Turkey is shelling Kurdish forces in Syria. Russia is waging air strikes to bolster an advance by Bashar Assad's government. Prospects for a truce aren't looking good.
A carpet weaver in the ancient city of Shiraz continues her family tradition, but doesn't earn enough to support her large family. Will the easing of economic sanctions on Iran make a difference?
The 14th century Persian poet Hafez remains venerated in Iran, even though he wrote of wine, romance and other topics not necessarily welcome in today's Islamic Republic.
Shiite-majority Iran is home to millions of Sunnis, including the Sunni imam who opened his door to NPR's Steve Inskeep in Tehran. "We live together nicely," he insists. But he must speak with care.
The lifting of sanctions allows Boeing to sell planes to Iran. But Iran, which still flies Boeing planes bought before the 1979 revolution, just announced a major deal with Airbus.
Ebrahim Pourfaraj started digging a giant hole in Tehran well before sanctions were lifted. He's betting Iran's economy will open up, attracting investors and visitors who've long been locked out.
NPR's Scott Simon wonders if Iranian President Hassan Rouhani might have appreciated a moment to gaze at the many works of art in Rome's Capitoline Museum, rather than seen the naked statues boxed up.
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has received a warm welcome in Europe amid a series of business deals worth billions of dollars with the likes of Peugeot. A megadeal with Airbus is in the works.
The U.S. and other countries have agreed to lift sanctions imposed on Iran over its nuclear program, but Washington still has other sanctions in place against Tehran.