Iran

07 August 2023; MEMO: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has accused the US of encouraging smuggling by sea in the Gulf region, in the latest sign of rising tensions between Tehran and Washington.

"Today, the Americans are targeting oil tankers while helping the maritime smuggling networks in our region," said Khamenei on state television yesterday, Bloomberg News has reported. "This is a major violation on their part."

TEHRAN, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- Iranian security forces have seized two batches of smuggled weapons and ammunition in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan, arresting six suspects, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday.

In the first operation, some 20 M1911 pistols and 39 magazines were found concealed in a sedan of an arms trafficking gang driving from Pakistan, Tasnim quoted Sistan and Baluchestan Prosecutor Mehdi Shamsabadi as saying.

Tehran, IRNA – Iranian lawmakers have approved a bill to establish the Dogharoon Special Economic Zone on the Iran-Afghanistan border.

In the Sunday session of the Iranian parliament (Majlis), the legislators discussed a report by the Iranian Parliament Commission on Economy concerning a bill to set up the Dogharoon Special Economic Zone. The bill along with its notes was voted by 160 in favor, 18 against and 10 abstentions.

TEHRAN, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Saturday that Iran and Sri Lanka have agreed on the need to promote cooperation in trade and tourism, the official news agency IRNA reported.

He made the remarks at a joint press conference with his visiting Sri Lankan counterpart Ali Sabry following their meeting in the capital Tehran earlier in the day.

The two countries will also expand cooperation in the scientific and cultural areas, as well as in using their knowledge-based firms' capacities, Amir-Abdollahian added.

02 August 2023; MEMO: Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard launched a surprise military drill Wednesday on disputed islands in the Persian Gulf as the US military increased its presence in the region, AP reports.

According to the report, the elite force ran the drills mainly off the coast of Abu Musa which, along with Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb, are islands in the Gulf that Iran controls but have recently been increasingly the subject of political tensions.

TEHRAN, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- A huge fire broke out on Wednesday morning in an industrial park in a county in the western Iranian province of Lorestan, the semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported.

The massive blaze started at 10:45 a.m. local time (0715 GMT) in an oil production factory in Dorud Industrial Park, Tasnim quoted Ayat Jamali Fooladvand, the head of Dorud County's fire department, as saying.

Firefighters with 16 fire engines have been trying to contain the "very huge" fire while the investigation into the cause of the incident is underway, he added.

TEHRAN, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Iran and Mexico on Wednesday discussed the deepening of consular cooperation in their first online joint consular meeting, the official news agency IRNA reported.

The webinar was co-chaired by Director General of the Consular Affairs at Iranian Foreign Ministry Alireza Mahmoudi and the Mexican Foreign Ministry's Director General of Consular Services Jaime Vazquez Bracho.

The two sides also exchanged views on sharing experiences in the areas of immigration, providing consular supports, and expanding bilateral judicial cooperation.

TEHRAN, Aug 1 (NNN-TASNIM) – Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development, Mehrdad Bazrpash, announced yesterday that, Iran and Syria have eliminated bilateral trade tariffs.

Bazrpash made the announcement, at a meeting of heads of the Iran-Syria Joint Economic Commission, co-chaired by visiting Syrian Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade, Mohammad Samer al-Khalil, in Iran’s capital, Tehran.

Besides, Iran and Syria agreed to use their national currencies, the Iranian rial and the Syrian pound, in bilateral trade, if possible, according to the minister.

TEHRAN, Jul 31 (NNN-IRNA) – Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, met with visiting UN special envoy for Iraq yesterday, in the capital, Tehran, to discuss Iraq developments.

During the meeting, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert commented on developments in and outside Iraq, and highlighted Iran’s constructive role regarding the Arab country, according to a statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

TEHRAN, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi on Wednesday met with the new Turkish Ambassador to Iran Hicabi Kirlangic in Tehran to discuss expanding cross-border cooperation, the official news agency IRNA reported.

During the meeting, Vahidi called for setting up a working group to develop relations between Iranian and Turkish border provinces, said the report.

The Iranian minister also called for enhancing bilateral cooperation in managing foreign nationals' affairs, fighting organized crimes, and countering arms trafficking.