Iran hits back at US demands on ballistic missiles - Aljazeera.com

Iran has hit back at US President Donald Trump's call for new nuclear negotiations that encompass its ballistic missiles programme, accusing Washington of bringing the Middle East to the brink of "explosion" by selling arms to allies in the Gulf.

Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister, made the comment in a wide-ranging interview that aired on NBC News on Monday.

He said Iran would only sit down with the United States if it lifted punishing economic sanctions it has imposed on Tehran and rejoined the 2015 nuclear deal it abandoned last year.

Trump pulled the US out of the landmark multilateral accord saying he wanted to negotiate a new deal that also addressed Iran's ballistic missiles programme and support for armed groups in the region.

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Zarif, who is in New York on a visit to the United Nations, told NBC it was the US and its allies - Saudia Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - who were to blame for turmoil in the Middle East.

"If you want to discuss ballistic missiles, then we need to discuss the amount of weapons sold to our region," he said. 

"Last year, Iran spent $16bn altogether on its military, we have a 82 million population. UAE, with a million population, spent $22bn. Saudi Arabia - with less than half of [Iran's] population - spent $67bn, most of them are American [arms].

"These are American weaponry that is going into our region, making our region ready to explode. So if they want to talk about our missiles, they need first to stop selling all these weapons including missiles to our region."

'Door wide open'

When NBC journalist Lester Holt further pressed Zarif on the issue, referring to Iran's support for armed groups in the region, the minister brought up the Saudi-led interventions in Yemen and Bahrain.

"Let me ask you - who's bombing Yemen? Who's invading Bahrain? Who kept the prime minister of another country a prisoner," Zarif asked.

"Are we involved at all in North Africa? ... Why do you have chaos in Libya? Is Iran involved in Libya? ... in Sudan? ... in Algeria? Why do we have all this turmoil? I believe if you want to look at the right place for those who have malign activity in our region, the US needs to look at its own allies, not at Iran."

Zarif, who has been hit by tight travel restrictions while in New York, reiterated that Iran did not want a war with US and urged Trump to lift the crippling measures against Tehran to begin talks.

"Once those sanctions are lifted, then ... the door for negotiations is wide open," Zarif said. "It is the United States that left the bargaining table. And they're always welcome to return."

In the year since the US exited the nuclear deal - a move opposed by the pact's remaining signatories - Washington has tightened sanctions on Iran, including on its oil and banking sectors.

In May, Washington also sent warships, bombers and thousands of additional troops to the Gulf, citing unspecified threats from Iran. Tensions have since soared, with the US calling off air raids against Iran at the last minute after Tehran downed a US spy plane that it said encroached on its airspace in June, a claim Washington denies. 

When asked if Trump's decision to halt air raids amounted to a diplomatic overture, Zarif said: "It’s not an overture if you decide not to commit another act of aggression against a country that is capable of defending itself." 

Vowing to continue resisting "aggression", Zarif said Iranians will "find a way to circumvent the pressure through relying on their own resources, on their own capabilities, and on their own talent".

The Islamic Republic, which has been under a variety of sanctions since its founding in 1979, invested in its ballistic missiles and nuclear programmes because of those sanctions, he added. But he warned: "Of course when there is tension, there is tension for everybody. Nobody is immune in a tense environment."

The new US sanctions have plunged the Iranian economy into crisis, and caused a shortage in critical medicines, Zarif said, a move he said has put Iranian people under "huge humanitarian pressure". 

"They are terrorising our people. They are targeting ordinary Iranian civilians. That's worse than war," he added. 

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2019-07-16 13:02:00Z
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Iran hits back at US demands on ballistic missiles - Aljazeera.com

Iran has hit back at US President Donald Trump's call for new nuclear negotiations that encompass its ballistic missiles programme, accusing Washington of bringing the Middle East to the brink of "explosion" by selling arms to allies in the Gulf.

Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister, made the comment in a wide-ranging interview that aired on NBC News on Monday.

He said Iran would only sit down with the United States if it lifted punishing economic sanctions it has imposed on Tehran and rejoined the 2015 nuclear deal it abandoned last year.

Trump pulled the US out of the landmark multilateral accord saying he wanted to negotiate a new deal that also addressed Iran's ballistic missiles programme and support for armed groups in the region.

190701222356690

Zarif, who is in New York on a visit to the United Nations, told NBC it was the US and its allies - Saudia Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - who were to blame for turmoil in the Middle East.

"If you want to discuss ballistic missiles, then we need to discuss the amount of weapons sold to our region," he said. 

"Last year, Iran spent $16bn altogether on its military, we have a 82 million population. UAE, with a million population, spent $22bn. Saudi Arabia - with less than half of [Iran's] population - spent $67bn, most of them are American [arms].

"These are American weaponry that is going into our region, making our region ready to explode. So if they want to talk about our missiles, they need first to stop selling all these weapons including missiles to our region."

'Door wide open'

When NBC journalist Lester Holt further pressed Zarif on the issue, referring to Iran's support for armed groups in the region, the minister brought up the Saudi-led interventions in Yemen and Bahrain.

"Let me ask you - who's bombing Yemen? Who's invading Bahrain? Who kept the prime minister of another country a prisoner," Zarif asked.

"Are we involved at all in North Africa? ... Why do you have chaos in Libya? Is Iran involved in Libya? ... in Sudan? ... in Algeria? Why do we have all this turmoil? I believe if you want to look at the right place for those who have malign activity in our region, the US needs to look at its own allies, not at Iran."

Zarif, who is also facing US sanctions, reiterated Tehran did not want a war with Washington and urged Trump to lift the crippling measures against Iran to begin talks.

"Once those sanctions are lifted, then ... the door for negotiations is wide open," Zarif said. "It is the United States that left the bargaining table. And they're always welcome to return."

In the year since the US exited the nuclear deal - a move opposed by the pact's remaining signatories - Washington has tightened sanctions on Iran, including on its oil and banking sectors.

In May, Washington also sent warships, bombers and thousands of additional troops to the Gulf, citing unspecified threats from Iran. Tensions have since soared, with the US calling off air raids against Iran at the last minute after Tehran downed a US spy plane that it said encroached on its airspace in June, a claim Washington denies. 

When asked if Trump's decision to halt air raids amounted to a diplomatic overture, Zarif said: "It’s not an overture if you decide not to commit another act of aggression against a country that is capable of defending itself." 

Vowing to continue resisting "aggression", Zarif said Iranians will "find a way to circumvent the pressure through relying on their own resources, on their own capabilities, and on their own talent".

The Islamic Republic, which has been under a variety of sanctions since its founding in 1979, invested in its ballistic missiles and nuclear programmes because of those sanctions, he added. But he warned: "Of course when there is tension, there is tension for everybody. Nobody is immune in a tense environment."

The new US sanctions have plunged the Iranian economy into crisis, and caused a shortage in critical medicines, Zarif said, a move he said has put Iranian people under "huge humanitarian pressure". 

"They are terrorising our people. They are targeting ordinary Iranian civilians. That's worse than war," he added. 

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2019-07-16 12:14:00Z
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Italian police detain 3 men, seize missile, weapons, Nazi memorabilia - Fox News

Three men were detained in northern Italy after police uncovered a stash of automatic weapons, a missile and material featuring Nazi symbols, officials said Monday.

The discoveries stemmed from an investigation into Italians backing pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine, Turin police said.

NO BONES FOUND IN VATICAN TOMBS SEARCHED FOR MISSING GIRL

Police stand by a missile seized at an airport hangar near Pavia, northern Italy, following an investigation into Italians who took part in the Russian-backed insurgency in eastern Ukraine, in Turin, Italy. (ANSA via AP)

One of the men, identified by Italian media as Fabio Del Bergiolo, had been linked to a neo-fascist Italian political party, police said. He ran unsuccessfully in 2001 as a Senate candidate for the Forza Nuova party, police said.

At his home in Gallarate, police found nine assault weapons, nearly 30 hunting rifles, pistols, bayonets, ammunition and antique Nazi plaques featuring swastikas.

OLYMPIC SWIMMER FILIPPO MAGNINI SAVES DROWNING MAN AFTER WIND PUSHED HIM OFF UNICORN FLOAT

Two others, identified by Italian media as Alessandro Monti and Fabio Bernardi, were detained after a French-made missile was discovered at an airport hangar, police said.

Italian police seized a cache of weapons in their raid. (Italian Police)

“During the operation, an air-to-air missile in perfect working order and used by the Qatari army was seized,” police said in a statement.

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The suspects had tried to sell the missile via conversations with people on the WhatsApp message system, according to The New York Times.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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2019-07-16 11:49:21Z
CBMiS2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmZveG5ld3MuY29tL3dvcmxkL2l0YWx5LXBvbGljZS1taXNzaWxlLXdlYXBvbnMtbmF6aS1tZW1vcmFiaWxpYdIBT2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmZveG5ld3MuY29tL3dvcmxkL2l0YWx5LXBvbGljZS1taXNzaWxlLXdlYXBvbnMtbmF6aS1tZW1vcmFiaWxpYS5hbXA

Italian police seized an air-to-air missile and Nazi paraphernalia from three men - CNN

Fabio Del Bergiolo, who ran for the Italian Senate in 2001 as a candidate for the Forza Nuova party, Swiss citizen Alessandro Monti and Fabio Bernardi were arrested on Monday in connection with the arms stockpile.

Monti, 42, and Bernardi, 51, were arrested for allegedly possessing and trying to selling a French-made Matra air-to-air missile, while Bergiolo, 60, was arrested for allegedly acting as an intermediary to sell weapons, a Turin police statement said.

The stockpile was discovered by police who were investigating Italians "with extremist ideology" who had fought alongside Russian-backed separatist forces in Donbass, eastern Ukraine, last July, according to the police statement.

The investigation relied on the help of an arms expert who contacted the suspects about purchasing the Matra missile on behalf of a third party, police said.

Throughout the course of the investigation, police used phone and data interception to view photos of the missile, which were exchanged via WhatsApp, they said.

The probe brought authorities to the home of Del Bergiolo, where an array of military-grade weapons and illegally held guns were found, according to police.

Del Bergiolo's house allegedly also contained Nazi swastikas and references to the Nazi military Waffen-SS unit.

Investigations are ongoing to determine how the French-made Matra missile, which appeared to have once belonged to the Qatari armed forces, arrived in Italy.

The political party Forza Nuova has denied any current connection with Del Bergiolo.

"If one of the arrested was a candidate of Forza Nuova way back in 2001 (18 years ago!), we affirm that on the contrary none of the people involved have been militants of Forza Nuova - which has nothing to do with the search this morning," a press officer for Forza Nuova told CNN.

Del Bergiolo's lawyer, Fausto Moscatelli told CNN his client is a "weapons enthusiast."

"My client is a collector and they sequestered weapons that were in his home. These weapons were not registered, but they were not connected to terrorism," Moscatelli said.

"There was a misunderstanding with the Nazi paraphernalia, he also had fascist and USSR paraphernalia, but they (the police) only took things with swastikas," he added.

Police said they found a cache of 26 guns, 20 bayonets, and 306 gun parts -- including silencers and rifle scopes -- along with more than 800 bullets.

CNN has contacted lawyer Monti and Bernardi's lawyer Alberto Minasi della Rocca, who did not wish to comment for this article.

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2019-07-16 11:15:00Z
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Iran hits back at US demands on ballistic missiles, proxy groups - Aljazeera.com

Iran has hit back at US President Donald Trump's call for new nuclear negotiations that encompass its ballistic missiles programme, accusing Washington of bringing the Middle East to the brink of "explosion" by selling arms to allies in the Gulf.

Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister, made the comment in a wide-ranging interview that aired on NBC News on Monday.

He said Iran would only sit down with the United States if it lifted punishing economic sanctions it has imposed on Tehran and rejoined the 2015 nuclear deal it abandoned last year.

Trump had pulled the US out of the landmark multilateral accord saying he wanted to negotiate a new deal that also addressed Iran's ballistic missiles programme and support for armed groups in the region.

190701222356690

Zarif, who is in New York on a visit to the United Nations, told NBC it was the US and its allies - Saudia Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - who were to blame for turmoil in the Middle East.

"If you want to discuss ballistic missiles, then we need to discuss the amount of weapons sold to our region," he said. 

"Last year, Iran spent $16bn altogether on its military, we have a 82 million population. UAE, with a million population, spent $22bn. Saudi Arabia - with less than half of [Iran's] population - spent $67bn, most of them are American [arms].

"These are American weaponry that is going into our region, making our region ready to explode. So if they want to talk about our missiles, they need first to stop selling all these weapons including missiles to our region."

'Door wide open'

When NBC journalist Lester Holt further pressed Zarif on the issue, referring to Iran's support for armed groups in the region, the minister brought up the Saudi-led interventions in Yemen and Bahrain.

"Let me ask you - who's bombing Yemen? Who's invading Bahrain? Who kept the prime minister of another country a prisoner," Zarif asked.

"Are we involved at all in North Africa? ... Why do you have chaos in Libya? Is Iran involved in Libya? ... in Sudan? ... in Algeria? Why do we have all this turmoil? I believe if you want to look at the right place for those who have malign activity in our region, the US needs to look at its own allies, not at Iran."

Zarif, who is also facing US sanctions, reiterated Tehran did not want a war with Washington and urged Trump to lift the crippling measures against Iran to begin talks.

"Once those sanctions are lifted, then ... the door for negotiations is wide open," Zarif said. "It is the United States that left the bargaining table. And they're always welcome to return."

In the year since the US exited the nuclear deal - a move opposed by the pact's remaining signatories - Washington has tightened sanctions on Iran, including on its oil and banking sectors.

In May, Washington also sent warships, bombers and thousands of additional troops to the Gulf, citing unspecified threats from Iran. Tensions have since soared, with the US calling off air raids against Iran at the last minute after Tehran downed a US spy plane that it said encroached on its airspace in June, a claim Washington denies. 

When asked if Trump's decision to halt air raids amounted to a diplomatic overture, Zarif said: "It’s not an overture if you decide not to commit another act of aggression against a country that is capable of defending itself." 

Vowing to continue resisting "aggression", Zarif said Iranians will "find a way to circumvent the pressure through relying on their own resources, on their own capabilities, and on their own talent".

The Islamic Republic, which has been under a variety of sanctions since its founding in 1979, invested in its ballistic missiles and nuclear programmes because of those sanctions, he added. But he warned: "Of course when there is tension, there is tension for everybody. Nobody is immune in a tense environment."

The new US sanctions have plunged the Iranian economy into crisis, and caused a shortage in critical medicines, Zarif said, a move he said has put Iranian people under "huge humanitarian pressure". 

"They are terrorising our people. They are targeting ordinary Iranian civilians. That's worse than war," he added. 

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2019-07-16 11:06:00Z
52780333106748

North Korea hints it may resume nuclear testing, accuses U.S. of reneging on pact - The Washington Post

SEOUL — North Korea warned Tuesday that planned military exercises involving U.S. and South Korean forces would jeopardize proposed disarmament talks with Washington, and hinted it might respond by resuming nuclear and missile tests.

In a statement, the North’s Foreign Ministry accused the United States of violating the spirit of negotiations between President Trump and dictator Kim Jong Un by proceeding with military maneuvers scheduled for next month. At their first meeting in Singapore last year, Trump agreed to suspend major exercises with South Korea to avoid provoking Pyongyang.

The North said its moratorium on nuclear and missile tests was a commitment it made in return to improve bilateral relations, “not a legal document inscribed on paper.”

“With the U.S. unilaterally reneging on its commitments, we are gradually losing our justification to follow through on the commitments we made with the U.S.,” it said.

Pyongyang last launched a long-range missile in November 2017, although it has tested shorter-range weapons since then. Its last nuclear test was in September 2017.

North Korea has long criticized U.S.-South Korean military exercises, viewing them as rehearsals for an invasion.

The allies have planned to conduct combined maneuvers, known as Dong Maeng, in coming weeks. North Korea said that going ahead with the drills would affect plans for working-level talks with the United States.

[Trump, Kim meet at Korean demilitarized zone]

The North’s statement appeared aimed at pressuring the United States, which has sought to revive diplomacy with Pyongyang since the second Trump-Kim summit in Hanoi in February ended without a deal.

The two leaders met again at the inter-Korean demilitarized zone last month and moved to get diplomacy back on track.

“What is going to happen is over the next two or three weeks, the teams are going to start working to see whether or not they can do something,” Trump said after the June 30 meeting, in which he became the first sitting U.S. president to set foot in North Korea.

Since that summit, there hasn’t been any official meeting between working-level negotiators of the two countries, prompting worries about the sustainability of their diplomacy and the prospects of a deal.

“The U.S.-South Korean military exercises have already been toned down in scale and substance in order not to provoke North Korea,” said Shin Beom-chul, a researcher at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul. “North Korea is trying to pick a hole in order to raise its leverage in working-level negotiations with the United States.”

[Trump, Kim cut short Hanoi summit without a deal on denuclearization]

The U.S. military command in South Korea said Tuesday that U.S. forces would continue to train in a combined manner while adjusting the scale and timing of military exercises in concert with diplomatic efforts.

“As a matter of standard operating procedure, and in order to preserve space for diplomacy to work, we do not discuss any planned training or exercises publicly,” it said.

The United States wants North Korea to take concrete steps toward denuclearization before it is willing to ease sanctions that limit Pyongyang’s trade. Kim has said he wants to develop his economy — a goal that remains largely out of reach while his nation is shackled by sanctions.

In an interview with Fox News on Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he hoped the North Koreans would come to the table for fresh negotiations, and he voiced hope that both sides might bring new ideas to help break the impasse.

“The president’s mission hasn’t changed: to fully and finally denuclearize North Korea in a way that we can verify,” he said.

Read more

Trump, Kim meet at Korean demilitarized zone

Trump and Kim cut short Hanoi summit without deal on denuclearization

Joint statement from Trump-Kim summit in Singapore

Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news

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2019-07-16 09:36:38Z
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Iran hits back at US demands on ballistic missiles, proxy groups - Aljazeera.com

Iran has hit back at US President Donald Trump's call for new nuclear negotiations that encompass its ballistic missiles programme, accusing Washington of bringing the Middle East to the brink of "explosion" by selling arms to allies in the Gulf.

Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister, made the comment in a wide-ranging interview that aired on NBC News on Monday.

He said Iran would only sit down with the United States if it lifted punishing economic sanctions it has imposed on Tehran and rejoined the 2015 nuclear deal it abandoned last year.

Trump had pulled the US out of the landmark multi-lateral accord saying he wanted to negotiate a new deal that also addressed Iran's ballistic missiles programme and support for armed groups in the region.

190701222356690

Zarif, who is in New York for a visit to the United Nations, told NBC it was the US and its allies - Saudia Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - who were to blame for turmoil in the Middle East.  

"If you want to discuss ballistic missiles, then we need to discuss the amount of weapons sold to our region," he said. 

"Last year Iran spent $16bn altogether on its military, we have a 82 million population. UAE, with a million population, spent $22bn. Saudi Arabia - with less than half of [Iran's] population - spent $67bn, most of them are American [arms].

"These are American weaponry that is going into our region, making our region ready to explode. So if they want to talk about our missiles, they need first to stop selling all these weapons including missiles to our region."

'Door wide open'

'Not significant': EU urges Iran to reverse nuclear deal breaches

When NBC journalist Lester Holt further pressed Zarif on the issue, referring to Iran's support for armed groups in the region, the minister brought up the Saudi-led interventions in Yemen and Bahrain

"Let me ask you - who's bombing Yemen? Who's invading Bahrain? Who kept the prime minister of another country a prisoner?" Zarif asked.

"Are we involved at all in North Africa? ... Why do you have chaos in Libya? Is Iran involved in Libya? ... in Sudan? ... in Algeria? Why do we have all this turmoil? I believe if you want to look at the right place for those who have malign activity in our region, the US needs to look at its own allies, not at Iran."

Zarif, who is also facing US sanctions, reiterated Tehran did not want a war with Washington and urged Trump to lift the crippling measures against Iran to begin talks.

"Once those sanctions are lifted, then ... the door for negotiations is wide open," Zarif said. "It is the United States that left the bargaining table. And they're always welcome to return."

In the year since the US exited the nuclear deal - a move opposed by the pact's remaining signatories - Washington has tightened sanctions on Iran, including on its oil and banking sectors.

In May, Washington also sent warships, bombers and thousands of additional troops to the Gulf, citing unspecified threats from Iran. Tensions have since soared, with the US calling off air raids against Iran at the last minute after Tehran downed a US spy plane that it said encroached on its airspace in June, a claim Washington denies. 

When asked if Trump's decision to halt air raids amounted to a diplomatic overture, Zarif said: "It’s not an overture if you decide not to commit another act of aggression against a country that is capable of defending itself." 

Vowing to continue resisting "aggression", Zarif said Iranian will "find a way to circumvent the pressure through relying on their own resources, on their own capabilities, and on their own talent."

The Islamic Republic, which has been under a variety of sanctions since its founding in 1979, invested in its own ballistic missiles and nuclear programmes because of those sanctions, he added. But he warned: "Of course when there is tension, there is tension for everybody. Nobody is immune in a tense environment."

The new US sanctions have plunged the Iranian economy into crisis, and caused a shortage in critical medicines, Zarif said, a move he said has put Iranian people under "huge humanitarian pressure". 

"They are terrorising our people. They are targeting ordinary Iranian civilians. That's worse than war," he added. 

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https://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2019/07/iran-hits-demands-ballistic-missiles-proxies-190716052354566.html

2019-07-16 10:59:00Z
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