Page 1 |No. 13|May 2019 Mehr Vision|No.13|May 2019 MEHR NEWSAGENCY US anti-Iran hostility ramps up under Trump Administration Page 2 |No. 13|May 2019 MEHR NEWSAGENCY Contents Trump’s decision on IRGC has nothing to do with international law 3 US move to bludgeon Iran into submission to US demands may boomerang 3 Brandishing IRGC as terrorist group an act of terror itself 4 Cover Story Cover Sanctions aimed at bringing Iran to negotiating table with US 4 What are main aims of Imran khan’s Iran visit? 6 New government formation inWest Bank is great betrayal 7 S Arabia would be different if it faced consequences for its actions 8 Execution of 37 Saudi citizens a major crime 9 S. Arabia has not really demonstrated nuclear transparency 10 Ansarollah not to allow aggressors’ control over Al-Hudaydah 11 Assad’s visit to Tehran sign of unwavering Syrian-Iran ties 12 Politics Transferring nuclear technology to al-Saud is the most destabilizing development 13 US wants to make Venezuela another Syria or Libya: ambassador 14 Iran may be gearing up to reduce nuclear coop. under JCPOA 15 S Africa, Iran to ‘weather the storm together’: amb. Khumalo 16 EGFI to issue guarantees for oil purchasers of IRENEX 18 Impossible to drive Iran’s oil export to zero 20 TSE official uncovers reasons for stocks boom 21 World financial bodies, tools for imposing US policies 22 Mehr Vision Economy IME suitable platform of economic prosperity 25 Managing Director: Ali Asgari Editorial Board: How Trump’s oil plans backfire on him 29 Seyed Amir Hassan Dehghani, Mohammad Ghaderi, Assad’s message while in Tehran 30 Payman Yazdani, Majid Rafiee Op-ed Macron at political deadlock 31 Editorial Coordinator: Marjohn Sheikhi The ‘Verve’ of melancholy; “It’s just a feeling I carry inside” 34 Contributors: Payman Yazdani, Mohammad Ghaderi, Iran tourism sector thriving despite US sanctions 36 Marjohn Sheikhi, Mohammad Ali Culture Success in artificial insemination in Persian leopards may raise hopes for rare big cats 37 Haqshenas, Haniyeh Sadat Jafariyeh, Morteza Rahmani, Lachin Rezaian, Kamal Iranidoost, Hanif Ghaffari, Javad Heirannia, Zahra Mirzafarjouyan Tehran begins playing host to over 100 films at 37th FIFF 40 Art Director: Mahboubeh Azizi ‘Do not go gentle into that good night’;FIFF celebrates free, fighting spirits 41 2019 Fajr Intl. Filmfest. names winners; ‘A Russian Youth’ wins grand prix 46 Phone: +98-21-43051350 Dossier Email: [email protected] Fajr Intl. Film Festival gives you a cinema of all flavors 47 Address: No. 18, Bimeh Alley, Nejatollahi St., Tehran, Iran Perspolis main goal is to qualify for next stage at AFC Champion League, coach says 49 Mehr Vision welcomes contributions by What are Carlos Queiroz legacies in Iranian football? 50 readers which can be sent via email. Sport Major achievements of Iranian athletes in the past year 51 Cover Story Page 3 |No. 13|May 2019 MEHR NEWSAGENCY Trump’s decision on IRGC has nothing to do with international law: Prof. Zonis Interview by Payman Yazdani ignate the IRGC as a terrorist group and the reasons behind his unprece- Professor of international political dented move, he said, “The US Presi- economy in the University of Chicago dent’s decision is based on the advice believes Trump’s move against the IRGC he has been receiving from his hard- is based on the advice of his evangelical line advisers — most especially from supporters and hardline advisers. John Bolton. Bolton seeks the over- throw of the clerical establishment The White House’s increasingly and the new sanctions are meant to aggressive approaches towards Iran diminish the business success that the came to a head as the administration IRGC has enjoyed.” of US President Donald Trump desig- He went on to add, “The decision is nated the Islamic Revolution Guards also a communication to his evangelical Corps (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist or- supporters who seek a powerful Israel decision on the IRGC. ganization through an official state- to prepare for the return of the Christ. Touching upon the consequences of ment. It is also a communication to Israel and the White House’s move and its effects In light of this development, we Saudi Arabia that the US remains an en- on the security and stability of the re- reached out to Marvin Zonis, Professor emy of their enemy. It has nothing to do gion he noted, “Iran is left with bitter of international political economy and with international law.” choices. It may take steps that would leadership in the University of Chicago. Zonis also emphasized that the re- provoke Trump to retaliate with the real Commenting on the legitimacy of flection of Trump in 2020 US presiden- possibility of an escalation to a shooting the President Trump’s decision to des- tial election is another reason behind his war.” US move to bludgeon Iran into submission to US demands may boomerang: Entessar Interview by Payman Yazdani chestrated by certain elements of the Trump administration to appease the Following US’ recent hostile move neocon thirst for forceful, American-in- against the IRGC Nader Entessar says duced regime change.” there is nothing more the US can gain He referred to unprecedented illegal by its most recent decision that it has move of Trump and said, “This is the not already achieved. first time in the history of international relations when the government of one The United States’ increasingly ag- nation-state single-handedly has desig- gressive approaches towards Iran came nated a military segment of another rec- to a head last night as the administration of US President Don- ognized nation-state as a terrorist organization.” ald Trump designated the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps He called the possible consequences of the White House (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist organization through an official decision “dangerous” and said, “This is a move with many statement. dangerous consequences. Iran’s Supreme National Secu- In light of this development, Mehr News Agency reached rity Council has already reciprocated the latest US moves to Nader Entessar, professor emeritus of political science from against Iran by issuing a statement declaring the US Central university of South Alabama. Command (CENTCOM) and forces under its command in Commenting on the effects of the Trump’s move on the Southwest Asia as terrorist entities. Such tit-for-tat moves IRGC, he said, “The IRGC has been under complete US sanc- may indeed generate uncontrollable spiraling consequenc- tions regime for some time now. Therefore, there is nothing es. More specifically, Trump’s latest move, which is intend- more the US can gain by its most recent decision that it has ed to bludgeon Iran into submission to US demands, may not already achieved. This is generally a political move or- boomerang.” Cover Story Page 4 |No. 13|May 2019 MEHR NEWSAGENCY Turkish politician: Brandishing IRGC as terrorist group an act of terror itself Interview by: Payman Yazdani Iran, declaring, in turn, the US armed forces a terrorist organization.” In an interview with MNA following He went on to add, “the broader dan- US’ recent hostile move against the ger is that these reciprocal and coun- Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, a ter-productive steps will only escalate senior member of Turkey’s Republican tensions in the MENA and Persian Gulf, People’s Party (CHP), Faruk logoglu, and vastly raise the chances of armed said “brandishing IRGC as a terrorist encounters between the two sides.” group is essentially an act of terror Any such event, he went on to note, itself.” “if and when it occurs, would be ex- tremely difficult to keep from leading to The United States’ increasingly ag- a wider military confrontation between gressive approaches towards Iran came the two adversaries.” to a head last night as the administration “This US move on IRGC follows in the of US President Donald Trump designat- is supposedly designed to increase the footsteps of President Trump’s decisions ed the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps pressure on Iran and opens a new fron- on Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, all (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist organization tier beyond the realm of economic sanc- presumably serving Israeli interests just through an official statement. tions.” as much as American interests,” said In light of this development, Mehr “Trump continues to stoke the fires Logoglu, adding, however, that “this is News Agency reached to a senior mem- of tension and conflict in the region,” a misconception because all three steps ber of Turkey’s Republican People’s the Turkish diplomat stressed, adding potentially pave the way for new con- Party (CHP), Osman Faruk logoglu, who “this step will only serve to entrench the flicts while relegating the prospects of believes that “brandishing IRGC as a ter- determination of the Iranian people to peace and security in the region into a rorist group is essentially an act of terror resist US efforts to force Iran into sub- very distant future.” itself.” mission.” “By remaining calm and calibrated, He called the move as “unprecedent- About the consequences of this move, I believe Iran will defeat American de- ed, unlawful and devoid of any credibil- Logoglu maintained that an immediate signs and provocations to subjugate it,” ity or legitimacy,” adding that the “step one was the “reported response from he concluded. Frmr. envoy to Norway tells MNA: Sanctions aimed at bringing Iran to negotiating table with US The former Iranian ambassador to tain relations with Bahrain, the United Norway and Hungary Abdulreza Farajirad Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, but it has said that the US sanctions are aimed was unclear whether someone else in his at bringing Iran to the negotiating table place could equally match the US hardlin- with the United States once again.