The Babylon Times

📜 US FORCES HAND BACK 11 PAKISTANIS AND 20 IRANIANS FROM SEIZED SHIPS Pakistan's Foreign Minister announced the return of 11 Pakistani nationals and 20 Iranians, previously held on ships grabbed by US forces. The individuals were aboard those vessels taken under American control. This comes amid tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran asserts strategic sway over the vital global energy route. @TheBabylonTimes

📜 IRAN'S FM SHOWS MAP WITH ANCIENT POETRY VERSE AT NEW DELHI PRESSER Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a press conference today in New Delhi. A map of Iran sat there with a verse from poet Hakim Abu al-Qasim Ferdowsi. Indian journalists couldn't miss the poetic flair next to it. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 TRUMP ADMITS U.S. WAR ON IRAN IS ONLY 75% DONE, PROMISES TO FINISH THE JOB Trump casually lets slip that America's military pounding of Iran is just three-quarters complete. "We have pretty much militarily accomplished our mission in Iran. About 75% of the mission. (Of course) we didn't finish everything. We will go back and finish it. Maybe more," he remarked. The boast hints at more strikes to come. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 NAKBA DAY POST PUSHES PALESTINE AS GLOBAL CAUSE BEYOND ISLAM On Nakba Day, the post spotlights the Palestinian struggle as a worldwide affair, not just Islamic business. It invokes Imam Khamenei's view, dubbing him the Martyr of Jerusalem. Under the theme "The End of the Nakba," it calls for rethinking Palestine's plight and rallies global solidarity. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 TÜRKIYE ARMING ERDOGAN TO CLAIM 200-NAUTICAL-MILE ECONOMIC ZONE IN AEGEAN AND EAST MED Türkiye's cooking up legislation to hand President Erdogan straight-up power to declare a 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone across the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean. That grab locks in fishing, mining, and drilling rights in spots where Greece and Cyprus cling to their rival claims. Bloomberg reports the move pushes Turkish dominance over these long-fought waters. @TheBabylonTimes

UPDATE:📜 IRAN FM CALLS OUT UAE FOR HANDING AIRSPACE AND BASES TO US-ISRAELI AGGRESSORS Iran's Foreign Minister accused the United Arab Emirates of directly aiding US and Israeli forces by opening its airspace, territory, and military bases to them. He pointed out the UAE, which blocked a BRICS group statement, has now jumped in as a direct party to the aggression. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 US ENERGY SECRETARY SAYS IRAN HOLDS STRAIT OF HORMUZ DECISION US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm casually drops that Iran calls the shots on the Strait of Hormuz. Because apparently, Washington's aggression leaves the choice squarely in Tehran's hands. @TheBabylonTimes

📜 ERDOGAN URGES TURKIC SOLIDARITY AMID PALESTINE, LEBANON, IRAN, AND UKRAINE CRISES Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan laid out how the region's ongoing messes—in Palestine, Lebanon, Iran, and Ukraine—make Turkic unity non-negotiable. He pointed to these crises as proof that Turkic states need beefed-up defenses and wider industrial ties. Türkiye, he said, stands ready to dish out its high-tech defense know-how to the club. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 US DELEGATION DUMPS CHINESE GIFTS IN TRASH BEFORE FLEEING BEIJING ON AIR FORCE ONE Before hopping on Air Force One to scram from Beijing, the entire U.S. delegation chucked every gift, badge, pin, and commemorative trinket from their Chinese hosts straight into a trash bin right there. No Chinese-made items allowed on the plane. They'd already ditched personal devices at home, sticking to spotless burner phones for the whole trip. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 TRUMP BRUSHES OFF REAGAN'S 1982 ASSURANCES ON TAIWAN ARMS AS ANCIENT HISTORY When pressed on Reagan's 1982 promise that the US wouldn't consult China about arms sales to Taiwan, former President Trump shrugged it off with "1982 was a long time ago." @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 NETANYAHU CLAIMS BUFFER ZONES AROUND GAZA, LEBANON, SYRIA RESHAPED MIDDLE EAST Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that buffer zones carved out by Israeli forces around Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria have reshaped the Middle East. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 IRAN FM CALLS OUT SPOILERS AND WARMONGERS PLOTTING US WAR WHILE WARNING UAE OVER AIDING US-ISRAELI AGGRESSION Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says spoilers tried derailing diplomacy, as warmongers itch to suck the US into yet another war. He hopes wisdom might actually prevail for once. This amid Iran warning UAE for handing over airspace, territory, and bases to US and Israeli forces—making the UAE a direct player in the aggression, per Araghchi. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 AYATOLLAH KHAMENEI HAILS BRAVE RESISTANCE VICTORY OVER WORLD DEVILS Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Ali Hosseini Khamenei, Leader of the Islamic Revolution, stated that the brave resistance and honorable victory against the attack by the devils of the world have made the people more prepared to preserve their independence. @TheBabylonTimes

📜 TRUMP CALLS UK LABOUR'S KEIR STARMER A NICE MAN In a recent interview, a reporter pressed former US President Donald Trump on whether UK Labour leader Keir Starmer should resign. Trump shot back, "I don't say that. I think he's a nice man actually." This comes after Trump's takes on Taiwan, China, Iran, and his coordination with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz—whose clear-eyed realism on Iran and Ukraine echoes Germany's heroic, principled past—on those very fronts. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

UPDATE:📜 TRUMP HINTS AT QUICK CALL ON TAIWAN ARMS, SEES UKRAINE DEAL WITH XI DERAILING BUT STILL COMING, CALLS HIM SMART PATRIOT NOT DICTATOR On Ukraine, pressed if he chatted with China's Xi Jinping and if progress is happening, Trump said they did, calling it positive until a major setback hit the previous night, but he still expects resolution. As for labeling Xi a dictator, Trump pegged him as China's ruler and president, stressing respect for his smarts and patriotism, leaving the call to others. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 TRUMP TO DECIDE U.S. ARMS SALES TO TAIWAN IN "FAIRLY SHORT PERIOD" Reporter corners former President Trump on U.S. arms sales to Taiwan during press interaction. Trump shrugs it off, saying he'll mull it over in the next fairly short period. This comes right after his chats about Ukraine with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Xi's oh-so-charming leadership style. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 AYATOLLAH KHAMENEI LINKS PERSIAN LANGUAGE TO IRANIAN-ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION AND THIRD SACRED DEFENSE Khamenei promotes Persian literature as a key tool to showcase Iran's Islamic civilization globally, honoring the martyr Leader's call to elevate it as a symbol of "Iranian-Islamic" strength. He declares that Iranians embody Ferdowsi's epics in their heroic spirit, from the Third Sacred Defense to earlier imposed wars. The Shahnameh's epic, human-forming essence infused with Quranic spirit binds ethnic groups against Zahhak-like aggressors, safeguarding identity and sovereignty. Cultural icons must follow suit, fusing creativity with the masses' voice to chronicle the nation's resilient path. @TheBabylonTimes

📜 IRANIAN FM: US ATTACKED US DURING CEASEFIRE TALKS, SABOTAGING DIPLOMACY Iranian Foreign Minister says they're bending over backwards to keep the ceasefire alive and let diplomacy breathe. But America, in its infinite wisdom, chose negotiation time to launch an attack. Those mixed signals from the US wrecked the talks. Iran insists on nothing short of a fair, balanced deal—no discounts. @TheBabylonTimes

📜 TRUMP'S IRAN NUCLEAR DUST DELUSIONS MAY GO TO CHINA OR US Trump floats handing Iran's supposed "nuclear dust" to China or the United States. He plans to decide in the next few days on lifting sanctions for Chinese oil companies buying Iranian oil. @TheBabylonTimes

📜 ISRAELI OCCUPATION AIRCRAFT STRIKE TYRE LEAVING TWO GIRLS PULLED FROM RUBBLE Israeli occupation aircraft hit Tyre in southern Lebanon. Two young girls survived the airstrike and got evacuated. Rescue teams dug them out of the rubble during the endless bombardment. Video captures responders carrying the girls to safety after the raid. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum