ISNA

Iran thanked Saudi Arabia yesterday for its handling of the annual hajj pilgrimage, saying it opened the way for negotiations between the regional rivals.

"We thank Saudi Arabia... for adopting a new approach in dealing with Iranian pilgrims," said Ali Ghazi-Askar, the head of the hajj organization in Tehran, according to the state broadcaster.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Tuesday denied claims by Turkey that the two countries were planning joint military operations against Kurdish rebels in Iraq.

“We have not planned any operations outside Iran’s borders,” said a statement from the Guards’ regional ground forces headquarters published by the ISNA news agency.

Kuwait has ordered the Iranian ambassador to leave the country within 45 days, according to Iran's ISNA news agency. It comes amid a diplomatic row between the two nations.

Iran has called in the Swiss charge d'affaires, who looks after U.S. interests, to protest against comments by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson backing "peaceful transition" in the Islamic republic.

Iranian authorities have arrested seven people suspected of helping militants involved in twin attacks in the capital Tehran, a judiciary official said on June 9. 

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the suicide bombings and gun attacks on parliament and the mausoleum of the Islamic Republic's founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, that killed 17 people on June 7. 

Iranian moderates and reformists who support last year's landmark nuclear deal have won the largest number of seats in parliament following runoff elections, marking a shift away from hard-liners and boosting moderate President Hassan Rouhani as he looks to secure a second term in office.

Iran used its annual Army Day parade on April 17 to showcase parts of a long-awaited air defence system ordered from Russia, a move likely to irk critics of the arms deal.
 
The S-300 system has been on order since 2007 but Russia postponed the sale three years later after the UN Security Council passed a resolution relating to Iran's nuclear programme.
 

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said on March 9 that the United States would take action against Iran if long-range ballistic missile tests Tehran said it carried out were confirmed.

"I want to reiterate, as I know people still doubt, if in fact they break the [nuclear] deal, we will act," Biden said during a visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories on March 9.

Iran said on Feb. 1 it now has access to more than $100 billion worth of frozen overseas assets following the implementation of a landmark nuclear deal with world powers.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will visit Italy and France next week on his first trip to Europe since the lifting of sanctions against his country, a diplomatic source told Reuters on Jan. 18.

The source said Rouhani would be in Italy on Jan. 25-26 and leave for Paris on Jan. 27. On his first day in Italy he will meet the country's president, prime minister and business leaders.