Iran

17 Sep 2019; MEMO: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) seized on Monday an oil tanker with 11 people on board flying the UAE flag.

Fars News Agency reported that the ship, which was carrying 250.000 litters of “smuggled diesel”, was detained alongside its crew who were handed over to the authorities in Hormozgan province, south of Iran.

CAIRO/TEHRAN, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- The recent attacks on Saudi Arabia's Aramco oil facilities have escalated the tensions in the Gulf, as Iran and the United States trade barbs and threats of military retaliation.

TEHRAN, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry announced Monday that Iran will release the seized British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero in the coming days.

"Legal and judicial procedures are underway ... and the ship will be released," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi said at his weekly press conference on Monday.

He noted that "no mediation is involved in the release of the ship."

Iran detained the Stena Impero on July 19, alleging that it had violated the maritime regulations while passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

TEHRAN, Sept 15 (NNN-IRNA) – Iran is in talks with the European Union, to supply natural gas to the European countries, Financial Tribune daily reported on Saturday.

Iranian natural gas will be sent to Europe through a pipeline from Turkey, Hassan Montazer-Torbati, CEO of National Iranian Gas Company, was quoted as saying.

“The infrastructure is in place and talks are underway with the EU private companies,” Montazer-Torbati said, adding that, as soon as the talks produce results, Greece will be among the first gas export destinations.

TEHRAN, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Iran's First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri said on Saturday that "the United States seeks the collapse of Iranian government through maximum pressure campaign," official IRNA news agency reported.

"Their ultimate goal is the collapse of the Iranian government and their short term goal is to disintegrate the economy of the country," Jahangiri was quoted as saying.

TEHRAN, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- The abrupt departure of former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton from the White House would not suffice for alleviating challenges facing Tehran-Washington potential negotiations, an Iranian political expert said on Saturday.

12 Sep 2019; MEMO: US President Donald Trump’s sacking of his National Security Advisor John Bolton is recognition of his failures, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s Chief of Staff Mahmoud Vaezi said yesterday.

According to Quds Press, the official Iranian News Agency (IRNA) reported Vaezi saying: “The firing of Bolton after a short period shows that even the hawkish US government has come to the conclusion that the age of warmongering and intimidation is over.”

TEHRAN, Sept 12 (NNN-IRNA) – Iran’s envoy to the United Nations, Majid Takht-e Ravanchi, said, negotiations with the United States are unlikely, unless the latter decides to remove anti-Iran sanctions, Press TV reported.

“There is no room for talks, as long as the U.S. administration’s economic terrorism and cruel sanctions against the Iranian people are in place,” Takht-e Ravanchi was quoted as saying.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s president urged the U.S. on Wednesday to “put warmongers aside” as tensions roil the Persian Gulf amid an escalating crisis between Washington and Tehran in the wake of the collapsing nuclear deal with world powers.

Hassan Rouhani’s remarks signaled approval of President Donald Trump’s abrupt dismissal of John Bolton as national security adviser, a man routinely pilloried by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as part of a “B Team” that targeted Iran.

TEHRAN, Sept 11 (NNN-IRNA) – Iran has urged India to reject the U.S. oil trade ban imposed on Iran, Press TV reported on Tuesday.

If India defies the U.S. sanctions, it would take advantage of the opportunities offered by the Iranian oil and gas sectors, Iran’s Ambassador to India, Ali Chegini, was quoted as saying.

“If India wants energy security, it should look for a stable source, like Iran, because of its resources, as well as, a strong government-to-government relationship, and the friendship between the two countries,” the ambassador added.