Iran Hails Global Solidarity with Lebanese after Beirut Blast
President Hassan Rouhani once again expressed deep sorrow on behalf of the Iranian government and people over the Beirut disaster, and said the global solidarity with the Lebanese indicates a sense of conscience and altruism within the human community.
At least 158 people are confirmed to have lost their lives, while more than 6,000 others were wounded in the powerful explosion that ripped through the Beirut port on Tuesday.
The number of fatalities and those hurt is set to rise as search and rescue operations are still underway.
The blast took place in Beirut port warehouses storing highly explosive material, specifically ammonium nitrate, commonly used in both fertilizer and bombs
The blast — one of the biggest non-nuclear explosions the world has ever seen — flattened much of the strategic port and left buildings in ruin and left hundreds of thousands of Lebanese homeless.
On Saturday, angry anti-government protesters filled downtown Beirut and stormed government buildings, calling for justice for the blast victims and demanding the resignation of the entire ruling class.
Police fired teargas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowds. Nearly 730 people were wounded in the clashes and a police officer was reported to have been killed.
Iran Rejects GCC’s ‘Irresponsible’ Statement
The reaction by Seyyed Abbas Mousavi came after the GCC’s Secretariat announced that the council’s newly appointed secretary general had demanded an arms embargo on Iran be extended and levelled several accusations against the Islamic Republic.
In comments on Sunday, Mousavi expressed regret at the unconstructive approach adopted by certain GCC members vis-à-vis the Islamic Republic of Iran.
“Unfortunately, it seems that the so-called Persian Gulf Cooperation Council has turned into a spokesperson for some narrow-minded people both inside the council and outside the region, and that the council’s secretariat, swayed by the wrong and destructive policies and behaviour of certain member states, has turned into a mouthpiece for anti-Iran elements,” said the spokesman.
“The GCC, which is at the apex of its incompetence, and whose internecine differences as well as unrealistic policies have rendered the council ineffective, has, with this move, led to ignoring realities in the region and turning a blind eye to realities and priorities at this sensitive juncture,” Mousavi noted.
“The irresponsible statement by the secretary general has been dictated and issued unilaterally at a time when some members of the council have not stopped purchasing and stockpiling weapons even at a time of economic problems, and are among the biggest buyers of arms in the region and in the world,” he added.
“Indubitably, the United States’ interests are contingent upon further sales of weapons to these countries with such approaches and empty claims,” he said.
“The killing of defenceless people and children in Yemen is a textbook example of wrong policies adopted by certain GCC members, which have resulted in Yemeni people being killed every day before the eyes of the world by different Western weapons by leaders of this very council,” he said.
Rouhani Urges ‘Golden Mean’ between Strict, Lax COVID-19 Restrictions
President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday that strict restrictions will make people depressed, though restrictions should remain in place to help contain the coronavirus pandemic.
“We should follow the golden mean as it is impossible to keep stringent restrictions in place and we cannot completely shut down economic, educational and cultural activities. But at the same time they cannot remain fully open as they were before the coronavirus outbreak,” he noted at a meeting of the National Coronavirus Headquarters.
The president further urged people to keep observing health protocols, namely respect social distancing rules, wear masks and avoid mass gatherings.
He underlined the need to deal with those who do not observe health protocols and commit offences.
He also called on people to avoid nonessential travel to help stem the spread of the virus.
The president underlined that coronavirus is here to stay for at least six months or one year, adding health protocols must be observed in order to tackle the disease until a vaccine is developed for the virus.
Persian Architecture in Photos: Hakim Mosque
Mosque of Hakim or Jorjir is a four-porch mosque dating back to the end of Safavid era, located in the old region of Bab-ol-Dash at the end of the Dyers’ Bazaar.
It has been built during the reign of Shah Abbas II by his personal physician, Hakim Mohammad Davoud, on the ruins of Dailami Jorjir Jame’ Mosque, also called Sahib Ismail Ibn Ebad Mosque, constructed in the fourth century AH.
Dailami Jorjir Jame’ Mosque had been also called “Small Jame’ Mosque”, a magnificent mosque during the second half of fourth century AH.
The entrance of Jojir Mosque is located in its northwestern part. The inscriptions on its inside entrances and porches date back to 1067 to 1073 AH. They have been written by Mohammad Reza Emami, a famous calligrapher of Safavid period.
What follows are YJC’s photos of Hakim Mosque in Isfahan:
A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on August 9
Afkar Newspaper:
1- Rouhani’s Chief of Staff: We’re in Final Days of Sanctions
Aftab-e Yazd Newspaper:
1- Lebanon on Verge of Political Explosion
2- Temporary Withdrawal of Coronavirus
3- Lebanon’s Dilemma after Explosion
Arman-e Melli Newspaper:
1- Hook’s Resignation; An Escape Forward
2- Beirut Blast May Repeat in Heart of Tehran
* There Are Three Chemical Depots in Tehran
3- Analyst: Withdrawal from NPT Is What Trump Wants
Ebtekar Newspaper:
1- Iran Develops ‘Adaptation to Corona’ Program
2- Hook Resigns in Final Months of Trump Administration
* Does It Show White House’s New Tactic?
Etemad Newspaper:
1- US Must Be Held Accountable for Financing Terror: Iran
Iran Newspaper:
1- Rouhani Heralds Great Leap in Petchem Industry
Javan Newspaper:
1- Hook Leaves Office with ‘Maximum Pressure’
2- Major National Projects Accelerated Despite Difficult Conditions Imposed on Iran
3- Observing Protocols Leads to Decline in COVID-19 Deaths
4- End of Hook; Another Defeat for US [Editorial]
Kayhan Newspaper:
1- Macron; Supporter of Lebanese People or Complicit in Beirut Crime?
2- Official in Charge of US Maximum Pressure Dismissed After Failure
Mardom Salari Newspaper:
1- US Expected to Fail at UNSC over Extension of Iran Arms Embargo
2- Hook Leaves State Dept., Replaced by Abrams
Setareh Sobh Newspaper:
1- One Radical Leaves, Another Radical Comes
* Hook Resigns as US Special Iran Representative
Shahrvand Newspaper:
1- Efforts to Reconstruct Beirut amid Public Outrage
* Beirut Citizens Talk of Activities of Volunteers, Aid Workers
2- Is a Major Economic Development Coming?
* Speculations Regarding Rouhani’s Promise
Shargh Newspaper:
1- Judiciary Spokesman: Environmentalists May Be Pardoned
2- Mediation between Armenia, Azerbaijan Not in Iran’s Interest
Iran Confirms 2020 New Cases of COVID-19 Infection
In her Sunday press briefing, Sima-Sadat Lari said 163 people have died of the virus in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of fatalities to 18,427.
The spokeswoman said 284,371 patients have so far recovered from the disease, or been discharged from hospital.
4,022 patients are also in critical conditions because of more severe infection, she added.
Lari noted that 2,686,498 COVID-19 tests have been taken across the country.
She said the high-risk “red” zones include Tehran, Qom, Mazandaran, East Azarbaijan, Isfahan, Ardabil, Yazd, Markazi, Khorasan Razavi, North Khorasan, Alborz, Semnan, Gilan, Golestan, and Kerman provinces.
The “orange” zones also include Lorestan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Fars, Hamadan, Bushehr, West Azarbaijan, Qazvin, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, and Zanjan provinces, she added.
Iran’s Red Crescent Erects Field Hospital in Lebanon
The hospital was inaugurated in a ceremony attended by Iranian Ambassador to Beirut Mohammad-Jalal Firooznia, who also visited the depot of Iran’s humanitarian aid to Lebanon.
“Until now, four planeloads of humanitarian aid for Beirut people sent by the Islamic Republic of Iran have arrived in Lebanon,” said the top diplomat on the sidelines of his visit.
“We are monitoring the situation and, if need be, we are prepared to send in more shipments,” he said.
He underscored that Iran stands ready to help Lebanon and will heavily contribute to reconstruction work following the disastrous explosion in Beirut.
The ambassador underscored that the Red Crescent of the Islamic Republic of Iran acted well in the wake of the Beirut incident.
“Health and medical equipment as well as medicines along with expert teams were sent to Lebanon in the shortest time possible, which should be appreciated,” he noted.
