Daily look at Iran’s late-breaking news and upcoming events:
 
Iran signs $5 billion natural gas deal with France’s Total and Chinese firm
Iran on Monday signed a $5 billion agreement with France’s Total SA and a Chinese oil company to develop its massive offshore natural gas field, the first such deal with foreign companies since the landmark 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

 
Leader urges judiciary to pursue intl. legal issues
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Khamenei on Mon. called on the judiciary branch to become more involved in legal pursuit of international issues such as sanctions or US seizure of Iranian assets.

 
Iran not to forgive perpetrators of attack on Iran air flight 655
Iran’s foreign ministry has released a statement to mark the 29th anniversary of the downing of an Iranian commercial airliner by a US Navy guided-missile cruiser back in 1988.

 
Iran, Russia, Turkey to hold working group meeting in Astana ahead of meeting on Syria
The meeting will focus on further cooperation of the parameters of the four de-escalation zones on the Syrian territory that the parties agreed to establish at a conference on May 4.

 
Combating dust storms demands regional, intl. coop.
Iran’s President Rouhani said planning, investment as well as regional and international cooperation were prerequisites to the fight against sand and dust storms.

 
Iran fighter jets join Caspian naval drill
The Iranian Air Force has dispatched a number of its warplanes to the Caspian Sea for participation in a massive naval exercise, a Navy commander said.

 
10 Iranian envoys granted entry to Saudi Arabia for Hajj affairs
Saudi Arabia has granted 10 Iranian Foreign Ministry representatives entry into the kingdom for handling consular affairs and helping Iranian pilgrims during this year’s Hajj season, an official announced.

 

India gives Iran $11 billion ‘Best Offer’ on Farzad-B gas field
An Indian consortium is willing to spend as much as $11 billion to develop a giant Iranian natural gas field and build the infrastructure to export the fuel as long as the Persian Gulf nation guarantees a “reasonable return” on the project, according to the company leading the group.


 
Velayati calls for more independent policies by EU
Head of the Strategic Research Center Ali Akbar Velayati underlined that European countries need to act more independently in international arena.

 
Iranian Official: US-backed human rights nothing but a big lie
Secretary of Iran’s Expediency Council (EC) Mohsen Rezayee reminded the US army’s downing of an Iranian passenger plane in 1988, saying that the human rights that Washington claims to support is “nothing but a big lie”.