We still remember former President Hassan Rouhani government’s policy of talks during the nuclear issue of Iran which took years and led to the JCPOA deal in 2015 which was gone in just a second and with a signature of the former U.S. President Donald Trump and the U.S. exit of the deal and reimposition of sanctions.

Iran has suffered from this unfair deal which gave this authority to the U.S. or big powers to leave the agreement without paying its price and it was Iran which paid the price for this naïve and trust on the West.

Now the order of the play has changed and this time the Islamic Republic of Iran under the revolutionary President Seyed Ebrahim Raisi’s government will not let it happen again and this time there will not be talks for the sake of entertain the nation and the world.

As the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei has said Iran has awakened after the 2015 nuclear deal and this time it will not accept the deal easily unless the country really benefits it.

On Thursday Iran’s new foreign minister once again reiterated the Islamic Republic of Iran’s new policy on talks and said welcomes negotiations on the revival of the nuclear deal it snatched with world powers in 2015, but will not engage in talks just for the sake of talks.

Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in a phone call with his Austrian counterpart, Alexander Schallenberg, during which the two sides discussed matters of mutual interest to both countries as well as ways to bolster bilateral relations.

During the conversation, Iran’s top diplomat noted that although the Islamic Republic in essence welcomes negotiations on the nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), it believes that “engaging in negotiations for the sake of negotiations is not acceptable.”

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has kept its end of the bargain in maintaining the JCPOA through its strategic patience in the face of the US withdrawal and the inaction of the European side, and now it’s about time for the other JCPOA parties to cooperate and honor their commitments in a real and practical manner,” Iran’s foreign minister said.

Iran and world powers, including the US, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany, struck the JCPOA on July 14, 2015. Under the accord, Iran agreed to scale back some of its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.

However, the U.S., under former President Trump, unilaterally withdrew from the deal and reinstated crippling sanctions on the Islamic Republic, although the country had been fully compliant with the deal.

In early April, Iran and the remaining parties to the JCPOA began to hold talks in Vienna, Austria, after the Joe Biden administration voiced willingness to rejoin the nuclear agreement, three years after Trump’s withdrawal.

The negotiations were paused soon after the victory of Ebrahim Raeisi in Iran’s June 18 presidential election.

In a separate phone conversation on Thursday, Amir-Abdollahian told his German counterpart Heiko Maas that any negotiations on the revival of the nuclear accord must lead to the removal of the illegal sanctions imposed on the country.

“We agree on the essence of Vienna talks, but we [only] accept those negotiations that would lead to the removal of the [U.S.] sanctions and meet the inalienable rights of Iran,” he said.

The top Iranian diplomat advised the three European parties to the JCPOA, Germany, the UK and France, also known as E3, to change course with regard to the implementation of the deal and end their inaction toward their JCPOA obligations.

This firm stance from Iran’s foreign minister shows that the order of the play has changed and Iran is not in a weak position any longer and the new government is not ready to give in to the West’s pressure and it will not give in to the loss-win game of the West.

The Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes talks on the JCPOA but it is not ready to say “yes” to anything that the U.S. and allies demand. The country is ready to continue the talks just for the sake of getting a tangible result than entertaining the media and the nation because it has learned from the past negotiations that if it just want to prolong the talks, enemies of the country will benefit it.

So the West is better to come to its sense by getting fair stance in talks and to avoid its excessive demands because Rais is not Rouhani and time and condition now has totally changed.

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Salehi referred to the activities of the outgoing government, saying, “I would like to mention the 11th and 12th governments and the tireless efforts of President Rouhani and his entourage in the government.”

He stated that he is obliged to say that during Rouhani’s presidency, it is fair to say that the president himself, above others in the government, used his prudence and hope as a shield against conspiracies hatched against the country and the revolution.

The nuclear chief emphasized, “It can be boldly said that no government in the Islamic Republic of Iran has faced such a volume of problems and difficulties.”

Salehi stated that natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, and droughts on the one hand and the implementation of the policy of maximum and oppressive pressure and the spread of the infamous Coronavirus, on the other hand, created a bitter and poisonous concoction.

The “maximum pressure” refers to Trump’s strategy against Iran.

“Hostility and enmity from foreign foes and the emergence of some political immoralities in the domestic arena added to the existing conditions,” the nuclear chief said.

He highlighted that despite all shortcomings and restrictions created on the path of the government, thanks to the grace of God and the widespread support of the government, the necessary conditions were provided to achieve two significant victories.

The head of the Atomic Energy Organization added, “First, the advancement of nuclear talks in the 11th government, which was made possible through the guidance and support of the Leader and the activities of Rouhani, provided an opportunity to thwart the conspiracy of Iran’s ill-wishers, and our stubborn enemies failed to achieve their goals.”

Salehi added, “Secondly, after the defeat of the previous U.S. administration (in the elections) and the withdrawal of this country from the Barjam agreement (JCPOA), many international observers were waiting for the balance of the government to be upset and our government officials to be caught in a whirlpool of incurable systems.”

He said that everyone must testify that this government, despite enduring the wounds caused by the relentless onslaught of “poisonous arrows” on the battlefield, did not give up and continued its path with determination through trust, perseverance, and popular support.

The nuclear chief said that as one of the oldest people involved in the peaceful nuclear program of Iran, he could testify that in the light of the measures taken by the Islamic Republic and due to the smart moves of the government in the field of nuclear diplomacy, the current situation is very different to 2013.

He emphasized, “Today, the country’s nuclear industry is stepping on the path of growth and excellence with increasing authority and strength, while our enemies were constantly using propaganda tools to insist on their baseless claim that in this government, the power and capacity of the program of Iran’s nuclear program is on the verge of degeneration and destruction.”

After adopting the strategic law to lift sanctions and protect the interests of the Iranian people in the parliament, this fact became apparent to everyone that the foundations and pillars of this national industry were safe from any harm, said Salehi, a nuclear physicist.

The head of the Atomic Energy Organization said, “In addition, I would like to point out that friends did not understand the difficult situation of this government and contrary to the repeated recommendations of the Leader of the Revolution on the need for Islamic unity and national solidarity, they crossed the boundaries of compassionate criticism and fair criticism.”

“If we all followed the rules of political game and preferred national interests over the group and factional interests, Iran would have achieved more,” he said.

He pointed out that in the end he considers it necessary to thank the president for his efforts to protect the interests of the great nation of Iran.

“Since the beginning of the 1380s (2001s), I played the role of the representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the International Atomic Energy Agency, and I have increasingly encountered Mr. Rouhani’s abilities and characteristics. A deep understanding of political developments on the world stage attracted my attention,” he said of the outgoing president.

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The remaining offshore chains from South Pars and achieving production in the offshore section of 27 phases of South Pars, the first phase of the Siraf Pars export and service port project in Kangan County and two offshore chains of phase 14 of South Pars with the inauguration of four offshore platforms, were officially put into operation in Assaluyeh, southern Iran, by the order of the President via video conference

The offshore section of South Pars phases covers in an area of ​​3,700 km in the Persian Gulf, and by the end of the previous Iranian calendar year of 1399 on March 20, more than 1.8 trillion cubic meters of gas and 2.2 billion barrels of valuable gas condensate worth $335 billion (considering the price of 18 cents for every cubic meters rich gas) was produced from the area.

The first production platform of South Pars came online in 2001 with a production capacity of 28 million cubic meters of gas per day and the last developed gas platform with a capacity of 14.2 million cubic meters was put into operation in March 2019.

Currently, the daily gas production capacity of the Iranian section of South Pars, the world’s largest gas field with 37 production platforms, 372 wells, and 3,200 km of 32-inch subsea pipelines, has reached 700 million cubic meters per day.

Two offshore chains of South Pars Phase 14, including construction, installation and commissioning of four gas production platforms, piping and drilling of 44 wells, are among the projects that were officially inaugurated on Sunday.

Pars Siraf Export Port Project in Pars 2 Region was also implemented as an important terminal for storage, loading and export of the liquefied natural gas and sulfur produced by the refineries in the region with an export capacity of 5,000 cubic meters per hour.

The operator of the South Pars Phase 14 development project said an investment of $2.5 billion was made in the project so far, adding the first gas sweetening train of the project’s refinery would come online soon.

Mohammad Mehdi Tavassolipour told a videoconference in the presence of President Rouhani and Oil Minister Bijan Zangeneh to launch the project virtually  that the project’s development was aimed at production of 54.6 million cubic meters per day of sour gas and 75,000 b/d of gas condensate from the joint offshore field.

He noted that the offshore section of South Pars Phase 14, which was designed, engineered and executed by Iranian contractors with a capital of $2.5 billion, has already been put into operation, which has achieved the most important goal of this project. “Cumulative production from phase 14 of South Pars bloc has been 36 billion cubic meters to date,” he said.

The official added that the offshore section of the project entails 4 platforms which had started to come on stream since May 2018.

Furthermore, he said that the project has made 86% progress so far and its first refining train will come online soon.

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Rouhani said on Sunday at the last meeting of the 12th cabinet: “A very lofty goal that we must all pursue is national unity.”

Iran’s 7th president said: “In the past, we talked to the people and announced that nothing was against reality and we told the people what was real.”

“Of course, we did not tell people part of the truth, and I do not think we could tell them because I did not find it useful,” added Rouhani.

He went on to highlight: “A very lofty goal that we must all pursue is national unity.”

“We tolerated many issues in order to maintain national cohesion and national unity in our country,” stressed the president.

Rouhani called his first term a period of interaction with the world when his government was quite confident that they were the opponent of the great powers in the negotiations.

The president added: “We did not negotiate to win only in politics. Of course, we also won in politics. We saw its effects in the economy. Of course, this was our wish.”

Rouhani also stressed the fact that his government has made efforts for reducing the effects of U.S. sanctions.

He noted that the 12th administration has tried to lessen the negative consequences of the economic war imposed on Iran by the United States since 2018, and that the country has suffered from high inflation and difficulties in trade exchanges with the world.

Principally, when a country enters a war, it leaves behind development and attaches importance to people’s normal life, the President said, adding that the Iranian people have the right not to be satisfied because of the hardships in terms of livelihood.

The country has faced difficulties in exporting oil and even in banking transactions, he noted.

The condition is completely clear, but unfortunately some do not find out the difference between war and peace; however, Iran did not initiate the war, he emphasized, adding that the people are well-aware that the situation of the administration was not the same during the first four years and the second term, because the country was in a better situation in terms of domestic and international conditions in the first tenure of the administration.

The government has tried to be honest with the Iranian people, but it told parts of the facts on the ground, because it was afraid that the other parts could harm national unity, he argued.

Iranian diplomats are very qualified, so the administration had been confident that they could guarantee the country’s national interests and they succeeded in negotiations, Rouhani added.

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As the senior Iranian officials had repeatedly reiterated, the U.S. and its allies seek come unacceptable demands from the Islamic Republic of Iran that the latter will not give in because once in 2015 trusted the West and saw its result.

Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s permanent ambassador to Vienna-based international organizations, reflected on a warning recently issued by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei about the West’s intention to use the 2015 nuclear deal to enable interference in the country’s affairs.

He referred to the warning issued by Ayatollah Khamenei on Wednesday, during the Leader’s last meeting with the outgoing Iranian administration’s officials.

During the meeting, the Leader cited the administration’s experience of dealing with the West on the issue of the nuclear agreement as an important case in point that had clearly shown “trust in the West does not work and will not work [in the future either].”

Ayatollah Khamenei noted to the outgoing officials how the Western side had been trying — during the recent talks concerning the nuclear deal — to set up a condition in the deal that would turn into an excuse for the West’s subsequent interference in Iran’s affairs.

The Leader reiterated that “trust on the West does not work” and he really is right.

On Thursday U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken rudely said that nuclear talks with Iran “cannot go on indefinitely” but that Washington was “fully prepared” to continue negotiations.

The deal was torpedoed in 2018 by then US president Donald Trump, who unilaterally withdrew from the agreement and imposed punishing sanctions.

“We’re committed to diplomacy, but this process cannot go on indefinitely… we look to see what Iran is ready to do or not ready to do and remain fully prepared to return to Vienna to continue negotiations,” Blinken said during a visit to Kuwait. “The ball remains in Iran’s court,” he noted.

Blinken’s remarks came while it was the U.S. which violated the deal and pulled out of it and the other Western signatories followed the path of their ally the U.S. While the Islamic Republic of Iran should set condition for the U.S. for its rejoin to the JCPOA, it is the U.S. which rudely seeks its excessive demands.

As the Supreme Leader has reiterated the Western countries have even been trying to advance a provision that could pave the way for their meddling in the Islamic Republic’s affairs.

The nuclear deal has its own timetables that ensure implementation of its purposes and the other demand runs strictly counter to the talks’ agenda too.

Therefore, the Iranian side roundly rejected the proposal since this insistence “showed that they still consider the nuclear agreement to be a bridge enabling their interference in irrelevant issues such as Iran’s missile work and its regional affairs.”

Gharibabadi echoed the Leader’s remarks during the Wednesday meeting that such insistence on the part of the Americans had come while they, themselves, had “refused to retrace even one step towards reversing their adversarial stance concerning Iran.”

Tehran would resolutely stand by its assertion that neither the talks nor the nuclear deal are allowed to feature any irrelevant subject matters such as Iran’s defensive missile program or its regional influence.

Now the American paper The Wall Street Journal in a report has claimed that the United States is planning a sanctions campaign against Iran’s defensive drones and guided missiles program, six months after the administration of Joe Biden, who had promised to rejoin the Iran nuclear deal and remove anti-Iran sanctions, assumed office. So the U.S. is to show its true arrogance nature but this time under Biden through increasing pressure on Iran.

The past experience shows that Iran should not trust on the West and it should take a very cautious and wise action against the West’s move and one cannot expect a bright future for the JCPOA because the U.S. excessive demands and its hostile attitude against the Islamic Republic of Iran is the major hurdle in front of any fair deal.

As the Leader repeatedly reiterated domestic programs should in no way be tied to Western states under any circumstances due to the proven failure of such an approach because the U.S. and its allies will not leave their hostile stance against Iran and will not move even one step forward during the talks and for this reason Iran should not retreat any inch from its rights otherwise it will make the West much rude ask for more irrelevant and excessive demands.

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In the last weeks of tenure by the government of prudence and hope, President Rouhani took part in the 86th inaugural ceremony of production jump projects via video conference on Thursday.

The president inaugurated railroads and freeways in Yazd, Fars, Zanjan, Qazvin, Isfahan, Alborz and Mazandaran provinces worth of 2.6 million dollars.

The first project among the Thursday’s ceremony is the test driving through Alborz tunnel, which is the longest tunnel in the Middle East. The 9 kilometer-long tunnel is located in the second section of Tehran-Shomal freeway.

The Yazd-Eghlid railway is another project, which crosses through Abarkooh and creates a railroad link to Yasuj, capital of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province. The Yazd-Eghlid railway covers 270 kilometers and helps better and fast transport of industrial, agricultural and mineral products.

The administration of President Rouhani has attempted to complete railroad transit in northeast to southwest as well as southeast to southwest of Iran.

It is expected that the railway transports four million tons of commodities and one million passengers in the first year after it becomes operational.

President Rouhani also inaugurated the railway track laying of Khash-Zahedan railway on Thursday, which is a part of Chabahar-Zahedan railway. Another project is the inauguration of Bostanabad-Khavaran railway in Tabriz, East Azarbaijan province.

Addressing the ceremony, Rouhani honored the opening of hundreds of kilometers of railway communication projects in one day.

He said: “Today, despite the difficult conditions caused by the economic war and the pandemic, we witnessed the opening of crucial projects in the field of railways and freeways in different provinces of the country, which is glorious.”

He stated that the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development made great efforts and measures in railway development and highways and communication roads during his administration, which is commendable.

He also underlined that in the Ghadir Khumm event, the issue of governance was put forward; so, the event is considered as the beginning of continuity of the Islamic government of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

He added, “I simulate the day of Ghadir to the migration of Prophet of Islam from Mecca to Medina.”

The Prophet invited people to the holy religion of Islam in Mecca, but He initiated the Islamic government in Medina; so, the migration is being translated into the start of the Islamic government, Rouhani noted.

The president called Ghadir Khummm event as the second big movement, saying that the issue of governance is being raised in Ghadir event once more, and that the migration to Medina formed the start of the Islamic government and Ghadir was the beginning of the continuity of the Islamic government.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) raised Imam Ali’s hand and said: ‘Of whomsoever I am a master, Ali is his master,’ Rouhani noted, adding that the Prophet told the audience in the Ghadir Khumm event that who are credible to rule in Islamic world.

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During the last seven years, 98 percent of the restoration progress is done, and the Lake will reach its ecological level by March 2022.

In an online ceremony attended by President Hassan Rouhani on Monday, the Lake Urmia futurology center was inaugurated.

In addition, environmental projects worth 9.2 trillion rials (nearly $220 million at the official rate of 42,000 rials) were unveiled. Accordingly, 13 construction projects, including environmental water demand studies for 21 wetlands and rivers in the country, came on stream.

Lake Urmia futurology center opened with the aim of using scientific and technical capacities at the local, national, and international levels, facilitation, and coordination between departments, presenting and expanding successful models of coexistence with Lake Urmia and sustainable use of its resources with public participation, raising awareness of all stakeholders about their environmental rights and responsibilities and increasing public sensitivity and participation.

Lake level declines

Shared between West Azarbaijan and East Azarbaijan provinces in northwestern Iran, Lake Urmia, was once the largest salt-water lake in West Asia. It was home to many migratory and indigenous animals including flamingos, pelicans, egrets, and ducks, and attracted hundreds of tourists every year who had bathed in the water to take advantage of the therapeutic properties of the lake.

However, decades of long-standing drought spells and elevated hot summer temperatures that speed up evaporation as well as increased water demands in the agriculture sector shrank the lake drastically. In 1999 the volume of water which was at 30 billion cubic meters drastically decreased to half a billion cubic meters in 2013. Moreover, the lake surface area of 5,000 square kilometers in 1997 shrunk to one-tenth of that to 500 square kilometers in 2013.

Lake’s surface area has reached up to 2,917 square kilometers, indicating 1,582 square kilometers increase in comparison to 2013 when the Lake Urmia Restoration Program began.

The level of Lake Urmia has reached 1,271 meters, which indicates an increase of over 1.39 meters compared to the lowest volume recorded. However, it still needs 9.5 billion cubic meters of water to reach its ecological level.

The above normal levels of rain came to help conservation measures to preserve Lake Urmia, but, this year, the drought and low rainfall are threatening the lake again.

This is while the water level of Lake Urmia has decreased by 30 centimeters in the first three months of the current [Iranian calendar] year (March 21-June 21) compared to the same period last year.

Due to the decrease in rainfall over the last two years, this catchment is experiencing a decrease in water level again, Ali Soltanpour, director of the hydrography of the National Cartographic Center said in July.

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In an online ceremony attended by President Hassan Rouhani, 13 construction projects, a comprehensive environmental system, and the Lake Urmia futurology center were also inaugurated, IRNA reported.

A comprehensive environmental system observes citizenship rights in order to organize environmental databases to identify and control polluting sources, biological resources, establishment and evaluation of industries, waste management, monitoring the activities of other stakeholders affecting the environment in order to optimally implement the existing laws.

Accordingly, 13 construction projects, including environmental water demand studies for 21 wetlands and rivers in the country, came on stream.

In this regard, with the aim of further monitoring water bodies, quantitative and qualitative monitoring systems have been launched for the protection of wetlands and rivers, studies also began to determine the water needs of 21 wetlands and it soon will be started for 17 other wetlands and rivers.

On the other hand, wetland ecosystem management programs will be unveiled as the main document, which provides the purpose of wetland management for the transition from the current situation to the desired conditions in the future, in addition to a framework for managerial decisions and executive actions.

In this regard, 17 management programs have been developed, which try to establish a balance between protection and development and the sustainable use of the wetlands, considering the active role and responsibility of those involved in wetland management.

Firefighting stations in protected areas, environmental protection and monitoring center for measuring environmental pollutants, air pollution measuring, and analysis station are among the other projects opened.

Environmental projects

Environmental projects worth 9.2 trillion rials (nearly $220 million at the official rate of 42,000 rials) were also launched, which include granting financial facilities to polluting industries in order to control irreparable damages, reduce environmental pollution and prevent environmental degradation.

In this regard, 20 major projects have been defined for implementation by top universities in the country, of which 12 projects have been concluded so far.

Lake Urmia futurology center

Lake Urmia futurology center opened with the aim of using scientific and technical capacities at the local, national, and international levels, facilitation, and coordination between departments, presenting and expanding successful models of coexistence with Lake Urmia and sustainable use of its resources with public participation, raising awareness of all stakeholders about their environmental rights and responsibilities and increasing public sensitivity and participation.

Dealing with environmental issues

Urban development, expansion of agricultural lands, large scale tree cutting, and destruction of forests under the pretext of road and dam construction, which led to subsequent drying of wetlands and rivers, extinction of plant and animal species, sand and dust storms, and the occurrence of various sea and land environmental problems.

According to estimates, 16.4 tons of soil erodes in Iran per hectare, which is more than three times the global average. A total of 2 billion tons of soil erosion occurs in Iran annually, and the volume has been on the rise in recent years due to heavy floods.

Each ton of soil is valued at $28 in terms of metal ores, so the loss of two billion tons of soil annually means the annual loss of $56 billion, which is more than revenues from the sale of oil and agricultural products, gardens, livestock, poultry, and fisheries.

Meanwhile, according to the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), 11 percent of the Iranians are affected by mild drought, 21.5 percent of whom also are under pressure of moderate drought; while severe drought is exerting pressure on 32.5 percent of the people.

The country has been repeatedly exposed to sand and dust storms due to its presence in the arid and semi-arid part of the world, so that in 2006-2007, the dust storms originating in Iraq and Syria affected Iran, haunting a wide area of the country so that it reached the central areas and southern slopes of Alborz and also included Tehran.

Air pollution is responsible for around 40,000 premature deaths in Iran annually, Mohammad- Sadeq Hassanvand, head of the air pollution research center at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, has said.

Between 4,000 and 5,000 people residing in the capital city of Tehran lose their lives per year due to air pollution, according to statistics published by the ministry of health in 2019.

Abdolreza Daneshvar Amoli, an official with Iranian Biological Resource Center affiliated to the Academic Center for Education, Culture, and Research (ACECR) said in 2019 that 150 species of animals in Iran are on the verge of extinction.

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“Civil protest is one of the fundamental rights of all members of the nation, and managers have a duty to listen to the protests and be humble and tolerant, but there is no doubt that behind these incidents are the dirty hands of the enemy and the provocations of some internal groups,” the president remarked.

Rouhani made the remarks during a cabinet meeting on Sunday afternoon, during which First Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri presented a report on his visit to Khuzestan province.

According to Jahangiri, the patient people of Khuzestan, including sheikhs and tribal leaders, while expressing loyalty to the country and the system, demanded a solution to the problems that were in some cases due to drought and illegal water use.

Jahangiri stated in his report that appropriate decisions were made and implemented in the region.

The president thanked the dear people of Khuzestan for their patience, and members of the government for their work, especially the first vice president in solving the problems of the “heroic” people of Khuzestan.

Rouhani underlined the need for authorities to heed the people’s grievances. “The government cannot ignore recognizing people’s right to protest because of the fact that enemies may use it,” Rouhani continued.

Rouhani added, “This government has provided the most water and sewage services, building canals, tree planting, dust control and agricultural development to this province to honor the sacrifices of the dear people of Khuzestan in the eight years of the Holy Defense”.

Iran refers to resistance against the invading Saddam army in the 1980s as Sacred Defense or Holy Defense.

In the end, the president ordered all the relevant managers to continue working in this dear province until the problems are completely resolved.

Officials have shown sympathy with the people of Khuzestan while underlining that the people should be careful not to provide grounds for the enemies to abuse the protests.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh has castigated the United States for its comments on the Khuzestan water protests, saying Iran will not let anyone meddle in its internal affairs.

Responding to a question from Fars News on the protests over water shortages in the oil-rich Khuzestan, the spokesman said Persian-speaking news organizations affiliated with foreign governments are seeking to undermine the unity and oneness of the Iranian nation.

“Of course, this is not their first effort in this regard and it will not be the last one. We are also aware of the comments by a U.S. State Department official [on Khuzestan protests],” Khatibzadeh told Fars News. “What is important is that the Islamic Republic of Iran will not let any country meddle in its internal affairs.”

“The government and officials are well aware of their duties towards the honorable people of Iran, and at the highest levels, they take care of the rightful demands of their citizens and try to eliminate the shortcomings,” he added.

The spokesman also called the stance of the United States and their claim of compassion for the human rights of the Iranian people “shameful” and stressed, “The U.S. regime itself is the direct cause of many of the sufferings that have been inflicted on the honorable people of Iran through conspiracies or oppressive sanctions.”

He noted, “The brave Khuzestan will never forget the crimes of Washington’s strategic partner, Saddam [Hussein] and the Ba’athist regime in Iraq.”

Khatibzadeh also condemned the U.S “hypocrisy” because of its insistence on continuing with the Trump administration’s so-called “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran. Khatibzadeh said the Biden administration is following in Trump’s footsteps in terms of clinging to this campaign even though Trump has gone. “At the same time, they shed crocodile tears over the Iranian people’s human rights,” the spokesman said of the Biden administration.

Protests have erupted in several cities of the southwestern province of Khuzestan in recent days. Demonstrators called on local authorities to release waters stored behind the numerous dams on rivers flowing into Khuzestan plains and marshes, where hundreds of thousands of people make a living by tilling lands and raising water buffaloes and dairy cows among other livestock.

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution also reacted to water protests in Khuzestan on Friday, underlining the legitimacy of the protesters’ demands.

“In the past seven, eight days, one of our concerns has been the issue of Khuzestan and the people’s water shortage problem in that area. It is really painful for us to see that despite the loyal people living in that province and with all the abundant natural resources in that area and with all the factories working there, the people have reached a point where they are dissatisfied with the shortage of water and sewage system,” Ayatollah Khamenei said, according to the khamenei.ir.

Ayatollah Khamenei pointed out, “Well, the people cannot be blamed and their problem should be addressed, as should have been addressed until now. If the necessary measures had been adopted in due time, this situation would definitely not have arisen for the people. Thankfully, various organizations – executive and non-executive – have involved themselves and are pursuing the matter seriously and when the next administration takes office, they should seriously deal with the matter.”

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The Goureh-Jask Crude Oil Transfer Project was inaugurated on Thursday during a video conference session attended by Rouhani and senior Oil Ministry officials in Tehran.

The project allows Iran for a first time in more than 110 years of its oil industry history to export crude from a terminal outside the Persian Gulf.

The terminal is also a first in a region where global oil producers are forced to dispatch crude tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway at the mouth of the Persian Gulf where ships have been subject to attacks and sabotage in the past.

Oil reaches Jask through a 1,000-kilometer pipeline that starts from old pumping station in Goureh in southwest Iran and stretches around the Persian Gulf while travelling through three southern provinces     “Today is a historic and big day for the Iranian nation and as time passes by the significance of this project will become clearer for the people,” said Rouhani as he described the launch as a sign of utter failure for U.S.

He said the completion of the project by Iranian engineers using domestic potentials in such a short time of 2 years and a few month is a strong and firm response to all conspirators, especially the United States because oil was one of the most important elements in the list of American sanctions.

President Rouhani further noted the U.S. sanctions targeted two important areas of oil exports and supply of basic goods because they knew if Iran faced a reduction in oil exports, it would it would no longer have any foreign exchange to meet its needs especially at a time it has to provide $ 6 million in medicine.

The report said some 250 Iranian companies had contributed to the construction and engineering work in a project that took more than two years to complete.

Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said the new terminal in Jask kicks off with 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude exports as he insisted that a target of 1 million bpd will be within reach by March when a third and final phase of the project is finished.

A total of 53,000 billion tomans has been invested in the construction of this pipeline, and with its official operation, sustainable employment will be created for 10,000 people.

Explaining the plan and the process of its implementation and operation, Zanganeh described the day as a historical occasion for the Iranian oil industry as the export of the Iranian crude oil from the Makran region begins.

According to the Minister, more than 250 companies have been involved in the project which he described as “huge national project, which was implemented and operated under the harsh sanctions and economic war.”

He said the project will pave the way for economic development in the Makran region.

Earlier, the chief of the National Iranian Oil Company announced that pumping oil into strategic Goreh-Jask pipeline will start upon its completion by the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in near future.

Masoud Karbasian said that the pipeline will bring oil from Goreh in Bushehr to Jask, making it strategically important as the country’s second-largest crude oil export terminal.

The pipeline is laid from Goreh oil terminal in the southwestern Bushehr Province to Jask oil terminal along the Gulf of Oman.

He added that other operating units in Goreh-Jask pipeline project are in a steady situation to transfer oil to Jask terminal, and pumping oil into strategic Goreh-Jask pipeline is being done in a steady situation.

Referring to the importance of the project, Karbasian added that operations have begun to start injecting oil into the 1,000km Goreh-Jask pipeline.

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