Stunning Beauty of Iran’s Intact Juniper Forests

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July 15, 2018

Juniper is a strong tree resilient against high or low temperatures in the summer or winter. The roots of the tree penetrate into the heart of the hard stones to reach water. That’s why it is called by local Iranians “Ores”, meaning water finder.

The feature has made the tree much stronger and resilient. In the past, the tree, given its robust body, was used in making bridges and roads and construction of village houses and nomadic tents.

Relentless cutting down of the tree by locals to procure fuel or accomplish their construction projects have destroyed many Ores forests.

To stop the deteriorating situation, the Iranian government passed a law in 1992 and banned cutting down of the tree. The tree mainly grows in northern and eastern to western Iran along the southern hillsides of Alborz Mountain as well as in the northwestern to southern Iran along the hillsides of Alborz and Zagros mountains.

One of the main places in which the tree is grown up is a 112,714-metre protected area in Khorasan Razaiv province in northeastern Iran named “Ores Sistan”.

What follows are ISNA’s photos of the protected area located on the hills of Hezar-Masjed Mountains:

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A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on July 15

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IFP Editorial Staff

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July 15, 2018

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on November 19

Several papers today covered the Guardian Council’s rejection of a bill ratified by the Parliament which allowed the government to implement a set of standards introduced by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

The final match of FIFA World Cup 2018 between France and Croatia was also a top story in many papers today. Several articles were written today on the end of the one-month tournament, which attracted billions of people around the world.

Remarks by President Hassan Rouhani and Health Minister Hassan Qazizadeh Hashemi about the US sanctions and the country’s resistance against them also received great coverage.

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

19 Dey:

1- Guardian Council Rejects Iran’s Adoption of FATF Standards

Abrar:

1- Kremlin: Putin, Trump to Discuss Iran’s Presence in Syria in Helsinki Summit

2- Rouhani: Iranian People to Stand against US

Aftab-e Yazd:

1- Analyst: Trump Looking for Economic Interests in Talks with EU

2- Iranian Hardliners Advise Rouhani to Be Like Trump!

Arman-e Emrooz:

1- Deputy Prosecutor General: Every One Bypassing Filtering

2- Chaos in Basra and Najaf against Central Government

Asrar:

1- Rouhani: We Can Manage People’s Daily Lives despite Current Pressure

Ebtekar:

1- Rouhani: US Sanctions against Iranian Nation

Etemad:

1- Unrest in Iraq over Electricity: People of Basra Pour into Streets to Protest

2- Croatia vs France: Artists, Writers Predict Result of FIFA World Cup Final

Ettela’at:

1- Rouhani: Resistance, Planning, Cooperation with People to Neutralize Plots

2- Spokesman: Government Has Extensive Plans to Counter Sanctions

3- Curfew in Najaf after Escalation of Anti-Government Protests

Iran:

1- FIFA World Cup Will End Tonight after One Month of Excitement, Stress, Tears, Smiles

Jame Jam:

1- Last Supper in Moscow

Javan:

1- Rouhani: I Promise US Sanctions Won’t Create Any Problem for People

We’ll Have No Problem in Energy, Transport, Basic Goods, Production

Jomhouri Eslami:

1- Senior MP: Rejection of FATF to Cause Problems for Government

Ka’enat:

1- Iranian End of ‘Palermo Convention’

Guardian Council: CFT Law Unconstitutional; It Should Be Proposed by Judiciary

Kayhan:

1- A Fuss Made to Silently Pass Third Anniversary of Iran Nuclear Deal

Khorasan:

1- Ongoing Crisis in Iraq May Even Be More Dangerous than ISIS

Rooyesh-e Mellat:

1- Erdogan: We’re Resolved to Do Trade with Iran Using National Currencies

Sazandegi:

1- Rouhani against Mafia of Car Imports: President Urges Serious Action

Setareh Sobh:

1- Guardian Council Rejects Two Bills Earlier Approved on Fight against Money Laundering

2- ICT Minister: Leader Has Ordered Us to Study Negative Effects of Signal Jamming

Shahrvand:

1- Silly Behaviours of Trump Make Headlines in UK

US President Makes Fun of Many Royal Formalities

Shargh:

1- Saudi Arabia, Ansarullah Engaged in Secret Talks Mediated by Iran

2- Spokesman: Guardian Council to Interfere If Iran’s Talks with US Prove to Be against National Interests

3- $50-Billion Mystery: Will Russia Make Such Investment in Iran? Or Will We Receive Goods for Oil?

Tejarat:

1- Health Minister: Iran Needs to Brace for Storm of Sanctions on Pharmaceuticals

Vatan-e Emrooz:

1- Who Will Win 2018 World Cup? An Exclusive Report from Russia

Iran’s Beauties in Photos: Gavkhouni Saltmarsh

By

IFP Editorial Staff

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July 15, 2018

Gavkhouni is the terminal basin of the Zayandeh River. The saltmarsh of the international wetland is among the main tourist attractions of the region. It is economically an important feature of the region.

Driving from the village of Khara in southern area of the wetland, you pass through a desert with quicksand and enter a wide area of saltmarshes and salty crystals.

The Gavkhouni saltmarsh has a salinity of 31.5% and an average depth of about 1 metre. The saltmarsh often dry up in summer. The Zayandeh River originates in the Zagros Mountains and travels around 300 km, before terminating in Gavkhouni.

What follows are ISNA’s photos of the wetland and its saltmarsh:

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“Trump Trying to Save Saudi Economy by Stopping Iran’s Oil Exports”

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IFP Editorial Staff

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July 15, 2018

That was the analysis offered by thenewkhalij.news regarding Trump’s new policy geared to bringing Iran’s oil sales to zero.

The website wrote that the Trump administration seems to be trying to raise the chances of Iran’s rival, i.e. Saudi Arabia, by imposing an oil blockade on Iran, so that Riyadh would have the upper hand in the region.

Based on this report, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman intends to increase petroleum output to 11 million barrels per day to seize Iran’s share of the global market.

According to the news website, the rise in crude output by Saudi Arabia, which has been coupled with a drop in crude prices and austerity measures over the past years, could be a ray of hope to save the country’s economy and be an opportunity for Bin Salman to implement his reforms.

However, added the website, Trump’s key objective is to give Saudi Arabia an economic edge which would weaken Iran’s nuclear and military programs in the region as well.

Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal and reinstated sanctions against the country at the request of Saudi Arabia, Israel and other enemies of Iran, wrote the website.

By exerting economic pressure on Iran, Trump also seeks to make the country give up its arms programs and contain Iran’s allies which are a threat to Tel Aviv and Riyadh, thenewkhalij.news added.

The Saudi heir to the throne had earlier told Wall Street Journal that the world has turned to economic pressure in order not to get involved in a direct military war with Iran.

Saudi Arabia’s oil production is expected to reach 10.8 to 10.9 million barrels per day by July.

Meanwhile, a senior US State Department official announced that Brent Crude prices rose by more than 4% last Thursday, and that the US will make customers of Iran’s oil stop purchasing petroleum form the country.

According to the report, Hootan Yazhari, a senior official at the US bank of Merrill Lynch, has also said that if the Saudis hope to bring about changes in their country, the decision made by the US can put them in a position of power.

The website added that if crude prices are stabilized at around 70 dollars, it can help improve Saudi Arabia’s economy and decrease the unemployment rate in the country, which currently stands at over 12%, and will also help ease the country’s austerity policies which saw tax hikes of up to 5 percent in January and cut government subsidies for energy commodities and led to a rise in electricity and gasoline prices.

According to the report, imposing an economic blockade on Iran can also ease economic pressure on Saudi Arabia, which is the result of the Yemen war. The Saudi-led coalition launched a military operation in the strategic port city of Hudaydah in Western Yemen last week and regards gaining control of the port city as a watershed in the Yemen war.

Saudi Arabia’s gaining power as a result of economic sanctions on Iran will also help implement the United States’ plans in the Middle East with the support of Riyadh, including the so-called deal of the century in occupied Palestine, the Syria war and arms sales to Middle East countries.

Meanwhile, veteran journalist and Editor-in-Chief of the Iran Front Page news website Mahmoud Askarieh believes the ambitions of the Saudi crown prince, who has put his tentacles on the bulk of petrodollars, has worrying repercussions for the continuation of his rule, and these consequences will gradually come to light.

“Financial and arms support for Takfiris in the Meddle East, Europe and the US, in addition to Saudi Arabia’s costly aggression on the poorest Arab country in the region with the help of hired fighters, together with Trump’s trip to Riyadh, drained the Saudi kingdom’s coffers of hundreds of billions of dollars,” he noted.

“At a time when the crown prince is preoccupied with the “Saudi Arabia 2030” dream, everything can be compromised, even bonds between clans as well as pleasantries and courtesy in traditional relations between royal people. The situation makes bin Salman blackmail and extort well-known and rich people of the Al Saud dynasty. Even the prime minister of an independent country like Lebanon is not spared. He, along with dozens of Saudi princes, goes to the five-star hotel, so that the prison for princes and officials would be different from the commoners! All this generated hundreds of millions of dollars, which could be used to continue the war on Yemen until victory, to prove themselves to Trump, and sponsor militants in Iraq and Syria, but that is not enough!”

Askarieh went on to say that the situation in Saudi Arabia is unfolding in such a way that the country is so much dependent on oil revenues. “Saudi Arabia would not be able to overcome such problems unless regional crises are fuelled, and the hope for peace reaches the lowest level it has ever been since World War II. By pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal, Trump wanted to kill several birds with one stone!”

“Unlike what we hear from Trump these days, the old merchant had pinned his hopes on a rise in crude prices, so that investment in the United States’ oil industry would turn into a lucrative business, and China – a main rival and the biggest consumer of energy which has made American capitalists worried, would be brought to its knees.”

However, he added, Trump had not thought about a rise in petrol prices, the US citizens’ discontent, and the coincidence of oil price hikes and the congressional elections; otherwise, he would start intensifying crises in different parts of the world after defeating Democrats in the November elections.

“It can truly be said that the reinstatement of merciless sanctions on Iran’s economy, at the expense of disrupting the energy market, is a joint scenario fabricated by the US under Trump, Saudi Arabia under bin Salman and Israel under Netanyahu. Of course, this scenario will please Putin-ruled Russia as well. Expensive crude oil is a cake a piece of which could go to the rival if, behind the scene, there is a rivalry going on between Trump and Putin,” he added.

Massive Protests in Iraq over Poor Services Leave Casualties

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IFP Media Wire

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July 15, 2018

The protests that have swept southern cities over poor services prompted authorities to place Iraq’s security forces on high alert.

Hundreds of protesters on Sunday rallied in Basra where police used water cannons and tear gas as some of the demonstrators tried to storm the provincial government building.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abad visited Basra on Friday in a bid to help restore calm to the oil-rich province, pledging to take “necessary measures against infiltrators and pursue them in accordance with the law.”

Abadi, who also serves as the commander in chief of the armed forces, ordered security forces to remain on high alert, Reuters quoted unnamed military intelligence and Ministry of Defense sources as saying.

A statement from Abadi’s office cited “small and organized groups who try to exploit the peaceful demonstrations of citizens to sabotage and attack state institutions and private property.”

On Saturday, about 100 protesters closed access to the Umm Qasr commodities port near Basra. Port employees said the road leading into the terminal was blocked and trucks had no way of getting in or out.

Oil Minister Jabbar al-Luaibi has said that the protesters tried to break into an oil installation in the West Qurna 2 oil field of Basra province.

The rallies began in the southern oil hub of Basra last week amid concerns over acute unemployment as well as electricity and water shortages and spread to several other cities, including Najaf, Amara, Nasiriya and Baghdad.

Two more protesters were reported killed in Amara overnight Saturday, bringing to three the number of demonstrators who have lost their lives since the unrest erupted last Sunday.

Protesters occupied the headquarters of the provincial governorate in Amara, threw stones at branches of the Dawa party, and beat up policemen.

It was not clear who killed them but provincial authorities said there had been “indiscriminate gunfire” in the city.

Hundreds of demonstrators entered Najaf airport’s main hall and walked onto the tarmac on Friday, but air traffic resumed later after the protesters withdrew.

Witnesses said security forces allowed protesters to enter the main airport building. Head of the airport’s administrative council Jawad al-Karawi said certain officials and politicians were trying to economically harm the airport.

The holy city of Najaf is a popular destination for Shia pilgrims. Flights to Iran’s holy city of Mashhad also take place from Najaf, with IRNA news agency saying they had been temporarily suspended until further notice.

Unidentified calls were posted on social media Saturday for massive demonstrations to take place in Baghdad. Some urged demonstrators to head for the fortified Green Zone, an area out of bounds for most Iraqis where key institutions and embassies including the US and British missions, are located.

‘Generous’ but ‘miserable’

Iraq has seen the growing wave of protests since the beginning of July when temperatures topped 50 degrees Celsius in some Iraqi provinces, especially in Basra.

The situation in Basra – an oil export hub for Iraq’s exports – remains tense amid heavy deployment of security forces to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control.

Long neglected, Basra is one of the few cities in the Middle East without an effective water treatment system. Many of its waterways are stagnant cesspools, with state officials blaming a public funding crisis caused by years of low oil prices.

Abdel Mehdi al-Karbalai, the representative of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, said many residents of Basra “are suffering from an extreme lack of public services” as he urged the government to deal seriously with the demands of citizens.

“It is not fair and it is never acceptable that this generous province is one of the most miserable areas in Iraq,” he said. “We can only stand with our dear citizens in their demands as we feel their great suffering,” Karbalai added.

Karbalai, however, urged the demonstrators to refrain from violence, warning them against being influenced by “unruly individuals or those acting in self-interest.”

The Council of Ministers meanwhile said the government will quickly address the demands of the protesters as Iraq’s National Security Council urgently convened a meeting in Baghdad Saturday.

‘Direct result of US wars’

Michael Springmann, a former US diplomat, has told Press TV that the ongoing popular outrage is a fallout of United States-led wars against Iraq.

“This is the direct result of American wars by George H. W. and George W. Bush in 1991 and 2003,” he said, referring to the US invasions of Iraq.

“They destroyed the Iraqi economy,” he said. “We are seeing the results of this now. There is…20-percent unemployment, electricity less than five hours a day, shortage of water.”

He went on, “Grand Ayatollah Sistani is siding with the protesters because he knows what is happening. Normally, he does not get involved in politics, but this is outrageous and it is the direct result of American warfare and the direct result of American people running the country into the ground,” so they can gain control of Iraqi oil.

Iran Leader Discusses Economic Woes with President, Cabinet

By

IFP Editorial Staff

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July 15, 2018

The “important” meeting was held in Tehran amid an unprecedented devaluation of Iran’s national currency.

During the talks, the Leader underlined the country’s capabilities to overcome the economic problems and said thwarting enemies’ plots at the current situation is possible through tireless works and efforts by all officials and unification and cooperation among people from all walks of life in Iran.

The Leader underlined the “urgent need for expansion of diplomacy and foreign contacts” and said except for a few countries like the US, Iran should expand its diplomatic relations with the East and West.

He then called for developing a roadmap for a stable economy and said as soon as the roadmap is developed, the nation and economic leaders will take on their assignments and provide the government with a sense of tranquility and stability to press ahead with its projects.

Strengthening the private sector and the need to seriously deal with economic corruption were among other significant guidelines given by the Iranian leader to the cabinet ministers.

Ayatollah Khamenei referred to some violations by certain individuals and organizations over the past years in gold coin and currency markets and said the government must seriously deal with the violators at any level.

Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution also praised the recent order by Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani to take serious action against the violators in automobile importation and said the orders should be followed up till the ideal results are achieved.

He also called for government’s full control over the foreign currencies market and its resolute fight against destructive financial activities and money laundering and said the violations should be dealt with through legal regulations.

Ayatollah Khamenei urged the officials to directly discuss the problems with the nation and provide them with clear clues to let them know about the enemies’ plots against the Islamic Republic.

“I’m completely sure that if the mentioned conditions are met, the government can overcome the current problems and foil the US plots,” he noted.

Elsewhere in his address, the leader said the European signatories to the Iran nuclear deal are obliged to give necessary guarantees to Iran under the JCPOA.

He also said showing authority in the face of enemies particularly US is necessary and this should be done resolutely and in due time.

Ancient Artefacts Discovered in Iran’s Mazandaran

By

Fatemeh Askarieh

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July 15, 2018

Brigadier General Amir Rahmatollahi, the commander of the protection unit of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, told IRNA that the artefacts were seized by ICHTO forces who acted on information received from people in Behshahr County.

Rahmatollahi said nine artefacts including earthenware jugs were found in two separate operations.

The commander said the smugglers will be put to trial in the near future.

Iran President Urges Immediate Action against Corruption in Car Importation

By

IFP Editorial Staff

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July 15, 2018

Rouhani made the call after receiving reports from the three ministries of industry, mines and trade, intelligence, and finance and economic affairs as well as the Inspection Department of the Presidential Office.

The president had given them the necessary instructions to tackle the issue while calling on the Judiciary to do whatever it takes to look into the case immediately and carefully to see the offenders brought to justice and their ill-gotten wealth returned to the public purse.

In a report to Iranian people, Rouhani said evidence suggests that the process of importing cars was beset by corruption.

“Now, thanks to the efforts by executive officials and based on all of the reports presented, we can speak of the possibility of organized corruption through the collaboration of a number of state agents, a computer company and several car-importing firms,” said the president.

Rouhani said the relevant authorities received the necessary instructions and the Judiciary was asked to tackle the violations “in line with the president’s commitment to the principle of transparency and understanding the necessity that government should start its campaign against corruption.”

Iranian Minister Sounds the Alarm on Upcoming Sanctions

By

IFP Editorial Staff

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July 15, 2018

In an address to the heads of Iranian universities of medical sciences, Hashemi urged them to get prepared for the sanctions which are to be re-imposed as of November.

He said the sanctions are imminent and “we should brace ourselves for a storm and consult with experts on ways to cope with the upcoming hard situation,” a report by Khabar Online said.

The minister warned his colleagues about efforts by certain individuals linked with the enemies to create public dissatisfaction inside the country.

Hashemi went on to say that the storm of sanctions is getting closer to Iran and the country should be braced for it.

He said the enemies have already waged an economic war against Iran and the medical sector of the country should do its utmost to cope with the upcoming challenge created by international powers.

He further highlighted the country’s medical achievements over the past five years and said so far the government has managed to establish 6,000 special clinics across the country, train a huge number of family doctors, complete the country’s comprehensive health network and create electronic health cases and manage its resources.

“Both the government and the parliament have contributed to efforts that resulted in those achievements.”

Tehran’s Attractions in Photos: Post Museum

By

Fatemeh Askarieh

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July 15, 2018

This museum is one of the oldest and finest governmental buildings, consisting of two parts including various saloons and rooms.

Ancient relics and historical items displayed in this museum include Pahlavi mailboxes, different types of round, simple, oval, and rectangular seals, samples of seals used in foreign offices, Islamic Republic Day seals, various governmental decrees, old and new handheld electric appliances, stamp revocation hand-held instruments, old stamps, etc.

Here are Azad News Agency’s photos of this unique museum:

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