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Tehran scrambles for hospital beds as Iran reports record new coronavirus cases

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Tehran scrambles for hospital beds as Iran reports record new coronavirus cases
Tehran scrambles for hospital beds as Iran reports record new coronavirus cases
Tehran scrambles for hospital beds as Iran reports record new coronavirus cases

 

 

Tehran ambulances carrying COVID-19 patients go from hospital to hospital in search of available beds, a physician said on Thursday as the country recorded a daily high of 4,392 new cases.

 

Authorities have been warning for days of severe shortages of hospital beds during the third wave of infections that has hit the capital Tehran the hardest.

 

“Due to the unavailability of beds in intensive care units and even in emergency units, ambulances go from one hospital to another to have patients admitted,” the official IRINN news site quoted the head of infectious diseases at the Masih Daneshvari Hospital in Tehran as saying.

 

“Newly-arriving coronavirus patients have to wait for beds to become free,” said the physician.

 

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Also Read: Iran releases human rights activist Narges Mohammadi after sentence cut

The Health Ministry registered new 230 deaths, taking the total toll to 27,888 in the worst-hit country in the Middle East. The total number of identified cases stands at 488,236, ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari told state TV. From Saturday, face masks will become mandatory in public in the capital Tehran. Masks have already been compulsory in public indoors since July, and will now be required outdoors in Tehran as well. State media reports say many people have flouted the regulation. Schools, libraries, mosques, and other public institutions in Tehran closed for a week on Oct. 3 as part of measures to stem the rapid rise in COVID-19 cases. The closure also affects universities, seminaries, libraries, museums, theatres, gyms, cafes, and hair salons in the capital. Alireza Zali, head of the Tehran Coronavirus Taskforce, on Thursday asked the Health Minister to extend the closures in the capital for at least another week. Iran, which was one of the first countries outside of East Asia to be hit hard by the pandemic early this year, saw another surge in the months that followed and is now experiencing the third wave.

Iran releases human rights activist Narges Mohammadi after sentence cut

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Iran releases human rights activist Narges Mohammadi after sentence cut
Iran releases human rights activist Narges Mohammadi after sentence cut
Iran releases human rights activist Narges Mohammadi after sentence cut

 

 

Iranian human rights activist and journalist Narges Mohammadi have been released from prison after her sentence was reduced, her husband and the judiciary said on Thursday.

 

“Narges was released from Zanjan prison at 3 am (1130 GMT). Wishing freedom for all prisoners,” her husband Taghi Rahmani announced on Twitter.

 

Mohammadi, 48, is a campaigner against the death penalty and was the spokeswoman for the Defenders of Human Rights Center in Iran — founded by Nobel Peace laureate Shirin Ebadi — when she was arrested in May 2015.

 

The mother-of-two was sentenced to a total of 10 years in prison for “forming and managing an illegal group.”

 

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Also Read: Iran says it’s among top countries in military radar, a message to Israel

According to international press freedom organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF), she was transferred in late December from Tehran’s Evin prison, where she had been held since 2015, to prison in Zanjan, northwest of the capital. The activist, reportedly suffering from a neurological disease that causes muscular paralysis and a lung condition, requested a temporary release from prison in June for medical treatment.Her release comes days after UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet called on Iran to “immediately release” political prisoners who have been excluded from a push to empty prisons amid the coronavirus pandemic. Since March, more than 100,000 detainees in Iran have been granted furlough or sentence remissions to help limit the spread of Covid-19. The disease has killed 27,658 people in Iran and infected 483,844, according to health ministry figures. Iran is ranked 173 out of 180 countries in the 2020 edition of RSF’s World Press Freedom Index. Since March, more than 100,000 detainees in Iran have been granted furlough or sentence remissions to help limit the spread of Covid-19. The disease has killed 27,658 people in Iran and infected 483,844, according to health ministry figures. Iran is ranked 173 out of 180 countries in the 2020 edition of RSF’s World Press Freedom Index.

Iran says it’s among top countries in military radar, a message to Israel

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Iran says it’s among top countries in military radar, a message to Israel
Iran says it's among top countries in military radar, a message to Israel
Iran says it’s among top countries in military radar, a message to Israel

 

 

Iran’s media has claimed that the country is one of the world leaders in radar. Brig.-Gen. Ali Hajizadeh of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that new radar systems installed in Yazd province illustrate the country’s proficiency in this area.

 

“These radars can detect up to a range of 350 km. and depending on the altitude up to 1,000 km.”

 

Iran’s claims of its increased radar abilities are meant as a message to the US and Israel regarding its capabilities.

 

It is also looking to export its abilities to allies in Syria and potentially Iraq and elsewhere.

 

Iran has combined these radars, at the service of the IRGC Aerospace Force, with those of the Iranian army, overlapping coverage to achieve military excellence in this field, the article argues.

 

“Islamic Iran is definitely among the top ten countries,” Tasnim News says. The country intends to put in place new radar stations at Chabahar and other areas that will be used by the IRGC.

 

The IRGC’s dominance of the radar used in Iran is part of the country’s projection of power and concentration of military technology in the hands of the IRGC.

 

The IRGC also pioneers missiles, drones, and other key aspects of the military-industrial complex of Iran.

 

Tal Inbar pointed out on social media that “Iran has put two more 3-dimensional detections Ghadir long-range radar into operation. With an approximate range of 1,100 km., the radar can detect targets with low RCS.

 

A number of systems as of today: 8.” Inbar was the head of the UAV research center at the Fisher Institute for Air and Space Strategic Studies until 2019.

 

He is an independent analyst on missiles, UAVs, and space.

 

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Also Read: Iran, Syria worried about ‘regional conflict’ of Azerbaijan-Armenia war

Iran, Syria worried about ‘regional conflict’ of Azerbaijan-Armenia war

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Iran, Syria worried about ‘regional conflict’ of Azerbaijan-Armenia war
Iran, Syria worried about 'regional conflict' of Azerbaijan-Armenia war
Iran, Syria worried about ‘regional conflict’ of Azerbaijan-Armenia war

 

Iran is growing increasingly concerned about the fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia and has continued to issue statements and escalating rhetoric.

 

Iran initially said it would be open to help mediate, but its anger has grown as it judges that Russia, Turkey, and Azerbaijan are not listening to Tehran’s counsel.

 

Iran now warns of a regional war as Syrian regime leader Bashar Assad accused Turkey of instigating the war and sending extremists to fight Armenia.

 

Iran’s government spokesman Ali Rabiei said on Tuesday that Iran was following the clashes on the other side of the border closely and that while Tehran supports Azerbaijan’s rights to “territorial integrity,” it does not believe military means are the right way to go. Iran wants the war to stop as soon as possible.

 

 

So far, more than a week of fighting has seen hundreds of casualties, shelling of civilians on both sides and the use of modern weapons such as missiles and drones.

 

 

Iran is concerned because the fighting is close to its border and has also led to protests by the Azeri minority in Iran.

 

 

Iran is closer to Armenia but wants trade and peace with its neighbors in this area, according to Tehran’s statements.

 

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani increased the rhetoric on Wednesday as Iranian media said that local armed clashes could become a “regional war” and that Iran is ready to help resolve the dispute. Iran says it wants to adhere to international law.

 

The dispute in Nagorno-Karabakh dates to the Soviet era. The area is inhabited by Armenians but is part of Azerbaijan.

 

In the 1990s Armenian forces came to control it and other areas of Azerbaijan and created a self-declared republic next to the Armenian republic.

 

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Also Read: Iran critical of unfounded chemical attack allegations against Syrian Gov’t

Iran critical of unfounded chemical attack allegations against Syrian Gov’t

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Iran critical of unfounded chemical attack allegations against Syrian Gov’t
Iran critical of unfounded chemical attack allegations against Syrian Gov't
    Iran critical of unfounded chemical attack allegations against Syrian Gov’t

 

 

Iran’s Permanent Representative to United Nations said a statement that chemical attack has been unfounded allegations leveled against Syrian Government in the specialized debates of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the United Nations Security Council.

 

“In the past several years, based on unsubstantiated allegations, the processes of the CWC, OPCW, and the Security Council have been abused against the Syrian Government,” Majid Takht-Ravanchi said in a statement addressing the UNSC meeting on the situation in the Middle East – Syria / chemical.

 

The full text of the statement is as follows:

 

In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful,

 

Mr. President,

 

First, I would like to congratulate you on assuming the Presidency of the Council for the month of October and assure you of the full cooperation of my delegation.

 

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Also Read: Iran to Impose Stricter Restrictions and Fines as Coronavirus Surge Continues

As a major victim of chemical weapons in contemporary history, Iran continues to condemn in the strongest possible terms the use of chemical weapons by anyone, anywhere, and under any circumstances. Iran also reiterates its call for the balanced, full, and non-discriminatory implementation of the CWC and upholding the authority of the OPCW. In the past several years, based on unsubstantiated allegations, the processes of the CWC, OPCW, and the Security Council have been abused against the Syrian Government. However, the fact is that in 2014, the head of the Joint Mission to Eliminate Chemical Weapons in Syria, in her final report to this Council, confirmed that Syria has fulfilled all its commitments and that its entire chemical stockpiles have been destroyed. Later, the OPCW also confirmed the destruction of the entire chemical stockpile of Syria and all its 27 production facilities.

Iran to Impose Stricter Restrictions and Fines as Coronavirus Surge Continues

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Iran to Impose Stricter Restrictions and Fines as Coronavirus Surge Continues
Iran to Impose Stricter Restrictions and Fines as Coronavirus Surge Continues
  Iran to Impose Stricter Restrictions and Fines as Coronavirus Surge Continues

 

 

The worsening coronavirus crisis, which deepened over the first few days of October, has led to calls for further restrictions to be imposed and lockdowns in a number of provinces.

 

On October 3, Dr. Alireza Zali, director of the Tehran Coronavirus Taskforce, called for some businesses in the Iranian capital to be closed for a period of one week to break the chain of transmission.

 

He asked Anooshirvan Bandpey, governor of Tehran province, to take decisive action to impose restrictions.

 

This came after rumors in late September that President Rouhani had banned Bandpey from giving interviews because he objected to the governor’s calls for lockdowns.

 

The areas of activity that Dr. Zali had in mind cover a wide range of businesses and public places, including schools, universities, seminaries, student dormitories, Friday Prayers congregations, and prayer establishments, vocational schools, libraries, mosques, hairdressers, beauty salons, coffee shops, restaurants, indoor swimming pools and sports clubs, especially those for Judo, wrestling, karate and other contact sports.

 

He also asked for a one-week ban on all social, cultural, and religious ceremonies and gatherings.

 

Dr. Zali warned that if authorities failed to act, a rise in infections was likely.

 

He predicted an increase in cases from between three and five times and a rise in fatalities between 1.5 to three percent.

 

Authorities have followed up their decision to fine people who violate coronavirus health protocols with more specific plans. In a meeting with the chairmen of the National Coronavirus Taskforce committee, President Rouhani repeated the term “penalties” seven times.

 

“Anybody who knows they are infected must not hide it,” he said. “Otherwise it is a violation. He must inform his family, his close friends, and his workplace.

 

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Also Read: Iran sends Zarif to Kuwait after emir death

Iran sends Zarif to Kuwait after emir death

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Iran sends Zarif to Kuwait after emir death
Iran sends Zarif to Kuwait after emir death
Iran sends Zarif to Kuwait after the emir death

 

 

Iran’s sending of its foreign minister to Kuwaits in the wake of the death of the Gulf country’s leader is a message to Kuwait City that it should stay neutral in issues relating to Iraq, the US, the Gulf, and Israel.

 

Iran sent Foreign Minister Javad Zarif to Kuwaits on Sunday after Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, who had been in power since 2006, died September 29.

 

Kuwait recalls the scars of the 1990 Iraqi invasion by Saddam Hussein and has attempted since then to steer clear of Gulf rivalries and Iran issues.

 

In the 1980s, the country was the center of the tanker war and also bomb plots by Iranian-backed men such as Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who was assassinated by the US in January.

 

Zarif’s visit comes amid rumors of countries in the region being encouraged by the US to normalize relations with Israel.

 

Oman, Sudan, and other countries have been on the list.

 

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Also Read: Iran warns Armenia, Azerbaijan over mortar shells

Kuwait has rejected normalization. The emir’s death and the trip by Zarif are important symbols of how important Tehran views its small, southwestern neighbor. Tehran knows that Kuwait hosts massive US army bases. Washington is under pressure in Iraq from Iranian-backed militias. Dozens of rocket attacks have targeted the US in Iraq, causing it to draw down troops to 3,000 from 5,200. The US handed over eight facilities to the Iraqis and is in the process of consolidating troops to northern Iraq. Kuwait hosts the Bradley Fighting Vehicles that America recently deployed to Syria.  There are rumors that the drone that killed IRGC head Qasem Soleimani flew from Kuwait’s Ali Salem base; Kuwait has denied that. However, this means Iran is watching Kuwait and the American bases. It knows this is a key in the supplied link to the US in the region. Convoys that supply the US, apparently driving from Kuwait, are often targeted in Iraq on the way to Baghdad and other areas in the country.

Iran warns Armenia, Azerbaijan over mortar shells

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Iran warns Armenia, Azerbaijan over mortar shells
Iran warns Armenia, Azerbaijan over mortar shells
        Iran warns Armenia, Azerbaijan over mortar shells

 

 

A senior official in Iran’s East Azarbaijan province that is adjacent to Armenia and Azerbaijan said Iran has given the two clashing countries the necessary warnings about the consequences of mortars hitting Iranian villages.

 

Aliyar Rastgoo who serves as the deputy for East Azarbaijan governor-general in political and security issues told IRNA that the province’s highest authority has also sent a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to pursue the issue through diplomatic channels.

 

Meanwhile, he added, the Iranian military is present in the region and is closely minoring the situation.

 

Also, earlier on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh warned the warring parties fighting over the Nagorno-Karabakh region against any violation of Iran’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty.

 

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Also Read: Hundreds of Protesters Arrested for Opposing Iran’s Support of Armenia

Iran meticulously monitors all the movements at the borderlines with the two parties engaged in the dispute, said Khatibzadeh when responding to a question about the reports on Iran’s territory being violated. Khatibzadeh said that any violation of the Iranian territory is intolerable.He stressed the need for both clashing parties to stop the conflicts and start serious time-bound talks. The spokesperson also expressed Iran’s readiness to help the two parties pursue these goals. In the conflict that has been going on between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the past few days, a number of rockets and missiles hit the Iranian villages close to the joint borderlines which injured a number of people including a five-year-old child.The shells also damaged two buildings. Due to a mortar that hit the power network of the borderline town of Khodafarin County in the northwest of Iran, the area suffered a blackout for a while. The dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan was originally erupted over the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh and changed into a six-year war (1988-1994).

Hundreds of Protesters Arrested for Opposing Iran’s Support of Armenia

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Hundreds of Protesters Arrested for Opposing Iran’s Support of Armenia
Hundreds of Protesters Arrested for Opposing Iran's Support of Armenia
    Hundreds of Protesters Arrested for Opposing Iran’s Support of Armenia

 

 

More than 100 protesters voicing support for Azerbaijan and anger over Iran’s backing of Armenia have been arrested in Iran.

 

As military clashes between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia continue, protests against Iran’s support of Armenia erupted in several Iranian cities on October 1.

 

Some of the demonstrations, which took place in Tehran, Tabriz, Urmia, Ardabil, Zanjan, Meshkinshahr, Maragheh, Marand, Naqadeh, Parsabad, and other cities, turned violent when Iranian security forces intervened.

 

 Many of the cities where protests took place have large ethnic Azeri populations.

 

Turkish Azeri Iranian activists have expressed anger over the Iranian government’s apparent support for Armenia, along with Russia. Islamic Republic officials, however, have stated they are neutral on the two countries’ dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh.

 

In response, activists posted videos on social media showing the alleged transfer of Russian military equipment from Iran to Armenia.

 

The protests against Iranian and Russian support for neighboring Armenia followed a call-out on social media to support Azerbaijan on October 1.

 

Following this, dozens of Azerbaijani political, civil society, and student activists were summoned by the intelligence and security police in several cities. Security agents also carried out raids on some of their homes.

 

“The security forces arrested citizens before the rallies began,” one citizen journalist in Tehran told IranWire.

 

“As the rallies, which were attended by a large number of women, began, the protesters were beaten and detained by police and plainclothes officers and transferred to Etrat Cultural Center in Imam Hossein Square.

 

” According to him, “the security agents used more than four vans to transfer the detainees.”

 

In Tabriz, a protest rally was held on Rasteh Koocheh Street at the same time as protests in Tehran and Urmia.

 

As videos citizen journalists sent to IranWire show, security forces violently disrupted a peaceful gathering in Tabriz.

 

Police and plainclothes officers fired tear gas and rubber bullets and used batons to disperse the demonstrators.

 

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Also Read: New White House winner may engage with Iran: Pakistani editor

New White House winner may engage with Iran: Pakistani editor

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New White House winner may engage with Iran: Pakistani editor
New White House winner may engage with Iran Pakistani editor
     New White House winner may engage with Iran: Pakistani editor

 

Editor of Pakistan’s oldest English newspaper ‘Dawn’ says if there is a change in US administration and Democrats end winning the White House there are bright chances that they will revisit Trump’s decision and return back to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

 

In an exclusive interview with IRNA in Islamabad on Saturday, Fahd Husain, who has 30 years of experience in journalism and media management, said that everything depends on a change of leadership in the US as far as Iran is concerned.

 

“Obviously it was Trump’s decision to walk out of the JCPOA despite a lot of opposition not only domestically from democrats but also from European allies but he did it, so from what I can see if there are a change and democrats ends winning the White House there are bright chances that they will revisit Trump’s decision, come back to the table,” noted Hussein.

 

The English-language Dawn newspaper is Pakistan’s oldest newspaper which was founded by Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah in Delhi, India, on 26 October 1941.

 

**Washington’s chance to negotiate with Tehran

 

Fahd Husain expressing his views said as far as the JCPOA is concerned, Pakistan has always been in support of the pact, it was a nuclear pact which was negotiated with a lot of detail and it had all the key stakeholders involved in it so it was a very promising and welcome step.

 

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Also Read: Record Daily Coronavirus Infections as Iran in Turmoil Over Shia Pilgrimages

“Everybody including Pakistan was looking forward to a lot of promising results from that, unfortunately, US President Donald Trump pulled out of it but the encouraging thing is that the European countries are still very much holding on to the pact,” he said. He said Pakistan has also said very clearly.
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