The withdrawal of US-led foreign forces from Afghanistan and the upcoming presidential election in the country were among the main topics on the agenda of the Tuesday meeting between Araqchi and Jan Kubis in Tehran. 
Araqchi and Kubis, who heads the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, also discussed the issue of Afghan refugees in Iran. 
In his second round of talks in Tehran, the Slovakian UN official is due to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi on Wednesday. 
The ongoing violence in Afghanistan has forced thousands of undocumented Afghan refugees crossing into Iran every year in search of employment. 
The voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees from Iran has been slow in recent years due to insecurity and economic hardships back home, which political analysts say is mainly the result of the US-led occupation of the country. 
Iran has also spent millions of dollars and paid a high human cost to stem the inflow of drug cargos destined for European, Arab and Central Asian countries through its border with Afghanistan.

“The meeting is an effort by the Islamic Republic of Iran to help [find] political solutions to the Syrian crisis,” Araqchi said during his weekly press conference on Tuesday. 
He said that the meeting will be held with the slogan of Political solution – Regional stability on May 29 and a number of countries have been invited to attend the meeting. 
The Iranian official reiterated Iran’s opposition to any military intervention in Syria, voicing the Islamic Republic’s support for national dialogue between the Syrian government and the opposition in order to settle the crisis in the Arab country. 
Syria has been gripped by unrest for over two years, and many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the foreign-sponsored militancy. 
Western powers and their regional allies including the Israeli regime, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are partners in supporting the militant groups in Syria. 
Araqchi further condemned the recent wave of deadly terrorist attacks across Iraq, warning that the enemies of the Muslim world are seeking to cause ethnic and sectarian strife between Shia and Sunni Muslims. 

Talks between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) 

Referring to the latest talks between Iran and the IAEA, Araghchi said Tehran does not consider negotiations a failure. 
Iran and the IAEA held their latest round of negotiations in the Austrian capital Vienna on May 15. 
“Talks between Iran and the IAEA has not reached any conclusions so far, but we hope that they would yield results in next rounds, nevertheless we do not consider them a failure,” the Iranian official added. 
Commenting on the meeting between Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili and the European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton in the Turkish city of Istanbul on May 15, Araghchi said, “Both sides said talks have been fruitful and the date of the next round of negotiations will be determined during future talks.” 
“If the P5+1 (Britain, China, France, Russia and United States plus Germany) prefer to continue talks after the [presidential] election that is their choice, because the fundamental stances of our country will not change before or after the election,” Araghchi said. 
Iran and the P5+1 have held several rounds of talks, mainly over the Iranian nuclear energy program. The latest rounds of negotiations between the two sides were held in the Kazakh city of Almaty on April 5-6 and February 26-27. 
The United States, Israel, and some of their allies have repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program. 
Using the unfounded allegation as a pretext, the US and the EU have imposed illegal unilateral sanctions against the Islamic Republic. 
Tehran rejects the allegation over its nuclear energy activities, maintaining that as a committed signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the IAEA, it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

By: Kayhan Barzegar

director of the Institute for Middle East Strategic Studies in Tehran and a former research fellow at Harvard University and chairs the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the Islamic Azad University in Tehran.

 The announced aim of the Israeli government in attacking military targets in Damascus on May 5 was to prevent Hezbollah from gaining access to military equipment that might lead to a “game change” resulting in a loss in position for Israel. Perhaps the attack can be considered a limited military victory for Israel, but one cannot ignore the consequences of it in altering the political, strategic and military balance negatively against it.

In regard to the Syrian crisis, Israel has publicly set out its red line, consisting of two elements: transfers of rockets or ballistic missiles that could weaken its position and transfers of chemical weapons from Syria to Hezbollah. The crossing of Israel’s red line was the basis for the attack on the military research center in northwest Damascus. Israeli leaders believed the facility housed advanced missiles with the ability to hit Tel Aviv and that they were ready to be transferred to Hezbollah. The strike was presumably carried out to prevent a shift in power that would be negative for Israel.

While it is possible that Israel has achieved some of its military goals for the time being, the attack on Syria will ultimately result in more problems in a number of ways.

First, the strike has increased the legitimacy of the “resistance front” with which Hezbollah is affiliated. Certain Western and Arab assessments, which have support in Israel as well, hold that the active participation in Syria of Hezbollah, a Shiite group supported by Shiite Iran, will exacerbate sectarian conflicts between Shiite and Sunni groups in the Middle East. This perspective stresses the faction-oriented politics of Hezbollah and sees its involvement in Syria as the main reason behind the region’s sectarian conflicts. The Israeli attack has weakened the strength of this argument and instead highlighted the cause of Hezbollah’s so-called resistance.
In a speech on May 9, Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah identified Israel as the main source of menace in the region and emphasized the importance of fighting against it. This alone has increased the legitimacy of the resistance front as a movement. He even mentioned that in the future, more “game-changing” advanced weapons will be transferred from Syria to Hezbollah. This would, indeed, be troubling for Israel.

Second, the Israeli attack challenges the role of conservative Arab regimes, among them Saudi Arabia and Qatar, that support the Syrian opposition. The Israelis’ action reinforces the general assumption that the conservative Arab governments and Israel are on the same side in this fight. The result is a further challenge to these countries’ involvement, or interference, in Syrian affairs.

Third, the attack has weakened the position of the opposition groups inside Syria and has challenged the legitimacy of the opposition in that the strike, so it could be argued, was in line with what the opposition is aiming for — the removal of Bashar al-Assad. In addition, the attack has fueled a desire deeply rooted among Syrians to fight their primary foreign enemy, Israel, thus generating support for the Assad regime’s flagging legitimacy.

Fourth, Israel has weakened the position of Turkey as a supporter of the Syrian opposition. In recent weeks, there had been improvement in Turkish-Israeli
relations, which soured with the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident. Since the strike on Damascus is considered by some as in line with what the Syrian opposition wants, it makes Turkey’s foreign policy appear to be passive. In addition, it increases anti-Israelisentiments in Turkish politics. This element puts pressure on the Islamist government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan to tone down relations with Israel.

Fifth, Israel’s attack elicited a strong response from Russia. Moscow went so far as to openly warn that it will not tolerate another such incident. The strikes also have paved the way for the transfer of S-300 defensive missiles to Syria. Up to now, Israel has had unchallenged freedom in carrying out air raids in Syria and Lebanon. Should these air raids continue, however, the chance of the latter two countries becoming better equipped increases. Given that Israel usually views its own security in black and white — meaning there will probably not be a halt to these attacks — one can expect that during the next round ofstrikes, there will be a harsh response, thus shifting the military balance from Israel’s favor.

Sixth, with the Israeli attack and the other developments noted here, Iran’s political and strategic position in the region has been strengthened. Some Western observers argue that after the Syrian crisis, Iran’s position will have been diminished. Now, however, Iranian policy toward Israel and its support of the resistance front will gain in legitimacy, which will naturally add to Tehran’s influence. Experience shows that offensive measures by Israel and every regional war in which it has been involved — including the 2006 conflict with Hezbollah, the operations against Gaza in 2008 and 2009 and the assault on the Mavi Marmara — have left it in a weakened position because of the negative public opinion generated in the region and around the world and left Iran in a stronger regional position.

In conclusion, the air attack on Damascus has not been a game changer in favor of Israel, and, in fact, has had the opposite effect. The Israeli typically responds quickly to security threats, apparently without thinking very much about the consequences. With this attack, Israel has made a strategic mistake. It has facilitated the strengthening of the resistance movement, weakened the legitimacy of the anti-government opposition in Syria and improved the position of the allies of the Syrian government. It has also provided a path for Syria to access more advanced military defense systems. Any future Israeli attacks are going to be more difficult, and this by itself has changed the game against Israeli interests.

 Statement by H.E. Mr. Khazaee
Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Before the Ambassadorial Meeting of the OIC
New York, 17 May 2013

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Mr. Chairman, 

May I begin by thanking you for having held this timely and important meeting and for the excellent manner you guide the work of our Group.

Mr. Chairman,

We are witnessing a daily violence and violations of human rights committed against innocent unarmed Muslim civilians in the Myanmar which is contrary to all the principles of human rights, values, ethics and international law and has detrimental implications for regional peace, stability and security.
All these violations are coming in the light of the ongoing democratization and reform process in the country!I wonder what the co-relationship between the democratization and the intensification of violence which has brought about so much suffering to thousands of innocent civilians, destruction of mosques and homes and eviction of people from their homeland. More disturbing is the remarks by some Myanmar authorities in the sense of stripping Muslim minority from their citizenship rights, in spite the fact that Muslim people in Myanmar have been living there for centuries.

The ethnic and religious cleansing against Muslims under whatever pretext is unjustifiable and inexcusable under recognized international law, and we at the United Nations must take urgent measures to preserve the spirit of the Charter and protect the fundamental rights of the Muslim people in Myanmar. We need to call upon the Government of Myanmar to put an end to the crackdown against Muslims.

I would like to request Your Excellency, in your capacity as the Chairman of OIC Group to get in touch with the Secretary General of the United Nations and ask him to interfere expeditiously and outspokenly, as he does with other similar situations and to take every appropriate measure in order to halt the current situation and to prevent further similar tragedy to happen against Muslim people of Myanmar.

No doubt, a stance of silence and indifference by the international community toward the situation in Myanmar would contribute to the grave violations of fundamental rights of Muslim inhabitants as well as the international law and make an appalling precedent in international relations. It is hoped that the Myanmar Government would respond to the concerns of its Muslim people and the international community in a positive and constructive manner so that all its Muslim citizens are able to return to their homeland in honour, safety and dignity.

My delegation welcomes that now an OIC Contact Group on Muslims in Myanmar is established. We look forward to see their actions, investigations and therecommendations based on the reports of the OIC fact-finding mission to the region.

We need to call for the convening of a special session of the UN General Assembly at its current Session and invite the Secretary General or Mr. Namayar, his Special Representative to brief us on the situation of our brothers and sisters in Myanmar are going through now. A visit to Myanmar perhaps is needed to communicate the strong expectation of the Member States with a view to ending violence and restoration of the rights of the Muslims.

We may also need to request the SG to see if he could use the existing mechanisms to urgently dispatch an independent commission of inquiry on Myanmar to investigate all violations of human rights in Myanmar by establishing the facts that may amount to such violations with a view to holding the perpetrators accountable and ensuring that the perpetrators will not have impunity.
We need to explore all possible means through engagements with the United Nations including the tabling of a resolution specific to Myanmar to the UN General Assembly at the 68th Session. But we all know what happened to the previous resolution that we discussed at the Third Committee. All our concerns were diluted to the political whims of some Western countries that now want to have a better relationship with Myanmar.

Anyway we as OIC Member States need to continue to call upon the Myanmar Government to take all steps to arrest and punish the perpetrators of the violence against the Muslims which would serve to show that the rule of law in this country is strengthening. We need to intensify our diplomatic efforts at this stage and we need to this message to be strongly passed to the highest level with Myanmar government to help alleviate the sufferings of the Muslim population and to eliminate discriminatory practices against them.

OIC Member States should make clear their expectation that all those who have lost their homes during both the events which targeted the Rohingya Muslims last year and Muslims which were the victims of attacks recent months be returned to their original homes. The cycle of violence, creating displacement and impoverishment must not become an expected outcome for those who hope to benefit from their unacceptable acts of violence against innocent Muslims. As we have indicated before, we stand ready to provide support to the affected people.

There is a good presence of media representatives in New York. We can conduct a media campaign to raise international public awareness about the plight of the Rohingya and other Muslims in Myanmar highlighting the deteriorating humanitarian conditions of the refugees.

Also in New York we have good number of NGOs and think tanks that are mainly working on the issue of the interfaith dialogue. Maybe we need to arrange a meeting among representatives of Buddhists and Muslims to discuss how we could better tackle this issue in order to promote inter-faith dialogue.

Thank you.

Press TV -(Mon May 20, 2013) Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Araqchi has condemned terrorist attacks across Iraq that have killed over 80 people including a number of Iranian pilgrims.

Araqchi extended condolences to the bereaved families of victims and said such terrorist attacks were in contravention of humane and ethical principles. 
He said the terrorist attacks were part of the enemies’ plots to fuel ethnic rifts in the region and undermine the unity among Muslims. 
The Iranian official underlined the responsibility of the Iraqi government as well as the security and law enforcement bodies to protect the lives of pilgrims in the Arab country. 
At least 86 people have been killed and over 150 others injured in several bomb explosions and shooting incidents the capital Baghdad and the southern city of Basra. 
One of the bombs exploded near a bus carrying Iranian pilgrims north of Baghdad, killing 14 people and injuring 15 others. 
No group has claimed responsibility for the blasts, but such large-scale bombings bear the hallmarks of al-Qaeda-linked militants in Iraq, which seek to destabilize the central government.

Press TV -(Sun May 19, 2013) Iran says unauthorized border crossings into the country by Afghan nationals should be stopped in order to prevent incidents along the border between the two countries.

If Afghans travel to Iran legally, border incidents can be prevented, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said during a meeting with Abdul Salam Azimi, the chief justice of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, IRIB reported on Saturday. 
Salehi stated that the security of Iran and Afghanistan is intertwined, saying both nations are determined to maintain security and bilateral relations. 
He urged Kabul to issue passports for Afghan nationals, adding that Iran would help facilitate the process by issuing visas and determining the status of their stay. 
Salehi called for the implementation of bilateral agreements and expressed hope that the two countries could expand their cooperation in the future. 
The Afghan chief justice said Iran has been hosting millions of Afghan nationals for more than three decades and thanked the Iranian government and nation for their hospitality. 
Azimi emphasized the need to provide legal documents for Afghans sojourning to Iran and added that easing visa issuance procedures for Afghan nationals could help reduce unauthorized entries into Iran. 
Thousands of undocumented Afghans cross into Iran every year in search of employment. 
Over the past three decades, Iran has hosted many refugees from neighboring countries, especially Afghanistan, though it has received little international support. 
The voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees from Iran has been slow in recent years due to the tenuous security situation and economic hardships in Afghanistan, which political analysts say is mainly a result of the US-led occupation of the country.

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili (R) meets with Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Office Sheikh-ul-Islam Haji Allahshukur Pashazadeh in Tehran on May 19, 2013.

Press TV -(Sun May 19, 2013) Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Saeed Jalili has warned against major powers’ plots to destabilize the region, urging regional states to make use of their national capacities to foil such bids.

Big powers hatch plots to create instability through various means including terrorism and the misuse of democracy, Jalili said in a meeting with Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Office Sheikh-ul-Islam Haji Allahshukur Pashazadeh in Tehran on Sunday. 
He praised deep-rooted amicable relations between Iran and Azerbaijan and expressed Tehran’s readiness to strengthen cooperation with Baku.
”The Islamic Republic of Iran regards Azerbaijan’s independence, progress, and stability as its own stability and advancement and like in the past it will spare no effort in this regard,” Jalili stated.
The SNSC secretary added that religious and Islamic capacities in Azerbaijan are the best support for the country’s territorial integrity, progress and security and called on Baku to utilize such potential to settle woes.
Pashazadeh, for his part, said the Iranian and Azerbaijani nations have brotherly relations with historical bonds and added that his country would not allow enemies to sow the seeds of discord among neighboring countries.

Press TV -(Sun May 19, 2013) Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Araqchi has condemned a raid by Bahraini forces on the house of prominent Shia cleric Ayatollah Sheikh Issa Ahmed Qassim.

“We strongly condemn this inappropriate move and stress that the element of violence and intimidation and an organized break into people’s houses are not compatible with logic and run counter to all ethical, religious and human standards,” Araqchi said on Sunday. 
On Friday, Bahraini forces raided and searched Sheikh Issa Qassim’s house in the village of Diraz. 
According to Bahrain’s main opposition bloc, al-Wefaq, the cleric was not at home at the time of the raid, but his family members, including women and children, were present. 
“Dozens of armed troops, accompanied by masked civilian forces, stormed the home of Ayatollah Isa Qassim at dawn on Friday… damaging property and terrorizing women and children,” al-Wefaq said in its statement.
Araqchi said acts of insult against senior clerics, attacking people’s houses and employing violence would have no result but the complication of the situation.
The Iranian official said the only solution to Bahrain’s crisis was adopting political methods and paying attention to and realizing popular demands.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman reiterated Iran’s readiness to employ its capacities for helping Bahrain resolve the crisis in a transparent and public manner.
Sheikh Qassim has repeatedly criticized Manama over its violent crackdown on protests.
The Bahraini revolution began in mid-February 2011, when the people, inspired by the popular revolutions that toppled the dictators of Tunisia and Egypt, started holding massive demonstrations.
The Bahraini government promptly launched a brutal crackdown on the peaceful protests and called in Saudi-led Arab forces from neighboring states.
Dozens of people have been killed in the crackdown, and the security forces have arrested hundreds, including doctors and nurses accused of treating injured revolutionaries.

Press TV -(Sat May 18, 2013) Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations Mohammad Khazaei has urged a swift end to the violence and the breach of human rights against the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.

In a meeting with the ambassadors of the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Khazaei said suppression and violence against Muslims are taking place despite Myanmar’s claims of democratization and reform. 
He criticized a lack of consensus and coordination among Muslim countries to adopt a resolution in condemnation of the atrocities against the Muslims in Myanmar, stressing the importance for Myanmar’s government to take effective measures to stop the violence.
“At a time when Muslim countries are concerned about the situation in Myanmar, the political whim of certain Western states to establish better relations with Myanmar’s government has weakened the process of looking into the situation of Muslims in the country, and Muslim countries, unfortunately, are not using all their means [to push for an end to the violence],” Khazaei said.
The Iranian envoy further stated that the silence and inaction of the international community have resulted in the further violation of the Muslims’ rights in the Southeast Asian country.
He urged the UN General Assembly to hold a special meeting on Myanmar and pass a resolution to stop the brutalities against the Muslims.
He also called on UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to dispatch an independent fact-finding mission to Myanmar to probe human rights abuses and identify the perpetrators behind the acts of violence there.
The OIC countries should urge Myanmar’s government to arrest and punish the violators of human rights and the perpetrators of violence against the Muslims, he pointed out.
Rohingya Muslims have faced torture, neglect, and repression in Myanmar for many years.
About 800,000 Rohingyas in the western state of Rakhine are deprived of citizenship rights due to the policy of discrimination that has denied them the right of citizenship and made them vulnerable to acts of violence, persecution, expulsion, and displacement.
Hundreds of Rohingyas are believed to have been killed and thousands of others displaced in recent attacks by extremist Buddhists.

Press TV -(Sat May 18, 2013) Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Araqchi has strongly condemned Friday’s bloody bombings in neighboring Iraq and extended condolences to the bereaved families of the victims.

Nearly 70 people were killed and 100 others injured in four bomb attacks in Iraq. 
Araqchi said that the terrorist attacks took place at a critical time for both Iraq and the region, adding they were part of plots hatched by terrorists and their supporters to destabilize Iraq and make the country insecure.
“The terrorist acts are carried out with the aim of fueling sectarianism and turning political disagreements into sectarian clashes,” he pointed out.
The Iranian official said that “national solidarity” and “vigilance” of Iraqi people and political groups would undoubtedly foil enemy plots.
He also reiterated Iran’s support of its neighbor, saying, “In line with its fundamental policy of backing the Iraqi nation and government, the Islamic Republic of Iran stresses its support for the Iraqi government’s counterterrorism measures … and announced readiness to contribute to the restoration of Iraq’s security.”
Araqchi also called for unity, national solidarity and cooperation among different Iraqi political groups against terrorists.