Iran

TEHRAN, Sept 9 (NNN- AGENCIES) – Iran has hinted that the release of a British-flagged oil tanker could be completed “within days” despite ongoing rows over the possible violation of sanctions against the Syrian regime.

Foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi, in an appearance on state-run TV channel IRNA, said the “necessary steps” to release the Swedish-owned ship were “underway”.

“The final steps of the legal procedure are underway and, God willing, the boat will be released in the coming days,” he said, without giving further details.

TEHRAN, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Iranian officials said Sunday that Iran is entitled to suspend parts of its commitments to the 2015 multilateral nuclear deal when its interests are not honored by the parties of the accord, official IRNA news agency reported.

The steps taken by Iran to reduce its commitments under the deal are "legitimate" and are allowed under the agreement, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Sunday.

8 Sep 2019; MEMO: Iranian coast guards seized control of a foreign ship for allegedly smuggling Iranian oil, its media reported on Saturday.

According to the Iranian Fars news agency, the coast guards stopped the ship carrying about 284 thousand liters of smuggled Iranian oil near the Strait of Hormuz.

The Iranian news agency also reported that the coast guards arrested the 12 Philippine nationals on the ship and referred them to the country’s judicial authorities.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran on Saturday said it now uses arrays of advanced centrifuges prohibited by its 2015 nuclear deal and can enrich uranium “much more beyond” current levels to weapons-grade material, taking a third step away from the accord while warning Europe has little time to offer it new terms.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran has begun injecting uranium gas into advanced centrifuges in violation of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, a spokesman said Saturday.

Behrouz Kamalvandi of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran made the remarks in a news conference carried on live television. He spoke from a podium with advanced centrifuges standing next to him.

TEHRAN, September 6. /TASS/: US sanctions against Cuba, Russia, Syria and Iran serve as an attempt to achieve illegitimate political objectives through intimidation of innocent people, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stated on Twitter on Friday.

6 Sep 2019; MEMO: Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad described the nuclear deal between his country and the P5 + 1 in 2015 as a series of unilateral commitments.

Ahmadinejad, who held office for two consecutive terms (2005-13), before the current president Hassan Rouhani, said: “I would not have signed such an agreement at all if it had been up to me.”

TEHRAN, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Wednesday that recent U.S. sanctions against the Iranian Space Agency are ineffective, Tasnim news agency reported.

"The Americans are addicted to sanctions," said Zarif, who is on an official visit to Bangladesh.

"These U.S. sanctions have no effect and the world is also beginning to ridicule the United States," he said.

On Tuesday, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump announced sanctions against the Iranian Space Agency.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran was poised Thursday to begin work on advanced centrifuges that will enrich uranium faster as the 2015 nuclear deal unravels further and a last-minute French proposal offering a $15-billion line of credit to compensate Iran for not being able to sell its crude oil abroad because of U.S. sanctions looked increasingly unlikely.

Meanwhile, Iran released seven crew members from a detained British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero in a goodwill gesture and the mariners flew out of Iran, the ship’s owner said.

4 Sep 2019; MEMO: Iran yesterday declared its willingness to sign a non-aggression agreement with regional countries, Anadolu reported.

Iranian news agency IRNA said the announcement came during a meeting between Iranian Ambassador to Oman Mohammad Reza Nouri Shahroudi and Oman’s Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Bin Alawi Bin Abdullah in the Omani capital, Muscat.