Iran can repeat ‘crushing response’ any time: Navy chief

TEHRAN – Chief of the Iranian Navy Hossein Khanzadi warned on Monday that Iran’s crushing response to violation of its territory can be repeated.

Iran to take second step in limiting nuclear commitments ‘more strongly’

TEHRAN - Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Monday that Iran will take the second step in reducing its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal “more strongly”.

‘Europe does not want to pay the least price to save nuclear deal’

TEHRAN - Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that Europe does not want to pay the least price to keep 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Iran enjoys appropriate self-reliance in steel sector: industry min.

TEHRAN- Iranian Industry, Mining and Trade Minister Reza Rahmani said the country has achieved a proper self-reliance in steel industry, ILNA reported.

Vank Cathedral: A gorgeous fusion of Islamic, Armenian architecture

TEHRAN – The centuries-old Vank Cathedral (locally called Kelisa-ye Vank) is widely referred to as an everlasting masterpiece of architecture.

Trump calls Persian Gulf ‘dangerous’, questions U.S. presence in waterway after standoff with Iran

TEHRAN – U.S. President Donald Trump in a tweet on Monday seemed to be questioning his country’s military presence in the Persian Gulf, only days after Iran shot down a $200 million U.S. drone that ventured into its territory.

Iran confiscates 800 tons of narcotics in 3 months

TEHRAN – Deputy Police Chief Ayoub Soleimani said on Sunday the total amount of illicit drugs confiscated across the country over the past three months have reached 800 tons.

CHHTO hosts woodturning exhibit 

TEHRAN - A collection of woodworks crafted by art students has been put on show at the headquarters of the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization in Tehran.

‘Preserving production units is top priority of industry ministry’

TEHRAN- Preserving the existing production units in the country is the top priority of Iranian Ministry of Industry, Mining and Trade, IRIB quoted Mohammadreza Fayaz, the advisor to industry, mining and trade minister, as saying on Sunday.

Mirror of the sky: Visit Hoz-e Sultan in central Iranian plateau

TEHRAN – Salt lakes sometimes appear like giant expanses of mirror, making it hard to differentiate between the sky and the ground. Hoz-e Sultan, a lonely salt lake in the heart of Iran, is one of those.

By Setareh Behroozi

We are in Iran for cooperation, not to sign memorandums: Russian official

TEHRAN-- The Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation, Mikhail Mamonov, said that Russian working groups are in Iran for cooperation not just to sign memorandums.

First green school being built in Tehran

TEHRAN – The first green school in Iran is being built in the capital city of Tehran in line with the goal of environmental sustainability, Ali Shahri, director general of the organization for renovation, development and equipment of Tehran schools has stated.

MP calls Trump’s war threats a ‘psychological operation’

TEHRAN – A top Iranian lawmaker says U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to attack Iran is merely a “psychological operation”, Mehr reported on Monday.

Russia says ready to help offset U.S. sanctions on Iran

TEHRAN – Moscow says along with its partners it is prepared to take steps to counter new sanctions that the U.S. imposed on Iran on Monday. 

Hanged spy got what he deserved: defense minister

TEHRAN – The Iranian minister of defense says a CIA spy who was recently hanged in Iran received the treatment he deserved.

Jahromi says Iran neutralized 33 million cyberattacks from March 2018 to March 2019 

Iranian minister: U.S. cyberattacks on missile systems failed

Tehran says that recent U.S. cyber-attacks against Iranian missile control systems have failed to cause any disruptions.

‘Tehran will not release Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’

TEHRAN – Jailed British-Iranian spy Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe will serve out her five-year prison sentence, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Monday, dismissing a call for her release by a British minister visiting Tehran.

U.S. sanctions disrupting anti-drugs fight: Zarif

TEHRAN – Iran’s foreign minister has criticized the U.S. sanctions for hindering Iran’s effort and cooperation with other countries in the fight against drug trafficking, saying Washington and a number of Western countries are responsible for the consequences of such interruption.

Iran regards human rights as core of divine religions: Judiciary chief

Raisi: Rights violators claim to be rights advocates

TEHRAN – The Islamic Republic of Iran has always regarded human rights as the central point of divine religions and has always championed peace and human rights in the world, Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Raisi said on Monday.

By staff and agency

Ban Ki-moon says folly of U.S. decision to quit nuclear deal has caused regional tension

Former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said that the folly of the U.S. decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, has caused regional tension.

By staff and agency

Susan Rice says Trump should sideline Bolton and Pompeo, send envoy to Iran to defuse tension

Susan Rice, the former U.S. national security advisor, has said President Donald Trump needs to sideline John Bolton, the national security advisor, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and send an envoy to Iran for talks if he seeks to defuse tension.

Commander on Iran-U.S. feud: Good and evil cannot reconcile

TEHRAN – The deputy chief of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has said the United States’ hostility toward the Islamic Republic is due to Iran’s anti-imperialistic nature, emphasizing that the war between Iran and the U.S. will continue because “good and evil” cannot reconcile.

Trump’s JCPOA exit was a big mistake, says Pakistani MP

TEHRAN – A Pakistani senator said on Monday that the Donald Trump’s unilateral pullout from the Iran nuclear deal, also called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was a big mistake.

‘Annual exports of $32b of commodities, services to neighbor countries planned’

TEHRAN- Iranian Industry, Mining and Trade Ministry has planned that the annual export of commodities and services to Iran’s 15 neighbor countries will reach $32 billion in the current Iranian calendar year (ends on March 19, 2020), IRNA quoted the senior advisor to the industry, mining and trade minister as saying on Sunday.

By Mahnaz Abdi

Offering basic goods at IME for regulated market, flourished production

Supplying basic goods is one of the major issues on the Iranian government’s agenda in the current Iranian calendar year (started on March 21) and it is one of the focal pillars in the national budget bill for this year.

IRISL ranks 14th among world’s top 100 shipping lines

TEHRAN – Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) is ranked 14 in Alphaliner’s latest list of world’s top 100 shipping lines published on June 20, Tasnim news agency reported on Monday.

Hafez Awards set for July 12

TEHRAN – The 19th edition of the Hafez Awards, Iran’s first and only private awards in the film industry and TV productions, will be held in Tehran on July 12. 

Zanganeh denies reports of decline in Iran’s oil exports

TEHRAN - Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said on Monday that reports about recent declines in Iranian oil exports are not true.

Muhenna to publish “Tintin and Sinbad” in Turkish

TEHRAN – The Muhenna Publishing House in the northwestern Turkish city of Bursa plans to publish in Turkish “Tintin and Sinbad”, Iranian writer Mohammad Mirkiani’s book on the cultural invasion of the West. 

South Korea’s SICAF picks movies from Iran 

TEHRAN – Eight movies from Iranian filmmakers will be competing in the Seoul International Cartoon and Animation Festival (SICAF), which will take place in the South Korean capital during July, the organizers have announced.