By Timothy Gardner WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday slapped financial penalties on an Iranian businessman, a Malaysian bank and a network of companies it accused of attempting to evade international sanctions on Iran's nuclear program through money laundering. The Treasury Department blacklisted Babak Zanjani and First Islamic Investment Bank for providing financial and other support to the National Iranian Oil Company.

Deputy Head of the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran (TPOI) for Marketing Affairs, Reza Towfiqi Zavareh stressed on expansion of trade relations with the regional countries including Pakistan by boosting role of free trade zones. Addressing local officials in Chabahar city, he noted that Chabahar Free Trade Zone is one of the most strategic free trade zones which can have a great effect on expansion of trade among regional countries and in particular between Iran and Pakistan, IRNA news Agency Quoted. Pointing to the recent talks between Iranian and Pakistani officials about

Tehran, Feb 4 (EFE).- A Chinese supertanker with the capacity to carry 2 million barrels of crude took on a load March 20-21 at Iran's Kharg island oil terminal in the Persian Gulf, marking the first such operation since the European Union imposed sanctions on Tehran on July 1, state media reported Thursday. The Yuan Yang Hu is owned by China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company, or COSCO, Iranian state television's HispanTV Spanish-language service said, citing shipping information.

SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- Overseas orders for South Korea's industrial plants grew slightly in the first quarter on strong demands in Europe, the government said Thursday. In the three months ended March 31, overseas orders for the country's industrial plants amounted to US$11.8 billion, up 0.7 percent from the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The rise marks a turnaround from a 0.3 percent on-year drop in 2012.