Tehran, IRNA – The following headlines appeared in English-language newspapers in the Iranian capital on Monday, June 20, 2022:

*** IRAN DAILY

-- Iraq says gas imports from Iran at 40mcm per day

Iraqi authorities have reported a major increase in the supply of natural gas from neighboring Iran two days after the Arab country settled nearly $1.6 billion of arrears it owed Iran for previous gas imports, according to a report by Iraq’s NINA news agency.  
Iraqi Electricity Ministry spokesman Ahmad Musa said that imports of natural gas from Iran, which Iraq mostly depends on for electricity generation, had reached 40 million cubic meters (mcm) per day.

-- Syrian, Omani, Iraqi trade delegations to visit Iran: Chamber head

Trade delegations from Syria, Oman and Iraq will visit Iran in the near future, said the head of Ahvaz Chamber of Commerce on Sunday.
Visits of the trade delegations are scheduled for getting more acquainted with the production and economic capacities of our country, said Shahla Amouri.

-- Kermanshah: Cradle of handicraft production in Iran

The western province of Kermanshah is known as the cradle of handicraft production in Iran. Local people make various types of artworks according to the climate of the regions in which they live and also the use of the products.
Giveh-bafi (weaving a type of traditional soft shoes), monabat-kari (Iranian wood carving), moaraq-kari (art of wood mosaic), arghavan-bafi (a type of basket weaving), namad-mali (felt beating), kilim-weaving, knife-making, stone-carving and jewelry-making are among the main handicrafts of the province.

*** KAYHAN INTERNATIONAL

-- Iran Tells UAE: Zionist Regime Cause of Insecurity

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hussein Amir-Abdollahian says the occupying regime of Israel is the main cause of instability and insecurity in the entire West Asia region.
Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in an early Sunday phone call with his Emirati counterpart, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, during which the two sides discussed bilateral, regional and international issues.
Iran’s top diplomat said “the presence of the Al-Quds occupying regime is the cause of instability and insecurity as well as terrorism and sabotage in the entire region”.

-- Iranian Cyclists Take Over New Delhi Tournament Finale

Two Iranian para-cyclists made it to the finals of the Asian Track Cycling Championships 2022 New Delhi, securing a gold and a silver medals. Mehdi Muhammadi and Behrouz Farzad won their matches on the second day of 4,000m track cycling and become finalists.
Farzad also grabbed a gold medal yesterday in the 1,000m category with a record of 1:16:920. Asian Track Cycling Championships, organized by Cycling Federation of India, kicked off at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi on Saturday.

-- FM: Iran to Give ‘Proportionate’ Response to U.S. Move

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hussein Amir-Abdollahian promised a “proportionate” response to new U.S. sanctions on the Islamic Republic after sponsoring a resolution at the UN against the Islamic Republic.
In a phone conversation with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, Amir-Abdollahian slammed the “unconstructive and hasty” resolution, which was passed during a recent meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’s Board of Governors.

*** TEHRAN TIMES

-- Iran steps up diplomacy ahead of Biden trip to region

Iran has ramped up its diplomatic efforts to dispel misunderstandings in the West Asia region amid ongoing efforts from the West to build a coalition against Tehran during U.S. President Joe Biden’s upcoming visit to the region. 

After many weeks of dithering, the White House finally made up its mind and announced President Biden will pay a visit to the region that will include Saudi Arabia and Israel, two archrivals of Iran that are moving toward normalization of relations day by day.

-- Troupes from five countries to perform at Hamedan children’s theater festival 

Iran’s International Theater Festival for Children and Young Adults returns after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic with participants from five countries. Troupes from Italy, Greece, Turkey, Armenia and Iraq will attend the festival opening on Wednesday in Hamedan to perform their latest productions, the organizers have announced.

Speaking in a press conference held last week, Amir Mashhadi-Abbas, the president of the festival, gave no details about the troupes.

-- Archaeologists hope to shed new light on human life in Masouleh

Archaeologists have commenced work to discover fresh evidence on human life in the touristic village of Masouleh and its surroundings in northern Iran.

“It is the third archaeological season being carried out here in Masuleh. Previous seasons held in 1370 (1991) and 1391 (2012) yielded artifacts belonging to the fifth to eighth centuries AH,” Gilan province’s tourism chief Vali Jahani said on Saturday.

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