Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a message advised US to prevent a forever pandemic, saying coronavirus spares no nation.

“#Covid19 ravages the world, sparing no nation,” Zarif wrote in his Twitter account.

“Even the world’s largest economy needs others to help it fight the pandemic, yet refuses to halt its #EconomicTerrorism against Iran,” he added.

“Does the US want a “forever pandemic”?”

“Moral imperative to stop observing the bully’s sanctions,” Zarif reiterated.

Zarif made the remarks in reaction to President Trump telephone conversation with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday to ask if South Korea could send medical equipment to the U.S. to help combat the coronavirus.

Iranian Non-Governmental Organizations in a letter to the United Nations Secretary General António Guterres demanded the removal of the US anti-Iran sanctions.

In the letter, the organizations some of whom hold UN consultative status warned the world that the lives of Iranians has put in danger because of the US santions admid the outbreak of the deadly COVID-19.

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Iran’s crude oil exports hit 2,617 mbd in April 2018, a new record since implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) back in January 2016.

The record was gained amid US President Donald Trump’s threats to pull out of the deal that was struck between Tehran and the P5+1 group of countries to curb parts of Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for eased sanctions on the OPEC member’s vital economic sectors.

The National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) exported an average of 2.877 million barrels per day of crude oil and gas condensate during the month to Asian and European markets which was an unprecedented figure since implementation of the JCPOA.

Iran’s traditional oil customers, China, India, South Korea and Japan, bought over 60% of its petroleum cargoes during the month.

China and India alone imported roughly 1.4 mbd from Iran during the month.

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Exports volume for Iran’s crude oil stands at two million and one hundred thousand barrels per day (mb/d) in March 2018. The figure is expected to increase in April 2018.

China and India are the largest buyers of Iranian crude, with more than one million barrels in total.

The figure is expected to reach nearly 1.3 million barrels per day in April, while China and India will maintain their position as the first and second largest oil importers of Iranian crude.

Dutch-British Shell, France Total, Italian ENI and Saras Companies, Greek Hellenic Petroleum and Spain Repsol and Hungary MOL are among Iranian oil customers in Europe.

According to the Oil Ministry’s report, Iran has also exported 400,000 barrels per day of condensates during the March with South Korea was the biggest customer with purchasing half of the amount.

South Korea has requested for more gas condensate from Iran, however, due to increased domestic consumption and its allocation to Persian Gulf Star Oil Co., there is no possibility of realizing South Korea’s demands for it. South Korea now receives about 200,000 barrels of gas condensate per day from Iran.

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The team sport of polo, which is played on horseback, together with the Iranian bowed string instrument of Kamancheh are set to be added to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists by the end of the current year.

Farhad Nazari, head of the Registration Department at Iran Cultural Heritage, Handcraft and Tourism Organization, said on Thursday that the pair has already been shortlisted as Iran’s intangible cultural heritages, and they will be documented under the 2003 Convention and during the 12th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which will take place from December 4 to December 8 in the South Korean capital of Seoul.

Polo was invented and first played in Iran (or ancient Persia) thousands of years ago. The original name of polo is “Chogan” and in Iran the game is still referred to as “Chogan”. The first recorded game reportedly took place in 600 BC in ancient Persia.

The objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Players score by driving a small hard white ball into the opposing team’s goal using a long-handled wooden mallet.

The modern sport of polo is played on a grass field of 270 by 150 meters (300 by 160 yards). Each polo team consists of four riders and their polo ponies.

Arena polo has three players per team, and the game usually involves more maneuvering and shorter plays at lower speeds due to space limitations of arenas. Arena polo is played with a small air-filled ball, similar to a small football.

little bow

Iranian bowed string instrument of Kamancheh

Kamancheh, which means “little bow” in Persian, is used also in Armenian, Azerbaijani, Turkish, and Kurdish music. The strings are played with a variable-tension bow.

Well-known Iranian kamancheh players are Ali Asghar Bahari, Ardeshir Kamkar and Kayhan Kalhor.

The Turkish kemençe is a bowed string instrument with a very similar or identical name, but it differs significantly in structure and sound from the Persian kamancheh.

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Iran, the world’s biggest gas reserve holder (33.5 trillion cubic meters, 18 percent of the total) has increased its gas output significantly and is targeting an output of 1 bcm/d by March 20, 2018.

Iran prefers to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) to distant markets including the EU, but no agreement has yet been reached on the construction of plants for the purpose, reported Trend News Agency.

The country’s sole LNG project, the 52-percent completed ‘Iran LNG’ needs an investment of about $8-10 billion and talks with foreign investors haven’t yielded any results so far.

Last year, Managing Director of National Iranian Oil Company Ali Kardor said that Iran is targeting exports of 0.5-2 million metric tons per year (MT/y) of LNG using mini-LNG plants and floating LNG vessels (FLNG) — Iran’s alternative projects to export LNG.

The country has signed memorandum of understandings (MoU) with South Korean Kogas on the development of LNG projects as well as with National Energy Administration of China on developing mini-LNG projects.

However, talks on purchasing or manufacturing floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) vessels in recent months have so far yielded no results.

Now, Kardor says that Iran’s first deal on the construction of a FLNG facility will soon be signed with a Norwegian company.

The 20-year deal is intended to produce 500,000 tons of LNG, Kardor said on October 10, adding that pricing formula of the products will be determined by the Oil Ministry.

He did not disclose the name of the Norwegian firm, but last year it was announced that Tehran is negotiating with Norwegian Golar and Hemla Vantage companies.

Golar owns one of the largest FLNG fleets in the world, while Hemla Vantage was keen to lease a FLNG vessel from a Belgian company, Exmar, to collect and liquefy flaring gas in offshore fields around Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf (the amount of yearly collection and liquidation of flaring gas in Kharg Island can stand at 0.5 MT).

Launching FLNG and mini-LNG facilities will help Iran diversify and expand its natural gas market.

The projects will also grant the country chance to convert its flaring gas (mostly from burning associated gas in the oil sector), which currently amounted at about 11 billion cubic meters per year (bcm/y), into LNG.

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Iran broke the 15-year spell of not obtaining any finance from European banks by signing major deals with Austrian and Danish banks to secure funding for its development projects.

The contracts were signed in the Austrian capital of Vienna by an Iranian banking delegation which included representatives of 14 domestic banks headed by Mohammad Khazaei, the president of the Organization for Investment Economic and Technical Assistance of Iran. Deputy Head of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) for Foreign Exchange Affairs Ahmad Araqchi was also a member of the delegation.

The first major finance deal worth €1 billion was signed on Thursday between Austria’s Oberbank and a dozen Iranian banks. The Austrian bank thus became one of the first European financial institutions to break the ice in providing loans for Iranian projects following the removal of Western sanctions in early 2016.

Oberbank, Austria’s seventh-biggest bank, with a balance sheet of roughly €20 billion ($24 billion), signed the deal with 14 Iranian banks at its headquarters in Linz.

President of the Organization for Investment, Economic and Technical Assistance of Iran Mohammad Khazaei (2nd L) and Oberbank’s Chief Executive Franz Gasselsberger (2nd R) attend a press conference following the signing of a major finance deal between 14 Iranian banks and the Austrian bank in Vienna on September 21, 2017.

The move was groundbreaking particularly given that many banks — mainly those from Europe — are still standing away from Iran’s funding prospects over fears that they may fall afoul of remaining US sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

Officials in Tehran are hoping that this would set the stage for similar moves by other European banks in the near future.

The Iranian signatories included veteran private banks such as Parsian Bank, Saman Bank, Eqtesad Novin Bank, Bank Parargad, Karafarin Bank and the newly established Middle East Bank. Others were former state banks that were privatized over the past few years such as Bank Melli Iran, Bank Mellat, Bank Sepah, Tejarat Bank, Bank of Industry and Mine, Export Development Bank of Iran, Refah Bank and Keshavarzi Bank.

The agreement which envisages a funding ceiling of €1 billion covers projects by Austrian companies in Iran’s production and development projects lasting more than two years.

Speaking on the sidelines of the signing ceremony, Oberbank’s Chief Executive Franz Gasselsberger said, “Today was a great day in the two countries’ relations as this was the first finance deal between a European bank and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Although the negotiations on the deal took long for several months, the outcome was quite favorable and satisfying for both sides.”

He added the contract will prepare the ground for Austrian companies and industries in different sectors, particularly health and infrastructure, to invest in Iranian projects and export products and modern technologies to the Middle Eastern state.

“In case on some day in the future, we look back at this day, we will realize that this contract has served as a turning point for the two sides to deepen their relations.”

Gasselsberger said Iran’s economy, in addition to those in Austria and other European countries, is extremely attractive for the entire world as the Middle Eastern state has a hardworking and smart young generation that can create great opportunities for their own country and other nations.

“There must be a win-win situation for Iran and international companies. Nevertheless, we should not forget about political aspects.”

Earlier in September, Gasselsberger told Reuters that the agreement covered projects by Austrian companies in areas that were previously under sanctions.

“We have very concrete projects in the fields of infrastructure, rail, health, hospital construction, factory building, photovoltaics, hydro power,” he had stressed.

Export credit guarantees covering 99 percent of a project’s volume will be provided by the Oesterreichische Kontrollbank, the main Austrian body that issues them, Reuters added.

“The sticking point was obtaining an additional guarantee from the Iran,” Gasselsberger said. “We negotiated with the Iranian central bank but the guarantee is evidently coming from the Iranian Finance Ministry.”

President of the Organization for Investment, Economic and Technical Assistance of Iran Mohammad Khazaei (C) at the signing ceremony of a finance deal worth €500 million with representatives (R) of Denmark’s Danske Bank in Vienna on September 21, 2017.

Deal with Denmark’s Danske

The other finance contract, very similar to the one with the Austrian bank, was also signed on Thursday, between the Iranian team and Denmark’s Danske Bank.

The deal is worth €500 million and sees 10 Iranian banks on the receiving end. Following the contract the Danish bank became the second European lender to ink such an agreement with Iran.

The Iranian signatories to the agreement were Saman Bank, Bank Mellat, Tejarat Bank, Bank Melli Iran, Bank of Industry and Mine, Bank Sepah, Bank Pasargad, Eqtesad Novin Bank, Keshavarzi Bank, and Parsian Bank.

They will act as the agent banks, providing civil projects in Iran with the Danish fund, according to an announcement by the website of the Central Bank of Iran.

Danske Bank, founded in 1871 and headquartered in Copenhagen, is the largest bank in Denmark and a major retail bank in the northern European region with over five million retail customers. It was number 454 on the Fortune Global 500 list for 2011.

MoU on infrastructural projects

In addition, the Iranian delegation also signed an MoU late on Thursday with the EKF Bank of Denmark to finance infrastructural projects in Iran.

The memo will make it possible to finance Iranian projects in various sectors later.

The deals with Oberbank and Danske came on the heels of a similar move between China’s CITIC Group and a consortium of Iranian banks to provide loans worth a collective of $10 billion for the country’s infrastructure projects.

Iran had also in late August secured an €8-billion credit line from South Korea’s Eximbank — what was seen as the country’s biggest loan deal since the removal of sanctions against it in early 2016.

Accordingly, officials in Seoul said the deal would finance projects in Iran by companies from South Korea.

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Iran signed a multibillion dollar deal on Monday with French oil giant Total and Chinese state oil company CNPC to further develop the country’s giant South Pars Gas Field in cooperation with Iran’s Petropars.

The first major Western energy investment since sanctions against Tehran were lifted will cost up to $5 billion, with production expected to start within 40 months, an Oil Ministry source said, Reuters reported.

The US and other world powers lifted sanctions after the country pledged to roll back its nuclear program.

With the 20-year deal, Total is now returning to Iran, where it first began operating in the 1990s. Total CEO Patrick Pouyanné said in a statement on Monday that the investment would be “in strict compliance with applicable national and international laws”.

The US still has restrictions in place that block most American companies from investing in Iran. And some Western companies have been reluctant to jump in since Iran still faces sanctions that prevent firms from transacting with Iran in US dollars.

Total estimates the first phase of the project will cost around $2 billion. It is taking a 50.1 percent stake in the South Pars project. CNPC will own 30 percent while the other 19.9 percent will go to Petropars.

The project will have a production capacity of two billion cubic feet per day, or 400,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day including condensate, according to Total.

Iran’s Oil Ministry predicts the project will eventually produce gas products worth $54 billion based on current prices. The gas will start flowing into the Iranian market in 2021.

Iran has significantly ramped up its energy production since the sanctions were relaxed.

Figures from OPEC show Iran has boosted its daily crude oil production by more than 33 percent since 2015.

Iran sits on nine percent of the world’s proven oil reserves and 18 percent of the planet’s natural gas, according to data from BP’s Statistical Review of World Energy.

Iran and Qatar share the South Pars field.

Iran has signed a flurry of deals with Western companies over the past year since the easing of international sanctions on Tehran after an accord was reached over its nuclear program.

Iran needs foreign investment to repair and upgrade its oil and gas fields. It also seeks the transfer of technology to its oil industry after a decade of sanctions.

Iran has named 34 companies from over a dozen countries as being eligible to bid for oil and gas projects using the new, less restrictive contract model.

The firms include Shell, France’s Total, Italy’s Eni, Malaysia’s Petronas and Russia’s Gazprom and Lukoil, as well as companies from China, Austria, Japan and other countries.

Russia’s Zarubezhneft signed an MoU to conduct feasibility studies on two joint fields in the west of the country.

Norway‘s International Aker Solutions Company signed an MoU to modernize Iran’s oil industry.

In May 2016, Austria’s OMV signed an MoU for projects in the Zagros area in western Iran and the Fars field in the south.

South Korean Daewoo Engineering and Construction (Daewoo E&C) signed an MoU to construct an oil refinery in Bandar Jask, on the southern coast of Iran.

Italy’s Saipem signed MoUs to cooperate on pipeline projects, upgrading of refineries and development of Tous gas field in the northeastern province of Khorasan Razavi.

Norwegian oil and gas company DNO said it was the second Western energy company after Total to sign a deal with Iran under which it agreed to study the development of the Changuleh oilfield in western Iran.

Lukoil, Russia’s second biggest oil producer, hopes to reach a decision on developing two new oilfields in Iran.

Germany’s Siemens AG signed an MoU in May to overhaul equipment and facilities at Iran’s oil operations and refineries.

BASF’s Wintershall oil and gas exploration subsidiary signed an MoU with the National Iranian Oil Company in April 2016.

President Rouhani:
Developing South Pars Phase 11 not only an economic contract, but also a scientific, technological, management cooperation

President Rouhani met with the Chairman and CEO of France’s Total company and described South Pars region as an important centre for developing international cooperation with Iran in the field of energy-technology.

In the meeting that was held on Monday in Tehran, Dr Rouhani told Total’s Patrick Pouyanné: “Due to the good potentials and hard-working young men in Iran, the contract of developing Phase 11 of South Pars is not only an economic one, but also a scientific, technological and management cooperation”.

Total CEO: We seek a long-term cooperation with Iran

“The Islamic Republic of Iran and France have always had good relations and cooperation with each other,” he continued saying.

Referring to France’s position in economy and energy technology, he added: “The signing and execution of this contract will be a significant step in development of economic and technological cooperation between the two countries”.

Stating that the 11th administration has attempted to finalise the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to clear the path for economic cooperation between major companies and Iran, the President said: “Fortunately, this political will from the Iranian side and among P5+1 countries paved the way for this agreements with Total”.

President also referred to his Europe and France visit after the signing of JCPOA, adding: “In Paris, there was a good political will among the authorities of both countries to develop cooperation and important agreements were signed between the two countries to deepen ties and cooperation”.

“It is our policy to cooperate with major companies such as Total,” said Dr Rouhani, adding: “Currently, projects in gas and oil worth roughly $200bn are ready to be invested on and major foreign companies can cooperate in these projects”.

“We must work hard to achieve peace and stability in the region serving economic progress and development of the region, because scientific and developmental cooperation can help us combat ignorance and poverty as the bedrocks of terrorism expansion,” he continued.

The President also expressed hope that with the new agreements and cooperation in the field of gas, oil and petrochemicals, Iran and France take considerable steps in developing ties.

During the meeting, the Chairman and CEO of France’s Total company Patrick Pouyanné also expressed happiness over meeting the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran and described the contract as a very important one, saying: “Today, we are very happy that we could finalise and execute the contract with the help of the authorities of the two countries”.

Stating that the JCPOA agreement has paved the way for further development of relations between European countries and Iran, he said: “We are optimistic about our cooperation with Iranian companies”.

“We seek a long-term cooperation with Iran,” continued Pouyanné.

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Iran moved up to the 55th place at the latest FIFA Women’s World Ranking released on Friday.

Despite not qualifying for the 2018 AFC Asian Women’s Cup Finals, Islamic Republic of Iran’s efforts at the qualifiers proved to be notable as the team moved up to 55th place.

Iran was also previously unranked, the-afc wrote.

Jordan is the biggest Asian movers in the ranking, while Japan continue to lead.

In the recent 2018 AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers, Jordan finished undefeated in a six-team Group A with five wins. Its impressive performance was rewarded by the previously unranked team moving to 50th in the FIFA World Ranking.

Come next April, host Jordan will square off against Asia’s best for the continental title.

Asia’s Top 10 (global rankings in brackets):
Japan (6th)
Australia (7th)
DPR Korea (10th)
China PR (14th)
Korea Republic (16th)
Thailand (29th)
Vietnam (32nd)
Uzbekistan (41st)
Chinese Taipei (42nd)
Myanmar (45th)

The next FIFA Women’s World Ranking will be released on September 1.

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Iranian national football team (also known as Team Melli) qualified for the 2018 World Cup in Russia for the second time in a row.

Team Melli defeated Uzbekistan 2-0 in Tehran’s Azadi Stadium.

The two teams observed one minute of silence as a mark of respect to those who lost their lives in terror attacks in Tehran.

Sardar Azmoun, who was chosen as the Man of the Match, opened the scoring for Carlos Queiroz’s team in the 23rd minute. The Rostov striker has scored 19 goals in 26 matches for Team Melli.

Iran could have scored the second goal in the 48th minute but Masoud Shojaei missed penalty kick.

Mehdi Taremi finished off Uzbekistan in the 88th minute, finding the back of the net from inside the area.

Iran cemented its position at the top of Group A with 20 points.

South Korea is second with 13 points with one game in hands.

Uzbekistan sits third with 12 points.

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Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani inaugurated five new phases of the South Pars Gas Field on Sunday which were completed at a cost of $20 billion, local media reported.

The inauguration of phases 17-21 paves the way for Iran to overtake neighboring Qatar in production from the offshore gas field which it shares with Iran, Iranian officials said, reported AFP.

Iran has so far developed 12 phases in the field – phases 1, 2&3, 4&5, 6-8, 9&10, 15&16.  The remaining phases are 11, 12, 13, 14 and 22-24.

“Our production has reached 575 million cubic meters per day,” said Rouhani at the ceremony.

Iran’s total gas production is 885 million cubic meters per day.

It is estimated that production from every two phases of South Pars would generate $3.5-$4 billion for Iran. Reports further said that the total investments in phases that were inaugurated today would be reimbursed within less than two years.

“At the height of sanctions, with the help of Iranian engineers and workers, we succeeded in developing 11 phases of South Pars,” noted Oil Minister Bijan Namadar Zanganeh.

South Pars is the largest known gas reserves in the world. Iran has the largest gas reserves in the world, and the fourth-largest oil reserves.

Each of the new projects produces 28 million cubic meters per day, Zanganeh told reporters late Saturday.

Qatar announced earlier this month that it was ending a 12-year ban on new projects at its section of the shared field. Qataris call their part of the deposit the North Field, which together with South Pars forms the world’s largest reserves of non-associated gas. Iran has no plans to impede Qatar over its activities at North Field, Zanganeh said. “They can carry out their development projects as we do ours,” he said.

 Iranian President Hassan Rouhani inaugurated Phase 19 development project of the South Pars gas field (SP. 19).

Iran is targeting the export of 50 million cubic meters of gas per day to neighboring Iraq once that country can arrange for a letter of credit to finance the purchase, Zanganeh said.

Since the nuclear deal went into effect in January 2016, Iran has increased oil production from 2.6 million barrels per day (mbd) to 3.9 mbd, while more than doubling its oil exports.

Iran has signed a flurry of deals with Western companies over the past year since the easing of international sanctions on Tehran after an accord was reached over its nuclear program.

Iran needs foreign investment for repairs and upgrading of its oil and gas fields. It also seeks the transfer of technology to its oil industry after a decade of sanctions.

In November 2016, France’s Total became the first oil major to sign a big deal with Tehran since the lifting of sanctions and agreed to help it develop the world’s largest gas field, South Pars.

Shell signed a provisional deal in December to develop Iranian oil and gas fields of South Azadegan, Yadavaran and Kish.

Iran has named 29 companies from more than a dozen countries as being eligible to bid for oil and gas projects using the new, less restrictive contract model.

The firms include Shell, France’s Total, Italy’s Eni, Malaysia’s Petronas and Russia’s Gazprom and Lukoil, as well as companies from China, Austria, Japan and other countries.

Russia’s Zarubezhneft signed an MoU for a feasibility study on two joint fields in the west of the country.

Norway’s International Aker Solutions Company signed an MoU to modernize Iran’s oil industry.

Last May, Austria’s OMV signed an MoU for projects in the Zagros area in western Iran and the Fars field in the south.

South Korean Daewoo Engineering and Construction (Daewoo E&C) signed an MoU to construct an oil refinery in Bandar Jask, on the southern coast of Iran.

Italy’s Saipem signed MoUs to cooperate on pipeline projects, upgrading of refineries and development of Tous gas field in the northeastern province of Khorasan Razavi.

Norwegian oil and gas company DNO said it was the second Western energy company after Total to sign a deal with Iran under which it agreed to study the development of the Changuleh oilfield in western Iran.

Lukoil, Russia’s second biggest oil producer, hopes to reach a decision on developing two new oilfields in Iran.

Germany’s Siemens AG signed an MoU in May to overhaul equipment and facilities at Iran’s oil operations and refineries.

BASF’s Wintershall oil and gas exploration subsidiary signed an MoU with the National Iranian Oil Company in April 2016.

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