LATEST: Anglo-Iranian Law Graduate Given 1-Year Prison Sentence for Trying to Watch Men’s Volleyball Match

Iran has issued a warning to Saudi Arabia that Tehran’s recent efforts at “engagement” will be halted if Riyadh does not refrain from “negative” remarks about the Islamic Republic’s role in the region.

After almost a year of the Rouhani Government’s pursuit of better relations, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met his Saudi counterpart Prince Saud at the United Nations in New York in September. The discussions fuelled speculation of a trip by President Rouhani to Saudi Arabia.

However, Prince Saud issued a sharp caution in mid-October, saying that Iran had been counter-productive in its involvement in the Iraqi and Syrian crises and in countries like Lebanon: “In many conflicts, Iran is part of the problem, not the solution….We can say that Iranian forces in Syria are occupying forces.”

The Iranian Foreign Ministry immediately rejected the remarks, and Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian went farther on Saturday:

We had constructive talks during the negotiations of the two countries’ foreign ministers in New York and during my trip to Jeddah and we heard good words from the Saudi foreign minister.

But unfortunately, a few days after every round of negotiations, Mr. Saud al-Feisal has made negative and unconstructive media comments and showed a type of attitude which has run counter to the atmosphere of the diplomatic talks and the path paved in the bilateral relations and negotiations.

Amir Abdollahian implied that “engagement” could be broken off if Riyadh did not withdraw its criticism: “On the issue of continued diplomatic negotiations, it is Saudi Arabia now which should decide if it is committed to the path of negotiations or to unconstructive media remarks.”

Anglo-Iranian Law Graduate Given 1-Year Prison Sentence for Trying to Watch Men’s Volleyball Match

Ghoncheh Ghavami, the Anglo-Iranian woman imprisoned in June for trying to watch a men’s volleyball match, has been given a one-year sentence.

The law graduate was arrested with a group of women outside Azadi Stadium. They were released within a few hours, but Ghavami was detained when she went to collect her confiscated possessions.

Ghavami was accused of “spreading propaganda against the regime”. She went on hunger strike for two weeks in October to protest the conduct of her case and a closed-door trial.

ISNA Photographer Released After 9-Day Detention for Coverage of Acid Attack Protests

Arya Jafari, a reporter for the Iranian Students News Agency, has been released on bail after nine days in detention.

Jafari was imprisoned for his photographs of mass protests in Isfahan over a series of acid attacks on women.

Jafari’s pictures were also used by the French news service AFP.

Four other staff of ISNS were briefly detained for reporting on the protests, which have demanded the resignations of officials and the withdrawal of a new law protecting those who challenge “un-Islamic” dress and behavior.