Monday, December 29, 2025
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Iran says helping no side in Ukraine war

Iran's Drones

“We have various forms of cooperation with Russia, including in the sphere of defense, but we are not helping either side involved in the [Ukrainian] conflict because we are certain that it should be concluded. I think that currently the problem is elsewhere – some Western countries, including the US, are manufacturing arms and trying to sell their products,” Amirabdollahian said in his interview with La Repubblica newspaper, commenting on remarks by US Presidential National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Iran’s plans to send drones to Russia.

“We are trying to avoid any actions that may lead to an escalation. We are working on stopping this war,” the Iranian top diplomat added.

He stressed that that Tehran “will avoid any action that could lead to escalation” but we will work to stop the conflict.

On Monday, the US official claimed that Iran was planning to hand over to Russia up to several hundreds of the unmanned aerial vehicles, including those capable of carrying armaments. Additionally, according to his information, Iran was planning to train Russian forces to use these drones with the first stages of training beginning as early as July. Sullivan did not provide any proof for his assertions.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kan’ani also said Tuesday cooperation between Tehran and Moscow in the field of some modern technologies goes back to before the commencement of war in Ukraine.

“No change has taken place in this area at the recent juncture,” Kan’ani noted, referring to technological cooperation between the two sides.

Kan’ani also repeated Iran’s position of opposition to war, stressing, “The Islamic Republic’s position concerning the Ukraine war is completely clear, and has been announced repeatedly in an official manner.”

Raisi urges US to learn lesson from past mistakes, rules out retreat in nuclear talks

Iran President Ebrahim Raisi

President Raisi also urged the US to learn a lesson from its past mistakes instead of repeating the failed experience of the so-called maximum pressure campaign.

He added that the US has said Iran must return to the 2015 nuclear deal, while Tehran never left the agreement and it was Washington that violated its commitments under the accord.

President Raisi said today not only the Europeans as the allies of the US, but also the whole world are asking why Washington quit the JCPOA.

He also referred the oppressive sanctions against the Iranian people, saying the US has repeatedly claimed that the pressures on Iran are unprecedented and enormous but their State Department spokesman officially admitted that the measures were futile and an abject failure.

Raisi noted that the US officials must realize after 43 years that the Iranian people do not give in to the language of force.

He underlined that Iran has consistently acted rationally whether in talks with the P5+1 or with the P4+1 group of countries.

Elsewhere, he spoke about the Israel’s normalization with some Arab states. President Raisi said such efforts will not bring security to the Zionist regime.

The Iranian president added that Iran is closely monitoring all moves in the region.

He warned against any aggression on Iran, saying such a move will be met with a firm response from the Islamic Republic.

Russian envoy: US makes each and every effort to prevent JCPOA revival

Russia’s ambassador to Iran Levan Dzhagaryan

Levan Dzhagaryan said the US officially supports the revival of the JCPOA but at the same time, they make each and every effort to prevent this from happening.
He was referring to US President Joe Biden’s tour of West Asia which is starting today and includes visits to Israel and Saudi Arabia.

The Russian ambassador to Tehran said Biden’s trip is meant to put in place an Arab-Israeli alliance against Iran which is absolutely unacceptable.

Israel is the first leg of Biden’s regional tour. He will then fly to Saudi Arabia.
The US, along with Israel, has been trying to depict Iran as a threat to the whole region and even beyond.

The US has sold billions of dollars worth of weaponry to Arab states of the Persian Gulf in recent years.

The Zionist regime has also normalized relations with some Arab countries as it pushes to portray Iran as a threat.

Iran says committed to diplomacy on revival of nuclear deal

Iran Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kan’ani

At a press briefing on Wednesday, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kan’ani called on all the relevant parties, especially the US as the party responsible for the crisis gripping the agreement, to adopt a “constructive” approach so that the negotiations process can bear fruit.

Kan’ani slammed remarks by French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, who accused Iran of using “delaying tactics” and “going back” on previously agreed positions during talks in Doha earlier this month.

“Iran’s position on the process of sanctions removal talks is crystal clear,” he said.

“Iran’s message is that we are committed to the process of negotiations on resolving the differences.”

Had it not been for Iran’s responsible behavior and good will, the window for diplomacy would not have remained open, and the Europeans already know that, the official said.

“Iran has always fulfilled its commitments. It was the US that left the agreement and has refused to honor its obligations,” Kan’ani said.

The official added that negotiations continue in the form of exchanging messages, and that the date and the venue of a new round of discussions on reviving the nuclear deal will be announced soon.

“We hope that the talks will reach a conclusion with the adoption of a constructive approach on the part of all the Europeans,” Kan’ani added.

He said Iran’s nuclear work was “fully transparent and lawful” and the country’s activities were under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

On Israel

Elsewhere, Kan’ani blasted remarks by Israeli officials, who threatened action against the Iranian nuclear program.

The Zionist regime — which possesses a nuclear stockpile and is no party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons — is in no position to comment on Iran’s peaceful nuclear work, he added.

“Iran will definitely give a firm and serious response to any unwise action by this regime and make it regret its deed,” he said.

The official also urged the US administration and President Joe Biden to review Washington’s foreign policy and stop supporting the Israeli regime.

Kan’ani was also asked to comment on Biden’s upcoming visit to the Middle East and Washington’s claims about provision of security to the troubled region.

“The unlawful presence of America has never led to order and security in any country of the region, such as Iraq and Afghanistan, and has only inflicted humanitarian and material damage on the people,” he said.

‘Promising’ talks with Saudi Arabia

Kan’ani further described negotiations between Iran and Saudi Arabia in Iraq aimed at fixing their relations as “promising” and said both sides were willing to keep up the diplomatic process.

“We hope that we will take a tangible step forward in the future round of talks and I believe we will witness better developments in the next session with the political determination of Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia,” the official said.

Iran’s security chief to visit Baku, following Armenia trip

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani

Shamkhani will visit the country on Friday at an invitation by his Azerbaijani counterpart Ramil Usubov.

During the trip, Shamkhani will meet Usubov and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev to discuss bilateral issues and the latest regional and international developments.

The Iranian security chief visited Armenia on Thursday and met the country’s Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Bolstering relations in various fields and cooperation to boost regional stability and security are top on the agenda of his regional tour.

Iran sets $200bn target for trade with neighbors

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who is visiting Uzbekistan at the head of a delegation, made the remarks in a meeting with Iranian businesspeople in Uzbekistan on Wednesday on the second day of his trip.

Qalibaf stressed that Iran seeks to further expand its economic relations with its neighbors in the 7th Development Plan, a goal emphasized by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

He praised the private sector as the vanguard of economy and said the government has adopted policies to facilitate trade in the sector.

The Iranian parliament speaker also said Iran and Uzbekistan have to design a logistic hub to facilitate trade between the private sectors of both countries.

Meanwhile, deploring that the US-speared sanctions have acted as hurdles and hampered some companies’ activities, Qalibaf said there are some strategies to bypass the punitive measures.

Iran Parliament urges Sweden to stop ‘rights violations’ against jailed citizen

Iranians rally outside the Swedish embassy in Tehran

Ali Nikzad on Wednesday criticized the Swedish government for detaining the Iranian national “without conducting comprehensive investigations” and based on empty charges leveled against him by a few members of the notorious Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO) terrorist group.

In detaining Nouri, he said, Sweden failed to act on its responsibility to inform Iran’s Embassy of the development based on the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and let his family know about his situation.

Stockholm has denied Nouri family visits, despite the fact the family members have visited the European country twice since 2019, Nikzad added.

The Iranian Parliament “wants the Swedish government to take action to prevent further violations [of Nouri’s rights], be accountable and make up for the spiritual and material damage inflicted on him at the earliest,” he said.

The senior lawmaker also urged the Iranian Judiciary and Foreign Ministry to use all in their power to pursue Nouri’s case and secure his release.

Nouri was arrested upon arrival in Sweden at Stockholm Airport in November 2019 and was immediately imprisoned. He has been held in solitary confinement for over two years.

Swedish prosecutors have requested the maximum penalty of life imprisonment for Nouri, accusing the former Iranian judiciary official of prisoner abuse in 1988.

His accusers, who are MKO terrorists, allege Nouri was involved in the execution and torture of MKO members in 1988. Nouri vehemently rejects the allegation.

Mission: Iran to become full member of Shanghai Cooperation Organization

Iran- Shanghai Cooperation Organization

The Iranian embassy told Global Times on Tuesday, “Based on the decision by the Council of Foreign Ministers of the SCO member states, at the SCO summit in (the Uzbek city of) Samarkand on September 15-16, 2022, the decision on the matter will be made.”

“The approval of the decision by the SCO heads of state council on granting the status of the Islamic Republic as a member state of the SCO will be finalized at the SCO summit in 2023,” the Iranian embassy added.

Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Vladimir Norov also confirmed the decision on Tuesday, saying Iran will sign the memorandum of obligation at the SCO summit in the Uzbek city in September.

Iran’s application for full membership was approved last September and the process of full membership kicked off.

The SCO was founded in Shanghai in 2001 by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Russia and China to resolve territorial disputes. However, it expanded to cover more areas, including security, economy, energy, and culture.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Diplomacy Mehdi Safari proposed last month a single currency for SCO members to facilitate economic integration among member states.

Iranian FM says Italy’s private sector interested in cooperation with Iran peers

Iran FM Hossein Amirabdollahian

The Iranian foreign minister on Monday met with a group of Italian businessmen and industrialists in Rome. The meeting was organized by the Iran-Italy Chamber of Commerce.

Amirabdollahian, who has traveled to Italy, tweeted early on Wednesday, “At the invitation of the Italy-Iran Chamber of Commerce, yesterday in Rome, I met the Italian private sector companies. Their eagerness to work with Iran was very impressive.”

The top diplomat further pointed to the resumption of direct flights between Italian and Iranian capital cities as an important factor in developing bilateral trade and economic cooperation, tweeting, “The resumption of direct Tehran-Rome flight is instrumental to our joint efforts.”

The Iranian foreign minister, heading a delegation, left Tehran for Rome on Monday to hold talks with Italian and Vatican officials on issues of mutual interests as well as regional and international developments.

The top diplomat stated before the trip that the visit was made at the invitation of the Italian foreign minister.

The Iranian foreign minister and his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio in a meeting on Monday called for strengthening bilateral ties.

“We had discussed and consulted two times in New York and Munich,” the FM noted, adding that follow-up of political, economic, and trade cooperation is the main objective of the trip and various programs are on the agenda of the objectives.

The Iranian FM tweeted earlier, “Met today my Italian counterpart in Rome. Discussed a range of bilateral, regional & int. issues. We agreed that our enormous economic capacities, in particular, in the area of energy, promise a bright future for our mutually beneficial cooperation.”

In a meeting held on Monday evening with tens of Iranian expatriates in Italy, Amirabdollahian announced that the Iranian government makes a special endeavor to solve the problems of the Iranian nationals living in Italy.

According to the embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Rome, some 28,000 Iranians are living in Italy, and also, some 8,000 other Iranian nationals are studying in the European state.

Iran FM, Vatican officials explore ways of expansion of ties

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian & Vatican's Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin

During the talks, the two sides exchanged views on issues of mutual interest and concerns regarding international and regional developments.

The officials of the two countries, while reviewing the bilateral relations, agreed on preparing a mechanism to promote joint cooperation. They also emphasized the importance of interfaith dialogue that was discussed during a visit by (the Iranian Islamic seminaries head) Ayatollah Arafi to the Vatican.

The foreign minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States, while exchanging views on ways to strengthen global and regional peace and stability, emphasized the need for political solutions to crises.

In the meeting held with the Vatican officials, the Iranian foreign minister elaborated on the latest developments in sanctions lifting negotiations and emphasized that the Islamic Republic of Iran is serious about reaching a good and lasting agreement.

He added that Iran has presented important initiatives and shown flexibility during the talks, but it is necessary for the American side to realistically prepare the conditions to finalize the agreement.

Officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Vatican also exchanged views on regional issues and stressed the necessity of establishing stable peace and security, especially in the West Asian region.

The Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the Islamic Republic of Iran has played an important role in protecting the Izadi Christians of Iraq and the Christians of Syria against Daesh criminal terrorists, with endeavors by Martyr General Qassem Soleimani, and in line with its global responsibility in dealing with terrorism, an issue appreciated by the Vatican.

Amirabdollahian also emphasized that as much as the Islamic Republic of Iran opposes the war in Ukraine and supports a political solution to end it, it also opposes the war in other parts of the world.

The Iranian foreign minister also emphasized that Iran is especially concerned about any worsening of the situation in northern Syria and has made significant efforts to prevent a new crisis there.

In the meeting, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Vatican emphasized their joint views regarding the illegality of political use of extra-territorial sanctions as a tool.

Meanwhile, Amirabdollahian outlined the Islamic Republic of Iran’s approach in favor of political solutions to the crises in Yemen, Ukraine and Afghanistan.

The Iranian foreign minister also explained to the Vatican officials the Islamic Republic of Iran’s democratic plan to hold a referendum among genuine Palestinians, including Muslims, Christians and Jews.

The situation in Lebanon was also assessed by Amirabdollahian and Vatican’s Secretary of State.

Amirabdollahian also invited the Vatican Secretary of Relations with States to visit Tehran.