TEHRAN PAPERS:

The smart control of tension

August 9, 2023 - 23:1

In a note, the Iran newspaper addressed Tehran-Baku cooperation and wrote: As a result of the reduction of tension between Tehran and Baku, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan called the issue of the North-South Corridor the main priority of his country in the transportation sector.

The Rasht-Astara railway line will complete the North-South corridor and connect Iran to Azerbaijan, Russia, and Eastern Europe. It can be one of the international corridors and become the main logistics hub.  In the current situation in which Russia is involved in the Ukraine war, NATO has started a proxy war against Moscow in Ukraine, and Israel is working hard to find a foothold in the South Caucasus, the Raisi government has smartly realized that the continuation of the policies of the previous governments will deprive Iran of the possibility to manage the crises. Therefore, Tehran's smart control of the recent tensions with Baku, which is the first step in line with national interests will help advance the legal procedures to reopen the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran. So this event not only will nullify the plot of the countries that are seeking to find a foothold in the region but also allows Iran to remain the main player in the equations of the South Caucasus. Such a policy provides the situation to realize maximum economic benefits under the new initiative.

Kayhan: Iran is the recent nightmare of England

In an analysis, Kayhan discussed the increase in tension between the Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary of the UK. It wrote: The British Home Secretary is concerned about the alleged plans of the IRGC to assassinate British citizens, including Jewish figures, and the Foreign Secretary is concerned about the reactions of the Islamic Republic, including Tehran's revenge against British citizens and arresting dual-national citizens and making the revival of JCPOA more complicated. The British media wrote there are requests to classify the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization in the UK, but these requests have faced resistance from the British Foreign Secretary because the London government is worried that such an action will cause durable damage to the diplomatic relations between Tehran and London. The British Home Secretary says the IRGC is the biggest threat to Britain's national security. Last year, Iran International was forced to move its office from London to Washington in fear of threats by Iran.

Sobh-e-No: Developing relationships with ‘second China’

In a commentary, Sobh-e-No discussed the Tuesday trip of the Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Vuong Dinh Hue to Tehran. The paper said: The Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam emphasized the need to explore various ways to strengthen Tehran-Hanoi relations while highlighting Iran's important role in the region. The fact is that Tehran and Hanoi are struggling against America and imperialism. The common points of Iran-Vietnam in the political sector are not covered, but both countries need to take steps to complete each other's economies and help the economic growth in each country. The two countries can serve as gateways for the import of goods produced by each country into West and East Asia. Our country can play a multilateral role with its enormous geographical and economic capacities by overcoming harsh sanctions. Therefore, the trip by Vietnam’s top legislator can promote relations between the two countries, and the continuation of these trips at different levels will play a significant role in developing economic, commercial, and technical relations.

Hamshahri: CENTCOM commander ‘cautiously’ passed from the Strait of Hormuz

In a note, Hamshahri analyzed the visit by CENTCOM chief Gen. Michael E. Kurilla to the region, saying: The CENTCOM terrorist organization reported about Michael Kurilla's visit to the UAE and Bahrain by passing through the Strait of Hormuz. It seems that the caution that this commander exercised when crossing the Strait of Hormuz was more related to the Pentagon's recent decision to send warships, jet fighters, and marines to the region. Recently, the Pentagon declared that it had sent them to the region to counter possible seizure of ships by Iran and described Iran’s capture of certain ships that violate the rules as "illegal". The U.S. officials claim they provide security for the Persian Gulf states and ships that pass through the regional waters to justify their military presence in West Asia and the Persian Gulf. However, these measures have only increased tensions in the region, and the Islamic Republic of Iran has repeatedly emphasized that it is the responsibility of the countries in the region to do so and they are capable of doing it.