Obama moving away from Israel, toward Iran, says key Republican.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) is accusing the Obama administration of moving away from Israel in favor of stronger relations with Iran.

He pointed to a range of issues, from the administration’s air strikes in Iraq to support Iraqi forces fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, to the tense relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and the nuclear talks with Iran.

Corker said he had concluded the administration wanted to get the United States out of the Middle East. “As you see what the White House is doing — they're obviously moving away from Israel towards a relationship with Iran,” Corker said during an interview on CNN's "Wolf."

“It's very apparent to me that what they're trying to achieve is a balance of power between the Shia sides and the more Sunni-oriented sides, and a way for them to extract themselves out of the Middle East,” Corker said.

The comments come days before a March 31 deadline faced by the U.S., Iran and other partners to reach a nuclear deal that could lift sanctions on Iran in exchange for limits on that country’s nuclear program.

Corker is sponsoring legislation to allow Congress to review any deal the administration secures with Iran. The Tennessee Republican said he didn’t mean to imply the U.S. was completely shifting from the relationship with Israel, but he said he believed the administration’s policies would result in giving more influence in the Middle East to Iran.

“I'm not saying totally turning its back, but it's moving more towards an Iranian-dominated relationship to create a balance of power,” Corker said, referring to the Obama administration, when pressed to clarify his remarks on CNN. “While in a textbook that might be interesting, what you're not seeing from Iran's standpoint is a change in behavior. Just the opposite,” Corker said. 

During the interview, he predicted his legislation, which was backed Thursday by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), would win approval. “I do think we are going to pass a piece of legislation," Corker said. “We know that if we make a bad deal, and they actually get to a place where they're one screwdriver turn away from having a nuclear weapon, it creates proliferation, possibly, in the region,” Corker said. By Jesse Byrnes, The Hill, March 27, 2015, 03:15 pm.

Iran has shown flexibility during nuclear talks: Senior negotiator.

A senior Iranian nuclear negotiator says the country has shown "necessary flexibility" during talks with the P5+1 group of countries and that the other side must make a decision to finalize discussed solutions, Press TV reports.

Iranian Foreign Ministry’s Director General for Political Affairs Hamid Baeidinejad made the remarks in the Swiss city of Lausanne on Friday, adding that "there are a number of issues that haven’t been resolved yet," of which "research and development and sanctions" are "the most important".

“These issues include details that are very important and there are other issues related to these issues, I don’t want to get into details but these are some of the most important issues and all efforts are based on finding solutions to these remaining issues,” Baeidinejad said.

Responding to a question on the possibility of resolving the outstanding issues by Sunday, Baeidinejad said, "The possibility definitely exists and this depends on the political decision of the negotiating sides, particularly we expect the other side to coordinate and make decisions to facilitate the process."

Meanwhile, Iranian and Chinese deputy foreign ministers held talks over Tehran’s nuclear program in Lausanne. Iran’s deputy foreign ministers Abbas Araqchi and Majid Takht-e Ravanchi met with their Chinese counterpart Wang Qun to discuss outstanding issues pertaining to Iran's nuclear issue on Friday.

Also on Friday, trilateral talks were held between representatives of Iran headed by Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, the US delegation headed by Secretary of State John Kerry, and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, who was accompanied by her deputy Helga Schmid.

The talks, which kicked off on Thursday,  are part of broader negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 countries - China, Russia, Britain, the US, France and Germany - over Tehran's nuclear programme.

Iran and the six countries have been in talks to resolve outstanding issues surrounding Tehran’s nuclear program to pave the way for striking an overarching deal on the country’s nuclear program as a deadline slated for July 1 draws closer. Fri Mar 27, 2015 9:51PM

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Iraqi army begins final stage to liberate Tikrit.

Iraqi army forces, backed by volunteers, are preparing to carry out the final stage of operations aimed at liberating the city of Tikrit in northern Salahuddin Province from ISIL militants, Press TV reports.

According to Karim al-Nuri, a leader of Iraqi volunteer forces, the hometown of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein is expected to be fully liberated in four days.

Iraqi Defense Minister Khaled al-Obaidi has also said that the battle for Tikrit will change in the coming days.

The city is currently under a complete siege, which has left the ISIL militants paralyzed and trapped inside Tikrit.

“Now the Iraqi forces, volunteers, and tribes are ready to enter Tikrit. What was standing in the way of attacking the city was explosives set in the city … We will witness the liberation of Tikrit in the coming few days. Now the forces are paving the way towards the ground operations through bombing ISIL hideouts,” Journalist Moustafa Daraji said.

Iraqi forces are currently working on dismantling some 6,000 improvised explosive devices planted by militants in the city's liberated areas and houses.

Analysts say the final attack to free Tikrit should be studied carefully in order to avoid civilian deaths as it is expected that ISIL terrorists will use residents as human shields.

Meanwhile reports say ISIL terrorists have withdrawn from the northern city of Mosul, but armed women, thought to be foreigners, remain active in the city.

Located some 130 kilometers (80 miles) north of the capital, Baghdad, Tikrit was overrun by the ISIL terrorists in summer 2014 along with Iraq’s second-largest city of Mosul and other areas in the Arab country’s Sunni heartland. Tikrit has a strategic position as it sits on the road to Mosul. Wed Mar 25, 2015 5:18AM PTV.

Obama refuses to comment on Israel spying on Iran nuclear talks.

US President Barack Obama has refused to comment on reports of Israel’s espionage on nuclear talks between Iran and the world powers amid growing tensions between the White House and Tel Aviv.

When asked by reporters, the president refused to comment on recent reports that Israel spied on the nuclear talks. “As a general rule, I don’t comment on intelligence matters in a big room full of reporters,” Obama said.

“And I think I’ll continue that tradition. But with respect to the possibility of an agreement that ensures that Iran doesn’t get a nuclear weapon, we have not just briefed Congress about the progress or lack thereof, but we also brief the Israelis and our other partners in the region and around the world,” he added.

President Obama made the remarks on Tuesday during a joint news conference with Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani to discuss the US military presence in that country.

On Monday, the Wall Street Journal revealed that Israel spied on the nuclear talks since last year. It also reported that Tel Aviv acquired information from confidential briefings with US officials and diplomatic contacts in Europe.

Iran and the P5+1 are currently negotiating to reach a comprehensive agreement on the country’s nuclear program as a deadline slated for July 1 draws closer.

The Journal has quoted US officials as saying that the spying operation was part of a campaign by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They say Netanyahu attempted to undercut support for a deal by sharing the information with US lawmakers. Israeli officials have denied spying on the US negotiators. Wed Mar 25, 2015 6:3AM PTV

White House officials say Israel spied on Iran talks to sink nuclear deal.

Top White House officials have revealed that Israel began to spy on the closed-door nuclear negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 group last year in order to sink an agreement.

Current and former American officials told the Wall Street Journal the spying operation was part of a campaign by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “penetrate the negotiations and then help build a case against the emerging terms of the deal.”

The newspaper reported on Monday Israel was spying on the talks by eavesdropping and getting information from confidential US briefings, informants and diplomatic contacts in Europe.

According to the US officials, Israel shared information from the talks with American lawmakers and others to drain support from a nuclear agreement.

“It is one thing for the US and Israel to spy on each other. It is another thing for Israel to steal US secrets and play them back to US legislators to undermine US diplomacy,” an unnamed senior American official was quoted as saying by the Wall Street Journal.

American intelligence agencies learned Israel’s espionage operation when they intercepted communications among Israeli officials that carried details from the confidential talks.

However, Israel denied spying on the negotiation team of the Obama administration directly.

Tel Aviv has been persistent to undermine the talks and prevent a nuclear deal between Tehran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the US, Britain, Russia, China, France – plus Germany (P5+1 group).

Netanyahu travelled to the United States earlier this month and delivered a warning speech to the US Congress to stop a potential agreement.

On Monday, 367 members of the House of Representatives signed a letter, telling President Barack Obama that any nuclear accord must constrain Iran's nuclear program for “decades” before Congress will roll back sanctions. "A final comprehensive nuclear agreement must constrain Iran's nuclear infrastructure,” the letter said.

In any agreement, “Congress must be convinced that its terms foreclose any pathway to a bomb, and only then will Congress be able to consider permanent sanctions relief,” according to the letter.

Netanyahu’s efforts to sabotage the nuclear negotiations have angered President Obama.

Obama said the re-election of Netanyahu would not affect his support for any possible deal with Iran.

"Our goal is to get this done in a matter of weeks, not months," Obama said in an interview with the Huffington Post. Also see Wall St. Journal, March 23, 2015 10:30 p.m. ET. Tue Mar 24, 2015 4:49AM PTV

Baker appeared as a keynote speaker for the annual conference staged by the liberal lobby J Street in Washington.

James Baker, the former secretary of state who was known to have a contentious relationship with a Likud-led government during the presidency of George H.W. Bush, ripped into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday for taking "actions that don't match his rhetoric."

Baker appeared as a keynote speaker for the annual conference staged by the liberal lobby J Street in Washington.

The former top diplomat accused Netanyahu of “diplomatic missteps and political gamesmanship," a reference to the prime minister's alliance with Republicans in drumming up opposition to a nuclear deal with Iran as well as his policies toward the Palestinians.

“Frankly, I have been disappointed with the lack of progress regarding a lasting peace — and I have been for some time,” Baker said. “In the aftermath of Netanyahu’s recent election victory, the chance of a two-state solution seems even slimmer, given his reversal on the issue.”

Baker also took to task Republicans who argued that the tensions between Netanyahu and the Obama administration have undermined American support for Israel.

“No one around the entire world should ever doubt America’s commitment to Israel, Not now, or at any point in the future,” he said.

Baker also echoed the Obama administration's position that Netanyahu's recent reversal of his pre-election disavowal of a two-state solution was insincere.

“Although Netanyahu and his right-and-center coalition may oppose a two-state solution, a land-for-peace approach has long been supported by a substantial portion of the Israeli body politic, by every American [administration] since 1967 - Republican and Democratic alike - and a vast majority of nations around the world,” Baker said.

The former secretary also warned the Israeli leader that his standards for an acceptable nuclear deal with Iran were simply unrealistic. “If the only agreement is one in which there is no enrichment, then there will be no agreement," Baker said.

Baker, who was recently named a foreign policy advisor to the nascent presidential campaign of Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, said that there is no military solution to the Iranian nuclear question since an Israeli strike would not only be ineffective but it would also lack American support.

According to Baker, an American attack on Iran would only bolster domestic support for the clerical regime in Tehran. Baker also urged Netanyahu and President Barack Obama to tone down the partisan nature of their disagreement.

"This is of course a delicate moment in the Middle East, and will require clear thinking from leaders,” Baker said. “That clear thinking should not be muddled by partisan politics.” Jerusalem Post, 24 March 2015

White House chief of staff: 50 years of Israeli occupation must end.

U.S. cannot pretend Netanyahu didn't say no Palestinian state would be established on his watch, Denis McDonough tells J Street conference in Washington.

White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough made it clear Monday that the crisis in U.S.-Israeli relations over the issue of a Palestinian state has not dissipated, despite efforts by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to clarify remarks he made late in the election campaign that no such state would be established on his watch.

“We cannot simply pretend that those comments were never made,” McDonough told the J Street conference in Washington, whose leftist audience received his remarks enthusiastically.

He also warned Israel’s next government not to consider unilateral annexation of any West Bank territory, saying it would “be both wrong and illegal,” and that America would strenuously object.

“Israel cannot maintain military control of another people indefinitely,” he said. “An occupation that has lasted for almost 50 years must end.” He denied claims that the administration’s reevaluation of its approach to the peace process stemmed from U.S. President Barack Obama’s “personal pique” with Netanyahu, but he described Netanyahu’s remarks before the election as “troubling.”

McDonough called into question Netanyahu’s sincerity regarding the two-state solution.

“After the election, the prime minister said that he had not changed his position, but for many in Israel and in the international community, such contradictory comments call into question his commitment to a two-state solution, as did his suggestion that the construction of settlements has a strategic purpose of dividing Palestinian communities and his claim that conditions in the larger Middle East must be more stable before a Palestinian state can be established,” he said. “We cannot simply pretend that those comments were never made, or that they don’t raise questions about the prime minister’s commitment to achieving peace through direct negotiations.”

McDonough did not address the possibility that the focus of the peace process would move to the United Nations – which may indicate a softening of that position compared to what was said immediately after last week’s election results became known - but said that Obama would “never stop working for a two-state solution,” despite the difficulties. He also detailed what the U.S. believes the arrangements would be: borders based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, security arrangements, and a “sovereign and sustainable” Palestinian state.

In what seems like wishful thinking given the presumed makeup of the next government, McDonough said the United States expects it to “to match words with actions and policies that demonstrate a genuine commitment to a two-state solution.” In an unusual move, McDonough also warned against any unilateral annexation of lands in the West Bank, saying it “would be both wrong and illegal,” that America would never support it, “and it’s unlikely Israel’s other friends would either. It would only contribute to Israel’s isolation.” 

McDonough also described J Street, which is ostracized by much of the American Jewish establishment, as the White House’s “partner” in advancing the peace process and the two-state solution. Haaretz Mar. 24, 2015, 3:25 AM.

West must reach consensus over Iran N-talks: Araqchi

A high-ranking Iranian nuclear negotiator has called upon Western countries to arrive at a common position during the course of negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program, stressing that the Islamic Republic is not going to grant any concessions.

“We are currently at a critical juncture and should reach the point, where we have a balanced deal that recognizes our nuclear program and lifts sanctions in exchange for confidence-building measures,” Seyyed Abbas Araqchi, who is also Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, said on Sunday. 

“I believe what is needed more than anything else is coordination among our opposite sides so they can come to a common viewpoint in the talks,” he pointed out. Araqchi further noted that no such coordination was evident during the recent round of negotiations in the Swiss city of Lausanne, adding that Iran believes an agreement over its nuclear program would be at reach if such cooperation coupled with political will existed. 

The Iranian diplomat also responded to a recent statement by US President Barack Obama about the reversible nature of Iran sanctions removal. “If we cut a deal, both sides must be granted the verification right. Naturally, the terms that Iran agrees to will be verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the commitments that the other side assumes concerning the ease of sanctions must be honoured in practice,” Araqchi said. Mon Mar 23, 2015 12:57AM PTV

Iran must make further concessions to clinch nuclear deal: UK

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond says Iran will have to make further concessions in order to reach an agreement on its nuclear program.

Speaking to reporters in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on Monday, Hammond added that while significant progress has been made in the nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries during recent weeks, it would be extremely challenging to reach a deal.

"It remains the case that Iran has to make significant further movement if we are going to be able to secure an agreement," he said. "There are a lot of complex and difficult issues that remain to be resolved before a deal can be agreed. Reaching a comprehensive, lasting and verifiable deal will be extremely challenging, but remains in all our interests," the British foreign secretary added.

Iranian officials have repeatedly warned that excessive demands on the part of the six negotiating countries would impede progress towards a final nuclear deal. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Abbas Araqchi said on Sunday that Western countries should arrive at a common position during the course of nuclear negotiations, stressing that Tehran is not going to grant any concessions.

“We are currently at a critical juncture and should reach the point, where we have a balanced deal that recognizes our nuclear program and lifts sanctions in exchange for confidence-building measures,” Araqchi pointed out.

The latest round of nuclear negotiations ended in Lausanne on March 20 after six days of intensive and serious talks with both Iran and the United States citing progress.

Iranian nuclear negotiators, headed by Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, (3rd R) meet the US delegates, headed by Secretary of State John Kerry (3rd L) in the Swiss city of Lausanne, March 17, 2015.
 

The talks between the United States and Iran are part of broader negotiations between the Islamic Republic and the P5+1 group -- Russia, China, Britain, France and the United States plus Germany -- to reach a comprehensive agreement on Tehran’s nuclear program as a deadline slated for July 1 draws closer. Tue Mar 24, 2015 10:22AM PTV

Ecuador president blasts Washington's interference.

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa has slammed Washington for causing instability in the Latin American state, saying American spy agencies have been involved in orchestrating the protests in his country.

"There is a CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) presence there [in Ecuador's opposition] which has a goal of weakening the government," Correa told the TeleSUR television network on Saturday.

The CIA aims to drag Ecuador into chaos by influencing the opposition ahead of the upcoming elections, Correa added. The US spying agency and Ecuador's right-wing opposition were likely involved in recent nation-wide protests in the country, Correa noted.

The protesters called for political change as well as reforms in labor and land policies.

This is while Correa and his administration enjoy public support for raising living standards for the lower classes. The country’s GDP per capita rose from $3,572 in 2007 to $6,002 in 2013. Correa has also succeeded in reducing both poverty and unemployment rate in Ecuador since he assumed power in 2007.

Released WikiLeaks' cables, however, have revealed Washington’s efforts to interfere in Ecuador’s internal affairs as well as its spying agencies' covert operations to bring Correa down.

In 1963, the US orchestrated a coup d’état by the military junta in Ecuador to topple the leftist government of Carlos Julio Arosemena Monroy after he expressed opposition to the US government. Sun Mar 22, 2015 7:40AM PTV

Final nuclear deal within reach: Rouhani.

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani says reaching a deal over Tehran’s nuclear program is possible, stressing that the P5+1 group should make a decision about the issue.

“I believe that reaching a final agreement is possible and there is nothing insolvable and the other negotiating side should also make a final decision about this issue,” Rouhani told reporters on Saturday.

He added that Iran has the necessary will for holding negotiations and clinching a nuclear deal within the framework of its principles and the bounds of its red lines, stating that Iran and the P5+1 have succeeded in making progress during their latest round of talks in the Swiss city of Lausanne.

In this round of the negotiations, Tehran and the six countries managed to reach common points on some issues of difference which can be used as the basis for a final agreement, he said.

Rouhani, however, stressed that gaps still remain between the two sides on certain issues.

He added that the negotiating sides could have settled the outstanding issues in the latest round of talks, but the two sides felt they needed more time and therefore decided to resume the talks within the next few days.

Rouhani said the negotiations will become tougher in the coming days and weeks as the two sides move to take the final steps toward securing a final deal.

The president expressed hope that the negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 countries would lead to an agreement which would result in peace, friendship and development for the Iran and the entire region.

The latest round of nuclear talks ended in Lausanne on Friday after six days of intense and serious discussions among representatives of Iran, the United States and the European Union. Sat Mar 21, 2015 3:42PM PTV. Also see: BBC, 21 March 2015 Last updated at 22:33.

Police kill hundreds of disabled Americans every year: ACLU

 Hundreds of disabled Americans are killed in police encounters across the US every year, many of whom are people of color, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). 

The ACLU filed a brief to the US Supreme court on Friday arguing that hundreds of Americans with disabilities and mental disorders die every year at the hands of police and many more become seriously injured.

“Many of these deaths and injuries are needless, the tragic result of police failing to use well-established and effective law enforcement practices that take disability into account,” the ACLU wrote.

The civil liberties advocacy group filed the brief in support of a mentally ill woman who is suing San Francisco police for shooting her five times. The US Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case on Monday. 

In the case of San Francisco v. Sheehan, Teresa Sheehan argued that police shot her five times even though she was experiencing a “psychiatric emergency.”Sheehan argued that when police came to her room in 2008 to take her to a hospital, they violated her Fourth Amendment rights and her rights under the American Disabilities Act.

During the police interaction, Sheehan threatened police with a knife. The encounter escalated and officers ended up shooting her five times. Sheehan survived and eventually sued the city of San Francisco. At issue for the US Supreme Court is whether and how the American Disabilities Act applies to encounters between people with disabilities and police. The case comes amid an increasing number of incidents about police-involved shootings of people with mental illness.

Experts say cuts in funding for mental illness on state and federal levels are creating a national crisis. But the accurate figure of deaths is hard to obtain, as The Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2000 was allowed to expire in 2006 and the Bureau of Justice Statistics collects data on a voluntary basis. Sun Mar 22, 2015 7:0AM

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Leader: Removal of sanctions should be part of any nuclear deal.

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says removal of anti-Iran sanctions should be part and parcel of any possible nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 countries, and should not come as a late result of those talks.

Addressing the nation at a speech delivered on the occasion of the Iranian new year in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad on Saturday, the Leader touched on the ongoing nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries, mentioning a few points on the negotiations. Ayatollah Khamenei said the first point is that the United States government is in dire need of nuclear talks.

The Leader noted that apparent differences in US do not mean that the American statesmen do not need nuclear negotiations, but there are political factions in the US that do not want a government run by their Democrat rivals to pull off nuclear talks with Iran to a final outcome.

“Obama’s Nowrouz message included dishonest assertions and his claim of friendship for Iranian people was not sincere,” the Leader said, noting that Obama’s claim that there are people in Iran who do not want nuclear case to be resolved through diplomacy is a lie. What the Iranian nation is resisting against is bullying approach of the United States, Ayatollah Khamenei noted.

“They [the Americans] say [to Iranian negotiators] ‘you come here and listen to what we say and implement them word for word”. But our nation will resist against it and will never accept this.”The Leader went on to note that neither the negotiating team, nor the Iranian nation that supports the team, will ever give in to such bullying.

The second point, Ayatollah Khamenei said negotiations with the United States are just about the nuclear case and do not cover regional issues or issues related to Iran's internal affairs, including defence matters. “Iran and the US have opposite views on regional issues. We want security and calm in the region, but the arrogant powers led by America pursue the policy of sowing insecurity in the region, which is quite the opposite of our goals.”

The third point, as put by the Leader, was removal of anti-Iran sanctions, which should be discussed as a part of nuclear negotiations and should not be considered a result of those talks. Ayatollah Khamenei added, “America says ‘we sign the agreement and monitor [Iran's] behavior and then remove the sanctions’. This is erroneous and unacceptable and Iran will never accept this. This is the Americans’ ploy. Removal of sanctions should be part of any agreement.”

Another point mentioned by the Leader was that Americans expect Iran to take irreversible decisions pursuant to a possible nuclear deal, which is not acceptable to the Islamic Republic.

If the opposite side would be able to re-establish sanctions on any grounds, there is no reason for our negotiators to accept an irreversible condition, the Leader added.

Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized Iran's nuclear industry is indigenous, belongs to people, and should progress.

In another part of his speech, the Leader said marking Nowrouz is not in conflict with religious values as the Iranian nation uses Nowrouz as a framework for promoting Islamic values. Reflecting on the true meaning of promoting good and prohibiting evil as an Islamic principle, the Leader said establishment and protection of the Islamic government is the most important of goods from the viewpoint of Islam.

Ayatollah Khamenei noted that, therefore, protecting the dignity of the Iranian nation, paving the way for progress of the Islamic society and promotion of judicial and economic justice are among the greatest of goods in an Islamic society. The Leader noted that supporting the Islamic government in its efforts to run the country’s affairs is imperative for all people.

Ayatollah Khamenei stated that every government has its own supporters and critics and there is no problem if people criticize the government, provided that their criticism is limited within logical bounds. The Leader specified that such criticism should not be done in a way as to strip incumbent officials of public trust.

The Leader also advised state officials to allow critics give voice to their viewpoints, noting that stifling criticism by the government is a mistake.

Ayatollah Khamenei stated that as the Leader, he has never closed eyes on mistakes committed by various governments, but has communicated them to state officials in a suitable manner, including by sending messages or in one-on-one meetings.

The Leader emphasized that his support for every government has been proportionate to that government's performance in various fields.

Islam expects to see synergism and solidarity among people, Ayatollah Khamenei said, adding that the best manifestation of solidarity is that governments in an Islamic Establishment should be supported by all people even those who have not voted for them. Sat Mar 21, 2015 1:12PM PTV.

Time to make hard decisions to reach Iran deal, Kerry says.

US Secretary of State John Kerry says Iran and the P5+1 countries have made “substantial progress” in talks on Teheran’s nuclear program, adding that now is the “time to make hard decisions.”

Washington isn’t rushing to reach the agreement just for the sake of beating the self-imposed end-March deadline for a framework agreement between Iran and six major powers, Kerry said on Saturday in Switzerland before leaving for London for talks with his British, French and German counterparts.

Kerry said that "we have worked long and hard to achieve an agreement that resolves concerns on Iran's program". "The stakes are high and the issues are complicated and all interrelated. Once again let me also be clear. We do not want just any deal. If we had, we should have announced something a long time ago and clearly since the joint plan of action was agreed we're not rushing," he said. "This has been a two and a half year more process, but we recognize that fundamental decisions have to be made now, and they don't get any easier as time goes by. It's time to make hard decisions,” he noted.

Iran and the P5+1 countries are in talks to work out a comprehensive agreement aimed at ending the longstanding dispute over the Islamic Republic’s civilian nuclear work as a July 1 deadline approaches.

On Friday, the sixth day of the latest round of negotiations in the Swiss city of Lausanne, another meeting was held between Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Kerry. Following his talks with Kerry, Zarif said, “We made good progress over this week. We’ve done a lot of hard work, but some work remains ahead.”

The latest talks kicked off in Lausanne on Sunday with Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi and US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz holding high-level technical negotiations. Experts from Iran and the US as well as the AEOI spokesman, Behrouz Kamalvandi, also participated in the meeting. Sat Mar 21, 2015 1:1PM PTV.

Germany says talks with Assad may be necessary.

The German foreign minister says talks with the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may be necessary in order to find a way out of the four-year-long crisis in the Arab country.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Wednesday that talks with Assad would become necessary as the only solution to the crisis in Syria is a diplomatic one. "The way to end the violence will only be achieved through negotiations for a political solution. Even though this will require negotiations with the Assad government,” Steinmeier said in an interview with German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung.

The top German diplomat also supported ongoing efforts by the UN Secretary General's special envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, who is continuing negotiations with Assad and the so-called opposition groups. The remarks by Steinmeier come against a backdrop of reactions by various governments to the idea of holding talks with Assad, which had earlier been proposed by US Secretary of State John Kerry.

Some governments, including Turkey, have reacted furiously to the call by saying nothing would come out of such talks. France and Britain have also adopted similar positions.

Kerry, whose country is a main supporter of anti-government militants in Syria, said Sunday that launching negotiations with Assad would be inevitable if a settlement is to emerge from the conflict, which has claimed the lives of more than 215,000 people since March 2011. “We have to negotiate in the end” with Assad, Kerry said in an interview with CBS News.

Assad has reacted to Kerry's proposal by saying that words alone are not enough and his government will wait for actions. He said on Monday that his government is leading the fight against the terrorist groups that the Western governments have started to perceive as a major threat to their security and interests. Wed Mar 18, 2015 2:49PM PTV