Iran to declassify 1980-88 war documents

TEHRAN – The head of the Foundation for Preservation of Sacred Defense Works and Values announced on Saturday that the classified documents of Iraq’s 1980-88 war against Iran will be declassified early next Iranian year, starting on March 21. 

Iran has been and will remain a frontier in OPEC: Barkindo

TEHRAN - OPEC Secretary-General Mohammad Barkindo has stressed the important role of Iran as one the founders of OPEC saying that Iran will always be a frontier in the future of the organization.

White House sought options to strike Iran: WSJ

U.S. President Donald Trump’s national security team has over the past months conducted a series of meetings to discuss strikes against Iran.

By Javad Heirannia

Not all EU members favor SPV: Shireen Hunter

TEHRAN - Shireen Tahmaasb Hunter, a professor of political science at Georgetown University, tells the Tehran Times that “It was clear from the beginning that establishing a special and separate channel for commercial dealings between Iran and Europe would not be easy.”

By Alireza Hashemi

Defence spending cut in Iran’s budget bill sparks controversy

TEHRAN - The Iranian government’s latest bill for state budget has been a hot topic in political and media circles in recent days. The bill, presented to the parliament by President Hassan Rouhani late last month, allocates over 4,700 trillion rials for the fiscal year that will start on March 21.

Tehran palace hosts half a million visitors in autumn 

TEHRAN – Some half a million people toured the Sa’dabad Cultural-Historical Complex in northern Tehran during autumn, which shows a 40 percent year-on-year growth.

Spain to host exhibit on Iranian civilization

TEHRAN – To enrich cultural scene between Tehran and Madrid, a Spanish museum will be hosting a loan exhibit on history of Iran.

Iran on New York Times “Places to Go” list for 2019

TEHRAN – The New York Times has included Iran in its 2019 edition of Places to Go list, noting the country takes “the top spot.”

EU says will not allow U.S. to determine its trade ties with Iran

TEHRAN – The high representative of the European Union for foreign affairs and security policy says the United States cannot impose its policies on the 28-nation bloc’s legitimate trade relations with Iran.

New submarine to join Iranian Navy soon 

TEHRAN - A state-of-the-art homegrown submarine, dubbed Fateh (conqueror), is slated to join the Iranian Navy later this month.

‘European sanction on Iran over claims assassination plot is a criminal act’

TEHRAN - Nozar Shafeie, an expert on international affairs, has said that the European Union’s sanctions against an Iranian intelligence service over claims of Iran’s assassination plot is a “criminal” act.

“Reverence” to compete in Santa Barbara filmfest

TEHRAN – Iranian director Sogol Rezvani’s acclaimed short movie “Reverence” (Curtain Call) will be competing in the 34th Santa Barbara International Film Festival, the organizers have announced.

By Martin Love

The U.S. wants to “incite” Iranians and this must be rejected

NORTH CAROLINA - After a while a rational person begins to think Arabs, or at least Arab “leaders”, bar a handful of reasonably sane souls that includes Syria’s Assad and some others probably in Iraq and Lebanon, maybe in Kuwait and Qatar and even Yemen (it’s difficult to say, much less name names) are just flat stupid – especially when compared with most Iranians whatever their posture is towards the rule of Shia Muslim authorities in the Islamic Republic.

Education Ministry elaborates on elimination of university entrance exam 

TEHRAN— On January 2, Education Minister Mohammad Bat’haei bid farewell to Konkur, the university entrance exam being held annually for gaining admission to higher education, however, there are many questions left as to how students will be evaluated to gain admission to a specific university.  

1.3 million Iranians suffering from epilepsy 

TEHRAN — There are 1.3 million Iranians suffering rom epilepsy and 400,000 of them are diagnosed with drug-resistant disease, the head of the 15th International Congress on Epilepsy has said. 

23,000 housing units completed in quake-stricken Kermanshah  

TEHRAN—Some 23,000 housing units were completed in quake-stricken regions of the western province of Kermanshah, deputy director at the Islamic Revolution Housing Foundation has said. 

WB predicts 1.1% GDP growth for Iran in 2020, 2021

TEHRAN- The World Bank (WB) predicts a 1.1 percent growth of gross domestic product (GDP) for Iran in 2020 and 2021.

Zarif on Pompeo: U.S. brings chaos wherever it interferes

TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has mocked U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s speech in which he said “when America retreats, chaos follows,” by asserting that the opposite was true.

Diplomat criticizes EU for harboring terrorists

Iran urges Netherlands to protect diplomats’ security after attack by Al-Ahvaziya group

TEHRAN – Iran’s ambassador to The Hague has called on high-ranking Dutch officials to preserve the security of Iranian diplomats and Tehran’s embassy in the European country after Iran’s embassy building came under attack on Wednesday.

Iran dismisses reports U.S. citizen held in suboptimal condition 

TEHRAN – Iran has dismissed as “lies” reports by U.S. media outlets claiming that an American citizen recently arrested in Iran is being held in suboptimal conditions.

Imports of milk powder permitted temporarily

TEHRAN- The Iranian agriculture minister announced that imports of milk powder is allowed temporarily for processing and re-exporting the product, Tasnim news agency reported on Friday.

U.S. to host Iran-focused world summit next month -Pompeo

The United States plans to host a global summit focused on the Middle East, particularly Iran, next month in Poland, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox News in a report published on Friday.

Pakistan Navy flotilla visits Iran 

Pakistan’s Navy flotilla PNS KHAIBAR, PNS MADADGAR, PNS RAH NAWARD and Maritime Security ship ZHOB visited the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas from 6 to 9 January 2019. The visit was part of overseas deployment of Pakistan’s Navy ships to the Persian Gulf. 

Adil Abdul-Mahdi calls Iran-Iraq ties friendly

TEHRAN – Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi said on Tuesday that Iran and Iraq have brotherly and friendly ties.

Karzai: Iran-Taliban talks surely benefits Afghanistan

TEHRAN - Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said that Iran-Taliban talks is quite beneficial to Afghanistan.

Iranian MP calls Pompeo’s sanctions remarks ‘disgraceful’

TEHRAN - Alaeddin Boroujerdi, an Iranian lawmaker, has said that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s claim that sanctions are aimed at giving the Iranian people a chance to have better lives is “invalid” and “disgraceful”.

Tehran to Bolton: VR glasses useless if you’re blind

TEHRAN - Iran’s foreign minister has reacted to a picture showing U.S. national security advisor John Bolton wearing virtual reality goggles allegedly reconstructing the past on a tour in the Israeli-occupied city of Jerusalem al-Quds.

Iran downgrading security ties with EU: diplomatic source

TEHRAN – Some six European ambassadors and charges d’affaires in Tehran were dismissed in less than ten minutes after they visited the Foreign Ministry to justify the European Union’s reasons for sanctioning an Iranian intelligence service and two related people, an unnamed diplomatic source told IRNA on Wednesday.