Iran, Tajikistan emphasize trade expansion, removal of obstacles to economic exchanges

Iran and Tajikistan have agreed to accelerate a preferential trade deal, ease customs procedures, and explore national currency and barter mechanisms. Talks also covered joint tractor assembly, a cotton value chain, greenhouse projects, and agricultural machinery exports. Bilateral trade reached $254.3m in early 2026, up 14.8%, toward a $1bn target by 2030.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/530120/Iran-Tajikistan-emphasize-trade-expansion-removal-of-obstacles

Baghaei: World won't be fooled by America's false narratives

🔹Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei mocked a US State Department spokesperson's claim that Washington would prevent Iranian officials from shopping at American stores during the upcoming UN General Assembly.

🔹"Washington still assumes nations lack memory and analytical sense—as if the world is a series like Pluribus, where everyone must stare at Washington's lips with a closed mind and believe its narrative without question," he said.

🔹He contrasted the "ruthless economic war aimed at inflicting maximum pain on every Iranian citizen" with the "grand spectacle of preventing hypothetical shopping at a New York wholesale store."

🔹"They celebrate sanctioning a nation's life and issue statements about sanctioning a store card. This propaganda is so naive it reveals the simplistic mindset that started the illegal war," Baghaei concluded.

Yemenis rally to condemn 'false flag' plot against Mecca

Sarallah Commander: Iran's security is owed to the self-sacrificing people

🔹Brigadier General Nejat, commander of the Sarallah Base, stated: "We are servants of this people, and we must be grateful to the great Iranian nation."

🔹"Our people have stood against the enemy since the beginning of the Revolution, and ultimately the people's mission was realized with the martyrdom of the martyred Leader," he said.

🔹His remarks came during the mass "Jaanfada-yan Iran" exercise, where 313,000 volunteers gathered in Tehran under the slogan "Labbaik Ya Khamenei."

Kamalvandi: Iran has many options to defend itself

🔹Spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Behrouz Kamalvandi, stated that Tehran has sufficient options to defend itself in the current situation—but beyond those options, "we have will; a strong will to defend our country."

🔹"Regardless of how much pressure they exert on us, we will overcome this situation," he said.

Macron admits: Strait of Hormuz remains closed

🔹French President Emmanuel Macron stated that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, exacerbating the global energy crisis.

🔹His remarks contradict earlier US claims that the Strait was open and shipping was flowing normally.

🔹Macron called for a diplomatic solution to reopen the waterway, one that would guarantee global energy security.

Energy price increases will worsen because of war against Iran: Italian minister

Italian Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti warns that energy price spikes caused by the war on Iran are worsening across Europe. He expects more countries to join a letter from Italy and five other EU members urging a common approach to the West Asia conflict and supply chain problems—including a possible tax on energy windfall profits.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/530119/Energy-price-increases-will-worsen-because-of-war-against-Iran

Iran joins global '100 Hours of Astronomy' celebration

Iran will host public stargazing, workshops, and lectures from September 30 to October 3 as part of the global "100 Hours of Astronomy" event, themed "A New Perspective on the Solar System." Astronomy groups and educational institutions across the country are invited to participate in the initiative, organized by the International Astronomical Union's Office for Astronomy Outreach.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/530130/Iran-joins-global-100-Hours-of-Astronomy-celebration

Iranian physician wins 2025 Kuwait Prize for control of cancer

Professor Amir-Ali Hamidieh of Tehran University of Medical Sciences has won the State of Kuwait Prize for cancer control in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. A pioneer in paediatric stem cell transplantation, he founded Iran's national donor network and HLA registry, and has led over 2,100 paediatric transplants. The prize will be awarded in October at the WHO Regional Committee session.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/530134/Iranian-physician-wins-2025-Kuwait-Prize-for-control-of-cancer

Yemen denounces Saudi allegations of targeting Mecca

Ansarallah leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi rejected Saudi claims that Yemen targeted Mecca as "the lie of the age," saying Yemenis would sacrifice their lives to protect holy sites. He noted Saudi airstrikes have hit over 2,000 mosques and accused Riyadh of using US aircraft and Israeli intelligence. Yemeni scholars called the real threat US bases and Zionist plans against Mecca and Medina.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/530145/Yemen-denounces-Saudi-allegations-of-targeting-Mecca

100-meter shroud in New York displays names of over 20,000 Palestinian children killed in Gaza

A 100-meter shroud bearing the handwritten names of more than 20,000 Palestinian children killed in Gaza was displayed at the UN Church Center in New York. Organized by Doctors Against Genocide, Clergy Against Genocide, and others, the interfaith ceremony coincided with the UN General Assembly. "Not a number, but a name," organizers said, demanding accountability.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/530147/100-meter-shroud-in-New-York-displays-names-of-over-20-000-Palestinian