A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on April 29

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April 29, 2015

President Rouhani’s comment that “the sanctions regime is crumbling” dominated the front pages of Iranian newspapers on Wednesday. A meeting between Iranian and US top diplomats at the residence of Tehran’s UN envoy, considered Iranian soil, also appeared on the covers of dailies.

Abrar: “The drafting of a final nuclear deal gets under way as of today,” said Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Afkar: Baltimore has turned into a war zone.

Afkar: “Releasing a fact sheet is no longer useful,” said Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani.

Aftab-e Yazd: John Kerry on Iranian soil in New York

Foreign Minister Zarif, who is in New York for an NPT Review Conference, met with his US counterpart at the residence of Iran’s UN ambassador.

Arman-e Emrooz: “[Senior officials of] two banks are to be tried for charging interest rates higher than those sanctioned by the Central Bank of Iran.”

[The comment was made by the secretary general of the CBI.]

Arman-e Emrooz: Sixty-six teachers who are serving prison terms for monetary misdemeanors are to be freed.

The move comes a few days ahead of Teacher’s Day.

Ebtekar: “Those who financially benefit from sanctions should start looking for new jobs,” said President Hassan Rouhani.

The president made the comment at an event to appreciate the services of workers.

Ebtekar: MPs have voted for a motion that allows present deputies to avoid being vetted again if they seek re-election in the future.

Ettela’at: “A nuclear deal will be the jumping-off point for settling the major problems [of the country],” said President Hassan Rouhani.

Ettela’at: Services of Iranian social science heavyweights have been praised at a ceremony in Tehran.

Hemayat: “Economic problems should not be tied to the nuclear case,” said the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.

Javan: Interest rates will definitely go down by two percent.

Kayhan: “Current talks are not exclusively designed to settle the nuclear dispute,” said President Rouhani.

[The daily has taken a jab at the president and described his comment as “worth pondering”.]

Mardomsalari: “The problems of the people won’t be solved even if monthly cash subsidies are tripled,” said Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani.

Qods: “I have not moved overseas; I am still based in Iran,” said famous actor Akbar Abdi.

Rah-e Mardom: “The sanctions regime is crumbling,” said President Rouhani.

Sharq: FM Zarif and Secretary Kerry have held a 100-minute meeting in New York.

Takfiris fighting proxy war for US, Israel: Iran defense minster

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Golrokh Askarieh

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April 29, 2015

Takfiri terrorist groups in the region are fighting a “proxy war” on behalf of the United States and Israel, Iran’s defense minister says.

Brigadier General Hossein Dehghan made the remarks during a meeting with Syrian Defense Minister Fahd Jassem al-Freij in Tehran on Tuesday.

Dehghan said that “providing permanent security for the Zionist regime, weakening and disintegrating Muslim countries, altering the Middle East’s map, countering the wave of Islamic awakening, and ultimately complete domination over this Islamic region” are the main objectives of this war.

He also reiterated Iran’s full support for Syria in its battle against terrorism, saying that dialog is the only solution to the crisis in the Arab country.

“The people and government of Syria, with their unparalleled resistance made bullies understand that by exporting terrorists, arming and supporting them, and launching military attacks, they cannot force the region’s Muslim nations to surrender,” he added.

Dehghan went on to say that Saudi Arabia’s war on Yemen also runs parallel with the joint strategies of Israel and the United States, adding, “Undoubtedly the designers and executors of this sinister scenario… will not reach their ominous goals.”

Syria has been grappling with a deadly crisis since March 2011. The violence fueled by Takfiri groups has so far claimed the lives of over 222,000 people, according to UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The ISIL militants, with members from several Western countries, control parts of Syria and Iraq, and have been carrying out horrific acts of violence such as public decapitations and crucifixions against all ethnic and religious communities.

Since Saudi Arabia started its aggression against Yemen on March 26, the regime’s warplanes have repeatedly targeted residential areas in cities including Aden and Ta’izz.

On April 21, Riyadh announced the end of the first phase of its military aggression, which has claimed the lives of nearly 1,000 people so far, but airstrikes have continued with Saudi bombers targeting different areas across the country in a new phase.

Iranian scientists reduce cancer drug side effects with nanotechnology

By

Golrokh Askarieh

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April 29, 2015

Iranian scientists have successfully reduced the side effects of a cancer drug by infusing it with nanotechnology.

Researchers at the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences discovered that the side effects of the drug Mitoxantrone could be reduced when the chemotherapeutic agent is infused with liposomic nanocarriers, which are created with cholesterol derivatives, IRNA reported on Tuesday.

Mitoxantrone is a cancer drug that disrupts DNA synthesis and DNA repair in both healthy cells and cancer cells, and is used to treat certain types of cancer such as metastatic breast cancer, acute myeloid leukemia, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

The produced “nanoliposomes,” apart from being stable to pH changes in blood plasma, have proven to be more poisonous to cancer cells than to normal cells, which would reduce the required dosage and side effects, said head of the research team Dr. Saeed Qanbarzadeh.

The most common side effects of Mitoxantrone, which hinder its wider spread use, are nausea, vomiting, hair loss, heart damage, and immunosuppression.

Iran, Austria FMs confer on nuclear talks, bilateral ties

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Golrokh Askarieh

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April 29, 2015

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told his Austrian counterpart that US and Western parties to the nuclear negotiations have to be aware of the requisites of a comprehensive agreement — both in practice and in rhetoric.

Zarif who is in New York to attend the UN conference on revision of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) said in a meeting with Sebastian Kurz that Iran as the chair-state of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is ready to cooperate with Austria on the global nuclear disarmament.

As for Tehran and Vienna’s capacities, he urged enhancement of bilateral ties through consultations and exchange of delegations, said a Foreign Ministry press release on Tuesday.

The Austrian foreign minister, for his part, welcomed the progress in nuclear negotiations between Iran and P5+1.

Kurz said that the EU member states have the motivation to forge a comprehensive deal and are moving in the same direction.

On Tehran-Vienna relations, he said that a trade delegation comprising of Austrian businessmen is scheduled to depart for Tehran soon to meet their Iranian counterparts.

Iranian firm’s complaint behind seizing foreign ship: Official

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Golrokh Askarieh

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April 28, 2015

Iranian coastguards seized a cargo ship carrying the Marshall Islands flag within Iran’s territorial waters following a lawsuit filed by a local company, an official said on Tuesday.

Managing Director of Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran Mohammad Saeidnejad told IRNA that the vessel which is operated by Maersk Company was detained based on a court ruling which ordered confiscating the foreign firm’s assets.

Following a legal complaint by an Iranian private firm, he added, Iranian coastguards detained the Maersk ship whose owner company was indicted by Tehran Provincial Court last March.

Meanwhile, an informed source with the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed the seizure of a US cargo ship navigating under the Marshall Islands flag in the Persian Gulf, saying the ship was escorted to Bandar Abbas port.

The source told IRNA that the move came as the US vessel was subject of a legal dispute with Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization. He said that there are 34 crew members on the ship who are mostly Europeans, but rejected any link between the vessel’s seizure and political or military issues.

After a court ruling which was based on the Ports and Maritime Organization’s complaint, the IRGC seized it on the maritime authority’s demand, he added.

The US Department of Defense announced earlier that a cargo ship operated by the Maersk Company was detained by Iran.

Iran breaks US monopoly in production of industrial lubricant

By

Emad Askarieh

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April 28, 2015

An expert in oil industry said Monday that Iran has become self–sufficient in production of industrial lubricant, a strategic oil product.

Samad Hashemi said that the US was the sole producer of the product, adding Iran has now accessed the know-how and become the producer of the lubricant.

Hashemi told a press conference that the monopoly of an industrial lubricant which is used in oil, gas, petrochemical, drilling and power plants industries was broken by Iranian experts.

Director of Industrial-commercial Group ‘MRT’ said that cost of production of the industrial lubricant is one-fifth of the foreign brand.

He said that the product will decrease the import of industrial lubricants to 80 percent, so it can play a role in lowering expenses of production and energy.

To produce the strategic industrial lubricant, which is applicable in rotating machines and gearboxes of oil, gas, petrochemical and other special industries, only five percent of its raw material needs to be imported from abroad and the other composing materials are provided inside the country, Hashemi said.

There is a possibility to produce 20 million liters of the industrial lubricant in the country annually and Iran can export the product to other countries, including the Persian Gulf countries next year.

Hashemi said that formal works are in process to obtain license from Asian and European registration centers and the product will be unveiled soon on the sidelines of the Oil Industry International Exhibition in Tehran.

Those who have vested interest in sanctions should change their job

By

Emad Askarieh

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April 28, 2015

The Iranian president says Iran has got engaged in nuclear talks to show to the world the inauthenticity of allegations against the Islamic Republic and remove the problems the ill-wishers have created for the country.

President Rouhani made the comment at a ceremony held Tuesday to thank those involved in the labor and production sectors. The following is a partial translation of what else the president said as reported by the Fars News Agency:

[…]

The president said, “Iran is seeking two points in nuclear talks: First is dismissal of charges. We want to show to the world that ill-wishers told lies to world nations. Iran is after peaceful nuclear technology, not developing a destructive atomic bomb which is religiously banned according to the Supreme Leader’s edict.

“Second, we seek to remove the problems the ill-wishers have thrown our way”.

Rouhani went on to say that a final nuclear deal is within reach in coming months if the other party [to the nuclear talks] demonstrates strong determination.

He said conclusion of a nuclear deal will improve production in Iran, adding those who have a vested interest in [the continuation of] sanctions should think about other ways to line their own pockets.

“With God’s grace and the support of the Supreme Leader and the Iranian nation, Iran will move toward constructive interaction with the world,” he said.

The president further said no country in the world can continue with exerting pressure on and imposing sanctions against Iran over the next months and years.

Rouhani reiterated that the sanctions regime is close to total collapse, saying P5+1 should know that the Iranian nation and government stand by and support each other.

In the year designated [by the Leader] as the year of harmony and solidarity, all Iranians are expected to join hands and help the country’s march toward progress and development, he added.

[…]

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on April 28

By

Emad Askarieh

-

April 28, 2015

Comments by the first vice-president about the government’s determination to take on corruption dominated the front pages of Iranian newspapers on Tuesday. Also in the news were the remarks of Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif about the NPT and commitment of the American side to the Lausanne statement.

Afarinesh: “Acceptance of the Additional Protocol depends on clinching an agreement on all issues”.

The comment was made by Director of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Ali Akbar Salehi.

Afkar: Energy consumption in Iran is three times as much as the global average.

Aftab-e Yazd: Mr. President we need brave ministers.

Tehran MP Ali Motahari has said that the speech Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli delivered in parliament on the so-called dirty money being channeled into electoral campaigns was not courageous.

Aftab-e Yazd: Handout of cash subsidies to some 6 million individuals will stop.

Arman-e Emrooz: The local chapter of Hezbollah in Gorgan has invited the grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic to visit the city.

[It came after a statement attributed to the group threatened Seyyed Hassan Khomeini not to visit the northern province of Golestan.]

Asia: Representatives of the private sectors of Iran and Switzerland held talks on establishing trade ties while sanctions are still in place.

Ebtekar: “Police have been ordered to deal with individuals who disrupt concerts,” said Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Ali Jannati.

Ettela’at: “We have no red lines in the fight against corruption,” said First Vice-President Eshagh Jahangiri.

He further said, “We are at a point which requires giant strides toward economic growth and development.”

Hemayat: “Iranian Officials need to drop conservatism in dealing with the Saudi government,” said the commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps.

Javan: To say that police’s duty is not to implement the rules of Islam amounts to the green-light to immorality.

Three senior clerics have criticized the president for making the comment at a meeting with senior police commanders.

Jomhouri Islami: Life is gradually returning to Orumiyeh Lake.

[The vast lake in northwestern Iran was on the brink of drying up until a couple of years ago.]

Jomhouri Islami: Twelve Western giants are waiting for Iran sanctions to be lifted.

Kaenat: The war minister of the IS terrorist grouping has been killed.

Resalat: “The Zionist regime is the biggest obstacle standing in the way of the NPT,” said Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Roozan: “I am concerned about the way critics are treated,” said Tehran MP Ali Motahari.

Saheb Ghalam: “Support for production and industry is the country’s top priority,” said Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani.

Iran, US foreign ministers meet in New York

By

Emad Askarieh

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April 28, 2015

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif have met on the sidelines of a UN anti-nuclear weapons conference in New York.

The meeting was held on Monday at the residence of Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations where the two are taking part in the 2015 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

It was the first time that the top Iranian and US diplomats met since April 2, when Iran and P5+1 reached a mutual understanding over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.

Zarif and Kerry did not speak to reporters as the meeting started, but earlier in the day Kerry defended nuclear talks with Iran in his address to the summit.

The global community is “closer than ever” to a “good comprehensive” agreement with Iran, he said, adding, however, “the hard work is far from over and some key issues remain unresolved.”

“Now it’s important to remember that the NPT has always been at the heart of these negotiations. From day one, we have been focused on bringing Iran back into compliance with its obligations under the treaty. And if ultimately the talks are successful, it will once again prove the power of diplomacy over conflict and reinforce the rule of law,” the US diplomat said.

This comes as Iran has announced time and again that its nuclear activities are solely geared for peaceful purposes.

Iran and P5+1 ended their latest round of talks at the deputy and expert levels in Vienna, Austria, on April 24. The three-day talks were held with the goal of drafting the text of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) based on the mutual understanding reached in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Addressing the conference on Monday, Zarif, who was speaking on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), said, “We firmly believe that any use or threat of use of nuclear weapons would be a crime against humanity and a violation of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law, in particular, international humanitarian law.”

Zarif is set to deliver his speech as Iran’s foreign minister at the summit on Tuesday.

Iranian foreign minister meets UN undersecretary general

By

Emad Askarieh

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April 28, 2015

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who is in New York for the ongoing NPR Review Conference, met and conferred with UN Undersecretary General Jan Eliasson Monday.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed current developments in Yemen and underlined the need for holding broad-based talks on Yemen.

Zarif stressed the importance of the role the UN played in establishing the Yemeni talks.

A review of the latest situation in Syria was another topic in the meeting and the two sides exchanged views on the existing solutions to the peaceful settlement of the current Syrian crisis.

The Iranian foreign minister also talked about the latest developments in nuclear talks between Iran and 5+1, and Jan Eliasson expressed pleasure over the current trend of the nuclear talks.

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

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

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

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

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on April 29

Takfiris fighting proxy war for US, Israel: Iran defense minster

Iranian scientists reduce cancer drug side effects with nanotechnology

Iran, Austria FMs confer on nuclear talks, bilateral ties

Iranian firm’s complaint behind seizing foreign ship: Official

Iran breaks US monopoly in production of industrial lubricant

Those who have vested interest in sanctions should change their job

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on April 28

Iran, US foreign ministers meet in New York

Iranian foreign minister meets UN undersecretary general

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