Iran seeks to expand its transportation opportunities amid US sanctions by developing new railway connections with neighbouring countries.
The country’s railway expansion is aimed to turn Iran into a transit hub within the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC).
Stressing a beneficial geopolitical location of Iran, national railway’s official Mostafa Davoodi has said that "Iran has a good position as a transport hub that connects Middle East and Europe to the Far East and Southeast Asia, as well as unlock access to the Indian Ocean for Central Asian countries."
He said that a new railway connection between the Iranian border town of Shalamcheh and the southeastern Iraqi city of Basra will be kicked off by February 2026 after a decade of preparation.
The Shalamcheh-Basra railroad is to connect Iran to Najaf and Karbala in Iraq, making a pilgrims’ journey to the Muslim holy sites easy. The new 32-kilomter railroad will expand trade and transportation opportunities between the two countries. Up to 10 million tons of cargo and 12 million passengers are expected to be transported annually, according to Iran’s expectations.
As part of the project, Iran aims to build an overpass on the river that divides the two countries, known as the Arvand River in Iran and Shatt al-Arab in Iraq.
Ukraine is ready for peace talks but will not withdraw its troops from additional territory first as Moscow has demanded, President Volodymyr Zelensky...
U.S. President Donald Trump has extended multiple invitations to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ahead of his visit to South Korea this week, wit...
A man accused of fatally shooting former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe admitted to murder on Tuesday in the first hearing of the case, media said, three y...
Israeli security forces killed three Palestinian militants in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, a police spokesperson said....
Talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan in Istanbul to broker a long-term truce have ended without a resolution, two sources familiar with the matter s...
Iran's Minister of Road and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadegh has said that Iran and Russia are scheduled to sign a railway agreement next month in Moscow.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has expressed his country’s agreement with Tehran’s plans to host the summit meeting of the Caspian Sea littoral states in 2026.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has rejected the resumption of nuclear negotiations with the United States saying Washington is laying “excessive and illogical” conditions which have stalled the talks.
Tehran and Baghdad pledged to boost their security cooperation across all areas especially ratifying a security treaty signed by both countries in March 2023 and reinforcing border security.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
A tsunami threat was issued in Chile after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Drake Passage on Friday. The epicenter was located 135 miles south of Puerto Williams on the north coast of Navarino Island.
The war in Ukraine has reached a strategic impasse, and it seems that the conflict will not be solved by military means. This creates a path toward one of two alternatives: either a “frozen” phase that can last indefinitely or a quest for a durable political regulation.
A shooting in Nice, southeastern France, left two people dead and five injured on Friday, authorities said.
Snapchat will start charging users who store more than 5GB of photos and videos in its Memories feature, prompting backlash from long-time users.
Israeli security forces killed three Palestinian militants in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, a police spokesperson said.
A solemn signing ceremony for the United Nations Convention on Countering Cybercrime was held on 25–26 October 2025 in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, according to Azernews.
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has met with U.S. President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy for South and Central Asia, Sergio Gor, to discuss preparations for next week’s planned C5+1 Leaders’ Summit in Washington.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu has warned that Russia is recalibrating its political strategy following recent regional elections and intends to continue interfering in political processes across multiple countries, including Moldova and Armenia, Caliber.Az reported, citing Moldovan media.
Armenia’s foreign minister says the presidents of Azerbaijan and Türkiye have been verbally invited to attend the 8th European Political Community summit due in Yerevan next spring.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment