Vice President Ebtekar travels to Kerman on Mahan Air A306

Iranian Vice President and Minister of Environment Masoumeh Ebtekar arrives at Kerman Airport (KER), having flown Mahan Air Airbus A300B4-603, reg. EP-MNG (cn 401). Flight details of what appears to be a regularly scheduled commercial flight provided below (source Flightradar24):

Vice President Masoumeh Ebtekar received at KER by Ali-Reza Razm-Hosseini (foreground, left), the governor general of Kerman province.

Ebetkar's trip focused on Jazmurian wetland restoration, water management and labor issues, and a meeting with Environmental Watch officials.

Ebtekar and Razm-Hosseini at a "green belt" construction site, "aimed at combating speculation, prevent the entry of dust and increase the per capita green area of ​​Kerman." The program was initiated during the last year (Persian calendar). Employing drip irrigation method, this belt includes trees such as barberry and oleander, olive, cypress, pine, and bitter jujube. [source: Mehr News Agency]

Pine tree planting directed by Vice President Ebtekar. To her right is Kerman Mayor Abolghasem Seyfollahi.

Protectors of Iran's biodiversity, Iranian Department of Environment (DoE) Game Guards stand at attention for Vice President and Minister of Environment Masoumeh Ebtekar.

Vice President Ebtekar lays flowers at what appear to be graves of fallen DoE Game Guards, killed on duty defending Iran's biodiversity. (For additional reading on DoE Game Guards, click HERE)

 

Ebtekar is known to Americans as "Tehran Mary," serving as spokesperson for the students in the Iran hostage crisis of 1979, where Iranian students occupied the US Embassy and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days.

Photos: Islamic Republic News Agency

Sacred Defense Parades 2015 - Provinces

Iran media imagery of the Sacred Defense Parades held at provincial locations on 22SEP15, commemorating the onset of the Iran-Iraq War that took place 35 years ago.

ISFAHAN, ISFAHAN PROVINCE

IRGC-GF formation equipped with accessorized Norinco CQ / DIO S-5.56 assault rifles

 

Detail of accessorized Norinco CQ / DIO S-5.56 assault rifle, including rail system, collapsible stock, forward grip and camo wrap.

Clerical members of A Basij Rapid Reaction Force

IRGC-GF BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle

NEZAJA BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) vehicle

NEZAJA 152 mm towed gun-howitzer M1955 (D-20)

IRGC-GF DIO HM 41 155 mm howitzers

Safir ("Ambassador") tactical vehicles equipped with M40 recoilless rifles, of a type provided in number to Iraqi military forces in the war against ISIL.

Iran military artillery rocket transport vehicle with loading crane

KERMAN, KERMAN PROVINCE

DIO Ra'ad-2 ("Thunder-2") 155 mm self-propelled howitzer

NEZAJA BTR-60 armored personnel carrier (APC)

DIO Rakhsh 4x4 armored personnel carrier (APC) variant

IRGC Fajr-3 ("Dawn-3") multiple rocket launcher vehicle

Safir ("Ambassador") tactical vehicles equipped with BGM-71 TOW type anti-tank guided missile launchers

Skyguard all-weather fire control radar unit for Oerlikon GDF-002 35 mm twin cannons

SHIRAZ, FARS PROVINCE

Formation of 55th Airborne Brigade equipped with G3-A4 battle rifles

BANDAR ABBAS, HORMOZGAN PROVINCE

First lieutenants of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Defense (IRIADF)

Captains and lieutenants of IRGC Imam Sajjad Corps

Chief petty officers of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy (IRIN), equipped with G3-A3 battle rifles

QESHM

IRGC-N catamaran craft fitted with anti-aircraft guns


URMIA, WEST AZARBAIJAN PROVINCE

Kurdish-Iranian Tribal Basij members equipped with AKM type assault rifles


MARGHEH, EAST AZARBAIJAN PROVINCE

NEZAJA M577 command post vehicle

Photos: Islamic Republic News Agency, Syed Ali Hashemi and Amirhosein Khorgooi at Islamic Students' News Agency

Ahmadinejad offers talks with the west

"It is the West that needs Iran and the Iranian nation will not lose from the sanctions."

"Why should we shun talks? Why and how should a party that has logic and is right shun talks? It is evident that those who resort to coercion are opposed to talks and always bring pretexts and blame us instead."

-- Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Ahmadinejad has offered to reopen talks with the west. In a speech broadcast from Kerman on state television he accused the west of trying to ruin negotiations, instead opting to put increased pressure on Iran.

In the last two rounds of meetings that took place in Turkey and Geneva, Iranian officials were happy to talk about an issue aside from predominant western concerns that Iran is developing nuclear weapons,