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Iran’s Leader: Media more effective than missiles in repelling enemies 

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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The Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Monday evening that the media are more effective than missiles and drones in pushing back the enemies.

Addressing a gathering of poets for iftar, breaking fast, in the holy month of Ramadan, Ayatollah Khamenei said, the media “affect hearts and minds. Those who have stronger media will be more successful in attaining their goals.”

The Leader added, “Poetry is a medium. Today, the challenges and conflicts in the world are about media challenges.”

During the meeting, the poets recited poems touching on various issues, including the months-long Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip that has so far left more than 32,000 Palestinians dead.

Iran says UNSC resolution on Gaza ceasefire positive step but in sufficient

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Nasser Kanaani

The UNSC resolution was adopted on Monday, calling for the immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The US abstained from vote.

Kanaani added what’s more important than the approval of the resolution is to take an effective step toward enforcing it, to put a complete and lasting end to the attacks against Gaza and the West Bank by the Israeli tròpps, to completely lift the “oppressive siege” on the strip, to open the crossings to Gaza in order to get huge quantities of international aid to the region without any discrimination and to provide necessary funding for the immediate start of the Gaza reconstruction.

He described the reaction of the Israeli regime to this resolution as an indication of the regime’s clear anger over its “irreparable failure in the war and in the political and international arenas.”

Kanaani added that the UN Security Council is expected to punish Israel for its crimes against the people of Gaza over the past six months and to hold it responsible due to the possibility of its continuation of the war in violation of the resolution.
More than 32,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s onslaught against Gaza over the last 6 months.

UN Security Council adopts Gaza ceasefire resolution

By
IFP Media Wire
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Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour

The remaining 14 council members voted in favour of the resolution, which was proposed by the 10 elected members of the council. There was a round of applause in the council chamber after the vote on Monday.

The resolution calls for an immediate ceasefire for the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which ends in two weeks, and also demands that Hamas free captives seized on October 7 when it led attacks on Israel.

The US had repeatedly blocked Security Council resolutions that put pressure on Israel but has increasingly shown frustration with its ally as civilian casualties mount and the UN warns of impending famine in Gaza.

Speaking after the vote, US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield blamed Hamas for the delay in passing a ceasefire resolution.

“We did not agree with everything with the resolution,” which she said was the reason why the US abstained.

“Certain key edits were ignored, including our request to add a condemnation of Hamas,” Thomas-Greenfield added. She stressed that the release of Israeli captives would lead to an increase in humanitarian aid supplies going into the besieged coastal enclave.

The White House said the final resolution did not have language the US considers essential and its abstention does not represent a shift in policy.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the US failure to veto the resolution is a “clear retreat” from its previous position and would hurt war efforts against Hamas as well as efforts to release Israeli captives held in Gaza.

His office also said Netanyahu will not be sending a high-level delegation to Washington, DC, in light of the new US position.

US President Joe Biden had requested to meet Israeli officials to discuss Israeli plans for a ground invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza, where more than 1 million displaced Palestinians are sheltering.

White House spokesperson John Kirby stated the US was “disappointed” by Netanyahu’s decision.

“We’re very disappointed that they won’t be coming to Washington, DC, to allow us to have a fulsome conversation with them about viable alternatives to them going in on the ground in Rafah,” Kirby told reporters.

He added senior US officials would still meet for separate talks with Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, who is currently in Washington, on issues including the captives, humanitarian aid and protecting civilians in Rafah.

Last week, Netanyahu promised to defy US appeals and expand Israel’s military campaign to Rafah even without its ally’s support.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a post on X that the resolution “must be implemented”, adding that “failure would be unforgivable”.

The vote came amid international calls to bring the nearly six-month-long conflict to an end as Israeli forces pummel Gaza and humanitarian conditions in the besieged strip reach critical levels.

More than 90 percent of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced, and conditions under Israeli siege and bombardment have pushed Gaza to the brink of famine, the UN said.

More than 32,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli assault since October 7, mostly women and children, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Israel began its military offensive in Gaza after Hamas led an attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing at least 1,139 people, mostly civilians, and seizing about 250 others as hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Palestinian leaders welcomed the adoption of the resolution, saying it was a step in the right direction.

“This must be a turning point,” Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour told the UNSC, holding back tears.

“This must signal the end of this assault, of atrocities against our people.”

In a statement, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on UNSC member states to fulfill their legal responsibilities to implement the resolution immediately.

The ministry also stressed the importance of intensifying efforts to achieve a permanent ceasefire that extends beyond Ramadan, secure the entry of aid, work on the release Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails and prevent forced displacement of Palestinians.

Hamas welcomed the resolution and said in a statement it “affirms readiness to engage in immediate prisoner swaps on both sides”.

Iran slams Israel’s decision to confiscate 800 hectares of Palestinian land in West Bank

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Israeli settlements

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani called the land grab an open and illegal theft and aggression against the Muslims and natural rights of the Palestinian people as well as an insurgency against peace, security and international law.

He described the usurpation of another part of the Palestinian territories as a complement to the barbaric and criminal actions of the Zionist regime in the Gaza Strip and the continuation of the evil policy of cleansing the Palestinian people from the sea to the river and spreading this cancerous tumor throughout the historical land of Palestine.

The diplomat noted that the recent illegal and dangerous decision, which is the largest confiscation of Palestinian territories since 1993, is a continuation of the Zionist regime’s war crimes against the Palestinians and a clear example of Israel’s gross violation of international law and human rights.

Kanaani added that the Islamic Republic of Iran, while reminding the international community and, above all, the United Nations of their serious responsibility regarding the new wave of occupation and the blatant land grabs by the Zionist regime, calls on them to give a decisive, effective and deterrent response to this violation.

He said Iran once again stresses the necessity of rejecting the occupation and emphasizes the need for respect for the right of the Palestinian people to determine their destiny and the necessity of the formation of an independent Palestinian state from the sea to the river with the capital thereof being al-Quds.

Kanaani underlined that this is the only lasting and fair solution that will lead to the end of the aggressive and expansionist policies of the Zionists in the region.

On March 22, Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared 800 hectares (1,977 acres) in the occupied West Bank as “state land”, in a move that will facilitate the use of the ground for settlement building.

Israeli settlement watchdog Peace Now said the announced seizure is the single largest since the 1993 Oslo Accords, and “2024 marks a peak in the extent of declarations of state land”.

Iranian security forces arrest member of Jaish ul-Adl terrorist group 

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Iran Police

The central command of the southern province of Hormozgan said agents of the security police identified and apprehended A. Sedighi, a member of Jaish ul-Adl.

The detainee is said to face many security and criminal accusations as well as armed robbery and fraud.

Sedighi is also wanted in several provinces across Iran.

This terrorist group has carried out a series of deadly attacks in Iran’s southeast region over the past years, and they all did so after sneaking into the Iranian territory from Pakistan.

US warns Israel of ‘consequences’ of Rafah invasion

By
IFP Media Wire
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Harris and Biden

Harris said in an interview that aired on Sunday that it would be a “huge mistake” for the Israeli military to move on the city. The comments appear to stress the continued strain in relations between Washington and Israel as the latter’s war in Gaza continues.

The United States and other Israeli allies continue to warn against an assault on Rafah, where over 1 million Palestinian civilians are sheltering.

“We have been clear in multiple conversations and in every way that any major military operation in Rafah would be a huge mistake,” Harris told ABC’s This Week.

“I have studied the maps – there’s nowhere for those folks to go. And we’re looking at about a million and a half people in Rafah who are there because they were told to go there,” Harris added.

“I am ruling out nothing,” Harris said when she was asked whether there would be consequences from the US if the Israeli operation in the overcrowded city goes ahead.

She did not give details of what such consequences might entail.

“We’re going to take it one step at a time, but we’ve been very clear in terms of our perspective on whether or not that should happen,” she added.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that a major ground assault on the town of Rafah would be “a mistake” and “unnecessary”.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Palestinian territory since Hamas attacked it on October 7, killing about 1,200 and taking over 250 people captive.

The Israeli military has also imposed a crippling blockade that has left much of the population on the verge of starvation.

More than 32,300 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive and over 74,500 injured. Approximately 1.5 million Palestinians have now been pushed into Rafah.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to Blinken’s comments by insisting that Israel is working on ways to evacuate civilians from combat zones and to address the humanitarian needs of Gaza.

“I also said that we have no way to defeat Hamas without entering Rafah,” Netanyahu stated, adding, “I told him that I hope we would do this with US support but if necessary we will do it alone.”

The US is Israel’s top weapons supplier. Washington provides at least $3.8bn in aid to Israel annually, and President Joe Biden is working with Congress to secure another $14bn.

Public opinion polls, however, show that the Biden administration’s steadfast support for Israel may cost the president votes as the election season gets under way, and Biden and key Democrats have in recent weeks been more forceful in their criticism of the Israeli government siege of Gaza.

However, White House officials insist that Washington will not halt its weapon transfers to Israel, and insist that they share Israel’s goal of eliminating Hamas in Gaza.

Iran president: Palestine, Gaza most important issues in Muslim world today

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Ebrahim Raisi

Addressing a gathering on Monday, Raisi highlighted the grave situation of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip after five months of unrelenting Israeli airstrikes and ground invasion.

He said, “The grief and the pain in the hearts of all the people in the world stem from injustice, inaction and indifference, and ignoring the cries of men, women and children and the powerful oppressed,” referring to the Palestinian resistance factions that have stood up against the Israeli carnage since October 7 last year.

The Israeli onslaught, waged after Operation Al-Aqsa Flood by the Palestinian resistance movements led by Hamas, has so far left over 32,000 Palestinians dead and a large part of the besieged enclave in ruins.

The Iranian president expressed hope that the resistance by the Palestinians will lead to changes in the status quo in the world, which he said is “very close and achievable.”

Tehran’s Milad tower hosts Nowruz holidaymakers

By
Fatemeh Askarieh
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Tehran’s Milad tower hosts Nowruz holidaymakers

Watching the capital during the rainy days and night lights from atop the over 430-meter tower is a breathtakingly amazing experience.

Milad is the tallest tower in Iran and the sixth tallest telecommunication tower in the world and has been toured by Nowruz travelers during the Persian New Year that started on Wednesday.

Here are some pictures of the visitors of the tower located in northwestern Tehran:

Rarely-seen Persian leopards show up in Iran’s Mazandaran

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Persian Leopard

The images of the male and female leopards of endangered species were recorded on Thursday, the second day of the Persian New Year, Nowruz.

The region that houses some of the last remnants of the Persian leopard is also home to the lush green Hyrcanian forests, which date back to 25 to 50 million years ago.

The Persian leopard, whose population is fast declining, is on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Housing developments, livestock farming, hunting and trapping all threaten the Persian leopards’ existence, even in protected areas.

Four suspects showing signs of severe beating in court, charged over Moscow terror attack

By
IFP Media Wire
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Moscow Terror Attack

The charges late on Sunday came as Russia lowered flags to half-mast for a day of mourning over the deadliest attack inside the country for two decades.

At least 137 people, including three children, were killed in the ISIL (ISIS or Daesh) claimed attack. Another 182 people were wounded and health officials say some 40 of them were in “critical” or “extremely critical” condition.

Moscow’s Basmanny District Court identified the four suspects behind the attack as Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, 32; Saidakrami Rachabalizoda, 30; Shamsidin Fariduni, 25; and Mukhammadsobir Faizov, 19.

The men – all of whom are citizens of Tajikistan – were charged with committing a group terrorist attack resulting in the death of others. The offence carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

They were all ordered held in pre-trial custody until May 22.

The Associated Press news agency, citing court officials, said Mirzoyev and Rachabalizoda admitted guilt for the attack after being charged.

Russian media had reported that the men were tortured during interrogation by the security services and unverified and brutal videos of the suspects’ interrogations have been circulating on social media.

At court, Mirzoyev, Rachabalizoda and Fariduni showed signs of heavy bruising, including swollen faces, while Faizov was brought to court from a hospital in a wheelchair and sat with his eyes closed throughout the proceedings. He was attended by medics while in court, where he wore a hospital gown and trousers and was seen with multiple cuts. Rachabalizoda also had a heavily bandaged ear.

Russian media said on Saturday that one of the suspects had his ear cut off during interrogation.

President Vladimir Putin, who has pledged to punish those behind the “barbaric terrorist attack”, stated the four men had been arrested while trying to flee to Ukraine. Kyiv has strongly denied any connection to the attack.

Putin has made no public reference to ISIL’s claims of responsibility.

He added seven others have also been taken into custody.

Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said Russia would target those behind the deadly shooting wherever they were from and whoever they were. He had previously spoken of the need to meet “death with death” and some legislators have begun to discuss whether the death penalty should be re-introduced.

In video footage published by Russian media and Telegram channels with close ties to the Kremlin, one of the suspects said he was offered money to carry out the attack at the Crocus City Hall.

“I shot people,” the suspect, his hands tied and his hair held by an interrogator, a black boot beneath his chin, said in poor and heavily accented Russian.

When asked why, he said: “For money.”

The man said he had been promised half a million roubles (a little more than $5,000). One was shown answering questions through a Tajik translator.

ISIL said on Telegram that the attack was carried out by four of its fighters “armed with machine guns, a pistol, knives and firebombs”.

A video lasting about a minute and a half, apparently filmed by the gunmen, has been posted on social media accounts typically used by ISIL, according to the SITE intelligence group.

The video – which appears to have been filmed from the lobby of the concert venue – shows several individuals with blurred faces and garbled voices firing assault rifles with inert bodies strewn on the floor and a fire starting in the background.

The White House announced the United States government shared information with Russia early this month about a planned attack in Moscow, and issued a public advisory to Americans in Russia on March 7. It added ISIL bore sole responsibility for the attack.

Russian officials have bristled at the US public comments on the attack, the first of which were made shortly after news of the attack had broken, and say Russian investigators must be allowed to make their own findings.

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