The sanctions announced by the US Treasury Department on Thursday, targeted the entities cooperating with Iran’s Mahan Air, Caspian Air, Meraj Air, Pouya Air and Dena Air, which operates the airplane Iranian President Rouhani uses for his official travels.

According to Bourseandbazaar, an Iranian business news site, Dena Airways is the company which operates EP-DAA, an Airbus A340. Until November 2017, the aircraft was registered to Meraj Airways, an entity that was previously sanctioned as part of the Specially Designated Nationals list, known as the SDN list.

In Early February, German fuel companies refused to refuel Iranian foreign minister’s plane out of fear they would violate US sanctions against Iran.
The incident almost prevented Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif from attending the Munich Security Conference.

The US also imposed sanctions against nine Iranian and Turkish individuals and companies after President Trump withdraw from the nuclear deal between Iran and five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany. Under the deal, US was obligated to avoid imposing new sanctions against Iran.

The post US Bans Iranian Presidential Aircraft first appeared on .

Dr. Mahtan Pirouzmand, the head of the research team, said the team has managed to produce biodiesel through synthesis of nano-structured catalysts.

“In this project, we managed to synthesize nano-structured catalysts to provide a new method for turning used cooking oil to an affordable biodiesel,” she said.

Pirouzmand said results of the project showed biodiesel produced from waste cooking oil could be a cheap replacement for diesel made from fossil fuels.

Biodiesel can be used safely in any diesel-powered engine, be it a bus or a truck.

It is desirable as an alternative to petroleum fuel, as it used renewable resources that are less damaging to the environment to produce and emit less harmful greenhouse gasses when burned as fuel.

A variety of feedstock containing fatty acids, such as vegetable oils or animal fats, has been evaluated for the production of biodiesel. But the high price of vegetable oil ruled out its use for making bio-diesel.

Waste cooking oil is, therefore, the preferred source because it is an environmental waste generated in tones worldwide.

There have been efforts since 2006 to use non-edible or waste cooking oils as feedstock for biodiesel production, but such processes have so far remained complicated and expensive.

The post Waste Cooking Oil Could be Used to Produce Cheap Biodiesel Thanks to Nanotechnology first appeared on .

As countries of the world including Iran’s neighboring states are condemning today’s terrorist attacks in Tehran, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs refused to condemn the event. Adel Al-Jubeir was speaking in a joint press conference with his German counterpart in Berlin when he skipped a question asked by a reporter on terrorist attacks carried out in Tehran and asked for the next question.

Saudi Minister also threatened Iran few hours before the attacks carried out by terrorists in Tehran. Adel Jubeir said Iran must be punished for its interference in the region and support for terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaeda, Al Arabiya News Channel reported him as saying early Wednesday.

Although ISIS has taken the responsibility of Tehran terror attack, security experts and analysts in Tehran believe that Saudi is behind the attacks. A security source told Iran’s View that evidences show Saudi Arabia’s intelligence entities directly working along with the MKO agents in carrying out the terror attacks. Jihadi militias controlled by Saudi Arabia have been making connections with the MKO for almost a year now.

Earlier in May Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman al-Saud, the kingdom’s defense minister talked of his country’s efforts to take the battle inside Iran.

“We know that the aim of the Iranian regime is to reach the focal point of Muslims [Mecca] and we will not wait until the fight is inside Saudi Arabia and we will work so that the battle is on their side, inside Iran, not in Saudi Arabia,”he said.

In meantime Qatar that is accused by Saudi Arabia of siding with Iran has condemned the attacks. The State of Qatar has condemned and denounced the two attacks which took place in Iranian capital Tehran and left many more than 50 killed and injured.

The country’s Foreign Ministry stated Qatar’s firm stance against violence and its rejection of criminal acts, expressing condolences to the government and people of Iran and to the families of the victims.

The post Saudi Minister Refuses to Condemn Tehran Shootings first appeared on .

” Anyone who has benefited from affection and humanity is affected and disturbed by witnessing these scenes- whether it occurs in France or in Palestine or Iraq or Lebanon or Syria,” Iran’s leader writes as he explained his reason for reaching our directly to the Western youth. ” I genuinely believe that it is only you the youth who by learning the lessons of today’s hardship can be barriers in the misguided path that has brought the west to its current impasse.”

On late January, Ayatollah Khamenei published his first open letter to the Western youth and appealed them to make an effort to understand Islam before condemning it. In the letter, Iran’s leader asks a series of questions from its readers like if they have directly read the Qur’an of the Muslims or have studied the teachings of the Prophet of Islam and his “humane and ethical doctrines”? And possibly most importantly whether they have ever received the message of Islam from any sources other than the media?

below is full text of his second open letter:

In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful

To the Youth in Western Countries,

The bitter events brought about by blind terrorism in France have once again, moved me to speak to you young people. For me, it is unfortunate that such incidents would have to create the framework for a conversation, however the truth is that if painful matters do not create the grounds for finding solutions and mutual consultation, then the damage caused will be multiplied.

The pain of any human being anywhere in the world causes sorrow for a fellow human being. The sight of a child losing his life in the presence of his loved ones, a mother whose joy for her family turns into mourning, a husband who is rushing the lifeless body of his spouse to some place and the spectator who does not know whether he will be seeing the final scene of life- these are scenes that rouse the emotions and feelings of any human being. Anyone who has benefited from affection and humanity is affected and disturbed by witnessing these scenes- whether it occurs in France or in Palestine or Iraq or Lebanon or Syria.

Without a doubt, the one-and-a-half billion Muslims also have these feelings and abhor and are revolted by the perpetrators and those responsible for these calamities. The issue, however, is that if today’s pain is not used to build a better and safer future, then it will just turn into bitter and fruitless memories. I genuinely believe that it is only you the youth who by learning the lessons of today’s hardship, have the power to discover new means for building the future and who can be barriers in the misguided path that has brought the west to its current impasse.

It is correct that today terrorism is our common worry. However, it is necessary for you to know that the insecurity and strain that you experienced during the recent events, differs from the pain that the people of Iraq, Yemen, Syria and Afghanistan have been experiencing for many years, in two significant ways. First, the Islamic world has been the victim of terror and brutality to a larger extent territorially, to greater amount quantitatively and for a longer period in terms of time. Second, that unfortunately this violence has been supported by certain great powers through various methods and effective means.

Today, there are very few people who are uninformed about the role of the United States of America in creating, nurturing and arming al-Qaeda, the Taliban and their inauspicious successors. Besides this direct support, the overt and well-known supporters of takfiri terrorism- despite having the most backward political systems- are standing arrayed as allies of the west while the most pioneering, brightest and most dynamic democrats in the region are suppressed mercilessly. The prejudiced response of the west to the awakening movement in the Islamic world is an illustrative example of the contradictory western policies.

The other side of these contradictory policies is seen in supporting the state terrorism of Israel. The oppressed people of Palestine have experienced the worst kind of terrorism for the last sixty years. If the people of Europe have now taken refuge in their homes for a few days and refrain from being present in busy places- it is decades that a Palestinian family is not secure even in its own home from the Zionist regime’s death and destruction machinery. What kind of atrocious violence today is comparable to that of the settlement constructions of the Zionist regime?

This regime- without ever being seriously and significantly censured by its influential allies or even by the so-called independent international organizations- everyday demolishes the homes of Palestinians and destroys their orchards and farms. This is done without even giving them time to gather their belongings or agricultural products and usually it is done in front of the terrified and tear-filled eyes of women and children who witness the brutal beatings of their family members who in some cases are being dragged away to gruesome torture chambers. In today’s world, do we know of any other violence on this scale and scope and for such an extended period of time?

Shooting down a woman in the middle of the street for the crime of protesting against a soldier who is armed to the teeth- if this is not terrorism, what is? This barbarism, because it is being done by the armed forces of an occupying government, should not be called extremism? Or maybe only because these scenes have been seen repeatedly on television screens for sixty years, they should no longer stir our consciences.

The military invasions of the Islamic world in recent years- with countless victims- are another example of the contradictory logic of the west. The assaulted countries, in addition to the human damage caused, have lost their economic and industrial infrastructure, their movement towards growth and development has been stopped or delayed and in some cases, has been thrown back decades. Despite all this, they are rudely being asked not to see themselves as oppressed. How can a country be turned into ruins, have its cities and towns covered in dust and then be told that it should please not view itself as oppressed? Instead of enticements to not understand and to not mention disasters, would not an honest apology be better? The pain that the Islamic world has suffered in these years from the hypocrisy and duplicity of the invaders is not less than the pain from the material damage.

Dear youth! I have the hope that you- now or in the future- can change this mentality corrupted by duplicity, a mentality whose highest skill is hiding long-term goals and adorning malevolent objectives. In my opinion, the first step in creating security and peace is reforming this violence-breeding mentality. Until double-standards dominate western policies, until terrorism- in the view of its powerful supporters- is divided into “good” and “bad” types, and until governmental interests are given precedence over human values and ethics, the roots of violence should not be searched for in other places.

Unfortunately, these roots have taken hold in the depths of western cultural policies over the course of many years and they have caused a soft and silent invasion. Many countries of the world take pride in their local and national cultures, cultures which through development and regeneration have soundly nurtured human societies for centuries. The Islamic world is not an exception to this. However in the current era, the western world with the use of advanced tools is insisting on the cloning and replication of its culture on a global scale. I consider the imposition of western culture upon other peoples and the trivialization of independent cultures as a form of silent violence and extreme harmfulness.

Humiliating rich cultures and insulting the most honored parts of these, is occurring while the alternative culture being offered in no way has any qualification for being a replacement. For example, the two elements of “aggression” and “moral promiscuity” which unfortunately have become the main elements of western culture, have even degraded the position and acceptability of its source region.

So now the question is: are we “sinners” for not wanting an aggressive, vulgar and fatuous culture? Are we to be blamed for blocking the flood of impropriety that is directed towards our youth in the shape of various forms of quasi-art? I do not deny the importance and value of cultural interaction. Whenever these interactions are conducted in natural circumstances and with respect for the receiving culture, they result in growth, development and richness. On the contrary, inharmonious interactions have been unsuccessful and harmful impositions.

We have to state with full regret that vile groups such as DAESH are the spawn of such ill-fated pairings with imported cultures. If the matter was simply theological, we would have had to witness such phenomena before the colonialist era, yet history shows the contrary. Authoritative historical records clearly show how colonialist confluence of extremist and rejected thoughts in the heart of a Bedouin tribe, planted the seed of extremism in this region. How then is it possible that such garbage as DAESH comes out of one of the most ethical and humane religious schools which as part of its inner core, includes the notion that taking the life of one human being is equivalent to killing the whole of humanity?

One has to ask why people who are born in Europe and who have been intellectually and mentally nurtured in that environment are attracted to such groups? Can we really believe that people with only one or two trips to war zones, suddenly become so extreme that they can riddle the bodies of their compatriots with bullets? On this matter, we certainly cannot forget about the effects of a life nurtured in a pathologic culture in a corrupt environment borne out of violence. On this matter, we need complete analyses, analyses that see the hidden and apparent corruptions. Maybe a deep hate- planted in the years of economic and industrial growth and borne out of inequality and possibly legal and structural prejudice- created ideas that every few years appear in a sickening manner.

In any case, you are the ones that have to uncover the apparent layers of your own society and untie and disentangle the knots and resentments. Fissures have to be sealed, not deepened. Hasty reactions is a major mistake when fighting terrorism which only widens the chasms. Any rushed and emotional reaction which would isolate, intimidate and create more anxiety for the Muslim communities living in Europe and America- which are comprised of millions of active and responsible human beings- and which would deprive them of their basic rights more than has already happened and which would drive them away from society- not only will not solve the problem but will increase the chasms and resentments.

Superficial measures and reactions, especially if they take legal forms, will do nothing but increase the current polarizations, open the way for future crises and will result in nothing else. According to reports received, some countries in Europe have issued guidelines encouraging citizens to spy on Muslims. This behavior is unjust and we all know that pursuing injustice has the characteristic of unwanted reversibility. Besides, the Muslims do not deserve such ill-treatment. For centuries, the western world has known Muslims well- the day that westerners were guests in Islamic lands and were attracted to the riches of their hosts and on another day when they were hosts and benefitted from the efforts and thoughts of Muslims- they generally experienced nothing but kindness and forbearance.

Therefore I want you the youth to lay the foundations for a correct and honorable interaction with the Islamic world based on correct understanding, deep insight and lessons learned from horrible experiences. In such a case and in the not too distant future, you will witness the edifice built on these firm foundations which creates a shade of confidence and trust which cools the crown of its architect, a warmth of security and peace that it bequests on them and a blaze of hope in a bright future which illuminates the canvass of the earth.

Sayyid Ali Khamenei

8th of Azar, 1394 – 29th of Nov, 2015

The post Terrorism is Common Worry for Muslims and West, Says Iran Leader first appeared on .

By: Mahmoud Hedayatpanah*

The Turkish army, considering itself as the only founder of the Republic of Turkey and seeing itself as the guardian of Atatürk’s legacy, has always been trying to exert undue influence over and interfere in the politics of modern Turkey in order for them to be on right track for maintaining secularism.With the AKP (Justice and Development Party) rising to power and a process having kicked off in the 1980s, however, the influence lessened over time. The army leaders in Turkey are not that much pleased with it though. The fact that the army does not really have a great deal of room for maneuver in the political affairs originates from the growing political support for the parties.

Another reason given for the army’s reduction in power is the attempt made by Turkey so as to join the EU; as one of the key criteria for gaining admission to the EU is acceding to the parameters of Western liberal democracy, one of which is keeping the army under control by civil and political institutions, that’s to say only the political institutions have the authority, a situation which Turkey has stricken out;  Chief of the General Staff of Turkey, Doğan Güreş, had also claimed in 1992 that Turkey is a military state.

Such processes and the constitution change caused a reduction in power of the military interfering in the political affairs, but its natures did not change whatever. There is evidence showing that the government had nothing to do with the recent incident or at least did not, at all, intended to act as such, but in actual fact it was an attempt by the army to discredit the ruling Justice and Development government. Firstly, Turkey is a member of NATO, so it participates in the military exercises of NATO; it is common, however, for the Russians and NATO members, to intercept planes by jet fighters especially in the Baltic Sea, a trend having been continuing ever since the Cold War. Both the Russian and NATO aircraft have repeatedly approached and even violated one another’s airspace, but they had never clashed; that’s why NATO will not support Turkey regarding this incident as a probable reaction is expected to be done against NATO in the Baltic Sea by the Russians; Barack Obama, as well, in a phone call with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan suggested that they should think out well in order for similar incidents to be averted.

Secondly, a marked increase in trade between Turkey and Russia in 2014, which was $33 billion, was going to reach $100 billion up to 2010. So it is obvious that Russia is considered one of the most principal trading partners of Turkey, at the same time heavily dependent upon the Russian gas resources. Unprecedented, hostile act by the Turkish side may cause a breach between the two countries, and it seems very unlikely that Turkey would act with the aim of getting an important message across to Russia while Erdoğan was able to successfully tackle the economic problems and bring about a slight economic stability. That’s why he would not have intended anymore to get back to the past fragile economy.

A third point holding the attention is the Turkish statesmen backing down, such as Ahmet Davutoğlu stating that Russia is their friend and partner and they tend to keep the channels of communications open with Russia, or both Erdoğan and Davutoğlu pointing out that if they had been informed of the fact that the fighter belonged to Russian, they would not have acted as such, or the failed attempt Çavuşoğlu made in order for him to make contact with Russian Foreign Minister Segey Lavrov. If Turkey tried to get a message across to Russia, they would persist in the fact that the Russian fighter violated Turkish airspace and would be in a strong position against the Russians; but, they showed no insistence on their act in the aftermath of the incident, erroneously, for the sake of maintaining a good relationship between the two countries on Turkey’s part.

At last, it can be stated that with regards to a reduction in power of the army in having influence over internal affairs, the army tends to rely on the international scene so as to discredit the government, thereby reducing his power in Turkey and also causing the Justice and Development Party face domestic crises in order to ruin their reputation and efficiency; an opportunity of which the Turkish generals have taken definite advantage.

* Mahmoud Hedayatpanah, MA in Persian Gulf studies, is a military expert. His studies concentrate on Russian and American  military capabilities. He is fluent in English, Russian and Farsi.

The post Who in Turkery Shot the Russian Jet Down? first appeared on .

Looking well beyond the accepted “Western” narrative Arabia’s Rising proposes a fresh optic on the war-torn region, lifting the lid on its complicated past and let’s admit redacted religious identity.

A political analyst and commentator for the Middle East with a special focus on radical movements, Catherine Shakdam’s connection to the Middle East is one of profound love and respect: for its people, its history and the future its nations want to build for their sons and daughters.

Most importantly Arabia’s Rising offers context: religious context, historical context, political context …

An eye-opener and somewhat of a revelation, Arabia’s Rising opens a conversation on the future of the Middle East by looking back, linking history and old fractures to today’s hopes and aspirations.

Weaved around Islam’s history, Arabia’s Rising is one of those read which will echo long after all pages are read. And maybe, just maybe somewhere along the way, readers will learn that the Islam they were sold and the history they were do not exactly reflect reality.

Arabia’s Rising can be bought on Amazon – here (Kindle Edition) and here.

“A superb synthesis that distills the essence of Islam in theory and practice. Arabia’s Rising by Catherine Shakdam provides a concise yet comprehensive understanding of the Islamic worldview. Written in small segmented truth-bytes, which can be assimilated by lay and academic audiences, the author weaves past, present, and future seamlessly in a captivating narrative of cosmic consequence,” writes Dr. John Andrew Morrow, Senior scholar of Islam.

“Just as the world has learned to hate and fear Islam, blaming its people and its faith for the evil of radicalism, Arabia’s Rising came to shatter the web of lies, shining some truth on the people of Islam, on Islam’s history and a people’s aspirations. A brilliant analysis, Catherine Shakdam dares go where many analysts have not – exposing what real powers and real dynamics are at play in the Mid-East,” writes Marwa Osman a PhD candidate, lecturer and political analyst.

For all press inquiries contact Veritas Consulting
Email: catherine.shakdam@veritas-consulting.one
marwa.osman@veritas-consulting.one

The post Book Review: Arabia’s Rising – A Fresh Optic on the Islam & the Middle East first appeared on .

While Iran and the five members of the UN Security Council plus Germany are to start drafting the text of a comprehensive nuclear agreement on May 13, Ayatollah Khamenei said that the West’s expectation of limiting Iran’s missile program is foolish.

While the P5+1, led by the United States, has insisted that Iran’s ballistic missile program will be on the table in any comprehensive agreement, Iran repeatedly rejected any issue other than the nuclear program should be part of the negotiations.

“I always supported creativity in the foreign policy and the negotiations and always advise officials to apply utmost creativity in the international interactions. But the country’s needs and issues like sanctions should not be tied to the negotiations. The authorities should resolve the sanctions in a different way,” Iran’s Leader said today.

Iran and the P5+1 reached a landmark nuclear interim deal in Geneva on November 24, 2013 in which Iran agreed to dilute some of its 20% enriched uranium stockpile to a lower concentration and convert some into oxide.

Although the agreement came into force on January 20 but Iranian officials believes US failed to meet its commitments to easing of sanctions.

“[The West] expect to limit Iran’s missile program while they are threatening Iran with military action. Such expectations are foolish and idiotic.”
Iran’s IRGC displayed its latest aerospace achievements which include modern designation of ballistic missile systems and production of advanced drones.

During his two-hour visit from the IRGC exhibition, Ayatollah Khamenei also watched a recorded video of Iranian drones filming USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier. he then went to visited a captured American RQ-170 sentinel drone and its Iranian version that was manufactured by IRGC Aerospace Force through reverse engineering.

On 4 December 2011, an American Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was captured by Iranian forces near the city of Kashmar in northeastern Iran.

The Iranian government announced that the UAV was brought down by its cyberwarfare unit which commandeered the aircraft and safely landed it, after initial reports from Western news sources inaccurately claimed that it had been “shot down”. The United States government initially denied the claims but later President Obama acknowledged that the downed aircraft was a US drone and requested Iran to return it.

But Obama’s request rejected one day later by Iranian officials which urged US to apologize to the Iranian nation because of violating the country’s aerospace.

Below are Photos of Iran’s Leader visiting Aerospace Force of the IRGC exhibition:

The post Leader: West’s Expectation of Limiting Iran’s Missile Program is Foolish and Idiotic first appeared on .

The Leader voiced his strong support for the ongoing initiative of the current administration to engage in the talks with the West, including the US, to address Tehran’s nuclear impasse, and censured certain political parties who frowned upon the government’s diplomacy towards the West by installing derogatory banners and essays in the press.

Some of the banners showed the English-language slogan “The U.S. Government Styles Honesty,” and depicted a goateed Iranian official (presumably meant to resemble Zarif) sitting across from a U.S. counterpart who, under the table, conceals symbols of perceived American aggression.

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution advised the current administration against relying on the talks for resolving domestic issues. “We believe that officials should lean on domestic potentials to solve the matters. Successful countries in foreign diplomacy are those who place reliance on their domestic power.”

“We shall not trust a smiling foe. The Americans give us a venal smile at the negotiating table expressing tendency for talks, but at the very same time repeat that they have all the options on the table; what on earth may they do then?” the Leader went on to say.

Americans are most considerate when it comes to Zionists; but “we are free of such considerations. Since its incipience, we have regarded this regime as an illegitimate and bastard establishment.”

He underlined that talks with the US would only concern the nuclear issue, and posited, “Talks with the P5+1 group concern only the nuclear issue and nothing else.”

Referring to his New Year speech in the holy city of Mashhad, he said  that “as I have previously said I am not optimistic about the talks, though, God willing, the negotiations would not harm us.”

“By the talks the Iranian nation would enter into a superior intellectual phase,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.

“If the talks are successful, so much the better. But if they fail, the country shall stand on its own feet afterwards,” the Leader said confirming a previous speculation by Iran’sView.

Ayatollah Khamenei mentioned the nuclear issue of Iran with the West as well, and said, “Iran’s voluntary suspension of its enrichment program for two years in 2004 delayed the country at least two years in its nuclear agenda; however, it finally turned out to be our benefit… during the two years that Iran volunteered to suspend (uranium) enrichment, the West showed no sign of building confidence and easing sanctions against Tehran, so that the Leader mandated the then-administration to restore nuclear activities. Iran regards the 2004 failure as an instance for not trusting the West.”

The post Iran’s Leader Frowns at Hardliners, Pats Nuclear Negotiators first appeared on .

In response to a question asked by one of the student about the aftermath of the 2009 presidential election, Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei urged that the main figures behind the election unrest  should not be forgotten, emphasizing that although many made mistakes during the unrest, the main issue was violation of law and street riots.

After the reformist-backed Hassan Rowhani won the 2013 presidential election, a number of so-called reformist figures and media demanded the freedom of Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, two 2009 presidential candidates who are under house arrest for inviting people to street riots.

“The main issue should not be lost. Well, in 2009 election those who claimed fraud in the election why did called on people to come to streets to deal with the alleged cheating? Why don’t they answer this question?”

For the first time, Ayatollah Khamenei also talked about having private talks with the two candidates without mentioning their names. “We asked them many several times in non-public gatherings but they didn’t have any response. So why don’t they apologize? In private meetings they say we confess there was no fraud [in the 2009 election]. Well, if there was no cheating why did you brought all the disasters for the country. Why did you impose all the costs to the country?”

He warned that the 2009 unrest in Iran could have led to bloody conflicts like what currently is taking place in Egypt. “Had God not helped and people had fought each other, do you know what would have happened? Today you see in the countries in the region where people fight each other what happens. They led the country to the brink of such a precipice. God didn’t let that happen, the nation also had insight. This is the main issue of 2009 events.”

The MP Ali Motahari also demanded the clarification of the fate of Mousavi and Karroubi, pointing to the “national reconciliation” created as a result of the recent election. He also demanded “the removal of the effects of the 2009 crisis”.

But Iran’s leader has set two main conditions for forgiving Mousavi and Karroubi, “apologizing to the nation” and “publicly confessing that there was no vote fraud in 2009 election”.

Ayatollah khamenei also pointed to the strategy of the Islamic Republic in the region, emphasizing that Iran’s supports and policies about the regional events in most cases guarantees the internal stability of the country.

“The events you see happening in Egypt and some other places show Islamic Awakening exists in these countries but it wasn’t managed well, they acted naïvely. The scene in Egypt is a very painful scene. It is very painful for us who observe. This happened because of the mistakes. Some things should not have been done, some things should have been done but were not. The Arrogant Powers are in a strange lining today, making a long front against this awakening.

“When observing the regional events, one notices something and that is the deep strategy of the Islamic Republic in these regions. There are events that count like roots and means of stability or holding ropes of the tent for the inside [of the country]. This is deep strategy with which the Arrogant System is anxiously fighting, with no result so far and no result in the future.”

“They have a wrong understanding of our deep strategy and what they are doing is wrong,” Khamenei added.

In response to a student who asked about the motto of the president-elect, “the moderation policy”, the leader said the president himself is going to define “the moderation” and people can judge it then. He reiterated his support for Rowhani and the future government, reacting to the criticism against the president-elect. “I don’t oppose criticism but note that first, criticism is different from reproaching, and second, he must be given a chance to work.”

The post Iran’s Khamenei Lays Conditions For 2009 Protest Leaders Release first appeared on .

“True approaches of the revolution set by Imam Khomeini are clear and there’s no need to re-evaluate,” he said on Sunday.

Ayatollah Khamenei once again criticized the post 2009 election street riots and said: “Power transition in Iran was always calm and smooth, except for 2009 in which some people made blunders and pushed the country on the verge of collapse.”

“The Islamic Republic and the Iranian nation proposed a new model to the world; a healthy power transition without the common tricks in the west,” He added.

The Leader Defends Ahmadinejad’s Records

At the beginning of the session, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad read the report on what has been done in his 8 years of presidency.

Ayatollah Khamenei implicitly criticized some remarks by reformists against Ahmadinejad.

Newly elected president Hassan Rowhani was also present in the session. Ayatollah Khamenei’s remark to the next administration revealed that the Leader is not content with reformists cruel criticizing Ahmadinejad’s administration and believes that Ahmadinejad made more good in his administration than his failures.

“Every administration should take a positive look at his predecessor. It is worthy that the next administration shows as much enthusiasm and energy as the previous one.”

Stressing on the Diplomacy of Resistance

He also noted actions of some of the foreign countries against Iran, saying “Arrogant powers, some western leaders and some weak regional leaders formed a huge front against Iran that has not been done against any other country,”

“We have to be patient and resist the enemy front. We have to strengthen our national and domestic power to continue our advancement and reaching Idealistic goals,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.

He insisted on officials not to recoil on foreign pressures and said: “Our officials shouldn’t hesitate when facing political, economic and propaganda pressures by the enemies,”

“Senior officials, law makers and all officials in the country should focus on two main priorities which are economic issues and scientific advancement.”

“Our pace in scientific advancement in the past 10 years was very significant but we shouldn’t slow down. Because we have to keep pace to reach the front lines of science in the world.”

Interactions With the World is OK but US Proved We Shouldn’t Be Optimistic

“We have always believed in the interaction with the world but any interaction must be based on a proper recognition of the other side,” he said.

He reiterated the importance of noting other countries’ history with Iran and said: “When interacting with the world, we should not forget our enemy’s history; even if we don’t speak of it for some reasons.”

“I have previoulsy said that I’m not optimistic about direct talks, even though I didn’t bar direct talks in special circumstances like in Iraq.” said the Supreme Leader regarding recent remarks by US officials for direct talks.

“US officials are untrustworthy and not logical and not honest,” he said.

“US officials’ remarks in the past several months show that we shouldn’t be optimistic,” He added.

Hassan Rowhani said several times that he’s after improving relations with the world.

We can take the Leader’s remarks about interaction with the world as a rule of law for the next administration

“One should continue his path in global interaction without being stopped by enemies and it is harmful to make a U turn when interacting with the world.”

The post Iran’s Leader Sets The Tone For The Rowhani’s Administration first appeared on .