By Payman Yazdani

Further cooperation among Iran, Russia and Turkey necessary in Syria: Logoglu

TEHRAN - A senior member of Turkey’s CHP says further cooperation among Iran, Russia and Turkey is necessary after the U.S. withdrawal from Syria.

294-bed hospital inaugurated in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad  

TEHRAN — A hospital with 294 beds was inaugurated in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, western Iran, on Friday. 

Some 4,000 out-of-school children go to school

TEHRAN — Some 3,843 out-of-school children living on the outskirts of cities nationwide went to school within the past two months and a half, deputy for scientific, cultural and social matters at Budget and Planning Organization has said. 

Dey 9 can be repeated to counter sedition: cleric

TEHRAN – Tehran Friday prayer leader Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami has warned those “who want to commit sedition” in the country, saying the Dey 9 epic can be repeated to counter such acts.

GDP growth at 0.4% in H1

TEHRAN- Iran's growth of gross domestic product (GDP) stood at 0.4 percent in the first half of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-Septemebr 22, 2018), Tasnim news agency reported citing the data released by the Statistical Center of Iran (SCI).

Tehran, Islamabad to expand co-op in road transportation

TEHRAN – Iran and Pakistan signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to expand cooperation in international road transportation, IRNA reported on Thursday citing the portal of Iran Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization.

‘Turkey expects extension of waiver for importing oil from Iran’

TEHRAN- Turkey expects the U.S. to extend its sanctions waiver on importing Iranian oil, Bloomberg reported on Thursday quoting Turkish Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan.

Pentagon admits Iran’s key role in restoring calm to Afghanistan

The Pentagon has acknowledged Iran’s key role in restoring peace and stability to the war-torn Afghanistan, backtracking on Washington’s earlier claims that Tehran supports the local Taliban militant group.

Trump’s sneaky visit to Iraq disrespect for national sovereignty: Tehran

TEHRAN – The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Friday lashed out at U.S. President Donald Trump for his unannounced and secret trip Iraq, describing it as an undiplomatic move that demonstrated disrespect for Iraq’s national sovereignty.

Iran’s windmills a step closer to UNESCO listing

TEHRAN – Iran’s cultural heritage body has almost completed preparations for a chain of ancient vertical-axis windmills for possibly becoming a UNESCO World Heritage. 

Forming strategic ties with neighbors top priority: Rouhani

TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday that his administration’s priority is to establish “strategic ties” with Iran’s neighbors to mitigate the impact of problems facing the country.

Over 6800 historical objects retrieved in 9 months

TEHRAN - Police in Iran recovered 6810 historical objects from smugglers or illegal diggers over the first nine months of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21), a senior police official in charge of protecting cultural heritage said on Tuesday.

Ski resorts draw thousands of tourists in Iran

TEHRAN – The snow-capped highlands above Tehran are home to some of the world’s top ski resorts which offer powder chasers refuge from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Shahr-e Sokhta yields rare 4000-year-old relics

TEHRAN – Iran’s UNESCO-registered Shahr-e Sokhta has yielded tens of rare relics which date back to over 4000 years ago, IRNA reported on Tuesday.

Switzerland to launch a payment channel for Iran by mid-Jan.

TEHRAN – Switzerland is going to launch a payment channel for Iran in mid-January 2019, which allows its companies to sell food, medicine and medical devices to the country, Sharif Nezam-Mafi, the chairman of Iran-Switzerland Joint Chamber of Commerce, announced.

Massive turnout at Ayatollah Shahroudi’s funeral

TEHRAN – On Wednesday a large number of people attended a funeral procession for Ayatollah Seyyed Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, chief of the Expediency Council Chairman, who died late on Monday at the age of 70 after months of battling illness. 

Shamkhani meets Ghani, Abdullah in Kabul

Iran says has held talks with Taliban with knowledge of Afghan government 

TEHRAN – Tehran has been holding talks with the Taliban with the knowledge of the Afghan government, Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani said on Wednesday during a visit to Kabul.

By Javad Heirannia

Erdogan government certainly does not like the Assad regime: ex-CIA official

TEHRAN – Professor Paul Pillar, who was CIA intelligence analyst for 28 years, tells the Tehran Times that “The Syrian Kurds now have a much stronger incentive than before to reach some sort of understanding with the Assad regime--possibly pledging loyalty to the regime in return for a degree of autonomy in northeast Syria.” 

Child marriage should have been abolished, MP regrets

TEHRAN – Tayebeh Siavashi, a reformist parliamentarian, has expressed regret that a motion to ban child marriage was rejected by the Majlis Legal and Judicial Committee.

2 subway lines to become partially operational: Tehran councilor 

TEHRAN — Subway lines 6 and 7 of Tehran will become partially operational by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2019), councilor Ali Krooni has said.

Rouhani sends Christmas greetings to Pope

TEHRAN - President Hassan Rouhani of Iran has sent a congratulatory message to Pope Francis on the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ and beginning of the year 2019.

Iran’s petrochemical plants fully operational during cold season

TEHRAN – With South Pars gas field’s new phases going operational, the required feedstock for all the country’s petrochemical plants will be supplied during the cold season and none of them will stop production, Shana reported quoting an official with the National Petrochemical Company (NPC).

University bus crash in Iran leaves 7 dead, 28 injured  

TEHRAN —In a bus rollover at the Islamic Azad University, northwestern Tehran, on Tuesday, seven students were killed and 28 were injured, Jalal Maleki, fire department spokesman said.

Iran ready for increased medical co-op with Iraq

TEHRAN — Iran is ready to expand medical cooperation with Iraq, Iranian deputy health minister Mohsen Asadi Lari said in a meeting in Iraq with Iraqi Minister of Health Ala Abdessaheb al-Alwan.

Isfahan attracts 290,000 foreign travelers in H1

TEHRAN – Some 290,000 foreign nationals visited Isfahan province, central Iran, over the first half of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21), a Foreign Ministry’s representative in Isfahan has said.

Single UNESCO dossier compiled for Masouleh, Hyrcanian Forest

TEHRAN – Following sustained efforts to earn UNESCO tags for Masouleh and Hyrcanian Forest, Iran tourism chief on Sunday said they are to be assessed as a single property.

Majlis opposes bill on increasing marriage age  

TEHRAN — Majlis [Iranian parliament] has voted against a bill on increasing marriage age, the minimum age at which a person is allowed by law to marry, Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday. 

Experience contradicts Western media image of Iran

TEHRAN – An American fashion psychologist who accidentally landed in Iran believes that her perception of the country is totally different from what mainstream Western media outlets portray.