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Tehran Mayor Resigns Due to “Health Issue”

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-

Hashemi said the city council has already received the resignation letter of Najafi and discussed it on its Wednesday meeting.

“The mayor has cited a new medical problem as his resignation. We can’t disclose the problem publicly,” Hashemi said.

Najafi was known for having a heart problem, but there are unconfirmed allegations that he has developed a type of cancer as well.

Meanwhile, Head of the City Council’s Transportation Commission Mohammad Alikhani referred to the same medical problem as Najafi’s resignation reason and said, “Although Tehran’s councillors have been ensured about the medical problem of Mr Najafi, they cannot close their eyes on political pressure on him.”

Najafi’s resignation came after being summoned to court for organizing an event held in Tehran’s Milad Tower celebrating Women’s Day in Iranian calendar on May 9.

Iran’s prosecutor general demanded that the organizers of the event be punished for allowing little girls to dance on the stage.

“Information has been received regarding an event to celebrate Women’s Day organized by the Tehran Municipality at the Milad Tower in which acts of public indecency were displayed against the pure and chaste traditions of Prophet Muhammad’s daughter,” said Prosecutor General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri.

According to Islamic law, girls and women are not allowed to dance for anyone except their husbands. Images and videos shared on social media networks show the girls spreading flowers around the stage while twirling and dancing to traditional Iranian music.

Najafi told the Iranian government’s official newspaper, Iran, that he did not agree with the dance but saw no reason to leave the event at the time.

 

Najafi to Remain Mayor by End of Nowruz Holidays

Head of the City Council’s Budget Commission, Majid Farahani, also confirmed the resignation of Tehran mayor and said “we are still exploring the issue in our informal meetings.”

Electing a new mayor takes time. So, Tehran councillors unanimously have called on Najafi to remain mayor by the end of Nowruz holidays. They said they would officially start discussing the mayor’s resignation in their first meeting after Nowruz holidays.

Tehran Hosts Ecotourism, Handicraft Exhibition

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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'Iran’s World-Famous Handicrafts Ideal Advantage to Promote Tourism'

Ali Darvishpour, the chief executive of Milad Tower, said he is pleased to see Iran’s unique ecotourism potential being shown to the world.

“Iran is a small continent. Its excellent weather and exotic natural environments has made the country a great option for ecotourism,” he said in an address to the opening ceremony.

The exhibition hosts 61 booths, which showcase ecotourism attractions of 31 Iranian provinces, a Farsi report by Mehr said.

The 4-day exhibition will wrap up on Thursday.

What follows are photos of the exhibition retrieved from Tasnim and ILNA:

“JCPOA Has Specified ‘Forbidden Scientific Area’ for Iran”

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-

Mohammad Javad Larijani, the head of the Iranian Research Centre for Fundamental Sciences, says it is necessary for a country to have “science policy” to be able to stand on its own feet.

He said having a science policy will help the people of a country to develop the capability to do three things: defend themselves against enemies, provide their own food if they come under blockade, and protect themselves against diseases.

Speaking in a Farsi interview with the Tasnim News Agency, he said a country cannot import the capability to stand on its feet with money; rather, he says, a capability needs to be created.

“So, it is very necessary to have a science policy,” said Larijani, adding none of the Iranian governments has had a science policy over the past years.

While criticizing the government for not having specific plans in the domain of science, Larijani believes Iran has been lucky because Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, at the time that he took charge of the country’s affairs, presented a proper view of scientific development based on Islamic logic, and has pursued the issue for the past 30 years. Of course, said Larijani, only 20 to 25 percent of the goals the Leader set have materialized, and officials’ performance in that regard have had many shortcomings.

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”

Larijani stressed that Iran, one way or another, made progress on the scientific front, adding, “This scientific growth and development took our enemies by surprise.”

“They said Iran should not be allowed to make scientific progress at such a fast pace,” Larijani noted.

He then criticized relevant Iranian authorities for accepting the other side’s demand that Iran’s nuclear work be restricted.

“In my idea, one of the key problems with the JCPOA is that we, for the first time on the scientific front, accepted to have an area which was off limits. That is, they drew a line for us and told us that we mustn’t get into the heavy water issue, or cannot enrich uranium to a certain degree of purity, and so on and so forth,” Larijani noted.

He said now they are saying that the range of Iranian missiles must not exceed 100 kilometres.

“This is a new area which is off limits.”

He said there is no end to their demands, and if Iran continues to give in to their demands, “it will have nothing but humiliation for us.”

Larijani said the late Leader of the Islamic Revolution Imam Khomeini stressed that there are no forbidden areas in science and technology.

“This is a fundamental principle in our revolutionary-scientific policy. Our revolutionary experience lays the groundwork for a comprehensive civil-political system based on Islamic logic, and this is the first principle in science policy. So we have no forbidden areas in science, but we need to have policy rather than moving forward idly and wasting our energy.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, Larijani said Ayatollah Khamenei tried to draw up an outlook plan in different areas, namely various sciences. He said governments which have been successful in scientific, economic and technological development have a number of scientists who form the main body making scientific policies.

Larijani added that they also have a proper picture of the scientific situation in the world, and at the same time have the prospects of their future goals in minds. Moreover, they have scientific policy together with an action plan, he added.

Above all, they are determined to move on the path to realizing those objectives, he concluded.

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on March 14

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on November 18

 

US President Donald Trump’s surprising decision to sack State Secretary Rex Tillerson and replace him with CIA Chief Mike Pompeo was widely covered in today’s newspapers. Several papers discussed the possible implications of the replacement, which is expected to toughen US government’s anti-Iran stances.

Also a top story today was the Parliament’s unsuccessful impeachment of three ministers. Labour Minister Ali Rabi’ei and Roads Minister Abbas Akhondi both received a vote of confidence on Tuesday, and survived the impeachment bids. Agriculture Minister Mahmoud Hojjati’s impeachment on Wednesday was also unsuccessful.

A major news story today was Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s remarks that Tehran will be the first to help Riyadh when the Arab country comes under foreign aggression.

The upholding of a 15-year prison sentence for former Vice-President Hamid Baqaei, a close ally of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, also received great coverage.

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

 

Abrar:

  • Trump Extends National Emergency against Iran

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on March 14

 

Abrar-e Eqtesadi:

  • 10 Different Rates for Dollar in Iran Market!

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on March 14

 

Aftab-e Yazd:

  • You Wasted People’s Money, Time
  • Ministers of Labour, Roads Survive Impeachment
  • Parliament Seems to Have Fallen Victim to Certain MPs

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on March 14

 

Arman-e Emrooz:

  • Reformists’ Parliamentary Faction Disappoints Hardliners
  • Two Ministers Reinstated
  • Beggars of Tehran Earn $100 per Day!

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on March 14

 

Ebtekar

  • White House’s Anti-JCPOA Circle Completed
  • Zarif: Iran Has Expressed Readiness to Negotiate with Saudi Arabia
  • Iran Freestyle Wrestling Boycotts World Cup after UWW’s Decision on Greco-Roman WC

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on March 14

 

Ettela’at:

  • Russia: We’ll Give Decisive Response to US Attack on Syria
  • Moscow-London Tension after Controversy over Double Agent
  • Trump Suddenly Dismissed Tillerson, Replaced Him with CIA Chief

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on March 14

 

Ghanoon:

  • Sit-Down in Evin Prison
  • Justice Dept.: Ahmadinejad’s Deputy Baqaei Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on March 14

 

Hamdeli:

  • Tehran’s “Naft” (Oil) Street Named after Mosaddeq, Leader of Nationalization of Iran’s Oil

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on March 14

 

Hamshahri:

  • Trump’s Cabinet Becomes More Hawkish

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on March 14

 

Hemayat:

  • Trump’s Radicalism in Post-JCPOA Era: CIA Chief Replaces Tillerson

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on March 14

 

Iran:

  • Zarif: Iran to Be First Support for Saudi Arabia against Any Foreign Aggression
  • Rouhani’s Aide: Economy Can Be Saved by Rebuilding Public Trust
  • Economy Can Be Starting Point for Beginning of National Dialogue
  • Tillerson Dismissed in Twitter

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on March 14

 

Jahan-e San’at:

  • Chamber of Commerce Chief Slams Forex Rate Fluctuations’ Impact on Trade
  • Iraqi Banks Don’t Work with Iranian Businesspeople
  • Damascus, Laboratory Mouse for Kremlin
  • Use of Modern Russian Warfare in Syria Confirmed

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on March 14

 

Javan:

  • Tillerson Fired to Facilitate US Withdrawal from Iran Nuclear Deal
  • MPs Harm Themselves by Giving Confidence Vote to Roads Minister in 3rd Impeachment

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on March 14

 

Jomhouri Eslami:

  • US Foreign Policy in Hands of CIA

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on March 14

 

Kayhan:

  • Jannati Urges Rouhani Not to Let Incompetent People Take Control of Revolution
  • US, France Threaten to Launch Military Attack on Syria
  • Britain’s Role in Unprecedented Slaughter of Innocent Muslims in Yemen

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on March 14

 

Kelid:

  • Turkey, Iraq Agree on Joint Operation against PKK
  • UWW Strips Iran of Hosting Greco-Roman Wrestling World Cup

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on March 14

 

Resalat:

  • Velayati: Offering Capabilities of Islamic Civilization to Destroy West’s Superiority Claim
  • Ayatollah Nouri Hamedani: Zionists Source of All Seditions in Mideast
  • Iran Human Rights Chief: We Should Let Criminals Bear Banner of Human Rights

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on March 14

 

Roozan:

  • Ban on Holding National Celebrations in Schools!
  • Education Ministry Ignoring Students’ Happiness

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on March 14

 

Seda-ye Eslahat:

  • Ahmadinejad’s Deputy Imprisoned

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on March 14

 

Shargh:

  • Iran Gov’t Spokesman: [Judiciary] Responsible for Protecting Lives of Prisoners

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on March 14

 

Tejarat:

  • Report on US Inflation Leads to Growth in Asian Stock Exchanges

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on March 14

 

Vatan-e Emrooz:

  • Zarif: US Not Implementing Obligations under Iran Nuclear Deal

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on March 14

Tehran Downplays Impact of Tillerson’s Replacement on Iran-US Ties

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-

“Such replacements in the US establishment are not surprising. We have witnessed many changes in the incumbent administration so far,” Bahram Qassemi said on Wednesday, referring to the replacement of Tillerson with CIA Director Mike Pompeo on Tuesday.

The chief diplomat’s dismissal came after a series of public rifts over US policy on North Korea, Russia and Iran.

The decision was announced by the president on Twitter as his administration works towards a potential meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un after months of harsh rhetoric and rising tensions on Pyongyang’s nuclear program.

Qassemi, who was speaking in his last press conference in this Iranian year (ending March 20), described the replacement as a “domestic issue”.

“What matters to us is the US approach towards international issues and Iran. We will monitor US policies and act according to them,” he said, according to a Farsi report by ISNA.

The rare firing of the United States’ top diplomat capped months of friction between the Republican president and the 65-year-old former Exxon Mobil Corp chief executive.

The tensions peaked last fall amid reports Tillerson had called Trump a “moron” and considered resigning.

Analysts believe the move would sow more instability in the volatile Trump administration and marks the replacement of another moderate with a hawk, Reuters reported.

Tillerson had pressed Trump to stick with the nuclear agreement with Iran and other world powers.

Some analysts are worried that Pompeo would encourage Trump to scrap the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

Iran Warns US against ‘Foolish’ Moves against Syria

During the press conference, Qassemi also warned Washington against taking any “foolish” decisions with regards to Syria, as speculation mounts that the administration of Trump is gearing up for a military strike against the country.

He advised Washington to carefully consider the implications before adopting any interventionist policies in the Middle East.

“That America takes hostile actions against the countries of the region is nothing new but the US cannot intervene and this is a kind of invasion nonetheless,” said Qassemi, as reported by Press TV.

“Nations in the region have shown that they will not accept foreign presence and we hope the US reconsiders this foolish decision,” he added.

There have been reports that the US and some of its Western allies partaking in an airstrike campaign against purported terrorist positions inside Syria are considering a large-scale military action against the Arab country under the pretext that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad uses chemical weapons against its people.

Defending Tehran’s military advisory role in Syria, Qassemi said Wednesday that unlike the US-led coalition, Iran’s presence in Syria has been based on an official request by Damascus to help it with the fight against terrorism.

“We hope that peace returns to Syria through diplomacy,” he said.

The possibility of a new US-led attack against Assad’s government has gained more weight in the recent weeks, following the Syrian military’s advances in Eastern Ghouta, a Damascus suburb and one of the last strongholds of ISIS terrorists.

4 Killed, 1,800 Injured in “Fireworks Wednesday” Incidents

By
IFP Media Wire
-

According to hospital statistics, more than 1,799 were injured as a result of firecracker-related incidents across Iran as of Tuesday, Pir Hossein Kolivand said.

Of those injured, 34 individuals suffered from limb-loss injuries, he said, adding that 438 of pedestrians were among the wounded.

The Iranian official further said that eye injury, burn and limb loss make up 35%, 34%, and 4% of all injuries this year.

According to the head of Iran’s Center for Emergency Medical Services, four people also lost their lives across the country.

Every year, authorities launch public awareness campaigns about the dangers of fireworks. During last year’s festival, ten people were killed and more than 2,000 injured.

Although it has been marred by incidents in recent years as a result of inattention to authorities’ warnings about the dangers of fireworks, the Chaharshanbe Soori festival is an ancient tradition full of special customs and rituals.

They include jumping over fire. As the sun sets, people light up fires and gather around to jump over them. As they do this, they sing “zardi-ye man az toh, sorkhi-ye toh az man” meaning my yellow is yours, your red is mine. In this ritual, they ask the fire to take their paleness and problems and in return give them energy and warmth.

Iranian Judge Sentences Convicts to Plant Trees

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-

Mohammad Reza Amouzad, a judge working in Gilan Province in northern Iran, has sentenced more than 30 offenders in the past two years to plant more than 10,000 trees and irrigate the newly-planted saplings for more than two years as a replacement for the criminal part of their offences.

The sentences have gone a bit against the grain in a judicial system where convicts are usually sent to prison, the judge says.

“When I first introduced such sentences, some of my colleagues opposed the rulings, claiming that lawbreakers would be encouraged to commit more crimes as they may feel they have gotten away lightly with it,” Amouzad told ISNA in a Farsi interview.

“But now many have realized the positive aspects of such sentences,” he added.

Iran’s judicial system has been criticised for its bloated bureaucracy and huge numbers of cases, a whopping number of 15 million in a year.

Tasnim News Agency reported last year that 240,000 people are currently incarcerated in Iran, with some overcrowded prisons having no more room for new arrivals.

Iranian Judge Sentences Convicts to Plant Trees
A group of prisoners in Saravan, Gilan Province, planting trees

Although many of those cases are about misdemeanors or minor crimes, there are still lots people of being sent to prisons annually – creating a headache for judiciary officials.

The judiciary has recently encouraged its judges to try to avoid prison sentences to upend the trend.

“Incarceration is a heavy burden for the offenders’ families and the society as well. In some cases, the stigma of having a prison record and being a convicted criminal makes the offenders to repeat their crimes,” Amouzad explained.

The judge is no stranger to punishments related to community services.

Amouzad made headlines last year when he ordered a physician to examine more than 100 homeless patients free of charge.

The judge said such orders are usually welcomed by the families of the lawbreakers as they do not like to see their loved ones to go behind the bars.

He, however, added that in case the offenders do not do their community services, they would immediately be imprisoned – an eventuality he said is very rare.

Iran Agriculture Minister Survives No-Confidence Vote

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-

The agriculture minister was impeached on Wednesday for what a group of parliamentarians called his weak performance in running the ministry.

Hojjati took the podium in an open session of the parliament to respond to the questions of lawmakers, Tasnim reported.

At the conclusion of the session, attended by 229 MPs, 117 lawmakers voted against the plan to dismiss the minister, while 105 were in favour of his dismissal.

The votes, including seven abstentions, kept the minister in his post by a narrow margin.

Iran Slams Discriminatory Approach to Aiding Fight against Illicit Drugs

By
IFP Media Wire
-

“The production of more than 9,000 tons of narcotics in Afghanistan is an alarm and serious warning to the international community,” Rahmani Fazli said in a meeting with Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Yury Fedotov on the sidelines of the 61st session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, in Vienna, Austria.

Hence, world countries are required to act according to their duties and commitments in this regard, the Iranian minister added.

He further said that Iran has captured up to 785 tons of illicit drugs so far in the current Iranian calendar year (since March 21, 2017), which shows a 15 percent increase compared to the same period last year, adding that there is widespread discrimination on the part of the international community when it comes to aiding countries in dealing with illegal drugs issue.

Fedotov, for his part, praised Iran’s campaign against narcotics and said the amount of drugs captured by the Islamic Republic alone is four times higher than the combined total of seizures elsewhere in the world.

Iran, which has a 900-kilometer common border with Afghanistan, has been used as the main conduit for smuggling Afghan drugs to narcotics kingpins in Europe.

Despite high economic and human costs, the Islamic Republic has been actively fighting drug-trafficking over the past three decades.

The country has spent more than $700 million on sealing its borders and preventing the transit of narcotics destined for European, Arab and Central Asian countries.

The war on drug trade originating from Afghanistan has claimed the lives of nearly 4,000 Iranian police officers over the past four decades.

Iran President Says Tehran, Baku Can Link Asia to Europe

By
IFP Media Wire
-

In a meeting with Azerbaijan’s Minister of Economic Development Shahin Mustafayev in Tehran on Tuesday, Rouhani added that the two countries are resolute to develop relations.

He expressed hope that an official visit by Azeri President Ilham Aliyev to Tehran in the near future would further increase cooperation.

The Iranian president noted that Tehran and Baku are expanding relations in line with common interests and said Iran regards the development of stability and security in Azerbaijan as its own stability and security.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan have never and will never be a threat to each other,” Rouhani said.

He urged the two countries’ state and private sectors to make joint investment and strengthen cooperation in various fields.

For his part, the Azeri minister said the two countries’ are determined to expand relations and noted that joint ventures and trade transactions in recent years have considerably increased.

Mustafayev added that the history and culture of the Iranian and Azeri nations are intertwined and the expansion of bilateral cooperation would serve regional peace and security.

In a meeting in Tehran in November, the Iranian and Azeri presidents called for the expansion of relations in different sectors, including energy and transportation.

Rouhani said, “The trade and economic ties between Iran and Azerbaijan have made good progress and we should make more efforts to further tap into the two countries’ potential to meet the demands of the two sides.”

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