Tehran (TDI): Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on Friday praised what he described as the country’s “courageous resistance” against the United States and Israel, saying the recent conflict had strengthened Iran and reinforced national unity.
In a statement issued on National Persian Language Preservation Day, Khamenei said the Iranian people had demonstrated resilience during what he called the “sacred defense” against the “US-Zionist invasion.” He linked Iran’s response to themes found in the Shahnameh, the famous Persian epic written by poet Ferdowsi, saying the spirit of resistance reflected the heroic character of the Iranian nation.
Khamenei said the values contained in the Shahnameh continue to unite Iranians across ethnic and social lines in defending the country’s identity, independence, and sovereignty.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran’s stockpile of enriched uranium is currently not part of ongoing discussions with the United States, acknowledging that negotiations had reached a deadlock on the issue.
Speaking at a press conference, Araghchi described the matter as highly complicated and said both sides had effectively agreed to postpone the discussion to later stages of diplomacy. He stressed that the issue was “not under negotiation” for the time being but could be revisited in future talks.
Despite the impasse, Araghchi said Iran had received messages from Washington indicating that the US remained interested in continuing diplomatic engagement.
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Alongside the diplomatic developments, Iran also moved to strengthen regional relations. President Masoud Pezeshkian congratulated Iraq’s new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi following his swearing-in ceremony and expressed hope for deeper strategic cooperation between Tehran and Baghdad.
Pezeshkian said Iran would continue supporting Iraq in areas related to development and regional security, highlighting the close ties between the two neighbouring countries.
Separately, Pakistan announced the repatriation of 31 individuals, including 11 Pakistani citizens and 20 Iranian nationals, who had reportedly been aboard vessels seized by US forces.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said the repatriation process was carried out through Singapore with international cooperation. He confirmed that all individuals were safe and in good health.
According to Dar, the group travelled from Singapore to Bangkok before departing for Islamabad, while arrangements were being made for the Iranian nationals to return home.
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The deputy prime minister thanked the governments of Singapore, the United States, and Thailand for their assistance in facilitating the return process. He also acknowledged cooperation from Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for supporting the operation.
