Araghchi: Oman deal doesn't mean Hormuz reopening

🔹Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed that Monday's Muscat meeting will focus on a new maritime route in the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran sharing details of its Oman agreement and maps with participants.

🔹"The agreement with Oman does not mean the Strait is reopening. Iran's condition is the US returning to its commitments under the Islamabad MoU," he stressed.

🔹Araghchi said regional security is the sole responsibility of regional states, hoping the talks pave the way for future consultations.

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Iran Accuses IAEA Chief of Enabling Attacks

Defense chief: We place no value on enemy threats

🔹Acting Defense Minister Brigadier General Ibn al-Reza said repeated enemy threats show "the paralysis of the enemy's intelligence apparatus."

🔹"Iran should not be spoken to with threats. We place no operational value on them—they are political messages, not backed by real military capability."

🔹He affirmed Iran has never been a threat to neighbors, and said with "high confidence" that any future war would see Iran fight "far more powerful and technologically advanced."

🔹"Today's Iran is stronger, more united, and more awake than at any point in its history."

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A different way to travel: Azadeh Abedinzadeh explains regenerative tourism

Tourism expert Azadeh Abedinzadeh explains regenerative tourism—going beyond sustainability to actively restore places and empower communities. In Soheili Village on Qeshm Island, locals protect mangroves, involve tourists in planting seedlings, and create eco-lodges. Iran now has five UN Best Tourism Villages, each offering authentic cultural and environmental experiences. The key, she says, is education and community participation.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/529975/A-different-way-to-travel-Azadeh-Abedinzadeh-explains

New cartoon by Yemeni artist Kamal Sharaf on the Mecca Defense Pact's role in recent events

FM Araghchi: Oman understanding not enough to reopen Hormuz

Iran's foreign minister says the Strait of Hormuz will only reopen once the US honors the June MoU and ends its blockade. Iran and Persian Gulf states meet in Muscat on Monday to discuss a new regional maritime security framework. Araqchi stressed that Gulf security must be managed by regional actors, not foreign powers—echoing Qatar's call for "self-sufficiency."

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/529981/FM-Araqchi-Oman-understanding-not-enough-to-reopen-Hormuz

Hormuz Strait and Bab al-Mandab: Two strategic chokepoints

The link between Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab forms a potential geo-economic deterrence system from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea. As Ansarallah advances along Yemen's coast, control over these chokepoints—or even the threat of disruption—raises insurance costs and reshapes trade. This marks a shift from Brzezinski's "arc of crisis" to an "arc of strategic chokepoints," where military superiority alone no longer guarantees control.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/529990/Hormuz-Strait-and-Bab-al-Mandab-Two-strategic-chokepoints

Ghalibaf: The Simpsons' prediction came true; US fuel hits $9.99

🔹Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf reacted to a Bloomberg report that fuel prices reached $9.99 at a gas station in San Diego, California—sharing a video from the famous American animated series "The Simpsons."

🔹Bloomberg reported that station signs no longer have space to display higher figures, as US fuel prices surge amid the economic fallout from the war on Iran.

The arithmetic of US decline

US Patriot interceptor stocks have fallen to roughly one third, THAAD to half, and the Precision Strike Missile to as low as 10%. The USS Abraham Lincoln limped into port after 286 days at sea, and Iran captured an intact US underwater drone near Hormuz. The analysis argues Washington has the arsenal, but Tehran holds the map—and endurance, not firepower, now decides the outcome.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/529989/The-arithmetic-of-US-decline

International Painting Competition Sorena to focus on Minab martyred children

The Sorena painting competition, themed "Iran through the eyes of children," was launched in Tehran to honor the 168 children martyred at Minab's Shajareh Tayyebeh school on February 28. Organizers say art can globalize this US crime and preserve its narrative. Selected works will be exhibited internationally. The competition includes cash and cultural prizes, judged by the Art Bureau for Children and Adolescents.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/529964/International-Painting-Competition-Sorena-to-focus-on-Minab-martyred

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“I Want My Music to Carry a Message of Iranian Unity and World Peace,” says conductor Paniz Faryousefi 🎻🕊️

Amid Iran’s grief and upheaval over the past year following US and Israeli aggression, conductor Paniz Faryousefi has turned to music to express collective sorrow while offering hope and solidarity. In November 2025, she became the first woman since the Islamic Revolution to officially conduct the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, later shaping a Vivo Orchestra concert around Iranian works. 🇮🇷🎼

56 cities, 35 villages on Iran's national list for handicraft hubs

Iran has registered 56 cities and 35 villages as national handicrafts centers, adding 18 in two years. Yazd became a World Craft City for jewelry, and Na'in's aba-weaving earned WIPO geographical indication. The sector added over 180,000 workers, revived 66 endangered crafts, and now supports 623,000 artisans—over 80% of them women.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/530016/56-cities-35-villages-on-Iran-s-national-list-for-handicraft

Grossi’s toxic legacy: Greenlighting aggression, smearing Iran

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi’s tenure has left a deeply controversial legacy, marked by what critics describe as politicized reporting and growing alignment with Western pressure on Iran. His approach to Iran’s nuclear program, they argue, has helped create a narrative used to justify aggression while undermining the agency’s credibility as an impartial international body. The article examines Grossi’s role in escalating tensions, his statements on Iran’s nuclear activities, and the broader consequences for international nuclear diplomacy. It argues that the IAEA’s credibility risks being further damaged by selective assessments and politically driven narratives.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/530020/Grossi-s-toxic-legacy-Greenlighting-aggression-smearing-Iran