Nuclear Deal

France's top diplomat said Monday that he hoped a meeting of foreign ministers in New York this week would build positive momentum towards kick-starting stalled talks over the Iran nuclear deal.

North Korea's foreign ministry on Monday said a new US alliance in the Indo-Pacific and recent US submarine contract with Australia could trigger a "nuclear arms race" in the region.

Australia and the United States announced expanded military cooperation on Thursday, including rotational deployments of all types of U.S. military aircraft to Australia, a day after announcing a submarine deal denounced by China.

Australia's acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines "will help to safeguard the peace and security of the Indo-Pacific," British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Thursday.

Beijing on Thursday slammed a new US alliance with Australia and Britain, under which Canberra will acquire nuclear submarine technology, as an "extremely irresponsible" threat to regional stability.

The UN atomic watchdog reached an agreement with Iran on Sunday to solve "the most urgent issue" between them, the overdue servicing of monitoring equipment to keep it running, raising hopes of fresh talks on a wider deal with the West.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Wednesday that time was running out for Iran to return to a nuclear deal, after a scathing report by the UN atomic watchdog and Tehran's signals that it would take a while to return to talks.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday accused US President Joe Biden of making the same demands as his predecessor Donald Trump in talks to revive a nuclear deal.

Iran is making talks on reviving the nuclear deal with world powers "more complicated" by accelerating its atomic programme, Germany, France and the United Kingdom said on Thursday.

Iran's new President Ebrahim Raisi on Monday told his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that negotiations with world powers to revive the 2015 nuclear deal must guarantee Tehran's "rights".

The CPI(M) and the CPI today said former foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale's claim that the Left parties were influenced by China in their decision to oppose the Indo-US nuclear deal was "baseless" and amounted to "slander".

Ultraconservative Ebrahim Raisi was Tuesday inaugurated as president of Iran, a country whose hopes of shaking off a dire economic crisis hinges on reviving a nuclear deal with world powers.

The United States on Saturday accused Tehran of an "outrageous" effort to deflect blame for the impasse in Iran nuclear talks and denied that any agreement had been reached on a prisoner swap.

Iran said on Wednesday it could enrich uranium up to 90% purity -- weapons grade -- if its nuclear reactors needed it, but added it still sought the revival of a 2015 deal that would limit its atomic activities in return for a lifting of sanctions.

India has asked Iran to continue to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the performance of verification activities related to its nuclear programme and addressing all outstanding issues.

France's top diplomat said Monday that he hoped a meeting of foreign ministers in New York this week would build positive momentum towards kick-starting stalled talks over the Iran nuclear deal.

North Korea's foreign ministry on Monday said a new US alliance in the Indo-Pacific and recent US submarine contract with Australia could trigger a "nuclear arms race" in the region.

Australia and the United States announced expanded military cooperation on Thursday, including rotational deployments of all types of U.S. military aircraft to Australia, a day after announcing a submarine deal denounced by China.

Australia's acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines "will help to safeguard the peace and security of the Indo-Pacific," British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Thursday.

Beijing on Thursday slammed a new US alliance with Australia and Britain, under which Canberra will acquire nuclear submarine technology, as an "extremely irresponsible" threat to regional stability.

The UN atomic watchdog reached an agreement with Iran on Sunday to solve "the most urgent issue" between them, the overdue servicing of monitoring equipment to keep it running, raising hopes of fresh talks on a wider deal with the West.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Wednesday that time was running out for Iran to return to a nuclear deal, after a scathing report by the UN atomic watchdog and Tehran's signals that it would take a while to return to talks.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday accused US President Joe Biden of making the same demands as his predecessor Donald Trump in talks to revive a nuclear deal.

Iran is making talks on reviving the nuclear deal with world powers "more complicated" by accelerating its atomic programme, Germany, France and the United Kingdom said on Thursday.

Iran's new President Ebrahim Raisi on Monday told his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that negotiations with world powers to revive the 2015 nuclear deal must guarantee Tehran's "rights".

The CPI(M) and the CPI today said former foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale's claim that the Left parties were influenced by China in their decision to oppose the Indo-US nuclear deal was "baseless" and amounted to "slander".

Ultraconservative Ebrahim Raisi was Tuesday inaugurated as president of Iran, a country whose hopes of shaking off a dire economic crisis hinges on reviving a nuclear deal with world powers.

The United States on Saturday accused Tehran of an "outrageous" effort to deflect blame for the impasse in Iran nuclear talks and denied that any agreement had been reached on a prisoner swap.

Iran said on Wednesday it could enrich uranium up to 90% purity -- weapons grade -- if its nuclear reactors needed it, but added it still sought the revival of a 2015 deal that would limit its atomic activities in return for a lifting of sanctions.

India has asked Iran to continue to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the performance of verification activities related to its nuclear programme and addressing all outstanding issues.