FM spox rejects AL’s claims against Iran

TEHRAN- Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei has dismissed a recent statement by Arab League foreign ministers on Iran, urging the bloc to refrain from adopting positions shaped by the unilateral and unconstructive perspectives of certain member states.

Pope Leo vents about failure to end Iran war: 'Many innocent people have died'

TEHRAN- Pope Leo expressed frustration Thursday that U.S. and Iranian leaders have not been able to get the diplomatic efforts to end the war back on track.

National Interest: Persian Gulf Arab states will be clear losers in the war

TEHRAN – In a comprehensive analysis published by The National Interest, Dr. Marwa Maziad – an assistant professor of Israel Studies at the University of Maryland – argues that the ongoing war between Iran and the US-Israeli axis is fundamentally reordering West Asia. Most strikingly, she concludes that regardless of the war's outcome, the Arab Persian Gulf states will be the clear losers.

Iran eases Strait of Hormuz transit rules for friendly countries

TEHRAN- Iran has granted exemptions to certain friendly countries, including Russia, from transit tolls imposed on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian ambassador to Moscow said.

Politicization of finance is undermining global development, Iran warns

TEHRAN- Iran's ambassador to the United Nations has warned that the politicization of financial systems, unilateral coercive measures, and the consequences of armed aggression are seriously hampering global development efforts and eroding trust in the multilateral system.

Araghchi starts tour of Pakistan, Oman, and Russia

Iranian delegation heading to Islamabad will not meet US representatives

TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi embarked on a multi-leg tour to Islamabad, Muscat, and Moscow starting on Friday evening.

How Trump shifted his approach after battlefield setbacks

The Iran newspaper analyzed what it described as a shift in Trump’s strategy. The paper writes: It appears that nearly two months after the start of the war, and with battlefield limitations becoming clear, Trump’s effort to redefine the war’s objectives and shift its weight from the battlefield to the realm of narrative and perception has become the central axis of US policy. Within this framework, the various claims about progress in negotiations or Iran’s willingness to reach an agreement reflect less the realities on the ground and more an information operation aimed at preserving a controlled image of the war’s trajectory.

Tehran denies sabotage allegations in Azerbaijan, warns of Israeli 'false flag' ops

TEHRAN – Iran’s embassy in Azerbaijan has strongly rejected accusations that Tehran is involved in sabotage activities on Azerbaijani soil, warning that such claims are part of an Israeli disinformation campaign aimed at driving a wedge between the two neighboring countries.

Iran: Hormuz action means war, Europe's silence unacceptable

TEHRAN — Iran’s top diplomat warned on Wednesday that blockading its ports constitutes an “act of war” and a violation of a fragile ceasefire, while sharply criticizing European countries for their silence over ‘unlawful military attacks’ by the United States and Israel against Iran’s peaceful nuclear infrastructure.

Iran’s participation in Islamabad talks contingent on securing national interests: Foreign Ministry

TEHRAN – Iran has yet to decide whether it will attend a new round of peace talks with the United States scheduled for later this week, a senior Iranian official has confirmed, as a two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan hangs by a thread.

The answer to the US naval blockade lies in closing the Bab al-Mandab Strait

Kayhan discussed the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the importance of closing it in an article. The paper wrote: The unveiling of the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the end of the two-week deadline opens a new front against Trump and his supporters, who will know that from now on there will be no safe spot for them in the vital arteries of the region.

TEHRAN PAPERS:

Two sides of the national interest coin

The Iran newspaper, in an analysis, discussed the country’s current approach, and quoted former representative Mansour Haghighatpour as saying: The battlefield and the negotiating table are two sides of the same coin. On one side lies power and steadfastness in the arena of conflict; on the other, diplomacy and dialogue.

Russia: US-Israeli strikes on Iran undermine NPT

TEHRAN- Russia has condemned the U.S.-Israeli military aggression against Iran, warning that the attacks have severely weakened the global nuclear nonproliferation regime and the IAEA safeguards system.

US estimates Iran retains 70% of pre-war missile stockpile

TEHRAN – Despite repeated claims by Washington that its war on Iran has severely degraded the Islamic Republic's ballistic missile capabilities, U.S. intelligence estimates suggest that Tehran retains access to the vast majority of its missiles and launchers, according to a report by The New York Times.

Strait of Hormuz: Man-made crisis and the plight of stranded seafarers

TEHRAN- 20,000 seafarers and 2,000 ships trapped in the Persian Gulf's waterway bottleneck. UN calls for immediate aid to sailors, and Qatar believes that resolving the crisis is not the responsibility of one country alone.

US abandoned deterrence, failed in its war on Iran: MEI analysis

TEHRAN- A detailed analysis published by the Middle East Institute (MEI) concludes that the United States abandoned deterrence as the core of its Persian Gulf strategy, leading to a failure in the war on Iran and leaving the Persian Gulf arab states worse off than before the conflict began.

Iran condemns Israeli move in Somaliland as a threat to regional stability

TEHRAN- Iran has strongly condemned Israel's appointment of a diplomatic envoy to the breakaway Somaliland region, calling it a flagrant violation of Somalia's sovereignty and a conspiracy to destabilize Islamic countries.

By Alfred de Zayas

Diplomatic protection: An underutilized tool to counter sanctions, blockades & coercion

In an analysis to be published by CovertAction, international law expert Alfred de Zayas argues that diplomatic protection remains one of the most underutilized legal tools available to states seeking to counter unilateral sanctions, financial blockades, and other forms of economic coercion.

‘Iran has the right to insist on durable peace’

TEHRAN - A university professor examines Israel’s insatiable thirst for wars in the Middle East and gives reasons why Iran is insisting on a durable peace deal rather than accepting a ceasefire agreement in the war that Israel and the U.S. have launched against it.

Qalibaf warns global oil traders against 'House of Cards' pricing

TEHRAN- Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf has cautioned global oil market participants against relying on unreliable "vibe-trading digital oil," urging them instead to focus on real physical oil transactions.