Middle East & North Africa

Iran: National security commission snubs nuclear chief negotiator's report as 'unsatisfactory'

28 June 2021; MEMO: The Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission on Sunday said the report presented by Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Abbas Araghchi, on the progress of the nuclear talks currently taking place in Vienna to revive the nuclear agreement between the world powers and Iran, was "unsatisfactory".

Gaza reconstruction clouded by dispute over Israelis held by Hamas

GAZA, June 28 (Reuters) - Reconstruction of Gaza after last month's fighting between Israel and Hamas is being held up by a dispute over the fate of Israelis long held by the Islamist group and a lack of clarity over how to prevent it from accessing aid funds, officials say.

The Gaza government says 2,200 homes were destroyed and 37,000 damaged by Israeli shelling during 11 days of cross-border exchanges. Rebuilding those dwellings and wider Gaza infrastructure will cost some $500 million, the government says.

Iran says no decision has been made yet on IAEA monitoring deal

DUBAI, June 28 (Reuters) - Iran said on Monday it has yet to decide whether to extend a monitoring deal with the U.N. nuclear watchdog which lapsed last week, amid Washington's warning that Tehran's failure to renew it would complicate talks to revive its 2015 nuclear accord.

"No decision has been made yet, either negative or positive, about extending the monitoring deal with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)," Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told a televised weekly news conference.

Moroccan FM stresses importance of upcoming Libyan elections

RABAT, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita on Sunday underscored the importance of Libya's upcoming general elections which are expected to lay the foundation for long-term stability in the Maghreb country.

Morocco supports the efforts of the Libyan legitimate institutions to prepare for the next elections, Bourita told the press following his talks in Rabat with visiting head of the Libyan transitional government, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.

Egyptian, Jordanian, Iraqi leaders meet in Baghdad

BAGHDAD, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi held a tripartite meeting with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and Jordanian King Abdullah II here on Sunday to enhance economic ties, security cooperation and regional stability.

The meeting "is an important message to our people that we are mutually supportive and unified to serve our people and the people of the region," a statement of al-Kadhimi's media office quoted his opening remarks as saying.

Iran Rules Out Endless Negotiations Over Nuke Deal’s Revival

TEHRAN, Jun 27 (NNN-IRNA) – Spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry, said yesterday, Iran will not negotiate endlessly over the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal, urging the United States to abandon the “failed legacy” of former President Donald Trump.

Iran has actively participated in the Vienna talks, aimed at the revival of the Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which the United States tried to “destroy,” Saeed Khatibzadeh tweeted.

Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Plant To Restart Operation “Soon”: Atomic Chief

TEHRAN, Jun 27 (NNN-IRNA) – The head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI), Ali Akbar Salehi, said yesterrday that, the Bushehr nuclear power plant, which was shut down temporarily last week, will enter the circuit in the following days.

“The temporary shut-down of the Bushehr nuclear power plant was due to technical issues. This problem is almost solved and the power plant will enter the circuit within the next two or three days,” Salehi was quoted as saying.

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