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The next round of Syria peace talks in the Astana format will take place in the Kazakh capital on Nov. 28-29, Kazakhstan's foreign minister announced on Monday.
Speaking to reporters, Kayrat Abdrahmanov said the guarantor countries Turkey, Russia, and Iran have agreed on the date of the 11th meeting on Syria in the Astana format.
Iran will continue to export oil despite U.S. sanctions, which are part of a psychological war doomed to failure, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday.By reimposing sanctions on OPEC's third biggest crude producer, Washington wants to force Tehran to drop its ballistic missile programmes, further curb its nuclear work and limit its support for proxy militias from Syria to Lebanon and Yemen."We will not yield to this pressure, which is part of the psychological war launched against Iran," Rouhani said in a speech in the city of Khoy, broadcast live on state television."They have failed to stop our oil exports. We will keep exporting it ... Your regional policies have failed and you blame Iran for that failure from Afghanistan to Yemen and Syria," he added, to chants of "Death to America!".Iran remains hopeful that Europe can salvage nuclear dealRouhani said Washington lacked the necessary international support for its sanctions, and noted that it had granted temporary waivers to eight major buyers of Iranian oil."America is isolated now. Iran is supported by many countries. Except for the Zionist regime (Israel) and some countries in the region, no other country backs America's pressure on Iran," he said.The European Union, France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China, participants with the United States in the 2015 deal that lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme, have been trying to find ways to circumvent the U.S. limitations.In particular, the EU has been trying to establish a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for non-dollar trade with Iran.Iran's carpet exporters eye new markets after sanctionsBut this has not stopped foreign businesses ranging from oil companies and trading houses to firms leaving Iran for fear of incurring U.S. penalties.Iran has threatened to exit the deal if its economic benefits are not preserved, but Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi told a news conference that it remained "hopeful that the Europeans can save the deal".The SPV was conceived as a clearing house that could be used to help match Iranian oil and gas exports against purchases of EU goods, circumventing the U.S. sanctions, which are based on the global use of the dollar for oil trade.The EU wanted to have the SPV set up by this month, but no country has offered to host it, six diplomats told Reuters last week."We expect EU to implement the SPV as soon as possible," Qasemi said. "Iran adheres to its commitments as long as other signatories honour theirs." 
Rouhani says Iran to continue oil exports and resist US economic war
Iran is still hopeful that Europe can save a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and six major powers despite the withdrawal of the United States, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said on Monday."There are some ambiguities on implementation of EU's mechanism to protect trade with Iran from America's sanctions ... But we remain hopeful that the Europeans can save the deal," Qasemi told a weekly news conference, broadcast live on state TV.Other signatories of the deal have been trying to salvage it since May, when U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned the accord. The United States also restored sanctions targeting Iran's oil, banking and transportation sectors earlier this month.Iraq, Iran seek to boost trade ties despite sanctionsRouhani sees Iran, Iraq expanding trade despite US sanctions
Iran remains hopeful that Europe can salvage nuclear deal
Abdrahmanov said the meeting is planned to be attended by the guarantor countries, the Bashar al-Assad regime, and Syrian military opposition.
He added that the UN and Jordan were also invited to the meeting as observers.
The first meeting in the Astana format for reaching a cease-fire in Syria was held in January 2017.
Nine meetings were held in Astana, while the 10th meeting was held in Sochi, Russia this July.
In the opposition-held town of Syria’s Azaz, the 6500-strong Hamza Brigade of the Free Syrian Army is conducting war exercises and target practices for a possible Turkish-led operation against Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorists in the east of the Euphrates River.FSA Commander Seyf Abu Bakr evaluated the situation and said, “We are preparing for the east of the Euphrates with all our might. As the Free Syrian Army, our goal is to free our citizens east of the Euphrates from terror.”US strikes eastern Syria using banned phosphorus bombs, Russia saysN. Syrian tribes hail Turkey’s anti-YPG/PKK effortsStating that the PKK/YPG terror group persecutes locals and loots their homes in the areas that it occupies, Abu Bakr said: “We will politically and militarily purge those areas too with Turkey’s support.”President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has signaled an impending operation against YPG terrorists east of the river, delivering last month what he said was his "final warning" to those he said endangered Turkey's southern border with Syria.Turkish troops -- backed by the FSA -- liberated large swathes of northwestern Syria from terrorist groups during the Operation Euphrates Shield in 2016, while the Operation Olive Branch dealt a heavy blow to YPG/PKK and Daesh terrorists liberating Syria's Afrin region in early 2018. In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the death of some 40,000 people, including women and children. The YPG is its Syrian branch.
FSA ready to fight PKK/YPG alongside Turkey in east of Euphrates
The Russian ambassador to Finland, Pavel Kuznetsov, has been summoned to a meeting on Monday with Finnish state secretary Matti Anttonen over the disruption of Finland's global positioning system (GPS) signal during recent NATO war games."We don't have anything to hide here. Disruption is a serious matter which disturbs civil aviation. We will act towards Russia, we will discuss this and we expect answers," Finnish Foreign Minister Timo Soini said in a statement to public broadcaster Yle while on a state visit to the United States. The Finnish foreign ministry said on Thursday that the disruption of Finland's GPS signal during recent NATO war games came from Russian territory. Russia may take actions to protect its vessels in Azov Sea: KremlinIraq restarts some Kirkuk oil flows after year-long haltUS strikes eastern Syria using banned phosphorus bombs, Russia saysRussia wants to steer clear of any OPEC-led oil production cut
Russian ambassador to Finland summoned over GPS disruption
At least four PKK/KCK terror suspects have been arrested in an anti-terror operation across Turkey on Saturday, according to security sources.In separate raids, four suspects were arrested in three provinces, including Istanbul, Van, and Izmir, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.Digital material used in the propaganda for the terrorist organization was also seized.The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and EU.In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, it has been responsible for the deaths of some 40,000 people, including women and children.Iraq restarts some Kirkuk oil flows after year-long haltAssad forces raped 28, murdered 11 children in two months in Syria’s AleppoYPG is 'Syrian offshoot' of PKK terror group: US envoy100 senior terrorists neutralized in 2018: Turkish min.
Four PKK/KCK suspects arrested across Turkey