Monthly Archives: April 2021

2021-04-22: News Headlines

_____ (2021-04-22). US Joins Past Empires In Afghan Graveyard. popularresistance.org An Afghan taxi-driver in Vancouver told one of us a decade ago that this day would come. "We defeated the Persian Empire in the eighteenth century, the British in the nineteenth, the Soviets in the twentieth. Now, with NATO, we're fighting twenty-eight countries, but we'll defeat them, too," said the taxi-driver, surely not a member of the Taliban, but quietly proud of his country's empire-killing credentials. | Now, after nearly twenty years of a war that has been as bloody and futile as all those previous invasions and occupations, the last 3,500 U.S. troops and their NATO brothers-in-arms will be coming home f…

Anonymous007 (2021-04-22). Israel Bombs Syria Twice In One Evening, After SAM Lands Near Dimona Nuclear Reator. southfront.org Click to see full-size image | Just after midnight on April 21st, Israeli fighter jets carried out a series of strikes on unknown targets near Damascus. | They did so from the air above occupied Golan Heights. | Most of these were intercepted by Syrian Air Defense, but an errant missile landed in a field in southern Israel, near the nuclear center in Dimona. | The Israeli army said the missile landed in the Negev region and the air raid sirens were sounded in Abu Krinat, a village just a few k…

Anonymous007 (2021-04-22). Israel Bombs Syria Twice In One Evening, After SAM Lands Near Dimona Nuclear Reactor. southfront.org Click to see full-size image | Just after midnight on April 21st, Israeli fighter jets carried out a series of strikes on unknown targets near Damascus. | They did so from the air above occupied Golan Heights. | Most of these were intercepted by Syrian Air Defense, but an errant missile landed in a field in southern Israel, near the nuclear center in Dimona. | The Israeli army said the missile landed in the Negev region and the air raid sirens were sounded in Abu Krinat, a village just a few k…

Anonymous669 (2021-04-22). Iranian Revolutionary Guards Release Close Drone Footage Of US Aircraft Carrier. southfront.org Screen grab from the IRGC footage. | On April 21, the Iranian Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) released close drone footage of a US aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf. | According to Iranian media, the IRGC shared the footage to demonstrate its state-of-the-art advancements in the field of drone technology. The footage was captured by a four-strong drone squadron. The exact type of the drones was not disclosed. | The footage shows the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) aircraft carrier, sailing alongside the USNS Choctaw…

Editor2 (2021-04-22). Vienna Talks Reveal Biden Team's Attachment to Sanctions that Would Torpedo Iran Deal. orinocotribune.com By Gareth Porter — Apr 18, 2021 | Biden's foreign policy team refuses to relieve Iran from sanctions illegally imposed by the Trump administration, setting the stage for the collapse of negotiations and a major crisis. | The Biden administration signaled once again at the April 9 Vienna meeting on the Iran nuclear deal that it intends to maintain Trump-era Iran sanctions in an effort to win political and military concessions going well beyond the original deal itself. Team Biden continued to insist during the conference that Iran return to full compliance with the nuclear agreement without any reciprocal US…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-04-22). West Asian countries lead in global execution list, says Amnesty report. peoplesdispatch.org A scathing new report released by international human rights organization Amnesty International has revealed that countries in the Middle East-North Africa (MENA) region carried out the highest number of death penalties in 2020, reported Associated Press yesterday, April 21. The Amnesty report also stated that four countries in the MENA region, Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, carried out an overwhelming 88% of all known executions worldwide last year. | According to the report, Iran executed 246 people, Egypt 107, Iraq 45, and Saudi Arabia 27, on a wide range of "vague and overly broad terror-related and othe…

ecns.cn (2021-04-22). Iran nuclear negotiator says Vienna talks 'progressive' despite difficulties. ecns.cn Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tuesday that the latest round of the talks in Vienna are "progressive" despite "the existing difficulties."

_____ (2021-04-22). Who Wags the Dog? Israel's Friends in Washington Mean Constant War in the Middle East. strategic-culture.org Biden, like presidents before him, is caught in the trap between an extremist-dominated Israel and the all-powerful domestic Israel Lobby. | Donald Trump, who was elected President of the United States in 2016, may have won due to voters attracted by his pledge to end many of the "stupid" wars that the American military was involved in worldwide. In the event, however, he ended no wars in spite of several attempts to withdraw from Afghanistan and Syria, and almost started new conflicts with cruise missile attacks and the assassination of an Iranian general. Trump was consistently outmaneuvered by his "experts" on…

Dave DeCamp (2021-04-22). Pompeo Joins House Republicans to Unveil Iran Sanctions Bill. news.antiwar.com Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo The legislation, titled

sputniknews (2021-04-22). Iran Installs Advanced Uranium Enrichment Centrifuges in Natanz, Reports Say. sputniknews.com Iran has been partly violating the terms of its nuclear agreement, known as the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) after it was abandoned by the US in 2018. Tehran and the European parties to the deal held negotiations to revive the JCPOA, but Washington has so far refused to remove sanctions from the Iranian economy.

sputniknews (2021-04-22). Pompeo Touts 'Toughest' GOP Sanctions Bill on Iran Amid Signs of Tentative Progress at Vienna Talks. sputniknews.com Amid ongoing Vienna talks to reactivate the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Biden administration has been sending indications to Tehran that it may consider reducing punitive sanctions currently targeting Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-04-22). Progressives condemn Japan's decision to release contaminated water from Fukushima nuclear plant. peoplesdispatch.org The incumbent conservative government in Japan led by Yoshihide Suga has decided to release contaminated water from the damaged Fukushima nuclear reactors into the Pacific ocean…

Dave DeCamp (2021-04-22). Seoul: US Is Reviewing Peace Declaration That Would Officially End Korean War. news.antiwar.com The US is Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong said Moon's peace proposal would replace the 1953 Armistice and officially end the war. While Chung said the US was reviewing the proposal, he also said he believes the Biden administration might want to make progress towards "denuclearization" before signing it. | The Biden administration says it is conducting a review of its North Korea policy but has als…

Jason Ditz (2021-04-22). Israel Bombs Southern Syria After Missile Landed Near Nuclear Site. news.antiwar.com A new round of Israeli attacks on Syria took place Wednesday evening, after a Syrian air defense system was activated and fired at an Israeli warplane. The missile did not hit the plane, Israel's attacks centered on military targets in southern Syria, and they hit a number of Syrian air defense batteries. This is just the latest in common Israeli attacks on Syria, which leave Syria's air defenses constantly ready to try to defend sites. | Complicating matters were that Israel was bee…

Michael Shellenberger (2021-04-22). Democrats Must Stop Sacrificing Good American Nuclear Jobs For Cheap Chinese Solar Panels — OpEd. eurasiareview.com The Biden Administration is

Kamal Iranidoost (2021-04-21). 34 Taliban militants killed in Afghanistan: MoD statement. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA) —Afghanistan Ministry of Defense said on Wednesday that 34 Taliban fighters were killed and 10 others were wounded in clashes with government forces in the past 24 hours.

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2021-04-21). Amid Nuclear Talks, 40 Groups Urge Biden to Lift Sanctions on Covid-Ravaged Iran. commondreams.org "By prioritizing humanitarian relief for Iran and other sanctioned states, President Biden can follow through on his campaign commitment and demonstrate that the U.S. can be a force for global good." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/iran_sanctions_2000x1047-2.png

Staff (2021-04-21). COVID-19 daily death toll in Iran at 388. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA) — The number of daily deaths from the coronavirus pandemic in Iran stood at 388 with the total death toll surpassed 67,910 on Wed.

Kamal Iranidoost (2021-04-21). 20,000 people to receive COVIran Barakat vaccine next week. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA) — The main researcher working on producing anti-Covid-19 vaccine dubbed COVIran Barakat said Wednesday that as many as 20,000 will start receiving the Iranian-made vaccine starting from next week.

Dave Lindorff (2021-04-21). US Has No Moral Standing to Criticize Russia or China. counterpunch.org President Joe Biden and his Secretary of State Antony Blinken are worried about Russian Putin critic and presidential aspirant, currently in a Russian prison after conviction on charges of skipping bail and leaving the country and other charges, being abused and at risk of dying in jail. That threat may or may not be real,

Staff (2021-04-21). 18K unaccompanied child migrants have disappeared in Europe. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 22 (MNA) —At least 18,000 unaccompanied child migrants have disappeared after arriving in European countries including Greece, Italy, and Germany.

Staff (2021-04-21). Iran, Pakistan agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 22 (MNA) — Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation and regional coordination on Afghanistan, Palestine, multilateralism and fighting anti-Muslim bigotry.

Anonymous007 (2021-04-21). Russia's Yasen-M Nuclear Submarine To Be Able To Salvo Launch Cruise Missiles. southfront.org Click to see full-size image | Russia's Project 885M (Yasen-M) nuclear-powered submarines will be able to salvo-launch Kalibr-PL and Oniks cruise missiles, TASS In November 2020, "the Kazan made a salvo during state trials, which confirmed the possibility of such launches," the source said…

Anonymous007 (2021-04-21). U.S. Falling Behind China And Russia In Terms Of Nuclear Arsenal: STRATCOM. southfront.org Click to see full-size image | The Chinese nuclear capability is improving at an incredible pace, and could soon be useable in actual conflict, Adm. Charles Richard, the commander of U.S. Strategic Command warned. | He told the Senate Armed Services Committee that he had just ordered all briefs on Beijing's nuclear weapons contain no intelligence information vetted more than one month earlier "because it's probably out of date" that quickly. | Richard testified that China is capable of accurately deployi…

Middle East Monitor (2021-04-21). Israeli Intelligence Chiefs Assess that Biden, Iran will Rejoin Nuclear Deal; Netanyahu wants to Stop it. juancole.com By Motasem A Dalloul | — After two weeks of deliberations in Vienna about reactivating the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal with Iran, EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell told reporters on Monday that, "There is a real goodwill on both parts to reach an agreement." He pointed out that the …

Dave DeCamp (2021-04-21). Iran's Rouhani Says 60% to 70% of Issues Resolved in Vienna Talks. news.antiwar.com Iranian President Hasan Rouhani spoke positively of the indirect talks with the US that have been ongoing in Vienna aimed at reviving the JCPOA and "The negotiations have achieved 60 to 70 percent progress," Rouhani said on Tuesday. "If the Americans act honestly, we will reach a conclusion in little time." | Diplomats representing Iran and the remaining participants of the JCPOA — China, Russia, the UK, France, and Germany — met in Vienna on Tuesday…

Dave DeCamp (2021-04-21). US and Israel at Odds Over Iran Talks. news.antiwar.com Tensions are rising between the Israeli government and the Biden administration over talks that have been ongoing in Vienna aimed at reviving the Iran nuclear deal, The US and Israel have been holding strategic talks on Iran policy through a forum headed by each country's national security advisor. Israeli officials told Axios that during recent talks, Israeli National Security Advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat felt the US is not showing "sufficient consider…

Dave DeCamp (2021-04-21). Report: Israel Backing Down on Some Iran Nuclear Deal Demands. news.antiwar.com According to a report from Israeli TV, The report said Israel is now pushing for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to have more powers in Iran. Israel's Mossad chief Yossi Cohan, National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat, and Israeli Defense Forces Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi are expected to travel to Washington next week to lob…

Hamid Enayat (2021-04-21). Iran's Fundamentalist Regime Is A Threat To All Religions — OpEd. eurasiareview.com As descendants of Abraham, we are all brothers and sisters. That is why we should all be united against the Iranian theocracy. Just as it unleashed the coronavirus against the defenseless population inside Iran, Tehran's mullahs also want to infect the world with the virus of fundamentalism. We should build the necessary antibodies to resist it. | Jesus Christ was to heal the "broken-hearted." And God says in the Quran that Muhammad was sent to break the chains of humanity and to lift the heavy burden on them. | This emancipating spirit is the essence of the teachings of Moses, Jesus and Muhammad. Their differ…

commondreams (2021-04-21). 40+ Orgs to Biden: Iran Needs Sanctions Relief. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Kamal Iranidoost (2021-04-21). Trade at Pishin-Mand Crossing between Iran, Pakistan resumes. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA) — The Pishin-Mand Border Crossing between Iran and Pakistan resumed activities during a ceremony attended by Iranian and Pakistani officials on Wednesday.

Kamal Iranidoost (2021-04-21). GOP introduces largest package of Iran sanctions in Congress. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA) — The Republicans in the US Congress unveiled on Wednesday what they described as the largest package of Iran sanctions in history, US media reported.

Staff (2021-04-21). Anti-Iranian maximum pressure policy total failure. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA) — Russia's Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna believes Maximum pressure policy totally failed and just prompted the development of the Iranian nuclear program beyond 2015 parameters.

Staff (2021-04-21). Iran to receive 6th batch of Russian 'Sputnik V' vaccine. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA) — The 6th consignment of the Russian 'Sputnik V' vaccine will be forwarded to the Islamic Republic of Iran from Moscow which includes 100,000 doses.

Kamal Iranidoost (2021-04-21). VIDEO: Tehran to receive batch of Russian Sputnik V tomorrow. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA) — The sixth consignment of Russian Sputnik V vaccines will be dispatched to Iran tomorrow. This batch contains 100,000 doses of the Russian-made vaccine.

Kamal Iranidoost (2021-04-21). EU lawmaker highlights Iran's role in fighting ISIL in Iraq. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA) — A member of the European Parliament said when the ISIL terrorist group was advancing in Iraq the previous Obama administration refused to help Baghdad while Iran came to aid.

Staff (2021-04-21). US welcomes Iran's role in Yemen: Envoy. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 22 (MNA) — US Ambassador to Yemen Tim Lenderking said that his country welcomes Iran's role in ending war in Yemen.

Staff (2021-04-21). Fire Fighters having a different Iftar at fire station. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 22 (MNA) — During the holy month of Ramadan, Iranian firefighters, who are on standby, break their fast at their fire station, sitting around the iftar table with their colleagues.

Staff (2021-04-21). US film fest to host 'Metamorphosis in the Slaughterhouse'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA) — Iranian film 'Metamorphosis in the Slaughterhouse' directed by Javad Daraei will be participating in Riverside International Film Festival.

Staff (2021-04-21). VIDEO: Inhalation of first dose of Razi COV-Pars vaccine. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA) — On Wednesday, two Iranian volunteers received the first doses of the Razi COV-Pars vaccine that can be inhaled.

Staff (2021-04-21). Iran register $36.5bn foreign trade with neighbors. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA) — In the last Iranian calendar year, the country could have $36.5-billion foreign trade with its neighbors.

Rick Rozoff (2021-04-21). U.S. Strategic Command chief calls for nuclear upgrade aimed at China and Russia. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com U.S. Strategic Command chief calls for nuclear upgrade aimed at China and RussiaRick Rozoff On April 20 Admiral Charles Richard, commander of U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM), appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee alongside his colleague General James Dickinson, commander of U.S. Space Command (SPACECOM), in both open and closed hearings. Richard described his command, …

Adam Martin (2021-04-21). How Adam Became A Real Progressive. wordpress-462030-1473904.cloudwaysapps.com A long time ago, a game was released for the PlayStation console. The game had a demo released through Pizza Hut, a short taste of this spy thriller, Metal Gear Solid. You play as Solid Snake, and your mission is to sneak through a base and stop a terrorist group from launching a nuclear missile. Upon playing the full version, instead of a full action thriller (although the game has plenty of this) you are instead treated to a thematic experience of pacifism, the folly of nuclear proliferation, genetics and eugenics, government corruption, and more. For a game where you kill plenty of people, these pacifist th…

Adam Martin (2021-04-21). How Adam Became A Real Progressive. realprogressives.org A long time ago, a game was released for the PlayStation console. The game had a demo released through Pizza Hut, a short taste of this spy thriller, Metal Gear Solid. You play as Solid Snake, and your mission is to sneak through a base and stop a terrorist group from launching a nuclear missile. Upon playing the full version, instead of a full action thriller (although the game has plenty of this) you are instead treated to a thematic experience of pacifism, the folly of nuclear proliferation, genetics and eugenics, government corruption, and more. For a game where you kill plenty of people, these pacifist th…

ecns.cn (2021-04-21). ROK says to join IAEA monitoring team for Fukushima wastewater release. ecns.cn South Korea will make sure to participate in an international monitoring team led by the UN nuclear watchdog for Japan's planned release of nuclear polluted water from its wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant, Yonhap reported, citing the country's foreign ministry.

Rick Rozoff (2021-04-21). US Strategic Command Chief Calls for Nuclear Upgrade Aimed at China and Russia. news.antiwar.com On April 20 Admiral Charles Richard, commander of U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM), appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee alongside his colleague General James Dickinson, commander of U.S. Space Command SPACECOM), in both open and closed hearings. Richard described his command, which consists of 150,000 service members from all branches of the armed forces, as …

Staff (2021-04-21). IRGC drones capture precise footage of US aircraft carrier. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 22 (MNA) — The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has released strikingly precise and close footage of an American aircraft carrier captured by the elite force's drones during an overflight of the vessel in the Persian Gulf.

Staff (2021-04-21). US envoy return to Moscow hinges on developing bilateral ties. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA) — Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that return of the US Ambassador to Russia depends on the developments in relations between the United States and Russia.

Staff (2021-04-21). Indonesian submarine goes missing near Bali. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA) — An Indonesian Cakra (Type 209/1300)-class diesel-electric submarine (SSK) has been reported as missing and an attempt to rescue it is currently underway.

Staff (2021-04-21). Bashar al-Assad to run for 2021 Syrian presidential election. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA) — Bashar al-Assad has officially announced his run for the Syrian presidential election in 2021.

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2021-04-20: News Headlines

Staff (2021-04-20). African Muslims spending 2nd Ramadan amid pandemic. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 21 (MNA) — Same as all Muslims across the globe, African Muslims fast and preserve Ramadan rituals under anti-Covid-19 restrictions and lockdown this year.

_____ (2021-04-20). Israel and Its Unlikely Arab Friends. strategic-culture.org In 2020, Israel, supported by the United States, began a diplomatic offensive in the Arab world. The goal is evident: containing Iran. As U.S. author Eric Margolis writes, the countries that sign peace agreements with Israel, are "so frightened of neighboring Iran that they would happily have opted for Israeli rule rather than welcome the angry, unforgiving Iranians".

Anonymous007 (2021-04-20). Iran Says "Always Open" For Negotiations With Saudi Arabia. southfront.org Click to see full-size image | Iran is always open to negotiations with Saudi Arabia, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said."We have seen media reports about talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia, although the reports sometimes had contradictory quotes," Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told a weekly news conference. | "What is important is that the Islamic Republic of Iran has always welcomed dialogue with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and considers it in the interest of the people of the…

Staff (2021-04-20). Venezuela secures aid from UN food programme. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 20 (MNA) — Venezuelan President Maduro announced that his country has signed several agreements with the UN World Food Programme (WFP).

Staff (2021-04-20). Taliban expresses no willingness to attend Istanbul meeting. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 20 (MNA) — Taliban announced that it will take part in no meeting until foreign troops leave Afghanistan.

Staff (2021-04-20). 8 police forces killed, 3 wounded in Afghanistan's Badakhshan. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 20 (MNA) — Sources said that eight police members were killed and three more were wounded in a Taliban attack on their outpost in Zibak district in the northeastern province of Badakhshan after midnight on Tuesday.

Dave DeCamp (2021-04-20). Israel's Cabinet Concerned US Wants an Iran Deal 'At All Costs'. news.antiwar.com Israel continues to express its opposition to the Biden administration rejoining the 2015 Iran nuclear deal known as the JCPOA. "The Americans want a deal at all costs and the Iranians know it," one minister said at the meeting. The minister told…

_____ (2021-04-20). Make Aid To Israel Conditional On Protecting Palestinian Rights. popularresistance.org The US Democratic party's leading senators and last year's presidential aspirants, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, on Monday, April 20 called on the Joe Biden administration to use the billions of dollars of aid given to Israel to pressurize it to protect Palestinian human rights and work for a peaceful resolution of the conflict. The senators were speaking at the conference of J Street, a "pro-Israel, pro-peace" lobbying group in the US. | Both Sanders and Warren, speaking separately, asked for putting conditions on the military aid to Israel. They argued that the US aid is used by Israel to prolong its occ…

Tasnim News Agency (2021-04-20). Pakistan's Foreign Minister In Iran For High-Profile Talks. eurasiareview.com Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan Shah Mahmood Qureshi arrived in Tehran on Tuesday for a three-day visit that includes meetings with senior officials about bilateral and regional issues. | The top Pakistani diplomat is going to make a pilgrimage to the shrine of the eighth Shiite imam, Imam Reza (AS), in Iran's northeastern city of Mashhad. | Qureshi is also scheduled to hold meetings with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf. | Ranking delegations led by the foreign ministers of Iran and Pakistan are going to discuss the…

Jason Ditz (2021-04-20). Iran's Uranium Enrichment Doesn't Get Them Close to Making a Bomb. news.antiwar.com Iran's Uranium Enrichment Doesn't Get Them Close to Making a Bomb | 60% enrichment is a new accomplishment, but still well short of weapons-grade…

Staff (2021-04-20). Main electricity of Natanz Enrichment Facility connected. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 20 (MNA) — Turning to a meeting of National Security Commission held on Tue., spokesman of the Commission said that, according to Atomic Energy Organization of Iran's chief, main electricity of Natanz Enrichment Facility is connected.

Staff (2021-04-20). Focusing on lifting US anti-Iranian sanctions, a top priority. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 20 (MNA) — Chinese representative in the meeting of Joint Commission of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) said that concentrating on lifting US anti-Iranian sanctions is still the main priority.

Staff (2021-04-20). US schedules to suspend sanctions, not lift them. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 20 (MNA) — A source in Vienna said that the US's schedule was only to suspend sanctions imposed against the Islamic Republic of Iran, not to lift them completely.

Staff (2021-04-20). Pak foreign ministry releases statement on FM visit to Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 20 (MNA) — Pakistan's ministry of foreign affairs released a statement on Tuesday, announcing FM Shah Mahmoud Qureshi's upcoming visit to Tehran.

Staff (2021-04-20). Iran to stop talks whenever it turns to excessive demand. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 20 (MNA) — Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for the Political Affairs said that whenever process of JCPOA talks, which is ongoing in Vienna, move towards excessive demands, it (Iran) will stop continuing it.

Staff (2021-04-20). Over 1,000 tons narcotics seized in Iran in last year. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 20 (MNA) — The deputy head of Iran's Police Brigadier General said that last Iranian year [started March 20, 2020] more than a thousand tons of narcotics were confiscated, which is unprecedented in the world.

Staff (2021-04-20). Iran planning to produce nano products in other countries. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 20 (MNA) — Secretary of Nanotechnology Development Headquarters said that joint-venture investment with other countries will lead to more export of nanotechnology products.

IDN (2021-04-20). Lessons Of The Bay Of Pigs Invasion Followed By The Cuban Missile Crisis — OpEd. eurasiareview.com By Jonathan Power* | The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 is well remembered, even by those not yet born when it happened. The word has been passed down the generations and probably always will be. It was the first and only time, say many historians and political scientists, that the world faced the likelihood of nuclear war between the Soviet Union and the USA. | For my part, I find it impossible to forget. | I was chairman of Manchester University's Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Within four hours after the BBC reported the beginnings of the crisis, we had organized a massive march. To my knowledge, we were t…

Staff (2021-04-20). JCPOA Joint Commission meet to continue next week in Vienna. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 20 (MNA)-Stressing that discussions made in today's Joint Commission of JCPOA with regard to lifting sanctions and nuclear issues, coordinator of Joint Commission of JCPOA announced that next meeting of Commission will be held next week.

ecns.cn (2021-04-20). ROK says to join IAEA monitoring team for Fukushima wastewater release. ecns.cn South Korea will make sure to participate in an international monitoring team led by the UN nuclear watchdog for Japan's planned release of nuclear polluted water from its wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant, Yonhap reported, citing the country's foreign ministry.

ecns.cn (2021-04-20). Japan's decision to dump nuclear wastewater 'extremely irresponsible': experts. ecns.cn Chinese experts have condemned Japan's unilateral decision to discharge nuclear wastewater into the sea, calling it "extremely irresponsible."

Staff (2021-04-20). JCPOA Joint Commission starts in Venna. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 20 (MNA) — The meeting of the Joint Commission of the JCPOA is underway in Vienna.

Staff (2021-04-20). JCPOA Joint Commission Tue. meeting wraps up. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 20 (MNA) — The meeting of the Joint Commission of the JCPOA ended and the attending delegations are to leave Vienna for their home countires.

Staff (2021-04-20). Delegations satisfied with progress in Vienna talks. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 20 (MNA) — Russia's Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna said being satisfied with the progress made in negotiations to restore the JCPOA, delegations are to consult with the capitals.

Staff (2021-04-20). Zionist forces raid occupied lands, arrest Palestinians. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 20 (MNA) — Israeli regime's military forces raided an area in "occupied lands" on Tuesday and detained a number of Palestinians.

Staff (2021-04-20). FM Qureshi arrives in Tehran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 20 (MNA) — Pakistani FM Shah Mahmoud Qureshi arrived in Tehran on Tue. evening.

Staff (2021-04-20). China Pres. calls for fairer world order as rivalry with US. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 20 (MNA) — Chinese President called for a rejection of hegemonic power structures in global governance, amid growing tensions between Washington and Beijing over a widening range of issues including alleged human rights abuses.

Gareth Porter (2021-04-19). Vienna talks reveal Biden team's attachment to sanctions that would torpedo Iran deal. thegrayzone.com Biden's foreign policy team refuses to relieve Iran from sanctions illegally imposed by the Trump administration, setting the stage for the collapse of negotiations and a major crisis. The Biden administration signaled once again at the April 9 Vienna meeting on the Iran nuclear deal that it intends to maintain Trump-era Iran sanctions in an effort to win political and military concessions going well beyond the original deal itself. Team Biden continued to insist during the conference that Iran return …

Patrick Mazza (2021-04-19). Advanced Nuclear Dreaming in Washington State. counterpunch.org It was once known by one of the most inadvertently appropriate acronyms ever, WPPSS, the Washington Public Power Supply System. "Whoops!," as they called it, in the early 1980s brought on what was then the worst municipal bond default in U.S. history trying to build five nuclear reactors in Washington state at once, completing only one.

Robert Fantina (2021-04-19). Renegotiating JCPOA: Biden, Europe and Iran. counterpunch.org After years of negotiations, the U.S., under President Barack Obama (don't get this writer started on him), Iran and several other nations signed an agreement that limited Iran's nuclear development program, in exchange for the lifting of many sanctions issued against that nation. This was good news all around: many nations had a major new market for their goods, Iran was able to export its own products and services, and the world, bizarrely, breathed a sigh of relief that Iran would not develop the nuclear weapons that its spokespeople always said it never had any interest in anyway; its nuclear program was for…

Eds. (2021-04-19). What Bill Gates has wrong about "advanced" nuclear reactors. mronline.org If nuclear power needs to be part of the climate solution, why not continue to use what we have? I understand the reactors that we have are aging out. But why not either shore those up or use the same design that we currently have where we wouldn't have to go through the lengthy and […] | April 19, 2021 | Newswire…

RT (2021-04-19). Czech govt bars Russia's Rosatom from nuclear power plant contract tender amid diplomatic row. rt.com Russia's nuclear energy corporation Rosatom won't be invited for a security assessment as a bidder vying to renovate the Dukovany nuclear power plant, the Czech industry minister said, amid the diplomatic spat initiated by Prague. | The Czech government has approved a resolution effectively excluding the Russian company from the $7-billion project, the nation's industry and trade minister Karel Havlicek confirmed on Monday. | The construction project's investor, the majority state-controlled Czech utility company CEZ, will now only send a security assessment questionnaire to the remaining three contenders by A…

Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J. S. Davies (2021-04-19). U.S. Joins Past Empires In Afghan Graveyard. counterpunch.org An Afghan taxi-driver in Vancouver told one of us a decade ago that this day would come. "We defeated the Persian Empire in the eighteenth century, the British in the nineteenth, the Soviets in the twentieth. Now, with NATO, we're fighting twenty-eight countries, but we'll defeat them, too," said the taxi-driver, surely not a member

Abdul Rahman (2021-04-19). Hopes for revival of nuclear deal rise despite provocations against Iran. peoplesdispatch.org Despite provocations such as the attack on Iran's Natanz nuclear facility on April 11, the discussions to restore the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or the nuclear deal continue through the mechanism of the joint commission…

Dave DeCamp (2021-04-19). Iran Says It Welcomes Dialogue With Saudis After Reports of Secret Talks. news.antiwar.com On Monday, "We have seen media reports about talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia, although the reports sometimes had contradictory quotes," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said at a press conference. | "What is important is that the Islamic Republic of Iran has always welcomed dialogue with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and consi…

Dave DeCamp (2021-04-19). Iran: Vienna Talks 'on Right Track'. news.antiwar.com Even though the Biden administration appears to be in no hurry to give Iran sanctions relief, Iranian officials continue to speak positively of the indirect talks ongoing in Vienna that are aimed at reviving the nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA. | "We are on the right track and some progress has been made, but this does not mean that the talks in Vienna have reached the final stage," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman "Consultations will be easier if the United States decides to mo…

IFIMES (2021-04-19). Opportunities And Threats Of Iran's Return To 2015 Nuclear Deal — Analysis. eurasiareview.com There were some conflicting speculations regarding the position of US President Joseph Biden's administration on Iran's nuclear program, as optimists believed the new President would return to the nuclear deal as soon as he entered the White House, while pessimists announced that the decision to return to that deal would be very difficult if not impossible under the conditions agreed with President Barack Obama in October 2015. Many things have changed during Donald Trump's tenure as president, as have many attitudes towards the nuclear deal, which today requires that the details of the deal be reconsidered an…

Shabbir H. Kazmi (2021-04-19). US Intelligence Agencies Playing Mantra Orchestrated By Military Complexes — OpEd. eurasiareview.com I have often raised this point that the US foreign policy is driven by 'military complexes'. The survival of these conglomerates is dependent on internal conflicts and proxy wars, often created and proliferated by the US intelligence agencies. | If presence of weapons of mass destructions in Iraq was the biggest joke of the century, Iran getting ready to attack United States is another point to laugh. If you don't agree with me read the highlights of 'The Annual Threat Assessment Report'. | According to The Annual Threat Assessment Report — 2021 prepared by the office of the US Director of National Intel…

Jason Ditz (2021-04-19). US Warns Israeli Attacks Interfering With Iran Nuclear Deal. news.antiwar.com The Biden Administration The current round of Vienna talks opened concurrently with the Israeli sabotage, and the US says they are worried that Israel will derail these talks with its activities. The US seems interested in distancing itself from the incident. | It seems fair to accuse Israel of trying to sabotage the process, as they've been publicly unhappy ab…

Staff (2021-04-19). Politicizing Ukrainian plane crash deplorable, inhumane. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 19 (MNA) — Spokesman for the Secretariat of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) said that trying to politicize Ukrainian plane crash is 'regrettable and inhumane'.

Staff (2021-04-19). Iran, Indonesia underline expansion of mutual ties. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 19 (MNA) — In their meeting, the Indonesian President and Iranian Foreign Minister discussed the development of mutual relations.

Staff (2021-04-19). Woodcarving in north of Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 19 (MNA) — Woodcarving is among the oldest arts preserved in the northern Iranian provinces including Mazandaran, where the abundance of wood has led to a form of woodcarving known as 'Laktarashi'.

Staff (2021-04-19). Intelligence forces seize weapons consignment SW Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 19 (MNA) — Iranian intelligence forces seized a consignment of weapons at Khuzestan province borders.

Kamal Iranidoost (2021-04-19). Famous Ramadan traditions in Egypt. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 19 (MNA) — Egypt is the most famous place for Ramadan traditions and it is said that many of the Ramadan rituals practiced throughout the Muslim world have origins in Egypt.

Kamal Iranidoost (2021-04-19). Hamas's Haniyeh condoles Ghaani on demise of Gen. Hejazi. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 20 (MNA) — Ismail Haniyeh, the current head of Hamas's political bureau, has called the commander of IRGC Quds Force commander Esmail Ghaani to offer condolences on the demise of the former Deputy Commander of the IRGC's Quds Force.

Staff (2021-04-19). Russia, US hold meeting on JCPOA in Vienna. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 19 (MNA) — The head of the Russian delegation to the JCPOA talks announced that he met with the US Special Representative for Iran and discuss the lifting of sanctions and the full implementation of the agreement.

Kamal Iranidoost (2021-04-19). EU's Borrell cites progress in Iran nuclear talks. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 19 (MNA) — The European Union Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell says that he saw a willingness to save the JCPOA in Iran nuclear talks in Vienna, adding that there was progress in talks to bring Washington back to the accord.

Staff (2021-04-19). Progress can be seen in Vienna talks: Berlin. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 19 (MNA) — A spokesperson of the German government announced progress in the current Iranian nuclear talks in Vienna.

Staff (2021-04-19). 'Sky Sun, Tile Sun' goes to London Kurdish Film Festival. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 19 (MNA) — Iranian animation 'Sky Sun, Tile Sun' directed by Ziba Arzhang took part in the 12th edition of the London Kurdish Film Festival in the UK.

Newsclick (2021-04-19). DNA from cave dirt now tells us how ancient humans lived. peoplesdispatch.org Newsclick editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha talks about how researchers were able to unearth Neanderthal DNA by excavating cave floors. This will greatly expand the possibility of finding nuclear DNA which until now was only available from bones and teeth. Thumbnail Image Credit — Javier Trueba/Madrid Scientific Films…

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