IRINN — broadcast
20260914 113000 UTC
465 transcript segments
Google Cloud Speech-to-Text API (Chirp) + Gemini 2.5 Flash Non-Thinking
Data courtesy of The GDELT Project (https://www.gdeltproject.org/), from the Internet Archive TV News Archive.
Machine transcription. Treat it as a searchable index of what was broadcast, not a verbatim quotation record.

[00:00:00] we will start our conversation. have followed and should up. They This is East Azerbaijan. still need
[00:00:04] The focal point of international to follow up. If this path, if this event, if this resolution does not happen, it will turn into a national security issue. When the Supreme National Security Council intervenes in an issue, it means the issue is becoming a national security issue. If we don't address it, if we don't take action on the part of the Central Corridor that belongs to us, look, they are doing this work above. That is, in the Azerbaijan-Armenia section, this is happening with American management. If we don't take action, if we don't intervene, its detailed plan, it was done, and we were forced to change this route and could not acquire land. On the other hand, towards the Sahand freeway and the Dieselabad intersection in Tabriz, no land acquisition had been done because the route's variant had been changed before. The initial variant was returned due to the talks, and for this reason, we could not acquire land there either. In this one-year period you mentioned, it was only that one kilometer, part of which if the gentlemen are not concerned about this event, if they don't accelerate this matter, it is possible that in the coming years, the old Central Corridor will no longer exist. We expect the gentlemen to take this national issue a bit more seriously and hopefully resolve it. All right, Mr. Najafian, please also mention the Kalal-Julfa axis, that border line that exists in the lower part of the Republic of Azerbaijan-Armenia. we have not given enough speed to complete these corridors. What are you doing in the parliament to, in any case, use the tools you have to make the government accelerate these matters? What else are you doing? First, Mr. Najafian, three months ago, when this responsibility was again entrusted to Mr. Bazvand, we will certainly suffer. A task that can be done in the province with a free hand will certainly not be opened in the center, no matter what we say. I myself told Mr. Bazvand, "Sir, this is a provincial matter." Just as, in any case, all friends can prevent it. It is not very difficult. Anyway, it requires effort, but it should be done quickly. And I regret that this task was again referred to the center. Now, this discussion, anyway, our substitution. We have duties. These discussions that I was the head of the provincial assembly, we pursue multiple projects from the ministry, whether in the form of a reminder or in the form of oversight, a question, or whether we ourselves go to these projects. From the Civil Commission, Mr. Najafian also knows that we brought the commission to the province three times. That is, the head of the Civil Commission, Mr. Reza, with friends from the commission, came and saw the projects. What stage is it in? Look, let me tell you, this axis, this road, or main road is geopolitical. That's why they got the approval from the Supreme National Security Council to build this project, and in addition to upgrading and widening it, it will improve the Iranian road that is inside the country. Only the base layer, cabling, and lighting are left, and hopefully in the next week or two, it will be connected to the main road and put into operation. In addition to this, look, the extension of projects or inflation causes the initial estimate for the completion of the project to be paid in that amount, but then more money is needed. Now, the initial estimate for this project was 5. budgets and priorities that exist now that we are talking about. We must trust the private sector and hand over the work, just like other projects. We should just supervise. Otherwise, if we wait for the government to provide money, it won't happen. Right. The discussion about the elders. Mr. Aslankhani, this project is 20 years old. A convention was held there, and the government signed it. 14 countries. If it were active, yes, we could transfer at least 200 million tons of cargo through Eurasia to various countries. Well, the government has indeed grasped this importance now, but the financial situation and allocations for corridors, freeways, and highways, we have problems everywhere, and we hope that, in any case, Dr. Pezeshkian's government, based on the importance they currently attach to it, will expedite this work. We also, as members of the commission and on issues that are raised, bring the commission, follow up, and write letters. You should try harder, Mr. Novin. If a plan has been pending for over twenty years, if it is related to the relevant government corridors and a key
[00:00:07] alternative route for connecting Asia to Europe.
[00:00:10] A place where amidst the hustle and bustle of parallel
[00:00:14] corridors and complex Caucasus equations, men of
[00:00:17] road and steel have decided to shape the region's transit
[00:00:21] map in favor of national interests. Across East
[00:00:24] Azerbaijan, workshops are operating to prove that
[00:00:28] borders are no longer the finish line, but rather
[00:00:31] the forefront of the country's economic power. One of
[00:00:35] these is the 17-kilometer Julfa-Kalale axis, a strategic
[00:00:38] section of the central corridor from China to Europe, linking
[00:00:41] Azerbaijan to Nakhchivan through Iranian territory.
[00:00:45] This project, with about 40% progress in three sections,
[00:00:48] solidifies Iran's position in the geopolitics of the
[00:00:51] northwest.
[00:00:58] The inauguration of this route means a dramatic increase
[00:01:01] in transit revenues and the neutralization of any regional
[00:01:05] isolation scenario. A little further, another vital
[00:01:08] artery in the form of the North-South Corridor is rapidly
[00:01:12] taking shape: the 66-kilometer Varzeqan-Norduz
[00:01:14] highway. This project connects
[00:01:18] the capital to the Aras corridor and the Aras
[00:01:21] border, and the countries of Central Asia.
[00:01:25] A project with a 6 trillion Toman investment that shortens
[00:01:28] the distance from the capital and Tabriz to Eurasia
[00:01:31] and Armenia by 65 kilometers.
[00:01:34] And now, the main artery, the Tabriz-Marand-Bazargan
[00:01:38] freeway, which is 250
[00:01:40] kilometers long and is under construction. This project
[00:01:44] is the transit identity of northwest Iran. East
[00:01:48] Azerbaijan has a 150-kilometer share of this freeway,
[00:01:51] the first phase of which has been put into operation, and
[00:01:55] now it's time for the second phase, 8 kilometers
[00:01:58] long, on the verge of operation. By accelerating
[00:02:02] the completion of this freeway, the time for Iranian
[00:02:06] goods to reach the heart of Europe will be shortened,
[00:02:09] and this means a greater
[00:02:10] share of international trade.
[00:02:14] In the west of the province, the 168-kilometer Tabriz-Urmia
[00:02:18] freeway is taking its last breaths for final connection,
[00:02:22] especially section six, which is the third 34-kilometer
[00:02:25] ring road of Tabriz, a missing link of the Tehran-Bazargan
[00:02:28] freeway, which will permanently relieve the heavy traffic
[00:02:32] on the dangerous Shahid Kasaei highway.
[00:02:36] 34 kilometers from the beginning of the project,
[00:02:39] 16 kilometers, over 90% of its implementation operations
[00:02:42] have been completed. And now, from the Elkhichi
[00:02:46] bottleneck, the western and southern gate of the
[00:02:49] province, where a 19-year traffic bottleneck has delayed
[00:02:53] travelers, "our lives are wasted
[00:02:56] here, gasoline is wasted." Good news is on the way.
[00:03:05] East Azerbaijan,
[00:03:08] in the battle for road development, is a bastion
[00:03:11] of the national economy. Projects from Bazargan to
[00:03:15] Aras, whose opening we have witnessed, all pursue
[00:03:19] one goal: strengthening Iran's geopolitical weight.
[00:03:22] Now, the ball is in the court of project funding,
[00:03:26] where every rial of investment yields multiple returns
[00:03:29] in the areas of trade and national security.
[00:03:32] Ghorbani, IRIB News Agency, Tabriz.
[00:03:36] Thank you to Ms. Ghorbani for preparing this report. Mr. Najafian,
[00:03:40] welcome. These projects and plans
[00:03:42] that we saw part of in this report are noteworthy.
[00:03:46] They are important projects, but the progress in them
[00:03:50] is slow. The movement is slow. Why?
[00:03:53] In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
[00:03:57] Mr. Aslankhani, I greet you,
[00:04:00] your honorable colleagues, and all viewers.
[00:04:03] Good day. Let me first
[00:04:07] give a report on the provincial
[00:04:09] projects, and then I will return to your
[00:04:13] question. As you said, and it was also in this
[00:04:16] report, East Azerbaijan province has a strategic
[00:04:20] geographical position. It borders Armenia
[00:04:23] and Azerbaijan, and connects to Turkey
[00:04:27] and Iraq through West Azerbaijan province.
[00:04:30] This makes this province a gateway
[00:04:33] for access and economic and trade exchanges
[00:04:37] with European and Eurasian countries. This requires
[00:04:40] infrastructure, and the main
[00:04:43] infrastructure is the transportation network. This province,
[00:04:47] in its current state, has
[00:04:50] the capabilities for freeways and
[00:04:54] highways. We need to speed up
[00:04:58] the construction of the
[00:05:13] roads that are currently under construction.
[00:05:17] As you saw in the report,
[00:05:20] most of the projects are active. These
[00:05:23] are special projects that complete
[00:05:27] the East-West and South-North corridors
[00:05:30] that connect the country to the Bazargan
[00:05:34] border and Europe. The projects
[00:05:36] are under construction. The
[00:05:40] only problem is sometimes
[00:05:43] the lack of financial resources.
[00:05:46] If the projects are funded
[00:05:49] on time and according to the
[00:05:53] allocated budget, and the
[00:05:56] money is paid on time,
[00:06:00] then these projects can be completed
[00:06:03] within the timeframe
[00:06:06] we have set for them. Not only will people
[00:06:10] benefit from this, but it will also
[00:06:13] be important for the economy
[00:06:16] of the province, the region, and the
[00:06:20] entire country. The main problem is securing financial resources.
[00:06:24] Sometimes there are also issues with
[00:06:28] land acquisition for projects. When a
[00:06:31] project starts, its plan and
[00:06:34] design have already been studied and
[00:06:38] completed. What can delay its implementation
[00:06:41] is the lack of timely allocation of
[00:06:44] financial resources or problems with
[00:06:48] land acquisition. If these main issues
[00:06:52] are resolved, the progress of our active projects
[00:06:55] can be accelerated
[00:06:58] and made available to the people
[00:07:02] and the country. Now, let's talk
[00:07:05] about it in detail. For
[00:07:09] example, the Tabriz-Marand-Bazargan freeway project,
[00:07:12] which reaches Turkey, and
[00:07:15] then the Kalal-Julfa axis, which is also very
[00:07:19] important. You also have the Tabriz-Ozqan-Norduz
[00:07:22] corridor, which reaches Armenia.
[00:07:26] You said these projects are
[00:07:29] underway. How are they doing?
[00:07:33] Is someone working on them or
[00:07:36] not? Are they a priority
[00:07:40] for the province? Are all these
[00:07:43] projects provincial priorities or
[00:07:47] not? For example, they
[00:07:50] are all under construction, but
[00:07:54] let's see what happens. No,
[00:07:57] let me tell you. We currently
[00:08:01] have three freeways
[00:08:04] under construction, all of which
[00:08:07] are priorities. We have 14
[00:08:11] highways
[00:08:42] and main roads under construction,
[00:08:46] some of which are truly priorities.
[00:08:49] Regarding the freeway, if you
[00:08:52] allow me, I will report
[00:08:55] on each of these projects.
[00:08:59] Tell us about the Tabriz-Marand-Bazargan
[00:09:03] freeway first. The Tabriz-Marand-Bazargan
[00:09:06] is a project that is 64
[00:09:10] kilometers from Tabriz to
[00:09:14] Marand, and its continuation,
[00:09:18] since the project is 187
[00:09:21] kilometers long, is from Marand
[00:09:24] to Bazargan. This means that
[00:09:28] in another month, we will have
[00:09:31] the return lane ready
[00:09:34] for the people. We are doing
[00:09:38] our best to finish it by
[00:09:41] the end of
[00:09:53] the year. From kilometer 46
[00:09:57] to kilometer 64, which
[00:10:00] is the Marand bypass, it
[00:10:03] has not yet been implemented
[00:10:07] due to financial constraints. Our
[00:10:10] request, the province's request, is to
[00:10:14] ensure that financial resources are
[00:10:18] injected. During the upcoming visit
[00:10:22] of the esteemed President of the
[00:10:25] Islamic Republic to our province,
[00:10:28] our governor has been
[00:10:31] following up, and the ministry
[00:10:34] is also following up to ensure
[00:10:38] that resources are allocated so
[00:10:41] that these 64 kilometers are
[00:10:44] completed. However, the 64 kilometers
[00:10:48] to Bazargan, its studies
[00:10:52] have been completed, but
[00:10:56] we are currently choosing a partner
[00:10:59] for investment. This is very
[00:11:02] essential; if it is not
[00:11:06] done, our corridor, which
[00:11:10] was supposed to come from
[00:11:13] Sarakhs to Bazargan, or
[00:11:17] from Bandar Abbas to Bazargan,
[00:11:21] will only reach Marand. The section
[00:11:25] from Marand onwards needs
[00:11:29] to be accelerated. That is,
[00:11:32] the demand. We are working
[00:11:35] on the corridors, and we have
[00:11:39] focused more on their importance
[00:11:42] than on the corridors themselves.
[00:11:46] This has been the case not
[00:11:49] only in this government but
[00:11:53] in various governments. Is
[00:11:57] completing these corridors a
[00:12:00] priority or not? In
[00:12:03] the name of God, the Most
[00:12:06] Gracious, the Most Merciful.
[00:12:10] I greet you and dear
[00:12:13] viewers.
[00:12:15] Mr. Esfahani, yes, it
[00:12:18] is certainly a priority.
[00:12:22] That is, in the discussion
[00:12:26] of political economy, we
[00:12:28] have an important component
[00:12:31] called passageways, corridors, or
[00:12:35] communication routes, which are actually
[00:12:38] decisive for a country.
[00:12:42] Perhaps Iran is one of
[00:12:45] the most exceptional countries in
[00:12:49] the world in terms of being
[00:12:52] located at the crossroads of
[00:12:55] global corridors. If dear
[00:12:58] viewers do a search on
[00:13:01] the internet, they can search
[00:13:05] for "Iran as a global
[00:13:09] corridor" or "global crossroads,"
[00:13:13] and an image will appear
[00:13:16] showing many crossroads, roads,
[00:13:19] and routes, both land and
[00:13:22] rail, passing through Iran.
[00:13:26] Well, two of the most
[00:13:29] important of these are the
[00:13:33] old Central Corridor and
[00:13:37] the important North-South Corridor,
[00:13:40] which comes from Cape
[00:13:43] Comorin, India, passes through
[00:13:47] the Persian Gulf from
[00:13:50] Chabahar, and reaches East Azerbaijan, West
[00:13:54] Azerbaijan, and Ardabil
[00:14:04] provinces. These show the
[00:14:07] importance of corridors in
[00:14:11] our country. East Azerbaijan
[00:14:13] also has this potential. However,
[00:14:17] how much attention has been paid to this issue
[00:14:20] in our political economy across
[00:14:24] governments—not just this government,
[00:14:27] but previous governments—whether
[00:14:30] it has been a concern
[00:14:34] to address or accelerate
[00:14:37] it, truly needs to be
[00:14:40] discussed. We have a period
[00:14:44] where, by order of
[00:14:47] the Supreme National Security
[00:14:51] Council, they are forced
[00:14:55] to open a route or
[00:14:58] start working on it. This
[00:15:02] is the Aras corridor, which
[00:15:05] is being worked on inside
[00:15:08] Iran, in response to the
[00:15:12] Zangazur corridor. That is,
[00:15:15] work progresses to a point
[00:15:18] where, unfortunately, projects are
[00:15:22] left unfinished until the
[00:15:34] Supreme National Security Council
[00:15:37] intervenes. This is its importance.
[00:15:41] Well, Iran is a large
[00:15:44] country. East Azerbaijan province
[00:15:47] is one of the four economic
[00:15:51] provinces of Iran. It is
[00:15:54] the gate to Europe and
[00:15:58] the gate to Russia. It
[00:16:02] connects to three or four
[00:16:05] countries, which of course doubles
[00:16:09] and multiplies the importance
[00:16:12] of addressing this issue.
[00:16:15] Let me tell you something.
[00:16:19] In the 1980s, when we
[00:16:21] were engaged in the 8-year
[00:16:24] war, almost 70%
[00:16:27] of our country's imports came
[00:16:30] through the Julfa border.
[00:16:34] That is, this potential
[00:16:36] has existed in this province
[00:16:40] for 40 years. Now,
[00:16:44] how we utilize and strengthen
[00:16:48] this potential is up to
[00:16:51] the governments, and I think
[00:16:54] the political and economic
[00:16:58] dimensions are very important.
[00:17:02] It needs to be addressed,
[00:17:05] and its importance should be
[00:17:08] elevated. All right, Mr.
[00:17:12] Alireza Novin, the respected
[00:17:15] Member of Parliament, who is also
[00:17:18] a member of the Parliament's Civil Commission,
[00:17:22] is with us. Hello, Mr.
[00:17:25] Novin. Hello. Good
[00:17:29] day to you and your
[00:17:32] dear guests. Thank you very much. Mr.
[00:17:36] Novin, we are talking
[00:17:39] about the corridors in
[00:17:42] East Azerbaijan province, but
[00:17:46] what is being observed is that their completion
[00:17:50] is progressing very slowly.
[00:17:53] Why? Yes.
[00:17:56] Based on the policies
[00:18:00] of the late Imam and
[00:18:03] the Ministry of Housing and
[00:18:07] Urban Development, as well as
[00:18:11] Article 119 of the Seventh
[00:18:14] Development Plan, the government
[00:18:17] has certain obligations for
[00:18:21] carrying out affairs.
[00:18:24] We now have nine rail
[00:18:28] corridors and almost seven
[00:18:32] land corridors, and the
[00:18:35] government is working hard,
[00:18:38] and honestly, these corridors
[00:18:42] are one of the priorities
[00:18:44] of the fourteenth government.
[00:18:47] However, as mentioned, all
[00:18:51] of this comes down to
[00:18:55] the budget. In fact,
[00:18:58] 850 billion has
[00:19:01] been considered. Compared to
[00:19:05] last year,
[00:19:37] that is, 1404, we have not
[00:19:41] seen a significant change. And
[00:19:44] this year, with the new circumstances
[00:19:48] that arose, approximately 40%
[00:19:52] more budget has not
[00:19:54] been allocated to our main
[00:19:58] projects. In any case, in
[00:20:01] our province, Mr. Najafian
[00:20:04] is there and has surely
[00:20:08] given the necessary explanations. I
[00:20:12] heard the last part of it,
[00:20:15] which is about the Aras
[00:20:19] corridor. Fortunately, Mr. Pormohammadi,
[00:20:22] who has visited several times,
[00:20:25] says that we have no
[00:20:29] limitations for allocating funds
[00:20:32] there. However, currently, these
[00:20:36] 17 kilometers with the tunnels
[00:20:39] that need to be built require
[00:20:43] a budget. The longer it takes,
[00:20:47] it will certainly increase the
[00:20:50] cost. I want to say
[00:20:54] that, in any case, they
[00:20:56] are working, but if
[00:21:00] the late Imam and
[00:21:03] our martyrs had a special
[00:21:06] sensitivity towards this
[00:21:09] project, now I say
[00:21:13] money is not a problem in
[00:21:17] allocation, but anyway,
[00:21:21] more is expected. We
[00:21:24] still haven't been able to
[00:21:27] do fundamental work on the
[00:21:31] tunnels. Anyway, Azerbaijan,
[00:21:35] especially this Aras corridor,
[00:21:38] is one of Iran's main
[00:21:41] trade routes with Europe.
[00:21:45] Anyway, East Azerbaijan, as
[00:21:49] the gateway for Iranian
[00:21:52] transit to the Caucasus
[00:21:56] and Eurasia, must prioritize
[00:21:59] this issue, and I hope
[00:22:02] they act on their
[00:22:06] words, Mr. Pormohammadi.
[00:22:09] Secondly, the Tabriz-Julfa
[00:22:12] rail corridor to Cheshmeh-ye
[00:22:16] Soria. Surely, dear friends
[00:22:19] have mentioned that, in
[00:22:22] any case, with the current
[00:22:26] sanctions, we must take
[00:22:29] these discussions about the
[00:22:31] west seriously. The East-West
[00:22:35] corridor is not like the
[00:22:39] North-South corridor. Huge
[00:22:42] costs are, thank God,
[00:22:46] being incurred in the North-South
[00:22:56] corridor, but for the
[00:22:59] East-West, where East Azerbaijan is also
[00:23:03] located, I think several
[00:23:07] fundamental things need to be
[00:23:11] done. One is this Julfa-Cheshmeh-ye
[00:23:14] Soria rail corridor, which
[00:23:17] connects us with three
[00:23:20] countries: Azerbaijan, Turkey.
[00:23:24] Anyway, it will provide
[00:23:27] good access to Eurasia.
[00:23:31] In the discussion of the
[00:23:34] Tabriz-Urmia freeway, it
[00:23:37] is a participatory project.
[00:23:40] Honestly, in any case,
[00:23:43] 30% by the government
[00:23:47] and 60% by the partner
[00:23:51] are involved. 163 kilometers.
[00:23:55] I would like to complain
[00:23:58] here to Mr. Najafian.
[00:24:02] Unfortunately, land acquisition
[00:24:05] in section 6 was not
[00:24:09] carried out. This project,
[00:24:12] which could have diverted
[00:24:16] the main Tabriz traffic to
[00:24:19] section 6, unfortunately,
[00:24:23] for almost a year,
[00:24:26] I personally repeatedly
[00:24:29] told and followed up
[00:24:32] with the governor, Mr. Najafian,
[00:24:36] and Mr. Bazvand, but it didn't
[00:24:39] happen until today. And
[00:24:42] finally, our section
[00:24:45] 6 is facing problems.
[00:24:48] I hope it will be resolved
[00:25:24] soon, and the partner is honestly
[00:25:28] pursuing the work.
[00:25:31] Section three is a section
[00:25:35] that is in our province.
[00:25:38] It also has two tunnels,
[00:25:41] four and six for going
[00:25:44] and coming, and thank
[00:25:48] God, the work is progressing
[00:25:52] well, and I hope
[00:25:54] that money will be allocated.
[00:25:58] Let me tell you, Mr.
[00:26:02] Aslankhani, not a
[00:26:04] single rial has been paid
[00:26:08] to this project so
[00:26:12] far. The government has
[00:26:15] not yet paid its 30%
[00:26:19] share, and I hope that,
[00:26:22] in any case, the
[00:26:26] partner will responsibly
[00:26:30] pursue the
[00:26:43] work, and the government
[00:26:46] will also do its part.
[00:26:50] Section five has just
[00:26:53] been announced; work has
[00:26:57] not started yet. Of
[00:27:01] course, section
[00:28:02] four is also under
[00:28:06] traffic, and we have
[00:28:10] no problem. We hope
[00:28:13] that this project will
[00:28:16] also give officials, it
[00:28:20] is also related to that
[00:28:23] Member of Parliament. He
[00:28:27] also has not tried
[00:28:31] hard. It is not
[00:28:35] just related to the
[00:28:38] government official. Here, the
[00:28:42] demand from you, the
[00:28:45] representative, and your
[00:28:49] other friends is also
[00:28:52] effective in this matter.
[00:28:56] Thank you for being
[00:29:00] with us.
[00:29:03] However, prioritization
[00:29:07] for fundamental works should
[00:29:10] not be based on
[00:29:14] preferences. You are in the
[00:29:17] parliament to prevent it
[00:29:21] from being preferential.
[00:29:25] Thank you. Thank you.
[00:29:28] We are doing nothing but trying.
[00:30:02] Stay well. Thank you
[00:30:05] very much for being
[00:30:09] with me. It means
[00:30:12] that these Company for
[00:30:15] were the representatives
[00:30:18] of this province, and they
[00:30:22] are from Tabriz,
[00:30:26] so they were aware
[00:30:30] of the issue