Iran is at its weakest in decades, Biden says

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the partnership deal with Iran will not be directed against any third country.

"This agreement, like our agreement with the DPRK, is not directed against any country and is constructive in nature, aimed at strengthening the capabilities of Russia and Iran in various parts of the world, the ability to better develop the economy, resolve social issues and ensure reliable defense capability," Russia's RIA Novosti quoted Lavrov as saying at a press conference on Tuesday.

Earlier, the Kremlin announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to meet with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Russia on January 17.

The signing of the long-anticipated agreement is expected to take place following their discussions.

"We are ready for dialogue; we accept an equal conversation that considers our dignity and wisdom, and we will not submit to force in any way," Masoud Pezeshkian told NBC in an interview in Tehran.

His official website framed the remarks as referring to the United States and European Union.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran is committed to peace and de-escalation in the region and globally, condemns the Zionist regime's war-mongering, aggression, and genocide, and stands ready for honorable and equal negotiations," he added.

The interview was broadcast on the American television network on Wednesday in spite of the fact the two nations have no diplomatic ties and Iran's Supreme Leader has spoken out against negotiating with the US.

Pezeshkian has consistently advocated for regional and global peace, as the nation's armed allies across the region face increasing challenges.

“We desire friendly relations with the countries of the region and the world, and we are striving to establish peace and security both inside and outside the country,” he said last month during a visit to North Khorasan province.

Pezeshkian made similar remarks in September, accusing Israel of provoking an all-out war as the Jewish state was in the midst of a series of airstrikes targeting Iran's largest military ally, Hezbollah in Lebanon, alongside the war in Gaza against Iran-backed Hamas.

"We want to live in peace; we don't want war," Pezeshkian told Reuters. "It is Israel that seeks to create this all-out conflict."

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said in a speech last week that advocates of negotiating with the United States are "intimidated by the enemy", the two countries not having diplomatic ties since 1980.

He urged officials of the Islamic Republic to disregard "the unreasonable demands of Americans" when addressing key issues, including the hijab, inflation, and currency.

Responding to the question, "Why do we negotiate with Europeans but not engage with the United States?" Khamenei said, "America's enmity toward Iran and the Revolution is deeply rooted and relentless."

US President-elect Donald Trump is set to officially assume office as President of the United States in less than a week, on January 20.

During his first term, Trump implemented a series of measures aimed at weakening Iran’s economy and curbing its regional influence, notably its nuclear program. He withdrew the United States from the nuclear deal with Tehran but did not pursue negotiations that could lead to a new agreement.

In a clear signal of the incoming administration’s intentions, Trump’s newly appointed senior adviser on the Middle East, Massad Boulos, said that President-elect Donald Trump plans to revive his maximum pressure strategy against Iran, further emphasizing the goal of enforcing Iran’s isolation.

On Monday, The Economist described Iran as "vulnerable to a Trumpian all-out economic assault." Similarly, The Spectator wrote, "Trump’s presidency could spell the end of Iran’s regime."

Tehran representative Mehdi Koochakzadeh, who has been involved in numerous outbursts during his tenure in parliament, targeted several members of President Pezeshkian's administration.

"Who are you to initiate negotiations? They want to sell out the country and pass legislation to turn Iran into a servant of the US," he shouted.

Addressing Ali Abdolalizadeh, the president's representative in maritime economy, he said, "If he had made such a suggestion in his hometown, Tabriz, the people would have smashed his mouth."

Koochakzadeh made similar accusations against Vice President Mohammad Javad Zarif and government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani.

Commenting on Mohajerani's proposal to send Iranian relief workers to assist with wildfires in Los Angeles, Kouchakzadeh stated, "As an Iranian taxpayer, I am not okay with a single cent of my taxes being spent on the weak Los Angeles good-for-nothing people before it goes to Gaza."

After Tehran on Saturday expressed readiness to help the authorities in the US contain the ongoing fires in California, Koochakzadeh criticized the move and argued for prioritizing Gaza aid over spending on Los Angeles.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, along with other MPs, attempted to quiet Koochakzadeh, asserting that "Iran should help the people in both Gaza and Los Angeles. This is our humanitarian responsibility."

Some of Koochakzadeh's fellow ultraconservatives, such as Mohsen Mahdian, a columnist for the conservative Hamshahri newspaper, weighed in, saying that "those accused by Koochakzadeh never spoke about sending money to America. They were simply expressing sympathy with Americans affected by the LA wildfire."

"If Koochakzadeh wishes to attack the government, he should look for another pretext," Mahdian added.

The incident led to varied responses among Tehran politicians, with some pushing for better US relations and others maintaining anti-American rhetoric. Despite these differences, there was a consensus in condemning Koochakzadeh's remarks.

The reformist news website Rouydad24 quoted Kambiz Mehdizadeh, a son-in-law and aide to former President Hassan Rouhani, addressing President Masoud Pezeshkian in an article.

He stated, "This is the result of your national reconciliation plan and granting government positions to radicals. However, there is still time to rectify this."

Abdolreza Davari, a former aide to ex-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, wrote, "Koochakzadeh's outburst reflects his frustration over the demise of fundamentalism and the end of the era of super-revolutionaries. It is entirely natural."

Conservative cleric Mohammad Ali Ahangaran wrote, "As a taxpayer, I refuse to see a single penny of my money wasted on this useless MP who spends his time in parliament shouting instead of working."

Conservative journalist Hossein Saremi remarked, "The number of LA-based Iranians affected by the wildfire far exceeds those who ever voted for Koochakzadeh."

According to Rouydad24, Koochakzadeh had previously accused Zarif of "begging the man who killed Qasem Soleimani to negotiate with Iran," in reference to President-elect Donald Trump.

"Currently, 5,000 people are involved in the construction of the two new units," Mohammad Eslami said during a visit to the site, adding, "Their efforts are ensuring the project progresses with good discipline and speed."

Eslami claimed that lessons learned from work on the second unit have helped accelerate progress on the third.

Located in Bushehr province, Iran's first commercial nuclear energy facility sits along the Persian Gulf.

The official also asserted that the project had recently achieved a record by pouring an enormous amount of concrete in one day, specifically 22,000 cubic meters. "Next year, we aim to ramp up our daily concrete pouring to 65,000 cubic meters to keep the project's momentum going," Eslami added.

Eslami was previously sanctioned by the United Nations in 2008 while he was the head of Iran's Defense Industries Training and Research Institute, for his involvement in "Iran's proliferation of sensitive nuclear activities or for the development of nuclear weapon delivery systems."

In February last year, Ahmad Mohammadizadeh, the governor of Bushehr, disclosed that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was undertaking a new expansion of the Bushehr nuclear power plant. This revelation followed a day after Rafael Grossi, the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog, commented that Iran was "not entirely transparent" regarding its nuclear activities.

Speaking about the the work to expand the nuclear plant, Eslami pointed to the use of domestically manufactured equipment and detailed the technical challenges of stabilizing the reactors' foundations. "We have completed 34,000 rod injections to reinforce the foundation beneath the reactor buildings," he said.

In addition to the reactors, Eslami said work is ongoing on supporting infrastructure, including power transmission systems and water intake facilities.

Masoud Pezeshkian congratulated Maduro on his third term as Venezuela's president and wished him success.

"Iran supports legitimate government of Venezuela and is ready to strengthen mutual relations. We believe, any foreign interference and attempts to threaten and sanction Venezuela are doomed to failure," he said in a post on his X account.

Maduro, who has led Venezuela for nearly 12 years amidst severe economic and social turmoil, was sworn in for a third term on Friday.

His inauguration followed a contentious six-month-long electoral dispute, international pressure urging him to step down and an increased US bounty for his capture to $25 million for alleged narco-terrorism.

In office since 2013, Maduro was proclaimed the victor of July's election by Venezuela's electoral authority and supreme court, though no comprehensive vote counts validating his win have been released.

Venezuela's opposition says ballot-level results demonstrate a decisive victory for its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, who has been recognized as the president-elect by several nations, including the United States.

International election observers have criticized the election, saying it did not meet democratic standards.