Iran’s freestyle team sealed the second spot at the 32nd edition of the World Military Wrestling Championship in Lithuania.

Iranian wrestlers managed to clinch four medals including one gold and 50 points to give the country a runnerup finish in the competitions held in the city of Klaipeda.

Alireza Karimi outmuscled his South Korean counterpart in the 86kg final bout to grab the gold medal.

Karimi’s compatriots, Reza Afzali (74kg), Hossein Shahbazi (97kg) and Amin Taheri (125kg) also put a decent end to their campaign by adding three bronzes to Iran’s medals tally in the tournament.

The Russian freestyle team claimed the top spot while Azerbaijan finished third.

The World Military Wrestling Championship started on September 18 and will finish on September 25.

The tournament has reportedly brought together 241 athletes from 22 countries, including Albania, Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, Russia, South Korea, Ukraine and the United States. / Iran Daily /

M ore than 23,650 tons of raisins worth over 1.2 trillion rials (about $37 million) were exported from Iran to 54 countries during the five months to August 22, the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration announced.

Iraq with close to $7.3 million worth of purchases was the biggest customer of Iranian raisins over the period.

Other main export destinations for the product were Kazakhstan, Spain, Ukraine, the Netherlands, Canada, the UAE, Turkey, Germany, Australia, Brazil, Slovakia, Austria, the United States and Poland, Mizan Online reported.

According to Hassan Shamsfard, the head of Nut Exporters Union, Iran is the third biggest exporter of raisins in the world. / Financial Tribune /

I ran has been declared one of the best performing countries in tackling non-communicable disease by the World Health Organization in its latest Non-Communicable Diseases Progress Monitor 2017 released on Monday.

Iran and Costa Rica lead the 10 best performing countries, each achieving 15 of the 19 indicators, followed by Brazil, Bulgaria, Turkey and Britain, each with 13 indicators, and Finland, Norway, Saudi Arabia and Thailand, each achieving 12, xinhuanet.com reported.

The report presents information for each country related to their achievement of the NCD progress monitoring indicators. The profiles also include information on the population, percentage and number of deaths from NCDs, and the risk of premature death from the four main NCDs, namely  cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes or chronic respiratory diseases.

According to the report, the risk of premature death from the four main NCDs is 15% among Iranians between ages 30 and 70 years. The country registered 291,000 NCD deaths in 2015, amounting to 81% of total deaths during the period.

Iran has fully achieved 15 of the WHO’s progress indicators, and partially achieved three more, including mortality data, mass media campaigns for tobacco reduction and marketing of breast-milk substitutes restrictions. The only area where Iran has failed to achieve any progress is in increasing excise taxes and prices for tobacco.

The report finds that progress around the world has been uneven and insufficient in addressing the four main shared NCD risk factors, tobacco, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and harmful use of alcohol.

“Bolder political action is needed to address constraints in controlling NCDs, including the mobilization of domestic and external resources and safeguarding communities from interference by powerful economic operators,” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus calls out.

The report provides data on 19 indicators in all of WHO’s members, such as setting time-bound targets to reduce NCD deaths; developing government policies to address NCDs; and strengthening health systems through primary health care and universal health coverage.

Iran, as a member state in the Agenda for Sustainable Development, is committed to reducing premature NCD deaths by one third by 2030 and promote mental health and wellbeing (Sustainable Development Goal target 3.4).

IraPEN, Iran’s adaptation of WHO’s Package of Essential Non-Communicable Diseases, was launched last year in four districts of Iran to help improve universal health coverage, including access to NCD prevention and care and mental health services.

Under the action plan, Iran seeks to lower the risk of cancer and stroke in 30-70 year olds by 90% and reduce premature deaths from NCDs by 25% by 2025. / Financial Tribune /

President Hassan Rouhani has said on Friday at the annual parade of Iran’s armed forces that Iran needs no one’s permission to defend its territories.

“If we have signed an agreement and made a promise, we’ll abide by it as long as the other side respects the agreement,” said President Hassan Rouhani of the Islamic Republic of Iran on Friday addressing the armed forces marching before him.

“Thirty seven years ago when the Iranian nation faced a violent invasion, they followed the example of the Imam f martyrs and the etiquette of Ashoura to defend their territorial integrity and honor with whatever they had,” asserted the Iranian president referring to Saddam’s invasion of Iran in 1980 which imposed an eight-year-long war on Iran.

“The same etiquette against the oppressing regime and its allies brought victory and independence for the Iranian nation,” said the Iranian president touching upon the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and the fall of US-backed monarchy of Pahlavi House in Iran.

“Despite all the supports offered by world powers to the aggressors, the Iranian nation managed to score glorious victories with their selflessness and devotion,” said the Iranian top executive.

“Our armed forces and defense power have always been for strengthening peace and we have never utilized our defensive power for conquering a land but solely defensing our own motherland,” reiterated the Iranian president.

“To defend our country, we do not need the permission of anybody, and the defensive power of the Islamic Republic of Iran is for defending the wronged people of the region,” reaffirmed Mr. Rouhani.

/ Meher news /

Iran has unveiled a new ballistic missile during military parades held across the nation to mark the first day of the annual Sacred Defense Week.

The missile, named Khorramshahr, was put on display during the military parade in Tehran on Friday, with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and senior military officials in attendance.

The ballistic missile, which has a range of 2000 kilometers, is capable of carrying multiple warheads, said Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, a senior commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Division.

“As it was observed, the missile has become smaller in size and more tactical and it will be operational in the near future,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the parades.

Addressing the event, Rouhani said no country can stop the Islamic Republic from strengthening its missile capabilities and defense programs.

“We will promote our defensive and military power as much as we deem necessary,” Rouhani said. “We seek no one’s permission to defend our land.”

He added that Iran’s defense power has never been used for aggressive acts, while certain world powers export deadly weapons to the Middle East.

The Iranian president said Tehran is playing a key role in restoring peace and stability to the region.

“The great nation of Iran has always pursued peace and security in the region and the world, and has always defended the oppressed people of the world. We will defend the downtrodden people of Yemen, Syria, and Palestine whether you like it or not,” he added.

The parades across the country feature military units from various divisions of the Armed Forces, including the Army, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) as well as the Police Force. The week-long events are held in commemoration of Iranian forces’ eight-year defense of the Islamic Republic in the face of Iraq’s 1980-88 imposed war against the country.

Rouhani further slammed Washington and Tel Aviv’s recent anti-Tehran statements before the UN General Assembly.

He said the US and Israel have isolated themselves by expressing opposition to the nuclear agreement, which is hailed by the entire world community as a win for international diplomacy.

Rouhani once again reiterated Iran’s full commitment to the landmark 2015 nuclear accord with six world powers, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

He said the entire global community commended the deal, “except only two people,” referring to US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who used their UN speeches to attack the JCPOA.

“I am very glad that this year at the United Nations and among all the countries of the world, there were only two voices, which were opposed to that of the people of the world. The US and the occupying regime of al-Quds were the only two voices, which were different from the voice of the entire world.” Rouhani asserted. /  Press tv /

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has censured US President Donald Trump’s latest hostile comments against the Iranian nation at the UN as “ugly”, “foolish” and “sheer lies.”

Ayatollah Khamenei made the comments in a meeting with members of Iran’s Assembly of Experts in Tehran on Thursday.

The statements by the US president did not bring any pride to the American nation, said Ayatollah Khamenei. “The American elite should be ashamed of having such a president.”

“That foolish, extremely ugly and hideous speech by the US president, with its gangster and cowboy language fraught with sheer lies, stems from their fury, frustration and light-headedness,” the Leader said.

Ayatollah Khamenei said that Washington’s anger is also rooted in its failure to advance its agenda in the West Asia region, where Iran has played an influential, dignified and successful role.

“The presence and influence of the Islamic Republic of Iran caused the plots and intentions of the US and the Zionist regime [of Israel] to fail in the region, and that is the reason for their anger,” the Leader added.

The Americans have over the past many years pursued a so-called “New Middle East” and “Greater Middle East” plan for West Asia, with its focus on Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, Ayatollah Khamenei said.

“But they faced defeat in all the three countries,” emphasized the Leader.

During his speech at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump accused Iran of engaging in “destabilizing activities” in the region. He claimed that Iran’s “support for terror is in stark contrast to the recent commitments of many of its neighbors to fight terrorism and halt its financing.”

Trump also denounced Iran’s 2015 nuclear agreement with the world powers as “an embarrassment” that Washington may abandon.

However, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, during his own UN speech, fired back at the US president for his “ignorant and spiteful” comments against his nation.

The Iranian president delivers his speech at the annual session of the UN General Assembly.

Rouhani said the “ignorant, ugly, spiteful literature of the US president, which was full of false information and groundless allegations, against the Iranian nation” were beneath the dignity of the United Nations. / Press tv /

On Friday night Iran released footage of the successful test-launch of its new ballistic missile, called Khorramshahr, with a range of 2,000 kilometers.

The footage was released a few hours after Khorramshahr was unveiled during a military parade in the capital city of Tehran.

Khorramshahr is the name of a city in southern Iran which was occupied by the invading Saddam Hussein Army in the autumn of 1980.

Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Aerospace Force, said the missile can carry multiple warheads.

“The peculiarities of this missile is that instead of carrying one warhead it can hit several targets with several warheads,” Hajizadeh told reporters on the sidelines of the parade marking the start of Iraq’s invasion of Iran on September 22, 1980.

“The missile is able to carry warheads up to 1,800 kilometers,” Hajizadeh added.

He also said the missile is “more tactical” and smaller in comparison to other ballistic missiles developed by the Defense Ministry. / Tehran times /

T he Group of 77 at the United Nations, including 134 countries, has voiced support for the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major powers following a tirade by US President Donald Trump against Iran and the deal at the world body.

Addressing the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump branded the agreement as “an embarrassment” for the US. He said the deal was “one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into.” Trump, however, had no proof to back up his wild allegations.

In a statement issued at the end of its ministerial meeting in New York on Friday, G-77 “reaffirmed the importance of supporting and strengthening multilateralism, and in this regard recognized that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [the nuclear deal] between the Islamic Republic of Iran and P5+1 is a concrete case of a successful multilateral action for resolving outstanding global issues,” Press TV reported.

Iran and the P5+1, namely the US, France, Britain, Russia and China, plus Germany, reached JCPOA in July 2015 and started implementing it in January 2016. G-77 “stressed that such a model sets a real example for further accelerating the achievement of sustainable development, including by strengthening international cooperation, through enhanced means of implementation.” / Financial Tribune /

Iran sealed the third place in the 9th Asian Junior Wushu Championships in South Korea with a medals tally of 22 including seven golds.

Having collected four golds and two silvers, Iran clinched the runner-up spot in Sanda competitions as wushu giant China finished first with a seven-medal asset including five golds.

India collected two gold, two silver and three bronze medals to secure the third place.

On Wednesday, Iran’s Hassan Khademi outpointed his Indian counterpart to grab the gold medal of the boys’ -80kg in Sanda contests at Park Chung Hee Gymnasium in the South Korean city of Gumi.

The other gold medal of the day went to Ali Mohammadi (-65kg) who prevailed over the Vietnamese contestant in the final showdown.

Mohammadi’s compatriot, Alireza Rigi also beat a Chinese athlete in the boys’ -60kg final to secure Iran’s third gold in Sanda category.

Ahmad Vahedi also triumphed over his Malaysian opponent in the boys’ -75kg and struck another gold for Iran.

Meanwhile, the Iranian girls’ duelin Taolu team picked up the gold medal with a total score of 9.46 points.

Earlier in the day, Zahra Kiani had tallied 9.51 points in the final competition of Chiangshu form in the girls’ 15-18 age category to snatch the gold medal.

Also in the girls competitions, Fatemeh Vaisi (-52kg) and Shaqayeq Pashaei (-60kg) collected two silver medals for Iran.

Additionally, Mina Panahi collected 9.44 points to claim the silver medal in the Nandao form of Taolu competitions in the girls’ 12-15 age division.

Iranian duo of Amir Hossein Soltani and Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini also took part in the boys’ duelin Taolu team contests and bagged the silver, having earned 9.50 points. Malaysia team took the gold medal with a total score of 9.54 points.

China garnered 22 gold medals and two silvers to top the overall medals table of both Taolu and Sanda competitions while Hong Kong finished second with eight golds and nine silvers. / Iran daily /

Head of Iran’s Silk Research Center said the country ranked eighth in the world in the field of silk farming.

Reza Sourati Zanjani, while noting that sericulture had begun in China four thousand years ago, said “indeed, on the basis of historical information, China remains the main habitat of white cocoon while Iran has been the natural territory for the yellow cocoon.”

He later commented on the status of sericulture industry in Iran saying “the sector enjoys and age-old history in Iran and, presently, silk warming is prevalent in more than 50 countries while 95 percent of silk raw materials belong to Asian countries; China alone accounts for over 80 percent of global silk production, followed by India.”

Head of the Silk Research Center underlined that “until the year 2001, almost 200,000 boxes of silkworm eggs were produced and distributed in the country, though a downward trend was experienced in silkworm egg consumption as well as in cocoon production.”

He however noted that, over the past three years, an increasing trend has been observed in the industry as the output volume has climbed from 26 thousand boxes to 32 thousand boxes.” / Meher news /