Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei received the cabinet on Wednesday on the occasion of the Government Week.

During the meeting with President Hassan Rouhani and his ministers, the Leader outlined seven priorities to be adopted by the government that included resistance economy foreign policy science and technology security culture the sixth development plan, and social media.

Lauding efforts made by the government over the past three years, the Leader stressed, “Today, economic bottlenecks are the foremost problem of the country, which must be resolved. Their resolution depends on the correct and accurate implementation of the policies of resistance economy.”

To achieve this, provinces should be given the leeway to make decisions, banking loans and liquidity should be channeled into the production sector, export incentives should be considered, agricultural products should be purchased and paid for on time, and finally, heed should be paid to villages and processing industries.

As the second priority, the Leader referred to the foreign policy pursued by the administration, calling for more accurate and vigilant approaches to regional issues.

He also advised the government to act eclectically in its foreign policy: “Asia, Africa, and Latin America must be given their due share in the country’s foreign policy.”

As the third lap of the roadmap, the Leader pointed to the importance of science and technology.

“For the country to make progress it needs science and technology and over the past years, good progress has been made.”

Elsewhere in his remark, Ayatollah Khamenei put emphasis on the issue of security, thanking Allah and armed forces for high security and stability indexes of the country.

“…while countries in the region are fraught with incidents and insecurity, the country enjoys a strong security shield.”

This is owing to “the revolutionary and religious spirit of the people,” as well as “defense capabilities” of the county, he added.

Culture was the fifth priority the Leader touched upon, warning against dogmatism.

“Culture includes literature, art, life style, and social code of conduct; and all cultural entities have responsibilities in all these areas.”

“Personally, I do not support dogmatism, pressure, or suppression in the cultural arena, but I do strongly believe in liberalism, however it should not be taken to mean slackness and leaving room for the enemy to cause damage.”

Referring to delays in drafting the sixth five-year development plan of the country, the Leader called for accelerating the process.

“Development plans bring coordination and synergy and act like the links of a chain, pushing the country toward objectives of the Outlook Plan.”

Last but not least, Ayatollah Khamenei pointed to social media, saying, “Social media are a progressive, extensive, and unstoppable world that can bring with them great opportunities and at the same time, threats.”

/ Tehran times /

With 12 new power plant construction projects inaugurated in the Government Week (August 23-29), Iran’s nominal electricity generation capacity will reach 80,000 megawatts (MW) in near future, Mehr news agency reported on Monday.

According to the report, the total generation capacity of the inaugurated projects will be 6,084 MW with a 178.337 trillion rials (about $5 billion) finance.

However, one of the goals of the country’s electricity industry within the framework of the sixth Five-Year National Development Plan (2016-2021) is to boost electricity generation to more than 100,000 MW.

During the current Iranian calendar year of 1395 (started on March 20, 2016) with the operation of 10 new power plants, the country’s electricity production capacity has reached 74,000 MW, Mehr reported.

In line with starting the new power plant projects, three new thermal plants with a total capacity of 3,460 MW will be also inaugurated and start operating in the Iranian calendar month of Shahrivar (August22-September 21).

During the mentioned period, 22 renewable energy projects (solar and wind power) will also become operational across the country.

Earlier in July, Mohammad Sadeqzadeh, the managing director of Renewable Energy Organization of Iran, Known as SUNA, announced that the Islamic Republic will add renewable energy plants with the total generation capacity of 100 MW by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2017).

/ Tehran times /

Iran’s non-oil trade during the first five months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-August 21, 2016) amounted to $35.817 billion, according to the Iran Customs Administration.

The country’s non-oil exports totaled $19.108 billion, a 10.22 percent rise compared to the same period in the previous year.

Meanwhile, $16.709 billion of non-oil goods were imported, showing 2.85 percent decline year on year.

Main exported items included gas condensate, worth $3.27 billion, and liquefied gas, worth $1.94 billion.

Rice and corn were the two main imported items, valued at $476 million and $417 million respectively.

China topped the list of Iranian non-oil goods importers with $3.405 billion of import. The United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Turkey and South Korea ranked next.

Meanwhile, China was the leading exporter of non-oil goods to Iran with $3.863 billion of export. The United Arab Emirates, South Korea, and Turkey ranked next.

Iran’s non-oil trade hit $83 billion in the past Iranian calendar year, which ended on March 19, 2016.

Iran exported $42.415 billion of non-oil goods while imported $41.499 billion of non-oil goods, showing 16.11 percent decrease in exports and 22.53 percent decline in imports when compared to its previous year. / Tehran times /

Rural women play an important but hidden role in the economy of families and the society, said Shahindokht Molaverdi the Iranian vice-president for women and family affairs.

Unfortunately, the role of rural women is not appreciated and their hidden role is ignored in the society, ISNA quoted Molaverdi as saying on Friday.

“This is an injustice toward rural women,” she stressed.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of cultural festival of rural girls which was held in Zibakenar rural area, Gilan province, Molaverdi put the emphasis on the role and position of rural girls in different fields.

Women’s investments can be utilized for implementing resistance economy, Molaverdi said, adding that encouraging women for teamwork is essential for the society.

Without women’s contribution, implementing general goals of the resistance economy will not be possible, the vice-president noted.

Women make up 12 million out of the 32 million rural population of Iran, Molaverdi said, adding that women in the province of Gilan play a key role in agriculture and handicraft industries.  / Tehran times /

The Iranian team ended the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro ranking 25th in the standings, winning eight medals – three golds, one silver and four bronzes.

The Rio 2016 Olympic Games drew to a close Sunday following 17 days of competition between more than 10,900 athletes representing 206 nations.

The Rio Games, which marked the first Olympics to be held in South America – saw the U.S. top the medal chart in every category for only the seventh time in Olympic history and the first since 1948, leading all nations with 121 medals, including 46 golds, 37 silvers and 38 bronzes.

Kianoush Rostami claimed a gold medal in the men’s 85kg weightlifting.

Rostami, 25, a silver medalist in the same category in London four years ago, made 217kg with his final clean and jerk for a total of 396kg, beating his world record by one kilogram.

China’s Tian Tao took silver with 395kgs despite making only two of his six lifts, while Romania’s Gabriel Sincraian secured bronze with 390kg.

Sohrab Moradi won the gold medal in the men’s 94kg category to claim Iran’s second weightlifting gold medal of the Rio Games.

Moradi dominated the event with a combined total of 403kg.

Belarus’s Vadzim Straltsou claimed silver on 395kg while Lithuania’s Aurimas Didzbalis took bronze with 392kg.

Hassan Yazdani claimed first wrestling gold medal of the Olympic.

Yazdani scored the winning points just seconds from the end of the under-74kg title bout against Russian opponent Aniuar Geduev.

Jarayil Hasanov of Azerbaijan beat Uzbekistan’s Bekzod Abdurakhmonov 8-7 for bronze. European champion Soner Demeritas won a battle of the bushy beards to snare the other bronze medal, beating Galymzhan Usserbayev of Kazakhstan 6-0.

Iranian freestyle wrestler Komeil Ghasemi claimed a silver medal in the men’s -125kg freestyle final.

He lost to Turkey’s Taha Akgul 3-1 in the Rio Olympics final match.

Geno Petriashvili of Georgia and Belarus’ Ibrahim Saidov bagged the bronze medals in the weight category.

Kimia Alizadeh claimed the first ever Olympic medal by an Iranian woman in Rio on Friday.

Alizadeh, 18, defeated Sweden’s Nikita Glasnovic 5-1 in the under-57kg division to win the historic bronze medal.

Great Britain’s Jade Jones defeated Spain’s Eva Calvo Gomez 16-7 to reclaim the gold medal she won at the 2012 London Games in the category.

Hassan Rahimi snatched a bronze medal at the men’s 57kg freestyle wrestling.

Rahimi, who lost to Japan’s Rei Higuchi in the semifinals, defeated Cuba’s Yowlys Bonne, the world No. 3, 5-0 to win the bronze medal in the division.

Gold medal went to Vladimer Khinchegashvili, who beat Higuchi in the final match.

Greco-Roman wrestler Saeid Abdevali claimed a bronze medal in the 75kg.

The Iranian beat Peter Bacsi from Hungary 3-1 in the bronze medal match.

South Korean Kim Hyeonwoo also defeated Bozo Starcevic from Croatia 3-1 to win a bronze.

Russian wrestler Roman Vlasov won gold in the category, defeating Mark Madsen from Denmark 5-1 in the final match.

And Ghasem Rezaei snatched the bronze medal in the men’s Greco-Roman 98kg division.

The London gold medalist defeated Carl Fredrik Stefan Schoen of Sweden.

Cenk Ildem of Turkey earned another bronze medal in the division, taking down Alin Alexuc Ciurariu of Romania.

Artur Aleksanyan of Armenia beat Yasmany Daniel Lugo Cabrera of Cuba, earning the gold medal.

/ Tehran times /

Iran has the capacity to be a center for Halal tourism destination for Muslim tourists, the head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicraft Organization (CHTHO), Masoud Soltanifar, said.

He called handicraft “one of the tourist attractions of religious tourism destination in Iran”.

“World Muslims are searching for safe tourism and in our future plan we consider Muslims as one of our main targets to boost the industry in Iran,” he added.

Soltanifar made the remarks in the city of Mashhad on the sidelines of a ceremony celebrating Mashhad as the World Craft City of Gemstone on Thursday.

World Crafts Council – Asia Pacific Region (WCC-APR) designated Mashhad as World Craft City of Gemstone this year.

“Mashhad is world-renowned city with the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS) and this new title will introduce the place from other aspects,” Soltanifar added.

Lalejin, another Iranian city, was named as World Craft City in 2016 in the field of ceramic and pottery.

The World Crafts Council-Asia Pacific Region President Ghada Hijjawi-Qaddumi also attended the celebration in Mashhad.

Last year, WCC declared Isfahan and Tabriz as the world cities of handicraft and carpet weaving.

/ Tehran times /

Austrian Airlines, a subsidiary of Lufthansa plans to launch 3X-weekly Vienna-Isfahan services from September 4 as part of a new bilateral air transport agreement between Austria and Iran, US-based magazine Air Transport World reported on its website.

The Austrian flag carrier said in a statement the underlying reason for its second Iran destination is a new bilateral air transport agreement between the two nations, which could be renegotiated for the first time in 30 years. Because of the ongoing coordination process, Austrian recently had to delay the planned commencement Isfahan service from April 2016 to September 2016.

Vienna-Isfahan services will become 4X-weekly starting from summer 2017.

In March Austrian expanded its Iran operations with the launch of a second daily Vienna-Teheran Imam Khomeini International Airport service.

The Star Alliance member operates single-aisle Airbus A320 family aircraft to both destinations in Iran compared to other European carriers, which mainly use widebodies on Tehran routes.

Austrian Airlines will operate up to 17 weekly flights to Iran as of September 2016.

Lufthansa itself has resumed flying non-stop from Munich to Tehran. Starting on July 4, the connection under flight number LH 602 began three times a week.

“Due to increasing business relations, we are expecting a significantly higher demand in future. Iran has also gained greater significance with culture tourists,” said Thomas Winkelmann, chief executive of Lufthansa Munich hub.

Following the lifting of western sanctions, many international airlines have resumed or increased flights to Iran.

Sanctions imposed over the Iranian nuclear program were lifted in January as part of a landmark nuclear deal Iran signed with the six world powers last year by agreeing to limit the scope of its nuclear activities.

The connection between Munich and Tehran was last offered from spring 2004 to summer 2006.

Air France also resumed flights to Iran in April after eight years with French Transport Minister Alain Vidalies and an accompanying delegation on board.

Emirates Airlines launched a new Mashhad-Dubai flight on September 1. An Airbus 330 flies the new route to and from the shrine city’s Shahid Hasheminejad International Airport with a passenger capacity of 237 people on all weekdays, except Saturdays and Thursdays.

According to Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi, presently averages of 1,050 foreign flights cross Iran’s airspace every day. The figure was 500 before the incumbent government took office in August 2013.

“Amid volatilities in the region, Iran remains secure and stable, which is the reason behind the rise in foreign flights,” Akhoundi was also quoted as saying by the state news agency.

/ Financial tribune /

Iran, holder of the world’s largest natural gas reserves, says it will start exports to Iraq next month, more than a year later than it originally planned.

“Shipments will start at 7 million cubic meters a day to supply a power plant in Baghdad,” Hamidreza Araqi, director of the National Iranian Gas Company, said in an interview with ISNA, Bloomberg reported.

A second route to Basra will be opened in 2017, with shipments eventually reaching 70 million cubic meters a day.

Iran is boosting crude oil and natural gas exports after international sanctions were eased in January. While its crude output has rebounded faster than expected, the natural gas exports to Iraq have taken more time. The National Iranian Gas Export Company said in 2014 it would start exports to Iraq the following year.

“They are most of the way there,” Richard Mallinson, an analyst at Energy Aspects in London, said by phone on Monday. “Iraq desperately needs gas for its power stations.”

Iran has natural gas reserves of 34 billion cubic meters, almost 40% more than Qatar, the world’s biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas, according to BP Plc.

By converting gas into LNG, producers can ship by tanker to markets not linked by pipelines. Iran’s natural gas network is already linked to Turkey. Output at South Pars in Iran will be 540 million cubic meters a day by the end of this year, from 430 million cubic meters a day currently. For Iraq, gas imports can fuel its power plants, helping to alleviate blackouts and freeing up more of its oil for export.

/  Financial tribune /

Rio de Janeiro – Ghasem Rezaei from Iran claimed a bronze medal in the men’s Greco-Roman 98kg division at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

The London gold medalist defeated Carl Fredrik Stefan Schoen of Sweden. Schoen was a loser in the second semifinal match, while Rezaei made his way up through the repechage rounds to win his bronze.

Cenk Ildem of Turkey earned another bronze medal in the division, taking down Alin Alexuc Ciurariu of Romania. / Tehran times /

The Iranian Greco-Roman wrestler beat Peter Bacsi from Hungary 3-1 in the bronze medal match.  South Korean Kim Hyeonwoo also defeated Bozo Starcevic from Croatia 3-1 to win a bronze.

Russian wrestler Roman Vlasov won gold at the Rio Olympics, defeating Mark Madsen from Denmark 5-1 in the final match.

Iranian weightlifters Kianoush Rostami and Sohrab Moradi have already won two gold medals in the prestigious event.

The 2016 Summer Olympic Games are being held in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro from August 5 until August 21. / Tehran times /