IRNA English

Leader: Iran to increase uranium enrichment to 60% if needed

Tehran, Feb 22, IRNA – Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Monday stated that "Iran is not pursuing the production of nuclear weapons. Of course, Iran will not stay limited to an enrichment of 20%. And there is the possibility of increasing enrichment up to 60% in accordance with the country's needs.”

Minister leaves Iran for Tajikistan

Tehran, Feb 22, IRNA – Iran’s Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli on Monday evening (February 22) left Iran for Tajikistan.

Iran only Middle Eastern permanent member of CIRED: Official

Tehran, Feb 22, IRNA – The deputy CEO of Iran's Power Generation, Distribution, and Transmission Company, known as Tavanir, said on Monday that Iran is the only permanent Middle Eastern member of the International Conference on Electricity Distribution (CIRED).

Iran hopes Syrian constitution committee meeting to be held soon

Tehran, Feb 22, IRNA – Senior Assistant to the Iranian Foreign Minister for Special Political Affairs Ali Asghar Khaji hoped that the visit of UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria Geir Otto Pedersen to Damascus would prosper Syrian-Syrian talks and the 6th meeting of the Syrian Constitutional Committee in the near future.

Tehran, Tokyo discuss using Iranian resources in Japan to buy COVID-19 vaccine

Tehran, Feb 22, IRNA – Governor of Central Bank of Iran Abdonnaser Hemmati and Japanese ambassador in Tehran discussed the methods of using Iranian banking resources in Japan, including purchase of COVID-19 vaccine, on Monday.

Intl. registration of Nowruz; commemoration of love and peace

Tehran, Feb 22, IRNA – Ali Asghar Sherdoost, linguistics expert and literary researcher, in an interview with IRNA, has talked about Nowruz, its international registration and its commemoration in different nations.

Supreme Leader receives members of Assembly of Experts

Tehran, Feb 22, IRNA – Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei received members of the Assembly of Experts on Monday.

Parliament Speaker: Iran determined to stop implementation of Additional Protocol

Tehran, Feb 22, IRNA – Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on Monday that Iran is determined to stop implementation of the Additional Protocol and limit access of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors and to implement all the legal issues.

250k doses of Sinopharm vaccine to be sent to Iran: Spox

Tehran, Feb 22, IRNA – Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Monday that some 250,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine are ready to be sent to Iran in coordination with Iranian Embassy in Beijing.

Iran closes passenger terminals on four border posts with Iraq

Tehran, Feb 22, IRNA – Iran has closed passenger terminals to and from Iraq on four border customs posts, spokesman of Customs Administration of Iran Rouhollah Latifi said on Monday.

Iranian Embassy condemns targeted terrorist attacks in Afghanistan

Kabul, Feb 22, IRNA – Iranian Embassy in Kabul on Monday, condemned violence in Afghanistan and inhumane terrorist attacks against Afghan citizens and the recent targeted killings.

Iran: UNHRC meeting to bring no smile on human’s face

Tehran, Feb 22, IRNA - Secretary of Iran's High Council for Human Rights Ali Baqeri Kani on Monday said that meetings on human rights would not bring smile on human’s face, until “nations manage to lift the foot of dominant states from human rights’ neck.”

COVID-19 claims 89 lives in past 24 hours in Iran: Official

Tehran, Feb 22, IRNA – Some 89 more Iranians have died from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours bringing the total deaths to 59,572, Iran's Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Monday.

Persian language serves as strong Iran-Pakistan cultural bond

Islamabad, Feb 22, IRNA --  The people of Pakistan, as lovers of the Persian language, always talk about Hafez, Saadi, Iqbal Lahori and other great Persian intellectuals in various circles, a factor that is considered the strong cultural bond and love between the two neighboring nations.

Iran, South Korea agree on transfer of Iran’s assets

Tehran, Feb 22, IRNA – Governor of the Central Bank of Iran Abdolnasser Hemmat and South Korean Ambassador to Tehran on Monday agreed on how to transfer and spend part of Iran’s assets in Korean banks.

Iran to stop IAEA inspection beyond Safeguards Agreement as of tomorrow: Security official

Tehran, Feb 22, IRNA – In line with an act passed by the Parliament (Majlis), Iran will stop IAEA inspection beyond the Safeguards Agreement as of Tuesday, a senior security official said on Monday.

Persian, integral part of Afghan-Iranian identities: IRNA chief

Tehran, Feb 22, IRNA - IRNA chief says Persian is the second language of the holy religion of Islam and is also the integral part of both Afghan and Iranian identities.

FM spox advises Biden to distance from Trump's failed legacy

Tehran, Feb 22, IRNA – Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said Biden should decide whether he wants to follow former administration's failed maximum pressure or not and advised him to distance from defeated legacy of Trump.

Tehran to end IAEA Additional Protocol on February 23: Vaezi

Tehran, Feb 22, IRNA – Iran will end Additional Protocol of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on February 23, Chief of Staff of Presidential Office Mahmoud Vaezi said on Monday.

Grossi’s Iran visit, an opportunity for diplomacy

Tehran, Feb 22, IRNA – "Iran" Persian daily in an analysis in its Monday issue wrote that the visit of the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi’s to Iran can be simply described as "giving diplomacy a better chance".

What is the importance of JCPOA for Iran and the world?

Tehran, Feb 22, IRNA – Despite ups and downs in the past several years and Washington’s withdrawal, the JCPOA is still alive and global efforts to maintain it suggest its importance in political, security and economic spheres, not just for the parties of the deal, but for the global community as well.

Jaazmoorian Red-Water Pond, a miracle at desert’s heart

Jiroft, IRNA – Jazmoorian Red-Water (Aab-Sorkh) Pond, by the city of Jiroft in Kerman province, south of Iran, is the portrayal of a magic in world’s hottest desert.

Regional Electricity Conference opens in Tehran

Tehran, Feb 22, IRNA – 8th Regional Conference on Electricity Distribution opened in Tehran on Monday.

Spokesman: Majlis Law effective in context of Iran-IAEA agreement

Tehran, Feb 22, IRNA – Foreign Ministry spokesman announced on Monday that Majlis Law took effect in the context of Iranian agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to end Iranian voluntary acceptance of the IAEA Additional Protocol.

Iran’s AEO explanation on joint statement with IAEA

Tehran, Feb 22, IRNA – Atomic Energy Organization of Iran on Monday released an explanatory note on its joint statement with International Atomic Energy Agency.

Envoy: Iran not to give access to IAEA beyond Safeguards Agreement

London, Feb 22, IRNA - Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Kazem Gharibabadi said on Monday that Iran has put on agenda full implementation of parliament legislation, adding that no access beyond the IAEA Safeguards Agreement will be granted to UN nuclear agency.

By Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana

Sustainable energy key to COVID-19 recovery in Asia and the Pacific

The past year is one that few of us will forget. While the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have played out unevenly across Asia and the Pacific, the region has been spared many of the worst effects seen in other parts of the world. The pandemic has reminded us that a reliable and uninterrupted energy supply is critical to managing this crisis.