Military operations by the Syrian army and popular forces against terrorists are gathering momentum in the Syrian province of Hama.
Fadi Akram Jaffar, a Christian volunteer, has been martyred in recent clashes with the al-Nusra Front, an Alqaeda affiliate.
The following images of a church service for the fallen soldier in his hometown have been released by Mashreghnews.ir:
Azadi Arena in western Tehran hosted a ceremony Monday to mark National Paralympic Day.
The ceremony was attended by politicians, sports officials and a number of physically challenged athletes from Tehran and Alborz provinces.
The following are photos of the event different websites posted online:
Iran’s Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said on Monday that Japan has voiced readiness to increase imports of Iranian oil as soon as the US-engineered sanctions against Iran are lifted.
Tokyo has agreed to increase its oil imports from Iran to the levels that existed before the sanctions, Zanganeh told reporters after a meeting with visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida.
He added Kishida along with the Japanese business leaders who are accompanying him were briefed on Iran’s new oil and gas investment opportunities as well as the new format of energy contracts.
Zanganeh said there is significant potential for the Japanese companies to participate in a variety of oil and gas projects in Iran.
He said lucrative prospects exist in the area of reducing gas flaring at oil fields, increasing energy consumption efficiency and production of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
The minister further said that the Japanese companies have voiced interest in investing in Iran’s upstream projects, adding that he has asked the companies to present their proposals to that effect.
[…]
Iran’s missile tests are not a violation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) which makes no mention of the country’s defense capabilities, including missiles, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said Monday.
The following is the translation of what else the spokeswoman said in an interview Fars News Agency published on October 12:
The spokeswomen dismissed any links between Iran’s missile tests and JCPOA and said Iran’s missile capabilities are totally independent of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. “Besides, [UN Security Council] Resolution 2231 deals with nuclear-capable missiles, and Iran’s ballistic missiles are not designed for that purpose. That means they are not covered by the UN Security Council resolution and its annexes.”
She went on to say, “In keeping with a statement the Islamic Republic of Iran issued after the adoption of Resolution 2231, the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue to take all necessary measures to boost its defense capabilities in order to safeguard its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity in the face any aggression and also to counter the threat of terrorism.”
In a secret meeting in Russia with President Vladimir Putin, Saudi Defense Minister Mohammad bin Salman has said that his country and Qatar stand ready to pay $300 billion to Russia to topple the Assad regime.
According to Lebanon’s Addiyar Newspaper, at the meeting, President Putin said his government is not mafia to kill its friends or foes in exchange for money and that peanuts do nothing to change Moscow’s strategic principles.
In response, the Saudi minister said his proposal is not limited to the $300 billion in question which will be followed by hundreds of billions of dollars in investment. At this point, according to the Lebanese paper, in order to change the subject, Putin asked whether Prince Salman was into sports.
President Hassan Rouhani has reiterated that the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei’s guidelines on the nuclear issue formed the basis of the nuclear talks.
“We said in the course of negotiations that if the economic sanctions are not removed at the end of negotiations, we will leave the negotiating table,” President Rouhani said, addressing a meeting of Mazandaran Province’s Administrative Council on Monday.
“We must bring down the wall of sanctions which is the demand of the nation,” he added.
He said that in the process of examining the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) by parliament, the Supreme Leader and the public supported the government.
“One of the benefits of JCPOA for the Iranians is the display of our national unity because JCPOA is a national issue,” added the president.
Rouhani said that if the Iranians intend to become invulnerable to the probable plots hatched by the enemy we need to be strong, when we have a large crowd of unemployed citizens in our country everyone can exert influence on Iran.
“If we will create a strong economy, sufficient employment opportunities and enough target markets for our exports, we will be able to compete with major world companies; then the ways enemy infiltration will be blocked,” he added.
Comments by former US negotiator Wendy Sherman that the Iranian government seeks to take advantage of the nuclear deal, among other things, in the upcoming legislative elections are “unacceptable” and “a shot at creating internal division in Iran”, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in an interview with IRNA Monday.
The following is the translation of what else the official news agency quoted the top diplomat as saying in response to the allegations by the former US undersecretary of state:
We have openly said that we won’t allow anyone to meddle in Iran’s internal affairs. If the US negotiator has said such a thing, she is wrong. Such an interpretation of the talks is unacceptable. Not only does it amount to interference in Iran’s internal affairs, it is also a shot at creating internal division in Iran.
Since the beginning of the nuclear talks, the Iranian government has repeatedly said that the nuclear negotiations are a national project that should not be linked to political rivalry inside the country. Such doubtful interpretations deal an irreparable blow to this national project.
The Iranian negotiating team has maintained such a national attitude toward the talks all along and has not allowed the other side in the negotiations to meddle in Iran’s internal affairs. Today, all political groupings should remain committed to the national nature of the case and not allow the talks and their results to be used for political ends at home.
Geographical diversity and climatic conditions play a role in the variety of costumes local women in different parts of the country wear. Colorfulness is the standout feature of their clothes.
The following images snapped by Morteza Amin al-Roayaei in different provinces have been published by the Islamic Republic News Agency:
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has warned of the arrogant system’s pre-planned, extensive, all-out soft war against the Islamic Republic.
The most important goal of such a complicated war is to manipulate the Iranian nation’s beliefs, the Leader said in a meeting with President of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) Mohammad Sarafraz and the managers of the broadcaster in Tehran on Monday.
“The main goal of this premeditated and pre-planned war is to transmute the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
The Leader also added that Iran’s national radio and TV have a unique role to play in this “serious battlefield” and should draw up “precise and wise” plans to fulfill their duties.
President Hassan Rouhani has said the agreement signed between Tehran and P5+1 over Iran’s nuclear program should serve to further strengthen national unity rather than sow discord.
“As the Leader of the Islamic Revolution has said, JCPOA should not create divisions among the people,” said the president while addressing locals in the city of Sari in the northern province of Mazandaran on Monday.
In his address, President Rouhani underlined the necessity of maintaining national unity in the “post-JCPOA” era.
“Today, we are [facing] the post-JCPOA opportunity… and we need unity, solidarity and rapport,” said the president, adding, “We will remain united.”
He said Iran’s success in the negotiations that led to the conclusion of JCPOA was because of the “guidance” and “prudence” of the Leader, the “resistance” of the Iranian nation and efforts by the country’s seasoned diplomats.
President Rouhani also thanked parliament for “approving the outlines of the JCPOA bill” in its Sunday session.
He underlined that there may be some critics of the agreement, which, he said, is natural. Nevertheless, the president underlined, the majority of voices will have the final say.
Iranian lawmakers in an open session on Sunday passed the general outlines of a single-urgency motion that gives the go-ahead to the Rouhani administration to voluntarily implement JCPOA on a basis.
In the session, 139 lawmakers voted in favor of the motion, 100 voted against and 12 abstained.
[…]
© All Content by IFP News ( Iran Front Page ) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
