TEHRAN PAPERS:

Why is the space ready for a new agreement?

TEHRAN- In a reference to recent developments, reformist political activist Ali Bagheri told Etemad: The public atmosphere in the country and also international reactions show that the prevailing perception of a war atmosphere has given way to hope for diplomacy. A series of unofficial news reports from inside and outside the country indicate that the horizon of negotiations has become brighter than in comparison to the past, and this issue has noticeably changed the psychological atmosphere prevailing in the country and the region.

TEHRAN PAPERS

Return to the negotiating table

Shargh, in a note, addressed changing the venue of the nuclear talks with the U.S. from Turkey to Oman upon Iran’s insistence. It wrote: Insistence on changing the playing field of negotiations from Istanbul to Muscat has put Washington in a state of 'either-or-nothing' ultimatum. Iran insists that the negotiations be held solely bilaterally so that it can limit the subject of the talks to the nuclear file and avoid discussing its missile capabilities and the resistance groups it supports.

Labor minister visits UNESCO-listed qanat in northeast Iran

TEHRAN – Minister of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare Ahmad Meydari visited the UNESCO-listed Qasabeh qanat in Gonabad, northeast Iran, on Friday. The ancient aqueduct is widely considered as the deepest known qanat in the world.

Northwest Iran popular destination for Turkish tourists, consul general says

TEHRAN - Turkey’s consul general in Iran’s northwestern city of Urmia has said that tourist attractions in West Azarbaijan province, including UNESCO-listed sites, are popular among Turkish visitors and called for a direct flight between Ankara and Urmia.

National framework set for integrated handicrafts value chain

TEHRAN – The Iranian government has approved a comprehensive national document to manage the production, distribution, marketing and export value chain of handicrafts, aiming to coordinate executive bodies and strengthen the sector’s role in the economy.

Bozanjerd occupied until Ilkhanid period, excavation finds

TEHRAN - Archaeological excavations at the ancient site of Bozanjerd in west-central Iran, indicate the area was continuously settled from the historical period through the Middle Islamic era, including the Ilkhanid period, officials said.

Natanz handicrafts exhibition opens

TEHRAN -- Handicrafts exhibition of entrepreneurial women opened in Natanz, Isfahan province, on Wednesday.

Khalkhal holds winter festival

TEHRAN-- The 12th Khalkhal winter sports and games festival was held in a snowy atmosphere with the message of preserving the environment and wildlife of the region on Friday.

Health ministry to launch "Nowruz healthcare plan"

TEHRAN - To provide continuous and optimal health and medical services during the Nowruz holidays, the ministry of health will implement a special "Nowruz healthcare plan" with the help of the Emergency Medical Services Organization and medical universities across the country.

Intl. congress on vaccine, vaccination slated for April

TEHRAN – Razi Vaccine and Serum Production Research Institute will hold the first international congress on vaccine and vaccination (ICVV) from April 22 to 23 in Tehran.

Kish Island home to 230 bird species

TEHRAN – Despite being a relatively small island, stretching for 90 square kilometers, the Persian Gulf island of Kish is home to 230 bird species, accounting for a third of the country's birds.

Science ministry plans to establish 15 AI labs at universities

TEHRAN – The Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology plans to launch 15 artificial intelligence (AI) laboratories at universities across the country to develop and test fundamental AI models.

Two vessels smuggling fuel are seized in the Persian Gulf

TEHRAN - The naval forces of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) have seized two vessels carrying smuggled fuel off Farsi Island in the Persian Gulf waters.

Azerbaijan ‘will not allow any threat’ against Iran from its territory, Aliyev vows

TEHRAN — Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has issued a security guarantee to the Islamic Republic, asserting that Baku will never permit its land to be used for hostile actions against its neighbor.

China reaffirms backing for Iran’s sovereignty, security, and legitimate rights

TEHRAN - China has reiterated its support for Iran’s entitlement to safeguard its sovereignty, security, and national dignity as well as its legitimate rights and interests.

‘Criminal Trump and Netanyahu seeking to drag Iran into chaos,’ says sociologist

TEHRAN - A senior sociologist and political analyst says U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seek to foment turmoil in Iran.

Iran strengthens offensive posture with Khorramshahr-4 missile

TEHRAN — The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force has inaugurated a massive new underground missile city, marking the operational induction of the Khorramshahr-4 ballistic missile.

Restoration of 400-year-old mosque in Varamin completed

TEHRAN -- Restoration of the historical mosque of Hazrat Baqiyatullah in Bagh-e Khavas village, Varamin city, has been completed after two months of specialized work.

90 traditional foods spotlighted at Meshginshahr festival

TEHRAN – A regional culinary festival was recently held at the Sheikh Heydar Mausoleum complex in Meshginshahr, Ardabil province, featuring more than 90 varieties of traditional and authentic foods.

Iran highlights on view at EMITT 2026

TEHRAN – Iran has taken part in the 29th edition of the EMITT 2026 International Tourism Exhibition, which opened on Thursday in Istanbul, Turkey.

By Maryam Rostami

Before refrigerators, Iran had Yakhchals: Where did summer ice come from?

GONABAD – Have you ever paused, while sipping a chilled sharbat or juice with ice cubes floating inside, or enjoying an iced tea or iced coffee, to wonder how people kept their drinks and food cool before modern refrigerators and ice makers existed? Did they have access to cold water during the scorching days of summer? To find the answers, one can look to the heart of Iran’s desert cities—places where architectural ingenuity and human adaptation to nature gave rise to remarkable structures known as yakhchals, or icehouses.

Iran tourism has potential to rebound quickly, guides’ head says

TEHRAN – Iran’s tourism industry has the capacity to recover quickly if security, stability and policy coordination are strengthened, the head of the Iranian Tourist Guides Association said on Thursday.

Plan to launch IRCS medical center in Yerevan in final stage

TEHRAN – The head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), Pirhossein Kolivand, and the president of the Armenian Red Cross Society (ARCS), Davit Nersisyan, have conferred about the final stage of a project to establish a medical center in Yerevan.