Tehran Times

2026-01-24 20:45
By Saleh Abidi Maleki

No anxiety in Tehran as commanders declare readiness for war

Top officials express confidence that US aggression failed once—and will fail again, this time at a much heavier cost

TEHRAN – Iran’s top military officials looked relaxed and in high spirits as they gathered for an annual meeting marking National Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Day. Speaking to an IRIB reporter who managed to gain access to the gathering, the commanders commented on the growing prospects of another war with the United States with visible confidence.

Trump’s ‘support for Iranians’ masks economic warfare and narrative manipulation: Senior analyst

Elija J. Magnier argues US strategy weaponizes dissent while sanctions intensify civilian hardship

TEHRAN- In an interview with the Tehran Times, veteran war correspondent and geopolitical analyst Elijah J. Magnier delivers a rigorous and unflinching analysis of U.S. and Israeli pressure tactics against Iran, situating them within a long-standing architecture of coercion, narrative warfare, and regional destabilisation.
By Xavier Villar

Power in Iran: A realist analysis by John Mearsheimer

TEHRAN - The protests recorded in Iran at the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026 have primarily been interpreted as the expression of accumulated economic and social tensions. This reading, focused on domestic factors, identifies real elements, such as persistent inflationary pressure. In many analyses, these factors appear sufficient to explain both the scale of the mobilizations and the subsequent response by the authorities.
By Fatemeh Kavand

Iran’s response will open the gates of hell

TEHRAN - In a report by Axios correspondent Barak Ravid, it is stated that despite announcing military readiness to attack Iran, Donald Trump abruptly canceled the strike in the final hours of Wednesday as a result of pressure from his regional allies.
By staff writer

A state in protest: Is Minnesota becoming the fault line of US immigration policy?

TEHRAN — Recent events in the US state of Minnesota have exposed the deep tensions created by President Donald Trump’s immigration strategy. The mass protests on Friday, the widespread business shutdowns, and the willingness of thousands to gather in dangerous cold weather show a community reacting forcefully to a federal operation it sees as excessive and harmful.
Iran moving quickly to fix security gaps: Interior official

TEHRAN – Following a year marked by a direct military confrontation with the United States and a subsequent wave of foreign-backed riots, a senior Iranian official expressed confidence in the Islamic Republic’s security apparatus this week, promising that the country is moving quickly to seal gaps exploited by its adversaries.

Politics

Leader’s representatives visit individuals disabled during 1980-88 war, recent riots

TEHRAN - Over a dozen delegations representing Islamic Revolution Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei have visited disabled war veterans who sustained injuries during the eight-year Iraqi war on Iran in the 1980s.
Iran rejects Western-backed UN mandates as ‘human rights weaponization’ for political gain

TEHRAN – Iran has formally rejected a resolution adopted in the 39th Special Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Saturday, denouncing the move as a “blatantly politicized action.”
US, Israel hatched ‘false-flag killings’ plot to stir unrest in Iran: top MP

TEHRAN - A senior Iranian parliamentarian says the US and the Israeli regime were pursuing a policy of “false-flag killings” during the recent riots in Iran.

Sports

Iran to play Cameroon in friendly

TEHRAN - Iran’s national football team will step up their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a high-profile friendly against Cameroon on March 30 in Istanbul.
Iran's U23 football crisis: A cycle of failure and fading Olympic dreams

TEHRAN - Iran's U23 national football team have hit a new, embarrassing low. Their recent exit from the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia was not just a disappointment; it was a systemic failure that exposes deep-rooted problems within Iranian football's youth development structure.
Persepolis reach agreement with Farzin Moamelegari: PGPL

TEHRAN – Persepolis football club have reached an agreement to sign Shams Azar left-back Farzin Moamelegari, strengthening their defensive lineup as they push for the 2025/26 Persian Gulf Professional League (PGPL) title.

Culture

TV animated series focusing on martyr Qassem Soleimani’s childhood

TEHRAN – The animated TV series “Qassem,” which focuses on the eventful childhood of martyr Qassem Soleimani, has been recently aired on Pooya TV Channel, a children's Television channel at the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.
Iranian documentary “Cutting Through Rocks” nominated at 98th Academy Awards

TEHRAN – The feature documentary “Cutting Through Rocks” directed by Iranian filmmakers Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni, a coproduction of Iran, Germany, the U.S., Qatar, the Netherlands, Chile, and Canada, has been nominated for the 98th Academy Awards.
“The Conjuring: Last Rites” hits silver screens in Tehran

TEHRAN- American filmmaker Michael Chaves’ movie “The Conjuring: Last Rites” is currently showing in theaters across Tehran.

Economy

Iran road transit holds at 12.4m tons despite disruptions

TEHRAN – Iran recorded 12.44 million tons of road transit cargo in the first nine months of the current Iranian year (march-December, 2025), maintaining volumes broadly in line with last year despite regional tensions and infrastructure incidents, a senior transport official said.
Iran to host pavilion at Afghanistan construction industry fair

TEHRAN – Iran has approved the organization of a national pavilion at the Afghanistan International Specialized Construction Industry Exhibition, scheduled to be held in Kabul in February 2026, the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran (TPO) said.
Customs clearance eased after FX reform, says trade official

TEHRAN – Iran has eased logistics and customs procedures for essential goods, raw materials and production equipment following the unification of exchange rates, with no shortages reported in basic supplies, a senior trade official said.

Society

Over 100 Iranian universities in THE WUR 2026 by subject

TEHRAN –The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings (WUR) 2026 has placed 101 Iranian universities among the top universities in the world in 11 subject areas, compared to 81 universities in 10 subject areas in 2025.
Foreign students required to learn Persian language prior to admission

TEHRAN – Attaining a specified score in learning the Persian language will be a key requirement for foreign students to be admitted to Iranian universities from the next academic year, which will start in fall 2026.
Prominent Iranian academicians honored

TEHRAN – The Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology held a special ceremony on Saturday to honor distinguished Iranian academicians.

Tourism

Handicraft artists from Tehran showcase works at Muscat Nights festival

TEHRAN - Handicraft artists from Tehran province have taken part in the Muscat Nights 2026 festival in Oman to present Iranian traditional arts and help expand cultural exchanges, provincial officials said.
Tribal tourism: visiting a traditional world in the modern age

TEHRAN - Tribes are a proud and living part of Iran’s civilization, and their thousands of years of experience have turned travel among them into a unique and memorable journey. In an age shaped by speed, technology, and urban life, such a tourism genre offers visitors a rare chance to encounter a way of living that remains closely connected to nature.
Yazd, a warm refuge of history in winter

TEHRAN - Yazd, a UNESCO-listed adobe city, is not merely a winter destination but a refuge, where the ingenuity of ancient architecture tames the cold and preserves the warmth of the sun within its earthen walls.

International

A state in protest: Is Minnesota becoming the fault line of US immigration policy?

TEHRAN — Recent events in the US state of Minnesota have exposed the deep tensions created by President Donald Trump’s immigration strategy. The mass protests on Friday, the widespread business shutdowns, and the willingness of thousands to gather in dangerous cold weather show a community reacting forcefully to a federal operation it sees as excessive and harmful.
What Palestinians endure in Gaza amid Israel’s continued demolition and siege

TEHRAN — Palestinians in Gaza are hoping for real changes that could ease their suffering and help them survive the harsh reality they face.
The US and Lebanon’s trilateral trap

BEIRUT — The United States is intensifying pressure on Lebanon to abandon the existing military “mechanism” overseeing the southern front and move instead toward a Washington-sponsored trilateral committee that would pave the way for political-security arrangements with Israel.