A collection of the most important news from Iran and the world on the sixth day of Mordad 1397 (July 28, 2018).
1. The head of the National Carpet Center of Iran stated that the country will file a complaint against the United States for the sanctions on Iranian handwoven carpets in international forums. Fereshteh Dastpak mentioned in an interview with IRNA that 'according to international protocols, anything belonging to a nation cannot be sanctioned,' and that Iranian handwoven carpets 'belong to the people of Iran, and the President of the United States mistakenly included this art-industry, which is a cultural symbol and intellectual property of the Iranian people, in the sanctions.' She expressed hope that Iranian handwoven carpets could be exempted from sanctions through international protocols and conventions to which Iran is a member.
2. The Iranian Deputy Minister of Housing and Urban Development reported that there are nearly three million housing units in excess of the country's needs. In an interview with ILNA, Hamid Mazaherian stated that the total number of housing units in the country reaches 27 million, while there are 24 million households in Iran. He noted that the average size of produced apartments is 120 square meters, but there is primarily demand for 60 to 70 square meter units. The government official indicated that priority will be given to providing low-interest loans and tax exemptions for producers of smaller units.
3. Five people were killed in an armed attack on a midwifery training center in Jalalabad, Nangarhar province, Afghanistan. The attack, which occurred on Saturday morning, resulted in the deaths of two attackers and three guards and staff members of the center. Eight others were injured in the hours-long clash between the attackers and the center's guards. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, denied the group's involvement. Nangarhar province is a primary area of operation for the Islamic State group.
4. Rumors of the end of restrictions on former President Mohammad Khatami and the lifting of house arrest for Mehdi Karroubi, Mir Hossein Mousavi, and Zahra Rahnavard have emerged. Hossein Karroubi, son of Mehdi Karroubi, stated that the lifting of house arrest was approved in last week's Supreme National Security Council meeting. He mentioned that he heard this news through an intermediary from Es'haq Jahangiri, the first vice president of Hassan Rouhani. The report also indicated that the lifting of restrictions against Khatami was approved by the Supreme National Security Council. Decisions made by the council must be approved by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, to be enacted.
5. The Central Bank of Iran increased the official price of the dollar from 4200 tomans to 4403 tomans. However, the price of the dollar in the unofficial market is more than double the official rate.
6. According to a meteorological official, the temperature in Iran has increased by 1.3 degrees Celsius over the past ten months compared to the long-term average, affecting all provinces. The highest temperature increase was reported in Golestan and Alborz provinces, with a rise of 3.5 degrees. The highest recorded temperature this year was 53 degrees Celsius in Ahvaz, with various cities exceeding 50 degrees more than 110 times.
7. Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, stated that they are awaiting a response from the judiciary regarding the lifting of Twitter's ban. He mentioned that the Attorney General initially stated that since the Twitter ban was based on a judge's ruling in Mashhad, it could not be discussed in the 'Working Group for Determining Criminal Content.' The minister noted that the judge's ruling was made in 2007, and about two years later, the working group voted to filter Twitter. International organizations, including Reporters Without Borders, classify Iran as one of the enemies of the internet.
8. Tehran Mayor Mohammad Ali Afshani welcomed the new parliamentary resolution prohibiting the employment of retirees in executive bodies and announced its implementation starting Monday. Recently, following the approval of this plan in the parliament, various reports about Afshani's retirement and potential resignation have surfaced. The reform plan to prohibit the employment of retirees in executive bodies was approved by 194 votes in favor in the parliament and is awaiting the Guardian Council's confirmation; heads of the three branches, vice presidents, deputy speakers of parliament, Guardian Council members, ministers, and parliament representatives are exempt from this law.
9. Concerns about the 'potential flight of dual-nationality managers' have been raised by some members of parliament in a letter to Sadegh Amoli Larijani, the head of the judiciary.
10. A member of parliament reported that the head of the Kidney Patients Support Association has sent letters to the Tehran prosecutor and the head of Cyber Police, requesting the cessation of kidney trading websites and channels. Mohammad Hossein Ghorbani, a member of the Health Commission of the parliament, stated that the willingness of individuals to risk their health for livelihood 'is solely due to the poverty that puts families at risk of collapse.' He noted that 19,000 people die annually in traffic accidents and emphasized that the needs of patients seeking kidneys should be met through individuals who suffer brain death.