TEHRAN (Iran News) –  Hopes of a a much needed political agreement in Lebanon have been dashed after the country’s Prime Minister designate Saad al-Hariri and President Michel Aoun failed to agree on a new cabinet line up leading to the premier’s resignation.

Soon after the announcement by Hariri to step down, his supporters took to the streets in several cities, blocking highways and throwing projectiles at security forces. Hariri announced his resignation after a meeting with President Aoun who rejected the cabinet proposal.

In a statement, the Presidential office said Hariri had not presented different faces and was not ready to discuss a cabinet with new identities as was requested by the President when he tasked Hariri to form a new government back in October 2020.

The statement says Hariri’s objections to discuss any amendments to the cabinet indicated he had intendions to resign regardless of the meeting’s outcome. The statement added Aoun stressed the need to adhere to a previously reached agreement, but Hariri rejected any amendments or changes to ministers, the selection of ministers on the basis of their sect and the names associated with them.

Hariri is also said to have refused accepting any opinions that had been put forward by parliamentary blocs thereby making it difficult for his government to obtain the confidence needed from Parliament. According to the statement, Aoun will now set a date with members of parliament to choose a new Prime Minister as soon as possible. Last August, Lebanon’s former government was forced to resign after a deadly explosion in Beirut.

The country is also facing an unprecedented economic crisis and many Lebanese had pinned their hopes on a new government formation to strengthen the country’s economy.

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Majid-Reza Hariri said that the chamber is finalizing legal procedure for the registration of the Iran-China Trade Office and if the restrictions for visiting China are removed in the upcoming months, the office will be launched  because its infrastructures have been done and only the bureaucratic process of inaugurating the office have remained.

On the necessity of establishing trade office and centers, he said trade center is one of the tools for developing exports and it depends on our plans for entering the markets and taking proper tools for it. He added that one of the tools can be the launch of trade centers and offices and even exhibitions, and these tools can push ahead the policy-makings.

Hariri went on to say that trade office and center is one of the tools of the economic diplomacy.

Iran’ Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization penned an MOU with Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences on development of common agricultural ties, in china.

The MOU was signed between the head of the Iranian body Kazem Khavazi and head of the Chinese academy Xuelin li.

In this meeting, the Iranian official referred to the background of Iran-China warm relations, calling for expansion of mutual scientific cooperation under the framework of the plan to revive the Silk Road.

Khavazi was accompanies by a delegation comprised of head of Iranian agricultural organizations in this trip.

During their trip to china Iranian officials sought holding joint specified commissions and ratifying joint agricultural projects besides having the said MOU signed.

In late July, Iran’s Agriculture Minister Mahmoud Hojjati, announced that Iran-China cooperation in the field of agriculture and economy is growing and prosperous.

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Speaking to ILNA, Mr. Hariri said that it is expected after the removal of the sanctions, the trade exchange between Iran and China faces a double-fold surge, adding that the total volume of trade between the two states was around $16b in 2020 but this trade has potential to hit $30b target.

Touching upon the trend of trade between Tehran and Beijing, he noted that the trade exchange between the two countries is divided into two categories of oil and non-oil. He added that the oil trade exchange is confidential and both Iran’s oil ministry and Chinese purchasers avoid revealing exact details of their trades. He stated but in the non-oil category China has been accounted for one-fourth of Iran’s total imports of non-oil goods while currently the trade between the two countries is like the past and it has not changed significantly.

Hariri went on to say that as a bright outlook is expected for the removal of oil sanctions following the Vienna talks, the amount of trade between Iran and China will change considerably by the yearend if sanctions are removed because China is Iran’s major oil customer and it can affect the trade approach of both countries.

He stated it is natural that if sanctions are removed, there will be an opening for Iran’s imports because when the country sells more oil to China, the space for more imports from China will be broader.

He admitted that there is no precise statistics on the bilateral exchanges for recent five months and the released figures for the early months of the year cannot be a yardstick for assessing the whole amount of trade between Iran and China.

On the priorities of the next government’s ministry of industry, mine and trade, Hariri said that the ministry is part of the economic team of the government, and industry minister by himself is not important because he is one of the links of the executive chain of economic policy-making in the field of production and trade.

He noted that above all, one should see who will form the economic team of the government and how much they are in harmony and matched, adding that what has hurt the foreign trade in recent years has been inconsistency among the government’s economic team.

Hariri went on to say that if the economic policy-making, economic diplomacy and monetary, financial and banking policies are not clear and transparent, one cannot expect the industry ministry to show its full capacity. He once again said that if sanctions are not removed, exports will not succeed and the current condition will continue. He also reiterated that if the country’s tense relation with neighboring states or other countries is not resolved, the country will lose most of its markets and therefore all of these factors form a package.

Hariri once again emphasized that the future of national economy relies more on diplomacy team rather than relying on the economic team, and international and diplomatic policies are not in the hands of the governments and the whole establishment determines it. He said if the Vienna talks succeeds, then one can have demands from the economic team, and then the priority should be a time-tabled plan which can be measured and monitored for curbing the inflation.

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Speaking to ILNA, Majid-Reza Hariri said that China has given Iran 850,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines for free as humanitarian aids. Reacting to why the names of the companies in charge of importing vaccine is nor revealed, he said that imports of vaccine is not forbidden like weapon that the names of the importing companies are kept secret and the companies are just doing their social responsibility and for this reason perhaps they do not like their names to be announced.

He noted that the chamber is not opposed to imports of vaccines by the private sector and there is no doubt about it but regarding vaccination, there should be some priorities in order to reduce the death toll in the country.

Majid-Hariri went on to say that Iran’s Ambassador to China is working hard to provide more vaccines for the country and so far he has achieved in dispatch of 850,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccines to Iran which all have been for free.

He reiterated that the price of Russian COVID-19 vaccines is more expensive than the Chinese one and the prices which are quoted in the country are not right.

He reiterated that public health cannot be a tool for business and all should work for transparency especially by the private sector.

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Speaking to ILNA and touching upon the impacts of probable removal of sanctions on the national economy, Majid-Reza Hariri said that Iran’s economy is under the impacts of pressures of sanctions and according to the statistics released by the international communities, Iran’s forex reserves have highly declined and the available forex for the Central Bank is very limited. He added that requirement of trade is forex and when the forex is not accessed by the Central Bank or importers, then there will be problems.

He added sanctions strongly restrict the country in the field of oil exports and even in the field of non-oil exports. He noted that the most impact of sanctions is on the foreign trade and when the foreign trade faces problem, the country will face problems inside and in the production sector, adding that as we all have seen problems in people’s livelihood in most fields during the past year.

Mr. Hariri reiterated that major part of economic problem is because of the sanctions pressure and other part is  because of the policy-makers in the country who always keep the country in the standby mode of whether sanctions are removed or not.

He said this uncertainty in trade and economy exists and causes us to have always a halt mode. Hariri said that four years ago all eyes were directed to Vienna  to see what would happen there, and again it is happening and all attentions are on Vienna for the result of the talks.

Hariri said that this impact should be minimized in the national economy and the country should have plans for both modes of sanctions and non-sanctions period.

He said if sanctions are removed and a good management is taken, the condition can highly change today. He noted but the national economy should be built in a way whose impacts of sanctions to be minimized.

Harir said currently national economy is ill and it is in the emergency condition and no infrastructural action can be done and all should work together for immediate saving of this economy but first the impact of politics on economy should be minimized otherwise any time sanctions may return and the country will face the same problem.

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TEHRAN (Iran News) – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei warned Wednesday that the United States and Western spy services, funded by certain reactionary countries of the region, have been fomenting turmoil and insecurity in Gulf region, calling for vigilance against such enemy plots.

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Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri said he would submit his resignation on Tuesday, declaring he had hit a “dead end” in trying to resolve a crisis unleashed by huge anti-corruption protests. Iran News covers the story of how Hariri resigns.

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Lebanese President Michel Aoun says Saudi Arabia is holding Prime Minister Saad Hariri, calling the detention as an act of aggression against his country and a violation of international human rights regulations.

“Nothing justifies Hariri’s lack of return for 12 days. We therefore consider him detained. This is a violation of the Vienna agreements and human rights law,” Aoun said at a meeting with Lebanese journalists and media executives.

Aoun underlined the need for Hariri’s immediate return to Lebanon, saying, “We cannot wait a long time for Hariri’s return, we cannot stop the state’s work.”

Later on Wednesday, Hariri repeated his previous statements that he would return home. “I want to repeat and affirm that I am perfectly fine and I will return, God willing, to dear Lebanon as I promised you, you’ll see,” he wrote on Twitter.

Hariri announced his surprise resignation in Riyadh on November 4, shortly after traveling to Saudi Arabia. The televised announcement saw him reading out from a statement.

Lebanese government officials and senior sources close to Hariri believe that Riyadh forced him to step down and placed him under effective house arrest since he touched down in Saudi Arabia on November 3, a day before he announced his shock resignation.

Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry has pledged to keep up pressure on Saudi Arabia not to impede Hariri’s return, the al-Akhbar paper reported, citing sources within the ministry.

In a Sunday interview, the first since he flew to Saudi Arabia, Hariri described himself as a “free man” who intended to “return” to his home country “within days,” denying widespread speculations that he had been under house arrest.

Observers say even if he returned to Lebanon, Saudi Arabia could still hold his family “hostage.”

Hariri had taken to Twitter on Tuesday, saying he is “well” and will return to Lebanon “within days,” but that his family will stay in Saudi Arabia.

Hariri has cited several reasons, including the security situation in Lebanon, for his sudden decision. He also said that he realized a plot was being hatched against his life. Furthermore, Hariri also accused Iran and the Lebanese resistance movement, Hezbollah, of meddling in the Arab countries’ affairs; an allegation the two have strongly rejected. Hezbollah is part of the coalition government led by Hariri.

In the interview, Hariri added that he would be willing to “rescind the resignation” if intervention in regional conflicts – particularly “by Hezbollah” – stopped.

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The European Union (EU) says Saad Hariri, who shockingly resigned as the Lebanese prime minister in Saudi Arabia more than a week ago, should return to his country, and warns against foreign meddling in Lebanon’s affairs.

“We appeal first of all to the political forces to focus on Lebanon and what they can deliver to their citizens, Prime Minister Hariri to return to his country and the unity government … to focus on domestic achievements,” the EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said Monday, after hosting a meeting of all 28 EU foreign ministers in Brussels.

She said foreign interference in Lebanon was a “current and always existing threat,” implying a warning to Riyadh.

Hariri announced his resignation in Riyadh on November 4, shortly after travelling to Saudi Arabia. The televised announcement saw him reading out from a statement.

Sources close to him later told Reuters that he had been given the statement. However, Hariri gave an interview earlier this week amid growing criticisms of Saudi Arabia, describing himself as a “free man” who intended to “return” to his home country “within days.”

The EU’s diplomatic chief further said that the meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers had voiced unanimous support for Lebanon’s “unity and stability.”

“We expect no external interference in this national agenda and we believe it is essential to avoid importing into Lebanon regional conflicts, regional dynamics, regional tensions that have to stay out of the country,” Mogherini said.

She added that she would meet Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil in Brussels on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Germany’s Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Hariri should return as his departure has shaken Lebanon.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian likewise called for “non-interference” in Lebanon. “For there to be a political solution in Lebanon, it is necessary that all of the political leaders have total freedom of movement and that non-interference is a fundamental principle,” he said as he arrived for the EU meeting.

Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn warned Riyadh that a meltdown in Lebanon would further destabilize the tumultuous Middle East, adding that “a hostage crisis, if that is what is happening with the Lebanese prime minister in Saudi Arabia, is not very good news for the region.”

Last Saturday, Reuters quoted Hariri sources as saying that Saudi Arabia “has concluded that the prime minister had to go because he was unwilling to confront Hezbollah.”

Hariri’s government shares power with the resistance movement.

Riyadh is uneasy with Hezbollah’s considerable military and political influence in Lebanon, which has significantly contributed to the country’s security.

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