Iran

TEHRAN, Dec 30 (NNN-IRNA) – Iran’s capital, Tehran, will host a conference next month, on its peace initiative for the Strait of Hormuz.

The conference is scheduled for Jan 7-8, and will focus on regional cooperation plans, particularly on Iran’s initiative of Hormuz Peace Endeavour.

Senior Iranian and regional political officials and pundits, are expected to attend the event, organised by the Foreign Ministry’s Institute for Political and International Studies.

29 Dec 2019; MEMO: Iran summoned Kuwait’s envoy in Tehran on Saturday to protest about Kuwaiti officials meeting a representative of a “terrorist group” and hosting an “anti-Iranian” meeting, Iran’s foreign ministry said in a statement on its website, Reuters reports.

The ministry did not provide any more details about the group concerned or about which Kuwaiti officials had met the group’s representative.

TEHRAN, Iran, Dec 29 (NNN-TASNIM) – The Iranian foreign minister is scheduled to visit Russia on Monday (tomorrow), to hold talks with his Russian counterpart, on bilateral ties, as well as, regional and international developments, the Financial Tribune daily reported, Saturday.

Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif and Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, will exchange views on “prospects for further strengthening bilateral political dialogue and developing ties in trade, economic, cultural and other fields,” the report said.

TEHRAN, Dec 29 (NNN-IRNA) – Iran is against creating a buffer zone in Syria by any country, a top adviser to Iran’s supreme leader said, on Saturday.

The creation of a buffer zone and foreign interference in Syria means “making changes to a part of the region and disintegration of the countries,” Ali Akbar Velayati was quoted as saying, by Tehran Times daily.

Bandar Abbas, Dec 28, IRNA – Minister of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism said that according to the World Tourism Organization (WTO) statistics, Iran gained $11.7 billion in direct revenue over the last Iranian year (started March 20), and this year it has brought a total revenues of $11billion.

 Ali Asghar Mounesan made the remarks addressing a ceremony in Bandar Abbas on Saturday.

TEHRAN, Iran, Dec 27 (NNN-TASNIM) – Iran begins extraction of natural gas from an offshore rig, at South Pars gas field in the Gulf, on Thursday, Press TV reported.

The extraction of gas will add some 14.2 million cubic metres a day, to its current output of more than 800 million cubic metres a day, according to the report.

The gas produced in the field will be transferred through a five-kilometre pipeline, to a refinery in the Phase 12 of the South Pars.

The South Pars/North Dome field is a natural gas condensate field, located in the Gulf.

21 December 2019; AFP: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani wrapped up his two-day visit to Japan on Saturday as Tehran, under US sanctions pressure, sought economic support from Tokyo.

Rouhani's trip to Japan, the first by an Iranian head of state in two decades, came after deadly protests over fuel price hikes in his country, where the economy has been hit by US sanctions over Tehran's nuclear programme.

TEHRAN, Dec 19 (NNN-TASNIM) – Iran threatened to further reduce its commitments to the 2015 landmark nuclear deal, if the European Union (EU) “keeps failing” to protect the Islamic republic’s interest.

Iran’s move to reduce commitments under the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), results from the U.S. unilateral exit from the deal, and the EU’s “inaction” in this regard, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani was quoted as saying.

TEHRAN, December 18. /TASS/: The situation continues deteriorating in Afghanistan where the Islamic State terror group (outlawed in Russia) has been establishing its foothold, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said on Wednesday.

TEHRAN, December 18. /TASS/: Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani has highlighted the need to cultivate bilateral ties with Russia to ensure regional security. He said as much at a meeting with Secretary of Russia’s Security Council Nikolai Patrushev, which was held in Tehran on Wednesday.