NOURNEWS- The following headlines appeared in English-language newspapers in the Iranian capital on Monday, September 4, 2023
IRAN DAILY:
-- Setting the stage for Tehran-Ankara ties:
The first visit of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to Tehran after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan secured another term in highly contested election is significant as it sets the groundwork for the future prospects of Tehran-Ankara relations. It is important to understand the purpose and agenda of Fidan’s visit to Iran. Talks between Iran and Turkey have always been crucial, encompassing various areas of bilateral, regional, and international cooperation.
Available information about Fidan suggests that he is a reserved politician, not particularly fond of media attention. His focus is mainly on political and security matters, and he has shown an interest in the Islamic Republic of Iran. This raises hopes that he has flown to Tehran with a logical and strategic agenda to foster cooperation.
Iran always welcome the development of relations with its neighbors. While Iran’s foreign policy in the past 15 years lacked cohesion in the region, it seems that President Ebrahim Raeisi’s government has a greater inclination toward strengthening ties with the regional nations and neighbors. Iran has initiated a de-escalation process in the region in recent months, which promises greater peace and stability in the future, potentially encouraging economic cooperation.
Turkey, on the other hand, has not maintained a steadfast position on regional developments, changing its stance every now and then. Therefore, even though Turkey might not actively engage in the regional de-escalation process, it is unlikely to obstruct it. As increased stability in the region would also serve Turkey’s interests and improve the investment climate in regional countries, including Turkey itself.
In Iran-Turkey relations, political, security, and military matters have always been prioritized alongside economic issues. Therefore, negotiations between Turkey’s top diplomat and Iranian authorities will undoubtedly include topics such as developments in the Caucasus region and the contentious issue of the Zangezur corridor. Syria’s developments, Turkey’s positions and actions in that country, as well as Iran’s relations with Russia and the presence of Kurdish militias in Iraq are also expected to be on the agenda.
Iran has already voiced its vehement opposition to the establishment of the Zangezur corridor, as it disrupts the land connection between Iran and Armenia, altering the geopolitical landscape of the region. Turkey had also previously rejected Iran’s plan to export natural gas to Europe through its territory, proposing to buy the commodity and then transport it. It is natural for Iranian authorities to remind Turkey’s foreign minister that the altering geopolitics of the region and the creation of the Zangezur corridor, if not under Armenian control and ownership, are non-negotiable for Iran.
Economically, Iran and Turkey do not currently have any major new projects on their agenda, as both countries are not in favorable economic conditions. However, they have always maintained their traditional economic ties. In addition to these ties, Tehran and Ankara share many common interests in bilateral cooperation, energy exchange, and trade, which can be further promoted in the future. Therefore, Fidan’s visit can be seen as a step toward improving future cooperation and a platform for discussing regional developments, particularly in Syria.
-- Five-month exports of agro-products rise 19%:
The head of the Department of Monitoring and Foreign Trade of the Central Organization for Rural Cooperatives (CORC) announced a 19% growth in the export of livestock, fisheries, agricultural and food products in the first five months of the current Iranian year.
Iran’s export of agricultural and food products from March 21 to August 22 registered a 3% rise in weight, and 19% rise in value, compared to the same period of last year, said Rouhollah Latifi, according to IRNA.
Of the total volume of products exported in this period, 2.86 million tons, valued at $1.68 billion, were exported to 15 neighboring states, he said.
The neighboring countries’ share of Iran’s exports of agricultural and food products stood at 90% in weight, and 80% in value, in the first five months of the previous Iranian year (March 21 to August 22, 2022), Latifi highlighted.
Iran exported 1.319 million tons of agricultural and food products to neighboring Iraq, valued at $729.6 million, meaning that Iraq was Iran’s first export market in the period.
-- MP: Crude sales not tied to JCPOA revival, sanctions removal:
Iran’s incumbent administration has never tied oil sales to revival of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and removal of sanctions imposed on the country, said a member of Parliament on Saturday.
Talking to Shana, Hossein Hosseinzadeh added, “Although sanctions have their own impacts, the current government has managed to carry out acceptable measures through great efforts and determination.”
The country’s oil sales stood at less than 0.5 million barrels per day (bpd) when the current administration took over,” recalled the lawmaker, “but now we have witnessed an increase in oil and condensate exports thanks to the Oil Ministry’s positive approach and firm decision on promoting energy diplomacy”.
A member of Parliament’s Energy Committee, Hosseinzadeh continued, “As the oil minister announced, the country’s oil exports doubled through strong diplomacy under the harshest conditions possible during the 13th administration.”
The parliamentarian pointed to expansion of relations and commercial cooperation with regional and Latin American countries as other factors behind the hike in oil production and exports under the incumbent administration.
The legislator also referred to exports of technical and engineering services in the energy sector and concluded, “We should not be ignorant of domestic capacities for developing, supplying, maintaining, renovating, and rebuilding the oil, gas, and petrochemical fleet.”
-- Shalamcheh-Basra railroad to connect Iran to Mediterranean: Minister:
Iran and Iraq are determined to complete the construction of the Shalamcheh-Basra railroad, said Iran’s minister of roads and urban development adding that this giant project is ‘important’ for the two countries.
Once the Shalamcheh-Basra Railroad project is completed, Iran will be connected to West Asia and the Mediterranean, which is promising news, Mehrdad Bazrpash emphasized, Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday.
Iran had previously decided to complete the construction operation of the Shalamcheh-Basra railroad with its own investment, but since this giant project was very important and strategic for Iraq, the Iraqi government approved about $200 million for launching this railroad project as a joint venture.
Accordingly, it was agreed that the construction of the railroad will be carried out by Iraqi investors, while Iran will carry out demining 16 kilometers of the rail line, Iran’s minister of roads noted.
Bazrpash pointed to the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and said that Iran has taken serious steps to contribute to the launch of this strategic corridor.
After an agreement reached with Russia on the construction of the Rasht-Astara Road, Iran agreed to complete the construction operation of the North-South Corridor with neighboring Iraq, the minister added.
Khaf-Herat railroad
Meanwhile, the head of Afghanistan’s railroad department visited the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad to coordinate efforts to complete the final section of the Khaf-Herat railroad project.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Bakht-ur-Rahman Sharafat said the railroad project is pivotal for both Afghanistan and Iran as it provide a vital connection to Europe and the Indian Ocean.
Iran and Afghanistan inaugurated their first joint railroad network in December 2020 to link Khaf in northeastern Iran with the Afghan town of Rozanak. However, plans for extending the project to reach Herat, Afghanistan’s third-largest city, were stalled following the collapse of the former US-backed government in Kabul.
Sharafat said the primary goal of his visit to Iran was to form a consortium aimed at completing the final section of the crucial railroad line. The Herat-Khaf railroad, spanning 226 kilometers, connects Afghanistan to Iran’s extensive railroad network.
The railroad line from Khaf to Rozanak in Herat Province has been successfully completed, with the remaining segment from Rozanak to Herat city currently being under construction.
The Khaf-Herat railroad is also a key part of a 2,000-kilometer-long rail network that spans from China, passing through Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, and ultimately connecting with Europe.
KAYHAN INTERNATIONAL:
-- U.S.: Business Patience With China ‘Wearing Thin’:
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo warned China in interviews broadcast on Sunday that the patience of U.S. business was “wearing thin,” saying American companies deserved a “predictable environment and a level playing field.”
The two biggest economies in the world used to be each other’s largest trade partners, but Washington now trades more with neighboring Canada and Mexico, while Beijing trades more with Southeast Asia.
-- Madrid Residents Told to Stay Home After Torrential Rain:
Madrid’s mayor on Sunday advised all residents to stay at home as the capital braced itself for torrential rain and storms affecting parts of Spain.
National weather agency AEMET issued a maximum red alert, which means possible extreme danger, for Sunday in the Madrid region, Toledo province, and the city of Cadiz. It said up to 120 liters per square meter of rain could fall over 12 hours in Madrid.
-- 35th Week: Massive Protests Hit Occupied Territories:
Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets across the occupied territories in protest against the far-right Israeli cabinet’s extremist policies for the 35th consecutive week.
According to the regime’s media, more than 100,000 protesters gathered in the coastal city of Tel Aviv alone, chanting anti-regime slogans and carrying huge banners bearing caustic inscriptions against the regime’s politicians.
Once again in the focus was Zionist prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s so-called judicial overhaul plan.
Proponents of the plan say it helps redistribute the balance of power between the politicians and the judiciary. Its opponents, however, accuse Netanyahu of trying his hand at a power grab. They say the premier, who is on trial on several counts of corruption charges, is also attempting to use the scheme to quash possible judgments against him.
The rallies have been a fixture since January, when the regime’s hard-right cabinet announced its plans to turn the scheme into law.
“I am here to tell everyone how scared I am ...I am really afraid that the changes they want to do will destroy” Israel, one of the protesters was quoted by Reuters as saying.
“I came out here today with my family so that we can protest against the judicial coup. It’s a crucial time right now. We need to come out. We need to be in the streets,” another demonstrator said.
This week’s protests in Tel Aviv came after on Saturday, violent clashes broke out between Eritrean protesters and the Zionist forces in which over 150 people were injured, including some 15 in serious condition. Around 30 Israeli forces were also hurt.
The rallies also came around two weeks before the regime’s supreme court prepared to hear petitions regarding several key aspects of the overhaul scheme. According to Israeli media, the court’s decisions in favor of one or more of those petitions could lead to a direct confrontation between the executive and judicial branches of the regime and potentially even spark a “constitutional crisis.”
“We have a big vote in about two weeks. And I can’t tell you I am hopeful, but we are not gonna stop coming out until we are able to turn back and make sure that everyone has someone else watching over what they are doing. Nobody has the power to make changes at their whim,” a protester said.
Shikma Bressler, one of the leaders of the anti-judicial overhaul protest movement, addressed the demonstration in Tel Aviv, saying that “wherever you look, the madness, the fanaticism, the messianic extremism, and all these sick evils are only increasing.”
As was the case in previous weeks, thousands of protesters also demonstrated outside the Israeli president’s residence in the occupied city of Al-Quds.
Demonstrators lit up flares and blocked the Karkur Junction in the northern part of the occupied territories, while in Haifa, which is likewise situated in the north, thousands joined the main rally at Horev junction.
Speaking in Haifa, former foreign minister Tzipi Livni said Netanyahu’s cabinet is “making reckless ... decisions that are endangering all of our lives for the benefit of the right-wing messianic base, which is ... acting wildly and violently in” the West Bank.
Protest organizers have planned a march for September 7-9, beginning in the northern city of Safed. A second march will be held from four locations in the south of the occupied territories towards the central city of Beersheba.
-- Tens of Thousands Rally Outside French Base in Niger:
Tens of thousands protested outside a French military base in Niger’s capital Niamey demanding that its troops leave in the wake of the military’s ouster the pro-Western president that has widespread popular support but which Paris refuses to recognize.
The July 26 coup - one of eight in West and Central Africa since 2020 - has sucked in global powers concerned about the vanishing of their influence in region.
Most impacted is France, whose influence over its former colonies has waned in West Africa in recent years just as popular revolt has grown. Its forces have been kicked out of neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso since coups in those countries, reducing its role in a region fighting takfiri terrorism.
Anti-French sentiment has risen in Niger since the coup but soured further last week when France ignored the military rulers’ order for its ambassador, Sylvain Itte, to leave. Police have been instructed to expel him, the junta said.
Outside the military base, protesters slit the throat of a goat dressed in French colors and carried coffins draped in French flags as a line of Nigerien soldiers looked on. Others carried signs calling for France to leave.
Reuters reporters said it was the biggest gathering yet since the coup, suggesting that support for the junta - and derision of France - was not waning.
“We are ready to sacrifice ourselves today, because we are proud,” said demonstrator Yacouba Issoufou. “They plundered our resources and we became aware. So they’re going to get out.”
France had cordial relations with ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and has about 1,500 troops stationed in Niger.
On Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron said he spoke to Bazoum every day and that “the decisions we will take, whatever they may be, will be based upon exchanges with Bazoum.”
Niger’s military government denounced the comments as divisive, saying they served only to perpetrate France’s neo-colonial relationship.
Along with France, West Africa’s regional bloc ECOWAS has slapped sanctions on Niger and threatened military action as a last resort. The United States and European powers also have troops stationed in the country.
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, who holds ECOWAS’ revolving chairmanship, said last week that a nine-month transition back to civilian rule could satisfy regional powers.
Niger’s junta had previously proposed a three-year timeline.
France was a colonial power in West Africa until 1960. Since independence, the European country has maintained trade relations and a military presence in the region.
-- Saudi Arabia Discovers Benefits of the Iran Trade Transit Route:
It is said trade transcends all barriers, whether geographical or political as well as terroristic, of which the prime purveyor is the US regime, which could rightly be called the enemy of all humanitarian values with its cowardly and criminal policy of sanctions in a bid to mar the peace and progress of sovereign independent nations.
Washington, however, is the eventual loser and is unable to stop the growing trade ties of states it views as clients, let alone the countries it bitterly opposes.
This is evident by the awakening to international realities of the countries it had frightened into submission – in the past on the pretext of communist expansion, and presently on the pretense of spread of Iran’s Islamic influence.
Recently, a massive consignment of Russian exports bound for Saudi Arabia entered Iran through the Caspian Sea and was transited to Bandar Abbas on the Persian Gulf through railroad for shipment to the Red Sea port of Jeddah.
Saudi Arabia imports grains from Russia as well as heavy industrial products and this shipment through Iran was the first of its kind, since Riyadh and Moscow had hitherto traded through the circuitous sea route from the Baltic Sea to the Red Sea via the English Channel, the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and the Suez Canal.
The new trade route is both cost-effective and time-saving, thereby greatly benefitting the Saudis and the Russians after transit charges have been paid to Iran.
This is the result of restoration of diplomatic relations between Riyadh and Tehran through the mediation of China after a seven-year rupture of ties, mainly because of the instigation of the US and its negative influence on Persian Gulf states.
This means, the moment Iran’s southern neighbours summon up the Islamic courage to close the US military bases on their soil and ask the CENTCOM terrorists to leave regional waters, our part of the world will be safe and secure politically, while blossoming economically and industrially.
Iran and Russia are building a new transcontinental trade route stretching from the eastern edge of Europe to the Indian Ocean, a 7,000-km International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC) that is beyond the reach of foreign meddlers or their terroristic policies of sanctions.
In future, Saudi Arabia can open up its ports on the Persian Gulf to cargoes from the Islamic Republic (for both Iranian commodities as well as imports from Russia), as is the case of the other littoral states, such as Oman, the UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait – all of which have growing trade relations with Russia and the landlocked countries of Central Asia.
As a matter of fact, the main trading partner of Russia in the southern Persian Gulf region is the UAE, which also greatly values the transit routes through Iran.
Undoubtedly, this is a win-win situation for all parties involved, except the US, the perpetual loser which one day will be expelled for good from the entire West Asian region.
-- Zionist Regime Requests U.S. Approval to Purchase More F-35 Aircraft:
The Zionist regime has submitted an official request to the United States to purchase a third squadron of F-35 stealth combat aircraft, the occupying regime’s war ministry said on Sunday.
War minister Yoav Gallant submitted a Letter of Request to the U.S. Department of Defense in order to sign the deal “in the next few months,” according to a statement released by the Zionist regime’s ministry.
The request follows a previous agreement, in which the regime agreed to buy from the United States 25 F-35 aircraft, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, in a deal that includes support and maintenance.
The ministry estimates that the value of the deal is about 3 billion U.S. dollars, which would be financed by the so-called U.S. security aid funds to the occupying regime.
The first three jets of the new squadron are expected to arrive in the occupied territories in 2027. Upon completion of the deal, the Zionist air force fleet will be expanded to 75 F-35 fighter jets.
The deal comes as the regime has ramped up its attacks on the occupied Palestinian territories, making the prospect of using the jets to target Palestinians imminent.
The U.S. provides the regime with $3.8 billion in military aid every year, allowing the occupying regime to use U.S. government approved financing to obtain major American military hardware.
The United States is one of the main suppliers of arms and military equipment to Israel, also a staunch supporter of the occupying regime, and its decades-long aggression against Palestinians.
TEHRAN TIMES:
-- Iran will soon take legal action against US on Gen. Soleimani assassination:
Appearing on TV on Saturday, President Ebrahim Raisi’s legal deputy announced Iran will soon take legal action against the U.S. for the assassination of Lt. Gen. Qasem Soleimani. Mohammad Dehghan called the case “one of the most important cases” that the legal team of the president is in charge of. “The administration was hindered in the beginning days of taking office due to a difference in opinions. We could not reach a consensus on how we should take legal action. But after the views of several international lawyers were taken into consideration, we were finally able to deal with the issue with much professionalism,” said the presidential aide for legal affairs. Dehghan said the government will soon start following up on the case and launch a lawsuit against the United States. “In the coming days, we will send the U.S. a notice. After providing six months’ time for arbitration, according to the regulations of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), we will ask them to join us in order to reach a private dispute resolution.
-- Caught in an endless loop: The complex water dynamics between Iran and Afghanistan:
The international media and various think tanks had extensively covered the deteriorating water relations between Afghanistan and Iran, particularly concerning the Helmand River. The Helmand/Hirmand River, a transboundary river flowing along the Afghan-Iranian border, originates in the majestic Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan and stretches for 55 km. It eventually merges into the Sistan Delta. With an average surface water availability of 9552 million cubic meters (Mm3) per year, the helmand river carries great significance.
-- Tehran won’t tolerate geopolitical changes in the Caucasus: FM:
In a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian reiterated Tehran’s position that the Islamic Republic will not tolerate any geopolitical changes in the Caucasus region. Amir Abdollahian was openly referring to the conflict between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia. Amir Abdollahian also pointed to Iran’s talks with the Republic of Azerbaijan, calling the talks fruitful.
-- Russian translation of Iranian resistance literature showcased at Moscow book fair:
A number of significant works of Iranian resistance literature, which have been translated into Russian, are on show at the 36th Moscow International Book Fair (MIBF). The highlight of the books is “Cell Number 14”, a collection of memories of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei from the prisons and exiles of the revolution era. “Shina’s Daughter”, “Peace Be on Ibrahim”, “Water Never Dies”, “The 23 People”, “Blood Pool” and “An Immigrant from the Land of the Sun” are other notable works on display at Iran’s pavilion. Iran is participating at the 36th Moscow International Book Fair, which opened on August 30 in the Russian capital, Moscow, and will come to an end tonight.
-- New homegrown Earth observation satellite delivered to Iranian Space Agency:
A homegrown Earth remote sensing satellite has been delivered to the Iranian Space Agency (ISA) and is now prepared to be launched into a low Earth orbit (LEO). The Tolou-3 (Sunrise-3) satellite was given to the state agency on Saturday by Iran Electronics Industries, a unit of the Defense Ministry. It was delivered after successfully undergoing all tests. Tolou-3, with a weight of 150 kilograms, is said to be Iran’s heaviest satellite. The satellite has a five-meter spatial resolution and can take photographs in black and white. In color mode, it also provides a 10-meter resolution. Tolou-3 will be launched into an orbit 500 kilometers above the Earth and heavily depends on tools and equipment made by Iranian knowledge-based industries. According to reports, it will send photographs for use in a variety of industries, including agriculture, water resources, and disaster management. The Earth remote sensing satellite is now on the list of Iranian satellites, which will be launched according to an annual timetable. In 2009, Iran launched its first satellite, Omid (Hope), and then in 2011, Rasad (Observation) was placed into orbit.
NOURNEWS