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8 Pages Price 50,000 Rials 1.00 EURO 4.00 AED 43rd year No.13943 Sunday MAY 16, 2021 Ordibehesht 26, 1400 Shawwal 4, 1442

Israeli regime Iran announce squad Subsidy reform plan Iran to organize completely surrounded for FIBA Asia Cup allocates $7.6b to support webinar on Persian poet by resistance front Page 2 Qualifiers Page 3 domestic production Page 4 Ferdowsi in Lahore Page 8

Iran calls on Armenia, Azerbaijan to resolve See page 3 dispute peacefully amid border tensions TEHRAN – The Islamic Republic of Iran “The Islamic Republic of Iran is closely has reacted to the issues that have arisen and sensitively following the developments along the borders between Armenia and of the past few days along the borders of the Azerbaijan Republic, urging the two the two neighboring countries, Armenia neighboring countries to resolve their and the Republic of Azerbaijan,” Khati- border dispute through peaceful ways. bzadeh said on Friday. Saeed Khatibzadeh, spokesman for “Iran hopes that the dispute would be Iran’s Foreign Ministry, issued a state- settled as soon as possible with the two ment on Friday saying that Iran was sides’ prudence and through peaceful closely following developments at the ways,” the spokesman noted. Armenia-Azerbaijan border. Continued on page 3

Major strategies to boost trade between Iran, Armenia BY MAHNAZ ABDI Iran’s signing a free trade agreement TEHRAN- Expansion of trade with the (FTA) with Eurasian Economic Union neighboring countries, especially boosting (EAEU) has noticeably affected its trade exports to the neighbors is one of the major relation with Armenia. policies that Iran is seriously pursuing to Based on the agreement, which was nullify the effects of the U.S. sanctions on finally reached in 2018 after several years its economy. of negotiations, about 862 commodity In this regard, given its good political items are subject to preferential tariffs. and cultural relation with Iran, the neigh- The interim agreement enabling forma- boring country Armenia is one of the major tion of a free trade area between Iran and trade partners of Iran and the Islamic the EAEU was signed on May 17, 2018 and Republic is taking different measures officially came into force on October 27, 2019. to expand trade ties with this neighbor. Continued on page 4

War on Gaza reveals Saudi- Painter Hassan Ruholamin unveils new artwork on Hadith of Golden Chain TEHRAN – Hassan Ruholamin, an Iranian was made public during a special ceremony Emirati bromance with Israel painter who is most famous for illustrat- at the Ministry of Culture and Islamic ing stories from the history of Islam, has Culture in Tehran last Wednesday. recently unveiled his latest artwork on the The artwork depicts the story of the Hadith of Silsilah al-Dhahab (The Hadith Hadith of the Golden Chain narrated by of the Golden Chain). Imam Reza (AS) upon his arrival at the The 2 X 3.6-meter oil painting entitled northeastern Iranian town of Neyshabur. “Condition of Tawheed (Monotheism)” Continued on page 8

Iran taking big steps Palestinian blood on Israeli troops kill Jordanian after attacking for development of Germans hands anti-occupation rally on Jordan border free trade, special On October 28, 1964, the foreign minister in newspapers and ask them to keep the matter Israeli troops have reportedly shot and killed a rally near the border to voice their dissent against Jerusalem received a report of a meeting that quiet.” It then added, “The deputy defense Jordanian after opening fire on Jordanian border the Israeli regime, which has been pounding the economic zones was co-chaired by the deputy defense minister minister has done this.” troops and anti-occupation protesters, amid fierce besieged Gaza Strip with repeated airstrikes for and senior Foreign Ministry officials. The topic What were the foreign and defense ministries clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces in the past several days. BY EBRAHIM FALLAHI was “scientific and military cooperation between trying to hide? On Wednesday, the Israel State the occupied West Bank and the Tel Aviv regime’s The brutal attacks have so far killed at least ver the past two decades, Israel and Germany.” Archives published on its website hundreds of bloody onslaught against the blockaded Gaza Strip. 122 Palestinians, including 31 children, in the free and special economic Germany is 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) documents relating to Israeli-German relations. According to a report by Maraya International blockaded enclave. zones have played a signif- away from Israel. But, these days, distance Some of them have to do with the details of a news portal, the Jordanian national was killed in The report added that hundreds of Jordanian O is relative. The escalation in the conflict has secret arms deal that collapsed in the mid-1960s the early hours of Saturday when Israeli soldiers demonstrators broke away from the scheduled icant role in Iran’s economy, and the Iranian government has been shaken many in Germany. Now the conflict is and caused a serious crisis in bilateral relations, attacked Jordanian demonstrators gathering on route and marched toward the King Hussein seriously pursuing a program for spilling over onto German streets. Israeli flags even before these relations had been formally the border with the occupied West Bank to pro- Bridge, known in Israel as the Allenby Bridge, the development of the existing are burning; insecurity and fear are growing established. test Israeli brutality against Palestinians. Users which is situated in the Jordan Valley, opposite zones and establishing new ones. among Israelis in Germany and German Jews, The documents are part of a series the ar- on Twitter identified the victim as Ali al-Safadi. the Palestinian city of Ariha (Jericho) in the Is- According to Morteza Bank, the for- DW reported. chive has been publishing on the history of the An unspecified number of protesters were raeli-occupied West Bank. mer secretary of Iranian Free Zones High According to Haaretz, classified as “top Foreign Ministry that offer interesting lessons also injured as a result of the Israeli assault, the They wanted to cross the bridge, but Jordanian Council, over 40 percent of Iran’s exports secret,” the cable reported that a decision had in diplomacy, politics, foreign relations and his- report said. Jordan’s border troops also engaged soldiers dispersed them after firing tear gas and are done through the country’s free trade been made to prevent the matter from being tory. The documents also reveal how dependent in an exchange of fire with the Israeli soldiers, shooting into the air. zones and special economic zones and reported in the Israeli media. More specifical- both Israel’s security and its economy were on according to reports. In the Jordanian capital Amman, several $169 billion worth of commodities have ly, in the spirit of the times, the participants Germany. The development came after about 2,000 thousand demonstrators also took to the streets been exported from these areas in the decided “to convene the editors of the Israeli Continued on page 5 Jordanians on Friday afternoon held a protest after Friday prayers chanting anti-Israel slogans. past seven years. Development of the mentioned zones became more significant since the re-im- position of U.S. sanctions on the Iranian Intl. travels fall by 80% in Iran due to coronavirus U.S. policies consist economy in November 2018, as the Islamic TEHRAN – The average of international travels to “From the beginning of 1399 to the end of it, we data from the UNWTO showing a 70% fall in inter- of double standards: Republic started reducing dependence on and from Iran fell by 80 percent during the past saw a significant reduction in passenger traffic to the national arrivals for the first eight months of 2020. oil incomes while elevating its domestic Iranian calendar year 1399 (ended on March 20, country or vice versa in land, sea, rail and air borders, Iran, however, has experienced different rates Azeri expert 2021) from a year earlier. which were caused by various coronavirus restrictions.” of downfall for inbound passengers over the past production and non-oil exports. BY REZA MOSHFEGH Although the sanctions have disrupted “During this period, 4,343,163 passengers en- International tourist arrivals to Iran plunged months. In the first three months of 2020 (Janu- tered the country, which included 3,030,464 Iranian 72% during the first eight months of the year when ary, February, March), the tourism industry of the TEHRAN - Head of the Azerbaijan Institute for De- Iran’s economic activities, they could not mocracy and Human Rights says that the United States impede the development of Iranian free passengers and 512,699 international travelers,” compared to 2019, according to data compiled by the country recorded negative rates of 90, 92, and 94 Mehr quoted Arezou Ghaniun, an official with the World Tourism Organization. Restrictions on travel percent, respectively, compared to the same period exercises double standards in the world extensively. trade and special economic zones; in fact, “U.S. policy consists of double standards. Not the development of these zones has been Islamic Republic of Iran’s Customs Administration, introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic last year, according to the organization. as saying on Saturday. continue to hit global tourism hard, with the latest Continued on page 6 only on the Karabakh issue but also on other con- even accelerated. flicts in the world, Washington’s position is aimed Earlier on Thursday, President Hassan at ensuring its own interests,” Ahmad Shahidov tells Rouhani inaugurated 94 development pro- the Tehran Times. jects worth 60 trillion rials (about $1.42 While many had expected U.S. President Biden billion) in the country’s free trade and special People over to follow a softer foreign policy and marginalize economic zones through a video conference. hawkish politicians in the White House, it seems Covering a variety of fields including 75 being that Biden pursues a more aggressive approach. tourism, oil and gas, industry, production, “This is not only the case with Turkey. We also renewable energies, and power plants, fish- see this predatory policy against Russia, China, Iran eries, and agriculture, the mentioned projects vaccinated and other countries. The goal is to restore U.S. global were put into operation in Qeshm, Chabahar, leadership. But it is too late. America is no longer a Aras, Arvand, Salafchegan, and Payam zones. against world leader,” Shahidov remarks. This was the fourth series of inaugu- The following is the text of the interview: rations in the country’s free trade and Could you update us about the last devel- special economic zones since the previous coronavirus opments in Azerbaijan-Armenia relations? Iranian calendar year (ended on March 20). Certain tensions remain between Azerbaijan In the previous three rounds of inau- TEHRAN – Coronavirus vaccination started for people aged 75 or above on and Armenia after the historic peace agreement gurations in the country’s free and special of November 10, 2020. The two main issues have economic zones, 163 projects with a to- Saturday, Alireza Raeisi, the deputy health minister, has announced. caused tension between the parties. The Azerbaijani tal investment of 340 trillion rials (about side demands a map of mines in the liberated terri- $8.095 billion) had been inaugurated. Vaccination is underway for people above 80 years of age, and no one will tories from Armenia, but officially Yerevan refuses The measures taken by the government to provide these maps. for the development of the mentioned zones be left unvaccinated despite the start of vaccination in the younger age groups, The problem is that over the past six months, have been paying off significantly so that about 50 Azerbaijani servicemen and civilians have despite the negative impacts of the U.S. he added. On April 27, vaccination of

Alireza Mohammadi Alireza been killed by landmines in those areas. Azerbaijan sanctions and the coronavirus pandemic, the elderly began with priority given to people aged 80 and above, IRNA has also appealed to international organizations on the trade balance of the mentioned zones this issue, but, unfortunately, there is no positive has stayed positive in recent years. ISNA/ reported on Saturday. Continued on page 7 result yet. Continued on page 4 Continued on page 5 I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y POLITICS MAY 16, 2021

ELECTION WIRE Prominent presidential Inside presidential elections: hopefuls register on last day POLITICAL TEHRAN — On the last day of regis- Plans and promises desktration for the presidential elections, many prominent political figures went to the Ministry POLITICAL TEHRAN — As the reg- he remarked. of Interior to register as presidential candidates for deskistration began to close on Discussing sanctions, the nuclear nego- the June 18 elections. Saturday, the Ministry of Interior witnessed tiator during the Ahmadinejad presidency, Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi, the Judiciary chief, was many prominent political figures coming and stated that the burden of sanctions should perhaps the most well-known figure to enter the going, including key figures Ebrahim Raeisi be on the officials’ shoulders, not the people. presidential race. and Ali Larijani. Many analysts claim that Jalili would not He said his nomination as a candidate does not Ayatollah Raeisi, the Judiciary chief, quit the race in favor of anyone. Backed up negate the candidacy of others. showed up at the ministry on Saturday to by the Endurance Front, analysts say that The main principlist faction, which consists of register as a presidential candidate. he should be a cover-up for Raisi in order several principlist groups, has said its favored can- A highly favored candidate, he is widely not to divide the cleric’s votes. didate is Raisi. welcomed by principlists and the Endurance ‘I won’t forfeit’ “Though many groups asked me” to enter the Front. General Hossein Dehghan, former Minister presidential race “but my presence does not negate Like anyone else who thought it was of Defense, also registered on the first day of the presence of anybody,” the top judge remarked. important to run for office, Raeisi said, “I the election registration. He said that his likely also felt that we needed a great change in administration would be “the administration “Competitor of aristocracy, incompetence, the country.” of strong Iranian civilians.” and corruption” He added, “I am not the competitor of Stating that the administration of a country He said like all others who felt it is necessary to political factions and different groups.” is not an arena for “political celebrities,” he contest the elections “I also felt that we need a great ‘I have no affiliations’ said that the people of Iran deserve a better reform in the country.” Ali Larijani, the former Parliament speaker life and his administration will be honest Talking to reporters at the premises of the Interior and current advisor to the Leader, also came to with people. Ministry, Raisi said he considers himself a “compet- the ministry at the early hours of Saturday to He also said he is not aligned to any po- itor of aristocracy, incompetence, and corruption.” officially announce his presidential candidacy. Backed up by the reformist front, Jahangiri that he registered in the elections due to an litical faction, including reformist or prin- He added, “I am not the competitor of political He stated that he is running independently is said to be the main reformist candidate in insistence by the people. ciplist camps. factions and different groups.” and he has no affiliations whatsoever with the elections. It is likely that other pro-reform ‘My administration will be honest’ “My government will be a government The top judge said his priorities are foreign policy, the current administration. candidates such as former MP Mahmoud Mohsen Rezaei, current secretary of the of construction that will be formed solely especially establishing good relations with neighbors, Larijani, also a former secretary of the Sadeghi and Mohsen Hashemi, the president Expediency Council, came to register as a on the basis of merit and will seek to bring promoting production sector, improving economy Supreme National Security Council, said that of the Tehran City Council, would quit the presidential candidate late on Saturday. real peace to the lives of the people,” the and reducing unemployment. the fate of the nation should be handed to race in favor of Jahangiri. Rezaei declared that he is running inde- general said. Raisi said he decided to enter the race upon re- young experts. On his future plans, he said, “I will promote pendently and this time, he is running on a On his future administration’s foreign quests by clerical associations, university professors, “They have high goals and are driven by government rejuvenation and institutional strong campaign. policy plan, Dehghan said that according to students, farmers, investors, and entrepreneurs. strong motivations,” Larijani stated. reforms that reduce corruption and all forms “I’m not here to cover-up the truth. We his belief, the foreign policy of the Islamic The presidential candidate added, “The current He noted that a dynamic economy and a of discrimination and increase efficiency.” will tell everything to the people honestly,” Republic of Iran is based on interaction with disappointments (about economy) can turn into hope predictable life are provided for the people ‘I don’t have a 100-day plan’ he promised. all countries with the priority of neighbors in another government.” when “the world is under our tune and culture.” On the very first hours of the first day of Stating that he has come to shield people and friendly countries. Raeisi challenged the post of president in the 2017 Many analysts believe that the Raisi-Lar- the election registration, Saeed Mohammed, against difficulties, not to use the people as “This relationship will not be unilateral, election. He came second after Hassan Rouhani. ijani duel will create an enthusiastic election former director of the Khatam-al Anbiya shields, Rezaei said that he has plans to bring but bilateral and multilateral, and certainly atmosphere and bring more people to the ballet Construction Headquarters, registered as welfare for the people. the fake Israeli regime has no place on this, ‘Politician registers to run for president’ boxes, as it will depict a moderate principlist a presidential candidate. Stating that had the government solved but in relation to other countries based on Former Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani registered vs. a principlist. He said that his registration in the first economic issues, he wouldn’t have registered national principles and interests from the to run for the presidential post on Saturday. ‘Iran for all Iranians’ hours of the process shows his good intentions as a candidate, he said that Iran needs what position of power and authority and dignity Larijani, a three-time parliament speaker, ran for Es’hagh Jahangiri, the first vice president, and added that he is determined to proceed he called an “economic and social uprising” we will move forward by relying on the three president in 2005. also nominated to contest the elections race. forward with his presidential bid. by the people. principles of dignity, expediency and wisdom”. Larijani, a philosopher-turned politician, also was At a press conference held in the Ministry He also stated that he is not backed by any “We will initiate a structural change in When asked if he would quit the race in the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting of Interior after his registration, Jahangiri parties or groups, neither does he want to be the administration of the country,” he said. favor of any other nominees, he said that (IRIB) for ten years. stated that his possible administration would backed up by any of the political parties, as he ‘Burden of sanctions should be on he’d fight the battle to the very end, as he He was also the secretary of the Supreme National move towards resolving Iran’s fundamental considers himself one of the ordinary people. officials’ shoulders, not people’ did not wait for anyone. Security Council (SNSC) in the early years of the Ah- problems, securing national interests and Mohammad noted that he has “a good Saeed Jalili, former secretary of the Su- ‘Government of welfare and justice’ madinejad administration in 2005. As top security agreements and de-escalation the situation resume and a strong team of experts” that preme National Security Council, also showed Another politician who registered in chief, he also served as Iran’s chief nuclear negotia- inside and outside the country. helped him set foot in the path of presiden- up at the Ministry of Interior on Saturday to the early hours of the last day was Mohsen tor with the European trio of Britain, Germany and He said that he had hoped that there would tial race. register for the presidential elections. Hashemi, the president of the Tehran City France as well as the EU foreign policy chief who at have been no need for him to run for the “Building the country and improving the Citing Iran’s fundamental issues, he said Council and a member of the central council the time was Javier Solana. presidency, yet, he fielded candidacy as his infrastructure cannot be done in 100 days, that employment, inflation, and sanctions of the Executives of Construction Party. Mohsen Hashemi, a member of the central council “dear brother, Dr. Mohammad Javad Zarif” and I have a 4-year plan in this field to bring are Iran’s important issues that need to be He stated that his government will be the of the Executives of Construction Party, on Saturday refused presidential candidacy. the country to an acceptable level,” he said tacked with. government of “welfare and justice.” registered to run for the presidential post. He said that he would continue the path when asked about his first 100-day plan. Challenging other nominees to present Exemplifying his late father, Ayatollah Mohsen Hashemi is currently the president of the opened to revive the Joint Comprehensive ‘I register due to insistence of people’ their plans to the people, he said that the Hashemi Rafsanjani, he stated that at this Tehran City Council which is dominated by reformists. Plan of Action (JCPOA) and “untangle the The Ministry of Interior witnessed one candidates should tell the people the result time he can, with the national will, compensate A pro-reform figure, Mohsen Hashemi is the son knot of the brutal three-year old sanctions of its most controversial days to this date of their 4-year plan. the damages to the welfare and livelihood of of former late president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. that has badly damaged the Iranian economy.” when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former “If we do not address the main issues well, the people and their trust, just as his father’s He reiterated that Iran should be for all president, showed up to register as a nomi- some rhetoric can take even the main issues. I government of construction and labor was Jalili nominates as presidential candidate, Iranians, regardless of gender, ethnicity, nee for the upcoming presidential elections. hope that in the upcoming elections, rhetoric able to compensate the underdevelopment says country should progress steadily religion and place of residence. Coming with a group of his fans, he said will not overcome the needs of the people,” caused by the Iraq war in the 1980s. On Saturday, the last day to register to run as presidential candidate, Saeed Jalili, former secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, also went to the Interior Ministry to announce his candidacy. Iran, Russia consult about Vienna talks He said that the country cannot be administered with “shows.” POLITICAL TEHRAN — The Ambassador of the implementation of the nuclear deal in accordance with United He reiterated that the country should not just be deskIslamic Republic of Iran to the Russian Nations Security Council Resolution 2231. administered in the next four years, but it should Federation, Kazem Jalali, met with Russian Deputy Foreign During the meeting, Jalali praised Russia’s “principled progress as well. Minister Sergei Ryabkov on Friday. and rational stance in support of UNSC Resolution 2231 The former SNSC chief expressed hope that the up- The meeting focused on the current situation regarding and its opposition to the illegal U.S. actions and sanctions” coming elections would be “passionate and stress-free.” the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the official against Iran. Jalili ran unsuccessfully for the post of president name for the 2015 nuclear deal. The fourth round of the Vienna talks began last week and in the 2013 elections, losing the battle to current The two sides also stressed the importance of coordination the delegates have not left Vienna to accelerate the process president Hassan Rouhani. and efforts of all members of the JCPOA for a sustainable of reviving the nuclear deal. Es’hagh Jahangiri, the first vice president, also nominated to contest the presidential race. At a press conference held in the Ministry of Inte- rior after his registration, Jahangiri stated that his Guardian Council says recent interpretation of law is yardstick for vetting presidential candidates administration would move towards resolving Iran’s POLITICAL TEHRAN – The Con- the criterion is the Constitutional Council’s succeed incumbent President Hassan Rou- fundamental problems, securing national interests deskstitutional Council, com- resolution.” hani, whose term ends in August. He held and reduce tension inside and outside the country. monly called the Guardian Council, says On May 5, the Guardian Council approved the post of president for two consecutive Former MP Mohammad Khoshchereh, a trained the body’s recent interpretation of the law an amendment to a measure that it had four-year terms. economist, also nominated to run for the post of governing the necessary qualifications of ratified earlier to clarify the criteria that The registration process entered its final president. presidential hopefuls will serve as the yard- apply to candidates applying for the post day on Saturday. Khoshchereh came to prominence as he represented stick for vetting the candidates. of president. “After the end of the registration process, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a televised presidential Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaee, the spokesman Accordingly, presidential hopefuls are the Constitutional Council has 5 days from debate against Mohammad Reza Nobakht (the current for Guardian Council, made the remarks on required to be between 40 and 70 years of Sunday, May 16, to review (the qualifications). chief of the Budget and Planning Organization) who Friday while visiting the election headquar- age, hold at least a master’s degree or its In case the council fails to comment within represented Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in the runoff ters at the Interior Ministry in Tehran, where equivalent, have a work experience of at 5 days, it can extend the time for another presidential elections in 2005. the hopefuls registered for the presidential least four years in managerial posts (with 5 days. This means that after receiving the However, later Khoshchereh became a fierce op- election slated for June 18. he told reporters, according to Press TV. specific criteria of its own), and have no names, documents, and files of those who ponent of Ahmadinejad’s economic policies. “Given the recent resolution by the Con- “This time, the Constitutional Council criminal record. have registered, the Constitutional Council Masoud Pezeshkian, a heart surgeon who served stitutional Council, the registration in the will review the qualifications of those who Notably, top military commanders with has a maximum of 10 days to announce the as health minister in the Mohammad Khatami ad- election has fortunately gone through a bal- are qualified based on the body’s recent the status of major general and higher are final result,” the council spokesman explained. ministration, also registered on Saturday to run for anced process. We are moving forward and resolution. Therefore, regarding the exam- also allowed to run. He also expressed hope for a “passionate” the post of president. not witnessing the problems of the past,” ination of the eligibility of the candidates, On Tuesday, candidates registered to turnout at the June 18 election. Pezeshkian, a pro-reform figure, was vice speaker in the previous parliament. He currently represents the Tabriz constituency in the parliament. The sitting MP was accompanied by her daughter while going to the Interior Ministry to register. IRGC commander: Israeli regime completely surrounded by resistance front He said it is a wrong idea to resolve problems POLITICAL TEHRAN — According The Zionist regime is under pressure The regime has forcefully occupied territo- al-Aqsa Mosque complex, the third holiest through people who have held posts and caused these deskto a senior commander of both from inside the occupied territories ries and is now under pressure from the main site in Islam. problems. the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), and from international public opinion, he owners of these lands, he said, adding, “The The tensions spiraled into a broader con- On Saturday afternoon, central banker Abdolnaser the Zionist regime of Israel has been caught added, noting that the situation is changed future belongs to the Palestinian people and flict between Gaza and Israel on Monday, Hemmati also registered to run for the presidential off guard and is completely surrounded by in favor of Palestine and the resistance front. the resistance front and the Zionist regime days after the regime in Tel Aviv launched election. Hemmati is considered as a figure who suc- the resistance front. “The Zionist regime has no capability at has no fate but destruction.” a heavy-handed crackdown on Palestinian ceeded to put a brake on the skyrocketing inflation According to Press TV, Brigadier Gener- all to change the situation in its own favor, He emphasized that resistance front in worshipers at al-Aqsa Mosque during the final rate resulting from Trump’s “maximum pressure” al Yadollah Javani, the IRGC deputy com- and based on realities on the ground, the Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and the entire days of the holy fasting month of Ramadan. campaign against Iran. mander for political affairs, said on Saturday process of the Zionists’ decline has gained region fully supports the Palestinian people Since then, the Israeli military has been The registration for presidential election ends on that the incidents over the past days in the momentum,” the IRGC commander said. in their confrontation with the Israeli regime. launching large-scale airstrikes across Gaza, Saturday, May, 15. Candidates should refer to the occupied territories well displayed the re- Javani added that the fake and usurping Gaza and other Palestinian territories have razing homes and civilian infrastructure to Interior Ministry to register. sistance [front]’s capability in confronting Israeli regime has been facing unprecedented been simmering with anger over Israel’s land the ground. The regime’s artillery and tanks The presidential election will be held on June 12. the Zionists’ military power and revealed developments in the occupied territories and grab policies in occupied Jerusalem al-Quds have also been targeting the blockaded coastal the Zionist regime’s faulted defense system. the Gaza Strip during recent days. as well as the regime’s desecration of the enclave. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y MAY 16, 2021 IRAN IN FOCUS 3 SPORTS War on Gaza reveals Saudi-Emirati Iran announce squad for FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers bromance with Israel SPORTSTEHRAN – Iran have named an 18-player deskroster that will be preparing for their upcoming POLITICAL TEHRAN – While most But now that Israel blatantly violates human games in the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers. deskIslamic and Arab as well rights in Palestine, the UAE showed that its The pool is filled with the big-named stars of Iran basketball as other states strongly condemned Israeli decision to establish ties with Israel goes far whether it’s Hamed Haddadi, Samad Nikkah Bahrami, Moham- atrocities against civilians in Gaza and else- beyond Trump’s pressures. mad Jamshidi, Arsalan Kazemi, and Behnam Yakhchali. Two where in Palestine, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh The same goes for Saudi Arabia, though recent key additions to the team’s core, Mike Rostampour and adopted a low-key approach toward the the Saudis have not yet normalized relations Aron Geramipour, are also listed latest round of Israeli violence against the with Israel. Of course, at the official level, in the roster. Palestinian people. Saudi Arabia has sought to distance itself from Rising youngsters are also As the war on Gaza continues to rage on, the Israelis’ crimes in Palestine. However, a named to the squad whether it’s Sina anger and frustration among public opinion close examination of Saudi media coverage Vahedi, who has already made his in the Arab world are being directed at Saudi of the war on Gaza indicates Riyadh’s low- senior national debut in the previous Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for their key approach to the war. Saudi Arabia con- windows, or Matin Aghajanpour, inaction on the Israeli crimes against the Pal- demned the Israeli attack against the Al-Aqsa who has starred for Iran’s youth estinians. These two states, along with their Mosque but it stopped short of sanding by national teams in the past. allies such as Bahrain, have largely refrained the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The team will be led by head from providing support, at least morally, to In fact, Saudi Arabia even gave airtime to coach Mehran Shahintab as they the besieged people of Gaza. Israeli officials to justify their crimes against aim to top Group E and claim direct The UAE, which normalized relations with Palestinians. For example, the Saudi-own Al qualification to Asia Cup 2021. Israel last year, remained silent on the Israeli Arabia news television hosted Avichay Adraee, There are 24 teams competing war on Gaza. Instead, it expressed sympathy the Arabic-language spokesman for the Israel in the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers. Once the three windows with what it called “victims” in Israel. To army, twice over the past few days. During his of the Qualifiers conclude, the top two teams in each group will apparently balance its position, the UAE also appearances on Al Arabiya, the Israeli mouth- qualify directly to Asia Cup 2021. The six last-placed teams in dryly voiced sympathy with the Palestinians piece was explaining why Israel was right to each group are eliminated. fallen victims to the Israeli warmongering. take immediate steps to commit to a cease- desecrating Muslim sanctities in al-Quds kill defenseless children and women in Gaza. Meanwhile, the six third-placed teams in each group will then UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin fire, initiate a political dialogue, and exer- (Jerusalem) plays a major role in provoking The Saudi and Emirati indifference to the play in a separate qualifying tournament. Teams will be placed Zayed Al Nahyan issued a belated statement cise maximum restraint,” the chief Emirati the Palestinians to push back against Israel. Palestinians’ sufferings sparked outrage on into two different groups of three teams. The top two teams of on the crisis in Palestine saying that he was diplomat continued. Israel killed defenseless children and women social media platforms in the Arab world. It those respective groups will then lock in their spots at Asia Cup concerned about the violence there. The statement equated the Palestinians in Gaza and desecrated places of sanctity for also cast doubts over their willingness to mend 2021, completing the 16-team roster who will also compete in He “has expressed the UAE’s grave concern with the Israelis as if it was the Palestini- Muslims in Jerusalem (al-Quds) especially ties with Iran, which strongly condemned the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Asian Qualifiers. over the escalating spiral of violence in Israel ans who are occupying and besieging the the al-Aqsa Mosque, which stands as the Israel’s atrocities against the Palestinians. Squad: and Palestine and offered condolences to all Israelis. Israel, which is the only possessor first Qiblah (direction of prayer) and the Security officials from Iran and Saudi Ara- Matin Aghajanpour, Rouzbeh Arghavan, Pooyan Jalalpour, victims of the recent fighting,” according to of nuclear weapons in the region, bears ulti- third-holiest site in Islam. bia have held behind-the-scenes talks in Mohammad Jamshidi, Hamed Haddadi, Mohammad Hassanzadeh, the UAE Foreign Ministry’s statement. mate responsibility for what’s happening in But all this apparently was not enough for Baghdad. The talks have so far produced Hamed Hosseinzadeh, Saeid Davarpanah, Mike Rostampour, Navid “The UAE is alarmed by the escalating Palestine. The latest round of fighting began the UAE to take a stand against Israel. Abu no concrete results and they are expected Rezaeifar, Arsalan Kazemi, Aron Geramipour, Rasool Mozaffari, spiral of violence in Israel and Palestine. We after Israel moved to evict Palestinian families Dhabi has been increasingly tilting toward to become even more complicated after the Salar Monji, Samad Nikkhah Bahrami, Behnam Yakhchali, Sina express our condolences to all victims of the from their ancestral homes in Jerusalem’s Israel since it normalized relations with Tel Israel-Gaza flare-up as it showed that the Vahedi, Mohammad Yousefvand recent fighting, and join others in calling Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, something that Aviv. In the beginning, it was thought that the Saudis and Emiratis have tilted too much for an immediate cessation of violence and left the Palestinians with no option but to UAE normalized relations with Israel under toward Israel, something that Iran considers hostilities. The UAE calls on all parties to hit back. Also, Israel’s provocative move in pressure from the Trump administration. a grave national security threat. Two Iranian women heading to Asian Taekwondo Olympic Qualification Zarif cancels Vienna visit as Iran criticizes Austrian sympathy with Israel SPORTSTEHRAN – Mahla Momenzadeh and Nahid POLITICAL TEHRAN – Iran’s top diplomat canceled the Israeli flag. deskKiani will participate at the 2021 Asian Taek- deska trip to Vienna amid Iranian criticism “Vienna is the seat of IAEA & UN, and Austria so far wondo Olympic Qualification Tournament. over a controversial decision by Austria to fly the Israeli [has] been a great host for negotiations. Shocking & painful The tournament will be held from May 19 to 23 at Amman, flag over government offices. to see flag of the occupying regime, that brutally killed tens Jordan. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was of innocent civilians, including many children in just few Momenzadeh will feature Iran at the -49kg weight category expected to pay a visit to Austria on Saturday but the visit days, over government offices in Vienna. We stand with while Kiani will compete at -57kg. was suddenly canceled. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Zarif Palestine,” Araghchi said on Twitter. The pair will be headed by Mahroo Kamrani in the competition. abrogated his visit because he didn’t see it useful. Diplomats from Iran and the P4+1 group of countries as At this tournament, the winner and runner-up athletes in each “Mr. Zarif did not consider the trip expedient in these well as the U.S. are in Vienna to discuss the measures needed division will qualify for Tokyo. While many notable taekwondo circumstances, and therefore the visit’s arrangements were to be taken to bring Tehran and Washington back into full athletes have already qualified for the Games, this tournament not finalized,” Saeed Khatibzadeh, spokesman for Iran’s compliance with a 2015 nuclear deal officially known as the gives some lesser known athletes to punch their ticket to Tokyo. Foreign Ministry, told the ISNA news agency. Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Almost all A Vienna-based journalist claimed that the cancellation was parties to the negotiations said progress was made during due to Austria flying the Israeli flag over government buildings. change our traditionally good relations and open channels the talks, though this progress did not amount to a complete Esteghlal almost out of IPL “In a last-minute move Iranian Foreign Minister Javad of communication with Iran. But we will not make our state- revival of the JCPOA. title race Zarif canceled his bilateral visit to Austria, that was planned ment of solidarity with Israel dependent on the diplomatic On Friday, Araghchi met with the Chinese envoy to the for today, due to the Israeli flags on the roof of the Chancellery visits of other countries.’” Vienna talks, Wang Qun. During the meeting, the two diplo- SPORTSTEHRAN — Esteghlal’s hopes of winning the and the Foreign Ministry in Vienna,” Stephanie Liechtenstein Earlier on Friday, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed mats discussed the latest developments concerning the talks. deskIran Professional League (IPL) took another said on Twitter, adding, “The Austrian Foreign Ministry just Abbas Araghchi, who is in Vienna for nuclear talks, also ex- Over the past few days, the Iranian delegation in Vienna hit on Friday as they suffered a 1-0 defeat against Persepolis in confirmed this to me and added: ‘This cancellation will not pressed dismay at Austria’s controversial decision regarding held several meetings with the P4+1. Tehran derby. It was the second blow to Farhad Majidi’s side after they slumped to a messy 2-0 loss against struggling Zob Ahan in the last week. Iran calls on Armenia, Azerbaijan to resolve dispute peacefully amid border tensions The Blue’s efforts to improve their positions in the IPL table went from bad to waste, and they bowed out of the title race in 1 ”The Islamic Republic of Iran under- held a meeting in which Acting Prime Minister this deployment occurred inside Azerbaijani “We recommend that the political and less than seven days. lines the necessity of maintaining stability Nikol Pashinyan briefed the military leaders territories. military circles of Armenia not be alarmed, Of course, there are still nine remaining matches for Esteghlal and calm in the region, and calls on both of the tensions between Baku and Yerevan. “According to the trilateral statement accept the reality of the interstate border in the league, and mathematically it’s still possible for them to sides to show restraint, avoid fueling the “Today’s Security Council sitting is dedi- signed on November 10, 2020, with the im- regime along the Zangilan, Gubadli, Lachin win the league. Still, their 11-points difference with the two top disagreements, and respect the two coun- cated to the events taking place at the border provement of weather conditions in the set- and Kalbajar regions of Azerbaijan and not teams, Sepahan and Persepolis, has diminished the hopes of the tries’ borders,” he added. section close to Sev Lich in Syunik Marz and tlements of the liberated Lachin and Kalbajar unreasonably aggravate the situation in Tehran giants and their fans to win the tournament. He also expressed Iran’s preparedness the surrounding area. Earlier today Azerbai- regions bordering with Armenia, which have the region. Such cases can and should be Farhad Majidi has admitted that his side must now focus on to contribute to the peaceful settlement of jan’s armed forces crossed the state border a difficult mountainous terrain and climatic resolved through mutual contacts between the Hazfi Cup if they want to end the current season with a title. the two countries’ differences, including of the Republic of Armenia and advanced as conditions, the Azerbaijani border forces are the military on both sides,” the Azerbaijani Esteghlal will face Zob Ahan in the round of 16 of Hazfi Cup on the recent dispute. far as 3.5 kilometers in that section. In fact, deployed in the positions of our country. This statement said. Wednesday in Tehran, and Majidi describes the match as a “crucial The statement came after Armenia they are trying to surround and siege the process is carried out in the usual mode and Armenia’s Defense Ministry said on game” for his side. On their IPL title hopes, the head coach feels they accused Azerbaijan of incursion into Ar- Lake,” the prime minister said at the meeting. in a systematic manner,” Azerbaijan’s Foreign Saturday that the Azerbaijani military was must do what they can and need to rely on results going their way. menian territories. He added, “Of course, this is unacceptable Ministry said in a statement. “forced” to retreat from some areas but it is He took responsibility for the defeat against their archrivals On Friday night, Armenian Foreign Min- to the Armenian side, because it represents The statement added, “Measures to yet to completely withdraw. and said: “My players did well on the game. We were much bet- ister Ara Aivazian held telephone conversa- an encroachment on the sovereign territory strengthen the border protection system “Despite the fact that as a result of the ter than Persepolis in both half times and didn’t deserve to lose tions with a number of his counterparts to of the Republic of Armenia. It still remains implemented within the territorial integri- actions taken by Armenian military units the the game. In such big matches, whoever makes the best use of inform them of the situation at the border to be seen why such an action was possible, ty of Azerbaijan are carried out on the basis Azeri troops were forced to pull back from their opportunities will win the match. Persepolis used their only with Azerbaijan. but it should be noted that this is an act of of maps available to each of the sides that some areas, a part of them are still located chance and took got the result.” “Had phone conversations with col- subversive infiltration. It should also be stated define the border line between Armenia and in territory of the Republic of Armenia,” the Esteghlal will need a small miracle in their remaining games leagues presenting the situation resulted that our armed forces responded early this Azerbaijan. Since regaining its independence, Armenian Defense Ministry said in a statement to win the league as they have left themselves with a mountain from the incursion of Azerbaijani armed morning with appropriate tactical maneuvers there has been no state border between the carried by Armen Press. “The Armed Forces to climb in title hunting. forces in Armenia’s state border. This and other necessary measures.” two countries for obvious reasons, and for of the Republic of Armenia attach impor- IPL title race is set to enter critical weeks as Iranian football encroachment attempt on the sovereign Pashinyan said Armenia “cannot in any this reason we speak about the complicated tance to the need of resolving the situation fans will witness a fierce competition for a title between Persepolis territory of Armenia, violating international way tolerate and come to terms with the technical process, which is currently accom- peacefully, but at the same time announce and Sepahan, who lead the league with the same points and are law, is unacceptable,” he said on Twitter. situation at hand.” panied by disagreements between the sides.” that infringements against the sovereign ter- running a two-horse race. On Wednesday, Armenia accused Azerbai- On the other hand, the Republic of The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry accused ritories of Armenia are totally unacceptable It seems that it will be a seismic summer ahead at the Esteg- jan of advancing into its Southern territory. Azerbaijan has confirmed that it deployed “official circles” in Armenia of using border and the Azerbaijani side must pull back to its hlal club as Majidi has complained several times that the team’s On the same day, Armenia’s Security Council troops to areas bordering Armenia but said tensions for pre-election purposes. original positions without pre-conditions.” current players are not his selection. He insisted that he needs time to rebuild a team to win the title. In recent years Esteghlal have failed to fulfill their fans’ expectations. FM Zarif holds talks in Spain POLITICAL TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister in boosting economic and trade ties with Iran within the as well as the tourism industry and its infrastructure for Sohrab Moradi misses deskMohammad Javad Zarif met with Spain’s framework of a roadmap for bilateral cooperation. activation of Iran-Spain economic relations. Olympic Games Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism Maria Reyes Ma- She expressed hope that a new era of economic cooper- The Iranian foreign minister elaborated on Tehran’s roto, who also co-chairs the Iran-Spain Joint Economic Co- ation will begin when the coronavirus crisis ends. viewpoints regarding the regional issues, especially the SPORTSTEHRAN – Iranian weightlifter Sohrab Mo- operation Commission. The chief Iranian diplomat has embarked on a tour of need for intra-regional interaction among countries and deskradi missed the Tokyo Olympic Games in the During the meeting, the two ministers discussed mutual several European countries which began with a visit to Spain other important issues of the region including Yemen, Af- Ibero-American Championship and the Open Specialty Quali- cooperation in economic and trade areas, according to the where he met with Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Eu- ghanistan, and Iraq. fications held in Cali, Colombia. Iranian Foreign Ministry. ropean Union and Cooperation Arancha Gonzalez Laya. Zarif further pointed to the recent developments in the The 96kg weightlifter appeared to injure his left wrist in making During the discussions, Zarif touched upon the great In his Thursday meeting with Laya, Zarif discussed the occupied Palestine and the tough conditions faced by its his second snatch of 170 kilograms and withdrew, leaving Ven- potential in both countries for bilateral economic cooper- latest status of Tehran-Madrid relations in various political people in the occupied territories, and stressed the neces- ezuela’s Keydomar Vallenilla to complete a comfortable victory ation, especially in the domain of trade exchanges as well as and economic fields. sity for cessation of the usurping Zionist regime’s brutish with 173-211-384. collaboration in the areas of oil and gas, agriculture, tourism Foreign Minister Zarif reviewed bilateral relations in measures against the people of Palestine. Kianoush Rostami, another Iranian weightlifter, had also missed infrastructure as well as air and sea transportation. different spheres, and said the potential for Iran-Spain eco- He also expounded on Iran’s viewpoint regarding the the Olympics because he did not score any points in phase two He underlined the need to improve and upgrade rela- nomic cooperation is beyond the current level. Vienna talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, officially called of qualifying, and that ended his chances of making it to Tokyo. tions in those domains by removing the existing barriers He then underlined the necessity of exploring avenues the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The 89kg weight class weightlifter accused the Iran Weight- and setting objectives to reach a status proportionate to the for promoting collaborations in different economic areas The Spanish foreign minister, in turn, described Iran’s lifting Federation of “lack of work”. potentialities of both sides. by removing some of the existing barriers. position in the region as important, and elaborated on her There has not been a good relationship between the federation The Spanish minister, in turn, highlighted the signifi- Zarif also highlighted the significance of developing co- country’s viewpoints regarding various issues including the and Rostami for some time, and he said he was “displaced” and cance of Tehran-Madrid relations, saying Spain is interested operation in the field of small and medium-sized enterprises JCPOA, the regional and bilateral issues. did not feel “part of the family.” I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 4 ECONOMY MAY 16, 2021

TEDPIX rises 5,500 points Major strategies to boost on Saturday

ECONOMY TEHRAN — TEDPIX, the main index of Tehran deskStock Exchange (TSE), gained 5,519 points to 1.189 million on Saturday (the first day of Iranian calendar week). trade between Iran, Armenia Over 3.942 billion securities worth 38.946 trillion rials (about $927.2 million) were traded at the TSE on Saturday. 1 Iran is a very important market exemption facilities for the entry and exit The first market’s index rose 5,863 points, and the second in the region and development of ties with of some goods, and exclude countries with market’s index climbed 4,871 points. this country is of high significance for the commercial interests from related laws”, TEDPIX gained 11,000 points, or one percent, in the past EAEU members (Russia, Belarus, Armenia, the head of Iran-Armenia Joint Chamber Iranian calendar week. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan). of Commerce further stressed. The free trade agreement between Iran “Currently, there is a good market for and this union has laid the ground for the Iranian goods in this country, which we can expansion of trade ties between the two sides. get, but the imposition of some import bans Back in January 2020, the Head of Iran-Ar- in the mid-term will make this market out menia Joint Chamber of Commerce and In- of Iran’s access”, Yarijanian noted, adding, dustry Hervik Yarijanian said the preferential exports and imports in the two countries must trade agreement between Iran and EAEU be balanced, because if exports increase and has had a significant impact on the country’s import bans are imposed in the mid-term, trade relations with Armenia. trade between the two sides will face obstacles. According to the official, the volume of Holding exhibitions in the other country trade between the two countries has witnessed is the other main strategy to cement trade an outstanding rise since the agreement be- ties between the two neighbors. came effective. One of the ways to enter the markets of Iran mainly imports red meat from Ar- other countries is to hold and participate menia, while Armenia imports polymer in exhibitions, and the Eurasian market The index closed at 1.183 million points on Wednesday (the raw materials, machinery, industrial gases, is one of the most important commercial last working day of the week). manufactured artifacts, leather and leather spaces due to its location in the region and During the past week, the indices of Barekat Pharmaceutical goods from Iran, he said. its proximity to Iran. Group (BPG), Social Security Investment Company, Mobarakeh Establishment of neighboring free trade a year. This proximity provides more free condi- Hassan Mortaji, a member of Iran’s Com- Steel Company, Iran Khodro Company, Isfahan Oil Refining Com- zones (FTZs) is another measure that can Saying that trade between Iran and Ar- tions for both countries to facilitate exchanges mittee of Foreign Events, says, “Armenia has pany, National Iranian Copper Industry Company, and Bank boost bilateral trade between Iran and Ar- menia has fluctuated up to $500 million in and can increase trade between the two sides demanded the replacement of some items Mellat were the most widely followed indices. menia. recent years, he noted that Mogri Free Zone to $1.2 billion in less than a year, he added. by Iran, and now that this market is avail- Rouzbeh Shariati, a capital market analyst, says that TEDPIX As stated by Yarijanian, setting up such in Armenia will soon be set up next to Aras “On the other hand, for the growth of able for our country, we can introduce and is going to improve over the next 1.5 months in comparison to zones on the borderlines can boost Iran-Ar- Free Zone in Iran, which could increase the trade between the two countries, due to offer goods and services by holding various the first 1.5 months of the current Iranian calendar year (started menia trade to over $1.2 billion in less than volume of trade between the two countries. the common border, we should consider exhibitions.” on March 21). Over 26m tons of minerals extracted from East Iran taking big steps for development of free trade, special economic zones 1 In late April, the Secretary of Iranian Free Zones fund their own development projects in the future. Azarbaijan mines in a year High Council Hamidreza Mo’meni announced that the trade The establishment of free trade zones in Iran dates back to the Iranian calendar year 1368 (March 1989- March 1990) ECONOMY TEHRAN —As stated by a provincial official, balance of the country’s free and special economic zones following the fall in the country’s oil income in the preceding deskover 26 million tons of minerals were extracted has been positive in the past two years despite the negative year which prompted the government to promote non-oil from the mines of East Azarbaijan province, in the northwest of balance of the country’s foreign trade. exports. Iran, during the past Iranian calendar year (ended on March 20). Today, the free zones are in a good condition and positive The first two free trade zones of Iran were established in Habib Aminzadeh, the head of East Azarbaijan’s Industry, development measures have been taken which have led to the south of the country. The first one was Kish Free Trade Mining, and Trade Department, also said that the issuance of significant growth in these zones, the official said. Zone established in 1368 on Kish Island in the Persian Gulf exploration permits rose 44.7 percent in the province during He further announced the establishment of a finance and the second one was Qeshm Free Trade Zone established the previous year. council in the Iranian Free Zones High Council, saying that the year after on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. He announced the growth of indicators related to the mines soon advisory groups will be sent to all of the country’s Some five other free trade zones have been also established and mineral industries in the province, and said despite all the free zones and the zones can access sustainable financial in the country since then, including Chabahar in southeast- restrictions, last year a total of 55 exploration permits were issued resources for implementing new development programs. ern Sistan-Baluchestan Province, Arvand in southwestern in East-Azarbaijan Province, and Maku in West-Azarbaijan for 14 types of minerals in East Azarbaijan. According to the official, the country’s free and economic Khuzestan Province, Anzali in northern Gilan Province, Aras Province, both in the northwest of the country. Meanwhile, as previously reported, the value of annual steel zones should become more productive in order to be able to export from East Azarbaijan province is more than $100 million. East Azarbaijan province’s steel industry, as the largest pro- duction hub of this product in the private sector of the country, has grown significantly in recent years. Stock market to get back on track this year: MP East Azerbaijan, after Isfahan and Khuzestan provinces, where ECONOMY TEHRAN — Moham- agreement on the nuclear deal, the stability Iran (CBI) Abdolnaser Hemmati, Finance, most of the steel production units are state-owned, ranks third in deskmadreza Pour-Ebrahimi, of the national currency, as well as the less and Economic Affairs Minister Farhad De- the country’s steel production, with 85 percent of this production the chairman of the Iranian parliament’s attractive situation of the parallel markets are jpasand, and the Head of Iran’s Securities being done by the private sector. economic committee has said that the stock the important factors that would contribute and Exchange Organization (SEO) Moham- With an annual processing of 5.5 million tons of steel, this market is going to follow a positive trend in to the improvement of the capital market. mad-Ali Dehqan Dehnavi gathered at the province accounts for 24 percent of the total production of this the current Iranian calendar year (started Unprecedented fluctuations in the Iranian country’s parliament to explore ways for widely used product in Iran and supplies it to the foreign mar- on March 21). stock market over the past few months have supporting the stock market and resolving kets as well. “[This year] the profits of major indus- led shareholders, experts, and scholars to call its current issues. Iranian Industry, Mining and Trade Ministry data show that tries and influential companies in the capital for the government to increase its support After the mentioned meetings, SEO 680 mining operation licenses have been issued in the previous market have been assessed positively, which he said. for the market, some shareholders want the unveiled a new directive package dubbed Iranian calendar year 1399 to register an 18.1-percent increase is why the market will follow a positive trend The government must act in such a way government to guarantee the return of their “7+3” which include allocation of one per- compared to the preceding year. this year,” Pour-Ebrahimi told IRIB. that the people’s trust is restored and the stocks, some believe providing infrastructure cent of the National Development Fund Based on the mentioned data, 576 licenses had been issued The official said that part of the current capital market is taken out of the current is the best way to help this market. (NDF) resources to the stock market sta- in the Iranian calendar year 1398. negative trend in the market is due to psy- psychological atmosphere, he stressed. Following the rising concerns over the bilization fund, lifting the ban on capital During the previous year, 1,020 mineral exploration licenses chological factors and the fact that people Earlier this month, Market Analyst Rou- market conditions, in early April, the Govern- market financial institutions to use banking were also issued in the country, which in comparison with 960 have lost their trust in the capital market. zbeh Shariati said that TEDPIX, the main ment Economic Coordination Headquarters, facilities, and granting five-year residency licenses issued in the year 1398, a 6.3-percent increase is regis- “In the first half of the previous year, the index of Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE), is in its 216th meeting, approved some new to foreign investors who buy shares in the tered in this sector. government failed to manage and monitor going to improve over the next 1.5 months directives for regulating the stock market. Iranian capital market. the capital market and did not do its job in comparison to the first 1.5 months of the Also in late April, senior officials including The above-mentioned directives have properly, which is why the capital market current Iranian calendar year. the parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer been implemented in the capital market as [index] witnessed such a severe decline,” Shariati noted that reaching a possible Qalibaf, the Governor of the Central Bank of of April 27th, according to Dehqan Dehnavi.

Subsidy reform plan allocates $7.6b to support domestic production ECONOMY TEHRAN – Managing Director of Ira- Iran’s recent economic history”. desknian Organization of Targeted Subsi- The goal of the subsidy reform plan is to replace sub- dies has said that 320 trillion rials (about $7.61 billion) sidies on food and energy (80 percent of total) with tar- of the revenues earned from the government’s subsidy geted social assistance, in accordance with the country’s reform plan has been allocated for supporting domestic Five-Year National Development Plan. production in the current Iranian calendar year (started According to the government, approximately $100 on March 21). billion per year is spent on subsidizing energy prices Referring to the need to support production and im- ($45 billion for the prices of fuel alone) and many con- As reported, the inaugurated mines have created job oppor- prove the employment of youth in the year which has been sumable goods including bread, sugar, rice, edible oils, tunities for 5,516 people in the previous year, 15.4 percent more named the year of “Production: Support and Elimination and medicine. than the figure for the preceding year. of Obstacles” by the Leader of the Islamic revolution Since the U.S. re-imposed sanctions on Iran to pressure Expenses for exploration operations also increased by 39.5 Seyed Ali Khamenei, Omid Hajati said the priority for the the country’s economy, Iran has been taking all necessary percent in 1399 compared to its preceding year; accordingly, allocation of the mentioned resources would be for devel- measures to mitigate the impact of the sanctions and the cost of exploration operations last year was 1.549 trillion opment projects and export-oriented production units. counter the U.S. actions. rials (about $36.8 million) while the figure was 1.111 trillion rials The Iranian targeted subsidy plan, also known as the Improving and boosting domestic production has been (about $26.4 million) in 1398. subsidy reform plan, was passed by the Iranian parliament one of the major strategies that Iran has been following in In early April, Head of the explorations department of the on January 5, 2010. the “biggest surgery” to the nation’s economy in half a the past two years in order to increase its independence Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Ren- The government has described the subsidy plan as century and “one of the most important undertakings in and boost non-oil exports. ovation Organization (IMIDRO) Ali Asgharzadeh announced the identification of 1,700 new promising mineral zones across the country. In the past few years with new resilient economy strategies Cryptocurrency issues discussed at ICCIMA meeting coming into play, the mining sector has become a major point ECONOMY TEHRAN – The regulations in this field as the first and most policymakers may make wrong decisions of focus for the Iranian government and various organizations deskMacroeconomic important factor to create the necessary basis due to lack of knowledge in this area, and and bodies active in this sector have been tasked to implement Committee of Iran Chamber of Commerce, for the development of this sector. we should try to collaborate to make the new programs for boosting this sector. Industries, Mines, and Agriculture (ICCIMA) Speaking in the meeting, Ali Shams context of this industry known to them,” As a major state-owned holding company active in the mining hosted a meeting on Saturday to discuss Ardakani, the head of ICCIMA Energy he added. sector in the country, IMIDRO has been playing a significant part the issues related to the exchange of Committee presented a report on the Further in the event, Farzin Fardis, in the mentioned planning. cryptocurrencies in the country. cryptocurrency markets around the world a member of the ICCIMA committee of The organization has been implementing several new programs The meeting was also attended by the and said: “First, the private sector needs to knowledge-based businesses, mentioned some in all the main fields of the mining industry including explora- members of other ICCIMA committees have a comprehensive understanding of the of the challenges and issues that the people tion, machinery development, extraction and also reviving the including the development of non-oil exports, cryptocurrency market and after identifying active in this area are currently facing and said: country’s idle mines. energy, knowledge-based businesses, as well the functions of such currencies necessary “The biggest concern of people and businesses According to the IMIDRO head, the organization has put the as money and capital markets, ICCIMA portal meetings should be held with officials and in the field of cryptocurrencies is uncertainty The technical-legal structure of the development of mines and mining industries on the agenda with reported. policymakers for presenting the demands with legal issues, sharp fluctuations in value, cryptocurrency market should be reformed three main strategies: increasing exploration operations, developing The attendees of the meeting stressed in this field.” lack of security and fraud, lack of transparent under the supervision of the Central Bank infrastructure, and reviving the country’s idle small-scale mines. the need for passing definitive laws and “The private sector should be aware that support and religious considerations.” of Iran (CBI), he stressed. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y MAY 16, 2021 ANALYSIS/INTERVIEW 5

Western powers have exploited takfiri Resistance responds to Israeli massacre of Gaza groups to divide Islamic world: academic family with massive barrage Hamas military wing, Qassam Brigades, and other resist- ance factions launched dozens of missiles after a number ‘Extremist forces were used by the British to fight against the Ottomans’ of Palestinians were killed in fresh Israeli aggression in the By Mohammad Mazhari Mainly because of the significant funds and political occupied West Bank and the besieged Gaza Strip. protection provided by the West. The big question is, why Cities in southern Israel faced an intense barrage of rockets TEHRAN – An Indonesian researcher says extremist forces are the figures who divide Muslims always protected by the overnight Friday and Saturday, with several heavy waves have been used as foot soldiers of Western powers since West? For example, Yaser Habib, who claims to be a Shia of projectile fire targeting Ashkelon, Ashdod, Beersheva, the Cold War. figure, makes various behaviors that deliberately anger Sderot and the surrounding areas. “These extremist forces were used by the British to fight the Sunni community. Ayatollah Khamenei has issued a Alert sirens were heard in cities and towns near Gaza, against the Ottomans,” Dina Y. Sulaeman tells the Tehran fatwa that is forbidden to commit acts that insult Sunni in Kissufim, Ein Hashlosha, Nir Oz, Yad Mordechai, Netiv Times. figures. Why was Yaser Habib even facilitated by the British Ha’asara and other locations, the Times of Israel reported. “In the Cold War era, the West again used this ideology broadcasts? Of course, because the West has an interest The daily said 19 people were taken to Beersheva’s So- of takfirism for their benefit.” in continuing to divide Muslims. roka Medical Center. For decades West Asia failed to experience stability and How do you describe Islamic thought in Indo- A huge fire broke out in an industrial zone and several peace, especially in Afghanistan and Iraq. nesia when it comes to confronting extremism? buildings were damaged after a barrage of missiles was Besides tyrannical regimes that suppress peoples’ liberties, As I have quoted earlier, Prince MBS’s statement, Saudi fired at Ashdod in response to the massacre of an entire the Islamic world endures a long-term sectarian division, Arabia spread its ideology throughout the world, at the family at the Shati refugee camp in Gaza. ignited by takfiri extremists. request of the West in the Cold War era. Indonesia had Qassam Brigade said it had fired several rockets at Hatzerim But who supports sectarian conflicts and who benefits also received a flow of those funds. Recently there is an Airbase in the Negev Desert on the outskirts of Beersheva. from destabilization in the region? increase in radical attitudes and even acts of terror, such Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad “There needs to be political awareness among Muslims as the bombing of churches. But, thank God, Indonesia movement, also said it targeted Tel Aviv with several rockets. themselves so that they can detect the evil intentions of the has two major organizations, namely Nahdlatul Ulama and The pre-dawn airstrike by Israeli warplanes killed eight West that want to divide Muslims for their interests,” the Muhahmadiyah, which have a total membership of around children and two women from the Abu Hatab family and lecturer of international relations at Padjadjaran university ment was spreading Wahhabism by building mosques and 80 million people. These two organizations are like solid injured 15 others, the Palestinian Ma’an news agency reported. remarks. schools around the world at the request of the Western pillars that keep Indonesia from falling into extremism Following is the text of the interview: powers to prevent the influence of the Soviet Union in and sectarianism. What are the roots of conflicts in the Islamic Muslim countries. How can Muslims reinforce women’s role in Russia officially dubs world, especially sectarian conflicts? If we look far back, in the 18th century, in the Middle politics and Islamic activities? Could you update us From a political perspective, the root of conflict in the East (West Asia), especially the Hijaz and Iraq, there were about women’s role in Indonesia’s social sphere? U.S. and Czech Republic Muslim world is the political greed of a few parties. They massacres carried out by the Wahhabists. Their jargon was We in Indonesia have no problem regarding women’s use religion for political gain and power. If we examine ‘unfriendly’ states religious purification, but we also saw that they worked activities. Indonesian women have the freedom to choose the sectarian conflicts in Muslim World, we can see that together with the rulers, and the goal was territorial control. their activities in society. Mainly because the two prom- the cause is the ideology of takfirism. Many countries have The Russian government has officially deemed the United States Then, these extremist forces were used by the British to fight inent organizations in Indonesia, Nahdlatul Ulama and clearly stated the name of the doctrine, namely Wahhabism. and the Czech Republic “unfriendly” states, and announced against the Ottomans. In the Cold War era, the West again Muhahmadiyah, have always been moderate and support- But the question is, who spread this ideology with huge that U.S. diplomatic missions could no longer employ local used this ideology of takfirism for their benefit. It continues ed the involvement of women in the life of the country. funds? What’s in their interest to pass it on? The answer to staff while Czech missions could employ a maximum of 19. to the present. The Syrian war clearly shows that takfiri Learning from Indonesia, we can conclude that women’s this question was conveyed by the Prince of Saudi Arabia Moscow first announced the ban on the U.S. hiring local groups are only being used by the West for their interests. role in politics and Islamic activities should be encouraged himself, Mohammed Bin Salman, in his interview with the staff last month as part of its retaliation for a slew of new The proof is that the U.S., which has so far claimed to be by scholars and community leaders. Washington Post in 2018. He said that the Saudi govern- US sanctions against Russia for interfering in the 2020 US fighting against terrorism in Syria, has supplied weapons presidential election and for involvement in the Solar Wind “Thank God, Indonesia has to militias affiliated with Al-Qaeda. “Saudi Prince Mohammed hack of U.S. federal agencies. What are the main challenges that threaten the A Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharo- two major organizations, unity of the Islamic world? Bin Salman, in his interview va, said the United States has until 1 August to comply with namely Nahdlatul Ulama As I explained in the first question, the root of conflict with the Washington Post the new requirements. in the Muslim world is power politics. I have already said According to Guardian, relations between Russia and the and Muhahmadiyah, which that the West takes advantage of the ideology of takfirism in 2018, said that the Saudi Czechs were badly hit last month when the Czechs accused have a total membership of for their benefit. Muslim people need to recognize that government was spreading Russian military intelligence of being behind a 2014 blast around 80 million people. takfirism is not the true teaching of Islam. It is necessary Wahhabism by building at an ammunition depot, and expelled dozens of Russian to disseminate what true Islamic teachings are. We must diplomats. These two organizations spread the values of tolerance, compassion, and brother- mosques and schools around Russia rejected the allegations and retaliated by expelling are like solid pillars that hood in Islam because this is the core of Islamic teaching. the world at the request of the Czech diplomats, and also ordered the Czechs to dismiss Furthermore, there needs to be political awareness among keep Indonesia from Western powers to prevent the majority of their local employees in Moscow, many of Muslims themselves so that they can detect the evil intentions whom have staffed a Czech hospitality and business center falling into extremism and of the West that want to divide Muslims for their interests. the influence of the Soviet in the city. sectarianism.” How can takfiri groups gain influence in some Union in Muslim countries.” The Czech foreign ministry deplored the latest Russian Islamic countries? move as “another step in the escalation of the relations, not just with the Czech Republic but also with the European Union and its allies”. U.S. policies consist of double standards: Azeri expert Taliban and Afghanistan “Unlike previous presidents, Joe Biden pursues a more aggressive and predatory policy” government negotiators

1 The second issue is related to mil- in Armenia that are threatening Azerbai- How do you evaluate Iran-Azer- meet in Qatar itary saboteurs detained on the Azerbaijani jan with a new war. There is still calm in baijan’s economic ties? Is there any Negotiators from the Taliban and Afghanistan’s government side. After the November 10 agreement, the region, but it is too early to say that development after Tehran declared have met in Qatar, according to the warring sides, after a long a group of Armenian saboteurs attacked long-term peace will be fully established. that it is ready to contribute to the pause in peace talks between the two. Azerbaijani military positions and killed First, refugees must return to their homes, reconstruction of Karabakh? The development came on Friday, the second day of a Azerbaijani border guards. Reacting to this, coexist in the region, and infrastructure Iran-Azerbaijan relations continue to three-day ceasefire announced by the Taliban for the Muslim the Azerbaijani army carried out anti-ter- restored. We are at the beginning of a long develop. In the 44-day war, official Teh- holiday of Eid al-Fitr, al Jazeera reported. rorist operations, and those terrorist sabo- and difficult path to peace. ran’s position was also fair, and the Islamic They began negotiations in September last year to find a teurs were neutralized. At present, they are How do you see U.S. position and Republic of Iran officially supported the way to end decades of war. But the talks stalled after a few expected to be tried under Azerbaijani law. policy when it comes to the Azerbai- territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. This was rounds and violence has escalated since the United States Azerbaijan considers them terrorists, while jan-Armenia dispute? Do you see any what we expected from Iran. started a final pullout of troops from Afghanistan on May 1. Armenia calls them prisoners of war and change in U.S. policies? Economic relations between the two “The two sides discussed the on-going situation of the demands their return from Baku. These two U.S. policy consists of double standards. countries continue. Even last week, when country and emphasized speeding up the peace talks in Doha,” issues cause tensions between the parties. Not only on the Karabakh issue, but also Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev visited China’s “Belt and Road Initiative” pro- the negotiating team representing the Afghan government Do you predict a long-run peace on other conflicts in the world, Washing- the liberated Jabrayil and Zangilan regions, ject is a global project that will benefit all said on Twitter. in the region? What factors threaten ton’s position is aimed at ensuring its own he called the Azerbaijani-Iranian border countries in the region. The countries of The spokesman for the Taliban’s political office, Mohammad the peace and stability there? interests. The United States is one of the a friendly border. During the official visit the South Caucasus also play a key role in Naeem, posted a similar message on Twitter, and added that Of course, the November 10 agreement co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group in re- of Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif to the implementation of this project. This both sides had agreed to continue talks after the Eid holidays. serves to establish long-term peace in the solving the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict. Baku, Iranian companies’ participation in project worries the imperialist circles of Finding common ground between the two warring sides region. Azerbaijan is ready for this and But over the last 30 years, we have not seen the reconstruction work in Karabakh was the West. Because with the realization of has been a top priority for Western capitals, particularly fully complies with the terms of the agree- a serious Washington mediation mission. also discussed. I think that Iran should take this project, the importance of China in the Washington, which has announced it will withdraw all U.S. ment. There are certain revanchist forces During the 44-day war, the Biden admin- more active initiatives in this regard. Iran world is growing, while the importance of istration also made statements in support has extensive experience in this field, and the United States and the West is seriously troops by September to end its 20-year military presence in of the occupation, which rightly deepened there is a need to apply these practices in declining. The winners of this project will Afghanistan. “We also see Biden’s distrust of the United States in Azerbaijan. Karabakh as well. also be Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia predatory policy Joe Biden’s statement about the Arme- What is your take of the Chinese and other countries. I think that this project Resistance News against Russia, nian genocide is also a method of pressure Belt and Road initiative? Would it will change not only the economic weight and blackmail against Turkey. This issue consolidate the ties between regional of the world, but also its geopolitical shape China, Iran and has been used as a threat for years, and this players? as a whole. Hamas unveils ‘equation’: other countries. year the mask of Washington was finally Shelling for shelling, city for The goal is to torn, and we have seen the real America. “Iran-Azerbaijan relations continue to Unlike previous presidents, Joe Biden city, missile for missile restore U.S. global pursues a more aggressive and predatory develop. In the 44-day war, official Tehran’s leadership. But it is policy. This is not only the case with Turkey. position was also fair, and the Islamic INTERNATIONAL TEHRAN — A spokesman for the Pales- We also see this predatory policy against Republic of Iran officially supported the desktinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Ha- too late. America is Russia, China, Iran and other countries. mas, says his group has well laid down the law of retaliation no longer a world The goal is to restore U.S. global leadership. territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. This was for bloody Israeli airstrikes on the besieged Gaza Strip by leader.” But it is too late. America is no longer a what we expected from Iran.” launching missile attacks on Tel Aviv, emphasizing that his world leader. fellow fighters will respond to any act of aggression to the coastal enclave. “The resistance front has managed to establish an equation in the current round of confrontations under the theme of ‘Shelling for shelling, city for city and missile for missile,’” Palestinian blood on Germans hands Fawzi Barhoum told Iran’s Tasnim news agency in an ex- 1 The first Israeli-German de- is not yet available,” the introduction said. to the German press. Israel at first denied clusive interview on Friday. fense talks took place in 1957, between In the early 1960s, Israel decided to the deal’s existence, but in Germany the He added, “When the resistance bloc entered the battle then-Defense Ministry Director General buy surplus American tanks that had been reports sparked a lively public debate that with the Zionist regime, it was familiar with its boundaries Shimon Peres and West German Defense given to Germany. The deal ultimately led to a severe crisis in bilateral relations. and mechanisms to control and manage it. This is not some- Minister Franz Josef Strauss. In 1960, included 200 tanks, mobile cannons, six In response to the media reports, the thing new for Palestinian resistance factions that the ongoing Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion met in boats (intended as missile boats) and sub- German government revealed the scope of combat is going to last longer. It is something unprecedented New York with German Chancellor Konrad marines. “This was a large scale arms deal, the deal, saying it was worth 200 million for the Zionist regime as it has suffered unlike first-time and Adenauer in which “emphasis was put on of supreme importance for renewing the deutsche marks a year and included arms, severe blows since its inception, including the launch of 150 Israel’s need for small submarines and IDF’s military arsenal, as well as having planes and boats. Domestic opposition missiles on Tel Aviv within just three minutes.” anti-aircraft missiles,” the archivists wrote important political significance,” the in- resulted in a decision to stop supplying Barhoum went on to say that the Israeli military considered in an introduction to the documents posted troduction noted. weapons to conflict regions in general and the latest round of fighting with Hamas to be limited, so it on the website. years is still in complete. “Documentation The deal was kept secret, and the first to cancel the deal with Israel in particular. waged a psychological war that the conflict is going to last long. But information about the defense ties on the start of these relations or of the shipments went off without a hitch. But in In place of the arms it wasn’t supplying, “We are ready to continue the battle no matter how long between the two countries during those contents of the transactions and their scope late October 1964, word of the deal leaked Germany offered Israel cash. it will take,” the senior Hamas official pointed out. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 6 HERITAGE & TOURISM MAY 16, 2021

First stamp museum house to Intl. webinar to discuss ways to preserve open in Tabriz TOURISM TEHRAN –A museum house, dedicated to Persepolis for future generations deskhistorical postage stamps, will open in Tabriz, the capital of the East Azarbaijan province. The museum, which would be the first of its kind in the north- HERITAGE TEHRAN – A host of ex- greatest archaeological sites. east province, is scheduled to be inaugurated on Thursday at the deskperts will be discussing The site is marked by a large terrace with 200-year-old Mojtahediha Mansion. archaeological findings and the latest attempts its east side abutting the Kuh-e Rahmat for the conservation of the UNESCO-reg- (“Mount of Mercy”). The other three sides istered Persepolis for future generations. are formed by a retaining wall, varying in “In this webinar, experts and researchers height with the slope of the ground from 13 in the fields of archaeology, conservation to 41 feet (4 to 12 meters); on the west side, and restoration, archeology, linguistics, a magnificent double stair in two flights of documentation, architecture and civil en- 111 short stone steps leads to the top. On gineering, geology, biology, law, statistics, the terrace are the ruins of several colossal etc. will discuss and exchange views on the buildings, all constructed of a dark gray stone ancient Persepolis during a four-day inter- (often polished to a marble-like surface) national webinar, which starts on Sunday,” from the adjacent mountain. CHTN quoted the organizers as saying on According to Britannica, the stone was Saturday. cut with the utmost precision into blocks of Archaeological achievements in the great size, which were laid without mortar; World Heritage site will be discussed on many of them are still in place. Especially the first day of the conference while decades striking are the huge columns, 13 of which of conservation, restoration, documentation still stand in the audience hall of Darius I projects would be topics for the second day. (the Great; reigned 522–486 BC), known as On the third day, applied research on the Apadana, the name given to a similar hall The inauguration ceremony is scheduled to be attended by conservation and restoration, documentation built by Darius at Susa. There are two more the CEO of the National Post Company, Ramezan-Ali Sobhani- will be scrutinized. Moreover, comprehen- columns still standing in the entrance hall far who also doubles as the deputy minister of Information and sive conservation plans for the architecture of the Gate of Xerxes, and a third has been Communications Technology (ICT), and several cultural officials and conservation of the site are set to be assembled there from its broken pieces. and cultural heritage experts. conferred on the last day of the event. urban planning, construction technology, menid Empire’s king. On this terrace, succes- In 1933 two sets of gold and silver plates A selection of stamps printed since 1962 will be on display Persepolis, also known as Takht-e Jam- and art. sive kings erected a series of architecturally recording in the three forms of cuneiform— at the museum. shid, whose magnificent ruins rest at the Persepolis was burnt by Alexander the stunning palatial buildings, among them the ancient Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian— Back in February, Iran’s first Post-Museum School opened foot of Kuh-e Rahmat (Mountain of Mercy) Great in 330 BC apparently as revenge to massive Apadana palace and the Throne Hall the boundaries of the Persian empire were in Rasht, northern Gilan province. is situated 60 kilometers northeast of the the Persians because it seems the Persian (“Hundred-Column Hall”). discovered in the foundations of Darius’s The museum aims at educating children in various fields of city of Shiraz in Fars province. King Xerxes had burnt the Greek City of This 13-ha ensemble of majestic ap- hall of audience. Several inscriptions, cut in communication and media as well as promoting the culture of The ruined royal city ranks among the Athens around 150 years earlier. proaches, monumental stairways, throne stone, of Darius I, Xerxes I, and Artaxerxes the post by holding communication courses and classes. archaeological sites which have no equiv- The city’s immense terrace was begun rooms (Apadana), reception rooms, and III indicate to which monarch the various The second Post-Museum School is also scheduled to be in- alent, considering its unique architecture, about 518 BC by Darius the Great, the Achae- dependencies is classified among the world’s buildings were attributed. augurated in Delgan county, southeastern province of Sistan-Ba- louchestan in the near future. It was only in 1851 when the government of Iran started to produce its own stamps, thus the creation of a unique mailing and communication arrangement. Intl. travels fall by 80% in Iran due to coronavirus It was through the Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar’s (1848-1896) 1 The fall reached 96 and 97 percent in April and on the back of the 2009 global economic and financial crisis. that the postal system in Iran has begun developing. May. And in June, a negative 84% was recorded. But the “This unprecedented decline is having dramatic social He was inspired by the reported successes of a postal system interesting point in the statistics published by the World and economic consequences, and puts millions of jobs and in many regions, so he decided to send a group to France to study Tourism Organization is a steep slope of the improvement businesses at risk,” warned UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab the system and launch it in Iran. of Iran’s tourism arrivals during the last two months, as Pololikashvili. “This underlines the urgent need to safely Capital of East Azarbaijan province, Tabriz, which is well- such growth has leaped 35% in July and August. restart tourism, in a timely and coordinated manner”. soaked in history and culture for millennia, embraces several Optimistic forecasts, expect the country would achieve UNWTO’s Panel of Experts foresees a rebound in in- historical and religious sites, including Jameh Mosque of Tabriz a tourism boom after coronavirus contained, believing its ternational tourism in the current year, mostly in the third and Arg of Tabriz, and UNESCO-registered Tabriz Historic Bazaar impact would be temporary and short-lived for a country quarter. However, some experts suggest the rebound could Complex to name a few. that ranked the third fastest-growing tourism destination occur only in 2022. The ancient city was declared a world craft city of carpet weaving in 2019. Travel restrictions are seen as the main barrier standing by the World Craft in 2016. It also bore the title of 2018 Islamic According to the newest UNWTO Barometer, interna- in the way of the recovery of international tourism, along Tourism Capital. tional arrivals plunged 81% in July and 79% in August, with slow virus containment and low consumer confidence. Tabriz became the capital of the Mongol Il-Khan Mahmud traditionally the two busiest months of the year and the The lack of coordinated response among countries to en- Gazan (1295–1304) and his successor. Timur (Tamerlane), a peak of the Northern Hemisphere summer season. The sure harmonized protocols and coordinated restrictions, as bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, mausoleums, churches, Turkic conqueror, took it in 1392. Some decades later the Kara drop until August represents 700 million fewer arrivals well as the deteriorating economic environment, were also towers, and mansions, of which 24 being inscribed on the Koyunlu Turkmen made it their capital, it was when the famous compared to the same period in 2019 and translates into a identified by experts as important obstacles for recovery. UNESCO World Heritage list. Under the 2025 Tourism Blue Mosque was built in Tabriz. loss of US$ 730 billion in export revenues from international The Islamic Republic expects to reap a bonanza from its Vision Plan, Iran aims to increase the number of tourist The city retained its administrative status under the Safavid tourism. This is more than eight times the loss experienced numerous tourist spots such as bazaars, museums, mosques, arrivals from 4.8 million in 2014 to 20 million in 2025. dynasty until 1548 when Shah Tahmasp I relocated his capital westward to Qazvin. During the next two centuries, Tabriz changed hands several times between Persia and Ottoman Empire. During World War I, the city was temporarily occupied by Turkish and Rural museum house makes debut in Golestan province then Soviet troops. TOURISM TEHRAN – The first and travel attractions are expected to lay Rural tourism, most of all, sets the ground deskrural museum house in the ground for a sustainable tourism in the for economic development in rural areas by Historical bazaar, defensive wall Golestan province has recently opened its village,” he explained. creating additional income and employment doors to the public, a local tourism official Experts believe that rural tourism, ag- especially for young people and women; the in Ardakan undergo restoration announced on Saturday. ritourism, and farm-stays can be regarded prosperity of handicrafts, and more entrepre- “Some 100 objects, including various as a win-win both for local communities, neurship prospects. It can also improve the TEHRAN – Restoration work has begun on TOURISM agricultural tools, implements of daily life, and post-modern travelers who are tracing social wellbeing in rural areas, for instance deska historical bazaar and a defensive mudbrick handicrafts, spinning and weaving tools, unique experiences. by stimulating improvements in infrastruc- wall, which are situated in Ardakan county of Yazd province. etc., have been put on show at the museum Sightseers may stay with a rural or nomadic ture, sanitation, and electricity networks. The second phase of a restoration project, which involves house,” Mohammad-Taha Asgaripour added. family for a while or enjoy an independent Golestan is reportedly embracing some lightening the rooftops as well as repairing the damaged parts, The museum house, which is located in stay and assist them with day-to-day life. It 2,500 historical and natural sites, with has been commenced on Mirza Hadi Bazaar and Khajeh Nasir Farsiyan, is expected to put the village on the also opens up an opportunity to feel rustic UNESCO-registered Gonbad-e Qabus – a defensive wall, Ardakan’s tourism chief Mohsen Mirjani said tourism map for domestic and international “Turing the spotlight on the history of the routines, their agriculture, traditions, arts, one-millennium-old brick tower – amongst on Saturday. travelers, he said. village, its historical capacities, handicrafts, and culture. its most famous. Established in the Pahlavi era (1925-1979), the historical bazaar was inscribed on the National Heritage list in 2005. Semi-precious stones, ring, and necklace recovered from smugglers TOURISM TEHRAN – Several historical objects judicial system for further investigation, he noted. deskhave recently been confiscated from The official, however, did not refer to the exact age smugglers in Qirokarzin county, southern Fars province, of the relics. a senior police official in charge of protecting cultural The ancient region of Fars also spelled Pars, or Persis heritage said on Saturday, CHTN reported. was the heart of the Achaemenian Empire (550–330 BC), The objects that include some semi-precious stones, which was founded by Cyrus the Great and had its capital a tray, ring, and a necklace were recovered after the po- at Pasargadae. Darius I the Great moved the capital to lice stopped a suspicious driver for a routine inspection. nearby Persepolis in the late 6th or early 5th century BC. The antique dealers were traced and arrested at a The capital city of Shiraz is home to some of the coun- checkpoint at the Qirokarzin-Firuzabad road after the try’s most magnificent buildings and sights. Increasingly, police received reports from cultural heritage aficionados, it draws more and more foreign and domestic sightseers Mohammadreza Bahmaninejad announced. flocking into this provincial capital which was the literary The culprits were detained and surrendered to the capital of Persia during the Zand dynasty from 1751 to 1794.

Parts of the Khajeh Nasir defensive wall in the city of Aqda, which was damaged due to the heavy seasonal rains, are also being restored, the official added. The restoration project includes repairing damaged parts New eco-lodges to come on stream in Lorestan using traditional and local materials to preserve the originality TOURISM TEHRAN – Two new Eco-lodge units in rural areas and the In January 2020, Research Institute for of the barrier, he explained. deskeco-lodges are scheduled heart of nature, away from the hustle and Cultural Heritage and Tourism Director Located in Yazd province, Ardakan is a living testimony to to be constructed in the western province bustle of the city, smoke, and pollution, could Behrouz Omrani announced that Iran has the intelligent use of limited available resources in the desert for of Lorestan in near future, the provincial free people from the chaos and turmoil of been constructing hundreds of eco-lodge survival. Water is brought to the city by the qanat system. Each tourism chief has said. modern life. guesthouses over the past couple of years district of the city is built on a qanat and has a communal center. The eco-lodges will be built in Borujerd In recent years, several historical man- to meet the demands of rising eco-travelers The use of earth in buildings includes walls and roofs by in Dehpir to foster tourism infrastructure sions and rural houses across the country and sightseers. the construction of vaults and domes. Houses are built with in the rural areas, Amin Qasemi announced have been repurposed into eco-lodge units to “At present, issuing guidelines for courtyards below ground level, serving underground areas. on Saturday. attract more domestic and foreign tourists. eco-tourism development is on the agen- Wind-catchers, courtyards, and thick earthen walls create a A budget of 47 billion rials ($1.1 million The houses represent the indigenous cul- da. Historical villages are amongst target pleasant microclimate. at the official exchange rate of 42,000 rials ture, local customs, traditions, and stories, destinations for eco-tourism development,” The word Ardakan in Persian means “holy place” or “clean per dollar) has been allocated to the projects, while the guests are served delicious food the official said. place” (Modern Persian: arda+kan / Middle Persian: arta+gan) the official added. with local ingredients. Iran’s tourism body said in 2018 that 2,000 ers. Sightseers may live with a nomad or and the city has many historical religious attractions such as the The construction of these units is expected The growing tendency of tourists to ex- eco-lodges will be constructed nationwide rural family or enjoy an independent stay. Grand Mosque of Ardakan (Masjed-e Jame’), Zire-deh Mosque, to generate job opportunities for 30 local perience indigenous and local cultures has until 2021. Experts say each eco-lodge unit The country is home to abundant histori- Emam-Zadeh Mir Seyyed Mohammad and Tekyeh bazaar. people directly, he explained. made them want to get closer to natural and generates jobs for seven to eight people on cal mansions, caravanserais, bathhouses, The region is one of the Zoroastrian centers of Iran, and As a four-season country with pristine indigenous living conditions, experiencing average so that the scheme could create madrasas, and other massive monuments, there are numerous holy sites for Zoroastrians in Sharif-Abad, a and beautiful nature in different parts of the the old-fashioned way of life, considering 160,000 jobs. which can buttress its budding tourism and village near Ardakan. Each summer thousands of Zoroastrians country, Iran has a lot to offer nature lovers that staying in these eco-lodge units is much Having a very diverse natural setting, hospitality sectors if managed appropriately from around the world gather there for pilgrimage. and eco-tourists. cheaper than other accommodation centers. Iran offers varied excursions to nature lov- and refurbished properly. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y MAY 16, 2021 SOCIETY 7

Lake Urmia revival eradicates Forests the size of France have regenerated over past 20 years 450,000 ha of SDS hotspots Over the past two decades, 59 million hectares of forest – an area equivalent to the size of France – have regenerated around the SOCIETY TEHRAN – The resto- contributed $3 million to help revive Lake world with minimal human intervention, a new study shows. deskration of Lake Urmia has Urmia through the United Nations Devel- Major hotspots where woodlands have recovered include parts eradicated 450,000 hectares of sand and dust opment Program (UNDP). of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, areas of northern Canada, central storm (SDS) hotspots, according to the latest The contribution will be implemented Africa and the boreal forests in Mongolia’s northern wilderness. studies. as a component of UNDP’s ongoing Con- This area of forest has the potential to store the equivalent of Prior to the start of the executive activities servation of Iranian Wetlands Project – a 5.9 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide – more than the annual emis- for Lake Urmia rehabilitation, an area of joint project between Iran’s Department of sions of the US. approximately 100,000 hectares was con- Environment and UNDP. This was Japan’s sidered as land sensitive to wind erosion eighth contribution to UNDP Iran. due to the lake’s retreat. So far, UNDP has implemented several In addition to the specialized measures initiatives to stop the degradation trend in controlling the critical hotspots of SDS, and restore this important Lake and other a 50 percent increase in the Lake’s surface wetlands in the country. These efforts have and an eightfold increase in its water level significantly contributed to the stability of caused many lands prone to wind erosion Lake Urmia and introducing new approaches to return to normal again. based on the improved management of its Currently, there are less than 50,000 hec- basin. By the end of the seventh phase, the tares of land generating dust in the province. project was implemented in 183 villages. Some 1.46 million hectares of the country’s In addition to almost $7 million in financial wetlands and 3.5 million hectares of habitats support from the Japanese government, so under the management of the Department of far more than $1 billion has been spent on Environment contribute to dust generation. The lowest amount of water in Lake Urmia was the project in total. The government has spent 100 trillion Lake’s surface increased by over The authors said forest regeneration is where “nature takes rials (about $2.3 billion at the official rate recorded in 2012, a year before the beginning 1500 km² the lead”. Some areas require no human activity to help them of 42,000 rials) to implement rehabilitation of the Restoration Program, amounting to 500 Lake Urmia’s surface area has reached up to regenerate, while others require invasive species or farm animals projects on the lake. 2,917 square kilometers, indicating 1,582 square to be removed or fenced out of the area. During a five-year period until last year, million cubic meters, which now has reached kilometers increase in comparison to 2013. The research, which was based on satellite imaging and ground a total of 673 billion rials (nearly $16 mil- more than 4 billion cubic meters, showing an The water transfer projects will cause surveys, comes amid a growing awareness of the importance of tree lion) have been earmarked to counter sand increase of almost eight times. Lake Urmia to reach its ecological level over cover in efforts to mitigate the worst impacts of the climate crisis. and dust storms generated by the resources the next seven years, with 15 billion cubic The analysis was carried out by Trillion Trees, a joint venture surrounding Lake Urmia. locals returned back to their villages. is estimated at 1,274 meters, the lake will have meters of water through increasing the lake’s between BirdLife International, the Wildlife Conservation Society The SDSs control operations in the area The lowest amount of water in Lake Urmia favorable conditions at 1,272 meters and will level by one meter each year. and the WWF, which is aiming to “urgently speed up and scale are either completed or in their final stage, was recorded in 2012, a year before the begin- eliminate more than 95 percent of the dust Lake Urmia, located in the northwest of up” forest regeneration, and is aiming to protect and restore one which is a significant measure as saved 14 ning of the Restoration Program, amounting centers. Iran, was once the most extensive permanent trillion trees by 2050. million people. to 500 million cubic meters, which now has So far, the government has earmarked hypersaline lake in the world. Unsustainable As well as specific regeneration areas, the study’s authors said A few years ago, the destruction of agricul- reached more than 4 billion cubic meters, 100 trillion rials (nearly $2.3 billion at the water management in response to increas- other reasons for forest expansion included more responsible indus- tural lands and the occurrence of some res- showing an increase of almost eight times. official rate of 42,000 rials) for the lake’s ing demand together with climatic extremes try practices and factors such as human migration towards cities. piratory problems due to sand and dust storm However, achieving sustainable rehabilita- revitalization. has given rise to the lake’s depletion during The WWF’s William Baldwin-Cantello said allowing wood- has caused the migration of some villagers. tion requires countless efforts, such as increased International contribution to Lake the last two decades. The lake’s restoration lands to naturally regenerate is often more effective than human Rehabilitation measures have made the rainfall and optimal use of water resources. Urmia revival program was established in 2013 and aims efforts to bring back trees. situation much better, and many displaced Although the ecological level of Lake Urmia On February 17, the Government of Japan to restore the lake within a 10-year program. He said: “The science is clear: if we are to avoid dangerous climate change and turn around the loss of nature, we must both halt deforestation and restore natural forests. “We’ve known for a long time that natural forest regeneration Philanthropists donate 71% more to support orphans is often cheaper, richer in carbon and better for biodiversity than actively planted forests, and this research tells us where and SOCIETY TEHRAN – Iranian benefactors have port orphans. why regeneration is happening, and how we can recreate those deskmade cash contributions amounting to Adoption for orphans conditions elsewhere.” 15 trillion rials (about $357 million at the official rate of There is a basic slogan in the country that children must But he warned that despite the good news the study highlighted, 42,000 rials) to orphaned children over the last [Iranian grow in the family so that the priority is to foster the orphans. the rate of deforestation is still far outpacing that of regrowth, calendar] year (March 2020 – March 2021), an increase of Since [the Iranian calendar year] 1392, the number of and called on the government to take action on supply lines 71 percent year on year. adoption cases has increased and 2,000 children are placed which result in deforestation around the world. The Foundation currently covers 147,000 orphaned for adoption annually, some of whom are placed under tem- He said: “We can’t take this regeneration for granted – de- children and 260,000 children with families who cannot porary custody because a temporary trustee is better than forestation still claims millions of hectares every year, vastly afford to bring them up on their own, IRNA quoted Alireza care centers, Masoudi-Farid said in May 2020. more than is regenerated. Asgarian, deputy director of Imam Khomeini Relief Foun- Montazer Shabar, the Welfare Organization’s director for “To realise the potential of forests as a climate solution, we dation, as saying on Saturday. children affairs, said in July 2019 that there are 10 applicants and single women are able to apply for adoption. need support for regeneration in climate delivery plans and must “We anticipate that donations will increase by 100 percent for fostering each child in the country. The law formerly authorized adoption only for orphans tackle the drivers of deforestation, which in the UK means strong this year and exceeds 25 trillion rials (about $595 million Currently, some 2,800 applicants are waiting for adoption, while the new law permit adoption for children with dys- domestic laws to prevent our food causing deforestation overseas.” at the official rate of 42,000 rials),” he noted. most of whom are parents not having children or intending functional families as well in case the judge concludes that The researchers highlighted the Atlantic Forest in Brazil as Over the past four months, 60,000 benefactors have to foster a child, he added. the new family is suitable for adoption. one particular area which was seeing considerable regeneration. been added to the whole supporters, he added. According to the Welfare Organization, the country’s Previously, the adoptive families were required to sign An estimated 4.2 million hectares – an area roughly the size of He further called on the donors to join hands and support adoption and foster laws that dated back to some 44 years over one-third of their property to their child-to-be but the Netherlands – has regrown since 2000. 200,000 of such children. ago were revised and modified in 2013. Within the new law, some could not afford to do so and now the judge gets to In the boreal forests of Mongolia’s northern wilderness, the In May 2020, Seyyed Morteza Bakhtiari, head of kids could be adopted up to the age of 16 while the former decide how a family, depending on their financial status, study suggests around 1.2 million hectares of forest have regen- Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation, said there were law states that kids aged 12 or less could be adopted. In should be treated. erated in the last 20 years. The study said this progress was partly 710,265 active philanthropists in the country who sup- addition to families with no child now families with one kid due to the work of the WWF, as well as increased emphasis from the Mongolian government on protected areas. The WWF warned that despite apparent momentum behind woodland restoration, in many cases, government plans “involve People over 75 being vaccinated against coronavirus very limited expansion of natural forests, despite the strong cli- mate and biodiversity benefits they offer”. 1 According to the Ministry of Health, Iran is currently producing vaccines jointly Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute is also undergoing human trials, which will The authors of the study warn that encouraging signs of re- about 3.2 million coronavirus vaccines have with three countries of Cuba, Russia, and (Razi Cov Pars) is expected to become the also be available in early September. generation cannot be taken for granted. Forests across Brazil been imported into the country so far. Some Australia, which may also be released by second Iranian-made vaccine to be adminis- New cases and mortalities face significant threats today, even the Atlantic Forests – a rec- 1,713,648 people received the first dose and September. tered among the population in early August; In a press briefing on Saturday, Health ognised success story in restoration. Such is the extent of historic 342,950 people have also received the sec- Domestic vaccines which started the clinical trial on February 27. Ministry’s spokesperson, Sima-Sadat Lari, deforestation that the area of this unique forest still needs to more ond dose so that the total number of vac- COVIRAN BAREKAT, the first coronavirus Iran has also successfully completed the confirmed 7,723 new cases of COVID-19 infec- than double from currently 12 per cent of its original area to 30 cines injected in the country has reached vaccine made by Iranian researchers, started first phase of the human trial for Fakhra tion, raising the total number of infections to per cent, in order to reach what scientists believe is a minimal 2,056,598 doses. the third phase of the human trial in early May vaccine, the third domestically developed 2,739,875. She added that 2,210,851 patients threshold for its lasting conservation. Mass vaccination against COVID-19 started by being administrated to 20,000 people. COVID-19 vaccine, named after nuclear have so far recovered, but 5,396 remain in on Iranian citizens with the Russian-made Developed by researchers at the Head- scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh (he was as- critical conditions of the disease. Sputnik V vaccine on February 9. quarters for Executing the Order of the Imam, sassinated in November 2020 near Tehran), During the past 24 hours, 200 patients LET’S LEARN PERSIAN While Iran continues efforts to mass-pro- the vaccine was unveiled on December 29, that was unveiled and started the clinical have lost their lives, bringing the total number (Part 183) (Source: saadifoundation.ir) duce local candidates, several foreign vaccines 2020, and started to be mass-produced on trial on March 16. of deaths to 76,633, she added. have already been imported and others are March 29. “Osvid-19”, the fourth domestic vaccine So far, 17,882,461 COVID-19 diagnostic expected soon. Meanwhile, a vaccine developed by the produced by Osvah Pharmaceutical Company tests have been performed in the country.

ENGLISH IN USE LEARN NEWS TRANSLATION Iran to carry out cloud seeding آغاز عملیات باروری ابرها تا دو هفته دیگر project within two weeks عملیــات بارورســازی ابرهــا تــا دو هفتــه دیگــر در بخــش هایــی از A cloud seeding project will be carried out within the next two weeks شــمال، مرکــز، و جنــوب کشــور انجــام مــی شــود. ,in some northern, central and southern provinces of the country فریــد گلــکار، رئیــس مرکــز ملــی تحقیقــات و مطالعــات بــاروری ابرهــا، Farid Golkar, head of Iran’s National Cloud Seeding Research در گفتوگــو بــا ایســنا، توضیــح داد ایــن عملیــات روی کوهســتا نهای .Center, has announced زاگــرس و البــرز در شــمال کشــور، اســتان هــای اصفهــان و یــزد در Golkar explained that the operation will be carried out on the Zagros مرکــز ، و اســتان هــای فــارس و کرمــان در جنــوب انجــام م ی شــود. and Alborz Mountains in the north, Isfahan and Yazd provinces او بــا بیــان ای نکــه نخســتین پــروژه بارورســازی ابرهــا در ســال in the center, and Fars and Kerman provinces in the south. ۱۳۹۵ The first cloud seeding project was launched in the Iranian calendar انجــام شــد، اظهــار کــرد تاثیــر یکبــار عملیــات در میــزان افزایــش year 1395 (March 2016-March 2017), he stated, adding that, each بار شهــا ۱۰ تــا ۱۵ درصــد اســت. .operation can lead to a 10-15 percent increase in precipitation گلــکار اضافــه کــرد: امســال هفــت میلیــارد تومــان بودجــه بــرای ایــن He went on to highlight that this year, a total budget of 70 billion موضــوع در نظــر گرفتــه شــده اســت. .rials (about $1.6 million) has been earmarked in this regard Prayer Times Noon:13:02 Evening: 20:21 Dawn: 4:23 (tomorrow) Sunrise: 5:58 (tomorrow) MAY 16, 2021 ART&CULTURE I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y www.tehrantimes.com Managing Director: Mohammad Shojaeian Editor-in-Chief: Ali A.Jenabzadeh Painter Hassan Ruholamin unveils new Editorial Dept.: Fax: (+98 21) 88808214 — 88808895 [email protected] Switchboard Operator: Tel: (+98 21) 43051000 Advertisements Dept.: Telefax: (+98 21) 43051430 artwork on Hadith of Golden Chain Public Relations Office: Tel: (+98 21) 88805807 Subscription & Distribution Dept.: Tel: (+98 21) 43051603 1 This painting has been commissioned The narrations mentioning “twenty Printed at: Jame Jam Bartar Borna - 44197737 by the Imam Reza (AS) International thousand” reporters are more famous. Many Foundation for Culture and Arts based Sunni laymen and scholars participated in on a contract with Ruholamin. Four other welcoming the Imam. Scholars asked Imam Tehrantimes79 Tehrantimes79 Tehrantimes79 paintings about the life of the Imam will Reza (AS) to narrate a hadith for them, so be created under this contract. the Imam related Al-Silsilah al-Dhahab. No. 18, Bimeh Alley, Nejatollahi St., Tehran, Iran “I have tried to use colors and the figures The chain of the narrators of the hadith P.o. Box: 14155-4843 common in Iranian paintings to create this reaches the Prophet of Islam (S) through Zip Code: 1599814713 work,” Ruholamin said at the unveiling Ahl ul-Beit, hence it is called the Hadith ceremony, which was also attended by of Golden Chain. Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance He said, “I have heard my father Musa Seyyed Abbas Salehi. ibn Jafar (AS) saying that he heard from his In his brief speech, Salehi said, “This father Jafar ibn Muhammad (AS) saying that tableau takes us into history and represents he heard his father Muhammad ibn Ali (AS) a spiritual and individual dimension of our saying that he heard from his father Ali ibn ties with the Ahlul Beit (AS).” al-Hussein (AS) saying that he heard from his Story of Hadith of Golden Chain father al-Hussein ibn Ali (AS) saying that he The Hadith of Silsilah al-Dhahab is a heard from his father Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) GUIDE TO hadith narrated from Imam Reza (AS), saying that he heard from the Holy Prophet SPIRITUAL AWAKENING the eighth Imam of the Shia. The “chain” (S) saying that he heard from Gabriel saying is a reference to the continuity of spiritual that Allah told him, ‘The kalimatu Laa ilaaha authority that is passed down from the illallah (the saying that there’s no god but The mind of a wise man is the safest custody of secrets; Prophet Muhammad (S) to Imam Ali (AS), “Condition of Tawheed” by Iranian painter Hassan Ruholamin depicts the story Allah) is My fortress. Whoever recites it, enters cheerfulness is the key to friendship; patience and the first Imam of the Shia, through each of of the Hadith of the Golden Chain. My fortress; and whoever enters My fortress forbearance will conceal many defects. the successive Imams to Imam Reza(AS). as among the most truthful and accurate of some of the scholars requested him to shall be safe from My punishment’.” Imam Ali (AS) As transmitters of Hadith, the Imams link all Hadiths for the Shias. pronounce a hadith. The Imam (AS) then paused for a moment subsequent generations to the teachings of the The story had its origins when thousands of Many historians have recorded it. Old and continued, “There are a few conditions Prophet Muhammad (S). This transmission people gathered to welcome Imam Reza (AS) documents quote the hadith with small to be entitled to enter the fortress and I am makes the Hadith of the Golden Chain valued in his arrival at the entrance to Neyshabur, variations in wordings. one of its conditions.” Iranian bookstores take young adults to Ally Condie’s Iran to organize webinar on Persian poet Ferdowsi in Lahore underwater city “Atlantia” Language Eternality” on Sunday. years, By the Persian language I remade Iran”, which refers to CULTURE TEHRAN – American writer Ally Condie’s The webinar, which will commence at 11 a.m., will be the fact that Ferdowsi spent 30 years writing the Shahnameh desk2014 young adult novel “Atlantia” has recently held one day after the nationwide celebration of Ferdowsi over a millennium ago. been published in Persian in Tehran. Day in Iran. The Iran Book and Literature House in Tehran also Peydayesh is the publisher of the book translated by Sahand Nasr. Experts on Ferdowsi from Iran, Turkey, Kazakhstan, organized two virtual meetings on Saturday to observe The story of “Atlantia” is told from the perspective of Rio, a girl from Afghanistan, Tajikistan, England, Uzbekistan and Pakistan Ferdowsi Day. the underwater city of Atlantia. will share the latest studies during the online colloquium. The topics “Importance of the Expansion of Persian This novel is recommended for Nimet Yildirim of Ataturk University in Turkey, Elham Literature and Language in Modern World” and “Persian ages 12 and up, and is a New Haddadi of Sadi Foundation in Iran, Muhammad Nasir Language’s Long Life from Ancient Times to Today” were York Times bestseller. of the University of the Punjab in Pakistan and Jaimee discussed during the meetings. Can you hear Atlantia Comstock-Skipp of Leiden University in the Netherlands Many movies and artistic productions have been made breathing? For as long as she are among the scholars. based on stories from the Shahnameh. can remember, Rio has dreamed In addition, Abbas Behmanesh from Iran is scheduled Young director Ashkan Rahgozar’s 2019 animated movie of the sand and sky Above — of to enrich the virtual meeting with a naqqali, a dramatic “The Last Fiction” is one of the latest of numerous artistic life beyond her underwater style of storytelling dedicated to stories from Ferdowsi’s productions inspired by the Shahnameh. city of Atlantia. But in a single Shahnameh and other epic Persian stories. It is about Zahak’s treacherous rise to the throne of Tomb of Ferdowsi, Tus. moment, all Rio’s hopes for Iranian celebrates Ferdowsi, the composer of the Persian Jamshid in Persia. The young and naive hero Afaridoun the future are shattered when CULTURE TEHRAN – The Iranian Culture Center epic masterpiece Shahnameh (The Book of Kings), on a wants to save the kingdom and its people from darkness. her twin sister, Bay, makes an deskin Lahore, Pakistan, plans to hold the special day that falls on May 15 this year. But he must first conquer his own demons in this portrayal unexpected choice, stranding webinar “Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh and the Secret of Persian A Shahnameh verse reading “I toiled much over thirty of Persian mythology that reveals human nature. Cover of the Persian transla- Rio Below. tion of American writer Ally Alone, ripped away from the Condie’s young adult novel last person who knew Rio’s true Ivaylo Hristov’s “Fear” at Fajr film festival .”“Atlantia self — and the powerful siren voice she has long silenced — she has nothing left to lose. ARTTEHRAN – Bulgarian Golden Rose Film Festival in Varna, However, the organizers previously Guided by a dangerous and unlikely mentor, Rio formulates deskdirector Ivaylo Hristov’s Bulgaria. announced that Oscar-winning Hungarian a plan that leads to increasingly treacherous questions about drama “Fear” will be competing in the It also received the grand prix for best director Istvan Szabo’s latest movie her mother’s death, her own destiny, and the corrupted system 38th Fajr International Film Festival in film at the Tallinn Black Nights Film “Final Report”, Italian director Claudio constructed to govern the Divide between land and sea. Tehran, the organizers announced on Festival (PÖFF) in Estonia. Noce’s drama “Padrenostro”, Ukrainian- Her life and her city depend on Rio to listen to the voices of the Saturday. In a statement published by the PÖFF, Armenian filmmaker Roman Balayan’s past and to speak long-hidden truths. The film tells the story of Svetla, a the jury called “Fear” “a beautifully-made movie “We Are Here We Are Close”, “Atlantia” was reviewed by multiple noted authors, including widow who has recently lost her job and film that astutely balances dry humor Finnish filmmaker Antti J. Jokinen’s Shannon Hale, who wrote, “Utterly captivating. A heroine unlike is living next to the Bulgarian-Turkish with important contemporary drama. At romance historical drama “Helene” any I’d met before, a setting I’d never glimpsed, a story I’d never border. There are many cases of refugees a period when the subject of immigration and Polish director Piotr Domalewski’s imagined. ‘Atlantia’ is fresh, wild, and engrossing. I love Ally Condie.” in her village due to its location. One day is very much in the headlines this feature drama “I Never Cry” have been selected A scene from Bulgarian director Ivaylo Hris- Condie is a former high school English teacher who lives with she meets a refugee from Africa and this is very much a film for our times.” to compete in the event. tov’s drama “Fear”. her husband, three sons and one daughter outside of Salt Lake changes her life. The Fajr International Film Festival, Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, City, Utah. She loves reading, running, eating and listening to her Starring Svetlana Yancheva and which is scheduled to take place in Tehran the Fajr International Film Festival festival will definitely be held as planned. husband play guitar. Michael Flemming, the film won the from May 26 to June 2, has not announced was cancelled in 2020. However, the Meanwhile, the virus is currently claiming Her novel “Matched” was published by Dutton Penguin in Golden Rose for best film at the 38th the lineup for the official competition as yet. organizers have said that this year’s hundreds lives every day. November 2010 and reached number three on the Children’s Chapter Books bestseller list in January 2011. The novel has been optioned to the Walt Disney Company, and foreign rights have been sold to 30 countries. Moscow anthropology festival hosts “Wedding of Zinat’s Son” ARTTEHRAN – The Moscow International are fishermen. Lyman Tower Sargent’s deskVisual Anthropology Festival – The village is famous for two things: catching large sharks Mediating Camera screened the Iranian documentary with the simplest fishing tools, which has been banned for “Utopianism” published in Persian “Wedding of Zinat’s Son” on Friday. some years, and holding indigenous rituals, in particular Directed by Farhad Varahram, the film is about Zaar, which is still held a few times a year. CULTURE TEHRAN – Tehran-based Iranian publisher Mohsen, the eldest son of an Iranian family who is “Wedding of Zinat’s Son” had its world premiere during deskAfkar has recently published a Persian translation studying for his MS degree in electronics and computer the 6th Herat International Women’s Film Festival (HIWFF) of American academic Lyman Tower Sargent’s book “Utopianism: science at a university in Italy. in the Afghan city in November 2020. A Very Short Introduction”. Because of loneliness and years of separation from The Moscow International Visual Anthropology Mohammad Nasravi is the translator of the book originally their children, his mother Zinat and her husband convince Festival – Mediating Camera is a biennial event, which published by Oxford University Press in 2010. him to return to Iran forever and marry the girl they aims to show the diversity and unity of peoples cultures There are many debates about what constitutes a utopia. Are have chosen for him. of the world, acquainting the audience with the daily utopias benign or dangerous? Is the idea of utopianism essential to This film is the story of the wedding of Zinat’s son, which lives of people in the most remote places of the globe, Christianity or heretical? What is the relationship between utopia is held over six days in Salkh Village on Qeshm Island. Qeshm and the establishment of a dialogue with them through and ideology? is the largest island in the Persian Gulf and Salkh is a small A scene from Iranian filmmaker Farhad Varahram’s the screen. In this short introduction, village on the south part of the island. Most of the villagers documentary “Wedding of Zinat’s Son”. The event will come to an end today. Lyman Sargent, one of the leading scholars in the field of utopian studies, explores these issues and examines utopianism Homages to Persian poet Ferdowsi and its history, discussing the role of utopianism in literature Ferdowsi celebrations of 1934, tributes in The poet’s name has been used in relation of which is to celebrate the poet and pay and in the development of different forms have been paid to him by to many educational and academic institu- homage to his work. colonies and in immigration. both government and private institutions. tions. Many schools in Persia and Tajikistan Following the already mentioned 1934 The idea of utopia has become These include naming streets, squares, bear his name. celebrations, there have been many confer- commonplace in social and schools, libraries and foundations, and in- The University in Mashhad, a lecture hall ences specifically devoted to Ferdowsi and his political thought, both negatively stalling statues of him in different places. in the Faculty of Letters and Humanities poetry in Persia and other parts of the world. and positively. Among these are the following: A statue of University of Tehran, and the National The series of conferences at Tus in the Sargent notes that some of Ferdowsi donated by Parsees of India was Library of Tajikistan in Dushanbe, are all 1970s, the international conference held in thinkers see a trajectory from formerly in Ferdowsi Square in Tehran but named after him. Tehran after the 1979 Revolution, major con- Cover of the Persian version of utopia to totalitarianism, with was removed to a new location in the campus The college library of Wadham College, ferences in other Persian cities like Isfahan and Lyman Tower Sargent’s book violence an inevitable part of of the University of Tehran at the front of the Oxford, which contains a collection of Persian Bandar Abbas, and other recent conferences .”“Utopianism the mix. Ever since the appearance of the Faculty of Letters and Humanities. books and manuscripts, was also officially in Cologne, at Columbia University, New Others see utopia directly Shahnameh, Ferdowsi has been held in high At its original location, a new statue of named the Ferdowsi Library in 1995. York, and at Harvard University, supported connected to freedom and as a necessary element in the fight esteem, and many poets have referred to him the poet by Abolhassan Sediqi was placed in Iran’s former Ministry of Arts and Cul- by the Ilex Foundation, are examples of this against totalitarianism. and his work, the best known being Sadi’s 1976. The city of Tehran presented the city ture instituted an organization called the perennial interest in the poet and his work In Christianity, utopia is labeled as both heretical and as a tribute in the Bustan to “Ferdowsi-ye pak- of Rome with a statue of Ferdowsi by Sediqi Shahnameh Foundation whose main brief among readers and scholars worldwide. fundamental part of Christian belief, and such debates are also zad” (Ferdowsi of noble birth), quoting a line in 1966. It is in a small square also bearing was the preparation and edition of a critical Photo: This combination photo shows a central to such fields as architecture, town and city planning, and from him even though the verse itself has the name of the poet (Pizzale Firdusi). In edition of the Shahnameh. statue of Ferdowsi and a teahouse painting sociology among many others. Sargent addresses all these issues not been found in the Shahnameh. Tajikistan a statue of Ferdowsi was erected Recently Mohammad-Ali Eslami-Nodu- depicting a story from his Shahnameh. in this clear, compact introduction. In recent times, beginning with the famous in a street bearing his name in 1992. shan has founded an organization the aim (Source: Encyclopedia Iranica )