Massacre of Trees in Shafaroud Forest

The newspaper Etemad reported on its front page on June 3 about the possible removal of "gasoline rationing," stating: "The government has moved towards implementing a single price policy in silence and by not depositing 700 Toman gasoline." Vatan-e-Emruz also reported on its front page about the "possibility of cutting gasoline rations" and quoted Bijan Namdar Zangeneh, the Minister of Oil, saying: "All options are on the table regarding gasoline." The newspaper Shargh published an interview with Wahid Mojdeh, a member of the Afghan Foreign Ministry during the Taliban, who stated: "ISIS was the focus of the Taliban delegation's discussions in Tehran." The newspaper Iran reported that Hamid Baidi-Nejad, head of the nuclear negotiation team experts, protested against the "distorted narratives of IRIB" regarding the negotiations. "Illegal gathering against the nuclear team" was also the front page headline of Shargh's Sunday issue. According to this newspaper, "The Basij Student Organization intended to hold its protest gathering in front of the Islamic Consultative Assembly at 5 PM on Saturday, but due to the lack of a permit from legal authorities, they changed the location to Palestine Square." Masoud Kazemi wrote in Shargh that "if the images of Ahmadinejad's recent appearances in various locations are examined, it can be seen that most of the young faces currently seen around Mahmoud Ahmadinejad were present at this gathering," adding that "the organizers of this illegal gathering coordinated the program and even the slogans with Mohammad Ali Ramin." The newspaper Javan reported: "Barack Obama signed a bill on Saturday that gives Congress the authority to oversee the nuclear agreement with Iran, thus allowing Congress to reject it even after the nuclear agreement between Iran and the 1+5." The newspaper Qanoon reported on its front page about the sale of "credit" bread and shared a real account of a student fainting in one of the schools in District 16 of Tehran due to malnutrition, stating that the student's mother told school officials: "We haven't eaten bread for three days. The bakery no longer gives bread on credit." The newspaper Shahrevand published a report on the "massacre of trees in Shafaroud forest," stating: "While the battle for the construction of the most controversial dam in the north of the country continues, many valuable trees in the Shafaroud forests around the dam area have been destroyed." The newspaper Jahan San'at dedicated its front page to a picture of a citizen of Khorramshahr thirty-three years after the liberation of Khorramshahr. Fatemeh Beikpour published a report titled "The Incurable Wounds of Khorramshahr" recounting her trip to Khorramshahr in May, mentioning poverty, unsuitable shanty houses, unemployment, and livelihood problems, the abandonment of sewage, gasoline sales on the streets, the spread of drug addiction, families with sometimes seven disabled children, and also the self-immolation of Younes Asakereh, quoting one of Khorramshahr's citizens as saying: "Khorramshahr still bears the heavy burden of economic and social problems." The newspaper Arman quoted the Deputy Consular of the Iranian Foreign Ministry as saying: "We have no entry bans." According to this newspaper, Hassan Qashqavi mentioned a resolution by the Supreme National Security Council, stating: "This resolution is a significant step that has been taken, allowing every Iranian to travel freely to and from the country" since "3 to 5 percent are opposition, and the other 95 percent can travel if they have no legal, criminal, financial, or political issues." Hassan Qashqavi emphasized that "we have no entry bans," stating: "The Ministry of Intelligence, the Judiciary, and the Foreign Ministry have no issues with the entry and travel of 95 percent of Iranians living abroad." The newspaper Kayhan reported on its front page quoting the Leader of the Islamic Republic as saying: "The voice of division is the enemy's loudspeaker," and the newspaper Resalat quoted Sadegh Larijani, head of the Judiciary, emphasizing that "the attacks are due to standing firm in major economic corruption cases." The newspaper Farhikhtegan reported with the headline "The End of the Iranian Lifeboat in Djibouti," stating: "The Iranian ship witnessed the Red Crescent's aid being unloaded in Djibouti port instead of Hodeidah port in Yemen, hoping that this aid reaches the needy people of Yemen as soon as possible." "The end of rationing" in government silence; the crowds at gas stations due to concerns about rising gasoline prices. The newspaper Etemad reported on its front page on June 3 about the possible removal of "gasoline rationing," stating: "The government has moved towards implementing a single price policy in silence and by not depositing 700 Toman gasoline." This newspaper noted that "the gasoline ration for personal vehicles was not deposited into the fuel cards for June," reporting on recent statements from government officials regarding the potential removal of gasoline rationing. On Saturday, Davood Arbabali, spokesperson for the National Oil Products Distribution Company, announced the reasons for the non-deposit of June gasoline rations for personal vehicles, stating that this issue occurred solely due to "government decisions." Davood Arbabali did not elaborate on the details of the government's new decisions regarding gasoline rationing but stated: "The National Oil Products Distribution Company, as the distributor and supplier of gasoline, implements the policies and decisions of the government." The spokesperson for the National Oil Products Distribution Company of Iran emphasized that the 700 Toman gasoline ration for "public vehicles and pickups" has been deposited for June, stating: "The deposit of gasoline rations for personal vehicles for June is currently in the decision-making stage." The newspaper Etemad also reported that the director of public relations at the Ministry of Oil stated on Saturday, June 2, that: "No final decision has been made regarding the fuel ration for personal vehicles, but it is likely that this ration will not be deposited, and personal vehicles will refuel at free rates from now on." Akbar Nematollahian stated that the status of the gasoline ration "will be clarified in the coming days, evaluating the single pricing of fuel for personal vehicles as a desirable measure," stating: "This will prevent illegal sales, smuggling, and excessive fuel retention in cards." According to Etemad, the public relations director of the Ministry of Oil emphasized that "public vehicles will receive fuel rations based on the routes they take and what is received from their waybills and GPS," stating: "This way, excess fuel will not be given, and each individual will receive fuel according to their consumption." This newspaper reminded that news regarding the potential removal of gasoline rationing has surfaced while previously Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, the government spokesperson, announced: "The government does not intend to raise gasoline prices," and Nasser Sajadi, the CEO of the National Oil Products Distribution Company of Iran, also emphasized in recent weeks that the price and ration of gasoline would not change. The newspaper Etemad also reported on the "increase in free gasoline sales," stating: "While the government's decision regarding the price and ration has not been clearly announced, field reports from Etemad reporters indicate an increase in free gasoline sales at stations," and investigations show that "in the past two days, fuel stations have experienced unprecedented crowds." A gas station worker in the Velenjak area told Etemad: "More than any other day, people come to buy gasoline. The rations have not been deposited, and people come to fill their tanks with free gasoline at 1000 Toman because they fear that gasoline will become more expensive." Etemad noted that "this is not the first time that people have waited in line until late at night out of fear of rising gasoline prices, enduring heavy traffic leading to the station." The newspaper stated: "Every time there has been a plan to raise gasoline prices, even if the rate change was announced at 9 PM, people have rushed to the fuel stations to fill their tanks at prices lower than before." However, this time, everything is shrouded in ambiguity. No one knows whether gasoline will become more expensive or if the issue is the removal of rations. Those who can explain this matter resort to vague and general statements. The spokesperson for the National Oil Refining and Distribution Company states that we have a government order but does not elaborate on the nature of this order." Etemad also reported, quoting "informed sources," that "the National Oil Distribution Company is waiting for a new order to deposit the rations, and at the gas stations, people are talking about the single pricing," and "prices are expected to rise, and the issue of non-depositing rations is related to this." The focus of the Taliban delegation's discussions in Tehran; concerns about the expansion of ISIS activities in Afghanistan. The newspaper Shargh published an interview with Wahid Mojdeh, a member of the Afghan Foreign Ministry during the Taliban, who stated: "ISIS was the focus of the Taliban delegation's discussions in Tehran." Wahid Mojdeh confirmed the Taliban political delegation's trip to Tehran in an interview with Zeynab Ismaili, a reporter for Shargh, stating: "One of these issues is news that a number of Afghan people have been sent to Syria to fight alongside Bashar al-Assad's forces against ISIS. So far, some of these individuals have been arrested, and some have been killed. There are also rumors about some of these individuals being sent to Yemen. The Taliban's concern is that such actions might provoke religious sentiments in Afghanistan, thus providing ISIS with a suitable opportunity for recruitment." According to this member of the Foreign Ministry during the Taliban, one reason for this delegation's trip to Tehran was the shared concern of both sides about the expansion of ISIS activities in Afghanistan, as "Iranian officials are worried about these reports, and it is said that the ISIS group has begun its activities in some areas of Afghanistan and has even carried out military operations. Iran, which has a long border with Afghanistan, is concerned that it might face the same issues on its eastern borders as it does on its western borders, especially with Iraq." Wahid Mojdeh told Shargh: "Iranian officials wanted to hear from the Taliban how accurate these reports are, especially in eastern Afghanistan, and how serious the military confrontations between the Taliban and ISIS in these areas are; on the other hand, the Taliban are concerned about the motivations that might empower ISIS in Afghanistan." According to the newspaper Shargh, Mohid Mojdeh also mentioned other topics discussed by the Taliban political delegation during their trip to Tehran, stating: "Although there are few reports on the topics discussed between the delegation and Iranian officials, a source close to the Qatar office says this trip followed the Pugwash meeting in Qatar, where the Taliban and representatives of the Afghan government informally met. After this meeting, the Taliban were invited by Iranian officials to Tehran and exchanged views on issues of mutual interest." Wahid Mojdeh stated that during their trip to Tehran, the Taliban political delegation "talked about the start of their operations this year, named 'Determination,' and their successes in the war against government forces and their progress in northern Afghanistan. They also clarified their views on peace, stating that no meetings have taken place regarding peace between them and representatives of the Afghan government so far, as the Afghan government seeks to establish peace through Pakistan in Afghanistan." According to this member of the Foreign Ministry during the Taliban, he emphasized that the Taliban political delegation expressed their views on the obstacles to peace in Afghanistan, with the presence of foreign forces in the country being at the top of these obstacles. The newspaper Shargh noted that "last week, the Tasnim news agency reported that the Taliban political delegation traveled to Tehran to meet with the security officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran," stating: "The Iranian Foreign Ministry expressed ignorance about these meetings, but Afghan news sources confirmed this trip." Previously, Mohammad Ismail Qasemyar, a member of the International Relations Committee of the High Peace Council of Afghanistan, also confirmed the Taliban political delegation's trip to Tehran, stating in an interview with Shargh that "a group of seven to eight members from the political office of the Taliban, residing in Doha, Qatar, traveled to Tehran," but "no news was published about the meetings of this delegation in Tehran." Wahid Mojdeh also confirmed in an interview with Shargh that "the head of the Taliban delegation during their trip to Tehran was 'Tayyib Agha,' the head of the Taliban's political commission, stating that 'Qari Din Mohammad Hanif' and 'Shir Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai' and probably 'Abdul Salam Hanafi' were also members of this delegation." This member of the Foreign Ministry during the Taliban emphasized that "the Taliban have previously made trips to Iran and have even been invited to participate in international conferences, such as the Islamic Awakening Conference." He noted that "Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson, in a statement sent to the media on May 30, confirmed the Taliban delegation's trip to Tehran and described it as part of routine trips to other countries to exchange views with their officials." According to Wahid Mojdeh, "There are rumors in Kabul that Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has also recently traveled to Tehran, but reliable sources only confirmed the trip of his son-in-law 'Ghayrat Bahir' to Tehran and stated that no high-ranking officials in Iran met with him."