Zereshk (Barberries) is an ancient berry which grows in Europe and the Middle East. Iran is one of the few countries in the world where people still use Zereshk in their daily cooking.

You may find Zereshk and saffron being served on top of the steamed rice more like a decoration to it. In some place in Iran, people may layer the rice with Zereshk and steam them together. The sour flavor of the Zereshk creates a good combination with chicken./ visitiran.ir/

In spite of cruel sanctions imposed against the Islamic Republic of Iran, the country managed to export products to 128 countries, said President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) Mehdi Mir-Ashrafi on Friday.

Turning to Iran’s foreign trade record last year [ended March 20, 2020], he said, “despite cruel and unjust sanctions imposed against the country, the country succeeded in exporting its goods to 128 world countries.”

In this period, the Islamic Republic of Iran imported products from 112 countries, he added.

Mir-Ashrafi put Iran’s foreign trade value last year at over $85.107 billion, adding, “The Islamic Republic of Iran exported 169.302 million tons of products to other countries in this period.”

Of total $85.107 billion worth of Iran’s trade value, exports and imports accounted for more than $41.370 billion and $43.737 billion respectively.

In the same period, Iran’s largest trade partners included Asian, European and African continents, he said, adding, “Iran’s total foreign trade value with Asia stood at over $57 billion, i.e. more than 68 percent of country’s total trade value.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, he pointed out that Iran exported its products to 40 European, 21 Asian, 28 African, and 12 American countries respectively last year.

MNA/

The Iranian film “Untimely” directed by Pouya Eshtehardi has won the best first feature award at the Dallas VieoFest’s Alternative Fiction in the US.

Eshtehardi’s debut feature film narrates the story of a Baluch soldier, named Hamin, doing his military service in a watchtower in the borderline of Iran and Pakistan.

Impatient for a day off to attend his sister’s wedding ceremony, he gets into a fight with his commander. Up in the watchtower, he reviews the past years and the things that happened to him and his sister since their childhood. The movie depicts Hamin’s life in a non-linear way. The word “Hamin” in Baluchi language means the summer heat that ripens dates.

The cast includes Iman Afshar, Shayan Afshar, Ayyoub Afshar, Mahsa Narouee, Ava Azarpira, and Mollabakhsh Raeesi among others.

“Untimely” has already won the Best World Cinema Feature at the 2020 edition of the International Kansas City File Festival in the US.

It has also won the best film, best director and best cinematography awards at the fifth edition of Tokyo Independent Films Celebration in Japan and the best feature film and best editing awards of the 2019 Asian Cinematography Awards.

Born in 1984 in Tehran, Eshtehardi is a musician, novelist, and filmmaker. Since 2010, he has made many short films and documentaries.

Dallas VideoFest has been innovating with technology since 1987. It is the major event presented by the Video Association of Dallas, which is dedicated to promoting an understanding of video as a creative medium and cultural force in the world.

MNA/

International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) acting president Ursula Papandrea says the Iranian women lifters have risen faster than even expected and she is very happy for them.

Papandrea was elected the first-ever female vice president for the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) in May 2017. Now, she is the IWF acting president after Tamas Ajan was forced to step down from active duty.

This resignation comes amid the ongoing investigation of allegations of financial corruption, false drug testing, and subsequent cover-up made against Ajan and the IWF.

The IWF’s Oversight and Integrity Commission, which is chaired by Papandrea, has also been mandated to continue its work until June 19.

In an exclusive interview with Tehran Times, Papandrea, who is also president of the U.S. Weightlifting Federation, discussed about several issues including rising Iranian female weightlifters.

Tehran Times: As acting president of IWF, what is your plan until June? You are in a very difficult situation since IWF will have to reschedule the Olympics qualification program, following postponing the Games over coronavirus.

I am taking the time it has afforded me to rebuild and reform the IWF. I have started the process of moving our IWF headquarters to Lausanne, Switzerland, the official headquarters according to the IWF Constitution and the city of the International Olympic Committee headquarters. I will prepare the IWF to function solely out of Lausanne for the future. It is a huge task. We must also hire key professionals. This is what lay ahead.

It is a huge misfortune for the athletes and our concern for their safety and our member federations is also a concern for the IWF. We just created a fund for the member federations to request funding for COVID-19 related costs. Iran was the second country affected by the virus after China. I know it has created a hardship on the IRI federation. I hope they will apply for some funding so we can assist in some of the COVID-19 related costs like disinfecting the gyms, masks and like items.

You’ve recently published a verse from the Holy Quran on your Instagram account which has gone viral. Could you speak a little more in-depth about your post?

We are all under the stresses the virus has caused worldwide. It is hard to remember the blessings when everyday is difficult. I just wanted to share the love of this quote with others, especially many of my friends who are not acquainted with the beautiful text in the Quran.

You traveled to Iran two years ago for Fajr Weightlifting Cup as head of the U.S. delegation and played a role in the launch of a women’s development program in the West Asian country, where the sport had previously been a men-only sport. Please talk about the program.

I was in Ahvaz in 2017 for several days where I conducted a women’s training and coaching session as well as attending the Fajr Cup. The program had started about eight months prior and I went to show support and to practically assist as much as possible. I really wanted the women weightlifters to know they have a bright future and that there is worldwide support for them. Since then the women have competed at many competitions beginning with the Asian Junior and Youth Championships in 2017. I have since been able to meet again with several of the women and coaches I met at other international championships including the 2018 world championships.

You said you would help the Iranian women to compete internationally. For the first time, Iran sent a female team to the IWF World Championships in Thailand in last year’s September. Do you see a bright future ahead of the Iranian women weightlifters?

It is my dream for them to compete internationally at all levels and to be able to witness their successes. I know the success of the men and expect that the women will be of commensurate level soon. They have risen faster than even I expected! I am very happy for them.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) is dissatisfied with the sport due to financial corruption and false drug testing. Is there any plan to reform the situation?

As I mentioned before, I am moving the IWF offices to Lausanne. But of course many reforms are required to ensure we can remain an Olympic sport. Regarding allegations, as chair of the Oversight and Integrity Commission, which was created by the Executive Board in January as a response to the allegation, we hired the best and most trusted sports investigation firm in the world. We await their report in June. In the meantime the former President resigned. This has opened up the opportunity to truly reform and reorganize. We have already taken several steps in creating note independence in the doping controls by handing over more power to ITA.

Iran has a long history of victories in weightlifting as the country’s lifters have won so many medals in the Olympics. The country boasts 300 professional weightlifters and it shows that weightlifting is very popular in Iran. Do you think Iran can be a role model in the world?

What the IWF needs is clean athletes on the podiums. I have been very happy to see clean athletes from Iran win many more medals since we have started a more serious anti-doping effort. Of course this should be an encouragement to all weightlifters.

The world’s strongest powerlifter Siamand Rahman passed away 40 days ago due to a heart attack. The professional sport could be dangerous sometimes. As a highly-qualified coach, have you any advice for the athletes?

I am aware of his death and send my condolences. I do not know enough about it though to make any comment about it.

General advice for athletes is to retain a healthy lifestyle past their career. It is very difficult with the demands of life, family, and career. I have difficulties myself staying active and I own a gym. But it is important to take care and keep the discipline one has as an athlete and carry that into one’s health and fitness routine./MNA/

Iranian President’s Chief of Staff Mahmoud Vaezi reacted to the recent developments in the global market, saying Tehran has managed to manage its economy in the past two years without reliance on crude sales.

“Amid the unprecedented drop of oil price, which has bewildered the whole world, it is noteworthy that Iran’s economy has practically been managed without oil sales in the past two years,” Vaezi wrote on his Instagram on Wednesday, which falls on Iran’s National Day of Entrepreneurship.

Noting that the past two years, were the peak of US economic terrorism against the Iranian nation, he said, “Our hero entrepreneurs have been at the forefront of the battle to propel the economy in the face of the sanctions.”

“Such a victory is definitely due to the selfless efforts of the country’s economic players and entrepreneurs; the government will always be grateful to them and will continue its strategy of supporting domestic production more than before,” Vaezi added.

MNA/

Igor Kolakovic published a post on his Instagram page to bid farewell with Iran after working for three days as the head coach of the National Volleyball Team.

“My dear associates, my dear players, federation employees. My dear Iranian friends! Adorable Iranian people! After three years of full effort, sweat, sadness, laughter, tears, beauty and joy, the moment of departure from Iran came,” he wrote on Tuesday.

The message came after the Iranian Volleyball Federation announced on Tuesday that the Montenegrin coach’s contract has been officially canceled.

“This wonderful adventure, a wonderful experience, was interrupted earlier than I expected. But it doesn’t matter anymore. Nothing can diminish my beautiful memories of the time we spent together in the constant struggle for the success of the Iranian team. You will forever be in my heart because of your courage, intellect, emotions, and respect that you have shown every day.”

“I look forward to our possible meetings wherever we are,” he added.

Kolakovic’s contract had been penned till the end of the 2020 Olympics but as the major event has been postponed for a year and national events are in a state of limbo due to the pandemic, the federation decided to terminate the agreement with mutual consent.

MNA/

Over 105,000 book titles have been published in Iran during the national calendar year of 1398 (March 20, 2019-2020).

The price of books has been doubled compared to the year 1397, Book House, a private Iranian organization that publishes information about books being published in Iran, reported on Tuesday.

Out of the total number of publications, 75,644 book titles have been authored by the Iranian writers, and 29,941 titles are translated books.

The number of all books in circulation in the year 1398 was 148,981,126 copies, which represents an increase of over 23 percent in the number of books compared to 1397.

The number of children’s books published in the year was 38,910, 247, which was the highest in numbers compared to previous years.

The average price of a book in 1398 was about 350,000 rials (about $8), but in 1397 it was about 180,000 rials (about $4).

Photo: People are seen in a Tehran bookstore in an undated photo. /T.T/

Two Iranian documentaries, namely ‘Hafis und Goethe’ and ‘Vars’, will take part at the 17th Archaeology Channel International Film Festival (TAC) in the US.

TAC Intl. Film Festival included two titles by Iranian filmmakers in its screening lineup. The films are:

Hafis und Goethe by Farshad Fereshteh-Hekmat: This documentary explores Goethe’s fascination with Hafiz. The film has been shot on location in Hafez’s hometown Shiraz, which also houses his tomb and Tehran.

‘Vars’ by Javad Vatani: At 360 feet high with a 216-foot span, when built-in 1936 the Vars Railway Bridge in Iran was an engineering and construction marvel, and changed the economic and social life of the region. Now, the construction warranties have finally run out, and the government is questioning whether to close down the bridge. A fascinating look at the bridge’s history and its impact on its community.

The 17th annual edition of the TAC Festival will have online film screenings only on May 13-17, 2020.

MNA/

The CEO of an Iranian knowledge-based company told Mehr news on Tuesday that there are some requests from foreign countries, including Russia, Italy, and Spain, for the purchase of Iranian ventilators, under the coronavirus pandemic.

According to Ahmad Behfar-Moghaddam, his company received required licenses from Europe and could export its ventilators to European and other countries before the outbreak.

“Before the coronavirus outbreak we exported ventilators to Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, Baku, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Belgium, etc.,” he said.

“Due to the outbreak, our priority is supplying Iran’s domestic need for ventilators, but there are some new requests from Russia, Italy and Spain,” he added.

He noted that Iranian ventilators come at half the price of their foreign rivals.

As advanced and developed countries are facing serious problems in the field of provision of their medical and hospital equipment, knowledge-based companies in Iran have produced all these products and no patient in the country has experienced the shortage of this equipment including ventilators, CT Scan, ICU rooms, oxygen maker, etc..

The first production line for domestically-produced medical ventilators was inaugurated by VP for Science and Technology Sorena Sattari, back in January.

As reported, Iranian experts and technicians spent 88,000 hours over three years on research and development in order to manufacture the mechanical ventilator.

A medical ventilator is a mechanical ventilator, a machine designed to move breathable air into and out of the lungs, to provide breathing for a patient who is physically unable to breathe, or breathing insufficiently.

Failure to get oxygen into the heart tissue is one of the most common causes of death due to heart disease. As such, the production of the device and its use on patients in ICUs can greatly reduce heart damage.

MNA/