Tehran Times

2026-08-10 20:04
By Garsha Vazirian

The same hostage economics playbook, from Havana to Tehran to Beirut

Washington uses civilian suffering as its primary foreign policy tool

TEHRAN — The August 2026 New York Times report operates as an unclassified confession of state terror. When Israel launched its barbaric campaign of aggression on Lebanon in March, the opening salvos bypassed command centers. Warplanes targeted civilian banks, local exchange shops, and neighborhood gas stations. The architects of this aggression admit their primary objective was “Hezbollah’s money,” functionally confessing to holding the daily survival of Lebanese families hostage.

President Pezeshkian meets Leader as he marks second anniversary in office

TEHRAN — President Masoud Pezeshkian has held a detailed meeting with the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, as he begins his third year in office.
By Akram Hosseini Shabestari

16 Iranian fishermen missing for 3+ months, US helicopter last seen overhead

TEHRAN- A warm wind blows from the coast of Konarak toward the sea, but at the city's fishing port, the familiar excitement of returning fishing boats has disappeared. More than three months have passed since the day the fishing vessel Shahin 2, carrying 17 fishermen, disappeared in waters near Oman. The incident remains without a clear explanation, leaving dozens of women, men and children waiting for news of their loved ones.
Araghchi: Iran will neither forgive nor forget assassination of Leader

TEHRAN- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran would neither forgive nor forget the assassination of the country’s Leader, vowing that Tehran would continue to stand firm in defense of its independence and national dignity despite mounting pressure.
By Garsha Vazirian

The sealed watermelon of the Mecca Agreement

TEHRAN — Three leaders signed a promise inside Al-Safa Palace on Friday: an armed attack on Saudi Arabia, Turkey or Pakistan will be treated as an attack on all three. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan compared the clause to NATO’s Article 5. The full text stays sealed, unread outside the rooms where it was drafted. Persian has a phrase for exactly this situation: a watermelon still in its rind, “Hendevaneh-ye dar basteh.”
By staff writer

Yemeni forces attack Saudi Aramco oil facility

TEHRAN – The Yemeni Armed Forces have announced that they targeted a Saudi oil refinery in response to the violation of Yemeni airspace.

Politics

IRGC: US has accepted defeat in Iran war as Hormuz becomes ‘Geography of Battle’

TEHRAN— The United States has been forced to abandon its original objectives in the war against Iran and has effectively accepted defeat, Iranian Revolution Guard Corps spokesman Brig. Gen. Hossein Mohebbi said Sunday, describing the Strait of Hormuz as a new “geography of battle” that Tehran will continue to hold until Washington accepts Iran’s conditions.
Inside the USS Abraham Lincoln: Exhaustion, breakdown, and the cost of US power

TEHRAN - Reports from family members of sailors and Marines aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln point to a crisis far deeper than routine maintenance problems.
Iran sets six conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz

TEHRAN —Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr has set out six conditions for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, saying the strategic waterway will remain closed until the United States changes its hostile conduct toward Iran.

Sports

Women’s volleyball fixtures for 2026 AVC Continental Championship revealed

TEHRAN - Iran’s women’s national volleyball team will open their campaign at the 2026 AVC Women's Volleyball Continental Championship against Chinese Taipei before facing hosts China and Iraq in the preliminary round.
Iran targets 2026 Asian Para Games success, Koohpayehzadeh says

TEHRAN – Jalil Koohpayehzadeh, head of Iran's Sports Federation for the Disabled, says the 2026 Asian Para Games are a matter of national pride, with Iran determined to defend its runner-up finish from the Hangzhou edition.
Jahanbakhsh joins Dutch Eredivisie side Excelsior

TEHRAN - Iran national football team winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh has returned to the Netherlands after one season in Belgium, completing a move to Excelsior in the Eredivisie.

Culture

Iran highlights culture as key to peace at BRICS Culture Ministers’ Meeting

TEHRAN- Iranian Deputy Culture Minister for Cultural Affairs Mohsen Javadi has stressed the pivotal role of culture in promoting peace, stability and closer ties among nations, saying it can serve as a common language for addressing global challenges.
Mani Haghighi’s documentary to premiere at 64th New York Film Festival

TEHRAN – The New York Film Festival (NYFF) has announced the 32-film main slate for its 64th edition, anchored by four world premieres, including the new documentary feature from Iranian filmmaker Mani Haghighi.
Mobarak Puppet Theater Festival opens with works dedicated to Gaza journalists, Minab children

TEHRAN- The 21st Tehran-Mobarak International Puppet Theater Festival officially opened in Tehran on Friday, bringing together artists and puppetry enthusiasts for an event highlighting the power of puppetry to address contemporary social and humanitarian issues.

Economy

New roadmap developed for Iran-Pakistan logistics cooperation

TEHRAN- The Vice-Chairman of the Transportation, Transit, and Logistics Committee of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, while outlining the achievements of the Iranian economic delegation's trip to Pakistan, stated that a new roadmap for Iran-Pakistan logistics cooperation was developed during this visit, with the expansion of transit and trade placed at the center of negotiations.
Iran, Uzbekistan discuss removing barriers to bilateral trade

TEHRAN- Samad Hassanzadeh, the head of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, spoke at a meeting with the Uzbek ambassador in Tehran about the importance of facilitating and expediting the transit of Iranian goods through Uzbekistan. He stated: "One of the serious requests from the Uzbek side is the visa waiver and facilitation of travel between the two countries, especially for Iranian traders."
South Pars to be prepared before cold season

TEHRAN- Simultaneously with the continued production on South Pars platforms, reconstruction operations at the damaged refineries are underway with accelerated speed, aimed at restoring lost capacity and preparing the country's gas network for the cold season.

Society

Wildfires across protected areas drop by 88% year on year

TEHRAN - A total of 1,645 hectares of land within the country’s protected environmental areas were affected by wildfires since the beginning of the current Iranian year (March 21) and July 6, marking an 88% decrease compared with the same period last year.
Welfare Organization, UNFPA underline shared commitment to strengthening local communities

TEHRAN – State Welfare Organization and the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) have highlighted their shared commitment to strengthening local communities through participatory and community-driven models.
NamiRa: Iranian-developed manually curated microRNA database on cancers

TEHRAN – Iranian researchers at Royan Institute, in collaboration with researchers from Germany’s University of Duisburg-Essen, have developed namiRa (meaning “immortal” in Persian), a comprehensive and specialized database that serves as a valuable scientific infrastructure that facilitates the identification of novel cancer biomarkers, accelerates the discovery of therapeutic targets, and supports the design of future cancer research.

Tourism

Safeguarding Iran, its values is shared national responsibility: tourism minister

TEHRAN – Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri has identified safeguarding Iran and its values, protecting people’s security and livelihoods, and preserving the political system as three key priorities amid what he described as a “historic turning point.”
Iranian actor calls for artists to become cultural ambassadors for tourism

TEHRAN – Veteran Iranian actor and cultural heritage advocate Majid Mozaffari has called for greater use of the country’s artistic and cultural figures to promote Iran’s cultural heritage, historical and natural attractions and handicrafts to domestic and international audiences.
Restoration of historical alleyways begins in Abarkuh

TEHRAN - Restoration and rehabilitation of alleyways and urban spaces in the historical district of Abarkuh has begun under a cooperation agreement between the local Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department and Abarkuh Municipality, an official said.

International

The sealed watermelon of the Mecca Agreement

TEHRAN — Three leaders signed a promise inside Al-Safa Palace on Friday: an armed attack on Saudi Arabia, Turkey or Pakistan will be treated as an attack on all three. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan compared the clause to NATO’s Article 5. The full text stays sealed, unread outside the rooms where it was drafted. Persian has a phrase for exactly this situation: a watermelon still in its rind, “Hendevaneh-ye dar basteh.”
Yemeni forces attack Saudi Aramco oil facility

TEHRAN – The Yemeni Armed Forces have announced that they targeted a Saudi oil refinery in response to the violation of Yemeni airspace.
The war united the nation in defending Iran

LONDON — Relying on divisions within Iran to bring about a coup against the system is merely an illusion. The war against Iran united the people's position more than ever. Before the war, the vertical division was based on the impact of the sanctions on the economic situation, which potentially led to great inflation.

Washington uses civilian suffering as its primary foreign policy tool