Iranian, Russian FMs Hold Talks ahead of Putin’s Visit to Tehran

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October 31, 2017

Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov

The Tuesday phone call came ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Wednesday visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Putin is going to attend the second trilateral summit of Iran, Russia and Azerbaijan Republic which will be held on Wednesday in Tehran, according to Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi.

“This would be the second summit. The first was held in Baku. We will hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit,” Qassemi told reporters in Tehran on Monday.

In August 2016, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his Russian and Azerbaijani counterparts Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev held a key tripartite summit in Azerbaijan’s capital where they discussed ways of enhancing cooperation in the areas of commerce, energy, communications, transport and transit. They further exchanged views on environmental issues and the fight against terrorism.

The next three-nation summit meeting will be held on November 1 during which senior Iranian, Russian and Azeri officials will discuss regional developments and the battle against terrorism, the spokesman added.

Heads of Iran’s Trio Branches of Power Discuss US Plots

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IFP Editorial Staff

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October 30, 2017

Following the Monday meeting, President Rouhani said one of the issues discussed was the US plots. He said the main conspiracy of the United States is to cast doubt on the future of Iran’s economy, especially among people.
“On behalf of the three branches of power, I thank the great people of Iran who, as always, stood against this conspiracy,” the president noted.
He further mentioned that different scenarios have been discussed at this meeting and the coordination is ensured for the future.
Regarding economic issues, President Rouhani said, “We decided to do something about the domestic problems so that people would feel completely safe.”
It was also stressed that full security has to be provided for people to invest, he added.
Rouhani also noted that a mechanism has been suggested for better attracting of investments, especially the investments of Iranians living abroad.
“In our region, the global arrogance has always been seeking to create insecurity and instability and cause disagreements between countries, but we believe regional issues should be resolved by the regional countries themselves and in coordination with them because there exists a mechanism for that.”
The president stated that the global arrogant is doing its best to expand terrorism in the region saying that “today, God willing, these regional issues are being resolved gradually, and I hope the countries of the region will be able to get rid of terrorism in the near future. I hope terrorism would be wiped out in our region, and the global arrogance never achieves its goals.”
Rouhani went on to say that the global arrogance was after changing the geographical boundaries of the region, but they could not achieve any success.
“The global arrogance continues its efforts to create disagreements in the region with the aim of selling arms. We need to find a solution to the differences that exist in the region. Massacres and bombardments in the region must be stopped. We discussed this issue at the meeting and the necessary steps will be taken.”
Rouhani further mentioned that it was decided to hold the joint meeting of Iran’s trio branches of power at more regular and shorter intervals.
“I believe that if all the branches of power are united under the supervision of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, the country can go along the path of progress. Of course, the cooperation, consultation and coordination between Iran’s three branches of power is very influential,” said Rouhani.
The joint meeting of heads of three Iranian branches of power was held at Iran’s Parliament building.

Iran Strongly Condemns Israeli Airstrike on Gaza

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IFP Editorial Staff

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October 30, 2017

“The blood-thirsty Zionist regime is trying to bend the will of the oppressed people of the occupied territories to guarantee its security by killing Palestinian youths,”Bahram Qassemi said in a Monday statement.

“This is while seven decades of crimes, bloodshed and child-killing could not weaken the determination of this patient and courageous people at all,” Qassemi added.

Earlier in the day, Israeli war planes bombarded and destroyed a lifeline tunnel in the southern part of the besieged Gaza Strip.

Among the victims were two senior commanders of al-Quds Brigades, which is the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement.

The tunnel, which was still under construction, reportedly belonged to Hamas resistance movement and infiltrated into the heart of the occupied Palestinian territories.

Iran Judiciary Chief Blasts UN Rights Report

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IFP Media Wire

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October 30, 2017

Addressing a meeting with high-ranking Iranian judiciary officials in Tehran on Monday, Amoli Larijani added that the report contained rehashed claims and allegations against the Islamic establishment and simply quoted anti-Islamic Republic sources and the anti-Iran terrorist Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO).

He added that the report supported those individuals who had been tried and convicted of espionage and also the MKO elements who had carried out various acts of terror against the Iranian people.

The top Iranian judiciary official strongly criticized the West’s double-standard approaches in dealing with the issue of human rights in Iran and said while different resolutions have been adopted against the Islamic Republic, Western countries have prevented the adoption of resolutions by world bodies against the Israeli regime or the “child-killing” Saudi regime.

“The US and Europe … support a spy, but keep silent about the mass killings in Yemen and the blockade of Gaza and heavy bombardments [of innocent people],” Amoli Larijani added.

Asma Jahangir, the UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran, submitted her report to the world body on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Jahangir claimed that there had been little change in the human situation in Iran over the past year.

She also alleged the harassment of journalists in Iran had intensified, claiming that the progress on women’s rights was extremely slow.

Jahangir stated that she did not attempt to assess the impact of sanctions on human rights in Iran in her report, because she had not been allowed to visit the country.

Iran says it will welcome Jahangir if she wants to visit the country provided that human rights rapporteurs would also be appointed for the other 192 member countries of United Nations.

Iran, Russia, Turkey Hold Trilateral Meeting on Syria

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IFP Editorial Staff

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October 30, 2017

Iran, Russia, Turkey Hold Trilateral Meeting on Syria

During the meeting, Iran’s Hossein Jaberi Ansari, Russia’s Alexander Lavrentiev, and Turkey’s Sedat Ünal, the heads of the three guarantor states’ delegations, exchanged views on the documents that are discussed in this round of Astana Process.

A document on mine clearance for humanitarian purposes and preservation of Syria’s cultural heritage sites, and another one on exchange of the detainees, the kidnapped, and the bodies of the dead were among the documents discussed by the three guarantor states and the Syrian government and opposition delegates in this round of talks.

Jaberi Ansari earlier met Turkey’s delegation to Astana Talks, headed by Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal.

During the Monday talks, the two sides discussed the latest developments in Syria and explored ways to implement previous agreements achieved in the Astana Process.

The top Iranian and Turkish negotiators further discussed the cases where previous agreements were violated in Idlib de-escalation zone.

They also exchanged views on the path towards the political settlement of the current crisis in Syria.

Iran to Withdraw from JCPOA If Sanctions Reinstated: Top General

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IFP Editorial Staff

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October 30, 2017

Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri says the main objective of the United States’ new strategies is to topple the Islamic Republic of Iran’s establishment, something that the US secretary of state openly announced in recent days.

According to a Farsi report by Tasnim News Agency, General Baqeri said, “Somebody who intends to overthrow us (the Iranian government) does not deserve [to sit down for] talks [with us].”

He referred to Washington’s recent anti-Iran laws such as the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), and said, “The law is aimed at driving a wedge between the Iranian government and people, and put us in a dilemma, i.e. either to accept to defend our dignity while having livelihood problems, or to accept humiliation and destruction while pinning our hopes on the Americans’ promise of reducing the livelihood difficulties.”

The top general noted that if sanctions against Iran are reinstated, Tehran will definitely pull out of the Iran nuclear deal.

He also touched upon the White House’s backing for the ISIS terrorist group.

“The Americans have openly and repeatedly relocated ISIS commanders and sent them arms. The Americans themselves have said that ISIS is their handiwork,” he said.

General Baqeri further said the US wanted to drag threats to the Iranian borders and even inside Iran, adding, “Unfortunately, the Americans managed to do so in one or two cases, but they were suppressed in Iran.”

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on October 30

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IFP Editorial Staff

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October 30, 2017

The top story in all Iranian newspapers today was the remarks made by President Hassan Rouhani about negotiation with the US administration. Rouhani highlighted the US violation of its commitments as per the earlier agreements, and said no one is that crazy to hold negotiation with the US anymore.

Rouhani made the remarks in an address to a parliamentary session held to give a vote of confidence to the two ministers he had proposed. Both of his picks, Science Minister Mansour Gholami and Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian were endorsed by the lawmakers.

Newspapers today also covered the Iranian foreign ministry’s remarks about a request by US President Donald Trump to meet Iran’s Rouhani on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. The foreign ministry says the Iranian president had rejected the offer.

The visit of Yukiya Amano, the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to Tehran also received great coverage. Amano, who held separate meetings with President Rouhani, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, and nuclear Chief Ali Akbar Salehi, once again confirmed Tehran’s compliance with its JCPOA commitments.

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

19 Dey:

1- Amano: Iran Has Fulfilled All Its JCPOA Commitments