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US maximum pressure against Iran will fail again: Deputy FM

By
IFP Media Wire
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Majid Takht Ravanchi

Majid Takht Ravanchi made the remarks un an interview with the Financial Times.

Trump undertook the strategy during his first presidency, unilaterally and illegally leaving a historic nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers and returning and even intensifying the sanctions that the deal had lifted.

If Trump adopts such an approach again, “maximum pressure will be met with maximum resistance,” Takht Ravanchi said.

“We will continue to work around sanctions, diversify our trade partners, and strengthen regional relations to maintain calm,” Takht Ravanchi added.

The ranking diplomat stated re-imposition of the American policy would not “lead to significant changes,” including in the oil sector.

“If the Trump administration decides to pursue the maximum pressure policy in the oil market again, it will surely fail. In today’s world, no single country can dictate terms to the entire international community.”

The official, however, said, “We do favor negotiations, as we proved [with that deal],” but reminded that it was Trump and his officials, who “sabotaged the negotiations previously” and were “unwilling to negotiate.”

“It is up to them to practice the same approach for another four years and fail again. But that is an irrational thing to do,” Takht Ravanchi added.

The official reiterated that Iran had kept the door open to negotiation, saying the nuclear deal could be used as a frame of reference for potential further agreement.

“If the other parties return to their commitments, we have repeatedly said that we are willing to do the same.”

He added, though, that it was “premature” to speculate about the courses of action that the upcoming American administration would take concerning Iran.

“As for negotiations, we need to observe US policy and decide how to respond accordingly,” Takht Ravanchi said.

He also commented on the former Trump administration’s assassination of Iran’s top anti-terror commander, General Qassem Soleimani, in 2020, saying the Islamic Republic’s “judiciary has initiated legal proceedings [concerning the atrocity] and will continue along this path based on our principles”.

The senior diplomat, meanwhile, addressed the issue of the Israeli regime’s attack on the Iranian soil last month, saying the country “does not seek war, confrontations or tensions, even though it is prepared to confront any imposed war”.

Takht Ravanchi, meantime, reaffirmed the Islamic Republic’s ongoing robust support for the regional Axis of Resistance.

”That is the policy of the Islamic republic and will not change”.

He further spurned reports  of a meeting between Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, and Trump ally Elon Musk.

“No such meeting took place…Had such a meeting occurred, we would have been very transparent about it,” the top diplomat added.

Analyst: Economic incentives can reduce Tehran-Washington tensions

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Iran US Flags

In an interview with Khabaronline news outlet, Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh noted Trump’s willingness to make political concessions to Iran during his upcoming four-year tenure will depend on how beneficial the economic relationship with Tehran will be for Washington.

“Trump’s main concern is the economic benefit, not engaging in new wars,” Falahatpisheh said and advised, “If the Trump administration proposes economic cooperation, Iran should welcome it.”

Meanwhile Falahatpisheh, a
former chairman of the Iranian Parlianent’s Foreign Policy and National Security Commission, interpreted Ali Larijani’s recent visit to Lebanon as the Iranian Leader’s advisor and special envoy and the messages sent from Washington to Beirut as efforts by all parties to prevent war.

Falahatpisheh further suggested that Iran’s approval of the IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi’s visit to Iranian nuclear sites was an indirect message to Trump, citing the incoming US president’s earlier message that “if Iran does not possess nuclear bombs, even the sanctions that are unfavorable to him could be lifted.”

He also advised the Iranian administration to avoid entrusting the country’s foreign policy to those who lost in the elections.

Falahatpisheh stressed that the Pezeshkian administration should not allow those who caused the country’s problems to influence its foreign policy, without naming any individual or faction.

He criticized thise who “have profited from the anti-Iran sanctions and opposed de-escalation efforts.”

Iranian engineer resigns from Google in protest against “complicity in Israeli crimes”

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Gaza War

Alireza Zakeri, a gold medalist of the Computer Olympiad and a graduate of the Tahean-based Sharif University of Technology and the University of British Columbia, posted a message on Sunday on his Linkedin account, writing “I’m happy to announce that I have left Google!”

“Why happy, even though I was working on exciting projects with talented coworkers? Because this decision reflects my values. After learning about Google’s involvement in Project Nimbus, I voiced my concerns for several months. Unfortunately, despite the efforts of many employees, leadership chose to maintain its stance and dismiss our collective concerns,” part of his message read.

Nimbus is a cloud computing project that is widely reported to be serving the Israeli regime and its military forces to target Palestinians.

Around 44,000 Palestinians have been slaughtered by the Israeli army since it started its military campaign in Gaza on October 7, 2023. More than 100,000 Gazans have been injured during that period.

EU FMs to discuss lifting of ban on strikes deep inside Russia: Top diplomat

By
IFP Media Wire
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Russia Ukraine War

Several news outlets claimed on Sunday that President Joe Biden had agreed to further reduce restrictions on how Kiev can use Pentagon-provided weapons. The US president reportedly allowed the government of Volodymyr Zelensky to strike Russia’s Kursk Region with ATACMS ballistic missiles. The ‘victory plan’ that the Ukrainian leader submitted to the US government in September requires the unrestricted use of Western weapons.

Moscow has previously warned that it would see any move by Washington to loosen restrictions on the use of US-supplied weapons as a major escalation.

Le Figaro newspaper also claimed that France and the United Kingdom had also authorized Ukraine to use their long-range weapons to attack Russian territory.

“I continue believing this is what it has to be done [Ukraine to use weapons for long strikes deep into Russia] and I am sure will discuss it once and again… I have been saying once and again that Ukraine should be able to use the arms we provided to them,” Borrell stated ahead of the ministerial meeting in Brussels.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said Russian President Vladimir Putin has already shared his thoughts on possible Western approval for Ukraine to carry out long-range strikes deep within Russian territory.

“The president has expressed his opinion on this matter,” Zakharova told news outlet RBK on Sunday.

In September, Putin stated that Ukrainian forces lack the capability to carry out attacks with Western-supplied long-range missiles without external assistance.

“It is not a question of allowing the Ukrainian regime to strike Russia with these weapons or not. It is about deciding whether NATO countries become directly involved in the military conflict or not.”

Putin added that if a decision allowing the strikes were made, Moscow would make “appropriate decisions in response to the threats that will be posed to us”.

UN nuclear watchdog chief visit to Tehran fruitful: Iranian spokesman

By
IFP Media Wire
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Speaking at a weekly press conference on Monday, Baghaei said Iran has shown goodwill in interaction with the UN nuclear agency.

Describing Grossi’s recent visit to Iran as a “fruitful and good” trip, the spokesman stated “good agreements” have been made during the visit.

He added the other parties are expected to be grateful for Iran’s positive attitudes and allow the issues between Iran and the IAEA to be addressed in the technical manner and without political pressures.

Baghaei said a series of “ambiguities and questions” concerning Iran’s nuclear program, which Tehran believes lack a clear and accurate basis, have been discussed during Grossi’s visit to Iran.

“What was obvious is Iran’s positive approach and goodwill in addressing the debates between Iran and the IAEA. We are trying to let the IAEA be able to do its job without destructive and wicked pressures from certain parties,” he stated.

During his visit to Tehran, the UN nuclear chief held separate meetings with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami on Thursday.

On Friday, Grossi also paid visits to two uranium enrichment sites in Fordow and Natanz.

Top diplomat slams EU plans to put sanctions on Iran’s shipping lines

By
IFP Media Wire
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Abbas Araghchi

Araghchi said in a post on the X on Sunday that the planned EU move would again be based on unfounded claims that Iran has been delivering missiles to Russia for use in the ongoing war in Ukraine.

He added that the EU had used the same pretexts to announce sanctions on Iran Air last month, a decision he described as an “indiscriminate targeting of air travelers”.

“Now, the EU is using the same non-existent missile pretext to also target our shipping lines,” the minister said, adding, “If anything, it will only compel what it ostensibly seeks to prevent.”

A reporter of the US-based newspaper the Wall Street Journal claimed in a Saturday report that the EU is set to announce sanctions on the IRISL.

“More EU Iran sanctions coming Monday over missile deliveries to Russia as previewed previously. Will include a few sectoral sanctions, including shipping,” Laurence Norman wrote on his X account.

Araghchi warned that the sanctions on Iranian shipping lines would backfire, adding that they would be against freedom of navigation as a basic principle of the law of the sea.

Iran has repeatedly rejected accusations it has been supplying weapons to Russia for use in the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The EU accused Iran Air and two other Iranian airlines in its sanctions announcement in mid-October that they have had a role in the alleged supply of drones and missiles from Iran to Russia.

The decision led to Iran Air canceling its regular weekly flights to seven destinations in EU countries.

Trump’s transition team probing possible court martial for Afghan withdrawal officers

By
IFP Media Wire
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US Soldiers Afghanistan

Trump’s transition team is compiling a list of military officers to be court-martialed for their role in the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, NBC News has reported. According to the network’s sources, charges as serious as treason are being considered.

The effort is being spearheaded by Matt Flynn, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for counternarcotics, the network reported on Sunday, citing a US official and an anonymous “person familiar with the plan.” According to these sources, Flynn will lead a commission examining how the US got into the two-decade war in the first place, and how the withdrawal was carried out.

“They’re taking it very seriously,” the second source said, adding, “they want to set an example.”

The first source said that some commanders may be recalled to active duty to face charges.

Trump struck a deal with the Taliban in 2020, agreeing to pull the US’ roughly 13,000 troops out of Afghanistan within a year and free 5,000 Taliban prisoners if the Afghan militants stood down and let the withdrawal proceed peacefully. After President Joe Biden pushed the withdrawal date back by three months, the Taliban considered the agreement broken and embarked on a lightning-fast reconquest of Afghanistan.

As the militants closed in on Kabul, Biden hurriedly withdrew US forces, leaving some civilian workers stranded and tens of billions of dollars’ worth of military equipment in Taliban hands. The withdrawal culminated in a suicide bombing at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport, which killed 13 American service members and 170 civilians.

Trump has repeatedly referred to the withdrawal as a “humiliation” and “the most embarrassing day in the history of our country.” His nominee for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, has used similar language to castigate the military brass in charge of the operation.

“These generals lied. They mismanaged. They violated their oath. They failed. They disgraced our troops, and our nation. They got people killed, unnecessarily,” he wrote this year in his book, ‘The War on Warriors’. “And, to this moment, they keep their jobs. Worse, they continue to actively erode our military and its values.”

Flynn, however, denies any involvement in the supposed plan. “Matt Flynn has nothing to do with the Trump transition team, much less leading any review concerning military justice matters,” his attorney told NBC, adding that “no one has sought out Mr. Flynn’s views on this hypothetical legal scenario.”

“The sources apparently pushing this story appear to be your typical selfish Washington DC insiders seeking to gain better positioning for their own administration jobs,” a source close to Trump’s campaign told the network.

Iran ex-Central Bank Governor: FATF compliance could facilitate transactions with China, Russia

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Valiollah Seif

Valiollah Seif told Donyaye Eghtesad economic daily on Monday, that aligning with FATF regulations could simplify dealings with countries such as China and Russia, even if international sanctions remain in place.

“Right now, our international banking relations are completely severed,” Seif stated, explaining creeping out of the FATF blacklist could improve relations with Iran’s neighbors and friendly countries, although the countries adhering to U.S. sanctions might not change their behavior even after sanctions are lifted.

However, Seif cautioned that the solution is not a panacea, admitting “It’s a positive step with beneficial effects, but it cannot fully resolve our problems.”

Seif emphasized the necessity of implementing several fundamental measures to normalize Iran’s international banking relations, including adherence to financial reporting standards and corporate governance within banks.

It has been five years since Iran was blacklisted by FATF, resulting in significant economic losses and sanctions.

Seif said that exiting the FATF blacklist could signal Iran’s willingness to implement economic reforms and improve international relations.

This step, alongside political and economic strategies, could reduce trade costs, enhance economic transparency, and strengthen Iran’s position in the global financial system, he opined.

Trump’s re-election will not affect Iran-China relations: Ayatollah Khamenei’s aid

By
IFP Media Wire
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Trump

Ali Akbar Velayati, who advises the Leader on international affairs, made the remarks during a meeting with China’s Ambassador to Tehran Cong Peiwu on Sunday.

During the meeting, the two officials discussed the latest regional and international developments.

Velayati stressed the importance of promoting “strategic” relations between Tehran and Beijing, saying, “Iran and China have long, close and sincere cultural and historical relations and have had many positive effects on each other.”

He added that the two countries are determined to further boost cooperation.

“Undoubtedly, the development of relations between Iran, China, and Russia in various fields, including in the Shanghai and BRICS formats, will have lasting and important effects,” the top Iranian official emphasized.

Iran and China signed a landmark 25-year partnership agreement in March 2021 in an attempt to strengthen their long-standing economic and political alliance.

The deal was announced during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Tehran back in 2016. It sets the outlines of China-Iran cooperation in political, cultural, security, defense, regional, and international domains for the next 25 years.

The Chinese ambassador, for his part, said his country attaches great significance to the expansion of relations with Iran and called for strengthening bilateral cooperation.

He added that Iran and China should not allow anything to affect their relations, which are based on mutual respect.

 

Pope Francis urges investigation into ‘genocide’ in Gaza

By
IFP Media Wire
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Pope Francis

In a new book, Hope Never Disappoints. Pilgrims Towards a Better World, the Catholic leader for the first time suggested that Israel’s attack on the Gaza Strip could be characterised as a genocide.

“According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of genocide,” he wrote, in extracts published on Sunday in Italy’s La Stampa daily.

“This should be studied carefully to determine whether (the situation) corresponds to the technical definition formulated by jurists and international organisations.”

Pope Francis is one of the most high-profile figures on the international scene to imply that Israel’s actions in Gaza could amount to genocide.

The publication of his remarks came just days after a UN committee said Israel’s actions were “consistent with characteristics of genocide”.

The report by a United Nations special committee comprised of Malaysia, Senegal and Sri Lanka accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war and policies and practices in Gaza that may amount to a “possibility of genocide”.

The report, released amid ongoing scrutiny of Israel’s military response to the 7 October Hamas attack, highlighted the difficult conditions facing Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, particularly in terms of restricted access to food, water, medical care and shelter.

The Palestinian health ministry reported on Sunday that Israel’s war on Gaza had killed at least 43,850 Palestinians and wounded 103,740 others since October last year.

The committee accused Israel of “discriminatory” legislation and measures that maintained a near-complete separation of Palestinians from Israeli settlers, in breach of article 3 on racial segregation and apartheid under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

Israel’s violations of UN Security Council resolutions and orders of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) are “weakening” the international rules-based order, the committee added.

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