Japan Offers Iran Assistance to Complete Nuclear Negotiations

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian with a group of legislators (Foreign Ministry)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian with a group of legislators (Foreign Ministry)
TT

Japan Offers Iran Assistance to Complete Nuclear Negotiations

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian with a group of legislators (Foreign Ministry)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian with a group of legislators (Foreign Ministry)

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi offered his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, help to push through the stalled talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry said that Amir-Abdollahian discussed bilateral ties and regional and international developments over the phone with his Japanese counterpart.

They also discussed the indirect talks between Tehran and Washington with the aim of a joint return to the nuclear agreement.

The Japanese foreign minister expressed his country's readiness to support the Vienna negotiations, noting Tokyo's satisfaction with the "positive" cooperation between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Last month, the IAEA said Iran had given sweeping assurances that it would finally cooperate in a long-stalled investigation into uranium particles found at undeclared sites and reinstall removed monitoring equipment.

Amir-Abdollahian said Iran considers diplomacy and negotiation a way out of regional and global challenges, calling to expand cooperation between Tehran and Tokyo.

He reaffirmed Iran's principled stance on the Ukraine crisis and Tehran's opposition to the war.

Japan failed to mediate between the US and Iran to reduce tensions after former US President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018.

Several negotiations failed to revive the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers in the Austrian capital, Vienna.

The agreement imposed restrictions on Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for lifting international sanctions. Tehran gradually violated the regulations of its nuclear program under the deal.

Since last September, indirect talks have stopped between Tehran and the administration of US President Joe Biden to revive the agreement.

Israel has recently intensified its threats to take military action against Tehran to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons. Tehran denies it aims to develop atomic weapons.

Last month, press reports stated that Israel had informed the US administration and several European countries that it might launch a military strike against Iran if it enriched uranium above 60 percent.



Iran Closes Centers Linked to Germany, Which Summons Ambassador

 Seals placed by the Iranian police force are pictured outside the closed gate of the Tehran offices of Germany's Goethe-Institut cultural center on August 20, 2024. (AFP)
Seals placed by the Iranian police force are pictured outside the closed gate of the Tehran offices of Germany's Goethe-Institut cultural center on August 20, 2024. (AFP)
TT

Iran Closes Centers Linked to Germany, Which Summons Ambassador

 Seals placed by the Iranian police force are pictured outside the closed gate of the Tehran offices of Germany's Goethe-Institut cultural center on August 20, 2024. (AFP)
Seals placed by the Iranian police force are pictured outside the closed gate of the Tehran offices of Germany's Goethe-Institut cultural center on August 20, 2024. (AFP)

Iran's judiciary has closed two branches of organizations linked to Germany due to "illegal activities and financial fraud", the judiciary's Mizan news agency said, in a move protested by Berlin with the summoning of the Iranian ambassador.

Mizan published pictures on Tuesday of security forces removing the banner of the German Language Institute of Tehran, which is linked to the German embassy.

"Additionally, there have been reports of violations by other Germany-affiliated centers and investigations in this matter are ongoing," Mizan added.

A spokesperson for the German foreign ministry condemned the actions against the language institute in a statement, which did not mention other organizations.

Tehran's ambassador would be summoned over the incident, the spokesperson said, adding: "We call on the new Iranian government to allow teaching to resume immediately."

In July, Germany banned the Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH) and subsidiary organizations for "pursuing radical Islamist goals", according to the interior ministry.

The ministry said the IZH had acted as a direct representative of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, and sought to bring about an “Islamic revolution” in Germany.

Following the closure of the IZH, Iran summoned the German ambassador in Tehran.