Khatibzadeh: Iran demands concrete US guarantees to end war

🔹Saeed Khatibzadeh, head of the Foreign Ministry's research center, told Russia 1 TV that Iran seeks "concrete guarantees" for ending the war on all fronts, releasing frozen assets, and lifting the blockade.

🔹He confirmed Iran presented a seven-day initiative to the US through Qatar and recently received Washington's response. "The ball is in America's court," he said, warning: "We have many reasons not to trust the US."

🔹"If the US fulfills all commitments, by day six we are ready to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and begin negotiations."

🔹He also detailed US-Israeli war crimes, including the Minab school massacre.

Moradi wins Iran's 15th gold at Nagoya Asian Games

🔹Saghar Moradi defeated Uzbekistan's Ozoda Sobirjonova 2-0 in the women's 67kg taekwondo kyorugi event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Amirhossein Zare of Iran won a gold medal 🥇 in wrestling at the 2026 Asian Games on Friday. 🤼

Zare defeated China’s Buheeerdun 12-2 in the final bout of the men’s freestyle 125kg.

IRGC: Era of cost-free threats is over

🔹In a statement marking the second anniversary of Operation True Promise 2, the IRGC declared: "The era of cost-free threats is over. Any aggression will face a decisive, immediate, and regret-inducing response."

🔹It recalled the October 2024 missile and drone strikes on occupied territories, launched in retaliation for the assassinations of Ismail Haniyeh, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and General Abbas Nilforoushan.

🔹The statement credited martyred commanders Bagheri, Salami, Hajizadeh, and Mahmoud Bagheri.

🔹"IRGC forces stand ready for responses more deadly than True Promise 2," it concluded.

Gen. Rezaei: Iran determines reality

🔹SNSC Secretary Major General Mohsen Rezaei said: "After consecutive defeats, the worst president in American history keeps talking—and now his words have gone beyond even his own fantasies."

🔹"You can win every day in your imagination, but reality is determined by Iran—with its people, its soldiers, and its missiles."

Pezeshkian: Iranian women can stand atop world peaks

🔹President Masoud Pezeshkian praised the achievements of Iranian women, stating they have the capability to stand atop global peaks in various fields.

🔹His remarks followed the historic gold medal win by taekwondo athlete Saghar Moradi at the 2026 Nagoya Asian Games, Iran's 15th gold.

🔹"Iranian women continue to prove their excellence on the international stage," the President said.

Iran, Armenia stress removing border obstacles, increasing transit capacity

Iran and Armenia met at the Nordooz border terminal to expand transport and transit cooperation. Talks covered increasing border capacity, speeding up customs procedures, and improving terminal efficiency. A customs green corridor MoU was signed, with truck capacity at Norduz potentially rising to 300 per day. Iran's exports to Armenia rose 7.5% to $385m in seven months.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/530648/Iran-Armenia-stress-removing-border-obstacles-increasing-transit

How Iran surprised the world

From Putin to former MI6 chief Alex Younger, analysts say Iran proved far more resilient than Washington expected. Younger noted Iran "played a weak hand pretty well," using Hormuz to globalize the war. Dennis Ross said Iranians "consistently surprised us." Despite severe losses, Iran's political system held, its missiles kept firing, and national cohesion strengthened—undermining hopes of rapid capitulation.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/530650/How-Iran-surprised-the-world

Culture: the common language of the Iranian and Russian peoples

Iran's ambassador to Russia writes that culture has long been the enduring language between the two nations. Iran's Cultural Days in Russia (Sept 25–Oct 4), with a 168-member delegation honoring Minab's martyred students, spans four cities and includes orchestra performances and a joint film agreement. He says cultural ties sustain what politics begins.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/530639/Culture-the-common-language-of-the-Iranian-and-Russian-peoples

Southern Lebanese: Israel is 'razing our lives before our eyes'

Israel is systematically demolishing the occupied village of Mansouri during the ceasefire, displacing its 5,000 residents. One man livestreams as his neighbors' homes are destroyed, waiting for his own to be next. "It's torture—they are razing our lives before our eyes," says a resident. With the Lebanese army absent and the world silent, villagers feel abandoned.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/530652/Southern-Lebanese-Israel-is-razing-our-lives-before-our-eyes

Arab monarchies' capital flows through Kushner firm to wage genocidal wars

Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners is the largest shareholder in Phoenix Financial, which holds $456m in Israeli military contractors—including a $265m stake in Elbit Systems. About 99% of Affinity's $6.1bn comes from Gulf states. Kushner acts as an unmonitored US negotiator on Gaza and Iran while profiting from the wars, a CNN report reveals.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/530651/Arab-monarchies-capital-flows-through-Kushner-firm-to-wage-genocidal

Trump talking his own imagination about Iran

Trump told Time that without him, Israel and Saudi Arabia "wouldn't be here" because Iran would have wiped them "off the face of the planet." The writer calls this pure fantasy, noting Iran only struck US bases used to launch attacks on it. He says Trump is becoming a "laughing stock," surrounded by sycophants, distorting reality to justify an illegal war.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/530655/Trump-talking-his-own-imagination-about-Iran

Gen. Akraminia: Enemy's calculations collapsed against Iranian will

🔹Army spokesman Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia said the enemy failed not only to destroy Iran's nuclear capability, missile power, and the Resistance Front, but also failed to topple the Islamic Republic and dismember Iran.

🔹"The enemy miscalculated, thinking it could eliminate Iran's Armed Forces in days—but the resistance of our forces and the Iranian nation shattered those calculations."

🔹He credited faith, motivation, and the people's presence alongside the Armed Forces as key to Iran's steadfastness.

🔹"Iran's Armed Forces are constantly enhancing capabilities and ready for any scenario."

A viral video shows an American protester confronting Vice President JD Vance over skyrocketing gas prices at a public gathering.

Amirali Azarpira from Iran 🇮🇷 won a gold medal 🥇 at the 2026 Asian Games on Saturday.

He defeated Sherzod Poyonov from Uzbekistan 10-0 in the final bout of men’s freestyle 97kg. 🤼

Yones Emami from Iran won a gold medal in wrestling in the 2026 Asian Games on Saturday. 🥇🇮🇷

He defeated Japan’s Yoshinosuke Aoyagi 9-5 in the final bout of men’s freestyle 74kg. 🤼‍♂️🇯🇵

Mehregan festival marked in Iran as seasonal tradition endures

Iranians observed Mehregan, the ancient autumn harvest festival celebrating friendship and loyalty, on Friday. Dating to the Achaemenid era, it was jointly inscribed by Iran and Tajikistan on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2024. Zoroastrians and Muslim communities, especially in rural areas, keep the tradition alive with seasonal foods and gatherings.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/530672/Mehregan-festival-marked-in-Iran-as-seasonal-tradition-endures