Iran: Israel not seeking ME peace
Press TV--Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast says Israel neither seeks to establish peace in the Middle East nor to restore the basic rights of Palestinians.
“They (Israelis) are not seeking to restore the rights of the Palestinian nation, but are using talks to cover up their acts,” Mehmanparast said during his weekly press conference on Tuesday.
“Everybody knows the reason behind the failure of such talks and it was predicted from the very beginning that the Zionist regime is not committed to anything,” Mehmanparast stressed.
The remarks came in response to a question on acting Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas’s recent accusation that Iran was slowing the process of direct talks.
He reiterated that Israel was “not after establishing peace or security” in the region and called on all Palestinian groups to unite in order to defend their rights.
Iran-P5+1 talks
Mehmanparast said that both sides have agreed on the date of the negotiations but the details of the talks are yet to be determined.
Iran’s drills
He said that drills carried out by the Armed Forces of the country show Iran’s positive role in establishing peace in the region as well as its defense capabilities.
Lebanese PM’s Iran visit
According to the Iranian spokesperson, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s visit to Iran was on the agenda.
Nigeria
He further pointed out that misunderstandings over a "conventional and defensive" arms cargo found in Nigeria have been cleared.
“A company had sent a cargo to a third country and a misunderstanding was caused for the Nigerian government,” the diplomat said without elaborating on the final destination of the cargo.
“We think the misunderstanding has been cleared up as the company has presented its shipping documents and has not refused to answer any questions that could have created ambiguity for the Nigerian government,” he further explained.
President Ahmadinejad’s Baku visit
Mehmanparast said that the Iranian president will head to Azerbaijan to attend an upcoming Caspian Sea summit to discuss a security agreement.
Iran begins air defense drills: report
Xinhua-- The Iranian Army launched its biggest nationwide air defense drill to prepare against any possible attacks "on public or nuclear sites," the local satellite Press TV reported on Tuesday.
Arial defense units from the Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) are taking part in the three-stage five-day defense maneuvers dubbed "Modafean Aseman Velayat 3," (the Guardians of Islamic Skies), the report said.
The nationwide air maneuvers, which kicked off early Tuesday, were held near Iran’s "nuclear and vital landmarks" and include tests of long-range anti-air missiles, according to the report.
The drills aim to enhance response capabilities in countering threats against the county’s populated, vital, strategic and nuclear landmarks.
The Commander of Iran’s Khatamolanbia Air Defense Base Brigadier General Ahmad Miqani said Sunday the drills are part of an annual exercise that will be held with the participation of all air defense units of the country’s armed forces. The specific purpose is to enhance the effectiveness of the country’s anti- cruise electronic detection and weapons systems, said Miqani.
Earlier in the day, Miqani announced Iran would produce an air defense radar system with a range of 3,000 km in radius. The country will also unveil a new generation of domestically developed long-range S-200 air defense missile system by next February
Nigeria pays compensation to Iran after cancelling soccer match
ISNA-The Director of International Committee of Iran Football Federation (IFF) Abbas Torabian said on Tuesday Nigeria is to pay compensation to Iran following cancellation of its friendly match against the country.
"We sent a letter to Nigerian Football Federation and claimed compensation after the match was cancelled unilaterally, they answered our letter swiftly," he said.
"The Nigerian side admitted that Iran was right and said the African country would pay compensation to us."
Iran and Nigeria national soccer teams were to compete on Wednesday at Tehran’s Azadi Stadium, but Nigerian Football Federation sent a letter to Iran calling for cancellation of the competition.
In its five-day travel, the delegation will meet some high ranking Sierra Leonean political officials including the president Nigeria had said that the measure was due to the absence of its legionnaires in Wednesday match
Iranian parliamentary delegation travels to Sierra Leone
Tehran Times -- An Iranian parliamentary delegation, all members of Iran-Sierra Leone parliamentary friendship group, travelled to Sierra Leone on Monday The four-member delegation, headed by Hossein Sobhaninia, travelled to Freetown on the invitation of the African country’s parliament. .