*** IRAN DAILY
The following headlines appeared in English-language newspapers in the Iranian capital on Monday, September 20, 2021:
*** IRAN DAILY
— Top general: Iran to continue pounding terrorists in northern Iraq
Iran’s military strikes against terrorist groups, stationed in northern Iraq, that have been in progress over the past two weeks will remain in place and may expand, warned the chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces.
In an address to reporters on Sunday, Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri blamed the Kurdistan Regional Government’s insufficient attention and the Iraqi administration’s weaknesses, caused by the American forces’ presence, for the activities of the armed anti-Iranian groups in northern Iraq.
— MP: Iran techno engineering exports to Iraq could rise to $50b
According to expert studies, it is possible to export Iran’s technical and engineering services to Iraq in the field of energy (construction of power plants) and development of oilfields up to $50 billion per year, said an Iranian lawmaker.
The export of technical and engineering services to Iraq must be prioritized by the country’s chambers of commerce, otherwise other countries will take advantage of these economic opportunities, Mojtaba Yusefi told IRNA.
— Barandaq Village, a picturesque and cozy resort in Ardebil Province
Barandaq Village in Khalkhal, northwestern Province of Ardebil, is located at the intersection of the three provinces of Ardebil, East Azarbaijan and Zanjan.
The village has recently been nominated for the ‘Best Tourism Villages’ label, which will be granted to a selection of rural areas by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), yjc.news wrote.
The initiative of UNWTO will identify villages taking innovative and transformative approaches to tourism in rural areas in line with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
*** KAYHAN INTERNATIONAL
— Iran to Vaccinate High School Students
High school students in Iran are in the new age group eligible for the coronavirus vaccine, as plans are under way to import 12 million doses of vaccine suitable for children and teenagers.
The Health Ministry said high school students at aged 17 and 18 are now eligible for the coronavirus vaccine. Younger adolescents, including students under the age of 17 will be allowed to receive the vaccine very soon, the ministry stated. Ambassador to China Muhammad Keshavarzzadeh said Iran will be importing 12 million doses of COVID vaccine suitable for all ages between 3 and 17 within the next two weeks.
— Shalamcheh-Basra Railroad Project to Come on Stream
The head of Iran-Iraq parliamentary friendship group Mojtaba Yousefi announced on Sunday that the implementation of Shalamcheh-Basra railroad project to start soon.
“The project will be a new chapter in deepening economic cooperation between Tehran and Baghdad,” Yousefi said.
The implementation the project would be a big development and the project will actually connect Iran to the Mediterranean Sea via Iraq to Syria.
— Iran Jiu-Jitsu Team Finishes Third in Asian Championships
The national Iranian team landed in third place in the 5th Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championships in the UAE.
At the end of the 5th Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championships in Abu Dhabi, UAE, the national Iranian team finished third in the overall medal table with 2 gold and 2 bronze medals.
Habib Ranjbar won the gold medal in the 94 kg weight category for Iran while Ali Akbarpour in the 85 kg weight category also grabbed another gold medal for the Iranian team.
Mehran Sattar and Rehan Mousavi also won bronze medals for Iran in the 62 kg.
*** TEHRAN TIMES
— Mohammad-Baqer Zolqadr named Expediency Council secretary
In a decree on Sunday, Sadeq Larijani appointed Mohammad-Baqer Zolqadr as the new secretary of the Expediency Council.
Zolqadr replaced Mohsen Rezaei, whose resignation was accepted by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution.
Sadeq Larijani, the chairman of the council, praised the performance of Rezaei and wished success for Zolqadr.
Zolqadr, a native of Fasa in Fars province, served as the deputy chief of the IRGC and deputy interior minister for security affairs when Mostafapa Pourmohammadi was interior minister.
— Iran’s petchem, fuel sales surge in shadow of oil sale restrictions
Iran’s exports of fuel and petrochemical exports have surged in recent years as the re-imposition of the U.S. sanctions on the country’s oil industry curbed crude sales, the Daily Star reported.
The situation has left Iran in a good position to be able to expand trade in Asia and Europe rapidly, if the sanctions are removed, the report said quoting trade sources and officials.
The United States imposed sanctions on Iran’s oil and gas industry in 2018 to choke off the Islamic Republic’s main source of revenues. The sanctions significantly declined crude exports but not sales of fuel and petrochemicals.
— Isfahan museums welcome visitors after COVID shutdown
Museums and cultural heritage sites across Isfahan province reopened to visitors on Sunday after months of closure caused by the COVID pandemic, according to a local tourism official.
“Fortunately, with the measures devised by the National Headquarters for Coronavirus Control, the indicator of coronavirus infections in the province has changed from the color red to orange, and this has made it possible to reopen its historical monuments and tourist sites,” Seyyed Rouhollah Seyyed-Asgari said.