The Karun River in southern Iran is among the sites that host different types of gulls, herons, and shags in this season until the end of April.
Here are Mehr News Agency’s photos of these beautiful birds arriving in Karun this year:
Mass Wedding Ceremony for Hundreds of Syrian Troopers
The ceremony was organized by a volunteer group, among many other groups that have emerged during the war in the country over the past six years. The group has also held a number of different activities on various occasions to support the Syrian army’s injured and dead soldiers and their families.
The grooms wore military uniforms, while the brides wore white dresses adorned with the Syria flag, a Farsi report by Asr-e Iran news website said on Sunday.
The organizers said the initiative was aimed at honouring the sacrifices offered by those soldiers in defending Syria against terrorism and Takfiri groups who had been at war in the country to topple the government of Bashar al-Assad.
They also added the Syrian people should educate their children to love their homeland and not to abandon one grain of Syrian soil.
This is not the first time that a group wedding ceremony of army forces is held since the crisis broke out in Syria in 2011. Back in 2013, a similar ceremony was held for 15 soldiers from the Syrian army.
Iconic Farmer Who Saved Hundreds of Iranians Dies of Lung Disease
Best known as Dehqan-e Fadakar (literally meaning sacrificing farmer), Khajavi was admitted to a hospital in the city of Tabriz due to a severe pulmonary complication on November 14 and died on Saturday.
He was born in February 1931 in the northwestern Iranian city of Mianeh. For decades, his sacrifice story was taught in Iranian schools.
On a cold night in 1961, Khajavi, then 32, detected a landslide while walking along a railroad. He then took off his jacket and tied it to a stick and set it on fire while running toward a speeding train and screaming to draw the train conductor’s attention.
However, the conductor did not understand Khajavi’s move and the hero was finally forced to fire his gun into the air to stop the train.
Following Khajavi’s demise, a day of mourning was declared in city of Mianeh.
Iran Calls on Yemeni Forces to Resolve Differences through Dialogue
In reaction to the recent developments in Yemen, Qassemi said, “We hope Yemeni forces would resolve their differences through dialogue to prevent foreign enemies from taking advantage of the current situation.”
In his Sunday statement, he also expressed regret over the recent clashes in Yemen and called on all Yemeni forces to keep calm and show self-restraint.
Referring to the continuation of brutal foreign aggression against Yemenis that resulted in the destruction of the infrastructures, a long siege, blackout, and mass murder of the Yemeni people, he raised hope that all Yemeni political parties and movements would show solidarity, and support the national and united front against aggression of foreign enemies.
Iran President Urges Muslims to Recognize Other Religions
“Unity begins with believing each other, and we should recognize each other’s religions,” Rouhani said in a Sunday post in his Twitter account.
“No one can be coerced into changing his/her path,” he added.
“If someone thinks his/her faith and religion is a better one, this should be proved in practice,” Rouhani noted.
His remarks came as Iran is marking the Islamic Unity Week, a ceremony annually held between two dates of the birthday of Prophet Muhammad, one narrated by Sunnis and the other by Shiites.
Imam Khomeini was the one who proposed to call the interval between the two dates as Islamic unity week.
Earlier on Sunday, the Iranian president said, “The people of the region have shown that there is no distance among various communities and religions.
“Shiite and Sunni scholars and elites in Iran and elsewhere in the region have taken great strides in this regard,” he noted in an address to a ceremony held in Chabahar in southeastern Iran to inaugurate the first phase of Shahid Beheshti Port Development Plan.
“Some thought that our region is a region of war, conflict, and Shiite-Sunni confrontation… and the land of foreign intervention,” the president said, adding that today, however, the region has distanced itself from those issues.
What matters is that everyone should make efforts to boost solidarity and unity in this region, Rouhani stressed.
“Yemen Party Leaders in Riyadh, Cairo, Amman for Talks”
Mohammed Al-Jaber says the only way to restore peace and security in Yemen is to sideline Ansarullah Movement which has been controlling the capital Sana’a since 2014 following the ouster of former Yemeni President, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.
In an interview with Alhadath TV on the latest developments in Yemen, Al-Jaber referred to the mediatory role that Qatar is playing among the conflicting sides in Yemen to bring about peace and security in the war-torn country and said “the mediatory role is dangerous and will embroil Qatar into a crisis.”
He also directly addressed the Yemeni nation and said, “The Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman has announced that Saudi Arabia will not remain indifferent towards Yemenis’ fate because we view them as our own people.”
According to a Farsi report by IRIB News Agency, the ambassador also repeated the accusations levelled against Iran by the Saudi officials and claimed that Tehran has been involved in projects to inflict blow on Arab states and their affiliated entities.
Iran has repeatedly denied such accusations saying based on its main foreign policy principles, it has always been seeking to establish good-faith relations with its regional neighbours.
The Saudi diplomat further noted, “What we see in Yemen is the result of efforts made back in March 2015 when the Houthi fighters backed by Iran began their operation. Since then, the fighters have destroyed Yemen. They have attacked defenceless people as well as non-military facilities across the country.”
Without pointing to the devastating war of Saudi Arabia on Yemen which has razed to ground all civil infrastructure and historical as well as cultural sites of Yemen over the past years, the ambassador also noted Sana’a is a large and important Arab capital with deep cultural roots in history.
Reports say over 13,000 Yemenis including women and children have been killed in Saudi airstrikes since March 2015.
Al-Jaber also claimed Saudi Arabia has stood by the Yemenis in economic, political and humanitarian terms over the past years.
His comments came as the Saudi-led coalition has also imposed an all-out blockade over Yemen, despite its dire need for humanitarian assistance. The UN has described the situation in Yemen as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
Iran Leader Urges Constant Development of Defensive Power
In a meeting with senior military commanders in Tehran on Sunday, Ayatollah Khamenei pointed to the enemies’ unrelenting hostility toward the Islamic Establishment and the Iranian nation, stressing the need for continuous enhancement of the capabilities of Iran’s Armed Forces.
The Armed Forces should consist of the best personnel in terms of practical and mental capabilities and resolve to be able to ensure the Iranian nation’s invulnerability to hostile measure, the Leader added.
Ayatollah Khamenei also described incessant efforts to move forward as the key to success for the military commanders serving at any unit.
Imam Khamenei has repeatedly stressed the need for strengthening the country’s military power and called on the Armed Forces to maintain a high level of preparedness.
Last week, the Leader called for the expansion of the Iranian Navy’s capabilities by making use of the country’s advances in other sectors.
The Navy should enhance its capabilities both in terms of military gear and combat power, Ayatollah Khamenei said in a meeting with the Navy’s commanders.
A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on December 3
The top story in several newspapers today was the remarks made by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during his visit to Sistan and Baluchestan province in southeastern Iran. In his address to a large group of students in the underdeveloped province, Rouhani talked about a range of issues, from regional affairs to the development of the province and criticisms of his government.
Some papers also covered an indirect war of words between Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir in two separate days of MED-Rome conference.
The recent controversial comments by Trump’s former advisor Michael Flynn also received great coverage in Iran.
The above issues, as well as many more, are highlighted in the following headlines and top stories:
19 Dey:
1- Rouhani: We Don’t Want to Have Distance with Regional Countries
2- Intelligence Minister: Over 120 Terrorist Teams Smashed
Abrar:
1- Iranian Commander Rules Out any Negotiation over Missile Program
2- Erdogan: We Haven’t Given US Any Guarantee on Iran Sanctions
3- Hariri: Hezbollah Won’t Use Its Weapons inside Lebanon
Afkar:
1- Rouhani Repeats His Promises Instead of Fulfilling Them
2- Iran Will Succeed in FIFA World Cup If Iranians Believe in Themselves: Schäfer
Aftab-e Yazd:
1- Figo’s Expensive Appearance in Iran State TV Sparks Controversy
2- Pope’s Emotional Apology to Rohingya Muslims
3- A Review of Iran-Russia Trade under Barter System
- We Give Our Oil in Return for Low Quality Russian Goods
Arman-e Emrooz:
1- Rouhani Asks Students to Criticize His Gov’t More
2- Warning: Iranian Carpet Becoming Chinese!
Asman-e Abi:
1- Standing on the Feet You Don’t Have: International Day of Disabled Persons
Ebtekar:
1- Domino of Crisis in White House
2- Serious War of Words between Zarif, Saudi FM
Etemad:
1- Line of Unity: Officials of Sistan and Baluchestan Province Welcome Rouhani
2- Turkey Calls Reza Zarrab’s Trial Political
Ettela’at:
1- Car Imports Possible Only If Foreign Carmakers Take Part in Domestic Production
2- Syria’s Air Defence Forces Respond to Israel’s Latest Aggression
Iran:
1- €720 Million Deal between Iran, South Korea to Build 450 Wagons
2- Wedding Ceremony among Ruins: A Report on a Marriage in Quake-Hit Village
Jame’eh Farda:
1- Mr Kushner’s Secret Ties
- Trump’s Son-in-Law Had Told Flynn to Contact Foreign Governments
Javan:
1- 18 Individuals with Huge Bank Debts Freely Working in Iran!
2- Iranian Nation’s Unity Prevents Religious Sedition
3- Washington Post: End of Trump Near
Jomhouri Eslami:
1- Former US Official’s Confessions Shock White House
2- Nasrallah: Hezbollah Supports Hariri to Reinforce Lebanon Stability, Prevent Sedition
Kayhan:
1- Macron’s Nonsense Remarks Result of Giving One-Way Concessions to France!
2- Haaretz Correspondent: Israel One of the Most Savage Regimes in the World
3- Rouhani to Students: Criticize the Government, It’s Easier, Less Costly!
Khorasan:
1- Flynn’s Earthquake in Washington
Seda-ye Eslahat:
1- Rouhani: We Keep Our Promises
2- Queiroz: If You Don’t Like What I Say, Fire Me
3- Health Minister: More People Getting Affected by HIV
Shahrvand:
1- Iranian Social Media Users Once Again Attack Pages of Other Players
Shargh:
1- Indirect Duel between Zarif, Jubeir
2- Camp Hosting Queiroz’s Cheetahs in Russia Costs $2.5 Million
3- Amir-Abdollahian: Danger of Disintegration Threatening All Regional States
Siasat-e Rooz:
1- Saudi Trap for Saleh
2- US Poised to Fully Destroy Palestine
3- Iran Leader’s Prudence Prevents Talks over Defensive Capabilities
4- Mogherini’s Illusion of Talks over Iran’s Missile Power
Vatan-e Emrooz:
1- Aoun: Crisis in Lebanon Over
2- Israelis Supporting JCPOA
- Israeli DM Joins Groups in US Opposed to Withdrawing from Iran Nuclear Deal
Iran FM to Attend Caspian Sea Littoral States’ Summit in Moscow
“A delegation of experts on political, legal, border issues and other related fields will accompany Zarif in this trip,” Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said.
He also noted that the meeting will discuss the draft convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea, and ways to finalize the convention.
The participants will also prepare the agenda, and assess the documents to be signed at the Leaders’ Summit, Qassemi noted.
During the previous ministerial meeting held in the Kazakh capital of Astana in 2016, Zarif stressed that the legal regime of Caspian Sea should be developed in a way that the interests of all littoral states are met.
“A lasting legal regime should guarantee that the interests of all littoral states are met given the geopolitical changes,” Zarif noted in July 2016.
He also expressed Tehran’s support for the establishment of a permanent regional association, whose activities and list of duties would be defined after consultation among the Caspian littoral countries.
“Yemen Missile Attack on Abu Dhabi Response to UAE Divisive Plots”
Zeifollah Al-Shami, a member of Ansarullah’s Political Office, said the missile which the movement fired earlier on Sunday at the nuclear reactor in Abu Dhabi was a retaliatory effort against the UAE’s efforts to make division in the internal front of Yemen.
In an interview with Al Alam News Network, Al-Shami who is also a member of the High Political Council of Yemen said the Yemeni forces have missiles which are capable of targeting the enemy states’ capitals.
“The firing of the missile at Abu Dhabi reveals that enemies’ threats against Yemen have been futile,” he noted.
Al-Shami stressed with the firing of the winged cruise missile “we say that we are fully aware who are hatching conspiracy against us.”
This is the first time that Yemeni forces have fired a winged cruise missile with 1,200-km range.
However, it is the second time this year that Ansarullah Movement has fired missiles toward the UAE. A few months ago they said they had “successfully” test fired a missile at Abu Dhabi.
