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Iran Covid: Deaths and infections jump

COVID in Iran

The Sunday death toll was 13, the lowest in over two years.

According to the Health Ministry figures, 1,077 infections were also recorded in the past 24 hours. Sunday’s daily caseload was 528.

The total death toll from Covid is inching toward the 150 thousand mark.

Despite the jump in the deaths and infections, the Coronavirus downward trend is holding in Iran as during the worst of the pandemic, as many as 800 people died of the virus per day.

The decline in the deaths and infections has been attributed to Iran’s nationwide vaccination drive that has seen over 148 million doses of vaccine administered. Nearly 27 million people are also triple-vaxxed.

Iranian dubbing artist dies, aged 75

Shahla Nazerian

Nazerian was the wife of another great name in the Iranian dubbing art, late Hossein Erfani. Their daughter Mahsa Erfani confirmed her mother’s death, adding a funeral will be held for the late artist on Wednesday in Tehran’s Beheshte Zahra cemetery.

Nazerian dubbed many famous Iranian and foreign actresses during her professional career including Ingrid Bergman, Lauren Bacall, Sofia Loren, Diane Hall Keaton, Raquel Welch, Ann-Margret Olsson, Elizabeth Taylor, Sylva Koscina, and many others.

A memorable work of hers was her dubbing of Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca.

Nazerian also acted in the theater and also starred in TV series like “This house is Far Away” and “The Story of A City” as well as movies including “Naïve”, “Feather for Flying” and “Good Night, Stranger”.

Nazerian was 75 when she died.

Playing the Taar at Iran’s oldest religious edifice

“Dasht-e Majnoon” musical tableau

Farajnezhad has created “Dasht-e Majnoon” based on a poem by Hooshang Ebtehaj. The avaz was performed by Roham Khorshidvand and Alireza Nasirifard played the Daf and the Bendir.

The music video was also recorded at the ancient Chogha Zanbil complex.

Here is what Farajinezhad has said of the art piece in his notes:

Khuzestan was the reason for the start of ‘the Taar and History.’ A mysterious land. When I stepped on its soil, I relived my childhood memories. I had missed each of its towns and roads. Could one refer to Iran’s history and ignore the ancient [city of] Susa. This is Iran’s oldest religious edifice! The structure dates back to 1,250 years B.C. and was constructed to pay homage to the protector deity of Susa. This monument was the first Iranian heritage site registered by UNESCO.

Speaking of its grandeur is never enough! “Dasht-e Majnoon,” with a poem by Mr. Sayeh (shade), rose from our feelings by the side of this grand beauty.

Musical tableau has different definitions in different projects, but in “the Taar and History,” it refers to the music produced based on a phenomenon such as a monument or the history of a region at a specific location in order to tell the story of a certain part of the history in the language of music.

Iran removes metal fence from door of former presidential candidate’s house

Akhtar Alley Mir Hossein Mousavi

The Iranian Judiciary’s news agency Mizan said the other restrictions will remain in place with the aim of protecting Mir Hossein Mousavi and also preventing him from engaging in illegal activities.

Mousavi has been under house arrest since 2009 after he objected to the then presidential election results that saw his major rival Mahmoud Ahmadinejad win the vote.

Ahmadinejad secured over 63 percent of the votes and was re-elected for a second term in office.

Following his victory, Mousavi and the other defeated presidential candidate Mahdi Karroubi called on their supporters to take to the streets to protest what they called “widespread vote-rigging” by Ahmadinejad.

Dozens of people died in clashes with security forces during protests that lasted for several weeks.

Karroubi has also been under house arrest ever since.

Iran’s leader offers condolences over passing of Shia cleric’s wife

Iran’s leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei

In the message Ayatollah Khamenei wished divine mercy for Ayatollah Javadi Amoli’s wife.
Also earlier, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi expressed sorrow over the passing of Mrs. Sakineh Rouhi and extended his condolences to Ayatollah Javadi Amoli and his family.

Raisi described the cleric’s wife as a pious woman and wished her divine mercy.
Mrs. Rouhi passed on Sunday.

Ayatollah Javadi Amoli is a prominent Shia authority, that has many followers in Iran.

President Raisi congrats Iranian wrestlers on crowning in 2022 Asian championship

President Ebrahim Raisi

The Iranian president congratulated the whole Iranian nation on the victory of the Iranian wrestling team and thanked the efforts of the wrestlers, coaches and the country’s sports managers.

Raisi stated that bagging colorful medals in the Asian Freestyle Wrestling Championship brought joy and honor to all the Iranian people.

The national Iranian freestyle wrestling team grabbed six gold medals, a silver and a bronze one to rank first in the tournament.

Khatibzadeh: Latest round of Iran-Saudi talks ‘positive, progressive’

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh

“The talks were progressive and positive,” he said in his weekly presser with Iranian and foreign reporters.

Khatibzadeh also answered a question on whether there would be a meeting between foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia in the near future.

“We are not at that stage yet,” he said.

The spokesman also talked about the upcoming International Quds Day – marked on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan.

He said despite the plots by the Israeli regime, the public opinion of the Muslim world still considers the issue of Palestine as its topmost issue.

 

Khatibzadeh said the issue of Palestine is the main issue of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation and all freedom-seeking countries.

He said the “usurper” regime has made it a “tradition” to become “more blatant whenever its reveals its ties with certain countries”.

The spokesman also talked about the nuclear negotiations in Vienna, stressing that what is related to Iran, the European Union, Russia and China in the talks is already over and the coordinator for the talks on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is advancing what remains to be resolved between Iran and the United States.

“Iran and the EU believe that a lingered break does not help the talks and meetings should be renewed as soon as possible. What is important is that the talks have not been halted and are underway through the coordinator of the talks in Vienna,” he said.

Khatibzadeh also touched on the recent series of blasts in Afghanistan. He said the situation in Afghanistan, including the situation of all ethnic and religious groups, has been important for the Islamic Republic of Iran from the day one, stressing that the rulers of Afghanistan have been reminded of their responsibility with respect to all ethnicities and groups.

He said Iran “seriously regrets” the fact that the rulers have so far failed to restore the necessary security in certain areas.

“We are ready to share our experience in fighting such terrorist groups with the rulers of Afghanistan,” he said.

Nasrallah urges calm in Lebanon after boat capsizes off Tripoli

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah made the comment after a boat carrying dozens of illegal migrants capsized off the coastal city of Tripoli in southern Lebanon, killing fourteen people.
He called for an investigation into the incident and said everybody should join hands to this end and nobody should be allowed to drag Lebanon into strife.

The Hezbollah leader offered condolences to the families of the victims.

Nasrallah said those responsible for the ship wreck must be identified and punished.

The Lebanese army said the vessel left the Tripoli coast illegally and that naval forces crashed into the boat as the smuggler in charge tried to evade them.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Nasrallah condemned the brutal killing of people in the Afghan cities of Kunduz, Mazar-e-Sharif and Kabul.

He urged the audience he was addressing to commemorate the “oppressed Afghan brothers” killed in Afghanistan by the Daesh terror group.

Israel artillery targets south Lebanon

Israel artillery

According to Lebanon’s al-Mayadeen television network, the regime’s military struck an area between “Majdal Zone and the town of Zibqine” early Monday.

Some sources announced that Israel fired as many as 23 artillery shells towards Lebanon during the assault.

The Israeli regime and Lebanon are technically at war due to the former’s 1967-present occupation of the country’s Shebaa Farms.

Israel launched two wars against Lebanon in the 2000s. In both cases, it was forced to retreat after suffering a humiliating defeat at the hands of Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement.

Some hours before the attack, the Reuters news agency reported firing of “a projectile” from the direction of Lebanon towards the occupied territories. The projectile hit “an open area,” the agency added.

Biden to visit Israel in coming months, Iran in focus

President Joe Biden

In a readout of the call, the White House said Biden and Bennett also spoke about shared regional and global security issues, including “the threat Iran and its proxies present.”

The call comes as negotiations to revive the Iran Nuclear Deal continue in Vienna. Then-President Donald Trump pulled the US out of the landmark agreement in 2018.

Biden stated on the campaign trail that he is committed to reviving the deal, and negotiators have reported sporadic progress in recent months — though Iran continues to demand assurances that the next administration not renege on the deal.

Israel is against revitalizing the nuclear agreement, first established under President Barack Obama in 2015, because it believes it would only embolden Iran by dropping sanctions on Tehran.

The White House on Sunday announced Biden and Bennett “emphasized the strong personal bond they have developed since the Prime Minister’s visit to Washington last summer.”

“This personal relationship has animated the work of our diplomatic and national security teams, enabling both countries to arrive at common positions on difficult matters,” the White House added.

Biden during the call also asserted his support for Israel and continued US defense aid.

The House passed legislation in September to provide $1 billion for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system, despite some progressives objecting to the funding.

Additionally, the readout said Biden “took note of ongoing efforts between Israeli and Palestinian officials to lower tensions and ensure a peaceful conclusion to the holy season of Ramadan.”

Dozens of Palestinians, including journalists, were injured on Friday when Israeli forces entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem.

The readout did not mention Russia or Ukraine, despite the fact that Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine entered its third month on Sunday.

Israel has served as a quasi-mediator during the conflict, attempting to assist with diplomatic efforts, with Bennett visiting Moscow last month.