Paris

FRENCH group AccorHotels announced early this week it will become the first international hotel group to operate in Iran as the Islamic Republic opens up to the West following the deal on its nuclear programme.

AccorHotels will open an Ibis hotel and a Novotel branch near Teheran's international airport. The move comes just two months after the historic nuclear accord which the West says is aimed at preventing Iran from building a nuclear bomb. The deal received backing from the US Congress on Thursday.