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Home Blog Page 4705

No one should dictate own decisions, views to Syrian people: Zarif

Emad Askarieh

October 31, 2015

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said no one should “dictate” their own decisions and views to the Syrian people, who have been suffering from foreign-backed militancy for over four years.

Zarif made the remark on Friday after the conclusion of the international negotiations aimed at resolving the ongoing crisis in Syria in Vienna.

“The future of Syria can only be determined by the people of Syria. People here are not here to dictate,” he said, adding that those who want “to help in the future of Syria have to facilitate political dialog between the Syrian people.”

The Iranian foreign minister also said all sides involved in the conflict should recognize that terrorism and extremism cannot be used even as temporary assets, urging a collective effort in the fight against extremist groups operating in the Middle East.

“There won’t be a possibility to take advantage of terrorists, however temporary, and they all need to realize that the security in this region requires everybody to work together in order to fight terrorism and extremism,” Zarif said.

Talks on JCPOA

Separately, Zarif described recent talks between Iran and P5+1 on the implementation of the agreement over Tehran’s nuclear program as constructive.

Representatives from Iran and P5+1 held several rounds of negotiations on the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in Vienna on Thursday and Friday.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Seyyed Abbas Araghchi held talks with European Union Political Director Helga Schmid, as the representative of P5+1, over the two sides’ measures for the implementation of JCPOA.

Separately, legal and technical experts of Iran and six world powers discussed the rebuilding of Arak heavy water reactor. Iranian Foreign Ministry’s Director General for Political Affairs Hamid Baeedinejad headed the Islamic Republic’s team.

“Regarding the acceleration of the fulfillment of the other side’s obligations, we had numerous discussions with P5+1, especially the Americans. We wanted to make sure that the commitments would be met in various fields of JCPOA,” Zarif told reporters, adding that good progress was made in the extensive talks over rebuilding the Arak reactor.

[…]

Vienna talks on JCPOA progressive: Zarif

Emad Askarieh

October 31, 2015

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has described the negotiations with P5+1 in Vienna on the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as good and constructive.

“We had discussions with P5+1, especially with the Americans on expediting the implementation of the commitments of the other side and we wanted to make sure that these commitments will be honored in different areas of JCPOA,” Zarif told reporters on Friday.

He went on to say that one of the issues is Arak Reactor that “we had detailed discussions about”, including the other side’s commitments for its renovation, about which we made good progress.

“We talked about US measures which need to be taken as well as the provision of guarantees to our trade partners in order not to block trade with Iran; we reached good agreements in these fields and it was agreed to work more on that,” Zarif added.

He said that Iran and the US held three sessions of negotiations and at each the Iranian side was provided with responses after the other side coordinated with Washington.

“We hope that the sessions held on Thursday and Friday could help with the implementation of JCPOA,” Zarif said.

‘Victims of ISIS’: Man hunted for rescuing Yazidi slaves shares his story with RT

Emad Askarieh

October 31, 2015

A Yazidi man, Abu Shuja, uses his extensive covert network throughout Iraq and abroad, to take back Yazidi captives from ISIS.

Shafaqna (the International Shia News Association) on October 28 released the Farsi translation of the story of this Yazidi man. The following is the original text – in English – of the story Russia Today has recently released on its website:

Despite a $500,000 bounty having been placed by ISIS on his head, Abu Shuja continues to risk his life saving Iraqi Yazidi women and children from Islamic State captivity. “Victims of ISIS” is the story of Shuja and those he freed as told to RT documentary.

The Yazidis, a religious minority in modern-day Iraq, fell victim to Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) as militants moved deeper and deeper into the country, seizing increasing amounts of territory. IS overwhelmed Mount Sinjar, the homeland of thousands of Yazidis, in August 2014, turning life there into a nightmare.

Along with their territories, the Islamists captured thousands of Yazidi people – some men, but mostly women and children. According to different estimates, roughly 5,000 Yazidis were kidnapped. Women and children have ended up on the slave market, while little boys are subjected to militant training.

For Abu Shuja, a Yazidi himself, the IS invasion was the moment he knew that he had to take action.

“I have ventured into ISIS territory 15 to 20 times. I have now saved about 200 children, women and girls,” Shuja told a RT documentary crew which traveled to Sinjar.

Shuja has been using his underground network to steal Yazidi captives back from IS.

“After the ISIS bandits seized Sinjar, they enslaved about 5,000 men, women and children. This happens to people in the 21 century. There is no one to save them. The whole world just watches,” he said.

Now Shuja organizes and takes part in rescue missions, saving the abducted from terrorists and reuniting them with their families.

While helping to return those kidnapped back to their homes, Shuja’s mission is also personal – his three cousins remain in IS captivity.

“I can’t save them. I cannot locate them. They are why I started this work in the first place,” Shuja said, displaying a photo of three young women stored on his phone.

For Shuja and his people, locating and freeing IS victims means risking their own lives every day.

“I have been receiving threats from ISIS since the day I started working … ISIS realized that I’m freeing those they captured, we have been caught many times,” Shuja, who is now in Moscow, told RT news.

Islamic State militants placed a half-a-million dollar bounty on his head.

“ISIS has promised $500,000 for anyone who’d give them information or catch me or bring me to them,” Shuja said in RT documentary’s 48-minute long film.

Many times Islamists approached Shuja’s vicinity, but failed to capture him. He says he was afraid at first, but then he got used to threats.

“So far I’ve lost 15 people, helping to carry out rescue missions. Twelve of them were beheaded, their bodies put on display. Two of my men were lured into a trap by ISIS recently,” he told RT news.

However, neither the bounty, nor the deaths of his team members have frightened Shuja enough to stop his mission.

“I will not give up my work. It’s not a problem that they have my picture, if they know my name. They would pay $5 million for my head, but I will not stop my work. I will not stop till the last prisoner is free,” he said.

Shuja estimates that “some 2,700-2,800 people are still being kept hostage”.

With support from his family, who fear for his life but accept and praise what he has to do, Shuja continues freeing Yazidis from captivity.

“We all die eventually. Death only comes once. Dying twice would be a problem,” Shuja says. “I’d rather die a brave, honorable death than a shameful one.”

Saffron harvest season in northeastern Iran (PHOTOS)

Fatemeh Askarieh

October 31, 2015

Harvest time has arrived in Khorasan Razavi Province where saffron farmers are hard at work to collect their products.

The following are the images the Young Journalist Club has placed on its website of the harvest season:

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Iran seeking to unveil aspects of Mina tragedy: Larijani

Emad Askarieh

October 30, 2015

Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said on Friday that Iran is seeking to unveil the aspects of the human tragedy in the Mina stampede through the fact-finding committee, the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Larijani said that Iran is making efforts to pursue the case of Iranian pilgrims who went missing during the deadly incident.

The top MP went on to say that the Saudi government has buried some of the victims, adding that in order to identify the Iranian pilgrims, Iran is fingerprinting the victims.

Larijani blamed the Saudi officials for the incident, saying that they even didn’t act properly after the disaster.

About the former Iranian ambassador to Beirut Ghazanfar Roknabadi, who went missing in the incident, Larijani said that Roknabadi had been transferred to hospital, but Saudi officials deny that.

Iran strongly rejects reports on agreement on Assad removal

Emad Askarieh

October 30, 2015

According to Iranian media outlets, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs, on Friday dismissed as false the reports on Assad’s fate.

Western media had earlier in the day reported that Iran has signaled that it favored a six-month “transition” period in Syria followed by elections to decide the fate of the Syrian president.

“Iran does not insist on keeping Assad in power forever,” Reuters quoted Amir Abdollahian as telling Iranian media.

The developments come as international talks on the crisis in Syria are underway in the Austrian city of Vienna. The negotiations have brought together some 16 countries including Iran.

This is the first time the Islamic Republic has attended the talks after it was denied participation in the previous two rounds – both of which ended inconclusively – under pressure from the US and its allies.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif heads Iran’s delegation during the Vienna talks.

“Non-interference in the internal affairs of Syria [and] combating terrorism and extremism” must also be among common objectives of all participants in the negotiations if they really want to address the crisis in Syria, Zarif said upon arrival in the Austrian capital on Thursday.

The parties involved in efforts to end the violence in Syria have apparently come to the conclusion that “no reasonable and logical” solution could be found to the crisis without the Islamic Republic, added Iran’s foreign minister.

Apart from the Islamic Republic, the United States, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, and representatives from at least 12 other countries are also attending the talks. Those states are France, Germany, Egypt, Russia, Jordan, the UK, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Iraq, Lebanon, China and Oman.

Envoys from the United Nations and the European Union are also present at the talks.

‘Common ground’ sought

“I believe it is very important that … we will have all the relevant actors, regionally and internationally, relevant actors playing around the same table trying to define a common space for the beginning of the political process to find a solution to the crisis in Syria,” EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said.

Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Friday that the Vienna talks will focus not “on [President Bashar] al-Assad’s fate but on the Syrian settlement,” adding that “only the Syrians can determine the political future of Bashar al-Assad.”

He said the “search for a political solution of the Syrian conflict has no alternative,” adding that “all the interested sides were taking part in the Vienna talks, mainly states, which can make a contribution into the settlement.”

Meanwhile, Iraq’s foreign minister also said on Friday that the next multilateral meeting on the Syria crisis should be in Vienna next week.

Ibrahim al-Ja’afari added that the Friday talks on resolving the Syria crisis had failed to bring an agreement on Assad’s role in the political process.

Iran FM urges ‘non-interference’ in Syria’s internal affairs

Emad Askarieh

October 30, 2015

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif made the remarks upon his arrival in the Austrian capital city of Vienna on Thursday.

Respecting the territorial integrity and national unity of Syria should be top on the agenda of the Syria talks, said Zarif, adding, “Non-interference in the internal affairs of Syria [and] combating terrorism and extremism,” must also be among common objectives of all participants in the negotiations if they really want to address the crisis in the Middle Eastern state.

The top Iranian diplomat further emphasized that the Islamic Republic has attended the negotiations to work for a solution to the conflict in Syria and hopes all others participants “are here for the same reason.”

The international talks on the Syrian turmoil are expected to take place in Vienna on October 30. The negotiations will bring together about a dozen countries including Iran, the first time such appearance by the Islamic Republic in a meeting on Syria.

Two conferences were previously held in an attempt to resolve the Syrian crisis in the Swiss city of Geneva, one in 2012 and the other in 2014. However, both events ended in failure amid the absence of Iran, an important regional player.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian foreign minister said no preconditions had been set for Iran’s attendance in the Vienna talks, adding that Tehran would never partake in the conference if there were such requirements.

Sideline talks on JCPOA

Zarif and US Secretary of State John Kerry met in Vienna on Thursday evening ahead of the Syria negotiations and discussed the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) reached between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.

The Iranian foreign minister also met his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, where the two sides stressed the need to combat terrorism and extremism as well as political process, national dialogue and foreign non-interference in Syria.

Zarif and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini will also meet later on Thursday. Their talks will focus both on the JCPOA as well as regional issues.

Iran ready to fully back Iraq’s anti-terror fight: Minister

Emad Askarieh

October 30, 2015

An Iranian minister has expressed Tehran’s readiness to help Iraq in the fight against terrorist groups.

“Iran is fully ready to support Iraq in [its] war against terrorism, and we can carry out necessary measures in this regard through expansion of bilateral cooperation with the friend and neighboring country of Iraq in all areas such as communications and information technology,” Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mahmoud Vaezi said in a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in Baghdad on Friday.

Vaezi stressed the importance of improving Tehran-Baghdad cooperation, and said Iran is making efforts to fulfill its obligations vis-à-vis Iraq in all arenas.

He further said that the presence of “criminal” Takfiri, terrorist and extremist groups in any country is “dangerous and will lead to regional instability.”

The Iraqi premier, for his part, said the Middle East is facing many challenges, including the danger of the IS terrorists.

Abadi also expressed his country’s willingness to strengthen relations with Iran, which he said would serve the two states’ interests.

Gruesome violence has plagued the northern and western parts of Iraq ever since IS terrorists launched their offensive in Iraq and took control of portions of the country. The militants have been committing heinous crimes against all ethnic and religious communities in Iraq, including Shias, Sunnis, Kurds, and Christians.

Iran’s support for regional, global peace

In a meeting with Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, the Iranian minister said the Islamic Republic supports any plans aimed at promoting regional and international stability and security.

Jaafari, for his part, commended Iran’s support for Iraq in the fight against terrorism.

Iraq is ready to adopt the necessary measures to bolster relations with all countries based on common interests, the Iraqi foreign minister said.

Vaezi also held talks with his Iraqi counterpart Hassan Kazim al-Rashid about the expansion of cooperation, particularly in the communications sector.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Oct. 29

Emad Askarieh

October 29, 2015

Acceptance by Iran of an invitation to attend a Vienna conference on the Syrian crisis dominated the front pages of Iranian newspapers on Thursday. Reformist-leaning newspapers also gave front-page coverage to the critical comments of Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi aimed at IRIB.

Ettela’at: Iran is to attend international talks in Vienna over the Syrian crisis.

The announcement came after the UN, the US, Russia and France invited Iran to help work out a solution to the crisis.

Ettela’at: [Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali] Shamkhani has held talks with Pakistani officials on efforts to fight terrorism and ensure border security.

Ettela’at: Turkey, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have reportedly flown 500 IS militants to Aden, Yemen.

In another development, the UN secretary general condemned a Saudi-led coalition’s attack on a medical facility run by Doctors without Borders.

Ettela’at: Verdicts to pull down illegally-constructed buildings are issued but are not implemented, complained the top judge at the Court of Administrative Justice.

Mohammad Jafar Montazeri further said that the number of complaints people lodge against the government has decreased.

Ettela’at: Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi has criticized the national broadcaster for its one-sided treatment of the nuclear issue.

The source of emulation urged IRIB to walk down the path of moderation.

Ettela’at: A funeral service has been held for two Iranians martyred while defending the holy shrine of Zeynab in Syria.

Abrar: Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has said that Pakistan trains and supports terrorist groups.

Afarinesh: Imports of gasoline from countries to the north of Iran have been banned.

Afarinesh: On the sidelines of the Vienna meeting on Syria, Iran and the US will get together to coordinate the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Afkar: Zarif and Mogherini have held talks on the phone over Syria.

Afkar: Former UN chief Kofi Annan has underlined Iran’s involvement in efforts to settle the Syrian crisis.

Aftab-e Yazd: Attorneys for the Oil Ministry have said that the preliminary debts of Babak Zanjani [a young billionaire on trial for corruption and embezzlement] stand at €2.066 billion.

Aftab-e Yazd: American lawyers will visit Iran on tourist visas; it is not a business trip, the head of the Bar Association of Iran has said in an interview with the daily.

Akhbar Sanat: Iran has been chosen as host of natural gas heavyweights in the world, said the secretary general of the Gas-Exporting Countries Forum.

Amin: “You cannot resort to political charades to fool the public,” said Chairman of the Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

He further said that execution of Ayatollah Nimr al-Nimr will have grave consequences for the Saudis.

Arman-e Emrooz: Zarif and members of his nuclear negotiating team travel to Vienna for a different purpose: To attend a meeting on developments in Syria.

The Iranian and American top diplomats are to get together in Vienna for a non-nuclear meeting.

Asr-e Eghtesad: Iran’s business environment has improved by 12 notches, according to a World Bank report.

Asrar: Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani has issued a warning to the Wahhabi rulers of Saudi Arabia.

Asrar: “We have been found guilty without ever being tried,” said a number of pop singers in a letter to President Rouhani.

In the letter the singers have complained about bias against pop music in the country.

Asrar: The director of the Environment Protection Organization has said that IRIB is trying to create a media crisis for the administration.

Ebtekar: “The bitter experience of those eight years is enough for Iranian history,” said the chairman of the Expediency Council in reference to the two-term presidency of Ahmadinejad.

Ebtekar: Ayatollah Hossein Vahid Khorasani has said that if religious issues are taken into consideration watching satellite TV would be acceptable.

Emtiaz: The air fleet needs $50 billion in investment, said the minister of roads and urban development.

Etemad: A decision on whether to block Telegram [a messaging app very popular in Iran] has been put off.

Etemad: The secretary of the Supreme National Security Council has said that Iran believes in a political solution to the Syrian crisis.

Hemayat: “The reports Ahmed Shaheed issues on Iran are a set of baseless allegations,” said the secretary of the Iranian judiciary’s Human Rights Council.

Iran: Iran’s daily crude production has increased by 150,000 barrels.

Iran: A change in American attitude; Iran has become a link in the Syrian peace chain.

Foreign Minister Zarif attends the Vienna meeting at the invitation of Secretary Kerry.

Javan: The military posture of the US in Syria talks

Ahead of the Vienna meeting, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has said that ground troops are likely to be sent to Syria.

Jomhouri Islami: With the oil minister on hand, three oil projects have been inaugurated in the south.

Jomhouri Islami: Iran’s upcoming presence at the Vienna meeting on Syria has drawn an international welcome.

Kaenat: One in every six marriages ends in divorce.

Kayhan: The Atomic Energy Organization has said that nuclear scientists can be interviewed!

Kayhan: The presence of Iran in the Vienna meeting on Syria is what the US needs; it is not a concession.

Mardomsalari: IRIB has lowered its position to being the mouthpiece of the Stability Front, said the director of the Environment Protection Organization in a letter to the chairman of the national broadcaster.

Mardomsalari: An 81^st encounter between the capital’s soccer heavyweights [Persepolis and Esteghlal] will take place on Friday as the sports community is still mourning the loss of the captain of the red-clads.

Resalat: The head of the Passive Defense Organization has said that military threats continue to be issued against Iran.

He further said that infiltration and cultural encroachment are among unchanging approaches of the US.

Shahrvand: Arrest warrants have been issued for a number of mayors in the northern province of Mazandaran for dumping the urban waste in areas other than landfills.