Iran says it will make a formal protest to Iraq on Wednesday over the apparent arrest and detention of seven of its nationals by US troops in Baghdad.

Iran summoned the Swiss diplomat who represents US affairs to its Foreign Ministry to protest the detentions of eight Iranian delegates in Baghdad.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Wednesday extended his congratulations to Abdullah Gul and the Turkish nation and government on his election as the country’s president.

Iran’s revenues from oil exports stood at $51 bln in the year to March 2007, showing a 17-percent increase from the figure for the preceding year.

Iran’s ambassador designate to Bahrain has warned against the presence of non-Persian Gulf armies in the region, saying that they were destabilizing it.

Iran is determined to export gas to the United Arab Emirates and has formed a committee to help overcome a pricing dispute that has delayed the project since 2006, an Iranian official was quoted as saying on yesterday.

This week, the Osnabrück Symphony will be the first western classical ensemble to perform in Iran since the Islamic revolution in 1979. German organizers hope the event will contribute to inter-cultural understanding.

Iran is set to further boost its rising crude oil exports to Asia, as OPEC’s second-biggest producer is close to concluding its first term contract with Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL).

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has expressed his approval of acclaimed director Oliver Stone’s plans to make a film about him.

The Iranian embassy in Baghdad says US troops have freed seven Iranians hours after detaining them at a hotel in the Iraqi capital.