Tehran Times

2026-07-03 14:35
Funeral ceremony for martyr Leader Ayatollah Khamenei officially begins

Foreign heads of state attend funeral ceremony for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

TEHRAN – Funeral ceremonies have begun at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla mosque for the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and several of his family members, who were killed in a U.S.-Israeli airstrike targeting his office and residence on the first day of the war against Iran on Feb. 28.

In Doha, Iran tends to frozen funds as US claims talks that are not happening

TEHRAN — Iran’s senior negotiator Kazem Gharibabadi is currently in Qatar to oversee the implementation of existing financial agreements, and contrary to repeated American claims, no direct or indirect talks with the United States are taking place, a well-informed political source close to the Iranian negotiating team confirmed to the Tehran Times.
By Mahmoud Ravi-Nejad

Inconsolable grief

Tehran preparing to say farewell to martyr Leader

TEHRAN — A profound silence has descended upon Iran. It is the kind of silence that often precedes history—a silence heavy with grief, memory, and anticipation. From the crowded boulevards of Tehran to the Holy Shrines of Mashhad and Qom, from the bazaars of Tabriz to the historic avenues of Isfahan and the gardens of Shiraz, an entire nation is preparing to bid farewell to the man whom millions regarded not merely as a political leader, but as the spiritual compass of a generation.
Tehran warns Israel of 'immediate and powerful' retaliation as regime issues new threats

TEHRAN — Iran's top diplomat has issued a blunt warning to Israel, declaring that any threat against the Islamic Republic's leadership or citizens will be met with an "immediate and powerful" response.
Iran vows justice for Leader's assassination

TEHRAN — Iran's top security official has vowed that those responsible for the assassination of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and other Iranian martyrs will face justice, reiterating Tehran's determination to pursue accountability for 'one of the gravest crimes in the country's contemporary history.'
By Garsha Vazirian

The modern golem of Silicon Valley demands a ritual sacrifice of innocence

TEHRAN — The little boys and little girls of the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school had just settled into their morning lessons when the sky split open. It was February 28, the opening day of the American-Israeli campaign against Iran, and three Tomahawk cruise missiles, one by one, tore through the roof, collapsing concrete onto the children's desks.

Politics

Funeral ceremony for martyr Leader Ayatollah Khamenei officially begins

TEHRAN – Funeral ceremonies have begun at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla mosque for the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and several of his family members, who were killed in a U.S.-Israeli airstrike targeting his office and residence on the first day of the war against Iran on Feb. 28.
Qalibaf says Iran won't give up Hormuz Strait

TEHRAN — Iran will never give up its control over the Strait of Hormuz, Parliament Speaker and top negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said Tuesday, calling the waterway the country's most valuable strategic asset.
Iran-India ties poised for ‘great expansion,’ Pezeshkian tells Modi

TEHRAN — In a high-level telephone conversation on Tuesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian conveyed to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the Islamic Republic and India possess substantial untapped capacity for deepening bilateral ties, according to an official readout released by the Iranian Presidency.

Sports

Iran handball team to participate in 2026 Asian Games

TEHRAN – Iranian men's handball has received a major boost ahead of the 2026 Asian Games, with the confirmation of the national team's participation in the Games.
Iran end Jordan's unbeaten run at FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian qualifier

TEHRAN - Iran led for more than 37 minutes and never allowed Jordan to mount a serious response after the opening exchanges, securing a comfortable 49-67 victory on Thursday, 2026, at Prince Hamza Arena in Amman.
Iran to send 282 athletes to 2026 Asian Games

TEHRAN – Iran will send a delegation of 282 athletes to compete at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Culture

"A Martyr Never Dies": Brazilian cartoonist reflects on illustrating Iran's supreme leader

TEHRAN – Carlos Latuff has spent more than three decades documenting the Middle East through the lens of political cartooning, becoming one of the most widely shared and reproduced satirists covering US and Israeli policy in the region. Speaking to the Tehran Times following the assassination of Ayatollah Khamenei in coordinated US-Israeli strikes, Latuff reflects on the moment he learned the news, why he chose to center his response on the Supreme Leader himself, and how decades of drawing Iran have shaped his view of Western media coverage.
New memoirs chronicle resilience of former POWs

TEHRAN- Two new literary works on Iranian Prisoners of War (POWs) from the Iran-Iraq War, “War in Al-Rashid” and “Sanam,” were unveiled during a ceremony held at Tehran’s Art Bureau on Tuesday. The event was attended by authors, former Iranian Prisoners of War (POWs), and cultural enthusiasts.
Martyr Leader’s farewell, funeral ceremonies to be covered by 14,000 media professionals

TEHRAN – The farewell and funeral ceremonies for the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei and his family will be extensively covered by both domestic and foreign media outlets, the spokesperson for the Farewell, Funeral, and Burial Headquarters for the Martyr leader said.

Economy

Iran holds consultations with China for establishing SCO Development Bank

TEHRAN- The Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI), while participating in the consultative meeting on establishing the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Development Bank and presenting technical and executive proposals, emphasized Iran's active role in advancing the formation of this international financial institution.
Iran, Turkey highlight network-based trade expansion, joint projects with third countries

TEHRAN- Network-based trade relations between Iran, Turkey, and third countries, along with the development of joint investment projects, were the central themes of a meeting between the Head of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) and the Board of the Turkey’s Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (MUSIAD) in Istanbul.
Iran, Belarus to expand agricultural cooperation

TEHRAN- Iran’s Minister of Agriculture emphasized the expansion of bilateral agricultural cooperation, increasing trade exchanges between Iran and Belarus, and accelerating the holding of the joint agricultural committee of the two countries.

Society

‘Inaction to environmental devastation resulting from conflicts exacerbates war impacts’

TEHRAN – Shina Ansari, the head of the Department of Environment (DOE), has highlighted that remaining silent in the face of environmental destruction caused by warmongers is the same as accepting a threat that will, sooner or later, impact everyone.
Iranian, Russian experts ink MOU to combat SDSs in Khuzestan province

TEHRAN – The natural resources and watershed management department of Khuzestan province has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with MA VOSTOK, a Russian company, to combat desertification and mitigate the impacts of sand and dust storms (SDSs) in the province's industrial regions, particularly the Shadegan oil field.
DOE issues title deeds for 22 wetlands

TEHRAN – In an effort to ensure the legal protection of wetlands, prevent encroachment, and establish state sovereignty over these valuable ecosystems, the Department of Environment (DOE) has issued titled deeds for 22 wetlands, covering an area of 1.34 million hectares, across the country.

Tourism

War, memory and the race to save a civilization

TEHRAN – What happens when one of the world's oldest civilizations is confronted with the realities of modern warfare? How do museums prepare for conflict, protect irreplaceable artifacts, and respond when cultural institutions come under threat? And what lessons have museum professionals learned from navigating these extraordinary challenges?
Experts discuss strategies to protect cultural heritage and historic cities during wartime

TEHRAN – Iranian experts on Tuesday examined international approaches to safeguarding cultural heritage and the historical identity of cities during armed conflict, calling for stronger documentation, digital preservation, legal protection, and broader international cooperation while emphasizing the role of cultural resilience in the aftermath of war.
Shushtar’s World Heritage value lies in its engineering system, not individual structures: official

TEHRAN – The outstanding universal value of Iran’s UNESCO-listed Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System lies in the engineering knowledge and integrated water management system behind its construction rather than its individual bridges, dams or mills, the head of the World Heritage site said as the country marked the 17th anniversary of its inscription.

International

The modern golem of Silicon Valley demands a ritual sacrifice of innocence

TEHRAN — The little boys and little girls of the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school had just settled into their morning lessons when the sky split open. It was February 28, the opening day of the American-Israeli campaign against Iran, and three Tomahawk cruise missiles, one by one, tore through the roof, collapsing concrete onto the children's desks.
Can the Israel–Lebanon agreement succeed where military victory failed?

TEHRAN – The U.S.-brokered agreement between Lebanon and Israel appears to be far more than a deal governing the occupation regime’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
Behind the new Lebanon framework lies the trap of demographic erasure, endless war

TEHRAN — The document signed in Washington on June 26 under American “mediation” was celebrated in Western capitals as a historic breakthrough, even though it is a crude instrument of asymmetric warfare designed to secure an indefinite Israeli military presence.

Foreign heads of state attend funeral ceremony for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Tehran preparing to say farewell to martyr Leader