Editorials
– Afarinsh Handles the Vote of Confidence on the Three New Ministers in Rouhani’s Cabinet.
– Shargh Discusses the Economic Development in Asaluyeh at the Arabian Gulf.
Iranian News Roundup
– Iran Receives $13 Billion of its Due Debts.
– Women Beat Men in Synthetic Drugs Consumption.
– 5 Million Iranian Students Belong to Basij Forces.
– Hand Grenade kills four People in Iranshehr.
Afarinesh Newspaper: The Council also voted for the new ministers
An editorial in Wednesday’s Afarinesh newspaper concerned the previous day’s parliamentary vote of confidence on the three new ministers recently appointed by President Rouhani. The editorial said that while Tuesday’s ballot ended, as expected, with a unanimous vote of confidence in the new Ministers for Culture, Education, and Youth and Sports, it was noteworthy that Rouhani attended the parliamentary session and delivered a speech defending his choice of ministers, reflecting his wish to demonstrate his interest in and appreciation of the parliamentarians, which the writer said was a positive change from the indifference of the previous president, Ahmadinejad. The editorial added that two of the three ministers approved in Tuesday’s vote had previously been rejected for ministerial posts in 2013 when Rouhani was forming his last cabinet, adding that the new vote of confidence demonstrated the shifting balance of power within the parliament following the recent elections in the first half of this year.
The vote had reassured Rouhani’s government of the great strength and ability of moderates within the parliament, the writer asserted, particularly after false claims of reformist status by some fundamentalists who had joined the ‘Omid list’ simply to attain parliamentary seats, which had resulted in a lack of trust from the government in the control and supremacy of moderates in parliament.
The success of the three ministers in obtaining the vote of confidence confirmed that those MPs who joined the Parliament under false pretenses made up only a small percentage of the total number of parliamentarians, the writer stated, showing that moderates are the dominant power in the parliament.
In reality, contrary to the editorialist’s claims, the vote of confidence in the three new ministers proves not that moderates control the parliament, but that Rouhani has acceded to the Supreme Leader Khamenei’s wishes after pressure from Hawza to replace the Ministers of Culture and Youth and Spots. Moreover, the education minister was replaced following the discovery of large-scale mismanagement and corruption in the ministry, which was referred to by Rouhani in his parliamentary address on Tuesday, in which he also stated that the cabinet reshuffle was based on the opinions and guidance of the Supreme Leader. This clearly shows that vote of confidence in the new ministers is nothing to do with reflecting any moderate groundswell among parliamentarians in favor of Rouhani against the conservative bloc; on the contrary, the disgruntled reformists were close to rejecting the new ministers, only continuing their alliance with Rouhani since there is no plausible alternative as a leader.
Donyai Eghtisad Newspaper: Elections and Economic Growth
An editorial in Wednesday’s Donyai Eghtisad newspaper focused on the impact of election campaigning on expected growth rates for the Iranian economy, with the next presidential election set to take place next year. The editorial said that the annual growth rate had reached 4.5 percent in spring of 2016, impact of election campaigning with the approach of the next presidential election about the numbers that announces the economic growth. The editorial says the announcement in spring of this year that the rate of increase had reached 4.5 percent produced mixed reactions and different analyses. Most pf the responses fell into two groups; the first group, the government’s critics, had questioned the validity of the statistics used and suggested that the rate given was unrealistic. The second group, primarily composed of state officials, insisted that the growth rate figure indicated an economic boom and could be heralded as an announcement that economic recession had ended.
The editorial, which attempts to discuss the matter impartially from its viewpoint, says that growth is unlikely to reach this rate, because there are international sources such as the International Monetary Fund, talking about a growth rate of between 4% and 6%. Following some precision, growth can be seen occurring in oil, steel, petrochemical production rate, and there is growth in trade abroad. On officials’ words that Iran has emerged from the recession, it is true, but the problem is the continuation of the growth rates, to compensate the recession that lasted for years, which surrounded by suspicions largely. It is expected a reversal in the rate of growth because the current capacity of the Iranian economy was able to overcome the negative growth phase but cannot increase the growth rates as long as the Iranian economy did not address chronic problems. The first problem is the decline in investment in the period between 2009 and 2013, which is notable in the poor infrastructure of the Iranian economy. Iran is currently experiencing a deterioration in the infrastructure, for example, deterioration in the field of transport and energy poor situations. As well as the deterioration of industrial facilities machinery and technical backwardness compared to neighboring countries at least, the Iranian economy moved away from the global market more than a decade, as well as the problems that the Iranian regime faces in dealing with the global and financial system. The editorial sees that with the approach of electoral contests, it should not be subjected to the pressure of media and moving toward short-term policies that make temporary achievements, which easy to be monitored by media, but not in interest of the national economy, the state must develop strategic plans based on ending the era of oil financial abundance.
Shargh Newspaper: Asaluyeh, from a desert to an Iranian capital of energy
Shargh Newspaper’s editorial on Wednesday evaluated the economic growth achieved by Asaluyeh area overlooking the Arabian Gulf opposite the Qatari coast. The editorial says that Asaluyeh currently provides tens of billions of dollars in hard currency for the Iranian economy. In the early days of Zangana, the oil minister in office in the Khatami era, this area was a desert close to a small village; it is now the capital of energy in Iran. Asaluyeh now is the base of petrochemical production in Iran, such as methane and methanol as well as ethane gas and high-value petrochemical products such as polyethylene and polypropylene as they are considered as the basis of modern industries. Otherwise, the development that has occurred in Asaluyeh, Iran was not able to overcome the period of the siege. Iran has gained foreign exchange in the worst days of the ban. The problem that Asaluyeh is facing now are talks about the sale of raw materials by the Iranian petrochemicals before processing which is what happened in the petrochemical complexes in Tabriz and Arak in northern and central Iran already. That has also occurred in Jam compound, but with less damage since the raw materials were sold in their intermediate state after some refinement had taken place. The editorial calls to open an investigation into this matter and stand on who is behind this erroneous policy, which is destroying the industrial base in Asaluyeh.
♦ Iranian Women Beat Men in Synthetic Drugs Consumption
General Manager of Psychological and Social Security, and Addiction in the Iranian Ministry of Health, Ahmed Hajji said that addicted pregnant women give birth to addicted children and sometimes sell them, noting that the increase in the percentage of consuming synthetic drugs among women compared with men in Iran is 4 to 1, while men have beaten women in the consumption of traditional drugs in 9 to 1.
Arman Amroz Newspaper
♦ Iran Receives $13 Billion of its Due Debts
Executive Manger of Kish Free Zone, Ali Asghar Mo’nisian announced that Iran had received $13 billion of its due debts from foreign countries. “Iran has received $5 billion from the UAE, $2 billion from Shell Company, and $6 billion from India,” he explained. He added that $40 billion had been attracted to line of credit and $3 billion foreign investments.
Mo’nisian added, “As a result of the Joint Comprehensive Plan, Iran witnessed 5% growth rate that should jump to 8% on the long run.”
“During oil sanctions on Iran, revenues declined to 30% until the end of 2012 due to the decline of hard currency to 30% until the end of 2012, and oil exportation declined from 2.5 million barrels per day to less than a million in the same year,” Mo’nisian said.
Tasnim Agency
♦ Milt Bank: Embezzler of 800 Billion Tomans Fled Outside the Country
Public relations in Milt Bank announced that the person accused of embezzling more than 800 billion Tomans was working as a mediator for the bank outside Iran during the sanctions.
Earlier, Milt bank for an unknown reason has paid this amount to a person outside Iran that deposited it in his children’s accounts and kept more than 500 billion Tomans in his account outside Iran.
Tehran’s Attorney General, Abbas Ja’fari Dawlat Abadi announced the arrest of 5 members related to this case file, and all concerned authorities are working on contacting the UAE to bring back this money from this person. At the same time, Iran’s Attorney General Mohammed Ja’far Montazeri revealed that the total amount of the embezzled money amount to $120 billion until this moment; part of which has been chased and frozen by the Interpol, while Iran is still chasing the first suspect.
Shahravand Newspaper
♦ Basij Forces Include 5 million Iranian Students
Iranian Basij Students’ Commander, Colonel Ali Sabir Mahani said that 5 million Iranian students belong to this organization and study in 60 thousand schools in the country.
“Students are makers of the future, which means they receive moral education side by side with science,” Mahani added.
In addition to that, chief of the Iranian Student Mobilization Forces referred to the 36 student martyrs saying, “These martyrs can be the best model for students. Teachers also have to teach them Martyrdom culture and Islamic values,” Mahani explained.
Etilaat Newspaper
♦ Former MP: Iran can Close up Hormuz Strait when Necessary
Member of the National Security and Foreign Policy in the former Iranian Parliament and professor in the University of Staff and Leadership ‘Military Dafus’, Awad Haider Bour claimed that the Iranian Marine forces had witnessed significant developments after the revolution under the leadership of the supreme leaders Khomeini and Khamenei. “Based on the directives of both leaders, Marine Forces have started to improve their industrial and defense capabilities and achieve superiority in the international arena,” Bour said.
“In the last days of Shah, Iran stroke an agreement to purchase two submarines, but due to the industrial developments Iran has witnessed, Iran can deploy its submarines in the Gulf and Oman Sea to encounter any threat to the Iranian security,” Bour added.
About his statement about closing up Hormuz Strait by the Iranian Marine forces, Bour claimed that in case Iran is exposed to any threat, the Iranian armed forces will be ready to respond and close up Hormuz Strait when necessary.
Quds Site
♦ Verdict to be Passed on the Accused in the Saudi Embassy Case File
Qadhi Husseini announced passing sentences against 20 defendants in the attack on Saudi Arabia in Iran shortly. Defendants’ lawyer said that his client Mohammed Narimani knew about the sentences but has not been informed officially of the sentence.
Asr Iran Site
♦ Hand Grenade kills four People in Iranshehr
Police Forces Commander in Iranshehr city, Dost Ali Jalilian announced that a hand grenade happened yesterday in a housing building in Naigon Village in Iranshehr City resulting in four killed and one injured. Jalilian also asserted that unlicensed guns holders would be taken to court to stop such cases.
Asr Iran
♦ Iran can deploy 24 million of the Mobilization Forces
Assistant head of operational affairs in the mobilization forces Basij, Nasratullah Saif said that the Basij Forces have tried to improve their defense capabilities through Bait Almaqdis exercises, adding that military capabilities of the enemy have perished. On another issue, Saif assured that the Basij forces have reached 24 million members and will reach 36 million by the end of the sixth program, noting that had these troops not have the capability for defense, Iran’s security would have been exposed to dangerous issues, but the Basij has turned Iran into the top power in the region.
Tabnak Site
♦ Siari: Presence of Fleets in the international waters aims at developing state’s diplomacy
Commander of the Iranian Marine Forces, Habibollah Siary said that the constant existence of the Iranian fleets in the International Waters aims at developing the state’s diplomacy, enhancing trust among countries, eliminating Iran phobia, and delivering a message of peace and friendship to other countries, adding that 43 Iranian fleets have been dispatched to the International waters so far and escorted 3800 trade ships and oil tankers.
Etilaat Newspaper
