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Nuclear talks making slow headway: Iranian negotiator

By
Emad Askarieh
-
Araghchi

A senior Iranian negotiator in talks with world powers said the process of drafting a comprehensive agreement on Tehran’s nuclear program is making progress, albeit slowly.

Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, also a deputy foreign minister, made the comments on Saturday before leaving the Austrian capital of Vienna after two days of diplomatic meetings with his counterparts from 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany).

The sessions were part of a broader plan to draft and finalize the text of a long-awaited nuclear accord, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Expert teams, led by Iran’s Hamid Baidinejad and the EU’s Stephen Clement will stay in Vienna to press ahead with the talks.

Iran and 5+1 have held several rounds of talks in recent months to hammer out a lasting accord that would end more than a decade of impasse over Tehran’s civilian nuclear program.

On April 2, the two sides reached a framework nuclear agreement in Lausanne, Switzerland, with both sides committed to push for a final deal until the end of June.

By hosting World Cup, Qatar aims to promote the fake Arabian Gulf: Political expert

By
Emad Askarieh
-
qatar-world-cup

With scandal after scandal plaguing FIFA, the campaign to pull the 2022 World Cup from Qatar is gaining momentum. Many critics of the beleaguered president of football’s world governing body suggest a new round of voting should be held to determine which country hosts the 2022 World Cup.

Such criticism is not limited to those involved in sports, some political analysts too believe that the head of the Iranian Football Federation Ali Kafashian should join the chorus of countries opposed to the Persian Gulf sheikhdom hosting the event in seven years.

One such analyst is Majid Tafreshi, Ph.D., an international relations expert who is based in London. He is a member of the campaign which calls for the World Cup to be moved from Qatar. He argues that Qatar hosting the event is more than any other country to the detriment to Iran.

The following is the translation of the interview Khabaronline.ir released on June 6:

 

Q. You are one of the critics of Qatar hosting the World Cup. What is the reason behind your opposition?

A. I am a member of the international campaign to boycott Qatar. Iran is totally unaware of the grave danger Qatar’s hosting of the World Cup may pose to its interests. For a number of reasons, the 2022 event is dangerous to the interests of Iran, the international community and the world soccer body.

Q. Why do you consider the Qatar World Cup a threat to Iran?

A. I have attended two conferences on this issue. One of the goals Qatar pursues through hosting the event is cultural. The Qataris want, as they put it, to put the final nail in the coffin of the Persian Gulf.

Q. Do you really think FIFA would allow such a thing to happen?

A. You think FIFA whose officials stand accused of receiving bribes will stop them from pushing their agenda? In 2022 the world will hear the fake term of the Arabian Gulf many, many times in a single month. What do you think the world will do? … Qatar hosting the World Cup will pose a direct threat to our national interests.

Q. How optimistic are you about the World Cup being pulled from Qatar? 

A. Maybe this is the only campaign in which the Europeans and the Americans are on our side. We see eye to eye with them, most of them I should say.

Q. Their opposition to Qatar’s staging the event is because of the irregularities in securing the right to stage the World Cup. What should we base our opposition on?

A. There are many reasons: Irregularities, support for terrorism; failure to uphold workers’ rights; human rights, the Persian Gulf, etc. I have held a private meeting on this at the Presidential Office and attended two British parliament sessions. Now that the British are officially opposed to Qatar, we need to join the anti-corruption campaign at FIFA and salvage football. That would be in our best interest.

Iran Architecture in Photos: House of Aminis in Qazvin

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
House of Aminis in Qazvin

House of Aminis is a historic place for mourning in Qazvin, central Iran.It was constructed in 1858 by a merchant called Haj Mohammad Reza Amini.

The following images of the site have been released by Shakhesnews.com: 

Ali Larijani: West seeking to disrupt nuclear talks

By
Emad Askarieh
-
Ali Larijani

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said some Western countries involved in the ongoing nuclear negotiations with Tehran want to undermine the talks by raising excessive demands.

The Westerners have no choice but to accept Iran’s nuclear knowledge, Larijani said in a ceremony held in Varamin, south of Tehran, on Thursday evening.

He added that the West should know that the framework set by Tehran for nuclear talks is completely clear and the Leader has knowledge about it and the Iranian negotiators can negotiate just within that framework.

“If the westerners issue excessive statements beyond the framework of negotiation, that means they are seeking to disrupt the negotiations…,” Larijani said.

He made the remarks in response to recent calls by some Western countries for access to Iran’s military sites and interviews with nuclear scientists amid ongoing talks between the Islamic Republic and 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) to hammer out a lasting accord that would end more than a decade of impasse over Tehran’s peaceful nuclear program.

On April 2, the two sides reached a framework nuclear agreement in Lausanne, Switzerland, with both committed to push for a final deal until the end of June.

In relevant remarks, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has ruled out any request for interviews with Iranian nuclear scientists, describing it as an instance of “interrogation”.

“I would not let foreigners come (here) and talk to the Iranian nation’s dear scientists…, who have expanded this wide knowledge to this stage,” the Leader said on May 20.

Any revision to Lausanne understanding will lead to failure: Zarif

By
Emad Askarieh
-
Iran FM Zarif

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says any attempt to revise the framework of a potential deal on Iran’s nuclear program, which was reached in the Swiss city of Lausanne in April, will result in the failure of efforts to reach a final agreement.

Iran and the P5+1 group of countries reached a mutual understanding on the parameters of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – as the potential comprehensive agreement on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program is called – in the Swiss city of Lausanne on April 2.

Zarif told Rossiya-24 television on Friday that the “solution” to reach a final agreement on Iran’s nuclear program was “agreed in Lausanne”.

“All parties must understand that we can reach an agreement only in the framework of these solutions. Any attempts to revise the agreement will lead to failure,” he added.

The Iranian foreign minister further noted the P5+1 group – the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China plus Germany – should show political will to finalize a deal on the nuclear program.

“The biggest problem we have is the need to make a political decision,” Zarif stated.

The remarks by Zarif came as representatives from Iran, who arrived in the Austrian capital Vienna on Thursday, and the P5+1 continued nuclear negotiations on drafting the text of a final deal over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program on Friday.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Ministers Abbas Araghchi and Majid Takht-e-Ravanchi sat down for talks with European Union deputy foreign policy chief Helga Schmid and US Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman.

The deputy foreign ministers of Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China also held talks with the two senior Iranian officials.

The Iranian deputy foreign ministers will leave Vienna Saturday, but the talks will continue at the expert level in the Austrian city.

Iran and the P5+1 countries have been working on the text of the potential deal ever since they reached the mutual understanding on its parameters.

The late Imam’s revolution was seeking a society free of violence

By
Emad Askarieh
-
Hashemi Rafsanjani

The chairman of the Expediency Council says that the late Imam Khomeini championed a revolution which could not stand violence.

Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani made the comment in the opening of an International Conference on World without Violence in Imam Khomeini’s Worldview which was held earlier this month and added that the revolution the late Imam Khomeini championed was free of violence.

Aftab-e Yazd daily on June 6 published the top councilor’s remarks. The following is the translation of what else Ayatollah Rafsanjani said in the conference:

[…]

Islam is a religion of kindness and compassion and the late Imam – who was a harbinger of Islam in modern times – was a promoter of Islamic mercifulness. The revolution the late Imam spearheaded was free of any [form of] violence, and violent acts had no place in his planning.

A world free of violence is what the wise and thoughtful humans deserve in modern times. Humans should not live with violence; rather, they are expected to base their lives on logic and reasoning.

Regrettably the world of Islam has turned out to be the most violent. Now that humans who have taken giant steps toward elevation, each day the Islamic world is witnessing a catastrophe and this is counter to the delicate and humane soul of Islam.

[…]

Prior to the revolution when armed activities were a means of struggle [against the Pahlavi regime], the late Imam would instead focus on people’s potential, disapproving of armed struggle.

[…]

Compared with other revolutions in the world, Iran’s Islamic revolution is unique because it was formed building on people’s willpower and heartfelt desire and has since been supported by the people.

[…]

The late Imam would always underline that people are the real rulers of the [Islamic] establishment, they have the right to govern and they can solve the problems on their own.

[…]

Following the victory of the Islamic revolution, by the order of the late Imam all institutes inside the country were kept unchanged and only certain individuals who had committed crimes were put on trial. The communist revolutions, however, carried out bloody purges and a number of office holders from the previous systems were punished.

If the world takes a fair look at the late Imam, his remarks and works, it will learn that the Islamic Republic has been designed based on a broad framework. One should admit that there are weak points [in the system], but they are all the result of [the performance of] the lawmakers.

In this establishment, all affairs – including choosing the Supreme Leader, president, parliament [members] and Cabinet ministers – are administered by people, directly or indirectly. This establishment loses its validity in the absence of people’s choice.

There are some who intervene in certain affairs, trample upon people’s rights and think they have every right to ignore popular vote. Such measures are not in line with Islamic orders and way of thinking as well as the late Imam’s viewpoints. Even God Almighty does not let go of those who trample upon people’s rights. They have to win people’s satisfaction; in other words, they need to secure the satisfaction of every single person in the country if they seek divine forgiveness.

During the imposed war, the Iraqis fought against the Iranians, did injustice and set foot on our soil. Some of them were captured, but they attended Friday prayers in the country thanks to the kindness they were shown by the Iranians. Members of the Badr Brigade that are now taking on ISIL in Iraq are from the ranks of the POWs who repented of their wrongdoings in Iran.

When it comes to talking about elections, some turn fearful. It should not be so. To handle the elections, love should be present. Some reactionaries try to display ossified behaviors. It is true there are some people like that, but they do not belong to the Islamic establishment, revolution and the [ideals of the] late Imam.

Iran’s Constitution has called for a society free of violence. If you see violence [anywhere], it is against our principles. Iran has been repeatedly subject to injustice. They [the Westerners] armed Saddam to fight against Iran, but Iran refused to take revenge.

[…]

What Saudi Arabia is doing in Yemen is condemnable. Why is that Saudi Arabia – which hosts Muslims [for Hajj Pilgrimage] and is the guardian of the Kaaba – is raining down bombs on the Yemenis and killing civilians each day?

What Saudi Arabia is doing is a dark stain which will stay on history. Under the influence of Wahhabism, the Saudis have displayed such inappropriate behavior. Their ancestors were those who destroyed Karbala and Medina. Not only did they kill the Shiites, they also shed the blood of fellow Sunnis.

ISIL poses a threat to Iran in the long run

By
Emad Askarieh
-
isis (1)
Nader Entesar
Professor Nader Entessar

A US-based Iranian professor has said that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) poses a serious threat to Iran in the long run.

Nader Entessar, who is a professor in and the chair of the Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice at the University of South Alabama, made the comment in an interview with Mosalas, a weekly Iranian news magazine. The following is a partial translation of excerpts of his remarks in the interview which came out in late May:

 

Iran and ISIL

Tehran seems to lack a long-term, comprehensive plan to take on ISIL. It needs to take the movements of the terrorist grouping along its eastern and western borders seriously and develop a long-term defense strategy to deal with the terrorists.

 

Iran and Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has adopted an aggressive foreign policy in the region. In recent years, Riyadh has treaded lightly – both on domestic and foreign policy fronts – but the kingdom seems to be experiencing big changes thanks to the rise to power of a new king and the current conditions in the region. One such change is the spread of local conflicts which will also have an impact on Iran’s security.

Iran’s current policy in dealing with Saudi Arabia does not work properly. Riyadh is trying to take insecurity to within Iranian borders. The closer Iran gets to clinching a nuclear deal with P5+1, the more the Saudis show [high-risk behavior and] adventurism.

What Riyadh is seeking is an Iran isolated forever. Now it is hard to predict what Saudi Arabia will do next. If Saudi Arabia gets caught in the quagmire of Yemen, it will suffer huge setbacks, something which will eventually serve Iran’s interests.

If Riyadh achieves its goals in Yemen [helping President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi who fled the country in March return to Yemen; cracking down on and eliminating the Houthis; and establishing a federal system in Yemen with two main regions: north and south with the two regions enjoying the right to self-determination but remaining under the Saudi influence], the Saudis will get emboldened. What unfolds in the future will determine the approach Iran has to adopt to properly deal with the kingdom.

 

Iran and Saudi conflict

There is an outside chance for Iran and Saudi Arabia to get engaged in war. The Riyadh government lacks the needed combat experience and this [Saudi weakness] is clearly evident in its airstrikes against Yemen.

That’s why Riyadh is seeking to align itself with powerful allies such as the US, but the fact remains that the United State under President Barack Obama is not seeking to fuel insecurity in Iran. Obama’s tenure comes to an end in one and a half years’ time [and the next president will have his or her own policies]. If a Republican wins the race for the White House, the change in US policies on Iran will be far from predictable.

The role the Israeli regime plays in the developments against Iran squarely hinges on the policies the White House adopts on Iran. The Israeli government lacks the guts to go it alone and attack Iran.

 

Iran and nuclear negotiations

The future of nuclear talks between Iran and P5+1 looks bright if Tehran accepts the Additional Protocol [of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)]. The two sides seem to be going to ink a nuclear deal, but the comprehensiveness of the possible agreement remains uncertain. […]

In other words, the deal will determine the commitments of the parties to the talks, but the two sides seem likely to need to continue the talks.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on June 6

By
Emad Askarieh
-
Iranian Newspapers Headlines
Iranian Newspapers Headlines

The comments of the Supreme Leader at a ceremony to mark the 26th anniversary of the demise of the founding father of the Islamic Republic dominated the front pages of Iranian newspapers on Saturday. Comments of President Rouhani and Seyyed Hassan Khomeini at the same ceremony also made front-page headlines.

 

Abrar: The number of people killed in a deadly road accident involving a passenger bus carrying Iraqi nationals in northern Iran has reached 26.

Abrar: “There has been no case of massive corruption in the country in the past 20 months,” said the justice minister.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on June 6

 

 

Aftab-e Yazd: “Removal of sanctions will result in wastefulness,” said Tehran Friday Prayer Leader Kazem Sedighi.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on June 6

 

 

Arman-e Emrooz: Saudi Arabia has made unprecedented admission on Iran; Riyadh and Tel Aviv are in cahoots.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on June 6

 

 

Asrar: “An Islamic society does not stand reactionary attitude or despotism,” said Seyyed Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of the late Imam Khomeini.

He made the comment in a speech at Imam Khomeini Mausoleum to mark the 26th anniversary of his grandfather’s demise.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on June 6

 

 

Ettela’at: “Iran helps regional countries take on terrorism,” said President Hassan Rouhani.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on June 6

 

Hambastegi: “Our movement on the foreign policy front won’t slow down,” vowed President Hassan Rouhani.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on June 6

 

 

Hosban: Opportunities for investment in Iran’s gas industries have been presented at the French Institute of International Relations.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on June 6

 

 

Iran: Representatives from the European energy giants have held talks with [Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar] Zanganeh.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on June 6

 

 

Jomhouri Islami: “Nuclear talks have come a long way,” said Iranian negotiator Abbas Araghchi.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on June 6

 

Kayhan: “Any measure to paint a distorted image of the late Imam’s character would amount to an attempt to distort the roadmap of the nation,” said Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on June 6

 

 

Payam-e Zaman: “Imam Khomeini believed to the end that the US was the Great Satan,” said Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on June 6

 

 

Sharq: “The revolution the late Imam championed did not favor violence,” said Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani.

Sharq: “The late Imam respected the choice of the public,” said the Supreme Leader.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on June 6

 

Iran armed forces will not allow inspections of military sites: General

By
Emad Askarieh
-
General Masoud Jazayeri

A high-ranking Iranian commander says the Islamic Republic’s armed forces will not allow any inspection of the country’s military sites.

“We will never allow any kind of visit to military centers, whether it is limited and controlled, or unlimited or in any other form,” ISNA quoted Deputy Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri as saying Friday.

He underlined that the Iranian nation will never give in to the excessive demands being made by arrogant powers during the course of nuclear negotiations between Iran and six other countries.

On May 30, senior Iranian nuclear negotiator Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, who is Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, also rejected calls for inspections of Iran’s military sites and interviews with Iranian nuclear scientists.

Araghchi described as “a decisive and serious guideline” the recent statements by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who rejected calls for the inspection of Iran’s military sites and interviews with the country’s nuclear scientists as part of a final nuclear deal.

“We have fully informed the other [negotiating] side that this (the issue of inspections and interviews) will never be on the agenda” of the negotiations, Araghchi said on May 29.

On May 20, Ayatollah Khamenei said Iran will not allow any inspections by foreign countries of its military sites. He also stressed that foreigners will not be permitted to interview Iranian scientists in the nuclear domain.

Hezbollah warns Israel against war

By
Emad Askarieh
-
Seyyed Hassan Nasrollah

The secretary general of the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement, Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah, has warned Israel against potential military strikes against Lebanon.

Nasrallah said the Israeli regime should not think that Hezbollah is preoccupied with the operations in Syria against terrorist groups, saying a strong response awaits Israel if it attacks Lebanon.

The Hezbollah leader said that despite all the propaganda against the resistance group, it gained many achievements in the Qalamoun region on the Lebanese-Syrian border.

He said Hezbollah fighters have liberated many areas from the Takfiri al-Nusra Front militants in the border region.

The Hezbollah fighters and the Syrian army now have the upper hand in Qalamoun, Nasrallah said.

He said the battle on the outskirts of the town of Arsal will continue, but emphasized that Hezbollah fighters do not plan to enter the town itself, the liberating of which is the responsibility of the Lebanese army.

On the Takfiri ISIL terrorist group, the Hezbollah leader said the group was originally formed in Iraq, and later spread to Syria.

Nasrallah said ISIL split from the al-Qaeda terrorist group, which was itself created by the US, Saudi and Pakistani intelligence agencies.

On the Saudi military strikes against Yemen, the Hezbollah leader said that Saudi Arabia does not want anyone to criticize the military aggression against its impoverished neighbor.

He said the stance of Hezbollah has from day one been to condemn the Saudi military strikes against Yemen.

Out of the goals declared by Saudi Arabia in the military aggression against Yemen, Nasrallah said, none were achieved.

“Yes, they killed, they destroyed… criminal gangs can do that; aside from that, none of the declared goals were achieved,” he said.

Saudi Arabia has to end the aggression and the blockade against Yemen, the Hezbollah leader said.

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