The projects came on line in western Zanjan province in a virtual ceremony attended by President Hassan Rouhani.
The projects include a steel complex, phase two of a factory producing industrial wires, an iron ore concentrates factory, a textile facility and a factory turning out different types of plastic containers.
The projects have come with a price tag of Rls. 70 trillion combined.
When the facilities become fully operational, they will create more than 1,700 jobs.
In the meeting, the two sides discussed mutual cooperation as well as regional and international issues.
The visiting Iranian defence chief underlined that part of historical and cultural commonalities between the two nations is their struggles against colonialism and tyranny.
General Hatami stressed the need to draw on the numerous potentialities in both countries to further expand bilateral cooperation on all fronts, namely in the defence and security sector at bilateral, regional and international levels.
He said such cooperation will serve the interests of both countries.
General Hatami said the Chabahar port in southern Iran could be an opportunity for both sides to forge closer regional cooperation.
For his part, the Indian defence chief expressed his gratitude to the high-ranking Iranian defence delegation for visiting his country.
The top military official touched upon the age-old relations between the two countries, and underline the importance of maintaining the growing ties between Tehran and New Delhi, which include relations in the defence domain.
In a message on Thursday, President Hassan Rouhani expressed congratulations on the arrival of the anniversary of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.
The president said he was confident that given the political will that leaders of both countries have, the two sides can further enhance mutual cooperation on different fronts to serve the interests of both nations.
In the meeting, the Iranian defence chief touched upon the historical and cultural commonalities between the two countries.
He said Tehran and New Delhi have common grounds on many regional and international issues, including the geographical potential that the two countries have at seas and in the Indian Ocean Rim region.
“The existence of these potentialities can play a key role in the promotion of relations between the two countries, especially in the defence and military domains.
The top Indian general, in turn, expressed his gratitude to the senior Iranian defence-military delegation for visiting his country and taking part in the opening ceremony of an aviation exhibition in Bengaluru.
“The ICJ just dismissed all US preliminary objections in the case brought by Iran over unlawful US sanctions,” said Mohammad Javad Zarif in a tweet.
“Another legal victory for Iran following 3 Oct. 2018 Order,” he added.
Zarif then called on the United States to deliver on international commitments.
“Iran has always fully respected int’l law. High time for the US to live up to int’l obligations,” he said.
In a statement on Wednesday, Saeed Khatibzadeh said legal proceedings will be launched into the case based on the ICJ ruling.
“Today at 3 pm the Hague local time, the International Court of Justice announced it has jurisdiction to look into the case on breaches of the 1955 Treaty of Friendship [Cooperation and Mutual Assistance],” he said.
“Based on conclusive evidence and documents as well as the documented statements of defence presented to the court by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s legal team in cooperation with the Centre for International Legal Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other lawyers and counsellors, the court rejected the initial objections by the US and announced it is competent to review the lawsuit filed against the US government,” Khatibzadeh said.
“Accordingly, substantive proceedings will be launched into the case,” he explained.
“With the issuance of this ruling (ICJ announcing it is competent to review the case), Iran secured its second legal success during the proceedings into the case,” he said.
“Its subject concerns the United States’ reimposition and tightening of inhumane sanctions against our country since May 8, 2018,” Khatibzadeh noted.
“Earlier on October 3, 2018, the ICJ issued an injunction in favour of Iran, obliging the US to remove whatever impediments caused by sanctions in the domains of medicine and medical equipment, foodstuffs and agricultural produce, and parts and services related to civil aviation safety,” he explained.
“However, in line with their ‘maximum pressure’ policy and economic war against the Iranian government and nation, the Americans have refused to abide by the ICJ’s verdict so far,” he said.
Khatibzadeh underscored that Iran has duly informed the International Court of Justice of the necessity of compliance with the injunction and Washington’s violation of it.
Now, he noted, with the court announcing its jurisdiction over the case, an opportunity has emerged for the court to also look into the United States’ refusal to abide by the injuction while the court is moving forward with substantive proceedings into the case.
“Although the ruling issued today pertains to the court’s competence to look into the case, it indicates Iran’s demands are rightful at this stage of the proceedings, and with this success, the final phase of proceedings, i.e., substantive proceedings will be launched into the case,” he said.
“Using international mechanisms is part of the policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s government and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to secure the rights of Iranian people on the international stage, which has always been on the agenda of this ministry,” he added.
Ansarian passed away on Wednesday at Farhikhtegan Hospital of Tehran after weeks of battling with the virus.
He started his footballing career in Fajr Sepasi in 1996 and joined Persepolis two years later.
Ansarian also represented the Iranian national football team from 1998 to 2007.
In the past few years, he had become an actor and two of his latest movies were to be screened at this year’s Fajr Film Festival, which is right now underway.
Last week, Mehrdad Minavand, a member of Iran’s national team in the 1998 FIFA World Cup, died of COVID-19 in Tehran.
Minavand was also a member of Persepolis football club.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran opposes any foreign interference in the internal affairs of Iraq and considers it to be to the detriment of the Iraqi people and the whole region,” President Rouhani said in a Wednesday meeting with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein in Tehran.
“The cowardly assassination of Martyr Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis was an example of the most shameful foreign intervention in Iraq’s internal affairs, which was carried out in the form of a state terrorist operation and targeted the heroes of the victory over ISIS,” he noted.
Rouhani welcomed the deepening of Tehran-Baghdad relations, and emphasised that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Iraq have strong commonalities which connect the two countries to such an extent that the results and fruits of this brotherly and strategic bond have gone beyond the two countries and ensures the security and stability of the whole region.
The Iranian president said, “Regarding their economic potential, Iran and Iraq can complement each other as two economies, and the volume of trade should reach $20 billion a year.”
Referring to the holding of a joint commission between the two countries, the President said, “By following up and implementing the agreements of this commission, an important step can be taken in the development of economic relations between the two countries.”
Referring to solving the problems of the Shalamcheh-Basra railway, Rouhani said, “We believe that this project is completely economic and commercial, and is diversifies the transportation routes between Iran and Iraq.”
The President also stressed that for Iran, supporting stability, security, independence, territorial integrity, as well as dignity and authority of Iraq, and promoting its regional and international status are of special priority.
“Cooperation of the two countries during the invasion of ISIS forces is a great example of strengthening bilateral relations to save the region from Takfiri terrorists.”
The President also stressed that Iran supports Iraq’s presence in regional interactions and believes that Iraq is an important party in the region’s political and security interactions.
Rouhani expressed hope that the new US administration would reach the conclusion that its presence in the region is detrimental to security and would reconsider this policy.
In turn, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein described the Iranian President’s visit to Iraq as historic and unforgettable, saying, “In addition to deepening bilateral relations, this visit creates more opportunities for cooperation and speeds up the implementation of agreements.”
The Iraqi Foreign Minister said, “According to various agreements reached by the officials of the two countries, interactions and relations in various economic and trade fields are being pursued, and Iraq seeks to expand and fully develop relations with Iran.”
The Iraqi Foreign Minister added, “The Iraqi people and government are always grateful for Iran’s support and cooperation in the fight against terrorism in Iraq, especially ISIS, and will never forget this.”
“Baghdad is persistently pursuing the withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq and this is being done through negotiations and actions that have been taken,” he noted.
In a Wednesday meeting in Tehran, Zarif praised the Iraqi government for following up the legal proceedings of the assassination of martyred commanders Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, and expressed the hope that those who ordered and perpetrated these criminal acts would be punished for their criminal and damaging moves through judicial follow-ups.
He also noted that ending the presence of US forces in the region will be the best reaction to this act of terrorism.
The Iranian foreign minister expressed pleasure with the holding of a meeting of the Iran-Iraq Joint Economic Commission, and expressed hope that the agreements reached between the two sides during the recent visit of the Iranian president to Iraq in various bilateral fields including industrial towns, border markets, the travel of businessmen and pilgrims between the two countries, the transit of commodities as well as banking issues and unpaid debts would be dealt with as soon as possible.
Fuad Hussein, in turn, referred to the reciprocal visits of the Iranian and Iraqi delegations, and described it as a sign of the two neighbours’ attention to bilateral relations.
He also reviewed the issues in Iran-Iraq bilateral relations in different fields, and expressed the Iraqi side’s view on those topics.
The Iraqi foreign minister also underlined Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s special attention to the issue of following up and organizing the two countries’ relations.
Mahmoud Vaezi, the chief of staff of the President’s Office, noted Europe and the US have been engaged in some talks, too.
“In the past few weeks, the European countries have become more active compared to the past and they are having consultations with the Americans,” he said.
“Mr. Borrell, who is the coordinator for the JCPOA, … has become active as well. His deputy has held talks with Mr. Araqchi (Iran’s deputy foreign minister),” he added.
“They have become active and are working. Now that the new US administration has taken shape, it seems more activities are going on,” he said.
However, he stressed that there have been no contacts between Iran and the US.
“Except for whatever is announced publicly, we have had no bilateral contacts with the Americans,” he said.
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