Responding to France’s hosting of the Iranian opposition conference was the most prominent topic in the Iranian press editorials on Tuesday, Jul. 12th 2016; Keyhan newspaper discussed the proper response toward this issue in addition to offending the Turkish President in a clear reflection of the conflict of interests between Turkey and Iran, along with Ankara’s recent diplomatic moves; and criticizing the Minister of Oil response to the recent oil fires incidents in Iran.
In the news, politically, the Iranian newspapers referred to the mediation of Lebanese Hezbollah in the deal of retrieving the Iranian embassy staff in Beirut who were kidnapped in the eighties, and demanding the Iranian foreign ministry to react to France after Mujahedin Khalq Conference. The US Congress is asking for tightening sanctions against Iran; and economically, revealing trilateral cooperation between Iran, India, and Russia in terms of customs relations.
“Expulsion of the French ambassador and cutting off ties is the least response to France’s rudeness.” Keyhan Newspaper called for the expulsion of France’s ambassador from Tehran and cutting off diplomatic ties with France in response to the Iranian opposition conference in Paris. The editorial reported Khamenei’s statement that France is exercising the role of a bad cop in the nuclear deal negotiations and that France had appointed Francois Simno, former head of the intelligence service in the public administration of the French external security, the most important French intelligence agency, ambassador to Tehran. The editorial added that the French embassy in Tehran is acting hostile toward the national security of Iran. One of its tasks on the cultural level is to identify the Iranian pro-Western figures and conferring decorations of honor upon them. Since 2009, the embassy has turned into a refuge for fugitive reformers and members of the banned nationalist religious group. The editorial also criticizes making economic agreements with France to purchase aircraft and cars as well as manufacturing French cars in Iran, but at the same time, France hosts Mojahedin Khalq organization and the Iranian opposition conference on its lands, particularly, the latest one, which was held in Paris and witnessed a wide international and regional participation. The editorial openly called for cutting off diplomatic ties with France and expulsion of its ambassador from Tehran.
“Points about the incident of Mahshahr Petrochemical Complex” Mardemsalari Newspaper discussed the political rivalry in consequence to Mahshahr incident. Over the past week, fires erupted at the largest petrochemical complex in Iran in Mahshahr, the city in the predominantly Arab province of Ahwaz, losing Iran’s largest oil refinery tower and burning 40% of the complex inventory because of the Iranian authorities’ inability to control fire. Neither the Iranian Minister of Oil Zangana nor Marzia Shahdai, Executive Director of the National Company for Petrochemical Industries had attended to the scene, sparking a storm of criticism on the partisan media, and directing criticism particularly to the Minister of Oil. The media also criticized assigning a woman president of the National Petrochemical Company, which is a manly work, leading to sarcasm at Marzia and Zangana. The editorial is trying to defend the performance of Rouhani’s government concerning this incident and considers the behaviors of the conservatives as a new episode of Rouhani’s government distortion series.
“President: the trouble maker,” Sharq Newspaper in its editorial criticized the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, reflecting the conflict of interests between Turkey and Iran and the Iranian discomfort of the Turkish-Russian relations restoration. The editorial said that the election of Recep Tayyip Erdogan president of Turkey was problematic for him and for his country. The technique of experiment and error correction he is following has hurt the Turkish national pride as the largest NATO member in Eastern Europe. NATO countries feared the possibility of a military confrontation between Turkey and Russia. In order to prevent the repeating the Ukrainian experience, they defused the crisis and suppressed Erdogan threats. During Erdogan’s presidency, Turkish relations have deteriorated with most neighboring countries, to the point of endangering Turkey’s economic achievements despite the oil prices decline, which has contributed to the prosperity of the Turkish industry. Erdogan’s political and military adventures have always made problems to Turkey. Because of Erdogan’s support of “Brotherhood group” in Egypt, Turkey has lost an important food and clothing market. In addition to that, the internal war with Kurds has deteriorated its tourist activities and caused the loss of its fruitful market in Iran after the Iranian agreements with the West. The editorial sees Erdogan as a new Osmani Sultan who would drift his country out of the way by dictatorship policies that have hurt Turkey’s tourism after the eruption of confrontation with the Kurds again. Furthermore, the European Union will never accept the Turkish membership. The Turkish pressure on the European Union using the Syrian refugees’ paper will end up in failure, especially after the retirement of Davutoglu, the founder of active Turkish foreign policy. On the other hand, the editorial reflects Iran’s worry of the Russian-Turkish rapprochement, which could lead to bilateral cooperation at the expense of the Iranian- Russian relationship, and its impact on the Iranian presence in Syria. Finally, the editorial expresses Iran’s fears of the growing economic and political power of Turkey, and the growing competition spirit between the two countries.
♦ The Increase of using white weapons
Director General of documents and translators affairs in the judiciary, Ali Kazemi said that there is a remarkable increase in using white weapons and violence in the Iranian society. He added that the death rates resulting from using such weapons have increased, calling law enforcement agencies to enact laws to curb this phenomenon, which is now increasing steadily in Iran.
Source: Arman Newspaper.
♦ Iran reduces the value of its oil in the global market
In light of the continuous attempts of the Iranian National Oil Company to restore Iran’s share in the global market, it has reduced the value of the Iranian light oil to attract the biggest number of buyers. According to Reuters, Iran’s oil exports rose in June in double, compared to those of December and reached the highest level during the past four and a half years.
Source: Abrar Eghtesadi Newspaper.
♦ Tehran hosts the world’s top economists
Next February, the Tehran Economic Assembly will be held in the presence of most domestic and international economic institutions. According to the Secretariat of Public Relations of the Assembly, this conference will be the biggest economic event after the implementation of the nuclear deal that will open a new chapter of promoting economic and political connections between Iran and the world.
Source: Abrar Eghtesadi Newspaper.
♦ Trilateral cooperation between Iran, India, and Russia in facilitating customs relations and the establishment of a trade zone
Russian Minister of Industry declared that his country has discussed facilitating customs procedures with Iran and India, adding that they are seeking to create a legal framework to facilitate transportation and exchange of goods. Sitaraman added that the three parties are interested in the completion and signing of the agreement to establish a free trade zone rapidly.
Source: Fares News Agency.
♦ Reuters: Revolutionary Guards’ boats detect a ship carrying a high-ranking US general
Reuters News Agency claimed that five boats belonging to Revolutionary Guards have detected a US warship in the Strait of Hormuz, where the Guards boats sailed just 500 meters away from the American ship, which was carrying a high-ranking US general.
US General, Joseph Votel, who is responsible for overseeing all US forces in the Middle East, considered the move of Guards’ boats as secured but added that such situations require quick decisions in case of any threat from the Guards’ boats, which was a matter of big concern.
According to Reuters, there were four Iranian boats and a patrol ship carrying guided missiles. After an Iranian powerboat had approached the destroyer New Orleans, the USS Astute American destroyer turned off its engines, while the other American warships continued to cross.
The US Navy claimed that about 10% of these incidents are unsafe, abnormal, and unprofessional.
Votel also added that the nuclear deal has removed one of the biggest threats, but hasn’t changed any of the other Iranian activities.
Source: Fares News.
♦ A new American letter to Hezbollah to liberate Motavselian
A member of the Committee of National Security and parliamentary Foreign Policy, Javad Karimi Kaddosi declared that a new American letter had been sent to Hezbollah in order to exchange some US and French citizens for the four kidnapped diplomats. Karimi added that in light of the current circumstances, there are significant pieces of evidence that the four diplomats are still alive and in captivity in the Zionist entity prisons, as he claimed.
Kaddosi stressed that US officials have declared their readiness to negotiate the exchange of both groups, which was officially handled by media, especially the Secretary General of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, a declaration that he himself is responsible for following-up the liberation of the kidnapped diplomats.
Source: Etemad Agency
♦ Thirty-five US senators calling for tightening sanctions against Iran
According to Jam-e Jam online, reporting from Fares news agency, thirty-five republican and democratic US senators, in a letter to President of the United States, Barack Obama, called for tight sanctions against Iran, ahead of the anniversary of the nuclear deal signing.
This letter was prepared by both Susan Collins and Bill Nelson and demanded Obama to tighten sanctions against Iran over its non-nuclear activities. The American Legislative Council also accused Tehran of carrying out disruptive activities in the region, and wrote to Obama, “We ask you to impose the most severe sanctions on Iran.”
Source: Jam-e Jam.
♦ Jamali: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must take a decisive reaction against the French behavior toward Iran
Mohammad Javad Jamali, member of the Committee of National Security and parliamentary of Foreign Policy, during an interview with a reporter of Jam-e Jam newspaper stated that France has portrayed itself as a victim of terrorism, but at the same time gave the permission to holding such summit, referring to Mojahedin Khalq Organization meeting in Paris.
In reference to the attempt of the assassination of an Iranian representative, Jamali added that although those aggressors have not been identified yet, there are speculations about the incident after the hypocrites gathering, and this terrorist attack is most likely linked to this assembly since it coincides with the assassination attempt of an Iranian representative and killing two of his bodyguards a few days after the meeting.
He demanded the Iranian Foreign Ministry to take a decisive reaction against France, which could summon the French ambassador to Tehran.
Source: Jam-e Jam
