Short News Summary for Sunday, August 12, 2018. Read the most important news from Iran and the world on the twenty-first day of Mordad 1397 here moment by moment.
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Membership in University Faculty with "GPA of 12" - Mohammad Jafar Habibzadeh, a faculty member at Tarbiat Modares University, criticized the Administrative Justice Court for intervening in the hiring of some individuals who lack the qualifications for university faculty membership. Mr. Habibzadeh stated that some individuals who became faculty members through the court's ruling had "GPAs around 12 and received scholarships abroad without going through scientific processes, converting them to domestic scholarships." He reported that this action by the Administrative Justice Court is against the "Constitution," the resolution of the "Supreme Cultural Revolution Council," and the "interests of universities," stating that the court forces universities to issue permanent employment orders without going through recruitment processes. Five years into Rouhani's government, the scholarship case in the Ministry of Science remains open. The Administrative Justice Court's involvement in handling complaints has led to rulings that have reinstated some canceled scholarships, obligating universities to hire some of these individuals in faculty positions.
Severe Criticism from Senior American General of Qassem Soleimani and Quds Force - The Chief of the U.S. Central Command stated that Qassem Soleimani and the Quds Force are responsible for the costly expansionist campaign of the Islamic Republic in the region. General Joseph Votel remarked in statements shared on the Central Command's Twitter page that "it is clear that Qassem Soleimani and the Quds Force are at the center of the costly and expansionist campaign of destructive activities in the region, including Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Bahrain, and Yemen." This senior U.S. commander added that "these types of destructive and destabilizing activities undermine regional security and stability and do not serve the interests of the Iranian people."
Nobakht: My Children Are Not Detained - Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, the Iranian Vice President and head of the Planning and Budget Organization, denied reports regarding the detention of his children. Mr. Nobakht wrote on his Twitter page: "To reassure those who inquire, I announce that none of my children are detained and they are living happily with the family." His response was to a question from a journalist to Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the spokesman for the judiciary, who had asked: "Do you confirm the detention of Nobakht's son with quantities of weapons and ammunition or not?" Ejei did not deny this news but stated: "Sometimes you mention names that complicate our work. In any case, both you and I are constrained; if there is something, we will find out sooner or later." Mr. Nobakht, who was the spokesman for Hassan Rouhani's government, resigned from this position on August 1.
Positive Effect of Viagra on Vision Improvement - Researchers claim that Viagra can effectively repair damaged eyes and prevent further vision loss. British newspapers "The Sun" and "Daily Mail" reported that according to a study conducted by researchers at Columbia University in New York, this sexual enhancement drug can stop retinal degeneration that occurs with age. It is estimated that over 600,000 Britons suffer from this condition, which can lead to blindness. American researchers administered two Viagra pills daily for two years to participants in their studies, including five elderly Britons. Results showed that the retinal degeneration spots in these five individuals disappeared, and the vision of the fifth person significantly improved. Researchers say that "Viagra potentially plays an important role in preserving and repairing vision. It has been clearly shown that the vision of participants in this study remained stable and in some cases even improved."
Potential Closure of Iranian Airlines - The Iranian Deputy Minister of Roads announced that airlines are shutting down due to the lack of foreign currency payments from the Central Bank. Mehrdad Taghizadeh reported on a radio program that the Central Bank has announced it can no longer provide foreign currency to Iranian airlines. He emphasized that airlines must secure their expenses using foreign currency and maintain their operations. The head of the Iranian Travel Agencies Association reported on August 9 that the price of airline tickets for international routes has increased two to three times following the implementation of the new currency policies of Hassan Rouhani's government.
Introduction of Successor to Detained Deputy of Central Bank - Following the arrest of Ahmad Iraqchi, the former currency deputy of the Central Bank, Gholamreza Panahi, who previously served as the currency deputy of Bank Melli, was appointed as the acting currency deputy of the Central Bank. Abdolnasser Hemmati, the head of the Central Bank of Iran, appointed Mr. Panahi to this position on Sunday. According to IRNA, Panahi's work experience includes positions such as head of the Foreign Department, director of international affairs, and deputy managing director of Bank Melli in currency and international affairs. Panahi holds a master's degree in banking management. Ahmad Iraqchi had held the currency deputy position since August 2017 but was arrested by the judiciary in mid-August.
Formation of "American and Israeli Intelligence Organizations" within Iran - A few months after the disclosure of documents related to Iran's nuclear program by the Israeli Prime Minister, a former commander of the Revolutionary Guard stated that the U.S. and Israel have "established intelligence organizations within Iran." Hossein Alaei, a former commander of the Joint Staff of the Revolutionary Guard, stated on Sunday that Israel has been creating a "wide-ranging intelligence network in nuclear, missile, political, and economic fields" in Iran for the past 15 years. Alaei, who has previously held positions such as commander of the Navy and Joint Staff of the Revolutionary Guard, added in an interview with Khabar Online that the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization has always had "intelligence and operational organizations" in Iran. He accused this organization of having intelligence cooperation with Israel and the U.S.
Cancellation of Iraqi Prime Minister's Trip to Tehran - The office of the Iraqi Prime Minister announced on Sunday that Haider al-Abadi has canceled his trip to Iran. The cancellation comes a few days after the Iraqi Prime Minister stated that Baghdad would comply with U.S. sanctions against Iran. According to Agence France-Presse, however, al-Abadi's planned trip to Turkey on Tuesday remains unchanged. The Iraqi Prime Minister's office cited "busy work schedule" as the reason for the cancellation of the trip to Tehran. Some political sources in Iraq have reported that Iran initially agreed to the visit of this country's Prime Minister to Tehran but later changed its mind due to al-Abadi's stance in supporting U.S. sanctions.
Ali Larijani's Sarcastic Remark to Ahmadinejad - Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, indirectly responded to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's remarks by stating that "some people take on the role of opposition for low political purposes, as if they came from Mars and have no history." He emphasized that "instead of cooperating in these tough conditions, some take on the role of opposition for low political purposes; this is an opportunistic view." Former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in a video message, called for Hassan Rouhani's resignation and emphasized that the people do not accept the government and the other two branches. Larijani also stated that a "disturbing element has emerged in the international arena" and that "the whole world is creating security chaos, and this issue is not limited to Iran." The Speaker of Parliament also mentioned that "all predictions for reducing their level of adventurism are being implemented."
Signing of the Caspian Sea Legal Regime Convention - Leaders of the five Caspian Sea coastal countries signed the Caspian Sea legal regime convention on Sunday in Aktau, Kazakhstan. This convention does not mention the shares of countries from the Caspian Sea, and the resolution of this dispute has been postponed to the future. According to Article 8 of this convention, "the determination of the limits of the bed and subsoil of the Caspian Sea into sections must be done through agreement between the neighboring and opposite coastal countries, considering the generally recognized principles and norms of international law to enable those states to exercise their sovereign rights in exploiting subsoil resources and other legitimate economic activities related to the development of subsoil resources." The Caspian Sea legal regime convention prohibits the movement of vessels from non-coastal countries and military exercises with non-coastal countries. Iran has long emphasized equal division of the Caspian Sea; however, Russia and some countries had previously made bilateral agreements with their neighbors before signing the convention regarding the division of this lake. If the Caspian Sea is divided, Iran's share would be 20 percent, and according to the "fair line" formula, Iran's share would be about 13 percent.