NOURNEWS- The following headlines appeared in English-language newspapers in the Iranian capital on Thursday, January 4, 2024.
IRAN DAILY:
- ‘Hostile’ efforts suppressing voter turnout should be confronted: Leader
Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Wednesday warned against “hostile” efforts aimed at dissuading voters from the ballot box ahead of two looming elections.
Iranians will head to the polls on March 1 to elect new lawmakers as well as members of the Assembly of Experts, a top clerical body that is tasked to choose Iran’s leader and oversee his performance.
“Some seek to depress turnout in the elections, which are a testament to the realization of religious democracy, in order to undermine them,” Ayatollah Khamenei told a gathering in Tehran.
The Leader called for the realities to be reflected by what he called “fighters of enlightenment,” urging them to “stand up against this hostile move”.
“[Voting in] elections is a duty, and whoever opposes the elections is opposed to the Islamic Republic and Islam,” he said.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Ayatollah Khamenei said the border of the Muslim world is in Gaza today; the Palestinians there are standing against arrogance and the United States.
“The border of the Muslim world today is in Gaza, the pulse of the Muslim world beats in Gaza today, and the Palestinians there are standing against the world of disbelief, tyranny, arrogance and the United States,” the Leader stated.
The Israeli regime has been waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip since October, killing at least 22,000 people, most of them children and women. More than 57,000 others have also been wounded.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Leader said that soft power is more effective than hard power, as the latter has immediate effects, but wanes.
Over the past 44 years, he noted, the Islamic Republic has relied on soft power more than hard power.
“Of course, you know that I believe and follow up on … advanced weapons that match the capabilities of the enemies. In my opinion, however, intellectual, linguistic and other strong weapons should pervade among us along with hard power.”
Ayatollah Khamenei also said world powers such as the United States have atomic bombs and all kinds of advanced arms, but they make investments in the arts, cinema, and advertising as soft power, Press TV reported.
“Hard power means that the US comes and stays in Afghanistan for 20 years and spends billions. In the end, it is forced to flee from Afghanistan due to the people’s hatred [towards it],” he added.
“Hard power means that the US comes and takes over the entire country of Iraq with equipment. It overthrows the Iraqi government and sits in its place. After about 20 years, the most hated government in Iraq is the American government.”
The Leader noted that Palestinians have no weapons to defend themselves, but they have today attracted public attention through their patience, innocence and resilience.
- Over 100 killed as twin bombs hit Gen. Soleimani’s memorial in Kerman
Two terrorist blasts in Iran’s southeastern city of Kerman have left at least 103 people dead and 188 more injured during a ceremony marking the fourth martyrdom anniversary of General Qassem Soleimani, according to Iran’s Emergency Organization.
Today, a national mourning was declared.
The security deputy of the Kerman governor verified the terrorist nature of the explosions.
Babak Yektaparast, deputy head of the organization, said that some of the injured were in critical condition.
The explosions occurred near the burial site of martyred Soleimani, where people had flocked to mark the fourth martyrdom anniversary, Press TV reported.
According to IRNA, the first explosion occurred some 700 meters from the grave of General Soleimani, and the second one about one kilometer away.
Tasnim news agency cited unnamed sources as saying that two suitcases loaded with explosives, which were remotely detonated, caused the explosions.
The first explosion occurred at 14:50 local time, and the second took place 15 minutes later. Some people were injured during a crowd crush following the first explosion. Officials say all the injured have been transferred to hospitals and the situation is under control.
General Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), and their companions were assassinated in a US drone strike authorized by then-US president Donald Trump near Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020.
Both commanders were highly revered across the Middle East because of their key roles in fighting the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in the region, particularly in Iraq and Syria.
In less than a week after the attack, Iraqi lawmakers approved a bill that required the government to expel all US-led foreign forces from the country.
The IRGC also targeted the US-run Ain al-Asad base in Iraq’s western province of Anbar with a wave of missile attacks in retaliation for the assassination of General Soleimani.
- Raisi due in Ankara today, regional issues on agenda
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is scheduled to visit Ankara today at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a bid to address pressing regional issues.
While the meeting is expected to focus on various matters, the war in Gaza remains a key agenda item, reflecting the shared concerns of both nations, hurriyetdailynews.com reported.
The discussions are also anticipated to touch upon the South Caucasus Regional Cooperation Platform. The international body’s first foreign ministerial-level meeting, held in Tehran last October, saw the participation of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia, alongside the host, Iran. The next meeting is slated to take place in Turkey this year.
As the neighboring nations share a 560-kilometer border, Turkey is set to reiterate its expectation for Iran to actively engage in the joint fight against terrorist organizations.
In addition, the eighth meeting of the high-level cooperation council between the two countries is scheduled. The council, established in 2014, last convened in Tehran on July 19, 2022, and aims to enhance collaboration across various sectors.
- Iran’s eight-month export of aquatics surges 14%
Iran exported 132,000 tons of aquatics in the first eight months of the current Iranian year (from March 21 to November 22, 2023), registering a 14 percent hike compared to the same period last year.
The country exported 116,000 tons of aquatic products overseas from March 21 to November 22, 2022, IRNA reported.
The report put the value of fisheries exported from the country in the eight-month period at $235 million, showing a six percent hike compared to last year’s corresponding period.
Iran imported $40 million worth of aquatics in the first eight months of the current Iranian calendar year.
According to the statistics, 70 percent of Iran’s fishery products were exported to Iraq (39,000 tons), China (22,000 tons), the United Arab Emirates (21,000 tons) and Russia (10,000 tons).
- Envoy asks Armenia to cut tariffs for Iranian trucks
Zeroing of tolls plays a huge role for truckers to use the territory of Armenia to reach Georgia and the Black Sea, said Iran’s ambassador to Armenia Mehdi Sobhan
Speaking in an interview with the Public Television of Armenia, the diplomat added that it is very important for Iranian trucks at what price they can transport their cargo to the Black Sea.
According to him, some of the Iranian truckers tends to use Azerbaijan’s relatively longer route to reach Georgia and the Black Sea because its tolls and fuel prices are more affordable.
“The route passing through Armenia is shorter. And if we can reduce the customs duties and tolls and come to an understanding on these issues facing [truck] drivers, truck traffic through this route will increase dramatically, Armenia’s revenues will increase, and Armenia will become a regional transportation hub.
KAYHAN INTERNATIONAL:
- Nasrallah Hails Gen. Soleimani’s Role in Building Axis of Resistance
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Gen. Qassam Soleimani was the “central figure” building the “axis of resistance” across Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Nasrallah also expressed condolences to the families of more than 100 people martyred in “terrorist attacks” at a ceremony in Iran. He said that “axis of resistance” groups are not working directly at the request of Iran, but have their own shared goals and interests.
- President Raisi Due in Ankara
President Ebrahim Raisi was scheduled to visit Ankara on Thursday along with a political and economic delegation, but it was not clear yet the bombings in Kerman would change his plan.
He is expected to hold talks with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and attend the eighth meeting of the Supreme Council of Iran-Türkiye Cooperation. The two presidents will also participate in a joint press conference.
- Leader: Border of World of Islam Today is Gaza
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei here Wednesday said the border of the Muslim world is in Gaza today, and that the Palestinians there are standing against arrogance and the United States.
“The border of the Muslim world today is in Gaza, the pulse of the Muslim world beats in Gaza today, and the Palestinians there are standing against the world of disbelief, tyranny, arrogance and against the United States,” he told a group of religious eulogists and elegists.
Regarding domestic issues, the Leader said, “Anyone who opposes the elections is opposing the Islamic Republic and Islam,” as Iran is gearing up for parliamentary elections slated for March 1, 2024.
“Participation in the elections is a duty. It is the duty for those following the path of jihad of clarification to create a sense of duty towards elections,” he said, invoking a term used to describe a campaign aimed at educating people on the conspiracies of the enemy.
Ayatollah Khamenei also denounced “hostile” attempts to undermine the nation’s role in the country’s management, which proves the realization of religious democracy in Iran.
The Leader further censured attempts aimed at demoralizing the people and making them distrustful by claiming that the elections in Iran are meaningless.
Also in his remarks, the Leader said that soft power is more effective than hard power as the latter has immediate effect but wanes.
Over the past more than 40 years, he noted, the Islamic Republic has relied on soft power more than the hard one.
“Of course, you know that I believe and follow up on … advanced weapons that match the needs and capabilities of the enemies. In my opinion, however, intellectual, linguistic and strong logical weapons should pervade among us along with hard power and weaponry might.”
Ayatollah Khamenei also said world powers such as the U.S. have atomic bombs and all kinds of advanced arms, but they make investments in arts, cinema, and advertising as soft power.
“Hard power means that the U.S. comes and stays in Afghanistan for 20 years and spends billions. In the end, it is forced to flee from Afghanistan due to the people’s hatred,” he added.
“Hard power means that the U.S. comes and takes over the entire Iraq with equipment. It also overthrows the Iraqi government and sits in its place. After about 20 years, the most hated government in Iraq is the American government.”
The Leader noted that Palestinians have no weapons to defend themselves, but they have today attracted public attention through their patience, innocence and resilience.
- Craven Terrorism at Hometown of Legend
At least 103 people were martyred in two explosions near the cemetery where former Iranian commander General Qassem Soleimani is buried.
“The incident is a terrorist attack,” Rahman Jalali, the deputy governor of Kerman province, where Gen. Soleimani is buried, said.
The blasts occurred during a ceremony to mark the fourth anniversary of the assassination of the former Quds Force commander, who was martyred by a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad on January 3, 2020.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency, quoting sources informed on the situation, said “two bags carrying bombs went off” at the site. The report added that the perpetrators “apparently detonated the bombs by remote control”.
The bombs exploded 10 minutes apart, the ISNA news agency said, quoting Kerman mayor Saeed Tabrizi.
One bomb exploded at a distance of about 700 meters from the grave, and the other at a distance of about a kilometer away.
“Our rapid response teams are evacuating the injured... But there are waves of crowds blocking roads,” Reza Fallah, head of the Red Crescent chapter in the Kerman province told Iranian national television.
Footage and images on national broadcasters showed several ambulances and rescue teams at the scene of the blasts.
Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi told the Islamic Republic of Iran’s News Network that a crushing response will soon be given to the culprits.
He said the bombing attacks were a continuation of various plots to kill innocent civilians at ceremonies across the country, many of which had been foiled by Iranian security services.
He said the situation is now under the control of security forces.
According to the minister, most of the fatalities were caused by the second blast. An investigation into the blasts has been
launched and further details will be announced by officials as soon as possible, Vahidi noted.
Judiciary chief Gholam-Hussein Mohseni-Ejei vowed the perpetrators and those responsible for the attack will be swiftly hunted down and brought to justice.
He said the attacks were carried out by terrorists backed by the world arrogance who harbor deep grudges against General Soleimani, saying they’ve chosen to take revenge on the people after their various plots to insecure the country were foiled.
Heads of state and leaders of resistance groups in the region offered condolences, with Russian President Vladimir Putin condemning “terrorism in all its forms” and saying that the attack on peaceful people was “shocking in its cruelty and cynicism.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also offered condolences to the “friendly and brotherly” people of Iran over the “heinous terror attack.”
“We are deeply saddened by the heinous terrorist attacks carried out in the Kerman province of Iran. I wish God’s mercy to those who lost their lives in the attacks and a speedy recovery to those who were injured,” Erdogan said on X.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad resistance movement condemned the “cowardly attack.”
“Such an evil attack against the innocent people will increase cohesion among the Islamic Ummah and their adherence to the resistance, of which martyr Soleimani will always be one of the symbols.”
The political bureau of Yemen’s Ansarullah movement also strongly condemned the attack, which it called “criminal.”
The movement said the incident was part of enemies’ attempts to undermine Iran’s role in the anti-arrogance movement and weaken its support for the cause of the Islamic Ummah and the resistance.
Ansarullah stressed that Iran is stronger than all the conspiracies hatched against it and that efforts of the U.S. and the Zionist regime to foment insecurity in Iran will be thwarted with the help of God Almighty.
Seyyed Ammar Hakim, the leader of Iraq’s National Wisdom Movement, strongly condemned the terror attack and offered his deepest sympathies to the Iranian people.
He also urged the international community to join hands to combat terrorism to promote stability and security worldwide.
Meanwhile, the Iraqi government said it condemns the terrorist attack and offered any help needed “to alleviate the impact of this cowardly criminal act.”
Azerbaijan also condemned the attack and offered sympathies to the bereaved families of victims.
“As a country deeply suffered from terrorism, Azerbaijan condemns all its forms & manifestations,” the country’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement published on its X account.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani also strongly condemned the terrorist blasts. “Pakistan strongly condemns the inhuman terrorist attacks in Kerman, that claimed several innocent lives. Sincere condolences to Gov. & people of Iran. Our heart goes out to families of victims. We stand in solidarity with Iran at this hour of grief.”
The craven bombing came as thousands of Iranian people flocked to the southeastern province of Kerman to pay homage to Gen. Soleimani.
General Soleimani’s hometown and burial site hosted a deluge of the legendary commander’s lovers and followers from all walks of life and various social strata on Wednesday on his fourth martyrdom anniversary.
Kerman’s authorities said 1,300 distinguished experts and lecturers are to narrate the sacrifices of General Soleimani on the sidelines of his martyrdom anniversary, announcing the convention of 13 discussion forums as well as printing 1,000 volumes of books revolving around his character and school of thought.
The provincial officials also predicted a 30-percent increase in the number of pilgrims and visitors to General Soleimani’s burial site compared to last year.
General Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), and their companions were assassinated on the order of then-U.S. President Donald Trump near Baghdad airport.
Both commanders were highly revered across West Asia because of their key role in fighting the Daesh terrorist group in the region, particularly in Iraq and Syria.
In less than a week after the attack, Iraqi lawmakers approved a bill that required the government to expel all U.S.-led foreign forces from the country.
The IRGC also targeted the U.S.-run Ain al-Asad base in Iraq’s western province of Anbar with a wave of missile attacks in retaliation for the assassination of General Soleimani.
Kazem Gharibabadi, secretary of Iran’s High Council for Human Rights, was cited by Mizan news agency, affiliated with the Iranian judiciary, as saying that a court trial on the U.S. assassination will be held in the next two or three months.
Stressing that the Islamic Republic had informed the American defendants that they could appear in court and defend themselves or appoint a lawyer for themselves, Gharibabadi said, “If the defendants do not introduce a lawyer, the court will appoint a lawyer for them.”
Iran’s top human rights official said an Iraqi delegation had ensured Tehran in a recent visit that they would soon wrap up their investigations and file an indictment with the court.
“We are in constant contact and negotiation with Iraq and we asked them to finish the investigations as soon as possible and submit their indictment to the court,” he said.
Gharibabadi expressed optimism that the first session of the court will be held within the next two to three months.
The Iranian foreign ministry announced on Monday that it had sent a second official notice to the U.S. administration, seeking arbitration over the 2020 assassination of Iran’s top anti-terror commander.
The U.S. administration has until the end of April to respond to the notice, which was written based on the Protection of Diplomats Convention, a 1973 United Nations anti-terrorism treaty on the prevention and punishment of crimes against internationally protected persons, including diplomatic agents.
The second notice was written and sent after the United States failed to respond to the first one on holding negotiations.
TEHRAN TIMES:
- Outcomes of Al-Aqsa Storm Operation
The Al-Aqsa Storm Operation on October 7, 2023 - or the 15th of Mehr 1402 in the Persian calendar - carried out by the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas proved to be a transformative event that reshaped the landscape of Palestine and West Asia. This significant event has given rise to various outcomes, and in this commentary, I will categorize and outline some of them on three levels: Palestinian/Israeli, regional, and international. 1. Internal level 1.1. Israeli perspective 1. The Israeli deterrence collapsed, compelling the Zionist regime to reconstruct and reinforce its military capabilities, resorting to extreme measures in utilizing its military resources in the Gaza war. 2. The extensive dimensions of the October 7 operation intensified the sense of insecurity among Israeli settlers, once again placing them in the midst of existential crises. 3. The myth of the invincibility of the Israeli army and effective intelligence services, along with decades of propaganda and brainwashing attempts, crumbled. 4. The central narrative of Israel’s ruling right-wingers over the past two decades, claiming that the Palestinian issue had been sidelined, was entirely debunked.
- Assassinating Hamas leaders won’t help Israel defeat Palestinians: advisor
A top foreign policy advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution has condemned Israel’s assassination of a senior Hamas official, saying the act won’t save the regime from its imminent collapse. “Such actions and brutal crimes are evidence of the weakness and desperation of the Zionist regime. Israelis who have faced valiant resistance groups and courageous people of Palestine and have been defeated on the battlefield since the beginning of the Al-Aqsa storm are now resorting to these cowardly assassinations to save face,” Ali Akbar Velayati noted on Tuesday. Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy head of the political bureau of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, was killed in an Israeli drone attack in the southern suburb of the Lebanese capital of Beirut. Al-Arouri was assassinated alongside five other individuals who were inside a building when they came under attack.
- Cowardly Israeli assassination in Lebanon shows failure in Gaza
Hamas political leader in a drone strike on a building in Beirut’s southern suburbs of Dhahiyeh has been described as a cowardly act. The assassination of Saleh al-Arouri has strongly highlighted the Israeli regime’s frustration and desperation in its attempts to defeat Hamas in Gaza as well as its cowardice. In the very early hours of Tuesday evening, it sneaked a drone into Lebanese territory to commit the assassination. It could not kill any Hamas leaders manto-man. Despite three months of waging all-out war on the enclave, the regime’s leaders have failed to “eliminate Hamas”. The main Israeli goal to “eliminate Hamas” in Gaza and declare victory.
NOURNEWS