“The US today is much weaker than what it was four decades ago,” General Jafari said Thursday.
The decline in Washington’s power comes as Iran’s might is now unique and exemplary, he added.
“We have made progress in equipping our missiles and drones and different types of weapons with cutting-edge technology with reliance on domestic capabilities and scientific potential, which shows elements other than material factors contribute to progress,” he said.
He said people play a key role in securing victory and progress.
“If it weren’t for the people during the security incidents in 1999, 2009 and 2018, it is not clear what would have happened,” said the top commander.
“The [wave of] sedition in 2009 took around 8 months, but it was much more dangerous that the [Iraqi] imposed war [on Iran in the 1980s] because everyone had mobilized to sow discord under the pretext of politics and elections and to hatch a major plot against the country,” he noted.
“Using the very same approach of triggering coloured revolutions, they toppled regimes in many countries and thought Iran was like Ukraine,” he said.
He said God Almighty has created enemies “fools” as they do not know what the secret to the Iranian nation’s victory is and fail to understand it.
“Unfortunately, some inside the country follow this path and instill wrong impressions into the society, which plays into the enemies’ hands,” the top commander said.
Afghan security forces keep watch at the site of an attack in Kabul on March 7, 2019 / Photo by Reuters
“By conducting such moves, terrorist groups, including the ISIS, seek to create terror and rifts within the ranks of the Afghan government and people,” Qassemi said in a statement released on Thursday night.
The spokesman said “the vigilance of all Afghan state entities and people holds the key to stopping these groups from achieving their evil goals.”
“By taking such inhumane, indiscriminate and aimless actions, the ISIS has the pious wish of throwing its weight around and making up for its defeats in Syria and Iraq,” Qassemi said.
“Undoubtedly, the will of, and cooperation and solidarity between the Afghan government and people can contribute heavily to the purging of terrorism from this country, which we are sure will happen sooner or later.”
“This is what Iran longs to see happen in Afghanistan as a friendly neighbour,” he added.
At least three people were killed and 22 injured when a gathering of members and leaders of the Shiite Hazara community in Kabul was struck by rockets on Thursday.
Also present at the event were Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and former President Hamid Karzai.
The ceremony was held to mark the 24th anniversary of the death of Shiite Hazara leader Abdul Ali Mazari.
He made the remarks in a phone conversation with his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj on Thursday afternoon.
During the talks, Zarif also underlined the need for peaceful settlement of differences in the region through dialogue.
The two sides also conferred on the latest developments in bilateral ties as well as regional issues.
On February 14, Indian paramilitary forces on the India-controlled side of Kashmir were hit by a deadly bomb attack orchestrated by Pakistan-based militants.
Tensions between the historical archrivals reached a peak later, when India said it had conducted “preemptive” airstrikes against what it described was a militant training camp in the town of Balakot in western Pakistan.
The countries’ Air Forces then engaged in a dogfight that brought down an Indian warplane.
Islamabad returned the aircraft’s captured pilot to India on Friday in, what Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan had called, “a peace gesture.”
During the escalation, the two militaries also exchanged fire over the Line of Control that divides Kashmir between the countries. The firefight has killed several people on both sides.
In a Thursday statement, Qassemi underlined that the invalid and unconstructive declarations of the committee will have no result and achievement other than further distrust and deeper gap in relations among the regional states.
“The member states of the Arab Quartet Committee are fully aware that the final declaration does not reflect the views of the regional states and only represents the specific attitude of certain countries,” he said.
Qassemi noted that all four members of the Arab Quartet Committee know well that the Islamic Republic will never be influenced by such hostile measures which are based on chronic delusions.
“Iran will never change its independent policy of opposing the invasion of Yemen, fighting terrorism, and [objecting to] presence of extra-regional forces in the Persian Gulf,” he added.
The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that regional states must tread the path of creating sustainable security through collective cooperation with all countries in the region, he said.
“They should also stop aggressive policies, sanctions, siege and efforts to exclude a certain state from all regional equations and invest their money in trust-building efforts and establishing comprehensive regional structures for cooperation among all states instead of taking unconstructive measures,” Qassemi noted.
By adopting such policies, members of the Arab Quartet Committee cannot escape their responsibility to be accountable for their destructive policies that have created and prolonged crises like that of Yemen and the humanitarian catastrophe in the regional countries, he concluded.
In its final declaration, the Arab Ministerial Quartet Committee condemned what it called Iran’s continuous interference in the region.
The Arab Ministerial Quartet Committee includes Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain, as well as Secretary-General of Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
Kamal Kharrazi made the remarks in a Wednesday meeting with a visiting French delegation from Institut Montaigne, an independent pioneering think tank dedicated to public policy in France.
Kharrazi said the EU’s inappropriate approach towards the Iran nuclear deal, adopted under the US pressure, has contributed to the Iranians’ distrust of Europe.
“Given the distrust created by the EU’s failure to adopt an appropriate approach towards the JCPOA, today, we witness a deep pessimism among Iranians about the standards set by the global anti-money laundering body,” he was quoted as saying in a report by Tasnim news agency.
According to Kharrazi, an immediate implementation of the mechanism known as Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) established by the Europeans to facilitate trade with Tehran could completely change the current negative view of the EU in Iran.
Netanyahu Committing Suicide by Anti-Iran Campaigns
Elsewhere, Kharrazi referred to the growing anti-Iran rhetoric by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and said Bibi, through the rhetoric, is seeking certain goals through the political game it is conducting ahead of the upcoming general elections in Israel “but he knows well that any move threatening Iran’s regional interests will bring him a political suicide.”
The Iranian official then added despite some differences between Iran, Russia and Turkey over Syria, the three countries have joint interests in restoring peace and security to the Arab country and their trilateral meetings play a key role in this regard.
The Iranian official discussed the latest developments in Syria and the region in his meetings with Chinese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Chen Xiaodong; the Russian president’s special envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentiev; and the German foreign ministry’s director‑general for political affairs Philipp Ackermann.
In these separate meetings, which were held on Tuesday and Wednesday, various issues related to the Syria crisis were discussed, including the formation of the country’s constitutional committee, the fight against terrorism, preventing a humanitarian disaster from happening in Idlib, the reconstruction of Syria, and the return of displaced Syrians to their homeland.
The diplomats also agreed to continue these bilateral negotiations in the near future.
Over the past years, Iran and Russia have been respectively lending military advisory support and aerial backup to the Syrian military in its battle against militants and Takfiri terrorists. The foreign-backed groups started a campaign of bloodshed and destruction against the Arab country in 2011.
Iran, Russia and Turkey, known as the guarantor states of a ceasefire regime in Syria, have been mediating peace negotiations between representatives from the Damascus government and opposition groups in a series of talks held in the Kazakh capital of Astana and other places since January 2017.
It’s surprising that an Iranian man could do so well at the tables given that there are no poker options readily available in Iran. But Fatehi isn’t your typical Iranian. The businessman turned poker pro got his start playing with friends as a teenager, learning several variations of the game from his close friend Farbod Goharbin. Then when based in Dubai, he honed his skills in online poker rooms before rekindling his love for the live game on a business trip to the Côte d’Azur (French Riviera).
On a whim, Fatehi entered a European Poker Tour (EPT) Super High-Roller event with a $112,000 buy-in. He joined 45 other players in the event, and by the final day, he was the chip leader facing off against seven seasoned pros of the game. Unfortunately for Fatehi, his run ended at the final table. He finished third, but still, he managed to walk away with an impressive $937,000.
He was an unknown player who showed 40+ seasoned pros on how to do it. And he was only getting started. But more on that later.
Always Ready with a Smile
Fatehi has become well-known in poker circles, not only for his impressive poker skills but also, his friendly demeanor. The man himself says that he is always this way, whether it’s with family or friends, doing business or playing poker. His positive attitude seems to rub off on his counterparts, and his opponents are often genuinely pleased to sit at the table with him.
Fatehi’s positivity is something that reflects well on his home country as well. As is often the case, there are many misconceptions about Iran, and it’s always pleasant to see an Iranian busting myths, proving that Iranians should be known for their hospitality. While gambling may be forbidden in our home nation, Fatehi’s popularity among the poker elite is welcome news.
The Super High Roller
The Monte Carlo Casino where Fatehi made his splash.
We mentioned earlier that Fatehi’s first appearance was a Super High-Roller event in Monte Carlo, and there is a specific reason for that. Fatehi intentionally seeks out events with high buy-ins as he feels that these are the ones that attract the best players in the world. He wants to improve his skills by playing against the best, and the pressure of such a high buy-in only adds to the excitement.
Another Big Windfall
Since that event in Monte Carlo, Fatehi has continued to enter events on the European Poker Tour. He has made slow and steady progress in the money stakes by placing well, bringing home decent winnings in several events. In December of 2016, he took home $250,000 after playing in two events over two days. That’s not bad for a relative newcomer.
In 2017, he limited his action, not making much at the tables. He only entered four events, with 13th place his highest finish of the year. He still managed to earn short of $50,000 for his troubles, although with buy-ins and travel expenses, he likely barely broken even.
However, by 2018, he was back in form again. Two days in Cyprus earned him a first-place finish and $114,000. Then in April, he found himself back where it all began at the Super High-Roller event in Monte Carlo. He once again finished in third place, netting $816,000 for his troubles.
What the Future Holds
Fatehi’s goal: The World Series of Poker bracelet.
Fatehi has himself stated that he wants more Iranians to start playing poker and has encouraged all his friends and family to pick up the game. He feels that if he can do it, so can anyone, and while we appreciate his kind words, we reckon it takes a lot of skill to achieve the success Fatehi has. But his words aren’t lost on his fellow countrymen. Since he appeared on the circuit, there have been more Iranians entering events on the European Poker Tour than ever before.
For his part, Fatehi intends to remain on the European Poker Tour for now, but the World Series of Poker is on his radar. Unfortunately, travel and visa requirements make this a difficult undertaking, and so, he must make his mark in Europe. It’s a shame because we’d love to see how far he would make it in the world’s most famous poker event.
Fatehi is currently second behind Amir Vahedi in the all-time money list for Iranian poker players. Vahedi, a stalwart of the game, had career earnings of a little over $3.2 million before he sadly passed away in 2010. Vahedi is the only Iranian to win a bracelet at the World Series of Poker, obtaining his in the 2003 No Limit Hold ‘em event, an achievement that Fatehi would love to match.
Fatehi’s current career earnings are over $2.2 million, and he has only been in the game for under three years. Should he continue this upward trajectory, it’s hard to imagine him not taking over as the greatest and highest-earning Iranian poker player of all time. But that World Series of Poker bracelet could be a long way off, though.
The Super High-Roller event is right around the corner, and in his current form, Fatehi will expect a deep run in the event. Who knows, he might even win it this time. They do say the third time is a charm, yes? We know who we’ll cheer for anyway, and if he ever makes it to the U.S., we’re sure he’ll have lots of support in Vegas.
Have you ever heard about body recomposition? If you are a fitness enthusiast who is driven by focused goals, you probably have tried this. For those who are not aware of this technique, we will take you through what it is and how to achieve it effectively.
What Is Body Recomposition?
First of all, we need to understand what body composition is. It is the relationship between muscles, fat, bone and water that makes up a body. It is described in terms of percentage. Now, recomposition causes the body to lose fat and gain muscles at the same time. For most people, it is a complicated technique that can be confusing especially if you are a beginner. It is easy to focus on losing fat alone by cutting calories and exercising more. It is also easy to gain muscles because you only need to eat additional protein and lift weights more. But body recomposition requires a sensitive approach as we will discuss below.
Use of the Right Supplements
Supplements and steroids may be a scary topic for beginners. But there is no way you will avoid their use when your main goal is to achieve body recomposition. Experts in steroids like https://120kgs.org have some of the best legal steroids that burn fat and enhance your capability to lift more for improved muscle growth.
One thing to remember is that the loss of fat should occur almost proportionally to your muscle gains. So, the transformation must be very effective. Most of the supplements provide plenty of nutrients in greater amounts than the normal diet. However, abusing them can cause adverse health effects that will derail your goals eventually. For this reason, it is advisable to seek help from a medical expert.
Make a Perfect Meal Plan
For the body to be in perfect shape as you lose fat and gain muscles, the support of a proper diet is necessary. This means reducing calories to a level that will result in the depletion of fat stores while eating enough proteins to build muscle. It is highly recommended that one should consult a nutritionist to develop an ideal meal plan especially for the active training days of the week. If care is not observed, one could be causing more harm to the body over time.
Heavy and Compound Lifting
Exercise is a core pillar of recomposition for the body. For a person to lose body fat, she or he simply must work out more. Heavy lifting works better compared to cardio. Although all types of exercises are important, you should lift most of the time.
Additionally, fitness enthusiasts in this category will achieve better results in gaining more muscles when they spend more time engaged in weightlifting exercises. So, there is no compromise for those who want to experience recomposition.
He began by introducing his company: Isofam was established in 1983 in Tehran with the aim of taking part in Iran’s development, as well as becoming a top firm in the field of construction. During the past decades, Isofam has established itself as a successful industrial construction complex, particularly in the wood industry. With an impressive presence in the industrial construction market, the company has taken major steps in line with Iran’s economic, industrial and construction programmes.
“Relying on a long history and considerable experience in the production of wood products such as MDF and melamine chipboard, Isofam carried out three projects of melamine resin paper impregnation, particle board compression and wood industry printing goods production in Shams Abad industrial zone. Isofam has been praised by the Iranian Ministry of Industry, Mine, and Trade as a top industrial company of the country,” he noted.
Asked about the company’s development plans in the current year, Yavari says, “Adopting a developmental outlook, Isofam has managed to accustom itself to recent global trends in business and technology. It has successfully implemented four design schemes by producing high-quality HDF laminate parquets, socket papers with natural, deep texture on MDF packs, PVC edging tapes, and high quality high gloss sheets.”
“Isofam’s goals are aligned with Iran’s economy of resistance which requires coping with the domestic market’s demands in order to cut the imports and prevent the outflow of currency. The company instead brings money in Iran by exporting its products to neighbouring countries; a great achievement not only for Isofam, but for Iran’s wood industry,” he added,
A top story in all papers today was the remarks made by the Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei about the need for protecting vegetation, as he plantedtwo fruit trees on the occasion of National Arbour Day and National Week of Natural Resources.
Also a top story was President Hassan Rouhani’s inaugurationof the strategic Qazvin-Rasht railway line, which connects northern Iran to the national railway as an important part of the North-South Corridor.
The visitof Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohamed al-Halbousi to Tehran, and his meetingswith top Iranian officials also received great coverage.
The above issues, as well as many more, are highlighted in the following headlines and top stories:
Abrar:
1- Pakistan BansOperation of Jaish al-Adl Terror Group in Its Soil
2- Iraq PM: Baghdad Has Not Received New Exemption for US Anti-Iran Sanctions
3- Rouhani: We Won’t Go Back
4- Araqchi: We Still Don’t Know How INSTEX Works
5- Iran Key Focus of Pompeo’s Talks with Hunt, Le Drian
Aftab-e Yazd:
1- British Delegation Has Recently Visited Iran, Met Central Bank Officials
2- New Dream of US Republicans [Editorial]
Arman-e Emrooz:
1- Iran Leader Plants Two Fruit Trees
2- Rouhani: President Is the Country’s Commander during Economic War
3- Iran, P4+1 Hold Talks about INSTEX
Ebtekar:
1- Atomic Drought: Satellite Images Show N Korea Has Rebuilt One of Its Missile Sites
2- Rouhani: We Won’t Go Back
Etemad:
1- Tehran, Baghdad against Sanctions
Iraqi Delegation Meet Iranian Officials One Week before Rouhani’s Baghdad Visit
2- Iran Leader: Protecting Vegetation Must Become Part of Public Culture
Ettela’at:
1- Iran, France Exchange Ambassadors
2- Defeat of Takfiri Terrorism Not Possible without Iran: Iraq Parliament Speaker
3- Caspian Sea Connected to Persian Gulf through Railway
Jomhouri Eslami:
1- Rasht-Qazvin Railway Line Officially Inaugurated by Rouhani
2- Iran Had $78 Billion Worth of Trade with World in Past 11 Months
3- Putin: Situation in Mideast Still Complicated
4- EU Says Removing Nuclear-Related Bans Necessary Part of JCPOA
Kayhan:
1- Europe: We’re Sorry about US’ Withdrawal, but Iran Must Do Its JCPOA Commitments
2- Washington Resumes Making Threat, Pyongyang Resumes Missile Activities
Khorasan:
1- Rasht Connected to Iran’s Railway System as Important Part of North-South Corridor
2- Kim’s Finger on Trigger Again after Failure of Hanoi Talks
3- Chinese President’s Letterto Iran Leader, President
Mardom Salari:
1- INSTEX Chief to Visit Iran Soon: Araqchi
2- Russia Outpaces Others; Iran Left Out of Europe’s Gas Market
3- Trump’s Harsh Attack on US House’s Judicial Committee
Shargh:
1- Iran Leader Plants Two Fruit Trees on National Arbour Day
2- Ayatollah Khamenei’s Response to Rouhani: President Must Be Commander of Economic War
3- Iraq Parliament Speaker in Tehran: Unilateral Sanctions Condemned
4- King Salman Worried about Mohammed’s Possible Coup against Himself
