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Iran Mourns Deaths of 9 Hikers Killed in Avalanche

The hikers were among a group of 14 from the city of Mashhad along with a local guide who were trapped by the avalanche on Thursday while climbing the mountains in Lorestan Province.

They were heading back from Oshtorankuh, one of the highest ranges in Zagros mountain range. The chain is known as the Iranian Alps because of its high peaks which are snow-capped all year round.

The death of two hikers was confirmed on the very day and rescue operations began to find the others, but the efforts to locate the seven missing hikers – three women and four men – were to no avail.

The bodies of the missing ones were later recovered on Saturday by Red Crescent forces.

The hikers were trying to reach a shelter when the avalanche struck, state news agency IRNA quoted Sarem Rezayi, the director of the Red Crescent in Lorestan province, as saying.

Iran Mourns Deaths of 9 Hikers Killed in AvalancheIn a move to show their grief and solidarity with the bereaved families of the victims, several people lit candles and laid wreaths in front of the victims’ mountain climbing club in Mashhad.

Following the tragic incident, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani offered his deep condolences over the deaths of the hikers on his Instagram page. “May the souls of the departed hikers rest in eternal peace,” read the message.

Iran’s South Khorasan Hosts Local Games Festival

The event was held in Khusf near provincial capital Birjand. Camping in the desert to see the stars, and walking in the hills of Akbarabad village were among other activities available to the participants on the sidelines of the festival.

Here are IRNA’s photos of the festival:

Iran Sets Conditions for Normalising Ties with Saudi Arabia

Addressing the Iranian Parliament on Sunday, Rouhani said if Saudi Arabia stops bombarding Yemen as of tomorrow and halts begging for establishment of ties with the Israeli regime, then Tehran will resume its relations with Riyadh.

“Except these two, we do not have any problems with Riyadh. They should come forward (to normalise relations),” added Rouhani, according to a Farsi report by Khabar Online.

Iran never breaks its promises as the United States does, he noted, stressing that the Islamic Republic hardly makes pledges, but when it does so by signing a deal, it is committed to fulfilling it.

Addressing the European states and the US, Rouhani noted that as long as they abide by their commitments, Iran will comply with its commitments as well.

“We have not been and will not be the first party who violates the deal. In case they want to violate the accord, there are no worries as we have taken all the necessary measure into consideration,” he concluded.

Iran Keen to Develop Cooperation with Tanzania: President

In a Saturday message to Tanzanian President John Magufuli, Rouhani congratulated the African country on its Independence Day, which is annually celebrated on December 9.

He further referred to the ample opportunities for cooperation between the two countries and common views about various regional and international issues, and expressed the hope that the two sides would witness growing ties and relations to serve mutual interests.

He also wished health and success for Magufuli and prosperity and felicity for the people of the United Republic of Tanzania.

On 9 December 1961, Tanganyika became an independent republic and became known from then on as Tanzania. Later on 9 December 1962, a republican constitution was implemented and the country’s first president took office.

Iran President Congratulates Qatar on National Day

In his Saturday message, Rouhani “sincerely” congratulated Sheikh Tamim on Qatar’s National Day, which is annually marked on December 18.

Rouhani pointed to the great opportunities for expansion of cooperation between the two countries, and expressed the hope that the ties would be promoted in all fields.

He also wished health and success for the Qatari emir and progress and pride for the Arab country’s nation.

Official festivities of Qatar National Day were kicked off on Saturday in the Arab country as Qataris have entered into festive mood to mark the upcoming holiday with full fervour.

Qatar National Day is a national commemoration of Qatar’s unification in 1878. The holiday was established by a 21 June 2007 decree of the then Crown Prince and Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Jerusalem Al-Quds to Turn into Israel’s Grave: IRGC Chief

General Mohammad Ali Jafari

In a Saturday address to a gathering of IRGC staff in Tehran, Chief Commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari referred to the US president’s decision to recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s capital, and said the holy city of al-Quds will soon turn into a grave for the Zionist regime.

“The US decision on Jerusalem al-Quds is a move aimed at preparing the grounds for the destruction of Al-Aqsa Mosque,” he said.

Muslim nations should be aware that they would be on the wrong side of history if they don’t step into the fray immediately and put an end to the nasty conspiracy hatched by the US and the Zionist regime, he was quoted as saying in a Farsi report by Fars News Agency.

The major general also said the US decision on Jerusalem al-Quds is part of a larger plan to deny the right of existence for the sovereign state of Palestinian and to deprive Palestinians of their basic rights to live in their own lands.

“To this end, the US and the Zionist regime have even ignored and humiliated their former ally, the Fatah Movement.”

Elsewhere in his address, the top commander said there are reports that the decision to recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s capital is the fruit of behind-the-scene talks, agreements and coordination made earlier with leaders of certain Arab states, particularly those of Saudi Arabia.

“The Zionist regime is seeking to limit Muslims’ reactions to the US’ recent crimes in the region to lip services and hollow statements,” he noted.

The top commander also said some Arab states of the region have reached an agreement with the US and the Zionist regime to prevent any practical measure to preserve Jerusalem al-Quds.

“They are making huge efforts to take the Palestinians out of the radar of the Islamic world,” he noted.

The IRGC general also underlined that as they foiled previous plots hatched by the US and the Zionist regime in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, Lebanon and Yemen, the Islamic nation will once again uncover and defeat their new conspiracy in the Palestinian territories and will put the conspirators on trial.

The chief commander also referred to the pernicious effects of enemies’ failures in the region and said the repeated defeats of the US and the Zionist regime in the region have hampered their power of decision making.

“At this time, the best strategy for the Muslim world is to take the most advantages of the opportunities created due to the enemies’ defeats in the region.”

 

No Capital for Illegal State

Earlier, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri had called Israel an illegal state, saying there is no Israel to have any capital.

He vehemently condemned the US decision to recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s capital and said al-Quds is inseparable from the Islamic world.

He also warned the move will spark new wave of uprisings by the Islamic world against the US and the Zionist regime.

Iran Slams UK for Selling Arms to Saudi Arabia

shamkhani-Johnson

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani says while all international bodies condemn the siege and bombardment of the oppressed and defenceless people of Yemen, those who help Saudis commit such crimes will certainly be convicted by the public opinion and would be introduced as human rights violators.

Shamkhani made the remarks on Saturday in a meeting with British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson who is Tehran on a two-day visit.

“The Western countries not only do not allow international institutions to perform their duty to identify the Saudi crimes in Yemen, but also do not show willingness to stop the process of selling and transferring weapons to Saudi Arabia,” stressed Shamkhani, criticizing the UK for selling arms to Riyadh.

The top official also criticized the non-compliance of the US and European countries with the nuclear deal noting that as the other parties to the deal are passive towards Washington’s moves, the Islamic Republic has made its decision to take necessary measures, if necessary, to return to the conditions before the deal.

He slammed the positions of some countries against Iran’s regional policies, saying that Tehran is serious in countering terrorism, and if it was not for the policies and actions of the Islamic Republic for which hundreds of people were martyred, ISIS today was ruling in Iraq and Syria, and had reached European borders.

Shamkhani also noted that at present and after the nuclear deal, trade and economic cooperation between the two countries is not satisfactory saying that facilitating banking relations could expand cooperation in other fields.

For his part, Johnson stressed that more efforts must be made to remove the obstacles to implementation of the JCPOA, particularly in the sphere of financial deals and banking relations.

He further pointed out that the JCPOA is a multilateral and international agreement whose full implementation is in the interest of global peace and stability.

Grand Carpet Bazaar: Old Market in Heart of Tehran

Carpet weaving is an essential part of Persian culture and Iranian art. Within the group of Oriental rugs or Islamic carpets produced by the countries of the so-called “rug belt”, the Iranian carpet stands out by the variety and elaborateness of its manifold designs.

Tehran carpet market is one of the oldest bazaars in the Iranian capital where you can find every kind of Persian rugs.

Here are the Mehr News Agency’s photos of the market:

Italy Hosts Seminar on Iranian Handicrafts 

Handicraft

The seminar, which was attended by a number of Iranian and Italian officials and artists including the deputy head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHTO), was opened with a message by Iranian Vice-President and ICHTO Chief Ali-Asghar Mounesan.

In his message to the seminar, Mounesan said the Islamic Republic of Iran has always been seeking to establish bilateral cultural ties with other countries with the aim of promoting culture and knowledge across the world.

“With its thousand-year history, Iran is viewed as one of the pioneering countries in cultural and art fields across the globe. The country has already created over 358,000 jobs in handicrafts industry by offering over 250 types of handicrafts,” the message added.

handicraftsMounesan went on to say today the cultural and traditional capitals of each country play a leading role in its sustainable development. “Undoubtedly, cultural and art exchanges within seminars like this can significantly contribute to the bilateral relations between Iran and Italy.”

He also invited artists from Italy and other countries taking part in the seminar to visit Iranian historical cities like Isfahan, Shiraz and Yazd and participate in Tehran’s International Handicraft Exhibition which is held annually with the presence of over 400 artists from Iran and abroad.

The Iranian official then outlined the events to be held in future with the aim of expanding bilateral relations between Iran and Italy in cultural and art fields.

During the seminar, the participants got familiar with Iran’s capacities in the field of handicrafts as well as parts of its tourist attractions and cultural heritage, a Farsi report by the Public Relations Department of ICHTO said on Saturday.

In an address to the seminar, ICHTO Deputy Head Bahman Namvar Motlaq elaborated on the Iranian artists and craftsmen’s capacities.

For his part, former Italian ambassador to Iran took the podium and called for expansion of bilateral ties between Iran and Italy in art fields.

During the seminar, woodcarving, needlework, leatherwork productions along with glassware, traditional jewelleries, miniatures, ceramics, potteries, precious stones and semi-precious gemstone plus various types of Persian rugs were put on display.

Muslims Should Be Grateful to Trump!

Shariat madariHossein Shariatmadari, the managing editor conservative Iranian newspaper Kayhan, has in an editorial argued that Donald Trump’s moves can offer services to the Muslims.

Here are highlights of his editorial published on Saturday:

If you are surprised by the headline of the current piece, you are right, because no one likes to see the bloodthirsty aggressors live on, let alone being grateful to them!

The story of Trump however, is of a different kind. Based on what we are witnessing, he is a lunatic, who has unknowingly offered many services to the Muslim world, especially to the resistance axis with his stupid actions.

Trump’s most recent act was to recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as the capital of the Israeli regime. Therefore, as Imam Sajjad (AS) believed that one must be grateful for having a fool enemy, we should pray that he may remain in office as the foolish president of the United States!

A quick look at US President’s moves clearly shows that although he has created some inevitable problems for the Muslim world and nations, he has at the same time showcased the failures of the United States and its allies as well. Showing the real face of the United States, proving the unreliability of Washington, exposing behind-the-curtain role of some Arab and so-called Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, and Palestinian National Authority (Mahmoud Abbas), encouraging Al Saud to continue the war in Yemen that has accelerated the fall of this home of betrayal and crime in the Muslim world, violating the nuclear deal and imposing more sanctions on Iran that has worried those Iranians who believe in the US, supporting the ISIS terrorists, which was aimed at creating divisions in the Muslim world, but in the end led to the unification of most Muslim nations and religions, and the plot to hold Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri hostage in Saudi Arabia that brought disgrace for its perpetrators are some examples of such moves. These are just a few instances of Trump’s failures.

Each of the aforementioned moves was seen as a devastating blow to the Muslim nations at the beginning, but since his calculations were not rational, and he did not pay attention to the realities of the Muslim world, especially the authority of the resistance movement, all of them finally backfired. However, the recent decision by Trump to introduce Jerusalem al-Quds as the capital of the Israeli regime is a separate story that needs to be explained in details.

Over the past few years, the US and its European and regional allies have done a lot to give a good picture of the Israeli regime presenting it as a regime that has no dangers. By employing the puppet leaders of some Arab countries, they were somehow successful in doing this, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently said “we are having friendly ties with most Arab countries, and we will soon be witnessing the recognition of Israel by these countries!”

Netanyahu not only rejected the occupying regime’s support for ISIS, but also was boasting of it. He took the wounded terrorists to Tel Aviv and Haifa hospitals for treatment and took pictures with them to publish. To understand the significance of this, we must note that the ISIS terrorists were killing not only Shiites, but also committed brutal crimes against Sunni Muslims. It is noteworthy that the number of Sunni victims was even more than Shiites. The followers of other religions, including Christians, were also among those massacred.

So what caused Netanyahu to openly support ISIS terrorists undoubtedly was his assurance that the Israeli regime’s danger has been obliterated among Muslim nations.

Trump’s dumb act led to the failure of this sinister plan, and as we have seen, the issue of Palestine, which was almost forgotten among Muslim nations, once again came to fore and turned into the main issue of the Muslim world. Now, as Muslim nations all over the world have shown anger at this child-killing regime, even some compromising parties emphasize the necessity of annihilation of this fake regime! So, can’t we say that Donald Trump unknowingly offered a service to the Muslim world by his recent move?!

US president’s recognition of Jerusalem al-Quds also revealed the real face of some compromising leaders of Arab states. For example, even Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was shocked by the rage of the Muslim world and was forced to condemn Trump’s move! This comes as, according to Yedioth Ahronoth, Bin Salman had been informed about Trump’s decision two weeks earlier and pledged to cooperate with him.

Abdel Bari Atwan, the editor-in-chief of Rai al-Youm says, “I really do not understand the fear of the Arab states regarding Trump’s move, as it was not something unexpected. Before announcing his decision, Trump had contacted four Arab leaders including Saudi King, President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, King Abdullah II of Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas to tell them he would relocate the capital of the Zionist regime to Jerusalem al-Quds.”

Abdel Bari Atwan believes that Arab leaders’ condemnation of the move roots in fears raised by witnessing the rage of Muslim world. He says Trump’s act is to the benefit of Muslim nations, noting that, “I swear to God, I wish Trump would not overturn his decision. We need this shock, we need to see the disbelief in some conspiring Arab figures.”

This is another achievement for the Muslim world gained thanks to Trump’s stupidity, and according to Atwan, we should be grateful to him!

When Yasser Arafat was invited to the UN General Assembly in the mid-1970s, with one hand he was carrying an olive branch as a symbol of peace, and with the other hand he was carrying a gun as a symbol of resistance. An American senator said when I saw the olive branch in Abu Ammar’s hands I realized there is no bullet in his gun! He was right. Unknowingly, he admitted the unreliability of the United States and the uselessness of negotiating with the Great Satan.

Trump’s move proved that there is no use in holding negotiations with the US, and showed that those Palestinians, who for the past seventy years hoped to get back their occupied territories through negotiations, were heading the wrong way.

This is another great gain that Trump’s stupidity achieved for the Muslim world, and we must pray he may remain in office to show some other foolish acts.