NOURNEWS- The following headlines appeared in English-language newspapers in the Iranian capital on Saturday, November 25, 2023.
IRAN DAILY:
-- Two-year FDI in Iran hits $9.2b: Official
Iran attracted $9.2 billion of foreign direct investment in the past two years, indicating 170 percent growth compared to the preceding two years, announced the head of the Organization of Investment and Economic and Technical Assistance of Iran.
Referring to the changes that have occurred regarding FDI in the incumbent government, compared to the previous one, Ali Fekri said the $9.2-billion investment is not satisfactory for us, as we still have to work a lot until we reach the desired figures, IRNA reported.
“In the Iranian year of 1401 (ended March 20, 2023), the country attracted nearly $4.2 billion of foreign investment, which was a significant increase compared to previous years.”
It is possible to set a target of about $10 billion for each year, Fekri noted, adding that its realization depends on how we can pave the ground for the entry of foreign capital.
After the signing of JCPOA in 2015, the French giant Total did not invest a single dollar in the oil and gas sector of Iran, he said, adding that Russian companies have started an oil project worth $2.7 billion in the southwestern province of Ilam.
“There were investors who had concerns about sanctions, but we opened the way for them to invest in Iran without worrying about sanctions,” the official said.
In the Iranian year of 1402, the Chinese have first place in investment as during the eight months since the beginning of this year (March 21-November 21), they have invested $1.2 billion in the fields of mining, tourism, technologies, renewable energy, sanitary products and cosmetics, he noted.
The official went on to say that after China, the UAE ranked second, with over $1 billion of FDI in Iran, and Russia ranked third in investment in our country.
He described these achievements as the result of the government’s economic diplomacy along with the development of relations with neighboring states, as well as membership in SCO and BRICS.
-- Ports development leads to transit growth, economy improvement
Iran has been seeking the development of its ports and transit infrastructure in recent years. As a result, the country has seen a significant growth in its transit trade and economic prosperity. The strategic location of Iran, as it sits at the crossroads of key shipping routes connecting Europe and Asia, has made it an important transit hub for trade in the region. The government’s efforts to improve its ports and transit facilities have played a crucial role in further enhancing Iran’s position as a key player in the global trade network.
The development of ports in Iran has been a top priority for the government, with significant investments being made to modernize and expand key ports across the country. The aim is to enhance the efficiency and capacity of these ports, thereby making Iran an attractive option for transit and trade.
In recent years, major ports such as Bandar Abbas, Bandar Imam Khomeini, and Chabahar have seen significant upgrades in terms of infrastructure and facilities. These ports are going to be equipped with state-of-the-art technology and machinery to handle shipments more efficiently. The capacity of these ports has also been expanded to accommodate larger vessels and greater volumes of cargo.
The upgrade of ports has not only benefited Iran’s trade network but has also improved the country’s economy. The increased efficiency and capacity of these ports have resulted in reduced transit times and costs for shipments passing through Iran. This has made Iran an attractive option for transit trade, with more companies and countries choosing to use Iranian ports as part of their trade routes.
The growth in transit trade has contributed positively to Iran’s economy. The increased trade volume has led to a surge in revenue for the government, with the transit trade sector becoming a significant source of income for the country. In addition, the improved transit facilities have also led to the creation of job opportunities and economic development in port cities and surrounding areas.
One of the key factors contributing to the growth of transit trade in Iran is the country’s strategic location. Iran’s proximity to key markets in Europe and Asia makes it an ideal transit point for trade. This has made Iran an attractive option for companies looking to streamline their supply chains and reduce transit times for their shipments.
Furthermore, the development of Chabahar port has been a game-changer for Iran’s transit trade. Located on the coast of the Gulf of Oman, the port has been developed as a key transit point for trade between India, Iran, and Afghanistan. The port’s strategic location and the development of a new railway line connecting it to Afghanistan have made Chabahar an important hub for transit trade in the region.
In addition to the development of ports, Iran has also invested in improving its transit infrastructure, including roads, railways, and customs facilities. The aim is to provide seamless connectivity for shipments passing through Iran, further enhancing the country’s appeal as a transit hub.
The improvements in ports and transit facilities have not only benefited Iran but also contributed to the growth of trade in the region. By providing efficient and cost-effective transit options, Iran has become an integral part of the global trade network, connecting key markets and boosting economic prosperity for the country and its trading partners.
Continued investments in ports and transit facilities are expected to further enhance Iran’s position as a key player in the global trade network, contributing to economic prosperity and development in the country and the region as a whole.
-- Second phase of Danan oilfield project completed
Daily oil production in Iran increased by about 11,000 barrels with extraction from new wells that were fully commissioned as the second phase of the development of the Danan oilfield was completed.
Mehdi Heidari, the managing director of the Iranian Central Oil Fields Company, announced the above, adding that by drilling 11 new wells, the total number of oil wells in the Danan field in the southwestern Iranian province of Ilam jumped to 20 wells, Shana reported.
“The oil pumped from the wells of the field is transferred to the processing and desalination unit of Dehloran by pipelines. As it was targeted, the production capacity of the field has increased from 8,000 barrels to 19,000 barrels per day.”
The contract for the maintenance and expansion of the Danan field was signed between the National Iranian Oil Company and MAPNA Group.
Danan oil field is located 30 km southeast of the city of Dehloran in Ilam Province and 80 km northwest of the city of Andimeshk.
-- Gaza truce in effect, setting stage for prisoner swap, aid delivery
A four-day cease-fire between Israel and Hamas began Friday, allowing sorely needed aid to start flowing into Gaza and releasing of dozens of prisoners of both sides.
The first group of 13 Israeli hostages released by Hamas crossed into Egypt. The first exchange Friday afternoon involved swapping 39 Palestinian prisoners – 24 women, including some convicted of attempted murder for attacks on Israeli forces, and 15 teenagers jailed for offenses like throwing stones – for 13 Israeli prisoners, Palestinian authorities said.
There were no reports of fighting in the hours after the truce began. The deal offered some relief for Gaza’s 2.3 million people, who have endured weeks of Israeli bombardment and dwindling supplies of basic necessities, as well as for families in Israel worried about their relatives imprisoned during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack.
Optimism for aid
UN agencies have voiced hope that the shaky truce would allow aid to flow to northern Gaza for the first time in weeks, while the World Health Organization said it is working on further hospital evacuations.
Aid agencies have said they are aiming to deliver supplies to the northern part of the Palestinian enclave, where hospitals have collapsed due to bombings and lack of fuel, and where there are major concerns about dehydration and disease outbreaks.
WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said the agency was working on further hospital evacuations as soon as possible. “We’re extremely concerned about the safety of the estimated 100 patients and health workers remaining at Shifa (Hospital),” he said.
Tommaso Della Longa, spokesperson for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, told Reuters that its local partner had a convoy of ambulances heading north to evacuate patients from Ahli Baptist Hospital.
Iran’s pivotal role
Ahead of the cease-fire, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Thursday held talks with Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh in Doha, where he has traveled as part of a regional tour for consultations amid the Israeli invasion of Gaza.
Meanwhile in Doha, Qatar’s Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani discussed the exchange of prisoners with Amir-Abdollahian and thanked Iran for its “pivotal role and valuable efforts in helping to achieve a humanitarian cessation of the war against Gaza”.
“We have reached a good stage,” the Qatari minister said, adding the first priority is the cease-fire, and then “our effort is to extend the temporary cease-fire and stop the war and killing of Palestinians completely and prevent a return to war”.
Amir-Abdollahian also welcomed the truce, saying if the Israeli regime continues the war, “the situation in the region will become more tense and the reactions will be more widespread”.
Also on Wednesday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said that Israel has fallen short of realizing all of the goals that it had sought by launching its ongoing war against the Gaza Strip.
The president pointed to the regime’s killing of more than 14,500 Palestinians so far during the war, saying, “Killing of women and children does not mean victory.”
The truce raised hopes of eventually winding down the conflict, which has flattened vast swaths of Gaza, fueled a surge of violence in the occupied West Bank, and stirred fears of a wider conflagration across the Middle East. Israel, however, has said it is determined to resume its massive offensive once the cease-fire
ends.
On Friday, there was calm after weeks in which Gaza saw heavy bombardment and artillery fire daily as well as street fighting as ground troops advanced through neighborhoods in the north. The last report of air raid sirens in Israeli towns near the territory came shortly after the truce took effect.
Not long after, four tankers with fuel, and four with cooking gas entered the Gaza Strip from Egypt, Israel said.
UN aid agencies pushed back against the claim, saying fuel deliveries were closely supervised and urgently needed to avert a humanitarian catastrophe since fuel is required to run generators that power water treatment facilities, hospitals and other critical infrastructure.
The Israeli military dropped leaflets over southern Gaza, warning hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians who sought refuge there not to return to their homes in the territory’s north, the focus of Israel’s ground offensive.
-- Emergency organization to be boosted
With the cooperation of the government and parliament, Iran’s National Medical Emergency Organization plans to meet the needs of pre-hospital emergencies in both land and air fields.
The head of the organization has announced their intention to purchase 500 ambulances and 18 new helicopters, ISNA reported.
During the closing ceremony of the 9th Olympiad of Emergency Personnel, Jafar Mi’adfar announced that the event was of excellent quality. The competition was intense, with a close margin between the winners and participants.
He highlighted the good emergency situation in Mashhad and Razavi Khorasan Province but pointed out the main problem of having 3,500 worn-out ambulances in the country. He called for special attention to the country’s emergency organization, as its forces are the first responders who provide assistance to the sick and injured at all hours. He also emphasized the need for special attention to air emergency supply and requested authorities to address this issue before approving the next year’s budget.
Regarding the country’s air emergency helicopters, Mi’adfar stated that there are currently 52 in operation, but according to standards, 70 should be active. Therefore, they require an additional 18 helicopters.
He also revealed plans to strengthen the fleet of emergency motor ambulances in major cities. They aim to graduate 400 female emergency technicians by the end of the year and assign them to urban bases, particularly in religious cities like Mashhad, to provide aid to sick and injured women.
KAYHAN INTERNATIONAL:
-- Navy Chief: ‘Deylaman’ to Join Caspian Fleet
The commander of the Iranian Navy said Friday his force’s northern fleet will soon be equipped with the Deylaman destroyer.
The deployment aims to ensure the safety of shipping, given the unique conditions of the Caspian Sea and enhance the training skills of the forces. The Deylaman is the latest model of the Jamaran destroyer, but with updated equipment
-- Israel Summons Ambassadors to Spain, Belgium
The occupying regime Israel summoned the ambassadors for Spain and Belgium over comments made by the two countries’ leaders at a press event on the Rafah crossing in Egypt.
Earlier, the Spanish and Belgium prime ministers used a press conference on the first day of a four-day truce between Israel and Hamas to call for a permanent ceasefire.
-- Gazans Return to Find Bodies of Martyrs, Total Destruction
The temporary humanitarian pause in the Gaza Strip, which began on Friday, revealed the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe and the massive destruction caused by the Israeli army in various areas, especially Gaza City and the northern parts of the enclave, Anadolu Agency reported.
In the first minutes of the pause, hundreds of thousands of Palestinian displaced people went to see their homes and neighborhoods, especially in the border areas and in areas where Israeli forces were deployed.
The Palestinians discovered massive destruction caused by Zionist forces in their areas of residence.
Witnesses told Anadolu that, during their return to their homes in the western regions of Gaza City and in the towns of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia, they found the bodies of dozens of Palestinians who had been martyred by Zionist forces.
They said that the bodies were decomposed, indicating that they had been martyred several weeks ago, either during incursions or during the departure from Gaza City to southern areas.
The Palestinians also discovered a massive amount of destruction caused by the Israeli airstrikes and ground invasion in Gaza City and northern parts of the Strip.
Witnesses also said that they found entire residential neighborhoods containing hundreds of buildings and tens of thousands of homes completely destroyed.
In addition to the massive damage to roads, buildings of government and private institutions, infrastructure and water, electricity and communications networks have also been destroyed.
Among the areas that witnessed widespread destruction were the towns of Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahia and Jabaliya, the neighborhoods of Al-Rimal, Tal Al-Hawa, Sheikh Ijlin, and the vicinity of Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City.
Rescue teams began their work trying to recover dead bodies from some of the destroyed buildings in those neighborhoods, according to witnesses.
Thousands of Palestinians were shocked when they saw their homes destroyed and surrounded by corpses and blood.
Suhail Abdel Nabi, a Palestinian from the Bir Al-Naja area in the town of Jabaliya, said that he was shocked when he discovered that his house was destroyed. He had left it intact about two weeks ago when he fled the area to the Al-Tuffah neighborhood, east of Gaza City.
“We found the bodies of martyrs in our area. These are family members who tried to flee the area a few days ago and were targeted by the Israeli army with artillery shells and military drones,” he went on to say.
In the northern regions, especially around the Indonesia Hospital in the town of Jabaliya, massive destruction was witnessed after the Israeli military stormed the hospital and bombed its surroundings with a large number of shells during the hours last night.
“The Israeli occupation violently bombed the Indonesian Hospital last night, and its tanks and bulldozers demolished its fence and walls as well,” Munir Al-Borsh, the director-general of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, said in a statement to Anadolu.
The tank entered the main building of the hospital after destroying its gate, demolishing one of its walls, and opening fire on patients and medical staff, which led to the death of an injured woman, he said.
He pointed out that all the streets surrounding the Indonesian Hospital were completely destroyed by Israeli tanks.
The official asserted that the Israeli army constantly contacts the hospital administration to force those inside it to leave.
The Zionist army maintained the presence of its ground forces in parts of the towns of Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahia and Jabaliya, according to local sources.
Thursday night, warplanes, artillery and tanks launched violent attacks on large areas in Gaza City and the northern part of the enclave.
Widespread clashes also broke out between members of the Palestinian armed factions and Israeli forces in the Al-Saftawi area, north of Gaza City.
Israeli aircraft launched violent raids in the Jabaliya’s Al-Balad area, while the artillery targeted Sheikh Zayed City in the town of Jabaliya as well.
-- President Raisi: Israel Suffered Humiliating Defeat
President Ebrahim Raisi said here Thursday Israel suffered a “humiliating defeat” at the hands of the Palestinian nation and resistance which managed to “incapacitate” the regime in Gaza.
“The Zionists first declared that they wanted to occupy Gaza and destroy the resistance, but they achieved none of their objectives,” he told a meeting of Iran’s Assembly of Experts.
“What remains from the Zionist regime’s killing of women and children and destruction of people’s homes is the global hatred towards this regime,” he said.
“If we want to make an analysis after over 40 days,… we must say that the enemy suffered a humiliating defeat and that the Palestinian people and resistance scored a great victory.”
Raisi hailed the self-confidence of the Palestinian people, saying they demonstrated a “golden scene of resistance” before the eyes of the world through their resilience against Israeli crimes.
“The resistance managed to incapacitate the fake regime and frustrate it with no air, naval and ground forces, but trust in God… The power of faith can overcome evil,” he said.
Today, Raeisi added, people across the world come to the streets crying out for a just world order that can defend the oppressed.
He said Israeli atrocities in Gaza showed to the world the veracity of the Islamic Republic’s position on Palestine.
“The Iranian nation always shouted that Palestine is right, and now everyone understood that they (the Israelis) massacred the people of Gaza and Palestine through racial discrimination and racism under the all-out support of the US and the West.”
Separately, Raeisi said the Zionist regime has fallen short of realizing all of the goals that it had sought by launching its ongoing war against the Gaza Strip.
“Israel did not achieve any of its goals of occupying Gaza and eliminating the resistance,” he told representatives of five Arabic-language television networks, namely Lebanon’s Al-Manar, Iraq’s Al-Etejah TV, and the Palestinian Al-Aqsa TV and Palestine Today as well as Yemen’s Al-Masirah.
Raisi said what the Zionist regime has done shows that it has grown desperate in the face of the Palestinian resistance.
Raisi described Operation Al-Aqsa Storm as the Palestinian people’s “legitimate defense of their right,” prompted by their growing impatience with Zionist regime’s incessant oppression.
“A nation, whose home is usurped, whose family members are imprisoned and martyred, and whose farms are destroyed, enjoys the right to legitimate self-defense” by whatever logical standard, the president said.
The Palestinian operation, Raisi added, inflicted “military, security, and intelligence defeat” upon the Zionist regime.
He said the massacre of women and children “has created an unprecedented atmosphere of anti-Zionist hatred across the word”.
-- Iran Attracts Over $9bn in Foreign Investment in 2 Years
Organization of Investment, Economic and Technical Assistance of Iran (OIETAI) Ali Fekri has said that a sum of $9.2 billion in foreign investment has poured into Iran after President Ebrahim Raisi took office in August 2021, an official said.
The head of the Organization of Investment, Economic and Technical Assistance of Iran (OIETAI) said at least $9.2 billion worth of foreign investment was attracted in the last two years, $6 billion of which has actually materialized.
Fekri stated that the terms and conditions for the attraction of foreign investment in the country have been upgraded in the current administration.
The deputy minister of economy added that the foreign investment has increased by 170 percent in the last two years.
He also noted that the oil and gas sectors have accounted for the maximum rate of attraction of foreign investment.
Hailing the positive effects of promotion of relations with the neighboring states on the foreign investment, Fekri noted that Iran’s membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS group of emerging economies is the result of the economic diplomacy of the administration of President Raisi and the improvement of ties with the neighbors.
President Raisi has on various occasions described plans for stronger relations with neighboring countries as an essential element of his administration.
-- Zionist Troops Shoot at Palestinians After Ceasefire
Hamas released the first batch of prisoners under a ceasefire deal that began Friday, including 13 Zionists who have been held in the Gaza Strip since the resistance movement staged a surprise operation on Israel nearly seven weeks ago, according to officials and media reports.
Twelve Thai nationals were also released, according to Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. Dozens of Palestinians were also expected to be freed by the occupying regime of Israel.
The ceasefire between the occupying regime of Israel and Hamas began Friday, setting the stage for the exchange and allowing sorely needed aid to start flowing into Gaza.
The deal offered some relief for Gaza’s 2.3 million people, who have endured weeks of Israeli bombardment and dwindling supplies of basic necessities.
The truce raised hopes of eventually winding down the conflict, which has flattened vast swaths of Gaza, fueled a surge of Israeli violence in the occupied West Bank and stirred fears of a wider conflagration across the Middle East. The Zionist regime, however, has said it is determined to resume its massive invasion once the ceasefire ends.
Under the deal, Hamas pledged to free at least 50 of the about 240 captives it and other fighters took in the Oct. 7 raid. In exchange, Hamas said Israel would free 150 Palestinians.
The Zionist regime said the deal calls for the truce to be extended an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed.
Tel Aviv published a list of 300 Palestinians eligible for release. Thirty-nine — 24 women, including some convicted of attempted murder for attacks on Israeli forces, and 15 teenagers jailed for offenses like throwing stones — were expected to be freed Friday, Palestinian authorities said.
Zionistsoldiers stormed the homes of Palestinian prisoners from occupied East Al-Quds set to be released, according to local reports.
Footage captured by Al Jazeera showed its Al-Quds correspondent and cameraman being manhandled by soldiers as they were reporting outside the home of detainee Amani Khaled Noman Hashem.
Zionist security minister Itamar Ben Gvir had previously said he would crack down on any attempt to celebrate prisoner releases in Al-Quds.
Israeli forces also fired teargas at crowds awaiting the release of Palestinian women and children outside the Ofer prison near the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah.
For most of the past seven weeks of war, Israel had barred the entry of fuel to Gaza, claiming it could be used by Hamas.
UN aid agencies pushed back against the claim, saying fuel deliveries were closely supervised and urgently needed to avert a humanitarian catastrophe since fuel is required to run generators that power water treatment facilities, hospitals and other critical infrastructure.
The Zionist military has withdrawn from the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City and blown up a number of its facilities, according to the Turkish news outlet Anadolu Agency.
For weeks Israel alleged that one of Gaza’s largest hospitals was a “command and control centre” for Hamas. Israel failed to produce much evidence of that despite controlling the medical facility for more than a week.
The Israeli military dropped leaflets over southern Gaza, warning hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians who sought refuge there not to return to their homes in the territory’s north, the focus of Israel’s ground invasion.
Even though Israel warned that it would block such attempts, hundreds of Palestinians could be seen walking north Friday.
Two were shot and martyred by Israeli troops and another 11 were wounded. An Associated Press journalist saw the two bodies and the wounded as they arrived at a hospital.
Sofian Abu Amer, who had
fled Gaza City, said he decided to risk heading north to check on his home.
“We don’t have enough clothes, food and drinks,” he said. “The situation is disastrous. It’s better for a person to die.”
Israeli attacks had raged in the hours leading up to the truce, with officials inside the enclave saying a hospital in Gaza City was among the targets bombed.
Sirens sounded in two Israeli villages outside the southern Gaza Strip, warning of possible incoming Palestinian rockets. The Israeli military also said fighting would resume soon.
Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross in Israel and the Occupied Territories confirmed the death of one of its aid workers who had worked for more than 20 years for them.
The hope is that “momentum” from the deal will lead to an “end to this violence,” said Majed al-Ansari, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of Qatar, which served as a mediator along with the United States and Egypt.
But hours before it came into effect, Zionist war minister Yoav Gallant was quoted telling troops that their respite would be short and that the invasion would resume with intensity for at least two more months.
Hardline PM Benjamin Netanyahu has also vowed to continue the invasion.
Israeli soldiers will only be released in exchange for all Palestinians imprisoned by the Zionist regime, according to the Islamic Jihad resistance group, which is reportedly holding about 40 captives.
According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, an advocacy group, Israel is currently holding 7,200 Palestinians on security charges or convictions, including about 2,000 arrested since the start of the war.
The Israeli invasion has martyred at least 14,854 Palestinians, including more than 6,150 children and 4,000 women, with over 36,000 others injured in strikes.
The Gaza health ministry says some 6,000 people have been reported missing, feared buried under rubble.
-- Hezbollah Targets Israeli Military Base With Dozens of Katyusha Rockets
The Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement Hezbollah has fired 48 Katyusha rockets at an Israeli military base in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement, Hezbollah said that its fighters targeted before noon the Ein Zaytim base near the city of Safad in the occupied territories, where the regime’s army’s Third Infantry Brigade of Division 91 is headquartered.
It added that the operation was conducted “in support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and … their brave and honorable resistance.”
The raid came one day after an Israeli airstrike on the village of Beit Yahoun in south Lebanon killed five Hezbollah fighters, including the son Mohammed Raad, the head of the group’s parliamentary bloc.
Earlier, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said that Washington had warned the resistance group through third parties against intervening in the Israeli war on Gaza.
He, however, emphasized that Hezbollah disregarded the warnings and will continue to carry out its duty in support of Palestine and Gaza.
The Zionist regime has been waging sporadic attacks on southern Lebanon since October 7, when it launched a devastating war against the besieged Gaza Strip.
The regime’s aggression on the besieged Gaza Strip is estimated to cost the occupying regime about $48 billion, leaving it highly dependent on bond markets, a recent report has revealed.
Leader Capital Markets, a financial advisory firm in Israel, estimated that the war would cost the regime 180 billion shekels ($48 billion) in 2023-2024.
The firm noted that the Zionist regime will likely endure two-thirds of the total costs, while the U.S. will pay for the rest.
The regime’s finance ministry has estimated that the war is costing the economy of the entity around $270 million every day.
“Israel’s fiscal math means the government will largely have to borrow its way through what’s already its worst armed conflict in half a century,” Bloomberg cited the report as saying on Thursday.
Noting that the Zionist regime has issued international debt in yen, euros, and dollars through private placements via Wall Street banks, including Goldman Sachs Group Inc., the report said the Israeli government is still “counting on the domestic market to absorb the bulk of its financing needs.”
The occupying regime has already “sold 18.7 billion shekels of local bonds” since the start of the war in October, compared with a monthly average of just over 5 billion shekels through September.
TEHRAN TIMES:
-- Hamas chief celebrates political, military breakthrough while praising Iran
Describing the current truce in the Gaza-Israel war as a “political and military” triumph for the resistance front, the chief of Hamas’ political bureau has expressed gratitude to the Islamic Republic of Iran for its unwavering support of the Palestinian people and their fight against Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip. Ismail Haniyeh made the remarks during a meeting with Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian on Thursday in the capital of Qatar, Doha. The meeting came ahead of a historic four-day truce that will see the exchange of prisoners and the delivery of relief aid to the Gaza Strip. Haniyeh expressed appreciation for the “firm support of the Iranian leadership, the president, the government and the people of Iran, as well as the active diplomatic support of the Iranian minister of foreign affairs for the Palestinian issue and its people, particularly during the ongoing Israeli war against Gaza.”
-- Referendum only solution to Palestinian issue: Iranian diplomat
Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran for Political Affairs, Ali Bagheri Kani, rejected the idea of two governments to solve the Palestinian issue and called referendum “the only solution” to the Palestinian question. Bagheri, who arrived in Bangkok after visiting the Philippines on the first leg of his Asian tour, took part in a press briefing attended by journalists from several main Thai media outlets at the Iranian embassy building in Bangkok early Thursday. Regarding Iran’s view on how to solve the issue of Palestine, the Iranian diplomat said, “Holding a referendum among all Palestinian people, including the current residents of the occupied territories and other Palestinians living elsewhere across the globe in order to determine their destiny and work out their desired system of government is the solution which is democratic and complies with international criteria. More importantly, it would be a lasting solution.” “Why don’t the so-called advocates of human rights and democracy accept this solution and why do they allow themselves to violate the rights of a great and well-established nation?” he asked. In response to the question of why the Hamas movement attacked Israel on October 07, the deputy Iranian foreign minister said, “The Gaza issue did not start on October 07; rather, this issue began 7 decades ago and has its roots in the Zionists’ occupation for the past more than 70 years; the October 07 [attack] was a reaction to 7 decades of Zionists’ occupation.
-- Palestinian cause is one of the first priorities of Yemen’s policy
On November 19, the Yemeni Armed Forces seized an Israeli-linked cargo ship in a crucial Red Sea shipping route and took its crew members hostage over the Israeli aggression against Gaza. With this step, the Yemenis have forced the major countries to reconsider their absolute support for the Israeli genocide in Gaza. The Yemeni army has also noted that through its savage acts the Israeli entity is involved in sabotaging global trade, 12% of which passes through the Bab al-Mandab Strait. According to a 2018 survey by the US Energy Information Administration, roughly 6.2 million barrels of oil pass daily through the Red Sea. Besides, the total oil flows through this strait account for about 9% of the total oil transported by sea; about 3.6 million barrels per day also move through it towards Europe.
-- What is a war crime and is Israel guilty of it?
Despite a 4-day ceasefire holding in Gaza, the unsurmountable grievances and immense suffering inflicted by Israel on the 2.3 million inhabitants of the besieged territory continue to cast a long shadow. As the 48-day bombing campaign against Gaza comes to a short respite, those who have lost loved ones may finally find a moment to properly grieve the tragic deaths of their family members. The wounded can also, hopefully, now focus on their recovery, with the arrival of desperately needed medical supplies into the region. Meanwhile, those who have lost everything due to Israeli bombardments are left to seek new shelters as they prepare for the potential onslaught of further violence. Before the truce took effect, Israeli War Minister Yoav Gallant suggested that once the “short” Qatar-mediated truce with Hamas concludes, the regime will resume its attacks with “intensity” over the next two months. Considering the conduct of the Israeli military in recent weeks, observers are left pondering the regime’s potential plan of action during the upcoming period of conflict.
-- “Sharif Mothers” slam Israeli crimes in Gaza
A group of Iranian mothers studying at the Sharif University of technology, along with a group of graduated students, gathered in front of the school’s main entrance to protest the latest wave of Israeli crimes against Palestinian civilians, especially children. “We, Sharif Mothers, have gathered in this place with our children to tell our brothers and sisters in Palestine that we are proud of this heroic stand and we are by your side until the final victory, and our hearts are connected to each other with the faith in God’s help,” said a statement read at the gathering. Demonstrators praised the firm resilience of the Palestinian people, noting they were able to leave a lasting impression on masses across the world. “You made the world’s tyrants and arrogant powers suffer from your faith and courage and amazed the people of the world with your enlightened free spirits”. The statement added that the bloodshed of Palestinian Women and children in the besieged Gaza Strip has exposed the double standards of the self-proclaimed defenders of human rights, ultimately causing them to lose all credibility.
-- Referendum only solution to Palestinian issue: Iranian diplomat
Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran for Political Affairs, Ali Bagheri Kani, rejected the idea of two governments to solve the Palestinian issue and called the referendum “the only solution” to the Palestinian question. Bagheri, who arrived in Bangkok after visiting the Philippines on the first leg of his Asian tour, took part in a press briefing attended by journalists from several main Thai media outlets at the Iranian embassy building in Bangkok early Thursday. Regarding Iran’s view on how to solve the issue of Palestine, the Iranian diplomat said, “Holding a referendum among all Palestinian people, including the current residents of the occupied territories and other Palestinians living elsewhere across the globe in order to determine their destiny and work out their desired system of government is the solution which is democratic and complies with international criteria. More importantly, it would be a lasting solution.” “Why don’t the so-called advocates of human rights and democracy accept this solution and why do they allow themselves to violate the rights of a great and well-established nation?” he asked. In response to the question of why the Hamas movement attacked Israel on October 07, the deputy Iranian foreign minister said, “The Gaza issue did not start on October 07; rather, this issue began 7 decades ago and has its roots in the Zionists’ occupation for the past more than 70 years; the October 07 [attack] was a reaction to 7 decades of Zionists’ occupation.
NOURNEWS