WWW.TEHRANTIMES.COM I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 16 Pages Price 20,000 Rials 1.00 EURO 4.00 AED 39th year No.13293 Tuesday JANUARY 1, 2019 Dey 11, 1397 Rabi’ Al thani 24, 1440 Intelligence Ministry Haj Ali Akbari Iran’s Ammar filmfest dismantles currency named Tehran Friday honors jailed Nigerian fraud network 2 prayer leader 2 Shia leader Zakzaky 16 Iran, Syria explore facilitation of bilateral banking transactions Palestinian govt. in Tel Aviv ECONOMY TEHRAN— In a meet- bank was one of the issues discussed in desking between Central this due. Bank of Iran (CBI) Governor Abdolnaser In the meeting, Hemmati said that Hemmati and Syrian Minister of Economy expansion of banking ties between the and Foreign Trade Mohammad Samer two counties is a precondition for boost- al-Khalil in Tehran on Monday, the two ing bilateral trade which has come under will be formed: Leader sides investigated the ways to facilitate the spotlight in the agreement the two See page 2 banking transactions between Iran and sides signed on Sunday for expanding Syria, CBI website published. bilateral economic cooperation in the As reported, establishment of a joint long term. 4 Iran held talks with Taliban in Tehran on Sunday POLITICS TEHRAN — Irani- and historical affinities with the country. As deskan Foreign Ministry an important player in the region which seeks spokesman Bahram Qassemi announced peace, stability and security, Iran wanted on Monday that Iranian diplomats held to enter these talks after negotiations with a meeting with a Taliban delegation in the Afghan government,” he stated. Tehran on Sunday, December 30. The news of talks in Tehran came a few During a press conference, he said days after a top Iranian security official that the Iranian delegation was headed confirmed that the Islamic Republic has by Abbas Araqchi, the deputy foreign been holding talks with the Taliban in minister for political affairs. coordination with the Kabul government “The Islamic Republic of Iran shares to help relieve rampant insecurity in Af- borders with Afghanistan and has cultural ghanistan. 2 ‘Assad has decisively won war in Syria’ Leading British daily the Guardian says from an indefinite American presence 2018 has ended on a note of triumph for inside Syria’s borders.” the Syrian government amid the U.S. deci- Last week, the UAE reopened its embassy sion to withdraw troops and a race among in Damascus, which it had closed in 2011. Arab states to restore ties with Damascus. Bahrain followed suit and other countries, U.S. President Donald Trump has an- including Kuwait, are expected to re-estab- nounced a rapid troop withdrawal from lish ties in the coming year. And the Arab khamenei.ir Syria. The Guardian said the decision has League is reportedly poised to re-admit Palestinian Islamic Jihad chief Ziad al-Nakhala and his accompanying team were received by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday, December 31, 2018. “ended any potential threat originating Syria, seven years after expelling it. 13 REPORT The lesson Iraqis gave the U.S. president; Salman Parviz Journalist will Trump learn the lesson? By Ramin Hossein Abadian came the president’s election cam- TEHRAN — U.S. President Donald paign scene. Trump’s unexpected visit to Iraq on Violation of Iraq’s sovereignty India, Iran to Wednesday came with a decisive re- No doubt the U.S. president unex- sponse from the entire country, an pected journey to Iraq was a violation of maintain trade level answer that Trump should learn from Iraq’s sovereignty and an insult to Iraqi in setting up his policy towards Iraq. officials. The trip was made against amid sanctions Trump made the trip following a diplomatic regulations and rules. U.S. unilateral sanctions series of strange measures since re- The U.S. president should have taliating on its presidential seat. After complied with the diplomatic re- bring economic challenges entering the Iraqi territory, Trump quirements and officially provided for both nations went straight to the American base of the Iraqi authorities with the timing Ein al-Assad in Anbar province to visit of his visit to Iraq, to avoid political e-imposition of sanctions by U.S. the U.S. army. Trump’s wife Melania and media attacks. President Donald Trump’s admin- also accompanied him during the trip. Experts believe that the United istration against Iran sent the na- Once in Ein al-Assad, they launched States is trying to show keeping troops R several self-defense campaigns with in Iraq are natural part of process after tional currency rial on a roller coaster ride against the U.S. dollar, spiraling inflation U.S. troops, as if Iraqi territory be- a major defeat in Iraq. 7 and soaring cost of living for the general public in Iran. From the record highs of 190,000 rials against the dollar in late Sep- Brexit: A global laughing stock tember, the greenback exchange rate has now recovered, hovering around 10,000 By Hanif Ghaffari even more complicated. However, rials in the open market. TEHRAN — Brexit has long been the other side of the equation is more In May Washington announced U.S. a foggy point in the security, politi- determined! European officials said exit from the Iran nuclear deal (also called cal, social, and economic equations that, in spite of some remarks over JCPOA), and imposed tougher sanctions in Britain and the United Europe. the Brexit and London’s departure with a goal of reducing Islamic Republic’s Conflicts and debates over Brexit from the EU, there will be basically no oil exports, which peaked to 2.8m bpd in have increased in the UK, and oppo- more negotiations, and the UK internal April, to “zero”. The news of the disruption nents of the Britain’s exit from the problems encountered is not related of oil supply from Iran sent global crude European Union are about to hold to European leaders. prices soaring, touching $86 per barrel a referendum again. On the other In one of these statements, German in October. hand, Prime Minister Theresa May Chancellor Angela Merkel said the Such uncertainties from the supply insists that the agreement reached European Union would not negotiate market have disrupted vulnerable energy between London and Brussels is the with May’s government or the next dependent countries’ economies and in best possible deal, and the British British government on helping London some cases have created riots in the streets. Parliament should vote for it. to have an easier exit from the EU. The announcement of the sanctions had The British Prime Minister has The Brexit’s opponents believe that a domino effect for India, Iran’s second warned that the parliament’s nega- holding an early election or referendum largest crude buyer, importing 540,000 tive vote would make the situation on this issue could untie this knot. 7 bpd on average this year. Iran was India’s third largest crude supplier after Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Iraqi PM sheds light on Trump visit With one of the highest economic growth rates in the world, India imports after criticism 80 percent of its crude and the demand is Iraq’s Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mah- saying the Americans had in fact on the rise. As a result of the uncertainties di has given explanations on a sneak “informed us the same morning of in crude supply created by the sanctions, trip by U.S. President Donald Trump the day on which Trump was about to the Indian rupee fell to a record low of to a military base near Baghdad last visit Iraq and we welcomed it.” 73.81 against the dollar on October 5, week, which angered Iraqis. However, “we put forth two pre- cooling off the domestic stock market Abdul-Mahdi on Sunday stressed conditions: one being that he must and escalating inflation. that the visit had taken place with the come like any foreign dignitary, with Indian oil refiners had a good deal buy- prior notice of the Iraqi government official welcoming and meetings being ing Iranian crude at $3-5 a barrel cheaper and that the al-Asad Air Base at which included and the other, a few limited compared to other Middle Eastern produc- Trump arrived Wednesday night was subjects be specified for negotiations ers and benefits included $2-4 discount “100% an Iraqi base”. given the briefness of the visit.” for a barrel of crude, $1 a barrel on freight Trump’s two-hour sojourns at The Americans, however, said subsidies and extended payment facili- the base, stopping short of a visit Trump did not plan to go anywhere ties, the Mumbai-based Business Today to Baghdad, drew criticism from Iraqi other than the base, to which “we also reported. lawmakers who have demanded U.S. announced that there would be no Higher crude prices imply higher defi- troops be expelled in response to what possibility for the prime minister and cits for India, which in turn leads to fall of they believe was an unannounced trip. the accompanying delegation to go to Indian rupees against the dollar. 13 Abdul-Mahdi dismissed that, the Ayn al-Asad base.” 13 I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y POLITICS JANUARY 1, 2019 MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS Haj Ali Akbari Operation Karbala-4 was not a named Tehran Friday prayer leader military deception: General Soleimani POLITICS TEHRAN — General However, the operation did not go as POLITICS TEHRAN — Leader of the Islamic Rev- deskQassem Soleimani, planned, according to Press TV.