WWW.TEHRANTIMES.COM I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 16 Pages Price 40,000 Rials 1.00 EURO 4.00 AED 39th year No.13390 Thursday MAY 16, 2019 Ordibehesht 26, 1398 Ramadan 10, 1440 Neither a war Rouhani says Iranians Zarif says Iran most Marc Wilmots will happen; nor will can pass problems sustainable, secure named Iran we negotiate 2 through unity 2 partner in region 2 football coach 15 ‘No new limitation in Iran-Iraq trade ties’ Iran has stopped TEHRAN — There is no new limita- bilateral economic relation, the offi- tion in trade relations between Iran cial website of Iran’s Trade Promotion and Iraq and the two neighbors are Organization (TPO) quoted Behzad strongly determined to strengthen as saying. and develop their trade cooperation, The Iranian commercial attaché further Iranian Commercial Attaché to Iraq said that Iran’s monthly exports to Iraq implementing Naser Behzad stressed. is expected to be doubled in the current In this due, the two countries are Iranian calendar month (ends on May 16) following up plans for increasing their from its previous month. 4 parts of JCPOA Israel rushed to seek truce as Gaza See page 2 upped rocket range: Haniyeh TEHRAN — A senior leader of the Pales- Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’ political tinian resistance movement, Hamas, says bureau, said. Israel scrambled to seek a ceasefire in its Meanwhile, Palestinians are com- recent military aggression against Gaza. memorating the 71st anniversary of the “After the range of the rockets fired Nakba Day (the Day of Catastrophe) in the from Gaza towards the Israeli-occupied occupied West Bank and the blockaded territories, the regime sent representa- Gaza Strip with mass protests against tives for talks with senior members of Israel and the U.S., the regime’s staunch the Palestinian resistance front,” Ismail supporter. 13 Yemeni drones target 10 vital Saudi facilities: Al Mayadeen Yemeni forces have conducted a Al Mayadeen News reported. major drone operation deep inside Meanwhile, Yemeni army forces, sup- Saudi Arabia. Several drones targeted ported by allied fighters from Popular Com- pumping stations in the Kingdom. The mittees, have intercepted and targeted attacks forced Saudi authorities stop an unmanned aerial vehicle belonging pumping crude oil on a major pipe- to the Saudi-led military coalition, as it line across the country. The attacks was flying in the skies over a region in were in response to Saudi Arabia’s the country’s western-central province File photo continued aggression against Yemen, of Sana’a. 13 PERSPECTIVE U.S. does not seek war with Iran, says Mike Pompeo REPORT Hanif Ghaffari TEHRAN — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pom- On Monday, President Hassan Rouhani told Ramin Hossein Abadian Head of the Politics Desk of peo has said the United States does not seek a a meeting with clerics that Iran was “too great to Mehr News Agency the TehranTimes war with Iran, amid rapidly growing tensions be intimidated by anyone”, saying: “God willing journalist between the two countries. we will pass this difficult period with glory and Meanwhile, Supreme Leader of the Islamic our heads held high, and defeat the enemy.” Saudi crown Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has also said “No possible confrontation or warlike action is Yemen drone there will be no war with the U.S. envisaged (by Spain) and it is for this reason that prince’s nightmare Speaking during a trip to Russia, where the participation is suspended for the moment,” capabilities turn the he met President Vladimir Putin and Foreign the spokesman added. is coming true Minister Sergey Lavrov, Pompeo said the U.S. On Tuesday, President Trump dismissed tide in the war “fundamentally” did not seek a conflict with Iran, a New York Times report suggesting the mil- rmed drones attacked two oil Al-Jazeera reported. itary had plans to send up to 120,000 troops emeni sources reported of exten- pumping stations in Saudi In remarks carried on state media and on to the Middle East should Iran attack U.S. sive military operations against Arabia on Tuesday, two days A his Twitter account, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei forces there. YSaudi Arabia on Tuesday. after Saudi oil tankers were sab- repeated Tehran’s position that it would not “We have not planned for that. Hopefully we’re An unnamed Yemeni military otaged off the coast of the United negotiate with the U.S. on a nuclear deal to Mike Pompeo met Sergey Lavrov in Sochi to not going to have to plan for that. And if we did source announced that seven drones Arab Emirates. replace the one President Donald Trump with- discuss a range of issues including Iran, Vene- that, we’d send a hell of a lot more troops than attacked some Saudi fundamental in- The drone strikes caused damage to drew from last year. zuela and Ukraine [Pavel Golovkin, Pool/AP] that,” Trump said. stallations. According to the Yemeni one of the stations supplying a pipeline official, “this large military operation running from its oil-rich Eastern Province is in response to the continued ag- to the Yanbu Port on the Red Sea, Saudi gression and blockade of our people Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih confessed [by Saudi Arabia].” in a statement carried by the state-run Trump considering replacing John Bolton: Report Yemeni military spokesman Yahya Saudi Press Agency. TEHRAN — U.S. media reports suggest that Trump and Bolton,” the report added. promise to pull the U.S. military out of Iraq, Saree said seven drones carried out the The reality is that the Saudi President Donald Trump is considering replac- The fighting has also expanded to include U.S. Afghanistan and Syria -- unwinnable post-9/11 strikes on the Saudi oil installations terrorist regime faces a difficult ing his hawkish National Security Adviser John Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, officials say. A wars that have consumed American lives and in towns of Dawadmi and Afif. The situation. US President Donald Bolton over his plans to push the United States State Department official and a former White House military budgets. affected east-west pipeline carried oil Trump seems to have been unable towards a military conflict with Iran, Venezuela official both report that Bolton and Pompeo are That partial retreat remains one of Trump’s from the eastern oil-rich Ras Tanura to rescue Al Saud from the failure and North Korea. “fighting all the time.” strongest points in his pitch to be the so-called oil terminal to Red Sea port city of of the Yemeni war. On the other Bolton “is headed for the exits, having flown A former senior official in the State Department outsider president. Yanbu in the west. hand, the prolongation of the Yeme- too close to the sun on his regime change efforts said Pompeo is enthusiastic about isolating Iran, But Bolton is working in exactly the opposite In a statement carried on state-run ni war has made Western countries for Iran, Venezuela and North Korea,” The Na- but fearful of an actual war that might engulf direction. Saudi Press Agency, Energy Minister look suspicious about the future tional Interest magazine reported Tuesday, citing much of the Middle East. The United States has been ratcheting Khalid al Falih confirmed the attack. and the end of this battle. During sources familiar with the matter. “John Bolton is the problem … Trump’s national up economic and military pressure on Iran, he said at 6-6:30 a.m. local time [on the presidency of Barack Obama “Hearing that Trump wants him out,” a for- security adviser is getting dangerous...particularly with Trump recently urging Tehran to talk May 14, 2019], drones attacked a pe- and the presence of Democrats in mer senior Trump administration official told to the president’s ideals,” Douglas Macgregor, to him. troleum pumping station supplying the White House, the Yemeni war the magazine. a Bolton rival and would-be successor, writes “What I’d like to see with Iran, I’d like to see a pipeline running from its oil-rich began. According to Press TV, there is speculation in in Spectator USA. them call me,” Trump told reporters at the White Eastern Province to the Yanbu Port At that time, the Saudi author- Washington “that there’s now daylight between Trump ran his election campaign on the House on Thursday. 13 on the Red Sea. A fire broke out and ities, and at the head of them, the firefighters later brought it under brutal prince of Saudi Arabia, Mu- control. hammad bin Salman, thought they Such an extensive operation against would be able to capture Sana’a Artists, Saudi fundamental facilities in the and Aden and suppress the revo- city of Yanbu reveals the drone capa- lution of the Yemeni people for a bilities of Yemeni nation and army, very short time (two weeks)! Even experts receive in addition to their powerful missile the Saudi authorities guaranteed work. Tuesday drone operation showed the Obama administration in this Ferdowsi Yemen’s drone capabilities to Saudis. regard. Of course, Yemen drone work is It’s been more than 4 years since Medals not a new development. Two years the start of the Yemeni war! The ago, Yemeni officials displayed their main fear and nightmare of the Saudi TEHRAN – Russian graphic designer Sergey homemade drones in an exhibition crown prince, Mohamed bin Salman, Feofanov, Iranian experts Seyyed Fat’hollah where the variety of drones were in- is that Riyadh will have to retreat Mojtabai and Sajjad Aidanlu, and a performer troduced to the visitors.