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 39th year No.13178 Wednesday AUGUST 8, 2018 Mordad 17, 1397 Dhi Al Qaeda 25, 1439 EU says encouraging UN continues to Elaheh Ahmadi replaces Shahnameh trade with Iran is crucial encourage support for Kimia Alizadeh as Iran translated into to nuclear deal 2 Iran nuclear deal 3 flag bearer 15 Spanish 16 Japan’s energy supply must not be affected by sanctions on Iran ECONOMY TEHRAN — Japan’s affect energy supply or have a negative North Korea’s chief deskMinister of Economy, impact on Japanese corporate activities,” Trade and Industry Hiroshige Seko said Seko told a news conference in Tokyo his country’s energy supply should not be on Tuesday. affected by U.S. sanctions on Iran, Platts The Japanese official’s comments came reported. as the Asian country is seeking a waiv- “[During the second round of talks in er over the U.S. sanctions against Iran diplomat meets Zarif Washington over August 1-2] the Jap- since keeping energy ties with Iran has a anese side insisted on the basic princi- significant importance for the country’s ple that [the U.S. sanctions] should not energy security. 4 See page 2 ‘Iran’s diplomatic, military fronts never more united’ POLITICS TEHRAN — The For- was hotly debated against back then deskeign Ministry spokes- by conservative Iranians, including man says Iran’s diplomatic and military some defense officials. fronts are more united than they have Qassemi said any attempt to create rift ever been. between these two fronts in Iran would Bahram Qassemi’s remarks came be playing in Trump’s court. on the same day as United States “The inimical and sanctions-laden President Donald Trump reimposed policy of America has created a high sanctions on Tehran which had been level of convergence among officials, removed under the 2015 nuclear deal, the elite, and individuals in society,” officially called the JCPOA. The deal Qassemi stated. 2 UN hails ‘credible’ Iraq vote recount The United Nations hailed Iraq’s “credible” concluded, the UN said it had observed vote recount, which paves the way for a the recount and found it to be “conducted Shahab Ghayaoumi government to be formed nearly three in a manner that is credible, professional months after polls. and transparent”. Iraq’s May 12 parliamentary elections “We are very pleased that it’s been con- were marred by allegations of fraud, cluded and we look forward to the next steps prompting the country’s supreme court in this process towards the formation of to order a partial manual recount. the new government,” said a statement by Tehran Times/ Tehran Times/ As an official announced the checks had Alice Walpole, a UN envoy to Iraq. 13 ARTICLE Security problems in Middle East are not clear situations: Pillar Tensions rising Hanif Ghaffari EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Iran, with the participation of Saudi Arabia, UAE, between Saudi Political analyst By Javad Heirannia Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain, which is scheduled to be introduced in the United States soon. Will Arabia, Canada TEHRAN — Professor Paul Pillar, who was this coalition be considered as a real coalition over human rights CIA intelligence analyst for 28 years, tells the or a military organization? “White Helmets”, Tehran Times that “The security problems in A: The announced alliance probably will con- A dispute between Saudi Arabia and the Middle East in which Iran is involved are not sist mostly of putting a new label on existing Canada is escalating to new levels after under pretext clear situations, in which there is one aggressor alignments. None of this changes the orienta- Riyadh abruptly cut ties with Ottawa over and one victim.” tion of any of the states involved toward regional its criticism of the Saudi crackdown on of human rights Pillar also says, “Saudi Arabia and the UAE issues, or entails assuming new obligations. It dissent, targeting educational exchanges are getting the Trump administration to take is unlikely that this alliance will take the form with the North American state. support terrorism, their side in a local rivalry in which the United of a new treaty, such as the treaty that created The dispute broke out on Friday after States has less of a stake than they do.” Washington has announced the formation NATO. It is even less likely to result in a joint the Canadian Embassy in Riyadh tweet- Zionism Following is the text of the interview: of a military alliance in the Middle East against military organization such as NATO has. 7 ed that it was “gravely concerned” over a spike in the arrests of human rights few days ago, the Zionist regime campaigners in the kingdom, including officially announced that 800 mem- U.S. is after regime change in Iran for its strategic goals in Central Asia: Kovacevic gender rights activist Samar Badawi, and A bers of the White Helmets and their called on “Saudi authorities to immedi- families were transferred from areas under EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW remarks, Secretary of State Pompeo outlined a out to Filip Kovacevic, ately release them and all other peaceful series of preconditions. Professor of geopolitics, University of San the control of the Syrian opposition to the By Payman Yazdani #humanrights activists.” occupied territories. In his latest move repeating the idea of negoti- Francisco. Irked by the tweet, the Saudi govern- Indeed, the Zionist regime, after the TEHRAN — Prof. Kovacevic is of the view ating with the Iranian authorities, U.S. President Following is the full text of the interview: ment on Monday ordered the Canadian Syrian army’s advance in the south, that the U.S. is after a U.S.-friendly regime Donald Trump on Saturday said any meeting How do you assess contradictory statements ambassador to leave the country within kicked out the White Helmets from the in Iran for its long term strategic goals in with the Iranian leaders is “up to them.” of the U.S. officials? 24 hours and halted trade and investment area. Israeli Army said in a statement Central Asia to stop Chinese One road, one Earlier, Iranian president’s chief of staff A: In my opinion, this is simply the playing deals with Ottawa. that the move was at the request of the belt initiative. Mahmoud Vaezi revealed that during Rou- out of the well-known psychological tactic of the Saudi Arabia’s national airline also an- U.S. and European countries. Meanwhile, During a press conference with Italian hani’s last visit to New York for the UN General ‘good cop – bad cop.’ One person appears to be nounced that it was suspending flights to Jordan has agreed the crossing of the Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, U.S. Presi- Assembly session, Trump asked the Iranian gentle and kind and the other aggressive and Canada as of August 13. White Helmets of its territory under dent Trump said he would meet with Iranian delegation eight times to have a meeting with abusive. The target person (or, in this case, the In yet another escalation, Saudi state the United Nations’ supervision to the President Hassan Rouhani without precon- the president. target country, Iran) is made to feel that one is media said the kingdom would suspend three countries of Germany, Britain ditions. His new strategy regarding meeting An adviser to President Rouhani Hamid different from the other and is therefore willing government-funded scholarships to Can- and Canada. with Iranian officials caught commentators Aboutalebi also said “respecting the Iranian to compromise with the ‘nicer’ cop. However, ada and move the Saudi nationals already Writing on Twitter, the Israeli prime off guard, as he had been increasingly hostile nation’s rights, reducing hostilities and returning both ‘cops’ work together as a team. There is no studying there to other countries. minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said: to the Islamic Republic; on July 22, Trump to the nuclear deal are steps that can be taken difference in terms of their final goal – which is According to Jassem al-Harbash, head “Several days ago, President Trump threatened Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to pave the bumpy road of talks between Iran to bring about the regime change in Iran. This is of the Education Ministry’s Scholarship contacted me, as did Canadian Prime with an all-caps tweet. and America.” the ultimate goal of Trump and his entire team Program, more than 7,000 students from Minister Trudeau and others, and re- Hours after Trump’s remarks contrary to his To shed more light on the issue we reached regarding Iran. 7 Saudi Arabia are enrolled in university quested that we assist in evacuating programs across Canada. hundreds of White Helmets from Syr- Reacting to the move, Canadian For- ia. These are people who have saved eign Minister Chrystia Freeland said on lives of those in danger. I therefore Monday that “it would be a shame” if Saudi authorized their transfer via Israel students were “deprived of the opportunity to other countries as an important to study” in Canada. humanitarian gesture.” National Amid the growing war of words, Saudi Referring to the withdrawal of the Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir criticized White Helmets from Syria, Boris Dolgov, police skills Canada’s call to free jailed civil society a Russian analyst said: “the White Hel- activists and said his country would not mets were taken out of Syria to prevent competitions tolerate any “interference” in its domestic their interrogation by the Syrian army. affairs. Some members of the organization have underway in Jubeir tweeted on Monday that Can- contributed to the operations carried ada’s position was based on “misleading out by Western intelligence agencies Isfahan information,” adding that those detained in Syria and therefore cannot remain were “subject to Saudi laws that guarantee in areas under the control of the Syrian The second edition of national their rights.” government.” police skills competitions kicked Reactions flow in Russian geopolitical analyst Gevorg off on Tuesday morning at the The dramatic exchanges have also Mirzayan believes: “The White Helmets Shahid Beheshti training center drawn reactions from other states.