5,000-Year-Old Antiques Found in Southern Iran

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August 14, 2018

Colonel Reza Mohammad-Rezaee, the Head of Jiroft Law Enforcement Command, says cultural heritage experts have already begun their investigation into the newly-found pieces.

“Further details about the antique pieces will be released as soon as they are available,” he told reporters on Monday night, according to a report by IRNA.

Jiroft is among historical areas of Kerman province which is widely believed by archaeology experts to be the scene of the first round of urbanization in the region.

According to local officials, the city is still home to lots of ancient pieces which have not yet been unearthed due to lack of enough governmental budgets for exploration.

Jiroft has been postulated as an early Bronze Age (late 3rd millennium BCE) archaeological culture, located in the territory of present-day Sistan and Baluchestan and Kerman Provinces of Iran. The hypothesis is based on a collection of artifacts that were confiscated in Iran and accepted by many to have derived from the Jiroft area in south central Iran.

At the latest census, its population was about 300,000. It is located 230 kilometres south of the city of Kerman, and 1,375 kilometres south of Tehran.

US President Signs $717 Billion Military Budget into Law

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IFP Media Wire

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August 14, 2018

Trump approved the massive budget on Monday during a signing ceremony at Fort Drum, a US Army base which is home to the Army’s 10th Mountain Division and has deployed the most troops to US wars abroad since the 9/11 attacks.

“We believe our war fighters deserve the tools, the equipment, and resources they have earned with their blood, sweat, and tears,” Trump said. “This authorization will give America’s war fighters the firepower they need to win any conflict quickly and decisively.”

The new act allows the Pentagon to spend $639.1 billion in base funding, while earmarking another $69 billion to fund wars overseas and some $8.9 billion for obligatory military expenditures.

Trump said the budget was aimed at revitalizing the US military, one of his key campaign promises.

“Hopefully, we’ll never have to use it, but if we do, no one stands a chance,” Trump said of the US military prowess.

Under the new law, troops will get 2.6 percent pay rise, their first pay raise in around a decade.

More importantly, the act identifies emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, space and counter-space capabilities, cyber attacks, foreign influence operations, and hypersonic weapons as threats.

It also singles out Russia, North Korea, China and Iran as adversaries that need to be countered.

Countering Russian aggression

The US has long accused Russia of seeking to intervene in its democratic process, a claim that received much more attention following Trump’s surprising victory over his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the 2016 race for the White House.

Then-US President Barack Obama and all 16 US intelligence agencies alleged that Moscow had orchestrated a massive online campaign, including hack attacks against the Democratic Party, to turn the page in Trump’s favor.

The act specifically states that part of the massive military funding will go to “cyber warfare and influence operations to counter Russian aggression, cyber, and information warfare threats.”

Stepping up pressure on China

The new budget will also fund Trump’s Space Force, the sixth branch of the US military which will specifically focus on militarizing the space.

Trump said an space force was necessary to confront what he called US “adversaries” in space, specifically naming China

“In order to maintain America’s military supremacy, we must always be on the cutting edge,” the president said. “That is why we are also proudly reasserting America’s legacy of leadership in space. Our foreign competitors and adversaries have already begun weaponizing space.”

“We’ll be catching them very shortly,” he added. “They want to jam transmissions, which threaten our battlefield operations and so many other things. We will be so far ahead of them in a very short period of time, your head will spin.”

US Vice President Mike Pence announced Thursday that the Space Force will come to life over the next few years.

Under the new act, products by Chinese tech giants Huawei and ZTE will largely be banned from use by the US government and government contractors.

The policies against Russia and China fall in line with Trump’s new national security strategy, which was released earlier this year.

Afghanistan, Iraq

The Pentagon is allowed under the new budget to spend $5.2 billion to prolong operations in Afghanistan, 16 years after the US soldiers invaded the country on terrorism charges.

The US military will also receive $820 million to continue operations in Iraq.

New weapons purchases

The new act also authorizes $7.6 billion to purchase 77 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, $24.1 billion to fund the construction of 13 new ships and $452.6 million for six additional AH-64E Apache attack helicopters.

The US Navy will also be allowed to purchase 24 F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets and 10 P-8A Poseidon naval surveillance aircraft and 25 AH-1Z Cobra helicopters.

Additionally, the number of soldiers on active duty will be increased by 15,600 next year.

“The act sets active duty end strength for the Army at 487,500 in fiscal 2019, which begins Oct. 1, 2018. The Navy’s end strength is set at 335,400, the Marine Corps’ at 186,100 and the Air Force’s at 329,100,” according to Pentagon.

The next year’s budget also bars the delivery of F-35 jets to NATO ally Turkey amid concerns over Ankara’s purchase of Russian missile defense systems.

Imran Khan to Visit Iran on First Foreign Visit as Pakistani PM

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IFP Editorial Staff

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August 14, 2018

On his first trip abroad following his party’s victory in the July 25 general elections, Imran Khan will also visit Saudi Arabia.

Imran Khan, the leader of the PTI party, will take the oath of office on August 18, Pakistan’s Times of Islamabad reported.

Iran invited Imran Khan for a visit on August 4, when Iran’s Ambassador to Pakistan Mehdi Honardoost met him to offer congratulations on his victory.

Imran Khan was also invited to Saudi Arabia by King Salman in a phone conversation between the two earlier this month.

The cricketer-turned-politician has announced readiness to play a constructive role to mend fences between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Tehran and Riyadh have been at loggerheads in recent years over a long list of differences, particularly their conflicting view on wars in Yemen and Syria, among others.

Stargazers in Iran Stunned by Perseid Meteor Shower

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IFP Editorial Staff

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August 14, 2018

Meteor shower occurs when Earth passes through the path of Comet Swift-Tuttle, running into the stream of debris that the comet leaves behind.

It lasts about 48 hours, and its peak could be seen on the second day.

The following photos were taken by Fars News Agency in the early hours of Monday, August 13, in Polour plain near Mount Damavand:

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Iran Rejects Comments by Russian ‘Negotiator’ on Caspian Sea

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IFP Media Wire

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August 14, 2018

Asked by Tasnim about a recent report from a Persian-language foreign-based media outlet which has referred to Rajab Safarov as a member of Russia’s team of experts involved in the Caspian negotiations in Kazakhstan, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said, “Records show that he (Safarov) has been never a negotiator in the Russian delegation negotiating with the Iranian delegation.”

“Without doubt, the comments and allegations by the above-mentioned person have basically no credibility,” Qassemi added.

The spokesperson also noted that such baseless allegations and false reports against Iran at this juncture have “certain objectives” that are masterminded by “specific elements and centers.”

The reaction came after BBC Persian broadcast an interview with Safarov, introducing him as a member of Russia’s team of experts in the Kazakhstan talks about the Caspian Sea legal regime.

The Russian individual alleged in the interview that Iran had easily abandoned its share of the Caspian Sea after dissolution of the Soviet Union, expressing surprise that Iran has not insisted on its fifty-percent share of the Caspian Sea from the outset of the negotiations.

A summit of leaders of the Caspian littoral states concluded in the Kazakh city of Aktau on Sunday with a long-awaited convention on the legal regime of the large lake.

The five littoral states – Iran, Russia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and the Republic of Azerbaijan- also signed six other agreements in the summit.

Zanjan Prune Broth: A Traditional Food with Great Taste

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IFP Editorial Staff

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August 14, 2018

Zanjan Prune Broth: A Traditional Food with Great Taste

The so-called Zanjan prune broth has long been favourite with folks in the city of Zanjan in northwestern Iran. It is also popular in other cities such as Malayer, Hamedan, Boroujerd and Nahavand.

The broth is popular with tourists and visitors as well. The ingredients include pulses and dried apricots, among other things, and the food is served with grape syrup and grape vinegar after it is cooked.

Last year, the traditional skill of cooking Zanjan prune broth was registered on the National List of Intangible Heritage in a ceremony attended by the vice president and head of the country’s Cultural Heritage Organization.

Dried apricots and dried greengage are also added to this food. The dried apricot and greengage are cooked separately and added to the broth after it is cooked through.

Ingredients:

Peas: One glass

Beans: One glass

Lentils; One glass

Broth herbs: 1 kg

Potatoes: Two average-sized potatoes

Carrots: Two average-sized carrots

Barley: As much as needed

Small-sized Dried Greengage: Half a glass

Dried Apricots: Half a glass

Noodles: One pack

Beetroots: Optional

Garlic: As much as necessary

Vinegar: As much as necessary

Sugar: Two spoonfuls

Onions: Three average-sized onions

Recipe

Lay the pulses in water the night before and change the water several times. Then put them on the flame until half-cooked. Chop 1 kg of broth herbs, including leeks, coriander, parsley and spinach. Use a little bit more coriander, and less of the other three herbs, with an equal amount each.

Cook the chopped herbs before adding the pulses to them. Let the concoction be cooked through. Meanwhile, shred the onions and fry them. Then add them to the broth along with sliced carrots and two chopped potatoes. After half an hour, add the dried greengage and apricots.

Now add some salt and pepper. Then dissolve two spoonfuls of sugar in half a cupful of white vinegar, lime juice or sour orange juice, and add it to the broth. After the taste of the broth changes, add one pack of noodles. (Break the noodles in half, so that there will be enough noodles to go around when serving the dish.)

If you like beetroots, chop them to very small pieces before adding the noodles and spices, and allow the chopped beetroots to be cooked with other ingredients.

If interested, you may add ground walnuts to the broth. In some recipes for the same kind of broth like the one cooked in Hamedan, they use grape syrup instead of sugar, and grape vinegar instead of white vinegar.

Iran Leader Says There’ll Be No War, No Negotiation with US

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IFP Editorial Staff

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August 13, 2018

Addressing a huge gathering of people from all walks of life in Tehran on Monday, Ayatollah Khamenei slammed the US rhetoric towards Iran and stated that the US has become ruder and more blatant in their rhetoric over the past few months, both towards Iran and towards other nations.

“Recently, the US officials have been talking blatantly about us. Besides sanctions, they talk about war and negotiations. They raise the spectre of war to frighten the cowards,” he added.

The Leader pointed to the US’ call for negotiation with Iran, saying that they are playing a poor game.

“One of them talks of negotiation with preconditions; another one talks of negotiation without preconditions,” he noted.

“Let me address the people on the matter in a few words: There will be no war, nor will we negotiate with the US. This is the gist of the word that all the Iranian people should know.”

The Leader said the Americans rely on money and power and thus consider negotiations as a commercial exchange.

“When the US wants to negotiate with another party, they determine their main goals, and then they won’t retreat even a step away from these goals,” he added.

“They ask the other party to give a concession immediately; and if the other party refuses to do so, they start making a fuss, so that the other party would surrender,” Ayatollah Khamenei noted.

The Leader said the US itself does not pay anything in exchange for what it takes from the other party. “The US only makes strong promises in order to enchant the other party with mere promises.”

“In the final stage, after receiving all the immediate advantages, the US breaches its own promises,” he added.

“This is the method of the American negotiations. Now should we negotiate with such a fraudulent government? The JCPOA was a clear example of this,” he went on to say.

Ayatollah Khamenei finally prohibited holding any negotiations with the US, saying, “The Islamic Republic would negotiate with the US only when it reaches the power and sovereignty that would nullify the US’ pressures and domineering efforts; when those efforts have no effect on Iran. Today it does not have such power. Thus, I prohibit negotiations with the US just as Imam [Khomeini] did.”

Iran Says Remaining in Nuclear Deal Better than Leaving It

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IFP Editorial Staff

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August 13, 2018

Behrouz Kamalvandi said it is up to the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran to decide about remaining in or leaving the JCPOA, but he himself believes that remaining in the deal is better than leaving it.

“As Henry Kissinger, former US Secretary of State, once said, the US withdrawal from the JCPOA has created a deep hole in the US’ internal politics. Meanwhile, according to Kissinger, the pullout has put the US and Europe at a loggerhead over Iran and killed at least six resolutions by the United Nations Security Council about Iran,” he noted.

“Therefore, I believe that we would lose all these advantages simply by leaving the nuclear deal,” he said in an interview with ISNA.

Europe Not to Sever Ties with US over Iran

In response to a question on Europe’s capacity to make up for the damages inflicted on Iran after the US re-imposed its sanctions on the country, the AEOI spokesman said it goes without saying that Europe doesn’t have enough capacity to compensate for the damages.

“Unfortunately, it is a brute fact that the global economy is not imaginable at all without the US and its significant role in the monetary, banking and technological areas. Meanwhile Europe needs to keep its relations with the US not only because of its economic considerations but also its identity and security,” he noted.

Kamalvandi went on to say that it’s wrong to think that Europe will stand against the US over Iran. “They may adopt a relatively different approach towards the US but won’t stand against it at all. Europe’s capacity is limited but as things stand so far, they are ready to work with the Islamic Republic in some areas despite the US sanctions.”

He underlined that based on UN Security Council Resolution 2231, even if all earlier UN resolutions against Iran are restored, there would be no restriction on the contracts signed by Iran and a number of foreign companies after the JCPOA implementation including the re-designing of Arak heavywater reactor.

AEOI Prepared for Worst-Case Scenarios

The spokesperson also referred to the re-imposition of the first round of the US sanctions on the Islamic Republic and said the organization has braced itself for the worst-case scenarios.

The second round of the US unilateral sanctions on the Islamic republic of Iran are set to be re-imposed in November.

Touching on the impacts of the re-imposition of US sanctions on the contracts signed by the AEOI and the European sides over the past three years, Kamalvandi said even if the other parties decide to quit cooperation with the Islamic Republic, there are many small and medium-sized companies which are ready to replace them.

Remaining in JCPOA Could Decrease Impact of Sanctions

The spokesperson also said that although it is not possible to close our eyes on the impacts of the sanctions on Iran, the Islamic Republic can alleviate their impacts by remaining in the nuclear deal.

He noted today the situation is different when it comes to the sanctions “because unlike previous times, the US does not any more have the backing of other countries and there are many small and medium-sized companies which can work with Iran despite the US sanctions.”

The Iranian official underlined that as stressed by Iran’s Leader, the country needs to resist against the sanctions for a while so that the US officials come to the sense that their measures are not strong enough to kneel down the Islamic Republic.

Grounds Not Prepared for Joining Nuclear Conventions

Asked about Iran’s plans to join global nuclear conventions, Kamalvandi said the AEOI has already considered joining such treaties as Convention on Nuclear Safety or Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage.

“We have already handed over the conventions to the Parliament for approval but given the current political situation in the country, the parliament is not prepared yet to approve them,” he said.

According to Kamalvandi, the Islamic Republic began studying the conventions after the implementation of the Iran nuclear deal in 2016.

Nuclear Chief to Visit Vienna

Kamalvandi said the Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Ali Akbar Salehi is set to visit Vienna to attend the annual conference of the International Atomic Energy Organization (IAEA) in Vienna slated for September.

He underlined that in November, Salehi is also expected to take part in a separate meeting to be attended by the science and technology ministers from the IAEA member states.

President Donald Trump decided back in May to withdraw the US from Iran’s nuclear deal and re-impose sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

Trump made the decision despite massive efforts by the European allies of the US to convince him to stay in the landmark agreement. The nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) came out of years of negotiations between Iran and six world powers, namely the US, Russia, China, Germany, France and Britain in July 2015.

New Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile Unviled in Iran

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IFP Media Wire

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August 13, 2018

In a ceremony in Tehran on Monday, Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami unveiled the new generation of Fateh missiles, saying the Defense Ministry’s Aerospace Organization is capable of fulfilling practical needs of the Armed Forces by turning ideas into products in a short span of time.

The minister said the new generation of Fateh, an agile, radar-evading and tactical missile with pinpoint accuracy, has been fully designed by the local experts and successfully test-fired.

Mass-production of the new missile will help Iran make major strides in boosting its defense capabilities and deterrent power, the general added.

He further stressed that the Iranian Armed Forces will never back off from plans to promote the missile industry and enhance the capabilities of homegrown missiles.

Denouncing the foreign interference in Iran’s defense sphere and the attempts to cap Iran’s missile power, Brigadier General Hatami said Iran will never allow the outsiders to interfere in its domestic issues.

In comments in October 2017, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei had also rejected the idea of negotiations on Iran’s defense power, stressing that the country will press ahead with the plans to boost its might and build up its defense capabilities.

“As we have announced several times in the past and announce it once again, the country’s defense capabilities and power are not subject to negotiations and bargaining,” Ayatollah Khamenei said at the time.

“We will have no bargaining and dealing with the enemy over the country’s means of defense and over whatever provides or supports the national power,” Imam Khamenei underscored.

Children Using Naqsh-e Jahan Square as Swimming Pool in Hot Summer

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IFP Editorial Staff

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August 13, 2018

Naqsh-e Jahan Square, also known as Meydan Emam, is a square situated at the centre of Isfahan. Constructed between 1598 and 1629, it is now an important historical site, and one of the UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.

Below you can find photos of children playing in the square’s pool retrieved from Tasnim News Agency:

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