Daily look at Iran’s late-breaking news and upcoming events:
 
IPF-2017 kicks off in Tehran
The 13th Iran Petrochemical Forum (IPF-2017) started with participants from 76 foreign oil, gas and petrochemical firms in Tehran on Saturday.

 
Iran bans popular live election debates
Iran’s interior ministry said Thursday there would be no live debates in the run-up to next month’s presidential election.

 
Iran sees no need to negotiate Mideast issues with US: Shamkhani
A senior Iranian official says the Islamic Republic is not willing to negotiate Middle East issues with the United States, stressing that Washington cannot act as “judge, jury and executioner” in the troubled region.

 
Russia vows to oppose US stance against Iran
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov says Moscow is against Washington’s “non-productive” attempts to unite in one agenda Iran’s non-nuclear issues and those pertaining to the implementation of the country’s nuclear agreement.

 
30 bombing plots foiled in Iran last year: Intelligence min.
Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi said sustainable security prevails in Iran, adding that thirty bombing plots were foiled by Iran’s intelligence and security forces in the past Iranian year, but only four cases were reported to people.

 
Iran equips IRGC Navy with new anti-ship cruise missiles
The Navy of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) is now in receipt of a new anti-ship cruise missile, which the country’s defense minister says would take aim at potential aggressors.

 
Iran, Georgia ink 3 MoUs
Iran and Georgia on Saturday sealed three memoranda of understanding (MoUs) in sports, agriculture, communication and information technology.

 
Iran petchem output capacity 72mt/y by yearend
A senior Iranian petrochemical official said given the launching of new petrochemical projects in Iran, the country’s total annual petrochemical production capacity will reach 72 million tons by the end of the current Iranian calendar year which began on March 20.

 
Greek FM: Iran to attend big world cultures conference
The Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias said on Friday that 10 countries, including Iran, are going to attend a conference on the role of big cultures in creating world peace.

 
VP: Iran supports Persian Gulf-Black Sea link project
Iranian First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri expressed the country’s readiness to help the establishment of a transit corridor linking the Persian Gulf to the Black Sea, saying the major project will facilitate trade between Iran and Georgia too.