BEIRUT: Iran&#39;s foreign minister accused the United States and Israel on Friday of fueling a growing protest movement in the country, while dismissing the possibility of direct foreign military intervention after US warnings over crackdowns on demonstrators.&nbsp;&quot;This is what the Americans and Israelis have stated, that they are directly intervening in the protests in Iran,&quot; said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during a visit to Lebanon.&nbsp;&quot;They are trying to transform the peaceful protests into divisive and violent ones,&quot; he said, adding that &quot;regarding the possibility of seeing military intervention against Iran, we believe there is a low possibility of this because their previous attempts were total failures&quot;.

Asia

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi accused the United States and Israel of directly intervening in Iran’s protests, claiming they are turning peaceful demonstrations violent, while dismissing the likelihood of any foreign military intervention.

Iran FM says US, Israel 'directly intervening' in protests

TEHRAN: The Iranian foreign ministry designated the Royal Canadian Navy a terrorist organization on Tuesday in what it said was retaliation for Canada&#39;s 2024 blacklisting of Iran&#39;s Revolutionary Guards.&nbsp;In a statement, the ministry said that the move was in reaction to Ottawa declaring the Guards, the ideological arm of Iran&#39;s military, a terror group &quot;contrary to the fundamental principles of international law&quot;.&nbsp;Iran &quot;within the framework of reciprocity, identifies and declares the Royal Canadian Navy as a terrorist organization,&quot; the statement added, without specifying what ramifications if any the force will face.&nbsp;On June 19, 2024, Canada declared the IRGC a terror group. This bars its members from entering the country and Canadians from having any dealings with individual members or the group.&nbsp;Additionally, any assets the Guards or its members hold in Canada could also be seized.&nbsp;Canada accused the Guards of &quot;having consistently displayed disregard for human rights both inside and outside of Iran, as well as a willingness to destabilize the international rules-based order.&quot;&nbsp;One of the reasons behind Ottawa&#39;s decision to designate the force as a terror group was the Flight PS752 incident.&nbsp;The flight was show down shortly after takeoff from Tehran in January 2020, killing all 176 passengers and crew, including 85 Canadian citizens and permanent residents.&nbsp;The IRGC admitted its forces downed the jet, but claimed their controllers had mistaken it for a hostile target.&nbsp;Ottawa broke off diplomatic ties with Tehran in 2012, calling Iran &quot;the most significant threat to global peace&quot;.&nbsp;Iran&#39;s archenemy, the United States, listed the Guards as a foreign terrorist organization in April 2019 while Australia did the same last month, accusing the force of being behind attacks on Australian soil.

Middle East

Iran has called the Royal Canadian Navy a terrorist group in response to Canada labeling Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as terrorists, citing human rights abuses and the 2020 downing of Flight PS752.

Iran designates Royal Canadian Navy a terrorist organization

TEHRAN: Iran launched three domestically built observation satellites into space from Russia on Sunday, state television reported, marking a new step for Tehran&#39;s space programme despite Western sanctions.&nbsp;The country maintains that its aerospace industry is peaceful and complies with UN Security Council resolutions imposed over its nuclear programme.&nbsp;&quot;Three Iranian satellites, Zafar-2, Paya and Kowsar 1.5, were launched into space by a Soyuz rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia,&quot; Iranian television reported.&nbsp;The satellites were to be used for &quot;observation&quot; and were designed by &quot;the private sector&quot;, the official IRNA news agency said.&nbsp;Paya is Iran&#39;s most advanced domestically produced imaging satellite, using artificial intelligence to improve image resolution, IRNA said.&nbsp;It said the satellite would focus on water resource management, environmental monitoring and mapping.&nbsp;The Russian Soyuz launcher was chosen because it is one of the most reliable in the world for transporting sensitive satellites, according to the Fars news agency.&nbsp;Iran has carried out 10 satellite launches in the last two years, including one in July from the same launch site in Russia.&nbsp;Western countries fear that these satellite launch systems incorporate technologies interchangeable with those used in ballistic missiles, potentially capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.&nbsp;Tehran denies those accusations and refutes that it is trying to acquire nuclear weapons.

Iran launched three domestically built observation satellites from Russia using a Soyuz rocket, marking progress in its space programme. Tehran says the launches are peaceful, despite Western concerns over missile-related technology.

Iran says launched three satellites into space from Russia

TEHRAN: Iran insisted on Monday that its missile program was defensive in nature and designed to dissuade attack, while adding that the existence of its arsenal was not up for debate.&nbsp;Israel had presented Iran&#39;s ballistic missiles, along with its nuclear program, as the two main threats it sought to neutralize during the 12-day war the foes fought in June.&nbsp;&quot;Iran&#39;s missile program was developed to defend Iran&#39;s territory, not for negotiation,&quot; foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said at a weekly press conference.&nbsp;&quot;Therefore, Iran&#39;s defense capabilities, designed to deter aggressors from any thought of attacking Iran, are not a matter that could be talked about.&quot;&nbsp;Iran&#39;s ballistic capabilities put Israel within striking distance. After Israel&#39;s unprecedented attacks that sparked the war in June, Tehran responded with waves of missiles and drones launched at Israeli cities.&nbsp;According to US broadcaster NBC, Israel is growing increasingly concerned that Iran is seeking to rebuild and expand its missile production following the war. It may seek to attack it again to curtail those efforts.&nbsp;Over the course of the recent war, Israel struck military sites, nuclear facilities, and residential areas, killing more than 1,000 people.&nbsp;Israel reported more than 50 Iranian missile strikes inside its territory that killed 28 people.&nbsp;The US briefly joined its ally in striking Iran&#39;s nuclear facilities before declaring a ceasefire.&nbsp;Iran once procured much of its weaponry from the United States, but following the break in diplomatic relations after its 1979 Islamic revolution, it had to develop its own domestic arms industry.

Iran says its missile program is defensive and not open to talks. It rejected Israeli claims after June’s war, which saw missile exchanges, heavy casualties, and brief US strikes before a ceasefire.

Iran says missile program defensive, non-negotiable

TEHRAN: Iran condemned on Sunday the reinstatement of United Nations sanctions on its nuclear program, calling the move &ldquo;unjustifiable&rdquo; after the collapse of talks with Western powers and strikes by Israel and the United States on Iranian nuclear sites. The sanctions, which restrict activities linked to Tehran&rsquo;s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, were reimposed after Western nations triggered the &ldquo;snapback&rdquo; mechanism of the 2015 nuclear accord. The measures took effect at midnight in Geneva, ending months of diplomatic efforts to revive negotiations. Iran&rsquo;s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that &ldquo;the reactivation of annulled resolutions is legally baseless and unjustifiable&rdquo; and urged countries not to recognize what it described as an &ldquo;illegal situation.&rdquo; It vowed to defend Iran&rsquo;s national rights and respond firmly to any action that undermines its interests. The return of sanctions followed a series of setbacks in talks earlier this year, including Israeli and US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said dialogue channels remained open and urged Iran to accept &ldquo;direct talks held in good faith.&rdquo; He also called on all UN members to implement sanctions immediately. Foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany, which supported the snapback mechanism, said in a joint statement they remained committed to finding &ldquo;a new diplomatic solution to ensure Iran never gets a nuclear weapon,&rdquo; while cautioning Tehran against escalation. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Washington&rsquo;s proposal to lift some restrictions in exchange for Iran handing over its entire stockpile of enriched uranium was unacceptable. Russia and China opposed the snapback, but their efforts to delay the measures until April failed in the Security Council. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told the UN General Assembly his country had &ldquo;no choice&rdquo; but to act, citing Iran&rsquo;s noncompliance with its commitments. He stressed that diplomacy should continue despite the renewed sanctions. Russia, however, declared it would not enforce the measures, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accusing Western powers of &ldquo;blackmail and pressure.&rdquo; The sanctions, which had been lifted in 2015 under the landmark nuclear agreement, add to US restrictions already in place since former President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018. Iran recalled its envoys from Britain, France and Germany for consultations on Saturday. On the streets of Tehran, residents voiced concern about the economic fallout. The Iranian rial hit a record low of 1.12 million to the dollar on the black market, raising fears of further inflation. &ldquo;The situation was already very difficult, but it&rsquo;s going to get worse,&rdquo; said Dariush, a 50-year-old engineer. &ldquo;Prices are rising and our standard of living is much lower than two or three years ago.&rdquo; The European powers and the United States said they remain committed to preventing nuclear proliferation while leaving the door open to renewed negotiations. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes.

FILE - The Iranian flag flies in front of a U.N. building where closed-door nuclear talks take place at the International Center in Vienna, Austria, on June 18, 2014. 

Americas

Central Asia

Iran condemned on Sunday the reinstatement of United Nations sanctions on its nuclear program, calling the move “unjustifiable” after the collapse of talks with Western powers and strikes by Israel and the United States on Iranian nuclear sites.

Articles tagged with "iran"

Iran FM says US, Israel 'directly intervening' in protests

Iran designates Royal Canadian Navy a terrorist organization

Iran says launched three satellites into space from Russia

Iran says missile program defensive, non-negotiable

Iran denounces 'unjustifiable' return of UN sanctions

Iran FM says US, Israel 'directly intervening' in protests