Israeli Premier Arrives In Abu Dhabi To Meet UAE President

Iranian Petroleum Minister Javad Owji, Ali Akbar Salehi, the former head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and a former Foreign Minister, as well as several military commanders took part in the ceremony on Wednesday. 

Many social media users criticized the Iranian officials who attended the feast, saying never had such high-ranking political and military officials attended the Russia day ceremonies. 

Also on Wednesday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi held a phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to discuss the need to continue diplomatic efforts to reach an agreement in Vienna on salvaging the 2015 Iran deal. 

Year-long talks in Vienna came to a halt in March reportedly over Iran’s demands to remove its Revolutionary Guard from the US list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations.

A meeting of the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) which is in progress in Vienna this week will vote on a resolution proposed by the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany to censure Iran for its lack of cooperation with the international nuclear watchdog. Russia and China have voiced their opposition to the resolution.

The newspaper said that a new one-ton bomb has been integrated into the planes’ arsenal without jeopardizing the stealth radar signature that disguises the aircraft from air defenses. The bomb was developed by the Haifa-based, state-owned corporation Rafael Advanced Weapons Systems and is said to be protected against jamming.

Israel has 33 F-35s advanced aircraft made by the United States company Lockheed Martin, and expects to have 50 by 2024. Its air-force has conducted four large-scale military drills simulating attacks against Iran in the last month.

In the first drill, the Air Force exercised confronting Iranian radar and detection systems, like those which protect its nuclear installations. The second included simulating long-range combat flights -- in this case to destinations in Europe -- and cooperation between the fourth and fifth generation of its fighter jets. The other ones included defensive measures against cyber weapons and electronic warfare systems that could be used by Iran to undermine a military operation.

Iran Wednesday announced that it had turned off two monitoring cameras used by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at Iranian nuclear sites, a day after Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett urged the IAEA to take measures so that Iran paid a “heavy price” for advancing its nuclear program.

Israel has opposed restoring the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (the JCPOA, Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), which came to a halt in March reportedly over Iran’s demands to remove its Revolutionary Guard from the US list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations.

In a letter on June 7 addressed to Mark Arnold, the lawyer of six family members of the victims of the incident, the Canadian foreign ministry said the final ruling issued by Justice Edward Belobaba of Ontario Superior Court “has been transmitted to the appropriate authority of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

In the case -- titled Zarei et al vs Islamic Republic of Iran et al – some family members filed a civil lawsuit against Iran and senior officials they believe were to blame for the incident. The Ontario Court ruled that the downing of Flight 752 was an intentional act of terrorism and on December 31, 2021, awarded compensation to be shared by the estates of the six victims. C$100 million in punitive damages, another C$1 million to family members for the loss of guidance, care and companionship, and C$6 million for pain and suffering. 

The airliner was shot down by two air-defense missiles fired by the IRGC on January 8, 2020, as it took off from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport. Only hours earlier, the IRGC had fired more than a dozen missiles at Iraqi bases hosting US and coalition troops in retaliation for the killing of the IRGC Qods Force Commander Ghasem Soleimani who was targeted and killed in Baghdad by a US drone strike just five days earlier.

“When considering the situation around the Iranian nuclear program, the need was noted for continuing diplomatic efforts in order to reach a final agreement that would ensure the preservation and full implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 of July 20, 2015, which approved it,” the Kremlin said in a statement.

Year-long talks in Vienna came to a halt in March reportedly over Iran’s demands to remove its Revolutionary Guard from the US list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations.

A meeting of the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) which is in progress in Vienna this week will vote on a resolution proposed by the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany to censure Iran for its lack of cooperation with the international nuclear watchdog. Russia and China have voiced their opposition to the resolution.

Moscow also said that President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences to President Ebrahim Raisi over a deadly train derailment that killed at least 21 people on Wednesday.

The two sides also discussed bilateral relations, including trade, and regional issues, the Kremlin said.

Iranian media carried reports Wednesday that Iranian political and military officials visited the Russian embassy on the occasion of Russia Day, which is marked on June 12.

Mehrabian made the remarks from the Qatari capital Doha on Monday, adding that the Iran Trade Center will be launched in a prestigious building in one of Doha’s top neighborhoods.

“The permit for this center was issued today and one of the best buildings in central Doha, in a very good location, was allocated to the center,” he said. 

An Iranian delegation headed by Mehrabian attended the eighth meeting of the Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation between Iran and Qatar in Doha on Monday, where the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding to increase bilateral economic and trade cooperation. 

The document was signed by Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani, the chairman of Qatar’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and his Iranian counterpart Gholam Hossein Shafeie. 

Head of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization Alireza Peyman-Pak said during a meeting with Iranian businessmen in Doha on Tuesday that an exhibition will also be held in Iran to showcase Qatar's trade capabilities. 

In May, The Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, expressed hope that an agreement between the United States and Iran could be achieved, saying Doha is ready to help resolve the conflict.

Qatar’s ruler visited Tehran a week earlier and held meetings with President Ebrahim Raisi and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.