Iran, Pakistan Urge Closer Cooperation against Terrorism

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May 24, 2019

In a meeting on Friday noon, Zarif and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan discussed the most significant issues in bilateral ties as well as regional developments.

The Iranian top diplomat underlined the significance of expanding Tehran-Islamabad cooperation, particularly by connecting Iran’s Chabahar and Pakistan’s Gwadar ports together and taking advantage of their potential capacities as complementary ports in a bid to secure the two sides’ interests.

For his part, the Pakistani prime minister referred to his April visit to Iran, and stressed his country’s interest in expanding ties with Iran and increasing the two sides’ mutual cooperation along the common borders.

He also doubled down on the importance of regional peace and the need for cooperation among regional and tadalafil 20 mg tablet.

Zarif earlier held talks with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi. During the meeting, the two senior diplomats expressed confidence that Iran and Pakistan currently have good and constructive relations.

They also highlighted the significance of continuing political consultations in the future and exchanged views on the latest regional issues and developments.

Zarif also met the neighbouring country’s Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. In the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on Iran-Pakistan mutual ties based on cooperation and understanding.

They also discussed regional issues, the significance of border security as well as the need to intensify efforts in fight against terrorism.

Later on Friday, Zarif held talks with Speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly Asad Qaiser. In the meeting, the Pakistani official underlined his nation’s affection for the Iranian people and expressed his own support as well as that of Pakistan’s National Assembly for the Iranian nation amid the current situation.

He then referred to the upcoming visit of a parliamentary delegation from Iran to Islamabad and stressed the significance of strengthening cooperation between the two sides’ parliaments.

For his part, the Iranian foreign minister referred to the close relations between Iranian and Pakistan nations, and said there are good grounds for cooperation between Iran and Pakistan particularly in Chabahar and Gwadar ports.

Zarif then described Iran-Pakistan parliamentarian ties as good and called for further cooperation in the fields of border security and fight against terrorism.

The two sides also exchanged views on regional issues and stressed their countries’ support for the nation of Palestine amid the current critical situation of the region.

Iran’s top diplomat arrived in Pakistan late Thursday for bilateral consultations amid Tehran’s escalating tensions with the US.

Mild Weather Taking Tehran Citizens to Parks for Iftar

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IFP Editorial Staff

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May 24, 2019

What follows are Mehr news agency‘s photos of the people enjoying the spring weather in parks while breaking their fast:

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Iran Says Ready to Connect Pakistan’s Gwadar to Chabahar Port

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IFP Media Wire

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May 24, 2019

“We believe that Chabahar and Gwadar can complement each other,” Zarif said upon arrival in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad on Thursday.

“We can connect Chabahar and Gwadar, and then through that, connect Gwadar to our entire railroad system, from Iran to the North Corridor, through Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, and also through Azerbaijan, Russia, and through Turkey,” he noted.

“I’ve come here with a proposal for the government of Pakistan for connection between Chabahar and Gwadar.

Pakistan’s arch-rival India is trying to develop the port of Chabahar as a way to gain access to the markets of central Asia as well as Afghanistan by bypassing Pakistan. The port is about 72 km from its Pakistani counterpart Gwadar, which is being developed by China.

The strategic Iranian port city created a unique opportunity for India to send its goods to landlocked Afghanistan through a safe new route. It would to the same effect enable Afghan merchants to export their commodities – mainly fruits and vegetables as well as nuts and minerals – to global markets through Chabahar.

Considering the strategic importance of the Iranian port for Kabul, the US government was forced in November to approve a sanctions exemption for Chabahar in a bid to economically stabilize Afghanistan.

India hopes to utilize Iran’s transit potentials to embolden its connectivity footprints, with Chabahar being the stepping stone to those ambitions.

Located on the confluence of the Indian Ocean and the Sea of Oman in southeastern Iran, Chabahar is India’s first foreign port project. Once completed, the project would enable India to send its goods Afghanistan, Central Asia and beyond.

On December 3, 2017, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani officially launched the first phase of Shahid Beheshti International Port in Chabahar.

The project to develop Shahid Beheshti Port started in 2007 through an investment that officials previously said already amounted to $1 billion.

The annual cargo tonnage of Shahid Beheshti Port – Iran’s only oceanic port – has now almost tripled to reach as high as 8.5 million tons.

It can also accommodate 100,000-ton ships – what officials say can help promote the country’s international trade activities.

The overall development project is planned in four phases and is expected to bring the port’s total annual cargo capacity to 82 million tons.

‘Trump’s Insults Reveal His Endless Animosity towards Iranians’

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IFP Editorial Staff

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May 24, 2019

“Such remarks are not new to us and we view them in line with the US brutal sanctions,” he said.

The Iranian diplomat said the US remarks are a prime example of his animosity towards the Iranian nation and the cheap remarks, more than anything else, shows his ignorance of thousands of years of Iran’s history and his lack of understanding of the Iranian people.

“Iran has been the biggest victim and at the same time the strongest enemy of terrorism in the region. The eradication of ISIS as well as other similar terrorist groups over the past years is among the main achievements of Iran in this area,” he said, adding that Trump, himself, had confessed to Iran’s contribution to fight against terrorism during his presidential campaign.

According to Iran’s UN envoy, Trump’s insistence on using insulting language against the Iranian nation will double their determination to resist against the policy of pressure and coercion pursued by his administration.

Earlier Trump called Iranians “a nation of terror” but at the same time described them as great people. He then noted that he does not think additional US troops are needed in the Middle East to counter Iran.

His statement came after US Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan said that the Pentagon is considering sending additional troops to the Middle East as one of the ways to reinforce American positions in the region amid tension with Iran.

Iran Not to Stop Fighting for Its Independence Even If Bombed

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IFP Editorial Staff

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May 23, 2019

President Rouhani on Thursday referred to the eight-year war Iraq imposed on Iran in the 1980s, and said, “At that time, Iran was under the pressure of a military attack and occupation of its territory, but today we’re faced with an economic war and an attack on people’s welfare.”

Addressing a group of war veterans in Tehran, Rouhani said this new attack is somehow more complicated than the previous one, and thus the Iranians need to remain resistant and united.

Our enemies must understand frustration and disappointment have no place in our hearts, and we won’t stop pursuing the goal of [protecting] the country’s independence and honour even “if our country is bombarded” and our men are martyred, wounded, and captured, he stressed.

“The enemies are putting Iran under pressure to make us regret striving for our independence and dignity, but the people will once again show their plots will not bear fruit, and will make the enemies regretful again,” he noted.

Rouhani said the Iranian nation has not bowed for more than one year despite tough sanctions and numerous problems.

“No one will hear the sound of humiliation and submission from Iran and the nation, and we will defeat the enemy through sacrifice and solidarity,” he added.

“Today is the day of resistance, and I openly tell the Iranian nation we can defeat the US, the Zionist regime, and the regional reactionaries through resistance and unity,” the president said.

The president’s comments come amid heightened tensions between Iran and the US, and the growing threat of a military confrontation between the two sides.

The US has deployed a carrier strike group to the Persian Gulf citing “intelligence” of an imminent Iranian attack on US interests in the region. Tehran has repeatedly said that it is not seeking to escalate tensions but it won’t be afraid if there is any.

Iran FM to Visit Iraq Saturday: Sources

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IFP Editorial Staff

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May 23, 2019

Iran and Iraq FMs — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (L) and his Iraqi counterpart Mohammad Ali al-Hakim (R) hold a joint press conference during an official visit in Baghdad on January 13, 2019. / Photo by AFP

That was reported by the Iraqi news agency Al-Forat, which quoted an informed source as saying on Thursday.

The report did not name the source or give more details about the visit, but said that the Iranian top diplomat is expected to hold talks with top Iraqi officials on the latest regional developments and bilateral ties.

Iraq will be the sixth Asian destination of the Iranian top diplomat during the past few weeks. He has earlier visited Turkmenistan, India, Japan, and China, and is currently in Islamabad on an official trip.

The visit to Iraq will come amid efforts by the Baghdad government to mediate between Iran and the US as tensions escalate in the Persian Gulf.

The Iraqi prime minister said Tuesday that Baghdad would take measures to curtail concerns over a military confrontation between Iran and the United States. Adil Abdul Mahdi said Iraq will send delegations to Tehran and Washington to help ease tensions.

In reaction to the offer, Iran said it has no problem with the visit of the Iraqi delegation to Tehran, but the Islamic Republic will have its own say on the issue.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday at the end of a weekly cabinet session, Chief of Staff of the Iranian president Mahmoud Vaezi said, “If they want to send a delegation to Iran, we won’t make any opposition to the visit but the main issue is that we will have our own say.”

Tensions have recently mounted between Iran and the US with Washington deploying a carrier strike group to the Persian Gulf citing “intelligence” of an imminent Iranian attack on US interests in the region. Tehran has repeatedly said that it is not seeking to escalate tensions but it won’t be afraid if there is any.

Tehran’s Patience Over, Iranian Diplomat Tells Germany

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IFP Editorial Staff

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May 23, 2019

Iran Says Concerted Global Effort Needed to Fight Coronavirus

In the Thursday meeting in Tehran, the two diplomats discussed the latest developments regarding the Iran nuclear deal and Germany’s attempts to salvage it.

Asserting that Iran has run out of patience, Araqchi underlined the responsibilities of the remaining signatories after America’s decision to leave the deal and doubled down on the necessity of fulfilling those commitments in accordance with the four statements of the joint commission of the JCPOA.

Plotner, for his part, emphasized his country’s continued commitment to the JCPOA and said, “The European countries will push ahead with their efforts and consultations to meet Iran’s demands and save the JCPOA.”

Earlier this month, Iran said it was reducing its commitments under the nuclear deal and gave Europe 60 days to deliver on their end and stand up to pressure by the US.

The European countries have rejected the deadline but insist they are committed to the deal and will eventually find a solution to the current deadlock.

Iran Says No Negotiation with US Unless It’s Treated Fairly

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IFP Editorial Staff

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May 23, 2019

“There has been an increase in the number of visits to Iran by officials from different countries, mostly on behalf of the United States. Some of the visits are made public through media whereas others remain confidential,” said Keivan Khosravi as quoted by IRNA.

“On the basis of the principles of the Islamic Republic of Iran, they [the diplomats] have all been sent back with a message of authority, logic, resistance and steadfastness of the nation,” he added.

“We have said clearly in the past that until the behaviours remain the same, until the country’s rights are not met, until they don’t change course from talk to action it will remain like this,” Khosravi added.

“There will be absolutely no negotiations,” he repeated.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said earlier this week that while Tehran is open to dialogue, such engagement with the United States under the current circumstances is simply not possible.

“I, myself, am in favour of negotiation and diplomacy, but do not approve of it under the current circumstances at all,” the president said as he met a number of religious scholars and personalities on Monday.

He said Iran had never been the initiator over the course of its standing conflict with the US, which took a turn for the worse in May 2018, when President Donald Trump abandoned a multi-lateral nuclear agreement with Tehran.

Since then, Trump has used all in his power from sanctions to threats of military action in order to force Tehran to negotiate a new deal that addresses its missile program as well as its growing influence in the region.

Iran OK with Iraq’s Mediation Efforts, but ‘Will Have Its Own Say’

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IFP Editorial Staff

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May 23, 2019

Iran OK with Iraq’s Mediation Efforts, but ‘Will Have Its Own Say’ — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (left) and Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi (right)

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday at the end of a weekly cabinet session, Chief of Staff of the Iranian president Mahmoud Vaezi said Iran and Iraq have close ties as two long-time neighbours.

“If they want to send a delegation to Iran, we won’t make any opposition to the visit but the main issue is that we will have our own say,” he was quoted as saying in a report by dolat.ir.

Touching on efforts by Iraq to mediate between Iran and the US, Vaezi said since May 8 when Iran said will stop complying with parts of the Iran nuclear deal, many countries and delegations have sought to safeguard the nuclear accord and prevent from any regional confrontation.

“Given the importance of the Iran nuclear deal, the countries and delegation are seeking to prepare the ground for meeting Iran’s expectations,” he said.

He then underlined that efforts are underway to ease tensions but it doesn’t mean that there is a negotiation between Iran and the US.

“As far as the American officials try to exert pressure on the Iranian people and continue to violate their commitments, there would be no negotiation between Iran and the US,” he concluded.

The Iraqi prime minister said Tuesday that Baghdad would take measures to curtail concerns over a military confrontation between Iran and the United States. Adil Abdul Mahdi said Iraq will send delegations to Tehran and Washington to help ease tensions.

Vaezi also referred to the recent visit of Omani foreign minister to Tehran and his alleged message to the Iranian officials, and said during his stay in Iran, the Omani minister held talks with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif on mutual and regional issues.

“The foreign minister briefed the cabinet ministers on his meeting with the Omani foreign minister. His briefing shows that the visit was not aimed at mediation,” he said.

Tensions have recently mounted between Iran and the US with Washington deploying a carrier strike group to the Persian Gulf citing “intelligence” of an imminent Iranian attack on US interests in the region. Tehran has repeatedly said that it is not seeking to escalate tensions but it won’t be afraid if there is any.