Short News Summary for Friday, August 17, 2018. Read the most important news from Iran and the world on the 26th day of Mordad 97 here moment by moment.
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Reuters: US and Russia Negotiating the Withdrawal of Iranian Forces from Syria. According to Reuters, the US and Russia have held negotiations regarding the withdrawal of Iranian forces from Syria, and for the continuation of these talks, the National Security Advisor of the White House will meet with senior Russian officials in Geneva. According to this report, John Bolton, the National Security Advisor to the US President, will meet and discuss with his Russian counterpart next week. This meeting, which will take place in Geneva, will continue the dialogue between the leaders of the US and Russia in Helsinki. According to a US government official, the Syrian war is at the top of the agenda for this meeting.
Iranian Defense Official: "Indigenous S-300 System to be Unveiled". According to IRNA, Brigadier General Mohammad Ahadi, Deputy for International Affairs of the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Support, claimed that the indigenized S-300 system, titled 'Bavar 373', has been designed and implemented and will be unveiled by the end of this year. The S-300 system is a powerful Russian missile defense system whose delivery to Iran has faced delays and tensions for years due to extensive sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
"30% of Schools in Southern Sistan and Baluchestan are Unusable". Mohammad Basteh Darazeh, representative of Saravan, Sib, Suran, and Zabol in the Parliament, described the situation of mud-brick schools in Sistan and Baluchestan province as critical and stated: "30% of schools in southern Baluchestan are hazardous and unusable." He mentioned that especially in Mehristan County, nearly all schools are mud-brick, and during storms and heavy rains in the province, students' lives are at risk, adding: "The condition of some schools is so dire that it is not even advisable for a student to study in them for a minute."
Waste Management Company Leaves Trash in the City Due to Debt from Kermanshah Municipality. Ahmad Safari, a member of the Kermanshah province representatives, stated in an interview with the 'House of the Nation' news agency that waste management in Kermanshah County has faced many problems over the years, and during these years, no agency or institution has been accountable for the improper, unprincipled, and hygienic disposal of waste in Kermanshah... and the stench from the accumulation of trash has become a problem for residents in the city center of Kermanshah. He added: "Considering that the waste recycling company has a significant debt from the Kermanshah municipality, it has not been fulfilling its recycling duties properly for some time, and it is unclear what decision will be made regarding this issue."
Tehran Friday Prayer Leader: The Country Can No Longer Endure Currency Shocks. Mohammad Hassan Abutorabi-Fard, the Friday prayer leader of Tehran, emphasized that "the country can no longer endure currency shocks," stating that the government should not consider short-term satisfaction as a criterion for its actions. Among other things, with the return of US sanctions against Iran, the Iranian currency market has also become chaotic. The US President has called for negotiations, but the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic has declared negotiations with the US to be prohibited. On the same day, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, the Minister of Interior, also stated in a meeting reviewing economic issues that "today the security of the country is intertwined with the economy, and there is no distance between them, and social damage and economic issues, if not addressed, will lead to insecurity." According to the newspaper Etelaat, he also added that "all the current currency and economic problems of the country are not solely due to the government's performance."
Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf: Lifting House Arrest and Ban on Media is Necessary for Cohesion. The Deputy Speaker of Parliament stated that to maintain cohesion and national unity, house arrest and media bans must be lifted. Masoud Pezeshkian, the Deputy Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, stated that events such as ending house arrest and lifting the media ban on Mohammad Khatami, the former President of Iran, can help maintain cohesion and strengthen social capital.
Hundreds of Google Employees Protest Potential Launch of a Censored Search Engine in China. Hundreds of Google employees have protested the company's policies regarding the launch of a "censored search engine" for China. In a letter signed by 1,400 people, it was stated that Google has agreed to accept China's strict demands for censorship and limitations and is secretly building a search engine compliant with those restrictions. The CEO of Google stated on Thursday that Google's activities are transparent and that the company is not on the verge of launching any search engine in China. Google had previously decided to exit China eight years ago due to censorship and repeated hacking incidents. Earlier this year, thousands of Google employees also protested against a $10 million contract signed with the US military. This contract was not renewed.
Imran Khan Becomes Prime Minister of Pakistan. Imran Khan, a former cricket player, was announced as the Prime Minister of Pakistan by the Parliament on Friday. During the elections, Imran Khan criticized the "liberals" in Pakistan and has aligned himself with conservative and religious groups. Several political parties in Pakistan protested what they called "fraud" in these elections, stating that if new elections are not held, they will resort to nationwide protests. Officials from the US State Department also expressed concern over the conduct of the elections in the country. Meanwhile, the US has announced its readiness to cooperate with the new government in Islamabad.
Four Border Guards Injured; Border Clashes in Iran Increase Fivefold. Mohammad Fallahi, the governor of Baneh, reported that four border guards were injured in clashes with armed opponents of the Islamic Republic on the "Bardebook" road in Baneh. A group known as the "Eagles of Zagros" claimed responsibility for the attack and stated that "Kootari," the commander of the Choman and Zaleh border regiment, was one of the injured. Recently, Qassem Rezaei, the commander of the country's border guards, announced during a visit to the border unit in West Azerbaijan that border clashes, or as he referred to them, "mischiefs," have shown a fivefold increase recently.
Alim al-Huda: They Steal, Eat, and Take Away. Ahmad Alam al-Huda, the Friday prayer leader of Mashhad, said: "The leadership explicitly stated that the President came and openly admitted that if it weren't for your restrictions, we would have given more concessions. If it weren't for the leadership, and he had not prevented it, the government would have given more concessions in this failed and cursed JCPOA. They opened their eyes and saw that the US had undermined them, thousands of our centrifuges turned into scrap metal, and our reactor pit was filled with concrete." He addressed the Rouhani administration, stating: "Instead of rescuing people from the grip of economic hardship that some opportunists are exploiting, they steal, eat, and take away, and then we say let's negotiate with France, England, and Germany?" The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic stated on Tuesday regarding the nuclear agreement: "In the matter of negotiations, I made a mistake and allowed the experience at the insistence of the gentlemen, which of course also crossed the red lines set. The President admitted that if your restrictions weren't there, we would have given more concessions."