Iran

US President Joe Biden confirmed Sunday that he would not lift sanctions against Iran until it complies with the nuclear deal. Biden responded with a clear "No" when the television network CBS asked if the US would "lift sanctions first, in order to get Iran back to the negotiations table." When further asked if lifting sanctions was conditional to Iran "first stop enriching uranium," Biden nodded in affirmation in the interview recorded on Friday. Iran stopped adhering to its key nuclear commitments after the former US President Donald Trump pulled out of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also referred to as the Iran nuclear deal, and reimposed sanctions on Tehran.  In January, Iran announced lifting up its uranium enrichment process to 20% purity, bypassing the 3.67% level that was in the deal. Watch video 08:56 Share Hardt: JCPOA can be improved Send Facebook Twitter … [Read more...] about Joe Biden says US won’t lift Iran sanctions

TERRORISTS backed and funded by Iran have threatened to blow up Dubai's Burj Khalifa skyscraper with drones. A bloodthirsty militia group turned its sights on the glitzy Gulf getaway where scores of Brit influencers and reality stars have gone to escape lockdown. A chilling propaganda poster shows a mocked-up image of red ball of flames erupting 100 storeys up the tower as a second drone zooms towards the target. It appears to be a World Trade Center-style plot to topple the world's tallest building, which is more than half a mile high at 2,722ft. The threat comes from an Iraqi militia group suspected of launching two drone attacks in Saudi capital Riyadh this week. Respected analysts the SITE Intel Group said on Twitter: “Alleged group behind drone in Riyadh depicts strike on Burj Khalifa in Dubai.”And the MEMRI terror monitoring outlet shared the image on its website, along with text of what it says is the group's threat to attack the tower. A double blast was heard in … [Read more...] about Iran-backed terrorists threaten to bomb Dubai’s Burj Khalifa as Brit influencers flock to Gulf to escape lockdown

Iran launched its coronavirus vaccination campaign on Tuesday as the country seeks to curb the deadliest outbreak of the virus in the Middle East. President Hassan Rouhani kicked off the campaign by paying tribute to the health workers who lost their lives due to COVID-19 during a ceremony at a Tehran hospital. "We begin our national vaccination against the COVID-19 ... [in] memory of the martyrdom of health workers," he said in footage broadcast by state television. Iran, with a population of over 80 million, is using doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine to start its vaccination drive. The "top priority groups" for getting the jab are doctors and nurses working in intensive care units, Iran's state-run news agency IRNA reported. Iranian authorities hope to eventually use its own locally developed vaccines. Clinical trials for one candidate began in December, while unveiled a second vaccine project on Monday. The country banned COVID vaccines from the United States and the United … [Read more...] about Coronavirus digest: Iran begins vaccination campaign

Russia will hold joint naval drills with Iran and China in the Indian Ocean later this month, it has been announced. The naval exercise will see the three countries 'rehearse search and rescue operations' in the northern part of the Indian Ocean in mid-February, Moscow's ambassador to Tehran Levan Dzhagaryan said on Monday. It comes less than two years after the countries held similar naval drills in the region in December 2019. Ms Dzhagaryan told the RIA news agency: 'The next multilateral naval exercises will take place in the northern part of the Indian Ocean in mid-February 2021.' Russia, Iran and China plan to hold joint naval drills in the Indian Ocean later this month. Pictured: An Iranian Navy warship in the Strait of Hormuz Moscow's ambassador to Tehran Levan Dzhagaryan said the naval exercise will see the three countries 'rehearse search and rescue operations' The ambassador added that the drills would ensure the safety of shipping. In … [Read more...] about Russia announces joint naval drill with China and Iran in the Indian Ocean ‘soon’

US points finger of blame at Iran Oil prices surge after suspected tanker attack Two tankers reportedly damaged by explosions Iran: 'Suspicious doesn't begin to describe this morning' Almost 50 sailors rescued from tankers Analysis: How the Strait of Hormuz became the world's most important choke point T he US accused Iran of being behind attacks in the Persian Gulf on Thursday and said it would raise the issue at the United Nations after two oil tankers were seriously damaged in an attack. The explosions, which left one of the oil tankers burning outside the strategic Strait of Hormuz waterway, marked the most serious incident since the White House warned in early May that Iran was plotting attacks in the region. Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, said: "Taken as a whole these unprovoked attacks present a clear threat to international peace and security, a blatant assault on the freedom of navigation and an unacceptable campaign of escalating … [Read more...] about US blames Iran for oil tanker attack in Gulf of Oman amid rising tensions