President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (l) receives credentials of GhanaÕs new accredited ambassador in Tehran, Rashed Baba, on Saturday.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called for cooperation among independent states to prevent the plunder of their natural resources by bullying powers.
In a meeting with Rashed Baba, Ghana’s accredited ambassador in Tehran, on Saturday, Ahmadinejad voiced Iran’s readiness to boost bilateral cooperation with all independent states, including Ghana, IRNA reported.
Referring to Iran and Ghana as two friendly countries, Ahmadinejad reiterated that the two nations have always been messengers of peace and friendship.
“Tehran is interested in expanding ties with Ghana in all fields,“ the Iranian president said after receiving the credentials of Baba.
For his part, the Ghanaian envoy lauded Iran’s support for all African states, including his country.
Baba called for exchanging experiences in different areas with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Lebanon said Riyadh will try to extinguish the flames of crisis in Lebanon in cooperation with Iran’s ambassador in Beirut.
Abdul-Aziz Khoje made the comment in Beirut on Friday in an interview with the UAE-based Al-Arabiya TV, IRNA reported.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran’s ambassador (Mohammad Reza Sheibani) has informed us that Hezbollah insists on its previous stands on the need of Fuad Siniora’s government reversing its recent decision on Hezbollah’s special communications network and firing the security manager of Beirut Airport,“ he said.
The Saudi envoy had contacted Sheibani and sought Iran’s assistance to solve differences between Lebanon’s two main political groups.
“Saudi Arabia tries to find a way out of the ongoing crisis in Lebanon by relying on other Arab countries’ assistance,“ he said.
On Friday, the opposition forces attacked and conquered centers of the ruling group and disarmed them.
The clashes that ensued marked a turning point in the 18-month political crisis that virtually paralyzed the western-backed government of Siniora and left the country with no president.
Lebanese security officials say five more people have been killed in clashes between supporters of the opposition and the western-backed government outside the capital of Beirut.
The latest deaths raise to 20 the number of people killed since violence erupted on Wednesday in Beirut and around the country between government supporters and the opposition.
Four of those killed were opposition backers who clashed with supporters of Druze leader Walid Jumblatt in the mountainous town of Aley, east of Beirut late Friday night. Another civilian died in clashes in the southern city of Sidon.
The Hezbollah resistance group and their allies in the opposition took control of large parts of predominantly Muslim west Beirut.

Brazil sees no threat from Iran, despite US concerns that the Tehran government is courting allies in Latin America, Defense Minister Nelson Jobim said on Friday.
Thomas Shannon, the senior US official for Latin America, said on Wednesday Iran was making allies in the region to counter Washington’s traditional influence and could use them to threaten US security, Reuters reported.
“This is news to me,“ Jobim said. “I’m not working on that theory. The information that I have has nothing about this.“
Shannon urged Latin American governments to respect UN-backed sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program and urged them “to be vigilant“.
But Jobim told reporters that although Latin American governments were in close contact with each other over the setting up of a regional defense council, “there’s been no dialogue of this nature“.
The prime US concern seems to be the leftwing governments in Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua and Bolivia, which have all become closer to Iran in recent years.
However, US officials have long complained that Iran-backed Hezbollah and other Islamic groups are active in Brazil’s Arab communities, especially in the so-called tri-border region where Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay meet.
Brazil has said it has had no indication that any concerned cells are present in the region.
State energy company Petrobras has some exploration activities in Iran and the US state of Florida has threatened to end its pension fund investment in any company that has business dealings with Iran unless they divest by September.

Ali Ahani

The Iranian nation has been a major victim of weapons of mass destruction in the contemporary era, Iran’s ambassador to France said on Friday.
Ali Ahani made the remark in an international confab on nuclear, biological and chemical disarmament, IRNA reported.
“By using over 2.5 million kg of chemicals in its 1980-88 war imposed on Iran, the Saddam regime committed one of the most savage crimes against the Iranian nation,“ he said.
The envoy noted that Iran has over 100,000 victims of chemical weapons, regretting the indifferent attitude of international bodies over the crimes of the former Iraqi regime against Iran.
Commenting on the Zionist regime’s arsenal, Ahani said Israel, which has hundreds of nuclear warheads, is a big threat to world peace.
“Israel has rejected all international accords on disarmament and does not fulfill its international commitments,“ he said, adding that the Tel Aviv regime has also refused to honor all UN Security Council resolutions.
The Iranian envoy regretted that the Israeli regime, which is armed with weapons of mass destruction, is enjoying the discriminatory treatment of world powers.
On Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, he stressed that the Iranian nuclear program is an inalienable right of all nations and Tehran would not give up this right.
Referring to Iran’s constructive and sincere cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, Ahani said all reports and statements issued by IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei have confirmed that Iran has made no deviation from its peaceful nuclear activities.
Briefing the audience on the latest developments in Iran’s nuclear program, he denounced the move of certain western states, including the US, to send Iran’s nuclear file to the UN Security Council.
He said the approach of Washington and its European allies, including France and Britain, regarding Iran is politically motivated and illegal, adding that by making allegations and launching a misinformation campaign, the world arrogant powers challenged Iran’s peaceful nuclear program.
Ahani noted that the Islamic Republic would soon present its package of proposals, which has been compiled on the basis of mutual respect and facts to help settle the problems facing the international community.

Head of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi said security officials should show no mercy to drug traffickers.
“The age of drug addicts in Iran has reduced remarkably, indicating that drug traffickers show no mercy to our children and therefore it is incumbent upon the police to strongly confront and uproot them,“ he was quoted as saying by IRNA.
Addressing local officials in Boroujerd on Saturday, he said it is incumbent on all officials to seriously tackle the issue and bring to justice those behind the trafficking.
“We should jointly make efforts to prevent their activities in the New Year designated as the Year of Innovation and Prosperity,“ he said.
The commissioner noted that drugs are being distributed or transited through Iran’s eastern borders with Afghanistan.
Iranian officials admit the country has a serious drug abuse problem. They put the number of regular drug users at two million from a population of over 71 million.
Iran is situated on one of the main trafficking routes for cannabis, heroin, opium and morphine produced in Afghanistan, while designer drugs have also found their way into the Iranian market in recent years.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki (r) in talks with the new WHO representative to Iran, Ambrogio Manenti, on Saturday.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Iran is ready to share its experiences with the World Health Organization to help upgrade the region’s health standards.
Mottaki made the remark in a meeting on Saturday with the new WHO representative to Iran, Ambrogio Manenti, IRNA reported.
Mottaki highlighted the significant role of WHO in improving the status of health in the world and briefed the envoy on Iran’s capabilities to this end.
“Both the Middle East and Central Asia need more attention and better healthcare due to political issues and shortcomings,“ he said.
Mottaki proposed that WHO make use of religious beliefs in its campaign against drug addiction and diseases.
“Such a policy can help ease WHO’s responsibilities and increase its efficiency in dealing with the issue,“ he said.
The WHO envoy, for his part, called Iran a big country with an ancient civilization and advanced healthcare system.
“Iran is regarded the most developed country in the region in terms of healthcare. Iran’s proposal can be put on WHO’s agenda,“ he said.

Gholamhossein Elham

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called on Government Spokesman Gholamhossein Elham to exercise patience, toleration and reliance on God.
The president wrote a letter on Saturday in response to Elham’s earlier missive expressing his preparedness to quit governmental posts, IRNA reported.
In addition to his post as government spokesman, Elham is serving as justice minister, head of the Headquarters Against Smuggling of Goods and Foreign Exchange as well as the Guardians Council.
The chief executive said, “I am aware that you have devoted yourself to serving the public wholeheartedly and consider you as a caring brother who constantly wants to serve the society.“
Another part of the letter read: “Once again I call your attention to the pledge we have made to be patient and tolerant in serving the people and pursuing the lofty goals of the Islamic Revolution. It is obvious that the more we move forward, the pressure exerted by some will increase and you must be tolerant. You should remember how our illustrious men suffered even after the victory of the Islamic Revolution from the moves made by the opponents of justice and honesty.“
Ahmadinejad also stressed that people have shown on several occasions that they appreciate the efforts of officials who serve them.
“People have shown that they forget the minor mistakes of devoted officials and support them. So brother, rely on God and exercise toleration,“ he concluded.

About 60 British marines have been seen patrolling Iraq’s border with Iran near the Shalamcheh border crossing, an informed source said.
“Close to 60 British marines were seen patrolling near the Iranian border of Shalamcheh in groups of 20, carrying light weapons and monitoring the condition of the sealed border crossing,“ the source told Presstv on condition of anonymity.
The Iraqi government officially closed the Shalamcheh border crossing in Iran’s southwestern Khuzestan province on April 24.
These British units are deployed along the Iraqi border with Iran, using Apache helicopters, the source said.
Over 300 American and British forces are currently stationed some 10 km from the Iranian border of Shalamcheh in the Iraqi town of Tanumeh.
Members of the terrorist Mujahideen Khalq Organization have reportedly been sighted among the marines in American uniforms.

Bahraini State Minister for Foreign Affairs Nizar Al-Baharna said Iran poses no threat to any regional state, including Bahrain.
Talking to IRNA on Saturday, Baharna said Iran and Bahrain are two friendly and neighboring states enjoying longstanding relations.
He suggested that the regional states would focus on confidence building, adding that the move should take place through dialogue and negotiations.
On the critical situation in Iraq, he said the Iraqi unrest has jeopardized peace, stability and security of the entire region.
The Bahraini state minister called for settlement of disputes among regional countries through diplomacy.
“Manama is making great efforts to help establish peace and tranquility throughout the region,“ he said.