The empty chairs of Minab

Thousands of schoolchildren gathered at Mashhad's Imam Reza shrine on the first day of school to honor the victims of the Minab school attack, where 168 were killed on February 28. The UN has found "reasonable grounds" to believe the US strike was a war crime. "The chairs are still empty," the writer says, "but Minab has not gone quiet. The names are still spoken."

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/530352/The-empty-chairs-of-Minab

'Shouldn't a school always be a safe place?': Minab student asks US schoolchildren

At a ceremony marking the new school year at Shajareh Tayyebeh School in Minab, a student read a message in English to American students. Recalling how over 120 children were killed on February 28, he asked: "Shouldn't a school always be a safe place?" He urged them to know Iran beyond headlines—"not the Iran distorted by American media, but the Iran of Persepolis and poetry."

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/530332/Shouldn-t-a-school-always-be-a-safe-place-Minab-student-asks

Pezeshkian meets Iraqi PM on UNGA sidelines

Indian embassy celebrates Ayurveda Day, highlights Iran cooperation

India's embassy in Tehran marked Ayurveda Day, with Ambassador Negi highlighting an MoU between India's AYUSH Ministry and Iran's Health Ministry on traditional medicine. He noted Ayurveda's economy grew from $2.85bn to $43.4bn in a decade. Speakers discussed shared concepts between Persian medicine and Ayurveda, and cooperation opportunities. The event emphasized prevention and holistic well-being.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/530348/Indian-embassy-celebrates-Ayurveda-Day-highlights-Iran-cooperation

'We will never bow our head': Iran's president denounces US bullying at UN

President Pezeshkian told the UN General Assembly that Iran is "a victim of terrorism, not terrorists," displaying photos of the martyred Leader and children killed in Minab and Lamerd. He said Iran will never abandon its peaceful nuclear program, and rejected Trump's threat to "annihilate" Iran: "Threats make our nation stronger. We are ready for dialogue, but will never accept the language of force."

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/530355/We-will-never-bow-our-head

Pezeshkian: Europe sidelined itself by backing US

🔹President Masoud Pezeshkian told European Council President António Costa on the UNGA sidelines that Europe's actions on snapback and the JCPOA—and its subordination to hostile US policies—have pushed it out of international influence.

🔹"We expect European countries to reconsider their behavior and preserve their independence. In the recent war, we saw inaction but no neutrality," he said.

🔹He added that Western intervention has jeopardized global security: "Those seeking the cause of recent events should look at Western governments' behavior."

🔹Costa's call for a European role was met with: "Europeans deprived themselves of that role by standing behind America."

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly session in New York.

Baghaei to Carney: Bowing to bullies won't save you

🔹Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei rebuked Canadian PM Mark Carney for justifying Trump's threats to destroy Iran as "the language of wartime" instead of condemning US aggression.

🔹"Time is crueler than to allow illusion and hypocrisy to continue forever," he said.

🔹"Closing your eyes to truth and selling your dignity doesn't save you—it delivers you more defenseless to the bully."

🔹"Perhaps one day they will look at today's Iran and realize the country they once joined the bullies to crush was the one keeping a torch lit by standing against force."

Pakistan's military announced airstrikes and drone attacks on 10 locations inside Afghanistan early Thursday.

Gen. Fadavi: Any US-Israeli attack will bring a heavier response

🔹Brigadier General Ali Fadavi, head of the IRGC Commander-in-Chief's Advisory Group, said Iran has faced US hostility for 47 years, and recent wars arrayed Western powers and the Zionist regime against Iran.

🔹"The IRGC hasn't lost even 24 hours in carrying out its duty and has constantly increased its power," he said.

🔹"If the enemy miscalculates and attacks again, Iran's response will be far heavier than before."

🔹He stressed that the front of truth relies on faith in God, the Prophet, and the martyrs—not material calculations.

Iran's Kimia Zarei and Zeynab Norouzi seized a gold medal in the women's lightweight double sculls finall on Thursday.

The iranian pair finished the first at the Nagaragawa International Regatta Course with a time of 6:53.93 minutes.

Soheil Mousavi of Iran won a gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games wushu on Thursday.

He defeated Kazakhstan’s Abdulrashid Abdullayev in the men’s 75kg at the Aichi Prefectural Martial Arts Hall.

Iranian wushu practitioners Sogand Sinkaie, Shoja Panahi and Erfan Moharrami won three silver medals.

Iranian female rower Fatemeh Mojallal claimed a gold medal on Thursday at the 2026 Asian Games.

Mojallal finished first in the women's lightweight singles sculls final, clocking a time of 7 minutes and 24.57 seconds at the Nagaragawa International Regatta Course.

30 Sasanian silver coins restored in Isfahan workshop

Thirty Sasanian-era silver coins have been conserved at Isfahan's heritage restoration workshop. Each coin was individually assessed and treated based on its condition—documented, cleaned, and stabilized to preserve research value. Sasanian coins are key sources for studying the empire's monetary history (224–651 CE). Since the year began, 55 historical objects have been restored at the facility.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/530350/30-Sasanian-silver-coins-restored-in-Isfahan-workshop

Ejei: Pezeshkian defended Iran's rights with strength at UN

🔹Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei praised President Pezeshkian's UN General Assembly speech as "full of insightful and dignified points."

🔹"Drawing on the martyred Leader's legacy, he firmly defended the Iranian people's rights and disgraced American and Zionist criminals," he said.

🔹Ejei stressed the US and Zionist regime committed "blatant, and at times the most heinous, war crimes" under international law.

🔹"We hold the international community accountable—they responded with silence, inaction, and even endorsement."

'Five countries, one ecosystem, one future': COP7 calls for stronger Caspian cooperation

Iran's environment chief opened COP7 of the Tehran Convention, urging littoral states to move from commitments to action and share data. She called the environment "the silent victim of wars," citing pollution from strikes on Tehran fuel depots and Assaluyeh as "ecocide." She stressed the Caspian's future cannot be divided by borders, and called for joint monitoring and technology sharing.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/530330/Five-countries-one-ecosystem-one-future-COP7-calls-for-stronger