Short news summary for Monday, September 5, 2018. Read the most important news from Iran and the world on the fifth day of September 1397 moment by moment.
Significant decrease in Turkey's oil and gas imports from Iran: Ahead of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Iran, Turkey's Energy Market Regulatory Authority published its six-month report on Monday, indicating a significant drop in the country's oil and gas imports from Iran. The report states that in the first half of 2018, Turkey's crude oil imports from Iran decreased by 27% to 4.296 million tons (equivalent to 174,000 barrels per day). Ankara had previously announced that it would not comply with U.S. sanctions, but the details show that Turkey's daily oil purchases from Iran in June fell threefold compared to the previous month to about 70,000 barrels, the lowest level since the lifting of sanctions against Iran in early 2016.
Iran's Defense Minister: We will rebuild the Syrian army and military industries: Iran's Defense Minister announced a contract between Tehran and Damascus for the reconstruction of the Syrian army by the Islamic Republic. Amir Hatami, who is on a two-day visit to Syria, told the Al-Mayadeen television network that the contract also includes the reconstruction of Syria's military industries. Iran is one of Bashar al-Assad's main allies in the Syrian civil war and has sent thousands of armed forces to support Assad over the past seven years, in addition to providing military advice and training. While Israel opposes Iran's increasing role in Syria and has stated that it will not tolerate Iranian forces near its borders, the Iranian Defense Minister, like other officials, stated that Tehran is present in Syria at the invitation of the Syrian government.
Police: 43% of traffic accidents are caused by illiterate or poorly educated individuals: The head of urban traffic police stated that 43% of traffic accidents are caused by "illiterate or those with elementary education." Davood Ghasemian added that individuals with higher education account for only "4%" of traffic accidents. According to him, "27.7% of pedestrian fatalities are pedestrians, and 36.9% are motorcyclists." The main cause of accidents in Iran is reported to be negligence towards "the front" at 35.7%, with the second cause being failure to observe right of way at 21.7%. In the first four months of this year, 1,065 people died in road accidents, of which 63% were men and 17% were women.
Ahmadinejad tweets about Serena Williams' outfit: Serena Williams wore an all-black outfit at this year's French Open. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former president of Iran, tweeted to the organizers of the "French Open" expressing his objection to the criticism of Serena Williams' outfit. Ahmadinejad wrote on Monday: "Why does the French Open disrespect Serena Williams? Unfortunately, some people in all countries, including my own, do not understand the true meaning of freedom." This refers to comments made by Bernard Giudicelli, president of the French Tennis Federation, who recently stated that in the next round of the French Open, a uniform will be provided for tennis players, and wearing a one-piece outfit will no longer be permitted.
Sadegh Larijani: Those responsible for the current situation have taken on the face of the opposition: Sadegh Amoli Larijani, the head of Iran's judiciary, criticized unnamed individuals who he claims are the "main perpetrators of the current situation" and instead of being accountable today, have taken on the face of the opposition. He stated: "Some who have held the highest positions in the country for years have seen the space as an opportunity for wave-riding ... and are speaking against the system, especially the judiciary."
The manner of Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei's trial sparked protests from Ahmadinejad: The Telegram channel "Dolat Bahar" previously reported that Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, in a phone call from prison to Ahmadinejad, stated that he would not attend the trial session due to "lack of qualification" and "non-public" nature of the court. This source reported that Mashaei was "forcibly" taken to court.
600 cases of forest and pasture fires in the country: Abbas Papi Zadeh, a member of the Agriculture Commission of Parliament, stated that in the first four months of this year, 600 cases of forest and pasture fires occurred, burning 2,000 hectares of Iran's forests. He told the "House of the Nation" news agency that about 70% of these fires were accidental. On Saturday, following a fire and explosion in forest areas near Marivan in Kurdistan province, four people were killed and several others injured. According to Hirsh Rezaei, the director of public relations for the Kurdistan governorate, two of the deceased were environmental activists from Marivan, and the other two were contractors from the Natural Resources and Watershed Management Department of this county.
Ejei: Emphasis by the head of the judiciary on not using handcuffs and leg shackles "in non-essential cases": Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the first deputy and spokesman of the judiciary, stated that the head of the judiciary emphasized that "in non-essential cases," handcuffs and leg shackles should not be used for the transfer of defendants. According to the news agency Mizan, Ejei also mentioned some cases where, according to him, "the defendant does not respect their rights ... for example, they refuse to get into the car and act aggressively." Recently, the transfer of two detained lawyers, Ghasem Shaleh-Saadi and Arash Keykhosravi, with handcuffs and leg shackles sparked protests from some lawyers, and on Saturday, the transfer of Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei with handcuffs to the court session made headlines.
The governor of Falavarjan denied the helicopter crash report in the county: While the Mehr news agency reported a helicopter crash in Falavarjan County in Isfahan, the governor of the county denied this report. Mehr news agency reported on Monday that after receiving reports from the public about a helicopter crash "whose ownership is unclear," rescue teams from the Red Crescent Society were dispatched to the scene. Following this report, Mohammad Askari, the governor of Falavarjan, stated that several assessment teams from the fire departments of Falavarjan County were sent to the potential accident area in the "Pir Bakran" section, but "no object has been sighted." A day earlier, Iranian media reported the crash of an F-5 fighter jet from the Iranian Air Force near Dezful, resulting in the death of the pilot and injuries to another occupant. However, Shahin Taghikhani, the army spokesman, stated that the fighter jet "did not crash but made a hard landing."
The crash of a helicopter in Falavarjan, Isfahan: A helicopter crashed on Monday in Falavarjan County in Isfahan. Mehr news agency reported this news and added that rescue teams from the Red Crescent Society were dispatched to the scene. Mehr wrote that it is currently unclear which organization this helicopter belonged to.
Arrest of three Iranian nationals in Georgia on drug trafficking charges: Georgian police arrested three Iranian nationals for illegal drug trafficking. The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs announced on Sunday that the three Iranians were arrested at an electronic music festival in Anaklia on the Black Sea coast while selling illegal drugs to festival attendees.