Ibrahim Raisi said Daesh is a creation of the US, which is now targeting Afghanistan’s security.
Raisi was speaking at a news conference with his Tajik counterpart Imam Ali Rahmon in Dushanbe on Saturday.
He referred to regional cooperation between Iran and Tajikistan, saying foreign intervention in Afghanistan has caused many disasters in the country and the hands of foreigners must be cut off from Afghanistan.
Raisi emphasized that foreigners failed to bring security to Afghanistan and “we do not accept the continued presence of foreigners in the country”.
He noted that the issue of Afghanistan must be resolved by its own people and with the help of neighboring countries.
He also said Iran and Tajikistan have a great potential for cooperation and all capacities must be used to develop relations in various political, economic, commercial and cultural fields.
Raisi added deals signed by Iran and Tajikistan during his visit show the two countries’ determination to develop ties, adding a new chapter happened in Iran-Tajikistan ties.
Tajikistan’s president also emphasized the need for Iran and Tajikistan to develop relations, saying the two countries have many cultural and religious commonalities.
Imam Ali Rahmon added the Iranian president’s visit to Dushanbe marks a new chapter in the relations between the two countries.
The Tajik president also said, “We want peace and stability in Afghanistan and believe that peace in Afghanistan guarantees regional security and that the establishment of an inclusive government is a key factor in establishing peace and stability in the country”.
Raisi: Iran won’t allow Daesh find safe haven in Afghanistan
Baghdad, Washington agree to cut back Iraq-based US troops
The Iraqi Joint Operations Command (JOC) on Friday announced that the Iraqi and U.S. military agreed to reduce combat units in two military bases in Iraq by the end of September.
The agreement was reached during a meeting held on Thursday in Baghdad between an Iraqi committee headed by JOC’s Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir al-Shammari and a U.S. committee headed by Maj. Gen. John Brennan, commanding general of the U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq, a JOC statement said.
The two sides agreed to reduce the combat units from the military bases in Ayn al-Asad in the Anbar province in western Iraq, and Erbil in the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan in northern of the country. The reduction of U.S. units will be completed by the end of this month, and the remaining units will be for support, equipment, and intelligence sharing purposes, it added.
The meeting was part of what was agreed upon during the U.S.-Iraqi Strategic Dialogue in July, when the two sides agreed to withdraw all U.S. combat troops from Iraq by December 31, 2021.
The two sides also agreed to hold regular sessions to complete the discussion of the remaining steps to secure the transition to a non-combat role for the U.S.-led coalition forces.
The Strategic Dialogue sessions between Iraq and the United States were initiated on June 11, 2020, under the Strategic Framework Agreement signed in 2008 between Baghdad and Washington.
The relation between the two countries strained after Jan. 3, 2020, when a U.S. drone struck a convoy at Baghdad airport, which killed Qassem Soleimani, former commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy chief of Iraq’s paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces.
The Iraqi parliament passed a resolution on Jan. 5, 2020, requiring the government to end the presence of foreign forces in Iraq.
The U.S. airstrike also pushed unidentified militias to launch a series of rocket and mortar attacks on Iraqi military bases housing U.S. troops across Iraq, as well as the U.S. embassy in the Green Zone in central Baghdad.
The tension pushed the two sides to launch sessions of strategic dialogue during which the United States pledged to cut its troops in the country.
Source: Xinhua news agency
Over 42mn COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Iran
The health ministry figures showed on Saturday that over 28,380,000 Iranians have had their first dose while over 13,620,000 have been fully vaccinated.
Iran, which has been hit by five waves of the respiratory disease, has been trying to meet a target of administering over two million vaccine doses per day. It has in recent weeks stepped up imports and production of several domestically manufactured vaccines.
The number of fatalities and infection cases have come down considerably compared to the peak of the fifth wave but they are still high.
The Iranian Health Ministry reported on Saturday 355 new deaths from the disease and over 12,800 new cases over the past 24 hours.
Nearly 116,800 Iranian have lost their lives to COVID-19 since the beginning of the outbreak in early 2020.
Myanmar junta to put ousted leader on trial ‘for corruption’
Suu Kyi has been under house arrest since she and her elected government were deposed by the military in a February coup that sparked a mass uprising and a brutal crackdown on dissent.
The 76-year-old Nobel laureate is currently on trial for flouting coronavirus restrictions during polls her party won in a landslide last year, illegally importing walkie talkies and sedition.
She will face a new trial on four charges of corruption beginning on October 1 in the capital Naypyidaw, her lawyer Khin Maung Zaw stated.
Each corruption charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years.
The ongoing trials were delayed for two months as Myanmar grappled with a coronavirus surge and only resumed this week, with Suu Kyi skipping the first day on health grounds.
Journalists have been barred from all proceedings so far.
The junta has also charged her for accepting illegal payments of gold and violating a colonial-era secrecy law, although these are yet to come to court.
Her National League for Democracy government was deposed by the military for alleged voter fraud during the 2020 polls, in which it trounced a political party aligned with the generals.
A nationwide uprising and ongoing unrest has paralysed the economy of the southeast Asian nation.
More than 1,100 people have been killed and over 8,000 arrested, according to a local monitoring group.
The military says the toll is much lower.
Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing noted last month that elections would be held and a state of emergency lifted by August 2023, extending the military’s initial one-year timeline announced days after the coup.
Source: AFP
Syria says ‘attack’ caused widespread blackout, Damascus included
“There was a significant direct drop in gas pressure, which led to the failure at the Deir Ali power station… as a result of an attack on the gas line,” al-Zamil told the Syria TV channel late on Friday, though added that few details were yet known about the purported attack.
The outages affected Damascus and the surrounding region, as well as some other areas around Syria, according to SANA, however the full extent of the blackout remains unclear, with some reports suggesting the outages were nationwide.
Al-Zamil added power should be restored in the capital soon, as several other power stations will attempt to compensate for the shutdown at Deir Ali.
The minister later stated that electricity was being gradually restored in Damascus.
“Electricity has started to return to Damascus after the launch of al-Zara, al-Nasryeh and Jandar power stations,” the minister noted on Saturday, as quoted by SANA.
Unconfirmed photos have circulated purporting to show “sabotage” to the gas line have circulated online.
Damascus has reported a number of sabotage attempts and terrorist attacks against its critical infrastructure over the years, including a similar incident at a gas pipeline in the outskirts of the capital city in August 2020, which also triggered major outages across Syria. The gas pipeline in question had been attacked on five different occasions prior, officials announced, though declined to name any perpetrators. Washington, however, later pinned the attack on Daesh, but shared no evidence to support the charge.
Ayatollah Khamenei meets Paralympic medalists, says Iran flag raised
Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said, “The most important message of the championship of Iran’s proud athletes in the international arenas is the possibility of accomplishing unimaginable deeds and conveying the message of endurance and hope and vitality to the society and the youth”.
He added that while many organizations are making efforts to disappoint the society, especially the youth, the championship of Iranian athletes sends this message of hope to the whole society and this is very valuable.
Referring to his short messages of thanks after the athletes’ championship, Ayatollah Khamenei noted that those messages are from the bottom of heart and “We know the value and importance of your accomplishment”. The leader added that despite restrictions on Iran, the country’s flag is raised and world platforms are conquered, which is a sign of strong will and determination.
Ayatollah Khamenei said Iran’s accomplishments are also happening in other fields like science, technology, art and literature.
He also spoke of Iran’s refusal to recognize the Israeli regime in sports fields. He called the issue “very important” and said Israel is a ruthless, genocidal and illegitimate regime and is trying to gain legitimacy by participating in international sports arenas.
He said Iranian sports officials and athletes should not be passive in this regard. The leader referred to Israel’s and its supporters’ reciprocal actions to deprive Iranian athletes, saying the Sports and Foreign Ministries and the judiciary should pursue this issue through legal means and even support foreign Muslim athletes such as Algerian athletes who have been deprived for refusing to compete with Israelis.
He emphasized that a proud Iranian athlete cannot shake hands with the representative of a criminal regime for a medal and actually recognize that regime.
He said this is not without precedent and in the past, athletes refused to compete with representatives of the apartheid regime in South Africa.
Ayatollah Khamenei noted that the apartheid regime disappeared after a short while and the Israeli regime will also go away.
Ayatollah Khamenei called the manifestation of human, religious and spiritual values along with the championship very valuable and pointed to examples of these cases in the Olympic and Paralympic competitions.
US, UK top diplomats discuss Iran, China
In a press statement, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price informed that Blinken congratulated Truss on her appointment and highlighted the importance of the US-UK bilateral ties.
The US State Secretary also reaffirmed their partnership in supporting democracy, the rules-based international order, and open societies worldwide, the spokesperson added.
“Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with UK Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss. Secretary Blinken congratulated Foreign Secretary Truss on her appointment and highlighted the importance of the United States-UK bilateral relationship in supporting democracy, the rules-based international order, and open societies worldwide,” Price said in a statement on Friday.
Both leaders also discussed shared foreign policy priorities including Afghanistan, the People’s Republic of China, Iran, and multilateral engagement to tackle the climate crisis, Price noted.
This comes as US President Joe Biden and leaders of two other nations launched the newly-formed AUKUS (Australia-UK-US) defence partnership pact on Wednesday that focuses on the Indo-Pacific.
Experts believe it is a veiled way of confronting China’s growing military aggression in the region.
Indo-Pacific region is largely viewed as an area comprising the Indian Ocean and the western and central Pacific Ocean, including the South China Sea. China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea and its efforts to advance into the Indian Ocean are seen to have challenged the established rules-based system.
Source: ANI News
France recalls envoys from US, Australia over submarine deal
France immediately recalls for consultations its ambassadors from the United States and Australia over announcements made by the two countries on September 15 – the day when they announced creating a security partnership with the United Kingdom, and Canberra cancelled a submarine contract with Paris, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a statement on Friday.
“At the request of the President of the Republic, I am recalling to Paris without delay our ambassadors to the United States and to Australia for consultations,” the French top diplomat was quoted as stating by the ministry’s press service.
He added that “this exceptional decision is justified by the exceptional gravity of the announcements made on 15th September by Australia and the United States”.
“The cancellation of the Attack class submarine program binding Australia and France since 2016, and the announcement of a new partnership with the United States meant to launch studies on a possible future cooperation on nuclear-powered submarines, constitute unacceptable behavior between allies and partners, whose consequences directly affect the vision we have of our alliances, of our partnerships and of the importance of the Indo-Pacific for Europe,” the statement reads.
Reuters quoted a White House official as saying the United States regretted the French decision, adding that Washington had been in close touch with France over it.
Reuters also wrote with reference to diplomatic sources that France was not planning to recall its ambassador to the United Kingdom.
“We don’t need to hold consultations with our (British) ambassador to know what to make of it or to draw any conclusions,” the source added.
On September 16, Australia, the UK and the US announced the establishment of the AUKUS trilateral partnership on security in Indian and Pacific oceans. Under the agreement, Australia plans to build at least eight nuclear-powered submarines that will be commissioned in 2036, as well as equip its armed forces with US-made cruise missiles. This forced Canberra to void its major military contract with France. China warned that the establishment of AUKUS will ramp up the arms race and urged all participants to abolish the “cold war mentality” and “narrow-minded geopolitical concepts”.
Source: TASS
Second Dutch minister resigns over ‘mishandling of Afghanistan evacuation’
Bijleveld followed suit of Kaag and tendered resignation due to accusations of poorly organising evacuations from Afghanistan, the Dutch Broadcasting Foundation (NOS) reported.
The decision was made at an emergency meeting of the Christian Democratic Appeal political party, of which Bijleveld is a member, NOS added.
Earlier this week, the Dutch lower chamber passed a vote of no-confidence in Kaag because of the poorly organised evacuations. Kaag announced her resignation soon after the vote. A vote of no-confidence in Bijleveld was also passed, but the minister initially stated she would not leave the post anyway.
According to media reports, the Dutch government for months ignored urgent requests of the embassy in Kabul to evacuate staffers and families.
Capitol police chief warns of threats ahead of pro-rioters rally
US Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger warned that some threats had been made regarding the upcoming “Justice for J6” rally in Washington, DC. Law enforcement have upped security as they fear a repetition of the incidents that occurred at the beginning of the year.
A tall fence, which was installed around Capitol grounds in the aftermath of the storming of the building, has reappeared in the US capital.
The measures were introduced after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warned about the potential for violence during the upcoming demonstration, which is scheduled for 18 September.
“We are aware of a small number of recent online threats of violence referencing the planned rally, including online discussions encouraging violence the day before the rally,” reads a DHS intelligence briefing obtained by CNN.
The briefing said that around 700 people are expected to attend the event and noted that violence could break out due to a counter-rally that is scheduled to take place on the same day at Freedom Plaza in Washington.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin approved a request from the US Capitol Police to deploy 100 troops to assist with the planned protest at the Capitol on Saturday, Defense Department Spokesperson Christian Mitchell stated on Thursday.
Eleanor Holmes Norton, a delegate to the United States House of Representatives, stated that the security measures that have been introduced in Washington, DC are an overcompensation for the 6 January incident.
“It looks like the authorities, especially the Capitol Police, have been taken aback by how unprepared they were on Jan. 6. So now they’re coming back overprepared,” she added.
Matt Braynard, whose organisation is planning the “Justice for J6”, rally announced that the demonstration will be peaceful and that participants will cooperate with law enforcement.
On that day, members of Congress were convening to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election, which Donald Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden. However, the incumbent Republican president refused to concede defeat. He claimed that the vote had been rigged and that Biden won thanks to widespread voter irregularities, a claim that many of his allies and supporters strongly backed. While lawmakers were gathered in the Capitol, Trump held a rally that was attended by thousands of his supporters.
Addressing the crowd, the former president and other speakers at the rally reiterated claims about the election being stolen. Trump also called on his supporters to “march” on Congress.
“You are the people that built this nation. You have to get your people to fight,” the president told his supporters.
During the rally, hundreds of supporters headed to the Capitol, with a large group of people storming into the building. Five protesters and a policeman were killed and more than a hundred law enforcement officers were injured as Trump supporters breached the building.
Federal authorities responded by arresting almost 600 people. A number of people that incited violence, according to federal indictments, were not charged with anything – prompting widespread speculation they may have been FBI informants or undercover agents.
Following the incident, Democrats accused Trump of inciting an “insurrection” and introduced an impeachment article against him. The Republican POTUS became the first US president to be impeached twice. The four-day trial ended in lawmakers acquitting Trump. The president noted he bore no responsibility for the deadly riots and dismissed the Democrats’ decision to introduce an impeachment article against him as “ridiculous”.
Source: RIA Novosti
