Iran news headlines on Saturday include a senior Iranian official remarks over targeting Syria similar to targeting Iran and country not giving up  rights to peaceful nuke program; Iran becoming second oil producer once again with over 3 million barrels of oil daily; daughters of Iranian opposition figures under house arrest demanding contact with them; invitation for Iran to attend AU summit and an arrival of Iranian-flagged cargo ship escaped Sri Lankan waters to country.
 
Attack on Syria would be seen as attack on Iran: Tehran
Iran would consider any attack on Syria an attack on itself, a senior government official was quoted as saying on Saturday, in one of Tehran's most assertive defenses of its ally yet.

Iran is a key supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad who is fighting a near two-year-long revolt. Tehran has already repeatedly warned the West against intervening in the conflict against Assad.

 
Iran not to give up rights to “peaceful” nuclear program: official
A senior Iranian official said Saturday that the Islamic republic will not give up rights to what he called "peaceful" nuclear program.

Ali-Akbar Velayati, a senior advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said that "the nuclear issue is our strategic issue. The Islamic republic of Iran will never give up its right to peaceful nuclear energy," Press TV reported.

 
Iran, second OPEC oil producer again
The latest oil production statistics shows that Iran have become the second oil producing country in OPEC once again with over 3 million barrels of oil daily.

Some of the Western Media recently reported that Iran’s oil production ranking is third after Iraq and Saudi Arabia among OPEC members. But studies show that Iran continues to be in the second place.

 
Daughters demand contact with detained Iran opposition couple
Two leading Iranian opposition figures held under house arrest for almost two years have been denied contact with their children, their daughters said in a statement published on Saturday.

Mirhossein Mousavi stood in presidential elections in 2009 and became one of the figureheads of the huge street protests over allegations of vote rigging that followed. He was detained with his wife Zahra Rahnavard stood in February 2011.

 
Iran invited to attend African Union summit
The African Union (AU) has invited Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi to attend the bloc’s upcoming summit in Ethiopia's capital city, Addis Ababa, in late January.


Salehi’s visit to Addis Ababa comes upon the invitation of Chairwoman of the AU Commission Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma for the 22nd meeting of AU Executive Council on January 24-25 and the 20th AU summit on January 27-28.

 

 
Iranian ship back home after Sri Lankan escape: data
An Iranian-flagged cargo ship that fled Sri Lankan waters after weeks of detention by the island nation's navy has arrived back in Iran, according to ship-tracking data published by Reuters.

The Sri Lankan navy fired warning shots in early January to prevent the MV Amina from leaving its waters, acting on a court order obtained by Germany's DVB Bank in pursuit of debts it said were unpaid.

 

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