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Editor-in-chief: Didar News website reopens after 33-day block

He stated in an interview that following multiple follow-ups and discussions with the relevant authorities, the news portal was reopened after 33 days of being inaccessible.

Mohammadian underlined that the platform’s policy from its inception has been to serve as a pluralistic media outlet, reflecting the diverse thoughts and ideas within Iranian society.

He affirmed the commitment to continue this professional approach with even greater determination.

“The inherent duty of a media organization is to inform society and enlighten public opinion while remaining aligned with national interests”, Mohammadian said.

“We strongly believe that media credibility must remain within the country’s borders, and we will leave no effort undone to uphold this principle. This approach has guided Didar News throughout its years of operation and will continue to do so.”

China pledges support for Syria in ‘achieving peace’

Shaibani’s trip to China comes amid growing efforts to rebuild Syria’s diplomatic presence after years of international isolation under Bashar al-Assad.

Syria’s new authorities are facing significant challenges, including reconstructing the country after the overthrow of longtime ruler Assad last December.

China supports Syria in “achieving peace at an early date”, coordinating security and development, and integrating into the international community, Wang told Shaibani on Monday, according to a readout from Beijing’s foreign ministry.

Beijing will also support Syria in finding “a nation-rebuilding plan that aligns with the will of the people” through political dialogue, Wang stated.

“China is willing to work together with the international community to contribute to Syria’s pursuit of security and stability,” he added.

Syria’s new leaders have sought to break from their violent past since taking power and present a more moderate image at home and abroad.

The Syrian war killed more than half a million people and devastated the country’s infrastructure.

Beijing has long provided Damascus with diplomatic support, particularly at the United Nations Security Council where China is a permanent member.

Assad met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the eve of the Asian Games opening ceremony in 2023, which Assad attended as part of his first visit to China since 2004.

During the talks, Xi announced a “strategic partnership” with Syria and hailed relations between the two countries that had “withstood the test of international changes”.

Iran, Russia call on IAEA to maintain technical focus before key board session

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi held a telephone  conversation at noon on Monday with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. During their conversation, the two sides discussed and exchanged views on bilateral relations as well as regional and international developments.

The Iranian foreign minister spoke about Iran’s diplomatic initiatives and consultations with regional countries aimed at safeguarding peace and stability in the region, stressing the importance of strengthening this process with the participation of all relevant parties.

Araghchi also referred to the constructive and responsible approach of the Islamic Republic of Iran toward the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

He underlined the necessity for the agency to adhere to its technical mandate and to avoid politicized behavior or being influenced by political pressure and interference from the United States and certain European members.

Lavrov for his part welcomed the formation of a regional consultation and cooperation framework, saying Moscow is ready to continue close coordination with Tehran.

He further pointed to Russia’s efforts at the UN to uphold the principles of the UN Charter.

The two sides also underscored the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program ahead of the upcoming Board of Governors meeting and agreed to coordinate their positions within this framework.

The IAEA Board of Governors meeting will be held from Wednesday to Friday (19–21 November) at the Agency’s headquarters in Vienna.

According to reports, the three European countries—Britain, France, and Germany—along with the United States, have submitted a draft resolution concerning Iran’s nuclear program ahead of the session.

Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, had earlier warned that if an anti-Iran resolution is adopted in Vienna, Iran will undertake a fundamental review of its approach toward cooperation with the Agency as well as its commitments under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Iran conducts first cloud-seeding operation of year in Urmia basin

Snow Iran

The operation, conducted on Saturday, involved a specially equipped aircraft dispersing cloud-seeding materials over the region.

Mohammad Mehdi Javadianzadeh, head of the Organization for the Development and Operation of Advanced Atmospheric Water Technologies, said the initiative aims to enhance rainfall in suitable weather systems that enter the country.

“We will carry out operations on all incoming systems that are favorable for cloud seeding,” he stated.

Javadianzadeh noted that no suitable rainfall system has yet reached the capital Tehran, but authorities are monitoring conditions closely.
A weak system is also forecasted for western provinces, where seeding will proceed if conditions permit.

The cloud-seeding program is scheduled to continue until mid-May 2026, using aircraft and drones as needed.

Officials emphasized that, while cloud seeding is a cost-effective method of harvesting atmospheric water, managing public expectations about the technology remains critical.

Globally, cloud seeding is also used for hail suppression, fog clearing, rainfall delay, and enhancing water storage for hydroelectric power.

Javadianzadeh said Iran’s operations focus exclusively on increasing rainfall to support the country’s critical water resources.

Lawyer says actor Pejman Jamshidi returned to Iran voluntarily, alleged rape case still under investigation

Speaking to local media, attorney Kambiz Barjas stated that “no new developments” have occurred in the case. “The file is still under preliminary investigation and no specific action has been taken,” he said.

Barjas emphasized that Jamshidi’s recent return to the country, after his trip to Canada to visit his sister and other family members, was voluntary.

“My client came back to Iran willingly. No judicial authority had issued a summons. He stands ready to appear before the court out of respect for the law,” the lawyer added.

According to Barjas, the judiciary’s spokesperson previously confirmed that certain individuals with information relevant to the case had been questioned, but no further measures had followed.

He also noted that an earlier temporary detention order was reviewed “as a matter of urgency” by senior judges in the Court of Appeal. “The decision was overturned and the detention order was lifted. My client is now free. This ruling is final and enforceable,” Barjas said.

Trump says supports bill to sanction Russia’s trading partners, including Iran

“The Republicans are putting in legislation that is very tough sanctioning, etcetera, on any country doing business with Russia,” Trump told reporters before leaving Florida on Sunday to return to the White House.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said in October that he was ready to bring legislation long championed by Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina that sanctions Russia to a vote, but didn’t “want to commit to a hard deadline.”

The bill would allow Trump to impose tariffs of up to 500% on imports from countries that buy Russian energy products and are not actively supporting Ukraine. This specifically targets major consumers of Russian energy, such as China and India.

“We may add Iran to that,” Trump added Sunday, without elaborating.

Democrats and some Republicans in Congress have pushed for legislation to punish Russia for its continued war on Ukraine. Trump had been reluctant to support it as he tried to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin to peace talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Putin is showing no sign of letting up in his military campaign after almost four years of war in Ukraine, with Trump failing to sway Putin even after hosting the Russian leader for a summit in Alaska.

 

Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries driving price hikes in US, Europe: Bloomberg

The attacks, combined with outages at key plants in Asia and Africa, have removed millions of barrels of diesel and gasoline from the global market, the outlet reported.

US sanctions on Russian energy giants Lukoil and Rosneft in October, along with restrictions imposed by the EU, have also helped drive prices higher.

Refining margins in the US, Europe, and Asia are now at their highest levels for this time of year since at least 2018, Bloomberg said, citing its own calculations.

Additional pressure has come from shutdowns and outages at refineries in Kuwait and Nigeria.

Ukraine has targeted oil depots, processing plants, and metering stations with drones and missiles, calling them legitimate facilities that support Russia’s “war machine.”

Russia, in turn, has struck elements of Ukraine’s power grid, saying the infrastructure supports the Ukrainian military.

Moscow says US and Russia ‘actively discussing’ settlement of Ukraine war

Although the summit failed to yield a breakthrough, Moscow has praised what it called Washington’s willingness to mediate and consider the conflict’s underlying causes.

Russian officials also maintain that continued dialogue creates opportunities for trade and economic cooperation despite the US decision to sanction the oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil last month.

Russia is receiving “many signals” from the US, with the Anchorage meeting still acting as a basis for the talks, Ushakov told journalist Pavel Zarubin on Sunday.

“We do believe it is a good way forward,” he said.

According to the official, the understandings are still relevant since Washington has never explicitly stated that they are no longer valid.

The presidential aide admitted that the peace process and agreements reached in Alaska do not sit well with Kiev and some of its European backers, adding that it only indicates they want to continue the bloodshed.

“The Anchorage [meeting] is only disliked by those who does not want a peaceful resolution [to the Ukraine conflict],” he added.

Bilateral relations between Moscow and Washington sank to an all-time low under former US President Joe Biden, amid the Ukraine conflict, but have shown signs of improvement since Trump’s return to the White House. US and Russian officials have held several rounds of talks this year, including the Alaska summit.

The US and Russia also announced the next planned Trump-Putin summit in Budapest in the fall, but it was then postponed indefinitely. Washington is still determined to continue contacts with Moscow, according to US Vice President J.D. Vance. Earlier in November, he called direct dialogue with Russia part of the “Trump doctrine.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reaffirmed this month that Moscow was ready to resume contacts and rejected media reports claiming otherwise as false.

Iran warns of “fundamental review” of ties with IAEA if new resolution passes

Kazem Gharib Abadi

Speaking on the sidelines of the International Conference on International Law Under Aggression, Invasion and Defense in Tehran, Kazem Gharibabadi said Germany, the UK and France had “removed themselves from diplomacy with Iran” through recent “counterproductive” actions.

He said the European push for pressure measures stemmed from a failure to achieve their goals through the so-called “snapback” sanctions mechanism, which “did not have the impact they expected and whose fallout was contained.”

Gharibabadi stated that Iran had shown goodwill by reaching an understanding with the IAEA in Cairo, but noted that European states were now seeking pressure rather than engagement.

He said the situation would “certainly be different” for Iran if a resolution is issued, adding that the Cairo agreement has effectively been set aside.

According to the deputy foreign minister, Iran no longer sees meaningful interaction from its counterparts, and is therefore preparing its own reassessment of relations with the agency.