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Iran-Russia Ties Key to Regional Stability: Rouhani

“Undoubtedly, cooperation between the two countries will have positive effects on the regional and international stability and security,” Rouhani said in a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow on Monday.

He added that Iran welcomes the expansion of relations with its neighboring countries in the region, particularly Russia.

The Iranian chief executive expressed hope that his visit to Moscow would lead to new developments in Tehran-Moscow cooperation in political, economic and cultural areas and on international issues.

The Russian premier, for his part, said his country was resolved to bolster relations with Iran in all sectors.

He pointed to the favorable relations between Tehran and Moscow and expressed confidence that President Rouhani’s trip would help both sides further deepen their ties.

Iran-Russia Ties Key to Regional Stability: Rouhani

Heading a high-ranking politico-economic delegation, the Iranian president arrived in Moscow Monday evening for a two-day official visit at the invitation of his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.

The Russian president is scheduled to officially welcome his Iranian counterpart at the Kremlin on Tuesday. Rouhani and Putin will then hold talks on regional and international issues and matters of mutual interest.

The two presidents are also expected to issue a statement following their meeting.

Speaking to reporters in Tehran on Monday before setting off for Moscow, Rouhani said the two sides were closely cooperating on regional issues, including fighting against terrorism and promoting stability.

“The two countries are also opposed to any shift in geographical borders in the region,” he said, adding that Iran and Russia have the highest level of cooperation on the crisis in Syria, the campaign against terrorism and the establishment of stability in the Middle East.

French Tourists, Top Visitors of Iran’s Shiraz

frenchtourist-shiraz

 

Mosayyeb Amiri, the General Manager of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO) office in Fars province, announced that the number of foreign visitors to Fars has increased by 221% after the nuclear deal.

According to a Farsi report by Mehr, he noted, “The countries which have sent the highest number of tourists to Fars respectively include France, Germany, Italy, China and Spain.”

Based on official statistics, Fars has been visited by 348,966 foreign tourist between March 2016 and January 2017.

“The Tomb of Hafez complex has been the most visited historical site by domestic and international tourists, with an overall number of 1,132,026 visits,” Amiri added.

He went on to say that the high quality hotels and the domestic and international flights of Shiraz Airport contribute to the attraction of more tourists.

With around 3,500 nationally registered monuments, some of them registered in the UNESO including Pasargadae, Persepolis, and Eram Garden, Fars province is an important hub of historical tourism in Iran which attracts a large number of international tourists every year.

London Terror Attack, Consequence of UK Policy in Syria  

London Terror Attack

The Iranian lawmaker, Kamal Dehqani Firouz-Abadi, says the recent terrorist attack launched in the British capital of London on March 21, was an outcome of the UK’s policy in Syria, as the country as well as France were the main sponsors of the terrorists and militants in the Middle Eastern state.

According to a Farsi report by ICANA, Dehqani Firouz-Abadi added the terrorist attack in London, which was carried out almost on the anniversary of the 2016 Brussels bombings, as well as other similar terrorist acts in Europe are all consequences of the Western states’ policies against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and towards the war in Syria.

The Western nations, in cooperation with some Arab states, formed the Takfiri [extremist] terrorist group ISIS in the Middle East to spark the war in Syria, he noted.

London and Paris, the main supporters of terrorists in Syria, are, at present, witnessing the outcomes of their moves [in the Middle East and, particularly, towards Syria] as their plans and actions have backfired in the form of terrorist attacks on their cities and the massacre of their citizens, he said.

Terrorism is a phenomenon that knows no boundaries or nationalities and soon will become a threat to the entire world, the MP added.

Recalling the Western countries’ strategy towards Iraq’s former dictator Saddam Hussein and the Ba’athist regime he had established in the country, he said, “Over the past few decades, we have always been witness to these states applying double standards in the face of security threats. They, who had supported Saddam Hussein in Iran-Iraq war (1980-88) and his massacre of Iranians, invaded their main chess piece in the Persian Gulf War – also called Gulf War – (1990–91) and eventually toppled him.”

Commenting on the formation of al-Qaeda, Dehqani Firouz-Abadi noted that the US Central Intelligence Agency set up the group during the Afghan Civil War (1992–96) and later, in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, it eventually sent its troops to the Middle East on the pretext of fighting the same terrorist group.

He said a glance at the emergence and, later, collapse of Saddam Hussein’s Ba’athist regime as well as the creation of and, later, fight against al-Qaeda are all indicative of the fact that the West determines the nature of a group or regime and its activities according to its double standards.

“In coming years, following the likely return of Takfiri terrorists to their hometowns in Western countries, from the war in Syria, an increase would be witnessed in the number of terrorist acts perpetrated by them in these states and the occurrence of such attacks would become a usual phenomenon in the eyes of international media.”

He stressed that the Zionist regime of Israel, which perpetrates its crimes as part of its state-sponsored terrorism efforts, is, currently, the Middle East’s biggest problem.

This is while, the MP added, the Western nations have turned a blind eye to Israel’s violent behaviour.

“Tel Aviv is the main factor behind the formation of the ISIS.”

According to media reports, four were killed and dozens were hurt in London’s [March 21] terror attack, when an assailant, later identified as Khalid Masood by police, drove a car through pedestrians on Westminster Bridge and then fatally knifed a police officer who tried to stop him entering the Houses of Parliament. He was then shot dead. The attack took place while British Prime Minster Theresa May was in the Houses of Parliament.

This has been the first terrorist act carried out in Britain‘s territory since the beginning of the ISIS’ terrorist attacks on European cities.

 

 

Killing Innocent People is US Army’s Modus Operandi

Witnesses said the airstrike killed hundreds of residents, including many women and young children, on Baghdad Street in west Mosul’s Aghawat Jadidah neighborhood on March 17.

On Friday, in an area where apartment blocks were reduced to rubble, at least 50 bodies could be seen, including those of pregnant women, children and newborns.

On Saturday, a day after announcing that the incident was under investigation, Pentagon officials released a statement claiming the coalition had targeted Daesh (ISIL or ISIS) fighters and equipment in the area.

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani on Sunday stressed that the “war crime, which is similar to the conduct of Daesh and other Takfiri groups in targeting civilians and innocent people,” must be immediately investigated by fair and impartial courts.

“Killing innocent people under the pretext of fighting terrorism has turned into the US army’s modus operandi in the region,” Shamkhani deplored.

He expressed condolences to the Iraqi people over the tragic incident and said whether it happened deliberately or unintentionally, nothing will minimize the US responsibility in the incident.

Shamkhani further underscored that carrying out any military operation and targeting terrorists in Iraqi and Syrian territories must be done with the official consent of these countries’ governments, adding that the UN Security Council must remind “governments considering themselves to be above the UN” of the necessity for respecting countries’ sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Iran Imposes Tit-for-Tat Sanctions on 15 American Firms

In a statement released on Sunday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said the 15 companies have directly or indirectly collaborated with the Tel Aviv regime in committing its “savage crimes” in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The sanctions came two days after Washington imposed bans on nearly a dozen foreign companies or individuals for cooperating with the Islamic Republic.

The US sanctions targeted 11 companies or individuals from China, North Korea or the United Arab Emirates for transferring technology to Iran that it claimed could boost the country’s ballistic missile program.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry said according to the country’s sanctions, any business activity with these 15 companies is forbidden and their assets within the jurisdiction of the Islamic Republic will be subject to freezing, and no visas will be issued to individuals holding positions in or associated with these corporations.

The statement also said Washington’s unilateral bans were imposed on Tehran “under fabricated pretexts,” slamming the restrictive measures as a violation of “international law” as well as the spirit and text of the July 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The ministry further underlined that Iran is resolved to develop its peaceful missile power as part of the nation’s “inalienable” right to enhance its deterrence and defense might in the face of threats.

Here is the list of the sanctioned US corporations:

-Beni Tal security company has collaborated with the Israeli military in the suppression of Palestinian people.

-United Technologies has sold Black Hawk military helicopters to the Israeli regime which have been used to bomb occupied territories and Palestinian refugee camps.

-Raytheon has supplied Israel with technologically advanced military weapons that have been used against Palestinian people during the Gaza war.

-ITT Corporation has provided the Israeli military with equipment it has used to stage nightly raids in Palestinian villages and refugee camps.

-Re/Max has been involved in illegal real estate transactions in Israeli settlements across occupied Palestinian territories.

-Oshkosh Corporation has been supplying the Israeli military with parts for armored vehicles used to restrain the Palestinian population.

-Magnum Research Inc. has collaborated with Israeli military industries in the manufacturing of firearms and military equipment.

– Kahr Arms has provided spare parts and developed light weapons used by the Israeli army in cooperation with the regime’s military industry.

– M7 Aerospace LP, purchased by US subsidiary of the Israeli military contractor Elbit Systems, has been active in the production and development of Israeli radar and missile systems.

– Military Armament Corporation has provided services and equipment linked to the weapons used by Israeli police.

– Lewis Machine and Tool Company has provided weapons spare parts and services to the Israeli military’s arms industry.

– Daniel Defense has provided the Israeli military’s arms industry with spare parts and services for weapons manufacturing.

– Bushmaster Firearms International has provided the Israeli military’s arms industry with spare parts and services for weapons manufacturing.

-O.F. Mossberg & Sons has supplied Israel with weapons, which are used by the regime’s military and police forces in the crackdown on Palestinian civilians.

-H-S Precision, Inc. has provided the Israeli regime with weapons manufacturing technology.

According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, the list could expand to include more entities.

Turkey’s Claims Aimed at Justifying Expansionist Policies: Iran

Bahram Ghasemi

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi expressed regret on Sunday that Turkish officials continue to make “baseless, meddlesome and troublesome” remarks against the country’s neighbors.

“By accusing others and repeating fictitious claims, they [Turkish officials] are trying to justify their meddlesome and expansionist policies toward their neighbors,” he added.

Speaking at a Turkish-British forum in the southern city of Antalya on Saturday, the Turkish president accused Iran of adopting and pursuing “racist and discriminatory” policies in Iraq.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan

The Iranian spokesperson also dismissed as incorrect comments by Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak, who recently claimed that some three million refugees, mostly Afghans, were trying to go to Turkey from Iran, expressing concern that Iran was “ignoring their demand for migration.”

“Iran has been hosting millions of refugees from its neighboring countries for more than 30 years,” Qassemi said.

“Turkey must learn from Iran how it has hosted millions of refugees for more than three decades and has never abused this human and humanitarian issue for specific and politically-motivated purposes against any other country.”

He recommended Turkish officials to avoid conflating humanitarian issues with political disputes, urging them to respect the national sovereignty of their neighboring states, particularly Iraq and Syria.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran regards respect for the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of neighboring countries as the best option for strengthening and developing relations among nations and countries,” Qassemi said.

Iran also considers “constructive dialogue with neighbors, instead of accusing others, as the most appropriate way” to deepen ties with them, he pointed out.

Iran’s President Wears Sporty Outfit on Casual Hike

The photos taken on Friday show President Hassan Rouhani, usually seen in the turban and robes used by Iranian clerics, in a black baseball cap and matching ski jacket climbing mountains outside Tehran using hiking poles.

During the hike, which was taken in a rainy and snowy weather, Rouhani took pictures with many people including the younger generations of Iranians hiking Mount Tochal in early days of spring.

Rouhani posted the photos on his Instagram page and wrote, “This morning; young people who had come for a hike to Tehran mountains in aquite pleasant weather and relaxing nature.”

Here are photos of the hike selected by IFP:

 

Over 12 Killed in Attack on Russian Base in Chechnya

Moscow says six of its soldiers died in the attack on a base north of Grozny in Chechnya.

Six of the attackers, claiming to be from ISIS, were also killed, Euronews reported.

Russia says the militants launched the attack under the cover of fog on Friday morning.

 

IRGC General Soleimani Visits First VP’s Family on Nowruz

Each year, General Soleimani pays visits to the houses of families of Iranian martyrs on Nowruz, the Persian New Year holidays.

This year on the first day of spring in Iran, the top general met First VP Jahangiri’s mother, who has lost two of his sons during the eight-year Iraqi imposed war in the 1980s.

Jahangiri posted photos of the visit in his Instagram page, and described Soleimani as a ‘national hero’.

“My mother said she loves General Soleimani very much, just like his sons,” he noted.

She also gave him a gift on the occasion of Nowruz, Jahangiri added.

Tourists from 180 Countries Can Obtain Iran Visa on Arrival

Deputy Foreign Minister for Consular, Parliamentary, and Expatriates’ Affairs Hassan Qashqaviannouncednationals from 180 countries can obtain Iran’s visa on arrival.

He further stressed that Tehran has revoked visa requirements for nationals of some countries as part of its plans to boost tourism industry in the country.

He underlined that the Islamic Republic of Iran aspires to host 20 million tourists annually by 2025.

The official reiterated that introducing Iran’s tourist attractions and capacities is on top of the Iranian ambassadors’ agenda, IRNA reported.

He also called for expansion of tourism infrastructures aimed at luring more foreign tourists inside the country.

As a country that is taking steps to ease visa rules for foreign tourists, Iran has been recommended as a top travel destination for 2017.