Tehran Times

2026-09-20 20:21
By Mahmoud Mahmoudian Ravi

Iran’s message to Washington: No retreat, no surrender, no return to the old order

TEHRAN — Iran has issued a series of increasingly explicit political, military and strategic messages to the United States and its regional partners, warning that any renewed US aggression would trigger sustained attacks on American positions and interests across the region, while making clear that Tehran does not regard military pressure and diplomacy as mutually exclusive.
- General Sharif: Iran regards Strait of Hormuz as strategic deterrent
- FM briefs parliamentary committee on regional security and Hormuz Strait

Intelligence Ministry: Three terrorist operational cells dismantled

TEHRAN – The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence announced on Sunday that its forces have successfully dismantled three operational cells affiliated with “hostile terrorist groups” linked to US and Zionist intelligence services, thwarting planned acts of sabotage and assassination across three provinces.
US imposes unprecedented visa bans, tight restrictions on Iranian delegation ahead of UNGA

TEHRAN — Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is set to travel to New York in the coming days to address the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), an annual multilateral diplomatic fixture increasingly overshadowed by Washington’s persistent weaponization of its status as the UN host nation.
China slams ‘unilateral’ US sanctions law targeting Russia, Iran

TEHRAN – The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has issued a sharp rebuke against Washington’s latest legislative maneuvers, condemning the newly enacted US law that seeks to tighten sanctions on Russia and broaden trade restrictions against Iran.
Iran thwarted US, Israel change attempts: Hezbollah chief

Sheikh Qassem declares armed resistance the sole method to liberate occupied Palestinian

TEHRAN — Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem declared Saturday that the Islamic Republic of Iran has successfully defeated the core political objectives of the American-Israeli aggression launched against it earlier this year, proving that steadfastness can thwart imperialist war plans.
By Ali Minabi

Iraq’s security risks amid US withdrawal

TEHRAN – There is intense debate in Baghdad over whether the anticipated U.S. military withdrawal will close one chapter or mark the beginning of another.

Politics

Iran says it retains initiative in Strait of Hormuz despite US claims

TEHRAN — Iranian Armed Forces Spokesperson Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi has rejected recent US claims about operations in the Strait of Hormuz, insisting that Iran continues to hold the initiative in the strategic waterway.
MP: US criminal act in Lamerd and Minab is a modern example of crimes in Hiroshima and Nagasa

TEHRAN — Iran’s Deputy Parliament Speaker Hamid Reza Haji Babaei has lashed out at the United States over its deadly strikes against civilian targets in southern Iran, declaring Washington’s strikes on the city of Lamerd and the Shajareh Tayyebah school in Minab as direct modern manifestations of the atomic atrocities perpetrated against Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
‘Not our war’: South Koreans rally against US pressure, reject military involvement in West Asia

TEHRAN – Hundreds of South Korean citizens, anti-war activists, and civil society groups staged a massive rally in central Seoul on Saturday to fiercely reject US demands for military involvement against Iran, urging their government to uphold its constitutional sovereignty and resist Washington’s aggressive arm-twisting.

Sports

Iran basketball win bronze at 2026 Asian Games

TEHRAN – Iran’s men’s basketball team defeated China 79-70 on Sunday to secure the bronze medal at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan.
Iran runners-up at 2026 CAFA U17 Women’s Championship

TEHRAN – Iran defeated Uzbekistan 2-1 on Saturday to finish runners-up at the 2026 CAFA U17 Women’s Championship.
Iran, China share the spoils: 2026 Asian Games

TEHRAN – Iran and China football teams shared the spoils in a goalless draw in 2026 Asian Games on Sunday.

Culture

Ganjoor founder receives National Parsi-jan Award

TEHRAN- The National Parsi-jan Award was presented to Hamidreza Mohammadi, founder of Ganjoor website, at the second edition of the event, which highlighted the importance of preserving and strengthening the Persian language.
Marionette Museum opens in Tehran

TEHRAN – The Marionette Museum was inaugurated at the Ferdowsi Hall of the Rudaki Foundation in Tehran on Saturday.
15th International 100-Second Film Festival concludes in Tehran

TEHRAN – The closing ceremony of the 15th International 100-Second Film Festival was held on Friday at the Art Bureau in Tehran.

Economy

Trump's Iran war ignites global diesel crisis

TEHRAN-As diesel prices shatter records across three continents, evidence mounts that the Trump administration's military confrontation with Iran and its failure to anticipate the Strait of Hormuz disruption have triggered a supply chain catastrophe that threatens to push the global economy into recession.
Iran, India examine mechanisms to strengthen bilateral ties by leveraging BRICS capacities

TEHRAN- The new Indian ambassador to Iran, at the start of his mission, visited the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (TCCIMA) and met with the chairman of the Chamber. In this meeting, while referring to the economic capacities and the history of Iran-India cooperation, the two sides emphasized the need to revive and develop trade relations and to use BRICS capacities.
Iran, Grigor Hakobyan,

TEHRAN- The Armenian ambassador to Iran, referring to the role of the Railway of the Islamic Republic of Iran in connecting landlocked countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) to international routes, emphasized the expansion of rail and trade cooperation between the two countries.

Society

Health ministry to streamline cancer care through national network

TEHRAN - The health ministry is set to launch the national cancer care network in early autumn, aiming to integrate fragmented cancer treatment services into a coordinated, team-based, and traceable care pathway.
IRCS training courses to empower female rapid response teams

TEHRAN – The presence of women in relief and rescue operations has significantly increased over the past few years, and now they constitute a part of the high-capacity and effective operational network of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS).
Iran putting Caspian Sea back at center of regional cooperation with COP7

TEHRAN – Iran is once again bringing the Caspian Sea to the forefront of regional cooperation by hosting COP7 of the Tehran Convention, with officials describing the meeting as an important opportunity to strengthen international efforts to protect the shared marine environment.

Tourism

In Urmia, the grape is more than a fruit

URMIA, West Azarbaijan Province - By late afternoon, the road out of Urmia was beginning to clog. Our flight had landed around 5 p.m., and after a quick check-in at the hotel, we set off for Chi Chest Coastal Village, near Lake Urmia, where the 9th Urmia Grape Festival was underway.
Gonbad Kabud Mosque: Nine centuries of history, art and memory in northeast Iran

TEHRAN – Situated in the historic landscape of Kalat in northeastern Iran, the Gonbad Kabud Mosque stands as a remarkable record of nine centuries of architectural change, artistic expression and cultural continuity.
Iran presents climate-resilient tourism experiences at COMCEC meeting

TEHRAN - Iran has presented two community-based tourism initiatives as examples of climate-resilient and sustainable tourism at the 27th Meeting of the COMCEC Tourism Working Group in Ankara.

International

Iran thwarted US, Israel change attempts: Hezbollah chief

TEHRAN — Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem declared Saturday that the Islamic Republic of Iran has successfully defeated the core political objectives of the American-Israeli aggression launched against it earlier this year, proving that steadfastness can thwart imperialist war plans.
Ed Sheeran faces protests, desolate stage after opening acts walk out over Gaza genocide

TEHRAN — Dozens of demonstrators waving Palestinian flags converged outside Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday to confront a music industry built on complicity. Their signs carried blunt demands, telling Ed Sheeran and his promoters that concert revenue must no longer underwrite Israeli crimes.
Riyadh's vulnerability exposed: report

Saudi Arabia and the United States do not have a clear plan to fight back against the Yemeni Armed Force (YAF) who took control of a strategically important island on the Red Sea.

Sheikh Qassem declares armed resistance the sole method to liberate occupied Palestinian