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Iran Leader Urges Saudi to Stop Acting as US’ Vassal State

November 25, 2018

“Today, some regional countries obey the US instead of God. [In return] the US humiliates them, due to its arrogant nature,” Ayatollah Khamenei said Sunday.

“You’ve heard the babbler US president likening Saudi rulers to milk cow. If Al Saud is okay with that, to hell with that; but this is an insult to [the country’s] people and Muslim nations,” he told a gathering of government officials, ambassadors from Muslim countries and guests participating in the 32nd international Islamic unity conference in Tehran.

The Leader said Muslim governments should do away with the US and stand on their own feet.

“We advise Muslim rulers to return to the guardianship of Islam. The guardianship of the US and tyrants won’t do them any good,” he said.

Ayatollah Khamenei suggested that Muslim countries should avoid supporting the war against Yemen and the so-called “deal of the century” on the Palestine conflict the US is preparing.

“Why should Muslim rulers assist the criminal move against Palestine and the Yemeni people? These rulers should be confident that victory in both fronts will belong to Palestinians and Yemenis and the US and its vassal states will be defeated,” he said.

US, Israel Weaker than Ever

The Leader further urged Muslim intellectuals and pundits to work to promote the culture of Islamic resistance in the region, saying this will help the region win over the US.

“Do your best to strengthen the Islamic Awakening and resistance in the region, as the spread of this thinking and morale is the only path to save the region,” he said.

The Leader said the US and Israel are now in a much weaker position than previous years, pointing to Israel’s decision to implement ceasefire following the latest escalation in Gaza earlier this month.

In the worst violence between the two sides since the 2014 war, Gazans fired over 400 rockets or mortar bombs at Israel in response to a botched Israeli raid in Gaza.

The reason behind the irrational US approach towards the Middle East is that they are panicked by the nations’ attraction towards Islam and resistance, which could deal a big blow to the US hegemony in the region.

“Wherever Islam has dominated hearts and souls of people, the world arrogance has been slapped [in the face] and we really believe that the arrogance will once again be slapped by the Islamic awakening,” he said.

The Leader said Iran could be a model for Muslim countries, as the country has managed to push back the US and resist its pressure in all these years.

He referred to the latest US sanctions on Iran, saying the country has already survived such pressures and will do so in the future as well.

Sooha Lake; Pure Beauty in Northwestern Iran

Seyedeh Maryam Hosseini Lahijani

November 25, 2018

With its green and fresh meadow and the thick forests around it, the region can irresistibly attract any tourist.

Sooha is a large lake, 10 kilometres away from Namin, a small city widely known for its Fandoqlu Forest.

Each year during the spring, the region is covered by chamomile. You can see the same plant covering even in the summer. Sooha lake, also locally named Sava, has been created by the water originating in the pond behind Sava Dam.

The lake is flanked by a forest on one side and a hill and a walking pathway leading to Laton Waterfall on the other. The region, which serves as the starting part of the dense forests of the northern province of Gilan, has already attracted a large number of nature enthusiasts with its mild weather.

Any visitor coming to the region can occasionally see some cute colts grazing on the rich gross of the nearby plains.

What follows are Mizan News Agency’s photos of the lake:

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‘Family Only Remedy for Loneliness Caused by Modernism’

IFP Editorial Staff

November 24, 2018

Addressing the third edition of the two-day summit on Friday, Ebtekar spoke about the experiences, laws and policies of family support in Iran, and emphasized, “The topic of Family Empowerment is a central theme for enabling societies to flourish and advance and for the promotion of justice and peace at the global level.”

“The only remedy for the loneliness brought by modern times is the family. It is equally important for me to be a cabinet member and a mother at the same time. This perception leads to the balance of work and family,” she said.

The summit, which was kicked off on Friday, was hosted by leading Turkish non-profit, the Women and Democracy Association (KADEM) with the main theme of “family empowerment”.

KADEM addressed the family as the basic unit of society and threats facing the family. For this purpose, the Summit brought together government officials from different countries, women leaders, political actors, women entrepreneurs, academics, researchers, journalists and activists, to discuss and negotiate successful examples and practices related to family issues developed in different countries.

At the inauguration ceremony, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan emphasized the cultural values of protecting women’s and children’s rights and said that paying attention and supporting women’s and men’s rights are essential.

Erdogan highlighted the significance of the issue of violence against women and the elimination of discrimination, and said, “In primary schools, we will start education with the ‘non-discrimination’ campaign and we hope to develop peace in the community with such trainings.”

Referring to the concept of justice, the Turkish president added, “Equality of opportunity is the path to women’s uprising, but attention should be paid to the balance of roles and to their support.”

On the sidelines of the summit, Ebtekar had a meeting with Turkish Minister of Labor, Social Services and Family, Zehra Zümrüt Selçuk, during which the two sides discussed topics such as increasing cooperation and exchanging experiences on micro businesses, home care and family empowerment.

Iran and Turkey have a common understanding regarding women that they will implement as soon as possible by establishing a joint action plan.

Ebtekar also met with her counterparts on the experiences of women in different countries. She returned to Iran on Friday night.

Iran Hosts First Edition of Silk Road Rally

Fatemeh Askarieh

November 24, 2018

During the two-day event, which started on Thursday, participants from more than 15 Iranian provinces drove a 200-kilometre distance from desert to mountain. The race started from the Rig-e Jenn Desert in Garmsar County.

It is a vast area of sand dunes in the middle of Dasht-e Kavir, Iran’s central desert in the border region of Semnan and Isfahan provinces.

What follows are photos of this event retrieved from various sources:

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US’ Defence of Human Rights Hinges on Size of Arms Deals: Iran

IFP Editorial Staff

November 24, 2018

Referring to recent remarks by the US State Department’s spokesperson on terrorism and human rights violation in Iran, Qassemi said “nothing more can be expected from the officials of the US government who link human rights and the lives of people to the volume of their trade with others and the amount of dollars they receive for their contracts.”

In a Saturday statement, the spokesman said it is good news for the world’s freedom-seekers that the US sees no reason anymore to cover up the double standards it has long been adopting.

“Today the country’s officials are explicitly, blatantly and with an unprecedented shamelessness promoting a new pattern of defending human rights based on the size of the arms contracts they sign with others, under the banner of deceptive humanitarian slogans and human rights outcries,” he noted.

“To this end, the US officials give the green light to some of their anti-human allies to slaughter millions of innocent people including women and children in some regional states, to bring them years of drought and disease, and to bomb their schools, hospitals, and their wedding or mourning ceremonies with cutting-edge fighter jets,” he noted.

Under such circumstances, the US cannot and should not moan and shed tears for the death of global security and human rights violations in others states in a false and completely scandalous position, he said, adding that such defence will only mock and distort the concept of human rights.

In a tweet on Thursday, US State Department Spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the US needs tough action to stop what she called Iran’s terror and violence abroad and improve its human rights record at home.

“We will continue to support the voices of Iranian people and to galvanize int’l support for our efforts. The world must be unified in saying no to Iran’s abuses,” she claimed.

On the same day, US President Donald Trump contradicted the CIA’s assessment that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had ordered the killing of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul, suggesting that the murder will not affect Washington-Riyadh relations given the huge arms deals they have.

Afghan Gov’t Must Be Part of Any Peace Plan: Iran

IFP Editorial Staff

November 24, 2018

zarif-karzai — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif meeting with former Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Tehran on Nov. 24, 2018 / Photo by Iranian Foreign Ministry

He made the remarks in a Saturday meeting with former Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Tehran.

Zarif stated that Iran has consistently supported the peace talks in Afghanistan with the leadership and participation of the Afghan government and will use all its capabilities to assist the Afghan government in this regard.

Afghan Gov’t Must Be Part of Any Peace Plan: Iran — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif meeting with Deputy Chief Executive of Afghanistan Mohammad Mohaqiq in Tehran on Nov. 24, 2018 / Photo by Iranian Foreign Ministry

The Iranian top diplomat made similar comments in a meeting with Deputy Chief Executive of Afghanistan Mohammad Mohaqiq earlier in the day.

Referring to peace plans in Afghanistan, Zarif emphasised that any plan should be pursued with the participation of the Afghan government.

Multilateral talks on Afghanistan peace were held in Moscow on Nov. 9 with the participation of the Taliban and the Afghanistan High Peace Council (HPC), which claimed to be representing the Kabul government, but the administration of President Ashraf Ghani denies that.

Russia invited 12 countries and the Taliban to attend the talks aimed at restoring peace to the war-torn state, but the United States and the Afghan government declined to send official delegations to Moscow.

President Ghani rejected the invitation on the grounds that talks with the Taliban should be led by the Kabul government. But the High Peace Council, a government body overseeing peace efforts, attended the talks with four representatives.

The Afghan foreign ministry emphasized that the HPC did not represent the Afghan government at the meeting, however. Representatives from Iran, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan attended the talks.

The Afghan president said earlier this month that it was “not a question of if, but when” an agreement would be reached with the militant group amid renewed efforts by the international community to bring back peace to the country.

The US’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, has raised the possibility of a breakthrough before April 20, 2019, the date set for presidential elections in Afghanistan.

But Taliban leaders said on Monday that they had failed to reach any agreement with the US after three days of talks at their political headquarters in Qatar, citing dissatisfaction with a deadline set by Washington’s Afghanistan envoy to end the war.

The Taliban have generally insisted on negotiating only with the US, and not the Afghan government.

The militants have overtaken several districts in a spate of brazen attacks in recent months, including Ghazni, which was briefly overtaken by the militants last month, jolting the government in Kabul because the central city is close to the capital.

The Takfiri terrorist group of ISIS has also established a foothold in the country. The group has reportedly managed to recruit some of Taliban’s members.

Karzai has accused the US of propping up ISIS and using it as a “tool” for its own agenda in the country.

Paris Turns into Gaza as Protesters Clash with Riot Police (+Video)

IFP Editorial Staff

November 24, 2018

Paris Turns into Gaza as Protesters Clash with Riot Police — French protesters clashing with the riot police in Paris on Nov. 24, 2018 during the so-called "Yellow Vest" demonstrations held against the French president's economic policies and the fuel price hikes / Photo by IRIB Correspondent in Paris

Protesters, who flooded the French capital to rally against rising fuel prices and a planned fuel tax, were seen throwing stones at and scuffling with police who used water cannons and pepper spray to disperse them, the IRIB correspondent in Paris reported.

Several protesters were seen being arrested.

On Friday night, a man wearing an explosive device demanded “yellow vest” protesters be given an audience by the French president.

Paris Turns into Gaza as Protesters Clash with Riot Police (+Video) — French protesters clashing with the riot police in Paris on Nov. 24, 2018 during the so-called “Yellow Vest” demonstrations held against the French president’s economic policies and the fuel price hikes / Photo by IRIB Correspondent in Paris

The 45-year-old man, who was finally arrested by the Police, was wearing a yellow vest and revealed the device at a car wash in a shopping centre in the town of Angers, in western France.

The first protest on Nov. 17 saw 300,000 demonstrators taking part, blocking major roadways nationwide resulting in two dead and 606 injured.

The “yellow vest” protest movement has grown over the past weeks, as the government plans a tax increase on fuel, including gasoline and diesel, beginning on January 1, 2019 to promote environmentally friendly practices.

Iran Hosting Int’l Horseback Combat Contests

Seyedeh Maryam Hosseini Lahijani

November 24, 2018

Over 50 participants are competing in different sections of the five-day event, including archery, fencing and horseback javelin.

Most of the Iranian contenders are from Fars province, which is home to a large population of tribesmen.

This is the second round of international horseback competitions held in Iran. The first round was held in the central city of Yazd.

42 foreign and 12 Iranian riders are attending the event. Among the highlights of the competitions is the presence of eight foreign sportswomen and one Iranian lady.

The venue of the contests is on the outskirts of Shiraz, and the main track of the competitions which is 200 metres long has been approved by the international federation.

The event has a message of “world peace” and runs from November 21-26. The concluding ceremony will be held at the Persepolis ancient site.

Photos of the contests published by different media outlets follow:

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