US announces new sanctions on Iran following 4th round of nuclear talks

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Washington, May 13 (IANS) The US has imposed sanctions on three Iranian nationals and one Iranian entity with ties to Tehran’s Organisation of Defensive Innovation and Research, which is known by its Persian acronym, SPND.The SPND is the direct successor organisation to Iran’s pre-2004 nuclear weapons program, also referred to as the Amad Project.The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, in a press statement on Monday, stated that “all individuals sanctioned are involved in activities that materially contribute to, or pose a risk of materially contributing to, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.””Iran continues to substantially expand its nuclear program and carry out dual-use research and development activities applicable to nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons delivery systems. Iran is the only country in the world without nuclear weapons that is producing uranium enriched to 60 per cent, and it continues to use front companies and procurement agents to obscure its efforts to acquire dual-use items from foreign suppliers,” the statement said.”The United States’ actions are intended to delay and degrade the ability of SPND to conduct nuclear weapons research and development. Today’s actions demonstrate the United States’ commitment to ensuring that Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon,” it further added.The remarks followed after the US and Iran on Sunday concluded the fourth round of indirect nuclear talks in Oman’s capital, Muscat.”The fourth round of indirect Iran-US negotiations is concluded; difficult but useful talks to better understand each other’s positions and to find reasonable & realistic ways to address the differences. Next round will be coordinated and announced by Oman,” Esmaeil Baqaei, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, posted on X.Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said that indirect negotiations with the United States in Oman to revive the 2015 nuclear deal had become “much more serious and frank,” while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian rejected US demands for Tehran to dismantle its nuclear infrastructure.Araghchi, speaking to Iran’s state-run IRIB TV after the fourth round of negotiations in Oman’s capital, said the discussions had shifted from general topics to more specific proposals.He characterised the talks as “forward-moving” but acknowledged the growing complexity of the issues.Both sides agreed to continue the discussions.Meanwhile, President Pezeshkian firmly rejected US calls to dismantle Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.”This is unacceptable. Iran will not relinquish its peaceful nuclear rights,” he declared, reaffirming Tehran’s stance that its nuclear program is for civilian purposes.–IANSint/scor/sd/

Freed Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander returns to Israel from Gaza

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Jerusalem, May 13 (IANS) Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander arrived in Israel after being released from Gaza, where he was held in Hamas captivity for 19 months, Israel’s Defence Ministry said in a statement.Alexander arrived at southern Israel’s Re’im military base adjacent to the Gaza Strip to reunite with his family, who landed only a few hours earlier from the United States, Xinhua news agency reported.A photo taken earlier in Gaza showed Alexander, wearing a black T-shirt and a baseball cap, being accompanied by armed Hamas militants and a woman from the Red Cross during a handover process.Alexander was released following direct talks between Washington and Hamas.US President Donald Trump welcomed the release, writing in a post on his Truth Social platform: “Edan Alexander, the last living American hostage, is being released. Congratulations to his wonderful parents, family, and friends!”Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that the country “embraces” Alexander. He stressed that the Israeli government “is committed to the return of all hostages and missing persons — both the living and the fallen,” vowing to “act tirelessly until they are all brought home.”Israeli Health Ministry Spokeswoman Shira Solomon said Alexander was undergoing an initial medical assessment at the reception facility in Re’im base and would later be transferred to Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv.”Medical teams and staff at the hospital are well-prepared to provide all necessary medical, psychological, and rehabilitative care for Alexander, as well as support for his family and any other needs that may arise,” Solomon said in a statement.In Hostages Square, a public plaza located in front of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art and renamed following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack, hundreds gathered to watch Alexander’s return on large screens. They held up photos of the freed hostage and signs reading: “Only an end to the war in Gaza would secure the release of the remaining hostages.”Hamas sources earlier confirmed that Alexander was handed over to a team from the International Committee of the Red Cross at a designated location in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis city. He was then transferred to the buffer zone controlled by the Israeli army before heading to the Re’im military base.Eyewitnesses in Khan Younis reported that Israeli military activities in the area were halted before and during the release, and the atmosphere remained relatively calm.In a press statement, Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing, said Alexander was released as part of the efforts made by mediators to achieve a ceasefire, open the crossings, and allow aid and relief to reach Gaza.Alexander is a US-born soldier serving in the Israeli army. He was abducted on October 7, 2023, in the Hamas-led raid on southern Israel that resulted in the kidnapping of 251 people and the killing of about 1,200 others.His return marks an important step toward a new round of negotiations on a Gaza truce deal that will, after the return of Alexander, also secure the release of the remaining 58 hostages in Gaza, of whom 20 are believed to be alive. The negotiations are expected to begin on Tuesday with mediation from Qatar, Egypt, and the US. Netanyahu’s office announced that an Israeli delegation will travel to Doha for talks, but stressed that the talks would take place “only under fire.”Since October 2023, Israeli fire has killed 52,862 Palestinians and injured 119,648 others in Gaza, according to local health authorities on Monday.–IANSint/rs