Tehran Times

2025-12-07 20:10
By staff writer

Caribbean chessboard: U.S. move to check Russia and China

Is the U.S. effort to overthrow Maduro limited to Venezuela?

TEHRAN – When U.S. forces began striking vessels in the Caribbean in early September, Washington said it was fighting drug cartels. Yet almost 90 people have been killed, no narcotics have been shown as evidence, and the scale of deployment, including the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group, makes clear this is not a routine mission.
- U.S. readies attacks on Venezuelan bases, ports, and airstrips, reports say
- ‘Power play on Venezuela’s coast is about hegemony, not drugs:’ Analyst

By staff writer

Merz’s appeasement of Netanyahu will only embolden war criminals

TEHRAN - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited Israel for the first time since taking office in May. Merz’s visit comes just days after Germany decided to lift a three-month suspension on arms exports to Israel.
By Sondoss Al Asaad

Lebanon’s neutrality debate in a shifting regional context

BEIRUT — Let’s try, for a moment, to imagine a Lebanon where words mean what they say. In that alternate universe, “neutrality” would imply rejecting foreign meddling of any kind, “interference” would refer to bombing residential areas, and “sovereignty” might include the radical notion of objecting to drones overhead.
By Wesam Bahrani

The future of armed resistance in Gaza

TEHRAN – The Palestinian resistance in Gaza faces a precarious period between flimsy ceasefires and ongoing aggression.
Tehran ready for dialogue, but only after US policy shift, Araghchi says

TEHRAN – Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Tehran remains unconvinced that the United States is prepared to engage in genuine and serious negotiations over the future of nuclear talks, while reaffirming that Tehran is ready to resume dialogue if the United States adopts a fair and balanced approach.
What Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman said at his weekly briefing

TEHRAN – Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson has addressed a wide range of regional and international issues, from U.S. visa restrictions for World Cup participants to tensions in the West Asia, underscoring Tehran’s positions on sovereignty, security, and diplomacy.

Politics

Iranians appear to be growing impatient with UAE's recurring claims to Persian islands

TEHRAN – Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has called on Iran's neighbors not to test the determination of the Iranian people in safeguarding the nation's territorial integrity, including the three Persian Gulf islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Bu Musa, reiterating that they are "an integral part of Iran."
MPs denounce 'terroristic' US threats in discussions with Venezuelan envoy

TEHRAN – A group of Iranian parliamentarians have denounced the United States’ escalating threats against Venezuela.
The colonial reconfiguration: Israel and the extinction of sovereignty in West Asia

MADRID – In the conventional diplomatic lexicon, “normalization” is typically framed as an intrinsic good: the peaceful acceptance of a state within recognized borders, integrated into the regional economic and security architecture. It is a term that evokes closure and resolution.

Sports

Iran has five contenders at 2025 world’s most dominant wrestler

TEHRAN - Five Iranian wrestlers have been named among the contenders for the title of the most dominant wrestler of 2025 according to United World Wrestling (UWW).
We tested youths at 2025 IWBF Asia Oceania: Moeini

TEHRAN – Azade Sadat Moeini, head coach of Iran’s women’s wheelchair basketball team, has expressed satisfaction with her squad’s performance at the 2025 IWBF Asia Oceania Championships, recently held in Bangkok, Thailand.
Iran to play 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage on U.S. soil

TEHRAN – Iran national football team will play their group stage matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Los Angeles and Seattle.

Culture

Tehran cultural center to host reading performance of “A Marriage Proposal”

TEHRAN- On Tuesday, Arasbaran Cultural Center in Tehran will host a reading performance of Anton Chekhov’s comic play “A Marriage Proposal”.
"Terror Online" International Contest seeks to combat censorship of artworks on social media

TEHRAN - In recent years, unusual trends have emerged across social media. One such example is the systematic removal of figures of the Axis of Resistance from various platforms.
Over 40 Iranian books unveiled at non/fictio№27 in Moscow

TEHRAN – More than 40 new Iranian works translated into Russian were unveiled on Saturday evening at the non/fictio№27, the 27th International Book Fair for High-Quality Fiction & Non-Fiction in Moscow, Russia.

Economy

Iran’s top 100 SMEs celebrated at 1st national ranking event

TEHRAN – Iran held its first national event to rank small and medium-sized enterprises (SME 100), a joint initiative by the Industrial Management Organization (IMO) and the Small Industries and Industrial Parks Organization (ISIPO), aimed at identifying the country’s top-performing SMEs through a structured evaluation process.
Increasing trade, economic exchanges with Iran seriously pursued: Belarusian ambassador

TEHRAN- In a meeting with Head of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization Mohammad Ali Dehghan Dehnavi, Belarusian Ambassador to Iran Dmitry Koltsov stated: "We are seriously pursuing increased trade and economic exchanges between Iran and Belarus”.
Energy efficiency conference opens in Tehran with focus on reducing consumption

TEHRAN – The fourth International Conference and Exhibition on Iran Energy Optimization and Efficiency (IREEC) opened on Monday at Milad Towe Conference Hall, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders and knowledge-based firms to address what has become one of the country’s most persistent economic challenges: high energy consumption and low efficiency.

Society

IRCS ready to send relief aid to flood-hit Indonesia

TEHRAN –The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) has expressed its readiness to dispatch relief teams and humanitarian aid to assist Indonesians affected by floods.
Anti-narcotics police attend intl. conference on drug control in Iraq

TEHRAN – A delegation of senior police officers, led by Iran's anti-narcotics police chief, Iraj Kakavand, participated in the third international conference on combating drugs, held on December 7 and 8 in Baghdad, Iraq.
Tehran hosts meeting of African envoys to boost science, health cooperation

TEHRAN – Iranian officials and the ambassadors of 19 African countries to Tehran have discussed ways to enhance cooperation in the fields of science, education, research, and health.

Tourism

Elymaean rock carving discovered in southwest Iran

TEHRAN – A newly identified Elymaean rock carving has been discovered in the highlands of Kuh-e Manar in Andika, southwest Iran, according to the director of the Masjed Soleyman Cultural and Industrial Landscape National Base.
Minister urges restoration of Arak bazaar ahead of possible UNESCO review

TEHRAN – Iran’s tourism minister said on Saturday that the historical bazaar of Arak requires urgent restoration work as the government pursues its possible inscription on UNESCO’s World Heritage list.
National document for Iran’s cultural heritage declared

TEHRAN--President Masoud Pezeshkian, who is also chairman of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, declared the national document for cultural heritage, which is the result of cooperation between the country's scientific, cultural, and executive administrations.

International

Merz’s appeasement of Netanyahu will only embolden war criminals

TEHRAN - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited Israel for the first time since taking office in May. Merz’s visit comes just days after Germany decided to lift a three-month suspension on arms exports to Israel.
Caribbean chessboard: U.S. move to check Russia and China

TEHRAN – When U.S. forces began striking vessels in the Caribbean in early September, Washington said it was fighting drug cartels. Yet almost 90 people have been killed, no narcotics have been shown as evidence, and the scale of deployment, including the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group, makes clear this is not a routine mission.
Lebanon’s neutrality debate in a shifting regional context

BEIRUT — Let’s try, for a moment, to imagine a Lebanon where words mean what they say. In that alternate universe, “neutrality” would imply rejecting foreign meddling of any kind, “interference” would refer to bombing residential areas, and “sovereignty” might include the radical notion of objecting to drones overhead.

Is the U.S. effort to overthrow Maduro limited to Venezuela?