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Putin’s Envoy Due in Tehran to Brief Iranians on Helsinki Summit

By
IFP Media Wire
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According to the report, carried by RBS news agency on Wednesday, Lavrentiev will travel to the Iranian capital on Wednesday to brief Iranian officials on the Trump-Putin meeting held in Helsinki on Monday.

He is also reportedly scheduled to coordinate possible joint actions based on the agreements reached in the Finnish capital.

On July 16, US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin had a one-on-one meeting in Helsinki that lasted more than 90 minutes.

Ahead of the meeting, Ali Akbar Velayati, an international adviser to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, visited Moscow and held talks with Putin.

“US Unlikely to Get Tough on Iran before November”

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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The Iranian news website Fararu has, in an analytical piece, weighed in on the US’ oil sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran and its growing pressure on Tehran ahead of the November deadline for re-imposition of nuclear-related sanctions.

The full text of the article follows.

The US government is sensitive about hikes in oil prices on the threshold of the country’s important by-elections. As a result, it is unlikely to escalate tensions with Iran before the elections.

After its unilateral withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal on May 8, 2018, Washington announced that it will reinstate sanctions against Iran and will impose the highest level of sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

Some time later, the Americans unveiled their key measure to exert maximum pressure on Iran. A senior US State Department official told media that the White House had called on all those buying oil from Iran to bring their petroleum purchases from the country to zero; otherwise, they would face the United States’ unilateral sanctions. This unexpected announcement by the US pushed up crude prices on world markets immediately, so much so that White House officials had to tone down their remarks in order to calm down the market.

Although the US has always spoken of putting maximum economic pressure on Iran, observers and analysts believe Washington will not get tough on Iran, especially in the oil sector, at least until next November.

Monitoring Trump’s remarks and positions on crude prices shows he is especially sensitive about price hikes.

Although the Organization of Petroleum-Exporting Countries (OPEC) agreed to raise crude output by roughly one million barrels per day after oil sanctions on Iran were announced, still serious doubts exist on the possibility of compensating, by other producers, for the crude shortage caused by Iran sanctions. So, Trump recently spoke of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud’s agreement to add two million barrels per day to its current output. Of course, following Trump’s comments, the White House issue a statement toning down the US president’s remarks.

The reason behind Trump’s sensitivity about oil is the by-elections of the US Congress.

The by-elections are slated to be held on November 6, 2018. The vote comes as Donald Trump is barely halfway through with his presidency. Candidates will compete for all 435 seats at the House of Representatives as well as 35 Senate seats up for grabs. So, if the Democrats manage to secure the majority of the seats in Congress, it will depict a disappointing outlook for Trump.

But in the run-up to such an important election, will Trump accept the risk of a rise in oil prices because of a halt to Iran’s crude exports? Analysts believe the answer is “no.”

The Bank of America says Washington is unlikely to adopt a tough position on Iran in the lead-up to the congressional elections in November.

Iran, OPEC’s third largest producer, is facing US sanctions, which will make some buyers of Iran’s oil stop petroleum purchases.

Still, the Bank of America said “the [Trump] administration may look for an easy win on trade to appease markets and voters alike before November,”

It is noteworthy that the Bank of America had already warned that bringing Iran’s oil exports to zero may push up crude prices by up to 50 dollars per barrel.

It was due to these concerns over a rise in oil prices before the by-elections that the US is considering using its Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) in order to regulate the prices of petroleum.

Iran FM Says Europe Underestimating Its Power, Influence

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Speaking in an exclusive interview with Euronews on Wednesday, the Iranian top diplomat said he believes Europe is selling itself short.

“What we need from the Europeans is both the political commitment, which they have made, now we need to see the measures in place on the ground, not simply in writing, not simply in words — in the banking sector, in the investment sector, in the energy sector, in the transportation sector, in the SME sector,” he said.

“I believe generally Europe is underestimating its power and its influence, we believe that it should be more active in regional peace and security, in international peace and security as well as in promoting a greater cooperation and dialogue”.

Zarif went on to say that Tehran has a good relationship with Russia and the Syrian government but blames the US for supporting the so called Islamic State.

“We have good communication and coordination with Russia and with Syrian government and we will continue to do so. Our objective here is very clear, that is our objectives and the objective of the Russian Federation and that is to fight against terrorism and extremism”.

“Now if President Trump wants to take credit for it, he should take credit for supporting ISIS which has been what the US and its allies have been doing all along. The fact that US arms, US weapons have been found in the hands of ISIS and other extremist organizations is documented, is documented by western sources. So I think we should look at the realities, those who fought terrorism, those who fought extremism are Syrian people and those who work with Syria people.”

The remarks come as Iran has filed a suit against the US alleging that Washington’s decision in May to impose sanctions after pulling out of a nuclear deal, violates a 1955 treaty between the two countries.

“Iran President Ignored Eight Calls by Trump in 2017 NY Trip”

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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“During the last year visit of Hassan Rouhani to New York, Trump called us eight times but we didn’t respond,” said Mahmoud Vaezi, the presidential chief of staff, after a Cabinet meeting in Tehran on Wednesday.

The remarks came in response to Trump’s statement Thursday that he expects Iran to call him wanting to make a deal.

“Iran at some point will call me and ask for a deal, and we’ll make a deal,” he said. “They are feeling “a lot of pain right now,” he added.

Trump has hardened the US’ line on Iran, reviving a nearly-forgotten mantra that all options are on the table when it comes to Iran, including military ones.

Trump has also pulled the US out of the 2015 nuclear accord and is preparing to impose what he has described as “the highest level” of sanctions on Iran to push the country to renegotiate the nuclear deal.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said Monday it will be Trump who has to make the call to begin talks with Iran.

“Maybe someday he will call Tehran and ask for negotiations – this is more likely,” Qassemi said.

“There were some signs of this in the past,” Qassemi said, referring to Trump’s rejected calls last September.

The Trump call was first reported by Qassemi himself shortly after Rouhani returned from New York.

Hossein Mousavian, a member of Iran’s nuclear negotiating team in 2000s who is currently a fellow at Princeton University, said last month US Vice President Mike Pence had called Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and invited Rouhani to Trump’s dinner feast.

This is while US officials have denied any such requests have been made by Trump.

In 2013, shortly after Tehran and Washington engaged in nuclear talks that later led to the 2015 nuclear deal, then US President Barack Obama and Rouhani spoke by telephone.

Tehran to Host Gathering of Iranian Ambassadors, Heads of Missions Abroad

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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In a Wednesday statement, Qassemi said it will be the first gathering of Iranian ambassadors in the 12th administration.

“The gathering will be held next week after the Iranian foreign minister and Foreign Ministry executives as well as the heads of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s missions abroad meet Supreme Leader [of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei] and visit the shrine of the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran [Imam Khomeini], with Iranian President [Hassan Rouhani] delivering a speech,” said the spokesman.

“The heads of the legislative and judiciary branches [of government] will also deliver speeches at the gathering,” he said.

According to Qassemi, high on the agenda of the gathering will be the latest regional and international developments as well as Iran’s position on those developments within the framework of the “Targeted Promotion of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations” plan.

In addition to specialized meetings, the seminar will also feature speeches by several ministers on key regional issues as well as other specialized topics on which the participants will exchange views, he added.

“Given the importance of economic diplomacy within the framework of [the] Economic Resilience [initiative] and while taking the new circumstances in the country as well as global developments into account, and considering the necessity of paying more attention to economic issues, a major part of the sessions and meetings at the seminar, compared to previous seminars, will be allocated to economic issues and how Iranian embassies should engage with the public and private sectors in their respective countries and how they should interact with their domestic counterparts in order to deal with the new situation,” said the spokesman.

Iran Says Ready for Uranium Enrichment at Higher Levels

By
IFP Media Wire
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Behrouz Kamalvandi

“We have of course adopted some measures in order to prepare the ground for eventually increasing the level of enrichment if it is needed and if the negotiations with the Europeans fail,” he said on Tuesday.

“We are of course continuing to carry out and implement our obligations based on the JCPOA,” he noted in reference to Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action signed between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries in 2015.

Under the JCPOA, Iran undertook to put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions imposed against Tehran.

“But at the same time, taking every scenario into consideration, we are preparing ourselves,” he added.

In May, US President Donald Trump announced that he would pull America out of a 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran and re-impose the sanctions that the deal had envisaged to be lifted.

Since the US president pulled Washington out of the nuclear deal, European countries have been scrambling to ensure that Iran gets enough economic benefits to persuade it to stay in the deal. The remaining parties have vowed to stay in the accord.

Earlier in the day, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini announced that European countries have activated a blocking statute that prohibits companies from complying with US sanctions on Iran.

“Today, the European Council has endorsed the update of the blocking statute annex on the nuclear deal with Iran,” Mogherini told reporters in Brussels at a meeting with EU foreign ministers.

A blocking statute is a law enacted in 1996 to protect European entities “against the effects of the extra-territorial application of legislation adopted by a third country.”

On Sunday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said that European signatories to the nuclear deal with Iran must provide Tehran with necessary guarantees about the continued implementation of the deal.

Ayatollah Khamenei noted that drawing up a “stable economic roadmap” was needed to solve the country’s economic problems, emphasizing that solution of those problems must not be made conditional on the continuation of the JCPOA.

Gov’t Pays Blood Money for 2014 Isfahan Acid Attacks as Culprits Not Caught

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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“Unfortunately, the perpetrators were not eventually apprehended and a few people arrested at the time were later found to have played no role in the incident,” Hossein Abbasalizadeh said.

The lawyer said this is while the investigators left no rock unturned in search of the culprits.

“The province’s judicial and police authorities made every effort to find the perpetrators, and did not ignore any possibility,” he told Tasnim News Agency in an interview on Tuesday.

The lawyer said the victims have received blood money from the government, as the perpetrators have not yet been found.

Four year ago, a spate of acid throwing attacks on four to ten women in Isfahan led to widespread panic and nervousness in the city.

According to eye witnesses, the male attackers riding on motorbikes threw acid on faces of young women while shouting statements against the targeted women’s allegedly loose clothing.

Their statements led to rumors that the victims were chosen because they were wearing clothing that did not conform to Islamic norms and the assailants were motivated by religious motives.

The attacks came after a number of high-level clerics had publicly stated that effective enforcement of proper hijab must go beyond verbal warnings.

Just prior to the attacks, Isfahan’s Friday Prayers Leader Mohammad Taqi Rahbar gave a sermon suggesting women with “bad hijab” should be confronted by more than just words.

But authorities denied that the assaults had anything to do with the hijab, and some believe that the attacks were aimed at tarnishing the image of the Islamic Republic.

Acid attacks in Iran and other countries are usually linked to personal grudges.

Acid Attack Victim Pushes for Law Banning Sale of Acid in Iran

Iraq to Import Electricity from Saudi Arabia as Iran Stops Exports

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Iran, Iraq Agree on Two Electricity Contracts

An Iraqi delegation, including the Minister of Electricity, Minister of Youth and Sports and a representative of the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, had earlier travelled to Tehran to discuss electricity imports.

The Iraqi Electricity Minister issued a statement on Monday announcing that his country’s delegation could not reach an agreement with Tehran to continue exporting electricity to Iraq.

According to Al-Fahdawi, after the Iranian side announced it could not resume electricity exports to Iraq through four lines of power transmission between the two countries, the Iraqi Electricity Ministry has set an alternative plan for importing electricity, i.e. importing power from Iran’s arch-rival Saudi Arabia.

The Electricity Ministry had previously said that due to an increase in the Iraqi debts to Iran, Tehran has cut off exports of electricity to the country.

The Iraqi government has more than $1 billion electricity debts to Iran, a report by Khabar Online said.

The Iraqi Electricity Ministry says the country needs 23,000 MW per day, of which the country can only produce 15,700 MW itself.

The protests in southern Iraq entered their second week on Monday, with rage erupted over the government’s inability to reduce unemployment and provide basic services.

Two people were killed in Basra on Sunday, following a gathering outside the governor’s office, while on Friday demonstrators stormed Najaf’s airport which led to cancellation of flights.

Iraqi counter-terrorism forces were sent across the capital Baghdad on Tuesday, as anti-government demonstrations continued into their second week over social problems and lack of basic services – including electricity.

Abadi promised on Tuesday to allocate funds for electricity and water in Basra, one of the key centres of dissatisfied citizens.

Iran Appoints Woman as Envoy to Finland

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Vadiati is the second female envoy of the Islamic Republic after Marziyeh Afkham.

Afkham was earlier appointed as the Iranian Ambassador to Malaysia in President Hassan Rouhani’s first term in office.

Afkham was appointed as the first female ambassador since the 1979 Islamic revolution, marking a breakthrough for women in government under President Rouhani.

She was a veteran diplomat, having served in the foreign ministry for about 30 years as a ministerial aide.

In 2013, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, appointed Afkham as his spokeswoman, the first Iranian woman to hold such a high-profile role.

ISIS Terrorists Arrested before Carrying Out Attacks in Iran

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Speaking in a televised interview, Mahmoud Alavi described how the intelligence teams identified and arrested the four-member group.

“The team consisted of four terrorists who wanted to launch their operation from one of south-western provinces of the country. The operation was scheduled to be commanded by a person whose brother had been killed in Syria in a clash between the Takfiri and terrorist currents,” ISNA quoted Alavi as saying.

“Of course, in this case, it should be remembered that despite the fact that he had been killed in Syria, some ignorant people in the social media wanted to say he was killed in the territory of the Islamic Republic. Fortunately, this conspiracy was soon neutralized and it became clear that this Takfiri person had been killed in Syria.”

Alavi further added that the deceased man’s brother formed a team of four who were planning to join ISIS and were ordered by the ISIS leader to stay in Iran. He had also advised them to provide weapons and facilities to take action in Shiraz and Isfahan.

“They had hatched their plots and they had explosives and facilities, but they were identified and necessary measures were taken against them. Three of their agents were also arrested and their case is currently under investigation,” noted Iran’s intelligence minister.

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