Iran Sanctions

The US Treasury hit Iran's drone program with sanctions on Friday, boosting pressure on Tehran ahead of the reopening of negotiations on the country's nuclear program.

Iran's new ultraconservative President Ebrahim Raisi said Tehran backs any diplomatic moves to lift US sanctions but will not bow to pressure, as he took the oath of office on Thursday.

New President Ebrahim Raisi takes the oath before parliament Thursday, with Iran facing an economy battered by US sanctions, a grinding health crisis and thorny negotiations on its nuclear programme.

The United States on Friday announced sanctions against 34 companies and other entities involved with China's military and policy towards the Uyghur Muslim minority, and for facilitating exports to Russia and Iran.

Iran said on Wednesday that Washington had agreed to remove all sanctions on Iran's oil and shipping, and take some senior figures off a blacklist, at talks to revive Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with global powers which are now on a pause.

US law enforcement seized control of the websites of two Iranian state-controlled news groups, Press TV and Al-Alam, and of the Al-Masirah TV channel of Yemen's Huthis, statements posted on the websites showed Tuesday.

The United States on Thursday issued guidance easing the way for delivery of products such as face masks, ventilators and vaccines to combat the coronavirus pandemic to heavily sanctioned countries like Iran, Venezuela and Syria.

The United States has shared with Iran details of the sanctions it is prepared to lift under a return to a nuclear accord, a senior official said Wednesday.

Iran began enriching uranium to 60% purity in order to show its technical capacity after a sabotage attack at a nuclear plant, and the move is quickly reversible if the United States lifts sanctions, the Iranian government said on Tuesday.

Reviving the Iran nuclear deal would seem like a simple task for US President Joe Biden. Iran wants him to lift sanctions in exchange for Tehran's return to compliance.

Iran's foreign minister warned Tuesday that "acts of sabotage" and sanctions will give the United States no extra leverage in talks on reviving a troubled 2015 nuclear deal.

UN nuclear watchdog head Rafael Grossi arrived late Saturday in Iran for talks on the eve of Tehran's deadline for US sanctions to be lifted, as President Joe Biden called for "careful diplomacy".

Iran's foreign minister urged Washington to act fast to return to the 2015 nuclear accord, pointing out that legislation passed by parliament forces the government to harden its nuclear stance if U.S. sanctions are not eased by Feb. 21.

Tehran will not accept U.S. demands that it reverse an acceleration of its nuclear programme before Washington lifts sanctions, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Friday.

Iran on Friday called on the new US administration to "unconditionally" lift sanctions imposed by Donald Trump on the Islamic republic to salvage the 2015 nuclear deal, warning against any concessions.

The US Treasury hit Iran's drone program with sanctions on Friday, boosting pressure on Tehran ahead of the reopening of negotiations on the country's nuclear program.

Iran's new ultraconservative President Ebrahim Raisi said Tehran backs any diplomatic moves to lift US sanctions but will not bow to pressure, as he took the oath of office on Thursday.

New President Ebrahim Raisi takes the oath before parliament Thursday, with Iran facing an economy battered by US sanctions, a grinding health crisis and thorny negotiations on its nuclear programme.

The United States on Friday announced sanctions against 34 companies and other entities involved with China's military and policy towards the Uyghur Muslim minority, and for facilitating exports to Russia and Iran.

Iran said on Wednesday that Washington had agreed to remove all sanctions on Iran's oil and shipping, and take some senior figures off a blacklist, at talks to revive Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with global powers which are now on a pause.

US law enforcement seized control of the websites of two Iranian state-controlled news groups, Press TV and Al-Alam, and of the Al-Masirah TV channel of Yemen's Huthis, statements posted on the websites showed Tuesday.

The United States on Thursday issued guidance easing the way for delivery of products such as face masks, ventilators and vaccines to combat the coronavirus pandemic to heavily sanctioned countries like Iran, Venezuela and Syria.

The United States has shared with Iran details of the sanctions it is prepared to lift under a return to a nuclear accord, a senior official said Wednesday.

Iran began enriching uranium to 60% purity in order to show its technical capacity after a sabotage attack at a nuclear plant, and the move is quickly reversible if the United States lifts sanctions, the Iranian government said on Tuesday.

Reviving the Iran nuclear deal would seem like a simple task for US President Joe Biden. Iran wants him to lift sanctions in exchange for Tehran's return to compliance.

Iran's foreign minister warned Tuesday that "acts of sabotage" and sanctions will give the United States no extra leverage in talks on reviving a troubled 2015 nuclear deal.

UN nuclear watchdog head Rafael Grossi arrived late Saturday in Iran for talks on the eve of Tehran's deadline for US sanctions to be lifted, as President Joe Biden called for "careful diplomacy".

Iran's foreign minister urged Washington to act fast to return to the 2015 nuclear accord, pointing out that legislation passed by parliament forces the government to harden its nuclear stance if U.S. sanctions are not eased by Feb. 21.

Tehran will not accept U.S. demands that it reverse an acceleration of its nuclear programme before Washington lifts sanctions, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Friday.

Iran on Friday called on the new US administration to "unconditionally" lift sanctions imposed by Donald Trump on the Islamic republic to salvage the 2015 nuclear deal, warning against any concessions.