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Daily Report for Monday, August 22, 2016

1

Report for

Monday,

August 22, 2016 Shahrivar 1, 1395

Highlights, Page 2

News Briefs, Page 3

Other Stories, Page 3

What Iran gains from military cooperation with Russia, Page 5

Iran, Russia, Turkey triangle, Page 8

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Daily Report for Monday, August 22, 2016

2 Highlights

 In addition to further empowerment of the Resistance front, the least Iran can expect is a lesson in trust factor similar to that of the nuclear deal. (See Page 5)

 Recent developments are indicative of the birth of a new mechanism of cooperation among three countries of Iran, Russia and Turkey. (See Page 8)

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Daily Report for Monday, August 22, 2016

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News Briefs

* Mardom Salari newspaper reports that Iranian authorities have denied that some shops in northern parts of Tehran city are selling Korean frogs’ meat. There have been photos on Iranian social media websites claiming that some shops in northern Tehran are selling Korean frog meat.

* Etemad newspaper reports that 99% of Iranians are unfamiliar with dental checkup.

* Etemad newspaper reports that police have removed more than 5,000 violent drug addicts off the streets of Tehran city in the last four days.

* Etemad newspaper reports that police have disbanded 28 gangs involved in distributing drugs in Tehran city, and the police have also discovered more than 10 tons of drugs in Tehran city in the past year.

* Mardom Salari newspaper reports that Tehran Municipality says that 50% of the beggars gathered off Tehran streets are not really needy persons. In fact, some beggars in Tehran city are able to get 30,000,000 rials per month from begging, while some beggars active in places such as Tohid Square, Park Way, Shahrak-e Gharb and Haft Hawz-e Narmak are able to get as much as 70,000,000 rials per month.

* Etemad newspaper reports that police have arrested a 23-year-old man who had stolen 60 mobile phones in Tehran city.

* Etemad newspaper reports that passengers on one of the BRT buses in Tehran were able to capture a professional thief who used to pick the pockets of passengers on BRT buses after chasing him for two kilometers.

Other stories

Environmental education to be provided in 108,000 schools

Masoumeh Ebtekar, the Head of Iran’s Department of Environment (DoE), announced that 108,000 schools across the country will receive environmental education as per the MoUs the DoE has signed with the Ministry of Education.

She made the remarks in an address to the closing ceremony of Khwarizmi International Award for teenagers in Shahid Beheshti Teachers Training Faculty in Iran’s north-eastern city of Mashhad.

The Department of Environment has inked a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Education on environmental activities, which has yielded considerable achievements, she noted.

“This year, especial educational programs have been envisaged for the schools that are adjacent to the country’s [natural] Protected Areas,” she noted.

Based on the programs, rangers will attend the classes in their uniforms to present students with significant details about their job, wildlife, etc., in an effort to raise public environmental awareness, Ebtekar noted.

She announced that a secretariat of eco-schools has been established in Iran’s north-eastern province of Khorasan Razavi, which, along with education, focuses on environmental issues.

“It’s good to know that environmental issues have found their way into students’ textbooks and student-run environmental groups are pretty active in the country,”

she went on to say.

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Daily Report for Monday, August 22, 2016

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New deputy coordinator of Khatam ol Anbiya Central Headquarters

Jomhouri Eslami conservative newspaper reports that IRGC Brig. Gen. First Class Ali Shadmani was appointed as the new deputy coordinator of Khatam ol Anbiya Central Headquarters.

Khatam ol Anbiya is the military headquarters reportedly tasked with coordinating operations between the IRGC and Artesh.

It was recently resurrected following a shake-up in Iran’s military leadership.

‘Fourth-year syndrome’

State-owned newspaper Iran reports that the recently leaked conversation between the late Ayatollah Montazeri, designated successor to Ayatollah Khomeini up until 1988, and judiciary officials in late 1980s on collective execution of MKO members, was addressed by most Friday prayers’

leaders across the country.

In Tehran, Ahmad Khatami defended the decision made in summer of 1988, calling MKO “the Iranian Da’esh”, and referring to their history of assassinating ordinary citizens, mutilating victims, and cooperating with Saddam Hussein in mass murder of Shias and Kurds in Iraq.

In Boroujerd, Lorestan Province, Hassan Torabi also touched on the issue.

Remembering the 16,000 citizens murdered by the terrorist group, Torabi called release of the audio file “a plot by the enemy to revive the MKO in Iran at a time when the Islamic Resistance front is close to victory in Yemen, Bahrain, Lebanon and Iraq.”

In Ahwaz, center of Khuzestan Province, Abolhassan Hassanzadeh slammed the West for its hypocritical approach towards terrorism, questioning MKO members’

residence in the US and European countries.

Sermonizers praise Iran’s defense capabilities

State-owned newspaper Iran reports that while in Tehran Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan had laid out Tehran’s advances in military industry before the main speech by Ahmad Khatami, in Abadan, Khuzestan Province, Ali Ebrahimipour highlighted the role of defense industry in reinforcing the country’s security.

“It is the right of the Iranian nation to possess advanced military equipment” he said. “It is in that case that the enemy’s threats will become useless.”

In Zanjan, northwestern Iran, Sheikh Ali Khatami praised Iran’s improving defense capabilities, including development of long-range missiles.

“The enemy strives to stop Iran from having deterrent power” he added. “But Iran has made its decision.”

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Daily Report for Monday, August 22, 2016

5 What Iran gains from

military cooperation with Russia

IRDiplomacy news website: Iran has given Russian the green to use its territory as a stopover for its bombers to launch raids against ISIS in Syria. The move, unprecedented in the history of Islamic Republic, has prompted up a panoply of critical responses abroad while it is been justified as yet another ground-breaking step in fighting Daesh and putting an end to the Syrian Crisis.

Like the Russian bombers, reports came from outside. Initial elaborations from Tehran immediately led to mixed sensations. Despite an early misunderstanding that took the gesture as Tehran’s allowing a foreign military to control its Shahid Nojeh airbase in Hamedan, northwest of Iran, the response from top Iranian officials implied that it could only be a far-fetched possibility in the future.

The chief of Iran’s supreme national security council, Ali Shamkhani, confirmed the Russian reports. “Tehran and Moscow have strategic cooperation in the fight against terrorism in Syria and we have the capacity and the capabilities for this collaboration,”

he said on Tuesday, according to IRNA.

Russia’s long-range bombers, including Su-34 and Tu-22M3 warplanes, have already taken off from near the airbase to target ISIS in Aleppo, according to the Russia’s Defence Ministry.

The cooperation, also a first for Moscow, as it has never used foreign territory for its operations in Syria, enables Russian bomber jets to carry full payloads of 24 metric tons – more than the maximum for the longer run from Russia, notes Pavel Felgenhauer, defense columnist for Novaya Gazeta in Moscow, as quoted by Christian Science Monitor.

Yet another plus for Russia is that its bombers will not need to detour in order to avoid Turkey sky, and will have to fly shorter distances should they strike targets in Iraq.

As for Iran, gains seem to be exaggerated. Although it could been seen a significant step to deepen Iran’s strategic alliance with Russia, the message some observers say is being sent to the regional rivals, including most importantly the Saudi Arabia, is

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Daily Report for Monday, August 22, 2016

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hyperbolized. In a wider scope, one could say Iran is also retaliating what it sees as the slow implementation of the nuclear deal but the point is that the recent cooperation is more a leverage for Russian in its talks with the US.

The US response was merely complaining that they were informed pretty much too late. Russia and the US are currently engaged in Geneva negotiations to start joint military action in Aleppo and restore an overall ceasefire, as U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura put it last Thursday. Thus, Iran’s move may be just intended to show the US how firm are Russia and Iran’s determination to help Bashar al-Assad in his fight against terrorist rebels.

The recent episode may help reshuffle other regional alliances, too, tipping the Syrian crisis in favor of Syria. Turkey’s pendulum is once again swing toward the east, for now, as Stratfor has suggested. In the wake of Turkey’s reconciliation with Russia, its shift on Syria and its successful crackdown on the coup, which means and includes its drifting away from the west, Zarif’s visited the country to express support for the Turkish government. The visit was soon paid back by his opposite number Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu’s short unexpected visit, reported to be focused on Syria. Iran’s MFA spox Bahram Ghassemi has implied that these are only beginnings of a series of numerous mutual meetings in the near future, which means further alignment on Syria.

What about the Arabs? Shamkhani slammed Saudi Arabia’s involvement in Syria and Yemen, where the Saudi-led coalition is countering the advances of the Houthi rebels.

“It is not acceptable for the Muslim world to see Saudi Arabia investing towards the empowerment of terrorist and Takfiri groups instead of fighting the occupation by the Zionist regime,” SNSC chief Shamkhani said on the day he confirmed the Nojeh reports. But the truth is, Arabs will have nothing to worry about in Kremlin and their differences with Iran over Syria is nothing new, as Iran ex-Ambassador to Azerbaijan suggests in an interview with ILNA. Pessimistic about the presence of Russian bomber jets in Iran, Afshar Soleimani refuses to see the military cooperation as of strategic nature. “If the mutual cooperation were strategic, it would be expanded to other aspects but the Russian do not really want Iran to play a role in Caucasus and Central Asia,” Afshar said.

His idea of Russia is even more cynical as he asks if Iran has gained anything in return. “Russia will use this presence as a leverage. They are now in talks with the US and this gives them an upper hand in the talks and may lead to their deal with the US,

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Daily Report for Monday, August 22, 2016

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which will be detrimental to Iran. In fact, we have given them the option to do so,” he reiterated.

The consensus among top Iranian officials on the move has failed to convince a second layer of decision-makers. At least 20 MPs have called for a closed parliamentary session on Sunday for briefing on the decision. However, Iran’s defence minister Hossein Dehghan has openly put their probe down, saying the Majlis has nothing to do with the military decision.

As Dehghan has explicitly stated, Iran spares no effort to help empower the resistance front in the face of Israel but this partnership of unprecedented nature with Russia has its own opponents in Iran.

Iran’s experimentations with foreign powers prove its wish to redefine its regional status. Just in the same way that the nuclear deal served as a trust test in which the United State has so far failed, the recent military co-op can be yet another lesson for Iran. Tehran has gone far enough to put Russia’s royalty to the test and see what it can gain in return, and it remains a question of time for Iran. For now, fighting terrorism is a priority.

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Daily Report for Monday, August 22, 2016

8 Iran, Russia, Turkey triangle:

Strategic coalition or tactical alliance?

Iran Review news website. Mohammad Khajouei, Senior Middle East Analyst:

Recent developments are indicative of the birth of a new mechanism of cooperation among three countries of Iran, Russia and Turkey.

A meeting between presidents of Iran and Russia in Baku; a visit by Turkey’s president to Russia, consultations on phone between foreign ministers of Iran and Russia, a visit to Turkey by Iran’s foreign minister, a trip to Tehran by Russian president’s envoy, an imminent visit to Turkey by Iran’s deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs, and a possible visit to Iran by Turkey’s president are all developments, which have taken place during the past two weeks and attest to creation of a new triangle among Tehran, Moscow and Ankara.

The question, however, is of what sort is this cooperation, what is its specific purpose, and more importantly, what consequences and outcomes it will have? The following points are noteworthy in this regard:

1. The recent turnabout in Turkey’s foreign policy should be considered as the turning point for the formation of this new triangle of cooperation. Moscow and Tehran have been closely cooperating, especially with regard to regional developments, and it is Ankara, which is entering this alliance. Unlike past years, Turkey’s foreign policy has caused tensions in the country’s relations with many of its neighbors in the past five years, and has not led to any new practical achievement for Turks. In the meantime, another factor, which has apparently prompted Turkey to change its foreign policy approach are developments, which have taken place in Syria in the past year. These developments included a wide range from Syrian government’s advances in the battlefield through support of Russia and Iran to withdrawal of Syrian government’s opposition – most of whom enjoy the support of Turkish government – from many areas of the country, to infiltration of Takfiri terrorist into turkey and numerous bomb attacks in the country. The recent failed coup attempt in Turkey also served to speed up this process. On the other hand, Turkey’s effort to mend fences with Russia, Iran, Iraq, Egypt and Israel has been the main basis for this new move in the country’s foreign policy.

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Daily Report for Monday, August 22, 2016

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2. No exaggeration should be made about close relations among Iran, Turkey and Russia by considering them to be necessarily a strategic coalition, or as claimed by some people, an anti-American coalition. This new triangle of cooperation should be considered a tactical alliance based on specific goals while maintaining the differential points that exist among its three sides. Transfer of natural gas from Iran and Russia through Turkey is a clear field of cooperation toward which all the three countries are willing. However, the most urgent issue on the agenda of consultations among the three countries’ officials is the situation in Syria. Up to the present time, Turkey’s main priority with regard to Syria was to topple the government of President Bashar Assad, but Ankara has been changing its tone on this issue as of late. Of course, Turkish officials still talk about the need for Assad to relinquish power, but, firstly, such remarks have diminished in frequency compared to the past and secondly, their tone has turned softer. Thirdly, the issue of fighting against terrorism and containing insecurity in Syria has apparently become a more important concern for Turkish officials and this has turned into a common denominator for Turkey’s cooperation with Iran and Russia, which are strongly supporting Assad’s government in the face of the opposition. The need to fight against terrorist and extremist groups in Syria has brought the three countries closer together regardless of their position on Assad’s government. In the meantime, Turkey and Iran have another special concern, which is the issue of Kurds in Syria and the fact that the situation in the Arab country must not move in a direction that would allow Syrian Kurds to take steps for the division of the country.

3. The new step taken by Turkey to rebuild relations with Iran and Russia and launch joint cooperation in the case of Syria can be considered as a failure for Saudi Arabia and regional policies of this country. Saudi Arabia, along with Turkey, has been a pioneer in providing support for Assad’s opposition. Now that Turkey has adopted a more resilient position on this issue, Saudis find themselves in a more difficult position in the face of their main regional rival, that is, Iran. Of course, it is not clear whether this situation would also prompt Saudi Arabia to change its aggressive approach in the region or take steps in order to disrupt initiatives taken by the triangle of Iran, Russia and Turkey.

4. Cooperation among Iran, Russia and Turkey on the crisis in Syria can shift from a negative form, which is restricted to doing away with security concerns, to a positive form, which means making effort to come up with a new model for putting a political and peaceful end to the ongoing crisis in this country. This can be a big surprise and something that the entire region needs. It cannot be denied that Syria has currently

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Daily Report for Monday, August 22, 2016

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turned into the most important crisis in the region and restoration of calm to the region is, in the first place, dependent on the resolution of this five-year crisis. However, once again, exaggeration should be avoided in this regard. Although closeness among Iran, Russia and Turkey for the resolution of crisis in Syria is necessary and good news, it is by no means enough. Syria is an arena for various regional and transregional parties and these three countries are just part of them. There are also other countries and groups involved in Syria and the success of any plan and measure for Syria would depend on cooperation from all these countries. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United States are three more counties, which are both able to keep up the crisis in Syria, and if they wanted, to play a positive role for the transition of the country toward peace and stability. It seems that effectiveness of the triangle of Iran, Russia and Turkey with regard to Syria depends on convincing and attracting cooperation of other parties. In the meantime, Turkey can serve as a good link to bring opponents and proponents of the Syrian government together.

5. Establishment of a trilateral mechanism among Iran, Russia and Turkey can provide a model for reasonable and logical cooperation in the region. During recent years, the Middle East region has seen divergence among countries and deterioration of differences into hostility, and this situation has practically taken regional countries toward conflict. In other words, most regional trends in recent years have been of a confrontational nature. Of course, rivalry and differences are natural characteristics of international relations, but the ability to manage differences and avoid their escalation in addition to making effort to find common denominators as grounds for cooperation are major steps, which are needed to be taken by regional countries. The positive point about the triangle formed by Iran, Russia and Turkey is that these countries have stood by one another despite their differences and have made an effort to find common grounds even in areas of differences, for example, with regard to the situation in Syria.

This model of politics is one of those things that our region badly needs. Success of this diplomatic mechanism can lead to emergence of new viewpoints and new models for the entire region.

참조

관련 문서

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