Daily look at Iran’s late-breaking news and upcoming events:
 

China and Iran relations enter ‘new chapter,’ strategic ties to be expanded

Chinese President Xi Jinping, the first head of state visiting Iran since sanctions were lifted on Tehran, is poised to sign letters of intent with the Islamic Republic for a new chapter in strategic economic cooperation.

 
Determination and effort will foil enemy plots: Leader


Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says “firm determination” and “ceaseless effort” of all Iranian youths and university students is the only way to foil enemy plots.





Iran, China sign 17 cooperation agreements


Tehran, Jan 23, IRNA – Top Iranian and Chinese officials inked 17 agreements and documents on bilateral cooperation here on Saturday.





Syria, Iran top agenda as Kerry meets wary Arabs in Saudi


RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with Gulf Arab officials on Saturday to ease their concerns about warming U.S.-Iranian ties and seek consensus on which Syrian opposition groups should be represented at upcoming peace talks.





Iran rejects OIC statement as ‘unacceptable’


Iran has dismissed as “unacceptable” the recent statement by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), saying it runs counter to principles of the UN Charter, the OIC Charter and international law.





Non-implementation of JCPOA could make Iran’s economy more RuChinese (Russian-Chinese)


 If for any reason there would be any obstacle for execution of JCPOA and its execution be postponed or encountered with blocks, not only hopelessness and concern atmosphere would govern Iranian society, but a distrust atmosphere would be created between Iran and western countries especially the United States and great European countries and a huge block would be created in the way of economic exchanges and cooperation between Iran and western countries and this gap wouldn’t be easily treated and repaired.





Iran’s oil minister says OPEC’s emergency meeting may hurt market


Iran’s oil minister said on Friday any emergency meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries would hurt the crude oil market if it made no decision to shore up falling prices.





GOP lawmakers question $1.7 billion payment US made to Iran


WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration’s $1.7 billion payment to Iran to settle an arcane, decades-old financial dispute is prompting questions among Republican lawmakers trying to piece together the full scope of last weekend’s dramatic U.S.-Iranian prisoner swap and the lifting of many American sanctions on Tehran.





Arab countries pay heavy price for Takfiris’ support: Hezbollah official


Tehran, January 23, The Iran Project – Hezbollah deputy says Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries will pay a heavy price for their support of Takfiri terrorist groups, stressing all-out confrontation against the threat of terrorists in the region.





Saudi-Iranian proxy war over Syria spreads to Davos


Senior Saudi and Iranian figures clashed behind closed doors at a private meeting convened by the World Economic Forum in Davos this week to try to promote peace in Syria, participants said.