TEHRAN, May 28--President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday the Iranian nation is not frightened by the threats of enemies and will not stop pursuing nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
President Ahmadinejad was addressing locals of Khomeini-Shahr on the last day of his five-day provincial tour of Isfahan, IRNA reported.
“The enemies are not afraid of the Iranian nuclear technology, but of the nation’s rich culture,“ he said.
“They are displeased with the use of nuclear energy by the Iranian nation in order to achieve progress, welfare, peace and development.“
Commenting on the opinion poll conducted across the world regarding Iran’s nuclear program, the president said 70 percent of western countries and over 90 percent of the independent countries have supported Iran’s right to acquire peaceful nuclear technology.
He further reiterated that the bullying powers should know that the Iranian nation will confront their conspiracies and pursue its legitimate right to use peaceful nuclear energy.
The president’s current visit to Isfahan province is his 29th to various provinces since the start of his initiative of bringing the government closer to the people.
Also on Monday, President Ahmadinejad sent a message to the 17th International Conference on Persian Gulf currently being held at Tehran’s Institute for Political and International Studies, calling for a fresh approach towards the Persian Gulf.
“Having weathered numerous crises in the past several decades, a new approach is required towards political, economic and security issues in the Persian Gulf,“ he said.
He added that regional developments reveal that the presence of trans-regional forces in the Persian Gulf will jeopardize its security and stability.
President Ahmadinejad expressed his readiness to participate in initiatives for ensuring the region’s stability and security.

TEHRAN, May 28--Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Sunday the history of Afghan struggles indicates that they have never tolerated aliens.
Mottaki made the remark in a special ceremony in which the new Afghan Ambassador to Tehran Yahya Maroufi submitted a copy of his credentials, IRNA reported.
Referring to the problems of Afghans in the past decades, Mottaki said the Afghans’ national zeal, independence-seeking and religious beliefs have always enlightened them in their fight against outsiders.
Mottaki expressed hope that holding the Iran-Afghan Economic Commission meeting would boost economic cooperation, prepare the grounds for the active presence of Iranian companies in Afghanistan and help increase job opportunities.
The new Afghan ambassador, for his part, thanked Iran for the hospitality extended to the Afghans and expressed hope that by implementing the agreements, relations between the two sides will expand further.
“Afghanistan’s foreign policy is based on promoting peace and security and expanding all-out ties with its neighbors,“ he said.
In another development, the head of Afghanistan’s Restoration Office in Foreign Ministry, Mohammad Ebrahim Taherian, said that contributing to security and development in Afghanistan is a major element of Iran’s policy in the war- stricken country.
Taherian made the remark during the inauguration of a new border customs office connecting Farah province with South Khorasan province.
He added that Iran has implemented 333 development projects in the neighboring country in the last five years.
The former Iranian ambassador in Kabul noted that on the threshold of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visit to Afghanistan, the opening of this customs office is a clear sign of Iran’s seriousness about further expanding bilateral ties.
Taherian also said while Iran contributes to development plans and security in Afghanistan, the presence of certain countries in this country has caused insecurity for the Afghan people.
Governor of Farah province, Molavi Mohieddin Baluch, also called for more Iranian assistance to implement infrastructure projects in the province and hoped that the customs project would strengthen friendly ties between the two Muslim countries.
The southern provinces of North Khorasan, South Khorasan and Khorasan Razavi have a 400-kilometer-long border with the Afghan provinces of Farah and Herat out of the total 940 kilometers of Iran-Afghanistan border.

TEHRAN, May 28--A senior police official said on Monday the drive against hooligans will be intensified in the upcoming days.
Speaking on the sidelines of a visit to Police Public Supervision Center, Brigadier General Hossein Sajedinia, Tehran’s deputy police commander, added that 200 notorious hooligans were arrested in the first phase and handed over to the judiciary, Fars News Agency reported.
He noted that 500 bosses of hooligans were arrested in the second phase of the Social Security Plan for fighting non-Islamic behavior in the society.
“Some 2,000 cronies of hooligans have also been arrested in the last few days, but only 100 were handed over to the judiciary,“ he said. “The rest were freed after receiving police warning.“
Sajedinia pointed out that the records of arrested hooligans are taken out of police departments after public complaints are received.
“Nearly 50 phone-calls are made daily to introduce hooligans and the miscreants. We will soon bring out their past records and arrest them,“ he said.
Referring to the Haft-e Tir case in which a woman was beaten by police for not observing the Islamic dress code, the police official said the case is being examined by the Police Investigation Department.
“We are investigating the case and will soon release details to the public,“ he said.
Sajedinia noted that the implementation of the first two phases of Social Security Plan has declined the number of crimes by up to 19 percent.

TEHRAN, May 28--Majlis Speaker Gholamali Haddad Adel said on Sunday the Asian Parliamentary Association provides a good opportunity to broaden parliamentary ties and bring Asian nations closer.
He made the remarks in meeting with visiting Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, IRNA reported.
According to Majlis Public Relations and Press Bureau, Haddad expressed satisfaction with the current level of friendly ties between the two countries and said Iran attaches importance to expansion of ties with Asian states, the Sri Lankan government in particular.
“Asian countries can play a very significant role in international relations and developments, and the role of Asian parliamentary association is vital,“ he said.
Criticizing the governing global economic system, the speaker said countries of the region enjoy very good economic and industrial capabilities and potentials which should be further explored to ensure the expansion of economic and industrial cooperation.
The Sri Lankan foreign minister, for his part, voiced his country’s willingness to broaden ties with Iran and said his country attaches importance to expansion of ties with Iran as an independent and powerful country in the region.
Underling the importance of expansion of economic and commercial ties between the two countries, he said Iran and Sri Lanka, which have very important positions in their regions, could play a crucial role in increasing trade exchanges.
“Parliamentary relations play a very important role in the expansion of bilateral relations,“ he said, adding that the Asian Parliamentary Association could play a vital role in promoting parliamentary relations among member-states.
Bogollagama called for the formation of Iran-Sri Lanka Parliamentary Friendship Group.

TEHRAN, May 28--The Foreign Ministry summoned on Sunday Swiss Ambassador in Tehran Philippe Welti, who looks after the US interest section, to protest America’s spying activities in Iran.
Ahmad Sobhani, director general of Foreign Ministry for American affairs, conveyed Iran’s strong protest over US intelligence activities against Iran, IRNA reported.
He noted that the Iranian Intelligence Ministry has discovered several spy networks in western, southwestern and central Iran.
Sobhani noted that the US is interfering in Iranian domestic affairs and sought explanation from the US officials.
Welti promised to convey Iran’s protest to the US officials.

The Iranian-made blades are inexpensive and more durable.

TEHRAN, May 28--Defense Ministry researchers succeeded in manufacturing helicopter blades made of composite materials.
The blades have successfully passed tests conducted in the Aviation Industries Organization affiliated to the Defense Ministry, Fars News Agency reported.
The Iranian-made blades are inexpensive and more durable. They are also easy to repair in the operation zones.
Speaking in the inauguration ceremony, Defense Minister Mohammad Mostafa-Najjar said another great step has been taken with regard to designing and producing the sophisticated components of the aviation industries.
Mostafa-Najjar noted that the defense industry is moving towards self-sufficiency in view of the recent breakthroughs of Iranian experts.