Tehran Times

2025-09-12 20:37
By staff writer

Israel's attack on Doha; will Arab states wake up?

TEHRAN – Israel’s reckless airstrike in Doha this week has shifted the political landscape in West Asia. The attack struck a residential area in the Qatari capital on Tuesday, where a Hamas delegation was meeting during U.S.-proposed ceasefire talks over the Gaza conflict. The strike killed five lower-ranking Hamas members, while the leadership survived. A Qatari security officer also lost his life.

By Mona Hojat Ansari

After Cairo talks, a cautious resumption of Iran-IAEA cooperation

Inspectors' full return to Iran hinges on sanctions and security body’s judgement

TEHRAN – After a meeting in Cairo between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi, Iran and the IAEA agreed to resume cooperation on Tuesday, an agreement that seemingly pleased Grossi but created a bedlam in the Iranian parliament.
By Xavier Villar

Israel, the United States, and the attack on Qatar

MADRID – The Israeli attack on members of the Hamas delegation in Qatar, gathered to discuss a ceasefire proposal, marks a political turning point that goes beyond the immediate framework of the war in Gaza. It was not a mere military act nor a routine operation: it was a calculated move with broader implications. It called into question the validity of diplomacy, exposed the vulnerability of America’s allies, and laid bare that the regional alliance system rests on subordination, not sovereignty.
By Sahar Dadjoo

Exclusive: If IAEA remains politicized, safeguards system may collapse, ex-senior inspector warns

Abu Shadi calls for nuclear-weapon-free zone in West Asia, urges equal accountability for Israel

TEHRAN – Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently agreed to resume cooperation after the agency's inspectors left Iran during a U.S.-Israeli bombardment campaign on Iranian nuclear facilities in June, and were subsequently barred from re-entry.
By Garsha Vazirian

The widening gyre: Charlie Kirk's assassination and America's spiral into political violence

TEHRAN – In the shattered aftermath of Charlie Kirk's assassination, America stares into a mirror cracked by its own hand. “Turning and turning in the widening gyre / The falcon cannot hear the falconer,” William Butler Yeats intoned in “The Second Coming,” evoking a world where order dissolves into chaos.
Araghchi in Tunisia: Iran and Tunisia pledge stronger ties, condemn Israeli aggression

TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi paid an official visit to Tunisia on Wednesday, holding high-level talks with President Kais Saied, Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Nafti, and other senior officials, as part of his broader tour of North Africa.

Politics

Shia and Sunni scholars unite to condemn Israeli aggression against Iran

TEHRAN – Shia and Sunni scholars across Iran and the wider Muslim world have issued strong condemnations of Israel’s war on Iran, framing resistance as a sacred duty that transcends sectarian divides.
Iranian officials urge coordinated Muslim response to Israeli crimes

TEHRAN – Senior Iranian officials have strongly condemned Israel’s unprecedented airstrikes on Qatar, denouncing the attacks as state terrorism carried out with U.S. backing, and urging Muslim nations and international institutions to take decisive action.
Araghchi in Tunisia: Iran and Tunisia pledge stronger ties, condemn Israeli aggression

TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi paid an official visit to Tunisia on Wednesday, holding high-level talks with President Kais Saied, Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Nafti, and other senior officials, as part of his broader tour of North Africa.

Sports

A wake-up call for Team Melli: Iran’s CAFA setback

TEHRAN - Iran’s narrow 1-0 loss to Uzbekistan in the 2025 CAFA Nations Cup final was more than a missed opportunity, it was a reflection of deeper issues plaguing Team Melli.
Esteghlal lose to Esteghlal Khuzestan, Tractor emerge victorious

TEHRAN – Esteghlal football team suffered a 1-0 loss against Esteghlal Khuzestan in Matchweek 3 of 2025/26 Iran’s Persian Gulf Professional League (PGPL) on Friday.
Iran fall to India at FIBA U16 Women's Asia Cup 2025

TEHRAN – Iran suffered a late 70-67 loss against India in a thrilling Division match of the FIBA U16 Women's Asia Cup 2025 on Saturday.

Culture

Documentary “Symphony of Cities; Windows of Friendship” screened in Astrakhan

TEHRAN – The Iranian documentary film “Symphony of Cities; Windows of Friendship” was screened in Astrakhan, Russia, on Thursday and was attended by officials and enthusiasts of culture and art from both Iran and Russia.
Tehran center to host reading performance of “The House of Bernarda Alba”

TEHRAN-Neauphle-le-Chateau Theater in Tehran will be playing host to a reading performance of Federico Garcia Lorca’s famous play “The House of Bernarda Alba” on Saturday evening.
IAF cinematheque reviews “Faust”

TEHRAN- “Faust,” a 1994 drama film by Czech film director Jan Švankmajer, was reviewed during a session at the Cinematheque of the Iranian Artists Forum (IAF) on Thursday.

Economy

Road transit through Iran reaches 6.5m tons in 5 months

TEHRAN – More than 6.5 million tons of goods were transited through Iran’s road network in the first five months of the current Iranian year (March 21 – August 22), according to the Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization.
NPC unveils petrochemical product specification system

TEHRAN – Iran’s National Petrochemical Company (NPC) launched a new system for technical specifications of petrochemical products, aimed at boosting transparency and supporting downstream industries.
Kazakhstan shows demand for Iranian petrochemical products, trade envoy says

TEHRAN – Kazakhstan continues to seek imports of petrochemical products, including from Iran, despite its own investment in domestic production, according to Iran’s commercial attaché in the country.

Society

Iran, Iraq sign MOU to beef up ties in combating narcotics

TEHRAN – Iranian and Iraqi officials have signed a memorandum of understanding to foster collaborative efforts in the fight against illicit drugs.
Tehran to host 25th Intl. Congress on Cardiovascular Updates

TEHRAN – The 25th International Congress on Cardiovascular Updates (ICCU) is scheduled to be held in Tehran from September 23 to 26.
Joint insurance with ECO, BRICS to facilitate health tourism in Iran

TEHRAN – The health ministry is following up on establishing a joint insurance system with neighboring countries, as well as organizations such as the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) and BRICS, to facilitate the treatment of foreign patients in the country.

Tourism

Iran tour operators welcome restrictions on unplanned foreign travel

TEHRAN – Iranian tour operators have welcomed new guidelines requiring foreign visitors to travel with visas and licensed guides, saying the move will support the tourism industry and local communities.
Rock carving of Sassanid ‘nobleman’ discovered in southern Iran

TEHRAN - A Sassanid-era rock carving estimated to be more than 1,500 years old has been discovered on the cliffs of Marvdasht in southern Iran’s Fars province, an Iranian historian said on Thursday.
Iran considers importing tourism vehicles from China

TEHRAN – Iran considers importing tourism vehicles from China and drafting a joint roadmap to strengthen transport infrastructure for the sector, the head of Iran’s Touring and Automobile Club said on Thursday.

International

Israeli drones strike Sumud flotilla twice; activists press on

The Global Sumud Flotilla, a civilian-led mission to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza, has faced two suspected drone attacks in Tunisian waters this week, drawing international condemnation and diplomatic pressure on Israel.
UN overwhelmingly endorses two-state solution declaration

The United Nations General Assembly on Friday overwhelmingly voted to endorse a declaration outlining "tangible, timebound, and irreversible steps" towards a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians ahead of a meeting of world leaders, Reuters reported.
“Alarming” rise in Gaza child malnutrition

TEHRAN – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reported an alarmingly sharp increase in child malnutrition in Gaza, with rates reaching 13.5% last month.

Inspectors' full return to Iran hinges on sanctions and security body’s judgement

Abu Shadi calls for nuclear-weapon-free zone in West Asia, urges equal accountability for Israel