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Iran\'s Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman says any final agreement with the group of six countries over Tehran\'s nuclear program will ensure its inalienable rights. Afkham also called on Western countries to use the window of opportunity offered by Iran\'s new diplomatic approach. She described the US-led unilateral sanctions against Iran as QUOTE oppressive, noting that even American officials have acknowledged that such sanctions have been ineffective in preventing Iran\'s nuclear advancement.

Iran\'s Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman says any final agreement with the group of six countries over Tehran\'s nuclear program will ensure its inalienable rights. Afkham also called on Western countries to use the window of opportunity offered by Iran\'s new diplomatic approach. She described the US-led unilateral sanctions against Iran as QUOTE oppressive, noting that even American officials have acknowledged that such sanctions have been ineffective in preventing Iran\'s nuclear advancement.

US Secretary of State John Kerry says any new sanctions on Iran would send a wrong message to the countries involved in the nuclear negotiations with Tehran. Kerry made the remarks in a briefing to US Congressmen about the recent nuclear deal between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany. Kerry said that new sanctions would eventually lead to the removal of all sanctions because the other negotiating partners would not follow suit. He said that decades of sanctions have failed to make any impact on the Iranian nuclear program. He added that President Barack Obama is committed and needs the help of Congress to resolve the nuclear issue, which he called QUOTE the most urgent, critical, and pressing. At one point, Kerry also said the military option against Iran is not off the table. But he stated he hopes the Iran nuclear issue can be resolved in less than six months

British Foreign Secretary William Hague says Hassan Habibollah-Zadeh\'s planned trip to London follows a visit by his British counterpart Ajay Sharma to Tehran last week. Diplomatic ties between the two countries turned sour after the storming of the British embassy by students in Tehran two years ago. The students were protesting anti-Iran sanctions and London\'s hostile policies toward Tehran. There\'s been a thaw in bilateral relations though, following the election of Iran\'s President Hassan Rouhani several months ago.

A German court has ruled that the country is not liable for damages relating to the 2009 bombing of hijacked tanker trucks that killed dozens of civilians in Afghanistan. The trucks hijacked by members of the Taliban were bombed by American fighter jets at the request of Germany\'s armed forces. But the court ruled that German commanders did not breach their terms of military duty. The airstrike killed about 100 Taliban militants and Afghan civilians who were near the trucks. The incident is one of the most devastating attacks linked to German troops since the end of the Second World War.

The UN committee monitoring sanctions against Iran has welcomed a recent nuclear deal between Tehran and the five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany. The committee, however, reiterated that all UN sanctions will remain in force until a final deal is reached. The US representative to the UN was addressing the committee\'s first briefing since the Geneva accord in November. The deal offers Iran a limited sanctions relief in exchange for scaling down its nuclear program. The UN Security Council has imposed four rounds of sanctions on Iran over the country\'s nuclear energy program.

Iran says it is dissatisfied with the slow pace of progress of the talks over the country\'s nuclear energy program in Vienna. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi also referred to the new US sanctions imposed on a number of Iranian companies and individuals, saying the measures prompted the Iranian expert team to return home for more consultation. Araqchi also said the sanctions violate the spirit of the recent deal on Iran\'s nuclear energy program. Washington has denied that the new punitive measures has violated the deal. Under the Geneva agreement, new sanctions will have to be stopped for a six-month period and previous sanctions partially eased.

Iranian president Hassan Rouhani says the recent terrorist attack on gas pipeline workers in Iraq targets the Muslim world and those who serve the Iraqi nation. Rouhani made the comment in a telephone conversation with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki. The Iranian president said such attacks aim to sow discord among the Iraqi people and damage the growing relations between Baghdad and Tehran. Rouhani said countries that have had a hand in such incidents should be held accountable. Maliki offered his condolences to the people of Iran and said he has ordered for Iranian residents and pilgrims in Iraq to be fully protected. On Friday, gunmen attacked workers at a gas pipeline project stretching from Iran into Iraq, killing 18 people, including 16 Iranians.

Iran\\\'s Foreign Minister says Tehran will prudently respond to any unconstructive action against his country. Mohammad Javad Zarif has written on his Facebook page that Iran will seriously pursue the nuclear negotiations, and will respond to any improper action even if it does not violate the Geneva deal. He explained that Tehran has given an appropriate response to the United States\\\' recent move. In recent days, the US Treasury Department added the names of nineteen companies and individuals to its sanctions list for allegedly supporting Iran\\\'s nuclear program.

In Syria, at least 25 people have died in air raids in Aleppo. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says 14 children are among the dead. The Britain-based observatory group said the aerial attack using explosives-laden barrels occurred over the Sakhur, Ard al-Hamra and Heydariyeh districts in eastern Aleppo. The Syrian government has not commented on the incident yet.

Pakistan\'s former ambassador to Afghanistan says the signing of the so-called Bilateral Security Agreement between Kabul and Washington will NOT put an end to the war in Afghanistan.

A new report says nearly eleven thousand militants from over seventy countries have teamed up with al-Qaeda-linked insurgents to fight the Syrian government. According to the International Center for the Study of Radicalization, the figure includes those currently on the ground plus the ones have since returned home, or been arrested or killed. The report shows that Arabs and Europeans, mainly from Britain and France, make up the bulk of foreign militants, with eighty percent. Meanwhile, the British media have released a footage of a brigade of fighters in Syria who are all British.

The Russian president says the new US sanctions against Iran will adversely affect the recent Geneva deal over Tehran\'s nuclear program. Vladimir Putin was speaking at his annual news conference in Moscow in response to a question by Press TV correspondent\'s about the recent US sanctions against Iran. Moscow has strongly opposed any sanctions outside the UN Security Council against Iran. The latest US sanctions came despite last month\'s nuclear deal, between Iran and the P-five-plus-one group, which does not allow new sanctions against Tehran.

The UN-Arab League envoy for syria Lakhdar Brahimi says that Iran has not been invited to the Geneva Two conference, at the request of the US. Brahimi announced the list of countries officially invited to the Geneva Two conference-- aimed at finding a diplomatic solution to the syrian crisis. Among the countries invited to the event are Morocco, Algeria, South Africa, India and Indonesia. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry have reportedly held talks on the upcoming Geneva conference. Russia insists that Iran should be part of the talks, saying excluding Tehran from the conference would be counter-productive.

Iran\\\'s ambassador to Baghdad says Iraqi security forces have arrested all those behind last week\\\'s deadly attack on Iranian gas technicians. Hassan Danayeefar added that the 9 terrorists have all confessed to their crime. Last week, masked gunmen attacked workers at a gas pipeline project stretching from Iran into Iraq, killing 16 Iranian nationals. Violence in Iraq has hit a five-year high since the beginning of this year. The United Nations estimates that at least eight-thousand people have been killed in 2013.

The US Congress says President Barack Obama\\\'s plans for the country\\\'s nuclear arsenal will cost 355 billion dollars over the next decade. The Congressional Budget Office has issued a report saying the expenses will cover the modernization of nuclear weapons, their delivery systems, and nuclear weapons production laboratories. The CBO report also said the cost is nearly one hundred and 50 billion dollars more than the administration\\\'s initial request last year. The US president claims the nuclear modernization plan is needed to boost the security of the US military and give political leaders enough confidence in nuclear talks with other world powers. The new nuclear budget request comes as US officials continue to wrangle over the country\\\'s rising budget deficit.

Iran\\\'s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi says Tehran will respond to unthoughtful and inaccurate remarks by American officials. Araqchi said that Iran will continue nuclear talks with the P-five-plus-one group of countries with goodwill despite the fact that American officials have adopted a contradictory stance since the Geneva deal. Araqchi named blacklisting some Iranian entities and pressures from the US Treasury Department on other countries as examples of that policy. According to Araqchi, comments and actions by US official have been provocative and against the spirit of cooperation, required for the implementation of the November 24 deal. The diplomat noted that Tehran has advised American officials against trying to resolve their internal problems or tensions with their allies at the expense of the Iranian nation\\\'s rights.

The United Nations says one out of five people living in Lebanon are refugees who have fled the conflict in neighboring Syria. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees announced the number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon has surpassed the eight hundred and 48 thousand mark. The Office of the UNHCR also said about seven hundred and 93 thousand have registered as refugees. The Lebanese authorities say the exact number could be even higher since many of the Syrian refugees are unregistered and undocumented migrants. Lebanon has refused to set up official camps for refugees from Syria. Many live in hundreds of unofficial tent settlements on its northern and eastern peripheries. Lebanon currently hosts the highest number of refugees from Syria. More than a million other Syrians have fled to Jordan and Turkey.

The army says two Katyusha-style rockets launched from Lebanon landed near the town of Kiryat Shmona. In response, the Israeli artillery fired a barrage of shells into the Lebanese border region of Arqub. Uninhabited areas were targeted in both attacks, causing no injuries or damage. Israel\\\'s minister of military affairs has warned of even tougher retaliation if the attacks persist. Moshe Yaalon has held the Lebanese government responsible for the latest rocket attack. The area has remained mostly quiet since a month-long war in 2006 between Israel and the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah. But there\\\'s been sporadic rocket firing from Lebanon-- carried out by al-Qaeda-affiliated groups including the Abdullah Azzam Brigades.

Iranian Parliamentarians say that human rights has become a tool in the hands of the West to pressure other countries. Human Rights Resolution proposed by Canada against Iran was adopted on December 18th. Iranian parliamentarians talked about the resolution after they came back from vacation this week. The resolution was approved with 86 votes in favor, 36 against and 61 abstentions, expressing concern over alleged human rights violations in Iran. Iranian representatives say the move does not aim in any way to enhance rights conditions. They say human rights has been politicized and this is damaging to those who have dedicated their lives to create better living conditions for all individuals without a political motive.

Nuri al-Maliki says the armed forces will turn over the control of the cities in the province to local police. The operation aimed at closing the protest camp in Ramadi led to clashes between security forces and gunmen. One Iraqi soldier and three pro-al-Qaeda militants were killed, while three other gunmen were wounded during Tuesday\\\'s clashes. Earlier 44 lawmakers announced their resignation, demanding the withdrawal of the army. Sunni Muslim protesters have been campaigning against the government since last December.

Syria\\\'s prime minister says his country\\\'s government is gaining major diplomatic victories thanks to the support from its allies. Addressing the Syrian parliament, Wael al-Halqi referred to Russia, Iran, and China as the countries that have helped his nation win such victories. He said the ties between Damascus and Tehran are as strong as the relations with Moscow and other BRICS countries. The Syrian premier said-- without this support-- Syria could see more aggression and pressure. Halqi also praised Syria\\\'s allies for helping it implement the agreement on the destruction of its chemical weapons. He\\\'s epxressed hope that this would enable Damascus to score more victories in future, especially in the upcoming Geneva two conference.

The head of Iran\'s expert-level nuclear negotiating team says Tehran and the P-5+1 group have proposed January 20 as the date to implement the landmark deal sealed in November. Hamid Baeidinejad said the proposed date should be verified by the political directors. He added that due to the Christmas recess and a meeting between Iran and the senior E-U officials, the proposed date may be delayed for a few days. Baeidinejad also rejected the recent remarks by a U-S State Department spokeswoman that agreement with Iran has not yet been fully implemented. He noted that experts from the two sides have completed their expert studies and submitted the final version to the senior political directors

The Israeli interior minister says a settlement in the strategic Jordan Valley must not be given to Palestinians. Gideon Saar said the settlement along the Jordanian border must belong to Israel forever. The area is a main focus of a new round of talks between the Palestinian Authority and Israel. This, as US Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived in Israel to mediate the so-called peace negotiations. The top US diplomat had given both sides a nine-month deadline to reach a deal, but they\'re now four months into the deadline, with little progress. Meanwhile, people of the Gaza city have held a rally against the resumption of the direct talks. The Palestinians have slammed Tel Aviv\'s settlement constructions as one of the main obstacles to peace.

Iraq\'s military says it is preparing for a major attack to clear the restive Anbar province of al-Qaeda-affiliated groups. Officials say the militants have killed more than 20 soldiers and a dozen civilians there on Sunday. The extremist militants have been in control of parts of the province in the past days, launching a full-fledged war against the central government. The militants are said to enjoy the support of certain regional countries that benefit from instability in the region.

Iran\'s Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman says Tehran supports the Iraqi government\'s measures to fight terrorism and extremism. During a weekly press conference in Tehran, Marzieh Afkham said measures taken by Baghdad to crack down on terrorism will help boost Iraq\'s national unity. The Iranian official meanwhile noted that media reports about cooperation between Iran and the US on the issue of Iraq are inaccurate. She also called on the international community to take QUOTE balanced and unbiased steps in the fight against extremism, violence and terrorism.

Iran\'s Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman says Tehran supports the Iraqi government\'s measures to fight terrorism and extremism. During a weekly press conference in Tehran, Marzieh Afkham said measures taken by Baghdad to crack down on terrorism will help boost Iraq\'s national unity. The Iranian official meanwhile noted that media reports about cooperation between Iran and the US on the issue of Iraq are inaccurate. She also called on the international community to take QUOTE balanced and unbiased steps in the fight against extremism, violence and terrorism.

As the international community is focusing on Iran\'s Human Rights record, Tehran says the west is using this as a tool against the country. Despite this, Secretary General of Iran\'s High Council for Human Rights Javad Larijani tells Press TV, Iran encourages a professional report on its right record calling reports till now as biased. After months in office Iran\'s new President, Hassan Rouhani\'s administration unveiled a draft civil rights charter on his website and asked for all Iranians to contribute via an email.