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Millions of Iranian mourners mark Ashura nationwhide

Ashura-Iran-2015

Muslims worldwide hold mourning rituals during the month of Muharram on the lunar calendar in remembrance of the suffering imposed on the religious icon, his family and his companions, by the tyrant of the time Yazid I, an Umayyad caliph, back in the seventh century.

Strategic ties between Iran and Russia

Iran Russia flags

Officials in Iran and Russia are determined to consolidate bilateral ties on different fronts.

The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) has published separate reports on relations between Tehran and Moscow in defense, transportation and navy areas. The following is a brief translation of three separate reports:

 

All-out defense ties

Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehghan and Russian Energy Minister Alexander Valentinovich Novak, who also leads his country’s delegation in Iran-Russia Joint Economic Cooperation Commission, met on Wednesday and stressed the need for the two neighbors to develop ties on all fronts.

 

Transportation projects

Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhundi has met with the visiting Russian energy minister. In the meeting, the two sides discussed as many as 121 transportation projects worth €25 billion the Russian firms can invest in, said the Iranian minister.

 

Iran’s Peace and Friendship Flotilla docks at Russian port

The Iranian Navy’s Peace and Friendship Flotilla berthed at the Russian port of Astrakhan on Thursday (October 22).

Homegrown destroyer Damavand as well as Peykan and Joshan frigates are part of the Iranian flotilla which docked at the Russia port after three days of sailing in the Caspian Sea.

The port call intends to cement mutual ties, boost efforts to maintain the security of the Caspian Sea and develop naval and cultural exchanges.

Moscow played positive role in Iran nuclear talks: Larijani

Larijani-Putin-1

In a Thursday meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ali Larijani thanked the Russia leader’s constructive role in the course negotiations over Iran’s nuclear case, saying Moscow-Tehran ties would definitely flourish under the new circumstances created by the breakthrough in the nuclear discussions.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 12th annual Valdai International Discussion Club meeting in the Russian resort town of Sochi.

Iranian negotiators and representatives from the P5+1 group – Russia, China, France, Britain, the US and Germany – succeeded in finalizing the text of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in the Austrian capital, Vienna, on July 14.

Under the JCPOA, limits will be put on Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for, among other things, the removal of all economic and financial bans, against the Islamic Republic.

Elsewhere, Larijani pointed to Moscow’s stance on regional issues, saying, “We (Iran) consider Russia’s role and its efforts to establish regional peace and stability as effective and useful.”

Putin, for his part, stated that the Iranian nuclear case came to a conclusion through logic and negotiations, adding that relations between Russia and Iran are developing.

‘Iran role crucial to Syria settlement’

The Russian head of state also highlighted Iran’s constructive role in the fight against terrorism, particularly in Syria.

Without Iran’s engagement and participation in initiatives aimed at the resolution of the Syrian crisis, all such efforts will be in vain, the Russian president added.

On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov highlighted Iran’s role in resolving the ongoing conflict in Syria, saying that the settlement of the crisis gripping the Arab country has “no prospect” without the Islamic Republic’s participation.

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.

Tehran has drawn up a four-point peace plan on the Syrian crisis, which calls for a national unity government, a ceasefire, fighting terrorism and constitutional reforms in the violence-torn Arab nation, according to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

The foreign-sponsored conflict in Syria, which flared in March 2011, has claimed the lives of more than 250,000 people and left over one million injured, according to the United Nations.

A month-long trip around Iran to take selfies

Iranian Selfi

A young Iranian man has traveled around the country to take selfies at historical sites and share them online with fellow Iranians.

Earlier in October Mehr News Agency published a report on a young man who has made a film of the selfies he has taken in different ancient places in Iran. The following is the translation of part of that report:

Sadegh Akbari is the director of The Iranian Selfie, a motion picture featuring a young man from Tabriz, East Azerbaijan Province, who has traveled around the country over a one-month period to take selfies at historical sites.

“I wish I will not be alive if Iran does not exit!” This half-line verse by Ferdowsi – a very prominent Iranian poet and the creator of Shahnameh [The Epic of Kings] – is what has inspired this young man. His love for Iran and touring made him strap a backpack on his shoulder this summer and set out for all provinces in Iran all by himself.

The one-minute video he has shared online [on social networking sites] is the result of his month-long trip across Iran. The Iranian Selfie narrates his visit to as many as 150 places of historical interest during 31 days.

[…]

Love for homeland

Sadegh’s journey has come to an end a long time ago, but the toll the [long] journey has taken on the body of the young adventurer has yet to disappear.

“I love Iran and do what it takes for my country. I like to see other countries learn about the beauties of Iran,” he says.

Sadegh does not like to get help from sponsors for his works. He foots the bill for the films he produces. Sadegh wants his work to be watched at home and abroad. To that end, he is planning to present his film with English subtitles.

 

How many women police are there on the beat in Iran?

Women Police

Deputy Head of Iranian Law Enforcement Force for Coordination Brigadier General Mohammad Javad Zadeh Kamand has said that there are as many as 7,200 female police in the country.

Bahar daily on October 14 published a report on what the senior police official has said about women police and their performance in the Law Enforcement Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The following is the translation of the report:

The general said that police force attaches special significance to the presence of women in its ranks, adding that currently up to 7,200 women are working as police officers.

He further said that a number of women join the police force each year as some quit their jobs on different grounds, adding that the new recruits work either in the units which have vacancies or the units they prefer such as the Traffic Police, Social Department, Prevention Police, etc., and receive related specialized training.

The senior police official went on to say that women have been given a big number of tough and specialized jobs in the police force, adding that policewomen have played a remarkable role on different fronts, especially crime prevention.

For instance, women police officers got involved in a number of cases built against lawbreakers, offered consultation services, and settled the cases peacefully, he said, adding this has spared the police and the judicial system huge costs.

General Zadeh Kamand also credited female police for great efforts they put in in the line of duty and said that accuracy, precision, integrity and authenticity are the salient features of the female police.

 

Millennia-old stone houses near Tehran (PHOTOS)

old stone house00

The discovery of stone houses 10 km away from Eshtehard in Alborz Province – to the west of the capital Tehran – indicates humans lived in the area as far back as 2,000 years ago.

The houses which are carved into rocks belong to the pre-Islamic era. Rain and other climatic factors have resulted in the erosion of most of these houses, but some remain almost intact.

The following are images of the historical site mizanonline.ir has put online:

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Oct. 22

Iranian Newspapers Headlines
Iranian Newspapers Headlines

The tentative approval of the nuclear deal by the Supreme Leader dominated the front pages of Iranian newspapers on Thursday. Also on the covers of dailies were images of mourning ceremonies to mark the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the third Shiite Imam.

 

Ettela’at: In a letter to the president, the Supreme Leader has ordered the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action implemented.

Any statements that the sanctions regime remains in place would amount to violation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Ayatollah Khamenei said in the letter.

Ettela’at: A mourning service has been held for the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad with the Supreme Leader in attendance.

Ettela’at: Foreign Policy: Saudi Arabia has committed war crimes in Yemen.

It came as an international law organization called for an investigation into allegations of Saudi war crimes in Yemen.

Ettela’at: “Without bowing to powers, we handled the nuclear challenge,” said President Rouhani.

He further said that Iran made no major concessions and stuck to what it wanted and what it was entitled to.

Ettela’at: European diplomats hold talks with Iranian economic players.

The chairman of Tehran Chamber of Commerce has said that the wall of mistrust between Iran and the West has tumbled.

Ettela’at: The Supreme Leader has ordered the Foundation for the Impoverished to give 400 buildings to the Education Ministry to be used as schools.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Oct. 22

 


 

Abrar: The deputy foreign minister has said that the number of Iranian advisors in Syria has increased.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Oct. 22

 


Aftab-e Yazd: An intrigue against the government with a focus on espionage

As the Judiciary is meticulously looking into the case against Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian without making a fuss, some MPs have alleged that he has had ties with members of the Cabinet and spied on the presidential office.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Oct. 22


 

Arman-e Emrooz: Efforts to deceive people amount to populism, said Seyyed Hadi Khamenei, a reformist. 

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Oct. 22


 

Asr-e Rasaneh: Production of crude oil in western fields has increased by 95,000 barrels.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Oct. 22

 


 

Asrar: The minister of communications has denied reports that current disruptions to Telegram [a very popular social networking app] are the result of filtering.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Oct. 22

 


 

Bahar: President Assad’s first foreign visit in five years

The Turkish prime minister has said that he hopes Assad won’t return home from Moscow.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Oct. 22

 


 

Ebtekar: The Supreme Leader has put a seal of approval on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Ayatollah Khamenei has said in a letter to the president that nine requirements should be met in implementing the nuclear deal.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Oct. 22

 


 

Emtiaz: There are two million drug addicts in the country.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Oct. 22

 


 

Etemad: “I won’t allow them to take advantage of my silence,” said Mohammad Reza Aref, a reformist leader, in reaction to stories popping up about him.

Etemad: The tentative approval of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action

Among other things, the Supreme Leader has said that sufficient, firm guarantees should be secured on termination of sanctions and that imposition of any new sanctions would result in a halt to the implementation of the deal.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Oct. 22

 


 

Hemayat: The Supreme Leader has warned officials about the likely American deception in the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Hemayat: Presidents Assad and Putin have met in Moscow.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Oct. 22


 

Iran: The ambassadors of nine European countries have met with Iranian economic players.

Iran: “We have important, fateful days ahead,” said the president at a ceremony in the presidential office to mourn the martyrdom of the grandson of the Prophet.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Oct. 22

 


 

Javan: The aftershocks of a Liberal party victory in Canada

The Iranian community in Canada played an important role in defeating the Conservative Party of Stephen Harper.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Oct. 22

 


 

Jomhouri Islami: The oil sector will register an 18 percent growth and Iran’s foreign reserves will stand at $141 billion, an IMF report on the outlook of Iran’s economy in the first post-sanctions year predicts.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Oct. 22

 


 

Kaenat: Twenty-three percent of Iranians suffer from some sort of psychological problem, said the deputy health minister.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Oct. 22

 


 

Kayhan: The son of Ashura [a reference to the Supreme Leader] foiled the plots of the US in a historic letter on how the nuclear accord should be implemented.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Oct. 22

 


 

Mardomsalari: The director of the Atomic Energy Organization has said that officials will try their best not to be deceived by the other side in the implementation of the nuclear deal.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Oct. 22

 


 

Resalat: The Supreme Leader has said that the US president and the European Union should offer written guarantees on the termination of sanctions.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Oct. 22

 


 

Rooyesh Mellat: The minister of culture and Islamic guidance has said that Iran achieved all its goals by staying away from the Frankfort Book Fair [in protest at the invitation of apostate author Salman Rushdie by organizers of the event to hold a speech there].

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Oct. 22

 


 

Shahrvand: “Continued opposition to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is worthless,” said Mohammad Reza Bahonar, a principlist Tehran MP.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Oct. 22

 

Iran-Russia relations help in stabilizing region: Iran defense minister

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehghan says his country’s relations with Russia have helped in stabilizing the Middle East.

“The effective steps taken so far towards developing cooperation between the two countries have resulted in bolstering stability and security in the region,” said Dehghan during a meeting with visiting Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak in Tehran on Wednesday.

According to IRIB, both parties stressed the need for closer ties in battling terrorism and supporting other countries facing it.

“The current conditions require Iran and Russia… to develop their cooperation in the political, economic and defense spheres,” added Dehghan.

Heading a 50-member Russian delegation, Novak is in Iran to discuss bilateral ties particularly the expansion of mutual cooperation in the oil industry.

He also held a meeting with Iranian Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian where the two discussed the establishment of a thermal power plant in the south of Iran and the modernization of current stations constructed by Russia in Iran.

Earlier in the day, he met with the Iranian minister of communications and information technology, Mahmoud Vaezi. Following the meeting, Vaezi announced that Russia has pledged to issue a credit line of $5 billion for joint projects with Iran.

According to reports, during his stay in Tehran, the Russian energy minister is expected to discuss Iran-Russia cooperation in the energy sector as well as the global oil prices and cooperation between OPEC and non-OPEC countries.

Leader’s stance crucial for implementation of JCPOA: Araghchi

Araghchi-12

A senior Iranian nuclear negotiator says the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei’s stance on the JCPOA is critical to its implementation.

During a television broadcast on Wednesday, Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Abbas Araghchi said the directives set out by the Supreme Leader would be taken into account during the implementation process of JCPOA.

He also thanked the Leader for his support during the negotiations, his endorsement of JCPOA, and for the directives for the implementation of the agreement.

OnJuly 14, Iran and P5+1 – the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia plus Germany – finalized the text of an agreement on Tehran’s nuclear program dubbed JCPOA in the Austrian capital Vienna.

“The contract for the modernization of the Arak reactor with P5+1 is being finalized and its implementation will become mandatory after being signed by the foreign ministers of all the seven countries,” said Araghchi.

Any further economic sanctions or failure to remove the existing sanctions by the US Congress will be in violation of JCPOA, he underlined.

He noted that one of the greatest achievements was negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) over Iran’s Possible Military Dimensions (PMD) file. “We will not touch Arak until the PMD file is closed.”

Continued sanctions breach of JCPOA: Leader

Leader

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has said, in a letter to President Hassan Rouhani, that any remarks which suggest sanctions against Iran will remain in place would be in contravention of the agreement reached between Iran and P5+1 over Tehran’s nuclear program.

“Any comments suggesting the sanctions structure will remain in place or [new] sanctions will be imposed, at any level and under any pretext, would be a violation of JCPOA,” read the letter.

On July 14, Iran and P5+1 – the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia plus Germany – finalized the text of an agreement on Tehran’s nuclear program dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in the Austrian capital, Vienna.

Under JCPOA, limits will be put on Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for, among other things, the removal of all economic and financial bans against the Islamic Republic related to its nuclear program.

In a related development, a commission comprising representatives from Iran and the P5+1 met in Vienna last Monday to discuss the implementation of the JCPOA.

The letter also stipulated that measures to retrofit the Arak reactor and trade the existing enriched uranium will get underway only after the Possible Military Dimensions (PMD) file on Iran’s nuclear program is closed and a secure contract with enough guarantees is clinched.

In his letter, the Leader reiterated that the US has adopted a hostile and disruptive approach vis-à-vis Iran’s nuclear program, and is unlikely to change tack in the future.