LATEST: Larijani Maintains Support for Nuclear Talks
President Rouhani has used a May Day address to tell workers that his Government is determined to lift all sanctions on Iran.
Tehran resumes high-level negotiations with the 5+1 Powers on a comprehensive nuclear agreement next week in Vienna. Issues include Iran’s level of enrichment of uranium and status of nuclear facilities as well as the sanctions led by the US and European Union.
Rouhani said in Tehran that Iranian workers have particularly suffered from the impact of sanctions, and that “through interaction with the international community, Tehran is trying to open the doors of international markets to Iranian products”.
The President also tried to strike a small blow in his campaign for political and cultural openness, saying workers should be able to freely voice their opinions to authorities through their associations and communities.
In recent months, the Rouhani Government has been pushed back by hardliners in its efforts to promote political rights and media freedom, as well as any prospect of the release of long-term political prisoners.
Rouhani also used a State TV interview on Tuesday to comment on the state of the nuclear talks and the possibility of a deal before an interim Joint Plan of Action expires on July 20: “I am not pessimistic about the negotiations, but reaching a final agreement at the end of a six-month period depends on whether or not the other side is ready for proper interaction.”
Tehran University Study Highlights Tehran Drug Abuse Problem
Hopes that the Rouhani administration would improve Iran’s drug problems have been dealt a blow after a study by Tehran University’s National Center for Drug Addiction Studies showed that drug use continues to be a major issue within Tehran.
The study concluded that in the past 7 months, drug abuse had led to the deaths of 1,700 individuals. The study revealed that, of the 1,700 deaths, 53 percent worked in government agencies, 63 percent were married, 75 percent were high school graduates, and 21.5 percent held a bachelor’s degree.
Afghanistan, Iran’s neighbour and the world’s largest producer of opium, has continually provided an easy supply of drugs to the Islamic Republic. Drug abuse among Iran’s youth population has long been a concern, with London’s Economist calling it “the other religion.”
(Hat tip: Hanif Zarrabi-Kashani)
Lifting Sanctions Allow US-Iran Flights and Investment in Aviation Industry
Ali Reza Jahangirian, Head of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organisation, has said that Iran and the US may well resume direct flights between the two countries.
By October last year, Iran was ready to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to restart direct flights; however, progress was postponed due to the nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1. Jahangirian stated that “technical problems have been resolved,” leaving Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to follow up on “political issues.”
Resuming these flights may have a particular impact on Iran’s aviation industry. Jahangirian noted that, if this sanction were lifted, “Iranian airlines will be ready to buy 40 passenger planes every year for 10 years.”
The possibility of resuming direct flights has attracted interest from major businesses in the transportation industry. Pierre Beaudoin, CEO of Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier Inc., has raised the possibility of selling planes and trainsto Iran.
However, Beaudoin cautioned that such a deal is only likely “if a permanent deal is reached to lift all sanctions, while removing any possibility for Tehran to develop a nuclear weapon…Our role right now is to understand when sanctions could be lifted and how we could take advantage of a market we feel will be important for all of our products.”
(Hat tip: Hanif Zarrabi-Kashani)
Larijani Maintains Support for Nuclear Talks
Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani has repeated his endorsement of high-level nuclear discussions, telling senior clerics in Qom, “Fortunately, the course of the nuclear talks is desirable, and the (Iranian) negotiating team is in the final stage of talks.”
Despite criticism of the talks from hardliners, the Supreme Leader has maintained his support of President Rouhani’s engagement while insisting that Iran’s fundamental demands are upheld.
Larijani noted on Thursday, “Of course, there are many defiles along the course of the nuclear talks that we need to get past.”
