Iran Steps Up Nuclear Programme, Holds South Korean Tanker

By Amir Havasi

Iran said Tuesday it had stepped up its uranium enrichment at a time of heightened tensions with the United States and after it seized a South Korean tanker in strategic Persian Gulf waters.

Tehran said it was now refining uranium to 20 percent purity—far above the level permitted under its 2015 agreement with world powers, but far below the 90 percent required for an atomic bomb—in a step Washington condemned as "nuclear extortion.”

The European Union noted Iran's step "with deep concern" and said it planned to "redouble our efforts to preserve the agreement and return to its full implementation by all parties.”

It was the most striking suspension yet of Tehran's commitments under its landmark deal with six nations, which has been fraying since US President Donald Trump withdrew from it in 2018 and reimposed crippling sanctions.

A war of words has flared again in the final weeks of Trump's presidency and as Iran and its allies have marked one year since a US drone strike in Baghdad killed Iran's most revered military commander, Qasem Soleimani.

Washington has meanwhile reversed an order to bring home its USS Nimitz aircraft carrier from the Persian Gulf, citing "threats" against Trump, after recently also flying B-52 bombers over the region.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has warned it is ready to respond to any attack.

'Not Hostage-Takers'

On Monday, the Guards seized the South Korean-flagged Hankuk Chemi and arrested its multinational crew of 20 near the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint through which a fifth of world oil output passes, alleging the tanker had polluted the area's waters.

South Korea has demanded the ship's release and deployed a destroyer to the area—though with no plans to engage in an offensive operation, an unnamed military official told Yonhap News Agency.

Seoul said it would send a government delegation to Iran to negotiate the release of the vessel and its crew. Iran's move came after Tehran had urged Seoul to release billions of dollars of Iranian assets frozen in South Korea as part of the US sanctions.

"We are not hostage-takers," said Iran's government spokesman Ali Rabiei. "It is the government of Korea that has taken over $7 billion of ours hostage on baseless grounds."

South Korea's vice foreign minister Choi Jong-kun plans to go ahead with a scheduled three-day trip to Tehran early next week, his office said.

Nuclear Tensions

Iran first announced Monday it had stepped up the uranium enrichment process at its underground Fordo site, in a move confirmed by UN nuclear watchdog the IAEA.

"We can produce about eight to nine kilograms of 20 percent enriched uranium so that we reach the 120 kilos the law requests from us," Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said on Tuesday.

Iran's conservative-dominated parliament voted for the step after the November killing of its top nuclear physicist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, an assassination Iran blamed on Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has charged Iran's latest nuclear move proved it is seeking to build an atomic bomb—a claim Iran has always strongly denied—and pledged the Jewish state "will not allow" it to do so.

The US State Department labelled Iran's stepped-up enrichment "a clear attempt to increase its campaign of nuclear extortion, an attempt that will continue to fail.”

Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner was in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for a Persian Gulf regional summit, amid a broader US diplomatic strategy to build a regional united front against Iran.

As a Riyadh-led group sought to end a three-year rift with Qatar, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke of a "desperate need" to unite and to "confront challenges... especially the threats posed by the Iranian regime's nuclear and ballistic missile programme and its plans for sabotage and destruction.”

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's government has signalled it is ready to engage with US President-elect Joe Biden, who has likewise expressed a willingness to return to diplomacy.

Biden, who takes office on January 20, was vice president to Barack Obama, whose administration had finalised the 2015 nuclear deal and hailed it as a landmark achievement.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Tehran took the latest enrichment step "after years of non-compliance" by other parties and that "our measures are fully reversible upon full compliance by all.”

Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement it "paid tribute to the regular declarations by Iranian leaders of their willingness to return to full respect for the requirements of the agreement".

It added, however, that "additional efforts and costs will now be required to bring the Fordo site in line with the terms of the agreement."

Photo: IRNA

Iran's Rouhani Expects US to Resume Commitments Under Nuclear Deal

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Thursday voiced confidence that President-elect Joe Biden will resume US commitments under the nuclear deal which Donald Trump pulled out of.

Tensions between Tehran and Washington soared during Trump's presidency, especially after 2018 when he withdrew Washington from the landmark nuclear deal and reimposed punishing unilateral sanctions on Iran.

Biden, who defeated Trump at the ballot box in November, has signalled a willingness to return to diplomacy with Iran

And Rouhani's government has repeatedly signalled its openness to the incoming US administration and called on Washington to return to the 2015 nuclear deal and lift sanctions.

"I have no doubt that the perseverance of the Iranian people during these past three years will force the new US government to succumb and resume its commitments," Rouhani said in televised remarks.

“The sanctions will be broken," he added.

His comments come a day after Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that Iran should bolster itself to "nullify" the effects of the sanctions imposed by the Trump administration, but should "not delay" in case they can be lifted.

Rouhani echoed Khamenei, saying time should not be wasted.

"We must act in order to nullify the effects of the sanctions... as the supreme leader has said."

"We should not wait, not even one hour, for the lifting of the sanctions. The government must do everything in its power to break the sanctions," Rouhani added.

He said Iran will do "everything possible to achieve" what he described as a "very important instruction" made by Khamenei.

Photo: IRNA

Rouhani Calls for Return to Pre-Trump US-Iran Situation

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday invited US President-elect Joe Biden's incoming administration to restore the "situation that prevailed" before Donald Trump came to power.

"Iran and the US can both decide and declare that they will return to the situation that prevailed until January 20, 2017," Rouhani told his cabinet, referring to the date when the outgoing US president assumed office.

“If there is such a will among the future American leaders, I think that it will be very easy to resolve" numerous problems, Rouhani said.

Iran and the US do not have direct diplomatic ties, but a nuclear deal agreed between Tehran, Washington and other world powers in 2015—negotiated when Barack Obama was in the White House, with Biden as his deputy—saw bilateral tensions dissipate to the lowest level in decades.

Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from that pact in May 2018 and launched a "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran with sanctions that plunged its economy into a deep recession.

The two countries have twice come to the brink of war since mid-2019.

The Iranian government's policy is based on "respect for commitments against respect for commitments... (and) respect in exchange for respect," Rouhani said, noting an opportunity to "completely change the course" of events of the last four years.

Since Biden's victory in the November 3 US presidential election, Rouhani has repeatedly signaled his openness to the incoming US administration, although Iran's supreme leader has cautioned against hopes of an opening with the West.

Photo: IRNA

Virus-Hit Iran Shuts Non-Essential Business in Much of the Country

Iran announced Saturday it had shut non-essential businesses in over half its cities and towns for up to two weeks and introduced movement restrictions to rein in its novel coronavirus outbreak.

Iran has avoided imposing a full lockdown since it was hit by COVID-19 in February, with President Hassan Rouhani arguing the country's sanctions-battered economy cannot afford to be shut down for an extended period.

Iran's coronavirus task force announced Saturday that only essential services—including health centres and pharmacies, food shops and public transport—will be allowed to open in the country's areas of highest risk, for up to two weeks.

These include more than half of the country's cities and towns, according to the task force, with Tehran and all other provincial capitals affected by the measures.

Private vehicles are also prohibited from leaving the worst-hit areas until further notice, and are banned from circulating between 9:00 pm and 4:00 am in Tehran and other large cities.

The task force said more than 53 million of Iran's over 80-million-strong population would be affected by the measures.

Rouhani warned that the Islamic republic was facing its "third wave" of infections, and said the new restrictions were a signal to Iranians that the problem is "very serious."

"We call on all citizens to adhere to all the rules, in order to reduce the economic pressure imposed today on businesses as quickly as possible," Rouhani said Saturday.

"We must convince people that we have no other option," he added.

‘Two Crucial Weeks'

Rouhani also promised to provide financial support of one million rials per month—about four dollars—"for the next four months to about 30 million people", without giving further details.

Iran is the worst-hit country in the Middle East, and its virus death toll has passed 400 a day since the start of November.

The health ministry on Saturday reported 12,931 new daily cases of infection and 431 deaths, bringing the total number of infections to 841,308 and fatalities to 44,327.

Some officials, including from the health ministry, have expressed concern that the real toll is likely to be higher.

On the streets of Tehran, the new measures were met with some scepticism.

Saleswoman Mahsa Teimouri said people had ignored health warnings about the virus before.

"It doesn't matter if the government imposes restrictions, since people do not comply," she said.

Nurse Ziba Amrollahi also said that rules were being flouted.

"There are people in the streets, and no one cares about complying with the rules," Amrollahi said. "People are travelling and attending gatherings more than they did in the past.”

On Saturday, the front page of the reformist newspaper Sazandegi showed a closed shop with a poster on its door announcing that "we stay at home because your life is more precious to us."

The government's official newspaper, Iran, carried the headline: "Two crucial weeks to control the coronavirus."

Photo: IRNA

Iran Vows to Take 'Any Opportunity' to Lift US Sanctions

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani vowed Wednesday to take "any opportunity" to lift US sanctions against Tehran, following President Donald Trump's defeat by Democratic election rival Joe Biden.

While the outgoing Trump has declared Iran an arch-foe and sought to isolate it globally, president-elect Biden has proposed to offer Iran a "credible path back to diplomacy".

"Our aim is to lift the pressure of sanctions from the shoulders of our people," Rouhani said in televised remarks during a weekly cabinet meeting.

"Wherever this favourable opportunity arises we will act on our responsibilities. No one should miss any opportunity."

"National security and national interests are not factional and partisan issues," Rouhani added, after conservatives blasted his reformist and moderate coalition for its "over-excitement" for re-engagement with the United States.

Decades-old tensions between Tehran and Washington escalated after Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from a landmark Iran nuclear deal in 2018 and reimposed, then reinforced, crippling sanctions.

Those moves torpedoed the deal, Rouhani's signature foreign policy achievement, and bolstered conservatives who argue that the US cannot be trusted.

The measures have all but deprived Iran of vital oil revenues and isolated its banks, triggering a harsh recession and slashing the value of the rial. Rouhani acknowledged Biden's conciliatory remarks during his campaign but said Tehran was prepared for sanctions to remain in place.

"They can choose a new path. And if they do not want to, it is their choice," he told the cabinet.

He noted that his administration had devised its policies on the assumption Trump would stay in office.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said last week that the result of the US election would have "no effect" on Tehran's policies towards Washington.

Photo: IRNA

IAEA Not Satisfied With Iranian Explanation on Nuclear Site

By Jastinder Khera

The UN's nuclear watchdog said Wednesday that Iran's explanations over the presence of nuclear material at an undeclared site in the country were "not technically credible.”

The news comes as observers watch to see whether Joe Biden's victory in the US presidential election will lead to detente between Iran and Western powers.

Despite Iranian authorities providing some information about the site, "the agency informed Iran that it continues to consider Iran's response to be not technically credible," the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a report seen by AFP.

"A full and prompt explanation from Iran regarding the presence of uranium particles of anthropogenic origin... at a location in Iran not declared to the agency is needed," the report said.

While the IAEA has not identified the site in question, diplomatic sources have indicated to AFP that it is in the Turquzabad district of Tehran, previously identified by Israel as an alleged site of secret atomic activity.

A source familiar with the issue said there was no indication the site had been used for processing uranium but that it could have been used for storing it as late as the end of 2018.

Iran's ambassador to the IAEA, Kazem Gharib Abadi, wrote on Twitter that "any hasty comments should be avoided.”

"Interactions are ongoing with a view to finalize the resolution of the matter," he added.

'Sabotage'

The report did not provide any new information about two separate locations where the IAEA took samples in September and where undeclared nuclear activity may have taken place in the early 2000s.

The analysis of those samples is ongoing.

It however confirmed that Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium is now more than 12 times the limit set down in a 2015 deal with world powers, even if the rate at which the stockpile is expanding has slowed since the last report.

The 2015 accord has been progressively unravelling since US President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal in May 2018 and went on to re-introduce crippling economic sanctions on Iran.

In retaliation, Iran has been breaking the limits on its nuclear activity laid down in the deal since May 2019.

As well as breaching limits on the stockpile amount and enrichment level of uranium laid down in the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran has been using more advanced centrifuges than permitted under the deal.

Wednesday's report confirmed that, in line with previous statements by Iranian officials, centrifuges had been installed at an underground part of the Natanz nuclear facility after another part of the site was damaged in an explosion in July which Iran blamed on "sabotage"

'Maximum Pressure'

The three European powers who are still party to the 2015 deal, namely France, the UK and Germany, have been scrambling to find ways to keep the accord intact.

The election of Trump's Democrat opponent Joe Biden as the next US president has offered some hope the deal could be revived, as Biden has offered Iran a "credible path back to diplomacy".

On Wednesday Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the country would take “any opportunity" which could "lift the pressure of sanctions from the shoulders of our people".

However, obstacles remain to any detente.

Iran insists that the US has to lift sanctions imposed by the Trump administration before it will come back into compliance with the JCPOA's limits.

The "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran launched by the Trump administration has seen Tehran's distrust of the Americans intensify and tensions between the two countries have twice brought them to the brink of war since mid-2019.

Biden will face a tight window of opportunity between his inauguration on January 20 and an Iranian presidential election set for June 18 in which reformists and moderates allied to Rouhani may face a tough challenge from conservatives.

On Friday US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will start a tour of US allies, including several of Iran's neighbours, during which he is expected to discuss raising further pressure on Tehran in the remaining two months of the Trump administration.

Photo: Wikicommons

Iran Says 'Historic' US Defeat Close As Arms Embargo To Be Lifted

Iran on Monday said the US was facing a "historic" defeat as an arms embargo against Tehran is to be lifted within days despite Washington's bid to have it extended.

Addressing the issue at a news conference, foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh also lashed out at the "insanity" of the latest US sanctions against banks in the country.

On Sunday the "historic defeat of the United States will be realised, and that came to be despite its attempts, trickery and extrajudicial moves," Khatibzadeh said.

"Iran again showed that the United States is not as all-powerful as it says," he added.

The embargo on the sale of arms to Iran is due to start expiring progressively from October 18, under the terms of a UN resolution that blessed the 2015 nuclear deal between the Islamic republic and world powers.

Washington suffered a setback in August when it failed to win support from the United Nations Security Council to indefinitely extend the embargo.

President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the nuclear deal in 2018 before reimposing US sanctions on Iran.

Since then, the US has slapped additional sanctions on Iran as part of a campaign of "maximum pressure", with the latest on Thursday concerning 18 banks.

"We used to say they are addicted to sanctions, but now they have reached insanity," Khatibzadeh said.

The spokesman added that the excessive use of sanctions had caused the Americans to "cannibalise" themselves, as well as prompted other countries to find alternatives to the US dollar.

The US claims that transactions involving humanitarian goods such as food and medicine are exempt and that sanctions are "directed at the regime".

Yet statements from experts and rights groups indicate the sanctions have had dire humanitarian consequences and caused suffering for the people of Iran.

In a speech on Monday, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei pointed to the role of sanctions on Iran's troubled economy and called them "a crime in the true sense of the word."

He emphasised that the "cure" for the economy "should not be sought outside of the country", and called for the "focusing on production, preventing the continuous devaluation of national currency" and fighting smuggling and corruption.

"We will continue resisting so that, God willing, this maximum pressure will turn to maximum disgrace and a cause of regret for them," he said.

Photo: IRNA

Iran Reimposes Restrictive Virus Measures in Tehran

Iran on Saturday reimposed measures in Tehran province to contain the novel coronavirus, state TV reported, shutting public spaces and cancelling events days after confirming another record number of cases.

The measures went into force on Saturday and were set to last a week, the broadcaster said, citing an order by the Tehran governor's office.

Under the restrictions, universities and education centres, mosques, cinemas, museums, wedding halls, beauty salons, gyms, cafes, zoos and swimming pools would be closed, state TV reported.

"Cultural and social events and conferences" were cancelled and Friday prayers would not be held, it added. 

The Islamic republic confirmed a record 3,825 COVID-19 cases on Thursday, surpassing the previous high reported on September 22.

The restrictions are largely the same as those taken early in the pandemic in Iran, which stopped short of imposing a full lockdown, despite facing the Middle East's deadliest outbreak.

The measures were progressively eased from April to avoid deepening an economic crisis precipitated by the reimposition of heavy sanctions by the United States in 2018.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called on Saturday for heavy fines and punishment for those flouting health protocols.

"We must set harsh fines for those who know they are infected but have not self-quarantined for 14 days or even told others" they have contracted the virus, Rouhani said at a meeting of the national coronavirus taskforce.

He added that government employees who failed to observe regulations could be suspended for one year if first warnings were not heeded.

Not wearing a mask would incur a fine and businesses could be closed down if health regulations were not respected, according to the president.

Iran's health ministry on Saturday announced 3,523 new COVD-19 infections, bringing the total number of cases since February to 468,119.

The day's death toll of 179 brought the number of fatalities due to the disease to 26,746.

Photo: IRNA

Iran Says US Faces 'Maximum Isolation' as World Powers Dismiss Sanctions

By Karim Abou Merhi

Iran said Sunday that the United States is facing "maximum isolation" after major powers dismissed a unilateral US declaration that UN sanctions on Tehran were back in force.

Washington said the sanctions had been re-activated under the "snapback" mechanism in a landmark 2015 nuclear treaty—despite Washington having withdrawn from the deal.

As other signatories cast doubt on the move having any legal effect, Washington threatened to "impose consequences" on states failing to comply.

But Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said a concerted campaign by Washington to pressure Tehran had backfired.

"We can say that America's 'maximum pressure' against Iran, in its political and legal aspect, has turned into America's maximum isolation," he said in a televised cabinet meeting.

The sanctions in question had been lifted when Iran, the UN Security Council's five permanent members (Britain, China, France, Russia and the US) and Germany signed the 2015 treaty on Iran's nuclear programme, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

But President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the JCPOA in 2018, saying the deal—negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama—was insufficient. 

He also stepped up Washington's own sanctions as part of a "maximum pressure" campaign against the Islamic republic.

The US insists it is still a participant in the agreement—but only so it can activate the snapback option, which it announced on August 20.

Virtually every other UNSC member disputes Washington's ability to execute this legal pirouette, and the UN body has not taken the measure any further.

'No Legal Effect'

On Sunday, France, Germany and Britain issued a joint statement saying Washington's "purported notification" was "incapable of having any legal effect".

Russia also said Washington's "illegitimate initiative and actions" could not have "international legal consequences" for others.

China's mission to the UN tweeted that the US move was "devoid of any legal, political or practical effect", adding that it was "time to end the political drama by the US".

Rouhani thanked UNSC members who had "stood against America's illegal request" and said if remaining signatories let Iran access the deal's economic benefits, Iran would reinstate nuclear commitments it had dropped in response to the US withdrawal.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, announcing the move, said Saturday that the US "welcomes the return of virtually all previously terminated UN sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran".

He said US authorities were prepared to impose "consequences" against states who "fail to fulfil their obligations to implement these sanctions", with measures to be announced in the coming days.

With around six weeks to go until the US presidential election, Trump could unveil those measures in a speech at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.

Iran's foreign minister accused Pompeo of "threaten(ing) to punish a world that refuses to live in his parallel universe".

"The world says NO Security Council sanctions were restored," Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted.

Iran's foreign ministry said in a statement that Washington, by leaving the nuclear deal, had "explicitly denied itself any right" to use the "snapback" mechanism.

It also warned that if the US "acts on these threats, directly, or with the cooperation of a handful of its puppets, it will face a serious response and be responsible for all the dangerous consequences.”

'Nothing Worse'

The US had already suffered a resounding defeat at the Security Council in mid-August, when it tried to extend an embargo on conventional weapons deliveries to Tehran, which was due to expire in October.

Pompeo responded with an unusually vehement attack on Britain, France and Germany, accusing them of "siding with Iran's ayatollahs", before announcing the snapback.

In Washington's eyes, its move has now extended the embargo "indefinitely" and reactivated international sanctions on many activities related to Tehran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

Zarif accused Pompeo of not having read UN resolutions or the nuclear deal.

"He's now probably waiting for the movie to come out so he can begin to understand it," he told state television.

On the streets of Tehran, Iranians complained of harsh economic conditions they blamed on US sanctions.

"It's really difficult for the people right now. Whether sanctions are reimposed or not, we are living with utmost difficulty," said Leila Zanganeh, a martial arts instructor.

But Danial Namei, an architect, seemed to care little for returning UN sanctions and doubted things could get worse.

"We've been through difficult things and it is still ongoing. There's nothing worse than the worst, after all," he said.

Photo: IRNA

Iran's Rouhani Hopeful US Arms Embargo Push Will Fail

By Amir Havasi

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani expressed "great hopes" Wednesday that a US bid to extend an arms embargo on his country will fail, warning of consequences if the UN Security Council backs it.

Rouhani's remarks came after Iran's ambassador to the United Nations said the US would have to redraft its proposed resolution on the issue after being "rebuffed" by Security Council members.

"We have great hopes that America will fail," Rouhani told a televised meeting of his cabinet.

The ban on selling weapons to Iran is set to be progressively eased from October under the terms of Resolution 2231, which blessed the Iran nuclear deal that world powers agreed in July 2015.

But a UN embargo on materials and technology that Iran could use for its ballistic missile program is to remain in place until 2023.

The European Union has said it will continue to enforce its own embargo against Iran after the lifting of the first UN restrictions.

Under the accord officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Iran committed to limiting its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. 

The JCPOA has been on life-support since the US under President Donald Trump withdrew from it and reimposed unilateral sanctions in 2018.

Iran has since taken small but escalatory steps away from compliance with the agreement as it presses for the sanctions relief it was promised.

'Blatant Violation'

"We have great hopes that America will realize its failure and see its isolation," the Iranian president said.

"But our stance in any case is clear. If such a resolution comes to pass... it means a blatant violation of the JCPOA," he added, warning the "consequences will rest with the perpetrators of this act".

Iran's envoy to the UN, Majid Takht Ravanchi, said on Wednesday that the US "was forced to retreat" from its draft resolution after being "rebuffed by UNSC members" and had to propose a fresh version.

"The new draft is similar—in its NATURE and GOAL—to the previous. Confident that the Council will—again—reject this move."

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said earlier the new draft was a "five-page resolution reduced to five sentences", and added that by presenting it as new, the US was disrespecting Security Council members.

The original US text, seen by AFP in New York, effectively called for an indefinite extension of the arms embargo on Iran and used hawkish rhetoric.

'Unholy Mess'

A new US-drafted resolution also seen by AFP was slimmed down from that one, but it still calls for an indefinite extension.

With most European countries in the 15-member Council expected to abstain, the new text is unlikely to get the nine votes it needs to pass.

If it does, China and Russia intend to veto the resolution.

Richard Gowan, a New York-based UN expert at the International Crisis Group, said the US had "mishandled the diplomatic choreography over this resolution.”

"They wanted to push their hardline draft and then make a show of compromising on a shorter text, which they hoped Estonia or Tunisia would introduce," he said. 

"But the Estonians and Tunisians, like most other Council members, seem to have decided that they want as little to do with this unholy mess as possible.

"After talks on Monday, both turned down the opportunity to table the compromise text," he told AFP in New York.

"So now the US has had to do that itself. But the goal, which is to move towards snapback, remains the same."

European allies of the US—Britain, Germany and France, who along with Russia and China, are parties to the JCPOA—have voiced support for extending the conventional arms embargo but their priority is to preserve the nuclear deal.

Washington has threatened to use a contested argument that it remains a "participant" in the JCPOA—despite its withdrawal—and if UN sanctions are not extended, it can force their return if it sees Iran as being in violation of the accord's terms.

Photo: IRNA

Iran Says Cannot Shut Down Economy Despite Worsening Virus Outbreak

Iran said on Saturday that it cannot afford to shut down its sanctions-hit economy, even as the country's novel coronavirus outbreak worsens with record-high death tolls and rising infections.

Iran must continue "economic, social and cultural activities while observing health protocols", President Hassan Rouhani said during a televised virus taskforce meeting. 

"The simplest solution is to close down all activities, (but) the next day, people would come out to protest the (resulting) chaos, hunger, hardship and pressure," he added.

The Islamic republic has been struggling since late February to contain the country's COVID-19 outbreak, the deadliest in the Middle East.

Health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari reported Saturday that 188 people had died from the respiratory disease in the past 24 hours, raising the overall toll to 12,635.

Iran's daily COVID-19 death toll has topped 100 since around mid-June, with a record single-day tally of 221 reported on Thursday. 

Lari also raised the country's caseload to 255,117, with 2,397 new infections recorded.

The outbreak's rising toll has prompted authorities to make wearing masks mandatory in enclosed public spaces and to allow the hardest hit provinces to reimpose restrictive measures.

Iran closed schools, cancelled public events and banned movement between its 31 provinces in March, but Rouhani's government progressively lifted restrictions from April to reopen its sanctions-hit economy.

Iran has suffered a sharp economic downturn after US President Donald Trump withdrew from a landmark nuclear agreement in 2018 and reimposed crippling sanctions.

The International Monetary Fund predicts Iran's economy will shrink by six percent this year.

"It is not possible to keep businesses and economic activities shut down in the long-term," Rouhani said, emphasizing that "the people will not accept this.”

Health Minister Said Namaki warned on Wednesday of a potential "revolt over poverty" and blamed US sanctions for the government's "empty coffers.”

The reopening of the economy "was not over our ignorance (of the virus' dangers), but it was due to us being on our knees against an economy that could take no more", Namaki said on state television.

US sanctions targeted vital oil sales and banking relations, among other sectors, forcing Iran to rely on non-oil exports, which have dropped as borders were closed to stem the spread of the virus.

Photo: IRNA

Iran's Rouhani Says UN Watchdog Risks Losing Independence

Iran's president warned Wednesday that the UN nuclear watchdog risks losing its independence after it adopted a resolution urging access to two sites alleged to have hosted past nuclear activities.

The Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency passed the resolution put forward by European states last week, calling on Iran to help clarify whether undeclared nuclear activities took place at the sites in the early 2000s.

But the Islamic republic says the IAEA's requests for access were based on allegations from its arch-enemy Israel and had no legal basis.

"The Zionist regime and the Americans are pressuring the agency to investigate something related to 20, 18 years ago. They are deceiving the agency, misleading it," President Hassan Rouhani said during a televised cabinet meeting.

"Our expectation is that... the agency should be able to keep its independence," he added, warning that Israel and the United States were tarnishing its reputation.

Rouhani also slammed the three European parties to the Iran nuclear deal—Britain, France and Germany—for putting forward the resolution and "sullying themselves for no reason" by cooperating with Israel and the US.

"We did not expect this from the Europeans," he said, while praising China and Russia—also parties to the nuclear deal—for standing against the resolution.

Iran agreed with the five countries plus the US in 2015 to limit its nuclear program in exchange for relief from sanctions, but the deal has been on life support ever since US President Donald Trump withdrew from it and unilaterally reimposed sanctions in 2018.

Tehran has criticized the Europeans for failing to provide it with the economic benefits set out in the accord and has rolled back some of its commitments in retaliation for the US pullout.

Rouhani said Iran would continue to work with the IAEA regarding "legal inspections.”

Photo: IRNA

Iran Daily Virus Deaths Exceed 100 for First Time in 2 Months

Iran on Sunday reported over 100 new deaths in a single day from the novel coronavirus, for the first time in two months.

In televised remarks, health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari announced 107 Covid-19 fatalities in the past 24 hours, raising the overall toll to 8,837.

"It was very painful for us to announce the triple-digit figure," said Lari.

"This is an unpredictable and wild virus and may surprise us at any time," she added, urging Iranians to observe health protocols.

Iran last recorded triple-digit daily fatalities on April 13, with 111 dead.

Lari also announced 2,472 new cases confirmed in the past day, bringing the total infection caseload to 187,427, with over 148,000 recoveries

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday reproached citizens for failing to observe measures designed to rein in the virus.

It was "disturbing" to see that only "18 to 20 percent of people" observe health protocols and social distancing, down from "80 percent or more" between April 20 and May 20, he said, citing a report.

According to Lari, seven of Iran's 31 provinces are currently classified as "red"—the highest level on Iran's color-coded risk scale.

But Rouhani has said the increase in reported infections should not be taken as a sign of a worsening health situation. 

"When more tests are done, then naturally more cases are identified," he told a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

The high number of recent cases "does not have a negative aspect to it and people should not worry", he added.

Iran has carried out more than 1.2 million COVID-19 tests since its first cases were reported, according to Lari.

The health ministry's head epidemiologist, Mohammad-Mehdi Gouya, said last week that the primary cause of the surge in reported infections was due to testing those "with no or light symptoms.”

The gradual easing of lockdown measures has also partly contributed to higher infections, he added.

Photo: IRNA

Rouhani Urges Iran MPs to Cooperate as Parliament Opens

President Hassan Rouhani urged Iranian lawmakers to "cooperate" with his government in a speech on Wednesday during the inaugural session of the new parliament following a February election swept by conservatives.

The parliament, a legislative chamber that shapes debate in Iran, had been closed for six weeks until April 7 as part of measures aimed at curbing the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Iran has been hit by the Middle East's deadliest outbreak of the virus. Its toll stands at more than 7,500 dead and nearly 140,000 infected.

"I hope that in the year that remains for this government we will be able to cooperate and work together," Rouhani said in the address before the newly formed parliament, or Majles.

Iran held a legislative election on February 21 and is scheduled to hold a presidential poll in around 12 months.

The 11th legislature since the Islamic revolution of 1979 opened as the country's economy gradually returns to normal from the virus outbreak.

In a sign that the fight against the virus is still far from over, however, a seat was left vacant between each deputy.

But many of the elected representatives wore no masks.

Rouhani, who is in the final year of his second and final term, called on MPs, collectively and individually, to place the "national interest above special interests", "party interests" or "constituency interests".

The moderate president defended the performance of his government, which has faced criticism from its conservative and ultra-conservative opponents who now form a majority in the parliament.

'Olive Branch'

For many observers, the record abstention in February's elections reflected the people's disenchantment with broken promises.

Less than 43 percent of voters cast ballots in the election, according to official results.

Voters stayed away after the Guardian Council, a watchdog dominated by ultra-conservatives, disqualified many moderate and reformist candidates from the February 21 election.

The signing of an international agreement on Iran's nuclear programme in 2015 had raised hopes for a bright economic future and an opening up of the country to the world after years of isolation.

But these hopes were dashed before being totally buried in 2018 when US President Donald Trump withdrew from the accord and began reimposing sanctions on Iran.

In his speech, Rouhani again denounced what he called the "psychological war" and "economic and medical terrorism" that he said the United States was waging against his country.

But he said the Iranian nation had stood up against "the enemy" and that its resistance had won.

The president praised his government's performance in dealing with the coronavirus outbreak as a source of "great pride", adding that Iran was "among the countries that have succeeded".

Fereshteh Sadeghi, a political journalist in Tehran, expressed doubt that the new parliament would cooperate with Rouhani's government.

"Rouhani again offers olive branch to new parliament, saying he doesn't seek confrontation but friendship," she tweeted in English.

"He knows these rivals can't be controlled as Ali Larijani did it for him in the past 7 years. God helps him!" she said, referring to the outgoing parliament speaker.

Photo: IRNA

Iran Blasts 'Stupid' US Nuclear Pullout, Warns Over Arms Ban

Iran's president said Wednesday the United States made a "stupid mistake" by abandoning a nuclear deal and warned of severe consequences if its allies agree to extend an arms embargo.

The United States is waging a campaign to extend the ban on selling conventional weapons to Iran, which is set to be progressively eased starting in October.

The ban is to be lifted in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which blessed the landmark international agreement that placed limits on Iran's nuclear program in 2015.

US President Donald Trump withdrew from the accord—known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA—in 2018 and began reimposing sanctions on the Islamic republic.

"America made a very stupid mistake by abandoning this agreement," his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, said at a televised cabinet meeting.

"The wise thing for the US is to return to the JCPOA... but those in charge today won't ever reach such wisdom," he added.

Rouhani said the lifting of the embargo was "an inseparable part" of the nuclear accord.

"If it is ever reimposed... they know well what severe consequences and what historical defeat awaits them if they make such a mistake."

Rouhani did not elaborate on the consequences but said they were detailed in a letter sent previously to the remaining parties to the deal -- Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.

Tehran has progressively scaled back its commitments to the JCPOA in retaliation to the US pullout and what it sees as European inaction to salvage the accord.

Iran's Supreme National Security Council secretary, Ali Shamkhani, warned Sunday that the deal would "die forever" if the embargo is extended.

Tehran has in the past threatened to retaliate against any reimposition of UN sanctions by withdrawing from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Washington has said it would use a legal argument based on an interpretation of Resolution 2231 that it remains a "participant" in the deal despite renouncing it, and can extend the arms embargo on Tehran or see more stringent sanctions reimposed.

Iran, for its part, accuses the US of violating the resolution over its 2018 withdrawal.

"There is no longer a JCPOA for America," Rouhani said.

He added that the US "should know, and some other countries too, that Iran will in no way accept a violation of Resolution 2231", while stressing that lifting the embargo is Iran's "inalienable right".

Rouhani said Iran would not use weapons it purchases to "add fuel to the fire" but to "extinguish flames" by not allowing conflicts to take place.

Photo: IRNA

Iran Reopens Mosques, Records Almost 80,000 Hospital Recoveries

Iran on Monday reopened mosques in parts of the country deemed at low risk from coronavirus, as it said almost 80,000 people hospitalized with the illness had recovered and been released.

Health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said 74 new fatalities brought to 6,277 the total number officially recorded in Iran since it reported its first cases in mid-February.

Iran on Sunday recorded 47 deaths, its lowest daily count in 55 days.

Another 1,223 cases of COVID-19 infections were recorded in the past 24 hours, Jahanpour said, raising the total to 98,647.

Mosques were Monday allowed to reopen to worshippers in 132, or around a third, of Iran's administrative divisions which are considered low-risk.

The country has started using a colour-coded system of "white", "yellow" and "red" for different areas to classify the virus risk.

Worshippers were obliged to enter mosques with masks and gloves and told they can only stay for half an hour during prayer times and must use their personal items, said the health ministry.

Mosques were told to refrain from offering them food and drinks, provide hand sanitisers and disinfect all surfaces, it said in a statement published by ISNA news agency.

According to Jahanpour, 79,397 of those hospitalised with the disease since Iran reported its first cases in mid-February have been discharged, while 2,676 are in critical condition.

He said Iran was among "top five countries in the world" with the highest number of recoveries, without elaborating.

Experts and officials both in Iran and abroad have cast doubts over the country's COVID-19 figures, saying the real number of cases could be much higher than reported.

President Hassan Rouhani said Iran had "succeeded in effectively preventing the spread of this virus in many" parts of the country.

Speaking at a televised videoconference meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement, Rouhani said Iran's response to the outbreak "has in instances been evaluated to be beyond international standards."

But the US "anti-human rights" sanctions against the Islamic republic had hampered its efforts to control the virus, he added, noting that they prevented companies from selling Iran its medical needs.

US President Donald Trump withdrew from a landmark nuclear deal and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Iran in 2018, targeting key oil and banking sectors.

Humanitarian goods, especially medicine and medical equipment, are technically exempt.

But international purchases of such supplies are forestalled by banks wary of conducting any business with Iran for fear of falling foul of the US sanctions.

Photo: IRNA

Iran Reports 94 Virus Deaths But Says Cases Going Down

Iran announced on Wednesday 94 new deaths from the novel coronavirus but said the cases of people infected in the country was on the way down.

Health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said the fatalities detected in the past 24 hours took Iran's overall death toll to 5,391.

The number of people infected with the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease rose by 1,194, bringing the total to 85,996.

"The gradual downward trend in cases of infections has been maintained," Jahanpour told a televised news conference.

President Hassan Rouhani however called on people to remain vigilant.

"If we arrogantly think that the job is done and we have won, then this would be the biggest problem that could affect us," he said during a weekly meeting of his cabinet.

Iran has struggled to contain the virus outbreak since reporting its first cases on February 19 -- two deaths in the Shiite holy city of Qom.

The number of Iranians killed and sickened by the virus is widely thought to be much higher, however.

Despite that, Iran has allowed many businesses to reopen since April 11 after shutting most down in mid-March to prevent the spread of the disease.

Photo: IRNA

Iran Virus Death Toll Passes 3,000

Iran's death toll from the coronavirus has passed 3,000, the health ministry said on Wednesday, as President Hassan Rouhani accused Washington of missing a "historic opportunity" to lift sanctions.

Tensions between the arch-foes have soared since President Donald Trump abandoned a landmark nuclear agreement in 2018 and reimposed sweeping sanctions.

Tehran has repeatedly called on Washington to reverse its policy, which has been opposed by US allies, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said the coronavirus death toll in Iran now stood at 3,036 following 138 new fatalities in the past 24 hours.

He added that 2,987 new cases had been confirmed, bringing the total to 47,593, with 15,473 of those hospitalised having recovered and been discharged.

"This was the best, historic opportunity for the Americans to reverse their wrong path and for once, tell their nation they are not against the Iranian people," Rouhani said in televised comments at a cabinet meeting.

They "did not learn their lesson even during this difficult global situation," he said.

"This was a humanitarian issue. No one would have blamed them for retreating."

Medicines and medical equipment are technically exempt from the US sanctions but purchases are frequently blocked by the unwillingness of banks to process purchases for fear of incurring large penalties in the United States.

Countries including Azerbaijan, Britain, China, France, Germany, Japan, Qatar, Russia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates have all sent shipments of medical aid to Iran.

Photo: IRNA

Iran COVID-19 Infections Cross 40,000

The number of declared coronavirus infections in Iran topped 40,000 Monday, as the government warned the outbreak could run for several more months and cost over 10,000 lives.

With the tally climbing, President Hassan Rouhani stood accused of failing to take prompt action by some of his political opponents.

The row came as a report by Iran's anti-coronavirus committee said the country may struggle with the outbreak until at least early summer.

Parviz Karami, who published the study on Instagram, said 11,000 people would die in case of "medium government intervention", including measures already taken by Iran.

Potential fatalities could drop to 7,700 with "maximum" intervention, such as banning movement inside cities and imposing quarantines, he said.

Health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said Monday another 117 people had died from the virus over the past 24 hours and 3,186 new cases had been confirmed, raising the total to more than 41,000.

The death toll had reached 2,757.

According to Jahanpour, 13,911 of those hospitalised have recovered, while 3,511 are in critical condition.

The Islamic republic is one of the countries worst hit by the pandemic.

Iran has been scrambling to contain COVID-19's spread since it reported its first cases on February 19.

After weeks of refraining from imposing a lockdown or quarantine measures, Tehran decided last Wednesday to ban all intercity travel until at least April 8.

There is no official lockdown in Iran's cities although the government has repeatedly urged Iranians to stay at home to contain the spread of the virus.

Rouhani's political opponents argued Monday that it was all too little, too late.

'Political War'

"Coronavirus could have been more quickly contained" if measures such as "social distancing and limitations had been considered sooner", judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi said, quoted by ISNA news agency.

Raisi, an ultra-conservative who ran against Rouhani in the 2017 presidential election, said that "time is of the essence".

The Iranian people had started "cooperating" only after authorities appeared to take the threat seriously, the official said.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a veteran conservative who also stood against Rouhani, charged the administration has mismanaged the crisis.

He accused the authorities of "ignoring reality" and "unjustified optimism".

Rouhani had "worsened the crisis, then asked for help and put the blame on others", Ghalibaf tweeted.

The criticism came as Rouhani called on opponents to assist the government's efforts.

"This is not a time for gathering followers. This is not a time for political war," the president said.

Government spokesman Ali Rabiei on Monday defended the measures adopted by the administration at a time that the country was under crippling US sanctions.

Washington withdrew from a landmark nuclear deal with Tehran and reimposed sanctions on Iran in 2018, targeting the crucial oil and banking sectors, among others.

The administration had taken the necessary steps "once notified" of the COVID-19 outbreak, Rabiei told a news conference.

Its approach had been to try to ensure "that both physical distance be kept and people's everyday lives not be disturbed", he said.

"These two make sense together in an economy under sanctions."

According to Rabiei, the administration has endorsed a $6-billion rescue package to fend off the damage from the outbreak.

It included low-interest loans to businesses to prevent a spike in unemployment and cash handouts to impoverished Iranians.

Some of Iran's top hospitals are experimenting with stem cells to "balance immune system response" in infected patients and find a treatment, according to ISNA.

Iran also said Monday it has started mass production of "highly accurate" coronavirus testing kits that could produce results within 3 hours.

Photo: IRNA

Iran Warns of Lengthy 'New Way of Life' as Virus Deaths Rise

President Hassan Rouhani warned Sunday that "the new way of life" in Iran was likely to be prolonged, as its declared death toll from the novel coronavirus rose to 2,640.

The Islamic republic is one of the countries worst-hit by the virus, which first originated in China.

Iran announced its first infection cases on February 19, but a senior health official has acknowledged that the virus was likely to have already reached Iran in January.

At his daily news briefing, health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said 123 more people in Iran had died from the virus in the past 24 hours.

He reported 2,901 new cases of COVID-19 infection, bringing the overall number of officially confirmed cases to 38,309.

According to the official, 12,391 of those hospitalised have recovered and 3,467 are in "critical" condition.

"We must prepare to live with this virus until a treatment or vaccine is discovered, which has not yet happened to date," President Hassan Rouhani said in a cabinet meeting.

"The new way of life we have adopted" is to everyone's benefit, he said, adding that "these changes will likely have to stay in place for some time".

After weeks of refraining from imposing lockdown or quarantine measures, Tehran decided Wednesday to ban all intercity travel until at least April 8.

Without an official lockdown in place, the government has repeatedly urged Iranians to stay home "as much as possible".

Schools and universities in some provinces were closed in late February and the measure was later extended to the whole country.

After Rouhani's warning, the reopening of schools following this year's Persian New Year holidays of March 19 to April 3 appears unlikely.

On a positive note, Rouhani said he had been told by top health experts and doctors that "in some provinces we have passed the peak (of the epidemic) and are on a downward trajectory".

Several Iranian government officials and notable figures have been infected by the new coronavirus, some of whom have died.

The most recent case of infection was Mohammad-Reza Khatami, brother of former president Mohammad Khatami and an ex-deputy speaker of parliament.

He is currently hospitalised, according to state news agency IRNA.

Iraj Harirchi, a deputy health minister who tested positive for the virus in late February, has returned to public life and appeared on state television to emphasize safety precautions.

Photo: IRNA