Latest news with #FreeIraqfromIranAct
Rudaw Net
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Eight Kurdish activists face anti-state charges in Iran: Watchdog
Also in Iran Seven killed in tragic gas poisoning incident at 'unregistered' mine in Iran Iran denies Trump's claims of 'direct' Tehran-Washington negotiations Zarif rejects claims of role in anticipated US-Iran nuclear talks Iran condemns US 'Free Iraq from Iran Act' as 'very offensive' A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Eight Kurdish activists appeared before a court on Tuesday on charges of 'propaganda against the state' in Iran's western Kurdish areas (Rojhelat), a human rights watchdog reported. 'Eight labour and civil rights activists appeared today before Branch One of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Sanandaj, Kurdistan province, facing charges of 'propaganda against the state' and 'disturbing public order and peace,'' the Paris-based Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) said. The defendants are Susan Razani, Seyyed Khaled Hosseini, Jamal Asadi, Farshid Abdollahi, Eghbal Shabani, Fardin Miraki, Sheys Amani, and Arman Salimi, who were previously summoned to court on January 5 and were released on bail pending trial, according to the statement. 'The case centres on their participation in the funeral of a dadkhah mother [justice-seeking mother] in Sanandaj, which the authorities have cited as evidence for the charges brought against them,' KHRN said. One of the accused is Farshid Abdollahi, the father of Houman Abdollahi, who was killed during the nationwide antigovernment Jin Jiyan Azadi (Women Life Freedom) protests, which erupted in 2022 following the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Zhina (Mahsa) Amini in police custody after she was detained for allegedly violating Iran's strict hijab rules. Tens of thousands of people are held as political prisoners in Iranian jails for charges including advocating for democracy and promoting women's or workers' rights. The country ranks second globally for known executions, and the number of death penalties it implements has risen dramatically in recent years. Tehran has been accused by human rights groups of using the death penalty to suppress minority groups, like Baluchis and Kurds, who were active in the 2022 protests. Tehran executed an estimated 909 prisoners in 2024, with Kurds making up 20 percent of the total, the Oslo-based Hengaw Human Rights Organization reported in February.
Rudaw Net
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Seven killed in tragic gas poisoning incident at ‘unregistered' mine in Iran
Also in Iran Iran denies Trump's claims of 'direct' Tehran-Washington negotiations Zarif rejects claims of role in anticipated US-Iran nuclear talks Iran condemns US 'Free Iraq from Iran Act' as 'very offensive' Iran criticizes Europe over failure to enforce ICC warrant against Netanyahu A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The secretary of Iran's National Coal Association stated on Tuesday that the mine where a gas poisoning incident occurred, killing seven miners - including three foreign nationals - was not registered with the association and was very small in scale. The gas poisoning incident took place on Monday at the Mehman Duyeh coal mine in Damghan, located in Iran's northern Semnan Province, resulting in the tragic death of seven people. 'This mine was very small in scale and was not among the mines registered with [Iran's National] Coal Association,' Saeid Samadi, the association's secretary told the state-run Iranian news agency (IRNA) on Tuesday. Samadi's remarks notably contradicted those of Semnan province's governor, Mohammad Javad Koulivand, who told IRNA on Tuesday that 'the mine has a license and has never recorded any accidents.' Noting that information from the mine's technical inspector or safety officer is yet to be obtained, Samadi suggested that the gas poisoning was caused by 'the contamination of the mine with carbon monoxide gas,' which led to the suffocation of the miners. However, he ruled out the incident being caused by 'methane gas emissions, because if it were, it would have led to an explosion in the mine.' Three emergency teams and the head of Semnan Province's pre-hospital emergency services responded to the scene. Following an order from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Tehran's minister of industry, mines and trade tasked a team of experts to investigate the incident. A judicial case has been opened into the Damghan mine accident, according to the head of Semnan Province's judiciary, reported IRNA. 'Given that a legal case has been filed for this incident, a supplementary report on the cause and circumstances of this incident will be presented after receiving reports from the Department of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare inspectors, who are present at the scene along with other judicial, executive, and relief officials,' the communication center of Judiciary told IRNA late on Monday. Mine explosions and gas poisoning incidents in Iran are often attributed to poor safety standards and non-compliance with security regulations. On September 22, an explosion at a coal mine in Iran's South Khorasan Province killed at least 34 workers.
Rudaw Net
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Iran denies Trump's claims of ‘direct' Tehran-Washington negotiations
Also in Iran Zarif rejects claims of role in anticipated US-Iran nuclear talks Iran condemns US 'Free Iraq from Iran Act' as 'very offensive' Iran criticizes Europe over failure to enforce ICC warrant against Netanyahu Iran not 'initiator of war' but will decisively respond to threats: Army A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran has rejected claims of direct engagement with the United States over its nuclear program, just hours after US President Donald Trump announced that Tehran and Washington would hold direct talks and an important meeting on Saturday. In a statement he posted on X early on Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that 'Iran and the United States will meet in Oman on Saturday for indirect high-level talks.' He emphasized that the anticipated engagement 'is as much an opportunity as it is a test' and that 'the ball is in America's court.' Araghchi had stated on Saturday that his country is open to 'indirect talks' with Washington, and rejected as 'pointless' the direct engagement 'with a party that constantly threatens to resort to force in violation of the United Nations Charter.' The Iranian foreign minister's Tuesday remarks came hours before Trump had underscored on Monday that 'direct talks' between Washington and Tehran have begun. "We're having direct talks with Iran, and they have started," Trump told reporters at the White House after a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 'Maybe a deal [with Iran] is going to be made. That would be great. We are meeting very importantly on Saturday [April 12], at almost the highest level,' he added. In his Monday remarks, Trump notably added that both the US and Israel would prefer a diplomatic solution over military confrontation. However the US president also pointed to possible military action against Iran if the talks are unsuccessful. 'I think everybody agrees that doing a deal would be preferable to doing the obvious, and the obvious is not something that I want to be involved with, or frankly, that Israel wants to be involved with, if they can avoid it,' Trump said. He further threatened that Iran will be in great danger if the talks fail. "I think if the talks aren't successful with Iran, I think Iran is going to be in great danger. And I hate to say it. Great danger. Because they cannot have a nuclear weapon,' he said. On March 29, the US President had warned that 'there will be bombing' against Iranian interests if Tehran fails to reach an agreement with Washington over its nuclear program. 'If they don't make a deal [with the US] there will be bombing, and it will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before,' Trump told NBC News. In an indirect response to Trump's threats, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on March 31 warned of a strong response if Iran is attacked. 'They threaten to commit evil,' but 'if evil is committed, the counterattack will definitely be mutually strong,' Khamenei said. Additionally, a senior aide to Khamenei, Ali Larijani, on the same day suggested that Tehran may pursue nuclear weapons if attacked by the US or Israel. The remarks signaled a possible shift in policy under Khamenei, who has long opposed such weapons on religious grounds. Amid the heightened tensions, the US has been beefing up its military presence in the region within operational range from Iran. It recently deployed the USS Carl Vinson and USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier strike groups to the Middle East, along with up to six B-2 stealth bombers stationed at Diego Garcia - a US-British military base in the Indian Ocean. Additional fighter jets and surveillance aircraft have also been moved to the region, alongside Patriot missile defense batteries to bolster air defenses.
Rudaw Net
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Zarif rejects claims of role in anticipated US-Iran nuclear talks
Also in Iran Iran condemns US 'Free Iraq from Iran Act' as 'very offensive' Iran criticizes Europe over failure to enforce ICC warrant against Netanyahu Iran not 'initiator of war' but will decisively respond to threats: Army Iran to negotiate with US if sanctions lifted: FM A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Resigned Iranian presidential advisor Javad Zarif on Monday dismissed reports that he was involved in Iran's nuclear negotiations with the United States, calling them the "joke of the year." 'These rumors are more like a thirteen joke [Iran's yearly joke day] that has already begun and is still ongoing,' Zarif told Iran's state-owned IRNA news agency. Zarif's remarks came at the heels of reports by some local media claiming that, following a confidential meeting with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Tehran approved direct talks with Washington over its nuclear program. Iran on March 27 announced that it had responded to US President Donald Trump's letter through Oman, reiterating that it will not engage directly with the US so long as Washington's 'maximum pressure' campaign on Iran continues. Weeks prior, on March 7, Trump told Fox Business that he had sent a letter to Khamenei, signaling openness to nuclear negotiations. He also warned of military action against Iran in case it refuses to cooperate stating, 'If we have to go in militarily, it's going to be a terrible thing for them [Iran].' After returning to office, Trump in early February restored his 'maximum pressure' policy against Tehran, arguing that it is 'too close' to a nuclear weapon. Despite this, the US President expressed openness to negotiating a new deal with Iran, though Iranian Supreme Leader, Khamenei, then deemed such negotiations as 'unwise.' The Iranian media reports further claimed that Khamenei's top aide Ali Larijani, Zarif, and former defense minister Mohammad Forouzandeh, were appointed as negotiators on behalf of Tehran and that they would begin discussions in early June 2025. Zarif, who played a central role in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal - formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)-, firmly rejected these claims. He added that he had not even seen US President Trump's letter or Iran's response to it, and knows nothing about its contents beyond what was reported in the media. Amid the heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington, Zarif in early March submitted his resignation from his position as Iran's vice president for strategic affairs, after Iran's chief justice, Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, reportedly advised him to leave the government. The resignation notably came only weeks after Zarif had been facing criticism at home after he told an American journalist in Switzerland that enforcing a new compulsory hijab law in Iran was not part of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's agenda. In December, the parliament's security committee published a letter calling for his resignation, arguing that some of his family members held American citizenship. In his early March resignation, Zarif also noted that he has remained silent 'to prevent the interests of the country from being damaged by a flood of lies and deceptions.' The resignation has not been officially accepted by the Iranian government, nor has it been rejected by the president, a government spokesperson said in March.
Rudaw Net
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Iran condemns US 'Free Iraq from Iran Act' as 'very offensive'
Also in Iran Iran criticizes Europe over failure to enforce ICC warrant against Netanyahu Iran not 'initiator of war' but will decisively respond to threats: Army Iran to negotiate with US if sanctions lifted: FM Iran prepared for war, but won't start it: IRGC chief A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran's foreign ministry on Monday condemned as 'very offensive' a new bipartisan bill from US legislators titled the "Free Iraq from Iran Act," stating that the United States in particular should not make such claims. 'The title of this project, which is still in its early stages, is very offensive. It seems that for the proud and courageous people of Iraq, using this term is considered an insult. How can a party with a history of occupying and killing millions of Iraqis claim to be claiming to liberate a Muslim neighbor from another country? This is truly shameful,' foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said in his weekly presser, as cited by the state IRNA news agency. Republican Congressman Joe Wilson, the former chairman of the Middle East House subcommittee, and Democrat Jimmy Panetta introduced the 'Free Iraq from Iran' bill on Thursday, which seeks to curb Iranian influence in Iraq. 'The Free Iraq from Iran Act will stand with Iraq and free its people and finally end Iran's reign of terror in Iraq,' Wilson said on X. 'To Iran's agents in Iraq - be scared - this will pass,' he affirmed. The bill states that "all Iran-backed militias, including but not limited to the PMF [Popular Mobilization Forces], are dismantled, and Iraq ceases its support for terrorism, including its sponsorship and support of Iran-backed puppet militias," according to the text shared by Wilson. It also seeks to ensure that "Iran-backed puppet militias, including the PMF, are no longer part of the Ministry of Interior of the Federal Government of Iraq nor any other organ of the Federal Government of Iraq," and emphasizes that "Iran-backed puppet militias and their political parties no longer maintain direct or indirect control of Iraqi government ministries." The bill stipulates the withdrawal of American security assistance if its conditions are not met. A contentious draft law is currently before the Iraqi parliament with the goal of cementing the PMF into Iraq's state security forces. The bill further directs the US Treasury Secretary to impose sanctions banning the Iraqi government and private entities in Iraq from importing liquefied natural gas from Iran. In March, the US State Department announced that Washington has rescinded a waiver allowing Iraq to purchase electricity from Iran as part of President Donald Trump's maximum pressure campaign against Tehran. The United States has repeatedly criticized the PMF's links to Iran-backed armed groups, warning of their growing influence over Iraq's military and political institutions.
