By Farrokh Hesabi

Iran football disciplinary committee should stand against indiscipline

TEHRAN - It is the norm nowadays in the Iranian football to see a player or manager screaming expletives at an official's face with no action taken against them.

Iranian airlines start selling Tehran-Istanbul tickets

TEHRAN – Some Iranian airline companies have resumed selling tickers for Tehran-Istanbul flights, the secretary of the Association of Iranian Airlines has said.

FAO calls for innovative policies in Asia-Pacific to ensure food security amid COVID-19

FAO’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific warns that the global pandemic caused by COVID-19 requires a greater coordinated response on many policy levels, particularly to ensure food and nutrition security of billions of people in the vast Asia-Pacific region.

By Ivo Freijsen, UNHCR representative to Iran

World Refugee Day: time for rally around Iran on humanitarian purposes

As I read the new Global Trends report issued last week from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, I cannot help but feel worried. 1 in 97 people worldwide has been forced to flee their homes. This represents 79.5 million people forcibly displaced in and out of their countries at the end of 2019 – an unprecedented number.

Iran ‘has earned plaudits’ to ease COVID-19 impact on tourism, UNWTO says

TEHRAN – The United Nations World Tourism Organization has praised efforts made by Iran's tourism ministry to manage the travel industry during the coronavirus pandemic.

Iran ready to facilitate arrival of Afghan medical travelers: minister

TEHRAN – Iran is considering to make it easier for the Afghan nationals who are willing to visit the neighboring country for medical purposes, tourism minister has said.

87% of COVID-19 victims in Iran have underlying illnesses, obesity

TEHRAN – About 87 percent of those who have lost their lives due to COVID-19 in Iran had been diagnosed with obesity and underlying illnesses, Health Minister Saeed Namaki has said.

FFIRI responds to four clubs over coronavirus concerns

TEHRAN - Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI), in a statement, responded to four Iran Professional League (IPL) teams’ claims about the resumption of the matches, insisted that the four teams are not allowed to decide for 140 teams in the different leagues of the Iranian football.

By Farrokh Hesabi

Iran expert Cheraghpour talks about COVID-19 impacts on football

TEHRAN- Iran football expert, Jalal Cheraghpour, has said that carelessness toward coronavirus outbreak and its effects on the sports, especially football, will make it impossible to hold the next season of the Iran Professional League (IPL).

Iran coach Dragan Skocic arrives in Tehran

TEHRAN – Iran national football team coach Dragan Skocic returned to Tehran early Sunday after more than three months.

Iran league will definitely resume: official

TEHRAN - Gholamreza Behravan, the counselor of the Iran Football League Organization, says that the decision to hold the remaining matches of the Iran Professional League (IPL) will not change and the games will definitely resume.

Iran is third worldwide for COVID-19 convalescents

TEHRAN – Iran is the third country in the world in terms of the highest number of coronavirus convalescents.

Dynamic distancing plan to be launched for COVID-19 containment

TEHRAN – A dynamic distancing plan will be put into operation in provinces across the country, so that each can decide whether to impose restriction or reopening, depending on the COVID-19 new cases surge in their area, Iraj Haririchi, deputy minister of health has announced.

Iran likely to resume flights to Turkey on June 20 after 3-month suspension

TEHRAN – Flights to Turkey will likely be resumed on June 20 after nearly three months of suspension over the COVID-19 pandemic, a senior Iranian aviation official was quoted as saying by Press TV on Sunday.

MAP grants $600,000 aid to Iranian families affected by COVID-19

TEHRAN – Global charity organization Moms Against Poverty (MAP) has sent a shipment worth 25 billion rials (nearly $600,000 at the official rate of 42,000 rials) to help financially struggling families affected by the coronavirus in Iran, Karim Hemmati, head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), said on Sunday.

All Iranian airports shielded against virus pandemic: EASA

TEHRAN – The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has recently published a list of airports worldwide it has concluded being shielded against the coronavirus outbreak, evaluating “all airports” in Iran as safe.

Iran unchanged in FIFA ranking

TEHRAN – Iran national football team still are 33rd in world and second in Asia in the latest FIFA ranking released on Thursday.

Five substitutes approved for rest of IPL season

TEHRAN - Iran Professional League (IPL) teams will be able to make five substitutions, rather than three, in each match to the end of the season after the country’s football federation approved new rules.

Theater troupes resume street performances

TEHRAN – Theater troupes in Tehran and four other provinces have resumed street performances after all cultural activities were shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic for over three months, Iran’s Dramatic Arts Center (IDAC) has announced.

Iran football league fixtures announced

TEHRAN – Iran League Organization has announced on Wednesday the date of the next three rounds of Iran Professional League (IPL).

Tractor likely to withdraw from Iran league

TEHRAN – With two weeks left to Iran Professional League (IPL) resumes, Tractor will likely withdraw from the competition.

Iran’s NOC chief Salehi Amiri hopes Olympics to be held as scheduled

TEHRAN - President of National Olympic Committee (NOC) of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Reza Salehi Amiri, said that according to the officials of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and 2020 Asian Beach Games will likely take place as scheduled in 2021.

Iran reiterates call on Europe to stand against U.S. unilateralism amid pandemic

TEHRAN – Iran has once again censured the unilateral American sanctions that have hampered humanitarian supplies into the country, renewing a call for the European Union to take a stand against such illegal U.S. moves.

Ali Asghar Ravasi named Iran powerlifting coach

TEHRAN – Ali Asghar Ravasi has been named as new head coach of Iran powerlifting team on Sunday.

Applying health protocols is a priority for tourism recovery, Rouhani says

TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani has emphasized the need for formulating health protocols as a top priority to get the tourism and handicrafts industry back on the right track as the sector is suffering from a grave recession in the midst of a coronavirus lockdown.

Motorcycle rally held in memory of Imam Khomeini

TEHRAN – Some Iranian motorcyclists took part in a rally on Wednesday towards the mausoleum of Imam Khomeini to commemorate the 31st demise anniversary of the founder of the Islamic Revolution.

By Mahmood Monshipouri

The implications of declining U.S. leadership

The Trump administration’s ongoing policy of withdrawal from international institutions—including the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, the 2016 Paris Climate Change Accord, the Open Skies Treaty, and now the World Health Organization (WHO) in the middle of the greatest global health crisis—demonstrates the declining U.S. leadership ever since the post-World War II order was created.  This latest move is made at a time when the world relies heavily on the WHO’s leadership to steer the COVID-19 pandemic response.  

Two Iranian coaches shortlisted for volleyball hotseat

TEHRAN – Peyman Akbari and Behrouz Ataei have been nominated to take charge of Iran national volleyball team.

No restrictions for organizing package tours: deputy minister

TEHRAN – Iran’s deputy tourism minister Vali Teymouri has said that the ministry sees no restrictions for organizing package tours by travel agencies as far as health protocols to curb the coronavirus are observed.