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Iran’s Navy receives homegrown forward base ship, overhauled destroyer

By
IFP Media Wire
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The equipment was handed over to Iranian naval forces during a ceremony joined by Deputy Chief of Iranian Army for Coordination Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani and other senior military figures in Iran’s southern port city of Bandar Abbas on Saturday.

The Makran-class Kordestan forward base ship is said to offer rescue and relief capabilities, handle the heaviest helicopters, and support up to three destroyers on a three-year, around-the-world mission without refueling stops.

The Iranian-built Sahand stealth destroyer was initially launched in December 2018. It features a helicopter deck, torpedo launchers, anti-aircraft and anti-ship weaponry, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, along with advanced electronic warfare systems.

The Mowj-class destroyer sank last year in the shallow waters of the Persian Gulf shortly after being repositioned.

It is named after the Sahand-class Alvand frigate, which sank during a 1988 confrontation with the US Navy in the Persian Gulf.

The new arrivals on Saturday also included fast attack crafts equipped with anti-destroyer cruise missile launch systems, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) developed for multipurpose usage, uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), as well as seaborne and groundborne electronic warfare, missile launch, and surveillance systems.

Iran’s Navy has in recent years achieved self-sufficiency in manufacturing surface and sub-surface vessels. It has also increased its presence in international waters to protect naval routes and provide security for merchant vessels and tankers.

The Iranian naval forces have also staged military drills with different countries, including Russia, China and Pakistan, over the past years to promote their combat readiness.

They have also been involved in joint efforts aimed at countering piracy and maritime terrorism, exchanging information in naval rescue and relief operations as well as sharing operational and tactical experience to enhance the security and stability of international maritime trade.

 

Saint Mary Metro Station inaugurated in Tehran 

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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IRNA correspondent says the Saint Mary Station was inaugurated in the presence of the mayor of Tehran, a number of foreign guests, and bishops of religious minorities, especially the Armenian community. This station is one of the stations on Tehran Metro Line 6, located at the intersection of Nejatollahi Street and Karim Khan Zand Street, near the Saint Sarkis Church.

The station has been constructed at a depth of 34 meters underground, with a total area of approximately 11,000 square meters.

Abbas Fathalipour, the project manager of Metro Line 6, said,“The first artwork installed in the station is a panel of ‘In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful’ written in Persian, English, Arabic, and Armenian”.

He added that the station also features artworks containing:
– Statements by Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and by founder of the Islamic Republic Imam Khomeini in praise of Saint Mary (Peace Be Upon Her) and Jesus Christ (Peace Be Upon Him);
– Qur’anic verses from Surah Maryam regarding the birth of Jesus (PBUH);
– Verses 28 to 31 of the Gospel, displayed in Armenian, Assyrian, and Persian.
Fathalipour noted that another artwork depicts Jesus (PBUH) walking on water, and another panel portrays Saint Mary (PBUH) in a state of prayer along with the Holy Spirit depicted as a dove, accompanied by vine branches.

A separate artwork shows a mosque on one side and a church on the other, with a central sunburst motif symbolizing belief in one God.

A statue of Saint Mary (PBUH) and Jesus Christ (PBUH), approximately 2.2 meters tall, has been installed at the entrance of the station.

Christians are recognized as one of the official religious minorities in Iran. They have representatives at parliament and are free to perform their religious rituals within the framework of the law.

3rd day of Fajr Intl. Film Festival held in Shiraz

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-

On the sidelines of the festival 3rd day, Head of the Cinema Organization Ra’ed Faridzadeh visited the film market, photo exhibitions, and the festival venue.

Meantime, specialized panels were also held for films from Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Turkey, and other countries.

More in the following pictures:

Russia confirms receipt of US draft peace plan on Ukraine

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Kremlin

Earlier this month, the US put forward a peace proposal to end the Ukraine conflict.

According to leaked versions, the plan requires Kiev to abandon its NATO ambitions, drop its territorial claims, and cap its army at 600,000. Feeling sidelined, Kiev and its EU and UK backers demanded a redraft, which they reportedly worked on during a meeting with the US negotiating team in Geneva last weekend. The revised version reportedly removed or amended these key issues, though no details have been officially confirmed.

Peskov said on Friday that Moscow has received the new version of the plan but will not comment publicly on the details.

“The main parameters have been communicated. A discussion will take place in Moscow next week,” he stated, adding, The Kremlin confirmed earlier that US special envoy Steve Witkoff will visit the Russian capital in the coming days to discuss the plan.

Asked whether certain countries or the UN will be called on to recognize decisions on a settlement, Peskov said this will be determined in further talks.

“We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves and hold discussions in such a public, megaphone format – we believe this is inappropriate,” he added, echoing other Russian officials who have described the European approach to the peace process as “megaphone diplomacy.”

While Moscow welcomed the initial US plan, saying its framework could form the basis for a final settlement, it has accused Kiev’s European backers of undermining peace efforts and distorting the proposal “for their own agenda.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Thursday that the main obstacle to progress is a clash of conflicting views within the West over how to end the fighting. He added that signing a deal with Ukraine is “legally impossible” for now due to the status of Vol Zelensky, whose presidential term expired last year but who refused to hold elections due to martial law.

Peskov explained that Putin was referring to the “de facto situation” in Ukraine, and that while “Zelensky’s legitimacy is problematic, everyone has the desire and preference to bring things to a peaceful conclusion.”

 

Palestinians forced into lockdown as Israel’s West Bank invasion continues

By
IFP Media Wire
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Save the Children reported on Friday that families in the northern West Bank have been forced to shelter inside their homes due to the fear of violence from the Israeli military, which launched an intensified operation earlier this week.

The lockdowns are “keeping children out of school, jeopardising family incomes and increasing risk of physical violence and child detention from the Israeli military”, the child rights group added.

Israeli troops laid siege to large swaths of the northeastern Tubas governorate, starting on Wednesday, and carried out a series of major raids in other cities and towns across the occupied West Bank, including Jenin.

Israeli forces have injured dozens of people in the Tubas area since the raids began, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported on Friday, while more than 160 others have been detained.

Israel has said the operation aims to root out Palestinian armed groups, but residents say the military has carried out indiscriminate attacks against civilians, blocked journalists and ambulances, and damaged infrastructure.

An incident that was caught on camera in Jenin on Thursday, showing Israeli forces killing two unarmed Palestinian men as they attempted to surrender, has also drawn widespread condemnation.

Palestinians across the occupied West Bank have faced a surge of Israeli military and settler violence in the shadow of Israel’s genocidal war against Palestinians in the nearby Gaza Strip, which has killed nearly 70,000 people since October 2023.

Israeli army and settler attacks have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians in the West Bank since Israel’s war on Gaza began, according to the United Nations.

The northern West Bank has been particularly hard-hit, with about 32,000 residents of several refugee camps forced out of their homes since January, and prevented by Israel from returning.

The Israeli military has also carried out wide-scale home demolitions, in what rights groups and UN officials have said is a campaign to forcibly displace Palestinians.

Ameer, who works with a Save the Children partner organisation in the West Bank, stated this week’s raids in the Tubas governorate constitute “a systematic assault by Israeli forces and a continuation of the Israeli government’s collective punishment policy”.

“The operation is cutting off children from the key services and supplies they rely on and need, including education and health services. Every child in these areas is being denied the right to an education,” Ameer announced in a statement.

 

Air pollution remains severe across Iran as Tehran records seventh consecutive ‘red’ day

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-

The city’s 24-hour average concentration of PM2.5 particles reached 160, and the index stood at 153 on Saturday morning, both classified as unhealthy for all groups.

In Alborz Province, monitoring stations reported unhealthy conditions in Savojbolagh for all residents, while Karaj and Nazarabad recorded levels considered hazardous for vulnerable groups including children, the elderly and individuals with heart or respiratory diseases.

Authorities reported PM2.5 readings of 161 in Savojbolagh, 148 in Nazarabad and 123 in Karaj.

Tehran police announced that, due to emergency measures approved by provincial authorities, the odd-even traffic scheme would be enforced citywide.

In Mashhad, air quality remained unhealthy for the 22nd consecutive day, with an average index of 108 over the past 24 hours and peaks of 136, affecting sensitive groups across most monitoring zones.

The National Meteorological Organization forecast a gradual improvement beginning Monday evening with the arrival of a rain-bearing clouds.

In Khuzestan Province, 18 cities reported polluted air, with Hoveyzeh registering a PM2.5 index of 239, classified as “very unhealthy.” Several other cities, including Ahvaz, Shushtar and Susa, were in the red, while Dezpart reported clean conditions.

Iran Army Chief: Active defense, smart deterrence form core of military strategy

By
IFP Media Wire
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Iran Armed Forces

Major General Amir Hatami, speaking at a ceremony marking Navy Day and the unveiling of the Kurdistan floating base along with the reintegration of the Sahand destroyer into the Navy, said that the Naval Forces continue to advance scientific efforts, technological self-reliance, and equipment indigenization by leveraging specialized and technical capacities.

He added that, with the support of the Defense Ministry’s marine industries and Iranian knowledge-based companies, significant strides have been made toward self-sufficiency.

Hatami noted that Iran’s maritime industry has achieved substantial progress in the development of both surface and subsurface vessels, as well as their associated systems, including naval weaponry.

This progress, he emphasized, will continue with strength and determination under the guidance of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution.

Referring to Iran’s role in regional security, Hatami said that regional security and the security of individual states can no longer be viewed separately.

He added that since the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the Islamic Republic has consistently played a constructive and irreplaceable role in ensuring regional security — a reality made even clearer by developments in the region over the past two years, which demonstrated who the true disruptors of regional stability are.

Hatami stressed that Iran’s long southern coastlines, access to open waters, well-equipped ports, skilled manpower, historical experience, indigenous knowledge and technology, and strategic geographic position all represent major capacities that can transform maritime opportunities into economic and security achievements.

The Army Chief underscored that building advanced vessels, upgrading maritime infrastructure, and enhancing Iran’s ability to operate in international waters are central pillars of the Army’s naval strategy.

Reaffirming Iran’s firm resolve to defend its ideals, national interests, and the lasting security of its people, Hatami concluded: “We will continue our path of self-sufficiency and defense advancement with full strength.”

US pauses visas for Afghan travelers after National Guard shooting

By
IFP Media Wire
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The US State Department

“The Department of State has IMMEDIATELY paused visa issuance for individuals traveling on Afghan passports. The Department is taking all necessary steps to protect U.S. national security and public safety,” the State Department said in a post on the social platform X Friday evening.

The suspect — an Afghan national — allegedly behind the shooting Wednesday in Washington, D.C., is facing a first-degree murder charge after U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom died from her wounds.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who is accused of shooting Beckstrom and U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, was charged with three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and one count of first-degree murder.

Lakanwal entered the U.S. in September 2021 through a program for Afghans who assisted the U.S. during its two-decade war in Afghanistan.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services also announced on Friday that all asylum decisions would be halted “until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible.” Lakanwal was reportedly granted asylum earlier this year.

President Donald Trump had already said on Thursday that he would stop immigration from “all Third World Countries” in the wake of the shooting.

“I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover,” the president wrote on his Truth Social platform.

The Trump administration also announced Thursday it would take another look at green cards connected with 19 countries.

Washington, D.C., police said Friday they were working in “close coordination” with the National Guard to ensure safety after the shooting.

“Law enforcement agencies across Washington, DC, including the Metropolitan Police Department, are working in close coordination with the National Guard to ensure the safety of our community,” a Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson said in an emailed statement to The Hill.

 

Turkey confirms  two sanctioned tankers hit by ‘explosions’

By
IFP Media Wire
-

The Kairos, a Gambian-flagged vessel bound for the Russian port of Novorossiysk, caught fire 28 nautical miles (51 km) off Türkiye’s coast due to unspecified “external factors,” the Turkish Directorate General for Maritime Affairs said later Friday evening.

All 25 crew members, most of them Chinese nationals, have been rescued by the Turkish Coast Guard.

Footage published by officials shows the ship engulfed in flames.

Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu stated that the information received from the ship “indicated a possible mine strike.” He confirmed that the initial assessment suggested “external impact.”

The second vessel, the Gambian-flagged tanker Virat, reported a “strike” 35 nautical miles (65 km) off the Turkish coast. The ship had communicated that it was attacked by drones, according to local media. Uraloglu said rescue vessels were deployed to evacuate the Virat’s crew of 20.

Photos released by officials show a hole in the ship’s hull.

Both tankers had been sanctioned by Western states for transporting oil in violation of restrictions imposed on Russia over the Ukraine conflict. Moscow has denied operating a “shadow fleet.”

The Black Sea has remained the scene of tensions since February, as Russia and Ukraine have attacked each other’s naval assets. Floating mines have drifted far from the Ukrainian coast throughout the conflict, even reaching the Bosphorus.

 

Iran says parliament prepared proposals for possible NPT withdrawal

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Iran Nuclear Program

Azizi condemned the recent resolution passed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors, calling it politically motivated and the result of pressure from Western governments.

The resolution urges Iran to clarify the status of enriched uranium stockpiles and nuclear sites that were struck earlier this year by the US and Israel.

He criticized the IAEA’s silence regarding attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, the assassination of scientists and commanders, and civilian casualties, stating that Iran has consistently cooperated with the agency through inspections and surveillance measures.

Despite this cooperation, he said, Iran has faced military aggression and renewed activation of the “trigger mechanism” by European parties under US pressure.

Azizi stressed that Iran’s nuclear activities are peaceful and essential to strategic national interests, adding that Tehran will not retreat from its “legal and legitimate rights.”

He also dismissed recent comments by US President Donald Trump about possible talks with Iran, calling them false and delusional.

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