Iran privatized 12 petrochemical companies in the past Iranian calendar year (ended March 20, 2007), accounting for 35 percent of the sector’s subsidiaries, the National Petrochemical Company (NPC) reported here on Tuesday.

Russia believes that Iran is fairly fulfilling the IAEA requirements in tackling its nuclear problem.

France’s foreign minister appeared to soften his weekend warning of war with Iran if it develops nuclear weapons, emphasizing instead the need to “negotiate, negotiate, negotiate without respite”.

The Foreign Ministry will pursue the case with the Iranian national who has been beaten in the United States, the ministry spokesman said here on Tuesday.

Former secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Hassan Rouhani left Tehran for Berlin Tuesday to confer with German officials about different issues, including Iran’s nuclear case.

Iranian-American journalist Parnaz Azima, who was charged with harming national security, left Iran for the Czech Republic Tuesday morning.

Former commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi warned here on Tuesday that possible invasions of his country will be suppressed in a twinkling of an eye.

Iran is serious about extraditing hostage-takers from Pakistan, Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi said, adding that Tehran has already sent to Islamabad several documents proving the Iranian nationality of the criminals.

A large network counterfeiting bank notes, traveler’s checks, bank drafts and governmental papers and documents was disbanded by Iranian intelligence forces here on Tuesday.

The Islamic Republic of Iran will celebrate the start of official flights by its home-made fighter jet ‘Saeqeh’ on Thursday.