On Aug. 12, the Caspian Sea littoral states — Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan — signed what has been described as a historic accord on the legal status of the Caspian Sea.
Controversy over the details of the convention has not subsided, however, and the issue remains the talk of the town in Tehran. On Aug. 15, pro-government papers once again put the spotlight on the pact and went the extra mile in its defense, dismissing claims that Iran ceded its share of the Caspian Sea to Russia and other littoral states.