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Iran Berates US for Turning Blind Eye to Israeli Nukes

Israel's Dimona nuclear facility

Saeed Khatibzadeh said Israel keeps expanding its nuclear arsenal with impuity.

“Unfortunately, it is the West and the United States that have turned a blind eye to dozens and probably hundreds of atomic bombs which are stockpiled in the occupied territories and whose numbers increase day by day and are in the possession of the Israeli regime which has the blood of people in the region on its hands,” said the spokesman in a press conference on Monday.

He said this comes as “there has never been any room for nuclear weapons in the Islamic Republic of Iran’s doctrine.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, Khatibzadeh slammed the Israeli regime for playing “blame games” by accusing Tehran of attacking an Israeli-owned vessel in Sea of Oman.

“The [Israeli] regime occupying Quds is the source of all insecurity and instability, and these blame games follow a clear pattern,” he said.

“The Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman are integral parts of our security domain, and we will not allow them to spread fear with such words and comments,” he explained, categorically denying Iran’s role in the attack.

“The prime minister of the Israeli regime has a pathological mental obsession with Iran. Of course, they think the extremely deplorable situation in the occupied territories which is at its nadir could be justified by these blame games,” he noted.

“Of course, the Israeli regime’s pathological mental obsession with Iran is nothing new. However, all these indicate utter chaos in the occupied territories, which is the fallout from adventuristic behaviour both inside and outside the occupied territories,” he said.

“The Israeli regime is a regime which is the root cause of much of the problems and much of the insecurity in the West Asia region. Naturally, the Islamic Republic of Iran closely monitors developments,” he stressed.

“These blame games will only serve the interests of the corrupt prime minister of the Israeli regime. The Islamic Republic of Iran has pursued its polices based on its own interests and doctrine,” he said.

“Israel has also started other suspicious activities in our region which we are closely monitoring. The Israeli regime knows well that we have always given a firm and precise response in the domain of our national security,” Khatibzadeh added.

Iran Reports Highest Daily Rise in COVID-19 Deaths in Two Months

In a press briefing on Monday, Sima-Sadat Lari reported 8,510 new cases of COVID-19 infection, raising the total number of cases to 1,639,679.

So far, Lari added, 1,399,934 patients have recovered from the disease or been discharged from the hospital.

Lari said 3,727 patients are also in critical conditions caused by more severe infection.

The spokeswoman noted that 10,912,409 COVID-19 tests have been taken across the country so far.
She said currently 11 cities are in the “red” zone, 32 cities are in the “orange” zone, 251 are in the “yellow” zone, and 154 are in the “blue” zone in terms of coronavirus outbreak.

According to Lari, the “red” cities are all in Khuzestan province in southwestern Iran, and include Abadan, Ahvaz, Mahshahr, Khorramshahr, Dezful, Dasht-e Azadegan, Ramhormoz, Shadgan, Shushtar, Karoun, and Hoveyzeh.

No Talks with US Before It Corrects Wrong Policies: Iran

khatibzadeh-Iran

“We have no bilateral talks with the United States, and unless the US corrects its wrong path, there will be no change in Iran’s policies,” Khatibzadeh said in a press conference on Monday.

“Up to now, almost two months since the Biden administration took office, they have not officially declared their return to the JCPOA, even verbally. This is really a historical shame for Mr Biden, who had set up his presidential campaign in a different way, but in practice we are seeing a different administration,” he added.

“Nice words have been uttered sporadically here and there, and we have heard those words, but we want action, and don’t base our policies on words. In other words, we will reciprocate the other side’s action proportionately.”

The spokesman said it’s “bitter” that the JCPOA is being put on the verge of collapse by the US administration and the same people who had negotiated it.

“A historical responsibility will fall on their shoulders, and history will not forget,” he added.
“As regards our ties with the EU and Mr Borrell, the path of diplomacy has always been open; nothing has happened to the JCPOA Joint Commission’s meetings, and Iran’s talks with the four remaining parties to the JCPOA as well as the channels for communication, discussions, and dialogues will continue as before,” Khatibzadeh said.

“It is the US that as the violator of the JCPOA must return to its commitments if it wants to return to the negotiating table,” he added.

 

Kish Island Hosts Water Ski and Wakeboard Tournament

The tournament was held at the recreational pier of the island.

What follows are photos of the tournament retrieved from the Young Journalists’ Club (YJC):

Iranian-Cuban COVID-19 Vaccine to Undergo Phase 3 of Human Trial

Iranian-Cuban COVID-19 Vaccine to Undergo Phase 3 of Human Trial

Some 50,000 people will receive the jab in this phase, said Alireza Raisi, the spokesman for the headquarters.

“Between two and four million doses of the vaccine will be produced by April 2021, and this is the first Iranian [coronavirus] vaccine administered,” he said on Sunday.

He noted that the vaccination will take place in accordance with the priorities set by the Coronavirus Headquarters.

Raisi said the elderly, the disabled and medical personnel are among the first to be inoculated.

Earlier in the day, Iran’s Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute started the first phase of the human trial of Iran’s second homegrown COVID-19 vaccine after successfully completing the initial steps.

The vaccine, produced by Iranian experts at the Razi Institute, is the first injectable-inhaled mRNA recombinant vaccine for coronavirus.

Razi COV-Pars was administered to two volunteers at a ceremony in Tehran attended by Agriculture Minister Kazem Khavazi and a number of other officials at Tehran’s Rasoul Akram Hospital.

A total of 133 people will get two shots 21 days apart in the first clinical trial of the vaccine. On Day 51, the booster (inhaler) is administered in the form of an intranasal spray, according to the Razi Institute.

Iranian scientists had earlier unveiled another domestic vaccine, named COVIran Barekat, which is undergoing clinical trials.

US Will Have to Kneel Down, Lift Iran Sanctions: Rouhani

In comments on Monday, President Rouhani referred to the failure of former US President Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” against Iran as well as his defeat in the US elections as a victory for the Iranian nation.

“That butcher and murderer was toppled, and the new US administration has confessed four times that the previous administration’s maximum pressure was wrong,” Rouhani said, describing them as two achievements for Iran.

“It is our biggest success in history that, as a result of the Iranian nation’s resilience, they admitted their pressure and sanctions have been futile,” the president said.

He also vowed that the Islamic Republic will be in a better situation this year in terms of the removal of sanctions and its fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

“I’m confident that the world and the US will have to kneel down before this great nation, and abandon the cruel sanctions,” he added.

Zarif Warns US, Europe against Censuring Iran at IAEA

Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting with members of the Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission on Monday, Zarif said the adoption of an anti-Iran resolution at the IAEA Board of Governors will mess up the current situation.

He said the Europeans have initiated a wrong move by supporting the US at the Board of Governors, and Iran believes that would further complicate the situation.

“We have provided the necessary explanations about the current situation to all members of the Board of Governors,” the Iranian top diplomat said.

“We hope that reason will prevail, otherwise we have our own solutions,” he warned.

His comments came one day after the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) warned the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) against issuing a resolution on Iran at the upcoming meeting of its Board of Governors.

Ali-Akbar Salehi said if the IAEA adopts a resolution against Iran in reaction to the country stopping its voluntary implementation of the Additional Protocol, Iran will show a proper response.

“A letter has also been sent [to the IAEA] in this regard,” he added.

Tehran Warns IAEA against Adopting Anti-Iran Resolution

Ali-Akbar Salehi said if the IAEA adopts a resolution against Iran in reaction to the country stopping its voluntary implementation of the Additional Protocol, Iran will show a proper response.

“A letter has also been sent [to the IAEA] in this regard,” he added.

He further referred to a recent agreement between the AEOI and the IAEA, and said, “The appendix to the statement on the agreement with the IAEA about Iran’s stopping the voluntary implementation of the Additional Protocol based on the Strategic Action to Lift Sanctions Act is confidential.”

“No special conditions have been set in this regard, and due to the precise information mentioned in this appendix about the list of the installations and monitoring cameras, and because of security considerations and the necessity of key Iranian facilities remaining clandestine, this appendix

Iran Rejects EU’s Offer, Says Time Not Ripe for Informal Meeting with US

In a statement on Sunday, Khatibzadeh said, “In view of the recent stances and measures taken by the United States and the three European countries, the Islamic Republic of Iran believes this is not a good time for holding an informal meeting on the accord as proposed by the EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell.”

“There has been no change in the United States’ stances and behaviour, and the Biden administration has not only failed to abandon Trump’s failed policy of maximum pressure, but has also failed to declare its commitment to the implementation of all its obligations under the JCPOA and the UN Security Council Resolution 2231.”

He said the implementation of commitments by all parties to the JCPOA is not a matter of negotiation and give-and-take, and all options for give-and-take were exhausted five years ago.

“The path forward is quite clear: The US must end its unlawful and unilateral sanctions and return to its JCPOA commitments. This issue neither needs negotiation, nor a resolution by the Board of Governors [of the International Atomic Energy Agency],” he added.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran will respond to actions with action, and just as it will return to its JCPOA commitments with the removal of sanctions, it will also answer in kind to all hostile measures and behaviours,” Khatibzadeh added.

He finally stressed that the Islamic Republic will continue its close bilateral and multilateral consultations with the current parties to the JCPOA as well as Mr Borrell as the JCPOA coordinator.

His comments came after an earlier report by The Wall Street Journal, which quoted senior diplomats as saying that Iran has rejected a European Union offer to arrange direct nuclear talks with the US in coming days.

According to The Wall Street Journal, two senior Western diplomats said Iran has ruled out attending a meeting in Europe for now, saying it wanted a guarantee first that the US would lift some sanctions after the meeting.

‘Iran-China Cooperation against COVID-19 Proves Significance of Strategic Ties’

“The civilisational relation between Iran and China has even turned problems into an opportunity for reinforcement of ties,” Saeed Khatibzadeh said in a tweet in Chinese.

“Cooperation in containing the coronavirus once again proved the significance of strategic relations between the two countries,” he added.

“We appreciate the donation of 250,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine by the government of the People’s Republic of China as a new symbol of friendship between the two nations,” the spokesman noted.

Earlier today, Iran received 250,000 doses of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine donated by Beijing.
Iran’s Food and Drug Organization had already authorized the conditional emergency import and use of the Sinopharm vaccine.

In recent weeks, Iran has imported two batches of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V, containing 120,000 doses in total.

The vaccination drive against the coronavirus pandemic began in Iran on February 9, with the frontline health workers receiving the Sputnik V vaccine.