WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, September 15, 2017.

London metro blast

An explosion has occurred at a London subway station, leaving several passengers injured. The blast took place on a rush-hour underground train at the Parsons Green station in west London, shutting down a district subway line. There are reports of multiple casualties and victims with burnt faces. Witnesses also say that a stampede followed the incident, injuring more people before the police and paramedics arrived. The Metropolitan and British Transport Police say they are aware of the incident, confirming that armed forces are present on the ground to investigate the case. They also advised people to avoid the area, but made no further comments about the possible casualties or the cause of the incident.

US deadly strikes in Syria

A monitoring group says new US-led airstrikes have killed at least 26 civilians in Syria’s eastern Dayr- al-Zawr province. According to the Syrian observatory for Human Rights, 13 of those killed in the attack were women and children. Several people also sustained injuries. The monitoring group also said that the coalition warplanes inflicted heavy damage on residential areas and food stores. The United States says its strikes target terrorists, but facts on the ground show civilians are the main victims of such attacks. The foreign-backed insurgency, which started in Syria in March 2011, has so far taken the lives of about half a million people.

‘Probe Israel’s nukes’: Iran

Iran urges the International Atomic Energy Agency to carefully probe Israel’s nuclear program which it regards as a source of serious concern for the region and the international community. Iran’s ambassador to the IAEA slammed the West for its double standard toward Israel and called for a complete ban on cooperation with the regime in nuclear areas. Reza Najafi warned about the repercussions of Tel Aviv’s nuclear program for regional security and stressed the need to purge the world and the region of nuclear weapons. He said Israel’s stubborn opposition is the main obstacle in the way of de-nuclearizing the region.

Syria de-escalation zones

Iran, Russia and Turkey have agreed to establish de-escalation zones in Syria for six months. Representatives of the three countries reached the deal after the latest round of talks over the Syria crisis in Kazakhstan. According to a joint statement, the zones will include, fully or partly, Eastern Ghouta, the provinces of Idlib, Homs, Latakia, Aleppo and Hama. The Turkish Foreign Ministry also said the trio has agreed to deploy observers around the zones in Idlib which is largely controlled by militants. The ministry said the main mission of these observers is to prevent clashes in the region and any violations of the truce.

London bomb attack

British police have launched a manhunt operation to find the perpetrator behind Friday’s terrorist attack at a subway station in London. Police say one person has been identified as a suspect involved in the blast. Security forces are present at the scene to investigate the blast. British officials say an improvised explosive device triggered Friday’s explosion. Reports say the device had a timer. According to authorities, there is no service in some stations following the blast. Meanwhile, the British Prime Minister has met senior government officials and the country’s top anti-terrorism police officer in the wake of the incident.

Catalonia independence bid

Tensions between Spain’s central government and Catalonia show no signs of abating over the wealthy region’s plans to hold a referendum on independence. Madrid has threatened to take “exceptional measures” against the Catalan government. It has also passed measures to increase control over how Catalonia spends its money. Spanish officials say this is aimed at stopping the region from using state money to pay for the plebiscite which Madrid labels as illegal. Catalonia launched its official campaign for the vote on Thursday. The referendum has been slated for October the first.

Trump controversy

The British Prime Minister has criticized the US president over his comments about Friday’s terrorist attack at the London subway. Theresa May made the remarks after Trump claimed that those involved in the blast were known to security forces, despite no such information having been released publicly by the police. This is not the first time Trump’s controversial and interventionist comments spark an angry reaction. In February, Trump said that terrorism was growing in Europe, and he spoke of an attack in Sweden. But the comment angered Swedish officials as there had been no such incident in the country before the US president made the claim.

Iran dismisses US calls for UN inspection of military sites

The Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council has vehemently rejected US calls for UN inspectors to visit Iran’s military sites under the pretext of implementing the 2015 nuclear deal. Ali Shamkhani stressed that inspecting Iran’s military sites has no legal standing and is an already-nullified case. Shamkhani noted that evaluations made by the International Atomic Energy Agency prove the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran. He warned that the US government’s attempts to escape from its commitments under the nuclear agreement undermine the deal. Shamkhani added that the Islamic Republic would respond to any violations of the nuclear accord. On august 29, the US ambassador to the UN urged the IAEA to request access to Iranian military sites. Iran has repeatedly rejected such demands, saying they are off-limits under the nuclear agreement.

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