“Incoming reports confirm the sabotage attack on this ship, which is a blatant violation of the international law and laws of the seas,’ he said.
“Different sectors have put on the agenda necessary measures to identify the perpetrators behind this act of sabotage, and the necessary actions are being seriously pursued in this regard,” he added.
In response to questions asked by reporters, Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Saturday, “In a bid to elaborate on the Islamic Republic of Iran’s positions on developments related to the JCPOA, the foreign minister of our country sent a letter on March 12, 2021 to Josep Borrell, the coordinator for the Joint JCPOA Commission.”
“Of course, Dr. Zarif has sent several letters to Mr. Borrell and, earlier, to Ms. Mogherini regarding the JCPOA, and this latest letter has been written and sent within the same framework,” he added.
“This letter explains the Islamic Republic of Iran’s attitude and contains no plans,” Khatibzadeh said.
As the spokesman explained, the letter makes it clear that the first step for the US to fully comply with its commitments is to correct its mistakes with regards to breaching the JCPOA and imposing sanctions on Iran.
Saeed Khatibzadeh said the event has been organized by the Institute for Political and International Studies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
“The Tehran Dialogue Forum will open at 10:30 am with a speech by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif,” said the spokesman.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, said Khatibzadeh, the event will be held online, bringing together delegates from Iran and other countries.
Khatibzadeh underlined the forum will be an opportunity for top political officials and heads of research institutes and think tanks in the region and across the world to exchange views on the situation in the region surrounding Iran, including the Persian Gulf, Central Asia and the Caucasus, namely developments in Afghanistan.
He said the participants will also discuss the security and political consequences of these developments for regional trends, try to reach a better understanding of the ongoing trends and work out ways of boosting regional cooperation in order to establish peace, security, stability and welfare for people in the region.
The delegates will also exchange view on the roles of regional and international players in bringing stability or instability as well as on the wide range of dynamic processes, namely political, security economic and social trends.
As announced by the spokesman, the event features speeches by senior political figures from the regional countries, including Iran, as well as a number of heads of domestic, regional and international research centres and think thanks, who will exchange views in three specialized panels.
The event will be broadcast live on Press TV and livestreamed on the website of the Iranian foreign ministry as well as relevant social media networks.
It has been a few years that the Tehran Municipality arranges programs in cooperation with the city’s Beautification Organization just days before the New Year begins.
The programs include exhibitions and artistic settings in the city’s public places.
This year’s festival arranged in the form of a competition has been warmly welcomed by artists, who presented a large number of plans in different artistic domains.
After being selected by the judges, the best plans will be implemented across the city.
The festival is aimed at creating an interactive atmosphere with creative urban works of art as well as boosting interaction among citizens and artists and setting the stage for modern creative works of art.
The festival has three sections: Nowruz Eggs, Artistic Settings, and Murals and Environmental Arts.
The event seeks to, given the national values, present historical stories, patterns of nature, artistic symbols and signs and the Iranian culture in the form of creative works of art in an urban atmosphere.
At the moment, the Nowruz Eggs section of the festival is underway in different parts of Tehran.
Esmail Baghaei Hamaneh made the remarks in response to the recent baseless accusations levelled against Tehran by Tel Aviv.
“The occupiers of Quds, morally speaking, have no right to make comments about the lofty concept of human rights in Iran,” he said at the 46th meeting of the UN Human Rights Council where a number of members pressed baseless charges against Iran.
“The Israeli regime can best be described under Resolution 3379 dated November 10, 1975 of the UN General Assembly” as a racist regime, he added.
“It is regrettable that some governments focus on undermining the rule of law in developing countries by targeting their judicial systems under the pretext of defending human rights,” the Iranian diplomat added.
He underscored no country or group of countries should reserve the right to dictate their priorities and the ideals of their systems to others.
He called on the UN Human Rights Council to distance itself from politicization, double standards, stigmatizing others and clichés.
“It is regrettable that some governments such as Canada, Australia, Britain, Denmark, the United States, Germany, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria and Sweden reserve the right to point the finger at others as if they were role models when it comes to human rights and pretend that no one is aware of their contradictory performance both inside the country and outside,” he said.
Baghaei added these countries stand accused of exporting weapons to aggressor countries which grossly violate human rights in the world and enforcing unilateral policies against developing nations.
A spokesman for the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines said the vessel was attacked on Wednesday.
He said the explosive object caused a small fire in the ship, which was immediately contained by crew members, and no one was injured.
According to the spokesman, Iran considers the attack an act of terrorism and will legally pursue it to find the perpetrators.
He also noted that the Europe-bound vessel will continue its trip once it is repaired.
That came in a statement released by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday, marking the 20th anniversary of the 2001 treaty on the basis for mutual relations and the principles of cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation.
“The 20th anniversary of “treaty on the basis for mutual relations and the principles of cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation” has coincided with an exchange of message between the leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation,” the statement said.
It said the Islamic Republic of Iran views the Russian Federation as a powerful neighbour and its friend based on “mutual respect and cooperation”, and is interested in further expansion of its relations with this country in all fields.
“Thanks to the resolve of Iranian and Russian leaders and top officials, the two countries’ collaborations aimed at serving common interests have gone beyond the limits of bilateral relations, and have now entered the level of helping ensure the regional and international security, and are stronger than ever,” the statement noted.
It also noted that Iran and Russia are in full solidarity against “anti-human and unilateral sanctions”, “Western interference in the affairs of other countries”, “preventing third parties from playing a role in their relations”, and the necessity of “respecting the international law”.
Russo-Iranian links were placed on a firmer legal basis when Iranian President Mohammad Khatami visited Russia in March 2001, and signed the treaty on the basis for mutual relations and the principles of cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation with President Vladimir Putin. This visit gave an impetus to what had been a flagging relationship.
Abdolnasser Hemmati made the comment after the publication of media reports quoting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken as saying Washington will not release Iran’s assets in South Korea unless Tehran returns to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
“From the outset, it was clear that the [South] Korean government cannot decide independently to settle problems pertaining to Iran’s forex resources,” said Hemmati.
“The request for talks [with Iran] was put forward by the [South] Korean ambassador [to Tehran], and it was South Korean officials themselves that agreed to return Iran’s financial resources,” the CBI governor added.
“In that meeting, I asked them whether or not they had gotten the necessary permission from the Americans,” he said.
Hemmati underlined that the CBI is drawing up its plan regardless of its frozen assets in other countries.
“The CBI has regulated its program to meet the country’s forex needs irrespective of its frozen resources in South Korea and other countries,” he said.
Hemmati noted the CBI is using revenues from non-oil exports as well as “imports-for-exports” plans to provide the necessary foreign currency for the procurement of basic commodities, medicines and medical equipment.
“We respect the decision made by China on its sovereignty,” said Saeed Khatibzadeh when asked by reporters on Thursday about the adoption of the new Hong Kong election law at the National People’s Congress (NPC) of the People’s Republic of China.
“The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is part of China’s territorial integrity, so affairs related to it are regarded as China’s internal affairs,” he added.
“Over these years, China has shown that it well conforms to the principle of ‘one country – two systems’ in Hong Kong,” the spokesman noted.
“Law-making by the People’s Congress of China about the election system is within the powers vested in this institution and is in line with the ‘one country – two systems’ principle,” said Khatibzadeh.
“So, any foreign interference in China’s domestic affairs which, among other things, may undermine Hong Kong’s stability, is naturally rejected,” he noted.
Khatibzadeh’s remarks came after the NPC, the highest organ of state power in China, adopted a decision on improving the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
“US claims it favours diplomacy; not Trump’s failed policy of ‘maximum pressure’,” Zarif said in a Thursday tweet.
“Yet Secretary of State [Antony] Blinken boasts about blocking [South] Korea from transferring our OWN money to the Swiss Channel—only used for food and medicine,” Zarif added.
“Repeating the same policy won’t yield new results,” he said, adding that the only way is to Commit, Act, and Meet.
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