Iran

14 Feb 2020; MEMO: Iran is ready to strike the United States and Israel if they give it any reason to do so, the head of the elite Revolutionary Guards said in a live broadcast on state television on Thursday, reported Reuters.

“If you make the slightest error, we will hit both of you,” Major General Hossein Salami said in a speech at a ceremony marking the 40th day since the death of top commander Qassem Soleimani.

TEHRAN, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi warned on Wednesday that Iran's response to any Israeli aggression against its interests in the region or in Syria will be "crushing."

Mousavi said over the past 70 years Israel has resorted to violence to occupy Palestine and target its neighboring countries.

Iran's presence in Syria has been at invitation with the aim of fighting terrorism, the spokesman added.

12 Feb 2020; MEMO: Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, stressed that his country categorically rejects the Middle East peace plan to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, known as the “deal of the century” which was drafted by the United States and Israel.

“The deal of the century will not pass, and Iran will continue to affirm its position in supporting the Palestinian people and their right to restore and liberate their land,” Zarif wrote in Arabic on Twitter.

12 Feb 2020; MEMO: It has been reported that Iran and other foreign intelligence agencies may already have access to personal information of top Israeli intelligence officials, after revelations of a “disastrous” Likud Party cyber error resulting in a huge data breach of up to six million Israelis’ voters’ private information.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — An Iranian rocket failed to put a satellite into orbit on Sunday, state television reported, the latest setback for a program the U.S. claims helps Tehran advance its ballistic missile program.

The launch happened at 7:15 p.m. local time at Imam Khomeini Spaceport in Iran’s Semnan province, some 230 kilometers (145 miles) southeast of Iran’s capital, Tehran. A Simorgh, or “Phoenix,” rocket couldn’t put the Zafar 1 communications satellite into orbit, however, due to a low speed, Iranian state TV reported.

9 February 2020; AFP: Iran started counting down Sunday to the launch within hours of a scientific observation satellite that is part of a programme the United States has previously described as a "provocation".

Arch foes Iran and the United States have appeared to be on the brink of an all-out confrontation twice since last year.

TEHRAN, Feb 9 (NNN-IRNA) – Iranian Petroleum Ministry, awarded a deal worth 1.4 billion U.S. dollars, to an Iranian energy enterprise, to develop two oilfields located at the southeast of the country, state TV reported.

The deal was signed between Iranian Petroleum Ministry and MAPNA Group, which operates in the area of construction and development of thermal power plants, under EPC scheme, independent power plants (IPP), oil and gas, as well as, rail traction projects.

TEHRAN, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Petroleum Ministry on Saturday awarded a deal worth 1.4 billion U.S. dollars to an Iranian energy enterprise to develop two oilfields located at southeast of the country, state TV reported.

The deal was signed between Iranian Petroleum Ministry and MAPNA Group which operates in the area of construction and development of thermal power plants under EPC scheme, independent power plants (IPP), oil and gas as well as rail traction projects.

08 Feb 2020; MEMO: Iran should increase its military might to prevent a war, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told a gathering of air force commanders on Saturday, dismissing the US sanctions on the country as “criminal act”.

“We should be strong to prevent any war against the county. Being weak will encourage our enemies to attack Iran,” Khamenei, Iran’s top authority, said according to state news agency IRNA.

Shahr-e Kord, Feb 6, IRNA - Iranian Minster of Industry, Mine and Trade Reza Rahmani announced on Thursday that the country has stood at the tenth place in the world in terms of producing copper and steel.

In producing those two products, Iran could set a record as it overtook France and Italy, Rahmani said in a meeting held in this central western Iranian city of Shahr-e Kord with Friday prayer leader.