NOURNEWS- The following headlines appeared in English-language newspapers in the Iranian capital on Tuesday, September 12, 2023
IRAN DAILY:
-- Leader: US targets Iran’s national unity, security:
Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said Iran’s enemies, mainly the United States, have targeted two points they deemed the weakest; one is Iran’s national unity, the other is its national security.
Calling for Iranians to stand against this plan of the enemy, he stressed that to be united means to put aside religious, political, group, and ethnic differences where the interests of the nation are at stake, Press TV reported.
“Those who threaten national security are the enemies of the nation; they work for the enemy, whether they realize it or not,” the Leader added in a meeting with thousands of people from the provinces of Sistan and Baluchestan and South Khorasan in Tehran on Monday.
The US, he said, is working on ethnic and sectarian fault lines in Iran with the aim of creating a crisis in the country.
“Our intel tells us that Washington has created a crisis group with the mission to search for points that they think can be used to provoke a crisis in Iran.”
“After conducting studies and contemplating, they have concluded that there are several crisis points in Iran: ethnic differences, religious differences, and the issue of gender and women, which should be provoked to create a crisis,” the Leader explained.
Big global change coming
However, he said, the arrogant US and some European countries have weakened themselves “and will become weaker”.
He maintained the world is on the threshold or the beginning stages of a transformation, which includes the weakening of the arrogant powers. Iran’s Leader advised regional nations not to be indifferent toward the incoming “big change” as they were during the colonial era or after the First World War.
Ayatollah Khamenei partly attributed the unfolding transformation to the emergence of new regional and global powers and partly to Washington’s tendency to interfere in other states.
“The United States used to interfere in various governments, but not so much right now. Today, it has to start a hybrid war in order to hit the governments that it wants to hit, which is very costly for it, and will not work out in the end.”
The Leader called the US failure in Syria and its humiliating escape from Afghanistan as two obvious examples of the decline of American power.
“One of other most telling indicators of the decline of the US power is the decline of its strong economy, which they themselves attest.”
As for the decline of Europe, the situation is no better, he stated.
“You hear how the African countries that were once under the influence of France are rising against it one after another,” the Leader said.
Nevertheless, “when we say the enemy is becoming weak, it doesn’t mean that it cannot plot, be hostile, and strike,” Ayatollah Khamenei stressed.
-- IAEA Chief worried about loss of interest in Iran nuclear case:
The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said on Monday he was concerned the international community was losing interest in holding Iran to account over its advancing nuclear programme.
The comments follow an easing of tensions between Iran and the United States, who announced a prisoner swap last month, according to AFP.
Last week, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in confidential reports seen by AFP that Iran had made “no progress” on several outstanding nuclear issues.
These include reinstalling IAEA monitoring cameras Tehran had removed from its known nuclear sites, or explaining the presence in Iran of uranium particles enriched to near weapons-grade level.
IAEA Director General Raphael Grossi said on Monday he had noticed a “decrease in interest” from IAEA member states, without naming them.
“There is a certain routinisation of what is going on there (in Iran) and I am concerned about this because the issues are as valid today as they were before,” he told reporters on the first day of the IAEA Board of Governors’ meeting in Vienna.
Diplomatic sources say the United States and the so-called E3 group — France, Germany, and the United Kingdom — have no plan this week to censure Iran for its lack of cooperation with the IAEA.
Instead, at the behest of Washington, they will submit a joint declaration to the IAEA board meeting, which is expected to gain broad support, a source told AFP.
“There are many pressing issues on the international agenda but I think it is important to continue to support the agency in its work,” he continued.
-- Tehran in contact with Yerevan, Baku to ease tensions:
The spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry of Iran said Tehran is closely monitoring the situation in the Caucasus and stays in contact with Baku and Yerevan to ensure peace and security.
Nasser Kanaani made the remarks at a press conference on Monday in response to a question about the possibility of a flare-up of tensions between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, Tasnim news agency reported.
“The Armenian officials have voiced their concern about the possibility of (military) clashes, but the Azerbaijani officials sent word that they have no intention of clashing (with Armenia),” he added, describing the Republic of Azerbaijan’s recent deployment of troops as a “conventional military action” ahead of winter.
“Iran is intently monitoring the developments. We have been given an assurance that Iran’s borders are safe, and we support the security of boundaries,” Kanaani underlined.
He noted that Iran has firm, transparent stances on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.
“Iran’s stance on the Nagorno-Karabakh region — which has been announced explicitly several times — is not secret. Nagorno-Karabakh is part of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the rights and security of its residents must be defined within a definite framework,” he added.
Reiterating Iran’s call for respecting the territorial integrity of states and alleviating tensions, Kanaani said a major step in resolving disputes between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan and achieving peace and security is for the two countries to mutually recognize each other’s territorial integrities.
On Sunday, a military official dismissed as “baseless” the reports about the deployment of Iranian troops on the northern border with the Republic of Azerbaijan under the current tense circumstances in the South Caucasus.
Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces for International Cooperation Mohammad Ahadi, who was leading an Iranian military delegation in Baku for the Azerbaijan-Iran Joint Commission meeting, said such reports are “completely groundless”.
Armenia-US joint drill underway
Meanwhile, the controversial joint military drills between Armenian and US forces kicked off Monday, the latest sign the Caucasus country is drifting from Moscow’s orbit, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine reshapes the post-Soviet space.
The exercises come with frustration growing in Armenia that Russia has failed to act as a security guarantor as tensions build with historic rival Azerbaijan backed by Turkey, VOA wrote.
Armenia’s defense ministry said the exercises aim to “increase the level of interoperability” with US forces in international peacekeeping missions.
Moscow, which leads a military alliance that includes Armenia, summoned Armenia’s ambassador this week to complain about “unfriendly steps” the country was taking.
The ministry said Armenia’s envoy was given a “tough” rebuke but stressed the countries “remain allies”.
-- Iran Football Federation hits back at ‘racist’ comments against Taremi:
Iran Football Federation condemned the “racist” comments made by a Portuguese pundit against Porto’s Iranian striker Mehdi Taremi, describing them as “absurd and disgraceful.”
Speaking on Sporting TV last week, Carlos Xavier – a former player of Sporting CP – used hostile words to criticize the Iranian for the way he intends to convince the referees to blow in their whistles for a spot-kick, calling on the match official of the game featuring Porto and Arouca to show double yellow cards to “a Muslim, who did not even know how to swim when he first arrived in Portugal, but is now a good diver.”
His remarks came after Porto was held to a 1-1 home draw in the Portuguese top flight, with the ref, Miguel Nogueira, pointing to the spot in the 90th minute, after a challenge on Taremi in the box, only to see his decision overturned by the VAR.
Porto was awarded a second penalty with 12 minutes into stoppage time, when Taremi was brought down in the area again, but Brazilian Galeno was denied by Arouca keeper Ignacio De Arruabarrena.
“The Iranian Football Federation and the members of the national team condemn the absurd and disgraceful comments against the committed player Mehdi Taremi as friendship and kindness remain the global language of football,” the Iranian governing body’s statement read on Sunday.
Porto, meanwhile, was quick to hit back at Xavier, asking what human rights organizations – including SOS Racisme, Amnesty Portugal, European Commission against Racism, and the Commission Equality and Racial Discrimination – as well as the Portuguese government and the Ministry of Justice think of the pundit’s “xenophobic, racist, and hate speech” comments, adding on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Friday: “This is too serious to go unharmed.”
In a U-turn on his previous criticism, Xavier apologized to the Iranian player later on Friday, saying: “I am not the kind of person who uses a xenophobic and racist language as I have friends of all colors and religious beliefs. I have utmost respect for Taremi and the great job he has done in his national team.”
-- Spain hopes trade with Iran to become prosperous again: Envoy:
The Economic and Commercial Office of Spain in Tehran hopes that the economic exchanges between the two countries will return to their prosperous days, said Spanish Ambassador to Iran Angel Losada Fernandez.
Talking to Iran Daily, the top diplomat noted that before the US withdrew from the JCPOA, the trade between Iran and Spain amounted to €2 billion per annum, which has decreased now to €200 million.
He added that despite the significant drop in economic exchanges between the two countries due to the collapse of the JCPOA, his country kept its Economic and Commercial Office open in Iran.
“I am interested in the development of trade deals between the two countries, because Spain enjoys a very flexible economy and has always been keen on developing its economic relations with other countries, including Iran,” Losada noted.
Referring to the nuclear negotiations between Iran and the P5+1, the envoy said, “The JCPOA is very important for us as we are waiting for the agreement to be resumed.”
Political approximation
Pointing to the presidency of the Council of the European Union which Spain took over On July 1, he noted that his country is trying to develop relations between Iran and European states within the framework of mutual respect and constructive will.
“Spain's rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union has granted the country a special position, as a result of which I, as the ambassador of Spain, am in charge of the local presidency of the EU, so we are doing our best to establish relations between Iran and Europe based on friendship and with a view to build a better future,” the diplomat explained.
He went on to say that the periodic presidency of the Council of the European Union is effective in converging the views of the member states in various fields, including Iran issues, and therefore we must pay attention to this issue founding our activities on the said basis.
“Currently, Spain has to reach an understanding with its 26 partners in the EU on various issues, as it is important in the case of Iran because 22 EU states have their embassies in Iran.”
Referring to the history of relations between the two countries, Iran and Spain, the ambassador said the two countries have an ancient and long history of relations as according to some documents, the relations date back to 400 years ago.
“Today, the relations between Iran and Spain are based on mutual respect with an eye on building the future,” he noted.
An issue that has affected the relations between the two countries which leaves an impact on the prospects of the relations in the future is the arrest of a Spanish citizen who has been in Iranian prisons since last year, he criticized.
“In my opinion, such issues is not in accordance with the vision of the two countries to build the future which slows down the development of relations,” the envoy added.
In order to solve the problem, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares Bueno has negotiated with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, he said expressing his hope on resolving the issue as soon as possible.
Cultural bridges
Culture is another important aspect in the relations between the two countries, Losada said adding that the point is that there is a lot of interest in Iranian culture in Spain, and as I noticed, the same interest in Spanish culture is also observed in Iran.
Referring to the cultural similarities of the two countries, the Spanish ambassador stated that the Granada Botanical Gardens in the south of Spain are one of the cultural heritages of the European country, which are built exactly according to the models of Iranian gardens (paradise gardens).
The paradise garden is a form of garden of Old Iranian origin, symmetrical and most often enclosed. The most traditional form is a rectangular garden split into four quarters with a pond in the center, a fourfold design called chahar bagh (four gardens). One of the most important elements of paradise gardens is water, with ponds, canals, rills, and fountains all being common features. Scent is an essential element with fruit-bearing trees and flowers selected for their fragrance.
“Personally, I am very interested in working on commonalities and cultural similarities that can be witnessed in the two countries,” the envoy concluded.
KAYHAN INTERATIONAL:
-- Azerbaijan, Iran Sign Defense Cooperation Agreement:
Iran and Azerbaijan have signed a joint document to deepen defense and military cooperation between the two neighboring countries.
Officials from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan signed the final document of the third Joint Military and Defense Cooperation Commission during a meeting in Baku on Monday. Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces for International Cooperation Brigadier General Mohammad Ahadi led a high-level military delegation to Baku on Saturday.
-- Death Toll From Morocco Quake Passes 2,500:
Moroccan rescuers supported by newly arrived foreign teams on Monday faced an intensifying race against time to dig out any survivors from the rubble of mountain villages, on the third day after the country’s strongest-ever earthquake.
The 6.8-magnitude quake struck the Atlas mountains late Friday southwest of the tourist centre of Marrakech. It killed almost 2,500 people and injured a similar number, according to the latest official toll.
-- Iran Beach Volleyball Team Wins Asian Olympics Qualifiers:
The national Iranian men’s beach volleyball team defeated the team of India in the Olympic qualifications tournament in the Central Asia region on Monday.
The final stage of the beach volleyball qualification for the Paris Olympics in Central Asia ended on Monday in Bangladesh, and Iran’s national teams won the championship after defeating India’s teams.
First, Iran national beach volleyball Team A managed to defeat the Indian A team 2-0 (21-15; 21-10.)
Iran’s Team B also managed to defeat the Indian Team B 2-0 (21-9; 21-7) to become the champions of the tournament.
After winning the tournament, which was the first qualifying stage of the Olympics in different regions of Asia, the Iranian national beach volleyball teams directly booked a place in the third qualifying phase to face stronger opponents for the only spot in Asia.
-- ICRC: Yemen’s Explosives Contamination Among World’s Worst:
Yemen has one of the world’s highest rates of contamination with landmines and other deadly explosives, the International Committee of the Red Cross has warned, nine years after the start of the brutal Saudi-led war.
Experts estimate that at least one million mines have been planted during Yemen’s years of turmoil, causing a daily hazard along with unexploded shells and other military detritus.
“When it comes to weapon contamination, with Afghanistan and Iraq, Yemen is among the three countries most affected by this,” Fabrizio Carboni, the ICRC’s Near and Middle East regional director, told AFP.
“It is really devastating and has a very important impact on people, their safety, and also their livelihood.”
A Saudi-led military coalition has been fighting in Yemen since March 2015 in a conflict that has left hundreds of thousands dead from direct and indirect causes such as famine.
According to the UN-linked Civilian Impact Monitoring Project, landmines, unexploded shells and other leftovers from fighting caused 1,469 civilian casualties over the past five years.
“The presence of unexploded ordnance is just massive,” said Carboni.
Twenty percent of livestock owners living in two areas close to frontlines reported explosives contamination on their land, the ICRC found after conducting a series of interviews last year.
Another ICRC survey of shepherds found that 70 percent had lost animals to landmines and other explosives.
“The contamination is so important and widespread that you won’t be in a position to decontaminate everything,” even if the conflict ended today, Carboni said.
Fighting in Yemen has calmed markedly after a UN-brokered ceasefire came into effect in April 2022 and has largely held even after the agreement lapsed in October 2022.
A Chinese-brokered rapprochement between regional powers Iran and Saudi Arabia, eight years after they broke off ties, has also sparked hope for Yemen.
“This is the first time that I really feel that there are convincing, concrete political options on the table and that violence and conflict is not anymore the only option,” Carboni said.
But even if peace prevails, clearing the land of explosives would take many years, he said, adding that it would require resources, expertise and machinery.
“We are talking about, maybe, decades. But again, it’s a matter of resources,” he said.
“Today, we inform, we train,” Carboni added.
“We have sessions with communities where we inform them about the risks related to unexploded ordnance, or if they find remnants of war... they have to inform us so we can organize (clearance) with the various authorities and partners.
“That’s quite new for us.”
TEHRAN TIMES:
-- Damascus condemns U.S. delegation visit to northeast Syria:
Syria says it “categorically condemns” a recent visit by a U.S. delegation that illegally traveled to the country’s northeast. It is a “flagrant violation” of Syria’s sovereignty and a breach of international law and UN Security Council resolutions, the Syrian foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday. A delegation headed by U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Ethan A. Goldrich met with commanders of Kurdish militants in the northeastern Syrian province of Dayr al-Zawr. The U.S. military occupies roughly half of Dayr al-Zawr province, with Syrian government forces in control of the other half.
-- ‘Azerbaijan has assured Iran it has no intention to attack Armenia’:
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman told reporters on Monday that the Republic of Azerbaijan has assured Iran that it has no intention to take military action against neighboring Armenia. “We are in contact with the officials of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Officials of Armenia had expressed worry over a possible new clash on the part of Azerbaijan but officials of Azerbaijan have sent messages to us that they have no intention to take any military action,” Kanaani stated. “Because of the importance of the developments in the Caucasus and the impact of any instability, unrest, and new tension in the region on the entire region,” Iran is sensitive about the security of its northern borders and is closely watching the situation, he pointed out. Transfer of unblocked funds soon Reuters had reported that Iranian funds blocked in South Korea under the guise of U.S. sanctions would be transferred to Qatari banks as soon as this week. Kanaani also expressed hope that the transfer of unfrozen assets will be completed in the coming days.
-- IRISL launches direct shipping line to India’s Nhava Sheva Port:
The Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) has launched a direct container shipping line from Shahid Beheshti Port in southeastern Chabahar to India’s Nhava Sheva Port, MANA reported. As reported, the direct container line from Chabahar Port to Nhava Sheva, with a transit time of five days and a very competitive price, is unique in its kind and is expected to have a significant impact on the development of trade and strengthening the regional and extra-regional position of Chabahar port. IRISL had previously launched similar container shipping lines from Shahid Beheshti Port of Chabahar to the main ports of China with competitive prices and a transit time of 12 days, which increased the container activity of Chabahar Port by five times. Iran and India had previously launched shipping lines between Chabahar and the Indian ports of Mumbai, and Mundra. The first shipping route between the two countries was put into operation in 2017 between Iran’s Chabahar port and Mumbai. In January 2019, Iran and India inaugurated the second direct shipping route which passes through Mumbai, Mundra, Kandla, Chabahar, and finally Bandar Abbas in southern Iran. India is using the mentioned shipping routes to transit goods to Afghanistan and Persian Gulf nations as well as the countries in Central Asia.
-- Neither US is willing to back Israel nor the regime is able to attack Iran:
On August 13, the Hill published a report titled “If Israel strikes Iran over its nuclear program, the US must have its back”. The political website came up with a bunch of suggestions for the American government to back the Zionist regime. The Zionist regime has been making military threats against Iran for years. Great advances in Iran’s nuclear program have led to an intensification of Israel’s threats against Iran. With the inauguration of the Trump era, Zionist authorities exacerbated threats, causing some media outlets to study the possibility of Israel’s military attack on Iran. Even many media outlets have speculated about the U.S. support for the Zionist regime’s possible attack.
-- Iranian medal winners honored:
The medal winner sportspersons were honored at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Tehran, Iran on Monday. The Iranian athletes and Para athletes, who have won medals over the past two years, were honored in the ceremony. Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi attended the ceremony and said the Olympians and Paralympians should be equal in terms of privileges and conditions of employment and insurance of heroes and veterans should be considered an essential service. Kioumars Hashemi, caretaker of Iran’s Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs, was also among the attendees. It was also see-off ceremony for the Iranian athletes and Para athletes in the 2022 Hangzhou. The 2023 Asian Games will be held from Sept. 23 to Oct. 8 in Hangzhou. Also, the Para Games will take place from Oct. 22 to 28.
NOURNEWS