IRAN's Domestic news

[SHAHED]

IRAN's Domestic news

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[SHAHED]

Minister: Iran at Apex of Its Might

TEHRAN (Fars) -- Interior Minister Mustafa Muhammad Najjar on Monday described the Iranian people's high turnout in the March parliamentary elections as a sign of strong public support for the Islamic Republic, saying the enemies gave up the military option after the nation's massive participation in the polls.
"They (the enemies) used to talk about a military invasion (prior to the recent elections) but now they just talk about the heavy costs of any military move and are sending messages in a non-stop manner and with a soft tone to persuade us to do compromise," Najjar said.
The interior minister also underlined that the country is now at the heights of its might and power in the region and the enemies are well aware of this fact.
Najjar said the massive voter turnout which showed the nation's full support for the Islamic establishment has discouraged the enemies from making any military move.


Europe Urged to Adopt a Realistic Stance

TEHRAN (Press TV/Fars) -- The head of Iran-Italy parliamentary friendship group has called on European countries to adopt a more realistic approach to their relations with Iran.
Hussein Sobhani-Nia made the remark in a meeting with Lapo Pistelli, a member of Italian parliament, IRNA reported.
He also said certain countries seek to create tension in Iran-EU relations in order to serve their own interests since they do not favor the resolution of any possible misunderstanding between Tehran and the European countries.
“European countries must not allow their national interests to get harmed under the shadow of other countries’ political objectives,” Sobhani-Nia added.
He referred to the good relations between Iran and Italy in political, economic and cultural sectors, and expressed hope that parliamentary cooperation would pave the way for the further development of bilateral ties in different areas.
Iran’s basic principle is to expand friendly ties with regional as well as European countries and to strengthen security and stability in the region, the Iranian lawmaker said, adding that Tehran has used its capabilities and influence to reinforce regional peace.
Pointing to Iran-P5+1 talks held earlier this month in Istanbul, Turkey, Sobhani-Nia described the negotiations as constructive and fruitful, and said Iran always welcomes dialogue in a transparent atmosphere and based on mutual understanding.
The Italian lawmaker, for his part, lauded Iran’s status in regional equations and said any current problem needs to be resolved through diplomacy.
Pistelli described his visit as one aimed at boosting bilateral ties, adding that more enhanced parliamentary relations between the two countries could contribute to the expansion of ties in other spheres.
Iran and the P5+1 comprising Britain, France, Russia, China, the United States and Germany wrapped up their latest negotiations in the Turkish city of Istanbul on April 14.
They agreed to hold the next round of talks in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad on May 23, 2012. Both sides hailed the discussions as constructive.
Tehran and the P5+1have already held two rounds of talks, one in Geneva in December 2010 and another in Istanbul in January 2011.
The first vice speaker of Majlis meanwhile reaffirmed Iran's determination in pursuit of its nuclear rights based on the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
In a meeting with Pistelli, MP Muhammad Reza Bahonar said the Iranian nation has an absolute right to use nuclear energy for peaceful objectives, Fars news agency reported.
The Islamic Republic of Iran will seek to practice its legal rights comprehensively within the framework of NPT regulations, he stated.
The Iranian lawmaker pointed to the recent talks between Iran and six major world powers (P5+1), and noted that the negotiations should also cover key regional issues, including the presence of foreign powers in the region and the fight against terrorism.
Bahonar emphasized that the sides can achieve positive results through cooperation in this regard.
He also expressed the Iranian parliament’s readiness to bolster relations with Italy in all fields regarding the two countries’ positive historical and parliamentary ties.
The Italian lawmaker, for his part, said Tehran and Rome share a common stance on issues such as terrorism and the need to establish stability in the Middle East.


Lift Sanctions

A senior Iranian lawmaker on Monday called on the West to lift or relieve sanctions against Iran during the upcoming talks between Tehran and the Group 5+1 in Baghdad next month in a bid to prove its goodwill and win the Iranian nation's trust.
"It is expected from the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) will ease up the sanctions against Iran and annul a number of them," member of the parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Zohreh Elahian said.
She expressed pleasure in the first round of talks held between the Iranian officials and representatives of the world powers in Istanbul, Turkey, on April 14, and said, "The atmosphere ruling these talks was positive and in Iran's interest since the results of these talks actually was an approval of Iran's right to make a peaceful use of the nuclear technology."
"If the same trend continues until the negotiations in Baghdad and actually, if the dominating atmosphere is accompanied by interaction and trust-building, the results (of the Baghdad negotiations) will naturally be positive," she stated.
Iran and the Group 5+1 resumed negotiations in Istanbul on April 14 after more than a year of stalled talks are due to continue their negotiations in a second meeting in Iraq's capital city, Baghdad, on May 23.


Accused Female Fraudsters Stand Trial

TEHRAN (Press TV) -- The seventh trial session of Iran’s biggest bank scam trial has been wrapped up after hearing the defense of four female defendants.
Four bills of indictment were read out at the session held on Sunday. Three of the four defendants or their lawyers also presented their last defense.
“The court deals only with evidence and women and men are equal in the eyes of the law,” Tehran Prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said.
“The criteria for a fair hearing .... include having an attorney, rule of law and the court be in public ...,” he said.
The representative of Tehran prosecutor, Mehdi Farahani, charged the defendants with various crimes, including Disrupting the Economic System.
“Charging the defendants with the serious crime does not mean that the punishments are harsh. Disrupting the Economic System is a charge that is punishable by a couple of years of prison all the way up to death,” Farahani said.
More than 100 people were arrested in the biggest fraud case in Iran’s history.
Officials stated that around three billion dollars were fraudulently taken out of the banking system using bank documents including letters of credit that were not backed by any goods or collateral.


Two More Pilgrims Released

TEHRAN (Press TV) -- Two Iranian nationals kidnapped by armed groups in Syria while on pilgrimage have been released and handed over to the Islamic Republic’s officials.
The two Iranians were set free in Turkey’s border province of Hatay Monday morning through the cooperation of Turkish officials, Iran's Ambassador to Ankara Bahman Husseinpour told IRNA.
He added that the two pilgrims have been handed over to officials at Iran's embassy in Ankara.
The Iranian envoy also noted that the pilgrims’ are not in good physical conditions and that they will fly back home via Istanbul once the conditions are right.
Husseinpour further explained that more efforts are underway to free four other Iranian pilgrims abducted in Syria.
Sixteen Iranian pilgrims, who were kidnapped in Syria, had earlier been released during two separate phases.
Efforts are also underway to release seven Iranian engineers who were also kidnapped by unknown armed gunmen in the restive Syrian city of Homs in December 2011.
On December 21, five Iranian electrical engineers were kidnapped on their way to a power plant in the troubled Syrian city of Homs by unknown gunmen.
Two more Iranian experts, who were trying to clarify the situation of the five abducted engineers, were also kidnapped and there has been no immediate report about their whereabouts.