hasania
60 million people to receive COVID-16 vaccine in 4 phases: President Rouhani
Iran’s President described it necessary to avoid gatherings and strictly follow health protocols in the process of fighting COVID-19 in the country, and expressed satisfaction with the 80% decrease in the number of hospitalizations and 70% decrease in the death rate.
Speaking on Saturday at the meeting of the National Task Force Against Coronavirus, President Hassan Rouhani said, "We are announcing the status of the yellow zones where the number of positive patients are 2 per 100,000 people as blue zones, and all businesses in these areas will operate”.
At the same time, the President called for the stabilisation of the current situation and preventive measures to prevent the fourth wave of the disease, and said, "It is important to observe a series of protocols to maintain this situation”.
Stating that avoiding gatherings and strictly following health protocols are essential in fighting COVID-19, Dr. Rouhani said, "If we have to place strict restrictions once again, it will naturally make problems for many people and businesses and I hope that all people help so that we do not have to do so”.
He continued, "Despite the wild spread of coronavirus in some parts of the world, the trend in Iran has been declining with the implementation of protocols and observance of health protocols by the people”.
Referring to people’s right to be vaccinated, he also said that quick access to the vaccine and obtaining it is one of the serious demands of the people, and added, "The government has taken all the necessary measures to produce a vaccine domestically and to buy a safe foreign vaccine”.
“Due to the problems caused by the cruel and illegal sanctions, we were busy transferring money for supplying foreign vaccines for one month to 40 days,” he said.
The President also referred to the vaccination document, and said, "Vaccination document of 60 million people has been prepared in 4 phases with specific priorities”.
Stating that, "We will not put people to the test of foreign vaccines,” the President said, "The Ministry of Health did not accept the foreign vaccine and did not let people to be tested by the companies, and I assure people that this has never happened and will not happen”.
“Of course, people should bear this in mind that even when the vaccine arrives and the vaccination is done, it does not mean permission to abandon health protocols, and all protocols, including using masks and observing physical distancing, must be done for at least several months later," he said.
IRGC unveils underground missile base in Persian Gulf
Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Hossein Salami has unveiled an underground missile base of the IRGC Navy in the coasts of Persian Gulf.
In his visit to the missile base, General Salami was accompanied by IRGC Navy Commander Brigadier General Alireza Tangsiri.
Speaking on the sidelines of the visit to the units and missile systems deployed in the base, General Salami the base is one of the several bases housing the Navy’s strategic missiles.
“These missiles have ranges of hundreds of kilometres, enjoy pinpoint accuracy and huge destruction power, and can overcome the enemy’s electronic warfare equipment.
He said the IRGC Navy’s missiles are among the world’s most advanced missiles used in coast-to-sea, air-to-air, air-to-sea, and sea-to-air battles.
He made it clear that the country is going to reinforce its power in order to defend its territorial integrity, IFP reported.
The West is obliged to lift the sanctions against Iran immediately
Imam Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, delivered a televised speech on the anniversary of the people of Qom’s uprising against the oppressive Pahlavi regime. Imam Khamenei used to address the whole nation on the anniversary of the January 8, 1978 (19th of Dey) uprising, in the presence of thousands of people from Qom in the Hussainiyah of Imam Khomeini. However, due to Covid-19 restrictions, His Eminence addressed the nation via a televised speech this year.
On the anniversary of the historic uprising of the people of Qom, which took place on the 19th of Dey in the year 1356 [January 8, 1978], Imam Khamenei addressed the nation in a televised speech saying, “Western countries and our enemies are obliged to stop this malicious move immediately – the imposition of sanctions – against the Iranian nation. This is their duty. This is grave, unreasonable enmity to the Iranian nation. They are showing hostility toward the Iranian nation, not just toward the system of the Islamic Republic and its government. It is their duty to immediately put an end to this move.”
The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution stated that western countries should immediately lift the sanctions against the Iranian nation. He said, “When the other side fails to honor all of its commitments, there is no reason for Iran to honor all its own commitments.”
His Eminence reiterated that Iran should develop its economy in such a way that the country can be well managed despite the existence of sanctions, “I have repeated this time and time again, and I wish to repeat it one more time. We should assume that sanctions will not be lifted. Of course, the effects of sanctions are gradually diminishing, but we should suppose that they will remain. Therefore, we should formulate plans for the economy of the country in such a way that we will not be faced with any difficulties even if sanctions continue and even if the enemy continues to play these games.”
Highlighting the importance of the 19th of Dey uprising, he stated, “The 19th of Dey can be described as the first Ibrahim-like blow to the body of the great idol. It was the first blow delivered to the great idol – the US – by the people of Qom, and it continued after that.”
Pointing to recent developments in the US, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution stated, “Just look at the present situation in the US to see in what state that great idol is at the present time. Such is the state of their democracy! Such is their election fiasco! This is their human rights! In accordance with American human rights, every few hours or every few days, a black American is murdered on the streets without any reason and without any crime. And the murderer is not legally pursued in any way.”
Referring to how American values are ridiculed throughout the world, even by their allies, Imam Khamenei stated, “And such is the state of their crippled economy. The US economy is crippled in the true sense of the world. There are tens of millions of unemployed people who suffer from hunger and homelessness. Such is the current situation in the US.”
Elsewhere in his statements, Imam Khamenei referred to US plots in the region by saying, “The US believes its interests lie in creating instability in the region. They state this openly.”
His Eminence added, “In the year 1388 [2009], the US wished to create instability in Iran, and now this has happened to themselves this year, in 1399 [2020]. In that year, they wished to do in Iran what has happened in Washington – in particular, the events taking place the day before yesterday. Certain individuals poured into the US Congress, and as a result, they had to evacuate the members of Congress through secret passageways.”
Iran’s active presence in the region was another matter that the Supreme Leader of Iran discussed in his televised speech, “The front of Arrogance keeps questioning Iran’s presence in the region. However, the Islamic Republic has the duty to behave in such a way as to strengthen its friends and supporters in the region.”
He also added, “Our presence leads to stability. It has been proven that the Islamic Republic’s presence in the region helps to eliminate the causes of instability, such as: the issue of the DAESH in Iraq, various matters in Syria and the like. However, I do not want to enter into these details now. Those who are involved in these matters are perfectly aware of this. Therefore, our presence in the region is a definite matter, which should and will continue.”
The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution described Iran’s military capability and missile strength as another long-standing point of conflict between the Islamic Republic and the Arrogant Powers, “The Islamic Republic does not have the right to develop the country’s defensive capability so that incompetent individuals, such as Saddam Hussein, will be able to bombard and drop their missiles on Tehran, and their MiG-25 fighter planes can fly over Tehran while we are not able to do anything. This happened during the Imposed War and we did not have sufficient facilities.”
Imam Khamenei went on to say, “Today, our defensive power is such that our enemies have no choice but to consider Iran’s capabilities in their calculations. When the Islamic Republic’s missiles are capable of striking a US drone flying in Iranian airspace, and when Iranian missiles are able to shatter the Ayn al-Asad Airbase, then the enemy has no choice but to take into account our country’s power when making military decisions.”
On the issue of the JCPOA, His Eminence emphasized, “Nowadays, they talk about the US returning to the JCPOA. However, we do not insist on this at all and we are in no rush for the US to return to the JCPOA. This is not the issue for us whether the US returns to the JCPOA or not. If the sanctions are not lifted, then the US’s return to the JCPOA might even be to our disadvantage. Not only will it not be to our advantage, it will also be to our disadvantage.”
Welcoming the decision made by the Islamic Consultative Assembly and the Iranian government about withdrawing from part of the JCPOA commitments, Imam Khamenei stressed, “It is a correct decision. It is a completely reasonable, logical, acceptable decision. When almost all of the other side’s commitments in the JCPOA are not honored, it does not make sense for the Islamic Republic to honor all its commitments. That is why since a while ago, they are gradually withdrawing from some of our commitments. And recently too, they have withdrawn from some others. Of course, if they return to their commitments, we will return to ours as well.”
At the end of his statements, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution said the Iranian Corona vaccine is a source of pride. He stated, “It is a source of dignity and pride for the country. Of course, they are working on the Corona vaccine in different ways. But in one case, they are testing a vaccine on human beings and it has proven to be successful.”
He went on to say, “Importing American or English vaccines to the country is prohibited. I have said this to the officials, and I am now announcing this publicly. If the Americans had been able to produce a vaccine, this Corona disaster would not have occurred in their own country. A few days ago, there were 4,000 deaths in their country in one day. If they know how to make a vaccine, and if their Pfizer factory knows how to produce one, they can use it for themselves so that there won’t be so many deaths there. The same is true of England. They are not trustworthy or reliable. I don’t know, perhaps they wish to test a vaccine on other nations to see if it works or not. And of course, I do not trust the French either. The reason is their history in giving us contaminated blood [France’s HIV-tainted blood supplies].”
Severe And Certain Revenge
وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنْ ذُكِّرَ بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِ ثُمَّ أَعْرَضَ عَنْهَا ۚ إِنَّا مِنَ الْمُجْرِمِينَ مُنْتَقِمُونَ
And who does more wrong than one to whom are recited the Signs of his Lord, and who then turns away therefrom? Verily from those who transgress We shall exact (due) Retribution.
The Great Divide!
By Marzieh Hashemi
On Wednesday, the Capitol of the United States was occupied by supporters of President Donald Trump. To understand what took place on Wednesday, the 6th of January, 2021 in Washington, D.C., will help one to understand the history of the country. The event epitomizes a nation, which was built and has thrived on privilege for some and sacrifice and death for others. One may ask, how does an event like the taking over of the Capitol relate to the racist roots of the United States? The answer is multifaceted.
Let’s start off by looking at the reason Congress was even in session. The body was there to verify the votes of the Electoral College. Why does the Electoral College even exist? Why can’t the American people directly vote for their president? Why does a select few individuals get to decide the vote of over 150 million people who casted their ballots this time around? 538 electors, the elite, actually decide who the president will be, not the average American.
The creation of the Electoral College process came about in 1787, during the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Representatives at this meeting wanted to derive a political process on how the president would be chosen. They did not trust the ability of the public to have the sophistication or information to be able to elect the president directly. They derived a system, which would appoint electors from each state to actually decide who the president would be. There was one other problem though. Northerners had a larger population, thus southerners felt they would be at a political disadvantage. The south had a large population also, but forty percent of their population was Black people, who were slaves and were not counted as human beings, thus could not be represented. Southerners wanted to create a way where they could have more political clout, but at the same time not enfranchise Black people. Thus, the Three-Fifths Compromise was agreed upon by both sides. This is a clause in the Constitution, which states that enslaved Black people could be counted as three-fifths of a human being! Thus, the south could use Blacks to gain more political power, without even giving them the right to vote or any rights at all for that matter. After much debate over many issues, the two sides agreed to the Electoral College system, along with the Three-Fifths Compromise.
Let’s fast forward to the present, where that same system is in place and the reason for the Congressional meeting on Wednesday was to certify the vote of the electors. The inequitable roots of this process were laid centuries ago and continue to reiterate the importance of the elite and the concept of exceptionalism in the US’s political system.
Due to the feeling of "being exceptional" that is part of the DNA of many White Americans, we witnessed the other part of this extraordinary event which took place at the Capitol. Remember, the first part was the elite continuing to try to safeguard an inequitable system and the second part focuses on the White Americans who think that they too are part of the elite. They are privileged, which could be seen by the way they were able to occupy the Capitol, without a shot being fired, but they are not part of the elite or the one percent. In the United States, with one of the most well-armed and aggressive police forces in the world, people were able to breach the security of the Capitol, while Congress was in session with basically nothing happening to them. Whereas, we have seen that for some Black Americans, simply carrying a phone or sleeping in one’s own bed can be fatal when encountered by police.
This is the story of the United States. There are a few different Americas. There is the US for the elite and for others. There is the US for Whites and non-Whites. There is the US, where the people really feel that they are exceptional at home and abroad. And there is the US that the people know not only are they not exceptional, but that they can easily become the target of others. The United States is once again at a crossroads with its race struggles. The difference between being Black and White in the US was quite clear on Wednesday at the Capitol for those who want to see. And class struggles were also illuminated with one group, created to protect the interests of the one percent and the other feeling they are no longer properly represented. There are those individuals in power whose interest is just to protect the empire because their personal interests are deeply intertwined with doing that. And to be fair, these individuals come in all races, just as long as the goal of the empire is protected. And there are others who really believe in the concept that the United States is simply trying to spread good at home and abroad! Either way, both these groups are the products of exceptionalism, in thinking that they know better and can decide for others. Whether it is the one percent making a decision for the other 99 percent of Americans or it is the US thinking it knows best for the rest of the world, both perspectives are based on hegemonic perspectives and both concepts are not only dangerous for their own country, but for the rest of the world.
Will this country make a change? Will the dynamics of power transition in this country? Remember, this is a country where billionaires can be proud of making unprecedented profits, during a pandemic, when millions of Americans have lost their jobs. And this is a country where a White man, taking over the US Capitol, can feel safer than a Black woman at home, sleeping in her own bed. Yes, America is at a crossroads, but it is not the first time. And it is unlikely that the pendulum of real power and real change will take place via an election process that has been originally designed to ensure that the elite are empowered and others should simply work to protect the capital of the one percent. And that the majority of Black Americans should remain at the bottom of the political and economic spheres of society. This is the story of the United States, a country that is anything, but united!
Imam Khamenei's speech on the anniv. of the uprising in Qom
This speech will be broadcast live on TV on IRIB1 and IRNN as well as on Iranian radio at 11:00 AM, Iran time on Friday, January 8, 2021.
The speech of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution on the anniversary of the uprising on January 8, 1978 (19th of Dey), was held every year in the presence of thousands of people from Qom in the Hussainiyah of Imam Khomeini in the past. But it will be a televised broadcast this year without other people being present due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
A blow to the bogus majesty of the US
Iran shattered the American base with its missiles and trampled on the awe and reputation of that tyrannical, arrogant government.
Imam Khamenei, [January 17, 2020]
Legal ways to pursue assassination of Gen. Soleimani at Int'l. level
The assassination of Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, the high-ranking military official of the Islamic Republic of Iran, on January 3rd, 2020 in a drone strike by the direct order of the President of the United States is subject to legal prosecution from different aspects. The following Op-Ed, published by Khamenei.ir, attempts to analyze the possible legal means and approaches in this regard.
On 3 January 2020, the United States drone strike near Baghdad International Airport targeted and martyred one of Iran’s highest-ranking military officials, Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, and a number of his companions. A few hours later, Pentagon took the responsibility: “The strike was carried out on the orders of the president and aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans” the Pentagon statement said. The main argument put forward by the U.S. for the assassination of Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, which was also stipulated in the government’s letter sent to the UN Security Council, is that they did this within the doctrine of legitimate defense.
1. U.S.’s strike is against the provisions of legitimate defense
The United States resorted to legitimate defense to justify the assassination of Maj. Gen. Soleimani, while before the strike there has been no evidence of an attack represented by Iran. Therefore, resorting to anticipatory self-defense against an imminent or actual armed attack would not be admissible. In fact, article 51 of the U.N. Charter considers an actual armed attack as a precondition for exercising the right of legitimate defense.
Even if we could accept the U.S.’s claim of resorting to the right of legitimate defense, it did not have the right to target another country’s official regardless of the three essential elements of legitimate defense, namely “proportionality,” “imminence,” and “necessity”. Moreover, taking defensive military action of any kind should be planned against the tools and means by which the imminent attack is going to be carried out. However, Iraq’s Prime Minister revealed that he was due to be meeting Qasem Soleimani as an official representative carrying a message from Iran.
Besides, the U.S. government has so far not provided any evidence of Iran's, in particular Soleimani’s, alleged role in sponsoring the attacks on the US diplomatic and consular offices, as well as the planning of an imminent attack.[1] Even the official report to the Congress justifying the killing by Trump administration “directly contradicts” President Donald Trump’s first claim of why he ordered the attack. “The administration’s explanation in this report makes no mention of any imminent threat and shows that the justification the President offered to the American people was false, plain and simple,” the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said.[2]
2. U.S.’s attack and the ‘use of force’ principle
According to the principle of ‘use of force by states’ controlled by both customary international law and by treaty law, the assassination of Gen. Soleimani by the U.S. is unlawful. This is evident since the strike violates the ‘use of force’ as stipulated in U.N. Charter and there is no path to justify it by any of the authorized exceptions. It is clear that the US strike was not supported by any decision of the Security Council and also lacked the necessary conditions to be defended in terms of the legitimate defense. That is, there had been no armed attack by Iran, and the US claim of an imminent attack has not been substantiated to justify preemptive legitimate self-defense.
3. U.S. action; violation of the 2008 bilateral security agreement with Iraq
According to article 4 of the US-Iraq security agreement, all military operations conducted under this agreement must have the Iraqi government’s consent and, in compliance with the constitution as well as other relevant laws of the country, it must not lead to a violation of Iraqi sovereignty and national interests. In an official letter to the Security Council, the Iraqi government described the US move as a violation of its sovereignty and of the terms of the 2008 agreement.[3] Additionally, according to article 27 of the agreement, Iraq’s land and air borders should not be exploited to commence a war against other countries, which makes the U.S. action a flagrant violation of the agreement. Also, according to this agreement and as stipulated by the declaration defining aggression and the Rome Statute of the ICC, the action of the United States is qualified as an act of “aggression”.
4. Legal capacities and remedies to pursue assassination of Gen. Soleimani at international level
A) Lodging a complaint in the international court of justice
The International Court of Justice is considered to be the most important international judicial organization in resolving disputes between states. However, the statute of the Court makes the adjudication of international disputes conditional on the consent of States to refer their disputes to this international judicial authority. According to the International Court of Justice, the consent of States may be granted through different conditions such as referring to the Court under a treaty or implicit acceptance of the Court's jurisdiction by appearing and giving substantive response to the litigation. The treaty under which Iran, Iraq, and the United States have accepted the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice is the New York Convention (1973) on the prevention and punishment of crimes against internationally protected persons. In accordance with paragraph ‘b’ of article 1 of this convention, any representative or official of a State or any official or other agent of an international organization of an intergovernmental character shall be regarded as “internationally protected person”. Therefore, Gen. Soleimani, who was an Iranian official and an envoy of the country and who had attended Iraq with the permission and at the invitation of the Iraqi authorities, is an internationally protected person based on this convention. He and those who accompany him, in view of article 2 of the treaty, have been subjected to “murder” and “violent attacks”.
Article 13 of the New York Convention provides a three-step mechanism to resolve disputes arising from the interpretation or implementation of the convention, the stages of which are in order. Under this regulation, any dispute between two or more States Parties concerning the interpretation or application of this Convention which is not settled by negotiation shall, at the request of one of them, be submitted to arbitration. If within six months from the date of the request for arbitration the parties are unable to agree on the organization of the arbitration, any one of those parties may refer the dispute to the International Court of Justice by request in conformity with the Statute of the Court. The Court states that in this Convention, the condition of referring to diplomacy before referring to the Court has a descriptive character, and as soon as it becomes clear that the disputes are not satisfactorily resolved through diplomacy, it is sufficient for the Court's jurisdiction and it can consider the US government's international responsibility for the assassination of Soleimani. Therefore, Iran can use the capacity of the International Court of Justice to pursue the case of Gen. Soleimani.
B) Referring to human rights organizations
The first reactions in condemning the assassination of Gen. Soleimani were made by a number of human rights organizations, which considered this action a violation of the "right to life" and personal security. Among others, Agnes Callamard, the United Nations’s special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary killings, called the U.S. move a violation of international law.[4] The UN Charter has established institutions to monitor the implementation of human rights by governments, one of which is the Human Rights Council. This institution employs various mechanisms to ensure the implementation of human rights by governments, among which is direct complaints from individuals, citizens of countries, etc. The families of the victims can file a complaint with the Human Rights Council.
C) Countermeasure
Countermeasure means the unilateral action of the aggrieved country in response to the violation of its rights as a result of the wrongful act of another state and is used with the aim of forcing the wrongdoing state to stop or compensate for the aggrieved state. Given that the US assassination of Gen. Soleimani and his companions was a clear violation of its international obligations with regard to Iraq and Iran, the two governments could resort to countermeasures, and this could not violate the law prohibiting the use of force. In addition, the countermeasure must be commensurate with the injury suffered, taking into account the rights in question. The Iraqi Parliament's resolution to oust U.S. troops could be interpreted as a form of countermeasure, and of course, reprisals can be undertaken by the Iranian government against this terrorist act.
The assassination of the great Iranian and Iraqi military commander, Gen. Soleimani and
Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, serves as an irrefutable proof for the US’s despotic and irrational approach regarding international laws and relations, and the international community. Legal and judicial inaction towards such crimes and international lawlessness can have serious consequences for the global community.
[1] https://www.trtworld.com/middle-east/un-expert-says-us-killing-of-soleimani-unlawful-37939
[2] https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/14/trump-administration-issues-report-on-soleimani-killing.html
[3] https://apnews.com/article/c4edd3820a971b78394df101952383f1
[4] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/7/12/qa-uns-agnes-callamard-on-drone-strike-that-killed-soleimani
Avenging the murder of General Soleimani is certain
In this meeting that was held today, Wednesday morning, Imam Khamenei - the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran – stated that Martyr Soleimani is a hero of the Iranian nation and the Islamic Ummah, and he said, “The unforgettable funerals of Martyrs Soleimani and Abu Mahdi in Iraq and Iran, which were attended by millions, were the first severe slap to the U.S. However, the more severe slaps to come are “expelling the U.S. from the region” and “subduing the shallow dominion of the Front of Arrogance.”
The Supreme Leader pointed out, “Of course, revenge will be taken on those who ordered the murder and those who carried it out, and this revenge will certainly be taken at the right time.”
Addressing the Iranian officials and nation, Imam Khamenei offered four important pieces of advice, “Be strong in all fields, do not trust the enemy, preserve national unity, and more than thinking about removing the sanctions work on nullifying them.”
His Eminence described the martyrdom of General Soleimani as a historic incident that turned him into a national hero for Iranians as well as the Islamic nation. He went on to say, “Martyr Soleimani was the manifestation of Iranians and Iran’s cultural values.”
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution defined "courage and resistance" as being two of Martyr Soleimani’s outstanding features.
Imam Khamenei stated that the collection of these Iranian traits and morale that were manifested in Martyr Soleimani - which he displayed in practice in the region’s countries – had paved the way for this martyr to become a hero for the Iranian nation. He explained, “Martyr Soleimani, on the other hand, also became a hero for the Islamic nation. Because this dear man’s efforts, qualities, and martyrdom are the code name for the awakening and mobilization of Resistance in the Islamic world. Wherever there is a base of Resistance against the Front of Arrogance, their code name is ‘Martyr Soleimani.’"
The Supreme Leader went on to state, “Martyr Soleimani promoted the soft power of Resistance and the model of struggle among Islamic nations.”
Stressing that Martyr Soleimani defeated the Front of Arrogance both during his lifetime and with his martyrdom, Imam Khamenei said, “The President of the United States admitted that they spent seven trillion dollars in the region and failed to achieve anything. Eventually, he had to visit a U.S. military base in Iraq in the dark of the night and that only for a few hours. The whole world realizes that the United States has not achieved its goals in Syria, and especially not in Iraq.”
His Eminence said, “General Soleimani is the champion of this major task which was done during his lifetime.”
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution pointed out that the enemy was defeated even after the martyrdom of General Soleimani and he explained, “The unforgettable funerals attended by millions for Martyrs Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in Iraq and Iran in addition to the commemoration ceremonies of these two Martyrs astonished the generals of the Arrogant Powers’ soft war. It was the first severe slap to the face of the U.S.”
Imam Khamenei pointed out that another slap to the face of the U.S. was the missile attack on the U.S. Ain al-Assad military base and stated, “The yet more severe slaps to come are subduing the shallow dominion of the Front of Arrogance, which requires the efforts of our revolutionary youth and faithful elites, as well as expelling the U.S. from the region, which requires the efforts of all nations and all policies of the Resistance.”
Imam Khamenei emphasized, "Of course, these severe slaps are different from taking revenge. Because revenge must be taken on those who ordered the murder of General Soleimani as well as those who did it. And this revenge will certainly be taken at the right time; although, as a dear one said, 'Soleimani's shoe is more valuable than the head of his murderer.'"
Elsewhere in his statements, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution made some important recommendations to the officials and the people of Iran. As his first recommendation, Imam Khamenei stated, “We must be strong in all areas, including economics, science, technology, and defense. Because the enemies will not give up their greed, aggression, and invasions until we become strong.”
In his second recommendation, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said, “I strongly advise that you do not trust the enemy. Do not trust any of their promises regarding solving the problems of the people and the future of the country.”
Imam Khamenei reminded his audience. “You saw what the U.S. did to you under Trump and what they did under Obama. The hostilities are not particular to Trump's America for this to end when he leaves office. Obama's America was also malicious to you and the Iranian nation.”
Imam Khamenei also pointed out, “The three European countries too have displayed a total lack of commitment and extreme malice, duplicity, and hypocrisy.”
Referring to the sanctions against Iran, the Supreme Leader held, “The lifting of sanctions is in the hands of the enemy, but nullifying them is in our hands. Thus, we need to focus more on nullifying them than on having them lifted.”
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution added, “Of course, we do not mean that we should not seek to have the sanctions lifted, because if the sanctions can be lifted, we should not hesitate for even an hour. However, this has been delayed for four years now. Since 2016 when all sanctions were supposed to be lifted at once, not only have they not been lifted, they have even increased.”
As a final point, Imam Khamenei told his audience, “If the sanctions can be lifted in a correct, wise, Iranian-Islamic, and dignified manner, this should be done. But our main focus should be on neutralizing the sanctions, and the initiative for this is in your hands."
Will UAE back Israeli plan to destroy UNRWA?
The UN agency UNRWA provides for health, education and other basic needs of millions of Palestinian refugees barred from returning home by Israel because they are not Jewish.
APA imagesThe United Arab Emirates may be backing an Israeli plan to close UNRWA, the UN agency that meets the health, education and other basic needs of millions of Palestinian refugees.
Emirati officials are considering “a plan of action aimed at making UNRWA progressively disappear, without conditioning this on any resolution of the problem of the refugees,” France’s Le Monde newspaper reported last week.
This would help Israel achieve its longstanding goal of liquidating the rights of Palestinian refugees altogether.
Israel believes the existence of UNRWA keeps alive the question of Palestinian refugees who were ethnically cleansed from their homes by Zionist militias before and after Israel was founded in 1948.
Since then, Israel has barred Palestinian refugees from returning home solely on the racist grounds that they are not Jewish.
“UNRWA is an organization that perpetuates the problem of the Palestinian refugees,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said.
“It also perpetuates the narrative of the so-called ‘right of return’ with the aim of eliminating the State of Israel, and therefore UNRWA must disappear,” Netanyahu added.
Perverse logic
UNRWA exists because refugees are denied their rights, and their basic humanitarian needs must be met until those rights are respected.
The perverse logic of the Israeli position is like saying that since hospitals are full of sick people, the way to eliminate sickness is to close all hospitals.
Yet Israel hopes that by destroying UNRWA, it can further reduce the visibility of Palestinian refugees on the international agenda and is no doubt recruiting Arab allies to its cause.
It was with the same logic in mind that the Trump administration eliminated all US funding for UNRWA in 2018.
The Trump administration’s “peace” plan also calls for Palestinian refugees to be permanently deprived of their right to return home.
While other countries increased their contributions to UNRWA in the wake of US cuts, the agency has remained in a chronic financial crisis, now exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.
Le Monde says that the UAE’s foreign affairs minister Anwar Gargash did not respond to its request for comment but notes that the Gulf state all but eliminated its funding to UNRWA this year.
After providing UNRWA with nearly $52 million in 2019, the UAE government slashed its pledge for 2020 to just $1 million.
In 2019, Saudi Arabia, another pro-Israel Arab regime, drastically cut its support for UNRWA’s core programming budget to just $2 million, from $50 million a year earlier. In 2020, Saudi Arabia bumped its funding back up to $29 million – still well short of 2018 levels. It remains to be seen if these gyrations contain a political message.
Israeli military in UAE?
Meanwhile, according to Le Monde, the Emirates is eyeing even closer military integration with Israel.
Over the next few years, the UAE may seek to acquire Israel’s Iron Dome missile interception system to defend against a perceived threat from Iran.
“The question of the transfer of this technology will be raised in coming years,” said Hussein Ibish, an employee of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.
That think tank is funded by UAE and Saudi sources along with major oil firms and the weapons companies Raytheon and Lockheed Martin.
Iron Dome is made by Raytheon in partnership with the Israeli weapons company Rafael.
“The Israelis could demand in exchange the deployment of military advisers on the soil of the United Arab Emirates,” Ibish told Le Monde. “This way they would be right on the frontier with Iran.
By all appearances, the ultimate goal of the normalization deals between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and other Arab regimes is not “peace.” Instead, it is to transform these states into full economic, diplomatic and military outposts of Israel.
