Sunday, January 3, 2016 3:56 PM EST
Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Iran on Sunday and gave all Iranian diplomats 48 hours to leave the kingdom, as escalating tensions over the execution of an outspoken Shiite cleric in Saudi Arabia marked a new low in relations between the two Middle Eastern powers.
Breaking News: Saudi Arabia severs diplomatic ties with Iran after violent protests over the execution of a cleric NYTimes.com News Alert
MidEast leaders lash out at Saudi Arabia over Shiite cleric’s execution, protests erupt
Shiite leaders are up in arms over Saudi Arabia’s execution of prominent cleric Nimr al-Nimr on terror charges. A senior Iranian Ayatollah called it a “crime,” while Tehran’s Foreign Ministry accused Riyadh of supporting terrorists.READ MORE: Saudi Arabia executes 47 people, incl prominent Shiite cleric, on terror charges
“The Saudi government supports terrorists and takfiri [radical Sunni] extremists, while executing and suppressing critics inside the country,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA.
“The execution of Sheikh al-Nimr is a service to Daesh (the Arabic abbreviation for ISIS), which is betting on expanding by igniting sectarian wars,” said Humam Hamoudi, a prominent Shiite politician and member of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI) party.
According to a lawmaker from Iraq’s ruling Shiite coalition, Saudi Arabia’s execution of al-Nimr was intended to fuel Sunni-Shiite strife and “set the region on fire.”
“This measure taken by the ruling family [of Saudi Arabia] aims at reigniting the region, provoking sectarian fighting between Sunnis and Shiites,” Mohammed al-Sayhud told al-Sumaria TV.
Iran Wants Stable Middle East While Terrorist State of Turkey Erdogan ‘Tries to Break it Down’
By supporting terrorist groups in Syria, Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan wanted to turn Syria into complete chaos; similar to what’s going on right now in Libya, which has become a hotbed of terrorism and Islamic extremism, Iranian political experts told Sputnik.
On Sunday, Erdogan lashed out against Iran, accusing Tehran of fueling the ongoing Syrian conflict by supporting the country’s president, Bashar al-Assad. According to the Turkish president, Tehran has adopted “sectarian” policies in Syria and if it didn’t support al-Assad, the Syrian conflict would have been long finished.
But Erdogan’s claims are groundless, because Iran supports al-Assad to ensure security in the Middle East and to literally save the lives of millions of Syrians.
“Iran supports the legitimately elected president Bashar al-Assad so the power in the country doesn’t fall into the hands of extremists and terrorists, and eventually chaos would engulf the country, turning Syria into a second Libya,” Emad Abshenass, Iranian political scientist and the editor-in-chief of the Iran Press newspaper, told Sputnik.
If Deash (Islamic State) or al-Nusra Front take control of Syria, it would be certain genocide for Alawites, Christians and other minority groups in the country, as the Sunni extremists would exterminate these groups, Abshenass said, adding that Iran wouldn’t allow that to happen.
“Iran wants a stable Middle East, which Turkey is trying to break down,” Abshenass told Sputnik.
Another expert on Middle Eastern politics Reza Moghaddasi said that the West, in particular the United States, created and fueled Islamic extremism to establish their control over the region. In this scenario, Turkey and Saudi Arabia are playing the role of Washington’s puppets, helping to spread chaos and the policies of divide of conquer across the region.
Moghaddasi also criticized Erdogan, asking that if Iran put its weight behind al-Assad based on the sectarian divide narrative, then how could one explain Tehran’s support for Iraq or Yemen. This shows that Iran isn’t seeking any “religious” objectives, but works to keep the entire region stable, the political expert added.
Iran: guide visits to Christian families for Christmas
The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, visited Christian families of “martyrs” on the occasion of Christmas, reported on Sunday Iranian media.
The official website of the guide itself has published a photo of one of these visits to Christian families in Tehran: it shows Ayatollah Khamenei view a document sitting next to an elderly woman with a backdrop a small Christmas tree and a portrait of his son “martyr” killed during the Iran-Iraq war (1980 to 1988).
“The effort of the soldiers is rooted in the efforts of mothers”, is it written in Persian in this photograph.
“Martyr” is the name given by the Islamic Republic to Iranians died in battle during the Iran-Iraq war and now in Syria where Iran is sending “advisors” and “volunteers” to support the regime of President Bashar al Assad.
Iranian Christians represent less than 1% of the population of 80 million people – mostly Shiite Muslims (90%) – and most are of Armenian origin.
Since its inception in 1979, the Islamic Republic of Iran tolerates religious minorities – Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians – who have places of worship and are represented in Parliament.
On the occasion of Christmas, the shops owned by Armenians sell Christmas trees, decorations and Santa Claus outfits.
Monday, December 28, 2015,
Stéphane © armenews.com
Stéphane © armenews.com
Armenia, Georgia, Iran, Russia: towards a common energy market?
The energy ministers of Armenia, Georgia and Iran, as well as the CEO of Russian electricity company leading, met yesterday in Yerevan to study the possibility of increasing significantly energy trade between their countries.
The Armenian Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources said the four nations will be able to establish a common energy market after the construction of two new power lines connecting Armenia with Georgia and Iran.
“We are here today to ensure that we can prepare by 2017-2018 technical and legal framework for further synchronize our power grids,” said the Minister of Energy of Armenia, Yervand Zakharian, told reporters after interviews.
The Energy Minister, with his Iranian counterpart, Hamid Chitchian and Georgia, Kakha Kaladze and with the director of transmission and distribution network of Russian national electricity Oleg Budargin, signed a Memorandum of Understanding.
Kaladze stressed the importance of the document when he met Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan later in the day. A statement from the Armenian government quoted the Georgian Minister as stating that this will create “favorable conditions” for regional energy cooperation.
“The deepening and expansion of the interaction between the energy systems of the four countries will allow the creation of a regional energy market,” assured the Armenian Ministry of Energy in a statement. “The parties expressed their willingness to coordinate their efforts to advance the program.”
In this regard, the Declaration stressed the importance of the ongoing construction of a third and far more powerful high-voltage transmission line between Armenia and Iran. For Zakharian, installation, that will cost $ 120 million, will quadruple the Armenian electricity exports to the Islamic Republic.
The ministry also stressed that Armenia and Georgia will soon start building a similar line that will make their much interconnected power grids. The $ 115 million project, whose completion is also expected in 2018, is financed by the German KfW development bank, managed by the state and the European Union.
“The construction of these lines will enable the four countries to exploit their energy systems of joint and parallel and increase the volume of trade in electricity during emergencies”, welcomed Zakharian.
The planned multilateral arrangement is clearly facilitated by the gradual lifting of international sanctions against Iran. It could also be related to the recent decision of the Georgian Government to consider the possibility of purchasing natural gas to Russia and Iran. Kaladze said in October that Georgia, which currently buys most of its gas to Azerbaijan, may soon import Iranian gas via Armenia or Azerbaijan.
Thursday, December 24, 2015,
Claire © armenews.com
Claire © armenews.com
Armenian: New kinds of tunnels to appear on highway near Iranian border
YEREVAN. – By the end of December or beginning of January 2016, the tender on the new section of Armenia’s North-South Highway will be announced. Armenia’s first Deputy Minister of Transport and Communication Artur Arakelyan told the aforementioned to Armenian News – NEWS.am today.
The tender will be announced for the construction from the southernmost point of the Iranian border to the Armenian town of Kajaran. In the framework of the 4th tranche of the project, the 20,5 km section will be constructed by the $150 loan of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB).
A tunnel construction is intended for this section. “The tunnel is planned to be constructed near Kajaran, but already in the framework of another tranche,” he said.
The Ministry doesn’t give up the idea of making a number of the road sections paid (including tunnels and bridges). The private investors are offered to invest into complex infrastructures and exploit them for fee. The only mandatory condition is to preserve an alternative free road, even if the latter is lengthier and more complicated.
The 4-lane “North-South” concrete highway will reduce the time of moving from the Iranian to Georgian border, as well as decrease the 556 km distance to 495 km at the expense of leveling a number of mountainous sections and constructing new and more direct ones (from Ararat town through Vanadzor province to Noravan village of Armenia’s Sisian region, and from there to Kajaran town). The total cost of the construction will be about $960 mln, the main project donor being the Asian Development Bank (ADB) (approx. $500 mln).
Iran Plans to Boost Export of Agricultural Products to Russia
TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran has set up a special work group to boost exports of its agricultural products to Russia, a senior trade official announced on Sunday.Iranian Deputy Minister of Industries, Mines, and Commerce Valiollah Afkhamirad said that the work group has been formed in line with accelerating broadening trade and economic relations between Tehran and Moscow, specially in agricultural fields.
The work group comprises experts of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce and Iranian Trade Promotion Organization.
After the European countries imposed sanctions on Russia over he last year, Russia turned to Iran for importing agricultural products. However, owing to several facors such as high import tariffs levied on Iranian agricultural products by Russia, lack of proper transportation means and money exchange problems as well as Russia’s demanding high standards for Iranian goods, export of Iran’s products has not reached the favorable level.
Now that Russia has sanctioned Turkey as one of its main suppliers of agricultural products, the Iranian businessmen have doubled their efforts to take the Russian market.
On November 23, High-ranking Iranian and Russian officials inked 7 cooperation Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) in the presence of President Hassan Rouhani and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
Iran and Russia enjoy special positions on the international scene and have long had constant and regular consultations on key regional and global issues.
Over the last several years, Iran and Russia have had vast cooperation in different fields, especially in political and economic spheres.
Their bilateral trade volume registered a 10 percent hike in the first three months of 2015, as compared with the same period in 2014.
In February, Iranian Ambassador to Russia Mehdi Sanayee said that Tehran and Moscow plan to start a considerable boost in their trade exchanges in the current year by utilizing all their economic capacities and potentials.
“Iran and Russia signed many agreements in 2014, and 2015 is the year for implementing these agreements,” Sanayee told FNA.
In December 2014, Sanayee announced that Tehran and Moscow planned to boost their trade exchanges to $70 billion in the near future.
“The two countries (Iran and Russia) are serious about implementing an economic memorandum of understanding (MoU) which has been recently signed at the joint economic commission which amounts to $70 billion,” Sanayee said, addressing a conference in Moscow.
He noted that Iran and Russia signed a major economic, trade and energy agreement in August 2014 which could pave the way for multiplying the two countries’ trade exchanges.
In March, Iran and Russia signed an MoU on the supervision of their central banks over the financial operations of the two countries’ banks.
“The MoU was signed by the deputy governors of the Iranian and Russian central banks during a visit to Moscow by a high-ranking Iranian banking and financial delegation from March 10 to 12,” Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Mehdi Sanayee said at the time.
He noted that Iran’s banking delegation also visited Russia’s central bank and other major banks during its stay in Moscow.
In May, Tehran and Moscow started implementation of a recently signed MoU banking, including establishment of a joint bank to ease bilateral trade through using their national currencies.
“Three measures are underway (within the framework of this agreement), including opening of a joint bank account by Iran and Russia, presence of several Russian banks in Iran and choosing a Russian bank for rial-based trade exchanges in Russia,” Sanayee said, addressing a meeting of Iran-Russia Joint Chamber of Commerce in Moscow at the time.
He noted that the representatives of two Russian banks had come to Iran and had held talks with officials of the Central Bank of Iran in May, and said, “The second step to broaden banking relations between Iran and Russia will be opening a joint account.” Sanayee pointed to facilitating cash transfer for Iranian exporters through Russia’s Mir Business Bank as the third step to expand bilateral banking relations.
Over the last several years, Iran and Russia have had vast cooperation in different fields, specially in political and economic spheres.
The two states also enjoy special positions on the international scene and have long had constant and regular consultations on key regional and global issues.
Iran’s FM Spokesman Hossein Jaber-Ansari concern Azerbaijan intensified wave of arrests and the killing of Shias
Iranian people hold a demonstration in front of Azerbaijan Consulate in the northwestern Iranian city of Tabriz on December 10, 2015 in protest at Baku’s intensified crackdown on Shia Muslims. © ISNA
Iran has warned of plots by ill-wishers to harm the country’s relations with Azerbaijan, stressing the importance of remaining vigilant to thwart such schemes.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaber-Ansari said on Saturday that the Iranian people are concerned about Azerbaijan’s intensified wave of arrests and the killing of Shias in Nardaran district, north of the Azeri capital of Baku.
“The Iranian Foreign Ministry closely monitors different aspects of these events and is in constant contact with the country (Azerbaijan)’s relevant officials,” he said.
Following close consultation between Iranian and Azeri officials, a more suitable condition was created for Azeris to respect Islamic ceremonies as well as the sanctity of religious sites in Azerbaijan, including mosques, Jaber-Ansari said.
Azerbaijan has been carrying out a fresh wave of attacks on the majority Shias since November 26 when security forces killed four members of the Movement for Muslim Unity (MMU) during a raid in the village of Nardaran. At least 14 people were nabbed in the raid, including the MMU leader Tale’ Bagirzade, who is also known as Sheikh Bagirov.
In a later attack on Nardaran on December 3, policemen shot and killed five Shia Muslims and arrested 32 others.
Azerbaijan is a majority Shia state of more than nine million people. Shias account for 85 percent of the population.
The secular government of President Ilham Aliyev suppressed a Shia-dominated popular uprising in 2010 amid international outcry over his heavy-handed crackdown.
On Thursday, ethnic Azeris in the northwestern Iranian province of East Azarbaijan gathered in front of Azerbaijan’s Consulate in the provincial capital of Tabriz to denounce Baku’s crackdown on Shia Muslims in Nardaran.
The protesters, who were marking the demise of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), called on Azerbaijan’s government to stop its anti-Islamic moves and immediately release those arrested in Nardaran over the past days.
Iran gives adequate response to Azerbaijan
Orientalist, expert on Iran Armen Israelyan in his comments to Panorama.am discussed Iran’s reaction to the events in Azerbaijan and the recent developments in relations between the two countries. He said:
“Iran’s Gafgaz.ir reported that at a press conference on December 1, MP of the Iranian Majlis Ebrahim Neku condemned the recent bloody clashes in Azerbaijan’s Nardaran settlement that left five faithful and two policemen dead and called for an immediate end to repressions against Azerbaijani Shias and detention of those guilty.
The Iranian MP said Iran must not remain indifferent to the great crisis in Azerbaijan.
The relative calm in Iranian-Azerbaijani relations has been disrupted again, which means that there are issues that the Iranian side considers very sensitive, no matter how much the sides try to show that bilateral relations are developing normally.
A few days ago when members of Iran’s Turkic-language population were staging protests over a humorous program, which was broadcast by Iran’s state television and hurt the dignity of Atrpatakan residents, some deputies of Azerbaijani Milli Mejlis, as well as circles operating with direct or indirect support of the authorities, and websites under their control began meddling into Iran’s internal affairs by putting the terms “35 million Azerbaijanis of Iran” and “Southern Azerbaijan” into circulation.
After the bloody clashes in Nardaran largely populated by Caucasian Persians (Tats), Iran is launching a counterattack. In additions to the abovementioned Iranian MP, severe criticism was leveled at Azerbaijan by religious leaders of Eastern Atrpatakan and Ardabil Provinces such as Ayatollah Mojtahed Shabestari, Ayatollah Seyyid Hasan Ameli, and deputy head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of Iranian Mejlis Mansour Haqiqatpour.
It should be noted that the Iranian authorities take a mixed stance regarding Azerbaijan – in contrast to the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran’s current leaders refrain from adopting a tough position on the Azerbaijani issue, but religious figures have a different approach.
“Religious diplomacy’ is one of the key components of Iran’s foreign policy concerning the countries populated by Shias. Iran aims to weaken to the so-called ‘Saudi Wahhabism’ and ‘Turkish Sunnism’ in Azerbaijan.
The unprecedented visit of Iranian high-ranking cleric Ayatollah Noori Hamedani to Azerbaijan in September of this year was part of the “religious diplomacy”.
It is noteworthy that Iranian mass media compares the Nardaran events with the initial stage of the Islamic Revolution in Iran 35 years ago. During that period, even a movement called ‘Khomeinichilar’ was formed in Nardaran.
The priorities of Iran’s foreign policy include strengthening of Shiism and the export of the Islamic Revolution. This policy of Iran has different manifestations in various Shia countries. As regards Azerbaijan, one of the Iranian policy’s goals is to carry out an Islamic revolution there, if not now, then in the future”.
Secretary General of Ahl al-Bayt World Assembly is in Armenia
Patriarch of the Armenian Apostolic Church and Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II today received in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin the Secretary General of the Ahl al-Bayt World Assembly, Ayatollah Mohammad Hasan Akhtari, who arrived in Armenia upon the Catholicos’ invitation, Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin press-service reports.
The Catholicos welcomed Ayatollah Mohammad’s visit to Armenia and Holy Etchmiadzin, noting that such visits not only contribute to bilateral mutual understanding and strengthening of the inter-religious dialogue, but also positively influence the sons of two pious people so that they live a peaceful and creative life.
Stressing the necessity of the inter-religious dialogues, Karekin II noted that the spiritual leaders, like politicians, can also have an important role in preventing the crimes and terror acts in different parts of the world, as well as in overcoming their consequences, especially when the terrorism is currently concealed by the religious factor.
With this regard, the Catholicos condemned the terror act in France and expressed concern over the difficult situation in the Middle East.
Karekin II also referred to the historical ties between the two people and the development of current Armenian-Iranian relations. He appreciated the attention of the Iranian government towards the Armenian community and its spiritual and education institutions.
Ayatollah Mohammad Hasan Akhtari also attached importance to the inter-religious dialogue, stressing that the cooperation between the religious leaders will serve as a nice example for the peoples of the world and will lead them to the solemn and cherished values preached by all religions.
He also referred to the manifestations of extremism. According to Ayatollah Mohammad, no religion urges to kill the God’s creations and the responsibility of the clergymen is to strictly condemn all those phenomena which abuse people’s religious beliefs.
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