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.
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Iran’s Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for its support of the claims by United Arab Emirates on three Iranian islands.
Iran launched naval manoeuvre in its southern waters on Thursday as it concluded hosting the joint counter-terrorism drills of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Islamic Republic has closed its security gaps after Israel and U.S. repeatedly bombed the country in June.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup draw at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., has finalized the group stage for the tournament co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, setting the schedule and matchups for next summer’s expanded 48-team event.
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Chinese leader Xi Jinping accompanied French President Emmanuel Macron to Chengdu on Friday, a rare gesture seemingly reserved for the head of Europe's second-largest economy that highlights Beijing's focus on Paris in its ties with the European Union.
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A giant Christmas tree adorned with red and gold baubles stands in the West Bank city of Bethlehem for the first time since 2022.
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President of the United States of America Donald Trump has sent a letter of gratitude to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.
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