WWW.TEHRANTIMES.COM I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y

8 Pages Price 50,000 Rials 1.00 EURO 4.00 AED 42nd year No.13843 Saturday DECEMBER 26, 2020 Dey 6, 1399 Jumada Al Awwal 11, 1442 Rouhani congratulates Two Iranians in ‘Saudi-led aggression Tehran, Parisian photo world leaders, Pope IFFHS’s AFC Men Team kills over 3,800 exhibits feature Yalda Francis on Christmas Page 3 of 2020 Page 3 Yemeni children’ Page 5 Night traditional rites Page 8

Zarif warns outgoing Trump against last-minute adventurism TEHRAN — Iran’s foreign minister has over WMD fabrications, wasting $7 TRIL- warned U.S. President Donald Trump LION & causing 58,976 American casu- against any act of last-minute adventur- alties,” Zarif said, pointing to the 2003 ism against Iran before he departs the invasion of Iraq by the United States. White House. “FAR WORSE this time,” he warned. “@realDonaldTrump uses a worthless “Trump will bear full responsibility for photo to recklessly accuse Iran,” Moham- any adventurism on his way out.” Side effect of mad Javad Zarif wrote in a tweet after Late on Sunday, the Iraqi officials an- Trump claimed Iran was behind a rocket nounced that at least three Katyusha rockets attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. had landed within Baghdad’s Green Zone. “Last time, the US ruined our region Continued on page 2

Rouhani inaugurates petchem projects worth €916m defeat TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani With the said projects going operation- inaugurated five petrochemical pro- al, over 900,000 tons have been added jects with a total investment of €916 to the country’s annual petrochemical Trump may seek to million in three provinces through a production capacity. video conference on Thursday, IRNA The projects include the second devel- reported. opment phase of Ilam Petrochemical com- distract attention The mentioned projects went operation- plex, Hegmataneh Petrochemical complex al in Ilam, Hamedan, and West Azarbaijan in Hamedan, and the Potassium sulfate in the 38th series of inauguration cere- unit of Urmia petrochemical company by embarking on monies in the current Iranian calendar (UPC) in West Azarbaijan. foreign adventure year (started on March 20). Continued on page 4 Over 27,000 Iranians ready to test See page 3 home-grown coronavirus vaccine TEHRAN – Some 27,079 people have so “These people were military forces, far expressed readiness to test the domes- students, teachers, university professors, tically-made COVID-19 vaccine across the composers, journalists, performers, work- country, head of the information center ers, truck drivers, and miners. Scientists of Headquarters for Executing the Order were highly motivated,” he further wrote. of the Imam has said. Vaccine on human trial phase “So far, 44,941 people have contacted Iran started testing its first domestical- us to apply for the human test of the coro- ly-made coronavirus vaccine by injecting navirus vaccine, and 27,079 people have it to 56 volunteers aged 18 to 50 years on

Getty Images Getty announced readiness,” Hojjat Niki Maleki December 20. wrote on his Twitter account on Friday. Continued on page 7

U.S. sanctions’ Let’s build a partnership against Ohio protesters call for justice in police killing silver lining for epidemics of Andre Hill Iranian home BY FARANAK BAKHTIARI the local, national, regional, and global levels Demonstrators gathered in a cold Christmas Eve early Tuesday. Some waved Black Lives Matter TEHRAN – Today that newly-emerging infections as effective measures to prevent and respond drizzle Thursday to call for justice in the death flags, AP reported. appliance industry are inevitable, as exemplified by the ongoing to epidemics. of Andre Hill, a Black man who was shot and Video showed Hill emerging from a garage coronavirus posing devastating impacts on hu- It is important to strengthen epidemic pre- killed by a Columbus police officer this week. and holding up a cellphone in his left hand sec- BY EBRAHIM FALLAHI man lives, social and economic development; vention by applying lessons learned on epidemic The fatal shooting of an unarmed Black man onds before he was fatally shot by an officer lthough the U.S. sanctions preparation is the most, if not the only, important management and how to prevent the stoppage by police in Columbus, Ohio, the US city’s second identified as Adam Coy. have created major prob- way in face of new epidemics. of basic services, and to raise the level of pre- such killing this month, has sparked a fresh About six seconds pass between the time lems for the Iranian econ- Global health crises threaten to overwhelm paredness in order to have the earliest and wave of protests against racial injustice and Hill is visible in the video and when the officer A already overstretched health systems, disrupt most adequate response to any epidemic that police brutality in the country. fires his weapon. There is no audio because omy in many areas, for one par- ticular industry they have been global supply chains, and cause disproportionate may arise, and recognizing also the value of an Andre Maurice Hill, 47, was in the garage the officer hadn’t activated the body camera; certainly “a blessing in disguise”, devastation of the livelihoods of people, including integrated One Health approach that fosters of a house on Monday night when he was shot an automatic “look back” feature captured the and that is the home appliance sec- women and children, and the economies of the the integration of human health, animal health, several times by a police officer who had been shooting without audio. Thursday’s joined a tor. The home appliance industry poorest and most vulnerable countries. and plant health, as well as environmental and called to the scene for a minor incident. string of recent protests in Ohio’s capital against has flourished with the U.S. sanc- In the event of the absence of internation- other relevant sectors. Seconds before the gunfire, bodycam foot- police-involved shootings of Black men. tions pushing foreign competitors al attention, future epidemics could surpass International cooperation and multilateral- age shows Hill walking towards the policeman Groups also protested Sunday and Wednesday out of the domestic market. previous outbreaks in terms of intensity and ism play an important role in the response to holding a cell phone in his left hand, while his over the killing of 23-year-old Casey Goodson Following the re-imposition of the U.S. gravity. There is a great need of raising aware- epidemics. We need to stress the significance other hand cannot be seen. Jr. by a Franklin County sheriff’s deputy. He sanctions, most of the major international ness, the exchange of information, scientific of partnership and solidarity among every in- Chants of “Whose street? Our street!” rang was shot Dec. 4 as he entered his grandmother’s home appliance manufacturers – mainly knowledge and best practices, quality educa- dividual, community, out from the crowd, which gathered near the house in Columbus. Asian brands – that were enjoying Iran’s tion, and advocacy programs on epidemics at Continued on page 7 home that Hill, 47, was visiting when he was shot Both shootings remain under investigation. 80-million market suddenly gave in to the U.S. pressures and left Iran. Many of the mentioned brands like Samsung and LG had been present in the Iran had its own independent writing system 4,400 years ago: study Doc on children of Iranian market since their very beginning TEHRAN – A recent study, conducted by a French texts. Therefore, this discovery has been in the years to [completely] discover the mysteries of divorce crowned best and it can be claimed that Iran was their archaeologist and his Iranian fellow, shows that the center of attention of most experts,” Mehr re- the cuneiform inscription, which is hand-carved launch pad into the global markets. Iranian plateau had its own independent writing ported on Friday. on clay tablets and were found in the ruins of the at Cinéma Vérité Over the past few decades, despite the system at least 4,400 years ago. “This writing system was practiced for more ancient city of Susa, southwest Iran. emphasis of the Leader of the Islamic Rev- Late in November, Francois Desset publicized than a century, at the end of the third millennium The Elamite writing was unearthed in 1901 BY SEYYED MOSTAFA MOUSAVI SABET olution on using domestic products, the that he had deciphered a 4400-year-old cunei- and the beginning of the second millennium BC, and no one could decipher that over the past TEHRAN – “Get Filled in the Blanks”, a documentary torrents of foreign products have been form bas-relief during a project, which may be on the vast plateau of Iran and Elam territory.” 119 years, the report said. “This could be a his- by Atieh Zare’ Aranadi about children of divorce was overflowing the Iranian home appliance a cultural “revolution” in the history of writing The study suggests ‘Mesopotamia’ (present-day torical revolution, because scientists have long selected as best film at the 14th edition of Cinéma market, drowning many newly-established in the world scene. Iraq / former Babylon) is no longer the world’s believed that the cradle of writing the world is in Vérité, the organizers announced on Wednesday. domestic brands in their path. “This decoding is considered as a profound first cradle of writing, the news agency reported. Mesopotamia, in other words, present-day Iraq.” The film won the award in the national com- But now, with the U.S. imposing its change in the reading of prehistorical Iranian It took the French archaeologist some ten Continued on page 6 petition of Iran’s major international festival for toughest-ever sanctions on almost every documentary films, while the international section sector of the country’s economy, the Ira- was non-competitive this year due to the COVID-19 nian market has been once again wiped pandemic. out of foreign products, and local brands “Get Filled in the Blanks” revolves around Meli- are given a new opportunity to flourish. na, a girl who lives with her grandparents after her Since big foreign companies left the parents have broken up. They have started new lives Iranian market, domestic home appliance with new marriages, consequently, neither of them manufacturers started a new movement to can get custody of Melina. However, she tries to push for more production on one hand and make some arrangements to live with her mother. to indigenize the knowledge for producing Funeral for Due to the pandemic, a limited number of guests high-tech components and parts used in were invited to the closing ceremony of the festival, this industry, on the other hand, to cut which was organized totally online. The ceremony off reliance on foreign sources. seven unknown was covered by several national platforms. Earlier this week, the secretary of the As- Zare’ Aranadi was also picked as best director in sociation of Iranian Household Appliances martyrs the feature-length documentary category for “Get Industries said that domestic production of Filled in the Blanks”. equipment and parts used in the home appli- The bodies of seven unknown martyrs were The award for best mid-length documentary went ance industry has saved Iran $220 million. laid to rest in five areas in the city of Kerman. to “Kal Fatemeh” directed by Mehdi Zamanpur Kiasa-

The market for Iranian products has The soldiers, aged 16-25, had been martyred ri. The documentary is about Kal Fatemeh, an old grown significantly in the last two years. in the Muharram, Karbala and Valfajr 8 op- woman who lives with her two sons on a farm away Manufacturers, despite the difficulties erations during Saddam Hussein’s imposed from a village. Her family faces major challenges as created by the sanctions and despite the war against Iran in the 1980s. a result of living on the farm. restrictions and closures caused by the The funeral ceremony took place from “Beranaza” by Ali Asadi won the award for best coronavirus pandemic, have shown sig- Mehdi Bakhshi Kerman Airport to Martyrs Square to then short documentary. It is about a man who has ded- nificant resilience and workers are still Kerman Martyrs Cemetery. Due to the Coro- icated all his life to supporting homeless pets. He going to their jobs without any hiatus. Mehr/ navirus pandemic, the funeral was held with supposes that he has born to safeguard such animals. Continued on page 4 observation of health protocols. Continued on page 8 I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y POLITICS DECEMBER 26, 2020

Advisor slams Conference held on international law normalizations with Israel as ‘ridiculous show’ aspects of Fakhrizadeh assassination POLITICAL TEHRAN — A senior foreign advisor to the desk Iranian parliament speaker has derided the POLITICAL TEHRAN — The prior ter known as the MEK, as an example of how normalization deals of some Arab countries with the Israeli re- deskmeeting on the “Conference Western countries give asylum to anti-Iran gime as a “ridiculous show”, saying the moves will only bring on International Law and Armed Conflict in terrorist groups. about instability to the region. the Region” was hosted by the University of “Another issue that needs to be addressed “We only know one country that is called Palestine and its Qom on December 9 to discuss the interna- in international law is the immunity that some historical and civilizational capital is the Holy Quds,” Hossein tional law aspects of the assassination of Dr. governments, led by the Israeli regime, have Amir Abdollahian said in a meeting with representatives of the Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. gained for their illegitimate actions,” he said. Palestinian Hamas and Islamic Jihad resistance groups in Iran The main session on the assassination will The university professor added that the on Thursday. be held on March 16-17. The participants must regime in Tel Aviv has not retreated from any “Undoubtedly, [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netan- submit their articles by March 1. of its actions in spite of numerous resolutions yahu has reached the end of the line and the Zionists have no University professors Mostafa Faza’eli, Ah- by the UN Security Council, the UN General place and no future in the region,” Amir Abdollahian said. mad Momeni-Rad and Tavakol Habibzadeh Assembly and even the Human Rights Council. addressed the session, which was attended by Habibzadeh, for his part, said the assassi- 40 people from different universities. nation of Fakhrizadeh cannot be categorized Fazaeli told the audience that “if the as- neither as a crime against humanity, nor a sassination can be attributed to the Israeli targeted killing, because the targeted killing regime and we believe that there’s a conflict is aimed at military forces. between the two sides, some law experts be- “Therefore, this murder should be cate- lieve that it can be an example of a breach of gorized as terrorism,” he stressed. humanitarian law.” He also said that in response to the terrorist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who headed the attack, the military option is not on the table Iranian Defense Ministry’s Organization of because it is a terrorist measure. Defensive Innovation and Research (known by “It is better to arrest and prosecute the its acronym as SPND), was assassinated in the “In general, the legal nature of the action “Given the claims of these groups or in- perpetrators instead of resorting to military city of Absard, Tehran Province’s Damavand taken is a crime and will cause the perpetrators dividuals and the reasons for their asylum action, and if the actions take place in the form County, on November 27. to be held accountable, whether in charge or claims, which are often political issues, a of a group, that group can be targeted,” he Iran has blamed Israel for the assassination accomplice in the incident,” Faza’eli stated. question arises as to whether, in accordance explained. He further said that the Zionists are in the worst domestic and vowed to exact vengeance on the Zionist “If this incident is attributable to any state, it with international asylum law and interna- Habibzadeh further said that military per- political situation and the political stalemate in the Zionist regime and its minions for the act. can be prosecuted as state terrorism,” he added. tional law and human rights law regarding sonnel can be targeted only in time of war and regime and its weakness coupled with the fear of the resistance Fakhrizadeh’s martyrdom came two years Momeni-Rad investigated the responsibility political asylum, the granting of asylum to not in time of peace. are the two main components of the current fake regime. after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netan- of the countries that host anti-Islamic Republic security criminals makes those governments “So, Dr. Fakhrizadeh’s mil- Naturally, he continued, moving towards normalization yahu, during an erroneous presentation about groups, assuming that the perpetrators of the responsible,” he inquired. itary status is not a reason to of relations with the fake and terrorist regime of Israel is a Iran’s nuclear activities, warned the world to assassination were members of the anti-Islamic Momeni-Rad pointed to the Mojahedin-e make him a legitimate military wrong decision and a sign of lack of identity. “remember that name.” Republic groups residing in the West. Khalq, an exiled Iranian terrorist group bet- target,” he explained. Earlier this month, the outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to recognize Moroccan “sovereignty” over Western Sahara, abandoning longstanding U.S. policy on the region. Tehran rejects anti-Iran allegation by Trump, CENTCOM over attack on U.S. embassy Morocco agreed in return to join the list of certain Arab states that have normalized ties with Israel. POLITICAL TEHRAN — Tehran has vehemently re- ets. Three rockets failed to launch. Guess where they were attacking diplomatic and residential areas is unacceptable. Morocco became the fourth Arab country to normalize ties deskjected accusations leveled at Iran by U.S. from: IRAN,” Trump wrote above a picture claiming to show He said in this particular case, the finger is pointed at with the Israeli regime since August. It followed on the foot- President Donald Trump and the Public Affairs of the United rockets from Iran. the U.S. itself as well as its partners and allies in the region, steps of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Sudan. States’ Central Command (CENTCOM). “Now we hear chatter of additional attacks against Americans which seek escalate tensions and provoke fresh sedition in The normalization deals have been condemned by all “Such rehashed, baseless and fabricated accusations and in Iraq. Some friendly health advice to Iran: If one American the region. Palestinian factions as a betrayal of their cause. remarks can be assessed as part of the conventional blame is killed, I will hold Iran responsible. Think it over,” the U.S. “As we have already said, Iran responds to the United Iran has also denounced the normalization deals as a games of the White House aimed at eclipsing the dire situation president added. States’ terrorism overtly, bravely and at a proportionate level; “betrayal” of the Palestinian cause. that Trump is in,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed CENTCOM also said in a statement that the rocket attack in so, the U.S. regime had better resort to more believable scenar- Last month, President Hassan Rouhani said the Zionist Khatibzadeh said in a statement on Thursday. Iraq was “almost certainly” carried out by an “Iranian-backed ios in order to justify its sedition-provoking moves,” he said. regime is the enemy of the entire region and Islamic countries. The remarks came after a barrage of rockets were fired at rogue militia group.” Khatibzadeh vehemently warned the U.S. president to “Unfortunately, the presence of the Zionist regime in the the U.S. embassy in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, “While this 21-rocket attack caused no U.S. injuries or avoid creating tensions and dangerous adventurism in his region will be a cause of insecurity and instability in the for which Washington has blamed Iran. casualties, the attack did damage buildings in the U.S. Em- last days in office. region,” Rouhani said during a phone conversation with Trump took to Twitter on Thursday to blame Iran for bassy compound, and was clearly NOT intended to avoid “The Islamic Republic of Iran considers the U.S. government Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. the attack. casualties,” the statement said. responsible for the consequences and repercussions of any “It is really a surprise for us that some neighbors consider “Our embassy in Baghdad got hit Sunday by several rock- In response, Khatibzadeh said Iran has repeatedly said that unwise move under the current circumstances,” he added. their security in the shadow of their relations with the crim- inal Zionist regime, which is the enemy of the entire region and Islamic countries,” the president added. Zarif warns outgoing Trump against last-minute adventurism Iran calls for end to Saudi 1 The rockets landed close to the of the first anniversary of the assassination. attacks against Americans in Iraq, warning U.S. diplomatic mission, causing sirens U.S. officials said the decision stemmed Iran that if one American is killed, “I will strikes against Yemen blaring within the compound without any from concerns about a retaliatory strike. hold Iran responsible. Think it over.” Washington has blamed Iran for the In another tweet that followed Trump’s, POLITICAL TEHRAN — Ali Asghar Khaji, a special as- casualties apart from some material damage. Sunday attack. Zarif referred to the Trump administration’s desksistant to Iran’s foreign minister for special The U.S. embassy has been targeted In a tweet on Thursday, Trump said, failure to contain the spread of the novel political affairs, has highlighted the importance of ending military several times this year, amid soaring an- “Our embassy in Baghdad got hit Sunday coronavirus, saying, “Putting your own strikes against Yemen in order to prevent the worsening of the ti-American sentiments in the Arab country by several rockets. Three rockets failed to citizens at risk abroad won’t divert atten- humanitarian disaster in the war-torn country. following the U.S. assassination of the launch. Guess where they were from: IRAN.” tion from catastrophic failures at home.” Khaji made the remarks deputy head of Iraq’s Popular Mobiliza- He circulated rumors about additional He also attached a photo to his tweet, during a videoconference call tion Units, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, and on Wednesday with Sweden’s Iran’s anti-terror commander Lieutenant which listed the highest daily death rates special envoy for Yemen Peter General Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad “Putting your own citizens at risk abroad due to a single catastrophe in the last 100 Semneby. on January 3. won’t divert attention from catastrophic years in the United States, including the During the call, the two The United States has drawn down staff failures at home,” Zarif writes one caused by the coronavirus pandemic sides discussed the latest po- members at the embassy this month ahead that has even topped the 9/11 attacks. litical developments in Yemen as well as the dire humanitarian situation in the Arab country, according to the Foreign Min- Rouhani: We’re doing all in our power to neutralize, eliminate U.S. sanctions istry website. TEHRAN (Press TV) — Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani the illegal bans. They highlighted the im- says the Islamic Republic is doing all in its power to neutralize “We should extinguish the blaze [billowing in the form] of portance of pushing on with and eliminate unjust and illegal sanctions imposed on the the sanctions as soon as possible. We don’t need anybody’s mutual cooperation in order country by the administration of outgoing U.S. President pity,” he said. to help settle the Yemen crisis Donald Trump. The Iranian president said by potentially relieving the politically. “We are doing all we can to render these sanctions ineffective sanctions, the enemy would not have done Iran any additional They also underscored that the international community and eliminate them and everybody must work to this end. All and undue favor, adding that by stopping the sanctions, the is determined to increase humanitarian aid to Yemeni people, three branches [of the government] must join hands under Americans would have actually just “stopped their crime” especially at a time when the country is gripped by the corona- the guidance of Leader [of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah against the Iranian people. virus outbreak. Seyyed Ali Khamenei] and I promise people that they will The chief executive promised the people that they would Khaji said the Yemeni Na- Iran’s Khaji see better days in terms of livelihood, health, and shattering be witnessing better conditions concerning their livelihood tional Salvation Government of [U.S.] sanctions,” the president said while addressing a and health system towards the end of the year and throughout remains committed to its com- says the ceremony held to inaugurate a number of the Ministry of the upcoming one. mitments under the Stockholm Yemeni Petroleum’s projects on Thursday. Iran’s recent inauguration of a whole host of develop- agreement and is implementing National Rouhani called the sanctions “the joint work of the U.S.’s However, the Leader advised the nation and government to mental projects “delivered a big blow to the global arrogant it unilaterally. radicals, Zionists, and the reactionary regional regimes.” focus primarily on trying to neutralize the sanctions instead powers that had sought to enforce an [all-out] closure on the He condemned the Sau- Salvation Trump’s administration returned the United States’ strin- of seeking to secure their removal. country,” Rouhani hailed. di-led coalition’s failure to keep Government gent economic sanctions against Iran after taking the U.S. Rouhani reiterated Ayatollah Khamenei’s assertion, saying, Nursing “inchoate ideals,” he said, they wanted to have our its side of the bargain under out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a concerning the sanctions, the first step to be taken was to people stand in long queues for bread. However, 30 years of the deal, and expressed hope remains multi-party nuclear deal between the Islamic Republic and help neutralize or lessen their effect. “The second action [we U.S.-led economic war did not realize this objective as would the international community committed world powers. should take] is to eliminate and break down the sanctions,” not as many more, the president asserted. will adopt measures for the to its Last Wednesday, Ayatollah Khamenei said the Islamic the president noted, citing the Leader. “I believe that this war has lasted out its duration,” he accord to be revived and fully Republic should not wait even “an hour” to try to have the He referred to the Islamic Republic’s success in replacing said, reminding that Trump, the last of the U.S. presidents, implemented. commitments sanctions removed if this could be done through an honorable its oil exports, which the enemy had sanctioned, with pet- who was “viciously” leading this warfare, is going through The Iranian envoy also ap- under the process that guaranteed preservation of the country’s esteem. rochemical sales as an instance of its triumph in the face of the last moments of his political career. preciated efforts by the UN sec- Stockholm retary general and his special envoy for Yemen to advance the agreement peace plan in the Arab country. and is The Swedish official, for his Expediency Council says to review FATF bills part, said Tehran and Stock- implementing TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Chairman of Iran’s lative disputes in the country, would proceed its blacklist for what it said failing to comply with would smooth the path for Iran’s increased fi- holm have a lot in common it unilaterally. Expediency Council Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli with work on the bills “accurately”. international anti-terrorism financing norms. nancial transactions with the rest of the world and have made attempts to Larijani has said the top legislative watchdog Ayatollah Larijani also called on all political In October 2019, Iran’s parliament approved and help remove the country from investment contribute to a political settlement of the Yemen crisis. will review the remaining conventions of the parties to avoid any political ballyhoo. four bills put forward by the government to meet blacklists. He said Iran and Sweden enjoy great potential to play an Financial Action Task Force (FATF). It came several days after the Iranian admin- standards set by the FATF. Opponents, however, say membership in the active role in resolving the Yemen crisis, calling for closer co- The Expediency Council has put the two re- istration said it had asked Leader of the Islamic Only two of them have so far gone into effect FATF will only make the country vulnerable to ordination in that regard. maining bills on its working agenda and members Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, who and the fate of the two others, one on Iran’s outside meddling. The war on Yemen by Saudi Arabia and its allies was launched of the council will review them, taking into account appoints members of the Expediency Council, accession to the United Nations Convention They say Iran’s implementation of FATF in March 2015. The goal of the war was to return to power the the country’s economic and security interests, to authorize a renewed discussion on FATF’s against Transnational Organized Crime and the standards so far not only has failed to attract Riyadh-backed former regime of Mansour Hadi and defeat the Ayatollah Amoli Larijani said on Wednesday. Palermo and terrorist financing conventions other one a bill amending Iran’s Combating the investment, but it has also exposed various Houthi Ansarullah movement that had taken control after the He further assured the Iranian people that in the council. Financing of Terrorism (CFT) law, is still in limbo. institutions to extraterritorial regulations and resignation of the previous government. the council, which is in charge of settling legis- The FATF voted on February 21 to keep Iran on FATF’s proponents have said the measure penalties. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y DECEMBER 26, 2020 IRAN IN FOCUS 3 SPORTS Side effect of defeat Two Iranians in IFFHS’s AFC Trump may seek to distract attention by embarking on foreign adventure Men Team of 2020 POLITICAL TEHRAN — U.S. Presi- Republicans up in arms & fighting over the SPORTSTEHRAN — Iranian forward Sardar Az- deskdent Donald Trump, who fact that the Democrats stole the rigged pres- deskmoun and international referee Alireza still can’t get over his defeat in the United idential election? Especially in the Senate, Faghani have been included in the AFC Men Team of the States presidential election, has once again they said, where you helped 8 Senators win Year 2020 published by the IFFHS (International Feder- issued fiery threats against Iran in response their races. How quickly they forget!” ation of Football History and Statistics). to what he called an Iranian rocket attack Trump has signaled that his fellow Re- on the U.S. embassy in Iraq. publicans are jumping ship and leaving Earlier last week, after weeks of relative him without partisan support in the fight calm, the U.S. embassy in Baghdad came against the Democrats. Therefore, Trump under rocket attacks on Sunday night. may launch new foreign adventurism in Iraqi news media reported that more than the waning days of his presidency to force 22 rockets landed in the premises of the the Republicans into joining the ranks of embassy, which is located in the heavily MAGA mobs. fortified district of Green Zone. The attack But Iran has made it clear that it will de- resulted in the embassy activating its C-RAM cisively respond to any provocations against defense system, a move that caused a state it. In an interview with CBS in September of panic and fear among Baghdad residents. 2019, Zarif famously warned that there “The U.S. embassy confirms rockets would be no limited war with Iran if the targeting the International Zone (Green U.S. attacked Iran. Zone) resulted in the engagement of em- “No. No, I›m not confident that we can bassy defensive systems,” the U.S. embassy avoid a war. We- I›m confident that we will said in a statement, adding that the rockets known for his lies and cheating, whether ed two screenshots; one showing that the not start one but I›m confident that whoever have inflicted only minor damages to the in his current capacity or in his previous Covid-19 pandemic has inflicted the highest starts one will not be the one who finishes embassy compound. Videos circulating on capacity as the CIA director. Therefore, I death toll in one single day compared to that it,” Zarif cautioned at the time. “That means social media showed the C-RAM system firmly and strongly condemn the remarks of other non-Covid-19 events such as 9/11 that there won›t be a limited war.” Azmoun capped another brilliant season for Zenit St firing a barrage of projectiles into the dark by the U.S. secretary of state.” attacks and the Okeechobee hurricane of One year later, Zarif once again warned Petersburg by finishing as the 2019-20 Russian Premier sky in a bid to intercept the rockets even Despite Iran’s clear position on the attack, 1928, and the other showing a number of that any war with Iran would be a “mother League (RPL) top scorer in July. though it failed to intercept them. the U.S. continued to blame Iran, with Trump Trump’s tweets in which he warns, before of all quagmires.” This warning came after a He scored 17 goals for the Russian giants. The U.S. was quick to blame the attack on even drawing a red line that, if crossed, he his presidency, that Barack Obama would suspected report was published by Politico Faghani, the 42-year-old referee, who whistles in the Iran. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will hold Iran responsible. attack Iran to boost his reelection win. claiming that Iran was weighing a plot to kill A-League, has been named as the best referee in the AFC claimed that “Iran-backed militias” were “Our embassy in Baghdad got hit Sunday The Trump administration has been wide- Lana Marks, the U.S. ambassador to South team. behind the attack but he did not present by several rockets. Three rockets failed to ly accused of mismanaging the coronavirus Africa, in revenge for the assassination of AFC MEN TEAM OF THE YEAR 2020 any evidence to support his claim. launch. Guess where they were from: IRAN. crisis in the U.S. According to Worldometer, IRGC’s Quds Force commander Qassem Goalkeeper: Mathew Ryan (Australia/ Brighton) “Iran-backed militias once again fla- Now we hear chatter of additional attacks a website publishing the latest coronavi- Soleimani, a claim that took many by surprise, Defenders: Mohamed Al Burayk (Saudi Arabia / Al grantly and recklessly attacked in Baghdad, against Americans in Iraq. Some friendly rus-related data all over the world, more including the South African government. Hilal), Takeniro Tomiyasu (Japan/FC Bologna), Maya wounding Iraqi civilians. The people of Iraq health advice to Iran: If one American is than 337,000 Americans have lost their lives “The habitual liar [Mike Pompeo] bam- Yoshida (Japan/Sampdoria), Theerathon Bunmathan deserve to have these attackers prosecuted. killed, I will hold Iran responsible. Think it due to Covid-19 and more than 19 million boozled Donald Trump into assassinating (Thailand/Yokohama) These violent and corrupt criminals must over,” Trump said in a tweet on Thursday. Americans have contracted the virus. ISIS› enemy #1 by raising a false alarm. Now Midfielders: Wu Lei (China/RCD Espaniyol), Takumi cease their destabilizing actions,” Pompeo Trump’s tweet elicited a harsh response However, despite these alarming num- he›s trying to sucker him into mother of all Minamino (Japan/FC Liverpool), Salem Al Dawsari (Saudi said in a tweet. from Iran’s top diplomat, who warned Trump bers, Trump is busy playing politics. He has quagmires by leaking a new false alarm,” Arabia/Al Hilal) Iran hit back at Pompeo, calling the at- against any adventurism on his way out. criticized his fellow Republicans for leaving Zarif tweeted in September 2020. Forwards: Sardar Azmoun (Iran/Zenit St. Petersburg), tack “dubious” and “unacceptable.” Saeed “@realDonaldTrump uses a worthless him alone in his fight against the Democrats Zarif’s tweet came in response to another Heung-min Son (South Korea/ Tottenham), Akram Afif Khatibzadeh, spokesman for Iran’s Foreign photo to recklessly accuse Iran. Last time, whom he accuses of stealing the November tweet by Trump in which the U.S. president (Qatar/Al Sadd) Ministry, strongly condemned the Pom- the US ruined our region over WMD fabri- presidential election. threatened to launch “an attack on Iran that Coach of the Year: Razvan Lucescu (Romania/Al Hilal) peo claim. cations, wasting $7 TRILLION & causing In his latest criticism of fellow Republi- will be 1,000 times greater in magnitude!” Referee of the Year: Alireza Faghani (Iran) Speaking at a weekly press conference on 58,976 American casualties. FAR WORSE cans, Trump said he has “saved” 8 Republican In late November, Commander of the Monday, Khatibzadeh said, “Unfortunately, this time. Trump will bear full responsibil- senators but the Republicans aren’t up in Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Iran’s diplomatic places in Iraq had also ity for any adventurism on his way out,” arms defending him against the Democrats. Major General Hossein Salami said “military been attacked. We had pursued a steady Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif “I saved at least 8 Republican Senators, war has been excluded from the enemy’s Nassaji 1 – 1 Persepolis: IPL policy that targeting diplomatic missions said in a tweet moments after Trump’s including Mitch, from losing in the last Rigged options.” and residential areas is unacceptable.” threat against Iran. (for President) Election. Now they (almost General Salami was responding to reports SPORTSTEHRAN — At a muddy field on a rainy desk He added, “But the kind and timing of A few moments earlier, Zarif had accused all) sit back and watch me fight against a that Trump asked his senior advisers in an day, Persepolis football team were held this attack [on the U.S. embassy], as well Trump of trying to divert attention from crooked and vicious foe, the Radical Left Oval Office meeting whether he had options to a 1-1 draw by Nassaji in Iran Professional League (IPL) as the statement put out by the U.S. secre- his disastrous failures at home by waging Democrats. I will NEVER FORGET!” Trump to take action against Iran’s main nuclear on Friday. tary of state, show that [the attack] is very wars abroad. tweeted on Friday. site in the coming weeks. The New York With four minutes to play in the first half, Nassaji de- dubious. Its timing is dubious. And more Addressing Trump, Zarif tweeted, A few hours earlier, Trump had castigated Times reported at the time that Trump had fender Mojtaba Bijan found the back of Persepolis’ net importantly, it seems that as if they had “Putting your own citizens at risk abroad the Republican senators for their silence asked his senior advisors to provide him with with a header. already prepared a statement to publish. won›t divert attention from catastrophic on the election. options to attack an Iranian nuclear site Persepolis dominated the match in the second half and And I strongly condemn the remarks of failures at home.” Trump said, “At a meeting in Florida but the president’s advisors dissuaded him created several chances but they had to wait until the 85th the U.S. regime’s secretary of state, who is The chief Iranian diplomat also post- today, everyone was asking why aren’t the from moving ahead with the military strike. minute to level the score. Siamak Nemati dribbled past Nassaji defender into the area and scored with a powerful strike. Earlier in the day, Naft Masjed Soleyman edged past Machine Sazi 1-0 in Tabriz in a controversial match. Russia calls for unconditional U.S. return to JCPOA Behrouz Norouzifard scored for Naft Masjed Soleyman SPORTSTEHRAN — Russia has once again called does the same. in the 64th minute. deskon the United States to return to the 2015 Lavrov said, “We hope that not only the current members On Thursday, Zob Ahan and Gol Gohar teams shared Iran nuclear deal without “any preconditions or extra de- of the JCPOA but Washington as well, take note of this signal. the spoils in a 1-1 draw in Isfahan. mands,” Russian state news agency TASS reported. Strict adherence to the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 Ali Dashti gave the hosts the lead in the 12th minute Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova by the American side is not a matter of choice, it is an obliga- at the Foolad Shahr Stadium. Zob Ahan midfielder Milad told a news conference on Thursday that the U.S. return to tion of any state stipulated in Article 25 of the UN Charter.” Jahani missed a penalty in the 35th minute. the nuclear deal – officially known as the Joint Compre- China also called for unconditional U.S. return to the Gol Gohar put Zob Ahan under pressure in the first half hensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – should not be subjected JCPOA during the Wednesday meeting, according to Hua but their players lacked the cutting edge. to any preconditions. Chunying, the spokeswoman for China’s Foreign Ministry. Gol Gohar midfielder Saeid Sadeghi equalized the match “We proceed from the understanding that the United “Wang Yi made a 4-point proposal: 1. Make relentless in the 59th minute with a long-range strike from outside States’ return to the fold of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of efforts to uphold the JCPOA and firmly against the maxi- the box. Action for the Iranian nuclear program must not be linked mum pressure. 2. Push for an early and unconditional U.S. In Abadan, Sanat Naft earned a late 2-1 win over Tractor. with any extra preconditions or requirements,” the spokes- return to the JCPOA. The U.S. should lift sanctions on Iran Sanat Naft midfielder Reza Khaleghifar was on tar- woman said. “We believe that progress in this respect will and on third-party entities and individuals. 3. Resolve the get just four minutes into the match but Mohammad be achieved. We have taken note of the Iranian leadership’s compliance issues fairly and impartially. 4. Properly handle Abbaszadeh leveled the score in the dying moments of repeated confirmations it is prepared to act precisely this way.” our shared interest,” the statement said. regional security issues. China has proposed to establish a the first half. She pointed out that the recent ministerial meeting of Zakharova reiterated this position, saying the JCPOA is multilateral dialogue platform in the [Persian] Gulf region Just seconds before the final whistle, Tractor defender JCPOA participants underlined precisely this kind of attitude still alive and will be implemented. to start an inclusive dialogue process to build consensus Hadi Mohammadi scored an own goal. to the agreement. On Wednesday, the foreign ministers of “Attempts to reconfigure the nuclear deal ended in fail- on regional security issues through equal consultation and Persepolis are 10th in the table, five points adrift of Iran, China, France, Germany, the Russian Federation, and ure,” she noted, adding, “It is alive and will continue to incremental progress,” the spokeswoman said in a Twitter leaders Gol Gohar with two games in hands. the United Kingdom, as well as the High Representative of be implemented systematically, just as the UN Security thread after the meeting. the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Council’s Resolution 2231 (on the nuclear deal) the way it China and Russia have stepped up their efforts to revive held a virtual meeting to discuss the latest developments was unanimously approved on July 20, 2015. All countries, and protect the JCPOA in recent weeks. On Tuesday, Russian surrounding the JCPOA. After the meeting, Russia’s Foreign including the United States, are obliged to comply with this President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with his French Persepolis express sympathy Ministry put out a statement calling for U.S.’s unconditional resolution without any reservations.” counterpart Emanuel Macron to discuss the situation around return to the nuclear deal. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry’s statement, the JCPOA among other issues. with football fan’s family “We believe that the U.S. return to the JCPOA should be during the ministerial meeting, Russian Foreign Minister “Regarding the situation around Iran’s nuclear program, Sergey Lavrov underlined that Moscow had taken note of SPORTSTEHRAN — An Iranian football fan un- without any preconditions. Our partners and we are ready both sides stated the demand for collective efforts directed desk for meaningful work in this area, and we are ready to help Tehran’s statements, which articulate that Iran is ready to at preservation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action able to cope with Persepolis’ loss to Ulsan the Americans to step on the path of correction. This is in return to full adherence to the JCPOA as soon as the U.S. (JCPOA),” the Kremlin said in a statement. Hyundai, died due to cardiac arrest. Persepolis lost to Ulsan Hyundai of South Korea 2-1 in the final match of the 2020 AFC Champions League on Saturday in Doha, Qatar. Rouhani congratulates world leaders, Pope Francis on Christmas The Iranian giants had also failed to win the title in 2018 after losing 2-0 on aggregate to Japan’s Kashima Antlers. ‘Jesus Christ is the messenger of love, altruism, and the harbinger of freedom and liberty’ Behrouz Khorshidian Yasuj, 33, passed away a day after the defeat due to a cardiac arrest. POLITICAL TEHRAN — In separate Rouhani, a Shia Muslim cleric, told the Pope. Holiness health and success, and all people beings today, especially the followers of all He is survived by his eight years old son and his wife. deskmessages, Iranian Pres- “Reflecting on the characteristics and around the world happiness and prosperity,” heavenly religions, will be able to follow Persepolis football club expressed sympathy with the ident Hassan Rouhani congratulated the virtues of Jesus Christ and applying his way the Iranian president noted. the path of human excellence and perfec- family of the fan over his demise. Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope of life, which has always been associated Rouhani also sent similar messages tion by heeding the lofty teachings of the Francis, and world leaders on the birthday with compassion, tolerance and altruism, to world leaders, felicitating them on the divine prophets and relying on their way of Jesus Christ. can solve the social and cultural challenges birthday of Jesus Christ and the beginning and tradition. In his message to Pope Francis, Rouhani of human beings today, alleviate their pain of the New Year 2021. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Ansarifard, AEK’s most wrote that taking advantage of the way of and be a way to get rid of problems and mis- “The world today is facing many social, Javad Zarif also offered congratulations valuable transfer life of Jesus Christ, which has always been fortunes and a path to human perfection,” cultural, economic and political crises. It is to Christians of the East on the occasion associated with compassion, tolerance and Rouhani said in his message. necessary for the leaders of the countries to of the birthday of Jesus Christ. A Greek website wrote that Iranian forward Karim altruism, can solve the social and cultural Rouhani also expressed hope that the show common will and efforts, with regional “On the birth of Jesus Christ, we con- Ansarifard is by far the most valuable transfer of the challenges of human beings today, according Covid-9 pandemic would be brought under and global cooperation, to work harder to gratulate all the Christians of our ancient season for AEK. to the official website of the Iranian president. control in the New Year. overcome these crises, as well as to acceler- East, especially those who share with us The Iranian international forward signed a deal with “I am delighted to offer my sincerest “I hope that with the blessing of the ate the process of fighting Coronavirus and humanity and the homeland since the dawn Greek football team AEK Athens in August. congratulations to Your Holiness and all birthday of Jesus Christ and in the New returning human life to normal,” Rouhani of history and civilization and those whom Karim has already scored eight goals, seven in the Super monotheists on the birthday of Jesus Christ, Year, we can control the ominous COVID-19 said in his messages to the leaders. we always sacrificed for their stay along- League where he is also the team’s top scorer. the Prophet of peace and kindness, and the virus and return human life to normal to He also pointed out that Jesus Christ is side us and their coexistence with us in In fact, each of his goals is a point or points for AEK and start of year 2021. Jesus Christ is the mes- see hope and double happiness in human the Prophet of peace and reconciliation and the region. May it be a promising year for he became to the main forward very quickly and proved senger of monotheism, love and altruism, life and the spread of peace and security the flag bearer of compassion and altruism. good, truth and tolerance,” Zarif said in a that he is not the replacement of Nelson Oliveira. and the harbinger of freedom and liberty,” throughout the entire planet. I wish Your He noted that it is hoped that human tweet on Friday. (Source: To10.gr) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 4 ECONOMY DECEMBER 26, 2020

NIDC digs 87 oil, gas wells Rouhani in 9 months ECONOMY TEHRAN — National Iranian Drilling Com- inaugurates deskpany (NIDC) dug and completed digging op- eration of 87 oil and gas wells during the first nine months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-December 20), according to the managing director of the company. Abdollah Mousavi said the drilled wells consisted of 22 petchem projects development wells, one appraisal well, 62 workover wells, and two exploratory wells. He said currently 17 drilling rigs are being relocated to operational areas. worth €916m NIDC is conducting digging operations in 10 provinces of the country, the official noted. 1 The second phase of Ilam Petro- With an investment of $29 million, plus After the U.S. reimposition of sanctions against Iran, indi- 2.21 trillion rials (about $52.6 million), Heg- genizing the know-how for the manufacturing of the parts and chemical Complex includes olefins and the sweetening unit. With the launch of the olefin mataneh Petrochemical complex will pro- equipment applied in different industrial sectors is one of the duce medical grade PVC and medical-grade major strategies that the Islamic Republic has been strongly unit, 750,000 tons of products including ethylene, propylene, pyrolysis gasoline, and granules, adding a total of 45,000 tons to the chain and developing downstream industries. ministries to take the necessary measures following up to reach self-reliance and nullify the sanctions. country’s petrochemical production capacity. Since the beginning of the current calen- for the realization of the year’s motto. Oil, gas, and petrochemical industries have outstanding liquid fuel are produced per year. Inaugurated in the year of the surge in The Potassium Sulfate unit of Urmia dar year, which has been named the year of In this regard, since the beginning of the performances in this due, with indigenizing the knowledge Petrochemical Company, which was fully “surge in production” by the Leader of the year, every week several major projects have for manufacturing many parts and equipment that were pre- production, this project was implemented completely by relying on domestic knowledge developed by Iranian experts in less than Islamic Revolution Seyed Ali Khamenei, the gone operational in various sectors. viously imported. 24 months is aimed at completing the value government has urged various bodies and Among different sectors and technology. of the mentioned industries, drilling could be mentioned as a prominent example in U.S. sanctions’ silver lining for Iranian home appliance industry this regard. National Iranian Drilling 1 Interestingly, more than 80 percent of the eco- raw materials such as steel sheets, petrochemicals, copper Company managed to in- nomic damages caused by the coronavirus pandemic in the and brass sections, the abundance and low costs of energy digenize the knowledge for Iranian market are reported in the service sector and not in and workforce in addition to the strategic position of the manufacturing 6,000 drilling production. This means that domestic manufacturers have country, compared to other countries in the region. equipment in collaboration been able to overcome the hurdles and take full advantage So, the country is also taking necessary measures for be- with domestic manufacturers of the foreign brands leaving the country. coming a major exporter of home alliances in the region. and engineers in the previous According to the data released by Industry, Mining and Iranian manufacturers have managed to export up to $250 Iranian calendar year (ended Trade Ministry, manufacturing of washing machines in Iran million of home appliances in the previous years and cur- on March 19). increased 58.2 percent during the first eight months of the rently, the production and assembly lines for Iranian home Before this success, the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-November 20), appliances have been set up in some of the countries in the technology for manufacturing compared to the same period of time in the past year, while region and Iran is exporting its products to the target mar- the mentioned equipment was the production of refrigerators and freezers increased by kets by sending Completely Knocked Down (CKD) kits to in the possession of a handful of foreign companies. 29.2 percent. the mentioned production lines. The equipment indigenized by NIDC includes drilling mud The production of other products like televisions, air condi- This is a turning point in the history of the country’s econ- pumps, blowout preventers, traction motors, draw-works, drill- tioners, water air coolers, stoves and etc. have also increased. omy, but also in the history of Iran. ing fluid recycling systems, mission centrifugal pumps, top On the eve of entering the 15th century of the Solar Hijri Therefore, officials and decision-makers in the country’s drives, and drilling rig slow circulation rate pressure systems. Calendar, although Iran’s economy is going through its most promoting domestic products, like holding international and legislative and executive institutions must understand the The company has also managed to indigenize the know-how difficult days, sparks of hope are seen on the horizon for the national exhibitions to showcase the potentials and capacities significance of the current situation and pave the way for the for manufacturing 242 parts highly-applied in the drilling country’s production sector. of Iranian manufacturers. prosperity and development of Iranian brands. industry during the first half of the current Iranian calendar The significant turn of Iranian consumers toward domes- In this regard, the 20th International Exhibition of Home Many excess regulations and bureaucratic procedures, like year (March 20-September 21). tic products is in fact a “shift of paradigm” in the society’s Appliances kicked off at Tehran Permanent International the restrictions on importing raw materials and machinery, In order to indigenize the technology to manufacture these behavioral pattern. In fact, just as many French, Italians, and Fairgrounds on Friday in accordance with health and safety etc. should be removed, the development of the export market parts, NIDC inked six research deals with domestic universities Germans prefer and buy their own goods, even at a higher protocols. The four-day exhibition called “Thriving amidst should be strongly pursued, and Iranian brands should become and knowledge-based companies. price than their foreign counterparts, Iranians have found Sanctions” is only open to experts and commercial visitors. prepared for a significant presence in international markets At the beginning of the current Iranian year, NIDC Man- that buying domestic goods is a priority. At the same time, Interacting in international events along with qualitative by building upon the capacities of the domestic market. aging Director Abdollah Mousavi had said that his company’s the price of domestic goods is much cheaper than the price and quantitative development in the domestic market can With the proper support of the current movement by the performance will be more outstanding in this year, which is of foreign samples, and also in terms of quality, domestic increase the export potentials of Iranian products. government, a bright future awaits Iranian producers and named the year of surge in production. commodities are more competitive now than in the past. It should not be taken for granted that Iran has also various the country’s economy whether the external factors are for The official’s saying has already come true, as his company The government is also implementing new programs for competitive advantages in this industry in terms of supplying or against the country. managed to indigenize the know-how for manufacturing some significant parts, and also in completing the digging operations sooner than the schedule. ICCIMA says structures, policies of Iran, Uzbekistan confer on Holding 70 onshore and offshore drilling rigs as well as equipment and facilities for offering integrated technical and national development plan need to change implementing mutual trade agreement engineering services, the National Iranian Drilling Company ECONOMY TEHRAN — Before the portal, Qasemi announced the prepara- ECONOMY TEHRAN – Deputy potentials, efficient manufacturing sectors, accounts for a major part of drilling exploration as well as deskprocess of preparing the tion of a report on “Strategic Needs of the deskHead of Iran Cham- highly skilled human resources, and exper- appraisal/development wells in Iran. country’s Seventh Five-Year National Devel- Seventh Development Plan” and said: “For ber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and tise and noted that the country could be a As previously announced, the company has dug over 240 opment Plan (2022-2026) is started, Iran this purpose, a series of meetings have been Agriculture (ICCIMA) for International gateway for Uzbekistan’s trade relations with oil and gas wells across the country in the past two years. Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines held with the participation of several other Affairs Mohammad-Reza Karbasi held an other countries in the region and in Asia. and Agriculture (ICCIMA) calls for reform- commissions and the views of experts in the online meeting with Mukhtor Umarov, the He further mentioned Iran’s favorable IME’s monthly worth of ing the planning structures and frameworks field of planning have been used.” chairman of the Association of Export- geographical position, saying: “Iran has the governing the plan. Qasemi mentioned the following issues as ers of Uzbekistan, in which the two sides shortest and fastest routes for the transit trades increases 57% The private sector expects the Seventh some major points mentioned in the report. expressed the need for implementing a of goods between Europe and East Asia, Development Plan to be formulated in a - If the seventh program is a continua- trade agreement between the two countries’ as well as between a large part of Russia ECONOMY TEHRAN— Over 2.77 million tons of trend differently from the previous ones. tion of previous programs, it is better not chambers of commerce. and West Asia and North African region.” deskproducts worth $1.32 billion were traded The chamber worries about the continu- to write it. As reported by the ICCIMA portal, in Iran’s special position in the region, at Iran Mercantile Exchange (IME) during the ninth Ira- ation of the negative growth of investment, - The government no longer has the re- this meeting Karbasi announced the sign- both geopolitically and in terms of security, nian calendar month Azar (November 21-December 20), the negative growth of per capita income, sources to invest, the private sector must ing of a Memorandum of Understanding provides a stable and growing prospect for indicating 57 percent growth in terms of value compared the shrinking of Iran’s share of the global come to act. (MOU) between ICCIMA and the Chamber investment and economic cooperation with to its preceding month. economic system, and the continuation of - The Seventh Development Plan should of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan countries all around the world, he added. Based on the report released by the IME’s Public Relations stagflation. be based on productivity promotion. with the aim of forming a joint Iranian-Uz- According to Karbasi, removing banking Department, also the volume of monthly trades at the IME Ali Shams Ardakani, ICCIMA’s chairman - The current limited resources should bek trade committee, and noted that this barriers and problems, reducing customs indicates a 42-percent rise. of the Macroeconomics Committee, together be allocated to modifying key challenges. MOU can be a big step toward the expan- tariffs, reducing transportation costs and with Mohammad Qasemi, the chairman of Shams Ardakani, for his part, mentioned sion of economic relations between the providing the necessary facilities in the the Research Center of the chamber, while the following points. two countries. field of rail transportation, and increasing explaining the results of the joint activities - The implementation of the development According to Karbasi, the Iran-Uzbeki- the number of active wagons between the in the past three months on the Seventh De- plan is subject to the adoption of development stan Joint Trade Committee is in charge of two countries is necessary for the growth velopment Plan, announced that a report on policies in the annual budget. implementing the provisions of the men- of trade and investment between Iran and “Strategic Needs of the Seventh Development - The budgeting process should move tioned memorandum. Uzbekistan. Plan” has been prepared by the ICCIMA’s toward a development-oriented budget. The official underlined some of the The value of trade between the two coun- committees and Research Center. - Transparency of laws paves the way advantages of Iran as a trade partner like tries increased from $186 million in 2018 to In an interview with the ICCIMA news for development. extensive infrastructure, significant economic $411 million in 2019, the official stressed.

Domestic companies to invest over $2.3b in Shahid Rajaee Port ECONOMY TEHRAN – Iranian Ports and Maritime transportation and storage costs. deskOrganization (PMO), on Thursday, signed Located in Iran’s southern province of Hormozgan, six memorandums of understanding (MOU) with domestic Shahid Rajaee is the country’s largest and best-equipped As shown by the figures, the industrial and mineral spot companies for investing 100 trillion rials (about $2.38 bil- container port. market of the exchange traded 1.178 million tons of basic lion) plus €800 million in development projects of Shahid The third phase of the port’s development plan is going commodities worth of $697 million, of which steel sections Rajaee port’s hinterland. to go operational by the end of the current Iranian calendar accounted for 1.137 million tons among an array of underly- The signing ceremony was attended by the Iranian Trans- year (March 20, 2021), according to PMO, ing commodities like copper, precious metals concentrates, port and Urban Development Minister Mohammad Eslami, Back in August 2019, PMO’s Director of Engineering and molybdenum, aluminum, coke, zinc, cast-iron and gold bar. and the PMO Head Mohammad Rastad. Infrastructure Development Mohammadreza Allahyar had The petrochemical and oil-related market of the IME saw The mentioned investments will be made in a variety said that the port’s capacity is planned to rise 2.1 million trades of 1.559 million tons of polymers, chemicals, vacuum of projects including zinc, lead, manganese, and copper TEUs to reach 8 million TEUs. bottom and bitumen for which the flagship commodities factories, the construction and development of industrial Enjoying the most modern container terminals and port were vacuum bottom (530,000 tons), bitumen (467,000 Representatives of private sector companies sign invest- components and parts production units, development and ment MOUs on Thursday as Transport and Urban Devel- equipment, Shahid Rajaee accounts for 85 percent of the tons), polymers (245,000 tons), chemicals (218,000 tons), integration of the existing industrial units in the area, con- total loading and unloading at the Iranian ports. and Lube cut with a quantity of 144,000 tons. opment Minister Mohammad Eslami (center) and PMO struction of an alumina refinery, as well as the construction Head Mohammad Rastad (1st L) look upon. Given its significant role in the country’s import and In the agricultural market of the exchange 320 kilograms of container manufacturing units. export of products as well as transit and transshipment via of premium saffron changed hands. Implementation and construction of production units in production and a logistics center, which will upgrade the Iran, the development of Shahid Rajaee Port has been among Meanwhile, the side market of the exchange traded 3350 Shahid Rajaee Port will make this port a center for value-added port’s level to the third generation and significantly reduce the most important development projects in the country. tons of OTC products and commodities. IME is one of the four major stock markets of Iran, the other three markets are Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE), Iran’s over-the-counter (OTC) market known also as Iran Fara Bourse (IFB), and Iran Energy Exchange (IRENEX). NIGC managing director warns about rising gas consumption In late April, IME Managing Director Hamed Soltani-Ne- ECONOMY TEHRAN — The man- situation is a warning step to consider the coronavirus to the point that even in the ally, energy consumption in different sectors jad unveiled the market’s new outlook plan, which depicts deskaging director of National issue of optimizing energy consumption in summer, gas consumption increased even in our country is high and this can cause a IME’s development roadmap until the Iranian calendar year Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) warned about parallel with the increase in gas production, more because the consumption of hot water further increase in the consumption of gas of 1404 (March 20205-March 2026). Materializing the slo- the rising trend of gas consumption in the because we will see an increase in consumption increased, and according to expert analysis, and other types of energy in the country to gan of this Iranian year, which is “Surge in Production” is country as the winter has come, Shana re- every year and gas supply to industries will be this is part of the reason for this increase”, the extent that in summer we saw a seven to seriously considered in the mentioned plan and it is, in fact, ported. limited and condition will worsen every year.” the official added. 10-percent increase in consumption, while the strategic approach of the outlook plan. Hasan Montazer Torbati said, “The current “This year, we saw the spread of the He went on to say, “Of course, tradition- this issue is now more noticeable in winter.” I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y DECEMBER 26, 2020 ANALYSIS/INTERVIEW 5

Idlib refugee camps: People Syria repels Israeli warplanes’ missile barrage targeting Hama

Syria’s air defenses repel a missile attack launched by Israe- li warplanes from the Lebanese airspace against the western under the siege Syrian city of Hama’s countryside. The official Syrian Arab News Agency reported that the By Abir Bassam unfit for animals. The people stay in textile attack had come precisely 40 minutes past midnight (local tents, which are usually flooded with water time) on Friday (10:40 p.m. on Thursday GMT). Idlib is a province located in northwest Syr- in winter and causes the sleeping brushes “The Israeli enemy launched an aggression by directing ia. The district and its main city share the to sink; and the wind might easily cause the a barrage of missiles from the north of the Lebanese city of same name. Idlib’s name has been repeated tents to fall over the heads of it tenants. The Tripoli towards the Masyaf area in the western Hama coun- with a great importance since 2012, the early elderly and the children are the most injured. tryside,” it wrote, citing a military source. days of the war on Syria. It was the substi- The tents are not equipped for facing the hard According to Press TV, the agency said the country’s an- tute entrance used to smuggle the terrorist winter of the region. In summer, the area ti-missile apparatus managed to intercept and destroy the group of al-Nusra and its branches: Fateh is filled with harmful and deadly reptiles, projectiles midair. al-Sham, which was established and trained such as snakes and scorpions. State television, meanwhile, broadcast footage of the suc- directly by Turkey and financed by Qatar, Eissa met with many refugee camps’ cessful defensive maneuver. and Ahrar al-sham, which was established residents. He asked them: “How could you Citing correspondents and locals, the AFP and Associated and trained by the Americans and financed bear the life in the camps?” Unfortunately, Press news agency also reported overflights of the Lebanese by Saudi Arabia. many of them cannot afford to move into airspace by Israeli military aircraft that alarmed residents in Tens of refugee camps were set up in the houses. The rent is around $100 and more, the Lebanese capital Beirut. province even before the start of eruptions. which they cannot afford. They barely can The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK- This fact was confirmed by a reliable inside pay for providing bread, which is a 150 times based group, said the Israeli regime had sought to target the source that I will name as Eisaa, for his own more expensive than its real price in Syria. Syrian military and its allied anti-terror forces during the attack. safety. The displaced refugees are of two kinds. The Israeli regime and Syria are technically at war due to Eisaa emphasizes that the eruptions did The first are the terrorist fighters and their the former’s 1967-present occupation of the Arab country’s not start in the main city, Idlib, but in its sur- families who came from Damascus and its Golan Heights. rounding, in particular al-Zawiea Mountain’s whenever I remember the unpleasant inci- olence against them. However, these camps countryside, Homs, Daraa and Deir Ezzor Starting in 2011, Tel Aviv has also been providing instru- towns such as Binch, Kafer Takharim, and dent, I can feel the smell of the bodies in my were not filled with the refugees until 2015, that refused to reconcile with the government; mental support to anti-Syria militant and terrorist groups. Ma’arat al-Nu’man. Most of the provocative nose. Back then, I had a nervous breakdown.” the time in which the Syrian army withdrew they constitute the minority of the displaced. The regime has, on numerous occasions, provided safe parties that began the eruption movements This incident was a major catastrophe, from Idlib. The second group is the majority. They passage and medical treatment to the Takfiri terrorists fleeing were logistically and ideologically tied to which deeply affected the moral of the people Eisaa says: “Many of the displaced people come from the villages of Idlib and Aleppo. Damascus’ operations into the Golan Heights. Turkey, mainly the “Muslim Brotherhood”. at the beginning of the eruptions. It was on the Syrian-Turkish borders wanted to Most of their lands were freed from terrorists. In 2018, it notoriously allowed the evacuation of a shady However, there were other groups, such unprecedented in the history of Syria; this return to their towns and villages, especially However, they are held as prisoners. They and highly suspicious Western-backed “aid group,” known as as the Union Socialist Party [USP] members, fact was repeated by the Syrian officer in his that the food baskets and money became were not allowed to return to their lands the White Helmets, into the occupied territories. The evacu- which initiated a coup against the government own words: “I had never seen something rare. However, the Turkish police and armed and houses. They are held as hostages of ees, who were spirited out of the Syrian territory right after in the 1990s, and then again in 2011. When like that in my whole life.” It was followed terrorists who controlled the camps pre- the ultimate political agreement. Damascus found them culpable of staging false-flag chemical the disturbances reached their peaks, the by many horrible unpleasant incidents in vented them, even in the early days of the Eisaa stresses, “The camps are a begging attacks in Syria, were all provided safe havens in Western USP members fled outside Syria in 2012. which hearts of the soldiers were ripped out displacement and before the beginning of gateway for Turkey. It works through organ- destinations afterwards. According to our source the people’s move- and eaten. The aim was to create a state of the fights.” izations that steal more than 90 percent of The Israeli air force also regularly targets Syria and its al- ment towards the refugee camps started in terror and fear among the Syrian soldiers Those people were the fuel of the demon- the aid that the Syrians should receive in lies’ reinforcements as means of, what Damascus denounces 2011 by civilians who were tempted by money and the government partisans. strations. In an incident that happened in the camps.” Organizations such as Violet, as, slowing down the Arab country’s advances in the face of and food baskets that were distributed for free. In March 2012, the government restored 2012, our source adds: “There was a funeral Shafaq, and Cool Turkey benefit by marketing terrorist outfits. The displacement was falsely connected to its control over Idlib. However, this was ac- for a group of people; I was there, in Jesser expired food products, canning, packaging, the massacre committed against the Syrian complished through military confrontation al-Shughour. The men were killed in Beirut. and reselling them to local organizations. soldiers in Jesser Al-Shughour. According between the Syrian army and the armed The mourners at the funerals gathered at “If the money used were given to the people, After months of negotiations, to Eisaa, the displacement took place long terrorist groups. The situation was under the Orontes Square of Jesser Al-Shughour. they would have been better off”, emphasizes UK, EU secure Brexit trade deal before the massacre, which was commit- control for three years. In 2015, the Anti- They wanted to attack the police center, but Eissa. These organizations are tied in their ted against a Syrian Military Point that was Lebanon Mountains were freed from ISIS they failed. The officer in charge prevented performance to the EU and to Turkey. The United Kingdom and the European Union have agreed on stationed in the Communication Center in and al-Nusra. It was a combined efforts led the police members from firing at the dem- Stories of injustice and rape in the camps a post-Brexit trade deal after months of torturous negotiations, Jesser Al-Shughour, which is a town located by both the Syrian and the Lebanese armies, onstrators, who were basically escorting the would blow anybody’s mind. Poverty is forc- averting the prospect of a chaotic and acrimonious divorce at the in al-Zawiea Mountain. It was the biggest which went on together with the Hezbollah dead.” He says, “However, shooting at the ing people to sell their body organs. Many end of this year. massacre ever of military soldiers, and the initiative operations to free the area from demonstrators was only allowed after the under-aged girls are forced to marry to the The deal, announced on Thursday, came just one week before second after the massacre of Nawa in Daraa Hermel and Bekaa in Lebanon all the way Communication Center brutal massacre.” highest bettor. Men are forced to divorce the UK is due to exit the EU’s single market and customs union province. The Free Syrian Army attacked to Qusayr province in Syria. The area for The camps of Jesser al-Shughour were their wives to marry members of the Turk- on December 31. the soldiers, killed them, and decapitated four years was a playground for the terror- the first to be prepared by Turkey. It is lo- ish police, or so that they can get a Turkish “The deal is done,” UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted, as the head of the First Class Warrant Officer. ist groups, who moved freely between Syria cated close to the borders in the villages that identity. The recurrent incident was told to he posted a photo of himself with both thumbs raised in celebration. He was the chief of the Point. The terrorist and Lebanon. spread in Turkmen Mountain. It is a series Eisaa by someone who lives in Khirbet al- Delivering a televised address, Johnson hailed striking what he dangled his head from the roof of the center, According to our source, betrayal was the of villages that stretches between Latakia Jouz camp. He is the father of six children, called “the biggest trade deal yet”, adding that the UK had taken after tying it to a rope. main reason behind loosing Idlib ceding it and Idlib provinces. The camps were built in five girls and a boy. His wife divorced him back control of its laws, borders, and fishing waters, al Jazeera The incident was assured to me by chance to the terrorist groups. It was committed by cooperation between the Syrian Turkmens and and married a Turkish soldier. After the reported. by a Syrian military officer whose battalion members of the agents in the national com- Turkey. They worked closely; they spoke the marriage the Turkish military authorities “We have completed the biggest trade deal yet, worth 660 was transferred to Jesser Al-Shughour, soon mittees that were initiated as supporters of Turkish language and have a dual citizenship. expelled him from the camp and prevented billion pounds a year, a comprehensive Canada-style free trade after the massacre. He was one of the people the Syrian army, and who were fully equipped. According to Eisaa, in Turkmen Mountain him from seeing his children. deal between the UK and the EU,” he said. who collected the bodies of the soldiers. He In March 2015, the attack on the Syrian army the biggest refugee camp lays in Khirbet al- Furthermore, the children of the camps Johnson urged Britons to make the most of what he called the said: “It was the first time in my life that I see was supported by a massive number of the Jouz. In addition, the mountain is a strategic between the ages 6- 15 do not receive any country’s soon-to-be status of a “newly and truly independent a dead body. I cannot remember the exact terrorists, which exceeded 50,000. They place that links northern Latakian villages education. Illiteracy prevails! One of the nation”. number, they were too many. The bodies crossed the borders from Turkey. And for to western- northern Idlib villages. And it workers with Violet organization told our were mutilated and cut into pieces. They were the first time names, such as al-Julani and extends to the Syrian-Turkish borders. source that the organization does not support distributed in two mass graves. The first mass al-Muhaissini, were heard of. They were the In these camps, which are located on the education. Any reason could be enough to Saudi-led aggression kills grave was located near the Military Point first leaders of Fatah al-Sham. Syrian land, around three million Syrian close schools. Children most of the day room in the Silos region. And the second one was The refugee camps were already estab- refugees live. The area of the camps is still the streets or the garbage containers looking over 3,800 Yemeni children: in the Northern locality near a dumpster.” lished by 2011. Everything was prepared, occupied by the terrorist groups which are for something to sell. The children of the The Syrian officer, who fought against especially the camps near the Turkish borders. controlled by the Turkish military forces camps are only encouraged to be part of the health minister the terrorists for more than 9 years, adds: The camps were the center of focus of the nowadays. In 2018, Tahrir al-Sham was aban- war game. They are recruited by Turkey at a The Yemeni minister of health says the military onslaught by “We collected the bodies over two periods: world since the beginning of the war. They doned by the Americans and its members young age to become the next terrorist fighters Saudi Arabia and its regional allies has claimed the lives of the first time, it was on the 15th of May 2011; were used as markers to pinpoint the Syrian were regrouped in Fatah al-Sham and in ISIS. in the future. Fortunately, the training camps over 3,800 children in the crisis-hit Arab country, while more and the second was on the 18th of May 2011. government as a brutal regime that exiled Eissa explains that the people in the camps were destroyed in the joint Russian-Syrian than 400,000 minors are acutely malnourished and require It was the worst day of my life. Until today, its own people after practicing excessive vi- live in degrading humanitarian situation, even aircraft raids two months ago. urgent care. Speaking at an annual medical conference in the capital, Sana’a, on Thursday, Taha al-Mutawakel said children are among the groups that suffer the most as a result of the Saudi-led aggres- IAEA’s Grossi not in a position to demand new agreement with Iran: Prof. Entessar sion and siege, noting more than half of children in Yemen are severely malnourished and the military alliance does not shy By Payman Yazdani the member states. I am not sure why Mr. Grossi decided to away from targeting children’s hospitals, Press TV reported. TEHRAN–Political scientist says IAEA is under pressure by overstep his authority by making provocative political state- Mutawakel then pointed to the Saudi-led air attack that hit a the U.S. and E3, adding that the IAEA head is not in a position ments that do not serve any positive purpose. Perhaps he has school bus at a crowded market in the northern Yemeni province to demand a new nuclear deal with Iran. delusions of grandeur. of Sa’ada back on August 9, 2018 and killed 51 people, including Recently the IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi Do you think that he is looking for a new mech- 40 children, saying the strike is a clear example of the extent of in surprise remarks called for a new nuclear agreement between anism for monitoring Iran’s nuclear program? crimes being perpetrated by the Saudi-led military alliance against Iran and the U.S. under the Biden administration. A: I think he is under pressure by both the United States Yemeni children. Following his unexpected remarks, Iran has called on the and E3 countries to bring the IAEA’s position on Iran with the International Atomic Energy Organization (IAEA) to remain latest turns and twists in the West’s confrontation with Tehran professional and impartial. and thus put more pressure on Iran to give the IAEA carte R esistance N ews To know more about the issue we reached out to Nader blanche in its already intrusive inspection activities inside the Entessar, professor emeritus of political science from the country. Iran should respond formally and unambiguously to As Israel boosts threats, Palestinian University of South Alabama. Mr. Grossi’s latest utterance and disabuse him of his illusions. Following is the full text of the interview: Do you think that Biden will return to the JCPOA groups hold military drill IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi without putting new conditions on the table? What has recently asked for a new nuclear agreement with can those conditions be? And what do you think of specifically Iran’s missile capabilities, and ultimately turning The joint military exercise which will be held by Palestinian Resist- Iran during Biden’s term in office. Is Mr. Grossi in Iran’s reaction? Iran into a secondary and weak regional player. I hope that ance groups in Gaza later this week is a clear message of deterrence a position to set conditions for the renewal of the A: No. Both Joe Biden and the main figures in his foreign Iran has learned a hard lesson from its experience with ne- against Israeli enemy, Lebanese Daily Al-Akhbar reported early JCPOA? How do you assess his comments? policy team have been very clear about returning to the JCPOA gotiation with the West over the JCPOA and does not make on Thursday. A: Rafael Grossi is not in a position to demand a new nuclear as a first step to demand more concessions from Iran, especially the same mistakes it made during the nuclear negotiations “This exercise, dubbed “Ar-Rukn Ash-Shadid” (The Solid Sup- agreement with Iran. He is the head of a technical international in the areas of Iran’s regional foreign policy and conventional with the Obama administration. The dictum, “fool me once, port), is of much significance amid intelligence reports carried by organization whose powers are determined by the IAEA’s defense capabilities. The conditions the Biden team will be shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me” is very much Palestinian Resistance groups that the Israeli occupation may carry charter and regulations as well as the IAEA’s agreements with after include degrading Iran’s deterrent defense capabilities, applicable here. out adventurous and swift aggression before the end of US President Donald Trump’s term,” the Lebanese paper said. “This drill holds a clear message of the Palestinian Resistance’s readiness and power of deterrence,” Al-Akhbar added, citing Pal- Hamas to 30 heads of states: Normalization of ties with Israel major political sin estinian source. It noted that the exercise will take place on Sunday and will last TEHRAN — The head of the Palestinian Hamas gression against our land and people are es- malization accords pose serious threats to the Haniyeh had earlier called for the enforce- for half a day, adding that the decision to hold the drill “came after resistance movement’s political bureau has calating and the unjust blockade on the Gaza interests of Muslim nations and is a “treacherous ment of laws that criminalize any form of months of continuous meetings by representatives of Palestini- denounced establishing diplomatic relations Strip is ongoing and as the occupation persists stab” in the back of the Palestinian people. normalization with the Tel Aviv regime, and an Resistance factions’ military wings who wanted to implement with Israel as “a major political sin.” in executing its criminal schemes,” he said. “The Zionist occupying regime has always initiatives aimed at raising the awareness of agreements on battlefield.” In letters sent to leaders of more than 30 Among some of the significant Israeli vio- been the common enemy of the entire Arab Arabs and Muslims about the Palestinian According to the source, the aim of the drill is to set interim Arab and Islamic countries, Ismail Haniyeh lations are settlement expansion, land confis- and Muslim nations,” he said. cause. goals for the Palestinian groups during future confrontations with on Thursday warned that the recent Arab nor- cation, the Judaization of Jerusalem al-Quds, He also called the Arab normalization of In September, Hamas denounced the Arab the Zionist enemy. malization agreements have emboldened the attempts to divide the al-Aqsa Mosque, the ties with the occupation state as “a breach of League over its failure to condemn last month’s Such goals include “ways to escalate the confrontation and to Israeli regime to escalate its aggressive policies obliteration of Islamic and Christian land- the Arab and Islamic consensus and a violation deal between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) exercise military pressure on the occupation, as well as the unifi- against the Palestinian nation. marks, and demolition and displacement of the resolutions that had been issued by the and Israel on establishment of full diplomatic cation of the battles’ names and statements under the umbrella of “The current wave of normalization has campaigns, he said. Arab League and the Organization of Islamic relations, saying it amounts to “official Arab the Joint Chamber of Military Operations for Palestinian Factions,” taken place as the Zionist terrorism and ag- Haniyeh went on to say that recent nor- Cooperation (OIC).” legislation for normalization.” Al-Akhbar quoted the source as saying. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 6 HERITAGE & TOURISM DECEMBER 26, 2020

Historical watermill to Iran had its own independent writing open doors to visitors

TOURISM TEHRAN — Mehdiabad watermill, an an- deskcient underground grinder near Tehran, is system 4,400 years ago: study ready to open its doors to visitors, researchers, and history buffs in near future. Located in Nazarabad, Alborz province, the historical 1 Elamite language, extinct lan- of the Achaemenian king Darius I and his structure is planned to be promoted as one of the region’s guage spoken by the Elamites in the ancient successors from 522 BC. Throughout the late tourist destinations as its restoration project has recently country of Elam, which included the region prehistoric periods, Elam was closely tied come to an end, provincial tourism chief Fereydun Moham- from the Mesopotamian plain to the Iranian culturally to Mesopotamia. Later, perhaps madi said on Thursday. Plateau. According to Britannica, Elamite because of domination by the Akkadian dy- documents from three historical periods have nasty (c. 2334–c. 2154 BC), Elamites adopted been found. The earliest Elamite writings are the Sumero-Akkadian cuneiform script. in a figurative or pictographic script and date Documents from the second period, from the middle of the 3rd millennium BC. which lasted from the 16th to the 8th cen- Elam, located in the region of the mod- tury BC, are written in cuneiform; the stage ern-day provinces of Ilam and Khuzestan of the language found in these documents in Iran, was one of the most impressive is sometimes called Old Elamite. The last civilizations of the ancient world. It was period of Elamite texts is that of the reign never a cohesive ethnic kingdom or polity of the Achaemenian kings of Persia (6th to but rather a federation of different tribes 4th century BC), who used Elamite, along governed at various times by cities such as with Akkadian and Old Persian, in their Susa, Anshan, and Shimashki until it was inscriptions. The language of this period, united during the Middle Elamite Period, also written in the cuneiform script, is often briefly, as an empire. called New Elamite. The name Elam was given to the region Although all three stages of Elamite have by others – the Akkadians and Sumerians not been completely deciphered, several of Mesopotamia – and is thought to be their grammatical features of the language are version of what the Elamites called them- known to scholars. These include a plural A budget of 3.3 billion rials (about $79,000 at the official selves – Haltami (or Haltamti) – meaning or “high country” as it was comprised of elevations of the Zagros Mountains. formation using the suffix -p, the personal rate of 42,000 rials) was allocated to the project, which in- “those of the high country”. ‘Elam’, therefore, settlements on the Iranian Plateau that Susa was once the capital of the Elamite pronouns, and the endings of several verb volved fencing the surrounding area, replacing the worn-out is usually translated to mean “highlands” stretched from the southern plains to the Empire and later an administrative capital forms. materials, and repairing the walls and dome, the official added. The watermill, which is now set up symbolically, is sched- uled to be inaugurated by the Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan, the official Qatar 2022 World Cup a window of opportunity for Iran tourism, deputy minister says explained. TOURISM TEHRAN – Iran should take the ad- and improve the level of e-services. He also noted that although the watermill is not in use deskvantage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, “Defining new standards for e-services to tourists is nowadays, it’s stone rotation system and water circulation which will be hosted by its neighbor Qatar, as an ample very necessary due to the change in the general structure are functional. opportunity to encourage its tourism sector, deputy tourism of travel during the coexistence with the coronavirus and Earlier this month, the official said that considering the minister has said. post-corona world,” the official said. short distance between the watermill and Tepe Ozbaki, a “Qatar 2022 World Cup would provide Iran a great He also pointed to measures the tourism ministry has magnificent 9,000-year-old archaeological hill, the historical opportunity to attract foreign tourists to the country…. it so far been adapted such as broadening the support for structure could become a tourist destination in the region. would a [major] venue for introducing tourism capacities as tourism insiders offering them relief packages including It will also contribute to generate job opportunities for the well as the cultural and historical heritage of our country,” debt deferrals and low-interest, long-term loans. locals as well as economic prosperity in the region, he noted. Vali Teymouri said on Tuesday. He called it significant and stressed the need for con- Dating back to the Qajar-era (1789–1925), the watermill “The country that is hosting this event is in the neigh- sensus and exchange of experiences between countries consists of two rooms as a resting place, warehouse, entrance borhood of Iran and does not have much vastness, so there to curb the pandemic. The official underlined that a tight corridor, water pool, and millstones and was in use until is a possibility that a large number of people who have link exists between tourism and employment particularly the 1970s. traveled to this country to attend the tournament, can in local communities. Watermills were typically constructed by the then design go to other tourist destinations on the outskirts, which Elsewhere in his remarks, the official attached great requirements for instance they featured dome-shaped roofs include our country.” importance to sightseeing tours, which could be more with high-enough vestibules to allow camels or other livestock “Of course, this will require appropriate arrangements beneficial to local communities and their economy. “We to move back and forth with ease to convey grains or flour. and executive activities in the missions of the Islamic Re- need to revise marketing strategies, and to redefine tour- Tourism and Handicrafts. Alborz province is surrounded by Mazandaran, Tehran, public of Iran in target countries, embassies, the relevant, ism products by paying great attention to nature tours, Iran expects to reap a bonanza from its numerous tourist Markazi, and Qazvin provinces. Its name is driven by the and influential cross-sectoral agencies…. , so that a person rural tourism, ecotourism, agricultural tourism as a tool spots such as bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bath- Alborz Mountains. A significant part of the mountains is who has traveled to Qatar will be informed that they can to empower local communities and travel businesses.” houses, madrasas, mausoleums, churches, towers, and located in the north part of the province. at a [air] distance of half an hour,” he explained. Tourism [industry of Iran] was growing before the mansions, of which 24 being inscribed on the UNESCO Historical resources and documents as well as archeological In a recent interview with the Tehran Times, Teymouri corona [outbreak], its revenues reached $11.7 billion in World Heritage list. Rooted in ancient Persian civilization, studies indicate that Alborz has a rich culture dating back briefed on the impact of coronavirus pandemic on tourism 2019, which accounted for 2.8% of GDP, near the average the nation that has survived numerous alien invasions and to prehistoric times. and hospitality sectors of the country, stressing the need share of tourism in the world GDP, which was 3.2 percent, natural disasters over its rich history while maintaining to re-analyze target markets, redefine tourism products according to data compiled by Ministry of Cultural Heritage, its appeal to local and foreign tourists. Royal relics: Jar bearing the name Xerxes ‘Silk Road, a path to exchange thoughts, culture, ideas’ This calcite jar (almost 30 centimeters high) was discovered in the ruins of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, the monu- TOURISM TEHRAN – The Silk Iran has participated in the festival by of these routes in their culture, traditions, mental tomb of the satrap of Caria, Maussolus. deskRoad was far more than several documentary films, videos, and music and customs. Being kept at the British Museum in London, the object an ancient route for commerce and trade. It performances which are being held online These vast networks carried more than was probably made in Egypt and contains a very brief in- used to be a melting pot of various cultures, over the outbreak of the coronavirus. just merchandise and precious commodities scription in Old Persian that is also known from other vases: beliefs, and attitudes, the secretary-gener- The ancient Silk Road has existed for however: the constant movement and mix- “The great king Xerxes” al of the Iranian National Commission for thousands of years, passing through many ing of populations also brought about the There are Egyptian, Babylonian, and Elamite translations UNESCO has said. different empires, kingdoms, reigns, and so- transmission of knowledge, ideas, cultures, too. This inscription is rather stereotypical and not extremely “While the ancient Silk Road is widely con- cieties throughout history. At certain times and beliefs, which had a profound impact on interesting, but the fact that Xerxes’ jar was discovered in the sidered as a trade route, it was also a corridor in its long history, traders could travel freely the history and civilizations of the Eurasian Halicarnassian Mausoleum, is quite sensational, according to exchange ideas, culture, and thoughts,” along these routes, whereas at others, travel peoples. to Livius.org; a website on ancient history written and main- Hojatollah Ayoubi said. was difficult or dangerous. Travelers along the Silk Roads were tained since 1996 by the Dutch historian Jona Lendering. He made the remarks in his message to the oldest arts of calligraphy, illumination, According to UNESCO, the Silk Road attracted not only by trade but also by the The Egyptian inscription the 5th Marco Polo Art Festival, which is and manuscripts, reads part of the massage. enriched the countries it passed through, intellectual and cultural exchange that was It is well-known that the Achaemenid king Xerxes, who being held virtually with the motto of “Silk Societies of these lands have sacrificed their transporting cultures, religions, languages, taking place in cities along the Silk Roads, ruled the Persian empire between 486 and 465, tried to conquer Road – The Path of Dialogue” in Korcula, lives for books and knowledge as well as art and of course material goods into societies many of which developed into hubs of culture Greece in 480. The Greek war is described in great detail by Croatia. and culture, therefore they are known as the across Europe, Asia, and Africa, and uniting and learning. Science, arts, and literature, as the Greek researcher Herodotus of Halicarnassus, who does Addressing the cultural significance of lands of mysticism and literature, he added. them all with a common thread of cultural well as crafts and technologies, were thus not mention a visit by Xerxes to his native city. the overland route, he noted: “People of the The Silk Road is also the path of science heritage and plural identities. shared and disseminated into societies along countries on the Silk Road, who adore the and the beginning of the history of science, There are over 40 countries today along- the lengths of these routes, and in this way, knowledge and were capable of turning words while in these lands the science has always side the historic Land and Maritime Silk languages, religions, and cultures developed and letters to their best, are still practicing been accompanied by morality, he explained. Roads, all still bearing witness to the impact and influenced each other. French Iranologist Michele Casanova dies from coronavirus TOURISM TEHRAN— French archeologist and associated with four rounds of civilization, all burnt down deskIranologist Michele Casanova, who was by catastrophic sets of fire. It is situated in Sistan-Baluch- known for her excavations and researches on the Burnt estan province, which was once a junction of Bronze-Age City, a UNESCO-registered site in southeastern Iran, died trade routes crossing the Iranian plateau. due to coronavirus on Monday. She was 60. Founded around 3200 BC, it was populated during Casanova’s death was announced by Nasir Eskandari, four main periods up to 1800 BC, during which time there a faculty member of the archeology department of the developed several distinct areas within the city: those where University of Tehran, who was one of Casanova’s students. monuments were built, and separate quarters for housing, Casanova made great efforts to promote Iranian culture burial, and manufacture. during her life, while she taught mostly Iranian archeology According to UNESCO, diversions in watercourses at the Sorbonne University and the University of Lyon, and climate change led to the eventual abandonment of ISNA quoted Eskandari as saying on Thursday. the city in the early second millennium. The structures, She also spent two years exploring the Burnt City and burial grounds, and a large number of significant artifacts published several articles on the UNESCO-registered site, unearthed there, and their well-preserved state due to the Yet, only the great king can have given this precious ob- the Jiroft civilization, and the production and trade of desert climate, make this site a rich source of information ject with the almost sacrosanct royal signature to the ruler marble vessels and semi-precious stones in the Iranian he added. regarding the emergence of complex societies and contacts of Halicarnassus, queen Artemisia, who is also said to have Bronze Age as well as some books on Iranian archeology, Called “Shahr-e Sukhteh” in Persian, the Burnt City is between them in the third millennium BC. been among the best commanders in the navy of Xerxes. The present must have passed through the Carian royal line and was eventually given as a funeral gift to Maussolus and his wife, who was also called Artemisia. It is an intriguing thought that this little jar has been in Properties in northern Iran named national heritage the hands of king Xerxes, queen Artemisia, satrap Maussolus, TOURISM TEHRAN — A total of 19 tian Mansion, Aqa Seyyed Ebrahim Mosque, Parthian, and Sassanid empires that ruled and his wife Artemisia. It is also a fascinating object that deskhistorical sites and indus- Aqa Seyyed Ahmad Holy Shrine, and Sardar Iran until the 7th century CE. illustrates the way in which the histories of Persia, Egypt, trial properties scattered across Iran’s Gilan Moqtader building. Sophisticated Rasht, capital of Gilan and Caria were once intertwined. province, have recently been inscribed on The list also includes Sepidrud Dam, province, has long been a weekend escape Xerxes I, Old Persian “Khshayarsha”, byname Xerxes the the national cultural heritage list. Fumanat tea factory, Anzali Bridge, Rasht for residents of Tehran who are looking to Great, (born c. 519 BC—died 465, Persepolis, Iran), was the The Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism tobacco factory, Kiashahr fisheries depart- sample the famous local cuisine and hoping son and successor of Darius I. He is best known for his massive and Handicrafts announced the inscriptions ment, and Kasisara area. for some pluvial action – it’s the largest, and invasion of Greece from across the Hellespont (480 BCE), a on Thursday in a letter to the governor-gen- Bounded by the Caspian Sea and the Re- wettest town in the northern region. Gilan campaign marked by the battles of Thermopylae, Salamis, eral of the northern province. public of Azerbaijan on the north, Gilan, in is divided into a coastal plain including the and Plataea. His ultimate defeat spelled the beginning of the Among the properties inscribed on the the far past, was within the sphere of influ- large delta of Sefid Rud and adjacent parts decline of the Achaemenian Empire. list are Pirbazar public bathhouse, Nosra- ence of the successive Achaemenid, Seleucid, of the Alborz mountain range. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y DECEMBER 26, 2020 SOCIETY 7

Karim Saei, the father of Over 27,000 Iranians ready to test home-grown modern forestry in Iran coronavirus vaccine 1 The candidates must remain in quarantine for a week to By Faranak Bakhtiari back to 5 decades ago. Saei Park and Vali-e-Asr Street in Tehran a month to show the side effects of the vaccine. TEHRAN — Karim Saei was the first per- and their unique trees are two of his unforget- In the meantime, the test results are checked several times son who made great efforts to pass the table and lasting works. He believed that in for blood and cellular immunity. Forestry Law to save Iran’s forests from the next few years, residential and industrial After the results of the study are determined, the second stage looting by invaders. areas would develop and trees would serve begins with the injection in 500 people, and after 28 days, the He was born in 1910, in Mashhad, north- as the lungs of polluted cities. third phase begins with mass production. eastern Iran, where he got his diploma. Vali-e-Asr Street with its 70-year-old He left behind his homeland for Karaj city trees and Saei Park were just a small part of to study at the Faculty of Agriculture of Karim Saei’s services for the well-being of Tehran University. He passed his course Tehrani citizens. He considered the welfare very successfully and received his B.Sc. of the society in the comfort of individuals degree in 1931 followed by a scholarship and respecting the rights of citizens and to study for 2 years at Agronomic Institute was the first person to develop urban green in Montpellier, France. space in Tehran. He graduated M.Sc. with an excellent Vali-e-Asr Street still shines as a valuable grade. Due to his brilliance during his study monument of Saei next to the Champs Elysees in France, Revue de Bois magazine pub- in Paris and Hyde Park in London and shows lished an article about him, naming him the historical identity of Tehran to the world. a genius. Back to back with his study in The plane trees that he planted on both sides France, he was granted another scholarship of the Street made the capital’s longest street to study Forest statistics at the University Mostafa Ghane’ei, an official with the Vice Presidency for The statue of Karim Saei installed at Saei park in Tehran one of the most beautiful streets in Iran and of California, Berkeley. the world in a short time. Science and Technology, said that the domestically produced He received his second M.Sc. in 1937 and and later on Directorate of Agriculture formulated the forest act and delivered it to the Saei has been called the father of Iran’s COVID-19 vaccine will probably be injected into the whole pop- returned back with a treasure of knowledge transformed to Ministry of Agriculture parliament for ratification. He also suggested forestry, but today, 68 years after his death, ulation by September 23, 2021. to serve his country. Soon he was recruited in 1941 and Forestry Bureau converted to the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture of few people and officials are still aware of his Now that coronavirus vaccines have been developed in the by the Ministry of Agriculture. He found- to Directorate of Forestry and 4 regional Tehran University to offer forestry, soon he valuable services. world and the third phase of clinical trials has passed, the possible ed Forest Office as the first body for forest forestry offices established, respectively started working there as the lecturer. The Finally, Saei died on the way back from a side effects are almost certain, and Iran will be aware of the side management in Iran within the Directorate in northern cities of Gilan, Tonekabon, first estimate of forest area was also given research mission from Shiraz to Tehran due effects which speeds up the process, he noted, adding, “vaccines of Agriculture in 1938. Very soon, he became Mazandaran, and Gorgan under the su- by him in 1946. to a plane crash on December 25, 1952. At produced in Iran are the same as those produced in China, India, the head of the Forest Office. pervision of Directorate of Agriculture Father of Iran’s forestry and his his own will, he was buried in the Faculty the United States, etc.” His attempts to found Forestry Bureau in 1942. In 1949, he became the chair of valuable efforts of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Iraj Harirchi, the deputy minister of health, has said that in resulted in 1940 but still he believed that Forest Corporation. Among Tehran’s parks, Saei Park is one where he was once a student and once a fac- Iran, 12 groups are making efforts to develop coronavirus vaccine, forests should be attached more attention Saei in collaboration with his colleagues of the oldest urban spaces, a park that dates ulty member. three of which have passed the animal testing. In December, Namaki expressed hope that the country will introduce the home-grown COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 19, 2021). Let’s build a partnership against epidemics COVID-19 toll, new cases on declining trend Due to the high prevalence of the disease, strict COVID-19 1 and State, and regional and international organiza- medical services and shelter, but the most important activ- restrictions took effect on October 26. tions, in all stages of epidemic management, as well as the ity of this population has been informing the public about The National Headquarters for Coronavirus Control started importance of considering a gender perspective in this regard. healthcare and treatment. strict restrictions in 43 cities that had the highest rate of infection We need to recognize the primary role and responsibility Since the onset of the outbreak, more than 980 volun- in the country. Ten days later, decisions were made to set new of Governments and the indispensable contribution of tary plans and projects to contain the epidemic has been limitations on highly-affected areas for another 10 days, through relevant stakeholders in tackling global health challeng- implemented across the country, with 72,694 volunteers which 46 cities undergone restrictions. es, especially women, who make up the majority of the participating in the implementation of these projects, The plan divided cities into three levels of alert, namely red, world’s health workers. Karim Hemmati, the head of the Iranian Red Crescent orange, and yellow. The UN General Assembly observes the International Society said in May. Another plan also went into effect on November 21, accord- Day of Epidemic Preparedness annually on December 27 The first phase of public donations was allocated to provide ing to which all occupations, except for emergency services and through education and awareness-raising activities, in order health and essential items for the deprived and unprivileged basic food suppliers, get closed for two weeks in high-risk cities. to highlight the importance of the prevention of, prepared- areas, and besides, 500,000 patients suffering special dis- Alireza Reisi, a spokesman for the National Headquarters for ness for, and partnership against epidemics. eases were provided with essential health items, he stated. Coronavirus Control, said a week earlier that the disease prevalence Iran’s fight against global pandemic Through the second phase, the IRCS, to provide medical is declining in 30 of the whole 31 provinces and the death toll With the outbreak of coronavirus, Iran surged its pro- items for COVID-19 patients in hospitals, purchased 100 had dropped to 50 percent in comparison to the previous month. duction to meet the country’s need for self-protective At present, 40 advanced ventilators are manufactured ventilators worth approximately 160 billion rials (around Also, the hospitalization rate has been reduced by 40 percent. equipment along with medical and pharmaceutical items daily in the medical equipment sector, he explained. $3.8 million), 52 devices have been provided with the help In a press briefing on Friday, Health Ministry spokesperson to fight against the virus. Knowledge-based companies can produce any medicine of charities and public participation, he added. Sima-Sadat Lari confirmed 6,021 new cases of COVID-19 in- Iran is one of the top five manufacturers of coronavirus effective in countering coronavirus or approved by the sci- With the efforts of the Basij, a national plan named after fection, raising the total number of infections to 1,189,203. She antigen-based rapid detection kits in the world; as home- entific committee within a week to 10 days, he noted. martyr Qassem Soleimani so far the decreased transmission added that 933,736 patients have so far recovered, but 5,345 still grown antibody rapid test, which can detect coronavirus in Mehdi Kashmiri, director for technology and planning chain of the disease by 50 percent. remain in critical conditions of the disease. 15 to 20 minutes, was unveiled in Tehran on November 17. at the science ministry, said in July that about 450 knowl- Martyr Soleimani plan is being implemented in coopera- During the past 24 hours, 132 patients have lost their lives, Sourena Sattari, vice president for science and technol- edge-based companies were active in the country for man- tion with the Ministry of Health, Basij, and the Red Crescent bringing the total number of deaths to 54,440, she added. ogy, told the Tehran Times in September that some of the ufacturing protective equipment and treatment products Society, through which volunteer forces provide information, So far, 7,303,238 COVID-19 diagnostic tests have been per- knowledge-based companies reached a production capacity to fight the coronavirus. testing, diagnosis, referral of suspects to health centers, and formed in the country. of more than 200-300 thousand diagnostic kits per day, Production of more than one million face masks per offer services by visiting people’s homes. which surpassed the country’s need for diagnostic kits, and day, production of more than 1.5 liters of disinfectants per Some 22,530 monitoring teams have been formed there is a great export potential. day, diagnostic kits, non-contact thermometers, protective within the framework of the plan since December 15 LET’S LEARN PERSIAN Pointing out that multiplying the production of COVID-19 clothing, ventilator are among the produces manufactured with 103,000 members, of which more than 270,000 equipment led to significant measures that led to foreign by these companies, he added. are in contact to identify COVID-19 patients, said Ja- (Part 91) (Source: saadifoundation.ir) currency saving for the country, he said “it also helped Iranian-made innovative products in the field of diagno- far Sadeq-Tabrizi, head of the Network Management us cope with problems and not to run out of equipment sis, screening, and fighting coronavirus were also unveiled Center of the Ministry of Health. because no matter how much money we gave, no country to combat the disease, namely, ozone generator, nano- Some 6,730 home care teams have been formed in the had the equipment to sell.” technology face shields, disinfection gate, and molecular country with the participation of 18,000 forces, who have He also announced that two types of diagnostic kits are COVID-19 diagnostic kits. taken care of 41,000 people at home, and rapid result tests now mass-produced by knowledge-based companies, first Volunteer efforts in light of pandemic have been performed on 7,500 suspects, he explained. one is the RT-PCR tests, 8 million of which are being pro- In the fight against coronavirus, the Iranian Red Crescent Since December 15, with the participation of 61,000 duced per month; while the other is serology-based tests Society (IRCS), Basij along with the Ministry of Health and people, more than 10,000 monitoring teams have been that a total of 400,000 are being manufactured monthly other responsible organizations, has undertaken important formed. About 782,000 visits and monitoring of various and is expected to reach up to 2 million. activities, from rapid diagnosis and screening to providing places and centers have been. More than 1.5 billion masks believed to have entered oceans in 2020 For months, we’ve seen face masks in plac- The marine conservation group has been Masks are made with polypropylene, which how many are entering our oceans? We just es they shouldn’t be: storm drains, streets, tracking the number of face masks washing Bondaroff describes as thin fibers of plastic. didn’t know,» Dr. Bondaroff said. beaches and parks. up on a remote island south of Hong Kong «The fact that we are starting to find masks OceansAsia launched a study to find the Now, we’re learning just how many could since the pandemic started. that are breaking up indicates that this is a real answer and recently shared its findings. be flooding our oceans. “About six weeks after COVID hit Hong problem, that microplastics are being produced Of the estimated 52 billion masks man- “Once plastic enters the marine environment, Kong, so late February, we began finding by masks,» he said.These tiny pieces of plastic ufactured globally in 2020, it›s believed it’s very difficult to move,» said Dr. Teale Phelps masks, and lots of masks,» said Bondaroff. can remain in the ocean for hundreds of years, 1.56 billion will enter our oceans this year, Bondaroff, director of research for OceansAsia, “What’s remarkable is we weren’t finding threatening fish and even polluting the air. resulting in an additional 4,680 to 6,240 thedenverchannel.com reported. face masks before COVID.” “The question that we couldn’t answer was metric tonnes of marine plastic pollution.

ENGLISH IN USE LEARN NEWS TRANSLATION

500 هزار پلیس نوروز 98 جاده های کشور را policemen ready to 500,000 کنترل می کنند ensure road safety during Noruz Traffic police teams comprising 500,000 policemen will stand guard محمــد حســین حمیــدی رئیــس پلیــس راه راهــور نیــروی انتظامــی کشــور گفــت: بــا هــدف to ensure safety by monitoring road regulations during the new year ارتقــا هرچــه بیشــتر امنیــت مســافران، 500 هــزار نیــروی پلیــس در ایــام نــوروز 1398 جــاده holidays (Noruz, starting March 21), road traffic police chief Mohammad هــای ســطح کشــور را کنتــرل مــی کننــد. Hossein Hamidi has announced. ســردار محمــد حســین حمیــدی روز دوشــنبه در گفــت وگــو بــا خبرنــگار انتظامــی ایرنــا افــزود: در In this regard, coordination has been made with the related bodies to ایــن ارتبــاط هماهنگــی هــای الزم بــا دســتگاههای مربوطــه نیــز بــه انجــام رســیده اســت و آمادگــی fully control the country›s roads and prevent the probable accidents, بــرای کنتــرل هــر چــه بیشــتر ســطح جــاده هــای کشــور بــرای جلوگیــری از تصادفــات وجــود دارد. he added. Without وی خاطرنشــان کــرد: پیــش بینــی امســال مــا بــا توجــه بــه میــزان تعطیــات نــوروز افزایــش Given that this year’s holiday is longer, trips certainly increases compared ســفرها در مقایســه بــا ســال گذشــته اســت کــه همیــن امــر موجــب شــده از همــه ظرفیــت هــا to past years, so we decided to constantly monitor the highways, he stated. earth no !birth بــه صــورت 24 ســاعته بهــره منــد شــویم. Prayer Times Noon:12:05 Evening: 17:18 Dawn: 5:43 (tomorrow) Sunrise: 7:13 (tomorrow) DECEMBER 26, 2020 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

Editorial Dept.: Fax: (+98 21) 88808214 — 88808895 Doc on children of divorce [email protected] Switchboard Operator: Tel: (+98 21) 43051000 Advertisements Dept.: Telefax: (+98 21) 43051430 Public Relations Office: Tel: (+98 21) 88805807 crowned best at Cinéma Vérité Subscription & Distribution Dept.: Tel: (+98 21) 43051603 Printed at: Jame Jam Bartar Borna - 44197737 1 The audience award was presented Umm al Rassas, a nearby island on the to “Coup 53” by Taqi Amirani. The Shatt-al-Arab waterway. documentary is about an extraordinary and “Song of Journey” by Hassan Jafari won Tehrantimes79 Tehrantimes79 Tehrantimes79 never before seen archive that is discovered the silver prize and “A Report from Ramadi” by Amirani and editor Walter Murch about by Ali-Mohammad Zolfaqari received the No. 18, Bimeh Alley, Nejatollahi St., Tehran, Iran the Anglo-American coup in Iran in 1953. bronze award. P.o. Box: 14155-4843 The special prize of the festival’s “Pesqeleh”, COVID-19 Zip Code: 1599814713 president went to “Isatis” by Ahmad Dehqan. The festival also dedicated a special It is about a journey a man makes to the category to screening documentaries on the desert in central Iran. pandemic to attract attention to COVID-19. “18,000 ft” tops at Avini Awards 25 films on this disastrous disease were A lineup of 30 documentaries contended competing in this section. for the Avini Awards during the festival. First prize in this section went to Mehdi Shahmohammadi’s film “18,000 “Pesqeleh” by Majid Sheida. The documentary ft” won the golden prize of this category, is about Akhundi, an Iranian infectious which has been established to commemorate disease specialist who is recovering from the martyr Morteza Avini, the writer and COVID-19 and is concerned about a new GUIDE TO documentarian who chronicled the 1980- wave of the disease in the country. SPIRITUAL AWAKENING 1988 Iran-Iraq war known as the Sacred “There, Dawn” co-directed by Mohsen Defense in Iran. Jahani and Hashem Masudi won the special The documentary is about Ahmad, a jury award. It is about a nurse in a hospital When Allah chooses to favor someone, He makes him Syrian man who tries to deliver a cargo for burn patients, who volunteers to work the source of satisfying other people’s needs. of humanitarian relief supplies to his in an ICU for people with COVID-19 after Prophet Muhammad (S) family and people in Al-Fu’ah, a town in the outbreak of the disease. northern Syria that is under siege from “Section 19” by Masud Dehnavi and Filmmaker Atieh Zare’ Aranadi accepts the best film award for her documentary the ISIS terrorists. “Deadlock” by Javad Yamuri and Mehdi about children of divorce “Get Filled in the Blanks” during the 14th edition of Cinéma “Mohsen, the Japanese” by Vahid Faraji Amini won second and third awards WHAT’S IN ART GALLERIES Vérité festival in Tehran. (DEFC) and “Fish Lake” by Reza Azamian shared respectively. Painting the special jury award in this section. who joined Iranian forces as a volunteer Karbala-4, which Iran launched on The festival is annually organized by Arman Estepanian is hanging “Mohsen, the Japanese” tells the life during the 1980s to fight against Iraq. December 25, 1986 during the Iran-Iraq the Documentary and Experimental Film his latest collection of paintings in story of Mohsen Mirzai, an Afghan migrant And “Fish Lake” is about Operation war to cross the Arvand River to overrun Center (DEFC). an exhibition entitled “Roots of the Sky” at Etemad Gallery 1. Etemad Gallery 2 is also showcasing an exhibition of artworks by Neda Zarfsaz. Tehran, Parisian photo exhibits feature The exhibitions will be running until January 5, 2021 at the gallery located at 25 Shirudi Alley, Mofatteh Yalda Night traditional rites St., near Haft-e Tir Square. Yalda Night, which fell on December 20 this year, Samira Ebrahimi, Meysam Amani, Bahram Bayat, A collection of paintings by is considered the longest night of the year when the Abdollah Heidari, Mohsen Sajjadi, Smaaneh Shirazi and Alishia Morassaei is on view at O ancient Iranians celebrated the birth of Mithra, the Hadi Asgari are among the participating photographers. Gallery 1 in an exhibition named goddess of light. It is also known as Chelleh Night, The exhibit in Tehran is available at doorbin.net/ “Fold”. which alludes to the first 40 days of winter, considered gallery until December 31, and in Paris at http:// O Gallery 2 is also hosting a to be the harshest of the season. shabeyalda.fr until January 20. group exhibition of paintings The exhibits have been organized by the Art and People on Yalda Night are usually served with fresh by Hamidreza Noruzi, Hossein Cultural Organization of the Tehran Municipality in fruits and a mixture of dry fruits, seeds and nuts in Mohammadi, Mohammad-Hossein collaboration with the Iranian Cultural Center in Paris. floral bowls. Khatamifar, Leila Haqshenas and The top selected photos of the two previous editions Following a hot dinner, many people often recite Parviz Abyazi. of the Yalda Night Photo Contest have been displayed poetry, narrate stories, chant, play musical instruments The exhibits will run until January This combination photo shows posters for the two Yalda in these two exhibits making it a review of Yalda over or just chat cozily until midnight or so. 11, 2021 at the gallery located at 18 Night photo exhibits in Tehran and Paris. the past decade. Storytelling by parents and grandparents is a key Shahin St., Sanai St. ARTTEHRAN — Two virtual exhibitions The photos have been selected by a jury composed of element of the celebration, however, this year people An exhibition of paintings by Ali deskof photos by Iranian photographers Hassan Ghaffari, Babak Borzuyeh, Majid Nagahi, Aitai were asked to celebrate the night without any gatherings Esmaeilu is currently underway at are underway in Tehran and Paris in celebration of Shakibafar and Hossein Karimzadeh. Mohammad- as COVID-19 has claimed the lives of dozens of people Seyhun Gallery. Yalda Night. Saleh Hojjatoleslami is the president of the jury. per day in the country. The exhibit entitled “An Unidentified Corpse Nearby” runs until January 6 at the gallery located at No. 11, 4th St., Vozara Ave. Sam Samiei is showcasing his Tokyo photo contest honors Hashem Shakeri with Grand Prix latest paintings in an exhibition at ARTTEHRAN — Iranian has almost completely dried up due to years relationships in the con temporary world. By Dastan Basement Gallery 2. deskphotographer Hashem of drought and neglect, climate change and capturing restlessness, perplexity and social The exhibit will be running Shakeri has won the Grand Prix at the seventh desertification, and this is causing serious struggle in the modern capitalist world, he until January 15, 2021 at the edition of the T3 Photo Festival Tokyo, the problems in the region. records the optical unconsciousness of the gallery located at 6 Bidar St., organizers have announced. The lake is primarily fed by the Helmand society and provides a universal narrative off Fereshteh St. The award will be an all-expense-paid River, which has its source in the Hindu Kush form with a personal insight. Negar Gallery is playing host to an trip to attend the opening ceremony of the Mountains of Afghanistan. He has been involved in many national exhibition of paintings by Maryam festival’s exhibition in Tokyo. Shakeri has begun his career in and international festivals and received Key-Ahmadi. “Turbulence” is the theme of the documentary photography since 2010. Since many awards, among them are the Ian The exhibition entitled “In the competition, which was organized from then, he has been working as a freelance Parry Scholarship in 2015, the Lucas Shade” will run until December December 4 to 13. photographer on private projects in Iran, Dolega Award in 2016 and the POYi’s 30 at the gallery that can be found Shakeri took part in the competition with Turkey, South Korea, Malaysia, France, World Understanding Award in 2017, at 154 near Iranshahr St., Karim the photo series “An Elegy for the Death of A photo by Iranian photographer Denmark and Germany. and the Lens Culture’s Emerging Talents Khan Blvd. Hamun”. Hashem Shakeri from his series “An One of his major concerns is the Award in 2018 and Getty Images Reportage Paintings by Jaleh Akbari are Lake Hamun located in southeast Iran Elegy for the Death of Hamun”. psychological investigation of human Grant in 2019. on display in an exhibition at Inja Gallery. The exhibit titled “Amidst” will run until January 8 at the gallery located at 4 Pedram Alley, Neauphle-le- Iran organizes festival for film aficionados in India Chateau St. Paintings by Mina Naderi, Kambiz ARTTEHRAN — Iran’s Islamic Culture and a musician. Saffari and Roshank Sadr are deskand Relations Organization (ICRO) “Bodyguard” is about the story of a middle-aged currently on display in an exhibition has organized an online festival of Iranian films on bodyguard who protects a politician from a suicide at Farmanfarma Gallery. YouTube for film aficionados in India bomber, and then begins to question his dedication The exhibit will continue until One film is available on the video-sharing platform to his job. January 3 at the gallery located at every day in a five-day festival, which opened on “Crazy Castle” is about some young members of an 2nd Araabi St., North Kheradmand Thursday. online community who meet at an event in Tehran. St. off Karim Khan Ave. “Where Are My Shoes” by Kiumars Purahmad, One girl’s urgent need for drugs brings six of them Drawing “Season of Narges” by Negar Azarbaijani, “Bodyguard” together, and what starts out as a prank quickly escalates Entezami Gallery is playing host by Ebrahim Hatamikia, “Crazy Castle” by Abolhassan out of control. to an exhibition of hyper-realistic Davudi and “Mazar-i-Sharif” by Hassan Barzideh are “Mazar-i-Sharif” tells the story of the killing of drawings by the Rayka Art Group. the films selected to be streamed on YouTube. several Iranian diplomats and a journalist by Taliban The exhibit will be running until Starring Reza Kianian and Majid Mozaffari, “Where militants in the Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif in 1998. December 30 at the gallery that can Are My Shoes” tells the story of Habib, an elderly man The film festival has been organized in the line with be found at 608 Shariati Ave. near whose family leaves him alone due to his Alzheimer’s agreements signed between India and Iran. Motahhari St. disease. In their previous meetings, Iranian and Indian Multimedia “Season of Narges”, which centers on organ donation, culture ministers have stressed the need for expanding A group of artists, including narrates the story of two female taxi drivers, an actor “Bodyguard” by Ebrahim Hatamikia. cultural ties between the two countries. Zahra Ghiasi, Elham Ghazazani, Mohammad Ghazazani, Sayeh Soltani, Zahra KHorshahi and Arash Afruzi, is showcasing the artworks in various media in an exhibition Iranian bookstores host at Golhaye Davudi Gallery. The exhibit runs until December 30 at the gallery that can be “Someone We Know” found at 263 near Nejatollahi CULTURE TEHRAN — A Persian what might he have uncovered? After two has something to hide. St., Taleqani Ave. desktranslation of Shari anonymous letters are received, whispers Lapena is the internationally bestselling Artibition Gallery is displaying Lapena’s “Someone We Know” has recently start to circulate, and suspicion mounts. author of the thrillers “The Couple Next artworks in various media by been published by the Amut Publications And when a woman down the street Door”, “A Stranger in the House”, “An a large number of Iranian art in Tehran. is found murdered, the tension reaches Unwanted Guest”, “Someone We Know” elites, including Masud Arabshahi, The book has been translated into the breaking point. Who killed her? Who and “The End of Her”, all of which have Qodratollah Aqeli, Sadeq Tabrizi, Persian by Abbas Zarei. knows more than they’re telling? And how been New York Times and The Sunday Hannibal Alkhas, Nasser Ovissi and In a quiet, leafy suburb in upstate New far will all these very nice people go to Times (London) bestsellers. Mohammad Ehsai, in an exhibition. York, a teenager has been sneaking into protect their own secrets? Her books have been sold in thirty-seven The exhibit will continue until January 2, 2021 sat the houses, and into the owners’ computers In this neighborhood, it’s not just territories around the world. She lives in gallery located at Qandi Alley, Sasanipur St., Golnabi as well, learning their secrets, and maybe the husbands and wives who play Toronto and “Not a Happy Family” is her Front cover of the Persian translation St., off Shariati Ave. sharing some of them, too. Who is he, and games. Here, everyone in the family sixth thriller. of Shari Lapena’s “Someone We Know”.