Tehran Times

2026-08-19 20:12
‘Help is on the way’: From regime change to toilet repair

TEHRAN — A recent report published by the New York Post, bearing the headline "Help is on the way for Lincoln", unintentionally lays bare the profound irony, moral hypocrisy, and strategic failure defining Washington’s aggressive foreign policy toward Iran.
- Schumer urges Hegseth ouster over deteriorating USS Lincoln conditions amid Iran war

Qalibaf in Baghdad; Iran and Iraq seek a stronger regional partnership

TEHRAN- Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf arrived in Baghdad on Wednesday, August 19, for talks aimed at strengthening Tehran-Baghdad ties, with regional security, economic cooperation and the future of the region high on the agenda. His visit comes as Tehran continues to reject increased US pressure and insists that any negotiations with Washington must remain within the framework of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.
By Fardin Molaei

A few fistfuls of dollars for GIs

TEHRAN- Iran has announced a $30,000 reward for anyone who captures or kills a US military servicemember and hands the individual over to the Iranian armed forces, in a move that has drawn widespread international attention and added a new dimension to the escalating confrontation between Tehran and Washington.
New US bone spur

Claiming ownership of the Strait of Hormuz for Trump, who hides in a food truck out of fear, is a desperate bluff

TEHRAN — In a glaring display of imperial bluster detached from geopolitical reality, US President Donald Trump has doubled down on his reckless ambition to declare the strategic Strait of Hormuz a territory of the United States.
Erbil false-flag attack: Foreign sabotage against Iran-Iraq unity

TEHRAN — The recent drone incident targeting the private office of Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and the residence of the Security Directorate in Erbil represents a suspicious escalation designed to undermine fragile regional diplomacy. Occurring at a moment when Tehran and Iraqi authorities have made tangible progress on border security agreements, the timing and execution of these strikes point toward a calculated attempt by external actors to derail neighborly ties.
Hamas official: Disarming Resistance cannot be a precondition for any agreement

TEHRAN- Khaled Qaddoumi, Hamas’s representative in Tehran, said disarming Palestinian resistance groups could not be a precondition for any agreement, arguing that strategic issues, including weapons, must ultimately be decided through a collective Palestinian process rather than imposed from outside.

Politics

Qalibaf: Hormuz to remain closed until US fulfills MoU commitments

TEHRAN- Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said Tuesday that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States fulfills its commitments under the Islamabad memorandum of understanding, including lifting the blockade and removing sanctions on Iran’s oil exports.
Iran will stand firm on its rights in managing Strait of Hormuz: VP

TEHRAN- Iran has entered a new phase and will stand firm on its rights in managing the Strait of Hormuz, First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said on Tuesday.
Trump’s collapsing popularity exposes strategic failure in the war against Iran

TEHRAN — President Donald Trump’s sinking popularity has driven his job approval rating to a historic low of 33 percent, offering a direct political measure of the failure of the joint US-Israeli military strategy against Iran.

Sports

Iran sweep past Algeria at 2026 FIVB U17 World Championship

TEHRAN – Iran swept past Algeria in straight sets (25-15, 25-19, 25-14) in the second edition of the FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U17 World Championship on Wednesday.
Iranian cyclist Mirbagheri aims medal at Nagoya

TEHRAN - Arash Mirbagheri, Iranian cycling at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, is hoping to return home with a medal.
Golshadnezhad no longer Iran’s flag-bearer for 2026 Asian Games

TEHRAN - Atousa Golshadnezhad, Iran’s world and Asian karate champion, has withdrawn from her role as flag-bearer for Iran at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya.

Culture

15th International 100-Second Film Festival to organize specialized workshops in 9 countries

TEHRAN – The 15th edition of the International 100-Second Film Festival will organize a series of specialized international workshops across nine countries, aimed at advancing media literacy, filmmaking, and explaining new narratives.
Iranian radio drama adapts Stephen King’s “Misery”

TEHRAN- The six-part radio drama “A Nurse’s Nightmare,” adapted from American author Stephen King’s acclaimed novel “Misery,” has been produced and broadcast by Iran’s Namayesh Radio.
Christopher Beckwith’s “Empires of the Silk Road” published in Persian

TEHRAN – The Persian translation of the book “Empires of the Silk Road: A History of Central Eurasia from the Bronze Age to the Present” by Christopher I. Beckwith has been released in the bookstores across Iran.

Economy

People's food security not disrupted even for a single hour in recent imposed wars: minister

TEHRAN- The Minister of Agriculture stated that during the two recent imposed wars, the enemy sought to undermine the Iranian people's resilience by threatening food security, and said: "People's food security was not disrupted even for a single hour in any part of the country, and with the measures taken, we witnessed no famine or shortages."
Tehran hosting international exhibition of construction

TEHRAN- Over 600 domestic and foreign companies participated in the 26th International Exhibition of the Construction Industry at the permanent venue of Tehran International Exhibitions.
Iran, EAG, Uzbekistan forge ahead on financial intelligence cooperation

TEHRAN- A tripartite meeting of representatives from Iran, the Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (EAG), and the Financial Information Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan was held virtually, focusing on the development of international cooperation in combating money laundering and financing of terrorism.

Society

Iran wins medal, honorable mentions at Intl. Geography Olympiad

TEHRAN – Iranian students succeeded to win a bronze medal and three honorable mentions at the 22nd International Geography Olympiad (iGeo) held from August 11 to 17 in Istanbul, Turkey.
DOE proposes BRICS environmental network to address ecological damage

TEHRAN - Shina Ansari, the head of the Department of Environment, has called for closer environmental cooperation among BRICS member states, describing their combined capacities in natural resources, biodiversity, coastal and marine ecosystems, and other environmentally valuable areas as a “historic opportunity” to address the growing global environmental crisis.
Iranian, Indonesian universities ink MOU to boost scientific ties

TEHRAN – Sharif University of Technology and Institut Teknologi Bandung of Indonesia have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to deepen scientific, research, and educational cooperation, exchange professors, researchers, and students, and implement collaborative research projects.

Tourism

Cultural heritage is Iran’s strategic asset, official says

TEHRAN – Iran should regard its cultural heritage as a strategic national asset that can strengthen historical identity, foster national pride and cohesion, and help unlock the country’s tourism and economic potential, Vice President for Parliamentary Affairs and Strategic Affairs Mohsen Esmaeili said on Monday.
Ardabil ranks first in Iran for foreign tourism development for second consecutive year

TEHRAN – Ardabil has ranked first among Iran’s provincial cultural heritage departments in the 2025 assessment of foreign tourism marketing and development, retaining the top position for the second consecutive year, a provincial official said.
Archaeologists resume excavations at Qal-e Kord Cave, a key Paleolithic site

TEHRAN - The seventh season of archaeological excavations at Qal-e Kord Cave in Avaj County, Qazvin province, has begun, as researchers seek to reconstruct more precisely the sequence of human occupation and the formation of cultural layers at the prehistoric site.

International

Sarah’s war against the rest of civilization

TEHRAN – Sarah Little writes in The Economist about a “war on women” in Afghanistan. If one looks only at the Taliban’s regulations concerning women, the phrase does not seem unreasonable. But this is precisely where the problem begins. Why is what the Taliban does through law, policing, and direct command described as “war,” while what dominant economic structures in Western societies do through media, culture, fashion, markets, the beauty industry, and the production of desire is rarely placed within the realm of war, coercion, or even power?
Iraqi resistance group sets conditions over weapons

TEHRAN – An official from the Iraqi resistance group Kataeb Hezbollah has issued a sharply worded statement setting out conditions for any future cooperation with the Iraqi government over the question of weapons held by the resistance forces.
Trump’s threat to bomb Oman triggers backlash across Arab world and US

TEHRAN — Donald Trump triggered international backlash after threatening military strikes against Oman, reportedly punishing the Persian Gulf nation for negotiating a maritime traffic arrangement with Iran.

Claiming ownership of the Strait of Hormuz for Trump, who hides in a food truck out of fear, is a desperate bluff