The rocks lying on top of one another were found in “Tall Chegah-e Sofla” village near Behbahan town in Khuzestan province.
The village was discovered by an archaeology team led by Hans Nielsen from the University of Chicago. Later on, Reinhard Dittmann expounded habitation patterns at local deserts in the area. Dittmann refers to Tall Chegah-e Sofla as one of the key hubs of habitation in the late 5th millennium BCE.
In 2009, Tall Chegah-e Sofla was registered on Iran’s List of National Heritage Sites. In 2015, operations conducted to demarcate the archaeological site of Tall Chegah-e Sofla, one of Kuzestan’s largest prehistoric sites, led to the discovery of tombs dating back 7,000 years. That triggered a 5-year project of archaeological excavations at the site, which have now resulted in the discovery of these conical rocks.
The head of the team of archaeologists says the rocks were dug out as archaeological excavations were underway.
“We can say that the pieces of rocks were deliberately put on top of one another,” he says.
“The rocks are laid in two rows in the shape of a rectangle. The ones in the upper row are less damaged than those in the lower row,” he says.
“Most of the rocks in the lower row are broken as they were not only under much pressure, but were made of sandstone,” the lead archaeologist notes.
“There is mortar between the rocks,” he says.
The rocks cut out to look like cones bear carvings including images of goats, oval and circular eyes, different marks containing crisscross lines, circles reminiscent of human eyes, and images of humans. Of course, some of the rocks have no carvings on them.
In no other rural archaeological sites in Iran have similar rocks been found. Signs have also been found of prehistoric wall carvings near the tombs unearthed there.
Hamidreza Shiri, a member of the project, told ISNA that dogs have already been used to diagnose malaria and other viruses.
Since dogs sense odours 20,000 times more than humans, they have already been able to detect some viruses, he added.
However, as the coronavirus is unknown and highly mutated, researchers have not yet carried out such a project. At present, we have taken the risk of this action, and the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran has supported us in this regard, he went on to say.
So far, two stages of these trainings have been carried out in SK9 School and the final stage has been done at the centre of the military police near Imam Reza Hospital, he said.
“In this regard, in the first phase of the study, we proved that dogs do not get infected with the coronavirus, because dogs have been exposed directly to viruses for about two weeks, but several stages of testing have been performed and so far we haven’t seen any cases of virus transmission from dogs to trainers; therefore we can say dogs cannot be virus carriers.”
Hamidreza Shiri stated that he hopes to announce in the next 10 days that dogs can detect coronavirus. “Among the ten tests that are performed, dogs can identify the virus and say nine are negative and one is positive. We hope to be able to prove this to the world in the coming days,” stressed Shiri.
“Since this is a research project, we did not know which breed was more useful, so we used different breeds, including Labrador, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd, and Border Collie.”
He also asserted the study has not yet begun in other parts of the world; the United Kingdom has said it seeks to take action, but it is still in the research phase.
The budget the UK has requested for the project is over one billion dollars, while the army of the Islamic Republic of Iran supported the researchers.
“Getting help from dogs to diagnose the corona will have two phases. The first phase will be the use of dogs to diagnose people, and if a dog is trained, it can detect up to 700 cases per hour. Another phase is that dogs can be trained to distinguish between carriers and healthy people in crowded places such as shopping malls, barracks, airports, and so on.”
In the end, he said this research is very risky and the virus is just 20 centimetres away from the trainers. This is a project being carried out with the cooperation of SK9 School, Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Army University of Medical Sciences, Military Police Centre and Imam Reza Hospital.
Corona diagnosis by sniffer dogs is also being investigated in the UK. Working with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Durham University, the Medical Detection Dogs charity organisation believes dogs could learn the smell of coronavirus within six weeks to provide a rapid diagnosis.
Odour samples from patients infected with coronavirus as well as a sample group who do not have the virus will be given to dogs that are already trained in detecting conditions. If their training with COVID-19 is effective, the dogs could be sent to airports or public places to provide screening for the deadly infection.
“These dogs can screen up to 750 people per hour and would support ongoing efforts to test for COVID-19,” the charity said. “Once we have trained the first dogs and have set training protocols, we could engage other agencies, at home and abroad, to increase the number of working teams.”
Science Alert quoted James Logan, the head of the department of disease control at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, as saying that it is too soon for COVID-19 odour detection. We do not know if COVID-19 has a specific odour yet, but we know that other respiratory diseases change our body odour so there is a chance that it does. And if it does, dogs will be able to detect it. This new diagnostic tool could revolutionise our response to COVID-19.
A tourist attraction of Ilam province is Cham Gardalan Dam, constructed near Malekshahi county. It is an important source of water supply in Ilam city, the province’s capital.
Another attraction is the shrine of Imamzadeh Seyyed Ibrahim (AS), known as Ibrahim Qatal, a descendant of Imam Ali (AS), the first Shiite Imam. He is a descendent of Mohammad Hanafieh -son of Imam Ali (AS)- with 7 intermediaries. The shrine is located 45 km from Dehloran city and is a part of Bisheh Deraz section. A large wetland and a small dam are located near it.
What follows are YJC’s photos of Ilam’s wonderful nature. It’s to be noted that due to the outbreak of coronavirus, the roads to the province’s natural sites are temporarily closed:
Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development and the Managing Director of Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran, Mohammad Rastad, said on Wednesday that 52.5 million tonness of non-oil products were exported from the ports of the country in the past Iranian year.
He added that 34 million tonnes of non-oil products were also imported, showing a growth of 27%.
Last year, over 150 million tonnes of goods were unloaded in the country’s ports, which shows a 9% rise in comparison with a year earlier, he noted.
The deputy minister made the comments in a meeting with First Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri and Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mohammad Eslami on Wednesday.
“The most difficult process in the shipping chain is the entry and exit of the ship, Rastad said.
“Fortunately, in this case, in a port like Bandar-e Imam, the unloading and loading of a ship with 70,000 tonnes of basic goods was carried out round the clock, and by unloading 8,000 tonnes every 24 hours, these ships were unloaded within a maximum of eight days,” he explained.
He also mentioned that some equipment that were previously manufactured and produced by the foreign companies, such as container cranes, are now built inside the country, saving about 20 million euros.
Referring to Jahangiri’s visit to Shahid Rajaei Port, Rastad said the third phase of Shahid Rajaei Port is an important and strategic project that can increase the container capacity of the port from 6.3 million TEU to 8 million TEU.
“In this regard, we plan to bring at least 900 metres of the 1,400-metre pier in this project into operation and add it to the infrastructure of this port. We are also trying to bring into operation three piers for loading oil and oil products this year in Shahid Rajaei port, which can add 30 million tonnes to the country’s oil production capacity.”
Elsewhere in his remarks, Rastad said another significant measure taken by the Ports and Maritime Organisation of Iran was to repeatedly isolate the United States and discuss its illegal actions against the Maritime Organisation’s conventions.
He also referred to the infrastructural works carried out on the country’s coasts, saying that among these moves, the integrated management of the country’s coasts is a strategic plan.
In the end, Rastad said the issue of multifaceted transportation, which is strongly emphasised by the minister, is one of the issues that is being seriously pursued by the Ports and Maritime Organisation.
“That is why we have increased the share of railways in ports in an unprecedented move, and this programme will definitely continue,” he concluded.
The project has come with a price tag of more than $1.2 billion and will see 300,000 tonnes of aluminium ingots produced, said Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Reza Rahmani.
The project has been completed and is located in Lamerd in Iran’s southern province of Fars.
The minister added that cutting-edge technology has been incorporated into the project, noting that a whole variety of products will be exported as well.
When operational, the factory will employ 1,500 people directly and 5,000 others indirectly, Rahmani noted.
The minister said the majority of the workforce has been chosen from the native residents, and added they have passed the required training courses.
Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said the recent drop in the oil prices was unprecedented, underlining that resolving the issues related to the oil market needs global support.
In comments on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, he said the oil producers must work together to survive, especially the producers who pay more for oil production.
According to Shana, Zanganeh said that one of the main reasons for the oil prices plunge is the outbreak of the coronavirus.
“With the spread of this virus, the consumption of petroleum products has sharply decreased and a significant part of the world’s aviation industry has been shut down and passenger transportation has been disrupted,” he noted.
Under these circumstances, the refineries have reduced their production and demand for crude oil has fallen sharply, the minister added.
“OPEC initially estimated a surplus of 3 million barrels per day in the first three months of 2020. The estimate rose to 11 million barrels at a recent meeting of the OPEC and non-OPEC members in April, and the oil market is expected to face a 14 million barrel surplus in the second quarter of this year,” Zanganeh explained.
Noting that the coronavirus is the reason for the oversupply in the oil market, the Iranian oil minister stated, “Unfortunately, since March, we have witnessed the start of a price war by some countries. They bragged that they are increasing the supply of oil, and this has created the crisis in the oil market.”
Zanganeh stressed that the storage tanks were filled with the excess oil that entered the market, but it should be collected from the market.
“OPEC and non-OPEC members agreed at their recent meeting (April 12) to reduce their production by about 10 million barrels per day as of May 1,” he underlined.
Zanganeh noted that if the agreement is fully implemented as of May 1, calm will gradually return to the oil market.
What is important is that the market did not consider such reduction in the oil production (about 10 million barrels per day) sufficient due to the current conditions, supply and demand, and the uncertainty about the coronavirus crisis, he added.
The oil minister said the price of North Sea Brent crude fell below $20 yesterday and the OPEC oil basket reached $14.50, something the market had not experienced for years.
“This shows the depth of the problems that need to be addressed quickly and with the reduction of new production,” Zanganeh noted.
He further stressed that success in this issue depends on the actions of non-OPEC members, especially the producers who have not yet made any commitments, such as shale oil producers in the United States and Canada.
“This is a general crisis and must be managed globally, so the OPEC alone cannot solve this problem, and if all oil producers are not involved, they will naturally be punished in the market,” maintained the Iranian oil minister.
He also pointed to the bankruptcy of oil companies in the United States and Canada and said just as the entire world must work together to deal with COVID-19, solving the oil problem requires global cooperation, and producers must work together to survive, especially those who are producing more expensive oil.
IRGC commanders and personnel meet with Ayatollah Khamenei in Tehran on October 2, 2019.
In a telephone conversation with IRGC Commander Major General Hossein Salami, Ayatollah Khamenei’s message was delivered by Brigadier General Mohammad Shirazi, Chief of the Leader’s Military Office.
“Extend my greetings to all IRGC staff and their families on the occasion of the IRGC establishment anniversary,” reads the Leader’s message.
“I appreciate the good performance of the IRGC and its efforts and I pray for them,” the Leader said in the message.
The Islamic Revolution Guard Corps is a branch of Iran’s Armed Forces, founded after victory of the Islamic Revolution on April 22, 1979, on founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s orders.
In recent weeks, the IRGC has played a significant role in dealing with the deadly coronavirus in Iran. It has run several field hospitals and helped many people in deserted areas; also unveiled several health equipment and medicines to help the government contain the deadly pandemic.
In a televised speech on Wednesday, Saeed Namaki said he had a meeting with the regional health ministers and Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Tedros Adhanom 18 days ago to examine the coronavirus epidemic, adding that “since then we have been able to reduce the number of patients on a daily basis by 53%.”
He also noted that the WHO chief has thanked Iran for launching the National Mobilisation Plan against Coronavirus and for screening 70 million people.
“It is a great achievement for us in the face of sanctions, but we called on the World Health Organisation to take steps to lift the cruel sanctions,” Namaki added.
The health minister also referred to a meeting of world health ministers, which will be held on April 23, adding that the representatives from six regions of the World Health Organisation will attend the forthcoming meeting to present their achievements.
“As the representative of Iran, I am honoured to announce the achievements of our country in the fight against coronavirus,” stated Namaki.
In a telephone conversation with Secretary General of Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tore Hattrem on Wednesday afternoon, Araqchi referred to the global outbreak of the coronavirus and the need for all countries to work together to deal with it.
He also pointed to the US’ unilateral sanctions against the Iranian people in these difficult conditions, and called on the international community to address this illegal and inhumane act by the United States.
The two sides further talked about the bilateral relations, as well as the regional and international developments. The next round of political consultations between the two countries in Oslo, the regional developments, including the Hormuz Peace Endeavor (HOPE), peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan, the latest situation in Iraq, and the need to continue humanitarian aid for Yemen were among the other issues discussed in the telephone call.
The Norwegian official also expressed his sympathy for the Iranian government and people’s battle with the coronavirus, and highlighted his country’s policy of multilateralism in the global arena and its assistance to the international organisations to ensure the health of people. Hattrem also put stress on continuing consultations with Iran on security and stability in the Persian Gulf and West Asia.
The Norwegian diplomat also invited the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs to visit Oslo after the coronavirus crisis which was welcomed by Seyyed Abbas Araqchi.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran is one of the countries that has suffered the brunt (of the coronavirus) in the MENA region,” CBI Chief Abdolnaser Hemmati said at a video conference meeting between the finance ministers and directors generals of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva on Wednesday.
Hemmati also expressed his gratitude to the IMF for offering financial aid to the countries plagued by COVID-19.
“Also, Iran was one of the first countries to request emergency support funds under the Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI),” the CBI chief noted.
“We worked with the IMF staff to assess the amount needed in the balance of payments due to this global pandemic,” he added.
The top official then expressed hope that the IMF would remain a neutral international entity.
“From our perspective, the IMF is an independent and non-political international institution and we hope it will remain the same,” he said.
“Our people expect the IMF as well as the World Bank to be answerable, which makes it all the more necessary for the IMF to respond impartially, seriously and immediately” Hemmati stressed.
“If the neutrality of the IMF is harmed, it will be very difficult to fix it,” the CBI chief warned.
Hemmati then asked the IMF managing director to have Iran’s RFI request brought up at the Board of Directors to be decided on.
Iran is going to use the financial aid from the RFI to procure the medical equipment needed to save the lives of coronavirus patients and stem the spread of the disease, Hemmati concluded.
In 2009, Tall Chegah-e Sofla was registered on Iran’s List of National Heritage Sites. In 2015, operations conducted to demarcate the archaeological site of Tall Chegah-e Sofla, one of Kuzestan’s largest prehistoric sites, led to the discovery of tombs dating back 7,000 years. That triggered a 5-year project of archaeological excavations at the site, which have now resulted in the discovery of these conical rocks.
