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Iran and the United States held secret, indirect talks in Oman in January, addressing the escalating threat posed to Red Sea shipping by the Houthis in Yemen, as well as the attacks on American bases by Iran-backed militias in Iraq, according to Iranian and U.S. officials familiar with the discussions.

The secret talks were held on Jan. 10 in Muscat, the capital of Oman, with Omani officials shuffling messages back and forth between delegations of Iranians and Americans sitting in separate rooms. The delegations were led by Ali Bagheri Kani, Irans deputy foreign minister and chief nuclear negotiator, and Brett McGurk, President Bidens coordinator for the Middle East.

The meeting, first reported by The Financial Times this week, was the first time Iranian and American officials had held in-person negotiations albeit indirectly in nearly eight months. American officials said Iran requested the meeting in January and the Omanis strongly recommended that the United States accept.

Since the beginning of the war in Gaza after Hamass Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, the United States and Iran have reassured each other that neither was seeking a direct confrontation, a stance conveyed in messages they passed through intermediaries.

But in Oman, each side had a clear request of the other, according to U.S. and Iranian officials.

Washington wanted Iran to rein in its proxies to stop the Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea and the targeting of American bases in Iraq and Syria. Tehran, in turn, wanted the Biden administration to deliver a cease-fire in Gaza.

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Iran and U.S. Held Secret Talks on Proxy Attacks and Cease-Fire - The New York Times

Irans President Ebrahim Raisi is among the first to congratulate Vladimir Putin on his decisive win in Russias presidential election, state media reports.

The President of the Islamic Republic of Iran in a message sincerely congratulated Vladimir Putin on his decisive victory and re-election as the President of the Russian Federation, state news agency IRNA reports.

Chinese President Xi Jinping also sends a congratulatory message to Putin, saying his re-election fully reflects the support of the Russian people, Beijings state media reports.

The tone from the West is starkly different, with France and others charging that Putins re-election was neither fair nor free.

The French Foreign Ministry says in a statement that the vote took place in a context of repression within civil society and the conditions for a free and democratic election were not respected.

The ministry also praises the courage of the many Russian citizens who peacefully protested against this attack on their fundamental political rights.

Lithuanias Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis also says the vote lacks legitimacy.

In this atmosphere of non-freedom definitely there can be no elections, Landsbergis says before a meeting with fellow ministers from the EU in Brussels.

Putin won a record post-Soviet landslide in Russias election on Sunday, cementing his already tight grip on power in a victory he said showed Moscow had been right to stand up to the West and send its troops into Ukraine.

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Iran, China quick to congratulate Putin on election win as others reject vote - The Times of Israel

The United States and six other major world powers warned Iran on Friday not to provide ballistic missiles to Russia to aid Moscows war against Ukraine and threatened to retaliate if it does by cutting off Iranian air travel to Europe, among other measures.

The Group of 7 nations issued the warning in a statement coordinated with the White House in hopes of making Tehran think twice before arming Russia even further at a time when American security aid to Ukraine remains blocked in Congress by Republican leaders, who are following the lead of former President Donald J. Trump.

The Reuters news agency reported last month that Iran had already provided Russia with around 400 surface-to-surface missiles, including many from the Fateh-110 family of short-range weapons capable of striking targets as far as 435 miles away. Biden administration officials said on Friday that they had not been able to confirm that Iran had already transferred missiles but assume that it intends to.

The G7 leaders said they were extremely concerned about reports of possible Iranian transfers. We call on Iran not to do so, as it would add to regional destabilization and represent a substantive material escalation in its support for Russias war in Ukraine an aggression which constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and the U.N. Charter, they said in their statement.

Were Iran to proceed with providing ballistic missiles or related technology to Russia, we are prepared to respond swiftly and in a coordinated manner including with new and significant measures against Iran, the leaders added.

Biden administration officials said that one example of a response would be to end flights into Europe by Iran Air, the countrys flagship national carrier, further isolating the nation.

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U.S. and Allies Warn Iran Not to Send Missiles to Russia - The New York Times

(March 18, 2024 / JNS)

As all eyes are on Gaza amid Israels war with Hamas, sometimes forgotten is that the Islamic Republic of Iran been responsible for funding and training not only that terrorist organization but also Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria, as well as the Houthis in Yemen.

In the meantime, based on data from the International Atomic Energy Agency, experts now report that Iran can assemble a nuclear bomb in approximately seven days. Iran is a key member of the new axis of evil, along with Russia and China, and has many bases throughout Latin America, which threatens U.S. national security interests.

Meanwhile, it has been 18 months since the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran in September 2022, following her arrest by the Islamic Republics morality police for improperly wearing a head covering. Emboldened by protests that erupted following her death, many women in Iran are now going without their hair uncovered. However, none of this means a loosening up of Irans draconian laws.

The people of Iran went to the polls on March 1, but the ruling Guardian Council oversaw the election, deciding which candidates were eligible to run. Many avoided the elections altogether, seeing them as a sham. What does this say about the future of Irans counter-revolution? Is there any hope that the Iranian people can overthrow their suffocating regime?

Here to discuss these issues and more are Dr. Walid Phares and Gazelle Sharmahd.

The opinions and facts presented in this article are those of the author, and neither JNS nor its partners assume any responsibility for them.

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Iran remains the most destabilizing influence in the Middle East - JNS.org

(March 18, 2024 / JNS)

Victory in the war against Hamas would deliver a stinging blow to the Iran terror axis, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday, adding that Israelis are united in pursuit of this goal.

The vast majority of the people, the army, the [IDF] reservists. They want victory because they understand that victory is essential for survival, the premier told board members of the pro-Israel AIPAC lobbying group at his office in Jerusalem.

Contrary to the picture being presented in the United States, Netanyahu asserted that the vast majority of the public is behind the governments goals of destroying Hamas, freeing the hostages and preventing Gaza from again threatening Israel.

Additionally, Israel must push Hezbollah back from the border, the prime minister said.

The description [being painted in the U.S.] is that you have an outlier prime minister with some extreme fringe groups and that is what is driving the policy. It is false, deliberately false. Wrong. There is unity among the people to achieve victory along the lines I described. It is within reach, and we are going to do it, Netanyahu said.

If we achieve these goals, then we will also deliver a stinging blow to the Iran terror axis which is behind everything that we are seeing here today, he continued.

This is not just Israels battle, but also the battle for the victory of the Israel-American-moderate Arab axis against the Iran axis, the prime minister stressed.

Netanyahu attempted to allay concerns about evacuating noncombatants from Rafah in southern Gaza, saying that there is plenty of space between Rafah and the central corridor that takes up 65% of the Strips territory.

He said that those arguing against the Rafah operation, who would leave the remaining Hamas battalions in place, are making a case for losing the war.

They keep saying that local politics is interfering with this. They may be right, but on which side of the pond? We have to win this war.

We have to stand together here, and we have to stand together there, because its the right thing to do and the necessary thing to do, Netanyahu said. Its the one thing that will ensure the viability, future and security of the State of Israel.

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Netanyahu: Defeating Hamas would be 'stinging blow to Iran' - JNS.org