Iran Elections: Domestic Reform to Int’l Image

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
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Iran Elections: Domestic Reform to Int’l Image

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei

Days ahead of Iran’s legislative elections, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei urged higher voter turnout, calling on all Iranians to participate in fixing issues.
In a meeting with people from East Azerbaijan Province, Khamenei stressed that elections are “an important national event” and the core pillar of Iran.
“Elections are a manifestation of the republican system and this is why the Arrogant Powers and the US, who are opposed to both republicanism and the Islamic nature of the Islamic Republic, are against the elections and the enthusiastic participation of the people at the ballot boxes,” said Khamenei.
The elections, slated for next month, will elect 290 new parliament members. Simultaneously, elections for the Assembly of Experts, comprising 88 clerics, will occur, responsible for naming the next Supreme Leader if needed.
Conspiracy Talk
In his remarks, Khamenei once again brought up talk about conspiracies just before elections.
Khamenei stated that in the past, a US president once called on the Iranian nation to boycott elections while it actually backfired and in opposition to Washington, Iranians participated with even more enthusiasm.
The leader claimed that this failure was why US officials no longer talk this way, but employ different methods to distance and steer people away from elections.
Khameni also underlined that elections are crucial for fixing Iran’s problems, and insisted that everyone take part.
Earlier this month, Khamenei urged Iran’s elite figures to ensure a big voter turnout, warning against efforts to weaken their role.
It is worth noting that the upcoming vote is the first since protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by Iranian authorities for improper hijab, erupted in September 2022.
Amini died in custody, sparking nationwide demonstrations, but Iran blamed Western powers for fueling the protests.
Picking the Best
Khamenei defended the process of approving candidates by the Guardian Council, a body he partly appoints.
He emphasized the need to elect the most qualified candidates among those approved.
The leader urged avoiding insults and false accusations during the campaign, emphasizing national unity despite differences.
He stressed the importance of fair elections, denying any past electoral violations. His remarks coincide with the anniversary of the house arrest of two reformist leaders, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi.
Mousavi and Karroubi contested the results of the 2009 presidential elections.
Meanwhile, Iranian state apparatuses, particularly the military forces, are preparing for the impending elections.
West Asia Strategy
A senior Revolutionary Guards commander, Mohsen Rezaee, highlighted the importance of the elections for Iran’s relations with West Asian countries.
He emphasized Iran’s strategic role in the region and the need for public participation in the elections.
He stated that West Asia’s fate is being decided now and that Iran’s strength should be acknowledged by Western nations.
“Today, the fate of West Asia is being determined. There is competition among countries, and Iran has found its place among these peoples, and it must consolidate it,” said Rezaee.
He underlined the importance of Iran’s role in resolving regional issues like ISIS and peace in Palestine.



Tornadoes Cut Across Mississippi as Severe Storms Damage 500 Homes

In this frame grab from video taken by WDAM, damaged trees and a house or structure following a storm that tore through part of Lamar County, Mississippi, Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (WDAM via AP)
In this frame grab from video taken by WDAM, damaged trees and a house or structure following a storm that tore through part of Lamar County, Mississippi, Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (WDAM via AP)
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Tornadoes Cut Across Mississippi as Severe Storms Damage 500 Homes

In this frame grab from video taken by WDAM, damaged trees and a house or structure following a storm that tore through part of Lamar County, Mississippi, Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (WDAM via AP)
In this frame grab from video taken by WDAM, damaged trees and a house or structure following a storm that tore through part of Lamar County, Mississippi, Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (WDAM via AP)

Powerful storms that spawned at least three tornadoes tore through several Mississippi counties, damaging around 500 homes, uprooting trees and injuring at least 17 people, authorities said Thursday.

There were no reports of deaths after the tornadoes cut across the state's southwest late Wednesday evening, said Scott Simmons, a spokesperson for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.

He said 12 of those hurt were transported from a hard-hit trailer park in the small community of Bogue Chitto, about an hour's drive south of the state capital in rural Lincoln County.

Most of the two dozen homes at Gene’s Mobile Home Supply were flattened into heaps of splintered boards and twisted metal. People picked through the debris Thursday morning under cloudy skies as a chain saw buzzed in the background, The Associated Press reported.

Emergency Management Agency was coordinating response efforts.

Many roads were still blocked in Lincoln County and teams from the agency were assessing the damage.

“We ask that you please refrain from sightseeing as crews are working,” the department posted early Thursday.

The governor said a volunteer rescue group was providing a 50-person shelter pod, a high-powered generator and 10 pallets of supplies to the county, which reported at least 200 damaged homes.

Lamar County to the southeast reported about 275 homes damaged, according to the state emergency management agency. Another 10 to 12 homes were damaged in Lawrence County.

More storms were expected Thursday with the possibility of tornadoes across parts of Alabama, Georgia and Florida, the weather service said. Strong storms also were possible for parts of the Carolinas and Texas.


Iran Reviewing US Proposal as Trump Pressures Tehran for Agreement on Deal to End War

US and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
US and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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Iran Reviewing US Proposal as Trump Pressures Tehran for Agreement on Deal to End War

US and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
US and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Iran said it was reviewing the latest American proposals to end the war after US President Donald Trump threatened the country with a new wave of bombing unless a deal is reached that includes reopening the crucial Strait of Hormuz to international shipping.

Hope that the two-month conflict could soon be over buoyed international markets Thursday, a day after the US military fired on an Iranian oil tanker attempting to breach the American blockade of Iran’s ports. The developments followed days of mixed messages from the Trump administration over its strategy to end the war, according to The AP news.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed peace efforts in the Middle East at the Vatican. Rubio met with Pope Leo XIV, whose opposition to the Iran war has led to open sparring with Trump.

Trump posted on social media Wednesday that ending the war and resuming oil and natural gas shipments disrupted by the conflict depends on Iran accepting an agreement, which he did not detail.

“If they don’t agree, the bombing starts,” Trump wrote.

A fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran has largely held since April 8. But in-person talks between the two countries hosted by Pakistan last month failed to reach an agreement. The war began Feb. 28, when the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran.

Pakistan says it expects a deal soon “We expect an agreement sooner rather than later,” Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Thursday.

“We hope the parties will reach a peaceful and sustainable solution that will contribute not only to peace in our region but to international peace as well.” But he declined to give a timeline, saying Pakistan would not disclose details of the ongoing diplomatic efforts.

Asked whether Pakistan was expecting any response from Iran later Thursday, Andrabi said: “I will not comment on specifics or the movement of the messages.”

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, speaking in televised remarks, said Islamabad remained in “continuous contact with Iran and the United States, day and night, to stop the war and extend the ceasefire.”


Pakistan Warns of Strong Response to Any Attack on Anniversary of Clash with India

The Pakistani flag is seen in Islamabad. AP file photo
The Pakistani flag is seen in Islamabad. AP file photo
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Pakistan Warns of Strong Response to Any Attack on Anniversary of Clash with India

The Pakistani flag is seen in Islamabad. AP file photo
The Pakistani flag is seen in Islamabad. AP file photo

Pakistan’s military warned Thursday it would respond strongly against any attack as it marked the anniversary of last year’s four-day conflict with neighboring India that brought the nuclear-armed rivals to the brink of war before a US-brokered ceasefire halted the fighting.

The military said that any “hostile design” against Pakistan would be countered with “greater strength, precision and resolve” than what India witnessed during the May 2025 conflict, which Islamabad named “Marka-e-Haq,” or “Battle of Truth.”

Pakistan and India had exchanged tit-for-tat strikes following an attack by gunmen in the Indian-controlled part of the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir that killed 26 people, most of them Hindu tourists. India blamed Pakistan-backed militants for the massacre in the town of Pahalgam, an allegation Islamabad denied while calling for an independent investigation, The AP news reported.

India launched strikes inside Pakistan on May 7, triggering retaliatory attacks by Pakistan that included drone incursions, missile strikes and artillery fire. Dozens of people were killed on both sides before a ceasefire was reached on May 10 following US mediation.

Pakistan at the time claimed it shot down at least seven Indian military aircraft, including a French-made Rafale fighter jet. India acknowledged suffering some losses but did not provide details.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly taken the credit for helping avert a wider war.

Speaking at a televised news conference, army spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry said India had blamed Pakistan for the attack on tourists in Kashmir within minutes of the shooting without presenting evidence.

“It has been one year since the Pahalgam incident, yet the questions Pakistan raised remain unanswered,” he said. Chaudhry said Pakistan did not underestimate India’s military capability but was fully prepared to respond to any “misadventure.”

“We are prepared; if anyone wishes to test us, they are more than welcome,” he said alongside Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Rear Adm. Shifaat Ali and Deputy Chief of Air Staff (Projects) Air Vice Marshal Tariq Ghazi. However, Chaudhry added: “We are not seeking conflict, we are not seeking war. But we know how to defend ourselves with honor and dignity.”

Ali said the Indian navy had attempted to deploy vessels in the northern Arabian Sea during the fighting in an effort to target Pakistan’s naval assets and disrupt maritime trade routes. “But due to the effective strategy of the Pakistan Navy, maritime traffic in all our waterways remained uninterrupted,” he said.

At Thursday’s briefing, Ghazi said Pakistan had downed eight Indian fighter jets during the conflict. He added that Pakistan had exercised restraint and that its air force had the capability to inflict greater damage on the enemy.

Pakistan and India have long had strained relations and have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir, which is claimed by both in its entirety.