Short news summary for Saturday, September 15, 2018. Read the most important news from Iran and the world on the twenty-fourth day of September 1397 here moment by moment.
Iran's OPEC representative: Russia and Saudi Arabia welcome sanctions against Tehran. Iran's OPEC representative stated that Russia and Saudi Arabia have welcomed U.S. sanctions against Iran. Hossein Kazempour Ardabili said in an interview with Shana, affiliated with the Ministry of Oil, that these two countries are seeking to "capture part of Iran's share" in the oil market, and Iran's warnings have not influenced the behavior of these countries or others. This statement comes just days after Ayatollah Khamenei requested cooperation between Iran and Russia to "contain America" during a visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Tehran.
Fire in Iraq's Hawr al-Azim continues after seventy days. Environmental protection officials in Khuzestan province report that after seventy days of a fire in Iraq's Hawr al-Azim, the wetland remains engulfed in flames, and they have been unable to extinguish it. Ahmadreza Lahijanizadeh, head of Khuzestan's environmental protection agency, stated that fires continue in three locations within the Iraqi part of the wetland. Approximately 25,000 hectares of the Iraqi section of Hawr al-Azim have been affected by the fire, but recent humidity has prevented its spread. He also mentioned that firefighting operations have been halted for about two weeks. The smoke from the fire has affected large areas of Khuzestan province, causing hundreds to seek hospital treatment for respiratory issues.
Iran ranks 60th in the Human Development Index. The United Nations Development Program announced in its latest report on the Human Development Index for 2018 that Iran has improved its rank by one position compared to the previous year, placing it 60th among 189 countries assessed. The ranking is based on life expectancy, expected years of schooling, minimum years of schooling, and gross national income per capita. Norway is identified as the most developed country, followed by Switzerland, Australia, Ireland, and Germany.
Komeleh representative denies involvement in attack on Iranian embassy. The Komeleh party denied involvement in the attack on the Iranian embassy in Paris. The Iranian judiciary-affiliated news agency reported that several members of the Komeleh group attacked the Iranian embassy in Paris. However, Ali Ranjabari, Komeleh's representative in France, stated in an interview that Komeleh and other parties participating in the protest on Friday afternoon had no role in the attack. The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting claimed that French police were aware of the potential for the attack but did not intervene to prevent it. In response to the actions of the opposition, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi urged France to protect Iranian diplomatic sites.
University president attributes student protests in December to 'youthfulness.' The president of Tehran University described the student protests in December of last year as stemming from "general societal conditions and their youthfulness." Mahmoud Nili expressed hope for a serious review of the sentences against these students. His comments refer to the detention of dozens of students during nationwide protests in December 2017 across over a hundred cities, which were described as "preventive" detentions. Notably, the court sentences for these students have been criticized as severe by various officials and student organizations. According to Human Rights Watch, by late July, at least eight students from Tehran and Tabriz universities had been sentenced to up to eight years in prison, with others barred from political and media activities for two years. Last week, the state news agency IRNA reported that many of these sentences had been reduced due to "follow-ups" by the Minister of Science and the Supreme Leader's office in universities. However, Nili's comments suggest that this has not yet occurred: "We are seriously pursuing the issue with the judiciary, security agencies, and the Ministry of Science to ensure a real review of these heavy sentences in the appeals court." He also stated, "Since the courts are preliminary and the students' sentences are not final, from our perspective, there are no restrictions on their continued education."
Super Typhoon Mangkhut claims victims in the Philippines. While Hurricane Florence ravages the U.S., Super Typhoon Mangkhut has also claimed victims in the Philippines. Described as the largest typhoon of the year, Mangkhut caused landslides on Saturday that killed two women. This super typhoon is accompanied by winds of up to 170 kilometers per hour. On average, the Philippines is hit by 20 typhoons and hurricanes each year, which claim hundreds of lives and leave millions homeless. The deadliest typhoon in Philippine history was Typhoon Haiyan, which left over seven thousand dead in November 2013.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman unaware of ambassadorial appointment for governor. In response to reports about the appointment of Homaira Rigi as ambassador to Brunei, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman stated, "I cannot confirm this news at this time." According to official news agency IRNA, some news sources reported that Homaira Rigi, the governor of Qasr Qand County in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, is set to take on this role. Rigi is the first female governor in the eleventh government and the first female governor from the Sunni community.
Transfer of ten Iranian prisoners from Thailand to the country. The official news agency IRNA reported that the Deputy Minister of Justice for Human Rights and International Affairs announced the transfer of ten Iranian convicts back to the country. These individuals had been imprisoned in Thai prisons for years and will now serve the remainder of their sentences in Iran. According to Mahmoud Abbasi, "Most of these individuals are charged with drug trafficking."
Apology from the grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic for his presence at mourning ceremonies. Ahmad Khomeini, the grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic, apologized in an interview with the newspaper Etemad regarding his manner of participation in mourning ceremonies in Qom. Criticism arose when a photo of him in a glass enclosure at a mourning site in Qom circulated on social media. In his explanation, he stated: "... at the bottom of the session, everyone is beating their chests, and up there, the clerics sit so that their clothing does not cause heatstroke, and of course, it is a special place where all the first and second rank clerics of Qom participate." This explanation, particularly the phrase "first and second rank clerics," sparked further criticism, leading the grandson of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to state in an interview with Etemad: "The criticisms are valid; I apologize."
'Assault' on Iranian embassy in Paris. The news agency Mizan reported on Saturday, citing the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, that a group had 'assaulted' the Iranian embassy in Paris. In this report, the assailants were identified as members of the Komeleh Kurdish group. No further details have been released regarding the nature of the 'assault' on this embassy.