NOURNEWS- The following headlines appeared in English-language newspapers in the Iranian capital on Wednesday, November 22, 2023.
IRAN DAILY:
-- Benefits of railroad development in Iran for regional growth
The expansive and ambitious railroad development initiatives in Iran are proving to be a game-changer not only for the country, but for the entire region. As Iran has plans to invest in expanding and modernizing its railway network, the ripple effects are positively impacting neighboring nations in various strategic and economic ways.
One of the key advantages of Iran’s railroad development is the enhancement of regional connectivity. The efficient transportation of goods and people across borders is vital for economic growth, and a well-connected railway network serves as a lifeline for trade.
Iran’s strategic location, at the crossroads of the Middle East and Central Asia, positions it as a natural hub for regional connectivity. As the country continues to expand its railroad infrastructure, it facilitates smoother and more cost-effective trade routes for neighboring nations.
Additionally, improved rail connectivity fosters economic integration among regional countries. The efficient movement of goods by rail reduces transportation costs, making regional products more competitive in global markets. This economic integration can lead to the creation of a more robust regional economy, with increased trade, fostering cooperation and understanding among nations.
Furthermore, railroad development in Iran contributes to the development of regional transit corridors. These corridors not only facilitate trade but also serve as a strategic asset for landlocked countries in the region. For instance, the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which includes Iran, connects South Asia to Europe and Russia via rail. The INSTC not only reduces transportation time but also provides landlocked countries like Afghanistan and the Central Asian states with access to international markets.
The environmental benefits of railroad development cannot be understated. Trains are inherently more environmentally friendly compared to other modes of transportation. As Iran expands its railway network, there is a potential reduction in carbon emissions from freight and passenger transportation. Neighboring countries, by collaborating with Iran on these rail projects, can collectively contribute to mitigating the environmental impact of transportation in the region.
Another crucial aspect is the geopolitical significance of enhanced rail connectivity. A well-developed railway network makes Iran an even more important player in the geopolitics of the region. It strengthens diplomatic ties and fosters collaboration between neighboring nations. The shared infrastructure creates interdependencies that can lead to increased political stability and a sense of mutual trust among nations.
Moreover, the railroad development in Iran opens up opportunities for joint ventures and economic partnerships. Neighboring countries can collaborate on railway projects, share technological expertise, and invest in the development of associated infrastructure. This not only accelerates the pace of development but also promotes a spirit of cooperation that extends beyond the realm of transportation.
The benefits of railroad development in Iran for regional countries are multifaceted. From fostering economic integration and environmental sustainability to enhancing geopolitical influence, the strategic implications are significant. The rails laid today are paving the way for a more interconnected and prosperous future for the nations of the Middle East and beyond.
-- Oil minister: Six contracts worth $14.5b signed on joint fields’ development
Iran’s Oil Minister Javad Owji said that six contracts have been signed in the joint oil and gas fields, which are mostly related to joint fields in the west of Karun in southwest Iran, such as Azadegan and Yaran, adding that the value of the contracts is about $14.5 billion.
Owji made the remarks during Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s visit to the Oil Ministry on Monday, in which Raisi was briefed about the oil industry’s plans for the current Iranian year, IRNA reported.
“The country’s oil production will reach 3.6 million barrels per day (bpd) by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (ending March 19, 2024).”
Referring to the fact that Iran has 163 billion barrels of proven reserves, Owji added that Iran aims to reach 5.7 million bpd of oil production by the end of Iran’s Seventh National Development Plan, in 2026.
Owji said that in the Forouzan Oil Field, oil production was 24,000 barrels per day in 2021, adding that the amount has currently reached 30,000 barrels, and will increase to 40,000 bpd by the end of September 2025.
-- Iran, China finalizing $2b investment for developing IKIA: CAO
The head of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization (CAO) said a $2-billion investment by Iran and China as a joint venture (JV) for the development of Phase 2 of Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKIA) will be finalized soon.
The Chinese side will export materials to Iran needed for manufacturing plane parts and equipment, Mohammad Mohammadibakhsh said, Tasnim news agency reported.
The joint investment by Iran and China for the development of Phase 2 of the airport will be finalized in the current week, he added.
The investment will be made for increasing cargo and passenger transport capacity and also equipping the runway and Airport Traffic Control Tower (ATCT).
In September 2021, the deputy roads minister put the number of planes active in the air fleet of the country at about 100, adding that the number has now increased to 190.
According to the scheduled program, the number of active passenger planes will increase to 250 by year’s end (March 19, 2024), CAO chief stated.
-- Raisi: Gaza symbol of West’s moral decline
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, in an extraordinary summit of the BRICS group of nations on Tuesday, made proposals to stop Israel’s crimes in Gaza, stating that the United States has made all international organizations ineffective.
Upon a proposal by Iran, South Africa on Tuesday hosted a virtual meeting of BRICS on Gaza, during which its president, Cyril Ramaphosa, accused Israel of war crimes and “genocide” in the besieged strip.
A group of major emerging economies – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – hold the summit aimed at drawing up a common response to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Addressing the meeting, the Iranian president considered Gaza a symbol of the West’s moral decline, saying, “Comprehensive support from the US and the West for genocide and child killings in Gaza is worse than anything.”
As of Monday, more than 13,300 Palestinians were killed in Gaza, more than 5,600 of them children, according to the territory’s Hamas-run Health Ministry.
Referring to the inability of the United Nations Security Council to fulfill its mission of promoting peace and security and the failure to issue a binding resolution for a cease-fire, Raisi said it is necessary for the BRICS member states to adopt a binding resolution in the General Assembly within the framework and mechanism of the alliance for peace, and to halt the crimes against the people of Gaza.
Emphasizing his second proposal, he highlighted, “The continuous attacks by the Zionist regime on hospitals, medical centers, religious sites, and the massacre of women, children, doctors, nurses, and journalists are all acts of terrorism, and this fabricated regime should be identified as a terrorist regime, with its military recognized as a terrorist
organization”.
Raisi also said that his country supports the actions of some countries in taking Israel’s crimes of occupation in Gaza to the International Criminal Court.
In another proposal, he said, “Collective action by BRICS members to break the siege of Gaza and establish a permanent and secure path for sending humanitarian aid to Gaza is essential”.
Pointing to the ongoing crimes and racist nature of Israel, Raisi said free nations expect all governments, especially BRICS members, to swiftly prioritize complete cessation of their political, economic, and military relations with the Zionist
regime.
“The continuation of interactions with the regime in the military and economic fields means helping to continue the crime and killing of women and children, which is the subject of condemnation and blame of all nations,” he added.”
Meanwhile, as the South African president chaired the summit, he said, “The collective punishment of Palestinian civilians through the unlawful use of force by Israel is a war crime.”
“The deliberate denial of medicine, fuel, food and water to the residents of Gaza is tantamount to genocide,” he said.
Putin for political
settlement
In televised comments to the virtual BRICS summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin also called for a political solution to the conflict and said regional states and members of the BRICS group of countries could be involved in efforts to reach such a settlement.
Putin once again blamed the Middle East crisis on the failure of US diplomacy in the region.
“We call for the joint efforts of the international community aimed at de-escalating the situation, a cease-fire and finding a political solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. And the BRICS states and countries of the region could play a key role in this work,” Putin
said.
He said it was “terrible” that Palestinian children were dying in large numbers, adding that the sight of operations being performed on children without anaesthetics “evokes special feelings”.
“Due to the sabotage of UN decisions, which clearly provide for the creation and peaceful coexistence of two independent and sovereign states – Israel and Palestine – more than one generation of Palestinians has been brought up in an atmosphere of injustice towards their people, and the Israelis cannot fully guarantee the security of their state,” Putin
said.
‘Perfect storm for
tragedy’
Also, the United Nations warned on Tuesday that fuel shortages and worsening sanitation in the Gaza Strip are shaping up to be the perfect storm for tragedy through the spread of disease.
UNICEF, the UN children’s agency, said there was a serious threat of a mass disease outbreak in the besieged Palestinian territory.
“Without enough fuel, we will see the collapse of sanitation services. So, we have then, on top of the mortars and the bombs, a perfect storm for the spread of disease.
“It’s a perfect storm for tragedy,” UNICEF spokesman James Elder told a press briefing in Geneva.
Speaking via video-link from Cairo, Elder said the potential for wider loss of life in Gaza was being significantly exacerbated because an estimated 800,000 children in the enclave are displaced from their homes.
Truce deal is ‘close’
Meanwhile, the chief of Hamas said on Tuesday that the Palestinian resistance group was near a truce agreement with Israel, even as the deadly assault on Gaza continued and rockets were being fired into Israel.
Hamas officials were “close to reaching a truce agreement” with Israel, and the group has delivered its response to Qatari mediators, Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement sent to Reuters by his
aide.
Mediator Qatar also on Tuesday confirmed that negotiations to free prisoners seized in Hamas’ October 7 attacks on Israel are at their “closest point” to a deal and have reached the “final stage”.
KAYHAN INTERNATIONAL:
-- President Putin’s Aide in Tehran for Talks
First Vice President Muhammad Mokhber said Tuesday Iran is taking “preliminary steps” to promptly begin construction work on joint railway projects with Russia as part of the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC).
“The preliminary steps and obtaining the necessary permits for the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway have been carried out by the Iranian side, and we hope that with the cooperation of the Russian side, the construction of this important railway line in the North-South corridor will begin as soon as possible,” he said during a meeting with Russian presidential aide Igor Levitin here.
-- Envoy Slams UK’s Support for Zionist Regime
Iran’s chargé d’affaires in London Mehdi Husseini Matin on Tuesday criticized the UK government’s unconditional support for Israeli brutalities in Gaza.
“6 weeks of anti-Israeli marches & protests in London, at least 3 hundred thousand each time (according to UK sources),” Husseini Matin wrote on his X social media platform. He said that in total around 2 million people (1.8m) protested against the UK’s unconditional support of Israeli brutalities in Gaza. Does this statistic mean anything to the UK?”
-- Al-Aqsa Storm Paved Way for Liberation of Quds Sharif
With the beginning of Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, a global awakening was formed in support of the oppressed people of Gaza and hatred of the Zionist regime, so that addressing the various aspects of this resistance was placed on the agenda of the world’s media. Here, I will discuss the solidarity and companionship of the Hezbollah front and the people of Lebanon with the oppressed Palestinians and outline the future of this resistance:
1- The question that was raised in the public opinion related to the spirit of sympathy of the Lebanese people with Gaza, but I want to say that we cannot call the solidarity of the Lebanese with the people of Gaza “sympathy”, it is much more than that. Since the second day of the Zionist regime’s aggression on Gaza, more than 70 people have been martyred on the front opened by the Islamic resistance and Hezbollah on the southern border of Lebanon. As a result of the attacks of the usurping Zionist regime, we not only sympathize, but also participate with all our power in supporting our brothers and sisters in Gaza in order to divert the enemy’s attention from the Gaza front for a little while, as Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah, may God bless him and grant him peace, said. To reduce people’s suffering - and this is obvious - this kind of companionship is important and even necessary for the society of resistance.
2- But what is new is the state of popular and official and national consensus in Lebanon, especially after Prime Minister of Lebanon Najib Miqati said he is sure that Hezbollah is a friend of the Lebanese people and this is very important. In addition, the support of the majority of the Lebanese people, especially those not affiliated with the resistance, for the people of Gaza and their natural right to resist and return their occupied land was a turning point in the front that Hezbollah opened against the usurping regime.
3- But let’s go back to Operation Al-Aqsa Storm. The operation strengthened the spirit of jihad and resistance in the Muslim world and even the non-Muslim world against the occupying Zionist regime. In other words, it should be said that Operation Al-Aqsa Storm was able to create a revolution in the public opinion of the world about the right of the Palestinian people to resist the occupation. The presence of thousands of demonstrators in important European and American capitals is a good indicator of this fundamental change. Demonstrations inside the US Congress and unprecedented protests held worldwide, including in London where over three hundred thousand people were estimated to have taken part, all supported Gaza while not a single worldwide demonstration took place in support of “Israel”. Demonstrations of Arab, Islamic and non-Islamic people show that the enemy has lost as a media superpower, for which it has paid billions of dollars, to the power that forced the people of Gaza to be patient in the face of all the killings against them. Today’s image of the East and the West is that of mobilization for the spirit of struggle against Israel and the right of the Palestinian individual to defend himself and restore his land.
4- As for the future of this resistance and the war of the occupiers in Gaza, I must say that the Al-Aqsa Storm battle may not lead to the liberation of Palestine in the short term, but it has undoubtedly paved the way for liberation and the prelude to the extinction of this fake usurper entity. Israel started its decline and decay from the moment it massacred the oppressed women and children of Gaza with brutal bombings, using even banned phosphorous bombs. Although the usurper Israel pretends to be oppressed and shows its crimes to be legitimate, and every day it sets illusory goals for itself, our world today has become more aware and alert. It has found the power to distinguish right from wrong, and on this basis, every day we see people gathering in one corner of the world in support of the Palestinian people.
5- It is not bad to point out an important point here. These days I do not agree with the opinion of those who say there will be a new calamity in 2023. When the Nakba of 1948 happened, there were no resistance groups like Qassam Brigades and Islamic Jihad, no supporting fronts like Hezbollah, Iraq and Yemen, and no mother government of the resistance in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Today, the Palestinian people in Gaza are struggling with death, but they are not willing to leave their homes for a moment. History has shown that the future belongs to those who are steadfast despite destruction. The future belongs to the resistance that destroys the enemy’s settlements with missiles despite the siege and bombardment by land, sea and air. The war in Gaza may be prolonged and turn into a war of attrition, but it is certain that Gaza will not witness a new disaster. On the contrary, after the dust of the battle settles, we may not need major battles to liberate Quds Sharif. The Zionist settlers will leave Jerusalem because
the land of Palestine has become awash with iron, fire and bare flesh of martyrs and convinced the occupiers that the land is not their home and this is what former Prime Minister Ehud Barak said in an article last year. Recounting “Jewish History,” the daily Yediot Aharonot expressed its fear of Israel’s imminent destruction before the 80th anniversary of its founding, writing, “We are experiencing the curse of the eighth decade.” This is a testimony from within their decadent society that the future belongs to the truth thanks to the blood of innocents. And the martyrs and the blood of the leaders of the path of Jerusalem, led by General Qassem Soleimani, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, Haj Emad Mughniyeh and Mustafa Badreddin... and the loyalty of all the resistance fronts and the main power in the axis of the resistance, namely the Islamic Republic of Iran, will draw the next scene.
The process of the liberation of Palestine, as predicted by Imam Khamenei in 2016 when he said, “Israel the usurper will not see the next 25 years,” has begun and the road to reach the Holy Quds Sharif is being paved with the help of God Almighty.
* Zainab Awadeh is a resident of South Lebanon and PhD student from Beirut University.
-- ‘Stop Israeli Genocide’: BRICS States Urge Gaza Truce
The BRICS group of nations Tuesday called for an immediate and sustained humanitarian truce in Gaza during an extraordinary summit where chair South Africa accused the occupying regime of Israel of war crimes and “genocide” in the Palestinian territory.
Pretoria hosted a virtual meeting of BRICS -- a group of major emerging economies that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- aimed at drawing up a common response to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
“We called for an immediate, durable, and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities,” the group said in a summary of the meeting.
“We reiterated our strong support for regional and international efforts aimed at achieving an immediate cessation of hostilities, ensuring the protection of civilians and the provision of humanitarian aid.”
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said, “The collective punishment of Palestinian civilians through the unlawful use of force by Israel is a war crime. The deliberate denial of medicine, fuel, food and water to the residents of Gaza is tantamount to genocide.”
On Tuesday, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said a truce agreement was in sight, with mediator Qatar adding negotiations to free captives held by Hamas were at their “closest point” to a deal.
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi said the organization should move to designate the Zionist regime as a terrorist entity because of the extensive crimes it has committed in the Gaza Strip over the past weeks.
“It is necessary that this fake regime be recognized as a terrorist regime and its army be regarded as a terrorist organization,” Raisi said.
In his address to the meeting, Raisi said that BRICS members should unite their efforts to break an Israeli siege on Gaza and facilitate safe delivery of humanitarian aid to the territory, where more than 2.3 million people are in a dire humanitarian situation.
He also said that BRICS members should help set up an inquiry into Israel’s use of banned weapons in the Gaza war, including its use of white phosphorous bombs against the civilian population living in the territory.
The Iranian president further called on members of the bloc to recognize the right of the Palestinian nation to self-defense against the Israeli aggression as well as its struggle to liberate lands occupied by the Israeli regime over the past decades.
“With regards to the constant crimes and the racist nature of the fake Israeli regime, free nations expect all governments especially
BRICS members to immediately put the issue of the severance of political, economic and military ties with the regime high on the agenda,” he further said.
Raisi also said Iran will support a move by several BRICS countries to lodge a complaint against Israel in the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the crimes it has committed in Gaza.
However, he said that the prosecution in the ICC should also cover the United States and its support for the Israeli regime’s killing of children in Gaza.
Other leaders and representatives of BRICS said a long-term diplomatic solution to the conflict was needed to ensure peace, with Chinese President Xi Jinping calling for an “international peace conference” to achieve that goal.
“There can be no sustainable peace and security in the Middle East without a just solution to the question of Palestine,” Xi said, speaking through an interpreter.
China has historically been sympathetic to the Palestinians. And it has this year sought to play a greater role in the Middle East, facilitating a historic rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran and sending an envoy to the region to push for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
BRICS, an acronym for its member countries, sees itself as a counterweight to the U.S. and Western-led global order.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has accused the West of stoking tensions in the Middle East and criticized Israel for its conduct in the conflict, said a “long-term and sustainable ceasefire” was key to “prevent other states from being drawn into the war”.
“The concerns of the Palestinian people must be addressed in a serious and sustainable manner,” said India’s foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
Representatives from Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates -- countries that are all due to join BRICS in January 2024 -- were also invited to the talks.
South Africa has long been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, with the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party often linking it to its own struggle against apartheid.
Earlier this month, it recalled all its diplomats from Tel Aviv and last week it joined four other nations in calling for an International Criminal Court investigation into the Israeli atrocities.
On Monday, Israel’s foreign ministry said it had also recalled its ambassador to Pretoria for consultations.
The summit came as a delegation of foreign ministers of the Palestinian Authority, Indonesia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan hold talks this week on the conflict.
-- Israeli Bombing Kills Doctors at Al-Awda Hospital
The Palestinian Red Crescent announced on Tuesday that Israeli bombing has killed at least four doctors in the Al-Awda Hospital in north Gaza.
Dozens of others were wounded in the bombing. The Palestinian Red Crescent also announced on Tuesday that two of its staff members were detained on Monday by Israeli forces.
The staff, identified as Ramadan Hossu and Fayez al-Ajrami, were passing through the checkpoint separating northern and southern Gaza when they were detained.
Doctors at Gaza’s Indonesian Hospital described bodies piled up outside morgues and doorways as Israeli forces surround the complex in Beit Lahia.
The hospital has become a “mass grave”, head of the nursing department Essay Nabhan said in a statement shared by Health Ministry officials.
Israeli forces have surrounded the large complex, a major trauma care centre in northern Gaza, after a concentrated and prolonged assault on Al-Shifa Hospital.
Gaza’s already-fragile healthcare system has buckled under the weight of the six-week war, which has left only nine out of 35 hospitals offering some form of care across the whole enclave.
The Zionist army “want to turn the Indonesian Hospital into military barracks” and is continuing to target the building, Nabhan said.
At least 12 people were martyred when the hospital was bombed on Monday, as Israeli tanks and snipers surrounded the area. People at the hospital later reported soldiers shooting at “anything that moves” as civilians and patients huddled inside.
There has been no definitive death toll at the complex since the initial attack.
“The Indonesian Hospital is besieged and anyone who leaves it is at risk,” Health Ministry spokesman Mehdat Abbas said on Tuesday. “The hospital is the target of indiscriminate bombing and there are no information regarding the fate of patients.”
Doctors struggled to maneuver around the dead in corridors and have resorted to cooking oil to provide power for the hospital, while others said corpses have piled up outside the hospital mortuaries.
Several hundred people were confirmed to have been evacuated and taken to Al- Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis on Monday night.
At least 13,300 people have been martyred in Israeli strikes on Gaza since October 7, according to figures from the Health Ministry.
The real figure is likely to be much higher, with at least 6,000 people missing.
“Bodies are on the streets and under rubble ... there is no accurate figure, given the smell of decomposing bodies near all demolished buildings,” Abbas said.
“The health sector in Gaza is in a state of complete collapse” and there is a “severe shortage” of medical supplies, the ministry said in an update on Tuesday.
Al-Shifa, Al-Quds and the Indonesian hospitals in northern Gaza “are all under direct Israeli fire”, it added.
“Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital is currently the only functioning hospital in Gaza city amid a lack of medical supplies.”
On Tuesday, a UN health agency representative said all three hospitals had requested help with evacuations.
Officials from the Indonesian MER-C organization, which built the hospital, told The National they lost contact with staff there almost two weeks ago.
Doctors said they had no water, food or medicine, said engineer Nur Ikhwan Abadi. “We can’t distribute any food or medicine. Even if we make contact with them, we can’t do anything,” he said.
Saudi Arabia’s crown prince said on Tuesday that all countries should stop exporting arms to Israel during the Brics summit.
Muhammad bin Salman made the comments at the virtual summit, where he said “The kingdom’s position is constant and firm; there is no way to achieve security and stability in Palestine except through the implementation of international decisions related to the two-state solution.”
He added that Saudi Arabia “rejects the forced displacement of Palestinians,” and that they demand “a serious and comprehensive peace process to solve the Palestinian issue”.
-- Hamas Appreciates Yemen’s Practical Support to Palestinian Cause
The decision by the National Salvation Government of Yemen to detain an Israeli-owned ship in the Red Sea preceded by its rocket salvo on the port city of Eilat – the southernmost point of Occupied Palestine on the Gulf of Aqaba – in retaliation to the US-Zionist genocide in Gaza, has for the first time over the past dozen years made the Hamas liberation movement appreciate the long-standing commitment of the Ansarallah Movement for freedom of Bayt al-Moqaddas and all lands usurped in 1948 by East Europe’s non-Semitic Khazar claimants of Judaism.
Sana’a has served notice that all Israeli or Israel-linked ships intruding into the Red Sea are legitimate targets as per international law, and told operators of the Bahamas-flagged ‘Galaxy Leader’ that there won’t be any discussions for the ship’s release unless the US-Zionist carnage in Gaza ends first.
The vessel’s 52-member crew which is under investigation is safe and secure in accordance with Islamic etiquette and not being subjected to any mistreatment as the Israelis, the Americans, and others do when they unlawfully seize the ships of other countries.
Yemen, which last week shot down a sophisticated American drone that was violating its airspace, has dismissed as “deplorable” the US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller’s use of the phrase “flagrant violation of international law”, warning that any provocative move by Israel or its terrorist godfather the US, will be met with due response.
Observers, noting the move by Yemen as a “significant step” in support of the long persecuted people of Palestine, wonder why the much larger navies of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, did not resort to such measures against the US-Zionist crimes in Gaza!
Egypt could well have sent its tanks into Gaza to confront the Zionist invasion while Jordan could have provided much needed means of defence for the people of the West Bank who are also facing daily attacks by the cowardly Israeli army and the armed Zionist thugs (illegal immigrants), destroying Palestinian farmlands, bulldozing homes, kidnapping men, women, and children, and gunning down many of them.
At any rate, as in the case of Syria, towards which Hamas had been indifferent during the destabilization and massacres by the US-created macabrely murderous Takfiri terrorists before belatedly realizing the indispensable support of President Bashar al-Assad for the Palestinian cause, has at last awakened to the sincerity of the Ansarallah Movement, whom it had ignored during the Saudi war on Yemen.
The Gaza genocide and the massacre so far of over 13,000 civilians by the Zionists, seems to have finally drawn the line for Hamas between friends and foes in the region.
It is now time for it to announce solidarity with the people of Bahrain, who as avowed supporters of the Palestinian cause, are also struggling for freedom from the repression of a US-Zionist supported minority regime.
TEHRAN TIMES:
-- Ship seized by Yemen belongs to Israeli company
Following the seizure by Yemeni naval forces of the cargo ship, Galaxy Leader, in the southern Red Sea on Sunday, Israeli officials were quick to claim that it was British-owned and Japanese-operated. “This is not an Israeli ship,” the Israeli military insisted. Information in the public domain suggests otherwise. The Galaxy Leader was chartered by Japan’s Nippon Yusen, on voyage from Turkey to India, and its crew is made up of different nationals. The ownership details of Galaxy Leader in public shipping databases connects the ship’s owners to Ray Car Carriers, a company founded by Abraham “Rami” Ungar, who is considered one of the wealthiest Israeli men in the occupied Palestinian territories and with links to the political hierarchy. According to the Paradise Papers, a major leak of confidential documents in 2017 that exposed enormous wealth and ownerships unknown to the world before, Ray Car Carriers’ beneficial owner appears to be the Israeli billionaire Rami Ungar.
-- Tragedy in Gaza is a great shame for humanity
Israel’s atrocities in Gaza have shocked the world to the extent that protestors around the world carry placards demanding an immediate end to the “genocide” against the Palestinian people in Gaza. Israel’s actions in Gaza are a shame for humanity and history. It has started a war against Hamas in response to the October 7 attack but it is punishing the entire population in the Gaza Strip. It has just dropped over 30,000 tons of bombs on the people, so far butchering over 13,000 Gazans, including 5,600 children and 3,550 women. Amid such barbaric acts, it is heart-wrenching to imagine that 2.3 million population have been denied water, food, medicine, fuel, and other essential things. While people are grieving for their dear ones mutilated in aerial bombardments or caught under rubble, they don’t have access to food and water or find a safe place to sleep. According to Richard Falk, an emeritus professor of international law from Princeton University,
-- On Lebanon’s Independence Day, criminal ‘Israel’ intentionally assassinates 2 journalists
Today marks the anniversary of “Lebanese Independence Day,” which was achieved thanks to the persistent jihad of the people of the South and the Bekaa and their outstanding courageous resistance to the brutal French occupation that inflicted great losses on Lebanon, the most notable of which is its separation from Greater Syria, especially in the wake of the signing of the ill-fated “Balfour” Agreement. This anniversary coincides with the Zionist enemy deliberately killing two fellow Al-Mayadeen’s journalists, along with their driver. This deliberate crime clearly reveals the enemy’s hostility. It further reveals Washington’s hypocrisy regarding protecting international humanitarian law and all conventions related to media work. It is obviously a field assassination, and an integral part of the ongoing war on Al-Mayadeen Channel, as it has taken the line of defense of Palestine and the oppressed wherever they are, unlike the pro-Israel mainstream media.
-- Gaza a symbol of Western moral decline, Raisi tells BRICS leaders
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has said that the Israeli atrocities in the Gaza Strip are indicative of the West’s moral decline. He noted that “what is crueler than the West giving weapons to Israel and opposing the ceasefire?” President Raisi made the remakes at a BRICS summit on the Israel-Gaza war on Tuesday. The proposal to hold the summit came after Israel’s relentless crimes in Gaza and the ensuing escalation of tensions in West Asia. The meeting hosted by South Africa as the rotating president of BRICS. During the summit, he made certain proposals to end the crimes of the Zionists, saying that America has made all international organizations “futile.” Regarding Gaza to be a symbol of the West’s moral decline, he added, “Worst of all is the unwavering support of America and the West for the Israeli regime perpetuating genocide and infanticide in Gaza.
-- Iran aiming to boost trade with Pakistan by establishing free zones, trade centers
The Islamic Republic of Iran is aiming to expand its economic and trade relations with Pakistan through establishing joint free zones and trade centers with the country, IRIB reported. According to Ahmad Jamali, the deputy secretary of Iran’s Free Zones High council, Tehran has reached an agreement with Islamabad to establish a joint free zone on the border between the two countries. “We have identified 200 investment opportunities in potential joint free zones with Pakistan which can be used to boost export to the country,” Jamali said in a meeting held on Monday by the Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) for exploring Iran-Pakistan business opportunities. Noting that Chabahar free zone in Sistan-Baluchestan Province is a good platform to develop exports from Iran to Pakistan, the official added: “Identifying investment opportunities in free zones can lead to the prosperity of businesses and trade of the two countries’ economic operators.” Jamali further noted that Iran has considered significant incentives for the exporters to Pakistan and the government fully supports business operators active in the mentioned country. Mentioning an upcoming exhibition of Iran-Pakistan trade opportunities, which is scheduled to be held in mid-January 2024, Jamali said holding such exhibitions would also be another great way to expand economic relations between the two countries.
-- The platitude of Iranbashing media rhetoric
– The American Spectator publication published a story on November 19, aiming to portray Iran’s diplomatic relations and nuclear activities as a threat. However, every independent country has the right to pursue its national interests. The author, Jed Babbin, claims that cooperation between Iran, China, and Russia is the “Axis of Evil,” which he claimed seems threatening to the U.S. The conservative American magazine attempted to link Operation Al-Aqsa Storm to Iran and depict the country as the cause of the marginalized normalization talks between Tel Aviv and some Arab states. Babbin pointed to an American sanctions waiver to Iran selling electricity to Iraq, which was granted in July and recently renewed.
NOURNEWS