Editorials
– Etimad handled the Internal Minister’s warnings against the internal dangers he considered more critical than the external ones.
– Jahan Sanaat ridiculed the German Economic Minister’s conditions of talking about human rights issues in Iran and Mediterranean before the economic talks with Tehran.
News Roundup
– Hungary buys oil from Iran
– $3 billion Iranian outside investments
– Fire destroys a 16-story building in Mashhad
– Deputy chief of staff attacks those who claim the interference of the revolutionary guards in the elections
– Clinton asks Tehran to help in the search for An American FBI officer
Etimad newspaper
Social threat or external threat
An editorial in Sunday’s Etimad newspaper quoted a warning from Iranian Interior Minister Abdel-Rahman Fazli, who asserted that the social risks faced by Iran domestically are more serious than external threats.
The editorial said that the statement made by the interior minister a few days ago was the first time that a senior state official has so frankly acknowledged the seriousness of the threats faced by Iran domestically. It added that Fazli’s report presented to the Iranian parliament in July was an alarm bell warning Iranian society of the magnitude of the social problems posed by rising rates of poverty, unemployment, drug addiction and abortion, and declining levels of marriage and childbirth.
Whatever the seriousness of the external threats facing Iran, the editorial continued; these can be resolved by dealing with the source of the danger using several methods. Domestic threats, however, are a different issue since these do not arise rapidly but emerge and spread slowly. If such threats are not confronted from the start, the editorial warned, they continue growing and become increasingly difficult to resolve at all.
Even if solutions are found to these outstanding problems, the editorial continued, their effects will continue to adversely affect society for several generations, with the interior minister’s words making it clear that Iran has now failed to confront the social problems plaguing it for over 20 years. During this period, any writer, artist or film director attempting to examine or depict Iran’s social problem has been immediately accused of treason or espionage or of attempting to portray Iran in a negative light, the editorialist pointed out, adding that newspapers which attempt to address these issues are charged with providing material for foreign agents to attack Iran. As a result of this attitude, it added, social problems have been turned into taboo subjects which everyone is afraid to mention.
The editorial called for greater freedom for Iranian media to enable them to address Iran’s social problems, recalling that while a seminar was organized in the Ahmadinejad era to discuss social issues, it was canceled at the last moment. The editorialist further criticized the ban imposed on publication of statistical data related to social issues, following the introduction of legislation banning the dissemination of statistical data concerning divorce figures in Iranian society.
Jahan Sanaat Newspaper
Banter over human rights
In Sunday’s Jahan Sanaat Newspaper, an editorial ridiculed the German economic minister’s statement concerning a need for improved human rights in Iran, with the minister is due to visit Tehran shortly for discussions on human rights prior to the latest talks on economic and trade issues. This is the second visit to Iran by the minister, Sigmar Gabriel, since the 2015 nuclear deal. Germany, which had strong trade ties with Iran prior to the economic sanctions, has already sharply increased the volume of trade exchange with Iran since the nuclear deal without any media concern and aims to increase its trade volume with Iran to the US $12 billion over the medium term.
The editorial stated that this is the first time that Germany has mentioned any correlation between the political and economic spheres by placing a condition for discussion of human rights and on Iran’s activities in the wider the Middle East, adding that this coincides with German Chancellor Angela Merkel coming under pressure from both Germany’s far-right and the Green Party over refugees.
If the most powerful arms-manufacturing nations such as the US, Russia, France and even Germany set human rights as a condition for discussions on trade and economic issues, the editorial continues, a country like France would not be able to sell one of its Rafale fighter jets.
The editorial concludes by stating that whilst it was said in the past that the economy goes through the political door, now political, social and other issues pass through the economic door, asking why Germany is lagging behind in adopting this new global approach.
Aftabeyazd Newspaper
Increasing support among reformists for Rouhani
An editorial in Sunday’s Aftabeyazd Newspaper focuses on Rouhani’s link with the reformist bloc in Iran in light of Ahmadinejad’s withdrawal from possible candidacy, in the fast-approaching May 2017 presidential elections.
The editorial says that in the absence of the danger posed by Ahmadinejad to Rouhani’s alliance with the reformists, they are expected to utilize one of three options: firstly, they may try to leverage their ties with Rouhani to benefit from the current situation in order to obtain privileges, meaning that he may have to guarantee reformist allies sensitive cabinet seats and important positions if he wants to ensure their loyalty in the 2017 elections as in 2013, or risk losing their support.
Secondly, the reformists, who have repeatedly asserted that they don’t seek to obtain concessions from Rouhani but simply support him for the sake of Iran’s national interests, might back another candidate given statements by the left-wing of the reformist tendency that reformists should have as much power as fundamentalists under the next president, suggesting that they would back a candidate other than Rouhani. The reformists, unlike the fundamentalists, have a wide choice of candidates, including Muhammad Riza Arif, Isaac Jehangeri, Mohammad Javad Zarif and Hassan Khomeini.
The third possibility cited by the editorial is that the reformists will continue their unconditional support for Rouhani up till the end of his second term, to emphasize their determination to ‘finish what they started’, with the editorialist concluding that this is the most likely course.
Despite the editorial’s fine sentiments, he is surely well aware that the reformists are fully cognizant of the fact that the real source of the repression that they’ve suffered since 2009 remains in power in Iran, with reformists not allowed to return to the relatively liberal era of Khatami’s rule, and unable to acquire control of sensitive government ministries, even if Rouhani wished to appoint them to these positions.
♦ Hungary buys oil from Iran
Head of the international affairs in the Iranian national oil company, Saied Muhsin Qamsari said that Hungary has purchased one million barrels of Iranian oil for the next month, stating that Iran is exporting 500-600 thousand barrels to Europe per day and is holding talks to increase this quantity.
Source: Abrar Eghtisadi Newspaper
♦ Iran invests $3 billion abroad
Deputy-head of foreign investments in the Iranian technical, economic, and investments commission, Akbar Qahramani said that $3 billion have been set aside for outside investments during the first half of the current year compared with $6 billion during the last year, adding that this number will increase during the current year as direct investments in European and Asian countries.
Source: IRNA Agency
♦ Clinton asks Tehran for help
The American democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton has asked Tehran to help in the search for the former FBI officer, Robert Luinson although Tehran has denied having any information about his destiny many times. In one of her electoral campaigns, Clinton said that Luinson has disappeared in Tehran nine years ago, and it has been long for Tehran to give information about him to be back to his family.
Earlier in March of this year, and in response to the white house request of Tehran to help Washington in the search for Luinson, Tehran announced that there is no evidence about the existence of the FBI officer in Iran.
ISNA news agency reported that Luinson disappeared on March 9, 2007, in Keish Island where he was working on an intelligence mission for the American CIA, asserting that no information is available about him.
Source: Arman Amroz Newspaper
♦ No evidence about the Guards interference in the elections
Deputy chief of staff of the armed forces, Mesut Jaza’iri said that Iran’s enemies have a military strategy that revolves around sanctions against his country under the U.S. leadership, adding that the Iranian goal is to end these sanctions. He added that one of the American rapprochements with Iran’s enemies is to approach Iran’s borders through the existence in the neighboring countries to be close to Tehran, noting that Iranians would be obliged to fight inside the country had they not been fighting outside the Iranian borders; a strategy Iran follows to deter threats before their happening.
On his side, Salami announced that individuals and groups claiming the Guards interference in the elections have to provide evidence, which has not happened yet, adding that the armed forces are prohibited from interfering in the elections.
Source: Shargh Newspaper
♦ Fire destroys a 16-story building in Mashhad
A huge fire erupted in a 320-apartment tower in Mashhad city to the North East of Iran. Nobody has been hurt in the fire, deputy head of operations in the district’s civil defense, Mahdi Riza’i said. He added that the tower has suffered heavy material losses, asserting that the reason behind the fire is still unknown.
Source: Alf Site
♦ Time has not come for Rouhani’s walk the red carpet
A German official announced the travel of the German economic minister, Zigmar Gabriel to Tehran next week. On the same issue, Reuters agency said that the time has not come yet for Rouhani to walk the red carpet, which needs to stop the Iranian support to Bashar Assad and the recognition of the state of Israel.
In his visit to Tehran, the German minister will be accompanied by a big delegation of the German economic sector to negotiate trade agreements between the two countries. The visit will also witness the creation of a German-Iranian trade commission, but the total normalization of relations between the two countries is bind by the Iranian recognition of Israel and the stop of the Iranian support to the Syrian regime, the minister noted.
Source: Iran Diplomacy Site
♦ Zarif’s letter to Mogherini includes the travel of a German minister to Iran
On the sidelines of unveiling “The precise Dimensions of Negotiations” book with the presence of journalists, the Iranian foreign minister, Mohammed Javad Zarif said that the letter he sent to the high representative of the EU for foreign affairs, Federica Mogherini revolves around the ways of implementing the nuclear deal. In his response to a question about the German economic minister’s visit to Tehran and his conditions on the visit, Zarif said that Iran’s policies are clear and constructive; countries that pay visits to Iran are familiar with these policies and procedures, adding that Iran is playing a major role in countering terrorism in the region and has stood firm over 37 years against dangers. “Iran is looking for peace and stood against the ISIS and terrorism, and all countries should be proud of their relations with us,” Zarif concluded. As for the letter to Mogherini, Zarif said that it was written a month ago and revolves around the ways of implementing the nuclear deal.
Source: Aftab Newspaper
♦ Shamkhani: No limits in defending ourselves
During his visit to the revolutionary guards’ unmanned airplanes exhibition, Secretary General of the Iranian Higher National Security Council Ali Shamkhani said that the unmanned airplanes are an important faction of the Iranian reaction force. He added that the manufacturing of these airplanes resulted from research and study, long-term technical development, time of flying, weaponry, and precision of aiming and firing, which are considered important means of maintaining the balance of power.
As for the national defense, Shamkhani said that Iran will never abide by any limits or restrictions in terms of developing its defense capabilities against any threats.
Source: Afarinsh Newspaper
