Digital diplomacy, a new approach to be embraced by diplomats and ambassadors

TEHRAN - Mohsen Sohani, a tourism researcher, in a recent note, has put the spotlight on “soft power” as a robust tool to attract or persuade potential travelers to visit a host country.

Russian tourists arrive in Ilam province with campers amid growing tourism ties

TEHRAN - A group of 18 Russian campers and SUVs has arrived in Iran’s Ilam province as part of a broader tour across the country, marking a new chapter in expanding tourism ties between Iran and Russia.

Iran sets goal of €6 billion annual revenue from medical tourism

TEHRAN – Iran has set a target to generate €6 billion in annual revenue from medical tourism, according to a new policy document approved and announced by the government.

Tehran, Moscow working toward full visa waiver, Lavrov says

TEHRAN - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that Iran and Russia are actively working toward abolishing visa requirements between the two countries, marking a significant step in strengthening bilateral ties and boosting tourism.

Tourism Desk

$100,000 miniature rams, Lar’s ecotourism attraction

TEHRAN -- For the first time, a Russian zoologist Nikolai Viktorovich Nasonov understood the uniqueness of the miniature rams in 1906 and introduced them to the world of science. It weighs between 35 and 40 kg, while the female one weighs between 25 and 30 kg.

Winter returns to Ardabil in April

Snowfall in the middle of April covered some mountainous areas of Ardabil province, northwest of the country, in white.

Health ministry, UNICEF join hands to equip 13 PHC centres in deprived areas

TEHRAN –Supported by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MoHME) has staffed and equipped 13 Primary Health Care (PHC) centres in highly refugee-populated regions in Sistan-Baluchestan and Khorasan Razavi provinces.

Tehran, Islamabad to boost scientific ties

TEHRAN – Iran’s deputy science minister, Abolfazl Vahedi, and Pakistan’s Science Minister, Khalid Hussain Magsi, have discussed ways to develop collaborations between universities of the two countries.

IRCS, IFRC discuss ways to address regional challenges

TEHRAN – The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) and the International Federation of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) have explored the potential to foster joint activities for dealing with regional challenges.

Medicinal plants worth over $30m exported from Isfahan province in a year

TEHRAN- Isfahan province exported medicinal plants, rose water, and plant essences worth more than $30 million in the past Iranian calendar year 1403 (ended on March 20, 2025), according to a provincial official.

Monthly PMI posts another drop amid falling demand and supply

TEHRAN - Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture (ICCIMA) has released the country’s new PMI data for the fiscal month of Esfand (February 19 – March 20, 2025) which has posted a fourth drop in a row.

Khaf-Herat railway to be fully operational by Mar. 2026, official says

TEHRAN – Iran plans to complete the remaining deficiencies of the Khaf-Herat railway by August and finalize the fourth segment of the cross-border project by the end of the Iranian year in March 2026, the project manager said.

EDBI to expand support for global competitiveness of exporters

TEHRAN – The Export Development Bank of Iran plans to step up support for exporters, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in a bid to boost their competitiveness in international markets, a senior bank official said.

At least 38 killed, 102 injured in US air strikes on Yemen

Air strikes by the United States on Yemen’s Ras Isa oil port have killed at least 38 people in what is one of the deadliest attacks on the country by U.S. forces.

Land transit surpasses annual target by 25%, sets new record

TEHRAN – Iran’s combined road and rail transit volume in the past Iranian year (ended in March 2025) exceeded the first-year target of the country’s 7th National Development Plan by 25 percent, reaching a record 17.5 million metric tons, a senior official said on Thursday.

Russian experts working on Rasht-Astara rail project in Iran

TEHRAN – Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk said on Wednesday that Russian specialists are currently in Iran working on the Rasht-Astara railway project, a key segment of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).

100 MW of new solar plants ready for inauguration across Iran

TEHRAN – Iran’s Energy Ministry announced on Thursday that 15 newly constructed solar power plants with a combined capacity of 100 megawatts are ready for operation across the country, despite a delay in the official inauguration ceremony originally planned for this week.

Iran, India seek closer agricultural ties at BRICS summit

TEHRAN – Iran and India have called for expanded cooperation in agriculture during a meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS agriculture ministers’ summit in Brazil, underscoring their shared commitment to food security and sustainable development.

Russian Supreme Court suspends ban on Taliban

Russia’s Supreme Court has suspended its ban on the Taliban, which it had designated for more than 20 years as “a terrorist organization”, Al Jazeera reported.

Controversy in Iraq over Al Sharaa's invitation to Arab summit in Baghdad

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani's confirmation that Syrian President Ahmad Al Sharaa has been invited to the Arab summit in Baghdad next month has caused controversy in Iraq, The National reported on Thursday.

Saudi defense minister presents King Salman’s message to Ayatollah Khamenei

TEHRAN – Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman on Thursday met with Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and presented a message from the country’s King to him.