By Afshin Majlesi

Headline-grabber footballers back home - What happened in Australia?

TEHRAN - After more than a week of intense debate and widespread international media attention, Iranian female footballers have finally returned home from Australia, bringing an end to a wave of speculation and conflicting reports.

Giant tanker forced to back down as Iran successfully maintains control of Hormuz Strait

TEHRAN - A 160,000-ton oil tanker sailing under a Barbados flag was forced to retreat from the Strait of Hormuz this week after attempting to challenge Iran's transit restrictions, in what the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) called a clear demonstration that Tehran's control over the strategic waterway remains absolute and uncontested.

Trump feigns ignorance after Iran retaliates for strikes on its energy infrastructure

TEHRAN - U.S. President Donald Trump sought to distance himself from responsibility after Iran followed through on its warning that any attack on its energy infrastructure during the ongoing war would be met with strikes on regional energy assets in which the United States holds shares or interests.

IRGC vows to uphold legacy of martyred Basij commander

TEHRAN - The commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) released a statement on Thursday honoring the life of the martyred head of the Basij force, describing him as a true product of the Islamic Revolution whose legacy will continue to guide future generations.

First on record: Iran strikes US F-35 stealth jet in historic attack, releases footage

TEHRAN — Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Thursday that its air defense systems successfully struck and seriously damaged a U.S. Air Force F-35 stealth fighter jet in the skies over central Iran. The incident marks the first time a fifth-generation stealth aircraft has been hit by enemy fire in combat.

Moscow calls for creation of 'safety island' around Bushehr nuclear site as projectile hits it

‘If an incident happens to the plant, it would affect large number of regional countries’

A senior Russian official called on Thursday for the creation of a safety zone around the Russian-built Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran to prevent a major disaster, two days after a projectile struck within several hundred meters of its reactor.

Bushehr nuclear facility targeted: IAEA chief

Russia condemns ‘utterly unacceptable’ attack on inner perimeter of nuclear plant

TEHRAN - Rafael Grossi, the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said on Wednesday that the Agency has received information from Iran and Russia that the Bushehr nuclear power plant had been hit by a drone.

French ambassador: US war on Iran was ‘pushed by Israel’

‘War on Iran began while talks showed signs of progress’

TEHRAN - France believes the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran is unjustified and unlawful, the French ambassador to Oman has told Middle East Eye in an exclusive interview.

104 public libraries to remain open during Nowruz holidays amid Zionist-U.S. aggression

TEHRAN- Iran Public Libraries Foundation has announced that 104 public libraries across the country will remain operational throughout the Nowruz holidays amid the ongoing conflict and recent U.S.-Zionist strikes against Iranian soil.

Russia's president condoles with Iran's Leader over Larijani's martyrdom

TEHRAN- Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a letter of condolence to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei over the martyrdom of Iran's top security official during unprovoked American-Israeli aggression.

Condolences and condemnations pour in after Larijani's martyrdom

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei calls Larijani a leading scholar and insightful figure

TEHRAN — Responding to the assassination of Ali Larijani, a towering figure in Iranian politics and the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Iranian officials, statesmen, politicians and regional allies have expressed profound grief, condemned the attack as an act of terrorism, and reaffirmed their resolve to continue the path of resistance against Israel and the U.S. as the aggressors.

Iran defies enemy’s ‘decapitation’ strategy

TEHRAN – Despite a relentless, campaign of targeted assassinations conducted by the United States and Israel, Iran has successfully resisted what strategists in Washington and Tel Aviv believe would led to a swift collapse of the government.

Iran Digital empowering 200,000 students in AI sector

TEHRAN – Following the development of Iran Digital, a national program which aims to teach artificial intelligence (AI) to four million students free of charge, the ministry of education started teaching AI to 200,000 students on Monday.

Massive public funeral bids farewell to Iran’s security chief, Basij chief, and Dena victims

TEHRAN – Hundreds of thousands of residents of Tehran gathered in the capital’s main squares, defying ongoing U.S. and Israeli bombardment, to attend a funeral ceremony for Iran’s Security Chief Ali Larijani, Basij commander Brigadier General Gholamreza Soleimani, and the victims of an unlawful U.S. attack on Iran’s Dena destroyer in the Indian Ocean.

Iran poised to respond to US-Israeli strikes on energy infrastructure

TEHRAN – Iran is preparing to retaliate against a U.S.-Israeli attack that struck parts of its refining facilities in the southern port city of Asaluyeh on Wednesday morning. The targeted installations process a significant portion of natural gas extracted from South Pars, the world’s largest gas field, located on the maritime border between Iran and Qatar in the Persian Gulf.