Short News Summary, Friday, November 25, 2018. Continuous updates with the most important news from Iran and the world.
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00:22 26.8.1397 - Phone Conversation Between Erdogan and Trump Regarding Khashoggi Case and Syria The Turkish Presidency's office states that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump over the phone about the murder case of Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi, counter-terrorism efforts, and developments in Syria. According to Reuters, the two leaders emphasized the need to clarify all aspects of Khashoggi's murder case. Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post and a critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, went to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 to register his marriage but never emerged from the building. The report also mentions that Trump and Erdogan discussed developments in Syria, with Erdogan requesting Trump to end U.S. support for Syrian Kurds.
20:21 25.8.1397 - Bahman Amini, Director of Khavaran Publishing in Paris, Passed Away Reports indicate that Bahman Amini, the director of Khavaran Publishing in Paris, passed away on Friday in France. Mr. Amini had been suffering from cancer. He began his publishing career about 30 years ago with a small printing house in the Vincennes area. Khavaran Publishing published about 100 books over its 30 years of activity. A monthly meeting with a writer was held at the Khavaran bookstore on the last Sunday of each month. This publishing house was closed in 2016.
19:46 25.8.1397 - Federal Judge Rules for CNN Journalist's Return to White House Reports indicate that a federal court in Washington ruled on Friday that the White House must temporarily restore CNN journalist Jim Acosta's press credentials for covering White House news. CNN had requested that Acosta's credentials be reinstated pending the court's decision. CNN has sued President Donald Trump, his Chief of Staff, and the White House Press Secretary, claiming that the revocation of Acosta's credentials violated the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees freedom of the press. The current ruling is temporary, and the court has yet to decide whether Acosta's removal was lawful. The White House revoked Acosta's press credentials last week after a contentious press conference where Trump refused to answer Acosta's questions.
16:12 25.8.1397 - 'Restart' of Oil Exports from Kirkuk, Iraq After One-Year Halt Reuters reported on Friday, citing sources in Iraq's oil industry, that oil exports from Kirkuk have 'restarted' after a one-year halt. The Iraqi Ministry of Oil has not yet confirmed this news. Iraq took control of Kirkuk's oil after last year's independence referendum in the Kurdistan region and tensions with Erbil, halting exports from the region since then. Reuters interpreted this news as a 'small victory' for Washington, which has encouraged Erbil and Baghdad to set aside their differences, as the resumption of Kirkuk's oil exports could partially compensate for Iran's oil shortage due to sanctions. However, the report notes that oil exports from Kirkuk on Friday resumed at only 50 to 60 thousand barrels, which is not significant in the oil market, especially considering that exports from this region reached 300 thousand barrels per day last year. Kirkuk is considered one of the largest and oldest oil fields in the Middle East, located in northern Iraq.
15:58 25.8.1397 - More Details Released About Khashoggi's Murder Based on '15-Minute Audio File' One day after the Saudi prosecutor's request for the execution of five suspects involved in Jamal Khashoggi's murder, the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported the existence of a 15-minute audio file that proves the murder plot against the critical journalist was premeditated. Previously, there was talk of a seven-minute file that indicated Khashoggi was 'suffocated.' However, now AFP, citing Hurriyet, states that this new 15-minute file relates to the hour before Khashoggi's murder at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. According to this news agency, this new file confirms Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statements that the order to kill Khashoggi was issued 'at the highest levels.' Reports indicate that the team that came from Saudi Arabia was 'sitting in the consulate discussing how to kill him' before Khashoggi's arrival. On Thursday, following the release of reports from the Saudi Attorney General's statement, Turkey's Foreign Minister reiterated that this statement was 'not enough' and that the murder of the Riyadh critic was 'premeditated.'
14:29 25.8.1397 - More Sanctions Threatened for Russia by U.S. House Representative Eliot Engel, the incoming chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, threatened in an interview with AFP that Russia would face more sanctions due to its interference in the U.S. elections. Engel, a Democrat who will lead the committee following his party's victory in the recent elections, also promised to exercise greater oversight over diplomacy and foreign policy in the Trump administration. According to this Democratic representative, Trump's foreign policy has made Americans 'the laughingstock' of others. Engel emphasized that if 'collusion' between Trump's campaign and Vladimir Putin's government is proven, the House of Representatives, led by a Democratic majority, will impose further sanctions on Russia. Proving or disproving collusion is the task assigned to Robert Mueller, the special counsel, who has already brought several individuals and entities to court in this case.
12:39 25.8.1397 - 'Voluntary Return' Campaign for Migrants in Berlin Germany's immigration office has launched a website and installed advertising billboards in Berlin to encourage foreigners residing in the country to 'voluntarily return.' The target audience for these billboards appears to be illegal migrants who entered Germany since the 2015 migration wave to Europe. One of the billboards installed in the Berlin subway promises these migrants that if they return before Christmas, they will receive 12 months of housing costs. The website created by the German immigration office describes 'services and facilities' that migrants can receive in their home countries in several languages, including Pashto, Arabic, and Persian.
12:21 25.8.1397 - Denial of Gas and Electricity for Food Deal with Iraq Hamid Hosseini, spokesman for the Union of Oil, Gas, and Petrochemical Exporters in Iran, called the news of receiving food items from Iraq in exchange for Iranian gas payments a 'Reuters lie' and stated, 'The Iraqis have suggested paying for gas in dinars.' This refers to a report by Reuters two days earlier, citing unnamed Iraqi officials, which stated that 'Iraq has agreed with Iran to receive gas and electricity in exchange for delivering food and 'humanitarian' items to Iran.' Previously, the head of the Iran-Iraq Chamber of Commerce also called this news 'incorrect.' In this context, Hosseini told ISNA, 'Neither Iraq's ports have the capacity to provide food items to Iran, nor is Iraq a producer of food. Iraq itself is a major food importer from Iran; how can it provide food items to Iran?'
10:24 25.8.1397 - North Korea Tests 'Ultra-Modern Tactical Weapon' On Friday, AFP reported, citing North Korea's state news agency, that the country has tested an 'ultra-modern tactical weapon.' Reports indicate that Kim Jong-un, the young leader of North Korea, personally oversaw this test. This is the first time North Korea has officially announced a weapons test since the beginning of diplomatic efforts between Washington and Pyongyang. The North Korean state news agency did not specify the type of this 'new' weapon, only stating that the test was successfully conducted. It seems unlikely that this official report from Pyongyang will significantly aid the diplomatic and denuclearization process.
10:17 25.8.1397 - U.S. Senate Rejects Bill to Halt Arms Sales to Bahrain AFP reported on Thursday night that U.S. senators rejected a bill to halt arms sales to Bahrain by a majority vote. The bill, which opposed the sale of $300 million worth of arms to Bahrain, was proposed by Republican Senator Rand Paul and brought to the Senate floor. In contrast, opponents of the bill emphasized that Bahrain is 'one of the very important allies' of the United States in the Middle East, rejecting it by 77 votes to 21. Rand Paul is a staunch opponent of the war in Yemen, and Bahrain is part of a coalition led by Saudi Arabia that is supported by the United States. The U.S. Fifth Fleet is stationed in Bahrain.