WWW.TEHRANTIMES.COM I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 8 Pages Price 50,000 Rials 1.00 EURO 4.00 AED 42nd year No.13881 Saturday FEBRUARY 13, 2021 Bahman 25, 1399 Rajab 1, 1442 Ghalibaf: Iran’s strategic Ali Moradi Iran sits at UN TIR Even ‘illegal migrants’ principle is to develop nominated for executive board for 3rd in Iran will get ties with China Page 2 IWF presidency Page 3 consecutive time Page 4 COVID-19 vaccine Page 7 Iran’s top judge holds talks with Iraqi leaders SPECIAL ISSUE TEHRAN - Iran’s Judiciary Chief Ebra- him Raeisi held talks with several Iraqi political and judicial leaders including President Barham Salih, Prime Min- ister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, and Head of Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council Faiq Zaidan. The man of On Monday, February 8, Ayatollah Raisi paid a two-day visit to Iraq. During his meeting with his Iraqi counterpart, the two sides signed three memoranda of understanding to boost judicial and legal cooperation between the two neighboring countries. theoretical Continued on page 3 Bandar Abbas-Latakia direct shipping line to be launched by early Mar. battlefields TEHRAN - Iran is going to establish a direct shipping line between its south- ern port of Bandar Abbas and Syria’s Mediterranean port of Latakia on March In memory of Ayatollah 10, Head of Iran-Syria Joint Chamber of Commerce Keyvan Kashefi announced. Mohammad Taghi Continued on page 4 Mesbah Yazdi, the Iranian “Yadoo” tops at 39th renowned theorist and Fajr Film Fsetival philosopher TEHRAN – War drama “Yadoo” was the top winner of the 39th Fajr Film Festival by garnering awards in several categories, including best film and best director. “Yadoo” has been made based on Ira- nian writer Samad Taheri’s short story “Lion Wound”, which is from his short File photo story collection of the same title. Continued on page 8 Four candidates to Iranian-Azerbaijani relations will strengthen Yemen hits Saudi airbase with new stand for FFIRI’s after Nagorno-Karabakh’s liberation generation missile presidency BY ANDREW KORYBKO the conflict back in mid-October. At that time, The spokesman for Yemeni Armed Forces says army unmanned aerial vehicle of the Saudi military Ms. Rafiga Mammadzadeh, a journalist with he noted that the Supreme Leader and other troops and allied fighters from Popular Commit- flying over Yemen’s central province of Ma’rib. BY FARROKH HESABI Azerbaijan’s popular Axar online media out- officials below him took a fair position towards tees have launched a missile attack on an airbase Brigadier General Saree said Yemeni air de- he Football Federation of the Is- let, recently interviewed Iranian Ambassador the war which helped to stabilize the regional in Saudi Arabia’s southwestern region of Asir, in fense forces shot down the CH-4 combat drone lamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) to Azerbaijan Mr. Seyed Abbas Mousavi about situation and ultimately end the war. In fact, it’s retaliation for a devastating war led by the kingdom with a surface-to-air missile over the Medghal confirmed the final four candidates the prospects for bilateral cooperation after Na- real intriguing that “The 3 + 3 format proposed against the impoverished country. district early on Friday. T gorno-Karabakh’s liberation. Their conversation by the President of Azerbaijan was in fact in line Brigadier General Yahya Saree said the missile The CH-4 drone has a 3,500- to 5,000-kilo- who will stand in the FFIRI elections which will be held on Feb. 28. was very interesting because it revealed more with Iran’s regional cooperation plan to end the struck with precision the designated targets in meter range and a 30- to 40-hour endurance. It Based on the FFIRI’s electoral commis- details about Tehran’s plans to take ties with Nagorno-Karabakh war once and for all.” This King Khalid Air Base, which lies 884 kilometers is capable of carrying six missiles and a payload sion’s announcement, Ali Karimi, Mostafa Baku to the next level after the latter’s victory proves that great leaders think alike and shows south of the Saudi capital Riyadh, late Thursday. of up to 250 to 345 kilograms. Ajorloo, Shahabeddin Azizi Khadem, and in what it regards as its Patriotic War. It also how visionary Iran’s proposal was at the time. Saree said the surface-to-surface ballistic The unmanned aerial vehicle can fire air- Kiumars Hashemi have all been admitted confirmed Iran’s consistently constructive ap- Ambassador Mousavi remarked that For- missile used in the operation is of a new gener- to-ground missile from an altitude of 5,000 for the final campaigning. proach to the conflict and its aftermath, which eign Minister Zarif’s recent trip to the other ation, which has not been unveiled yet. meters, staying outside the effective range of Heydar Baharvand, FFIRI’s current act- is crucial to keep in mind amid the many infor- five countries involved in this format showed The senior Yemeni official warned Saudi most anti-aircraft guns. ing president, was the most notable figure mation warfare narratives spread by its enemies how much Iran wants to see this format suc- Arabia that retaliatory attacks will continue as Yemeni forces seize strategic base that his candidacy for the Iranian football alleging otherwise. ceed. For those who aren’t aware, this refers to long as the Riyadh regime continues its military Yemeni further captured a strategic base in federation presidency was invalidated by Iran is far from isolated like its foes try to Azerbaijan-Russia-Armenia as the first troika aggression, all-out siege and relentless raids Mar’rib from Saudi-sponsored militants loyal the electoral committee. present it as, which was proven by Ambassador and their neighbors of Iran-Turkey-Georgia as against the war-ravaged Arab country. to former pro-Saudi president, Abd Rabbuh While Ali Karimi, legendary Iranian footballer, Mousavi reminding Ms. Mammadzadeh about his the second one. Saudi reconnaissance drone shot down Mansur Hadi. is the most famous person among the candidates country’s role in trying to diplomatically resolve Continued on page 5 Yemeni army forces also intercepted an Continued on page 5 and is seen as the frontrunner, all four nominees are involved in a frantic hunt for votes. Ali Karimi, the former player of Persepo- Iran reduces PCR test validity for air passengers lis, Bayern Munich, and Iran national team Iranian position in has introduced Mehdi Mahdavikia, another TEHRAN – Iran has reduced the validity of nega- Iranian citizens without a negative coronavirus According to some Iranian airlines, pas- Nagorno-Karabakh Iranian football legend, as the first vice-pres- tive COVID-19 PCR test results from 96 hours to PCR test result are subject to medical screening sengers from the United Kingdom, Japan, ident of the FFIRI. He also has selected Saeid 72 hours for inbound and outbound passengers. and quarantine for 14 days at their own expense, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Seychelles, conflict has been fair: Daghighi and Fatemeh Alipour as his second According to the Health Ministry, and the while non-Iranian nationalities without the cer- Angola, Mozambique, Lesotho, Malawi, Zam- and third vice-presidents if he wins. National Headquarters for Coronavirus Control, tificate are not allowed to enter the country. bia, and Mauritius, as well as the travelers Azeri expert This is the first time that, based on the people flying to or from Iran need to do their All passengers are subject to the medical who have stayed in these countries for two BY MOHAMMAD MAZHARI amended version of the FFIRI’s statutes ap- PCR test within 72 hours before their flights. screening on arrival, and if they are suspected weeks before entering the Iranian border, TEHRAN – Head of the Azerbaijan Institute for proved by FIFA, the former football stars The new regulation replaced a role that re- of having the disease, non-Iranian nationalities due to the spread of a new variant of the Democracy and Human Rights says that Iran took are able to compete in the presidential elec- quired to bar passengers from boarding if they will be quarantined at a place specified by the coronavirus in these regions, are not allowed a correct position in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict tions. In the previous version of the statutes, do not have a negative COVID test within 96 Health Ministry at their own expense and Ira- to enter the country. from the first day. running for elections was only possible for hours of departure. nian citizens will need to self-isolate for 14 days. Continued on page 6 Pointing to Iran’s help to Azerbaijan, Ahmad those who had a managerial background. Shahidov tells the Tehran Times that “without the Karimi is already supported by many support of Iran at certain points, Azerbaijan could celebrated people in Iran, including football have lost more territory and people.” legends and also some prominent artistic IRGC gains “The position of the Islamic Republic of Iran in and even political figures. the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has been fair from Kiumars Hashemi, former president of fixed and the first day and it includes the territorial integrity Iran’s National Olympic Committee (NOC), of the countries,” Shahidov adds. who also served as the interim FFIRI pres- The following is the text of the interview: ident for a while in 2006 is also believed to mobile defense How do you evaluate the relations of be able to play the leading candidate role to Iran and Azerbaijan, especially after the assume the presidency of the federation and power Nagorno-Karabakh war? to win the majority of votes of the FFIRI’s Iranian-Azerbaijani relations have a long history.