Iran Officials Praise Youth Astronomy Olympiad Win

In October 2026, Iran's parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the country's youth can overcome sanctions, after an Iranian team won an international astronomy and astrophysics Olympiad. The head of the IRGC and Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref also praised the team's world title. Ghalibaf separately said Iran is ready to both fight and negotiate. A Russian report said Iran saw an attempt to blame it for an incident involving a Flydubai plane.