Iran, and Oman launched a new container shipping line to transit cargoes between the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas and Port Sultan Qaboos in Oman, IRNA reported, quoting the head of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization (TPO).

According to Hamid Zadboum, the line which officially started operation on Saturday is going to be used to transit container cargoes, mainly fruits, and vegetables, between the two countries.

Iran and Oman had signed a maritime cooperation agreement in December 2019 for boosting maritime transportation between the two countries.

Based on the agreement, Iranian traders and businessmen would be able to interact constructively with their Omani counterparts, and regular shipping lines were to be established between the two countries, while the two sides also pledged to provide facilities for using each other’s ports.

Iran and Oman have already launched four direct shipping lines between the two countries’ ports.

The first shipping route between the two countries was put into operation in March 2015 between Iran’s Bandar Abbas and Oman’s Sohar.

Later in December 2016, the two neighbors inaugurated direct shipping routes from two Omani ports to the Iranian port of Shahid Bahonar.

In December 2017, the two countries launched another shipping line to connect Iran’s port city of Khorramshahr to the Omani port of Sohar.

Share your view!

All of the platforms of Iran’s South Pars gas field are operating with 100 percent efficiency, IRNA reported, quoting the operation and production manager of Pars Oil and Gas Company (POGC) which is in charge of the development of the field.

“Fortunately, since the beginning of the previous year the efficiency of these platforms [South Pars operational platforms] has exceeded 100 percent and we are in a very good condition regarding safe and sustainable gas production,” Alireza Ebadi said.

He noted that the POGC health committee is holding daily meetings to monitor the health and safety of the company’s workforce, adding that “periodical meetings are also held for maintaining output and solving the problems regarding the platforms sustainable production.”

“All employees are monitored daily and the necessary actions are performed with great sensitivity and in a concise manner,” he stressed.

The last offshore platform of Iran’s South Pars gas field (shared with Qatar in the Persian Gulf) was installed on its designated spot in early March.

The last offshore platform of Iran’s South Pars gas field (shared with Qatar in the Persian Gulf) was installed on its designated spot in early March.

As one of the world’s biggest gas reserves, South Pars gas field covers an area of 9,700 square kilometers, 3,700 square kilometers of which, called South Pars, are in Iran’s territorial waters. The remaining 6,000 square kilometers, called North Dome, are situated in Qatar’s territorial waters.

The field is estimated to contain a significant amount of natural gas, accounting for about eight percent of the world’s reserves, and approximately 18 billion barrels of condensate. The field is divided into 24 standard phases.

South Pars is divided into 24 standard phases of development in the first stage. all of the phases except for the phase 11 are fully operational at the moment.

Share your view!

The value of trade between Iran and the members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) reached $1.489 billion in the five-month period after the implementation of the preferential trade agreement on October 27, 2019, IRNA reported.

According to the spokesman of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), Ruhollah Latifi, 67 percent of the mentioned figure has been the share of Iran’s imports and 33 percent was gained from exports.

The official put the weight of the exports to the EAEU countries at 1.15 million tons with a value of $489.9 million, while the imports from the zone were 2.95 million tons at the value of $999.3 million.

He further noted that the preferential exports of Iran to the EAEU zone have been 123,960 tons with a value of nearly $136 million, while the preferential imports stood at 2.38 million tons with a value of nearly $750 million.

Iran’s biggest export destination among the EAEU countries has been Russia which accounted for about 50 percent of the total trade with the region.

Armenia and Kazakhstan occupied the second and third places with 24.6 percent and 16 percent shares, he said.

The biggest EAEU exporter to Iran has also been Russia, accounting for 71.4 percent of EAEU export to Iran followed by Kazakhstan and Belarus, according to the official.

Iran’s exports to the EAEU members were mainly fresh apples, fresh and dried pistachios, liquefied natural gas, fresh kiwis, cucumbers and fermented cucumbers; and the main preferential-tariff goods exported to the zone has been kiwis, fresh pistachio, dried grapes, lettuce, cauliflower, and broccoli.

The main imported items from the EAEU zone have been barley, livestock corns, sunflower seed oil, meat, and newsprint.

After several years of negotiations, Iran and Eurasian Economic Union finally reached a free trade agreement in 2018 based on which about 862 commodity items are subject to preferential tariffs.

The interim agreement enabling the formation of a free trade area between Iran and the EAEU was signed on May 17, 2018, and officially came into force on October 27, 2019.

Iran is a very important market in the region and the development of ties with this country is of high significance for the EAEU members (Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan).

The free trade agreement between Iran and this union has laid the ground for the expansion of trade ties between the two sides.

EF/MA

Share your view!

During the first 15 days of the new Iranian calendar year which began on March 21, the National Iranian Drilling Company (NIDC) has drilled six oil and gas wells.

According to the company, Director of Consolidated Planning of NIDC Babak Zangeneh said the wells included 2 development wells and 4 workover projects, Shana reported on Saturday.

All the wells are in the fields operated by the National Iranian South Oil Company (NISOC).

NIDC enjoys 70 offshore and land drilling rigs.

In late January, an official with the company had said that drillings of oil and gas wells have hit over 132,000 meters during the past 10 months. Mohammad Al-Khamis, the company’s drilling operations deputy, noted that among the wells were 35 development/appraisal wells, 2 exploration wells, and 59 workover operations.

Share your view!

A high ranking official with the Iranian Ministry of Defense said that scientists of the body are working to produce the third generation of COVID-19 test kits.

The news comes as the body has already unveiled and mass-produced two generations of test kits in the past 40 days.

“First-generation kits identified N gene; we have designed and produced the second generation of kits that were stronger regarding the detection ability. God willing, we will have the third generation of kits that will rely on Rdrp gene,” said Reza Allahveren, head of the emergency and medical department of the ministry, on Saturday.

“We will have no problem for the production of test kits,” he highlighted.

“The Defense Ministry’s duty in the first place is to provide defense equipment for the armed forces, however, given the scientific capacity of the body, we can address the needs of the country which is now happening during the COVID-19 outbreak.”

Last week, the ministry unveiled the second generation of test kits able to diagnose the COVID-19 disease in less than three hours and with 98 percent accuracy.

Iranian Defense Ministry started mass production of face masks, disinfectants, and protective clothes from the early days the outbreak hit Iran. The body also unveiled advanced thermal cameras to be used as a screening tool in crowded places.

Share your view!

A group of European restoration experts will cooperate with Iran to renovate parts of the Jame Mosque of Qazvin in northwestern Iran, which is one of the oldest Islamic structures in Iran.

Cooperated with Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage Tourism and Handicrafts, they will work on the dome and maqsurah (closed-off space) of the mosque, IRNA wrote.

The head of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Department in Qazvin Province Alireza Khazaeli said the European team is highly experienced in restoring ancient monuments.

He added that 15 to 20 ancient buildings in Qazvin Province will also go under restoration until the end of the current Persian year (ending March 20, 2021).

The oldest section of the mosque is said to be constructed by the orders of Harun al-Rashid, the fifth Abbasid caliph, in 807 CE.

Later additions were made, the last was during the late Safavid Era (1501–1736). The double layered main dome of the mosque was added in Seljuk Era (1037–1194). The mosque also features some precious examples of relief calligraphy from medieval times.

In spite of the devastating Mongol conquest of Persia in the early 13th century, the mosque still stands today in its full glory. It is still in use. Parts of the mosque have been turned into a public library.

In spite of the devastating Mongol conquest of Persia in the early 13th century, the mosque still stands today in its full glory. It is still in use. Parts of the mosque have been turned into a public library.

Jameh Mosque of Qazvin

The Congregational mosque of Qazvin, also known as Masjed Jāme-e Kabīr, is located on the western side of Shohada Street. The mosque is a real museum of Iranian-Islamic art and architecture, including exquisite decorations and architectural plans from early centuries of Islamic period to the Qajar era. As the story goes, the mosque was built by Haroun al-Rashid, the Arab Caliph. Based on available historical data, Haroun al-Rashid had a short stop in Qazvin on his way to Khorasan in 808 (the second century of Islamic era).

As a result of this short stop, the fire temple of Qazvin, dating back to the Sassanid period, changed its architectural character and function and turned into an Islamic mosque. For years, the southern ayvan of the mosque housed and protected parts of the original fire temple, but it was destroyed at the hands of Mongols and Afghans.

The current plan of Jame Mosque of Qazvin includes two portals, one on the eastern side (in Shohada Street) and the other on the north-western side. The eastern portal is the main entrance to the mosque, bearing lofty, magnificent decorations. Based on the oldest inscription on the portal, it was built in 1664, at the time of Shah Abbas II (1642-1666). However, the portal was restored several times during different eras, as testified by the presence of various inscriptions representing different dates. According to one of these tiled inscriptions, the portal was first renovated by an affluent person of Qazvin, Mohammad Sadeq Khan, in 1777. Then, based on another inscription, Ali Naqi Mirza, the Qajar ruler of Qazvin and son of Fath Ali Shah, commissioned some further restorations in 1835. Finally, as a tiled panel on the forehead of vestibule shows, the portal underwent restoration for the last time in 1934

Share your view!

Iranian production units have produced over 15 million face masks since the beginning of the coronavirus ‎outbreak in the country, said the deputy industry, mine and trade minister. ‎

Hossein Modarres Khiabani added the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade has placed on its agenda as two ‎top priorities making greater use of domestic capacities and facilitating imports of items needed by the ‎country’s health and treatment network, in the light of the emphasis put by Leader of the Islamic ‎Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on boosting domestic production and the policies adopted by the Iranian ‎government to this end, IRNA reported. ‎

He said by activating domestic production units, the ministry has helped produce 15.26 million face masks ‎over the past few weeks. ‎

The deputy minister added the figure pertains to the production of N95 and three-layer face masks, of ‎which 14.88 million have been distributed in the country and the rest will soon be handed over to the ‎distribution companies affiliated to the Food and Drug Administration of Iran. ‎

According to statistics and based on the directive issued by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, production ‎of hygiene products in Iran witnessed a significant increase concurrent with the start of the outbreak in the ‎country, he said, noting that in this period, Iran’s production of antiseptics has grown eight-fold. ‎

Modarres Khiabani added in the same duration, over six million liters of ethanol have been produced in ‎Iran. ‎

‎“In view of the amount of alcohol stored in the country, close to 13.4 million liters of the product have ‎been supplied to the domestic health and treatment network in this period.”‎

He said during March 3-27, Iran imported 16.15 million N95 and three-layer face masks, 540,000 protective ‎gowns and 1,280 liters of ethanol despite US sanctionson the country. ‎

Modarres Khiabani noted that major companies affiliated to the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade ‎allocated $32.38 million to the purchase of nine million three-layer face masks and 2.3 million N95 masks ‎and donated the items to the National Headquarters for Managing and Fighting Coronavirus. ‎

In addition, the ministry has made available €6.6 million through barter for importing hygiene products, he ‎said. ‎

The coronavirus, which causes a respiratory disease, emerged in the central Chinese city of ‎Wuhan in ‎Hubei Province late last year and is currently affecting a large number of countries ‎and territories across ‎the globe. It has infected and killed people in a large number of the ‎countries. ‎

On Friday, Iran’s Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour ‎said the coronavirus ‎infections in the ‎country have reached 53,183, and death toll stands at 3,294. ‎

He noted that 2,715 new cases have been identified in the past 24 years, putting the number of ‎deaths in ‎the same time span at 134. ‎

Jahanpour regretted that of the total number of the infected, 4,035 patients are in critical ‎condition. ‎

He said 17,935 patients have recovered. ‎

Share your view!

IRNA: Tehran and Ashgabat are determined to further develop economic relations with each other, said the Iranian ambassador to Turkmenistan.

Gholmabbas Arbab-Khales said consultations on the issue were held with Turkmen trade officials and businessmen on the sidelines of the Exhibition and Conference of Members of Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan (March 17-18, 2020) in Ashgabat.

He added 200 companies, involved in the fields of production and providing services, had participated in the expo, which was also attended by Turkmen Minister of Foreign Affairs Rashid Meredov.

Arbab-Khales noted that as part of the consultations, the two sides discussed Iran’s economic capacities in the fields of agriculture, exports of techno-engineering services, providing treatment services, tourism, manufacturing furniture as well as production of pharmaceuticals, food stuffs and construction materials such as tile, ceramic, glass, cement and rebar.

He added good negotiations were held also on exchanging tourists, particularly cultural visitors, between the two countries.

During the exhibition, members of the Iranian Embassy in Ashgabat held talks with all participants and presented a list of facilities for boosting economic transactions between the two countries which was welcomed by Turkmens

He expressed hope that the consultations would lead to a boost in economic relations between Iran and Turkmenistan’s private sector.

Share your view!

Iran’s Vice President for Economic Affairs Mohammad Nahavandian said many EU states back Iran‘s $5b loan bid from the International Monetary Fund, adding that more serious efforts have been made for releasing country’s foreign exchange reserves in other countries.

Speaking in a live TV program, Nahavandian elaborated on the government’s relief package to help the poor families, small businesses and the private sector suffering from the economic consequences of coronavirus.

He referred to tourism and transportation as two sectors which have been damaged seriously after the outbreak of coronavirus, saying the businesses in tourism sector can see boom in summer.

He noted that the Government has requested one billion euro from National Development Fund of Iran to spend in the context of the relief package.

Stressing the significant position of Iran in IMF and Iranian membership in IMF’s board of directors, Nahavandian said that Iran has written official letter to IMF and it would be Iran’s legal right to enjoy the IMF emergency facility to deal with humanitarian tragedy in Iran.

IMF has earmarked special credit to help thwart the threat posed to international community by coronavirus pandemic and major states back Iranian $5 billion loan bid from IMF emergency facility, but, the US has violated the most primary moral and humanitarian principles, he said.

Some members of the IMF board of directors have taken positive stance toward Iran and some European States have supported Iran, he said, adding that Iran has considerable reserves in various countries but they have not yet been available due to the US sanctions.

Share your view!

President Hassan Rouhani said Wed. that the number of coronavirus cases in Iran is dropping, adding that his government has earmarked $10bn for businesses that have sustained loss due to the pandemic.

The Iranian president made the remarks at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

Here are some excerpts from his address at the meeting:

The government and the National Task Force for Fighting Coronavirus have made very good decisions since the beginning, the first meeting I chaired these days dates back to February 25, when we held the first National Task Force for Fighting Coronavirus meeting and decided on the Social Distancing program on that meeting.

Many tourist and entertainment centers were closed. Schools and universities were closed and the authorities’ invitation was well received. Today we saw the Minister of Roads and Urban Development announce that people’s travel by train decreased by 94 percent, buses by 75 percent, and airplane by 70 percent, and overall travel declined substantially in the first days of Nowruz.

We had an 80-percent reduction in Nowruz travel

On average, we had an 80-percent reduction in Nowruz travel in the first days of spring. In most provinces, passing the peak of the disease is also related to the first days of spring.

Although it was a very difficult task for all of us, these decisions were made for the health and well-being of the people, and when we saw that we had to be stricter, we made a decision on March 25 to assign the social-security committee to review the matter.

The same day we made the necessary decisions and announced to the public, we started the second phase of the Social Distancing program, which was stricter on the people but at the same time the people cooperated and we had a 30% reduction in travel.

Different countries have adopted different approaches to this issue. Of course, we used the experience of all countries, but we never limited ourselves to their approach. From the very early days that the virus began, some have been proposing to implement the Chinese model of quarantine.

I need to explain to people what Chinese quarantine means. The Chinese quarantine meant that all shops were shut down and all cars stopped moving and all doors closed, and no one had the right to leave the house and 24 hours of food was thrown into the house. This was a Chinese quarantine model in Wuhan. No one in the world liked this model and no one implemented it.

What our experts were looking for from the outset was a program designed for Iran and the Ministry of Health responsible for it, we implemented different programs step by step at different stages.

We took the pessimistic approaches from the first days

With the help of doctors, nurses, medical staff who had been working since day one and made sacrifices, and saved our people, we took the pessimistic approaches from the first days and mobilized all facilities of the Armed Forces and called on them to bring 4,000 hospital beds. In total, we have 6,800 ICU beds, 4,000 of which are currently occupied, and the rest are empty.

These days, our production sector has done a great job of meeting the needs of both the hospital and the people. At this very cabinet meeting, the minister announced that the production of disinfectants has doubled in the past few days, with the private sector also adding to it.

Despite sanctions, hardships, and problems, we set aside about $10 billion to remove barriers to businesses that were in trouble. Part of that will be in loans, part in grants and part in packages paid to families and people in need.

The last thing I want to emphasize is the Americans’ malignancy. They imposed sanctions on us in these conditions for whatever reason. Their sanctions were wrong, cruel, incorrect and illegal. But still in this particular situation, which themselves know that coronavirus is not specific to one country and the world is almost interconnected, if 10 countries fight against coronavirus but one doesn’t, it will be spread twice as much and to twice as many countries. It is a global business.

It was the best historic opportunity for Americans to return from their wrong path and once again tell their nation that they are not against the Iranian people. They have always acted against the Iranian nation, but today their animosity towards the Iranian nation is more obvious.

Share your view!