WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 0900 GMT to 1700 GMT, May 25, 2019.

Slamming US military buildup

Iran’s foreign minister says the US decision to increase troops in the region is very dangerous and a threat to international peace that must be confronted. Mohammad Javad Zarif said the US fabricates claims of Iran threats as justification for its military buildup. He added that Washington resorts to such claims to increase tensions in the Persian Gulf. On Friday, Washington announced the deployment of 1,500 troops to the Middle East, saying the forces will bolster its defenses against Iran. The move comes just a day after President Donald Trump said that he thought no more forces were needed in the region.

Iranian engineer extradition  

A French court ruling to extradite an Iranian engineer to the United States has sparked criticism. The Iranian non-governmental Center for Civilian Drones has condemned the ruling against Jalal Rouhollahnejad, saying France's move contradicts international law. Rouhollahnejad was detained under a US extradition warrant at an airport in the southern French city of Nice on February 2. US authorities claim the Iranian engineer was involved in an attempt to import high-tech industrial microwave systems for military purposes to Iran. His lawyers said the US extradition request was political. The Iranian non-governmental Center for Civilian Drones has also rejected the US claim, saying the microwave and anti-drone systems are non-military equipment.

Rejecting US Mideast plan

The Palestinian Fatah movement says the United States' political and economic pressure will not force Palestinians into accepting Washington’s controversial Middle East plan. Fatah spokesman Osama Qawasmi said it’s a big mistake for US President Donald Trump to think that Palestinians would give up their inalienable rights under pressure. He noted that Palestinians will not back off from their position regarding the so-called Deal of the Century. Meanwhile, senior Palestinian Authority official Saeb Erekat condemned plans to hold a US-sponsored conference in Bahrain. He said the PA, as well as businessmen and economic activists, have refused to take part in the conference. The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas also slammed the conference, saying it aims to destroy the Palestinian cause.

Debunking US Mideast deal

The secretary general of Lebanon’s resistance movement Hezbollah has warned that the United States’ controversial Middle East plan is aimed at ending the Palestinian cause. Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah praised the Palestinian groups’ stance against the so-called Deal of the Century and said that the first step to confront this effort is for the Palestinians to boycott an upcoming US-sponsored conference in Bahrain. He said that many other tensions including the recent US pressure and sanctions against Iran are also related to the United States’ so-called peace plan. Speaking on the anniversary of the withdrawal of the Israeli forces from Lebanon in 2000, Nasrallah also accused Tel Aviv of trying to steal Lebanon’s natural resources, including oil and gas. He noted that Hezbollah is there as a deterrence against the move.

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