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

Iran News
Politics
Business
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- Education
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- Health
- Human Rights
- Incidents
- Lifestyle
- Sport
- Women
Culture
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World
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Home Blog Page 4871

Lake Orumiyeh’s surface area is growing

January 7, 2015

On January 6, Ebtekar, a daily, quoted an environment expert in charge of natural habitats at West Azerbaijan Environment Protection Department as saying that Lake Orumiyeh is no longer shrinking. The following is an excerpt of what Hojat Jabari, had to say about the largest lake in the Middle East:

The lake’s water surface area has expanded almost 100 percent, standing at 1,800 square km over last year’s 900 km². The lake has experienced a 7-meter fall in its water level of late. Thanks to rainfall in the fall, it presently stands at 1,270.55 meters above sea level, 31 centimeters up over September 2014 when it was 1,270.24 meters.

Measured over the past 15 months, at its deepest point the water does not go beyond four meters, a drastic drop in comparison with 15 meters in the years before the lake was gripped by the crisis.

Lake Orumiyeh, one of the largest salt lakes in the world, has been ravaged by severe droughts over the recent years. Some 90 percent of the surface area of this beautiful huge lake which used to be as vast as 5,700 km² has dried up and approximately as little as two billion cubic meters of water is left in it.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Jan. 7

Emad Askarieh

January 7, 2015

The presence of Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in parliament to answer questions by MPs about how nuclear talks with P5+1 are managed was on the cover of many Iranian newspapers on Wednesday. The apparently unstoppable drop in crude prices on global markets and a plan by MPs to cut the dependence of the country’s budget on oil revenues made front-page headlines too.

Abrar: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected in Iran later in January.

Abrar-e Eghtesadi: Japanese refineries have renewed their purchase of Iranian oil for 2015.

Asr-e Rasaneh: The head of the Chamber of Commerce has warned about the growth of corruption.

Donyay-e Eghtesad: “Advancing factional goals at the expense of national interests is an unforgivable sin,” Foreign Minister Zarif told an open session of parliament.

Ebtekar: “Next round of nuclear talks [between Iran and P5+1] will open in Geneva on January 18,” said Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi.

Eghtesad-e Pooya: “We do not pursue factional interests in nuclear talks,” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told MPs.

Emtiaz: Imports of rice and sugar have been banned.

Emtiaz: Tehran Stock Exchange continues its free fall.

Ettela’at: License plates won’t be issued to five makes of car because they pollute the air.

Hambastegi: “The Intelligence Ministry nips any security threat in the bud,” vowed the Iranian intelligence chief.

Hemayat: In a statement 230 MPs reiterated that the continued house arrest of the seditionist leaders [presidential candidates who disputed the results of the 2009 elections and sparked widespread unrest] is legal.

Iran Daily: Forty foreign enterprises ready for gas investment [in Iran].

Jamejam: The licences of five doctors who kept overcharging patients even after the Health Ministry urged them to stop have been revoked permanently.

Javan: The judiciary has released a statement in response to an open letter principlist MP Ali Motahari sent to it with regard to the continued house arrest of those who sparked post-election unrest in 2009. Motahari does not seem to know the difference between house arrest, detention and punishment, the statement says.

Jomhouri Islami: The explanations of Foreign Minister Zarif about the trend of nuclear talks in parliament satisfied the MPs.

Jomhouri Islami: “Extremism is a deadly virus. The Muslim world is now grappling with the scourge of division,” said Chairman of the Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in a gathering of Azad University officials.

Kaenat: The Iranian Oil Ministry says it is in talks with Afghanistan to sell crude oil to our neighbor to the east.

Kayhan: The Bahraini regime has crushed protests against continued detention of [Shiite cleric] Sheikh Ali Salman.

Kayhan: “Government should stop threats and interference; parliament has a duty to supervise,” said Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani in reference to illegal withdrawal by the government of money from the National Development Fund.

Khorasan: Oil prices have dipped below $50 a barrel.

Resalat: “Some 10 million high-income individuals have been identified,” said the minister of welfare.

Resalat: Police say a huge soccer betting ring that operated across the nation has been busted.

Sharq: Parliament has unveiled a plan to cut the dependence of the country’s budget on petrodollars.

Restoration of security in Iraq benefits the entire region: Larijani

Emad Askarieh

January 7, 2015

Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said on Tuesday that the Iraqi government’s success in restoration of peace and security to the country will benefit the entire region.

Larijani made the remarks in a meeting with Iraqi Minister of Health Adilla Hamoud Hussein.

The Iranian speaker hailed the recent achievements of Iraqi forces in the fight against terrorist groups.

Larijani voiced Tehran’s support for the government of Baghdad in campaign against terrorism and said, “Iran feels duty-bound to support the Iraqi government and nation and Iraq can count on Iran’s support.”

Meanwhile, the Iraqi minister appreciated Iran’s support for the Iraqi government, saying Iran has played a key role in establishment of stability in Iraq.

Hamoud Hussein said that the Iraqi nation is in dire need of humanitarian aid from the Islamic Republic of Iran, especially medical supplies, as the country is faced with a wave of terrorist attacks.

Interaction, independence and dignity are our ideals

IFP Editorial Staff

January 7, 2015

President Rouhani’s comments that our ideals are not tied to centrifuges have drawn a strong reaction from principlists. Seyyed Reza Akrami, a statesman, in a political note in Mardom-e Emrooz daily on January 6, sought to clarify the president’s comments made at a conference on Iran’s economy on Sunday. The following is a partial translation of the note that originally appeared under the heading Interaction is Our Ideal:

With regard to the president’s comments Sunday that “Our ideals are not tied to centrifuges,” three points need to be mentioned to shed light on what the president meant.

First, we live in a country whose vastness, strategic position, resources and diverse climatic conditions make it unique. We have 14 neighbors including Russia, Pakistan, Iraq and countries on the Persian Gulf. That lends added importance to our strategic position.

Second, we are a country of 80 million. That a large percentage of our population is young gives us a big advantage.

Third, we staged a revolution almost 36 years ago. Since the very beginning our motto has been Independence, Freedom and Islamic Republic. That means we want to lead a dignified, reputable life in the world. […]

I believe the important statement the president made in his speech was that we have diverse talents, but unfortunately they remain mostly untapped. The president said not everything in the country should be tied to enrichment and centrifuges.

Instead, detailed planning on the basis of resistance-based economy and firm resolve are needed to help these talents blossom. He meant we shouldn’t remain fixated on a single technology like nuclear centrifuges. […]

He believes our independence does not merely hinge on nuclear technology. We managed to enrich uranium when we were under sanctions. That shows we can forge ahead even when limitations are in place.

Failure of other countries to supply spare parts to our aviation industry won’t ground our air fleet; keeping oil prices low won’t cripple our economy; slapping technological restrictions on us won’t spell an end to our enrichment capability.

In the toughest of conditions, we have proved that we can master uranium enrichment, a technology only a handful of countries have developed.

However, since we seek to interact with the rest of the world, we agreed to replace 20 percent enrichment with 5 percent enrichment. We accepted supervisions beyond what is stipulated in the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Those measures were simply designed not to provide an excuse to those who sought an excuse to accuse us of seeking to develop nuclear bombs. Interaction with the world under the banner of the Islamic Republic is an ideal of ours. We don’t have to limit ourselves to one technology.

I believe Independence, Freedom and Islamic Republic remain our ideals that have nothing to do with nuclear talks which in turn are not linked to these mottos. That we want to be independent, lead a dignified life, remain free under the banner of the Islamic Republic and interact with countries in the world is our ideal.

Iran MPs support foreign minister over nuclear talks

Emad Askarieh

January 7, 2015

On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif showed up in an open session of parliament to answer questions by lawmakers about the process of nuclear talks.

After Zarif’s explanations, the first deputy speaker of parliament, Mohammad Reza Bahonar, asked lawmakers to vote Aye or Nay for his explanations.

Out of 229 legislators present, as many as 125 MPs endorsed Zarif’s remarks while 86 were naysayers. The rest abstained.

A lawmaker from the northeastern city of Mashhad, Javad Karimi Ghoddousi, posed questions to Zarif on behalf of other legislators.

Nuclear negotiators from Iran and P5+1- the United States, France, Britain, Russia, China and Germany – wrapped up their latest round of talks on Tehran’s nuclear program in the Swiss city of Geneva on December 17, 2014.

The three-day Geneva discussions were held almost three weeks after Tehran and the six countries failed to reach a final agreement by a November 24 deadline despite making some progress.

The two sides agreed to extend their discussions for seven more months until July 1, 2015. They also agreed that the interim deal they had signed in Geneva in November 2013 should remain in place during the negotiations.

Tehran, P5+1 to hold next round of nuclear talks on Jan.18: Iran negotiator

Emad Askarieh

January 7, 2015

“The next round of negotiations between Iran and P5+1 will be held at deputy foreign ministerial level in the Swiss city of Geneva on January 18,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday.

He added that Iran’s negotiating team is also to hold mutual talks with delegations from the United States and Russia prior to the talks, adding that these mutual talks have yet to be scheduled.

Nuclear negotiators from Iran and P5+1– the US, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany – wrapped up their latest round of talks on Tehran’s nuclear program in the Swiss city of Geneva on December 17, 2014.

The three-day Geneva discussions were held almost three weeks after Tehran and the six countries failed to reach a final agreement by a November 24 deadline despite making some progress.

Iran has marked a 40-km red zone inside Iraqi border

Emad Askarieh

January 6, 2015

Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan said Tuesday that the Iranian army warned ISIL against any potential movement toward the Iranian border since the very beginning of the terrorist group’s incursion into Iraq.

“When ISIL Takfiri terrorists penetrated western Iraq and were close to the Iranian borders, the Ground Forces were fully ready to annihilate them,” the commander told IRNA.

“We marked a red line 40 kilometers into the Iraqi soil and warned (them) they will face Iran’s harsh response if they cross the line.

“The group received our message and fled the zone quickly,” he said.

Pourdastan said that the Iranian army is fully familiar with tactics used by terrorists and closely monitors their movement inside Iraq.

The ISIL terrorist group took control of Iraq’s second largest city of Mosul in June 2014, before sweeping through parts of the country’s Sunni Arab heartland.

The Takfiri group, with members from several Western countries, has been carrying out horrific acts of violence such as public decapitations and crucifixions against all communities, including Shias, Sunnis, Kurds, and Christians.

Ali Daei sends a message to Iranian national soccer squad and captain

Emad Askarieh

January 6, 2015

The 2015 Asian Cup will kick off in less than a week in Australia. The Iranian national soccer team is now in Australia. On January 6, Ettela’at, a daily, reported that Ali Daei, who holds the title of the most prolific scorer in the soccer world, has sent a letter to the national team captain Javad Nekounam to lift the spirit of the skipper and his squad. What comes next is the translation of the message of the former national team captain and coach:

In an interesting move, Ali Daei congratulated Javad Nekounam on his imminent shattering of the record of the number of matches he has capped – a record Daei has held on to for years – and also wished the Iranian national soccer squad every success at the 2015 Asian Cup.

“Dear Javad, the national soccer team captain, I appreciate your efforts and I am wholeheartedly delighted that you will soon claim the title of the national team player with the highest number of matches under your belt. I congratulate you on that imminent achievement.

“I also hope that an Iranian will smash [my] world record for scoring goals in official international football matches so that the title will remain Iranian. I am aware that Iran head coach Carlos Queiroz is not happy with preparations for the [Australia] event and the national team has not been given what it deserves.

“However, I am sure that Queiroz, you and your teammates will make us proud and prove that in spite of all obstacles, you can make it. As a fan of the national team, in every moment of your upcoming matches, you are always on my mind and you will be in my prayers.

“God willing, I will fly to Australia for the final match to see firsthand our captain and his teammates lift the trophy [after the blow of the final whistle]. I want you not to pay attention to shortcomings and biased comments. I have no doubt that you, the national team, Carlos Queiroz and his assistants all deserve the best. I wish Iran and the Iranians every success.”

Iran will never give up nuclear rights: Zarif

Emad Askarieh

January 6, 2015

“In these negotiations, we will defend the interests of all people and take the country’s high goals into consideration,” Zarif said at an open session of Iran’s Parliament (Majlis) on Tuesday in response to questions by 40 lawmakers.

He pointed to Iran’s “effective and serious” presence and role in regional and international developments and added that the ill-wishers of Iran and the Islamic Revolution organized and implemented a relatively long-term plot to portray the Islamic Republic’s peaceful nuclear activities as a threat with two major objectives.

The first one, the Iranian minister said, was to “portray an insecure and dangerous image of Iran, [as a country] which endangers global peace and security; and the second one was to weaken the country’s economic, defense and industrial capability and exert pressure on our good people” through various cruel sanctions, including by the UN Security Council as well as unilateral bans.

The nuclear negotiations, however, illustrated an “interactive, stable and powerful” image of Iran and prevented the expansion of sanctions, he pointed out.

Zarif said that, following the Geneva deal reached between Iran and the P5+1 countries in November 2013, Iran’s foreign policy managed to counter the hostile propaganda against the Islamic Republic and boost the country’s security and power.

“I assure you that the [Iranian] government and negotiating team have never followed and will never follow any political and factional objective in the nuclear talks,” the top Iranian nuclear negotiator added.

Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – Russia, China, France, Britain and the US – plus Germany wrapped up their latest round of talks on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program in the Swiss city of Geneva on December 17, 2014.

The three-day Geneva discussions were held almost three weeks after Tehran and the six countries failed to reach a final agreement by a November 24 deadline despite making some progress. Back then, the two sides agreed to extend their discussions for seven more months until July 1, 2015. They also agreed that the interim deal they had signed in Geneva in November 2013 should remain in place during the negotiations.

Renovation of Biglar Beigi Building in Photos

Emad Askarieh

January 6, 2015

Biglar Beigi Garden is located in Ekhtiarabad Village, 25 km from the southern Iranian city of Kerman. The adobe building inside the garden, which is also known as Fathabad Garden, was built some 140 years ago when the Qajar Dynasty was in power. It was registered as a national site in 2002. The following are some images IRNA posted of the building which is undergoing renovation: