Turkey eyes Hejaz Railway revival as alternative route to Hormuz

Three Iranian filmmakers and an actor have been summoned to the Culture and Media Prosecutor’s Office over comments about the January 2026 protests and on charges of “collaboration with hostile states against the Islamic Republic,” the Emtedad news website reported.

The artists named in the report are Tahmineh Milani, a writer and director; Mohsen Amiryousefi, a director and vice president of the Iranian House of Cinema; Mostafa Kiayee, a director and producer; and Mohsen Kiayee, an actor.

Emtedad said several other filmmakers, including Houman Seyyedi and Saeed Roustayi, had previously been summoned to the same prosecutor’s office.

Iran’s judiciary later rejected Emtedad’s report, saying no filmmaker has been summoned since March.

Israel is prepared to return to fighting in Iran and deliver a harder strike, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said on Tuesday.

“The Iranian attempt to dictate equations and change reality will fail,” Zamir said. “We will continue to operate and deepen the damage to the Hezbollah terror organization and defend the northern communities.”

“The IDF maintained and continues to maintain immediate readiness and preparedness for a return to fighting in Iran,” he added.

Zamir said Israel had intercepted threats launched at it and struck Iran “quickly and forcefully,” adding that the strike was “preparation for a much more significant and severe blow.”

“We are prepared to return and deliver another hard and deep strike against Iran,” he said.

Britain wants ongoing US-Iran talks to produce a swift agreement that fully reopens the Strait of Hormuz without tolls or charges, UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told parliament on Tuesday.

"We want to see a swift and successful conclusion to the ongoing talks between the US and Iran," Cooper said. "We need an agreement that gets the Strait fully open with no tolls or charges."

"Every country has a stake in freedom of navigation," she said, adding that Britain, "in partnership with France and other countries," stood ready "to support demining and provide reassurance to shipping through a multilateral maritime mission" once an agreement is reached.

Cooper called for urgent de-escalation between Iran and Israel, saying a return to conflict was in no one's interest.

She said she spoke to Iran's foreign minister on Sunday evening to convey the message directly, adding: "Both Israel and Iran have indicated that they have ended their strikes and that is welcome."

"It's vital that we have a diplomatic way forward, both to end the conflict in Lebanon, to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, to restore regional stability and prevent Iran ever developing or obtaining a nuclear weapon," she said.

US Vice President JD Vance said he was "confident" the war in Iran would not become a "quagmire."

"I feel extremely confident that we are not going to be talking about America's involvement in Iran even a year down the road, but certainly not years down the road," Vance told USA Today.

"If this diplomacy ultimately falls apart, then the president has further tools at his disposal," Vance said. "But so long as we keep this thing anchored to the core mission — prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon — it's not going to become a quagmire," he added.

Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf marked 100 days since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran, praising what he described as the Iranian nation's resistance in defending the country.

"One hundred days have passed since the struggle of a nation that rose up to protect beloved Iran," Ghalibaf said in a post on X.

He praised Iranians for standing behind the country, thwarting their enemies and preventing what he described as efforts to force Iran into submission.