NOURNEWS- The following headlines appeared in English-language newspapers in the Iranian capital on Tuesday, November 7, 2023.
IRAN DAILY:
-- Iran’s petroleum industry requires $275b of investment: NIOC
Iran ranks first in the world in terms of oil and gas reserves, with about 340 billion barrels of crude oil, said the head of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), adding that these valuable reserves require an investment of about $275 billion in the upstream and downstream sectors.
In the upstream sector, we have an investment opportunity of about $160 billion, to implement about 100 projects related to the development of oil and gas fields, noted Mohsen Khojasteh-Mehr, according to Shana.
The official added that there are investment opportunities of about $35 billion for petrochemical projects, and about $80 billion in the refining sector.
Speaking at a meeting on the sidelines of the 6th China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, he noted that Iran’s participation in the exhibition indicates the country’s widespread economic interactions, especially in the field of energy and international trade.
The exhibition shows the commitment of Iran and China to develop bilateral cooperation and appropriate relations between Iran’s domestic market and China’s market, Khojasteh-Meh emphasized.
“We are seeking to set up a stable platform at a strategic level and also create a proper market-based business environment in the international arena.”
Trade and business between Iran and China are on an upward trajectory, he said, adding that Iran showed in practice that it has a safe, reliable and stable market in the field of energy trade.
Main actors determine the future of the world’s energy, the NIOC head said, adding that in Iran, as one of the main players, opportunities have been provided in the oil industry.
The 6th CIIE kicked off in Shanghai on Sunday and will wrap up on Friday. This is one of the biggest trade fairs in China.
-- Technical details of Rasht-Astara railway project under discussion with Russia
About 70 percent of the technical issues regarding the Rasht-Astara railway project have been discussed and finalized with Russia, announced Kheirollah Khademi, the managing director of Iran’s Construction and Development of Transportation Infrastructures Company (CDTIC).
“An agreement has already been signed with Russia so that this country will provide us with a government loan for the construction and completion of the Rasht-Astara railway,” said the official, according to IRNA.
The agreement includes the general terms of the contract, the employer’s requirements, the funding methods, and the project implementation schedule, Khademi explained.
“After many technical meetings by the experts of the two countries, the railway’s blueprint was prepared with special amendments to increase the speed and capacity of the route.”
Iran and Russia inked an agreement on May 17 this year on the long-stalled construction of a railway connecting the northern Iranian cities of Rasht and Astara.
The railway has a key role in the International North-South Transit Corridor (INSTC).
With a total length of 162km, the railway is a crucial element of the INSTC. The corridor integrates road, rail, and sea transportation, facilitating the movement of goods between Russia and India via Iran.
-- Iran’s oil sales can return to pre-sanctions levels via Venezuelan refineries
Iran has the potential to rejuvenate its oil exports to Venezuela by refurbishing the Paraguana refinery and boosting its daily oil exports to the country to a total of 860,000 barrels.
Paraguana, Venezuela’s largest refining facility, with a daily capacity of 955,000 barrels, is currently running at about 10% of its total capacity following the closure of two distillation units due to a fire and lack of essential raw materials, according to Fars news agency.
Due to U.S. oil sanctions imposed in 2019, the Venezuelan oil sector has faced technical and engineering limitations, resulting in shutdowns. The situation can provide Iranian engineers with a chance to engage in the revitalization of Venezuela’s oil industry, including the restoration of the Paraguana refinery and Iran’s oil exports.
Over the past two years, Iran’s presence in 17 overseas refineries has been raised. So, it contributes to the revitalization of the partially active extraterritorial refineries by offering technical and engineering services and taking a stake in them. As a result of the revival, the country then exports its own oil in accordance with the increased capacity.
Among the projects, the reconstruction of the 140,000-barrel El-Palito refinery in Venezuela is in its final stages of completion.
Before the arrival of Iranian engineers, the refinery had a mere 10,000 barrels-per-day capacity. From the beginning of the previous Iranian year (started March 21, 2022) a contract valued at €110 million was inked between the National Iranian Engineering Construction Company and the Venezuelan oil firm.
Two years after the contract was signed, the El-Palito refinery is now operating at its full capacity, resulting in a daily oil export volume of 100,000 barrels for Iran. The successful execution of this project offers valuable insights for Iran’s participation in other refinery reconstruction initiatives in Venezuela, such as the Paraguana refinery.
Currently, the Paraguana crude oil refinery complex in Venezuela, consisting of Cardon refinery, Amuay refinery, and Grande refinery, is running at less than 10% of its potential capacity due to a shortage of technical equipment. By renovating and restoring 90% of this complex’s capacity, equivalent to over 860,000 barrels of oil, Iran could have the capability to export roughly one million barrels of its own oil to Venezuela every day.
Presently, Iran is exporting around 1.2 million barrels, out of its total oil export capacity of 2.2 million barrels, to China. By reviving the Paraguana refinery and increasing Iran’s current oil exports to Venezuela by 860,000 barrels, it will raise Iran’s total oil exports by approximately one million barrels.
Iran’s daily average oil exports to China during the first 10 months of 2023 have reached 1.235 million barrels, marking an 84% increase compared to the same period last year, according to Kpler.
-- Iranian Javer opens up on emotional road to glory at Asian Games
September’s rowing contests at the Hangzhou Asian Games in China saw Iranian girl Mahsa Javer take her personal tally in the history of the prestigious event to four medals.
A lightweight quadruple sculls bronze medalist in Incheon 2014, Javer was part of the Iranian team that finished as the runner-up in the category in the cohost Indonesian city of Palembang four years later, before taking credit for two of the seven Iranian female silvers in Hangzhou.
Javer teamed up with Zeinab Norouzi to finish second in the women’s double sculls final and the Iranian duo then repeated the success, along with Nazanin Malaei and Fatemeh Mojallal, in the quadruple event.
The buildup to the Games, however, was not an easy experience for Javer at all, for personal reasons, she told Iran Daily.
“We had a 30-day training camp in Russia and then I was in Iran for two or three days before spending 10 days in China for the Asian Games. I had to be away from my six-year-old daughter and my eyes filled with tears every time I saw a little child during that period. I’ve always done my best to have some time for my daughter but hours of training sometimes take your energy away,” said the Iranian.
Javar says she was still thrilled to see all that hard work eventually pay off when she and her doubles partner won a first medal for Iran in Hangzhou.
“We trained for hours on a daily basis in Russia. Zeinab and I bettered our personal record on several occasions in the training sessions and our coach believed those records would be enough for us to compete with the best in the continent at the Asian Games,” Javer said.
“We put in all our efforts to overtake the Chinese teams in both finals, but in rowing, you can’t expect to do exceptional things in a single race. You can’t reach beyond your personal records.”
China grabbed 11 of the 14 gold medals up for grabs across the male and female contests, including the ultimate priz e of the women’s quadruple sculls final for Chen Yunxia, Zhang Ling, Lü Yang, Cui Xiaotong, who stepped into the event on home soil as the reigning Olympic champions.
Uzbekistan also enjoyed a couple of final victories in Hangzhou, with the other gold going to Hong Kong.
“I was still thankful to God that all those hours of training and the long time away from my child eventually yielded success at the Asian Games. I want my daughter to be proud of her mother’s achievements when she is a grown-up,” said Javer, who shed tears when speaking about her daughter, Melin, during a TV interview after receiving the double sculls silver.
“I could only count the minutes to return to Iran after my campaign in Hangzhou was finally over. You can not imagine how I felt when I saw her in the airport. She told me: ‘What took you so long to come back, mom? Now you’ll have to take me to the park.’ We were literally inseparable for a week as it was the time for me to resume my motherhood duties,” added Javer, who is full of gratitude for her mother for being with her through all her training sessions in Iran just to look after Minel.
The professional career, meanwhile, remains a priority for Javer as she is back in training ahead of next May’s Olympic qualifiers in South Korea.
A medal in the Paris Olympics might be far beyond the Iranian girl’s reach, given “the lack of proper sculls, oars, and rowing lakes in the country,” she says, but Javer will still be looking to exceed her own personal best time in the French capital.
-- Tola crushes competition in men’s NYC Marathon, Obiri wins women’s race
Ethiopian Tamirat Tola crushed the competition to win the New York City Marathon in a course record two hours, four minutes and 58 seconds on Sunday, while Kenyan Hellen Obiri won the women’s race in 2:27:23.
The 2022 world champion left no doubt that the win was his as he built a nearly two minute lead by the 40-kilometre mark. Kenyan Albert Korir finished second in 2:06:57, while Ethiopian Shura Kitata was third in 2:07:11.
Competing in perfect conditions, Tola exorcised the disappointment of two prior fourth-place finishes in New York, relying on the boisterous Big Apple crowd for motivation as he ran on his own for several kilometres.
“The people of New York (are) amazing,” said Tola, who hoisted his arms aloft as he claimed his first World Marathon Major title after taking third in London earlier this year.
“I work hard training so it is confidence for me.”
Obiri produced an extraordinary final kick in the women’s race to outlast Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey, who crossed the finish line about six seconds behind, as last year’s winner, Kenyan Sharon Lokedi, finished third in 2:27:33.
“My first debut here was terrible for me,” said Obiri, after finishing sixth last year. “Sometimes you learn from your mistake... Finally, I made it.”
The star-studded women’s field began at a surprisingly slow pace, as a crowded lead pack kept together through the 30-kilometre mark, before the tempo picked up considerably with less than eight kilometres to go.
-- Afghan refugees on agenda in Baradar’s meeting with interior minister
Iranian Minister of the Interior Ahmad Vahidi and Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar held discussions on Afghan refugees in Iran, border security, counterterrorism efforts, and expanding trade relations in a meeting in Tehran on Monday.
The return of Afghan refugees to their homeland was among the key discussions held on Monday during the country’s high-ranking delegation’s meeting, IRNA reported.
In the meeting, where the two sides discussed the latest developments and cooperation fields, Vahidi stressed that Iran is ready to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Afghan side in the fields of mutual interest, stating that the water issue is on the mid-term and long-term plan of the two countries.
He said the issue has affected bilateral cooperation, stressing that it must be resolved. Iran and Afghanistan had been in disagreement over the allocation of shared water resources. Iran has reiterated the country’s call to secure its water rights in the Hirmand River and its sources in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Baradar’s office said on Monday that during the meetings with Iranian top officials, key discussions were held on political and economic relations, “effective” coordination between their respective nations, water resource management, transit agreements, and enhancement of Afghanistan’s imports and exports through Iran, Anadolu Agency reported.
Expressing gratitude to Tehran for hosting Afghan refugees, Baradar acknowledged Iran’s “commitment to Islamic values, humanitarianism, and the rights and norms concerning refugees.”
Baradar, who arrived in Tehran on Saturday, has also held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Akbar Ahmadian.
The Taliban statement quoted Ahmadian addressing the visiting Afghan delegation that Iran and Afghanistan “play a crucial role in China’s One Belt One Road Initiative.”
“Both sides agreed to capitalize on the opportunities at hand and ensure that no external factors negatively impact the strong relationship between Iran and Afghanistan,” the statement said.
During the Sunday meeting, the SNSC chief said Iran supports Afghanistan’s independence, stability, security, and development, Press TV reported.
The Taliban official said Kabul is determined to fight terrorism and increase security along the border.
Afghanistan will pose no threat to any of its neighboring states, he added.
Baradar called for the improvement of trade and economic cooperation with Iran, particularly in the sectors of transit and air transportation.
He reiterated Afghanistan’s commitment to the implementation of treaties it has signed with Iran, especially in the water sector.
In a meeting with the Iranian foreign minister, Baradar discussed Afghanistan’s “engagement with regional and global partners through Iran”.
Besides discussing investment prospects for Iranian investors in Afghanistan, he highlighted the need for “streamlining visa issuance for Afghan citizens, and addressing the challenges faced by Afghan refugees residing in Iran.”
-- European values abandoned for Israel
Europeans have adopted a contradictory policy in the face of the recent Middle East clash. On one hand, the policy conflicts with the professed values of European countries regarding human rights, and on the other hand, it conflicts with their positions regarding the Ukraine War.
European countries, like the United States, strongly condemned Hamas’ attack on occupied territories but remained silent in the face of Israeli atrocities in Gaza, even supporting Israel’s mass killing policy. Some European leaders and officials visited Tel Aviv to show support for Netanyahu, despite his inhumane actions against the people of Gaza, which range from cutting off water and electricity to bombing hospitals, mosques, churches, and the massacre of women and children.
Europeans not only remained silent in the face of atrocities on this scale, but some European officials also justified this massacre, which indicates a significant contradiction in their positions. They claim to uphold human values and human rights in the world, but now, their biased positions against Israeli crimes have dealt a major blow to the European values of human rights.
These positions of the Europeans are also in contrast to their entirely different stance on the Ukraine conflict. Even their own media has repeatedly pointed out to European leaders that they labeled Russian President Vladimir Putin as a war criminal but ignored the massacre of around 10,000 people in Gaza at the hands of Israel and Netanyahu. A question arises here: Why did both Europe and the United States choose Israel over their professed fundamental Western values such as human dignity and human rights? It seems that both Europe and the United States felt that the existence of Israel was in danger.
The European people quickly became aware of this contradictory policy and reacted to it. In many European cities, large protests were held in support of the people of Gaza, which, in fact, turned to openly protesting their governments’ policies. These people did not expect their governments to be so indifferent to the massacre of the people of Gaza — referred to as the second Holocaust by some media — and the violation of European values.
Europe and the United States preferred to support Israel over their self-professed values of human dignity and human rights. Therefore, one should not expect any other government or nation to take their claim to promote or defend human rights seriously anymore. This is a great embarrassment for European governments.
KAYHAN INTERNATIONAL:
-- FM: Iran Received New U.S. Message on Gaza
Foreign Minister Hussein Amir-Abdollahian said Monday Tehran has received a new message from Washington claiming that the U.S. seeks a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, but they continue to support Israel’s genocide in the Palestinian territory in practice.
The minister said the message did not correspond to what the U.S. has done in practice in Gaza where it has supported the Israeli crimes against the civilians. “The Americans … delivered a message to us in the past three days (claiming) that they are after ceasefire and have carried out efforts in this regard,” he said, adding that “they, however, back mass killing and genocide” of people in Gaza.
-- ‘Zionist Crimes to Have Extra-Regional Consequences’
President Ebrahim Raisi said Monday Iran supports any joint global effort seeking to establish an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as Israel continues its brutal attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip.
Speaking in a phone call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Raisi said the continuation of the killing of the Palestinian people has infuriated all the free nations in the world, warning that the killings will have “extra-regional consequences.
-- Gaza Genocide Passes Grim Milestone of 10,000 Dead
The Zionist army severed northern Gaza from the rest of the besieged territory and pounded it with airstrikes Monday, preparing for an expected push by ground forces into the dense confines of Gaza City and an even bloodier phase of the month-old war.
Already, the Palestinian death toll passed 10,000 people, the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Monday.
The war has quickly become the deadliest since Israel’s establishment 75 years ago, with no end in sight.
Casualties are likely to rise sharply as the war turns to close urban combat. Troops are expected to enter Gaza City soon, Zionist media reported, and Palestinians who have had years to prepare are likely to fight street by street, launching ambushes from a vast network of tunnels.
Several hundred thousand people are believed to remain in the north in the assault’s path.
In recent days, airstrikes have hit UN facilities where thousands are sheltering, as well as hospitals, which have been overwhelmed by wounded and running low on power and supplies.
A strike early Monday hit the roof of Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital, martyring a number of displaced people sheltering on its top floor and destroying solar panels, said Mohamed Zaqout, general manager of all hospitals in Gaza. The panels have been helping keep power on in the facility, which has been reduced to using one generator because of lack of fuel.
Heavy Israeli bombardment overnight hit the Shati refugee camp, a densely built-up district on the Mediterranean coast adjacent to central Gaza City, Palestinians who fled south Monday reported. They said houses in the district were reduced to rubble with unknown numbers of people trapped underneath.
Ghassan Abu Sitta, a surgeon at Shifa Hospital, told The Associated Press the hospital buildings shook all night from the bombardment “and we started getting the bodies and the wounded. It was horrendous.”
Around 70% of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have fled their homes since the war began. Food, medicine, fuel and water are running low, and UN-run schools-turned-shelters are beyond capacity. Many people are sleeping on the streets outside.
Mobile phone and internet service went down overnight, the third territory-wide outage since the start of the war, but was gradually restored on Monday.
The occupying regime of Israel has so far rejected suggestions for a pause in fighting to facilitate humanitarian aid deliveries and the release of some of the estimated 240 captives held Hamas in its operation. Israel has also dismissed calls for a broader ceasefire from Arab countries.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up his tour of the region Monday without any result.
The war has also stoked wider tensions, with Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah trading fire along the border. In another sign of growing unrest, a Palestinian man stabbed and wounded two members of Israel’s paramilitary Border Police in east Al-Quds before being shot dead, according to police and an AP reporter at the scene.
Israel captured east Al-Quds, along with Gaza and the West Bank, in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians want all three territories for a future state. Israel annexed east Al-Quds in a move not recognized by most of the international community.
Some 800,000 people have fled to southern Gaza. But Israeli bombardments continue across the territory, and strikes in central and southern Gaza — the purported safe zone — martyred dozens of people on Sunday.
After another strike Monday, in the southern town of Khan Younis, men dug through the rubble with sledgehammers and their bare hands. A young boy caked in dust screamed as he was rolled onto a stretcher and carried away. At least two people were killed, according to an AP reporter at the scene.
Earlier Monday, Palestinians held a mass funeral for 66 people laid out on the ground outside a hospital morgue in the central town of Deir al-Balah. A man with bandages wrapped around his head placed his hand on a child’s body and wept.
The Health Ministry said that 10,022 people have been martyred in Gaza, including over 4,100 children and 2,600 women. More than 2,300 people are missing and believed to be buried under the rubble of destroyed buildings, the ministry said.
The Zionist military said 30 troops have been killed since the ground invasion began over a week ago but Palestinian fighters say the regime is lying about its true casualties. Hamas and other militants have continued firing rockets into Israeli targets. Tens of thousands of Zionists have evacuated from communities near the volatile borders with Gaza and Lebanon.
-- Leader: Zionist Regime is Real Loser
Leader of the
Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said here Monday that there is need to increase political pressures on the U.S. and the Zionist regime to stop the massacre in Gaza.
In a meeting with Iraqi prime minister, Muhammad Shia’ al-Sudani, the Leader extended his gratitude to the Iraqi government and nation for the good, strong stance they have taken in supporting the people of Gaza.
“As an important country in the region, Iraq can play a special role in this field by creating a new path in the Arab world and the Islamic world,” the Leader said.
The Leader touched on the lamentable situation in Gaza and the wounded hearts of all the free people that are aching as a result of these crimes and atrocities
“From the very first days of the attacks of the Zionist regime, all evidence pointed to the direct involvement of the U.S. in the administration of the war. The longer the current war goes on, the evidence showing the direct role of the U.S. in directing the crimes of the Zionist regime in Gaza becomes more pronounced.”
The Leader reiterated that if their weapon supplies and political support stops, the Zionist regime will be incapable of continuing. He said the Americans are truly accomplices of the Zionists in the crimes that are being committed in Gaza.
“Despite all the killings that are carried out in Gaza, the Zionist regime is the real loser in this incident so far because it has not been able to restore its lost reputation and it will not be able to restore it in the future either.”
The Leader said, “By working together, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Iraq can play a role and be influential in this field.”
Ayatollah Khamenei also spoke about the bilateral cooperation between Iran and Iraq in the economic field and in the field of security.
“Praise God, things are progressing well, but we must make sure to continue to follow up the agreements with the same initial incentives and we must not slow down,” he said.
Ayatollah Khamenei also expressed his sincere gratitude to the people and the government of Iraq and the Iraqi prime minister himself for their hospitality and providing of services and security during the Arba’een period.
Sudani described Operation Al-Aqsa Flood as a heroic act that brought joy to all the freedom fighters in the world.
“Despite this joy, we are all deeply devastated by the brutal massacre in Gaza, which is a collective revenge on the people of this small region,” he said
He said the Iraqi government
and the nation of Iraq, as well as the country’s political currents are at the forefront of supporting the oppressed Gazans, adding the Iraqi government has made extensive political efforts to stop the crimes in Gaza.
Criticizing the silence of international assemblies and human rights advocates in the face of these crimes, al-Sudani said, “The efforts we are making are first of all aimed at putting an end to these bombings. The next step is to send food and medical aid to the people of Gaza. Necessary arrangements have been made in this regard during our negotiations with the Iranian president.”
The Iraqi prime minister also underlined the serious determination of his government to expand relations with Iran and to implement the agreements signed by Tehran and Baghdad.
-- President Raisi: U.S., Europe Complicit in Heinous Crimes
President Ebrahim Raisi said here Monday the Zionist regime, heavily backed by the United States and certain European countries, is committing heinous crimes against humanity and genocide in Palestine, particularly against children.
“We believe that the bombardments must be stopped as soon as possible and a ceasefire must be established,” he said in a joint press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani.
Raisi also emphasized the need to send aid to the “oppressed” yet “powerful” people of Gaza as soon as possible.
The president said Iran cooperates with and supports any measure by the Muslim, regional and international countries aimed at deterring the Israeli regime and the US from massacring the innocent people of Gaza.
Raisi noted that Tehran and Baghdad have a common stance on the Palestinian issue.
The Iranian president rejected as “sheer lie” U.S. claims about sending aid to Gaza and announcing a ceasefire in the war-stricken strip, saying such claims do not match the Americans’ actions.
“Unfortunately, the U.S. provides arms, intelligence and financial aid to the Zionist regime to brutally kill the Palestinian people and it actually encourages the regime,” he said.
The Iranian president noted that the U.S. vetoed a draft resolution presented by Brazil to the United Nations Security Council on the establishment of humanitarian pauses in the war on the blockaded Palestinian territory.
This would in fact pave the way for the Israeli regime to carry out more acts of murder, he added.
The Iranian president emphasized that the U.S. and other countries that support Israel are complicit in all the regime’s crimes.
Raisi said the battle of the resistance front against Israel and the defeat it has inflicted on the regime have crumbled the Israeli regime.
He noted that Muslim nations and those regional and global countries that believe in God cannot
justify their silence vis-à-vis the ongoing crimes against the Palestinian people.
Sudani, for his part, said Operation Al-Aqsa Flood was the outcome of Israel’s years of criminal policies against the oppressed people of Palestine which included the killing of civilians, forced displacement, illegal settlement and the desecration of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Zionist regime has held the Gazan people inside a prison for many years while the international community has failed to implement its commitments and obligations in practice regarding the crisis in Gaza, the prime minister added.
He emphasized that those who seek to prevent the war spillover must push the Israeli regime to stop its crime and organized genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.
Sudani said the sides that are carrying out acts of aggression against the people of Gazan must prevent a wider war in the region.
The premier added that Iran and Iraq seek to adopt a close stance on ways to exert pressure on influential countries to stop the bombing of Gaza and the killing of the Palestinian people as soon as possible.
-- Afraid of Eventual Death, Blinken Blurts out Preposterous Lies
Antony Blinken – a dyed-in-the wool Zionist of Ukrainian origin sent by the US regime on a shuttle mission to West Asian capitals for justifying and intensifying the genocide in Gaza – who is on record of saying “I approach Israel as a Jew, not as (American) Secretary of State”, is dead scared of losing his worthless life, as was evident by his stealth nocturnal trip of a couple of hours to Baghdad.
Despite landing at and departing from the US embassy and not the Baghdad International Airport in fear of being blown to bits through a drone or a missile by the Iraqi nation’s popular forces in reprisal for the cowardly American murder of Qasem Soleimani and Muhandis Abu Mahdi, he was clad in a heavy armour body plate complete with a bullet-proof helmet, as protection against rifle assault.
A dastardly diplomat indeed, who like the Zionist entity, will sooner or later meet his disgraceful end!
He says he is on an errand of peace, yet he relishes the carnage of Palestinian children, women, the youth, the elderly, the doctors, the nurses, the journalists, the refugees and all other civilians including Muslim ulema and Christian priests, by claiming that as Jewish he has no inhibitions in using his American credentials to back the crimes against humanity of Israel – an illegal and Godless entity created against the tenets of Judaism.
When told by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shea as-Sudani that the US should immediately rein in Israel from the massacre in Gaza, the uninvited Blinken tried to trick his reluctant host by changing the topic and saying the attacks of the Iraqi resistance forces on American bases are violation of Iraq’s sovereignty.
The Iraqi popular forces, who with the people’s support have vowed to carry out the dormant decision of the parliament for closure of US bases, were quick to respond and said that it is the unwanted US military presence which is a blatant violation of Iraq’s sovereignty.
He said behind the safe walls of the US embassy “Don’t attack the US bases,” but the Iraqi people will definitely do it until the last American soldier is kicked out.
The next day when the Iraqi premier visited Tehran, held talks with President Seyyed Ibrahim Raisi and was granted an audience by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, he was assured of Iran’s full support for Baghdad’s important role and the undeniable fact that the untrustworthy US regime is the real perpetrator of the plight of the Palestinian people.
Blinken, the preposterous liar next flew to Ankara where Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan totally disagreed with Washington’s dubious role in Gaza, saying none of the 200-odd Israelis being held in custody by the liberation movement, Hamas, will be freed unless all Palestinian prisoners languishing in Zionist jails are released.
For his part, President Rajab Tayyeb Erdoghan snubbed the US Secretary or more properly the de facto spokesman of child-killer Benjamin Netanyahu by leaving the Turkish capital for the countryside.
Blinken, who left for Tokyo for deceiving Japanese officials, is expected to utter more lies when he returns to Washington to assure his self-acclaimed Zionist boss, Joe Biden, of the thrill of decimating the defenceless people of Gaza and the need to provide more arms and ammunitions to the tottering Zionist entity, which is on the verge of collapse.
-- Drone Attacks Target Four U.S. Bases in Iraq, Syria
Two American-run bases in Iraq and two others in neighboring Syria have come under separate drone attacks, amid simmering tensions in the region over the Zionist regime’s deadly war on Gaza.
Lebanon’s Arabic-language al-Mayadeen television news network, citing local sources speaking on condition of anonymity, reported that several explosive-laden drones targeted the U.S.-run Ain al-Asad Airbase, located about 160 kilometers (100 miles) west of the Iraqi capital city of Baghdad, early on Monday morning.
There were no immediate reports about the extent of damage and possible casualties at the military facility.
This came shortly after the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of anti-terror fighters, in a statement published on its Telegram channel claimed responsibility for a drone attack on US forces based near the Erbil International Airport.
It noted that the base was targeted by a drone, linking the assault to the U.S. support for the Zionist regime’s bloody military campaign against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The occupying regime waged the war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas carried out Operation al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli regime’s decades-long campaign of violence against Palestinians.
Tel Aviv has also blocked water, food, and electricity to Gaza, plunging the coastal sliver into a humanitarian crisis.
The regime has further ordered 1.1 million people in the north of Gaza to evacuate and move south of the coastal sliver. However, it has continued to rain down bombs on the south.
Nearly 10,000 Palestinians have been killed in Zionist strikes, 70 percent of whom are women and children.
Local sources also reported that the al-Tanf base in Syria’s Homs province had been targeted by several drones, and the designated targets were precisely struck and destroyed.
There were no immediate reports about possible casualties and the extent of damage caused.
Sabereen News, a Telegram news channel associated with Iraqi anti-terror Popular Mobilization Units, also reported the incident.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq also said in a statement that it used drones to attack the Tel Baydar base that houses the U.S. troops in Syria’s northeastern Hasakah province.
According to reports, the drones coming from the direction of Iraq targeted American troops in the base, and the sound of at least one explosion was heard near the facility.
TEHRAN TIMES:
-- +10,000; They are not just a number
Israeli forces pounded northern Gaza with intense airstrikes overnight into Monday night as the Palestinian death toll from a month of fighting passed 10,000. As Israeli troops have pushed into the dense confines of Gaza, an even bloodier phase is expected. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, around 10,022 Palestinians have been martyred so far. Child casualties crossed 4,000 as Israeli raids expanded, Al Jazeera reported. The Israeli military said late Sunday that it had cut off northern Gaza from the south, calling it a “significant stage” in the war. On Monday, it said that aircraft struck 450 targets overnight and ground troops took over a Hamas compound, ABC News reported. On Sunday afternoon, an Israeli air strike hit several houses near a school at the Bureji refugee camp in central Gaza, killing at least 13 people, according to officials at Al-Aqsa Hospital. It was the third refugee camp to be hit by Israeli air strikes in the past 24 hours. More than 50 Palestinians were killed in attacks on Gaza’s al-Maghazi and Jabalia refugee camps, Al Jazeera said. Arafat Abu Mashaia, a resident of the al-Maghazi camp, said the Israeli air strike flattened several multi-story homes where people forced out of other parts of Gaza were sheltering. “It was a true massacre,” he said early on Sunday as he stood on the wreckage of destroyed homes. “All here are peaceful people. I challenge anyone who says there were resistance [fighters] here.” The camp, a built-up residential area, was located in the evacuation zone. “These repeated air strikes on refugee camps in central and southern Gaza are the reason why people are not taking the Israeli announcement of guaranteeing safe corridors to travel to the south seriously,” Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud said. According to the United Nations, 1.5 million people are now internally displaced in Gaza out of a population of 2.3 million. Food, medicine, fuel, and water are running low, and UN-run schools that have been turned into shelters, are beyond capacity, with many Palestinians sleeping on the streets outside.
-- Atomic bomb can’t bring Israel back before October 7
The number of martyrs of the crimes of the Israeli regime and the US in Gaza exceeded ten thousand persons on November 6. The Israelis have taken their crimes to the extreme and have no limit or boundary for their savagery. Zionist madness only victimizes defenseless and oppressed people because they are unable to confront resistance fighters. The real war will begin in the “Gaza metro” and Gaza resistance will have many surprises for the occupying army. The occupying army relies on deadly weapons and advanced military technology, but if these weapons and technology had been lifesaving, they would have saved them from the storm of October 7th. On that historic Saturday, resistance fighters shattered all deadly obstacles on the way and for the first time tasted the liberation of their homeland, not only for the Palestinian nation but also for the Islamic Ummah.
-- Gaza’s collapsing health sector
Since the beginning of the war on Gaza, the Israeli military has shocked international bodies and organizations with its regular attacks on hospitals and health centers. Adding to the revulsion, the world is watching on as Gaza’s health sector faces different threats from the regime. While the Israeli attack on al Ahli Hospital on October 17, which killed and injured hundreds of civilians, made global headlines, the reality of the health situation on the ground is much more dangerous for Gaza’s 2.3 million population. Experts believe that by destroying the health sector amid a merciless bombing campaign, such as the October 30 Israeli bombing of al-Quds Hospital, Israeli leaders are trying to pressure the local Gaza population to turn against Hamas and other defenders of the land. It is a tactic that has proven to be a failure. Israel is not only bombing hospitals and health centers but also the roads leading to them.
-- Iran and Iraq demand ceasefire in Gaza
At a joint press conference with the Iraqi premier on Monday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Monday that the Israeli regime, which is largely backed by the U.S. and several European nations, is committing “genocide” in Palestine, particularly against children. “We believe that the Israeli bombardments against Gaza must be stopped as soon as possible and a ceasefire must be established,” Raisi said at a joint press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani who visited Tehran on Monday morning for talks with top Iranian officials on the situation in Gaza. Raisi went on to underscore the need to send aid to the “oppressed” yet “powerful” people of Gaza as soon as possible. The president added that Tehran cooperates with and supports any measure by the Muslim, regional and international countries aimed at deterring the Israeli regime and the U.S. from massacring the innocent people of Gaza.
-- Iran calls for nuclear disarmament of Israel
Iran has called on the United Nations Security Council to immediately move to dismantle Israel’s nuclear weapons following dangerous remarks by an Israeli minister who called for nuking the Gaza Strip. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian made the remarks in a post on the X platform, formerly Twitter. His post comes after Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu urged the Israeli government to drop a nuclear bomb on the Gaza Strip, one of the most densely populated areas of the world with a population of 2.3 million. Speaking in an interview on Sunday, Eliyahu claimed that there were “no non-combatants” in the besieged strip and that using a nuclear bomb on the Palestinian enclave was one of the possibilities.” Amir Abdollahian said the remarks are indicative of Israel’s failure. “Israel’s regime minister’s statement to use atomic bomb shows the real defeat of the regime against the resistance,” he said.
-- ‘OBOR initiative to facilitate Iran, China economic development’
Iranian Industry, Mining, and Trade Minister Abbas Aliabadi has said the One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative is going to facilitate both Iran and China’s economic development, IRNA reported. Speaking in an Iran-China business forum held on the sidelines of the 6th China International Import Expo (CIIE), Aliabadi said: “China’s One Belt One Road initiative offers many opportunities to develop our country’s infrastructure, such as ports, railways, etc., which can facilitate the economic development of the two countries.
NOURNEWS