Relief workers with the Red Crescent Society of Iran have rescued a number of people affected by a snowstorm in the northwest.
One stranded individual was a heavily pregnant woman who gave birth in the process of being rescued.
The following images have been released by Mehr News Agencies:
Speaking at a meeting with the visiting Iraqi Foreign Minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, in Tehran, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani described as “regrettable and unacceptable” the execution of Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr by the Saudi regime.
He reiterated that the killing arises from sectarian policy of Riyadh.
He further criticized as unacceptable Saudi Arabia’s exploitation of its capacities to harm Muslims’ interests in the Middle East region.
Shamkhani also expressed regret that certain countries are hiring foreign mercenaries to kill civilians in Yemen and exacerbate insecurity across the region.
Saudi Arabia began the campaign against Yemen in late March 2015. The strikes are supposedly meant to undermine the Ansarullah movement and restore power to fugitive former Yemeni president, Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi.
Reports say that over 7,500 people have been killed and over 14,000 others injured since the strikes began.
Saudi Arabia announced the execution of Sheikh Nimr and 46 others on Saturday despite international calls for the release of the opposition cleric and other jailed political activists in the kingdom.
Also at the meeting the Iraqi foreign minister denounced the killing of Sheikh Nimr, but at the same time underlined “the need for unity among Muslims” to counter enemy plots.
Following a meeting with high-ranking officials in the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, Alireza Enayati said President Hassan Rouhani has ordered an investigation to the angry protests before the Saudi embassy in Tehran.
Explaining about the meeting on his Facebook account, the Iranian diplomat said he stressed that Iran is a responsible country and is committed to protection of the diplomatic missions.
Enayati said he was told that his Kuwaiti counterpart has been recalled from Tehran only for consultations.
‘Therefore, it turns out that there was no mention of severance or reduction of relations between Iran and Kuwait,’ he added.
‘We see Kuwait walking along the path of prudence and hear the call to solidarity from its officials specially from the Kuwaiti Emir,’ the envoy wrote.
Saeed Ohadi said on Wednesday the case of the Iranian pilgrims unaccounted for following the Mina tragedy was closed after 65 immediate families of the victims were dispatched to Saudi Arabia to help the identification process.
Stating that some 79 Iranian pilgrims had been buried in Mecca, Ohadi said that the families of 37 buried victims wanted the bodies to be returned to the country.
The bodies of 10 Iranian pilgrims arrived in the Iranian capital of Tehran on Wednesday, he said, adding that 16 more are expected in the next few days.
The crush occurred after two large masses of pilgrims converged at a crossroads in Mina during the symbolic ceremony of the stoning of Satan in Jamarat on September 24.
Saudi Arabia claims nearly 770 people were killed in the incident, but Iranian officials say about 4,700 people lost their lives in the tragedy.
The number of the Iranian fatalities is at least 464, exceeding that of other countries.
Saudi Arabia has come under harsh criticism over its role and handling of the Mina incident.
The tragedy came days after a massive construction crane collapsed into Mecca’s Grand Mosque, killing more than 100 people and leaving over 200 others wounded. According to the figures released by Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, 11 Iranian pilgrims were among the deceased and 32 of the injured were also Iranian nationals.
‘Those behind this clear offence should be punished in order to prevent such actions to happen again in the future,’ he added.
The president called the attack on Saudi Embassy, ‘an attack against the country’s security and the system’s authority’.
Rouhani vowed on Sunday to bring perpetrators of the overnight attack on the Saudi Embassy in Tehran to justice.
An outraged group of people stormed the Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashad late Saturday after the Saudi regime executed prominent Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr for alleged terror offenses.
‘I request Iran’s Interior Minister – with the cooperation of Judiciary and Intelligence Ministry – to identify the attackers and send them to judicial system so justice can be administered,’ Rouhani had said on Twitter.
The Iranian president condemned the killing of Sheikh al-Nimr, warning it would only exacerbate terrorism in the region, but urged Iranians to refrain from retaliation.
‘The Iranian people should not allow this to become an excuse for rogue individuals and groups to commit illegal acts and damage Iran’s image,’ he stressed.
Sheikh al-Nimr was an outspoken critic of the Saudi monarchy. He rose to prominence during the 2011 anti-government protests in the Saudi kingdom, where the Shia population says they are being discriminated against.
An unusual verdict a Golestan Province judge – who is a nature lover – has issued for a young man who committed an environmental offense has unleashed a wave of efforts to preserve the environment in the area.
Entekhab.ir on January 6 published a report on the atypical sentence for an environmental offender. The following is the translation of the report:
The sitting judge in the trial of a man in Golestan Province handed down an environmental verdict for the convict instead of a jail sentence.
The man who had tried to sell as many as 32 sandgrouses and laughing doves was sentenced to six months in discretionary jail term in a court of first instance in Gomishan District in Golestan Province. The convict later appealed against the court’s decision.
Having heard the case, the Court of Appeals reduced his sentence to one year suspended jail term and ordered him to appear in the Environment Protection Office in Turkman Port and Gomishan once a week to learn more about ways of protecting the environment, receive park ranger training and get familiar with the destructive impacts of poaching. He was also ordered to try to teach what he learns about the environment to other people in his area of residence.
According to the ruling, the court decision is implemented under the full supervision of the Environment Protection Office in Turkman Port which is obliged to report – every two months – to the court on what has been done.
With a population of more than 60,000 people, Gomishan is located in the northwest of the province. Its international lagoons, ponds and water reserves are home to a large number of indigenous and migrant birds in winter.
Orthodox Christians observe Christmas Day on or near January 7.
The following images of one such church observance have been released by Mehr News Agency:
A double-sided silk rug woven by Turkmen weavers [who are based in North Khorasan Province] is a unique artistic work when it comes to delicacy, motif and color.
The rug has been put on display in some Asian and European countries.
The following images of this silk rug, which has been put on display in some Asian and European countries, have been released by Jam-e-Jamonline.ir:
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the government of Saudi Arabia must stop measures that only serve to pour fuel on regional tensions in the Middle East.
Speaking during a press conference with his Iraqi counterpart, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, in Tehran on Wednesday, Zarif said the Saudi regime has, over the past two and a half years, moved against measures taken by Iran to contribute to the restoration of peace and unity in the region.
The Iranian foreign minister warned Saudi officials that any measure that would lead to escalation of tensions and create crises in the region will not benefit its perpetrator.
“We invite all parties to become united in the face of extremism, terrorism, sectarianism, and tribalism,” Zarif noted, adding that measures taken to intensify such factors will backfire on those who take such steps.
Zarif stated that Riyadh worked in line with the Israeli regime’s policy to undermine negotiation between Iran and six world powers over Tehran’s nuclear program, adding that the Saudi rulers even cut down oil prices to harm Tehran.
Iran has shown tolerance toward Saudi acts as it believes conflicts in the region will not serve the interests of any side, the Iranian foreign minister said.
Zarif also emphasized that measures aimed at fomenting tension in the terror-hit Middle East region do not stem from the power of those who take them, but are out of pure “weakness.”
Zarif: No justification for Sheikh Nimr’s execution
Zarif touched on special conditions in the region following the recent execution of senior Saudi Shiite cleric, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, adding that he had discussed the issue with his Iraqi counterpart.
He noted that Saudi Arabia’s measure to executive the cleric was by no means justifiable because he was “a person who dedicated his entire life to invite people to Islam through peaceful means, dialogue, and interaction” and took advantage of all civil capacities to oppose recourse to military forces, terrorism and extremism.
“The measure taken against this reformist and scholarly figure is by no means justified and it has been met with hatred and condemnation across the world,” Zarif said.
A former French premier has said that his country will not follow in the footsteps of the United States if Washington unilaterally goes back on its promises under the Iran nuclear deal.
Jean-Pierre Raffarin, who served as French prime minister (2002–2005), made the remark in an interview with Etemaad daily’s Ehsan Badaghi and added that JCPOA is an agreement between Iran and six world powers and that one country, out of P5+1, cannot unilaterally violate the nuclear deal.
The opposition UMP party senator – who is now the chairman of the French Senate Committee for Foreign Affairs, Defense and Military – also talked about trans-partisan policies of France on the war on terror and stressed that Iran should be a key player in international efforts to take on terrorism.
Raffarin was in Tehran in mid-December as part of a French delegation led by President of the French Senate Gerard Larcher. The following is the translation of the final part (PART THREE) of the interview which focused on the international fight against terrorism and implementation of the Iran nuclear deal:
Q: If France holds a positive view of Iran, why is it that Paris took the harshest stance in the final hours of the two key stages of nuclear talks – once in Geneva and another time in Vienna? In those two stages, why did your country adopt a policy which pushed the talks to the brink of a breakdown?
A: France had no intention of taking the talks to the brink of a breakdown and putting an end to the negotiating process. France wanted the two sides to arrive at an agreement which could bring the dispute to an end for good. France was extremely worried that an agreement that lacked substance might be struck, one that could not close the [Iran nuclear] case forever.
The question was how to change Iran’s international position, and such a change is not what you can bring about every six months. France is very happy with the agreement [Iran and P5+1 struck in July] and is certain that the parties to the Iran nuclear deal will keep their end of the bargain.
As far as France is concerned, this [Iran’s nuclear] case is closed. We should honor all commitments under the nuclear deal. This applies to all sides of the deal. We can embark on our new work with regard to Iran’s new international position.
Q: What is that new work?
A: Development of political and economic cooperation. It is what the two sides are very much eager about, both officials in Iran and in France.
Q: As far as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is concerned, there is one point. Despite your positive view, we see certain developments, especially the new developments in the US, have unfolded to counter Iran. These developments have now created ambiguities in Iran. There are some in the Republican Party who insist on going back on JCPOA in case their nominee wins the 2016 presidential elections. What do you think about such stance? What is France’s policy on this?
A: We view JCPOA as a special international opportunity, a starting point for a number of positive developments. I should stress here that JCPOA will not be revoked. France got involved in the talks simply to help the two sides reach a sustainable agreement.
I do not think a new development will take place in the United States [which can affect the nuclear deal], because it is in the best interests of all nations for Iran to assume its own place and undertake its own responsibilities. Thanks to Iran’s regional power and economic potential, it would serve the interests of all nations to help Iran reclaim the position it seeks and deserves on the world stage. This is the conclusion many countries have come to: this is the position which belongs to Iran.
France will be seriously defending Iran’s efforts to achieve such a position [at the international level] and this is the most important message of Paris to Iranian officials.
As for a US decision to contradict JCPOA, I should say that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is a deal struck by Iran and six countries which represented the international community. I think the requirements of the political situation will eventually bar the US or any other country from going it alone and breaching the nuclear deal. Five powerful countries along with Iran, which had been involved in the talks for two years, will not easily ignore the results of the talks.
I cannot make promises on behalf of the Americans, but I can say on behalf of France that we will remain committed to the deal we have inked and reject as unconstructive any breach of JCPOA.
France distanced itself from the Americans during the US invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, but our differences with the Americans will widen even more if they violate the nuclear deal. Paris does not follow any other country, including the US, when it comes to the implementation of the Iran nuclear deal.
The end
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