Ghalibaf was speaking during a meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Meqdad in Tehran on Monday. He said today the most important issue is the economy of Iran and Syria, adding private sectors of the two countries must be supported so they will boost economic ties between the two countries.
He added that the reason for the importance of economic development is that the enemies of the Resistance Front are waging an economic war because they failed to achieve their goals in the battlefield. “Therefore”, he said, “we must try to succeed in the economic and political fields”.
Meqdad also extended Syrian President Bashar al-Asad’s greetings to Ghalibaf.
He said great achievements have been made thanks to sacrifices by the Syrian army and martyrs such as General Qassem Soleimani, Abu Mahdi al-Mohandis, Hezbollah fighters and others.
He added that despite all victories, Syria’s war on terrorists is not over yet.
The Syrian foreign minister also said the US military presence in Syria is dangerous and must end.
Meqdad condemned the US sanctions on Tehran and Damascus, saying Washington aims to gain through sanctions what it failed to achieve on the ground in Syria. The Syrian foreign minister thanked Iran for standing by the Syrian people.
Ghalibaf: Iran ready to help end insecurity in Syria
Firefighters put out fire in Tehran gas pipeline
A spokesman for Tehran province’s Gas Company said it took one hour to extinguish the fire. He said the incident left no casualties.
The fire has left three thousand households without gas in the cold area.
The spokesman added that efforts are underway to repair the gas pipeline and the gas will be restored in a few hours.
The fire broke out when municipality workers broke a high pressure gas pipeline during drilling work.
Number of vaccine doses nearing 108 million mark in Iran
The total fatalities from Covid since the start of the pandemic stand at 130,277. Since Sunday, there have been 3,356 new cases including 559 hospitalizations.
Since the start of the pandemic, 6,137,821 people have contracted Covid in Iran. The majority of them, that is, 5,930,502 people have recovered from the disease.
Meanwhile, the nationwide vaccination campaign is continuing in Iran with the number of total doses administered so far being 107,940,633 doses.
2 cities in Iran are marked red, which means the risk of Covid is very high there while 9 cities are orange, 153 yellow and 284 blue. Blue cities face the lowest level of risk from Covid. The downward trend in deaths and hospitalizations in Iran has been attributed to the high rate of vaccination in the country.
Iran’s president invited to visit the UAE
Raisi also said in his meeting with visiting Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan that good ties with neighbors is a top foreign policy priority for his administration.
Raisi added that there must be no obstacles to relations between the two Muslim countries.
The Iranian president also said that the Tehran-Abu Dhabi ties must not be affected by other countries. He noted that foreign enemies seek to cause fear among neighbors but this plot will be foiled by mutual understanding and prudence.
The president said the Zionist regime is pursuing its heinous schemes and it will sow sedition wherever it gains a foothold.
He urged regional countries to be vigilant against the Israeli regime’s moves.
The Emirati official also said his visit to Iran will be a turning point in bilateral ties. Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan said his country is ready to develop cooperation with Iran.
He extended the UAE leader’s invitation to Raisi to visit the Persian Gulf country and expressed hope that Raisi’s visit to the UAE will open a new chapter in ties between the two sides.
Amir Abdollahian: Iran will not hesitate to defend its territory, security
“We, of course, understand the situation in Afghanistan, and that the forces of the interim government still do not have the necessary control over the borders with their neighbors. But I would like to make it clear here that the Islamic Republic of Iran is serious in preserving its national security and territorial integrity,” Amir Abdollahian said in a joint press conference after talks with his Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad in Tehran on Monday.
“An incident occurred at one of our border points in the last few days, and our armed forces responded strongly to that uncoordinated move. And, of course, in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, based on our diplomatic duty, in an official note to the Afghan Embassy in Tehran and through the Iranian Embassy in Kabul, we formally protested against this limited border violation, and our armed forces strongly and swiftly confronted the culprits,” Amir Abdollahian stated with a reference to the recent clashes between Iranian border guards and Taliban members in the border area of Iran’s Sistan and Balouchestan Province and Nimroz Province of Afghanistan.
On the latest talks between Iran and the P4+1 group in Vienna, Amir Abdollahian said the Islamic Republic is after a good agreement through solid and logical negotiations.
“We attended the first round of new talks in Vienna in good faith, with seriousness and plan,” the top Iranian diplomat stated, adding that the three European countries did not have any significant initiatives to offer, and instead of looking for a solution, they seemed to be assessing the Iranian delegation.”
Amir Abdollahian also said during the press conference with his Syrian counterpart that “the Islamic Republic of Iran condemns the presence of foreign forces in Syria who have entered Syria without coordination with the government…., and does not consider this presence in favor of peace and security in the region.”
The Iranian foreign minister also welcomed the decision by some Arab and Western governments to mend ties with Damascus.
Raisi: Foreign troop presence in Syria dangerous
Raisi was speaking at a meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Meqdad in Tehran on Monday.
He said both sides must put in place a long-term plan to develop and deepen bilateral ties and move toward realizing their interests especially economic ones.
The Iranian president then turned to the presence of foreign forces in Syria and the wider region, calling it dangerous for regional stability and security.
He noted that the Daesh terror group is an invention of the US and that their presence will be extremely detrimental to regional stability and well-being of nations.
The Iranian president also referred to sacrifices made by Iran’s top General Qassem Soleimani, saying the anti-terror icon grounded Daesh and the US in the region.
He also hailed Syria’s role in the regional, saying today the Arab country is at the frontline of the resistance against the Zionist regime.
He said Syria’s resistance against unfair onslaughts will go down in history as a shining chapter.
The Syrian foreign minister also conveyed President Bashar al-Assad’s message to Raisi and invited the Iranian president to visit Syria.
He said Syria is determined to strengthened ties in all fields with Iran.
Meqdad added that Syria will never forget Iran’s support of the country. He noted that General Soleimani belongs to both Iran and Syria and “we will not forget sacrifices by our martyrs”.
Meqdad also said the US uses the most heinous schemes in its relations with regional countries. Meqdad said the perseverance of Syria and the resistance front beat the plots of the US and the Zionist regime and they have now changed their approach after realizing that Syria was not defeated.
UAE security chief: Warm ties with Tehran top priority
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of the United Arab Emirates made the comment during a Monday meeting with his Iranian counterpart Vice Admiral Ali Shamkhani in Tehran.
“Iran as a vast and powerful country in the region has a unique geopolitical standing and is the crossroad link between the eastern and the western parts of the world,” he said.
“Development of warm and brotherly ties between Abu Dhabi and Tehran is among the priorities of the UAE.”
“It is necessary [for the two sides] to form specialized working groups to carefully outline the areas of cooperation in the different economic domains, identify existing obstacles and remove them,” he said.
Shamkhani also said lasting stability and security is only possible through constant dialogue and cooperation among regional countries.
“Warm and friendly ties with neighboring countries and exchange of economic, trade and investment potentials is the main priority of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s foreign policy,” Shamkhani said.
The top security official also underlined that relations among regional countries should not be affected by the meddling policies of the extra-regional countries.
“Persian Gulf countries, if they cooperate and work together, can ensure development and welfare for their own nations, while playing a key role in the economy of the region and the world, as energy hubs,” he said.
“To end disputes, talks and understanding should replace military approaches,” he added.
Relations between Iran and the United Arab Emirates soured after the Emirates joined Saudi Arabia in its war on Yemen in 2015. Bilateral relations further worsened after Abu Dhabi signed a normalization deal with Israel. However, the two sides have shown signs of a de-escalation in tensions over the recent months.
Iran keeper best player of world handball match in Norway
The competition was held as part of the International Handball Federation’s Women’s World Championship 2021.
The Iranian national team were seen as the underdog against Norway, the reigning European champions and one of the most decorated handball teams in history with three world championships on its records.
The Iranian team were beaten 41 to 9 and that’s why Iranian goalkeeper Fatemeh Khalili winning the player of the match did matter.
She helped Iran take the lead in the match with her excellent outings, ending the first half with seven saves, after an outstanding outing two days ago against Romania, when she stopped 18 shots.
Russian official: North-South Corridor vital for cooperation with Iran
The corridor is a land route extending from India to northern European countries. An agreement for its construction was signed among Iran, Russia and India in 2000.
“The corridor is the shortest transit route between Europe and south and southeastern Asia and passes from Iran and Russia,” said Vladimir Ubidnev, director of the Iran-Russian Trade Council at Russia’s Chamber of Commerce and Industries told IRNA.
“I can confirm that the north-south international corridor will be the backbone for the development of Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union.”
The mainly rail link extends from China to India and Pakistan and is connected to Russia and Finland through Iran. A 170-kilometer railway between the northern Iranian cities of Rasht and Astara is the only incomplete link in the transit route.
The Russian official also said Iran’s full membership in the Eurasian Economic Union can help increase trade between the two sides as it eases customs bureaucracy between the country and members of the union, including Russia.
He also touched on Iran’s recent full membership in Shanghai Cooperation Organization as a great boon to the expansion of the north-south corridor. He said Iran can also use its membership in the organization to diversify routes to its development.
