Iran Air lines will resume flights between Tehran ,Istanbul and Dubai after Coronavirus Covid-19 outbreak.

Iranian airline to resume Tehran-Istanbul flights

Iran Air, the airline of the Islamic Republic of Iran, will resume flights between Tehran and Istanbul as of Monday, July 13, according to an official.

The head of Iran Air Public Relations Office, Hossein Jahani, said on Sunday that the airline will operate its first flight along the Tehran-Istanbul route on Monday after a four-month hiatus.

Iran Air is scheduled to operate two flights per week (Mondays and Fridays) from Tehran to Istanbul and vice versa, the official added.

Flights between Iran and Turkey were suspended about five months ago from the closure of borders due to the coronavirus outbreak.

In early March, based on the coordination between Iran and Turkey, two special flights were conducted from Istanbul to Tehran to bring home the Iranian visitors stranded in Turkey.

The two countries are considering reopening borders and resuming the flights which have been suspended since March over the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tehran-Dubai tourist flights resumed

The tourist flights of Tehran and Dubai have been resumed since July 09 during the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, by observing health protocols.

An Iranian Airline revealed the remarks on Sun. and announced, “the passenger flights of the Airline en route Tehran-Dubai-Tehran have been resumed since Thursday, July 9 amid the pandemic by fully observing health protocols and guidelines.”

In addition, the Airline has also revealed the launch of a daily flight via this route by full compliance with health guidelines.

It should be noted that passengers are admitted only with a tourist visa or a valid stay permit so that admitting passengers in transit form is impossible until further notice.

Head of Iran Export Confederation Mohammad Lahouti says achieving the $42 billion non-oil export target which the country has set for the current Iranian calendar year (ends on March 20, 2021) is possible considering the recent improvements in exports.

“Considering the growth of [non-oil] exports in late 1398 [previous Iranian calendar year ended on March 19] which continued in the current year, the exports are expected to grow significantly in the second half of the year, and hopefully we will achieve the foreseen target,” Lahouti told ILNA.

“Of course, we missed the first quarter of this year due to the coronavirus outbreak and the closure of borders; however, since over 80 percent of the border crossings have been reopened, the exports growth will be much higher in [the Iranian calendar month of] Khordad (May 21-June 20),” he added.

He further noted that it could also be possible for the exports to increase in the second half of the year to even exceed the $42 billion target.

Mentioning the preferential trade deal with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the official said Eurasia will be a great export opportunity this year and we have also the largest markets in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“China and India are also among our target markets; we are trying to increase our exports to China and hopefully our exports to India will return to normal levels as well.”

According to Lahouti, the Ministry of Industry, Mining and Trade is targeting 15 neighboring countries for non-oil exports in the current year, and the diversity of the target markets has not changed much.

Iran to launch joint chamber office in Syria

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Export Confederation head said Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) has purchased a building in Syria and the office of Iran-Syria joint chamber of commerce in the Arab country will be opened soon.

“Naturally, by launching the Iranian Chamber of Commerce office in Syria, we can expand exports and investment in this country,” he said.

“When the Syrian market opens and conditions return to normal, we will have various plans for this country as well.”

The official noted that Syria is looking for joint investment, and Iran’s goal is to increase non-oil export to the country.

“Syria is also a good market for joint ventures, but infrastructure must be provided and protocols must be followed,” Lahouti emphasized.

It was only hours before the year 2020 began that China made public the emergence of a highly contagious new respiratory disease – or COVID-19. The world, which prior to the announcement, seemed more than capable of controlling and containing a potential outbreak, has since been crawling on its feet, struggling to adapt to a “new normal.”
In late February, the virus found its way to Iran prompting officials to introduce sweeping measures like the closure of schools, sports clubs, and even mosques and other religious sites across the country. People were also strictly advised to stay home and practice social distancing when outdoors.

It was in late March and as Iran’s sports community was still reeling from the shock of the pandemic, the suspension of all sporting events and the postponement of the olympic games to 2021 when it received another bitter blow; the country’s lone Olympic track and field medalist, Ehsan Hadadi, had tested positive for the coronavirus.

After recovering from the malicious disease Ehsan recounted his experience battling the virus. He said:
“It was really difficult to breathe but I hadn’t lost hope. Fear is your worst enemy while fighting this disease. If you are afraid, you can not overcome this. My high morale was a great help. This disease is no joke. It can infect anyone. So, whoever you are, stay home and take safety guidelines seriously.”
Aside from finicalical implications, the postponement of the Summer Olympics in Tokyo has also had a ripple effect on the morale of the athletes who saw their childhood dreams put on hold and years of training extended. 52 Iranian athletes who have already qualified for 11 events now have to reset their mental preparations.

The 2020 Olympics – now the 2021 Olympics- are the first ever games to be postponed in peace-time. The event that was initially scheduled to start July 24 is now pushed all the way back to the summer of 2021.
This decision came out of a phone call between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach on March 25 to make sure athletes can compete in their best condition and spectators can enjoy safe games.
The National Olympic Academy of Iran had to – naturally- suspend its activities following an order by Iran’s coronavirus control center. But the Academy continued its consultation services for athletes online or over the phone. It also started offering online courses for PE teachers in Olympics Values Education.

For a period of time, Iran was behind China with the highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths. But the country soon recovered from the first wave of the outbreak and assumed the control of the situation despite US economic sanctions that have drastically constrained the ability of the country to finance humanitarian imports, including medicines and medical equipment.

Iranian athletes and champions released a video clip in solidarity with the people of the world which was warmly received by the sports community and was shared on the website of Association of National Olympic Committees.

In recent history, we Iranians have gone through years of war and sanctions. And I am only sure that we will put this new crisis behind us victoriously. So keep your spirits up and never lose hope.

Iran Olympic Review
Episode 1: Iran and Coronavirus covid-19
Reporter: Farbod Khalili
Cameraman: Mohsen Roushandeh
Video Editor: Amirhassan Saadati
Editor in chief and producer: Sadeq Hosseini
Production: Public Relation Of Iran National Olympic Committee & Iran This Way
www.olympic.ir
www.iranthisway.com

Sadeq Hosseini, Farbod Khalili: Nowrouz, the Persian New Year, is by far the most important date in the Persian calendar. The two-week holiday that heralds the spring comes packed with a string of ancient traditions that include family visits of course. That tradition – like many other facets of our lives – was transformed by the unfolding drama of the COVID-19 global outbreak.

Nowrouz under coronavirus lockdown meant no family reunions, no gifts and no dinners, but also meant no parks, no cinemas and no concerts. So Tehran’s municipality came up with a brilliant idea to bring some musical joy to Iranian families in quarantine during these hard times; to livestream one concert every single night of the 15-day holiday.

So on Friday April 3, the NowrouzKhaneh campaign was launched. The concerts were live-streamed on 46 different websites and platforms (ipTVs, VODs – Video-on-Demand). They were also streamed live on Instagram.

Before the pandemic closed down businesses and sent everyone home self-quarantining, Milad Tower was one of the main cultural hubs of Tehran, hosting major festivals and holding various other cultural events. So, the venue was rightfully picked to host the online concerts during coronavirus lockdown.
The Milad Tower standing at 435 meters, the world’s sixth-tallest tower dominates the capital’s skyline.

The online concerts in Coronavirus days on Nowrouz 2020 performed by:
Omid Hajili
Mehdi Jahani
Rouzbeh Bemani
Azeri group of Master Vahid Asadollahi
Reza Yazdani
Rahim Shahriari
Hamid Asgari
Gil and Amard Group, Nasser Vahdati
Mehdi Yaghmaei
Kurdish group Zhavana, Sadollah Nasiri
Hamid Hami
Sina Sarlak
Rastak group
Ali Zandvakili
Lian Bushehr Group

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Tehran municipality: Initiative aimed for concert-virgins under quarantine

Mohamad Reza Javadi Yeganeh, Deputy of cultural & social affairs of Tehran municipality said: “Since people could not leave their homes during the New Year holidays, we sat together and came up with the idea of online concerts or concerts in empty halls. The idea was to bring the concerts to people’s homes. We also had the concept of fair distribution in mind. Many people in Iran had never been to a concert both due to cultural and economic reasons. Tehran Municipality joined forces with the culture ministry, and Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) [to make this happen] via ipTVs and VODs.”

“Bands selected from pop, traditional, folklore genres to appeal to all”
We selected pop, classical and folklore music bands to appeal to all different tastes in Tehran. Given the unknown risks involved, many of the bands were unwilling to participate. The idea of ‘a concert without a crowd’ was far-fetched to some, director of cultural affairs department in Tehran municipality said.

“Tiva TV broadcast concert signals to over 40 platforms”

Majid Sahaf, channel director of Tiva IPTV about broadcasting the concerts said: “Tiva readily picked up the offer by Tehran Municipality, given its technical capacity and experience in the field. We were required to transmit the signal [of the concerts] to all various platforms and streaming services all around the country. And we made this operational. From the first night on, over 40 different platforms used our services. And this went on for 15 consecutive nights. Most of the people used the easiest mode of access which was through web streaming. Their next choice was applications, android and iOS respectively, and finally smart TVs. Many were doubtful about the internet infrastructure in the country. But we faced no issues in receiving and transmitting the signal. People also had no issues streaming at home. No complaints were recorded in these 15 nights.”

Tehran mayor: Online concerts well received by people

Pirouz Hanachi, Tehran Mayor said: “It’s definitely been a positive experience because the world is also following suit. Many famous musicians are performing online these days. I think we set a record [of viewers]. We exceeded the five-million mark in mid-holidays. People well received the concerts.”

Gholamhossein Mohammadi an advisor to Tehran’s mayor wrote on twitter that:
“A brilliant idea enabled five million people who’d joined the StayHome campaign to fight the spread of coronavirus to watch live the first-ever online concert broadcast from Milad Tower. Tehran’s municipality feels compelled to protect the health and wellbeing of citizens.”

“Iranians, expats watched online concerts”

Javadi Yeganeh mentions that: “Level of participation was beyond our expectations. Part of this came from Tehran and the rest from outside Tehran and even overseas. The President Rouhani expressed his gratitude.”

“Over 30 million unique IPs streamed online concerts”
Director of cultural affairs department in Tehran municipality informed: “According to the numbers we received daily from the association of IPTVs, over 30 million unique IPs watched the concerts in these 15 nights. The biggest achievement of the online concerts was making culture and music accessible to all walks of life in the country during the difficult quarantine days”.

But did the concerts truly attract people’s attention or was this remark an empty official rhetoric?

“The first time I watched an online concert was about 30 something days into my home quarantine. Although I had kept myself busy with different activities, I was feeling depressed and in low spirits. It was quite a surprising scene; the concert was being held in an empty hall but apart from that it was like a normal concert with the stage and props and things like that. After performing each song, the singer would call up and introduce one of the band members who then would bow to the camera. In normal circumstances, the crowd would applaud him but since the hall was empty, there was no applause, and the artists would only bow to a quiet hall. It was a strange and surreal experience. Nonetheless, the experience felt very real to me. Although I was at home in my PJs and drawing while watching the concert, every time I enjoyed a performance I would clap to it as if I’d actually been there in the concert hall. So it was a really interesting experience.”
Fatemeh Tehrani, Tourism Activist

“In these monotonous and boring quarantine days, watching live an hour-long concert by Reza Yazdani was a big surprise for my wife and I. I’m sure its memory will stay with us for years to come.”
Mohsen Saemi, Construction Project Manager

“I always thought going to concerts was an expensive activity, and given the inadequate infrastructure, only a few people could experience it, maybe not more than 2% of the population. But when I was watching these online concerts with my family at home, I felt that now with these concerts, many people can experience -at least to some extent- how live concerts really feel.”
Seyed Milad Nazemi, Journalist

“In these times while some still haven’t grasped the gravity of the situation and think all these safety measures and home-quarantining are nothing but an unnecessary obsession, with others panicking and getting depressed from staying home for long periods, the municipality’s introduction of the initiative only shows the gravity of the situation and the halt in normal day activities. On the other hand, it shows it cares about people and has plans for their lockdown days to make them more tolerable.”
Mahsa Mousavi, Neurologist

The musicians also welcomed the municipality’s initiative:

Rastak Singer: Online concerts in coronavirus lockdown ‘innovative idea’

Farzad Moradi, Singer, Rastak Music Band Emphasized: “I think Iranians are culture and art-loving people who enjoy going to concerts; something that has been missing from their lives [as a consequence of the coronavirus lockdown]. We are glad to see the Municipality organize the events despite all limitations. It was an innovative idea. I hope artists can use this platform for as long as the disease is among us. Our performance is audience-oriented. To be honest, we have never had any such experience before, and It was really difficult. During our concerts, given our considerable experience, our main concern is not music but the emotional give and take between us, the musicians, and the audience.”

First time experiencing concert in empty hall

Also Sina Sarlak, Singer said: “This is the first time in my whole musical career that I am performing in an empty concert hall.”

It could be really disappointing to see the concert that you have been counting days for postponed or cancelled altogether.
Both for fans and the artists themselves. That’s why musicians of all stripes and sizes from all around the world are taking to social and streaming platforms these days to play live for their fans from their homes or empty venues.

This might be an intuition, or a false hope. But I strongly believe we will ultimately win the fight against COVID-19. The virus, however, is likely to stay among us for quite some time. So for the time being we have to learn to adjust to this new reality of life. This might come with some complications but also with some fortunate by-products like the virtual concerts. In the meantime, keep your safe distance with others and follow health guidelines.

Tehran Review
Episode 1, Online concert during coronavirus
Editor in Chief and Producer: Sadeq Hosseini
Reporter: Farbod Khalili
Cameraman: Saeed Naeeni
Edit: Amirhassan Saadati
Production: Iran This Way
In Cooperate: Shahr news agency and Commutation center of Tehran Municipality
www.shahr.ir
www.tehran.ir
Iranthisway.com

Acclaimed Iranian author and translator Najaf Daryabandari, who translated many of the world’s outstanding literary works into Persian, died on Monday at the age of 91.

His son, Sohrab, gave the news on his Instagram page. He wanted Daryabandari’s fans not to visit his house because of the coronavirus outbreak, IRNA reported.

Daryabandari began his translation career at the age of 18 with short works by William Faulkner.

Born in 1929 in Iran’s southern city of Abadan, Daryabandari has some masterpieces in his works, including ‘A Farewell to Arms’ and ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ by Ernest Hemingway.

Other translations by Najaf Daryabandari include ‘The Prophet and the Madman’ by Gibran Khalil Gibran, ‘Ragtime’ and ‘Billy Bathgate’ by Edgar Lawrence Doctorow, ‘A Rose for Emily’ and ‘As I Lay Dying,’ by William Faulkner and ‘A History of Western Philosophy’ by Bertrand Russell.

Daryabandari received the Thornton Wilder Prize from Columbia University for translating American literary works.

In 2017, Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO) named Daryabandari as a “Living Human Treasure.”

After losing his wife and suffering from brain strokes, Daryabandari stopped working. He was a sociable man and many Iranian writers and poets were among his friends.

He never attended university and was a self-taught teacher.

Daryabandari once said that translation is not a science; it is an action to be learned through regular or irregular practice – through trial and error.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi, officials and literary figures and organizations have expressed their condolences over the sad demise of the acclaimed Iranian translator.

Tehraners enjoy the chance to experience the drive-in cinema at Milad Tower parking lot to watch Ebrahim Hatamikia’s latest feature, Exodus.

The first night of the program on Friday 1 may 2020 received huge welcome by cinema fans and all the tickets were sold out in less than two hours. Ordinary cinemas are still closed due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

The first case of Covid19 in Iran was officially announced on February 19, 2010

‘Khoniagaran-e Mehr’ the famous Iranian women traditional music group performed online during coronavirus. The first case of Covid19 in Iran was officially announced on February 19, 2010.

“Khonyagaran-e Mehr” is a female musicians band with a brilliant background, led by Behzad Abdi,that performs various concerts in persian music.
“Khonyagaran-e Mehr”, consists of twelve musicians, formed in may 2017. In August 2017 they held a successful concert at the Vahdat Hall with Mohammad Motamedi as a singer.

In October 2017, “Khonyagaran-e Mehr” performed at the “Eimehestan” festival in Armenia and received award from Culture Minister of Armenia.
In February 2017, “Khonyagaran-e Mehr” performed at the Fajr Festival with Vahid Taj as a singer.This performance was appreciated by the audience.
In july 2017, two music videos of Khonyagaran-e Mehr were displayed for a month in Expo of Kazakhstan.
In August 2018, “Khonyagaran-e Mehr” held a concert for Iranian ladies in Niavaran Cultural Center with a singer named “Sayeh Sodeyfi”.
In November 2017, the soloists of “Khonyagaran-e Mehr” held a concert with the Organizal Orchestra in Kostiol church in kiev, Ukraine.
In February 2018, “Khonyagaran-e Mehr” and Vahid Taj performed in Philharmonic Hall of kiev, Ukraine.

In February 2019, they performed at the Fajr Festival with Navid Norouzi as a singer.They also performed in closing the Fajr Music Festival.
In March 2019, they held successful performances in three cities of Germany : Berlin, Hamburg and Frankfurt.
In April 2019, they performed at the “le Magie des Hirondelles du Printemps” festival in Paris,France.
In April 2019, held concert in Bern,Switzerland.
In October 2019 held concert in Womex festival in Tampere, Finland.

WOMEX 19 is one of the world’s largest music events which hostd publishers, independent musicians, organizers, and state organizations in music every year from over 90 countries.

‘Khoniagaran-e Mehr’ founded and led by Behzad Abdi.

Mehrnam Rastegari (Kamancheh),
Samaneh Barouti, Nazanin Rousta (Qichak Alto),
Neginzadeh Vakili (Qichak Bass),
Hila Feyzpour (Tar),
Torgol Khaliqi (Tar and Rabab),
Seda Sedifi (Qanun),
Rokhsareh Rostami Daristani (Oud),
Bahareh Heydari (Tar Bass),
Sheida Ghazi (Ney),
Mehrnaz Dabirzadeh (Tombak and percussion instruments)

Behzad Abdi (born 1973, Tehran) is an Iranian composer of opera, film and television music

He came to international attention in 2006 with his “Nuclear Symphony”, commissioned by the government to celebrate Iran’s nuclear achievements.

The IMDb database cites film and television music for no less than 43 productions between 2010 and 2018.

Abdi studied setar and Iranian traditional music and also Western classical music at the Tchaikovsky Academy in Ukraine, beginning his studies there in 2003.

He has been described as “the first composer to write Iranian traditional opera fusing Iranian traditional and Western classical music.”

His opera “Rumi” from 2009, based on the life of Rumi, with libretto by Behrouz Gharibourm, and with Mohammad Motamadi, has been released on a UK label, Naxos.

Abdi is currently based in Kiev, Ukraine.

Statistical tables showed that 6,908,000 tons of steel ingot was exported from the country in the past Iranian calendar year [from March 21, 2019 to March 20, 2020], registering a 26 percent hike as compared to the last year’s corresponding period.

According to the Iranian Steel Producers Association (ISPA), 5,493,000 tons of steel ingot was exported from the country from March 21, 2018 to March 20, 2019.

Of total steel volume exported last year, 4,836,000 tons of bloom and billet hit the target markets, showing a 24 percent growth as compared to the same period of last year.

A study of statistical tables indicates that 3,455,000 tons of steel products were exported from the country, recording a 16 percent growth as compared to the same period of last year.

Accordingly, 5,000 tons of steel ingot was imported into the country last year [ended March 20, 2020], showing an 82 percent decline as compared to a year earlier.

Iran’s Health Ministry Spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour made the announcement on Monday that 70,933 Covid-19 patients have recovered from the disease in the country.

Noting that after 36 days, the number of people getting infected daily now stands at less than 1,000.

He added that in the past 24 hours, 991 new cases of coronavirus were reported, increasing the total number of infections in Iran to 91,472.

Some 96 coronavirus patients lost their lives in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 5,806, he added.

There were 3,011 people in intensive care, Jahanpour said, adding, of those infected, 70,933 have recovered.

So far, 432,329 tests have been taken across the country to detect infected cases, said the Health Ministry spokesman.

Saman Kojuri, Press TV: This year Iranians are observing Ramadan under the corona virus lockdown with bans on mass prayers.

Each year many practicing Muslims fast from dawn to dusk for the whole of the lunar month either 29 or 30 days depending on the moon sighting as part of the ritual of dedicating oneself to contemplation and prayer.

This year because of the deadly cornavirus, almost all Muslim-majority countries including Iran have closed mosques and asked people to pray at home to limit the spread of the disease.

In Ramadan, Muslims try to spend more time praying, reciting the Quran, and doing other religious social activities like helping the poor. Fasting is intended to bring the faithful closer to God and to remind them of the suffering of those less fortunate.

Unlike previous years this year Muslims in Iran cannot mark the “Nights of Glory” at mosques and religious sites as religious leaders have called on people to hold praying ceremony at home to stay safe. Muslims believe the holy book of Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammad almost 1400 years ago on the Nights of Glory.

During Ramadan, Muslims fast as an effective way of practicing self-discipline. They are also expected to strengthen their character through self-restraint charitable donations and introspection.