Iran Daily

Exxon lobbies US gov�t on Iran sanctions
Exxon Mobil is reported to have stationed lobbyists to push the envelope on Iran sanctions with the US government as Western companies are jostling for access to the Middle East country�s massive oil and gas fields.

Iran not to succumb to excessive demands
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the Islamic Republic will not give in to excessive demands in negotiations over the country�s nuclear program.

Saudi warplanes continue strikes in Yemen
Yemenis awoke to the sound of explosions early Friday when Saudi jets launched several new airstrikes in Yemen as the impoverished country continues to reel from nearly two months of aggression by its Arab neighbor.

Beijing: US actions in South China Sea dangerous
China said on Friday it was �strongly dissatisfied� after a US military plane flew over part of the South China Sea near where China is building artificial islands, and called on the United States to stop such action or risk causing an accident.

Bomb blast kills 20 Shias in Saudi Arabia
A bomber targeted a mosque in eastern Saudi Arabia as worshippers were commemorating the birth anniversary of Imam Hussein on Friday, killing 20 people.

ISIL advances in Syria, Iraq
The ISIL terrorist group consolidated its control of the Iraq-Syria border Friday after capturing an Iraqi provincial capital and a famed Syrian heritage site in an offensive that has forced a review of US strategy.

Iran army launches major drill
The Iranian Army launched the first leg of a major military exercise in the country�s western province of Kermanshah.

Iran-P5+1 nuclear talks resume in Vienna
Talks between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries continue in the Austrian capital of Vienna with the representatives of the two sides working intensively to narrow down remaining differences to pave the way for a possible deal between the two sides.

Tehran urges �active, independent� UN role in Yemen crisis
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif urged the United Nations to intensify efforts to solve the crisis in Yemen, emphasizing the need for a halt to deadly Saudi air raids against the Arab nation.

 
Tehran Times

Iran�s tech sector to display potential in Berlin
As many as 2,000 individuals � mostly Iranians from the U.S., Europe, and Iran as well as foreign investors � will attend the iBridges conference in Berlin next month, a sign of the pent-up interest in investing in Iran if and when international sanctions are lifted.

Iraq discusses Iran drilling its oil, gas fields
A high-ranking Iraqi delegation has visited Tehran and discussed oil and gas drilling by Iranian companies in the Arab country, the Mehr news agency says.

No foreign country should be present in Yemeni talks: Zarif
No foreign country should attend the Yemeni talks, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said during a meeting with Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the UN special envoy for Yemen, in Tehran on Thursday. The remarks by Zarif come as the United Nations said talks for a diplomatic solution to the Yemen crisis will begin on May 28 in Geneva.

Iraqi forces to launch Ramadi counterattack in �coming days�
The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist group has seized another town in Iraq�s western Anbar province less than a week after capturing the provincial capital, a tribal leader said on Friday.

Iran Volleyball Federation rejects bid for Kovac
Iran Volleyball Federation has rejected a bid from Italian club Sir Safety Perugia for Serbian coach Slobodan Kovac, according to the Iranian media. Sir Safety Perugia has parted company with its coach Nikola Grbic after the club�s president announced that he is searching for a full-time trainer.

Iranian maestro Ali Rahbari invited to conduct New York City orchestra
Iranian maestro Ali Rahbari, who is the general music director of the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, has been invited to conduct Youth Philharmonic Orchestra of the New York City in a concert.

Suicide bomber attacks Shia mosque in Saudi Arabia
A suicide bomber has detonated his explosives at a Shia mosque in eastern Saudi Arabia during Friday prayers, killing at least 20 people and wounding several others, witnesses said.

Obama says he has �personal interest� in reaching Iran nuclear deal
U.S. President Barack Obama, in an interview published on Thursday, said he has a �personal interest� in making sure world powers and Iran could reach a deal on Tehran�s nuclear program, the Global Times reported.

Rouhani says �nuclear research and development� are red lines
President Hassan Rouhani echoed the Supreme Leader�s position that Iran will not allow access to military sites under a final nuclear agreement, saying that Tehran will not sign an agreement that allows access to the country�s military and scientific secrets.

Tehran says no nuclear deal till Iran�s demands are met
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Aham said on Thursday that there will be no nuclear agreement till Iran�s demands are met. Her remarks came as a response to what Marie Harf, the deputy spokesperson of the U.S. Department of State, said concerning a final nuclear deal.

Russia says confident about reaching nuclear deal with Iran
Moscow is confident that a final agreement on Iran�s nuclear program will be reached and does not expect these talks to be extended over a long period, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has said.

Saudi attack on Yemen against all norms: Iranian cleric
Senior Iranian cleric says Saudi-led airstrikes on Yemen goes against all humanitarian, legal, and international norms. Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, speaking before the Friday prayers, said Yemen has committed no crime against Saudi Arabia to deserve such attacks.

Process of drafting nuclear deal is slow: Araqchi
Abbas Araqchi, a senior Iranian negotiator, said on Friday that process of drafting a comprehensive agreement is �very slow� due to the complexity and breadth of issues.

70% of Iranians do not trust U.S. in nuclear talks: study
An opinion poll indicates that 70 percent of Iranians do not trust the U.S. to be bound to a nuclear deal with Iran.

Iran�s first aid plane for Yemen to land in Djibouti: official
A senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official says the country�s first cargo plane carrying humanitarian aid to crisis-hit Yemen is set to land in Djibouti.