US Researcher: Trump Doesn't Need Congress Permission to Counter Iran's Threats

The US Capitol is seen as a partial government shutdown continues in Washington, US, January 8, 2019. REUTERS/Jim Young
The US Capitol is seen as a partial government shutdown continues in Washington, US, January 8, 2019. REUTERS/Jim Young
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US Researcher: Trump Doesn't Need Congress Permission to Counter Iran's Threats

The US Capitol is seen as a partial government shutdown continues in Washington, US, January 8, 2019. REUTERS/Jim Young
The US Capitol is seen as a partial government shutdown continues in Washington, US, January 8, 2019. REUTERS/Jim Young

Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the hawkish Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said that the US President Donald Trump has full executive authority that allows him to respond to any Iranian threat to the US or its interests in the Middle East, without the need for Congress permission.

Dubowitz told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper Tuesday that launching attacks or strikes against Tehran or its proxies will be within Trump's reach and won’t require prior permission of the Congress, stressing that he is not speaking about open military conflict.

He noted that the US won’t stand handcuffed when it comes to the country’s national security, adding that if the Iranian regime attacks the US forces or interests in the Middle East, it will be met with great force.

Dubowitz, however, rules out the possibility that Iran might be as fatuous to commit such acts, saying it is less likely that the region is heading towards a war, despite expectations.

Dubowitz, who is in charge of the Iranian issue and nuclear nonproliferation weapons in the Middle East, said that Iran is concerned by Washington’s policy exerting pressure on it, adding that the Tehran is aware that Trump, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton share one goal; to deter its activities.

Commenting on Iran's refusal to return to the negotiating table, the US researcher said that throughout the past two years former Secretary of State John Kerry and others at Obama's administration told the regime to downplay Trump’s significance as he will serve as president for one term only. They also told them that the sanctions imposed by the US administration would not work, because they would be unilateral, not by multiple states. Dubowitz, however, affirmed that the sanctions were working and affecting the Iranian economy

The researcher continued that the regime is currently under huge pressure and Iranians will eventually realize that they do not have time to wait, because they may end up with the re-election of Trump for a second term.



Biden Tries to Reassure Allies of Continued US Support for Ukraine after Congress Drops Aid Request

US President Joe Biden makes a statement about the stopgap government funding bill passed by the US House and Senate to avert a government shutdown at the White House in Washington, US, October 1, 2023. (Reuters)
US President Joe Biden makes a statement about the stopgap government funding bill passed by the US House and Senate to avert a government shutdown at the White House in Washington, US, October 1, 2023. (Reuters)
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Biden Tries to Reassure Allies of Continued US Support for Ukraine after Congress Drops Aid Request

US President Joe Biden makes a statement about the stopgap government funding bill passed by the US House and Senate to avert a government shutdown at the White House in Washington, US, October 1, 2023. (Reuters)
US President Joe Biden makes a statement about the stopgap government funding bill passed by the US House and Senate to avert a government shutdown at the White House in Washington, US, October 1, 2023. (Reuters)

President Joe Biden spoke Tuesday with US allies and partners to coordinate future support for Ukraine after Congress passed — and he signed — legislation that kept the US government funded but dropped his request for billions of dollars to help Ukraine in its fight against Russia.

The White House announced that Biden had convened the call but provided no details of the discussion.

Poland's President Andrzej Duda said afterward that Biden had assured the group of continued US support for Ukraine and of his strong conviction that Congress will not walk away.

“Everyone took the floor. The main subject was Ukraine, the situation in Ukraine," Duda said at a news conference in Kielce, Poland. “President Joe Biden began with telling us about the situation in the US and what is the real political situation around Ukraine. He assured us that there is backing for the continuing support for Ukraine, first of all for the military support. He said that he will get that backing in the Congress.”

Duda said Biden assured the leaders that support for Ukraine in the US Congress is much broader than media reports suggest. He said Biden called on the participants to continue their support for Ukraine and that everyone assured him that they would.

"All of us, leaders, we are determined to continue supporting Ukraine,” said Duda, whose country shares a border with Ukraine.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on social media that it was a “Good call with #NATO leaders hosted by @POTUS,” using the acronym for president of the United States. “As Russia continues its brutal war, we are all committed to supporting #Ukraine for as long as it takes,” Stoltenberg pledged.

Others joining Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the call were the leaders of Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Romania, Britain, the European Commission and the European Council. France’s foreign minister also participated, the White House said. French President Emmanuel Macron was not available due to scheduling issues, according to a US administration official.

Duda said the leaders also discussed plans for rebuilding Ukraine.

"Everyone was saying that this is the next step that will be necessary and for which preparations should begin now,” he said.

Biden had sought in public comments on Sunday, hours after he signed a bill to fund US government operations through mid-November, to reassure allies of continued US financial support for Ukraine's effort to counter Russia's military aggression. But he warned that time was running out and urged Congress to negotiate a new aid package quickly.

“We cannot under any circumstances allow America’s support for Ukraine to be interrupted,” Biden said at the White House after Congress averted a government shutdown by passing a short-term funding bill late Saturday that stripped out assistance for Ukraine.

“We have time, not much time, and there’s an overwhelming sense of urgency,” Biden said, noting that funding in the bill will run out in mid-November.

“The vast majority of both parties — Democrats and Republicans, Senate and House — support helping Ukraine and the brutal aggression that is being thrust upon them by Russia,” Biden said. “Stop playing games, get this done.’’

But many lawmakers acknowledge that winning approval for Ukraine assistance in Congress is growing as Republican resistance to the aid has gained momentum as the war continues.

While Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has begun a process to potentially consider legislation providing additional Ukraine aid, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., faces a more difficult task in keeping the commitment he made over the objections of nearly half of his GOP majority.

McCarthy signaled over the weekend that he supports linking new Ukraine funding to security improvements at the US border with Mexico.

The latest actions in Congress signal a gradual shift in the unwavering support that the United States has so far pledged to Ukraine in its fight against Russia, and is one of the clearest examples yet of the Republican Party’s movement toward a more isolationist stance.

The exclusion of money for Ukraine came little more than a week after lawmakers met in the Capitol with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He sought to assure them that his military was winning the war, but stressed that additional assistance would be crucial.

Voting in the House last week pointed to the potential trouble ahead. Nearly half of House Republicans voted to cut from a defense spending bill $300 million to train Ukrainian soldiers and buy weapons. The money later was approved separately, but opponents of Ukraine support celebrated their growing numbers.

The US has approved four rounds of aid to Ukraine in response to Russia’s invasion, totaling about $113 billion, with some of that money going toward replenishment of US military equipment that was sent to the front lines. In August, Biden called on Congress to provide for an additional $24 billion.


Zelenskiy Visits Troops Fighting in Northeastern Ukraine

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stands next to a Swedish CV90 armored fighting vehicle as he visits a position of Ukrainian troops in a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in an undisclosed location, Ukraine October 3, 2023. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stands next to a Swedish CV90 armored fighting vehicle as he visits a position of Ukrainian troops in a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in an undisclosed location, Ukraine October 3, 2023. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters)
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Zelenskiy Visits Troops Fighting in Northeastern Ukraine

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stands next to a Swedish CV90 armored fighting vehicle as he visits a position of Ukrainian troops in a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in an undisclosed location, Ukraine October 3, 2023. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stands next to a Swedish CV90 armored fighting vehicle as he visits a position of Ukrainian troops in a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in an undisclosed location, Ukraine October 3, 2023. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited troops fighting in the northeast on Tuesday and met commanders to discuss the battlefield situation on one of the hottest fronts of the war with Russia.

Zelenskiy did not give the exact location of his visit but said he had met brigades fighting in the Kupiansk-Lyman sector in the northeast, where the Ukrainian military says Russian forces have been staging attacks.

"We met with brigade and battalion commanders to discuss the battlefield situation, pressing issues, and needs," he said on Z, formerly known as Twitter, above photos of him meeting soldiers in a poorly lit room.

"Each of our combat brigades, each warrior who destroys the occupiers with every step forward, asserts that the Ukrainian victory will surely come. They are the power. I thank them for their service!"

The president's office also posted video footage showing Zelenskiy at various times during the visit shaking hands with troops, sitting at a long table with commanders and being briefed by an officer standing in front of a map.

Zelenskiy, who has regularly visited troops since Moscow's full-scale invasion in February 2022, also handed out awards.

Thanking them for their service, he urged them not to lose "the motivation with which you so firmly defend the sovereignty of our state and the future of our generations."

Since Kyiv began a counteroffensive in the east and south four months ago, Ukrainian troops have made only gradual gains but Zelenskiy has rejected criticism abroad that the advance has been marred by poor military strategy.


Armenia’s Parliament Votes to Join International Criminal Court, Straining Ties with Russia 

Armenian lawmakers attend the session of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia in Yerevan, Armenia, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (AP)
Armenian lawmakers attend the session of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia in Yerevan, Armenia, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (AP)
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Armenia’s Parliament Votes to Join International Criminal Court, Straining Ties with Russia 

Armenian lawmakers attend the session of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia in Yerevan, Armenia, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (AP)
Armenian lawmakers attend the session of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia in Yerevan, Armenia, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (AP)

Armenia's parliament voted Tuesday to join the International Criminal Court, a move that further strains the country's ties with its old ally Russia after the court issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin over events in Ukraine.

Moscow last month called Yerevan's effort to join the the ICC an "unfriendly step," and the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Armenia's ambassador. Countries that have signed and ratified the Rome Statute that created the ICC are bound to arrest Putin, who was indicted for war crimes connected to the deportation of children from Ukraine, if he sets foot on their soil.

Armenian officials have argued the move has nothing to do with Russia and was prompted by what they call Azerbaijan's aggression against the country.

Lawmakers voted to ratify the Rome Statute by a vote of 60-22. Armenia's president must sign off on the decision, which will come into force 60 days after the vote.

Armenia's relations with Russia have frayed significantly in recent years.

In 2020, Moscow brokered a deal that ended a six-week war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It mandated that Yerevan cede to Baku large swaths of territory in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, a part of Azerbaijan with a predominantly Armenian population.

Russia then sent some 2,000 peacekeepers to the tumultuous region and Armenia has accused the troops of failing to prevent recent hostilities by Azerbaijan that led to Baku taking full control of the region.

The Kremlin, in turn, has accused Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of precipitating the fall of Nagorno-Karabakh by acknowledging Azerbaijan’s sovereignty over the region.

Moscow also blames Yerevan for damaging ties with Russia by embracing the West, including hosting US troops for joint military drills.

It remains unclear whether Pashinyan might take Armenia out of the Moscow-dominated Collective Security Treaty Organization, a group of several former Soviet nations, and other Russia-led alliances. Armenia also hosts a Russian military base and Russian border guards help patrol Armenia’s frontier with Türkiye.

Armenia had started the process of joining the ICC more than 20 years ago, but in 2004 its Constitutional Court ruled that the Rome Statute contradicted the country’s constitution at the time, putting the process on pause. The constitution has been amended twice since then. In March, the Constitutional Court ruled that the obligations for signatories outlined by the Rome Statute are in line with the existing constitution.

Armenia’s envoy on international legal matters, Yegishe Kirakosyan, said Yerevan decided to resume the process of joining the ICC because of Baku’s alleged aggression against Armenia. Armenian officials last year accused Azerbaijan of killing a number of Armenian prisoners of war, an allegation Baku had promised to investigate.

Yerevan wants the ICC’s jurisdiction to take force starting from May 10, 2021, but under the court’s founding treaty, Armenia would likely have to make a separate declaration to that effect.


Ukraine Downs 29 Russia-Launched Drones, One Cruise Missile 

A handout photo released by the press service of the State Emergency Service (SES) of Ukraine shows firefighters working at a site of a missile strike in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk region, central Ukraine, 08 September 2023, amid the Russian invasion. (State Emergency Service of Ukraine/EPA)
A handout photo released by the press service of the State Emergency Service (SES) of Ukraine shows firefighters working at a site of a missile strike in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk region, central Ukraine, 08 September 2023, amid the Russian invasion. (State Emergency Service of Ukraine/EPA)
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Ukraine Downs 29 Russia-Launched Drones, One Cruise Missile 

A handout photo released by the press service of the State Emergency Service (SES) of Ukraine shows firefighters working at a site of a missile strike in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk region, central Ukraine, 08 September 2023, amid the Russian invasion. (State Emergency Service of Ukraine/EPA)
A handout photo released by the press service of the State Emergency Service (SES) of Ukraine shows firefighters working at a site of a missile strike in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk region, central Ukraine, 08 September 2023, amid the Russian invasion. (State Emergency Service of Ukraine/EPA)

Ukraine destroyed 29 of 31 drones launched by Russia and one cruise missile, its air force said on Tuesday, most of them targeting the regions of Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk.

The waves of overnight attacks lasted more than three hours, the southern command of Ukraine's forces had said earlier.

Falling debris in the southeastern city of Dnipro caused a fire at a private firm that was quickly doused, said Serhiy Lysak, governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Damage to manufacturing facilities at an industrial enterprise in the city of Pavlohrad led to a fire that was also put out, he added on the Telegram messaging app.

Sixteen drones were destroyed over the southern region of Mykolaiv, its governor, Vitaliy Kim, said.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports.


Germany to Host Top Climate Talks if No East Europe Candidate: UN

'Cop28 UAE' logo is displayed on the screen during the opening ceremony of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) under the theme of 'United on Climate Action Toward COP28', in Abu Dhabi, UAE, January 16, 2023. REUTERS/Rula Rouhana
'Cop28 UAE' logo is displayed on the screen during the opening ceremony of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) under the theme of 'United on Climate Action Toward COP28', in Abu Dhabi, UAE, January 16, 2023. REUTERS/Rula Rouhana
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Germany to Host Top Climate Talks if No East Europe Candidate: UN

'Cop28 UAE' logo is displayed on the screen during the opening ceremony of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) under the theme of 'United on Climate Action Toward COP28', in Abu Dhabi, UAE, January 16, 2023. REUTERS/Rula Rouhana
'Cop28 UAE' logo is displayed on the screen during the opening ceremony of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) under the theme of 'United on Climate Action Toward COP28', in Abu Dhabi, UAE, January 16, 2023. REUTERS/Rula Rouhana

The United Nations on Monday said next year’s top climate talks will take place in Germany if countries fail to designate an eastern European host, amid a reported impasse caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

A decision should theoretically be taken at COP28 in Dubai but there is no deadline, a spokesperson for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) told AFP.

“In case there is no agreement in the Eastern Europe group, COP29 would be held in Germany,” which has hosted the UNFCCC secretariat in the city of Bonn since 1996, the spokesperson added.

The same source added that the UAE would preside over the talks as the chair of the COP28.

An eastern European country is due to host the 2024 talks after this year’s COP28. But Russia is reportedly opposing an EU member holding the event as tensions with the bloc run high during the war in Ukraine.

The 23 countries that make up the COP grouping known as the Eastern European states must unanimously agree on the host country.

The Financial Times has reported that the UAE was offering to host the talks for a second year.

The COP28 presidency office said the host of the next UN climate summit needed to be agreed under the proper procedures. “This is not even on our radar. We remain focused on delivering ambitious climate action at COP28,” it added.

At the same time, Germany was “not keen” to host the summit at the Bonn headquarters of the UNFCCC, two people familiar with the discussions said, on the grounds that the city was not large enough to accommodate the huge crowd that would descend on its confines for the fortnight’s duration.

The German foreign ministry said: “It is important that the EEG group reaches a decision on the COP presidency following the procedures of the UNFCCC.”

Bonn has already hosted two COPs, last doing so in 2017 when the Fijian presidency could not host thousands of delegates for logistical reasons.


French Minister Heads to Armenia to Boost Bilateral Support 

A view of Khankendi, Azerbaijan on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023 which is also known as Stepanakert, Karabakh to Armenians. (AP)
A view of Khankendi, Azerbaijan on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023 which is also known as Stepanakert, Karabakh to Armenians. (AP)
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French Minister Heads to Armenia to Boost Bilateral Support 

A view of Khankendi, Azerbaijan on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023 which is also known as Stepanakert, Karabakh to Armenians. (AP)
A view of Khankendi, Azerbaijan on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023 which is also known as Stepanakert, Karabakh to Armenians. (AP)

France's foreign minister travels to Armenia on Tuesday to assess the country's urgent needs as it faces a flux of refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh and the risk of Azerbaijani military operations on its territory, diplomats said.

The Nagorno-Karabakh issue is a delicate subject in Paris. A week after Baku took control of the enclave forcing more than 100,000 people to flee, lawmakers from all political spectrums have attacked the government for not doing enough to help the ethnic Armenians.

Many fear that a soft position on Nagorno-Karabakh could see Paris abandoning Armenia should the Azeris decide to go beyond its borders.

France's population includes between 400,000 to 600,000 people of Armenian origin, a powerful lobby group during election periods.

"There is a bilateral aspect, of political relations obviously, to strengthen Armenia, whose isolation everyone can see," said a French diplomatic source briefing reporters ahead Catherine Colonna's arrival in the Armenian capital Yerevan.

France, along with its Western allies, fear that Armenia and its existing government could waiver after its historical military ally, Russia, appeared to abandon it over the last few weeks.

Paris has already provided 12.5 million euros in humanitarian aid and its Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Saturday that Paris was ready to provide military assistance depending on Yerevan's needs.

French officials have also backed the idea of imposing EU sanctions on Baku, but admit that there is a reluctance among several member states to do so just a year after the bloc agreed a major energy deal to replace Russian supplies.

Discussions are ongoing in Brussels. In the meantime, French officials said they would work to beef up a civilian European mission alongside the border as part of efforts to deter Baku from considering further military action.

"Armenia needs security guarantees. If any country can provide it, whether it's the UK, France, the US, it's extremely important," said a senior Armenian diplomat ahead of Colonna's visit, the first by a Western minister since the Azeri operation.


Putin May Soon Say he Will Run in Russia's 2024 Election - Report

Russian President Vladimir Putin. EPA
Russian President Vladimir Putin. EPA
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Putin May Soon Say he Will Run in Russia's 2024 Election - Report

Russian President Vladimir Putin. EPA
Russian President Vladimir Putin. EPA

Russian President Vladimir Putin may soon indicate he will take part in a 2024 presidential election, Kommersant newspaper reported on Tuesday, paving the way for the Kremlin chief to stay in power until 2030.

As part of a conference in November, officials suspect that Putin may announce he will take part in the election in March next year, Kommersant reported, citing unidentified sources close to the presidential administration.

The newspaper, one of Russia's most respected, said there were, however, other scenarios for what Putin might do at the conference and the final decision rested with him. The Kremlin did not immediately comment, Reuters said.

Putin, who was handed the presidency by Boris Yeltsin on the last day of 1999, has been leader for longer than any other Russian ruler since Josef Stalin, beating even Leonid Brezhnev's 18-year tenure.

Putin turns 71 on Oct. 7.

While many diplomats, spies and officials have said they expect Putin to stay in power for life, there has yet to be any confirmation of his plans to run in the 2024 presidential vote.


Iran Arrests Spy Cell for Smuggling Starlink Equipment

A police motorcycle burns during a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini (Reuters)
A police motorcycle burns during a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini (Reuters)
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Iran Arrests Spy Cell for Smuggling Starlink Equipment

A police motorcycle burns during a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini (Reuters)
A police motorcycle burns during a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini (Reuters)

Iran's security services arrested a “spy” cell composed of five people accused of smuggling Starlink satellite internet equipment in the city of Zahedan.

They accused a prominent advisor to reformist leader Mir Hossein Mousavi and the opposition organization Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MEK) of orchestrating the operation.

The agency described the five detainees as members of a spy organization cooperating with the Mujahideen-e-Khalq of Iran, the most prominent Iranian opposition faction abroad.

It accused a foreign "intelligence agency" of being behind this.

A few days ago, on the first anniversary of “Bloody Friday'', Iranian authorities launched a security campaign in the Sunni-majority Balochistan province. Bloody Friday, on September 30 last year, saw more than 100 demonstrators killed.

Back then, the authorities cut off the Internet in Zahedan. The local "Haalvsh" website said that the authorities arrested 216 people, including 32 children, noting that the identities of 110 detainees had been confirmed.

Tasnim news agency quoted "reliable sources" that a foreign intelligence agency sent some of its members several communication devices and Starlink equipment to bring back chaos in Zahedan.

The agency referred to what it said was a “large-scale” plan to create chaos on the anniversary of the Zahedan unrest, noting that after all the schemes failed, the agency is trying to revive the members of the "failed project."

Tasnim did not provide details or pictures of the equipment that was confiscated, nor did it mention the identity of the detainees or their place of detention.

Last month, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk revealed that he received an Iranian warning after he promised to activate the firm's satellite internet service and provide satellite broadband services to Iranians.

The news agency accused Ardeshir Amir Arjomand, a senior advisor to Mousavi, who has been residing in Paris since the Green Movement protests against the presidential elections 2009.

It is not the first time that Iranian authorities have accused an ally of Mousavi.

Last February, the Mizan Agency, affiliated with the Iranian judiciary, quoted a "security official" that Mousavi had come "under the umbrella of the opposition Mujahideen-e-Khalq."

The opposition leader proposed a constitutional referendum, and in response, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said that they were trying to raise issues such as generational differences in Iran and called on Iranian officials for "unity."

The security official said that Mousavi's statement followed direct instructions from MEK.

For 13 years, the Iranian authorities have imposed house arrest on Mousavi, his wife, Zahra Rahnavard, and his ally, Mehdi Karroubi, after calling on their supporters to protest the election results during which former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won a second term.

Mousavi's wife issued a statement a few days ago announcing that the authorities had allowed her to shop for vegetables or visit holy places, but she rejected the proposal.

She wrote in the statement: "My freedom depends on Iran's freedom."

A video circulated on social media showing a banner of Mousavi's image on one of Tehran's highways, offering support to the reformist leader.

A total of 570 political activists inside Iran issued a statement last week warning of the "gradual death" of Mousavi, his wife, and Karoubi as their house arrest continues.


Tehran Rules Out Direct Negotiations with Washington

Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi meets his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York last month. (Iranian Foreign Ministry)
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi meets his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York last month. (Iranian Foreign Ministry)
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Tehran Rules Out Direct Negotiations with Washington

Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi meets his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York last month. (Iranian Foreign Ministry)
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi meets his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York last month. (Iranian Foreign Ministry)

Iran has ruled out direct negotiations with the United States, but has reiterated its satisfaction with the Omani initiative which aims to break the diplomatic impasse surrounding the revival of the 2015 nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Speaking at a weekly press conference on Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani considered Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq’s recent proposal as an initiative to bridge some of the gap between the parties.

“The initiatives and plans proposed by some friendly countries, including the Sultan of Oman are neither a new agreement nor a new plan, but a practical initiative to bring the points of view of the JCPOA parties closer to each other and return all parties to this nuclear deal reached in 2015,” said Kanaani.

“The diplomatic channel and the exchange of messages remain open, and this process is ongoing,” affirmed Kanaani.

However, the spokesperson went on to say: “We will not engage in direct negotiations with the US, and there is no plan for direct negotiations.”

Last year, nuclear negotiations stumbled in the final stages as Tehran held firm on its conditions, including the closure of an international investigation into nuclear activities at two secret sites where traces of uranium of human origin were found by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Western diplomats say that Iran rejected at least two drafts to reach an agreement during the past year.

The IAEA estimates that Iran has enough enriched uranium at 60% to develop three nuclear bombs. Additionally, it possesses larger quantities of 20% enriched uranium.

In parallel with the revival talks of the nuclear agreement in April 2021, Tehran began enriching uranium to 60%.


Türkiye Detains Nearly 1,000, Including Alleged Kurdish Militants, Following Suicide Bomb Attack 

Members of the Turkish Police Special Forces stand guard in front of the Interior Ministry following a bomb attack in Ankara, Türkiye October 1, 2023. REUTERS/Cagla Gurdogan
Members of the Turkish Police Special Forces stand guard in front of the Interior Ministry following a bomb attack in Ankara, Türkiye October 1, 2023. REUTERS/Cagla Gurdogan
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Türkiye Detains Nearly 1,000, Including Alleged Kurdish Militants, Following Suicide Bomb Attack 

Members of the Turkish Police Special Forces stand guard in front of the Interior Ministry following a bomb attack in Ankara, Türkiye October 1, 2023. REUTERS/Cagla Gurdogan
Members of the Turkish Police Special Forces stand guard in front of the Interior Ministry following a bomb attack in Ankara, Türkiye October 1, 2023. REUTERS/Cagla Gurdogan

Police detained almost a thousand people in raids across Türkiye on Tuesday, including dozens with alleged links to Kurdish militants and an opposition news anchor, days after a suicide bomb attack in the Turkish capital. 

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said police carried out raids in 16 Turkish provinces, detaining 55 people suspected of being part of the “intelligence structure” of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK. At least 12 other suspected PKK members were rounded up in a separate operation in five provinces, Yerlikaya wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. 

The PKK claimed responsibility for the suicide attack, according to a news website close to the group. The group has led a decades-long insurgency in Türkiye and is considered a terror organization by the United States and the European Union. Tens of thousands of people have died since the start of the conflict in 1984. 

A 73-year-old news anchor was also detained Tuesday after questioning details of the official account of the attack on opposition broadcaster Halk TV. 

Aysenur Arslan was detained in her home after prosecutors accused her of “terrorist propaganda” and “praising criminal activity” for comments made during her television program on Monday morning. 

Press freedoms in Türkiye have eroded during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ’s tenure, according to international monitors. 

Much of the media has oriented itself to support Erdogan, while the few broadcasters that regularly criticize his policies are hit with fines or blackouts by the Turkish media watchdog RTUK. Türkiye ranked 149th out of 180 countries in press freedom index of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in 2022. 

The interior minister later said that an additional 928 people suspected of holding unlicensed firearms or being connected to firearms smuggling were arrested during the operation, but he did not immediately make it clear if the suspects arrested for illegal firearms were suspected of connections to the PKK. 

He added that over 840 firearms were confiscated during the operation. 

On Sunday, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device near an entrance to the Interior Ministry hours before Erdogan was set to address Parliament as it returned from its summer recess. A second would-be bomber was killed in a shootout with police. 

Two police officers were slightly wounded in the attack. The suspects arrived at the scene inside a vehicle they seized from a veterinarian in the central Turkish of Kayseri after shooting him in the head, officials said. 

Turkish authorities identified one of the assailants as a PKK militant. Hours later, Türkiye’s Air Force carried out airstrikes on suspected PKK sites in northern Iraq, where the group's leadership is based. The Defense Ministry said a large number of PKK militants were “neutralized” in the strikes. 

Yerlikaya did not clarify whether the people rounded up on Tuesday were suspected of direct involvement in Sunday’s attack.