By Salman Parviz

Iran mulls lawsuits and legal actions to unblock funds

In his recent reaction to Seoul’s blockage of Iranian assets, President Hassan Rouhani said South Korea’s seizure of Iranian assets “is by no means acceptable and we expect Seoul to lift the restrictions as soon as possible.”

By Faranak Bakhtiari

Save the planet: Iran takes step to reduce plastic bags

TEHRAN – In Iran, over 1 million tons of plastic bags are produced annually, while its shelf life is less than 10 minutes, but they remain in nature for hundreds of years. Fortunately, the Department of Environment has drafted a bill and sent it to the government for approval to reduce the consumption of plastic bags.

By Mohammad Mazhari

Reasons why Iran backs Venezuela

As two oil-producing countries under U.S. sanctions, Iran and Venezuela have been working in recent years to strengthen geopolitical ties to relieve U.S. pressure and find a solution to improve their economies.

By Salman Parviz

India-China standoff enters 9th week

Beijing' pulling back troops' after deadly border clash: India

As the dispute over the shared border between India and China, two nuclear-armed nations, enters its ninth week, the region remains tense. The high-altitude, rugged Ladakh region is now the epicenter of the border standoff. It is far removed from the lives and imagination of most Indians and Chinese residents; the region has now become the talk of their daily conversations and worries.

By Mohammad Mazhari

American ambassador brings the political conflicts back to the surface in Lebanon

In recent days, Arab media outlets have been discussing the implications of a verdict issued by a Lebanese judge to ban media from talking to the U.S. ambassador to Beirut after she took direct aim at Hezbollah in a provocative move.

By Salman Parviz

A tsunami of evictions is looming in U.S.

The distress among renters likely to surge this summer when federal unemployment benefits run dry

As businesses reopen across the U.S., so are eviction courts with millions walking the fine thin line between homelessness and having a shelter over their head. Today, it is estimated that anywhere from 20 million to 28 million American renters are perilously close to eviction.

By Mahnaz Abdi

Capital market, a financing platform for startups

Creative manpower is the pillar of a knowledge-based economy and an economy with a high capacity for job creation, so it is considered the most valuable asset of a country and should be paid high attention.

By Salman Parviz

Despite economic fallout Tehran real estate market flourishes

Statistical Center of Iran reports soaring prices

For thousands of years, houses with secluded gardens and courtyards have been a cornerstone of Iranian architecture, where a garden or a big terrace was common. I grew up in one of these houses near Mehrabad Airport. In the evenings there was plenty of time for youngsters to play football in the streets where traffic was almost non-existent and air was fresh.

By Mohammad Mazhari

Why Arabs remain silent on George Floyd’s death?

From New Zealand and Australia, through Europe, to Canada and Brazil, many countries of the world witnessed demonstrations in solidarity with the protests in the United States against racism after the Minneapolis police officer killed a black American. However, the Arab streets were quiet, except for Tunisia and social media.

By Faranak Bakhtiari

Ashuradeh Island’s unique biodiversity decorates northern Iran

TEHRAN – Ashuradeh, Iran’s sole island in the Caspian Sea, is a unique valuable part of Miankaleh Wildlife Sanctuary in northern Iran, which has a great share of the country’s biodiversity.

By Mahnaz Abdi

Iran’s FTZs development continues despite sanctions

Considering the important role that the free trade zones (FTZs) play in promoting the country’s export and employment, Iran is seriously pursuing development of its existing FTZs and establishment of new zones as well.

BY: Ebrahim Fallahi

U.S. targets Iran-Venezuela trade, tanker market suffers a blow

TEHRAN - The Trump administration is considering new sanctions on reportedly 50 oil tankers for working with Venezuela, in order to prevent the trade between Iran and the Latin American country.

*By Ali A. Jenabzadeh

Just to fan the flame!

U.S. President Donal Trump gave rise to a new controversy on Tuesday by condemning a 75-year-old protester as being an "Antifa provocateur." Martin Gugino, a Buffalo activist who is still in the hospital recovering from a head wound he sustained when the police shoved him to the ground, is Trump's new target to keep the fire of protests on.

By Samaneh Aboutalebi

Historical sites losing heritage status; who’s to blame?

Every year, a number of historical monuments in Iran lose their place on the National Heritage list. Some are also at risk of losing their prestigious UNESCO status.

By Faranak Bakhtiari

World Oceans Day: get united to protect precious waterbodies

TEHRAN – Oceans are valuable water bodies in terms of food supply and climate issues, covering 71 percent of the planet's surface equaling 361 million square kilometers, but they, like other biological components on the planet, have been affected severely due to oxygen depleting factors.

By Afshin Majlesi

Iran’s trump cards to kick-start tourism in post-COVID-19 world

TEHRAN – As you are well aware, the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus has plunged the travel and tourism industry in the global scene, disrupting life in ways that were unimaginable just a few months ago.

By Tehran Times editorial board

What does Trump’s handling of protests tell us Iranians? 

When thousands of Iranian demonstrators took to the streets to vent outrage at surprise hikes in gasoline price in major cities in December and January, the White House masked its evil face under an angelic language to support vandalism and terror inside the country.  

By Amir Miri

Chaos in Minneapolis: Why Trump is guilty

Racism in the United States has a long story. From the first days of exploring the America continent up to Independence Day, racism has been existing in the American culture. 

By Salman Parviz

Regional initiative for locust infestation

Already hard-hit by coronavirus, a second wave of locust swarm invasion from East Africa threatens region

A trilateral plan among Iran, Pakistan and India is being formulated to address locust swarm infestations that devour crops and threaten the livelihood and sustenance in the region, already struggling with coronavirus pandemic.

By Afshin Majlesi

Explore mausoleum of Esther and Mordechai

The purported burial site of Purim’s Persian queen and a pilgrimage site for Iranian Jews

TEHRAN – The mausoleum of Esther and Mordechai is a Jewish shrine in the city of Hamedan, west-central Iran, where, according to Judeo-Persian tradition is the burial site of the two cousins who played a pivotal role in the Book of Esther (also known as the Megillah).

By Mahnaz Abdi

Reviving small mines, a big step toward ‘Surge in Production’

Reviving the small mines was one of the major plans that Iran’s mining sector was seriously pursuing in the past Iranian calendar year (ended on March 19), which was named the year of “Pickup in Production”.

By Salman Parviz

Prospects of normalization grim in Libya

Common understanding among foreign actors needed

TEHRAN_ Analysts say that Libya is one of the most important crisis to watch for in 2020 because of the involvement of Russia and Turkey. More importantly, the plight of the Libyans after almost 10 years of civil war cannot be ignored.

By Seyyed Mostafa Mousavi Sabet

FitzGerald translation of Rubaiyat still worthy of praise, whether Persians like it or not   

Persian classical poets such as Sadi, Hafez, Ferdowsi and Attar are more or less famous in the West, but perhaps Omar Khayyam Neyshaburi is treated differently by Westerners from his other Persian counterparts.

BY: Ebrahim Fallahi

Iran’s turbulent auto market: will prices calm down?

TEHRAN – Over the past few weeks, car prices in Iran have been skyrocketing despite claims of the market being stagnant.

By Salman Parviz

Saudis react to economic squeeze

Saudi Arabia and the UAE introduced the five percent Value Added Tax (VAT) in January of 2018, a first for the Persian Gulf region which had long prided itself on its tax-free, cradle-to-grave welfare system. On the same day, Saudi Arabia announced a petrol price hike of 127 percent. Measures were taken to boost revenues, cut spending, and lowering the ballooning budget deficits.

By Afshin Majlesi

What’s it like visiting Iran during Ramadan?

They say for all human beings there is a time to sow and a time to grow under the never-ending generosity of the Almighty God.

By Faranak Bakhtiari

World’s Women in Mathematics Day: Mirzakhani, a genius who shattered stereotypes

TEHRAN – The second year of World’s Women in Mathematics Day will be celebrated through video conferencing on May 12, which is the birthday of late Maryam Mirzakhani, the Iranian-born genius mathematician who shattered stereotypes about women's ability in mathematics.

By Salman Parviz

Cloud seeding projects to help erode crude income dependence

Frequent rain to help agricultural, industrial sectors

Lack of rainfall followed by frequent droughts is nothing new in Iran. Meteorologists claim that the country has faced an annual lack of rain by 50mm over the past five decades. However, in the recent past, we have witnessed higher than average rainfalls. Remember the sound of thunder last week? Whether these are just wet spells or have been caused by another phenomenon, needs some scrutiny.

By Mahnaz Abdi

ETFs to speed up privatization, support ordinary investors

On May 2, the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE), which is the main stock exchange of Iran, listed the first exchange-traded fund (ETF) from a series of three ETFs, through them shares of some state-owned organizations and companies are planned to be offered.