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Former FM Zarif: No one will sacrifice their interests for Iran; even Saudi Arabia realized US shield is flawed

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Zarif stressed that Iran must maintain relations with Europe, China, and Russia, acknowledging that “no one will sacrifice their own interests for us.”

He noted the claim that Saudi Arabia has realized the US security umbrella is “full of holes.”

Zarif criticized the West’s “normative self-centeredness,” especially Europe’s stance on human rights and the Holocaust. “Europe should forever feel ashamed of the Holocaust, but what does that have to do with Palestine and Gaza?” he asked.

He siad Iran is mistakenly bridging Europe and the US on key issues, including the 2003 nuclear negotiations, calling it a strategic misstep.

He further argued that Europe’s dependence on Israel has eroded its normative power.

Zarif emphasizef the decline of American hegemony, attributing it to overreliance on military power, while praising China for choosing economic and technological competition instead.

Sabzineh agritourism farm boosts local economy in Iran’s Azadshahr

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Established three years ago with the cultivation of lavender, the farm attracts visitors from across Iran during the blooming season from May to June.

The farm has created direct and indirect employment for approximately 255 people and offers a wide range of facilities, including eco-lodges, a fish farming pond, greenhouses, a handicrafts market, and a medicinal herb shop.

Looking ahead, Sabzineh plans to host a national Lavender Festival and expand its value chain to further support local producers and artisans.

More in pictures:

Former head of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce warns against controversial migration bill

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Iran Afghanistan Refugee

In an opinion piece published by Jomhouri-e Eslami newspaper, Selahvarzi wrote that over 6.7 million foreign nationals, mainly Afghan migrants,  already cost the Iranian public nearly $18 billion annually.

He compared this figure to Afghanistan’s total GDP, which stands at $17 billion, and criticized the disparity between these costs and Iran’s limited $83 million budget for underdeveloped provinces.

Selahvarzi cautioned that the new migration body could normalize permanent residence and ownership rights for foreign nationals, straining public services and intensifying unemployment.

He rejected claims that migrants benefit the labor market, arguing they crowd out local workers from low-skill jobs.

The bill, he warned, may even disrupt national unity by altering demographics and heightening social tensions.

He urged the Iranian Parliament speaker to halt the proposal, advocating for transparent, expert-led policymaking.

Selahvarzi clarified that this critique is not rooted in xenophobia, but in a call for rational resource management amid Iran’s deepening economic crisis.

Seized Gaza aid boat Madleen taken to Israeli port

By
IFP Media Wire
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The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), which launched the ship to draw international attention to the looming famine in besieged Gaza, said it was captured at about 4:02am (01:02 GMT) on Monday, about 200km (120 miles) from Gaza, arriving at Ashdod as night fell.

Earlier, the coalition released a video from the vessel, which left Sicily on June 1, showing the activists – among whom are climate campaigner Greta Thunberg and French member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan – with their hands up as Israeli forces boarded the vessel and “kidnapped” them.

Adalah, a Palestinian legal centre representing the activists, announced they were expected to be held at a detention facility before being deported.

It added that Israel had “no legal authority” to take over the ship, which was in international waters, heading not to Israel but to the “territorial waters of the State of Palestine”.

The arrests of the 12 “unarmed activists” amounted to “a serious breach of international law”, it noted in a statement.

Huwaida Arraf, an FFC organiser, told Al Jazeera there had been no contact with the activists since they had been detained in the early hours of Monday.

“We have lawyers on standby who are going to demand they have access to them tonight – as soon as possible,” she said.

The Madleen, she noted, was sailing under a United Kingdom flag when it was forcibly seized by Israeli commandos.

“So Israel went into international waters and attacked sovereign UK territory, which is blatantly unlawful. And we expect strong condemnation, which we have not yet heard from the United Kingdom,” she added.

Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territory, stated, “Israel has absolutely no authority to intercept and stop a boat like this, which carries humanitarian aid, and more than everything else, humanity, to the people of Gaza.”

Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs portrayed the voyage as a public relations stunt, saying in a post on X that “the ‘selfie yacht’ of the ‘celebrities’ is safely making its way to the shores of Israel”.

It noted the passengers were “undergoing medical examinations to ensure they are in good health”, adding that all passengers were expected to return to their home countries.

Government spokesperson David Mencer reserved special scorn for 22-year-old Thunberg.

“Greta was not bringing aid, she was bringing herself. And she’s not here for Gaza, let’s be blunt about it. She’s here for Greta,” he stated.

In a prerecorded video message that was shared by the FFC, Thunberg said: “I urge all my friends, family and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible.”

The Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs announced it was in contact with Israeli authorities.

“Should the need for consular support arise, the Embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will assess how we can best help the Swedish citizen/Greta Thunberg resolve her situation,” said a spokesperson in a written statement to the Reuters news agency.

United States President Donald Trump, who targeted Thunberg in 2019, dismissed her statement.

“I think Israel has enough problems without kidnapping Greta Thunberg,” he stressed.

Israeli Minister of Defence Israel Katz said the activists would be shown videos of atrocities committed during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel.

Hamas condemned the seizure of the boat as “state terrorism” and stressed it saluted its activists.

Informed Sources: Documents reveal IAEA-Israel collaboration against Iran

By
IFP Media Wire
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Examination of the obtained documents reveals that Iran’s official and confidential letters to the IAEA—containing sensitive information—were channeled to the espionage agencies of the Zionist regime through covert conduits.

An informed source told a Fars News Agency reporter:
“These documents clearly show that instead of playing a neutral role, the IAEA has become an instrument serving the objectives of the Zionist regime.”

Previously, reports had also emerged about the disclosure of Iranian nuclear scientists’ names through the IAEA, which led to the assassination of several of them.

Well-informed sources in the region revealed on Saturday that the Islamic Republic of Iran’s intelligence apparatus had delivered one of the most significant intelligence blows in history to the Zionist regime, adding that extensive data, including nuclear-related information, had been extracted from the occupied territories.

According to a Fars News Agency correspondent, the informed sources revealed that Iran’s intelligence apparatus had successfully extracted a vast trove of strategic and sensitive information, including nuclear blueprints and facility details, from the occupied territories.

SNSC warns Israeli secret nuclear sites will be targeted if Iranian facilities are attacked

By
IFP Media Wire
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The SNSC said in a statement that the complicated intelligence operation by the Iranian forces and their significant achievement were a principal part of a smart plan and covert acts of the sacred Islamic establishment in the face of the enemies’ propaganda.

Another major section of the plan included the Armed Forces’ relentless efforts to establish operational balance proportionate to weaknesses and strengths of the occupying Israeli regime and its supporters, it added.

The Council said the Israeli target list is “on the table” of the Armed Forces, and that the regime’s clandestine nuclear facilities will be targeted if it carries out any act of aggression.

Pointing to the trove of secret Israeli documents Iran has recently obtained, it added access to such information and the completion of the intelligence and operational cycle have boosted the capabilities of the Iranian forces.

The statement said that today the Iranian forces are able to “respond immediately to any potential aggression by the Zionist regime against our nuclear facilities by attacking its hidden nuclear facilities.”

They can also counter any malicious act against Iran’s economic and military infrastructure proportional to the type of aggression, the statement added.

Iran threatens retaliation against IAEA, Europe if resolution is passed

By
IFP Media Wire
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IAEA

In a televised interview, Kamalvandi stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran has cooperated with the IAEA beyond its obligations, adding that if this cooperation is not appreciated, Iran will naturally restore its cooperation to a normal level.

When asked about Iran’s reaction to an anti-Iranian resolution pushed by the three European countries – the UK, Germany, and France -, Kamalvandi said: “As in previous experiences, Iran will certainly adopt a commensurate reaction.”

He further noted: “Iran’s reaction depends on the stance of the opposing side. But this time, in addition to taking positions against the three European countries, Iran will also adopt positions against the IAEA.”

Kamalvandi stressed that Iran has cooperated with the IAEA to the fullest extent, adding: “If we had intended to reduce our cooperation, the Agency would certainly have been unable to fulfill its duties.”

Iran: Next round of negotiations with US will be held on Sunday in Oman

By
IFP Media Wire
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Araghchi Witkoff

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated on Monday that following consultations, preparations are underway for the next round of indirect talks on Sunday.

Since April, Tehran and Washington have held five rounds of indirect negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.

Three rounds of the two countries’ negotiations were held in Muscat, while the remaining two rounds were held in the Italian capital, Rome.

The negotiations were marked by repeated shifts in US stances, which prompted Iranian officials to criticize the “contradictory” statements made by their American counterparts.

Iran says it will not forgo its right to uranium enrichment, which is guaranteed under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, the NPT.

IAEA chief claims Israeli attack could drive Iran to seek nuclear weapons

By
IFP Media Wire
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Rafael Grossi

Speaking to i24 News and The Jerusalem Post, Grossi stated that Iranian officials had cautioned him about the potential consequences of a raid.

“A strike could potentially have an amalgamating effect, solidifying Iran’s determination – I will say it plainly – to pursue a nuclear weapon or withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,” he said in an interview that was published on Monday.

Grossi added that he did not believe Israel would launch such an operation.

“But one thing is certain,” he continued, “The [Iranian] programme runs wide and deep. And when I say ‘deep’, I mean it. Many of these facilities are extremely well-protected. Disrupting them would require overwhelming and devastating force.”

Iranian officials have reiterated that Tehran has no intention of acquiring nuclear weapons, emphasizing that the country’s position is grounded in religious principles and the explicit fatwa of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.

He made his comments as Iran prepares a counteroffer to a US proposal for a new nuclear deal.

Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that the US offer lacked key elements and failed to address sanctions relief – a longstanding demand from Tehran.

“We will soon submit our own proposed plan to the other side through Oman once it is finalised,” Baghaei added without elaborating on the details.

He also criticised the IAEA’s latest report on Iran’s nuclear programme as “unbalanced”, accusing it of relying on “forged documents” from Israel. The IAEA had recently described Iran’s cooperation as “less than satisfactory”, particularly in clarifying past nuclear activities at undeclared locations.

The US and Iran are trying to strike a new nuclear agreement after a 2015 agreement was abandoned by US President Donald Trump in 2018 during his first term.

Trump described Iran on Monday as a “tough” and skilled negotiator, as Washington continues indirect nuclear talks with Tehran.

“We’re doing a lot of work on Iran right now,” Trump stated during a White House economic event. “It’s tough … They’re great negotiators.”

 

Ex-Iranian envoy to USSR: Russia may exploit Iran-U.S. talks to advance own interests

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Putin and Trump

Talking to Entekhab news outlet, Izadi said he doubted that Russian President Vladimir Putin would hastily arrange a visit to Tehran unless prompted by Washington.

“If the Americans are asking something of him, then maybe—but I don’t believe Russia is eager to join the Iran-U.S. negotiation game willingly,” he stated.

Izadi voiced concern that Russia might entangle its own standoff with the West over Ukraine with Iran’s nuclear talks.

“They could tell the Americans: we’ll help with Iran if you help us with Ukraine. Or they could tell Tehran: we’ll fix your U.S. issue if you stay in the Ukraine game,” he warned.

While acknowledging Russia’s potential to play a constructive role, Izadi stressed that such mediation would only be beneficial if Moscow refrained from tying its own strategic interests to Iran’s nuclear file.

He concluded that unless Russia adopts a fundamentally different approach, its involvement may only complicate the already delicate negotiations.

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