ECONOMIC IDEAL – Tehran, April 10, IRNA – The following headlines appeared in English-language newspapers in the Iranian capital on Saturday.
** IRAN DAILY
— Indian refiners preparing to resume crude imports from Iran: Source
A senior Indian official has said that oil refiners in the country have already started preparing for a resumption of crude imports from Iran as they expect the United States to ease its bans on Tehran in the near future.
“We already have a template for commercial terms and we can very quickly enter into contracts the moment Iran is cleared for exporting oil,” the unidentified source told the PTI news agency in remarks published in the Indian media on Thursday.
— National Nuclear Technology Day to be marked today
Iran marks the National Nuclear Technology Day today in a ceremony attended by President Hassan Rouhani that features an exhibition of national achievements in the field.
Although the occasion is annually marked on April 9 this year, it is marked a day later as the original date fell on the weekend.
Commenting on the day in a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Rouhani said new nuclear achievements will be unveiled on the occasion to let people know about the measures implemented in this field during the past Iranian calendar year, which ended on March 20, according to mfa.gov.ir.
— Iran’s red, orange cities enter partial lockdown: Anti-COVID task force
A two-week partial lockdown begins in Iranian cities coded red (very high-risk) and orange (high-risk) as of today as per a Thursday decision by the National Task Force for Fighting the Coronavirus to control the new (fourth) wave of COVID-19 infections, which has led to a spike in the number of daily infections, deaths and hospitalizations.
This was announced by the task force’s spokesman, Alireza Raeisi.
** KAYHAN INTERNATIONAL
— Iran Outlines Plan to Verify Removal of Sanctions
Iran plans to verify whether the U.S. is actually lifting sanctions through oil exports and via international banking transactions, a member of Tehran’s negotiating team said in an interview published Friday.
The team has been holding talks in Vienna with representatives of the other parties to a 2015 nuclear accord on how to remove U.S. sanctions on Iran.
U.S. President Joe Biden has claimed he is ready to reverse the 2018 decision of his predecessor Donald Trump to withdraw from the agreement and reimpose unilateral sanctions, but his pledge has proved hollow in practice.
— Iran Releases South Korean Oil Tanker
Iran on Friday released a South Korean oil tanker, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said, more than three months after the ship was detained for environmental pollution. “Following the completion of an investigation into the violation of the [South] Korean ship and at the request of the owner and the Korean government for the release of the ship, a release order was issued by the esteemed prosecutor,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said. Khatibzadeh said the fact that the ship and its captain did not have a record of breaching maritime regulations in the region played a role in “the positive view” of the prosecutor.
— Iran Futsal Remains Sixth in World Ranking
Iran futsal team remained unchanged in the latest Futsal World Ranking published. Team Melli remained in sixth place with 1609 points and is the best Asian team.
Spain leads the standing with 1813, followed by Brazil with 1803 points. Argentina is third with 1698 points. Russia and Portugal are fourth and fifth with 1654 and 1622 points, respectively.
***TEHRAN TIMES
— Iran discusses oil comeback with OPEC
Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, the secretary-general of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), met with Amir Hossein Zamaninia, Iran’s governor for OPEC in Vienna, on Thursday to discuss the Islamic Republic’s return to the oil market in case of U.S. lifting the sanctions on Iran’s oil industry.
Speaking in the meeting, Barkindo expressed hope that as a result of the ongoing negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program in Vienna, the unfair conditions imposed on Iran will end and sanctions will be lifted, Shana reported.
— National subway train unveiled
The first domestically-manufactured subway train was unveiled on Thursday with President Hassan Rouhni in attendance, IRIB reported.
In June 2019, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, Tehran Urban and Suburban Railway Company, and the Innovation and Prosperity Fund to complete the subway train project under an 18-month contract.
— Coronavirus: outbound travels slump by 85% during Iranian New Year holiday
Iran’s outbound travels fell by 85 percent during the New Year (Noruz) holiday (March 21-April 4) compared with two years earlier, according to the head of the Association of Iranian Travel Agencies.
“International travels made by Iranian nationals slump some 85 percent during Noruz holiday in comparison to the same period in the year 1398,” IRIB quoted Hormatollah Rafiei, the head of the association, as saying on Friday. Oversees tours and trips were not welcomed by Iranians this Noruz due to both the coronavirus restrictions and economic hardship so that many passenger flights to foreign countries, including Turkey, were semi-empty, Rafiei said.
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