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 22, 2018.

No military solution for Syria

Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, says the policy of the Islamic Republic toward Syria is aimed at de-escalating tensions in the Arab country. In an interview with BBC, Araqchi said Tehran is working with its regional partners including Russia and Turkey to de-escalate tensions in Syria. He reiterated that there is no military solution to the crisis in Syria. The comments come as the UN Security Council is set to meet on the situation in Syria’s militant-held Eastern Ghouta, the flashpoint countryside of the capital Damascus. Clashes in eastern Ghouta have been going on for weeks. Recent shelling by foreign-backed militants has left dozens of civilians dead. The Syrian government is also accused of carrying out airstrikes on the militant-held area.

Annual Amnesty report

A prominent human rights organization has slammed the US and Europe for their response to the refugee crisis, accusing them of state-sponsored discrimination and hate. Amnesty International said the politics of demonization provided fertile ground for human rights abuses in 2017, exemplified by the response of Europe and the US to the refugee crisis. According to the rights group, most European states have been unwilling to face the refugee crisis safely and legally. It said that these countries, instead, made utmost efforts to keep asylum seekers away from the continent's shores. The Amnesty took a particular aim at the US president’s executive order that banned entry to citizens of several Muslim-majority countries.

HRW condemns Bahrain

Advocacy group Human Rights Watch has slammed Bahrain for sentencing rights defender Nabeel Rajab to five years in prison. According to HRW, Rajab has apparently been subjected to treatment that amounts to arbitrary punishment. The activist who heads Bahrain’s Center for Human Rights was sentenced to five years in jail for reporting about torture in the country’s high-security Jaw prison. Criticizing the Saudi-led invasion of Yemen that has left nearly 14,000 people dead is another reason behind his conviction. Amnesty International has also described the sentence against Rajab as a slap in the face of justice. Rajab has already been given a two-year imprisonment for his tweets against Bahrain’s security apparatus.

Afrin celebration

People in Syria’s Afrin have staged a rally to welcome the arrival of pro-government forces who have been deployed to the region to defend the city against the ongoing Turkish offensive. The demonstrators gathered in the main square of Afrin, waving the Syrian flag and shouting slogans in support of the government. They also held posters of President Bashar al-Assad. Leaders of the Kurdish militant group known as YPG have confirmed the pro-government forces have been deployed to the frontlines to repel Turkey’s occupation. They’ve, however, said the number of the troops is not enough, calling on the Syrian army to help as well. Afrin has been under attack by Turkey since last month. Ankara regards the Kurdish militants as terrorists and a threat to its borders. The Syrian government has condemned the Turkish military incursion, describing it as a violation of its sovereignty

Iran's JCPOA stance

Iran has warned that the Islamic Republic will withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal if it gains no economic benefits from the agreement. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araqchi said some foreign companies and major banks still refuse to do businesses with Iran due to the US policy of creating uncertainties about the deal. Araqchi warned that the nuclear agreement will not survive should the US government fail to extend the sanctions waiver in May. Elsewhere in his remarks, Araqchi blamed US President Donald Trump for violating the letter and spirit of the internationally-recognized deal. He reaffirmed that the Islamic Republic will never re-negotiate the historic accord. Araqchi also rejected any links between the survival of the nuclear deal and Iran’s missile program. He stressed that the country’s defensive capability is non-negotiable and not up for bargaining.

Russia raps supporters of terrorism

Russia puts the onus on those who support terrorists for the dire situation in Syria’s militant-held Eastern Ghouta near the capital Damascus. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov hailed Russia, Syria and Iran for exerting all efforts to bring terrorism to its knees in the war-torn country. Over the past five days, the Syrian army has been bombarding Eastern Ghouta in response to deadly mortar attacks by foreign-backed terrorists holed up in the area. A UK-based monitoring group claims the air raids have so far left over 400 people dead. Damascus has not responded to the claim. Eastern Ghouta is home to an estimated 400,000 people and is held by militant groups. The militants usually use civilian areas for their hideouts and weapons depots.

Brexit divide

The British Prime Minister is going to meet with her senior ministers to unite the divided cabinet over how to exit the EU. Theresa May’s Conservative government is divided between supporters of a hard and clean break with the EU and those in favor of a soft divorce and closer ties with the bloc. Britain is also under pressure from EU leaders to soon display a clear picture of its objectives. The bloc has reminded London that it cannot be selective in picking the European Union’s rule. Britain is due to start negotiating future trade ties with the EU next month and will officially leave it on March 29, 2019.

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