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Iran is formally joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, an important regional group that includes China and Russia. Russias Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday that Iran would soon be formally admitted to the group.

At the same time Irans Ali Akbar Velayati, a close advisor to Irans Supreme Leader, said in an interview that Iran-Saudi ties are very important. He urged countries in the region to unite against the Zionists, according to pro-Iran regime media outlet Fars News.

"The strategic relations between Iran, China, and Russia are gradually taking shape," Velayati said. Stating that Iran's relations with Russia are strategic, the Iranian official added that differences in some issues do not have a negative impact on them, Mehr News in Iran said. The recent interviews with this key Iranian figure clearly illustrate Irans current strategic thinking. Iran is supposed to join the SCO on July 4. Iran also wants to join the BRICS grouping, alongside

Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. This is important because the more Iran joins these regional groups the more it can work against Israel in forums where Israel may not be present. As the US administration encourages regional integration clearly Iran is thinking of a different type of integration.

Its important therefore to note that the comments from Tehran come as the US also announced that the US State Department had selected Dan Shapiro, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel, to work in the State Departments Near Eastern Affairs bureau towards regional integration.

The US wants to strengthen the Abraham Accords and Negev Forum. However, it is clear that Iran is trying to spoil this and other issues are also creating tensions in the region.

Velayati now believes that there are key ties between Iran and Russia that are growing. These are strategic relations he says.

We have seen that the two countries have developed their cooperation significantly.What is certain is that a kind of strategic tripartite relationship between Iran, Russia, and China is gradually being formed, which is unprecedented in the foreign policy of the three countries. The membership of the three countries in the Shanghai Pact has become very decisive and influential in the balance and strategic correlations.

He also highlighted the recent joint military exercises the countries have embarked on. He characterized this as a challenge to the Aukus grouping, that unites Australia, the UK, and the US.

This new arrangement of the forces of the two sides, on the one hand, the United States, England, and Australia, and on the other hand, Iran, Russia, and China, determine the future of the defense balance in Asia and the Pacific.

What comes next? The advisor suggests that Iran, Russia, and China are working on strategic issues and that this will enable Iran to get around sanctions. In addition, the hostile policies of America against Iran and Russia have caused the two countries to expand their cooperation in various political, military, and economic fields.

Iran believes that Russia will rely on Iran now to challenge NATO. Russia considers the US-NATO combined war against Iran and the weakening of the Islamic Republic of Iran as a threat to its security and national interests.

As such Iran supplies Russia with drones to target Ukraine. He didnt mention this, but this is the clear implication behind his statements. Velayati referenced Qasem Soleimani, the Quds Force commander who was killed by the US in 2020, as one of the key figures behind Iran-Russia ties.

Indeed, it is believed Soleimani was responsible for encouraging Russia to intervene in Syria. After the first Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2014 and the Syrian intervention in 2015, Russia likely believed the US and the West would not back Ukraine in 2022 when the invasion began on a larger scale. Russia was wrong, but Iran has now benefited and is becoming a necessary ally for Russia.

The Iranian official also praised renewed ties with Egypt and Saudi and framed them as a way for Iran to challenge Israel. Clearly, Iran believes it is making important diplomatic inroads in the region.

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Iran-Russia-China: Tehran believes it is moving toward triple alliance - The Jerusalem Post

TEHRAN, Iran The sleek, polished dark blue 1978 Cadillac Seville eased slowly out of a showroom near Iran's capital, its driver carefully inserting the 8-track tape that came with it to blast the sounds of a time long since past.

The Sevilles, once assembled in Iran, represented the height of luxury in the country just before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. General Motors had partnered with an Iranian firm to build the sedans, selling them for 2times the price in America at the zenith of the country's oil wealth.

Khosro Dahaghin drives out his restored Cadillac Seville at his dealership store in Roudehen, Iran, on June 7. The Sevilles, once assembled in Iran, represented the height of luxury in the country just before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Today, Khosro Dahaghins passion for restoring the cars means he carefully examines each frame, component and stitch of the Sevilles in Iran, a challenge that's only grown as parts become scarce, the vehicles get older and as the country faces U.S. sanctions over its nuclear program.

The most luxurious and the most special car that was assembled in Iran was Cadillac Iran, said Dahaghin, wearing a necklace bearing the iconic Cadillac crest. The first time this car was assembled outside U.S soil was in Iran. At that time I can say no other brand could rival this car in any aspect imaginable.

To the uninitiated, the Seville may seem like a strange pick for a sought-after antique car with its almost boxy frame and wood-accented interior. However, it represented a sea change for Cadillac at a time when American buyers sought the smaller luxury cars coming from European manufacturers. Cadillac had been better known for the massive, finned cars of the past and the Sevilles fuel economy and handling caught the attention of drivers.

In the Seville, car buyers got a powerful, fuel-injected V8 engine, a pillowy interior, power seats and automatic door locks and windows. A base model Seville initially sold for $12,479 in 1975 when it entered the market the equivalent today of more than $70,000. General Motors produced nearly 57,000 Sevilles in the 1978 model year alone.

Khosro Dahaghin inspects an under-restored Cadillac Seville at his workshop in Roudehen, Iran, on June 7. The Sevilles, once assembled in Iran, represented the height of luxury in the country just before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Back then, Iran had the only Cadillac production outside of the United States. GM created General Motors Iran Ltd., which produced the Seville and other vehicles from so-called knock-down kits from Detroit. The Seville represented the most luxurious vehicle on the road assembled in Iran, under the supervision of American engineers.

The Sevilles went for some $35,000 at the time they were introduced more than what American consumers paid, in part due to higher import duties.

As soon as they have the money, they want a pair of Levis and a car, a General Motors official said of Iranians, according to a New York Times story about the Seville there in 1977.

How many were built remains a question among Irans car aficionados.

Khosro Dahaghin, left, talks with a worker at his workshop while restoring a Cadillac Seville in Roudehen, some 30 miles east of downtown Tehran, Iran, on June 7.

Saeed Shobeiri, the editor-in-chief of Machine Magazine in Tehran, said estimates ranged as high as over 2,600. Michael T. Albano, a Cadillac spokesman in the U.S., said he believed some 2,500 were built.

But the 1979 Islamic Revolution saw the overthrow of the American-backed shah and the installation of Irans theocratic government. Americans and GM left the country. Sevilles continued to be built from the remaining knock-down kits for several more years as Iran nationalized the GM Iran plant, creating the manufacturer Pars Khodro that stills exists today. Today, Shobeiri estimated as many as 60 Sevilles are street-worthy, with more than 100 others unable to be driven.

That's where Dahaghin and his colleagues come in. Since 2013 after being inspired by the former MTV reality show Pimp My Ride, Dahaghin restores Cadillac Sevilles at his garage in Roudehen, some 30 miles east of downtown Tehran.

But the restoration is not easy. Each vehicle can take up to a year and a half to finish to Dahaghin's specifications. Finding components can be a challenge as well, with some occasionally being hand-carried back into Iran by those traveling abroad.

I will not sell this piece of art to anyone who makes an offer, Dahaghin said. The buyer must appreciate the value of this artwork.

Workers clean an under-restored Cadillac Seville at Khosro Dahaghin's workshop in Roudehen, Iran, on June 7.

A restored Seville can go for as much as $40,000 in Iran now, said Mohammad Khorshidizadeh, a classic car specialist. That's a fortune as the Iranian rial now trades at 492,000 to $1. However, Iran has shut itself off from the foreign car market since the reimposition of sanctions since then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from Tehran's nuclear deal in 2018. That means a vehicle like a 2016 Mercedes-Benz S-Class can go for $400,000.

General Motors isn't selling cars now to Iran to comply with U.S. sanctions, but should economic situations evolve, GM will assess the market situation and our business priorities, Albano said.

"We were unaware. However, not surprised about Iranians rehabilitating old Sevilles, Albano said. Cadillacs appeal among young customers continues to increase around the globe.

For fans of the classics and the Iranian automotive history, like 29-year-old Arsalan Asgharzadeh who recently bought a refurbished Seville from Dahaghin, nothing compares to a vintage Cadillac.

If you experience driving a Cadillac, you will always want to drive a Cadillac," Asgharzadeh said.

Buying an affordable used car in the U.S. has been costly since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. First, supply chain shortages reduced the number of new cars. Then pandemic-related economic relief checks boosted Americans' spending, including on used cars. Those forces drove down the supply of affordable used carswhile the demand increased, according to the Associated Press. In 2023, some used cars can average over $30,000, a price tag arguably close to that of an affordable new car.

Stacker used data from iSeeCars.com to identify the 25 most popular used cars sold nationwide in 2022. Cars are ranked by market share, rounded to the nearest tenth of a percent; though some appear the same, the more precise percentages are not equal. The iSeeCars.com analysis included more than 9.8 million used car sales from the most recent five model years, 2017 to 2021.

Though supply chain issues pushed used car prices up drastically in 2021 and 2022, they have finally begun to dip. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Indexthe most common measure for inflationthe price of used cars and trucks dropped 13.6% from February 2022 to February 2023.

Nonetheless, used cars are available to buy as long as you seek out the right ones. For example, nearly half the vehicles on the list (12 out of 25) are SUVs. The rest are split between five pickup trucks and eight midsized or compact cars. In the top five are three pickup trucks, an SUV, and a compact car.

Before shopping for a used car, you may want to see if any brands or models have been recalled due to a failure of safety protocols. For instance, the 2021 recall of Takata's air bags aims to prevent any more fatalities. Check out the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website to see if there's a recall on a used car you may want to buy.

You may also like: Cost of gold the year you were born

- Share of used car sales: 0.9%

- Share of used car sales: 1.0%

- Share of used car sales: 1.0%

- Share of used car sales: 1.1%

- Share of used car sales: 1.2%

- Share of used car sales: 1.2%

- Share of used car sales: 1.2%

- Share of used car sales: 1.2%

- Share of used car sales: 1.4%

- Share of used car sales: 1.4%

- Share of used car sales: 1.5%

- Share of used car sales: 1.5%

- Share of used car sales: 1.5%

- Share of used car sales: 1.5%

- Share of used car sales: 1.7%

- Share of used car sales: 1.7%

- Share of used car sales: 1.8%

- Share of used car sales: 2.2%

- Share of used car sales: 2.3%

- Share of used car sales: 2.8%

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In Iran, a restorer brings back to life famed Cadillac Sevilles once ... - North Platte Telegraph

The State Department placed President Bidens envoy for Iran, Robert Malley, on unpaid leave on Thursday amid a review of his security clearance.

I have been informed that my security clearance is under review, Mr. Malley said in an email. I have not been provided any further information, but I expect the investigation to be resolved favorably and soon. In the meantime, I am on leave.

The State Department confirmed that Mr. Malley was on leave, but did not provide additional details. Axios and CNN had earlier reported that Mr. Malleys security clearance was being evaluated.

Mr. Malley, a longtime Middle East diplomat and analyst, is well known as an advocate of dialogue between the United States and Iran. As a senior official in the Obama White House, he was instrumental in the negotiation of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which limited Tehrans nuclear program in exchange for economic sanctions relief.

President Donald J. Trump unilaterally withdrew from the deal, spurring Iran to accelerate its nuclear program. Mr. Malley has spent most of his tenure in the Biden administration trying to resurrect the deal.

After little progress toward restoring the pact, the Biden administration is seeking a far more limited, informal understanding with Tehran to avert potential war and to free several Iranian Americans imprisoned in Iran.

A person familiar with the situation confirmed that Mr. Malley had been placed on unpaid leave Thursday afternoon, following a period of paid leave. It is unclear what prompted that change.

The State Department provided only a one-line statement addressing the matter.

Rob Malley is on leave and Abram Paley is serving as acting special envoy for Iran and leading the departments work in this area, the departments spokesman, Matthew Miller, said in the statement.

Before the news about his leave, some foreign officials had noted that Mr. Malley seemed to be playing a less prominent role in U.S. policy toward Iran in recent months. One congressional official said that Mr. Malley had been conspicuously absent from a mid-May briefing about Iran for members of Congress and that administration officials had implied at the time that he was on leave for personal reasons.

When the Biden administration conducted indirect talks with Iranian officials in Oman this spring, it was the White Houses top Middle East official, Brett McGurk, who played the lead role. Mr. McGurk is viewed as taking a harder line toward Tehran and what might be achievable through negotiations than Mr. Malley.

Talks to restore the nuclear deal led by Mr. Malley collapsed last summer just as officials thought they had made a breakthrough, after what Western officials called new Iranian demands that seemed designed to sabotage the process. Irans demands have included a guarantee that a future U.S. president would not again renege on a nuclear deal as Mr. Trump did; Biden officials say it is impossible to promise that.

The Times reported this month that the United States and Iran were discussing an agreement under which, in part, Washington would release billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets for highly restricted humanitarian use.

In return, Iran would agree not to enrich uranium to bomb-grade material a move that the United States has warned would likely trigger military action and take other steps including expanded cooperation with international nuclear inspectors and a promise not to sell ballistic missiles to Russia, Iranian officials have said.

Mr. Malleys Middle East policy experience dates to the Clinton administration, and he served as a senior National Security Council official under President Barack Obama, including as his coordinator for combating the Islamic State terrorist group. During the Trump era, Mr. Malley ran the International Crisis Group, a nonprofit policy organization devoted to global conflict resolution.

Mr. Malley has long been a target of Iran hawks and political opposition figures within Iran who view him as dangerously conciliatory toward the Iranian regime. He has long argued that a strategy of crushing economic and political pressure on Iran is bound to fail and that the United States must establish a productive dialogue with its leaders, however distasteful they may be.

Mr. Malley is a boyhood friend of Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken; the two attended the same high school in Paris when their families were living in France.

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Biden's Iran Envoy Is Placed on Leave Amid Security Clearance ... - The New York Times

A passion for snooker has swept Iran over the past few years, a trend fans attribute largely to the countrys first internationally renowned star Hossein Vafaei, known as the Persian Prince.

Ever more enthusiasts in the Islamic republic have taken to the cue sport played on a billiards table, and Tehran last week hosted an Asian regional tournament.

In the past, Iran did not have much of a place in the Asian and world championships in billiards and snooker, Iranian Bowling, Billiard and Boules Federation referee Mohammad Afghil Morshedi said.

Yet in recent years, the sport invented by British officers in colonial-era India has gained many enthusiasts ... and now we are among the top three teams in Asia in winning titles and medals, Morshedi said.

Much of this is due to one man.

Mr Vafaei is the brand of this sport in Iran, Morshedi said. Whenever the name of Iran is brought up in snooker, his name will come up too.

Vafaei, 28, is Irans first professional snooker player, and the first to win a world ranking title, last year in Leicester, England.

Im happy to make history for my country, that was a very good moment for me and snooker, he said at the time.

Vafaei, who hails from Abadan in the southwestern province of Khuzestan bordering Iraq, said in an interview last week with the Islamic Republic News Agency that Iran has very little snooker history.

He said that he has received little official support in his home country, adding that no one has done anything for me, and I have not received any money or reward.

Most of our athletes have the same problem, he added.

Nonetheless, he has received huge gratitude from Irans snooker and billiards enthusiasts.

Reaching the position that Vafaei has attained is the ultimate goal of almost all Iranian snooker players, federation employee Shirin Zarrin said.

He has been very impactful, she said. If you ask any Iranian snooker player, they will cite Vafaei as their role model.

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Snooker trending in Iran thanks to Persian Prince -

UPDATE: 8:00 PM CET

Thousands of supporters of the worlds biggest exiled Iranian dissident group rallied inFranceover the weekend, calling for the overthrow ofIrans theocratic regime at an event that drew support from high-level international figures such as former Vice President Mike Pence.

[The] Iranian regime has never been weaker than it is today, Mr. Pence, a 2024 presidential hopeful, told a conference that occurred in coordination with the rally, which was orchestrated by the National Council of Resistance ofIranand its associate group, the exiled Peoples Mujahedin of Iran (MEK).

No oppressive regime can last forever, said Mr. Pence, whose remarks dovetailed with those of other prominent Western figures, including former British Prime Minister Liz Truss, former Canadian Premier Stephen Harper, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Guy Verhofstadt, a Belgian ex-prime minister and prominent member of the European Parliament.

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UPDATE: 4:00 PM CET

On Saturday, hundreds of officials and dignitaries from across the world gathered on the outskirts of Paris to attend the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)s Free Iran 2023 World Summit and voice support for the organizations efforts in support of a free Iran.itled Onward to a Democratic Republic, the convention, which took place at the NCRI headquarters in Auvers-sur-Oise, north of Paris, featured an array of prominent figures, legislators, former world leaders, and government officials from the US, Europe, and the Middle East.

Speakers included NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi, former US Vice President Mike Pence, British ex-Prime Minister Liz Truss, former US national security advisors John Bolton and General James Jones, former U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman, President Donald Trumps secretary of state Mike Pompeo, former NATO Commander General Wesley Clark, former Canadian premier Stephen Harper, and Republican Congressman Lance Gooden from Texas, among over 500 other high-profile personalities.

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UPDATE: 1:30 PM CET

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UPDATE: 10:00 AM CET

NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavis speech at the Free Iran Global Summit 2023:Fellow compatriots! Men and women, who have come from around the world to participate in this rally. Today, you are witnesses to the victory of justice for theIranian Resistanceand, at the same time, herald the decisive defeat of religious fascism in Iran and the victory of freedom in Iran, a FREE IRAN!

Dear compatriots, I am speaking to you from the former home of the Iranian Resistance, whereMassoud [Rajavi] arrived amidst the intense heat of the summer in 1981. My salutes to all of you!To the disenchanted people in the towns and villages of Iran who are listening to my voice.

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FormerVice President Pence called on the Biden administration to immediately cease and desist negotiations with Tehran over Irans nuclear program. Pence addressed Iranian opposition leaders Saturday at the Free Iran World Summit 2023 in riot-torn Paris, France, where he argued that President Biden has appeased the tyrannical regime in Iran. Speaking to an enthusiastic crowd of Iranian ex-patriots, the 2024 GOP hopeful denounced pursuit of a nuclear deal with Iran amid reports that the Biden administration has an interim agreement on the table which the administration has denied.

Today, as an ordinary American citizen, I call upon the Biden administration, and leaders of all freedom-loving nations, to stand with the people of Iran, to stand up for the cause of freedom and justice and to cease and desist all nuclear negotiations with Tehran immediately,Pence said.

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Agents of the Iranian regime are putting immense pressure on Canadian civil servants, and often succeeding at influencing them, according to former interim Conservative leader Candice Bergen.Bergen, who recently stepped down as member of parliament in PortageLisgar, told a group of Iranian dissidents that so-called Iranian diplomats have cultivated relationships with Canadian bureaucrats.

Bergen was speaking on a disinformation panel at the National Council of Resistance of Irans Free Iran conference in Paris.

Other members of the Canadian delegation include former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper, former Conservative cabinet ministers John Baird and Tony Clement, retired Liberal MP Wayne Easter and sitting Liberal MP Judy Sgro.

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Paris, July 1, 2023 Distinguished international leaders and lawmakers are currently convening at the Headquarters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran in Auvers-sur-Oise. Concurrently, a large gathering of Iranians and supporters of the Iranian Resistance is taking place in Paris, as they unite to demonstrate their unwavering support for the NCRIs strategic plan for regime change in Iran, aiming to establish freedom and democracy in the country.

The Iran World Summit, along with the Free Iran Rally 2023, will showcase prominent speakers who will address key topics such as the ongoing uprising in Iran, the threats posed by the existing regime, the viable alternative, and the imperative of adopting the right policies to foster a prosperous future for Iran.

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Distinguished politicians and national security experts from both sides of the Atlantic are converging at a significant conference in Paris on June 30. The event centers around the pressing issue of the popular uprising in Iran and the need for analternative and effective Western policy vis--vis the regime.Set against a backdrop of nationwide uprisings that have disrupted the power dynamics between the Iranian people and the state, these demonstrations have provided valuable insights into the aspirations of the majority of Iranians. Consequently, the international community now has a better understanding of their desires. However, in response to this perceived threat to its survival, the clerical regime has embarked on a complex and multifaceted disinformation campaign. This campaign aims to create the illusion of successfully crushing dissent both domestically and abroad.

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A conference was held on June 30 in Paris, focusing on the Iranian Peoples Uprising for a Democratic Republic. Distinguished speakers from various European parliaments gathered to discuss this important topic. The event, organized by Friends of a Free Iran in several European nations, provided a platform for panelists who collectively represented millions of European constituents. They shared their perspectives on how to support the Iranian people in their quest for regime change and the realization of their aspirations for freedom and democracy.

The conference attracted the participation of Members of Parliament (MPs) from a wide range of countries including the United Kingdom, Italy, the Republic of Ireland, Romania, Slovakia, San Marino, Lithuania, Portugal, Ukraine, Kosovo, Belgium, Moldova, Malta, Estonia, and Iceland.

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Iran News in Brief July 2, 2023 - NCRI - National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)