Social and Political

iranintl -A new military conflict will be inevitable unless Iran regains its national strength through reform, rearmament and realistic diplomacy, former president Hassan Rouhani warned. “Diplomatically, we must reject the dichotomy of war or surrender,” Rouhani said in remarks published on Tuesday. “We should pursue win-win negotiations, accepting 70–80% gains instead of zero-sum failures that previously resulted in UN resolutions,” …

Iranwire – An advocacy group displayed the wreckage of an Iranian-made drone at the British Parliament on Tuesday, marking the first public exhibition of such a weapon in Europe. United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) organized the display of the Shahed-136 drone in cooperation with the Speaker of the House of Commons. The organization said the drone had been previously shot …

Iranwire – Iranian authorities halted an execution at the last moment after the victim’s father requested a delay, according to the family’s lawyer. The convicted man, found guilty of killing a 19-year-old university student, had the noose around his neck when the victim’s father asked that the proceedings be stopped, lawyer Hamidreza Haji Esfandiari said. Tehran’s criminal prosecutor subsequently approved …

RFL/RE – Russia’s influence in the Middle East has declined significantly since its 2015 intervention in Syria to support Bashar al-Assad. Moscow was excluded from a major October 13 summit in Egypt, highlighting its diminished diplomatic role in the region. Russia faces challenges balancing ties with Iran and Gulf nations amid strategic shifts and its focus on the Ukraine war. …

iranintl – US President Donald Trump has been given false information suggesting Iran sought nuclear weapons, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday, accusing Israel of feeding Washington false intelligence. “It is more than clear by now that POTUS has been badly fed the fake line that Iran’s peaceful nuclear program was on the verge of weaponization this spring,” …

iranintl – Iran’s parliament on Tuesday voted against fast-tracking a bill that sought to stop the government from submitting documents to join a United Nations convention against terror financing, Guards-affiliated Tasnim news reported. Lawmakers rejected the motion with 150 votes in favor, 73 against and nine abstentions out of 238 members present, Tasnim said. The proposal was sent to parliament’s …

iranintl – Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday criticized US President Donald Trump’s call for dialogue with Tehran, saying his remarks about peace were inconsistent with Washington’s record of sanctions, military strikes and support for Israel. Trump told Israeli lawmakers on Monday that “it would be great if we made a peace deal with them,” adding later that Iran “has been …

iranintl – Britain’s MI5 warned members of Parliament that spies from China, Russia and Iran are targeting UK politicians in an effort to influence policy, gather intelligence and undermine democracy, Reuters reported on Monday. MI5 Director General Ken McCallum urged lawmakers to stay alert to blackmail attempts, phishing attacks,and approaches from individuals seeking to cultivate long-term relationships or make donations …

iranintl – Russia is permitted by international law to step up military ties with Iran even after UN sanctions were reimposed last month, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday. The comments may signal stepped-up security cooperation between the two heavily-sanctioned powers deeply at odds with Washington and the West. A troika of European powers triggered the reimposition of international sanctions …

iranintl – US President Donald Trump said on Monday that US attacks on Iranian nuclear sites had dealt a blow to the Middle East’s “bully” that convinced them not to restart the program. Trump said Iran would now seek global reintegration and economic recovery rather than pursuing nuclear weapons. Tehran denies seeking a bomb. “I think Iran is going to …