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Introduction: Iran: A concise History

“Certain regions of the world are distinguishable as being associated with a particular human culture pattern, which is at once distinctive in character and also sufficiently strong to have survived as a readily identifiable entity over many centuries… Of these regions, Iran is certainly one”. Cambridge History of Iran

Known as Persia until 1935, Iran is a country with a history of over 10000 years and home to one of the oldest known civilizations. Persia, or Iran, as the country is more appropriately called, presents a lexicon of human history matched only by a handful of other countries in the world. The name Persia is derived from the Persis, a province in southern Iran from which a southern Iranian tribe, known as the “Persians” created a world empire in the sixth century B.C. The name Iran, pronounced “Eran”, however, comes from the term “Aryan” meaning “the land of nobles”, a name first used about the first millennium B.C.

‘Iran’ as a territory has multiple meanings. Broadly and devoid of any sort of political or territorial claims, one can see it as three regions. First, there is modern Iran, within its international borders. Then there is ‘Greater Iran or / ‘Iran exterior comprising the additional areas that once formed part of the Iranian world at various times in history. Lastly, there are the areas, sometimes very remote from the center, including parts of Europe and India that exhibit Iranian influence.

In the seventh century A.D. the new faith, Islam, which was based on Monotheism, offered the Iranian population an excellent opportunity whence for several centuries Iranian arts and acumen crystallized and became paramount in the Islamic world. The following centuries witnessed the development of distinctive traditions in pottery and ceramics, tile work, stucco, brickwork, metalwork, glassware, carpets, textiles, jewelry, music and poetry.

In antiquity, and again during the Islamic period, Iran’s position between the West and China helped to transform this land into “a crossroad of civilizations” and one of the great sources of art and thought. Iran’s originality is such that it continuously invented new forms while maintaining its distinct character, as its influence extended over immense regions.

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Contents Policy

During the Sacred Defense, Iran single-handedly defeated the US, the USSR and the West .................................................................................................................................... 5

Leader attends Arbaeen mourning ceremony ..................................................................... 6

Rouhani dismisses U.S. sanctions as internal ‘political propaganda’ ................................. 7

Zarif holds ‘fruitful talks’ with Chinese counterpart .......................................................... 9

News of Lana Marks assassination plot bizzarre: Pandor ................................................. 10

Iran rejects assassination plot claims ................................................................................ 11

Iran announces termination of UN arms embargo ............................................................ 12

ELEVENTH ROSE GARDEN BOOK LAUNCH IN SOUTH AFRICA ........................ 16

Resistance festival to review films on Commander Soleimani ......................................... 17

Book on resistance of women in Khorramshahr published in Lebanon ........................... 19

Designs by Iranian architects win at WA Awards ............................................................ 20

Doc depicts charisma of Imam Khomeini among Iraqi army under Saddam Hussein ..... 21

“This Side, Other Side” wins UNICEF Award at Bratislava animation biennial ............. 23

Iran’s tourism achieves growth despite sanctions: minister .............................................. 25

Armed forces support health sector in battling COVID-19 .............................................. 26

South Africa lifts visa for Iranian travelers ....................................................................... 28

Iran has good news about Covid-19 vaccine: minister ..................................................... 31

Iranian biotechnology ranks 12th in world, first in West Asia ......................................... 32

Free influenza vaccines for 80,000 underprivileged people ............................................. 34

Iran beat Uzbekistan in friendly ........................................................................................ 37

Iran chosen to host FIVB Boys’ U19 World C’ship ......................................................... 39

Persepolis move up at Soccer Clubs Ranking ................................................................... 40

Friendlies: Iran futsal team defeat Uzbekistan .................................................................. 41

Steel exports exceed 2.3m tons in 6 months ..................................................................... 43

Coronavirus didn’t halt Iran’s oil production, not even one day: Zanganeh .................... 44

Some 70% of Iran’s non-oil exports destined for neighbors ............................................ 45

EGFI ranks 1st among region’s Islamic funds for 2nd time ............................................. 47

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During the Sacred Defense, Iran single-handedly defeated the US, the USSR and the West

Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the start of the Sacred Defense (Saddam's imposed war on Iran), the speech of Imam Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a video conference with the participants of a ceremony honoring the veterans of the Holy Defense, was broadcast live on national TV channels. In his speech, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution reiterated, “Despite the whole-hearted support that many countries in the world offered to the Ba’athist regime of Iraq, Iran was able to be victorious in the war.”

In a videoconference held this Monday with the purpose of paying homage to the veterans of the Sacred Defense Era, coinciding with the anniversary of Saddam’s attack on Iran, His Eminence stated, “The US and other powers started a war with the purpose of overthrowing the Islamic Republic, but they were defeated. Iran’s victory in this war is as clear as the existence of the sun. The whole world did whatever it could, but they failed to achieve their goal in the end. Is there any victory better than this?”

He went on to state that in the past one or two centuries Iran always suffered defeat in the wars that it was involved in and lost part of its territories. He said, “However, in the war that Saddam waged against Iran (1980-1988), he failed to separate even one inch of Iran’s land even though the US, the Soviet Union and NATO were supporting him.”

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Imam Khamenei stressed, “Since the beginning, our late Imam knew that the war between Iraq and Iran was not an ordinary war between two neighboring countries. He knew who the main enemy in the war was and realized that Saddam was a mere instrument. He always said that the US was worse than the Soviet Union, the Soviet Union worse than the US, and England worse than both of them. In other words, he had understood that these powers were the main elements working behind the scenes of the war.”

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution emphasized that the Sacred Defense enriched Iran’s human resources and added, “Countless people who were involved in the Sacred Defense continued to render services in different areas of the country in those days, are continuing to do so at the present time, and will continue to do so in the future with God’s grace. Martyr Soleimani was one example. No one has yet understood the extent of his activities. Perhaps in the future, we will gradually come to know what he did.”

Leader attends Arbaeen mourning ceremony TEHRAN — Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on

Thursday attended the Arbaeen mourning ceremony, which arrives 40 days after

the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein (AS).

According to Fars, this year, the Arbaeen ceremony was held without public

participation in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The ceremony was

broadcast live on national television and social media networks.

The martyrdom of Imam Hossein (AS) remains an inspirational example of

sacrifice to Shia Muslims, who make up a majority of the Muslim population in

Iran, Pakistan, Iraq and Bahrain.

Imam Hossein is the grandson of the Prophet Mohammad (S), who was martyred

in the Battle of Karbala nearly 14 centuries ago.

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Rouhani dismisses U.S. sanctions as internal ‘political propaganda’ October 9, 2020

TEHRAN – In his first response to the new sanctions the U.S. imposed on Iran on

Thursday, President Hassan Rouhani said these sanctions were imposed to serve

political goals in the United States.

“The measures of the U.S. administration are taken within the purview of

propaganda and political efforts which are meant to serve their internal goals,” the

president was quoted by the presidential website as saying on Friday, adding that

the Americans cannot break the resistance of the Iranian people through making

troubles in the path of medicines and food supply.

Rouhani made the remarks in a conversation with Abdolnasser Hemmati, the

governor of the Central Bank of Iran.

On Friday, the U.S. Treasury Department slapped new sanctions on Iran, targeting

“eighteen major Iranian banks.”

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Under the new sanctions, “all property and interests in property of designated

targets that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons

must be blocked and reported to OFAC. OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all

dealings by U.S. persons or within the United States (including transactions

transiting the United States) that involve any property or interests in property of

blocked or designated persons,” according to a Treasury statement.U.S. Secretary

of Treasury Steven Mnuchin said the restrictions were meant to sever Iran’s ties

with the global financial system.

“Today, U.S. Treasury took further action to isolate the Iranian economy from the

global financial system as the regime uses the financial sector to advance its

malign agenda,” tweeted Mnuchin.

Rouhani described these sanctions as “cruel, terrorist and inhumane,” saying the

Americans cannot break the resistance of the Iranian people.

According to Rouhani, the new sanctions came in continuation of the U.S.

“strategic mistake” in withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known

as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“The U.S. administration mistakenly believed that these sanctions will break the

resistance of Iran and get us into trouble. But as time passed it became clear that

this analysis was very far from reality and thus didn’t work,” he stated.

The president pointed out that the U.S. will face defeat every time they repeat

their strategic mistakes.

Rouhani added, “All countries see that these U.S. measures are in full violation of

the law and international regulations. These Washington measures are completely

inhumane given the coronavirus circumstances. Human rights advocates in the

world should condemn these measures.”

For his part, the CBI governor said the new U.S. sanctions didn’t affect the

existing exemptions for medicines and basic goods.

“The banks that were designated under secondary sanctions are still using SWIFT

and will continue financing the basic goods,” the CBI governor said.

However, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the fresh U.S.

sanctions are meant to cut off Iran’s remaining channels to pay for humanitarian

goods.“Amid Covid-19 pandemic, U.S. regime wants to blow up our remaining

channels to pay for food & medicine. Iranians WILL survive this latest of

cruelties. But conspiring to starve a population is a crime against humanity.

Culprits & enablers—who block our money—WILL face justice,” Zarif tweeted

on Thursday.

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Zarif holds ‘fruitful talks’ with Chinese counterpart October 11, 2020

TEHRAN – Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Saturday he held

‘fruitful talks’ with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

“Fruitful talks in beautiful Tengchong with my friend Wang Yi on Iran-China

Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” Tweeted Zarif on Saturday evening.

The foreign minister arrived in the southern Chinese province of Yunnan at the

head of a high-ranking delegation on Friday.

Earlier on Thursday, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic

Republic of Iran Saeed Khatibzadeh said Zarif’s two-day visit was “in line with

close consultations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and China.”

Zarif also said that they “rejected U.S. unilateralism and U.S. attempts to create

unipolar world,” adding that Iran and China “agreed on strengthening our ties

including 25-year plan, regional cooperation, preserving JCPOA & vaccine

collaboration.”

Zarif was referring to a 25-year strategic partnership plan between Iran and China

that was approved by Iran in June but still awaits the Chinese approval.

Neither Iran nor China did formally give many details about the plan. However,

some details of the 25-year partnership have been leaked to the press. According

to the leaks, China will invest a whopping $400 billion in various Iranian sectors

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including oil and gas. In exchange, Iran will ensure steady energy supplies to

China for a period of 25 years at a discounted rate.

As Zarif left Iran for China, an assistant to him, said the foreign minister was

going to discuss the partnership plan, expressing hope that the plan would play a

major role in facilitating the trade between Tehran and Beijing.

“We hope that Mr. Zarif’s visit to China will be a major step toward

institutionalizing the 25-year cooperation document between the two countries,

which will be a good basis for boosting economic relations,” said the assistant,

adding, “Concerning the 25-year cooperation plan between Iran and China, there

have been continuous contacts between the experts of the two countries since last

year.”

The assistant, Reza Zabib, also said Zarif will discuss the efforts to produce the

Covid-19 vaccine.

News of Lana Marks assassination plot bizzarre: Pandor 17 September 2020, 7:13 PM| SABC | @SABCNews

 

Pandor says she was not given a heads up before the Politico story broke.

International Relations Minister, Naledi Pandor , has described a US news story that Iran was

plotting to assassinate Ambassador Lana Marks as very strange.

She was speaking in an exclusive interview with the SABC News correspondent, Sherwin

Bryce-Pease, ahead of the United Nations General Assembly’s High Level week, which

begins on Monday next week in New York.

Pandor says she was not given a heads up before the Politico story broke.

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“It is a matter of the protection services and that which is provided to our diplomats, we have

assured them through the statement of State Security Minister, Ayanda Dlodlo, that South

Africa believes diplomats in our country are safe and should there be a need for additional

measures, these would be taken and obviously we will ask and Minister Dlodlo would seek

more information from her colleagues in the Security sector in the United States,” she says.

“But it’s been a very strange public statement and of course our friends in Iran are as

surprised as we were. I find it surprising, why would Iran being a very good friend of South

Africa come and commit a horrendous act in a country which has been a good friend to Iran,

and of such a nature? I can only describe it as bizarre and let me stop there.”

Iran rejects assassination plot claims The Iranian embassy in South Africa has described allegations of an “against the US ambassador in South Africa, as baseless.

Professor Seyed Marandi, an International Relations Expert at the University of Tehran also weighs in on the story. Meanwhile, Iran has rejected as nonsensical allegations of an assassination plot against Marks.

International Relations Expert with the University of Tehran, Professor Seyed Marandi says: “In Tehran, everyone is making fun of the accusation. This woman is a handbag designer, she is by no means the equivalent of General Qasem Soleimani who defeated ISIS and Al-Qaeda. United States is constantly making ridiculous accusations against Iran. The only thing less for the United States to accuse Iran of is global warming.”

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Iran announces termination of UN arms embargo October 18, 2020

TEHRAN – In an official statement on Sunday, the Foreign Ministry announced

the termination of a UN arms embargo on Iran in defiance of the United States’

failed efforts to extend the embargo.

“Today is a momentous day for the international community, which in defiance of

the U.S. regime’s efforts, has protected UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and

the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA),” the Foreign Ministry stated.

“As of today [October 18, 2020], all restrictions on the transfer of arms, related

activities and financial services to and from the Islamic Republic of Iran, and all

prohibitions regarding the entry into or transit through territories of the United

Nations Member States previously imposed on a number of Iranian citizens and

military officials, are all automatically terminated,” the ministry added.

“As of today, all restrictions on the transfer of arms, related activities and

financial services to and from the Islamic Republic of Iran, and all

prohibitions regarding the entry into or transit through territories of the

United Nations Member States previously imposed on a number of Iranian

citizens and military officials, are all automatically terminated,” Iran’s

Foreign Ministry declared. It also emphasized that in one of the JCPOA’s

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innovations, the definitive and unconditional termination of arms restrictions and

travel bans requires no new resolution, nor does it require any statement or any

other measure by the Security Council.

The JCPOA, endorsed by the UN Security Council Resolution 2231, was signed

between Iran, the United States, Britain, Germany, France, the European Union,

Russia, and China on July 14, 2018. However, U.S. President Donald Trump

abandoned the deal on May 8, 2018 in pursuit of what it called the “maximum

pressure” policy against Iran.

The U.S. has made tremendous efforts, from submitting a draft resolution to the

UN Security Council calling for the extension of the arms embargo to triggering a

controversial mechanism within the JCPOA, to make sure that the UN Arms

restrictions on Iran will not be lifted. But all U.S. efforts in this regard have faced

firm opposition from the international community. All JCPOA parties along with

thirteen of the 15-member UN Security Council have said the U.S. had no legal

authority to extend the arms embargo on Iran.

According to the Foreign Ministry statement, from now on, the Islamic Republic

of Iran may procure any necessary arms and equipment from any source without

any legal restrictions and solely based on its defensive needs, and may also export

defensive armaments based on its own policies

“At the same time, Iran’s defense doctrine is premised on strong reliance on its

people and indigenous capabilities. Ever since the eight-year imposed war on Iran

by Saddam Hussein’s regime—during which the Iranian people were victims of

sophisticated and lethal weapons provided to Saddam by the West while Iran was

deprived of procuring even the most basic defensive weaponry—the Islamic

Republic of Iran has provided for its defensive needs through indigenous

capacities and capabilities,” the statement read.

It also urged the United States to abandon its destructive approach toward

Resolution 2231, return to full compliance with its commitments under the United

Nations Charter, stop violating international law and ignoring international order,

and cease further destabilization in West Asia.

“It is evident that any measure against the provisions of UNSC Resolution 2231—

particularly paragraph 1 and its defined timetables—will amount to a material

breach of the resolution and the purposes of the

JCPOA. In that event, the Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the right to ta

ke any necessary countermeasures to secure its national interests,”

it added.

‘Momentous day for the international community’

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Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also called Iran’s normalization of

defense cooperation with the world as a victory for multilateralism.

"Today's normalization of Iran’s defense cooperation with the world is a win for

the cause of multilateralism and peace and security in our region," Zarif said on

Twitter.

Calling this "a momentous day for the international community," Zarif said the

world has defied "malign U.S. efforts" to protect the Security Council resolution

and the nuclear deal.

Yet, Iran reiterated long-held principle that "unconventional arms, weapons of

mass destruction…. have no place in Iran's defense doctrine."

Iran to have legitimate arms trade with other states: mission to UN

Iran’s mission to the United Nation also announced that Iran, as a responsible

member of the international community, will have legitimate trade with other

states including in arms trade as of Sunday.

“As a responsible member of the international community, the Islamic Republic

of Iran engages in legitimate trade—in accordance with international law and on

the basis of its national interests—with other countries, including in the realm of

the arms trade,” the mission said in a Sunday statement.

The mission emphasized that the Islamic Republic of Iran has always maintained

that all sanctions and restrictive measures introduced and applied against the

people of Iran have been baseless, unjust and unlawful.

“During the last few months, the United States had attempted, in violation of

resolution 2231, to impose a new arms embargo on Iran to no avail, as the

Security Council has rejected illegal U.S. move,” the statement said, adding, “The

U.S. unlawful attempt to reinstate terminated Security Council resolutions against

Iran also failed when 13 members and three consecutive Presidents of the Council

rejected the U.S.’s claim that it was eligible to invoke OP 11 of resolution 2231,

and considered said claimed eligibility null and void.”

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ELEVENTH ROSE GARDEN BOOK LAUNCH IN SOUTH AFRICA

 

The Cultural Consulate of the Embassy of Iran in collaboration with the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the 40th anniversary of the Holy Defense hosted a virtual book launch of the THE ELEVENTH ROSE GARDEN in Pretoria.

Participants included Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in South Africa His Excellency Mr. Agha Jafari, His Eminence Mr. Imanipour, Deputy President of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization, the Cultural Counsellor of the Embassy of Iran Dr. Ahmad Ali Mohsenzadeh and the wife of martyr Ali Chitzazian, Ms. Zahra Panahi-Rava.

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Resistance festival to review films on Commander Soleimani October 11, 2020

TEHRAN – The 16th Resistance International Film Festival will review films on

Commander Qassem Soleimani’s role in awakening people of the region and the

world in a special section, the organizers announced on Sunday.

Interested filmmakers are asked to submit their films on the main characteristic of

the martyr as the symbol of resistance, highlighting the bravery of the commander

and the soldiers without borders as the main themes of the section named

“Prominent Resistance Martyr Section”.

The oppression of the people in the region, their resistance, and the role of

Soleimani in their awareness are also highlighted in the section, which is due to

be held internationally.

The organizers have so far received over 700 submissions, including videos, short

films, screenplays and mostly documentaries in this section.

The festival has been organized in two stages, the first of which took place during

the Sacred Defense Week from September 21 to 28.

The second part of the festival will be held from November 21 to 27 to celebrate

the anniversary of Basij Day, which falls on November 25.

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Following the assassination of Commander Soleimani during a U.S. airstrike in

Baghdad on January 3, several other cultural events in Iran established awards in

memory of the chief of the Quds Force, the overseas arm of Iran’s Revolutionary

Guards.

First of them was the Fajr Film Festival, which announced it would honor films

on resistance and jihad with an award named after Soleimani.

The award went to “Abadan 11, 60” directed by Mehrdad Khoshbakht about the

people’s fight against Iraqi forces in the southwestern Iranian city of Abadan

during the early months of the Iran-Iraq war.

In addition, the 17th edition of the Resistance Theater Festival has established an

award named after Commander Qassem Soleimani to honor a play every year.

“Due to the importance of the resistance issue and the need to promote the

teachings of the popular figure of Iran’s resistance culture and the leader of the

resistance front, Lieutenant-General Qassem Soleimani, we plan to honor a top

play with an award named after Hajj Qassem Soleimani this year for the first

time,” the organizers have announced.

The award will be presented in the next editions of the festival to represent its

organizers’ committed devotion to the divine commander.

The Association of the Revolution and Sacred Defense Theater organizes the

festival every year in collaboration with several other institutions.

This year’s edition is scheduled to be held during November or December.

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Book on resistance of women in Khorramshahr published in Lebanon

TEHRAN – The Al-Maaref Islamic Cultural Association in Lebanon has recently

released an Arabic translation of a book on the resistance of women in

Khorramshahr during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.

Entitled “Saji”, the book contains memories of Nasrin Baqerzadeh, the widow of

Iranian martyr commander Bahman Baqeri, written by Behnaz Zarrabizadeh.

Somayyeh Yusef is the translator of the book into Arabic.

The southwestern Iranian city of Khorramshahr was captured by Iraqis on

October 26, 1980 during the early months of the Iran-Iraq war and it was liberated

on May 24, 1982.

The original version has been published by Sureh-Mehr, an affiliate publisher of

the Art Bureau of the Islamic Ideology Dissemination Organization (IIDO), and

was introduced during a ceremony by the IIDO director Hojjatoleslam

Mohammad Qomi in July.

The widow narrates how they spent the very first days of the invasion, but later

they were forced to leave the city with the family to Shiraz while the men stayed

in Khorramshahr to defend the city.

The Lebanese association also released an Arabic translation of the book “In the

Tumult of Silence”, on Iranian martyr Abbas Varamini, the commander of 27th

Mohammad Rasulullah Division in Tehran.

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The book has been written by Javad Kalateh-Arabi.

The original book was published in Iran in winter 2018 and a few months later its

second edition came out.

Varamini was an educated individual different from his companions. He was a

coordinator in the process of capturing the American Embassy in Tehran.

After the formation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), there was

a necessity to recruit experienced experts and forces, and Varamini entered the

IRGC and later participated in several operations during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq

war.

He was martyred during an operation on the Panjvein frontline in November

1983.

The book contains four chapters named “Unforgettable District”, “Years of

Tension”, “Towards the University of Frontline” and “In the Tumult of Silence”.

The book was selected for Arabic translation in a book fair held in Beirut last

year.

Designs by Iranian architects win at WA Awards October 11, 2020

TEHRAN – Several Iranian architects and interior designers have been honored at

the 35th edition of the WA Awards, which is organized by the World Architecture

Community.

The awards are presented in the two categories of architecture and interior design.

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“Home”, a project by Mohammad-Hossein Mohammadpur Parchebafi won the

honor in the student architecture projects.

The project based on the childlike imagination of home form is an attempt to

provide shelters and temporary housing for vulnerable groups, especially children,

during floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters.

Two designs by Iranian architects were also honored in the student interior design

projects.

A design by Sajjad Navidi for the Shanbeh-Ghazan Metro Station in the

northwestern Iranian city of Tabriz is one of the winners.

The station is located in the historic district of Shanbeh-Ghazan. Due to the

historic site, the design of the station is of great importance.

Seyyed Mohammad-Hossein Rahmati’s design of the lobby of Tehrans’ Dafineh

Museum, a showcase for coins and banknotes, was also honored.

The WA Awards highlights and recognizes remarkable projects that have the

potential to inspire exciting questions about contemporary architectural discourse,

the organizers have said.

Participants from around the globe, and in particular from regions less covered by

general or specialized media, get a chance to share and promote their projects.

The designs are selected by the votes of honorary members and winners in earlier

editions, and winners are picked through the ratings of the community members.

Doc depicts charisma of Imam Khomeini among Iraqi army under Saddam Hussein October 12, 2020

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TEHRAN – A documentary newly made at the Islamic Revolution Documentary

House illustrates the charisma of Imam Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic

Republic, among Iraqi soldiers and officers during the 1980s when the Iraqi

dictator Saddam Hussein launched a war against Iran.

The five-episode documentary entitled “Aboo Taaha” directed by Hassan

Qahramani has been made over three years.

“This documentary studies the impacts of the Islamic Revolution and Imam

Khomeini’s influence on the enemy’s frontline over the eight-year war,”

Qahramani said in a press release on Monday.

“When Iraq entered the war with our country, there was a remarkable conflict

between Iraqis and the Ba’ath Party so that many Iraqi people did not support the

party and were opposed to the war against Iran and this was due to the affection

they had for Imam Khomeini,” he added.

In his research for the documentary, Qahramani met Aboo Taaha, a commander

of Iran’s psychological warfare against Iraq. He worked as an investigator in

camps of Iraqi prisoners of war in Iran. He had talked to many of prisoners and

knew them well.

As a result, Aboo Taaha joined Qahramani’s crew in their journey to Iraq to find

the former Iraqi soldiers and officers for making the documentary.

They visited Abu Zulfiqar, a former Iraqi officer who surrendered an armored

brigade to Iranian forces during the war.

“When we entered his home, we saw photos of the Leader of the revolution

[Ayatollah Khamenei], Imam Khomeini and Imam Musa Sadr hung beside each

other on the wall,” Qahramani said.

“He told us that his father had threatened to curse him out if he would fight

against the soldiers of Imam Khomeini. He also noted that his father showed

special respect for Imam Khomeini and Imam Musa al-Kadhim (AS). The most

important part of his words were that many Iraqi people did not agree to follow

Saddam in his fight against Iran, and that it was clear that Saddam could do

nothing against Iran,” he added.

“Abu Taaha” is scheduled to be broadcast from the Mostanad Channel, IRIB’s

network dedicated to screening documentary films.

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“This Side, Other Side” wins UNICEF Award at Bratislava animation biennial October 11, 2020

TEHRAN – Iranian director Lida Fazli’s movie “This Side, Other Side” has won

the UNICEF Award at the 15th Biennial of Animation Bratislava, an international

festival of animated films for children that took place in the Slovakian capital

from October 5 to 9.

We are always so afraid of the other side, even though we are all the same. When

a war rips their world apart, a little girl and little boy from two sides come

together to heal it with their magical crayon. But we all know that’s just fantasy.

Real wars are not so easy to stop; the damage is not so easy to fix.

The animated movie is a production from Iran’s Documentary and Experimental

Film Center.

“Daughter” by Daria Kashcheeva from Czech received the Sv. Vojtech Award.

The Children’s Spectator Award went to “The Peculiar Crime of Oddball Mr.

Jay” by Bruno Caetano from Portugal, and “The Kite” by Martin Smatana from

Slovakia won the Viktor Kubal Award.

Iranian animators are frequent visitors to the Bratislava festival.

In 2018, “Icky” by Iranian director Parastu Kardgar won the UNICEF Award. The

film uses original means to tackle the issue of difference and integration, and lifts

up the unique nature of an individual, echoing UNICEF’s work ethos.

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Iran’s tourism achieves growth despite sanctions: minister October 6, 2020

TEHRAN – Iran’s tourism sector achieved a growth [of almost ten percent year

on year] in the previous Iranian calendar year 1398 (March 2019-March 2020)

despite the adverse effects of the U.S. sanctions, Cultural Heritage, Tourism and

Handicrafts Minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan said on Saturday.

“I am glad to inform you that the tourism sector of the country tried to minimize

the effects of the sanctions. Despite the fact that we faced the coronavirus crisis in

the last two months of the past year, [arrivals of] some 8,800,000 tourists were

registered…,” he said in an interview with the Mehr news agency.

“Last year, in addition to the sanctions, many other events happened in the

country, including floods at the beginning of the year, the martyrdom of Lt. Gen.

Soleimani and the tragic accident of the Ukrainian plane, each of which could

have dealt a fatal blow to the tourism industry. But fortunately, as statistics show,

we had a growth in this sector last year despite all the events.”

Mounesan also attached great importance to the country’s initiative of

diversifying tourism services, saying: “Therefore, tourism is one of the important

economic sectors. One of the important things we did in this area was to diversify

tourism services. Previously, most of our foreign tourists were interested in

cultural and historical fields. Now, due to the efforts made, the health tourism,

ecotourism, and nature tourism sectors have greatly improved. Recently, sectors

such as agricultural tourism and mining tourism have been added to this area.”

In 2019, the tourism sector’s share of the country's GDP was $11.8 billion.

Unfortunately, one of the things that have recently fluctuated the foreign

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exchange market is the loss of foreign tourists in the last nine months due to the

coronavirus, Mounesan added.

"Therefore, the tourism sector has been able to play its role well due to the

existing capacities in the country, including Iranian customs, climatic diversity,

and precious cultural heritage," he said.

In August, the minister said 8.7 million foreign nationals visited the Islamic

Republic during the past [Iranian] year, adding that Iran was ranked as the second

fastest-growing country in tourism based on data compiled by the World Tourism

Organization.

“On the onset of coronavirus, tourism faced a sharp decline in the world including

our country. So that in the first three months of the current [Iranian] year the

number of foreign tourists dropped to 74 --- it was reached almost zero,” he said.

According to official data announced by the tourism ministry, the number of

international tourists visiting Iran surged 52.5 percent in the Iranian calendar year

1397 from a year earlier, and it fetched the country some $11.8 billion in tourism

revenues.

Armed forces support health sector in battling COVID-19 October 9, 2020

TEHRAN – As the COVID-19 pandemic is ravaging the whole country, fifty-six

hospitals belonging to the armed forces have been equipped to exclusively admit

patients infected with the coronavirus.

Hassan Araqizadeh, the head of the healthcare department of the

General Headquarters of the Armed Forces, told IRIB on Thursday that the

department is ready to establish field hospitals at every place, even at border

points.

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“Some 70 percent of the beds of the hospitals of the Armed Forces had been

allocated to COVID-19 patients, but we are ready to boost the capacities,” he said.

Iran registered unprecedented 4,142 new cases of coronavirus over the past 24

hours.

During the past 24 hours, 210 patients have lost their lives, bringing the total

number of deaths to 28,098, Health Ministry spokesperson Sima-Sadat Lari said

on Friday, adding that the total number of infections rose to 492,378.

She added that 401,379 patients have so far recovered, but 4,392 remain in critical

conditions of the disease.

Lari noted that so far 4,257,766 COVID-19 tests have been conducted across the

country.

She said the high-risk “red” zones include provinces of Tehran, Isfahan, Qom,

East Azarbaijan, South Khorasan, Semnan, Qazvin, Lorestan, Ardebil, Khuzestan,

Kermanshah, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Gilan, Bushehr, Zanjan, Ilam,

Khorasan Razavi, Mazandaran, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Alborz, West

Azarbaijan, Markazi, Kerman, North Khorasan, Hamedan, and Yazd.

The provinces of Kordestan, Hormozgan, Fars, and Golestan are also on alert.

Face masks mandatory

As of today, the use of face masks will be mandatory in Tehran province and the

implementation of this law will be closely monitored.

Accordingly, restrictions were imposed on educational classes, recreational

places, sports halls, gardens, museums, and gatherings that increase the chain of

transmission, as well as Friday prayers.

Medical terrorism

Tehran has described the U.S. sanctions as “economic terrorism” and “medical

terrorism” on various occasions, citing the high number of deaths as a direct result

of the illegal sanctions.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has accused the United States of

impeding Iran’s ability to fight the coronavirus outbreak, saying that U.S.

sanctions have prevented the purchase of critical medical supplies.

“We need to jointly confront the destructive impact of unilateral coercive

measures on efforts to combat the pandemic,” Zarif told the Conference on

Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) on September 27.

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“They are nothing but economic and medical terrorism, and we must refuse to

comply with these unlawful measures in our collective endeavor to tackle this

common affliction of humanity,” he added.

South Africa lifts visa for Iranian travelers October 6, 2020

TEHRAN - South Africa’s government has announced that it waived visa

requirement for passport holders from Iran and ten other countries.

In a bid to boost tourism to the country, South Africa’s home affairs minister

Aaron Motsoaledi has announced visa-free travel for 11 countries. In a media

briefing, the minister said the visa-free status of citizens of some countries and

territories was temporarily suspended at the start of the lockdown period, Travel

Daily Media announced on Tuesday.

“In line with the commitment of the government to take urgent steps to address

the economic and tourism stagnation brought about by the outbreak of Covid-19,

the visa-free status of citizens from a number of countries and territories has been

reinstated,” Motsoaledi said.

The countries include South Korea, Spain, Italy, Germany, Hong Kong,

Singapore, U.S., UK, France, Portugal, and Iran. However, the minister said that

visa-free status does not alter the current Covid-19 regulations.

The minister also said he has instructed officials to communicate this decision to

the aviation industry, embassies, and other stakeholders as a matter of urgency.

“The port managers have been instructed to adhere to the Southern African

Development Community (SADC) protocol and guidelines regulating the

movement of essential goods under Covid-19 regulations. “The guidelines

29

regulating truck drivers traveling across the border will continue to apply as has

been the case for the past seven months,” he said.

The minister said that immigration officers will be required to assess the

movement and place of origin of the traveler and not the country of origin of the

airline concerned.

“Transit travelers through South Africa by air will be allowed to connect to their

destinations, subject to them complying with applicable health protocols but need

not produce the 72 hours negative certificate.”

Motsoaledi said that any person from a country listed as having a high Covid-19

infection and transmission rate, who wish to undertake business travel into South

Africa, may, in writing, apply to the Department of Home Affairs and

demonstrate reasons for their request to enter the country for business purposes

during the period of the national state of disaster.

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Iran has good news about Covid-19 vaccine: minister October 12, 2020

TEHRAN – The Iranian health minister announced on Sunday that he had “good

news” about a Covid-19 vaccine being developed in the country.

Speaking at a press conference in Tehran on Sunday, Saeed Namaki said, “I have

good news about the vaccine and I also told the director of international relations

(at the ministry) to let the World Health Organization know how far we have gone

in the phases of developing the vaccine”.

He added that the news of the breakthrough that Iran has made in making the

vaccine will be announced to the world as a major national achievement,

according to a Tasnim report.

The minister’s comments came as Iran is tackling with a new wave of Covid-19

cases that has led to another round of lockdowns in the capital Tehran. On Sunday

the Health Ministry reported a record-high number of Covid-19 infections.

Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said 251 people have lost their

lives due to the novel coronavirus over the past 24 hours, raising the total number

of fatalities to 28,544.

The spokeswoman also announced 3,822 new Covid-19 cases, bringing the total

number to 500,075.

Also on Sunday, two high-ranking government officials, namely Ali Akbar Salehi

and Mohammad Bagher Nobakht, tested positive for Covid-19.

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Iranian biotechnology ranks 12th in world, first in West Asia October 12, 2020

TEHRAN – Iran is ranked 12th in the world and first in West Asia in terms of

biotechnology, as 9.5 percent of the income of knowledge-based companies and

more than 60 percent of their exports are related to biotechnology.

Foreign exchange savings of $1 billion per year by producing 22

biopharmaceuticals, gaining the first rank in biotechnology products and vaccines

in West Asia, and the presence among the top five biotechnology producers in

Asia are among the country’s achievements, Mostafa Ghanei, secretary of the

biotechnology development office of the Vice Presidency for Science and

Technology, said on Monday.

“However, we are still far from achieving a targeted global market share of 23.25

billion dollars, and given the current needs of the country, we need to be more

active and pursue this goal more seriously.”

So far, 27 biotechnology medicines, 12 vaccine projects, 90 pharmaceutical raw

materials, and 55 projects in agriculture and food security have been implemented

in order to gain a 3 percent market share and biotechnology assistance to the

development of the economy, he explained.

Some 8 major companies are responsible for managing the country's 117 priority

products in the fields of biopharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical raw materials,

vaccines, probiotics, equipment, and chemical drugs, he emphasized.

“To take steps towards the knowledge-based economy, we directed the researches

topics in this regard, in addition to the national division of labor, and identifying

41 key priority issues in the field of research, while supporting 48 gene banks,” he

concluded.

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Pharmaceutical capabilities

Mohammad Reza Shanehsaz, head of the Food and Drug Administration, said in

January that the Iranian pharmaceutical industry and scientists are capable of

producing any kind of medicine over a two-year period.

Iran also produced drugs confirmed to be effective in the coronavirus treatment,

including, Remdesivir, Tocilizumab.

Health Minister Saeed Namaki said that some 97 percent of the whole medicine

consumed in the country is produced domestically and only 3 percent is imported.

Sourena Sattari Vice President for Science and Technology, also said that “Iran

plays a leading role in the field of biotechnology in the region, with the

production of 24 biotech medicine.

Ismail Ghaderifar, head of the center for strategic technologies development of

the vice presidency of science and technology added that under sanctions in the

most difficult conditions, Iran combatted the pandemic and knowledge-based

companies could make the country independent. Moreover, they managed to

produce pharmaceutical items required by the country's health system.

“Also, the production of medical equipment such as ventilators is one of the

honors of knowledge-based companies, which is a vital and important item for

ICU patients, which have even reached the export stage,” he said.

Electrospinning is another product made by knowledge-based companies, which

can apply a nano-layer on the fibers. Europe which was the only producer of the

product refused to transfer the production line to Iran due to sanctions, and the

price of each production line was one million euros, he highlighted.

Mehdi Kashmiri, director for technology and planning at the science ministry,

said in July that about 450 knowledge-based companies were active in the country

for manufacturing protective equipment and treatment products to fight the

coronavirus.

Production of more than one million face masks per day, production of more than

1.5 liters of disinfectants per day, diagnostic kits, non-contact thermometers,

protective clothing, ventilator are among the produces manufactured by these

companies, he added.

Iranian-made innovative products in the field of diagnosis, screening, and fighting

coronavirus were also unveiled to combat the disease, namely, ozone generator,

nanotechnology face shields, disinfection gate, and molecular COVID-19

diagnostic kits.

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Free influenza vaccines for 80,000 underprivileged people

TEHRAN – Influenza vaccines have been provided free of charge to some 80,000

people under the coverage of the Welfare Organization, the head of the

Organization has announced.

The Ministry of Health is implementing a national plan aiming to provide two

million doses of influenza vaccines for at-risk groups such as the elderly,

transplant patients, cardiopulmonary patients, and pregnant women to reduce

COVID-19 effects.

According to the national plan on influenza vaccination, the distribution of

vaccine is the responsibility of the University of Medical Sciences in different

provinces, Vahid Qobadi Dana stated.

Personnel and the elderly living in daycare centers as well as the physically

disabled in the Welfare Organization are in priority, he highlighted.

He went on to note that up to 80,000 people who are in welfare organization’s

care centers are eligible to receive free vaccines.

Following the outbreak of COVID-19 and the observance of health protocols such

as social distancing, personal hygiene, disinfection of hands, and use of masks,

the flu infection will be much lower than the previous years. Therefore,

vaccination is not necessary for the whole population, Mohammad Reza

Shanehsaz, head of the Food and Drug Administration, said.

In the press briefing on Sunday, Health Ministry spokesperson Sima-Sadat Lari

confirmed 3,362 new cases of COVID-19 infection, raising the total number of

35

infections to 446,448. She added that 374,170 patients have so far recovered, but

4,059 still remain in critical conditions of the disease.

In the past 24 hours, 195 patients have lost their lives, bringing the total number

of deaths to 25,589, she added.

Lari noted that so far 3,932,571 COVID-19 tests have been conducted across the

country.

She said the high-risk “red” zones include provinces of Tehran, Isfahan, Qom,

East Azarbaijan, South Khorasan, Semnan, Qazvin, Lorestan, Ardebil, Khuzestan,

Kermanshah, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Gilan, Bushehr, Zanjan, Ilam,

Khorasan Razavi, Mazandaran, Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari, Alborz, West Azarbaijan,

Markazi, Kerman, North Khorasan, Hamedan, and Yazd.

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Persepolis beat Al Nassr for second time in a week October 9, 2020

TEHRAN - Persepolis defeated Al Nassr of Saudi Arabia for the second time in a

week, this time in a legal case in the Asian Football Confederation.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on Friday rejected the complaint filed

by Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr Football Club after the semi-final match of the AFC

Champions League.

Al Nassr, who lost to Persepolis in the 2020 AFC Champions League semi-final

match on Saturday, claimed that the Iranian club had committed blatant violations

of FIFA rules by using "several illegal players" in their squad during the AFC's

Champions League (ACL) semi-final.

However, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Disciplinary and Ethics

Committee dismissed the protest lodged by Al Nassr, according to Article 59 of

the AFC Champions League 2020 Competition Regulations.

What prompted Al Nassr to lodge a complaint with AFC over Persepolis’ players

was the news and information published from inside Iran, especially in social

media against Persepolis.

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This information, most of which were false and fake, was published in the social

media in Iran and then sent to the Saudi club through comments on the Instagram

page or twitter of Al Nassr club and the AFC’s.

Ultimately, Persepolis won the lodge because they had signed their players in

legal time and before the club being banned from signing new players for the next

transfer window because of failing to pay the salary of former coach Branko

Ivankovic.

The al Nassr club had started their attempt to hit Persepolis before the game. The

AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee decided last Saturday to ban Persepolis

forward Issa Alekasir just hours before he was due to lead his club against Al

Nassr in the semi-final ACL match. This decision was also provoked by the Saudi

club.

The player was banned from taking part in any football-related activity for six

months because of his slant-eyed gesture after scoring against Uzbekistan’s

Pakhtakor in the ACL quarterfinals.

The Iranian giants were shocked by the decision since it seems to be a non-sport

decision. However, they could beat the Saudi side Al Nassr in penalty shootouts.

They will face the East Asian champions in the final match on December 19.

Al Nassr failed, but delivering fake news from inside the country was very

shameful and upsetting for Iranian football.

Iran beat Uzbekistan in friendly October 8, 2020

39

TEHRAN – Iran national football team defeated Uzbekistan 2-1 in a friendly

match on Thursday.

Sardar Azmoun gave the visiting team the lead in the 43rd minute at the Paxtakor

Markaziy Stadion in Tashkent.

Five minutes into the second half, Mehdi Taremi was brought down in the

Uzbekistan area and converted his penalty to give Iran a 2-0 lead.

Uzbekistan forward Eldor Shomurodov halved the deficit just two minutes later

with a shot from outside the box.

It was Dragan Skocic’s first match in charge as Iran coach.

Iran will play Mali in Antalya, Turkey on Oct. 13.

Iran prepare for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, where the ‘Persian leopards’ sit

third in Group C behind Iraq and Bahrain.

The 2022 World Cup qualifiers scheduled this year were postponed to 2021 due

to the coronavirus pandemic.

Iran chosen to host FIVB Boys’ U19 World C’ship October 13, 2020

TEHRAN - Following an open bidding process and the approval of the FIVB

Board of Administration, the FIVB has confirmed the hosts for the next editions

of the FIVB Volleyball Age Group World Championships.

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After careful evaluation of all the proposals received, the countries below were

approved as hosts for the following World Championships:

• FIVB Volleyball Girls’ Under 18 World Championship – Mexico

• FIVB Volleyball Boys’ Under 19 World Championship – Iran

• FIVB Volleyball Women’s Under 20 World Championship – Netherlands

and Belgium

• FIVB Volleyball Men’s Under 21 World Championship – Italy and

Bulgaria.

“I am delighted to see such strong hosting nations committed to providing more

opportunities for young athletes to participate in international competitions. Each

of these events is an important step in the development of an athlete’s career. As

they grow their competition experience, I have no doubt that, in the future, we

will see many of them proudly representing their nation at some of the biggest

volleyball competitions on the planet,” FIVB President Dr Ary S. Graça F° said.

Each event is hosted every two years and have played an important role in the

journeys of many Olympic and World Champions, FIVB.org reported.

Persepolis move up at Soccer Clubs Ranking October 6, 2020

41

TEHRAN – Iranian football club Persepolis have moved up 29 places at the

Soccer Clubs Ranking.

The Reds are 94th in the world and fourth in Asia behind Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal,

Japanese team Kawasaki Frontal and Korean Jeonbuk.

On Saturday, the Iranian giants have qualified for the 2020 AFC Champions

League final for the second time in three years.

Persepolis archrivals Esteghlal have moved nine places down to 220th in the

ranking.

Sepahan of Iran have also climbed 151 places to 363rd in the ranking.

Bayern Munich lead the ranking, followed by Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain.

Friendlies: Iran futsal team defeat Uzbekistan October 9, 2020

TEHRAN – Iran national futsal team defeated Uzbekistan in two friendly

matches.

In the first match held on Wednesday, Iran beat their hosts 2-1 and the Persians

defeated Uzbekistan 3-2 once again on Friday.

Iran prepare for the 2020 AFC Futsal Championship.

Mohammad Nazemalsharia’s team have been drawn in Group D along with South

Korea, Saudi Arabia and Thailand.

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Steel exports exceed 2.3m tons in 6 months October 11, 2020

TEHRAN- Iranian steel producers exported 2.358 million tons of steel ingots and

products during the first six months of the current Iranian calendar year (March

20-September 21), IRNA reported.

The country’s steel exports in the mentioned six months fell 33 percent compared

to the previous year’s same period.

As reported, the fall in the exports of the mentioned commodities is mainly

because of the decrease of the country’s foreign trade due to the outbreak of the

coronavirus and also the increase in the demand for the said products inside the

country.

Of the country’s total exports in H1, 19.5 percent was related to the sixth month

of this year, which indicates the exports are following an upward trend.

Iran exported 1.786 million tons of steel during the first five months of the current

Iranian calendar year (March 20-August 21).

44

The Iranian Steel industry has been constantly developing over the past years

against all the pressures and obstacles created by the outside forces like the U.S.

sanctions and the coronavirus outbreak that has severely affected the performance

of the world’s top producers.

Production of crude steel in Iran increased 14.4 percent in July from the figure for

the same month in the past year, while the average global production for this

commodity has fallen 2.5 percent in the mentioned month, a report released by the

World Steel Association (WSA) said.

Iran’s crude steel production had also increased by 30 percent in 2019 while the

average global growth in this sector stood at 3.5 percent.

The country managed to produce 31.9 million tons of crude steel during 2019,

while the figure was 24 million tons in 2018.

Iran’s steel production is expected to reach 30 million tons in the current Iranian

calendar year (ends on March 20, 2021), of which over 10 million tons will be

exported.

Coronavirus didn’t halt Iran’s oil production, not even one day: Zanganeh October 13, 2020

TEHRAN – Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said on Tuesday that

the outbreak of the coronavirus did not halt the country’s oil production for even

one day, Shana reported.

Elaborating on the Oil Ministry’s measures for containing coronavirus pandemic,

Zanganeh noted that since the very beginning of the outbreak the ministry made

45

serious efforts to prevent any stoppage in the oil production while protecting the

workforce.

"The Oil Ministry was one of the first bodies to take the lead due to the sensitivity

of activities and the impossibility of shutting down oil activities," he said.

“If oil and gas are not produced, electricity and water will not be produced,”

Zanganeh stressed.

Zanganeh had previously announced that Oil Ministry’s measures were taken in

four phases of prevention, readiness, confrontation, and returning to normal

conditions.

Mentioning the drastic fall of the global oil prices and the U.S. sanctions along

with the pandemic, Zanganeh noted that the oil industry is going through a hard

time but people are shouldering the real burden.

Back in March, Zanganeh had said that the coronavirus outbreak did not halt oil

production in the country.

Later that month, the minister and Head of National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC)

Masoud Karbasian had discussed necessary measures for containing the

coronavirus in the Iranian oil industry’s operational areas.

In the meeting, the oil minister also discussed ways of preventing the spread of

coronavirus in the oil, gas, refining, and petrochemical operational areas with his

deputies and managers of operating companies via videoconference.

Some 70% of Iran’s non-oil exports destined for neighbors October 12, 2020

46

TEHRAN- Iran’s 15 neighboring countries have been the destinations for 70

percent of Iranian non-oil exports during the first six months of the current Iranian

calendar year (March 20-September 21), the head of Iran’s Trade Promotion

Organization (TPO) announced on Monday.

Hamid Zadboum also said, “It is worth mentioning that the figure was 60 percent

and 55 percent in the two previous years, respectively”.

According to the official, Iran is capable of doubling non-oil exports to its

neighbors in two years.

In late May, Zadboum said that considering the future capacities, the TPO has

planned increasing non-oil exports to the neighboring countries to about $100

billion in a two-year time span, in a way that Iran’s share of the regional markets

will significantly go up.

He has previously said: “Pakistan and Turkey have the highest capacity to import

Iranian goods, which is good news for Iranian businessmen and exporters.”

Pointing to the Persian Gulf states as good markets for some Iranian-made

commodities, the official said that large markets such as Russia and China should

also be considered by exporters.

Iran shares borders with fifteen countries, namely the United Arab Emirates, Iraq,

Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Russia, Oman, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kuwait,

Qatar, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia whose total value of

annual imports exceed $1000 billion.

Increasing non-oil exports to the neighboring countries is one of the major plans

that the Iranian government is pursuing in the current Iranian calendar year.

In early May, First Vice-President Es'haq Jahangiri called for developing non-oil

exports as the only way for realizing the motto of the surge in production.

“The Foreign Affairs Ministry should provide the necessary bases for the

development of [non-oil] exports by expanding and strengthening economic

diplomacy,” he said in a meeting on reviewing ways of boosting economic

relations with the neighboring countries and supporting non-oil exporters.

Emphasizing that 15 neighboring countries and countries such as China and India

and Eurasian members should be targeted as the most important export

destinations of the country, Jahangiri called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

and other relevant agencies to strengthen economic diplomacy and focus on these

export destination countries to provide the necessary infrastructure for the

development of exports to these nations.

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EGFI ranks 1st among region’s Islamic funds for 2nd time October 6, 2020

TEHRAN - Export Guarantee Fund of Iran (EGFI) has been ranked first in terms

of performance among the region’s Islamic funds for the second time, IRNA

reported on Tuesday, quoting the EGFI head.

According to Afrouz Bahrami, the rate of EGFI’s services has grown significantly

this year due to the development of activities and diversification of services in

lines with the standards of developed countries.

The fund was ranked first among the countries of Aman Union due to a 200-

percent growth in performance in 2019 and for the first time, the EGFI head was

appointed as the chairwoman of the Aman Union, which is one of the world’s

largest export credit insurance organizations, Bahrami said.

The EGFI successes have been achieved while strong competitors such as Turkey

with a capital of $2 billion and Saudi Arabia with a capital of $4 billion are

among Islamic countries, the official stressed.

Iran has exported over $10.87 billion of non-oil commodities during the first five

months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-August 21), of which

about $1.3 billion were done through the Export Guarantee Fund and by its

supports, according to Bahrami.

Affiliated to the Ministry of Industry, Mining, and Trade, the Export Guarantee

Fund of Iran has been established in order to expand and promote exports, to

protect exporters against non-commercial risks, which are normally not covered

by the insurance companies, and to guarantee credits used for export of such

goods and services.