Wednesday, March 4, 2026

Latest News and Views from Iran and the World

Tehran air quality report reveals alarming figures

The Tehran Air Quality Control Company's recent disclosure highlights the capital city's troubling air quality situation. Since the start of the year, Tehran has endured 107 days of unhealthy air for sensitive groups and 12 days of unhealthy air for all demographics, posing serious health risks, says the company's report.

Military operations in Rafah will take “several weeks”: Israeli PM

A military operation in Rafah, southern Gaza, will take "several weeks", Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday, adding he will push ahead with an offensive that has sparked international alarm and outrage.

Hamas says put forth realistic truce proposal in Gaza

A senior Hamas official has stated the Palestinian group has put forward a “realistic” ceasefire proposal in the Gaza Strip that involves the release of Israeli captives and the withdrawal of "occupation soldiers" from the besieged enclave.

Tehran Flower Market packed with cheerful folks ahead of Persian New Year

The Mahalati plant and flower market is the second biggest in the Iranian capital, Tehran. Every year on the threshold of the Persian New Year, Nowruz, the iconic market takes on a jovial mood.

Minister: Iran signs oil contract worth $13bn

The Iranian petroleum minister says the country has signed the biggest ever contract in the nation’s oil history worth $13 billion.

French president again declines to rule out western ground operations in Ukraine ‘at some point’

French President Emmanuel Macron has stated that western ground operations in Ukraine might be necessary “at some point”. He made the remarks days after meeting with German and Polish leaders.

Villagers in northeast Iran hand out animal feed to local wildlife

The historical Kalidar village lies 90 kilometers northwest of the town of Neyshabur in the northeastern Iranian province of Razavi Khorasan province, and 20 kilometers east of the town of Chekneh on the slopes of Mount Binalud.

One-third of children under 2 years acutely malnourished in northern Gaza: UNRWA

The situation in the Gaza Strip is “catastrophic and deteriorates by the minute”, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has warned. It added one in three children under the age of two in northern Gaza are now acutely malnourished.

Iran says ready to help Syria enhance its defense power against US, Israel

Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani has stated that Tehran is prepared to utilize its full capabilities to assist Damascus in boosting its defense and deterrent power against Washington and the Zionist regime.

US, UK conduct new airstrikes against 2 Yemen’s provinces

The United States and the United Kingdom have launched a string of air raids against targets in Yemen's southwestern province of Ta'izz and the strategic western province of Hudaydah as the Houthi movement continues its maritime operations against Israeli-linked vessels in the Red Sea.

World-famous Iranian body builder Hadi Choopan wins another Arnold Classic title

Iconic Iranian body builder and one-time Mr. Olympia winner Hadi Choopan has won his second Arnold Classic title in as many weeks.

Death toll from oil facility blast in southern Iran climbs to 2

An explosion at an oil facility in southern Iran which happened last week in the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, has left at least two people dead. One of the victims died on the spot when the incident happened

Israelis demand hostage swap deal during mass rallies

Thousands of people held protests across the occupied Palestinian territories against the current Israeli government led by Benjamin Netanyahu and demanded a captive swap agreement with Hamas.

Kiev’s draft leaving several Ukrainian villages, towns without men: Report

Some Ukrainian villages and small towns are left with hardly any adult men amid aggressive and indiscriminate mobilization tactics by the army recruiters, who are desperate to refill the ranks of the depleted forces, according to a report by the Washington Post.

Italy warns NATO presence in Ukraine could trigger WWIII

Deploying troops of the NATO bloc to the battlefields in Ukraine might result in an all-out global conflict, effectively a Third World War, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has cautioned. He has ruled out any possibility that his country’s forces will somehow end up deployed to support Kiev’s fight against Moscow.

Iraq’s interior minister: Baghdad takes control border bases of anti-Iran groups

Iraqi Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari says his country has taken control of the border bases of anti-Iran terror groups in Iraq’s Kurdistan region.

Report: Many Palestinians refuse to leave their destroyed homes in Gaza 

Iran’s Tasnim News Agency ran a report on its Telegram Channel about a Palestinian old man who, like many other people in Gaza, prefers the path of resistance against Israeli occupation over leaving their land.

Gaza death toll surges past 31,500

The Palestinian death toll from Israel's military onslaught against the besieged Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, jumped to 31,500, the Health Ministry in the enclave announced on Saturday.

4 brown bears spotted in Iran’s Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province

The director general of the Environmental Protection Department of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, in southern Iran, says environmentalists have spotted 4 brown bears around the Dana protected area in Dana city.

Leaders of resistance groups meet to coordinate anti-Israel operation: Report

The leaders of Palestinian groups and Yemen’s Houthi movement have reportedly held a meeting to coordinate retaliatory attacks against Israel as Tel Aviv presses ahead with its war against the besieged Gaza Strip.

Yemen’s Houthis say launched first attack against US, Israeli vessels in Indian Ocean

Yemen’s Houthi movement has announced starting their pro-Palestinian operations in the Indian Ocean by targeting several Israeli and American ships in the body of water in protest at the genocidal war against the besieged Gaza Strip.

Iran rights chief calls on intl. community to adopt policies that defend Muslims

Iran’s top human rights official has urged governments and policymakers across the world to ratify laws that would defend Muslims’ rights and ensure their all-out inclusion within societies.

Half of Americans want Biden to pressure Israel over Gaza humanitarian situation: Poll

Almost half of the American respondents in a new survey want US President Joe Biden to put more pressure on Israel to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Germany backs French push to supply Ukraine with long-range weapons

European countries intend to create yet another “capability coalition” to arm Ukrainian soldiers with long-range weapons, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has stated, echoing an initiative floated by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Acute malnutrition doubles within one month among children in northern Gaza: UNICEF

The United Nations agency for children has reported an increase in acute malnutrition rates among children in the northern Gaza Strip, with figures doubling within just one month.