Iran

26 July 2023; MEMO: Iran, on Tuesday, unveiled a new cruise missile named after a slain Iraqi military commander after the US announced the deployment of additional warships to the Persian Gulf, Anadolu Agency reports.

The indigenously-built "Abu Mahdi" missile was formally delivered to the Iranian Navy and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in the presence of Defence Minister, Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani, and senior military officials.

TEHRAN, Jul 24 (NNN-IRNA) – The Iranian Army’s Air Force, kicked off a large-scale air drill in the central province of Isfahan yesterday.

Troops from all air bases of the Air Force joined the military exercise, which is codenamed the 11th Fadaeian-e Harim-e Velayat (11th Devotees of Velayat Airspace), Hamid Vahedi, commander-in-chief of the air force, was quoted as saying, at a press conference held before the beginning of the exercise.

Tehran, IRNA – Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Ali Bagheri Kani says setting books and thoughts on fire is not freedom but sheer barbarism as he calls on the Swedish and Danish governments to stop acts of insults against religious sanctities.

Bagheri Kani made the remarks in a meeting in Tehran on Sunday with Qatar’s Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Khulaifi, where the two officials discussed bilateral issues, as well as the latest regional and international developments. 

Tehran, IRNA – Iran’s foreign minister says regional countries can ensure the security of the Persian Gulf region without the interference of extra-regional forces.

“The security of the Persian Gulf region is important to the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the countries of the region can ensure the security of this region without foreign interference,” Hossein Amirabdollahian said during a phone conversation with his counterpart from the United Arab Emirates Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan late on Saturday.

Tehran, IRNA -- Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran Ali-Akbar Ahmadian has participated in the National Security Advisors (NSA) meeting of the BRICS group of emerging economies in South Africa.

Ahmadian, who arrived in Pretoria in South Africa on Monday is also planned to hold talks with some of his counterparts on the sidelines of the BRICS meeting.

The 13th NSA meeting of BRICS opened in South Africa on Monday for three days.

TEHRAN, Jul 23 (NNN-IRNA) – The Iranian anti-narcotics police seized over 1.5 tonnes of drugs, in operations in the south-eastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan over the past three days.

During the operations, the police ambushed members of two armed narcotics trafficking gangs, who were transferring illegal drugs from the province to other Iranian cities in eight sedans, through provincial roads, Doostali Jalilian, the provincial police chief, was quoted as saying.

TEHRAN, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Iranian foreign minister held a phone call with his UAE counterpart late on Saturday to discuss bilateral ties and the recent desecration of the Muslim holy book of Quran in Denmark and Sweden, the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced Sunday.

During the phone call, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said the recent desecration of the Quran in the two Nordic countries hurt the feelings of Muslims worldwide, calling for serious actions against perpetrators of the insults.

20 July 2023; MEMO: Iran would retaliate against any oil company unloading Iranian oil from a seized tanker, a senior Commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards' Navy said on Thursday, amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington, Reuters reports.

21 July 2023; MEMO: Iran's Oil Ministry said the oil cargo of an Iranian-flagged super-tanker seized by Indonesia last week does not belong to Tehran, Iranian state media reported on Friday, Reuters reports.

An Oil Ministry statement, reported by the country's state media, did not identify the owner of the cargo of "MT Arman 114", an Iranian-flagged super-tanker suspected of involvement in the illegal trans-shipment of crude oil, which Indonesia's coast guard said on 11 July it had seized.

July 22 (Reuters) - Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday that persons desecrating the Koran should face the "most severe punishment" and demanded Sweden hand them over for prosecution in Islamic countries, Iran's state media reported.

"All Islamic scholars agree that those who desecrate the Koran deserved the most severe punishment... The duty of that (Swedish) government is to hand over the perpetrator to the judicial systems of Islamic countries," Khamenei said in a statement carried by state media.