Iran

TEHRAN, May 12 (NNN-IRNA) – Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani, on Monday sacked Reza Rahmani, the minister for Industry, Mine and Trade, Press TV reported.

Rouhani’s office did not provide any reason for removing the minister, but Rahmani had been facing criticism over his inability to contain rising prices of cars in the market, over the past week.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A missile fired during an Iranian military training exercise mistakenly struck a naval vessel instead of its intended target in waters near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, killing 19 sailors and wounding 15 others, Iranian authorities said Monday.

The bungled training exercises took place Sunday and raised new questions about the readiness of the Islamic Republic’s armed forces amid heightened tensions with U.S., just months after they accidentally shot down a Ukrainian jetliner near Tehran, killing 176 passengers.

11 May 2020; MEMO: Israel has tried to thwart attempts to ease international sanctions imposed on Iran and prevent the delivery of humanitarian aid, Haaretz reported yesterday.

Quoting well-informed diplomatic sources the newspaper reported that Israel has sought to continue the policy of maximum pressure on Iran, even amid the coronavirus crisis, stressing that “even if there is humanitarian aid, it must be ensured that it is directed at countering the virus.”

Tehran, May 11 (AP) An Iranian navy sailor was killed and several injured in an unexplained incident on a military support ship in the Gulf of Oman, Iranian media reported Monday.

Iranian state television, as well as the semiofficial Fars and ISNA news agencies, said the incident happened Sunday aboard the Konarak, a Hendijan-class support ship.

TEHRAN, May 11 (NNN-NNA) – Iran is ready for a full prisoner exchange with the United States, Iranian government spokesman, Ali Rabiei was quoted as saying, by Khabaronline news website on Sunday, adding, Washington has yet to respond to Iran’s call.

“We are ready to exchange Iranian and American prisoners and we are prepared to discuss this issue, but Americans have not responded yet,” Rabiei said, according to Khabaronline.

TEHRAN, May 11 (NNN-TASNIM) – An Iranian army general said on Sunday that, the recent launch of Noor 1 satellite, by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), is a prelude to the “shift in the balance of power” in favour of Iran.

The launch of the homegrown Noor 1 satellite, amid the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, shows the Iranian army is playing a role in the battle with COVID-19, said Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Hossein Baqeri.

11 May 2020; AFP: An Iranian warship was accidentally hit by a missile during exercises in the Gulf of Oman, killing at least one, state television said Monday, amid tensions with the US in the waterway.

The friendly fire incident involving the Konarak vessel occurred on Sunday afternoon near Bandar-e Jask, off the southern coast of the Islamic republic, it said on its website.

One report said the vessel had sunk after being hit by a missile fired by another Iranian warship.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — An Iranian navy sailor was killed and several injured in an unexplained “incident” on a military support ship in the Gulf of Oman, Iranian media reported Monday.

Iranian state television, as well as the semiofficial Fars and ISNA news agencies, said the incident happened Sunday aboard the Konarak, a Hendijan-class support ship. The incident occurred near the port of Jask, some 1,270 kilometers (790 miles) southeast of Tehran on the Gulf of Oman.

10 May 2020; MEMO: The coronavirus death toll in Iran rose to 6,640 with 51 more fatalities over the past 24 hours, state media reported on Sunday, Anadolu Agency reports.

A further of 1,383 people tested positive for COVID-19 over the past day, raising the overall count to 107,603, Iran’s state broadcaster reported, citing a statement by the Health Ministry.

It said 83,143 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals so far, while 2,675 patients remain in critical condition.

8 May 2020; MEMO: An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.1 struck Iran early Friday, prompting some residents in the capital to evacuate their homes, Anadolu Agency reports.

The earthquake occurred at 00:48 a.m. local time (2118GMT) in Damavand district of Tehran at a depth of seven kilometers (4.34 miles), according to the Tehran University Seismological Center.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.