Norwegian ship MV Osprey catches fire off UAE coast

An oil tanker has caught fire in the Persian Gulf near the coast of the United Arab Emirates.

By Seyed Hossein Mousavian

Trump has recklessly dragged the Persian Gulf to the brink of war

Millions of Iraqi citizens recently gathered together to participate in a "million-strong” march, the biggest demonstration during the history of Iraq in the capital Baghdad to demand the withdrawal of all U.S. forces. Al-Sadr, whose party holds the most number of seats in Parliament, seized on the public anger over the drone strike that killed Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani to call “a million-strong, peaceful, unified demonstration to condemn the American presence and its violations.”

'Normal’ countries don’t attack neighbors, Zarif tells S. Arabia 

TEHRAN – In an open reference to Saudi Arabia which has been striking neighboring Yemen since March 2015, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on his Twitter account on Friday that “normal countries don’t attack their neighbors, cause a humanitarian crisis, and refuse to talk.” 

Qatari emir’s talks in Tehran mainly focused on Persian Gulf security: Vaezi

TEHRAN - Presidential chief of staff Mahmoud Vaezi said on Wednesday that the recent meetings between senior Iranian officials and the emir of Qatari in Tehran was mainly focusing on reinvigoration of security in the Persian Gulf.  

Tehran slams Seoul for miscalling Persian Gulf

TEHRAN — Tehran has strongly criticized Seoul for misnaming the Persian Gulf and dispatching a military mission to the waters south of Iran under a pressure by the United States.

Iran’s Hormuz peace initiative a dialogue-based catalyst for durable security: MP

TEHRAN - An Iranian lawmaker said on Tuesday that the Hormuz Peace Endeavor (HOPE) proposed by President Hassan Rouhani is capable of leading the region towards durable peace and security based on dialogue. 

South Korea says consulting Iran on how to secure Strait of Hormuz

TEHRAN - Seoul is consulting with Tehran on how to secure the Strait of Hormuz and the possibility of sending troops to the Middle East, a Cheong Wa Dae official said Saturday, Yonhap reported.

Tehran slams Macron for ‘Arab-Persian Gulf’ falsification

TEHRAN — Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi has criticized French President Emmanuel Macron for misnaming the Persian Gulf and for France’s military presence in the region.

Top Persian Gulf airlines continue using Iranian airspace

TEHRAN – Qatar Airways, Emirates and several other Persian Gulf airlines have been continuing to use Iranian airspace despite propaganda over security issues in the region.

Qeshm Island: A warm destination to escape the cold in winter

TEHRAN – Iran’s southernmost Qeshm Island is a top destination for whom dreaming of having a wintertime holiday under the sun in flip-flops and a swimsuit!

Cloudburst closes UNESCO-tagged geopark in Iran’s Qeshm

TEHRAN – Severe rainstorms over the past few days have led to the temporarily closure of Qeshm Geopark in the Persian Gulf, aiming to safeguard eco-travelers and visitors to the UNESCO-registered site.

Persian Gulf’s underwater museum: an environmental threat?

TEHRAN – An underwater museum has been suggested to be designed in the Persian Gulf to prevent coral reef habitats from extinction due to over-fishing and over-visiting, but the question is that do these museums cause threats to the marine environment?

Iran tourism will rebound despite suffering a severe blow: minister

TEHRAN – Iran’s tourism minister on Sunday said that the country’s tourism industry has suffered a major setback but it will certainly return to “normal”.

Qatar's emir set to visit Tehran for talks with Iranian officials

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will visit Iran on Sunday to hold talks with officials, including President Hassan Rouhani, al Jazeera reported.

By Salman Parviz

No winners in any war

Latest U-turn from war, first real chance for de-escalation of tensions

In a rare accident during my last year’s trip to India, a cobra managed to sneak into a jaguar’s enclosure in one of the country’s oldest and most popular zoo in the southwestern city of Mysuru. As the Jaguar, named Raja saw the cobra, the two pounced at each other.

South Korea says has no plan to dispatch navy fleet to Strait of Hormuz

TEHRAN - The South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday that his country has thus far not decided to forward any naval force to the Strait of Hormuz connecting the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman in the Middle East.

Presence of trans-regional forces root cause of insecurity: Iran 

TEHRAN - The Iranian deputy foreign minister said on Tuesday that trans-regional powers are in the Persian Gulf region under the pretext of preserving peace and stability but they are in fact after their own strategic objectives. 

By Afshin Majlesi

World reacts to Trump’s threat to raid Iranian culture targets as ‘a war crime’

TEHRAN - Donald Trump’s new threat to attack 52 important targets in Iran, including cultural sites, has provoked a strong backlash worldwide, with many calling it a “war crime.”

Iran exports $146m of handicrafts since March

TEHRAN – Handicraft exports from Iran reached $146 million since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21, 2019), deputy tourism minister said on Tuesday.

ECO Cultural Institute seeks tourism boom, new president says

TEHRAN – The newly-appointed president of the Economic Cooperation Organization Cultural Institute said on Monday that development of tourism industry is a priority of her mission through launching joint projects with other member states.

Find out why medical tourism is to be big business in Iran

Nowadays, medical tourism is considered as a booming industry on the global scene as some 20 to 24 million patients are traveling for medical treatments annually. Estimates on market size vary but the Patients Without Borders publishing group puts its value at around €60 to €80 billion worldwide.

Coastal, forest tourism development plan being prepared

TEHRAN – The Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts is preparing a comprehensive plan for developing tourism around coastal areas and forests in the country.

Over $950,000 allocated for Portuguese Castle restoration in Persian Gulf

TEHRAN – On Friday, Iranian tourism minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan visited the Portuguese Castle in the Persian Gulf island of Hormuz, allocating 40 billion rials (some $952,000) for restoration of the 16th-century monument.

Tehran to host forum on Hormuz peace initiative in early January

TEHRAN – Iran’s Foreign Ministry is scheduled to hold a forum on the Hormuz peace initiative on January 6-7.

Advisor calls for regional cooperation to protect Persian Gulf security

TEHRAN — Hossein Amir Abdollahian, a senior foreign policy advisor to the Iranian parliament speaker, has called for regional countries’ cooperation to protect the security of the Persian Gulf.

Iran to stay with Oman Sultanate, Zarif 

Zarif, Ansarullah official hold talks in Oman 

TEHRAN - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on his Twitter account on Tuesday that his country will stay with the friendly nation of Oman Sultanate. 

20% of Persian Gulf’s aquatic species to be extinct in 80 years: expert

TEHRAN – Studies show that as the current environmental issues continue, by the end of the century, about 20 percent of native species in the Persian Gulf will be extinct and 10 percent of new species that might be invasive will replace them, coordinator of the Regional Organization for the Protection of Marine Environment (ROPME) has stated.

Foreign Minister Zarif visits Oman

TEHRAN - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif visited Muscat on Monday for talks with senior Omani officials on key bilateral, regional and international issues. 

By Abbas Aslani

Iran-Russia-China naval drill: Another piece of the geopolitical puzzle

There is a point where Iran, Russia and China see eye to eye in holding the manoeuvre, and that is sending a message to their common adversary or rival, namely the United States. The US, in some ways, has applied a triple containment policy toward China, Russia and Iran. This would be enough to unite these three countries on some fronts.

Iran welcomes Japan plan not to join US-led naval coalition in Persian Gulf: Rouhani

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the Islamic Republic welcomes Japan's decision not to join a US-led naval mission purportedly aimed at protecting shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf.