FM Araghchi warns Ukraine's opportunistic act will not go unanswered in calls with Kallas, Lavrov

🔹Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held separate phone conversations with EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Sunday, condemning Ukraine's attack on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea.

🔹"Zelensky attacked an Iranian commercial vessel and killed a sailor—a clear violation of the UN Charter, incited by Israel to drag Europe into war," Araghchi stated.

🔹"This opportunistic act by Kyiv cannot go unanswered," he stressed.

How Iran holds the key to America's defeat

Military power alone cannot achieve strategic victory—history proves this from Vietnam to Afghanistan. Iran has changed the rules of the game: asymmetric warfare, cost imposition, and the Strait of Hormuz as a strategic weapon.

Iran doesn't need to match US conventional power. It has developed a massive missile arsenal and cheap drones that threaten billion-dollar American assets. It has achieved "escalation dominance"—the ability to respond to any level of escalation with even greater costs.

The US is a distant power projecting force across thousands of miles. Its regional bases have become vulnerable targets. Iran views this war as existential and has turned geography into its most powerful weapon.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/528582/How-Iran-holds-the-key-to-America-s-defeat

Defending Hezbollah is Iran’s strategic policy

Iran’s strategic policy firmly defends Hezbollah, viewing it as an "unshakeable rock" against Zionist aggression. Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei stressed that preserving Lebanon’s territorial integrity and securing an unconditional halt to Israeli attacks are non-negotiable prerequisites of the June 17 MoU with the US. This commitment honors the path of the late Imam Seyyed Ali Khamenei and supports oppressed yet powerful fighters. Hezbollah’s steadfastness inspires free nations, with Iran’s policy rooted in strategic resistance.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/528589/Defending-Hezbollah-is-Iran-s-strategic-policy

Kuwait must be liberated from the Sabah syndicate

This opinion piece argues that Kuwait's ruling House of Sabah has become a corrupt "syndicate" that treats national wealth as personal property and has dismantled constitutional rule. It cites the 2024 suspension of parliament, mass citizenship revocations affecting over 50,000 people, and embezzlement scandals as evidence of "managed decay." The author contends that by hosting 13,500 U.S. troops, Kuwait has become a target in regional conflicts. Three post-Sabah futures are proposed: a constitutional monarchy, a technocratic republic, or a managed transition. The piece concludes that 2026 is not 1990, and liberation can come from within.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/528586/Kuwait-must-be-liberated-from-the-Sabah-syndicate

Aerial footage shows massive caravans of pilgrims walking toward Karbala

Army commander: Retribution for martyrs' blood will be exacted from enemies

🔹Brigadier General Ali Jahanshahi, Commander of the Army Ground Force, declared that the enemies of the Iranian nation must know the Armed Forces will never abandon their defense of the country and the ideals of the Islamic Revolution, resisting every aggression "until the last drop of blood" .

🔹"Retribution for the blood of this land's noble martyrs will be exacted from the enemies," he affirmed.

China: The dragon rewriting America’s strategic map

China has evolved from a rising economic power into a key strategic actor, skillfully linking economy, technology, trade, and security. Its vast economic capacity, consumer markets, and global supply chain role create interdependence that shields Beijing from direct confrontation. The Belt and Road Initiative expands geopolitical influence across Asia, Africa, and Europe, challenging U.S. dominance. While Washington intensifies containment efforts—tariffs, tech restrictions, and security alliances—China responds with strategic patience and gradual influence expansion through investment and partnerships. This rivalry is reshaping the global order from unipolar to multi-centered.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/528585/China-The-dragon-rewriting-America-s-strategic-map

Iran highlights US losses, expanded military readiness

Iran released its most comprehensive account of damage inflicted on US military assets during hostilities from July 8–22, claiming strikes on seven command centers, six Patriot radars, logistics hubs, aircraft shelters, and intelligence facilities. The IRGC reported destroying or damaging 11 fighter aircraft, 17 drones, an F-15, a P-8, a C-17, eight refueling aircraft, and multiple missile storage sites. Iranian officials said the ceasefire allowed accelerated missile production, improved precision, and integration of new air-defense systems. They warned that any country supporting US operations—including Britain or regional states—would be considered a legitimate target, and reiterated that Strait of Hormuz navigation requires Iranian framework.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/528587/Iran-highlights-US-losses-expanded-military-readiness

Historic handwritten note by martyred Leader Ayatollah Khamenei unveiled in Tehran

A handwritten note by Iran's martyred Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei, was publicly unveiled for the first time on July 26, 2026, during a ceremony commemorating wartime field hospitals. Written on July 26, 1988, during his visit as President to the Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) Field Hospital, the note praised medical staff for their "radiant manifestations of faith, knowledge and devotion" and "astonishing achievement" in saving wounded soldiers. The manuscript, rediscovered during documentary production, was unveiled at the Emdadgaran Ashura Institute. Officials at the ceremony recounted Ayatollah Khamenei's 19-hour hospital visit, his wartime insistence on frontline presence, and his role in initiating Iran's domestic missile program.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/528561/Historic-handwritten-note-by-martyred-Leader-Ayatollah-Khamenei

Foreign Ministry Spox: We will never allow US to dictate war and peace timeline

🔹Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei, in his weekly press conference, said: "We have never allowed and will never allow the US to be the determinant of the time of war and peace."

🔹"The war that was supposed to collapse Iran in three days has now, after five months, left the US trapped in a quagmire—a scandal of their own making, incited by the Zionist regime," he stated.

🔹Baghaei added that Ukraine's attack on an Iranian commercial vessel—killing a sailor—will not go unanswered. "This act is an international violation. Those who see themselves as Ukraine's supporters must be held accountable," he said.

🔹On the Strait of Hormuz, Baghaei confirmed that talks with Oman continue and the strait remains closed due to US-imposed insecurity, while dismissing claims of Iran requesting talks as "inconsistent with our nature."

🔹He also called on regional states to stop cooperating with US aggression, saying: "Countries that have placed their territories at America's service must be held accountable."

🔹Baghaei also touched on the recent British decision to designate the IRGC as a "threat to national security," calling it a politically-motivated action with no legal basis, and warned that Iran will take necessary measures in response.

🔹The full press conference addressed multiple issues, including talks with Oman, Ukraine, Turkey, EU statements, and the US nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia.

Yemeni Armed Forces strike key Saudi oil transfer facilities

🔹Brigadier General Yahya Saree announced that Yemeni forces targeted critical sites for crude oil supply and transfer from eastern Saudi Arabia to Yanbu using drone strikes.

🔹The operations hit Aramco facilities in Jizan with dozens of ballistic missiles and drones, and Yanbu with ballistic, cruise missiles, and drones.

🔹"Both operations were carried out with precision and success," Saree said .

🔹The strikes come in response to Saudi violations of Yemen's airspace and airstrikes on Hodeidah and Kamaran Island .

Iran, Armenia forge comprehensive energy partnership

Iran and Armenia have agreed on a sweeping new roadmap for energy cooperation, spanning electricity grid integration, hydroelectric development, and a fundamental overhaul of their gas-for-electricity trade mechanism. The agreements were finalized during high-level meetings in Tehran. Key projects include accelerating the stalled third power transmission line (230 kV), developing the Iran-Armenia-Georgia-Russia power corridor, and constructing the Meghri hydroelectric plant (200 MW). On the gas front, Iran proposed a new commercial model to export gas through Armenian territory to third-party markets, transforming Yerevan into a transit corridor. Both sides established a joint working group and aim to commission the 400 kV line by year-end.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/528575/Iran-Armenia-forge-comprehensive-energy-partnership

Iran stands firm with Lebanon