Presidential chief of staff: Strong voter turnout shows national unity

TEHRAN – Presidential chief of staff, who cast his vote at the Interior Ministry headquarters as Iran is holding parliamentary election, said a strong voter turnout shows national unity.

Japan, Austria downgrade Iran travel warning

TEHRAN – Japan and Austria have significantly downgraded their travel warnings on Iran, a caution they, amongst some other countries, issued following the deadly crash of a Ukrainian plane near Tehran last month.

Over $35b supplied for import of basic goods since last March

TEHRAN- Despite the U.S. sanctions and their most pressures on Iranian economy Iran has managed to supply $35.5 billion for importing basic commodities in the current Iranian calendar year (began on March 21, 2019), Central Bank of Iran (CBI)’s governor informed on Tuesday.

Rouhani: U.S. maximum pressure has failed

TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday that the United States’ maximum pressure against Iran has failed and sanctions will be ineffective.

Tehran slams Korean companies for submitting to U.S. bullying

TEHRAN — Tehran has criticized some South Korean companies’ move to leave Iran’s market due to U.S. sanctions and bullying, saying the Islamic Republic will never forget its friends during tough times.

Living in Iran is a great experience, Swiss envoy says

TEHRAN – Swiss ambassador to Iran believes that living in the country is a “great experience”, saying Swiss people mostly think Iranians are so hospitable.

By Javad Heirannia

Swiss channel appears to be more of a publicity matter than a substantive matter: Nephew

TEHRAN –Richard Nephew, who served as the lead sanctions expert for the US team negotiating with Iran, is of the opinion that “the Swiss channel appears, at this point, to be more of a publicity matter than a substantive matter.”

Rouhani: Iranian revolution has always relied on people for stabilization, sustainability

TEHRAN- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani described the Iranian revolution as a very popular one and said that the Islamic revolution of Iran has always relied on the people for its stabilization and sustainability.

Foreign arrivals in Iran hits 8 million in 10 months: tourism minister

TEHRAN - Some eight million foreign nationals have visited Iran since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21, 2019) despite [U.S.] sanctions and a sharp decline in flights by some foreign airlines, tourism minister has said.

Denmark's biggest pharmaceutical company to launch production line in Iran

TEHRAN – Denmark's ambassador to Tehran, Danny Annan, has said the country’s largest pharmaceutical company will begin production in Iran within the next two months.

TIM 2020 seeks joint investment to mitigate sanctions effect

TEHRAN – The second Technology Investment Meeting (TIM 2020) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation (D-8) kicked off in Tehran on Tuesday with the aim of promoting joint investment of domestic and foreign companies in order to reduce effects of the U.S. sanctions.

‘Swiss mechanism not to tackle medicine sanctions problem’

TEHRAN – The Swiss Humanitarian Trade Arrangement (SHTA) will not remove the impact of unfair U.S. sanctions on the import of medicine by Iran, as it is not capable of carrying money in large scale, deputy health minister for legal affairs has said.

Iran receives medicine under Swiss financial mechanism

TEHRAN – Some 180,000 packages of medicine needed for cancer patients and transplant operations entered Iran on Sunday following the implementation of Swiss payment mechanism.

Sanctions on Salehi prove ‘maximum pressure’ policy has reached dead end: Tehran

TEHRAN — Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has denounced a recent move by the United States to impose sanctions against Iran’s nuclear chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, saying the move proved that the U.S. policy of “maximum pressure” against the Islamic Republic has reached a “dead end”.

Fars news goes offline ‘due to U.S. sanctions’

TEHRAN — The website of the Fars news agency has gone offline worldwide due to U.S. sanctions, the agency announced on Friday night.

Iran capable of manufacturing any medicine in two years

TEHRAN – Iranian pharmaceutical industry and scientists are capable of producing any kind of medicine over a two-year period, Mohammad Reza Shanehsaz, head of Food and Drug Administration, has said.

U.S. eviction from region is certain: military advisor

TEHRAN - Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, a top military advisor to the Leader, said on Monday that the eviction of the United States and its allies from the region is definite.

Iran Air to resume flights to Rome on Feb. 3

TEHRAN - Iran’s flag carrier Iran Air will resume direct flights to the Italian capital Rome on February 3.

No war or sanctions on Iran, U.S. protesters demand

TEHRAN — Rallies were held in 370 communities across the United states on Thursday, as people protested against U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies and further escalation of tensions with Iran.

South Korea pursues resumption of humanitarian trade with Iran

TEHRAN – The South Korean foreign ministry has decided to continuously pursue the resumption of trade in humanitarian products with Iran through won-based accounts at Korean banks, IRNA news agency reported on Tuesday.

Health ministry pursuing to provide medicine for SMA patients

TEHRAN – The Ministry of Health is trying to provide medicines for patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and other rare diseases, IRIB news agency reported on Friday.

Iran calls U.S. sanctions ‘failed project’

TEHRAN - Mahmoud Vaezi, the presidential chief of staff, said on Tuesday that the United States’ sanctions against Iran is “a failed project”.

U.S. officials vow to intensify Iran sanctions in 2020

TEHRAN — U.S. State Department officials have said Washington’s maximum pressure policy against Iran will intensify in 2020.

Iran’s civilization, history deserve to be seen, Italian tourism expert says

TEHRAN – A senior Italian tourism expert who has recently embarked on some tours across Iran believes that a gap exists between reality in Iran and the media image of the country worldwide, emphasizing that the country’s civilization and history deserve to be seen.

U.S. plots fail to deter foreign travelers from visiting Iran, VP says

TEHRAN – Millions of foreign nationals did not pay attention to the U.S. sanctions and plots, aiming to discourage potential travelers from visiting the Islamic Republic, First Vice-President Es’haq Jahangiri said on Monday.

The U.S. is addicted to sanctions, says Zarif

TEHRAN — Washington’s hostile policy of imposing sanctions is indicative of its “reckless addiction”, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said.

Government says backs any decision on FATF

TEHRAN — Government spokesman Ali Rabiei has said the government will support any decision the Expediency Council and the Guardian Council make on the fate of the FATF-related bills, but argued that Iran’s interests will be secured by not exiting the FATF.

By Faranak Bakhtiari

EB patients, the most oppressed victims of U.S. sanctions

TEHRAN – Although food and medicine are claimed to be exempted from U.S. sanctions, financial and banking sanctions have limited the life-saving medicine trade which harshly targeted the patients suffering from Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a rare genetic disease that causes painful blistering of the skin.

Larijani: Iranians able to turn hardships into opportunities

TEHRAN — Iranians have the talent and ability to turn hardships into opportunities, Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani has said, referring to the United States’ unilateral sanctions against Iran.

Iran, Japan to continue close consultations on key issues: Araqchi

TEHRAN – Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi announced on Saturday that Tehran and Tokyo are resolved to continue their consultations over key international and regional issues more closely than ever.