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Amirabdollahian said one of the major issues in the Vienna talks was getting “guarantees, especially from the West, to fulfil their obligations.”
Iran is wary that any promises made by the Biden administration as part of the restoration of the JCPOA could be rolled back by the next American president.
After the waiver removal was confirmed, Iran's top security official Ali Shamkhani said on Twitter: "Iran's legal right to continue research and development and maintain its peaceful nuclear capabilities and achievements, side by side with its security ... cannot be curbed by any agreement." Shamkhani is secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council.
2.2 Tehran schools closed amid Omicron wave as health minister complains Iranians dismissive of latest wave of virus
Tehran Governor Mohsen Mansouri on February 1 announced the closure of all kindergarten and elementary schools in the Iranian capital in response to a growing wave of coronavirus infections largely of the Omicron variant, Tasnim News Agency reported.
Tehran and other cities around Iran are suffering from what officials say is the “sixth wave” of the virus in the country. The Omicron situation across Iran has become so bad so rapidly that several regions including that of the capital are now classified as “red” by the Health Ministry. After weeks of relative calm, Iran saw its first “red” city on a colour-coded map five days ago. By January 31, the number of cities classified “red” was 15. The number at the second highest level for infections, “orange”, was 61.
Iranian Health Minister Bahram Eynollahi said people were too dismissive of the Omicron virus variant due to media reporting its lack of severity compared to previous variants such as Delta.
"Unfortunately, the impression has been created that Omicron is not very important and is not very severe, so the rate of compliance with health protocols has decreased and we have only 50% compliance with protocols," IRIB reported Eynollahi as saying.
On January 31, at least 47 of the 250 members of Iran’s parliament tested positive for the virus, forcing the closure of the legislature. At least 10 lawmakers with coronavirus infections were hospitalised, MP Alireza Salimi said on January 30.
8 IRAN Country Report February 2022 www.intellinews.com