European Union Commissioner for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, has stated that Iran is still acting within the framework of the nuclear agreement.

This comes, at a time when the Iranian leader, Ali Khamenei, called yesterday for national unity and a strong demand to participate in the February elections, after protests that erupted after the army admitted to accidentally shooting down the Ukrainian passenger plane during a confrontation with the United States.

In detail, Borrell said in statements to the German magazine, "Der Spiegel" yesterday, that Iran's feeling that it is no longer bound by the regulations of the agreement does not mean that it actually violated it. He added: "We still trust the review conducted by the IAEA inspectors in Iran."

The Europeans recently activated the dispute settlement mechanism in the agreement, which is supposed to force Iran to negotiate.

Borrell emphasized that this mechanism "in itself is not a mechanism to reimpose sanctions" and said: "I do not see the decision of the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany as an implementation of Trump's demand to end the agreement."

It is reported that Borrell recently met with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and talked about the nuclear agreement.

In his remarks, Borrell confirmed to "Der Spiegel": "For us, it is not about changing the Iranian government."

It is reported that the nuclear agreement aims to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, but it is allowed to implement a civilian nuclear program. On the other hand, economic sanctions against Tehran are canceled, but the United States withdrew unilaterally from the agreement and imposed tougher sanctions again on Tehran.

After a year of talks, Iran began to gradually withdraw from the agreement to push the other parties to the agreement to avoid imposing US sanctions.

In Tehran, Khamenei said, in his first Friday sermon in eight years at a time when the country is suffering internal and external pressure, steps must be taken to prevent incidents such as the downfall of the "tragic" Ukrainian plane on January 11, which killed 176 people. Khamenei called for national unity and a strong turnout to participate in the February elections, after protests erupted after the army admitted to accidentally shooting down the Ukrainian plane.

Khamenei's sermon comes amid local and global turmoil surrounding Iran, after the killing of the commander of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Qassem Soleimani, in a US air strike on a plane in Baghdad, and the Revolutionary Guards recognition of the accidentally shooting down of the Ukrainian civilian plane, which led to angry street protests for days. And unprecedented international pressure.

During his imam, Friday prayers in Tehran, Khamenei said that Iran had gone through two extraordinary weeks since the killing of Qassem Soleimani, with an American strike, which he described as "bitter events full of experiences" as he put it.

A source familiar with the decision-making process in Iran told Reuters, "This is the first Friday sermon delivered by Khamenei in Tehran in eight years, and comes at a time when Iran's rulers face internal and external pressure."

On the other hand, the Iranian guide attacked the three European countries, Britain, France and Germany, because it threatened Iran to refer the nuclear file to the Security Council, describing it as "distrustful" as he put it.

He also pointed out that "we cannot trust America and go to negotiation," adding, "We are not afraid of negotiations, but not with America, but with others, but only from the position of strength."

- Commissioner of the European Union for Foreign Affairs: We still trust the review by IAEA inspectors in Iran.

An earthquake measuring 4.5 magnitude hits Iran

An earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale hit yesterday morning, Razavi Khorasan Province, northeastern Iran.

The geophysical establishment at the University of Tehran determined the epicenter of the earthquake, 48 km from the Sankan Khawaf region, at a depth of eight km, and the time of its occurrence at seven and 23 minutes local time, according to the Fars News Agency.

The reports received did not mention any human or material losses caused by the earthquake. Iran is prone to earthquakes, as it is located in the main Fawaliq region, including two more deadly earthquakes, one of which occurred in June 1990 and measured 7.7 on the Richter scale, leaving 37,000 dead and 100,000 injured in the provinces of Gilan and Zanjan, northwestern Iran. The second struck the southern city of Bam in December 2003, killing 31,000 people. Tehran - d. B

11 American soldiers wounded in the Iranian attack on "Ain al-Assad"

At least 11 American soldiers were wounded in the Iranian attack on an Iraqi base where American soldiers are deployed, according to the Central Command announced Thursday, although the Pentagon previously denied that there were casualties from the attack.

"While no American soldiers were killed in the January 8 Iranian attack on Ein al-Asad air base, many of them underwent treatment for the concussion symptoms caused by the explosion, and they are still being evaluated," US Central Command spokesman Captain Bill Urban said in a statement. ».

At the time of the attack, most of the 1,500 American soldiers at the base had been barricaded in shelters after receiving warnings from their superiors.

According to previous reports of the American army, the Iranian strike caused great material damage, but no casualties.

Even US President Donald Trump also announced in the morning after the missile strike, that "no Americans were injured in last night's attack."

However, Urban said that "in the days after the attack, due to extensive precautionary measures, some soldiers were removed from Ein al-Assad base." He added, "Currently, 11 people have been transferred to Landstuhl, and three have moved to Camp Arifjan."

In addition to the Iranian missile strikes that targeted the Al-Asad base in western Iraq, the Iranian bombing also included a base in Erbil that includes American soldiers and other foreigners who are fighting within the international coalition the remnants of the ISIS group.

"When they are considered fit for service, the soldiers are expected to return to Iraq after undergoing medical tests," Urban said. Washington - AFP