Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri, Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, has emphasized the strategic significance of Iran’s participation in the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) Congress 2025, held last week in the United Arab Emirates. In a recent statement, the minister described the event as a vital platform for advancing Iran’s cultural diplomacy and promoting the country’s rich civilizational identity on the global stage.

Salehi-Amiri noted that the event provided a considerable opportunity to discuss the country‘s capacities in cultural heritage, tourism, and handicrafts. He underscored that Iran’s active presence helped project “a new and realistic image of cultural and civilizational Iran” to an international audience.

In his remarks, the minister highlighted the growing importance of cultural diplomacy in a rapidly changing and complex global landscape. He described Iran’s approach as one rooted in civilizational depth and aimed at fostering sustainable peace, cultural convergence, and multi-layered international cooperation.

During the congress, Salehi-Amiri held bilateral and multilateral meetings with ministers of culture, economy, and tourism from various countries. These engagements, he said, helped lay the groundwork for expanding scientific, cultural, and economic collaborations, particularly in areas such as heritage preservation, handicrafts, and sustainable tourism.
The minister identified key themes of the 2025 AIM Congress — including digital transformation, tourism infrastructure investment, emerging technologies, and sustainable development — as critical to shaping future-oriented strategies. He asserted that Iran, with its unique geopolitical position, cultural diversity, and natural resources, is well-positioned to attract forward-looking investment in technology-driven and sustainable tourism projects.

Salehi-Amiri also stressed the importance of developing elite-level academic and cultural partnerships with other nations. Such initiatives, he argued, would not only support national economic goals but also enhance Iran’s role as a soft power and civilizational reference point in global cultural and economic dynamics.

In conclusion, the minister underlined that Iran’s participation in the AIM 2025 Congress contributed to a more accurate and constructive international understanding of the country. “With its rich heritage, strategic advantages, and vision for sustainable development, Iran can offer a model of balanced and future-oriented diplomacy,” Salehi-Amiri added.
“This path will not only serve Iran’s national interests but also elevate its status as an active and influential player on the global stage.”

Salehi-Amiri traveled to Abu Dhabi at the official invitation of UAE’s chairman of the tourism council and Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the UN Tourism, formerly known as the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). He was welcomed upon arrival by Iran’s ambassador to the UAE.
The Islamic Republic expects to reap a bonanza from its numerous tourist spots such as bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, mausoleums, churches, towers, and mansions, of which 28 are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. /T.T/

The value of non-oil trade between Iran and Saudi Arabia stood at $25 million in the past Iranian calendar year 1403 (ended on March 20), the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) reported.

The IRICA put the volume of annual no-oil trade between the two countries at 61,000 tons.

IRICA reported that Saudi Arabia recorded the highest growth rate in trade with Iran among its neighbors during the previous year.

According to Ruhollah Latifi, spokesperson for the Trade Development Committee of the House of Industry, Mining, and Trade, with the increase in political interactions between Iran and Saudi Arabia, commercial relations have also been accompanied by changes.

Speaking at a celebration held on the occasion of the Saudi National Day in last September, Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad expressed hope that the Joint Economic Committee meeting of Iran and Saudi Arabia would be held in the near future.

Paknejad said: “As the head of the joint economic committee of the two countries, I am very pleased to congratulate National Day to the government and the dear people of Saudi Arabia on behalf of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

“The 14th government, headed by Masoud Pezeshkian, pays special attention to the development of relations with Saudi Arabia, and believes that the cooperation between Iran and Saudi Arabia as two important countries in the Persian Gulf region and West Asia, can bring stability and security to the countries in the region, and ensure the development and improvement of the welfare of the people of these countries,” he stressed.

In last May, Iran’s former Economy Minister Ehsan Khandouzi said he had held favorable talks with his Saudi Arabian counterpart during his visit to the Arab country.

In a post on his social media, Khandouzi said he had constructive talks with the Minister of Economy and Planning of Saudi Arabia Faisal F. Alibrahim.

“Faisal F. Alibrahim agreed with Iran’s all five proposals,” the Iranian minister underlined.

He said that the Saudi minister also emphasized the need for developing a roadmap for economic cooperation in the public-private sector.

An Iranian delegation headed by Khandouzi visited Riyadh to participate in an annual Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) meeting.

Iran and Saudi Arabia signed a China-brokered deal in March 2023 to resume their diplomatic relations after they cut them in 2016.

The two sides reopened their respective embassies a few months later.

MA

Iranians commemorate the National Day of Attar Nishapuri or Neyshaburi, a 12th-century great Iranian poet whose “The Conference of Birds” is a masterpiece illuminating the minds pursuing wisdom.

In contemporary Iran, April 14 is designated as Attar’s National Day in the Persian calendar to mark the contribution his works have made to Persian literature.

Abu Hamid bin Abu Bakr Ibrahim, also known as Farid ud-Din was born in the city of Nishpur (Neyshabur) located in the northeast of Iran. It is believed that he lived between c. 1145 – c. 1221.

As a young man, Farid ud-Din traveled widely, visiting Egypt, Syria, Arabia, India, and Central Asia. He finally settled in his native town, Neyshabur, in northeastern Iran, where he spent many years collecting the verses and sayings of famous Sufis (Muslim mystics).

Attar means ‘apothecary’ and this nickname was given to him due to his profession.

Attar (Apothecarist) was also a renowned figure in medicine and pharmaceuticals of his time; that is the reason for his appellation. But he is now known for his literary works, on top of which is Manteq al-Tayr, or The Conference of the Birds.

The Conference of the Birds consists of 4600 couplets. The work describes the journey of a flock of birds to the home of their leader, whom they have never met. When they arrive after an arduous voyage, the surviving birds discover that their leader is not another individual, but themselves, as a cohesive group.

The book is a long epic poem that symbolized birds of various kinds each as human moral behaviors. Throughout the story, Attar has highlighted ethical lessons via metaphors and other literary techniques and figures of speech.

The famous Iranian poet has other works, including Pand-Nama, which is the first work of Attar to be translated into other languages. Attar, also known as a Sufi, has devoted his only prose work, Taḏkerat al-awlia, to biographies of classical Sufis.

Other prominent poetic works of the Iranian poet include Khosrow-nameh, Ilahi-Nama, and Divan. Attar has been named as the master by some other Persian Sufis and poets. Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī, for instance, has called him the ‘spirit’ with himself the ‘shadow’.

His lesser-known but no less valuable work, “Tadhkirat-ul-Awliya,” is also full of gems for everyone who searches for a way to the truth. This hagiographical collection of Muslim mystics is Attar’s only prose work.

Every story Attar tells carries a moral principle that can be a cure for modern audiences because he knows about human nature with its desires, flaws, and weaknesses. He saw that through the stories and anecdotes passed down for generations and wanted to be a link in that chain.

At the age of 78, Attar died a violent death in the massacre that the Mongols inflicted on Nishapur in April 1221. Today, his mausoleum is located in Nishapur. /MNA/

The Iranian short film “Sheep” directed by Hadi Babaeifar is present at the RiverRun International Film Festival, underway in North Carolina, the U.S., and will attend two more festivals by the end of the month.

A production of 2024, the 13-minute narrative film will take part in the 42nd Busan International Short Film Festival in South Korea and the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen in Germany, IRNA reported.

“Sheep” shows a little girl named Rose who lives with her mother in Tehran. Discovering that the sheep in her neighbors’ backyard are being sacrificed in a traditional ritual, she decides to save as many sheep as she can. The cast includes Rose Tabatabaie and Gelavij Alam.

The RiverRun International Film Festival is an annual Oscar-qualifying film festival held each spring in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. This year’s edition of the festival will be organized from April 11 to 19.

Busan International Short Film Festival is an Oscar, BAFTA, and Canadian Screen Award qualifying festival. The 42nd edition of the festival will be held from April 24 to 29.

The International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, founded in 1954, is one of the oldest short film festivals in the world. Held in Oberhausen, it is one of the major international platforms for the short form. Its upcoming edition will take place from April 29 to May 4.

Hadi Babaeifar, 41, discovered his interest in cinema at the age of 20 and bought his own camera. He studied film criticism and acting at the Karnameh Institute of Arts and Culture while simultaneously working as a photographer on several feature film sets.

When he was 32, he embarked on a directing degree in Tehran, graduating in 2018. His debut short film “Deer” premiered in Generation section of Berlin International Film Festival in 2022 and is the first part of his animal trilogy. “Sheep” is the second film in the trilogy. / T.T/

Iran showcased its new nuclear achievements by holding an exhibition at the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) headquarters on National Nuclear Technology Day.

The exhibition is structured into three main sections:

Nuclear fuel cycle overview: This section includes booths focused on different sectors, including airborne geophysics, uranium mining exploration and operations, yellowcake production, uranium processing, and uranium enrichment processes.

Energy sector: Dedicated to nuclear power plant projects, this area covers the progress of Units 2 and 3 at the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, updates on the construction of the Karun Nuclear Power Plant, the indigenization of power and research reactors, and the design and production of spare parts for the Bushehr plant.

Applications of nuclear technology: This section presents a wide collection of technologies and products, including heavy water and deuterium compound production, radiopharmaceuticals, nuclear measurement equipment, plasma technology, radiation applications in medicine and agriculture, etc.  /MNA/

Director General of Khorasan Razavi Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department Seyyed Javad Mousavi said on Tuesday that Mashhad’s 18th International Tourism and Handicrafts Fair would be held in the provincial capital.

He also said that the event would be held in line with materializing this year’s slogan “Investments for Production”, CHTN reported.

In his annual message marking the start of the new Iranian year (1404 in the Persian calendar), the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, named the year “Investments for Production.”

Mousavi continued that the fair would be held during May 14-17.

He explained that countries from the Khorasan civilization including Afghanistan, Tajikisatn, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan have been invited to the four-day event.

In addition, a number of exhibitors from several other Iranian provinces as well as representatives of several foreign countries will also take part at the fair, he said.

Mashhad, the provincial capital, is Iran’s holiest and second-largest city. Its raison d’être and main sight is the striking massive shrine complex of Imam Reza (AS), the eighth Shia Imam. / T.T/

Iran’s Sedigheh Dariaei Varkadeh won a gold medal in the 10th Sanda World Cup on Tuesday.Daryaei beat Bermudian Krista Stepheny by a 12-point spread on the leitai [elevated fighting arena] at the Culture and Sports Indoor Stadium in the women’s 65kg division, Tehran Times reported.

She defeated Australian Nicole Lowe-Tarbert in her next match and won the gold.

The 10th SWC has welcomed nearly 170 participants including team officials from 26 countries and regions.

The elite biennial competition, which offers prize money to the champions, is organized by the Chinese Wushu Association under the auspices of the International Wushu Federation.

MNA

Iran’s women’s futsal team were held to a goalless draw by Thailand in the SAT Futsal Championship Thailand 2025 on Monday and finished in second place in the tournament.

Team Melli had defeated Uzbekistan 5-0 and played out a goalless draw with Japan.

The Japanese team, who had defeated Uzbekistan earlier in the day, won the title.

The competition was held at Terminal Hall, Terminal 21 Korat in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.

The Iranian football team prepare for the AFC Women’s Futsal Asian Cup 2025, which will be held in Hohhot, China, from May 7 to 18.

/T.T/

Iran exported over 152 million tons of non-oil goods worth $57.8 billion in the past Iranian calendar year, which ended on March 20, 2025.

This marked a 10 percent increase in volume and a 15.62 percent rise in value compared to the previous year, according to Abolfazl Akbarpour, the deputy head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) for planning and international affairs.

Imports totaled 39.3 million tons valued at $72.4 billion, representing a 0.77 percent decline in weight but an 8.22 percent increase in value from the previous year. The result was a non-oil trade deficit of $14.6 billion, largely due to the import of over $8.0 billion worth of raw gold bars, which accounted for 11.12 percent of the total import value.

Iran’s main non-oil exports included natural gas, liquefied propane and butane, methanol, liquefied petroleum gases and hydrocarbon gases, and gas condensates.

Natural gas was the top export item, with an average customs value of $314 per ton.

Other leading exports were petroleum bitumen, urea, non-alloy iron and steel billets, iron or steel bars, and polyethylene.

The top destinations for Iran’s exports were China at $14.8 billion, Iraq at $11.9 billion, the United Arab Emirates at $7.2 billion, Turkey at $6.8 billion, Pakistan and Afghanistan at $2.4 billion each, and India at $1.9 billion. These seven countries accounted for $47.6 billion, or 82.3 percent of Iran’s total non-oil export value.

On the import side, essential goods such as corn feed, soybean meal, genetically modified soybeans, rice, and sunflower seed oil were among the top items. Other key imports included smartphones, tractors, and auto parts.

The UAE was Iran’s largest source of imports at $21.9 billion, followed by China at $19.3 billion, Turkey at $12.4 billion, Germany at $2.4 billion, India at $1.7 billion, Hong Kong at approximately $1.4 billion, and Russia at $1.3 billion. Together, these countries supplied goods worth $60.7 billion, or 83.8 percent of Iran’s total imports.

Akbarpour said the trade deficit could be largely attributed to the surge in gold imports, which on their own exceeded $8.0 billion.

T.T/