Tehran

A passenger train from the Iranian capital of Tehran arrived in the eastern Turkish city of Van on June 25 morning, a few weeks after Turkish and Iranian authorities finalized plans to launch train services between the two countries.

The United Arab Emirates on June 23 called for negotiations to defuse tensions between the United States and Iran after Tehran shot down a U.S. drone.    

Iran's Elite Revolutionary Guard has announced it has shot down an "intruding American spy drone" after it entered into the country's territory Thursday, according to state-run Press TV. The spy drone was shot down in the southern Iranian province of Hormozgan. The US Central Military Command has said that no aircraft has performed a mission in Iranian airspace, Nova TV reported.

Iran said on June 9 Europe was in no position to criticize Tehran for its military capabilities and it called on European leaders to normalize trade ties with the Islamic Republic despite U.S. sanctions, or face consequences.

The Bulgarian and Iranian aviation authorities will negotiate an amendment to the current air transport agreement and the future direct line between the two countries. This was announced by the Ministry of Transport as a result of the meeting of the Bulgarian-Iranian Intergovernmental Commission.

Iran is running short of options to replace its aging fleet of tankers and keep oil exports flowing because renewed US sanctions are making potential sellers and flag registries wary of doing business with Tehran, Western and Iranian sources said.

Iran is running short of options to replace its aging fleet of tankers and keep oil exports flowing because renewed US sanctions are making potential sellers and flag registries wary of doing business with Tehran, Western and Iranian sources said.

Iran's famed carpet exports have ceased to the U.S. since Washington slapped Tehran with new sanctions, the country's handmade carpet-weavers' union said on Nov. 18.

Across Iran's capital, rush-hour traffic always grinds to a halt, a sea of boxy Renault four-doors and Peugeot coupes all idling their way through the streets of Tehran.

Air France and British Airways announced on Aug. 23 that they will halt flights to Tehran next month, citing low profitability as the US reimposes sanctions on Iran.