Lavrov Says Russia Holds Strategic Initiative in Ukraine as Settlement Talks Continue 
South Korea Prosecutor Alleges Former First Lady Kim Keon Hee Abused Power for Bribes 
Kosovo Heads to Early Parliamentary Election Amid Prolonged Political Deadlock 
Trump–Netanyahu Talks Aim to Revive Gaza Ceasefire and Address Iran, Hezbollah Tensions 
U.S. Government Agrees to Review Frozen NIH Diversity Research Grants After Legal Challenge 
Peruvian Shamans’ New Year Ritual Predicts Illness for Trump, Fall of Maduro, and Global Political Shifts 
Israel’s Recognition of Somaliland Sparks U.N. Debate and Regional Tensions 
Bukele Signals Willingness to Extend Power as El Salvador’s Term Limits Are Scrapped 
Najib Razak Files Appeal Against Latest 1MDB Corruption Conviction and 15-Year Sentence 
Bolsonaro Undergoes Phrenic Nerve Block Procedure After Surgery-Related Complications 
Kosovo PM Albin Kurti Moves to Form New Government After Election Win 
Bolsonaro Undergoes Second Medical Procedure for Persistent Hiccups While Hospitalized in Brasilia 
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Drone Plot Against Putin as Peace Talks Face New Strain 
South Korean President Apologizes to Families of Jeju Air Crash Victims, Pledges Full Investigation 
Boeing Secures $8.6 Billion Pentagon Contract for F-15 Jets for Israel 
FBI Surges Resources to Minnesota Amid Fraud Investigations Linked to Somali Community 
Myanmar Election 2025 Faces Global Scrutiny Amid Civil War and Political Repression 
Iran is looking to resume work on a major railway project connecting a few countries together. Officials have been holding discussions with the Taliban as they look to move forward with the project.
An Iranian official revealed that talks are being held with the insurgent group that now governs Afghanistan regarding moving forward with the Khaf-Herat link, which is expected to bolster trading and relations between the two countries. Iranian Transit official Abbas Khatibi said that Tehran is prepared to make many investments, and both parties are willing to finish construction of the line that would start from Khaf in northeastern Iran to Herat in northwestern Afghanistan.
According to Iran’s Tasnim news agency, Khatibi said the project would bolster trade while lowering travel costs. Khatibi added that the line could also connect Afghanistan to Iran’s southern ports, and when the project is completed, there could potentially be a way to connect China to Turkey.
The rail project is part of the proposed $2 billion Five Nations Railway Corridor that would go through China, Kyrgyzstan, Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, stretching around 2,000 kilometers. More than half the project is proposed for Afghanistan, which would run through several provinces such as Kunduz and Herat.
The first section of the railway project started in December 2020, linking Khaf with Rozanak in Afghanistan about 150 kilometers away. Plans to complete the line stalled in 2021 due to the US and the West’s military withdrawal from Afghanistan and the fall of its western-backed government.
Meanwhile, Iran has recently stressed that it will not allow foreign governments to intervene with its national interests, following the sudden demand by Russia to the West of a guarantee that sanctions on Russia will not affect its trade relations with Iran. This also comes as a possible agreement may be on the horizon following the current round of discussions between Tehran and the Western powers to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the demand by Russia was “irrelevant,” citing that the issue is not related to the ongoing negotiations to revive the deal by lifting US sanctions on Iran while curbing its nuclear program.
