WWW.TEHRANTIMES.COM I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 16 Pages Price 10,000 Rials 38th year No.12961 Saturday OCTOBER 28, 2017 Aban 6, 1396 Safar 8, 1439 Russian, Azeri Iran urges total Iran U-16 girls seek Writer presidents to visit destruction nuclear podium at Asia’s Ali-Ashraf Darvishian Tehran Wednesday 2 weapons 2 basketball 15 dies at 76 16 Iran expects to sign over $20b of energy deals in 2018 ECONOMY TEHRAN — Amir According to the official, the Never trust U.S., desk Hossein Zamaninia, negotiations are underway with Iran’s deputy oil minister for interna- companies including Maersk Oil tional affairs, said the country is ex- and Rosneft to develop the oil pected to sign over $20 billion worth layer in South Pars, the world’s of oil and gas deals in the next year. largest gas field, and with Rus- Leader tells Abadi “Iran is currently negotiating 28 sian firms, Lukoil, Gazprom, and provisional agreements with foreign Zarubezhneft, to develop oilfields oil companies,” Zamaninia told Finan- including Paydar Gharb, Ab-Tey- See page 2 cial Times. mour and Mansouri. 4 U.S. House passes sanctions on Iran The U.S. House of Representatives other things, it calls on the U.S. presi- voted nearly unanimously on Thurs- dent to report to Congress on the Ira- day for new sanctions on Iran’s ballis- nian and international supply chain for tic missile program, part of an effort Iran’s ballistic missile program and to to defy Tehran without immediately impose sanctions on Iranian govern- moving to undermine an international ment or foreign entities that support it. nuclear agreement, Reuters reported. The decision came weeks after The vote was 423 to two for the President Trump declined to certify “Iran Ballistic Missiles and International that Tehran is complying with the in- Sanctions Enforcement Act.” Among ternational nuclear accord. Enhancing water efficiency atop agenda: energy minister nominee SOCIETY TEHRAN — En- The government is responsible for deskhancing water effi- supplying potable water for cities and ciency is high on agenda, Reza Ardaka- towns, Ardakanian said, adding, “In cities nian, energy minister nominee told IRNA affected by water stress we have to first in an interview published on Friday. decide the causes of water shortage.” Enhancing water efficiency particularly He warned that resorting to quick solu- in agriculture sector, waste water reclama- tions such as transferring water regardless tion and in general making efficient use of the main causes of water shortage of water as priority would straighten the would not only resolve the issue but also khamenei.ir problems out, Ardakanian noted. exacerbate it in short run. 12 Five Bahraini Over 1.1 million visas issued for Arbaeen pilgrims Catalan women SOCIETY TEHRAN — Hassan through the Khosravi border crossing. against the Umayyad ruler Yazeed in the 7th parliament detainees on deskGhashghavi, the deputy Earlier this week, Ghashghavi rejected century AD when they refused to pledge alle- declares foreign minister for consular and expatriates reports that Iraq has removed visa require- giance to Yazeed’s Umayyad caliphate. hunger strike: affairs, has said that so far more than 1.1 mil- ments for Iranian pilgrims, stressing that all Last year about 20 million people took independence lion visas have been issued for pilgrims who visitors need visas from the Iraqi government part in the ceremony. Many choose to make rights group are planning to visit Iraq to observe Arbaeen to cross the border. the journey on foot, despite travelling near from Spain Five Bahraini female political prisoners on Nov. 9. Iranian police have warned that anybody ISIS-controlled areas in the country. Spanish Senate have gone on hunger strike to protest Undeterred by the threat of Islamic State who visits Iraq without visas will get a three- Mohammed Shomali, director of the Islamic against ill-treatment and a glass barri- militants, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims year prison sentence. Centre of England has said, |For Muslims and approves direct er that prevents contact with visitors, a gather in the Iraqi holy city of Karbala to mark Every year millions of Muslims march toward non-Muslims, the sacrifice and noble message rights group said Friday. Arbaeen which marks the end of a 40-day Karbala in one of the biggest marches in the of Imam Hussein represents the peace and vir- rule in Catalonia Four of the detainees at Issa Town mourning period for the martyrdom of Imam world. The marchers make their way to the city tue of Islam, which prevented Hussein from re- Women’s Prison required medical help Hussein (AS), the grandson of the Prophet of Karbala, 62 miles southwest of Baghdad. sorting to violence or capitulation.” Catalonia’s regional parliament de- on their fourth day of the strike on Fri- Mohammad (S), in 680 AD. The pilgrimage is far larger than the Hajj “This is why non-Muslims as well as Mus- clared independence from Spain on day, the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Last year about 2.5 million Iranians visited pilgrimage to Mecca in which around 1.5 mil- lims of different sects and denominations Friday in a disputed vote that is now Democracy (BIRD) said in a statement. Iraq to mark Arbaeen. Iranians start crossing lion people take part. have been able to gather together for this likely to be declared illegal by Spain’s It cited detainees and family mem- the border days before the holy day. Large crowds visit the shrines of Imam event in Iraq and globally - Hussein’s decision constitutional court. bers as saying that one prisoner, Ghashghavi also said some 500,000 Ira- Hussein and his half-brother Abbas in Kar- not to submit to the will of violence is a model The independence motion was 49-year-old Hajar Mansoor Hassan, nian pilgrims are expected to travel to Iraq bala, where they were martyred in a revolt all of humanity can replicate.” passed in the 135-strong assembly was taken to hospital early Friday and with 70 votes in favor, 10 against and returned several hours later. 2 blank ballots, the assembly’s speaker Three other detainees - Najah al- Tehran calls UN rights report biased, politically motivated said. Sheikh, Amira al-Qashami and Medina Ali POLITICS TEHRAN — The Iranian Bahram Qassemi, the Iranian Foreign the Iranians and 17,000 victims of terrorism in Lawmakers from the Socialist Par- - also needed medical treatment, it said. deskForeign Ministry on Thurs- Ministry spokesman, said such reports are the country. ty, the People’s Party (PP) and Ciu- The fifth woman prisoner on hun- day dismissed a report by a United Nations warranted by an unfair resolution, which, it- Jahangir said she had not assessed the im- dadanos had left the chamber before ger strike is Zainab Marhoon. rights official, calling it “politically-motivated, self, has been devised based on the political pact of sanctions on human rights in Iran as the vote in protest. The women are demanding an end biased and illegitimate, rancorous and dis- goals of certain countries, and are hence she was not allowed to visit the country. Alberto Rivera, president of Cs, to their humiliation and ill-treatment reputable.” void of legitimacy and credit, Press TV re- “The only determining power for support took to Twitter to call the vote “illegal”. by prison staff and the removal of the The response by Iran came after Asma ported. of human rights in Iran is the Iranians them- Miguel Iceta of the PSC said it was a glass barrier, BIRD said. Jahangir, the UN special rapporteur on the Hassan Nejad, Iran’s envoy to the UN Hu- selves and there is no room for outsiders,” “spectacular error”. Hassan, who is the mother-in-law of human rights situation in Iran, submitted a man Rights Council, also slammed Jahangir’s Nejad said. During the special plenary in the a BIRD official, is due to be sentenced report to the Human Rights Council claiming report, which he said portrayed “a flawed and He said Iran would welcome Jahangir if Catalan parliament on Friday, Carles on Oct. 30 along with her son and alleged harassment of journalists in Iran. She distorted image” of Iran. she wanted to visit the country provided that Riera from the far-left Popular Unity nephew over confessions that were also claimed that progress on women’s rights The report, he said, had turned a blind eye there were human rights rapporteurs for oth- Candidacy party, asked that the dec- extracted under torture, BIRD said. has been extremely slow. to illegal and unilateral U.S. sanctions against er 192 countries, similar to what is for Iran. laration be voted upon. They face up to three years in jail. “We take this step on our feet, with Bahraini authorities on Sunday our heads held high. Not on our knees temporarily freed female activist Eb- Press Exhibition like subjects, but as free people with- tisam al-Saegh, who has accused the out fear,” he said. government of torture while she was highlights Following the declaration, Spainish in custody. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called Two other activists, Radhi al-Qatari link between for calm in a tweet. and Mohammed al-Shakhoori, were “I ask for calm from all Spainards,” also released until their trials on similar “consciousness”, Rajoy said. “The rule of law will restore charges, according to BIRD. legality in Catalonia.” In April, parliament gave approv- “development” Article 155 al for military courts to try civilians Earlier in the day, Rajoy of PP ad- CULTURE TEHRAN — The dressed the Spanish Senate, from charged with “terrorism”, a vaguely desk defined legal term in the Sunni-ruled 23rd Press Exhibition which an absolute majority of votes kingdom.