Iran Daily

Iran�s South Pars gas output doubled in five years
The output from the giant South Pars Gas Field in the Persian Gulf has been doubled in the past five years, the managing director of Pars Oil and Gas Company said.

Iran: US troops in Syria �source of tension�
The US military presence in Syria had been �illogical and a source of tension� and had damaged the region, Iran said Saturday in its first reaction to US President Donald Trump�s plan to pull American troops from Syria.

Iran�s IRGC holds drills in Persian Gulf
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps launched the main and final stage of massive exercises in the Persian Gulf, with an �offensive� component in Iran�s defensive strategy for the first time.

Russia warns of global conflict over nuclear pact collapse
Russia said on Saturday that the scrapping of a Cold War era nuclear pact may lead to an arms race and direct confrontation between several global regions, after a proposal by Moscow was rejected in a United Nations vote.

US gov�t partially shuts as Congress, Trump fail to reach deal
The US government began a Christmas shutdown early Saturday, after Congress adjourned without passing a federal spending bill or addressing President Donald Trump�s demand for money to build a border wall.

MP: Europe�s SPV positive step for future cooperation
A lawmaker believes the efforts of the European signatories to Iran nuclear deal, in particular a proposed payment mechanism, indicate that they are willing to keep working with Iran.

Iran�s Parliament speaker meets Palestinian delegation
Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani held a meeting with a Palestinian delegation in Tehran on Saturday.

Iran says protests Albania�s diplomats expulsion via other channels
Iran�s Foreign Ministry�s spokesman said on Saturday that since Albania has no embassy or diplomatic office in Tehran, the Foreign Ministry expressed its protest over the expulsion of Iranian diplomats through other channels.

Corrupt speculator executed
Iran executed a speculator on corruption charges on Saturday as part of the efforts to stem prevent misappropriation and fraud.

Tehran Times

�South Pars development phases to be complete by March 2020�
All development phases of Iran�s South Pars gas field, except for phase 11, will be completed by the end of the next Iranian calendar year (March20, 2020), Mohammad Meshkinfam, the managing director of Pars Oil and Gas Company (POGC), announced in a press conference on Saturday.

Tehran: U.S. military presence �wrong� from the outset
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi has welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump�s decision to withdraw American forces from Syria, saying theU.S. military presence in the Middle East fuels insecurity in the region.

UNSC authorizes truce monitors for Yemen�s Hudaydah
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has voted unanimously to authorize the deployment of UN monitors to observe the implementation of a newly-agreed ceasefire in Yemen�s vital port of Hudaydah and the pullout of rival forces from the flashpoint area.

�Yemeni people have had enough of Saudi interference in their domestic affairs�
Following the week-long UN-brokered peace talks in Sweden, Yemen�s warring parties agreed to an immediate ceasefire in Hudeidah city and the ports of Hudeidah, Ras Issa and Saleef.

The turbulent sea of Europe
As it could be expected, the current protests in France against Emmanuel Macron�s policies didn�t come to an end, but we�re rather witnessing the spread of these protests to other parts of Europe.

Makhmal Kuh: rugged, towering mountain of �velvet�!
Makhmal Kuh, literary meaning velvet mountain, is an eye-catching and popular mount that dominates Khorramabad, the capital of Lorestan province, western Iran.

IRGC holds military drills in Persian Gulf
The Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) held on Saturday military drills in the general region of the Persian Gulf, displaying the defensive and deterrent power of Iran.

Zarif says S. Arabia is source of problems in the region
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said that Saudi Arabia is source of problems in the Middle East region, ISNA reported on Saturday.

Israel�s crimes must be exposed to the world: Larijani
Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani on Saturday called for sustained efforts to expose the brutal nature of the Israeli regime and its atrocities against the Palestinians to garner stronger support for the Palestinian cause, Mehr reported.

There�s mutual understanding with EU to preserve JCPOA: Russian diplomat
There is a mutual understanding between Russia and the European Union to preserve the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Russian Permanent Representative to the EU said on Friday.