Thursday, August 27, 2026

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The Donald Trump administration has told mediators that it is not interested in returning to the terms of the initial June agreement with the Islamic Republic. This position has hindered fresh efforts by Qatar, Oman, and Pakistan to revive negotiations between Washington and Tehran. The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, the fifth of Shahrivar, citing people familiar with the matter, that the Trump administration had repeatedly conveyed this position to the mediators. The initial agreement, brokered by Pakistan, sought to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and begin talks on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program and ending the war. In return, sanctions relief and Tehran’s access to frozen assets were envisaged. According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump has now made economic pressure on the Islamic Republic a priority and is prepared to wait and see how this policy turns out. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly also said that no negotiations with the Islamic Republic are taking place or planned, and that the naval blockade and “economic exclusion operation” will continue. The report came as Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir, traveled to Tehran earlier this week for talks. Oman’s foreign minister has also spoken with Islamic Republic officials in an effort to reach an understanding on the route ships can take through the Strait of Hormuz. Qatar’s prime minister also met with Islamic Republic officials in Tehran on Thursday, the fifth of Shahrivar. The Wall Street Journal wrote that disagreements over how to interpret the June agreement and the conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz have made it difficult to establish a framework for resuming negotiations. Meanwhile, Tehran is insisting on implementing the terms of the previous agreement, while Washington is pursuing a path of economic pressure. @ VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline

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Donald Trump, the president of the United States, answered reporters’ questions at the White House after signing an executive order renaming “Lake Ontario” to “Lake America.” They asked how secondary sanctions would be enforced against countries that have economic ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Responding to a question about Russia’s actions in the region and how the United States might respond if Russia continued doing business with Iran, Trump said: “So far, Russia has behaved very well with regard to the Strait of Hormuz.” Emphasizing Washington’s tit-for-tat approach with other powers, he added: “You have to understand that for everything they do, we do something too.” Asked whether Beijing’s actions were cause for concern, the U.S. president said: “Someone was saying about China, ‘We’ve heard they’re spying.’ We spy on them too. That’s how things go.” @ VahidOOnLine On Thursday, 5 Shahrivar, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a new executive order directing that the name “Lake Ontario” be changed immediately to “Lake America.” Before signing the order in the Oval Office of the White House, Trump announced: “We’re changing the name of Lake Ontario, and this decision takes effect right now.” According to a White House official, the order requires the U.S. Department of the Interior to update the country’s geographic database to reflect the new name. The symbolic move comes after trade talks between Washington and Ottawa broke down, retaliatory tariffs were imposed, and relations between the two neighboring countries deteriorated sharply. Canadian officials, however, have previously stated explicitly that they will not recognize Washington’s unilateral decision, and that the name of the shared border lake on Canadian territory will remain “Lake Ontario.” @ VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline

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The IRGC Intelligence Organization warned of growing social discontent in a statement issued on Thursday, 5 Shahrivar 1405. The statement referred to the failure of “Iran’s enemies” in their “attempt to change the government of Iran through military attacks,” and said: “Opponents of the Islamic Republic are changing their strategy.” The military and intelligence agency claimed that activating domestic crises, psychological warfare, economic pressure and security operations were among the main elements of this shift. The IRGC Intelligence Organization warned in the statement of rising social discontent and the possibility of street protests, saying that opponents of the Islamic Republic were focused on “undermining stability and reducing national resilience” through “cognitive warfare and the creation of fear and uncertainty.” The agency also announced that it had identified what it called a “secret, specialized structure” of Mossad, Israel’s intelligence service, for exerting pressure from within Iran. It claimed that the structure operates by communicating with opposition groups, carrying out sabotage operations and using local agents. The statement claimed that the Islamic Republic had moved beyond a position of “merely responding” to attacks and was seeking to increase its role in shaping the course of war and diplomacy. One section of the statement said: “Iran is no longer merely in a position of responding to attacks by the other side,” and is moving toward “increasing its strategic initiative and influence over the timing, location and cost of war and diplomacy.” The IRGC Intelligence Organization also repeated Iran’s claim of sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, writing that the Islamic Republic’s military and “asymmetric” capabilities remain intact. @VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline

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Iran’s vice president for executive affairs confirmed that the Islamic Republic’s government cannot import gasoline because of the U.S. naval blockade. According to the IRNA news agency, Mohammad Jafar Qa’em-Panah said on Wednesday evening, the fourth of Shahrivar, that changes to the prices of energy products, including gasoline and diesel, were necessary. Explaining why, he said: “Gasoline distribution is not fair, and continuing along this path is impossible. In addition, gasoline production is not sufficient, and because of the U.S. naval blockade, we cannot import gasoline.” The Iranian government official also said it was unclear how much prices would change or when the changes would take effect. In recent days, as officials of the Islamic Republic have increasingly spoken about the need to raise gasoline prices, various reports have emerged of some fuel stations in Tehran closing and long lines forming outside them. According to the latest figures announced, the country produces about 115 million liters of gasoline per day and consumes about 129 million liters. This means daily production is about 14 million liters below consumption. @ VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline

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Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister, met with Masoud Pezeshkian during a visit to Tehran. On the trip, Qatar’s foreign minister also met with Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, and discussed ways to resume negotiations between Washington and Tehran. @ VahidOOnLine Qatar’s foreign minister also told Ghalibaf that dialogue is the best way to resolve disputes and prevent further escalation of tensions in the region. @ VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline

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Asieh Ramazani, a 39-year-old woman and mother of two, was killed by direct gunfire from Islamic Republic forces during the crackdown on the Dey 1404 protests in Tehran. In the early hours of Friday, 19 Dey 1404, officers shot Ramazani from close range, from behind. The bullet passed through her back and chest, reaching her heart and killing her. Asieh Ramazani was the mother of a teenage daughter and an elementary-school-aged son. Her family says that after she was shot, she was taken to a clinic, but was left bleeding for about five hours without receiving effective medical care. After hearing nothing about her fate, the Ramazani family searched for her for three days between the Kahrizak Legal Medicine Organization and Behesht-e Zahra, until they finally found her body. When the family found Ramazani’s body, her cheek was bruised, and blood was still visible beneath the cover she had been placed under. They say her body had been kept in “unworthy and painful” conditions. The Ramazani family also says that her clothes, shoes, and other personal belongings were taken and never returned to them. After her body was handed over, they discovered that Ramazani’s heart, pierced by a bullet, had been stitched up without their knowledge. In their account, Asieh Ramazani’s family wrote: “We will not forget those three days. We will not forget those five hours, that blood, that cover, that pierced heart, or the belongings that should have been returned to her family.” They stressed that the full truth about her killing remains unknown, adding: “Even if a thousand years pass, the blood of our loved ones will not be washed away. We will repeat their names, keep their stories alive, and continue to demand justice.” @ VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline

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Scott Bessent, the U.S. Treasury Secretary, criticized the Islamic Republic’s financial policies in a post on X, calling for the country’s financial resources to be allocated to the Iranian people. Bessent wrote: “While the people of Iran are struggling to meet their basic needs, the corrupt government continues to squander huge sums abroad.” The U.S. Treasury Secretary added: “Instead of pouring billions of dollars into its terrorist proxy groups, the Iranian government should spend that money on its own people.” The remarks come as the United States intensifies its financial sanctions campaign to restrict the Iranian government’s access to foreign currency. @VahidOOnLine 📡 @VahidOnline

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Kaveh Madani, an Iranian researcher and water expert who heads the Institute for Water, Environment and Health at the United Nations University in Canada, received the 2026 Stockholm Water Prize—known as the “Nobel Prize for Water”—from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden on Wednesday, 4 Shahrivar. The prize was presented at an official ceremony during World Water Week in Stockholm in recognition of Madani’s research and work on water resource management and water governance, as well as his innovative approaches to addressing the water crisis. Madani had been named the prize’s laureate in March. The prize committee praised his research on water resource management and his work bridging science with policymaking, diplomacy and public communication. The Stockholm Water Prize has been awarded annually since 1991. The ceremony is organized by the Stockholm Water Foundation in cooperation with the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. The prize, which consists of one million Swedish kronor and a crystal statuette, is awarded to individuals or organizations for outstanding achievements in the protection, management and sustainable use of water resources. @ VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline

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Brent crude continued its downward trend amid improved ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and expectations of positive talks between Iran and Qatar, reaching $86.75 on Thursday. Oil prices fell by more than a dollar today compared with Wednesday, and by about eight dollars compared with last week. Following visits to Tehran in recent days by Oman’s foreign minister and Pakistan’s army chief, Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said on Wednesday that Qatar’s prime minister is also expected to visit Tehran soon. Meanwhile, Qatar’s foreign minister told his Iranian counterpart by phone that Doha supports all diplomatic efforts and measures aimed at finding a solution to ensure freedom of navigation and pave the way for a comprehensive agreement to establish lasting peace in the region. @ VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline

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Leila Abolhassani, detained during the Dey 1404 protests, has been sentenced to death on charges of “waging war against God” (moharebeh). After an appeal against the sentence, her case is now under review by the Supreme Court. Abolhassani, around 43 and the mother of two teenagers, has been held at Dowlatabad Prison in Isfahan since 18 Dey 1404. A source said she was arrested on 18 Dey in Shahin Shahr while taking pictures of a fire at an Ofogh Kourosh store. According to the source, the judiciary has accused her of involvement in setting the store on fire—a charge that led to her death sentence. Her appeal against the sentence is currently under review by the Supreme Court. Since her arrest, Leila Abolhassani has spent more than seven months at Dowlatabad Prison in Isfahan. @ VahidHeadline 📡 @VahidOnline