Aug. 4, 2021 Minister’s message ’s outgoing interior minister, , in a letter expressed gratitude to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali 2 Khamenei for his support and guidance in the past eight years, IRNA reported. National

The Soviet Union dissolved and the bids by the US Iran-Afghanistan border crossings Islam to emerge as global power to form a new or “greater” Middle East were doomed to failure, Major General Rahim Safavi said, noting that the Americans are compelled to leave or escape the West Asia. operating normally: IRICA “The Zionists’ dream of expanding the territory they have usurped from the Nile to the Euphrates has been All border crossings between Iran and Afghanistan are open and the Af- in a century: Top general crushed forever.” ghan businesspeople can cross the common border on their own voli- He added the Americans’ strategy of creating a new tion, announced the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration unipolar international order with the US as its super- (IRICA). power and unrivaled hegemon has been defeated, Speaking on Tuesday, IRICA spokesman Ruhollah Latifi said the ex- stressing that over the past decades, the Americans change of commodities through the land border crossings between Iran committed a strategic negligence. and Afghanistan has been resumed after the common border was closed for a few days, Tasnim News Agency reported. Domestic capacities He added ever since the breakout of the recent conflicts, involving the Taliban, on the Afghan soil, the Iranian border organizations and of- Commenting on the taking office of the new admin- fices have kept working normally in accordance with the international istration under President Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi in conventions and laws. Iran, Major General Rahim Safavi said the new govern- On imports from Afghanistan, the spokesman said since the mer- ment’s success will be guaranteed if efficient and con- chants, their shipments and the trucks are all Afghan, they are free to scientious managers, who think of resolving people’s choose whether to cross the border or not. problems and are committed to the fulfilment of the as- “If the documents pertaining to the commodities are complete, we pirations of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, are appointed. will allow them to cross our borders.” He noted however, the new government would re- Latifi said the level of trade exchanges with Afghanistan has not de- quire time to solve the problems, emphasizing that as clined in recent weeks, adding it has even increased. a first step in this process, the focus is required to be on He noted that the exchanges with Afghanistan via the Mahirood bor- using domestic capacities and potentials, which appears der crossing in Iran’s eastern province of South Khorasan have risen to be among the new president’s priorities. dramatically, linking the increase to lower clashes on the Afghan soil in Major General Rahim Safavi added to resolve the that region. problems, the new administration is also required to, At present, 48 percent of the total trade exchanges between Iran and in its second step, expand relations with the neighbors Afghanistan is through the Mahirood border crossing, up from 30 per- and, in the third move, concentrate on forging ties with cent in the past, he added. the East and Asian states, such as India, Japan, Indone- Latifi said while businessmen’s concerns about military clashes in sia, China and Russia. Herat have led to a 50 percent decrease in trade exchanges via Dogha- He noted the next priority of the Raeisi administra- roon border crossing, around 200 trucks still cross that border crossing tion needs to be developing relations with the Islamic on a daily basis. IRNA World and its 57 states. The Leader’s top military adviser added selecting a good economic team and resolving the economic prob- New administration should focus lems is also among the most important priorities of the Raeisi administration. Having won the June 18 election by a landslide, on domestic capacities Raeisi officially became the eighth president of the Is- lamic Republic of Iran on Tuesday after his mandate National Desk General Yahya Rahim Safavi, the top military adviser was endorsed by Ayatollah Khamenei at a ceremony in eghtesadonline.com to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed . The Iranian Embassy in Afghanistan issued an urgent warning calling slam will emerge as a global power in the next 100 , added the current international trends Raeisi, the ex-Judiciary chief, is expected to be sworn on citizens to immediately leave cities outside the capital Kabul amid years, said a high-ranking Iranian general, noting that show that the previous political world order imposed by in a ceremony on Thursday. deteriorating security situation in the country. Ithe US power is waning. major powers is weakening and waning, Tasnim News He is succeeding who served two “It is recommended to the nationals of the Islamic Republic of Iran In an address to a ceremony on Tuesday, Major Agency reported. eight-year terms in office. who live or do business in Afghan districts and cities other than the city of Kabul to immediately leave the Afghan territory,” read the statement that was published on Sunday by IRNA. Iranians travel to Afghanistan mostly for business purposes as the Zarif stresses expansion of Tehran-Muscat ties country relies for a bulk of its imports needs on its western neighbor. However, security in the country has deteriorated amid a renewed militancy by the Taliban group. under new president The IRICA has already tightened restrictions on border crossings with Afghanistan although trade has been flowing into the country Political Desk of cooperation, stressing that the same trend is required to mainly through trucks commissioned by Afghan businesses. continue during the Raeisi administration. The Iranian Embassy statement warned against any unnecessary trips The outgoing Iranian foreign minister highlighted the He noted that Iran’s definitive policy in the next govern- by Iranians to Afghanistan until a further notice, saying security risks in importance of expansion of relations between Tehran ment will be boosting ties with the neighboring countries. the country have increased. and Muscat during the administration of Iran’s new Pres- Praising efforts over the past eight years by Zarif to It said only round trips to the capital Kabul for a short stay could be ident Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi. increase relations between Muscat and Tehran, Busaidi permitted and processed by the Iranian Embassy in Afghanistan. made the remark in a meeting said ’s policy is also expansion of cooperation with The warning came hours after a main airport in the southern Afghan with his Omani counterpart Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi in Iran. city of Kandahar suspended its flights over alleged rocket attacks by the Tehran on Tuesday, IRNA reported. He gave the assurance the policy will be pursued by Taliban. The Omani FM is in Iran to take part in Raeisi’s swear- Oman’s new sultan Haitham bin Tarik. It also comes amid intensified clashes between the Taliban and se- ing-in ceremony on Thursday. The Omani foreign minister added his country will do HADI ZAND/ISNA Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (L) greets his curity forces in areas near the western city of Herat where Iranian busi- Zarif also lauded the distinctive relations between Iran it best to bring regional countries closer in terms of their Omani counterpart Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi in Tehran on nesses have a larger presence compared to other regions in the country. and Oman and the two sides’ efforts to improve the level attitudes and encourage dialogue among them. August 3, 2021.

Iran’s COVID vaccination, infections Russia:

Mohammad Ali Rajabi set new daily records No indications... From Page 1 National Desk navirus diagnostic tests have so far been Iran has been grappling with a fifth carried out in the country, and 13,586,206 wave of the COVID-19 ‎pandemic since The Iranian Foreign Ministry offi- Iran’s daily COVID-19 infections and doses of COVID vaccines have been ad- a few weeks ago, mainly sparked by the cial said some countries intend to cre- vaccination against the disease set new re- ministered. spread of the ‎Indian coronavirus variant, ate insecurity and chaos in international cords, according to figures released by the The Health Ministry said 285 cities in known as Delta. arena by orchestrating such measures, Health Ministry on Tuesday. Tehran Grand Bazaar and banks noting that other states must remain The Health Ministry announced as well as all public and private vigilant in the face of such plots. in a statement that the country’s ‎organizations and offices in the He emphasized Iran’s principled daily COVID-19 infections and Iranian capital were closed during‎ policy, whose ultimate goal is to en- deaths during the past 24 hours July 20-25, in an effort to curb the sure maritime security in the Persian reached a record-high of 39,019 pandemic in the province. Gulf, the Sea of Oman and interna- and 378, respectively. The same closures and COVID tional waters. In addition, the ministry’s figures restrictions were enforced in the The Romanian ambassador, for show that in this period, 505,032 northern province‎ of Alborz, neigh- his part, said he would immediately doses of COVID-19 vaccines were boring Tehran. convey the Iranian government’s injected, which is a daily record On Monday, Leader of the Is- protest to the respective officials of since the beginning of the public lamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah his country. inoculation process in the country, Seyyed Ali Khamenei, in a letter, A press release handed out by Ro- reported. called on the National Task Force manian Ministry of Foreign Affairs According to the statement, the for Fighting the Coronavirus to dis- earlier on Monday cited “the elements total COVID-19 infections and cuss a two-week national lockdown presented by the country’s internation- death toll since the beginning of the ALI MOAREF/IRNA and closure to curb the fifth wave al partners,” claiming that the attack outbreak in the country in late Feb- of the COVID-19 pandemic in the was deliberate and coordinated by ruary 2020 stand at 3,979,727 and 91,785, the country are coded red (very high-risk), country, IRNA reported. Iran. respectively. while 110 are in the orange zone (high- The proposal was initially put forward The developments came after an It added that 5,793 COVID-19 patients risk). by Iran’s Health Minister informed Iranian source close to the are in critical condition, and of the newly- Based on a decision by the National in a letter to the Leader. Supreme National Security Coun- detected cases, 4,838 individuals have Task Force for Fighting the Coronavirus, The minister suggested a two-week cil said on Monday that the country been hospitalized. travel to and from these cities is prohib- national lockdown and tightening super- will give a strong and crushing re- The ministry said 3,424,650 COV- ited. vision over compliance with the health sponse to any measure taken against ID-19 patients have so far either recov- The number of the country’s yellow protocols by the military and law enforce- its national interests and security, ered from the disease or have been dis- (medium-risk) and blue (low-risk) cities ment forces could reduce the relentless blaming Britain and the US for the charged from hospitals. are 53 and zero, respectively,‎ according to pressure on the country’s medical staff to consequences of such moves against It also announced that 26,099,787 coro- the ministry. a significant degree. Tehran.