Al-Monitor – In response to the United States’ withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran announced it has taken what it calls its “second step” away from the accord.  Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, told reporters July 8, “We waited two months, and Iran’s second countermeasures started …

CNN -Iran’s second pledge to breach the terms of the landmark nuclear deal was light on detail, but heavier in consequence.And it pretty much encapsulated the mood music of the Persian Gulf right now: a move that permits great, inflammatory rhetoric, but changes little in practice.Tehran declared Sunday that it would enrich uranium past the limit of 3.67% set by the deal. In …

PayvandNews – Some 25,000 hectares of Hyrcanian Forest in northern Iran undergo fragmentation mostly due to land use changes for agricultural and residential purposes, wood smuggling and overgrazing, an official with the national network for environmental and natural resources organizations has said. Unfortunately, lack of supervision and protective measures is exacerbating the condition for Hyrcanian Forest, ISNA quoted Masoud Molana as …

Hashem Khastar, born June 2, 1953 is an Iranian retired teacher at the Agriculture Technical High School in Mashhad, northeastern Iran. He is also an agricultural engineer and the head of the Mashhad Teachers Union. Mr. Khastar has had and still has a remarkable influence on the issues of teachers’ rights in Iran. This became increasingly clear during the nationwide …

Radiofarda -The more people give up hope about reforms in Iran, the more likely they gravitate towards subversion, the former President of the Islamic Republic, Mohammad Khatami, has warned, adding, “Subversive forces might succeed.” Meeting with members of Engineers Association on Saturday, July 6, Khatami called for efforts toward forming an effective strategy for reformists strategy, to attract people to …

Radiofarda – In a strange turn of events, a Norwegian oil tanker sabotaged on May 12 in Fujairah territorial waters in the Persian Gulf region is on its way to Iran. Product tanker Andrea Victory suffered a gash in aft tank after an unknown object hit it on May 12, said tanker’s management company Thome Ship Management in a May …

Radiofarda – While U.S. warned Sunday of more sanctions hitting Iran, the country’s oil minister expressed hope crude exports will increase without offering any details. The United States has toughened its oil sanctions on Iran since May 2, aiming for “zero” exports. Various industry reports speak of less than 500,000 barrels of oil exported daily. Prior to the imposition of …

Al-Arabia – Enriching uranium to 20 percent is an option for Iran’s third step in reducing its commitments to nuclear deal, an Iranian nuclear agency spokesman said on Monday. Increasing the number of centrifuges is another option, the spokesman said, adding that restarting IR-2 and IR-2 m type centrifuges is also an option. Iran warns Europe Iran warned European countries …

Al-Arabia – Britain’s seizure of an Iranian tanker last week is “maritime piracy” that Iran will not leave without a response, Iran’s Defense Minister Amir Hatami said on Monday in a speech broadcast live on state television. Hatami added that Britain’s detention of the Iranian tanker was a “threatening and incorrect action.”“This action is a violation of international regulations and …

Al-Arabia – US President Donald Trump on Sunday said Iran “better be careful,” hours after Tehran announced it would shortly boost its uranium enrichment above a cap set by a landmark 2015 nuclear deal. Speaking to reporters as he departed Morristown, New Jersey, Trump warned Tehran. “Iran better be careful. If you enrich for one reason and I won’t tell you …