Iran Daily

Iran deal ‘signatories must stand by their word’
France’s foreign minister insisted on Tuesday that “signatories must stand by their word” amid efforts by his American counterpart to convince European allies to add tough new requirements to the Iran nuclear deal.

US senators strike deal to reopen government
US President Donald Trump signed a bill reopening the government late Monday, ending a 69-hour display of partisan dysfunction after Democrats reluctantly voted to temporarily pay for resumed operations.

Turkey presses assault on Kurdish militia in Syria
The Turkish army was on Tuesday engaged in intense clashes with Kurdish militia inside Syria as the United States voiced alarm Ankara’s operation could endanger attempts to bring peace to the conflict-torn country.

Iran, Belarus eager to increase energy cooperation, oil trade
Iran and Belarus are keen on expanding cooperation in the energy sector, particularly, in the field of oil trade, with the former eager to raise crude exports to the latter.

Palestinians reject relocation into another country
Top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said on Tuesday that the idea of creating a Palestinian state in another Arab country is unacceptable.

Russia: US-EU initiative on JCPOA unlikely to have positive results
The initiative of the United States and the E3 members of the nuclear deal with Iran – Germany, France and Britain – to launch a working group to address concerns around the agreement is unlikely to bring any positive results, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.

No shortage in foreign exchange
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani assured the nation that the country’s foreign exchange revenue far outstrips spending, stressing that foreign exchange reserves will even grow next year.

Iran facing race against time to tackle water crisis
Some major Iranian cities are facing water rationing and other mandatory restrictions if the worst dry spell in more than 50 years persists.

Iran’s military exercises in south end
On the final day of two-day military drills in southeastern Iran, the army employed a homegrown cruise missile and surveillance systems and conducted antiaircraft operations.

Tehran Times

Leader OKs $4b withdrawal from National Fund for priority projects
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has agreed with a request to withdraw four billion dollars from the National Development Fund for priority projects, particularly projects dealing with water management, environment protection, and boosting defense capability.

Saffron exports up 26% in 9 months
Iran exported over 160 tons of saffron worth more than $219 million to 56 countries during the nine-month period ended on December 21, 2017, with 26 percent growth in the value compared to the same time span in the preceding year.

‘Caspian Sea water transfer more disastrous than nuclear explosion’
The detrimental impacts of transferring water from the Caspian Sea to the central province of Semnan can be more catastrophic than a nuclear explosion, Mohammad Darvish, a faculty member of the Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands said on Monday.

Theater aficionados welcome Fajr street performance
Theater aficionados watch “War under the Skin of My Mother and Me”, a street performance by a troupe from Abadan, during the 36th Fajr International Theater Festival in the courtyard of Tehran’s City Theater Complex on January 22, 2018.

Interior Ministry clarifies root causes of Iran protests
Deputy Interior Minister Hossein Zolfaqari has shed light on the root causes of the recent protests which broke out across the country and died out after a week, saying the ministry has provided President Rouhani with an inclusive report on the sources of public discontent.

Rouhani says his government’s key failed to open locked social apps
The Iranian president has said his government’s measures failed to remove ban on some social apps in the country.

U.S. initiative on Iran deal not to yield positive results: Russia
The Russian deputy foreign minister has said the so-called initiative put forward by the U.S., France, Britain and Germany to set up a working group to “fix” the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers is unlikely to bring any positive results.

Military adviser proposes Iran-Iraq-Pakistan alliance against U.S.
Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, a top military adviser to the Leader, on Tuesday proposed a coalition of “Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and other countries” against the United States in West Asia.

VP says Belarus has major status in Iran’s foreign policy
Iranian First Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri said on Tuesday that Belarus has an important status in Iran’s foreign policy and called for expansion of cooperation.

Army conducts second day of military exercises
The Iranian Army on Tuesday conducted the second and final day of annual military drills involving ground, naval, and aerial forces in the country’s southern regions.