Iran’s Rouhani, Turkey’s Erdogan Discuss Bilateral Ties

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May 25, 2017

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (L) and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan shake hands during an official welcoming ceremony at the presidential complex in Ankara, Turkey, on April 16, 2016. (Photo by AFP)

During a telephone conversation on Wednesday, the two presidents said that Iran and Turkey were keen to open a new chapter in bilateral ties and take a leap in their economic cooperation.

“Over the past four years, big steps have been taken to develop and deepen Iran-Turkey ties, but a leap must be made … toward reaching an annual trade volume of $30 billion,” Rouhani told Erdogan.

The Iranian president also called for the further promotion of cooperation between the two neighboring countries in the banking sector.

He also underlined the need for an increase in interaction between Iran, Turkey and Russia on regional developments, including the reinforcement of the Astana talks between Syria’s warring sides, with the aim of contributing to peace and security in the region.

For his part, Erdogan once again congratulated Rouhani on his re-election and voiced Turkey’s willingness to boost ties with Iran in all sectors.

Rouhani was re-elected as president with 57 percent of the votes in the country’s 12th presidential election, which was held on May 19.

Erdogan also reaffirmed Turkey’s determination to increase trade with Iran to $30 billion annually, saying Ankara saw no obstacle to the development of its cooperation with Tehran.

He also highlighted cooperation between Ankara, Moscow and Tehran to speed up the Astana talks aimed at facilitating a political solution to the Syrian crisis.

Since March 2011, Syria has been gripped by militancy it blames on some Western states and their regional allies.

Several rounds of peace talks have been held in the Swiss city of Geneva and the Kazakh capital of Astana.

The Astana talks, brokered by Iran, Russia and Turkey, have sharply reduced fighting in the country. Iran and Russia are allies of the Syrian government while Turkey sides with the opposition.

Muslim Taxi Drivers Help Victims after Manchester Bombing

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IFP Editorial Staff

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May 25, 2017

Muslim Taxi Drivers Help Victims after Manchester Bombing

Muslim taxi drivers have been praised for helping victims and concert-goers following a bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester which killed 22 people and injured 59.

Even before the Police said the man behind the attack was named Salman Abedi, originally from Libya, some sought to link the attack to Islam and spread Islamophobia; however, social media users were quick to defend the city’s Muslim community.

Outside the stadium, where an unidentified man detonated a homemade bomb, taxi drivers of all backgrounds and religions directed passengers to safe places to pick them up and navigated their way out of danger.

While some people were accused of exploiting what has been described as a terrorist attack to spread fear and prejudice, others shared their experience of Muslims’ support and generosity in the face of chaos, The Independent reported.

“’Muslims are to blame’- When in reality Muslim taxi drivers are offering free lifts, and a Muslim doctor working into the night saving lives,” tweeted one social media user.

“Absolutely a Muslim driver took me home last night gave me water and charged my phone,” tweeted another. “Absolutely stars in my eyes.”

Only Election in Saudi Arabia Dates Back to 14 Centuries Ago!

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IFP Editorial Staff

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May 25, 2017

Famous Iranian actor and singer, Parviz Parastouei, in a post on his Instagram page said, “Exactly on the same date (May 19) that Iran’s presidential election was held, Trump travelled to Saudi Arabia and after signing a $110-billion arms deal with the most democratic government of the region joined their sword dance.”

“Addressing Trump and his [accompanying] delegation and reporters, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said Iran does not deserve a respectful behaviour,” Parastouei noted.

“A few months ago, an Iraqi poetess, when the Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry cast doubt on her country’s [Iraq] election, responded to him this way: ‘Your only election was [held] when your tribes held collective consultation to murder the Prophet [Muhammad]’.”

“Now, under our very own nose, they have not traded $110 billion worth of toys to just sit and watch them. The election is over. Let’s, instead of despising each other and prejudicing [in favour of a certain party or candidate], form a denser line [in front of enemies] to show our unity,” the Iranian actor added.

Along with his Instagram post, he also shared a video of US President’s sword dance in the Saudi capital, and blasted Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia and participation in the ceremonial sword dance.

Trump arrived in Riyadh on Saturday to visit the first country he is supposed to travel to during his nine-day, five-country tour across the Middle East and Europe.

In this trip, he signed an approximately $110-billion arms deal with Saudi Arabian officials and, along with other male White House officials – Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, bounced along to a ceremonial sword dance in the Kingdom on the same day outside the Murabba Palace. A video of the dance shows Trump bopping back and forth with a smile on his face.

Manchester Bomber Was Going to Saudi Arabia

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IFP Editorial Staff

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May 25, 2017

The ‘awkward’ university dropout Salman Abedi had told his father he would visit Saudi Arabia before heading back to his family in Libya.

But instead he travelled back to Manchester where he used an improvised bomb to target concert-goers at the Manchester Arena, killing at least 22 and injuring 60 people.

A respected member of Manchester’s Libyan community told the Manchester Evening News that Abedi had been splitting his time between Manchester and Libya.

His family moved back to the north African country several years ago after the fall of the Gaddafi regime back in 2011.

Spokesman Slams Trump’s ‘Outdated’ Anti-Iran Propaganda

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IFP Media Wire

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May 25, 2017

“The US policy of [spreading] Iranophobia and the repetition of outdated claims have failed and proved ineffective,” Qassemi said on Wednesday.

Responding to Donald Trump’s remarks in Israel that Washington is committed to preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear arms, Qassemi reminded the US president that international organizations have confirmed that Iran has met all its nuclear commitments.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has never been pursuing nuclear weapons,” he said, stressing that relevant international bodies have on numerous occasions verified the country’s commitment to its nuclear obligations.

The bitter irony is that such anti-Iran comments were made during a trip to Israel, which has not complied with any international treaty on prohibition of nukes and has stockpiled a huge amount of nuclear warheads in the occupied territories, he added, according to media reports.

Qassemi also rejected as “baseless” US allegations that Iran supports terrorism, saying Tehran is well-known for its forceful and indefatigable fight against terrorism.

Without Iran’s battle against terrorism, terrorist groups like ISIS would have mired the whole region and world in horror today, he went on to say.

Bahrain Crackdown Emboldened by Trump’s Saudi Visit: Iran FM

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IFP Editorial Staff

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May 24, 2017

“First concrete result of POTUS cozying up to despots in Riyadh: Deadly attack on peaceful protesters by emboldened Bahraini regime. Google it,” Zarif said in a tweet on Tuesday.

Zarif’s twitter came on the same day that Bahraini regime forces stormed into the residence of top Shiite cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim, arresting everyone inside the house.

Bahrain police on Tuesday raided the town that is home to Sheikh Qassim, arresting 286 people in an assault in which officers fired tear gas and shotguns at protesters. At least five demonstrators were killed and others wounded.

Shortly after Zarif’s tweet, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman also strongly condemned the Bahraini regime’s raid that was accompanied by brutal violence against protesters.

The Al Khalifa’s move to storm into the residence of highly revered cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim and the bloody crackdown on tens of defenseless and peaceful demonstrators has complicated the situation further in the Arab country, Bahram Qassemi said on Tuesday, according to Tasnim.

Slamming the harsh move against the popular Bahraini cleric and his supporters as a “miscalculation by the regime”, the Iranian spokesman stressed that intensified suppression and adoption of sectarian and religious policies against people of Bahrain would not help settle the crisis in Bahrain and would derail the peaceful process of protests.

Highlighting Sheikh Qassim’s status as a great religious and political figure in the Muslim world, the Iranian diplomat warned the Manama regime of any offense against the popular cleric and of the consequences of its actions.

He finally recommended the Bahraini government to set aside the policing polices and opt for political solutions and national dialogue to pave the way for the settlement of crisis by relying on its people.

Later on Wednesday, members of the Iranian Parliament also lashed out at the Al Khalifa regime for convicting the senior Bahraini Shiite cleric on bogus charges and for launching a raid on the popular cleric’s house and subsequent brutal suppression of protesters.

In a statement on Wednesday, 154 Iranian lawmakers slammed as unwise and sectarian a Bahraini court’s ruling sentencing Sheikh Qassim to one year in prison, saying the unfair verdict has been issued based upon trumped-up charges.

They also condemned the Manama regime’s “inhuman and anti-religious” move to storm into the highly-revered cleric’s residence, warning the Al Khalifa rulers that going ahead with such policies and ignoring popular demands will have “unpredictable consequences.”

“US Arms May Fall into Terrorists’ Hands”

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IFP Editorial Staff

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May 24, 2017

Senior Iranian parliamentarian Asghar Salimi has, in an interview with ICANA, expressed his views on the latest developments in Riyadh-Washington relations.

He said Saudi Arabia not only feels the need for weapons to square off against Iran, but is, in fact, bribing the US in order not to sue Riyadh for its involvement in the September 11 attacks.

“The United States’ economic situation is a far cry from the picture painted of it in Western media, and the US government’s bankruptcy is practically undeniable,” he said.

“Before assuming office in the White House, Donald Trump had criticized Saudi Arabia and the US for the huge cost of Washington’s backing for US allies in the Middle East, but now he is seeking to milk Riyadh and the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council,” he noted.

He added Trump is cashing in on Riyadh’s ignorance in confrontation with Iran and has deposited some $370 billion at the US Treasury.

Saddam Hussein’s Fate Awaiting Saudis

Riyadh believes the possession of American arsenals will enable it to go for expansionism, which shows it has not learned a lesson from the destiny of Saddam Hussein during the eight-year Iraqi imposed war on Iran, he said.

“When Saudis’ expiration date comes, the US will do the same thing to them as it did to Saddam Hussein,” the parliamentarian underlined.

He warned that the huge amount of weapons heading for Saudi Arabia may fall into the hands of terrorists and be used against people in the Middle East and Europe.

Iran had warned about the return of terrorists to Europe when the Syria war was in the making, the MP said.

“American arms will be used by ISIS against people in Western countries much sooner than Europeans think,” he cautioned.

9/11 Bribery

The Parliament representative underscored that Saudis, not to mention their need for weapons, are in fact bribing Washington in order not to sue Riyadh for its involvement in the September 11terrorist attack.

Reports by American intelligence agencies and Congress leave no doubt about Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the 9/11 attacks, said the MP.

“ISIS’s godfathers will indubitably use American munitions in Saudi Arabia to create a new disaster, and that would be the day when the Pentagon will find a new excuse to launch a new war,” Salimi noted.

Riyadh Centre for Exporting Terrorism: Iran Speaker

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IFP Editorial Staff

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May 24, 2017

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, in an open session of the parliament on Tuesday, criticized the double standards adopted by the US and Saudi Arabia vis-à-vis terrorism.

Commenting on the Riyadh summit, the top parliamentarian said US President Donald Trump admitted at the beginning of the summit that he had received huge sums of money from Saudi Arabia to attend the meeting.

Larijani described Trump’s confession as “unbelievable,” and at the same time “interesting.”

The Parliament speaker said the US referred to Riyadh as the centre for fighting terrorism while it is, in fact, the centre for exporting terrorism.

If Americans stop Saudi Arabia from sending money, weapons and armed militants to other countries, said Larijani, no terrorist attacks similar to the ones on New York’s Twin Towers will happen again, and no more innocent people in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon will be killed or wounded.

Larijani further underscored that Saudi Arabia and the US have, ironically enough, claimed to be at the forefront of fighting terrorism, and added Riyadh has been involved in all terrorist activities since the day Afghanistan was occupied by the Soviet Union.

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto said in an interview that the scheme to create the Taliban had been masterminded by the US and Britain, funded by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and only implemented by Pakistan, Larijani noted.

He then touched upon a recent report by US officials which suggests Saudi Arabia was involved in the September 11 attacks, and added, “Is there any doubt that Daesh (ISIS) and al-Nusra (Nusra Front) terrorist groups were created and supported by Saudi Arabia and some other small regional countries? Other terror groups such as Ahrar al-Sham are supported by Riyadh as well.”

“At the moment, Saudis claim that Iran is the axis of terrorism in the region, and that after the Islamic Revolution of Iran led by the late Imam Khomeini, the region has been gripped by terrorism,” said Larijani.

However, he added, history shows the Saudi government has always been involved in war and terrorism, but has sought to fuel conflicts among Arab Muslims only.

“Saudis didn’t even fire a single bullet at Israel,” said Larijani.

“Saudis fought [former Egyptian President] Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein and his supporters one day and killed many Egyptian officers and soldiers. The famous speech by Abdel Nasser Hussein delivered during the funeral procession for the dead Egyptian officers still remains in memories,” the parliamentarian said.

He said many Sunni scholars and intellectuals have suffered a lot at the hands of the Al Saud regime. Saudi Arabia has also attacked Yemen time and again and butchered the people of that country, the parliamentarian added.

However, said Larijani, Saudi Arabia has never contributed to any conflict against Israel.

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on May 24

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IFP Editorial Staff

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May 24, 2017

Newspapers today covered the Bahraini regime’s raid on the house of top Shiite cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim, and the conflicting reports about his arrest.

The deadly attack on Manchester Arena also received great coverage. Several papers linked the attack to the Saudi sponsors of terrorism.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani remarks against Saudi Arabia’s support for terrorism and extremism were also a top story today.

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

19 Dey:

1- National Dialogue Needed in Post-Election Iran

2- Larijani: Iran Showed Strong Presence in Region with Its election

3- Larijani Surprised by US, Saudi Claim to Be Frontrunners of Fight against Terror