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Handwoven Takab carpets registered by WIPO

“We have been trying for years to register Afshar Takab Iron Carpet internationally, but this year this important result has been achieved with the continuous follow-up efforts of the organization, and in the coming days, the certificate of world registration of Afshar Takab carpet will be unveiled in the presence of national and provincial officials,” Head of the Industry, Mining and Trade Organization of West Azerbaijan Gholamreza Babaie said on Tuesday.

He added that West Azerbaijan Province is one of the production hubs of handwoven carpets in the country, where 72,000 weavers produce 290,000 square meters annually and send them to domestic and international markets.

Takab’s handwoven carpets are famous for their quality and durability and are also known as iron carpets.

Officials say the WIPO registration will help preserve the authenticity and identity of the Iranian goods internationally.

Former Iranian ambassador to UAE hails Emirati official’s visit to Tehran

Hamidreza Asefi told ISNA Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Emirati Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, wields much power in the country and he’s way more than a top security official. 

Asefi noted that Sheikh Tahnoon’s trip can bolster bilateral ties.

Asefi added that the US’s humiliating retreat from Afghanistan and the wider region has persuaded regional countries to resolve issues on their own. 

Asefi also referred to the UAE’s normalization with Israel. He said the Emiratis have given assurances their ties with the Zionist regime will not pose a threat against Iran and that they won’t allow Tel Aviv to ignite a fire. 

He also praised President Raisi administration’s policy on neighboring countries, saying it can transform Iran’s relations with regional nations, which is a source of concern for Israel.

Blinken: US withdrawal from Iran nuclear deal “terrible mistake”

Former US President Donald Trump, a stern critic of the historic deal, unilaterally pulled Washington out of the agreement in 2018, and unleashed the “toughest ever” sanctions against Iran.

Blinken stated the US continues to promote a diplomatic solution to the nuclear question, but “the runway is getting very, very short” for negotiations, given Tehran’s technological advances.

He characterized the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the 2015 international nuclear agreement as “a terrible mistake”.

“We continue to believe that the best way, the most effective way, to resolve the nuclear challenge posed by Iran is through diplomacy and through a return to mutual compliance with the so-called JCPOA, the Iran nuclear deal,” he said.

“Given all of the alternatives – and there are alternatives – it remains the best way to actually answer the problem,” the top diplomat added.

In early November, US President Joe Biden stated the United States is “continuing to suffer” from Trump’s decision to pull Washington out of the Iran nuclear deal.

However, the Biden administration has imposed sanctions on Iranian entities and officials. Iran has called Washington sanctions against Tehran the continuation of US failed policies pursued by the Trump administration.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman has condemned latest US sanctions even when talks over reviving the Iran nuclear deal have restarted. Saeed Khatibzadeh said in a tweet that the US cannot stop imposing sanctions against Iran.

After a five-month hiatus, diplomats have resumed negotiations on reviving the nuclear deal, which the United States abandoned in 2018 and reimposed harsh economic sanctions.

Iran has tabled two draft documents in the highly fraught nuclear negotiations in Vienna demanding all sanctions imposed by Washington be removed.

Iran’s top negotiator and Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri has noted the ball is in the court of the United States over nuclear dispute, and Washington must remove the anti-Tehran sanctions.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian has also reiterated that there is no way to revive the landmark agreement without removing all anti-Tehran sanctions.

Iranian Leader advisor: Syria to continue path of resistance

“The path of resistance and confrontation with enemies in Syria continues and unity of the Resistance Front’s member states in recent years has made it possible to take effective, successful and unprecedented measures against continued domination of foreigners in this very sensitive region coveted by the United States and Britain in the past,” Velayati stated in a meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad in Tehran on Tuesday.

He added that the formation of the resistance front has resulted in “very useful” outcomes and brought hope to the Muslim world that aggressive powers would be defeated through resistance.

The senior Iranian official stated that the Syrian president has managed to carry out unique measures in recent years — with the support of Iran, Russia and the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement and most importantly resistance of the brave Syrian people — in the face of the cowardly invasion of the Arab country, led by the United States, the Israeli regime and some reactionary countries in the region.

“The resistance front will undoubtedly achieve a final victory, God willing,” Velayati pointed out.

He further pointed to “strategic” relations between Tehran and Damascus and called on both sides to concentrate their efforts on the expansion of all-out ties.

Elsewhere in the meeting, Velayati noted Yemen’s resistance has defeated the occupying powers and would soon force them to retreat, adding, “We will see an independent and powerful country and a strong supporter of Islamic values and the interests of the suffering nation of the country.”

He also expressed confidence that the Lebanese people would overcome the problems caused by the United States and its mercenaries in the region and would continue their resistance against enemies to defend the country’s independence and territorial integrity.

This kind of battle, which is the result of unity among the resistance front’s countries, can be regarded as a model for the whole world, especially Muslim nations, with its positive effects in recent years, the Leader’s advisor continued.

The Syrian foreign minister, for his part, commended Iran’s support for the Arab country’s people and government and said the two states’ president would meet in the future given strategic mutual relations.

Mekdad said constant acts of aggression by the Zionist regime and its military presence in Syria as well as US unlawful sanctions against Damascus are in violation of Syria’s territorial integrity and the root cause of insecurity and economic pressure in the country.

However, he emphasized, the Syrian people have thwarted all enemies’ plots by its full resistance.

He also added the US must withdraw from the region and Syria in particular.

Mekdad, who is in Tehran on an official visit, held talks with senior Iranian officials, including President Ebrahim Raeisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf on Monday. He sat down with Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani earlier on Tuesday.

President Raeisi told the top Syrian diplomat that continued presence of foreign forces in Syria and elsewhere in the West Asia region is detrimental to security and stability of the entire region.

“Continuation of the illegal presence of foreign forces in the region and on the Syrian soil is detrimental to security and stability of the region,” he said, adding, “Daesh [terrorist group] was created by Americans and today, presence of both Daesh and America at any place in the region will be a great threat to security, stability and welfare of [regional] nations.”

Iranian wrestlers win IWU’s awards

Geraei won the 2020 Tokyo Olympics’ gold in the 67-kg category of Greco-Roman competitions and Zare secured the bronze in the 125-kg free style.

Before being crowned in the Olympics, which were held in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, Geraei had no world or Olympic medal on his resume. The 25-year-old, dubbed ‘The Iceman’, defied all expectations and claimed the top spot, before sealing his improbable 2021 campaign with a world-title in the Oslo wrestling championships.

Zare, who is now just 20 years old, was propelled into the spotlight after winning an Olympic bronze in Tokyo and gaining heavy weight supremacy in Oslo with key victories against Georgia’s three-time world champ Geno Petriashvili of Georgia and Olympic gold medalist Taha Akgul of Turkey. 

His title was also a national feat as it brought back Iran to the top heavy weight spot in the world championships 32 years after Alireza Soleimani’s 1989 gold.

CIA director says Russia and Iran turned his hair gray

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Burns claimed he acquired “most of the gray locks” during his work in Moscow – a post he held from 2005 to 2008.

“The rest of my gray hair has to do with negotiations with the Iranians, especially the secret negotiations in 2013” over nuclear weapons, he explained, referring to the interim Joint Plan of Action agreement inked that year between Iran and six other nations to ease embargoes on Tehran in exchange for curbing its atomic program.

Burns also commented on concerns over the Russian-Ukrainian border.

The CIA director remarked that he “would never underestimate President Vladimir Putin’s appetite for risk” when it comes to Kiev.

“It’s so important to respond to that with a strong mix of deterrence as well as the possibility of diplomacy,” he added.

The Kremlin has consistently denied accusations made by several Western outlets and officials in recent weeks that Russia is masterminding an invasion of its neighbor. Kremlin Spokespman, Dmitry Peskov, has slammed the allegations as groundless.

“This hysteria, which is being stirred up now in the Anglo-Saxon media, in the Ukrainian media, and is supported by Ukrainian politicians led by the head of state [President Volodymyr Zelensky], is absolutely unacceptable,” the Kremlin press secretary said.

Moscow mocked reports by US news site Politico in early November that claimed Russian troops were being stationed in increasing numbers near the Ukrainian border. However, satellite imagery published alongside the article purported to show Russian hardware piling up near the city of Yelnya, hundreds of kilometers from Ukraine, and closer to neighboring Belarus.

A video conference between Putin and his US counterpart Joe Biden has ended after just over two hours. The Kremlin had pledged the leaders would talk “for as long as it takes” to resolve their issues.

The much-anticipated video “summit” on Tuesday touched on a number of topics, including the American accusation that Russia is amassing troops to “invade” Ukraine, which Moscow has dismissed as “fake news”.

A White House readout of the call said Biden voiced “deep concerns” of the US over Russia’s “escalation of forces surrounding Ukraine” and threatened “strong economic and other measures in the event of military escalation”. Ransomware and “regional issues such as Iran” were also brought up.

Biden is expected to contact Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as well as the leaders of UK, France, Germany and Italy after his conversation with Putin, according to the White House. His national security adviser Jake Sullivan is scheduled to brief reporters on the call later in the day.

The only live meeting between Putin and Biden since the latter took office was in June. The Geneva summit was hailed as a potential breakthrough, but progress has since failed to materialize.

Iran police dismantle biggest drug trafficking network in SE

Iran Police

Taheri stated that the police forces managed to arrest the chieftain of the largest drug-trafficking network in the southeast of Iran and the other members.

The commander-in-chief of Sistan and Baluchistan province’s police noted that in an operation, the police forces surrounded the members of the cartel but the criminals ignored the warnings and started to fire at the police trying to escape, but the police succeeded to apprehend them.

He added that the special forces of the province’s anti-narcotics police identified the exact location of the drug traffickers in the desert area of “Kalchad” in the “Samsur” plain.

He also stated that the police forces took the drug traffickers by surprise in an ambush.

General Taheri also said that the Police commandos stopped the drug traffickers who were trying to escape in four vehicles.

The Sistan and Balochistan police commander added that a major drug trafficker in the southeast of the country has been arrested along with four gunmen under his leadership.

He also noted that in the operation, the police commander seized 7 AK-47 rifles with 619 rounds of ammunition, 2,491 kilograms of opium, 103 kilograms of morphine, 96 kilograms of crystal and 14 kilograms of heroin from the drug traffickers.

Russia slams US sanctions on Iran amid Vienna talks

“Even amid Vienna Talks the US continued to introduce new sanctions while Iran continued to develop its nuclear programme. Not good,” Mikhail Ulyanov said in a tweet.

“It is high time to stop it in order to create better environment for speedy and successful restoration of JCPOA.”

The US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on 15 Iranian, Syrian and Ugandan individuals as part of Washington’s restrictions on Iranian state bodies and people with alleged human rights abuses. 

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh in reaction to the new bans said in a tweet that Washington fails to understand that its so-called’ maximum failure’ campaign and a diplomatic breakthrough are mutually exclusive.

Khatibzadeh said doubling down on sanctions won’t create leverage and is anything but seriousness and goodwill.

This comes as Tehran has openly declared that removal of all sanctions imposed by the US is a must for the revival of the nuclear deal.

Ulyanov also separately confirmed that informal discussions are underway on the resumption of the talks in Vienna. 

Iran said Tuesday that the discussions will resume Thursday after the European signatories to the nuclear deal called for a break in the talks for consultations with their capitals.

Iran parliament speaker corrects comments about slapping of soldier by MP

No Talks with US, Whatsoever: Iran Parliament Speaker

Ghalibaf previously told students at a gathering that Ali Asghar Anabestani, an Iranian MP, had just pushed the policeman. Now he says he made that comment after hearing from the MP that a court ruling acquitted him of slapping and only found him guilty of pushing the soldier without causing injury. 

Ghalibaf also says when the soldier insisted that the verdict confirmed the slapping, “I thought it as my duty to pursue the matter to not violate the right of this dear citizen and I got the verdict which regrettably confirmed the slapping without causing injury”.  

The Parliament speaker however noted that the case was closed after the two sides reconciled. 

The incident happened in January when the young police officer did not allow Anabestani’s car to pass through the lane designated for buses in Tehran. 

Footage of the man speaking about the incident soon went viral, drawing reactions from citizens and officials.

Saudi official arrested in France over Khashoggi murder

Khalid Al-Otaibi, 33, was arrested by border police on the basis of a Turkish arrest warrant as he tried to board a flight to Riyadh, Saudi capital, French police told Euronews.

A judicial source added that “checks on his identity are still underway”.

In a statement released late on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia’s embassy in France demanded the suspect’s “immediate release”, claiming he had “no links” with Khashoggi’s murder.

Khashoggi was assassinated in 2018 at Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Istanbul.

His murder stunned the world and severely damaged the reputation of Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, who US intelligence claimed ‘approved’ the killing.

In 2019, Saudi Arabia sentenced five men to death and jailed three others for the murder in a case that has been widely criticised by rights groups.

Speaking to the AP, the director of media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Christophe Deloire, stated, “Sometimes governments close their eyes about people who are pursued by justice in another country. I note with satisfaction that there was an arrest, and the police didn’t close their eyes this time.”

Al-Otaibi “is someone we have been following for a long time”, Deloire noted.

There was no immediate comment from Turkey over the arrest.

It comes three days after French President Emmanuel Macron met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah.

Macron said he had been able to “raise the issue of human rights” and have a direct exchange with the Saudi prince.