TEHRAN PAPERS

The impact of snapback on Iran

TEHRAN - In a note, Ettelaat discussed the impact of snapback sanctions on the Iranian market and wrote: From an economic point of view, Europe has never been able to put the same level of pressure on Iran as the United States.

Guardian Council seeks revisions to espionage law following Israeli-imposed war

TEHRAN – Iran’s Guardian Council said Saturday that a bill toughening punishments for espionage with Israel has been sent back to parliament for final clarification, as authorities intensify a nationwide crackdown on suspected Mossad agents.

Pezeshkian says Iran will not ‘bow to pressure’ after UNSC moves to impose snapback sanctions

TEHRAN – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, speaking at a ceremony on Saturday, said Tehran would never surrender to coercion.

Iranian artworks promote peace, friendship at "Color and Narrative" exhibition in Yerevan  

TEHRAN- The collective exhibition "Color and Narrative," showcasing works by 86 Iranian artists, was inaugurated at the Blue Mosque in Yerevan, Armenia on Friday. 

Cuban diplomat praises Iranian children's play

TEHRAN- Alejandro Fuentes Febles, the Head of the Consular Section at the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in Tehran, expressed high praise for the collaborative, movement-based, and imaginative performance titled "What Is It? What Was It?" by the Orange Theater Laboratory, directed by Sajjad Aqababai. 

Portugal to officially recognize Palestine Sunday

Lisbon has announced it will officially recognize the State of Palestine on Sunday, ahead of a high-level conference at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

MI6 admits covert links to HTS during Syria’s regime change

The outgoing chief of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), Richard Moore, has confirmed that London maintained clandestine communications with the extremist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) before the fall of Bashar al-Assad.

Former New Zealand PM calls Gaza war ‘genocide’

New Zealand’s former prime minister Jacinda Ardern has called on “those with power” to take action in the face of the ongoing “genocide" in Gaza. 

CPJ condemns ‘unprecedented massacre of journalists’ in Yemen by Israel

Israeli attacks on two newspaper offices in Yemen earlier this month killed 31 journalists, making it the second deadliest attack on the press ever recorded by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Al Jazeera reported. 

Italian mayor urges tourism fair to reconsider Israel’s participation

TEHRAN – The mayor of Rimini, Jamil Sadegholvaad, said on Wednesday that Israel’s participation in the Rimini tourism fair was “inappropriate” given the war in Gaza.

Iran, Iraq to improve ties through tourism roadshow

TEHRAN— Iran-Iraq ties in cultural heritage, tourism and handicrafts fields are improving in spite of regional and international crises, Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Minister Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri has said.

Gartak ancient site, a hidden treasure of Ilam history

TEHRAN—The Gartak ancient site in Sirvan county, Ilam province, holds the secrets of the lives of ancient people and is a hidden treasure of the history of Ilam, Habibollah Mahmoudian, a specialist in prehistoric archaeology, has said.

By Katayoon Dashti

World’s largest hand-made cave, an unknown heritage in Fars province

Sang Shekanan (stonemasons) cave in the south of Jahrom, Fars province, has been dubbed the largest hand-made cave in the world, but many people in Iran and even Fars have not yet heard of it, and it has few visitors.

Tehran Day designated to highlight capital’s historical, cultural and tourism assets

TEHRAN – Tehran’s provincial Cultural Council has designated Mehr 14 (Oct. 6) as “Tehran Day” to commemorate the city’s historic role in the establishment of Iran’s constitutional system and its designation as the national capital.

Sumud Flotilla activists defy threats to break Israel’s Gaza blockade

After a night of storms, shafts of sunlight revealed a compact armada of more than 50 vessels in Tunis — the Global Sumud Flotilla — loaded with food, medical supplies, and volunteers from over 40 countries preparing to steam toward Gaza to challenge Israel’s long-running naval blockade.

Gaza reels after Israeli strikes kill over 50, including children in school-turned-shelter

At least 51 Palestinians were killed on Saturday, including 43 in Gaza City, as Israeli forces intensified their assault on the besieged enclave.

Some 4,300 Afghan refugees deported from Iran per day: UNHCR

TEHRAN - Between September 11 and 17, an average daily return of 4,300 Afghan refugees from Iran was registered, UNHCR reported in a press release on Friday.

DOE develops first AI-powered environmental protection platform

TEHRAN - The Department of Environment has developed the first bilingual platform based on artificial intelligence in line with digital transformation and facilitating access to environmental laws and regulations.

World Cleanup Day: combating the global mismanaged waste crisis

TEHRAN - On 20 September 2025, people around the world unite for World Cleanup Day – a global movement that goes beyond picking up trash to confront the waste crisis head-on. This year's focus is on textile and fashion waste, one of the most visible and fast-growing environmental challenges.

Iran-Pakistan economic convergence; a new opportunity under shadow of joint committee: minister

TEHRAN – Following the 22nd Iran-Pakistan Joint Economic Committee meeting in Tehran (September 15-16), co-chaired by Iran’s Minister of Transport and Urban Development, Farzaneh Sadegh, and Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Commerce, Jam Kamal Khan, Minister Sadegh published an article on the ministry's news portal. Below is a translation of her piece.