Tehran, Iran | Xinhua | Iranian foreign minister has criticized the European Union (EU) for continuing the sanctions policy that former U.S. President Donald Trump had implemented against Tehran, saying it proves the bloc’s continued use of double standards. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in a phone call with EU …
Read More »Iran, Russia sign MoU for petroleum investment
Tehran, Iran | Xinhua | Tehran and Moscow on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding, based on which the latter is expected to make an investment worth roughly 40 billion U.S. dollars in Iran’s petroleum industry, the Iranian Oil Ministry’s news service Shana reported. The document was signed during an online …
Read More »Iraq ouster of foreign troops would show US ‘failure’: analysts
Baghdad, Iraq | AFP | When it invaded in 2003, the United States promised “Iraqi freedom,” democracy, and prosperity. But 17 years later, its troops may be ousted from a country beset by just the opposite. After a parliamentary vote earlier this month, Iraq’s government is preparing to order foreign forces …
Read More »Iran’s Rouhani urges ‘unity’ after plane protests
Tehran, Iran | AFP | President Hassan Rouhani appealed Wednesday for “unity” and flagged the need for radical changes to the way Iran is run, after a wave of angry protests over the accidental downing of a Ukrainian airliner. The Kiev-bound Boeing 737 was shot down in a catastrophic error shortly …
Read More »Under pressure, Iran makes first arrests over airliner downing
Tehran, Iran | AFP | Iran announced Tuesday its first arrests over the shooting down of a Ukrainian airliner last week, as it struggles to contain the fallout from the disaster that sparked three days of protests. The Ukraine International Airlines plane was brought down by a missile shortly after takeoff …
Read More »EU states launch dispute process over Iran nuclear deal violations
Paris, France | AFP | Three EU countries on Tuesday said they were launching a dispute mechanism under the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran after accusing Tehran of repeated violations, but insisted they were committed to the agreement. The move by Britain, France and Germany comes as tensions soar between the West and Iran following …
Read More »Iran denies ‘cover-up’ as anger mounts over downed airliner
Tehran, Iran | AFP | Iran denied a “cover-up” Monday after taking days to reveal an airliner was accidentally shot down last week, a disaster that sparked demonstrations and calls for a fully transparent investigation. The Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737 was shot down by a missile shortly after taking off …
Read More »Iran denies missile downed Ukrainian plane
Tehran, Iran | AFP | Iran’s civil aviation chief denied Friday that a missile downed a Ukrainian airliner which crashed killing all 176 on board, dismissing claims of a catastrophic mistake by Tehran’s air defences. The declaration came as Tehran faced mounting international pressure to allow a “credible” investigation into the …
Read More »Unswayed by Iran briefings, Democrats seek to check Trump war power
Washington, United States | AFP | US Democratic lawmakers pressed ahead Wednesday with plans to check President Donald Trump’s ability to take military action against Iran, despite Congress breathing a collective sigh of relief at the de-escalation of conflict with the Islamic republic. Republicans and Democrats alike expressed broad support for …
Read More »Iran’s anti-US strikes: measured, but not final response
Paris, France | AFP | Iran’s missile strikes on US troop bases in Iraq were a measured first response to Washington’s assassination of a top commander, but are unlikely to be the last act in what could be a long and asymmetrical revenge campaign, experts say. With an outpouring of emotion …
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