News in Brief at 17:00: Students Skipping Classes and Pashinyan's Joke, U.S. Ambassador Opens Up

Yesterday's news summarized and contextualized:

• Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's campaign has been accompanied by intense discussions. One citizen accused him of responsibility for the loss of Artsakh and casualties, to which the Prime Minister responded that as a result of these events, Armenia gained independence and democracy. Later, he also joked with students who rushed to meet him after skipping classes.
• Prime Ministerial candidate Gurgen Simonyan stated that the main complaints of the public are related to a lack of justice, social issues, and economic decline. According to him, citizens’ expectations have not been met in recent years.
• Residents of the Shamakhyan neighborhood in Dilijan expressed dissatisfaction with road and gas issues, noting that they still have not received solutions despite numerous requests. Arman Tatoyan responded that he frequently hears such disappointments from citizens during the campaign.
• Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan stated that all Armenian prisoners held by Azerbaijan must be released immediately. She noted that this issue has been raised at international platforms for years.
• Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian did not rule out the possibility of negotiations with the U.S., stressing the importance of mutual respect. At the same time, Tehran wishes to secure its military achievements on a diplomatic level.
• U.S. Ambassador Mike Hackabee confirmed that Israel's Iron Dome systems have been transferred to the UAE. He noted that countries in the region are compelled to choose between the threat from Iran and cooperation with Israel.
• In Germany, a