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IRAN FRONT PAGELatest News and Views From Iran, Middle East and the World

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Home Blog Page 4698

Zarif, Lavrov discuss Syria crisis

October 26, 2015

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov have discussed the ongoing crisis in Syria, Russia’s Tass news agency reported.

In a phone conversation Monday, Zarif and Lavrov discussed the latest developments in Syria and exchanged views on the role of external players in the political settlement of the Arab country.

“An exchange of opinions on the situation in Syria continued in the context of tasks of fighting against terrorism and facilitating the process of political settlement of the crisis in the country, including by mobilizing international support and involving main countries in the region,” a statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry read.

Syria has been gripped by a civil war since 2011. The Syrian army has been fighting several opposition factions and numerous militant groups, including ISIL.

On September 30, Russia began airstrikes on ISIL positions in Syria at the request of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Since the beginning of the air campaign, Russian Aerospace Forces have carried out some 830 strikes, killing several hundred militants and destroying dozens of command centers, and depots used by the terrorists.

Iran selected guest of honor at 2016 Belgrade Book Fair

Emad Askarieh

October 26, 2015

The 60^th Belgrade International Book Fair (BIBF) has picked Iran as the special guest of honor for its 61^st edition in 2016.

Belgrade’s Secretary of Culture Vladan Vukosavljevic made the announcement in a press conference prior to the book fair and said that Iran is among the countries which have the oldest and richest human culture.

The following is a brief translation of a report Khabaroline.ir published on October 26 on the Belgrade International Book Fair and Iran’s pavilion there:

The Belgrade International Book Fair – which is held from October 25 to November 1 – brings together more than 480 publishers from Iran, Russia, Angola, Australia, Belarus, Bosnia Herzegovina, Britain, Italy, Greece, Croatia, India, France, the Netherlands, Macedonia, Germany, Austria, Spain, Japan, China, Brazil, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia, Montenegro, and Poland with over 150,000 book titles.

Russian historian and writer Natalya Narochnitskaya, whose country is the special guest of honor of the 2015 Belgrade book fair, and Serbian filmmaker Emir Kusturica made speeches at the opening ceremony on Sunday.

Iran’s cultural attaché in Serbia was on hand in the opening ceremony of the book fair which has adopted “What would be if there was no Belgrade Book Fair in all these years?” as its slogan for this year’s edition.

Iran’s pavilion at the cultural event has put on display more than 100 books which have been translated into the Serbian language as well as handicrafts, cultural brochures and films on Iran’s culture and civilization. Valuable books such as The Nahj al-Balagha, Sahifeh Sajadieh, Masnavi-I Ma’navi (in Serbian and Macedonian languages), The Bostan of Saadi, The Conference of the Birds by Attar Neishabouri, poems of Parvin Etesami, Omar Khayyam’s four-line verses, Martyr Motahari’s Dastan Rastan, etc. are also on show in the fair.

Iran’s site which is one of the best in the international event has attracted the attention of many visitors. Iran will attend the 2016 edition of the BIBF as the special guest of honor. The Cultural Office of Iran’s Embassy in Belgrade, the Cultural Department of the Islamic Culture and Communication Organization and the Cultural Department of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance as well as Iran’s Cultural Fairs Institute will work together to prepare for Iran’s presence in next year’s book fair.

[…]

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Oct. 26

Emad Askarieh

October 26, 2015

The comments of the intelligence minister about the nuclear deal and the imminent execution of Saudi Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr dominated the front pages of Iranian newspapers on Monday.

Ettela’at: Bashar Assad stands ready to hold early presidential elections, a Russian parliamentary delegation said after meeting the Syrian president.

At the meeting, the Syrian president said that elimination of terrorist groups can lead to political solutions in Syria.

Ettela’at: A national conference on Society, Natural Resources, Water and the Environment will be held.

Ettela’at: Yemeni fishermen have been massacred by Saudi fighter jets.

Ninety-night were killed and 102 others wounded in the Saudi airstrike against the fishermen in Uqban.

Ettela’at: Government strategies to secure the inflow of foreign investment

A deputy economy minister has said that transfer of modern technology, access to international markets, better quality local products and completion of the local production cycle are among government strategies to boost foreign investment.

Ettela’at: Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has admitted that the Iraq War helped create IS. “I’m sorry,” he said.

Ettela’at: The German vice-chancellor has in a statement said that the uprising of Ashura [the third Shiite Imam led against tyranny more than 13 centuries ago] shows that steadfast resistance wins over war.

Ettela’at: New medical university programs compatible with the needs of the country will be set up.

Abrar: After 14 years, the Iranian Weightlifting Federation has revealed that reports that Turkey offered Hossein Rezazadeh [Iran’s heavyweight Olympic gold medalist] $10 million to assume Turkish nationality and attend the Olympics as a Turkish athlete were not true.

Abrar: The chairman of the French Senate is to visit Iran.

Abrar: A spokesman for the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps has said that the number of IRGC’s military advisors in Syria is to increase.

Abrar-e Eghtesadi: The number of items Iran imports from the US has increased to 119.

Afarinesh: “All countries should help determine the cause of the Mina tragedy,” said Foreign Minister Zarif in a meeting with the new Malian ambassador to Tehran.

Afarinesh: Austria has called on Iran to take part in an upcoming conference on Syria in Vienna.

Afkar: Iran is to join the world club of LNG exporters.

Aftab-e Yazd: A Reaganized White House, a scourge for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action

The daily takes a closer look at what will become of the Iran nuclear deal if Republican Donald Trump is elected US president.

Arman-e Emrooz: The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was the government’s winning battle, said the intelligence minister as he took a swipe at those who try to torpedo the nuclear deal.

Ebtekar: “Some are not allowing the government to focus its attention on efforts to settle the country’s problems,” said the intelligence minister.

Etemad: New oil talks with Total and Lukoil; Russia and France are Iran’s customers.

Hambastegi: Oil sanctions will be lifted in two months, said the deputy oil minister.

Hemayat: The Iranian deputy foreign minister has warned Saudi authorities against executing prominent Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr.

Iran: The deputy oil minister has said that six European countries seek to establish oil cooperation with Iran.

Javan: Passive diplomacy [of Iran] in the face of a bold inexperienced minister [of Saudi Arabia].

Javan: Members of the Basij Force of 25 universities in Isfahan protest an Iran visit by former UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.

Jomhouri Islami: Mobarakeh Steel Company has been named exemplary exporter of the year.

Jomhouri Islami: A number of MPs have called on the judiciary to deal with hardliners who chanted slogans against state officials at a mourning service attended by the Supreme Leader.

Kaenat: The intelligence minister has said that 80 percent of Iran’s goals has been fulfilled in the nuclear deal.

Kar va Kargar: The Iranian MPs have said the instructions of the Supreme Leader on the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action are the final words both politically and religiously.

Kayhan: Unchecked imports from toothpicks to managers, a new solution to solve the country’s economic problems!

[The daily has taken an implicit swipe at the trade minister who suggested a few days ago that the economy sector can follow in the footsteps of sports in signing foreign managers.]

Resalat: “Fieldwork is needed in screening potential candidates,” said the spokesman of the Guardian Council.

Setareh Sobh: The likelihood of the young ayatollah [a reference to the grandson of the late Imam Khomeini] running for the Assembly of Experts has increased.

Sharq: The intelligence minister has deplored the fact that some are calling the members of the Iranian nuclear negotiating team as traitors.

The highest-paid Iranian lawyer is visually impaired

Emad Askarieh

October 26, 2015

He was born blind for which the so-called cousin marriage was to blame. To him, the world was pitch-black, yet he wouldn’t let gloom swallow him up and drive him to despair. Forty-one years on, he has made a name for himself as a seasoned lawyer.

Tebyan.net has published a report on Ali Saberi and how he ended up being a famous lawyer despite his handicap. What appears next is the translation of part of that report:

The highest-paid Iranian lawyer was born in Tehran in 1973. You may wonder how it is possible for a visually-impaired man to climb up the career ladder while a lot of people with perfect eyesight fail to land a job. But, he believes that he is no different from people around him and what he has done is not much of a feat.

On his success in the university entrance exam, Saberi said, “There were a few hardworking students among my relatives who helped me develop a liking for education. I took part in the entrance exam in 1990 and finished second in the nationwide ranking.”

His admission to university paved the way for his acquaintance with Mr. Shahbazi, himself a blind student. Their friendship later helped him get a job in Lavasan Judicial Complex.

In 1998, after Saberi got his Master’s degree, he took the bar exam and passed it with distinction. On his first court case which was a divorce case, he said, “Initially I thought upon setting on foot in the courtroom, stress would engulf me, but unlike what I had imagined, my two-year work experience at the judicial complex helped me represent my client well. Things went without a hitch.”

On other cases he’s handled, Saberi said, “In 2003 the Iranian Hemophilia Society talked with me about a case involving its 2,500 members infected with HIV and hepatitis after the use of tainted blood products provided to them by the Blood Transfusion Organization and the Health Ministry.

I accepted to represent them and with God’s grace, after 23 months, the court ordered the two organizations to pay compensation.”

According to tariffs set by Iran Bar Association, my fee was around $1.7 million, but I was not paid off. Of the money I got, I donated some $200,000 to the Iranian Hemophilia Society.”

It has been four years since the successful attorney married a colleague of his. Saberi has a professional motto which advises anyone who seeks to embark on a career in legal representation to take into account: An attorney should get happy after winning a court case only if his victory makes a difference in the legal literature of his country.

Washington’s jailing of Iranian citizens unacceptable: Spokeswoman

Emad Askarieh

October 26, 2015

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham on Sunday slammed the United States for detaining and jailing Iranian nationals on baseless charges.

She said Washington’s recent move to sentence an Iranian citizen to over eight years in prison is “completely unjust”, describing the US government’s detention and imprisonment of Iranians on “groundless and unfounded” charges as “unacceptable”.

On Friday, a court in the US State of Connecticut sentenced Mozaffar Khazaei, an Iranian-American engineer, to eight years and one month in prison and ordered him to pay a $50,000 in fines for allegedly breaching anti-Iran sanctions.

Afkham said the Islamic Republic of Iran has always stressed that it considers the detention of its citizens for “breaching sanctions” illegal and in violation of international laws.

“Unfortunately, a number of our citizens are in jails in the US and some other countries for unjustified reasons and on charge of violating the illegal and illegitimate (anti-Iran) sanctions,” she said, adding that efforts have been and will continue to be made through legal and political channels to prove these individuals’ innocence and secure their freedom.

Stressing that these Iranian nationals are innocent, Afkham called for their “immediate and unconditional release”.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry says 19 Iranians are in custody in the US on unfounded charge of violation of US-imposed sanctions.

Saudi Arabia to pay dearly if cleric Nimr executed: Iran

Emad Askarieh

October 26, 2015

Iran says Saudi Arabia’s execution of prominent Shia cleric Nimr Baqr al-Nimr, if carried out, would come at “a heavy expense” for the kingdom.

On Sunday, Nimr’s brother, Mohammad, confirmed that the Saudi Supreme Court and the Specialized Appeals Court had endorsed a death sentence issued last year against him for inciting sectarian strife and disobeying King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The cleric has denied the charges.

Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said, “The execution of Sheikh Nimr will exact a heavy price on Saudi Arabia.”

Nimr’s lawyer, Sadeq al-Jubran, has also said that Nimr could be executed as soon as the Saudi monarch approves his sentence.

The UK-based rights group Amnesty International has called Nimr’s trial “deeply flawed” and the death sentence “appalling,” saying the verdict has to be quashed.

Amir-Abdollahian said, “The country has yet to provide a convincing response for its mismanagement of this year’s Hajj pilgrimage, which led to the death of thousands of Shia and Sunni Muslims.”

The Iranian official was referring to the crush that occurred after two large masses of pilgrims converged at a crossroads in Mina outside the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia on September 24.

[…]

The year’s Hajj incidents and Saudi Arabia’s military invasion of Yemen proved that the country “is not in favorable conditions; and provocative and sectarian approaches against its citizens will not be in the [Saudi] government’s interest,” Amir-Abdollahian said.

[…]

Amir-Abdollahian urged Riyadh to “avoid adventuresome behavior against its people and the people of the region and tread on the path of fairness and rationality.”

Envoy: Al-Baghdadi not in Turkey

Emad Askarieh

October 26, 2015

Head of the terrorist group of ISIL Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is not in Turkey, Turkish Ambassador to Iran Reza Hakan Tekin said on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters, he noted that if ISIL leaders or any of its affiliates or elements enter the Turkish territory, they will be arrested immediately.

Tekin refused media reports about the hospitalization of al-Baghdadi in Turkey, adding that these reports are biased.

Turkey is victim of terrorism and has declared ISIL as a terrorist group, he added.

Some media have reported that ISIL Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been transferred to Turkey for treatment through coordination by the CIA after the notorious terrorist leader was severely injured in the Iraqi army’s airstrike on his convoy in Western Anbar province.

A military statement by the Iraqi Army announced on October 11 that the Iraqi air force had bombed the convoy of al-Baghdadi while he was heading to Al-Karable to attend a meeting of ISIL commanders.

Several ISIL commanders were killed in the June airstrike, including Abu Hareth Al-Shami, Abu Aeshe al-Ansari – an explosives expert – Moroccan national Abu Yousef Al-Jezrawi, Abu Hussein Al-Salmani who was in charge of issues concerning ISIL’s Zakah (an Islamic tax system), and Wa’d al-Latif Jom’eh al-Mohammadi who was in charge of ISIL’s suicide operations.

Saudi prince arrested at Beirut Airport after discovery of 2 tons of drugs

Emad Askarieh

October 26, 2015

A Saudi Prince identified as Abdul Muhsin bin Waleed Abdul Aziz has been arrested at Beirut International Airport after authorities discovered two tons of illicit drugs on board his private jet, Lebanon’s Al-Manar Television reported.

The Saudi prince and four of his companions are being questioned by authorities in connection with the haul which is said to be have been hidden in packages and trunks which bore “belongs to Prince Abdul Muhsin bin Waleed Abdul Aziz” labels.

Al-Ahed news website has said the Saudi prince has also had cocaine in his possession for personal use.

Allegations of Saudi top diplomat do not merit a response: Expert

Emad Askarieh

October 25, 2015

An Iranian Foreign Ministry expert has denounced as worthless the anti-Iran allegations of Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir and advised him to make comments that fit his diplomatic weight.

Fararu.com has filed a report on what else the expert has said. What appears next is the translation of the report the news website released on October 25:

The expert said, “Apparently, Adel Al-Jubeir, who has spent the better part of his life in the US and is used to an American way of speaking, has forgotten that he is speaking for a country which has been involved in a war against a Muslim neighbor for seven months – with the help of some of its allies – and has shed the blood of innocent and defenseless people of Yemen. Although Saudi Arabia has spared no crime, it has not secured any victory.”

He went on to say that the repeated and valueless allegations of the Saudi minister do not merit a political response or any official reaction from the Iranian Foreign Ministry. “Senior Saudi officials should advise their nervous and inexperienced minister to make wise remarks compatible with his political weight and avoid trying the patience of the Iranian nation before it costs Riyadh dearly.”

The Iranian Foreign Ministry’s reaction to the allegations against the country through an expert carries a special message in the world of diplomacy. According to diplomatic protocols, when a country views the comments of a foreign official too trivial and thus unworthy of a response, it asks an official at a lower level to react. That move is designed to both humiliate the foreign official and convey the message that his/her comments do not merit a response.

The Saudi foreign minister had accused Iran of occupying Arab lands and supporting terrorism.

Beautiful nights in Tehran (PHOTOS)

Fatemeh Askarieh

October 25, 2015

At night, Tehran looks more beautiful with a spectacular view of its skyline. It seems that shining buildings meet the sky on the horizon. Major highways crisscross this metropolis of about 12 million and the city’s old streets are dwarfed by towering buildings in some parts.

The following images featuring the Iranian capital at night have been released by Tehran Picture Agency :

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