Tehran metro and bus may become permanently free - city council official

President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday a short pause in “Project Freedom,” involving safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, citing requests from Pakistan and other countries.

"Based on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran, we have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed," Trump posted on Truth Social.

Hardline strategist Mahdi Mohammadi, an adviser to the speaker of Iran’s parliament, said on Tuesday “time” is the most effective weapon in the current conflict, arguing that disrupting the enemy’s timetable is a key objective.

"The most effective weapon in the current war is time. Taking the war out of the enemy's timing is the strongest weapon that must be employed. What you're seeing is Trump being thrown off balance because the "scheduled time for the war" for him is nearing its end. In the limited window ahead, the initiative lies with Iran, and the enemy's cards are on the wane," he posted on X.

UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Tuesday received phone calls from regional leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, condemning what they described as Iranian attacks on civilians and civilian facilities in the UAE, the state news agency WAM reported.

According to WAM, the leaders expressed solidarity with the UAE and voiced support for measures taken by Abu Dhabi to safeguard its security, stability, and the safety of its citizens.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday Iran will not “surrender to pressure” during a phone call with Iraq’s prime minister-designate.

"We Muslims have already surrendered to the Almighty; no one else can make us surrender. In my call with Iraq's PM, I urged the US to remove military threats from our region; followers of the Shia school cannot be coerced by force," he posted on X.

The head of Iran’s Football Federation demanded on Tuesday that the United States provide official guarantees that the country’s military, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), will not be insulted during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, warning that Iran could withdraw from the tournament if the condition is not met, Iranian media reported.

"Americans, if they guarantee not to insult our military institutions and the IRGC, we'll go - If they give such a guarantee that an incident like Canada doesn't happen and they definitely assure it, we'll go; we have no business with America at all," Mehdi Taj, president of the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, said.

The “Canada incident” refers to Mehdi Taj and members of Iran’s football delegation being stopped and questioned by Canadian border officials in Toronto over admissibility concerns linked to Canada’s designation of the IRGC; after facing prolonged inspection and uncertainty over entry, the delegation was not allowed to proceed with their planned visit and left Canada, missing the FIFA Congress in Vancouver.