Howz Soltan salt lake is still full of water despite the arrival of the very hot season in Qom, which leads to an increase in the amount of single-celled algae that reacts to the water evaporation.
The algae produces beta-carotene, a pigment that is in fact a type of red-coloured vitamin. It causes the water of Howz Soltan lake to turn stunningly red.
What follows are YJC’s photos of Howz Soltan lake in central Iran:
Closed-cell aluminum foam is one of the strategic products in the field of materials that is obtained by porous casting.
With the introduction of US sanctions, global manufacturers refused to sell it to Iran, and this motivated knowledge-based companies to turn Iran into the sole manufacturer of this product in the region, a report by Iran’s Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology says.
Some industrial materials and products in the field of metals and casting were among the first items to be included in the sanctions list. This created a spontaneous movement among knowledge-based companies of Iran to seize the opportunity to make the Islamic Republic forever independent from imports from other countries.
Closed-cell aluminum foam is one of these products that was localised with the help of technology activists.
Kianoosh Asgari, CEO of Rahyaft New Technologies Company says Aluminum closed cell foam is one of the most widely used products in various industries and this high demand in the country has increased its importance.
“This product is aluminum metal, which is produced by porous casting. Due to some features such as very low weight, high energy absorption, sound absorption, thermal insulation, vibration absorption, wave absorption and ignition resistance, this particular type of metal has a wide variety of applications in various industries.”
This product is also resistant to corrosion and is compatible with the environment. In the global classification, this substance is considered as an advanced substance and is known as one of the 10 substances of future generation. The number of countries with technical knowledge of this product is less than 10 in the world,” added Asgari.
“The price of the product produced in Iran is almost one third of the same foreign sample, and this made the domestic producer more spirited than the importer. Due to its special properties, this product is used in various industries such as construction industries (lightening and earthquake resistance), transportation industries, automotive industry and anti-fire and anti-theft doors.”
Asgari underlined that the company was founded in 2015 and its founders include faculty members from Amirkabir and Tehran Universities and some other experienced industry executives.
The company works in the field of materials engineering in the form of an industrial clinic and, in addition to aluminum foam, has two other knowledge-based products.
“Aluminum foam has been the product of more than 12 years of research and development by one of the company’s founders, and prior to its production, the research was published in several international journals.”
Asgari further cited consulting support among the services the company has received from the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology.
“We hope to increase the amount of production by attracting the necessary investments due to the high capacity of such products as this product has a very high added value and about 99% of its consumables are supplied domestically.”
As none of the countries in the region are producers of this product and the producing countries are very limited we hope that in addition to domestic consumption, we will add new export destinations to the list of buyers of this product, concluded Asgari.
Juda Gerami said the Jews living in Iran have complete freedom of opinion and all synagogues are open and the Torah is taught there.
“I estimate that between 20,000 and 25,000 Jews live in Iran, most of them in Tehran, Shiraz, Isfahan and Kermanshah. We have all kinds of educational institutions, including primary and secondary schools,” he told Al-Monitor.
“Our Muslim neighbours show a lot of respect for us as Jews living in Iran. Unlike in Europe, there is no need for security forces in Iran to protect Jewish synagogues and schools, and our personal security is excellent. Most people respect us and live with us in peace.”
He added that the important thing is that there is nothing called organised attacks on Jews in Iran.
There is a big difference between Zionism and Judaism, Gerami stated, stressing that religious Judaism has a history of 3,300 years, while Zionism is a political movement with a history of only 100 years.
He further underscored that Israel’s cabinet is very far from Judaism in terms of its actions because it does not care about Judaism at all.
Elsewhere in his remarks Gerami talked about General Qassem Soleimani saying “What the Western world does not fully understand is that Soleimani is a national hero of Iran. He is quite admired in his country.”
“He showed great courage in the Iran-Iraq war, and then in the Syrian war, it was Soleimani who defeated ISIS, and this is very important for the Iranian people.”
Mohsen Haji Mirzaei said on Sunday that students at crowded schools will be divided into two groups in the new school year, some attending on even days and some on odd days.
“According to a recent decree issued by the National Headquarters to Fight against Coronavirus, schools will be open on Thursdays (the day before weekly holiday), with the aim of managing students entering the school. Some will be at school on even days, and some will be at school on odd days,” stressed Haji Mirzaei during a visit to a school in Tehran.
The Minister of Education continued that in low risk areas with a low population of students, schools will have a normal routine, but the use of cyberspace to provide education will continue, and high quality educational videos will be provided to families.
“In the current situation, we have predicted various scenarios. In the coming year, combined education is on the agenda, so it is possible that part of the education will be provided virtually and part of it in school.”
Zarif on Sunday referred to the recent media hype and the moves made by some foreign actors and political currents inside Afghanistan, who took advantage of the recent tragic events for Afghan nationals, saying they were attempts to undermine close cooperation and fraternal atmosphere between the two countries.
He said Afghanistan’s evacuation of its border checkpoints has shift all the responsibilities to Iranian border guards, and this has led to such incidents.
The Iranian top diplomat made the remarks in a meeting with the caretaker of the Afghan Foreign Ministry Mohammad Haneef Atmar in Tehran.
He expressed hope that the Afghan government would take more care to prevent the destructive activities of the ill-wishers who seek to disrupt the two countries’ relations.
Zarif further referred to the support of the Iranian people and government for the Afghans during the years of war despite the problems and shortcomings caused by foreign sanctions against the Iranian people, saying that Iran has hosted more than three million Afghans over the past 40 years.
He said the charge-free education provided for more than 520,000 Afghan students in Iranian schools upon the Islamic Revolution Leader’s order, and the admission of more than 22,000 Afghan students in Iranian universities show the goodwill and fraternal feelings of the Iranian people and government towards the Afghan people and government.
Zarif cited the recent order of Iran’s President to provide free treatment to Afghan citizens infected with coronavirus in hospitals across Iran as another example of this cooperation with the Afghan government and people.
He further offered congratulations on the recent political agreement between Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah and expressed satisfaction that the Islamic Republic of Iran has been able to play a positive role in this regard at the request of the Afghan parties.
He stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran is committed to continuing its regional and international efforts to reach a consensus in support of the Afghan government’s focus on inter-Afghan dialogue and the protection of the Constitution, the republic political system, and the observance of constitutional rights.
For his part, Hanif Atmar appreciated the continuous support of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the people of Afghanistan over the past four decades, and highlighted the presence of representatives from all sections of the Afghan government in the delegation accompanying him.
He said the goal of the delegation’s visit to Iran is to try to allay the concerns and solve the problems and to prepare the ground for the development and promotion of relations.
The Afghan top diplomat said the Islamic Republic of Iran played an effective and key role in creating regional and international consensus in support of the government and constitution of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the establishment of a ceasefire and assistance to start inter-Afghan talks.
Atmar also called for continuation of this cooperation and the constructive role played by the Islamic Republic of Iran to advance the peace process in Afghanistan.
During the Sunday meeting, the two sides stressed the need for more effective monitoring of the common border and agreed to work together to improve the level and quality of border care in order to ensure that the recent bitter incidents would not occur again at the borders.
Also, in view of the agreements reached to provide the legal presence of Afghan citizens and their access to the Iranian labour market in the framework of negotiations for the preparation of a comprehensive document on strategic cooperation between the two countries, the two sides expressed their determination to finalise the document and prepare the ground for the two presidents to sign the document as soon as possible.
The two parties agreed to prepare the text of the final agreement to be signed by the presidents within the next three months.
During the meeting, the two top diplomats also talked about the ISIS’ threat for regional security, stressing the need for bilateral cooperation in the fight against this terrorist group.
Hanif Atmar and the accompanying delegation will meet with the Ministers of Interior, Labour and Energy during their two-day stay in Tehran.
Atmar arrived in Tehran before noon on Sunday at the head of a high-level delegation consisting of 45 high-ranking Afghan government officials.
Upon arrival, Atmar and the accompanying delegation met with Iran’s foreign minister and a group of senior officials and attended a formal luncheon hosted by Mohammad Javad Zarif.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed various issues of bilateral relations and regional and global affairs, and emphasised their willingness to expand and strengthen bilateral relations in light of extensive ties and friendship between the two nations.
Ali Shamkhani said the new plot comes after the US defeats in Syria and Iraq that followed the fall of the ISIS.
This is part of the United States’ policies to make the region insecure, Shamkhani added in a meeting with acting Afghan Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Haneef Atmar in Tehran.
The Iranian top security official also touched upon the need to finalise a comprehensive document on cooperation between Tehran and Kabul as soon as possible.
He said the signing of this strategic document will lead to a fundamental leap forward in the relations between the two countries and activate all the exchangeable capacities while strengthening the historical ties between Iran and Afghanistan.
Shamkhani also expressed satisfaction over the agreement between Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah and the increase of stability in Afghanistan’s political structure, raising hope that in light of this agreement, the all-out growth and development in the country will be boosted and the suffering of the people will be lessened.
The Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council further referred to more than forty years of all-out support of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the people of Afghanistan, especially reception of more than three million immigrants and providing all kinds of health and educational facilities.
He also emphasized that the support of the Iranian government and people for their Afghan brothers and sisters will go on.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Shamkhani expressed sorrow over the death of a group of Afghans who were trying to enter Iran illegally, noting that while Iranian law enforcement forces had no role in this event, the unfounded claims made by some Afghan officials and media are surprising and a matter of pity.
“Regardless of the unconstructive atmosphere, there is unequivocal evidence to reject the allegations against Iran if the Afghan side is willing to look into,” stressed Shamkhani.
For his part, Atmar thanked the Islamic Republic of Iran for its continuous, effective and comprehensive support and assistance to the government and nation of Afghanistan for many years and touched upon the expansion of relations between the two countries.
He said the continuation of warm and friendly ties between the two countries is one of the main priorities of the Afghan government, adding that Kabul will not allow any third party to damage the relations between the two countries.
Atmar also confirmed the remarks of the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council regarding the importance of the signing of the comprehensive document on cooperation between Iran and Afghanistan and expressed hope that the document be finalised as soon as possible by expert committees and be signed by the presidents of the two countries.
Heading a high-ranking delegation including Afghan political, economy, and security officials, Atmar arrived in Tehran on Sunday to hold talks with Iranian officials.
He earlier held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
Iran’s foreign ministry said on Sunday that Tehran has called for immediate action by the relevant Romanian authorities to clarify the cause of Mansouri’s death.
The ministry of foreign affairs invited the Romanian Ambassador to Tehran and gave him an official memo, urging him to investigate and announce the cause of his death.
In the meeting, Iranian officials touched upon the role of the Romanian government in ensuring the safety of Gholamreza Mansouri, who was under the police surveillance.
Iran also pointed to the request of the deceased’s family and the importance of this case for public opinion, urging Bucharest to speed up the medical and legal investigations regarding the death of Gholamreza Mansouri and the transfer of his body to Iran.
In turn, the Romanian ambassador stated that after obtaining the viewpoints of the officials of his country in this regard, he will provide the results of the measures taken to the officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Former Iranian judge Gholamreza Mansouri, who died on Friday in a hotel in Romania, was accused of corruption and taking more than $500,000 in bribes.
Iran’s Judiciary spokesman earlier announced he has been arrested in Romania.
Mansouri is among several judges who were accused of corruption during the trial of a former senior Judiciary official that opened in Tehran early June.
Upon the request of passengers and for the convenience of Iranians abroad, Iran Air will launch its flights to Manchester as of July 4.
An Airbus 330 aircraft with flight number 753 will take passengers from Imam Khomeini International Airport to Manchester every Saturday.
The return flight from Manchester to Tehran will be on the same day at 10:30 local time.
During the Sunday meeting, which was held in three rounds, the two sides conferred on the latest developments in bilateral relations, including political, economic and cultural collaborations, security and border cooperation, the issue of Afghan nationals and refugees, transport ties, and other issues of mutual interest.
The two top diplomats also discussed the document of comprehensive cooperation between Iran and Afghanistan, which was agreed to be finalized in three months at most.
The high-ranking Afghan delegation will discuss and follow up on the agreements reached between the two foreign ministers within eight committees today and tomorrow.
The Afghan top diplomat’s visit to Tehran comes weeks after the deaths of a number of Afghan nationals who had plans for illegal entry into Iran or had entered Iran illegally with the help of traffickers, but lost their lives in the Harirud River.
Kabul says they were forced by Iranian border guards to go into the river, but Tehran denies the claim.
A number of Afghan nationals were also killed in a car fire in Iran’s Yazd province in a separate incident.
Afghan people accused the Iranian police for shooting at the car, which was carrying illegal immigrants, before it caught fire, but the Afghan ambassador to Tehran says the traffickers are to blame for the blaze.
Afghanistan Says Traffickers Are to Blame for Deadly Car Blaze in Iran
In her press briefing on Sunday, Sima-Sadat Lari confirmed 2,368 new cases of COVID-19 infection, increasing the total number of infections to 205,952.
According to the spokeswoman, 163,591 patients have so far recovered from COVID-19, but 2,887 are still in severe conditions of the disease.
She said so far 1,422,407 COVID-19 tests have been taken across the country.
According to Lari, Khuzestan, East Azarbaijan, Hormozgan, and Kermanshah provinces are considered as red zones.
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