Located in the Kelardasht region of northern Iran, Alam-Kuh is the country’s second-highest summit after Mount Damavand and a crown jewel of the Alborz mountain range.
Known for its rugged northern face, the mountain’s steep granite walls are considered among the most technical and challenging routes for climbers and rock climbers in Iran.
The early autumn snow has given the iconic peak and its adjoining ridges a pristine winter-like appearance.
In a report published on Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal newspaper said that different corporations in the United States, China, France and the UK are developing armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) modeled after Iran’s Shahed.
The United States and its allies are “competing to develop low-cost, long-range replica weapons,” it added.
The report also noted that models similar to the Shahed stood out among 18 types of US-made drone prototypes displayed at an event held by the US Department of War this summer.
Those models, it added, included LUCAS and Arrowhead made by SpectreWorks and Griffon Aerospace companies, respectively.
“The Shahed and its knockoffs have become so widespread that corporations such as Griffon and Sweden’s Saab are even selling target-practice UAVs resembling Iran’s munitions,” the report said.
The Shahed drone is among the world’s most advanced UAVs, possessing exceptional reconnaissance, surveillance, and operational capabilities while maintaining an extremely cost-effective price. It can disable an opponent’s air defense systems when deployed in large numbers.
Back in May, US President Donald Trump praised the efficiency and affordability of Iranian drones while criticizing the high costs associated with American weapons manufacturers.
He contrasted Iran’s production costs of “$35,000 to $40,000” with US manufacturers quoting $41 million for comparable models.
Iran’s massive and rapid progress in drone technology and its capabilities to carry out long-range strikes in drone warfare with a high level of accuracy have cemented the country’s growing military might in West Asia.
The cutting-edge drone program has been among the Iranian military’s breakthroughs in manufacturing a broad range of indigenous defensive equipment to make the armed forces self-sufficient in the face of years-long US threats and sanctions.
Iranian officials have repeatedly warned that the country will not hesitate to strengthen its military capabilities, which are entirely meant for defense.
According to the outlet, Trump told participants at a meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly that the war must end urgently, warning that each day it continues, Israel becomes increasingly isolated internationally.
Axios reported that the plan’s main elements include the release of all remaining Israeli hostages, a permanent ceasefire and a phased Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
It also envisions a new administration in Gaza without Hamas, with some involvement from the Palestinian Authority, alongside a multinational security force made up of Palestinians and troops from Arab and Muslim countries.
The proposal further calls for Arab and Muslim states to fund reconstruction and support the new administration in Gaza.
Axios added Trump stressed Washington would not allow Israel to annex parts of the occupied West Bank or Gaza.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Witkoff later met with foreign ministers from several Arab states to discuss turning the principles into an operational framework. Trump told leaders the next step would be to present the plan to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their upcoming meeting at the White House next week.
The Israeli opposition and hostage families accuse Netanyahu of prolonging the war for political survival, warning that any withdrawal from Gaza could topple his coalition.
The Israeli army has continued a brutal offensive on Gaza, killing more than 65,500 Palestinians since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.
UN investigators recently concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, home to a population of 2.4 million.
Israeli government officials have threatened to annex the West Bank in retaliation for a wave of Western recognition of Palestinian statehood.
Since Sunday, 11 countries – the UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Luxembourg, Belgium, Andorra, France, Malta, Monaco and San Marino – have officially recognized the state of Palestine, raising the total number of recognitions to 159 out of 193 UN member states.
“While we were negotiating, the Zionist regime attacked our country,” Pezeshkian said.
“When the JCPOA was signed, the Islamic Republic of Iran fully complied with it. Who tore it apart? What kind of negotiation is this, where we must adhere to our commitments but they do not honor theirs?”
The President stressed that aggressive powers commit any form of aggression and crime, yet label every act of resistance against such aggression as terrorism.
He reiterated: “Iran seeks peace and stability, but it will never submit to coercion. The reimposition of sanctions is undesirable, but it is not the end of the road, and we will not surrender in the face of it.”
Pezeshkian underlined that as long as the language of coercion prevails, no meaningful dialogue can take place.
“Iran has never sought, and does not seek, nuclear weapons,” he said.
“We do not reject dialogue, but dialogue only has meaning when it is pursued without coercion and on an equal footing.”
Referring to Washington’s record of hostility toward the Islamic Republic since the 1979 Revolution, Pezeshkian remarked: “The United States has consistently tried to create problems for Iran and fuel insecurity and war in the region. The Islamic Republic does not seek war or conflict, but any act of aggression will be met with powerful and decisive retaliation that leaves the aggressor to regret its actions.”
Zelensky addressed the United Nations General Assembly warning that the podium is only good for words and not meaningful action.
“Nations can speak about their pain from stages like this, but even during bloodshed, there isn’t a signal international institution that can truly stop it,” he said.
“That’s how weak these institutions have become.”
“And because international institutions are too weak, this madness continues,” he added.
The Ukrainian leader further warned that a new arms race is determining how countries interact, underscoring the lack of influence of international forums to enforce peace and security.
He added, “Weapons decide who survives.”
Zelensky is pushing for more pressure from the international community against Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt the war in Ukraine. Russia, a veto-holding member of the United Nations Security Council, has successfully blocked any effort at binding resolutions that could impose sanctions or deploy military action.
Although the Ukrainian president secured a political win following a meeting with President Donald Trump on Tuesday.
Trump posted on Truth Social that he supports Ukraine retaking all its territory Russia currently occupies — a departure from his earlier position warning that Kyiv would have to cede territory for a peace deal.
The president raised in his own speech to the U.N. General Assembly that he could impose more economic pressure on Russia but called for Europe to commit to joining any U.S. action, a move that is difficult given European bureaucratic and political challenges.
In a meeting with Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter on the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, the Iranian president emphasized Iran’s readiness to undergo verification of this stance within the framework of international laws and its rights.
Pezeshkian expressed Iran’s openness to diplomatic discussions aimed at resolving issues, but cautioned that if the snapback mechanism is activated, further dialogue would lose its significance.
During the meeting, he highlighted the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, stating that innocent women and children are suffering from a lack of medicine and food, urging Switzerland to take effective measures to prevent the continuation of atrocities by the Israeli regime.
The Iranian president also announced Iran’s willingness to expand cooperation and enhance relations with Switzerland.
In response, President Keller-Sutter appreciated President Pezeshkian’s constructive positions, noting that both Iran and Switzerland share a common goal of establishing peace globally.
She expressed Switzerland’s support for any constructive engagement between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), firmly believing that diplomatic dialogue is the best way to resolve problems and strengthen relations.
Keller-Sutter also condemned the Israeli attacks on Gaza, Iran, and Qatar, reaffirming her country’s commitment to achieving a swift ceasefire in the besieged strip.
In a meeting with Finnish President Alexander Stubb on the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, Pezeshkian acknowledged the existing distrust towards the West, stemming from past violations of commitments by the United States and European countries, as well as military actions against Iran during negotiations.
Pezeshkian emphasized that diplomacy is the only path to overcoming this mistrust, reaffirming that Iran has no intention of developing nuclear weapons, asserting that there are no issues regarding transparency in this matter.
During the meeting, the Iranian president also advocated for promoting multilateralism and avoiding unilateralism as effective strategies for enhancing international interactions.
He called on international organizations, particularly the United Nations, to take more responsible actions in establishing and maintaining peace, emphasizing the need for practical measures to halt the crimes of the Israeli regime.
President Stubb stressed that dialogue and understanding through diplomacy are essential for overcoming challenges in the international arena.
He highlighted the need for genuine multilateralism and warned against allowing a multipolar world to replace true multilateral cooperation.
“Syria is reclaiming its rightful place among the nations of the world,” al-Sharaa told world leaders on Wednesday, saying his country’s story was “filled with emotions, and it mixes pain with hope”.
“The Syrian story is a story of struggle between good and evil,” he added.
“For long years, we’ve suffered injustice and deprivation and oppression. Then we rose in claiming our dignity.”
Syrians across the country came together to watch al-Sharaa’s speech.
Al-Sharaa took power in January after leading opposition fighters in toppling President Bashar al-Assad, ending his family’s five-decade rule. In his speech, al-Sharaa outlined steps taken in the months since: establishing new institutions, planning to hold elections and encouraging foreign investment.
“We call now for the complete lifting of sanctions, so that they no longer shackle the Syrian people,” he said.
The United States removed the Syrian armed group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which al-Sharaa headed, from its list of “foreign terrorist organisations” in July, reflecting a shift in policy towards post-Assad Syria.
Al-Sharaa has since embarked on what observers described as a diplomatic charm offensive.
He travelled to Paris to meet French President Emmanuel Macron in May and had an audience with President Donald Trump in Riyadh a week later. During his state visit to Saudi Arabia, Trump pledged to lift sanctions on Syria. Weeks later, Trump signed an executive order to lift the decades-old sanctions.
But the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, legislation that imposed US sanctions on Damascus, remains in effect, and members of Congress are now debating whether to repeal it.
While in New York, al-Sharaa met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials. He also addressed the Concordia Annual Summit, a global forum held alongside the annual UN assembly.
The Syrian leader condemned numerous Israeli raids on his country since he took over in January. In his address, al-Sharaa stated that despite the reforms his government has sought to oversee, “Israeli strikes and attacks against my country continue.”
“Israeli policies contradict the international supporting position for Syria,” he continued, adding it “threatens new crises and struggles in our region”.
But said his government remains committed to dialogue.
“In the face of this aggression, Syria is committed to dialogue, and we are committed to the Disengagement of Forces Agreement of 1974, and we call on the international community to stand beside us in the face of these attacks,” he added.
Syria and Israel have been adversaries for decades with tensions rooted in Israel’s occupation of the Golan Heights since 1967. Israel has launched more than 1,000 strikes on Syrian territory since al-Assad’s fall.
US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said on Tuesday that Israel and Syria were close to agreeing on a “de-escalation” arrangement.
The deal would see Israel halt its cross-border attacks in exchange for Syria agreeing not to move heavy equipment near the Israeli frontier.
Israel’s war on Gaza has been at the top of the agenda during the General Assembly, and al-Sharaa voiced support for Palestinians, saying Syria stood “firmly with the people of Gaza, its children and women and all peoples facing violations and aggression”.
“We call for an immediate end to the war,” he told the assembly.
Al-Sharaa closed his address by reflecting on Syria’s own years of violence.
“Let me affirm: The suffering Syria endured we wish upon no one. We are among the people most deeply aware of the horrors of war and destruction.”
“My opinion is we have to defend every square centimeter [of] territory, and that means if there’s an intrusion in the airspace, after warning, after being very clear, of course, the option of shooting down a fighter jet that is intruding our airspace is on the table,” von der Leyen said during an appearance on CNN.
President Donald Trump stated on Tuesday during his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the United Nations General Assembly that NATO countries should shoot down Russian jets that enter their airspace.
“Yes,” the president said when asked by reporters.
The remarks from von der Leyen and Trump come as NATO countries have experienced Russian drones and planes flying in their airspace in recent weeks.
Poland’s military, with the help of NATO allies, shot down multiple Russian drones that violated the country’s airspace.
Russian fighter planes flew into Estonian airspace, prompting the country to invoke Article 4.
“The United States stands by our NATO allies in the face of these airspace violations. And I want to take this first opportunity to repeat, and to emphasize, the United States and our allies will defend every inch of NATO territory,” U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz said on Tuesday.
Von der Leyen, the head of the European Union’s executive arm, told CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour that Russia is “testing” Europe on “all fields.”
“I mean, that’s a hybrid war that we experienced since many, many years that Russia is leading against the democracies of the European Union and others. And therefore we fight back on all the different fields. And as I said, it’s a decision of NATO, but I would be very clear, you don’t touch our territory,” the EU chief added.
In a post on X, Pezeshkian wrote that the two leaders exchanged views in New York on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly.
“The solution that addresses Europe’s concerns and guarantees Iran’s benefits was clearly articulated,” he noted, adding that mutual commitment to “justice and fairness” could make a final resolution achievable.
He also said the two sides agreed on addressing the issue of prisoners held in both countries.
Following the meeting, Macron stressed that Iran must allow full access to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors.
He underlined that “only a few hours remain” for Tehran to respond to European conditions before a so-called snapback mechanism that restores UN Security Council sanctions on Iran is activated, while insisting that “an agreement is still possible.”
The French president reiterated his country’s position that Iran must never obtain nuclear weapons, which Iranian officials have insisted are against the country’s doctrine.
Macron also demanded the immediate release of detained French citizens, including Cécile Kohler, Jacques Paris, and Lennart Monterlos, who are imprisoned in Iran for espionage charges.
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