Iran Vows Support for Iraq Terror Fight Amid Mosul Offensive

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October 17, 2016

“We support any campaign by the Iraqi government against terrorists to drive them out from the country and as we have repeatedly announced, we will stand by the Iraqi government and nation until Iraq’s full liberation [from terrorists] and the establishment of stability in the country,” Bahram Qassemi said on Monday.

He added that Iran would strongly support any sincere campaign against terrorism and respect any decision by the independent Iraqi government, saying, “We have no intention whatsoever of interfering in the country’s internal affairs.”

He emphasized that Iran has always respected and attached great significance to Iraq’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty and said, “This is an unchangeable stance.”

Qassemi added that the fight against terrorism has always been among Iran’s “core and unchangeable” policies and emphasized that the Islamic Republic would always seriously play its role in the campaign against extremism.

Iraqi government forces launched an offensive on Monday to retake Mosul, the last Daesh terrorists’ major stronghold in the country, after the Takfiri group seized the city some two years ago.

The operations are advancing from three directions, namely the south, the east, and the northeast of the city.

In a televised address in the early hours of Monday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the beginning of the assault against terrorists in Mosul.

“Today I declare the start of these victorious operations to free you from the violence and terrorism of Daesh,” Abadi said.

Iraq’s al-Sumaria news website said the Daesh terrorists had begun transferring the group’s assets and cash money out of Mosul. It quoted local sources as saying that Daesh operatives were loading cash and valuables on trucks destined for the city of Raqqah, the de facto capital of the Takfiris in neighboring Syria.

The Takfiri group unleashed its campaign of death and destruction against the country in 2014, seizing the northern city of Mosul and declaring it as its so-called headquarters. A large and multi-faceted operation is due to liberate the city.

The Mosul operation comes as Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has again rejected calls by Baghdad for the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Iraqi territory. He said on Monday that it would be “unthinkable” for Ankara not to participate in the Mosul operation, stressing Turkey will certainly be part of the offensive to retake the city.

Senior Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said on Monday that Turkey must not intervene in the operation to retake Mosul, stressing the Mosul operation “is exclusively within the domain of the Iraqi army” and Turkey and others have no right to use the battle as a way of settling scores with others.

Iran and Shiites, Real Winners of Mosul Liberation: Retired US General

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IFP Editorial Staff

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October 17, 2016

Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn predicted Monday that Iran is going to be the real victor in the fight to take back Mosul from the ISIS terrorist group.

According to a report by Washington Examiner, as covered by Fars, Flynn told Fox News that “we have to work with the Arab nations as much as we’re working with NATO and Iraq, and I will tell you at the end of the day, the big victor here in Mosul is likely Iran.”

He went on to say that the Iran-backed Shiites are going to be the big winners here. […]

Elsewhere in his remarks, he said the US presidential candidate Donald Trump understands radical Islamic “infiltration” in the US and that means “we’re going to continue to see the rise of our own problems right here in the homeland.”

“The problem we’re facing is not going to be solved in the attack into Mosul over the next couple of days. We have to deal with this ideology for a long time and until we come to grips with it, I mean we’re going to be facing it,” he said.

“It’s beyond San Bernardino, Orlando, New York, Minneapolis, wherever, wherever this problem exists, and it exists here at home,” he added.

He made the remarks after the Iraqi government announced it was launching the long-awaited initiative to regain Iraq’s last ISIS stronghold.

Iran Wants Broader Ties with Africa: Rouhani

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IFP Media Wire

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October 17, 2016

In a Monday meeting with visiting Ivory Coast Foreign Minister Abdallah Albert Toikeusse Mabri in Tehran, Rouhani expressed Iran’s readiness to enhance cooperation with Yamoussoukro in all fields, particularly in economic areas.

The Iranian chief executive said that the two countries should make use of their capacities to promote relations.

Rouhani highlighted the Islamic Republic’s progress in the fields of technology and engineering, saying Tehran is prepared to help the West African nation advance its development projects.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian president called for collective efforts by all countries to counter terrorism.

More than17, 000 Iranians have fallen victim to terrorist attacks since the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, said President Rouhani, adding that Iran “will spare no effort” to help those countries seeking assistance and cooperation in their anti-terror fight.

Mabri, in turn, stressed the need for concerted efforts to counter terrorism, saying the growth and prosperity of all countries hinges on the establishment of peace and security.

He further voiced his country’s determination to enhance cooperation with the Islamic Republic in all areas, especially in the economic sector.

ISIS Leader Flees to Raqqa, but His Wife Is Arrested in Mosul

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IFP Editorial Staff

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October 17, 2016

According to a report by Tass, as covered by IRNA, the leader of the ISIS terrorist group Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi fled from Iraq’s Mosul towards the Syrian city of Raqqa, but his wife was arrested.
This statement was made by the so-called Islamic police, which under the leadership of a man named Abu Uthman rebelled against al-Baghdadi, the Iraqi Sumaria News reported.
The anti-ISIS forces conducted an airstrike on Mosul during a meeting of the commanders of the terrorist organization ISIS. In attendance was al-Baghdadi, who is constantly changing his location in Iraq and Syria. At the last moment, he managed to escape.
The ISIS terrorist group’s ringleader Baghdadi escaped the airstrike in the Iraqi campaign to liberate the northern city of Mosul minutes ahead of an attack, local security sources told Sputnik on Monday.
“Baghdadi escaped at the last moment from the airstrike on a meeting among commanders in Mosul,” the sources said without clarifying whether the strike was conducted by Iraqi forces or the US-led coalition.
Al-Baghdadi’s movements are known only by his inner circle, with the leader constantly changing location in Iraq and Syria to avoid airstrikes.

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on October 17

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IFP Editorial Staff

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October 17, 2016

Newspapers on Monday covered the ongoing operation by the Iraqi army and US-led coalition to retake the ISIS-held city of Mosul.

Another top story was the remarks made by the US Secretary of State John Kerry in an interview with Foreign Affairs. Kerry in this interview claimed that Iran’s support for the Resistance has hindered the implementation of the nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.

A motion by the Iranian Parliament to restrict the authority of Guardian Council also received great coverage. If passed into a law, the motion can prevent the Guardian Council from disqualifying candidates after the elections.

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

Abrar:

1- Iraqi PM Abadi: We’ll Never Let Turkey Take Part in Liberating Mosul Operation

2- Kerry: We Have Done Much More than Our Commitments in Nuclear Deal

3- Russian Border Guard Shoots at North Korean Fishing Ship

4- Guardian Council Will No Longer Be Able to Disqualify a Candidate after the Elections

Abrar-e Eqtesadi:

1- Iran and Thailand to Form Commercial Council

2- Financial Times: Iran Invites Most Reputable Int’l Investors

3- Iran and Germany Sign Railway Deal

4- Growth of Iranian Families’ Expenses Decreased to One-Third Compared with Ahmadinejad’s Era

Afarinesh:

1- Plane Delivery to Iran Hinges on Iran Air’s Talks with Boeing and Airbus: Deputy FM

2- DM: We’re Fully Prepared to Equip Iran’s Railway System from A to Z

3- US-Led Coalition’s Massive Airstrikes on Mosul ahead of Ground Operation

Afkar:

1- Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Condemns Terrorist Operation in Egypt’s Sinai

2- Third Attack on US Warship near Yemen

Aftab-e Yazd:

1- Troubles of Zarif’s Gift to Kerry: Iranian FM Once Again Criticized by Opponents

2- MP Calls for Dissolution of Culture Ministry

Amin:

1- Central Bank Governor: Inflation Rate Was over 40%, We Decreased to Less than 10%

2- 91 Iranian Universities in the List of World’s Top Universities

Arman-e Emrooz:

1- Culture Minister Breaks His Silence; Resign or Dismissal? Minister: Wait for a Few Days!

2- Third World War Will Be the Conflict between Russia and US: Analyst

Asrar:

1- Number of Iranian Ageing Women on the Rise

Ebtekar:

1- Two Economic Achievements of President Rouhani: 5.4% Economic Growth in First 3 Months of Iranian Year; Decrease in Liquidity in July-August

2- Anzali Wetland Is Shrinking: Climate Change and Mismanagement Have Accelerated the Process

Emtiaz:

1- 8,000 Child Abuse from March 2015 to March 2016

Etemad:

1- With New Ideas from Lausanne to London: US and Allies Threaten Syria and Russia to Imposition of Severe Economic Sanctions

2- Mosul Waiting for the Song of Freedom

Ettela’at:

1- Water Shortage Crisis Threatens Life in Central Iranian Plateau

2- ISIS’ Positions in Mosul under Heavy Fire of Iraqi and US Artillery

3- Russian Aircraft Carriers Deployed to Syrian Waters

4- Sisi: Respecting Syrian’s Territorial Integrity and Syrian Nation’s Will Is What Egypt Believes in

Hemayat:

1- US Finding Excuses to Evade JCPOA Commitments: Kerry Claims Iran’s Support for Resistance Complicates the Resolution of Banking Problems

2- 30,000 Iraqi Forces, 15km Away from Mosul

Iran:

1- Central Bank’s Directive to All Banks: Financial Transactions with All Countries, Except for US, Is Legal

2- Iranian Cinema Shines in Europe and US: 3 Awards Given to Two Films ‘Starless Dreams’ and ‘Malaria’

3- Countdown Begins for Operation to Liberate Mosul

Javan:

1- Kerry: Iran’s “Behaviour” Impedes Moving Forward with JCPOA!

Jomhouri Eslami:

1- General Policies of Elections [Outlined by the Leader] Will Allay Previous Concerns: Deputy Interior Minister

2- Increased Hostility of US towards Nigerian Shiites

3- Erdogan: We Won’t Leave the People of Mosul Alone!

Kayhan:

1- People’s Pockets Laugh at Rouhani Government’s Claim of 9% Inflation Rate!

2- Head of Chamber of Commerce Criticizes Rouhani Government’s Unrealized Promises

3- Parliament Limits Guardian Council’s Authority in a Questionable Move

4- Mosul Waiting for Heaviest Anti-ISIS Operation by Popular Forces

Khorasan:

1- Mosul Operation about to Begin

2- John Kerry Combines JCPOA Opening with Regional Issues

Payam-e Zaman:

1- Central Bank Urges All Iranian Banks Not to Impose Any Sanction on Iranian Figures inside the Country

2- Senior MP: US Worried about Weakness of Terrorist Groups in Syria

Resalat:

1- EU Court: Sanction against Iran Oil Tanker Company Can’t Be Lifted in Next 30 Years

2- Trump Reveals Cheating in US Elections

Rooyesh-e Mellat:

1- Zarif: We’ll Cooperate with Ivory Coast in Fight against Narcotics

Roozan:

1- Time Says Iran Election Is One of the Top 5 Most Important Elections in 2017; Iran’s Presidential Votes, the Most Important Elections for Current Generation

2- Rouhani Is in Good Conditions: Analyst

Setareh Sobh:

1- 15 MPs Urges Judiciary Chief to Reconsider Narges Mohammadi’s Sentence

2- Iran’s Ministry of Culture Holds Electronic Polls for First Time: Hossein Entezami Elected as Representative of Iranian Media Managers

Shargh:

1- Deputy Oil Minister: All Sanctions against National Oil Tanker Company Are Lifted

Vatan-e Emrooz:

1- ISIS Bloggers Arrested: Police Chief of Iranian Southeastern City

2- Trump Targets Clinton’s Achilles’ Heel: Doping Test Should Be Taken by Hillary

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Russia Moves Million-Ton Iceberg

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IFP Editorial Staff

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October 17, 2016

According to a report by Maritime Executive, as covered by IRNA, the tests by Rosneft were conducted in cooperation with the Arctic Science Center and the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI) and involved icebergs of different shapes and sizes under various weather conditions.

With the help of the icebreaker Kapitan Dranitsyn and the research vessel Akademik Treshnikov, the researchers were able to turn and tow the icebergs through 90 to 180 degrees from their original path. They also managed to pull away two icebergs in a single operation.

The tests were conducted in the Kara Sea and are designed to help protect marine infrastructure such as oil and gas platforms on the Arctic shelf from interaction with icebergs.

As part of the expedition, the scientists also studied local weather, geology and the glaciers of Novaya Zemlya, Severnaya Zemlya, De Long Islands and Franz Josef Land with the aim of determining the characteristics of icebergs in the region.

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Minister: Iran’s Gas Extraction from Joint Field to Be on Par with Qatar

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IFP Media Wire

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October 17, 2016

Iran is catching up with Qatar and has plans to extract the same amount of gas from South Pars after finishing the remaining work at 5 phases of the field by March 2017, Bijan Namdar Zanganeh announced.

According to the minister, Iran’s crude production will also hit 4 million barrels a day at the end of the current Iranian year (March 20, 2017).

The Oil Ministry says completion of the new phases of South Pars will raise the country’s extraction of gas by 100 million cubic meters, making that equal to Qatar’s extraction from the joint field.

The South Pars gas field is one of the largest gas reservoirs in the world lying on the territorial border between Iran and the Persian Gulf state of Qatar. It is one of Iran’s main energy resources.

This gas field covers an area of 9,700 square kilometers, of which 3,700 square kilometers belongs to Iran.

Kerry’s Remarks about JCPOA Are Absolutely Wrong: Iran

By

IFP Editorial Staff

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October 17, 2016

In a recent interview with the Foreign Affairs, John Kerry said that “Iran is engaged in Yemen and supporting Assad and supporting Hezbollah and firing missiles that people deem to be threatening and so forth.”

He said such stances hugely complicates efforts to move forward rapidly with regard to the nuclear deal implementation and the removal of barriers to business.

In reaction, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said, “John Kerry’s remarks are nothing but an excuse for the US to avoid carrying out its JCPOA commitments.”

Araqchi, who is also the head of the JCPOA follow-up committee, stressed that Kerry’s remarks are “absolutely wrong and incorrect” as the US must grant Tehran access to financial, banking, technology and commerce markets according to its commitments stipulated in the JCPOA.

“In the JCPOA, they accepted to avoid carrying out any action which would hinder the normalization of commercial and banking ties with Iran,” he said, as reported by Press TV.

Araqchi went on to note that the US must refrain from using excuses for hindrances in JCPOA’s implementation, and they are by no means acceptable to Iran.

Iran and world powers signed the nuclear deal, dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), on July 2015. The deal went into effect on January 16, 2016, and resolved a long-running dispute over the Iranian nuclear program.

Under the JCPOA, the Islamic Republic has agreed to roll back certain aspects of its nuclear program — including the volume of its uranium stockpiles enriched to the 20-percent level — and has provided international atomic monitors enhanced access to its nuclear facilities. In return, Iran’s partners agreed to terminate all nuclear-related sanctions against Iran.

ISIS Leader al-Baghdadi Escapes Mosul Airstrike Minutes ahead of Attack

By

IFP Editorial Staff

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October 17, 2016

According to a report by Sputnik, as covered by ISNA, the anti-ISIS forces conducted an airstrike on Mosul during a meeting of the commanders of the terrorist organization ISIS. In attendance was ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who is constantly changing his location in Iraq and Syria. At the last moment, he managed to escape.

The ISIS terrorist group’s ringleader Baghdadi escaped the airstrike in the Iraqi campaign to liberate the northern city of Mosul minutes ahead of an attack, local security sources told Sputnik on Monday.

“Baghdadi escaped at the last moment from the airstrike on a meeting among commanders in Mosul,” the sources said without clarifying whether the strike was conducted by Iraqi forces or the US-led coalition.

Al-Baghdadi’s movements are known only by his inner circle, with the leader constantly changing location in Iraq and Syria to avoid airstrikes.

Pomegranate Harvest in Iranian Village of ‘Red Rubies’

By

Fatemeh Askarieh

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October 17, 2016

Iranian farmers in the village of Durak Anari, 150km away from the city of Shahr-e Kord in Western Iran, have started harvesting pomegranate. The village is known as the ‘Village of Red Rubies’ because of its pomegranate gardens.

Family members dry the pomegranate seeds in a traditional ceremony over the rooftops. They also prepare five types of pomegranate pastes in this season.

Here are Fars’ photos of the harvest:

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