Iran’s Mazandaran sees 90% surge in migratory birds after wetland recovery

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March 18, 2025

This marks a significant recovery after years of decline, driven by abundant summer and autumn rainfall that replenished dried-up habitats, including the internationally renowned Miankaleh Wetland.

Miankaleh, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, hosted 250,000 birds alone, a threefold increase from previous years.

The wetland saw an additional 4,000 hectares reflooded, providing critical habitat for over 80 species of waterfowl and shorebirds. Ducks were the most numerous, with their numbers surging from 112,000 to 280,000.

Kourosh Rabiei, head of the Mazandaran Department of Environment’s Wildlife Office, attributed the recovery to improved environmental conditions, a hunting ban in neighboring provinces, and favorable weather.

However, he noted that 70% of the birds have already departed for northern Caspian regions, with the remaining 30% expected to leave by mid-April.

Mazandaran’s wetlands, including Miankaleh, are vital stopovers for migratory birds traveling from cold northern regions.

The province’s 915 water reservoirs and wetlands, covering 18,000 hectares, provide essential resources for these birds, making it a key player in global bird migration routes.

Report: Iranian F-14s intercept US MQ-4C spy drone; surveillance aircraft forced to retreat

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IFP Editorial Staff

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March 18, 2025

The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force stated that the American spy drone immediately withdrew upon encountering Iranian F-14 fighter jets and reconnaissance drones.

The armed forces of Iran emphasized their readiness to defend against any aggression and launch decisive strikes against enemy interests in West Asia.

In a statement, Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force Unit warned that Iran will shoot down any enemy aircraft, manned or unmanned, that violates its airspace.

The IRGC cautioned adversaries against any provocations, underscoring Iran’s preparedness to respond to threats.

The MQ-4C drone, a stealthy surveillance aircraft with a length of 14.5 meters and a wingspan of 40 meters, is one of the US military’s advanced radar-evading platforms.

The escalation came as the US has launched relentless attacks on Yemen’s Ansarullah forces for blocking the Red Sea in retaliation for Israeli aggression on Palestine. The US blames Iran for shoring up the Yemeni movement.

Over 400, including children, killed as Israel ends Gaza ceasefire

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IFP Media Wire

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March 18, 2025

At least 404 Palestinians have been killed and 562 wounded as Israel launched a massive onlsuaght on Gaza, shattering the fragile two-month-old ceasefire with Hamas.

Tuesday’s attack took place across Gaza, including in Khan Younis and Rafah in southern Gaza, Gaza City in the north, and central areas like Deir el-Balah.

Many of those killed in the attacks were children, Gaza’s Ministry of Health said.

Palestinian Health Ministry said that “404 martyrs and 562 injuries arrived at Gaza Strip hospitals so far”, adding that “a number of victims are still under the rubble”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated he has instructed the military to take “strong action” against Hamas in Gaza, accusing the group of refusing to release captives and rejecting all ceasefire proposals.

“Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength,” the prime minister’s office announced in a statement.

Israeli Minister of Defence Israel Katz has also stated the “gates of hell” would open in the enclave if the remaining captives were not released.

“We will not stop fighting until all of the hostages return home and all the war’s aims are achieved,” Katz announced in a statement.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that US President Donald Trump’s administration was consulted by Israel prior to carrying out the strikes.

“The Trump administration and the White House were consulted by the Israelis on their attacks on Gaza tonight and as President Trump has made clear to Hamas, the Houthis, Iran – all those who seek to terrorise not just Israel but the United States of America will see a price to pay,” Leavitt added.

“All hell will break loose and all of the terrorists in the Middle East – the Houthis, Hezbollah, Hamas, Iranian-backed terror proxies and Iran themselves – should take President Trump very seriously when he says he is not afraid to stand for law-abiding people.”

The Israeli military announced it is prepared to continue attacks on Gaza for as long as needed and would expand the campaign beyond air strikes.

The military described the attacks as having targeted Hamas commanders and infrastructure, but footage and local reports indicate that scores of civilians had been killed and wounded.

Reacting to the air strikes, Hamas said in a statement that Israel had resumed its “genocidal war against defenceless civilians in the Gaza Strip”.

“Netanyahu and his extremist government have decided to overturn the ceasefire agreement, exposing the [Israeli] prisoners in Gaza to an unknown fate,” Hamas announced on Tuesday morning.

“We demand that the mediators hold Netanyahu and the Zionist occupation fully responsible for violating and overturning the agreement.”

It called on the Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to “assume their historical responsibility in supporting the steadfastness and valiant resistance of our Palestinian people, and in breaking the unjust siege imposed on the Gaza Strip”.

It also urged the UN to “convene urgently to adopt a resolution obligating the occupation to halt its aggression and abide by Resolution 2735, which calls for an end to the aggression and withdrawal from the entire Gaza Strip”.

The Palestinian group has blamed the US for its advance knowledge of Israel’s deadly bombardment in Gaza, saying this “confirms its direct partnership in the war of extermination against our people”.

The White House’s acknowledgement that it was consulted ahead of the attack “exposes the blatant American complicity and bias with the occupation”, Hamas announced.

“With its unlimited political and military support for the occupation, Washington bears full responsibility for the massacres and the killing of women and children in Gaza,” it added.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) armed group accused Israel of “deliberately sabotaging all efforts to reach a ceasefire”.

The fragile ceasefire between Israel Hamas, which came into effect on 19 January, was planned to include three phases.

The first phase, which ended at the beginning of March, resulted in the release of 33 Israeli and five Thai captives by Hamas in exchange for the release of some 2,000 Palestinian captives held in Israeli prisons.

Israel, backed by the US, has sought an extension of phase I of the deal while Hamas has said the ceasefire agreement should move to phase II.

The broad outline of the second phase, the details of which have not yet been agreed, is for all Israeli captives to be released in return for a total withdrawal from Gaza.

Israeli officials have long maintained that their forces will not withdraw from the enclave unless Hamas’s military and governance capabilities are completely removed.

A plan for the governance of post-war Gaza would have been discussed in the second and third phases.

The third phase was expected to involve the return of the bodies of Israeli captives still held in Gaza and the announcement of a three to five-year reconstruction plan for the enclave overseen by international actors.

Israel’s 18-month war on Gaza has levelled much of the enclave, reducing homes, hospitals and schools to rubble.

Israeli forces have so far killed more than 48,000 people in the territory, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Trump threatens to hold Iran ‘responsible’ for Yemen’s Houthi attacks

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IFP Media Wire

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March 18, 2025

Trump issued the warning on his social media platform Truth Social on Monday, signing the post with his name.

“Let nobody be fooled! The hundreds of attacks being made by Houthi, the sinister mobsters and thugs based in Yemen, who are hated by the Yemeni people, all emanate from, and are created by, IRAN,” Trump wrote.

“Any further attack or retaliation by the ‘Houthis’ will be met with great force, and there is no guarantee that that force will stop there.”

The Houthis have led a series of attacks against Israeli vessels and other commercial ships in the Red Sea, in protest against Tel Aviv’s war in the Gaza Strip and its blockade of humanitarian supplies into the Palestinian territory.

While Trump has previously pushed Iran to end its support for the Houthis, his remarks on Monday signal a significant escalation — hinting at potential military action against Iran itself.

“Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN, and IRAN will be held responsible, and suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire!” Trump wrote in his post.

The comments arrive at a delicate time diplomatically for Trump and his counterparts in Iran.

Iranian officials say that the Yemeni government and people independently make decisions about the measures they deem necessary to support the legitimate resistance of the Palestinian people.

Earlier this month, Trump sent a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, warning that the US could respond “militarily” if a nuclear deal is not reached.

But Ayatollah Khamenei has rebuffed Trump’s attempts to negotiate, dismissing him as “bullying” and pointing to the fact that Trump scuttled the previous agreement.

Iran has consistently stressed its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes, and it has denied pursuing a nuclear weapon.

Simultaneously, Trump has heightened US attacks on the Houthis, after the armed group warned last week it would seek to ban Israeli ships from nearby waterways.

“Any Israeli vessel attempting to violate this ban will be subject to military targeting in the declared operational area,” the Houthis announced in a statement.

The rebels signalled the ban arose from a blockade Israel has imposed on Gaza, preventing humanitarian supplies from entering the war-torn territory since March 2.

Israel, however, is a longtime ally of the US, and Trump responded to the Houthis’ threats with one of his own on Saturday.

“Today, I have ordered the United States Military to launch decisive and powerful Military action against the Houthi terrorists in Yemen,” Trump wrote over the weekend, ushering in a 24-hour period of intense bombing in Yemen.

From Saturday to Sunday, the US conducted an estimated 47 aerial strikes, hitting seven Yemeni provinces and killing an estimated 53 people. The Yemeni capital of Sanaa, which is controlled by the Houthis, was among the areas affected.

In announcing the weekend attacks, Trump also warned Iran about its backing for the Houthis.

“To Iran: Support for the Houthi terrorists must end IMMEDIATELY! Do NOT threaten the American People, their President, who has received one of the largest mandates in Presidential History, or Worldwide shipping lanes,” he wrote.

“If you do, BEWARE, because America will hold you fully accountable and, we won’t be nice about it!”

The Houthis have attacked nearly 100 vessels in the region since November 2023, sinking two, and Trump is not the first president to carry out attacks against Houthi targets.

Trump’s predecessor, Democratic President Joe Biden, likewise ordered multiple rounds of attacks on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen.

But Biden and his administration described the attacks as designed to disrupt the Houthis’ military capabilities, and they adamantly denied seeking to escalate the violence.

“We don’t want to see a regional war,” Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh stated in 2024.

Trump, however, dismissed Biden’s efforts against the Houthis as “pathetically weak”. He and Biden were rivals in the 2020 presidential election, which Trump lost.

The Houthis have promised to respond to Trump’s attacks.

“We will confront escalation with escalation,” their leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, warned on Sunday.

Already, the group has claimed to have made a retaliatory strike against a US naval vessel.

On Monday, the US Department of Defence signalled attacks from the Houthis would not be tolerated.

“ If you shoot at American troops, there will be consequences,” spokesperson Sean Parnell said, touting Trump’s “peace through strength” stance.

“We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective.”

But Parnell was quick to specify that Trump was not seeking war either, despite the US’s new threats.

“This is also not an endless offensive. This is not about regime change in the Middle East. This is about putting American interests first.”

UN Envoy warns about dire consequences of US hostile actions against Iran

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IFP Media Wire

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March 18, 2025

Amir Saeed Iravani stated in a letter to Kristina Markus Lassen, the rotating president of the UN Security Council, and Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, that the Islamic Republic of Iran firmly defends its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national interests against any hostile actions.

Iravani condemned the recent hostile remarks from senior US officials, including Donald Trump, against Iran, adding that the US is attempting to justify its illegal aggressive actions and war crimes against Yemen with these desperate claims and has clearly threatened to use force against Iran.

US President Donald Trump recently ordered a new round of US military attacks against Yemen and threatened to attack Iran for its support of Yemenis.

The Iranian ambassador called on the UN Security Council to take a clear and principled stance in condemning these provocative statements and to urge the United States to adhere to its commitments under the UN Charter.

In the letter from Iran’s envoy, it was stated that the Ansaruallh movement and Yemeni officials operate independently in their decision-making and actions, emphasizing that their operations are in support of the people of Gaza and in response to the violation of Yemen’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Ansarullah of Yemen has asserted that in response to the crimes of the Zionist regime against the Palestinian people, especially in Gaza, they will target ships heading to the occupied territories of Palestine.

Iran reformist politician Mehdi Karroubi’s house arrest ends after 15 years

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IFP Editorial Staff

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March 17, 2025

Hossein karroubi said, “Security officials on Sunday told my father that the Judiciary chief had issued an order to end his house arrest”.

He noted that the security officials also told Mehdi Karroubi that they will remain at the former parliament speaker’s house until April 9, 2025 due to security reasons.

Hossein Karroubi added that the Judiciary chief had earlier told a famous political figure that they had been given the go-ahead by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council to release Mehdi Karroubi.

According to him, officials have told Mehdi Karroubi that after April 9, the cleric can go anywhere he desires without any restrictions and that before this date, he can do so after coordinating with officials.

Karroubi, along with Mir Hossein Mousavi and Zahra Rahnavard, was put under house arrest in February 2010 following months of protests by their supporters, rejecting the 2009 presidential election result.

Former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won the vote but Karroubi and Mousavi, other candidates running for president, refused to concede defeat and accused Ahmadinejad of stealing the vote.

The two candidates and Mousavi’s wife Zahra Rahnavard then urged their supporters to take to the streets and called for the election result to be annulled, a demand flatly rejected by the establishment back then.

Remains of 6500 year old infant found in western Iran

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IFP Editorial Staff

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March 17, 2025

Ronak Tasa, the head of Cultural Heritage Department in the city of Oshnavieh added the pieces, which date back to the mid-fifth millennium BC and found in a clay vessel, are currently kept in the National Museum of Tehran.

The official added that 30 other notable objects are also held at the museum along with the ancient infant’s remains.

Archaeological studies show that, based on bone growth patterns, this fetus was in its 38th week of life and was born 2 or 3 weeks early.

That’s one of the most complete infant burials in the prehistoric era of the Iranian Plateau, with more than 90% of its bones remaining intact.

Iran’s 20-Year Vision Plan: A review of unmet goals as 1404 horizon arrives

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IFP Editorial Staff

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March 17, 2025

Ebrahim Ayoubi, lawyer, in an analysis published by Asriran news website on Monday, notes that the plan aimed to transform Iran into a developed nation with regional leadership in economic, scientific, and technological domains, but challenges in politics, economy, society, and culture have hindered progress.

Politically, the vision sought to establish Iran as a model of Islamic democracy and a constructive global player. However, declining voter turnout, regional tensions, and strained relations with the West highlight unmet aspirations.

Economically, the plan envisioned Iran as a regional leader with social welfare and technological advances. Instead, the national currency has lost nearly 100 times its value against the dollar, while unemployment and environmental issues persist.

Socially, the plan aimed for a cohesive, proud, and just society. Yet, rising youth emigration, widespread smuggling, and judicial inefficiencies reflect growing dissatisfaction.

Culturally, efforts to preserve Persian language and values have struggled against the influence of social media and foreign terminology.

The assessment agues the absence of a new vision plan suggests a recognition of past shortcomings.

As Iran enters Persian New Year 1404, the unmet goals underscore the need for realistic strategies and effective governance to address the country’s complex challenges in the decades ahead.

Trump says he will speak with Putin on Ukraine war

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IFP Media Wire

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March 17, 2025

“I’ll be speaking to President Putin on Tuesday. A lot of work’s been done over the weekend,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One during a late flight back to the Washington area from Florida.

“We want to see if we can bring that war to an end. Maybe we can, maybe we can’t, but I think we have a very good chance,” Trump added.

Trump is trying to win Putin’s support for a 30-day ceasefire proposal that Ukraine accepted last week, as both sides continued trading heavy aerial strikes through the weekend and Russia moved closer to ejecting Ukrainian forces from their months-old foothold in the western Russian region of Kursk.

“We will be talking about land. We will be talking about power plants,” Trump stated, when asked about concessions.

“I think we have a lot of it already discussed very much by both sides, Ukraine and Russia. We are already talking about that, dividing up certain assets.”

Tehran’s Grand Bazaar bustles with year-end shopping rush

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IFP Editorial Staff

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March 17, 2025

The historic marketplace, a longstanding center of commerce in the capital, is experiencing heightened demand for clothing, household items, and traditional festive goods.

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