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Iran, Syria Establish Direct Shipping Line

Latakia port, Syria (Sputnik)
Latakia port, Syria (Sputnik)
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Iran, Syria Establish Direct Shipping Line

Latakia port, Syria (Sputnik)
Latakia port, Syria (Sputnik)

Iran will establish a direct shipping line between its southern port of Bandar Abbas and Syria’s Latakia port, announced Head of Iran-Syria Joint Chamber of Commerce Keyvan Kashefi.

Kashefi acknowledged that there are issues in trade with Syria regarding the shipping, transportation, and lack of common land borders. However, he noted that transportation through Iraq is currently impossible due to “several issues.”

The official told Fars news agency that the necessary coordination has been made between the Iran-Syria Joint Chamber of Commerce, the Committee for the Development of Iranian-Iraqi-Syrian Economic Relations, and the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL).

Cargo ships will hold freight from Iran to Syria once per month starting March 10, announced Kashefi, adding that the service could be held twice a month if demand for shipping increased.

“There are no restrictions on export items; these ships are both container and bulk carriers, and any trader can choose Syria as his export destination if they want,” Kashefi stressed.

He did not discuss the impact of economic sanctions imposed on both countries on shipping.

Kashefi explained that goods are transported to Syria through three ways including the Bandar Abbas-Lattakia shipping line which was active but not regular. The second route was by land via Iraq, an option which is currently not possible for several reasons, which he did not discuss.

He noted that goods were also transferred from Iran via Turkey’s Mersin port, but it was a costly and problematic option.

Tehran is looking forward to increasing trade exchanges with Damascus, however, Kashefi did not disclose any details regarding the possibility of transit for the Iranian ship, in light of the US economic sanctions.

Washington imposed Caesar Act on the Syrian regime, which also targets individuals or entities that support the Assaad regime.

Kashefi visited Syria recently and met with a number of senior officials and members of the Aleppo Chamber of Commerce.

A number of economic sources in Damascus said that Kashefi discussed during his meetings the establishment of an Iranian Commerce Center that includes 24 Iranian companies. The center could provide access to the Syrian chambers of commerce, industry, and agriculture.

The officials in Damascus suggested using Syria as a gateway that allows Iranian products into the Arab markets.

The Syrian side also requested finding a solution for the issue of bank transfers between the two countries.

They proposed a barter system that could facilitate the flow of goods in both directions and stimulate large Iranian companies to support and rebuild Syrian factories.

The officials also hope the new agreements will supply Syrian industrialists with the raw materials they need and establish a land shipping route in cooperation with Iraq.

Iran-Syria Joint Chamber of Commerce was established in 2019 on the sidelines of the Joint Business Forum, with the aim of encouraging Iranian companies to contribute to the reconstruction in Syria.

Before the imposition of the Caesar Act, the two countries witnessed a remarkable increase in economic activity in 2019, with the arrival of six Iranian cargo ships to Latakia port 12 times through the Iranian Syrian maritime line.

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World

In Historic Precedent, Turkish Former PM Davutoglu Questioned over ‘Insulting the President’

Turkish former Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmet Davutoglu speaks to the press on Monday. (Turkish media)
Turkish former Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmet Davutoglu speaks to the press on Monday. (Turkish media)
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In Historic Precedent, Turkish Former PM Davutoglu Questioned over ‘Insulting the President’

Turkish former Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmet Davutoglu speaks to the press on Monday. (Turkish media)
Turkish former Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmet Davutoglu speaks to the press on Monday. (Turkish media)

Turkish former Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmet Davutoglu has given his testimony before the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office as part of an investigation against him on charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, marking a precedent in Türkiye's history.

In a brief statement following his roughly one-hour testimony, Davutoglu said: "This is an unprecedented event in the history of the Republic of Türkiye; for the first time in the Republic's history, a prime minister is summoned to the prosecutor's office as a suspect merely for expressing his opinion and making criticism."

Davutoglu expressed his gratitude to the party leaders who came to support him during his testimony. Those who arrived at the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office to show their solidarity included Ali Babacan, the former Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, who currently serves as the leader of the Democracy and Progress Party; Mehmet Emin Ekmen, the deputy leader of the party; and Mahmut Arikan, the leader of the Felicity Party.

Davutoglu refused to answer any questions from journalists "to protect Türkiye’s image”.

"I respect the judiciary; therefore, I provided the testimony required of me," he added.

The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation last Thursday against Davutoglu on charges of insulting Erdogan. The investigation stems from a video published on social media platforms dating back to 2021, which showed Davutoglu speaking with a group of citizens in a village near the city of Bingol in eastern Türkiye.

Davutoglu criticized Erdogan without mentioning him by name, saying: "Unlike the ministers who came after me, I did not earn a single penny illegally. I told them not to reach out their hands and not to make illicit gains, but they did. They amassed billions upon billions, plundered illicit gains, and enriched their entourage and those around them."

"He (Erdogan) appointed his son-in-law (Berat Albayrak, the former Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and Minister of Treasury and Finance) as a minister, enriched his relatives, and handed Türkiye over to five contractors," he alleged.

The Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office stated in a response that the prosecution initiated an immediate, automatic investigation against Davutoglu under the Turkish Penal Code, due to statements deemed offensive to the President of the Republic that were circulated on social media platforms.

If convicted, he faces between one and four years in jail.

Davutoglu, a prominent political science academic who was nicknamed "The Professor" within the circles of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), served as an advisor to former President Abdullah Gul, and later to Erdogan during his premiership, before becoming Minister of Foreign Affairs.

He assumed the party’s leadership, succeeding Erdogan after the latter was elected president in 2014. In 2016, he announced his resignation from the party leadership due to disagreements with Erdogan over his approach to managing both the party and the country.

In 2019, he resigned from the party after differences with Erdogan deepened. He subsequently founded the Future Party.

On July 30, Davutoglu unexpectedly announced his decision to dissolve the party and withdraw from political activity. Citing the "corruption of the political climate in Türkiye," he noted that "the decision is not a surrender or an abandonment of politics, but rather came to establish an ethical distance from politics."

World

Grossi Sounds Alarm on Iran's Nuclear Program

Grossi speaks during a press conference on the sidelines of the quarterly meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors at its headquarters in Vienna on September 7, 2026 (IAEA)
Grossi speaks during a press conference on the sidelines of the quarterly meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors at its headquarters in Vienna on September 7, 2026 (IAEA)
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Grossi Sounds Alarm on Iran's Nuclear Program

Grossi speaks during a press conference on the sidelines of the quarterly meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors at its headquarters in Vienna on September 7, 2026 (IAEA)
Grossi speaks during a press conference on the sidelines of the quarterly meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors at its headquarters in Vienna on September 7, 2026 (IAEA)

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said Monday that the lack of information from Iran regarding the status of its nuclear facilities and associated material and the watchdog’s inability to conduct verification activities at these facilities is a matter of serious proliferation concern.

“The best, shortest way for a positive outcome is for Iran to engage with us,” he told a press conference after opening the quarterly meeting of the IAEA board of governors in Vienna.
Grossi then affirmed that at this point, “there's no engagement” with Iran, adding that Tehran has indicated it will not cooperate until a broader political agreement is reached.

“We do not subscribe to this logic,” he said, stressing that Iran's obligations as a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty “do not disappear.”

In his statement at the opening of the Board, Grossi said the Agency has neither received information from Iran regarding the status of its declared nuclear material or facilities nor had access to any of those facilities to conduct in-field verification activities.

Therefore, he noted, the Agency was unable to discharge its safeguards responsibilities under the NPT Safeguards Agreement at declared nuclear facilities in Iran.

Consequently, the IAEA was not able to verify their status for safeguards purposes and the associated nuclear material, he added.

Continuity of Knowledge

Grossi then said it is more than a year since the Agency lost continuity of knowledge in relation to the previously declared inventories of LEU and HEU enriched up to 60% U-235 at the declared nuclear facilities affected by the military attacks of June 2025.

The IAEA chief said the UN watchdog has been completely blind regarding Iran's nuclear program since at least June 2025, since the US and Israel launched a 12-day conflict that included strikes on nuclear sites.

Grossi called on Iran “to engage with the agency constructively in order to make possible the full and effective implementation of agency safeguards in Iran and to fulfill its responsibilities under the NPT Safeguards Agreement.”

He said a return to diplomacy and negotiations aimed at finding a solution to issues related to Iran’s nuclear program is imperative, adding that the agency stands ready to support such efforts. “The situation regarding Iran’s nuclear program has implications for the global nonproliferation regime.”

At his press conference following a speech to the board, Grossi said Iran had still not provided information on damage to nuclear facilities or on its nuclear material inventory.

He said the Cairo Agreement required Tehran to provide such information, including whether the inventory had changed following the attacks and why the agency had been unable to access the facilities.

Safety of Inspectors

Grossi said the safety of IAEA inspectors was not an insurmountable obstacle to verification work.

He belittled explanations by Iran, Russia, and China that tried to claim Tehran has not allowed IAEA inspections out of concern for the inspectors’ security in a war zone.

“We will not put anyone in danger,” he said.

Ukraine has been a worse and more constant war zone, Grossi affirmed, adding that inspectors have still managed to carry out inspections at nuclear facilities throughout the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Pickaxe Mountain

Grossi was asked about US President Donald Trump's remarks about the possibility of bombing facilities in the Pickaxe Mountain, and whether any new attack would affect the agency's activities.

He declined to comment on “national decisions,” saying only that the lesson of recent events was that a diplomatic solution was needed to give credible assurances that “nothing untoward” was happening in Iran.

Referring Tehran to Security Council

Concerning the resolution drafted by the United States, Britain, France and Germany seeking to refer Iran to the UN Security Council for failing to comply with its nuclear reporting obligations, Grossi said that “my job with Iran continues, irrespective of the resolution.”

The draft, expected to be submitted and voted on this week seeks, asks Grossi to “submit this resolution to all members of the agency and to the Security Council and the General Assembly of the United Nations.”

It also demands that Iran “urgently remedy its non-compliance” and allow inspections to ensure “the non-diversion of nuclear material,” Bloomberg said, citing a copy of the document.

The US resolution, backed by European members of the IAEA board also “stresses its support for a diplomatic solution” while encouraging “all parties to constructively engage in diplomacy,” according to Bloomberg.

Prior to the June 2025 strikes, the IAEA calculated that Iran possessed approximately 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent, which is close to the 90% needed to make a bomb and well above the 3.67% limit set by a 2015 now-defunct agreement with Iran.

Later, Grossi mentioned “the historic breakthrough in safeguards implementation matters that has occurred in Syria.”

He said Syria’s new government agreed to provide information and grant the IAEA access to the Deir Ezzor site and other locations in Syria to address the outstanding safeguards issues stemming from the country’s past nuclear activities.

“I welcome Syria’s transparency and cooperation with the Agency which facilitates the resolution of the outstanding safeguards issues related to Syria’s past nuclear activities. I will provide more details of this progress a little later in my statement,” he said.

World

Iran Threatens US with New 'Economic Warfare'

Vessels transit the Hormuz Strait off the coast of Iran's southern port city of Bandar Abbas on September 7, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) /
Vessels transit the Hormuz Strait off the coast of Iran's southern port city of Bandar Abbas on September 7, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) /
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Iran Threatens US with New 'Economic Warfare'

Vessels transit the Hormuz Strait off the coast of Iran's southern port city of Bandar Abbas on September 7, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) /
Vessels transit the Hormuz Strait off the coast of Iran's southern port city of Bandar Abbas on September 7, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) /

Iran threatened the United States with "economic warfare" on Tuesday and said it had fired an advanced missile at US warships, underscoring the risks of further escalation in the war only days after both sides traded blows again.

The six-month-old war has been marked by a cycle of pauses followed by periodic flare-ups, with the US last reporting attacks on Iranian targets on Saturday, when US forces struck three Iranian oil tankers. Iranian state media on Sunday reported that Iran fired the Qassem Basir missile in its attacks on several US vessels.

Despite US attempts to open up the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has continued to disrupt shipping through the critical artery ⁠for global oil ⁠and gas supplies, with commodity vessel traffic slowing again this week.

Tehran has vowed to announce a new restricted zone in the coming days, along with maps of a new shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz, though it was unclear when details would emerge.

The new restricted zone would begin from where the US blockade of Iran begins and extend into areas of the Gulf, Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, told state television on Sunday, adding that any vessel entering the area would be placed on an Iranian sanctions list.

On Tuesday, Rezaei reissued dual economic and military threats on ⁠X.

"In recent days, Washington has received a clear warning from Iran’s new missiles,” he said, adding “economic warfare will be met by a maritime exclusion zone” across the Arabian Gulf to the blockade perimeter.

“The operational posture toward US warships and bases has been fundamentally recalibrated," Rezaei said.

He was likely referring to the Qassem Basir ballistic missile that Iranian media reported was fired at US warships near the Strait of Hormuz. The US military said its warships evaded any missile attacks.