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Iran slams Israel’s atrocities in Palestine ahead of Quds Day

Palestinian Woman

“The Zionist regime’s planned attempts to fully Judaize al-Quds and to destroy its historical and civilizational identity, the regime’s settlement activities, its raids on the al-Aqsa Mosque and desecration of its sanctity… have created a dire situation,” read a statement by the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, two days ahead of the International Quds Day.    

Quds Day is held annually on the last Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan during which demonstrators call for the liberation of Palestine and an end to the Israeli occupation.

The occupied Palestinian territories have been the scene of heightened tensions since August 2015, when Israel imposed restrictions on the entry of Palestinian worshipers into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East al-Quds. The al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest site for Muslims after Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina. Palestinians are angry at increasing violence by Israeli settlers at the mosque compound and their attacks on Palestinian property, saying the Tel Aviv regime seeks to change the status quo of the sacred site.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry statement added that “supporting the people of Palestine and Palestinian resistance groups in the path of unity against the Zionist regime” is high on the agenda of this year’s Quds Day rallies.

The statement also slammed Israel’s inhumane treatment of prisoners and Israel’s blockade on the Gaza Strip which it said is bringing Palestine to the brink of a “humanitarian disaster.”

The Gaza Strip has been under an Israeli siege since June 2007. The blockade has caused a decline in the standards of living as well as unprecedented levels of unemployment and unrelenting poverty.

There are reportedly more than 6,500 Palestinians held at Israeli jails. Hundreds of the inmates have been apparently incarcerated under the administrative detention, which is a policy under which Palestinian inmates are kept in Israeli detention facilities without trial or charge.

Over half a million Israelis live in more than 230 illegal settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank, including East al-Quds. All the Israeli settlements are illegal under international law. However, Tel Aviv has defied calls to stop settlement expansions.

In addition, Israel’s devastating summer war in 2014 and two other military operations over the last six years have caused economic losses close to three times the size of Gaza’s gross domestic product. The latest onslaught claimed the lives of over 2,200 Palestinians and left over half a million more displaced. It also severely damaged more than 20,000 homes, 148 schools, 15 hospitals, and 45 clinics. At least 247 factories and 300 commercial centers were rendered inoperable or totally destroyed in the attack.

Iran’s Leader slams UN over Saudis’ child killing in Yemen

Supreme Leader-Iran

In a meeting with the country’s Judiciary officials in Tehran on Wednesday, the Leader said “the UN’s turning a blind eye to the ongoing crimes and child killing in Yemen in exchange for money from some countries” is a disgrace to humanity, with which the Islamic Republic “must deal legally and judicially across the globe.” 

Earlier this month, the United Nations briefly blacklisted Saudi Arabia for children’s rights violations in Yemen based on the results of a report which stated the monarchy was responsible for 60 percent of the 785 underage deaths in Yemen last year. But on June 6, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon removed the kingdom from the list.

Following the U-turn by the UN, Ban admitted that the Saudis were temporarily removed from the list after they administered “undue pressure” on the world body by threatening to cut off funding to humanitarian programs.

Ayatollah Khamenei also stressed that the West’s definition of human rights is established on “false foundations”, therefore “Islamic human rights based on firm and rational foundations have to be defined and pursued” at global legal bodies.

Referring to International Quds Day rallies to denounce Israeli crimes against Palestinians, the Leader said that the Iranian nation and Muslims all around the world will once again raise their voice in support of the Palestinian people on Friday.

Quds Day is held annually on the last Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan during which demonstrators call for the liberation of Palestine and an end to the Israeli occupation.

Referring to US court rulings based on unsubstantial accusations to seize Iran’s assets, the Leader said the “violation of the Iranian people’s rights as a result of sanctions must be pursued judicially on a global scale.”  

After Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the United States, France, Britain, China and Russia – plus Germany started implementing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on January 16, all nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran by the European Union, the Security Council and the US were lifted. Iran, in return, has put some limitations on its nuclear activities.

In April, the US Supreme Court ruled that around $2 billion of Iran’s frozen assets blocked under US sanctions be turned over to the American families of the victims of a 1983 bombing in the Lebanese capital Beirut and other attacks blamed on Iran. The Islamic Republic has denied any role in the attacks.

Officials Call for People’s Huge Turnout in Int’l Quds Day Rallies

Free Quds

Speaking on the sidelines of a cabinet session in Tehran, President Rouhani called for stronger “unity and solidarity” among Muslims, either in Iran or abroad, at this year’s mass rallies on Quds Day to support the oppressed Palestinian nation and the liberation of al-Quds.

He also lashed out at the Israeli regime for hatching a plot to consign its crimes to oblivion by fomenting terrorism in the region, inciting clashes among the Muslim countries and triggering conflicts within the Muslim societies and between Muslims and Christians, Tasnim reported.

“We should not let the immense crimes of the Zionists slip into oblivion or let the oppressed people of Palestine, who have been displaced from their homes for some 70 years, feel disappointed,” President Rouhani added.

 

Iran to Remain Friend of Palestine, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain

General Gholam Reza JalaliHead of Iran’s Civil Defence Organization Brigadier General Gholam-Reza Jalali also sent a message to call for people’s massive participation in the rallies due to be held on Friday.

“The great nation of Iran understands the current sensitive conditions and, through its historic turnout in the rallies, will demonstrate that it will not forget the logical defence of the Revolution’s achievements, the fight against the child-killing and occupant enemy, the Zionism, and will remain a friend of innocent people, whether in Palestine, Yemen, Syria, Bahrain, or other parts of the world,” he noted in his message, as reported by Mizan.

 

3,500 Iranian and Foreign Reporters and Photographers to Cover Quds Rallies

General Ramezan Sharif, the head of the Intifada [Uprising] and Quds Centre at Iran’s Islamic Propagation Coordination Council, also told Mizan that rallies will be held on Friday, July 1, in 850 Iranian cities from major mosques and squares to the cities’ main prayer hall.

“3,500 Iranian and foreign reporters and photographers will cover the Quds Day rallies,” Sharif noted.

“This year’s motto is ‘International Quds Day, Unity of Muslim Society [Ummah], Support for Palestine’s Intifada, and Hatred of Zionist Regime [Israel] and Takfiri [Extremist] Terrorism’,” he added.

“Unfortunately, the potential that could be used to fight the Zionist regime is being used for conflicts inside the Muslim world because of certain Muslim rulers’ ignorance and betrayal,” General Sharif regretted.

“Such potential should be used to fight the Zionist regime, which is the biggest enemy of Muslim people,” he went on to say.

“The International Quds Day prepares the ground for the world’s public opinion to become familiar with the true face of Zionists,” he added.

He also slammed Turkey’s move to resume its relations with Israel, and expressed the hope that the huge turnover in Quds Day rallies would pressure Muslim countries and prevent them from normalizing their ties with Tel Aviv.

The International Quds Day is an annual event during which demonstrators express their solidarity with the Palestinian people and opposition to the occupation of the Palestinian territories by the Zionist regime of Israel.

The day is seen as the legacy of the late founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Imam Khomeini, who officially declared the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan as International Quds Day back in 1979.

Iran and Turkmenistan Envisage Huge Goods-For-Energy Barter

Rouhani

The deal allows for Iranian goods and services to be bartered for Turkmenistan’s natural gas, the official IRNA news agency quoted Mohammad Taqi Amanpour, the Iranian oil minister’s special representative in the exports of commodities and services, as saying on Tuesday June 28.

The official said the two countries have already finalized a $500m agreement on the export of Iranian goods and services to its north-eastern neighbour. The report added that the massive deal envisages such barter to take place over the course of the next 10 years.

Turkmenistan, Iran’s largest natural gas supplier, has run the barter deal with Tehran over the past one and a half years, yet only a fraction of the agreement ($2.5bn) has been implemented, the official noted.

Back in May, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani stressed the importance of cooperation between the two nations and urged a boost in such ties.

Rouhani commended bilateral relations in energy and power sectors, calling for enhanced cooperation in other sectors, including tourism, environment preservation of the Caspian Sea region and determination of its legal regime. He made the call during a visit by Turkmenistan’s Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov to Tehran.

Although bilateral trade has not surpassed $5 billion over the past few years, officials of the two countries say a $60 billion target is achievable, given the enormous potential which exists for cooperation.

Iran buys almost a third of Turkmenistan’s exported gas for heating in winter and other uses in the country’s northern provinces which are far from southern hydrocarbon fields.

No Iranian Pilgrim Injured in Iraq: Official

Saeed Ohadi

Speaking to Tasnim on Tuesday, June 28, Ohadi gave an assurance that all Iranians pilgrims in Iraq are safe and in good health.

The Iraqi cities of Najaf, Karbala, Samarra and Kadhimiya are fully safe and Iranians are easily travelling to those cities for pilgrimage, he noted. His comments came after a terrorist attack in the desert of Karbala raised concerns about security of pilgrims.

On Tuesday, Badr quoted Iraq’s Middle Euphrates Operations Command as saying that its forces had foiled an attack by a terrorist group trying to break through defence lines and trenches in the desert of Karbala.

The terrorists, numbering between 8 and 12, were in three explosive-laden vehicles, wearing suicide vests and carrying various types of weapons, the command centre said in the statement.

The security forces launched an attack on the terrorists, gunned down the assailants, destroyed their vehicles, and confiscated their weapons without suffering any casualties, it added.

Iraq has been gripped by a deadly militancy since Daesh (ISIS) captured areas in the north and west of the country in summer 2014.

However, the Iraqi army and Popular Mobilization Forces as well as other volunteers have managed to retake some positions from the militants in the north and operations continue for the liberation of other areas.

Deputy Industry Minister: Economy Needs $800bn Investment

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Deputy Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Valiollah Afkhami Rad said, “Given that numerous investors have visited the country to evaluate Iran’s investment conditions, a need is felt to define a national road map for attracting foreign investment to be followed by all relevant organizations.”

“Accordingly, proper measures should be taken to provide security for the fund and investors in line with the road map,” he continued.

The official reiterated that, “On the basis of estimations, in the Iranian Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade, more than $8bn of investment are needed to realize the aim of reaching 8% economic growth.”

“Meanwhile, the current financing system and the investment climate in the country needs reforms to enable the realization of such a condition which seem to be far-fetched in the short term,” underlined Afkhami Rad.

He emphasized the need to attract investment from home and abroad as well as to deploy domestic and foreign technologies for improving productivity as a means to achieve 8% growth.

“The objective will not be fulfilled by merely relying on government policies; rather, the private and cooperative sectors as well as all economic actors need to cooperate in order to achieve the desired result,” concluded Afkhami Rad.

Iranian Diplomat Warns Regional States against Ties with Israel

Abdolahian

“Zionists [Israelis] are enemies of Islamic countries and establishing ties with Tel Aviv is a mistake,” Amir Abdollahian, who is now serving as a top advisor to the Iranian Foreign Minister, said on Wednesday, June 29.

Certain countries which have established secret relations with Israel will eventually be the victim of their strategic mistakes, he went on to say.

“Today, Takfiri terrorism and the illegitimate Zionist regime are the two blades of a pair of scissors, and they are at the service of the hegemonic system.”

Amir Abdollahian further reiterated Tehran’s continued strong support for the resistance front, calling it a necessity for regional peace, stability, and security.

His remarks came after Turkey and Israel reached an agreement to normalize their ties, according to Israeli and Turkish media.

The agreement was reported on Sunday, June 26, six years after an Israeli raid that killed 10 Turkish activists as an aid flotilla sought to break the blockade on the Gaza Strip.

Both sides have been pushing to complete the deal in recent months. The United States has also pushed for the two countries to resolve the dispute.

Opposition Group Commander Killed in Clashes with IRGC in Western Iran

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“Kaveh Javanmard, a commander of a ‘counter-revolutionary’ group affiliated to the outlawed Democrat Party, was killed in recent clashes in the western parts of Iran,” Pakpour said.

Commander of Kurdistan’s IRGC Force Brigadier General Mohammad Hossein Rajabi earlier announced that all 11 members of the counter-revolutionary group had been killed by Iran’s security forces after 10 days of pursuit, as reported by Fars.

“The [IRGC] forces blocked the entry points and, subjugating the team to their will, led them toward the spot we desired,” the official said.

“After ten days of following them, we led them to the Kouhsalan area of [the provincial city of] Sarvabad, where our forces annihilated all 11 members.”

The operation also led to the deaths of three IRGC members.

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on June 29

Iran Newspaper front pages

The heads of Iran’s trio of government branches, President Hassan Rouhani, Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, and Judiciary Chief Sadeq Amoli Larijani, attended a judiciary conference in Tehran on Tuesday, June 28. The remarks made by the three politicians, particularly those of President Rouhani, were widely covered by all newspapers on Wednesday.

Newspapers, particularly the conservative ones, also covered the remarks by the Head of Iran’s General Inspection Office Nasser Seraj, who revealed the role of President Hassan Rouhani’s Brother, Hossein Fereydoun, in the appointment of the Bank Refah manager, who was recently dismissed for receiving huge salary payments.

The thaw in Turkey-Israel relations also remained a top story in many newspapers.

 

These headlines, as well as several other issues, are highlighted as follows:

 

Abrar:

1- Iraqi Army Continues Its Operations South of Mosul

2- Opposition Group in Kordestan Fully Smashed: Kordestan’s IRGC Commander

3- On Issue of Astronomical Salaries, We’ll Dismiss Offending Executives and Inform People of the Results: Rouhani

4- Jubeir Urges Iran to Stop Exporting Its Revolution: Tehran Is behind Crisis in Lebanon

5- Iran Has No Frozen Money in Turkey: Turkish Ambassador

 

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on June 29


Abrar-e Eqtesadi:

1- Iran’s Stock Exchange Moves in Opposite Direction of Global Markets

2- Italy Makes $2bn Investment in Maku [city in northwest Iran]

3- Iran and Turkmenistan Agree on Exchanging $30bn of Natural Gas

4- Georgia a Major Route for Exporting Iranian Oil Products to Europe

 

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on June 29


Aftab-e Yazd:

1- Imam Khomeini’s Grandson Seyyed Hassan Invited to Visit Japan

2- 95% of Those Who Visit Fortune Tellers Are Female: Women More Superstitious than Men?

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on June 29


Arman-e Emrooz:

1- President: People Should See How Judiciary Takes Action against Those Who Attacked Saudi Embassy

2- Receiving Taxes from Holy Shrines on Government Agenda: Official

3- Lifetime Salaries for MPs?

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on June 29


Asia:

1- Economic Risk in Iran Decreased: OECD

2- Foreign Investors Should Feel Safe and Secure in Iran: Rouhani

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on June 29


Asrar:

1- Justice Minister: Courts Ordered to Move toward Alternatives to Incarceration

2- Iran Will Resume Uranium Enrichment If Other Side Violates JCPOA: Senior MP

3- European Parliament Calls for Immediate Exit of Britain

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on June 29


Emtiaz:

1- Evin Prison to Be Turned into a Park

2- Most Prisoners in Iran Are from 26 to 32 Years Old

3- Required Infrastructure Provided for Power Exchange with Azerbaijan Republic

4- 2-Fold Increase in Capacity for Accommodating and Receiving Arbaeen [Mourning ceremony on 40th day after Imam Hussein’s martyrdom] Pilgrims

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on June 29


Etemad:

1- Court Rulings Should Satisfy Public Opinion: Rouhani

2- Morsi Was Not Interested in Revolutionary Moves: Ex-Head of Iran’s Interests Section in Egypt

3- 3-Month Box Office Breaks Record of 4 Years under Ahmadinejad: Cinemas Full 24/7

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on June 29


Ettela’at:

1- Iran’s Security Hinges on Having a Neutral and Efficient Judiciary: President

2- Production of Incandescent Lamps to Cease

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on June 29


Haft-e Sobh:

1- Help My Amir! Interview with a Girl Who Got Married to a Man on Death Row

2- In Praise of His Highness Buffon

3- Iranian Footballers Rezaeian and Taremi Are Making a Mistake by Joining Turkish League

 

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on June 29


Hamshahri:

1- Each Judge Spends 15 Minutes on Each Case: Judiciary Chief

2- 16m-Year-Old Footprint Discovered in Iran’s Alamut

3- Hospital Beds More Expensive than Hotel Beds

4- Leader of Britain’s Labour Party Dismissed

 

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on June 29


Iran:

1- Some Are Abusing the Issue of Astronomical Salaries: Rafsanjani’s Office

2- Iran’s 3-Month Exports More than Its Imports: China, UAE, Iraq, South Korea, and India Were the Five Major Export Destinations

 

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on June 29


Jame Jam:

1- Turkey Embraced by the Child-Killer Regime [Israel]

2- Resistance Front Seriously Opposed to Normalization of Ties with Zionist Regime

3- Call for Sit-In at Al-Aqsa Mosque

4- Iranian Homegrown Search Engines to Compete with Google and Yahoo

5- Relations with Israel to Compensate for Failure in Europe [Editorial on Turkey-Israel ties]

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on June 29


Javan:

1- Procrastination of Legal Action over Astronomical Salaries

2- White House Builds Bridge between JCPOA and Hezbollah: Iran to Benefit from JCPOA If It Stops Supporting Hezbollah

3- Major General Mohammad Bagheri Appointed as Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces

4- Who Signed Permission for Decreasing Taxes on Import of Luxury Hotel Goods?

5- End of “Democratic Peace” Age in Europe [Editorial]

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on June 29


Jomhouri Eslami:

1- US Makes 3 New Moves for JCPOA Implementation

2- Muslim World Getting Prepared to Hold a Glorious Int’l Quds Day

3- Int’l Quds Day, the Day for Restoration of Islam’s Greatness [Editorial]

4- 3 European States Open LCs for Iran

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on June 29


Kayhan:

1- Bank Refah Manager, Who Received Astronomical Salary, Was Appointed under Pressure of Rouhani’s Brother

2- 80m-High Tower Built in Iran for Bushehr Petchem Plant

3- British People Replied to EU Leaders’ Lies and Deceit with Brexit: Party Leader

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on June 29


Khorasan:

1- Iran’s Cooperation with FATF on Money Laundry and Financing Terrorism: Joining Global Agreement on Fight against Money Laundry on 2 Conditions

2- 111 Days of Takfiri Torture: War Veteran’s Account of 1 Year in Terrorist Captivity

3- Objectives behind US Pressure on Lebanon’s Hezbollah [Editorial]

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on June 29


Resalat:

1- Judiciary Chief Slams Aristocracy of Certain Political Figures

2- West Seeking to Prevent Iran’s Influence: Larijani

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on June 29


Roozan:

1- Beast of Far-Right Politics Awakens in Europe

2- President Urges Judiciary to Determine Sentences of Those Who Attacked Saudi Embassy

3- England Eliminated from Euro Twice in a Week

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on June 29


Shahrvand:

1- “Industrial Soldiers” Instead of Military Service in Barracks

2- Transparency in Judiciary Is More Important than Judgement: President

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on June 29


Shargh:

1- Government Resolved to Prevent Payment of Unconventional Salaries by Filling Legal Holes: Spokesman

2- Those Who Once Were Officials in Iran’s Establishment Have Now Changed and Become Opposition Figures: Judiciary Chief

3- People Want to Know Who Planned Theft of Iran’s Oil Money: President

4- Abbas Kiarostami Transferred to Paris [to continue medical treatment]

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on June 29


Shorou:

1- Biological Time-Bomb under Tehran: Issue of Burying Infectious Waste in Capital

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on June 29


Sobh-e Now:

1- We Expelled Zionists with Iran’s Help: Hamas Figure

2- English Language Loses Popularity in EU

3- Change in Highest Rank of Iran’s Armed Forces: General Bagheri Replaces General Firouzabadi

4- Fingerprint of President’s Relatives: Bank Refah Manager Was Recommended [by Rouhani’s Brother]

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on June 29


Vatan-e Emrooz:

1- EU to Remove English from Its Official Languages

2- Government Whitewashing Issue of Astronomical Salaries by Resorting to Lies

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on June 29

Mining Report: New Exploration Plans Yield 90 Tons of Gold

Gold

According to a report by IRNA, as translated by IFP, the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Organization (IMIDRO), together with the Geological Survey of Iran (GSI), have managed to tap into 400 tons of iron ore, 500 tons of coal and 90 tons of gold of Iran’s mineral reserves.

“IMIDRO’s new exploration plans, which were launched in 2014 with the goal of optimal utilization of Iran’s mineral potential, cover an area of 250 square km in the east of the country”, the Deputy Mine, Industry and Trade Minister said.

 

Explorations Rise 2.5-Fold

Mahdi Karbasian, who is also the chairman of IMIDRO, pointed to the growth of the mineral explorations and said, “Explorations have increased 2.5 times during the past 80 years. The development of Iran’s underdeveloped mining sector is a prelude to balanced development in Iran, since it can help wean the country’s economy off petrodollars.”

He continued, “The exploration activities began in the untapped mine of Sangan (South Khorasan) and extended towards the eastern parts of the country.”

“Exploring 25 areas led to the identification of 300 mineral-bearing structures in the country which could be an attraction for foreign investors”, he added.

According to Karbasian, the implementation of 74 exploration projects, (general, detailed and complementary), in different parts of the country have led to stupendous achievements in different mines, including deposits of iron, coal, poly-metal, gold, copper, antimony, lead, zinc, chromite, titanium, nickel, molybdenum, barite, phosphate and bauxite.

Karbasian continued, “The extraction of minerals such as potash, magnesium, and lithium … from the brines are among the schemes which are already underway. A 50% rise in gold deposits from the Zarshowan gold mine (in West Azarbaijan) is the output of the complementary exploration projects.

 

Iran’s Mining Projects Open to Foreign Investors

“Iran will be more than happy to have German and Canadian companies cooperate in its mining exploration plans. In the post-sanctions era, the attraction of foreign investment in the first place, followed by the transfer of technical knowhow, are among our priorities”, the Deputy Minister noted.

According to him, German and Canadian companies have already started mining operations and explored down to 10,000m below ground with the aid of satellite technology. This is while Iran had only managed to explore to a depth of 400m to 500m so far.

Karbasian went on to say that applying satellite technologies cuts down on exploration time and enhances quality. Investment in the mining sector ranges from excavations and exploration mines up to the value-added processed minerals.

 

Geophysical Exploration in Mineral-Rich Provinces

The Chairman of the IMIDRO laid emphasis on the role of technology in accelerating mining operations, saying, “We’ve compiled accurate, factual information through 38 square km of geophysical explorations carried out in the provinces of Yazd, Kerman, and east of Isfahan”.

According to him, mining explorations usually require a span of five-to-six months, while foreign mining companies can provide this information in ten days.

Iran’s Minister of Mine, Industries and Trade Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh had previously announced that the maximum size of mining exploration used to be 40 square km. This figure has risen considerably with the aid of foreign prospectors. There are prodigious amounts of small mining areas, replete with mineral reserves, whose exploration licences will be issued soon.

“The Geological Survey of Iran (GSI) made headway in airborne geophysical operations in 2013 and has carried out some 150,000 square km of linear geophysical operations during the past 9 months”, he said, noting that in the 10 years leading up to 2013, the record for airborne linear geophysical operations was at most 220,000 square km.

He continued, “The Ministry of Mine, Industries and Trade has unblocked 17 square km of the country’s exploration areas and 80% of these mineral-bearing structures have been handed over to investors and prospectors.”