Speaking to the Tasnim News Agency, the sources said the two ministers have already submitted their resignation letters to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
The developments came as the current administration’s term in office will be ended next year.
The upcoming president elections are due to be held on May 19, 2017.
Tehran prosecutor Abbas Ja’afari Dolatabadi made the announcement on Tuesday, identifying the spies as Baqer and Siamak Namazi, both of whom have dual Iranian-American citizenship, Nazaar Zakaa, Farhad Abd-e Saleh, Kamran Qaderi and Alireza Omidvar.
Siamak Namazi was arrested by Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps in October 2015 and his father, Baqer, was arrested in February.
Siamak formerly worked for the Sharjah-based oil and gas company Crescent Petroleum. Baqer is a former Iranian provincial governor and served as a UNICEF representative in Somalia, Kenya, Egypt and other countries.
In a statement on Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said Iran welcomes the three-day ceasefire announced by the United Nations special envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed.
Qassemi said Yemen is suffering from a very disastrous humanitarian situation, and underscored that all parties engaged in the Yemeni conflict, particularly the Saudi-led coalition, should respect the ceasefire.
He also hoped that the warring parties would allow the immediate dispatch of humanitarian aid to the oppressed Yemeni civilians and the wounded people, including those injured in a recent bloody airstrike against a funeral hall in the capital of Sana’a.
Over 140 people were killed and over 525 wounded on October 8, when a Saudi air raid hit a community hall in the south of the capital, where a funeral for the father of Interior Minister Jalal al-Roweishan was being held.
“From 2005 to 2007, Iranian military forces were on standby as the country was likely to be attacked,” Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari said on Tuesday.
However, he added, the Americans felt the smell of defeat [and didn’t attack Iran] because of the lesson they had learned during the Iran-Iraq war and also due to their fear of Iranians’ spirit.
According to a report by Tasnim, as translated by IFP, the top commander made the remarks at a cultural ceremony in Iran’s northeastern city of Bojnourd.
Elsewhere in his remarks, he noted that there is detailed evidence that the Al Saud regime is working in cooperation with the Zionist regime of Israel to hatch plots against Iran.
The Saudi regime is involved in conspiracies against Shiite countries, including Iran, “Saudi Arabia is trying to create division and insecurity in Shiite countries, but, by God’s grace, has failed to do so thus far,” Major General Jafari added.
Touching on the tense situation in Syria, the commander said the enemies created the ISIS terrorist group and killed a huge number of both Shiite and Sunni Muslims.
Today, however, the adversaries have realized that they “need to rely on Iran to settle Syria’s problems and war”, something acknowledged even by American analysts, he added.
While top Obama administration officials are still trying to exert last-minute pressure on lawmakers to help sustain Obama’s veto of legislation that would allow families of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks to sue Saudi Arabia on October 16, 2016, Chuck Grassley the chairman of the Senate judiciary committee and the senior United States Senator from Iowa, in an interview with Politico voiced Senate serious support for 9/11 bill.
He stated that some newly obtained documents showed that the assassination of Rafic Hariri, the former Lebanon Prime Minister was carried out by Israel and the help of Saudi Arabia.
“In the Congress, some definite evidence proposed by a retired pentagon member proving Saudi Arabia’s direct role in other terrorist operations including Rafic Hariri’s assassination. I’ll firmly back the legislation,” Grassley said, as reported by Politico and covered by IFP.
Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) also in a private meeting with 9/11 families in his office pointed out to the lately revealed evidence and said he will continue to work with colleagues in the Senate to back the legislation.
“It should be 100-0, but I don’t expect that it will be,” Grassley said of a vote to override a veto of the 9/11 bill. “If people don’t want to override the veto, they should’ve expressed their opposition earlier.”
Rafic Hariri the former Prime Minister of Lebanon, was killed along with 21 others in an explosion in Beirut on 14 February 2005. During that time, media especially the Israeli daily Ha’aretz condemned Lebanese militia Hezbollah and made them responsible for the assassination.
Along with submitting 9/11 bill allowing families of victims to sue Saudi Arabia, voices came out that Saudi Arabia was also involved in Rafic Hariri’s assassination planned by Israel in 2005 and also it had role in promoting terrorism in the United states and Europe. This is why the senators are vowing to decisively support 9/11 bill and override President Obama’s veto.
The Iranian squad conceded three goals from the hosts in their last match of the three-day tournament in the Uzbek capital city of Tashkent, and achieved a second-place finish on Monday evening.
Fatemeh Qassemi was named the best footballer of the match and won an award.
The Iranian sportswomen, who had opened the contest with a 4-1 triumph over Kyrgyzstan on October 15, crushed their Tajik opponents 6-0 in their second fixture yesterday.
Afsaneh Chatrenour scored Iran’s opener in the 9th minute, before Elham Annafcheh doubled her side’s lead six minutes later.
Fatemeh Qassemi scored a brace within few seconds in the 23rd and 24th minute, followed by another goal by Chatrenour in the 27th minute.
Ghazaleh Salehipour put the Iranian team’s sixth goal on the scoreboard in the 77th minute.
The CAFA U-19 Women’s Cup started in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on October 15, and came to an end on October 17, 2016.
The sports event brought together national under-19 soccer teams from Iran, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
Almost all newspapers on Tuesday covered the ongoing operation by the Iraqi army and the US-led coalition to liberate the ISIS-held city of Mosul.
They also reported the remarks about the Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani’s remarks, particularly those regarding the upcoming presidential election in Iran. Many other papers have also reported comments and reviews about the 2017 polls.
Another top story today was the statements by Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh who promised Iran’s self-sufficiency in petrol supply within the coming months.
The above issues, as well as many more, are highlighted in the following headlines:
Abrar:
1- We Have Yet to Give People the Welfare They Had in 2011: First VP
2- Iranian Army’s Timely Presence Foils Pirate Attack in Gulf of Aden
3- Seoul: North Korean Missile Exploded Immediately after Launch
4- Mosul Liberation to Take Several Weeks: ISIS Commanders Escape to Syria’s Raqqa
5- Ukraine and Turkey to Expand Mutual Military Cooperation
Abrar-e Eqtesadi:
1- Deal between Iran and Luxemburg for Supporting Mutual Investments
2- Imminent Increase in Iran’s Oil Output to 4.5 bpd
3- Foreigners Can Have 100-Percent Partnership in LNG: New Oil Tenders to Be Offered in 1 Month
4- Britain Eager to Invest in South Part Gas Field
Afarinesh:
1- Rouhani in Meeting with Ivory Coast’s FM: Development of Ties with African Countries Is an Integral Part of Iran’s Foreign Policy Principles
2- Oil Minister: We’ll No Longer Import Petrol
3- Larijani in Meeting with Czech Vice-Speaker: Serious Fight against Terrorism Requires Paying Attention to Its Cultural Roots
Afkar:
1- Iran to Become Self-Sufficient in Petrol Supply as of March 2017
2- First Victories in Operation to Liberate Mosul
Aftab-e Yazd:
1- Italians’ Offer for Architecture of the Highway Connecting Tehran to Northern Iran
2- First VP: What Previous Government Did to Iran’s Economy Cannot Be Easily Compensated
3- Judiciary Chief: Moral Collapse of Western Statesmen Is a Researchable Phenomenon
4- Luxury Foods Served for Ahmadinejad!
5- Direct Train to Be Launched between Iran and Germany
Amin:
1- Zibakalam: Conservatives Will Be Defeated without Ahmadinejad
2- Awards Watch: Asghar Farhadi’s The Salesman Predicted to Have Second Highest Chance for Winning Best Foreign Language Film in Academy Awards
Arman-e Emrooz:
1- Zibakalam Calls for Ethical Support of Rouhani in 2017 Elections: Ahmadinejad’s Decision Not to Run for Presidency Was to Rouhani’s Disadvantage
2- Mayor of Canada’s Montreal Visits Tehran without Media Attention: Secret Meeting with Mayor of Tehran?
Asrar:
1- Mosul Operation, a Beginning to the End of ISIS
2- Former Iranian Diplomat: Saudis Have Become Crazier!
3- 11% Difference between Trump and Clinton
Donya-ye Eqtesad:
1- New Opponents of Iran’s Accession to WTO Are Identified: Arabic Barrier to WTO Accession
Ebtekar:
1- Weaknesses of Bank-Oriented Economy: 90% of the Burden of Iranian Economy’s Financial Supply Is on Banking System’s Shoulders
Emtiaz:
1- Worrying Statistics Indicate 30% of Female University Students in Iran Smoke Hookah
Etemad:
1- Europe and US Dreaming about Third Option: Analysis of London and Luxemburg Talks on Syria
2- Vice-Speaker Motahari: We Shouldn’t Let the Dichotomy of 2009 [Presidential Elections] Be Repeated Again
3- Senior Reformist MP Aref Calls for Closure of the Case Regarding House Arrest of Iranian Opposition Leaders Mousavi and Karroubi
Ettela’at:
1- Deputy FM: Setting New Conditions for JCPOA Is Unacceptable
2- Intelligence Minister: Current Security in Iran Is Unique in the World
3- Saudi Arabia Has Taken the Issue of Lebanese President’s Election to a Deadlock: Nabih Berri
Hamshahri:
1- Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman: We Consider the Country’s Defensive Might as a Support for Our Diplomacy
Hemayat:
1- Abubakr al-Baghdadi Escapes Death; Speedy Progress of Iraqi Forces towards Mosul
Iran:
1- Onslaught on Heart of ISIS
2- Iranian Music Once Again Heard in Venice after 86 Years of Absence
Jame Jam:
1- New Trap to Hunt Iranian Youth: Increasing Growth of Underground Modelling
2- 4,200 Bank Accounts Hacked by Phishing
Javan:
1- Judiciary Chief: What Iranian Negotiators Said Is Unlikely to Happen Is Actually Happening
2- 81% of Trump Supporters: There Will Be Cheating on November 8
3- 30,000 Iraqi Forces Launch Attack on ISIS in Mosul: Iraqi Army’s Operation Starts with Liberation of 20 Villages
Jomhouri Eslami:
1- Oil Minister: Iran’s Gas Extraction from Joint Field to Be on Par with Qatar by mid-March
2- Intelligence Minister: Iranian Security Forces Have Outstanding Sympathy with Each Other
3- ISIS’ Defensive Lines Broken around Mosul
4- Former Palestinian Captive Reveals Reactionary Arab Leaders’ Repetition of Zionist Regime’s Stances
Kayhan:
1- First VP: 9% Inflation Rate Not Consistent with People’s Purchasing Power
2- Japan’s $1bn Plan for Promotion of Its Missile Power
Khorasan:
1- Europol Reports How 10,000 Asylum-Seeking Children Are Missing in Europe
2- Mousavian’s Straight Debate in Oklahoma University: Why the Argument that Assad’s Gov’t Represents the Minority Isn’t Raised in Case of Bahrain
Resalat:
1- Analyst: West’s Media Dictatorship Is of One of the Most Complicated Types
2- Judiciary Chief: Special Committee to Be Formed in Judiciary System for General Policies of Elections
Setareh Sobh:
1- Everyone Worried about Trump’s Possible Victory: What Would Happen to People of the World and the US?
2- IRGC’s Political Deputy: IRGC Will Follow Leader’s General Strategies in 2017 Elections
Shahrvand:
1- TB Disease Once Again: New WHO Report Shows TB Is Definitely Not a Disease of the Past
Vaghaye Ettefaghieh:
1- IRGC General Safavi: Afghanistan and Iraq Invasion Turned Out to Be in Iran’s Favour Politically
2- Human Chain for Saving the Life of Saravan: People of Iran’s Rasht Stand against Landfill Trucks to Save the Forest
Vatan-e Emrooz:
1- Deputy FM Araqchi: Kerry’s Remarks Surprised Me!
2- Cutting the Viper’s Head: Operation to Cleanse Mosul of ISIS Terrorists Kicked Off
Amnesty International says 56 percent of the world’s 21 million refugees are being hosted by just 10 countries – all in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.
Jordan, which has taken in more than 2.7 million people, was named as the top refugee hosting country. Iran is also on the fifth place by hosting 979,400 refugees.
The ranking is shown in this infographic by Shabestan news agency:
In a letter to General Secretary of Iran Football Federation (IFF) Alireza Asadi, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has invited Alireza Faghnai, as the AFC Referee of the Year, as well as Reza Sokhandan and Mohammadreza Mansouri, as best assistance referees of the year, to attend a ceremony due to be held in Kuala Lumpur on October 20.
The Iranian football referee team will receive the 2016 AFC’s Special Awards for Referees during the upcoming event for officiating the final match of Men’s Olympic Football Tournament in Rio de Janeiro.
As quoted by the AFC official website, since becoming a FIFA International referee in 2011, Faghani has been entrusted with a host of high profile matches. He was named the fourth referee for the opening match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup between Brazil and Croatia. He was also tasked to officiate the 2014 AFC Champions League Final first leg match between Al-Hilal and Western Sydney Wanderers.
During the hugely successful Asian Cup 2015 Australia, Faghani was appointed to officiate the final match between Korea Republic and host nation Australia. Faghani also refereed the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup final, which saw Barcelona take on Argentina’s River Plate.
During the award-receiving ceremony, the 38-year-old Faghani will be joined by assistant referees and compatriots Reza Sokhandan and Mohammadreza Mansouri, both experienced referees in the Continent.
Iraqi Christians who abandoned their homes in northern Iraq in the wake of an ISIS offensive, have joined Hashid al-Shaabi (the Iraqi voluntary forces, also known as the Popular Mobilization Units) to fight together against the terrorist group.
In an interview with Tasnim, commander of the Babylon Battalion, Ryan Salim al-Chaldani, said his men have sworn that they would turn Mosul into “a graveyard for ISIS.”
“As one of the groups within the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units, we believe that Mosul will be the last base for ISIS terrorists in Iraq,” he underlined.
Chaldani also said that all of the Iraqi armed forces have committed themselves to preventing the ISIS militants from fleeing to Syria or entering Mosul from the neighboring country.
The Christian fighters are under the command of high-ranking Iraqi commanders and are ready to block logistic or relief support for ISIS in the province of Mosul, he underscored.
Members of the Babylon Battalion come mainly from the towns around Mosul that ISIS captured in summer 2014 and proclaimed its headquarters in Iraq.
Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi Christians have been displaced since June 2014. They had once numbered over 1 million, but the violence that followed a US-led invasion sent many Christians abroad, moving to other countries as refugees.
Since early Monday, the Iraqi military and its allies have launched a large-scale offensive to liberate Mosul.
© All Content by IFP News ( Iran Front Page ) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
