Tehran Times

2026-04-21 21:48
By Shahrokh Saei

Talking to pirates is neither wise nor productive

Iran says it holds the 'upper hand' and will not allow the US to turn negotiations into a ‘surrender table’

TEHRAN - Iran has reiterated its position that it will not hold negotiations with the United States under coercion or pressure as President Donald Trump intensifies military threats against Tehran.
- US shifts goalposts as Iran stands unyielding
- Iran condemns US seizure of Touska vessel as “a terrorist act”

The components of “a strong Iran”

TEHRAN - A professor of history says having efficient, intelligent, and predictable governance structures plays a decisive role in strengthening the concept of “a strong Iran”.
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.
Iran vows appropriate response to US-Israel military ‘adventurism’

TEHRAN – Iran has intensified its criticism of the United States’ approach to diplomacy, warning that continued inconsistencies and “bad faith” actions by Washington could provoke a decisive response, while also raising new concerns over regional security, maritime incidents, and the credibility of ongoing mediation efforts.
US shifts goalposts as Iran stands unyielding

Tehran conditions its participation in fresh talks with Washington in Islamabad on the lifting of the US naval blockade

TEHRAN — Iran has adopted a firm stance as the deadline of a fragile two-week ceasefire with the US looms amid Washington's breach of the truce.
By Xavier Villar

Iran and the demonstration of power

MADRID - When observers in Manchuria relayed news of Russia's defeat at the hands of Japan in 1904, the event was registered not merely as a regional upset but as a systemic transformation. Japan had entered the ranks of the great powers not through proclamation but through performance. This remains the only reliable criterion. Great powers are not declared; they are demonstrated.

Politics

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.
Pezeshkian: We aim to end the war with dignity and wisdom

TEHRAN- President Masoud Pezeshkian has emphasized the need for wise management of the current situation, stating that Iran is striving to overcome this difficult period with dignity, wisdom, and in Iran's goodwill, while planning for post-war reconstruction with the support of the Iranian people.
‘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.

Sports

Sanya 2026: Iran beach handball start on high

TEHRAN - Iran’s national beach handball team launched their campaign at the 6th Asian Beach Games with a commanding performance, defeating the Philippines 2-0 on Tuesday.
Minister: Iran’s World Cup presence not guaranteed

TEHRAN – In a development that could significantly alter Iran’s football landscape, Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali announced that the national football team’s participation in the upcoming World Cup may not be a certainty.
Iran prepare for World Cup 2026 amid challenges and uncertainty

TEHRAN - Iran’s national football team have entered a decisive phase of preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, launching an intensive training program shaped by both sporting ambitions and extraordinary circumstances.

Culture

Iranian artists vow to rebuild Iran in solidarity with war-affected children

TEHRAN- A coalition of prominent Iranian cinema, theater, and music personalities gathered in Tehran on Saturday to host a solidarity event for children and families affected by the recent Ramadan War, vowing to rebuild a more beautiful Iran.
200 short documentaries produced about Ramadan War

TEHRAN – Mohsen Eslamzadeh, one of the project managers for a documentary series about the war, has announced the production of 200 short documentaries about the 40-day war that was imposed om Iran by the US and Israel.
New cinemas to be inaugurated in eight cities

TEHRAN – Eight cinemas are to be inaugurated soon in cities across Iran, which lacked movie theaters.

Economy

Strait of Hormuz crisis: A looming food security time bomb

TEHRAN- The world is holding its breath. With the escalation of the US-Israeli war on Iran, the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway through which a fifth of global oil passes, has effectively been closed. While the immediate crisis is measured in halted tankers and rising energy prices, the United Nations warns that the real detonation will be a "food security time bomb" felt not just at gas pumps, but in supermarket aisles worldwide.
‘Petro-Yuan’: A silent earthquake in global economy

TEHRAN- Simultaneously with the escalation of geopolitical tensions in the Persian Gulf and the halt of vessel traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, media outlets have reported on China's decision to conclude oil contracts based on the Yuan with Persian Gulf countries, a move that analysts have interpreted as a challenge to dollar hegemony and a silent earthquake in the global economy.
Iran’s trade with ECO members rises 82% in 5 years

TEHRAN – Iran has recorded an 82 percent growth in trade with members of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) over the past five years, a senior trade official announced this week, reaffirming Iran's commitment to strengthening regional economic ties despite ongoing challenges.

Society

Families of Minab martyrs urge Pope Leo to “be the voice of their voiceless children”

TEHRAN - In a letter to Pope Leo XIV, a group of families of the students martyred by a US missile attack in the city of Minab on February 28 expressed their appreciation for the Pontiff and asked him to be the voice of their voiceless children.
Iranians call for students, teachers worldwide not to remain silent in face of US-Israeli crimes

TEHRAN – A group of Iranian students and teachers have published a letter in seven languages, calling on students and teachers around the world not to remain silent in the face of the crimes of the Zionist regime and the United States.
Girls hold gathering at Leader’s place of martyrdom

TEHRAN - A large group of girls held a gathering on Sunday evening on Keshwar Doot Street, central Tehran, where the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was martyred during a US-Israeli airstrike that targeted his office on February 28.

Tourism

Athens exhibit highlights damage to Iranian cultural sites

TEHRAN – An exhibition and expert panel held in Athens from April 14 to 16 focused on damage to Iranian cultural and historical sites, with organizers saying the event aimed to raise awareness in Europe about the issue and its broader implications.
Foreign ambassadors, media tour Tehran to inspect damage to civilian sites

TEHRAN – More than 50 foreign ambassadors and around 80 domestic and international media representatives toured parts of Tehran on Monday to inspect sites affected by recent attacks on civilian infrastructure.
Emergency restoration begins at damaged historic sites in Isfahan

TEHRAN – Emergency restoration work has begun on damaged historical monuments in Isfahan province, a provincial official said on Monday, following the US-Israeli attacks that affected dozens of heritage sites.

International

Iraq nears government formation breakthrough

TEHRAN – Iraq advances toward selecting a prime minister as political factions intensify negotiations following the presidential appointment.
The sledgehammer that crystallized Israel’s war on Christianity

TEHRAN — The image lands like a physical blow: An Israeli soldier in full uniform stands outside a family home in the Maronite Christian village of Debel, six kilometers from the border, and swings a sledgehammer straight into the head of a Jesus statue on its crucifix.
The rain fell, and the UAE’s house on sand is falling

TEHRAN — The United Arab Emirates had a defining choice to make, and it made the wrong one. For years, Abu Dhabi cast itself as the clever pragmatist of the Persian Gulf, a nimble trader that could glide above the region’s oldest fault lines.