Iranian Ambassador to Doha Hamidreza Dehghani has said in a tweet that the foreign ministers of Iran and Qatar held talks twice on the phone in a single night. Dehghani said, “When ties are close, developments are dramatic, (and) the issue is important, (then) two phone calls happen in one single night.”
MP: Govt. must not repeat mistake of negotiating with US
MP: Govt. must not repeat mistake of negotiating with US
An Iranian lawmaker has cautioned administration officials against bringing up the issue of direct negotiations with the United States again, saying such a mistake during the ex-president’s terms promoted Iran’s allies to distance themselves from the country.
Ahmad Rastineh reacted to recent comments by Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who said Iran would consider direct talks with Washington if negotiations to revive the 2015 nuclear deal reached an advanced stage that required such dialog.
“One of the mistakes made in the administration of [former President] Hassan Rouhani was that they used to think they could solve the problems via direct talks with the US, but such negotiations instead filled the Islamic Republic’s allies with doubt over cooperation with our country,” he said.
The lawmaker warned, “We should not repeat the Rouhani-era mistake by bringing up the issue of direct negotiation with the US again. If officials believe they can safeguard and fulfill the country’s interests this way, they are making a strategic mistake.”
He said the Rouhani administration wrongly thought that it could serve the country’s interests through “political give and take.”
Putting trust in the US during Rouhani’s eight-year tenure, however, kept Iran’s resources and capacities in wait and created frustration among the youth over the country’s growth and progress, Rastineh added.
He said talks with Washington also enabled the European states to stop shouldering their responsibilities under the 2015 nuclear agreement and offered the global domineering system an opportunity to exert even more pressure on Iran.
Keyhan newspaper warns against falling into “US trap”
Keyhan said Amir Abollahian had conditioned one-on-one talks on reaching a good deal with a high level of guarantee and two groups have welcoed negotiations with the US: “The West’s lackeys inside Iran” and the other parties to the Iran nuclear deal, JCPOA, most notably the US. The editorial said those who claim they are after reforms in Iran pushed for their partisan interests and goals and questioned the anti-US strategy of the Islamic Revolution.
According to Keyhan, the reformists insinuated that Iran was going in the right direction during talks under the former administration and that the discourse of struggle against the enemy and global arrogance was an impediment to progress of negotiations.
The newspaper added that the stance of the “West’s lackeys” in Iran is clear and they seize any opportunity to blame all problems on refusal to talk to the US and they just tried to fish in troubled waters. The editorial then referred to direct talks with the US under the former administration in Iran, adding everybody saw the final outcome and not only were sanctions not removed, but US threats increased.
Keyhan also denied that former US president was the only person to blame for the defeat of the JCPOA while the democrats were the main parties at fault for that.
The Keyhan editorial further slammed reformists for tying the resolving of all problems to the JCPOA. It said when reformists saw the final outcome of the nuclear deal, they turned against the Islamic Republic of Iran’s very fundamental principles instead of pinning the blame on the US’s empty promises and they said Iran must retreat from its regional and defensive policies and give up its nuclear and missile programs.
Keyhan said now the stance of talks with the US has played well into the hands of the “current of distortion” so they mislead people over the removal or neutering of anti-Iran sanctions.
According to Keyhan, the main issue facing Iran is not negotiation with the US but it’s exacting a price form the pro-West people over the losses they inflicted on Iran by trusting the signatures of Kerry and “polite” Obama.
The editorial further issued a thinly veiled criticism of Amir Abcdollahian for giving the wrong message to the enemy while Iran has the upper hand in the talks. It said insinuating that Iran will retreat from its position only persuades the US and the West that they succeeded in forcing Iran to take a step back. Keyhan warned against falling into the trap of the US.
Iranian speaker: Parl. will know once deal with China finalized
Ghaliban made the remark after Mohammadreza Sabaghian complained at the open session of parliament that the legislative body does not know anything about the deals with China and Russia. Ghalibaf noted that once the deals are finalized, parliament will know.
Sabaghian urged the parliament speaker to explain the provisions of the purported agreements with China and Russia, saying, “You said on day one you would preserve parliament’s clout”.
Sabaghian also said under Article 77 of the Iranian Constitution, all contracts with foreign countries must be approved by parliament.
He noted that when people ask about the contents of the deals with China and Russia, lawmakers have nothing to say. Iran’s announcement of plans to enter into a strategic partnership treaty with China has drawn criticism from some quarters and citizens in Iran who claim the pact will put Tehran at the mercy of Beijing. But the government denies such claims as preposterous.
Iranian president: Zionist regime is an enemy of humanity
Raisi also said the occupation of Palestine at the expense of the Palestinian people proves this.
Raisi was speaking during a meeting with Defense Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan Zakir Hasanov in Tehran.
Referring to the threat of terrorism, the Iranian president said the presence of Daesh terrorists in any part of the world will be detrimental to people and countries in that region.
He added that the terrorist groups have been created by the US and the Zionist regime and they commit murderous activities wherever they go.
Raisi said he’s hopeful that Azeri forces will not allow the Takfiri terrorist to gain a foothold in the region.
At the meeting, the Iranian president also spoke of ties between Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan. He said Iran and and Azerbaijan are not just relatives but their bond has been forged based on the religious beliefs of of the people of the two countries.
Raisi said Iran is ready to share its capabilities in various fields with the Azeri brothers.
He noted that the Islamic Republic of Iran’s policy is to expand ties with neighbors especially Azerbaijan.
He added that economic ties between Tehran and Baku are expanding fast now. The Azerbaijani defense minister for his part said at the meeting that his talks with Iranian officials were very useful.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman slams British foreign secretary’s anti-Iran comments
Khatibzadeh said such irresponsible and unfounded statements are another card in the hollow blame-game of Britain and some Western countries to hide years of their inaction.
Khatibzadeh stressed that using threadbare statements and empty threats will not reduce Britain’s legal and moral responsibility for the violation of the Iran nuclear deal, JCPOA, nor will they weaken Iran’s determination in the least to achieve a lasting and reliable deal that would achieve the interests of the Iranian people. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman added that it was only Iran’s strategic patience that paved the way for the Vienna talks at this stage but it is clear that this window will not remain open forever.
Khatibzadeh also said it is necessary that the other sides do all in their power to not let this last opportunity pass, instead of resorting to hackneyed blame-games.
Iran has repeatedly said during the Vienna discussions that it will not accept any deadlines in the talks and that it is in no rush for a deal. But the Western parties to the negotiations claim a deal must be reached in maximum several weeks as any further delay in signing an agreement will make it worthless.
Asiatic cheetahs Iran and Firouz expecting cub
The director general of the Environment Protection Organization of Iran’s Semnan province has said Iran and Firouz, two cheetahs held at the Touran National Park, have successfully mated.
The official also said this is the first time in the whole world that two Asiatic cheetahs mate in captivity.
Iran, the female cheetah who is 3 years old, was transferred from Tehran’s Pardisan Park to the 700-hectare Touran National Park in early April 2021.
Firouz, the male cheetah, is 11.5 years.
He was captured in the park using standard international techniques in April too.
Environmentalists have repeatedly stated that protecting cheetahs in natural habitats is the top priority.
Iran, Qatar FMs discuss promotion of bilateral ties, regional peace
Qatar’s Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani held a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, on Tuesday.
During the talks, the two sides explored ways to further expand bilateral relations in different spheres, including politics, economy and culture.
The two ministers also discussed the latest developments unfolding in the region and emphasized the necessity of promoting diplomacy and dialog to resolve issues.
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani also underlined the need for continued consultations to help establish and safeguard peace and stability on both regional and international fronts.
Raisi: Iran has not held direct talks with US in Vienna
“This request is not a new one, they have been making such requests for a long time, many of the officials from other countries that meet with us have messages from the United States calling for direct talks, but so far we have not had direct negotiations,” the president said in a televised interview on Tuesday night.
Raisi added that if the other parties to the Iran nuclear deal agree to remove oppressive sanctions against the Iranian nation, a deal can emerge.
On Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian dismissed reports of direct talks between America and Iran but noted that if the parties get to a stage where reaching a good deal with strong guarantees necessitates direct talks with the U.S., Iran will consider it
Iran and the P4+1 group namely Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany have held eight rounds of talks over the past year.
Iran refuses to sit down directly with American diplomats, meaning negotiators from the P4+1 must shuttle between Iranian and American diplomats.
Iran insists that America must remove all sanctions imposed on Tehran after the U.S. unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA in May 2018. It also says Washington must provide guarantees that it will not leave the deal again.
Iran, Azerbaijan sign deal to construct border road bridge
The agreement was signed during the second day of a trip by Iran’s Minister of Roads and Urban Development Rostam Ghasemi to Baku.
Ghasemi and Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan Shahin Mostafayev held a groundbreaking ceremony for the bridge project.
The Astarachay bridge will be 97 meters long and 32 meters wide and will be built in four lanes. Its credit will be provided jointly by the governments of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan.
During the signing ceremony on Tuesday, Mostafayev said the construction of the bridge will be completed before the end of 2022.
He also described the Iranian minister’s visit to Baku as a good opportunity to examine the cooperation capacities of the two countries in different fields.
Mostafayev said the president and the government of the Republic of Azerbaijan attach special importance to expanding relations with Iran.
Noting that the Republic of Azerbaijan and Iran have deep relations in the fields of trade, economy, energy, customs and investment, Azerbaijan’s deputy prime minister said there are good opportunities to implement joint projects.
The Iranian minister of roads and urban development also called the Republic of Azerbaijan the closest neighbor to the Islamic Republic saying “We hope that after the meeting of the two presidents, relations between the two countries will develop as much as possible.”
He called the development of relations with neighbors one of the priorities of the Iranian administration and, highlighted Iran’s participation in the implementation of projects in the liberated territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan saying bilateral cooperation could accelerate the reconstruction of these areas.
