Iran, Saudi Arabia Reach Deal on Hajj 2018

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June 3, 2018

Iran Officially Declares Cancellation of This Year's Hajj Pilgrimage

Salehi on Sunday noted Iran and Saudi Arabia have already signed an agreement on some terms of Hajj 2018.

To prepare the ground for this year’s Hajj, an Iranian delegation made several visits to Saudi Arabia for talks with Saudi officials on the terms of Hajj 2018, Salehi was quoted as saying in a report by Tasnim News Agency.

He said the delegation has prepared the ground for this year’s Hajj, adding the two sides held constructive negotiations over the past months.

“So far the talks have been going on smoothly without any serious problems. We hope they keep going on in the same manner in the future,” he said.

Salehi noted that the Iranian government is seeking to provide Iranian pilgrims with the greatest satisfaction and to achieve the goal, neither the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance nor other related organizations will leave no stone unturned.

Last year, about 85,000 Iranian pilgrims visited Saudi Arabia for Hajj rituals. According to Iranian officials the number will reach 90,000 this year.

The first group of Iranian pilgrims will leave for Saudi Arabia for Hajj rituals on June 17.

Iranian pilgrims couldn’t attend the great religious gathering in 2016 as the Saudi officials failed to ensure security for them based on provisions made by the Iranian officials after the tragic incident in 2015.

Hundreds of Iranian pilgrims were killed during a stampede in 2015 Hajj annual congregation when, according to reports, two large groups of pilgrims arrived together at a crossroads in Mina, a few kilometres east of Mecca, on their way to performing the ‘Stoning of the Devil’ ritual at Jamarat.

Foreign Investment in Iran Soared by 49 Percent in 2017

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IFP Editorial Staff

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June 3, 2018

The UNCTAD, a permanent intergovernmental body established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1964, publishes an important annual report that details the latest developments and data concerning foreign direct investments (FDI) around the globe.

The report is considered highly credible among economy experts and academic circles.

According to the latest UNCTAD report seen by Tasnim News Agency, Iran has attracted $5.019 billion in direct investment in 2017.

This is while according to the UNCTAD’s assessment the volume of FDI Iran attracted in 2016 was more than $3.372 billion.

Despite the surge, the level of Iran’s FDI intake is minimal when compared with the total world figure, $1429 billion, particularly when taking into account that Iran is the 18th biggest economy across the globe.

The incumbent administration has worked hard in recent years to attract foreign investment, which is seen as indispensable to revitalizing the Iranian economy and weaning the country of heavy dependence on oil revenues.

However, a big question mark hangs over the future of foreign investment contracts in Iran, following the US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal, which removed international sanctions on Iran in return for confidence-building curbs on its nuclear program.

Washington has also threatened to impose the “highest level” of economic bans on the country unless it agrees to a list of 12 demands.

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on June 3

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IFP Editorial Staff

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June 3, 2018

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on November 19

Several papers today continued to cover the imminent trade war between the US and the European Union, which will have to accept heavier tariffs to export its steel products to the US after a decision by President Donald Trump.

Also a top story today was the death anniversary of Imam Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, which will be marked on Monday in his mausoleum in southern Tehran.

Remarks by President Hassan Rouhani in a meeting with top Sunni clerics also received great coverage.

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

19 Dey:

1- Imam Khomeini’s Grandson: My Grandfather Trusted People

Afkar:

1- Larijani: Interfaith Dialogue Can Pave Way for Global Peace, Stability

Aftab-e Yazd:

1- Academic: Things to Get Better If Iran Shows Patience on JCPOA

Arman-e Emrooz:

1- Rouhani Underlines National Unity in Meeting with Top Sunni Clerics

Bahar:

1- Imam Khomeini Wouldn’t Back Off When Faced with Excessive Demands: Grandson

Ebtekar:

1- Washington’s Deadly Game with Europe

Can US-EU Trade War Turn into Political Conflict?

Etemad:

1- Qatar Blockade Consigned to Oblivion: Former Iranian Diplomat

Ettela’at:

1- Shamkhani: Iran to Continue Advisory Presence in Syria

2- European Council’s Chief: We’re Strong Enough to Show Resistance against US

3- Quds Day Rallies to Be Held in 900 Iranian Cities

Ghanoon:

1- Senior MP: Iran Won’t Stop Helping Syria Even If Russia Is Opposed

Iran:

1- Rouhani: Sustainability, Victory Achievable with Unity

Every Single Muslim, Iranian Must Enjoy All His / Her Rights

Javan:

1- Iran Nuclear Chief: In JCPOA, We Were a Company, They Were an Army!

In Iran’s Negotiating Team, All Burden Was on Zarif’s Shoulders
He Made Great Efforts, but One Cannot Be Expert on Everything

2- 2,200 New Classrooms to Be Built in Sistan and Baluchestan’s Schools

3- Young Nurse Killed by Israelis Didn’t Fear Their Bullets

4- Ansarullah: We’ll Turn Red Sea into Graveyard of Aggressors

Jomhouri Eslami:

1- People to Renew Allegiance with Founder of Islamic Republic Tomorrow

Kayhan:

1- Imam Khomeini: We’ll Be Standing Firmly as Long as Struggle Is Alive

2- Ansarullah: Businesspeople Must Take This Threat Seriously; Abu Dhabi Not Safe Anymore

3- Government Executive Admits JCPOA Useless

Iran Air CEO: We Must Send Suitcases Full of Cash to Supply Our Plane Fuel

Khorasan:

1- Unprecedented Humiliation of US

US Only State to Vote for Its Pro-Israel Resolution at UN Security Council

Rah-e Mardom:

1- European Council’s Chief: Global Peace in Danger If JCPOA Annulled

2- Rouhani: Zoroaster Source of Pride for Iranians

Resalat:

1- France Once Again Betrays Iran

Macron’s Dangerous Game in Trump’s Court

Rooyesh-e Mellat:

1- Iran Nuclear Chief: Lack of Persian Version among Most Important Weak Points of JCPOA

Shakhe-ye Sabz:

1- Syria FM: Iran’s Presence in Syria Legal

Syria Appreciates Iranian People, Government

Shargh:

1- Son-in-Law of Former Shah of Iran to Pompeo: Iran Will Never Surrender

Vatan-e Emrooz:

1- Silent Contractor: A Report on Jordan’s Role in Advancing World Powers’ Policies in Syria

2- Nurse Martyred in Tenth Day of “March of Return” Protest Rallies

Trump Invited Rouhani to Dinner in September: Source

By

IFP Editorial Staff

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June 3, 2018

“US Undersecretary of State called [Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas] Araqchi and said Trump has invited Rouhani to dinner so that they could sit for talks and resolve their issues,” said Hossein Mousavian, a member of Iran’s nuclear negotiating team in 2000s who is currently a fellow at Princeton University.

Mousavian, speaking in an interview with the Iran newspaper, said the Iranian president rejected the offer as he knew the Iranian Establishment is against such a meeting, and he would face serious challenges inside the country if he meets Trump.

The US request for the meeting had been reported by Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi in September.

Referring to the alleged meeting request, Qassemi said “an intention was expressed by the American side that was not accepted by President Rouhani.”

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.

The brief phone conversation was the highest-level contact between the two countries in decades, promising better days in US-Iran relations that was severed in 1979.

However, the new US president 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 has threatened to impose the highest level of economic sanctions on Iran.

UNSC’s Latest Palestine Meeting “Stunning Display of US Isolation”

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IFP Editorial Staff

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June 3, 2018

“The Friday UNSC meeting was a stunning display of US isolation. The US-drafted resolution on Palestine was firmly rejected,” Iranian ambassador to London Hamid Baeidinejad wrote on Twitter on Saturday.

“Then the US was forced to veto a Kuwait-sponsored resolution, which had been approved by most members including US allies, in a bid to support Israel,” he added.

The draft resolution blocked by the US was submitted by Kuwait, condemning Israeli violence and calling for protection of the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank.

Ten countries voted in favour, while the UK, Poland, the Netherlands and Ethiopia abstained.

Later, a US-drafted resolution condemning Palestinian resistance movement Hamas for firing rockets at Israel was dismissed after it failed to attract any other country’s support.

Tension has mounted in the Palestinian territories since last December, when Trump announced a decision to recognize Jerusalem-Al Quds as the Israeli regime’s capital.

Since March 30, at least 118 Palestinians demanding their right to return to their lands have been killed and thousands more injured by Israeli army gunfire near the Gaza-Israel border fence.

Iran Develops Antibacterial Polyester Strings Using Nanotechnology

By

IFP Editorial Staff

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June 3, 2018

The product, which is the result of efforts made at a knowledge-based company, has received approval from the Iran Nanotechnology Initiative Council (INIC), reports Mehr News Agency.

Polymer materials can be easily contaminated with bacteria or fungi, which could result in the transmission of diseases and serious infection. An active antibacterial agent such as silver nano-particles can be used inside the structure of polymer materials to keep them from being infected by microbes. To that end, the new product was developed by local researchers.

Polyester is a kind of polymer with robust fabric, low water absorption property, and the least degree of shrinking when in contact with water compared to other types of industrial fabric.

This material is widely used in the garment industry.

Iranian researchers produced the antibacterial strings using silver ions and its combinations, which are deadly to a whole variety of bacteria.

For a brief review of Iran’s achievements in various fields of science and technology, check the book “Science and Technology in Iran: A Brief Review”

Polyester strings made with the use of nanotechnology cause the least degree of poisoning for human body. The strings are made with silver nano-particles. Using zithromax-azithromycin-news.net is one common way of protection against bacteria.

Using silver nano-particles during the process of producing strings will make the particles entrapped within the strings, creating a long-lasting antibacterial property.

Three Afghan Refugees Rank First in Iran’s University Entrance Exam

By

IFP Editorial Staff

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June 3, 2018

According to the results announced earlier this week, Zeynab Hosseini, Azizollah Movahedi and Morteza Shafahi have ranked first in the entrance exam for Master’s degree in geology, history and international relations, respectively.

A Saturday report by Khabar Online said a number of other Afghan students have also obtained single-digit ranks and over one hundred have attained two-digit ranks.

Iran has hosted one of the largest protracted refugee populations in the world, with the major refugee caseload being Afghans.

Most of the Afghans fled to Iran either after the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in 1979, or following the Afghan civil war in the 1990s and the US-led invasion in 2001.

According to the latest information released by the Interior Ministry, nearly 4 million of the total Afghan population is residing in Iran, despite the voluntary return of hundreds of thousands of Afghan over the past decade.

One million Afghan refugees are registered under the refugee registration scheme “Amayesh” and the remaining are undocumented or illegal residents.

According to statistics by Iran’s science ministry, over 17 thousand Afghan students are currently studying at Iranian universities.

Last year, Iran made it mandatory for public schools to admit all unregistered immigrant and refugee students.

Education Minister Mohammad Bathaei announced last September over 370,000 Afghan students are going to school for free this year.

Iran’s Zarif Raps Israel’s Killing of Medic as ‘Shame upon Shame’

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IFP Media Wire

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June 3, 2018

In a post on his official Twitter account on Sunday, Zarif also slammed the US’s veto of a UN Security Council resolution that condemned Israel’s use of force against Palestinians.

Razan al-Najjar, 21, a volunteer with the Gaza Health Ministry, was fatally shot in the chest on Friday while treating injured Gaza protesters in a medical staff uniform.

Palestinian Health Minister Jawad Awwad denounced Najjar’s killing as “a war crime” and a blatant violation of international rules, which protect paramedics and medical personnel at times of conflict.

Yossef Abu Arrish, the head of Gaza’s health services, said the medical team that included Najjar had approached the Gaza fence “with raised hands and while they were in their white uniforms and still the army fired tear gas grenades at them.”

The Palestinian Medical Relief Society also demanded “an immediate international response to Israeli humanitarian law violations in Gaza.”

The Israeli military claimed that it was investigating the case.

In recent months, Israel has stepped up its extrajudicial killings of Palestinians in the occupied territories.

Israeli troops have on numerous occasions been caught on camera brutally killing Palestinians, with online videos going viral and sparking international condemnation.

Palestinian officials said before being killed, Najjar had given an interview during which she said she took pride in the aid she was providing to wounded Gazans.

Thousands of Palestinians attended Najjar’s funeral in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis on Saturday.

Her mother, Sabreen, told the Middle East Eye news portal that Israelis “know Razan, they know she is a paramedic, she has been helping treat wounds since March 30.”

“My daughter was a target for the Israeli snipers. The explosive bullet was directly shot in her chest; it was not a random bullet,” she added.

Tensions have been running high in Gaza since March 30, which marked the start of a series of protests, dubbed “The Great March of Return,” demanding the right to return for those driven out of their homeland.

At least 120 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the return rallies began.

The Gaza clashes reached their peak on May 14, the eve of the 70th anniversary of the Nakba Day (the Day of Catastrophe), which coincided this year with the US embassy relocation from Tel Aviv to occupied Jerusalem al-Quds.

On Friday, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley rejected a Kuwaiti-authored Security Council resolution, which sought “international protection” for Palestinian civilians.

Israeli-Palestinian lawmaker Ahmad Tibi held Washington and its UN envoy responsible for Najjar’s death.

Iran President’s Aide Warns against Drawing Too Close to Russia, China

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IFP Editorial Staff

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June 2, 2018

ICJ Ruling Proves US Sanctions against Iran Cruel: Statement

“The policy of ‘Neither the East, Nor the West’ is a valuable strategy for [promoting] unity around an independent foreign policy,” Hamid Aboutalebi said, referring to a famous revolutionary slogan, “Not Eastern, Nor Western – Islamic Republican.”

“Efforts to change that [policy] and [push for] strategic pivot towards the east are against revolutionary slogans and the view of Imam [Khomeini] and foment divisions …,” Aboutalebi said in a Twitter post on Saturday.

The advisor was apparently responding to Wednesday remarks by former foreign minister and current advisor to Iran’s Leader Ali Akbar Velayati that Tehran needs to draw closer to Russia and China as part of efforts to counter the escalating US pressure on the Islamic Republic following Washington’s withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal.

Iran has announced it will remain in the deal if Europe provides binding guarantees Tehran’s interests will be protected if it keeps fulfilling its nuclear commitments.

However, some Iranian officials, including Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, have already expressed pessimism Europe could become independent from the US.

The US has threatened Iran with the “strongest sanctions in history” that would ultimately destroy Iran’s economy unless it capitulates to a series of 12 demands.

The Bad Old Days Are Gone

Lashing out at figures pessimistic towards Russia due to its colonial presence in the country in 18th and early 19th centuries, Velayati said those days are gone.

Pointing to deepening cooperation between Iran and Russia, particularly in the defence sector, and Russia’s support for Iran in its standoff with the West, Velayati said Russia has in recent years proved its friendship to Tehran.

On China, Velayati said the country has aided Tehran in its hard time, when it was under heavy international sanctions.

“Our interests converge with those of Russia and China on various sectors and we can work together,” he said, adding that closer ties with the two countries could allow Iran to get rid of Europeans.

Aqda Village; A Historical Gem in Heart of Iran

By

Fatemeh Askarieh

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June 2, 2018

Aqda Village; A Historical Gem in Heart of Iran

The beautiful village is near the road that connects Yazd to Isfahan. It is home to many historical attractions including the Haj Abolqasem Rashti Caravanserai, New Bathhouse, Khajeh Nasir stockade, Sam Castle, Hulagu Mosque and Jame Grand Mosque.

Following you can find photos of this lovely village retrieved from Mizan News Agency:

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