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8 Pages Price 50,000 Rials 1.00 EURO 4.00 AED 42nd year No.13896 Wednesday MARCH 3, 2021 Esfand 13, 1399 Rajab 19, 1442

‘Resolution or statement Esteghlal part Water, electricity projects Iranian doc “Maze of Progress” will be interpreted as a ways with worth over $138m put examines resistance economy negative signal to Iran’Page 3 Mahmoud Fekri Page 3 into operation Page 4 in Russia, China, Turkey Page 8

Iran calls verbal support for diplomacy ‘hypocritical’ TEHRAN - Ali Rabiei, the Iranian govern- ceptable” without a practical lifting of the ment spokesperson, says Washington’s sanctions on Iran. verbal backing for diplomacy is nothing On why Iran rejected a proposal by the but “hypocritical rhetoric” as long as it has European Union foreign policy chief for not lifted the sanctions on Iran, according talks on the JCPOA with the participation to Tasnim news agency. of the U.S., he said the time is not ripe to Speaking at regular news briefing on work on that proposal since the sanctions Tuesday, Rabiei noted the U.S. govern- imposed after the U.S. withdrawal from ment’s claim that it believes in diplomacy the JCPOA have not been lifted yet. is mere “hypocritical rhetoric and unac- Continued on page 2

Online seminar on Iran-Pakistan trade to be held today TEHRAN - The Trade Development Au- kistan’s relatively large consumer market, thority of Pakistan (TDAP) plans to hold expansion of trade with the country and an online seminar on the expansion of boosting exports to its market has become Iran-Pakistan trade on Wednesday, the one of Iran’s priorities in recent years. portal of Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Iran’s exports to Pakistan in the past Industries, Mines and Agriculture (TC- Iranian calendar year (ended on March CIMA) announced. 19, 2020) stood at $1.18 billion, but in the Officials, businessmen, and traders meantime, financial and banking problems from both sides are due to attend this have still created obstacles in the way of online event which is going to be held trade relations with this country.

through Zoom platform. Considering Pa- Continued on page 4

Lebanese scholar writes “Vanquisher of America” on Commander Qassem Soleimani TEHRAN – Mohsen Saleh, a Lebanese International Islamic University Malaysia associate professor of modern and con- (IIUM), is currently the general manager Joint Comprehensive temporary Arab history, has authored of Al-Zaytouna Centre for Studies and “Vanquisher of America” on Commander Consultations in Beirut. Qassem Soleimani. “The writer has studied the status of Illustration by Bahman Vakhshour The book has been published by Tamkin the Islamic Revolution, its differences with See page 3 Publications in Beirut to commemorate other revolutions, and the global impacts Plan of Sanctions the commander’s first martyrdom anni- of the revolution,” the Iranian Cultural versary in January 2020. Attache in Beirut Abbas Khameyar said Saleh, a former head of the Depart- in a press release published on Tuesday. Tehran Times/ Biden hires Architect of Sanctions to revive a deal meant to lift sanctions ment of History and Civilization at the Continued on page 6

Hydro tourism EURORDIS praises Iran’s national Yemen releases footage of ballistic missile strike on track to drive document on rare diseases against Saudi capital development in TEHRAN – Yann Le Cam, the chief executive of rare diseases patients in Iran so that they Yemen has released footage of a large-scale ballistic Saree noted that six Qasef-2K (Striker-2K) combat officer of the European Organization for can access medicine and treatment as soon as missile strike against the Saudi capital in retaliation drones had also hit designated military targets inside northern Iran Rare Diseases (EURORDIS), has praised possible, he said, praising Iran. for the devastating military campaign that the Ri- Abha and Khamis Mushait cities in Saudi Arabia’s Iran for preparing a national document on He expressed hope to celebrate the Interna- yadh regime and its allies are waging on the country. southwestern province of Asir. BY AFSHIN MAJLESI rare diseases, saying that it will change the tional Day of Rare Diseases in Iran as glorious The video, released by the media bureau of the “As long as the attacks and siege on our country ver the past couple of years, lives of one million rare disease patients in as possible. Ansarullah movement, shows Yemeni armed forces [Yemen] continue, our operations will continue and various categories of hydro the country. The Document, approved by the Minis- and allied fighters from Popular Committees firing will be more extensive,” he added. tourism have attracted the at- In a video message on the occasion of the try of Health in December 2020, is being a domestically-developed Zolfaqar ballistic missile Yemeni missile hits Saudi Arabia’s Jizan O International Day of Rare Diseases, Le Cam studied by the cabinet of ministers for that struck King Khalid International Airport, located Meanwhile, the state-run Saudi Press Agency tention of potential investors across Mazandaran province, which is said that “I would like to congratulate Iran on final approval. 35 kilometers north of Riyadh, on Saturday. reported early on Tuesday that a missile launched bounded by the Caspian Sea. the development of the first national document Patients with rare diseases launched and The spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces by Yemeni armed forces had struck the Jizan region Home to many dams, rivers, wetlands, on rare diseases. signed a petition calling for drawing up a national Brigadier General Yahya Saree said in a press confer- of southwestern Saudi Arabia. and a beautiful stretch of coastline, the The move paves the way to improve the document on rare diseases on the occasion of ence on Sunday that Yemeni army troops and allied According to Press TV, the spokesman for the northern Iranian province has long been a lifestyles of the one million rare patients liv- Rare Disease Day, February 28, 2019. popular fighters had targeted the Saudi soil with 15 Directorate of Civil Defense in Jizan, Colonel Moham- major destination for local holidaymakers. ing in Iran today. The document, created with The National Document on Rare Diseases, unmanned aerial vehicles and a ballistic missile as med bin Yahya al-Ghamdi, claimed the projectile had Creating the organizational, person- the participation of the Rare Diseases Foun- recently prepared in collaboration with the part of “the 5th Operation of Balanced Deterrence.” fallen in a street, resulting in the injury of five people. nel-related, and financial conditions to dation, which is a full member of EURORDIS, Rare Diseases Foundation and the University He said sensitive positions and places in the Saudi They included three Saudis and two Yemeni improve the infrastructure for water-based is a great success.” of Tehran, was drafted by prominent domestic capital Riyadh were struck with a Zolfaqar ballistic nationals, he said. They suffered moderate injuries tourism has been pursued more seriously I hope the national document can be a way and foreign experts. missile and nine Sammad-3 (Invincible-3) com- due to shrapnel and were transferred to hospital to over the past couple of years as a pillar to solve the problem of medicine and treatment Continued on page 7 bat drones. receive medical care. for development in the lush green region. “All water facilities [across Mazandaran] have a high capacity for tourism,” Moham- mad-Ebrahim Yakhkeshi, the managing UN warns of Yemen ‘death sentence’ as donor pledges fall short Crisis in NATO showed director of Mazandaran Regional Water The United Nations chief has warned of a “death men desperately need aid to live. Cutting aid is tarian funding had dropped to half of what was traditional security Company, told IRNA on Tuesday. sentence” for Yemen as an international donor a death sentence,” UN Secretary-General Anto- needed and half of what was received the year “Mazandaran, which embraces 120 conference yielded less than half the funds nio Guterres said in a statement, describing the before, according to the UN. states have become rivers with a total length of 7,000 km, needed to fund urgently needed humanitarian outcome as “disappointing”. More than 100 governments and donors and 10 dams, is one of the most pros- programmes and prevent a devastating famine “The best that can be said about today is that took part on Monday’s conference. Some of the unviable: Oxford perous provinces in the country in terms in the war-ravaged country. it represents a down payment. I thank those who headline pledges, including $191m from the professor of the capacity to develop hydro tourism The UN had appealed for $3.85bn at Mon- did pledge generously, and I ask others to con- US and Saudi Arabia’s $430m, were smaller industry over its river basins.” day’s virtual pledging event that was co-hosted sider again what they can do to help stave off the than last year’s donations. However, Germany BY MOHAMMAD MAZHARI The official mentioned that hydro tour- by Sweden and Switzerland, but just $1.7bn was worst famine the world has seen in decades,” offered 200 million euros ($241m), compared TEHRAN – A professor of history at the University of ism could fetch a high-income, adding: offered. Guterres said. to $138m last year. Oxford says the crisis in NATO countries proved that “Since 1395 (2016), a number of dams “Millions of Yemeni children, women and According to al Jazeera, last year’s humani- Continued on page 5 traditional security states have become unviable, while in Mazandaran have been [temporarily] countries like Iran can play their role in new world order. handed over to domestic investors for the “The unprecedented crises that have hit NATO implementation of water tourism.” TCCIMA countries from Turkey to the U.S. provide examples “Studies on the tourism infrastructure of the way in which such traditional security states and identification of the capacities of each honors have become unviable,” Faisal Devji of the water resources and structures in Tells the Tehran Times. Mazandaran have been [already] carried exemplary Devji also says, “One of the first countries to shed out to identify the needed facilities and its Cold War regime, Iran has yet to find a place for capabilities,” the official explained. entrepreneurs itself in this emerging world.” “The implementation of tourism pro- Following is the text of the interview: TEHRAN- Tehran Chamber of Com- jects which are associated with water re- Joe Biden pledged in his election campaign merce, Industries, Mines and Agricul- sources is now underway relying on the to revive the JCPOA. But why doesn’t he take ture (TCCIMA) awarded Amin al-Zarb private sector,” he added. any step in this regard? badge of entrepreneurship to exemplary The northern section of Mazandaran The Biden administration is also in no hurry to stop entrepreneurs of the country in a cer- consists of a lowland alongside the Cas- deportations or the taking of migrant children into emony on Tuesday. pian and an upland along the northern custody, to say nothing of forgiving student debt, all It was the fifth edition of awarding the slopes of the Alborz Mountains. Marshy issues the President had promised to address. This mentioned prize by the TCCIMA for the pro- backlands dominate the coastal plain, and is in part to mark a departure from the precedent motion of entrepreneurship in the country. extensive gravel fans fringe the mountains. set by Trump and make decisions on the basis of The prize was first awarded in a cer- The climate is permanently subtropical consultation and agreement within the bureaucracy. emony in January 2017 on the occasion and humid, with very hot summers. But it is also to signal the unhurried pace of a of the 133rd establishment anniversary Earlier this week, Mazandaran’s first great power that can afford to act at its own time. of TCCIMA and the second ceremony for hydro tourism complex, which has been The administration’s recent bombing of assets in Alireza Masoumi awarding the prize was held in January developed across the Salahedin Kola Dam, Syria after consulting its allies is part of the same 2018 concurrent with the 134th estab- was officially inaugurated by Energy Minister logic, dictated by the effort to rebuild America’s

ISNA/ lishment anniversary of the chamber. Reza Ardakanian via a video conference. damaged image and reputation in the world. Continued on page 4 Continued on page 6 Continued on page 5 I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y POLITICS MARCH 3, 2021

Projection a political weapon for ‘Resolution or statement will be Washington in nuclear talks By Azin Sahabi In one of its latest commentaries, RAND Corporation, one of interpreted as a negative signal to Iran’ the top U.S. think tanks, has argued that Biden’s administration cannot turn back the clock on the Iran nuclear deal. On March 1, Raphael Cohen, the associate director of the POLITICAL TEHRAN — Diako Hos- and the U.S., if Biden does not build trust desk Strategy and Doctrine Program of RAND Project AIR FORCE seini, director of the World (between the two countries).” discusses that the Oval Office may probably find it demanding Studies Program at the Presidential Center With regard to unpredictability of inter- to keep this pledge. He believes: “Not only do all of the origi- for Strategic Studies, says any statement or national affairs, he noted, “Unpredictable nal flaws of the agreement remain but, more importantly, the resolution by the IAEA Board of Governors events will likely happen. The U.S reacted agreement was predicated on a geopolitical context that no will send a negative signal to Iran, according to missile attack on Irbil by airstrikes that longer exists.” to IRNA news agency. could lead to dangerous actions.” Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian If the EU follows the United States’ con- foreign minister, on Monday warned the cern about Iran’s nuclear program, it doesn’t three European parties to the 2015 nuclear resolve the crisis, he noted, adding, “The deal that a resolution against Iran by the Europeans have to play an effective role in IAEA Board of Governors would disrupt the the issue and persuade the U.S to rejoin the current conditions. JCPOA and to prevent a crisis.” Hosseini noted a resolution will question He added, “The Europeans support diplo- the goodwill of the U.S. and EU and increase macy. They see the JCPOA as their security the distrust existed between Iran and the U.S. achievement. So, they have to maintain the Pointing to the EU proposal for a direct deal and consider mutual interest.” negotiation between Iran and the U.S., he “Russia and China can encourage the U.S. stressed, “While Biden’s administration has to return to the nuclear deal. However, there taken steps to increase the trust and to re- is a competition among the U.S., China and dress Trump’s wrong actions, Iran’s positive Russia and, therefore, they don’t trust each answer could be fruitful.” policy towards Iran, he asserted, to show its goodwill. The condition of the other and consequently China and Russia JCPOA and U.S. public opinion Regarding the Biden administration’s “Biden’s administration has about a month JCPOA may intensify the crisis between Iran don’t intervene in Iran’s issue.” RAND mentions that until Trump’s withdrawal from 2015 Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the agreement was relatively pop- ular among the American public. The author refers to the Iran calls verbal support for diplomacy ‘hypocritical’ results of a public opinion poll conducted by YouGov in 2017 1 for the multi-party nature of the agreement. Taking the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (IAEA) and the IAEA. that indicated most Americans supported the JCPOA. The “We believe in diplomacy as the only way out of measures, the U.S. also ignored the fact that the deal has He said there is no reason that the U.S. express concern research found that 56 percent of the public approved of the the impasse created by the U.S. But the least thing to prove been ratified by the United Nations Security Council as one about the suspension of the Additional Protocol by Iran, agreement, of which 31 percent strongly approved and 25 goodwill is that the U.S., which has reneged on its primary of its resolutions. adding if the U.S. is “really worried” it must lift sanctions percent somewhat approved. commitments under the (UNSC) Resolution 2231, should A year after the U.S. withdrawal, Iran took a set of coun- on Iran and then Iran will return to full compliance to the Cohen also noticed that in 2018 less than one in three honor them,” Rabiee stressed. termeasures in accordance with paragraph 36 of the JCPOA nuclear agreement. Americans agreed with Donald Trump’s decision to pull the Rabiei emphasized Biden’s administration cannot follow as the signatories to the JCPOA failed to honor their com- He also said Iran respond to “positive” or “negative” U.S. out of the JCPOA. A national opinion poll conducted the policies of its predecessor and expect results. mitments. moves accordingly. by Reuters/Ipsos on May 4-8 2018 found that 29 percent of In 2018, the U.S. abandoned the deal under former president ‘Unexpected moves will immediately close windows Noting that the “maximum pressure” campaign against adults wanted to end the deal with Iran. Meanwhile, another Donald Trump and returned the harsh sanctions and added of opportunity’ Iran has failed and there is no alternative for the U.S. other 42 percent said the U.S. should remain in the deal, and the new ones. Iran has denounced the sanctions as “economic The government spokesman also said if the IAEA Board than returning to its commitments under the 2015 nuclear remaining 28 percent said they “don’t know.” terrorism.” Washington then successfully pressured the of Governors adopts a resolution against Iran, the Islamic deal, the government spokesman said, “Moves contrary Europeans into abiding by the economic bans and barring Serving good politics but not a good policy Republic will “surely react” and will take a “proper decision”, to Iran’s expectations will immediately close windows of RAND points out that the agreement thwarted the Trump their trade with Tehran. including a revision of the Feb. 21 agreement between the opportunity.” administration’s “America first” foreign policy and writes: The United States’ violations came in sheer disregard “While rejoining the JCPOA may make for good politics, it may not make for good policy.” Like his counterparts, Cohen, a military intelligence branched ‘Jahangiri and I considered main potential Qalibaf doesn’t intend to run for president as lieutenant colonel, accuses Tehran of pursuing nuclear weap- ons with “potentially explosive foreign policy”. To explain the presidential candidates by Construction Party’ possibility of Raisi candidacy rises: MP “flaws” of the JCPOA, he argues that the deal was neither a POLITICAL TEHRAN — Mohsen ganeh and former health Minister Ma- POLITICAL TEHRAN — Parlia- nounced by Qalibaf himself there was long-term agreement nor effective against the “Iran challenge.” desk desk In this regard, the analyst refers to U.S. Secretary of State Hashemi, the chair- soud Pezeshkian as possible candidates ment Speaker Moham- a doubt that it may not be authentic. Antony Blinken’s interview with NBC News on February 1, his man of the policymaking committee outside the party whose candidacy is mad Baqer Qalibaf does not intend to However, some informed sources in in- first television appearance since arriving at the White House, of the Servants of Construction Party, being proposed. run in the June presidential election terviews with the Tasnim news agency in which the secretary claimed that Iran could be just “weeks has said he and Vice President Es’hq Of course, he added, there is “more because there is possibility of a candi- confirmed the report. away” from having sufficient nuclear material for a bomb. Jahangiri are considered the main poten- positive view” toward Zarif but still it dacy by Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Raisi, They said since Raisi may field can- Against the backdrop, Cohen claims that rather than block- tial candidates in the June presidential cannot be said that this is a prevalent a lawmaker close to Qalibaf announced didacy Qalibaf has no intention to con- ing Iran’s path to nuclear weapons for good, the JCPOA just election, Tasnim reported on Tuesday. view by the party. on Friday. test the presidential election and he has restricted it for 15 years and ignored the Iranian missile pro- “So far, the party has assessed possible Zarif has vehemently rejected candi- Mohsen Pirhadi, a member of the clearly announced this to certain indi- gram, a potential delivery means for what he called Iran’s candidacy of more than 10 persons that dacy for the presidential election. Majlis presiding board, said this is be- viduals who are influential in shaping nuclear weapons. finally some possible candidates including A few days ago, Mohammad Atrianfar, cause Qalibaf seeks to ally with Raisi in the policies of the principlist faction. It is worth noting that notwithstanding the Obama admin- me and Mr. Jahangiri were considered a leading member of the Construction the presidential campaigns. In the 2017 presidential elections, istration approved the JCPOA, the U.S. Treasury Department as the main potential candidates,” said Party, said, “If reformists are prohibited “Qalibaf does not intend candida- Qalibaf withdrew candidacy in favor of sanctioned 11 companies and individuals in January 2016 Hashemi, the current chairman of the from fielding their main candidate, per- cy in the 1400 presidential election… Raisi at the final hours. under the pretext of helping Iran’s ballistic missile program. Tehran City Council haps they will decide to support (former and my analysis is that with the rising Qalibaf, a former Tehran mayor and Cohen also claims that Tehran’s sponsorship of terrorism However, he added, “There should be parliament speaker) Ali Larijani to stand possibility of the presence of Ayatollah national police chief, came second in the was excluded from the 2015 agreement and Iran’s missile talks with us to see whether we intend for presidential election.” Raisi, Dr. Qalibaf wants to help him,” 2013 election in which Hassan Rouhani program continued to develop after the deal. candidacy or not.” Mostafa Hashemi Taba, a reform- said Pirhadi. won the election. Shattered pillars of the JCPOA Hashemi, the son of late President ist activist who ran for president in the The presidential election in Iran will Among the principlists, so far former In this context, RAND argues: “Even beyond these issues, Hashemi Rafsanjani, cited other figures 2017 election, has predicted the main be held in the calendar year of 1400 defense minister Hossein Dehqan and though, many of the underlying assumptions of the JCPOA such as Foreign Minister Mohammad competition will be among principlist (2021) on Khordad 29 (June 18). former senior MP Ali Motahari have no longer hold true and time is no longer on the United States Javad Zarif, Oil Minister Bijan Zan- candidates. Since the report has not been an- announced presidential candidacy. side.”. The author sheds light on the Iranian public opinion towards the JCPOA after Trump’s withdrawal. Cohen reminds that a series of polls conducted in 2019 by the Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland (CISSM) Blame game doesn’t and IranPoll revealed that fifteen months after May 2018, a clear majority of Iranians wanted to leave the deal in response work to revive to the U.S. withdrawal and sanctions. To be precise, Iranians’ support for the deal plummeted from 85 percent in August Iran nuclear deal: 2015 to 42 percent in October 2019. Admitting that the economic benefits which Iran expected Guardian to enjoy under the JCPOA never materialized, Cohen argues to rebuild the trust between Tehran and Washington, lifting POLITICAL TEHRAN — Biden may inadvert- sanctions by the Biden administration may prove insufficient. deskently achieve what Trump couldn’t. Regarding this, he writes: “The chance that a future Amer- He is destroying the Iran deal, Obama’s main foreign ican administration could reimpose sanctions might deter policy achievement, according the Guardian, a British companies from investing in Iran and limit the short-term newspaper. impact of any relief.” “Diplomacy is back!” President Joe Biden declared Regional stumbling blocks for Biden at the Munich Security Conference, the newspaper Israel and some of its Arab partners, who are not partners said. But the newspaper asks: “So is bombing Syria.” of the 2015 deal, claim that Iran is an existential threat to them Biden has only been president a bit more than a and thereby try to propagate this illusion that the JCPOA will month, but he has already ordered his first bombing strengthen what they call Iran’s “regional ambitions”. campaign, it said, adding it took Trump four months In this context, RAND explains the matter from a geopolitical to do the same. perspective based on the Abraham Accords brokered between The target was facilities in eastern Syria used by Israel and some Arab states of the Persian Gulf on August 13, Iraq’s anti-terror forces. 2020. The analyst believes that the agreement implies the The U.S. tried to justify attack on the Iraqi anti-terror Israeli-Arab split as the regional primary cleavage, does not forces by claiming that they attacked U.S. and West- exist anymore. As RAND argues, this as a new dynamic, can ern targets inside Iraq with the permission of Iran. put any future nuclear deal in a regional context. Contrary to the claim by Biden, Iranian Foreign Domestic challenges against Biden Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told his Iraqi coun- Cohen also points out that recently the U.S. has faced some terpart Faud Hussein, who visited Iran on Feb. 27, pressing challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic which the that the attacks and events inside Iraq are “suspicious” Biden administration is required to put them at the top of its and suggested it is essential that the Iraqi government concerns. Moreover, the analyst believes that in comparison take actions against those behind such actions. to managing China and Russia, the Iran challenge may sit The Guardian argued Biden intended to signal at the lower ranks of the Oval Office foreign policy agenda. to Iran that it would pay a heavy price if it ordered He also argues that while the U.S. may be less interested attacks against U.S. forces to pressure the U.S. to in solving the nuclear dispute, the opponents of the JCPOA return to the Iran nuclear deal, and wrote, “By bomb- are still vocal which may potentially make it more difficult ing Syria for this reason, Biden proved how failing for Washington to salvage the deal. to rejoin the nuclear agreement endangers U.S. na- Projection as a political weapon tional security – Iran’s nuclear program continues Reviewing the aforementioned, it sounds that in an attempt to advance while the U.S. and Iran glide closer to a to induce failure of any future talks on the nuclear deal in military confrontation.” advance, RAND invokes domestic, regional, and international The newspaper said, “Biden knows these argu- political dynamics as inadvertent barriers which would pre- ments quite well. He made them against Donald vent Biden to turn back the clock on the Iran nuclear deal. In Trump only a few months ago. His top officials have other words, using the technique of projection, the think tank spent the past years extensively criticizing Trump’s attempts to justify the U.S. likely cheating at the table under maximum pressure strategy. They were all correct.” any pretexts other than Washington’s bad faith. (See full text at tehrantimes.com) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y MARCH 3, 2021 IRAN IN FOCUS 3 SPORTS Joint Comprehensive Plan of Sanctions Esteghlal part ways with Mahmoud Fekri

Biden hires Architect of Sanctions to revive a deal meant to lift sanctions SPORTSTEHRAN – Esteghlal football club parted deskcompany with Mahmoud Fekri on Tuesday POLITICAL TEHRAN – The White tee, Adeyemo said Iran should only enjoy after a string of poor results in deskHouse has taken a range sanctions relief if it resumes compliance Iran Professional League. of measures that run counter to Joe Biden’s with the JCPOA, Reuters reported. He also He was sacked after five promises to rekindle diplomacy with Teh- vowed that Treasury would look carefully at months in charge. ran after four years of Trump’s harsh rhet- “any Iranian efforts to evade sanctions and Under leadership of Fekri, oric against the Islamic Republic. abuse the international banking system.” Esteghlal ended the first half These measures were the latest indi- These remarks came amid a renewed of the season as the third team cation that the Biden administration is U.S. push to rachet up diplomatic pressure behind Persepolis and Sepahan. still far from changing tack on Iran. On on Iran by pressuring the International Farhad Majidi, Amir Gha- Monday, it was announced that Richard Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Gov- lenoei and Javad Nekounam Nephew, a veteran sanctions expert widely ernors into adopting a resolution against are reportedly candidates to known as the architect of U.S. sanctions Iran at the current session of the Agency’s replace Fekri. against Iran under Barack Obama, joined board. The Blues look to bring an end to their eight-year’s title drought the Biden administration. Bloomberg reported last week that U.S. in Iran football league. “Brookings experts @lindseywford diplomats circulated a draft resolution and @RichardMNephew have joined the on Thursday which lists Washington’s Biden administration, as deputy assistant grievances and orders Iran to fully co- secretary of defense for South and South operate with inspectors. Ali Karimi deserves more East Asia, and deputy special envoy for The proposed resolution would “un- Iran at the Department of State, respec- derscore strong concern at the IAEA’s credit tively. Congratulations!” the Brookings findings” and “express the board’s deep- By Masoud Hossein Institution said in a tweet on Monday. ening concern with respect to Iran’s co- Nephew confirmed the news by chang- operation,” Bloomberg said, adding that TEHRAN – The Iran football federation knew its new president ing his Twitter bio. “Deputy U.S. Special this resolution would suggest that Iran on Sunday but there is something wrong; Ali Karimi just earned Envoy for Iran,” his new Twitter bio reads. could be providing incomplete information the Bureau of International Security and as a playbook for how to best implement nine votes out of 87 votes. And the question remains unclear The Brookings Institution said in a on its nuclear activities, something that Nonproliferation at the State Department sanctions as a foreign policy tool. that why the members of the presidential elections ignored a statement that Nephew was selected to has potentially serious consequences, and in the Office of Nonproliferation and Considering his track record in driving man from football. serve as deputy special envoy for Iran at including another referral to the United International Security at the Department U.S. sanctions policy, Nephew’s appoint- In the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran the Department of State. Nations Security Council. of Energy,” according to Nephew’s short ment set off alarm bells in Tehran, with (FFIRI) presidential elections which were held at the Iran Inter- Nephew has been a nonresident senior According to a Reuters report, Euro- biography on Columbia University website. some Iranians describing this appointment national Conference Center in Tehran on Sunday, Shahabeddin fellow in the Arms Control and Non-Pro- pean signatories to the JCPOA – France, Nephew’s appointment does not as an indication of “Biden’s maliciousness” Azizi Khadem was elected as new president of football federation liferation Initiative at the Brookings In- Germany and the UK (E3) – are pressing bode well for the future of the Iran nu- against Iran. with 49 votes out of 87 votes. stitution since 2015. He also was a Senior ahead with the U.S. efforts to pass the clear deal, formally known as the Joint “That Richard Nephew, an architect of You will win or lose the elections but the Sunday’s votes show Research Scholar at the Center on Global resolution, despite Russian and Iranian Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), cruel sanctions against the Iranian nation, a weird thing. Karimi, as the only football icon in the elections, Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA. warnings of serious consequences. simply because he is joining the Biden is joining the Biden team is another proof had to lose the campaign with more votes. He joined Columbia University in February Iran has said that the adoption of the administration at a time when Iran has that proves Biden and his foreign policy Nine votes? It’s really ridiculous. It’s unbelievable. 2015. Prior to that, he served as Principal resolution will further complicate the placed the priority of lifting sanctions high team’s maliciousness. The Americans’ Karimi has not enough managerial experience to lead the Deputy Coordinator for Sanctions Policy situation around the JCPOA and elicit on its agenda, linking the salvation of the grudge against Iran is not limited to Re- football federation, that’s true. But the three other candidates, at the Department of State from February a proper response from Iran. JCPOA to the lifting of the U.S. sanctions publicans or Democrats. The only way to in my opinion, were not the best choices to run the federation. 2013 to 2015. In addition, he was a member Regardless of how Iran would respond, on Tehran. confront the economic war of the enemy Iran football has headed by the persons who have not been of the Obama national security team from the U.S. push for the resolution is yet And Nephew, a functionary who per- is to fight corruption and rely on domestic the best options over the past 15 years and, as a result, has been 2011 to 2013 when he played a pivotal another sign that it is not interested in fected “the art of sanctions”, is not going capabilities,” Ahmad Naderi, an Iranian seriously damaged. There is no hope, it seems, the new federation role in expanding U.S. sanctions against diplomacy with Iran. The renewed U.S. to lift the sanctions. Instead, he will likely lawmaker, said in a tweet on Tuesday. can change the wrong way. Iran, according to Columbia University. pressure on Iran comes after Iran showed turn the JCPOA into a joint comprehen- Further exacerbating Iranian concerns Karimi lost the elections and it’s normal. But, why he did “Nephew also served as the lead sanc- its goodwill by striking a deal with the sive plan of sanctions. During the Obama are the recent remarks of Wally Adeye- garner a few votes? tions expert for the U.S. team negotiating IAEA on how to continue cooperation in administration, Nephew spent much time mo, President Joe Biden’s pick for deputy He could lose the elections with 20, 30 or 40 votes but he, with Iran. From May 2011 to January 2013 light of the start of implementation of coordinating and managing Iran sanctions, Treasury secretary. unbelievably, lost the elections with just nine votes. It’s a shame Nephew served as the Director for Iran a parliamentary nuclear law obligating gaining extensive field experience in im- Adeyemo underlined his commitment that the Iranian football members have decided to ignore a foot- on the National Security Staff where he the Iranian government to stop the im- plementing sanctions against a number to rigorous enforcement of U.S. sanctions ball icon. was responsible for managing a period plementation of the Additional Protocol of countries, including Iran. against Iran, according to Reuters. The Iranian football clubs’ managers have always protested of intense expansion of U.S. sanctions on to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty He outlined his experience in a book In written responses to queries from the football situation and said the football must lead by the foot- Iran. Earlier in his career, he served in (NPT) if the West failed to lift the sanctions. titled “The Art of Sanctions,” which serves members of the Senate Finance Commit- ball icons but they showed that there is no serious intention to change the condition. Iran football needs a renaissance, but … Iran warns IAEA against adopting resolution POLITICAL TEHRAN – Several Iranian officials Araqchi made the remarks in the fourth round of political Esteghlal directors are deskhave warned the UN nuclear watchdog talks between Iran and Austria, which was held through as well as the West against adopting a resolution against video conference with Austrian Secretary-General for to blame as well: Iran at the session of the International Atomic Agency Foreign Affairs in the Federal Ministry for European and Energy’s Board of Governors. International Affairs Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal. Sattar Hamedani Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif “The removal of all the illegal and oppressive sanc- warned that any hostile move by the IAEA’s Board of tions on Iran is the basic condition of Iran for going back By Farrokh Hesabi Governors against the Islamic Republic of Iran would to the implementation of its JCPOA commitments,” TEHRAN— Five months after it began, Mahmoud Fekri’s ca- further complicate the situation around the 2015 Iran Araghchi pointed out. reer as Esteghlal head coach is over. Sattar Hamedani, former nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive The U.S. and Iran are locked in a bitter dispute over Esteghlal’s player and director believes that the club’s directors Plan of Action (JCPOA). how to revive the JCPOA. Iran has said time and again are as much to blame as the former head coach Fekri for the Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting with members that the only way to revive the deal is for Washington to team’s poor run of form. of the Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy lift all the sanctions the Trump administration imposed Fekri, fired Tuesday, leaves with the club third in the Iran Committee on Monday, Zarif said the adoption of an the IAEA as before. 2. To a temporary bilateral technical on Iran. But the Biden administration, while admitting Professional League (IPL) table, six points off the top. anti-Iran resolution at the IAEA board will mess up the understanding, compatible with the Law, whereby the that Trump’s policies against Iran were wrong, has so Hamedani, who was appointed as Estehglal’s sporting di- current situation. IAEA will continue with its necessary verification and far refused to change these policies. The U.S. instead rector, said to Tehran Times: “Fekri should have worked better “The Europeans have started a wrong move in sup- monitoring activities for up to 3 months (as per tech- sought to ramp up the pressure on Iran by pushing for the at Esteghlal, there is no doubt about it. He couldn’t handle the port of the U.S. at the (IAEA) Board of Governors,” nical annex). 3. To keep the technical understanding adoption of a resolution against Iran at the IAEA’s board. challenges and manage the problems in a difficult time for Es- Zarif told reporters, adding that the Western countries’ under regular review to ensure it continues to achieve Iranian President Hassan Rouhani reiterated this teghlal. However, I firmly believe that the club›s top directors measure could further complicate the situation, ac- its purposes,” according to a joint statement issued by position on Monday. He said he is confident that the are also to blame for what happened to the club.” cording to Fars News. the IAEA and the AEOI following the signing of the deal United States will finally have to kneel down before the Fekri’s downfall was the consequence of a string of poor re- According to Zarif, Iran has already informed the IAEA on February 21. Iranian nation and abandon its sanctions. sults which saw the blues two defeats and just one win in their Board of Governors of the potential consequences of the Salehi said the deal has a confidential part. “The ap- Rouhani referred to the failure of former U.S. Presi- last five IPL games. His final game was Monday›s draw against Westerners’ move. pendix to this statement is confidential,” the nuclear chief dent Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” against Iran Mes Rafsanjan. “We have provided the necessary explanations about stated. “No specific conditions have been made in this as well as his defeat in the U.S. election as a victory for “Fekri was sacked but the managers who have made this chaos the current situation to all members of the Board of Gov- regard, and according to the detailed information about the Iranian nation. have stayed at the club and are deciding the future of Esteghlal,” ernors,” Zarif said, warning, “We hope that reason will the list of facilities and monitoring cameras mentioned ‘Butcher and murderer was toppled’ Hamedani said. prevail, otherwise we have our own solutions.” in this appendix and also due to security considerations “That butcher and murderer was toppled, and the “I emphasize that the club’s directors are also to blame be- Earlier on Sunday, Atomic Energy Organization of and the need to hide the location of key facilities in Iran, new U.S. administration has confessed four times that cause we have seen in the last few years that every coach who Iran (AEOI) director Ali Akbar Salehi also had warned this appendix will remain confidential.” the previous administration’s maximum pressure was has worked at Esteghlal, has had problems and differences with the IAEA board against adopting a resolution against Salehi also said Iran has sent a letter to the IAEA wrong,” Rouhani said, describing them as two achieve- the management of the club, Iran, saying that such a hostile move would prompt Iran warning it against adopting a resolution against Iran. ments for Iran, according to the official website of the “Their approach to head coaches has been consistent during to reciprocate. Iranian officials did not give detail about the content Iranian government. the recent years and Fekri knew that when he got the job. He›ll “In case the Board of Governors of the International of the letter. But Reuters claimed that Iran has warned “It is our biggest success in history that, as a result of have an understanding that he went into a club that has always Atomic Energy Agency adopts an anti-Iran resolution that it will put an end to the recent deal the IAEA struck the Iranian nation’s resilience, they admitted their pres- been like this with coaches. The results and inconsistent form due to the suspension of the Additional Protocol, we will with Iran if the West adopts the resolution. sure and sanctions have been futile,” the president said. have cost him.” Hamedani added. give a proper response,” Salehi said. “Iran perceives this move as destructive and considers He also vowed that the Islamic Republic will be in Salehi pointed to the recent deal between Iran and the it as an end to the Joint Understanding of 21 February a better situation this year in terms of the removal of IAEA on how to continue cooperation in light of Iran’s 2021 between the Agency and the Islamic Republic of sanctions and its fight against the coronavirus pandemic. decision to implement a parliamentary nuclear law ob- Iran,” Iran purportedly said in its letter to the IAEA, “I’m confident that the world and the U.S. will have Sports court lifts Iran judo ligating the Iranian government to cease the voluntary according to Reuters. to kneel down before this great nation, and abandon the implementation of the Additional Protocol to the nuclear Bloomberg reported on Thursday that U.S. diplomats cruel sanctions,” he added. suspension Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). circulated a document on Thursday which lists Washing- ‘No change in Iran’s policies unless Washing- The nuclear law, officially called “Strategic Action to ton’s grievances and orders Iran to fully cooperate with ton lifts sanctions’ Iran’s suspension from international judo events was overturned Lift Sanctions and Protect the Nation’s Rights,” stipulates inspectors. The proposed resolution would “underscore Also on Monday, Saeed Khatibzadeh, spokesman for by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Monday. that if the remaining parties to the JCPOA – Germany, strong concern at the IAEA’s findings” and “express the Iran’s Foreign Ministry, stated that there will be no bilateral The case was prompted by former world champion Saeid France, China, Russia and the UK- failed to facilitate Iran’s board’s deepening concern with respect to Iran’s coop- talks or any change in Iran’s policies unless Washington Mollaei leaving the Iranian team in 2019, claiming he was oil exports and the return of Iranian oil revenues in two eration,” Bloomberg said, adding that this resolution corrects its wrong policies and return to compliance with ordered to lose matches and withdraw from competitions to months, the Iranian government would be obligated to would suggest that Iran could be providing incomplete the 2015 nuclear deal. avoid facing Israelis. stop inspections beyond the IAEA safeguards, including information on its nuclear activities, something that has “We have no bilateral talks with the United States, CAS said its judges hearing the Iranian judo federation’s the voluntary implementation of the Additional Protocol, potentially serious consequences, including another re- and unless the US corrects its wrong path, there will be appeal decided the International Judo Federation overstepped which allows unannounced and intensive inspections ferral to the United Nations Security Council. no change in Iran’s policies,” the spokesman said. its own authority with such a severe ban, which was imposed of nuclear sites. Government spokesman Ali Rabiei also said on Tuesday “Up to now, almost two months since the Biden ad- in October 2019. The case was sent back to an IJF disciplinary The IAEA chief paid a visit to Iran a few days before the that if the Board of Governors adopts a resolution, Iran ministration took office, they have not officially declared panel for review. law was implemented. He succeeded in securing a deal will review its agreement with the IAEA. their return to the JCPOA, even verbally. This is really a The court acknowledged the Iranian judo federation had with Iran that would ensure the IAEA access to Iranian ‘The West’s move is unconstructive’ historical shame for Mr. Biden, who had set up his pres- “committed severe violations of the IJF rules” on discrimina- nuclear sites. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs idential campaign in a different way, but in practice, we tion and should be punished, though within the world governing Under the deal, the AEOI and the IAEA agreed to Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Monday lambasted the U.S. are seeing a different administration,” he noted. body’s rules. continue cooperation in a new way. for trying to get the IAEA’s Board of Governors to pass “Nice words have been uttered sporadically here and During the case, the IJF said any action taken against Iran “In order for the Agency to continue its verification the resolution against Iran, underlining that this move is there, and we have heard those words, but we want action, would not apply directly to the Tokyo Olympics, because athletes and monitoring activities, the AEOI and the IAEA agreed: non-constructive and threatening the atmosphere created and don’t base our policies on words. In other words, we are technically entered by the Iranian Olympic Committee and 1. That Iran continues to implement fully and without for diplomacy, especially after Iran and the IAEA reached will reciprocate the other side’s action proportionately,” not the national judo body. limitation its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with an understanding recently. Khatibzadeh added. (source: CTVnews) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 4 ECONOMY MARCH 3, 2021

Water, electricity projects worth Over 21m tons of over $138m put into operation ECONOMY TEHRAN – Iranian Energy Minister Reza basic goods imported deskArdakanian inaugurated 20 major water and electricity projects valued at 5.8 trillion rials (about $138 million) in six provinces through video conference on Tuesday. Inaugurated in the 43rd week of the Energy Ministry’s A-B-Iran program, six of the mentioned projects were put into operation in in 11 months Kermanshah, four projects were inaugurated in Gilan, while six ECONOMY TEHRAN – Iran has im- were 69 percent and 31.5 percent in terms projects went operational in West Azarbaijan and Fars provinces. deskported 21.4 million tons of of weight and value, respectively. basic commodities worth $10.84 billion during The official noted that over 15.5 million the first 11 months of the current Iranian tons or 72 percent of the imported basic com- calendar year (March 20, 2020-February modities have been paid for by subsidized 18, 2021), the spokesman of the Islamic foreign currency. Republic of Iran Customs Administration As reported, corn was the top imported (IRICA) announced. commodity during the mentioned time span According to Rouhollah Latifi, in the both in terms of weight and value, with 9.125 mentioned period a total of 30.818 million million tons worth $2.298 billion of imports. tons of non-oil commodities worth $34.321 The said commodity accounted for 42 equipment, and essential medical supplies 1.615 million tons worth $693.786 million, billion were imported into the country, IRNA percent and 21 percent of the total basic with 13,560 tons worth $1.481 billion, oil- and barley with 1.702 million tons worth reported. goods imports in terms of weight and val- seeds with 2.04 million tons worth $1.073 $422.100 million were the top commodity The shares of the basic goods from the ue, respectively. billion, edible oils with 1.034 million tons items imported into the country during the country’s total imports in the said period In addition to corn, medicines, medical worth $895.96 million, soybean meal with period under review.

The projects include several power supply projects, some power line reconstruction projects, an 8.6-megawatt small-scale pow- er plant, a wastewater treatment project, as well as several rural Online seminar on Iran-Pakistan trade to be held today electricity supply projects. 1 In late December 2020, Pakistan’s Advisor to will go beyond political relations,” he added. A-B-Iran program (the acronyms A and B stand for water and Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak The official further emphasized that his country is electricity in Persian) was initiated in the previous Iranian calen- Dawood said his country was seeking to enhance ties with eager for expanding trade ties with Iran, saying: “The dar year (ended on March 19, 2020), during which the minister the Islamic Republic of Iran, especially in economic areas. Islamic Republic of Iran and the expansion of trade and made several trips to various provinces for inaugurating over 220 Mentioning his upcoming visit to Tehran for attend- commerce with the country is very important for Paki- major projects with a total investment of 335.6 trillion rials (about ing the two countries’ ninth Joint Economic Committee stan, so our focus is on developing trade and bringing $7.99 billion). meeting, Dawood said: “This meeting was due to be held it to a desirable level.” Since the beginning of the second phase of the scheme in the in October but following the escalation of the coronavirus Praising the opening of the second official border current Iranian calendar year (started on March 20, 2020), every spread the event was postponed and the new date for with Iran, the advisor said the Pakistani government is week several energy projects have gone operational across the the meeting will be announced soon.” keen on developing border markets and infrastructure country. He underlined his country’s new policies for facilitating with Iran. According to Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian, in the second trade with neighbors, including Iran and Afghanistan, The Rimdan-Gabd border was officially inaugurated phase of the program 250 projects were going to be inaugurated and stressed: “The barriers for trade with our country on December 19 in the presence of officials from the by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20). are gradually being removed, we are pursuing the same “Our relations with Iran are improving and we hope two countries, becoming the second border crossing Earlier on Sunday, Ardakanian had also inaugurated several new approach with Iran.” that the development of the two countries’ economic ties between the two neighbors. systems for improving services in the water and electricity sectors. The mentioned systems were put into operation in various areas including resource consumption improvement, asset utilization, human resource management, financial resources management, and reforming work processes in order to create transparency Iran-Syria trade conference held in Tehran and to facilitate and accelerate affairs while eliminating possible ECONOMY TEHRAN – The Inter- Shahrivar noted that Syria is one of the lack of efficient banking relations between bottlenecks. desknational Institute of Iran countries that can be a strong economic the two countries, insufficient insurance A smart system for improving the Energy Ministry’s support Industries Research (MPSIran) hosted a partner for Iran, adding: “When there are coverage in the export of technical engineer- and emergency centers called Homa, as well as a new customer conference on Iran-Syria trade cooperation restrictions on trade relations between Iran ing services by Iran’s Export Development services system called Chavoush were also among the launched in Tehran on Monday evening. and Syria, it will not be possible to invest Fund (EDF), and travel restrictions due systems. The event was attended by senior officials and implement large projects.” to the coronavirus pandemic. A mechanized network monitoring system called Sanam was from both sides including Deputy Director “After solving basic problems, espe- Earlier on Monday morning, the also put into operation; this system is aimed at monitoring the elec- of Tehran Industry, Mining, and Trade cially in the logistics and banking sectors, Iran-Syria Joint Chamber of Commerce tricity networks of various provinces in order to reduce electricity Organization Houshang Rezaei Samarin, international standards should be taken had also organized and held a conference losses and improve the efficiency of the country’s power network. the Director-General of Ministry of Labor, into account for developing exports and on the business opportunities of the two As reported, electricity losses in the country’s power network Cooperatives and Social Welfare for Intl. trade relations between the two sides,” countries at the place of Iran Chamber of have been reduced from 14.5 percent in the Iranian calendar year Affairs Ali-Hossein Shahrivar, Syria’s Com- “Syria is going through a period of stability Shahrivar added. Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agri- 1392 (ended in March 2014) to 9.5 percent in the current Iranian mercial Attaché in Tehran Ahmad Khamis, and this has presented many opportunities According to the official, Iran’s exports culture (ICCIMA). calendar year (ends on March 20) and as a result, the fuel con- and Hamid Hosseini, board member of in the fields of infrastructure reconstruction to Syria are 10 times more than its imports The conference was attended by sen- sumption by the country’s power plants has also decreased by 16 Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce. and trade development for Iranian compa- from this country. This trend causes an ior officials from the two sides including billion liters. The attendees of the meeting discussed a nies, so the conference on Iran-Syria trade imbalance in economic relations between the Head of Iran-Syria Joint Chamber of The mentioned developments have saved the country about variety of issues in this event and explored and economic cooperation has been held the two countries. Commerce Keyvan Kashefi and the head 500 trillion rials (about $11.9 billion) during the said period. ways for removing the barriers in the way to take a step towards developing more Further in the gathering, Houshang of the Federation of Syrian Chambers of of the expansion of two countries’ trade. economic cooperation between the two Rezaei mentioned some of the problems Commerce Fahd Mahmoud Darwish, as Speaking in the meeting, Sina Sanjari, countries.” in the way of expanding trade relations well as the Head of Iran’s Trade Promotion Exports from Astara port the managing director of the MPSIran said: Elsewhere in the conference, Ali-Hossein between the two countries including the Organization (TPO) Hamid Zadboum. rises 82%

ECONOMY TEHRAN — As announced by a provincial deskofficial, exports from Astara port in the north of Iran has increased 82 percent since the beginning of current Over $70m of loans paid to production units of Bushehr in 10 months Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2020), as compared with the ECONOMY TEHRAN — A provincial official -an Part of the said figure is provided by the National De- same period of time in the past year. desknounced that 3 trillion rials (about $71.42 velopment Fund (NDF) and part of it is supplied by the Arsalan Zare, the governor-general of Gilan Province, where million) of loans has been paid to the production units of banking system. So far, a total of 110.4 trillion rials (about the port is located, said this growth is the result of efforts made Bushehr province, in the southwest of Iran, to promote $2.6 billion) of capital has been provided by NDF and the by the traders of the province as well as the customs department production in the province during the first ten months of country’s banks for the mentioned program. of Gilan. the current Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2020 – Jan- Following a major plan for developing the country’s pro- Astara Port is 60 hectares and it is the first port of the private uary 19, 2021). duction under the frameworks of the resilient economy, sector in Iran. It is the closest and the most cost-effective way Saying that the completion of industrial units which the government has defined several projects with the aim for trade and transport between Asia, Africa, and Europe. It has are complete by above 60 percent is a prioritized program, of creating 1,032,962 job opportunities. been designed for loading and unloading 2,500-ton freighters. Hossein Hosseini, the head of Industry, Mining and Trade In this regard, the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) has put Located by the Caspian Sea, Astara has sea, land, and railway Department of Bushehr, said the completion of semi-fin- supporting production on the agenda as a major plan over borders points with the Azerbaijan Republic. ished industrial units, providing liquidity to industries and the past two years and CBI Governor Abdolnaser Hem- Even during the coronavirus outbreak, the port is considered reviving stagnant units are in the priority of the programs. mati has constantly stressed that supporting production one of the main points for Iran’s export and import. Iran’s Ministry of Industry, Mining and Trade’s data units to flourish production is the priority of the country’s Managing Director of Khazar Shipping Company has recently show that 101.941 trillion rials (over $2.42 billion) has been banking system. said that Astara Port, located by the Caspian Sea, has become a paid to production units as part of a program for support- facilities are offered to newly established production units Industry Ministry had previously announced that over new hub for container shipping in the region following the launch ing domestic production during the first 10 months of the or semi-finished industrial projects with over 60 percent 335.77 trillion rials (nearly $7.99 billion) was paid to small of new shipping services from this port. current Iranian calendar year. of physical progress. and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and semi-finished Mentioning the establishment of regular container transpor- The mentioned payments were made to 3,439 produc- Based on the mentioned program, 201.299 trillion rials industrial projects during the previous Iranian calendar tation services from Astara port to Aktau port of Kazakhstan tion units. of facilities (about $4.79 billion) have been planned to be year (ended on March 19, 2020). and Astrakhan in Russia, Davood Tafti said: “According to the As reported, under the framework of this program paid to production units to support domestic production The mentioned payments were made in the form of plans, two regular transportation services will operate on this dubbed “facilities for production and employment”, bank and maintain or create job opportunities. 20,930 bank loans to various projects and production units. route weekly, one service from Astara to Aktau port and the other service is done from Anzali- Astara route to Aktau port.” Emphasizing that the launch of these regular services has cre- ated a competitive environment between road and sea transport, Tafti continued: “One of the most important effects of launch- TEDPIX gains 4,600 points on Tuesday ing a regular container shipping service between Astara and the ECONOMY TEHRAN — TEDPIX, market is moving in the right direction surge in the mentioned market. ports of Aktau and Astrakhan is reducing land transportation deskthe main index of Tehran and will reach stability in the near future. However, several external factors, in- rates and breaking the monopoly of land transportation so that Stock Exchange (TSE), rose 4,464 points “Market authorities are currently using cluding the disputes between the oil and as soon as the news of the activation of these regular container to 1.186 million on Tuesday. asymmetric fluctuations to improve the economy ministries over the offering of shipping services was announced, the road transportation rate The first market’s index gained 5,508 market situation, but we must move in a the second ETF (dubbed First Refinery, or in the region decreased to one thousand dollars.” points, and the second market’s index direction where there is no volatility in Dara Second), increase in interest rates, “Breaking the monopoly means reducing costs and increasing climbed 2,116 points on Tuesday. the market,” Amir-Baqeri said. and the ambiguities in the next year’s na- the options of traders, exporters and cargo owners,” he added. TEDPIX had dropped 2.7 percent during Criticizing the government’s interfer- tional budget bill resulted in a recession the past Iranian calendar week. ence in the capital market, Baqeri said in the stock market. The index stood at 1.205 million points the more the market moves away from According to Amir-Baqeri, the changing TCCIMA honors exemplary on Wednesday (the last working day of ordained pricing, and government-set rules political atmosphere in the United States entrepreneurs the week). and regulations, toward a free market in and the world, and also Iran’s economic During the past week, the indices of which the pricing is set through supply resilience against the U.S. sanctions also 1 Iranian First Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri, TCCIMA Social Security Investment Company, and demand, the more realistic and com- impacted the market. Head Masoud Khansari, and Tehran Mayor Pirooz Hanachi were Tamin Cement Company, Amin Invest- petitive the economy will become in the Consequently, Tehran Stock Exchange guidelines and has injected millions of present in this year’s event. ment Bank, Mobarakeh Steel Company, mid and long term. (TSE)’s main index (TEDPIX) which had dollars of resources into the market; how- The mentioned prize is named after Mohammad-Hassan Amin National Iranian Copper Industry Com- The expert noted that political factors surpassed two million points in early Au- ever, these measures have been proven al-Zarb, a highly influential Iranian businessman (born in 1856), pany, Tehran Oil Refining Company, and including the U.S. sanctions and their gust 2020, suddenly started a downward counterproductive, according to the expert. who was the first private sector investor in Iran and set up the Bandar Abbas Oil Refining Company were impact on the domestic markets which led trend in late August and has since slumped The market is correcting itself and first union of private sector in the country. He was one of the the most widely followed indices. to the increase of inflation in the country about 38 percent. will reach stability in near future if the most famous and influential entrepreneurs of Iran with many Last week, market analyst Amir-Ali led people to bring their assets into the To support the market, the government government stops interfering in it, Amir- prominent achievements in entrepreneurship. Amir-Baqeri told IRNA that Iranian stock stock market, and that caused a significant has started passing new regulations and Baqeri stressed. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y MARCH 3, 2021 ANALYSIS/INTERVIEW 5

Crisis in NATO showed traditional security UN warns of Yemen ‘death sentence’ as donor pledges fall short states have become unviable: Oxford professor 1 Shrinking humanitarian budgets last year forced the closure of many programmes including health services and food distribution, heaping hardship on a country where some two-thirds 1 Such attempts to return to the forms of sovereign power, of which Brexit of the population relies on some form of aid to survive. status quo ante are not only unimaginative Britain and Trump’s America are the best According to the latest UN data, more than 16 million Yemenis politically but betray the anxious recognition examples. And others to reinvent a civic or – about half the population – will face hunger this year. Nearly of America’s slipping power and loss of pres- civilizational sovereignty premised upon the 50,000 are already starving to death in famine-like conditions. tige in the world. They are public relations loss of its old-fashioned predecessor. The world body has warned that 400,000 Yemeni children exercises conducted at the cost of non-Amer- Many countries in the EU belong to this under the age of five could die from acute malnutrition. ican lives and international as much as U.S. latter group, led by French efforts to defend domestic law. secularism against immigrant religions and Biden’s team is mostly filled with Anglo-Saxon ideas. But there are also regions U.S. imposes sanctions on figures who served in the Obama ad- like Scotland and Catalonia that see the EU ministration. Do you think Biden would enabling their emergence as non-sovereign Russia over alleged Navalny make more achievements in compar- nations. Both visions of sovereignty, in other ison to Obama? words, work to tear apart existing states. The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on Russian individ- Obama also relied on staff from the Clin- The U.S. has been the sole hegemon uals and entities over Russia’s attempt to kill opposition figure Alexei ton administration, not least Hillary Clinton, in the world for many years. Don’t not Navalny with a nerve agent, senior Biden administration officials said. his designated successor. In making these you think the U.S. power will decline in The officials, speaking to reporters on a conference call, said the choices, Obama betrayed his own promise of the coming years due to the challenges moves were being taken in coordination with the European Union. change, which, when it did finally come, took at home? They reiterated President Joe Biden’s call for Russia to release Na- on the perverse form of the Trump revolution. Trump’s presidency revealed the weak- valny from prison, Reuters reported. Relying on those who have had experience the second. globe in which China, Russia, and other ness of America’s governing institutions The sanctions were a response to what the officials said was a of government is important, but not without a What is Trump’s legacy for the Unit- powers would also play a prominent and the decline of its democratic model Russian attempt to assassinate Navalny last year, an accusation Russia vision for the future. Both Obama and Biden ed States? role? for a global arena. The Cold War had al- denies. Biden’s predecessor, former President Donald Trump, had seem to want a return to the past, and in this In some ways Trump merely showed us the The U.S. will acknowledge multipolarity ready empowered the executive more than not levied punishment on Russia over the Navalny attack. their party is at one with others on the left in truth about America. For he represented the where necessary, say with Russia and China, a presidential system naturally does, and Biden has taken a tougher approach to Russian President Vladimir Western Europe and North America. triumph of a certain vision of neoliberalism and ignore it where it can by the attempt to its unaccountability was only exacerbated Putin than Trump. The left and right in the West seem to in which politics, too, was reduced to the create new zones of influence. Yet the old by 9/11 and the War on Terror. All of this “The United States is neither seeking to reset our relations with have changed places after the Cold War. The economic logic of deal-making, with private system of client regimes that characterized Trump only inherited and did not improve Russia, nor are we seeking to escalate,” one official said. former has become conservative in its desire profit meant to lead to public gain. Cold War alliances are no longer viable at upon, though he did manage to strip pres- “We believe that the United States and our partners must be clear to regain a liberal international order, while But Trump also demonstrated the limits any large scale. idential power of its dignity. and impose costs when Russia’s behavior crosses boundaries that it is the latter which approaches the future of this model, since the economic interests Since the end of the Cold War, we have The Westminster or British model seems are respected by responsible nations, and we believe there should in radically new ways. he championed proved to be so unstable. It seen wave after wave of collapsing regimes to be more resilient, but it, too, is under strain be guard rails on how these adversarial aspects of our relationship Because it is the right that is today defined is because vested interests of this kind no moving from the ex-Soviet Union outwards. both in its country of origin and in many of play out,” the official said. by ideology rather than the left, it can dispense longer define politics in the West that ven- Beginning in the Balkans, Caucasus and Cen- her former colonies. Meanwhile, the EU is with the latter’s mindless pluralism, evident erable parties like the Republicans can be tral Asia, these waves include the so-called a bizarre contraption that is neither empire in Biden’s invocations of race, gender, sexual taken over by adventurers like Trump and colour revolutions in Eastern Europe and nor federation and yet far more than a trading Media watchdog seeks German and other identities all added together into be gutted from within. the Arab Spring. bloc. It is an order without any sovereignty investigation of Saudi crown a constituency with no political meaning. We see the same thing happening in Brit- While some focus on conspiracies and of its own, relying on NATO for much of the This is why it is the right that first puts ain with the takeover of the Conservatives external causes to account for such events, latter. And its unaccountable bureaucracy prince over Khashoggi death ethnic and other minorities in positions of by Brexit supporters, and in France where we can understand them in a structural way famously enjoys a ‘democratic deficit’. power for reasons of ideology not identity. long-established parties were defeated by as the collapse of Cold War regimes rendered Russia and China do not represent global Global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has Before the Democrats had Barack Obama and a newcomer. India and Pakistan exhibit meaningless after it. Today these waves have models either, but then they never have in any accused Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Kamala Harris, the Republicans had Colin similar features outside the West. All over reached the West, itself a relic of the Cold War. serious way. Crucial about the present moment and several top officials of committing crimes against humanity Powell and Condoleezza Rice. the world, it seems, the political party is in The unprecedented crises that have hit and represented by the Trump presidency in a criminal complaint filed in Germany. This is even more true of Britain, where crisis as an institution meant to represent NATO countries from Turkey to the U.S. in particular, is the collapse of the West as a According to Reuters, the 500-page complaint, filed on Monday the Conservative government has been the distinct interests. provide examples of the way in which such universal model. It may still offer the vision with the German Public Prosecutor General in the Karlsruhe federal first to appoint so many minority ministers It is not that such interests do not exist, traditional security states have become un- of relatively free societies marked by great court, includes allegations of arbitrary detention of more than 30 in cabinet. And let us not forget that Trump’s but they no longer dominate or define social viable. One of the first countries to shed its wealth, but this fundamentally social reality journalists and the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal support among non-African American mi- and political relations. This is why the party Cold War regime, Iran has yet to find a place is now endangered by the new politics of Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. norities rose between his first election and of big capital in Britain could push for Brexit for itself in this emerging world. Western Europe and North America. Prince Mohammed has denied any involvement in Khashoggi’s in the teeth of capitalist opposition; or why The post-Cold War state can no longer be killing. Other Saudi figures named in the RSF filing could not be “Crucial about the the remnants of the working class there and defined by old-fashioned sovereignty, itself “Trump’s presidency reached for comment and the Saudi government’s media office present moment and in the U.S. could vote for the right. rendered moot in many ways by globalization. revealed the did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Financialization and the replacement This is why contemporary states are obsessed “Those responsible for the persecution of journalists in Saudi represented by the of manufacturing by services has both by the threat of external meddling, something weakness of Arabia, including the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, must be held Trump presidency globalized and destroyed traditional class that had once been a mark of dictatorships. America’s governing accountable for their crimes,” RSF Secretary-General Christophe identities and politics, whose interests are Important here is not the external agent so Deloire said in a statement. in particular, is now being replaced by racial religious and much as the internal citizen given over to institutions and RSF said it filed the lawsuit in Germany because of its principle the collapse of the other apparently primordial ones. Trump global agendas who must be put under sur- the decline of its of universal jurisdiction, allowing its courts to prosecute crimes West as a universal represented this process. veillance as a potential enemy. democratic model for against humanity committed anywhere, and that other names Do you expect the Biden adminis- The crisis of sovereignty has led to its bi- could be added to the complaint at a later stage. model.” tration would give in to a multi-polar furcation. Some want to reclaim traditional a global arena.” The German prosecutor’s office said it had received the com- plaint and was assessing the legal and factual merits of it. Tehran-Baku-Moscow trade vol. increasing, dynamic: Azeri MP U.S. wasted billions of dollars By Zahra Mirzafarjouyan mission of Azerbaijan’s Parliament, to discuss Tehran-Baku on buildings and vehicles relation in the post-Karabakh war. TEHRAN– Commenting on the significance of regional coop- Regarding the 6-party cooperation between Iran, Russia, in Afghanistan eration and Baku’s approach towards the issue, a member of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia and its positive A scathing new report from a US watchdog says Washington wast- Azerbaijan’s parliament said that increasing Iran, Russia and effects on the region’s development, stability, and prosperity, ed billions of dollars in war-ravaged Afghanistan on buildings and Azerbaijan trade volume shows how the approach is dynamic. Tahir Mirkishili said that Azerbaijan is well aware of the vehicles either abandoned or destroyed. Iran recognized Azerbaijan’s independence in 1991, and significance of regional cooperation. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction diplomatic relations between the two countries were estab- Referring to the Republic of Azerbaijan’s approach to- (SIGAR), which monitors U.S. taxpayers’ money splurged on the long- lished in 1992. ward the issue, he said that Baku has always made efforts drawn-out war, in a report released on Monday highlights massive US Both countries are full members of the Economic Coop- to develop multilateral cooperation, which has been very policy failures in Afghanistan, a country it invaded two decades ago. eration Organization (ECO) and the organization of Islamic fruitful for the country. The agency says it reviewed $7.8 billion spent in the South Asian Cooperation (OIC). The Azerbaijani official said, ‘A look at the volume of trade country since 2008 on buildings and vehicles, out of which only $1.2 To a large extent, Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan between Russia, Iran, and Azerbaijan clearly shows how this billion were used judiciously. share the same history, religion, and culture. approach is growing and dynamic.” The report states that only $343.2 million worth of buildings and Utilizing the commonalities between the two countries, Stressing on the importance of having good relationships Commenting on Iran’s participation in the reconstruc- vehicles “were maintained in good condition,” pointing to rampant relations between the two neighboring countries have grad- with all neighbors Iran, Turkey, Russia, Turkmenistan and tion of the Karabakh region, Mirkishili stressed that due to corruption and gross negligence on the part of U.S. agencies involved ually but significantly improved since 2013. etc., he noted that Baku is even after good cooperation with the massive destruction of the infrastructures of the region in the country. Nowadays, after the liberation of the occupied territo- Armenia after resolving the problems with Armenia, adding during the occupation, Baku is not able to reconstruct the “The fact that so many capital assets wound up not used, dete- ries of Azerbaijan, a new chapter is going to be opened in that to this end, a commission has been established between cities and villages by itself and needs foreign investment riorated or abandoned should have been a major cause of concern the relation of all regional countries, particularly between Azerbaijan, Russia, and Armenia. and help, adding that the Republic of Azerbaijan welcomes for the agencies financing these projects,” John F. Sopko, the U.S. Tehran and Baku. The parliamentarian said that Baku believes all the region Iranian companies’ participation in the reconstruction of special inspector general, is quoted in the report. During a visit to the Republic of Azerbaijan organized by countries, including Armenia and Azerbaijan, should enjoy Karabakh, too. GJC, a correspondent of Mehr News agency reached out to good economic ties with each other to have a developed region He said, “Iran was invited to take part in the reconstruction Tahir Mirkishili, chairman of the Industry & economy com- and tackle poverty. process during the Iranian Foreign Minister’s visit to Baku.” R esistance N ews UAE advancing normalization by America shames itself by naming and not punishing sending envoy to Israel: Hamas Mohammed bin Salman as culprit in Khashoggi case INTERNATIONAL TEHRAN – The Palestinian resistance movement deskHamas has slammed the United Arab Emirates (UAE) By Hossein Jelveh President Biden, however, chose to blame but avoided stretching the U.S.-Saudi relations time characterized the decision to release the for sending an envoy to the Israeli-occupied territories, saying the move the prince in the case publicly. But few, if any- to a breaking point. “The relationship with report as part of a broader Biden administration shows Abu Dhabi is determined to insist on its “sin” of normalization The publication of the United States’ in- one, were awaiting the declassification of U.S. Saudi Arabia is bigger than any one individu- resolution to “recalibrate†ties with Saudi with Tel Aviv. telligence report about the murder of Saudi intelligence about Mohammed. Turkey had al,†U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has Arabia. They have also attempted to portray Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem, in a statement released on Mon- dissident Jamal Khashoggi did little to advance already collected and released incriminating said. “What we’ve done by the actions President Biden and his administration as day, reacted to news of UAE envoy Mohamed Mahmoud al-Khajah the case against Mohammed bin Salman, the intelligence of its own, and there was almost that we’ve taken is really not to rupture the downgrading the crown prince’s formerly delivering his credentials to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin at a ceremony Saudi crown prince, who was already known to zero doubt about the prince’s role among relationship, but to recalibrate it to be more privileged status with top-level officials in Wash- in occupied Jerusalem al-Quds earlier in the day. have hatched the plot to assassinate Khashog- governments worldwide. in line with our interests and our values.†ington; reportedly, Mohammed “has been The statement said the move reflected Abu Dhabi’s insistence on com- gi. But the passive approach that the Biden The only outcome of the episode was that But that does not make sense. Mohammed told to communicate with Defense Secretary mitting the “national sin” of normalizing relations with the Tel Aviv regime. administration subsequently took to the case, the United States displayed its inaction in a is already running most of the top posts in the Lloyd J. Austin III,†and not higher-level “Normalization will always encourage the Israeli Occupation to deciding not to punish the murderer prince, high-profile case of murder and justice in which Saudi government. He is Saudi Arabia’s officials. The Saudi prince formerly had almost deny our Palestinian people’s rights, and continue its crimes against helped demonstrate the lax moral codes of the the United States itself was rekindling public crown prince, defense minister, “deputy direct access to the U.S. president, Trump, via all segments of the Arab world,” Qassem said. administration. interest by presenting its official findings. By prime minister†(the king being “prime Kushner. On February 14, UAE’s Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mo- President Biden, of course, set himself in naming the force behind the murder and refus- minister†), chairman of the Council for Eco- But then again, Mohammed is the future hammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum swore in his country’s first ambassador contrast to his predecessor by publicizing the ing to punish him in any way whatsoever, the nomic and Development Affairs, and chairman king of Saudi Arabia, and he will assume that to the occupied territories. report, which had been finalized in 2018, the Biden administration did not publicly shame of the Council of Political and Security Affairs. position sooner rather than later (his 85-year- Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed agreements with same year Khashoggi was murdered, and his body the murderer; it publicly shamed itself. For all practical purposes, he is the Saudi gov- old father, King Salman, is hailed by old age and Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and was dismembered inside the Saudi consulate in U.S. administration officials have implied ernment. Letting Mohammed walk could only partial dementia). Once he does, the United Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani during an official cer- Istanbul, Turkey. Former U.S. President Donald that the decision not to punish the Saudi crown have been meant to avoid alienating Mohammed. States government will only have him and his emony hosted by ex-U.S. president Donald Trump at the White House Trump courted Mohammed, and Trump’s prince was intended to avoid alienating the To have acted with integrity, the United States government to interact with, and the U.S.-Saudi on September 15 last year. son-in-law, Jared Kushner, famously mingled Saudi government, that by declassifying the should have gone after the murderer prince, relationship will have been “recalibrated†Palestinians, who seek an independent state in the occupied West with the murderer prince seeking to “milk†intelligence report, the Biden administration not putting on a fake show of scrupulousness. in no way. Bank and Gaza, with East Jerusalem as its capital view the deals as a the Saudi cow. carried out a targeted raid against the prince U.S. administration officials have at the same (Source: Press TV) betrayal of their cause. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 6 HERITAGE & TOURISM MARCH 3, 2021

Some $154m paid to support Tourist cities not to return to tourism businesses across Iran

TOURISM TEHRAN — The Iranian government has pre-coronavirus levels until 2027, expert says deskpaid 6.5 trillion rials ($154.7 million at the official exchange rate of 42,000 rials per dollar) in loans to the TOURISM TEHRAN – The Ira- tional trade and diplomacy in Iran. Now, tourism businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic across desknian tourist cities and it is one of Iran’s top tourist destinations the country in the current Iranian year 1399 (started on March some others in the world will not return for good reasons. The ancient city is filled 20, 2020), the tourism minister has said. to the way they were before the outbreak with many architectural wonders such as of the coronavirus until 2027, a senior unmatched Islamic buildings, bazaars, advisor to Isfahan Chamber of Commerce museums, Persian gardens, and tree-lined has said. boulevards. It’s a city for walking, get- Though a tourism-based economy ting lost in its mazing bazaars, dozing in is expected to replace the oil-reliant beautiful gardens, and meeting people. economy, tourism is still not a priority The city has long been nicknamed as in the country’s plans, which is one of Nesf-e-Jahan which is translated into “half the challenges of investing in this field, the world”; meaning seeing it is relevant to ISNA quoted Ali Karbasizadeh as saying see the whole world. In its heyday, it was on Tuesday. also one of the largest cities in the region Elsewhere in his remarks, the advisor with a population of nearly one million. lamented that the budget Iran spends on Isfahan is renowned not only for the advertising and marketing in its tourism abundance of great historical bridges but arena is not adequate. also for its ‘life-giving river’, the Zayan- Although the coronavirus outbreak has caused significant “Although many countries such as Tur- deh-Rood, which has long bestowed damage to the tourism industry, one of the ministry’s strategic key, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, the city an original beauty and fertility. plans is to diversify tourism products, which is expected to ex- Malaysia, and many others spend massive The cool blue tiles of Isfahan’s Islamic pand economic prosperity, Ali-Asghar Mounesan announced budgets for tourism marketing, Iran is buildings, and the city’s majestic bridges, on Monday. lacking proper funding for advertising contrast perfectly with the encircling hot, Several historical structures and aging buildings have been and marketing in the tourism arena, he dry Iranian countryside. revived and repurposed into different accommodation centers explained. eling to Iran in the current year (2021), impact of COVID-19 as the main factor. The huge Imam Square, best known to attract more domestic and foreign travelers, he added. Talking about the future of tourism in most travel agencies and tour operators Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Hand- as Naghsh-e Jahan Sq. (literary mean- In recent years, nature tourism has also gained popularity his hometown, Isfahan, he reminded that believe that the flow will go back to normal icrafts Minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan ing “Image of the World”), is one of the due to the country’s natural beauty and attractions, he explained. the development of Isfahan’s tourism in in the next year, he added. in October warned that Iran’s cultural largest in the world (500m by 160m), In this regard, several eco-lodge units have been established this complicated situation requires very He also noted that beginning mass heritage and tourism will be in a criti- and a majestic example of town planning. even in the farthest regions of the country as well, the minister careful planning, as well as an ongoing vaccination against the coronavirus will cal situation if the crises caused by the Built in the early 17th century, the UNES- noted. marketing and branding campaign. provide better and safe conditions for outbreak of the coronavirus continue. CO-registered square is punctuated with Elsewhere in his remarks, he expressed hope that limited Back in January, the Head of the Irani- international travels in 2022. In August, Mounesan said that Iran’s the most interesting sights in Isfahan. Noruz trips would be possible, if practiced under health protocols, an Tour Operators Association Ebrahim Last November, the World Tourism tourism has suffered a loss of 12 trillion Modern Isfahan is now home to some during the Iranian New Year vacations, which begins on March 21. Pourfaraj said that the tourist flow from Organization announced that international rials (some $2.85 billion) since the out- heavy industry, including steel factories Government’s care and support packages across the world to Iran will return to tourist arrivals to Iran plunged 72% dur- break of the coronavirus pandemic. and a nuclear facility on its outskirts, Last October, the deputy tourism chief, Vali Teymouri, an- normal in 2022. ing the first eight months of 2020 when Soaked in a rich history and culture, however, its inner core wants to be pre- nounced that a new support package was approved to pay loans Although there are requests for trav- compared to 2019, highlighting the severe Isfahan was once a crossroads of interna- served as a priceless gem. to businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Depending on the type and activity of the businesses, they could benefit from at least 160 million rials ($3,800 at the official rate of 42,000 rials) to nine billion rials ($214,000) of bank loans with a 12-percent interest rate, he said. Hydro tourism on track to drive development in northern Iran The loans would be allocated to tourist guides, travel agencies, tourism transport companies, tourism educational institutions, 1 “A budget of 280 billion rial (some $6,650 swimming and tanning rather than interacting with eco-lodges and traditional accommodations, hotels, apartment at the official rate of 42,000 rials) was allocated to aquatic life. hotels, motels, and guesthouses as well as traditional accommo- develop the first phase of the tourism complex, which Water trips occasionally involve inland destinations dation centers, tourism complexes, and recreational centers, the covers 40 ha in area.” such as lakes and rivers. Holidaymakers can sail or swim official explained. On Sunday, Deputy Energy Minister for Water and on lakes while many rivers are ideally suited to white Teymouri in September pointed to the 1.3 million tourism Wastewater Affairs Ghasem Taqizadeh Khamesi said water rafting. Additionally, some leisure businesses workers in the country, who are facing several issues due to the 30 dams across Iran have been selected to be developed operate water parks that contain swimming pools, coronavirus crisis and said “This number, in addition to their into tourism destinations, adding “Water tourism of water slides, and areas for kayaking or canoeing. households, includes a significant population that makes a living the dams is estimated to generate 3,000 direct jobs Mazandaran at a glance through tourism, who are needed to be considered in ministry’s when fully operated.” Mazandaran, as a cradle of civilization, has a rich decisions.” Back in May 2019, the Ministry of Energy inked and colorful history. An early Iranian civilization Back in August, Teymouri announced that the tourism min- a memorandum of understanding with the Cultural flourished at the beginning of the first millennium istry had approved a total budget of 4,920 billion rials (over $117 Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Ministry to lay BC in Tabarestan (Mazandaran). It was overrun in million) to support corona-affected tourism businesses, covering the ground for launching dam tourism. about 720 CE by the Arab general Yezid ibn Mohallab as much as 36,000 people working in the tourism sector. More glimpses of hydro tourism and was the last part of Iran to be converted to Islam, Tourism industry in critical situation Hydro tourism, or water tourism involves traveling to according to Britannica. Mounesan in October warned that Iran’s cultural heritage places specifically to take part in water-based activities. Its insecure eastern and southeastern borders and tourism would be in a critical situation if the crises caused Some individuals who do not wish to partake in water- were crossed by Mongol invaders in the 13th and 14th Heris, Talar, Tajan, and Neka, which are well-stocked by the outbreak of the coronavirus continue. related activities embark on water tourism trips so that centuries. Cossacks attacked the region in 1668 but with trout and salmon. Last August, the tourism minister said that the tourism sector they can visit tourist sites that sit close to bodies of were repulsed. It was ceded to the Russian Empire by Agriculture dominates the economy of the region; of the Islamic Republic had suffered a loss of 12 trillion rials (some water such as lakes, rivers, dams, oceans, etc. Water a treaty in 1723, but the Russians were never secure in crops include rice, wheat, barley, tobacco, cotton, $2.85 billion) since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. tourists are regularly independent travelers, although their occupation. The area was restored to Iran under oilseeds, jute, tea, fruits, and vegetables. Agribusinesses, He also noted that the coronavirus pandemic should not bring some travel businesses do organize group trips. the Qajar dynasty. established under the agricultural reforms of the middle traveling to a complete standstill. “Corona is a fact, but can the While water tourism often includes active chases, The highland slopes rise abruptly in the west and 1970s, undertook large-scale and mechanized farming. virus stop tourism? Certainly not. For us, the coronavirus is a some water tourists visit islands and shore regions to more gently in the east. Forests have been largely More than 247,000 acres (100,000 hectares) of land new experience in dealing with crises that teaches tourism ex- join more relaxed pursuits such as diving or swimming. destroyed; the higher parts are cultivated summer were developed for the production of rice. perts around the world how to deal with such a disaster, and Travel businesses organize tours of coral reefs and pasture studded with villages partly deserted in winter. Though much of Iran is composed of arid and semi- thankfully governments are turning this into an opportunity arrange for local tour guides to preside over excursions Wild boar, deer, and birds are numerous; the tiger, arid lands, the country has many rivers, waterfalls for better planning.” on which travelers can swim with local marine life formerly found in the lowland, has disappeared. Cattle ponds, and wetlands offering scenic vistas to nature Optimistic forecasts, however, expect Iran to achieve a tourism such as dolphins or even sharks. Some tour operators are usually humped; the buffalo is widely used as a draft lovers and eco-travelers, backpackers, birdwatchers, boom after coronavirus contained, believing its impact would also cater to families who are primarily focused on animal. There are many rivers, including the Chalas, and fishers. be temporary and short-lived for a country that ranked the third fastest-growing tourism destination in 2019. The latest available data show eight million tourists visited the Islamic Republic during the first ten months of the past Iranian Intl. conference on Iranian studies to be held in October calendar year (started March 21, 2019). TOURISM TEHRAN –The first in- manuscripts. the Achaemenids—natives of Persis— deskternational conference on Ancient Iran, also known as Persia, were expanding their political sphere. Ancient potteries Iranian studies in the world will be held historic region of southwestern Asia that The Achaemenids were the dominant during October, IRNA reported on Monday. is only roughly coterminous with modern dynasty during Greek history until the documented in laboratory Organized by the center for Persian Iran. The term Persia was used for cen- time of Alexander the Great, and the use of Abarkuh museum language and Iranian studies development turies, chiefly in the West, to designate of the name Persia was gradually extended in collaboration with the Sofia Universi- those regions where the Persian language by the Greeks and other peoples to apply TOURISM TEHRAN – A collection of earthen objects ty ‘St. Kliment Ohridski’ in Bulgaria, the and culture predominated, but it more to the whole Iranian plateau. deskand clay vessels have recently been restored event aims at paying more attention to correctly refers to a region of southern Iran This tendency was reinforced with the and documented in the laboratory of the Abarkuh Museum of the academic studies on Iranology and formerly known as Persis, alternatively rise of the Sasanian dynasty, also native Anthropology, tourism chief of the central Iranian town said the Persian language. as Pars or Parsa, modern Fars. to Persis, whose culture dominated the on Tuesday. It is also expected that the conference Parsa was the name of an Indo-European Iranian plateau until the 7th century CE. would lead to more academic coopera- nomadic people who migrated into the The people of this area have traditionally tion, especially between Eastern European region about 1000 BC. The first mention of referred to the region as Iran, “Land of the thinkers and Iranian scholars, according Parsa occurs in the annals of Shalmanesar Aryans,” and in 1935 the government of to organizers. II, an Assyrian king, in 844 BC. Iran requested that the name Iran be used Submissions to the conference are During the rule of the Persian Achae- in lieu of Persia. The two terms, howev- divided into various categories such as menian dynasty (559–330 BC), the ancient er, are often used interchangeably when literary criticism, comparative literature, Greeks first encountered the inhabitants referring to periods preceding the 20th Iranian arts and languages, and Persian of Persis on the Iranian plateau, when century.

Historical caravanserai reopens doors to public following restoration

TOURISM TEHRAN – Cultural Heritage, Tourism, Estimated to date back to the Seljuk era (1037–1194), deskand Handicrafts Minister Ali-Asghar Dodehak caravanserai was added to the National Her- Hamid Moshtaqian explained that some 35 historical Mounesan on Monday inaugurated the historical cara- itage list in 1998. earthen potteries including bowls, jars, vases, jugs, goblets, vanserai of Dodehak after an extensive restoration job. Caravansery (or caravansary) is a compound word plates, candlesticks, and cups bearing engraved geometric Located in Delijan, central Markazi province, the combining “caravan” with “sara”. The first stand for a group and plant motifs have recently been added to the museum caravanserai, which was worn out over the years, was of travelers and sara means the building. They often had treasure trove. fully restored in collaboration with the private sector, massive portals supported by elevated load-bearing walls. Before being put on show, cultural heritage experts have to the provincial tourism chief said during the re-opening Guest rooms were constructed around the courtyard and document the artifacts for better maintenance, he explained. ceremony. stables behind them with doors in the corners of the yard. The official also noted that pottery is one of the valuable A budget of 110 billion rials ($2.6 million at the offi- Iran’s earliest caravanserais were built during the pieces of art and cultural heritage leftover from the past, which cial exchange rate of 42,000 rials per dollar) has been Achaemenid era (550 -330 BC). Centuries later, when depicts a clear picture of the way people lived in this region. allocated to the project, Mostafa Marzban announced. Shah Abbas I assumed power from 1588 – to 1629, he Abarkuh is famed for its several historical castles and With an area of 2.8 hectares, the historical structure is ordered the construction of network caravanserais across fortresses as well as being home to a 4000-year-old cypress, planned to be used as a modern accommodation center, the country. For many travelers to Iran, staying in or which is inscribed on the National Heritage List. Venetian the official added. even visiting a centuries-old caravanserai, can be a wide merchant and explorer Marco Polo described the tree as one The official also noted that some 3.7 trillion rials ($88 province so far, which is expected to generate 605 job experience; they have an opportunity to feel the past, a of the most stunning cypress trees he had ever seen in Iran. million) have been invested in the tourism sector of the opportunities. time travel back into a forgotten age! I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y MARCH 3, 2021 SOCIETY 7 Iran targets Syrian market for Floods cause annual loss of $595m, FRWO says technological, knowledge-based products TEHRAN – Annual floods bring Iran SOCIETY deskan average loss of 25 trillion rials (nearly SOCIETY TEHRAN — Iran will the centers will be a platform for the $595 million at the official rate of 42,000 rials), head of the deskopen its third house of development and promotion of Iranian Forest, Rangeland and Watershed Organization (FRWO) innovation and technology in the Syrian knowledge-based companies, startups, has announced. capital of Damascus with the aim of finding and creative industries. On average, 25 floods occur annually in Iran, ISNA quoted new markets for domestic technological Earlier in January, Ambassador of Masoud Mansour as saying on Tuesday. and knowledge-based products, IRNA Syria to Tehran Shafiq Dayoub and Ira- reported on Tuesday. nian Science Minister Mansour Gho- Exporting technological products of lami in a meeting in Tehran discussed Iranian knowledge-based companies is ways to boost cooperation in the field one of the important and key programs of technology. of the vice presidency for science and Setting up research laboratories, hold- technology, and in this regard, the first ing joint scientific conferences and sem- house of innovation and technology was inars, boosting scientific skills training inaugurated in the Kenyan capital of cooperation, exchanging students and Nairobi on January 27. professors as well as experiences, offering A house of innovation and technology joint guidance of master’s and doctoral has already been set up as a technology dissertations, and publishing scientific exchange office in China. articles in journals of the two countries In this regard, the vice president for were among the fields of cooperation science and technology Sourena Sattari discussed at the meeting. heading a delegation of 40 knowledge-based The Syrian official emphasized that the companies traveled to Syria. realization of scientific advances in the During this trip, business meetings field of economy and, more importantly, Floods destroy resources, facilities, infrastructure, agri- will be held between Iranian and Syrian the transfer of these valuable experienc- cultural lands, and people’s livelihoods, but the FRWO, by companies to find an international market es must be considered by developing performing a series of watershed management measures in for the two countries’ technological prod- countries. the form of mechanical, biomechanical, and biological meas- ucts. In these meetings, a safe and secure Currently, over 5,700 knowl- ures, has reduced flood damage significantly, he explained. path will be created for the development He went on to say that other memo- support the presence of Iranian knowl- edge-based companies are active in the With the implementation of watershed management pro- of export and technology transfer from randums will be signed with the aim of edge-based firms in the region. country, manufacturing diverse prod- jects, 9 tons per hectare of water erosion has been reduced Iranian knowledge-based companies, cooperation in the field of building and These sponsorships are implemented ucts to meet the needs of the domestic annually, and in mountainous areas, 570 cubic meters of Parviz Karami, an official with the Vice equipping nanotechnology, biotechnolo- through the creation of an innovation and market while saving large amounts of water has been extracted per hectare, he noted. Presidency said. gy, and hospital equipment laboratories. technology house and the provision of facil- foreign currency. Moreover, some 1000 cubic meters of water per hectare The signing of a memorandum of The Syrian Arab Republic, given its ities such as permanent exhibitions, shared The fields of aircraft maintenance, is stored in underground aquifers and prevents the entry cooperation for the development of favorable geographical location in West and private workspaces, meeting rooms, steel, pharmaceuticals, and medical of 4 cubic meters of sediment behind the dams, he added. scientific, technological, and political Asia and the eastern Mediterranean coast, and services such as market research and equipment, oil, and gas are among the He went on to say that 83 percent of the country is man- relations between the two countries are is a proper ground for exports of Irani- local business partners. sectors that researchers in technology aged by the FRWO. To prevent the destruction of national among the other purposes of the trip, an knowledge-based companies so that By supporting innovative ideas, hold- companies have engaged in, leading to resources, we need to accelerate cultural development. he added. special programs have been prepared to ing technological and innovative events, import reduction. Depletion of forest vegetation, low rainfall, and high wa- ter evaporation have caused the country’s ecosystem to be sensitive and fragile, he lamented. “Studies show that 16.4 tons of soil per hectare is eroded Biodiversity museum to offer free admission today by water and 21 tons per hectare is lost by wind annual- ly,” he stated, adding, 450 cities and 8,280 villages are is not open to the public. World Wildlife Day exposed to floods. The museum includes several sections, including On December 20, 2013, at its 68th session, the United Watershed management saves 3,800 qanats a genetic bank that includes samples of genes from Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed March In recent years, 3,800 qanats have been rehabilitated Iranian and foreign species for study, an herbarium 3 – the day of signature of the Convention on Inter- through watershed and aquifer management, and people collection, an animal taxidermy collection, and a national Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna who had migrated due to water scarcity have returned to geological museum. and Flora (CITES) in 1973 – as UN World Wildlife Day their homes, Mansour said. There are the world’s eight top specimens in the to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild The ancient qanat system of tapping alluvial aquifers museum that are unique and there is no second speci- animals and plants. at the heads of valleys and conducting the water along un- men of them, including urials, hartebeest, dik-dik (the World Wildlife Day has now become the most im- derground tunnels by gravity, often over many kilometers, world’s smallest antelopes), and Persian fallow deer. portant global annual event dedicated to wildlife, which first appeared in Iran, which was then spread to other West Five ecoregions, rich biodiversity will be celebrated in 2021 under the theme “Forests and Asian countries, China, India, Japan, North Africa, Spain Each region is defined by its characteristics that Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet”, as a way to and from there to Latin America. play a significant role in a land’s biodiversity and highlight the central role of forests, forest species, and According to the Ministry of Energy, about 36,300 qanats richness, based on which, Iran shares five ecologi- ecosystems services in sustaining the livelihoods of hun- have been identified in Iran, which has been saturated with SOCIETY TEHRAN – On March 3, which cal zones with specific flora from the lowest to the dreds of millions of people globally, and particularly of water for over 2,000 years. deskmarks World Wildlife Day, the entry highest parts. Indigenous and local communities with historic ties to Qanats can come efficient to contain water scarcity due to will be free to the biodiversity museum of Tehran The great difference between the two latitudes forested and forest-adjacent areas. relatively low cost, low evaporation rates, and not requiring located in the Department of Environment (DOE). of the north and south of the country and the ex- The forests of the Persian Gulf-Omani ecological region technical knowledge, moreover, they proved sustainable In the museum of the natural history of Iran, istence of different plains, altitudes, and climates include part of the southwest and all southern coasts, cov- being used in perpetuity without posing any damages to the out of about 90,000 identified specimens in the have given a very diverse view to the vast land so ering 2,039,963 hectares. Due to ecological differences, environment, despite new water transfer projects, which not world, there are more than 5,000 species of ani- that a variety of vegetation and plant species are the main vegetation is divided into two territories of the only puts the environment in danger but brings the country mals, plants, ancient and museums, while entry grown across it. Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman. heavy economic burden. Rangelands rich with 8,000 plant species Referring to the country’s rangelands stretching to 80 million hectares, he stated that 916,000 rural households EURORDIS praises Iran’s national document on rare diseases depend on the country’s rangelands to make a living. According to Mansour, there are 8,000 plant species in 1 The main vision of this document can be curbed by changing people’s cul- ple) out of the 508 million population the country’s rangelands, of which 4,000 species are con- is to prevent the birth of infants with rare ture, screening, identifying, preventing of EU countries. This roughly equals the sidered medicinal plants. diseases and to solve the medical and the births, and raising awareness. estimated prevalence of diabetes in the Explaining the potential of the country’s rangelands, therapeutic problems of rare patients According to WHO, rare diseases are World Health Organization European he noted that 2,000 tons of medicinal plants are exported in the country. often serious, chronic, and life-threaten- Region, which in 2013 was 6.8 percent annually. Rare diseases prevalence ing. The European Union (EU) definition of 658.7 million adults in the 20 to 79- Mansour also referring to forest functions, said that “ac- According to the statistics published in of a rare disease is one that affects few- year age group. cording to the research, each hectare of forest produces 2.5 2019, the number of rare diseases iden- er than 5 in 10,000 people. At present, Rare diseases are associated with a tons of oxygen annually.” tified in Iran has reached 332 types of more than 6000 rare diseases are known; high psychological burden for the patient Zagros forest covers 6 million hectares of the country diseases and about 4,750 people are around 80 percent of them are genetic but they can also have a major impact stretching over 11 provinces, which produces 40 percent covered by the Rare Diseases Founda- disorders and half of them occur during on a patient’s family. In addition to the of the country’s water, he said, adding, there are 2 million tion of Iran. childhood. health burden on patients, few of these hectares called Hyrcanian or Caspian forests in the north- Out of a thousand population, 2 people Grouped together, rare diseases affect diseases have an effective drug treatment ern parts of the country, which can produce 5 billion cubic get a rare disease, while the prevalence 6–8 percent (or about 30 million peo- available. meters of water annually. LET’S LEARN PERSIAN ENGLISH IN USE (Part 137) (Source: saadifoundation.ir) LEARN NEWS TRANSLATION

مــردم 28 هــزار کــودک بی سرپرســت Philanthropists support 28,000 را تحــت حمایــت قــرار دادند orphans, deprived children معــاون توســعه مشــارکتهای مردمــی کمیتــه امــداد امــام خمینــی Iranian benefactors have made cash and kind contributions )ره( گفــت: خیریــن و نیکــوکاران کشــور از ابتــدای مــاه مبــارک رمضــان from the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan (starting تاکنــون 28 هــزار کــودک بیسرپرســت را تحــت حمایــت هــای مالــی و on May 6) to help 28,000 children who are either orphaned or whose parents are financially struggling, deputy director غیرمالــی خــود قــرار دادنــد. of Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation has announced. علیرضــا عســگریان روز چهارشــنبه در گفــت و گــو بــا خبرنــگار اجتماعــی There are currently 600,000 philanthropists who support ایرنــا افــزود: ، 600 هــزار حامــی در ســطح کشــور در یــاری رســانی بــه orphaned children as well as children living in families in ایتــام و فرزنــدان محســنین بــا کمیتــه امــداد همــکاری دارنــد. financial distress, IRNA quoted Alireza Asgarian as saying عســگریان اظهــار داشــت: ســاخت مســکن بــرای خانــواده هــای تحــت .on Wednesday پوشــش کمیتــه امــداد از دیگــر برنامههــای اجرایــی و دارای اولویــت کاری -The foundation also intends to build housing units for fam ایــن نهــاد در ســال جــاری اســت. .ilies who cannot afford to rent houses, he added Prayer Times Noon:12:16 Evening: 18:07 Dawn: 5:19 (tomorrow) Sunrise: 6:30 (tomorrow) MARCH 3, 2021 ART&CULTURE I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y www.tehrantimes.com Managing Director: Mohammad Shojaeian Editor-in-Chief: Ali A.Jenabzadeh “Saffron Land” by Hadi Dehqanpur wins FIAP Editorial Dept.: Fax: (+98 21) 88808214 — 88808895 [email protected] Switchboard Operator: Tel: (+98 21) 43051000 Gold Medal at Pamir photography salon Advertisements Dept.: Telefax: (+98 21) 43051430 Public Relations Office: Tel: (+98 21) 88805807 By Seyyed Mostafa Mousavi Sabet section went to Mahdi Zabolabbasi for Subscription & Distribution Dept.: Tel: (+98 21) 43051603 “Missal2” and “Soar” by Mehdi Kazemi Printed at: Jame Jam Bartar Borna - 44197737 TEHRAN – Iranian photographer Bumeh and “Rain Time” by Hamid Hadi Dehqanpur’s “Saffron Land” has Mohammad-Hosseinzadeh won honorable been honored with the FIAP Gold Medal mentions. Tehrantimes79 Tehrantimes79 Tehrantimes79 at the 2nd Pamir International Salon of “Elina Eyes” by Mohammad Esteki won Photography in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. the FPC Trophy in the portrait section. No. 18, Bimeh Alley, Nejatollahi St., Tehran, Iran The photo showing a man passing In the nature category, “Khara P.o. Box: 14155-4843 through a farm covered with saffron flowers Desert2” by Amin Dehqan, “Riverside” by Zip Code: 1599814713 won the honor in the open color section, Mehrzad Maqsudian, “Village IV” by Reza the organizers have announced last week. Mohammadi won honorable mentions. The competition was organized Iranian photographers failed to garner by the Federation Internationale de any honors in the categories of people, l’Art Photographique (FIAP) and the landscape and travel. Photographic Society of America (PSA) in The 2nd Pamir International Salon of the six categories of open monochrome, Photography gave Chan Ching Ching from open color, people, landscape, nature Hong Kong the FIAP Light Blue Badge, the and travel. exhibition’s best author award. Several Iranian photographers have Ebrahim Bahrami, Vahid Babei and GUIDE TO also been awarded other prizes. Saeid Arabzadeh were the members of SPIRITUAL AWAKENING In the open color category, Mehdi Kazemi the jury at the exhibition. Bumeh won the FIAP Ribbon for his photo A selection of the accepted images and Do not waste water even if you were at a running “Ladder”, while Mohammad Esteki’s “Sima” “Saffron Lands” by Iranian photographer Hadi Dehqanpur won the FIAP Gold winning photos will be showcased for the stream. received an honorable mention. Medal at the 2nd Pamir International Salon of Photography in Dushanbe, public in an exhibit at Roudaki Photo Club The FPC Trophy in the open monochrome Tajikistan. in Dushanbe on April 26. Prophet Muhammad (S) Iranian doc “Maze of Progress” examines Lebanese scholar writes resistance economy in Russia, China, Turkey “Vanquisher of America” Eslamzadeh and his crew have made trips to the of the Yellow Dragon”. on Commander Qassem countries to make the three-episode documentary, the Eslamzadeh has previously made documentaries first part of which was broadcast on IRIB’s Channel 3 on international issues. “Life Among War Flags” is Soleimani on Monday. one of them. They have conducted interviews with dozens of officials It is the narration of war from two perspectives. 1 “The writer has introduced the characteristics of the and experts in the countries, including a former deputy At the beginning of the documentary, the camera commander in this book in addition to a brief history of the activities director of the World Bank and senior officials in the accompanies the army into regions under the control of Imam Khomeini, the founder Communist Party. of the government, and then it narrates the war from Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Eslamzadeh in a scene of the Islamic Revolution, until “This documentary’s target audiences are elites, the perspective of the Taliban. from “Maze of Progress”. the victory of the revolution and politicians, policy-makers and statesmen, however, it ISIS members from Turkey, Indonesia, Uzbekistan and the political life of Leader of the ARTTEHRAN – Iranian documentary “Maze is certainly interesting for a general audience, because it some European countries who were interviewed inside Islamic Revolution Ayatollah deskof Progress” scrutinizing the resistance has been produced to be broadcast on television,” he said. the Taliban’s secret prisons, provide another fascinating Seyyed Ali Khamenei,” he added. economy in Russia, China and Turkey has been produced The Open Door Policy in China, the struggle against chapter of the documentary. “The book is composed of at Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). the international sanctions on Russia and globalization He is also the director of “Alone among the Taliban”, five chapters beginning with “This documentary studies the positive and negative in Turkey are among the topics scrutinized in this which portrays 15 days of his stay among the Taliban in the messages of the Leader aspects of the economy of the countries, and this can be documentary. Afghanistan. and Secretary-General of the helpful for our country as understanding these topics is The episode “Lottery in the Land of Coups” is dedicated This documentary won an honorable mention in a Lebanese Hezbollah Resistance necessary for our economy,” director Mohsen Eslamzadeh to Turkey, while “Life without French Cheeses” focuses category titled “Terrorism, a Threat to Peace” at the 19th Movement Sayyed Hassan told the Persian service of MNA on Tuesday. on Russia, and China has been surveyed in “The Mystery edition of DetectiveFEST in Russia in 2017. Nasrallah on the martyrdom of Soleimani followed by concepts such as the revolution,” he said. The book also scrutinizes the Album featuring anthology of contemporary Iranian music for flute released Islamic Revolution’s influence on Front cover of Lebanese schol- ARTTEHRAN – An album repertoire endowed with the characteristics Nader Mashayekhi, David Dzubay and the region and the geo-cultural desk ar Mohsen Saleh’s book “Van- and strategic changes in the featuring an anthology of of Persian music. Don Freund. quisher of America” on Com- area, and also carries articles contemporary Iranian music for flute has The composers presented in this project He has also worked as assistant conductor mander Qassem Soleimani. by top U.S. senior officers about been released. are all of Iranian descent; although they to Nader Mashayekhi with the Tehran Commander Soliemani, he said. This is the first collection of a series reside around the world, each is significant Cultural Philharmonic Orchestra, and “The writer has also carried out several interviews with Hassan named “Iranian New Waves”. in constructing today’s music in Iran. has conducted the Pierrot-Tehran New Nasrallah, and Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, Mohammad- The unique project presenting more Composers of the first volume include Music Ensemble, both in the First Tehran Jalal Firuznia, about Commander Soleimani to publish in the than fifty compositions of new flute music Alireza Mashayekhi, Nader Mashayekhi, Contemporary Music Festival and in several book,” he concluded. by contemporary Iranian composers has Reza Vali, Peyman Yazdanian, Farnaz recording seasons. Iran’s chief of IRGC Quds Force Soleimani and Abu Mahdi been released by Petrichor Records, a newly Modarresifar, Sina Fallahzadeh, Mehdi Keshavarz is an international award- al-Muhandis, the deputy chief of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization established American record label dedicated Khayami, Ankido Darash, Amin Sharifi, winning musician in classical and Forces, were assassinated during a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad to new music works by living composers. Arsalan Abedian, Ruzbeh Rafie, Ali Radman contemporary flute playing, performing on January 3, 2020. The composers featured in this endeavor and Golfam Khayyam. solo, chamber and orchestral works. Also in January, Iran’s Cultural Office in Baghdad published have benefited from this distinguished Musician Amin Sharifi and flutist Kelariz She has performed with Iranian and heritage to expand the repertory of flute Keshavarz, both international award- foreign orchestras in Iran, Austria, Lebanon a book on Soleimani in Iraq both in Persian and Arabic under the “Iranian New Waves” by Petrichor Records. title “Guest of Iraq Written by Iraqi Personalities”. music with their own individual approaches. winning musicians, are the project curators. and the United States. This anthology encompasses a vast The compositions presented in this Sharifi’s works have been performed Passionate about contemporary music, The book has been written by several Iraqi cultural figures project are either newly commissioned by about the lofty characteristics of the commander. inspirational sphere, extending from village in many countries and in his homeland, Kelariz has performed in many festivals shepherd music to the hustle and bustle the curators, or existing works that have Iran. He has studied composition at the including the Tehran Contemporary Music “Characteristics of the School of Martyr Soleimani”, a never appeared previously on an album. book giving a brief analysis of the personal characteristics of of today’s metropolitan cities, from words Art University of Tehran and Indiana Festival, Missouri International Composers by renowned Persian poets and traditional This is an anthology of solo flute music by University Jacobs School of Music under Festival, Flute New Music Consortium and Commander Qassem Soleimani through his discourses and living Iranian composers. The result is a flute memories, is another book on the Commander published in 12 beliefs, to Western cultural influences. the direction of Sven-David Sandström, several others. countries. The book originally was written by Hojjatolesalm Ali Shirazi in Persian. Imagineindia festival picks four movies from Iran ARTTEHRAN – Four movies by Iranian tragic spiral after his son, sentenced to jail, flees to Azerbaijan. committee begins evaluating patients, hidden affections “Alternative Journalism, Alternative deskfilmmakers have so far been selected to “Life Among War Flags” is the narration of war from come to the surface. Finally, the team selects two patients be screened at the 20th Imagineindia International Film two perspectives. At the beginning of the documentary, to form the first couple. Are these two patients capable of Voices” appears in Persian Festival in Madrid. the camera accompanies the army into regions under the having a relationship that leads to marriage? “Charcoal” by Esmaeil Monsef will be competing in the control of the government, and then it narrates the war In the animated movie “The White Whale”, many long TEHRAN – Tony Harcup’s book “Alternative CULTURE official section of the festival. from the perspective within the Taliban. years ago, a young man lost his friends in an air attack on deskJournalism, Alternative Voices” has recently “The Marriage Project” by Atieh Attarzadeh and Hesam ISIS members from Turkey, Indonesia, Uzbekistan and a big river during the war. 30 years later, he is looking for been published in Persian by Logos Publications in Qom. Eslami, “Life Among War Flags” by Mohsen Eslamzadeh some European countries who were interviewed inside the their remains. A White Whale is the only sign he has. The book has been translated into Persian by Jafar and “The White Whale” by Amir Mehran will be screened Taliban’s secret prisons, provide another fascinating chapter Iranian director and producer Mehdi Rahmani is a member Mohammadi and Mehdi Montazer-Qaem. in other sections of the festival. of the documentary. of the jury at the 20th Imagineindia festival, which will be Bringing together new and classic work, this book considers More films will be added as the organizers have not yet The documentary “The Marriage Project” is about Ehsan organized in the Spanish capital of Madrid from May 17 to 31. the development of alternative completed their lineups for various categories. House, a center for patients with mental problems that initiates Hamed Behdad, the star of the Iranian drama “Castle journalism from the 1970s up The story of “Charcoal” is set in rural northwest Iran, a plan to encourage its patients to form relationships with of Dreams”, shared the award for best second actor of the to today. where Gheirat, a modest charcoal producer, is pushed into a each other, get married and live as a family. As a selection Imagineindia festival in 2020. Harcup builds an understanding of alternative media through the use of detailed case studies and surveys. Including opinions James Delaney’s “Starting with Rousseau” comes of journalists who have worked in both mainstream and alternative media, he considers into Iranian bookstores the motivations, practices and CULTURE TEHRAN – A Persian understanding of the roots of his philosophical sees as corrosive of freedom and destructive roles of alternative journalism desktranslation of “Starting with concerns. Offering coverage of the full range of individual authenticity. In his mature as well as delving into ethical Rousseau” by James Delaney has recently been of Rousseau’s ideas, the book firmly sets his work, he principally explores two routes to considerations. published by Markaz Publications in Tehran. work in the context of the Enlightenment, achieving and protecting freedom, the first is Moving from the history The book has been translated into Persian and explores his contributions to social a political one aimed at constructing political of alternative journalism, Front cover of the Persian by Masud Azarfam. theory, theories of human nature, philosophy institutions that allow for the co-existence Harcup considers the recent translation of Tony Harcup’s Jean Jacques Rousseau is one of the of education, political philosophy and of free and equal citizens in a community spread of ‘citizen journalism’ “Alternative Journalism, Al- most important and influential thinkers autobiography. where they themselves are sovereign; the and the use of social media, ternative Voices”. of the Enlightenment period and, indeed, The concern that dominates Rousseau’s second is a project for child development and asks what the role of of the whole history of philosophy. His work is to find a way of preserving human and education that fosters autonomy and alternative journalism is today. political theory heavily influenced the French freedom in a world where human beings are avoids the development of the most destructive Harcup’s writing about journalism can be found on university Revolution, development of socialist theory increasingly dependent on one another for the forms of self-interest. reading lists around the world, and has been translated into many and the growth of nationalism. satisfaction of their needs. This concern has The book introduces the major thinkers languages including Chinese, Korean, Polish, Romanian and Persian. Clearly and thematically structured and two dimensions, material and psychological, and events that proved influential in the Tony has more than 30 years of personal experience as a covering all of Rousseau’s key works, “Starting of which the latter has greater importance. development of Rousseau’s thought. staff and freelance journalist in alternative and mainstream with Rousseau” leads the reader through a In the modern world, human beings come James J. Delaney is an assistant professor media ranging from small local weekly publications to national thorough overview of the development of to derive their very sense of self from the of philosophy at Niagara University in Front cover of the Persian translation of newspapers, magazines and websites. his thought, resulting in a more thorough opinion of others, a fact which Rousseau western New York. James Delaney’s “Starting with Rousseau”.