Page 47 - IRANRptJul20

no longer in their seats before the missiles detonated, Glavcom reported on May 19.
Iranian forces had been on high alert at the time of the tragedy. It came just hours after Iran launched missile strikes on an Iraqi military base housing US troops in response to the US assassination of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in a drone strike near Baghdad airport.
9.1.4​ Transport sector news
Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan agree transport protocol
Iranian truckers can again cross the border with Turkmenistan following a recently agreed transit agreement after two and half months of holdups, according to the Financial Tribune citing ILNA on June 22. Sporadic​ ​Iranian food exports​ ​have made their way to Turkmenistan’s empty supermarkets in recent months; however, Ashgabat and Tehran have struggled to come to an agreement on transit and entry, with huge truck lines at the Sarakhs border, local media reported.
“Sarakhs checkpoint had been closed since April 1, due to the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19), because of which they held some 770 trucks up behind the border until Thursday (June 18). With 30 of them entering the border, there are still 740 trucks waiting for permits,” Rouhollah Latifi, spokesman of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), was quoted as saying.
“A total of 131 trucks have been held up at Incheh Boroun and six at Lotfabad, which are Iran’s other trade gateways along the border with Turkmenistan.” The Iranian official said that he hoped Turkmenistan would continue to abide by the agreement and not close the border amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in the country.
The Sarakhs border is the new central hub for all exports to Central Asia and beyond, with rail and road shipments heading through the exit gate. Previously on May 5, Uzbekistan announced it was​ ​permitting Iranian truckers t​o head through its territory; however, Turkmenistan did not sign the agreement.
Efforts made include the introduction of severe restrictions on persons and vehicles bringing trade consignments across international borders by road. Turkmenistan denies having any coronavirus infections and has pointedly ignored the World Health Organisation (WHO) by generally continuing to allow its economy to function as usual.
9.1.5​ Tourism sector news
Iran is set to launch a 10-language advertising campaign to attract tourists. The languages would include Russian and Chinese, Mehr News Agency reported.
Prior to the US leaving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in May 2018 and reintroducing heavy sanctions, Iran was working on plans to become a regional tourism and transit hub. Those efforts have largely been mothballed, while the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic now poses another huge hurdle to reinvigorating the country’s efforts to draw tourists, but some initiatives are proceeding.
Mohammad-Ebrahim Larijani, a marketing professional in Tehran, reportedly said videos about the country's attractions, historical monuments and resorts would not only be available in Persian but also in English, Arabic, Russian, Turkish, Azerbaijani, German, Chinese, French and Japanese.
Iranian embassies in several countries are also set to play a part in turning
47​ IRAN Country Report July 2020 www.intellinews.com