Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday received Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who has arrived in Syria, heading a large ministerial delegation on a two-day historic visit to Syria aimed at deepening relations between the two key regional states.
The two leaders signed a memo of understanding for the long-term strategic comprehensive cooperation plan between both countries.
During the plenary talks with the Iranian President, President Bashar al-Assad said “the Syrian-Iranian relations are rich in content, rich in experiences and rich in the insights that constituted them, and therefore, these relations were, during hard times, stable and firm despite of the severe political and security storms which struck the Middle East Region.”
For his part, President Raisi said “Syria, Government and People, have gone through large difficulties, and today we can say that you have surpassed all these problems and achieved victory despite of the threats and sanctions imposed on you.”
The two presidents discussed the bilateral relations in various fields and means of developing them.
Talks also dealt with the latest developments in the Middle East region and the reflections of the global changes on the region, and unifying efforts to invest these changes for the benefit of the two countries and the people of the region.
An official reception ceremony was held for the Iranian President upon his arrival at al-Shaab Palace, the two national anthems of Syria and Iran were played, then the two Presidents reviewed the guard of honor, and shook hands with members of the two official delegations.
Raisi arrived in Damascus International Airport on Wednesday morning in the first visit by an Iranian president in 13 years. He was welcomed by the Syrian Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade Mohammad Samer al-Khalil.
The Iranian president is in Syria upon an official invitation from President Bashar Al-Assad.
Several ministers are accompanying the Iranian president during his visit to Syria, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahia, Oil Minister Javad Owji, transportation minister Mehrdad Bazrpash, Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Gharaei Ashtiani, and the ICT minister Eisa Zarepour.
During the two-day visit, Raisi and his accompanying delegation are set to hold meetings with Syrian officials to discuss ways to strengthen and deepen political relations, as well as enhance the level of economic and trade cooperation between Tehran and Damascus.
Before his departure for Damascus, Raisi was quoted by Iranian media as saying: “Today, it is clear to everyone in the region that the Islamic Republic of Iran is considered a strong pillar that everyone can trust.”
“Iran’s positions and status are considered as a main and effective player in the developments of the region,” the Iranian president stressed.
“The will of the two countries is on the development of relations and there are many fields for expanding cooperation. In our talks, we are also pursuing the acceleration of the implementation of the agreements between the two countries, and I am sure that the expansion of relations between Tehran and Damascus will benefit the two nations and the region.”
The visit comes amid growing relations between the two countries that are leading members of a regional alliance against the Zionist regime.
Iranians mark the 44th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in the capital Tehran on February 11, 2023. (Photo by IRNA)
Millions of Iranians have taken to the streets across the country to celebrate the 44th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution that toppled the US-backed Pahlavi regime in 1979.
The rallies in the capital Tehran began at 9:30 a.m. local time (06:00 GMT) on Saturday, with demonstrators from various social strata and different parts of the city marching toward the iconic Azadi (Freedom) Square.
People waved photos of the late founder of the Islamic Revolution Imam Khomeini, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and legendary General Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated in a 2020 US terrorist attack in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, as well as the martyrs of the Revolution.
Iranian people mark the 44th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in the capital Tehran on February 11, 2023. (Photo by Fars news agency)
The flight of colored balloons and iridescent papers from the Azadi Tower, the performance of professional parachutists of the Armed Forces and the mass recital of Iran’s national anthem were among the celebratory events held in the Azadi Square.
On the eve of the 44th anniversary, fireworks displays were performed in Tehran and other cities at 9:00 p.m. overnight, as people chanted Allahu Akbar (God is the Greatest) in an expression of support for the Islamic Revolution.
Covered by 6,000 media personnel across the country, the foot processions, which came after three years of motorcade marches due to the coronavirus pandemic, were held in 1,400 Iranian cities and 38,000 villages.
An Iranian demonstartor flashes the victory sign on the 44th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in the capital Tehran on February 11, 2023. (Photo by Fars news agency)
The mass rallies on the 22nd of Bahman in the Solar Calendar, which corresponds with February 11, are held each year with tremendous patriotic fervor in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The Iranian nation overthrew the despotic regime of Pahlavi, which was fully supported by the United States in the winter of 1979. The struggle against the shah regime reached full fruition on February 11, 1979.
By December 1978, millions of Iranians had taken to the streets in protest against the policies of the shah – Shah – on a regular basis.
Imam Khomeini returned to Iran from exile on February 1, 1979. He was received by millions of people weeks after the departure of the shah in mid-January 1979.
The collapse of the Pahlavi regime became certain on February 11 when the military renounced its loyalty to the shah and joined the Revolution.
Raeisi: Bahman 22nd day of victory of ‘truth over falsity’
Delivering a speech at the Azadi Square, Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi lauded the 22nd of Bahman as the day of the triumph of “truth over falsity,” the day of the victory of “the oppressed over the arrogant,” and the realization of the “miracle of the century.”
Raeisi said the epic day put an end to tyranny and dependence and marked the beginning of independence, freedom and the Islamic Republic, adding that the day brought about the crystallization of the will of the great nation of Iran.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi delivers a speech at the iconic Azadi (Freedom) Square on the 44th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in the capital Tehran on February 11, 2023. (Photo by president.ir)
Crowds of millions in Iran… Why?
Stressing that both the establishment and the continuation of the Pahlavi regime was against the nation’s will and accompanied with a coup d’état, the Iranian president said, “They committed crimes and treason during their rule, and they were unconcerned about [Iranian people’s] great capacities, and only cared for the pleasure of the global hegemony and the United States.”
“Pahlavi’s despotic rule only brought backwardness to this nation and country,” Raeisi added, “They came to power against the principles of the Constitution and with a coup.”
‘Enemy cannot stand Iran’s achievements’
Pointing to the country’s achievements in various areas, including science and technology, economy, defense, health and medicine, Raeisi said, “Today, we rank first in the region in many fields and we are in the fourth, fifth and sixth place in many arenas in the world. This is for our self-discovery, self-confidence, and reliance on God. Our dear nation has conquered many peaks but the enemy cannot stand it.”
The president said when the enemy saw that the country was progressing in all fields and was not stalled, they started hatching another plot and thought that they could stop the country with chaos.
“They implemented the chaos project and thought that they could bring the country to a standstill with turmoil, and for this reason, they launched a hybrid war in this field,”
Raeisi noted, referring to the recent violent riots after the mid-September death of a woman in Tehran.
“They initiated a combined work in the form of a political, economic, media, psychological and perceptual warfare, unaware that the Iranian nation knows them and their tricks.”
The president underlined, “Today, despite the threats and sanctions, Islamic Iran enjoys the growth of fixed capital, investment growth, economic growth, and growth in other indices.”
Iran in ‘claimant’ position in nuclear issue
Elsewhere in his speech, Raeisi said Iran stands in the position of a “claimant” in the nuclear issue, adding, “We have accepted the inspections of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and these inspections continue. The agency has for 15 times announced that Iran has no involvement in nuclear activities, but this is you who have a nuclear warhead, you have a nuclear bomb, and you are in the position of the accused.”
Pointing to the fight against terrorism, Raeisi said Iran is also in the position of the claimant, noting, “You formed, supported and armed Daesh; and scourged the lives of Muslim people, but the Islamic Republic sacrificed dear General Soleimani in the fight against Daesh. You are the accused and must be held accountable to the world and humanity.”
The Iranian president also touched on the issue of Palestine and Afghanistan, saying, “Seventy years of oppression of the Palestinian people as well as 35,000 disabled children is the result of your presence in Afghanistan…You committed crimes and acted against human rights, you must answer why you violated human rights so much.”
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Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani advised neighboring countries to revisit their ties with the Zionist entity, not ruling out attacks against the ‘Israeli’ regime given its history in the region.
Referring to the recent anti-Iranian resolution issued at the UN Human Rights Council, Kanaani said the Islamic Republic will never cooperate with a such fact-finding mission on alleged human rights issues.
“Within the framework of its national responsibilities, the Islamic Republic [of Iran] has formed a national committee with the presence of experts, lawyers, and official and unofficial representatives, in the sense that it believes in its inherent and national responsibility,” the spokesperson stated, adding that the country is carrying out duties and comprehensive investigation in this regard.
“Therefore, the hasty use of human rights mechanisms and political approaches are rejected and will not contribute to the concept of human rights.”
The spokesman appeared on Monday with a chemical mask in his weekly press conference in reference to Germany’s support in the war imposed on Iran by Iraq during Saddam Hussein’s regime [1980-1988] and the provision of chemical weapons by the German government to the Saddam regime.
Saddam Hussein’s regime had no obstacles in using weapons and chemical bombs against the Iranians during the war, Kanaani said, adding that the western governments, including the German government, gave the chemical substances to the Iraqi Baath regime, and many crimes were committed against the people of Iran and Iraq with these weapons and equipment.
“The United Nations has clarified Germany’s role in arming Iraq with chemical substances, Germany has received 139 warnings from the United Nations regarding the sale of biological and chemical weapons,” Kanaani noted.
“The results of UN reports show that Germany has played an important role in this field, and DER Spiegel magazine has also written about this, and we have always witnessed violations of human rights and women’s rights in Germany,” he went on to say.
Meanwhile, in response to a question about the attack on an ‘Israeli’-owned oil tanker, which the Zionists accused Iran of, the spokesman rejected these accusations and said that false accusations against Iran are the goal of the Zionist regime and its other allies and if Iran does something, it is brave enough to take responsibility for it.
On the level of the Kurdistan region, Kanaani said it is part of the territory of Iraq and the Iraqi government is responsible for the security of the border lines shared by the two countries of Iran and Iraq: “We heard the news that the Iraqi government has decided to deploy its official forces on the borders of Iraqi Kurdistan. We hope that this deployment will take place. If the Iraqi government needs technical assistance in this regard, we are ready to help the Iraqi government.”
Regarding the nuclear deal, Kanaani said “The European governments that are part of the deal proved that they want to behave upon the US policies,” adding that “The Americans’ proposal implies that they don’t want to continue the negotiations, but at the same time they keep sending Iran messages.”
General Time opens the countdown for the Americans and the Israelis
The region is on the verge of major transformations in a rapidly changing world, and Palestine is the compas
Solidarity with Iran / the events of the hour in an interview with Brigadier General Dr. Amin Hoteit and the leader, Ihsan Ataya, via the Twitter platform
Have the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran begun to regain the initiative in the “combined war” that was imposed on them? What is the horizon for the next stage in dealing with the emerging internal-external challenge?
When Leader of the Islamic Revolution His Eminence Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei indicated in a speech to a gathering of school students earlier this month that the enemy had a “plan” behind igniting the “combined war” currently targeting Iran, His Eminence was recalling the information contained in a joint statement of the Ministry of Intelligence and the Revolutionary Guards on October 28. The statement included data, most notably:
The involvement of the CIA and the British, “Israeli” and Saudi intelligence in the disturbances within the “plan to destroy Iran”. The planning and practical implementation of the bulk of the riots was carried out by the Mossad.
Smuggling military and espionage equipment for subversive networks into Iran.
The CIA organized training courses for some of its Iranian agents, including “N.H.” who took the first photo of the late Mahsa Amini while she was in the hospital.
Setting American institutes for riots several months before they occurred, as they ordered their agents to abuse sanctities, burn the Holy Quran and mosques, and target security forces and clerics.
The decline of “protests” and the progress of assassinations
About two months after the outbreak of the protests, it can be said that their course is taking a downward turn based on several indicators. The first chapter of it, which is to stir people up and push them to the street, has exhausted its energy, even if it has not completely ended yet. Now it is mainly dependent on armed groups carrying out assassination attacks against security personnel. Over the past few days, these groups carried out attacks that led to the killing of security officers who were working to control the situation and interview some people on the street [in Mashhad, Isfahan, Kurdistan, Khuzestan, and Baluchistan]. It seems that the aim of these attacks is to escalate the situation again in the street by provoking the security forces to draw them into a reaction that sheds more blood.
The shootings took place in provinces where the activities of separatist armed groups are concentrated, such as Khuzestan, Baluchistan, Kurdistan and West Azerbaijan, and incidents took place in other regions [Isfahan, Tehran, Mashhad] to give the impression that all of Iran is a hotspot. However, the movements remain limited in comparison to the vastness of Iran, and the number of participants in each movement in the street is in the hundreds at best.
In a preliminary reading, it appears that the security services are acting according to a plan that takes into account the following objectives:
Luring: Detecting riot groups and their organizers by giving them an opportunity to go out in public, as what happened in the past weeks, when a large number of people were arrested based on what was captured from cameras, drones and information of informants on the ground.
Gaining public opinion: To allow people who were affected by the demands raised by the rioters to see the truth about these people through their practices and to reveal the fall of a large number of security personnel during the protests at the hands of armed and rioting groups. It is worth noting here that the climate in which these disturbances were born affected some of the political elites in the country who did not take a position on what was happening, which the Iranian president referred to as “a clouding of the minds of the elite”. This reveals a loophole similar to what happened in Lebanon after October 17, 2019, where some figured had been affected by the propaganda atmosphere on social media and foreign media. This imposes a tax on solution that has a greater political and security cost.
Reducing casualties among people during security measures on the ground to prevent the enemy from benefiting from any mistakes that might contribute to the siding of bewildered Iranians to the rioters against public order. This may lead to losses and sacrifices among the officers of the security forces, but this price remains small given the goal of not harming the largest number of people.
The Iranian security services were able to defuse the tension in some areas after opening dialogues with many social elites, as many people who were concerned about the safety of their regions and countries confirmed that the issue was not related to specific demands, but rather to dragging the country into an open confrontation with dangerous consequences.
In parallel, the security services are carrying out local operations to dismantle many cells responsible for killing people and security personnel and arresting their members, which is expected to lead to the dispersion of these groups and the scattering of their efforts and ability to communicate. And the security services show that they have accurate information about the people involved, based on technical tracking and relying on surveillance cameras and drones that play a role in monitoring movements on the ground.
In his speech to a delegation from the people of Isfahan a couple of days ago, Imam Khamenei drew attention to two points: the first is reassuring, in which he said that the current events will be accommodated and that “rioters and those behind them are too despicable to be able to harm the regime”. The second is that the people respond to these practices with greater awareness through massive participation in the funeral ceremonies of security personnel who are killed by the enemy. This last observation was tested and seen clearly in the funerals of martyrs who died in different provinces, and this would “turn the threat into an opportunity” to mobilize the people in the face of the enemy’s plans.
Direct US Intervention
Also, within the combined war, there are direct interventions led by the United States to add fuel to the fire and encourage the continuation of the unrest through:
Statements by American and European political leaders criticizing what they call “violations against protesters in Iran”, in an unbalanced view that reflects a strategy pursued to undermine the Islamic Republic’s government.
The mobilization of the media and the use of the capabilities of social media platforms in order to undermine Islamic values and transform the current problem into a position on the Islamic identity of Iranian society [the hijab, turban, flag of the Islamic Republic, pictures of martyrs, various religious symbols]. This malicious endeavor is being carried out by some idiots who see the West as their reference, and not the broad masses of the Iranian people who are proud of their religious values.
Imposing commercial sanctions on Iranian companies and others on Iranian media personalities, particularly on state television, which broadcasts video clips of confessions of those arrested in the assassination crimes.
Pressure through the United Nations General Assembly, where Western countries pushed for a session that voted to condemn Iran regarding alleged “violations” of human rights, noting that the number of countries that supported the resolution [78 votes] represents less than half of the number of countries that participated in the session [178 countries], where the rest preferred to abstain [69 countries], and a smaller number dared to refuse to condemn [31 countries]. This comes at a time when the US State Department exempted the Saudi Crown Prince from prosecution in a case brought before US courts in the case of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in exchange for US commercial interests.
Pressure through the United Nations Human Rights Council as well, as it will meet within days to vote on a project directed against Iran, after it was prepared in a text proposed by Western countries.
Pressure in the United Nations Women’s Committee “to get Iran out of the committee,” as US Vice President Kamala Harris pledged.
Pressure through the International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA] by holding a meeting condemning Iran for “not cooperating with the agency in the investigation of uranium enrichment activities”, without regard to the steps presented by Tehran in this context, including the signing of the Additional Cooperation Protocol. Washington hopes, in coordination with its partners, to bring Iran’s file to the Security Council, claiming that it poses a threat to international peace and security. This claim is not approved by several countries, including Russia and China, which indicates that the ultimate US goal is to defame Iran and harm its reputation and credibility in international forums, in preparation for its isolation, to prevent it from achieving great gains in the event that an agreement regarding the nuclear file was reached later.
Thus, the US administration proves that it uses the United Nations with all its bodies to implement its own agenda aimed at subjugating Iran and achieving what it failed to achieve in the Vienna meetings. It is concretely confirmed that the Biden and Trump administrations are two sides of the same coin, as the current administration completes the investment in what its predecessor began in terms of the strict blockade against the Islamic Republic.
There remains a final sign: Iranian media reported that Iran had informed Qatar that it would not respond during the period of the World Cup hosted by Doha to external parties that planned and organized interference in its internal affairs, in response to Qatar’s positive position of not cooperating with the efforts aimed at preventing the participation of Iran’s national team in the event. And if this is true – and it appears that it is according to some evidence – then this means that the authorities of the Islamic Republic will take advantage of the period of the Qatar World Cup in order to rearrange the internal security situation, after which it will devote itself to dealing with the sources of the external threat.
The civil unrest in Iran in response to the recent death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while she was waiting at a Tehran police station, although rooted in legitimate grievances, also bears the hallmark of a western-sponsored covert war, covering multiple fronts.
Mere days after the protests erupted on 16 September, the Washington Postrevealed that the Pentagon had initiated a wide-ranging audit of all its online psyops efforts, after a number of bot and troll accounts operated by its Central Command (CENTCOM) division – which covers all US military actions in West Asia, North Africa and South and Central Asia – were exposed, and subsequently banned by major social networks and online spaces.
The accounts were busted in a joint investigation carried out by social media research firm Graphika, and the Stanford Internet Observatory, which evaluated “five years of pro-Western covert influence operations.”
Published in late August, it attracted minimal English-language press coverage at the time, but evidently was noticed, raising concerns at the highest levels of the US government, prompting the audit.
While the Washington Post ludicrously suggested the government’s umbrage stemmed from CENTCOM’s egregious, manipulative activities which could compromise US “values” and its “moral high ground,” it is abundantly clear that the real problem was CENTCOM being exposed.
#OpIran
CENTCOM’s geographical purview includes Iran, and given the Islamic Republic’s longstanding status as a key US enemy state, it’s perhaps unsurprising that a significant proportion of the unit’s online disinformation and psychological warfare efforts were directed there.
A key strategy employed by US military psyops specialists is the creation of multiple sham media outlets publishing content in Farsi. Numerous online channels were maintained for these platforms, spanning Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and even Telegram.
In some cases too, fake journalists and pundits, with numerous “followers” on those platforms emerged, along with profile photos created via artificial intelligence.
For example, Fahim News claimed to provide “accurate news and information” on events in Iran, prominently publishing posts declaring “the regime uses all of its efforts to censor and filter the internet,” and encouraging readers to stick to online sources as a result.
Meanwhile, Dariche News claimed to be an “independent website unaffiliated with any group or organization,” committed to providing “uncensored and unbiased news” to Iranians within and without the country, in particular information on “the destructive role of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in all the affairs and issues of Iran and the region.”
Their respective YouTube channels pumped out numerous short-form videos, presumably in the hope they would be mistaken for organic content, and go viral on other social networks. The researchers identified one instance in which media outlets elsewhere had embedded Dariche News content into articles.
An army of bots and trolls
Some of the fake news organizations published original material, but much of their output was recycled content from US government-funded propaganda outfits such as Radio Farda and Voice of America Farsi.
They also repurposed and shared articles from the British-based Iran International, which appears to receive arm’s length funding from Saudi Arabia, as did several fake personas attached to these outlets.
These personas frequently posted non-political content, including Iranian poetry and photos of Persian food, in order to increase their authenticity. They also engaged with real Iranians on Twitter, often joking with them about internet memes.
Pentagon bots and trolls used different narrative techniques and approaches in an attempt to influence perceptions and engender engagement. A handful promoted “hardliner” views, criticizing the Iranian government for insufficiently hawkish foreign policy while being excessively reformist and liberal domestically.
One such bogus user, a purported “political science expert,” accrued thousands of followers on Twitter and Telegram by posting content praising Shia Islam’s growing power in West Asia, while other “hardliner” accounts praised the late General Qassem Soleimani of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), slain in an illegal US drone strike in January 2020, as a martyr, and encouraged the wearing of hijabs.
The researchers state the purpose of these efforts was unclear, although an obvious explanation is the Pentagon sought to foster anti-government discontent among conservative Iranians, while creating lists of local “extremists” to monitor online.
Orchestrated opposition
Overwhelmingly though, Pentagon-linked accounts were viciously critical of the Iranian government, and the IRGC. Numerous Pentagon bots and trolls sought to blame food and medicine shortages on the latter, which was likened to ISIS, and posting videos of Iranians protesting and looting supermarkets captioned in Pashto, English, and Urdu.
More sober posts criticized Tehran for redistributing much-needed food to give to Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement, while others highlighted embarrassing incidents, such as a reported power outage that caused the country’s chess team to lose an international online tournament.
Furthermore, multiple fake users claimed to seek “justice for the victims of #Flight752”, referring to the Ukraine International Airlines flight accidentally shot down by the IRGC in January 2020.
Using hashtags such as #PS752 and #PS752justice hundreds of times, they blamed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei personally for the incident.
Following the outbreak of war in Ukraine in February, these accounts used Persian versions of widely-trending hashtags #No_To_Putin and #No_To_War – themselves overwhelmingly disseminated on Twitter by pro-Ukraine bot and troll accounts, according to separate research.
The users condemned Khamenei’s verbal support of Putin and accused Iran of supplying drones to Moscow, which it was claimed were used to kill civilians.
They also pushed the narrative that Iran’s collusion with Russia would result in adverse political and economic repercussions for Tehran, while making unflattering comparisons between Khamenei and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“One has sold Iran to Russia and ordered their peoples’ murder,” one account tweeted. “The other is wearing a combat uniform alongside his people and has stopped the colonization of Ukraine by Russia with all his might.”
Scattershot fury
There were also cloak-and-dagger initiatives intended to damage Iran’s standing in neighboring countries, and undermine its regional influence. Much of this work seems to have been concerned with spreading panic and alarm, and creating a hostile environment for Iranians abroad.
For instance, accounts targeting audiences in Afghanistan claimed that Quds Force personnel were infiltrating Kabul posing as journalists in order to crush opposition to the Taliban. They also published articles from a US military-linked website that claimed on the basis of zero evidence that the bodies of dead refugees who’d fled to Iran were being returned to their families back home with missing organs.
Yet another damaging false narrative perpetuated by this cluster in late 2021 and early 2022 was that the IRGC was forcing Afghan refugees to join militias fighting in Syria and Yemen, and that those who refused were being deported.
Iraq was a country of particular interest to the Pentagon’s cyber warriors, with memes widely shared throughout Baghdad and beyond depicting IRGC influence in the country as a destructive disease, and content claiming Iraqi militias, and elements of the government, were effective tools of Tehran, fighting to further Iran’s imperial designs over the wider West Asia.
Militias were also accused of killing Iraqis in rocket strikes, engineering droughts by damaging water supply infrastructure, smuggling weapons and fuel out of Iraq and into Syria, and fuelling the country’s crystal meth epidemic.
Another cluster of Pentagon accounts focused on Iran’s involvement in Yemen, publishing content on major social networks critical of the Ansarallah-led de-facto government in Sanaa, accusing it of deliberately blocking humanitarian aid deliveries, acting as an unquestioning proxy of Tehran and Hezbollah, and closing bookstores, radio stations, and other cultural institutions.
Several of their posts blamed Iran for the deaths of civilians via landmine, on the basis Tehran may have supplied them.
Laying the ground
Other CENTCOM psychological warfare (psywar) narratives have direct relevance to the protests that have engulfed Iran.
There was a particular focus among one group of bots and trolls on women’s rights. Dozens of posts compared Iranian women’s opportunities abroad with those in Iran – one meme on this theme contrasted photos of an astronaut with a victim of violent spousal abuse – while others promoted protests against the hijab.
Alleged government corruption and rising living costs were also recurrently emphasized, particularly in respect of food and medicine – production of which in Iran is controlled by the IRGC, a fact CENTCOM’s online operatives repeatedly drew attention to.
Women’s rights, corruption, and the cost of living – the latter of which directly results from suffocating US sanctions – are all key stated motivating factors for the protesters.
Despite the rioters’ widespread acts of violence and vandalism, targeted at civilians and authorities alike, such as the destruction of an ambulance ferrying police officers away from the scene of a riot, they also claim to be motivated by human rights concerns.
Establishment and fringe journalists and pundits have dismissed as conspiracy theories, any suggestions that protests in Iran and beyond are anything other than organic and grassroots in nature.
Yet, clear proof of foreign direction and sponsorship abounds, not least in the very public face of the anti-hijab movement, Masih Alinejad, who for many years has encouraged Iranian women to ceremonially burn their headscarves from the confines of an FBI safehouse in New York City, then publicizes the images online, which travel round the world and back via social media and mainstream news outlets.
A regime-change war by other means
Alinejad’s activities have generated a vast amount of fawning and credulous media coverage, without a single journalist or outlet questioning whether her prominent role in the supposedly grassroots, locally-initiated protest movement is affiliated with foreign hostile interference.
This is despite Alinejad posing for photos with former CIA director Mike Pompeo, and receiving a staggering $628,000 in US federal government contracts since 2015.
Much of these funds flowed from the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the US government agency that oversees propaganda platforms such as Radio Free Europe, and Voice of America, the latter of which has produced a Farsi-language show fronted by Alinejad for seven years.
These clusters of social media posts may appear innocuous and authentic in an age of click-bait and viral fake news, yet when aggregated and analysed, they form a potent and potentially dangerous weapon which it turns out is one of many in the Pentagon’s regime-change arsenal.
Israeli media reports that “the authorities in Iran have succeeded in damping down the protests,” and that “Washington’s efforts have not worked.”
A pro-Islamic revolution protest in Iran
Israeli media reported that “the authorities in Iran succeeded in damping down the wave of protests, as there is a very clear decline in their size and strength,” noting that “the US efforts have not worked.”
Earlier on Saturday, the Iranian Tasnim news agency reported that the protests in Iran went down by 90% all over the Islamic Republic by Friday night, attributing the decrease to pro-government protestors that took to the street in light of nationwide anti-government protests.
MidEast analyst for Channel 2 Ehud Yaari said, “Unfortunately, the authorities in Iran succeeded in quelling the wave of protests in Iranian cities, which included attacks against government centers and attacks with Molotov cocktails against the Basij forces who were dispersing the protests.”
“The Americans are making efforts to activate the internet, after the Iranian authorities imposed an internet blackout to disrupt social networks, but this did not help, and we see a very clear decline in the size and strength of the protests,” he added.
Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi stated on Friday that some social networking sites took an active role in directing the riots and igniting the fires, adding that many elements of the riots were the result of training received using these sites.
Vahidi then went on to announce that the ministry decided to put temporary restrictions on social networking sites to “maintain security and the safety of the people.”
Subsequently, the US Department of the Treasury issued a license expanding the provision of internet services to Iran despite the US sanctions on the country.
Tehran: Efforts to violate Iran’s sovereignty will not go unanswered
Commenting on the US measures, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said on Saturday, that the United States “has always sought to target Iran’s security and stability, but it has always failed to do so.”
“By reducing the severity of some sanctions related to communications, while maintaining its maximum pressure, the United States is seeking in a hypocritical manner to pass its anti-Iran goals,” he added, stressing that “the efforts to violate Iran’s sovereignty will not go unanswered.”
Mass protests took place in Tehran and Iranian cities, on Friday, raising slogans in support of the Islamic Republic and rejecting the riots that took advantage of the death of the young woman, Mahsa Amini. The protests resulted in deaths and injuries among the security forces and civilians.
Kanaani commented on the US and European interventions in the case of the Iranian young woman Mahsa Amini, tweeting, “With a despicable human rights record both at home & abroad, how does the US have the audacity to give itself higher moral ground to lecture the world?”
Iran witnessed demonstrations denouncing the death of the young woman, while the Director General of Forensic Medicine in Tehran Province said Wednesday that there were no traces of beating or wounds on the head and face of the late Iranian Mahsa Amini.
The Iranian police published CCTV footage documenting the last moments of Mahsa Amini at the police station. The Tehran police said the footage proved that the 22-year-old was not subjected to any violence or physical abuse.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution His Eminence Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei received on the eve of Sacred Defense Week, a number of the commanders and veterans from the Sacred Defense along with the families of martyrs in the Imam Khomeini Hussainiyah in Tehran.
Other Sacred Defense veterans who live in various parts of the country also joined this meeting via teleconferencing from centers in the various provinces.
Imam Khamenei said on Wednesday that the victory of the Islamic Revolution was not an impermanent political failure for the United States but a threat to the empire of the domineering system, stressing that “The Sacred Defense proved the fact that protecting the country and [achieving] deterrence can be achieved through resistance, not surrender.”
His Eminence underlined that the resistance raised the morale and self-confidence of the people and, at the same time, taught the enemy to reconsider its calculations and include the Iranian nation’s power and resistance.
“The military invasion against the country after the [Islamic] Revolution was not unexpected. It is true that Saddam launched the attack, but behind Saddam was global arrogance,” he said.
“The Sacred Defense is an exciting, eventful and fruitful juncture. The era of Sacred Defense is one of the events that have an effect on our yesterday, today and tomorrow,” he said. “Therefore, the veterans [of the war] should be given attention and respect.”
According to the Imam Khamenei, the Iranian nation had a new message for the world during the era of the Islamic Revolution and the imperialist countries did not want anyone to hear that message.
“They wanted to smother the voice of the Iranian nation in the throat,” he said. “They wanted to show that if anyone rises against the US, they will be suppressed.”
Imam Khamenei also said that the enemies were angry because of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which “was not in line with the policies of Western and Eastern powers.”
He recalled that all countries in that era were either pro-West or pro-East and no independent nation existed at the time.
“It was not at all tolerable for a country outside of this [bipolar] system to come and speak its mind. It was unbearable for them that a nation is not afraid of America,” the Leader of the Islamic Revolution went on to say.
Imam Khamenei also noted that the revolution brought about events in the world that “perhaps we were not aware of all of its dimensions at that time, but they knew what had happened.”
His Eminence further underlined that the great power of the Islamic Revolution, the leadership of the late Imam Khomeini, and the distinct characteristics of the Iranian nation turned the threat of war into an opportunity.
Another objective of the domineering system was to bring the Iranian nation to their knees, subvert the Islamic Republic, and change the fate of the Iranian nation, Imam Khamenei said, adding that their ultimate goal was to make the Iranian nation a lesson for other nations and destroy the resistance.
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China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian expressed on Thursday during a press conference his comments regarding the imposed US sanctions on a network of Chinese, Emirati, and other companies that are accused of helping to deliver and sell Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products to East Asia.
He said, “China has always been firmly opposed to illegal and unjustifiable unilateral sanctions and so-called long-arm jurisdiction by the US. We urge the US side to abandon the wrong practice of resorting to sanctions at every turn and contribute positively to negotiations on resuming compliance with the JCPOA.”
He added that “the international community, including China, has conducted normal cooperation with Iran within the framework of international law. This is reasonable and lawful without harm done to any third party, and deserves to be respected and protected.”
The reinstatement of US sanctions after Donald Trump’s 2018 withdrawal from the Vienna Nuclear Agreement plunged Iran into a very difficult economic situation (9.5% drop in GDP in 2019) and prompted it to get closer to China. Spectacularly, bilateral trade increased from $4 billion in 2003 to $51.8 billion in 2014, making Beijing Tehran’s leading economic partner (25% of total trade in 2019-2020).
This privileged relationship resulted in the signing, in March 2021, of a trade agreement of 400 billion dollars for a period of 25 years between the two countries, the strategic “Lion-Dragon deal.” This alliance was also militarily expressed through the sale of arms, as well as joint naval maneuvers alongside Russia. This new Sino-Iranian proximity is reshuffling the cards in the Middle East. It also weighs on Chinese relations with “Israel” with whom Beijing had heated its exchanges in recent years.
The Tel Aviv regime informed Washington that it was responsible for assassinating an Islamic Revolutionary Guard [IRG] Quds Force officer in Tehran on Sunday, The New York Times reported.
In a briefing with American officials, the ‘Israeli’ occupation entity confirmed reports that Colonel Hassan Sayyad Khodaei, who was shot dead in a vehicle, was deputy commander of the Quds Force’s Unit 840.
As per NYT, ‘Israeli’ officials claimed the officer was head of Unit 840’s Middle East operations, as well as in nations bordering Iran.
Assassins on a motorcycle shot and killed Khodaei in front of his home on Mojahedin Eslam Street in the capital city of Tehran, according to Iranian reports.
The IRG called the assassination a “criminal terrorist act of the counter-revolution and elements related to global arrogance,” a term often used to refer to the US and ‘Israel.’
Zionist Prime Minister Naftali Bennett confirmed on Wednesday reports that US President Joe Biden has informed him he will definitively not remove the IRG from the US’ list of foreign terrorist organizations [FTOs].
Biden reportedly told Bennett of his decision during a phone conversation between the two in April.
According to the report, Biden decided to pull the plug on the idea to remove the IRG’s Quds Force from the US’ terrorist blacklist after it was clear it would not be enough to force Iran to compromise in talks to revive the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA].
The Zionist military establishment was surprised by the leak. ‘Israel’ and the US have a close intelligence relationship; something like this should never have been publicized, ‘Israeli’ media noted.
As per the report, Zionist officials are awaiting an explanation from their American counterparts, as the leak caught the occupation entity by surprise and was expected to have come from a source in the US.
Security officials in the occupied territories reportedly fear the leak might lead to a more “substantial” targeting of ‘Israelis’ abroad as revenge for the killing.
Hezbollah’s leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah warned Israel in a speech on International Quds Day on 29 April 2022, that the Islamic Republic of Iran may strike back directly at the Tel Aviv regime from here on in retaliation for any attacks on Iranian forces in the region.
Seen as a symbol of resistance and anti-imperialism to many in the Arab and Islamic world, Hezbollah is simultaneously listed as a terrorist organisation by a number of Western states, including the U.S., the UK, Canada and Australia.
Date: May 1, 2022
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Source: Spot Shot Video (YouTube)
Transcript:
Hezbollah’s Secretary General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah:
The biggest response to the treacherous normalization meeting in the Negev was those operations that took place in Tel Aviv and Occupied Palestine. (They formed) a harsh, decisive, and firm answer. The message these operations are delivering to the Zionists is: ‘your normalization with these Arab states won’t protect you’, and this message says to the Arab states as well: ‘your relations with Israel won’t protect you’.
I wish to tell you a piece of information, (it is also directed) to the media, after the Zionists, the Mossad, attacked the Islamic Republic (of Iran) from (the) Erbil (base) in Iraq, and the Islamic Republic struck the Mossad (base in) Erbil with 12 Fateh-110 missiles – the missile strikes that accurately struck their targets – Iran sent a clear and public message, and I want to add a non-public message to that public message. I learned that the Islamic Republic notified regional states that have normalized (relations) and established ties with Israel, (ties) which may (may entail the) building (of military) bases for Israel on their territories, that any aggression against Iran from these states will be responded to (by striking) the Israeli base(s) in these countries, regardless of the country from which the aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran was launched from.
The normalizing states have received this message, and so did the temporary Israeli entity, and we are making progress on another matter, which I wish to inform you of too, (and that is that) the Islamic Republic’s field and military stance is now advancing to the extent that, in case of the continuation of Israeli aggression against the Iranian presence in the (West Asia) region, it may strike Israel directly. This position is evolving, its preconditions are developing, and the issue depends on Israeli behaviour, and (the extent of) Israeli foolishness and Israeli stupidity. Officials in the Islamic Republic said: ‘The era in which we bring (back) our martyrs (to the homeland) and hold funeral ceremonies for them is over. (Today) we will avenge our martyrs’. This is a significant development.
Here I should also talk about a point that has to do with Lebanon in relation to the Israeli issue. In May last year, they wanted to conduct major (military) exercises at the level of the entire (Israeli) entity, and we warned (them) then. Today, I wish to reiterate. In May, which happens to be the month in which the (parliamentary) elections (in Lebanon) are taking place, perhaps on the first days or first week of May – they haven’t announced an official date yet – major exercises will take place in the (Israeli) enemy’s entity. Last time, they cancelled it because of The Sword of al-Quds battle and the Palestinian victory (back then). This year, it seems that they are willing to conduct these exercises, in which the navy, air force, ground forces, security bodies, internal front and reserve forces will take part, and it is (planned) to continue for a month. It’ll be a month of (continual) exercises. I wish to say to the Zionists today, that first, this matter does not frighten us, yet it calls us to be careful. We must always consider, in a time of exercises of this kind, and a high Zionist readiness of this kind, that the Israelis might commit a certain act of foolishness, (like) striking a target, assassinating a (certain) figure, bombarding (targets), we can’t know for sure what they might do. They would suppose that as we know Israel is in a state of readiness and (conducting) major exercises, we would recede, be scared, and retreat.
I say to the enemy: first, we are waiting for your exercises – and here the Lebanese people will be surprised, in the past few weeks, while our electoral machines were running, our jihadi troops were conducting silent exercises, and many people might not have noticed that. Exercises (were conducted) for all scenarios, theories, and weaponry which we possess. And I announce today, when Israeli exercises begin, whether they start before the elections or after – (and this is for everyone to hear) so that no one gets surprised – but of course no one will see anything with their own eyes, and this is one of the characteristics of the (Islamic) resistance in Lebanon, when the Israeli exercises start, we, the (Islamic) resistance in Lebanon, will be at the highest level of alertness and readiness. The brothers (in Hezbollah) are informed of this situation and they’re carrying out (the required) preparations, so that we don’t end up taken off guard. I also say to the Israeli enemy: do not bet on a (state of) exhaustion or weariness in a place or another (in Lebanon), hunger or poverty here, or fear or hesitation there. Any mistake – any mistake, any foolish act, any act of aggression, (be it) small or big, that the Israeli enemy might do, will be met by an instant and direct response, and you (Israelis) will not hear (the statement of) ‘we (Hezbollah) reserve right to respond at the appropriate time and place’. These major exercises of yours do not frighten us, and it will not prevent us from establishing the (regional) deterrence equations that have protected (the peace and sovereignty) of Lebanon to date. Do not presume that we are now preoccupied with the elections. The elections won’t distract us from (military) readiness, nor will they distract us from responding to aggressions and protecting our country, which is the original and main goal (of ours).
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah on Friday warned the Zionist entity against targeting Al-Quds, stressing that the demise of the Palestinian capital means the demise of ‘Israel’.
In a lengthy speech on the occasion of International Al-Quds Day, Sayyed Nasrallah delivered several messages to the Israeli enemy, its backers and inferiors in the region.
His eminence stressed that the Resistance is making head against Israeli enemy despite all means of pressures adopted by the occupation and its backers.
Sayyed Nasrallah underlined that the formula that relates between Al-Quds and Gaza is still persistent, warning the Israeli enemy of the status of the Palestinian capital according to powers in the Axis of Resistance.
In this context, he urged countries and armies of the region to deliver a message to the Israeli occupation that says that the demise of Al-Quds means the demise of ‘Israel’, hinting out that any aggression on Al-Quds could lead to a regional war with Axis of Resistance.
Commenting on Israeli threats regarding the upcoming drills, Sayyed Nasrallah revealed that the Lebanese Resistance group has staged a ‘silent’ military drills in the last weeks, warning the Israeli enemy against attacking Hezbollah.
“Any folly by the Israeli enemy will be met by harsh response in a flash. This means that Israeli officials in such attack will not hear the statement: ‘Hezbollah reserves right to respond in the appropriate time and place’… We will retaliate at once.”
Al-Quds in the Conscience of the Muslim Nation
At the beginning of his speech, Sayyed Nasrallah saluted dozens of thousands of Palestinians who performed prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan.
He also saluted those who have been barricaded at the holy site in the latest weeks to defend it against Israeli attempts to desecrate it. His eminence, meanwhile, hailed the mass rallies which took place in about 90 countries across the world, especially those held in Iran and Yemen.
Talking more about the occasion, Sayyed Nasrallah said that the founder and the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic Imam Ruhollah Mousavi Khomeini wanted through designation the last Friday in Ramadan moth as International Al-Quds Day to “keep Al-Quds in the conscience of this nation.”
Israeli Schemes of Forgetting, Despair and Exhausting
He noted that the Israeli enemy and their backers adopted three paths in dealing with Palestine and the Muslim nation: forcing the Muslims to forget Palestine and Al-Quds, despairing Palestinian people and exhausting Palestinians as well as countries in the region.
In this context, Sayyed Nasrallah said that the first path has been foiled, stressing that “the Israeli occupation failed to take the Palestinian cause off the nation’s top priorities.”
He noted that normalization deals between some Arab countries, which are aimed at despairing Palestinian people has also failed.
“The aim of normalization deals was to tell the Palestinians that there is no hope and that they have to surrender. However, this path has also failed.”
“The heroic operations in occupied territories as well as firing rockets and the confrontations in Jenin… All these indicate that Palestinian people believe in victory.”
“The third path is the exhausting one. And it’s aimed against Palestinians and all people in the Axis of Resistance. This path includes all forms of pressures against our people and the Resistance groups, like sanctions, financial pressures and terror lists.”
His eminence stressed here that despite sufferings, this path has failed and that Palestine and Al-Quds is still one of this nation’s top priorities.
Axis of Resistance Making Head
Sayyed Nasrallah affirmed that Palestine and Al-Quds “are part of our religion, ideology and dignity which we will never abandon.”
He noted that Axis of Resistance has not relied on the political stance, but went for the military confrontation, underlining the importance of such option.
“Military confrontation proved ability to achieve victories and this path should continue. Military confrontation tops acts of resistance against Zionist entity throughout long years of Jihad. Military confrontation has proved that ‘Israel’ could be conquered and that this entity is not a destiny.”
Sayyed Nasrallah then talked about achievements secured by the Axis of Resistance in the latest months, noting that the “Int’l Al-Quds Day comes this year as the resistance against occupation is making head.”
He hailed the individual operations taking place in Palestine in the latest weeks, calling for offering all forms of support to Palestinian people.
“Individual operations carried out by Palestinians against Israeli occupation in the latest weeks are game-changing acts of resistance. They Palestinian individual operations revealed the Israeli occupation’s vulnerability.”
He said that the individual operations toppled the Israeli formula which is based on occupation and security, noting that the Zionist entity “can’t survive without security” and that this is one of the most achievements secured by this kind of operations.
The Hezbollah S.G. also pointed to the Al-Quds-Gaza formula established by Palestinian Resistance following Sword of Al-Quds Op. in 2021, stressing that such formula is still persistent.
Then, he highlighted the unwavering commitment by Axis of Resistance powers towards Al-Quds.
‘We reiterate the regional formula which stipulates the solid relation between the Axis of Resistance and Al-Quds.”
In this context, he called on some Arab countries, which have relations with the Zionist entity, to deliver a message to the Israeli occupation that reads: Demise of Al-Quds means demise of ‘Israel’.”
“The future of Axis of Resistance is hope while the fate of the enemy is defeat.”
Attack on Iran and Israeli Drills
Sayyed Nasrallah then cited when the Zionist entity attacked Iran from Erbil last month.
“Iran retaliated by firing 12 missiles on Israeli Mossad facility in Erbil. Tehran at time delivered a message to regional countries which established ties with Zionist entity that any attack on the Islamic Republic through their soils will be met by harsh response.”
His eminence then tackled the upcoming Israeli drills in the Zionist entity next May. He revealed that the Hezbollah holds ‘silent’ drills frequently, stressing that the Lebanese Resistance movement is fully ready to confront any potential Israeli aggression.
“Any Israeli folly will be met by harsh response. In such case you (Israelis) will not hear ‘we reserve right to respond in the appropriate time and place’. We will retaliate at once.”
An Islamic Revolutionary Guard [IRG] general is said to have survived a deadly attack that caused the martyrdom of a bodyguard, according to a report on Iranian state TV Saturday.
Brigadier General Hossein Almassi, a Guards commander in the restive Sistan-Baluchistan province, was traveling in a vehicle near a checkpoint in the provincial capital Zahedan when it came under fire by gunmen, Reuters reported Saturday, citing Iranian TV.
The general sustained no injuries, the report said.
The bodyguard who was slain was identified as Mahmoud Absalom, the son of a senior IRG commander in the region, according to a report by the Islamic Republic News Agency [IRNA].
Authorities have arrested some suspects but did not identify them, the report added.
Sistan-Baluchistan is the site of occasional clashes between Iranian forces and various militant groups.
The province, bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan, is a base for a Sunni separatist group affiliated with al-Qaida and known as Jeish al-Adl, or Army of Justice.
Iranian security forces have also clashed with drug traffickers in the province, located along a major smuggling route for Afghan opium and heroin.
Iranian President Sayyed Ebrahim Raisi highlighted the sacrifices and defiance of the Iranian Army personnel, praising the most important feature of the Iranian Army, which is the association with the people and defending the principles and values of the Islamic Revolution.
Raisi made the remarks during the parade that was held to celebrate the National Army Day in the capital Tehran on Monday morning.
During the event, which was held in front of Imam Khomeini’s mausoleum, the Iranian president assured the friends and warned the enemies, advising ‘Israel’, which seeks to normalize ties with the regional countries, to learn that any practice against the Islamic Republic of Iran will be answered in the heart of the Zionist entity.
“The Army’s association with the people, and defending the principles and values of the Islamic Revolution are among the most prominent features that characterize the Iranian Army,” Raisi said, praising different brilliant figures that proved they are faithful and daring against the enemy, whom history will remember.
The Iranian president further referred to the cooperation between the Army and the Islamic Revolution Guard [IRG] as exemplary, underscoring that the Iranian Armed Forces have proved their efficiency: “Our Armed Forces, after the imposed war, started restoring their groups, and our military capabilities have been witnessed by the entire world. Iran’s military industries today are at their best.”
Raisi then highlighted the Army’s support of the people in all situations: “Our Army supported the people in all national disasters, and turned to be a well-equipped force that is ready to defend the country as well as the sacred regime in the Islamic Iran.”
With respect to the Army’s readiness, Raisi explained that “For friends it is a message of hope and for enemies, they have to learn that our Armed Forces are deterring and that the enemy will be answered in case of any practice against our people.”
“Our message to the occupation is that it must know that our intelligence forces are monitoring all of its malpractices against the Iranian people.”
Raisi further assured all the vulnerable people of the world by telling them that the Iranian might’s message is that our power represents a hope for them.
A senior advisor to Leader of the Islamic Revolution His Eminence Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei lauded the recent achievements of Palestinian resistance groups, emphasizing Iran’s support for the people of Palestine.
Ali Akbar Velayati made the remarks in a Sunday phone call with Ismail Haniya, who heads the political office of the Gaza-based Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas.
“We follow your great victories and achievements and what you do is a cause of honor for the [anti-‘Israel’] resistance [front],” Velayati told Haniya.
He added, “You are a role model for the Muslim world.”
Haniya, for his part, said Iran was a strategic support base for the people of Palestine and the resistance.
“Our people and resistance are in good shape and we will continue to defend al-Aqsa [Mosque],” the Hamas official said.
The phone call came amid the escalation of violent Zionist attacks against the Palestinian people and holy sites across the occupied territories, especially al-Aqsa Mosque in the East al-Quds.
Since the beginning of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, the occupied West Bank has witnessed an escalation of ‘Israeli’ violence, with over two dozen Palestinians having been martyred and many more injured at the hands of the regime’s troops.
The uptick in the ‘Israeli’ killing and repression of Palestinians has been green-lit by Zionist Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who granted full freedom of action to ‘Israeli’ occupation forces earlier this month to intensify their brutal raids against Palestinians.
In the latest act of provocation against the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the occupied Old City of al-Quds, at least 19 Palestinians were injured in confrontations on Sunday as Zionist settlers stormed the sacred site under the protection of ‘Israeli’ occupation military forces.
خلال شهرين ماضيين وصلت مفاوضات فيينا حول الاتفاق النووي مع إيران الى نقطة شبه نهائيّة ما قبل التوقيع، وبدا أن الأمور في دائرة تحديد موعد لإقفال هذا الملف، والمعادلة التي تجعل الاتفاق حتمياً تركزت على نقطتين، الأولى أن كل الرهانات على وسائل أخرى غير الاتفاق لمنع تقدّم إيران نووياً نحو عتبة حرجة تتمثل بامتلاك ما يكفي من اليورانيوم المخصب على درجة عالية لإنتاج قنبلة نووية، وصلت الى طريق مسدود. فهذه الطرق رغم فاعليتها في إزعاج إيران بقيت دون القدرة على إعاقة إيران فعلياً عن التقدم الثابت نحو هذه العتبة الحرجة، وفقاً للوثائق الأميركية والإسرائيلية، والثانية أن الزمن يعمل لصالح إيران التي تتقدّم بثبات نحو هذه العتبة، ولا بدّ من دفع ثمن يستطيع إقناعها بالتوقف والعودة إلى التزاماتها بموجب الاتفاق، وهي التزامات تتكفل وفقاً لإجماع الأميركيين على جعل إيران بعيدة مدة سنة على الأقل عن هذه العتبة، من تاريخ خروجها من هذه الالتزامات.
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ضبط الأميركيون مواقف حلفائهم، وخصوصاً السعودي والإسرائيلي، لجهة التسليم باستحالة فرض ملفات تفاوضية على إيران، تدمج بالملف النووي، كملف سلاحها الصاروخي أو ملف تحالفاتها في المنطقة مع قوى المقاومة، ويدرك حلفاء واشنطن أن غضبهم لن يقدّم ولن يؤخر، لأنهم لم يستطيعوا تقديم بدائل لواشنطن عن العودة للاتفاق، وقد منحتهم الفرص الكثيرة لإثبات العكس، من حرب اليمن الى اطلاق اليد للعبث الأمني في الداخل الإيراني، إلى الضغط في لبنان، ومعركة بين حربين في سورية، واللعب بالتوازنات السياسية في العراق، فتحققت نتائج تكتيكية على حساب محور المقاومة في بعض الملفات، وأصيبت خطط أخرى بالفشل، لكن الناتج الإجمالي بقي على قاعدة أن محور المقاومة إلى صعود وخصومه إلى تراجع، وأن إيران تثبت صمودها، وتتقدّم في ملفها النووي.
– مع بداية حرب أوكرانيا وتحوّلها حرباً روسية أميركية، ظهر التداخل بينها وبين مفاوضات فيينا من زاويتين، روسية وأميركية. الزاوية الروسية ظهرت بشرط موسكو للمضي قدماً بمسار فيينا بتلقيها ضمانات أميركية خطية حول عدم شمول تعاملاتها مع إيران بالعقوبات التي فرضت عليها إثر حرب أوكرانيا، ونجح التفاهم الروسي الإيراني بتفكيك هذه العقبة ومنع الأميركيين من استغلالها لتعطيل المسار. أما الزاوية الأميركية فقد كانت مزدوجة ومتعاكسة، فمن جهة دفعت الحاجة لمواجهة أزمة النفط والغاز الناجمة عن العقوبات على روسيا بالأوساط الأميركية المعنية بمعالجة هذه الأزمة الى الضغط لتسريع التفاهم مع إيران بصفتها منتجاً مهماً يمكن لعودته الى السوق ان تخفف من وطأة الأزمة، ومن جهة مقابلة أظهر التيار المتشدد في الإدارة والكونغرس مخاوفه من أن يكون المشهد الدولي والإقليمي ذاهباً لمواجهة تصطف فيها إيران وروسيا والصين في جبهة واحدة بوجه الغرب بقيادة أميركا، ما يطرح السؤال عن جدوى تزويد إيران بمقدرات مالية سرعان ما سيتم الزج بها في هذه المواجهة، كما تقول تجربة الحرب على سورية، عندما وظفت إيران عائدات الاتفاق النووي عام 2015 للمضي قدماً في الحسم في معركة حلب بالتعاون مع روسيا، التي جاءت الى سورية بالتوافق مع إيران، على أولوية هذه المعركة على مستقبل الاتفاق مع واشنطن.
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خلال أسابيع معارك أوكرانيا تراجع العامل النفطي الضاغط، ليس لعدم أهميته، بل لأن أهميته الشديدة أتاحت لإيران العودة الى الأسواق كما كانت قبل الانسحاب الأميركي من الاتفاق النووي والعودة للعقوبات، بمعدل يقارب عتبة الـ 4 ملايين برميل يومياً، ولم تعد العودة للاتفاق النووي شرطاً ضرورياً لانضمام إيران إلى أسواق النفط والغاز، وخلال هذه الأسابيع أعدت مسودة للاتفاق في فيينا، وبقي بند أساسي واحد عالق عنوانه رفع العقوبات عن الحرس الثوري، والضغط السياسي والإعلامي في الداخل الأميركي يرتفع للتشدد في هذا البند الذي بات خطاً أحمر لإيران، بحيث عادت الأصوات المشككة بإمكانية السير نحو العودة للاتفاق.
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في إيران هناك أصوات فاعلة ومقررة تقول إن زمن التريث انتهى، وإن مهلة كافية للتفاوض قد منحت، وإن إيران التي تقاتل ضمن جبهة تفكيك الهيمنة الأميركية معنية بالانخراط في هذه الجبهة بقوة، وإن إيران لم تعد تحتاج الاتفاق للعودة إلى أسواق النفط والغاز، ولذلك يجب العودة إلى رفع نسب التخصيب إلى 90%، وإن على واشنطن أن تأكل أصابعها ندماً على الفرصة الضائعة!
Milley’s personal opinion is to keep, particularly, Iran’s Quds Force on the terror list.
By Al Mayadeen Net
Pentagon general deplores removing IRGC Quds Force off terror list
The Pentagon’s top general, Mark Milley, vocalized that he was against the delisting of the IRGC as a “terrorist organization”.
“In my personal opinion, I believe the IRGC Quds Force to be a terrorist organization, and I do not support them being delisted from the foreign terrorist organization list,” said Milley in a congressional hearing.
What was noticeable is Milley’s particular singling out of the IRGC Quds Force – whose former commander was assassinated martyr, Qassem Soleimani – at a time when Washington contemplates removing the IRGC off the terror list altogether.
Removing the IRGC off the US terror list, to Tehran, is a main condition for the restoration of the 2015 nuclear deal, which was obstructed by former US President Donald Trump in 2018. Trump designated the IRGC as a Foreign Terrorist Organization after withdrawing from the deal.
Israelis panic
While Washington discusses removing the IRGC from the terror list, “Israel” tries everything to obstruct the decision.
Israel Hayom expects that “Israel” will continue to make strong statements against the Biden administration’s intent to remove the IRGC from its terror list, saying that even if this leads to foiling the deal in Congress, “Israel” will continue to publicly oppose the nuclear deal.
It noted that it is expected that the Israeli opposition will make it harder for the deal to be approved in Congress, and that “Israel’s” political leadership believes removing the IRGC from the list is “unethical”, and that it jeopardizes the lives of Israelis and others.
The US administration is currently considering the removal of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps from its terror blacklist in exchange for a commitment from Iran to “de-escalate” in the region, according to Axios.
One of the remaining points in the Vienna Talks is the removal of IRGC’s designation as a terror group. The terror designation means that criminal penalties would be imposed on anyone doing business with any individual or entity connected to the IRGC.
Furthermore, Israeli media reported a source close to the US administration as saying that “Former President Donald Trump’s decision in 2019 to put Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) on the list was a dangerous and short-sighted move.”
The same source added that the move prioritized rhetoric over the security of the US and its partnership, stressing that including the IRGC on the list had increased Iran’s hostility.
In the same context, the Israeli Channel KAN reported that “the Gulf countries have called on the White House not to remove the IRGC from the list.
On his account, Channel 12‘s political analyst Amit Segal affirmed that “Israel” is not alone in calling on Biden to refrain from removing IRGC from the terrorist list.”
Last Sunday, Israeli PM Naftali Bennett expressed hope that the decision will not go through.
“We are still hoping and working toward preventing this from happening,” he said.
Much has been said and written about media bias and double standards in the West’s response to the Russia-Ukraine war, when compared with other wars and military conflicts across the world, especially in the Middle East and the Global South. Less obvious is how such hypocrisy is a reflection of a much larger phenomenon which governs the West’s relationship to war and conflict zones.
Like every NATO-led war since the inception of the alliance in 1949, these wars resulted in widespread devastation and tragic death tolls.
On March 19, Iraq commemorated the 19th anniversary of the US invasion which killed, according to modest estimates, over a million Iraqis. The consequences of that war were equally devastating as it destabilized the entire Middle East region, leading to various civil and proxy wars. The Arab world is reeling under that horrific experience to this day.
Also, on March 19, the eleventh anniversary of the NATO war on Libya was commemorated and followed, five days later, by the 23rd anniversary of the NATO war on Yugoslavia. Like every NATO-led war since the inception of the alliance in 1949, these wars resulted in widespread devastation and tragic death tolls.
None of these wars, starting with the NATO intervention in the Korean Peninsula in 1950, have stabilized any of the warring regions. Iraq is still as vulnerable to terrorism and outside military interventions and, in many ways, remains an occupied country. Libya is divided among various warring camps, and a return to civil war remains a real possibility.
Yet, enthusiasm for war remains high, as if over seventy years of failed military interventions have not taught us any meaningful lessons. Daily, news headlines tell us that the US, the UK, Canada, Germany, Spain or some other western power have decided to ship a new kind of ‘lethal weapons‘ to Ukraine. Billions of dollars have already been allocated by Western countries to contribute to the war in Ukraine.
In contrast, very little has been done to offer platforms for diplomatic, non-violent solutions. A handful of countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia have offered mediation or insisted on a diplomatic solution to the war, arguing, as China’s foreign ministry reiterated on March 18, that “all sides need to jointly support Russia and Ukraine in having dialogue and negotiation that will produce results and lead to peace.”
Though the violation of the sovereignty of any country is illegal under international law, and is a stark violation of the United Nations Charter, this does not mean that the only solution to violence is counter-violence. This cannot be truer in the case of Russia and Ukraine, as a state of civil war has existed in Eastern Ukraine for eight years, harvesting thousands of lives and depriving whole communities from any sense of peace or security. NATO’s weapons cannot possibly address the root causes of this communal struggle. On the contrary, they can only fuel it further.
If more weapons were the answer, the conflict would have been resolved years ago. According to the BBC, the US has already allocated $2.7bn to Ukraine over the last eight years, long before the current war. This massive arsenal included “anti-tank and anti-armor weapons … US-made sniper (rifles), ammunition and accessories.”
The speed with which additional military aid has poured into Ukraine following the Russian military operations on February 24 is unprecedented in modern history. This raises not only political or legal questions, but moral questions as well – the eagerness to fund war and the lack of enthusiasm to help countries rebuild.
After 21 years of US war and invasion of Afghanistan, resulting in a humanitarian and refugee crisis, Kabul is now largely left on its own. Last September, the UN refugee agency warned that “a major humanitarian crisis is looming in Afghanistan”, yet nothing has been done to address this ‘looming’ crisis, which has greatly worsened since then.
The amassing of NATO weapons in Ukraine, as was the case of Libya, will likely backfire. In Libya, NATO’s weapons fueled the country’s decade long civil war.
Afghani refugees are rarely welcomed in Europe. The same is true for refugees coming from Iraq, Syria, Libya, Mali and other conflicts that directly or indirectly involved NATO. This hypocrisy is accentuated when we consider international initiatives that aim to support war refugees, or rebuild the economies of war-torn nations.
Compare the lack of enthusiasm in supporting war-torn nations with the West’s unparalleled euphoria in providing weapons to Ukraine. Sadly, it will not be long before the millions of Ukrainian refugees who have left their country in recent weeks become a burden on Europe, thus subjected to the same kind of mainstream criticism and far-right attacks.
While it is true that the West’s attitude towards Ukraine is different from its attitude towards victims of western interventions, one has to be careful before supposing that the ‘privileged’ Ukrainains will ultimately be better off than the victims of war throughout the Middle East. As the war drags on, Ukraine will continue to suffer, either the direct impact of the war or the collective trauma that will surely follow. The amassing of NATO weapons in Ukraine, as was the case of Libya, will likely backfire. In Libya, NATO’s weapons fueled the country’s decade long civil war.
Ukraine needs peace and security, not perpetual war that is designed to serve the strategic interests of certain countries or military alliances. Though military invasions must be wholly rejected, whether in Iraq or Ukraine, turning Ukraine into another convenient zone of perpetual geopolitical struggle between NATO and Russia is not the answer.
السياسة الخارجية الإيرانية ثابتة في مواقفها وجيدة مع دول الجوار لا سيما سورية، في ظلّ التوازنات المقبلة لقضايا المنطقة بالمجمل والتغيّرات الحاصلة نتيجة كسر العزلة العربية، فكيف إذا كانت العلاقة الوطيدة التاريخية بين طهران ودمشق، التي تتمحور حول التحركات الدبلوماسية اللافتة للأنظار، وتحديداً زيارة وزير الخارجية الإيراني حسين أمير عبد اللهيان إلى دمشق والتي لها وقع بارز في تحليل التوقيت من ناحية وما تحمله من إشارات ايجابية تقلق «إسرائيل».
لا بدّ من النظر إلى العلاقات الطويلة الأمد التاريخية البارزة، وإلى اللقاءات الرفيعة المستوى التي تربط سورية وإيران، من خلال الأهداف المشتركة والتضحيات والمصير الواحد التي تختصر بصدّ الهيمنة الأميركية «الإسرائيلية» ومرتزقاتها بافتعال مشروع الإرهاب وترميمه بين الحين والآخر، ترك أثراً طويلاً لدى الطرفين في دحر الإرهاب المتطرف، فكان لهذا التنسيق والتعاون الاستراتيجي نتيجة حتمية لوقع الظروف ونتاج محور قوي متماسك لا يمكن لأيّ كان إزالته وكسر جداره. وقد أكد وزير الخارجية السورية د. فيصل المقداد ذلك عندما قال بأنّ سورية حريصة على أن تسود أفضل العلاقات بين دول المنطقة بما في ذلك بين إيران والدول العربية وكان من الواضح انّ هذا الحرص لا يشاطره إياه بعض العرب، والمؤشرات على ذلك ما حدث في قمة شرم الشيخ التي جمعت الرئيس المصري ورئيس الوزراء «الإسرائيلي» وولي عهد أبو ظبي، أثار جدالات واسعة لدى البعض تتجه نحو استقطاب العلاقة السورية الإيرانية التي صدرت عن وسائل إعلام غربية تريد التشويش على هذه العلاقة، فكان الردّ بزيارة وزير الخارجية الإيراني إلى دمشق والذي أكد أيضاً على وقوف سورية وإيران في خندق واحد، فكان عامل التوقيت مهماً جدا على صعيد الحرب النفسية وما آلت إليه التحولات الدولية والاقليمية من صخب واسع النطاق بين أوساط تحليلية «إسرائيلية» وأميركية دائمة الترقب في الأجواء السياسية المنفتحة على سورية وتحديداً إيران، إذ أنّ خبراء ومعلقين تناولوا رواية التشكيك والتهويل في ذلك وسوّقت «إسرائيل» لنظرة الحسود اللئي،م إذ أنّ الكثيرين تحدث عن زيارة الرئيس الأسد إلى الإمارات، ومن بعدها قمة شرم الشيخ، وأخذ البعض يضرب بالمندل السياسي شرقاً وغرباً ينشر معلومات حول استقطاب سورية باتجاه ما أسماه البعض «الحضن العربي»، ولكن الحقيقة غير ذلك، وعلى خلفية اقتراب التوقيع النووي الإيراني مع واشنطن أتت زيارة وزير الخارجية الإيراني لإطلاع القيادة السورية على مجريات المفاوضات وآخر التطورات، فكانت الزيارة طبيعية من جهة ومن جهة أخرى توصل رسائل فحواها بأنّ ما يجمع بين طهران ودمشق أكبر بكثير مما تصوّره البعض، أيّ أنّ محوراً أو حلفاً كهذا القائم بين إيران وسورية واجه الضغوط الاقتصادية والسياسية وما أفرزته ضغوط الحرب على سورية، ترك بصمة وبعداً سياسياً تاريخياً يُحتذى به عالمياً، وأدى إلى طرف منتصر وآخر لا يزال يراهن على مسودات سياسية تالفة لا تصبّ في مصلحة أحد…
إذن أسباب الزيارة والتحركات الدبلوماسية المباشرة هي أنّ غالبية الأطراف راهنت على أمور معينة وخسرت، وعلى سبيل المثال تركيا في ما يتعلق بدعمها السياسي وغير السياسي لجماعات متطرفة لا يمكن أن تحقق ما كانت تصبو إليه، وبالتالي عادت إلى السياسات الواقعية حتى في موقعها بالحرب في أوكرانيا، وفي ما يتعلق بقضايا الأمة العربية كانت إيران حاضرة بقوة كدور هامّ وبارز في الإقليم ولا تزال تبحث عن معالجة الفجوات الموجودة التي قد ينفذ العدو منها لتغلق ثغرات الهواجس على أسس عدم التدخل في الشؤون الداخلية، وعلى جميع الدول وبالأخصّ السعودية أن تدرك ذلك الأمر من مبدأ احترام السيادة والاستقلال بعيداً عن التبعية…
وبالنسبة للمحاولات «الإسرائيلية» التي تحاول دقّ إسفين في العلاقة بين البلدين فهي فاشلة قولاً واحداً، كما فشلت حليفتها واشنطن، خاصة أنّ ما تريد تحقيقه ليس خافياً أبداً وقد توضح خلال وزير الحرب «الإسرائيلي» عندما قال: «لو انخرطت سورية في محور السلام مع «إسرائيل» لما شُنت عليها الحرب الكونية»! إذن… هذا الامتعاض هو عبارة عن قلق كبير ينتاب «إسرائيل» من هذه العلاقة السورية ـ الإيرانية، وعلى بعض الدول وليس فقط «إسرائيل» أن تفهم أنّ هذا الحلف مستعدّ للتضحية وتقديم المزيد في سبيل تعزيز الأمن والاستقرار، وفي ذات الوقت هي تريد أن تفتح الحوار والتعاون الجدي بهدف أن يكون الإقليم والدول العربية أكثر استقلالية، وكذا العلاقة الخليجية التي يسعى بعضها لفك الارتباط السوري ـ الإيراني كما تمّ تسريب معلومات عبر وسائل الاعلام، وعبّرت «إسرائيل» عن استيائها في تسريب معلومات تفيد بأنّ إيران كانت الحاضر الأكبر في النقاشات وخصوصاً في ظلّ اقتراب واشنطن وطهران من إعادة إحياء الاتفاق النووي، متجاهلة في محاولتها جمع حلف جديد هدفه الأساسي مواجهة إيران المنفتحة على المجتمع الدولي من أوسع بوابه، ليبقى السؤال المركزي هو هل «إسرائيل» ستنجح في تكوين حلف، أم ستفشل مثلما فشلت أميركا بكلّ ما أوتيت من إمكانات سياسية وعسكرية واقتصادية، وماذا عن إيران التي لم تتجاوز طاقة الحصار؟
“Oh, people of our Arab and Islamic nation everywhere, our people in Palestine will continue their valiant uprising and revolution despite hunger, torment, and siege. They will continue defending the nation’s last wall and waging the battle of the nation, the whole nation, in defense of its faith and its land, in defense of its freedom, uprising, and independence. So, do not abandon them, and let us all rise together instead of being killed one by one.”
These are the immortal words of the founder of the Islamic Jihad Movement Dr. Fathi Shaqaqi. These words are still applicable in the second millennium amid the ongoing struggle by the Palestinian people and the development of their resistance designed to bring out the demise of the “Israeli” occupation on all Palestinian soil.
As Land Day approaches and two months before the anniversary of the al-Quds Sword Battle, the Secretary General of the Islamic Jihad Ziad al-Nakhalah sat down with al-Ahed News. The comprehensive interview covers a range of issues including the state of the Palestinian resistance, the development of its capabilities, the escalation of individual operations inside the occupied land, the coordination with the axis of resistance, the normalization by Arab regimes, and a solid relationship with the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Al-Nakhalah stressed that “the stabbing operations and other individual operations are a manifestation of the Palestinian people’s resistance to the Zionist enemy, and they are an expression of the state of oppression that inhabits all of Palestine.” He explained that “such an action should push the resistance forces to better organize their ranks and get closer to the people who know, today more than ever, that if they do not fight today, they will be killed tomorrow.”
Al-Nakhalah told al-Ahed that “Land Day is a historic day in the life of the Palestinian people, and it is a true expression of our people’s will to uphold their rights. The fact that our people take to the streets on this day every year confirms that the flag of Palestine is carried by its people, generation after generation in Al-Quds, in the valiant West Bank, throughout the 1948 territories, in the Gaza Strip, and the Diaspora. Neither misinformation campaigns nor defeats around them were able to defeat their awareness and will, and we will remain on this path, God willing, resisting, and steadfast until we topple the banners of the enemy.”
Touching on the normalization of ties between some Arab states and “Israel” and the state of some regimes, al-Nakhalah pointed out that “the mind is unable to explain the state of collapse of the Arab system as a whole in front of the Zionist project, and they see that our besieged people can resist and fight, and with all humiliation, they go in the other direction and ally themselves with the enemy. The recent summit of Sharm el-Sheikh is but one of the scenes that show the extent of the Arab weakness.”
On the other hand, al-Nakhalah points out that “in this world that is crowded with everything except justice, the Islamic Republic of Iran stands by the Palestinian people, supporting them. I can say that it is the only one that is paying the price for its support for the Palestinian people.”
The following is the transcript of the interview:
1- Two months ahead of the anniversary of the al-Quds Sword Battle, what is your assessment of the state of the Palestinian resistance?
The Palestinian resistance today is under enormous pressure, and attempts to contain it, directly or indirectly, have not stopped.
The Al-Quds Sword Battle is supposed to have opened new horizons for the Palestinian people and for the Arab world.
Unfortunately, the Palestinian side could not use it in the context of its conflict with the Zionist project in a positive way and with a serious national vision. Meanwhile, the Arab world, which decided in advance to remove Palestine and Al-Quds from its agenda in favor of the enemy, is conspiring with the enemy to contain the resistance by all the means available, to thwart and besiege it and give it some cheap temptations so that it opens up more and more to the Zionist enemy. Instead of betting on the Palestinian people and their will to resist the occupation and confront the nation’s historical enemy, it is siding more and more with the enemy.
Palestine is no longer the Arab regime’s cause. Palestine has become a burden on it, and it wants to get rid of it. Therefore, the challenges facing the resistance have become greater and more complex, and this imposes on us a greater responsibility than before and a different performance commensurate with the challenges we face.
2- The stabbing operations inside the “Israeli” entity do not stop, and the enemy expects an escalation during the next three months, starting with the holy month of Ramadan. Are the Palestinians really coming to a sensitive security stage?
Stabbing operations and other individual operations are a manifestation of the Palestinian people’s resistance to the Zionist enemy, and they are an expression of the state of oppression that inhabits all of Palestine. However, this is not enough to stop the enemy’s intrusion on our rights. It is also not enough for all of us as political forces to praise the heroic individual actions of the creative Palestinian youth. Such an action should push the resistance forces to better organize their ranks and get closer to the people who know, today more than ever, that if they do not fight today, they will be killed tomorrow – by insults, hunger, or being shot. It makes no difference. Whoever does not fight today will see that what remains of his land and homeland will vanish. Whoever does not fight today will see with his own eyes Al-Quds become Jewish; he will see that Palestine, all of Palestine, will become “Israel”; and whoever does not fight today will see himself standing in the queue of humiliation, working in his land as a slave for the enemy.
This is the challenge that our Palestinian people are facing today, and it is present throughout the month of Ramadan and other months.
3- The movement in the occupied areas of the interior is expanding, and the confrontations in Sheikh Jarrah in the face of the settlers are intensifying. Do you expect things to explode more there?
There is always a reason or reasons for confrontations with the enemy; the presence of the enemy on our land is a permanent reason for confrontation. The persecution of people and the non-stop killing of young people throughout Palestine, the confiscation of lands, and the demolition and destruction of homes are additional reasons that push people to resist. Resistance here is obligatory as long as there is occupation. Resistance is the natural response to occupation. There is no free people who accept occupation, and the Palestinian people are always resisting the occupation and did not stop for a single day.
4- What about the recently announced national committee for the defense of the internally displaced inside occupied Palestine? Are we facing a new type of confrontation expected with the Zionists?
This body was formed to communicate with our people in Palestine occupied in 1948, and it is an expression at the same time of the unity of the Palestinian people in all their places of residence and that we are one people in the face of one enemy.
5- How would you describe the relationship with the rest of the Palestinian factions?
The Palestinian situation suffers from severe weakness, and this affects the general performance, both politically and militarily. Partisanship is still dominant despite attempts to get out of it to a broader and more welcoming vision.
The Palestinian people know the front of their true enemies, but they see that the forces that control the official framework recognized as the representative of the Palestinian people lie on the doorstep of these enemies. Our people know their rights, but they no longer know whether their national forces want a Palestinian state or autonomy in Gaza or the West Bank [according to the “Israeli” program]. This ambiguity in the Palestinian political programs makes Palestinian relations problematic and in a state of constant confusion, and we are always looking for a common denominator. However, our relations as Palestinian forces are still governed by our party programs and our interests.
Organizations that see themselves as being closer in their programs are trying to develop joint struggle programs whenever possible, and in recently, there was a joint statement issued on behalf of the Jihad – Hamas – the Popular Front. This was a positive step that we can build on, but it is not enough.
6- What is your position on what is happening in Ukraine and the war going on there?
This war is a world war in every sense of the word, even if America and NATO countries are not directly involved militarily. They, however, are pushing for this war to continue with all their might. They are also providing enormous military and economic support for Ukraine in the face of the Russian Federation.
America created this war and prepared all the conditions for it, with the aim of draining Russia and limiting its international role, which has begun to emerge strongly in recent years. But I believe that the end of the war will change the direction of international relations and will impose new alliances other than those that were arranged at the end of World War II. The world relations and the balance of power will differ from what they were before.
What causes worry and fear is the effect of these variables on the situation of the Arab and Islamic worlds. Until this moment, we have seen nothing but a state of confusion and hesitation that prevails in the Arab region as it anticipates results. What is worse is them cozying up to the Zionist enemy and allying with it. The Sharm el-Sheikh conference attended by Egypt, the Emirates, and the enemy, as well as the conference that will be held in the Zionist entity, in which some Arab countries and America will participate, are nothing but an indication of the state of affairs and the state of the Arab identity being lost in favor of the enemy. Therefore, I see that siding with the Zionist enemy and allying with it is choosing subordination in advance to the American side and the Zionist enemy.
7- How would you describe the military capabilities of the resistance, specifically the Islamic Jihad?
The resistance depends above all on the Palestinian resistance and on its popular support from which it derives the will to resist the occupation. In our Palestinian case, a person goes through two stages. In the first, he is a fighter, and in the second, he is a martyr. When you are a fighter, you must be brave, and when you are martyred, you must be a role model. Then comes the talk about military capabilities, which are basically modest capabilities compared to what the enemy possesses, but we are betting on the fighter who has a message and does not fear anything or anyone but God. Even martyrdom will be a gift from God Almighty at the end of the journey of jihad and resistance. This is our real capabilities in confronting the enemy, in addition to what the resistance’s engineers produce in its non-stop workshops, offering innovations of great value and having an important impact on the battlefield, and the Al-Quds Sword Battle is proof of that.
8- In light of the sweeping wave of Arab and Gulf normalization, where does the Palestinian resistance derive its support from?
This wave of normalization is not new. Yes, it took a more rude and more immoral form. Since the Camp David Accords with Egypt and the subsequent Wadi Araba Accords with Jordan, as well as the Oslo Accords with the Palestine Liberation Organization, Arab taboos have been broken in the face of the Zionist enemy.
This was followed by the so-called Arab Peace Initiative, which was an Arab declaration that Palestine had become “Israel”, and they were only trying to tame the Palestinian people to accept the fait accompli.
But the Palestinian people still adhere to their right to Palestine and are creative in forms of resistance, based on their absolute belief in the justice of their cause and their historical right to Palestine and the state of solidarity and sympathy from the Arab and Islamic peoples, as well as the position of the Islamic Republic of Iran. It has spared no effort in supporting the resistance and the Palestinian people at the political, military, and moral levels and in confronting with all force and power the Zionist project that is targeting the entire region and is seeking to end the Palestinian cause in every sense of the word.
9- How do you approach this wave, especially since some Arab capitals have become open before the enemies of the nation?
Frankly, the mind is unable to explain the state of collapse of the Arab system as a whole in front of the Zionist project, and they see that our besieged people can resist and fight, and with all humiliation, they go in the other direction and ally themselves with the enemy. The recent summit of Sharm el-Sheikh is one of the scenes that shows the extent of the Arab weakness.
The Zionist occupation entity has become a major regional state, and the enemy’s prime minister, who has Palestinian blood on his hands, has become an essential partner in drawing up the policies of the Arab region; the Arabs have become partners with those who occupied their land and massacred their sons in all wars, while they are prisoners of war.
“Israel” its issue, the godfather of normalization, the Emirates, which has become a center for laundering Jewish money, and Egypt attended the Sharm el-Sheikh summit in Egypt.
Issues regarding some aid and promises were mentioned, while the Arabs’ central issue was absent – Al-Quds and its people as well as Palestine and its occupation were absent. If Gaza or the West Bank were mentioned, it was to see how they can we subjugate its people and make them more responsive to the “Israeli” security conditions.
10- What can be said about the relationship with the Islamic Republic today? Do you think that the Arab countries have completely abandoned Palestine?
In this world that is crowded with everything except justice, the Islamic Republic of Iran stands by the Palestinian people, supporting them. I can say that it is the only one that is paying the price for its support for the Palestinian people – sieges, sanctions, and conspiracies. Despite this, its position is becoming more solid and insistent on supporting the Palestinian people and their resistance. On the other hand, the Arab regime shamelessly bows down before the Zionist enemy and abandons Palestine and Al-Quds.
11- How do you comment on the upcoming visit of the Jordanian King to Palestine and effort he is reportedly leading to prevent an escalation in the coming month of Ramadan?
Frankly, if you had not asked me, you would have excused me from this answer. Unfortunately, this is a job that Jordan is doing for the enemy for free, especially since this visit comes at the request of the Zionist enemy, with the aim of calming the situation in the West Bank, which is expected to explode in the face of the enemy on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan.
12- Ahead of Land Day, what do you say to the Palestinian interior and its youth who write the most wonderful epics with their awareness and their confrontation of the occupation?
Land Day is a historic day in the life of the Palestinian people, and it is a true expression of our people’s will to uphold their rights. The fact that our people take to the streets on this day every year confirms that the flag of Palestine is carried by its people, generation after generation in Al-Quds, in the valiant West Bank, throughout the 1948 territories, in the Gaza Strip, and the Diaspora. Neither misinformation campaigns nor defeats around them were able to defeat their awareness and will, and we will remain on this path, God willing, resisting, and steadfast until we topple the banners of the enemy and expel it from our country. Our duty today, more than ever, is to continue the jihad and resistance until God allows us to achieve a clear victory.
13- Imam Khomeini stressed on the necessity to mark the last Friday of the blessed month of Ramadan as the International Day of al-Quds. What do you pledge to the Imam and the nation on this day?
The blessed month of Ramadan is upon us, and it is the month of jihad and the month of great victories in the history of Islam. In it is Laylat al-Qadr [the Night of Decree], which is better than a thousand months. In it is Al-Quds Day, which coincides with the great nights of decree, and which Imam Khomeini chose to be a day in which Muslims unite in word and their banners for the liberation of Al-Quds are raised. Peace be upon Imam Khomeini on the day he was born and on the day he will be resurrected.
Final Word:
In past, the white West invaded and colonized Africa, transporting people to their country and turning them into slaves. In the modern era, invaders come to us to enslave us in our country, here in the holiest country, Palestine, and turn our people into slaves to build their settlements and work in their factories. Meanwhile, Arab and Muslim countries are opened to these murderous invaders, and they are received as masters who enjoy in Arab and Muslim countries. Hotels and resorts are opened for them, and everyone is at their service, in the service of the killers.
As for the victims, they must be besieged, starved, and tamed. Under the pretext of realism, the defeated and the oppressed accept what the invaders want; those who do not want to fight accept what the killers want, and whoever does not accept is killed in front of people’s eyes and his house demolished. He’d be into an example for others and another reason for the oppressed and defeated to say: We cannot face them, and we have to surrender. We have abandoned the rules of engagement, the rules of combat, and the rules of victory that God has set for us, so humiliation befell us.
The Almighty said: {Fight them; Allah will punish them by your hands and will disgrace them and give you victory over them and satisfy the breasts of a believing people.}
UPROOTED PALESTINIANS: SALAM ALQUDS ALAYKUM 