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Ghalibaf tells Pakistan army chief Iran will not compromise

May 23, 2026, 12:16 GMT+1

Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir in Tehran that the Islamic Republic would not compromise on what he called the rights of the Iranian nation and country, state TV reported.

Ghalibaf said Iran’s armed forces had rebuilt their capabilities during the ceasefire and warned that if the United States “foolishly restarts the war,” the consequences would be “more crushing and bitter.”

Iranian state TV also reported that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a second meeting with Munir after talks on Iran’s proposals.

A Foreign Ministry spokesperson has said gaps in the talks remain wide.

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Iran seizes assets of 96 people in Qazvin over security accusations

May 23, 2026, 12:15 GMT+1

The prosecutor in Qazvin province said authorities had identified and seized assets belonging to 96 people accused of working for hostile actors, including individuals inside and outside Iran.

Ali-Asghar Asgari said indictments had been issued against three people on espionage accusations and six others on charges of carrying out intelligence activities. He said the cases had been sent to the Revolutionary Court.

“Any operational or intelligence action in favor of the enemy aimed at endangering security and national interests carries the punishment of seizure of all assets and execution,” Asgari said.

Pakistan army chief meets Ghalibaf and Pezeshkian in Tehran

May 23, 2026, 11:35 GMT+1
Pakistan army chief meets Ghalibaf and Pezeshkian in Tehran
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Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir (left) and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in Tehran on May 23, 2026

Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in Tehran as part of ongoing diplomatic efforts over regional tensions, Iranian state media reported.

Munir also met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during his visit to Iran, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi present, according to the report.

Al Arabiya, citing informed sources, reported that Munir had carried US messages to Tehran and that the messages included a threat to resume the war.

Iran cleric says hijab should not divide wartime mobilization

May 23, 2026, 10:35 GMT+1
Iran cleric says hijab should not divide wartime mobilization
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People gather at a farewell ceremony for Iran's national soccer team ahead of their departure to the 2026 World Cup, in Tehran, Iran, May 13, 2026.

A senior Iranian cleric said women without proper hijab should not be excluded from wartime gatherings, while Nour News, affiliated with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, called for reason and moderation over ideological confrontation.

Ayatollah Mohammad Javad Fazel Lankarani said Iranians should not be divided by issues such as hijab when the country and Islam were under threat.

He said the issue of hijab remained a religious duty, but argued that it would be wrong to tell women without proper hijab not to attend nightly gatherings organized in support of the war effort.

“When the country itself and the foundation of Islam are in danger, we should not deal with second- and third-tier issues... we should not ask the man who has taken up a weapon and entered the field whether he prays or not, let alone raise the issue of hijab,” Fazel Lankarani said.

The comments came as Nour News, affiliated with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, published an essay calling for a return to “reason and moderation” in Iranian public life.

Marking the day honoring the philosopher Mulla Sadra, the outlet argued that Iran needed a form of rationality that sees religion “not as a tool of control, but as a light for illumination.”

The essay criticized what it described as emotional and irrational forms of religiosity, as well as currents that reject religion entirely in the name of modernity.

It said Iran needed dialogue instead of conflict, and a reinterpretation of tradition rather than either blind imitation or outright rejection.

The shift does not amount to a formal retreat from policies such as mandatory hijab, but it reflects a growing recognition inside parts of the system that ideological confrontation at home could weaken the wartime unity authorities are trying to preserve.

Iran denies new NOTAM limiting flights across country

May 23, 2026, 10:32 GMT+1

Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization said it had issued no new official aviation notice imposing restrictions on the country’s airspace and that flight conditions remained normal.

The organization’s spokesperson said flights were continuing according to schedule.

“Conditions in the country’s airspace remain as before, and flights are operating according to plan,” the spokesperson said.

Without giving details of the notice to airmen, or NOTAM, the spokesperson denied a notice recently circulated on social media.

The denial came after Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization said Friday that activity at airports in the western part of Iran’s flight information region, known as the Tehran FIR, had been suspended until Monday, with only a limited number of airports allowed to operate.

That earlier notice said several airports, including Urmia, Kerman, Abadan, Shiraz, Yazd, Kermanshah, Rasht and Ahvaz, were exempt from the restrictions but could operate only from sunrise to sunset.

Iran internet blackout enters 13th week, NetBlocks says

May 23, 2026, 09:50 GMT+1

Iran’s internet blackout has entered its 13th week, with international networks largely cut off for more than 2,016 hours, internet monitor NetBlocks said.

NetBlocks said daily life for most Iranians is now shaped by lost opportunities and limited access to information that people elsewhere can reach in seconds.