Vahid Mazloumin is seen appearing in court for the first time on charges of manipulating the currency market. He was later sentenced to death, in Tehran, Iran.
Iran executed two men accused of economic crimes on Wednesday, part of an effort to stem financial misconduct as the country faces an economic crisis and new U.S. sanctions targeting its oil sector.
One of the two executed men was Vahid Mazloumin, dubbed the “sultan of coins” by media, a trader accused of manipulating the currency market, according to Mizan, the news site of the Iranian judiciary.
Mazloumin was allegedly caught with two tons of gold coins, according to the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA).
The second man was part of Mazloumin's network and had been involved in the sale of gold coins, Mizan reported.
The Iranian vice president said Turkey's newly-opened Istanbul Airport was a result of the country's serious approach toward tourism.Speaking to an Iranian daily on Tuesday, Ali Asghar Mounesan, who is also the head of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, said Turkey is an attractive destination for foreign tourists while Iran has failed to implement a successful tourism policy."Our problem is that even if we build an airport, we do not have the appropriate tourism perspective to support it. Countries like Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are becoming successful countries, thanks to tourism, while tourism in Iran falls behind," Mounesan said.Mounesan said the number of the Saudi visitors in Iran have declined, however, tourists from Turkey and Azerbaijan have increased.'Japanese visitors in Turkey increased 90 pct in 2018'
Iranian vice president hails Turkey's tourism approach
Both of them were convicted of “spreading corruption on earth”, a capital offence under Iran’s Islamic laws.
Special courts focused on financial crimes were set up in August with the approval of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the highest authority in the Islamic Republic.
The courts have handed out at least seven death sentences since they were set up and some of the trials have been broadcast live on television.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday called on the international community to urgently intervene to stop Israeli attacks on the blockaded Gaza Strip.In a statement, ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi blamed the U.S. support and silence of some regional countries for Israel’s “terror and series of crimes”.He called for “an urgent international intervention to stop the terror and war machines of the Zionist regime.”At least four Palestinians were martyred in renewed Israeli attacks in Gaza on Monday following rocket fire from the seaside territory. The Israeli army said more than 20 people were injured by rocket fire from Gaza.Monday’s attacks came one day after seven Palestinians and an Israeli soldier were killed in an undercover Israeli operation in the blockaded enclave.Since March, more than 200 Palestinians have been martyred and thousands more injured by Israeli army fire during protests demanding the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their ancestral home in what is now Israel.Gulf states rush to normalize Israel ties: AnalystsPalestinian gov’t blames Israel for Gaza violenceVideo: Israeli jets destroy HQ of Hamas-run TV station
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The rial currency has lost about 70 percent of its value in 2018 under the threat of revived U.S. sanctions, with heavy demand for dollars and gold coins on the unofficial market from ordinary Iranians trying to protect their savings.
The cost of living has also soared, provoking sporadic demonstrations against profiteering and corruption, with many protesters chanting anti-government slogans.
In August, the United States reimposed a first round of sanctions after pulling out of a 2015 deal between world powers and Iran under which international sanctions were lifted in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has called on the European Union to act “more independently” of the U.S., Iranian state media has reported.Larijani, who on Monday received former German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel in Tehran, said he “highly values” the burgeoning economic cooperation seen between Iran and the EU in recent months.According to Iran’s ICANA news agency, Larijani went on to criticize the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration, especially in regard to the 2015 nuclear agreement between Tehran and world powers.“The current situation may pose problems for global security -- not only for Iran but also for the EU,” Larijani said.“And these problems will only persist if the EU fails to act independently [of the U.S.],” he added.Tension between Washington and Tehran has mounted steadily since May, when Trump unilaterally withdrew his country from the landmark nuclear deal, signed in 2015 between Iran and the P5 1 group of nations (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany).Gabriel, for his part, voiced the EU’s objections to U.S. policy choices, reiterating the commitment of both Germany and France to the 2015 nuclear deal.“We understand that Iran’s patience regarding the nuclear deal is not without limits,” Gabriel said.
Iran official calls on EU to ‘act independently’ of US