WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

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

Iran-India ties

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says Iran and India are prepared to expand and deepen bilateral ties and boost cooperation in different areas. Rouhani was speaking during a joint presser with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. The Iranian president also said that the two countries were resolved to fight extremism in the region through exchange of information and experiences. The Indian premier, for his part, hailed the growing trade and commercial ties between Tehran and New Delhi, adding that the joint project at the southeastern Iranian port of Chabahar was among the topics discussed on Saturday. Earlier, Iran and India signed and exchanged nine memorandums of understanding in various fields, including trade and transport. Rouhani arrived in New Delhi following his two-day stay in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad which he used to promote Muslim unity.

China reaction

China says it will take necessary steps to protect its interests IF a US decision on imposing steep tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum affects the East Asian country. The Chinese Commerce Ministry also called on the US to exercise restraint in using trade protection tools, and respect the rules of multilateral trade. This, after US Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross recommended President Donald Trump to slap new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. On Friday, the US Commerce Department also said in a report that a recent influx of foreign metals posed a risk to national security by threatening the viability of American manufacturers. The White House has said Trump is reviewing the proposal.

UK-EU relations

British Prime Minister Theresa May has called for a new security treaty with the European Union after London finally leaves the 28-nation bloc. May was speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday. She said the treaty should be implemented in 2019 to ensure military, intelligence and counter-terrorism cooperation. May added that maintaining security is a shared interest between Britain and the EU and the partnership should, therefore, help the two sides combine their efforts to greatest effect. The British premier also ruled out the possibility of a second Brexit vote, saying there was no going back on the result of a referendum held in June 2016.

Iran nuclear deal

The Iranian president says the American administration and nation will regret if the US reneges on its commitments under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Hassan Rouhani said the US should not mistake the world of politics with trade. Speaking in India, he said US hostile polices against Iran stem from its miscalculations. Rouhani said the way Washington tries to deal with Tehran exemplifies such miscalculations. He stressed that since the very first day of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the US was bent on toppling it but was forced to apologize on several occasions. Rouhani concluded that despite all the losses the US has faced because of its miscalculations, now another person has come into office trying to hatch a new plot against Iran.

Palestinian funeral

Palestinians in the occupied territories have held a funeral ceremony for a teenager shot dead by Israeli troops ten days ago. The mourners marched in the town of Halhul near Hebron. Residents responded to a call by authorities to hold a general strike and attend the funeral. Israeli soldiers killed 19-year-old Hamza Zamaareh ten days ago, but refused to return the body to his family until Friday night. Regime forces killed Zamaareh following an alleged stabbing incident on Israeli troops. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in similar circumstances. Rights groups have denounced Tel Aviv's extrajudicial killings in situations where they say alleged assailants could have been detained in a non-lethal manner.

NATO eastward expansion

The Russian foreign minister has criticized NATO’s eastward expansion saying the move comes as Moscow has significantly reduced its military activities on its western border. Sergei Lavrov was addressing the Munich Security Conference. He argued that NATO’s move undermines the region’s security arrangements. He further urged all countries to adhere to international security treaties. The Russian foreign minister stated that the European Union policies towards other countries, including Russia, have failed to bring security to the continent. He, however, welcomed dialogue based on common interests with the EU. The Russian foreign minister called for a strong EU able to act responsibly on a global scale. Lavrov also praised the idea of cooperation between Russia, the EU and the US to maintain security in the Middle East.

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