The presence of these fellow Persian speakers has given a special atmosphere to the traditional market, as if you are walking in a market in Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital.
What follows are Mehr News agency’s photos of this beautiful bazaar, where products with Baluch embroidery are being sold alongside various colourful fabrics:
The trip was more significant than a formal visit to Iran by the top official of a neighboring country, because it came at a time of specific regional and internal situation facing both Iraq and Iran.
The most likely reasons behind the visit could be discusses in several dimensions:
Internal Aspect: Growing Crises in Social Services
The political situation in recent months has not been suitable for Abdul-Mahdi. Although the Iraqi government has emerged quite successful with initiatives in the foreign policy arena, it faces many problems inside, as there is still no tangible change in the quality of social services nearly a year after formation of the cabinet and several months after its completion.
The circumstances are so unfavorable that a formal opposition has been shaped in Iraq, and people have poured into the streets several times in an act of protest. Even the religious authorities have warned against the continuation of such trend.
In a recent interview with AFP, former Iraqi prime minster Haider al-Abadi touched on the current circumstances in Iraq, voicing readiness to return to power by saying that he has good intentions to do so.
Bilateral Ties
Abdul-Mahdi was accompanied by the ministers of oil, finance, transportation, defense, and by the national security advisor in the visit to Iran.
The arrangement of his delegation reveals that the economic and security issues were high on the agenda in the trip, and the visit should be considered within that framework.
From the economic viewpoint, the anti-Iran sanctions have had considerable impacts on Iraq. The Iraqi officials have repeatedly voiced opposition to the US’ unilateral sanctions against Iran, arguing that there is no replacement for the import of energy from Iran, particularly in the hot season when Iraq’s demand for gas and power is much higher, in such a way that the supply of energy is directly related to Iraq’s national security.
There are popular protests against the blackouts and shortage of water in Iraq in the summertime every year. The city of Basra had tumultuous weeks last year.
The situation became so tough for Baghdad that Washington had to exempt Iraq from the sanctions for a period of time.
On the other hand, the oil exchanges between the two countries are of special significance even in the current situation. The two countries maintain relations in this area, and the ties are such close that have angered the US. The US secretary of treasury is said to have travelled to Iraq recently to warn the Iraqis about these ties. However, it is not clear how seriously Baghdad has taken the warning.
The two countries are also conducting banking and financial transactions. Maybe the Iraqi finance minister was in the delegation to facilitate this section.
Regional Aspect: A Bridge Between Iran, Arab World
A number of political experts believe that Abdul-Mahdi’s visit to Iran in the current circumstances was related to the regional developments, in which Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have each suffered losses from the foreign policies they have been adopting in recent years, and are rectifying them.
An example is the gradual withdrawal of Emirati forces from Yemen and a change in the blatant, hostile stances against the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was obvious in the attack on four oil tankers in the Port of Fujairah. The UAE did not name any specific country in its report to the United Nations Security Council, and preferred to remain silent on the subject.
In the meantime, Iraq, which is known as a bridge between Iran and the Arab world, can take a role and prepare the ground for a change in the region’s current situation.
Iraq has got such potential, and could convene meetings on the issue in Baghdad, which would be welcomed by Iran, according to the Supreme National Security Council.
International Aspect: JCPOA and Tanker War
As regards the international aspect, tensions have arisen in the region between Iran and two other countries, the US and the UK, over the JCPOA and the issue of oil tankers.
Trump, who created a new global crisis by withdrawing from the JCPOA, does not sill accept the fact that this issue would not be resolved with sanctions and pressures, and that he must return to the negotiation table by lifting the sanctions.
Moreover, the efforts in this regard made by some countries like Iraq, Japan, France and Oman have not yielded results so far.
But the conditions are somehow different in the standoff with the UK, since the tension with Britain could be settled rapidly and through diplomatic channels with the release of the Iranian oil tanker that has been seized in Gibraltar.
It appears that the UK authorities, who are also grappling with the internal crisis of Brexit, are willing to resolve the tension with Iran in an honorable manner.
The telephone conversations between Adil Abdul-Mahdi and the UK defense secretary just hours before visiting Iran could be described as part of the British willingness to address the issue, though no details of the telephone conversation has been made public.
Another notable subject in this regard will be Omani Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi’s visit to Iran next week. He is trying to have the regional and international crises resolved diplomatically.
Speaking about his trip to Iran at a press conference last night, the Iraqi prime minister said he has discussed the subject of the captured oil tankers in the meeting with Hassan Rouhani and has emphasized the necessity to relieve the tensions.
He also noted that Iraq will have a significant role in de-escalation of tensions, and will be friends with everyone.
No matter which files Abdul-Mahdi had brought to Iran, one could say that he will receive a welcome from Tehran and face Iran’s help in addressing them.
Iran’s permanent mission to the United Nations has sent a letter to the Security Council, providing a description of the incident that resulted in the capture of Britain’s “Stena Impero” oil tanker.
According to the letter, the UK oil tanker has had a crash with an Iranian fishing vessel at the Strait of Hormuz on July 19 and caused damages to the Iranian boat in a way that a number of its crew and fishermen are in a critical condition in hospital.
The British oil tanker ignored warnings from Iran after the accident, switched off its navigation systems, made a dangerous maneuver, and began to sail into the wrong way to flee the area before it was captured by the Iranian naval forces, said the letter.
It said Iran has carried out a necessary operation to ensure maritime security and rule of law in the high-traffic strait in compliance with the international regulations, noting that the UK oil tanker has been transferred to the port city of Bandar Abbas under a warrant issued by the local judicial authorities.
The Iranian judicial officials have ordered an investigation into the British tanker’s violations, including the damages it has done to the environment and to the Iranian fishing vessel and its crew, the letter noted.
Iran’s UN mission has also made it clear that the Islamic Republic’s main purpose is to enforce the law and ensure maritime order, security and safety in the delicate Persian Gulf region and the Strait of Hormuz.
The letter has also cited Iran’s recent measure to capture ‘Riah’ oil tanker, saying it was smuggling fuel.
“I, hereby, announce officially that no drone belonging to the Islamic Republic of Iran has been shot down,” Major General Hossein Salami told reporters in the western Iranian city of Khorramabad on Wednesday afternoon.
He went on to say that an Iranian drone was on a reconnaissance mission in the skies over Persian Gulf waters for three hours and 40 minutes, underlining that the aircraft sent images and videos of regional and transregional vessels – some of which were broadcast to enlighten the Iranian and world public opinions.
Salami then challenged the US to offer convincing proof for its claim of shooting down the Iranian drown, saying, “Today, the world would not believe unsubstantiated remarks.”
“Enemies should present the Iranian-made parts of the drone and substantiate their claims. Otherwise, no one would believe their spurious allegations,” the top IRGC commander said.
“I state it unequivocally: This is a big lie and we have proved it false. Enemies should provide evidence for their claims, because we have validated what we have already done. They (enemies) should do the same,” he added.
The remarks came in reaction to remarks by a US general who claimed the US forces took action against a second Iranian drone in the Strait of Hormuz last week, but did not see the drone go into the water.
“We’re confident we brought down one drone; we may have brought down a second,” CENTCOM Commander Gen. Kenneth McKenzie said on Tuesday, while failing to procure any evidence for bringing down the first one despite claiming to be in possession of its footage.
Moving between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, the USS Boxer is said to have used electronic measures to take down a drone, which Washington claims was being operated by Iran.
“We believe two drones were successfully engaged,” McKenzie claimed, speaking aboard the USS Boxer amphibious assault ship. “There may have been more that, you know, we’re not aware of. Those are the two that we engaged successfully.”
US President Donald Trump announced on July 18 that the USS Boxer downed an Iranian drone that came within 1,000 yards of the Navy ship and ignored “multiple calls to stand down.”
A few hours after Trump’s allegation, Iran moved to reject his claim with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi saying in a tweet that “We have not lost any drone in the Strait of Hormuz nor anywhere else.”
The IRGC has also released footage captured by an Iranian drone flying over the Strait of Hormuz and monitoring a US Navy vessel, belying the claim.
Iran defense minister rejects US claim of destroying Iranian drone
Meanwhile, Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami said no Iranian drone has been brought down.
“None of our drones has been shot down, and they are carrying out their regular missions. We showed the body of the [US] drone that we brought down. If anyone claims to have brought down our drone, prove it. No drone from the Islamic Republic of Iran has been brought down,” Hatami said.
Tensions in the Persian Gulf region have intensified recently, where Washington has sent an aircraft carrier and B-52 long-range bombers in a show of force against Iran.
The US deployment came after a series of attacks since mid-May on tankers around the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important oil artery. Washington blames Tehran for the attacks. Iran roundly rejects the allegations, saying its has even come to the rescue of vessels requesting help in the Persian Gulf.
On June 20, the IRGC shot down the advanced US-made RQ-4 Global Hawk over Iran’s territorial waters off the coastal province of Hormozgan after the unmanned aircraft breached the country’s airspace on a spying mission.
In a statement, the IRGC said the US-made Global Hawk surveillance drone was brought down by its Air Force near the Kouh-e Mobarak region — which sits in the central district of Jask County — after the aircraft violated Iranian airspace.
Iranian Vice President for Science and Technology Sorena Sattari hailed the country’s rising performance in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2019, saying Iran has jumped to the 61st place in the most recent report.
“Amid the anti-Iranian threats and sanctions imposed by the US and Europe that have caused a lot of limitations and challenges for our country, release of the latest Global Innovation Index report by an institution affiliated with the United Nations indicated Iran’s 4-step rise (in the ranking) compared to the previous year,” Sattari added.
The Global Innovation Index 2019 has provided detailed metrics about the innovation performance of 129 countries and economies around the world.
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 – 2019”
Its 80 indicators have explored a broad vision of innovation, including political environment, education, infrastructure and business sophistication.
The GII 2019 has analyzed the medical innovation landscape of the next decade, looking at how technological and non-technological medical innovation will transform the delivery of healthcare worldwide.
Switzerland is the world’s most innovative country followed by Sweden, the United States of America, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, according to the GII 2019.
The feature “The Warden” directed by Nima Javidi, was screened while more than 250 visually impaired people attended the event.
The screening was attended by the founder of the Cinema of the Visually Impaired, Gelareh Abbasi.
Celebrities including Parinaz Izadyar, Habib Rezaei, Nima Javidi, Pouria Alami, Samira Hassanpour, Mahdi Rahmani and Farshad Azarnia were among the special guests.
Rezaei was the one who narrated the entire film for the audiences, making it possible for the visually impaired to feel the movie.
He later in a tweet described it as a fantastic experience. “The Warden was screened for the visually impaired and I explained all the scenes in which there was no dialogue.”
“The result was astonishing, and this experience cannot be described by words.”
Mohammad Sanati, a faculty member at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, is to receive the Extraordinary Meritorious Service to Psychoanalysis Award for dedicating his professional life to promoting the psychoanalytical thinking in both individual and group settings in Iran.
Virginia Ungar, the president of the International Psychoanalytical Association founded by Sigmund Freud, announced that, on recommendation from its Prizes and Awards Committee, the IPA Board had decided to present Sanati with its Extraordinarily Meritorious Service to Psychoanalysis Award. The award is announced and presented by the President, with a medal and a certificate.
This award is conferred upon a non-IPA member for exceptionally meritorious service to psychoanalysis or the profession, including the promotion of psychoanalysis to the wider community.
The award will be presented during the Business Meeting of the IPA’s upcoming Congress in London, UK. The meeting is scheduled to take place from 17:00-19:15 (London time) on Thursday 25 July at the QEII Centre.
“Iran welcomes settlement of problems and issues with some of its neighbours through dialogue,” Vaezi said on Wednesday, stressing that regional issues need to be settled with negotiations participated by regional states.
He made the remarks in reaction to earlier comments by Saudi envoy to the United Nations Abdullah al-Muallemi, who said that his country seeks “diplomatic interactions” with Iran, claiming that there have been contacts between the two countries.
Speaking to reporters after a weekly cabinet session, Vaezi referred to the Saudi envoy’s remarks, and said they are in line with what Iran has always raised.
“In the past few years, Saudi Arabia has taken very harsh policies unlike those of its previous leaders, and they have resulted in the isolation of the Kingdom in the Muslim world, region, and the international public opinion,” he noted, according to a report by the government’s official website dolat.ir.
“We see that the Yemen war, unlike what the Saudis expected, did not end within a few weeks, and has turned into a war of attrition, which has caused great damages to Saudi Arabia’s image and economy,” Vaezi said, adding that Riyadh cannot continue this trend.
“We are ready for the settlement of the issues remaining with one or two of our neighbours through peaceful solutions,” he said, stressing that it will be to the benefit of Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the entire region.
Last week, al-Muallemi said after a meeting of the UN Security Council that Saudi Arabia does not seek war with the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Al-Muallemi said that “Saudi Arabia does not want war with Iran, neither in Yemen and nor anywhere else,” claiming that “it’s time to end the crisis in Yemen.”
The UN envoy also said that his country is ready for “diplomatic engagement” with Iran, adding that the diplomatic relations need common grounds.
The Saudi diplomat also claimed that there were contacts with Iran after the recent Arab summit and the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council summit in Mecca.
At least two Iranian ships are reportedly stranded off the Brazilian coast because state oil company Petrobras is refusing fuel to them.
President Jair Bolsonaro said on Friday the Brazilian government has been alerting local companies about the extent of US sanctions on Iran, while he is working to forge a very close relationship with the United States.
“I, particularly, am getting close to Trump, I was received twice by him. It is the No. 1 economy in the world, our second-largest market, and now Brazil has its arms open to do deals and partnerships,” Bolsonaro said.
His remarks came as two Iranian vessels, one reportedly loaded with corn, were stranded at the port of Paranagua, unable to head back to Iran due to lack of fuel.
Iran is one of the largest grain importers from Brazil and the complication with the Iranian ships is already worrying Brazilian traders about the broader impact on trade with the Islamic Republic.
On Tuesday, Iran’s Ambassador in Brasilia Seyed Ali Saghaeyan told Brazilian officials that Tehran could easily find new suppliers of corn, soybeans and meat if the South American country refused to permit the refueling of the vessels.
“I told the Brazilians that they should solve the issue, not the Iranians,” Saghaeyan said in an interview at the Iranian Embassy in Brasilia.
“If it’s not solved, maybe the authorities in Tehran may want to take some decision because this is a free market and other countries are available,” he added.
Saghaeyan said Iran was considering sending fuel to the stranded ships, even though it would take longer and prove costly. He has requested a meeting with Brazil’s foreign minister, Ernesto Araujo, but has yet to receive an answer.
Petrobras has said the ships, Bavand and Termeh which had brought urea to Brazil, appeared on a list of US sanctions. The company says there are other fuel companies that can supply the Iranian ships, but it has an effective monopoly on refueling services at Brazilian ports.
Brazil has emerged as a new destination for petrochemical shipments from Iran which is tapping new markets to compensate for sliding oil sales.
Brazil and Iran have a long history of good relations, but President Bolsonaro’s infatuation with US President Donald Trump and his push to forge close relations with Israel have creating hiccups in maintaining constructive cooperation.
Dubbed as “Trump of the Tropics”, Bolsonaro’s proposal to move Brazil’s embassy to Jerusalem al-Quds has angered the Muslim world.
While senior Brazilian officials have backed away from the plan, the idea threatens to damage ties with Muslim countries and jeopardize billions of dollars in Brazilian halal meat exports.
In April, Brazil opened a new trade mission to Israel during Bolsonaro’s visit to Jerusalem al-Quds, prompting the Palestinians to consider recalling their ambassador in Brasilia.
Bolsonaro said on Friday his government sides with the US on its policy toward Iran which has come under the most draconian sanctions ever after Trump pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran.
Saghaeyan said, “Independent and big countries like Brazil and Iran should work together without interference from any third party or country.”
Abrar:
1. Egypt, Iraq Trying to Mediate between Iran, Saudi Arabia
2. Chinese Company Hit by US Sanction for Iranian Oil Purchase
3. Trump: US Could Wipe Afghanistan Off Face of Earth
4. Rouhani at A Meeting of Iran-Iraq High-Ranking Delegations: Regional Problems Must Be Resolved Through Dialogue, Cooperation among Neighbors
5. JCPOA Joint Commission to Hold Extraordinary Session on July 28
Afkar:
1. General Jalali: We Ended British Empire at Sea
2. France’s Foreign Minister: We Will Try to Enhance Security of Persian Gulf Waters
Besharat-e-No:
1. Dialogue Replaces Catastrophe / Guardian’s Op-Ed Article on Iran Invites People of Conscience in World to Form Coalition for Peace
2. Iran’s First Vice President: No Need for Coalitions to Protect Regional Security
Etemad:
1. Rouhani at A Meeting of Iranian Headquarters for Fight Against Smuggling of Commodities and Hard Currency: Border Provinces Free to Sell Fuel
2. Epitome of Hardliners / Boris Johnson Elected UK Prime Minister
3. No to US’ Anti-Iran Coalition / Jeremy Hunt Proposes European Guard Plan in Persian Gulf
Ettela’at:
1. First Vice President: We Have Weathered Big Shocks, Iran Reaches Stability / Jahangiri: Dialogue to Untie World’s Tightest Knots
2. Boris Johnson Becomes UK Prime Minister
3. Shamkhani: Zionist Regime, Its Supporters on Decline
Javan:
1. Trump Duplicated in London / Johnson, 55, Takes Prime Minister’s Office Today
2. Trump: I Could Kill 10 Million Afghans in A Week!
3. Iran’s Navy Chief: Intercontinental Drones on Army’s Agenda
Hamdeli:
1. Coalition for Peace / People of Conscience, Unite!
• Hamdeli Reports on Seyyed Mohammad Khatami’s Article in Guardian
Iran:
1. Leaving The Shock Behind / First Vice President’s Analysis of Iran’s Conditions
2. Zarif’s Message for Johnson: Seizure of Iranian Oil Tanker Is Piracy
Kayhan:
1. Nigerian Army Attacks Zakzaky’s Supporters, Kills 11, Injures 30
2. UK Pleads for Iraqi Help to Settle Standoff with Iran
3. Adil Abdul-Mahdi at A Meeting of Iran-Iraq High-Ranking Delegations: Iraq Will Be Never Involved in Sanctions on Iran
Sazandegi:
1. Boris Johnson has been elected new Conservative leader and will be appointed by the Queen as the UK prime minister today, following Theresa May’s resignation. But who is Johnson and how similar is he to Trump?
Sharq:
1. Araqchi Submits Rouhani’s Written Message to Macron in Paris
2. Iran Among Trump’s Three Target Points (Op-Ed Article)
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