‘Food Truck One,’ expandable decoys, and the propaganda ruin

Trump secretly fled Ankara in a catering truck while Air Force One flew on as a decoy with staff and journalists aboard—unaware they were potential targets. The ruse was based on “low-confidence” Israeli intelligence the CIA found uncompelling. Critics slammed using civilians as human shields. Social media dubbed the escape vehicle “Food Truck One”—a humiliating symbol of a president fleeing a war his own spies barely believed in.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/529059/Food-Truck-One-expandable-decoys-and-the-propaganda-ruin

US claims, Iran controls Hormuz

Trump claims the US has “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz, but Iran firmly rejects this as “lies and falsehoods”. Iranian officials insist the waterway remains under Tehran’s full management. Shipping data shows traffic is far below pre-war levels, with most vessels using routes coordinated with Iran—undermining Washington’s narrative of effective control.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/529060/US-Claims-Iran-Controls-Hormuz

Schumer urges Hegseth ouster over deteriorating USS Lincoln conditions

The USS Abraham Lincoln has spent over 250 days deployed—more than 200 without a port call. Sailors face rationed food, broken plumbing, moldy quarters, and mental health crises, including overboard attempts. Senator Blumenthal demanded formal accountability, while Schumer publicly called for Hegseth's firing over "strategic incompetence." Critics say the crisis reflects Washington's unsustainable open-ended military confrontation against Iran.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/529046/Schumer-urges-Hegseth-ouster-over-deteriorating-USS-Lincoln-conditions

🏋️‍♂️ Iran's youth weightlifters dominate Asia with 15 golds, 16 records

🔹Iran's youth weightlifting teams topped the Asian Youth Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, winning 15 gold, 7 silver, and 5 bronze medals—including a clean sweep of all six boys' categories.

🔹Iranian athletes broke 16 Asian and world records, with Mohammad Javad Beyranvand and Taha Nujavan each shattering 3 Asian and 3 world youth records.

🔹In the girls' category, Iran finished second with 6 golds, 3 silvers, and 3 bronzes, behind the Philippines.

Pakistani embassy in Tehran celebrates 79th Independence Day, eyes $10bn trade

Pakistan’s Embassy in Tehran marked the 79th Independence Day with a flag-hoisting ceremony at the ambassador’s residence. Envoy Imran Ahmed Siddiqui read messages from the president and PM, highlighting the diaspora’s role in boosting bilateral trade to $10 billion. Students performed a national song, and prayers were offered for freedom movement martyrs.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/529048/Pakistani-Embassy-in-Tehran-celebrates-79th-Independence-Day

🔴 Iran to Trump: Strait of Hormuz can't be seized by tweets

🔹Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi dismissed Trump's claim that Washington would declare the Strait of Hormuz US territory, stating the waterway "cannot be seized by tweet, nor by aircraft carrier, nor by issuing an order, nor by an election speech."

🔹In a separate post, Gharibabadi declared: "The Strait has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian." He warned that Iran will continue enforcing its blockade until Washington accepts its "strategic and heavy defeats."

🔹The exchange comes amid ongoing US-Israeli aggression, with control of the strategic waterway remaining a central flashpoint.

UKMTO reports bulk carrier hit by unknown projectile in Strait of Hormuz

🔹The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency reported that a bulk carrier was struck by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, which hit its hull.

🔴 IRGC chief: Iran's forces withstood all odds, brought US military to its knees

🔹In a message marking the arrival of the lunar month of Rabi' al-Awwal, IRGC Commander-in-Chief Major General Ahmad Vahidi praised the "six months of unparalleled jihad" by Iran's armed forces—including IRGC, Army, police, Basij, and tribesmen—against the "most armed army in history."

🔹"You withstood scorching heat, heavy humidity, and freezing mountain cold, conducting successful offensive and defensive operations under heavy fire," he wrote.

🔹 Vahidi said the fighters, under the wise leadership of Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, "opened the gates of resurrection for the world's oppressed" and proved that Islam can be made sovereign.

🔹He hailed the nation's unwavering support and prayed for the "liberation of Palestine and dear Lebanon," adding that the world is becoming more prepared for the "sunrise of the great light of Wilayat."

The world after the US defeat

The Forty-Day War ended in a historic US defeat, triggering global ripple effects. Regional allies now doubt Washington's security guarantees, driving Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan to sign a collective defense pact. The UAE finds itself sidelined, while China quietly expands its influence—helping US allies with energy needs and racing ahead in renewables. As one analyst put it: Washington threw a stone into Iran's lake, but the ripples ran out of control.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/529047/The-world-after-the-US-defeat

Iran FM Spox: US foreign policy has become dangerously 'lie-dependent'

🔹Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei, in a post on X, quoted Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov to describe what he called the US system of governance and foreign policy's "extreme reliance on lies".

🔹Citing the novel, Baghaei wrote: "The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to such a pass that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others".

🔹"The world sees now that the Americans have neither dignity nor honor, and have never had it," he added.

Zionist regime strikes kill mother and all her children in southern Lebanon

Ejei: Strait of Hormuz is inseparable part of Iran's territory

🔹Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei dismissed US President Trump's remarks on the Strait of Hormuz as "delusions of a light-minded individual," asserting that "in reality, the owner and ruler of this vital international waterway is Islamic Iran."

🔹"We proved to Trump and his clique on the hard battlefield that the Strait is an inseparable part of Iran's territory and sovereignty—any adventurism there will destroy and defeat any aggressor," he stated.

🔹Ejei emphasized that the Strait's belonging to Iran is "explicitly stipulated" under international law and national sovereignty norms, adding: "The boot of arrogance will never tread on the Strait of Hormuz. What multi-billion-dollar naval fleets could not achieve will not be accomplished with a few tweets and speeches."

A food truck, a failed war, and the humiliation of a superpower

Trump and Netanyahu’s February 28 attack on Iran backfired spectacularly. Iran launched over 2,000 missile and drone strikes, damaging 20 US bases across eight countries at a cost of $13 billion. Total war losses exceed $300 billion. In a bizarre escape, Trump secretly left Air Force One via a catering truck in Ankara due to threat concerns. A strategic disaster that no amount of "victory" claims can erase.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/529056/A-food-truck-a-failed-war-and-the-humiliation-of-a-superpower

Iran warns France after diplomats' illegal interference

🔹Iran's Intelligence Ministry revealed that two French diplomats were caught at a secret meeting with suspects linked to a "large-scale infiltration project" designed to undermine Iran's independence.

🔹Documents seized reportedly bear the signature of a former French ambassador to Tehran.

🔹The ministry stated: "France's own 2024 anti-interference law makes such actions a clear violation," warning that any repetition will be met with "appropriate action."

🔹Investigations are continuing.

Iran, Tajikistan to sign long-term energy cooperation agreement

🔹Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad announced the finalization of a framework for a long-term agreement with Tajikistan for the export of petroleum products and supply of crude oil to Dushanbe's refineries.

🔹A joint working group will be established to examine technical and logistical details. The agreement aims to resolve Tajikistan's fuel challenges amid the global energy crisis and boost bilateral trade beyond 800,000 metric tons.

🔹Tajik officials praised Iran's goodwill, noting the current trade volume is approximately 800,000 tons, with expectations of a significant increase once logistical infrastructure is in place.

Russia's Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna stated that Trump's threat to declare the Strait of Hormuz as US territory is "nothing but a joke," dismissing the remarks as unserious.

Mohsen Sharifian echoes Iranians’ message of peace, friendship in Hiroshima

Iranian musician Mohsen Sharifian performed at Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park on the atomic bombing anniversary, carrying a message of peace from Iran. He played the southern Iranian ney-anban alongside Japanese artists in Tokyo, blending traditions and performing a Japanese melody on the bagpipe. “Music was used not as a tool to recall war, but as a language for expressing peace,” he said.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/529033/Mohsen-Sharifian-echoes-Iranians-message-of-peace-friendship