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‘Iraq’s Top Cleric Urged Shiite Forces to Shield Sunnis’

Ayatollah Sistani was quoted as saying by Ayatollah Mohsen Araki, the Secretary General of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thoughts.

Ayatollah Araki, who recently met Ayatollah Sistani during his stay in the holy city of Karbala to take part in Arba’eeen pilgrimage, says the Iraqi top cleric has underlined the need to preserve unity between Shiites and Sunnis and added the latter have been deprived of security due to the relentless attacks by ISIS.

“In one of the recent meetings of Grand Ayatollah with a crowd of Hashd al-Sha’abi, one member said we have peaceful coexistence with our Sunni brothers. In reply, Ayatollah Sistani underlined that they should never use the term Sunni brothers because we are from the same origin and there is no difference between us and them,” Ayatollah Araki said.

According to Araki, Ayatollah Sistani also said he had urged Hashd al-Sha’abi to protect the Sunni families who are under ISIS attack under any condition.

“The top Shiite cleric said enemies are seeking to create division between the Shiite and Sunni Muslims in Iraq and there are many who call on him to issue a verdict in this regard but he has declined to do so until today because he thinks it is not in the interest of Iraq to contribute to any conflict between the two sides,” said Ayatollah Araki.

According to Sistani, when ISIS started attacking Sunni Muslims, most of them fled to the Shiite-populated regions and faced warm hospitality by their Shiite brothersand today, the Shiites are reaping the fruits of their deeds.

 

Enemies Hatching Plot to Divide Iraq

Araki says Ayatollah Sistani also expressed satisfaction with peaceful coexistence among Shiite and Sunni Muslims in Iraq and said “in the Sunni-populated city of Mosul, people decided to pick up a Shiite candidate during the latest parliamentary elections. This reveals that the two sides have good relations with each other.”

Ayatollah Sistani said since the early days of Saddam regime’s overthrow, the US insisted on dividing Iraq into a number of regions but he vehemently rejected any such plans saying that Iraq must never be divided.

“They said the Shiites will have the upper hand if Iraq is divided. They tried to tempt the Shiites into agreeing with Iraq’s division,” Ayatollah Sistani was quoted as saying.

Ayatollah Sistani said he resisted against any plan to divide Iraq and said Iraq must remain united and the Iraqis should remain brothers with each other regardless of their schools of thoughts.

 

Arba’een, Axis of Unity in Islamic World

“Of course Iran played a key role in creating peace and security in Iraq,” Ayatollah Sistani said, adding, during the Arba’een march, people from various races and beliefs stood hand in hand revealing the unity in the Islamic World.

“During Arba’een, not only Shiites and Sunnis but also people from other religions stood behind each other.”

Ayatollah Sistani then said that he benefits from the Iranian leaders’ ideas. “Under the Saddam regime, there were no appropriate communication channels. Today, I study other countries’ laws and regulations. I receive many books from Iran and fortunately good books are published there, which I draw on to deal with many issues.”

He finally prayed for the Iranian government and nation and expressed hope the issue of the unilateral sanctions on the country could be resolved soon and the Iranians could overcome their problems in the near future.

Iran Says Can’t Be Left Alone in Standing against Trump

Qassemi made the remarks in a Wednesday interview with the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA).

He said hardliners in the US and the Zionist lobbies are angry with the European countries and other states, because they did not support their policies against Iran, but Europe needs to be more vigilant.

“We call on Europe to be more vigilant than ever, more precise and more aware of the actions taken by those who want to mar the ties, because today political relations between Iran and Europe and the countries of the region foil all their plots,” Qassemi said.

Asked about the efforts made by Europe to salvage the Iran nuclear deal ahead of the re-imposition of US Sanctions on November 4, Qassemi said the talks between Iran and the other remaining members of the 2015 nuclear accord have been fruitful, and major steps have been taken in this regard.

“As the Islamic Republic has repeatedly stated, the US never completely stopped its economic sanctions against Iran. However, after the nuclear deal and Donald Trump’s ascent to power with his selfish and unilateral thoughts, he prevented the full implementation of the agreements whose benefits were to be enjoyed by Iran,” he noted in an interview with ISNA.

“After the unilateral withdrawal of Washington from the nuclear accord, the president of the United States has done his utmost to reinstate unilateral, transnational, and unlawful sanctions against Iran. So far, he has not given up any attempt to harm Iran and other independent countries of the world as well as European and non-European companies.”

 

Trump’s Threat to Boycott EU Firms Insult to Entire World

The Iranian official noted that Donald Trump’s threats to impose sanctions on non-American companies of the world are an insult not only to these companies, but to all countries of the world.

He maintained that the US administration has shown its bad faith to the world by violating the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 and all the well-known global standards.

The US administration has shown that it is not loyal to its global commitments as it was proved when Washington violated UNSC Resolution 2231, added Qassemi.

He emphasised that despite the unilateral propaganda of certain countries of the region and US allies in the Middle East, Iran has remained committed to the nuclear deal despite the withdrawal of the United States.

The Islamic Republic has paid a lot for the fight against terrorism, extremism and terrorist groups, especially ISIS as well as other groups such as al-Qaeda and the Taliban. All these have been carried out to maintain peace and stability in the region and to prevent the growth of terrorist groups and Takfiris, reiterated Qassemi.

Referring to the assistance provided by the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Iraqi and Syrian governments on combating terrorism, the Iranian official underscored that “Iran, without any pre-conditions, modestly helped all the regional governments which were threatened by terrorism; the countries that were on the verge of disintegration and loss of land and sovereignty.”

 

Iran Has Least Military Spending

While Iran has the least military spending among major regional states, some countries in the Middle East are major buyers of arms, he noted.

“Another regime in the region, which is an ally of the United States, has attacked the Yemenis killing innocent people with expensive state-of-the-art arms purchased from the US and some European states. This comes as Washington and its allies claim the Islamic Republic helps the oppressed Yemeni people in their resistance. One day we see some Arab states of the region are complaining about the export of the Iranian Revolution, and the other day they express their fear of Iranian democracy.”

Referring to the opportunity that Iran has given the P 4+1 to provide mechanisms for Iran to enjoy the benefits of nuclear deal, he explained Tehran, not necessarily for this reason, but for its logical reasons and its international commitments, as well as its cultural teachings and attitudes, has so far been waiting for this mechanism by Europe.

 

No New Trick Left for US to Use against Iran

“The United States has used all its tricks against Iran, and its regional allies have been fully using their money over the past months to undermine the image and economy of Iran. However, Iran based on its experiences, knows how to defeat an enemy.”

The senior Iranian official stated that “if we consider Trump as a businessman of a particular kind, at least his advisers, who do not know Iran, the Iranians and the regional developments, would finally put the US president in trouble.”

As the new round of US sanction will hit Iran on November 4, Qassemi stressed that there is no remaining means left for the US to use against Iran and those who are unaware of history, geography, ethnology, and developments of the region would be defeated.

Iran is not committed to fulfilling all its international, moral and historical obligations while the US violates the world’s fundamental principles. However, it seems that the talks between Iran and remaining members of the JCPOA and the European Union have been fruitful, and major steps have been taken in this regard, said Qassemi.

 

Access to Food, Medicine under Sanctions

He told ISNA that in accordance with international standards and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision, the US cannot prevent the export of pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, food and agricultural items and airplane parts to Iran.

“We have the ability to purchase all of them under sanctions, but the world should teach Washington that the era of unilateralism is over.”

After the withdrawal from the JCPOA, the United States did not expect that only a few notorious regional states would support its decisions, underlined Qassemi.

Qassemi also pointed to Trump’s recent criticisms of Saudi Arabia, and said, “Today, it seems that Trump has somehow faced the realities, and has understood he is paying a heavy price for his support for dictators. In this context, he wants to moderate his positions and, in spite of all the pressures, he has moved in this direction to some extent.”

FM Zarif, Pakistan’s Imran Khan Meet in Islamabad

During the meeting, the two sides discussed the latest developments regarding the Iranian border guards abducted by terrorists.

They also reviewed the talks already held between Iranian and Pakistani political and military officials to address the insecurity along the borders.

FM Zarif and Imran Khan further highlighted the strong relations between the two states, and explored avenues for promoting bilateral ties, especially in the field of energy.

They also conferred on regional issues, including Yemen and Afghanistan.

Earlier, Zarif held separate negotiations with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi and the country’s Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

Zarif left Tehran for Islamabad early Wednesday right after finishing his trip to the Turkish city of Istanbul during which he attended a trilateral meeting with his Turkish and Azerbaijani counterparts.

Iran Protests Denmark’s Hasty Reactions to ‘Murder Plot’ Claims

Iran Appoints Female Ambassador to Denmark

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said the Danish envoy met with the director general of the North European affairs at the Iranian foreign ministry.

During the meeting, he said, Tehran expressed its protest over the hasty political reactions of some Danish officials regarding the arrest of a Norwegian-Iranian citizen on charges of plotting to assassinate a person in Denmark.

The Iranian official once again dismissed such the biased reports, saying that the allegations are in line with the conspiracies and plots of the enemies of Iran who cannot stand the good and growing relations between Iran and Europe in the current special situation, Qassemi noted.

Also, the Iranian official stressed the need for wise management of the developments, warning against the consequences of ill-advised and controversial actions, he added.

The Danish ambassador, for his part, said he has been recalled to Copenhagen for some consultations, adding that he would do his best to raise the issue and expectations of the Iranian party with the Danish government.

Denmark said on Tuesday it suspected an Iranian intelligence service had tried to carry out a plot to assassinate an Iranian opposition figure on its soil.

Afterwards, Swedish security forces announced a Norwegian citizen of Iranian background was apprehended in Sweden on October 21 in connection with the plot and extradited to Denmark.

Iran to Trade Partners: Think Twice before Fearing US Sanctions

rouhani

Rouhani said at a Cabinet meeting that the Americans “shouts for a few days and then they are gone.”

“They cannot make decisions for the [Middle East] region and great nations in this regard,” President Rouhani said.

He underlined that Iran is not intimidated by US threats, and that Washington’s conspiracies against Iran are a non-starter.

“The US will definitely not succeed in this new plot against Iran, and it can be seen that they are retreating step by step,” he said.

“First, they said they would bring [Iran’s] oil [exports] to zero; then they said it would not be possible to bring the exports down to zero by November; [they said] it would be possible to do so in a few months’ time, and later on they said they could not bring the exports to zero and that they wanted to bring down [Iran’s] oil exports,” said the president.

He noted that the US will not be able to do any of the actions it has threatened to do.

“You can neither stop nor decrease Iran’s crude exports to the level you want; you only want to enrage Iranian people; of course, the Iranian nation is angry with the United States’ and its crimes, not their own government and system,” the spokesman said.

The president made the remarks just ahead of November 4 when the US is to impose a second round of sanctions on Iran, especially on the oil sector.

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on October 31

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on November 19

Newspapers today widely covered the gathering of some 20 million Shiite pilgrims in the Iraqi city of Karbala to mark Arba’een, the 40th day after the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the third Shiite Imam.

Also a top story was speculations about the launch of Europe’s payment mechanism, which is aimed at bypassing the US sanctions against Iran.

The above issues, as well as many more, are highlighted in the following headlines and top stories:

 

Aftab-e Yazd:

1- Saudi FM Jubeir Has Allegedly Called Iran

2- Trumpism Wins in Brazil amid Failure of Incompetent Leftists [Editorial]

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on October 31


 

Donya-ye Eqtesad:

1- World Bank Revises Its Projection of Oil Price

2- Iran Changes Its Top Trade Partner in September

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on October 31


 

Ebtekar:

1- Iran FM: World Community Standing against US Sanctions

2- Number of Iranian Arba’een Pilgrims Exceeds 2 Million

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on October 31


 

Etemad:

1- Review of Iran-Russia Diplomatic Relations: Strategic or Multipurpose?

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on October 31


 

Ettela’at:

1- Arba’een, Manifestation of Muslim World’s Unity

2- Ayatollah Sistani: I Asked Iraqi Popular Forces [Shiites] to Sacrifice Their Lives for Sunnis

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on October 31


 

Hemayat:

1- Turkish FM: Saudis Have Confessed to Everything

  • Turkey Refrains from Giving Saudi Prosecutor All Evidence on Khashoggi Case

2- Iran Human Rights Chief: Sanctions Not to Stop Us

3- Iran’s Golden Chance for Regional Trade

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on October 31


 

Hamshahri:

1- Women in Azadi Stadium; Mr President, You’re Invited Too

2- Radicals Rise in Three Continents: From Brazil to Germany, from Philippines to US

  • Far-Right Parties, Figures Come to Power with Similar Slogans

3- Forex Agreement in Istanbul

  • Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan FMs Agree on 3-Year Financial Cooperation Plan

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on October 31


 

Iran:

1- Zarif: EU’s Financial Mechanism to Come into Effect in Coming Days

2- Europe to Bid Farewell to Merkel

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on October 31


 

Jame Jam:

1- Message of Arba’een 1440: 20 Million Shiites Foil Enemy Plots in Karbala

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on October 31


 

Javan:

1- Europe’s New Game with SWIFT’s Replacement

  • European Countries Not Interested in Hosting Payment Channel with Iran

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on October 31


 

Kayhan:

1- EU Killing Time in Launching Mechanism for Bypassing US Sanctions

2- Nigeria Opens Fire on Most Innocent Arba’een Walkers

3- Imam Hussein’s 20-Million-Strong Army Arrive in Karbala from 50 Countries

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on October 31


 

Shargh:

1- Iran Leader Joins Youths in Arba’een Mourning Ceremony

2- 15 Million Pilgrims in Karbala: Iran First VP Attends Arba’een Procession

3- Saudi Arabia Today, Iran Today [Editorial]

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on October 31


 

Sobh-e Now:

1- Ban on Doing Transaction with Iranian Rial to Remove Iran from Afghan, Iraqi Markets

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on October 31

Iran to Produce Safe Smartphones for Officials

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif holding a Samsung mobile phone during the nuclear talks with world powers / Photo by Tasnim

Elaborating on a project to produce new cell phones for the Iranian officials, the general said after President Rouhani cell phone was tapped, efforts have begun to design and produce new cell phones resilient against any type of eavesdropping but the project is not complete yet.

“We usually don’t take passive defence seriously because it is too routine, but we must be aware that it is a highly complicated issue with serious consequences,” he said in an interview with the IRIB News Agency.

General Jalali said external threats fall into two categories of natural and unnatural, explaining that the natural threats like floods and quake originate in the nature, and the enemies have no role in them.

“But unnatural threats mainly originate in the new technologies and technical knowledge. Human elements can play a key role in such threats and they change from one era to another one,” he said.

According to the commander, the organizations facing more serious threats in Iran take passive defence more seriously.

The commander added based on what stipulated in the Fifth and Sixth Development Plan, all new projects should include passive defence elements. “It goes without saying that there are some organizations which bypass the law and don’t implement passive defence projects.”

He then referred to the state TV and said once the Islamic Republic was heavily dependent on satellites and any clinches in this area could put the organization into serious troubles.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) ran into trouble two times amid the sanctions. That’s why it decided to overcome the problems and turn to passive defence. So, we signed a contract with the IRIB and began to give it a 95-percent coverage without relying on international satellites.”

For a brief review of Iran’s achievements in various fields of science and technology, check the book “Science and Technology in Iran: A Brief Review

“In line with other threats, the Islamic Republic has also come under economic sanctions targeting its monetary, financial, banking and trade infrastructures. These are some non-military threats at national and international level which can inflict a heavy blow on our country but Iran enjoys a high resilient defence layer,” he said.

Jalali then referred to some combined threats against the Islamic Republic and added this type of threats could take the form of psychological wars like media campaign in virtual space. “Another part of the threat could be revealed in the form of content and message aimed at manipulating the audience’s thoughts. To this end, social media are taken vert seriously particularly by the western states.”

According to the commander, the Passive Defence Organization is seeking to foil the enemies’ plots aimed at making divisions in the Iranian society by adopting some preemptive measures. “Such measures are mainly aimed at restoring peace in the domestic areas paving the way for further national unity.”

He then referred to rumours about the US’ possible cutting of Iran’s access to the Internet, saying the issue is mainly raised by foreign powers posing it as a threat against the Islamic Republic. “Of course we should not undermine the capabilities of western states like the US to restrict internet connection for Iranians.”

He stressed that Tehran can bypass certain sanctions in various areas like banking, and turn the threats in the field into opportunities.

“The main problem that we face is that the US dollar has the final authority in today’s banking and the US takes advantages of the current situation using dollar as a leverage to exert pressure on others by restricting access to SWIFT. We should decrease our reliance on the US dollar and replace it with other currencies,” he noted.

Iran Sympathizes with Afghanistan over Chopper Crash

In his Wednesday statement, Qassemi condoled with the Afghan nation and government over the incident, and offered sympathy to the bereaved families of the victims.

The aircraft crashed due to “bad weather” in Anar Dara district, which borders Iran, Farah provincial governor spokesman Nasir Mehri said.

The Taliban claimed its militants brought it down.

Both pilots and 23 passengers were killed.

Among the dead were the deputy army corps commander for western Afghanistan and the head of the Farah provincial council, Mehri said.

Iran, Pakistan Discuss Release of Abducted Border Guards

At the Wednesday meeting, the Iranian minister received the latest reports on the situation of the Iranian forces captured by the Jaish al-Adl terrorist group.

Zarif appreciated the goodwill and efforts made by the Pakistani authorities, and highlighted the necessity of implementing previous agreements with the political and military officials of the country.

He also presented some existing strategies to strengthen the security of borders and joint operations against terrorist and criminal groups.

For his part, the Pakistani top diplomat underlined the friendship of the two countries and called for boosting communications and sharing information to address concerns.

“The security of Iran means that of Pakistan, and we make all our efforts to address security concerns,” said Qureshi.

The two sides also discussed different aspects of bilateral relations and exchanged views on the most important regional and international issues.

Zarif and Qureshi further emphasised the need to boost economic, political, cultural and educational cooperation between the two brotherly countries.

Iran, Pakistan Discuss Release of Abducted Border GuardsLater in the day, the Iranian top diplomat also held negotiations with Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

During the meeting, the two sides conferred on joint efforts and cooperation to ensure the security of Iran-Pakistan borders, and acceleration of efforts and measures to secure the release of Iranian border guards abducted by terrorists.

They also talked about mutual cooperation for regional peace and stability, particularly in Yemen and Afghanistan.

Heading a high-ranking delegation, Zarif left Tehran for Islamabad early Wednesday to follow up the case of the Iranian abducted soldiers.

Upon his arrival he told reporters at the airport that Pakistan has already promised to spare no effort in helping the release of Iranian border guards. However, he said there is a need for constant discussion with Pakistani officials to bring kidnapped forces back home.

On October 15, the Jaish al-Adl terrorist group took away 12 Iranian security personnel during an overnight ambush in the southeastern city of Mirjaveh. The terrorists then fled to Pakistan with their captives following the cross-border attack.

25 Killed after Afghan Army Chopper Crashes near Iran Border

The aircraft crashed due to “bad weather” in Anar Dara district, which borders Iran, Farah provincial governor spokesman Nasir Mehri said.

The Taliban claimed its militants brought it down.

Both pilots and 23 passengers were killed.

Among the dead were the deputy army corps commander for western Afghanistan and the head of the Farah provincial council, Mehri said.

Provincial council member Dadullah Qaneh said the helicopter hit a mountain peak in poor weather en route to neighbouring Herat province.

Senior government and military officials often travel by helicopter in regions where the Taliban has a large presence.

Helicopter crashes are not uncommon in the mountainous, war-torn country.

In September, an Afghan military helicopter carrying weapons and ammunition burst into flames during an “emergency landing” in Farah, killing at least four people.

Earlier that month at least 12 people were killed, including two Ukrainians, when a helicopter owned by a Moldovan company crashed in the northern province of Balkh.

The aircraft was also carrying munitions and exploded on impact, Afghan officials said.