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.12871 Sunday JJULYULY 99,, 22017017 Tir 18, 1396 Shawwal 14, 1438 Dialogue with Riyadh Gas exports to CHTHO to introduce Iran’s Ebadi still best way to end neighboring countries, disable-friendly wins gold at Asia Cup impasse: diplomat 2 India prioritized 4 tourist sites 10 archery meet 15 Iran’s 2016 oil exports up Sepehri artwork breaks over 77%: OPEC ECONOMY TEHRAN — Iran’s In 2015, Iran exported 1.423 deskoil exports in 2016 million bpd of oil to its Asian buy- reached 1.921 million barrels per ers compared to 969,700 bpd in record at Tehran Auction day (bpd), a 77.6 percent rise com- 2015. pared to 2015, according to OPEC’s Meanwhile, 497,300 barrels of oil latest Annual Statistical Bulletin re- was sent to the European markets port. on a daily basis while the figure was The country’s crude exports stood 111,400 bpd in 2015. See page 16 at 1.081 million bpd in 2015 which in- Iran was exempted from OPEC dicates that the 2016 figure is 840,000 agreement to reduce output by 1.2 bpd more than that of the 2015 av- million bpd that began this year, as erage. Tehran needs to regain the market In the meantime, Iran boosted ex- share it lost under Western sanctions ports of oil products by 74.5 percent over its nuclear program. to 897,900 bpd year on year. The country is planning to increase The country sent 514,300 bpd of oil its production to five million bpd by products to its target markets in 2015. 2021. Iraqi forces take over Mosul’s Old City Iraqi government forces have wrested Fighting currently rages on in complete control over the Old City of Mosul’s densely-populated Old City, Mosul, which served as the last bas- where ISIL elements have put up stiff tion of the Islamic State in Iraq and resistance in the face of advancing Ira- the Levant (ISIL/Daesh) terrorists in the qi army soldiers and allied fighters. country’s second largest city. Iraq’s state TV quoted a military The spokesman for the Iraqi Joint spokesman as saying that the mili- Operations Command, Brigadier Gen- tants’ defense lines were collapsing. eral Yahia Rasoul, announced on Sat- Reports coming out of the city say ISIL urday that army troops had regained terrorists are reported to be fighting for control over the strategic area, where each meter with bombers, snipers and Mohammad Namazi ISIL Leader Ibrahim al-Samarrai aka Abu grenades, forcing Iraqi security forces to Bakr al-Baghdadi declared the terrorists’ fight house-to-house in the Old city. self-styled “caliphate” back in July 2014. “They (terrorists) never surrender. “We are seeing now the last me- Old Mosul will be their graveyard,” said ters and then final victory will be an- Iraqi General Abdel Ghani al-Assadi, a Honaronline/ Honaronline/ nounced,” Iraq’s state TV reported on commander in Iraq’s elite Counter Ter- Auctioneer Hossein Pakdel takes bid for the sale of a painting from Sohrab Sepehri’s Tree Trunk series during the Tehran Auction at the Parsian Azadi Hotel on July 7, 2017. Saturday. “It’s a matter of hours.” rorism Service. 13 Arya Sasol Polymer Co. Receives British Safety Council’s 5-Star Certificates TEHRAN — Arya Sasol Polymer Co., as the first Iranian company British Petroleum (BP), Royal Dutch Shell, and Foster Wheeler active in the fields of oil, gas, and petroleum, has succeeded to re- which have succeeded to receive the BSC’s 5-star certificate ceive two five-star certificates in occupational health and safety, as so far, described the council’s intl. reputation and 60 years well as environment from the British Safety Council (BSC). professional relevant experiences as the main reasons be- According to the public relations department of Arya Sasol hind choosing the British Safety Council to certify Arya Sasol Polymer Co., the British Safety Council’s auditors after conduct- company’s HSE systems. ing several qualitative and quantitative research on the safety, Arya Sasol Polymer Co. with the annual production ca- management and control systems of company in five sections, pacity of more than one and half million tons of ethylene has recognized the Arya Sasol Polymer Co. capable of receiving and polyethylene (high, low, and medium) ranked first the council’s two five-star certificates in occupational health and among Iran’s best petrochemical companies in sale index in safety, as well as environment for the year 2017. IMI-100 rating of the Iranian calendar year of 1395 (March The company’s Managing Director Amirhossein Bahreini, 2016-March 2017) and is one of the best petrochemical naming some of the world’s largest oil companies such as companies in the Middle East in terms of HSE. For the first time in the oil industry, Arya Sasol Polymer Company, which was initially established by the joint investment between the Iran and S. Africa, managed to receive two five-star certificates in the occupational health and safety, as well as environment from the British Safety Council. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y POLITICS JJULYULY 99,, 22017017 MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS Dialogue with Riyadh still best Envoy: U.S. 38-year hostility has made Iran stronger way to break impasse: diplomat POLITICS TEHRAN — A top and “control the land of Muslims.” desk POLITICS TEHRAN — Iran’s ambassador to Iranian diplomat has The neophyte prince also threatened deskBritain in a message on Friday said said Tehran is insistent on its opinion that to take any fight for influence “inside Washington’s 38-year hostility towards the Islamic dialogue with Saudi Arabia is still the Iran.” Republic has made Iran stronger than ever. “best way” to end a deadlock in bilateral Referring to Salman’s comments and “Interventionist forces in the U.S. don’t need Ray relations. condemning ISIS twin attacks in Tehran Takeyh provocation and antagonistic advice. It’s “Dialogue is the best way to resolve on June 7, Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad done so in 38 ys but Iran is strongest ever,” Hamid the row, and the two sides require to Zarif on June 8 pointed the finger of Baeidinejad twitted. get engaged in dialogue without any suspicion at Saudi Arabia. Middle East scholar Takeyh had earlier said, “The precondition,” Deputy Foreign Minister “Terror-sponsoring despots threaten United States should be prepared for a transition of Majid Takht-Ravanchi said in an interview to bring the fight to our homeland. power there that may yet precipitate the collapse of the with Shafaghna news agency, published Proxies attack what their masters despise entire system.” on Saturday. most: the seat of democracy,” Zarif “As neighbors, Iran and Saudi Arabia tweeted. should resolve problems themselves.” Also, just hours before the murderous Iranian version Saudi Arabia and Iran haven’t had attacks in Tehran, Saudi Foreign Minister of U.S. Phalanx diplomatic relations since early 2016 Adel al-Jubeir had claimed that Iran after the storming of the Kingdom’s is the world’s leading supporter of weapon being posts in Tehran and Mashhad by angry terrorism and must be punished. tested mobs, itself a result of Riyadh executing Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi Hopes for less strained ties between a prominent Shiite cleric. Tehran and Riyadh took a further blow Though Iran condemned that on June 5 when Saudi Arabia, followed POLITICS TEHRAN — Iran is working on a Iran seeks reduced tension and dialogue with deskhome-version of U.S.-made Phalanx, attacks, Saudi Arabia immediately cut by the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and a close-in weapon system (CIWS) for defense against diplomatic ties. Other Arab countries Saudi Arabia, while reminding that Saudis have Bahrain severed all diplomatic ties with anti-ship missiles, the deputy commander of the Iranian lying on the southern shores of the rejected Tehran’s conciliatory overtures so far. Qatar out of the blue and even cut air, Navy has said. Persian Gulf also downgraded their land and sea borders with the country. conciliatory overtures. regional politics and will offer its help to The system is still under test and general evaluation diplomatic ties with Iran. In a list of demands handed to In a January press conference, Iranian Riyadh if “it takes the right decision” and and has not been delivered to the Navy, Rear Admiral Also, the two are at odds over a Doha after the crisis, the blockading President Hassan Rouhani said at least ends its military intervention in Yemen Mahmoud Mousavi said, Fars reported. number of regional issues, including countries required Qatar to downgrade 10 countries had offered to mediate and stops what he called its meddling in Consisting of a radar-guided 20 mm Vulcan cannon the Syrian crisis and what Saudis see its relations with rival Iran among others. in the escalating feud between Saudi Bahraini affairs. mounted on a swiveling base, the Phalanx has been used as Tehran’s growing influence in the Responding to the demand last Arabia and Iran, noting that Tehran Ruling out any chance for dialogue by multiple navies around the world. Kingdom’s sphere of sway. week in London, Qatari Foreign Minister “Iran’s approach is to reduce would restore ties with Riyadh if Saudi with Tehran, now-crown prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman tension and promote dialogue,” the Arabia changed it regional policies.