The recent developments in Syria, particularly the US withdrawal and Syrian Army’s victory in taking control of Kurdish-held regions north of the country caught the attention of most papers on Monday.

Another hot topic for Iranian newspapers was a meeting between Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani and Palestinian Islamic Jihad Secretary-General Ziad al-Nakhaleh, in which the Iranian official renewed Iran’s commitment to assisting Palestinians in their battle to liberate their territories.

The above issues, as well as many more, are highlighted in the following headlines and top stories:

Abrar:

1- Russia’s UN Ambassador: No Ground for Placing New Restrictions on Iran at UN Security Council

2- Pentagon: US Forces Still Fighting ISIS Remnants in Syria

Aftab-e Yazd:

1- Would Dismissal of Adel al-Jubeir Prepare Ground for Iran-Saudi Talks?

Ebtekar:

1- World Bank Forecasts Difficult Year for Iranian Economy

2- Trump Announces Breakthrough in Talks to End US-China Trade War

Etemad:

1- Passing Benjamin Netanyahu: Israeli Politicians Get Ready for Tough Election

2- Iran and US Withdrawal from Syria

Ettela’at:

1- Iran, Syria Sign MoU on Strategic Cooperation

2- Syria, Iraq Agree to Pound ISIS Positions in Each Other’s Soil

3- Knowledge-Based Products Play Big Role in Expanding Export

Iran:

1- Zarif Talks about Possibility of Choosing Two Other Female Ambassadors

2- Trump is Hammering World Economy: US Economist

Resalat:

1- Shamkhani: Iran to Stand by [Anti-Israel] Resistance Axis Till Complete Victory

2- Challenges Facing Trump in White House

Javan:

1- Syria Enters 2019 With Liberation of Northern Regions

* Kurds Pass Control of Strategic Tishrin Dam to Government

Jomhouri Eslami:

1- PIJ Chief Tells SNSC Secretary: Palestinian People More Determined to Keep Up Fighting Until Complete Victory

2- Non-Oil Export Passes $33 Billion in Nine Months: Iranian Customs

3- Bahraini Human Rights Activists Call for Cancellation of Death Sentence for 33 Political Prisoners

4- New Details of Khashoggi’s Murder Tape and Reason Behind his Death

Kayhan:

1- War, Escape and Fire in French Streets/ Police Arrests 57 Yellow Vests

2- Guardian: Bashar al-Assad Starts New Year With Victory [Kurds in Northern Syria]

Mardom Salari:

1- SPV Will Meet Iran’s Humanitarian Demands in First Step

2- SNSC Chief to PIJ Chief: Nations in Region Would Prevent Deal of Century

Sazandegi:

1- Based on Decree of Leader of Islamic Revolution: [Ayatollah Sadeq] Amoli [Larijani] Replaces [Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi] Shahroudi

Setareh Sobh:

1- Origins of Ankara-Damascus Problems

2- Iran to Become Self-Sufficient in Petrol Production/ Petrol Production Capacity Reaches 105 Million Litres Per Day

Shargh:

1- Without Iran, Afghanistan Won’t Reach Peace: Analyst

Sobh-e Nou:

1- Iran Syria’s Priority for Reconstruction Projects: Syrian Ambassador Conveys Message of Bashar al-Assad

The top story in most papers today was a controversial interview by Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, in which he said the US’ presence is the source of tensions in region and the country would drag the world into chaos if it tries to carry out its threat of preventing Iran’s oil exports.

A protest gathering demanding the resignation of top Azad University officials over a deadly bus crash was another hot topic in Iranian newspapers.

Several papers also covered the anniversary of Dey 9 demonstrations, the mass rallies held on the tenth month of the Persian calendar year in 2009, which ended street protests over allegations of electoral fraud in presidential elections earlier that year.

The above issues, as well as many more, are highlighted in the following headlines and top stories:

Abrar:

1- 40 Terrorists Eliminated in Egypt Army Operation in Giza, Northern Sinai

2- US State Department Supports Zionist Regime’s Stance against Iran

3- Zarif: We Won’t Negotiate with Americans in Emergency Cases

Aftab-e Yazd:

1- Zarif Told Chinese Media: US Changes Its Analysis of Iran Six Months Later

2- Iranian Saffron Sold by Spanish Brands: When Iranian Product Not Known as Iranian!

Arman-e Emrooz:

1- Iran Fourth in Global Brain Drain Ranking

Donyay-e Eghtesad:

1- Zarif: Americans Unlikely to Decide to Escalate Tensions with Iran

Ebtekar:

1- Zarif Tells Phoenix: We’re Not Waiting for Europeans

Ettela’at:

1- FM: Americans in No Position to Threaten Iran

2- Zarif Meets Palestinian Islamic Jihad Secretary-General

3- Economist: US Hegemony in Decline

Javan:

1- Sixty Percent of Americans Support Moves against Trump

2- Turkish Dream Didn’t Come True in Manbij, Syrian Army Controlling Northern City

Jomhouri Eslami:

1- Islamic Azad University Students Demand Resignation of IAU Officials [Over Deadly Bus Crash]

2- Anti-Government Protests Continue in France for Seventh Week

3- Saudi Arabia Sacks Key Ministers to Restore Credit of bin Salman

Kayhan:

1- 9 Dey; The Day When People Blinded Eyes of [2009] Israeli-American Sedition

2- Zarif: If We Go Back to [Beginning of Talks], We Would Take Harder Line in Nuclear Negotiations

3- Syrian Parliament’s Deputy Speaker: US Withdrawal from Syria Divided Trump, CIA and Pentagon

Sazandegi:

1- Commander of the ‘Deceptive Operation’ [controversy over Karbala 4]

• Then War Commander Gen. Mohsen Rezaei’s analysis of reason for failure of Operation Karbala 4 [where hundreds of Iranian forces were killed by Iraqi forces in 1980s] sparks widespread reactions among politicians, historians and families of martyrs

Shahrvand:

1- Tears Flood IAU: Student Gathering Protesting Deadly [Bus] Incident Leads to Statement and Resignation Request

Shargh:

1- Zarif Tells Phoenix: Iran-US Relations to Remain Challenging

Sobh-e Nou:

1- Saudi Arabia Unable to Take Hudaydah