Rio’s Olympic Village mayor officially greeted the Olympic participants.
Asghar Rahimi, Iran’s Olympic Team Chef de Mission, attended the ceremony.
Team Iran comprises 63 athletes representing 14 sports federations, including the Athletics, Archery, Boxing, Cycling, Fencing, Judo, Rowing, Shooting, Swimming, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Volleyball, Weightlifting, and Wrestling federations.
The 2016 Summer Olympic Games will begin on August 5 and runs until August 21.
Commander of the Iranian Army Ground Force Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan attended an exhibition in Tehran on Monday morning, held to display the latest achievements of the force’s experts.
One of the items on display was a specific drone used in electronic warfare. The pilotless aircraft enjoys a jamming system that emits radio signals to paralyze the enemy’s communication systems.
A number of other aircraft were also unveiled in the event, including drones equipped with imaging and laser systems used for disrupting the activity of enemy drones.
Iran is now in possession of a broad range of UAVs which can be used for both civilian and military purposes.
In December 2014, Iran’s Army Ground Force for the first time utilized a type of suicide drone in a large-scale military exercise.
The Army Ground Force stages a range of different war games each year, including specialized exercises using drones.
Pourdastan had announced earlier that the army units have been equipped with a specific type of advanced suicide drone capable of destroying both air and ground targets.
Here is IFP’s translation of Iranian media reports about the issue:
Abbasi, who calls himself the ‘Kissinger of Islam’ and is known for his controversial speeches about various fields like Cinema, Economy, History and Politics, had delivered a speech back in 2009 in University of Tehran.
In a video clip recently published of his remarks in Iran, Abbasi, who is the head of the ‘Centre for Doctrinal Strategic Studies’, lashes out at the Iranian Army’s inaction, particularly the political and social issues.
The remarks were widely criticized by Iranian officials, especially those in the IRGC and the Army, which are the two units of Iranian Armed Forces.
Head of the IRGC’s Public Relations Department General Ramezan Sharif said on Sunday, July 31, that the IRGC never confirms such remarks, and any move that weakens the Islamic Republic’s institutions and structures is condemned.
He further hailed the coordination between the Army and the IRGC in spite of the differences in their missions, saying that such strategic cooperation has provided the country with sustainable and unique security in the crisis-hit Middle East.
“IRGC and Army are a single soul in two bodies. They are the single hand and the iron fist of the Iranian nation against the enemy’s front, and any effort to weaken and cause rift between the Iranian Armed Forces is doomed to failure,” he went on to say, as reported by ILNA.
Earlier, the Commander of Army Ground Force Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan noted that Abbasi should apologize for his remarks.
He said the Army’s legal department has filed a lawsuit against Abbasi, and he should appear in the court soon.
Commander of the Army Navy Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari also described Abbasi as a person who thinks he knows everything in every area including politics, society, economy, culture, philosophy, geopolitics, geo-strategy, geo-culture, and the like, while he is not an expert in such fields.
Abbasi later appeared in the military court and explained about his remarks.
After the court appearance, he sent a message on Monday, August 1, to Army Commander Major General Ataollah Salehi and apologized for his remarks. He at the same time noted that the move to release the video after six years was an effort by ‘liberals’ and ‘anti-Revolution’ media to deviate Iranian public opinion from such important issues as the astronomical salaries, widespread economic downturn, the US betrayal in the post-JCPOA era, a secret meeting [between President Hassan Rouhani and Israelis] in August 1986 in Paris, among other things.
In an address to a ceremony to mark the 50th Anniversary of Establishment of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC), Nematzadeh said, “Thanks to the efforts made by the Ministry of Petroleum in different sectors like exploration, drilling, platform construction and the offshore and onshore pipeline laying, we have gained considerable success and we can even claim that we are competing with many other countries of the region in the areas.”
He shifted to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and said one of its outcomes had been the expansion of foreign investment in the country to the extent that in the first three months of this year [started on March 20], there were several cases of foreign investment in the industry.
Now, many of the country’s gas refineries have extreme potential and the peripheral services and equipment in majority of them are provided by Iranian companies, he went on to say, as reported by Shana and edited by IFP.
He said his ministry has good cooperation with the Ministry of Petroleum and the NIGC and the cooperation and ties can expand even more.
38 per cent of the world’s gas is consumed by the industry sector, he noted, adding that the figure in Iran’s industry is 26 per cent.
“I believe such a God-given energy should be consumed more in the industry. Gas is a valuable blessing for people but we should be careful about its consumption because energy waste today is at a high level in Iran.”
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a ceremony to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of NIGC, Araqi said plans are underway to supply CNG to the power plant.
According to a report by Shana, as translated by IFP, an Iranian private company has engaged in talks with NIGC for the export and storage of gas in storage facilities of Azerbaijan Republic, he noted.
“The talks are not between the governments of the two countries and Iran has engaged in cooperation with neighbouring countries in gas trade as one of its major strategies.”
He said the NIGC is now supplying gas to over 97% of the country’s urban population and 67% of the population in rural areas. Meanwhile it is feeding power plants with 90% of their fuel need through natural gas.
“Today, even the diplomats and individuals who were present in the [nuclear] negotiations reiterate the fact that the US breaks its promises, and while speaking softly and sweetly [to Iran], it is busy obstructing and damaging Iran’s economic relations with other countries,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
The Leader made the remarks in a meeting with thousands of Iranians from several provinces in the capital, Tehran, on Monday morning, as reported by the Leader’s website and translated by IFP.
“I have been reiterating the issue of US unreliability for years, but it was difficult for some to accept the reality,” the Leader went on to say.
“The cruel sanctions were supposed to be removed so that people’s lives are positively influenced. Has any tangible change been made in people’s lives?” Ayatollah Khamenei asked.
“If it was not for the US violation of its commitments, the government could do many things during these months, couldn’t it?” the Leader further noted.
The sanctions were initially supposed to be lifted all at once; however, the Leader said, there are now talks of their gradual removal.
Enumerating cases of the US breach of the deal, the Leader said the experience of JCPOA made it clear that negotiation with the US on other regional issues would be a “lethal poison”.
One cannot trust the US on any issue, Ayatollah Khamenei stressed.
The Leader went on to say that negotiation with the US government would entail deviation from the road to progress, making successive concessions and bowing to the language of force and violation of commitments.
USA’s Suspicious Role in Turkey Coup Attempt
“There is intense speculation in Turkey’s recent events that the coup was carried out with Americans’ planning and assistance, and if confirmed, it will mark a big scandal for the US,” the Leader noted elsewhere in his remarks, as reported by Tasnim.
Washington’s hostile plots and interference are not confined to Iran, the Leader stressed, adding that the US is “opposed to Islam and Islamic tendencies and that is why they stage a coup in Turkey, in which there are Islamic tendencies.”
The coup was crushed in Turkey and the US became obnoxious in the eyes of the Turkish people, Ayatollah Khamenei added, noting that Americans are on the wane in other places like Iraq and Syrian, too.
Elsewhere in the address, Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the US as the party that either creates or escalates conflicts in the region, stressing that regional countries are capable enough to deal with the region’s problems.
“We… remind the regional governments that the US is not trustworthy and considers the Arab governments as tools to preserve the Zionist regime (of Israel) and fulfil its arrogant policies,” the Leader underscored.
Saudi-Israeli Ties, Stab in Back of Islam
Ayatollah Khamenei further slammed the revelation of overt relations between the Saudi government and the Zionist regime as a stab in the back of the Islamic community, saying the US again has had a role in such a grave sin and betrayal.
The 16th ‘Picture World’ Cinema and TV Ceremony was held at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall on July 23, in the presence of a large number of cineastes, artists and cultural figures.
Organized by Ali Moallem, a film producer and the editor-in-chief of Picture World Magazine, as the first private cinematic celebration in the country, the annual event presented the best of Iran’s cinema and national TV during the past year with the Hafez Award.
Iranian artists, from the old ones to the young, appeared on the red carpet in beautiful and colourful clothes. Some of them were alone and some were accompanied by their spouses. It was a fashion show in Iranian style.
Some women wore heavy make-up and some of their clothes were more colourful than the ones regularly seen in the streets and ceremonies.
However, it was a ceremony for cinema, theatre, and TV stars, and the art community is always different wherever it is. This is why artists are always closely watched and their appearances are criticized.
Some media criticized the huge prices paid for such clothes, and argued that being a popular artist is in contradiction with wearing such glorious clothes. Some of them also talked about the violation of social norms and standards in the way some women had dressed up.
Yalasarat, which is the outlet of a group of most radical members of Iran’s Hezbollah, went beyond the usual criticisms and attacked the participants using words that were even protested by some conservative and religious figures.
The move was widely condemned by Iranian artists, particularly the syndicate, and everyone was waiting to see how the government would react.
Finally on August 1, the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance announced that Yalasarat’s licence is revoked and the weekly is shut down because of its repeated violations of the rules.
Newspapers on Monday covered the recent controversy over the remarks by a so-called strategist and political scientist, Hassan Abbasi, who had criticized the Iranian Army’s indifference to the country’s incidents. The remarks were strongly slammed by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps and many other bodies and figures, who described such comments as being aimed at causing rift between the Armed Forces.
The papers also highlighted the statements made by the Secretary of Iran’s Guardian Council Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, who admitted to the Council’s mistakes during the recent elections, and also criticized the moves by certain candidates to buy votes.
The European Union’s support for Iran’s accession to the World Trade Organization was also a top story.
The above issues as well as many more are covered in the following headlines:
Abrar:
1- Iraqi PM Welcomes Shut-Down of Ba’ath Party
2- Armed Conflict and Explosion in Somalia’s Capital
3- S-300 Missile Defence System Installed in East of Tehran: US Website
4- We’re Ready for Mosul Operation: Iraqi DM
Abrar-e Eqtesadi:
1- Gov’t to Study Plan to Change Weekends
2- Sri Lanka’s Oil Minister Offers to Settle Its Oil Debts by Giving Tea to Iran!
3- Japan’s Investments in Iran’s Construction Projects
Aftab-e Yazd:
1- What Ahmadinejad’s Sons Do: Mahdi and Alireza Are Labourers These Days, Advisor Claims
2- Messages of Mahmoud Abbas’ New Mission
3- MP Warns Iranian People against Being Deceived by Appearance of Chinese Cars
4- Rouhani’s Gov’t Isn’t Strong in Defending Itself
5- Japan’s $3bn Investment in Iran: Tokyo Outperforms Airbus and Boeing
Arman-e Emrooz:
1- Rouhani Postpones Government’s Nationwide Employment Test to Ensure Women’s Rights and Equality between Male and Female Applicants
2- It Has Become Customary for Candidates to ‘Buy’ Votes: Ayatollah Jannati
3- IRGC Slams the Remarks Made by a So-Called Strategist against Iranian Army
4- Growing Trend of Divorce among Newly-Weds
Asrar:
1- IRGC Spokesman Condemns Any Move that Causes Rift between Armed Forces
2- EU Officially Supports Iran’s Accession to WTO
3- Worrying Growth of Cyber Crimes in Iran
4- UAE Had Funded Turkey Coup: Turkish Intelligence Sources
5- Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas Meets Leader of MKO Terrorist Group
6- We Had Problems in Qualification of Candidates: Jannati
7- Iran’s Human Rights Case Is Honourable: Official
Ebtekar:
1- Parliament Has Turned to a Centre for Rich People: Guardian Council Secretary
2- Death Penalty Is People’s Right, Not that of the Government: Human Rights Official
3- Leakage of Iran’s Nuclear Data Was Aimed at Putting US under Pressure: AEOI Spokesman
4- IRGC and Army Are the Iranian Nation’s Single Hand against Enemies: IRGC Public Relations in Reaction to Hassan Abbasi’s Anti-Army Comments
5- Iran’s General Inspection Office Starts Investigating Education Ministry’s Plan to Guide Students in Choosing Their High School Major
Etemad:
1- Cessation of Employment Test in Favour of Women: Gender Quotas Should Be Revised and Become Fair
2- Reformists Are Waiting for Cabinet Reshuffle
3- Land Subsidence, a New Danger Threatening Persepolis Historical Site
Ettela’at:
1- National Information Network to Be Launched in Late August: Minister
2- 7,000 Turkish Troops Surround Incirlik Air Base in Fear of New Coup
3- People in Scotland Call for Separation from Britain
Haft-e Sobh:
1- A Cleric from Mashhad Who Is a Bowling Champion
2- A Report on Use of Internet among Iranian People: Iran Is One of the World’s 20 Countries with Most Use of Internet
Iran:
1- We Had Many Mistakes and Errors in Elections: Guardian Council Secretary
2- Ahmadinejad’s Gov’t Had Many Payments to Foreign Countries out of ‘Excitement’: Former CBI Chief
3- Talks for Purchase of 20 Planes from Japan
Jame Jam:
1- Crossing Borders of Ethics: Prevalence of Unethical Channels in Cyberspace
2- Aleppo: One Step Left to the Dawn
3- Meeting of 2 Useless Players in Paris [Maryam Rajavi and Mahmoud Abbas]
Javan:
1- ‘Compromise’ [symbol of Palestinian Authority] and ‘Discord’ [symbol of MKO Group] Linked with Each Other Thanks to Saudi Petrodollars
2- Ex-MP Urges Rouhani to Confront Corruptors, Even If They’re Closest People to Him
3- Iran’s Army and IRGC, Both Are a Single Divine Troop [Editorial]
Jomhouri Eslami:
1- US Cooperation with ISIS Terrorists in Aleppo Revealed
2- Iran to Cooperate with Any Solution Accepted by Syrian Gov’t and Nation: Deputy FM
3- Iran’s Foreign Ministry Warns a Number of Countries that Support Al Saud’s Seditionist Policies
4- Refusing to Meddle in Politics and Economy Is a Strong Point for Iran’s Army: Vice-Speaker
5- 240 Foreign Oil Tankers Berth at Iran’s Kharg Island for 1st Time since JCPOA
6- Strategic Defeat of American Coalition in Aleppo [Editorial]
Kayhan:
1- Weird Claims by CIA Chief: Who Will Show Reaction?
2- Muslim Black Man Beaten to Death by Canadian Police
3- JCPOA Is Aimed at Increasing Pressure on Iran, But Some Officials Still Ignore It
Khorasan:
1- IRGC’s Strong Support for Army
2- Continued Reactions to What Happened in Hafez Ceremony
3- Trade Ministry Joins Chamber of Commerce in Proposing to Change Iranian Weekly Holidays
4- In Which Times De Mistura Visits Iran?
5- $1.1m of Unconventional Salaries Returned to Government
Sepid:
1- Iranian Men Have Had the World’s Greatest Increase in Height over a Century
2- Iran’s Blood Reserves at Least 5 Times More than the Country’s Need
3- There Is No Cure for Autism
Shahrvand:
1- The Tempting Spiders; In Spite of Unsuccessful Experiences: Iranians Are Still Interested in Network Marketing
2- 2 Years in Jail for Cheetah Hunter
Shargh:
1- An Interview with Kiarostami’s French Doctor
2- More than 400 Artists and Cultural Figures Send a Message to Kiarostami’s Family: You’re Not Alone
3- JCPOA Once Again Bears Fruits: Mogherini Supports Iran’s WTO Accession
4- Roles of 3 Countries in Leakage of Iran’s Nuclear Data
5- Kayhan Newspaper Criticizes Ahmadinejad
6- Army and IRGC Are Iron Fist of Iranian Nation
Vaghaye Ettefaghieh:
1- Leader’s Aide: Ankara Should Beware of Certain Countries’ Role in Coup
2- Iranian Cinema Protests at an Insult
3- Iran Football Federation to Support Members of Malavan Football Team: Girls Accused of Having Sexual Relationships
Vatan-e Emrooz:
1- 2 Offending Saudi Officers Who Molested Iranian Teenagers Have Yet to Be Tried!
2- Iran’s Human Rights Chief Criticizes Government’s Diplomatic Inaction over Zakzaky’s Case
3- Enters General Erdogan!
Upon his arrival in the Lebanese capital early on Monday, Boroujerdi was received by Amal MP Ali Bazzi, Hezbollah MP Ali Meqdad and Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mohammad Fathali, The Daily Star reported.
During his two-day visit, he is expected to hold meetings with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Tammam Salam, Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, a Hezbollah delegation and Palestinian factions in Lebanon.
Boroujerdi last visited Lebanon in January 2015.
“For the first time after (the implementation of) the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), 240 oil supertankers carrying various countries’ flags loaded at Kharg island,” Mohammad Mehdi Benchari said on Sunday.
The supertankers were from countries such as France, Spain, Greece, Poland, the Netherlands, Italy and South Korea, he added, Shana reported.
Benchari went on to say that over 35.8 million tons of different products were loaded and unloaded at Kharg during the first four months of the current Iranian calendar year (started on March 20), showing a 60-percent increase in comparison with the similar period last year.
Earlier, Mohsen Qamsari, the director for international affairs of National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), said the country has reclaimed about 80 percent of its share in global oil markets since anti-Tehran sanctions were removed.
Iran exports about 2 million barrels of its daily output of 3.8 million and has regained about 80 percent of the market share it held before the anti-Tehran sanctions, he said on July 11.
The anti-Iran sanctions were lifted after Tehran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) on July 14, 2015 reached an agreement on Iran’s peaceful nuclear program and started implementing it on January 16.
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