NOURNEWS- The following headlines appeared in English-language newspapers in the Iranian capital on Monday, October 16, 2023.
IRAN DAILY:
-- Iran’s H1 economic growth hits 5.8%: CBI
The growth rate of Iran’s economy in the first six months of 2023 reached an average of 5.8 percent, while the investment growth in 2022 hit 6.7 percent, announced the governor-general of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI).
Mohammadreza Farzin announced the figures in the meeting of the heads of central banks and ministers of the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan (MENAP) region, which was held Sunday in Morocco, with the inaugural speech of Kristalina Georgieva, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), cbi.ir reported.
Referring to the successes attained by the Iranian government in controlling inflation and economic growth in the last six months, he added the government and the CBI are committed to implementing economic stabilization policies.
The CBI governor noted that Iran’s economy has now achieved stability after enduring various impulses.
Farzin explained that in response to external impulses, the Iranian government and the CBI have implemented a policy package including a set of balanced policies for economic stabilization.
One of the current fundamental issues of Iran’s economy is inflation, said the top bank official, the control of which along with supporting vulnerable families are some of the basic goals of the balanced stabilization policy.
Iran, Brazil banking cooperation
Meanwhile, top financial officials of Iran and Brazil met to exchange views about making use of the potential to develop bilateral trade ties and multilateral relations under the BRICS emerging economies’ mechanism.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 2023 annual meetings of the IMF in Morocco between Farzin and his Brazilian counterpart Roberto Campos Neto.
During the meeting, Farzin said the expansion of banking and trade relations between Tehran and Brasilia will benefit both countries in the present conditions.
Making use of the potential held by Iran and the BRICS emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa will lead to an increase in banking ties among the mentioned states in a short time period, the CBI chief noted.
For his part, the Brazilian official stressed the importance of strengthening Brasilia-Tehran ties on various issues.
Roberto Neto proposed the use of the BRICS potential to establish a mechanism for promoting financial cooperation.
The Islamic Republic of Iran officially became a member of the BRICS bloc of emerging economies in August 2023.
-- Production surges with Iran’s output surpassing 3m bpd
OPEC’s crude oil production witnessed a noticeable uptick in September compared to August, as per the latest data released in the Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR) published by the organization.
According to the MOMR, OPEC’s crude oil production surged to 27.755 million barrels per day (bpd) in September, marking an increase of 273,000 bpd from the previous month’s figure of 27.482 million bpd in August, oilandgasmiddleeast.com reported. The report — which relies on secondary sources for its data — highlighted Iran’s remarkable surge in its oil production which reached 3.058 million bpd in September, showing a 15,000-barrel increase when compared to its preceding month. This marked a milestone for Iran as it signaled the highest production level the country has seen in years. The increase in production aligns with Iran’s efforts to restore its oil output to pre-sanctions levels.
The most significant boost in production came from Nigeria, with a month-over-month increase of 141,000 bpd, the report continued.
Saudi Arabia, a key player in OPEC, also contributed to the production surge, reporting an increase of 82,000 bpd. Several other OPEC member nations also saw incremental production growth, albeit on a smaller scale.
However, not all OPEC members followed this trend, as some reported a decline in their oil production during the same period. Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Venezuela were among the countries that experienced a decrease in production.
Venezuela, in particular, faced a substantial setback, witnessing a reduction of 25,000 bpd, which brought its production down to 733,000 bpd. This marked the lowest production level for Venezuela since April 2023.
-- MP calls for more investment and dedication in Iranian sports
A member of the Iranian Parliament says more investment needs to be made in the sports to contribute to the country’s status on the international stage.
Speaking to Iran Daily, Ramezan-Ali Sangdovini said: “We have no choice but to acquire the modern-day techniques, tactics, and science, if the Iranians are to reach the global heights of the sport.”
Sangdovini’s remarks came days after the 19th Asian Games concluded in Hangzhou, China, where the Iranian 285-athlete delegation grabbed 13 golds, 21 silvers and 20 bronzes to finish seventh in the overall medals table.
Some believe Iran’s run in the Games will fairly go down as a failure, as the number of the golds was seven short of the figure the Iranians tallied for a sixth-place finish in Jakarta-Palembang 2018 – the lowest for the country since 2006, when Iran grabbed 11 gold medals in Doha.
Iran’s total medal haul was also down by eight from five years ago, though the country was represented by 93 more athletes in Indonesia.
Still, the Iranian sport reveled in some historic achievements in certain competitions – namely gymnastics, roller skating, chess, table tennis, and mountain cycling.
“Given the investment and efforts made in the sports in the country, I don’t think we could expect more success than what the Iranians already achieved in the Games, while you have to give credit to some of the athletes for collecting first-ever medals for the country,” the Iranian lawmaker said.
Asked about the importance of investing in sports, Sangdovini said: “Nowadays, sport plays a massive role in promoting the countries worldwide as it is among the factors by which a nation’s development and status are measured. You could see in the Asian Games how some countries, with a relatively low profile in other fields, established themselves as successful in the sports.”
“When you look at other countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, South Korea, and even Uzbekistan and Mongolia, you can see how they have contributed to the development of the sports,” Sangdovini added.
With less than a year until the Paris Olympics, the outcome in Hangzhou was a wakeup call for certain federations in Iran and Sangdovini believes more work needs to be done if the Iranians are to succeed in the French capital.
“We have to make sure that the Iranian athletes will have no personal life concerns when preparing for the Olympics,” said the Iranian MP.
“I went to meet with Mahdi Olfati last week to congratulate him on his vault silver at the Asian Games, which was a maiden gymnastics medal for the country in the history of the event. When I saw his poor training facilities, I could realize what a great job done he has done in competing with some high-profile athletes from China, South Korea, and the Chinese Taipei.
“You can see how massively the Saudis have invested in football, as the sum they paid to Cristiano Ronaldo to bring him to their league is roughly equal to the Iranian Sport Ministry’s annual budget. That’s what makes the difference between us and them. The Iranian athletes surely possess the talent and skills; all they need is more support,” added the member of the Parliament, who also underlined the “shortcomings in the sporting infrastructures” as the main reason behind some Iranian athletes leaving the country to embark on a new career elsewhere.
-- Dariush Mehrjui (1939–2023)
the renowned Iranian auteur, was stabbed to death on October 14, 2023, at his home in Zibadasht, Alborz Province. The motive for the murder is not yet known.
The prolific director has left behind a complex legacy in the world of Iranian cinema. With a career spanning more than five decades, Mehrjui was a visionary director who tried to depict humankind’s existential questions on the silver screen.
Born on December 9, 1939, in Tehran, Mehrjui’s passion for the arts emerged during his teen years. His first artistic pursuit was music, but soon after, he took a liking to the art of cinema.
After completing his preliminary education in Tehran, Mehrjui went to California at the age of 20 to pursue his education. First he aspired to major in cinema, but soon left it in favor of philosophy. He graduated from UCLA in philosophy in 1965. One year later, he returned to Tehran.
Mehrjui’s directorial debut came in 1967, with the expensive movie ‘Diamond 33’, which turned out a flop. However, this film marked the beginning of his prolific career and established him as a leading figure in the Iranian New Wave Cinema.
Throughout his career, Mehrjui continued to experiment, never shying away from making the movies he felt like making. Occasionally, he was able to create cinematic masterpieces that explored complex themes such as social inequality, cultural identity, and the human condition. His films, including ‘The Cow’ (1969), ‘The Cycle’ (1977), and ‘Hamoun’ (1989), embodied his unique storytelling abilities and his deep understanding of the human psyche. Mehrjui’s films often reflected the socio-cultural realities of Iran, offering profound insights into the very fabric of Iranian
culture.
Although Mehrjui was a talented director, he wasn’t as skillful in writing original screenplays. His best works are arguably the film adaptations of the stories he liked: ‘The Cow’, ‘Hamoun’, and ‘Mum’s Guest’, among others.
However, Mehrjui brought his distinctive voice and vision to the stories he told. His ability to craft compelling narratives with rich characters garnered him domestic and international recognition, and his films were screened at prestigious film festivals in Iran as well as around the world. His films have won numerous awards and accolades.
Mehrjui’s works are known for offering fresh insights into the Iranian psyche, serving as a catalyst for dialogue and reflection. More often than not, his films encourage audiences to question prevailing norms and engage in meaningful conversations.
Dariush Mehrjui’s impact on Iranian cinema is undeniable. His films will undoubtedly continue to inspire generations of filmmakers and cinephiles. They possess the ability to remind us of the power of storytelling and cinema’s potential in transcending boundaries.
select filmography
Based on the novella of the same name by Gholam-Hossein Saedi, ‘The Cow’ stands as a timeless cinematic masterpiece that depicts the profound bond between Masht Hassan, a middle-aged Iranian villager, and his cherished cow. This poignant film opens with a vivid portrayal of the deep connection between the villager and his bovine companion, illustrating the centrality of the cow in his life. In a community where children are scarce and the land is arid, the cow represents not only a source of sustenance, but also a symbol of hope and stability for Masht Hassan. As his sole valued possession, the cow’s demise brings about unfathomable tragedy for an alienated Masht Hassan.
In the outskirts of Tehran in the late 1980s, a rundown building stands as witness to the struggles faced by its tenants. With no legal heir to claim ownership, these residents find themselves entangled in a web of housing problems that threaten their very livelihoods. Major repairs loom overhead, while the pending threat of eviction hangs like a dark cloud, fueled by the greed of a building manager who aspires to own the property.
With an ensemble cast, the comedy has been widely acclaimed as the best Iranian comedy of the 1980s.
Hamid Hamoun, an executive at a leading import-export firm, lives with his wife Mahshid, a budding artist of abstract paintings. Coming from a well-to-do family, Mahshid has married the middle class Hamoun after falling for his intellectual tastes and progressive views. However, after seven years of marriage, Mahshid’s love has begun to fade, and she views Hamoun as a blocking force against her desire to become what she wants to be.
Hamoun, who aspires to become a writer, occasionally takes his frustration with a mundane life out on his wife. Filled with major existential themes, Hamoun is arguably Mehrjui’s most sophisticated film.
Leila and Reza, an Iranian couple who are espousing somewhat modern ideas, are happily married. Unfortunately, Leila finds out that she is unable to conceive. It becomes a source of concern for the family, as Reza’s mother, adhering to traditional beliefs that everything should be passed down to the son, insists that Reza must have children. Despite Reza’s firm stance against wanting children, his mother suggests that he take a second wife. Resolutely, Reza refuses the idea, while his mother continues to advocate for it. Mehrjui’s social drama remains to this day one of the best critics of a society stuck in the crossing between tradition and modernity.
In this widely acclaimed movie of the late 1990s, Mehrjui narrates the story of Mahmoud, a writer suffering from writer’s block. As he is unable to work on the book at hand, he decides to take a break from his routine life. He plans to visit his family’s rural estate in northern Tehran, where he also intends to complete his book. While at the estate, an old pear tree, planted by the old gardener, catches Mahmoud’s attention.
Seeing the tree brings out in Mahmoud nostalgic feelings he harbored towards then 14-year-old cousin, known only as M, and the rest of the film chronicles his thoughts about his past.
Mrs. Effat, a mother of two, receives news that her nephew and his wife will be coming to visit. Despite living a hand-to-mouth life, she endeavors to host a respectable dinner party with the assistance of her cinema-loving husband, Mr. Effat, and their two children, Amir and
Bahareh.
Their drug-addicted neighbor, Yusef, as well as another neighbor, an eccentric old lady responsible for tending to her chicken, help her throw a feast in a light-hearted, feel-good comedy that has become one of Mehrjui’s most beloved movies.
One of Mehrjui’s more controversial films, ‘Santouri’ revolves around the life of Ali Bolourchi, a santour (dulcimer) player, who narrates his journey after his wife Hanieh leaves him. Ali’s livelihood now depends on playing music with his band at weddings and house parties, where instead of receiving monetary support, he often receives a substance to fuel his heroin addiction. Tragedy strikes when a mob opposed to a wedding violently interrupts the party, causing chaos, destruction, and leaving Ali with a broken arm. The story then takes us back to happier times, showcasing Ali and Hanieh crafting the lyrics of a song he is to perform at a wedding.
KAYHAN INTERNATIONAL:
-- Chinese FM, Iranian Counterpart Hold Talks
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hussein Amir-Abdollahian said Sunday that if the crimes of the Zionists continue and the current criminal attacks against the citizens of Gaza do not end, no one can guarantee that the scope of the crisis will not expand. During a phone conversation with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Amir-Abdollahian described the situation in the region as very sensitive and noted that now the urgent priority is to stop the attacks and crimes of the Zionist regime against the women, children, and civilians of Gaza.
-- FM: Iran to Attend OIC Meeting on Gaza
Foreign Minister Hussein Amir-Abdollahian said Sunday Iran will actively attend an urgent ministerial meeting planned by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to discuss the escalating situation in the Gaza Strip in Palestine. Amir-Abdollahian said upon ending an official visit to Qatar that Iran had been invited to attend OIC’s meeting which is planned for October 18 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. “The Islamic Republic of Iran has been invited to the extraordinary meeting of the OIC and we will actively attend this session.”
-- Theater to Expand If Zionist Atrocities Continue
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi had a phone conversation with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Sunday, his office said.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Raisi’s deputy chief of staff for political affairs, Muhammad Jamshidi, said the Iranian president received the call from Macron.
Raisi, he wrote, “reiterated that if the Zionist regime’s atrocities, including siege and mass murder, are not halted, the situation will become further complicated, and the theater will expand.”
Earlier on Sunday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hussein Amir-Abdollahian, after completing his four-nation regional tour that took him to Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Qatar, said the risk of war expanding is rising.
In an interview with Al Jazeera in Doha, Iran’s top diplomat said Iran and other regional countries will not remain mute spectators if the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip continue unabated.
Amir-Abdollahian, who met senior political leaders on his trip, including the leaders of Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, said he hopes that political efforts prevent the spread of war, otherwise “no one knows what will happen in the next hour.”
On Saturday, Raisi had telephone conversations with leaders of Oman, Iraq and Qatar, discussing the situation in Palestine.
In a phone call with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, Iran’s president urged Muslim countries to take a “decisive and prompt action” to stop the “Israeli killing machine,” his office said.
He also spoke to Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shia’ al-Sudani, stressing the importance of ending the siege, creating safe passages for Palestinian civilians, and allowing aid to reach people.
“We see today those who see themselves as superior in the world can send their ships, tanks, planes etc. for Israel. We can only say words of condemnation. We request that this ends, for the only main topic of this century to be the salvation of Palestine, for a free Palestine, free Al-Aqsa Mosque to be left to the coming generations,” said 37-year-old small business owner, Baris Akbas.
Media reports said Egypt, Morocco, Malaysia, Jordan, Lebanon, Canada and the United States also held rallies in support of Palestine.
-- Pro-Palestine Rallies Held Worldwide
Thousands of people in various countries across the world on Sunday held pro-Palestinian rallies in condemnation of the Zionist regime’s savagery against Palestinian people in the besieged Gaza Strip.
About 5,000 Australians, by media estimates, attended a peaceful pro-Palestinian rally in Sydney, the capital of Australia’s most populous state of New South Wales, despite police threats to curb such demonstrations.
The Australian protesters waved Palestine flags and chanted “Free, free Palestine” as hundreds of police patrolled the area.
“We are not against Jewish people,” said Mustafa, a protester at the rally. “They have been in Palestine for a long time, side by side with the Muslims and the Christians, we are all Palestinians. We are against the Zionists.”
Thousands also held pro-Palestine rallies in Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, and in the Victorian state capital of Melbourne.
The cities of Rome in Italy and Berlin in Germany were also the scene of protests against the Israeli crimes in Gaza.
Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched in central London a day earlier and called for an end to Israel’s military action in the besieged Gaza Strip.
The protesters, many of them waving Palestinian flags and signs saying “Free Palestine,” gathered close to Oxford Circus from where they headed to Downing Street.
Also on Sunday, Turkish protesters in two of the country’s largest cities voiced their support for Palestinians and condemned Israel’s war on Gaza.
The crowd in Istanbul marched from the Beyazit Mosque to the Hagia Sophia, chanting slogans against Israel. In Ankara, protesters in Anitpark waved Palestinian and Turkish flags.
Raisi also had a phone call with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, with Palestine and the situation in Gaza figuring prominently in their discussions.
Earlier this week, Raisi had a first phone call with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman since the two countries restored their ties in March, discussing the situation in Palestine.
Some reports in Western media have pointed to Iran’s involvement in the Hamas operation against Israel, but Iranian authorities have denied any involvement.
In a statement on Monday, Iran’s mission to the UN said the country “emphatically stands in unflinching support of Palestine” but is “not involved” in it.
-- Pro-Palestine Rallies Held Worldwide
Thousands of people in various countries across the world on Sunday held pro-Palestinian rallies in condemnation of the Zionist regime’s savagery against Palestinian people in the besieged Gaza Strip.
About 5,000 Australians, by media estimates, attended a peaceful pro-Palestinian rally in Sydney, the capital of Australia’s most populous state of New South Wales, despite police threats to curb such demonstrations.
The Australian protesters waved Palestine flags and chanted “Free, free Palestine” as hundreds of police patrolled the area.
“We are not against Jewish people,” said Mustafa, a protester at the rally. “They have been in Palestine for a long time, side by side with the Muslims and the Christians, we are all Palestinians. We are against the Zionists.”
Thousands also held pro-Palestine rallies in Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, and in the Victorian state capital of Melbourne.
The cities of Rome in Italy and Berlin in Germany were also the scene of protests against the Israeli crimes in Gaza.
Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched in central London a day earlier and called for an end to Israel’s military action in the besieged Gaza Strip.
The protesters, many of them waving Palestinian flags and signs saying “Free Palestine,” gathered close to Oxford Circus from where they headed to Downing Street.
Also on Sunday, Turkish protesters in two of the country’s largest cities voiced their support for Palestinians and condemned Israel’s war on Gaza.
The crowd in Istanbul marched from the Beyazit Mosque to the Hagia Sophia, chanting slogans against Israel. In Ankara, protesters in Anitpark waved Palestinian and Turkish flags.
Raisi also had a phone call with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, with Palestine and the situation in Gaza figuring prominently in their discussions.
Earlier this week, Raisi had a first phone call with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman since the two countries restored their ties in March, discussing the situation in Palestine.
Some reports in Western media have pointed to Iran’s involvement in the Hamas operation against Israel, but Iranian authorities have denied any involvement.
In a statement on Monday, Iran’s mission to the UN said the country “emphatically stands in unflinching support of Palestine” but is “not involved” in it.
-- Gaza Faces Historical Tragedy
Medics in Gaza warned Sunday that thousands could die as hospitals packed with wounded people run desperately low on fuel and basic supplies. Palestinians in the besieged coastal enclave struggled to find food, water and safety ahead of an expected Israeli ground invasion.
Zionist forces, supported by a growing deployment of U.S. warships in the region, positioned themselves along Gaza’s border and drilled for what Israel said would be a broad campaign to dismantle Hamas. A week of violent airstrikes have demolished entire neighborhoods but failed to stem rocket fire into Israel.
The Gaza Health Ministry said 2,450 Palestinians have been martyred since the fighting erupted, more than in the 2014 Gaza war, which lasted over six weeks. That makes this the deadliest of the five Gaza wars for both sides. More than 1,300 Zionists have been killed, the vast majority of them in Hamas’ Oct. 7 operation. This is the deadliest war for Israel since the 1973 conflict with Egypt and Syria.
Hospitals are expected to run out of generator fuel within two days, according to the UN, which said that that would endanger the lives of thousands of patients. Gaza’s sole power plant shut down for lack of fuel after the occupying regime completely sealed off the 40-kilometer-long (25-mile-long) territory.
In Nasser Hospital, in the southern town of Khan Younis, intensive care rooms are packed with wounded patients, most of them children under the age of 3. Hundreds of people with severe blast injuries have come to the hospital, where fuel is expected to run out by Monday, said Dr. Muhammad Qandeel, a consultant at the critical care complex.
There are 35 patients in the ICU who depend on ventilators to stay alive and another 60 on dialysis. If fuel runs out, “it means the whole health system will be shut down,” he said.
“We are talking about another catastrophe, another war crime, a historical tragedy,” he said, as children moaned in pain in the background. “All these patients are in danger of death if the electricity is cut off.”
Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the head of pediatrics at the Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, said it did not evacuate despite Israeli orders. There are seven newborns in the ICU hooked up to ventilators, he said. “We cannot evacuate, that would mean death for them and other patients under our care.”
And wounded patients keep coming in with severed limbs,
severe burns and other life-threatening injuries. “It’s frightening,” he said.
A crowd of men, women and children that medical officials estimated at 35,000 crammed into the city’s main hospital, Shifa, hoping it would be spared in the coming attack.
At least 12 journalists have been killed since the war began, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
Gaza was already in a humanitarian crisis due to a growing shortage of water and medical supplies caused by the Israeli siege. With some bakeries closing, residents said they were unable to buy bread. Israel has also cut off water, forcing many to rely on brackish wells.
The Zionist regime dropped leaflets over Gaza City in the north and renewed warnings on social media, ordering more than 1 million Palestinians — almost half the territory’s population — to move south.
The UN and aid groups have said that the mass exodus within Gaza, along with Israel’s complete siege of the coastal territory, would cause untold human suffering. The World Health Organization said the evacuation “could be tantamount to a death sentence” for the more than 2,000 patients in northern hospitals.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees says an estimated 1 million people have been displaced in Gaza in a single week.
A pro-Palestine parliamentary group within the UK’s Labour Party described Israel’s actions on Gaza as “war crimes”.
Labour Friends of Palestine said in a statement on Sunday that Israel’s airstrikes, siege and forcible ejection of people in Gaza were “collective punishment of the Palestinian people”.
“The continuous horrific devastation on innocent Palestinians in Gaza has so far left thousands dead including hundreds of children. International Law also applies to Israel,” the group said.
In the north, meanwhile, Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon fired an anti-tank missile toward an Israeli army post and the Zionist regime targeted the area with artillery fire. Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said a 40-year-old man was killed.
Israel and Hezbollah, which fought a devastating war in 2006, have traded fire along the Lebanese border several times since the start of the latest Gaza war.
The occupying regime has called up some 360,000 military reserves and massed troops and tanks along the Gaza fence. Zionists living near the Gaza border, including residents of the town of Sderot, continued to be evacuated. Resistance fighters in Gaza have fired over 5,500 rockets since the war erupted, many reaching deep into Occupied Palestine.
In a televised address Saturday night, Israel’s chief military spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said “we are going to attack Gaza City very broadly soon,” without giving a timetable for the attack.
When asked at a press briefing whether Israel would treat civilians who stay in the north as combatants, Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, another army spokesman, said: “That’s why we’ve encouraged people not involved with Hamas to move south.”
Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said late Saturday that the U.S. was moving a second carrier strike group, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, to the eastern Mediterranean, in a show of force.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meanwhile met with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman in Riyadh as the Biden administration scrambles to lobby for other forces refrain from joining the war. Prince Muhammad is the sixth Arab leader Blinken has met since he arrived in the Middle East Thursday.
Hamas remained defiant. In a televised speech Saturday, Ismail Haniyeh, a top official based abroad, said that “all the massacres” will not break the Palestinian people.
Hamas spokesperson Jihad Taha told The Associated Press in Beirut that Israel “does not dare to fight a ground battle”.
He alluded to the possible entry of Hezbollah and other regional players in the battle should Israel launch a ground invasion.
-- The Emerging World Order Vis-à-Vis Israeli-US Crimes Against Humanity
The stepping up of the genocide in Gaza by the illegal Zionist entity, now with the open support of the godfather of all terrorism, the US, following the heroic October 7 “Operation Al-Aqsa Storm” by the Palestinian Resistance Movement, Hamas, is all set to change the status quo for the contemporary world’s most chronic conflict.
True, at the moment Usurper Israel, along with the US-led NATO, appears to be the most powerful military force on paper, there is no denying of the fact that international equations are rapidly changing and it is only a matter of time for the fast emerging multipolar world to take the centre stage to resolve once and for all the vexing issue of Occupied Palestine.
Washington might in the short term lull into slumber through pressures and false promises the unelected heads of Arab regimes whom it calls “friendly” and who have neither any firm faith in Islam which they claim to profess nor in the unity of the Arabic-speaking people spread across West Asia and North Africa, it knows very well that the flexing of its aging muscles through sending of aircraft carriers and boasting of a doomsday arsenal of weapons of mass destruction, does not intimidate the Muslim masses these Arab regimes rule as US representatives.
In other words, the Arabic-speaking people, as an integral part of the Islamic Ummah, are wide awake, and resolved to solidly ranks to confront the Israeli-US plot underway to blot out Gaza and the defenceless Gazans.
An indication in this regard was yesterday’s united call by the Iraqi parliament for activation of the long dormant Arab Defence Treaty against the genocide of the Palestinians by Israel.
The statement released by Iraqi lawmakers in condemnation of the “brutal practices and crimes committed by the Zionist occupation forces against the Palestinian people”, called for holding of an emergency session of the Arab League for creating open corridors for humanitarian, medical and food aid to Gaza, coupled with activation of the League’s Charter that any attack on a member state is an attack on all Arabic-speaking countries, as per the Arab Defence Treaty of 1950.
The legislators, who last year had ruled any contact with Israel and Israelis a cardinal crime, and before that in 2020 had unanimously called for closure of US bases in Iraq, appealed to the free world to stand by the Palestinian people.
It should be recalled that way back in 1961 the Arab Defence Treaty had seen some developments in the form of a proposal for the Joint Arab Command (JAC), but due to divisions in the Arab League because of Anglo-American infiltration, a unified military command was never established.
Of course, the government and people of Iraq, which are now an integral part of the Resistance Movement, know fully well that US clients in the Arab world will never endorse such a move, nonetheless the call of the parliament in Baghdad fully exposes the bid by the conspirators who have set up ties with the illegal Zionist entity to submit to the US plot to establish a so-called ‘Arab NATO’ as part of the sinister Abraham Accord for openly serving Israeli interests.
The Iraqi capital, which for the past week has seen huge rallies in support of the persecuted Palestinian people and against the Israeli-US massacre of the innocents in Gaza, seems well set for decisive developments, thanks to the Islamic resolve of the elected government, the national army, and the popular mobilization units, which have warned Washington of dire consequences of supporting the Zionist crimes against humanity.
The Islamic Republic of Iran, in line with its principled policy of staunch support for the aspirations of the oppressed worldwide, including the Palestinian people, fully backs the resolve of Resistance Front, with a loud and clear message that spurious Israel is doomed to be erased from the map of West Asia, no matter what devilish moves the ‘Great Satan’, which is already beginning to crack, makes.
-- West Puts Gag on Pro-Palestinian Media Amid Zionist Onslaught
France’s broadcasting watchdog has ordered the satellite provider Eutelsat to pull the plug on the Palestinian Arabic-language Al-Aqsa television channel and take the station, which is affiliated with the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement, off the air over allegations that it violated rules on incitement.
Eutelsat, Europe’s leading satellite operator, said the Conseil supérieur de l’audiovisuel (CSA) had asked the firm to stop broadcasting al-Aqsa TV.
The Hamas-run channel denounced the French move on its Telegram channel on Saturday, stating that it had to stop broadcasting from Eutelsat 8 West B satellite due to French pressure.
“In light of the massacres being committed against our people in the Gaza Strip as they are unwearyingly and steadfastly fighting the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, and in line with continued targeting and killing of journalists in Gaza, the French company responsible for Eutelsat satellite made the decision to block the channel’s broadcast,” the television station wrote in its statement.
“The channel was taken off the air in response to pressure from the French government and submission to the occupying Zionist regime,” the statement added.
The channel also condemned its suspension as “a blatant and shocking violation of all standards of freedom,” stating that the move “contradicts the international laws that guarantee freedom of expression and the right to communicate the voice of oppressed people to the whole world.”
Meanwhile, U.S. internet company Meta has removed the largest Palestinian news page from its popular social media platform Facebook amid the brutal war launched by the Zionist regime.
The Quds News Network (QNN) said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that its Arabic and English news pages had been deleted from Facebook in a move that it described as “complete alignment with the Israeli occupation regime.”
The QNN also shared a picture on X with the title “Meta bows to Israel’s request and removes Quds News Network.”
It said its page on Facebook had 10 million followers and was the largest such Palestinian page running news content.
After operating for more than a decade on various social media platforms, the QNN has become increasingly popular since last week when the occupying regime launched an offensive against Gaza in response to a brief but massive operation by the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas that targeted the Israeli-occupied territories.
In another development, American cable channel MSNBC has quietly taken three prominent Muslim journalists “out of the anchor’s chair” since the onset of war between Palestinians and the Zionist regime, a report says.
In a report on Saturday, Semafor news website said MSNBC quietly took Mehdi Hasan, Ayman Mohyeldin, and Ali Velshi “out of the anchor’s chair” after the war broke out on October 7.
TEHRAN TIMES:
-- Resistance defiant as Gaza war enters second week
As the war on Gaza stretches into its second week, resistance missiles strike the heart of the Israeli occupation. The military wing of Hamas, the al-Qassam brigade bombarded a mobilization of Israeli forces near Kissufim, in the northwestern Negev desert in the occupied Palestinian territories, located adjacent to the Gaza Strip at an altitude of 92 meters above sea level, with mortar shells. On Sunday, footage showed plumes of smoke engulfing the settlement of Sderot, with the regime’s troops rushing to evacuate the settlers. By Sunday evening, air raid sirens were being heard in Tel Aviv, with the Israeli military warning settlers in the region of incoming missiles. This is the ninth day in a row that sirens have sounded in Tev Aviv, the Israeli military confirmed. On Sunday afternoon, the resistance pressed on with a barrage of rockets aimed at Israeli settlements that it said was in response to the inhumane Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip.
-- Raisi to Macron: Zionist regime’s actions reminiscent of Nazi behavior
In response to a phone call from Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran strongly condemned the criminal attacks by the Zionist regime on the Gaza Strip and expressed concern about the situation in the besieged enclave. Raisi said Israel is committing “war crimes” by cutting off water, electricity, fuel, food, and medicine to the people of Gaza, as well as blindly and extensively bombarding non-military targets by even using phosphorus bombs. The president emphasized the urgent need to end the bombing of residential areas and said that forced displacement of Gaza residents from their homeland is neither practical nor compatible with international principles and laws. The president also criticized the French government for preventing the supporters of the Palestinians from holding a rally in France, saying Paris should not allow France to be remembered in history as a supporter of the child-killing Zionists.
-- Journalism full of mistakes: Inverted analysis of reality in Gaza!
On October 11, 19FortyFive.com published an analysis titled “What Does Hamas Hope To Gain In Attacking Israel Now?” Clifton Sherrill, the writer, went through an effort to look into the recent Palestine-Israeli war with a different perspective. However, some parts of the analysis are very different from the ongoing massacre in the Gaza Strip. Since this website and other military websites grab the interests many Westerners, the wrong conclusions of the author can cause miscalculations on a bigger scale. Like many other analysts, Sherill analyzed the Israeli defeats from some major points, such as disrupting negotiations aimed at normalizing IsraeliSaudi relations, restoring the world’s fading attention to the Palestinian issue, and the intelligence and security failure of Tel Aviv.
-- Protests against Israeli crimes continue in many countries
After the start of the Storm Operation in Gaza, Israel, which was humiliated, started a retaliatory operation. This regime went so far in compensating for its humiliation that today many countries believe that Israel’s reaction to the Hamas attack went beyond self-defense and amounted to collective punishment. For this reason, anti-Zionist sentiments in the world are increasing day by day, and it has increased anxiety among Zionists all over the world. There is a great deal of anger and frustration in Amsterdam over what protesters are labeling as a “genocide” committed by Israel against Palestinians. They are condemning European leaders for their silence on the violence Israel is committing in Gaza, especially when those same leaders swiftly and strongly condemned Hamas’s attack. The protesters are accusing them of hypocrisy and are calling on Europe to take a firm stance against Israel’s aggression.
NOURNEWS