April 28, The Iran Project – President Rouhani and Supreme Leader receive Pakistani PM in Tehran; Parl. ratifies designation of CENTCOM as terrorist organization; Iran warns Trump administration against dangerous game it’s playing; Supreme leader says Iran to export as much oil as it wishes despite US bans; Rouhani says US must lift pressure and apologize before Iran will negotiate; Iran’s foreign minister proposes prisoner exchange with US; Zarif warns US over threats to prevent Iran oil sale; Iran’s Zarif believes Trump does not want war, but could be lured into conflict; Iran designs, builds three new missiles for attack copters; Zarif addresses UN meeting on diplomacy for peace; Saudi Arabia, UAE exaggerate oil production; Zarif accuses team-B of aiming to escalate tensions with Iran; Iran rejects ‘baseless’ reports about request for US talks and Trump administration ignored Iran offer for prisoner swap: FM Zarif are among major headlines dominated the country’s media outlets in the past week (April 23 – April 28).

 

Politics

President Rouhani receives Pakistani PM

President Hassan Rouhani has received Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who arrived in Tehran in the early hours of Monday to hold talks with senior Iranian figures.

 

Supreme Leader receives Pakistani PM

Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei received Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday evening.

 

Zarif departs for New York to attend intl. event

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif departed Tehran for New York this morning to attend UN event aiming to promote International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace.

 

Parl. ratifies designation of CENTCOM as terrorist organization

The Iranian Parliament has overwhelmingly ratified Article 1 of a pro-IRGC motion that reciprocally designates the US Central Command (CENTCOM) as a terrorist organization.

 

Hatami lands in Moscow to attend security conf.

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami has arrived in Moscow, the capital of Russia, to attend the 8th Moscow Conference on International Security.

 

Zarif reacts to reported executions, crucifixion in Saudi Arabia

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif condemned US silence over numerous executions and one case of crucifixion in Saudi Arabia.

 

Iran warns Trump administration against dangerous game it’s playing

The Iranian foreign minister has described the Trump administration’s officials as “pawns in Netanyahu’s game”, warning them against the consequences of the “extremely dangerous” Israeli game they are playing.

 

Iran’s FM sends ‘important’ message to French counterpart: Embassy

Iran’s embassy in Paris said on Wednesday that Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has sent ‘an important message’ to his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian.

 

Rouhani warns UAE, Saudi Arabia

Criticizing the UAE and Saudi Arabia’s move against Iran, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said these two countries owe their existence to Iran’s wise decision in face of Saddam’s expansionist ambitions.

 

Iran FM addresses UN meeting on Intl.? Day of Multilateralism, Diplomacy for Peace 

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif addresses a high-level meeting at the UN General Assembly to commemorate International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace

 

We will export oil as much as we intend: Ayatollah Khamenei

On the occasion of the National Week of Labor and Laborers, a group of laborers from across the nation met with Ayatollah Khamenei—the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution— at the Hussayniyeh of Imam Khomeini (r.a), this morning April 24, 2019.

 

Rouhani says US must lift pressure and apologize before Iran will negotiate

Reuters – Iran is willing to negotiate with America only when the United States lifts pressure and apologizes, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday, according to state media.

 

Iran’s foreign minister proposes prisoner exchange with US

Iran’s foreign minister offered publicly on Wednesday to negotiate a prisoner exchange with the United States, saying he had been authorized to conduct such talks.

 

Iran’s Zarif warns US of ‘consequences’ over oil sanctions

Iran will continue to find international buyers for its oil and use the Strait of Hormuz to transport it, the country’s foreign minister said, warning that if the United States tries to stop Tehran it should “be prepared for the consequences”.

 

Iran’s Zarif believes Trump does not want war, but could be lured into conflict

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif does not believe U.S. President Donald Trump wants war with Iran, but he told Reuters on Wednesday that Trump could be lured into a conflict.

 

Iran raps Saudi, Bahraini backing for US oil sanctions

Iran’s Foreign Ministry took a swipe at Saudi Arabia and Bahrain for welcoming the US decision to end waivers for importers of Iranian oil, saying they are unaware of the consequences of such a move.

 

Iran marks historic US failure in Tabas Desert

Iran has marked the 39th anniversary of a failed US military operation in the central Tabas Desert that was launched in an attempt to release former US embassy staff held in Tehran after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

 

Iran designs, builds three new missiles for attack copters

Experts at Iran’s Defense Ministry and the Army Aviation have designed and produced three new missiles to be mounted on the military’s attack helicopters, with a view to their mass-production in near future.

 

Iran stresses UNGA’s role in solving global challenges

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Head of the UN General Assembly Maria Fernanda Espinosa in a meeting in New York discussed the role of the UNGA in solving international problems.

 

Zarif says ‘negotiating table is there’

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif acknowledged today that he had received a letter from Robert C. O’Brien, US special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, asking for the release of detained US citizens.

 

Saudi Arabia, UAE overstating oil production capacity amid Washington’s anti-Iran sanctions: Zangeneh

Iranian Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh has accused Saudi Arabia and the UAE of exaggerating their ability to replace the country’s oil in the wake of a renewed push by Washington to zero Tehran’s exports by implementing “brutal” economic sanctions.

 

Zarif accuses team-B of aiming to escalate tensions with Iran

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused US National Security Advisor John R. Bolton, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Saudi Crown Prince Bin Salman and UAE’s Bin Zayed of escalating tensions against Iran.

 

Iran rejects ‘baseless’ reports about request for US talks

Iran rejected on Saturday ‘baseless and false’ reports that Tehran has requested Washington to negotiate or that Iran-Saudi talks have started.

 

Iranian cleric slams Int’l circles’ silence on Saudi mass execution

Senior Iranian cleric Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi deplored the international organizations’ silence on the mass execution of 37 political prisoners in Saudi Arabia.

 

Trump administration ignored Iran offer for prisoner swap: FM Zarif

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has criticized US government for refusing to engage with Tehran in a humanitarian deal for exchange of prisoners, saying President Donald Trump’s administration has once refused to endorse the gesture.

 

Iran FM to embark on visit to North Korea soon

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that an official visit to North Korea is on his agenda, the exact date of which will be announced soon.

 

Economy

CBI gov. in Iraq for talks on banking transactions

Governor of Central Bank of Iran, Abdolnaser Hemmati, has traveled to the Iraqi capital Baghdad to follow up on the implementation of banking agreements between the two sides, according to an informed source.

 

Iran’s delegation in China for Belt-Road forum

A delegation from Iran’s Expediency Council is in China to take part in the country’s Belt and Road Initiative.

 

France says Iran/INSTEX mechanism is making positive progress

The ‘Instex’ mechanism set up by France, Britain and Germany for Iran to skirt U.S. sanctions is making positive progress, said the French foreign ministry on Tuesday, as it responded to the latest moves by the U.S. government to put pressure on Iran.

 

Iraq to continue gas imports from Iran despite US halt to sanctions waivers

The Iraqi Electricity Ministry has announced that despite the recent decision by Donald Trump to end sanctions exemptions on Iran oil, Iraq will continue to import gas from Iran.

 

Iran presents over 300 investment projects in Belt & Road meet

Iran says it has proposed more than 300 investment projects as part of China’s ambitious One Belt-One Road initiative.

 

Regional Affairs

Saudi Arabia beheads 37 people, mostly from Shia minority, puts body on display

Riyadh has drawn outrage from human rights advocates after it put to death 37 people and displayed a mutilated body of one of them on a pole. The execution was carried out after “sham trials,” Amnesty International said.

 

New round of Syria peace talks begins in Kazakhstan

A fresh round of multilateral negotiations for establishing peace in Syria within a framework known as the Astana process kicked off in Kazakhstan’s capital of Nur-Sultan, formerly known as Astana, on Thursday.

 

Final round of ‘Astana Peace Talks’ to be held in July

The attending parties in Astana Process on Syrian peace in Nur-Sultan city of Kazakhstan agreed to hold the final round of the talks in July.

 

Syria: West practicing economic ‘terrorism’ against Damascus

Syria’s ambassador to the United Nations on Friday accused the United State and the European Union of practicing “economic terrorism” against his country by imposing what he described as illegitimate and unilateral sanctions.

 

Yemeni forces fire 17 retaliatory missiles at Saudi Arabia’s Asir

Yemeni forces and allied fighters from Popular Committees have fired 17 missiles at Saudi Arabia’s southwestern Asir region in retaliation for the Saudi war on the impoverished Arab nation.

 

Society

32nd Tehran Intl. Book Fair kicks off

The 32nd Tehran International book Fair (TIBF) has kicked off at Tehran’s Musalla in the presence of Minister of Culture Abbas Salehi on behalf of President Rouhani who is ritually in charge of inaugurating the event.

 

Iran women futsal team ranks 1st in Belgian championship

Iranian women futsal team defeated Spain and ranked first in the world students futsal championship held in Belgium.

 

2019 Fajr Intl. Filmfest. names winners; ‘A Russian Youth’ wins grand prix

The Fajr International Film Festival announced the full lineup of winners at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall for their 37th year of celebrating independent, art house, alternate, fiction, documentary and animation films from across the globe.

 

Iranian weightlifters win 4 medals at 2019 Asian C’ships

Iranian lifters snatched one gold and three silver medals at 2019 Asian Weightlifting Championships in Ningbo, China, on Friday.

 

Shia cleric assassinated in Iran

A Shia clergyman was killed in an armed attack in Iran’s northwestern Hamadan city, according to a security official on Saturday.