Iran Rejects Allegation of Interference in US Election

The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry. Photo: Iran's Foreign Ministry
The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry. Photo: Iran's Foreign Ministry
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Iran Rejects Allegation of Interference in US Election

The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry. Photo: Iran's Foreign Ministry
The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry. Photo: Iran's Foreign Ministry

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani has rejected claims made by US Attorney General Merrick Garland about increasing efforts by some countries, including Iran, to interfere in the US presidential elections.

Kanaani rejected the “hackneyed, baseless and biased” allegations, saying such accusations pursue domestic political objectives in the US.

"We will be relentlessly aggressive in countering and disrupting attempts by Russia and Iran, as well as China or any other foreign malign actor, (to) interfere in our elections and undermine our democracy," Garland said earlier this week.

Kanaani reminded the American officials that they cannot heal the rifts and settle their country’s internal problems, which he said have structural, political and social roots, by pinning the blame on others and leveling accusations against the foreign countries.

“The US government, which spearheads illegal interference in the internal affairs of the other independent states and has a litany of such destructive measures on its record, cannot attribute its domestic problems and crises to the other countries by making accusations against them or cover up the dark record of its extrajudicial actions and interference in the internal affairs of the independent states,” he added.



UN Names Former British Diplomat Tom Fletcher to Lead Aid Efforts

Fletcher replaces Martin Griffiths, who stepped down at the end of June for health reasons.
Fletcher replaces Martin Griffiths, who stepped down at the end of June for health reasons.
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UN Names Former British Diplomat Tom Fletcher to Lead Aid Efforts

Fletcher replaces Martin Griffiths, who stepped down at the end of June for health reasons.
Fletcher replaces Martin Griffiths, who stepped down at the end of June for health reasons.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday appointed former British diplomat Tom Fletcher as the new aid chief for the world body amid worsening humanitarian crises in the Gaza Strip, Sudan and elsewhere, largely driven by conflict.

Fletcher replaces Martin Griffiths, who stepped down at the end of June for health reasons.

Fletcher - who is currently the principal of Hertford College, Oxford - was the British ambassador to Lebanon from 2011-2015 and served as the foreign and development policy adviser to three British prime ministers between 2007-2011, the UN said in a statement.

He "has strong experience of leading and transforming organizations and bringing an understanding of diplomacy at the highest levels," the UN said.

UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said he did not know when Fletcher would take up the role.

The announcement comes as UN efforts to tackle humanitarian needs around the world are significantly underfunded.

The UN has appealed for $49 billion in 2024 to help 187.6 million of the people in need across 73 countries. But the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which Fletcher will lead, said on Wednesday that so far it has only received $16.21 billion.