Tehran Times

2026-01-21 21:01
From ‘dirty work’ to ‘great things’: How Europe became America’s lackey

By Saleh Abidi Maleki

TEHRAN – “Do you still believe that by helping the United States commit its crimes we will be safe?” Irene Montero, Spain’s representative in the European Parliament, asked her colleagues this week. It was not a rhetorical flourish so much as an indictment.
- The price of irrelevance: Europe and the costs of its geopolitical followership
- Europe, Iran, and the loss of diplomatic autonomy

3,117 people were killed in recent riots in Iran: official announcement

TEHRAN – The Legal Medicine Organization released a report on Wednesday evening announcing that 3,117 people were killed in the recent violent protests in Iran.
By Xavier Villar

Beyond Trump: The structural roots of the conflict with Iran

MADRID - Across much of the coverage of the latest escalation between the United States and Iran, a reassuringly simple explanation has taken hold. The problem, it is suggested, has a proper name. Donald J. Trump, with his confrontational style, his contempt for multilateral agreements and his preference for displays of force, is portrayed as the primary figure responsible for pushing the bilateral relationship to the edge of the abyss.
The legal accountability of a brazen interference: US must be held accountable

By Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, Iranian Foreign Minister

Recent organized terrorist operations carried out in line with and following the imposed 12-Day war against the Islamic Republic of Iran have once again revealed the true nature of the United States' behavior toward Iran. However, beyond this, a fundamental question arises in the realm of international relations: Can governments continue to openly interfere in the internal affairs of other countries without paying a price?
By Fatemeh Kavand

A Pahlavi souvenir in the final clash inside the Western think tank

TEHRAN - The main project of the expatriates and the Western–Hebrew think tank behind the recent unrest in Iran, from its very beginning on Dey 18 (January 8), was not merely to create disorder and insecurity, but rather to wait for feedback on the level of violence and to increase the number of casualties.
By staff writer

Fox in the henhouse: Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ lets Bibi off the leash

TEHRAN — The decision to include Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a so-called U.S.-led “Board of Peace” for Gaza highlights the deep incoherence of Washington’s approach to Israel’s war against the enclave and its aftermath.

Politics

People’s demands should be addressed: Pezeshkian

TEHRAN - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called on the country’s Supreme National Security Council to work out proper methods to prioritize and address people’s demands and protests.
Armed forces in high spirits and quite ready to defend Iran: IRGC deputy chief

TEHRAN – Iran's armed forces are prepared for any confrontation following military threats by the United States, Ahmad Vahidi, deputy head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has said.
US treasury chief admits sanctions intended to fuel unrest in Iran

TEHRAN – U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has openly acknowledged the role of American sanctions in destabilizing Iran’s economy and fueling public unrest, describing the sanctions as a form of “economic statecraft” that had contributed to recent riots in Iran.

Sports

Persepolis beat Sepahan to move top of 2025/26 PGPL

TEHRAN – Persepolis football team defeated Sepahan 2-1 in matchweek 17 of Iran’s Persian Gulf Pro League (PGPL) on Friday.
Hossein Khanzadeh joins Al Arabi of Qatar

TEHRAN – Poriya Hossein Khanzadeh, Iran’s young talented outside hitter, has joined Al Arabi of Qatar.
Iran beat India in 2026 Asian Handball Championship

TEHRAN – Iran defeated India 39-16 in Group IV of the 2026 Asian Handball Championship on Thursday.

Culture

Ammar Popular Film Festival kicks off in Tehran

TEHRAN- The 16th edition of the Ammar Popular Film Festival kicked off in Tehran on Thursday, during a ceremony attended by the families of martyrs, media figures, artists, and a diverse public audience.
Jihad Square mural depicting Ferdowsi’s line on love of homeland

TEHRAN – A new mural at Jihad Square in Tehran was unveiled on Thursday, showing the great Persian poet Ferdowsi along with one of his most famous verses in the legendary Persian epic “Shahnameh” (Book of Kings).
“The Displacements” appears at Iranian bookstores

TEHRAN- “The Displacements” by American writer Bruce Holsinger has been published in Persian.

Economy

Major infrastructure projects inaugurated in Chabahar Port

TEHRAN – Iranian Transport and Urban Development Minister Farzaneh Sadegh inaugurated and ordered the beginning of 14 major infrastructure and equipment projects worth 98 trillion rials (about $196 million) in Chabahar Port on Thursday.
Installed capacity of Iran’s renewable power plants exceeds 3,700 MW

TEHRAN - The head of Iran's Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization (SATBA) said the installed capacity of the country's renewable power plants has exceeded 3,700 megawatts.
Iran-Algeria trade increases by 5 folds in 8 months yr/yr

TEHRAN- The value of trade between Iran and Algeria rose by five folds during the first eight months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-November 21, 2025), as compared to the same period of time in the past year, according to the head of Iran Trade Center in Algeria.

Society

‘Transportation renewal best way to address air pollution’

TEHRAN – Shina Ansari, the head of the Department of Environment (DOE), has said that the aging transportation fleet is a major source of air pollution in the country, so renewing the transportation system is the best way to deal with the problem.
IRCS rescues over 7,000 people from snowstorm

TEHRAN – Over the past three days, the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) has provided rescue services to 7,738 people affected by floods and snow blizzards in the country.
Over 1200 cases of dengue reported in 11 months

TEHRAN – Since the beginning of the current Iranian year (March 21, 2025) till January 21, a total of 1209 cases of dengue fever have been diagnosed in the country, according to the health ministry.

Tourism

Lalejin, pottery town where clay becomes culture

TEHRAN - Lalejin is a small city in west-central Iran, near the city of Hamedan, and is widely known as the country’s main center of pottery and ceramics.
Isfahan showcases tourism potential at FITUR 2026

TEHRAN – Iran’s central province of Isfahan is presenting its tourism, cultural and historical capacities at the FITUR 2026 which is currently underway in Madrid.
Culinary tourism, an overlooked potential of South Khorasan

TEHRAN - South Khorasan province is home to a wide range of traditional foods that, despite their simplicity, reflect rich diversity and authentic flavors shaped by local climate and lifestyle. These culinary traditions offer significant but largely overlooked potential for the development of culinary tourism.

International

Fox in the henhouse: Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ lets Bibi off the leash

TEHRAN — The decision to include Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a so-called U.S.-led “Board of Peace” for Gaza highlights the deep incoherence of Washington’s approach to Israel’s war against the enclave and its aftermath.
Israeli wars deepen domestic anxiety

TEHRAN – Rather than increasing settlers’ sense of security, the Israeli regime’s aggression across the region has had the opposite effect.
Trump’s Greenland obsession turns Davos into a test of Europe’s resolve

TEHRAN — President Donald Trump’s appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday was a display of geopolitical brinkmanship, delivered with the swagger of a leader who treats alliances as leverage rather than partnerships.

By Saleh Abidi Maleki

By Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, Iranian Foreign Minister