Kayhan editor threatens Hormuz ban for backers of UN shipping resolution

Iran’s parliament will hold its first plenary session since the start of joint US-Israeli attacks and the subsequent ceasefire via videoconference on Sunday, parliament presidium spokesman Abbas Goudarzi said.

“The plenary session will be held via videoconference due to announced precautions,” Goudarzi said.

He added that lawmakers would discuss “various dimensions of recent market turbulence, people’s livelihood concerns, and recent price increases.”

Parliament had not held a full public session since the conflict began, with only some parliamentary committees meeting during the period.

Iran’s education ministry has barred private schools from holding in-person classes, saying all non-state schools must continue operating online until further notice.

The move came after some private schools reportedly resumed face-to-face classes despite nationwide remote learning, following pressure from families, according to Iranian state media.

“Until further notice, all non-state schools will operate virtually,” Ahmad Mahmoudzadeh, head of the Education Ministry’s Organization for Non-State Schools, said in response to the reopenings.

US intelligence believes Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, remains involved in shaping Tehran’s war and negotiation strategy despite not appearing in public since being injured in strikes that killed his father, CNN reported on Friday, citing sources familiar with the assessments.

According to the report, Khamenei is recovering from burns and other injuries while remaining largely isolated and communicating through couriers rather than electronic devices.

CNN said US intelligence believes Iran’s leadership remains fractured, with senior IRGC commanders and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf handling much of the day-to-day decision-making as Tehran reviews US proposals to end the conflict.

An Iranian lawmaker rejected claims that Tehran had dumped oil into the sea near Kharg Island after satellite images showed large oil slicks around the key export hub.

Jafar Pourkabgani, a member of parliament representing Bushehr province, said the slicks were caused by “oil residue and ballast water waste from European tankers” discharged into the sea.

“This claim is false and part of the enemy’s psychological operation,” he wrote on X, referring to allegations that Iran had released oil because storage tanks were full.

Satellite images published on Friday appeared to show large oil slicks around Kharg Island, with some reports estimating the affected area at around 40 square kilometers.

Experts cited by Fox News said the slick could be linked to operational strain in Iran’s oil export system, though the exact cause has not been independently confirmed.

Image credit: EUROPEAN UNION/COPERNICUS SENTIN/Handout via Reuters

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed tensions around the Strait of Hormuz and ongoing Iran-US negotiations during a phone call on Friday, the Russian foreign ministry said on Saturday.

Moscow stressed the need to support diplomatic efforts between Iran and the United States and warned against any renewed fighting that could harm civilians and infrastructure in Iran and neighboring Arab states.

The two sides also discussed deliberations at the United Nations and agreed to stay in contact in support of what Russia described as a long-term and sustainable settlement.