Latest news with #Omani-mediated
Yemen Online
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Yemen Online
Security Council Extends Yemen Mission Mandate to 2026
Aden — The United Nations Security Council has voted to extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission to Support the Hudaydah Agreement (UNMHA) for an additional six and a half months, pushing its expiration to January 28, 2026. The resolution, drafted by the United Kingdom, reaffirms the Council's commitment to stabilizing Yemen's fragile ceasefire and supporting humanitarian access through the strategic Red Sea port city of Hudaydah. The vote comes at a time of heightened regional instability, with recent Israeli airstrikes on Houthi-controlled infrastructure and renewed missile launches from Yemen threatening maritime security in the Red Sea. UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg warned that Yemen risks being pulled deeper into regional conflicts, urging all parties to uphold the ceasefire and avoid actions that could derail peace efforts. The renewed mandate enables UNMHA to continue monitoring the Hudaydah ceasefire, facilitating de-escalation, and supporting dialogue between Yemeni factions. Council members emphasized the importance of maintaining momentum toward a nationwide political settlement, especially as Omani-mediated talks between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia show signs of progress. The resolution also underscores the need for unimpeded humanitarian access, with over 21 million Yemenis still in need of aid. UN officials called for increased funding and protection for humanitarian workers, following recent detentions and operational suspensions in northern Yemen.
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Iran says no nuclear talks if US insists it stop enrichment
TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) -- Iran said on Monday there would be no new nuclear talks with the US if they were conditioned on Tehran abandoning its uranium enrichment activities. Washington and Tehran had been engaged in several rounds of negotiations seeking to strike a deal on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, but Israel derailed the talks when it launched a wave of surprise strikes on its regional nemesis, touching off 12 days of war. Since the end of the hostilities, both Iran and the US have signalled willingness to return to the table, though Tehran has said it will not renounce its right to the peaceful use of nuclear power. "If the negotiations must be conditioned on stopping enrichment, such negotiations will not take place," Ali Velayati, an adviser to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was quoted as saying by the state news agency IRNA. The remarks came after Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Iran had not set a date for any meeting with the US. "For now, no specific date, time or location has been determined regarding this matter," Baqaei said of plans for a meeting between Iran's top diplomat Abbas Araghchi and US envoy Steve Witkoff. Araghchi and Witkoff had previously failed to conclude a deal after five rounds of talks that began in April and were the highest-level contact between the two countries since Washington abandoned a landmark nuclear agreement in 2018. The Omani-mediated negotiations were halted as Israel launched its surprise attack on Iranian nuclear and military facilities on June 13, with the US later joining its ally and carrying out limited strikes. "We have been serious in diplomacy and the negotiation process, we entered with good faith, but as everyone witnessed, before the sixth round the Zionist regime, in coordination with the United States, committed military aggression against Iran," Baqaei said. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a statement on Monday that Iran "supports diplomacy and constructive engagement." "We continue to believe that the window for diplomacy remains open, and we will seriously pursue this peaceful path." Israel and Western nations accuse Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran has consistently denied. While it is the only non-nuclear weapons power to enrich uranium to 60-percent purity -- close to the level needed for a warhead -- the UN's atomic energy watchdog has said it had no indication Iran was working to weaponise its stockpiles. Israel's offensive, which it said was aimed at thwarting a nuclear threat from the Islamic republic, killed nuclear scientists and top-ranking military officers, but also hit residential areas. The US launched its own set of strikes on June 22, hitting Iran's uranium enrichment facility at Fordo in Qom province south of Tehran, as well as nuclear sites in Isfahan and Natanz. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks targeting Israeli cities, and attacked a US base in Qatar in retaliation for Washington's strikes. The extent of the damage to the Islamic republic's nuclear program remains unknown, and Baqaei said it was "still under investigation." Pezeshkian in his latest statement warned of an "even more crushing retaliation" to any "new aggression against Iranian territory." Baqaei said on Monday that Iran remained in contact with Britain, France and Germany, the three European parties to the 2015 nuclear deal that the US later withdrew from. The Europeans have threatened to trigger the deal's "snapback" mechanism, which allows the reimposition of UN sanctions in the event of non-compliance. Baqaei said Tehran was "in continuous contact with these three countries," but added that he "cannot provide an exact date" for the next meeting with them. There was "no legal, moral or political basis" for reimposing sanctions, according to Baqaei, as Iran was still committed to the 2015 agreement. He added that such a move would be met with an "appropriate and proportionate" response, following Iranian threats to quit the global nuclear non-proliferation treaty. After the US pulled out of the 2015 deal with Iran during Donald Trump's first term as president, Tehran began rolling back its commitments to the agreement, which restricted its atomic activities in return for sanctions relief. "The Islamic Republic of Iran still considers itself a member of the JCPOA," Baqaei said, referring to the 2015 deal.
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Iran says 'no specific date' for US nuclear talks
Iran said Monday it had "no specific date" for a meeting with the United States on Tehran's nuclear programme, following a war with Israel that had derailed negotiations. "For now, no specific date, time or location has been determined regarding this matter," said foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei of plans for a meeting between Iran's top diplomat Abbas Araghchi and US envoy Steve Witkoff. Araghchi and Witkoff met starting in April, without concluding a deal after five rounds of talks that were the highest-level contact between their two countries since Washington in 2018 abandoned a landmark nuclear agreement. The Omani-mediated negotiations were halted as Israel launched surprise strikes on the nuclear facilities of its staunch enemy Iran on June 13, starting a 12-day war which the United States later joined. AFP
LeMonde
a day ago
- Politics
- LeMonde
Iran says there will be no new nuclear talks if US insists that it stop uranium enrichment
Iran said on Monday, July 14, that there would be no new nuclear talks with the United States if they were conditioned on Tehran abandoning its uranium enrichment activities. Washington and Tehran had been engaged in several rounds of negotiations seeking to strike a deal on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, but Israel derailed the talks when it launched a wave of surprise strikes on its regional nemesis, touching off 12 days of war. Since the end of the hostilities, both Iran and the United States have signaled willingness to return to the table, though Tehran has said it will not renounce its right to the peaceful use of nuclear power. "If the negotiations must be conditioned on stopping enrichment, such negotiations will not take place," Ali Velayati, an advisor to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was quoted as saying by the state news agency IRNA. The remarks came after foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Iran had not set a date for any meeting with the United States. "For now, no specific date, time or location has been determined regarding this matter," Baqaei said of plans for a meeting between Iran's top diplomat Abbas Araghchi and US envoy Steve Witkoff. Araghchi and Witkoff had previously failed to conclude a deal after five rounds of talks that began in April and were the highest-level contact between the two countries since Washington abandoned a landmark nuclear agreement in 2018. The Omani-mediated negotiations were halted as Israel launched its surprise attack on Iranian nuclear and military facilities on June 13, with the United States later joining its ally and carrying out limited strikes. "We have been serious in diplomacy and the negotiation process, we entered with good faith, but as everyone witnessed, before the sixth round the Zionist regime, in coordination with the United States, committed military aggression against Iran," Baqaei said. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a statement on Monday that Iran "supports diplomacy and constructive engagement. We continue to believe that the window for diplomacy remains open, and we will seriously pursue this peaceful path." Israel and Western nations accuse Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran has consistently denied. While it is the only non-nuclear weapons power to enrich uranium to 60% purity − close to the level needed for a warhead − the UN's atomic energy watchdog has said it had no indication Iran was working to weaponize its stockpiles.
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Iran says no nuclear talks if US insists it stop enrichment
Listen to article Iran said on Monday there would be no new nuclear talks with the United States if they were conditioned on Tehran abandoning its uranium enrichment activities. Washington and Tehran had been engaged in several rounds of negotiations seeking to strike a deal on the Islamic Republic's nuclear programme, but Israel derailed the talks when it launched a wave of surprise strikes on its regional nemesis, touching off 12 days of war. Since the end of the hostilities, both Iran and the United States have signalled willingness to return to the table, though Tehran has said it will not renounce its right to the peaceful use of nuclear power. "If the negotiations must be conditioned on stopping enrichment, such negotiations will not take place," Ali Velayati, an adviser to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was quoted as saying by the state news agency IRNA. The remarks came after foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Iran had not set a date for any meeting with the United States. Read More: Seven injured in Iran's Qom residential blast "For now, no specific date, time or location has been determined regarding this matter," Baqaei said of plans for a meeting between Iran's top diplomat Abbas Araghchi and US envoy Steve Witkoff. Araghchi and Witkoff had previously failed to conclude a deal after five rounds of talks that began in April and were the highest-level contact between the two countries since Washington abandoned a landmark nuclear agreement in 2018. The Omani-mediated negotiations were halted as Israel launched its surprise attack on Iranian nuclear and military facilities on June 13, with the United States later joining its ally and carrying out limited strikes. "We have been serious in diplomacy and the negotiation process, we entered with good faith, but as everyone witnessed, before the sixth round the Zionist regime, in coordination with the United States, committed military aggression against Iran," Baqaei said. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a statement on Monday that Iran "supports diplomacy and constructive engagement". "We continue to believe that the window for diplomacy remains open, and we will seriously pursue this peaceful path." Israel and Western nations accuse Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran has consistently denied. While it is the only non-nuclear weapons power to enrich uranium to 60-percent purity -- close to the level needed for a warhead -- the UN's atomic energy watchdog has said it had no indication Iran was working to weaponise its stockpiles. Israel's offensive, which it said was aimed at thwarting a nuclear threat from the Islamic republic, killed nuclear scientists and top-ranking military officers, but also hit residential areas. The United States launched its own set of strikes on June 22, hitting Iran's uranium enrichment facility at Fordo in Qom province south of Tehran, as well as nuclear sites in Isfahan and Natanz. Also Read: Seven injured in Iran's Qom residential blast Iran responded with missile and drone attacks targeting Israeli cities, and attacked a US base in Qatar in retaliation for Washington's strikes. The extent of the damage to the Islamic republic's nuclear programme remains unknown, and Baqaei said it was "still under investigation". Pezeshkian in his latest statement warned of an "even more crushing retaliation" to any "new aggression against Iranian territory". Baqaei said on Monday that Iran remained in contact with Britain, France and Germany, the three European parties to the 2015 nuclear deal that the United States later withdrew from. The Europeans have threatened to trigger the deal's "snapback" mechanism, which allows the reimposition of UN sanctions in the event of non-compliance. Baqaei said Tehran was "in continuous contact with these three countries", but added that he "cannot provide an exact date" for the next meeting with them. There was "no legal, moral or political basis" for reimposing sanctions, according to Baqaei, as Iran was still committed to the 2015 agreement. He added that such a move would be met with an "appropriate and proportionate" response, following Iranian threats to quit the global nuclear non-proliferation treaty. After the United States pulled out of the 2015 deal with Iran during Donald Trump's first term as president, Tehran began rolling back its commitments to the agreement, which restricted its atomic activities in return for sanctions relief. "The Islamic Republic of Iran still considers itself a member of the JCPOA," Baqaei said, referring to the 2015 deal.
