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stores, is now going one step further by developing a local version of the popular operating system.
A limited number of companies including Iranian phone producer GLX are said to be rolling out the Iranian version of Android, minus the Google services but including apps like Café Bazaar, the most famous indigenous software store. The new home-made Android Operating System (OS) has been designed and developed by a group of IT experts at Sharif University of Technology, often dubbed “MIT of Iran”, many of whose graduates land jobs in top US tech firms. Google has not specifically banned Iranian users from their system, but Iran’s IT minister said the move was developed in preparation for a possible disconnection of its phones from the popular phone system.
“Google cannot eliminate the Iranian-made operating system,” said Iran’s Communication, Information and Technology (CIT) Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi on July 8.
Earlier this year, several popular applications including ride-hailing and online ordering systems were removed from both Apple and Google’s operating systems over sanctions violations.
Meanwhile, Apple decided to remove many Iranian apps from their system in March . The behemoth does not have a presence in Iran due to US sanctions, but its products including iPhones remain sought-after devices in the country, meaning several thousand Iranian app developers that produce software in Persian contribute to a local Apple ecosystem.
The digital raid on Iranian apps in March was not the first time that Iranian Apple users have been hit hard . In 2018, Iranian apps were quietly removed from the Apple iOS store. Iranians were able to sidestep that removal by loading applications onto their phones via technician mode. It appears that option may no longer be available because of the latest block put in place by Apple.
9.1.6 Agriculture sector news
Iranian importers have stopped paying for Indian basmati rice in recent months due to the US sanctions targeted at Tehran, the Business Standard has reported .
The situation has cut the basmati rice price by 12% m/m, allowing larger stocks to be used in India. Due to the US pressure to stop transactions involving business with Iran, many would-be Iranian importers of the rice have found finding ways to transfer the required large funds too cumbersome.
“Indian exporters are currently executing old orders. Hence, there is no export problem as of now. But, importers in Iran have stopped fresh payments for the past one month, bringing new orders to a complete halt. As long as advance payments to their accounts continue, exporters would face no issues. But, fresh exports would be difficult. Indian markets have already started responding to Iran’s payment stoppage, and basmati prices shed Rs 10 a kg or 12 percent the past one month,” said Sushil Jain, vice president of the All India Rice Exporters’ Association (AIREA).
Quoted sources in India suggested that Iranian buyers placed orders for INR18bn ($2mn) of basmati rice but then failed to find the mechanisms to pay for the shipments despite money remaining in bank accounts in India from previous Iranian crude oil sales to the country.
Iran is the largest buyer of basmati rice, accounting for nearly one-quarter of India’s annual exports of the food item.
Azerbaijan’s Food Safety Agency said it returned 400 tonnes of potatoes
40 IRAN Country Report September 2019 www.intellinews.com