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Iranian Minister Apologizes to Nation over Dust Pollution Crisis

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Mahmoud hojjati“I apologize to the nation for the difficulties caused by the dust pollution, and the prolonged water, power and telephone communication cut in Khuzestan province,” Agriculture Minister Mahmoud Hojjati said.

“An urgent operation has been kicked off in Khuzestan to stabilise 40,000 hectares of domestic dust origins,” he noted, according to a Farsi report by Khabar Online.

“This short-term plan will be carried out in one month.”

He also mentioned another plan to avert the dust pollution originating from inside the country, and said, “In the long-term, comprehensive plan, 800,000 hectares of desert areas will be stabilised through biological ways such as growing plants and climatically accommodated trees, and mulching and releasing water in some parts within four or five years.”

“A following plan will also be carried out to handle the foreign-originated dust in the region,” he added.

“The dust crisis is being defused in a national perspective to improve the environmental conditions of the lives of Khuzestan residents.”

He stressed that the Iranian administration, president, and people are all concerned about the crisis.

Cultural Activity Needed to Save Endangered Animal Species

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“The majority of people who damage the environment just consider their own personal advantage with no regard for their national identity and interests,” expressed Ali Vaqfchi, an Iranian lawmaker, emphasizing the need to reform the public understanding of environment.

According to a Farsi report by ICANA, he announced that Iranian Parliament’s Agriculture Commission is to evaluate the status of endangered species.

vaqfchi“Measures such as cultural activity, the correction of existing view of the environment and wildlife, and a raised public awareness about the danger of rare animal species’ extinction are required to protect the environment more efficiently,” he pointed out.

Vaqfchi believes that a higher number of rangers won’t reduce the risk of rare species’ extinction, nor does severe penalties for hunters.

“It is preferable to spend a portion of Environment Department’s budget on public awareness and cultural activities to protect the endangered species.”

“Taking advantage of the private sector’s capacities is the best way to protect and reproduce the rare species,” he added, referring to the fact that the Iranian Environment Department is facing a shortage of funds, and thus, is unable to cover the costs of reviving Iranian (Asiatic) cheetah and leopard.

Mentioning the government’s environmental duties based on the 6th Development Plan, he said that the state should develop and implement the plans for protection of four Iranian environmental zones, and endangered species, using the voluntary capacities of individuals and bodies.

“The government must pay special attention to the implementation of these tasks, prioritizing the protection of endangered species.”

Yemeni Forces Fire Ballistic Missile at Saudi Airport

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A Yemeni military source told Arabic-language al-Masirah television network that the medium-range projectile was fired at the Abha airport in the kingdom’s southwestern region of Asir on Wednesday evening.

The source said the missile struck its designated target precisely but there were no immediate reports on the extent of damage or possible casualties.

The attack came only hours after Saudi warplanes attacked a funeral in the Arhab district of the western province of Sana’a, leaving at least eight women and a child dead. Ten other women were critically wounded.

Iran Keen to Increase Investments in Iraqi Projects

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The Iranian Chairman of Iran-Iraq Chamber of Commerce, Yahya Ale Eshaq, says Tehran plans to boost investments in Iraqi projects.

Commenting on Iraq’s efforts to achieve economic growth and self-sufficiency in a trade conference, Ale Eshaq said according to the latest statistics, following China and the UAE, Iraq is Iran’s third trade partner.

According to a Farsi report by Mizan, he went on to say that in case Iran organizes its trade with Iraq, the country will turn into a major market for Iranian techno-engineering services.

In its post-war era, Iraq is more interested in expanding trade cooperation rather than merely importing products, Ale Eshaq stressed, noting that, “In my meeting with Iraqi Minister of Trade and Minerals Naseer Al Esawi, he said they did not want to be a mere importer of Iranian or other countries’ products. They plan to achieve self-sufficiency, develop their industries and draw up a long-term plan for their country.”

To achieve this, he said, a joint committee has been set up between the two countries to organize mutual trade as well as long-term economic cooperation and identify fields of investment by holding frequent sessions.

Referring to the suspension of Iran’s cement exports to Iraq, Ale Eshaq stressed that it was due to a lack attention by Iranian investors to have a more significant presence in Iraqi projects.

“Cement was among Iran’s major export items to Iraq. The country’s growing demand for the Iranian cement was the sole reason for establishing Ilam Cement Company in west of Iran. Nevertheless, at present, given the Iraqi government’s supportive projects to develop its industries and step up its domestic cement production, Baghdad is no longer interested in Iran’s cement.”

He said recently, French companies have also voiced willingness to finance Iraqi cement production projects, adding, thus, to maintain and develop its economic relations with Iraq, Iran is also required to make joint investments in the country.

US President Accuses Iran of Seeking to Develop Nukes

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“I will do more to prevent Iran from ever developing, I mean ever, a nuclear weapon,” Trump said on Wednesday during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.

He also called Iran’s atomic program a threat to Israel, which is believed to possess the only nuclear arsenal in the Middle East.

“The security challenges faced by Israel are enormous, including the threat of Iran’s nuclear ambitions, which I’ve talked a lot about,” he said.

Iranian Officials Obliged to Fully Report Amount of Properties

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As per a recent bill passed by Iranian lawmakers, all the officials addressed by the Article 142 of the Constitution have been obliged to present a full report of their possessions and properties, before and after taking the post, to the country’s Judiciary Chief.

Iran’s Leader, president, vice-presidents, ministers, and their family members are the ones included in the Article 142 of Iran’s Constitution.

According to a Farsi report by Mizan, refusing to submit the information or any failure to present a complete report of the assets and belongings is considered a crime and would be subject to the sixth-degree penalty, which is deprivation of social rights.

Iran’s Parliament has focused on this issue over the course of approving the Sixth Five-Year Economic Development Plan (2016-21). This is while the topic was not dealt with during the ratification of the fifth plan.

Imposition of a sanction to guarantee the strict observance of the law is indicative of the Iranian Parliament’s changed attitude towards the subject.

All bills passed by the Iranian Parliament have to be ratified by the Guardian Council before being signed into law.

One will have to wait and see what would be the stances of Iran’s Guardian Council towards the newly-passed law.

Iranian Billionaire Not to Be Executed before Repaying His Debts

Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, the Iranian Prosecutor General, announced that Babak Zanjani’s death sentence is final, but he won’t be executed until he returns the money he has stolen, the majority of which is kept outside Iran, according to a Farsi report by Basij Press.

Zanjani was arrested in December 2013 over accusations that he withheld more than $2.7 billion in revenues from oil that he had sold on behalf of the Oil Ministry and the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC).

In March 2016, the Court of First Instance convicted him and two accomplices, Hamid Fallah-Heravi and Mahdi Shams-Zadeh, of “spreading corruption on earth,” and sentenced them to death. The three defendants were also ordered to repay funds owed to the NIOC and other state organizations.

Later in December, Iran’s Supreme Court upheld the death sentence issued by the Court of First Instance.

Iran Trying to Cope with Environmental Crisis in Southwest

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As Iranian people are grappling with a dangerous dust pollution crisis in southwestern province of Khuzestan, the country’s administration and parliament are taking several measures to resolve this problem.

Agriculture Minister Mahmoud Hojjati travelled to Khuzestan as the representative of Iranian President and his administration on Tuesday morning, according to a Farsi report by ISNA.

He has been assigned to cope with the dust problem by controlling its domestic origins.

At the beginning of his mission, Hojjati visited the origins of the dust pollution in a 130,000ha area in southern and eastern Ahvaz, the capital of Khuzestan.

The representatives of Khuzestan in Iran’s Parliament also met Ali Larijani, the Parliament Speaker, on February 15, according to a Farsi report by ICANA.

Pointing to the history of Khuzestan in the Islamic Revolution, the representatives complained about the Iranian authorities’ failure to address the province’s problems.

They called for immediate action to cope with the crisis, conveying Khuzestan people’s discontent with current problematic situation: environmental issues, the dust pollution, water shortage, defective water system in some areas, and insufficient funds.

They called for a workgroup to sort out these various problems by taking swift and serious measures.

“There may be problems with the constructional funds,” Larijani affirmed, “As they aren’t properly allocated in Iran. With a population of 80 million, 90% of the state’s budget is spent on current costs, leaving only 10% for the construction.”

“It was agonizing to see the dust pollution and the following power and water cut in Khuzestan,” he stressed, confirming Khuzestan’s grave situation.

Iran Earns Second Victory in Persian Beach Soccer Cup

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The Iranian team defeated Ukraine 8-7 in penalty shootout after the two teams finished 3-3 in regular time.

Iran started the tournament with a 3-1 victory against Poland.

The Persian Beach Soccer Cup is underway in the southern city of Bushehr between February 14- 16.

Team Melli moved top of the standing with two victories, followed by Italy, Poland and Ukraine.

Iran has been scheduled to meet Italy on Thursday.

Mohammad Hossein Mirshamsi’s side will head to Malaysia for the AFC Beach Soccer Championship in early March and know that a solid tournament on home sand will serve as ideal preparation.

IRGC’s Gyrocopters Pose Challenges to Persian Gulf States: American Enterprise

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“If the IRGC is successful at developing the gyrocopter for Special Forces missions, it could pose some challenge to neighboring states and the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council,” Michael Rubin wrote in a recent article in American Enterprise.

“After all, the relatively quiet and low-flying craft can evade radar notice,” the report added.

“Iran has long faced security challenges along its rugged and sparsely populated border regions, especially in its Kurdish and Baluch areas which are prone to insurgency and smuggling,” it went on to say.

American Enterprise further noted that in recent years, Iran has used unmanned aerial vehicles to conduct surveillance in these regions.

However, it added, media reports indicate the country has recently switched to using lightweight, manned gyrocopters for surveillance, and these light aircraft pose a challenge to Iran’s neighbours.