Tehran Times

2025-12-28 21:05
Milestone in Iran with triple satellite launch

Paya, Zafar-2, and upgraded Kowsar sent into space from Russia

TEHRAN – Iran’s space program took a significant leap forward on Sunday as it successfully placed three domestically built satellites into orbit in a single launch, carrying out one of the country's most complex space endeavors to date. The mission has been hailed as a major milestone by analysts and officials.
- Three Iranian satellites to be launched soon
- Iran unveils multiple satellite launch plans amid push for space self-reliance

By Mona Hojat Ansari

Iran's path to orbit

Space chief tells Tehran Times the story of building a national program in the midst of sanctions

TEHRAN – When Iran established its new political system in 1979, its leaders placed a paramount emphasis on achieving independence. This pursuit faced numerous hurdles over the decades that followed, a period during which the country endured two wars, countless terrorist attacks, and, most critically, debilitating Western sanctions. Nevertheless, as we stand on the cusp of 2026, the independence Iranians once dreamed of has been realized in various sectors, partly because the country possessed no other option.
Ayatollah Khamenei credits Iranian youth with resisting US pressure in region

TEHRAN – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has credited Iran’s young people with defeating a major U.S.-led assault in the region, saying their initiative, bravery, and willingness to sacrifice played a decisive role.
By Mona Hojat Ansari

‘We're now stronger than the 12-day war’

President rolls out plans for economic management, makes no mention of potential US talks

TEHRAN – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian did not appear particularly fixated on the prospects of a new deal with the U.S. when he sat down with Khamenei.ir, a website overseen by the Leader's office, and discussed two issues most pressing for the Iranian people: whether Tehran can fend off a second potential war with Israel, and what can be done to control runaway inflation, which has worsened in the backwash of the war Israel and the U.S. launched against Iran in June.
By Somaye Morovati

Strategic significance of Bin Zayed’s visit to Pakistan

TEHRAN - The official visit of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on December 26, 2025, may at first glance be interpreted as a ceremonial bilateral engagement between two countries bound by longstanding and “brotherly” relations.
By Shahrokh Saei

Israel’s recognition of Somaliland: Power play or Gaza expulsion plot?

TEHRAN – Israel’s recognition of Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland has triggered fierce backlash across Africa, the Arab world, and beyond. At the same time, the move has brought Israel’s underlying motives into sharper focus, raising questions about regional security, international law, and the fate of Palestinians in Gaza.

Politics

‘Regulation for us, freedom for thee’

Even as a new wave of restrictive regulations on children’s digital access sweeps across Europe and the United States, these very governments—employing a completely different media policy—have simultaneously opened a vast arena of unrestricted social media and satellite broadcasting towards Iran. This meaningful contradiction raises serious questions about soft warfare and cultural engineering.
As envoy changes, Iran and Georgia seek to strengthen ancient bonds

TEHRAN – Iranian Ambassador to Georgia Mahmoud Adib stated that Tehran's policy in the Caucasus aims to maintain peace and respect the territorial integrity of countries in the region. He made these comments during a meeting with Georgia's Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili as his mission to Georgia concluded.
Israel ‘blatantly violating’ Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity: Iran

TEHRAN – Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baqaei, has condemned Israel’s “blatant” violation of Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, accusing the Israeli regime of seeking to advance a plan aimed at dividing the East African country.

Sports

Gol Gohar stun Esteghlal in 2025/26 PGPL

TEHRAN - Gol Gohar football team shocked Esteghlal with a 1-0 victory on Sunday in the 2025/26 Persian Gulf Professional League, climbing above their hosts in the standings.
Tractor to extend Dragan Skocic’s deal

TEHRAN – Tractor football club are set to extend head coach Dragan Skocić’s contract following the team’s strong performances in the 2025/26 AFC Champions League Elite.
Sa Pinto confirms Rezaeian’s departure from Esteghlal

TEHRAN - Esteghlal head coach Ricardo Sa Pinto has officially confirmed that the club’s controversial player, Ramin Rezaeian, will part ways with the team during the midseason break.

Culture

Bahram Beyzaie, pillar of Iranian artistic heritage, passes away

TEHRAN- Bahram Beyzaie, a towering figure in Iranian theater, cinema, and literature passed away on his 87th birthday on Thursday, according to a statement from Stanford University’s Iranian Studies Program, where he served as a distinguished visiting professor for over 15 years.
Iranian modern artworks on display in Shiraz gallery

TEHRAN – An exhibition of works by renowned Iranian artists such as Hossein Zenderoudi, Mohsen Vaziri-Moghaddam, Abbas Kiarostami, Parvaneh Etemadi, Monir Farmanfarmaian, Ardeshir Mohassess, and Lili Matin-Daftari is underway at Pirsook Gallery in Shiraz, Fars Province.
IAF to show second Iranian female-directed feature film

TEHRAN – The restored version of “The Sealed Soil,” a 1977 Iranian film directed by Marva Nabili, will be shown at the cinematheque of the Iranian Artists Forum (IAF) in Tehran on Monday.

Economy

Petchem projects under 7th development plan near 60% completion

TEHRAN – Petrochemical projects under Iran’s Seventh National Development Plan are about 60 percent complete, with all first-year targets for the sector achieved in 2024, the head of the National Petrochemical Company (NPC) said.
Iran's exports to China rise 3% in November

TEHRAN – Iran’s exports to China rose three percent in November 2025, even as total bilateral trade between the two countries declined in the first 11 months of the year, according to data released by China’s customs authority.
Loading, unloading of basic goods increase at ports

TEHRAN – Handling of basic commodities at Iran’s ports rose 12.4 percent year on year in the eighth Iranian calendar month of Aban (late October-late November), according to data released by the Ports and Maritime Organization.

Society

Iran attends regional workshop on Biodiversity Monitoring and National Reporting

TEHRAN – Iran has participated in a regional training workshop on biodiversity monitoring and national reporting for West Asian countries in Manama, Bahrain.
Tehran to host Intl. Conference on Social Work, Social Capital

TEHRAN – The 6th International Conference on Social Work and Social Capital is scheduled to be held in Tehran on January 6, 2026.
Three more sites added to national protected areas

TEHRAN – The Department of Environment (DOE) has added three new sites in Fars, Alborz, and Golestan provinces to the national protected areas across the country.

Tourism

Susa: Walking through one of the world’s oldest cities

Visiting Susa was like stepping into a living history book. From the moment I arrived in this ancient city in southwest Iran, I felt I was walking through layers of time, each step revealing traces of civilizations that shaped human history.
Tehran to host Nowruz summit with ministers, ambassadors from 18 countries

TEHRAN – Iran is set to host an international Nowruz summit with ministers from 18 countries in Tehran from March 27 to 29, 2026, a senior official from the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts said on Sunday.
Special driver’s license tests planned for servants and pilgrims of Imam Reza Shrine

TEHRAN-- The cultural and tourism project honoring the servants and pilgrims of Astan Quds Razavi is being implemented by Touring & Automobile Club of the Islamic Republic of Iran (TACI) in Mashhad (centered on the vast Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (AS), the capital city of Khorasan Razavi province, with the aim of promoting land tourism and developing automobile assistance services.

International

The weakness of the world in our struggle

TORONTO - When the world fails to uphold justice, it becomes an obligation of the oppressed to fulfil it. Demanding rights and justice from a world that has turned a blind eye to a genocide that has been occurring for over 70 years, and is now at its worst state, is a meaningless endeavor.
Strategic significance of Bin Zayed’s visit to Pakistan

TEHRAN - The official visit of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on December 26, 2025, may at first glance be interpreted as a ceremonial bilateral engagement between two countries bound by longstanding and “brotherly” relations.
Israel’s recognition of Somaliland: Power play or Gaza expulsion plot?

TEHRAN – Israel’s recognition of Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland has triggered fierce backlash across Africa, the Arab world, and beyond. At the same time, the move has brought Israel’s underlying motives into sharper focus, raising questions about regional security, international law, and the fate of Palestinians in Gaza.