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Iran Rejects Idea of Involving Other Countries in Nuclear Talks

Iran Says US Change of Tack to Benefit Region, World

“From our point of view, negotiations on the JCPOA have basically ended,” Ali Rabiei told reporters on Tuesday.

Rabiei touched upon Japan’s offer to be present in talks over the nuclear agreement, saying no new talks are on the agenda in that regard.

“We embrace Japan, as an important country and a friend of ours, playing a more active role in our continent. But the JCPOA is not an issue which can be re-negotiated; so, no new negotiator can be taken on board in this regard,” he said.

“From our standpoint, talks on the JCPOA have come to an end, and no new talks are scheduled to take place on that. Accordingly, there is no need to restructure the talks, either,” said the spokesman.

He then urged all signatories to the JCPOA to make good on their commitments under the deal.
“The only remaining issue today is for all sides to return to the commitments under the nuclear deal as agreed, and this is not a complicated issue,” he said.

“First, all signatories should begin to respect all the obligations that they reneged on. Iran has remained committed to its obligations and has maintained its commitments for months,” he said.
“Moreover, Iran has acted under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The other parties should make good on their commitments. We don’t favour any new negotiations that would, once again, bring us to the point where we are now,” said Rabiei.

He then urged all regional countries to work towards promoting peace, security and stability in the region.

IAEA Informed of Iran’s New Centrifuge Installations: Spokesman

Speaking in a weekly press conference on Tuesday, Rabiei said Tehran’s decision to install 500 new centrifuges for uranium enrichment in Natanz has not been made recently.

“This has been anticipated long ago and in line with the balanced reduction of commitments because of the US’ withdrawal from the JCPOA. We have not made a new decision about the issue,” he added.

The new centrifuges installed in Natanz site are IR-2M machines, each with an enrichment capacity of five to six Separative Work Units (SWUs), the spokesman explained.

The enrichment capacity of the newly-installed centrifuges are around six times higher than the previous generation, namely the IR-1 machines, he added.

“What Iran has done have been within the framework of the five steps to reduce the JCPOA commitments. It has been reported to the International Atomic Energy Agency and has been officially announced. Installation of this generation (of centrifuges) has been under the supervision of the agency (IAEA). The agency (IAEA) is currently monitoring them,” the spokesperson noted.

He also emphasized that Tehran’s measures “are definitely within the framework of the JCPOA, as the rights stipulated in it (JCPOA) are exercisable for the two sides.”

As already announced several times, all of Iran’s measures are reversible, Rabiei concluded, adding, “Whenever the US returns to its commitments or the Europeans can cover the commitments from which the US has withdrawn, we will rapidly return to the conditions we have agreed upon in the JCPOA.”

Iran Supreme Court Upholds Death Sentence of Rouhollah Zam

Ruhollah Zam Sentenced to Death for 'Corruption on Earth'

Iranian Judiciary Spokesman Gholam-Hossein Esmaili said Rouhollah Zam had received the death penalty from the Public and Revolution Court.

Amad News was notorious for disseminating incriminating content against the Islamic establishment, insulting the sanctity of Iranian Muslims and publishing fake news in order to drive a wedge between the Iranian people and government.

Zam faced charges of having “committed offenses against the country’s internal and external security” and “espionage for the French intelligence service,” alongside “corruption on earth” as well as insult to “the sanctity of Islam” according to an indictment released in February.

He was arrested in October 2019 by the Intelligence Organization of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corp (IRGC).

The meticulous intelligence operation involved outmaneuvering the intelligence services of certain Western countries, especially France, which offered Zam guidance and protection for his operation.

“Intelligence forces had been keeping a watchful eye on Rouhollah Zam’s movements for a long time and he stepped into the intelligence trap set by IRGC some two years ago.

Ultimately, we were able to arrest him through cooperation with other intelligence services,” Second Brigadier General Mohammad Tavallaei, a high-ranking IRGC official, said at the time.

Sri Lanka Condemns Assassination of Iranian Scientist

In a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Tuesday, Gunawardena offered the Sri Lankan government’s condolences to the Iranian government and people for the loss of Fakhrizadeh.

The top Sri Lankan diplomat also condemned the terrorist assassination that led to the martyrdom of the Iranian scientist.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka had already issued a statement in condemnation of the assassination.

Foreign Minister Gunawardena had also sent a letter to his Iranian counterpart to condemn the assassination.

Follow the latest on the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh through this link.

US Seeking to Expand ISIS Terror Cells in Region: Iran

Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNCS) Vice Admiral Ali Shamkhani said Washington is also trying to loot Syria’s oil and ensure the security of the Israeli rgime.

“The United States’ evil presence in the region must be ended,” said Shamkhani in a meeting with visiting Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad.

The Iranian official said the secret to the survival of the Israeli regime is violation of humans’ rights and terror.

“The international community and international circles should firmly stand up to the actions of this ruthless and anti-human regime,” he noted.

“Undoubtedly, the world will be safer without the Israeli regime,” he said.
Shamkhani further lashed out at regional countries which have normalized their relations with Tel Aviv.

“Statesmen who are humiliatingly normalizing their relations with the fabricated Israeli regime and helping he US implement its schemes in the region will have a destiny no better than those of [Muammar] Gaddafi and Omar al-Bashir,” said Shamkhani.

The top Iranian official lauded the Syrian people and government’s resistance against Israeli aggression and terrorism.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran will never leave the Syrian nation and government alone in the fight against aggression and terrorism,” he said.

The top Syrian diplomat, in turn, appreciated Tehran’s all-out support for his country against terrorism and Israeli threats, highlighting the need to further boost Tehran-Damascus relations on all fronts, especially in the economic area.

Tehran Rejects Calls by Saudis to Be Included in Iran-West Talks

Saeed Khatibzadeh urged regional countries to know their limits and act accordingly.

“Tehran’s message to these countries is that Iran is the anchor of stability in the region.

Iran is a historical country in the region, and like an elder brother, has tried to condone others’ mistakes, but they should know what their status is and to what extent they can talk,” said the spokesman in a Monday press conference.

“Some countries put all their credibility on the line to achieve their objective during the tenure of the outgoing US president. They spent their own people’s money to buy security for a few days. Obviously, they are worried today,” Khatibzadeh added.

Khatibzadeh’s comments came after Saudi Arabia and Bahrain called for Persian Gulf States to be consulted on any potential negotiations with Iran.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan had demanded that the kingdom be “fully consulted” on “what goes on regarding negotiations with Iran.”

In his Monday remarks, Khatibzadeh recommend that “Saudi Arabia and its rulers note the problems they have created every day for their own people as well as for the people of the Muslim world and the Arab world can be resolved only if they correct the approach they have adopted, and that they will gain nothing by playing blame games.”

“Riyadh is to blame for many of the problems that the Arab world is facing today. Riyadh is responsible for war, bloodshed and famine in Yemen. Riyadh is responsible for certain actions in places from the Horn of Africa to Southeast Asia.”

He further said that unfortunately, some Takfiris schools are being run with money provided by Saudi Arabia and some other countries.

“The sooner they stop moving on this wrong path, the better it will be for the region and for themselves as well as for the dear people of Saudi Arabia.”

The spokeman said, “Saudi people deserve to have better policies rather than seeing their rulers setting their eyes on the bloody hands of some transregional players such as Israel and the United States.”

Tehran, Damascus Pursue Common Goal of Fighting Terror: President Rouhani

President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday criticized US President Donald Trump’s move to cede part of Syrian soil to the Tel Aviv regime.

“Israeli occupiers must be fought until occupied territories, including the Golan Heights, are liberated,” Rouhani said in a meeting with visiting Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad in Tehran.

President Rouhani reiterated that Tehran will always support the Damascus government politically.

“Accordingly, Iran believes the trend of Astana talks is fruitful for ensuring Syria’s interests and territorial integrity, and seriously pursues it,” the president noted.

Rouhani praised Syria’s move to reform the country’s Constitution, expressing hope nationwide elections will be held in Syria next year.

“The main objective of terrorism and sanctions is to put pressure on nations as well as independent and legitimate governments in the region. So, we completely understand the condition of Syrian people vis-à-vis sanctions as we have experienced the worst sanctions over the past three years,” he said.

President Rouhani then said Iran regards Syria as its strategic ally and will continue to stand by the Syrian nation and government until they achieve final victory.

The top Syrian diplomat, in turn, described Tehran-Damascus ties as very valuable, expressing hope nationwide elections will be held in his country next year.

Tehran Won’t Negotiate with West on Regional Issues: Zarif

Mohammad Javad Zarif said Western countries’ interference is the root cause of problems facing regional countries.

“It seems some of our neighbours want the West to be part of negotiations with Iran!” he noted.

“But we will not hold talks with Western countries on the region,” Zarif stressed.

“However, we are ready for talks with our neighbours, and plans such as the one on regional security presented in 1986, [the plan on the formation of] a regional forum for dialogue in 2016 and the Hormuz peace initiative in 2019 all bear testament to that,” he said.

At Least Seven Killed in Autumn Floods in Southern Iran

Heavy rainfalls over the past days have created flash floods and swollen rivers in seven provinces in southern Iran, claiming the lives of at least seven people in Bushehr and Hormozgan provinces.

Head of the Red Crescent Society of Iran in the coastal province of Bushehr said the body of a 35-year-old woman was found in Borazjan on Sunday after she was drowned in Dashtestan county.

Landslide in the same province has killed another woman in a village.

According to local officials, five people from two families have lost their lives in a region at the common border of the southern provinces of Hormozgan and Fars in serious flooding.

The five victims were in a pickup and a sedan when their vehicles got stuck in a local road.

The Iranian Red Crescent Society and other organizations are carrying out rescue and relief operations in the flood-hit provinces.

Heavy rainfalls have forced the authorities in a number of towns to order the evacuation of people to makeshift shelters.

Iran, Italy Hold Fresh Round of Political Consultations

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Seyyed Abbas Araqchi and Secretary General of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Elisabetta Belloni held a second meeting of their political consultations via videoconference on Monday, December 7, 2020.

The two ranking diplomats discussed various topics in the online meeting, including the bilateral issues between Tehran and Rome, the latest developments surrounding the JCPOA, and the regional and international developments.

Pointing to the close political, economic, and cultural relations between the two countries, the Iranian deputy foreign minister highlighted the abundant capacities for the promotion of trade cooperation between Iran and Italy.

For her part, Belloni hailed the age-old relations between Italy and Iran, and expressed her country’s willingness to continue bilateral ties and regional dialogue with Tehran.

Iran, Italy Hold Fresh Round of Political Consultations