Islamic Republic News Agency·Oct 10, 8:39 AM ET💬 Defense minister nominee will accelerate deterrence capabilities: Iranian MP 📌 Tehran, IRNA – Salar Velayatmadar, chairman of the Iranian Parliament's Defense Committee, has backed the nomination of Mehrdad Akhlaqi as the new minister of defense, emphasizing that his appointment could accelerate the pace of advancements and the country's deterrence capabilities. Speaking to the IRNA correspondent on Saturday, Velayatmadar cited Akhlaghi’s background in the defense industry and Iranian missile programs, and expressed hope that he will undoubtedly be able to secure a strong, decisive vote of confidence in parliament. According to him, the nominee is a highly accomplished figure who had received commendations from the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution on several occasions. Akhlaghi is trusted by both the Army and the IRGC, he added. President Masoud Pezeshkian nominated Akhlaqi to serve as the country’s Minister of Defense, submitting his name to the Parliament for a vote of confidence earlier this week. The relevant parliamentary commission will review the nominee’s plans before lawmakers give a confidence vote on Akhlaqi's candidature in a parliament session, which is scheduled for October 18. Akhlaqi is a senior official at Iran’s Ministry of Defense and has previously served as head of the Aerospace Industries Organization, among other positions. The nomination follows the martyrdom of Major General Aziz Nasirzadeh, the former minister of defense, who was assassinated in the US-Israeli attacks on Tehran. Brigadier General Majid Ibn al-Reza was then appointed as the caretaker defense minister. 📲
Islamic Republic News Agency·Oct 10, 7:15 AM ET📡 Iran police chief vows revenge for killing of female officer 📌 Tehran, IRNA – Iran’s police chief, Brigadier General Ahmadreza Radan, has vowed revenge for the killing of Nosrat Eftekhari, deputy for cultural and social affairs of the police command in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, in a terrorist attack near Zahedan. 📲
Islamic Republic News Agency·Oct 10, 3:39 AM ETAccording to news sources, a refinery in Russia's Rostov region was struck by Ukrainian drones and caught fire after Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin agreed on diesel shipments from Moscow to Washington.
Islamic Republic News Agency·Oct 9, 10:39 AM ET📡 Aggressive US military bears responsibility for regional maritime escalation: IRGC 📌 Tehran, IRNA — The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy says the US military must be blamed for the escalation of tensions in the regional shipping routes, announcing a new fire incident on a tanker attempting to pass through an illegal route south of the Strait of Hormuz. In a statement on Friday, the IRGC Navy said a large liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carrier was struck while attempting to transit the unauthorized route, resulting in a massive fire in its engine room and propulsion system. It held the US military directly responsible for the incident and escalating maritime tensions, arguing that Washington causes such incidents by interfering in and deceiving shipping and insurance companies and by paying large bribes to them. The IRGC Navy said its forces were exercising control over the Strait of Hormuz in line with the order of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Sayyid Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, and the Iranian people’s demand for sovereignty over the waterway. Pleading that the Iranian forces have not permitted and will not permit the presence of aggressive militaries in the region and that they would decisively deal with any hostile attempts to disrupt the management of the Strait of Hormuz, the statement warned that such bitter incidents would only increase should the American interventions continue. The force also threatened companies with sanctions and punitive measures if their vessels were found in violation after being misled by the US military in the region. Action taken against offending vessels will not be limited to the Strait of Hormuz, but any vessel traversing an unauthorized route anywhere in the region will be pursued and will be punished inevitably, the statement added.
Islamic Republic News Agency·Oct 7, 4:35 PM ET📄 Araghchi: Iran is firm and determined in its self-defense 📌 Tehran, IRNA – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the foreign ministry presented Iran's conditions and considerations to the mediators in the form of a precise and operational plan, and it became clear to everyone that the Islamic Republic of Iran is steadfast and determined in its self-defense. Continuing the ongoing consultations between the Iranian Parliament and the diplomatic apparatus regarding various foreign policy issues, a meeting was held attended by Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and a number of Members of Parliament. During this three-hour meeting—attended by Ali Babaei Karnami, head of the Social Commission, and several parliamentarians—Araghchi presented a comprehensive report on the discussions and activities undertaken during the visit of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s delegation to New York to participate in the 81st annual session of the United Nations General Assembly. Referring to the numerous consultations he and President Masoud Pezeshkian held with various countries participating in the UN summit, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran said that backed by the Iranian nation's epic resistance and steadfastness against the enemies' military aggression, the Islamic Republic of Iran's delegation articulated the country's positions in the clearest and most authoritative manner possible. Araghchi also noted that the UN General Assembly summit provided an opportunity to articulate Iran’s innovative approach and present a seven-day plan for restoring security to the Strait of Hormuz. He emphasized that, acting on instructions from competent national authorities, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s delegation presented the country’s conditions and considerations to mediators in the form of a precise, operational plan; it thus became clear to all that the Islamic Republic—while steadfast and resolute in its self-defense—is equally serious about utilizing diplomacy to secure its national interests and security. In addition to answering questions and discussing the proposals and views of the representatives, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran provided explanations regarding a diverse range of foreign policy and national security issues—including economic diplomacy, the neutralization of sanctions, relations with neighbors, the strengthening of public and media diplomacy, the documentation of war crimes committed by the US and the Zionist regime, and the pursuit of justice and retribution for the martyrs of the Second and Third Imposed Wars. Members of the Iranian Parliament, while commending the diplomatic apparatus for its efforts and initiatives to safeguard national interests and the rights of the Iranian people, emphasized the need for continued collective commitment to preserving national unity and cohesion, as well as simultaneous support for both the "field" and diplomacy in defense of Iran's sovereignty. 📲
Islamic Republic News Agency·Oct 7, 9:41 AM ET🎙 Support for Resistance Front will continue until liberation of al-Quds: Iran’s top general 📌 Tehran, IRNA - Iran’s top military commander says the Al-Aqsa Flood operation of October 7, 2023 exceeded the Israeli regime's expectations, and that support for the Resistance Front will continue until the liberation of occupied al-Quds. In a message on Wednesday marking the anniversary of the Al-Aqsa Flood operation by Palestinian resistance groups, Major General Ali Abdollahi, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces and Commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said that the operation “disrupted the calculations of the enemies of the Resistance Front, and sent tremors through the Zionist entity.” He added that the October 7 operation helped transform the Resistance Front’s defensive strategy into an offensive one for the legitimate defense of the Palestinian people and their land, and accelerated the decline of the usurping, child-killing, and oppressive Zionist regime. Gen. Abdollahi noted that the enemies of the Islamic Ummah, especially the criminal Zionist regime, must know that the epic sacrifices of the martyrs of the Resistance Front, especially Major General Qassem Soleimani, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar, will continue and will ultimately bring about the end of the occupying regime. He emphasized that the directives of the martyred leader of the Ummah, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Sayyid Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, regarding the defense of the sacred cause of Palestine and the Resistance Front will continue until the liberation of al-Quds. 📲
Islamic Republic News Agency·Oct 7, 7:16 AM ET💬 Security synergy main focus of SCO anti-terrorism drill: Top IRGC cmdr. 📌 Tehran, IRNA – The deputy commander for operations of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Forces says the main focus of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s (SCO) joint anti-terrorism exercise is security synergy among member states and confronting extremist activities and violent groups. Speaking about Iran’s participation in the “Eurasia-Anti Terror 2026” international exercise in Minsk on Wednesday, Brigadier General Vali Ma’dani said the drill aims to strengthen defense diplomacy and enhance coordination in confronting regional security threats. “The main focus is on synergy among the countries of the SCO to confront extremist activities and seriously contain violent groups that are recognized as a common threat to regional security,” he said. The IRGC Ground Force’s special units are participating in the exercise on behalf of the Iranian Armed Forces. The three-day drill is being hosted by Belarus and involves 14 SCO member countries and affiliated committees, with more than 100 senior military and security officials taking part. Ma’dani also described improving security and counterterrorism cooperation as Iran’s main strategic objective in the exercise, highlighting the importance of exchanging experiences in confronting emerging security threats. Iran previously hosted the SCO’s “Sahand 2025” anti-terrorism exercise, underscoring Tehran’s continued emphasis on regional security cooperation and defense diplomacy. 📲
Islamic Republic News Agency·Oct 7, 6:52 AM ETPresident Pezeshkian addressing a cabinet session: We advocate for the Iranian people's rights from a stance of honor and power. Without question, we will stand firm and thwart the enemy's hopes.
Islamic Republic News Agency·Oct 7, 6:44 AM ETKhaled Qaddoumi, the Hamas representative in Tehran, called the Al-Aqsa Storm Operation a necessary step that redrew the region's equations, delivered a strategic victory for the Palestinian people, and demolished the notion that Israel cannot be defeated. For Israel, October 7 amounted to a strategic setback, while for the Palestinians it stands as a significant triumph, since they managed to breach the regime's security walls and barriers and push into the occupied territories. Had they possessed more means and backing, and had the world not abandoned them, even bigger military accomplishments could have been within reach.
Islamic Republic News Agency·Oct 7, 6:43 AM ETIranian Army spokesperson Brigadier General Mohammad Akrami-Nia: Should circumstances require it, we will conduct preemptive operations down the line in order to prevent the enemy from committing any act of aggression or intrusion.
Islamic Republic News Agency·Oct 7, 2:40 AM ET🖥 Enemy made grave miscalculation in seeking Iran’s collapse: IRGC deputy chief 📌 Bandar Abbas, IRNA – The enemy made a grave miscalculation by believing that military attacks, sanctions, unrest, and assassination of Iranian officials could create a power vacuum and lead to the collapse of the country within a week, Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Political Deputy Brigadier General Yadollah Javani says. Speaking at a specialized training course for school managers in Hormuzgan Province late on Tuesday, Javani said the enemy assumed that the killing of leaders and commanders would cause Iran’s defense systems and the government’s resolve to disintegrate. “However, every time, it faced the solid wall of national unity and the people’s vigilance,” he said. Javani added that the cohesion of the Iranian people and the swift and decisive responses by the Armed Forces demonstrated that the Islamic Republic was founded on deep religious principles and strong popular structures. Referring to Iran’s military capabilities in the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman, the general said foreign naval forces that previously operated extensively in the region have now moved more than 1,000 kilometers away from Iranian territorial waters due to Iran’s missile, drone and naval capabilities. “The future of the region will be shaped around collective security among Islamic countries and the complete withdrawal of aggressors,” he said. Javani also described schools and teachers as a key frontline in the cognitive battle, saying the enemy has shifted its focus to influencing the calculations and resolve of the younger generation after failing to achieve its goals through military confrontation and other plots. 📲
Islamic Republic News Agency·Oct 6, 4:14 PM ET🔻 IRGC: Al-Aqsa Storm was the beginning of the end for Zionism 📌 Tehran, IRNA – In a statement commemorating the 7th of October—marking the third anniversary of the historic and strategic Operation Al-Aqsa Storm—the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) described the operation as the beginning of the end for Zionism and the shattering of the myth of the Zionist army's invincibility, as well as a future-shaping event that accelerates the definitive decline of the racist, occupying regime of the Holy Quds. The statement issued by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) reads that three years have passed since October 7, 2023—a day when Palestinian resistance fighters and the heroic Hamas movement, relying on God and the iron will of the oppressed Palestinian people, executed one of the greatest operations in the history of the resistance and shattered the security architecture of the usurping Zionist regime. The statement adds: Three years on from this monumental and unforgettable historical event, the region's strategic equations have shifted in favor of the Axis of Resistance, while the Zionist regime—alongside its primary backer, the United States—has sunk into a vortex of structural crises and successive defeats. Pointing to the realities of today's battlefields and the significant coordination within the Axis of Resistance in confronting threats, plots, and wars imposed by the US, the Zionist regime, and their regional proxies, the statement notes: Amidst the latest regional and international developments, the Resistance Front has dealt lethal blows to the Zionist regime and the US through precise and crushing operations. The statement goes on to outline the dimensions of the strategic failure suffered by the United States and the Zionist regime during the second and third imposed wars, as well as the subsequent "Nasr" and "Punishment of the Aggressor" operations against Islamic Iran. It notes that by offering full-throated support for the Zionist regime's atrocities and issuing repeated threats against the Islamic Republic of Iran, the US not only failed to achieve any of its declared objectives but also lost its hollow aura of might in the eyes of global public opinion. The second and third imposed wars against Iran were met with a decisive response from the armed forces—a response that made the aggressors regret their actions—thereby proving that the era of making threats without consequence has come to an end. The statement goes on to emphasize that recent regional developments and events demonstrate the absolute might of the Resistance in the face of the sinister front comprising the US, the Zionist regime, and their regional and extra-regional allies; it further asserts that any miscalculation or move toward a new war or act of aggression against Islamic Iran will result in a painful and devastating response for the aggressor. 📲