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TEHRAN: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has held an important meeting with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei as speculation over the president’s future continues to attract attention amid heightened tensions with the United States and Israel. The meeting reportedly came as Pezeshkian entered the third year of his presidency. It also followed reports suggesting that the Iranian president was considering stepping down, claims he has rejected. Iranian authorities have previously dismissed resignation reports as unfounded, while Pezeshkian has publicly indicated that he intends to continue serving. According to statements attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei on social media, the discussions covered a wide range of economic, military and strategic issues facing Iran. Among the topics were the economic needs of ordinary Iranians, the country’s military situation, access to resources and management of the Iranian rial, foreign currency and energy costs. The two leaders also discussed economic relations with foreign partners and the wider implications of the confrontation with Washington and Israel. The meeting comes at a particularly sensitive moment for Tehran. Iran remains under pressure from the continuing regional conflict and economic difficulties, while efforts to engage Washington have faced repeated obstacles. The reported contact is also notable because Pezeshkian recently said that reaching Mojtaba Khamenei had been difficult, prompting speculation about the supreme leader’s health and whereabouts. Reports in recent days have offered conflicting accounts about how and where senior Iranian officials have been able to meet him. Meanwhile, Iran’s diplomatic efforts with the United States remain uncertain. According to the material cited by Iranian officials, negotiations have been reduced largely to messages exchanged through intermediaries after earlier attempts failed to produce a lasting agreement. The political backdrop has also been complicated by reported tensions between the presidency and powerful military-security institutions. Some reports have suggested disagreements over decision-making and the conduct of Iran’s response to the conflict, although details remain contested. Pezeshkian’s political position has therefore become a subject of renewed attention. He was elected president in July 2024 following the death of former President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash. Mojtaba Khamenei, meanwhile, became Iran’s supreme leader in March 2026 following the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during the conflict. Against this backdrop, the latest meeting between the president and supreme leader carries significance beyond routine government business, particularly as Iran confronts economic pressures, military uncertainty and difficult relations with Washington. For now, however, Pezeshkian remains in office, while reports of his resignation have been publicly rejected.

TEHRAN: A new video showing Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has emerged, offering a rare public glimpse of the Iranian leader amid heightened attention over his health and whereabouts. The footage was released by Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency and appears to show Khamenei sitting with several people and engaged in conversation. The agency did not disclose when or where the recording was made, nor did it identify the other individuals seen alongside him. Khamenei appears in normal condition in the short footage. The release comes after reports and speculation about his health had circulated in recent days, making the video particularly significant for observers following developments in Tehran. Iranian media presented the footage as evidence of the Supreme Leader’s continued presence and activity. The video does not provide independent confirmation of when it was recorded, however, leaving some questions unanswered about Khamenei’s current condition and location. The appearance comes as tensions surrounding Iran remain high. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has reiterated Tehran’s determination to withstand pressure and continue what he described as resistance. “We are fully prepared for resistance despite all pressures,” Araghchi said, according to the statement cited by Iranian media. He also said Iran would not forget what he described as the unjust bloodshed of its martyrs, adding that those responsible would not be forgiven. Khamenei’s limited public appearances have attracted considerable attention since he became Iran’s Supreme Leader earlier this year. The latest footage is therefore likely to be closely examined both inside Iran and abroad as questions continue over the country’s leadership and its response to mounting regional pressures. For now, the exact timing and location of the recording remain undisclosed.

TEHRAN: Iran is prepared to continue resisting mounting pressure, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, as Tehran and Oman move closer to an agreement on managing navigation through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. Araghchi said Iran would not forget what it described as the unjust bloodshed of its martyrs and would not forgive those responsible. His remarks come amid continuing tensions between Tehran and Washington and uncertainty over the future of negotiations. The Iranian foreign minister also warned that talks with the United States would not resume if Washington continued to violate the memorandum of understanding between the two countries. According to Araghchi, Iran and the United States are currently not engaged in direct negotiations. However, messages are being exchanged through intermediaries, keeping a narrow diplomatic channel open despite the broader standoff. The most immediate development concerns the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for international energy shipments. Araghchi said negotiations between Iran and Oman over a new arrangement for maritime traffic were in their final stages. He stressed, however, that reaching an agreement with Oman would not automatically mean the strait would be fully reopened. Instead, the proposed arrangement would establish new maritime routes between Iran and Oman. The two countries have previously agreed to work together on future navigation management, shipping services and related arrangements while emphasizing safe passage and their sovereign rights over their territorial waters. The issue has become a major point of contention in wider diplomatic efforts, with Tehran insisting that US actions under the memorandum must be addressed before normal negotiations can resume. For now, the emerging Iran-Oman arrangement could offer a potential pathway for maritime traffic, but significant political hurdles remain. With Tehran maintaining its tough stance toward Washington, the next stage of diplomacy could determine whether the strategic waterway moves toward greater stability or remains at the center of regional tensions.

TEHRAN: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has described the current moment as the “best time” for reaching an agreement with the United States, while making clear that Tehran’s broader policy toward Washington has not changed. Speaking to media representatives in Tehran on Sunday, Pezeshkian said the United States had been pushed toward negotiations and reconciliation with Iran, describing the development as a success for Tehran’s diplomacy. His comments come amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States and growing international efforts to find a diplomatic way out of the crisis. Pezeshkian suggested that the present circumstances could provide an opportunity to move toward an agreement if Washington was prepared to meet its commitments. The Iranian president accused the United States of failing to implement understandings reflected in an Islamabad memorandum and points jointly prepared by Iran and Oman. According to Pezeshkian, Washington’s failure to follow through on those commitments forced Tehran to respond. He said Iran had established a special team to deal with the crisis and that the group was continuing its work. “We are hopeful that Iran will move forward with dignity, determination and pride,” Pezeshkian said, stressing that Tehran would continue to protect what it considers its national interests. Despite signaling openness to negotiations, Pezeshkian adopted a tough tone toward Washington. He described the United States as a “criminal” and “colonial” power and insisted that Iran’s policy toward Washington remained unchanged. The president also warned against what he portrayed as attempts by the United States and Israel to weaken Iran from within. According to Pezeshkian, military pressure and war had failed to force Tehran into submission. He argued that Washington and Israel could now seek to exploit divisions within Iranian society by encouraging internal disputes. Pezeshkian urged Iranians to remain alert to what he described as such efforts, emphasizing that national unity was particularly important at the current stage. He called on the Iranian public to stand together to safeguard the country’s security and defence capabilities. The remarks underline the delicate balance in Tehran’s position: Iran appears willing to explore diplomacy while simultaneously maintaining its longstanding opposition to Washington’s policies. Pezeshkian’s comments could therefore signal a possible opening for renewed diplomatic engagement, but any breakthrough is likely to depend on whether Iran and the United States can overcome deep mistrust and resolve disagreements over previous commitments. For now, Tehran’s message is clear: the door to negotiations may be open, but Iran says it will enter those talks from a position of dignity, national unity and strength.

MARIB: At least 10 people, including eight members of Yemen’s government-aligned security forces and two civilians, were killed in fresh Houthi attacks in the oil-rich Marib province, raising fresh concerns over a possible escalation in the country’s fragile security situation. According to local officials and military sources, Houthi fighters targeted positions held by forces loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognised government with missiles and drones. The attacks reportedly struck several military locations in Marib, a strategically important province that has remained a major focal point in Yemen’s long-running conflict. The latest violence comes despite a significant reduction in large-scale fighting across Yemen in recent years. The renewed attacks have therefore sparked concerns that the relative calm could be disrupted and that low-intensity clashes could once again develop into broader military confrontations. Reports also indicated that Houthi attacks in Marib and neighbouring Hadramout on Friday resulted in additional casualties, suggesting that the latest violence may be part of a wider increase in militant activity across government-held areas. Marib holds particular strategic importance because of its oil and gas resources as well as its location. Control of the province has long been a key objective for both the Yemeni government and the Houthis. The latest strikes have added to fears of a new escalation in Yemen, where years of conflict have already caused a severe humanitarian crisis. Any renewed fighting around Marib could carry wider consequences because of the province’s economic resources and military significance. The Houthis, who control large parts of northern and western Yemen including the capital Sanaa, have been involved in a prolonged conflict with government forces and their allies. The fresh deaths underline the continuing fragility of Yemen’s security environment and could test efforts to preserve the relative calm that has emerged after years of intense fighting.

Yemen’s internationally recognised government forces have launched a military counter-operation against the Houthis following a series of missile and drone attacks on military positions in the provinces of Marib and Hadramout, according to a military spokesman. Yemeni army spokesman Majed al-Nazili said the government forces had begun responding to the attacks and would not tolerate threats against civilians, troops or military positions. “We will give a decisive military response to the threats facing the Yemeni people and armed forces,” al-Nazili said, according to the statement cited by local media. The announcement comes after Houthi forces carried out a series of attacks on government-aligned military camps in Marib and Hadramout. Recent reports said at least 30 Yemeni government soldiers were killed and 15 others wounded in the strikes. The escalation has raised fresh concerns over the fragile security situation in Yemen, where large-scale fighting had significantly declined following the UN-mediated truce that began in April 2022. Although the truce formally expired later that year, the country avoided a full return to nationwide warfare for an extended period. The latest violence is being closely watched because Marib remains strategically important to Yemen’s government, while Hadramout is a major eastern province with significant military and economic importance. The United Nations has repeatedly warned that renewed military escalation could undermine diplomatic efforts and worsen Yemen’s already severe humanitarian crisis. The UN Security Council has stressed the need for restraint and a Yemeni-led political process as the most viable route toward a lasting settlement. The latest developments could therefore mark a dangerous turning point if the government’s promised counter-operation leads to sustained fighting. For millions of Yemenis already affected by years of conflict, renewed hostilities could bring further displacement, economic hardship and pressure on essential services. With both sides now trading threats and military strikes, attention is turning to whether the latest confrontation remains limited—or develops into a broader escalation across Yemen.