WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, July 30, 2017.

Iran nuclear commitments

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister says Tehran will remain committed to its nuclear deal with the P5+1 group as long as the agreement safeguards Tehran’s interests. Abbas Araqchi condemned the recent US sanctions against Iran as a hostile act against the Islamic Republic, saying Tehran would give a decisive and proportionate response to the US sanctions. He noted that Iran is a strong country and will use all its capabilities to keep the JCPOA on track. Araqchi also said that Iran will resume its enrichment program if the terms of the nuclear agreement are violated by the western side.

Hajj opportunity

The Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution has urged Muslims to grasp the opportunity provided by the annual Hajj pilgrimage to highlight the Islamic world’s issues. Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei made the comments in an address to Iranian hajj officials ahead of the mass pilgrimage in the Saudi city of Mecca. The leader hailed the Hajj as the manifestation of the Islamic unity and Muslims’ power and the best occasion for them to express their views. He referred to Israel’s recent bloody violence against Palestinians in the al-Aqsa Mosque compound as an issue that can be raised by Muslims during Hajj. The leader further called on Saudi Arabia to ensure safety and security in the course of the Hajj.

Iraq foils terror plot

Iraq has uncovered a major Daesh terror plot to target the country’s top Shia leader and holy sites. The interior ministry says intelligence forces have foiled what it calls the most dangerous terrorist scheme in Iraq’s modern history. According to the ministry, Daesh terrorists planned to bomb the shrines of Shia imams in the cities of Najaf, Karbala and Samarra as well as the residence of Ayatollah Ali Sistani. Officials say the thwarted attacks were aimed at igniting a sectarian conflict and were in revenge for the defeats the terror group suffered in Iraq. Daesh has killed hundreds of pilgrims visiting Iraq’s religious sites in bomb attacks in the past years but has never been able to hit the sanctities due to tight security.

Pakistan politics

Pakistan’s President Mamnoon Hussain has called a session of the national assembly on Tuesday to elect a new prime minister after the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif. The ruling Pakistan Muslim League party has nominated Sharif's longtime loyalist Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for the post. The opposition is expected to name a candidate to challenge Abassi. Sharif proposed Abbasi as interim leader until his brother Shahbaz Sharif becomes a member of parliament, a condition needed to rule the country. Shahbaz, who is the chief minister of Punjab province, is likely to seek a by-election from the constituency left vacant by his brother. Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by Pakistan’s Supreme Court last week in a landmark ruling on the Panama Papers case. The court found the three-term premier dishonest and unfit to hold office.

Yemen deadly fighting

Yemen’s Ansarullah fighters have engaged in fierce fighting with forces loyal to the former regime. The two sides have suffered heavy fatalities in recent days. Sixteen Ansarullah fighters and 27 of the Saudi-backed troops were killed in clashes near the port city of Mukha and other parts of Ta’izz province. Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia has been assisting remnants of Yemen’s former government in their battles against Ansarullah members. The forces, also known as Houthis, have put up strong resistance since then. They’ve managed to liberate large areas of land from al-Qaeda terrorist group.

Venezuela candidate shot dead

Prosecutors say a candidate in the controversial election under way in Venezuela has been killed hours before the voting kicked off. Assailants broke into the home of Jose Felix Pineda in the southeastern city of Ciudad Bolivar overnight. The 39-year-old lawyer was on a ticket to become part of the Constitutional Assembly tasked with drafting a new constitution amid political tensions. Meanwhile, reports coming out of Caracas say groups of protesters have tried to disrupt the voting by throwing fireworks at police forces guarding polling stations. The opposition had urged its supporters to step up protests on the day of elections.

Korea-US row

North Korea says its latest missile test is a cautionary measure against further US sanctions. Pyongyang has threatened Washington with “a resolute act of justice” should it continue to resort to military adventures. The uptick in tensions between the two countries comes after Pyongyang conducted its second intercontinental ballistic missile test on Friday. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un says his country is now able to strike the entire US mainland. In a show of force, the US flew two powerful strategic bombers over the Korean Peninsula for a joint drill with Japanese and South Korean forces. This, after president Trump lashed out at China, accusing it of not doing enough to rein in Pyongyang.

Rouhani warns US

Iran’s President has warned the US against undermining the nuclear deal between Tehran and the P5+1 group of countries. Hassan Rouhani says Washington will suffer the most if the nuclear agreement known as the JCPOA is ditched. Rouhani was speaking at a meeting of heads of the three branches of government. The Iranian president reiterated that the Islamic Republic will not allow any foreign country to weaken its military power. He noted that he has discussed ways of responding to the latest US sanctions with the Iranian parliament speaker and the head of the judiciary. Rouhani says one strategy to neutralize Washington’s anti-Iran measures could be attracting as much foreign investment as possible.

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