Short news updates for Wednesday, August 8, 2018. Read the most important news from Iran and the world on the seventeenth day of Mordad 1397 here moment by moment.
The latest updates include:
20:33 17.5.1397 Khamenei: Do not worry about the future. The publication "Khatte Hezbollah," released by the office of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, included Ali Khamenei's reaction to what he described as "concerns and worries of revolution enthusiasts across the borders" regarding the future. According to the Leader's website, he stated in the presence of a group of cultural activists abroad: "They should not worry about our situation at all; no one can do anything, rest assured, there is no doubt in this regard; tell everyone this." The site did not specify the concerns mentioned, but the Islamic Republic is witnessing widespread protests and turmoil in the currency, gold, and essential goods markets as it approaches the fortieth anniversary of its establishment. These remarks came just a day after the return of the first wave of severe U.S. sanctions against Tehran, which had been suspended due to the nuclear agreement of July 2015.
20:11 17.5.1397 Denial of Iran's access to 300 million euros of its assets. The German Ministry of Finance on Wednesday denied a report from a German publication regarding allowing Iran to withdraw 300 million euros from its assets in German bank accounts. The U.S. government strongly opposes such an action. The German Ministry of Finance stated in a press release that "reports from newspapers regarding the clearance of these amounts through customs are incorrect. The review process for this matter is still ongoing." The German weekly "Die Zeit" reported on Wednesday that the security section of the German Ministry of Finance concluded that Iran's withdrawal of these amounts does not violate the country's anti-terrorism laws and there is no evidence to suggest that this money would fall into the hands of undesirable individuals or groups. The U.S. has called for Germany to prevent this action, claiming that this money could be used to finance armed groups in the Middle East.
18:01 17.5.1397 Dollar rises again to "10,000 tomans." Unofficial reports from the free currency market in Iran indicate that the U.S. dollar has once again risen above 10,000 tomans, and the government was only able to keep it below this price for one day. The renewed rise in the dollar's price comes as President Hassan Rouhani's government announced new currency policies earlier this week aimed at combating skyrocketing foreign currency prices. The main foundation of these policies is the establishment of a secondary currency market where importers and exporters can buy and sell foreign currencies by agreement. While on Tuesday, when exchange offices reopened, each U.S. dollar was priced at eight thousand tomans, it later crossed the 9,000 tomans mark. Concurrently with the rise in the dollar rate, it was announced on Wednesday that the ceiling for travel currency has been increased to five thousand euros.
17:43 17.5.1397 Bashar al-Assad's wife diagnosed with breast cancer. The Syrian presidency announced that Asma al-Assad, the wife of Bashar al-Assad, is undergoing treatment for breast cancer. The Syrian presidency's office published a photo of Bashar al-Assad alongside his wife in the hospital on its Facebook page. The caption stated that a malignant tumor was found in the early stages in Asma al-Assad's breast. Announcing such news is considered unusual in the Arab world. Asma al-Assad is 42 years old and was born in Homs province; she lived in Britain before meeting Bashar al-Assad. They have been married for 18 years and have three children named Hafez, Zein, and Karim.
17:16 17.5.1397 65 arrested in mobile phone and car import cases. The public prosecutor of Tehran announced on Wednesday that 65 individuals have been arrested in the case of mobile phone and car imports. Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi told reporters that "of these, 53 suspects are in cases related to currency and mobile phone imports and 12 are in cases related to car imports." He also mentioned that 106 individuals from these cases have been banned from leaving the country. The Tehran prosecutor stated that 23 indictments have been issued in the currency and mobile phone cases, resulting in 24 suspects facing judicial prosecution and soon to be tried in court. According to Mr. Dolatabadi, the punishments for the suspects could range from five to twenty years in prison, confiscation of assets obtained from criminal acts, and 20 to 74 lashes in public; "and if these actions fall under the charge of corruption on earth, if the charge is proven, the suspect may face the death penalty." The accused are charged with having received government currency at the rate of 4,200 tomans for imports but selling their products at the free market rate. President Hassan Rouhani's government announced earlier this week that official currency would only be allocated to essential goods, and for the import of other goods, importers must obtain currency from the secondary market.
16:21 17.5.1397 Pompeo's renewed request to U.S. allies to join Iran sanctions. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted on Wednesday: "Today, the regime in Iran is at odds with global peace. We ask our allies and partners to join the United States in stopping the funding of Iranian leaders who are suppressing the Iranian people and fomenting terrorism worldwide."
15:38 17.5.1397 German Foreign Minister: Renewed sanctions on Iran could destabilize the Middle East. Heiko Maas warned on Wednesday that President Donald Trump's decision to reinstate sanctions against Iran could further destabilize the Middle East and strengthen extremist forces in the region. Mr. Maas stated in an interview with the "Passauer Neue Presse" that "we still think that abandoning the nuclear agreement with Iran is a mistake. We are fighting to [maintain] this agreement because it helps our goal of creating security and transparency in the region."
14:55 17.5.1397 Injured cheetah cub paralyzed. On Wednesday, it was announced that a cheetah cub severely injured in a collision with a vehicle on the Semnan-Mashhad road has been paralyzed. This Asian cheetah cub was hit on Tuesday in the Abbasabad-Miyami road area. According to IRIB news agency, Abbasali Damangir, the head of the Semnan Environmental Protection Department, stated: "A team of environmental guards and veterinarians immediately dispatched to the scene after being informed of the cheetah cub's accident. This cheetah cub was injured in the back and spinal column; after initial veterinary actions, it regained consciousness, and treatment efforts for its recovery continue." The Abbasabad-Miyami road, part of the main Tehran-Mashhad route, is one of the most important habitats and wildlife corridors in Iran, especially for the Asian cheetah. According to IRIB news agency, to protect the cheetah in this area, agreements for fencing and traffic signs on the road and the construction of an overpass on the Tehran-Mashhad axis have been signed with the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, and recently, the project for fencing in the Miyandash-Abbasabad area has begun along with the establishment of a green underpass for wildlife passage.
14:45 17.5.1397 Head of Criminal Investigation Police: Protester in Gohardasht shot with military weapon. The head of the Criminal Investigation Police of the NAJA told Tasnim news agency that forensic tests in the case of the murder of Reza Outadi indicate that "the weapon used was among military weapons." Mohammad Reza Moghim stated that "based on the results obtained from these tests, I can assertively say that the weapon used in his murder was not one that the police forces use." Previously, after reports of the death of one of the participants in street protests in Gohardasht Karaj by riot police, the prosecutor of that city claimed that this 26-year-old youth was shot with a weapon from among "the demonstrators" and "from behind."