Editorials
– Mardamsalari newspaper criticized Tehran Attorney General’s denial of publishing information about his giving out governmental lands to relatives and friends by the Iranian press.
– Siasat Rouz newspaper called the government to exert pressure on the American government to precisely implement the nuclear deal commitments.
News Roundup
– Diplomatic Activities of the Iranian delegation in the United Nations
– Zarif to meet Mogherini
Arman newspaper: Rouhani has complete power over the choice of ministers during the current parliament
An editorial in Thursday’s Arman newspaper criticized the lack of ministerial changes in Rouhani’s government for making it less fundamentalist in nature, more particularly given the presence of a majority of moderates and reformists in the Iranian parliament. The editorial said that despite repeated complaints by ministers and other senior administration officials about the obstruction of reforms by their fundamentalist colleagues in government who’ve remained in their ministerial posts since the Ahmadinejad era, the same ultra-conservative officials retain their positions and hold the same unalterable political attitudes. Given the reformist majority in parliament, the editorialist asks, what justification is there for the continuing presence of these fundamentalists in the cabinet, particularly following confirmation of earlier revelations that they have been working against Rouhani and his reforms?
With Rouhani having the power to dismiss ministers and appoint replacements and the Iranian people awaiting these changes, the editorialist asserts, there is no justification for the fundamentalist officials continuing to hold their positions, with their presence only creating problems, particularly in the healthcare sector.
The editorial points out that the people of Shiraz in Western Iran expressed their full support for the group of reformist candidates dubbed the ‘List of Hope’ in previous parliamentary elections, asking why, despite this, the fundamentalist fanatics of the ‘Resistance Front’ continue to retain the presidency of the city’s Medical University as they have for years, and to use their position to prevent any achievements or development there.
The editorialist stresses that the Rouhani government did not make any effort to block the progress of the fundamentalists and has worked in close cooperation with them. As an example of this, the author cites the case of Majid Ansari, a parliamentarian removed from his post as assistant to the president of the parliamentary affairs committee despite his credentials as a veteran reformist, who was replaced by Hussein Amiri, an ultra-conservative who served as the head of the court in Pars province.
The editorialist condemns the schizoid confusion and duality of the Iranian political elite; both reformist and conservative, in the mixture of scientific and ideological analysis, suggesting that these negative phenomena have been hindering Iran’s development since the beginning of the revolutionary era in 1979 during the so-called Cultural Revolution. He recalled that during that period many university professors in Iran were dismissed from their posts and denied further academic positions under the pretext of their supposed lack of support for their revolution or sympathise with tyranny, which was apparently denoted by such trivial indications as wearing a tie or Western-style clothes. He further suggested that it seems as though this deep-rooted tendency had permeated even the hearts of the reformists, who sought to remove university heads due to their political affiliations to other mainstream rivals.
Regarding the dismissal of Majid Ansari and his post being given to a fundamentalist, the editorial concluded, while it was assumed that Rouhani was better able to maintain the political coalition that brought him to power, it seems that he changed his political orientation since election, seeking to appease the reformists in a situation where they should not accept the efforts at appeasement.
Siasat Rouz Newspaper: We must be persistent
The editorial in Thursday’s Siasat Rouz newspaper calls on the Iranian government, particularly Iran’s State Department, to maintain its pressure on the US government to force it to implement its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal, adding that this was one of the goals of the current trip by Rouhani and an accompanying delegation to New York.
A meeting of Iranian ministers and aides and their counterparts from the P5 + 1 group was held on Wednesday, on Thursday appointed as the date of the official meeting between the foreign ministers. The meetings, which are taking place while Rouhani’s administration is unhappy with the lack of US commitment to meeting its obligations concerning the nuclear deal, provide a chance for the Iranian delegation to demand further action from the US towards meeting its commitments eight months since the deal was signed, the editorialist asserted.
An initial point which Rouhani must focus on is the issue of banking transactions, and why even now there are still obstacles to European and American banks dealing with Iran when it’s well known that the key to this crisis is in the US’ hands, the editorial stated, adding that no immediate breakthrough is expected in the matter since all major decisions are now being postponed until after the US presidential election.
The editorial concluded by stating that to compel Washington to fulfill its obligations under the nuclear deal, the Iranian delegation should use the platform of the UN General Assembly as an influential and active forum by which it could eloquently put forward the country’s case.
Mardam Salari newspaper: The role of the press in judicial issues
An editorial in Thursday’s Mardam Salari newspaper criticized an announcement by the General Prosecutor of Tehran refusing to allow media to publish details of the Tehran mayor’s distribution of plots of state-owned land to friends, family and staff members in his office, revealing that the prosecutor had condemned the newspapers’ publication of reports on the issue and said that some individuals wished to politicize an investigation of legal documents.
The editorial said that this statement could be viewed in two ways. From one perspective, the prosecutor’s announcement could be viewed as rational and appropriate since legal documents should be examined in a calm manner free from public scrutiny so that the prosecutor’s office can deliver a just and impartial verdict free from political influence.
From another perspective, however, the editorial continued, such a statement could be seen as an attempt by the prosecutor to ban journalistic activities. This would be unfortunate, it said since the press serves as the eyes and ears of society, helping the judiciary to carry out its duties in a transparent and open manner as was the case in its examination of allegations over astronomical salaries being paid to state officials, in which the media provided substantial assistance to the judiciary. Another such case of media providing valuable assistance to the judiciary in tackling corruption was the case of Babak Zanjani, a former senior state official who dominated Iran’s domestic oil industry, squandering nearly a billion US dollars before he was exposed and ultimately tried.
Bearing all this in mind, the editorial concluded, it is essential to maintain a positive and cooperative relationship between the judiciary and media.
Reading between the lines of the editorial, the writer is not arguing with the Tehran prosecutor’s statement, but saying indirectly that so long as the prosecutor is backed by conservatives the press will be silenced so that the judicial bodies can exercise their duties in an atmosphere free of media and political pressure.
♦ The US unblocking airplane sales to Iran
Washington has started unblocking the sale of airplanes to Iran, Reuter news agency said. It added that the American Department of Treasury has issued licenses to Western companies to sell jetliners including Airbus and Boeing. Airbus company spokesperson said that his company has received a permission of selling seventeen airplanes to Tehran.
Source: Jehan Sanaat Newspaper
♦ Swiss company signs 800 million USD deal for building wind power plant in Iran
The Swiss “MECI Group International” has signed an agreement with Iran’s government to build a wind power station in North Iran for 839 million USD with a capacity of 270 Megawatt.
Source: Tafahum News Agency
40 thousand students dropped out from education
Assistant head of the board of education in Dizfool province, Soudabah Desty Terk said that more than 40 thousand students in the province have dropped out from education for many reasons. Unfortunately, those students quit although the quality educational services in Iran, she added.
Source: Arman Amroz Newspaper
♦ 80 Iranians sentenced to death in Malaysia
300 Iranians are imprisoned in Malaysia, Iran’s Attorney General Mohammed Jaafar Muntaziri said. He added that 80 Iranians were sentenced to death for drug smuggling accusations, which is the main reason behind the arrest of Iranians outside Iran. In his meeting with his Malaysian counterpart, Muntaziri referred to the necessity of building strong ties among Muslim countries, saying that judicial cooperation can have a positive impact in order to protect their interests.
Source: Arman Amroz Newspaper
Iran to make case against the cyber attacks on Iran’s nuclear plants
Assistant Attorney General, Abdulsamad Khorm Abadi said that they are following up the case of cyber attacks on the Iranian nuclear plants with the energy organization in Iran, foreign ministry, and international affairs in the State’s Presidency, asserting that Khamenei himself is concerned about this issue and considered these attacks as crimes to be handled by the international community.
Source: Mehr Agency
♦ An Iranian indirect warning to America to stick to the nuclear deal
President’s office manager, Mohammed Nahavandian said that Rouhani is pursuing the West’s violation of its nuclear deal commitments, especially the United States, and has expressed the Iranian willingness for mutual constructive cooperation with the Non-Alignment countries. He also said that the ban on selling airplanes to Iran has been removed and the West should take further steps and lift all other sanctions. The European countries side by Iran in order to remove banking and insurance obstacles, and we have asked America to take steps that are more serious in this concern, Nahavandian concluded.
Source: Tasnim Agency
♦ 13 Iranian opposition members killed in West Iran
Commander of the Guards Brigade “Bait Almaqdis” in Kurdistan, Mohammed Hussein Rajabi announced the elimination of 13 members belonging to the Kurdistan Democratic Party Almanhal in West Iran. This group had expanded its threats to Kurdistan and West Azerbaijan, he said, noting that it made a pledge in 1996 to not get to Iranian territories at all, but it has broken its oath this year, which forced Iran to take a decisive action against it. The Democratic Party will send another group to disturb the security of the Kurdish territories, Rajabi added, asserting that they are servants of colonization.
Source: Sharq Newspaper
♦ Rouhani denied the American demand of air strikes suspension on North Syria
President Hassan Rouhani has denied the American Secretary of State, John Kerry’s demand to stop the air strikes on North Syria. In a dialogue with NBC news agency, Rouhani said that the air strikes suspension will strengthen the ISIS and Alnusra group that have to remain under continuous pressure, otherwise, it will be for their interests.
In response to the attack on a humanitarian aid convoy in Aleppo, Kerry said, in the International Security Council session, that the air strikes suspension might help to find a solution for the Syrian civil war.
In another part of his speech, Rouhani said that there is no military solution to the Syrian crisis; it must be resolved politically in order to preserve unity of the Syrian lands and drive terrorists out from Syria, asserting that the next Syrian government has to include all political currents; opponents and supporters
Source: Farda Radio Site
