TEHRAN (Iran News) Addressing a meeting of the Parliament on Sunday morning, Qalibaf called on the PGCC to focus its efforts on halting the Israeli regime’s war machine in Gaza and Lebanon instead of making unsubstantiated claims against Iran’s territorial integrity.

His comments came after the PGCC and the EU, in a joint statement issued in Brussels on Wednesday, urged Iran to relinquish control of three Persian Gulf islands of Abu Musa, the Greater Tunb, and the Lesser Tunb.

Qalibaf said the EU and a number of its influential countries have been transformed from independent states into actors that obey the Zionist regime’s orders and justify the Israeli genocidal crimes in Gaza and Lebanon.

The EU and others making absurd claims must bear in mind that Abu Musa, the Greater Tunb, and the Lesser Tunb are inseparable parts of Iran and that nobody can dare to defy this inalienable principle, the speaker added.

Qalibaf warned the countries that question Iran’s sovereignty over the three islands that they “had better not test the Iranian nation’s resolve to prove that principle” if they care about their existence.

TEHRAN (Iran News) In a statement on Monday night, Esmaeil Baqaei strongly censured the new sanctions imposed by the European Union and Britain against several Iranian individuals and entities, describing them as unjustified and contrary to international law, particularly human rights.

He also rejected the allegations that Iran is selling ballistic missiles to Russia, asserting that Tehran’s stance on the Ukraine conflict has been clear and consistent.

“From the outset of the conflict, Iran has opposed the war and emphasized respect for territorial integrity and national sovereignty of all countries, advocating for a diplomatic solution to the Russia-Ukraine dispute,” the spokesman said.

Baqaei criticized certain EU countries and the UK for making baseless claims of Iran’s military involvement in the conflict without providing any evidence.

The accusation made by the EU and the UK is hypocritical and an attempt to divert public attention from the most important issue of the day, namely the genocide of Palestinians and the Zionist regime’s warmongering acts in West Asia, he added, the Foreign Ministry’s website reported.

He highlighted the role of certain European countries, including the UK and Germany, in supplying deadly weapons used by the Zionist regime in Gaza and Lebanon, labeling them as accomplices in the crimes against the people in Palestine and Lebanon.

Baqaei reminded those countries of their legal obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and stated that the actions by the countries that supply weapons to the Israeli regime violate international law, making them internationally accountable.

The spokesperson also emphasized Iran’s inalienable right to engage in defensive and military cooperation with other countries, including Russia, to meet its defense needs and protect its national interests and sovereignty.

He stated that Iran’s military cooperation with other countries is not directed against any third party, and that no third party has the right to interfere in Iran’s legitimate and legal decisions to cooperate with other countries.

Baqaei described the EU’s actions as contradictory and inconsistent with their human rights and engagement claims. He slammed the sanctions on Iranian passenger airlines as a clear violation of international law, particularly human rights and fundamental freedoms.

The spokesperson finally reaffirmed Iran’s right to take appropriate measures in response to the EU’s illegal and unjustified sanctions and advised the bloc to adhere to international law and ethical standards, urging its member states to cease arms sales to the aggressor Israeli regime and thus prevent further genocide in Gaza and Lebanon, as well as escalating insecurity and tension in West Asia.

TEHRAN (Iran News) In a post on his X account, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said he held “useful talks” with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.

Araqchi said they discussed a range of issues of mutual interest and concern in the meeting, including the nuclear talks, the dangerous situation in the Middle East caused by Israeli aggression against Lebanon, the Ukraine war, and the need to avoid double standard on human rights.

The Iranian foreign minister said he has urged the EU to stop certain members from supporting the Israeli regime and instead adopt a unified European position to stop Israel escalation in the region.

The meeting between Araqchi and Borrell came against a backdrop of a new wave of Israeli strikes on Lebanon.

Tens of thousands of people have fled southern Lebanon with little idea where to find safety as intense Israeli bombardment across Lebanon has killed at least 569 people, including 50 children, in recent days.

The Israeli war on the Gaza Strip has also killed at least 41,467 Palestinian people and wounded 95,921 others since October 2023.

TEHRAN (Iran News) In a telephone conversation on Friday, Ali Baqeri and the European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell discussed the aftermath of the Israeli regime’s assassination of the head of political bureau of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, as well as the political and security consequences of the Zionist regime’s violation of Iran’s national security.

The Iranian caretaker foreign minister reminded the EU of its responsibility to protect international peace and security, calling on the EU to exert pressure on the Zionist regime to prevent the continuation of its crimes.

Baqeri warned that the EU’s failure to take serious action to rein in the Zionist regime will encourage the “criminal gang ruling Tel Aviv” to continue with belligerence and jeopardize international peace, stability and security.

The Israeli assassination of Haniyeh in Tehran has violated Iran’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty and has also jeopardized regional peace, he noted, stressing that Iran reserves the inherent and legitimate right to punish the criminal Israeli regime.

Baqeri also deplored certain European countries’ move to side with the US against the UN Security Council’s condemnation of assassination of Haniyeh.

A number of European governments’ silence on the Israeli regime’s aggression against Yemen and Lebanon has emboldened the Zionist regime and would threaten regional peace and stability, the Iranian diplomat added.

For his part, Borrell affirmed that Iran can exercise the right to protect its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

The EU foreign policy chief further voiced concern about the escalation of tensions, creation of a full-blown war in the region, and its consequences for the regional people.

Haniyeh was martyred in a special residence in northern Tehran after being hit by an aerial projectile in the early hours of July 31.

The Hamas chief was in Tehran to attend the new Iranian president’s swearing-in ceremony.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei has warned the Israeli regime of a “harsh response” for Haniyeh’s assassination, calling it the Islamic Republic’s duty to avenge the Palestinian resistance leader’s blood.

TEHRAN (Iran News) –In a post on his official X account on Saturday, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, expressed deep concern over the measure.

“Such actions, alongside other steps that undermine the Palestinian Authority and entrench settlement advancement in the West Bank, exacerbate tensions and diminish the viability of achieving a negotiated peace on the basis of a two-state solution. Settlements are a flagrant violation of international law and UN resolutions,” Wennesland stated.

Separately, the European Union condemned the decision by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich regarding the legalization of the five settlement outposts.

In a statement, EU spokesperson Peter Stano described the measure as a deliberate attempt to undermine peace efforts.

At this week’s European Council, Stano mentioned that EU leaders condemned the Israeli cabinet’s decisions to expand illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank and urged Israel to reverse these decisions immediately.

Stano reiterated the EU’s longstanding position and UN Security Council resolutions, stating that the EU will not recognize changes to the 1967 borders unless agreed by the involved parties.

“The European Union reiterated that actions weakening the Palestinian Authority must stop and calls on Israel to release withheld clearance revenues and to take necessary measures to ensure that correspondent banking services between Israeli and Palestinian banks remain in place,” Stano added.

He reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to lasting and sustainable peace in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions, emphasizing the two-state solution as the basis for resolving the conflict.

Germany also condemned Israel’s decision to legalize five settlement outposts in the occupied West Bank, highlighting that the move violates international law.

German Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sebastian Fischer criticized Israel’s policy of settlement expansion in Palestinian territories as a serious breach of international law, stressing that such actions endanger peace and security for all in the region.

“We urge the Israeli administration to immediately reverse its decisions,” Fischer stated.

Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia joined in condemning the legalization of Israeli settlement outposts and the approval of new housing units in the West Bank.

On Thursday evening, Smotrich announced that the Security Cabinet authorized one outpost for every country that recognized Palestine as a state in the last month.

Last month, Spain, Ireland, and Norway formally recognized the Palestinian state, joining over 140 UN member states that have recognized its statehood over the past four decades. Slovenia and Malta have also indicated plans to recognize the state of Palestine.

The five settlement outposts are Evyatar, Givat Assaf, Sde Efraim, Heletz, and Adorayim.

More than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The international community views these settlements as illegal under international law and the Geneva Conventions due to their construction on occupied territories.

Palestinians seek the West Bank as part of a future independent state with East al-Quds as its capital.

TEHRAN (Iran News) –In a statement on Friday night, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani strongly condemned the European Union’s move to impose new sanctions on a couple of Iranian officials and institutions.

He said the EU has been passive and ineffective in dealing with the humanitarian disaster in Gaza and Palestine for the past months and has been criticized by European public opinion and people around the world over the issue, the Ministry’s website reported.

Instead of focusing on the war crimes committed by the Zionist regime in Gaza and punishing and sanctioning this murderous regime, the EU has once again placed sanctions on a number of Iranian officials and institutions that play a leading and effective role in dealing with terrorism and ensuring lasting security in the region, the spokesman said.

Kanaani said it is regrettable that the EU, by insisting on repeated, absurd and baseless excuses and accusations and ignoring the realities on the ground in West Asia as part of its use of a failed and ineffective approach, once again resorted to the outdated and ineffective tool of sanctions against Iran and preferred the interests of the Zionist regime and the United States over those of the European Union and European nations.

He then stressed the need for the continuation of the principled policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran, especially its policy of ensuring regional and international peace and security.

Kanaani finally criticized the double standards of the European Union, saying Iran reserves the right to respond to this destructive approach adopted by the bloc.

The Council of the European Union on May 31 adopted restrictive measures against six individuals and three entities from Iran, including Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, accusing them of involvement in what it called the transfer of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Russia.

TEHRAN (Iran News) –According to the report, the value of products imported by Greece and the Netherlands from Iran in January registered a three- and twofold hike respectively compared to the same period last year.

Spain’s export of products to Iran in January 2024 registered a 62 percent rise, the Eurostat added.

In this period, the trade exchanges between Iran and the European Union indicated a 10% decrease compared to last year’s corresponding period.

Iran and the 27 EU member states had exchanged over €424 million of products in January 2023.

The EU member states imported €69 million of non-oil products from Iran in January 2024, showing a 15 percent drop compared to the same period last year, IRNA reported.

The report put the value of products imported by the EU member states from Iran in January 2023 at €80 million.

The EU member states exported €311 million of products to Iran in January 2024, showing a 9 percent decline compared to last year’s corresponding period.

The 27 EU member states had exported over €344 million worth of products to Iran in January 2023, the report added.