Iran-Afghanistan Railway to Open in Coming Days: President

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October 19, 2020

Iran-Afghanistan Railway to Open in Coming Days: President

In a Monday meeting with Head of Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah in Tehran, President Rouhani said the inauguration of Khaf-Herat rail route in the coming days will help enhance the economic and trade cooperation between the two states.

The president also expressed Iran’s readiness to connect gas and oil product pipelines to Afghanistan to allow the Afghan people to enjoy the energy carriers.

Hailing the High Council for National Reconciliation’s efforts to establish peace in Afghanistan, President Rouhani said, “Peace, stability, and sustainable security in Afghanistan as a neighbour and brother of the Islamic Republic of Iran is of special significance.”

The president also touched on Iran’s support for the Afghan government and nation against foreign aggression, noting, “What is important is that the people of that country (Afghanistan) would gain real peace to maintain their achievements after years of war and clashes, and the solution to this problem is political talks and intra-Afghan negotiations.”

The US’ interference and presence in Afghanistan as an aggressor has been opposed by the Afghan people, President Rouhani stated, adding, “The US government whose policies in the region and world have been defeated and which has not achieved any success is seeking to take advantage of the peace talks in Afghanistan for (US presidential) election.”

The president finally called for the expansion of ties with Afghanistan in all fields under a long-term agreement, saying, “As we have always stood by the Afghan people, we will continue to support this country, all currents, ethnicities and peace-loving groups, and we hope to see the establishment of sustainable security in that country.”

For his part, Abdullah Abdullah praised Iran as a good friend and neighbor of Afghanistan and admired the Islamic Republic’s contribution to lasting peace and security in his country.

The visiting official also expressed gratitude to Iran for hosting the Afghan refugees during years of war and unrest in Afghanistan.

“I had good meetings with the Islamic Republic’s officials in my visit to Tehran,” the former chief executive officer of the Afghan unity government noted, saying he would convey Iran’s message of support to Kabul and pursue the implementation of bilateral deals.

Abdullah also expressed hope that Iran’s supports would help the Afghan peace talks yield results and lead to sustainable calm and security in Afghanistan.

Iranian, Ukrainian Diplomats Hold New Round of Political Talks

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IFP Editorial Staff

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October 19, 2020

Iranian, Ukrainian Diplomats Hold New Round of Political Talks

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Seyyed Abbas Araqchi and Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Yevgheniy Yenin held the second round of deputy-level political talks.

In the meeting, the two diplomats discussed a range of issues of mutual interest between Iran and Ukraine, reviewed the latest developments of the bilateral ties in the political, economic, cultural, educational and consular fields, and weighed plans for the promotion of relations.

Participants in the political meeting also expressed the two countries’ stances on major regional and international issues such as the developments surrounding the JCPOA, the illegal and unilateral sanctions imposed by the US on Iran, the ongoing developments in the region, the national and international consequences of the outbreak of COVID-19, and the ways to tackle the pandemic.

The third round of Iran-Ukraine political negotiations is set to be held in Kiev.

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Ukrainian Diplomat Discuss Plane Crash

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IFP Editorial Staff

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October 19, 2020

Iran's Foreign Minister, Ukrainian Diplomat Discuss Plane Crash

While diplomats from Iran and Ukraine launched the second round of talks on the issues surrounding the passenger plane crash on Monday, deputy foreign minister of Ukraine and head of the Ukrainian team of negotiators, Yevgheniy Yenin, held a meeting with Foreign Minister Zarif.

In the meeting, the two officials discussed the process of talks on the Ukrainian plane crash.

Foreign Minister Zarif once again expressed his regret at the tragic incident, hailed as positive and constructive the first round of negotiations on the aerial incident, and expressed hope that the negotiations would immediately produce the appropriate and desired results with cooperation and interaction between the two countries.

The two diplomats also talked about Iran-Ukraine relations and the ways to broaden cooperation between the two countries in various fields.

Diplomatic delegations from Iran and Ukraine on Monday began the second round of talks on the Kiev-bound UIA Boeing 737 that crashed shortly after taking off from Tehran on January 8.
The new round of expert negotiations will go on for two days.

Dark Day for Iran: Daily Rise in COVID-19 Fatalities at Highest Level Ever

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IFP Editorial Staff

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October 19, 2020

Dark Day for Iran Daily Rise in COVID-19 Fatalities at Highest Level Ever

In a press briefing on Monday, Sima-Sadat Lari said 534,631 patients have contracted the virus so far, including 4,251 new cases identified in the past 24 hours.

So far, she added, 431,360 patients have recovered from the disease or been discharged from the hospital.

Lari said 4,771 patients are also in critical conditions caused by more severe infection.
The spokeswoman noted that 4,540,455 COVID-19 tests have been taken across the country so far.

She said the high-risk “red” zones include Tehran, Qom, Mazandaran, East Azarbaijan, Isfahan, Yazd, Ardabil, Khorasan Razavi, Khuzestan, Hamadan, West Azarbaijan, Bushehr, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Alborz, Lorestan, Markazi, Ilam, South Khorasan, Kermanshah, North Khorasan, Semnan, Gilan, Zanjan, Qazvin, Kurdistan, and Kerman provinces.

The “orange” zones also include Golestan, Hormozgan, and Fars provinces, she added.

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on October 19

By

Fatemeh Askarieh

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October 19, 2020

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on November 5

Iranian Newspapers

Abrar Newspaper:

1- Iran Envoy to UN: Tehran’s Arms Trade No Longer Needs UNSC Approval

Aftab-e Yazd Newspaper:

1- Coronavirus Medicine Had Been Discovered in Iran Before Outbreak of Virus!

2- Why Is Abdullah Visiting Iran?

Arman-e Melli Newspaper:

1- Mirage of Biden’s Victory for Iran

2- Tehran Must Be Immediately Shut Down: City Council Chairman

Ebtekar Newspaper:

1- Weapons Trade, Souvenir of Lame Duck JCPOA

* UN’s Arms Embargo on Iran Lifted after 13 Years

2- Rouhani Calls on All Parties to Avoid Clash

* Enemies Have Made Special Investment in Domestic Disagreements

3- New Truce between Baku, Yerevan Didn’t Last Long

Etemad Newspaper:

1- Hardliners against Rouhani

2- Tehran Main Supporter of Afghan Peace

Ettela’at Newspaper:

1- Iran Supports Afghan Peace Process and Intra-Afghan Talks

Iran Newspaper:

1- Why Does Iran Defend Peace in Afghanistan

2- New Restrictions and Penalties to Contain COVID-19

Javan Newspaper:

1- Enforce the Law! Don’t Beg People to Observe COVID-19 Restrictions

2- 86 Percent of People Want Gov’t to Punish Those Violating COVID-19 Restrictions

Kayhan Newspaper:

1- Brutal Casualties of Corona and Instructions Not Taken Seriously!

2- 90 Days after Hezbollah Threat: Zionist Army Still on Standby

3- Masks, Flowers Distributed by Police Forces among Tehran Citizens

Khorasan Newspaper:

1- China, Economic Winner of Corona Pandemic

Mardom Salari Newspaper:

1- Tehran-Moscow Military Interaction Facilitated

2- Iran Supports Intra-Afghan Peace Process

Shahrvand Newspaper:

1- Ban on Arms Sales to/from Iran Automatically Lifted

Shargh Newspaper:

1- Big Troubles: A Review of Rouhani’s Second Term in Office

2- MPs Show Off with Their Plan to Impeach Rouhani

Master Farshchian: I Saw Imam Reza’s Face and Painted Him!

By

IFP Editorial Staff

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October 19, 2020

Master Farshchian I Saw Imam Reza’s Face and Painted Him 1

The painting “The Guarantor of the Gazelle” praises Imam Reza, depicting a story in which the Shiite leader acted as a mediator between a gazelle and a hunter.

The Guarantor of the Gazelle refers to the story of a deer caught by a hunter in a forest. Passing by, Imam Reza asked the hunter to free the deer, so that she could raise her babies, but he promised the deer would come back afterward. The hunter accepted and freed the deer.

Months later, the deer returned to the hunter’s home. However, the hunter declined to kill her as he saw the miracle in what had happened.

In the painting, Imam Reza is illustrated with a halo all around his body unlike other paintings by other artists in which only the faces of revered figures have a halo around them.

Farshchian tells the story of how he saw the face of Imam Reza before painting the artwork.
He says he had gone to the US to undergo a heart surgery back in 1980. Farshchian says he asked Imam Reza to help him throughout his treatment procedure.

He says in the last test that he had to undergo before the operation, there was, surprisingly enough, no sign of illness! He says the doctors wouldn’t believe what had happened.

“Your heart is healthy and does not need any surgery!” they told Farshchian.

He says it was then that he decided to paint “The Guarantor of the Gazelle.” He says he saw Imam Reza in his dream.

“Imam Reza kindly said, ‘See me and draw me!’,” says Farshchian.

Farshchian has also painted another artwork called “The Guarantor of the Gazelle II,” depicting the deer taking refuge in Imam Reza and showing the hunter repenting of his plan to kill the gazelle, disposing of his hunting equipment and saluting to Imam Reza.

Iran, Ukraine Hold New Round of Talks on January Plane Crash

By

IFP Editorial Staff

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October 19, 2020

Iran, Ukraine Hold New Round of Talks on January Plane Crash

The second round of negotiations between Tehran and Kiev about the Ukrainian plane crash was held in the Iranian capital on Monday.

The meeting was co-chaired by Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for International and Legal Affairs Mohsen Baharvand, who heads the Iranian delegation, and by Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Yevgheniy Yenin, head of the Ukrainian delegation.

In the gathering, the head of the Iranian delegation expressed sympathy with the families of victims of the plane crash, saying, “The Ukrainian plane was shot due to human error, and the Islamic Republic of Iran will try to assure the Ukrainian side of this issue as well.”

“Iran’s stance is based upon transparency, as it has nothing to hide about this incident and is ready to genuinely inform the Ukrainian people and delegation about details of the incident,” Baharvand stated.

Iran and Ukraine are two friends that have sadly experienced such incident, he added, saying the two countries should now reach an agreement at the negotiating table.

Baharvand also reaffirmed Iran’s determination to take punitive action on and punish those at fault, ensure justice, and pay compensation to the families of victims.

For his part, the Ukrainian deputy foreign minister commended the Islamic Republic of Iran for its warm welcome despite the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, hailed as positive the first round of negotiations in Kiev, and praised the Islamic Republic for its cooperation and efforts to ensure justice.

The Iranian and Ukrainian delegations started the Monday’s negotiations with a minute’s silence to honour the victims of the plane crash.

The expert negotiations between Iran and Ukraine about the plane crash will go on for two days.

The Kiev-bound UIA Boeing 737 crashed shortly after taking off from Tehran on January 8, killing all 176 people on board, mostly Iranian and Canadian citizens.

Iran said the plane was hit by an anti-aircraft missile due to human error.

Migratory Birds Arrive in Iran’s Western Wetlands

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Photo of the Day

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October 19, 2020

Photo by Reza Kamran Samani, Mehr News Agency

Migratory Birds Arrive in Iran's Western Wetlands

Pompeo’s Remarks Show Failure of US Sanctions: Iran

By

IFP Editorial Staff

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October 19, 2020

Iran Condemns Canada’s Human Rights Resolution

Speaking at a weekly press conference on Monday, Khatibzadeh described the US state secretary’s recent comments about Iran as an obvious sign of failure of the American sanctions against Tehran.

“Mr. Pompeo’s comments are the most important sign that even he himself does not believe that the US’ unilateral sanctions have been successful,” he said.

“Nothing has changed. The Islamic Republic of Iran still believes that it can work within the framework of international treaties,” the spokesman said about the Islamic Republic’s arms trade with the other countries.

After a UN arms embargo on Iran was terminated on Sunday in accordance with the UNSC Resolution 2231, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US will levy sanctions for selling arms to Iran even as the embargo has expired.

“The United States is prepared to use its domestic authorities to sanction any individual or entity that materially contributes to the supply, sale, or transfer of conventional arms to or from Iran, as well as those who provide technical training, financial support and services, and other assistance related to these arms,” he said in a statement.

Gargoor: A Basket Fish Trap Made in Southern Iran

By

IFP Editorial Staff

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October 19, 2020

A Basket Fish Trap Made in Southern Iran

Gargoors are basket traps used to catch fish. Craftspeople carefully and patiently weave metal wire into a basket-shaped cage which is used as a fishing trap.

Recently, larger gargoors have been made with metal bars covered with a net in order to catch bigger fish.

Gargoors are dome-shaped cages used to catch marine animals. The door of the gargoor functions as a one-way funnel. Fish are unable to get out of the trap after entering it, and that is how they are entrapped.

In the past, gargoors used to be made with branches of the palm tree and tamarisk. After metal wire hit the market, the use of wood and palm tree branches to make gargoors gradually died out.

The following are pictures of gargoor-weaving courtesy of the Young Journalists’ Club (YJC).

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