Over one ton of narcotics seized in Saravan

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January 14, 2015

Some 1,460 kilograms of opium was confiscated in Saravan, the commander of Sistan and Baluchestan Border Guards said on Tuesday.

Acting on a tip-off about imminent shipment of narcotics across the border into Iran, border guards took up positions along the border where they assumed the traffickers might want to smuggle drugs into the country.

Staging targeted ambushes, they identified an automobile attempting to enter the country illegally, the commander said.

The forces immediately stopped the vehicle, but the traffickers fled a border village after minutes of armed clashes with police, he said.

Habibi further said that inspecting the village, guards found the hideout of the traffickers who abandoned the haul of narcotics and fled. The package contained over one ton of opium, he said.

Iran seeks good ties with all neighbors: President Rouhani

By

Emad Askarieh

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January 14, 2015

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani highlighted the country’s resolve to forge good relations with neighboring states.

“We want good and friendly relations with all our neighbors,” the president said Tuesday during a visit to the southern Iranian province of Bushehr which has a long coast on the Persian Gulf.

“Development of good neighborly relations with Persian Gulf states is among the (Iranian) administration’s main policies,” he also stressed, adding, “In our relations (with any country) we think of the two sides’ interests.”

He underlined that Iran neither interferes in any country’s (affairs) nor accepts others’ meddling in its own affairs, adding that clashes and meddling are in no one’s interest.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian chief executive referred to the production of 1000 megawatts of electricity in the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant as one of the city’s main assets and said there are plans for building two more power plants near the existing one in the port city.

Last month, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi announced that the country is planning to construct four new nuclear power plants as part of its broader effort to meet the country’s energy needs.

Salehi said Iran has drawn up plans to construct the new nuclear facilities with the help of Russia.

Germans rally to oppose terrorism and Islamophobia

By

Emad Askarieh

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January 14, 2015

Thousands of German Muslims, joined by the country’s political figures, staged a tolerance rally on Tuesday (January 13) to protest acts of terrorism as well as xenophobia and Islamophobia.

The Islamic Republic News Agency reported that the rally which was held at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin was attended by the German chancellor, president and MPs as well as a host of party leaders, foreign ambassadors and religious leaders. The following is the translation of the report the official news agency filed:

After observing a minute’s silence in memory of the victims who lost their lives last week in Paris terror attacks, President Joachim Gauck told the rally that terrorists are seeking to create divisions in Western communities, but that these terror incidents would backfire and create more convergence among people.

He went on to say that freedom and human rights do not exclusively belong to the West or Europe; rather they belong to all humanity.

“Germany has become more diverse through immigration – religiously, culturally and mentally,” he added.

The German president then praised the Muslim community for its open opposition to terrorism and recent extremist acts in France.

The president further said that Germany-based Muslims view themselves as part of German society, adding that the Western governments are mainly concerned about the spillover of the crisis in the Middle East into Europe, growing extremism and xenophobia as well as the return of Syrian and Iraqi terrorists to Europe, calling for serious measures to fight extremism and violent acts.

Addressing the same rally, Aiman Mazyek, the head of the Central Council of Muslims, said that German Muslims have gathered here in solidarity with the French people in defiance of violent acts and extremism.

He emphasized, “The terrorists did not win and terrorist won’t win in the future.”

He then lashed out at attempts to fuel Islamophobia in the West and Europe in the wake of the recent terror attacks and pointed to a courageous act by a French Muslim who rescued some hostages during the Paris Kosher Market siege and said that Islam is bitterly opposed to acts of terror and violence.

Mazyek then addressed the terrorists and extremists and said that Muslims do not allow their religion to be taken hostage by acts of terror, adding Muslims won’t let terrorists stir hatred and divisions in communities.

Iran FM heads to Geneva to meet Kerry ahead of fresh nuclear talks

By

Emad Askarieh

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January 14, 2015

The Wednesday meeting between Zarif and Kerry is aimed at bridging the existing differences between the two sides ahead of the official start of the next round of discussions over Tehran’s nuclear energy program on January 18.

Deputy foreign ministers from the Iranian and American delegations will then launch bilateral nuclear talks on Thursday.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Ministers Abbas Araghchi and Majid Takht Ravanchi accompany Zarif during this round of talks, while Kerry is joined by US undersecretaries of state William Burns and Wendy Sherman.

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

The 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.

Major thorny issues in the nuclear discussions include the future extent of Tehran’s uranium enrichment as well as a timetable for the removal of anti-Iran sanctions.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Jan. 14

By

Emad Askarieh

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January 14, 2015

President Rouhani’s speech on a visit to the southern province of Bushehr in which he talked, among other things about the domestic and foreign policy of his government – the fight against corruption and nuclear talks – dominated the front pages of the Iranian newspapers on Wednesday. Also in the headlines, mostly in reformist papers, was the statement parliament deputy Ali Motahari issued detailing what happened during and after his speech in parliament which remained unfinished after fellow MPs attacked him.

Abrar: “Iran is among the world’s top 10 countries when it comes to possession of military equipment,” said a senior commander with the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps.

Abrar-e Eghtesadi: Iran has opened talks with three Japanese and Korean oil giants.

Aftab-e Yazd: “As soon as we move to eliminate corruption on a certain front, some start to accuse the government,” the president said.

Arman-e Emrooz: In a speech in the southern city of Bushehr, President Hassan Rouhani has warned P5+1 to act logically at the negotiating table.

Arman-e Emrooz: The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has complained about cancellation of concerts in the provinces. “We stand by the permits we have issued for concerts,” the ministry said.

Ebtekar: The secretary of the Supreme National Security Council has said that oil has lost its efficacy in political rivalries.

Ebtekar: “I won’t take part in the convergence meetings of principlists,” said Secretary of the Expediency Council Mohsen Rezaei [a former commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps who has unsuccessfully run for president as a principlist in the past].

Etemad: In a statement Ali Motahari [a principlist MP whose speech was interrupted by fellow deputies in parliament on Sunday] has made public his version of events in the noisy session of the chamber. “My hope is that the next parliament is different from this one.”

Ettela’at: “We will continue our constructive interaction with the rest of the world. Those who plotted the drop-in-oil-prices scheme will regret their decision,” said President Rouhani at a large gathering of townspeople in Bushehr.

Ettela’at: A trade and industry free zone is to be set up in Tehran.

Javan: President Obama has talked with Netanyahu to secure his permission ahead of a fresh round of nuclear talks with Iran.

Jomhouri Islami: Thirty American, European and Asian firms have applied to make investment in Iran’s natural gas industry.

Jomhouri Islami: An Egyptian court has overturned Mubarak’s conviction.

Kar va Kargar: “Times of threats and sanctions are gone,” said President Rouhani as he urged P5+1 to opt for a speedy, logical approach in nuclear talks with Iran.

Kayhan: More than 100,000 Germans have staged a rally in support of Islam.

Qods: Foreign Minister Zarif and his American counterpart Secretary Kerry will meet in Geneva today.

Sharq: “My government won’t back down in the fight against corruption,” vowed President Rouhani.

Tafahom: President Rouhani has said the loss Saudi Arabia suffers as a result of a recent drop in oil prices will be bigger than Iran’s.

House arrest is in line with the law: Official

By

Emad Askarieh

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January 13, 2015

The controversial speech of Ali Motahari, a Tehran MP, which was interrupted on parliament floor and sparked a commotion in the Islamic Consultative Assembly is still pretty much in the news, drawing reactions from different officials. On January 13 Arman-e Emrooz reported the comments of the Head of Iran’s Administrative Justice Court Mohammad Jafar Montazeri on the heated dispute in the chamber. The following is a partial translation of the report:

“It is not right to ignore national interests, and turn down the logical decisions of senior state officials and use them to provoke disagreement,” said Montazeri at an Administrative Justice Court meeting on January 12.

Denouncing the recent shoving match in parliament as shameful, he underscored the need for unity between different factions of the Islamic Revolution.

“That there is disagreement between individuals and MPs is good and acceptable, because a difference in ideas could help the country grow. However, jumping down each other’s throats does not represent a clash of ideas,” he stated.

He went on to say, “We need to be a role model and start fostering unity among ourselves; we should avoid eliminating others [who are opposed to us]. We need to follow Supreme Leader’s guidelines on unity.”

“Using the decision of the establishment to put under house arrest those behind unrest in the aftermath of the 2009 presidential elections as a pretext to spark division runs counter to the country’s expedience. Such a decision is legally defensible, because it has been made by the Supreme National Security Council and unfortunately, those who either have not read the law or do not understand it make wrong comments about it,” he further said.

“Article 176 of the Constitution says ‘In order to safeguarding the national interests and preserving the Islamic Revolution, the territorial integrity and national sovereignty, a Supreme Council for National Security presided over by the President shall be constituted to fulfill the following responsibilities: 1. Determining the defense and national security policies within the framework of general policies determined by the Leader. […]. The article also says that the decisions of the Supreme National Security Council shall be effective after the confirmation by the Leader.’

“On security grounds, the Supreme National Council has made a decision that some individuals should be under house arrest for a while. In other words, the council decided that it would not be in the country’s interest to bring them to court. The decision has been taken by a body with a legal position [which has the right] to make security polices for the country,” Montazeri reiterated.

“Anyway, it’s a legally sound decision by the Supreme National Council which cannot be questioned. We all need to join hands to cherish the current secure atmosphere and use this blessing in order to address the issues that the country is faced with,” he stressed.

President urges nuclear negotiators to adopt logical attitude

By

Emad Askarieh

-

January 13, 2015

President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday said it would be against the interests of Western nuclear negotiators if they failed to pursue a reasonable and quick approach towards Iran.

The President made the remarks while addressing a large gathering at Bushehr’s sports stadium in this southern provincial capital city.

As for plunging oil prices, President Rouhani said, “Western countries think they have succeeded in creating a new problem for Iran by pushing down the price of oil, but this will not put Iran under any pressure.”

‘Iran has already considered necessary ways to compensate the drop in oil prices,’ said the President stressing, “The era of threats and sanctions is over.’

Those behind the plan aimed at sending oil prices dropping to harm certain countries should know that they would regret, because they cannot forge ahead with the scheme.

If they think Iran will suffer losses as a result of falling oil prices, they have to bear in mind that other producing countries such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have more at stake than Iran.

“Iran will continue moving on the path of constructive negotiations and interaction with the world and has taken first steps towards breaking Western sanctions through the support of people and guidelines of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,’ the President noted.

He urged the Iranian nation to maintain its unity and solidarity, saying, ‘We are all from one single country, living under a single flag with a single Constitution and a single leadership. And we all seek a single objective which is national prosperity.’

Imprinted leather, one of the latest findings in the Burnt City

By

IFP Editorial Staff

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January 13, 2015

Recent archeological excavations of the residential area and the cemetery of the Burnt City [in the southeastern Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan], have produced numerous finds, including a piece of beautifully imprinted leather, some colorful fabric, a structure belonging to the fourth settlement period of the city, 74 graves, ornaments and so on. The following is a partial translation of a report about the finds the Research Center of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (www.richt.ir) posted on its website on January 12:

Mansour Seyyed Sajadi, who leads the team of archeologists in the Burnt City, said, “Since the imprinted leather is worn out and is about to fall apart, our restoration-of-ancient-items experts are trying to prevent its total destruction.”

He went on to say, “The recent excavations in the residential area of the Burnt City have led the team to discover a special structure sitting at the center of the area which has never been looked for anywhere else in the city.”

“Much to our surprise, in derelict rooms there, we came across a large amount of plain, two-colored and multicolored shabby fabric. Our experts will examine the findings soon, so that measures to restore and preserve them can get underway. Earlier, in the Burnt City, numerous samples of fabric had been dug out. A piece of fabric unearthed in recent excavations is approximately 60 by 40 cm with three colors which is the largest piece ever discovered in the city.”

If future excavations confirm the assumptions of archeologists, the theory about the shrinking and final annihilation of the Burnt City should be fully revised,” Seyyed Sajadi stated.

“Seventy-four graves with 80 human skeletons in an area of 320 square meters have been unearthed and excavations of the cemetery this year have also produced 503 exquisite items such as colorful jars and dishes, precious bronze items and beautifully and meticulously crafted necklaces dug out from the graves.

The tiny beads of the necklaces are just one millimeter in diameter with holes in the middle which are no bigger than 0.3 millimeter. Among the findings, there have been also black and white as well as colorful dishes with lids which are still produced in the province,” the archeologist said.

Equal opportunities for people is social justice: Rouhani

By

Emad Askarieh

-

January 13, 2015

President Hassan Rouhani said creating equal opportunities for people is part of administering social justice, adding that public insurance is not all justice but certainly part of it.

The president was speaking in a ceremony to celebrate a new welfare plan launched by his government called ‘Public Health Insurance’. The plan aims to provide all Iranians with health insurance.

He said unemployment and ill-health are two major social problems, but the latter is even worse because ‘when you are unemployed but healthy, you can stand on your own feet, of course with some help from the government and others, but when you are ill, you have to endure unbearable sufferings’.

President Rouhani said when he took office last year around 9 million Iranians did not have health insurance cards of whom 8 million have received their cards so far.

He emphasized that all Iranians should be covered by health insurance.

The president said by implementing the ‘Health Plan’ and ‘Public Insurance’ projects, his government is trying hard to increase the efficiency of health insurance cards.

At the ceremony, the president handed the 8,000,001st health insurance card toa young girl.

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Jan. 13

By

Emad Askarieh

-

January 13, 2015

The call by the Iranian foreign minister on Russia to play a more active role in nuclear talks between Tehran and the world powers at a meeting with the Russian deputy foreign minister appeared on the front pages of many dailies on Tuesday. President Rouhani’s comments at a ceremony to celebrate the provision of health insurance cards to 8 million Iranians as part of the Healthcare Transformation Plan also were on the cover of many dailies. The interior minister’s pledge that his ministry will protect the rights of the public in elections made front-page headlines too.

Abrar: President Rouhani is to visit Bushehr nuclear power plant.

Aftab-e Yazd: Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has called on Russia to play a more active role in nuclear talks between Iran and P5+1.

Aftab-e Yazd: Ali Akbar Nategh Nouri [a onetime principlist speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly] has been invited to attend a gathering of reformists.

Arman-e Emrooz: Fifty MPs have filed a complaint against fellow deputy Ali Motahari for the comments he made on parliament floor on Sunday.

Asr-e Iranian: “Inflation has been curbed only on paper,” said Alinaghi Khamoushi, a former head of the Chamber of Commerce.

Asrar: “Police keep an eye on social networking sites,” said Police Chief Brigadier General Esmail Ahmadi Moghaddam.

Asrar: The Portuguese coach of the Iranian national soccer squad says his team is being victimized by political sanctions. In a post-match press conference after Iran beat Bahrain 2-0 in the AFC Asian Cup, Carlos Queiroz took a swipe at FIFA for its failure to release the money it owes Iran because of banking sanctions facing the country.

Ebtekar: “Rendering services to the public lends legitimacy to the governments,” President Rouhani said.

Emtiaz: Iranian police in the south have seized more than seven tons of opium hidden in a truck.

Emtiaz: “It only takes a single trip to Iran by foreign tourists to change their opinion about Iran,” said the director of the National Library of Iran.

Ettela’at: “Maintaining a calm atmosphere in the country is the duty of everyone,” said the speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly.

Ettela’at: The Iranian judiciary says fighting organized crime on the economic front is its top priority.

Hemayat: A 115-page report on violation of human rights in the US has been unveiled at Tehran University.

Iran: Iran has broken the world record in production of natural gas.

Iran: The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has said that the case of Vatan-e Emrooz daily [its publication of material harmful to Iran’s ties with neighboring countries] will be heard in a court.

Jomhouri Islami: The Planning and Budget Committee has announced that government has not withdrawn any money from the National Development Fund.

Jomhouri Islami: “The Interior Ministry simply protects the rights of the people in elections,” said the interior minister.

Kaenat: “The list of state managers who are accused of corruption will be made public,” said the chairman of parliament’s Article 90 Committee.

Kayhan: “Those who spilled blood and terrorized the people in Golpayegan [a reference to an armed robbery and its ensuing bloody high-speed chase] will be punished at the very same site they committed the criminal acts,” said the attorney general.

Mardomsalari: There are three women in the newly-released Afghan Cabinet lineup.

Qods: A man has reunited with his brothers after separation for 70 years.

Resalat: “The population of Tehran will hit the 22 million mark by 2021,” said the mayor of the capital.

Shahrvand: “In the first 10 months of the year [started March 21, 2014] land grab grew 40 percent and embezzlement registered a 22 percent increase,” said the head of the police’s Criminal Investigation Department.

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

Over one ton of narcotics seized in Saravan

Iran seeks good ties with all neighbors: President Rouhani

Germans rally to oppose terrorism and Islamophobia

Iran FM heads to Geneva to meet Kerry ahead of fresh nuclear talks

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Jan. 14

House arrest is in line with the law: Official

President urges nuclear negotiators to adopt logical attitude

Imprinted leather, one of the latest findings in the Burnt City

Equal opportunities for people is social justice: Rouhani

A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Jan. 13

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