PHOTO: Chinese President Xi Jinping with Iran’s Supreme Leader on Saturday
LATEST
- Supreme Leader Meets Revolutionary Guards Who Detained US Navy Personnel
- Parliament Approves New Definitions of “Political Crimes”
- Iran to Buy 114 Airbus Planes for $50 Billion
Iran’s Supreme Leader has used a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to proclaim that cooperation between the two countries can assure their supremacy over the “West”.
Ayatollah Khamenei called for closer economic and security ties, following President Rouhani’s declaration of the goal of $600 billion trade over the next decade.
“Iranians never trusted the West… That’s why Tehran seeks cooperation with more independent countries,” Khamenei said.
Agreement on “25-year strategic ties” between #Iran and #China is correct and wise, must become effective with follow-up of both sides.
— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) January 23, 2016
Khamenei pressed Iran’s approach to regional crises from Syria to Iraq to Yemen by saying that the US claim of its “anti-terror coalition” was deceit: “Such is the Americans’ approach to all issues and they are never honest in their conduct.”
The Supreme Leader said the Middle East’s security is due to the “wrong” policies of Western countries and “a deviant and erroneous” perception of Islam.
Tehran’s Economic Hopes
Rouhani and Xi declared a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” and signed 17 accords, including on cooperation in nuclear energy and a revival of the ancient Silk Road trade route, known in China as “One Belt, One Road”. Iranian media hailed possibilities such as the construction of a unified, high-speed rail line from western China to Tehran.
With the Islamic Republic hoping for a post-sanctions recovery in oil production and exports, the Supreme Leader paid particular attention to the sector: “Iran is the most reliable country in the region for energy since its energy policies will never be affected by foreigners.”
Iran’s oil exports have fallen 40% since 2012, largely because of US and European sanctions. However, China has remained Tehran’s largest customer. Beijing stepped up purchases by 28% in 2014, although the pace slowed last year with large Chinese stocks and Washington urging China to limit the rise.
Tehran is also hoping to increase its export of 17.56 million tons of non-oil goods, worth $5.33 billion, to China during the first eight months of 2015. Total Iranian-Chinese trade, about $52 billion in 2014, fell slightly last year.
Xi’s remarks on Saturday were measured, as he said, “The China-Iran friendship…has stood the test of the vicissitudes of the international landscape.”
However, the Chinese State-backed Global Times said that Beijing hopes to improve ties with Iran as part of its plan to rebuild trade links with Europe and Asia and carve out new markets for its goods.
Supreme Leader Meets Revolutionary Guards Who Detained US Navy Personnel
The Supreme Leader has met Revolutionary Guards troops who briefly detained 10 US Navy personnel on January 12.
The Guards seized the personnel after two US Navy boats entered Iranian waters on January 12, reportedly because of a navigational error. Fearing that the episode would derail implementation of the July 2015 nuclear deal, the US State Department and Iranian Foreign Ministry pursued the release of the sailors in a series of phone calls, and the Guards let them and the boats leave the following day.
However, Guards commanders have maintained a high-profile campaign of declaring victory and US “weakness”, saying that American naval and air forces would have been destroyed if they intervened to rescue the sailors. Supporting the rhetoric, the Guards circulated a series of photographs of the US sailors at their moment of detention.
Parliament Approves New Definitions of “Political Crimes”
Amid regime in-fighting over “sedition” and weeks before elections for Parliament and the Assembly of Experts, MPs have approved new definitions of “political crimes”.
The offenses include “insult or defamation” of the President, the head of judiciary, the Speaker of Parliament, the head of the Expediency Council, Vice-Presidents, Ministers, MPs, and representatives of the Assembly of Experts and the Guardian Council.
“Spreading lies”, “committing actions that lead to the violation of the country’s independence”, and “any type of communication, exchange of information, and collusion with embassies and representatives of public organizations and political parties of foreign countries” can also be punished.
Creating and exacerbating differences among religious and ethnic groups is specified as an offense, as is “anti-Islamic propaganda” and violation of “Islamic principles and the Islamic Republic”.
Iran to Buy 114 Airbus Planes for $50 Billion
Iran will sign a deal to buy 114 Airbus passenger planes on Wednesday, as President Hassan Rouhani visits France, according to Transportation Minister Abbas Akhoundi
Officials from Airbus will arrive in Tehran on Sunday to discuss the deal, an Iranian official said. Iran is reportedly seeking lease or lease-back deals for part of an arrangement worth $50 billion.
Akhoundi said on Saturday that the first deliveries to Iran Air could be in July.
Another Iranian official said the deal will include new and used jets from the A320 family and the out-of-production A340s for 50 airports serving Iran’s 80 million population.
The official said Iran Air is also interested in wide-body planes, including A350s and double-decker A380s, to add destinations in the US, Canada, Australia, and Europe. The Islamic Republic will also being negotiations with US manufacturer Boeing for arrow-body 737s for domestic flights and two-aisle 777s for long-haul routes, said Akhoundi.
Boeing officials were due to attend an aviation summit on Sunday in Tehran, but their trip was cancelled due to visa issues.
Iran’s aging aircraft fleet of 248 planes has been further affected by sanctions blocking replacement parts. The industry has suffered a series of deadly crashes in recent years.
