Warships to Call At Chinese Ports

Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari says a fleet of Iranian warships will be docking at the Strait of Malacca and China in the near future.
In line with guidelines from the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei for the Navy ‘s presence in international waters and assert Iran’s maritime authority, Iranian naval forces have been sent to the high seas, said Sayyari Sunday, Press TV reported.
The naval commander added that the presence of Iranian warships in international waters does not pose a threat to other countries, stressing that based on international law Tehran has the right to sail the high seas.
He stated that Iran’s oil tankers and merchant vessels--which used to fall prey to pirates in the Gulf of Aden and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the past--can now safely cruise in high seas, thanks to the protection offered by Iranian naval forces.
Iran’s Navy commander concluded that Iranian ships have been conducting anti-piracy missions in the northern Indian Ocean over the past three years, and have docked at ports in Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Djibouti. Iranian warships will soon dock in Chinese ports, Sayyari added.
Sayyari said the Iranian Navy plans to station warships in the Strait of Malacca--a narrow 805-kilometer (500-mile) stretch of water between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra--in the near future.

Unmatched in Region
Sayyari lauded his forces’ rapid move towards progress, and termed the Iranian Navy the best naval power in the region.
“We have been able to become the best naval power in the region by upgrading our naval capabilities,” Sayyari said.
“The Navy of the Islamic Iran is constantly moving towards progress,” he told IRNA.
The commander further renewed Iran’s support for regional security, and stated, “We are after sustainable security in the region and want to see this durable security in the region and the Strait of Hormuz.” The Iranian Navy has accelerated and widened its progress after the Leader described it as ‘a strategic force’.
“Given the current issues of the world and today’s geopolitical conditions of the world, we should strengthen ourselves in sea and in coast as far as we can,” Ayatollah Khamenei stressed on November 28, 2010, addressing senior Navy commanders here in Tehran in a ceremony to commemorate the National Navy Day.
The Leader also stressed that increasing manpower, recruiting talented personnel and taking innovations and initiatives into action are highly necessary for the future of the country’s naval forces.
Iran’s naval power has even been acknowledged by foes. In a 2008 report, the Washington Institute for the Near East Policy said that in the two decades since the Iraqi imposed war on Iran, the Islamic Republic has excelled in naval capabilities and is able to wage unique asymmetric warfare against larger naval forces.
According to the report, Iran’s Navy has been transformed into a highly motivated, well-equipped, and well-financed force and is effectively in control of the world’s oil lifeline, the Strait of Hormuz.
The study says that if Washington takes military action against the Islamic Republic, the scale of Iran’s response would likely be proportional to the scale of the damage inflicted on Iranian assets.

Outcome of Syria Talks Expected Soon

The outcome of the trilateral meeting between the Islamic Republic, Egypt and Turkey on the Syrian crisis will soon be announced, said Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi.
“Heads of states of Iran, Egypt and Turkey held consultations on this (the Syria crisis) and we reached good conclusions,” Salehi said on Monday, adding, “The Egyptians are scheduled to announce the outcome of the negotiations today.”
On February 7, Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad held a meeting with his Egyptian and Turkish counterparts Mohamed Morsi and Abdullah Gul to discuss the ongoing crisis in Syria and the solutions to end the unrest in the Arab country, Press TV reported.
During the trilateral meeting in Cairo, which was held on the sidelines of the 12th summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the three sides called for an immediate settlement of the crisis and an end to the bloodshed in Syria.
The top diplomat further said that the Syrian government has proposed a national dialog after a ceasefire takes effect between the government and opposition groups. Referring to Iran’s six-point peace plan for Syria, Salehi said that, under the proposal, violence should be stopped in the Arab country and the Syrian government and opposition groups should form a transitional government.
On December 16, Iran unveiled the details of a six-point plan to resolve the ongoing crisis in Syria, which calls for an immediate end to all violent and armed acts.
The plan also calls for the dispatch of humanitarian aid to Syrians following the end of all conflicts, the lifting of all economic sanctions imposed against the country, and the facilitation of the return of displaced Syrians to their homes. It also calls on the Syrian government and the representatives of all Syrian groups irrespective of their political and social tendencies to hold talks in order to form a national reconciliation committee.

Ties With Algeria on Right Track

Head of Iran-Algeria Parliamentary Friendship Group Gholam Reza Mesbahi Moqaddam voiced his satisfaction with the level of mutual cooperation between the two countries, but expressed the hope that Tehran and Algiers would further enhance their relations.
Mesbahi Moqaddam made the remarks in a meeting with Chairman of the Algerian parliament’s Foreign Affairs Commission bel-Qassem bel-Abbas in Tehran on Monday, Fars News Agency reported.
“The bilateral political ties between the two countries are in proper conditions and we hope that we also witness expansion of friendly contacts between the two countries in other arenas, specially in parliamentary relations,” the senior Iranian legislator said.
The Algerian lawmaker, for his part, expressed pleasure in the visit to Iran and also his talks with Iranian officials. Bel-Abbas, who is heading a high-ranking parliamentary delegation to Iran, said that the Algerian parliament is determined to expand bilateral ties with the Iranian parliament.

Moscow Stresses Convergence With Tehran

Deputy Speaker of Russia’s State Duma Nikolai Levichev said on Monday that Moscow attaches great importance to convergence with Iran.
Levichev, who is also head of Iran-Russia parliamentary friendship group, made the remarks in an international conference on Iran and regional cooperation in Eurasia that opened in Tehran this morning.
He said Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly underlined strengthening cooperation in Eurasia.
The high-ranking delegation from Russia’s lower house of parliament arrived in Tehran late on Sunday for an official visit to Iran to explore the expansion of Moscow-Tehran ties.
The four-member delegation is scheduled to hold talks with Majlis (parliament) Speaker Ali Larijani, Chairman of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Alaeddin Boroujerdi, and head of the Iran-Russia Parliamentary Friendship Group Mehdi Sanaei.
During their four-day stay, the delegation will also meet a number of officials from the Iranian Foreign Ministry to discuss enhancement of diplomatic ties, as well as the scientific and trade cooperation between Moscow and Tehran.
The Russian politicians will then head to the central Iranian city of Isfahan, located 414 kilometers (257 miles) south of Tehran, where they will hold talks with the governor of Isfahan province, Alireza Zaker Isfahani.
The Russian parliamentary delegation will leave Tehran for Moscow on Friday.

Venezuelan Arms Maker To Continue Iran Trade

Venezuelan officials said the state-owned weapons manufacturer, CAVIM, will keep on trading with Iran in defiance of US sanctions imposed on the company.
“We think that it is logical for Venezuela to have trade and economic relations with all countries in the world. We are exercising our sovereignty,” Venezuelan envoy to international rights bodies, German Saltron said, Press TV reported on Sunday.
“We feel it is an abuse of power that the United States’ government is trying to block Iran from trading with other countries,” he added.
On February 11, the US State Department imposed sanctions on CAVIM allegedly for violating the so-called Iran Nonproliferation Act of 2000, which aims to prevent Tehran from acquiring weapons of mass destruction. According to the US State Department website, sanctions on the Venezuelan weapons manufacturer will be in place until February 2015.
The US, the Israeli regime and some of their allies have repeatedly accused Iran of seeking to produce an atomic bomb under the cover of its nuclear energy program, a claim Iran has categorically rejected.
In 2011, Washington imposed sanctions on Venezuela’s state-owned giant oil company, PDVSA, for having oil deals with Iran’s energy industry and as part of its campaign to tighten sanctions on the Islamic Republic over its nuclear energy program.
Under the sanctions, PDVSA is denied US government contracts and banned from Washington’s export financing.
The administration of President Barack Obama is alleging that Iran is using its close economic relationship with Socialist President Hugo Chavez’s government to establish a military presence in Latin America.
In December 2012, the US president enacted a law ‘aimed at countering Tehran’s alleged influence in Latin America’.
Strategically dubbed as ‘Countering Iran in the Western Hemisphere Act of 2012’, the act calls for the State Department to develop a plan within 180 days to ‘address Iran’s growing hostile presence and activity’. However, Iran and Venezuela have continued to expand trade ties despite these sanctions.
More than 100 agreements have been signed between the two countries over the past decade, while last year Iranian firms signed a $2.5 billion contract to build 17,000 houses for underprivileged people in Venezuela.
The Islamic Republic has been seeking to expand relations with Latin American countries over the past years, describing the endeavor as one of its major foreign policy strategies.
Iran’s growing popularity in Latin America has raised major concerns in Washington, which regards the region as its strategic backyard and traditional sphere of influence.

Islamic Revolution Flourishing Despite Western Pressure

Iran’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Mohammad Khazaei played down the effects of western sanctions against Tehran, and said the Islamic Revolution is spreading its ideas across the world despite pressures.
“Today the world is witnessing that the Islamic Revolution of Iran has not been weakened despite all pressures and sanctions rather the scope of its influence has expanded more than ever,” Khazaei said in a ceremony to mark the 34th anniversary of the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in New York on Sunday, Fars News Agency reported.
He reminded the Islamic Revolution’s influence on the recent revolutions in the Middle-East, and said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran’s views influence all major regional issues due to the power and magnificence of the Iranian nation, and the role and presence of the Islamic Republic of Iran is always emphasized in the settlement of these problems.”
Washington and its western allies accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian nuclear program, while they have never presented any corroborative evidence to substantiate their allegations.
Iran denies the charges and insists that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.

President Backs Anti-Poverty Fund

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has welcomed Kuwait’s proposal to set up a two-billion-dollar fund to fight poverty in Asia.
He said the active contribution of Asian countries to the fund would greatly benefit their governments and nations.
In a meeting with the Kuwaiti Deputy Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah in Tehran on Sunday, Ahmadinejad termed Iran-Kuwait ties as brotherly and deeply-rooted.
He added that Asian summits and cooperation within the framework of agreements reached at such high-level meetings will cement diplomatic ties and help promote regional solidarity.
Al-Sabah, for his part, said the Islamic Republic of Iran plays an important role in regional equations, stressing that Tehran’s active participation in Asian forums will ensure their success.
He also pointed to the ever-increasing relations between Kuwait City and Tehran, and said Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is resolute to forge strong ties with Iran. At the end of the meeting, Sabah submitted a letter from the Kuwaiti ruler to Ahmadinejad.

France Nuclear Allegations Baseless

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast has condemned as ‘meddlesome and baseless’ the recent allegations by the French defense minister about Iran’s nuclear energy activities.
“Instead of interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, they (French officials) should consider reforming the deplorable situation of human rights in their own country,” Mehmanparast said on Sunday, Press TV reported.
The official cited the violence and torture against French citizens and refugees, the racial discrimination and death of French citizens in prisons as some of the instances of human rights abuses in France, saying that these acts have already drawn the condemnation of international organizations.
“The dual behavior of those who pretend to advocate freedom of expression is not something new and our wise people are aware of these desperate moves.”
Mehmanparast reiterated that sanctions and pressure cannot force the Iranian nation to retreat from its basic rights to develop and possess nuclear energy, and advised the French government to adopt a realistic approach instead of ‘irrational behavior and remarks’. French Defense Minister Jean-Yves le Drian on Saturday repeated the unfounded western allegations that Iran is pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program and called for the intensification of the US-led sanctions against Tehran.
Iran has strongly rejected the allegations, arguing that as a committed signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it is entitled to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
In addition, the IAEA has conducted numerous inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities but has never found any evidence that the Iranian nuclear energy program has been diverted toward non-civilian objectives. Mehmanparast reaffirmed the peaceful and transparent nature of Iran’s nuclear activities and cited the Islamic Republic’s ‘close and continuous’ cooperation with the IAEA as indicative of this.
The spokesman further described the Israeli regime and its western allies as the root of insecurity and instability in the region.
“The root of regional insecurity and instability is the Zionist regime (Israel) and its western supporters as well as all those who are active in supplying weapons and also sowing the seeds of discord among the Muslim nations of the region and intensifying conflicts and bloodshed.”

Fordo Closure Offer...

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“The Fordo site [located near the city of Qom] will never be shut down,” and that proposing its closure was ‘meant to help the Zionist regime’, he said.
Western officials said last week the offer to ease sanctions barring gold and other precious metals trade with Iran would be presented at talks between Iran and the six powers of the P5+1 group--the US, France, Russia, Britain, China, and Russia plus Germany--in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on February 26.
They acknowledged it represented a relatively modest update to proposals that the six major powers made in talks last year.
Israel, assumed to be the Middle East’s only nuclear-armed power, has threatened to attack Iran over its nuclear program.
The US and some of its allies have repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program.
Iran says its aims are purely peaceful and that it enriches uranium to a higher grade to make isotopes for medical purposes.
US officials have sought to prevent Turkish gold exports, which indirectly pay Iran for its natural gas, from providing a financial lifeline to Tehran, largely frozen out of the global banking system by western sanctions over its nuclear program.

Expanding Ties

Denmark’s Ambassador to Tehran Anders Christian Hugard and Governor General of the northeastern Khorasan Razavi province Mohammad Hossein Forouzanmehr called for the expansion of ties between the two nations.