Iran FM Holds Talks with Top Omani Officials in Muscat

By

-

October 2, 2017

In a Monday meeting, Zarif held consultations with Oman’s Sultan Qaboos during his one-day visit to Muscat.
During the meeting, Zarif and Sultan Qaboos underlined the need for all-out development of Tehran-Muscat reciprocal relations.
Zarif hailed the ‘strong’ ties between the two neighbouring states, and praised Oman’s constructive role and the prudence of Sultan Qaboos on regional issues.

Earlier in the day, Zarif also met Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdallah, the minister responsible for foreign affairs, upon his arrival in Muscat.
Topics of discussion included the development of bilateral relations, cooperation in banking, oil and gas sectors, and also the latest developments in the region, including Iraqi Kurdistan’s Independence referendum and its impact on regional developments.
In an interview with E’temad daily correspondent in Muscat, Zarif said, “As for the issue of Iraqi Kurdistan, Oman has a very similar position to Iran. In fact, there is a consensus on this issue at the international level. There is no country in the world that supports holding a referendum in Kurdistan. Oman has a completely similar position to the Islamic Republic of Iran and the need for the preservation of territorial integrity of Iraq, the observance of the first principle of Iraq’s constitution, i.e. the national unity and territorial integrity of the country, were emphasized by the sultanate officials.”
In response to a question about the fate of the JCPOA, he said “the statements I made in New York showed that almost all the countries, including five countries of the P5 + 1, the European Union and other international community governments, all throw their weight behind the JCPOA and its implementation stressing that this deal is non-negotiable.”
“In a conversation with the President of the United Nations General Assembly, he emphasized that in almost all 190 statements made at the UN General Assembly this year, one of the six topics that was almost stressed was their support for the deal and the non-negotiability of the JCPOA,” Zarif added.
“We have repeatedly stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran has several choices. This as it is our preference to see all the parties abide by the JCPOA. The Islamic Republic of Iran has repeatedly stated that it will not be the first country to violate the deal.”
Zarif also told reporters that relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Oman are “exemplary”.
“We have good ties with Oman in the field of political and regional dialogue. We have also held talks that are necessary for the security of the region, as well as talks on bilateral economic relations, in the field of transportation and energy,” he underlined.
About the goals of his trip to Oman and Qatar he stated that “my short trip to Oman and Qatar, is to hold meetings on regional issues, regional crises, as well as on economic and trade relations.”
On the topics discussed during bilateral talks with Omani officials Zarif said, “one of the things debated in this trip was the issue of the gas pipeline to Oman. Banking cooperation between the two countries that has begun in recent years next to the issue of travel of nationals of the two countries were among the most important matters we talked about.”
After his meetings with Omani officials Iranian foreign minister left Muscat for the Qatari capital Doha. His visit to Qatar comes as four Arab nations are boycotting Doha over its alleged support for extremists and what they say are Qatar’s overly warm ties with Iran.

KRG’s Approach to Referendum ‘Irresponsible, Amateurish’: Iran

By

IFP Media Wire

-

October 2, 2017

Iran Urges Collective Cooperation to Tackle Regional Security Challenges

Speaking at a meeting with Turkey’s Chief of the General Staff General Hulusi Akar in Tehran on Monday, Shamkhani said the KRG’s approach to hold the independence vote last Monday in the Kurdistan Region was “irresponsible and amateurish”.

“Paying no attention to the time and security requirements and pursuing tribal goals through this move will reduce the focus on the fight against Takfiri terrorism as the most important threat to the region and will rapidly spread the harmful security impacts on the Kurdish region of Iraq,” he said.

Shamkhani also stressed the need for coordinated efforts among Tehran, Baghdad and Ankara to manage developments and prevent the negative effect of the independence vote on the fight against terrorism in Iraq.

The Turkish top commander, for his part, stressed the need to support the central government in Iraq and preserve the integrity of the Arab country.

He said Iran, Iraq and Turkey will prevent the implementation of separatist plans in the region through joint efforts.

The Iraqi Kurdistan Region went ahead with its plan to hold the referendum last Monday while Iraq’s neighbors and countries in the Middle East, including Iran and Turkey, had voiced opposition to such a move and supported the Baghdad central government.

Thousands of Kurdish people in favor of KRG’s secession from Iraq took to the streets in Erbil that night, with some waving Israeli flags to celebrate.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was the only leader in the region to endorse the referendum, while all neighbors have warned that the secession plan would bring instability to the region and disintegrate Iraq.

‘West Adopting Double Standards on Similar Independence Referendums’

By

IFP Editorial Staff

-

October 2, 2017

The Persian-language Sobh-e-Now daily has, in an article, drawn a comparison between two controversial referendums held in recent days: One on the secession of the Kurdistan region from Iraq and the other on Catalonia’s independence from Spain. The full text of the opinion piece follows:

The whole world has witnessed two plebiscites held one week apart, one in West Asia (the Middle East) in Iraq’s Kurdistan region and the other in Europe, in Spain’s Catalonia. In Kurdistan, Kurdish leaders backed by the Israeli regime and behind-the-scenes interactions with Western officials, held the vote in a dictatorial manner; however, in Spain’s autonomous Catalonia region, police raided polling stations, seized ballot boxes and apprehended voters to prevent the referendum. The Spanish prime minister officially announced he would not allow a plebiscite on Catalonia’s independence to be held.

Had the Iraqi government treated those holding the referendum on Kurdistan’s secession in the same way the Spanish government treated pro-independence Catalans, would the Western governments have remained silent as they did vis-à-vis the violence shown by their Western ally? Would the Spanish government allow a repressive and anarchic regime like the Zionist regime of Israel to be present in Catalonia freely and provoke the leaders and people of that region to demand secession?

Indubitably, the double standards and hypocritical behaviour of Western governments regarding similar international events are not lost on people around the world and will result in hatred of such behaviour.

Over the recent years, we have witnessed similar double standards exist toward terrorist groups in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, etc. If terrorists carry out operations in the streets of London, Paris and Madrid, they deserve to be killed, but if these very same terrorists commit crimes in Damascus, Baghdad and Beirut, they are not reproached.

Moreover, they get together in Paris or another place in Europe in the name of a free army of Jihadi groups of the Mojahedeen Khalq Organization (MKO), and receive financial and arms support from Western and Arab governments.

Old Islamic Rite Bringing Together Iranian Shiites, Sunnis

By

IFP Editorial Staff

-

October 2, 2017

Carrying the Sword Alam, a traditional rite which dates back to 900 years ago, is one of these old rites that unite Sunnis and Shiites in Iran. The ritual is annually performed in the southern Persian Gulf island of Qeshm

The rite is performed in a ceremony to commemorate the martyrdom anniversary of the third Shiite Imam, Imam Hussein, during the first decade of the first month of the lunar calendar, Muharram.

Each year, a larger group of people, including Shiites and Sunnis, take part in the ceremony, according to a Farsi report by Fars News Agency.

During the one-day ceremony, the participants carry with bare foot the Alam from Ali ibn Abitaleb Mosque in Qesh to the village of Homeiri, which is about 11 kilometres away.

The ceremony comes to an end in the afternoon when the Alam is returned to its place in the city amid warm welcome of the crowds.

Interestingly enough, the size of the Alam as well as its colour and form have not changed even slightly over the past hundreds of years.

The number 110 inscribed at the top of the Sword Alam connote the name of Imam Ali, the first Shiite Imam.

The historic rite in Qeshm Island attracts each year a large number of people from across Iran who defy cold and warm weather to open their way into the Homeiri village.

The Alam is also taken on certain days to the houses of some revered religious figures of the village.

Winfried Schäfer Appointed Head Coach of Iran’s Esteghlal

By

IFP Editorial Staff

-

October 2, 2017

The 67-year-old German coach has signed a $280,000 contract with the Iranian side, according to a member of Esteghlal’s Technical Committee.

Schäfer, who will start his work as of tomorrow, is expected to save the popular football team from the bottom of Iran Professional League.

During his career as a football player, he played 403 Bundesliga matches and scored 46 goals in the (West) German top-flight.

He won the 1970 Bundesliga title and 1970 DFB-Pokal with two different clubs – because the West German Cup final was played after the 1970 FIFA World Cup and his move from Mönchengladbach to Offenbach.

Later as a head coach, he managed several German clubs like Karlsruher SC and VfB Stuttgart and national teams like Cameroon, Thailand, and Jamaica.

In Esteghlal, Schäfer will secede Alireza Mansourian, the former head coach who was recently sacked after poor performance.

Nobel Prize May Challenge Trump’s Aggressive Strategy on Iran

By

IFP Editorial Staff

-

October 2, 2017

This year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner is expected to be announced later this week amid speculations that the prestigious award could go to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and the European Union’s Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini, two of the architects of JCPOA, the nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.

Zarif and Mogherini were the most senior negotiators in a lengthy diplomatic process, which saw the signing in 2015 of the landmark deal between Tehran and the P5+1 group of states – the US, Russia, France, the UK plus Germany.

Henrik Urdal, the head of the Peace Research Institute of Oslo (Prio), which makes a shortlist each year with mixed results, said the two are strong contenders this year, according to Press TV.

Urdal said Zarif and Mogherini are the best candidates because of the significant role they played in the negotiation process in the lead-up to the deal, which has been praised worldwide as a victory for international teamwork and diplomacy.

International observers believe the Iran deal could serve as a model for all world countries in dealing with different conflicts.

While Trump and his administration are doing their utmost to vilify Iran and the nuclear deal, giving the Nobel Peace Prize to the main architects of the JCPOA will most likely complicate the US aggressive strategy on Iran.

‘Iran-Iraq Joint Border Drills Reveal Capabilities to Suppress Secessionists’

By

IFP Editorial Staff

-

October 2, 2017

The spokesperson for the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, Seyyed Hossein Naqavi-Hosseini, said the joint military drill between Iranian and Iraqi armies along the two sides’ borders show that they possess the required capabilities to suppress any secessionist move.

“All regional states possess the required capabilities to cope with secessionist moves and our joint military drill with Iraq has a strong message for the secessionists,” he added.

The lawmaker went on saying that all neighbouring states should support Iraq’s integrity within its law and added the territorial integrity of Iraq must be preserved. “So, one of the main aims of the joint military drill is promoting stability in the region,” he said.

Naqavi Hosseini warned against foreign plots to divide the Middle East and to threaten the territorial integrity of the regional states and said it’s widely known that the US and the Zionist regime are pressing ahead with their regional projects via ISIS.

“But with the recent defeats of ISIS, they are now hatching a new plot to change the game. And the recent independence vote of Iraqi Kurdistan was part of their plot,” he noted.

He concluded the Islamic Republic of Iran, Turkey and Iraq will not remain silent towards such plots and will adopt an appropriate measure to cope with any move to divide the region.

Nakhl-Gardani; Historic Mourning Ritual Performed on Ashura

By

IFP Editorial Staff

-

October 2, 2017

The Nakhl-Gardani ritual is mostly performed in the Iranian cities of Yazd, Kashan, and Shahroud.

Nakhl is a woody structure used as a symbolic representation of Imam Hussein’s coffin and Nakhl-Gardani is the act of carrying the Nakhl form one point to another, resembling Imam’s funeral.

Nakhls are constructed in various sizes, from simple ones carried by two persons, to huge structures “supported by hundreds of men.”

As a “symbol of social unity for a town, village, or district,” lots of Nakhls along with Nakhl-related rituals are seen in Yazd province, located near Kavir desert, with every village having its own Nakhl.

Described as “Iran’s museum of mourning tools” by prominent novelist Jalal Al-e Ahmad, Yazd is home to the biggest and oldest Nakhl in the world, which should be carried by “several hundred men”. The 8.5-metre-high structure, which dates back to 450 years ago, according to ISNA, stands in Amir Chakhmaq square of Yazd.

The huge Nakh was not used for several decades due to safety measures, but it was finally put into use this year after a series of optimization processes.

Here are ISNA’s photos of this year’s ceremony, where the Nakhl-Gardani ritual was finally performed after over 50 years:

1 of 18

Arabs, Turkmens Deported by Kurdish Forces from Iraq’s Kirkuk

By

IFP Media Wire

-

October 2, 2017

Arabs, Turkmens Deported by Kurdish Forces from Iraq's Kirkuk

The London-based al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper on Monday quoted informed sources at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) as saying that 58 families had been “forcibly displaced” from Kirkuk so far.

The daily further said that the families were displaced to Diyala Province’s Miqdadiyah City.

The deported Arab families said Kurdish forces made copies of their documents and forced them to sign papers. They later found to have signed their purported endorsement of the referendum and participation in it.

The families said the Kurdish forces also marked their houses with a letter in red.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) held a non-binding referendum on secession from Iraq in defiance of Baghdad’s stiff opposition on September 25. Kurdish officials said over 90 percent of voters said ‘Yes’ to separation from Iraq.

The voting was held in the three provinces of Erbil, Sulaimaniyah and Dohuk that form the Iraqi Kurdistan Region as well as in the disputed bordering zones such as the oil-rich province of Kirkuk.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi government on Monday allowed foreigners stranded in the Iraqi Kurdistan after an international flight ban to leave the country via Baghdad despite not having a federal visa.

Foreigners who had entered the northern region on regional visas not recognized by Baghdad could previously not travel to other parts of Iraq.

“Any person can leave the country via Baghdad without paying a fine or for an exit visa,” Interior Minister Qassem al-Araji told reporters.

Baghdad imposed a ban on international flights into and out of the Iraqi Kurdish region on September 29 in response to the independence referendum.

Much of the international community, including the UN, the European Union and Iraq’s neighbors, has also opposed the referendum.

Israel has been the only entity to openly support an independent Kurdish state, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backing “the legitimate efforts of the Kurdish people to attain a state” of their own.

Political observers have warned that KRG President Massoud Barzani’s referendum scenario is in line with Israel’s policy of dividing the regional Muslim states.