Iran

Tehran, IRNA – Tehran has slammed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s “worthless” allegations against the Islamic Republic, saying they were intended to divert public attention.

Zelensky on Wednesday once again accused Iran of supplying drones to Russia to be used in the war against Ukraine, claiming, “the people of Iran are being driven deeper and deeper into the dark side of history.”

In a statement on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said the remarks were a “political show” featuring “baseless allegations” against Tehran.

26 May 2023; MEMO: Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said yesterday that there are international efforts to reach a preliminary version of a nuclear agreement.

Abdullahian said in a press statement that the negotiations for a nuclear agreement are taking place indirectly through the exchange of messages between the concerned parties, according to the local IRNA news agency.

25 May 2023; MEMO: Iran successfully test-launched a ballistic missile with a potential 2,000-km range on Thursday, state media said, two days after the chief of Israel's Armed Forces raised the prospect of "action" against Tehran over its nuclear programme, Reuters reports.

TEHRAN, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Iran unveiled and successfully test-launched on Thursday its latest domestically-developed ballistic missile, known as Kheibar, according to the official news agency IRNA.

With a range of 2,000 kilometers and a warhead capacity of 1,500 kilograms, the missile showcases a unique blend of strategic and tactical features, the IRNA said, adding the new weapon's guidance and control system operates with "complete immunity" against electronic warfare attacks.

TEHRAN, May 24 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian nuclear chief on Wednesday denied The Associated Press's claim that Iran is building a nuclear facility "so deep in the earth," Iranian Students' News Agency reported.

"Iran is working according to the regulations of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the safeguards agreements and whenever it plans to carry out any activity, it informs the agency of the arrangements and acts based on them," President of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Eslami told reporters on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting.

TEHRAN, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Iran has appointed Alireza Enayati, a veteran diplomat, as its ambassador to Saudi Arabia, semi-official Fars news agency reported on Monday night.

Enayati used to serve as the Iranian ambassador to Kuwait, foreign minister aide, and a director-general at the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

The appointment of ambassador came after a China-brokered agreement reached by Saudi Arabia and Iran in March to resume diplomatic relations and reopen their embassies and missions within a two-month timeframe.

22 May 2023; MEMO: Iran's Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib said on Sunday that "terrorists" linked to Israel in the west of the country have been arrested. Khatib added that the Iranian intelligence service hopes to enhance security on the western borders in cooperation with the Iraqi government.

The minister warned that, in any event, wherever the security of Iran is exposed, any movement on the borders will be met with a decisive and overwhelming response by the armed forces and security services.

22 May 2023; MEMO: Iran has reiterated its sovereignty over three Persian Gulf islands disputed with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

"Iran will do all in its power to protect its territorial sovereignty," Foreign Ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanaani, said in statements.

Both Iran and the UAE claim the islands of Abu Musa and Greater and Lesser Tunb, which have been held by Tehran since 1971.

TEHRAN, May 22 (NNN-TASNIM) – The Iranian Foreign Ministry, yesterday summoned the Swiss ambassador, to protest the embassy’s posting of a photo of a “fake” Iranian flag.

The summons came, after the Swiss embassy in Tehran published on Friday, a post and a photo showing a “fake” flag of Iran, instead of the official one, on its Twitter page, expressing its condemnation of Iran’s execution of three convicts, who killed security officers in an armed attack last year, the report said.

22 May 2023; MEMO: Iran on Sunday welcomed back a Navy flotilla comprising Moudge-class frigate Dena and Makran forward base ship after a round-the-world cruise amid tensions with the US, Anadolu reports.

At a ceremony held in the southern coastal city of Bandar Abbas, the crew members of the Iranian Navy's 86th flotilla were received by top Iranian army officials, including chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces Major General Mohammad Bagheri.