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IRAN FRONT PAGELatest News and Views From Iran, Middle East and the World

Iran News
Politics
Business
Society
- Education
- Environment
- Health
- Human Rights
- Incidents
- Lifestyle
- Sport
- Women
Culture
- Art
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World
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Home Blog Page 4840

Panahizadeh named to world wrestling commission

May 30, 2015

United World Wrestling President Nenad Lalovic announced the addition of Farnaz Panahizadeh to the international wrestling federation’s Women and Sport Commission.

Panahizadeh, who runs the International Department for the Iranian Wrestling Federation in Tehran, becomes the first Iranian woman to serve on a United World Wrestling commission, unitedworldwrestling.org wrote.

‘We are pleased to have Ms. Panahizadeh join our wrestling family,’ said Lalovic.

‘We fully expect her expertise and passion for the sport to influence the participation of women athletes around the world. Wrestling will be well served to have her voice.’

The Women and Sport Commission is responsible for overseeing the development of women’s wrestling around the world.

‘Wrestling is the national sport of Iran,’ said Ms. Panahizadeh. ‘During our history, Iranian women and men have loved wrestling and wrestling’s heroes are part of their heritage.’

The appointment of Panahizadeh occurred as a direct result of United World Wrestling’s recent Super 8 campaign, which highlighted the role of women in wrestling. The campaign brought together leading voices within sport and helped improved the representation of female athletes around the world, including developing countries like Iran who sent Panahizadeh to the Super 8 announcement in January.

‘Today women are provided a chance to take part in wrestling in accordance to our religious and cultural values. I am sure that with cooperation of other members of the commission we can help bring even more women to the sport of wrestling,’ Panahizadeh said.

Good progress made over removal of anti-Iran sanctions in Iran N-talks: Iranian official

Emad Askarieh

May 30, 2015

A senior Iranian nuclear negotiator says good progress has been made on the issue of the removal of the anti-Iran sanctions during nuclear talks between the Islamic Republic and the P5+1, Press TV reports.

Hamid Baidinejad, who is also the director general for political and international affairs at Iran’s Foreign Ministry, made the remark in an exclusive interview with Press TV in the Austrian capital, Vienna, on Friday.

He did not provide specifics.

Baidinejad, who has been in Vienna for talks with the P5+1, is now heading to the Swiss city of Geneva to join Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and other members of the Iranian nuclear negotiating team for the continuation of the talks there.

During the interview, he also said that the idea of foreign access to the country’s military sites has never been on the agenda of negotiations between the Islamic Republic and six world powers over Iran’s civilian atomic activities.

“In fact, inspection of military installations has never been on agenda in our negotiations. As we have made it very clear, we never accepted that there could be inspections from the military sites in our country,” he said.

“But, there are very clear rules and regulations which are defined within the Additional Protocol, which… define in concrete terms… what are the regulations and conditions that such an access could be requested by the [International Atomic Energy] Agency and what are the rights of the state parties in response to these concerns,” he added.

The senior Iranian official said that Tehran and its negotiating partners are not contemplating an extension of Iran’s nuclear talks beyond the June 30 deadline.

Earlier on Friday, Seyyed Abbas Araqchi, who is Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, made similar remarks about the issue of visits to Iranian military facilities and interviews with Iranian nuclear scientists.

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

On May 20, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali 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.

Araqchi said the Leader’s remarks are “a decisive and serious guideline” for the Iranian negotiating team.

[…]

Iran has cooperated with IAEA more than reflected in recent report: Official

Emad Askarieh

May 30, 2015

An Iranian nuclear official says the part of a recent report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) about Iran’s cooperation with the agency is “incomplete,” as the Islamic Republic has cooperated with the agency more than reflected in the report.

“From the 18 practical measures [on which] we agreed with the Agency, we concluded 16. Two remaining practical measures are under discussion,” Iran’s Ambassador to the IAEA Reza Najafi told Press TV in an exclusive interview on Friday.

He said that during recent meetings with IAEA officials in the Iranian capital, Tehran, “we discussed [the] two remaining practical measures. We provided some clarification with regard to those two issues.”

“What has been considered by some media as information about one issue is indeed a sentence in the report which refers to one of the issues. But, indeed, we provided information for two issues and we believe that that part of the report is incomplete; it is not a full reflection of the facts,” he explained.

In separate remarks, Najafi said the IAEA report repeats previous allegations about the so-called possible military dimensions (PMD) in Iran’s nuclear program.

“The latest report, when compared to earlier ones, shows the IAEA has nothing new to present concerning the implementation of the Safeguards Agreement in Iran,” said Najafi, adding that the new report has the same content as that of the previous ones only with different figures.

Najafi also rejected the UN nuclear watchdog’s so-called PMD allegations and said repeating the same baseless accusations against Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities cannot give credibility to IAEA reports.

He pointed out that the report, issued to the IAEA’s 35-nation board and the UN Security Council on Thursday, attests that all of Iran’s atomic activities and its nuclear facilities have been under the close supervision of the UN nuclear agency, and have had no diversion from peaceful dimensions.

Iran condemns terrorist attack on Saudi Shia worshippers

Emad Askarieh

May 30, 2015

The Islamic Republic of Iran has condemned a recent deadly terrorist attack against Shia worshippers in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.

All measures should be taken to prevent such incidents and combat those who have targeted the security and stability of the region by provoking religious strife, said Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham on Friday.

Cruel, unjustifiable act

Amnesty International also denounced the act of terror as cruel and unjustifiable.

“Members of Saudi Arabia’s Shia Muslim community have been subjected to cruel attacks during Friday prayers for the second week in a row. There can be absolutely no justification for attacking worshippers in a mosque,” said Deputy Director at Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Program Said Boumedouha.

The activist called on Saudi officials to carry out a “transparent” probe into the incident and adopt serious measures to protect the Shia minority in the kingdom, saying Riyadh must translate into action its words in condemnation of terrorism and extremism.

“Unless the Saudi Arabian authorities are transparent about the investigations they are carrying out into these atrocities, and unless they take serious and effective steps to end discrimination and advocacy of hatred against the Shia, it will fuel perceptions that they are looking the other way while sectarian tensions and violence against Shia intensify,” Boumedouha stated.

“The authorities… must do more to protect members of this community from further violent attacks,” he went on to say.

Massive rally in Qatif

According to reports, thousands of people took to the streets in the Qatif region of Eastern Province to protest against the terrorist attack.

The demonstrators accused the government in Riyadh of failing to protect the Shia population in the Arab country.

Earlier in the day, a car bomb attack targeted the Imam Hussein Mosque in Dammam, the capital city of Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.

The ISIL Takfiri terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack, which left at least four people dead.

The attack came a week after another Takfiri element blew himself up at the Imam Ali Mosque in Qatif, killing 21 people and injuring 97 others.

Kafe Namak or Salt Lake in Sirjan (Photos)

Fatemeh Askarieh

May 30, 2015

Namak Lake in Sirjan, which is in fact a dry lake, has turned into a tourist attraction in Kerman Province.

A dry lake or playa is an ephemeral lakebed, or a remnant of an endorheic lake. Such flats consist of fine-grained sediments infused with alkali salts.

A playa lake may cover a wide area, but it is never deep. Most water in it evaporates, leaving a layer of salt on the surface. These salt covered stretches are called saltpans. When the basin is primarily salt, the dry lake is called a salt pan or salt flat.

Tasnim News Agency has released the following pictures of the dry lake in southern Iran:

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Bastam Grand Mosque in Semnan (PHOTOS)

Fatemeh Askarieh

May 30, 2015

Mosques in Iran; Cultural Havens with Impressive Architecture

Bastam Grand Mosque is located at a distance of 200 meters from the tomb of Bayazid, a famous Persian Sufi, south of the city of Bastam, in Iran’s northern province of Semnan. It was constructed in the 1st century AH.

The historic mosque is connected to the Kashaneh Tower in the southeast. The tower has 30 sides. Some researchers believe this structure is a relic from the times of Qazan Khan Mongol and it was previously known as Qazaneh.

The following are the pictures Mehr News Agency has posted online of the mosque and the tower:

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Senior cleric stresses safeguarding nuclear achievements

Emad Askarieh

May 29, 2015

Tehran’s Friday Prayer Leader Ayatollah Kazem Sediqi underlined the necessity for safeguarding the country’s nuclear achievements, saying that inspection of Iran’s military sites is against the holy Koran’s teachings.

“It is not acceptable to us to see our nuclear energy (industries) become a lion without mane and tail and useless, as we will then (under such conditions) be incapable of enriching uranium and will depend on the foreigners for meeting our domestic needs,” Ayatollah Sediqi said, addressing a large congregation of people on Tehran University campus on Friday.

He also voiced opposition to the inspection of Iran’s military and missile centers by the foreigners, and said it is against the teachings of the holy Koran.

Sediqi underlined that the guidelines of Islamic figures and clerics also say that the enemies shouldn’t have Muslims under their control.

In relevant remarks on Wednesday, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei urged the Iranian negotiators not to bow to the West’s pressures and keep on insisting on the country’s stances that have already been announced.

“The negotiators should insist on the stances that have been announced and I hope they could meet the country’s and the ruling system’s interests,” Ayatollah Khamenei said in a meeting with Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani and parliamentarians in Tehran.

Yet, the Supreme Leader underlined that the Iranian negotiators are engaged in hard work and efforts.

“There are many solutions to the nuclear issue all of which rely on the domestic capacities and reinforcing (domestic) production,” Ayatollah Khamenei added.

The Supreme Leader underlined that the nuclear issue is only a pretext to pressure Iran and even if this problem is resolved, the Western powers would seek other excuses such as “human rights”.

Ayatollah Khamenei called on Iranian officials to rely on the country’s domestic capabilities, and said, “If we boost production and use domestic potentialities, this will not only solve internal problems, but also facilitate settlement of foreign issues such as the nuclear one,” Ayatollah Khamenei added.

Iran FM warns against excessive demands in nuclear talks

Emad Askarieh

May 28, 2015

“I would expect my negotiating partners to refrain from making excessive demands,” Zarif said after meeting with his Greek counterpart, Nikos Kotzias, in the Greek capital city of Athens on Thursday.

His remarks came a day after French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Paris would not approve a final nuclear deal which rules out the inspection of Iran’s military sites.

Fabius said Paris “will not accept a deal if it is not clear that inspections can be done at all Iranian installations, including military sites,” adding that this is the “independent” position of his country.

Zarif, however, stressed that France’s new stance runs counter to the mutual understanding reached between the two sides in the Swiss city of Lausanne on April 2, saying what Paris demands is tantamount to a request to re-negotiate the Lausanne agreement.

“If people insist…on re-negotiations, then it will be difficult to envisage an agreement,” he went on to say.

Such an accord is accessible before the deadline of June 30 provided that “people have their foot in reality, not in illusions,” he said, adding, “We can only have agreements in which both sides can claim that they have achieved positive results. You need to either win together, or lose together.”

Zarif added that Tehran seeks to clinch a “dignified, mutually respectful agreement” with its negotiating partners.

The comments comes as Zarif and his US opposite number, John Kerry, are set to meet in the Swiss city of Geneva on Saturday in an effort to facilitate the progress in talks over Iran’s nuclear program.

The latest round of negotiations between Tehran and the P5+1 group – Russia, China, France, Britain, the US plus Germany – came to an end in the Austrian capital city of Vienna on May 22.

Light should be shed on the status of Afghan refugees in Syria

Emad Askarieh

May 28, 2015

More than three decades of war has triggered an exodus of Afghan refugees to other countries. The human stream has been huge enough to prompt Afghanistan to set up an independent ministry to handle the issue of the displaced people.

Afghan Minister for Refugees and Repatriation Hussain Alami Balkhi – who was in Tehran earlier this month for the fourth session of the strategic quartet committee on the Afghan refugees attended by representatives from Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) – told Tasnim News Agency that the Afghan government has yet to be given clear details about the status of homeless Afghans overseas.

He also said more than 840,000 refugees are living in Iran and 1.6 million others in Pakistan, adding in the quartet session, Kabul asked Tehran and Islamabad to be given more information on the Afghan refugees so that it can make better planning to help them.

Balkhi went on to say that Kabul used to give $200 to each member of an Afghan family once they returned to their hometowns, adding his government will increase the financial incentives. In addition to the previous amount, government will hand out at least $3,000 to the families of five or more who return home, he stressed.

The Afghan minister also gave an interview to Sharq daily (May 26) about the refugees and said that his ministry needs $166 million in finances [to handle the refugees’ problems]. His request came against the backdrop of recent reports which revealed embezzlement and massive administrative corruption plaguing the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation and the previous government. The following is the translation of excerpts of his remarks in the interview:

[…]

Afghan refugees in Syria

These days, nowhere in the world can an event be exclusively confined to the place it occurs. Incidents take place in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, but the locals in these countries are not the only ones who play a role in those incidents.

People from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Arab nations and elsewhere live in Syria. The Afghan media [like other news outlets] pursue what is happening there, but what matters more is how the Afghans are living there. The Afghan media seek to shed light on the presence of the Afghans in Syria and Iraq, trying to find out whether they go there voluntarily just like other nationalities.

If the way the Afghans head to these two countries comes to light, it will help us provide answers to the existing questions. The onus is on the Iranian media to shed more light on the following questions: Is it true that the Afghan refugees are in Syria and if yes how?

[…]

Supreme Leader’s stance on education of Afghan children

The stance of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution [that the Afghan children – both documented and undocumented – should be signed up in public schools across Iran] carries an Islamic, human message. It entails all [human] values. Nobody should be denied the right to education anywhere in the world.

Personally I thanked him [the Supreme Leader] in a meeting, asking the Leader to order the speedy implementation of the Afghan children’s education in Iran. Joint committees have been activated to that end. I hope no Afghan children are deprived of education during the new school year in Iran [starting late September].

[…]

Plans on dispatch of Afghan workforce to Persian Gulf states

We are pursuing the case. Afghanistan’s Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled has held talks on the workforce issue with the UAE. The two sides are to ink agreements on the Afghan labor in the Persian Gulf countries and on the Afghans who are doing business there.

Similar agreements are being drafted between Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. A Saudi delegation came to Kabul a while ago to study the labor capabilities of Afghanistan.

Taliban delegation in Iran

I know nothing about it. I don’t know who those Taliban who came to Iran are and if they really talked about the question of the Afghan refugees, or it is just a media gossip.

All in all, I don’t know whether those who were in Iran were really the Taliban or those who previously cooperated with the Taliban. I suppose they were members of the group when the Taliban were in power.

The reason behind their trip to Iran – whether they wanted to talk about the refugees or peace, or they were trying to seek asylum in Iran – is still unclear. I cannot comment on that.

[…]

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on May 28

Emad Askarieh

May 28, 2015

The Supreme Leader’s remarks in a meeting Wednesday with the MPs that government ministers should be treated respectfully and politely dominated the front pages of Iranian newspapers on Thursday. The Leader’s nuclear stances as well as calls for solidarity and harmony in government-parliament interaction made front-page headlines too. Also in the news was the possibility raised by Deputy Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi who said nuclear talks are likely to be extended beyond the July 1 deadline.

Abrar: A member of parliament’s Planning and Budget Committee has said that the Judiciary should deal with the previous government’s violations of the targeted subsidies law.

Afarinesh: “Development of a creative economy is a big step toward [materializing the objectives of] the resistance-based economy,” said President Hassan Rouhani in a Cabinet session.

Afarinesh: Nuclear talks are likely to be extended after June 30.

Senior Iranian negotiator Abbas Araghchi made the comment, adding that nuclear talks have become more complex because of the focus on the details.

Afkar: The Judiciary chief has hit out at disrespect [some show] for the country’s nuclear negotiators.

Afkar: “A rise in gasoline prices will not trigger price hikes,” said the government spokesman.

Aftab-e Yazd: “Boosting the domestic capabilities is key to settling the nuclear case,” said the Supreme Leader in a meeting with the MPs.

Arman-e Emrooz: Mohammad Reza Aref, a former first vice-president, has said that we will prove that the reformists will get 70 percent of votes in March parliamentary elections.

Arman-e Emrooz: “Insulting the nuclear team will not help [the progress of] nuclear talks,” said Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadegh Amoli Larijani.

Asrar: Seyyed Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of the founding father of the Islamic Republic, has said that bravery is evident when we understand what is expedient and what our responsibility is, not [just] letting out shouts.

Asrar: “Scientific development in Europe was the direct result of freedom,” said Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

Asrar: “Interaction with government is necessary and is the real manifestation of solidarity and harmony,” said the Supreme Leader.

Ebtekar: In a meeting with the MPs, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has asked for respectful and polite treatment of ministers.

Ebtekar: “Iran is the birthplace of the Islamic civilization,” said Chairman of the Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

Ebtekar: “I have no difficulty meeting with foreign ministers of the Islamic countries,” said FM Mohammad Javad Zarif on the sidelines of an Organization of Islamic Cooperation meeting.

Etemad: “I have openly announced [the country’s] nuclear stances,” said Ayatollah Khamenei in a meeting with the MPs.

Ettela’at: “The Iranians are not divided over defending the core principle of the establishment and the country,” said the grandson of the late Imam Khomeini.

Ettela’at: Foreign Minister Zarif has said that Iran is ready to cooperate with all [nations] on fighting injustice.

Ghanoon: “The nuclear team is moving down a path the Supreme Leader approves of,” said Ali Akbar Velayati, a former top diplomat.

Hemayat: “The negotiating team should be aware of the enemy’s gamesmanship,” said the Judiciary chief.

Jahan-e Eghtesad: In a meeting with the MPs, the Supreme Leader has emphasized the need for efforts to seriously deal with financial disorderliness.

Jomhouri Islami: The Supreme Leader has called on government and parliament to show good faith in their interaction.

Jomhouri Islami: “The Central Bank is not after increasing or decreasing the foreign exchange rate,” said the governor of the Central Bank of Iran.

Kayhan: “It takes years to make sure Iran’s nuclear program is peaceful,” said IAEA chief Yukiya Amano.

Mardomsalari: “I am ready to take a trip to Saudi Arabia,” said Foreign Minister Zarif.

Rah-e Mardom: The Supreme Leader has called on negotiators to insist on the country’s core principles and serve the interests of Iran.

Rooyesh-e Mellat: “The MPs are not expected to show disrespect for the ministers,” said Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

Sharq: “Corruption stems from the infiltration of governments in the economy,” said Sadegh Zibakalam, a political analyst, in an interview with the daily.

Sharq: “The release of parliament’s close-door sessions does little to help the progress of nuclear talks,” said the judiciary chief.