Mud Therapy in Lake Urmia; A Mixture of Healing, Recreation

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September 1, 2018

The Lake’s mud is among the best-performing medical ones thanks to its mineral salts, especially chlorine, sulphate, sulphur, radioactive materials, iodine, iron and numerous organic substances.

It is effective in the treatment of many diseases, such as skin and rheumatic diseases, psychosomatic illnesses, gynaecological diseases, especially pelvic inflammation and menstrual disorders, and many other diseases.

In the past, the Lake’s mud used to be exported to several other countries as well as the Soviet Hospital of Tehran, which is now called Khordad 15th Hospital for the treatment of patients.

However, unfortunately in recent years, except for the general public and tourists, no one else makes use of this therapeutic method.

Nowadays, by using new methods and building modern health centres near Lake Urmia, effective steps could be taken not only in the development of tourism industry, but also in helping patients.

These centres can effectively help to develop new therapeutic approaches in the healthcare system of the country and become a reference environment for other countries, especially the neighbours.

What follows are ISNA’s photos of tourists receiving mud therapy in Lake Urmia’s shores:

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US Trying to Mislead ICJ on Iran’s Lawsuit: Official

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IFP Editorial Staff

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September 1, 2018

In an interview with IRNA, Araqchi slammed the US lawyer’s remarks in a recent ICJ hearing, saying that instead of responding to the logical and legal arguments of Iranian lawyers, the US attempted to provide non-technical and non-relevant justifications.

Araqchi said the US’ lawyer interrupted the senior officials of Iran, including himself (Araqchi), and provided incorrect translations and interpretations in a bid to mislead the court and evade accountability.

“I stated in my interview that, although the court’s decision was binding as per the international law, the international bodies’ power to force the US into abiding by the decision is very limited. In the past, Washington had openly refused to abide by The Hague’s verdicts on several occasions in spite of the clarity of the lawsuits against the United States,” he added.

“We knew that even if the ICJ issues a fair ruling and confirms that Iran’s rights have been violated by the US sanctions, the United States will not possibly accept it in any case. However, we decided to take our case to the court in order to prove Iran’s rightfulness.”

The breath-taking controversy of Iranian-American legal teams ended at the International Court of Justice on Thursday, and it will be clear in the coming weeks which side will win the case.

The first hearing session on Iran’s complaint against the re-imposition of unilateral sanctions by the United States was held on August 27 in The Hague, Netherlands, and at the Peace Palace of the International Court of Justice.

Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Tehran has complained to the ICJ against United States’ violation of 1955 Treaty of Amity, Economic Relations, and Consular Rights.

He also noted that the Islamic Republic of Iran has filed a lawsuit against the US at The Hague on this basis.

The International Court of Justice has 15 qualified judges, elected by the General Assembly of the United Nations and the Security Council for a period of nine years.

Iran’s ambassador to the Netherlands, Alireza Jahangiri, had previously stated that if the vote would be in favour of the Islamic Republic, the UN Security Council must implement it and could enforce it on Washington. But even if the verdict is vetoed by the United States at the Security Council, it can still put great pressure on Washington.

The 1955 treaty was signed between Tehran and Washington before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

It consists of an introduction and twenty-three articles calling for friendly ties while encouraging bilateral trade, investments, and regulating consular relations. The treaty was signed in Tehran just a week before the second anniversary of the 1953 Coup. The treaty came into force in June 1957. Ever since, it has been considered as the legal framework for bilateral ties between Tehran and Washington.

Tehran Hosts First Free Outdoor Concert

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IFP Editorial Staff

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September 1, 2018

The event was marked by performances by the Orchestra of National Musical Instruments.

The orchestra conducted by Aliakbar Qorbani featured vocals by Mohammad Mo’tamedi, a renowned traditional signer.

It was the first musical performance free of charge for the public and was held at Water-and-Fire Park on August 30, 2018.

At the beginning of the concert, Narrator Mirza-Ali recited pieces about Imam Ali.

The event was organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, and was warmly welcomed by the people on its first night, though there were some problems such as a shortage of seats for the audience and the long time it took to tune up the instruments.

However, the concert went very well with the cooperation of the people and no security incidents came up during the performances despite earlier concerns.

The audience stood up to honour the “Oh, Iran” piece played without prior rehearsal and sang along in harmony with the orchestra.

“With such performances, we intend to show the police that such events will not be problematic for public security,” said Mo’tamedi.

The National Musical Instruments Orchestra comprises musicians playing such instruments as the Tar, Santoor, Tumbak and flute.

The idea of holding such free outdoor concerts was first raised by famous singer Homayoun Shajarian, who said such performances may help ordinary people forget about their economic problems for a few hours.

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Ancient Artefacts Seized from Smugglers in Southern Iran

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IFP Editorial Staff

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September 1, 2018

Ancient Artefacts Seized from Smugglers in Southern Iran — Ancient artefacts seized from smugglers in Iran's Khuzestan province

Prosecutor General of Jiroft, Hossein Salami, told IRNA that after carrying out a series of intelligence operations by the IRGC forces of Kerman Province, it was revealed that smugglers were determined to traffic an invaluable cargo of antiques.

When the Prosecutor’s Office was informed about it, he added, the issue was put high on the agenda, and a team of the IRGC intelligence forces was deployed to the region.

“In this operation, 14 antique objects dating back to the third millennium BCE were discovered and seized, and smugglers of antique objects escaped to the mountains.”

He underlined that among the objects discovered things such as a crescent blade, a bronze plaque, a bronze ring, a three-part metal object, a stone button, and a conical metal object could be seen.

The discovery of such historical objects in the city of Jiroft reveals the ancient civilization, culture, and history of the region, and the protection of this historical heritage is necessary for everyone, added Salami.

He further mentioned that this is the third discovery of antique relics in the past few weeks in the city of Jiroft adding that so far, a total of 28 pieces of such relics have been seized.

Meanwhile, the Intelligence office of Khuzestan province announced the discovery of 908 antique items in the province.

After four months of investigation, a collection of 81 types of antiques including historical coins, bayonets, stitching awls, candlesticks, armbands, bracelets, gold, silver and iron rings, daggers, maces, dishes, and weapons were seized.

Cultural heritage experts say the objects belong to the Sassanid, Elamites, Islamic, Achaemenids, first millennium BCE and Qajar periods.

The smugglers were supposed to transfer the antiques to a European country, and so far a few of them have been arrested.

Iran Has So Far Stayed in JCPOA at EU’s Request: Larijani

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IFP Editorial Staff

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September 1, 2018

Ali Larijani said Europe has stated that it will secure Tehran’s interests in such a way that Iran will suffer no losses.

“Iran agreed to hold talks with the P5+1 group, and they were tough negotiations, indeed,” said the top parliamentarian.

“The current [Iranian] administration also tried very hard to make the talks bear fruit. I was following up the affairs personally and saw that Mr Rouhani’s administration and Mr [Mohammad Javad] Zarif made a lot of efforts to reach agreement. However, there are problems in the deal and it’s not that all demands are met,” said Larijani.

He said the European asked the Islamic Republic to stay in the Iran nuclear deal after Washington’s withdrawal from the agreement.

“They asked us to cooperate and said they would ensure [Iran’s interests] in such a way that it won’t cost Iran anything,” the speaker said.

“In fact, after contacts with the three European leaders, Iran agreed to stay with Europe for a period of time to see whether or not they have what it takes to do it and [whether or not they] are dedicated to the job,” Larijani added.

“It was a rational course of action to take, and the Islamic Republic of Iran took ‘time’ into account, too” said the top parliamentarian.

Elsewhere in his remarks, he reiterated that Iran is not seeking nuclear weapons.

“We took the path to technological advances part of which was nuclear technology, and it was announced time and again that we won’t seek nuclear arms,” he noted.

“The Leader [of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei] also issued a fatwa indicating that we consider nuclear arms to be against religion,” he said.

The parliament speaker said Iran then provided the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) with the necessary information, and that the agency confirmed afterwards that Tehran had lived up to its obligations.

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on September 1

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IFP Editorial Staff

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September 1, 2018

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on November 19

Newspapers today widely covered the remarks made by the Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in a meeting with President Hassan Rouhani and members of his cabinet.

The visit of Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to Pakistan and his meeting with the country’s new Prime Minister Imran Khan also received great coverage. Zarif became the first foreign diplomat to meet Imran Khan after his taking office.

Several papers also highlighted the successful holding of the first free outdoor concert in Iran, which was performed by traditional singer Mohammad Motamedi in a park in the capital.

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

Abrar:

1- Araqchi: Lawsuit against US Aimed at Proving Iran’s Rightfulness

2- Erdogan Says Turkey Will Work with Iran, Russia on Idlib

Aftab-e Yazd:

1- Pakistani Prime Minister’s Interesting Move

Imran Khan Won’t Attend UNGA in New York to Focus on Economic Woes

2- Iran’s Commitment to JCPOA Once Again Confirmed by IAEA

Arman-e Emrooz:

1- Iran Leader: Everyone Must Help Government in Tackling Problems

2- Twitter, One More Step Closer to Being Unblocked after FM’s Support

Ebtekar:

1- Tsunami of Impeachment: Rouhani’s Minister May Fail to Survive Impeachment

2- Queiroz: I’ll Sign New Deal with Iran Tomorrow; We Want to Claim Asian Title

Etemad:

1- Rouhani’s Failure Doesn’t Mean Victory for Anyone

Why Reformists Are Criticizing Rouhani’s Government

2- Iran Leader: No Talks to Be Held with US at Any Level

Ettela’at:

1- Iran Leader: Government Capable of Running the Country’s Economy

2- Zarif: Iran’s JCPOA Partners Must Stop Releasing Fruitless Statements

Hamshahri:

1- Nights of Music

Traditional Singer Motamedi Holds First Free Street Concert

Iran:

1- Tehran Hosts First Free Street Concert: Huge Crowd of People Welcome Performance

2- Zarif: People’s Massive Presence in Twitter to Serve Islamic Republic’s Interests

Javan:

1- Iran Leader: Banks Not Allowed to Use People’s Money to Run Business Firms

2- Government Spokesman: Five Plans Devised to Counter Sanctions

Kayhan:

1- Iran Leader: JCPOA Not a Target, but a Means; We’ll Leave It If Our Interests Not Secured

2- Increased Pressures on Suu Kyi, Urging Her to Resign over Her Role in Myanmar Genocide

3- US Backs Off from Deal of the Century until Further Notice

Sazandegi:

1- Iran Leader: JCPOA Not a Goal, but a Means

2- Education Minister to Be Impeached As Well

Shahrvand:

1- Zarif: Caspian Sea Convention Great Success for Iran

2- Instagram Page Opened by Young Woman Helps Many Families Find Their Lost Children

Shargh:

1- FM: We Haven’t Closed Doors for Dialogue with Saudi Arabia

Iranians’ Presence in Twitter Could Respond to Certain Anti-Iran Moves

2- Punishment and Reward for Rouhani (Editorial)

Vatan-e Emrooz:

1- They Want Both Our Missiles and Region

French FM Once Again Stresses What US Wants from JCPOA!

Iran Disbands Terrorist Cell in Southeastern Province

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IFP Media Wire

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September 1, 2018

The IRGC Ground Force said in a statement that the terrorist team, “affiliated with the global arrogance”, had plans to cross the border and carry out acts of sabotage and upset security in Iran.

In the armed clash on the border in the Saravan region, the IRGC troops killed four of the terrorists and injured three others, the statement added.

It also said one of the Iranian forces received minor injuries in the gunfight.

The IRGC is tasked with protecting the country’s northwestern and southeastern borders.

UK Minister in Tehran to Discuss Business Ties despite US Bans

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IFP Editorial Staff

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September 1, 2018

According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s Centre for Public Diplomacy and Media Affairs, the new round of talks between the Islamic Republic and the UK will be held on Saturday with the participation of Britain’s Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa Alistair Burt.

Bilateral economic cooperation is the main topic of the talks in the aftermath of the withdrawal of the United States from the JCPOA. The other issue on the agenda is the financial and monetary arrangements between the two countries despite the US’ unilateral sanctions.

The parties will also discuss the latest regional developments. The Iranian delegation will be headed by Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Seyyed Abbas Araqchi.

The junior British minister arrived in Tehran on Friday in the first visit to the Islamic Republic by a UK official since Donald Trump withdrew the US from the 2015 nuclear accord.

Burt’s visit comes as the UK and other European parties to the agreement say they are making efforts to keep it alive while Trump is re-imposing sanctions on Iran.

Dismissal of Iraqi National Security Advisor A Domestic Issue: Iran

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IFP Editorial Staff

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September 1, 2018

In a Friday statement, Qassemi said Falih Alfayyadh being stripped of his post by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is an Iraqi internal issue and Tehran will not interfere in it.

“As a neighbour, a secure, united and developed Iraq is the top priority to us,” said Qassemi.

The Iraqi prime minister dismissed Alfayyadh from all his positions over what the premier’s office called involvement in political and partisan work.

Alfayyadh, who is affiliated with the former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, was also removed from the leadership of Iraq’s Hashd al-Sha’abi (Popular Mobilization Forces), which played a key role in cleansing Iraq of Daesh terrorists.

In a statement released by Abadi’s office, it was stated that Alfayyadh’s alleged involvement in government formation talks would undermine the performance of the country’s security apparatus.

Abadi’s decision came amid reports that Alfayyadh was working with the Fatah Alliance, led by the chief of Badr Organization Hadi al-Amiri, and Maliki’s State of Law Coalition to establish the largest parliamentary bloc. The Iraqi parliament is to hold its first session on September 3, during which a president and two vice presidents will be elected.