** IRAN DAILY
-- Iran-EU trade tops €380m in January: Eurostat
The Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat) in its latest report put the total value of the trade exchanges between Iran and 27 European Union’s member states in January 2024 at over €380.
According to the report, the value of products imported by Greece and the Netherlands from Iran in January registered a three- and twofold hike respectively compared to the same period last year, Tasnim News Agency reported. Spain’s export of products to Iran in January 2024 registered a 62 percent rise, the Eurostat added.
-- NPC’s production capacity to exceed 100m tons by March
Iran’s annual petrochemical production capacity will exceed 100 million tons by the end of the current Iranian year (March 20, 2025), said the National Petrochemical Company (NPC) managing director.
Morteza Shahmirzaei, who made the remarks in the National Oil and Gas Forum in the Russian capital Moscow, added Iran’s petrochemical production capacity surpassed 95 million tons in the previous year.
-- Iran oil exports hit six-year high
Iran is exporting more oil than at any time for the past six years, giving its economy a $35b-a-year boost.
Tehran sold an average of 1.56 million barrels a day during the first three months of the year, almost all of it to China and its highest level since the third quarter of 2018, according to data company Vortexa, reported FT.
“The Iranians have mastered the art of sanctions circumvention,” said Fernando Ferreira, head of geopolitical risk service at the Rapidan Energy Group in the US. “If the Biden administration is really going to have an impact, it has to shift the focus to China.”
** KAYHAN INTERNATIONAL
-- Iran Has Upper Hand in the Region
Ground Force commander Brigadier General Kioumars Haydari said here Friday Iran’s recent retaliatory operation against Israel had historic achievements which changed the balance of power in the region.
Addressing worshipers at the weekly Friday Prayers, Haydari said the operation showed in a practical and decisive way that the Zionist regime is weaker than a spider’s web after Iranian drones and precision-strike missiles beat Israel’s air defense systems.
-- President Raisi Inaugurates 2nd Phase of Semnan Power Plant
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has inaugurated the second phase of the Semnan power plant with a capacity of 366 MW on a visit to the northern province.
President Raisi, who arrived in Semnan Province on Thursday morning as the second round of his so-called provincial trips he launched since he assumed office in August 2021, visited different parts of the Shahid Bakeri Combined Cycle Power Plant in Semnan, and inaugurated the second phase of this power plant with a capacity of 366 MW.
-- First E-Bus Charging Station Launched in Karaj
KARAJ – Iran’s first-ever charging station for E-buses has been launched in northern city of Karaj. During the launch of the station in Karaj, 40 home-made E-buses were also added to the city’s fleet.
The station is equipped with eight 240KW fast chargers, developed by Mapna Group, which can charge 16 buses at the same time. The buses will be fully charged in two hours and a half so that they can travel as long as 250 kilometers with their coolers on.
** TEHRAN TIMES
-- Iran to set new record in oil, gas production this year
Iranian Oil Minister Javad Oji has said Iran recorded a 20 percent increase in oil and gas production in the previous Iranian calendar year 1402 (March 21, 2023- March 19, 2024), predicting a higher production this year.
Speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday Oji said: “We made a great investment in the Iranian year of 1402 in upstream and downstream sectors and we completed semi-finished projects worth $28 billion." The oil minister added: “Last year, oil and gas production growth was more than 20 percent.”
-- Iran remains 4th in science production of traditional medicine
For the fourth consecutive year, Iran has ranked fourth in 2023 in the production of science in traditional medicine, according to SCImago Institution Ranking (SIR). China, the United States, and India were ranked first to third respectively, IRIB reported.
This significant accomplishment shows the dedicated efforts and significant strides that have been taken to revive traditional medicine and its high position in the country's health system, IRIB quoted Nafiseh Hosseini-Yekta, the director of the health ministry’s Persian medicine office, as saying.
-- National Sadi Day: celebrating the poet of wisdom and compassion
Sadi, the renowned Persian poet, is considered one of the greatest literary figures in Iranian history. Born in Shiraz, Iran in the 13th century, Sadi's works have stood the test of time and continue to inspire readers around the world.
Iranians celebrate Sadi Day on the 1st Ordibehesht in their national calendar. The day marks the anniversary of the completion of the “Gulistan” or "The Rose Garden”, his most famous work. This collection is a masterpiece of Persian literature and is divided into eight chapters, each dealing with different aspects of life, ethics, and morality. Sadi's writing is characterized by its eloquence, wisdom, and wit, making him a beloved figure in Persian literature and culture.
6125**4354