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UK Says to Release Iranian Oil Tanker If Not Destined for Syria

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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In a post on his Twitter account on Saturday, Hunt said he has had a “constructive” telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

“I reassured him our concern was destination not origin of the oil on Grace One &that UK would facilitate release if we received guarantees that it would not be going to Syria, following due process in Gib (Gibraltarian) courts,” the British diplomat noted.

“(I) Was told by FM Zarif that Iran wants to resolve issue and is not seeking to escalate,” Hunt added.

The UK official also noted that he has spoken with Chief Minister of Gibraltar Fabian Picardo “who is doing an excellent job co-ordinating issue and shares UK perspective on the way forward.”

In the meantime, Iran’s Ambassador to London Hamid Baeidinejad has warned the UK against the consequences of its failure to release the Iranian oil tanker it has seized illegally.

“Having miscalculated in its unlawful seizure of tanker, UK should not repeat its miscalculation. Ship did NOT violate any law or norm – but UK, through its illegal piracy, most certainly has. Failure to release the tanker and its cargo will NOT be left unanswered,” the Iranian envoy underlined.

Iranian supertanker Grace 1 was boarded and impounded by Gibraltar police and customs agencies, aided by a detachment of British Royal Marines, on July 4 at the US request in the Strait of Gibraltar.

Iran maintains that the oil tanker was not bound for Syria, and the UK was not allowed to seize the vessel, as the EU members cannot impose extraterritorial sanctions on the other countries.

Iran FM Departs for New York after Visa Controversy

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Zarif

Following the UN meeting, Zarif will leave the US for Venezuela, where he is going to attend the Ministerial Meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

While in Caracas, the Iranian top diplomat will hold bilateral talks with top Venezuelan officials.

After Venezuela, he will also pay visits to Nicaragua and Bolivia for bilateral meetings.

The trip to New York comes after Zarif protested the US for not issuing him a visa in the wake of the Donald Trump administration’s earlier plan to blacklist the Iranian top diplomat. The US president, however, later called off the sanction “for now”.

Until Friday, the US had refused to issue Zarif a visa despite the US government’s obligations under the UN Headquarters Agreement.

A US State Department spokesperson told Al-Monitor that “we take our obligations under the UN Headquarters Agreement seriously, and we adjudicate visa applications accordingly and in compliance with US law.”

The remarks came after the US administration decided not to designate Zarif at this time, ostensibly out of respect for the intensified allied diplomatic efforts.

Iranian Architects Win UK’s Leading Designers Award

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Nima and Sina Keyvani, who had earlier won prestigious international awards in recent years, have earned the title of “Excellence in Innovation” from the UK’s Leading Designers Awards 2019.

This title has been awarded by the jury members of Lux Life Magazine in England to this Iranian architectural work.

Iranian Architects Win UK’s Leading Designers AwardAfter reviewing the works and activities of the companies active in the field of architectural design, interior designing, and furniture and home designing, this Magazine awards its prizes to the most creative artists from around the world.

This year, the jury has awarded its prize to this Iranian group of architects for their combining of the traditional architecture of Iran with modern architecture.

According to Mehr News Agency, the Keyvani brothers had earlier won titles for “Orsi Khaneh”, “Gate of Gilan”, “Mehr-Khaneh”, and “Pardis-Khaneh”.

Their works have been published in many reputable magazines and books of the world’s architecture.

This is the first time that this award is being given to an Iranian company for their innovation. Iranian architects in recent years have always been among the winners of the prestigious award in other sections.

Iran’s Beauties in Photos: Traditional Reservoirs of Larestan

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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These subterranean structures held the water clean, usually employing wind-catchers and underground water channels.

Here you see IRNA’s photos of the reservoirs of Larestan, a city in Fars province, southern Iran:

MKO Terrorists Running Massive Anti-Iran Troll Campaign: Leaked Photos

By
IFP Media Wire
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The images, published by Iran’s Khorasan newspaper earlier this week, revealed for the first time part of the organization’s secretive social media influence campaign targeting Farsi, English and Arabic-speaking users on social media.

Members are “briefed at the start of their workday and start their social media operations at noon. At the end of the day, feedback is reviewed and issues that have to be used to defame the Islamic Republic are examined for the next day,” read the paper.

The MKO is listed as a terrorist organization by much of the international community. Its members fled Iran in 1986 for Iraq, where it enjoyed backing of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

The MKO has been banned in Iran and around the world for its role in numerous terrorist activities, especially in the early years after the Islamic Revolution in 1979, taking the lives of thousands of Iranians, along with foreign nationals.

Out of the nearly 17,000 Iranians killed in terrorist attacks since the victory of the Islamic Revolution, about 12,000 have fallen victim to MKO’s acts of terror.

Removing a decade-long ban on the MKO, the United States and its allies, however, have sought to use the group as a tool to pressure Iran over the past years.

Despite US and Saudi attempts to empower the MKO, the cult-like group’s activities have been largely limited to its now aging pool of members who had originally joined the group in the 1970’s and 1980’s.

According to the British daily The Guardian, the MKO is even known to rely on busing refugees and young eastern Europeans to fill up its lavish events in Europe, where most of the group’s members are known to reside.

Top figures known to have taken part in the terror group’s meetings include US National Security Adviser John Bolton, US President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, former Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper, and former Saudi Arabian spy chief, Prince Turki al-Faisal.

The group was already well-known for its reliance on fake social media profiles to push for its Washington-backed anti-Iran agenda before the recent leaks.

Last year, Iranian Foreign Minster Mohammad Javad Zarif slammed Twitter for blocking social media accounts of “real Iranians” while overlooking social media influence operations coming from “actual bots in Tirana”, referring to the group’s large complex near the Albanian capital.

Amid the Trump Administration’s heightened rhetoric and campaign of “maximum pressure” against Iran, the MKO has also sought to gain further support from Washington and its allies by expanding its anti-Iran operations.

Last month, an unverified audio tape leaked from the organization suggested the group may have colluded with foreign powers in carrying out mysterious explosions targeting two oil tankers in the Persian Gulf in June.

The terrorist group also recently announced a plan to assassinate top Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani and the country’s new Judiciary chief Ebrahim Raeisi.

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on July 13

By
Fatemeh Askarieh
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A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on November 19

19 Dey:

1- Is Zarif Really Alone These Days?

* Keep Your Head Up General! Smile!

2- Rouhani: We’ve Left Door Open to Diplomacy

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on July 13

 

Abrar:

1- Erdogan’s Dangerous Gamble in Libya

2- Reuters: UK Not after Increased Tension with Iran

3- Trump Once Again Repeats His Readiness for Talking with Iran

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on July 13

 

Aftab-e Yazd:

1- Why Can’t China Stop Buying Iran’s Oil despite US Threats

2- Senior Lawmaker: We Shouldn’t Make a Fuss While Playing Chess with US

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on July 13

 

Arman-e Emrooz:

1- Trump Backs Off from Earlier Decision: US Fails to Blacklist Iranian Foreign Minister

2- Why Should JCPOA Remain in Place?

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on July 13

 

Donya-ye Eqtesad:

1- Price Hikes Controlled in Iranian Market

2- Three Emerging Risks Threatening US Economy

3- Foreign Pioneers in Iranian Industry

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on July 13

 

Ebtekar:

1- IRGC Ground Force: Terrorists’ Positions along Iran’s Borders with Iraqi Kurdistan Attacked

2- DM: Aggressors to Receive Iran’s Crushing Response

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on July 13

 

Etemad:

1- Has US Backed Off or Is This New Signal for Talks?

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on July 13

 

Ettela’at:

1- Jack Straw: UK Interference in Iran Even Worse than Colonial Era’s

2- US Efforts’ to Tear Apart Iran’s Economy Failed: VP

3- Terrorists’ Positions Destroyed along Iran’s Borders with Iraqi Kurdistan

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on July 13

 

Javan:

1- UAE Doing Whatever It Can to Exit Yemen

2- ‘Almost Nothing’ Achieved by Trump Admin. through IAEA’s Mechanism

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on July 13

 

Jomhouri Eslami:

1- World Media Cover US’ Isolation at IAEA Summit

2- Return of 44 Martyrs of Iran-Iraq War Whose Bodies Have Been Found Just recently

3- New York Times: UAE Concludes Victory in Yemen Impossible

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on July 13

 

Kayhan:

1- UAE Begs Iran to Let It Leave Yemen without Losing Face

2- Trump Repeats His Offers through Macron

* Bloomberg: Trump’s Behaviours, Even towards His Oldest Allies, Are Embarrassing

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on July 13

 

Sazandegi:

1- Way to Salvage Iran Nuclear Deal

* What Was Emmanuel Bonne’s Mission in Tehran?

* Al-Akhbar: France Starts Initiative to Save JCPOA, Ease Tension

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on July 13

‘US Seeks to Gain Control over Maritime Traffic in Persian Gulf’

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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In this photo provided by the US Navy, the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group transits the Suez Canal, Thursday, May 9, 2019. / Photo by AP

The United States assumes that by implementing such a plot it can control Iran’s oil carrier ships in the Persian Gulf, Qassem Mohebali said in an interview with Entekhab.

British authorities claim Iranian boats attempted to impede a British oil tanker in the Persian Gulf but were driven off by the HMS Montrose warship. The British Ministry of Defence said the Iranian boats attempted to bring the BP-owned tanker to a halt as it was attempting to exit the Persian Gulf near the island of Abu Musa and pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) denied that its ships were involved in any type of confrontation with British ships in the Persian Gulf on July 11. The IRGC navy said its forces were conducting their normal routines.

“In the past few days, especially after the seizure of a giant Iranian oil tanker by Britain, some Iranian officials talked of retaliatory moves, and even Iranian foreign minister called it a piracy,” Mohebali added.

“Of course, the Americans are seeking to take control of the maritime traffic in the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait,” he noted.

“Their recent plan is to allegedly maintain the security of the ships and their traffic with a fixed flag. Therefore, to advance this plan, they must claim that the Persian Gulf is insecure,” he said.

“In response to these US move, there are two political and political options. The field solution has a high risk for both sides and results in high costs for both countries. But the political solution could protect the security of the Persian Gulf while addressing the international community’s concern,” he added.

Did Trump Fulfill His Campaign Promises?

By
IFP Media Wire
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Under current circumstances, the security and defense departments of the White House are having the most difficulty of all; now that Michael Flynn, H. R. McMaster, and James N. Mattis were fired one after another, the eyes are on John Bolton. On the other hand, Trump’s cabinet are under constant questions from members of the Parliament and this has added up to the frustration of the White House and United States National Security Council.

The recent attacks on oil tankers and commercial ships off the port of Fujairah in the Gulf of Oman was another failure of U.S. security strategies and proved the incompetency of American national security advisors, in this situation, Bolton could be the next victim.
In the verge of 2020 presidential elections, Trump lacks a strong and organized cabinet. Trump’s success as a president must be judged by his campaign promises which included the disbandment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), building a wall at the US-Mexico border, leaving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and ending the costly wars that U.S. had led all over the world.

 NATO
Over his presidential campaign, Trump had said that NATO is an obsolete and dysfunctional treaty, but a few months after he entered the White House, he yielded in and officially accepted NATO’s article five. In NATO summit meeting in Brussels in 2017, Trump accepted that NATO’s two new general headquarters will be placed in U.S. and Germany under the title of new centers of operation for tackling new challenges in the Mediterranean area and the Atlantic Ocean.

NATO’s new command post in U.S., led by Trump, is tasked to coordinate and carry out navy and aerial missions in the Atlantic Ocean and all over the world.

Trump and the immigrants

Up to now, millions of people in different U.S. cities took to the streets to protest against Trump’s new strict immigration rules. The protesters chanted slogans such as “all Americans are immigrants”, “building walls is against freedom” and “immigrants are not criminals.”
Trump is the only American president who has categorized illegal immigration as a crime. By his orders, many mothers were separated from their children; these mothers were put in prison while their children were held in captivity in separate cells. Many American citizens and the United Nations condemned these actions and called them pure cruelty.

Building a war at Mexico border

The wall that Trump had promised to build at U.S.-Mexico borders has cost $33 billion by now, and it is not yet built. In next few months, Trump will enter the 2020 presidential campaign and he will not get a chance to build this wall as democrats are against spending more money on the wall.

 JCPOA

By leaving JCPOA, Trump did not succeed to solve U.S. nuclear issues with Iran; on the contrary, it fuelled the tensions and proved to the world and the United Nations that U.S. is nothing but an untrustworthy liar.

Trump’s team thought that if U.S. leaves the JCPOA, Iran will also immediately leave the agreement and will be drilled by UN Security Council while U.S. sits back and calmly watches the process; however, the results were the reverse; Europe, Russia and China who were the main buyers of Iran’s oil, did not approve of U.S.  Unilateral withdrawal from the JPOA and criticized U.S. for its uncustomary behaviors.

 U.S. and the Islamic Republic of Iran

Trump is drowning in the pool of mistakes that his top security advisors, such as John Bolton, made in regard to Iran.

Bolton was going to celebrate his victory in Tehran in the 40th anniversary of Islamic Republic of Iran’s revolution, little did he know that U.S. military will face a big challenge against the strong will of Iranian people and the country’s powerful military.

Trump’s military and security advisors made fundamental mistakes in dealing with Iran, after their plans for an armed conflict with Iran came to a dead end, they tried to cover up their failure by ending “war threats” and switched into an “obstructive strategy.”

Their obstructive strategy could not restraint Iran either. U.S. next plan was to publish some pictures of the ships and tankers that were damaged over the explosions in Fujairah to prove that Iran was behind the attacks; however, the pictures were so unclear that were met with contempt of all different countries and international entities.

Over UN Security Council’s meeting on the vessel attacks near Fujairah, U.S. did all it could to point the fingers at Iran, but it failed to do so. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, condemned attacking unmilitary ships, but said that the evidence about the attack must be examined separately and they cannot simply establish a research committee to look into the matter.

Russia also reacted quickly and asked the member states not to rush into any decision about the attacks.

U.S. psychological war against Iran has not had any effect on the world countries. Even U.S. allies in Europe did not trust U.S. claims and blamed the country for its fierce policies.

Only one state hid behind U.S., Britain who is now a loser in politics. Over the last four years, two British administrations fell apart without solving the Brexit problem. The country is now in totally unstable and is trying to divert attention from its own problems by hiding under the shadows of U.S.

Trump’s security and military advisors were going to run their plans by causing chaos in the Persian Gulf, but all their plans went wrong and U.S. top officials in the country’s National Security Council admitted their failure in running their obstructive strategies in the Middle East.

In the third and last part of its security strategies, U.S. stopped war threats and obstructive strategies and came up with a new ploy saying that “attacking the oil tankers is a universal problem” and there must be “an international consensus against Iran” to ensure maritime security. It seems that Trump’s security advisors wasted billions of dollars on military deployments near Iran, running obstructive plans and buying Boeing B-52 Stratofortress and other jet fighters.

The phrase “international consensus against Iran” means how U.S. has retreated from his former plans, it is good news for all Iranian citizens and the armed forces because it means that U.S. has failed in crushing Iran and launching its military plans against the country.

UAE Hatching Evil Plots against Neighbouring Countries, Arab World

By
IFP Media Wire
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This country which appeared on the map of the world on December second 1971, now has taken up a destabilizing role in Middle East and is trying to interfere in the affairs of other Arab countries in the region, both openly and in secret.

UAE’s destructive role, especially in suppressing public protests became more evident after the events of September 2011; as UAE and its allies did their best to stop the progress of Arab countries and prevent the public uprisings that were rooted in Islamic reawakening.
On the other hand, Al Nahyan, one of the six ruling families of the UAE, did its best to destroy all resistant groups that were against Zionists such as Hamas and Hezbollah to prepare the ground for normalizing relations between Israel and Arab nations; something that led to creation of the Deal of the Century.

To give an example, Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, who was among top Hamas leaders and was the chief of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades was assassinated in Dubai. Later, Yedioth Ahronoth, Israeli daily newspaper said the assassination was planned by Mossad and was carried out in cooperation with UAE’s intelligence service.

There are many similar examples, in another one, we see that UAE’s secret service agent enters the Gaza Strip through Egypt, under the cover of a Red Crescent volunteer to spy on Hamas and Palestinian resistant groups in order to give information to the Zionist regime.
Apart from activities against Palestinians, UAE has also tried to sabotage Muslim Brotherhood (Ikhwan Al-Muslimin) in Egypt through its media channels such as Al-Hayat, Al Youm Al Sabee, and Al-Masry Al-Youm. Furthermore, UAE gave full financial support and security help to certain groups in order to topple Muslim Brotherhood.

UAE is a big supporter of Egypt’s current government. The country keep spending billions of dollars to carry out Zionists’ plans in Middle East and suppress any democratic movement in the region that is based on public votes and people’s determination.

An example of UAE’s interference in Libya is the story of Yusef Mobarak. He was arrested in Al-Aqiq Airport in Tripoli after the intelligence service of Libya’s Government of National Accord accused him of taking pictures from high-security centers and foreign embassies in Tripoli. After investigations, it was revealed that Yusef was a main link to Khalifa Haftar, the renegade military commander of Libya, and was particularly supported by UAE and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Egypt’s president.

Everyone knows that UAE’s army has given modern weapons and high-tech tanks to Khalifa Haftar and has supported the renegade commander against Tripoli. UAE’s interference in Libya is aimed at keeping the country entangled in wars and chaos, so that Libya can become a heaven for the intelligence services of the United States, Israel and UAE.

UAE has also been seriously interfering in Tunisia. The country is putting enormous political and economic pressure on Tunisia to expand its control over it and crush all the public movements. They have forced Tunisia to choose between surrendering to UAE and suffering under a security crisis.

Yemen is another country that is crushed by UAE’s interference. UAE has done a dirty job in Yemen by destroying Yemen’s infrastructures and killing thousands of innocent Yemeni citizens.

The octopus of UAE has extended its claws to Oman as well. Oman intelligence service discovered an Emirati spy network that was supposed to predict and influence what happens in Oman after Sultan Qaboos. The network was trying to make strong bonds with anti-government tribes such as Al Shuluh tribe which has close relationships with UAE, especially with Ras al Khaimah emirate.

Another UAE spy network was discovered in Turkey and brought shame to Emirati leaders. According to Turkish media, UAE was trying to support some of the government dissidents and army commanders including Fethullah Gülen. Turkish intelligence service also discovered that Mohammed Dahlan entered Turkey under a fake identity and by using an Emirati passport. In this secret trip, he had meetings with the opponents of Turkish government.

UAE is also trying to expand its reach to the Islamic Republic of Iran as well. The country has already given financial support and intelligence to some terrorist cells that worked against Iran. Once again, UAE’s efforts to interfere in Iran was proved when it was revealed that Global Hawk drone was sent to Iran from an Emirati base.

Apart from having a destructive role in Middle Eastern countries, UAE is quickly expanding its relationship with the Zionist regime. Now, Zionists have representative offices in Abu Dhabi and can freely travel to UAE.

All these facts show that Al Nahyan family and specially Mohammed bin Zayed, the Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, are the main causes of war in Arab World and division among Muslims. They are completely abiding by the goals of the Zionist regime; therefore, the Muslim community and Arab world should free itself from the influence of this evil element.

France’s ‘Freeze for Freeze’ Plan Can’t Work for Long: Expert

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-

President Emmanuel Macron’s top diplomatic adviser, Emmanuel Bonne, recently made a trip to Tehran for two days of high-level talks, as European officials discuss ways to keep the nuclear pact alive.

ccording to European diplomats, options considered include a so-called freeze-for-freeze plan based on which Iran would stop ramping up its nuclear activities and the US would restore sanctions to the previous levels to allow dialogue to resume.

Rahman Qahremanpour believes this plan is like a temporary break in a volleyball match, after which the players have to return to play again.

In an interview with Entekhab news website, he said “What Iran says is slightly different from what the French authorities say.”

In the French plan, it is said that the United States would extend the exemption for Iran’s oil sales in order to allow Tehran to sell its oil to the three major buyers i.e. Japan, China and India. In return for that, Iran should stop its nuclear steps as they are and not develop them anymore.

This is a “Freeze-for-Freeze” rather than calling for lifting sanctions. Because the scope of the sanctions is very wide and includes sanctions by the Security Council and the initial and secondary sanctions of the United States, said Qahremanpour.

“If the reports are true, Macron had consulted with Donald Trump at the G20 summit before making this offer to Iran, and he also talked to President Hassan Rouhani after his talks with the President of the United States. It seems there is some kind of harmony between France and the United States, and perhaps the American side has expressed its satisfaction. In such a case, it is likely that the United States will also attend the EU Ministerial Meetings, which will be held on July 15, or will attend the meeting of the Joint Commission of the JCPOA and hold some meetings on its sidelines.”

Asked whether this could be a good solution in the current situation, the Iranian analyst noted such a project is like a break in a volleyball match, after which players have to return to play again. “We should wait and see how this comeback will be? Will this temporary break lead to direct negotiations between Iran and the United States, or would it lead to negotiations in the framework of the JCPOA? So far, there is ambiguity about this.”

“What is certain is that the freeze-for-freeze plan, if successful, cannot lead to negotiations between Iran and the United States in the short run. Although the Americans may attend the P5+1 talks, it should be borne in mind that this negotiation formula does not have any achievements for Trump. He cannot take advantage of such talks for his electoral goals, or claim that he has brought Iran to the negotiating table. This is a solution that satisfies both sides, but the point is that negotiations within the framework of the P5+1 will not necessarily lead to the abolition of primary and secondary US sanctions against Iran. Therefore, the least benefit of such negotiations is to preserve the status quo. This comes as Iran, in its macro policies, is looking to put an end to the current situation,” added Qahremanpour.

According to the analyst, the current impasse has simple solutions. One of these solutions is the return of the United States to the JCPOA. However, the US does not agree with this, saying that it wants to negotiate issues beyond the JCPOA. Meanwhile, Europe needs to take a serious decision and put pressure on Washington to force Trump to move back from its positions. Unfortunately, Trump wants to move unilaterally. But, naturally, Iran does not like to give concessions to such a person. Therefore, it is needed to come up with a solution which can keep Trump satisfied in his electoral campaign, and make Iran able to defend its positions inside the country.

Therefore, perhaps a dialogue within the framework of the P5+1 will be useful, if the United States is willing to give concessions.

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