Iran

TEHRAN, Dec 5 (NNN-IRNA) – Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Mohammad Hossein Baqeri and visiting Azeri Deputy Prime Minister, Shahin Mustafayev, discussed defence and security cooperation between the two countries.

The two sides vowed to do their best to deepen bilateral relations, especially in defence and security.

Baqeri said that “some of the regional and trans-regional players cannot tolerate friendly relations between Iran and Azerbaijan.”

04 Dec 2019; MEMO: Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani called on Wednesday for the release of any unarmed and innocent people who were detained during protests against gasoline price hikes, after two weeks of violent clashes, reports Reuters.

TEHRAN, Dec 4 (NNN-IRNA) – Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani, said that, Iran is ready to normalise ties with Saudi Arabia.

“From Iran’s point of view, there is no problem in developing ties with neighbours and resuming relations with Saudi Arabia,” Rouhani remarked in a meeting with visiting Omani Foreign Minister, Yousef Bin Alawi, in Tehran.

“All regional countries should stay together, in order to create peace and stability in the region,” Rouhani said.

TEHRAN, Dec 3 (NNN-IRNA) – At least 56 people have died from flu in Iran, over the past two months, Iranian Deputy Health Minister, Alireza Reisi, was quoted as saying.

Reisi said that, over the past week, 273 people were admitted to hospitals, because of exposure to the disease, of which 19 patients died.

The Iranian official said that, nearly all the patients who lost their lives were old people or people with chronic diseases.

He urged people to observe sanitary directions and protective measures, with the arrival of the cold season.

01 Dec 2019; MEMO: Iran on Saturday disputed death tolls issued by foreign human rights groups for protests that erupted in the country over fuel prices, Anadolu reports.

Demonstrations broke out across Iran in mid-November after the government imposed petrol rationing and hiked fuel prices at least 50%.

Dubai, Dec 1 (AP) Iran's official IRNA news agency says registration has begun for candidates running in the country's parliamentary elections set for February 2020.

The elections will be a gauge for the popularity of the moderate and reformist camps that President Hassan Rouhani represents.

TEHRAN, Dec 1 (NNN-IRNA) – Iran’s navy announced mass production of the indigenous submarine-launched Jask cruise missile, Press TV reported.

Navy Commander, Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi, said, Iranian submarines will be equipped with the missile, the range of which will be improved “substantially” in the future.

He said, the weapon will allow the Iranian navy to hit targets across long ranges.

The missile “will surely be a serious surprise for the enemy,” he said, without detailing on the specifications of the weapon.

TEHRAN, Nov 30 (NNN-IRNA) – Joint naval exercises of Iran, Russia and China will be organised in the Indian Ocean in the near future, Iranian navy commander, Rear Adm. Hossein Khanzadi, said.

“Very soon we will have joint manoeuvres together with the naval forces of China and Russia, in Iran’s southern territorial waters, and in the northern part of the Indian Ocean,” Khanzadi was quoted as saying.

28 Nov 2019; MEMO: Iranian security agents have arrested eight people with ties to the CIA during last week’s protests caused by increases in petrol prices.

According to the official news agency IRNA, which today quoted the director general of the anti-espionage department of the Iranian Intelligence Ministry; a number of elements that were seeking to collect information on the riots and transfer it to foreign countries were identified and arrested before they could carry out their mission.

TEHRAN, November 28. /TASS/: Joint naval exercises of Iran, Russia and China will be organized in Indian Ocean in the near future, Iranian navy commander Rear Adm. Hossein Khanzadi said.

"Very soon we will have joint maneuvers together with the naval forces of China and Russia in Iran’s southern territorial waters and in the northern part of the Indian Ocean," the Mehr news agency quoted Khanzadi as saying on Wednesday.