July 7, 2021 Envoy submits credentials ’s new ambassador to London, Mohsen Baharvand, presented his credentials 2 to Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, ISNA wrote. National

Law Enforcement Force dismantles Top general: Borders security enhanced terrorist ring in south Iran National Desk despite enemies’ plots The Law Enforcement Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran, do- mestically known by the acronym NAJA, disbanded a terrorist ring National Desk jor General for his efforts in southern provinces and arrested its members. and determination to improve the capabili- This was announced by NAJA in a statement on Tuesday, IRNA ecurity situation of the Iranian bor- ties and preparedness of the IRGC Ground reported. ders is witnessing a positive growth Force’s units using local residents, he According to the statement, a group of saboteurs had hatched Swith regard to all indices, said Chair- highlighted the advantages, importance plots to organize armed conspiracies in the country in a bid to com- man of the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian and effectiveness of indigenous people’s promise the society’s public security. Armed Forces Major General Mohammad participation in guaranteeing security in It added the main members of the terrorist group were immedi- Baqeri. border areas. ately identified and captured in southern Iranian provinces thanks In an address to a Tuesday meeting of In late May, Major General Baqeri to the round-the-clock efforts of the country’s Armed Forces and top army commanders and officials, he stressed that Iran’s military is ready to deal NAJA’s intelligence dominance and after constant observation of added this is indicative of the effective and with all threats severely and protect the the ring’s activities. fruitful efforts by the Ground Force of the country’s national interests with its con- Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) stantly growing defense capabilities. and other forces of the country responsible He said the “policy of boosting power for ensuring security at the borders, IRNA for defense, offense and deterrence” is al- reported. ways on the agenda of the Iranian Armed Major General Baqeri also thanked Forces. the indefatigable efforts by the IRGC’s The Iranian military forces maintain Ground Force to ensure border security, intelligence dominance and are fully pre- particularly in the northwestern and south- pared for harsh and courageous confronta- eastern regions, stressing that the positive tion with any threat against the country’s security indices come despite plots by the independence, territorial integrity and na- enemies to threaten the border areas and tional interests, Baqeri underscored. the country’s surrounding regions in a bid Iranian military and political officials to compensate for their chain of defeats in have repeatedly warned the enemies about the region. the dire consequences of a military action Praising IRGC Chief Commander Ma- against the Islamic Republic. IRNA Iran among world’s top IRNA Delta variant detected in Tehran: Official The statement said following technical investigations, it became National Desk end, saying it will provide the people of the province air defense powers: evident that the terror ring was affiliated to foreign terror groups with each and every required health and treatment fa- and backed and led by them. The Indian variant of the coronavirus, also known as cilities and equipment. Army commander The NAJA gave the assurance that results of further research and Delta, has spread in Tehran, said a deputy head of the Harirchi gave the assurance that the province is investigation about the group will be announced subsequently. Iranian capital’s Task Force for Fighting the Corona- faced with no shortage in terms of health and treat- The significant advances Iran has made in the air defense The Iranian Armed Forces have successfully disbanded many ter- virus. ment facilities. industry has turned the country into one of the world’s top rorist groups in the country over the past few months. Speaking to IRNA on Monday, Dr. Nader Tavakoli, the Iranian government authorities have warned that powers, possessing the capability to detect every aircraft In late June, Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) an- deputy head of Tehran’s anti-coronavirus task force for the Delta variant could cause a fifth wave of infec- and small flying object both inside and outside its airspace, nounced that its forces had identified and dismantled three terrorist treatment, added a number of cases have been detected in tions more than 15 months after the coronavirus pan- a senior army commander said. and counterrevolutionary teams in the country’s northwestern prov- the capital who have been infected with Delta variant. demic hit Iran. Making the remark during a visit to a military base in inces of West Azarbaijan and Kurdestan 10 days before the June 18 He noted that the patients’ clinical symptoms are A nationwide vaccination campaign against the the northwestern city of Oroumiyeh, Commander of the presidential election. indicative of their infection with the Indian strain. coronavirus is gaining momentum with the introduc- Iranian Army’s Air Defense Force Brigadier General Ali- “During the election time, the enemy had been pursuing special The variant, first detected in India, has been circu- tion of jabs produced inside Iran. reza Sabahi-Fard noted that such great capabilities have plans and sought to carry out terrorist measures but it was faced lating in many countries around the world. Health authorities said two homegrown vaccines ap- been developed in view of the advanced systems built by with firm reaction from the IRGC’s Ground Force,” Commander of The Delta variant has spread in different Iranian proved for emergency use would roll out in a few days. domestic experts, Tasnim News Agency reported. IRGC’s Ground Force Brigadier General said cities, particularly the southeastern province of Sistan at that time. and Baluchestan, where it has started the first mas- Casualties He added that two terrorist and counterrevolutionary teams were sive wave of COVID-19 infections. dismantled in the cities of Oshnaviyeh and Baneh in West Azarbai- Commenting on the coronavirus spread in Sistan The Iranian Health Ministry announced in a state- jan and Kurdestan provinces respectively. and Baluchestan, Alireza Shahraki, the director gen- ment on Tuesday that the country’s new COVID-19 Another terrorist team that had infiltrated into the country from eral of the Crisis deaths and infec- the city of Sarvabad in Kurdestan Province was also destroyed, Management De- tions reached 146 Pakpour said. partment of the and 16,080, respec- The IRGC commander emphasized that all border areas across Governor’s Office tively, in 24 hours. the country are fully secured. of the province, According to the Back on May 30, IRGC forces identified and dismantled a terror- said the situation statement, the total ist and counterrevolutionary team in the province of West Azarbai- is still critical and COVID-19 death jan, according to a statement by the IRGC Ground Force’s Hamzeh all restrictions are toll and infections Seyed al-Shohada Base. in place. since the beginning In an order is- of the outbreak in sued on Tuesday, the country in late Commander of February 2020 ALI MOAREF/IRNA the Iranian Army stand at 85,095 and TASNIM Major General urged the Army 3,286,923, respectively. units to accelerate efforts to provide emergency relief It added that 3,296 COVID-19 patients are in criti- “The Islamic Republic of Iran is among the top powers in Mohammad Ali Rajabi to the residents of Sistan and Baluchestan province, cal condition, and of the newly-detected cases, 1,733 air defense, not only in the region but in the world,” he added. where people are also facing drought. individuals have been hospitalized. The commander also highlighted Iran’s self-sufficiency The Iranian government has also allocated nearly The ministry said 2,953,586 COVID-19 patients in manufacturing various air defense equipment, saying $4 million in emergency funding to setting up two have so far either recovered from the disease or have the country’s0 deterrent power has reached such a high field hospitals in the provincial capital of Zahedan been discharged from hospitals. level that the enemies do not dare to pose any aerial threat. near the border with Pakistan to improve services It also announced that 24,119,858 coronavirus Iranian officials have repeatedly underscored that the provided to COVID patients. diagnostic tests have so far been carried out, and country will not hesitate to strengthen its military capabili- In a decree issued on Monday, head of Iran’s Plan 6,515,385 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been ties, including its missile power, which are entirely meant and Budget Organization, Mohammad Baqer No- administered to people. for defense, and that Iran’s defense capabilities will be bakht, ordered the allocation of the fund to Zahedan The Health Ministry said 92 cities in the country never subject to negotiations. University of Medical Sciences and Health Service are coded red (very high-risk), while 183 are in the In February 2018, Leader of the Islamic Revolution for launching the two hospitals. orange zone (high-risk). Ayatollah Seyyed stressed the need to main- The hospitals will be dedicated to patients suffer- Based on a decision by the National Task Force for tain and boost Iran’s defense capabilities, hitting back at ing from respiratory problems, Nobakht said. Fighting the Coronavirus, travel to and from these the enemies for disputing the country’s missile program. On Thursday, Iraj Harirchi, the deputy health minis- cities is prohibited. “Without a moment of hesitation, the country must ter, said the ministry’s focus will be on controlling the The number of the country’s yellow (medium-risk) move toward acquiring whatever is necessary for defense, new wave in Sistan and Baluchestan. and blue (low-risk) cities are 173 and zero, ‎respec- even if the whole world is opposed to it,” the Leader said He added the ministry will spare no effort to this tively, according to the ministry. at the time.

Japanese envoy content with Lake Urmia restoration process

Japan’s Ambassador to Tehran Aikawa said he had traveled to Province has good capacities Kazutoshi Aikawa, whose coun- the province in coordination with in the field of tourism, saying try closely cooperates with Iran the United Nations Development Japan is very interested in ex- on the project to revive Lake Ur- Programme (UNDP) to oversee panding tourism ties with the mia in the northwest of the coun- the restoration process of Lake province. try, said he is content with the Urmia. Rahmati said East Azarbai- progress made toward restoring Commenting on the coopera- jan is one of the greatest Iranian the body of water. tion of Japan International Coop- provinces with a population of He made the remark in a Tues- eration Agency (JICA) in the res- over four million. day meeting with Deputy Gover- toration process, the ambassador He stressed that the province IRNA nor-General of East Azarbaijan noted that good efforts have so has close economic ties with the Japan’s Ambassador to Tehran Kazutoshi Aikawa (L) meets with Deputy Province Javad Rahmati, IRNA far been made to this end. neighboring countries of Azer- Governor-General of Iran’s East Azarbaijan Province Javad Rahmati in the reported. He added East Azarbaijan baijan, Armenia and Turkey. provincial capital of Tabriz on July 6, 2021.