The final match of the 16th Asian Futsal Championship was held between the two powerful teams of Iran and Japan, and in the end, it was the Japanese team that won the championship title.

In this match, which was held at the Saad Al-Abdullah Sport Hall Complex in Kuwait at 20:30 (local time), Japan defeated Iran, the most honored team of Asia, 3-2 and crowned the title of championship.

In this edition of the competitions, Iran national futsal team reached the final without losing and lost against Japan.

Iran trounced Vietnam in the quarterfinal of AFC Futsal Asian Cup 8-1 on Tuesday.

In the semi-final, Iran National Futsal Team defeated Thailand 5-0.

Final Match Report of AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2022

Iran, who had scored 37 goals en route to reaching the final, started as aggressively as ever with Hossein Tayebi and Alireza Rafiei Pour making early attempts at goal.

As head coach Kenichiro Kogure had anticipated, Japan were forced to play defence against Iran’s incessant pressure, with their best chances coming from counter-attacks and set-pieces.

Japan captain Arthur Oliveira, however, nearly stunned the defending champions in the eighth minute when his attempt off Soma Mizutani’s pass rocked the crossbar.

Iran almost paid a price again for their aggression a minute later after committing a foul at the edge of the box, but Oliveira’s free-kick was superbly saved by Saied Momeni.

Iran, however, continued to play their style of attacking futsal and after 15 minutes of testing Guilherme Kuromoto, Saied Ahmad Abbasi collected Mahdi Karimi’s pass and let loose a superb shot into the bottom right corner to open the scoring.

Japan, the only other team to have won the AFC Futsal Asian Cup, were unfazed and drew level a minute later when Mohammedhossein Derakhshani failed to intercept Kuromoto’s long-range throw into the final third, allowing Kazuya Shimizu to equalise with a brilliant right-footed shot.

Iran looked to close the first half strongly but Tayebi and Abbasi’s efforts were denied by Kuromoto’s quick reflexes as both sides entered the halftime break with the title still very much up for grabs.
Iran’s waves of attacks continued in the opening minutes of the second half with Abbasi and Moslem Oladghobad forcing parries out of Kuromoto in the opening minutes but Rafiei Pour’s foul on Shimizu in the 27th minute gave Japan a lifeline.

Oliveira stepped up to take the free-kick and the skipper made no mistake as he smashed his effort home to put Japan ahead for the first time.
The goal stunned Iran – who had only conceded two goals in their previous five matches – into action as they increased the intensity of their attacks in search of the equaliser.

Iran would have equalised moments later through Abbasi’s strike if it weren’t for Kuromoto’s fine save, with the keeper standing tall against Salar Aghapour’s effort in the 29th minute to maintain Japan’s lead.
With the clock ticking, Iran head coach Vahid Shamsaee employed power play for the first time in Iran’s campaign with Tayebi donning the keeper’s jersey in the 36th minute.

Tayebi came closest in the 39th minute with his strike deflecting off the upright but there was to be more woe for Iran with Abbasi slotting the ball into the back of his own net in the final 30 seconds.

Iran pulled one back through Alireza Javan Shahkali with a second left on the clock but it was meant to be Japan’s final to celebrate.

Oladghobad scoops Most Valuable Player Award

Iran’s Moslem Oladghobad was named the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Kuwait 2022 Most Valuable Player on Saturday.

Oladghobad, famed for his precision passing, helped Iran garner wins over Indonesia (6-0), Chinese Taipei (10-1) and Lebanon (9-0) with the 26-year-old scoring twice in the group stage.

The forward found the net once in Iran’s 8-1 quarter-final win over Vietnam before scoring twice in the semi-final against Thailand.

Although Iran were denied a record-extending 13th title by Japan, Oladghobad’s quality was for all to enjoy and admire throughout Kuwait 2022.

AFC congratulates Tayebi on receiving Yili Top Scorer award

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) congratulated Iran’s futsal captain Hossein Tayebi on receiving the Yili Top Scorer award at the 16th edition of the Asian Futsal Cup.

According to Asian Football Confederation (AFC) website on Saturday, the skipper –Tayebi – displayed an amazing performance, scoring 10 goals in six matches as Iran finished runners-up to Japan after a pulsating final.

AFC describes Tayebi’s performance as follows:

The award is a testament to Tayebi’s talent and determination, as he has maintained the fine performance that also saw him picking up the Top Scorer Award in the 2014 and 2018 editions.

The 34-year-old scored six goals in the group stage to help Iran finish top in Group C, before netting a hat-trick against Vietnam in the quarter-finals.

Tayebi then followed it up with a first-minute goal against Thailand in the semi-final that laid the foundation for a 5-0 win.

Accordingly, the AFC’s official Twitter account released a poster of the Iranian captain congratulating him on the award.

Earlier, Iran’s national futsal team, after accepting defeat against Japan in the final of the 16th edition of the Asian Futsal Cup, failed to repeat the championship title in this competition, and the Japanese team won the cup for the 4th time.

The post Iran lose to Japan at Futsal Asian Cup 2022 appeared first on IRAN This Way.

“Rif Isfahan” team was second and “Organa Hormozgan” team was third.

Video: Iran women’s softball league final match 2022

Softball was started in Iran in 1997 with the help of Japanese living in Tehran, and today more than 250 female athletes are active in softball in more than 10 provinces.

The post Photo: Tehran is the champion of Iran women’s softball league appeared first on IRAN This Way.

National Iranian volleyball team became champions of Asia after defeating Japan in three straight sets (27-25; 25-22; 31-29).

Photo report

The 21st Asian Senior Men’s Volleyball Championship was held from Sept. 12 to 19 in Chiba, Japan, and the participating teams vied for two spots in next year’s FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship in Russia.

At the end of the competitions, the Iranian coach Behrouz Ataei was introduced as the best coach in Asia, while the Iranian player Saber Kazemi was also named the most valuable player in the competitions.

This was Iran’s fourth win in the Asian championships, while Japan have won the title nine times so far.

By advancing the final, both Iran and Japan booked their tickets at the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship already on Saturday.

The FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship will be held in Russia from Aug. 26 to Sept. 11, 2022 with the participation of 24 teams.

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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

The post Exclusive| Coronavirus’s impact on Iran sports and Olympic 2020 appeared first on IRAN This Way.

Celebrating Women’s History Month (March 1-31), IMDb published a video on Twitter to take a look back at “cinematic history in salute of the pioneering women directors and their groundbreaking work,” the online entertainment database tweeted along the video that featured scenes of Bani-Etemad’s 2014 drama, Tales (Ghesseh-ha).

Born in Tehran in 1954, Bani-Etemad – who holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in film studies from the Dramatic Arts University in Tehran – is widely considered as the most important female director in Iran, titled ‘First Lady of Iranian Cinema’.

Her movies and documentaries picture social and cultural issues and complications in modern-day Iran.

The Tales – which adopts an episodic narrative – portrays the fates of seven characters of Bani-Etemad’s previous flicks.

The film won the award for Best Screenplay (written by Bani-Etemad and Farid Mostafavi) at the 71st Venice International Film Festival.

It also brought Bani-Etemad the Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award – dedicated to best film – at Kolkata International Film Festival in 2014, as well as the Special Jury Prize at Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Australia) in the same year.

Also featured in IMDb’s short video were the likes of Sofia Coppola, Jodie Foster, Meryl Streep, Chinese-American film director Lulu Wang, Sarah Polley, and Barbra Streisand.

Rakhshan Banietemad

Rakhshan Banietemad, born in 1954 Tehran, began to make documentaries for the Iranian National Television in 1979, right after graduating from the University of Dramatic Arts, Tehran. From 1979 to 1987 she focused on making only documentaries. In 1987, she directed her first feature film Off the Limits. In 1991, she became the first woman recipient of the Best Director award for Nargess at Fajr International Film Festival in Iran. In 1995, she won the Bronze Leopard for The Blue Veiled at the Locarno Film Festival. Under the Skin of the City, her next film, was the highest grossing film in Iran in 2000. This film along with Gilaneh (2005) and Mainline (2006), garnered major awards in more than 50 film festivals.

While Banietemad’s feature films have been acclaimed and honored worldwide, her documentaries have also been successful and popular internationally. Our Times …, was the first documentary ever to be released in the movie theatres in Iran in 2002. It was also screened in highly prestigious and prominent festivals and TV channels such as IDFA, Sundance Film Festival and ARTE.

Banietemad started her work by making documentaries and has never ended the strong connection she has always had with her works. Making documentaries have been her main way of connecting with the society and social issues. Her approach and in depicting social issues has been so strong and effective that her works have always resulted in causing change in the lives of her documentaries’ characters.

In 2008, she received an honorary doctorate from University of London, in 2010, she was awarded the Prix Henri Langlois from Vincennes International Film Festival. Her latest feature film, Tales, was awarded the Best Screenplay prize in the main competition section of 2014 Venice International Film Festival.

More recently, she has joined the Academy Oscar, Writers branch in 2017.

Feature Films

• Tales (Ghesseh ha), 2014
• Heiran (producer), Director: Shalizeh Arefpour, 2009
• Mainline (Khun bazi), 2006
• Gilaneh, 2005
• Under the Skin of the City (Zir-e pust-e shahr), 2000
• Baran and the Native (Baran va bumi), part of feature-film Kish, 1998
• The May Lady (Banu-ye ordibehesht), 1997
• The Blue Veiled (Rusari abi), 1994
• Nargess, 1991
• Foreign Currency (Poul-e khareji), 1989
• Canary Yellow (Zard-e qanari), 1988
• Off the Limits (Kharej az mahdudeh), 1987

DOCUMENTARIES

• Touran Khanom, Co director, 2018
• Karestan Documentary films as follows (Artistic consultant), 2013 -17  Film 1. Poets of Life
   Film 2. Puzzleys
   Film 3. Mother of the Earth
   Film 4. MAHAK: A World She Founded
   Film 5. Friends at Work
   Film 6. Flax to Fire
• Hey, Humans (Ay, Adamha), 2016
• A Lifetime in an Hour (Yek saat az yek omr), 2015
• All My Trees (Hameh derakhtan-e man), 2015
• The Other Side of Mirrors (An sooy-e ayeneh ha), 2014
• The Mirrors Recital (Concert-e ayeneh ha), 2014
• The Concert of the Lords of Secrets (concert-e khodavandan-e asrar), 2014
• Mahak My Home (Khaneh man Mahak), a teamwork, 2014
• Keep Children in School (Bacheh ha ra dar madreseh negahdarim), a teamwork, 2012
• The Room No. 202 (Otahgh-e 202) Part of “Kahrizak 4 Views”, 2012
• See you Tomorrow Elina (Farda mibinamet Elina), 2010
• We Are Half of Iran’s Population (Ma nimi az jameiat-e Iranim), 2009
• Angels of the House of Sun (Hayat khalvate khaneh khorshid), 2009
• Second Home (producer), Director: Mahvash Sheikholeslami, 2008
• 3D Carpet (Farsh-e 3 Bodi), Part of “Iranian Carpet”, 2007
• Our Times… (Ruzegar-e ma…), 2002
• Under the Skin of the City (Zir-e pust-e shahr), 1996
• The Last Visit with Iran Daftari (Akharin didar ba Iran Daftari), 1995
• To Whom Do You Show These Films? (In filmha ra beh ki neshun midin?), 1993
• Spring to Spring (Bahar ta bahar), 1993
• The 1992 Report (Gozaresh-e 71), 1993
• Centralization (Tamarkoz), 1986
• The War Economic Planning (Tadbirha-ye eqtesadi-e jang), 1981
• Occupation of Migrant Peasants in the City (Mohajerin-e roustai dar shahr),1980
• The Culture of Consumption (Farhang-e masrafi), 1979

Awards

• Diploma of Honor of Child Book Council’s, Tehran, Iran, March 2018
• Diploma of Honor of ‘Children’s Research Institute, Tehran, Iran, December 2018
• Special Cinema Section Award, 2nd  Davood Rashidi Commemorative Award, Tehran, Iran, August  2018
• Honorary Award, 7th Int’l Malatya FF (Turkey) 2017
• Honorary Golden Cyclo, 23th Vesoul Film Festival (France), 2017
• Ethics and Prayer Award for social and civilian activities (Iran), 2016
• Cinema Honorary Award, 4th Int’l Women FF (Afghanistan), 2016
• Cinema Honorary Award, 6th Int’l Crime & Punishment FF (Turkey), 2016
• Best Film, Tales, Prague Iranian FF (Chezk), 2016
• Audience Award, Tales, Gene Siskel Film Center (USA), 2015
• Best Film, Tales, London Iranian FF (UK), 2015
• Special Jury Prize, Tales, Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Australia), 2014
• Best Film, Tales, Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award, Kolkata Int’l FF (India), 2014
• Best Screenplay prize, Tales, Venice Int’l FF (Italy), 2014
• Special Jury Prize, Kahrizak 4 views, Dubai Int’l FF (UAE), 2012
• Prix Henri Langlois, Vincennes Int’l FF (France), 2010
• Special Jury Prize, We Are Half of Iran’s Population, (WIFTS) (USA), 2009
• Special Jury Prize & Best Actress, Mainline, Dhaka Int’l FF (Pakistan), 2009
• Best Screenplay & Best Actress, Mainline, Pyongyang Int’l FF (North Korea), 2008
• Grand Jury Prize, Mainline. Int’l Women’s Film Festival (Creteil, France), 2008
• Achievement in Directing, Mainline, Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Australia), 2007
• Best Director & Best Actress, Mainline, Iran Cinema House Awards (Iran), 2007
• Best Director & Best Actress, Mainline, Fajr Int’l FF (Iran), 2007
• Best Film, Mainline, City Int’l FF (Iran), 2006
• Best Film, Mainline, Asiatica Film Mediale (Italy), 2006
• Special Jury Prize, Gilaneh, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Int’l FF (Spain), 2006
• Netpac Award, Gilaneh, Vesoul Asian Film Festival (France), 2006
• Golden Lotus Award, Iranian Women Film Directors (Iran), 2006
• Best Film & Best Actress, Gilaneh, Kara Int’l FF (Pakistan), 2005
• Artistic & Cultural Achievement Award, Kara Int’l FF (Pakistan), 2004
• Special Jury Award, Under the Skin of the City, Seattle Int’l FF (USA), 2002
• Netpac Award, Our Times…, Locarno Int’l FF (Swiss), 2002
• Netpac Award, Under the Skin of the City, Karlovy Vary Int’l FF (Chezk), 2001
• Holden Award for Best Script, Audience Award, & Cinemavvenire Award for Best Feature Film, Under the Skin of the City, Turin Int’l FF (Italy), 2001
• Special Jury Prize, Under the Skin of the City, Moscow Int’l FF (Russia), 2000
• Special Jury Award, The May Lady, Fajr Int’l FF (Iran), 1998
• Honorable Mention, FIPRESCI Award, The May Lady, Montreal Int’l FF (Canada), 1998
• Prince Claus Prize for Culture and Development (The Netherlands), 1998
• “Il Sindaco di Firenze” Peace and Freedom Award (Italy), 1998
• Best Asian Woman Director, The Blue Veiled, India Int’l FF (India), 1996
• FIPRESCI Award, The Blue Veiled, Tessaloniki Int’l FF (Greece), 1996
• Bronze Leopard, The Blue Veiled, Locarno Int’l FF (Swiss) 1995
• Best Script & Best Supporting Actress, The Blue Veiled, Fajr Int’l FF (Iran), 1994
• Best Director & Best Musical Score, Nargess, Fajr Int’l FF (Iran), 1991
• Best Supporting Actor, Canary Yellow, Fajr Int’l FF (Iran), 1988
• Best Film, Off the Limits, Comedy Int’l FF (Italy), 1987

PROFESSIONAL DISTINCTIONS

• Jury Member, Dhaka Int’l FF Bangladesh), 2020
• President of the jury, Herat Film Festival (Afghanistan), 2019
• Jury Member, Mumbai Int’l FF (India), 2018
• Jury Member, Venice Int’l FF (Italy), 2017
• Academy Oscars Member, Writers Branch, 2017
• President of the jury, Vesoul Film Festival (France), 2017
• President of the jury, Prague Iranian Film Festival (Czech), 2017
• President of the jury, Image Film Festival (Iran), 2016
• President of the jury, Cinema Verite Int’l FF (Iran), 2013
• President of the jury, Busan Int’l FF (South Korea), 2013
• Master Class, California Institute of the Arts (USA), 2013
• Jury Member, Shanghai Int’l FF (China), 2012
• Jury Member, Dubai Int’l FF (UAE), 2010
• Jury Member, Asiatic Film Mediale Festival (Italy), 2010
• Master Class, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis (USA), 2010
• Jury Member, Fribourg Int’l FF (Switzerland), 2010
• Jury Member, Urban Int’l FF (Iran), 2009
• Producer, Heiran, feature-film (Iran), 2009
• Producer, Second House, documentary (Iran), 2008
• Honorary Doctorate, University of London (Iran), 2008
• Master Class, School of Oriental and African Studies, SOAS (England), 2008
• Master Class, Geneva University of Art & Design (ESBA), 2008
• Jury Member, Cinema Verite Int’l FF (Iran), 2007
• Jury Member, Women’s Film Festival (Iran), 2006
• Jury Member, Asian Cinema, Fajr Int’l FF (Iran), 2006
• Jury Member, Art University Student Festival (Iran), 2005
• Director, Sony Young Directors Film Festival (Iran), 2003
• Jury Member, Asia Pacific Film Festival (Iran), 2003
• Jury Member, Sony Young Directors Film Festival (Iran), 2002
• Jury Member, Moscow Int’l FF (Russia), 2002
• Jury Member, Cairo Int’l FF (Egypt), 2002
• Jury Member, Fajr Int’l FF (Iran), 2001
• Jury Member, Montreal Int’l FF (Canada), 2001
• Jury Member, Youth Film Festival (Iran), 2001
• Jury Member, Student Film Festival (Iran), 1999
• Jury Member, Leipzig Int’l FF (Germany), 1999
• Jury Member, Tokyo Environmental Int’l FF, (Japan), 1998
• Jury Member, New Delhi Int’l FF (India), 1998
• Jury Member, Student Film Festival (Iran), 1997
• Jury Member, Locarno Int’l FF (Swiss), 1996
• Jury Member, Turin Int’l FF (Italy), 1995
• Jury Member, Center for Iranian Film Directors (Iran), 1993
• Jury Member, Roshd Film Festival (Iran), 1992
• Jury Member, Fajr Int’l FF (Iran), 1990

KÂRÂ FILM STUDIO

KARA Film Studio is a name under which a group of professional Iranian filmmakers express their common concerns regarding humanistic, social and cultural issues through documentary films, while maintaining their own diverse and distinct vision. In KARA Film Studio, filmmakers in small or large numbers, gather together and, starting with an outline of a documentary project, complete the work in a professional manner.

KARA Film Studio operates under a number of principles: personal financing or financing through private sector; working as teams and in a workshop from development of an idea through to its completion and distribution; giving young and talented documentary filmmakers an opportunity to work with professionals and assistance with their development, due respect for the audience by maintaining high standards in the production phase, endeavor to provide improved and increased means of screening films inside and outside Iran; …
Rakhshan Banietemad and Mojtaba Mirtahmasb are the constant participants in this group.

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This guide is designed to inspire travel to Iran and give practical travel tips that are hard to find for a country so rarely visited, with the second half outlining the best ways to get to Iran using your points. Make sure to read The Essentials section at the end of this piece.

All of the following images were taken by the author and should not be reproduced without permission.

1. Meet the friendliest people in the world

Word is that Iranians are the amongst the most genuine and approachable people in the world. Is it true?

I had high expectations…and they were met. I would put Iranians in the same category as the Japanese and Americans for hospitality.

Never before in my travels had I ever been stopped on the street so many times (in a non-intrusive way) to be asked:

• Where are you from?
• What did you think of Iran before you came?
• What do you think of it now?

2. Visit the most beautiful city in the world

Big call? Probably. There are many beautiful cities in the world – Kyoto, Sydney, Paris – but Iran’s second-biggest city and main tourist drawcard Isfahan definitely deserves a spot up there.

Built on the River Zayandehrood, even with its dry desert climate it is teeming with green parks, plenty of shade on walks along the river, beautiful bridges, and historic mosques, churches and palaces. If you are going to visit one place in Iran, this is the place to go.

3. Watch the sunset over the dunes in the middle of the desert

Yazd is the gateway desert city of Iran, with day and overnight tours into the desert.

The only sound we heard whilst watching the suns rays descend over the flowing desert dunes was a light breeze carving sand into new dune formations. Truly breathtaking.

4. Eat till your heart’s content

Foodies will love Iran, with primary dishes being lamb, mutton, chicken, eggplant, lentils, cheese, yoghurt, rice, dates and pita bread. Vegetarians will be slightly more limited in choices, but it is not prohibitive.

Having said that, all breakfasts tend to be vegetarian, made up of feta cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, pita bread, yoghurt and watermelon.

Foodies of all persuasions should be sure to visit the moderately-priced vegetarian restaurant in the Iranian Artists’ Forum in Honarmandan Park (also known as Artists’ Park). The second time we went back the waiter brought us an extra course for free and two university professors at a nearby table joined us for lunch.

5. Visit some of the least tourist-filled mosques in the world

Even during the peak travel month of May, it was hard to encounter many other tourists at the majestic mosques that Iran puts a lot of effort into keeping beautiful.

Of course, be respectful of prayer times, take off your shoes and remember that there are separate areas for men and women. Be sure to check the opening times of mosques on the internet or with your accommodation so as to not be caught out by them being closed.

Mosques in Isfahan are the most expensive to get into (around $8 each), but are also the most beautiful.

6. Visit the ceremonial capital of the Persian Empire

Persepolis (literally ‘The Persian City’) brought together the 28 nations of the Persian Empire (at its peak) for ceremonies and was known as the United Nations of the empire.

Located 90 minutes east of Shiraz, choose the more reasonably-priced accommodation options in Shiraz rather than stay near the UNESCO-protected site, but avoid the midday and afternoon heat by catching a private taxi out for the 8am opening. A tour guide is highly recommended and can be organized upon arrival at the site.

7. Transport options are cheap and relatively efficient

Most transport is by road, so if looking to save money, go by bus, but we found it funny/frustrating how many times people were moved around the bus by the bus driver to make sure that women and men were not seated together. This strict policy is more the work of the government rather than the considerably liberally-minded population.

If you have a bit more money, then another option is a private driver, which will be faster and more comfortable, but you will miss out on the local bus experience.

The 10-12 hour overnight Chinese-built train between Tehran and Shiraz is highly recommended at about $25 for a seat which converts into a bed in a four-person single-sex air-conditioned compartment. Bring your own food – disappointing food on the train.

The essentials

• Safety: apart from the state execution of a prominent Saudi figure triggering protests in Tehran earlier this year, there is a reason that we rarely hear of violence and terrorist attacks in Iran compared to much more dangerous Middle Eastern countries like Turkey, Israel and Egypt. I can honestly say that I felt safer and less on-edge in Iran than in some European capitals like London, Paris and Brussels, and petty theft is quite uncommon. Of course, please take into account official government warnings and check that your travel insurance will be valid in Iran.
• Best time to go: as you would expect from a country with climatic extremes, spring (March to May) and autumn (September to October) are the best times to visit. We went in mid-May and the weather was gloriously sunny and warm-to-hot, without being oppressive.
• Money: take all the cash you may need for the trip…and then some. International cards do not work at Iranian ATMs, so take clean, relatively new US dollars, euros or pounds (not that they are worth much at the moment) to exchange at moneychangers on the street. Be sure to ask your hotel for the going rate before venturing out to change. In May 2016, it was 1 USD = 34,000 rials and 1 EUR = 38-39,000 rials. You can also pay in USD or EUR at most establishments, with change given in rials. Note that most prices are in ‘tomans’, which is one zero less than the price in rial, e.g. 1 USD = 34,000 rials = 3,400 tomans.
• Visas: Australians and New Zealanders are eligible to receive a visa on arrival at the major airports in Iran, including Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz. You must bring along a copy of your travel insurance which states the dates of coverage as well as clearly indicating it covers travel in Iran. You will be required to pay a visa fee of about €145; most EU nationals pay €75, but as Australia and NZ are allies of the US, that’s where the difference comes from. If you have dual citizenship, try to see which passport gives you a cheaper visa fee. You also need to have a confirmed hotel reservation or letter of invitation printed out, and they will call your hotel to make sure it is legitimate. You do not need hotel bookings for your whole trip, just the first night or two. Expect this process at the airport to take 1-2 hours. Most international flights arrive between midnight and 6am, which is highly inconvenient, but just breathe and be patient. As of this year, any traveller eligible for the ESTA visa waiver program for the US that has travelled to Iran in the past five years will need to apply for a tourist visa at their nearest US embassy or consulate when travelling to the US.
• Money and costs: Budget Your Trip estimates that in Iran you will spend about the same as what you would in Thailand or Mexico, half of what you would in Greece, or double what you would in India. Tehran is surprisingly pricey, especially for accommodation, but the real gems of Iran are outside the capital, so you shouldn’t be spending too much time there anyway. For basic private accommodation for two with breakfast included (always), intercity bus or train transport, mid-range restaurant meals and an attraction or two a day, we spent an average of $60 AUD/NZD per person per day over ten days.
• Drinking water: Water is surprisingly perfectly safe to drink from the tap and Iran has the widest network of public drinking fountains in streets, parks, bus stations, etc that I have seen anywhere in the world.

The post 7 Reasons to Travel to Iran appeared first on IRAN This Way.

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.

The post Iran oil exports hit new record in April 2018 appeared first on IRAN This Way.

Nouroddin Shahnazizadeh, the managing director of the Petroleum Development and Engineering Company of Iran, told the domestic media that the leading European bidders for the project include Total (France), Shell (UK/Hollande), Eni (Italy), Wintershall (Germany), Rosneft (Russia), OMV (Austria) and Maersk (Denmark).

Shahnazizadeh added that several Asian companies including CNPC and Sinopec (China), ONGC (India), Pertamina (Indonesia), Petronas (Malaysia) and PTTP (Thailand) would also participate in a tender over South Azadegan.

The official said officials from the bidding companies had visited Iran for three days to become fully aware about the conditions of the project. Almost a dozen of them, he added, had been even taken to visit the project site.

Nevertheless, Shahnazizadeh did not indicate when the tender over South Azadegan would be held.

Iran has repeatedly postponed the tender over the giant field which it jointly shares with Iraq.

Reuters quoted an unnamed Iranian official as saying in June that the bidding over the project had been delayed by another few months.

This, the unnamed official told Reuters, was meant to allow energy companies more time to study the field.

Iran discovered Azadegan oil field in 1999 in what was the country’s biggest oil find in decades. The country accordingly teamed up with Inpex to push the project toward development. However, the Japanese company later quit the project in what appeared to be the result of US sanctions against Iran.

The NIOC later divided the project into South Azadegan and North Azadegan and both were awarded to China’s CNPC when Iran’s former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (2005-2013) was in office.

The media reported in 2014 that Iran’s Oil Minister Bijan Zangeneh had sidelined CNPC from South Azadegan due to its protracted delays in developing the field.

South Azadegan is believed to hold an in-place oil reserve of about 33.2 billion barrels and its recoverable resources estimated at about 5.2 billion barrels.

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South Korean National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun, who is in Tehran to attend President Hassan Rouhani’s swearing-in, oversaw the signing between SKEC, Tabriz Oil Refining Company and National Iranian Oil Engineering and Construction Company (NIOEC).

“The purpose of the signing of the agreement, which is about to be signed into a contract in the near future, is to convert the furnace oil produced at the Tabriz refinery to products of higher value according to Euro 5 standard,” the report said.

Export-Import Bank of Korea will finance the project which includes upgrades to desulfurization equipment as well as gasoline, diesel and other facilities, it added.

The project will be carried out over a period of 48 months, bringing down the furnace oil capacity at the refinery to 2.0% from 20% now. Furnace oil is also known as fuel oil.

The Tabriz oil processing plant, built in 1976, is among the Iranian refineries in dire need of upgrade and modernization. In February, the country signed a $3 billion contract with China to upgrade the Abadan refinery in southwest Iran.

Tabriz operates with a capacity of 110,000 barrels per day, turning crude oil to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), gasoline and diesel fuel.

According to Managing Director of National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company Abbas Kazemi, Iran needs $14 billion of investment in total to fix and upgrade Tehran, Bandar Abbas, Isfahan, Tabriz and Abadan refineries.

Iranian refineries, he said in February, were operating at a capacity of 500,000 barrels per day, which would rise to 600,000 bpd in the current Persian year.

Iran expected to sign oil refining contracts worth $8.6 billion with a number of Japanese, Chinese and Korean companies, Kazemi said then, adding the biggest deal was reserved for Japan’s Marubeni, Chiyoda and Mitsui companies to upgrade Isfahan refinery at $3.6 billion.

A separate $2 billion contract is about to be signed with South Korea’s Daelim company to boost oil processing capacity at Isfahan refinery, said Kazemi, who is also Iran’s deputy petroleum minister.

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In Tehran qualification India’s Polo team climbed to the Australian World Cup. Iran, ended two defeats against India and Pakistan and wins South Africa.

Polo was invented and first played in Iran thousands of years ago. The original name of polo is “Chogan” which is a team sport played on horseback. Yesterday, polo was played symbolically at Shohada Sport Complex in Tehran, to be prepared for its inclusion in the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO.

“The game of polo is played on horseback with a stick (mallet) and ball. The earliest records of polo are Persian; there is evidence that it was played in the time of King Darius the Great (522- 486 B. C). Persian polo is described in Sir Anthony Shirley’s Travels to Persia (1613)” [Encyclopedia Britannica].

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”. From its Iranian origins in Persia it spread to Constantinople, and eastward through Bactria and Afghanistan to Tibet, China, and Japan, and from Tibet to India, where it flourished throughout the Mughal (Mogul) dynasty. The word “polo” comes from the Tibetan word for the willow root from which polo balls were made of, which is “Pulu “.

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