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US, Israel root causes of terrorism in region: Iran’s FM

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Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has described the policies of the United States and the Zionist regime of Israel as the main reasons behind terrorism in the Middle East.

Root causes of terrorism and extremism in the Middle East are the expansionist policies of Washington and Tel Aviv, Zarif said in a Tuesday meeting with a Mexican parliamentary delegation in Tehran.

Zarif further called for international and regional cooperation in an all-out fight against the phenomena of terrorism and extremism.

Iran had earlier warned of the formation and expansion of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist group and extremism in the region, he reminded.

Zarif’s remarks came as Iran attracted attention last year as one of the first countries that anticipated a growing trend in extremist moves in the world.

On December 18, 2013, the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to approve Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s World against Violence and Extremism (WAVE) proposal.

Also at the meeting, Gabriela Cuevas Barron Chairwoman of Mexican Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee referred to dialog and negotiation as the only way out of regional crises, saying that Mexico supports this approach in the international community.

Government has Plans A and B for post-nuclear talks era

Nobakht

The government spokesman has said that the Government of Prudence and Hope is still grappling with the problems it has inherited from the previous government, adding the eleventh government has been held hostage to wrong decisions of the past.

Mohammad Bagher Nobakht, who is also the vice-president and head of the Management and Planning Organization, made the comment Monday in a ceremony in Kermanshah to mark the second anniversary of President Rouhani’s election and added that government has Plans A and B for the country whether or not nuclear talks produce a deal.

Entekhab.ir on June 16 released a report on his remarks in the ceremony. The following is the translation of part of what Nobakht said in the western province:

[…]

Nobakht took a swipe at the previous government’s implementation of the subsidies act and said that government has paid more than $2 billion in cash subsidies in the first two months of this year (March 21- May 21) to 76 million people who receive the monthly handouts, but it has failed to allocate even one rial to developmental projects because of budget crunch.

[…]

He said the maldistribution of resources is what government has inherited from its predecessor, adding the unequal distribution of resources comes as millions of people are unemployed in the country waiting for government’s investment in different projects and subsequent creation of jobs.

On nuclear talks, he said President Rouhani still insists on what he said on the campaign trail that “Centrifuges have to spin, as the wheels of people’s lives do”, adding Iran’s nuclear team is pursuing efforts to have the unfair sanctions removed as it tries to maintain the country’s glory and dignity.

The country is capable of producing four million barrels of oil, but cannot sell more than one million barrels because of sanctions, he said, adding this has decreased government’s revenues dramatically.

Nobakht then recalled a slump in crude prices and said, “We have to count on $24 billion in foreign exchange to manage the country. This comes as we have thousands of incomplete projects and many other problems on our hands to deal with. We cannot bring the money ($24 billion) into the country and we need to remove the obstacle standing in the way of that money”.

Government is trying to loosen the noose of unjust sanctions and does not let some derail nuclear talks and throw obstacles in their way, he added.

The spokesman also said that Israel is concerned about the course nuclear talks have taken and added, “An American official may make a comment in their circle [Israelis’]. That [the baseless comment] should not be repeatedly aired by the national broadcaster. Why should we repeat the baseless comments? We welcome those who are concerned to step forward and speak their mind, but certain media outlets seem to simply instill dismay and frustration into society, whereas our nation is hopeful [about the future].”

The vice-president went on to say that government has made preparations for any circumstances, adding it is ready for a breakthrough nuclear deal which would earn the country tens of billions of dollars and has a Plan B if the talks end inconclusively.

“We need to have proper planning to make proper use of resources,” he said, adding that lack of planning in the previous government caused the country’s economic growth to land in negative territory (-5.7%) with many unfinished projects and a growing number of jobless people despite $800 billion in revenues it earned.

“We have prepared ourselves for tough times, but we are very much hopeful about the conclusiveness of the talks. We are not insisting that they [the talks] produce a result by the-end-of-June deadline, but we do what is needed to lift the burden [of sanctions] from people’s shoulders.

[…]

We are open to reason; so we don’t need to be worried: Rafsanjani

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Chairman of the Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has criticized those who view interaction with the rest of the world as humiliating, urging them to stop shouting slogans that interfere with the country’s progress.

According to Entekhab.ir, the top councilor, who was speaking at the launch ceremony of The Comprehensive History of Iran on Tuesday, said the Islamic Republic which listens to the voice of reason should not be afraid of dialogue and interaction.

Ayatollah Rafsanjani lashed out at those who seek to wall off the country and live without interaction with the international community, and said sanctions have placed a very huge burden on everyday Iranians.

He said there are no religious justifications for failure to interact with others, citing the instructions of the Prophet Muhammad. “Of course, that [resisting interaction] is not what the Iranian public wants; that is what some people in positions of power pursue. What they are saying is troublesome.”

He blamed the minority in question for creating conditions that have resulted in great universities in the world not admitting Iranian students, and said, “We need to pave the path of interaction with the rest of the world. That is what wisdom and religion dictate. Extremism and ossification do not work.”

 

Iran needs 400 passenger planes in next 10 years: Minister

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Iran’s minister of roads and urbanization says the country will need 400 new passenger planes in the next 10 years in order to renovate its civil aviation fleet.

Abbas Akhoundi, who is currently in the French capital, Paris, to take part in Le Bourget Airshow 2015, added that purchasing this number of planes will cost the country at least $20 billion.

“At present, the average age of Iran’s civil aviation fleet stands at about 20 years and it will be over 30 years in the next ten years, and many of our passenger planes will not be able to fly by that time,” he added.

The Iranian minister said the Islamic Republic attaches special importance to development of its civil aviation fleet, noting, “In addition to the fleet, development of airports and passenger terminals also needs special attention.”

Akhoundi stated that Iran created 6,000 km of new air corridor last year, adding that the Paris Air Show is a good opportunity to get familiar with modern air traffic and control systems.

“Right now, there are nine passenger terminals under construction in various Iranian airports, which will enable those airports to handle 50 million passengers per year,” he said.

During his stay in France, Akhoundi has already met with Airbus Chief Executive Fabrice Bregier and is also expected to meet and confer with French Minister of Territorial Equality and Housing Sylvia Pinel.

On May 10, Akhoundi announced that Iran has added a number of new planes less than 10 years old to its civil aviation fleet in order to renovate the sector.

Earlier in April, he said Iran has been negotiating with companies supplying airplane parts, adding, “The current situation of the air fleet is not becoming to the Iranian nation and the air fleet needs major investment. Therefore, we have conducted extensive negotiations with companies supplying passenger planes.”

 

“In parallel with renovating the fleet, we must be able to restructure major Iranian airlines because there are many airlines operating in Iran, but not all of them are fit for international competition,” he said.

 

Iran rejects report of US Congress approval of nuclear deal before UN action

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A senior member of Iran’s nuclear negotiating team has dismissed a Reuters report that the UN Security Council will lift sanctions against Tehran after the US Congress gives its green light.

Reuters on Monday quoted Western officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, as saying that if Iran and P5+1 reach a final nuclear deal, the Security Council will likely delay for at least one month action to lift UN sanctions on Tehran so the US Congress can review the agreement.

It also claimed that Iran appears to be reluctantly accepting the delay.

However, director general for political affairs at the Iranian Foreign Ministry Hamid Baeidinejad on Tuesday rejected the report and said, “I think this news is totally fabricated.”

Baeidinejad’s comment came as Iran and P5+1 are set to resume another round of nuclear talks in the Austrian capital of Vienna ahead of a self-imposed June 30 deadline.

Iran and P5+1 – the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia plus Germany – are seeking to finalize a comprehensive deal on Tehran’s nuclear program by June 30.

Tehran and its negotiating partners have been working on the text of a final agreement since they reached a mutual understanding on the key parameters of a final deal in the Swiss city of Lausanne on April 2.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on June 16

Iranian Newspapers Headlines
Iranian Newspapers Headlines

There was no single story dominating the front pages of Iranian newspapers on Tuesday. Formation of a new party by the inner circle of Ahmadinejad which was immediately dismissed as unauthorized by the Interior Ministry, and the continued debate on whether women should be allowed to enter stadiums were among top stories of the day.

 

Abrar: “Up to 58 percent of addicts in Iran are under the age of 34,” said the deputy director of the center that leads the fight against illicit drugs.

Abrar: “Officials who seek to run for parliament have until the end of this week to tender their resignation,” said the head of Tehran Electoral Commission.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on June 16

 


 

Afarinesh: “Cooperation among members of the international community is the only way to effectively crack down on terrorism,” said Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani in a meeting with a visiting Mexican parliamentary delegation.

Afarinesh: “We won’t sacrifice a good deal simply to meet a deadline,” said the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on June 16


 

Aftab-e Yazd: “The former government owed $35 billion to the Central Bank of Iran,” said Ali Akbar Torkan, a senior advisor to the president.

Aftab-e Yazd: A government-run match-making website has been launched.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on June 16

 


 

Amin: “We have not based the day-to-day administration of affairs on the removal of sanctions,” the government spokesman said.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on June 16

 


 

Arman-e Emrooz: [Parliament Speaker Ali] Larijani’s complaint against [former President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad has been presented to the Judiciary by the chamber’s Presiding Board.

[Reports suggest the complaint is not personal in nature and stems from the failure of the former president to comply with the acts passed by the Islamic Consultative Assembly.]

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on June 16

 


 

Etemad: The directive that allows women to enter sporting arenas has yet to be communicated.

Etemad: Supporters of Ahmadinejad have formed a party called Yekta [an acronym for a Persian phrase that translates into “comrades for the effectiveness and transformation of Islamic Iran].

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on June 16

 


 

Ettela’at: “The real income of taxpayers is up to 100 times more than they declare in their tax returns,” said the National Tax Administration.

Ettela’at: An extraordinary session on Yemen has been held on Saudi soil with Iran [representative] in attendance.

Ettela’at: The private sector has plans to set up a management office for the post-sanctions era.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on June 16

 


 

Hambastegi: A new round of nuclear talks between deputy Iranian foreign ministers and the EU representative will open on Wednesday.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on June 16

 


 

Hemayat: The Central Intelligence Agency spends $1 billion on [training] terrorists in Syria.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on June 16

 


 

Iran: The number of Internet users in Iran has increased 3-fold.

Iran: “Dialogue and moderation are the only way to settle the country’s problems,” said President Rouhani.

Iran: Displacement, fright and death reign supreme behind the Turkish border.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on June 16

 


 

Kaenat: The deputy interior minister has expounded on how four terrorist gangs have been busted in eastern Iran.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on June 16

 


 

Mardomsalari: Iranians will bid a final farewell to 175 divers who were martyred during the Iran-Iraq war in the 80s.

The remains of the martyrs were recently brought home.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on June 16

 


 

Resalat: “Revolution Guards won’t get involved in elections,” said the representative of the Supreme Leader at the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps.

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on June 16

 


 

Setareh Sobh: “Crackdown on corruption was a mere slogan in the previous government,” said Justice Minister Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi [who was a Cabinet member under Ahmadinejad].

 

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on June 16

 

 

IRGC Commander warns of shifting nature of threats

Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari
Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari

Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) urged steady and up-to-date military preparedness in the face of threats, whose nature, he said, is changing continuously.

Addressing a group of IRGC personnel in Tehran on Monday, Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari cautioned against continuous changes in the nature of military threats in the contemporary world.

Such changes, he stressed, necessitate upgrading the country’s military readiness, organizational tactics, equipment, training and capabilities.

The commander also warned of the threats with non-military origins, known as soft threats.

“Apart from keeping the military preparedness updated, the soft threats should also be predicted, prevented and thwarted,” Major General Jafari stressed.

Since most threats against the Islamic Revolution are of the soft type, working on spiritual aspects – the major component of the IRGC’s power – is of great significance, he went on to say.

Soft war is a term used by Iranian officials to refer to the cultural invasion and soft intelligence tactics used by foreign countries deemed hostile.

Back in February 2014, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei called on the Iranian university students to gain a thorough understanding of the hegemonic system and its plots, and to gear up to confront the enemies in the soft war arena.

In a message, the Supreme Leader described the Iranian students as “the young officers of the soft war,” adding that they should “prepare themselves to the utmost” for confrontation in the soft warfare.

No Place for military issues in Iran nuclear talks: Official

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Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani reiterated that negotiations between Tehran and six major world powers solely focus on nuclear topics, dismissing any talk of military subjects in the talks.

Non-nuclear subjects, including the country’s military issues, have no place in the negotiations at all, Shamkhani said in an interview with Arabic-language Al-Manar TV.

He also noted that Tehran continues the path of talks vigilantly and with a sense of “distrust”, given the record of US hostility toward Iran and imposition of “illegal, cruel sanctions” against the Iranian nation.

Back in April, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei underscored that the talks with the US revolve only around the nuclear issue and nothing else, but at the same time noted that the nuclear negotiations provide an experience to test the possibility of talking on other subjects.

Iran criticizes opposition to Additional Protocol

كمالوندي: شراء اجهزة لمفاعل اراك لایتعارض واتفاق جنیف

Spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Behrouz Kamalvandi on Monday criticized oppositions to the Additional Protocol, regretting that certain people make a taboo out of the Additional Protocol and interpret it broadly.

Kamalvandi who was speaking at a ceremony in Tehran to unveil a book titled From Sa’adabad to Lausanne, said these oppositions have created difficulties both for Iran and other negotiating countries in the course of nuclear negotiations.

‘From Sa’adabad to Lausanne’ is a book written by Mohammad-Saeed Ahadian, managing editor of Khorasan newspaper, which focuses on the conduct of Iranian nuclear negotiators over the years.

Kamalvandi said the author has tried to keep an impartial and unbiased view to the nuclear negotiations.

Kamalvandi also hailed the importance the author attached to the role of the Supreme Leader in the nuclear issue.

He said that the author rightfully differentiated between US President Barack Obama and the US government.

‘I don’t mean to approve of Obama because he has admitted he wants to dismantle Iran’s nuclear facilities, but it should be noted that Obama’s positions are different from those of the US government on the whole,’ Kamalvandi said.

However he said he disagreed with the author that it was former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Ali Akbar Salehi who proposed direct talks with the US.

He said Salehi called for direct talks with the US and the Supreme Leader accepted his proposal.

‘If Ahmadinejad made further cooperation in these talks, things would have been much better,’ Kamalvandi said.

Iran, Pakistan launch joint fiber optic project

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Iran and Pakistan have set up a fiber-optic network which connects the two neighboring countries.

The project was inaugurated by Iran’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mahmoud Vaezi in the southeastern Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan on Monday.

The network was established with the aim of expanding the bandwidth of Pakistan and international information transit.

Known as “IT Silk Road” the fiber-optic network is also seen as part of an international transit route connecting Iran, Pakistan and China to Turkey and Europe.

The Silk Road project has been initiated by China and aims to connect Asia to Europe and Africa through a network of roads, railways, ports and airports.

The ambitious project includes building infrastructure across Central and Southeast Asia, the Persian Gulf, the Middle East and Europe.