last

US, Israel agree to accelerate operational plans against Iran: Kohavi

Israel and the US have agreed that they are at a "critical point" in time that requires the acceleration of operational plans and cooperation against Iran and its terrorist proxies, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have said as its chief held discussions with senior American officials in Washington. Chief of Staff of the IDF Lieutenant General Aviv Kohav landed in the US on Sunday for five days of meetings with senior officials focused on the Iranian threat, the IDF said. The Israeli Army's Chief on Monday met with the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, US National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, and CIA Director, William Burns. During the discussions, it was agreed that we are at a critical point in time that requires the acceleration of operational plans and cooperation against Iran and its terrorist proxies in the region, the IDF quoted Kohavi as saying in Tweets posted on its social media handle on Tuesday. On the one hand, Iran is under many economic, military,

Iranian FM says US should prove 'real will' in nuclear negotiations

The Iranian foreign minister stressed that his country adheres to the continuation of nuclear negotiations for the revival of the nuclear agreement

US to continue sanctions on Russian, Iranian arms trade: White House

The United States will continue to vigorously enforce sanctions on Russian and Iranian arms trade, the White House said, asserting that it will stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes. This will make it harder for Iran to sell these weapons to Russia, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference on Monday. There is extensive proof of Russia using Iranian drones to target military and civilian targets in Ukraine, she added. "We'll continue to vigorously enforce US sanctions on both the Russian and Iranian arms trade -- that's what we'll do from here, make it harder for Iran to sell these weapons to Russia. And we'll stand with our partners throughout the region against that Iranian threat," Jean-Pierre said. Responding to questions, she said National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan had warned in July that Iran was planning to sell UAVs to Russia for use against Ukraine. "We also exposed publicly that Russia has received

Former UN official held for over 6 years in Iran allowed to leave: Report

Baquer Namazi, an Iranian-American and former United Nations official imprisoned in Iran on charges of spying and cooperating with the US government, has been released

Iran FM urges US to prove goodwill if willing to reach nuclear agreement

The Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian urged Washington to prove its determination and goodwill to reach an agreement on the revival of a 2015 nuclear deal

'Destruction, massacre' outcomes of US, NATO presence in region: Iran Prez

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said "destruction, occupation and massacre" have been the consequences of the presence of the US and the NATO in the (West Asia) region

Iran accuses America of confiscating assets in international court

Iran told the United Nation's highest court on Monday that Washington's confiscation of some USD 2 billion in assets from Iranian state bank accounts to compensate bombing victims was an attempt to destabilise the Iranian government and a violation of international law. In 2016, Tehran filed a suit at the International Court of Justice after the US Supreme Court ruled money held in Iran's central bank could be used to compensate the 241 victims of a 1983 bombing of a U.S. military base in Lebanon believed linked to Iran. Hearings in the case opened Monday in the Hague-based court, starting with Iran's arguments. The proceedings will continue with opening statements by Washington on Wednesday. At stake are USD 1.75 billion in bonds, plus accumulated interest, belonging to the Iranian state but held in a Citibank account in New York. In 1983, a suicide bomber in a truck loaded with military-grade explosives attacked US Marine barracks in Beirut, killing 241 American troops and 58 Fre

US must prove reliability to rejoin nuclear deal: Iranian foreign ministry

"An agreement is a two-way road, and it was expected that the negotiating parties would act constructively in this direction," the Iranian spokesman said