Iranian Navy to Boost Operational Range of Vessels

Fars News Agency-- The Iranian Army’s Navy plans to equip all its destroyers and military vessels with military choppers as part of its broader plans for boosting the operational range of its fleets.

"To safeguard the security zone of the naval units when fulfilling missions in vast areas, all the Navy destroyers and vessels that have a flight deck should be equipped with choppers," Lieutenant Commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Navy Rear Admiral Gholam Reza Khadem Biqam told FNA on Monday.

He added that the Navy will use choppers of the Army’s Airborne unit for this purpose, and stated, "Given the capabilities of the Airborne choppers, they can be useful in better accomplishment of missions. Therefore, we will start using them on a routine basis in the near future after having the necessary trainings and doing some minor modifications in the choppers’ navigation systems."

The commander, however, said that its missile frigates don’t have the capability to carry choppers but the Navy plans to equip all its vessels, including destroyers and logistic and personnel carrier vessels with military choppers.

The measure will boost Navy’s operational range in international waters since the Iranian Navy is considered as a strategic regional force with long operational range.

Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari in September stressed Iran’s continued naval deployment in the high seas, and said that he Iranian Navy’s presence in the high seas and international waters is part of Tehran’s strategy for defending its interests abroad.

The Iranian Navy has been conducting anti-piracy patrols in high seas, including the Gulf of Aden, since November 2008, when Somali raiders hijacked the Iranian-chartered cargo ship, MV Delight, off the coast of Yemen.

Earlier in October, Sayyari announced that Iran plans to deploy its first home-made destroyer, ’Jamaran’, in the high seas and international waters as part of its strategy to defend the country’s interests abroad.

"Jamaran destroyer will be deployed in an area 10 degrees north of international waters in the near future," Sayyari told FNA at the time.

Iran Agrees to Resume Negotiations on Nuclear Program After Yearlong Break

Bloomberg--Iran would favor opening the next nuclear talks with world powers to all nations, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said.

“If more countries join the talks, better results will be achieved as international issues, which concern different nations, will be discussed,” Mehmanparast was quoted as telling the state-run Mehr news agency yesterday.

Mehmanparast did not elaborate on which nations, aside from the five permanent United Nations Security Council members plus Germany, that Iran would like to see at the meeting.

Iran, under pressure from international economic sanctions, agreed to restart talks over its disputed uranium enrichment activities, after Nov. 10, the European Union said last week.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, the envoy of the U.S., UK,, France, Russia, China plus Germany on the nuclear program, is in talks with Iran’s nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili over the timing and location of the nuclear talks, Ali- Akbar Javanfekr, the presidential adviser for press affairs said in an Oct. 30 interview.

Details regarding the meeting “will be announced in coming days,” said Javanfekr, who spoke on the sidelines of a media exhibition in Tehran.
The U.S. and its allies accuse Iran’s nuclear program of being a cover for the development of nuclear weapons, a charge the Persian Gulf country rejects, saying it needs the technology to secure energy for its growing population.

Iran “has never turned away from negotiations,” Javanfekr said. “We have a rational stance and have things that need to be said.”

Iran’s FM returns home after Africa tour

Press TV--Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and his accompanying delegation have arrived in Tehran after a tour to four African countries.

The Iranian minister arrived in the Iranian capital early Monday morning, IRNA reported.

During his tour, Mottaki held meetings with presidents and many high-ranking officials of the African countries.

On the last leg of his African tour, he paid a visit to the Beninese capital Porto-Novo on Sunday where he met with Benin’s President Thomas Yayi Boni.

Mottaki said in the meeting that during the past few decades, political and cultural relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Africa have been on an acceptable level and the Iranian government has decided to increase the level of economic relations to the level of political ties.

Mottaki further pointed out that in the past few years Iran’s ties with Africa have reached a new era and it is determined to build closer collaboration with African nations.

He started his African tour on Thursday in Burkina Faso, where he met Burkinabe officials and signed several economic and trade agreements.  

On the second leg of his African tour, the Iranian minister held talks with Ghanaian President John Evans Atta Mills on Friday to discuss the enhancement of ties.

Mottaki then flew to the Togolese capital Lome and met with President Faure Gnassingbe Essozimna on Saturday morning.

The expansion of relations with African countries in all political, economic and cultural fields is among the top priorities of Iran’s foreign policy.

The Iranian foreign minister is also scheduled to pay a visit to Tbilisi on Wednesday following an official invitation by his Georgian counterpart Grigol Vashadze.

Mottaki will hold meetings with President Mikheil Saakashvili and a number of other Georgian officials during his two-day stay in the country.

Dialogue only way to resolve Iran’s nuclear issue: Indian Leader

IRNA– Welcoming the resumption of talks between Iran and 5+1 (Britain, China, France, Russia, United States and Germany) group, an Indian leader Monday said: “Dialogue only way to resolve Iran’s nuclear issue.

In an exclusive interview with IRNA, Asif Mohammad Khan, MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly of Delhi) said that India fully supports Iran’s attempt to develop ’its knowledge-base pertaining to the harnessing of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. “Iran is a peace loving country and will not create any problem to any other country’, he added.
He strongly supported the need for continued dialogue to resolve the standoff over Iran’s nuclear programme.
Expressing faith that Iran’s nuclear activities are under the limitations granted by the IAEA, Indian leader said that “dialogue is the best solution for the peace in the entire world particularly in the Middle East”.
Turning on to the illegal sanctions imposed against Iran, Asif was of the view that when Iran is actively cooperating with the IAEA, these sanctions are undermining the credibility of the IAEA.
The Indian leader urged UN, US and its allies to lift all illegal sanctions imposed upon as Iran has undertaken certain obligations that its nuclear programme is exclusively for peaceful purposes, and it has the right to pursue its nuclear programme for peaceful civilian use.
He also criticized the UN silence over the US and Zionist Regime’s false propaganda against Iran. “Certain countries are unfortunately attempting to derail the correct process of examining Iran’s nuclear issue and make use of UNSC to impose their political will in order to deprive a peaceful country of its legal and legitimate rights, the Indian leader noted.
Opposing the use of force against Iran, Asif said that there is no objective evidence that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons. “There must be full respect for equal and inalienable rights for all nations to explore modern technologies including nuclear energy for peaceful purposes,” he concluded.