TEHRAN – The head of the Tehran Guilds Chamber has warned that Iran’s proposed 1405 (2026) budget will place additional pressure on businesses and the public, arguing that higher taxes under current economic conditions will ultimately be passed on to consumers.

TEHRAN - The Acting Head of the Secretariat of the Iran–Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) Free Trade Agreement has announced a 16 percent increase in Iran’s exports to the Eurasian region during the first seven months of the current Iranian year, reaching a total value of $1.261 billion.

TEHRAN - Iranian and Azerbaijani customs authorities have reached a new agreement aimed at reducing truck congestion at the Astara border crossing, a key transit point between the two neighboring countries. Under the agreement, between 120 and 140 refrigerated export trucks will be allowed to exit daily through the newly established Astara border terminal, increasing the total number of outbound trucks to between 350 and 370 per day.

TEHRAN - At a meeting between the Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan to Tehran, the Governor of Markazi Province, and members of the board of the Arak Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture, participants emphasized the strategic role of Markazi Province in expanding trade relations between Iran and Uzbekistan.

TEHRAN - A deputy head of the Iran Fisheries Organization said negotiations are underway with Mauritius and Madagascar to allow Iranian fishermen to operate in their fishing grounds, adding that several Iranian fishermen have recently been released from prisons in India.

TEHRAN - The head of the Iranian–Foreign Joint Investment Association said cooperation with the Iran Financial Center, the World Business Organization, and several Iran–Vietnam and ASEAN joint chambers of commerce, with a focus on joint Iranian–foreign investment, is on the agenda.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Iran must continue its path of production, trade, and development without tying its future to the lifting of sanctions, stressing that diplomacy must pursue both sanctions relief and sanctions neutralization simultaneously.

TEHRAN - Iran has firmly rejected any form of coercion, intimidation, or political pressure, calling on Western powers to reverse their current approach and adopt concrete, credible measures aimed at rebuilding trust and confidence.

President Masoud Pezeshkian has emphasized the need to strengthen convergence between Iran and Georgia amid evolving regional and international dynamics in the Caucasus, highlighting expanded economic, transit, and diplomatic cooperation as key pillars for balanced stability in the region.

TEHRAN - Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Iran’s missile program has been developed solely to defend the country’s sovereignty and is not subject to negotiation, adding that regional “resistance” movements are deeply rooted and will continue as long as occupation persists.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Iran is ready for a “fair and balanced” deal over its nuclear program, provided that any agreement is reached through negotiation rather than imposed by diktat.

TEHRAN - President Masoud Pezeshkian said the country’s problems are neither new nor limited to recent years, stressing that despite deep challenges, limited resources, and external pressures, his administration has clear plans to address them and will do so with public participation and expert support.

Esteghlal Khuzestan football team defeated Zob Ahan 2-0 in Matchweek 15 of 2025-26 Iran Professional League (IPL) on Thursday.

Iranian female cyclist Arezu Eskandari has arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam, as part of her year-long cycling tour across Asia and was welcomed at the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The Iranian chess team has been ranked 4th after the squad members won two gold medals in the FIDE World U9-U17 Rapid and Blitz Championships, held in Antalya, Turkey.

Japanese referee Yusuke Araki was appointed to officiate the match between Tractor of Iran and Qatar’s Al Duhail in the AFC Champions League Elite 2025-26.

Iran’s women’s and men’s teams finished in third place at the 7th Roll Ball World Cup.

The Persepolis football team earned a hard-fought 1-0 win over Aluminum in the 2025-26 Iran Professional League (IPL) on Sunday.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has described the late Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Hadi Milani as a truly multifaceted figure in spiritual, moral, scholarly, and socio-political terms, stressing that he “really was the reviver of the Mashhad seminary.”

Iran and Tajikistan have agreed to draft a joint roadmap in the fields of social welfare and social empowerment, head of Iran’s State Welfare Organization said on Tuesday.

Traditional celebrations marking Yalda Night, the winter solstice, and the longest night of the year in the Iranian calendar, were held in Moscow and several cities across Pakistan, underscoring shared cultural values centered on light, unity, and human connection.

The Minister of Roads and Urban Development says that airports damaged by Israeli aggression were rebuilt within ten days.

Iran’s Chief of Police Brigadier General Ahmadreza Radan says that the police and border guard forces in Hormozgan Province have seized over 230 million liters of smuggled fuel during the first eight months of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21, 2025).

The second International Exhibition of Industry, Technology, Trade, Tourism, Culture, Art and Investment Opportunities, known as “Kish Expo 1404,” opened on Tuesday evening at the Kish International Exhibition Center.

Iran’s Chief of Police Brigadier General Ahmadreza Radan, who has traveled to Tajikistan, says the Islamic Republic is ready to exchange experiences and strengthen cooperation with the law enforcement department of the Central Asian nation.

Major General Amir Hatami, Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Armed Forces, says the Army continuously works to enhance its preparedness to confront all forms of threats, including asymmetric and irregular warfare, stressing that any hostile act will be met with a decisive response.

The Commander of the Iranian Army’s Naval Force, Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, says the 103rd and 104th flotillas of the Iranian Naval Force have set sail for South Africa.

The deputy chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran has said that repeated threats by the Israeli regime are a sign of turmoil and weakness, stressing that Iran is closely monitoring all regional and international developments.

Iran’s top military official says he is satisfied with the continuous enhancement of the Iranian air defense systems made possible by the specialized and selfless efforts of the personnel.

Commander of the Iranian Army Ground Forces, Brigadier General Ali Jahanshahi, has announced concrete measures to reinforce security in the country’s southeastern region, including the deployment of rapid-response drone units.