News Archive - 20 June 2013

>The rial has strengthened by nearly 10 percent against the dollar since Hassan Rohani was declared winner of the June 14 vote, according to Iranian currency dealers and websites. The rial was trading at around 33,300 per dollar compared with about 36,300 at the close of business a week ago.

>"If that is what Rohani aims for, then we support him and bless this position," Al Watan newspaper quoted Foreign Ministry undersecretary Prince Turki bin Mohammed as saying.Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter and a leading Sunni Muslim power, has tense ties with Shi'ite Iran, notably over the...

Iran's outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad met his successor Hassan Rowhani on Tuesday for the first time since the moderate conservative was elected, in talks centred on political and economic issues.

Runoff likely to decide Iran's new president, with observers cautiously optimistic about integrity of counting The moderate Iranian cleric Hassan Rouhani has taken a strong lead in the initial results of Iran's presidential election, even holding some chance of winning a simple majority, though a second-round runoff appears more likely.

Hasan Rowhani, elected president of Iran last week, has indicated his most important foreign-policy goals are to focus closer to home, in the Persian Gulf region, and to improve relations with Saudi Arabia.

Latest VideoJune 21st, 2013     Iran will build new nuclear reactor during current year in Fars province Iranian TV report on Thursday 20 June that design and placement of a nuclear reactor in Fars province is terminated and building  works will begin in current Iranian year of 1392 .

London, Asharq Al-Awsat—The results of Iran’s city council elections were released on Wednesday, and showed a swing towards reformist candidates nationwide, including in the capital.The elections for Iranian city and village councils took place on June 14, alongside the presidential election. In contrast to the presidential election, turnout was...

>BAGHDAD/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Neighboring Iraq warned that Syria's civil war is tearing the Middle East apart and Lebanon's president urged his country's Hezbollah movement on Thursday to pull its fighters out of the conflict. After two years of fighting that has killed more than 93,000 people, Syria's turmoil is dragging...

Latest VideoJune 20th, 2013     Body of pioneer musician Jalil Shahnaz buried in Artisrts cemetery in Tehran Funeral and burial of pioneer musician Jalil Shahnaz held in Tehran on Thursday June 20 . Watch video of BBC Persian TV  about the life of maestro HERE .  ...

>"The (Iranian) forces at Abu Musa Marine Patrol Base detected two intruding UAE vessels while fishing in the Persian Gulf waters and issued the order for capturing them," Press TV quoted base commander Colonel Ali Vesali as saying.Vesali said those arrested were transferred to a military dock, without giving...

Latest VideoJune 20th, 2013     Satellite provider Intelsat will stop to air Iranian channel as from July first Satellite provider Intelsat said trough a communique that it will not extend contract of Iranian TV and will stop to air Iranian TV channels on its fleet of satellite .

Just days after scoring a stunning election victory in Iran, President-elect Hassan Rohani posted a photograph to Twitter of himself visiting an American field hospital that had been set up in Iran in 2003, part of an emergency global relief effort after the earthquake in Bam, Iran.

TEHRAN, June 20 (UPI) -- Iran announced plans to pay $850 million to secure 10 drilling rigs from Chinese manufacturers instead of domestic companies.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's key reformist is urging supporters of the country's newly elected president to have patience as Hasan Rowhani takes the helm and tackles the country's sanctions-battered economy and tensions with the West.

>PARIS (Reuters) - France said on Thursday it needed more talks with Syrian rebels before it could supply them with heavy weapons and said recent gains by Syrian government forces did not mean President Bashar al-Assad was heading for a "complete victory." Foreign ministers from the Friends of Syria...

>NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ has agreed to pay $250 million to New York state for systematically stripping out information from $100 billion in transactions involving sanctioned countries, including Iran, Sudan and Myanmar. The bank deleted wire transfer information for nearly 28,000 transactions that went through New...

>* Afegra was once a key food supplier to Iran* Small traders struggle to compete with ABCD giantsBy Emma FargeGENEVA, June 20 (Reuters) - Geneva-based agricultural trader Afegra - an exporter of cereals to Iran until last year - is parting company with its managing director and its trading team,...

Latest VideoJune 20th, 2013     Ahmadinejad reward footballers before Hasan Rohani meet national football team Ahmadinejad meet footballers and reward each of them , 50 million Tomans and authorization for importing a car , before national football team meet the future president Hasan Rohani .

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's state TV says a site in southern Iran has been selected for a planned new nuclear research reactor.

>AMMAN (Reuters) - The commander of Syria's main rebel force is coming under increasing pressure to impose unity on his fighters as the United States and other powers move towards arming the opposition battling to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad. General Salim Idriss, a defector chosen six months ago as consensus...

>Speaking in Berlin, Obama urged Russia to help build on the "New START" treaty that requires both countries to cut stockpiles of deployed nuclear weapons to 1,550 each by 2018."Barack Obama is proposing to Russia that together they reduce. That's fine but that is not how we see things,"...

Latest VideoJune 20th, 2013     AK party agreed for Referendum in Istanbul and Erdogan criticize foreign media and Europeans While Taksim square in Istanbul was calm on Wednesday 19 June , the governing AK party agreed for a referendum to find solution for Gezi park development project and Turkish prime...

Millions of joyous Iranians flooded the streets of Tehran on Tuesday after the national team beat Asia powerhouse South Korea 1-0 away to qualify for the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil.