Esteghlal into AFC Champions League Two 2025/26 Round of 16

TEHRAN - Esteghlal made their way into the Round of 16 with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Al Muharraq in their final AFC Champions League Two 2025/26 Group A tie on Wednesday.

Torsten Letser’s “The Little Prince of Denmark” on stage at Arasbaran Cultural Center

TEHRAN – Arasbaran Cultural Center in Tehran is hosting the play “The Little Prince of Denmark” written by Swedish playwright Torsten Letser and translated into Persian by Nasser Hosseini-Mehr. 

Iranian Artists Forum to review Mehrjui’s “The Tenants”

TEHRAN – The third session of the “Film Studies” program, focusing on “The Tenants” directed by the late filmmaker Dariush Mehrjui, will be held at the Iranian Artists Forum in Tehran on Thursday.

Fajr Anthem Festival kicks off in Tehran

TEHRAN- The 3rd edition of the Fajr National Anthem Festival opened in Tehran on Wednesday, featuring a several performances by selected groups of chorus singers.

“The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender” at Iranian bookstores 

TEHRAN- “The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender” by Canadian writer Leslye Walton has been published in Persian.

TEHRAN PAPERS

Missile drill in Tehran, panic in Tel Aviv

TEHRAN - Vatan-e-Emrooz analyzed Iran’s large-scale missile maneuver on Monday.

Two smuggling vessels carrying narcotics, fuel intercepted in southeast Iran

TEHRAN – Iranian border guards have seized two large fishing vessels off the coast of Chabahar carrying a significant quantity of narcotics and smuggled fuel, authorities said on Tuesday.

Tehran sends sympathy message after fatal plane crash kills Libyan army chief

TEHRAN – Iran has extended its condolences to Libya following the death of the country’s army chief in a fatal plane crash near Ankara.

Iran questions US definition of ‘diplomacy’ after envoy’s ironic remarks at UNSC

TEHRAN – About ten hours after a UNSC session on Iran’s nuclear program concluded on Tuesday, as morning broke in Tehran, Iranian officials began to publicly react to remarks put forth by the U.S. during the meeting. Their reactions signaled that no one in Tehran trusts American pronouncements about diplomacy anymore.

‘Maritime piracy in Caribbean’, Iranian MPs condemn US military actions near Venezuela

TEHRAN – A group of 150 Iranian lawmakers has issued a strong condemnation of recent U.S. actions in the Caribbean, including the interception and pursuit of oil tankers, calling them acts of maritime piracy and a significant threat to regional stability.

No rules, no inspections until legal clarity from IAEA: Iran nuclear chief

TEHRAN – Iran’s senior nuclear official has clarified that the nation will not entertain illegitimate demands for the inspection of its nuclear facilities damaged in acts of foreign aggression. 

Expert warns crisis in West Asia will worsen in 2026 without policy shifts

‘2025 has exposed dangers of unilateralism, militarized regional strategies and maximalist ideological projects’

TEHRAN - A Princeton University researcher says 2026 may bring “deeper instability” at a great cost to the Middle East and United States if UN resolutions are not enacted, a regional security mechanism is not established, and the US and Iran don’t enter comprehensive dialogue.

Algeria declares French colonization a crime, demands reparations

Algeria’s parliament unanimously approved a law on Wednesday declaring France’s colonization of the country a crime and demanded an apology and reparations, the Guardian reported. 

By Ranjan Solomon

Europe’s moral collapse: Ukraine, NATO, and death of a civilization

The real tragedy of Europe is not that it makes mistakes, but that it refuses to learn from them

GOA - The European Union today presents itself as a defender of democracy, human rights, and international law. Yet nowhere is the hollowness of this claim more exposed than in Ukraine. The EU’s uncritical embrace of Volodymyr Zelensky—while condemning leaders like Nicolás Maduro as dictators - reveals not a principled commitment to democracy, but a selective morality rooted in power, obedience, and geopolitical convenience.

Recorders recovered after Turkey plane crash that killed Libyan military officials

Search teams in Turkey on Wednesday recovered the cockpit voice and flight data recorders from a jet crash that killed eight people, including western Libya’s military chief, while efforts to retrieve the victims’ remains were still underway, Turkey’s interior minister said.

Former Iran jujutsu champion Mansouri dies

TEHRAN – Iranian jujutsu champion Mohammad Mansouri passed away on Wednesday in Tehran after a long battle with cancer. He was 41.

Tehran, Astana seek to boost trade ties through logistics, regional cooperation

TEHRAN – Trade ties between Tehran and Astana are entering a more dynamic phase following the recent presidential visit to Kazakhstan, with both sides seeking to expand economic cooperation through logistics projects and regional partnerships, a senior trade official said.

Algeria’s infrastructure opens door for Iranian engineering services exports

TEHRAN – Algeria’s infrastructure needs offer significant opportunities for exporting technical and engineering services, making the North African country a largely untapped economic market, the head of Iran’s trade center in Algeria said, according to the Trade Promotion Organization (TPO).

Borujerd apple festival registered in tourism events calendar

TEHRAN--Borujerd apple festival in Lorestan province was registered in Iran’s tourism events calendar, said the head of the Borujerd Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department on Wednesday.

Dossiers of Ilam’s 3 natural sites under preparation for national registration

TEHRAN--Three significant natural dossiers of Ilam province are being prepared and completed with the aim of being registered in the National Heritage List, said Head of Ilam Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department Farzad Sharifi.