Iran

(Reuters) - President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday that 25 million Iranians have been infected with the coronavirus and that another 35 million were at risk of acquiring it as Iran reimposed restrictions in the capital and elsewhere.

The figures Rouhani cited in a televised speech were far higher than Saturday’s official toll of 271,606.

His office said they were based on “an estimated scenario” from a report by the health ministry’s deputy minister of research.

TEHRAN, July 17 (NNN-Xinhua) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday discussed the U.S. “unilateral” policies and the ways to boost bilateral ties.

In a telephone conversation, Rouhani called for enhancing the Tehran-Moscow comprehensive ties, particularly in their battle against COVID-19.

Rouhani also underlined the importance of protecting measures to be taken by the signatories of 2015 Iranian nuclear deal, internationally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Tehran, Jul (AP/PTI) Iran has executed a former employee of the defense ministry who was convicted of spying on behalf of the Central Intelligence Agency, the country's judiciary said Tuesday. It was the second such execution in the past month.

The report said Reza Asgari was executed last week. Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said Asgari had worked in the airspace department of the ministry and retired in 2016.

TEHRAN, July 14 (NNN-IRNA) – Iran’s Airport Company announced that, during the first three months of the current Iranian calendar year, the country’s air traffic experienced a significant decline due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A total of 44,918 takeoffs and landings, during the first quarter of the current Iranian year registered a 51 percent decrease, compared with the similar period last year, Financial Tribune daily reported on Monday.

During the time span under review, more than 4.04 million passengers were transported, indicating a 64 percent decline year-on-year.

TEHRAN, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian army aviation will be soon equipped with missiles with ranges of 20 km and 100 km, Iranian Army Aviation Chief Yousof Ghorbani announced Sunday.

The Iranian army aviation has gained salient achievements in defense and security sections, including precision-guided missiles, Ghorbani was quoted as saying by Tehran Times daily.

The Iranian army aviation offers aerial emergency services to 18 out of 31 Iranian provinces, Ghorbani noted. 

13 July 2020; MEMO: Iranian local media yesterday said a senior commander of the country’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was killed in Syria.

“IRGC leader Ibrahim Asami has been killed in Syria,” IRGC’s Brigadier, Rustom Ali Rafea, was quoted by IRNA as saying.

Rafea pointed out that Asami was killed “a few days ago”, adding that he was buried in the Iranian western province of Alborz.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A misaligned missile battery, miscommunication between troops and their commanders and a decision to fire without authorization all led to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard shooting down a Ukrainian jetliner in January, killing all 176 people on board, a new report says.

The report released late Saturday by Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization comes months after the Jan. 8 crash near Tehran. Authorities had initially denied responsibility, only changing course days later after Western nations presented extensive evidence that Iran had shot down the plane.

12 July 2020; MEMO: The Iranian authorities denied the occurrence of an explosion west of Tehran, according to Iranian media, amid news of a series of recent unusual incidents.

It was reported that the explosion was heard west of the Iranian province of Tehran, and according to Iranian media, there was a power outage in the city of Qods in Tehran Province.

12 July 2020; MEMO: Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani called on Saturday for big gatherings such as weddings and wakes to be banned to stem a rise in coronavirus infections, but insisted the country’s economy had to stay open.

Shortly after Rouhani’s televised speech, a police official in Tehran announced the closure of all wedding and mourning venues in the capital until further notice.

Iran has been gradually relaxing its lockdown since mid-April but has recently reported a sharp rise in the infection rate.

Tehran, July 10, IRNA – Referring to railway connection of Chabahar and Zahedan in southeastern Iran, Managing-General of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (IRIR) Saeed Rasouli said on Friday that this route can be used for transfer of cargos from CIS countries and provide railway transit between India and Russia.

Following an order by the minister of Road and Urban Development, Rail laying operation between Zahedan and Chabahar began on Tuesday.

This strategic railway will be 628km long, Rasouli said.