NOURNEWS- The following headlines appeared in English-language newspapers in the Iranian capital on Saturday, September 2, 2023
IRAN DAILY:
-- Tehran, Moscow have agreed on navigation in the Volga for Iranian ships:
The Iranian cabinet has issued permission to purchase second-hand ships for Caspian Sea shipping, announced the deputy head of the Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO), adding that according to an agreement with Russia, the transit time of the Iranian ships from the Volga was reduced from one year to two weeks.
Majid-Ali Nazi told ILNA that in addition to building ships, the PMO also facilitates the purchase of new and second-hand ships, as clients can buy second-hand ships from countries such as Kazakhstan. Stating that the measure is being taken for the development of the International North-South Transit Corridor, he noted, “We received a special permission from the cabinet to provide facilities even for the purchase of second-hand ships and vessels.”
The permission is only for the supply of the Caspian Sea fleet and is not limited to the country of Kazakhstan, the PMO official explained.
An agreement has been made with Russia on the reduction of the time to change the flag of ships from one year to two weeks, he said.
“Previously, according to Russian laws, every ship that was purchased had to be changed to the Russian flag for transportation, and when it arrived in Iran, the flag was changed again, but today these strictures have been removed; the ship will enter Iran’s waters with the Iranian flag within two weeks,” the official noted.
Currently, on the Caspian Sea route, we are facing an increase in the demand for transporting goods, but since our fleet is limited, the PMO has agreed to purchase more ships, he concluded.
-- Labor minister unveils 11 smart service systems:
A total of 11 smart service systems of the cooperative sector was unveiled in the presence of the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare Solat Mortazavi and his deputy for cooperative affairs, Mehdi Maskani.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Mortazavi said the realization of an electronic government and the smartening of services provide transparency to the people and also make people’s access to services easy and cheap, according to mcls.gov.ir.
He suggested explaining in the media the systems and plans of the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare to the people.
Purchase system from Iran Mercantile Exchange, electronic transfer system of shares of cooperative members, education and promotion of cooperatives, joint portal of the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare with Tose’e Ta’avon Bank and Cooperative Investment Guarantee Fund, as well as monitoring system for construction and civil cooperatives were among the unveiled projects.
Wiki Ta’avon system, electronic check of Tose’e Ta’avon Bank, cooperatives rating system, correspondence and requests portal system, integrated information system for cooperatives of Iran and a module for registered transaction information aimed at generating employment and smartening management of cooperatives were other systems that were unveiled during the event.
Speaking at the ceremony, Maskani announced the reduction of the cooperative registration time from 45 days to 10 days in the current administration, which took office in August 2021.
-- Iran’s largest gasoline supplier reports 15% rise in output:
Iran’s largest gasoline supplier has ramped up output by 15% this year compared to levels seen in 2022 amid a rising demand for fuel in Iran that has been exacerbated by smuggling activity across the borders.
CEO of Persian Gulf Star Oil Refinery (PGSOR) said that gasoline output of the refinery had reached 41 million liters per day, up from a daily production of 35.6 million liters reported last year, reported Press TV.
Alireza Jafarpour said that the PGSOR supplies another four million liters per day of gasoline derivatives to other refineries to help them increase their output.
“Directly and indirectly, we are responding to 45 million liters of the gasoline demand in the country,” said Jafarpour.
The PGSOR is the largest refinery in the world that runs on condensate, which is a very light form of crude oil. It is located near the port city of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran on the Persian Gulf coast.
The refinery has played a major role in Iran’s self-sufficiency in gasoline production since it was officially opened in 2019, more than a year after Iran’s petroleum industry came under American sanctions.
The major increase in gasoline output in the PGSOR, which itself was blacklisted by Washington in July last year, comes despite the fact it is banned from accessing foreign investment and technology.
Iran’s current average demand for gasoline is more than 120 million liters per day while consumption reaches nearly 150 million liters on peak travel days.
Experts say ultracheap prices of gasoline and diesel fuel in Iran have encouraged smuggling activity across the borders, leading to a steady rise in domestic demand in recent years.
-- Raeisi: United Muslim world ‘greatest barrier’ to imperialism:
Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi said a united Muslim world poses the biggest obstacle to the realization of the objectives of global imperialism in the post-World War II era.
Addressing a meeting of Sunni religious scholars in Tehran on Thursday, Raeisi noted that the “global arrogance” has created obstacles in the path of Muslims trying to make progress, spread propaganda via their media empire, and formed Takfiri terrorist groups to cause bloodshed among Muslims, Press TV reported.
He added that the “global arrogance” has created obstacles in the path of Muslims trying to make progress, spread propaganda via their media empire, and formed Takfiri terrorist groups to cause bloodshed among Muslims.
They also insulted Muslims’ sanctities, particularly Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and the Holy Qur’an, to oppose Muslim nations, he said.
Elsewhere in his address, the Iranian president said regional developments are taking place in favor of the resistance front, adding, “The current situation in Palestine cannot be compared with the one in the past.”
Raeisi emphasized that the Palestine Liberation Organization made decisions for Palestinians in the past, but the Palestinian fighters are currently taking the initiative.
He said the resistance is the victorious front on the battlefield, and “there is no talk of compromise and capitulation in the Palestinian literature anymore”.
Raeisi also highlighted that the rhetoric of attacking Iran has been removed from the arrogant powers’ language “because the Iran of today is different and [more] powerful compared to the Iran of yesterday”.
The Islamic Republic owes its power to the martyrs’ blood, including its 15,000 Sunni martyrs, and the presence of Iranian men and women in various political scenes, he noted.
The Iranian chief executive also said that a new world order would be established with the collapse of the US and other arrogant powers.
“The regional and extra-regional coalitions and treaties among emerging powers, including BRICS and the Shanghai [Cooperation Organization], oppose the unilateralism of the current hegemonic system,” Raeisi said.
-- Iran foils Israel’s:
“Despite the very complex plan of the Zionist enemy, this action was under intelligence and operational monitoring from the very beginning and was completely neutralized by the arrest of the network’s agents,” the unnamed source said.
The official did not say how many agents had been arrested or where they were from. The Israeli prime minister’s office declined to comment, though it comes amid a years-long effort by both Israel and the US to target Iran, AP wrote.
A reporter also said the parts could be used in Iran’s extensive arsenal of drones.
The pieces shown in the television report appeared to be military-style, high-density circular electrical connectors. Such connectors can be used to attach electronic components of a missile or a drone, such as its guidance computer, and pass both electricity and signals. Video released by Iran in the past showed missile scientists working with similar connectors.
The New York Times in 2019 reported the US under then-President Donald Trump had accelerated a sabotage program targeting Iran’s missile and rocket program that dated back to the administration of President George W. Bush. The CIA declined to comment on the purported sabotage attack.
Tehran has also accused Israel of being behind a January drone attack on a Defense Ministry site in the central province of Isfahan.
Fabian Hinz, a missile expert and research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said, “It’s quite likely Iran purchases these connectors from abroad.”
-- Nobel reverses policy to include Iran, Russia, Belarus:
The Nobel Foundation which administers the prestigious awards has reversed its invitation policy and invited Iran, Russia, and Belarus, as well as the leader of a far-right Swedish party, who had previously been banned.
Vidar Helgesen, the executive director of the private foundation, said in a statement that there was a global trend in which “dialogue between those with differing views is being reduced,” according to TRT World.
To counter that, he said, “We are now broadening our invitations to celebrate and understand the Nobel Prize and the importance of free science, free culture and free, peaceful societies.”
The foundation said that invitation for the 2023 events was extended to all countries with diplomatic missions in Sweden and Norway and parties “that have parliamentary representation via democratic elections,” adding that “this common approach promotes opportunities to convey the important messages of the Nobel Prize to everyone, and in future this practice will be common to the entire organization.”
Last year, the diplomatic envoys of Russia and Belarus were barred from attending the glittery prize ceremonies and banquets, which always take place on December 10, because of the war in Ukraine, and the ambassador of Iran was also excluded because of “the serious and escalating situation” in the country.
All the Nobel Prizes are handed out in Stockholm other than the Nobel Peace Prize, which is awarded in Oslo.
The foundation also extended the invitation to the Sweden Democrats party leader Jimmie Akesson, who declined it, saying on Facebook that “unfortunately I’m busy that day”.
Swedish political party leaders are traditionally invited to the banquet but Akesson, who heads a nationalist party with far-right roots, has been snubbed in the past.
The Sweden Democrats, which are seen by some as a threat to fundamental values in the Scandinavian country’s society, including tolerance toward asylum-seekers from conflict zones in the Middle East and Africa, came second in the 2022 parliamentary elections.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Friday he would not have allowed Russia to attend if it had been his choice.
“To isolate Russia in every possible way — militarily, economically — it is necessary,” he told the TT news agency. “In that situation, I would not have invited to a purely social celebration.” The Nobel Prize winners will be announced in October.
KAYHAN INTERNATIONAL:
-- Appeal Court for Iranian Held in Sweden:
Iranian national, Hamid Nouri, who has been illegally imprisoned in Sweden since 2019, was due to appear before a court later Friday.
The appeal court was to be held as he had filed a petition against his life sentence awarded by a Swedish court in July last year. The sentence was issued over allegations of human rights abuses leveled against him by members of anti-Iran Mujahedin Khalq terrorist organization.
-- Iran Condemns Terrorist Attack in Pakistan:
The Foreign Ministry of Iran on Friday condemned a suicide bomb attack on a security convoy in northwest Pakistan that has killed at least nine soldiers and wounded 20 others.
In a statement, ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani offered condolences to the Pakistani government, army and families of the victims, wishing a speedy recovery for those injured in the suicide attack. At least nine soldiers have been killed in the suicide attack on Thursday in Bannu, a district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan.
-- Russia to Block G20 Declaration If Its Views Are Ignored, Lavrov Says:
Russia Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that his country will block the final declaration of this month’s G20 summit unless it reflects Moscow’s position on Ukraine and other crises, leaving participants to issue a non-binding or partial communique.
Lavrov, who has served as President Vladimir Putin’s foreign minister since 2004, is due to represent Russia at the Sept. 9-10 meeting of the Group of 20 leading industrialized and developing countries in New Delhi.
“There will be no general declaration on behalf of all members if our position is not reflected,” Lavrov told students at the prestigious Moscow State Institute of International Relations.
The Kremlin casts the Ukraine war, which began in February 2022, as an existential battle with an arrogant West that Putin says wants to dismantle Russia and take control of its vast natural resources.
He accused the West of undermining international institutions by pushing its own agenda and suggested that, if consensus could not be reached at the G20 meeting, a non-binding communique could be issued by the G20 presidency.
“Another option is to adopt a document that focuses on specific decisions in the sphere of G20 competences, and let everyone say the rest on their own behalf,” Lavrov said.
On Friday, the head of Russia’s space agency Roscosmos Yury Borisov said that the country’s Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles, which are capable of carrying ten or more nuclear warheads, had been put on combat duty, state news agency RIA reported.
In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Sarmat missiles would be deployed for combat duty “soon.”
Last year, Russia test-launched the Sarmat missile which Putin said would give Moscow’s enemies something to think about. Russia has placed its Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile on combat alert, bringing into commission a weapon capable of carrying nuclear warheads that President Vladimir Putin earlier said would guarantee the nation’s security.
“The new complex has the highest tactical and technical characteristics and is capable of overcoming all modern means of anti-missile defense. It has no analogues in the world and won’t have for a long time to come,” Putin said at the time.
“This truly unique weapon will strengthen the combat potential of our armed forces, reliably ensure Russia’s security from external threats and provide food for thought for those who, in the heat of frenzied aggressive rhetoric, try to threaten our country.”
In April 2022, Moscow said it had successfully tested the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, which is capable of carrying nuclear charges.
The RS-28 Sarmat — dubbed Satan 2 by Western analysts — is among Russia’s next-generation missiles unveiled by Putin in 2018 which also include the Kinzhal and Avangard hypersonic missiles.
-- UK Schools Ordered to Shut Due to Crumbling Concrete:
More than 150 British schools have been told to close some buildings after they were deemed unsafe, drawing anger from parents and teachers on the eve of a new term and posing a fresh headache for the government.
Britain’s Department for Education said 156 schools had been affected by the presence of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in their buildings which authorities have now decided is at risk of collapse.
Britain’s education system, still recovering from the home-learning impact of the pandemic, has been hit by six months of teachers strikes in 2023, on top of the challenge posed by what schools say is a lack of funding in an inflationary environment.
The impression that vital national infrastructure is crumbling adds to the challenge faced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as he heads for a national election expected next year, following industrial action across education, healthcare and transport.
Education minister Gillian Keegan said the majority of schools affected would remain open for face-to-face learning for all pupils because the problematic concrete was only found in a small part of the school buildings.
But some schools will face complete if temporary closure.
“In some cases, it will be the whole school,” schools minister Nick Gibb told Sky News on Friday.
Gibb also said that it could be safe for pupils to work in a classroom with the ceiling propped up by steel girders.
The news that schools will be affected comes just days before most children are due to return to education for the new year after a six-week summer holiday, raising questions over why the government had announced the move at the last minute.
“The DfE and government have squandered valuable months hiding this crisis when they should have been fixing dangerous school buildings,” said Mike Short, head of education at trade union UNISON.
Keegan said safety was the government’s top priority.
“This decision has been made with an abundance of caution,” she said in a statement.
TEHRAN TIMES:
-- Installing new IAEA cameras depends on adherence by JCPOA parties: nuclear chief:
Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, has stated that the installation of more monitoring cameras in Iran’s nuclear sites would be contingent on the other parties’ adherence to the 2015 nuclear agreement, officially called the JCPOA. In an interview with Al-Jazeera, he noted, “The commitment of the parties and America to the nuclear agreement will be met with an Iranian commitment.” He added that reversing the reduction in compliance with the nuclear agreement necessitates the lifting of all sanctions. Eslami further emphasized the continuous communication with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), stating that “our dialogue with the agency continues, and the file of highly enriched uranium atoms was recently closed.” He expressed expectation that the political debates surrounding Iran’s nuclear program could come to a conclusion in 2023. Eslami emphasized that neither military force nor economic sanctions can put an end to Iran’s nuclear program. The Israeli regime, he said, is well aware that its threats to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities are unfounded and outside the scope of its capabilities. He cautioned that military attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities would be unsuccessful and result in a swift and catastrophic retaliation.
-- Israeli attempt to normalize Libya ties backfires:
Libya’s prime minister has firmly rejected the prospect of normalizing relations with Israel, days after news broke out of an apparent secret meeting between the Libyan foreign minister and her Israeli counterpart. On August 27, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen publicly said he and Libya’s now sacked foreign minister had held a private meeting in the Italian capital Rome the previous week, the first-ever alleged encounter between a top Libyan diplomat and an Israeli regime official in history. The next day, Libya’s Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah fired Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush, (who claimed it was not an official meeting but a swift coincidental interaction) and launched an investigation into the reported meeting.
-- Recall your spies back home:
On August 22, the Atlantic Council published an article titled “Iran has a hostage-taking model. It’s long overdue that the US build a policy around it.” The article, written by Jason Brodsky, claimed Iran uses a “hostage model” to further its interests. At the beginning of the article, Brodsky expresses concerns about the lack of a multipronged strategy to prevent “hostage-taking” by Iran. Then the writer suggests strategies to prevent what he calls the so-called process. Brodsky, a non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute’s Iran Program, claimed that since the victory of the Islamic Revolution.
-- Exploring Iran’s printing history: from religious texts to cultural exchange:
The National Day of the Printing Industry in Iran, which is celebrated on September 2 this year, holds immense cultural and historical significance, serving as a tribute to the invaluable impact of this industry in shaping the country’s identity, safeguarding its rich heritage, and facilitating communication. Printing was first introduced in Iran during the Safavid dynasty in the early 16th century. The first printing press in Iran was installed by an Armenian.
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