WWW.TEHRANTIMES.COM I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 8 Pages Price 50,000 Rials 1.00 EURO 4.00 AED 42nd year No.13934 Monday MAY 3, 2021 Ordibehesht 13, 1400 Ramadan 20, 1442 Maximum turnout in Iranians win two The real costs of Condolences on elections frustrates bronze medals at Karate Afghanistan war martyrdom anniversary opposition, says MP Page 2 1-Premier League Page 3 for the U.S. Page 5 of Imam Ali (AS) Vienna talks to lead to ‘new deal’: Leader highlights Quds Force’s role senior MP TEHRAN – A senior Iranian lawmaker has Leader of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, said that the Vienna nuclear talks between Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei. Iran and world powers are expected to lead to The nuclear law, officially called “Stra- a new deal, warning the Iranian negotiating tegic Action to Lift Sanctions and Protect in strengthening Iran foreign policy team against falling into the American “trap.” the Nation’s Rights,” stipulates that if the The lawmaker, Alireza Salimi, who is remaining parties to the 2015 Iran nuclear See page 3 a member of the parliament’s presiding deal– Germany, France, China, Russia, board, said the Vienna talks should proceed and the UK- failed to facilitate Iran’s oil within the framework of a nuclear law exports and the return of Iranian oil rev- passed by the parliament and in accord- enues in two months, ance with the policies articulated by the Continued on page 3 Baghdad ready to pay off gas debts to Tehran TEHRAN – Iran and Iraq have reached “In the meetings we had, all the ways an agreement on the ways for settling and solutions for the resumption of Iran’s Baghdad’s gas debts to Tehran, Iraqi energy supply to Iraq were discussed, and Electricity Minister Majid Mahdi Han- certainly the cooperation [between the two toush announced after a meeting with sides] will continue,” the Iraqi minister Iranian Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian told the press. The official noted that Iran in Tehran on Sunday. has not halted gas and electricity supply Hantoush who visited Tehran on top to Iraq, however there were some issues of a high-ranking delegation also met regarding the supply to power plants which with Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar were also discussed during this visit. Zanganeh on Saturday evening. Continued on page 4 TEHRAN — the Lebanese news net- insisted on the necessity of releasing work, Al Mayadeen reported that the part of the Iranian funds. Islamic Republic has agreed to release The report says that the four four Americans accused of spying for Iranians detained in the United the CIA. In exchange, Washington States were helping to circumvent Washington to pay $7b in will release four detained Iranians, the sanctions. in addition to unfreezing $7 billion Analysts say that the Biden ad- of Iranian assets in the U.S. ministration needed to show the U.S. According to Al Mayadeen News Congress that he is making progress exchange for four spies Network, the Biden administration in the nuclear deal. Hence, they were wanted to avoid paying any sums convinced to unfreeze $7b in cash of frozen Iranian money during the to bring back four American spies. File photo negotiations. Yet, the Iranian side Continued on page 2 Ex-Iran defender Gigantic citadel in southern Tehran to be Yemen reports another ‘accurate hit’ Nosrati lauds clubs’ turned into a national base against Saudi airbase performance in ACL TEHRAN – Qale Iraj, a gigantic mudbrick citadel “The bricks used in this castle date back to Yemen’s air force carries out another precision never laid down their arms in their purpose in southern Tehran, is set to be turned into a the Sassanid period and the artifacts discovered retaliatory attack using a kamikaze drone, to rid the country of the aggressors’ presence. BY FARROKH HESABI national cultural heritage base. from this ancient castle date back to more than against the King Khaled Airbase in Saudi Ara- They have stepped up their counteroffensives ormer Iran national team Located in Pishva near the gates of the old 3,000 BC.” bia’s southwest. against sensitive Saudi locations, including the player, Mohammad Nosrati, city of Rey, southeast of Tehran, the monument “The establishment of this national base will Yemeni Armed Forces’ Spokesman Brigadier airbase that they target almost every week. believes that all four Iranian (also known as Gabri fort by the locals) was once pave the way for the continuous research and General Yahya Saree reported the operation Saudi-allied militant cmdr., Daesh F one of the largest military fortresses of the time. archaeological activities on the monument and against the airbase in the kingdom’s Asir region ringleader killed in Ma’rib teams in the 2021 AFC Champions League had spectacular perfor- “Qale Iraj is approved to be turned into the its surroundings as well as better protection and in early Sunday. A ranking commander of the militants, mances. country’s 100th base of the national cultural preservation,” he said. The operation, he said, used one of the air who fight for the Saudi Arabia-led coalition in Nosrati, a former player of Persepolis heritage, tourism, and handicrafts,” IRNA quoted Furthermore, the base is expected to provide force’s Qasef-K2 UAVs. Yemen, and a ringleader of the Daesh Takfiri and Tractor, praised the solid performance Pishva’s governor, Hossein Abbasi, as saying the opportunity to study the cultural connection Saree called the reprisal, Yemen’s legitimate terrorist group are killed in clashes with Yem- of the Iranian teams in an exclusive in- on Sunday. between the Iraj fortress with the surrounding response to a simultaneous war and siege by a en’s defense forces in the west-central Yemeni terview with Tehran Times. The official said that the monument is of sites inside and outside the city. Moreover, it Saudi-led military coalition. province of Ma’rib. Starting with Foolad Khoozestan, who high importance as it is one of the largest in the will pave the way for the preparation of the site The coalition has been trying unsuccessfully The commander was identified as Saleh failed to qualify for the knockout stage, world. “Due to its rich historical and cultural for a possible UNESCO registration. to restore power to Yemen’s former Saudi-allied Dirham Ramadi of Brigade 129 of the militant Nosrati said: “Nobody expected Foolad background, Pishva is home to many ancient Up to the present not much research has been officials. Tens of thousands of Yemenis have died divisions that have been aiding the coalition on to play that much well. They were drawn monuments and sites. And Qaleh Iraj, which carried out on this fortress, he noted. “So far, as a result of the warfare and the concomitant the ground since it began its war on Yemen in in the most difficult group, in my opinion. is one of the largest brick forts in the world, several seasons of documentation and excavation blockade. March 2015, the Yemen News website reported Bad luck and inexperience were the main is expected to date from the Sassanid period work have been done, which is very limited.” The Yemeni forces that comprise the country’s on Saturday. factors for Foolad’s failure to reach the (224–651).” Continued on page 6 army and Popular Committees have, however, Continued on page 5 knockout stage. Both Al Saad and Al Nasr were great teams in Group D, but Foolad could have defeated both teams.” Syrian expo to showcase Iran’s potential in medicinal plants industry Nosrati, 39, who played several years for Minuscule difference Tractor, also talked about the Tabriz-based TEHRAN – Iranian knowledge-based companies tant and strategic countries to Iran, and with The event is an opportunity for local and for- between the teams: “I believe Tractor did a great job in will attend the Agritex Exhibition for Agriculture the beginning of economic rehabilitation, the eign companies specialized in the poultry and the competition. They were empty-handed and Veterinary Supplies 2021, which will be held creation of innovation centers, the technolog- agriculture sector to brief on the various plant Republicans and as they couldn’t sign foreign players because in Syria on 19-24 June, to put the country’s po- ical interaction between the two countries has and animal products currently available in the of the Iranian football rules. Moreover, Ra- tential in the field of medicinal plants on display. become more important. domestic and foreign markets. Democrats: ex-Senate sul Khatibi, who has recently joined them Production of Iranian products of medicinal One of the serious areas of economic interac- Knowledge-based companies also have the op- candidate as head coach, didn’t have enough time to plants is one of the export platforms, trade op- tion between Iran and Syria is the medicinal and portunity to visit major Syrian companies in the portunities, and technological interaction with aromatic plants industry, which includes herbal field of medicinal and aromatic plants, as well as work with the team. They were deserved to BY MOHAMMAD ALI SAKI qualify, and God helped Tractor and made other countries. pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food industry, flavors, important economic and industrial centers in Syria. Syria has long been one of the most impor- perfumes, and other natural products. Continued on page 7 TEHRAN — pointing to the JCPOA as a classic their lovely fans happy. example of the political fraud among the Dem- “About Esteghlal, they were good in ocrats and Republicans, and American analyst their all games except the last one against says that there is a minuscule difference between Al Shorta.