Iran Says it Is Committed to Resolving Nuclear Dispute Through Diplomacy 

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian speaks during the Iran and BRICS summit in Tehran, Iran, August 8, 2023. WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian speaks during the Iran and BRICS summit in Tehran, Iran, August 8, 2023. WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
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Iran Says it Is Committed to Resolving Nuclear Dispute Through Diplomacy 

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian speaks during the Iran and BRICS summit in Tehran, Iran, August 8, 2023. WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian speaks during the Iran and BRICS summit in Tehran, Iran, August 8, 2023. WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters

Iran is committed to resolving its nuclear dispute with world powers through diplomacy, the country's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told reporters in a televised news conference on Monday.

"We have always wanted a return of all parties to full compliance of the 2015 nuclear deal," Amir-Abdollahian said.

Indirect talks between Washington and Tehran to revive the nuclear agreement have stalled since last September.

Having failed to revive the pact, Tehran and Washington said on Thursday they had reached an understanding under which $6 billion in Iranian funds will be unfrozen from South Korea while five American nationals detained in Iran will be released.

The United States would also release some Iranians from US prisons as part of the deal, Iran said.



Ukraine Stages Drone Attack on Russia’s Saratov Region, Causing Big Fire

 In this photo released by Governor of the Saratov region Roman Busargin telegram channel on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, firefighters and rescuers work at the industrial side damaged after Ukrainian drones' attack in Saratov, Russia. (Governor of the Saratov region Roman Busargin telegram channel via AP)
In this photo released by Governor of the Saratov region Roman Busargin telegram channel on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, firefighters and rescuers work at the industrial side damaged after Ukrainian drones' attack in Saratov, Russia. (Governor of the Saratov region Roman Busargin telegram channel via AP)
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Ukraine Stages Drone Attack on Russia’s Saratov Region, Causing Big Fire

 In this photo released by Governor of the Saratov region Roman Busargin telegram channel on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, firefighters and rescuers work at the industrial side damaged after Ukrainian drones' attack in Saratov, Russia. (Governor of the Saratov region Roman Busargin telegram channel via AP)
In this photo released by Governor of the Saratov region Roman Busargin telegram channel on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, firefighters and rescuers work at the industrial side damaged after Ukrainian drones' attack in Saratov, Russia. (Governor of the Saratov region Roman Busargin telegram channel via AP)

Ukrainian drones struck deep inside Russia overnight and attacked the Saratov region, causing a major fire in the city of Engels, the local governor said on Wednesday.

The region hosts a major air base for strategic bomber planes that form part of Russia's nuclear forces. Ukraine has attacked the base with drones before, but there was no word on whether it had been targeted on this occasion.

Russian news reports said the fire was at an oil facility. Unverified videos and photos published on social media showed a large fire burning with orange flames, sending thick clouds of smoke into the night sky.

Regional governor Roman Busargin said the cities of Saratov and Engels, on opposite sides of the Volga river, had been subject to a "mass drone attack" and there was a fire at an industrial site, but that there were no known casualties.

"There are sufficient forces and resources to localize the fire," he posted on Telegram.

Russia's defense ministry said in a statement that 11 Ukrainian drones had been destroyed overnight over the Saratov region, and 21 over other parts of Russia and the Azov Sea. It did not mention any damage.

The Engels air base is located about 730 km (450 miles) southeast of Moscow and hundreds of kilometers from the Ukrainian border. In December 2022, three Russian air force personnel were killed when a drone was shot down there.

Independent news outlet Astra said the oil depot where the fire was burning provided fuel for the air base. Reuters was not immediately able to confirm that.