All Retired Officials Still Working in Iran Must Resign

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September 15, 2018

The legislation, which eliminates many exceptions in the law, had been approved by the parliament last month and was ratified by the Guardian Council, the legislation watchdog, this week.

Nasser Seraj, the head of the country’s inspection organization, said the amendments will be legally enforceable within two months.

Therefore, all retired officials who are still working in a governmental position, must resign and leave their offices within the next two months.

According to the newly-ratified law, the ban would not apply to the heads of the three branches of the government (president, parliament speaker, and judiciary chief), first vice-president, vice-speakers of the parliament, members of the Guardian Council, ministers, legislators and vice-presidents.

Iran Pursuing Reported Arrest of Student in Australia

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IFP Editorial Staff

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September 15, 2018

Qassemi on Saturday noted that the Iranian embassy in Canberra has been ordered to quickly follow up on the issue through Australian authorities, and the outcome will be made public after receiving information.

He made the remarks in response to a question raised by the Young Journalists’ Club regarding the alleged arrest of an Iranian student at the Australian University of Queensland on charge of sending US military equipment to Iran.

“Iran has always pursued the policy of protecting the rights of Iranian nationals around the world, and we will work as hard as possible to check the veracity of the report in a bid to take possible actions,” Qassemi added.

Iran has the experience of dealing with such illegitimate, selective, political and biased conduct of the US government in the past, he noted, adding that the foreign ministry is currently pursuing other cases of such accusations against Iranian citizens, he noted.

Qassemi’s statement came after Australia’s ABC News reported that a University of Queensland (UQ) research student is fighting to avoid extradition to the United States after American authorities accused him of exporting military radar equipment to help the Iranian government.

Reza Dehbashi Kivi, 38, has never set foot in the US but is accused of exporting American equipment for detecting stealth planes or missiles to Iran.

Dehbashi could face a maximum 20 years’ prison for the alleged offences, which date back to 2008 when he was living in Iran, the country of his birth, the report said.

Iran Congratulates Iraq on Election of New Parliament Speaker

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IFP Editorial Staff

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September 15, 2018

In a Saturday statement, Qassemi offered congratulations to Al-Halbousi on his election, saying, “Iran has always been a supporter of democracy, territorial integrity and national sovereignty of Iraq and backs the decisions made by the elected representatives of the Iraqi people.”

“Tehran believes that the election of the parliament speaker is an important and necessary step for the formation of a new Iraqi government,” he noted.

He also expressed the hope that the country would soon elect its new president and prime minister as well, saying that the elections would pave the way for the formation of the new Iraqi government.

Iraq’s parliament on Saturday elected lawmaker Mohammed Al-Halbousi as its new speaker. 169 lawmakers voted for Al-Halbousi and 89 voted for former defence minister Khalid Al-Obeidi.

Al-Halbousi previously served as the governor of Anbar province.

Iran Reminds France of Its Duty to Protect Diplomatic Buildings

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IFP Editorial Staff

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September 15, 2018

In response to questions raised by Iranian reporters on Saturday, Qassemi confirmed that a small number of anti-Iran elements were planning to invade the building of the Iranian embassy in Paris on Friday evening, but failed to enter the embassy building.

However, he said, they caused damages to the embassy by throwing some objects.

Qassemi noted that the French police were naturally expected to be at the scene on time, but unfortunately they were not present when the assailants, affiliated to a terrorist group, attacked the building.

He stressed that the attack as well as the police’s failure to have a timely arrival are under investigation.

Qassemi noted that after numerous attempts by the Iranian side to follow up the issue, a number of assailants were arrested by the police.

He also urged the French authorities to prosecute and punish the perpetrators and declare the results.

He once again reminded the French foreign ministry that the host country is responsible for protecting diplomatic sites, stressing that the French side is required to take effective measures to protect all Iranian diplomatic sites in France.

On Friday, the Iranian embassy building in Paris was attacked by members of an anti-Iran terrorist group.

A number of terrorists, allegedly affiliated with the Kurdish separatist group the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, threw stones and debris, spray-painted the embassy’s facade and broke several windows.

Iran to Obtain Int’l Licenses for Its Homegrown Choppers

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IFP Editorial Staff

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September 15, 2018

Manouchehr Manteqi, the head of Aviation Technology Development at the Iranian Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology, said Iran is among nearly 20 countries across the world capable of designing choppers.

“These choppers, which have been designed by Iranian experts and can carry eight people, have been showcased in several exhibitions and have good foreign customers,” ISNA quoted him as saying.

Manteqi said Iran’s knowledge-based companies have become highly active in the aviation industry and their number has increased from 20 firms in 2014 to 180.

“Active participation of knowledge-based firms could have a big impact on the progress of the aviation industry,” he said.

For a brief review of Iran’s achievements in various fields of science and technology, check the book “Science and Technology in Iran: A Brief Review”

Iran has the most powerful fleet of choppers in the Middle East, according to Commander of the Iranian Army Ground Force’s Airborne Division General Yousef Qorbani.

“Due to limitations, all helicopters (in Iran) have been manufactured by the country’s youth,” he noted back in July.

Iranian military experts and technicians have in recent years made great headways in manufacturing a broad range of indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient in the arms sphere.

Iran to Boost Uranium Enrichment If EU Remains Passive: Zarif

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IFP Media Wire

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September 15, 2018

“The Europeans and the other signatories must act in order to compensate for the effects of the US sanctions,” Zarif told the German news magazine Der Spiegel on Saturday.

The US withdrew from the 2015 agreement in May and began reimposing sanctions on Iran at the start of August, with further sanctions on the country’s finance and energy sectors to follow on November 4.

Zarif said Tehran might act if “the balance of give and take were destroyed,” adding that “oil and banks” were the litmus test. This, however, did not necessarily mean that Iran would for its part withdraw from the nuclear agreement.

Partial or reduced implementation was another possibility, Zarif asserted.

The foreign minister said European parties to the nuclear deal with Iran must decide if they want to submit to US pressure, adding the Europeans needed to decide whether they are ready to let deeds follow their words.

“The Europeans and the other signatories must act in order to compensate for the effects of the US sanctions,” he said.

The EU has invariably opposed the US withdrawal, calling the deal a pillar of regional and international peace and security.

Tehran has tasked the European signatories – the UK, France, Russia, and Germany – to make their continued commitments to the deal worthwhile by guaranteeing that the country continued to benefit from the economic rewards of the deal.

Zarif also rejected direct talks with US President Donald Trump. He said Iran would only think about talks with the United States if the US returned to the nuclear deal.

Iran Says Two US Departments Manipulating Its Currency Market

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IFP Editorial Staff

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September 15, 2018

The report by the Security Department of Iran’s Ministry of Commerce says the US governmental organizations have advanced their plot by giving staged shocks to Iran’s currency market.

“Based on a plot jointly hatched by the US state and treasury departments and intelligence agencies, Washington has launched an operation to manipulate Iran’s currency market by giving Iran’s economy staged shocks to devalue the Iranian rial against foreign currencies,” the report said.

It also said the operation is carried out from certain US bases in the neighbouring states and added most of the elements operating in Iran’s currency market are unaware of the US’ concerted efforts.

The statement said it has already unveiled part of the operation along the border areas. “In certain cases, the US bases received IR rials and absorbed Iranian cash capitals with the main goal of inflicting heavy blows on the country’s economic system.”

“Organizing a massive network of regional elements with extended links to Iran’s monetary market and dispatching various groups carrying huge amounts of IR rials to the border cities to collect US dollars are among the main mechanisms that the US organizations have adopted to make Iran’s currency market volatile,” he said.

The Iranian market has been in a shock caused by a dramatic rise in the rate of foreign currencies over the past months.

The US dollar is currently exchanged at 140,000 rials in the free market amid a dramatic devaluation of the Iranian currency.

The recent packages of measures unveiled by the Iranian government have failed so far to rein in the turbulence in foreign currency market of the country.

‘No Date, No Signature’ to Represent Iran at 2019 Academy Awards

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IFP Editorial Staff

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September 15, 2018

In a statement, the nine-member panel, which includes Iranian directors and actors, said the film directed by Vahid Jalilvand was warmly received both by Iranian people and international critics, and is good enough to represent the Islamic Republic in the global festival.

It also expressed hope that the Iranian cinema would put its weight behind the movie to promote the ethical and noble features of the Iranian nation across the world.

No Date, No Signature revolves around a forensic pathologist who is involved in an accident and faces an ethical dilemma whether or not he is responsible for the death of a child.

The film has received many international awards over the past year including Best Director Award for Jalilvand and Best Actor Award for Navid Mohammadzadeh at the Venice Film Festival; Best Film Award at the Brussels International Film Festival; and Best Director Award at Russia’s Mirror International Film Festival, among others.

In its statement, the panel referred to the long-standing dilemma of nominating an Iranian movie annually for the Academy Awards and said the dilemma has gained momentum this year due to the US’ recent unilateral withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and its illegal and brutal sanctions on the Iranian nation and government.

“With due respect to the good intentions of a group of people who call for boycotting the Academy Awards, the panel in charge of selecting Iran’s submission to the Oscars maintains that the academy is a non-governmental entity belonging to all those involved in the US movie industry,” the statement said.

The panel then referred to the critical approach of the academy towards racist and unilateral policies of the populist administration of Donald Trump and added as part of the country’s cultural policies, the Iranian cinema can take advantage of the opportunity available to take part in the event to promote peace among nations and increase further pressure on the US government.

Iran won the Academy Award for the Best Foreign Language Film in 2017 for ‘The Salesman’ directed by renowned filmmaker Asghar Farhadi, who had won the same award in 2012 for ‘A Separation’.

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on September 15

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IFP Editorial Staff

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September 15, 2018

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on November 19

The top story in almost all papers today was the recent remarks by former US Secretary of State John Kerry about his meetings with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, which have outraged US President Donald Trump.

Several papers also published articles for and against the participation of President Hassan Rouhani in an upcoming UN Security Council meeting due to be chaired by Trump.

The above issues, as well as many more, are highlighted in the following headlines and top stories:

Abrar:

1- Kerry Asks Iranians to Wait for Trump to Leave

2- Europe to Establish Independent Financial Body to Bypass US Sanctions against Iran

Aftab-e Yazd:

1- Iran Needs to Hold Dialogue with American Elites

2- Kerry: In Past Two Years I’ve Held Four Meetings with Zarif

3- Details of the Way Iran Hosted Tehran Summit

Russian, Turkish Presidents Accompanied by 360 People

4- Retired Executives Cheating to Keep Their Positions

All Retired People Must Leave Their Positions, but Some Are Cheating

Arman-e Emrooz:

1- Kerry in Meeting with Zarif: Wait until Trump’s Impeachment

2- Iran to Appoint Its First Female Sunni Ambassador

Will Homeyra Rigi Be Appointed as Iran Envoy to Brunei?

Ebtekar:

1- Zarif-Kerry Issue, New Challenge for Trump

2- EU Has Practical Solution to Bypass US Sanctions

Etemad:

1- Shadow Diplomacy: Kerry-Zarif Meetings Outrage Trump Administration

2- Defenceless Civilians or Centre of Terrorism?

Last Chapter of Syria’s Seven-Year War in Idlib

Ettela’at:

1- American Bodies behind Chaos in Iran’s Forex Market

2- US Holds Joint Drills with Syria Terrorists

Iran:

1- Kerry under Fire for Meeting Zarif

2- Al-Abadi’s Double-Standard Approach to Premiership

Formation of Next Iraqi Government Accelerated

3- Former Diplomat: Iran Shouldn’t Gift UN’s Tribune to Its Rivals

Javan:

1- Kerry: We Would Have Withdrawn from JCPOA in Due Time

2- Haley: For Now Our Focus on Iranian Nation

3- Iraqi Youths Symbolically Clean Burned Building of Iran Consulate in Basra

Kayhan:

1- FATF Chief: We Have Close Cooperation with Israel against Iran

2- Zionist General: Israeli Army Not Ready for Any War

Sazandegi:

1- Trump Protests against Kerry-Zarif Meeting

US President Says Kerry Has Told Zarif Trump Will Be Sacked

2- Guardian Council Approves Bill to Stop Using Retired Officials

Will Younger People Be Appointed to Those Job Vacancies?

Shahrvand:

1- Iranians Rush to Pre-Purchase New iPhones

Astronomical Prices for Pre-Sale of iPhone XS

Shargh:

1- Kerry’s Meeting with Zarif Causes Him Trouble

2- Iranian Society’s Current Situation [Editorial]

3- Opportunity to Prove Rightfulness of Iran Nuclear Deal

Opponents, Proponents of Rouhani’s Participation in UNSC Meeting

Sobh-e Now:

1- Imran Khan’s Opportunity: When Iranian Diplomats Are Negligent

Pakistani PM Changes His Decision, Will First Visit Riyadh, Then Tehran

Astonishing Beauty of Abr Forest

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IFP Editorial Staff

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September 15, 2018

The forest is always immersed in clouds. It is located 45 km north of Shahrud and on the way to Azadshahr. Abr Forest is located 12 km from the village of Abr in Semnan.

These forests finally reach Azadshahr in Golestan province, a city located 76 kilometres out of the provincial capital of Gorgan.

Abr forests are part of the oldest forests in the world i.e. the Hyrcanian forests that have been around for millions of years, and remained from the Jurassic era.

What follows are ISNA’s photos of these 40 million-year-old forests:

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