The post China Calls for New Forum in Middle East appeared first on Iran News Daily.

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says Iran does not seek tension with any country, but it will never surrender in the face of the external pressures.

The post Iran want no tension, not submitting to pressures: Rouhani appeared first on Iran News Daily.

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has reaffirmed Tehran readiness for dialog with all its neighbors amid tensions in the Persian Gulf region.

“Tehran remains open to dialog with its neighbors, and we declare our readiness to participate in any complementary work that is in the interest of the region, and we welcome any step that restores hope to its people and brings them stability and prosperity,” Zarif said in a tweet on Thursday.

The tweet was in Arabic, which suggests it was addressed to the Persian Gulf littoral Arab countries. It came a day after Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said Riyadh was ready for talks with Tehran “but it is really up to Iran.”

The top Saudi diplomat, however, repeated the baseless claims against Iran’s role in the region, adding that the precondition for dialog is for the Islamic Republic to accept it “cannot further its regional agenda through violence.”

Speaking from the World Economic Forum in Davos, he said he was glad the region has “avoided any escalation” with Iran, and that “many countries” have offered to mediate talks with Tehran.

Meanwhile, the Iranian president’s chief of staff, Mahmoud Vaezi, said Wednesday that Tehran and Riyadh should work together to overcome their problems.

“The relations between Iran and its neighbor Saudi Arabia should not become like the relationship between Tehran and the United States … Tehran and Riyadh should work together to resolve their problems,” Vaezi said.

At an event in the Indian city of Mumbai on Friday in coordination with All India Association of Industries (AIAI), Zarif also voiced Iran’s readiness to hold talks with Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf countries to promote regional security.

He added that Iran has also presented proposals on ways to establish peace in the Strait of Hormuz.

In an address to the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2019, President Hassan Rouhani said as a steward of maritime security in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, Iran invites all countries that are affected by developments in the strategic region to join the country’s new regional peace initiative, dubbed Hormuz Peace Endeavor (HOPE).

Iran’s initiative comes as the US has been trying to persuade its allies into a maritime coalition purportedly seeking to boost security in the Persian Gulf, after it blamed Tehran for two separate attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman in May and June, without providing any credible evidence to back up the allegation, which Iran has categorically rejected.

Tehran has repeatedly said outsiders not only cannot safeguard the region but will fuel tensions there. Iran believes it is the countries of the very region that can ensure regional peace.

Prior to the Hormuz initiative, Iran had offered to sign non-aggression agreements with all countries in the Persian Gulf region.

Zarif also said in late May 2019 that Iran sought the best of relations with the Persian Gulf littoral countries and would welcome any proposals for dialog and de-escalation toward that end.

The post Tehran open to dialog with all neighbors appeared first on Iran News Daily.

Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud told Reuters in an interview in Davos, Switzerland, that any dialogue between the two regional states “is really up to Iran”.

“Many countries have offered to mediate for talks with Iran,” he said.

The prince accused Iran, without evidence, of “furthering its regional agenda through violence”, claiming that the Islamic Republic sought to bring about talks through violence.

“We are glad that the region has avoided any escalation with Iran,” the top diplomat added.

Tensions have been running high in the region after mysterious attacks on oil tankers in the Persian Gulf in June last year and a strike involving drones and cruise missiles on Saudi Arabia’s oil installations.

The US blamed the attacks on Iran but the Islamic Republic denied any role.

Tensions escalated dangerously after a US drone strike assassinated Iran’s top general, Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on Jan 3. Iran retaliated by firing a volley of ballistic missiles on US forces based in Iraq five days later.

On Wednesday, a top aide to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani expressed optimism for rapprochement between Tehran and Riyadh.

“Saudi Arabia is a Muslim country. We had good relations with Riyadh in the past, now we believe that it is in the region’s interest that the two countries solve their issue,” Mahmoud Vaezi, the presidential chief of staff, said.

“Relations between Iran and its neighbor Saudi Arabia should not become like the ties between Tehran and the United States … Tehran and Riyadh should work together to resolve their problems,” he added.

Vaezi said Tehran and Riyadh exchanged messages even after the kingdom cut ties with the Islamic Republic following attacks on its diplomatic missions in Iran back in 2016.

The post Saudi Arabia FM: We are open to talks with Iran appeared first on Iran News Daily.

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday Moscow has been urging Persian Gulf countries to consider a joint security mechanism and that it was high time the world got rid of unilateral measures such as sanctions.

The post Joint security mechanism needed for Persian Gulf appeared first on Iran News Daily.

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the spread of tensions in the Middle East region shows the ignorance of the US officials.

The post US ignorance expands tensions in region; Zarif says appeared first on Iran News Daily.

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo warned that military conflict with Iran will affect global peace and stability, as he visited the Middle East in the hope of easing tensions spiked by the recent US assassination of a top Iranian general.

The post Abe: conflict with Iran impacts globe appeared first on Iran News Daily.

In a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan Shah Mahmood Qureshi, held in Tehran on Sunday evening, Rouhani said Iran is willing to have close relations with all regional countries, adding, “We believe that division in the Islamic community is not beneficial to anyone and we completely welcome Pakistan’s efforts for promoting regional peace and stability in this regard.”

Rouhani also referred to the fragile conditions of the region, saying, “In the current conditions, we must all make cooperation with each other to establish peace and stability and ease tensions in the Middle east.”

Rouhani also emphasized that war and tensions in the region could be very dangerous, stating, “The Islamic Republic of Iran, while fully prepared to defend its own interests, has never sought to ignite a war in the region, so the operation against the American base was in fact a response to America’s criminal act.”

“Today, we must all believe that dialogue and close cooperation among Muslim nations and governments in the region are for everyone’s benefit and that they will suffer from any kind of division, conflict, and war,” the president’s official website quoted him as saying.

Highlighting the importance of closer relations between Tehran and Islamabad, the president added, “The Iran-Pakistan borders should be borders of peace and friendship and we must not allow some groups to make our borders insecure.”

Iran is fully prepared to develop close relations with Pakistan in all fields, Rouhani underlined, adding, “Relations with Pakistan are very important for Iran and we attach great importance to the development of relations with this country.”

The president went on to appreciate the Pakistani government’s sympathy for the martyrdom of Iranian commander Lt. General Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated by the US, as well as the recent crash of a Ukrainian passenger plane, saying, “The two tragedies that occurred were not specific to Iran and other countries share the sadness.”

“The US and White House leaders, as well as the Zionist regime, along with the world’s top terrorist outfits, including Daesh (ISIL), was among the two groups that were happy with the assassination of Gen. Soleimani, while the people seeking peace and stability in the region were sad about it,” he said.

“We expect all countries to strongly condemn US state terrorism,” Rouhani underlined.

For his part, Shah Mahmood Qureshi expressed condolences on the martyrdom of Lt. General Soleimani and the crash of the jetliner, saying, “The assassination of martyr Soleimani was very unexpected and shocking.”

Stressing that his country would not allow its territory to be used for posing a threat to other countries, especially Iran, the Pakistani foreign minister said, “Pakistan considers itself a partner of peace and stability for the Islamic Republic of Iran and does not want to be a partner to the conflict that harms the region and especially Iran.”

“We believe that the borders of Pakistan and Iran are the borders of peace and friendship and should remain the same and we are determined to confront the saboteurs who are trying to harm this.”

The post Rouhani Urges Cooperation in Middle East to Calm Tensions appeared first on Iran News Daily.

In a post on his Twitter account on Tuesday, Mousavi said, “Germany is wrongly and falsely accusing Iran of destabilization the region while it has shut its eyes to the US’ illegal acts of interference as the main factor behind instability in West Asia.”

“The continuation of such stances would raise serious doubts about Berlin’s claim that it tries to play an influential role on the path to peace and stability,” the Iranian spokesman added.

His comments came after the German Foreign Office in a tweet on Monday blamed Iran for regional instability.

“The increasing number of attacks by non-state militias is threatening the stability of Iraq. Iran must end its policy of regional destabilization,” the German ministry said.

Earlier this month, Mousavi had condemned the “interventionist” and “irresponsible” comments made by German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas regarding the November riots in Iran.

Mousavi said on December 12 that Germany’s policies could not remedy the negligence of certain European countries in fulfilling their commitments under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and their passive stance towards the US economic terrorism against the Islamic Republic.

“Berlin is expected to put honoring the fundamental principles of human rights on its agenda discreetly, comprehensively and neutrally, instead of taking unprofessional and biased positions,” the Iranian diplomat said.

The post Iran Responds Germany for Accusation of Destabilization appeared first on Iran News Daily.

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran’s foreign minister has slammed the presence of foreign troops in Afghanistan, saying history shows that foreign presence in the region has only “provided a recruiting ground for extremists.”

Mohammad Javad Zarif made the remarks in a Monday speech delivered at the Ministerial Conference of Heart of Asia Countries, which was held in the Turkish port city of Istanbul.

The Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process was established to provide a platform to discuss regional issues, particularly encouraging security, political, and economic cooperation among Afghanistan and its neighbors. This region-led dialogue was launched in November 2011 to expand practical coordination between Afghanistan and its neighbors and regional partners in facing common threats.

Addressing the conference, Zarif said, “There is no military solution in Afghanistan. The presence of foreign forces has never brought stability in our region and has historically provided a recruiting ground for extremists.”

He mentioned withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan as prerequisite for the restoration of peace to the war-torn country, saying, “Announcement of a timetable for a responsible exit of foreign troops from Afghanistan would prepare the necessary ground for the Afghan government to promote peace and reconciliation process at the national level.”

Zarif noted that Iran believed any peace initiative for Afghanistan should be launched by domestic groups and parties, adding, “In that regard, we support an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process with the participation of all political groups and factions including the Taliban with the Afghan government in the center.”

Stressing the role of neighboring countries and the UN in the establishment of peace in Afghanistan, Iran’s top diplomat said, “Taking the views of neighboring countries and considering their legitimate concerns during the process would guarantee that the peace agreement has stronger supports regionally. We believe the United Nations could become active to bring all domestic groups as well as international partners of the Afghan government under one umbrella to facilitate this process.”

Zarif also warned about “the increasing threat of Daesh in Afghanistan, which has led to more bloodshed and introduced dangerous sectarian tendencies,” noting that using such terror groups to achieve one’s own political goals would not be beneficial to parties involved in Afghanistan’s developments.

“As no one gained from introducing and supporting Daesh and other extremists in Syria and Iraq, no one will gain from introducing them to Afghanistan and Central Asia,” he said.

The post Foreign presence in region paves extremists way appeared first on Iran News Daily.