Tehran Times

2026-05-03 22:27
By Maedeh Zaman Fashami

Iranian Lego crushes US media hegemony

TEHRAN - Until just a few months ago, anyone who wanted to shape narratives around war and politics had to stand behind official podiums or have access to massive media networks. Today, that equation has flipped in a surprisingly dramatic way: a few young creators, using nothing more than Lego figures, are now challenging the very figures who once dominated narrative-making figures like Donald Trump, a man who turned media into a personal instrument of power and is now himself being turned into a subject of satire and trolling. This time, the game is unfolding on a field where the rules are no longer dictated solely in Washington or inside major studios.

$25bn or $1tn? Hidden price tag of America’s war on Iran

TEHRAN- As the US-Iran conflict enters its third month, a heated clash on Capitol Hill has revealed a staggering discrepancy between the Pentagon’s official figures and the projected economic reality of the war, potentially reaching $1 trillion.
By Shahrokh Saei

Inside Iran’s 14-point plan: The ultimatum Trump cannot ignore

TEHRAN - Iran’s latest comprehensive proposal aimed at bringing a permanent end to the US-Israeli war is a litmus test for the administration of President Donald Trump, which is struggling to extricate itself from the “quagmire” of the conflict.
Araghchi holds talks with German, Omani, Japanese, and Italian counterparts to end the war

TEHRAN – In a concerted diplomatic push to halt the US-Israeli war of aggression against Iran, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has held a series of telephone conversations with his counterparts from Germany, Oman, Japan, and Italy over the past 48 hours, outlining Tehran's initiatives for ending the conflict and restoring regional peace.
By Hesamoddin Boroumand

Human rights claimants and pirates: The mask comes off

TEHRAN - US President Donald Trump recently stated explicitly that the US Navy, in carrying out Washington’s so‑called naval blockade of Iranian ports, behaves “like pirates.”
By Mir Mohammad Alikhan

Iran's rightful sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz: Historical truth meets legal reality

ISLAMABAD - I have been thinking for a long time to write about this. For years, I have watched the world talk about the Strait of Hormuz as if it were some neutral highway that anyone can police from afar. As someone who spent decades on Wall Street building investment portfolios around global energy flows, I have always kept a sharp eye on how trade actually moves across the oceans. An investment banker worth his salt has to understand not just the numbers on a screen but the physical choke points that make or break entire economies.

Politics

Iran shifts trade corridors to regional ports, delivering major blow to Dubai’s re-export economy

TEHRAN – In the midst of the ongoing US-Israeli war of aggression against Iran, the Islamic Republic has begun pivoting its trade flows away from the UAE’s Jebel Ali port toward alternative hubs in Pakistan, India, and Oman. Industry experts say the move deals a significant financial blow to Dubai, which for years profited enormously from re-exporting goods to Iran.
Axios reveals Saudi-Emirati rift; experts warn of post-war hostility

TEHRAN- US officials fear key Arab allies may turn more hostile toward one another; Abu Dhabi's OPEC withdrawal aligns with American interests and deepens tensions with Riyadh.

Sports

Gholizadeh ruled out of 2026 World Cup

TEHRAN – Iran international winger Ali Gholizadeh has missed the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Athletes exceeded all expectations in Sanya: Alinejad

TEHRAN – Mehdi Alinejad, Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee (NOC), has declared that Iran's athletes fully met expectations at the 6th Asian Beach Games in Sanya, China.
Iran placed in Pot 1 of 2027 AFC Asian Cup

TEHRAN – Iran national football team have been placed in Pot 1 of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, which will be the 19th edition of the tournament and is set to be hosted by Saudi Arabia.

Culture

Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art to hold “Art & War” event series

TEHRAN – The Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (TMoCA) will launch a special exhibition titled “Art & War”.
Iranian Artists Forum screens award-winning documentary “Microcosmos”

TEHRAN – The Iranian Artists Forum (IAF) in Tehran screened the award-winning documentary “Microcosmos” on Sunday.
Filming of new documentary about Pasteur Institute of Iran underway

TEHRAN – The Pasteur Institute of Iran, its history, scientific standing, and current status are the subject of a new documentary, which is currently in the filming stage.

Economy

War with Iran ignites factory inflation, U.S. production costs hit 4-year high

TEHRAN- Since the outbreak of the joint US-Israel war against Iran on February 28, American factories have faced severe cost pressures.
Strait of Hormuz governance should be pursued by leveraging private sector capacities

TEHRAN- The head of the Corporate Governance Commission of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture, referring to the importance of the Strait of Hormuz as a national asset, called for designing targeted mechanisms to utilize the capacities of this waterway in the post-war period.
Necessary measures considered to secure essential goods: CBI governor

TEHRAN- The Governor of the Central Bank, referring to the necessary forecasts for securing essential goods, stated that the government has tried with all its might to ensure no shortages occur in essential goods and medicine, and the necessary actions have been taken in this regard.

Society

SIR 2026 includes 166 Iranian universities

TEHRAN – The SCImago Institutions Rankings (SIR) 2026 has ranked 166 Iranian universities among the top institutions in the world, up from 164 in 2025.
IBTO aims to foster blood donation culture among new generation

TEHRAN – Iran Blood Transfusion Organization (IBTO) has launched a campaign to help children get familiar with the altruistic act of donating blood and promote the culture of blood donation.
‘Providing access to vaccines, medicines a universal responsibility’

TEHRAN – The head of the communicable diseases department of the ministry of health has highlighted that providing access to vaccines and medicines during crises is a universal responsibility.

Tourism

Minab school tragedy to be enshrined in national and global memory

TEHRAN - Iran’s minister of cultural heritage, tourism and handicrafts said on Saturday that authorities are mobilizing the country’s full cultural capacity to transform the Minab school tragedy into a lasting national and international memory, outlining plans for a broad campaign spanning arts, media, education and legal action.
Iran selects ancient port of Siraf for UNESCO World Heritage nomination in 2026

TEHRAN – Iran has selected the historical port of Siraf in the southern Bushehr province as its official candidate for UNESCO World Heritage inscription in 2026, a provincial cultural heritage official said on Saturday.
UNESCO-listed Golestan Palace undertakes preservation project for historic textiles

TEHRAN - A comprehensive project to organize, document and conserve a collection of historic textiles housed in the ethnography museum of Golestan Palace has been completed, the site’s director said, as authorities step up efforts to protect material cultural heritage.

International

A silhouette of conscience over the American capital

TEHRAN — High above the Anacostia River, where the wind never seems to settle and the noise of the American capital turns faint and metallic, a lone figure sat in the white arc of the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge like a living question the conscience could not ignore.
Has Merz faced reality after mindless remarks against Iran?

TEHRAN – After one year in office, it seems that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is gradually coming to his senses or facing the realities on the ground by seeking to correct himself regarding his surprisingly repetitive and reckless remarks about Iran.
The war on Iran broke the NATO protection racket

TEHRAN — The 2026 U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has incinerated the 70-old myth of Atlantic solidarity. What was sold to the world for decades as an ironclad shield has been exposed as a hollow ritual, sustained by habit and propaganda but incapable of surviving a genuine collision with reality.