TEHRAN:&nbsp;Iran&#39;s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei granted pardons or reduced sentences on Tuesday to more than 2,000 people, the judiciary said, adding that none of those involved in recent protests were on the list. The decision comes ahead of the anniversary of the Islamic revolution, which, along with other important occasions in Iran, has traditionally seen the supreme leader sign off on similar pardons over the years. &quot;The leader of the Islamic revolution agreed to the request by the head of the judiciary to pardon or reduce or commute the sentences of 2,108 convicts,&quot; the judiciary&#39;s Mizan Online website said. The list, however, does not include &quot;the defendants and convicts from the recent riots,&quot; it said, quoting the judiciary&#39;s Deputy Chief Ali Mozaffari. Protests against the rising cost of living broke out in Iran in late December before morphing into nationwide anti-government demonstrations that peaked on January 8 and 9. Tehran has acknowledged that more than 3,000 people died during the unrest, including members of the security forces and innocent bystanders, and attributed the violence to &quot;terrorist acts.&quot;Iranian authorities said the protests began as peaceful demonstrations before turning into &quot;foreign-instigated riots&quot; involving killings and vandalism. International organizations have put the toll far higher. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) says it has verified 6,964 deaths, mostly protesters.

Middle East

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei granted pardons or reduced sentences to more than 2,000 people

Iran offers clemency to over 2,000 convicts, excludes protest-related cases

PARIS: Iran would strike US military and shipping targets in the event of a new attack by the United States during an ongoing wave of protests, the parliament speaker said on Sunday. &quot;In the event of a military attack by the United States, both the occupied territory and centers of the US military and shipping will be our legitimate targets,&quot; Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told parliament in comments broadcast by state TV, apparently also referring to Israel, which the Islamic Republic does not recognize and considers occupied Palestinian territory. &#39;Significant&#39; arrestsMeanwhile, Iran has made significant arrests of key figures in the protest movement that has swept the Islamic Republic over the last two weeks, the national police chief said Sunday. &quot;Last night (Saturday evening), significant arrests were made of the main elements in the riots, who, God willing, will be punished after going through legal procedures,&quot; Ahmad-Reza Radan told state TV, without giving details on the number or identities of those arrested. Iran&#39;s president to address nationMeanwhile, IRIB, Iran&#39;s state TV, said&nbsp;President Masoud Pezeshkian will address economic plans and &quot;people&#39;s demands&quot; in an interview on Sunday. It comes after two weeks of protests sparked by anger over the rising cost of living. &quot;In a conversation with the national media, the president laid out the status of the government&#39;s major economic plan to reform the subsidy system, and also discussed recent events and the government&#39;s approach to responding to the people&#39;s demands,&quot; IRIB state TV said, noting the interview would be broadcast later Sunday.

Iran has made significant arrests of key figures in the protest movement that has swept the Islamic Republic over the last two weeks, the national police chief said Sunday.

Iran to target US military, shipping if attacked: Parliament speaker

TEHRAN: Iran&#39;s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday said the Islamic republic would not give in to pressure to abandon its enrichment of uranium. Khamenei, in a televised address, also called any talks with the United States a &quot;dead end&quot; that were of no benefit to his country. His statement came as European powers seeking to reimpose tough sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program met with the Islamic republic&#39;s top diplomat, without any signs of a compromise. &quot;The American side has been adamant that Iran must not have (uranium) enrichment,&quot; Khamenei said. &quot;We did not surrender and we will not. We did not and will not yield to pressure in this matter or any other matter,&quot; he added. The supreme leader went on to say talks with the United States would only bring harm to Iran. Negotiating with America &quot;not only brings no benefit, but also causes major harm under the current conditions, some of which might even be described as irreparable&quot;, he said. &#39;Complete dead end&#39;&nbsp;&quot;Let us not forget the experience of these past 10 years, and the other side -- which is the subject of our discussion for now -- is the United States,&quot; he continued, referring to the landmark 2015 nuclear deal that Washington withdrew from three years later. &quot;This other side consistently breaks promises, lies about everything, deceives and threatens militarily at every opportunity,&quot; Khamenei said. &quot;One cannot negotiate with such a party. In my view, negotiations with the United States on the nuclear issue, and perhaps on other issues as well, are a complete dead end.&quot; European countries and the United States suspect the Iranian government of allegedly seeking to acquire an atomic bomb. Tehran has vigorously denied that, insisting it has a right to civilian nuclear energy. Israel in June carried out a major military campaign against Iranian nuclear sites, with President Donald Trump joining by ordering US warplanes to drop bombs on key targets. The Trump administration, which had long pushed for the re-imposition of sanctions, has voiced a willingness to hold talks with Iran, which doubts Washington&#39;s sincerity.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the Islamic republic would not give in to pressure to abandon its enrichment of uranium

Articles tagged with "Supreme Leader"

Iran offers clemency to over 2,000 convicts, excludes protest-related cases

Iran to target US military, shipping if attacked: Parliament speaker

Iran 'won't yield' to pressure to abandon uranium enrichment: Khamenei