KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, July 29--Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and the European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana on Friday discussed latest developments in the Middle East, particularly those in Lebanon.
During the meeting, the Iranian minister briefed Solana on Iran’s nuclear stance, IRNA reported.
Mottaki was in Malaysia on an official two-day visit at the invitation of his Malaysian counterpart Syed Hamid Albar.
While in Malaysia, the Iranian minister discussed with foreign ministers attending the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) the developments in Lebanon and Palestine, and explored avenues to end the Zionist Israeli regime’s adventurism.
Also on Friday, Mottaki said the UN Security Council has so far failed to fulfilled its main duties in supporting the Palestinian and Lebanese people in the face of the Israeli regime’s brutal attacks.
Mottaki was talking to reporters after five foreign ministers of the Group of Eight developing Muslim countries (D8), including Malaysia, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Indonesia and Iran, issued a statement on the ongoing developments in the Middle East in general and Lebanon in particular.
The Iranian foreign minister noted that the UN Security Council failed because a hegemonic power is dominating it.
“The UNSC was unable even to establish a ceasefire in the region. We believe all these shortcomings stem from the domination of a hegemonic power over the Security Council, which dictates its will to others,“ he said.
The five foreign ministers, in their statement, expressed their deep concern over the deteriorating situation and escalating tension in the occupied Palestinian lands and Lebanon.
“We expect the Security Council to recognize the Zionist regime as responsible for all the crimes and damage committed in Lebanon and Palestine, and enforce an immediate ceasefire,“ he said, adding that Iran’s stance is based on full cooperation with the international community to settle the crisis in Lebanon.
Mottaki stressed that a collective will is needed to materialize this goal.
“Islamic states will do their utmost to resolve the case. Iran, as a member of the Organization of Islamic Conference, will do its best to help settle the dispute in Lebanon with all its power,“ he said.
Asked about the outcome of his talks with foreign ministers attending the ARF meeting, he said bilateral relations were discussed with his Chinese counterpart, Li Haoxing.
The two sides also exchanged views on Middle East developments and Iran’s nuclear case.
Li Zhaoxing stressed a peaceful solution to Iran’s nuclear case.
“Beijing believes negotiations would be the best solution to the nuclear standoff,“ he said.
In a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart, Khurshid Kasuri, Mottaki discussed the gas pipeline project and its technical aspects.
In a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso, the foreign minister exchanged views on bilateral relations, international developments, the Lebanon crisis and Iran’s nuclear program.
Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam are ASEAN member-states.
Mottaki returned to Tehran from Kuala Lumpur late Friday.

TEHRAN, July 29--Iran’s seventh aid consignment was sent to Lebanon on Saturday.
According to IRNA, Iran’s Red Crescent Society sent 30 tons of aid, including 800 blankets, instruments and medicines.
Earlier, high-ranking Iranian and Syrian health officials discussed ways of delivering aid to Lebanon.
Iran’s Deputy Health Minister Seyyed Moayyed Alavian met separately with Syrian Minister of Health Maher Al-Husami and State Minister for Red Crescent Affairs Bashar Al-Shaar and expressed Iran’s readiness to send food and medical aid to Lebanon.
Iran had already sent six humanitarian aid consignments to Lebanon last week.
Iran’s Red Crescent Society has also sent three ambulances and 12 tons of food, medicines and medical equipment for the oppressed Lebanese nation.
Twenty more ambulances and 38 tons of food and medicines will also be sent to Lebanon in the coming days.

TEHRAN, July 29--The court session of editor-in-chief and cartoonist of the supplement ’Iran Jomeh’ of the Persian daily ’Iran’, Mehrdad Qasemfar and Mana Neyestani respectively, will be held on September 17.
Mahrokh Gholamhossein-Pour, who met her jailed husband Qasemfar in Evin Prison on Thursday, said that her husband and Neyestani have been held in temporary custody since last 68 days while investigations lasted only one week after their imprisonment, ISNA reported Saturday.
Referring to the recent statements of Justice Minister Jamal Karimi-Rad about setting a two-month limit for the temporary detention of the two journalists, Gholamhossein-Pour said their lawyers have not been able to change the arrest warrant into a bail.
“My husband was arrested on May 23 on charges of publishing an offensive cartoon and insulting the Turkish-speaking people. He was then temporary detained for one month,“ she said, adding that investigations showed that the controversial caricature was published inadvertently and not intentionally.
Gholamhossein-Pour further said that the continued detention of Qasemfar is not legal.
“I have not been able to meet Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Seyyed Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi to brief him on my problem,“ she said.
Qasemfar and Neyestani as well as managers of the Persian daily ’Iran’ earlier apologized for the publication of this caricature which also led to the temporary closure of one of the mass-circulation papers.

Abbasali Kadkhodaei

TEHRAN, July 29--Spokesman of the Guardians Council, Abbasali Kadkhodaei, said on Saturday no legal restriction prevents supervisory boards from contacting more than four reliable sources for vetting candidates.
Kadkhodaei told reporters that members of the supervisory boards should visit the workplace and residence of the candidates, Fars News Agency reported.
He further said that the council had previously announced that it does not oppose the bill on concurrently holding the elections of local councils and Experts Assembly.
The GC spokesman, however, noted that the council has not received the Majlis approved bill to comment on it.
Asked about the preparation of a comprehensive election bill by the Interior Ministry, the official said the council and the ministry have not met to discuss the bill.
“I think many contradictions of the bill should be removed after the Majlis reviews it. And other contradictions of the bill should be removed by the council,“ he said.
Commenting on the recent statements of Guardians Council Secretary Ahmad Jannati, who said that the visit by members of the supervisory boards to the workplace and residence of candidates does not contradict the law based on which only four reliable sources should comment on a candidate’s qualifications, Kadkhodaei said it is a misinterpretation of the law to restrict reliable sources to only four.
“The qualification of candidates also depends on different issues such as managerial skills and their credibility. Since the managerial skills and credibility of the candidates cannot be confirmed by four reliable sources, the members of the supervisory boards should visit the workplace and residence of candidates,“ he said.
Kadkhodaei pointed out that the Guardians Council approved a double-urgency bill on extending the activities of the Press Supervisory Boards for another two years.

KABUL, Afghanistan,
July 29--Vice President for Executive Affairs Ali Saeedlou, heading a delegation, arrived on Saturday in the western Afghan city of Herat.
Saeedlou was welcomed at Herat airport by Afghanistan’s First Vice President Ahmad Zia Massoud, Iran’s Ambassador to Kabul Mohammad Reza Bahrami and Herat Governor General Ali Anvari as well as the staff of Iran’s consulate in Herat, IRNA reported.
The vice president is in Afghanistan to attend the inaugural ceremony of a route connecting Herat to Maymana, Afghanistan’s Faryab province, and the construction of a railroad from Khaf city to Herat.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Asia and Pacific Affairs Mehdi Safari and Deputy Minister of Roads and Transportation Hamid Behbahani as well as Governor General of Iran’s northeastern province of Khorasan Razavi Mohammad Javad Mohammadizadeh are accompanying Saeedlou during his Afghanistan visit.

Tehran needs at least 105,000 taxis while 43,000 taxis are plying the streets in the 12 million-strong capital city. (IRNA Photo)

TEHRAN, July 29--Tehran needs at least 105,000 taxis while 43,000 taxis are plying the streets in the 12 million-strong capital city, an official said on Saturday.
Managing director of Tehran Taxi Organization, Hossein Teymouri-Kermani, also told ISNA that 50,000 drivers of gypsy cabs are not covered by the organization.
He noted that 6,000 applicants have applied for permits and their cases will be finalized soon.
Referring to the suspension of the plan to cover gypsy cabbies, Teymouri-Kermani said gypsy cabbies cannot change their vehicles to taxis based on a Traffic Police Department’s bylaw.
“Taxi officials are currently negotiating with Traffic Police officials to resolve the problem as soon as possible,“ he said.
In related news, deputy Tehran mayor for transportation and traffic, Seyyed Jafar Tashakkori-Hashemi, called on the private sector to invest in the public transportation sector, IRNA reported.
Tashakkori-Hashemi noted that the development of the public transportation fleet, including buses, mini-buses, taxis and vans, is the major concern of Tehran officials and citizens.