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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
- Environment
- Health
- Human Rights
- Incidents
- Lifestyle
- Sport
- Women
Culture
- Art
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Home Blog Page 5092

Rouhani gives top priority to agriculture

Emad Askarieh

September 9, 2014

“Ideas and achievements of the elite should be used in agriculture, industry and mining, and people should reap the benefits,” President Hassan Rouhani said at a meeting with the elite in Khorasan Razavi (September 7).

Fortunately, over the last year the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad and the Center for Information and Public Relations have created a good atmosphere, bringing agricultural issues to the attention of the public, the government and parliament and prompting authorities to take the supply of food and improvement in agriculture more seriously.

During the past year, the first vice president has paid five visits to centers for agriculture research, a fact which underlines the importance the government attaches to the sector. Other vice presidents have also paid similar visits.

President Rouhani, who was born and bred in the countryside and is well aware of farming, usually turns to former Agriculture Minister Issa Kalantari for advice. He pays serious attention to ideas floated by Mahmoud Hojati, who was at the helm of the ministry for two terms.

The president’s recent remarks about agriculture indicate that he puts agriculture ahead of industry and mining, signaling that he lays considerable emphasis on the sector responsible for the production of 120 million tons of crops and food.

There is hope his approach will result in a solution to the problems the agriculture sector and farmers are grappling with.

A look at transit and customs problems in Afghanistan

Emad Askarieh

September 9, 2014

Iran Says Almost All Border Crossings Reopened by Neighbours — Afghanistan Transit

Afghanistan has been trying for a long time to become a member of Transports Internationaux Routiers (International Road Transports, or TIR). “Afghanistan applied for TIR membership in 1976, yet unfortunately, TIR turned down the application, citing civil war in the country. The country eventually managed to become a member of TIR in September 2013,” a report by the Public Relations Department of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce quoted Afghan Customs Agent Alireza Sadrikhah as saying.

Sadrikhah described Iran’s geographic position as important for Afghanistan’s international trade and said, “Iran’s access to high seas makes it the best route for trade exchanges in the region; it can also offer common benefits to all regional nations.”

“Studies suggest Iran’s transit route is the best to Central Asia, Afghanistan and northern Iraq,” said President of the board and CEO of Bar Baran International Shipping Agency and Forwarding Company Farid Saffarzadeh. He called for improvement in the TIR trend as far as transport between the United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan and Iran is concerned.

He added, “In terms of transport, two criteria must be observed. First, transit services should be provided for shipping companies. Second, security is so important. Iran enjoys a better geopolitical position than Turkey and Pakistan, which have a longer transit path with more overheads. All in all, Iran seems to be the best option.”

Iran congratulates Iraq on forming new government

September 9, 2014

On Monday, the Iraqi parliament approved the new cabinet proposed by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, with the majority of lawmakers backing the prime minister’s programs and his cabinet line-up.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said the Islamic Republic supports the Iraqi parliament’s decision, which was in keeping with the Iraqi constitution.

He further reiterated Iran’s backing for the Iraqi government under the premiership of Abadi.

Emphasizing the need for respecting Iraq’s independence, sovereignty, national unity and territorial integrity, the Iranian official called on regional countries to help Iraq uproot terrorism.

The Iraqi nation as well as the country’s political and religious leaders proved that they will not allow the enemies of the region as well as Takfiri and Ba’athist terrorists to endanger regional security, he added.

[…]

No deal with P5+1 unless Iran demands are met: Araghchi

Emad Askarieh

September 9, 2014

Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Seyyed Abbas Araghchi said late Monday that Iran will continue the nuclear talks seriously and in good faith, but will not give up its rights.

Araghchi stated that although there is an understanding about the concerns on both sides, deep disagreements remain.

The senior diplomat added that a major persisting difficulty is agreement on a timetable for the lifting of illegal sanctions against Iran.

Araghchi also stated that the recent anti-Iranian sanctions imposed by the United States violate the Geneva Interim Deal and if repeated, Iran will respond.

On August 29, the US government announced the imposition of a new round of sanctions on 25 individuals and companies, including shipping firms, oil companies, airlines and six banks despite the fact that Iran and the six world powers are still in talks to resolve the nuclear dispute.

He added that it will only be possible to reach a nuclear agreement by the November deadline if everyone remains committed to the objective of the negotiations.

The senior Iranian negotiator said that the next round of nuclear talks will be held in New York on September 18.

He added that bilateral discussions are also scheduled to be held before and after those talks.

[…]

Last November, Iran and the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China as well as Germany signed the interim deal in Geneva which took effect on January 20 and expired six months later on July 20.

In July, Tehran and the six countries agreed to extend negotiations until November 24 after they failed to reach common ground on a number of key issues.

[…]

Spanish firms ready to cooperate in Iran mining sector

Emad Askarieh

September 9, 2014

The International Relations Director of Spanish Confederation of Employers’ Organizations (CEOE) Jose Garcia Morales made the remarks on Monday as he along with Spanish Ambassador to Iran Pedro Villena met in Tehran Mehdi Karbasian, the head of the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO).

Morales said Spanish companies involved in steel manufacturing and mining are ready to cooperate with Iran.

Villena pointed to the Iranian economy’s exit from the state of stagnation and the country’s success in curbing runaway inflation, and expressed the Spanish government’s interest in cooperating with Iran in the mining sector.

For his part, Karbasian referred to the easing of Western sanctions against Tehran as an opportunity for the Spanish firms to form joint venture projects with Iran’s mining sector.

IMIDRO’s development plans, including the production of 55 million tons of steel, 1.5 million tons of aluminum, 200 million tons of minerals and 800,000 tons of copper, provide suitable opportunities for investment, Karbasian said.

Iran wins three medals in World Wrestling Championships

Emad Askarieh

September 8, 2014

On day one of the 2014 Freestyle World Wrestling Championships in Tashkent, Iranian wrestlers won two bronze medals and a silver on Monday (September 8).

In the 57-kg weight category Hossein Rahimi beat his Japanese rival to secure Iran’s first medal of the event, a bronze.

Later, Mohammad Hossein Mohammadian defeated an Azeri wrestler to win a bronze in the 86-kg category.

And in the 125-kg category Komeil Ghasemi lost to a Turkish heavyweight wrestler to win a silver.

Fight against terror should be free of political considerations: Iranian security official

Emad Askarieh

September 8, 2014

“Any action in the fight against terrorism should be sincere, genuine, based on regional potential and cooperation, should not violate the sovereignty of nations and should be devoid of hegemonic political and security objectives,” Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani said in a meeting with Danish Foreign Minister Martin Lidegaard in Tehran Monday.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has always been the standard-bearer of the fight against terrorism and is currently playing the most effective role in the fight against this ominous phenomenon by supporting the oppressed Iraqi people [against ISIL terrorists],” he added.

He emphasized that Iran feels religiously obligated to support the Palestinian resistance as well as the Syrian and Iraqi nations’ fight against terrorism.

The SNSC secretary stressed the importance of closer cooperation among Muslim countries to counter security challenges faced by the Muslim world.

The Danish foreign minister, for his part, said Iran has always played an important role in the regional fight against terrorism and called for regional and international cooperation to eradicate this phenomenon.

In addition to effective military measures, the world should do something to cut the access of terrorist groups to financial aid, equipment and human resources, Lidegaard added.

He warned that a lack of adequate attention to anti-terrorism efforts can result in unpredictable ramifications for international security and stability.

[…]

Ayatollah Khamenei’s prostate surgery was successful

IFP Editorial Staff

September 8, 2014

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei underwent successful prostate surgery in Tehran on Monday (September 8).

According to Tasnim News Agency, after the operation President Hassan Rouhani paid a bedside visit to the Supreme Leader.

In an interview afterward, the president said the leader was doing well and there is no reason for concern about the leader’s health.

As for his Tajikistan trip to attend a Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit which was scheduled well in advance of the leader’s hospitalization and surgery, the president said, “I wanted to stay in Tehran, but the Supreme Leader asked me to go on the trip according to schedule.”

A look at Iranian newspaper headlines across the country on September 8

Emad Askarieh

September 8, 2014

The visit Hajj Organization officials paid to the Supreme Leader appeared on the front pages of almost all Iranian newspapers on Monday. “Muslims should stick to unity to foil enemy plots to divide them.” was the headline most Iranian dailies used to cover the leader’s remarks. The president’s comments on culture and local politics also grabbed headlines.

Ebtekar: “Erecting walls and introducing Internet filtering won’t work,” the president says at a meeting with the elite in Mashhad on the second day of a visit to Khorasan Razavi Province. “In this day and age we should be convincing in dealing with the younger generation. Building walls [to separate the sexes] and introducing filtering [aimed at content control] won’t solve our problems.” That headline is placed at the top of the front page next to “The statement of the leader that free and fair elections are an obvious right of the public should be upheld,” former President Mohammad Khatami said. The juxtaposition of the two stories seems to suggest that reformists are gaining the upper hand and reasserting their authority on Iran’s political landscape.

Ebtekar: “The number of centrifuges Iran will keep operational has yet to be decided,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in reaction to reports that Tehran has agreed to decrease the number of its nuclear centrifuges.

The front page of Ebtekar also features a photo of Henry Kissinger under its masthead. It is captioned “‘Iran’s influence is on the rise, the great strategist admits’”. The article seems to refer to recent comments by the former US secretary of state that he considers “Iran a bigger problem than ISIS”.

Ettela’at: “In the fight against corruption, my government is afraid of no force,” the president says in a speech in Khorasan Razavi.

Ettela’at: The Iraqi military launches a major offensive in Haditha with US air cover. The US Defense Department says IS militants sought to capture the Haditha Dam.

Hemayat quotes State Inspector GeneralNasser Seraj as saying, “If Khavari failed to return home to face corruption charges, we’d force him to.” Khavari is the former managing director of Bank Melli who is wanted in connection with embezzlement. He retired his position in 2011 and fled to Canada before an investigation was launched into his role in the financial scandal.

Hambastegi: “The international coalition against IS which has failed to take account of security considerations in the region has failed,” said the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.

Arman-e Emrooz: “I hope a brave moderate parliament which brings together experts will emerge [in the wake of next parliamentary elections]” former President Mohammad Khatami said.

With the annual Hajj pilgrimage on the horizon Arman-e Emrooz quotes Chairman of the State Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani as asking, “What good has the cold war with Saudi Arabia done to us?”

Asia quotes The Independent in Britain as reporting, “David Cameron hopes to meet Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani [in New York]” and says the British premier seeks to transform a political alliance through the meeting.

Aftab-e Yazd: “Interaction with the state is the pillar of reformist strategy,” former President Mohammad Khatami said.

Afarinesh: “Some 1.97 million new students will be admitted to universities (across the nation) this new academic year.”

Afarinesh: An exhibition on the role of Information Technology in Digital Media is under way in Tehran.

Abrar: “I am optimistic about nuclear talks [between Iran and the world powers],” said Danish Foreign Minister Martin Lidegaard at a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Abrar: The Iraqi Kurdistan Region welcomes the formation of an international coalition to fight IS terrorists.

Iran News, an English-language newspaper, “Iran launches largest gas storage facility in Mideast.”

Resalat: “Banks have fanned the flames of inflation by getting involved in the foreign currency, gold and housing market,” a number of manufacturers said in a letter to the Supreme Leader.

Shahrvand: “Use of soldiers and police does not help promote culture,” President Hassan Rouhani said.

Asr-e Eghtesad: “A Russian delegation has come to Iran to pursue food and oil purchases,” the head of Iran-Russia Chamber said.

Mardom Salari: “Iran stands ready to talk about human rights,” announces Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Salamat: As part of a government strategy to reduce birth by C-Section, government is to offer free-of-charge hospital services for natural childbirth.

Etemad: The State Expediency Council paves the way for provision of healthcare insurance to all drug addicts.

Etemad: “Principles of reformism are obvious…. I don’t detect any U-turn in President Rouhani’s policies…. Society does not turn democratic overnight…. We need to support the government and understand its problems…. The State should be tolerant and not get agitated,” Mr. Khatami tells a host of reformist students.

Javan leads on the comments of the Supreme Leader under the title of “The victory Palestinians scored in Gaza showed [Muslims] can take on any enemy. Muslims have gained the upper hand in the Palestinian conflict.”

Javan has expressed displeasure over the award prominent Iranian film director Rakhshan Bani-Etemad has scooped in the Venice Film Festival in an article titled, “The award for the fabricated Tales by Bani-Etemad was guaranteed in advance.” The newspaper claims that it is not the first time Iranian movies which are designed to “paint a gloomy picture” are welcomed with open arms in international festivals. In order to lend credence to its claims that Bani-Etemad does not care about social norms and values, the paper digs out a one-year-old statement of the director: “I am not born at a time when anyone can prevent me from directing movies.”

Iran quotes US President Barack Obama as saying that extremists, and not Iran, are the problem of the Middle East region.

Iran: The services of veteran Iranian athletes are praised at a ceremony.

Iran’s Largest Gold Mine

IFP Editorial Staff

September 8, 2014

A 99th issue of the weekly journal Tejarat-e Farda [Tomorrow’s Trade] out in early August had a column by the Project Manager of Zarshuran Gold Mine: Hossein Ghavanloo. What follows is the translation of the column which was titled “How does Zarshuran Produce Gold Bullions?”

Leaving behind a period when Iran was not equipped to extract gold from mines and mostly made investment in other mines, Iran seems to have enhanced its ability to explore and run gold mines over the last decade. Therefore I think a promising future is on the horizon. Given the amount of investment in this area, the estimated lifespan of this mine which stands at 20 years, the experience of Iranian experts, and ecological considerations, things will look up down the road.

The operation of the mine will give a 3-ton rise to Iran’s production of gold bullion. In other words, Zarshuran Mine will produce 10 kg of pure gold on a daily basis.

In terms of foreign investment in operating the mine, domestic investment stands at as much as 84 billion tomans, and an additional 15.2 million euros has been provided by foreign investors. On average, approximately 20-30 percent of machinery used in production line is imported from aboard and the rest is manufactured in Iran. The operation of the mine will give a 3-ton rise to Iran’s production of gold bullion. In other words, Zarshuran Mine will produce 10 kg of pure gold on a daily basis.

The mine has a proven reserve of at least 110 tons of pure gold. In the first phase of operations yearly production will amount to three tons and in the second phase it will rise to six tons. That means the mine’s lifespan is estimated to be 20 years. We hope that with further exploration activities, more untapped reserves will be located so that efforts to extract gold in Zarshuran, a region near the city of Takab in West Azerbaijan Province, can carry on.

As far as safety procedures are concerned, Zarshuran Mine is a surface mine and thus deals with fewer safety issues. The processing facility has addressed environmental problems and abided by safety regulations. In the process of bullion production, cyanide is used to treat gold concentrates. Oxidation and leaching processes produce some toxic gases too, that’s why we have considered the environmental concerns of the project. For instance, to prevent damage to the environment, we have invested as much as six billion tomans in Zarshuran tailings dam to preserve natural resources and the environment.

Iran’s gold production hovers around 2.5 tons a year and with the opening of this plant during Government Week, the country’s gold bullion production will see a two-fold rise.

The last point is that there are no official statistics about gold consumption or production in the country, because the only official figures belong to Mooteh Mine [in Isfahan Province] which is a state-owned facility. As for private mines like Agh Dareh Mine in the vicinity of Zarshuran, we have no official stats. Nonetheless, based on the figures released by the Ministry of Mines, Iran’s gold production hovers around 2.5 tons a year and with the opening of this plant during Government Week, the country’s gold bullion production will see a two-fold rise.