Social and Political

rferl.org – Iran may be preparing a third attempt this year to launch a space rocket, U.S. National Public Radio reports, citing satellite imagery it received from the commercial company Planet. The published image taken on August 24 shows Iran’s launchpad has been freshly painted bright blue at the Imam Khomeini Space Center. Earlier, it had a burn scar from …

voanews – BEIJING – Iran and China need to join forces to counter unilateralism and “contempt for international law,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told his Chinese counterpart at a meeting in Beijing on Monday that followed his surprise visit to the Group of Seven summit in France. Zarif did not mention the U.S. directly in opening remarks to …

alarabiya – Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani came out strongly in favor of talks between Iran and the US on Monday as his top diplomat came under fire from hardline media for a surprise visit to a G7 summit. This comes after Rouhani made several comments that talks are “not suitable” and that resistance is the country’s “only choice.” “And if …

radiofarda – Iran has dispatched a destroyer and a helicopter-carrying support ship to Gulf of Aden “to provide security for Islamic Republic vessels in international waters”, the chief of staff of Iran’s army announced. Admiral Habibollah Sayari added that the two warships, destroyer Sahand and helicopter ship Kharg, will “escort” commercial vessels in the Sea of Oman and the Gulf …

rferl.org – Iran says it has sold the oil from an Iranian-flagged supertanker at the center of a standoff between Tehran and Washington. Government spokesman Ali Rabiei told a news conference in Tehran on August 26 that the owner of the oil will decide the ship’s ultimate destination. The spokesman did not identify the buyer. Data from Refinitiv Eikon, an …

rferl.org – U.S. President Donald Trump says he would agree to meet Iranian President Hassan Rohani if “the circumstances were correct or right.” Tensions between Iran and the United States have ramped up since Washington last year withdrew from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers and reimposed crippling sanctions on the Iranian economy. Five other signatories, …

alarabiya – The Israeli army says Iranian Quds operatives, commanded by General Qassem Soleimani, planned to attack Israel from an Iranian base in Syria. “Soleimani commanded an attack of killer drones on Israel. Iranian Quds operatives flew to the Damascus Intl. Airport with drones & explosives, and continued to an Iranian base in Syria to prepare for an attack on …

radiofarda – A French diplomat says French President Emmanuel Macron outlined details of a French plan to ease tensions with Iran during his working lunch with President Donald Trump at the G-7 summit. The official, who was speaking anonymously in accordance with the French presidency’s customary practices, said France has been working for several weeks on the plan. The diplomat …

rferl.org – The French president’s office has described talks on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in the coastal town of Biarritz between French leaders and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as “positive” and said the discussions, which also included Germany and Britain, would continue. Zarif made a surprise visit to Biarritz for several hours on …

radiofarda – A third British warship is heading to the Gulf, the Royal Navy announced Saturday, amid heightened tensions in the region. Britain has already sent the HMS Kent to cover for frigate HMS Montrose while it undergoes maintenance in nearby Bahrain, and is now redirecting the Type 45 destroyer HMS Defender from its mission to the Pacific. “Wherever the …