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

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Home Blog Page 4922

Iran ready to boost cooperation with UN human rights commissioner

Emad Askarieh

March 3, 2015

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Monday voiced Iran’s readiness to boost cooperation with UN human rights commissioner.

He made the remarks in a meeting in Geneva with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein.

Zarif expressed concern over the spread of Islamophobia in the West and said that Tehran is concerned about the arrival of terrorist agents from Western countries in the Middle East.

He emphasized the need for identification of the root causes of terrorism and extremism and for an unbiased campaign against the phenomenon.

The foreign minister criticized double standards employed by Western governments and misusing the issue of freedom of expression to desecrate the religious sanctities.

Meanwhile, the UN commissioner for human rights said the UN agency is ready to do its best to promote international cooperation and dialogue and welcomes every effort which helps promote human rights.

Iran, US envoys wrap up nuclear talks in Montreux

March 3, 2015

The negotiations were held on Monday in an attempt to narrow differences on the outstanding issues over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Director of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Ali Akbar Salehi, Iran’s deputy foreign ministers Abbas Araghchi and Majid Takht Ravanchi together with special aide to Iran’s president Hossein Fereidoun made up the Iranian team. The US delegation was comprised of US Secretary of State John Kerry, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman, EU’s deputy foreign policy chief Helga Schmid and US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz.

The talks are scheduled to continue on Tuesday in the Swiss city from 9:00 am local time (800 GMT).

Before the talks on Monday, Kerry had announced that he would leave Montreux after visiting Zarif. The reports, however, said that he plans to stay in the Swiss city for negotiations. According to reports, the two sides seem to be determined to reach a political agreement ahead of a key July 1 deadline for reaching a comprehensive deal.

The new round of talks in Montreux came as representatives from Iran and the United States held three rounds of intensive talks in the Swiss city of Geneva on February 22-23 to bridge their differences ahead of the July 1 deadline.

Iran and P5+1– Britain, France, China, Russia, and the United States plus Germany – are making attempts to narrow their differences on the outstanding issues related to Iran’s nuclear program. The two sides have missed two deadlines since an interim deal was signed in November 2013. They have set July 1 as the next deadline for clinching a final deal.

Russia, Iran sign new agreement on Bushehr power plant

Emad Askarieh

March 3, 2015

Russia and Iran signed an agreement to supply services to the Bushehr nuclear power plant, the head of Rosenergoatom said.

According to Rosenergoatom Chief Executive Officer Evgeny Romanov, the firm agreed on a five-year cooperation deal with Iran.

The two sides came to the agreement that Roseenergoatom, a subsidiary of Rosatom, will take part in building new power stations in Bushehr.

Bushehr power station has a 1,000 MW nuclear reactor which has been generating electricity since 2014.

Russian Company Rosatom and Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) signed a treaty in 2014 to build the second and third units of Bushehr power plant, Sputnik reported.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on March 3

Emad Askarieh

March 3, 2015

A news conference of the Judiciary spokesman during which Mohseni Ejei touched on a number of issues including the cases involving Mehdi Hashemi and Babak Zanjani as well as tax evasion dominated the front pages of Iranian newspapers on Tuesday. Also on the covers of the dailies were the comments of Foreign Minister Zarif about the likely conclusion of a nuclear deal between Iran and P5+1 this week if “the West showed determination and agreed to lift all sanctions.”

Abrar: “If the US took military action, we would put our real might on display,” said the deputy chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces.

Afarinesh: “The Judiciary is ready to help the Executive branch turn up the heat on tax evaders,” announced the Judiciary spokesman.

Afkar: Old cars are to blame for 60 percent of air pollution in the capital.

Afkar: The IAEA chief has admitted there has been no diversion in Iran’s nuclear program.

Aftab-e Yazd: Impeachment threats did not silence the minister.

Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli has once again said drug traffickers are willing to make their way into politics.

Arman-e Emrooz: A nuclear present for New Year

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said if the West showed political determination and agreed to terminate sanctions, a deal could be clinched over Iran’s nuclear case as early as this week.

Arman-e Emrooz: A verdict is expected in the case of Mehdi Hashemi by yearend

The announcement that the ruling in the case of Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani’s son is less than three weeks away was made by the Judiciary spokesman in a press conference.

Asrar: “The faithful who lack insight into the faith harm the interests of society,” said Ali Akbar Nategh Nouri, a member of the Expediency Council.

Ebtekar: The Iraqi army has retaken some 50 percent of Tikrit from terrorists.

Emtiaz: Fajr Clothing and Fashion Festival has opened in Tehran.

Etemad: Five nomadic kids were wounded when a landmine went off in Ilam Province.

Ettela’at: Scores of people have staged an anti-Zionist rally in Washington.

The rally was timed to coincide with a visit by the Israeli prime minister to the US.

Ettela’at: Residents of Tehran produce some 12,000 tons of garbage daily.

Ettela’at: A ceremony has been held to celebrate the 80^th anniversary of University of Tehran.

Farhikhtegan: A ceremony has been held to mark the 77^th anniversary of the National Library of Iran.

Jomhouri Islami: The remains of 58 martyrs of the Sacred Defense have arrived back home through Shalamcheh Border Crossing.

Kaenat: Iranian carmakers draw up a seven-year quality strategy to become competitive on the world stage.

Kayhan: Netanyahu’s mission: Support for the Geneva deal under the guise of opposition!

Kayhan: Two new subway stations have opened in the capital.

Kayhan: What does it mean to run 27 universities through acting presidents?

Khorasan: The price of CNG has decreased.

Mardomsalari: There are confirmed reports that a brother of executed terrorist Abdolmalek Rigi has been arrested.

Resalat: “Why is that anti-Semitism constitutes a crime but Islamophobia is freedom of speech?”

The Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif posed the question during his speech at the UN Human Rights Council.

Sayeh: Some 95 percent of the country’s wildlife has vanished in half a century.

Sayeh: “The previous government institutionalized embezzlement,” said Ali Younesi, a special adviser to the president for minority affairs.

Tejarat: Twelve new subway stations will be inaugurated in the capital next year.

Don’t pin much hope on untrustworthy West: MP

Emad Askarieh

March 2, 2015

Deputy Chairman of Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Dr. Mansour Haghighatpour does not share the optimism of the executive branch about nuclear talks with P5+1. On March 2 Javan daily published an interview with the MP. What comes below is a partial translation of the report that preceded the interview:

Haghighatpour did not paint a promising picture of the future of nuclear talks and described as impossible the optimistic comments government spokesman Mohammad Bagher Nobakht who recently expressed hope a comprehensive deal could be clinched by March 31.

The MP said that Western officials are not trustworthy at all and that their major objective is to prolong the talks, because they don’t want to live with a mighty Iran.

He also denounced the fixation of the 11^th government on the nuclear dossier as an undeniable shortcoming, and advised the executive to pay more attention to domestic production and to fulfillment of resistance-based economy. The government should stop looking at everything through the prism of a nuclear deal.

Taking a swipe at the performance of IRIB [Islamic Republic of Iran broadcasting], the MP said Reformists are using the broadcaster to put across the message that deputies’ handling of things runs counter to public demands.

Western rivalry against the backdrop of nuclear talks

IFP Editorial Staff

March 2, 2015

Iran has recently hosted Western officials who have come to the country to talk business despite the fact that part of the sanctions are still in place. These visits show a shift of policy in the West which did not want to have economic interaction with Iran before a final nuclear deal, citing that trade transactions with Iran would breach the sanctions regime.

Arman-e Emrooz daily on March 2 ran an opinion piece by Javid Ghorban Oghli, an international relations expert, on how Western countries are impatient to invest in Iran after the possible conclusion of a final nuclear deal. The following is a partial translation of the piece:

[…]

Word has spread that a number of global giants have sent their representatives to Iran to open talks, eagerly waiting for a final deal to get into the Iranian market.

[…]

The Americans, who have been absent from Iran for more than 30 years, are putting together their plans not to let that 30-something-year absence and political disagreements stand in the way of their efforts to make a comeback to Iran.

Thus, a political deal they have raised [as part of a final nuclear deal between Iran and P5+1] is, partly, related to atomic issues, and in part, about the assurances the US needs about its active role in the Iranian market following the conclusion of a comprehensive deal.

That’s why Washington has entered a race in which it has lined up against European nations, among them Italy and France.

[…] What the US is doing could be seen as an attempt to set the stage for the future when a deal is inked with Iran.

[…]

Iran too should play its own part when it comes to the post-deal period. It needs to set up a working group to identify the country’s development needs and recognize those countries whose relations with Iran can bring more benefits to the Islamic Republic.

Unfortunately over those eight years [when Ahmadinejad was in power], Iran had ties with China, Russia and India. So, Iran needs to work on that working group which can – after the nuclear talks possibly end in a final comprehensive deal – manage the country’s ties with other nations, especially economically developed nations, in keeping with its national and development needs.

Beached Greek Ship sinks deeper

Emad Askarieh

March 2, 2015

In Greece, the rise to power of a left-wing anti-austerity government has put the European country at risk of plunging into yet another crisis, posing a challenge to the European Union. In Iran, a country thousands of miles away, another Greek symbol is going down, seemingly sympathizing with the economy of her motherland. The following is a partial translation of a report Mehr News Agency published on February 28 on a ship perched off the coast of a southern Iranian island:

The [beached] Greek Ship, a landmark of Kish Island in the Persian Gulf, has started to sink deeper.

The CEO of the Kish Free Zone Organization says that keeping the ship where it sits right now is costly.

The ship which ran aground on July 25, 1966, off the coast of Kish Island with a large cargo of oil, is a main tourist attraction of Kish, which is known as the pearl of the Persian Gulf.

By local accounts, the Scottish ship which was steered by a drunken captain veered off course and instead of docking at a port in the vicinity of the island, ended up on its coast. Because the vessel was en route to Greece, it has since been known as the Greek Ship.

The ship is more prominent than all other tourist attractions of the island, including its luxury hotels, and whenever someone wants to present an image of the island, pictures of the ship come in handy.

[…]

The CEO of the Kish Free Zone Organization believes that with time, the ship will sink deeper, yet the plan presented by Sharif University of Technology to save the vessel from submerging, should be studied to see if it is cost effective.

His comments about the “costly” project come despite the fact that Kish earns extremely large amounts of money thanks to affluent tourists visiting it and sizeable investments in its construction sector.

Tourist says watching the sunset with the Greek Ship in the foreground is a major attraction of the island.

If the fate of the ship is to be tied to ill-considered plans, tourists will need to take their final pictures, because in the not-too-distant future, the vessel will vanish.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on March 2

Emad Askarieh

March 2, 2015

The comments of the Supreme Leader at a meeting with producers of Track 143, a war-themed movie, dominated the front pages of Iranian newspapers Monday. In the meeting the leader said he enjoyed the Sacred Defense drama. And upcoming nuclear talks between representatives from Iran and the US also appeared on the covers of dailies.

Abrar: “Eighteen couples get divorced every hour,” said an official with the Civil Registration Organization.

Abrar-e Eghtesadi: [US] Dollar is no longer the currency of choice in 17 percent of trade exchanges in the world.

Abrar-e Eghtesadi: A new round of oil talks between Iran and Italy has gotten underway in Tehran.

Arman-e Emrooz: The minister of labor has boarded the train of impeachment.

Arman-e Emrooz: Even the purest of waters cannot wash away the mistakes Ahmadinejad committed.

That was the reaction of some MPs to comments by Morteza Agha Tehrani, an ally of the former president.

Ebtekar: A first Iranian plane has landed in Sana’a, Yemen.

Etemad: A new round of talks to cement progress made so far and cut ifs and buts

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif meets with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Montreux, Switzerland on Monday.

Ettela’at: “All sanctions should be lifted all at once,” the president said at a meeting with the visiting Italian foreign minister.

“Iran has always honored its commitments and everybody knows that Iran is a serious partner in nuclear talks. To settle the nuclear case, there is no other way than to negotiate,” the president further said.

“Collective cooperation is needed to deal with terrorism which poses a threat to all nations.”

Ettela’at: The health minister has called for more attention to healthcare in detention facilities.

Ettela’at: “Tax evasion amounts to one fourth of GDP,” said the Iranian National Tax Administration.

Hemayat: Banks are interfering with production and industries.

High interest rates [banks pay to depositors] have drawn the ire of Cabinet ministers.

Iran: The deal between [Iranian automotive giant] Iran Khodro and France’s Peugeot has been finalized.

Iran: A final shot by Netanyahu to prevent the conclusion of a nuclear deal.

Iran: The minister of culture has said that his ministry did not approve of the cancellation of a concert by Alireza Ghorbani.

Jomhouri Islami: The minister of trade has said that online purchases in Iran stand at around $17 billion.

Kar va Kargar: “We need to keep talking about the Sacred Defense even 50 years from now,” said the Supreme Leader.

Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei made the comment at a meeting with those involved in the production of Track 143, a war drama.

Kayhan: Some 100,000 Pakistani soldiers are to be hired to protect the Saudi Royal Court.

Mardomsalari: “Insistence on continued sanctions runs counter to human rights slogans,” said the chairman of the Expediency Council.

Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani made the comment at a meeting with the visiting Italian foreign minister.

Mardomsalari: “If the other side displays determination, conclusion of a good deal is possible,” said the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.

Sharq: The Guardian Council has once again faulted Support for Promoters of Virtue law.

Iran sanctions must be lifted all at once: Rouhani

Emad Askarieh

March 2, 2015

“The basis of nuclear negotiations is [making] efforts to reach common views and mutual confidence and we believe that all sanctions should be lifted all at once,” Rouhani said in a meeting with Italy’s Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni in Tehran on Sunday.

He added that the sanctions, which have been imposed on Tehran in recent years on “incorrect bases”, have been detrimental to all including the European Union.

“Iran has always honored its commitments and it is currently clear to everyone that Iran is a completely serious side in the talks,” the Iranian president stated.

He emphasized that there is no option but negotiations to settle the outstanding issues about the Iranian nuclear program.

Iran and the P5+1 countries — Britain, France, China, Russia, and the United States plus Germany – are making attempts to narrow their differences on the outstanding issues related to Tehran’s nuclear program ahead of a July 1 deadline for reaching a comprehensive deal.

The scale of Iran’s uranium enrichment and the timetable for the removal of anti-Iran sanctions are seen as the major stumbling blocks in the talks.

Iran-Italy ties

Rouhani said Iran and Italy enjoy a great deal of potentialities to boost trade ties, adding that Tehran welcomes further expansion of cooperation with Rome.

He said further reciprocal visits by the two countries’ officials and stronger bilateral cooperation would be beneficial to the two sides, the region and the entire world.

Italy’s support for nuclear deal

The Italian foreign minister said his country strongly believes that a comprehensive deal over Iran’s nuclear issue would be in favor of Tehran, Rome and the whole of the international community.

Italy would do its utmost in supporting the nuclear negotiations, Gentiloni added, expressing hope that a comprehensive deal should give priority to sanctions relief for Tehran.

Iran says ready to cooperate with Google

Emad Askarieh

March 1, 2015

Nasrollah Jahangard, Iran’s deputy minister of telecommunications and information technology, has been quoted by local media as saying that negotiations are underway with Google to establish a version of its servers in Iran.

“This is a normal thing in the world and it will be economical for [IT] companies to be closer to their main clients,” Jahangard has told Iran’s Fars news agency.

He added that similar talks are currently being carried out with several other major US and European internet companies.

Jahangard added that Iran is even willing to help internet companies like Google use its facilities by providing services to the countries of the region, as well.

“Iran will of course not interfere in the services of the companies but we want what they present in the Iranian market to be in line with Iranian laws,” he added.

Jahangard further emphasized that some non-American enterprises have reached advanced stages in talks to enter the Iranian IT market, adding that their names will be publicly announced once negotiations with them reach the final stages.