WWW.TEHRANTIMES.COM I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 12 Pages Price 40,000 Rials 1.00 EURO 4.00 AED 39th year No.13629 Tuesday MARCH 17, 2020 Esfand 27, 1398 Rajab 22, 1441 IRGC on alert Judiciary chief Jahanbakhsh’s goal Islamic Revolution to counter highlights need to boost among eight amazing Artist of the Year coronavirus 2 biological defense 3 moments 11 longlist announced 12 Inflation expected to decline in next 3 months: SCI COVID-19 cases in the region TEHRAN — The Statistical Center of from the previous similar time spans and Iran (SCI) expects the inflation rate in comparing them to the present situation. the country to experience a downward In the first scenario, the inflation for As cases soar affected countries scramble to action trend in the first quarter of the coming the Q1 of the upcoming Iranian calendar Iranian calendar year (starts on March year of 1399 has been estimated based on See page 7 19), IRNA reported on Monday. the data from the similar period of time The SCI has estimated the annual and (Q1) in the current calendar year 1398 point-to-point inflation rates using three (started on March 21, 2019) and the last different scenarios, all of which forecast month of the previous calendar year 1397 the future inflation rates using the data (February 20-March 20, 2019). 4 Ex-Rouhani aide urges people to sign anti-sanctions petition TEHRAN — Shahindokht Molaverdi, the Molaverdi, who served as a presidential secretary-general of the Women’s Rights aide for civil rights in Hassan Rouhani’s Protection Society, has called on people to first term, also said the U.S. sanctions join a campaign urging the U.S. Treasury increases the number of coronavirus to immediately lift sanctions on Iran due victims in Iran. to the coronavirus outbreak. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad “Join the demand that the @USTreasury Zarif has also sent a letter to the UN Sec- immediately lift the sanctions! #PeaceWith- retary-General Antonio Guterres, urging Iran,” said Molaverdi via Twitter, publishing the body to disregard Washington’s illegal an online petition launched by Code Pink. sanctions on Tehran. 2 Iraq will adopt different approach in case U.S. troops refuse to withdraw: Badr bloc Iraq will adopt a different position on the the Iraqi soil, especially Americans or presence of U.S. and foreign military per- the international coalition (purported- sonnel on its soil if the troops refuse to ly fighting the Daesh Takfiri terrorist withdraw despite demands by Baghdad as group). It is not acceptable to allow vio- well as a related parliamentary resolution lations that lead to the shedding of Iraqi and a million-man demonstration to that blood,” said Hassan al-Kaabi, the head end, the head of an Iraqi parliamentary of the Badr Organization’s parliamen- bloc says. tary bloc, in an exclusive interview with “The country’s sovereignty must be Arabic-language Baghdad Today news respected by all parties operating on agency on Sunday. 10 ARTICLE Egypt and Ethiopia are in battle array ARTICLE Martin Love Bagher Nassir Political analyst from By Farzad Farhadi with Egypt and Sudan in the U.S., stressing its front line. In this complicated situation, the Journalist water right and the use of its water resources. commanders of the army should follow Abdul North Carolina TEHRAN — Tensions between Egypt and Addis @Bnassir Ababa have mounted over the water, and senior Although analysts point out that Egypt’s military Munim Riad’s path. Ethiopian military officials have threatened to power is tangibly superior to Ethiopia, Egypt has There is geopolitical coup Trump, it seems retaliate if Cairo bombarded the Grand Ethiopian the Aswan Dam that makes the country vulner- Abdelazim Hammad, former chief editor of Coronavirus and Renaissance Dam. In its latest stance, senior able. Egyptian legal and military experts have the Al-Ahram and Al-Shuruq newspapers, said, likely, is finished Ethiopian military officials have announced warned that if Ethiopia fills the Dam, Egypt will “The most dangerous issue in connection with the Iran’s experience their readiness to prevent any attack on the dam. face great danger. Renaissance Dam will be water shortage and it politically Ethiopian military’s Chief of Staff General Many Egyptian activists emphasized that this is undoubtedly a geopolitical and strategic coup on distance learning Adem Mohammed said, “We are ready to repel is a serious matter and called on the Egyptian that a foreigner dominate the only source of life ORTH CAROLINA - On March 13, any military attack on the Renaissance Dam and army to play its role in supporting Egypt’s national for the Egyptians”. his is the second time Iranian stu- a “Friday the 13th” by the way, a we will retaliate in case of any attack”. security before it is too late. According to analysts and observers, the Ethi- dents experience distance learning in Ndate in the West anyway often He expressed his stance during a visit to the Many Egyptian activists in social media have opian government’s refusal to negotiate on the the aftermath of a nationwide crisis. referred to Abdul Munim Riad, who was killed Renaissance Dam means that the country is not T considered to be full of bad news, bad dam, along with senior military officers. Iranian schools across the country are now luck and bad omens -- a superstition to On the other hand, Brigadier General Yilma in March 1969, saying: He was with Egyptian serious about any political approach and seeks remained closed as a measure to control be sure – U.S. President Donald Trump Merdasa, Ethiopian Air Force Commander, said army officers and troops at the forefront of to fill the dam as planned. It does not consider Coronavirus. was ebullient and bragging that the U.S. that he air force is ready to crush any air strikes defending the Suez Canal. This was the first the damage it could cause to Egypt, including The distance learning programs evoke stock markets had one of its best days ever. on the Renaissance Dam. time in contemporary military history that the reducing Egypt’s share of the water the Nile and the last years of eight-year war between Iran The U.S. equity market climbed almost Ethiopia has refused to attend the negotiations chief of staff of armed forces was killed at the inflicting harm on Egyptian farmers. 7 and Iraq, when the big cities like Tehran 10 percent on the 13th after a previous and Isfahan were targeted by Iraqi missiles several days of what can only be termed a and many families left their houses for serious mauling by the proverbial “bear”. Analyst says intl. community should ignore illegal U.S. sanctions amid COVID-19 outbreak safe places in remote areas. No, the U.S. equity market did not make By Mohammad Ali Haqshenas nationwide efforts which ultimately harms others for any reason. Iranians in their late 30s or early 40s up its losses so far this winter, and in fact TEHRAN (MNA) – An American ana- public health. Taking this action is the sole prerogative of remember the teaching schedules on public closed lower than the highs made just lyst believes that the world community To shed light on the issue, we reached out to Security Council members. Nations imposing TV. There were only two TV channels and before the vicious recession of 2008-09 is obligated to help Iran with containing American analyst and columnist Stephen Lend- sanctions unilaterally or in combination with the channel II was dedicated to distance that affected the entire world. the COVID-19 outbreak and that includes man with the following questions: others against other countries are in flagrant learning; mathematics, history and social What was really bad news on Friday the ignoring sanctions. Now it’s more than one year that the Trump violation of international law. sciences were taught by unknown teachers 13th for the world was more of the same It is near one month that Iran is battling with administration has started the so-called ‘max- Now the international community has started whom their method was not familiar to – more evidence that the Trump Adminis- the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, outbreak across imum pressure’ policy against Iran which has to feel the sanction’s real effects on Iranian people the students. tration and much of the entire U.S. govern- the country. The virus has so far infected more influenced the Iranian economy. Its effects can as they are endangering the public health. What Almost 35 years later in a different cri- ment is merely thrashing about destructively than 13,900 individuals, claiming 724 lives as now be seen as the country is facing problems is the responsibility of the world towards Iran sis, once again, Iranian students have to with no positive policies or agenda or the of Sunday. to acquire its needed funds to battle the coro- and also towards US unilateralism? learn from distance. This time, thanks leadership required to stem the ongoing Iran started the fight against the virus as navirus outbreak. Are these sanctions legal in Above all, the world community of nations is to the technology, the chance of a more tsunami of the Coronavirus pandemic that soon as the first cases were confirmed but the the first place? required to uphold international and their own constructive communication between is blossoming in the U.S. now exponentially, country’s lack of access to its resources caused Under international law, including the UN national laws and never violate them unilaterally students and teachers is higher.