Iran

Islamic Republic of Iran
Flag
Location  Middle East
Capital  Tehran
Area  1,648,195 sq km
Population  83,024,745

"There's one law for the rich and another law for the poor"
(Proverb/Quote of the Week)

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January

January 1 January 2 January 3 January 4 January 5 January 6 Iran and Iraq on 6 January 2015 signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in health areas which covers cooperation in food safety, pharmaceutics, healthcare services, medical research and training and construction of medical facilities. Iran and Turkmenistan launched a new gas pipeline to raise natural gas supplies to the Islamic Republic on January 6, 2010. The launch of Iran-Turkmenistan gas pipeline was a significant event for Iran's effort to deal with gas shortages in its northern regions and Turkmenistan's increased gas export. January 7 January 8 January 9 January 10 January 11 January 12 January 13 January 14 January 15 Iranian film "A Separation" won the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film on January 15, 2012. The film won many awards since its release in early 2011. Iran unveiled domestically-produced deuterated compounds, chemical compounds in which the hydrogen has been replaced by deuterium, to the international diplomats at Arak heavy water plant on January 15, 2011. This nuclear achievement is intended to use for medical research. January 16 Iran, jointly with Sri Lanka, received the top prize at the Energy Globe World Awards in the category of Water on 16 January 2018, an annual award to recognise projects that 'make careful and economical use of resources and employ alternative energy sources.' The USA and the European Union (EU) officially lifted economic sanctions against Iran on 16 January 2016 after the UN nuclear watchdog – the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) – released a statement saying Iran has fulfilled all of the measures required under its deal with six world powers - the US, the UK, Russia, China, France and Germany. January 17 January 18 January 19 January 20 Iranian film White Bridge received the Best Children Film award at the 16th Dhaka International Film Festival on 20 January 2018. January 21 Iranian filmmaker Shirin Neshat won the Crystal Award at the 2014 World Economic Forum. The Crystal Awards celebrate artists who not only excel in their art, but also help to improve the world around them. January 22 January 23 January 24 January 25 January 26 January 27 January 28 The first direct container train connecting Iran and China departed from the city of Yiwu in Zhejiang Province of China on 28 January 2016. This regular train service will pass through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan with commodities between the two countries. Iran's state news agency announced on 28 January 2013 that a monkey was sent successfully into space by the Iranian Space Agency and returned safely aboard the Pishgam rocket. January 29 January 30 January 31

February

February 1 Iran on 1 February 2014 received the first installment of $500 million of $4.2 billion in frozen assets as part of a nuclear deal with world powers - the US, the UK, Russia, China, France and Germany - to curb Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for limited sanctions relief imposed by governments around the world. Iranian Space Agency (ISA), the space agency of the Iranian government for peaceful applications of space science and technology, was formed on February 1, 2004. February 2 Iran successfully launched a homemade observation satellite, named Fajr, on 2 February 2015 into orbit using Safir-B1 rocket. It is the fourth such satellite launch by Iran and first since 2012. Iran unveiled a new domestically manufactured fighter-bomber, which officials say can evade radar, on 2 February 2013. On February 2, 2009 Iran successfully launched a domestically constructed research and telecom satellite, Omid (Hope). It was Iran's first domestically made satellite. The satellite was launched by an Iranian-made carrier rocket, Safir 2 and it was placed into a low earth orbit (LEO). February 3 Iran successfully launched a new small satellite, Navid or Gospel, into orbit on 3 February 2012. The domestically manufactured satellite was designed to collect data on weather conditions and monitor for natural disasters. February 4 February 5 Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in Cairo on 5 February 2013 for the first trip by an Iranian head of state to Egypt since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, underlining the more open ties that have developed recently between the two countries. February 6 Iran and Senegal resumed their diplomatic relations on 6 February 2013 following the signing of a statement on the resumption of political ties between Tehran and Dakar on the sidelines of the 12th summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. Senegal severed diplomatic relations with Iran in 2011. February 7 February 8 February 9 February 10 February 11 February 12 February 13 February 14 Iranian director Jafar Panahi won the Golden Bear award at the 65th Berlin film festival on 14 February 2015 for his movie Taxi. February 15 February 16 February 17 Iran has discovered major reserves of shale oil in western Lorestan province, the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) revealed on 17 February 2017. It is expected that the shale oil that exists in Lorestan could be brought into industrial production in the coming days. February 18 February 19 Iranian director Asghar Farhadi won three awards, including the Golden Bear, for his film "Jodoeiye Nader az Simin (Nader and Simin, a Separation)" in the 61st Berlin International Film Festival on February 19, 2011. February 20 The Iranian Embassy in London partly reopened on 20 February 2014 more than two years after it shut down over diplomatic tensions between the Islamic Republic and the United Kingdom. Only the Iranian mission's consular section — which handles visas and commercial affairs — has resumed operation. February 21 February 22 February 23 Iranian photojournalist Zohreh Saberi won the Special Prize by Jury at the 2016 Days Japan photo contest for her image series named Into the Light. February 24 February 25 February 26 Iranian film The Salesman won Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards on 26 February 2017. Iranian film A Separation won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 84th Oscars in 2012. The movie is about the break-up of an Iranian marriage - won many major international awards of the year. February 27 February 28 February 29

March

March 1 March 2 Iran’s MAPNA Group and Germany’s Siemens AG chief executive officers signed a technology transfer agreement on 2 March 2016 that paves the way for manufacturing of F-class turbines by the Iranian company. The five-year agreement aimed at transferring technology to MAPNA in order to manufacture Siemens’ SGT5-4000F turbine. March 3 March 4 March 5 Iranian table tennis trio, Mahiobeh Omrani, Neda Shahsavari and Maryam Samet, won the Women’s Division Three title for Iran at the 2016 World Team Championships in Malaysia beating Uzbekistan 3-1 in the final. March 6 March 7 March 8 March 9 March 10 March 11 Hamed Amiri of Iran completed a hat trick of gold medals at the 2016 Paralympic Asia-Oceania Championships in emphatic style as he won the shot put F53 with a new Asian record in Dubai. March 12 March 13 March 14 March 15 March 16 March 17 Iran launched a domestically built destroyer, Jamaran-2, in the Caspian Sea on 17 March 2013. Jamaran 2, a Wave-class warship, has been designed and built by the experts at Iran’s Defense Ministry and has state-of-the-art navigation equipment and complex defensive systems. March 18 March 19 Hamoun in Iran, the biosphere reserve located in the southeast of the country, was added to the list of UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves on 19 March 2016. The list recognizes regions that have maintained a healthy economy while hanging on to significant environmental values. March 20 March 21 March 22 March 23 March 24 March 25 March 26 March 27 March 28 March 29 March 30 March 31

April

April 1 April 2 Iran and the six world powers - Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States - reached a historic framework agreement on 2 April 2015 on curbing Iran's nuclear program for at least a decade, a step toward a comprehensive accord that could end the threats of building an atomic bomb in Iran. Under the deal, Iran will reduce its uranium enrichment capacity in exchange for phased sanctions relief. April 3 Iran's oil exports have surpassed two million barrels per day following the recent lifting of sanctions under its nuclear deal with six world powers, as announced by the country’s Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh on 3 April 2016. April 4 April 5 April 6 April 7 Iran and Turkey signed eight Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) in Tehran on 7 April 2015 to expand cooperation in economy, culture and politics during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's visit to Iran. April 8 April 9 April 10 April 11 April 12 April 13 April 14 April 15 April 16 April 17 April 18 Iran's crude oil exports have hit 1.2 million barrels per day, almost doubling from eight months ago when the country elected a new president, according to an official announcement on 18 April 2014. April 19 Iranian photographer Behnam Sahvi won the second prize at the 2018 Sony World Photography Awards in Sport category. April 20 April 21 Dr. Massoumeh Ebtekar, former Vice President of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Head of the Iranian Department of Environment (DOE), was awarded the prestigious Champions of the Earth Award by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on 21 April 2006. The DOE underwent major re-engineering and restructuring during her tenure leading to a strengthening of its status among national and international institutions. April 22 April 23 April 24 April 25 April 26 April 27 April 28 The agreement signed between Iran and Slovenia on double taxation avoidance and tax evasion prohibition in a bid to give a boost to the bilateral trade came into effect, as announced on 28 April 2015. April 29 Iran's exports to the European Union have increased three fold after the implementation of nuclear deal between Iran and the six major world powers in 2015, European Climate Action and Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete revealed on 29 April 2017. April 30

May

May 1 Six traditional farming systems in Iran, China and South Korea known for their unique characteristics and approaches to sustainability have been designated Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) by Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, as announced on 1 May 2014. They include Iran’s Qanat Irrigation system, an ancient network of farms that have survived for nearly three millennia. May 2 Iranian app Gershad won the 2016 Deutsche Welle's The Bobs - Best of Online Activism jury award in the Tech for Good category. May 3 May 4 May 5 May 6 May 7 Iran finished third at the 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup beating Italy 5-3 in Bahamas, best ever for any Asian nation. May 8 May 9 May 10 Parisa Hafezi, a female journalist from Iran, won the 2011 Courage in Journalism Award from the International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) for her courageous journalism under constant harassment and surveillance by the Government. IWMF officially announced the award on May 10, 2011. May 11 May 12 May 13 May 14 The Information Technology Organization of Iran (ITO) and Iran University of Science and Technology won a World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Project Prize in Geneva, Switzerland, with the project WSIS Cooperation: Research Study and Preparation of International Strategic Documents for the Information Society at a prize ceremony held on 14 May 2012. May 15 May 16 May 17 May 18 May 19 Iranian film director Jafar Panahi won the Best Screenplay award at the 71st Cannes Film Festival on 19 May 2018 for his film 3 Faces. May 20 Renowned Iranian mountaineer Mohammad Oraz reached the summit of Mount Everest on 20 May 1998. Unfortunately, Oraz died while climbing Gasherbrum 1, one of the world`s highest peaks in northern Pakistan, in 2003. May 21 May 22 May 23 May 24 Iran has discovered a new gas field named Sepand in the Persian Gulf basin to south of the country, as revealed on 24 May 2017, close to the giant South Pars natural gas field which it jointly shares with Qatar. May 25 May 26 May 27 Dr Alireza Mesdaghinia of Iran was presented with the Dr LEE Jong-wook Memorial Prize for Public Health on 27 May 2016 during the plenary meeting of the World Health Assembly. May 28 Zahra Nemati, the first Iranian woman to win a gold medal at Olympic or Paralympic level, picked up another accolade on 28 May 2013 when she was named the individual winner in SportAccord’s Spirit of Sport awards, which are given annually to those whose sporting achievement or work has led to positive social change. May 29 May 30 Iran has amended its internationally condemned law on stoning convicted adulterers to death to allow judges to impose a different form of execution, as widely reported on 30 May 2013. It is seen as a first step in the right direction. Iran's Atieh Kazemi Mojarad was named as one of the winners of the 2013 UNESCO's Young Scientist Awards for designing sustainable development of Biosphere Reserves through the promotion of key ecosystem services. May 31

June

June 1 June 2 June 3 June 4 June 5 June 6 June 7 June 8 June 9 Iran announced that it set up its first space tracking center to monitor objects passing in orbit overhead. According to the announcement made on 9 June 2013, the center will help the country to manage activities of satellites and is capable of monitoring very remote space. June 10 June 11 June 12 June 13 Iran won the Asian Cup soccer tournament with a 1-0 victory over Kuwait on June 13, 1976. It was Iran's third Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup title in a row. June 14 June 15 Iranian football team won their first match at a FIFA World Cup finals since 1998 as they beat Morocco 1-0 on 15 June 2018. June 16 June 17 June 18 June 19 June 20 June 21 Iran's car manufacturer Iran Khodro and French car manufacturer Peugeot-Citroen (PSA) on 21 June 2016 signed the final joint venture agreement to produce latest- generation vehicles in Iran. June 22 Shahr-i Sokhta, meaning ‘Burnt City’ is located at the junction of Bronze Age trade routes crossing the Iranian plateau, was inscribed in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s World Heritage List on 22 June 2014. June 23 Iranian movie Castle of Dreams won the best feature film award at the Golden Goblet Awards section of the 22nd Shanghai International Film Festival on 23 June 2019. June 24 June 25 Iranian movie YELLOW was named as the winner of the Jury Grand Prix trophy at the 2017 Shanghai International Film Festival. June 26 June 27 The Persian Gardens was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011; a property made up of nine gardens, each split into four, that date as far back as the 6th Century BC. They contain unique features such as special use of water for ornamental and irrigation purposes and unique climate control; they have influenced gardens as far as Spain and India. June 28 June 29 Iran began exporting automobiles to Russia for the first time in five years on 29 June 2014, after meeting upgraded emission standards. The export stopped when Russia adopted stricter Euro-4 emission standards. June 30 Two cultural sites from Iran - Gonbad-e Qābus, 53-metre high tomb built in 1006 A.D. for Qābus Ibn Voshmgir near the ruins of the ancient city of Jorjan on the Gorgan River in northeast Iran and Masjed-e Jāmé of Isfahan, the “Friday mosque” can be seen as a stunning illustration of the evolution of mosque architecture over 12 centuries, starting in 841 A.D. - were added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List on June 30, 2012.

July

July 1 July 2 Iranian film director Asghar Farhadi's drama The Salesman won the ARRI/Osram Award for Best International Film at the 2016 Munich Film Festival. July 3 Iran signed a contract for the development and production of phase 11 of South Pars (SP11) gas field in Iran with France's Total and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) on 3 July 2017. July 4 July 5 July 6 July 7 July 8 July 9 The UNESCO World Heritage Committee on 9 July 2017 inscribed Historic City of Yazd, located in the middle of the Iranian plateau, 270 kilomtres southeast of Isfahan, close to the Spice and Silk Roads, in Iran as the World Heritage site. July 10 July 11 July 12 July 13 July 14 Iran and six major world powers - the United Kingdom, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States - reached a historic long-term nuclear deal on 14 July 2015 to limit its sensitive nuclear activities in return for the lifting of sanctions against Iran imposed by the US, European Union and United Nations. Iranian scientist Maryam Mirzakhani won the 2014 Clay Research Award from the Clay Mathematics Institute. Maryam was recognized for her many and significant contributions to geometry and ergodic theory, in particular to the proof of an analogue of Ratner's theorem on unipotent flows for moduli of flat surfaces. July 15 The Persian Qanat in Iran was inscribed on UNESCO’s prestigious World Heritage List on 15 July 2016 at the 40th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Istanbul, Turkey. Soltaniyeh, the historic capital of the Ilkhanid rulers of Persia in the 14th century, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2005. Soltaniyeh is one of the outstanding examples of the achievements of Persian architecture and a key monument in the development of its Islamic architecture. July 16 July 17 July 18 July 19 July 20 Iran has eliminated its most sensitive stockpile of enriched uranium, as revealed by International Atomic Energy Agency on 20 July 2014, according to the terms of the six-month agreement between Iran and international communities, which took effect in late January. July 21 July 22 July 23 July 24 July 25 July 26 July 27 Iran on 27 July 2017 successfully launched its most advanced domestically-manufactured satellite-carrying rocket Simorgh into space from the Imam Khomeini National Space Station in Semnan. On 27 July 2012 it is reported that Iranian and Syrian governments signed deals on energy and electricity exports, signaling continued cooperation between the two countries amid ongoing political crisis in Syria. July 28 July 29 July 30 July 31

August

August 1 August 2 August 3 August 4 August 5 Iran claimed their first ever Greco-Roman wrestling gold at the Olympics as Hamid Mohammad Soryan Reihanpour overcame Rovshan Bayramov from Azerbaijan at the 55kg category on 5 August 2012 in London. August 6 Omid Haji Noroozi won Iran’s second Greco-Roman wrestling gold medal at the Olympics after beating Georgia's Revaz Lashkhi at the 60kg category on 6 August 2012 in London. August 7 August 8 August 9 August 10 August 11 Iran won the 27th Asian Basketball Championship on 11 August 2013 beating the Philippines 85-71 for their third continental title in six years. August 12 Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan signed an agreement on 12 August 2018 for collective use of the Caspian sea after two decades of negotiations. August 13 Iranian Professor Maryam Mirzakhani was awarded the 2014 Fields Medal, the most prestigious honor in mathematics, for her highly original contributions to the fields of geometry and dynamical systems. Maryam is the first woman to win the prize, which was established in 1936. August 14 August 15 August 16 August 17 August 18 Kimia Alizadeh became the first ever Iranian woman to win Olympic medal after claiming taekwondo bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Brazil. August 19 Iran’s Safaviyeh Ramin clinched the gold medal in the men's 100kg event in the judo competition at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics. August 20 August 21 Iran unveiled first domestically-produced fighter jet named Kowsar on 21 August 2018 at the National Defence Industry exhibition in Tehran. August 22 Mirhashem Hosseini of Iran won gold in Taekwondo 63 kg category at the 18th Asian Games in Indonesia on 22 August 2018. August 23 The British embassy in Iran was reopened on 23 August 2015, nearly four years after it was closed as the embassy was stormed by protesters in 2011 during a demonstration against sanctions on Iran. August 24 Iranian team won gold in men’s kabaddi at the 18th Asian Games in Indonesia on 22 August 2018. August 25 Hossein Rezazadeh won a gold medal in weightlifting for Iran in 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. August 26 The 16th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, a six-day summit of 120 developing nations, was inaugurated on 26 August 2012 in Tehran, Iran. August 27 August 28 August 29 August 30 August 31

September

September 1 Iran retained its status as the Asian Games champion in men’s team volleyball by defeating the Republic of Korea (KOR) 25-17, 25-22, 25-21 in Asian Games final at Gelora Bung Karno Sports Complex in Jakarta on 1 September 2018. Iran and North Korea signed a scientific and technological cooperation agreement on 1 September 2012 in Tehran in the presence of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and North Korea's second in command, Kim Yong Nam. September 2 September 3 September 4 September 5 The Iranian men's football national team secured qualification as the top team of the group for the 2018 FIFA World Cup on 5 September 2017 with a 2-2 draw against Syria. September 6 Iranian director Rakhshan Banietemad received the best screenplay award for the film Tales at the 2014 Venice Film Festival. September 7 September 8 September 9 September 10 September 11 September 12 September 13 September 14 September 15 September 16 September 17 September 18 September 19 September 20 September 21 September 22 September 23 September 24 Iran successfully tested a home-built anti-aircraft system, the country's English-language Press TV reported on 24 September 2012, showcasing strong domestic growth in science and technology. September 25 September 26 Iranian weightlifter Behdad Salimikordasiabi took the gold medal in the men's over 105kg division at the 2014 Asian Games after breaking three Asian Games records with 210kg in snatch, 255kg in clean and jerk, and 465kg in total. September 27 Iranian compound archer Esmail Ebadi won gold medal at the 2014 Asian Games beating his Indian rival 145-141. September 28 September 29 Iran won the 2011 Asian Men's Volleyball Championship held in Tehran beating China in the final 3-1 on 29 September 2011. September 30

October

October 1 October 2 October 3 October 4 Iranian doctor Nizal Sarrafzadegan was awarded the State of Kuwait Prize at the 63rd session of the World Health Organization (WHO) for her significant contribution in the field of cardiovascular diseases. October 5 October 6 October 7 October 8 October 9 October 10 Iranian film director Hadi Mohaqeq’s Immortal was presented with the New Currents Award at the 20th Busan International Film Festival on 10 October 2015. Iranian lawyer and human rights activist Shirin Ebadi won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003. October 11 Iranian film 13 and Korean film End of Winter jointly won the New Currents Award, the top award at the 19th Busan International Film Festival for best film, on 11 October 2014. October 12 October 13 Roya Ramezani of Iran was included in the BBC global list of 100 inspirational and innovative women for 2017 for her mission to empower people to pursue what inspires them. October 14 October 15 October 16 October 17 October 18 October 19 October 20 October 21 Blockage from Iran's Mohsen Gharaei and Korean director Kim Ui-seok's teen-themed drama After My Death were announced as the two winners of the New Currents award at the 2017 Busan International Film Festival. October 22 October 23 October 24 October 25 October 26 Iranian human rights activists, lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh and film-maker Jafar Panahi, on 26 October 2012 won the European Parliament's Sakharov prize. The award is a message of solidarity and recognition to them who have not been bowed by fear and intimidation and who have decided to put the fate of their country before their own. October 27 October 28 Iranian journalist Jila Baniyaghoob was one of the recipients of the 2009 Courage in Journalism Award from the International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) for her courageous journalism amidst a restrictive environment. The award ceremony was held in Los Angeles on October 28, 2009. October 29 October 30 October 31

November

November 1 November 2 November 3 November 4 November 5 November 6 November 7 November 8 November 9 November 10 A domestically produced Iranian version of the US RQ-170 unmanned drone has made a successful inaugural flight, as announced on 10 November 2014. November 11 Iran and Britain on 11 November 2013 named non-resident charges d’affaires to each other’s capital, to restore diplomatic ties two years after Iran’s ambassador was expelled from the UK following the storming of the British embassy in Tehran in 2011. November 12 November 13 November 14 November 15 Iranian film director Asghar Farhadi's film "Nader and Simin, A Separation", a movie about the break-up of an Iranian marriage, was awarded the top honor at the 2011 BBC Four World Cinema Awards on 15 November 2011. November 16 November 17 November 18 Iranian defence scientists on 18 November 2013 unveiled a missile-equipped drone with a range of 2,000 kilometres (1,200 miles), capable of staying aloft for up to 30 hours. November 19 November 20 November 21 November 22 November 23 Russia on 23 November 2015 formally eased an export ban on nuclear equipment and technology to Iran by Russian firms, after Tehran signed a historic deal with world powers in July 2015 and agreed to dramatically scale back its nuclear program. Editor-in-chief of the news website Saham News, Mohammad Davari from Iran, was one of the recipients of the Committee to Protect Journalists' 20th Annual International Press Freedom Awards. Mohammad was awarded at a ceremony on 23 November 2010 for his valiant report compilation against the torture of detainees in Tehran. November 24 Iran and six world powers - the US, the UK, Russia, China, France and Germany - reached an agreement on 24 November 2013 to curb Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for limited sanctions relief imposed by governments around the world. Iran will receive modest relief of trade sanctions and access to some of its frozen currency accounts overseas. Young Iranian inventors won three gold medals, four silver medals, and two bronze medals in the Fourth International Middle East Inventions Exhibition held in Kuwait from November 21 to 24, 2011. November 25 November 26 November 27 November 28 November 29 November 30 Hossein Rezazadeh won a gold medal in 2002 World Weightlifting Championships.

December

December 1 Islamic Republic of Iran’s Aliasghar Hasanzadeh was named the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Futsal Player of the Year for a second time on 1 December 2016. December 2 December 3 December 4 December 5 December 6 December 7 December 8 December 9 December 10 December 11 Iranian female sports shooters, Fatemeh Ghodratollahi, Haniyeh Rostamiyan and Seyyedeh Shirin Mortazavi, won gold medal in the 10m air pistol category at the 2017 Asian Airgun Championship in Wako City, Japan. Rasht and Isfahan of Iran were declared as the members of the 2015 UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the Gastronomy and Crafts and Folk Art categories respectively. December 12 Iranian film The Painting Pool won the UNESCO award for outstanding contribution to the promotion and preservation of cultural diversity through film at the seventh annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards, the region’s highest accolade in film, announced at a ceremony in Brisbane, Australia on 12 December 2013. December 13 December 14 Iran on 14 December 2013 announced it has successfully sent a monkey into space and brought it back safely for the second time this year as part of a programme aimed at manned space flight. December 15 December 16 December 17 December 18 December 19 December 20 December 21 Photographer Ali Rostamiiranagh of Iran was named as one of the winners of the 2017 World Meteorological Organization Water Ways Photo Competition. December 22 December 23 December 24 December 25 December 26 December 27 December 28 December 29 December 30 December 31

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