The Islamic Republic of Iran warns all states to act intelligently towards the behavior of the fake Israeli regime and not to allow Zionists to set their feet in the Caucasus region, Iran Foreign Minister underlined.
Hussein Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu on Wednesday.
Amir-Abdollahian expressed his sympathy and solidarity with the Turkish people and government over the recent deadly earthquake.
From the first hours of the earthquake, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution and the President issued strict orders for solidarity and help to the Muslim people of Turkey, he said, adding that the Red Crescent of Iran, the Army, and the IRGC entered the earthquake-affected areas, and offered services and provide accommodation, and medical assistance.
“Today we had important talks about the importance of developing economic and trade relations,” Amir-Abdollahian said, adding that in the past years, Iran-Turkey trade volume has witnessed an increase due to the will of the leaders of the two countries.
“One of our main concerns is environmental and water issues, and we agree on the importance of continued access of Iran and the people of the western regions of the country to the Aras River,” he also noted.
“When it comes to regional transportation corridors, including the corridors between Iran and Turkey, we emphasize regional partnership instead of the regional competition,” he also said.
Iran, Turkey entitled to defend themselves against terrorists
Referring to the high-level security cooperation between Iran and Turkey regarding the issue of the fight against terrorism, Amir-Abdollahian said, adding, “We consider Turkey’s security as our security.”
Terrorists based in Iraq’s Kurdistan region and ISIL terrorists based in Afghanistan are among common concerns of Tehran and Ankara, he stressed.
Under international law, Iran and Turkey reserve the right to defend against any terrorist act or group, he noted.
Zionists serious threat to regional peace, stability
Amir-Abdollahian also reiterated Tehran’s position about Zionists’ presence in the Caucasus region, saying, “We consider the presence of Zionists in the region as a serious threat to the peace and stability of the region.”
The Islamic Republic of Iran warns all parties to act intelligently towards the behavior of the fake Israeli regime and prevent Zionists from setting their feet on the region, he underlined.
Referring to the recent agreement reached between Ankara and Baghdad, he said that Iran welcomes participation in any quadrilateral meeting of Iran, Russia, Turkey, and Syria.
“We also reached a consensus on holding the tripartite meeting between Iran, Turkey, and the Republic of Azerbaijan,” he also added.
Deputy FMs of Turkey, Syria, Iran, Russia to meet next week
Cavusoglu, for his part, said that his Iranian counterpart Amir-Abdollahian wanted to join the talks between Turkey, Syria, and Russia, and Turkey happily agreed.
“Astana is the only surviving format (to address) Syria anyway. Now we are planning a meeting between the four foreign ministers,” Cavusoglu added.
“Russia offered to host a preliminary meeting for the preparations of this four-way meeting. This meeting will be held at the level of deputy ministers next week in Moscow,” he also said.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Turkish diplomat thanked Iran and its people for their continuous support for the quake-hit people of Turkey.
After the earthquakes in Turkey, Iran acted quickly by sending tents, relief teams, and setting up field hospitals, he said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian cautioned the United States that the window of opportunity for an agreement on reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal will not remain open forever, urging Washington to adopt a constructive approach to salvage the accord.
In an interview with CNN aired on Wednesday, Amir Abdollahian said Iran has informed the US through mediators that the parties to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action are “on the path to reach an accord,” but warned that this might change if the US side hangs back.
“Our relationship with the IAEA is on its correct, natural path, and we have said this to the US side through mediators that we are on the path to reach an accord but if the Iranian Parliament adopts a new law, then we’ll have to abide by the parliamentary act,” he said.
“So, the window for an accord is still open but this window will not remain open forever,” the top Iranian diplomat added.
Amir Abdollahian also made clear that the Islamic Republic of Iran has been and is the most committed of all the parties involved in the diplomatic endeavors to restore the JCPOA, which was abandoned by the United States in 2018.
“The party that left the JCPOA was [former US president Donald] Trump and the United States,” he said. “The United States should not adopt a deceptive behavior and instead should return to the JCPOA and adopt a constructive approach.”
“The US party has been sending us positive messages through diplomatic channels but in its media remarks, they made very deceptive remarks that are totally different, and really, as the Iranian foreign minister, sometimes I have serious doubts,” he added.
He also noted that even though the administration of President Ebrahim Raisi sees some flaws and shortcomings in the JCPOA, it has decided to continue with the dialogue in order to restore the multilateral accord, provided that all the parties come back to the negotiating table and do their utmost to reach an agreement.
Iran showed to the world the peaceful nature of its nuclear program by signing the JCPOA with six world states — namely the US, Germany, France, Britain, Russia and China. But, Washington’s unilateral withdrawal in May 2018 and its subsequent re-imposition of sanctions against Tehran left the future of the deal in limbo.
Elsewhere in his interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Amir Abdollahian criticized the United States for playing the blame game and accusing Iran of not having the “necessary resolve.”
“I will tell you expressively that in the past few years, we saw that the US officials were unable to make a decision because of their own internal problems and the pressures they are under. They are still unable to make a courageous decision to return to the JCPOA,” he said.
The Iranian foreign minister added that the country has shown its initiative on many occasions and “the fact is that we are still on the path of dialogue and we still want to reach an accord.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (L) and European Union foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian has censured the European Union’s new round of sanctions on the Islamic Republic, saying the 27-member bloc is sticking to former US president Donald Trump’s “ineffectual” policy of sanctions against Tehran.
In a telephone conversation with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Sunday, Amir-Abdollahian slammed Brussels’ “overused and obsolete” policy regarding Iran.
Last month, the EU slapped new sanctions on a number of Iranian officials and organizations over an alleged crackdown on riots across the country. Some EU member states and the European Parliament have even pushed for the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) to be listed as a “terrorist organization.”
“The behavior of the European Union in recent months is the continuation of Trump’s ineffective Iran policy. It further proves the continuation of dual and unrealistic standards combined with the exploitation of human rights concepts,” Amir-Abdollahian said.
He also lashed out at certain European countries for backing anti-Iran groups that sponsor terrorism.
Touching on the interactions between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) concerning the issues related to safeguards agreements, the foreign minister said Tehran is planning for a visit by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi and that joint initiatives are on the agenda.
“If the agency acts with a technical and non-political perspective, it is possible to reach a framework to resolve the issue,” he added.
Iran and the IAEA are currently in a dispute triggered by the agency’s Israeli-influenced accusations, which were leveled against Tehran’s peaceful nuclear activities just as the Islamic Republic and other parties to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal appeared close to an agreement on reviving the deal.
Iran says an agreement on the revival of the nuclear deal hinges on the settlement of safeguards issues between Tehran and the IAEA, and that without settling those issues, resurrecting the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) makes no sense.
The negotiations to salvage the JCPOA have been at a standstill since August 2022 due to Washington’s insistence on its hard-nosed position of not removing all the sanctions that were imposed on the Islamic Republic by the Trump administration.
Tonight on telephone with @JosepBorrellF discussed Iran-EU ties, JCPOA, Iran-IAEA cooperation and Ukraine developments. Emphasized that I.R.Iran relies upon its people and this was proven once again on February 11th (national day) this year.
— H.Amirabdollahian امیرعبداللهیان (@Amirabdolahian) February 19, 2023
‘Iran always seeks peace in Ukraine’ Referring to the Ukraine war, Amir-Abdollahian said the Islamic Republic has always stressed the need for a ceasefire and diplomatic strategies to resolve the conflict. Iran, he added, believes that respect for other countries’ territorial integrity guarantees sustainable peace, including in Ukraine, and it has spared no efforts to push for truce and peace. Borrell, for his part, referred to Europe’s support for Kiev and voiced pessimism about the prospects of reaching a ceasefire in the coming weeks or even months. He also expressed hope for the progress made in the cooperation between Iran and the IAEA, underlining the need for keeping up the talks.
It seems clear that the entry of Iran into the line came at the request of Damascus, which thus wanted to balance the Iranian role with the information that constantly talks about common and intertwined personal and official interests between Presidents Putin and Erdogan.
The following is the English translation from Arabic of the latest article by Turkish career journalistHusni Mahali he published on 2nd Feb 2023 on Al-Mayadeen news site Al-Mayadeen Net:
Two days after President Erdogan’s statements, in which he said, “Let Turkey, Iran, and Syria meet to discuss possibilities for a final solution,” Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said, in the press conference, with his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry, in Moscow, “Today, an agreement has been reached aimed at Iran’s participation in the process of settling and normalizing relations between neighboring Turkey and Syria.
This means Cairo’s approval, perhaps on behalf of other Arab countries, of the Iranian role. This was recognized, the day before yesterday, by Ibrahim Kalin, Erdogan’s spokesman, when he said, “We will be happy with Iran’s contribution to the mediation efforts with Damascus because Tehran is an important player in the Syrian crisis from the beginning.”
Minister Lavrov’s words came after a series of contacts and visits by his Iranian counterpart, Hussein Abdollahian, to Beirut, Damascus, and Moscow, followed by the visit of the Foreign Minister of Qatar, Ankara’s ally, to Tehran, days after the Abu Dhabi summit, in which the leaders of a number of Arab countries, including Qatar and Egypt, participated. This explains Minister Lavrov’s taking advantage of Minister Shukri’s visit to Moscow to talk in his presence about Iran’s involvement in the mediation efforts between Erdogan and President Assad.
It seems clear that Iran’s entry into the line came at the request of Damascus, which thus wanted to balance the Iranian role with the information that constantly talks about common and intertwined personal and official interests between Presidents Putin and Erdogan, which was reason enough for Moscow not to put pressure on Ankara on the issue of Idlib and the Syrian north. in general, but succeeded in persuading Ankara to seek rapprochement with Damascus.
There is much talk in the Turkish media about Russian financial support for Erdogan, to help him win the upcoming elections, which are crucial for Erdogan, Turkey, and Russia as well.
It has become clear that Turkey, before and after these elections, will witness interesting developments related to Erdogan’s foreign calculations, which will have direct and indirect repercussions on the internal situation. The Syrian crisis comes at the forefront of these calculations, and the reason for this is the problem of the Syrians in Turkey, which will be an important electoral material that the opposition will use against Erdogan.
It has also become clear that he, that is, Erdogan will make the minimum concessions required of him to ensure his meeting with President Assad before these elections, and his chances are still few, according to all independent opinion polls, especially after the “Nation Alliance” announced its electoral project that includes 2,300 items aimed to fix everything Erdogan destroyed during his 20 years of rule.
Among these concessions was his acceptance of Iran’s entry into the line of rapprochement between him and President Assad at this time, when Tel Aviv, Washington, Western countries, and its other allies are conspiring against Iran, which was attacked by unknown drones that targeted a military complex in the city of Isfahan.
In parallel, tension appears between Baku and Tehran due to the armed attack on the Azerbaijani embassy in Iran and the killing of one of the embassy guards. This is what some nationalist circles in Turkey and Azerbaijan exploited to launch a hostile campaign against Tehran, which they have been doing for a long time due to Iranian support for Syria in the years of the so-called “Arab Spring”.
On Tuesday, the leader of the National Movement Party, Devlet Bahchali, who is an ally of President Erdogan, said, “Azerbaijan is a state and nation of Turkish origin, the same as South Azerbaijan,” meaning northwestern Iran. This Turkish nationalist provocation is accompanied by a similar provocation and escalation from the nationalist circles in Azerbaijan, which has established and developed in recent years intertwined military and intelligence relations with “Tel Aviv”, which has established a number of espionage bases near the Azerbaijani border with Iran, which is what it did in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, especially in areas under the rule of Masoud Barzani
At a time when the Jewish lobby controls most of the Azerbaijani media, which is waging a hostile and violent campaign against Iran, which coincided with the visit of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to Azerbaijan, and a day later to Armenia, the two neighbors of Tehran.
Minister Lavrov’s talk about an “agreement” on Iran joining the Russian mediation between Assad and Erdogan seems clear that it came in support of the Astana process, but this time with Egyptian and Gulf approval, which may be reflected in support for the Egyptian-Turkish reconciliation path, that is, of course, if the Gulf capitals are sincere in their desire to return things to normal with Damascus.
It is not clear what practical positions the aforementioned capitals will take towards Iran entering the rapprochement line, which, if achieved, will undoubtedly be with the consent of the Gulf, which Erdogan hopes to support him financially, politically, and psychologically on the eve of the elections that will be on May 14.
Everyone knows that Erdogan was and still needs significant financial support from abroad, just as he needs media materials to help him gain more support, which will be achieved by meeting President Assad and announcing together their agreement to return Syrian refugees to their country. It is the issue that, if Erdogan succeeds in it, he will pull the rug out from under the feet of the opposition, which holds him responsible for the refugees and the entire Syrian crisis.
And while waiting for the American, Israeli, and European reaction to Iran’s entry into the mediation line between Erdogan and Assad, which is a victory for Iranian diplomacy at this particular time, everyone is waiting for President Erdogan to take practical and quick moves to resolve the issue of rapprochement before he is exposed to any external pressure, and the situation east of the Euphrates will be one of the most important elements of these pressures, since the rapprochement between Ankara and Damascus will aim, first or second, at joint action against the Kurdish “SDF” and “People’s Protection Units”.
This will be the biggest challenge for Erdogan and before Assad, especially if the Americans think about confronting Russian plans through Turkey, Syria, Iran, and perhaps Iraq as well. This may lead to a real and serious crisis in the relationship between Ankara and Washington, and it has enough reasons for such a crisis, as Turkey is a member of NATO which has many of its bases on its soil.
Ultimately, the bet remains on the success of Russian diplomacy in persuading Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar (Erdogan’s ally) of the necessity of urgency in achieving the Turkish-Syrian rapprochement, and by completing it, Erdogan’s reconciliations with Cairo, Abu Dhabi, and Riyadh will acquire practical importance from which everyone will benefit.
And without it being clear how Tel Aviv will respond to these Russian moves, which Washington will obstruct by various means, and its biggest weapon for that is the Syrian Kurds with their extensions in Turkey, Iraq, and Iran. They are Tel Aviv’s weapon also until the Gulf regimes convince Netanyahu and his allies in the terrorist government that the war is no longer in their interest and that the Palestinian youth generation, after the events in Jenin and the heroic Al Quds (Jerusalem) operation, is not the generation that will surrender to the conspirators against it internally, regionally and internationally, as long as there are those who stand and will stand by its side among the honorable people of the nation, and everyone knows them and they are the true source of terror for the Zionist entity and its allies in the region!
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A member of the Iranian Parliament said the restriction of the traffic of European commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz is on agenda as a countermeasure against the European Parliament’s anti-Iran measure.
The European Parliament on Wednesday adopted an amendment calling on the EU and its member states to include the IRG in their terror list. It also passed another resolution on Thursday, calling for more sanctions against Iranian individuals and entities and putting the IRG on the EU terrorist list over alleged human rights violations during the recent riots.
Mohammad Hassan Asfari, Vice Chairman of the Internal Affairs and Councils Commission in the Parliament, said on Monday that such actions of Europe have no other output except that they create pessimism among the Iranian people.
“We will definitely not remain silent either. Closing the Strait of Hormuz is on the agenda of the parliament,” he underlined as another countermeasure against the European Parliament’s call for the designation of the Islamic Revolution Guard [IRG] as a terrorist organization.
“If the Europeans are going to treat our armed forces and official forces like this [terrorists], we will also put other options on the table, including restricting the traffic of European commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz in the form of an urgent plan in the parliament,” Asfari noted. “It is better for the Europeans to cancel their decision before it is too late.”
Speaking on the sidelines of a closed session of the parliament on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said that “everything would be possible” if a number of European political leaders, who he called “inexperienced in diplomacy,” do not change course and rectify their mistakes.
He also said that Iran can withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons [NPT] and discharge the inspectors of the UN nuclear agency.
The majority of Iranian lawmakers also censured the European Parliament’s “wrong” decision, which they said was politically motivated and based on false information and misjudgments.
It is clear that Iran’s enemies, having failed to spread insecurity inside the country, now resort to such baseless measures in an attempt to exert political and media pressure on the Islamic Republic, the MPs said.
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The foreign minister of Iran did not rule out the possibility of suspension of Tehran’s membership in the Non-Proliferation Treaty or a decision to expel the IAEA inspectors in response to the European Parliament’s push to blacklist the IRGC.
Speaking to ICANA on Sunday, Hossein Amirabdollahian lashed out at the European Parliament for its “emotional” decision to force the European Union to designate the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) as a “terrorist organization”.
Asked about Iran’s possible retaliatory decision to withdraw from the NPT or banish the International Atomic Energy Agency’s inspectors, he said, “A few of European political leaders have no experience in the diplomacy field and have only taken the helm at the diplomatic body today, including the foreign minister of Germany. If they do not take the path to rationality and fail to rectify their stances, any possibility could be considered.”
The foreign minister also described the Iranian Parliament’s bill that would designate the European military forces as terrorist organizations as a retaliatory action, saying the decision will entail “far-reaching changes and significant impacts on the military formation of the military forces in the region.”
In remarks at a parliamentary meeting on Sunday, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned of swift retaliatory action against the European Parliament’s plan to blacklist the IRGC, saying Iran is going to designate the armies of the European states in the region as terrorist organizations.
The commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps has warned the Europeans that they will have to suffer the consequences of repeating their past mistakes.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says a court in an EU member country has to declare a specific legal censure before placing Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps on the “terrorist list”.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell (Archive)
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell stated that placing Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps on the “terrorist list” requires a judicial decision in one of the EU member states.
“It is something that cannot be decided without a court, a court decision first. You cannot say I consider you a terrorist because I don’t like you,” Josep Borrell told journalists prior to a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels.
He went on to say that before the EU could intervene, a court in an EU member country had to declare a specific legal censure.
This comes as Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told EU’s Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell last Thursday that IRGC is a sovereign, state apparatus and plays an important role in securing Iranian national security, regional security, and fighting terrorism.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Amir-Abdollahian tersely stated that the EU Parliament’s measure against this Iranian security institution is akin to Europe shooting itself in the foot.
On his account, Borrell told Amir-Abdollahian that “although the EU Parliament is an independent institution, the draft resolution lacks executive strength and only reflects only European fears.”
This is happening days after members of the European Parliament demanded that the EU classify Iran’s IRGC as a “terrorist” organization.
Last Wednesday, the European Parliament held a session and voted on this proposal noting that the results are non-binding.
The vote was approved with 598 members voting in favor, 9 against, and 31 abstentions.
At the time. Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi stated that the EU’s decision to include the Iranian IRGC on its “terrorist list” demonstrates the Europeans’ desperation and ignorance, emphasizing that the designation will not hinder the IRGC’s anti-terror campaign.
The Iranian Parliament Speaker says Iran will use its tools to counter decisions such as the European Parliament’s anti-IRGC decision.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf underlined on Sunday that Iran will designate European armies as terrorists in response to the European Parliament’s decision to pass a resolution calling on the European Union to classify Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) as a “terrorist” organization.
During an open parliament session, Qalibaf condemned the European Parliament’s decision and considered it showed that the pro-Zionist front has caused European countries to commit serious miscalculations.
The Iranian Parliament Speaker stressed that his country will use its tools to counter such decisions, adding that European countries have taken the wrong way against Iran’s interests.
Qalibaf noted that the IRGC and regional people have overthrown the US-backed ISIS terrorist group, highlighting that the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps is the most unique anti-terrorist organization in the world that eliminated ISIS’ global threat.
Elsewhere, the Iranian official condemned the European countries’ sponsoring of media terrorism against Iran during the recent riots in the country.
Any anti-IRGC moves are doomed to failure: Raisi
Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi said on Sunday that the IRGC plays a key role in combating the terrorists.
Iran’s President made the remarks in the Iranian parliament in reaction to the recent move by the European Parliament to designate the IRGC as a “terrorist” entity.
Any anti-IRGC moves are doomed to failure, he stressed, and no armed forces have combatted the terrorists like the IRGC did and still does, he further noted.
Regional armies admit the reality, he said, noting that any measures against the IRGC, like the other miscalculations of Europe, are doomed to failure.
The region would witness a different situation if the IRGC and martyr Soleimani were not on the scene, he underlined.
European Parliament shot itself in the foot: Amir-Abdollahian
On his part, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hossein Amir-Abdollahian warned that Tehran will respond to the European Union Parliament’s blacklisting of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).
Referring to his presence in a closed session of the Iranian parliament (Majlis) on Sunday, FM Amirabdollahian said on Twitter that the European Parliament shot itself in the foot by proscribing the IRGC in a vote held earlier this week.
“The Majlis plans to reciprocate by including army elements of the European countries in (Iran’s) terrorism list,” said the Minister in his tweet that was written in Farsi, adding that parliament members had appreciated efforts by the IRGC to protect Iran’s national security.
امروز در جلسه غیرعلنی مجلس شورای اسلامی حضور یافتم.نمایندگان در حضور سردار سلامی از تلاش این نهاد حاکمیتی برای حفظ امنیت ملی قدردانی کردند. مجلس در اقدامی متقابل در صدد قرار دادن عناصر ارتش کشورهای اروپا در لیست تروریستی است. پارلمان اروپایی به پای خود شلیک کرد.پاسخ ، متقابل است.
— H.Amirabdollahian امیرعبداللهیان (@Amirabdolahian) January 22, 2023
During their meeting at the Iranian presidential compound, Raisi, Qalibaf, and Mohseni-Ejei condemned the decision and underlined support for the IRGC.
“The IRGC is a part of the military power and armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which has been the source of meritorious service with a brilliant record in the defense of the glorious land of Iran for more than 40 years,” the three said in their statement.
On Friday, a member of the Iranian parliament’s presidium, Ahmad Naderi, also warned that the Iranian parliament will enforce legislative amendments that would recognize the armed forces of EU member states under the category of terrorist organizations if the EU proceeds to place the IRGC on its “terror list”.
سربت أنقرة تصريحات تفيد بموافقتها على الانسحاب من سوريا جزئياً أو كلّياً وفق جدول زمني محددّ (أ ف ب)
على رغم العقبات الكثيرة التي تعترض طريق التطبيع السوري – التركي، تشير المعطيات المتوافرة كافة إلى أن أنقرة متمسّكة بهذا المسار، وهو ما أنبأ به مثلاً تسريبها حديثاً لأحد مسؤوليها عن استعدادها للانسحاب الكلّي أو الجزئي من الشمال السوري. ولعلّ ذلك التمسّك يفسّر جانباً من «الهَبّة» الأميركية، متعدّدة الأشكال والمستويات، لعرقلة عملية الانفتاح على دمشق، بدءاً من محاولة حشْد المعسكر الغربي بأكمله ضدّها، مروراً بالاشتغال على الربط الاقتصادي بين مناطق سيطرة «الإدارة الذاتية» وتلك الخاضعة لسلطة أنقرة، وليس انتهاءً بالعمل على تهشيم «الائتلاف» ومحاولة استنبات تشكيلات معارضة بديلة
قُبيل زيارة وزير الخارجية التركي، مولود تشاووش أوغلو، لواشنطن، ولقائه نظيره الأميركي، أنتوني بلينكن، عقد ممثّلو دول الاتحاد الأوروبي اجتماعاً في العاصمة البلجيكية بروكسل، بدعوة من المبعوثة الأوروبية لمنطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا، هيلين لوكال، لمناقشة الأوضاع في سوريا، ليخلص الاجتماع إلى تأكيد استمرار موقف الاتحاد الأوروبي القائم، والمتمثّل في رفْض أيّ خطوات تطبيعية مع دمشق، ورفْض رفْع العقوبات عن الأخيرة، كما ورفْض إعادة الإعمار، الأمر الذي يتماشى مع حملة التصعيد التي تقودها واشنطن في الملفّ السوري هذه الأيّام. كذلك، سارعت الولايات المتحدة، التي لمست رفضاً قاطعاً من أنقرة لخطّتها القديمة – الجديدة للربط بين مناطق «الإدارة الذاتية» التي تقودها «قوات سوريا الديموقراطية» الكردية (قسد) والشمال السوري الذي تسيطر عليه تركيا، كبديل للانعطافة التركية نحو دمشق، إلى الإعلان عن اجتماع تشاوري في جنيف لممثّلي الدول التي تماثلها في مواقفها من الأزمة السورية، في إشارة إلى التحالف السياسي الذي تقوده ضدّ روسيا، حيث تربط واشنطن بين ملفَّي سوريا وأوكرانيا، وتَعتبر أيّ تقدّم في الملفّ السوري نجاحاً لموسكو، وفق مصادر سورية معارضة، تحدّثت إلى «الأخبار».
المصادر ذكرت أن جدول أعمال اللقاء لم يتبلور حتى الآن، غير أن المؤكد أنه سيستمرّ ليومَين: اليوم الأوّل (يُتوقّع أن يكون الإثنين القادم) يناقش فيه المجتمعون الخطوات الموحّدة التي يمكن اتّباعها لمنع أو تخفيف أيّ آثار للانعطافة التركية، وإعادة تقييم قانون العقوبات الأميركية على سوريا، ومدى إمكانية تنفيذ بنود منه ضدّ الدول التي انفتحت أو تسير نحو الانفتاح على دمشق، على أن يُعقد في اليوم التالي اجتماع مع الأمين العام للأمم المتحدة، أنطونيو غوتيريش.
استبَقت واشنطن زيارة أوغلو بجولة لمنسّق البيت الأبيض للشؤون الأمنية للشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا شملت الأردن والعراق
واستبَقت واشنطن زيارة وزير الخارجية التركي بجولة قام بها منسّق البيت الأبيض للشؤون الأمنية للشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا، بريت ماكغورك، شملت الأردن والعراق، حيث ناقش المسؤول الأميركي ملفّات عدّة من بينها الموضوع السوري. وبحسب مصادر كردية تحدّثت إلى «الأخبار»، فإن ماكغروك ناقش مع أربيل سُبل التنشيط الاقتصادي لمناطق «الإدارة الذاتية»، والاستفادة من استثناءات قانون عقوبات «قيصر»، والتي تشمل مناطق «الذاتية» وأخرى تسيطر عليها تركيا في الشمال السوري باستثناء إدلب وعفرين. في المقابل، أشار أوغلو، قبل انطلاقه إلى واشنطن، إلى أن الملفّ السوري سيحتلّ حيّزاً رئيساً من مباحثاته هناك، مضيفاً أن ملفّ طائرات «F16» سيكون حاضراً أيضاً، علماً أن الولايات المتحدة استثمرت هذا الملفّ مرّات عدّة للضغط على تركيا، بعد إخراجها إيّاها من مشروع تطوير طائرات «F35» إثر شراء الأخيرة منظومة «S400» الدفاعية الروسية.
وبالإضافة إلى الحراك السياسي والميداني (عبر إعادة نشْر القوّات الأميركية وتوسيع رقعة تمركزها، ومحاولة إحياء فصائل عربية تابعة لها في مناطق نفوذ «قسد»)، أعلنت الخارجية الأميركية ضخّ 15 مليون دولار لدعم ما سمّته «مكافحة التضليل، وتوسيع بثّ وسائل الإعلام المستقلّة، وتعزيز مبادئ حقوق الإنسان». ويتوافق ذلك مع التحرّكات الأميركية الأخيرة لخلق معارضة سورية بديلة لـ«الائتلاف» تنشط من نيويورك، تمهيداً لسحب البساط من تحت أنقرة، وإنهاء «الائتلاف» الذي يمثّل واجهة سياسية للمعارضة تتحكّم بها تركيا، علماً أن حملة كبيرة بدأت تَظهر بالفعل عبر وسائل الإعلام ومواقع التواصل الاجتماعي ضدّ هذا التشكيل. وفي المقابل، وفي تصريحات يبدو أنها تهدف إلى الضغط على واشنطن، سرّبت أنقرة إلى وسائل إعلام تركية تصريحات لمسؤول تركي كبير لم تُسمّه، أعلن خلالها موافقة بلاده على الانسحاب من سوريا جزئياً أو كلّياً وفق جدول زمني محدَّد، في ردّ مباشر على مطالب دمشق. كذلك ذكر المسؤول التركي أن بلاده متّفقة مع الجانب السوري على عدم وجود أيّ خطوط حمراء لا تمكن مناقشتها، الأمر الذي يعني إصراراً تركياً على الانفتاح على دمشق، خصوصاً بعد الزيارة التي أجراها وزير الخارجية الإيراني، حسين عبد اللهيان، لأنقرة قادماً من سوريا، وإعلانه دعم بلاده هذا الانفتاح، واستعدادها للانضمام إليه وتحويله إلى لقاءات رباعية تضمّ روسيا وإيران وتركيا وسوريا، وفق «مسار أستانا» الذي تحدّث عن إمكانية تعديله وتحديثه أيضاً. بدورها، أكدت موسكو مضيّها في تقريب وجهات النظر بين أنقرة ودمشق، حيث أعلن وزير الخارجية الروسي، سيرغي لافروف، استمرار العمل لإجراء لقاء على مستوى وزيرَي خارجية سوريا وتركيا، مرحّباً في الوقت ذاته بالمسار التركي للحلّ في سوريا.
ميدانياً، تابعت «هيئة تحرير الشام» (جبهة النصرة) هجماتها التصعيدية لتسخين جبهات القتال، عن طريق إرسال «إنغماسيين» إلى محاور «خفض التصعيد» في إدلب. وأفادت مصادر ميدانية بأن هجوماً جديداً شنّه عدد من «الجهاديين» على محور قرية معرة موخص في ريف إدلب الجنوبي، ردّ عليه الجيش السوري بقصف مكثّف على مواقع المسلحين، الأمر الذي أدّى إلى مقتل عدد منهم، عُرف منهم «أبو عبيدة النعماني» و«أبو جهاد الحلبي»، وهما من فصيل «أنصار التوحيد».
Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah says the US is preventing the implementation of the Iranian energy projects in Lebanon.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah during the Solaimani International Prize for Resistant Literature ceremony on January 17, 2023
Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah spoke on Tuesday during the distribution ceremony of the Solaimani International Prize for Resistant Literature, and he addressed various regional issues, mainly pertaining to Lebanon, and hailed martyred IRGC Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani.
Martyr Qassem Soleimani, Sayyed Nasrallah underlined, is a martyr who transcends space and time. “He is not a martyr of Iraq, Iran, or Syria. Rather, he is a martyr of the world, and his influence will remain for generations.”
Martyr Soleimani was a key leader in the axis that fought against ISIS, Sayyed Nasrallah said. “The spiritual and moral strength, courage, sacrifice, strategy, and the departure from daily conflicts are part of the school of thought of Qassem Soleimani.”
“Martyr Soleimani was a great and key leader in dealing a crushing blow to the greater Israeli project,” the Hezbollah chief underlined. “The most important aspect of Hajj Qassem is the morale strength that he gave to anyone who worked with him.”
Furthermore, Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that it was necessary to highlight the need to enshrine the model of martyr Qassem Soleimani, “as our nation is facing many challenges.”
No single bloc wants presidential power vacuum
Sayyed Nasrallah went on to touch on the issues facing Lebanon, expressing his understanding of why certain parties were pressuring for the election of a president, though he underlined the need to stray away from sowing sectarian discord.
“It is wrong to promote the idea of marginalizing the first Maronite position,” he explained. “No one intends to do so.”
“Everyone wants to put an end to the presidential vacuum to pave the way for the formation of a government and for affairs to go back to their natural course,” Sayyed Nasrallah said. “The real hindrance today is that there are many parliamentary blocs, and no one has a majority.”
“It is completely natural for any bloc to say it does not want a president who is close to Hezbollah,” the Secretary-General said. However, “there is no bloc that wants a presidential vacuum.”
US preventing Iranian energy projects
He also touched on the energy crisis in Lebanon, noting that all of Lebanon, regardless of sect, was suffering from an energy crisis whose repercussions are affecting the economy and people’s daily lives.”
“A few months ago, we were told to secure fuel from Iran for six months to raise the rationing hours to eight per day and put Lebanon on the track of reaching a solution,” Sayyed Nasrallah said. “We took initiative and contacted Iran. They accepted the Lebanese request for fuel, and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian confirmed that in Beirut.”
“The Iranian offer is still on the table,” he underlined. “The Americans are the ones preventing the offer from being exacted.”
Additionally, the Resistance leader said Lebanon had the opportunity to accept the Iranian fuel, calling on any US-affiliated party or any party close to the US in Lebanon to use their relationship with Washington to get an exception and get Iranian fuel into Lebanon.
“Bring an exemption regarding Iranian fuel from the US and I will guarantee that it reaches Lebanon,” he concluded.
Al Mayadeen conducted in August an exclusive interview with Lebanese Energy Minister Walid Fayyad during which he hailed the Iranian donation of energy resources amid Lebanon’s fuel and power crises that have seen people receive less than two hours of electricity a day.
Meanwhile, he dismissed fears that Beirut will face any penalties for accepting Iran’s fuel donation.
Concerning the mechanism for accepting Iran’s donation to Lebanon, the minister pointed out that it is linked to a decision made by the Lebanese government.
A month later, the Iranian embassy in Beirut told local media outlets that ships loaded with fuel would be sent by Iran within one or two weeks to Lebanon to help run the country’s power plants.
وزيرا خارجيتي إيران وسوريا يؤكدان أهمية تجديد وثيقة التعاون الاستراتيجي، ويشددان على أهمية التحالف بين دمشق وطهران على مستوى البلدين والمنطقة.
وزيرا خارجية إيران حسين أمير عبد اللهيان وسوريا فيصل المقداد خلال مؤتمر صحافي في دمشق
أكّد وزيرا خارجيتي سوريا وإيران، فيصل المقداد وحسين أمير عبد اللهيان، أهمية العلاقات الثنائية واستمرار التعاون المشترك في قضايا متعدّدة، أبرزها المشاكل الحدودية والخدمات والشؤون الإقليمية.
وجاء تصريحا الوزيرين خلال مؤتمر صحافي مشترك، اليوم السبت، في العاصمة السورية دمشق.
من جهته، أعلن أمير عبد اللهيان أنّ الرئيس السوري، بشار الأسد، وجّه دعوة إلى نظيره الإيراني إبراهيم رئيسي من أجل زيارة دمشق.
وأكد أنّ طهران “ستبذل كل الجهود لإجراء هذه الزيارة”.
وأوضح وزير الخارجية الإيراني أنّ “العلاقات بين دمشق وطهران في أفضل أحوالها”، وأنّ “الرئيس الأسد أكّد أنّ قيادتي البلدين عازمتان على تعزيز العلاقات الثنائية”.
وأضاف أنه توصّل “مع الوزير المقداد إلى الاتفاق على تجديد وثيقة التعاون الاستراتيجي بين البلدين”.
وشدد على أن هناك “عدداً من الاتفاقيات التي وُقِّعت بين البلدين، ويتمّ تنفيذها حالياً”.
وتطرّق الوزير الإيراني إلى التوتر الحدودي بين تركيا وسوريا، على خلفية التهديدات التركية بعمليات عسكرية في الأراضي السورية، واستمرار الاعتداءات على مناطق حدودية بين البلدين، وقال إنّه “عندما علمنا باحتمال شنّ القوات العسكرية التركية هجوماً في شمالي سوريا، تدخلنا للحيلولة دون ذلك”.
وأعرب أمير عبد اللهيان عن “سعادة إيران بنجاح اتصالاتها بسوريا وتركيا في ترجيح الحوار بين البلدين”.
وتحدّث الوزير الإيراني عن التعاون بين إبران وسوريا في المجال الخدماتي، وأكّد أنّ “التعاون بين طهران ودمشق مستمر في كل المجالات، ولا سيما في مجال الطاقة”.
وكشف أمير عبد اللهيان أنه أجرى “مباحثات بشأن إنشاء محطات للكهرباء في سوريا”.
وضع سكة جديدة للعلاقات
بدوره، أكد وزير الخارجية السوري، فيصل المقداد، أهمية التحالف بين إيران وسوريا، متسائلاً أمام الصحافيين “تصوروا لو لم يكن لسوريا بلد حليف كالجمهورية الإسلامية. ماذا كان سيحدث؟”.
وقال إنّ اللقاء الذي جمعه بنظيره الإيراني يهدف إلى “وضع سكّة جديدة للعلاقة بين إيران وسوريا”.
وتطرّق الوزير السوري إلى الأزمات الخدماتية التي يعانيها أبناء المناطق السورية في الشمال، قرب الحدود التركية والعراقية، من جرّاء ممارسات المجموعات المسلحة التي ترعاها قوات الاحتلال الأميركي.
وتوجّه المقداد بالتحية إلى “أهلنا في الجزيرة السورية على ما يتحمّلونه من قطع للمياه”.
وأكّد أن “سياسة الذين يقطعون المياه عن أهلنا ستصل إلى نهايتها قريباً”.
التحرّك التركي في اتجاه إعادة العلاقات بسوريا
وفيما يتعلق بالتحرك التركي في اتجاه استعادة العلاقات بدمشق، والذي بدأ منذ أشهر برعاية روسيا وتأييد إيراني، أكّد المقداد أنّ سوريا “في كلّ تحركاتها منذ عام 2011 حتى هذه اللحظة، تسعى لإنهاء الإرهاب الذي عكر علاقاتنا بتركيا”.
وأكّد المقداد أنّ “اللقاء بين الرئيس الأسد والقيادة التركية يعتمد على إزالة أسباب الخلاف”.
وشدد على أنه “يجب خلق البيئة الملائمة من أجل عقد لقاءات على مستويات أعلى مع القيادة التركية”.
وأوضح الوزير السوري أنه “لا يمكن الحديث عن إعادة العلاقات الطبيعية بتركيا من دون إزالة الاحتلال”.
وأضاف أنّ “التنسيق مع طهران في مختلف الإطارات الإقليمية والدولية يؤكد التزام إيران وحدة أراضي سوريا وسيادتها”.
ولفت المقداد إلى أنّ الشأن الفلسطيني كان حاضراً في اجتماع الوزيرين، مشيراً إلى أنّ “الرئيس الأسد كرّر موقف سوريا بشأن الجرائم التي يرتكبها الاحتلال بحق الفلسطينيين” خلال اللقاء مع نظيره الإيراني.
وأكّد الأسد، خلال اللقاء، أنّ دمشق “حريصة على التواصل المستمر وتنسيق المواقف مع إيران بصورة دائمة، ولا سيما أنّ إيران كانت من أوائل الدول التي وقفت إلى جانب الشعب السوري في حربه ضدّ الإرهاب”.
وشدد على أنّ “هذا التنسيق يكتسب أهمية قصوى في هذا التوقيت بالذات، الذي يشهد تطورات إقليمية ودولية متسارعة من أجل تحقيق المصالح المشتركة للبلدين”.
وأوضح الرئيس السوري أنّ “الدولة السورية تنطلق دائماً في كل مواقفها من حرصها على مصالح الشعب السوري”.
وبيّن أنّ دمشق “لن تسير إلى الأمام في الحوارات (مع تركيا) إلا إذا كان هدفها إنهاء الاحتلال ووقف دعم التنظيمات الإرهابية”.
بدوره، أكّد الوزير عبد اللهيان أنّ “سوريا بلد مهم ومؤثر، ولذلك فإن قوة وتنمية سوريا يعني قوة وتنمية المنطقة عموماً وإيران خصوصاً”.
وأكد أنّ “البلدين يقفان في خندق واحد ويتبادلان الدعم القوي لبعضهما الآخر”.
كما شدد عبد اللهيان، بعد لقائه الأسد، على أنّ بلاده “لديها ثقة كاملة بالمواقف والقرارات السورية، وهي ترى أنّ أيّ حوار جاد بين دمشق وأنقرة هو خطوة إيجابية لمصلحة البلدين والمنطقة”.
وتطرق الحديث أيضاً، خلال اللقاء، إلى المحادثات التي أجراها وزير الخارجية الإيراني مع مختلف الأطراف في مؤتمر “بغداد 2″، والذي انعقد في عمّان أواخر الشهر الماضي، والمناقشات الجارية من أجل استئناف المحادثات المتعلقة بالملف النووي الإيراني.
ونقل الوزير الإيراني إلى الرئيس الأسد تحيات المرشد الإيراني،ـ السيد علي خامنئي، والرئيس الإيراني إبراهيم رئيسي.
وكان أمير عبد اللهيان وصل، مساء الخميس، إلى بيروت، في زيارة رسمية للبنان استمرت ثلاثة أيام، التقى خلالها نظيره عبد الله بو حبيب ورئيس مجلس النواب نبيه بري ورئيس حكومة تصريف الأعمال نجيب ميقاتي، بالإضافة إلى عددٍ من الشخصيات السياسية وممثلي الأحزاب اللبنانية والفلسطينية.
ومن المقرر أن يتوجّه أمير عبد اللهيان بعد زيارته بيروت ودمشق إلى موسكو، الأسبوع المقبل، ليلتقي نظيره الروسي سيرغي لافروف، من أجل استئناف خطة العمل الشاملة المشتركة بشأن الاتفاق النووي الإيراني، والاتفاق على منطقة تجارة حرّة بين إيران وروسيا.
[ Last Update: Thursday, 05 January 2023 7:44 PM ]
Extremist Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir alongside fanatic settlers raid the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound with the accompany of Israeli forces in al-Quds. (Photo by Getty Images)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has censured the Israeli regime’s recent desecration of al-Aqsa Mosque, warning that the occupying entity will face “heavy consequences” for incursion into the holy site.
Amir-Abdollahian raised the alarm in a telephone conversation on Thursday with Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Hussein Ibrahim Taha as the two discussed the latest developments in the region and the Muslim world, including a contentious visit by far-right Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the occupied Old City of al-Quds.
Expressing gratitude for Taha’s immediate condemnation of the recent Zionist desecration of al-Aqsa Mosque, the top Iranian diplomat said, “The consequences of this action will be heavy for the fake Israeli regime.”
Pointing to Israel’s provocative measures against al-Aqsa Mosque, Amir-Abdollahian proposed the establishment of an “effective legal and international mechanism to stop offensive measures against religious authority and holy sites.”
On Tuesday, Ben-Gvir entered the holy site of al-Aqsa Mosque through the Moroccan Gate, also known as the Mughrabi Gate, in what was described by Palestinians as an “unprecedented provocation.”
During the phone conversation, Amir-Abdollahian also appreciated the secretary general of the Islamic Cooperation Organization for his stance in condemning the latest sacrilegious move by the French weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo to insult the top religious authority of the Islamic Republic.
He held the French government responsible over the cartoons, and underlined that the role and the Zionists can be seen beyond the repeated acts of the notorious French magazine against the religious sanctities.
The Iranian foreign minister also reiterated the Islamic Republic’s stance on the need to end the war and conflict in Yemen, Afghanistan, and Ukraine.
Taha, for his part, condemned the recent Israeli desecration of al-Aqsa Mosque and voiced concerns about the entrance of the occupying regime’s minister into the holy site.
“This action has hurt the feelings of the Islamic Ummah,” he added.
Stressing that such provocative moves by the Zionists disturb peace and stability in the region, Taha said he is in talks with various bodies to pressure the Israeli regime to stop such measures.
He condemned the sacrilegious move by the notorious French magazine, underlining that the matter is being investigated to give a “proportionate” response to the move.
The two sides expressed deep concern over the Taliban’s decision to ban girls and women from studying in Afghanistan, calling the measure inconsistent with the precepts and teachings of Islam.
FM underscores legal mechanism to stop insulting holy sites
In another development on Thursday, Amir-Abdollahian called for the establishment of a legal mechanism to stop desecration of Islamic sanctities.
Amir-Abdollahian made the plea in a telephone conversation with his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al Jaber Al Sabah as the two diplomats discussed bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues, including the recent desecration of al-Aqsa Mosque and the sacrilegious move by the notorious French magazine.
Rebuking the recent desecration of al-Aqsa Mosque by the illegal entity, Amir-Abdollahian called for coordination and joint efforts by the Muslim countries to preserve the historical and legal status of al-Aqsa Mosque and stressed the establishment of legal mechanisms in this regard to stop insulting Islamic sanctities.
The top Iranian diplomat also reiterated the need to strengthen regional cooperation towards peace and stability in the region.
Al Sabah, for his part, underlined the Kuwaiti government’s unwavering stance on the Palestinian issue and vehemently censured the Israeli regime’s recent desecration of al-Aqsa Mosque.
He also welcomed Iran’s initiative on coordinated action by the OIC to halt the occupying regime’s insulting actions endangering peace and stability in the region.
Referring to the black record of the notorious French magazine in insulting the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the Kuwaiti diplomat condemned its sacrilegious move against the Islamic Republic and stressed that insulting religious authorities and leaders is an insult to all Muslims.
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Senior officials from Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, and the EU launched the second Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership in the Jordanian capital Amman on 20 December.
Organized by France and Iraq, the summit stated aim is to “provide a forum for discussing the region’s problems.”
Ahead of the conference’s start, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani held a meeting with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and nuclear talks coordinator Enrique Mora to discuss the dormant process to revive the Iran nuclear deal.
Following the meeting, Borrell said in a tweet that he urged the Iranian diplomats to “immediately halt military support for Russia and internal repression.”
“Stressed need to immediately stop military support to Russia and internal repression in Iran. Agreed we must keep communication open and restore JCPOA on basis of Vienna negotiations,” the EU official said.
Necessary meeting w Iranian FM @Amirabdolahian in Jordan amidst deteriorating Iran-EU relations Stressed need to immediately stop military support to Russia and internal repression in Iran Agreed we must keep communication open and restore #JCPOA on basis of Vienna negotiations
For his part, the Iranian foreign minister condemned western countries for supporting “rioters” and imposing illegal unilateral sanctions against Iran under the pretext of protecting human rights.
Amir-Abdollahian also voiced readiness to resolve any misunderstanding in direct negotiations with Ukraine, and called on the remaining JCPOA signatories to avoid politicizing the talks further and to adopt a “constructive and realistic approach to make necessary decisions for an agreement.”
Talks to restore the 2015 nuclear deal have been at a stalemate since September, when anti-government protests took hold in Iran. At the time, western nations accused the Islamic Republic of raising “unreasonable demands” in relation to a UN investigation into Iranian nuclear sites.
In the days leading up to the summit, reports spoke about a new possible meeting between Iranian and Saudi officials. However, there has been no official word on whether Amir-Abdollahian will meet with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud.
Since 2021, Iraq has hosted five meetings between Saudi and Iranian officials, the last of which was in April, but these contacts have not yielded any breakthroughs in relations.
Another notable leader attending the summit is French President Emmanuel Macron, who analysts believe is using the opportunity to keep a strong presence in West Asia, where western influence continues to wane.
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كشف وزير الخارجية الإيراني، حسين أمير عبد اللهيان، اليوم، أن بلاده زوّدت موسكو بطائرات مسيّرة. وفيما بيّن أنها أُرسلت قبل الحرب في أوكرانيا، أكد أن وفداً أوكرانياً تخلّف عن حضور اجتماع كان من المفترض أن يُظهر فيه وثائق تثبت استخدام روسيا للمسيّرات الإيرانية.
وقال أمير عبد اللهيان، إنه تم إرسال «عدد صغير» من الطائرات المسيّرة إلى روسيا قبل أشهر قليلة من العملية الروسية في أوكرانيا في 24 شباط.
وفي أكثر ردود إيران تفصيلاً حتى الآن على مسألة الطائرات المسيّرة، نفى الوزير استمرار طهران في تزويد موسكو بهذه الطائرات.
ونقلت وكالة الجمهورية الإسلامية الإيرانية للأنباء، عن أمير عبد اللهيان، قوله «هذه الجلبة التي أثارتها بعض الدول الغربية بأن إيران قدّمت صواريخ وطائرات مسيّرة لروسيا للمساعدة في الحرب في أوكرانيا – الجزء المتعلّق بالصواريخ خاطئ تماماً».
وأضاف «الجزء المتعلق بالطائرات المسيّرة صحيح، زوّدنا روسيا بعدد صغير من الطائرات المسيّرة قبل أشهر من حرب أوكرانيا».
وفي الأسابيع القليلة الماضية، أبلغت أوكرانيا عن تصاعد في هجمات الطائرات المسيّرة على البنية التحتية، لا سيما استهداف محطات الطاقة والسدود، باستخدام طائرات «شاهد-136» إيرانية الصنع. وتنفي روسيا استخدام قواتها لطائرات مسيّرة إيرانية لمهاجمة أوكرانيا.
وفي الشهر الماضي، قال مسؤولان إيرانيان وديبلوماسيان إيرانيان لـ«رويترز»، إن إيران وعدت بتزويد روسيا بصواريخ أرض-أرض، بالإضافة إلى مزيد من الطائرات المسيّرة.
ونقلت وكالة الجمهورية الإسلامية عن أمير عبد اللهيان، قوله إن طهران وكييف اتفقتا على مناقشة مزاعم استخدام طائرات إيرانية مسيّرة في أوكرانيا قبل أسبوعين، لكن الأوكرانيين لم يحضروا الاجتماع المتفق عليه.
وقال الوزير «اتفقنا مع وزير خارجية أوكرانيا على تزويدنا بوثائق لديهم تفيد بأن روسيا استخدمت طائرات مسيرة إيرانية في أوكرانيا»، لكن الوفد الأوكراني انسحب من الاجتماع المخطط له في اللحظة الأخيرة.
وكرّر وزير الخارجية الإيراني أن طهران «لن تظلّ غير مبالية» إذا ثبت أن روسيا استخدمت طائرات إيرانية بدون طيار في الحرب ضد أوكرانيا.
ووافق الاتحاد الأوروبي الشهر الماضي على عقوبات جديدة على إيران بسبب تسليم طائرات مسيرة لروسيا، وفرضت بريطانيا عقوبات على ثلاث شخصيات عسكرية إيرانية وشركة دفاعية لتزويدها روسيا بطائرات مسيّرة لمهاجمة أهداف مدنية وأهداف تتعلق بالبنية التحتية في أوكرانيا.
Iran, through its Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, calls US human rights records despicable and slams claims on human rights abuses in the country as baseless.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry responded to the US Secretary of State’s claims on human rights issues in Iran and slammed them as baseless, reminding the US of its own record of killings and human rights abuses committed racially, with Black people making the majority of those killed.
Following how the West, spearheaded by the US, took advantage of the death of Mahsa Amini, claiming that it was the result of a brutal arrest by the Iranian police, and the fact that the western and Arab-monarchy-backed media outlets quickly jumped to the trend of covering anti-Iran protests, picturing them as large rallies, when in fact, they included far fewer numbers than depicted, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani reminded the US of its “despicable” human rights record across the world.
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?@SecBlinken needs to remember that he's FM of a state whose police, just in 9 months, has fatally shot 730, many of them black. pic.twitter.com/J8UBYQAOpH
“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?” Kanaani tweeted on Friday.
Millions of people supporting the regime came out in the Iranian provinces to reject the sedition
Between Mahsa Amini and Zainab Asim: How do political agendas manipulate people?
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The Director General of Forensic Medicine in Tehran Province says the autopsy conducted on Mahsa Amini’s body revealed no bleeding or rupture in her internal organs.
A still image from Iranian CCTV showing Mahsa Amini
The Director General of Forensic Medicine in Tehran Province said Wednesday that there are no traces of beating or wounds on the head and face of the late Iranian Mahsa Amini.
“Concerning the misleading information about blood coming out of Amini’s ears and a fracture at the base of her skull, we, forensic doctors, confirm that there are no signs of bruising or swelling on her eye and no fracture in her skull either,” the Director General said.
The forensic report showed that there are no signs of skull fracture, and the autopsy conducted on Amini’s body revealed no bleeding or rupture of her internal organs.
According to the Director General of Forensic Medicine in Tehran, more time is needed to find the actual cause of Amini’s death in order to issue a final report based on the results of the analysis of the taken samples.
It is worth noting that “Mahsa Amini underwent a brain surgery in a hospital in Tehran in 2006,” as revealed by the Director General.
It is noteworthy that Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian pointed out Tuesday that “an investigation was ordered into the tragic death of Mahsa, who, as the President said, was just like our own daughters.”
According to the Iranian Minister, “to Iran, human rights are of inherent value unlike those who see it a tool against adversaries,” hinting at the US.
Mahsa Amini is a 22-year-old Iranian whose case has been exploited by several Western media outlets in order to further promote Iranophobia by fabricating lies and making use of her medical condition that led to her death merely for political purposes.
Mainstream and social media outlets were swarmed with trumped-up news, as some media outlets, mostly Western, claimed that an alleged brutal arrest led to the death of Amini.
Following the incident, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi called Amini’s family, confirming that he had ordered the incident to be investigated carefully.
“Your daughter is like my own daughter, and I feel that this incident happened to one of my loved ones. Please accept my condolences,” Raisi told Amini’s family.
Earlier, Iranian Judiciary Chief, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei, stressed that the judiciary will closely investigate the case of Amini’s death, assuring her family that he has ordered the judicial bodies to carry out a thorough investigation of the case.
The story as it is
After contacting several official sources in Iran, Al Mayadeen learned that Amini was never assaulted, beaten, or abused, and the proof was CCTV footage that slammed western reports as fake and fabricated.
The incident, recorded by the CCTV, shows a female police officer approaching Amini and pointing at her hijab. Amini and the officer entered into a verbal disagreement, after which the officer turned around and left Amini alone.
At this point, and without any physical altercation taking place between the two – contrary to western media reports which claimed that Amini was brutally beaten – Amini fainted and it was later reported that she fell into a coma. The police officer can be seen rushing to support Amini to prevent her from falling. Amini was then transferred to the hospital for treatment.
The video shows that there was no violence and no beating whatsoever and that not even an arrest was made. Official sources told Al Mayadeen that Amini had a brain tumor and that she has been undergoing treatment for some time prior to the incident. Medical records confirm Amini’s multiple visits to the hospital for treatment.
On 23 August, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian travelled to Mali to meet with interim President Colonel Assimi Goïta, one week after France withdrew the last of its troops from the African state.
Amir-Abdollahian expressed Tehran’s determination to develop cooperation with Bamako and praised the nation’s struggles against terror groups, highlighting Iran’s experience in the successful fight against ISIS in West Asia.
Western military troops have been operating in Mali – a former French colony – since 2013, allegedly to assist in defeating terrorism. But as terror acts steadily increased over the past decade, Malians have slammed the foreign military intervention and labelled the presence of French troops as an “occupation.”
In a previous letter to the UN Security Council president, Mali’s Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop accused France of supporting terrorists in his country.
“These flagrant violations of Malian airspace were used by France to collect information for terrorist groups operating in the Sahel and to drop arms and ammunition to them,” the letter charged.
In the meeting to boost bilateral relations between Iran and Mali, Goïta emphasized his nation’s readiness to host Iranian industrialists and entrepreneurs.
Earlier in the day, Iran’s top diplomat took part in the first Iran-Mali joint economic commission with his Malian counterpart, Diop.
After unveiling special plans to promote economic cooperation with the West African nation, Amir-Abdollahian took aim at the “failure” of western sanctions imposed on sovereign nations.
“The west’s nonsensical sanctions policy has failed, and nations will move forward with perseverance, stability, and self-confidence,” Amir-Abdollahian said.
He also called on Malian authorities to take advantage of Tehran’s accumulated experience in the field of countering western sanctions.
“Iran attaches great importance to the development of relations with the important and beautiful African continent. The new Iranian government of President [Ebrahim] Raisi places special emphasis on prioritizing the relationship with Africa, especially with a historical and civilized country like the Republic of Mali,” the Iranian foreign minister affirmed.
For his part, the Malian foreign minister praised Raisi’s commitment to Africa.
“Many countries are interested in Africa for their own interests, but Iran’s choice is different. Iran’s choice is not for political purposes and does not seek superiority, and seeks the interests of Africans,” Diop said.
At the conclusion of their meeting, Amir-Abdollahian announced that the Islamic Republic would donate one million doses of its homemade COVID-19 vaccine to Mali.
Leading a high-ranking economic delegation on a tour of Africa, Amir-Abdollahian is next set to visit Tanzania and Zanzibar.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian reaffirmed on Wednesday Tehran’s commitment to stand by the Palestinian cause and Palestinian people against the Zionist regime’s atrocities.
In a meeting with Secretary General of the Islamic Jihad Palestinian resistance movement Ziad Nakhale in Tehran, Amir Aabdollahian called for unity and cohesion between Islamic countries in the face of the Israeli regime’s acts of aggression against Palestinians.
Referring to the failures of ‘Israel’ and the US against the Palestinian resistance, the top Iranian diplomat expressed hope that the enemies would be further undermined through increased harmony and unity among Islamic countries.
For his part, Nakhale hailed Iran’s support for the Palestinian people’s resistance and lauded the country’s constructive role in regional developments and its active diplomacy toward other countries.
Iran’s achievements, in fact, belong to the entire Muslim community, he said, as quoted by Press TV.
Nakhale also regretted certain efforts in the region to exert pressure on the Islamic Republic and downplay the real threat posed by the Israeli regime to the Muslim community, Palestinians in particular.
The Islamic Jihad leader, however, said the endeavors and stances of the Islamic Republic in confronting the world’s hegemonic powers and supporting the oppressed nations against the occupiers and foreign powers “herald blessings and strength for the resistant nation of Palestine and weakness for the enemies of the Muslim world.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said revenge for the assassination of Iran’s celebrated anti-terror commander Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani is among the “absolute responsibilities” of the foreign ministry and other concerned organizations.
Amir Abdollahian made the remarks in an interview broadcast on state television Thursday evening while elaborating on the Sayyed Ebrahim Raesi-led administration’s foreign policy.
“The issue of General Soleimani will never be forgotten. The issue is so deep that even [Russian President Vladimir] Putin pointed to the important position and role of General Soleimani during his meetings with the Leader of the Islamic Revolution and the Iranian president,” the top diplomat said.
The foreign ministry, Amir Abdollahian noted, has beefed up a committee that follows up on international issues, adding that the judiciary branch is also seriously pursuing the case.
“We consider avenging the blood of Martyr Soleimani in legal, international, and political arenas and deem following up on the issue in all its aspects as our absolute responsibility,” he asserted.
General Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard [IRG], and his Iraqi trenchmate Hajj Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units [PMU], were martyred along with their companions in a US drone strike on January 3, 2020.
The strike near the Baghdad International Airport was authorized by then-President Donald Trump.
The two noted anti-terror commanders were tremendously respected and admired across the region for their instrumental role in fighting and decimating the Daesh [Arabic for ‘ISIS/ISIL’] Takfiri terrorist group in the region, particularly in Iraq and Syria.
In other remarks during the interview, Iran’s foreign minister said Saudi Arabia has shown readiness to advance the ongoing talks from security to the political sphere, after progress in the previous five rounds hosted by the Iraqi government.
He said the two sides have reached some agreements, including on re-opening embassies in their respective countries.
“Last week we received a message from Iraqi foreign minister [Fuad Hussein] saying that the Saudi side is ready to move the phase of talks from a security one to a political and public one,” said the minister.
“We also expressed our readiness to continue talks at the political level so that it leads to the return of Iran-Saudi Arabia ties to the normal level.”
Riyadh decided to sever diplomatic relations with Iran back in January 2016 after its embassy in Tehran was stormed by protestors who were enraged by the Saudi execution of prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr.
There was no change in Riyadh’s confrontational policy towards Tehran until 2021 when it signaled an inclination to mend fractured ties with the Islamic Republic.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to arrive in Tehran on Tuesday for talks with his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
It will be his second foreign trip since the launch of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine on February 24. In late June, he visited Turkmenistan and Tajikistan to meet the countries’ leaders and attend the sixth Caspian Summit, in which Iran also took part.
The trilateral negotiations in the Iranian capital will be held as part of the so-called Astana Peace Process, which was launched by Moscow, Tehran and Ankara in 2017 with the aim of achieving a peaceful settlement to the conflict in Syria.
According to the Kremlin, the three heads of state will discuss steps to fully eradicate the hotbed of international terrorism in the country, the facilitation of the inter-Syrian peace process and solutions to humanitarian issues, including post-conflict reconstruction.
Putin, Raisi and Erdogan will issue a joint statement after the negotiations, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said on Monday, adding that its draft had already been prepared.
Bilateral talks between the leaders will also take place, while Putin is also expected to meet with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
During those meetings, the Russian president and his interlocutors will discuss the situation around the stalled talks on restoring the Iranian nuclear deal.
Trade will also be on the agenda, with Moscow and Tehran preparing a new major cooperation deal, Ushakov said.
“Iran is an important partner of Russia. Our relations are friendly, have a centuries-old history, and are developing very effectively in many areas. Both sides have plans to take bilateral cooperation to a new level – the level of strategic partnership,” he pointed out.
Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov, who earlier gave an interview to the Iranian media, said trade between Russia and Iran had surpassed $4 billion in 2021, and grew by 31% in the first four months of this year.
With Russia and Iran being among the most sanctioned nations in the world, Peskov expressed confidence that the two countries would be able to build relations that will allow them to minimize the effect of international restrictions on their economies.
When it comes to Ukraine, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made it clear that Tehran would not provide assistance to any of the sides of the conflict as it believes that the conflict “has to be stopped.” By saying so, the minister refuted the US claims that his country was planning to provide Russia with hundreds of drones, including combat drones.
At the same time, Raisi has said on multiple occasions that Tehran stands ready to contribute to a diplomatic resolution of the Ukrainian conflict.
Putin’s bilateral meeting with Erdogan is expected to touch on the issue of Ukrainian grain exports from the Black Sea ports, according to Ushakov. Turkey, which declares itself a neutral country when it comes to the situation in Ukraine, has been engaged in various issue-resolving initiatives. It recently hosted multilateral consultations on the grain issue, with the participation of Russia, Ukraine and the United Nations.
Food security was also one of the main subjects of the phone conversation between Putin and Erdogan last week. The Turkish leader said at the time that “it was time for the United Nations to take action for the plan regarding the formation of secure corridors via the Black Sea.”
In March, Istanbul hosted a crucial round of peace negotiations between Kiev and Moscow.
UPROOTED PALESTINIANS: SALAM ALQUDS ALAYKUM 