Monday, December 22, 2025
type here...
Home Blog Page 4724

Long way to go before Tehran-Washington relations: President Rouhani

By
Emad Askarieh
-
Rouhani-USA

President Rouhani has said there is still a long way to go before the Islamic Republic and the United States can reduce long-lasting tensions and enmities.

It is difficult to put aside years of “differences and hostilities” between Iran and the US, President Rouhani, who is in New York to attend the UN General Assembly, said Friday. He added, “The Iranian people are unhappy about the policies of the US administration in the region.”

These problems “will not definitely be solved overnight, and we need time, prudence, and constructive measures,” he added.

In response to a question about the “Death to America” slogan chanted by the Iranians in many religious and political gatherings, Rouhani said, “There is no enmity between Iranians and Americans… The slogan symbolizes opposition to US policies, particularly in the Middle East.”

Quick implementation of JCPOA

The Iranian president described the implementation of the recent nuclear agreement between Tehran and P5+1, dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as a significant test for the United States.

“The full implementation of the nuclear agreement is a big test of confidence… The [anti-Iran] sanctions should be fully lifted in order for Iranians to feel that negotiation is effective,” Rouhani said.

[…]

The president further said that the nuclear agreement should be implemented despite oppositions. “Disagreements and agreements [with the JCPOA] in Iran and the US are natural. In Iran, a vast majority of people are in favor of the agreement and a minority against it. It is important to execute JCPOA by the end of the year, Rouhani said.

Hajj disaster

Rouhani expressed sadness over Thursday’s tragedy in Mina, outside the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, calling on Saudi authorities to better manage the hajj rituals.

The Saudi government is expected to “reconsider the Hajj management process and be committed to providing security and safety for all pilgrims.”

[…]

Moving in the same direction (PHOTOS)

By
Fatemeh Askarieh
-
Moving0

Every day thousands of people in Tehran share a car and experience moving in the same direction.  

Images of Tehran commuters carpooling posted online by the Islamic Republic News Agency:

Tehran ready to develop ties with Stockholm: Rouhani

By
Emad Askarieh
-
Rouhani-Sweden

Iran has no limits to expand ties with Sweden and improved relations between Tehran and Europe can strengthen regional security, President Rouhani said in a meeting with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven in New York Friday.

“The Tehran visit by a Swedish economic delegation can provide the opportunity for the private sectors in both countries to become familiar with capacities of the other side,” the president said.

President Rouhani expressed his gratitude over the sympathy of Sweden on the deaths of Iranian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia and called for cooperation in the fight against terrorism worldwide.

“Promotion of our relations with Western countries and the European Union can be a giant step toward strengthening regional security,” he added.

Lofven recalled the upcoming visit by the Swedish minister of industry to Iran and said Stockholm is interested in the promotion of its industrial and trade ties with Iran which is an important and influential actor in the region.

The Swedish premier said terrorism is a global problem and the fight against it demands joint measures, adding that Sweden is interested in cooperating with Iran in anti-terrorism.

“We are ready to open a new chapter in our bilateral relations with Iran,” he said.

Zarif, Amano discuss Iran-IAEA cooperation

By
Emad Askarieh
-
Zarif-Amano

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Yukiya Amano conferred on continued cooperation on the implementation of a Roadmap signed between the two sides.

During the meeting held at Iranian minister’s residence in New York on Friday, Amano voiced satisfaction with his last week’s visit to Iran.

The UN nuclear chief voiced preparedness to continue cooperation between Iran and the IAEA on the implementation of the Roadmap signed between the two sides on July 14, 2015 “in a positive atmosphere.”

At the meeting, Zarif, who is also the country’s chief nuclear negotiator, welcomed measures taken by Amano to put the Roadmap agreement into action.

He expressed hope that the case of allegations against Iran would be closed in due time thanks to the positive cooperation between the two sides, and that Tehran and IAEA will enter into the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in the new atmosphere of cooperation.

Amano paid a visit to Iran on Sunday and held a series of meetings with high-ranking Iranian officials.

During his trip, Amano also attended an Iranian parliamentary session held to review JCPOA, the text of a recent nuclear deal finalized by Tehran and world powers on July 14.

Head of Atomic Energy Agency of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi said afterward that Amano left Tehran while he was satisfied (with his trip).

Salehi also expressed hope that past and previous issues about Iran’s nuclear energy program would be concluded by the end of the year.

Amano also paid a visit to Iran’s Parchin military site on Sunday, where he toured some of the workshop locations at the compound that have been the subject of unfounded allegations, according to the AEOI spokesman.

Iran and P5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) finalized JCPOA in the Austrian capital of Vienna onJuly 14.

On the same day, Iran and the IAEA signed the Roadmap agreement for the clarification of past and present issues.

As part of the Roadmap, the IAEA is required to finish its investigations into Iran’s nuclear activities and submit a report to the agency’s board by December 15.

Iranian Cabinet decides to send delegation to Saudi Arabia

By
Emad Askarieh
-
Nobakht

Members of the Iranian Cabinet on Friday decided to dispatch a high-ranking delegation to Saudi Arabia and also set up another committee inside the country for better management of Iranian pilgrims’ affairs after the deadly stampede in Mina.

The decision was made at an extra-ordinary cabinet session held on Friday to study different aspects of the deadly incident which killed over 1300 pilgrims, including 131 Iranian nationals, Government Spokesman Mohammad Baqer Nobakht announced.

The Iranian ministers criticized Saudi mismanagement in dealing with Hajj pilgrims and decided to dispatch a delegation headed by Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Ali Jannati to Saudi Arabia for the management of the situation, the spokesman announced.

Officials from Iran’s Red Crescent Society and the country’s Civil Aviation Organization will accompany Jannati in his visit to Saudi Arabia, he added.

He said another committee will be set up inside the country under the command of the country’s interior minister.

Nobakht further said that the Roads Ministry is also tasked with facilitating the necessary measures to bring back pilgrims to country.

Earlier in a telephone conversation with senior Iranian officials, including Jahangiri, upon his arrival in New York, President Rouhani called for a special Cabinet meeting on Friday and formation of a task force as soon as possible.

He further urged ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health and Medical Education, and Culture and Islamic Guidance, as well as Head of Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization to take the necessary measures to quickly transfer the bodies of the Iranian pilgrims killed in the incident and treat the injured people.

He further urged the task force to dispatch relief and rescue teams and airplanes to Saudi Arabia if necessary and put top on the agenda pursuing the affairs of the Iranian Hajj pilgrims, the injured people in particular and the transfer of the deceased pilgrims to the country.

According to media reports, at least 1300 pilgrims, including at least 131 Iranians, were killed Thursday in the stampede outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca, the worst disaster to strike the annual Hajj pilgrimage in 25 years.

President Rouhani attends Sustainable Development event at UN (PHOTOS)

By
Emad Askarieh
-
Rouhani-UN-11

President Hassan Rouhani, who is in New York to take part in the UN General Assembly, attended a Sustainable Development Summit at the UN on Friday.

The president is expected to deliver a speech at the three-day summit on Saturday.

The following images of the president’s presence at the summit have been issued by IRNA and ISNA news agencies:

 

Saudi war on Yemen to blame for safety lapse at Hajj: Iran official

By
Emad Askarieh
-
Shamkhani

A senior Iranian official has criticized Saudi authorities for the failure to ensure the safety of the Hajj rituals, saying that Riyadh’s ongoing deadly war on Yemen is to blame for the deadly stampede in Mina, outside the holy city of Mecca.

“A change in Saudi Arabia’s security priorities and the deployment of elite security and police forces for the aggression against Yemen and the crackdown on the people of Bahrain and the qualitative and quantitative decline in the security standards in the Hajj played a decisive role in the catastrophe,” Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani said Friday, referring to the Mina incident of September 24.

He said that “the mismanagement” of the Saudi government and “the incompetence” of the kingdom’s officials during the Hajj rituals are definitely among the main factors behind the Mina crush.

[…]

Iran’s investigation into Mina

Shamkhani said the Islamic Republic is determined to investigate the case and will use all its legal capacities to determine the exact cause of the tragedy.

The SNSC official said Iran is ready to help the injured pilgrims, including those from other countries.

‘Iran must be part of probe’

The Iranian Cabinet held an emergency meeting Friday to investigate the incident.

During the meeting, presided over by First Vice President Eshagh Jahangiri, the latest on those killed or wounded was discussed and necessary decisions were made.

Jahangiri said the Saudi government is responsible for the lives and well-being of the pilgrims.

“Mismanagement and inexperience are evident in [causing] this incident and Saudi Arabia must be held accountable,” he said.

Jahangiri added, “The representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran should be involved in the investigation of the issue so that such incidents are not repeated in the future.”

Mina follows crane collapse

The Mina tragic event came days after a massive construction crane collapsed into Mecca’s Grand Mosque, killing 111 people and injuring about 400 more.

Eleven Iranian pilgrims were killed and 32 injured in the crane collapse.

Separately, on September 21, a fire at a 15-story hotel in Mecca forced the evacuation of some 1,500 people. A fire also broke out at another hotel in the city days earlier, which left a number of foreigners injured.

Iran summons Saudi charge d’ affaires over Mina incident

By
Emad Askarieh
-
Amir Abdollahian

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said that the Saudi charge d’ affaires to Tehran has been summoned to the Foreign Ministry over the deadly incident in Mina during Hajj rituals.

Amir Abdollahian said that the Foreign Ministry conveyed Iran’s strong protest to Saudi envoy for his country’s failure to protect the lives of Hajj pilgrims.

“Saudi officials have been asked to provide immediate medical services to those injured in the incident,” the Iranian deputy foreign minister said.

He added that a committee has been formed to follow up the fate of Iranian pilgrims who died during the incident and the recovery of those injured.

On Thursday, the Iranian foreign ministry announced setting up a special committee to pursue the fate of the country’s nationals killed or wounded in a stampede during one of the last rituals of the Hajj season.

“The Iranian embassy, consulate, Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization and all the relevant bodies in Mecca” are pursing the situation of those harmed in the incident, Amir Abdollahian said.

He blamed Saudi officials for the incident, and said they should rapidly take effective measures to handle the crisis and provide safety and security for the pilgrims.

Also on Friday, Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli in a letter to his Saudi counterpart Mohammad bin Nayef called for full investigation into the tragic stampede incident in Mina, which resulted in the death of hundreds of Hajj pilgrims, including Iranians.

“As Iran’s interior minister I ask you to order the concerned Saudi Hajj officials to do their utmost cooperation with the Iranian relief workers stationed in Mecca and Mina to organize the affairs of the Iranian pilgrims,” Rahmani Fazli said in his letter.

In another development, Iranian protesters held rallies across the country after Friday prayers to blast Saudi Arabia’s mismanagement and mishandling of the Hajj rituals. The protesters chanted slogans against the Al Saud regime, Israel and arrogant powers.

They also issued a resolution at the end of their rallies, calling for a thorough probe into the Mina incident by the international bodies. “The Mina tragedy and the bitter incident of Mecca is the result of incapability, mismanagement and lack of commitment on the part of the Saudi government with regard to the protection of the lives of Hajj pilgrims,” the resolution said.

The protesters also condemned the Saudi regime for attacking the Yemeni civilians, mostly women and children.

“The puppet Saudi regime has jeopardized regional security by massacring the Muslim Ummah (community) by Takfiri and Wahhabi terrorists and imposing war on the oppressed and revolutionary Yemeni nation,” they said.

Iran is an influential regional power: Rousseff

By
Emad Askarieh
-
Rouhani-Brazil

Brazil regards Iran as an influential power in the region and supports joint investment between Tehran and Brasilia, said Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff in a meeting with President Rouhani in New York Friday.

President Rouhani welcomed a boost in bilateral relations with Brazil and said terrorist groups should not be allowed to turn to terrorist states.

He also supported the expansion of economic, trade, scientific and cultural ties in line with the capacities and commonalities between Iran and Brazil.

The president recalled Tehran-Brasilia friendly ties and said the Iran visit by the Brazilian foreign minister was a new step in expansion of bilateral ties which he hoped will be further developed in the future.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has no limits in expansion of ties with Brazil,” he said, adding that both countries should try to implement the existing bilateral agreements.

As for the opportunities created in the aftermath of the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, President Rouhani said that Brazilian firms can contribute to Iran’s construction projects and the capital market.

Rouhani said Iran and Brazil can promote their ties in the cultural and political fields and added, “Our countries can cooperate in regional issues, global security, anti-terrorism, the fight against drug smuggling, and South-South relations.”

He said that Iran is willing to expand ties with BRICS countries, particularly with Brazil, adding that Tehran welcomed interaction between the private sectors in both countries.

“Iran lies at the heart of a market with a population of 300 million in its neighborhood. Iran is a major energy hub and enjoys educated and capable young human resources,” he added.

Rouhani invited the Brazilian president to visit Iran and said Tehran and Brasilia can serve as a bridge between the Middle East and Latin America.

On the Syrian crisis, he said that the Syrian nation is entangled in the fight against terrorism and undermining the central government in Damascus has helped terror groups go about massacring civilians.

“Terror groups should not be allowed to become terror states. If the fight against terrorism in Syria becomes a priority of all countries, it will be an appropriate course for the settlement of problems and political reform in Syria,” he said.

Rousseff, for her part, said the world respects Iran’s great civilization and history and added, “Iran and Brazil enjoy common viewpoints in various international organizations.”

She supported expansion of trade, economic and cultural ties between Iran and Brazil and said Brasilia welcomes the swift removal of sanctions against Iran.

“Brazil regards Iran as a regional power and is interested in expansion of bilateral trade and economic ties. We invite Iranian firms for investment in Brazil,” she added.

President Rousseff said Iran has an outstanding role in the establishment of stability in the region, adding, “We think weakening the Syrian government will give rise to strengthening terrorism. World has understood that repercussions of the continued war in Syria means reinforcing of     IS.”

She further said that there is no doubt over the necessity of political reforms in Syria, but the priority has to be given to saving its people and stop the flood of refugees.

President Rouhani is in New York to take part in the United Nations General Assembly and the UN Sustained Development Summit.

Toll from Hajj stampede outside Mecca reaches 2,000: Sources

By
Golrokh Askarieh
-
161c454b-fe76-4afc-abc6-f2a96f1dbd18

The death toll from a deadly crush during Hajj pilgrimage rituals in Mina, outside the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, has soared to about 2,000, says the head of Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, citing Saudi sources.

“Based on the latest announcement by Saudi Arabia’s officials, the number of those who were killed in the Mina incident is around 2,000,” Saeed Ohadi said on Friday.

‘Prince’s convoy’

The incident occurred on Thursday, after huge pilgrim processions were joined in their course, leading to the catastrophic entanglement.

It has been reported that the convoy of Prince Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud, the son of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz, had arrived at the site, forcing the pilgrims to change their original directions.

Ohadi added that imprudence, irresponsibility and mismanagement of Saudi authorities are the main factors behind the tragic incident in Mina. He said the Saudi army blocked access to all medical centers Thursday evening.

The Iranian official said four committees have been tasked with investigating the latest situation of the Iranian pilgrims wounded in the event.

He said two planes are ready to transfer the bodies of the killed Iranian pilgrims to their home country after legal procedures are completed, which could be September 28 or 29.

National mourning

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Thursday called on Saudi Arabia to shoulder the responsibility over the deadly incident in Mina, declaring three days of national mourning. At least 131 Iranian nationals are among those killed in the deadly stampede.

According to Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, 80 Iranian pilgrims have been confirmed injured in the catastrophe.

Meanwhile, the head of Iran’s Hajj mission, Ali Ghazi Askar, said on Friday that 365 Iranian pilgrims are still missing after the tragedy. He added that a number of the missed pilgrims are due to be identified later Friday.

“Saudis do not allow our forces to identify the corpses and this is the reason that the figures are announced by delay,” Askar said.

Special task force

In a Friday message, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani ordered the formation of a special task force to address the incident in Mina.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Hassan Qashqavi said on Friday that a delegation comprising senior officials of Iran’s Foreign Ministry and the Iranian Red Crescent Society would be dispatched to Saudi Arabia soon.

He told IRNA that the delegation would set off for Saudi Arabia immediately after receiving visa.

He added that the delegation is duty-bound to investigate the situation of those who are still missing and to transfer the bodies of the dead to the country.

Qashqavi emphasized that teams in the Iranian Foreign Ministry, the Supreme National Security Council and the cabinet are also investigating the incident.

The cabinet held an emergency meeting Friday to investigate the incident.

During the meeting, presided over by Iran’s First Vice President Eshagh Jahangiri, the latest situation of those killed and wounded was discussed and necessary decisions were made.

Summoning Saudi diplomat again

Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Friday once again summoned Saudi Arabia’s charge d’affaires over the tragedy in Mina

The Saudi diplomat was summoned to the ministry following a sharp rise in the number of Iranians killed in Mina.

Iran called on the Saudi envoy to Tehran to work for facilitating the return of the bodies to the country and transfer the wounded Iranians to medical centers for treatment.

The Saudi diplomat was first summoned on the day of the tragedy to hear the Islamic Republic’s protest over the mishandling of the deadly incident by Saudi authorities. He expressed regret over the fatal incident and offered condolences to the Iranian government and the families of the killed pilgrims.

1...4,7234,7244,725...5,120Page 4,724 of 5,120

© All Content by IFP News ( Iran Front Page ) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

About Us

Popular Articles

Editor Picks