Tehran: The 40th International Islamic Unity Conference is set to take place in the Iranian cities of Tehran, Qom, and Mashhad, as announced by the secretary-general of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought. According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Hamid Shahriari has stated that the conference has already commenced its online sessions, with 80 of the 140 invited scholars expected to participate. In addition to the main event, four smaller conferences will be held in the provinces of West Azarbaijan, Kurdistan, Golestan, and Razavi Khorasan. The main conference is scheduled to begin on Thursday, August 27, at the Islamic Republic of Iran's International Conference Center, with President Masoud Pezeshkian in attendance. Eight books published by the Research Institute for Islamic Proximity Studies will also be unveiled during the event. The program is set to feature a session on Islamic awakening, participation of foreign guests in Friday prayers, a dinner hosted by Foreign Minister A bbas Araghchi, and an academic session at Qom's seminary, the latter being a first for the conference. The event will conclude on Sunday, August 30, in Mashhad, with Sunni and Shia scholars from neighboring provinces taking part. The conference aims to explore topics such as Islamic unity, peace, security, and collective strength, with a focus on Islamic identity, governance, resistance economy, contemporary developments, Palestine, and Lebanon, as well as the role of religious scholars in fostering cooperation across the Muslim world.