Dominique Delawarde, a former officer in the French military from 1959 to 2005 and a graduate of the prestigious military academy of Saint-Cyr, says Trump is doing his best to fulfil his electoral promises, as he seeks re-election in the next presidential election, and his plan to pull US forces out of the Middle East is just part of the same framework.
He made the remarks in an exclusive interview with IFP News on the sidelines of the international conference on Peace and Security in West Asia in Tehran earlier this week.
Pointing to the shutdown of the US government over a feud between Trump and Democrats who control the US House of Representatives, Delawarde said the Syria announcement is part of Trump’s tactics to defeat the lawmakers and push forward his electoral pledge to build a wall on the US-Mexico border.
The House has rejected Trump’s demand that a bill to keep the federal government operational include more than $5 billion to help build the wall, leading large parts of the government to shut down on December 22.
According to Delawarde, “Trump has a big problem with his Congress. He is placing pressure on the legislature.”
He said Trump knows the Congress is heavily influenced by the Israeli lobby groups, so his announcement is meant to push the Israeli lobby to convince the Congress to pass the bill.
“He is telling Israel that if you want me to stay in Syria, you should go to the Congress -through AIPAC, for example- and convince just 10 lawmakers to vote for me so I can get my bill passed,” he said.
Delawarde said Trump might bring home some forces or send them somewhere else, but it would be a symbolic move and he will not withdraw completely.
“If he gets what he wants, he can move some troops to Iraq or elsewhere. That’s not withdrawal. I’m 100% sure he won’t leave now,” he said.
Purpose of US Presence in Syria
Delawarde said the occupation of Syria by the US forces only has one goal: to block the route from Iran to Syria and Lebanon, and prevent Iran from increasing threats against Israel.
“It’s all about Iran. It’s the reason why they want to stay in the country. So they have no motive to leave the country now,” he said.
US Would Be Forced to Withdraw
Although the US won’t withdraw from Syria now, Delawarde said Washington will be forced to do so in the near future.
“The US will withdraw in the future. I’m not talking about this year or next year, but 2020 or 2025,” he said.
Unlike what the Western media portray, the US is in no good shape and the country is about to go into a big crisis, he said.
Delawarde said the US has a huge debt, with just the federal debt reaching an unprecedented amount of 23,000 trillion dollars. Moreover, they are losing big in a trade war with China, he said.
“It’s the beginning of the end. The US has so economic bubbles that could explode soon. It may take a few months, one year, two years or 10 years – but it will certainly happen,” he said.
Almost all papers today covered the remarks made by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in praise of the late ex-president Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and his personality.
Also a top story was US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s tour of regional countries which is aimed at uniting Arab countries against the Islamic Republic of Iran.
A controversial plan by the municipality of Tehran to receive tolls from citizens who use some of the busiest tunnels in the capital also received great coverage.
The above issues, as well as many more, are highlighted in the following headlines and top stories:
Abrar:
1- Zarif: We’ll Continue Our Aerospace Program
2- Top Lawmaker: FATF Adoption Enemy’s Plot for Iran
Aftab-e Yazd:
1- Rouhani Upset with Reformists
2- Zarif, Zanganeh Chasing Pompeo!
3- Senior Lawmaker: Iran Can’t Fight the World When Its Economy Ranks 18th
“Reminder to host/participants of anti-Iran conference: those who attended last US anti-Iran show are either dead, disgraced, or marginalized. And Iran is stronger than ever,” Zarif said in a Friday tweet.
His comments came after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox News in an interview to air on Friday that Washington will jointly host a global summit focused on Iran and the Middle East next month in Poland.
The international gathering will take place in Warsaw from February 13 to 14, the US State Department said in a statement.
Pompeo said the meeting would “focus on Middle East stability and peace, freedom and security here in this region, and that includes an important element of making sure that Iran is not a destabilizing influence”.
Since withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal last year, the US administration has steadily ratcheted up pressure on Tehran and vowed to increase it until Iran halts what US officials describe as its “malign activities” throughout the Mideast and elsewhere.
As part of its policy of maximum pressure, Washington in early November re-imposed what it called the harshest-ever sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
In his tweet, Zarif also strongly criticized the Polish government for hosting the conference, reminding Warsaw of thousands of Polish refugees saved by Iran during the Second World War.
“Polish Govt. can’t wash the shame: while Iran saved Poles in WWII, it now hosts desperate anti-Iran circus,” he went on to say.
During the World War II, up to two million Polish civilians were arrested by the Soviet secret police and deported to Siberia and Kazakhstan. Many did not survive the long journey (lasting many weeks) by cattle train; many more died during their imprisonment.
Others simply failed to get out after finally being freed from the Soviet gulags. A total of 120,000 Polish people, 3,000 of whom were orphans, escaped from the Soviet Union to Iran, starting a new life in Isfahan.
The Poles entered Iran from the port city of Anzali on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. Soviet ships docking in Anzali were packed with starving Polish refugees, and they were the lucky ones: Many others died along the way from typhus, typhoid and hunger.
Photos of the Poles and their graveyard in Iran were posted by Zarif in his Friday tweet.
Zarif also included a photograph from the 1996 “Summit of Peacemakers” in Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt.
The photo showed Jordan’s King Hussein, Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres, US President Bill Clinton, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Russian President Boris Yeltsin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, among other world leaders.
The original uniform of Turkmen women is a long silk gown called “Don” that reaches the knees.
In many images and designs of the centuries before the advent of Islam and afterwards, Iranian men and women have observed Hijab and maintained their dignity by covering their heads and their body.
Therefore, one can say the Iranian culture and civilisation is different from other cultures including that of Greece, in which men and women were occasionally bare or not covering their bodies fully.
The Iranian historical trend shows that the majority of people, including men and women, tended to put on more covered clothes than other societies.
According to Hadi Vakili, an associate professor at the History Department of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, “the anti-hijab movement entered Iran’s history several times, but at no point was welcomed by Iranians.”
“In the same ancient Iran, when Alexander the Great and later the Seleucids entered Iran, their culture was not the same as those of the Iranians regarding their clothes. In another word, they were not observing Hijab, but the Iranian society did not accept them,” he said.
A photo retrieved from French traveller Jean Chardin’s “Travels in Persia” book
“Similarly, Mongol women or some other ethnic minorities in Iran did not have full hijab, but they were adapted to the Iranian culture and society and started to wear Iranian-style clothes.”
Another important event against hijab in Iran was the removing of hijab by Reza Khan. It was a very clear example of tyranny and modernisation of the Iranian society by force of guns and bayonets. This move, despite the great efforts of the Pahlavi regime, who used all the country’s facilities to ban hijab, failed to be accepted by the majority of the society and was defeated by the power of culture.
Part of this culture has its roots in the culture of Iranian tribes and their wearing-style that dates back hundreds of years.
A few days ago, Deputy Speaker of Iran’s Parliament Ali Motahari said in a speech that “as far as I know, if we hold a referendum on hijab today, the majority of the Iranian society will vote for it.”
Special Wear of Iranian Ethnic Groups
Ethnic groups living in different parts of Iran are climatically and geographically affected by the weather and the biological conditions of the region, and most importantly by the religious, and cultural aspects of each nation.
Sometimes through this wear, you can understand the cultural components of each region. The identity of the local clothing of the people is inextricably linked with the beliefs of the people and is part of the cultural attraction.
Following, we take a look at the wearing style of different ethnic groups in Iran; an original wear that has been worn by Iranians for centuries, each of which has a world of colours and designs.
The images that follow show the wearing style of various ethnic groups in Iran, retrieved from various sources:
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The local costume of Abyaneh village in Isfahan province dates back to 1,500 years ago. The villagers are very committed to wearing their local clothes. The most important thing about Abyaneh garments is the use of bright colours originating from the colourful nature of the area.
The local costume of Abyaneh village in Isfahan province dates back to 1,500 years ago. The villagers are very committed to wearing their local clothes. The most important thing about Abyaneh garments is the use of bright colours originating from the colourful nature of the area.
The local costume of Abyaneh village in Isfahan province dates back to 1,500 years ago. The villagers are very committed to wearing their local clothes. The most important thing about Abyaneh garments is the use of bright colours originating from the colourful nature of the area.
The local costume of Abyaneh village in Isfahan province dates back to 1,500 years ago. The villagers are very committed to wearing their local clothes. The most important thing about Abyaneh garments is the use of bright colours originating from the colourful nature of the area.
Ladies’ wear in Shahsavan tribe in Ardabil province consists of nine pieces, and nomadic women always put all of these nine pieces on.
Ladies’ wear in Shahsavan tribe in Ardabil province consists of nine pieces, and nomadic women always put all of these nine pieces on.
Ladies’ wear in Shahsavan tribe in Ardabil province consists of nine pieces, and nomadic women always put all of these nine pieces on.
Ladies’ wear in Shahsavan tribe in Ardabil province consists of nine pieces, and nomadic women always put all of these nine pieces on.
Azarbaijani clothes have different types because of the inclusion of two Azari and Kurdish tribes, as well as numerous tribes and ethnic groups.
Azarbaijani clothes have different types because of the inclusion of two Azari and Kurdish tribes, as well as numerous tribes and ethnic groups.
Azarbaijani clothes have different types because of the inclusion of two Azari and Kurdish tribes, as well as numerous tribes and ethnic groups.
Azarbaijani clothes have different types because of the inclusion of two Azari and Kurdish tribes, as well as numerous tribes and ethnic groups.
Azarbaijani clothes have different types because of the inclusion of two Azari and Kurdish tribes, as well as numerous tribes and ethnic groups.
Zoroastrian women’s wear in Iran
Zoroastrian women’s wear in Iran
Traditional clothes of women in Arak in Markazi province
The original uniform of Turkmen women is a long silk gown called “Don” that reaches the knees.
The original uniform of Turkmen women is a long silk gown called “Don” that reaches the knees.
Traditional clothes of women in Khuzestan province
Since the ancient times, Qizilbash women in Iran’s Golestan Province have been wearing clothes ornamented with coins and red silk.
The costume of the people of Semnan is a symbol of the originality and simplicity of people living in deserts. Their clothes are usually woven with goat’s hair.
The costume of the people of Semnan is a symbol of the originality and simplicity of people living in deserts. Their clothes are usually woven with goat’s hair.
The costume of the people of Semnan is a symbol of the originality and simplicity of people living in deserts. Their clothes are usually woven with goat’s hair.
Women’s clothing in Sistan and Baluchestan is composed of a loose dress and trousers, which is designed by needlework in the collar and sleeves.
Women’s clothing in Sistan and Baluchestan is composed of a loose dress and trousers, which is designed by needlework in the collar and sleeves.
Women’s clothing in Sistan and Baluchestan is composed of a loose dress and trousers, which is designed by needlework in the collar and sleeves.
Women’s clothing in Sistan and Baluchestan is composed of a loose dress and trousers, which is designed by needlework in the collar and sleeves.
Clothes of Iranian tribes living in Fars province
Gilani women are known for their long colourful skirts. They wear it along with a blouse and a vest.
Gilani women are known for their long colourful skirts. They wear it along with a blouse and a vest.
Traditional clothes of Kurdish women in Kurdistan province
Traditional clothes of Kurdish women in the city of Quchan in North Khorasan province
Local clothes of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province
Lur women's clothing are designed with colourful fabrics and beautiful designs.
Lur women's clothing are designed with colourful fabrics and beautiful designs.
Bakhtiari ladies' clothing includes shirt, scarf and a footwear. 8 to 10 metres of cloth is used in their outfit.
Bakhtiari ladies' clothing includes shirt, scarf and a footwear. 8 to 10 metres of cloth is used in their outfit.
Traditional garments were colourful in Mazandaran province. Of course, today women do not wear such clothes very much.
Hormozgan is a province of Iran in which no particular kind of clothes is worn. Their garments include a dress, scarf and jewelries.
Hormozgan is a province of Iran in which no particular kind of clothes is worn. Their garments include a dress, scarf and jewelries.
Hormozgan is a province of Iran in which no particular kind of clothes is worn. Their garments include a dress, scarf and jewelries.
Hormozgan is a province of Iran in which no particular kind of clothes is worn. Their garments include a dress, scarf and jewelries.
Hormozgan is a province of Iran in which no particular kind of clothes is worn. Their garments include a dress, scarf and jewelries.
“Contrary to the French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman’s claim, Iran’s missile program has neither been established for non-conventional purposes, nor the country’s natural right to strengthen its scientific and defensive capabilities as developed in the form of missile program is in violation of [UN Security Council] Resolution 2231,” said Qassemi in a Friday statement.
Iran has not been prevented from developing defensive and conventional missile program and those with scientific application in any part of the Resolution, he added.
“We strongly believe that any attempt to induce and impose a wrong interpretation of Resolution 2231 regarding Iran’s missile program is an irresponsible act,” Qassemi added.
He also reiterated the defensive, national, and conventional nature of Iran’s missile program, saying that it is not only legitimate but also a natural right of the Iranian nation.
Qassemi’s remarks came after French Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Agnes von der Muhll called on Tehran to “immediately cease all ballistic missile-related activities designed to carry nuclear weapons, including tests using ballistic missile technology.”
If you are planning to start your digital marketing agency then you must know all the strategies that are important for making the plan successful. Let’s start:
Pay Close Attention to User’s Needs
The basic principle of your digital marketing plan must revolve around the needs of the user. It is important to focus on user needs because it is the most important strategy to improve and enhance the digital marketing agency. While making the strategies it is important to remember what the user needs and what you are providing to him or her. In order to satisfy the users you must consider the below-stated points:
Segment Your Audience
Look at the Touch Points
Evaluate Customer Impression
Research and Reach for Customer Feedback
Latest Technology must be used – Focus on AMP
Incorporate Video Marketing
There are several digital marketing agencies that are using video marketing for promoting their business. If you want to make your strengths strategy for Digital Marketing Agencies more effective than you must choose video marketing in your digital marketing plan. You must have heard that a person learn more quickly through watching and learning as compared to reading. This is the same approach that uses in a digital marketing agency. According to the sources and Research, people give more attention to the content displayed in videos whether than other information or format. For a successful video marketing, you have to provide your information in such a manner that it can
Use human emotions (this will help in engaging people more)
Optimize for search.
Optimize the videos for other devices too.
Use Cross-platform strategy.
Pacing Up with SEO
There are many people and articles that state that your article or content is on the top of SERP then the SEO work is done. This is one of the most common myth. SEO plays an important role in digital marketing. Furthermore, SEO methods keep modifying according to the updates given by Google. The user must not that Google updates its algorithm more than 500 times a year. Hence it is stupid it to think that SEO work is done when your page is ranked. While making the digital marketing strategy you must consider Semantic Search, Voice Search, and Unlinked mentions carefully and completely and you can check the back link with help of this useful tool https://www.duplichecker.com/back-link-checker.php.
Redefining Keyword Attribution
While choosing the keyword must remember three points that are Relevance, Search Volume and Competition. These three points play an important role in keyword consideration. If you want to enhance the SEO efficiency then it is important to choose the best keywords for your content.
Optimal Use of Social Media
You must know that Social Media plays an important role in any Digital Business or online agency. There are numerous online platforms that you can choose from with the motive to enhance your business and growth. If you are all set to invest in Social Media Platforms then you must go for live video streaming. You can also click here.
How to Start a Digital Marketing Agency from Home to 6-7 Figures
Reworking on e-Mail
Email marketing has the highest return on investment. If you want to go for the Email Marketing plan then it is important to update it regularly. Be in touch with customers through Emails. You must take proper attention to customers who respond to your emails more often.
Pay Attention to CRO
If you are having no conversions then there is no benefit of having high traffic on your sites. CRO is a method that is used to emphasize quality rather than quantity. Conversion Rate Optimization or we can say CRO plays an important role in creating gateways for attracting the right customers. If the Conversion rate is high then your customer acquisition cost will fall. Through this method, you will also get to know which of your plan is working and which is not effective much.
Take Help of AI
In the Digital Marketing World, Artificial Intelligence is the most revolutionary. The best and most suitable example of Artificial Intelligence is “Voice Search”. This tool is launched by Google itself. The Voice search tool helps in getting better and smart searches.
Hence these are some of the best strategies in 2019 that you can use to start your digital marketing agency.
Hence, the majority of the people generally would wish to opt or choose for the work from home option. Also, some may have health issues and they probably cannot go and work from the office every day. To get more idea of it, just visit here and get informed.
You can always find en number of small business ideas that you can always do and perform it from home. It is pretty simple and easy too. You don’t have to worry about it anymore. If you don’t want to work from home, just build your own office and enjoy the benefit of your business and working from home. If you want to know more about the small business ideas then you can always visit here and get more idea.
Business ideas to do at home in 2019
MLM/Network marketing
MLM also was known as Multi-level marketing is the most popular category of business development that actually earns a lot. You can always make sure about the marketing that you do generally do. It is nothing special, you don’t have to make your business cutouts and billboards or even distribute the prospectus. You just have to build contacts and references in order to get more business clients and the people to join your business. You will find various companies and the business that have associated and adopted the network marketing or the MLM. Just visit here and get to know more about it.
Photography
Photography is generally not a work from home option, of course, you need to roam out in order to get the right photos and the images get clicked. Photography could be the right profession for the people who have an interest in the same field of clicking photos and the images. If you love photography, you can always earn a good amount from it. Yes, there are applications and the software that generally pay for the photos that you have clicked. You just have to upload and once sold you will get paid for the images that have been sold. You can search for this kind of apps on the internet. This can be your pocket money, but if it comes to the business point of view then you may need to have a professional camera and you can always look for clients by building a website and on social media.
Meal or Breakfast services
This is another occupation or a business that can be operated and worked out from home itself. Yes, you don’t have to go to an office or have an office in order to make or start up a business as such. If you love cooking then a meal or the breakfast services can be the ideal one for you. You can start the business within your locality, once picked up and once your business has reached a certain level you can always expand the business either through like a restaurant or an online meal service. It would be difficult, but take help of someone. Make sure to visit here and get more detail about home-based businesses in 2019.
Computer repairs
Another work from home business that will let you earn with just some of your computer software and hardware repair skills. Even if you don’t know much technical, you can try joining a hardware and software repair course that will teach everything about the computer machines. Once learned you can start it as a freelance basis, and earn as much as you want. But, once the business is developed you can develop it just like a repair shop. It will earn you more.
Web designing and development
It is another profession that can be operated from home itself. You don’t have to reach office for this. If you already know web designing, development then you can simply start it as soon as possible by registering on the freelance website and job boards.
Conclusion
Now, you don’t have to worry about the work from home businesses in the year 2019. Here the above mentioned list is nothing but to help you with the right businesses and the deals. To know more about the businesses, just visit here.
“The United States and particularly, its current radical regime, due to its old hostility towards the Iranian nation and its opposition to all measures adopted by the previous (US) administration…, is following a path which cannot be expected to bear any benefit for the US,” Qassemi said in a Friday statement.
He said the US is following the path under the influence of notorious and defeated groups, deceived by certain currents and lobby groups.
The current US administration is desperate and angry because it cannot find a replacement for a “comprehensive and legitimate” nuclear agreement it has scrapped unilaterally, he said, stressing that the JCPOA was a result of negotiation.
Qassemi further criticized the US’ “paradoxical” stance on Iran and said Washington has maximized its hostility towards the Iranian nation while at the same time, it hypocritically pretends to support negotiations with Tehran.
“Mr Pompeo once again clearly announced the US regime is an enemy of Iran, and this is nothing but hostility towards the Iranian nation.”
“He [Pompeo] should well know and understand that we will defend our national and strategic interests against the enemies of Iran and the Iranian nation with all our power,” he added.
“Iran has always demonstrated that it demands peaceful coexistence with its neighbours, but the US behaviour shows that it is seeking to sow discord and create new chaos in the region,” he added, highlighting the need for regional nations to remain vigilant in the face of the US officials’ deceit and divisive policies.
Speaking at the American University in Cairo on Thursday, Pompeo claimed that Iran is a “common enemy” of the US and other countries in the region.
“President Trump has reversed our willful blindness to the danger of the [Iranian] regime and withdrew from the failed nuclear deal, with its false promises,” he added.
The US state secretary said that his country was working to reverse Iran’s regional influence.
An in-depth analysis of the budget shows the spending for many activities has been reduced, at a time when the US is bent on minimizing Iran’s revenues through efforts to hamper Iran’s foreign trade and oil sale.
In this bill, for the first time, the government has broken down the budget for some sectors to two parts.
The first part of the budget is fixed, while the other part will be allocated if the government’s predicted revenues are fully collected.
The new method has also covered the defence sector, leading to controversies among political and media circles.
According to the proposal, Iran’s military spending has been cut by 27%, compared to the 2017-2018 budget.
However, if all government revenues are met, this sector’s budget would have been increased by 21%.
Although some officials have welcomed the initiative, the possibility of a plunge in the defence sector’s share of the official spending has worried many.
Critics argued decreasing Iran’s defence budget makes no sense amid non-stop threats issued by US President Donald Trump, who has hardened his country’s line on Iran and controls dozens of military bases in Iran’s surroundings.
Put the US aside, critics say other adversaries of Iran have gone aggressive too, with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman threatening to bring war against Iran inside the country and Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu openly threatening to destroy Iran.
Opponents also criticize the government for failing to allocate at least five percent of the annual budget to this sector, as the Sixth Development Plan (2016-2021) demands.
The criticism prompted members of the parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission to react, vowing to work to boost the defence sector’s share amid mounting threats.
Notably, Allaedin Boroujerdi, the former chairman of the commission, said the panel is against any decrease in defence budget.
“We believe that taking into account serious threats against [Iran] … Tehran should not only avoid decreasing its defence spending but it needs to increase it. We will do our best in the commission and the parliament to make that happen,” he said.
Pariah State?
Surprisingly, the Western media and politicians who are quick to jump at the chances to magnify divisions inside Iran, were largely silent on the defence budget controversies.
But this could be natural, as a sharp decrease in Iran’s military spending weakens the narrative of the anti-Iran propaganda machine that spares no chance to talk up Iran’s military might and its alleged threats to the region, as part of their government’s wider policy of framing Iran a pariah state.
In order to better grasp the situation, one only needs to look at numerous examples of the western media and politicians seeking to portray a caricature of the Iranian politics and show a scary image of the country.
Notably, Trump made a misleading claim about Iran’s military budget early May, saying it had increased by more than 40 percent since the negotiation of the Iran nuclear pact.
“Iran’s Military Budget is up more than 40% since the Obama-negotiated Nuclear Deal was reached…just another indicator that it was all a big lie. But not anymore!” Trump tweeted, as he announced the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal.
Contrasting Realities
But had Iran’s military spending really increased that much?
Much to the frustration of anti-Iran fanatics who love to exaggerate Iran’s military activities, a close look at Iran’s military spending shows Iran is by no means dreaming to conquer the world.
According to statistics by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute reportingcountries’ military spending from 1988 to 2017, Iran’s military budget had increased by only about 30 percent from 2015, the year the Iran deal was reached, to 2017, the year Trump was referring to.
But putting this obvious mistake aside, Trump was missing an important context, failing to notice that looking at raw increase or decrease in any country’s military budget is not meaningful.
From 2015 to 2017, Iran’s military spending had increased alongside the overall government spending, not on its own.
Let’s consider Iran’s military expenditure as a share of overall government spending. In 2015, it accounted for 15.4% of the government spending, and in 2017, it accounted for %15.8, showing a 0.4 percentage point increase.
Looking at Iran’s defence expenditure as a share of GDP, there’s a similar trend: It has increased by only half a percentage point, going from 2.6 percent to 3.1 percent from 2015 to 2017.
The nuclear accord lifted sanctions and allowed for a rise in the oil export, enabling the government to go towards restoring budget levels of 2000s.
To be accurate, the 30-percent increase brought Iran’s military spending back to near-2006 levels.
A report comparing the 2017 military spending of Iran and its southern neighbours according to statistics by the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS), the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) and IHS Janes is particularly illustrative.
What about Iran’s Rivals?
Trump was missing an even more important context, failing to mention the military spending of regional rivals Iran could come into conflict with.
In fact, Iran’s military budget has fallen short of individual regional rivals for decades, if not centuries.
According to SIPRI, at nearly $16 billionin 2017, Iran’s defence budget is teeny in comparison to its probable battlefield enemies: Israel’s $18.5 billion (plus $3.5 billion in military aid from the US); Saudi Arabia’s $76.7 billion; and the United States’ nearly $600 billion.
Moreover, military expenditure per capita reportsput Iran $166 in 2017, ranking 53, while Saudi Arabia is at the top with over $2,100 dollar and Israel is second with more than $1,980.
Facts Talk
Looking at facts, Iran’s budget has decreased significantly compared to the last year, taking into account the sharp devaluation of the Iranian currency in 2018.
In the 2017-2018 budget, Iran’s defence spending was nearly 618 trillion rials, or $16.2 billion based on an official exchange rate of around 38,000 rials for each dollar.
According to the government’s proposal, this year’s military spending would be nearly 515 trillion rials, or $8.5 billion based on dollar’s official exchange rate of around 60,000 rials.
Even if government revenues are fully collected, the budget would be around 715 trillion, or $11.9 billion.
So Iran’s budget is disproportionate to similar powers in the region, let alone world powers.
Is this the same apocalyptic government that the 31-year-old Saudi Crown Prince has described?
Next time you heard a wily politician or a wicked reporter saying things that make you feel Iran is preparing to launch its world domination projects, just remember these facts.
The call by Alireza Jahangiri came after supporters of a terrorist group called Al-Ahvaziya attacked the Iranian embassy in The Hague on Wednesday afternoon.
The attackers gathered in front of the embassy building and chanted anti-Iran slogans and threw rocks and bottles. They also tried to climb the adjacent embassy building but were immediately arrested by the Dutch police.
According to one of the embassy diplomats, none of the embassy staff was hurt during the incident.
Meantime, the Dutch authorities regretted the attack and emphasized the necessity of safeguarding the security of the representative offices and embassy staff.
Al-Ahvaziya group is behind a terrorist attack on a military parade in Ahvaz in southwestern Iran which was staged concurrently with nationwide military parades in late September to mark the start of the Sacred Defense Week. Dozens of civilians, including a 4-year old boy were killed in the attack.
