Weekly report: 15-21 June, 2015

 

June 15, 2015:

Iran says no change in venue of N. talks even after revelations about Israel’s spying

Spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Behrouz Kamalvandi said Tehran and the world powers do not plan to change the venue of their nuclear negotiations from Switzerland and Austria even after they realized that they were spied on by Israel.

 

GOP chairman urges Obama to walk away from Iran nuclear talks

Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) is urging President Obama to walk away from negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.

 

WANO evaluates Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant

The World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) is evaluating the performance of Iran’s nuclear power plant in Bushehr.

 

Iranian official rejects reports on energy talks with US companies

An Iranian petroleum official says there have been no energy talks between Iran and US companies.

 

June 16, 2015:

Moscow, Tehran negotiate recalling Iran’s S-300 lawsuit against Russia

According to a source familiar with the situation, Moscow and Tehran are holding talks on recalling Iran’s lawsuit against Russia for failing to deliver S-300 air defense systems.

 

Iran nuclear deadline not a ‘sacred date': negotiator

The end of June deadline for a nuclear deal between Iran and world powers is not sacred and extra time may be necessary, a top Iranian negotiator said Tuesday.

 

Senior negotiator predicts to strike nuclear deal by July 2

Senior Iranian negotiator Majid Takhte-Ravanchi said on Monday Iran pursues talks with Sextet seriously and Iranian team hopes to strike the deal until July 2.

 

Iran escorts 175 martyr divers to final resting place

The bodies of 175 Iranian martyr divers escorted to their final resting place in Tehran on Tuesday afternoon, Tasnim News Agency reported.

The funeral procession of the bodies of 175 Iranian martyr divers was conducted by attending a large number of Iranian people and officials on Tuesday.

 



 

Iran sends official to Riyadh for Yemen talks

The Iranian deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs has arrived in Saudi Arabia to take part in high-level talks attended by senior officials from Muslim countries on the ongoing conflict in Yemen.

 

June 17, 2015:

Iran, P5+1 start 8th round of nuclear negotiations

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Deputies Abbas Araqchi and Mjid Takht-e Ravanchi held first session of 8th round of nuclear talks with Helga Schmid, a deputy for EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, in Vienna on Wednesday afternoon.

 

Interior Ministry calls activity of Yekta Party “illegal”

On the eve of Iran’s parliamentary elections, supporters of former president Ahmadinejad have formed a party named Yekta that the Interior Ministry calls it illegal, Fararu news website reported on Tuesday.



 

West targeting Iraq unity: Leader

Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the West seeks to undermine the unity of Iraq.



 

Leader message set up anti-extremism discourse: Zarif

The Iranian foreign minister has referred to a January message by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei to European and North American youths as an exemplary endeavor to fighting extremism.

 

Iran’s Rouhani pledges continued support for Iraq in fighting terror

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the Islamic Republic will continue supporting Iraq in its fight against terrorism, noting that the country’s security is intertwined with that of Iran.



 

 June 18, 2015:

Iran nuclear talks resume in Vienna

Experts and diplomats from Iran and six world powers reconvened in Austria’s capital of Vienna on Thursday to continue drafting the text of a final deal on Tehran’s nuclear energy program, with US Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman expected to join the talks later in the day.

 

Iran nuke deal tough to stop in Congress, US politician

An American politician said she expected that the US President Barack Obama will press the Congress to support his plan to sign a deal with Iran.

 

Key senator says to forget the deadline on Iran talks for a better deal

The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said Wednesday that he had urged Secretary of State John F. Kerry to ignore a looming deadline for ­nuclear negotiations with Iran if that’s what it takes to secure a more ironclad deal.

 

Iran, Iraq relations beyond political, geographic borders
Mashad, June 18, IRNA – Head of Iraqi high council for Haj Pilgrimage Khalid al-Atiyeh said on Thursday that current relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Iraq go beyond political and geographic borders.

 

June 19, 2015:

Focus on the matter, stop tug of war – Russian envoy to Iran nuclear talks

The Iran nuclear deal might be finalized before June 30, Russia’s deputy foreign minister said.

The foreign ministers of Iran and P5+1 group of international negotiators will hold a meeting on Tehran’s nuclear program between June 25-30, the final date of the meeting could be announced Friday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.

 

Senior cleric: Iran never bends to sanctions, threats

Tehran substitute Friday Prayers Leader said here Friday that Iran is a powerful country and will never bend to threats, or under the pressure of sanctions.

 

Rouhani felicitates beginning of Ramadan to heads of Islamic states

President Hassan Rouhani in a separate messages addressed to the heads of different Islamic states felicitated the beginning of fasting month of Ramadan to them.
Iranian volleyballers stun US in World League

Iran has defeated USA in straight sets – 3-0 (25:19, 29:27, 25:20)!

It was the first game of Iran at home court in the World League 2015 and it was indeed a game to remember! Squad led by Slobodan Kova? hosted theUSA, the leader of the Pool and the only team with the maximum score so far in the competition… Well, they do not have the maximum score anymore!



 

June 20, 2015:

France’s Fabius to meet Iran’s Zarif on nuclear talks: diplomatic source

France’s Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius will meet his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif on Monday to discuss the final round of talks over Iran’s nuclear program beginning later that week, a senior French diplomatic source said on Saturday.

 

Nuclear talks may continue beyond June 30 deadline: Zarif

Iran’s foreign minister says Tehran is not pressed for time in reaching a nuclear agreement with the P5+1 group, adding that the talks are very likely to continue beyond the self-imposed June 30 deadline.

 

Iran censures US double standards on terrorism

Tehran has rejected the anti-Iran accusations in the annual global terrorism report by the US Department of State, censuring Washington for adopting a double-standard approach in dealing with the issue of terrorism.

 

WikiLeaks reveals Saudi intrigue and unpaid limo bills

At the Saudi Embassy in Tehran, diplomats talk about kicking up trouble among disenchanted youth using Facebook and Twitter. At the embassy in Khartoum, they report on Iran’s military aid to Sudan.

Meanwhile in Geneva, the Saudi mission is stuck dealing with a multi-million dollar limo bill racked up by a Saudi royal and her entourage.

 

Iran, EU continue nuclear talks on Sunday

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Deputies Abbas Araqchi and Majid Takht-e Ravanchi initiated another day of negotiations with Helga Schmid, EU foreign policy chief deputy on Sunday.

 

President Ghani appreciates Leader’s order to bring education for Afghan children in Iran

Afghan president hailed Iran’s supreme leader for his order to register all Afghan children in Iran’s schools regardless of their residency status, Tasnim news Agency reported.

 

 Leader donates $50K to release needy prisoners
Iran’s Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei donated over $50000 to the release of needy prisoners.

 

Host Iran blanks US volleyball team 3-0

Host Iran overpowers the US volleyball team 3-0 in a Pool B match of the 2015 FIVB World League.