Page 44 - IRANRptFeb20

down the nuclear facility was the date of the hanging of famous Jewish Iranian businessman Habib Elghanian. He was executed by the Islamic Republic for contacts with Israel in 1980.
Iran said in November last year that it has successfully thwarted a wave of cyberattacks apparently staged by Israel to target the country’s communications infrastructure.
9.1.6​ Agriculture & commodities sector news
Iran’s dairy product exports are expected to cross the one-million-tonne threshold by the end of the 2019/2020 Persian calendar year (March 19), Deputy Agriculture Minister Morteza Rezaei has told Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
Iran’s dairy industry has significantly expanded in recent years. It now takes in operations in neighbouring countries including Iraq ​and, thanks to a recent deal, Armenia​. Despite its mostly arid climate, Iran is the most significant milk producer in Western Asia after Turkey. It has industrial-sized farms spread the length and breadth of the country.
According to the minister, Iran’s main dairy export destinations are Iraq, Afghanistan and Russia. He added that other export destinations included Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Japan, Azerbaijan and Armenia.
According to latest data provided by Abdolmehdi Bakhshandeh, Deputy Agriculture Minister for Planning and Economic Affairs, milk and other dairy products worth $325.9mn were exported from the Islamic Republic during the first nine months of the current Persian calendar year (March 21-December 21 of 2019).
On January 27, bne Intellinews reported how Armenia had awarded a three-year licence to an Iranian-owned firm, Duster Marianne LLC.
“It is envisaged that within three years, 12,000 tonnes of cream will be imported from Iran, with a total value of 11 billion drams [Armenian dram (AMD) 11bn = $23.0mn], for use in the production of butter,” Armenian Minister of Economy Tigran Khachatryan said after the deal was announced.
In the previous Persian year, Iran produced around 10mn tonnes of milk. Much of that was processed and sold in dairy products exported to regional markets.
9.1.7​ Retail sector news
Damage to shops in Iran during unrest so far assessed at more than 1.7 trillion rials
More than Iranian rial (IRR) 1.7 trillion (€12.4mn at the free market rate) of major damage to Iranian retailers including supermarkets had occurred by November 19 during the riots across Iran sparked by a sudden big rise in petrol prices introduded at the end of last week, ​Jam-e-jam​ has reported.
Around 80 chain stores in different cities across the country were set ablaze over the past five days by rioters, local reports indicate. Some stores were partially damaged while others were wholly ransacked and set ablaze.
Most of the affected stores are in cities around Tehran including Marlik, Parand, Shahriar, Robat Karim, Pardis, Malard, Shahr-e Qods, Varamin and Hassanabad. Chain stores in Isfahan, Alborz province, Sanandaj and Kermanshah are also known to have been destroyed.
The provided financial estimate did not take into account minor damage to retail stores.
An unknown number of people lost their lives in the unrest. Amnesty International says it has confirmed 106 deaths.
On November 22, the authorities were ​gradually ending the global internet
44​ IRAN Country Report​ February 2020 www.intellinews.com