Short news summary for Sunday, September 16, 1397. Read the most important news from Iran and the world on the 25th day of Shahrivar 97 here moment by moment.
Kaveh Madani: Burning 72 pigeons is a sign of madness and crime. Kaveh Madani, former deputy of the Environmental Protection Organization, tweeted that 'burning 72 pigeons in a mourning ceremony is a clear example of madness and animal cruelty.' The time and place of this video are unspecified.
Increase in dollar smuggling from Afghanistan to Iran. Sakhi Ahmad Payman, head of the Afghanistan Industries Association, noted that the rise in the dollar price in Iran has intensified the smuggling of dollars from Afghanistan to Iran. He stated that the Afghan government has increased its monitoring measures to prevent dollar smuggling to Iran. He also mentioned that due to the depreciation of the rial, Afghan workers have experienced reverse migration, returning to Afghanistan or migrating to other countries.
Ahmadinejad: Taeb, head of the IRGC Intelligence, lacks balance. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in a video message, described Hossein Taeb, head of the IRGC Intelligence Organization, as someone without 'balance' and stated that he opposed Taeb's appointment during his presidency. He remarked: 'This Mr. Taeb, who has become the head of the IRGC Intelligence Organization, I, as President, opposed him. I saw he lacks balance, and all the country's officials know this. I said he would disrupt all relations. His job is to fabricate cases. He was also in the Ministry of Intelligence, where he was dismissed for causing discord. Then he was taken with full powers to another place, unlawfully.' Previously, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei had also stated that Taeb sought to extract confessions from Hamid Baghaei against him regarding espionage. Ahmadinejad once again protested against Mashaei's trial, calling it a 'disgrace' to the system. Ahmadinejad also expressed opposition to the simultaneous leadership of the Larijani brothers over two branches of the country. The former president of Iran called for the declaration of the assets of responsible officials, including the heads of the three branches. He criticized the JCPOA, stating that the country's problems will not be solved from the outside. Ahmadinejad emphasized that he does not accept this way of governing the country.
Severe criticism from Iran's OPEC representative towards Russia. Hossein Kazempour Ardebili, Iran's representative in OPEC, severely criticized Russia and Saudi Arabia for increasing oil production. Kazempour Ardebili told Shana news agency: 'The way Saudi Arabia and Russia have treated Iran will be recorded in history, and future generations will understand that, unlike Iran, which has worked for oil market stability and reliable energy supply to consumers, Saudi Arabia and Russia have welcomed the sanctions against one of OPEC's producers.' According to the Iranian OPEC representative, the U.S. cannot reduce Iran's exports to zero even with increased production 'from countries like Saudi Arabia and Russia' unless, as he stated, 'Saudi Arabia and even Europe draw from their reserves.'
The U.S. imposes tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods. The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. President Donald Trump will impose tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods by Monday, September 26. According to informed sources, the tariff increase will be around 10 percent. This comes as the U.S. previously intended to impose a 25 percent tariff increase on these goods. In this regard, Reuters reported that White House officials were unavailable for comment, but a White House spokesperson stated on Friday: 'It is clear that the U.S. must take action against unfair trade with China. We encourage China to address our long-standing concerns regarding bilateral trade and take necessary actions.' According to the latest report from the U.S. Census Bureau, the trade balance of the country over the past seven months has been approximately $222.5 billion in favor of China, which has not only not decreased compared to last year but has also increased. The U.S. is asking China to reduce the annual trade imbalance of $375 billion with the United States.
Zia Nabavi, a star student, returns to university. Zia Nabavi, one of the star students, announced on his Twitter account that he has managed to gain admission to university. This student activist was released after spending more than eight years in prison in 2017. He was arrested during the protests following the 2009 elections.
Shortage of medical supplies and equipment to control infectious diseases. The head of the AIDS Research Center at Imam Khomeini Hospital reported a shortage of medical equipment and supplies to control infectious diseases. Minoo Mohraz told ILNA: 'We are facing shortages in both equipment and medication; particularly in the area of medical supplies used for controlling infectious diseases, we are experiencing shortages, which has caused many problems.' She expressed concern about the guidelines for reusing certain medical supplies, stating: 'We fear that excess sterilization could ultimately harm the public.'
Displacement of hundreds of thousands in China to escape the storm. State media in China report that over 2.45 million people in the south of the country have been displaced to avoid Typhoon Mangkhut. In Guangdong province, nearly 50,000 fishing boats were called back to shore. This devastating storm has claimed several lives in the Philippines. Typhoon Mangkhut made landfall in southern China on Sunday afternoon with winds of 160 kilometers per hour accompanied by heavy rain.
Arrest of an individual on charges of 'espionage' for 'hostile' countries in Mashhad. The political deputy of the prosecutor's office in Razavi Khorasan reported the arrest and conviction of an individual on espionage charges in Mashhad. According to IRIB news agency, Judge Hassan Heydari stated that this person 'had gathered information for the intelligence services of foreign countries, especially hostile ones, in all areas.' According to Heydari, this individual's ten-year sentence was reduced to seven years in the appeals court. The identity and nationality of this individual have not been disclosed.
Possibility of renaming the Caspian Sea. The head of the Mapping Organization stated that due to reduced rainfall and decreased river inflow, particularly in the Volga basin, the water level of the Caspian Sea has decreased by one meter over the past ten years. Masoud Shafiei also mentioned the possibility of renaming the Caspian Sea, stating: 'Currently, we refer to this sea as the Caspian in domestic maps and as the Caspian internationally. It is possible that we will choose the name Caspian for the Caspian Sea in domestic maps as well, which has Iranian roots.' The name mentioned by Masoud Shafiei is a name formed with the English suffix -ian and its Persian form is Caspi.