NOURNEWS- The following headlines appeared in English-language newspapers in the Iranian capital on Thursday, September 21, 2023.
IRAN DAILY:
-- Raeisi: Discrimination in fighting terrorism amounts to giving terrorists a green light:
Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi referred to the use of terrorism as a tool of foreign policy by some Western governments, saying rooting out terrorism requires comprehensive and targeted efforts against its origins and manifestations, with unbiased punishment for terrorists worldwide.
Addressing the 78th session of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Raeisi said the use of terrorism as a foreign policy tool by certain Western governments undermines regional anti-terrorism efforts.
Operating and exploiting some Western security services from the base of extremist groups, especially the deliberate movement of foreign fighters across various geographical areas also fuels these concerns, he said.
Some European countries need to answer why, despite claiming to combat terrorism, they have become safe havens for a terrorist group responsible for the deaths of over 17,000 Iranian citizens on the streets, referring to the Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO). Discrimination in the fight against terrorism means giving a green light to terrorists.
Global mericanization failed
“The project to Americanize the world has failed,” Raeisi told the session in New York.
“Thanks to the Islamic Revolution, the Iranian nation prides itself on playing the biggest role in unmasking imperialists in the East and the West,” said the president, according to Press TV.
“The world is irreversibly transitioning into a new order. The Western domination equation does not work for the world anymore, and the old liberal order that used to serve the interests of imperialists and insatiable capitalists has been brushed aside,” he said.
Iran’s foreign policies
Elsewhere in his remarks, the president noted that Iran had opened up a new chapter of mutually beneficial relations with its neighbors.
“The Islamic Republic’s good neighborly policy is a benevolent policy for the region. We firmly clasp any hand that is extended in friendship,” Raeisi said.
The Islamic Republic supports maximal intra-regional and inter-regional economic and political convergence, and is interested in interaction with the entire world, on the basis of justice, he stated.
Desecration of Holy Qur’an
Meanwhile, the president condemned the desecration earlier this year of the Holy Qur’an in Sweden and Denmark.
“What defines humanity and elevates human values better than God Almighty’s word?”
“The Qur’anic teachings for human communities shall never burn, while the flames of insult and distortion shall be no match for the truth,” he said.
Iran against division of world into new ‘East-West’
Now that the world’s independent countries are moving towards further cooperation and convergence, Raeisi said, “We are witnessing endeavors on the part of some powers towards kindling the flames of conflict across various regions.”
Maintaining a Cold War mentality, these powers are after dividing the international community into its former blocs, he said.
“This measure is reactionary and does disservice to nations’ security and welfare. The Islamic Republic firmly believes that no new East-West dichotomy should be allowed to take shape [across the world].”
Victory against foreign plots
Raeisi hailed that last year, the Iranian nation managed to overcome “the biggest media offensive and psychological warfare in history.”
He was referring to the incessant media and political campaign that followed the unfortunate death in police custody of a young Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini.
The president said certain Western countries and their intelligence services had committed a “miscalculation” by underestimating the Iranian nation’s strength.
‘Israel cannot be a partner to peace’
The Iranian president considered the Israeli regime to be the world’s last entity “based on apartheid and racism, which has been founded on the basis of war, occupation, terrorism, and violation of peoples’ rights.” Such an entity “cannot be a partner to peace,” he asserted.
“Has not the time come for putting an end to 75 years of occupation of the Palestinian land and oppression of its people and massacre of its women and children, and for the Palestinian nation’s rights to be recognized?”
Ukraine war
Raeisi reasserted Iran’s opposition to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
“We do not consider warfare in Europe to be in the interest of any European party,” he said.
Iran welcomes any initiative that is aimed at ending the conflict and initiation of the political process, he said, and voiced the Islamic Republic’s readiness to play a constructive role towards the cessation of hostilities.
-- Russian defense minister: Ties with Iran reach new heights despite sanctions:
Russia and Iran’s ties have reached a new level in spite of the opposition from the US and its Western allies, Moscow’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Wednesday.
“We are determined to implement the entire set of our planned activities despite opposition from the US and its Western allies. The pressure of sanctions on Russia and Iran is proving to be futile, while Russia-Iran cooperation is reaching new highs,” Shoigu said at negotiations with his Iranian counterpart Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, as cited by state news agency TASS.
“Today, we have an opportunity to discuss in detail topical issues of bilateral military cooperation. Iran is Russia’s strategic partner in the Middle East,” he said.
Shoigu stated that Moscow was ready “to take further joint steps to strengthen stability and security in the Middle East.” He added: “We are pleased to note that Russia-Iran dialogue has been particularly intense
recently.”
“The high intensity of meetings confirms our common determination to continue boosting strategic defense partnership,” said Shoigu.
Ashtiani, for his part, said that Iran-Russia cooperation in regional and international arenas can guarantee the interests and security of both states, Press TV reported.
“Dealing with common challenges, including US unilateralism, is one of the important and strategic issues regarding the joint cooperation.”
Ashtiani described as successful bilateral cooperation in the counter-terrorism fight in West Asia, saying military and defense ties will definitely continue within the framework of international peace and security.
The Iranian defense minister also expressed his opposition to the presence of extra-regional forces in West Asia.
“Preserving the territorial integrity of regional countries and international borders is among the red lines of the Islamic Republic,” he said.
“In this regard, we consider the proposed 3+3 format a strategy for the peaceful resolution of problems in the Caucasus region,” he said, referring to the cooperation mechanism that features the three South Caucasus countries of Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, plus Russia, Turkey, and Iran.
-- Days of Resistance:
Sasan Moayedi (born July 8, 1959, in Tehran) is a documentary and war photographer from Iran. He is best known for his photos taken during the Iran-Iraq War. Moayedi, along with Ahmad Nateghi, were among the first photographers to capture images of the chemical bombing of Halabja. His photography career began in 1976 in the public relations department of Iranian television. The published works of his photographs from the eight-year Iran-Iraq War immediately direct the viewer's mind towards the imposed war collection, which was published in six volumes between 1982 and 1988. These books were valuable and exquisite works that were collected and published in six volumes in Germany. In 2020, he won the Alfred Fried Peace Prize in Vienna, Austria, as the first Iranian with the "Love's Tale" series.
-- Iran finishes runner-up after mediocre freestyle campaign:
A total of four medals saw Iran’s freestyle team finish an average run at the Wrestling World Championships in the second place.
Rahman Amouzad, the last Iranian in action, summed up a forgettable campaign for the country on Tuesday as he failed to stand on the podium after an 8-6 defeat against Russian Shamil Mamedov, representing the Individual Neutral Athletes, in the third-place bout of the 65kg weight class.
Thoroughly tipped for a second successive world gold before the event, Amouzad still bounced back to outmuscle Moldovan Maxim Sacultan 10-0 to secure a wrestling berth for Iran in next year’s Paris Olympics.
Of the country’s 10-man squad, only one, Amirhossein Zare’, managed to leave the Serbian capital with a gold, thanks to a technical-fall victory over Georgian Geno Petriashvili in the 125kg final.
Hassan and Amirmohammad Yazdani, meanwhile, came short in the showdowns with the American opponents to settle for the silver medals of their respective weight classes.
Hassan Yazadni suffered a fifth loss in the sixth head-to-head with his familiar foe David Taylor when he was pinned in the final seconds of the 86kg final to extend his personal tally to a national-high nine major medals.
Amirmohammad looked in impressive form before the 70kg showpiece with Zain Retherford, but clearly ran out of steam toward the end of the contest to concede an 8-5 setback – a second world silver in three years for the Iranian.
With six-time champion Jordan Burroughs absent at this year’s event, Mohammad Nokhodi, beaten by the legendary American in the previous two finals, arrived in Belgrade as the favorite to walk away with the ultimate prize of the 79kg weight class, but he eventually finished with a consolation bronze after an emphatic win against Azerbaijan’s Orkhan Abasov.
Milad Valizadeh (57kg), Reza Atri (61kg), Younes Emami (74kg), Amir-Ali Azarpira (92kg), and Mojtaba Goleij (97kg) all left Serbia empty-handed.
Team USA was crowned the freestyle champion for a second year in a row, collecting 148 points – 38 clear of the Iranian squad – with Georgia in third on 80, while the Russians’ results were taken out of the equation in the team table.
The runner-up finish for the five-time champion, which is yet to lift the team trophy since the 2013 glory, might go down as a decent outcome but the results in Belgrade indicated that more work needs to be done for the Iranians to match the level of their opposite numbers in the American and Russian teams, who shared 13 medals, including five golds, between them.
Eight bouts saw Iranians square off against either an American or a Russian opponent, with Amouzad the only one to come out victorious – a 7-4 win against American newcomer Nicholas Boone Lee.
For all the criticism aimed at the Iranian federation chief Alireza Dabir in recent days – some of which have unfairly been politically motivated – the former Olympic champion could still boast about a brighter future for the sport in the country after the Iranian teams made a clean sweep of the freestyle and Greco-Roman titles in the world cadet and junior championships earlier in the summer.
-- Iran’s economy grew by 6.2% in first quarter: CBI:
The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) reported that the economy grew by 6.2% in the first three months of the Iranian year (March 21 to June 21).
Figures released by the CBI on Wednesday showed that the gross domestic product (GDP), the broadest measure of economic activity, reached 3,802.1 trillion rials, or about $90 billion, in the first quarter, up 6.2% compared to the same period last year, IRNA reported.
The non-oil sector of the economy expanded by 5.2% in the first quarter, compared to the same period last year, the data showed.
The CBI uses 2016 as the base year for its calculation of GDP data.
In the first quarter, the oil and gas sector boasted the highest growth rate, at 16.4%, followed by the services sector, at 6.2%, industries and mining, at 3.7%, and agriculture, forestry and fishing, at 2.2%.
This indicates an improvement in the value-added growth of all economic sectors compared to the first quarter of the last Iranian year.
The economic growth in the first quarter of this year was a continuation of the upward trend seen over the past three years.
According to the World Bank data, Iran’s economy experienced a 2.9 percent growth in 2022; the average growth rate in West Asia and North African economies in 2022 was 5.9 percent.
In the previous year, from the first to the fourth quarters, ending on March 20, the economic growth rates stood at 1.9%, 3.9%, 4.9%, and 5.3%, respectively.
-- Contract on development of joint Azadegan oil field to be signed soon:
A contract on the integrated development of the joint Azadegan oil field will be signed within a month, said the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) director of investment and business development on Wednesday.
Fereydoun Kord-Zanganeh, who made the announcement at a meeting between NIOC and insurance companies, added that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed, and Dasht Azadegan Arvand Company was set up with a $7-billion investment made by two Iranian exploration and production (E&P) companies and eight banks to implement the project, Shana reported.
Foreign investment in Iran’s projects has been limited due to sanctions in recent years, said the official, adding that NIOC has made every effort to carry out projects through utilizing domestic capacities.
A country’s economic development demands appropriate management of projects, he underscored.
KAYHAN INTERNATIONAL:
-- Azerbaijan Halts Op, Separatists Leave Karabakh:
Azerbaijan looked set on Wednesday to regain control of the breakaway ethnic Armenian-populated region of Karabakh after a 24-hour offensive, having fought two wars with Armenia over the territory in the past 30 years.
Both Azerbaijan and Armenian-backed separatists in Karabakh said they agreed to a Russian proposal for a ceasefire, a day after Baku launched a military operation there.
Separatist Armenian forces in Karabakh said they had agreed to stop hostilities from 1 p.m. local time (0900 GMT) on Wednesday.
“With the mediation of the command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent stationed in Nagorno-Karabakh, an agreement was reached on the complete cessation of hostilities from 13:00 on September 20, 2023.”
The separatists said they had committed to a “full dismantlement” of their forces and the withdrawal of Armenian army units from the region.
Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry confirmed it had reached agreement on a ceasefire and halted its military operation.
The ministry said Armenian forces in Karabakh had agreed to “lay down their weapons, abandon combat positions and military posts and completely disarm”, and all weapons and heavy equipment were being handed over to the Azerbaijani army.
Azerbaijan launched a military operation in Karabakh on Tuesday, almost three years after it went to war with Armenia over the disputed mountainous region.
The new fighting erupted hours after Azerbaijan said four police officers and two civilians were killed in mine blasts in Karabakh, with authorities blaming separatists.
Azerbaijan justified its operation citing “systematic” shelling by Armenian-backed forces and accusing them of carrying out “reconnaissance activities” and fortifying defensive positions, accusing separatists of “a high level of combat readiness”.
Baku had demanded that the separatist political authorities in Karabakh, which is recognized internationally as part of Azerbaijan, also disband before any talks are held about the future of the region, which Azerbaijan wants to fully integrate.
Both sides said talks on reintegrating the breakaway territory into the rest of Azerbaijan would be held on Thursday in the city of Yevlakh.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in a televised address that Yerevan “did not participate in drafting” the Karabakh ceasefire deal, and insisted his country’s army was not in the enclave.
It was “very important” that the ceasefire hold, he added.
Angry protesters had clashed with police in Armenia’s capital Yerevan, calling on Pashinyan to resign, while the country’s security council warned of large-scale unrest, vowing to take “effective measures” to maintain constitutional order.
More than 30 people were injured in the clashes, the health ministry said.
The latest flare-up comes three years after Azerbaijan recaptured swathes of territory in and around the region in a brief war that dealt a bitter defeat to Armenia.
Armenia said that at least 32 people had been killed and more than 200 wounded by the shelling in Karabakh as the latest onslaught from Azerbaijan saw artillery, aircraft and drone strikes rock the region.
Baku said it had taken control of more than 60 military positions during “localized anti-terrorist measures”.
Russian peacekeepers and separatist forces evacuated thousands of civilians from the fighting.
The announcement of the ceasefire came after Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev warned the military operation would continue until the separatists laid down their weapons, in the face of mounting international pressure to halt fighting.
-- Leader: Iranian Nation Has Become a Model:
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said Wednesday the “the holy defense” of the Iranian nation during eight years of the Iraqi war under former dictator Saddam Hussein on Iran is a prominent moment in the history of the country.
“We must recognize this important moment and event and introduce it to the future generations,” the Leader said here in a meeting with a number of war veterans and promoters of resistance.
“If our successive generations know the important and meaningful aspects of the holy defense and know how the Iranian nation was able to reach the victory platform and stand there with strength, there will be great lessons for them in this discernment and great tasks will be accomplished.”
Ayatollah Khamenei recalled the years after the 1979 Islamic Revolution when all the big powers of the world, including the U.S., European countries and the East joined in the war against Iran.
“The achievements of the holy defense are not one or two. This will be a book with dozens of volumes. The whole world fought behind Saddam to break this border and tried for eight years, but not an inch of this country’s soil was lost,” the Leader said.
“The Iranian nation discovered the greatness of its capacities in the holy defense. The Iranian nation recognized itself in the holy defense,” he added.
The Leader explained that securing the country is one of the achievements of the holy defense, which kept the country from possible future aggression to a great extent.
“It showed that if the enemy initiates an offensive, it will not be the one to end it.”
The holy defense, Ayatollah Khamenei said, expanded Iran’s borders. “I don’t mean geographical borders and we are not after that. It expanded other borders, including the border of resistance,” he added.
Today, the element of resistance is rooted in the region, the Leader said, adding the holy defense also introduced, promoted and commonized the term of resistance in the world.
“It may be hard for us to believe, but the acts of the Iranian nation have had an impact in distant countries. We know about this. Both in East Asia, Africa and Latin America, the acts of the Iranian nation have become a model.”
The Leader touched on Iran’s influence in the region, which has made the U.S. uneasy.
“The issue of Iran’s moral presence in the region has raised the exasperation of America and some countries, while we do not have a base in the regional countries except for a moral presence.”
The Leader described armed forces among the honors of the society, saying their presence is one of the main elements, without which a society cannot remain stable.
“We should appreciate the armed forces. The dignity and honor of the armed forces should be considered essential and we should consider it obligatory to honor them. The armed forces are security makers and the security of a country is everything.”
Ayatollah Khamenei said the enemy counts on damaging the value, honor and dignity of the armed forces, which requires vigilance.
-- Algeria Calls for UN Vote on Palestine Membership:
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has called on the United Nations to hold a special session to vote on granting full state membership to Palestine.
At the opening session of the UN General Assembly, he called for a special session to be held at the UN on conducting a vote granting full membership to Palestine. The Algerian president also singled out Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories as a leading cause of regional instability.
-- Iran Cancels Flights to Azerbaijan, Armenia:
Head of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization (CAO) Muhammad Muhammadi Bakhsh announced on Wednesday that Iran had canceled all flights to Azerbaijan and Armenia until further notice.
In an interview with IRNA, the official said that Iran canceled all flights to Azerbaijan and Armenia until further notice due to the special conditions of the region. The cancellations aim to as safety measures to protect the lives of passengers, he said.
-- Western Democracy Has Reached End of Journey:
President Ebrahim Raisi has said the “world is changing” amid the emergence of a new international order and the “path is irreversible” in his speech at the UN General Assembly.
Raisi, who arrived in New York on Monday, used the platform of the annual premier conference of world leaders to attack the policies of Iran’s adversaries – the United States and its Western allies.
Raisi said the Western policy of domination is “no longer an answer for the world” and the old liberal order that served the ruling elites and capitalists has also been abandoned.
“The project to Americanize the world has failed,” he asserted, adding the “resistance and awareness” of nations has increased more than ever.
“The Iranian nation prides itself on playing, thanks to the Islamic Revolution, the biggest role in unmasking the imperialists in the East and the West,” he said.
Iran’s president said the West is faced with an identity crisis, as it sees the world “as a jungle” and itself “as a garden.”
He said Western democracy has “reached the end of its journey” and the people of West Asia know the “true meaning” of Western democracy – “coups, occupations and wars.”
Raisi stressed that his country advocates the policy of “economic convergence within the region and around the world” and is interested in “interacting with the world based on justice.”
“The school that wanted to be a model for the world has become a lesson and is nearing the end of its journey,” he asserted, referring to Western democracy.
“The Islamic Republic’s neighborly policy is a benevolent policy for the region. We firmly clasp any hand that is extended in friendship,” Raeisi said.
Holding aloft a copy of the holy Qur’an, he denounced the recent cases of desecration of the Muslim holy book in some European countries, saying the Qur’anic teachings “will never burn.”
He decried Islamophobic acts such as the burning of the Qur’an in Sweden and the barring of hijab-clad girls from attending schools in France, noting that the Qur’an invites people to “spirituality, truth and morality.”
“There is a bigger design behind these instances of hatemongering, and relegating them to the ‘freedom of speech’ is misleading,” the president said.
“The world is experiencing unprecedented changes. What is better than God’s word that can define human values?” said Raisi, urging the UN to prevent insults against the Muslim holy book.
“We believe that respect for divine religions should be included in the international agenda and the United Nations should guarantee respect for divine religions by designing a mechanism,” he said.
Raisi also referred to what he called the “war against the (institution of) family,” asserting that education and development “can only be achieved within the framework of a family.”
“The family is the most natural human institution that is under threat today. The attack on the natural shelter of the human being, the family, is a crime against humanity,” he noted.
He also commented on last year’s riots in Iran, which were triggered by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.
Raisi said the Iranian nation was the “target of the biggest media and psychological war” last year and some Western countries and their intelligence agencies “made a miscalculation.”
Raisi said the Islamic Republic has been reeling under sanctions for the past 45 years, since the 1979 Iranian revolution, but the sanctions policy has “failed” and the Iranian nation has “won.”
The president described Israel as the world’s last entity that is “based on apartheid and racism, which has been founded on the basis of war, occupation, terrorism, and violation of peoples’ rights.”
Such an entity “cannot be a partner to peace,” he asserted.
“Has not the time come for putting an end to 75 years of occupation of the Palestinian land and oppression of its people and massacre of its women and children, and for the Palestinian nation’s rights to be recognized?”
He also commented on the protracted war in Ukraine, stressing that his country “does not support war anywhere,” echoing what he said in his interaction with journalists on Monday.
He said the rejection of any peace plan by the U.S. suggests that it has a long-term plan for the insecurity of Europe, adding that Iran does not see the war in Europe in anyone’s interest.
On the standoff between Tehran and Washington over the 2015 nuclear accord, Raisi said the U.S. withdrawal from the multilateral agreement was a “unilateral crime” and went on to slam European countries for failing to adhere to their commitments under the deal.
He added, however, that through trust building, the U.S. needs to prove it has good intentions and a real will to fulfill commitments and finalize the path, referring to the prisoner swap deal, which many observers see as a hint at future talks between the two sides.
Raisi also decried Europe’s decision not to lift missile and nuclear-related sanctions on Iran that end in October this year, saying Europeans “will lose by speeding up on the costly path of confrontation.”
He said Iran has “unique investment opportunities” and engaging in economic cooperation with the Persian Gulf nation is an opportunity for the countries in the region and the world.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran’s neighborhood policy is a benevolent policy for the region, and based on this, economic cooperation is at the top of the regional agenda,” he said, adding that the Islamic Republic “warmly shakes every hand that is extended for friendship.
-- Raisi’s Rousing Speech Removes Fig Leaf from US & Agents:
The Iranian President’s rousing speech at the 78th United Nations General Assembly Session in New York on Tuesday focused on the realities in Iran and on the international scene with the media and think tanks in the West meticulously noting his every word, although such is their nature and their goals that they will rarely admit the undeniable truth.
Hojjat al-Islam Seyyed Ibrahim Raisi, addressing representatives of 193 world countries and waving the Holy Qur’an during a part of his speech when emphasizing respect for religious sanctities whose desecration has become a norm in certain European states, termed the undermining of the family unit and promotion of unnatural gender relations as “a crime against humanity on a par with occupation of lands and the killing of innocents.”
Saying “nuclear weapons have no place in the defence doctrine of the Islamic Republic of Iran”, he called the dangerously nuclear-armed US “the world’s only nuclear criminal that does not fulfill its obligations under the NPT to disarm nuclear weapons, but by imposing illegal unilateral sanctions it violates the indisputable principles of international law, the United Nations Charter and the rights of nations.”
Raisi rightly pointed to the fallacy of peace with the illegal Zionist entity which in addition to its unabated genocide of the Palestinian natives is in occupation of parts of Syria and Lebanon, and “is the only state based on apartheid and racial discrimination remaining in the world”.
He was, however, confident that humanity is awaiting a better future and has entered a new orbit, in view of the “failure of the project of Americanizing the world”.
In other words, said the Iranian President: “the world is waiting for the Saviour prophesied by the Divine religions. We firmly believe that based on Divine Providence and Will, as promised by the Prophets, justice will become universal and the government of Righteous Servants of God will govern Planet Earth thereby salvaging humanity and removing ignorance.”
Such electrifying was the impact of his speech on the audience in highlighting the success story of the Islamic Republic over the past 45 years of war, sanctions, and terrorism masterminded by the combined forces of Global Arrogance that the Israeli ambassador’s desperate attempt to disrupt his speech resulted in Gilad Erdan’s own unceremonious shoving out of the UN Hall – unprecedented in UN history.
Erdan by brandishing a picture of Mahsa Amini (a Kurdish girl who accidently died last year in Tehran due to chronic ailments) had tried to depict her as an Israeli agent. Outside the UN premises some MKO hypocrites did the same by claiming she was one of them, while nearby a group of scantily-clad anti-Iran women masquerading as Iranian exiles – which they are definitely not – repeated the scenario in an attempt to portray her as Godless as them.
These lies of the terrorists, traitors, and their godfather the US were nailed by the memorable speech of the Iranian President who asked the western media and even Hollywood to focus on truth and realties about Iran and the other parts of the world, which Global Arrogance hides, including the selfless service to humanity by Martyr Qassim Soleimani whom the US unmanly assassinated.
-- Shoigu: Russia-Iran Cooperation Reaching New Highs:
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited the aerospace unit of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) on Wednesday where he inspected drones, missiles, and air defense systems, Iranian media reported.
Shoigu, who arrived in Tehran on Tuesday, was welcomed and given a tour by Amirali Hajizadeh, the head of the IRGC’s aerospace unit, according to Tasnim news agency.
Earlier on Wednesday, Shoigu met with his Iranian counterpart, Muhammad Reza Ashtiani. Talks revolved around a “long-term military and defense cooperation document” between Iran and Russia, as well as proposals to address the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Tasnim said.
Addressing the tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Ashtiani said: “Maintaining international borders and the territorial integrity of regional countries is one of the red lines of the Islamic Republic of Iran … we consider the proposed 3+3 format to be a solution for peacefully solving issues in the Caucasus region.”
The “3+3” format includes the three Caucasian states - Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia - and their three neighboring countries - Russia, Turkey, and Iran.
Shoigu, for his part, said that the relationship between Russia and Iran has reached a new level despite opposition from the West.
“We are determined to implement the entire set of our planned activities despite opposition from the U.S. and its Western allies. The pressure of sanctions on Russia and Iran is proving to be futile, while Russia-Iran cooperation is reaching new highs,” Russia’s TASS news agency quoted Shoigu as saying during his meeting with his Iranian counterpart.
“Today, we have an opportunity to discuss in detail topical issues of bilateral military cooperation. Iran is Russia’s strategic partner in the Middle East,” he said.
Shoigu stated that Moscow was ready “to take further joint steps to strengthen stability and security in the Middle East.” He added: “We are pleased to note that Russia-Iran dialogue has been particularly intense recently.”
He said: “The high intensity of meetings confirms our common determination to continue boosting strategic defense partnership.”
Upon his arrival in Tehran on Tuesday, Shoigu met with Iran’s top military commander, Muhammad Bagheri, who serves as the chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces.
Bagheri said that Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei believes that long-term cooperation between Iran and Russia is in the interest of both countries, and “that’s why the long-term cooperation document is being drafted.”
“This document holds significant military and defense dimensions and can serve as a suitable platform for the expansion of long-term bilateral cooperation.”
Bagheri said Tehran and Moscow are far from implementation of the full potential of military cooperation between the two countries.
“Although our relations have been developing in the recent years, we are still far from the realization of the full potential that the two countries have. We are very far from this point, and we have to do a lot in order to take full advantage of the existing potential for cooperation,” he said.
He added: “The military area is the driver and the forefront for development of relations between Iran and Russia, and holding such events as military consultations and commission may contribute to a sharp development of relations between the two countries.”
Over the past year, Russia and Iran, both subject to international sanctions, have forged strong ties across multiple sectors.
Earlier this month, Iranian media reported that the country’s air force had taken delivery of a shipment of Russian YAK-130 training aircraft, aimed at enhancing the training and combat capabilities of its air force.
In May, the United States voiced concern that Tehran and Moscow were “expanding their unprecedented defense partnership.”
TEHRAN TIMES:
-- Azerbaijan, Armenian separatists accept Russian-brokered ceasefire:
Armenian-backed separatist forces in Azerbaijan’s breakaway flashpoint region of Nagorno-Karabakh agreed to a Russian-brokered ceasefire on Wednesday. The truce comes 24 hours after Azerbaijani forces began a military operation to restore full control of its territory. Azerbaijan sent a contingent of troops backed by artillery strikes into Karabakh on Tuesday in an attempt to bring the breakaway region back by force, raising the threat of a new war with its neighbor Armenia. Baku acted after what it called a series of provocations and after some of its troops were killed in what Azerbaijan said were attacks launched by the separatists from the mountainous region, which Azerbaijan had blockaded for nine months. Azerbaijan’s military operation, which Armenia says left at least 32 people killed and more than 200 injured, was the latest flareup in the region. Russian peacekeepers, along with the separatist forces, evacuated thousands of civilians from the fighting. Armenia says it had not dispatched any forces to Karabakh (despite Azerbaijani assertions) and has not intervened militarily since the Tuesday operations by Baku. Under the Russian brokered agreement, both sides were to disband and disarm from 1 pm (0900 GMT) on Wednesday.
-- Mirkarimi’s “The Night Guardian” to represent Iran at Oscars:
“The Night Guardian” by Reza Mirkarimi has been selected as Iran’s submission to the forthcoming 96th Academy Awards in the best foreign-language film category. A committee of nine film experts was assigned by Iran’s Farabi Cinema Foundation to choose the county’s submission to the Oscars race. On Tuesday, the committee selected “The Night Guardian” from a shortlist of three films, the others being “Conjugal Visit” directed by Omid Shams and “The Town” by Ali Hazrati. Initially, the committee had narrowed down 42 eligible Iranian films to 15, before ultimately deciding on the final three. Mirkarimi’s film, which debuted at the Fajr Film Festival last year, garnered nine award nominations and ultimately won the best director category.
-- Iranian trade center starts activity in Jeddah:
The director of Commercial Attachés Office of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) announced that license was issued to establish a trade center in Saudi Arabia, and the center started its activity in Jeddah. Mohammad Rajab-Nejad also announced: “We currently have 46 active trade centers in other countries, and licenses have been issued for the establishment of trade centers in Kirgizstan, Malaysia, and Indonesia.” During a meeting between Iran’s Finance and Economic Affairs Minister Ehsan Khandouzi and Saudi Arabia’s Finance Minister Mohammed AlJadaan, in mid-May, the two sides discussed the ways to expand economic cooperation and remove the barriers in the way of trade between the two countries. In the meeting, which was held on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the board of executive directors of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) in Jeddah, the Saudi Arabian minister expressed satisfaction with the re-establishment of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia and said: “We hope that quick steps will be taken in relations with Iran.”
-- Raisi meets Japan, Iraq, Tajikistan and Pakistan leaders in New York:
On the second day of his trip to New York, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi held talks with the leaders of Tajikistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and Japan. President Raisi and his Tajik counterpart Emomali Rahmon reviewed the latest status of bilateral cooperation and emphasized the need to develop commercial and economic ties and increase interactions in international organizations. The presidents expressed concerns about the presence of terrorists in Afghanistan, emphasizing that it is necessary for foreign ministries of countries neighboring Afghanistan to hold meetings to increase coordination in the fight against terrorism and help establish stability in Afghanistan. Raisi and Rahmon also emphasized the non-interference of third parties in the region. The presidents of Iran and Tajikistan also emphasized the capacity of the Joint Economic Commission to increase the level of commercial and economic ties. On the continuation of his second day in New York, President Raisi met Pakistan’s Prime Minister Anwar ul Haq Kakar. Regarding the good relations between Iran and Pakistan, Raisi called the joint borders as an opportunity to expand exchanges between the two neighbors. The meeting with Pakistan’s prime minister was held at the hotel where the Iranian delegation is staying. The two parties highlighted the existing capacities and emphasized the necessity of tackling problems through innovative methods to expand bilateral ties. The Prime Minister of Pakistan expressed his country’s determination to bolster cooperation with Iran through the expansion of trade and the creation of transportation routes. “Iranian people should feel safe and comfortable in their neighborhood with Pakistan,” added Anwar ul Haq Kakar. Cooperation on energy transfer was also discussed in the meeting. On the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly in New York, Raisi also met Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani and the Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida.
-- Western world the biggest oppressor of women:
Violence against women and domestic violence is pervasive throughout the EU. According to Eurostat, women and girls make up over 90% of rape victims and over 80% of sexual assault victims. Rape is a distressingly prevalent manifestation of violence against women. 1 in 3 women have been victims of gender-based violence in the European Union. 1 in 10 women have been victims of sexual violence, and 1 in 20 has been raped. This is just some of the data showing the dramatic situation of violence against women in Europe. In 2015, nine out of ten rape victims and eight out of ten sexual-assault victims in the union were women; 99 percent of those imprisoned for such crimes were men.
-- Iran, Russia working on long-term cooperation agreement: general:
Major General Mohammad Baqeri, the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, has said that Tehran and Moscow are working on a long-term cooperation document. He made the remarks in a meeting with Sergei Shoigu, the Russian Defense Minister, who arrived in Tehran on Tuesday afternoon, according to state news agency IRNA. In the meeting, General Bagheri underlined the importance of boosting IranRussia relations. “According to the decision of the leaders of the two countries, the relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Federal Republic of Russia are on the path of growth and development, and fortunately, this relationship has gained new dimensions over time,” the top Iranian general said, according to IRNA.
-- Cristiano Ronaldo wins more hearts in Iran:
Regardless of his fame and his footballing skills, what has made Cristiano Ronaldo different, is his humility. So many Iranian football fans maybe caused harm during his visit to Tehran but the Portuguese striker expressed his gratitude to them in his Instagram account. “A very special thank you to the fans and to all the Iranian people who have made this visit so special for us. Such an incredibly warm welcome!” Ronaldo wrote. The Al Nassr forward traveled to Tehran to play Persepolis in Group H of the 2023/24 AFC Champions League, where the Saudi Arabian giants earned an away 2-0 win at the Azadi Stadium. But Ronaldo did beyond his duties and made an Iranian diehard boy and a painter girl with disability happy.
NOURNEWS