✍ Mohammad Mahdi Rahmati, Tehran Times Managing Director

For Iran, Dahiyeh holds the weight of a capital

Hours after Iran accepted a US-proposed ceasefire through Pakistani mediation—explicitly including Lebanon—unprecedented Israeli airstrikes hit Dahiyeh, killing over 300 people. Netanyahu claimed the truce doesn’t cover Hezbollah. The US then denied any agreement on Lebanon, accusing Iran of “misunderstanding.”

But Iran’s position is clear: The Resistance is not a bargaining chip. The Islamic Republic does not treat Hezbollah as a disposable satellite. In Iran’s strategic doctrine, Dahiyeh holds the same importance as Tehran.

Without a binding horizon that fully addresses Lebanon’s security, Iran cannot negotiate an existential war. The US must first restrain Netanyahu’s provocations—otherwise dialogue remains a cycle of broken promises, lost opportunities, and further escalation.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/525322/For-Iran-Dahiyeh-holds-the-weight-of-a-capital

Lebanon martyr toll from Israeli aggression rises to 357 since Wednesday

🔹 Lebanon's Health Ministry announced that the total number of victims from Israeli regime aggression since March 2 has reached 1,953 martyrs and 6,303 wounded.

🔹 The ministry added that during the Israeli regime's aggression on Beirut and other areas of Lebanon from Wednesday until now, 357 people have been martyred and another 1,223 wounded.

Shehbaz Sharif: Iran and US ready for negotiations – delegations arrive in Islamabad Saturday

Pakistan's Prime Minister, ahead of Iran-US talks in Islamabad:

🔹 "I thank both sides for preparing to negotiate."

🔹 "US and Iranian delegations will be in Pakistan tomorrow (Saturday). We will do everything we can for the success of the talks."

🔹 "Field Marshal Asim Munir played a role in containing the flames of war that will always be remembered. A temporary ceasefire has been secured, but the difficult stage is achieving a complete ceasefire."

🔹 "The ceasefire is in place, and we are working toward a more advanced stage: ending the war through negotiations."

🔹 "For the success of these talks, I ask Muslims to pray that innocent lives are saved and peace is established."

🔹 "In the Persian Gulf countries, instead of war, peace will now be spoken of."

📰 The full version of the newspaper is available in the PDF file here.

Minab's martyred students – Ghalibaf's companions to Pakistan ✈️🇮🇷

🔹 Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf alibaf posted an image on X from inside an airplane, standing before the pictures of martyred students from Minab school placed on aircraft seats, and wrote:

🔹 "My fellow travelers on this flight – Minab 168."

US must accept Iran's rights: Ghalibaf

🔹 Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf , Iran's Parliament Speaker, stated ahead of the Islamabad talks that reaching an agreement is conditional upon US acceptance of Iran's rights.

🔹 "Iran has come to the Islamabad negotiations in good faith – but it has no trust in America."

🔹 "The US has not honored its previous commitments in past negotiations."

Pakistan Foreign Minister: Determined to facilitate a durable solution to end the war

🔹 Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, spoke as a high-level Iranian delegation arrived in Islamabad for talks with the United States to end the war – convened at the invitation and proposal of Pakistan's Prime Minister.

🔹 He stated that Islamabad is committed to facilitating efforts to achieve a sustainable and durable solution to end the war.

🔹 Pakistan's Foreign Minister expressed hope that both negotiating parties would engage constructively.

Iranian negotiating team's technical and expert members in Pakistan 🇮🇷🤝

🔹 Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf – Parliament Speaker – leads the Iranian delegation, joined by: 🏛️

▪️Seyyed Abbas Araghchi (Foreign Minister) 🌍

▪️Abdolnaser Hemmati (Central Bank Governor) 💰

▪️Ali Akbar Ahmadian (Defense Council member) 🛡️

🔹 Other members include:

▪️Kazem Gharibabadi (Deputy FM) 📝

▪️Esmaeil Baqaei (FM Spokesman) 🗣️

▪️Ali Bagheri Kani (SNSC Deputy for Foreign Policy) 🏢

▪️Seyyed Mahmoud Nabavian & Abolfazl Amouei (MPs) 👥

▪️Mehdi Mohammadi (Strategic Advisor to Parliament Speaker) 💡

🔹 The US delegation reportedly includes 300 people – including main negotiators, advisory committees, and a significant security and protocol contingent. 🇺🇸👮

🔹 The Iranian delegation is participating with 71 members – including main negotiators, expert teams, media, and standard protocol/security teams. 🇮🇷📰🔒

CBS News reports that Iran's destruction of costly U.S. drones, including 24 MQ-9 Reapers and a $250 million MQ-4C Triton, has raised serious questions about the survivability and cost-effectiveness of American unmanned systems.

JD Vance meets with Pakistan's Prime Minister

🔹 Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan's Prime Minister, met with JD Vance, the US Vice President, at the start of the Islamabad talks.

🔹 Sharif welcomed constructive engagement and expressed hope that the negotiations would lead to lasting peace and regional stability.

Iran, Germany foreign ministers discuss regional tensions, ceasefire efforts

🔹 Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, held a telephone conversation on Friday with Johann Wadephul, Germany’s foreign minister.

🔹 Araghchi briefed his German counterpart on the latest developments regarding the U.S. and Israeli military aggression against Iran, stressing the importance of responsible positions by all countries to safeguard international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter.

🔹 Referring to repeated U.S. breaches of commitments and crimes committed during the two imposed wars over the past year, Araghchi described Iran’s decision to accept a ceasefire as a responsible step aimed at ending the war completely, securing compensation for damages inflicted on Iran, and holding aggressors accountable. He emphasized that such a move should be appreciated by all parties.

🔹 The German foreign minister expressed support for halting the war, underscored the need to stop Israeli attacks on Lebanon, and voiced hope that upcoming negotiations would help restore peace and stability to the region.

Reuters: U.S. agrees to release part of Iran’s frozen assets

🔹 According to a report by Reuters, the United States has agreed to release part of Iran’s frozen assets.

🔹 Tehran views the move as a sign of goodwill and a step toward reaching a sustainable agreement.

🔹 No further details have yet been disclosed regarding the amount of assets to be released or the timeline for implementing the decision.

The Iranian negotiating delegation met for the second time today with Chief of the Army Staff of Pakistan in Islamabad, following their previous meeting on Friday night.