Americas

The United States and its partners are likely to exert pressure on Iran if it uses talks scheduled to resume in Vienna on Monday as pretext to accelerate its nuclear programme, the U.S. special envoy to Iran says. The US withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018, re-imposing anti-Tehran sanctions. Iran in retaliation scaled back its commitments under the deal.

Experience shows that the west does not seek to implement a deal. Rather, it seeks to score public perception points by announcing one while stealthily “dis-implementing” the agreement in every possible way, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri wrote in an op-ed in The Financial Times.

The director of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran says the US is in no position to speak about the Tessa Complex near Karaj as the facility is related to the Iran nuclear deal, JCPOA, while Washington has left the agreement.

General Kenneth McKenzie, the commander of US Central Command, has acknowledged the capability of Iranian ballistic missiles with high precision.

Top oil producers Saudi Arabia and Russia are considering a move to pause their planned oil production increases, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. It comes after US announcement of the release of strategic crude reserves.

The EU envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency has underlined the bloc's firm commitment to the full and effective implementation of the Iran nuclear deal, JCPOA.

Apple has filed a lawsuit against NSO Group, the Israeli spyware developer blacklisted by the United States, accusing the firm of targeting and surveilling Apple users.

A multiple rocket attack took place on the largest American airbase in eastern Syria on Tuesday. Damascus views the US military presence on Syrian soil as an attack on the Arab country's sovereignty.

The Iranian embassy in Belgium underlined the need for the international community to support Afghan refugees residing in Iran.

The United States will end its military mission in Iraq before the end of this year, the Pentagon has confirmed.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh has called the new Washington sanctions against Tehran the continuation of US failed policies pursued by the Trump administration.

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has indicted two Iranian nationals for QUOTE interfering in the 2020 US presidential election. The DoJ has alleged they used wide-ranging cyber and disinformation efforts in an attempt to sow doubt in the election process. Tehran has categorically dismissed the claims.

A senior Russian diplomat has applauded a change for the better in the hostile approach of certain Persian Gulf states toward the Iran nuclear deal. The top official has stated they seem to have backtracked on their endorsement of the US withdrawal from the agreement and are instead calling for its revival.

Federal agencies in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia have claimed hackers linked to the Iranian government are behind an ongoing campaign targeting critical infrastructure, including hospitals in the US. Iran stresses the country is itself a victim of cyberattacks by the US and Israel.

The Taliban has urged members of the United States Congress to act to release frozen Afghan assets and take responsible steps towards addressing the humanitarian and economic crisis unfolding in the country.

The Wall Street Journal has quoted European diplomats as saying that Iran has resumed production of advanced nuclear-program parts at Karaj site near the capital Tehran.

Presidents of the Unites States and China, Joe Biden and Xi Jinping, met virtually on Tuesday and discussed a range of issues including Iran. Beijing and Washington are at odds on several topics, including Tehran nuclear programme and the 2015 nuclear deal.

The United States military has covered up two back-to-back airstrikes against purported Daesh targets that killed up to 64 women and children in Syria in 2019, a New York Times report revealed.

Moscow shares stance with Tehran on the possibility of reaching a good agreement in a short time during the upcoming nuclear talks, a Russian top diplomat says. The negotiations are scheduled to start in the Austrian capital later this month.

Russia’s president says NATO drills near the country’s border are a dangerous challenge because the bloc is using its strategic air forces. The alliance has boosted its activities across the Mediterranean, with multiple aircraft approaching the Russian border, and vessels performing manoeuvres in the Black Sea.

Moscow says it will insist on the resumption of full implementation of the Iran nuclear deal, as well as lifting of anti-Tehran sanctions during the Vienna talks slated for November’s end.

The tense situation in the Middle East is largely the result of Washington's irresponsible policy, Moscow says.

European diplomats say it is unlikely the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors to issue a resolution against Iran. Iranian officials have announced nuclear negotiations are slated to resume in late November, and stressed Tehran is prepared to reach a good agreement.

The Pentagon has confirmed “dozens” of family members of American troops remain in Afghanistan nearly three months after Washington ended its military mission in the war-torn country.

A French newspaper says Tehran believes Paris may become a mediator in US-Iran talks on the nuclear deal. Le Figaro has quoted deputy Iranian foreign minister Ali Bagheri as saying Paris should demonstrate itself as a more independent state.