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MBC Female Presenter Fired after Criticizing Saudi King

In a post on her Twitter account, renowned MBC presenter Ola Al-Fares implied the US president’s decision to recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as the capital of Israel was made following his latest visits to the region, particularly Saudi Arabia.

“Trump chose a specific time to announce his decision to recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s capital. He made the decision following his visits to the regional countries during which he concluded the Arab leaders would first condemn but then would praise his decision over Jerusalem al-Quds,” a Farsi report by Al-Alam News Network said on Saturday.

The tweet has sparked a huge wave of protests from Saudi Arabian social media users. The users took the tweet as a grave insult to Saudi Arabia and a move to ridicule the Saudi Arabian King’s stance towards Jerusalem al-Quds.

Saudi Arabian media said the female TV presenter has been fired over her tweet.

Back on Wednesday, US President Trump defied all calls by the US allies including European states and officially recognized Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s capital.

The move has sparked since then huge protests across the world with tens of thousands of people condemning the recognition.

Meanwhile, several members of the UN Security Council expressed their opposition to the US recognition of Jerusalem al-Quds. In a statement, Britain, France, Germany, Sweden and Italy said the US decision would not help bring peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

UK Foreign Secretary in Tehran for High-Level Talks

Johnson landed in Tehran after a short stay in the Omani capital of Muscat, where he held talks with Sultan Qaboos and his counterpart Yusuf bin Alawi.

Before leaving London for the Middle East, Johnson described Iran as “a significant country in a strategically important, but volatile and unstable, region which matters to the UK’s security and prosperity.”

“My first visit is an opportunity to hold further discussions on a series of crucial issues, including how we can find a political solution to the devastating conflict in Yemen and secure greater humanitarian access to ease the immense suffering there,” he noted, according to The Telegraph.

“I will also underline the UK’s continued support for the nuclear deal while making clear our concerns about some of Iran’s activity in the region.”

“While our relationship with Iran has improved significantly since 2011, it is not straightforward and on many issues we will not agree. But I am clear that dialogue is the key to managing our differences and, where possible, making progress on issues that really matter, even under difficult conditions. I look forward to a constructive visit.”

Johnson’s trip to Tehran is only the third by a UK Foreign Secretary since 2003 and comes at a time of tension in the Middle East over Donald Trump’s announcement that he is recognising Jerusalem al-Quds as the capital of the Israeli regime.

In wide-ranging talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Johnson will seek to shore up bilateral relations and discuss the 2015 nuclear deal.

Iran is also likely to raise the issue of a £400 million debt, dating back to an abortive order for tanks by the pre-Revolution regime in 1979, which remains unpaid despite a court ruling against the UK.

The cash has already been deposited in a court for payment, and it is understood that work is underway to find a sanctions-compliant method for handing it over.

Huge Supply of Drugs Seized near Iran-Turkey Border

Huge Supply of Drugs Seized near Iran-Turkey Border

The gang sought to transit heroin from Iran to Turkey and then to Europe by hiding the drugs inside a luxury car.

“The detection dogs used by the officers managed to detect 74 kilograms of heroin from inside a sedan car,” a Farsi report by Fars News Agency said.

This amount of heroin was skillfully placed on the floor of the vehicle, but the drug traffickers’ trick was detected by the officers with the help of sniffer dogs.

Huge Supply of Drugs Seized near Iran-Turkey BorderThe World Customs Organization in its October ranking has examined the performance of customs worldwide in the first nine months of 2017 and placed Iran at the top of the list of countries combatting drugs and second in fighting smuggled goods.

The World Customs Organization also named an online customs services plan introduced within the framework of a comprehensive Customs portal in Iran as a top model to its members globally.

Iran has long borders with hotbeds of drugs production and has dedicated many lives to fight smuggling rings.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are two origins of producing and trafficking various types of narcotic in the region.

Tehran’s Milad Tower Hosts Stair Climbing Competition

Climbers from 19 countries took part in the international competition, which was held on Wednesday on the occasion of Prophet Muhammad’s birthday anniversary.

The contestants climbed 1,866 steps, and at the end of the competition, Iranian climbers won the top prizes in men and women’s sections.

The 435-metre Milad Tower is the tallest structure in Iran and one of the tallest ones in the world.

Here are IRNA’s photos of the contest:

Bushehr Port; Major Transport Hub in Southern Iran

The port has the capacity to receive 15,000-tonne ships. Over three million tonnes of goods are loaded and unloaded in the port per year.

It has an area of over 37,000 square metres of indoor warehouses. Valfajr wharf also deals with cargo and passenger transportation between Bushehr province and the Persian Gulf states. Bushehr lies in a vast plain running along the coastal region on the Persian Gulf coast of south-western Iran. Its location is about 1,218 kilometres south of Tehran.

Following you can find IRNA’s photos of the port:

Secrets behind Trump’s Decision to Relocate US Embassy

Jared Kushner, senior advisor to US President Donald Trump, who is from a Zionist and influential Israeli family, has been charged with ordering former Trump National Security Advisor Michael Flynn to contact the Russian intelligence agents during the election campaigns; a move which is considered a treason under the domestic laws of the United States.

In a situation where many analysts are talking of the possibility of Trump’s impeachment and his removal from office for being involved in such a scandal, recognizing Jerusalem al-Quds as the capital of the Israeli regime could easily distract public opinion inside and outside the United States from this scandal known as the “Russiagate”.

The Khorasan daily in a Farsi report has weighed in on the details of this issue. Here’s the full text of the article:

US President Donald Trump in a speech amid an unprecedented opposition from the international community announced that his government has decided to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem al-Quds.

He has ordered US Department of State officials to make arrangements for the relocation of the US embassy. This is not the first time that Trump disregards the protests and objections of even the US allies. Washington’s leaving Paris Climate Accord, Trump’s decree to set limits on immigration to the United States, and his putting a spoke in Iran nuclear deal’s wheel are other examples of his disregard for international protests and oppositions. Therefore, the United States will be the first country to do so since the establishment of the Israeli regime in 1948. However, Trump’s move goes back to a Congressional approval more than two decades ago.

In 1995, the US Congress passed a law mandating the relocation of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem known as Jerusalem Embassy Act. However, this law was allowing American presidents to sign a national security waiver every six months to suspend the relocation. Since 1995, none of the US presidents dared to enforce the law. Like other US presidents, Trump earlier signed a six-month waiver on plans to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

But now, 22 years after the approval of the law, Donald Trump has found the courage to talk about the issue and enact the legislation of the US embassy relocation. The question is, what conditions have caused Trump to take such a rude decision to pose a threat to the first qiblah of Muslims, and contrary to the UN Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 242 and 338, recognize Jerusalem as the capital of the occupying Israeli regime? To find an answer, it should be stated that, regardless of the promise Trump made in this regard during the campaigns, one must pay attention to the timing of such a decision. The international developments in West Asia and the Muslim world can also help us in finding an answer.

Considering the US domestic developments, this happens at a time that interaction between Trump and his associates with Russian operatives have grabbed the headlines. Particularly, when we see his son-in-law – Jared Kushner – who is his senior advisor on issues of West Asia, is at the forefront. Kushner, who is from a Zionist and influential Israeli family, has been charged with ordering former Trump National Security Advisor Michael Flynn to contact the Russian intelligence agents during the election campaigns; a move which is considered a treason under the domestic laws of the United States.

In a situation where many analysts are talking of the possibility of Trump’s impeachment and his removal from office for being involved in such a scandal, recognizing Jerusalem al-Quds as the capital of Israel could easily distract public opinion inside and outside the United States from this scandal known as the “Russiagate”. In addition, these days many have reported the possibility of Kushner’s departure from the White House and the return of the Trump’s son-in-law and his daughter to New York. This is due to his role in the Russiagate scandal as well as the serious opposition of the security apparatuses to his foreign interactions. Kushner, whose main profession is real estate developing, is having troubles in his business and will need $1.2 billions in loan for one of his family skyscrapers by 2019. Meanwhile, his foreign partners, including Chinese, Russian and Qatari investors, have withdrawn for various reasons. The decision to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem al-Quds is the result of Kushner’s lobbying. It is something natural that Trump wants to crown Kushner with the achievements of this dirty deal with the Zionists before his son-in-law leaves the White House.

On the other hand, based on the US media reports, as Trump’s decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was unpredicted, the grounds for such an act are not prepared; therefore, the embassy relocation will take at least 3-4 years. Meanwhile, a senior White House official has told CNN that “no embassy can be built within three to four years.” Thus, the new US embassy in Jerusalem al-Quds may not be launched during the first term of Donald Trump.

Accordingly, the US embassy in Jerusalem al-Quds may never be opened if a president opposed to Trump’s policies would take office in 2020. In other words, with this move Trump has won a large part of the Republicans’ votes i.e. the Zionist Christians, for the 2020 election; something that can guarantee his victory in the upcoming presidential election.

However, regardless of personal and domestic interests, the shift in Washington’s stance on the issue of Jerusalem al-Quds roots in the developments of the Muslim world and the West Asian region as well. The split in the Muslim world following the sectarian approaches of some of the leaders of the Muslim countries besides the sinister phenomenon of ISIS on the one hand, and the erosion of the power of the mainstream frontline against Zionism, including Syria, have given Trump and the Zionists the courage to make the most out of the existing divisions to achieve their goals. In addition, what is most apparent in the latest White House plot is the betrayal of the Saudis, particularly Mohammed bin Salman, to the Palestinian cause. Bin Salman, who has been desperately in need of US support amid the Arab country’s internal conflict, in a secret deal with Jared Kushner has agreed to sell out the Palestinian cause in exchange for concessions such as Washington’s guarantee to protect his kingdom. That’s why these days we are witnessing the resumption of talks on transfer of nuclear technology from the United States to Saudi Arabia. These talks were halted for many years due to the opposition from the Zionist lobby.

Additionally, Riyadh, which had previously seen itself as the leader of the Arab world, does not even have any allies in the region at present. The recent summit of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council, which was held only with the presence of Qatari and Kuwaiti leaders, proves this claim. That is why bin Salman, having understood the reality of the end of Al Saud rule, has resorted to anything and anyone including the Israeli regime for its survival, exactly like a drowning person who grabs any dried branches. The former US presidents have always avoided major conflicts with Muslim countries because of their dependence on oil resources and also their involvement in the war in the West Asian region. Nonetheless, these days the two aforementioned dependencies do not exist for Washington, and instead countries like the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are involved in political prostitution.

Conversely, we have to bear in mind that what has kept Palestine and Jerusalem al-Quds alive as part of the body of the Muslim world in face of the voracity of the Zionist aggressors, has never been the guarantee of Saudi Arabia or other traitorous countries who betrayed to the cause of the Palestinian people. Palestine has survived due to the resistance of its own people. This is the truth that Trump and his team of advisors will soon realize.

UNESCO Accepts Polo as Iranian Game

“Chogan is our national sport and has its roots in ancient Iranian traditions,” Hossein Jafari, head of Isfahan’s Chogan Office, said.

Chogan, known also as polo, is a sporting team game with horses and a version of the modern polo game.

From time immemorial it was considered an aristocratic game and held in a separate field, on specially trained horses. Nowadays, chogan is played in Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan.

Polo was invented and first played in Iran (or ancient Persia) thousands of years ago. The original name of polo is “Chogan” and in Iran the game is still referred to as “Chogan”.

Iran Red Crescent Society Official Dismissed for Negligence after Quake

Senior Red Crescent official Abolqasem Gorji has been dismissed for what is reported to be his negligence in providing relief and aid for the quake-hit people of Kermanshah.

The Iranian Red Crescent Society has issued a statement to clarify his dismissal. Here is the text of the statement published by Shargh daily:

“After the earthquake in Kermanshah and despite the cold weather in the region, about 50,000 heaters were distributed among people by the Red Crescent Society. The kerosene needed for these heaters had to be supplied by the Ministry of Oil, and it was carried out during the first days of assistance. However, due to the widespread effects of the earthquake and the busy roads to the villages being located in dispersed areas, some problems were created in the process of fuel distribution. At this point, the Society decided to provide electric heaters to alleviate the suffering of people who were stricken. After consultations with the officials of electricity organization, it turned out that the electricity distribution network does not have the capacity to support heaters with over 1,000-watt power in all households of the area. The President of the Red Crescent Society issued an order to immediately purchase heaters with a maximum power of 1,000 watts, but despite the emphasis, heaters which needed a higher amount of electricity were purchased. Following this, Abolqasem Gorji was dismissed. Basically, the Red Crescent Society is not tasked with providing heaters in accordance with the relief protocols, and it merely intended to provide the affected people with soemthing to use in that situation until fuel would be supplied by the Oil Ministry. However, negligence was not accepted under any circumstances and; therefore, this deputy was dismissed.”

This as some experts and media believe that the decision to fire a high-ranking official proves how the Red Crescent Society is serious about taking care of the tasks it is responsible for. They said it also shows that the welfare of people is the first priority for the Society.

The Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRCS) is one of the world’s largest national societies within the International Federation of Red Cross and is famous for its special expertise in responding to earthquakes.

Since its launch, the IRCS has participated in a variety of public activities. Its core activity is to perform relief and rescue operations to help victims and the injured in natural disasters and accidents. It also engages in a wide range of humanitarian services in health, rehabilitation, training and research.

IRCS is an example of strong national societies that play an important role domestically, and is held in high esteem by the Iranian general public.

IRCS has 30 governorate headquarters, one in each province of Iran, and over 300 branches throughout the country.

Following the strong earthquake that caused widespread devastation in the border regions of Iran and Iraq on November 12, volunteers from Iran’s Red Crescent Society have been providing assistance in searching for victims and conducting rescue operations.

Iran’s province of Kermanshah was the most affected area by magnitude 7.3 quake, with Sarpol-e Zahab city being the hardest-hit. The earthquake was felt as far away as the United Arab Emirates with over 500 people killed and thousands injured.

US Smuggling Out Syria’s Oil Resources: Turkish Website

US Smuggling Out Syria’s Oil Resources-Turkish Website

The US forces and Kurdish militants have been using a pipeline passing through Hasakah-Ramilan region in Syria with the aim of smuggling Syria’s oil out of the country for sale at international markets.

“The smugglers gain at least $10m on a daily basis by smuggling Syria’s oil into Iraq’s Ein Zaleh,” Yenisafak reported.

The website added the US forces arrived in Syria’s Kobani under the pretext of restoring security in the city. “They chose Ramilan base for deployment and began to smuggle the region’s oil into Iraq as of November 2014.”

The report also said the two sides’ cooperation have been continuing till today. “The US and PKK militants used western companies as proxies to smuggle Syria’s oil out of the country.”

The Turkish website then added the pipeline was established in 1991 by the regime of the former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein with the aim of trans-passing the US sanctions against the country. “Saddam regime used the pipeline to smuggle Iraq’s oil to Syria.”

According to the report, the pipeline was severely damaged in a US airstrike about two decades ago. “The US entered Syria under the pretext of fighting against ISIS and immediately began to fix the pipeline with the aim of smuggling Syrian oil into Iraq for sale at international markets.”

The Turkish website added the PKK fighters are assigned with protecting the pipeline against terrorist groups’ attacks. “At present at least 150 PKK fighters are taking part in the smuggling of Syrian oil into Iraq on a daily basis,” it concluded.

Iranians Hold Protest Rallies against Trump’s Jerusalem Decision

Iranians in Tehran, Khorasan, Zanjan, Alborz, Sistan and Baluchestan, Bushehr, and Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Provinces took to streets after the Friday prayers chanting slogans “Down with America” and “Down with Israel” to show solidarity with the oppressed nation of Palestine.

The angry protesters set fire on the US and Israeli regime’s flags.

Meanwhile, in several countries across the world demonstrators staged rallies to condemn Donald Trump’s decision to relocate US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem al-Quds.

People in Malaysia, Indonesia, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Turkey rallied against Trump’s move.

In Kuala Lumpur, thousands of protesters led by Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin marched from a nearby mosque after Friday prayers to the US embassy, halting traffic as they chanted “Long live Islam” and “Destroy Zionists.” Many carried banners, some of which said “Free Palestine” and “Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine.”

In Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, protesters shouted “Go to hell Israel!” and called on Trump to stop “blind support” for the Jewish state. Neither Malaysia nor Indonesia has diplomatic ties with Israeli regime and both are strong supporters of Palestinians.

The protesters marched from mosques to the heavily guarded US Embassy in Jakarta, waving Palestinian and Indonesian flags. They burned tires near the embassy and photos of Trump and US and Israeli flags in a similar rally in the cities of Banda Aceh and Makassar. Another protest was held in Surabaya, Indonesia’s second largest city.

Hundreds of Muslim Kashmiris also marched at several places in the main city of Srinagar and other parts of Indian-controlled Kashmir, chanting slogans “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.” They burned US and Israeli flags, while authorities imposed a curfew in old parts of Srinagar and disallowed Friday prayers at the city’s main mosque for fear protests could morph into violent anti-India rallies.

Meanwhile, students in the American University of Beirut showed their opposition to Trump’s decision by setting fire to Israeli regimes flag.

In the Afghan capital of Kabul, thousands of Muslims staged an unprecedented protest to tell to the world that Palestine is not alone.

Iraqi people in capital Baghdad also rallied to censure US president’s move.

In Turkey, people staged protests in 81 provinces of the country after the Friday prayers. In capital Ankara demonstrators gathered in Haci Bayram mosque to chant anti-US and ant-Israeli slogans.

Reports say security is tightened around the embassies of the United States and the Israeli regime in the capital city.

Reports from Istanbul also say that protesters carried banner reading “Quds belongs to Muslims”.