Iran signs €500 million arms deal with Russia to restore air defences, FT reports
Iran has signed a secret €500 million arms deal with Russia to rebuild air defences, weakened during last year’s war with Israel, the Financial Ti...
The United States and Iran will hold a new round of nuclear negotiations in Geneva on Thursday as part of renewed diplomatic efforts to reach a potential agreement, Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi announced on Sunday.
Albusaidi said the talks are intended to move closer to a final settlement, describing the meeting as an effort to go “an extra mile” in bridging remaining differences.
The renewed diplomacy follows earlier indirect contacts held in Muscat, where Oman has acted as a mediator between Washington and Tehran.
According to reports cited by Axios, U.S. officials indicated that Iran may be asked to present a detailed nuclear proposal within a limited timeframe to justify further negotiations. The source, described as a senior U.S. official, suggested that such a submission could allow more detailed diplomacy and the possibility of an interim arrangement before any comprehensive agreement.
The diplomatic push is taking place alongside increased U.S. military deployment in the Middle East. The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and additional fighter jets have been sent to the region, while the USS Gerald R. Ford has also been reported moving closer.
U.S. officials have warned that progress in negotiations may be critical, as the diplomatic window could narrow if talks fail to produce results within a short period.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that Tehran is currently negotiating only on its nuclear programme and remains optimistic about making progress.
He said Iran is preparing a draft proposal designed to address shared concerns while preserving the peaceful nature of its nuclear activities. Araghchi described uranium enrichment technology as a domestically developed achievement and a symbol of Iranian scientific advancement following years of sanctions and attacks on nuclear facilities and scientists.
Iran, as a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), said it is willing to cooperate with monitoring mechanisms while retaining the right to pursue peaceful nuclear energy, including low-level uranium enrichment.
U.S. officials, including President Donald Trump, have previously suggested that any future deal may require restrictions on Iranian enrichment and could also address ballistic missile development and Tehran’s regional partnerships.
The negotiations follow the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), from which the United States later withdrew.
Diplomats from both sides are preparing proposals ahead of the Geneva meeting, with discussion expected to include monitoring arrangements and possible sanctions relief.
A seven-month-old Japanese macaque has drawn international attention after forming an unusual bond with a stuffed orangutan toy after being rejected by its mother.
Divers have recovered the bodies of seven Chinese tourists and a Russian driver after their minibus broke through the ice of on Lake Baikal in Russia, authorities said.
President Donald Trump said on Saturday (21 February) that he will raise temporary tariffs on nearly all U.S. imports from 10% to 15%, the maximum allowed under the law, after the Supreme Court struck down his previous tariff program.
Pakistan said it carried out cross-border strikes on militant targets inside Afghanistan after blaming a series of recent suicide bombings, including attacks during the holy month of Ramadan, on fighters it said were operating from Afghan territory.
Iran announced on Saturday (21 February) that it has designated the naval and air forces of European Union member states as “terrorist entities” in a reciprocal move after the EU blacklisted the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Iran has signed a secret €500 million arms deal with Russia to rebuild air defences, weakened during last year’s war with Israel, the Financial Times has reported. The agreement, signed in December in Moscow, will see Russia deliver 500 Verba launch units and 2,500 9M336 missiles over three years.
Syria has secured a $50 million financing package from the World Bank to support transport infrastructure projects as the country advances its economic recovery efforts, Syrian media reported on Sunday.
Islamic State claimed two attacks on Syrian army personnel on Saturday (22 February), saying they marked the start of a new phase of operations against the country’s leadership under President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Pakistan said it carried out cross-border strikes on militant targets inside Afghanistan after blaming a series of recent suicide bombings, including attacks during the holy month of Ramadan, on fighters it said were operating from Afghan territory.
Iran announced on Saturday (21 February) that it has designated the naval and air forces of European Union member states as “terrorist entities” in a reciprocal move after the EU blacklisted the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
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