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According To Iran News, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi said on Sunday that there have been no direct talks between Iran and the US to exchange prisoners.

Referring to the recent Iran-US prisoner swap, Mousavi said, “The swap was implemented due to humanitarian reasons. The US has held a number of our citizens hostage claiming they have violated US sanctions.”

Noting that US sanctions are illegal and baseless, Mousavi maintained, “During this time with the help of the Swiss government, we have tried our best to utilize all our resources.”

“The Swiss government was responsible for the negotiations and there were no direct talks between Iran and the US,” he added.

“If the Swiss government continues to cooperate, we are ready to repatriate the rest of the Iranians who are in US custody,” he said, adding, “We do not care much about the internal affairs of the US. What is important for Iran is the actions of various US governments, which, unfortunately, have not been able to establish trust between the two countries.”

“US left the negotiating table and violated its obligations under UN Resolution 2231, and we do not think that there will be any change if trump wins the upcoming election or not,” Mousavi said.

Other Iranian authorities have also dismissed claims by the United States administration that a recent prisoner swap between Washington and Tehran was the outcome of successful negotiations between the two sides.

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani said on Friday that US President Donald Trump is trying to use the release of American national Michael White from Iranian custody as a political gimmick as he seeks to divert public attention from his numerous failures.

Officials in the US administration have claimed that it was Trump who got the release of White from Iran.

Shamkhani, however, dismissed those claims, saying the US president wants to cover up his failures in dealing with various crises, including the new coronavirus pandemic and the spread of anti-racism protests across the US.

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Speaking to reporters at a weekly press conference on Monday,‌ Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Seyed Abbas Mousavi reacted to a report about recent comments from Iraq’s new Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi who has voiced readiness to mediate between Tehran and Riyadh.

“He (Iraqi PM) has apparently called for the improvement of the atmosphere. Iran had already announced that it looks for dialogue with Saudi Arabia, with or without a mediator,” the spokesman said.

“Whether or not the report is correct, Iran’s arms are open,” Mousavi underlined.

He added that it is still early to say that Saudi Arabia has shifted its stances, adding, “However, we hope that a change in the attitudes would happen, as the regional countries will have no better friend than Iran in the region.”

“We have repeatedly announced that this is our common region, and we are prepared for dialogue to clear up misunderstandings,” he added.

The spokesman also warned regional countries that the US relations would not benefit them at all and is only aimed at the sale of American arms.

Relations between Tehran and Riyadh have strained over the past years after their conflicting views on regional developments, particularly on Yemen and Syria, became more noticeable.

Iranian diplomatic officials have long been urging Saudi authorities to follow the path of sincere benevolence and pay regard for regional nations, saying that under such conditions, Iran will be ready for interaction with Riyadh within the framework of regional and bilateral cooperation.

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According To Iran News, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi said that the request for the return of Iranian students stranded in Italy is under serious investigation and will be followed up.

Due to the sever COVID-19 outbreak in Italy, dozens of Iranian students studying there are demanding to return to Iran, said Mousavi on Sunday, noting that the issue is being addressed both in Tehran and in Rome.

Given the red status in Italy, as soon as Iran receive the permits, the necessary action will be taken to return these students, he added.

The Foreign Ministry will pursue the matter through the Coronavirus Combat and Prevention Headquarters and the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Rome and the Italian Government until the outcome is achieved.

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According To Iran News, In reaction to Trump’s remarks about the recent attacks in Iraq, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi said that Trump should review the presence and behavior of his troops in the region instead of risky actions and baseless accusations.

“The US cannot place the consequences of its illegal presence in Iraq and the reaction of Iraqi people to the assassination and killing of their commanders on others by escaping forward,” said Mousavi on Friday.

“Instead of risky actions and baseless accusations, Trump should thoroughly review the presence and behavior of his troops in the region and strongly avoid projection and accusations to justify irrational behavior and escaping responsibility,” he added.

In a statement, Pentagon said the US conducted defensive precision strikes against Kataib Hezbollah facilities across Iraq.

“These weapons-storage facilities include facilities that housed weapons used to target the US and coalition troops,” it said.

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According To Iran News, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi late on Tue. expounded on the measures taken by the Foreign Ministry with regards to ‘coronavirus’.

Mousavi emphasized full readiness of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to cooperate and interact with the concerned organizations since the beginning of the outbreak of the disease ‘coronavirus’.

In this field, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif proposed setting up an expert-level meeting with the participation of responsible organizations including [Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health and Medical Education and Ministry of Tourism].

Also, necessary instructions have been issued to Iranian missions in China with regards to take preventive measures of the disease, he said, adding, “in addition, Iranian Foreign Ministry has released travelling recommendations to Iranian nationals and tourists residing in China.”

For offering better services and giving instructions to the Iranian nationals residing in China, Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has set up a Disaster Management Headquarters in Iranian Embassy to China and also Iranian consulate in Shanghai with necessary phone numbers to get in touch with these centers if needed, Mousavi stated.

The Iranian Ministry of foreign Affairs is mulling over the request of families of some Iranian students studying in Beijing in order to facilitate return of their children to Iran and exit of them from quarantine, Mousavi added.

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According To Iran News, In reaction to the unveiling of the so-called ‘Trump Deal’ by Brian Hook, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi said that it only transpired the US’ long fixated delusions.

In a tweet on Thursday Mousavi wrote, “Unveiling of so-called ‘Trump Deal’ by B. Hook only transpired the US’ long fixated delusions dictated by their deeply embedded hubris and entitlement; good to have your Persian language advisors brief you about: ” حکایت گندم ری و خرمای بغداد!”

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat in Davos, the US special representative for Iran, Brian Hook said, “British Prime Minister (Boris) Johnson called for a replacement of the deal with the Trump deal. We think that is the best path to deny Iran a nuclear weapon. It’s a better path than the Iran nuclear deal.”

“By getting out of the deal, it puts countries in a position of strength to ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon, but it also allows countries to, as we have, not address Iran’s threats in a silo. You need to take a comprehensive approach to this problem set. And that’s the nuclear program, the missile program, the regional aggression, the expansionist foreign policy, the hostage-taking,” Hook added.

After France, Britain, and Germany announced their decision to trigger the dispute mechanism in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in an interview with BBC that the Iran nuclear deal should be replaced with a “Trump deal”.

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“The announced sanction is not new; rather, it is old sanctions explained differently,” said Mousavi, adding that after the imposition of the first sanctions, which were among the toughest, Iran has found its way to prosper relying on domestic capabilities and cooperation with friend countries.

“America’s foreign policy is a frustrated and confused one which has no basis other than bullying, unilateralism, and conducting economic terrorism against others, and it lacks the required capability to offer any rational and dynamic diplomatic initiative for peaceful settlement of its differences with other countries,” said the spokesman.

“I hope US officials understand that they are no longer the sole economic superpower in the world and there are many countries which are interested in Iran’s market and in the opportunities of establishing good economic ties with Iran,” he said.

Mousavi called on the international community to consider building a new trade and economic system which would minimize the effects of US hostile policies against international free trade.

“Once again, we emphasize that the Iranian nation is a free and peace-loving nation and is ready to engage with all nations and governments that treat it with respect and equal standing,” he added.

The US not only violated its international commitments by withdrawing from Iran nuclear deal, but also damaged its own economy by depriving its companies, especially in aviation sector, of doing business which would worth billions of dollars, he said.

“We have kept the door of interaction open. Now the ball is in Americans’ court. They should bravely admit their mistake about violating the nuclear deal and fulfill their commitments and if this is realized, they can interact with us like other signatories to the deal in the predicted framework of JCPOA.”

US President Donald Trump announced new sanctions against Iran’s Central Bank on Friday describing them as the highest sanctions ever imposed on a foreign country by Washington.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif condemned the new anti-Iranian measure, saying, “The new sanctions are aimed at blocking Iran’s international transactions and its access to food and medicine. This move is unacceptable and dangerous.”

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Mousavi then expressed hope that all forces with an interest in the future of Afghanistan would overcome the current difficult situation through peaceful means and without any foreign interference.

A car bomb explosion that the Taliban said targeted a nearby government intelligence department building in Qalat, the capital of Zabul province, left at least 39 people killed and 90 wounded. The explosion happened outside a hospital gate nearby, where several women, children, health workers and patients were critically injured the blast.

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The delegation has reportedly conferred with a number of political and foreign ministry officials of Iran on the Afghan peace talks and the intra-Afghan negotiations on Tuesday.

The visit to Tehran was the second foreign trip of the Taliban delegation after the collapse of its talks with the United States. The Afghan group earlier paid a visit to Moscow, Russia.

After nine rounds of negotiations in Doha, which began in October 2018, American and Taliban officials agreed on a draft accord that would have seen some 5,000 US troops withdrawn from Afghanistan in exchange for security guarantees from the Taliban.

However, Trump canceled the talks in a move that surprised the Taliban leaders.

The group said that an agreement had been “finalized” and that discussions had ended in “a good atmosphere,” but the deal had been sabotaged by Trump.

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