In this meeting, which was held on Friday on the sidelines of the International Conference on Security and Sustainable Development in Central Asia, Zarif and Mogherini discussed the latest issues of mutual interest.
Earlier, Mogherini said in the United States that it is very important to maintain the nuclear deal as it is because re-negotiating the accord is not possible.
Her remarks came after her meeting with US officials.
Iran’s former foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki has received the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, the highest accolade of Japan’s emperor.
He received it from the Japanese emperor and prime minister in a special ceremony on Tuesday, according to a Farsi report by ISNA.
As Iran’s ex-ambassador to Tokyo and former foreign minister, Mottaki played a pivotal role in boosting friendship and enhancing relations between Iran and Japan, wrote the Japanese Embassy in Tehran on its Persian-language website.
When Mottaki was serving as Iran’s ambassador to Japan from 1995-1999, he contributed to promotion of Tehran-Tokyo ties on different fronts.
One of Mottaki’s legacies is Iranian Cultural Week celebrated by the Iranian embassy in Japan.
When he was Iran’s foreign minister from 2005 and 2010, Mottaki visited Japan three times and made utmost efforts to further boost mutual ties.
Mottaki travelled to Tokyo at the official invitation of Japanese Premier Shinzo Abe to attended the ceremony where he received the accolade.
Nohad Machnouk says Lebanon’s democratic system is based on elections, not on a simple pledge of allegiance.
“The Lebanese are not a herd of sheep or a plot of land whose ownership can be transferred from one person to another,” added Machnouk.
He went on to say that Lebanon’s policies are developed through elections, not by allegiance, underlining that anyone who thinks otherwise, has ignored the political nature of Lebanon who knows nothing about the country’s democratic system.
According to a Farsi report by Fars News Agency, Lebanon’s al-AKhbar has reported that the new Saudi ambassador to Beirut has talked to the family of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, including his wife and daughter, asking them to appoint Saad’s elder brother Bahaa Hariri as the head of Future Movement.
He has also asked Hariri family to go to Riyadh as soon as possible and swear allegiance to Bahaa along with Saad Hariri. Furthermore, Saad Hariri has agreed to this in exchange for his freedom, living in Europe and withdrawal from political activity.
The report says based on orders received from Saudis, Saad must return to Beirut, formally submit his resignation to President Michel Aoun, return immediately to Riyadh and swear allegiance to his older brother.
During the Friday meeting in the Uzbek city of Samarkand, the two sides conferred on ways to expand bilateral relations, especially economic and scientific collaborations.
Cooperation in the fields of energy, transit, quadrilateral corridor, the establishment of a trilateral group to focus on rail transport partnerships between Iran, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, and fight against terrorism were among the other key issues discussed in this meeting.
The two sides also welcomed holding a meeting of the joint economic commission in December.
Zarif is in the historical city of Samarkand to attend the International Conference on Security and Sustainable Development in Central Asia.
Head of Gondishapur, Mohammad Reza Assari, said the university was registered on November 3 in the UNESCO’s list of world heritage.
In a Farsi interview with ISNA, Assari also said the idea to register Gondishapur University in the UNESCO’s world heritage list was raised first three years ago while the arrangements to hold Gondishapur Congress were being made.
Assari went on saying the registration was made with the aim of reintroducing the long history of the Academy of Gondishapur. “We shared our historical evidence with the UNESCO office in Iran.”
The head of the university said the office confirmed the authenticity of the evidence and the board of the directors is now waiting for the final registration of the university by the world body.
Elsewhere in his interview, Assari added the university was established in 271. “We are happy that the treasure which we had closed our eyes on is now recognized internationally as a historical and ancient site. Today, we can say that Iran is hosting the most ancient higher education centre in the world.”
Assari stressed the Gondishapur University in Dezful has been recognized as the first university in the world. “So far the UNESCO has confirmed our evidence on the history of the university.”
According to Assari, right now many foreign tourists travel to Dezful to visit the world’s oldest university. “In his book on the history of Gondishapur University, Mahmoud Mahfuz from Turkey quotes a line inscribed on the gate of the educational centre saying science and knowledge stand higher compared with sward and force.”
The world’s oldest university was built by Shapour I of Sassanid dynasty in a namesake city which stood near the existing city of Dezful. It included a medical school and was a centrefor training scientists for centuries to come. Iranian, Greek, Indian and Roman scientists conducted studies and scientific research there.
Simon de Conza, the head of the Italian Writers’ Association,has referred to the enthusiasms of Italian writers to establish close contacts with their Iranian counterparts and said ”since last year and particularly after Paris Book Fair, we began to make close contacts with Iranian writers but unfortunately the level of our contacts remains low.”
In an interview with the Mehr News Agency, he went on to say “during the past years, we found out that there are many things about Iran and its literature which we don’t know yet. So, we thought it is necessary to raise the level of our cultural relations because it is now too low.”
Conza also added that Italian writers are interested in the presence of more Iranian writers in Turin Book Fair. “So, we hope with better arrangements, we could witness their further presence in our cultural and literary events.”
During the interview, he added most Iranian and Italian writers and publishers don’t know yet that there are many commonalities between their works. “We are now trying to discover the commonalities. To this end, we need to hold more talks and establish closer relations with each other.”
He called for closer relations between writers from around the world and said “we are seeking a new way to provide the Iranian and Italian writers with appropriate mechanisms to translate and publish their works in other languages and countries.”
Conza stated the Italian association is planning to invite two foreign writers to Italy each month. “We will accommodate and provide them with good facilities so that they would write new pieces or complete their unfinished projects.”
“We will also link them with some Italian publishers to have their works published. We are very interested in having the Iranian writers in our country as well and strengthen the relations between Iranian and Italian publishers.”
The Persian-language Mizan Online News Agency has, in an article, weighed in on a recent controversy regarding whether or not Iran is able to send missiles to Yemen. The full text of the opinion piece follows.
Given the incessant Saudi airstrikes on defenceless Yemeni people over the past three years, the Yemeni army, popular forces, and the Ansarullah Movement (Houthis) increased the range of their missiles by making certain changes to them. They lobbed one of these very missiles at the Saudi capital, Riyadh, a few days ago.
It was 9 pm last Saturday, November 4, 2017, when Yemeni military sources announced that a rocket had successfully struck an airport in Riyadh. It was a Burkan-2H missile fired by the missile units of the Yemeni army and popular committees at International Malik Khalid airport in the Saudi capital.
Denial and Revenge
After the news was announced, Saudi media claimed the country’s missile defence system had intercepted the Yemeni projectile before it could hit the airport. Nevertheless, hours after news spread that Yemen had fired a missile at Saudi soil, Saudi fighter jets attacked two military bases in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, and one in the city of Sa’ada. The strikes indicated that Riyadh was to avenge Yemen’s November 4 missile assault.
Foolish Claim
In the early hours of Sunday (November 5), US President Donald Trump, in strange remarks, accused Iran of being involved in the missile attack.
“A shot was just taken by Iran, in my opinion, at Saudi Arabia. And our system knocked it down,” the US President said, referring to the Patriot missile batteries Saudi Arabia has purchased from the US.
Saudi Coalition Blames Iran
The faulty and aggressor Saudi-led coalition also announced in a statement that it had sealed all land, sea and air borders of Yemen. In a baseless claim, the coalition blamed Iran for Yemen’s missile attack on the Riyadh airport. The coalition said Iran’s role in commanding Ansarullah forces in the missile attack on Riyadh was a clear sign of an act of war. The coalition added it regards the attack as a military move and an act of war against Saudi Arabia.
IRGC’s Response
On the same day, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Mohammad-Ali Jafari responded to Trump’s claim that Tehran had provided Sana’a with missiles.
“Trump has made a lot of wrong and unfounded comments and told many lies. He has levelled a lot of accusations against Iran, including this very comment. We are not able to send missiles to Yemen, after all. The missiles belong to the Yemenis themselves. They have increased the missile’s ranges and use them to avenge the blood of their martyrs,” said the top general.
Russian Missiles
On February 7, Major General Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of the Expediency Council and the former IRGC chief-commander, told Mizan Online News Agency that Yemeni’s attacks on Saudi positions was something natural.
“Nations that come under attack need some time to gain the necessary capabilities. Today, Yemeni people are slowly moving toward self-reliance, and their capabilities are growing day by day. Words that Iran has provided Yemen with weaponry and munitions are sheer lies. The Yemenis already possessed missiles before Saudi Arabia imposed a war on them. They had received a lot of missiles from Russia,” said Rezaei.
No Possibility of Sending Medicines to Yemen, Let Alone Shells and Missiles
Hassan Hanizadeh, an expert on West Asia issues, also told Mizan Online that that the Yemeni army has set up a specialized committee to produce long-range missiles. He said the committee makes changes to the missiles to increase their range and accuracy.
“The accuracy with witch the Yemeni missile hit the Malik Khalid airport in Riyadh has surprised the military experts of the United States, Saudi Arabia and their allies,” said Hanizadeh.
“As the Americans and Saudis do not want to confess that the Yemeni army and Ansarullah have developed deterrence power and can land their missiles on Saudi soil, they level accusations against Iran and say the Islamic Republic provided Yemen with the missiles,” he said.
He said the accusations are mainly aimed at launching a propaganda campaign against Iran and, as a result, isolating the country.
Hanizadeh noted that Yemen is under a total blockade from the sea, land and air, adding US warship are also present in the Gulf of Aden and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.
Under such circumstances, he added, it is not even possible to send medicines to Yemen, let alone shells and missiles for Ansarullah and the Yemeni army.
It seems that the recent developments in Lebanon and Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s resignation, levelling accusations against Iran over the Yemeni missile attack on Saudi Arabia, and the Israeli air raids on Hezbollah’s positions in Syria are all part of a new plot to create tension in the region, he noted.
It is noteworthy that Yemen’s missile strike on the Riyadh airport was part of Yemen’s retaliatory attacks against Saudi Arabia, which has been carrying out airstrikes against innocent Yemeni people.
Trump also claimed it was US-made missile defence systems that Saudi Arabia allegedly used to intercept the Yemeni missile, though reports suggest the projectile actually hit the airport. Trump also continued marketing US-made missile defence systems while aboard the plane en route to Japan, the first stop of his Asian tour. And Bin Salman in a phone conversation with British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson claimed that Iran is to blame and has declared war.
Former congress woman Cynthia Ann McKinney was among the most notable figures whose participation in the religious trek grabbed the headlines in recent days.
Other American figures include political and social activist, Imam Mojahed Abdolkarim who is also the Imam of Rasoul Mosque in Los Angeles.
Two other social activists, the Italian author Fabrizia Baldissera and the American writer Edith McLeod Armstrong,are also among the figures in the religious event.
Interestingly enough,famous Russian political scientist Alexander Dugin, who is an advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin, is also taking part in this year’s pilgrimage.
Rai al-Youm, an Arab world digital news and opinion website, reported on Wednesday that the king will announce the decision within “the next two nights.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Saudi-owned television news channel Al-Arabiya had announced the news in a Twitter message, but it retracted the post hours later.
Political analysts say the regime in Riyadh is apparently seeking to test the waters and examine public reaction regarding a surprise shift in power.
Since the establishment of Saudi Arabia as an absolute monarchy in 1932, the system has been effectively known as a hereditary dictatorship and monarchy.
The expected development marks a change in the order of succession in Saudi Arabia from lateral lines of elderly brothers to a vertical order under which the king hands power to his favorite son.
Speculation of King Salman’s possible abdication surfaced in late June, when the monarch deposed his nephew, then deputy crown prince Mohammed bin Nayef as the heir to the throne and offered the position to his favorite son, in what analysts described as a “political earthquake” back then.
On the same day that King Salman replaced bin Nayef with his own son, a well-known Saudi online activist, known on Twitter as @mujtahidd, predicted that King Salman would renounce power in favor of his son.
The whistleblower has already leaked documents indicating high-level corruption inside the Saudi royal family.
In early September, the website of Lebanon’s al-Manar channel reported that the 32-year-old bin Salman had formed a team of aides to prepare the kingdom for celebrating his succession to power as the new king.
The paper quoted sources close to the royal family as saying that King Salman was due to step down over his health issues. The sources then noted that bin Salman had ordered the kingdom’s security officials to increase supervision of royal figures to prevent any coup.
Since replacing his cousin bin Nayef in June, bin Salman has embarked on a campaign to consolidate power, taking on rivals within the royal family.
Late Saturday, bin Salman sent shockwaves through the kingdom when he fired senior ministers and had dozens of the country’s richest men detained, ostensibly on the grounds of fighting corruption. The arrests included his cousin and one of the world’s richest men, al-Waleed bin Talal.
Human Rights Watch on Wednesday voiced serious concern over the recent arrests in Saudi Arabia.
Analysts say the targeting of Saudi Arabia’s long-standing elite represents a shift from family rule to a more authoritarian style of governance based on a single man.
Riyadh has taken on more aggressive policies since bin Salman’s elevation to the position of defense minister and deputy crown prince in 2015, and later to the position of crown prince.
The kingdom is currently struggling with plummeting oil prices. The Al Saud regime also faces criticism over its deadly military campaign against neighboring Yemen, which it launched on March 26, 2015.
Many also see Riyadh’s policies as a major cause of the crises unfolding in the region, especially in Syria and Iraq.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif opened the new embassy building during his short visit to the Central Asian state.
In an address to the opening ceremony, which was also attended by Tajik FM Sirodjidin Aslov, Zarif described Tajikistan as “the country of our kind friends” and stressed that “we find ourselves in our second homeland when we talk with our well-wishing friends who speak the same language as us.”
“The most beautiful explanation for this sense are the remarks made by the Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution who described the ties between Iran and Tajikistan as ‘relations between relatives’,” he added.
The Iranian top diplomat stressed that Tehran is determined to expand relations with Dushanbe in all fields and open up new horizons in cooperation with the Central Asian country.
He wished that the long-standing relations between the two Persian-speaking countries would further develop.
Zarif also declared that the joint commission of economic, technical, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two countries will hold a meeting in the near future.
He also pointed to the inauguration of the new embassy building and said, “This splendid building, in which the art of traditional Iranian architecture is used and is a modern one at the same time, is a symbol of common and ancient heritage of Iran and Tajikistan which share the same religion, culture, and language.”
Zarif arrived in Dushanbe on Wednesday in his first visit since two years ago. While in the Tajik capital, he held separate meetings with FM Aslov and President Emomali Rahmon.
Later on Thursday, he left Dushanbe for the Uzbek city of Samarkand, where he has arrived and is going to attend the International Conference on Security and Sustainable Development in Central Asia.
© All Content by IFP News ( Iran Front Page ) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
