‘Deal possible if US realistic’
Iran’s top negotiator will set off for the Qatari capital on Tuesday to hold indirect talks with the US on the revival of the 2015 deal known as the JCPOA. That’s according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman. Nasser Kan’ani says the trip is made within the framework of agreements reached during the recent visit to Tehran by the JCPOA Joint Commission coordinator, Josep Borrell. Iran says it was informed by Borrell that the US has agreed to fulfill all its obligations under the JCPOA and ensure Iran’s economic benefits. Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian also says the new round of talks could yield a final agreement if the US and the three EU parties to the deal adopt a realistic approach. The 2015 deal was left in tatters after the former US administration unilaterally abandoned it in 2018 and reinstated sanctions on Iran. Talks to revive the JCPOA began in the Austrian capital in April last year between Iran and the remaining signatories to the accord. The US indirectly participated in the Vienna talks. After several rounds, the talks were stalled in March this year over what Iran called the US failure to make the necessary decisions.
‘Israel arch-enemy of Muslims’
Iran's foreign minister says Israel is the arch-enemy of Muslims and the Muslim world, warning that Zionists create instability and crisis wherever they go. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the comments during a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara. The top Iranian diplomat praised Turkey’s unwavering support for Palestine and the liberation of al-Quds and al-Aqsa Mosque. However, Amir-Abdollahian said he has relayed Iran’s sensitivity and considerations regarding Israel’s moves to the Turkish side. While on a visit to Ankara last week, the regime’s foreign minister claimed that Iran was planning anti-Israeli attacks in Turkey. Tehran dismissed the allegations as baseless and ridiculous, and part of a plot to destroy relations between the two Muslim countries.
British lawmakers strike
In the UK, strikes over low wages have spread to the legal profession. British criminal lawyers have staged a walkout in London to protest against government funding and dwindling earnings. According to the Criminal Bar Association, barristers voted for industrial action earlier this month. More than 80-percent of its members backed walkouts. On Monday, several hundred barristers gathered outside the Central Criminal Court. They have refused to take on new cases or cover cases for colleagues, which have overrun. Protesting lawmakers say their real earnings have dropped around 30-percent since 2006. They also say many junior barristers have left their jobs due to low income. The Criminal Bar Association has urged the government to sit down with barristers for negotiation.