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Iran President Strikes Conciliatory Tone towards IRGC

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Iran President Strikes Conciliatory Tone towards IRGC

“Thanks to prowess of the beloved and brave [Guards] Corps, Army and self-sacrificing Basij [voluntary forces affiliated with IRGC], we enjoy exemplary security in Iran,” Rouhani said, according to a transcript of his speech posted on the president’s website.

“We honour our security, which has been achieved through unity and cohesion of the Iranian nation, and will work to [maintain] it,” he said on Tuesday, while addressing a huge gathering in Tabriz in north-western Province of East Azarbaijan11.

This is while Rouhani had made pointed remarks regarding the IRGC last Saturday.

In a speech on the occasion of the Army Day last Saturday, Rouhani hailed the Iranian army for refraining from getting involved in “political games.”

Alluding to the IRGC, Rouhani added, “Today there is not a single corruption case in which commanders of the army are involved … this is [because] of the purity and sincerity of the army.”

These comments were widely described as ‘divisive’, provoking immediate reactions from both the IRGC and the Army Chief-Commander.

Shortly after Rouhani’s comments last Saturday, the IRGC in a statement criticized certain internal figures for issuing statements that “harm unity and stoke division”.

In a statement marking the anniversary of its formation in 1979, the IRGC accused certain figures of “intentionally or unintentionally” echoing the enemy’s words to “weaken” the IRGC.

Moreover, Iran’s Army Chief-Commander Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi intervened in the feud in defence of the IRGC.

Attending a ceremony to commemorate the anniversary of the IRGC formation, Mousavi said his presence was a sign of unity among Armed Forces.

The military commander rejected any division between the Army and the IRGC, declaring that all the armed forces of Iran are united against the enemy plots to divide the armed forces of the country.

Rouhani has frequently issued veiled and sometimes unveiled criticisms against the IRGC in recent years.

Throughout his 2017 presidential campaign, Rouhani described it as “a government holding a rifle” due to the role of the IRGC in the country’s economic, political and media affairs.

Female Professor Bravely Defends “Persian” Gulf in Defiance of Dubai Officials

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Iran Says Persian Gulf Always ‘Persian’ Gulf, not ‘Washington’ Gulf

Maryam Razzaqi-AzarMaryam Razzaqi-Azar, an Iranian researcher and specialist in Diabetes and Metabolism, recently addressed a symposium in Dubai, where an Arab researcher used the false title of Arabian Gulf to refer to Persian Gulf.

Razzaqi-Azar immediately corrected the researcher and said the body of water has been named as the Persian Gulf since ancient times and will remain so forever.

According to a Farsi report by Mizan News Agency, the remarks by the Iranian professor sparked mixed reactions in the conference.

Razzaqi-Azar had travelled to Dubai at the invitation of the French Ipsen Company to attend the scientific conference.

Her remarks were welcomed by the audience, but the representatives of Ipsen and Dubai urged her to admit she had made the issue political and should apologize. But Razzaqi-Azar responded during her second presentation: “My word was not political, we are friends but it was true.”

After saying this, her microphone was turned off and she was not allowed to finish her presentation. So, the Iranians attending the seminar decided to leave the conference hall.

When Razzaqi-Azar returned to her hotel, she found out that her door was locked. Then, the Dubai police arrived without an ID card, and asked her to either apologise in writing for using the term “Persian Gulf” at the conference or leave Dubai immediately.

Professor Razzaqi-Azar announced frankly she would prefer to leave the country in less than 24 hours. The professor also announced defiantly that “Although I’m too busy tomorrow, I prefer to pass through other countries than Dubai. And I will never sign the letter worded by you.”

The move by the Iranian professor has also been warmly welcomed by the Iranian politicians. In a message, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif thanked Professor Razzaqi-Azar for her right move in defending the national and historical identity of the Persian Gulf.

Over the past years concerted efforts have been underway by some circles in the region and the world to change the original identity of Persian Gulf.

Iran has designated April 30 as National Persian Gulf Day to highlight the fact that the waterway has been referred to by historians and ancient texts as “Persian” since the Achaemenid Empire was established in what is now modern day Iran.

While historical documents show that the waterway has always been referred to as the “Persian Gulf,” certain Arab states and their allies have recently mounted efforts to remove “Persian” from the name of the waterway.

Tabriz Pioneer in Curbing Use of Plastic Bags

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Kids posing with a fabric bag provided by Tabriz's Department of Environment as part of an initiative to curb the use of plastic bags

Plastic poses serious threats to our planet’s survival: From inflicting damage to the lives and environment of the sea creatures as well as animals and birds to creating the tough challenge of collecting piles of garbage, landfill and their consequent pollution across the world.

Plastic garbage is among the main challenges that we face today because tackling the problems and the dangers that they have created so far requires a huge amount of money. Many countries have failed to achieve a considerable success in dealing with the challenge. Many believe one of the most effective and economic ways to cope with this problem is to minimize the use of plastic in our daily lives. To this effect, packaging and production industries must lower the level of plastic use in their products.

In Iran, the officials of Tabriz have undertaken a new initiative to tackle the problem. At least 10,000 fabric bags have been distributed among the citizens who took part in the last Friday Prayers of the city, said Hamid Qassemi, Head of the Environment Department at East Azarbaijan.

“Following earlier coordination with the office of Seyyed Mohammad Ali Al-Hashem, the representative of Iran’s Leader and Friday prayers Imam of Tabriz who is among the leading environmentalist of the province, we decided to distribute fabric bags instead of plastic ones among the worshippers for keeping their slippers or shoes while in the grand mosque,” he was quoted as saying in a Farsi report by the DoE’s official website.

He underlined that the initiative was undertaken in support of the Leader’s initiative to name the current Persian year as the year of support for Iranian products.

“All the bags were designed and produced in Tabriz by local producers,” Qassemi said.

He referred to the issue of pollution as a global challenge facing all people concerned with environmental issues and said collecting huge piles of garbage in the world, their landfill and dire hygienic consequences are among the major issues for every small and developing country.

He outlined the plans already developed in the province to promote the culture of preserving the environment and said Iran’s Constitution attaches great significance to protecting the environment against pollution of various types.

“Dispatching environmental experts to schools, launching campaigns to collect garbage from across the province, holding local competition with the main theme of writing the best pieces on the importance of earth and its pollution are among the measures adopted by the provincial officials to make the province cleaner,” he noted.

Qassemi said the city’s entrances as well as highways leading to it were also cleaned up as part of a larger plan to mark Earth Day.

Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on April 22. Worldwide, various events are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First celebrated in 1970, Earth Day events in more than 193 countries are now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network.

 

Legal Curb on Use of Plastic Bags

The Iranian administration will take the final decision by late June on approving previously drafted regulations which aim to decrease the use of plastic bags in the country, an official with the Department of Environment has said.

Levying tax on the use of plastic bags, promoting awareness towards harms of plastic, and manufacturing recyclable plastic bags are among the main subjects of this regulations, ISNA quoted Ali Moridi as saying on Sunday.

“Currently we are discussing the issue with the ministry of industry. Since these regulations affect the production and consumption of plastics, there is resistance against its implementation.”

Although there is no detailed data on the consumption rate of plastics in the country, it is evident that this consumption trend is way higher than that of advanced countries, he lamented.

Unfortunately, plastic bags are offered free of charge in Iran’s supermarkets while this is not the case in some other countries, he said, adding that putting extra charge on plastic bags will act as a deterrent and encourages citizens to use reusable cloth bags.

Kaveh Madani; Outcast Genius or Fugitive Agent?

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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“Due to the dissatisfaction of your beloved parents … and some pressures inside the country, I inevitably accept your resignation,” Isa Kalantari, the head of the Department of Environment, wrote in a recent emotional farewell statement in reaction to Madani’s resignation.

Madani, a 36-year-old expert who took leave from his post at London’s Imperial College last year to return to Iran, resigned late last month.

The resignation came after a photo taken five years ago showing him dancing went viral on social media. Iranian people, especially the country’s top officials, are supposed to adhere to Islamic laws that forbid dancing.

In a letter posted on his Twitter account last Wednesday, Madani wrote that some Iranian authorities had considered him an outsider and a threat, and he had faced weeks of pressure from conservative opponents of the Rouhani administration.

“During the six months you held a responsibility in the organization, you showed that how much one with such a unique knowledge, steadfastness and creativity … can serve his country and people,” Kalantari wrote.

The DoE chief said the organization’s staff and the Iranian people will never forget Madani’s service.

Kalantari wished Madani success and happiness, saying he is sure the young expert will continue to help improve living conditions of Iranians in the future.

Iran is suffering from a range of extreme environmental problems, including world-beating levels of air pollution and years of drought that have devastated swathes of its agricultural land. Rouhani was hopeful that he could tackle such problems by using the expertise of Iranian elites living abroad, including Madani.

 

Espionage Case

Madani had been called in for questioning in January during the arrests of nearly a dozen people involved in environmental activism on suspicions of espionage. One of those arrested, Kavous Seyed Emami, reportedly committed suicide in Tehran’s Evin prison in February.

Tehran’s prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said last week Madani’s resignation was due to “progresses” made in the espionage dossier, suggesting Madani could be a spy.

While Madani and reformist media considered such accusations as mere pretexts to prevent such “elites” from working in Iran, conservatives believe the environmentalist was an agent who fled the country before being tried.

Tasnim News Agency reported last Saturday that Madani’s dancing photos were first published by a Telegram channel affiliated with opponents of the Islamic Republic on March 28.

Tasnim wrote the photos, which were published just two days before Madani was supposed to return to Iran from a work trip, could be handed to the Telegram channel by Madani himself to provide a justification for his resignation.

Tasnim says the controversial photos, which had been taken long before Madani took office, could not cause any serious trouble for the environmentalist. Therefore, the release of the photos was an effort to divert the attentions from his alleged role in the espionage case.

Iran, Pakistan Navies to Hold Joint Drills

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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In a meeting with Pakistan’s Navy Commander Admiral Zafar Mahmoud on the sidelines of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) in Tehran, Admiral Fadavi expressed satisfaction with the current level of cooperation between Iranian and Pakistani armed forces.

“The insecurity triggered by the US in the West Asia can equally affect Iran and Pakistan,” he was quoted as saying in a Farsi report by ISNA.

He referred to the US as the main source of insecurity in the region and said Tehran and Islamabad have already received heavy blows from the regional terrorism sponsored by Washington.

The Iranian commander then thanked Pakistani politicians and commanders for their prudent policies towards the US president’s ‘unconsidered remarks and stances’.

“During the eight-year war imposed on Iran by Iraq’s former dictator Saddam Hussein, the US officials adopted wicked measures against Iran which were thwarted by our navy,” he noted.

Admiral Fadavi said the US has been seeking over years to isolate IRGC in the Persian Gulf.

“About two and a half years ago, the Iranian navy seized two US boats and arrested 10 sailors in the Persian Gulf who had entered the Iranian waters. This sent a clear message to Washington that Iran can target its ships in the region if needed.”

He underlined that Iran’s power is not restricted to its missile and military capabilities and added Iranians also draw on the spiritual power of Islam to fight against the enemies.

The IRGC navy commander also called for further expansion of ties between Iran and Pakistan navies.

For his part, the Pakistan admiral warned that the enemies are seeking to sow the seeds of discord among the regional states and said Pakistan attaches great significance to Iran and its great nation.

Era of Hegemonic Influence Long Gone: Iran FM

By
IFP Media Wire
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Zarif made the remarks while addressing the Council on Foreign Relations on Monday in New York.

“In the wars of 20th and 21st centuries, there are no winners; only the degree and amount of loss will be different. In the globalized era… you cannot have security at the expense of insecurity of others,” he said, adding, “The era of hegemonic influence is long gone.”

He added that Saudi Arabia is trying to introduce Iran as a regional threat, while adding that more dialogue is needed among regional states.

“We believe, in our region we suffer from dialogue deficit. We don’t talk to each other. We talk a lot about each other, particularly when we come here. Our neighbors, particularly Saudi Arabia, wants to create an impression that we are an existential threat against them. You just saw a very expensive two week tour of the United States and that was one of the most important messages that wanted to be presented,” he added.

Zarif noted that regional countries need to break away from the paradigm of exclusion which prevails in the region.

The Iranian foreign minister added that a dialogue deficit and confidence deficit is present in region.

While stressing that the era of zero-sum games is long gone, he added that there are no winners in modern wars and that everybody loses.

He further noted that era of hegemonic influence is over and that neither Iran, nor Saudi Arabia can be hegemonic powers in region.

“We need to realize and appreciate this fact, however heart breaking it maybe, none of us can become this new hegemon,” he added.

Zarif also said that without mutual respect, there could be no dialogue between Tehran and Washington.

He added under present circumstances and with current tone of US government there are no prospects for dialogue between Tehran and Washington.

“My aim is to start a process that I can have some hope. I mean, you cannot start a process just because, I mean, stop the process, or not engage, just because of a fear of failure. But at least you need to have some hope of success, some prospect for success, in order for this process to start. And I do not believe that, under the present circumstances, with the present tone, and language and approach of the current administration in Washington, you would have much prospect,” he said.

The Iranian foreign minister also went on to defend the presence of Iranian military advisors in Syria.

“I think you need to thank us for preventing Damascus, Baghdad, and Erbil, mind you, from falling in the hands of ISIS (Daesh), because then, instead of a terrorist organization, you would have had two terrorist states,” he added.

“I’m saying categorically, let us stop the war in Syria, and Iraq… and Yemen tomorrow. And, if you see Iran not doing its best to stop that war, then you can accuse us of any moral degradation that you want,” he added.

US, Allies Not Allowed to Play Role in Syria Peace Talks: Assad

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Countries which launch aggression against other nations are not eligible to contribute to the peace process in Syria, whatsoever, Assad announced on Monday.

He made the remarks in a meeting with Hossein Jaberi Ansari, a senior assistant to Iran’s foreign minister, in Damascus.

Assad also thanked Iran for its support for the Syrian government and nation in the war on terror.

The two sides further discussed the latest political developments in Syria as well as the coordination between Tehran and Damascus at this juncture.

Jaberi Ansari, who is Iran’s top negotiator in Syria peace talks, congratulated Assad on the fresh gains made by Syria and its allies in the fight against terrorists.

He condemned the recent acts of aggression on Syria by the Israeli regime and three Western countries, saying the moves suggest a spirit of aggression and their non-compliance with international regulations and a blatant violation of the provisions of the UN Charter.

Girls Selling Handicrafts Online to Help Develop Their Remote Village

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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The girls from Saydbar Jedgal village in Sistan and Baluchestan province, southeastern Iran, have created an account in Instagram to put their handicrafts for sale.

The handicrafts have been warmly welcomed on the social media and the girls have managed to sell most of them, a Farsi report by ILNA said.

The girls say they spend the money they earn for improving the education as well as health sections of their village by, for instance, educating the illiterate people of the village and collecting garbage.

Through this collective project on the social media, the girls are seeking to play a role in lessening the severe deprivation in their village.

Iranian arts and crafts have been known all over the world since the very ancient times. Various eye-catching handicrafts from gorgeous Persian carpets to exquisite potteries, ceramics, metal works, etc. are the products of Iranian art and creativity.

Given the huge capacities and capabilities of Iranian artists in the production of indigenous handicrafts, there are numerous opportunities for development through foreign investment. The highly educated and creative young generation of Iran can achieve great success by finding access to global markets.

According to the data released by the Iranian Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology, skillful workforce is cheap in Iran (as compared with the international market) and the costs of running a business (such as energy costs) are rather low; therefore, the country offers a great opportunity to foreign investors to establish international interactions with Iranian artists in various fields including handicrafts, animation, computer games, design, fashion and clothing, and jewelry.

Iran, Belgium Urge All Parties to Remain Committed to JCPOA

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Iranian and Belgian foreign ministers meeting in New York on April 23, 2018

During the Monday talks, the two sides exchanged views on the most important issues in bilateral relations as well as the latest regional and international developments.

Zarif and Reynders underlined the significance of expanding bilateral ties, particularly in making further investments in Iran, and urged all involved sides in the Iran nuclear deal to remain committed to their pledges under the accord.

Earlier in the day, Zarif said in a post on his official Twitter account that the European signatories to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) should convince US President Donald Trump not to pull out of the deal, because there is no “Plan B” for it.

“It’s either all or nothing. European leaders should encourage President Trump not just to stay in the nuclear deal, but more importantly to begin implementing his part of the bargain in good faith,” he noted.

Trump is a stern critic of the nuclear deal reached between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the United States, France, Britain, China, Russia – plus Germany in 2015.

Under the agreement, nuclear-related sanctions put in place against Iran were lifted in exchange for curbs on Tehran’s nuclear program.

“US Attacks Have No Effect on Syria’s Political Developments”

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-

Speaking in a Farsi interview with IRNA in Damascus on Monday, Jaberi Ansari said the US, the UK, and France are considering themselves as the decision-makers in the world, and they pursue certain political goals under the pretext of human rights or other things which are by no means acceptable to any country.

Referring to attacks on Syria, he added, “The three countries attacked Syria on the pretext of the Assad government’s use of chemical weapons. It was an instrumental and political use of the issue, and the Islamic Republic was strongly and openly opposed to it.”

Jaberi Ansari emphasised that if a chemical attack has been carried out in the Eastern Ghouta, an opportunity must be provided for international chemical weapons inspectors to investigate the case.

“The position of the Islamic Republic has been repeatedly announced and Iran, as one of the main victims of chemical weapons in contemporary times, does not accept the use of such weapons by any party and under any circumstances.”

This Iranian diplomat also pointed out that Tehran hopes the conditions would be prepared for Syria to emerge out of the crisis as soon as possible in the context of the diplomatic efforts that Iran, Russia and Turkey are making within the framework of Astana Talks.

“The Islamic Republic wants to restore calm and security to all areas of Syria by maintaining its unity, territorial integrity and national sovereignty,” said Jaberi Ansari.

Iran’s top negotiator in the international peace talks on Syria will hold talks with a number of senior Syrian officials on the latest regional and international developments in the country on Monday.

Such visits are held on a regular basis, and the reports on the latest developments and diplomatic efforts made by the Islamic Republic of Iran within the framework of the Astana Talks are given to Syrians.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Jaberi Ansari had earlier discussed the horizons ahead of the Syria crisis, especially within the context of the Astana-Geneva talks, by reviewing the latest political and political developments.

Multiple places in Syria came under attack by US, British and French military forces on April 14 after President Donald Trump ordered a military strike against the country despite international warnings against further escalation of the situation.

The three countries used an alleged chemical attack in the Eastern Ghouta suburb of Damascus last week as a pretext for their military action. They blame the Syrian government for the attack, without offering any evidence.

Syria has strongly rejected any role in the suspected attack, which came just as the Syrian army was about to declare full victory against the militants operating in the region.

Russia said the chemical attack was staged by desperate militants to provoke further intervention in the conflict by the West.

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