Rouhani: Investigations will continue to identify and prosecute all involved in plane crash tragedyTEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani has pledged to continue investigations for identifying and prosecuting all individuals involved in the unintentional shootdown of the Ukrainian plane which crashed shortly after taking off from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini airport on January 8, leading to the death of 176 people on board.
In a statement on Saturday morning, Rouhani noted that the country “deeply regrets this disastrous mistake.”
“Armed Forces’ internal investigation has concluded that missiles fired due to human error caused the horrific crash of the Ukrainian plane (and) death of 176 innocent people. Investigations will continue to identify (and) prosecute all those involved in this great tragedy (and) unforgivable mistake,” Rouhani wrote on his official Twitter account.
“My thoughts and prayers go to all the mourning families. I offer my sincerest condolences.”
Rouhani’s full text message ..

China drops truth bomb on Xinjiang terrorists: Here is how the world should reactChina Global Television Network (CGTN) shocked the international civil society by broadcasting new documentaries that showed graphic images of terrorist attacks in Xinjiang in the past decade last week. Unsurprisingly, skeptics were quick to accuse the international broadcaster of seeking to vindicate China's “re-education program” in the far western region, where over a million Muslims live.
That's hardly all of it. Talking a good line, however, the truth never damages a cause that is just. CGTN did the right thing to thrust Xinjiang's terrorism problem into the international spotlight, and the evidence is still overwhelming.
No doubt, trans-regional terrorism represents a genuine threat to any nation's security, freedom, and values. Just like other nations, China has a right and a duty to provide a humane and tailored response to terrorism, extremism, and separatism. Despite some dra..

Maritime culture, history on show at “Human and Sea” exhibit An exhibition titled “Human and Sea” opened on Monday at the National Museum of Iran in Tehran, showcasing human interaction with the sea during the country’s history.
With a focus on archaeological findings, the exhibit puts on show over 160 relics, which date from prehistorical times to the Islamic era.
Organized in collaboration with the Ports and Maritime Organization, the exhibit will be running through February 14, 2020.

Armed democracy: NATO greatest achievement for EuropeAt the 30th NATO summit, following the U.S. and Russia’s withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, NATO leaders, reiterating future threats, divided the world into East and West military poles.
NATO, while stating a security strategy, continued to regard Russia as a threat to the security of Atlantic and euro area, just like it was during the Cold War. The organization also claimed that cyber operations, terrorist acts and those effective state and non-state actors that are not aligned, should be confronted as factors that have challenged the world order.
NATO’s strategy has shifted from the level of security concerns over Russia and global challenges to the level of preparedness for possible military confrontation. NATO seeks to provide the ground and facilities for further deterrence, faster defense and increased capacities of the rapid reaction forces to counter possible attacks, especially in the field..

Russia, Iran discuss war on terror TEHRAN – Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Director Sergei Naryshkin has exchanged views with top Iranian Intelligence Ministry officials about cooperation in the fight against terrorism, says SVR spokesman Sergei Ivanov.
“Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Director Sergei Naryshkin has concluded his visit to Tehran. He discussed ways to boost cooperation in the fight against international terrorism and common security threats with senior officials at the Iranian Intelligence Ministry,” Ivanov pointed out, TASS reported on Wednesday.
Naryshkin also held a meeting with Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani. The parties exchanged views on global and regional security issues, as well as on cooperation between the two countries.
Meanwhile, Iran, Russia, and Turkey have said they are concerned about the increased presence of terrorist groups in Syria’s Idlib province.
The trio also said they rejected attempts to create “new realities on the..

Guterres says UN is unable to verify weapons used in Saudi oil attack were from Iran TEHRAN – United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday that the UN is “unable to independently corroborate” that missiles and drones used in attacks on Saudi oil facilities in September “are of Iranian origin”.
“At this time, it is unable to independently corroborate that the cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles used in these attacks are of Iranian origin,” he wrote in the report, seen by Reuters.
Yemenis launched drone attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil installations on September 14, disrupting half of the country’s oil supply.
Washington and Riyadh claimed Iran was behind the attacks. Tehran has said blaming Iran for the attack is part of a larger game against Iran in line with Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in September that “even the Saudis themselves don’t believe the fiction of Iranian involvement” ..

Iran ranks third in the world in producing Oxygen 18 used in radio medicineTEHRAN – Iran ranks third in the world in terms of producing Oxygen 18 isotope, which is utilized in radio medicine production.
Generally, in the radiopharmaceutical industry, enriched water (H2 18 O) is bombarded with hydrogen ions in either a cyclotron or linear accelerator, creating fluorine-18. This is then synthesized into FDG and injected into a patient.
Iran is the third country that has managed to produce Oxygen 18,” says MP Mohammad Ebrahim Rezayee, chief of the nuclear sub-committee of the parliament.
The nuclear sub-committee is a subsidiary of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee.
Rezaye visited the Arak heavy water reactor along with some other senior MPs and advisors to the sub-committee on Wednesday. They were informed about the latest technical, engineering and productive developments in the facility. .They also visited research facilities that are relevant to production ..

Iran begins registering candidates for parliamentary pollsTEHRAN – Iran has started registering candidates running for the upcoming parliamentary elections, set to be held on February 21, 2020.
Candidates have until December 7 to register, Interior Ministry said on Sunday.
Registration began on Sunday morning following an order by Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, Mehr reported.
The elections will be held in over 200 constituencies across the country’s 31 provinces.
The midterm elections of the Assembly of Experts will also be held on the same date in Tehran, Khorsan Razavi, North Khorasan, Fars and Qom provinces.
The Guardian Council will vet parliamentary hopefuls for their qualifications and will release the names of candidates deemed eligible to run by December 18.
Disqualified candidates will have four days to object to the Guardian Council, after which the council will study complaints and announce the final list on February 11.
The candidates will have 8 days to ..

Navy unveils four homegrown military equipmentTEHRAN – The Iranian Navy has unveiled four homegrown military equipment, with the aim of boosting the force’s defense power.
In a ceremony on Saturday attended by Navy Chief Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi, the Navy officially unveiled the unmanned aerial vehicle “Pelikan 2” and the naval mine “Sadaf 2”, Mehr reported.
The navigation system “Soren” and the precision guided bomb “Balaban” were also unveiled during the ceremony.
Pelikan 2 is a sophisticated long-range drone, suitable for naval patrol and reconnaissance missions.
Sadaf 2 has been designed and developed for defensive missions against the surface and subsurface vessels, with a maximum depth of 100 meters.
Soren will be used to detect any single change in the geographic position of the marine vessels without any need to the GPS.
Balaban is a smart bomb with controllable fins that extend its range, and is equipped with the Inertial Navigation System (INS) and Global Positionin..

UK expresses concern over attack on Iran’s consulate in Najaf TEHRAN – British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has expressed concern over attack on Iran’s consulate in the Iraqi city of Najaf, Iranian Ambassador to London Hamid Baeidinejad said in tweet on Friday.
A group of rioters stormed into the Islamic Republic’s diplomatic mission in Najaf on Wednesday and set it ablaze. They also replaced the Iranian flag with an Iraqi one. Reportedly, the consulate had already been evacuated of its staff.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammad Ali al-Hakim has apologized to the Islamic Republic.
During a phone call on Thursday, Hakim told Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif that his country was committed to protecting Iran’s diplomatic missions and their staff in Iraq, according to Press TV.
This is the second attack on an Iranian diplomatic mission in Iraq after its office in the Shia holy city of Karbala was attacked last month.
Iranian Ambassador to Baghdad Iraj Masjedi said on Thursday that ..