hasania
Instagram Continues to Remove Posts on Gen. Soleimani
Larijani posted a note of condolence on Instagram regarding General Qassem Soleimani’s martyrdom, telling the US that Iranians will never compromise over the blood of their heroes.
However, a few hours after users began commenting on the post, Instagram started to remove the photos and hashtags about General Soleimani, and later deleted Larijani’s posts.
Instagram also removed another post by the parliament speaker that depicted his meeting with General Soleimani’s son.
On Monday, Iranian Government Spokesman Ali Rabiyee blasted Instagram for being a plaything in the hands of the US, criticizing that the social media platform has blocked the voices of the oppressed nations while allowing the terrorists to raise their voice and spread their messages across the world.
Rabiyee's remarks came in reaction to removal of the posts and photos of Lieutenant General Qasem Soleimani on Instagram.
"The blocking could be regarded as a nondemocratic move," Rabiyee tweeted .
He reiterated that the real feature of democracy and freedom of media are revealed in hard times.
Lieutenant General Soleimani was martyred in a targeted assassination attack by the US drones at Baghdad International Airport early on Friday morning.
General Qassem Soleimani has been martyred by the US aircraft after lifetime efforts, the IRGC said in a statement early Friday morning.
The airstrike also martyred Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), or Hashad al-Shaabi. The PMF media arm said the two were martyred in an American airstrike that targeted their vehicle on the road to the airport.
Five Iranian and five Iraqi militaries were martyred by missiles fired by the US drone at Baghdad International Airport.
The Pentagon confirmed the attack in a statement.
The attack came amid tensions that started by the US attack on PMF units that killed 28 Iraqi popular forces. A day later, Iraqi people attacked the US embassy in Baghdad. On Wednesday President Donald Trump ordered about 750 US soldiers deployed to the Middle East.
US officials earlier suggested they were to engage in further retaliatory attacks in Iraq.
The developments also represent a major downturn in Iraq-US relations that could further undermine US influence in the region and American troops in Iraq and weaken Washington’s hand in its pressure campaign against Iran.
US President Donald Trump was vacationing on his estate in Palm Beach, Florida, but sent out a tweet of an American flag.
The attack represents a dramatic escalation by the US toward Iran after months of tensions. The tensions take root in Trump’s decision in May 2018 to withdraw the US from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers, struck under his predecessor.
Sarah Abed: US Assassination of Gen. Soleimani Another Chapter in Washington’s Book of Lies
“Trump campaigned on ending wars and advocated an America first policy. However, after unilaterally pulling out of the JCPOA in 2018 and reinstating harsh sanctions, tensions with Iran have increased... If we do go to war with Iran, the election will be the least of our worries,” Abed told FNA in an exclusive interview.
Sarah Abed is an independent journalist and analyst who writes on a broad range of issues relating to the Syrian war, Kurdish issues in Iraq and Syria, as well as US policy in the Middle East. She appears frequently in international media and speaks at universities.
Below is the full text of the interview:
Q: Washington says the presence of the US troops in Iraq and Syria is to fight against Daesh (ISIL or ISIS). If that is the case, why did the US forces target General Qassem Soleimani who was an iconic anti-Daesh figure?
A: Fighting against Daesh and the entire “war on terrorism” façade are just the latest in a long list of lies and false pretexts used by the American government and corrupt corporate media to manipulate the general public into supporting yet another illegal and totally unnecessary war on an undeserving sovereign nation. If the truth were to get out that the United States created and supported terrorists, the American public would be less likely to blindly support another war where innocent people are killed, resources pillaged and plundered, infrastructure destroyed, historical monuments leveled, and entire cities turned to rubble. The assassination of IRCG Major General Qassem Soleimani a key figure in the fight against Daesh and subsequent claims by the Trump administration that his death will increase US security, is just another chapter in Washington’s bloody book of lies and manipulation, where terrorists are revered and those who defeat them are vilified.
Q: How did you find Iraqi people’s reaction to the assassination?
A: Some people will ignorantly cheer on the destruction of their own nation because they have been sold a dream that the United States will bring them “democracy and liberty”, but if history is any indication that’s not how this works. It’s hard to believe that people can forget about the hundreds of thousands of deaths that resulted from the Iraq war, not to mention the devastating destruction because of the nonexistent weapons of mass destruction pretext. Even if a few dozen people went out yesterday and “danced in the streets” like Mike Pompeo mentioned in a tweet, that does not represent the entire Iraqi people. Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi said that the assassination of an Iraqi military commander is act of aggression against Iraq and the Iraqi people, and assassinating Iraqi and foreign figures on Iraqi soil is a flagrant violation of Iraqi sovereignty and a dangerous escalation.
Q: How would Americans react? Will that help Trump get re-elected in November?
A: An individual’s global political knowledge or lack thereof and their preferred news sources are easily ascertained by their reaction to this assassination operation. Some welcomed the news, rejoiced, and praised President Trump’s grave mistake. In their distorted view, the United States is the world police, protector of the planet (maybe even the galaxy), and the good guys. Critical thinkers however, question and read independent media, reject propagandists that garnered public support for all of the previous wars, and do not support Trump’s provocations. Trump campaigned on ending wars and advocated an America first policy. However, after unilaterally pulling out of the JCPOA in 2018 and reinstating harsh sanctions, tensions with Iran have increased. The only blessing in disguise could be quick deterioration in the upcoming days forcing US troops to leave Iraq and Syria, which could help his election. If we do go to war with Iran, the election will be the least of our worries.
US Army Sustains Heavy Casualties in Iran Missile Attacks
"Early estimates indicate heavy US casualties in Iran's missile attack," an informed IRGC Intelligence Department told FNA Wednesday morning.
"According to the reports sent by our sources in the region to this moment, at least 80 US arm personnel have been killed and around 200 others wounded," he said, adding that the wounded have been evacuated from Ein Al-Assad on choppers.
He further underlined the strategic importance of Ein Al-Assad airbase to the US, and mentioned that the military center provided backup for US army drones.
"Some 20 sensitive points of this base were struck by 15 missiles, resulting in the destruction of a considerable number of drones and helicopters," the source added, explaining that some of the targets have been destroyed in a single strike resulted from the high-explosive power of the warheads and serial explosions.
He reiterated that the US army was on high alert, but failed to show proper reaction.
The IRGC source further cautioned that "a sum of 104 sensitive US positions in the region have been identified to immediately come under raid as soon as the Americans make the first mistake".
The IRGC Aerospace Force started heavy ballistic missile attacks on US Ein Al-Assad airbase in Southwestern Iraq near the border with Syria and a US operated airbase in Erbil in retaliation for the assassination of IRGC Qods Force Commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani.
Ein Al-Assad is an airbase with a 4km runway at 188m altitude from sea levels, which is the main and the largest US airbase in Iraq. Early reports said the radar systems and missile defense shields in Ein Al-Assad have failed to operate and intercept the Iranian missiles. Unofficial reports said the US army's central radar systems at Ein Al-Assad had been jammed by electronic warfare.
The second IRGC reprisal attack targeted a US military base near Erbil airport in Iraqi Kurdistan Region in the second leg of "Martyr Soleimani" reprisal operation.
All flights have been cancelled at Erbil airport.
Iraq said the attacks have not taken any toll from its army men stationed at these two bases. The US army had blocked entrance into Ein Al-Assad to everyone, including the Iraqi army.
This is the first direct attack on the US army ever since world war two.
IRGC officials said none of the missiles had been intercepted.
Following the attack, the IRGC issued a statement immediately after the attacks, declaring that it has fired tens of ground-to-ground missiles at "the airbase occupied by the terrorist and aggressive army of the United States known as Ein Al-Assad" in reprisal for the martyrdom of IRGC Qods Force Commaner Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani.
The IRGC warned the US to avoid retaliating the Wednesday attack or else "it will face a more painful and crushing response".
The IRGC Statement also warned "all the US allied states where the terrorist army has a base, any territory that becomes the origin of any hostile and aggressive action against the Islamic Republic of Iran in any way will be targeted".
"We believe that the Zionist regime by no means stands aside from the criminal US regime in these crimes."
The IRGC also called on the American nation to pressure the White House to pull their troops out of the region to avoid further damage and not allow the US rulers to endager the lives of their military men through increasing hatred.
All Iranian underground missile towns are on alert.
The missile attack came hours before the body of General Soleimani was laid to rest.
Lieutenant General Soleimani was martyred in a targeted assassination attack by the US drones at Baghdad International Airport early on Friday morning.
The airstrike also martyred Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), or Hashad al-Shaabi. The two were martyred in an American airstrike that targeted their vehicle on the road to the airport.
Five Iranian and five Iraqi militaries were martyred by missiles fired by the US drone at Baghdad International Airport.
The attack came amid tensions that started by the US attack on PMF units that killed 28 Iraqi popular forces. A day later, Iraqi people attacked the US embassy in Baghdad.
The targeted assassination attack represents a dramatic escalation by the US toward Iran after months of tensions. The tensions take root in Trump’s decision in May 2018 to withdraw the US from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers, struck under his predecessor.
Leader: Military Reprisal Not Enough, US Should Leave Region
"For the time being, the Americans have been given a slap, revenge is a different issue," the Leader stressed in his remarks on Wednesday.
"Military moves like this are not enough. The Americans' corruption-stirring presence should come to an end," he added.
He also praised both the Iranian and Iraqi parliaments' approvals in the last few days. The Iranian parliament approved a bill that designated the US as a terrorist organization and the Iraqi parliament approved a bill that requires the US army to leave the Arab country.
Earlier on Wednesday, the IRGC Aerospace Force launched heavy ballistic missile attacks on US Ein Al-Assad airbase in Southwestern Iraq near the border with Syria and a US operated airbase in Erbil in retaliation for the assassination of IRGC Qods Force Commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani.
Ein Al-Assad is an airbase with a 4km runway at 188m altitude from sea levels, which is the main and the largest US airbase in Iraq. Early reports said the radar systems and missile defense shields in Ein Al-Assad have failed to operate and intercept the Iranian missiles. Unofficial reports said the US army's central radar systems at Ein Al-Assad had been jammed by electronic warfare.
Some 80 US army personnel have been killed and nearly 200 more wounded in the missile attacks.
The second IRGC reprisal attack targeted a US military base near Erbil airport in Iraqi Kurdistan Region in the second leg of "Martyr Soleimani" reprisal operation.
All flights have been cancelled at Erbil airport.
Iraq said the attacks have not taken any toll from its army men stationed at these two bases. The US army had blocked entrance into Ein Al-Assad to everyone, including the Iraqi army.
This is the first direct attack on the US army ever since world war two.
IRGC officials said none of the missiles had been intercepted.
Following the attack, the IRGC issued a statement immediately after the attacks, declaring that it has fired tens of ground-to-ground missiles at "the airbase occupied by the terrorist and aggressive army of the United States known as Ein Al-Assad" in reprisal for the martyrdom of IRGC Qods Force Commaner Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani.
The IRGC warned the US to avoid retaliating the Wednesday attack or else "it will face a more painful and crushing response".
The IRGC Statement also warned "all the US allied states where the terrorist army has a base, any territory that becomes the origin of any hostile and aggressive action against the Islamic Republic of Iran in any way will be targeted".
"We believe that the Zionist regime by no means stands aside from the criminal US regime in these crimes."
The IRGC also called on the American nation to pressure the White House to pull their troops out of the region to avoid further damage and not allow the US rulers to endager the lives of their military men through increasing hatred.
All Iranian underground missile towns are on alert.
The missile attack came hours before the body of General Soleimani was laid to rest.
Lieutenant General Soleimani was martyred in a targeted assassination attack by the US drones at Baghdad International Airport early on Friday morning.
The airstrike also martyred Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), or Hashad al-Shaabi. The two were martyred in an American airstrike that targeted their vehicle on the road to the airport.
Five Iranian and five Iraqi militaries were martyred by missiles fired by the US drone at Baghdad International Airport.
The attack came amid tensions that started by the US attack on PMF units that killed 28 Iraqi popular forces. A day later, Iraqi people attacked the US embassy in Baghdad.
The targeted assassination attack represents a dramatic escalation by the US toward Iran after months of tensions. The tensions take root in Trump’s decision in May 2018 to withdraw the US from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers, struck under his predecessor.
UK rejects Trump's request to pull out of JCPOA
London, Jan 9 – The UK Government on Thursday rejected the request made by Donald Trump to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, saying that the agreement is of prime importance to London considering joint security.
Iran's cutting down its nuclear commitments has concerned the UK but the JCPOA is still a significant agreement to the joint security, UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office said.
It added that maintaining security could be achieved through diplomatic solutions in compliance with the commitments of the JCPOA and taking the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) into account.
Iranian cabinet in a statement on January 5 announced the country's decision to take the final remedial step to reduce commitments to the JCPOA.
The cabinet said that Iran will observe no restrictions in operational areas, including enrichment capacities, enrichment percentage, the volume of enriched material as well as research.
The cabinet further stated in its statement that as the fifth step to reduce its commitments, Iran will abandon the last key restriction in the operation field put up in the JCPOA literally "the limitations in the number of centrifuges".
Thus, it added, Iran's nuclear program will not face any kind of restrictions in such areas and will go on solely according to the country's technical needs.
However, the cabinet said that Iran will continue cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as before.
The cabinet made clear that Iran is ready to go back to its JCPOA commitments once the sanctions are removed and the country gets benefits from the nuclear deal.
According to the statement, the cabinet assigned the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) to take the necessary measures to this end in coordination with the Iranian President.
Zarif says beautiful arms do not rule world
Tehran, Jan 9 - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a message advised Trump that it is people who rule the world not the beautiful arms.
"My interview w/ CNN on sidelines of #TDF2020, before we carried out proportionate military response—delivering on our promise," Zarif wrote in his Twitter account.
"@realdonaldtrump has been fed disinformation," he added.
"Beautiful military equipment" do not rule the world: people do, he advised Trump.
"And people of our region want U.S. out," he reiterated.
Earlier addressing 'Tehran Dialogue Forum', Zarif stated on Tuesday that the end of the US malignant presence in West Asia has begun.
"The U.S. has proved, once again, to everybody, its total, blatant disregard for the Jus Cogens of the International Law as well as for universally-recognized rights and immunities," he added.
"This is the same schizophrenic approach that repugnantly threatens, in contravention of international law, to strike Iran’s cultural sites which are part of the shared human cultural and civilizational heritage," Zarif noted.
Lebanon terms General Soleimani assassination as crossing red lines
Beirut, Jan 8 – Speaker of the parliament of Lebanon Nabih Berri said the US crime in assassinating Iranian and Iraqi commanders was regarded as crossing red lines.
"The assassination of Quds Force Commander, Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, had "crossed all the red lines" and constituted a "dangerous escalation" that would "change the features of the regional conflict, which has dominated the region thus far," Lebanese media quoted Berri as saying.
Lieutenant General Soleimani who was the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps' (IRGC) Quds Force commander was assassinated by the US with the acting Commander of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), known as the Hashd al-Shaabi, Abu Mahdi Al-Mohandes, and eight other military forces with record of fighting the Daesh (ISIS) in Iraq.
The Supreme Leader has called for proportionate military action against the US interests in response to the heinous crime against the Iranian Commander on a diplomatic mission to Baghdad.
Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted the US airbase of Ain al-Assad in Al-Anbar province in western Iraq on Wednesday.
The IRGC said in a statement that it would release more details about the strike.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei commented on the martyrdom of the great commander of the IRGC's Quds Forces and said harsh and severe revenge is awaiting the criminals.
Earlier, Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN Majid Takht Ravanchi in a letter to the UN Secretary-General António Guterres underlined Iran right to self-defense against any threat.
"In conformity with international law and in exercising its inherent right to self-defense, Iran will take all necessary and proportionate measures against any threat or use of force," Takht Ravanchi said in his letter.
Iran’s “slap” on US face
Tehran, Jan 9, Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) made a strong move on Wednesday morning and hit a big air base of a country whose president claims its military power is “by far” the strongest in the world.
The attack took place in reaction to the United States’ President Donald Trump’s directive to assassinate Iranian General Lieutenant-General Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad on Friday. Nine other military men with records of fighting ISIS, al-Qaeda 7 al-Nusra, including Abu Mahdi al-Mohadis, the commander of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), were killed. General Soleimani helped Syria and Iraq to eradicate the US-made terror group of Daesh (ISIS).
Soon after the incident, Trump claimed responsibility for the US extrajudicial terror attack.
Iranian people took to the streets in millions and chanted “Revenge,” and “Death to US” and “Death to Israel,” which showed that the late general was uniquely popular. The Iranian and the Iraqis embraced and welcomed their national heroes in funeral processions that went on for five days.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamanei, President Hassan Rouhani, and all the military commanders vowed “severe revenge” and to finally make the US forces leave West Asia. Hearing the cry of revenge, the Israeli prime minister said he has no idea what the US was supposed to do and the US president threatened if Iran makes a move, he will destroy 52 Iranian cultural sites.
His rash response was followed by a huge wave of criticism both inside and outside the US. But he insisted on that. Also, some other White House officials, maybe just out of loyalty, supported his remarks despite knowing that hitting cultural centers is, according to the international laws, a war crime. Trump’s words reminded many of what the ISIS did to Palmyra in Syria.
But finally, on Wednesday morning exactly at the hour General Soleimani was assassinated by the US, i.e. 1:20 a.m., Iran’s IRGC targeted Ain al-Assad Air Base in west of Baghdad with 17 missiles, which was the top news of almost all news agencies in the world. The missiles flew over two other US bases without being detected.
No US bases were attacked in the past 78 years.
Minutes after that the IRGC in a statement said that they have targeted the air base and said that if America makes another move, the retaliation would be far stronger than the first one. Also on Wednesday morning Ayatollah Khamenei called the attack “just a slap.”
Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif wrote in his Twitter account, "Iran took & concluded proportionate measures in self-defense under Article 51 of UN Charter targeting base from which cowardly armed attack against our citizens & senior officials were launched."
"We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression."
About 10 hours after the attack, Trump appeared in front of the press and issued a statement in a somber tone. He said that America is not going to take any more military moves and that the IRGC attacks has had no casualties. Though, he insisted to call Iran and General Soliemani terrorists. He defaulted on all his words and threats, which is worthy of attention.
He no longer had his usual Pharaoh-like arrogance. "The fact that we have this great military and equipment, however, does not mean we have to use it," Trump said. "We do not want to use it. American strength, both military and economic, is the best deterrent."
Now, the world is facing two totally different stories. Some media have said that about 80 American soldiers have been killed and more than 200 were injured in Iranian reciprocal action against two US airbases in Iraq, but now, the man who has received the hard blow, says there were no casualties.
What does Iran say about its attack? The IRGC did not, either before or after the attack, talk about casualties and killing soldiers. They just insisted on their goal as retaliation which is to kick the US out of the region.
In any case, as it turns out, Iran has the upper hand now.
Commemoration of Martyr Soleimani at Arak Church of the Holy Mesrop
Lieutenant General Qasem Soleimani, the commander of Quds Force of Iran's IRGC and Abu Mahdi Al-Mohandes, the acting commander of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) were in separate cars at Baghdad airport when the US carried out targeted airstrike to assassinate them on Friday morning. The Commemoration ceremony of Martyr Soleimani was held after the New Year prayer at Arak Church of the Holy Mesrop.
Any other aggression by US to receive crushing response: Iran’s government spokesman
Iran’s government spokesman, Ali Rabiei stressed on Wednesday that the country has never wanted war but any other aggression by the US will receive a crushing response.
Mention Iran’s severe revenge on American terrorists at the Ain al-Assad base in Iraq in retaliation for the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani, Rabiei wrote on his official Twitter account, “We thank the IRGC’ successful operation. It was a legitimate response to where the attack on General Soleimani was made”.
“We have never looked for war but any other aggression will receive a crushing response,” he added.
