New archaeological season begins in Burnt City

TEHRAN – A group of Iranian archaeologists and fellow international experts have recently commenced a fresh round of exploration in the Burnt City, a UNESCO-registered site in southeastern Iran.

Chabahar Free Zone seeks to attract more travelers

TEHRAN – Chabahar Free Zone Organization plans to develop tourism infrastructure in order to attract more travelers to the port area, which is situated in Iran’s southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province.

Conference to discuss tourism growth in eastern Iran

TEHRAN – Six eastern Iranian provinces are scheduled to discuss ways to expand tourism in a conference which will be held in the city of Mashhad on October 10, CHTN reported.

Iran marks World Tourism Day amid plans to boost arrivals

TEHRAN – Iran celebrated the World Tourism Day in a ceremony which was held in Zahedan, the capital of southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province, on Saturday, with plans underway aimed to increase the number of foreign visitors to the country.

Crimean-Congo fever claims 10 lives in Iran

TEHRAN – At least 10 persons have died of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in the country since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21), Mohammad-Mehdi Gooya, an official with the Ministry of Health has announced.

Iran eyes to gain a UNESCO tag for its “Martian Mountains”

TEHRAN – Iran is planning on developing a dossier for its “Martian Mountains”, commonly known as “Miniature Mountains”, for a possible inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Tourism festival to turn spotlight on Iran’s coastal provinces

TEHRAN – Chabahar will be hosting a major tourism festival in November. The ten-day event is intended to turn the spotlight on coastal provinces of Iran.

$20m earmarked to mitigate SDSs in Sistan-Baluchestan

TEHRAN - A total budget of 865 billion (nearly $20.5 million) has been allocated to counter sand and dust storms (SDSs) hitting southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan, Ali Mohammad Tahmasebi, head of the national working group for SDSs mitigation, has said.

SDSs haunting southeastern Iran, dozens hospitalized

TEHRAN – Severe sand and dust storms (SDSs) has left 127 patients hospitalized due to respiratory problems in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan, head of provincial disaster mitigation and management organization has said.

Sistan-Baluchestan quarterly non-oil exports rise 86% yr/yr

TEHRAN- The value of non-oil exports from Iran’s southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan jumped 86 percent during the first quarter of current Iranian calendar year (March 21-June 21) from that of the same quarter in the past year, head of the province’s Industry, Mining and Trade Department announced.

‘World village of pottery’ shoots up Sistan-Baluchestan handicraft exports

TEHRAN - Handicraft exports from Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province rose by 195 percent since one of its villages, Kalpourgan, was named a world village of pottery by the World Crafts Council - Asia Pacific Region (WCC-APR). 

Baloch rugs to go on show in Tehran

TEHRAN – A collection of Baloch rugs and carpets will be put on show in a loan exhibit, which will be running from August 6 to 19 at the Iranian Academy of Arts in downtown Tehran.

Tehran session to review image of Sistan-Baluchestan in Iranian cinema

TEHRAN – The image of Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan Province in Iranian cinema will be discussed during a session opening Thursday at the Vartan Hovanesian House in Tehran.

Three tons of narcotics seized in Sistan-Baluchestan

TEHRAN – Iranian intelligence forces have disbanded two major drug rings in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan and confiscated more than 3 tons of illicit drugs.

Crafts exhibit spotlights fusion of nomadic, modern styles

TEHRAN – A fusion of traditional and modern principles of designs in women’s wear and personal ornamentation was in the limelight at an exhibit, which came to end on Friday at Tehran’s Niavaran Cultural-Historical Complex.

Chabahar to host surf festival

TEHRAN – A major surf festival will be commenced in Iran’s Chabahar on June 20, with the aim of attracting more travelers to the port city, which is located in the southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province.

‘Dam construction in Afghanistan will possibly leave Hamoun wetland dried’ 

TEHRAN — Dam construction projects on Helmand River in Afghanistan can possibly result in total dryness of Hamoun wetland in the future, southeastern Iran, deputy environment chief Masoud Tajrishi has said.

Fairly strong quakes shake western, southeastern Iran

TEHRAN — Fairly powerful quakes hit Ezgeleh, western province of Kermanshah, and Zahedan, southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan, on Saturday.

Sistan-Baluchestan infested with desert locust

TEHRAN — According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan is infested by desert locust, director of the agriculture organization of the province has said.

Raisi: Delay in judicial proceedings ‘unacceptable’

TEHRAN – Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Raisi says delay in judicial proceedings is “not acceptable at all”, ISNA reported on Wednesday.

Spring downpours replenish Hamoun and Helmand, revive agriculture

TEHRAN — After two decades of dryness, enough ranis have finally come to bring Hamoun wetland and Helmand River back to life in southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan, hence revives agriculture in the region as well.

Particulate matters 20 times above safe levels in southeastern Iran

TEHRAN – Severe particulate matter (PM) pollution reached its highest points exceeding the standard levels by 20 times in Zabol county located in Sistan-Baluchestan province, southeastern part of the country, the provincial meteorological organization chief has announced.

After deluge Helmand River springs back to life

TEHRAN — After 18 years of dryness the almost dead Helmand River returned to life following recent torrential rainfalls, YJC reported on Saturday.

Triops Cancriformis sighted at Hamoun wetland years after disappearance

TEHRAN —Triops cancriformis, or tadpole shrimp, was sighted at Hamoun wetland in southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan after two decades of drought in the area, the provincial department of environment chief has said.  

1.1m visited Sistan-Baluchestan during Noruz

TEHRAN – Over 1.1 million visited Sistan-Baluchetan province during the New Year (Noruz) holidays (March 21-April 5), which shows 19 percent increase in comparison to the same period last year, its governor general has said.

By Afshin Majlesi

Lipar, a small lake in pink

TEHRAN – Lipar, a small lake which usually turns pink, is an off-the-radar tourist destination in Iran, which has never been introduced completely!

Volunteer groups dispatched to deprived areas on cultural missions

TEHRAN – The Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (IIDCYA) has dispatched volunteer teams to provide cultural services to the children residing in the underprivileged villages of the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan.

Precipitations to hit normal, above-normal levels in spring 

TEHRAN — Iran’s Climatological research Institute announced that the country will receive normal and above-normal levels of precipitations in the first two months of spring.

By Mehdi Sepahvand

Pakistan promises ‘good news’ for Iran over border attack

TEHRAN – Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has said he would soon have “good news” for Iran regarding measures against a terrorist group behind a deadly suicide attack in Iran’s southeastern border areas.

SDSs haunting 35,000 sq. km of country’s land area: GSI

TEHRAN — Approximately 35,000 square kilometers of the country’s land area in various regions are being haunted by sand and dust storms (SDSs), director of Geological Survey and Mineral Explorations of Iran (GSI) has said.