The funeral was held after the Friday prayers.
Colonel Ali Akbar Ranjbar was injured during a confrontation with a group of hooligans in Shiraz.
He later succumbed to his wound inflicted with a sword. A soldier was also injured in the clash.
The soldier’s injury is not life-threatening.
The suspect behind the policeman’s murder has been arrested. Authorities say he will soon be put on trial.
General Hossein Salami noted that even the US itself would not withstand such a sanctions regime but Iran did thanks to the prudence of the leader of the Islamic Revolution and the patience of the Iranian people.
Salami also said now the worst of the sanctions against Iran is over. He added that the enemies joined hands to defeat the Islamic Revolution.
Salami however underlined that now Iran’s adversaries are in retreat and they have conceded defeat in the fight against the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The general also referred to the Covid pandemic. He said Iran’s foes wanted to see the Islamic Republic buckle in the face of the disease but now the Coronavirus is exacting the highest casualties on the enemies themselves.
According to Salami, Iran is now powerful in the real sense of the word and is the only country in the world that does not let big powers decide its fate. The IRGC chief referred to a US general’s comments about Iran. He quoted him as saying Washington is trying to avoid a military confrontation with the Islamic Republic which is too powerful to defeat. Salam also said the Iranian people will not be demoralized by the psychological warfare of the enemies.
He however urged all Iranians most notably youths to be vigilant. Salami added that the adversaries do not just occupy territory but they seek to win people’s hearts.
Over 2 thousand hospitalizations were also logged, mostly at ICU wards. The figures also put the number of daily fatalities at 57.
The total death toll from the Coronavirus in Iran since the start of the pandemic stands at 132,681. Most of the infections and deaths are people who contracted the Omicron variant of the virus.
The strain is highly contagious and is spreading fast across Iran.
Iranian health officials are warning citizens to strictly observe health protocols to contain this new wave of Covid.
Omicron has already overwhelmed most of Europe and the entire United States where millions of cases of the variant have been registered.
Meanwhile, the vaccination process is continuing in Iran with the number of boosters administered crossing the 19 million mark. Authorities say if people get their third dose of vaccine, the current wave will subside.
Director of (Thermal Power Plants Holding Company) TPPH Steam Power Plant Projects Behnam Khaefi-Nejad told IRNA on Thursday that the Sirik power plant needs 73 million euros to continue operation in 2022; so, following consultations with Russians, the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation has agreed to open letter of credit (LC).
The Sirik power station is a 1,400-megawatt (MW) gas-fired power plant in Sirik county, Hormozgan Province, southern Iran.
Construction of the power plant kicked off from June 2021, he said, noting that the Russian government accepted to invest 6.2 billion euros in the project.
In accordance with pre-planned timeline, the first phase of the project will come into operation in spring 2025, he said.
The Russian Company Technopromexport has signed an agreement to invest up to 1.2 billion euros in the Sirik power plant.
The power plant is scheduled to consist of four units with the capacity of 350 MW in each unit. The total capacity of the Sirik power plant would be 1,400 MW. The first round of negotiations to construct the power plant started in 2017, but the construction operation began concurrent with opening of LC in June 2021.
Some seven Iranian companies are working in the project, employing 250 manpower directly and indirectly.
In recent meeting between Russian and Iranian economic ministers in Moscow, both sides reviewed current condition of joint projects, including Russia’s five billion dollars investment in Iran that is expected to expand bilateral economic exchanges.
Iran’s Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Ehsan Khandouzi emphasized on the need for speeding up construction of Sirik power plant, Garmsar-Inche Borun railway as well as three projects that were signed by former Iranian economic minister and his Russian counterpart.
A man of mystery
Al-Qurayshi was appointed leader of IS in 2019, after the terrorist group’s notorious boss, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed in a raid by US special forces ordered by then-President Donald Trump. Al-Qurayshi was said to be an Iraqi of Turkmen descent and reportedly served as an officer in Saddam Hussein’s army, joining Al-Qaeda after the US military toppled Saddam’s government in 2003.
After an unknown period of detention by the US in Iraq, al-Qurayshi disappeared into the jihadist underworld. It is assumed that al-Qurayshi pledged allegiance to the future IS leader, al-Baghdadi, after they were both detained by the US forces.
Al-Qurayshi, born Amir Mohammed Abdul Rahman al-Mawli al-Salbi, has a list of around two dozen other names, nicknames, and aliases, according to the Counter Extremism Project. However, little is known about his activities between his release and appointment as IS leader in 2019. Voice of America reported in 2019 that “there are even doubts that the man… exists at all.”
However, it is believed that al-Qurayshi served as al-Baghdadi’s top lieutenant, and that he ordered the group’s fighters to assault and enslave Iraq’s Yazidi minority in 2015.
Daesh in decline
Al-Baghdadi’s death was seen by many as the final nail in IS’ coffin. While the group once controlled enormous swathes of Iraq and Syria, all of its territorial gains made since 2014 had been rolled back by the Syrian military and its Russian and Iranian allies, by US-sponsored opposition forces in Syria, and by a US and coalition air campaign. IS by late 2019 controlled only a few pockets of land in Syria, and was no longer ordering regular terrorist attacks on the streets of Europe.
However, the Pentagon and State Department judged in 2020 that IS under al-Qurayshi was mounting a resurgence following a spike in attacks, and the group’s new leader was labeled a Specially Designated Global Terrorist that March. The State Department had offered a $5 million reward for his capture in mid-2019, and this bounty was bumped up to $10 million in 2020.
Then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the reward was doubled due to the fact that al-Qurayshi “helped drive and justify the abduction, slaughter, and trafficking of the Yazidi religious minority in northwest Iraq and also led some of the group’s global terrorist operations.”
Death in Idlib
US President Joe Biden announced on February 3 that al-Qurayshi had been killed in a “counterterrorism operation” in Idlib province, northwestern Syria, the night before.
Locals told AP that the operation, which targeted a house, involved multiple helicopters, and that explosions and machine gun fire were heard.
The IS leader killed himself by detonating a suicide vest as the Americans closed in, a US official told AFP and Axios.
“At the beginning of the operation the terrorist target exploded a bomb that killed him and members of his own family, including women and children,” Axios quoted the source as saying.
While no Americans were harmed in the raid, multiple civilian casualties were reported, with Al-Jazeera claiming that seven children and three women were among at least a dozen bodies. UNICEF confirmed that at least six children were killed and another injured, and that “civilian-populated areas were severely damaged.”
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated on Thursday thorough investigation should determine the circumstances al-Qurayshi.
“[We are] poised for cooperation with all interested countries in the interests of establishing a joint effective counteraction to this common threat for all. At the same time, in our practical actions, we are guided by the necessity to carefully select targets while planning and implementing targeted military operations in order to exclude the possibility of civilian deaths. We also call on other countries directly involved in counter-terrorism actions to follow suit. If the information about civilian casualties during this US-led action is confirmed, then this should probably be the subject of a thorough investigation,” she concluded.
What’s going on in Idlib?
Al-Qurayshi and al-Baghdadi were both killed by the US in Idlib, a province in northwestern Syria bordering Turkey. The province has been bitterly contested throughout the Syrian war, with Syrian government forces and Turkish-backed opposition fighters vying for control. Idlib is currently controlled by opposition groups, and is one of the few relatively safe havens remaining for IS members like al-Qurayshi.
US coordinated with Russia, Iraq to carry out operation
The United States coordinated with Russia to deconflict airspace during an operation that killed al-Qurayshi, CNN reported on Thursday, citing a US defense official.
“The US told Russia it would be operating in a broad general area of northwest Syria, during a timeframe and told them to stay out of the area,” the media outlet added.
Iraqi military spokesman Yahya Rasool noted on Thursday that Iraqi intelligence provided accurate information that led to the whereabouts of al-Quraishi.
What’s next for IS?
While IS has seen its territory retaken, its members driven underground, and its second leader in less than three years killed by the US, the group is still capable of mounting opportunistic attacks.
Less than two weeks ago the group attacked a prison in Hasaka in northeastern Syria run by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish militia. The battle for the prison killed hundreds of people, and the facility was only retaken after more than a week with the help of American troops.
“If their attack had succeeded, they would have attacked other neighborhoods in al-Hasaka as well, in conjunction with the attacks on the areas of al-Hol, al-Shadada, and Deir el-Zour, to put their extensive scheme into effect,” the SDF said in a statement after the prison was retaken.
“They wanted to launch a large-scale attack on the area to spread once again their terrorism,” the statement continued, claiming that the prison attack was IS’ first step toward establishing a “Second Islamic State.”
Western officials, however, are doubtful.
“I think that highly unlikely,” a counterterrorism official told Voice of America.
“The local conditions do not currently exist for resurgence,” he added, while a different US official said that despite making “incremental improvements,” IS remains committed to “long-term goals” of consolidating power in Iraq and Syria.
An Iraqi native named al-Isawi will become the new leader of the Islamic State terror group following al-Qurayshi’s death in a US military operation, the Al Arabiya TV channel reported on Thursday.
According to the media outlet, al-Isawi used to be al-Qurayshi’s deputy. No more details about him have been provided so far. A thing to note is that in January 2021, the US-led coalition announced the elimination of Abu Yasir al-Isawi, the head of the Islamic State’s Iraqi branch.
In a speech on Thursday night, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said the more crimes the enemies commit against Yemen, the tighter becomes the nation’s unity in the face of the Saudi-led aggression.
“While fraternity, cooperation and convergence are growing in the resistance axis every day, the Saudi-led coalition of aggressors and all those who are standing by the side of the US-UK-Israeli axis are in confusion and will emerge as the big loser on the battleground.”
He lashed out at the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for having served as “an instrument in the hands of the US, the UK and the Zionist regime” since the onset of the Saudi-led war in early 2015.
Yemen and the UAE had nothing to fight over and Abu Dhabi was only provoked by the US, the UK, and Israel to get involved in the military campaign along with the Saudi regime, he said.
“Anyone who imagines he will achieve victory and can guarantee his future through satisfying America and allying with it is wrong and will definitely lose,” he warned.
Houthi said Yemen’s “freedom-seeking approach” is the root cause of the enemies’ anger and prompted them to mobilize all their resources in the war so they can fully dominate the Yemeni nation and country.
“We will refuse to accept humiliation and the enemies’ dominance on our nation,” he said.
The United States has approved several potential weapons sales to Mideast allies including Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, the Pentagon said.
Thursday’s approvals included the possible sale of F-16 fighter jets and related equipment to Jordan at an estimated cost of $4.21 billion, the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced in a statement.
There have been increased rocket and drone attacks on the United Arab Emirates in recent weeks.
The State Department approved Jordan’s request for 12 F-16 C Block 70 fighter jets, radios targeting pods and associated munitions components including guided-missile tail kits.
The prime contractor for the jets is Lockheed Martin Corp.
Saudi Arabia was okayed to buy 31 Multifunctional Information Distribution System-Low Volume Terminals (MIDS-LVT) for as much as $23.7 million to upgrade its missile defense systems.
The proposed MIDS-LVT terminals will be installed on the kingdom’s Terminal High Altitude Air Defense (THAAD) platforms, while the previously provided MIDS-LVT (BU1) terminals were installed on its PATRIOT missile defense system, the Pentagon added.
The United Arab Emirates was approved to buy $30 million worth of spare and repair parts for its Homing All the Way Killer (HAWK) missile defense systems.
The Pentagon’s DSCA notified Congress of the possible sale on Thursday.
Despite approval by the State Department, the notifications do not indicate that contracts have been signed or that negotiations have concluded.
This comes as there have been increased retaliatory Yemeni missile and drone attacks on the UAE in recent weeks.
Last November, the United States approved a $650m sale of air-to-air missiles to Saudi Arabia, in what was the Joe Biden administration’s first major weapons deal with the Persian Gulf kingdom.
The Pentagon announced in a statement on November 4, 2021 that Massachusetts-based firm Raytheon would be the “principal contractor” for the sale of AIM-120C-7/C-8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) and related equipment.
The sale came months after President Biden stated he would end US support for Saudi Arabia’s “offensive operations” in Yemen, including “relevant arms sales”.
Saudi Arabia and its allies launched a war against the Arab world’s most impoverished nation in March 2015. The war has been seeking to restore power in Yemen to Riyadh’s favorite officials.
The death toll of the war, now in its seventh year, will reach an estimated 377,000 by the end of 2021, according to a recent report from the UN’s Development Programme.
The fighting has seen some 80 percent of the population, or 24 million people, relying on aid and assistance, including 14.3 million who are in acute need.
The annual event, which opened in the French commune of Vesoul on February 1, granted Hatami and Japanese director Koji Fukufa, a guest of honor at the festival, Honorary Golden Cyclo awards for their respective carriers.
This year, the international competition jury, which will run until February 8, is presided over by Hatami, Berlin Silver Bear best actress winner for Iranian director Asghar Farhadi’s Oscar-winning “A Separation.”
The festival started with a gala screening of Iranian auteur Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s 2001 Cannes winner “Kandahar.”
Among the other Iranian films to go on screen in different sections of the festival are Reza Dormishian’s “No Choice,” Panah Panahi’s “Hit the Road,” and Ali Samadi Ahadi’s “The Green Wave.”
The festival was founded in 1995 with the goal of presenting and promoting the cinema of Asian territories, enhance intercultural dialogue and encourage the discovery of other cultures through cinema.
“Good conversation today with representatives from the GCC, Egypt, and Jordan about our ongoing negotiations for a mutual return to compliance with the JCPOA,” Robert Malley wrote on Twitter.
“As negotiations reach a conclusion in the coming weeks, we will continue to consult closely with our regional partners,” he added.
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee has asked Malley to testify about the ongoing Vienna talks. The briefing session to update Senators on the Vienna negotiations is scheduled to be held on Feb. 9, but the hearing won’t be open to the public or televised.
The administration of President Joe Biden has recently announced it sees a path to an agreement in the Vienna talks, but Iran must make “tough political decisions now”. Iran has repeatedly rejected any deadline or precondition over the deal, stressing Washington that unilaterally withdrew from the agreement must first lift its sanctions against Tehran. Iran has also demanded credible guarantees that the United States will not abandon the deal again.
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