By Wesam Bahrani 

Israel shifts focus from crises with Gaza aggression 

TEHRAN – In continued violations of the truce agreement in the Gaza Strip, Israeli occupation forces (IOF) carry out new strikes east of Gaza City and Khan Younis.

Israel hikes military service to 36 months amid ‘corruption and draft-dodging’ crisis

Israeli War Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced on 5 December a plan to extend mandatory military service to 36 months, The Cradle reported Saturday.

UNESCO registration of Zandieh complex high on agenda

TEHRAN--Considering that the registration of Zandieh complex of Shiraz on the UNESCO World Heritage list is on the agenda of Fars Cultural Heritage Department, one of its biggest problems is Aseman Hotel, which has created visual distortion in the horizon of Zandieh complex, of which Karim Khan Citadel is perhaps the most important part.

Nahavand holds first persimmon harvesting festival

TEHRAN – Nahavand in Hamedan province has held its first persimmon harvesting festival, an event aimed at promoting and reviving local traditions and showcasing the region’s cultural and social capacities.

Visitors to access Darius I’s trilingual inscription at Persepolis

TEHRAN – Visitors to Persepolis would have access to the splendid inscription of the Achaemenid King Darius I by Nowruz 1405 (March 2026). The trilingual rack-carved relief is currently being restored, local authorities said.

Sara Netanyahu’s interference in Gofman appointment triggers uproar

A political and security storm is brewing in Israel following a Channel 13 report revealing a lengthy meeting between Roman Gofman and Sara Netanyahu, just days before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Gofman’s appointment as head of the Mossad, according to Al Mayadeen’s Saturday report.

Archaeologists uncover traces of ‘7,000-year-old’ village beneath Iran’s historic Dehdasht

TEHRAN - Archaeologists in Iran have discovered evidence of a prehistoric settlement dating back up to 7,000 years beneath the historic city of Dehdasht in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, the lead researcher said on Saturday.

UN warns of sharp surge in Israeli settler attacks across West Bank in 2025

The UN warned of a surge in illegal Israeli settler attacks in the occupied West Bank, highlighting ongoing humanitarian disruptions in northern communities, Anadolu reported Saturday.

Persepolis launches new conservation program using advanced material and imaging technology

TEHRAN – Iranian restoration teams have launched a new conservation program at the UNESCO-designated Persepolis and the nearby Naqsh-e Rostam site using advanced imaging, special material, and stone-analysis technologies, officials said on Saturday.

WHO, Tehran University of Medical Sciences discuss ways to strengthen national laboratory capacities

TEHRAN – The World Health Organization (WHO) Health Emergency team and Tehran University of Medical Sciences have discussed ways to boost the capacities of the National Polio Laboratory (NPL) and the National Influenza Centre (NIC), two of Iran’s leading public health reference centres.

Iran to attend United Nations Environment Assembly

TEHRAN – An Iranian delegation led by the head of the Department of Environment (DOE), Shina Ansari, will participate in seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) which is scheduled to take place from 8 to 12 December at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, on the theme ‘Advancing sustainable solutions for a resilient planet’.

Tehran to host conference on management of technology, innovation

TEHRAN –The 15th Conference on Management of Technology and Innovation is scheduled to be held on December 10 and 11 in Tehran, with the theme ‘redefining Iran’s future based on innovation’.

Iranian, Russian companies ink MOUs to bolster ICT ties

TEHRAN – Top tech Iranian and Russian companies have signed five memoranda of understanding (MOUs) on artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity,  smart government, blockchain and fintech, regulators, technology parks, and post services, to promote cooperation in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector.

President inaugurates project to transfer seawater to central plateau

TEHRAN- The project to transfer seawater to the central plateau (spanning from Sirjan to Isfahan), which was implemented with the major support of the Mobarakeh Steel Company, was officially inaugurated by order of President Masoud Pezeshkian, on Saturday, December 6, 2025.

Iranian cinematographer Touraj Aslani will serve in jury of 3rd Amed Film Festival

TEHRAN – Iranian cinematographer Touraj Aslani will serve as a jury member at the 3rd Amed Film Festival, which will take place from December 7 to 14 in Diyarbakır, Turkey, after an eight-year hiatus.

Iranian play “I Will Become a Tree Today” wins four awards at AlDin International Festival

TEHRAN – The Iranian play “I Will Become a Tree Today” written directed by Faramarz Gholamian and produced by Mohammad Din Dashti won four awards at the 5th AlDin International Festival.

Fisheries export reach $400m in H1

TEHRAN- Hamzeh Rostampour, head of Iran Fisheries Organization (IFO) announced a 20 to 30 percent growth in fisheries production compared to the current (Iranian calendar) year's forecasts and $400 million in exports of various fisheries and aquaculture products in the first half of the year (March 21-September 21).

Iran, Iraq officials call for deeper provincial cooperation

TEHRAN – Iran’s ambassador to Baghdad and the governor of the Iraqi capital stressed the need to expand cooperation between the provinces of both countries, highlighting continued communication and the exchange of expertise as key to addressing shared challenges.

Sponge iron production increase 5% in 7 months on year

TEHRAN- The production of sponge iron in Iran rose five percent in the first seven months of the current Iranian calendar year (September 23-October 22), as compared to the same period of time in the past year, the Iranian Steel Producers Association (ISPA) announced.

Iran’s 6-month cement output stands at 31.7m tons

TEHRAN – Iran’s cement production reached 31.7 million tons in the first six months of the current year (March 21-September 22), the Cement Industry Association said.

Iran to meet Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand: 2026 FIFA World Cup

TEHRAN – Iran national football team discovered their opponents at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Putin and Modi decry Gaza humanitarian crisis during Russian president's India visit

Russia and India voiced concern over the situation in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, and called on all parties to remain committed to the “cessation of conflict,” Anadolu reported Friday.

Satellite evidence reveals mass graves and incineration pits in Sudan’s El Fasher

The Sudanese city of El Fasher resembles a “massive crime scene”, with large piles of bodies heaped throughout its streets as the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) work to destroy evidence of the scale of their massacre, The Guardian reported Friday.