Iran News Round Up - July 17, 2017

Bahram Mehrdad was killed in Syria on July 13. Details on his funeral are yet to be announced. (Defa Press)

Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy (NSFP) Committee member Alireza Rahimi stated that the Total deal with France is a turning point in Iran-EU relations and signals to the world that “the most respected companies are honorably pursuing ties with Iran.” (IRNA)

Khatam ol Anbia Construction Base Commander IRGC Brig. Gen. Abdullah Abdullahi praised the base’s major water project as “the largest water project in the country” and emphasized that “the implementation of the project is of great importance to the production, security and sustainable employment of the people of the region.” (ILNA)

Iran’s permanent representative at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Ali Reza Jahangiri expressed his concern at the use of chemical weapons by “terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria.” He stressed that the organization should not become an arena for the pursuit of “political goals.” Jahangiri’s comments follow the publication of the OPCW’s report confirming the use of chemical weapons in Khan Sheikhoun, Syria, on April 4. (Mehr News Agency)

Head of the Iran-Iraq Chamber of Commerce Yahya al Eshagh emphasized increased trade opportunities in Iraq following the recapture of Mosul in remarks on July 14. Eshagh noted that the more secure environment paves the way for “long-term investment” in the country and added that it facilitates “possibilities for cooperation and cooperative production.” (Tasnim News Agency)

Natanz Friday Prayer Leader Hojjat ol Eslam Rohullah Amini, emphasized that the liberation of Mosul meant the end of ISIS's fabricated caliphate and a decisive answer to U.S. plotting in the region. (Tasnim News Agency)

Ilam Friday Prayer Leader Ayatollah Mohammad Naghi Lotfi stated that U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis’s remarks on regime change in Iran are “delusional,” adding that the U.S. is imposing sanctions as a way to encourage "seditious" individuals to overthrow Iran’s government. (Mehr News Agency)

Iranian Ambassador to Iraq Iraj Masjedi congratulated Iraqi leaders and Ayatollah Ali Sistani on the recapture of Mosul at a meeting in Amarah, Maysan Province in southeastern Iraq. Masjedi stressed the need for cooperation and unity between Iraq and Iran and added that the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, the Badr Organization, and the Islamic Dawa Party “are brothers.” (IRNA) (E)

Tehran Friday Prayer Leader Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Movahedi-Kermani warned that “if the U.S. commits folly against Iran, it will not have a safe haven in the world,” claiming that “Iran... is capable of exercising its power for hundreds of kilometers beyond its borders.” Kermani added that “the U.S. is not to be trusted for its betrayal of the nuclear deal,” and lashed out at the “weak-hearted people who say that the U.S. is too strong and that Iran is incapable of confronting it.” (Tasnim News Agency) (ABNA) (Ar)

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stated that the U.S. has failed to observe the spirit of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) by not allowing Iran “to enjoy the full benefits of the agreement.” Zarif added that “U.S. leaders [should] revise their opinions, because [their opinions] are not in the interest of the deal’s sustainability.” (Mehr News Agency) (BBC Persian)