‘Talks with US unpredictable,’ says security chief, as Israel ramps up efforts to derail diplomacy

TEHRAN – As indirect nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States prepare to resume on Sunday, Iran’s security chief asserted that the ongoing negotiations with Washington are “unpredictable,” emphasizing that progress in talks “hinges squarely on the U.S.’s conduct.”

IRGC unveils first underground drone base, publishes surveillance footage of US Navy

TEHRAN – Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) unveiled its first publicly disclosed underground drone base on Thursday, showcasing advanced unmanned systems capable of evading radar detection and conducting prolonged surveillance of U.S. naval assets in the Persian Gulf.

Iran, India reaffirm strategic ties at high-level talks in New Delhi

TEHRAN – In a series of high-level diplomatic engagements aimed at reinforcing long-standing bilateral ties and addressing shared regional concerns, Indian and Iranian foreign ministers convened in New Delhi on Thursday for the 20th meeting of the India-Iran Joint Commission.

By Mohammad Nobakht, Mona Hojat Ansari 

Persian Gulf: Our waters, our lands

TEHRAN – A land or body of water can hold diverse meanings. The Persian Gulf, for example, is a vital waterway for global oil transport, an exotic destination for tourists, and a geostrategic location for military forces. But for those who have thrived along its shores for thousands of years, it's a heritage, heritage so deeply ingrained, so fiercely its own, that no flood of propaganda or political maneuvering can ever truly wash it away.

Kashan rosewater distillation ritual added to national tourism callender

TEHRAN—The Head of Kashan Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department said the rosewater distillation ritual was registered in the national tourism calendar of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Pakistani investors express readiness to invest in Kish Island

TEHRAN— A number of Pakistani investors have expressed their readiness to start administrative cooperation with Kish Island in the south of Iran during their trip to the touristic island.

Ambassadors of five nations visit Qazvin

TEHRAN—Ambassadors and representatives of Uganda, Sierra Leon, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka visited Qazvin to become acquainted with the economic, cultural, and tourism potentials of the Iranian province.

Iran offers to help restore Taq Kasra in Iraq

TEHRAN – Iran has expressed readiness to assist in the restoration of Taq Kasra, a masterpiece of Sassanid-era Persian architecture located near Baghdad.

Iranian-made HPV vaccine enters domestic market

TEHRAN – A homegrown human papillomavirus (HPV) quadrivalent recombinant vaccine has been supplied to the domestic market for the first time.

Iran’s annual saffron export stands at $184.7m

TEHRAN- Iran exported 214,300 tons of saffron worth $184.7 million in the past Iranian calendar year 1403 (ended on March 20), according to an official with the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA).

Tehran’s Tochal hosts snowman festival

Families and nature lovers gathered together on Thursday at Tochal ski resort, northern Tehran, holding a festival by building snowmen.

National red crescent week to be marked

TEHRAN – The national red crescent week is scheduled to be held from May 8 to 14.

Iran expands air navigation co-op with Iraq, UAE at regional aviation summit

TEHRAN – Iranian civil aviation authorities held separate meetings with counterparts from Iraq and the United Arab Emirates on the sidelines of the Middle East (West Asia) Safety and Air Navigation Conference to bolster cooperation in air traffic management and aviation safety.

Iranian, Iraqi officials discuss fostering educational ties

TEHRAN –Iran’s deputy minister of education, Hamid-Reza Sheikholeslam, and Iraqi minister of education, Ibrahim Namis Yassin, have discussed avenues for expanding educational cooperation between the two countries.

Special budget allocated to rare, hard-to-treat diseases

TEHRAN – The administration has approved 120 billion rials (some 144,000 dollars) for treating rare and hard-to-treat diseases in the current Iranian year, which started on March 21.

Iran sees Turkmenistan partnership as gateway to regional gas trade

TEHRAN – Iran's National Gas Company is ramping up efforts to attract foreign investment and expand energy ties with neighboring countries, with a senior official saying closer cooperation with Turkmenistan could pave the way for broader regional gas trade.

By Ge Lin

China and Russia's joint institutional innovation contributes to a dynamic world economy

At a time when global governance seems ensnared in the narrative of the so-called "Thucydides Trap"—the idea that a rising China will inevitably challenge, and potentially disrupt, the US-led global order—China and Russia are focusing on supplementing, rather than confronting, the Western-led post-Cold War global economic architecture through institutional co-creation.

Iran, China sign deal on coal-to-gas technology cooperation

TEHRAN – Iran’s Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI) and a major Chinese firm called Keyon have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on coal-to-natural gas conversion technologies, officials said on Thursday.

New pope named

Robert Francis Prevost – who has chosen the papal name Leo XIV – may not be the Latin American Jesuit wildcard that his predecessor, Pope Francis, was, but his election is similarly historic, the Guardian reported.

By Sahar Dadjoo

Imperatives of pragmatism: A new era for German-Israeli ties during the 1980s–1990s

The Israeli-German relationship during the 1980s and 1990s was one of the most sensitive and dynamically evolving friendships in post-war international relations. Based on the trauma of the Holocaust, the German-Israeli relationship has changed over the years from moral responsibility to pragmatic cooperation, depending on internal political reasons but also changing international circumstances.