Saadi Foundation launches international competition '20 Words, One Text'

Marking Iran's National Day of Persian Poetry (Sept 18), the Saadi Foundation has launched an international competition for Persian learners worldwide. Participants must compose and recite a two‑minute Persian text on Iran, poetry, and literature using 20 specified words. The deadline is September 17, with five winners to be announced. The foundation promotes Persian through 40+ global centers.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/529776/Saadi-Foundation-launches-international-competition-20-Words

Iran to IAEA: You share responsibility for security of nuclear sites under attack

🔹In a statement at the IAEA Board of Governors meeting, Iran's delegation said the Agency has a clear legal duty to address threats to nuclear facilities.

🔹"Nuclear security has no meaning if no action is taken against unlawful attacks on peaceful sites under safeguards," it said.

🔹The delegation warned past breaches of confidentiality had exposed sensitive information to sabotage. "If the IAEA lacks the will to address nuclear security consequences, on what basis can member states trust its effectiveness?"

🔹Iran said the IAEA cannot demand compliance while the aggressors it must report on remain unchecked.

IRGC captures advanced US unmanned submarine in Strait of Hormuz

🔹The IRGC Navy announced it has captured one of the most advanced unmanned, intelligent underwater vessels belonging to the US terrorist army at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz in a complex intelligence and operational operation at dawn today.

🔹The unmanned submersible, which features the latest underwater technology in the world and was delivered to the US fleet in 2025, has now been seized as a prize.

🔹"The Strait of Hormuz is under the management of the Islamic Republic, and any desperate move by the enemy will be firmly confronted," the IRGC statement read.

🔹Photos of the captured vessel will be released in the coming hours.

🔴 Unmanned underwater vehicle Dive-LD is one of the newest autonomous underwater systems in US Navy fleet

🔴 Unmanned underwater vehicle is designed for long-endurance underwater mission without a crew onboard

Tehran metro takes on a new role in urban tourism

Tehran has installed tourism maps at 24 metro stations to help passengers discover nearby historical, cultural, and leisure attractions. The initiative, inspired by cities like Tokyo and Paris, covers sites within a 500‑meter radius using over 1,020 symbols. Future updates will add new facilities. Officials aim to transform the metro from mere transit into a tool for urban tourism.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/529815/Tehran-metro-takes-on-a-new-role-in-urban-tourism

The IRGC announced that its advanced air defense system intercepted and destroyed a US MQ-1 drone over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, under the control of the country's integrated air defense network.

‼️ Exclusive:

A look at Iran’s 'Castle Breaker' missile

Bridging Continents: CIPCC opens second half of 2026 program in Beijing

The China International Press Communication Center has launched the second half of its 2026 program at Renmin University, bringing together 100+ journalists from 100 countries for training and cultural exchange. The 3.5‑month program includes journalism workshops, field visits, and internships at CGTN, Xinhua, and People's Daily. Now in its 13th year, the initiative fosters South‑South media cooperation.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/529827/Bridging-Continents-CIPCC-Opens-Second-Half-of-2026-Program

From sacred spring to stone museum: The long journey of Khusro II's bust

A heavily damaged Sasanian bust, known locally as Kol‑e Jubor ("the short one who cuts the water"), now resides in Taq‑e Bostan's stone museum. Once submerged in a spring and later vandalized, it was identified by Ernst Herzfeld as a statue of Khusro II. Its imposing shoulders, sword placement, and posture align with royal iconography. Scholars propose restoring it to its original pedestal above the grottoes.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/529828/From-sacred-spring-to-stone-museum-the-long-journey-of-Khusro

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September 9, 2026    
   
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Pezeshkian fires back at Trump's fantasies; Iran fights on until the enemy kneels in regret

President Pezeshkian dismissed Trump's claims of victory, vowing Iran will resist "until the complete regret of the aggressors." He rejected WSJ narratives of internal division as a US psychological operation. Meanwhile, Iran plans a new maritime "restricted zone" beyond Hormuz and has tested an anti-ship missile above a US warship, forcing it to flee. Tehran's asymmetric strategy is draining US stockpiles and driving global energy costs higher.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/529830/Pezeshkian-fires-back-at-Trump-s-fantasies-Iran-fights-on-until

Israeli troops storm Breqa as raids expand across southern Syria

Israeli forces raided the village of Breqa in Quneitra—the second such incursion in five weeks—as ground operations and artillery shelling escalate across Daraa and Quneitra. Syria's talks with Israel collapsed, with Tel Aviv refusing to withdraw from the buffer zone. A UN commission condemned the raids, warning they violate international law and may constitute war crimes.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/529836/Israeli-troops-storm-Breqa-as-raids-expand-across-southern-Syria

Volkswagen to hand historic German auto plant to Israeli weapons manufacturers

Volkswagen has transferred its Osnabrück plant to Israeli investors, who will operate it as a military hub for Rafael Advanced Defense Systems—producing launchers and armored vehicles. The deal bypassed Qatari opposition via a minority state stake. It comes as German arms exports to Israel surged to €800m in early 2026, including a nuclear‑capable submarine. Activists and the ICJ case accuse Berlin of complicity in genocide.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/529835/Volkswagen-to-hand-historic-German-auto-plant-to-Israeli-weapons

IRGC spox: We struck a US aircraft carrier at 500-kilometer range

🔹IRGC Spokesman Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi stated that Iran's Armed Forces are demonstrating "one example of power after another," including preventing any vessel from transiting without coordination and blocking enemy weapons .

🔹He noted that before Operation Ramadan, 30 to 40 US warships were present in the Persian Gulf—but "today, not a single one remains, and all US vessels have retreated at least 400 kilometers from Iran's coastal waters" .

🔹"We have the capability to strike targets even at this distance, and recently struck a US aircraft carrier at 500 kilometers away," he said .

🔹Mohebbi emphasized: "The Strait of Hormuz is our point of strength, and we use it to respond to any aggression and make the enemy regret" .

Pakistan: Our mediation efforts between Iran and US continue

🔹Pakistan's Defense Minister stated that Islamabad's mediation efforts between Iran and the United States are ongoing , as Pakistan seeks to create an atmosphere that helps reduce regional tensions.

Iran condemns Zionist regime's crimes in Lebanon, blames US complicity and UN inaction

🔹The Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the Zionist regime's ongoing military aggression against Lebanon, particularly the recent brutal attacks on residential areas that have martyred and wounded dozens of Lebanese civilians, including women and children .

🔹Tehran praised Lebanese resistance and reaffirmed its full support for Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity, holding the US as the primary partner in Israeli crimes and demanding accountability .

🔹The ministry also criticized the UN Security Council's inaction, which it said "emboldens the regime to commit more crimes," and called on the OIC to take serious action to stop the genocide .

Iran responds to US tanker attacks with strikes on Jordan bases, US vessels

🔹The Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the US attack on multiple Iranian oil tankers on Tuesday night, calling it a violation of the UN Charter and international law, and part of Washington's military aggression, naval blockade, and economic war against Iran .

🔹In response, Iran's Armed Forces, exercising their inherent right to self-defense, struck US military bases and facilities in Jordan that continue to support aggression against Iran, along with several US aggressor vessels .

🔹Tehran reaffirmed its firm resolve to defend national sovereignty and interests, stating it "will not hesitate to exercise the right to self-defense" and will respond decisively to any enemy aggression.

🔹The ministry also reminded the UN Security Council and Secretary-General of their responsibility to act against the "flagrant violations of peace and international security" by the US .

IRGC general: Blocking Strait of Hormuz is Iran's strategic deterrent weapon

🔹Head of the IRGC's Sacred Defense Documents Center, General Ramezan Sharif, described the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as a "strategic and deterrent weapon" in Iran's possession, initiated by martyr Alireza Tangsiri, a former IRGC Navy commander.

🔹Sharif said the move marked a turning point in entering the strait into regional power equations and transformed battlefield dynamics, becoming an inspiring model for the Resistance Front.

🔹He emphasized that Iran's ability to block the strait has reshaped the balance of power in the region.

Iran has registered more than 43,000 national heritage sites: minister

Iran has registered over 43,000 heritage sites, including 14,000 historical buildings, the tourism minister announced. He stressed that tangible and written heritage together reflect Iran's national identity. He also noted that around 2 million Persian manuscripts exist worldwide—1 million in the Indian subcontinent, 500,000 in Central Asia/Caucasus, and 500,000 in Iran.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/529866/Iran-has-registered-more-than-43-000-national-heritage-sites