Tehran Times

2026-09-29 20:16
By Soheila Zarfam

'White House oppressing both Iranians and Americans'

IRGC letter to American people urges break from US war policies

TEHRAN — The Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) has published a 26-page open letter to the American people this week, urging them to break with the foreign policy of their government and to reconsider what they have been told about U.S. wars in West Asia.
- Advisor to IRGC chief: Enemy is fighting hybrid war
- Washington's contradictory moves in West Asia

Araghchi’s diplomacy in NY puts war, Hormuz and nuclear rights at center of Iran’s UN outreach

TEHRAN- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has concluded an intensive round of diplomatic consultations in New York, using the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly to press Iran’s positions on the war, the Strait of Hormuz, the nuclear issue, international law and the continuation of diplomacy.
Qalibaf warns US of a swift, regret-inducing response to any aggression

TEHRAN- Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has warned that any aggression or adventurism against the Islamic Republic would trigger a “tough, regret-inducing, precise and swift” response, saying US efforts to impose a maritime blockade, restrict air corridors and put maximum pressure on Iran’s trade routes will ultimately fail.
Iran rebuffs UAE at UN: Three islands are ‘inseparable parts of Iran’s territory’

TEHRAN — Repeating unfounded claims from the United Nations rostrum “does not alter the reality” that Abu Musa, the Greater Tunb, and the Lesser Tunb remain “inseparable parts of Iran’s territory,” Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, stated on social media platform X.
By staff writer

Netanyahu flew over Jordan and Saudi Arabia for clandestine talks in Abu Dhabi

TEHRAN — On Sunday, a private jet carrying Benjamin Netanyahu took off from Israel, entered Jordanian airspace, crossed into Saudi Arabia, and touched down in Abu Dhabi. Gaza lies in ruins under years of relentless bombardment. The International Criminal Court had issued an arrest warrant for the Israeli prime minister. Yet two Arab states provided clear skies, and a third opened its airport tarmac and hosted Netanyahu for ominous talks with other regional actors.
Iran National Orchestra opens Iran Cultural Week at Moscow’s Bolshoi Theater

TEHRAN- The National Orchestra of Iran, conducted by Homayoun Rahimian and featuring vocalist Mojtaba Asgari, opened the Cultural Week of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Russia with a concert at Moscow’s historic Bolshoi Theater on Monday evening.

Politics

Iran embassy rejects UK media claims over RAF Fairford arrests, warns against fueling ‘Iranophobia’

TEHRAN – The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in London has categorically rejected attempts by British media to implicate the country in the recent arrest of five individuals near the Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford base, labeling the speculation as “fabricated” and “malicious.”
Rubio invokes ‘blackmail’ to hide US crimes in Iran

TEHRAN — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is once again making inflammatory claims about Iran in an apparent attempt to divert attention from Washington’s own record of aggression and bloodshed.
US aviation sanctions threaten flight safety and human lives, Iran says

TEHRAN— Iran’s High Council for Human Rights has condemned Washington’s latest sanctions targeting the country’s aviation sector, warning that restrictions on access to aircraft parts, equipment, and technical services could have consequences that extend beyond trade and directly affect flight safety and human life.

Sports

Iran fall short to Russia in friendly

TEHRAN - Iran football team lost to Russia 2-0 in a friendly match on Tuesday.
Defeat in Nagoya, questions in Tehran: What next for Iran’s U23s?

TEHRAN - Iran’s U23 football team suffered another major setback at the Asian Games, crashing out of the 2026 tournament in Nagoya after a humiliating 4-1 defeat to North Korea.
Ali Davoudi collects Iran’s 10th gold at Nagoya

TEHRAN – Iranian weightlifter Ali Davoudi won the gold medal in the men’s +110kg weightlifting event at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya on Tuesday.

Culture

Iran National Orchestra opens Iran Cultural Week at Moscow’s Bolshoi Theater

TEHRAN- The National Orchestra of Iran, conducted by Homayoun Rahimian and featuring vocalist Mojtaba Asgari, opened the Cultural Week of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Russia with a concert at Moscow’s historic Bolshoi Theater on Monday evening.
Henry Slesar’s “The Thing at the Door” available in Persian audiobook

TEHRAN- The audiobook of “The Thing at the Door” by American author and playwright Henry Slesar has been released by Avaye Chirok, a major institute that produces audiobooks in Iran.
Beyond melodrama: Khajepasha on war, childhood and duty of Iranian cinema

TEHRAN- Iranian filmmaker Babak Khajepasha believes cinema should do more than portray suffering. For him, a film dealing with war, the death of children, or a social tragedy should leave audiences with questions rather than simply tears.

Economy

Iran-Azerbaijan joint infrastructure projects nearly complete as trade grows

TEHRAN- Shahin Mustafayev, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan, speaking on the sidelines of the meeting of the heads of the Joint Committee for Economic Cooperation between Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan, stressed the friendly and brotherly relations between Tehran and Baku and said: Despite existing tensions in the region, relations and cooperation between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Islamic Republic of Iran are developing in various fields, and this trend will continue.
Iran-Belarus trade reaches $76m in 2025

TEHRAN- On the eve of the Iran-Belarus Joint Economic Committee, the Director General of the Central Asia, Caucasus and Russia Office of the Iran Trade Promotion Organization announced: The value of trade exchanges between Iran and Belarus in 2025 amounted to $76 million.
Private sector’s 5 demands for expansion of export

TEHRAN- A member of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, emphasizing that the main problem of Iran’s exports is not a lack of production capacity, deemed it necessary to reform trade processes, reduce transaction costs, and create infrastructure for a sustainable presence in foreign markets.

Society

Iran, WHO join efforts to eliminate human rabies by 2030

TEHRAN – The National Plan for the Elimination of Human Rabies 2026–2030 was formally countersigned at a seminar marking World Rabies Day, hosted by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education's Centre for Communicable Disease Control.
Tehran, Moscow set to establish joint science and technology commission

TEHRAN – Iran and Russia are preparing to establish a joint commission on science and technology, with a document on international scientific cooperation between the two countries set to be signed at a meeting of the commission.
DOE announces deadline for National Environmental Award

TEHRAN – The Department of Environment (DOE) has set November 6 as the deadline for submitting entries for the 14th National Environmental Award, which will be held this year under the theme “Healthy Environment, Sustainable Future,”.

Tourism

Archaeological remains from Italian excavations at Isfahan mosque to be reassessed

ISFAHAN – Archaeological findings uncovered by Italian archaeologists at Isfahan’s historic Jameh Mosque about six decades ago are set to undergo a new review, the director of the UNESCO-listed site has announced.
Archaeological excavations to resume at historic Zagros cemetery in Sanandaj

TEHRAN – Archaeological excavations at the historic Zagros cemetery in Sanandaj, Kordestan province, western Iran, are set to begin in the coming days following authorization from the Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism, a provincial heritage official said.
Child tourism can become a new value chain in Iran’s travel industry

TEHRAN – Child tourism can offer Iran’s travel industry more than a niche market for family trips. By placing children’s needs, interests and participation at the center of travel design, the sector can create new products, diversify tourism services and encourage families to spend more time and money at destinations.

International

Netanyahu flew over Jordan and Saudi Arabia for clandestine talks in Abu Dhabi

TEHRAN — On Sunday, a private jet carrying Benjamin Netanyahu took off from Israel, entered Jordanian airspace, crossed into Saudi Arabia, and touched down in Abu Dhabi. Gaza lies in ruins under years of relentless bombardment. The International Criminal Court had issued an arrest warrant for the Israeli prime minister. Yet two Arab states provided clear skies, and a third opened its airport tarmac and hosted Netanyahu for ominous talks with other regional actors.
Iraq’s Kata’ib Hezbollah threatens airspace closure over ban on Iran flights

TEHRAN – The security chief of Kata’ib Hezbollah on Monday warned the Iraqi government led by Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi that if Iraq continues the air blockade against Iran after Oct. 1, people may close the entry points to Iraq’s airspace for other countries that join the air ban.
Iraq’s sovereignty should not be defined by a single day

TEHRAN – Freedom without the means to defend it is only a promise and sovereignty without the power to protect it is only a symbol.

IRGC letter to American people urges break from US war policies