Shares Fall On Tehran Exchange At Plan To Tax Petrochemical Exports

The deal for the joint project was signed on Tuesday by Deputy Road Minister Kheirollah Khademi and his Azerbaijani counterpart Rahman Hummatov.

Astarachay is a small river that defines part of the border between Iran and Azerbaijan.

Khademi described the construction of the bridge as an important part of the International North–South Transport Corridor that is a multi-mode network of ship, rail, and road route for moving freight across India, Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia.

He added that the Astarachay Bridge will be about 100 meters long with a width of 31 meters and connects the Iranian city of Astara near the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan’s capital Baku.

The agreement was inked while Iran’s Road Minister Rostam Ghasemi is visiting Azerbaijan to follow up on the implementation of several joint infrastructure projects.

The two countries are also increasing their military cooperation as Azerbaijan’s defense minister was in Tehran upon an invitation by the Islamic Republic’s military.

Earlier on Tuesday, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov held a meeting with Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Bagheri.

The two commanders called the meeting constructive in boosting military ties between the two neighbors without any further details.

The Iranian president’s deputy for rural development said on Tuesday that many of these units cannot be revived but some 20 to 25 percent can be brought back to production and the supply chain.

Amir-Hossein Madani added that most of these units are from sectors of mining, agriculture and small industries.

He said the priority of the current administration is to activate the stagnant sectors in rural areas.

Madani pointed out that some of these units were closed or underperforming due to the consequences of sanctions, but many of them are not operational because of other financial and legal problems.

According to reports by Iran’s Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade, during the last Iranian year (from March 20, 2020 to 2021) over 1,500 inactive units returned to the production cycle through various methods such as providing liquidity and facilities, modifications in the production line and management changes.

Iran suffers from a lack of investments and a centralized economy. Pundits say Iran’s economy is at its most dangerous historical pointin the past four decades with rising inflation, lack of liquidity and international sanctions that would not allow Western companies to have any business dealings with Iran.

Briere, 36, has been held in Iran since May 2020, when he was arrested after flying a helicam - a remote-controlled mini helicopter used to obtain aerial or motion images - in the desert near the Turkmenistan-Iran border.

Briere was charged with spying and "propaganda against the Islamic Republic". He had through his lawyers consistently denied wrongdoing.

Briere’s lawyer, Philippe Valent, said the spying charges was the result of a "purely political process", and added that his family was worried about his mental and physical health.

In recent years, Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have arrested dozens of dual nationals and foreigners, mostly on charges related to espionage and security.

Briere's trial came as the United States and parties to Iran's 2015 nuclear deal, including France, tried to revive the pact after then-US President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the agreement in 2018.

US Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley told Reuters on Sunday that he could not imagine reaching an agreement without prisoners in Iran being released.

Rights groups have accused Iran of trying to extract concessions from other countries through such arrests. Western powers have long demanded that Tehran free their citizens, whom they say are political prisoners.

Reporting by Reuters

In an open letter published on United Nations’ International Day of Education, January 24, they protested to what they called a violation of their basic human rights, including the right to study.

“The Islamic Republic expels Persian-speaking Christians and our children from schools and universities,” they said, noting that this was only one form of discrimination against them. The signatories called on other Iranians not to remain silent about their deprivation of the right to education.

While established Christian churches − including Armenian, Assyro-Chaldean, Greek Orthodox, and Catholic - are allowed to practice, they are required to admit to services only existing members and not to accept converts. New churches cannot be set up.

As they do not use Persian in services these churches have limited appeal to Persian speakers. Iranian Protestants, by contrast, carry out services in Farsi and are sometimes committed proselytizers.

While Iran frowns on Baha’ism, atheism, eastern or esoteric philosophies and cults, the constitution recognizes Christianity, Zoroastrianism and Judaism. Those born into Christian, Jewish or Zoroastrian families enjoy a certain freedom of worship. Armenian and Assyro-Chaldeans Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians all have representatives in the Iranian parliament.

In a statement on Monday, the rights group – also known by their French abbreviation RSF – denounced the transfer of Alieh Motallebzadeh, Narges Mohammadi and Keyvan Samimi Behbahani, describing it as an attempt to break the resistance of these prisoners of conscience.

RSF deputy director Antoine Bernard condemned the move and said it is meant to deprive them of care, as was the case of Baktash Abtin, who died of Covid-19 complications after he was denied timely treatment earlier in January.

Samimi Behbahani was transferred from Evin late last week to Gohar Dasht Prison in Karaj, also known as Rajai Shahr, where mostly murderers and common criminals are held. The 73-year-old has said he will stage a hunger strike, if he is not moved back to Evin, where Iran keeps most of its political prisoners.

Motallebzadeh and Mohammadi were moved from Evin to Qarchak women’s prison, also known as Shahr-e Rey prison, where health and sanitary conditions are very poor with an ill-equipped infirmary and no proper sewer.

Earlier in the week, Mohammadi was sentenced to eight yearsin jail and 70 lashes in a five-minute trial.

Persecution of human rights and political activists and execution have increased since hardliner president Ebrahim Raisi took office last August.