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Leader appoints passive defense chief

Leader

Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Tuesday appointed Brigadier General Gholamreza Jalali as head of Iran’s Passive Defense Organization.

“It is necessary that effective measures in the field of passive defense will be taken with Basiji work, and ensure country’s immunity and necessary defense preparedness,” read the Leader’s decree.

Ayatollah Khamenei also said it was incumbent on the three branches of government, especially the executive power, to support the Passive Defense Organization.

Iran reaffirms sovereignty over three Persian Gulf islands

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Tehran has categorically rejected “meddlesome” allegations by the Arab League with regards to Iran’s sovereignty over the three islands in the Persian Gulf.

“The repetition of meddlesome stances with regard to Iran’s sovereignty over Abu Musa, the Greater Tunb and the Lesser Tunb will have no impact on the existing legal and historical facts, and these islands are an inseparable part of the Iranian land,” Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said Tuesday.

She added that every activity in the three Iranian islands has been carried out in line with the Islamic Republic’s sovereign rights.

Afkham dismissed allegations about Iran’s interference in Arab countries’ affairs and said Tehran has always respected the policies of friendship and good neighborliness, mutual respect and non-interference in other countries’ affairs.

Iran sets no limits to the expansion of cordial relations and welcomes constructive interaction and broad cooperation, she said.

In a resolution issued at the end of the 144th session of the Arab League ministerial council in Cairo, Egypt, on September 13, the participants claimed that Iran is set to perpetuate what they described as the occupation of the three islands and the violation of the United Arab Emirates’ sovereignty.

They also voiced groundless allegations against Iran’s construction of settlements for its citizens on the three islands and military exercises in the region.

The islands of the Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa have always been part of Iran historically, proof of which can be found in and corroborated by countless historical, legal, and geographical documents in Iran and other parts of the world. However, the United Arab Emirates has repeatedly laid baseless claims to the islands.

Iran to enforce peace plan for Syria after consultation with Russia: Deputy FM

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Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said that Iran’s plan for the establishment of peace in Syria will be implemented after consultations with Moscow.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran’s political plan to settle the Syrian crisis will enter the operational phase after consultations with Russian officials in the next few days,” Amir Abdollahian said on Tuesday.

He said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was informed of Iran’s plan during a visit by Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to Damascus last month, adding that Assad welcomed Tehran’s constructive views and presented some proposals.

Amir Abdollahian said that Tehran and Damascus also agreed to hold more talks on the details of Iran’s plans, and added that the plan focuses on the Syrian people’s role, preventing a power vacuum, fighting terrorism, helping refugees and sending humanitarian aid to Syria.

He also dismissed media reports that Iran has withdrawn from its past position on Syria.

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Iran views China as strategic partner: FM Zarif

Zarif

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a meeting Tuesday with Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang praised as “strategic” ties between the two influential Asian countries.

“Iran has always regarded China as a strategic partner, and bilateral relations will undoubtedly improve following the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA),” Zarif said.

He said Beijing has played a positive role in the nuclear negotiations between Iran and P5+1.

The Chinese premier, for his part, said the Vienna nuclear agreement would help resolve ongoing problems in the Middle East and across the world.

He further expressed hope that all sides involved in the nuclear negotiations would respect their commitments under JCPOA.

As regards bilateral ties between Tehran and Beijing, Keqiang said the two sides can bolster their relations in various fields after the implementation of the nuclear deal.

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French Group to Open 2 Hotels in Iran

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The world’s sixth largest hotel group is set to open two hotels in Tehran following the July 14 nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, a report said.

French group AccorHotels will open an Ibis hotel and a Novotel branch near Tehran’s international airport, AFP reported on Tuesday.

The four-star hotels will be launched on October 15 with a total of nearly 500 rooms and will be equipped with meeting rooms, conference spaces and spas, fitness suites and swimming pools for both international and Iranian business travelers.

According to the report, AccorHotels’ chief executive Sebastien Bazin and representatives of Iranian company Aria Ziggurat, which owns the buildings, were to sign the contracts on September 15.

“There is an enormous potential for development of our brands in this country of nearly 80 million inhabitants whose economy is growing fast,” Bazin said in a statement.

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Iran censures ICRC over ‘insufficient’ aid for Yemen

Amir Abdullahian-ICRC

In a Tuesday meeting with Robert Mardini, the head of the ICRC operations for Near and Middle East, Amir-Abdollahian said the body is obligated to send humanitarian aid to regional countries which are affected by crises.

“Miscalculation and actions by certain countries in contravention of human principles and international regulations have regrettably exacerbated the humanitarian situation in the crisis-hit countries,” the senior Iranian diplomat said.

He added that innocent civilians are the first to fall victim to such moves, which have even affected the activities of international humanitarian relief organizations.

Amir-Abdollahian called for effective measures by the international community to immediately and regularly dispatch relief aid to the Yemeni people and prevent a “humanitarian catastrophe” in the war-stricken country.

Mardini, for his part, said Yemen is facing deplorable humanitarian situation and added that the ICRC is committed to sending relief aid to Yemeni civilians despite insecurity in the impoverished country.

The ICRC official added that a safe and effective dispatch of aid to Yemen is difficult given the ongoing war and the difficulty of convincing armed groups to allow distribution.

Mardini praised Iran’s humanitarian aid to Yemen, Iraq and Syria, saying the ICRC would try to distribute Iran’s relief aid to the Yemeni people despite all problems.

Saudi Arabia launched its military aggression against Yemen on March 26 – without a UN mandate – in a bid to undermine the revolutionary Ansarullah movement and restore power to Hadi, a staunch ally of Riyadh.

Nearly 4,500 people have been killed in the Yemeni conflict, the World Health Organization said on August 11. Local Yemeni sources, however, say the fatality figure is much higher.

French group to open two hotels in Iran

Hotels

The hotel contracts will be signed on Tuesday by AccorHotels’ chief executive Sebastien Bazin with representatives of Iranian company Aria Ziggurat, which owns the buildings, AFP reported.

The four-star hotels are scheduled to open for business on October 15, with a total of nearly 500 rooms.

Aimed at both international and Iranian business travelers, they will be equipped with meeting rooms, conference spaces and spas, fitness suites and swimming pools.

“There is an enormous potential for development of our brands in this country of nearly 80 million inhabitants whose economy is growing fast,” Bazin said in a statement.

AccorHotels is the world’s sixth-largest hotel group.

Christophe Landais, chief operating officer of AccorHotels Middle East, said in July that the group was involved in talks with Iranian officials regarding management agreements for the two hotels.

“We expect the recent agreements to potentially open up tremendous opportunities and rapid growth for the hospitality and tourism industry in Iran”, said Landais.

Rotana hotels group, based in Abu Dhabi, has also confirmed that it is opening four hotels in Iran – two in Mashhad and two in Tehran – all of which will open by 2018.  

Rouhani attends gathering of Revolution Guards commanders (PHOTOS)

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President Hassan Rouhani attended a gathering of senior officials and commanders of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) in Tehran on Tuesday.

The following images of the president’s presence in the gathering have been released by Tasnim News Agency:

President: No world power can decide for Iran

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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani praised the country’s independence after the Islamic Revolution in 1979, saying that today, no world power can decide for the Islamic Republic in the international arena anymore.

Speaking in a gathering of commanders and officials of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in Tehran on Tuesday, President Rouhani emphasized that before the Islamic revolution, global superpowers would interfere in Iran’s internal affairs and decide for the country.

That era is gone, he said, adding, “Today, there is no power or superpower that can decide for the establishment anymore… nor would we allow them to do so.”

Rouhani described Western sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic as “cruel”.

Pointing to the successful conclusion of nuclear talks with world powers, which will result in the termination of the anti-Iran sanctions, he said the Iranian nation managed to put an end to the embargos thanks to the guidelines of Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and the bravery of the country’s armed forces.

Iran and P5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) on July 14 reached a nuclear agreement that would terminate all sanctions imposed on Tehran over its nuclear energy program once it takes effect.

 

IRGC has taken up permanent position in rugged heights: Commander

General Mohammad Pakpour

Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Forces Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour has said his forces have fully cleansed the country’s western and northwestern border areas of terrorist groups.

“The country’s entire northwestern and western regions, where the IRGC Ground Forces are in charge (of providing security), have been cleansed of terrorists and our fighters are constantly present in those high zones,” Brigadier General Pakpour said on Monday.

He said the IRGC servicemen have in recent years gained control over the strategic mountainous areas that lacked any military base because of their rugged terrain and used to be a hotbed of terrorist activities.

The commander also noted that the IRGC’s presence in those regions has strongly undermined terrorist groups’ morale.

Since the outbreak of an armed rebellion in Iraq staged by the ISIL terrorist group, Iranian military officials have time and again underlined the high level of security along Iran’s western border areas, neighboring Iraq.