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☆ Top Iranian, Saudi envoys meet in China, discuss diplomatic ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A man in Tehran holds a local newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties on March, 11 2023. The foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia met in Beijing on Thursday for the first formal meeting of their top diplomats in more than seven years, after China brokered a deal to restore ties between the regional rivals. After years of hostility that fueled conflicts across the Middle East, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to end their diplomatic rift and re-open embassies in a major deal facilitated by China last month. In brief footage broadcast on Iranian state TV, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amirabdollahian, greeted each other before sitting down side by side. In March, China's President Xi Jinping helped broker the surprise deal between the rivals to end a seven-year rift and restore diplomatic ties - a display of China's growing influence in the region.

☆ Top Saudi, Iranian diplomats to meet in China - official, media
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The meeting between Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amirabdollahian, will be the first formal meeting between Saudi Arabia and Iran's most senior diplomats in more than seven years. 6 in Beijing as the deal was facilitated by China," a senior Iranian official told Reuters. Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran in 2016 after its embassy in Tehran was stormed during a dispute between the two countries over Riyadh's execution of a Shi'ite Muslim cleric. The kingdom subsequently asked Iranian diplomats to leave within 48 hours while it evacuated its embassy staff from Teheran. The relationship had worsened since 2015, after Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates intervened in the Yemen war, where the Iran-aligned Houthi movement ousted a Saudi-backed government and took over the capital Sanaa.

☆ Saudi, Iranian foreign ministers to meet during Muslim holy month
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud attends a news conference at the Arab Gulf Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, December 9, 2022. REUTERS/Ahmed YosriMarch 27 (Reuters) - Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amirabdollahian, have agreed to meet during the ongoing Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the Saudi state news agency SPA said on Monday, under a deal to restore ties. The two ministers also agreed to hold a bilateral meeting between them during the ongoing month of Ramadan," SPA said. The deal between the regional powers, Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and long-time rival Shi'ite Iran, brokered by China, was announced after previously undisclosed talks in Beijing between top security officials from the two countries. Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran in 2016 after its embassy in Tehran was stormed during a dispute between the two countries over Riyadh's execution of a Shi'ite Muslim cleric.

☆ Saudi, Iranian foreign ministers to meet during Muslim holy month of Ramadan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 27 (Reuters) - Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amirabdollahian, have agreed to meet during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the Saudi state news agency SPA said early on Monday. Both ministers spoke by phone for the second time in a few days, SPA said. "During the call, a number of common issues were discussed in light of the tripartite agreement that was signed in the People's Republic of China. The two ministers also agreed to hold a bilateral meeting between them during the ongoing month of Ramadan," SPA said. Reporting by Hatem Maher; Editing by Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Saudi, Iranian foreign ministers to meet to pave way to re-open embassies
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A newspaper with a cover picture of the flag of Iran and Saudi Arabia, is seen in Tehran, Iran March 11, 2023. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERSDUBAI, March 23 (Reuters) - Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amirabdollahian, have agreed to meet soon and pave the way for the re-opening of embassies under a deal to re-establish ties, Saudi state news agency SPA said on Thursday. Earlier this month, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to revive relations after years of hostility that had threatened stability and security in the Gulf and helped fuel conflicts in the Middle East from Yemen to Syria. Amirabdollahian emphasized during the call Iran's readiness to strengthen relations with Saudi Arabia, Iran's official news agency IRNA reported. The deal between the regional powers, Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and long-time rival Shi'ite Iran, brokered by China, was announced after previously undisclosed talks in Beijing between top security officials from the two countries.

☆ Iraq and Iran sign deal to tighten border security
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Ahmed Rasheed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani looks on as Iraq's National Security Adviser Qasim al-Araji and Iran's Supreme National Security Council secretary Ali Shamkhani sign the security agreement that includes coordination in protecting the common borders between the two countries, in Baghdad, Iraq, March 19, 2023. The joint security agreement includes coordination in "protecting the common borders between the two countries and consolidating cooperation in several security fields", a statement from the Iraqi prime minister's office said. Iran's Supreme National Security Council secretary Ali Shamkhani signed the deal with Iraq's National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji, in the presence of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani, the prime minister office said. "Under the signed security deal, Iraq pledges it would not allow armed groups to use its territory in the Iraqi Kurdish region to launch any border-crossing attacks on neighbour Iran," said an Iraqi security official who attended the signing. Iran has also accused Kurdish militants of working with its arch-enemy Israel and has often voices concern over the alleged presence of the Israeli spy agency Mossad in the autonomous Iraqi Kurdish region.

☆ Iran proposes locations to Saudi Arabia for foreign minister meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian speaks during a news conference in Tehran, Iran March 19, 2023. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERSDUBAI, March 19 (Reuters) - The Iranian government has proposed to Saudi Arabia three locations for a meeting at foreign minister level, Iran's foreign minister said on Sunday, citing the latest messages with Riyadh since the countries agreed to re-establish ties. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian told a news conference in Tehran his country had agreed to such a meeting, although he did not list the three locations or say when such a meeting might take place. Iran and Saudi Arabia, the region's Shi'ite Muslim and Sunni powers, agreed on March 10 to re-establish relations and re-open embassies within two months after years of hostility. Amirabdollahian signalled Iran was also hoping for steps towards normalising ties with Bahrain, a close Saudi ally.

☆ Iran says deal reached with US for prisoner swap
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Parisa Hafezi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Some Iranian media reported last week that Iran had reached a prisoner swap deal in exchange for the release of $7 billion in frozen Iranian oil funds under U.S. sanctions in South Korea. In 2018, then-U.S. president Donald Trump ditched a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six powers and reimposed sanctions that have crippled the Islamic Republic's economy. The deal imposed restrictions on Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for lifting international sanctions. In reaction to Washington's sanctions, Tehran has gradually violated curbs of the pact on its nuclear programme. The deal imposed restrictions on Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for lifting international sanctions.

Tehran and Riyadh agreed "to resume diplomatic relations between them and re-open their embassies and missions within a period not exceeding two months", according to a statement issued by Iran, Saudi Arabia and China. Saudi Arabia blamed Iran for missile and drone attacks on the kingdom’s oil facilities in 2019 as well as attacks on tankers in Gulf waters. In Friday's agreement, Saudi Arabia and Iran also agreed to activate a security cooperation agreement signed in 2001, as well as another earlier accord on trade, economy and investment. The agreement was signed by Iran's top security official, Ali Shamkhani, and Saudi Arabia's national security adviser Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban. Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran in 2016 after its embassy in Tehran was stormed during a dispute between the two countries over Riyadh's execution of a Shi'ite Muslim cleric.

☆ Reaction to Iran and Saudi Arabia resuming ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

STATEMENT ISSUED BY IRAN, SAUDI ARABIA AND CHINATehran and Riyadh agreed "to resume diplomatic relations between them and re-open their embassies and missions within a period not exceeding two months". HEZBOLLAHThe head of Lebanon's powerful armed group said the resumption of ties between its backer Iran and longtime rival Saudi Arabia was a "good development". ANWAR GARGASH, DIPLOMATIC ADVISER TO UNITED ARAB EMIRATES PRESIDENT"We welcome the agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran to resume diplomatic relations, and we hail the Chinese role in this regard," he tweeted. QATARPrime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, who also acts as foreign minister, called the foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia to welcome the deal. IRAQ STATE NEWS AGENCYIraq welcomes "turning a new page" between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

During the session, which opens on Monday and runs until April 4, many states will seek to extend the mandate of a U.N investigation body set up to probe atrocities in Ukraine. Kyiv and its allies are disgruntled by the participation of Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, who will address the council on Thursday. Filipenko said Ukraine did not welcome Russia's presence and would "act accordingly," without giving details. The Geneva-based U.N. human rights council is the only body made up of governments to protect human rights worldwide. Countries also will closely watch how Volker Turk, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights since October, refers to China after his predecessor Michelle Bachelet was accused by some rights groups of being too soft on Beijing.

☆ Iran to shun India's Raisina Dialogue over mention of protests
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian will not attend the Raisina Dialogue in India, Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday, criticising a video posted by the conference organisers showing protests in the Islamic Republic. "The foreign minister's attendance was on the agenda ... but we witnessed an unprofessional action by the organisers in the form of a clip," Nasser Kanaani said in a televised news conference. "Iran and India are committed to non-interference in each other's internal affairs," Kanaani said. Anti-government protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, who had been detained for flouting the hijab rules, have damaged the clerical establishment's legitimacy at home and abroad. Many Western states have imposed sanctions following a harsh state crackdown on protests.

☆ Exclusive: Iran to start revamp at Venezuela's largest refining complex within weeks - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Mircely Guanipa | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The companies are now expected to sign in the coming weeks a 460-million-euro contract to revamp the 955,000-bpd Paraguana refinery complex on the coast of western Venezuela, according to the sources. Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian arrived in Caracas on Friday and met Venezuela's oil minister Tareck El Aissami, according to tweets from the Iranian embassy in Caracas and Venezuela's oil ministry. PDVSA, NIORDC and Venezuela's oil ministry did not reply to requests for comment. A QUARTER OF CAPACITYA project to restore the complex's dilapidated power supply is also planned as part of the revamp, according to the sources. During the El Palito revamp, PDVSA sent home hundreds of Venezuelan workers to make way for the Iranian technicians, which triggered protests.

☆ Iran says drones attacked military factory amid Israel tensions
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Aina J. Khan | Aina Is A Freelance Reporter With Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

'Defensive traps'The Iranian defense ministry confirmed one of its workshop complexes had come under attack Saturday from a number of Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs), but said the complex’s air defenses had successfully repelled the attack. Three quadcopters equipped with bombs were used in the attack, Iran’s defense ministry said in a statement shared with IRIB. Israel is widely believed to be behind a growing list of incidents like the drone attack that have hit Iranian military and nuclear targets in recent years. Russia’s foreign ministry on Monday condemned Sunday’s drone strike against its burgeoning ally and warned against “unpredictable consequences” that could escalate an already precarious situation. “Such destructive actions could have unpredictable consequences for peace and stability in the Middle East,” foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said.

☆ Azerbaijan strongly protests to Iran after fatal embassy shooting
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Nailia Bagirova | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"Necessary security measures have been taken to continue normal activities at the embassy and diplomats of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Tehran," he said. [1/5] A general view of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan after an attack on it, in Tehran, Iran, January 27, 2023. It said an "anti-Azerbaijani campaign" in Iran had contributed to the attack, without elaborating, and accused Tehran of long ignoring its appeals to boost embassy security. Iran's Amirabdollahian later told Azeri Foreign Minister Jayran Bairamov in a phone call that he hoped the attack would not damage bilateral ties. Israel has had an embassy in Baku since the early 1990s and has been a significant military backer of Azerbaijan in recent years.

☆ Iran warns EU not to list Revolutionary Guards as terrorist entity
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"We have repeatedly said the Revolutionary Guards are a formal and sovereign organisation whose role is central for guaranteeing Iran's security. Steps taken by the European Parliament to list the organisation as terrorist are in a way a shot in the foot of Europe itself," Iran's foreign minister said. On Wednesday the European Parliament called for the EU to list the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organisation, blaming it for the repression of domestic protesters and the supply of drones to Russia's military engaged in Ukraine. The European Parliament condemned the crackdown on protesters by Iran's security forces, which include the powerful Revolutionary Guard Corps, as "brutal". In any case of a terrorist listing, Iran will take reciprocal measures," Amirabdollahian said.

DUBAI, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Iran's foreign minister said on Wednesday he spoke with his Saudi counterpart on the sidelines of a conference in Jordan the previous day, the highest-level encounter reported between officials from the rival states since they cut ties in 2016. The Middle East's leading Shi'ite and Sunni Muslim powers, Saudi Arabia and Iran have been on opposing sides of conflicts across the region including in Syria and Yemen. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, tweeting in Arabic, on Wednesday listed his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, as one of several foreign ministers with whom he had the chance to hold "friendly talks" on the sidelines of the Jordan conference. "My Saudi counterpart assured me of his country's willingness to continue the dialogue with Iran," Amirabdollahian wrote. The Saudi foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

☆ EU and Iran to continue working on nuclear deal, Borrell says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Dec 20 (Reuters) - EU foreign 7policy chief Josep Borrell on Tuesday condemned Iran's support for Russia in its war in Ukraine and the ongoing repression of opposition in the country, but said the EU would continue to work with Iran on restoring the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. "Necessary meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in Jordan amidst deteriorating Iran-EU relations," Borrell tweeted ahead of a regional conference being hosted by Jordan. "Stressed need to immediately stop military support to Russia and internal repression in Iran. Agreed we must keep communication open and restore JCPOA on basis of Vienna negotiations." Reporting Bart Meijer, Editing by Charlotte Van CampenhoutOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

She died in hospital three days after being arrested by the country's morality police for allegedly breaking its strict dress-code laws. However, Iran's main state media agencies haven’t covered the remarks, potentially signaling they were not sanctioned by the political establishment. The morality police have not been prominent on the streets of Tehran and other cities for roughly two months. The United States was similarly skeptical that Iran is loosening its hijab laws, according to a senior Biden administration official. They said that it was possible the announcement was made to diminish attendance participation in the three days of strikes this week.

☆ US intel says Iran agreed to help Russia build more drones to use in Ukraine even as the Kremlin has denied it, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Taiyler Simone Mitchell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Iran has agreed to help Russia with attack drone production, according to The Washington Post. Russia has not officially confirmed that drones it has used in Ukraine were Iranian. Russia's unprovoked war on Ukraine has persisted since February, despite Russian forces retreating from areas in the southern in recent weeks. Russia has used more than 400 Iranian-made drones in its war against Ukraine, according to The Post. Iran previously denied supplying the drones to Russia, but Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said earlier this month that Iran did send drones to Russia "before the Ukraine war."

☆ Treasury sanctions firms, individuals involved in the transfer of drones from Iran to Russia in Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Treasury Department announced new sanctions against three firms and two individuals involved in the production and transport of drones from Iran to Russia to aid in Russian President Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine. The sanctions come as the U.S. and its allies look to punish individuals and organizations supporting Russia's war efforts. In addition, the Treasury issued sanctions against two individuals — Abbas Djuma and Tigran Khristoforovich Srabionov — for facilitating Wagner Group's acquisition of drones. State Department spokesman Ned Price also said Russian officials received training on the UAVs in Iran. The U.S., Britain and France said Iran violated U.N. Security Council resolution 2231 by providing the weapons to Russia.

☆ Iran's drones are unlikely to help Russia win in Ukraine — and could backfire for Tehran
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Ukraine has blamed Iran for providing Russia with drones, which have been used to attack Kyiv in recent days. They transferred dozens just this summer & have military personnel in occupied Ukraine helping Russia use them against Ukrainian civilians." Amirabdollahian said that "if it is proven to us that Russia has used Iranian drones in the Ukraine war, we won't be indifferent to it." They've also come in handy for Moscow as Russia's military runs low on more advanced weaponry like guided missiles. "Such systems could become a big headache for the Russians and could make Iran's drones and missiles look ineffective while teaching Western militaries how better to counter them," he said.

☆ Russia paid Iran for its suicide drones by sending a plane full of $140 million in cash and captured Western weapons, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia paid for Iranian drones with 140 million Euros cash and captured Western weapons, per Sky News. The Western weapons could be reverse-engineered by Iran, Sky's source said. The Western weapons Iran reportedly received could be instrumental for Iran's own weapons development systems. But, the source told Sky, the captured Western weapons will now "probably be reverse-engineered and used in future wars." In mid-October a Russian defense official was caught on a hot mic saying it was an open secret that the Kremlin had indeed imported Russian drones.

☆ Ukraine suffers power outages amid intense Russian attacks
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Hossein Amirabdollahian claimed, however, that Tehran didn’t know if its drones were used against Ukraine and stated Iran’s commitment to stopping the conflict. Moscow has said those came in response to what it alleged were Ukrainian attacks on Crimea, the region that Russia illegally annexed in 2014. A worker repairs damaged lines after a missile strike on a power plant in an undisclosed part of Ukraine. The Russian forces targeted the city and the areas around it with heavy artillery, as they have done repeatedly since July. Elsewhere in the region, Ukrainian forces shot down a drone and another projectile, according to Reznichenko.

☆ Iran says it shipped drones to Russia before Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"The drone part is true and we provided Russia a small number of drones months before the Ukraine war," he said. Russia denies its forces have used Iranian drones to attack Ukraine. In a video address, Zelenskyy dismissed talk of limited Iranian supplies to Russia, saying Ukraine had downed 11 drones on Friday alone. Separately, U.S. Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley tweeted it was untrue that Iran had sent a few drones. Amirabdollahian repeated Tehran would "not remain indifferent" if it were proven Russia had used Iranian drones against Ukraine.

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