Ebrahim Raisi

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi yesterday set the tackling of galloping inflation and currency devaluation as priorities for the 2023-2024 budget presented to parliament.

The pledge came as the rial touched a new low.

Iranian protesters on Octç 27 defied a deadly crackdown by security forces against nearly six weeks of women-led protests, as Tehran vowed to punish those behind a mass shooting that killed 15 worshippers at a shrine.

"Today, a memorandum on Iran's obligations in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was signed. This paves the way for the country to become a full member of the SCO," a representative of the Iranian ministry told reporters, as reported by Sputnik.

Iran said Tuesday it submitted a "written response" to what has been described as a final roadmap to restore its tattered nuclear deal with world powers.

Iran's state-run IRNA news agency offered no details on the substance of its response, but suggested that Tehran still wouldn't take the European Union-mediated proposal, despite warnings there would be no more negotiations.

Some of the world's most prized works of contemporary Western art have been unveiled for the first time in decades in Tehran.

This was stated on Friday by the Director of Communications of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Fahrettin Altun, ahead of the meeting between Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will meet in Tehran on July 19 for a Syria summit, the Kremlin announced.

"The president's visit to Tehran is being planned for July 19," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on July 12 adding that the trio would meet for Syrian peace talks.

The European Union and Iran agreed on Saturday to resume negotiations in Vienna in the coming days over Tehran's tattered nuclear deal with world powers.

The agreement could help relieve tensions after the talks stalled for months, while Iran enriches uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels under decreasing international oversight.

Iran and Venezuela signed a 20-year deal on cooperation between the two allies subject to U.S. sanctions during a visit on the weekend to the Islamic republic by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.    

Iran's supreme leader on Tuesday insisted negotiations over Tehran's tattered nuclear deal "are going ahead properly," even after repeated comments by American officials that an agreement to restore the accord may not happen.