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Iran to Remain in JCPOA as Far as Interests Guaranteed: MP

May 10, 2018

Spokesperson for the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, Seyyed Hossein Naghavi Hosseini, says due to the US dark record, Iran had predicted that Washington would not remain committed to its pledges under the deal.

In an interview with the Tasnim News Agency, he underlined that since the deal was clinched back in 2015, the US violated it for over 20 times and showed that it pays no respect to the international accords.

“The US withdrawal from the accord made at least two points clear for the international community: First, the Islamic Republic of Iran is after dialogue and remains committed to the international law and second, the US is not seeking negotiations and mocks all international agreements and treaties,” he said.

Touching on Iran’s reaction to the US decision to pull out of the nuclear accord, the lawmaker said all relevant bodies in the Islamic Republic of Iran are united and completely prepared for the new situation.

“We are giving some weeks to the European sides to make their final decision about the Iran deal. During this time, we will hold talks with them to know their stance towards the JCPOA.”

He underlined that if the five states remaining in the nuclear deal – China, Russia, Germany, the UK and France – provide Iran with assurance that the US pullout will not inflict any blow on the country’s interests, then Iran will certainly remain in the deal.

“Otherwise, if we come to the conclusion that they are undecided about their stance towards the JCPOA, we will press ahead with our new scenario and leave the deal for sure,” he concluded.

IRGC Commander Pessimistic E3 Could Save Iran Nuclear Dal

IFP Editorial Staff

May 10, 2018

“We hold no hope that diplomacy can produce a solution to the JCPOA [problem],” said Brigadier General Hossein Salami, the lieutenant commander of IRGC, referring to an announcement by US President Donald Trump Tuesday that the country will walk out of the pact.

The Iranian government has announced it will wait a few weeks before deciding its JCPOA approach, in the hope that Europe could compensate for the US withdrawal.

Iran’s Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday Tehran will walk on the US footsteps and get out of the deal unless European powers give firm guarantees they will continue to adhere to their JCPOA commitments.

“Europe cannot get out of the political orbit of the US,” Salami said, suggesting the three European powers would not satisfy Iran’s demand.

Salami echoed the Leader’s stance that the US pull-out proved its allegations that Iran seeks nukes were empty and just a pretext to place pressure on Iran, saying the main goal of the enemies is to force Iran into surrender, according to Fars News Agency.

The IRGC commander said the hostile powers will by no means choose military option to confront Iran, and instead they will work to target Iran’s economic power.

“We are in the middle of an economic war … we should fight in this battle the way we fought in the 1980s Iran-Iraq war,” he said.

Iran in recent years has been struggling with an underperforming economy hit hard by years of international sanctions and mismanagement.

The Leader has frequently advocated Resistance Economy as the solution to Iran’s economic woes.

Resistance Economy is a set of principles aimed at making the economy immune to economic wars waged by foreign powers, through improving productivity and curbing the economy’s dependence on oil export revenues, among other measures.

It was first proposed by the Leader in 2011, amid the tightening of economic sanctions against Tehran by the US and its allies over unproven allegations that Tehran intends to build nuclear weapons.

“US Exit from JCPOA Big Opportunity to Rearrange Political Blocs”

IFP Editorial Staff

May 10, 2018

Alaeddin Boroujerdi, the head of the Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said Trump is effectively ridiculing international law.

“This is a big opportunity for rearrangement of political blocs in the world … countries which previously coordinated their positions with the US can now act independently,” he said in a talk with ICANA on Tuesday night, minutes after Trump announced the US pull-out from the nuclear accord.

In a televised address from the White House, Trump, who had frequently attacked the deal and labelled it an “embarrassment” to the US, said he would re-impose US economic sanctions on Iran that were suspended under the deal.

The leaders of Britain, Germany and France, which were signatories to the deal along with China and Russia, said in a joint statement that Trump’s decision was a cause for “regret and concern.”

Russia and China have announced they would try to block any US attempt to sabotage the nuclear deal, which imposed restrictions on Iran’s nuclear work in return for curbs on its nuclear program.

Iran has announced it will remain in the deal if Europe could provide firm guarantees that Tehran can still enjoy benefits of the 2015 pact.

Normal Life Going on in Iran despite Trump’s Decision

IFP Editorial Staff

May 10, 2018

While top Iranian officials were expected to cancel their regular plans and focus on the repercussions of the US exit shortly after Trump’s announcement on Tuesday night, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani visited the annual book fair on Wednesday morning.

His two-hour visit sent the message to the huge crowd of visitors and journalists there that the US decision was not at all shocking to the Iranian nation, and life is still going by in Iran as usual.

During the visit, the top lawmaker was also accompanied by Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Seyyed Abbas Salehi.

What follows are photos of the visit retrieved from Iran Book News Agency (IBNA):

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Israel, Syria Exchange Missile Fire

IFP Editorial Staff

May 10, 2018

Ten Zionist regime’s military positions in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights were targeted by rocket fire amid heightened tension, according to the Beirut-based TV channel Al-Mayadeen.

The targeted Israeli military sites include a military reconnaissance centre, a position for border security, a military centre for electronic jamming, a military centre for spying on wireless and wired networks, a communication station, an observatory for precision weapons, a gunships heliport, the headquarters of the regional military command of brigade-810, the command centre of the military battalion in Hermon, and the winter headquarters of the special snow unit, according to the Al-Mayadeen report quoted by the Xinhua news agency.

No party claimed responsibility for the attack, but Israel accused Iran of firing the rockets, saying forces linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps were behind the attacks.

If confirmed, this would be the first rocket attack carried out directly by Iran against Israel.

The Israeli military said just 20 missiles were launched from Syria targeting Israeli military positions in the occupied parts of the Golan Heights. But Syrian sources said over 50 missiles were fired into Israel. Tel Aviv claims some the missiles have been intercepted by its Iron Dome defence system.

Israel urged residents in the occupied Golan Heights to enter bomb shelters.

Israeli Retaliation

Israel retaliated with missile strikes, reportedly launched by Israeli warplanes from outside Syrian territory.

The attack targeted areas in the Quneitra and Homs region near Damascus.

The Syrian state news agency SANA reported that several military sites in Syria including a radar facility, air defence positions and an ammunition depot were destroyed.

SANA said some Israeli missiles had been brought down over Damascus, Homs and Sueida.

The Israeli army said it was attacking “Iranian targets” inside Syria.

Iran had vowed retaliation after a suspected Israeli airstrike against the T-4 airbase in central Syria last month killed seven of its military personnel in a Syrian air base.

Israel has been claiming that Iran is setting up bases of operations in Syria in order to stage attacks against Israel.

It has launched numerous airstrikes against Syrian government-controlled territories, targeting alleged Iranian positions, RT reported.

The attack followed the US announcement of withdrawal from the international nuclear deal with Iran.

Hours after the Trump announcement, Israeli rockets targeted a military base in Kisweh in the south-western countryside of the capital Damascus, Syrian outlets reported.

That attack reportedly killed 15 people, including eight Iranians, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, though Syrian forces said there were no casualties.

Israel implicitly claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Israel informed Russia prior to delivering strikes at targets in Syria, Israel military spokesman Jonathan Cornicus said on Thursday.

The Zionist regime seized the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and has continued to occupy two-thirds of the territory ever since, in a move that has never been recognized by the international community.

The regime has built tens of illegal settlements in the area since its occupation.

Tehran, Rome Discuss Bilateral Consular Affairs

IFP Editorial Staff

May 10, 2018

The director general of consular and Italian expatriates’ affairs at the Italian Foreign Ministry sat down with his Iranian counterpart in Tehran.

During the Wednesday talks, they exchanged views on ways of promoting consular relations between the two countries and the provision of more facilities to ease legal transactions between people.

On the sidelines of the meeting, the Italian official along with the country’s ambassador to Tehran also met with Hossein Panahiazar, the Iranian deputy foreign minister for parliamentary and Iranians’ affairs.

Mutual relations, especially with regards to bilateral consular affairs, were discussed at the meeting.

UK, French Top Diplomats Call Zarif to Reiterate Support for Iran Deal

IFP Editorial Staff

May 9, 2018

During their telephone conversations on Wednesday, Boris Johnson of Britain and Jean-Yves Le Drian of France expressed their support for the sustenance of the JCPOA, and said Iran should benefit from the privileges of the agreement.

Iran’s Mohammad Javad Zarif, in turn, said the other signatories to the deal should give Iran guarantees that it will be able to reap the benefits of the deal.

In their phone talks, the three top diplomats also agreed to hold meetings at the level of experts as well as ministers.

Europe Has Limited Time to Save Iran Nuclear Deal: Rouhani

IFP Editorial Staff

May 9, 2018

Hassan Rouhani made the comment in a phone conversation with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday.

“The JCPOA was the result of long-running and constant efforts from 2003 to 2015, and it is an international agreement as it has been approved by the UN Security Council,” said the Iranian President as reported by Fars News Agency.

President Rouhani described US President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal as a cheap move.

“While remaining fully committed to its obligations under the JCPOA, Iran has pursued, and will pursue the achievement of national interests; but unfortunately, the other side has not had a satisfactory performance when it comes to making good on its commitments,” the Iranian president noted.

“Contrary to Trump’s illusion, [uranium enrichment] in Iran has never been aimed at achieving nuclear weapon s; rather, it has been a scientific and technical attempt to boost national pride and meet the needs of Iranian people,” Rouhani underlined.

He said foreign ministers and expert groups of Iran and European Union countries should hold meetings within just several weeks to review issues related to the preservation of the JCPOA and arrive at a clear decision.

“Iran’s interests should be clearly and straightforwardly specified and guaranteed in topics and key issues related to the maintenance of the JCPOA such as oil sales, banking relations, investment and insurance,” President Rouhani said.

He said foreign companies which have signed contracts with, or invested in Iran should clearly announce their decisions on how they are going to deal with Washington’s pullout from the JCPOA.

“If we reach a clear decision on the JCPOA in a limited and specific period of time, we will witness a broader interaction between Iran and Europe.

“Consultations and cooperation between Iran and France will continue in line with securing common interests as well as security and stability in the region,” said the president.

Rouhani underscored that what the US president did was a wrong move.

“Today, we have a historic responsibility to preserve the JCPOA, and history in the future will prove that Trump has made a big mistake,” he said.

“Unfortunately, Europe missed the four-month-long chance that it could use to preserve thee JCPOA, and spend that time on convincing the new US administration to stay in the JCPOA.”

The French president, in turn, expressed regret over Trump’s decision to pull out of the JCPOA, saying European countries have, in a collective reaction, expressed their objection to the decision.

He said Trump’s decision has even triggered a sense of conflict in the US, and underlined the need to safeguard the framework of the JCPOA. He urged all parties to the agreement to deliver on their commitments. Macron said Europe will consistently try to preserve the deal.

The French president said “we can plan how to get involved in activities beyond the JCPOA through the enhancement of cooperation.”

He said extensive cooperation between Iran and Europe is instrumental in boosting peace and security in the region.

Iran Marks Red Cross Day by Creating Largest Peace Painting

Fatemeh Askarieh

May 9, 2018

The huge artwork, which measures 10×1.5, has been painted by 15 artists during a workshop in Ali Akbar Sanati Museum in Tehran over the past week, a report by Honar Online said.

The director of the workshop, Azita Safavi, said that the central themes of the paintings are peace and friendship, and the group has tried to make the public familiar with art through this workshop.

Hossein Tadi, one of the participating painters, said, “Iran is a country that has experienced war (the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war). One aim of this painting is to augment peace and friendship that can motivate artists.”

He added that many people visiting the museum also contributed to the painting.

“We used the images of some people in creating the artwork,” he said, adding that their presence was really inspiring for the group of artists painting symbolic elements of peace and kindness.

The paintings will be on display until May 11 at the Ali Akbar Sanati Museum, which is managed by the Iranian Red Crescent Society.

The museum is home to works by the distinguished Iranian sculptor and painter Ali Akbar Sanati.

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