Europe’s Banking Mechanism to Help Expand Iran Foreign Trade: UK

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October 10, 2018

Speaking in a Tuesday meeting with businessmen in the central province of Yazd, Rob Macaire said a group of experts is currently working hard to create the mechanism, known as Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV).

“This is not easy for Europe to design a new banking system to get connected to Iran and that’s why an expert team is working on this. Upon completion, this system can help not only Europe but other countries to engage in trade with Iran,” he said.

The European Union announced in a statement on September 25 that the new mechanism will be set up to facilitate legitimate trade for European companies wishing to do business with Iran.

The decision came following a meeting among top diplomats from China, France, Germany, Russia and the UK on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The US, which withdrew from the nuclear deal early May, has in recent months been pushing to cut Iran’s global trade, warning other countries that they need to choose between engaging in trade with the US and Iran.

UK Keen to Expand Trade with Iran

Macaire said London is committed to preserving and expanding trade ties with Tehran, despite the fact political relations are not so warm.

“Despite political differences have overshadowed our relations, we like Iran-UK trade ties to be expanded and the British side is highly motivated to achieve this,” he said.

The UK and other European signatories to the nuclear deal have frequently shared US concerns about Iran’s missile and regional activities, but they are seemingly against the US position on JCPOA.

1,200-Year-Old Relics Discovered in Iran’s Ilam Province

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IFP Editorial Staff

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October 10, 2018

1,200-Year-Old Relics Discovered in Iran’s Ilam Province — Photo of the historical village of Sarab-e Kalan in Ilam province, where people have built their houses on historical monuments, according to local officials.

The objects include 94 silver coins and a pottery that was handed over to the archaeological museum of Ghal’eh Vali.

The village of Sarab-e Kalan is located in the historic city of Sirvan. According to officials, the people of this village have built their homes on historical monuments belonging to the Sassanid era and the early Islamic centuries, and this has destroyed the historical works.

Based on a decision by local authorities, the historic village Sarab-e Kalan will be transferred to a new site within a few years to allow archaeological explorations and excavations to be carried out on historical monuments.

Incentives have been planned for transferring villagers to the new site, and loans would be given to those who are willing to build houses there.

US Exempts Iran-UK Joint Gasfield from Its Sanctions

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IFP Media Wire

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October 10, 2018

The Rhum field northeast of Aberdeen, which supplies around 5 percent of Britain’s gas demand, has now received a new operation license from the US Treasury, UK-listed producer Serica Energy said on Tuesday.

The license also allows Serica to complete its acquisition of BP’s 50 percent stake in the offshore field, making it a new partner of the Iranian National Oil Company which holds the other 50 percent.

Under the license which is valid until October 31, 2019 but may be renewed, Iran’s proceeds from the field will be held in an escrow account while sanctions are in place.

BP announced in May that it had halted work on Rhum as Serica said it was looking to secure a waiver from renewed US sanctions against Iran.

“Subject to the fulfillment of the conditions, the license will allow certain US and US-owned or controlled entities to provide goods, services and support involving Rhum,” Serica said in a statement on Tuesday.

The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) “has also provided an assurance that non-US entities providing goods, services and support involving Rhum will not be exposed to to US secondary sanctions”, it said.

“These OFAC actions will enable production from the Rhum field to continue unaffected,” the company added.

Previous US sanctions between 2012 and 2014 forced the Rhum field to shut down.

Rhum was discovered in 1977 by a joint venture between the Iranian Oil Company UK Ltd and BP which has a long history of operation in Iran.

BP started life as the Anglo-Persian Oil Company in 1908 before parting ways with Iran and becoming British Petroleum.

The company shut down Rhum in 2010 even before the West began imposing intensified sanctions on Iran a year later. It resumed production in 2014 after securing an exemption.

US sanctions ban companies from doing business with Iran as well as transactions in dollars. Washington imposed the first round of new sanctions on May 6, with President Donald Trump pledging to zero Iran’s oil exports when the bans “ratchet up to yet another level” in November.

However, a US government official said on Friday the administration is actively considering waivers on sanctions for countries that are reducing their imports of Iranian oil.

The administration is “in the midst of an internal process” of considering exceptions called SRE waivers, or significant reduction exemptions, a government official was quoted as saying.

The climbdown came after doubts grew over Saudi Arabia’s ability to replace Iran’s oil as sought by President Trump.

Iran’s Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh on Monday dismissed as “nonsense” claims by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that Riyadh had met Trump’s demand.

US Exempts Iran-UK Joint Gasfield from Its Sanctions

“Bin Salman’s remarks and such bragging can only satisfy Trump. No one else will believe him. Iran’s oil cannot be replaced by Saudi Arabia nor any other country,” Zangeneh said.

“The price hike in the market is the best evidence to state that … the market faces a supply shortage and it is worried,” he added.

The minister said bin Salman’s remarks in an interview with Bloomberg on Friday were part of a psychological war against Iran and showed Saudi Arabia’s submission to US pressures.

“What the Saudis had been supplying the market with, were not from Riyadh’s spare capacity but from tapping its oil stocks,” he said.

Iran Ready to Establish Joint Fund with Bulgaria

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IFP Media Wire

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October 10, 2018

In a Tuesday meeting with his Bulgarian counterpart on the sidelines of a conference of Eurasian states’ parliaments in Turkey’s Antalya, Larijani stressed the need for implementing the idea of establishing an Iran-Bulgaria joint fund to support the two sides’ production and expand trade ties.

Iranian private sector companies can help Bulgaria in the heavy industries, Larijani said.

For her part, the Bulgarian speaker, Tsveta Karayancheva, said ties with Iran are top on the agenda of the European Union, adding that her country seeks to employ Iran’s transportation capacity and corridors.

Accompanied by a delegation of Iranian lawmakers, Larijani took part in the 3rd Meeting of Speakers of Eurasian Countries’ Parliaments in Antalya.

The conference was attended by 20 parliament speakers and parliamentary delegations from 17 Asian and European nations.

The first and second editions of the conference were held in Russia and South Korea, respectively.

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on October 10

By

Seyedeh Maryam Hosseini Lahijani

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October 10, 2018

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on November 19

Several papers today covered the surprising resignation of US Envoy to the UN Nikki Haley, which was later accepted by US President Donald Trump.

Also a top story was the threatening messages Iranian lawmakers recently received over their decision on a convention on Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT). They particularly highlighted Vice-Speaker Ali Motahari’s request from the Judiciary to prosecute those behind the messages.

Comments by Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri about the country’s drone industry and defensive capabilities also received great coverage.

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

Abrar:

1- Biggest Mass Grave Discovered in Syria’s Raqqa

2- Moscow Gives Syria Its S-300 Missile Defence Systems for Free

3- Syrian Envoy to UN: Presence of Foreign Forces in Syria Illegal

4- US Concerned about Fate of Saudi Journalist

5- Larijani: Iran to Keep Trying to Save JCPOA

Afkar:

1- US Backs Off from Imposing Sanctions on Iran’s Oil Exports

2- We Shouldn’t Expect [Accession to] CFT to Do a Miracle: Analyst

Aftab-e Yazd:

1- Haley’s Shocking Resignation Accepted by Trump

2- Germany Calls for Establishment of EU’s Security Council

Arman-e Emrooz:

1- Those Who Sent Threatening Messages to MPs over CFT Must Be Punished

2- Iran’s Economic Growth to Continue from 2020: IMF, World Bank

Donya-ye Eqtesad:

1- SWIFT, a Barrier to Iran Sanctions: Division in US Treasury Department

Ebtekar:

1- Riyadh to Pay Dearly for Khashoggi’s Disappearance

A Review of Consequences for Saudis

Etemad:

1- Iranophobic Sherriff Resigns: Trump Accepts Haley’s Resignation

Ettela’at:

1- Iran’s Top General: National Security a Red Line for Armed Forces

2- Iranian Athletes Winning Colourful Medals in Jakarta Para-Asian Games

3- Lebanese Hezbollah: We’ll Sacrifice Our Lives to Defend Imam Khamenei against West

4- Iran Warns about Return of Unilateralism to International Relations

5- Iran Fighting Terrorism While Respecting Int’l Rules: Foreign Ministry

Hemayat:

1- Internal War in White House: A Review of Division in Trump’s Cabinet over Iran

2- Top General: Iran Has Had 98% Progress in Building Domestic Jet Fighter’s Engine

Iran:

1- US Exempts Iran-UK Joint Gas Field from Its Sanctions

Javan:

1- Iran among World’s Top Drone Powers: Top General

2- Government to Offer Support Package to Those Receiving Less than IRR 30 Million

Kayhan:

1- 10 Kids Die of Medicine Shortage in Gaza Every Month

2- Fate of European JCPOA Not to Be Better than American One

3- Joining CFT to Increase Iran’s Int’l Commitments with ‘Almost No’ Achievement

4- New York Times: Bin Salman a Ruthless Murderer Emboldened by Trump

Sazandegi:

1- Financial Transparency Beneficial to Iran: Analyst

2- Nobel against Trump: Nobel Prize Winners in Economics Announced

3- Here’s Trump of Brazil: Latin America in Shock after Bolsonaro’s Victory

Shargh:

1- Larijani: Iran, Russia in Total Agreement over Syria

2- Parliament Urges Prosecutor General to Take Action against Those behind CFT Threats

Vatan-e Emrooz:

1- Saudi Gripped with Butchering Scandal

Persian Leopard Borzou Migrates to Turkmenistan

By

IFP Editorial Staff

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October 10, 2018

According to Iran Environment and Wildlife Watch, the male leopard left the Tandooreh National Park in Iran on September 26 and crossed a large number of villages across the main and secondary roads to reach the Iranian-Turkmen border.

In 23 days, Borzou sat at the heights overlooking the countryside, and as the sky darkened, he came down the highlands and roamed around the villages and agricultural lands, hunting dogs and a wild sheep.

Persian Leopard Borzou Migrates to Turkmenistan — The yellow point on the left is the spot of Borzou’s presence in Turkmenistan after crossing the border and the right point shows the moments before crossing the border.

The migration of Borzou, who was one of the four Persian leopards equipped with a tracker collar, indicates the importance of protecting the natural arenas on the borderline.

Mohammad Sadeq Farhadinia, who is responsible for “The Persian Leopard: Ecology and Conservation in Northeastern Iran” project, says during these 10 nights, Borzou lived in the villages, vicinity of farms and human habitats.

“Interestingly, there was no indication of the presence of a leopard or an attack on domestic livestock and, basically, nobody noticed him.”

During the 10 days after he left the park, Borzou had to hunt in order to survive. However, given that wild herbivores like goats, rams and ewes are not usually seen in these areas, the leopard has probably fed on a dog or boar.

Borzou’s migration highlights the importance of protecting the natural arenas on the frontiers, proving that joint environmental cooperation between Iran and neighbouring countries can lead to genetic exchange and the achievement of sustainable wildlife populations, especially those of large carnivores that are moving in these areas.

In the course of “The Persian Leopard: Ecology and Conservation in Northeastern Iran” project, four male Persian leopards called “Bardia”, “Borna”, “Borzou” and “Kaveh” have been captured and equipped with a satellite tracker collar.

According to the program, the collars will automatically be removed after a year, and so far two collars belonging to Borna and Bardia have been removed right after 365 days.

Iran among Top Seven Powers in Military Drone Industry: Top General

By

IFP Editorial Staff

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October 10, 2018

Speaking at a conference on Iran’s air forces on Tuesday, Baqeri said Iran started developing its drone technology during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s and it is now among top powers in this field.

“We are now among top seven powers in this industry,” Fars News Agency quoted him as saying.

Baqeri said Iran must keep up working to boost its home-grown air power and ensure it is not vulnerable to sanctions imposed by foreign powers.

“We must make progress so that enemies could not endanger Iran’s air sovereignty and Iranian aerial forces are able to provide close support for naval and ground forces,” he said.

Air Force to Target Terrorists

Baqeri said Iran would use its air forces to target terrorists if they set up bases near the country’s bases.

Iran has in recent months faced increased military activity in the western Kurdistan province, where elements based in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region have attacked Iranian forces several times.

Last month, Iran fired 7 short-range missiles to a meeting of leaders of the Democratic Party of Iran (KDP-I) and the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) and their training compound and their residence.

In late September, Iran also launched six ballistic missiles into ISIS positions in eastern Syria, in response to a September 22 attack on a military parade in the southwestern city of Ahvaz that left dozens dead or injured.

“Iran’s Failure to Join CFT to Give US Pretext to Boost Its Pressure”

By

IFP Editorial Staff

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October 10, 2018

Iran Appoints Female Ambassador to Denmark

The Foreign Ministry made the comments in a statement released on Tuesday in reaction to some media outlets’ misinterpretation of Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s statements in a parliament session on Iran joining the CFT.

“Contrary to what certain media outlets have concluded from FM Zarif’s statements, the foreign minister said refusing to join the convention on Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) will solve problems of the US which looks for pretexts to prevent Iran from cooperating with the international community,” the statement said.

“In this way, we make it easier for the US to convince others, including China, Russia and the EU, to stop cooperating with Iran. As the foreign minister said, no one can guarantee that joining the FATF will solve all of our problems, but Iran’s failure to ratify the convention paves the way for the US to add to our problems,” it added.

The foreign ministry’s statement comes as the CFT bill, passed by the Parliament on Sunday, is going to be discussed by the Guardian Council on Wednesday.

To be signed into law, the bill needs to be ratified by the legislative watchdog. Otherwise, it will be returned to the Parliament, and then sent to the Expediency Council, which will make the final decision as an arbiter.

“Following the removal of nuclear sanctions by the JCPOA, restrictions resulting from Iran being in the black list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) have been the biggest obstacle to expansion of banking ties with foreign banks. The two-year suspension of Iran’s black list status, which came as a result of widespread consultations by the foreign ministry, temporarily eased many restrictions. However, many large banks still refused to cooperate with Iranian banks due to the fact that the suspension was temporary,” the foreign ministry’s statement said.

“The current US policy on Iran is imposing maximum pressure, mainly through imposing harsh economic restrictions. During the recent months, the US government has sent delegations to many countries to convince them to place sanctions and economic pressure on Iran.”

“In the recent FATF meetings, particularly the latest one, the US, the Zionist regime, Saudi Arabia and some of their followers have openly tried to remove suspension of Iran’s status in the black list and reinstate anti-Iran banking restrictions,” the statement added.

The statement added that as the Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said, god-willing Iran will defeat sanctions and prevent the US from imposing new pressure. “Failing to observe the FATF’s plan of action will give the US the required pretext for returning Iran to the black list and this way, we have placed sanction on ourselves.”

“Iran’s talks with signatories to the nuclear deal to save the JCPOA and thwart the US sanctions are making progress. Initiatives designed, including Iran-Europe special financial mechanism, will not be implemented if Iran returns to the FATF black list. Iran’s economic and banking cooperation with other friendly countries are in similar conditions,” it added.

It also noted that in the past two years, all possible negative dimensions of Iran’s implementation of FATF action plan, particularly the convention on countering the financing of terrorism, have been discussed in various expert meetings and necessary solutions have been devised.

“We believe that the country will certainly incur losses if the FATF accession is not finalized. The foreign minister has fulfilled his duty by informing others of dangers and providing solutions to avoid damages,” the statement added.

The foreign ministry finally urged domestic media outlets which hold a different view on big and national issues to show fairness, piety and dignity and avoid making erroneous interpretations of statements made by those who care for the country.

Haley’s Moves at UN Isolated Washington More than Ever: Iran

By

IFP Editorial Staff

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October 10, 2018

Gholamali Khoshroo made the comments in reaction to the resignation of US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.

She entered the UN with a unilateralist viewpoint thinking that she is a new sheriff and the UN is a barracks or prison, Khoshroo noted.

The Iranian diplomat said that the United Nations is formed based on the sovereignty of states, but Haley wanted these independent states to work under her command.

“She was practically defeated and confronted with the defiance of the international community in a way that she completely isolated the US at the end of her mission at the international body.”

“Washington was completely isolated on important issues such as the Palestinian issue and the Zionist regime, and the case of Iran which was a priority for the United States,” he went on to say.

Khoshroo underlined that Haley tried to convince the international community that the withdrawal of the US from the nuclear deal was a lawful move, while all the nations of the world, and even the Secretary-General of the United Nations, repeatedly emphasised the unilateral withdrawal of the United States was a violation of international law while no country endorsed this move.

“We also saw the United Nations Security Council’s meeting that was chaired by the US was Washington’s biggest historic mistake because all countries spoke against the United States and the session ended without any result. The September 26 session of the Security Council led to the isolation of the US in the world more than ever,” underscored Khoshroo.

With regard to the Palestinian issue, despite all the unilateral support for Israel, they failed to gain any support from the United Nations for their actions in favour of Tel Aviv, he stated.

He further mentioned that the resolution which Haley offered to the Security Council received only one aye vote, and that was her own vote.

“It was very rare in the history of the Security Council that a permanent member of the Council introduces a resolution and becomes so much isolated in the eyes of the world states.”

“She entered a multi-party organisation with a unilateralist perspective, and practically was defeated by multilateral processes,” he added.

Elsewhere in his remarks, he expressed hope that Washington would return to multilateral policies by learning lessons from this mistake, and by avoiding unilateral actions that only existed in the pre-modern world.

He called on the US government to stop discrimination, pressure and imposing sanctions against other countries adding that “Basically, these US policies are against global policies.”

“Whenever, the United States wants to stand against the international will in all areas, such as law, international issues, and environment matters, it fails and gets more isolated.”

“Whoever pursuing such policies would meet the same fate. Haley thought she could change the agenda of the United Nations. She thought the US can manage the international community in its own way because it has the power. However, this view was very dangerous, and practically failed.”

Khoshroo also underpinned that the US failed to consign the issue of Palestine into oblivion, to legitimise the issue of US withdrawal from the JCPOA, and to legitimise Washington’s withdrawal from international regulations and treaties. Therefore, the United States became more isolated day by day.

Nikki Haley was one of the proponents of such policies, which fortunately failed, and the end of her mandate coincided with more isolation for the United States, stressed the Iranian diplomat.

Nikki Haley resigned as the US ambassador to the United Nations on Tuesday and will leave her post in January. US President Donald Trump accepted the resignation saying that he had been informed about Haley’s decision “probably six months ago.”

Asked about Haley’s successor, Trump said there were a number of people that would very much like to do it and he will introduce her successor in two or three week.

Since the former businessman entered the Oval Office, the list of departures from his administration has been rising rapidly. Some have been dismissed and some have resigned.

In Pictures: Modern Tehran vs Old Tehran

By

Fatemeh Askarieh

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October 9, 2018

It’s been a couple of years that, based on a decision by Tehran’s City Council, the day October 6 is marked and celebrated as the Tehran Day, and the beginning of the Tehran Week.

Many experts believe it was a major and unforgivable mistake to select Tehran as the capital of Iran. However, the day Agha Mohammad Khan chose this small village as a base for the establishment of the Qajar government in 1796, he made the right decision because the military-geographic position of Tehran was very important.

Meanwhile, there is no doubt that Fat’h-Ali Shah Qajar was the first designer of modern Tehran. At his order, a famous marble throne was built. Under him, the royal citadel was constructed. He gave the shape of a capital to Tehran by building a mosque called the Shah Mosque in the grand bazaar, the Marvi and Sadr Madrasas, the entrance of the grand bazaar, the gate of the Shah Abdol Azim Shrine in Rey, and several public buildings in Tehran.

Several travelogues have also been published in this era by tourists and western merchants visiting the country. One of the most famous ones of these travelogues was written by Eugene Flandin, which is decorated with paintings and drawings from various regions of Iran.

Flanden, a French painter and orientalist, accompanied by another French architect and painter Pascal Coste, traveled to Iran in 1838. During the trip, he wrote his observations on the situation of Iran, the international policies of the Qajars and monuments of Iran in a book entitled “Travel to Iran” in several volumes. The book was published in Paris in 1851.

Eugene’s unique works in historical and artistic fields have made him famous. He has drawn paintings and unique designs of the architectural works of Iran and the Middle East.

What follows are some of Eugene Flanden’s drawings and their modern equivalents, as selected by IFP:

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