Iran Summons EU Ambassadors Over IRGC 'Terrorist' Designation
Iran announced on February 2 that it was summoning EU ambassadors in Tehran. The move followed the EU's designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist group.
"Representatives of all EU member states that have an embassy in Tehran were summoned to the Foreign Ministry" on February 1 and 2, spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told a ministry press briefing that AFP attended.
EU foreign ministers agreed on January 29 to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization after years of pressure from within and outside the bloc to blacklist the elite force.
Meanwhile, the Italian Embassy in Tehran issued a statement on February 1 saying it will be closed until further notice.
The statement emphasized that despite the closure of the consular office, the provision of essential and urgent services to Italian citizens would continue to be guaranteed.
Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, announced earlier on February 1 that Tehran considers the armies of European countries to be "terrorist groups" and that "their military dependents who are in embassies in Iran must be expelled immediately."
Trump Says Iran 'Talking Seriously' With Washington Amid US Military Threats, Buildup
Good morning, here is our latest news wrap on Iran.
We are now closing the live blog for today. We'll be back again tomorrow morning at 7:30 a.m. Central European time to follow the latest developments in Iran.
Trump Says He Hoped For Iran Deal As Khamenei Warns Of Regional War
US President Donald Trump said he hoped to agree on a deal with Iran after the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that a US attack on the Islamic republic could trigger a broader conflict.
"Of course he is going to say that," Trump told reporters on February 1 when asked about Khamenei’s warning. "If we don't make a deal, then we’ll find out whether or not he was right," he added.
Earlier in the day, Khamenei was quoted by state media as saying that "the Iranian nation shall not be scared" in the face of US threats, even as what Trump has called an "armada" has arrived in the Middle East.
"The Iranian nation will strike a strong blow against anyone who attacks and harasses them," Khamenei added.
UK Medical Staff Condemn Targeting Of Doctors, Nurses In Iran
More than 130 doctors, nurses, and medical staff in the UK have issued an open letter condemning the targeting of medical staff in Iran for treating injured protesters.
The signatories of this letter, who operate in the United Kingdom, expressed "deep concern" over published reports about the treatment of doctors and nurses in Iran, emphasizing that "medical neutrality is not political, punishing clinicians for saving lives is an attack on the foundations of medicine itself."
The letter states that, based on independent reports, a number of medical workers have been threatened, arrested, or imprisoned for treating the injured during recent protests in Iran, and that hospitals have become places of surveillance and detention.
The authors consider these actions to be a clear violation of medical ethics and the principle of impartiality of treatment. The signatories have called on international medical institutions, human rights organizations, and the British government to publicly condemn these cases, demand the protection of medical personnel in Iran, and pursue accountability for the perpetrators of these attacks.
Iranian Sports Stars Quit National Teams
Iranian basketball player Behnam Yakhchali has announced his temporary withdrawal from the Iranian national basketball team in a message posted on Instagram, citing the reason for this decision as "empathy with the people."
Yakhchali wrote in the message that “people’s hearts are not happy these days” and emphasized that he would not be on the national team until “hearts calm down.” He expressed hope that one day he would “stand together for Iran with a calm heart again.”
Meanwhile, Zahra Alizadeh, a player for the Golgohar Sirjan women's football team in the city of city of Sirjan announced on January 31 that she had retired from the national team in support of the Iranian people. She wrote in her message that in a situation where "Iran's heart burns with pain and suffering," she could not be present in the national stadiums as in the past, and that her priority was to empathize with the people.
Similarly, Kowsar Kamali, a player for the Sepahan women's football team, also announced her retirement from the national team by publishing a similar message. She wrote that when "the heart is wounded and the soul is tired," football can no longer be a refuge, and emphasized that her decision was made not out of anger but out of "awareness and respect for conscience."
Iranian Parliament Members Declare European Armies 'Terrorist'
Following the EU's designation of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, Iranian parliamentarians wore IRGC uniforms in session and chanted slogans in protest.
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf also announced on February 1 that Tehran considers the armies of European countries to be "terrorist groups."
Qalibaf said: "According to Article 7 of the law on countermeasures against the declaration of the IRGC as a terrorist organization, the armies of European countries are considered to be terrorist groups, and the consequences of this action will be borne by the European Union."
We are now closing the live blog for today. We'll be back again tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m. Central European time to follow the latest developments in Iran.
