Iran

TEHRAN, Dec 11 (NNN-TASNIM) – A huge fire broke out yesterday morning, at an oil refinery in the eastern Iranian province of South Khorasan, leading to the simultaneous explosion of several gas condensates reservoirs.

The fire started at one of the reservoirs of the mini-refinery, which is located in Birjand Special Economic Zone, at 8:45 a.m. local time (0515 GMT), the report said.

8 December 2023; MEMO: Iranian judicial authorities, on Thursday, announced the seizure of two vessels over alleged smuggling of fuel in the Persian Gulf, Anadolu Agency reports.

Mojtaba Ghahrami, Chief Justice of the southern Hormozgan province, said two vessels carrying 210,000 litres of “smuggled fuel” were seized in the waters of Qeshm Island, as reported by state media.

He said Iranian naval forces seized the two ships after identifying them and took 14 people on board into custody.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran said Wednesday it sent a capsule into orbit capable of carrying animals as it prepares for human missions in coming years.

A report by the official IRNA news agency quoted Telecommunications Minister Isa Zarepour as saying the capsule was launched 130 kilometers (80 miles) into orbit.

Zarepour said the launch of the 500-kilogram (1,000-pound) capsule is aimed at sending Iranian astronauts to space in coming years. He did not say if any animals were in the capsule.

TEHRAN, Dec 4 (NNN-IRNA) – Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, have highlighted the necessity to end the conflict in the Gaza Strip as soon as possible.

In a phone call on Saturday, the two sides discussed the latest developments in Gaza, as well as, cooperation between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), according to a statement published on the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s website, yesterday.

TEHRAN, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani said on Monday that the country has access to its recently released 6 billion U.S. dollars deposited in Qatari banks and can use the money to meet its needs.

He made the remarks at a weekly press conference in the Iranian capital Tehran, while reacting to bids by the U.S. Congress to block Iran's access to the money released by South Korea earlier this year under a prisoner swap agreement between Tehran and Washington, by accusing Iran of "playing a role in the Hamas attack on Israel."

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard stated through its website that two of its forces stationed in Syria were killed in an Israeli airstrike Saturday.

The report on the Guard’s news portal identified the two members as Mohammad Ali Ataei Shourcheh and Panah Taghizadeh, and said they were carrying out an advisory mission in Syria. It did not elaborate on their rank, or the area where they were killed.

TEHRAN, Nov 29 (NNN-IRNA) – The Iranian Army has tracked and identified a U.S. aircraft carrier, in the Gulf of Aden and the Sea of Oman.

“The intelligence systems of the Navy of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), tracked and identified the aircraft carrier through the exchange of information, with the army’s naval forces and thanks to their complete dominance over the Strait of Hormuz,” it said.

TEHRAN, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Wednesday that he and his accompanying delegation will not be able to take part in a UN Security Council (UNSC) meeting on the Israel-Palestine crisis in New York later in the day due to the delay in visa issuance of the U.S. government.

18 November 2023; MEMO: Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across Iran, including the capital Tehran, on Saturday to protest Israeli attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip and call for an immediate cease-fire, Anadolu Agency reports.

The nationwide rallies were held “in support of the oppressed children of Gaza” under the slogan, “Palestine is not alone,” as people marched with banners and posters condemning the Gaza war.

TEHRAN, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani on Monday reiterated that the resistance groups in the region "are not directed by Iran and do not take orders from Iran."

He made the remarks at a weekly press conference in the Iranian capital Tehran while commenting on the military operations by the regional resistance groups against the U.S. bases in Iraq.