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Former senior official Abdullah Abdullah leaves Afghanistan

Afghanistan’s former Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah

In a statement on his Twitter account, Abdullah said he would be outside of Afghanistan on a personal trip for the duration of the Muslim occasion.

He did not specify where he would be. The Taliban took over Afghanistan in August last year, as the United States was withdrawing its and other foreign forces from the country.

While the then-Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, claiming that there was a credible threat to his life, Abdullah and former President Hamid Karzai stayed back and were unharmed by the Taliban.

Abdullah’s departure for vacationing now comes as unconfirmed reports from inside Afghanistan had earlier suggested that the Taliban had placed him under house arrest.

Ayatollah Khamenei pardons many prisoners on occasion of Eid ul-Fitr

Iran’s leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei

Ayatollah Khamenei issued an order to that effect upon a proposal by the Iranian Judiciay chief Gholamhossien Mohseni Ejei.

Ayatollah Khamenei pardons many prisoners or commutes their jail terms on various occasions throughout the year.

He does so in line with the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Irani Interior minister questioned at parliament over border events

Iran parliament

Mahmoud Abbaszadeh Meshkini added that given the sensitivity of the matter, the lawmakers decided to give the interior minister an opportunity to launch an in-depth probe into the matter and they decided that the minister will not be questioned at an open session of parliament.

Abbaszadeh Meshkini noted that the security situation along Iran’s borders is great، thanks to the vigilance and readiness of Iranian border guards and their high capability.

He said Iran has one of the most powerful border forces of the region, but all movements in those areas must be carefully monitored.

The MP referred to the recent movements inside Afghanistan near the Iranian border, saying, “The question is if the Taliban rulers of Afghanistan were aware of the movements”.

Abbaszadeh Meshkini  also said all aspects of the issue must be clarified.

He however stressed that some parties want to cause division between Iran and its eastern neighbors and that “we must keep close tabs on such actions”.

The main border crossing between Iran and Afghanistan was closed last Saturday following a brief clash between Iranian border guards and armed men who were said to be Taliban members. The clash happened after Iranian guards prevented the Taliban’s local authorities in Afghanistan’s Heart province from building a road on the border without coordination with Iranian authorities.

Iran marks National Persian Gulf Day

Persian Gulf

The National Persian Gulf Day is an auspicious innovation meant to honor the Persian Gulf’s history and civilization and the historical names of waters to the south of Iran.

The day is marked on April 30.

Iran marks National Persian Gulf Day

Persian Gulf

The National Persian Gulf Day falls on April 30, and is designated as such by the Iranian government to emphasize the importance of the body of water and its historical connection to Iran.

It is the day when, in 1622, the colonial forces of the so-called Portuguese Maritime Empire withdrew from the Persian Gulf.

A ceremony was held on Iran’s southern Qeshm Island — the largest island in the Persian Gulf — to mark the day on Saturday. Local officials attended the ceremony in Qeshm’s historical Laft harbor, where boats paraded and cultural events were also held to mark the day.

On the eve of the National Persian Gulf Day, the Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement in which it congratulated Iranian people on the occasion and hoped that the body of water would be “a sanctuary of security and stability as well as a symbol of peace, friendship and co-existence among regional nations.”

It said the day “is reminiscent of the expulsion of colonialists from the region.”

Iran’s Nour News website: No plans for IAEA chief’s visit to Tehran

IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi

Nour News said there are no plans for Rafael Grossi’s visit.

Nour News added that any visit by Gross will be declared by the Atomic Energy Agency of Iran and reports from other sources have no credibility.

Some Iranian social media have announced that the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency is going to visit Tehran soon.

Iranian president calls for border control to contain Covid

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi

Raisi said the Covid situation has improved greatly thanks to the nationwide vaccination campaign.

He added that the downward trend in the Covid deaths and infections allowed people to hold Quds Day rallies on the last Friday of the fasting month of Ramadan, so that more people took to the streets nationwide compared to previous years.

He however urged people to not relax health protocols.

The president said these protocols must be specially observed in schools, public transport vehicles, malls and religious gatherings.

Iran’s Health Ministry announced on Saturday 532 people were diagnosed with the Coronavirus and 11 people lost their lives as a result of it over the past 24 hours. This is the lowest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in almost two years.

Iran’s economic growth rate was 5.8% last fall: Central Bank

Iran Central Bank

According to the figures, Iran’s non-oil economic growth rate for the quarter was 5.8%, and the country’s GDP was 3.7%.

And the services sector registered a growth of more than 8%.

Iran is under stringent US sanctions, which have targeted its oil sales and non-oil economic development.

Sanctions that had been removed under a 2015 deal between Iran and six other partners were re-introduced and a range of other stringent bans were imposed in the country after former US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in 2018.

Iranian plain abounds with snake’s head flowers

Snake’s head flowers

It is native to the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, from the Mediterranean and North Africa through Eurasia and Southwest Asia to western North America.

It is an endangered plant, yet, many of its 60 variants can be found in Iran, although their lifespan is naturally short.

The Barm Firouz snake’s head plain in Sepidan County of Iran’s southern province of Fars abounds with the flower.

Every year in spring, when the flower grows in the plain, tourists frequent the area for its natural beauty.

According to the Iranian epic Shahnameh, a first snake’s head grew where the blood of Iranian hero Siavash dropped, after his throat was slashed by a foreign enemy.

Ferdowsi, the great Iranian epic poet who composed Shahnameh, says the flower could never hold its head high because it had been witness to Siavash’s unjust killing.

Here is a selection of photos from the Barm Firouz snake’s head plain. Enjoy!

COVID-19 figures hit the lowest in Iran in nearly two years

COVID in Iran

According to the ministry, 532 people were diagnosed with the disease and 11 people lost their lives as a result of it. Out of the new cases, 109 people had to be hospitalized.

Those are the lowest numbers in Iran since almost two years ago, when the coronavirus seemed almost out of control.

The total caseload since the pandemic began in Iran has now reached 7,721,653 people. And a total of 141,083 Iranians have died of the disease.

The low figures come as the United States and Europe are reportedly considering declaring the end of the pandemic.

Mass vaccination and other precautionary measures have helped Iran reduce its caseload and death toll from record highs almost a year ago to the present figures. So far, 27,029,483 people have received a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Iran. Over 30,380 shots were administered in the country over the past 24 hours alone.

Furthermore, no Iranian cities, towns, or counties are in the so-called red status for COVID-19, which signifies the highest level of threat posed by the virus. Ninety four counties are in the blue status, which signifies the lowest level of the health hazard.