TEHRAN (Iran News)  Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will travel to Tunisia and Egypt this week as part of ongoing regional consultations, says spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei.

Baqaei told IRNA on Monday that the visits fall within the framework of Iran’s continuous dialogue with regional and Islamic countries aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and exchanging views on regional issues and international developments.

During his stop in Cairo, Araghchi is scheduled to meet with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi to finalize discussions on a new framework for cooperation between Iran and the agency.

The spokesman noted that the text of the framework has been drafted over three rounds of technical talks and is now in the final stage of completion.

Baqaei explained that the framework addresses Iran’s safeguards commitments while taking into account field realities, including illegal attacks by the Israeli regime and the United States against Iran’s nuclear facilities, as well as the law passed by Parliament and considerations of the Supreme National Security Council.

The foreign minister will also hold a new round of political talks with Egyptian officials, including a meeting with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, to review bilateral and regional developments.

Baqaei told IRNA on Monday that the visits fall within the framework of Iran’s continuous dialogue with regional and Islamic countries aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and exchanging views on regional issues and international developments.

During his stop in Cairo, Araghchi is scheduled to meet with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi to finalize discussions on a new framework for cooperation between Iran and the agency.”Iran FM”

The spokesman noted that the text of the framework has been drafted over three rounds of technical talks and is now in the final stage of completion.

Baqaei explained that the framework addresses Iran’s safeguards commitments while taking into account field realities, including illegal attacks by the Israeli regime and the United States against Iran’s nuclear facilities, as well as the law passed by Parliament and considerations of the Supreme National Security Council.

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TEHRAN (Iran News) “Ladies and gentlemen in the Arab League; Like you, we also want stability and peace and prevention of chaos in Syria, for clear reasons; to maintain the territorial integrity and territorial unity of Syria, to maintain the security of all ethnic groups and religions, including Sunnis, Shiites, Alawites, and Kurds, to maintain the security and sanctity of the holy courts and places,” Araghchi wrote on his X account in Arabic language. “Iran FM”

He went on to say that Iran also wants to limit illegal weapons, to reject any foreign intervention with any justification, to prevent Syria from becoming a safe haven for terrorism, extremism and violence, so that Syria does not pose a threat to its neighbors and the entire region.

“To prevent further adventures and dangerous expansionism of Israel and to force it to evacuate the occupied areas, finally, to form an inclusive government in Syria,” the Iranian foreign minister added.

Araghchi further pointed out “we are also worried about sedition and excuse-making with the intention of diverting public and regional minds towards unrealistic threats. The goal of sedition seekers is: to legitimize the continued occupation of parts of Syria, especially by Israel and the United States, to justify foreign interference in the internal affairs of that country, to deprive parts of the Syrian people from participating in the process of determining their destiny, and finally, to project their desires and goals outside of Syria.”

The new developments in Syria following the advance of Bashar Assad’s opposition forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, whose name is still on the list of terrorist groups by the United States, some European countries and the United Nations, have made the political future in Syria very uncertain.

While the Iranian foreign minister, in the final hours of Bashar al-Assad’s visit to Damascus, made significant arrangements with his counterparts from the Arab countries of the region in a multilateral meeting on the current situation in Syria in Doha, but it seems that the current ruling leaders in Damascus have placed their foundation on deepening the gap between important regional and international players.

The alleged statement of the Arab League states had said “we ask Iran not to fuel the conflict in Syria”.

In another part of this statement, this union emphasized “respecting the sovereignty, territorial integrity and stability of Syria, limiting weapons and controlling them by the government, disbanding all armed organizations and rejecting any destabilizing foreign intervention”.

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TEHRAN (Iran News) Everything was clear in my opinion, both the analyses and the news coming from Syria about the offensive, Abbas Araqchi said in a live interview on state television on Sunday night regarding the recent developments in the region, adding that it was the Syrian army’s duty to counter anti-government groups.

We also knew that there always existed a behind-the-scenes plot by the United States and the Zionist regime to cause the axis of resistance to suffer one after another, he noted.

Araghchi said that Iran’s security and intelligence apparatuses were fully aware of the acts of the armed groups in Idlib and other areas and all relevant information had been transferred to the Syrian government and army. “If the Syrian army had resisted, even Aleppo would not have fallen”.

The crisis in Syria was a bit natural following the developments in Gaza and Lebanon, the top Iranian diplomat said, adding that: “What was surprising was the inability of the Syrian army to confront the movement of the armed groups, and the second was the speed of the movements.

Referring to his recent meeting with the toppled Syrian president, Araghchi revealed that even Assad was surprised and complaining about the state of his own army.
He also touched on Iran- Syria relations, saying the two countries have been cooperating with each other for over four decades and one of the areas of collaboration has been resistance.

Syria key member of Axis of Resistance

Syria was an important member of the axis of resistance and played an important role in confronting the Zionist regime and defending the Palestinians.

Stating that the second area of relations between Iran and Syria was the joint fight against Daesh terrorists who first appeared in Iraq and later spread to the Syrian area, creating an international concern at one point, Araghchi said, adding that the victory over Daesh was mainly the result and achievement of Martyred General Qassem Soleimani, who personally led the anti-terror operation.

Attacks in Syria violated Astana process

The Iranian foreign minister also talked about his country’s advisory mission to the Arab country, saying the Iranian military personnel had gone there at the request of the Syrian government.

We have always guided the Syrian government to dialogue with its opponents in order to resolve the differences between them, and we cooperated with them in this matter only by advising and guiding on the matter, Araghchi said.

The top diplomat continued: The recent attacks were really against the process of the Astana meetings because one of the goals was that after peace was established in Syria, the three guarantor countries of Iran, Russia and Turkey would help the Syrian state and the opposition to have a political dialogue, discuss reforms and constitutional amendments if necessary.

Araghchi further said that Iran’s stance has always been to support dialogue between the Syrian government and its opponents despite the fact that some of the Syrian opposition groups were on the UN list of terrorist groups and some of them hailed from different backgrounds.

Regional concerns grow about collapse of Syria

Araghchi said that he had meetings with 8 different regional countries on Saturday, with all of them expressing concerns that Syria should not move toward disintegration or become a means for terrorists and that Daesh shouldn’t return again.

In the meetings, we emphasized the need to respect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as demanded that the clashes stop immediately in order to kick start dialogue between the Syrian government and the opposition.

He stated, however, that the conspiracy was underway and even forces had been trained and organized against the Syrian government.

Concerns are growing about sectarian war, civil war, or, God forbid, the complete disintegration and collapse of Syria and its transformation into a hub of terrorists, Araghchi underlined.

Syria developments won’t weaken Hezbollah 

The Iranian foreign minister acknowledged that the Resistance Front has been going through a difficult period for more than a year; still, he said that the resistance fighters have displayed exemplary resilience. There is still resistance in Gaza, and the Zionist regime has not yet been able to get the captives freed.

On Hezbollah, he said that despite the blows it suffered, the Lebanese resistance movement was able to quickly reorganize itself. Why did the Zionist regime agree to a ceasefire? There is no reason other than Hezbollah’s resistance which forced the regime to accept a truce.

Resistance is a thought, a school, and it has had many ups and downs, he noted, adding Hezbollah’s current munitions, equipment and facilities are enough for its resistance over the next one or two years.

Hezbollah lost its leader, Martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, but this was not the first time the movement had gone through such a difficult time, Araghchi noted, saying  the resistance will find its way anyway because it is an ideal and not a classic war, and for this reason, the resistance cannot be eliminated.

Call to ensure safety of diplomatic, religious sites in Syria

Araghchi noted that Iran is closely monitoring the developments and its approach will depend on the policy militant groups in the Arab country adopt toward the Islamic Republic.

We are waiting and seeing what kind of government will be established in Syria, if we reach a point where we recognize that government, it is natural that we will provide the Syrian embassy in Tehran to them, and until then the current ambassador and the current staff will remain in their embassy, he said.

Regarding Iranian embassy, we have talked with various parties in Syria about ensuring the security of the diplomatic mission in Damascus and consulate in Aleppo, as well as about ensuring the security of the holy sites, Araghchi underlined.

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TEHRAN (Iran News) In a post on his X account on Tuesday, Araghchi said that no one will benefit from another war in Syria.

“As always, Iran stands with Syrian people, Government and Army in their fight against terrorism—and ready to assist and support regional de-escalation through dialogue and diplomacy,” said the minister.

He made the comments after trips to Syria and Turkiye where he held talks with senior government officials to discuss the latest developments in Syria where terrorist groups have launched a fresh offensive against areas in the second city of Aleppo and elsewhere.

Together with Russia, Syria has carried out attacks on positions held by terrorists, killing hundreds of them in the past several days.

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TEHRAN (Iran News) The new ambassador met with the top Iranian diplomat and presented a copy of his credentials at the start of his diplomatic mission in the Islamic Republic, according to the official Telegram page of the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman that shared the news early on Sunday.

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TEHRAN (Iran News)  Araghchi narrated some of the unsaid things about his encounter with the former leader of Hezbollah while attending the “Hamaseh Khwan” program on an Iranian TV channel on Sunday night.

The top diplomat later published a text and a video on his Instagram page showing his presence of the program that will be broadcast on Monday on the occasion of the 40th day since the martyrdom of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

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TEHRAN (Iran News) –Iran’s Foreign Minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, asserted in a gathering of foreign ambassadors in Tehran that Iran’s military operations avoided targeting civilian or economic sites during Saturday night’s military action against the Israeli regime.

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TEHRAN (Iran News) –Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, in a meeting with the UN Secretary General Antoni Guterres, strongly condemned the US’ attempts to escalate tensions in the Red Sea and Yemen, warning that Washington’s actions will ruin joint efforts by Tehran and the United Nations to bring calm to the region.

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After meeting the new president of the United Arab Emirates, the Iranian foreign minister said a new page has opened in relations between Iran and the UAE. Amir Abdollahian also said good relations among neighbors will disappoint the adversaries.

“A new page is opened in the relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Emirates,” Amir Abdollahian tweeted in Persian.

“We warmly shake hands with our neighbors. The warmth of the neighbors’ relations will disappoint the enemies of the region,” he underscored.

The visit by Amir Abdollahian is regarded the highest-level trip by an Iranian official to the UAE in recent months.

Iran’s senior diplomat paid his respects to Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, who died on Friday at the age of 73 after battling disease for a long time.

Tehran has also hailed the appointment of Mohammed bin Zayed as the new ruler of the Persian Gulf state.

On Monday, President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran congratulated Sheikh Mohammed on his appointment as president of the United Arab Emirates, and expressed optimism that the two nations’ ties would grow to serve mutual interests.

Raisi said he believes that mutual connections will be strengthened wisely to the best interests of the two nations.

In November, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Ali Bagheri Kani, stated the two nations had decided to launch a new chapter in bilateral ties.

President Raisi also stated in August that Iran is committed to expand relations with the UAE.

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Amir Abdollahian described the issue of getting guarantees as “a basic” one and said that Iran’s negotiating delegation in Vienna is seriously seeking to get “tangible guarantees” and bring the Western side back to compliance with the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal, formally called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The foreign minister made the remarks during a visit to the shrine of Imam Khomeini on Saturday.

He also said that Iran has partly succeeded in securing some economic and political guarantees.

“What the Iranian negotiating team is seeking at all levels is political, legal and economic, in parts of which agreements have been reached, but still the Iranian negotiating team is serious about taking a tangible guarantee from the Western side,” he said, according to state news agency IRNA.

He added, “We have made it clear to the American side, which conveys messages through intermediaries these days, that they must show their good faith in action. Goodwill in practice, in our view, is something tangible happening on the ground.”

The Iranian foreign minister noted, “The lifting of some of the sanctions, in an objective and real sense, can be a translation of the goodwill of the Americans of which they talk. What is happening on paper is good but not enough.”

In a recent phone call with Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa on Thursday morning, the Iranian foreign minister said Tehran stands ready to reach a good, lasting and reliable agreement in Vienna.

The talks will resume in the next few days after a weeklong break that was meant for consultations in capitals.

Iran has assessed the situation in Vienna as “forward-moving” and “positive” but it said the ball is in U.S.’s court in terms of reviving the 2015 nuclear deal.

The heads of delegations of Iran and the P4+1 group of countries as well as the U.S. are planning to return to Vienna soon. Before returning to the Austrian capital, Iran’s chief negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani briefed the members of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee on the latest developments in the Vienna talks.

After the briefing, Mahmoud Abbaszadeh Meshkini, the spokesman for the Committee, said the time is ripe for reaching a good and win-win deal on the condition that the West shows seriousness and goodwill.

Speaking to the Islamic Consultative Assembly News Agency (ICANA), the spokesman gave some details about the Tuesday meeting that the Committee members held with Baqeri Kani.

During the session, the spokesman said, a report on the Vienna negotiations has been presented and the questions of the lawmakers have been answered.

According to Meshkini, Bagheri Kani assessed the negotiations process positively and said that Iran is participating in the talks with goodwill and seriousness.

Bagheri also pointed out that Iran and the U.S. have not held any direct talks so far, the lawmaker said.

Meshkini said that the Committee concluded from the session that basically the results of direct negotiations with the U.S. are not clear.

“Although there are signs of progress in the Vienna talks, still there are outstanding issues that need to be negotiated and dealt with,” he said.

Iran is entitled to enjoy full sanctions removal but the other side has so far accepted partial removal of sanctions, the lawmaker added.

Meshkini noted there are indications that the current conditions for a good and win-win deal have been provided on the condition that the West shows seriousness and goodwill.

The remarks came days before the return of Bagheri Kani and other delegations’ heads to Vienna, meaning that Iran is making clear that making further progress in Vienna or conclusion of the talks rest on seriousness and flexibility on the part of the U.S.

Iran has already said that it is in no rush to make a deal, though it prefers to achieve a good agreement as soon as possible. Basically, the pace is not as important to Iran as substance.  Furthermore, some believe Iran is not in urgent need of a deal as much as the U.S.

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