The current water crisis wasn’t entirely unexpected. Profound changes to Syria’s hydrology have been taking place for decades due to mismanagement, climate change, economic growth, intensified water use, and heightened competition for water across international boundaries.
Iran-Syria maritime shipping line proves stillborn
Container ship Iran Ardebil (Fars News Agency)
Enab Baladi – Khawla Hifzy
Iran failed to launch the one-way direct shipping line from the southern Iranian port of Bandar Abbas to Latakia port on the Syrian coast, scheduled to operate on 10 March.
Syrian state media outlets have not reported any news of cargo ships sailing from Iran towards Syria within the new shipping line, despite the passing of about one month of the scheduled launching that was preceded by extensive media coverage of the expected benefits and advantages of the new line.
On 17 March, after the expiration of the shipping line’s scheduled launching, the Director of Arab and African Affairs at the Iranian Trade Promotion Organization (TPO), Farzad Bilten, said that the organization was following up on the launching process of the direct shipping line between Iran and Syria.