News Updates

23 February - 04 March

Turkey urges US to change mind on Iran sanctions.(Iran Daily-3 March, 2019)
Iranian FM holds talks with UN chief, Iraqi counterpart. (Iran Daily-2 March, 2019)
Iran condemns Britain for listing ally Hezbollah as 'terrorist' group.(Reuters, 2 March, 2019)
IME CEO: Saffron trade on Iran's stock exchange has helped boost exports.(Iran Daily, 3 march, 2019)
Two Days After Resigning, Iran’s Foreign Minister Returns to Post (New York Times, 27 Feb, 2019)
Assad meets Khamenei in first Iran visit since Syrian war began (Reuters, 25 Feb, 2019)
Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Says He Is Resigning.(New York Times, 25 Feb, 2019)

16 February - 22 February

Ahead of MBS visit, China seeks deeper ties with Iran.
Iranian FM Zarif and Chinese counterpart meet in Beijing on 19th Feb, 2019, amid efforts to preserve 2015 nuclear deal. (Aljazeera 19 Feb, 2019)
8 arrested for terror attacks martyring 27 IRGC in SE Iran
Eight people have been arrested so far in connection with the terrorist attack that took place in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan, said the head of the Provincial Justice Department of Sistan-Baluchistan Province.
A Suicide attack on a bus, carrying the Islamic Republic Guard Corps (IRGC) personnel, martyred 27 and wounded 13 in southeastern Iran on February 12. A terrorist group so-called Jaish al-Adl, affiliated to Al-Qaida, claimed responsibility for the incident, IRNA reported. Ibrahim Hamidi said that one of the detainees who is the owner of the exploded car is a woman that was arrested based on solid evidence. 'When examining her house, parts of the exploded car were found,' he noted. He added that as soon as the court verdict is issued, it will be announced publically. The official further said that security forces had in their search operations in Khash and Saravan, in southeastern Iran, also found 750 kilograms of explosives, 150 kilograms of which were ready for terror attacks, said Hamidi. Regarding the assassination of a traffic police officer recently, he said three people have been arrested so far and valuable clues have been found. (Iran Daily- 21 Feb, 2019)
High level ties between Tehran, Seoul
Iranian ambassador to South Korea on Thursday expressed satisfaction with the current level of ties between the two states. Tehran-Seoul relations have been improving in all fields since long ago, Saeed Badamchi Shabestari said. He made the remarks in an exclusive interview with the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), IRNA reported. The envoy expressed support for producing joint TV films and documentaries. Media cooperation can boost the two countries' cooperation in other areas, tourism, in particular, he added. The envoy said that Iran can become an ideal destination for Korean tourists. (21 Feb, 2019)
Iran decries US ‘hypocrisy’ over planned nuclear sale to Saudi Arabia
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has denounced Washington’s “hypocrisy” after reports said the administration of US President Donald Trump was seeking to advance the sale of nuclear power technology to Saudi Arabia. “Day by day it becomes clearer to the world what was always clear to us: neither human rights nor a nuclear program have been the real concern of the US,” Zarif wrote on his official Twitter page on Wednesday. Zarif also pointed to the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the hands of Saudi agents in October, saying it further exposed the US double standards for human rights. “First a dismembered journalist; now illicit sale of nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia fully expose #USHypocrisy.” (Iran Daily 20.Feb 2019)

05 February - 15 February

Thousands rally in Iran to mark Islamic Revolution anniversary (nbc news 13.2.2019)
World court to rule on Iran's billions frozen in US :
National Court of Justice on Wednesday will give its decision on a bid by Iran to recover $2 billion in frozen assets that the United States says must be paid to terror victims. The US Supreme Court ruled in 2016 that Iran must give the cash to survivors and relatives of victims of attacks blamed on Tehran, including the 1983 bombing of a US Marine barracks in Beirut. Iran said the US decision breached 1955 Treaty of Amity with the United States, an agreement signed before Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution severed relations between the countries. At the last hearing on Iran’s appeal in October at the Hague-based tribunal, Washington said Iran has “unclean hands” and that its alleged support for terrorism should disqualify the case from being heard. ( Tribune,13 Feb, 2019)
U.S. seeks to increase pressure on Iran at Warsaw meeting
Oil edges up amid OPEC cuts, US sanctions on Iran, Venezuela Oil prices gained nearly 3 percent on Tuesday, supported by OPEC-led production cuts, which Saudi Arabia said it would surpass by more than half a million barrels per day (bpd), and by US sanctions against Iran and Venezuela. Brent crude futures were up $1.65, or 2.7 percent, at $63.16 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures also gained 2.7 percent, rising by $1.40 to $53.81, Reuters reported. Markets are tightening because of voluntary production cuts from Jan. 1, led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies including Russia, aimed at forestalling a global overhang. Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter and de facto leader of OPEC, said it would reduce crude production to about 9.8 million bpd in March, over half a million bpd more than it had originally pledged. Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih announced the move in an interview with the Financial Times published on Tuesday as the kingdom seeks to drive up oil prices to help to fund an economic transformation plan. ( Iran- Daily, 12 Feb, 2019)
Iran, Turkey agree to facilitate cross border traffic
A joint meeting was held at the Bazargan Customs Department on Tuesday between officials of the two countries which was attended by governor of Doğubayazıt city, Ağrı Province customs officials, director general of customs of Doğubayazıt city and also members of the coordinating committee, reported Fars News Agency. In mid-January, Iranian and Turkish officials agreed to solve problems hindering trade interactions across the common border of the two countries, and vowed to further strengthen cooperation and good neighborliness. ( Iran Daily-12 Feb, 2019)
“International Political Theology” should be added to International Politics: Prof.Kubalkova ( 11 Feb, 2019 Tehran Times)
Iran 82% self-sufficient in producing foodstuff
According to Deputy Agriculture Minister Abbas Keshavarz, the country's self-sufficiency rate in wheat production has increased from 65 percent in the Iranian calendar year of 1392 (March 2013-March 2014) to 105 percent in the current year (which ends on March 20, 2019).In addition to supplying the domestic needs, foodstuff account for a significant part of Iran’s non-oil exports. Dairy products, sweets, saffron, tomato paste, juices and concentrates, animal food, poultry and aquaculture, yeast, pasta, as well as wheat flour and potato products are some of the main items exported from Iran to the world markets. ( Tehran Times, 12 Feb, 2019)
Iran’s exports to Russia increase 36% in 2018 ( Tehran Times, 12 Feb, 2019)
Netanyahu Leaks Video of Arab Leaders Blasting 'Toxic' Iran in Discreet Discussion
In a video Netanyahu uploaded to his YouTube page countries like Bahrain and Saudi Arabia say Iran blocked path to solving Israeli-Palestinian conflict. WARSAW - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bureau uploaded to the premier's official YouTube page a video in which Arab leaders can be heard endorsing Netanyahu's message that Iran poses the biggest threat to the region during a discussion at the Warsaw Middle East summit that was held behind closed doors. Moments after Haaretz reported on the video, it was taken down from YouTube ( Haaretz. 15 Feb, 2019)

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