“Tears of Minab” musical tribute released to honor child martyrs

The Rudaki Foundation has released "Tears of Minab," a single and music video dedicated to the student martyrs of the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab, Hormozgan province. Composed by Mohammad Mehdi Bateni and performed by Hadi Feyzabadi, the tribute transforms grief into a narrative of national unity and endurance. This follows an earlier production, "The Last Essay," commemorating the fortieth day of the tragedy. On February 28, a US-Israeli strike targeted the school, killing 168 children and teachers and wounding 95 others. Investigations by Al Jazeera, The New York Times, and BBC Verify confirmed the school was deliberately struck, raising serious accountability questions.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/528599/Tears-of-Minab-musical-tribute-released-to-honor-child-martyrs

Iran: Any company/country receiving funds from frozen assets will be denied passage through Strait

🔹The spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters stated that the US president has announced he will compensate damages to vessels affected during the imposed war—caused by US-created insecurity and illegal transit through the southern Strait route—from Iran's frozen assets.

🔹Warning the criminal US president of the consequences of this illegal act, the spokesperson declared that any company or country that accepts Trump's proposal and uses Iran's frozen assets will be banned from transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

🔹"Iran's Armed Forces will no longer permit transit for any of their vessels," the statement emphasized.

Deputy FM Gharibabadi meets new UN Resident Coordinator in Tehran

🔹Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, met with Ms. Christine Weigand, the newly appointed United Nations Resident Coordinator in Tehran, on Tuesday.

🔹Gharibabadi emphasized the importance of Iran-UN cooperation and called for greater utilization of Iranian expert capacities within UN offices in the country .

🔹He also urged the UN to play a more active role in supporting reconstruction, assessing war damages, and mobilizing international resources for post-conflict recovery following the recent wars.

🔹Weigand, who took up her post on February 1 and has previously served as UNICEF Representative in Iran , expressed appreciation for Iran's cooperation and stressed the importance of using Iranian expert staff in UN agencies.

US floundering between threats and retreat

This analysis argues that President Trump's contradictory rhetoric—alternating threats against Iranian nuclear and civilian targets with claims of "friendly negotiations"—masks severe US strategic failures. Iran has denied direct talks, confirming only indirect mediation via Oman, Qatar, Pakistan, and Egypt. The core dispute remains sovereign control over the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran restricted after the US-Israel war began. Washington's frantic diplomacy follows depleted interceptor stockpiles, forcing rationing of defensive systems, with replenishment estimated to take four years. NBC News reported commanders selectively intercept Iranian missiles to preserve dwindling supplies. The piece concludes that US military strategy has failed, ending the era of uncontested American hegemony in West Asia.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/528663/US-floundering-between-threats-and-retreat

Avaye Chirok releases audiobook adaptation of "The Unfinished Note"

The audiobook version of "The Unfinished Note," written by Vahid Akbari, has been released by Iran's Avaye Chirok institute. Narrated by Bahman Vakhshour, the collection features concise stories exploring war, death, guilt, love, poverty, and hope—largely set in urban environments like hospitals, shrines, and old neighborhoods. The narrative blends reality with nightmare, using recurring sensory elements (sirens, rockets, call to prayer) to create thematic cohesion. Many protagonists face near-death experiences that force confrontations with their deepest fears and past choices. The production, managed by Vakhshour with editing by Hasti Sadeqi, runs for two hours and eight minutes.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha held a phone call on Tuesday evening.

Pentagon changes Iran war casualty reporting, raising questions over transparency

The Pentagon has quietly revised its casualty reporting for the war against Iran, shifting from the category "Operation Epic Fury" to a new "Overseas Operations" classification. The change reduced officially listed US troops killed from 18 to 14 and removed dozens of wounded from the operation's count. The new category shows 207 additional service members wounded since July 7, bringing the total reported wounded to at least 624. Critics, including Republican Representative Thomas Massie, accuse the Pentagon of portraying the conflict as two separate wars to circumvent legal restrictions on presidential war powers. The Pentagon attributed discrepancies to "site anomalies" without further explanation.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/528669/Pentagon-changes-Iran-war-casualty-reporting-raising-questions

Hoover's ghost stalks Trump as US energy reserves hit 40-year lows

This analysis argues that despite calm oil futures prices ($80/barrel), the US has failed to secure the Strait of Hormuz, instead manipulating markets through orchestrated statements and algorithmic trading. It claims insiders, including Jared Kushner, profited from price swings, with the CFTC probing $2.6 billion in suspicious trades. US Strategic Petroleum Reserves have collapsed to 311.4 million barrels—the lowest since 1983—after releasing 172 million barrels. Trump reportedly admitted at the G7 that reserves hold barely four weeks of supply. The piece warns that with midterm elections approaching, Trump faces a choice between wider war or accepting Iranian oversight, haunted by comparisons to Herbert Hoover.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/528664/Hoover-s-ghost-stalks-Trump-as-US-energy-reserves-hit-40-year