Middle East & North Africa

1,000 U.S. sanctions on Iran agreed to be lifted, 500 others remain: media

TEHRAN, June 9 (Xinhua) -- The past five rounds of the Vienna talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal led to an agreement over the removal of some 1,000 U.S. sanctions on Iran, but about 500 others are still in dispute, parliamentary sources were quoted as saying by semi-official Tasnim News Agency on Wednesday.

The figure was offered by the head of the Iranian negotiating team, Abbas Araqchi, in a meeting in the afternoon with the Iranian parliament's Foreign Policy Committee, said Ebrahim Azizi, a member of the committee.

As Iran prepares to vote, its battered economy a major worry

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Almost six years ago, Iranians poured into the streets to celebrate Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers. They saw it as a chance for the Islamic Republic to re-enter the world economy and create opportunities like purchasing airplanes and selling its oil on the international market.

Today, that dream has faded into a daily grinding nightmare of high inflation, an ever-weakening national currency and high unemployment worsened by the coronavirus pandemic.

Iran candidate says he’s willing to potentially meet Biden

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — An Iranian presidential candidate said Wednesday he’d be willing to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden if he wins his country’s election next week, though “America needs to send better and stronger signals” to the Islamic Republic.

Speaking to The Associated Press, former Iranian Central Bank chief Abdolnasser Hemmati stressed that an American return to Iran’s tattered nuclear deal was key to any possible relationship amid the wider tensions in the Mideast.

Iran joins coronavirus vaccine producing countrie

Tehran, June 9, IRNA - Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi said in the launching ceremony of the second phase of clinical test for Fakhra COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday that Iran has joined the few countries that can produce– such coronavirus vaccines.

Harirchi said that only a handful of countries in the world are capable of producing COVID-19 vaccines and Iran has joined this league by producing several vaccines.

9th consignment of Russian COVID-19 vaccines delivered to Iran Embassy in Moscow

Moscow, June 9, IRNA – The 9th batch of Russian Corona vaccine, Sputnik V, including 100,000 doses, was delivered to the Iranian Embassy in Moscow on Wednesday and will be forwarded to Tehran on Thursday.

The vaccines will be sent to Tehran via the Iranian airline of Mahan on Thursday.

So far 900,000 doses of Sputnik V vaccines have been delivered to Iran.

Iran seeks regional peace and stability: Zarif

Tehran, June 9, IRNA - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a message referred to his talks with UN envoys on Afghanistan and Yemen here in Tehran, saying, "Iran seeks regional peace and stability."

"Fruitful talks with UNSG SRs on Afghanistan, Mr. Arnault, and on Yemen, Mr. Griffiths," Zarif wrote in his Twitter account on Wednesday.

"Key theme: Peace processes must be owned by all Afghans and Yemenis—without external imposition," he added.

"Important common denominator: Iran seeks regional peace and stability. Ready to facilitate," he reiterated.

Turkey sends 50,000 more vaccine doses to Northern Cyprus

09 June 2021; AA: Turkey sent 50,000 more doses of a coronavirus vaccine to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Tuesday. 

A Turkish Health Ministry plane carrying the vaccine doses landed at Ercan International Airport in Lefkosa, where officials of the TRNC’s Health Ministry received the shipment.

With the latest delivery, Turkey has provided the TRNC with 190,000 vaccine doses to date.

Iran rejects IAEA remarks on level of bilateral cooperation as 'biased'

09 June 2021; MEMO: Iran's Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Kazem Gharibabadi, yesterday rejected the IAEA chief's assessment of the level of cooperation between the agency and Tehran, describing it as "biased" and "lacking in credibility".

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said in his opening statement to the quarterly session of the IAEA Board of Governors that technical discussions between the IAEA and Iran have not yielded the expected results.

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