In an interview with the Fars News Agency published on Sunday, Kharrazi said that the British government made a “hasty move” to cut diplomatic relations with Tehran, adding that London can seize the current opportunity, as the new Iranian President Hassan Rohani has taken office, to restore ties with Tehran.   

 

Britain withdrew its diplomatic staff from Iran in November 29, 2011, following a protest outside the UK embassy in Tehran.

 

The former ambassador also said that the case is true with the governments of the United States and Canada and they, too, can put forward their proposals on restoring bilateral relations with the Islamic Republic, and Tehran will examine their proposals according to its national interests.  

 

Kharrazi also said that the U.S. cannot resolve regional issues without Tehran’s help, noting that Iran enjoys a unique geopolitical, geostrategic, and geo-economic status in the region and is a conduit for 67 percent of world’s energy supply. 

 

He added that Europe has to reach out to Tehran due to Iran’s special location in the Persian Gulf region and the Middle East. 

 

Any govt. that took over in Iran in 2005 had to halt enrichment suspension 

 

He also said that any government that took over in 2005 in Iran had to halt the suspension of uranium enrichment.

 

He added it was his “belief” that even if Mahmoud Ahmadinejad did not take over as president, the course of developments, including extra demands by Western countries, especially the United States, proceeded in a way that made a restart of uranium enrichment unavoidable.

 

Rohani, who was elected Iran’s president in the June 14 election, led Iran’s negotiations with the European Union trio of Britain, France and Germany from 2003-2005. 

 

“Even if Rohani became president in 2005 we had moved in this direction,” he said. 

 

Kharrazi said in 2005 he was among those who believed that Iran should unfreeze uranium enrichment. He even said in a meeting in Geneva in 2005 Rohani warned the EU trio foreign ministers that Iran would resume uranium enrichment. 

 

However, differences remain over the “way of interaction” which was not “proper”.

 

The other point is that while Iran was seeking a solution to its nuclear issue Ahmadinejad raised the issue of Holocaust and though this issue made some happy in the world “it was not generally in line with our national interests”.

 

He said during the Ahmadinejad administration Iran’s negotiating partners extended from the three European countries to six comprising the United States, Russia and China as well which naturally was not in Iran’s favor.

 

“China and Russia also showed that they played with the Iranian card.”

 

In the Ahmadinejad government it was also a matter of foreign policy discussion that whether Latin America or Asia was a priority for Iran, the former diplomat said.

 

Iran formed alliances with countries in Latin America which had no strategic importance in the world, he said, adding in Asia Iran also sought closer ties with countries that their foreign policy priorities were to develop ties with the United States.

 

“A major damage” to Iran’s interest was a policy shift toward Europe, he argued.

 

While a large portion of the European economy had been entangled with the Iranian economy the adoption of such a policy naturally led to a decrease in economic ties, he explained. 

 

“… while Europe was turning into one of our serious partners and withstood against the United States and helped us in Lebanon and gave us legitimacy in the nuclear issue it was turned into a wounded competitor and created some problems for us.”

 

Iran had established strategic ties with France in regard to Lebanon

 

“We and France established a strategic cooperation with Lebanon on the issue of Lebanon. I worked seriously with Elyse (palace) and (then French president Jacques) Chirac. Its documents are there.”

 

He added when he was Iran’s ambassador to Paris, Britain and the U.S. were pushing hard to put the Lebanese Hezbollah movement on the list of terrorist groups and “I was given the mission by the Leader to pursue the issue with Chirac and France used all its influence and did not allow this to happen.”

 

Salehi defended the stance that the Foreign Ministry had adopted toward various international issues during his tenure as foreign minister, saying that he had made every effort to serve the country’s interests. 

 

Iran’s “balanced and moderate” stance toward regional developments has so far been successful, he stated. 

 

Elsewhere in his remarks, he said that he always believed that Iranian officials should never disrespect officials of other countries, even hostile ones, because it would only provide them with an opportunity to show disrespect for Iranian authorities.  

 

“Dignity does not lie in aggressive behavior and harsh words,” the soft-spoken diplomat added. 

 

Iran has never sought confrontation with other countries, Salehi said, adding, “Iran advocates interaction, dialogue, and coexistence with other countries if they believe in the same principles.”  

 

He also called on Iranian media outlets to refrain from slandering the country’s former and current officials who are an asset to the country and present a true image of Iran, which Western media are attempting to distort. 

 

During the ceremony, Salehi also announced that Iran and Russia would soon sign a memorandum of understanding to construct a new nuclear power plant. 

 

EP/PA

 

In an interview with the Mehr News Agency published on Sunday, Tala said that the ministers in question were the proposed ministers of oil, education, science, transport, and labor. 

 

EP/PA

 

Following are excerpts of the text of the article: 

 

At his first news conference since taking office, Iran’s new president, Hassan Rohani, declared his willingness to negotiate with the United States. Speaking on Tuesday, he insisted he is ready to enter “serious and substantive” talks about Iran’s disputed nuclear program and said a solution can be reached only through “talks, not threats.” He added, “If the United States shows goodwill and mutual respect, the way for interaction will be open.”

 

It does seem that after eight years of the fiery Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president, Mr. Rohani is attempting to change the tone. He is not a reformer, but he is a centrist, and his election victory, as well as his early statements, could signal a new course, somewhat different from the bitter confrontations of recent years. Mr. Rohani defeated a slate of more conservative candidates. He has appointed some technocrats to his cabinet and has suggested he may lift or ease Internet censorship, which has been heavy and heavy-handed. “Gone are the days when a wall could be built around the country,” he said, according to the Economist. “Today there are no more walls.”

 

All well and good. But the United States and its partners who want Iran to stop enriching uranium for a potential nuclear weapons program can ill afford to see Mr. Rohani through rose-colored glasses. The Supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, remains the true center of power and controls Iran’s nuclear program. 

 

Nonetheless, the West should resume negotiations soon to explore the depth of Mr. Rohani’s seriousness and whether his election has come with room to maneuver. The White House reacted positively to the new president’s overtures, and the European Union’s senior foreign policy official, Catherine Ashton, called on Mr. Rohani to agree to a new round of talks as soon as possible.

 

Mr. Rohani’s priorities may well be at home… He will undoubtedly be eager to ease strict international sanctions, yet it is not clear whether or how quickly he can or wants to change course on Iran’s nuclear program. The Western powers should swallow hard and show up ready to talk. Mr. Rohani’s demand for mutual respect is not unreasonable.

 

EP/PA

 

Following are excerpts of the text of the article written by Ali Hashem, who is an Arab journalist serving as Al Mayadeen news network’s chief correspondent. 

 

Although there are expectations of a more moderate approach to foreign affairs under Iranian President Hassan Rohani, Iran’s relations with Hezbollah will remain the same. 

 

“Whoever the president is, whoever the ministers are, Hezbollah will still be the same Hezbollah to Iran,” said an official in Tehran on condition of anonymity. 

 

The source, an official who has visited Lebanon on several occasions, believes that those who think Iran will change its view and ties with Hezbollah because of presidential change are “either naive or daydreamers — Hezbollah to Iran isn’t a card to play with.” The source added, “Hezbollah today is the crown jewel of the resistance bloc; presidential moderation doesn’t mean giving up the nation’s strengths.” 

 

According to the source, “Hezbollah is defending the resistance bloc against Israel and the takfiris (radicals) — this means there should be more support for it.” The source added that Iran’s “main enemy in the region is Israel, and Hezbollah defeated Israel in 2006, and is capable of defeating it once again if a war sparked.”  

 

As for the new government, there are no signs that it has any members who oppose Iran’s support for Hezbollah. 

 

Rohani, responding to a message of felicitation from Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah on his victory in Iran’s June 14 presidential election, said: “No doubt, your tireless and dedicated efforts and those of Hezbollah warriors on the scene of resistance promise the decisive victory of the resistant Lebanese and Palestinian nations which has always been supported by the Islamic Republic, over the Zionist regime.” 

 

EP/PA 

 

“We have no capacity to handle uranium as a country, and besides we don’t even know the quantity of uranium” deposits viable for mining, Chimanikire, a member of the country’s opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change, said in a phone interview with Bloomberg on Saturday. “We signed a memorandum of understanding with Iran, which covers various agreements in mineral trading such as diamonds, gold and other minerals.”

 

London-based Times newspaper reported on Saturday, citing an interview with Chimanikire, that Zimbabwe had signed an MoU to supply Iran with uranium. Zimbabwe has uranium deposits in the Zambezi Valley although the quality, quantity and economic viability of the reserves have never been formally established.

 

Western nations suspect Iran wants to use its nuclear program to produce weapons, and have imposed a series of sanctions to pressure it to curb its nuclear program. Iran says its program is meant for energy production and medical research.

 

Chimanikire said that the MoU with Iran was signed some time ago and not this year.

 

“Trade in uranium is governed under the International Atomic Energy Agency,” Chimanikire said. “We as country are yet to ratify that and have to go through the cabinet committee on legislation.”

 

AM

 

The arrests were the fourth part of a plan to deal with homeless drug addicts in the Iranian capital which is being implemented in various neighborhoods.

 

According to Sajedinia, all drug users were transferred to treatment camps and the drug sellers were handed over to the Judiciary. 

 

He also said that these plans are being implemented upon the citizens’ requests and called on families to cooperate with police in its campaign against drug dealing and drug abuse.

 

MT/PA

 

Nobakht, an economist and politician, is the leader of the Moderation and Development Party.

 

He was a representative of Rasht in the Iranian parliament for four consecutive terms. He was the spokesman of the Rohani election campaign office and also the deputy director of the economic research department at the Center for Strategic Research of the Expediency Council. 

 

In another decree issued on the same day, Rohani appointed former MP Elham Aminzadeh as vice president for legal affairs. 

 

Rohani had previously appointed Es’haq Jahangiri as first vice president and Mohammad Nahavandian as head of the presidential office. 

 

Rohani was elected as president of Iran on June 14, gaining 50.7 percent of the vote in an outright victory. He took office on August 3 after being officially endorsed by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. 

 

AM/PA

 

In a sermon during the Eid ul-Fitr prayers, which mark the end of Ramadan, at the campus of the University of Tehran on Friday, the Leader said, “These talks like previous talks will certainly produce no results but trampling the Palestinians’ rights and encouraging the aggressors to take more criminal actions and step up the crackdown.”

 

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators held their first negotiations in nearly three years in Washington on July 30, according to Reuters.   

 

The sides will resume the “peace talks” in al-Quds (Jerusalem) on August 14, the U.S. State Department said on Thursday. 

 

Commenting on the Egyptian crisis, Ayatollah Khamenei said that the likelihood of the outbreak of a civil war in Egypt had grown, adding that it could prove disastrous for the Arab country.    

 

In addition, he strongly condemned the killing of the people in the crisis-hit country. 

 

He added that Egyptian people, scholars, intellectuals, and political and religious groups should try to help resolve the crisis and should not allow foreign interference in the internal affairs of the country. 

 

The Leader also met with a number of Iranian officials and ambassadors of Muslim countries in Tehran on Friday, during which he said that faith in God and unity were the main factors which could help nations resist the enemies’ plots against Muslim countries. 

 

AM/PA

 

“Bushehr is currently operating at 100-percent capacity and the process of preparing it for transfer to the project originator is concluding,” Rosatom’s Sergei Kiriyenko said. 

 

The “project originator” is Iran. 

 

Rosatom’s construction wing, Atomstroyeksport, finished construction at Bushehr, after a German company started in the mid-1970s but pulled out after the 1979 Iranian revolution.  

 

The government in Tehran signed the Bushehr contract with Russia in 1995.

 

Bushehr reached full capacity at the end of August 2012. 

 

There have been Russian nuclear specialists working at the plant. 

 

Kiriyenko did not say whether any would remain once Iran takes over control of operations.

 

EP/PA