IRAN NEWS NATIONAL DESK

TEHRAN – Iran says the overwhelming consensus among members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) against the U.S.’s push to reinstate all anti-Iran UN sanctions proves Washington’s isolation once again.

The Islamic Republic’s mission to the United Nations made the remarks in a statement on Tuesday, hours after the UNSC dismissed the controversial American bid because of a lack of consensus at the highest UN body over the so-called snapback of sanctions against Iran.

“Today, the overwhelming majority of the Security Council members rejected once again the admissibility of the recent letter” submitted by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo “notifying” the council of Washington’s intention to “snap back,” or restore, all UN sanctions on Iran.

The statement reminded that “through individual or joint letters addressed to the Council’s President, 13 out of 15 members of the Security Council” as well as Iran “have already strongly refuted the legal merit of the US letter.”

The U.S.’s push comes while it has lost the right to enable re-imposition of the sanctions due to its 2018 departure from a landmark nuclear deal between Iran and other countries — officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — that has been endorsed in the form of Security Council Resolution 2231.

The UN Security Council dismisses attempts by the U.S. to reinstate all UN sanctions against Iran due to a lack of consensus in the 15-member body over such a move.

The Iranian statement further said, “Given that the stated objective of the U.S. is to destroy Resolution 2231 and the JCPOA, Iran trusts that the Council members will continue preventing that country from undermining the UN, including the Security Council.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Indonesia’s UN Ambassador Dian Triansyah Djani, the UNSC’s president for August, said at a meeting on the Middle East that the 15-nation body was “not in the position to take further action” on the new US push.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a tweet later that the UNSC members had to use a meeting on the Middle East, not Iran, to refute the US attempt “as null and void” after Washington prevented a debate at the Council about its “unlawful notification” a day earlier.

The new anti-Iran bid comes after the UNSC similarly snubbed a resolution drafted by the US to extend an arms embargo against Iran that will expire in October under the JCPOA.

The Iranian mission, meanwhile, pointed to the allegations that the United States has been using against Tehran in order to try and justify its anti-Iran campaigns throughout the world, including at the Security Council.

Washington ceaselessly accuses Iran of trying to “destabilize” the region and the world, alleging that the Iranian peaceful nuclear program features “diversion towards military purpose” with that end in mind.

“Regarding unfounded accusations against Iran raised in the Council meeting by the US, it must be stressed that almost all problems in the Middle East stem from the continued occupation of Palestine by the Israeli regime and its expansionist policies supported by the US, as well as the meddling, destabilizing policies and destructive practices of the United States, which cannot be covered up by no amount of smear campaign,” the mission said.

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IRAN NEWS POLITICAL DESK

TEHRAN – Iran has hailed the UN Security Council’s rejection of unilateralism following the US failure to get the world body to extend a UN arms embargo on Iran.

Iran’s Ambassador to the UN Majid Takht Ravanchi said all countries, especially members of the UN Security Council, are duty-bound to make every effort to uphold values, objectives and principles stipulated in the UN Charter.

The Security Council on Friday gave a “No” vote to a U.S.-drafted anti-Iran resolution.

“Appeasement has never served the common interests of humanity; on the contrary, it has only emboldened bullies,” he said.

“We are beholden to ourselves and the future generation, which will have to live with the consequences of our actions or inaction,” he said.

His comments came after the Security Council rejected the U.S. resolution to extend an arms embargo on Iran that is due to expire in October.

Only one member state voted in favor of the U.S. resolution, and all other members either rejected the resolution or abstained from voting.

Most international media claimed the U.S. has suffered a humiliating defeat at the United Nations as its proposal to extend a global arms embargo on Iran was resoundingly rejected by the member states with only one country supporting it.

In the Security Council vote on Friday, Washington got support only from the Dominican Republic for its resolution to indefinitely extend the embargo, leaving it far short of the minimum nine “yes” votes required for adoption.

Eleven members on the 15-member body, including France, Germany and the United Kingdom, abstained.

Russia and China strongly opposed extending the 13-year ban, which was due to expire on October 18 under a 2015 nuclear deal signed between Iran and six world powers.

The scale of the defeat on Friday underlined U.S. isolation on the world stage ahead of a major diplomatic confrontation that threatens to consume the Security Council and further sap its authority.

In his response to the vote, the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, lashed out at other member states.

“The Security Council’s failure to act decisively in defense of international peace and security is inexcusable,” he said in a statement issued even before the result of the vote had been declared.

Zhang Jun, China’s ambassador to the UN, said in a statement that the result “once again shows that unilateralism receives no support and bullying will fail”.

Washington could now follow through on a threat to trigger a return of all UN sanctions on Iran using a provision in the nuclear deal, known as snapback, even though U.S. President Donald Trump had unilaterally abandoned the accord in 2018. On Thursday, the US had circulated to council members a six-page memo outlining why Washington remains a participant in the nuclear accord and still has the right to use the snapback provision.

In a statement after the vote, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft said Washington has “every right to initiate” the snapback mechanism, and added: “In the coming days, the United States will follow through on that promise to stop at nothing to extend the arms embargo.”

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According To Iran News, Noting that UNSCR 2231 and JCPOA are inseparable, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif explained the resolution to his American counterpart once again.

“@SecPompeo pretends UNSCR 2231 is independent from #JCPOA. He should READ 2231,” wrote Zarif on Tuesday tweet.

Stating that Pompeo did not read the text of the resolution, he added, “JCPOA is PART of 2231. That’s why it’s 104 pages—& why he’s not read it.”

“2231 for Dummies: It would NOT EXIST w/o JCPOA. US violated it & prevented others from complying. US has NO standing,” the Iranian diplomat said.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo plans to invoke a provision in the Iran nuclear agreement, which the Trump administration pulled out of in 2018, in an effort to either extend an arms embargo on Iran or reimpose even harsher United Nations (UN) sanctions, the New York Times reported on Sunday.

Last week, the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also called on the UN Security Council to extend Iran’s arms embargo under the pretext of preventing a new arms race in the Middle East.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif criticized the bullying policies of the US regarding the nuclear deal and UN Security Council Resolution 2231

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IRAN NEWS POLITICAL DESK

TEHRAN – Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations says the UN Security Council is facing a legitimacy and credibility crisis that has to be addressed through reforms.

Majid Takht-Ravanchi made the remarks before a United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York entitled “Question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and related matters.”

The ambassador criticized the structure of the 15-member Council, which is mostly dominated by western countries and, arguing that it needs to be expanded in a balanced way.

“Geopolitically, the Council is dominated mostly by western countries, three of which have veto power, and geographically, while WEOG (the Western European and Others Group) is overrepresented, the main regions are poorly represented in terms of number and have less rights and privileges in terms of veto power or permanent membership,” the envoy said in his speech.

“To date, one-third of UN members have never found a chance to become a Council member while there have been 20 countries that have each served between 10-22 years in this body,” he said.

Takht-Ravanchi said this “disproportionality and injustice must be addressed and rectified”, including by limiting chances for those who have served more and, instead, providing more advantages to those who have never served in the Council or served less times.

“This is essential in ensuring equal opportunities for all States to become a Council member as well as in preventing the domination of a certain regional or geopolitical group over the Council,” he argued.

The ambassador said the Council’s reforms should ensure that its members decide based not on their own national interests but based on the common interests of the entire UN membership.

“The Council must also stop increasing the excessive and expeditious resort to its Chapter VII functions. For instance, it has imposed sanctions in situations where no action was even necessary,” he said.

“Chapter VII must be invoked as a measure of last resort, if necessary,” Takht-Ravanchi noted.

For several years, the Islamic Republic of Iran remained under sanctions based on a Resolution passed by the UN Security Council enacted under the Chapter VII of the UN Charter, until the Resolution 2231 endorsed the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers, and took the country out of the Chapter VII.

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He added that as an international agreement backed by the UN Security Council, the JCPOA has seven parties and it is unacceptable that only one party remains committed to the deal.

Rouhani also reminded the Swedish premier of the European Union’s obligations under the JCPOA and called on EU members, including Sweden, to make the mechanism for trade with Iran known as INSTEX operational.

Lofven, for his part, pointed to his recent visit to Tehran, and said his country is willing to develop relations with the Islamic Republic in all areas, economy in particular.

The Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) is a payment channel that France, Germany and Britain – the three European signatories to the JCPOA – have devised to continue trade with Tehran and bypass the US embargoes.

Spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Behrouz Kamalvandi recently announced details of the country’s “third step” in reducing commitments under the JCPOA.

Iran maintains that the new measures are not designed to harm the nuclear deal but to save the accord by creating a balance in the commitments.

Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) on July 14, 2015, reached a conclusion over the text of the JCPOA.

The accord took effect in January 2016 and was supposed to terminate all nuclear-related sanctions against Iran all at once, but its implementation was hampered by the US policies and its eventual withdrawal from the deal.

On May 8, 2018, US President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the nuclear accord.

Following the US withdrawal, Iran and the remaining parties launched talks to save the deal.

However, the EU’s failure to ensure Iran’s economic interests forced Tehran to stop honoring certain commitments, including an unlimited rise in the stockpile of enriched uranium.

Kamalvandi recently said that the country’s enriched uranium stockpile has reached 360 to 370 kilograms.

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IRAN NEWS POLITICAL DESK

Hours after air attacks on Damascus and on the Front Line in Syria and Iraq and Netanyahu’s implicit confession for such deadly action , the news of shooting down of Zionist drones in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, was disseminated.

Reuters quoted one of Hezbollah officials as saying that an Israeli drone crashed earlier in the week on the southern suburb of Beirut and Israel’s second drone exploded midair. The Hezbollah official said the second drone caused some damage when it crashed before dawn close to Hezbollah’s media center in the Dahiyeh suburbs of Lebanon’s capital Beirut. Lebanon’s state news agency NNA reported that the second drone was rigged with explosives causing serious damage to the media center and three people wounded.

The Associated Press also quoted some residents of the southern part of Beirut as saying that they have heard a loud explosion.

Russian news agency Sputnik quoted an informed source as saying, “The drone that was shot down in ​​Beirut is a small Israeli reconnaissance aircraft that has military missions to plant explosive devices and is equipped to carry out assassinations.” Israeli Army with its silence was preparing to keep in secret the Zionist regime’s attacks.

According to Al-Manar TV channel, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri denounced Israel’s drone attack and called it a clear aggression to Lebanon’s territory. The Lebanese prime minister called Israeli attack as breach of UN resolution 1701, adding, it is a clear indication of Israeli aggressive acts aimed at undermining peace and stability in Lebanon and the region.

Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry announced that Lebanon would file an official complaint against Zionist regime to the UN Security Council about the violations.

Head of Lebanon’s Supreme Islamic Shiite Council, Sheikh Abdul-Amir Qablan, reacting to the Israeli drone attacks said, “Israeli regime is playing with fire which will drag it into a war which will cost its existence.

Most political and military experts believe that the feedback of G7 leaders’ meeting turns the climate in a way for Zionist regime that it would drag the region into the war at any cost. And this means an escape forward for creating chaos in the West Asia and preventing consecutive losses of the U.S. and humiliation of UK, and ultimately, Trump’s obedience to Europe for backtracking on his stupid decisions like pullout of the JCPOA.

Al-Mayadeen TV Channel reported that Israeli Prime Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed air attacks on Syria, quoting Netanyahu as saying, “In a major operational effort, we stopped Iranian forces and militias from attacking on Israel. I repeat: Iran has no immunity anywhere. Our forces operate in every sector against the Iranian aggression.” Netanyahu added, “I have given the instruction to the Army to prepare for any scenario and will continue to act against Iran and its proxies.”

Such remarks by a defeated commander are verifiable and undoubtedly, Iran and its allies Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and even Yemeni forces patiently would not take hasty actions because they realize that Netanyahu has committed such suicidal acts desperately.

By: Hamid Reza Naghashian

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Health conditions of some crew and fishermen of the Iranian ship are critical, according to the letter.

The Iranian UN mission also emphasized that the British tanker ignored warnings of the Iranian authorities after the incident and, by turning off its navigation systems in a dangerous move, changed its direction and moved in the opposite direction.

While the British supertanker was trying to escape Iranian forces, they stopped and captured it, the letter stated.

The IRGC’s Public Relations Department said in a statement on Friday that the vessel named “Stena Impero” had been impounded “at the request of Hormozgan Ports and Maritime Organization when passing through the Strait of Hormuz, for failing to respect international maritime rules.”

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also said the country’s military forces captured the British-flagged oil tanker to “uphold international maritime rules”.

The vessel had switched off its GPS locator, in contravention of international regulations, and was sailing into the strait in a wrong traffic pattern.

It was entering the strait from the southern route, which is an exit path, increasing the risk of an accident.

Moreover, Stena Impero had not heeded any of the warnings from the Iranian Ports and Maritime Organization.

The UK oil tanker was also polluting the Persian Gulf water heavily by dumping crude oil residue.

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He added, “It is based on ill intent simply because it has been proposed by the US, a country who is well-known for its biased policies rendering unconditional support for Israel as well as unjust practices towards the Palestinians.”

The so-called deal, a backchannel plan to allegedly reach a peace settlement between Israel and the Palestinians, was proposed by the US administration late in 2017.

The full text of the speech is as follows:

In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

Mr. President,

I thank you for convening this open debate and align myself with the NAM and OIC statements.

The main development since the previous open debate was the attempts to implement the so-called “deal of the century” through convening a workshop on Palestine in Bahrain.

This initiative is based on ill-intents, wrong assumptions and unrealistic approaches, and therefore is definitely doomed to fail.

It is based on ill intent simply because it has been proposed by the US, a country who is well-known for its biased policies rendering unconditional support for Israel as well as unjust practices towards the Palestinians.

The latest living examples include moving the US embassy to Jerusalem and recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Occupied Syrian Golan, both of which are in flagrant violation of the peremptory norms of international law.

Basically, during the past seven decades, the Security Council has been unable to force the Occupying Power to end the occupation because of the unreserved support of the US for Israel.

Such a systematic US support, when even Israel is committing the most heinous and barbaric crimes, has emboldened the Zionist regime to continue, with total impunity, to commit all international crimes systematically.

Relying on such supports, Israel has also continued its expansionist policies and illegitimate practices in oppressing the Palestinians in gross violation of their basic rights.

One of such brutalities is the decade-long illegal blockade of Israel on Gaza, turning it to the largest open prison in the world. This inhumane blockade must come to an end.

Moreover, the so-called “deal of the century” is based on wrong assumptions simply because it is aimed at buying all causes and aspirations, honor and dignity, property and territory, and inalienable rights of an entire nation.

It is certainly an illusion and therefore definitively will completely fail.

The cause of Palestine is based on the struggle of a nation for freedom; for liberty; for independence; for complete control over all its ancestral lands; for preserving its religious and cultural identity and sites; and for saving its honor and dignity.

Diminishing and shrinking such noble and holy causes to economic improvement is the wrongest ever possible assumption to solve the question of Palestine.

Additionally, the so-called “deal of the century” is based on an unrealistic approach, simply because all of the Palestinian groups, without exception, have strongly rejected this deal.

Furthermore, Al-Quds Al-Sharif, in addition to Palestinians, is dear to all Muslims, and no Muslim in the world is ready to accept such a disgraceful plan. Al-Quds Al-Sharif is and will remain the capital of Palestine.

History tells us that no nation has compromised on its sacred causes and the nation of Palestine is no exception.

Mere struggle and resistance of Palestinians in the course of the past seven decades clearly indicate that how resolute, determined and persevere they are in realizing their noble objectives of liberty and independence.

They suffered economically for seven decades to liberate their lands. What they need is freedom and liberation. Once the occupation ends, they well know how to improve the economy of their independent State.

At the same time, the international community should continue its strong support to the Palestinians in their struggle to liberate their homeland.

Under the pretext of economic improvement, the main aim and the true nature of the so-called “deal of the century” is to consolidate the occupation. The World must resist this unjust move.

This Council as well must end the vicious cycle of being bullied by one of its permanent members who unlawfully and brazenly continue rendering this body inactive and ineffective regarding Israel.

This hypocritical policy should come to an end and the Council must be able to play its Charter-based role in support of the Palestinians.

Ultimately, like any other crisis, the question of Palestine cannot be solved without addressing its root causes. There is no magic solution. The unlawful occupation of Palestine is the main source of this crisis and it can end only by ending the occupation.

Finally, the Israeli representative, in total disregard of this meeting’s agenda, which is respected by all and is focused on the Palestinian question, unsuccessfully tried to distract attentions away from the crimes and unlawful policies of its regime.

He must have explained why they continue the occupation of Palestine; investing on death and destruction; invading other countries; imposing inhumane blockade on Gaza; killing innocent children; demolishing homes, schools and hospitals; promoting racism; developing all types of weapons of mass destruction, including hundreds of nuclear weapons; rejecting to join treaties banning WMDs, particularly the NPT; rejecting the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East. Stop fabrications, lawlessness, brutality and crimes and be accountable.

I thank you, Mr. President.

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In general, objections to specific parts of the text can be used to delay votes, but are meant to solicit a watered-down version. It’s not clear why the US didn’t just veto the proposal in the first place.

US officials generally will veto anything that Israel does not like at the UN Security Council, and then follow it up with angry statements about how awful the UN is in general.

Bulldozers accompanied by hundreds of Israeli police and soldiers moved into Sur Baher, a village on the outskirts of Jerusalem al-Quds, on Monday.

The demolition is the latest round of protracted wrangling over the future of al-Quds, home to more than 300,000 Palestinians.

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What follows is the full text of the Iranian foreign minister’s speech:

“In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful,

Madam President,

As we address this year’s HLPF theme of “empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality”, we note that Secretary General’s report indicates sluggish progress in many areas, and underlines that “the most vulnerable people and countries continue to suffer the most and that the global response thus far has not been ambitious enough”. We agree with the Secretary-General that “inequality between and within countries is disturbingly high” and that “development is not sustainable if it is not fair and inclusive.”

Failure so far can be attributed to the failure of the developed world in keeping their side of the bargain, including those related to transfer of technology, capacity building, and financial assistance.

Madam President,

In spite of huge impediments caused by unlawful unilateral sanctions, the Islamic Republic of Iran has made significant progress in people’s empowerment and equality, working on the basis of its own principles and national priorities: 27% of faculty members, 50% of college students, and 37% of medical doctors are currently women. At the decision-making level, there has been a 60% increase in appointments in a bid to ensure our goal that by 2020, 30% of national decision makers are women.

In the implementation of our national “Comprehensive Low-Carbon Plan”, we surpassed our intended mitigation of greenhouse gas emission of 4% lower than BAU.

Ending illiteracy and providing free public education has approached its full realization, and the literacy rate among Iranians is now at 97% of the population. An average of 15% of household expenditure is now spent on education.

Effective training for the socially harmed and disadvantaged groups, as well as for rural and nomad communities and prisoners, is now being offered.  Educational opportunities have been extended to migrants and refugees, and currently 400,000 Afghan students are registered at local schools in Iran.

We in Iran face serious challenges in these efforts, challenges that include natural disasters, land degradation, desertification, and water scarcity. Regional threats and insecurity caused by foreign-sponsored terrorism, extremism and violence, hamper our efforts. Our people are also subjected to the most brutal form of “economic terrorism”–deliberately targeting innocent civilians to achieve illegitimate political objectives. The unlawful extraterritorial economic sanctions imposed on Iran by the United States in violation of Security Council resolution 2231 represent the greatest threat to the achievement of sustainable development goals of Iran and many of our neighbors.

Madam President

A renewed commitment to multilateralism and global solidarity is urgently needed. This should also entail, among others, the developed world re-visiting its commitment to help create an enabling environment for sustained economic growth and sustainable development of all countries, regions, and ultimately the planet as a whole.

I thank you for your attention.”

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