Ex-White House official urges Biden to rejoin JCPOA ‘step-by-step’

TEHRAN - A former White House official has said President Joe Biden’s administration should take a "step-by-step" approach to rejoin the 2015 nuclear deal as the U.S. maximum pressure campaign against Iran has failed and the Vienna talks could collapse if some significant progress was not made.

Frank von Hippel, former assistant director for national security in the White House Office of Science and Technology, made the comment in a phone interview with Press TV on Friday as the eighth round of talks on lifting the illegal U.S. sanctions on Iran paused in the Austrian capital.

Von Hippel, now a professor of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, fully agreed with U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price who told a news briefing last Tuesday that the previous U.S. administration had left behind a “terrible set of options,” including its escalations toward the Islamic Republic and that the maximum pressure campaign had been an “abject failure.”

“I agree completely with what Ned Price said,” Von Hippel told Press TV. “I hope that it reflects that the Biden administration is now together in this view, and I hope that Iran’s government is similarly focused on getting both countries back into compliance.”

Former U.S. president Donald Trump left the nuclear deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in May 2018 under his “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran. At the time his secretary of state Mike Pompeo acknowledged that U.S. will slap “the strongest sanctions in history” against Iran.

The professor from Princeton University said the Biden administration had to make sure that it does not lose any JCPOA supporters in Congress before rejoining the landmark deal as “only a small minority in Congress are eager to start a war with Iran,” and that the U.S. can make it, “but perhaps most easily in a step-by-step process.”

“Some significant progress must be made soon, or the negotiations will collapse,” Hippel said in reference to the Vienna talks.

There should be a “step-by-step process in returning both sides to full compliance with the JCPOA” as well as pursuing the nuclear disarmament of nuclear-armed states and fulfilling their commitments under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the theoretical physicist added.

Iran and the remaining participants to the JCPOA have been holding talks in Vienna since April last year with the aim of reviving the deal by bringing the U.S. into full compliance.

The eighth round of talks between Tehran and the remaining signatories to the nuclear pact is primarily focused on lifting anti-Tehran sanctions.

The Vienna talks began on a promise by Trump’s successor, Joe Biden, to rejoin the deal and repeal the so-called maximum pressure campaign against Iran.

In a Friday phone call with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian described the talks in Vienna as positive.

Expressing Tehran’s deep distrust of U.S. rulers, Amir Abdollahian underscored the need for Washington and its European allies to take practical and tangible measures in order to reach a sustainable and reliable agreement.

TAGS

• Iran
 
• U.S.
 
• Joe Biden
 
• Frank Von Hippel
 
• Vienna
 
• Vienna talks
 
• JCPOA

Mali expels Paris envoy over 'hostile and outrageous' remarks

TEHRAN, (MNA) – Mali on Monday gave the French ambassador 72 hours to leave the country after "hostile and outrageous" comments by former colonial power France about its transitional government, media reported.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian had said on Friday that Mali’s military government was “out of control” amid escalating tensions between the West African state and its European partners following two coups.

According to Al-Jazeera, relations between Mali and its former colonizer deteriorated this month when the military government went back on an agreement to organize elections in February and proposed holding power until 2025.

Rebel officers led a coup in August 2020 that toppled Mali’s elected leader Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who was facing angry protests at failures to stem armed violence.

It has also deployed Russian private military contractors, which some European countries have said is incompatible with their mission.

Mali asked Denmark last week to withdraw its troops belonging to a European task force in the country, which set off a fresh crisis.

France asked Mali to let the Danish troops stay, and Mali’s government spokesman told France to keep its “colonial reflexes” to itself.

Denmark stands in full solidarity with France,” Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said in a tweet on Friday.

Egypt Court Sentences 10 Muslim Brotherhood Members to Death

By Al Ahed Staff, Agencies

A court in Egypt ruled that ten members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood faction would receive the death sentence for plotting attacks against the country’s law enforcement officers, state media reported Sunday.

Those sentenced were part of a group called the “Helwan Brigades” and planned to attack officers as a component of a larger scheme to overthrow the government, according to Egypt’s state-run Middle East News Agency [MENA].

No additional information regarding the identities of those sentenced or how they pleaded to the charges was released.

The ruling still requires ratification from Egypt’s Grand Mufti Shawki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam, the country’s most senior religious authority, MENA reported.

Membership in the Muslim Brotherhood is illegal in Egypt - in 2013, a Cairo court designated “all activities” of the group as unlawful after former president Mohamed Morsi was ousted from office, according to the BBC.

Cairo designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, but the group argues its means are peaceful, according to Reuters.

In 2015, Egypt’s courts also charged 215 Helwan Brigades group members for the deaths of six law enforcement officers and possession of arms, as well as for wounding a number of civilians, the BBC reported.

‘Israeli’ Settlers Break into Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound

 By Al Ahed Staff, Agencies

Dozens of ‘Israeli’ occupation settlers stormed into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, strongly guarded by the Zionist regime’s police, and performed rituals across its courtyards.

The Jordan-run Islamic Waqf [endowment], in charge of the holy site, said scores of Zionist settlers broke into the compound through the Moroccan Gate, where they performed Talmudic prayers and other rituals, according to WAFA news agency.

Located in occupied al-Quds, the al-Aqsa Mosque is one of Muslims’ holy sites.

The Islamic Waqf Association has repeatedly described the settlers’ tours as “provocative”, and said that Palestinian worshippers and guards at al-Aqsa feel uncomfortable with the presence of ‘Israeli’ police and settlers touring the Muslim holy site.

During the 1967 Six-Day War, the ‘Israeli’ military occupied East al-Quds, including the holy al-Aqsa Mosque, in a move that was never acknowledged by the international community.

UAE intercepts missile during Israeli president’s trip

TEHRAN – The United Arab Emirates announced in the early hours of the morning that it intercepted a missile launched by Yemen’s Ansarullah movement, the third attack in less than two weeks. 

“There were no casualties resulting from the attack and the fragments of the ballistic missile fell outside of populated areas,” The UAE’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement, adding, “The UAE air defense forces and the Coalition Command had succeeded in destroying the missile launcher in Yemen after identifying locations of the sites.”

The Monday attack marked the third time the UAE comes under missile attacks from Yemen. Over the last few weeks, the UAE has been in the crosshairs of the Sanaa-based forces for its involvement in the recent fighting in Shabwa and Marib governorates that resulted in a UAE-backed militant group, known as the Giants Brigades, capturing a number of counties in the two Yemeni governorates. 

The escalation of military tensions between Abu Dhabi and Sanaa came to the surface in the waning weeks of last year when the UAE brought about a shift in its Yemen war strategy by moving the Brigades from their base in areas along Yemen’s western coasts to Shabwa. The UAE-trained Brigades launched a massive ground offensive against Sanaa forces with aerial support from the Saudi-led coalition. After weeks of heavy fighting, the Brigades retook several districts in Shabwa that were under the control of Sanaa. After Shabwa, they pushed northward into the Harib district of Marib.

Meanwhile, Sanaa forces launched two missile-and-drone attacks at the UAE in a bid to dissuade it from moving ahead with its renewed strategy for the war in Yemen. And they somehow succeeded in bringing the UAE-orchestrated offensive to a halt. 

On Friday, the Brigades announced that they had begun withdrawing from a key area of the conflict and repositioning their fighters and equipment after achieving their goals.

“After the great success achieved by the southern Giants Brigades in Operation Southern Storm, it began transferring its brigades to the main headquarters,” the Brigades said in a statement. “The Brigades repositioned its forces in Shabwa governorate after liberating the districts of Bihan and Harib and securing them completely from the Houthi militias.”

The announcement was cautiously received in Sanaa. However, it led to a decrease in fighting. 

Then came the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog to the UAE, which took place in a tense moment. Leading an Israeli delegation, Herzog arrived in Abu Dhabi on Sunday morning in a visit hailed by Israel as “historic.”

The Israeli president was received at the airport by UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and then was accorded an official reception at the stately Al Watan Palace. He held a meeting with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan. 

Commending Israel on its sympathy with the UAE over the recent Yemeni attacks, Sheikh Mohammad told Herzog, “Your position embodies our common vision towards the necessity of addressing the sources of threats to regional stability and peace, foremost of which are the militia and terrorist forces and the importance of adopting a firm international stance against them.”

The visit was overshadowed by the attacks from Yemen, which were seen by some observers as a double warning to the UAE intended to convey a message that the UAE needs to withdraw from the Yemen war and stop the normalization process with Israel.

So far, the UAE showed no willingness to heed the warning message, a move that, observers say, could lead to a further escalation.

TAGS

• UAE
 
• Yemen
 
• Israel
 
• Isaac Herzog
 
• Mohammad bin Zayed

Iran, Pakistan reiterate formation of inclusive government in Afghanistan

TEHRAN — Pakistan’s Ambassador to Tehran, Rahim Hayat Qureshi, met on Sunday with Vahid Jalalzadeh, Chairman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Iranian parliament.

Jalalzadeh said religious, historical and cultural commonalities between the two nations and good neighborliness are important factors in deepening relations between the two neighbors in various areas.

The senior legislator stressed the importance of parliamentary diplomacy to help remove obstacles to development of economic and trade relations and said, “Continuous consultation and positive and growing dialogue between government officials, military officials, and parliamentarians are a sign of the depth of friendship and brotherhood of the two nations.”

These will help “strengthen and consolidate cooperation between each other in various fields, especially in the field of economics,” he remarked.

He added that Iranian businessmen are looking to increase the level of their economic relations with Pakistan. 

“We know this is a reciprocal feeling. We expect the officials of the relevant departments to try to pave this way.” 

In another part of his remarks, the MP reiterated the important of security cooperation in border areas to counter the actions of terrorist groups, saying the terrorist groups are not aware of the very strong relations between the officials of the two countries. 

Jalalzadeh added, “In the Islamic Republic of Iran, there is a strong consensus among the country's top officials to increase interactions with neighbors, especially the friendly and brotherly country of Pakistan.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, the legislator emphasized the establishment of peace and stability in the region, especially in Afghanistan, and said that the Afghan people have been suffering from occupation and war for four decades. 

“There should be lasting stability and security, as well as formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan. Iran and Pakistan, as two key players in Afghanistan, can work together to alleviate the suffering of the people of this country,” Jalalzadeh pointed out.

In conclusion, Jalalzadeh emphasized the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear activities and added that in the last two years, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has visited Iran's nuclear sites 15 times and confirmed the peaceful nature of nuclear activities, yet Iran is under unilateral pressure from the United States.

The U.S. and the Zionist regime continue to claim that they are concerned over Iran's nuclear activities, he noted.

For his part, Ambassador Qureshi referred to the 70th anniversary of Pakistan's independence and said Iran was the first country to recognize Pakistan’s independence.
He also considered religious, historical and cultural affinities as important in strengthening relations between Pakistan and Iran.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Qureshi said relevant Pakistani officials are moving to establish border markets with Iran.

Pointing to the high economic potential of the two countries to develop cooperation, he said, “Agreements have been signed between the officials of the two sides, which we hope will be able to increase and strengthen the level of economic and trade exchanges more than before.”

The Pakistani envoy also stressed the important and effective position and role of Iran in resolving the crisis in Afghanistan, saying the difficult situation in Afghanistan is a matter of concern for Pakistan. 

“Establishing lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan is important for the region and neighboring countries. We hope that this will be achieved with the help of the Islamic Republic of Iran in forming an inclusive government,” he concluded. 

TAGS

• Iran
 
• Pakistan
 
• Vahid Jalalzadeh
 
• parliament

Taliban pledge to respect Afghan Shia Muslims rights

TEHRAN, (MNA) – Abdulrahman Kunduzi, the governor of the Taliban in Samangan province, said in a meeting with Shiite elders in the province that no one has the right to disrespect the Shiites.

Abdul Rahman Kunduzi, the governor of the Taliban in Samangan province, said in a meeting with Shiite elders in the province that relations and coordination between the nation and the interim Taliban government were important and that the people should maintain their unity.

"Afghanistan is home to all the people of the country," he said. "For the Taliban, ethnicity, race and religion are not important, but we are all Afghans and brothers," the Taliban governor further claimed.

Emphasizing the necessity to maintain solidarity and unity among Afghan people, Kunduzi added "I call on Shiites and Shiite elders in Samangan province to strengthen solidarity."

According to Afghan Voice Agency (AVA), the Taliban governor said that the role of tribal elders, religious scholars and the people is effective in supporting and strengthening the Afghan government, adding "I call on the people of Samangan province to stand by the [Taliban] government and the Islamic Emirate."

He added, "Shiites are part of the Afghan nation and no one has the right to disrespect or insult them, and we call on Shiites to support the Islamic Emirate in return."

According to the report, the Shiite elders of Samangan province, in turn, told the Taliban authority that the only way out of the existing problems is coordination, solidarity and cooperation between people and the government and pledged their support for the Taliban caretaker government. 

Iran senior diplomat discusses Yemen with UN envoy

TEHRAN - Ali Asghar Khaji, senior advisor to the Iranian foreign minister, has held talks via a video conference with Hans Grundberg, the UN secretary general’s special envoy for Yemen.

The Iranian foreign ministry said the talks were part of consultations by the Islamic Republic of Iran in order to end the humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen.

During the video conference, the senior advisor to the foreign minister expressed grave concern over an escalation of tensions and a surge in recent airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition against residential and civilian areas in Yemen. Khaji demanded that the UN and the international community intervene in Yemen to end the Saudi-led war against the country and the inhumane siege on the Yemeni people. He underlined that Iran will continue efforts to help establish a fair peace in Yemen.

The UN secretary general’s special envoy for Yemen also underscored the Islamic Republic’s role in helping establish peace in Yemen. Grundberg outlined the UN efforts to lift the Saudi-led blockade, establish a ceasefire and resume political talks in Yemen.

Earlier, Khaji sent a message to the UN envoy on the situation in Yemen. The Iranian diplomat, who often plays a pivotal role in implementing Iran’s regional foreign policy, condemned the massive bombardment by the Saudi-led coalition of Yemeni cities, civilian areas and infrastructure.

"Certainly, as the experience of the past seven years has shown, sanctions, military conflicts and the killing of people cannot lead to a solution to the Yemeni crisis and a way to liberation, and the solution to end the siege of the oppressed people of Yemen is the cessation of military operations and respect for independence of Yemen," Khaji said.

According to the senior advisor, as in the past Iran is ready to cooperate and work in this direction.

In April 2015, Iran presented a four-point plan to the UN in a bid to end the conflict in Yemen. The four-point called for cessation of hostilities and an immediate end to all foreign military attacks, directly deliver medical and humanitarian aid, broker political talks between warring sides and establish an inclusive unity government.

In his recent phone call with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian lamented an escalation of attacks on civilian areas in Yemen and reiterated Iran’s long-held approach in supporting a political solution to the Yemen war.

Referring to the UN’s approach on terminating the blockade as well as bringing about a ceasefire and holding political talks in Yemen, Amir Abdollahian called on the secretary-general to play a more active role in efforts to lift the siege on Yemen and put an end to the large-scale bombardment of civilian regions.

In a meeting with his Qatari counterpart Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Thursday, Amir Abdollahian again lamented the recent increase in military attacks against Yemen. He warned such moves will “destroy the path to peace.”

“In recent weeks, we have witnessed an increase in military moves regarding Yemen, and such moves will lead to outbreak of further wars in Yemen and the region, and destroy the path to peace,” Press TV quoted the Iranian foreign minister as saying.

On January 25, Khaji met with Peter Semneby, Sweden’s special envoy for Yemen. The two diplomats discussed latest developments in Yemen via a video conference.

During the video discussion, the two sides exchanged views over potential areas of cooperation between Iran and Sweden for the purpose of helping resolve the Yemeni crisis and end the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in the country.

The conversation came against a backdrop of heightened tensions between Yemen and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Sanaa-based government has launched three drone and missile attacks on the UAE in recent weeks.

In November last year, chief of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Vahid Jalalzadeh and Khaji met with Grundberg in Tehran.

Jalalzadeh said Iran is ready to help end the war in Yemen, encourage political talks, and decrease the pains and sorrows of the oppressed and defenseless Yemeni people in collaboration with Yemen and regional countries, Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported. 

“Seven years have passed since the beginning of the crisis in Yemen, throughout which the world has on each day been witness to the massacring of the defenseless, innocent and civilian Yemeni women and children, which is a sample of crimes against mankind, amid the silence, and sometimes collaboration of some world powers,” Jalalzadeh lamented.

He said that Iran’s official stand, ever since the outbreak of the Yemen crisis, has been an insistence on the need for Yemeni-Yemeni negotiations, that is among the entire groups there, free from foreign interventions or military aggression.

The head of parliamentary committee said that the UN special envoy had better focus its entire efforts aimed at ending the inhumane siege of Yemen, brokering an immediate ceasefire and arrange for the beginning of political negotiations in Yemen, aimed at establishment of sustainable peace in Yemen.

TAGS

• Ali Asghar Khaji
 
• Yemen
 
• Hans Grundberg
 
• UN secretary general’s special envoy for Yemen
 
• Iran
 
• United Nations

Palestinian PM says Israel’s rejection of Palestinian state incitement to violence

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh says Israel’s rejection of the “creation” of a Palestinian state is an incitement to more violence in the occupied territories.

On January 28, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett provocatively said he would not allow any talks leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state. “If there were talks with the Palestinians, there would be no government. I reject the creation of a Palestinian state. I will never allow political talks on the borders to be held,” the right-wing premier said.

On Monday and at the start of the weekly Palestinian cabinet meeting held in Ramallah, Shtayyeh hit back. He said such statements from the Israeli premier “prove to us and to the world the scale of extremism of” this occupying regime “and its positions hostile to peace and political negotiations with the Palestinians, as well as its rejection and the denial of the signed agreements.”

The Palestinian prime minister, whose remarks were carried by Palestine's official Wafa news agency, also said Israel’s statements and positions as well as actions “prove the validity of what we said that there is no partner on the Israeli side for peacemaking,” and that the current Israeli cabinet “is systematically destroying the possibility of establishing the State of Palestine.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, Shtayyeh called on the United States and the European Union (EU) to intervene and halt Israel’s plans in occupied East al-Quds, the capital of the future Palestinian state, which are aimed at occupying most of its land for the regime’s settlement expansion.

The Palestinian premier also noted that the Tel Aviv regime persists in demolishing Palestinian-owned homes in East al-Quds and displacing their residents, while many more houses and residential buildings are under the threat of demolition and their owners risk displacement.

Also on January 28, member of the Hamas political bureau Ezzat Al-Rishq condemned Bennett’s provocative remarks, saying that such statements are a slap to those who keep faith in negotiations with the Israeli occupation. The Hamas official stressed that the Palestinian state could be established through resistance and steadfastness. Al-Rishq said that Bennett’s comments only “reveals the reality of our enemy and his war on our people. It proves that those who run after an occupation-given Palestinian state are just chasing after a mirage.”

UN Security Council urges two-state solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict

More than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East al-Quds. All the settlements are illegal under international law as they are built on occupied land. The United Nations Security Council has condemned Israel’s settlement activities in the occupied territories in several resolutions.

Iraq Govt. Formation Process Hostage to Al-Sadr’s Rancor against Ex-PM Al-Maliki

Alwaght- Tense post-election days continue in Iraq. Muqtada al-Sadr as the winner of the October 2021 elections goes on with his tough and exclusionary approach towards the government formation. He has certainly been the top man of the Iraqi politics in recent months, attracting all of the attention to himself. He continues to insist on forming a majority government and shows no intention to walk back from his position. 

In the latest comments, al-Sadr, who leads Sadrist Movement, reiterated his previous stances on the cabinet formation. In a televised speech, he openly opposed ex-PM Nour al-Maliki's participation in the new "national majority government." He held that he asked Hadi al-Amiri and Qais al-Khazali, leaders of two large blocs, to join the government but not al-Maliki, a proposal they turned down. The powerful cleric now seems more self-confident in confrontation of his rivals after federal court last week ruled the outcomes of the first session of the parliament were legal and thus not annullable. 

To al-Sadr's frustration, however, the Shiite Coordination Framework (SCF), a bloc of Shiite parties excluding Sadrist Movement, insists on al-Maliki's role in forming the next government, and its leading political figures have stated that either al-Maliki will be part of the majority coalition or they will not join the government. 

Ali al-Fatlawi, one of the leaders of the Fatah coalition, announced on Friday that the SCF has refused fo join a coalition government with al-Sadr and Sunnis without al-Maliki and informed al-Sadr of the decision. Now more than any other time in the past, Sadr-Maliki differences are on the Iraqi politics surface and this raises questions about the future possibilities and the reason behind al-Sadr's opposition to al-Maliki. 

Continuation of differences or unwanted ceasefire 

The tension between two leaders in the current situation makes unlikely any agreement and reconciliation between them, and the Sadrists, along with their Sunni and Kurdish allies, intend to form a national majority government, excluding the SCF. But looking at the history of politics and governance in different countries, there is a golden rule that suggests there is no permanent friendship and enmity in politics. Therefore, despite the current differences, it is also possible that a ceasefire takes place between al-Maliki and al-Sadr. A clear example of this is the alliance of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) with the National Freedom Party in Turkey, once political enemies, in 2018. Despite their conflict of views, the two Iraqi political leaders are not unlikely to reconcile. 

Why does al-Sadr insist on majority government? 

Several reasons seem to drive al-Sadr's push for al-Maliki-free government. First, the dispute with al-Maliki has a historical background and it seems that al-Sadr is far from forgetting the past. In 2008, when al-Maliki was PM, he militarily cracked down on al-Sadr-led Mahdi Army, a powerful militia, leading to its dissolution. Now, it seems that al-Sadr intends to settle a score with al-Maliki. 

Muqtada al-Sadr has sought to be recognized as a national and religious leader in Iraq since 2003. Using his family background, he has widely promoted both nationalist and Shiite discourses. Many political observers now believe that he is trying to advertise and even foist himself on Iraqi society as a national hero and a charismatic leader. Actually, he does not intend to miss the opportunity to realize his long-held dream, the core of which is transformation into the politics top man. By running anti-Maliki agenda, al-Sadr tries, on the one hand, to save his leadership role and, on the other hand, foist himself on the other political forces. 

Al-Sadr and government formation prospects 

With these information in hand, where can the tensions of the two sides go? To answer this question, we need to know that after 2003, the majority-minority rule has never been underpinning the government structure and the major political decisions in the country. Based on an unwritten law, the political factions have always had a role in parliament decisions regardless of their quantitative weight. 

Now, al-Sadr has not but two ways ahead. One is insistence on majority government and disregard of agreement principle and the other reconciliation with al-Maliki and formation of an agreement government. In case of first scenario, he has a very high cost to pay and bear pressures of various political groups. In addition to high costs for al-Sadr, this can fuel a big new political crisis in the country. If he chooses the more pragmatic scenario, besides preserving his leadership role, he can pave the way for an agreement-cabinet representing all political sides. 

Oppressed nations pin hope on Islamic Revolution: IRGC cmdr.

TEHRAN, (MNA) – IRGC Commander of Mohammad Rasulullah Division said that the world’s oppressed nations pinned hope on the Islamic Revolution in Iran despite the many enemy's malicious attempts against it.

Speaking in a news conference on the occasion of the 43rd victory anniversary of the Islamic Revolution and commemoration of Ten-Day Dawn (Fajr Decade) ceremonies, Brigadier General Hassan Hassanzadeh said, “After 43 years since the glorious victory of the Islamic Revolution and despite all various conspiracies of the enemy that tried to tarnish the sublime values of the Islamic Revolution, Islamic Revolution of Iran has presently been turned into a beacon of hope for the oppressed and freedom-seeking nations of the world.”

Today, the oppressed nations of the world, with their hope pinned on the Islamic Iran, have stood firmly against the Global Arrogance and are growing stronger and advancing, he said, adding that these countries are ranked first in the world in many issues such as science, knowledge, nuclear and missile fields.

Enemies of the country especially the United States have left no stone unturned over the past 42 years in order to undermine the values of the Islamic Revolution but people of the country under the wise leadership of the Islamic Revolution have thwarted all their conspiracies waged against the country in all arenas, the brigadier general emphasized.

He further pointed out that different programs will be held in Tehran province to celebrate the 43rd glorious victory anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.

Turning to the spread of COVID-19 in the country, the IRGC general said that the Ten-Day Dawn ceremonies will be held by fully observing health protocols and guidelines as instructed by the National Coronavirus Combat and Prevention Headquarters (or the National Task For Fighting the Coronavirus.)

Palestine World Award

TEHRAN, (MNA) – The biennial Palestine World Award aims at appreciating the world’s best literary works on Palestinian issues, Resistance and the liberation of Holy Quds.

Call for the Palestine World Award:

Palestine World Award is an international and non-governmental awards program, aimed at identifying, introducing and appreciating the world’s best literary works on Palestinian issues, Resistance and the liberation of Holy Quds. The event, in cooperation with cultural and literary organizations of a number of Islamic countries, was established in November 2019 and will be held biennially.

The Palestine World Award is a tribute to writers, poets and publishers around the world who have taken a stand in support of the oppressed nation of Palestine.

Topics:

The first edition of the Palestine World Award will review and select the best literary works produced between March 2016 and March 2022 on the subject of Palestinian issues, Resistance and the liberation of Holy Quds. In subsequent editions, the event will biennially review the newly published books.

In this edition, the best books will be reviewed and judged in the following categories:

1. Children's stories and poems

2. Short stories

3. Novels

4. Travelogues and memoirs

5. Poetry and literary pieces

All writers, poets and publishers around the world are welcome to submit their literary works on the issues of Palestine, the Resistance and the liberation of Holy Quds to the Secretariat of the Palestine World Award.

Deadline and Submission Guidelines:

Those interested in participating in the Palestine World Award must submit their works no later than 29 April 2022, coinciding with the International Quds Day, and choose one of the following methods for submission:

1. Uploading the text or the scan of the book in English, Arabic and Persian in a PDF format to www.palintaward.com

2. Sending two copies of the work to the Secretariat of the Palestine World Award located at No. 360, 44 Alley, Seyed Jamaluddin Asadabadi St., Tehran, Iran.

Judging Process:

All works entered into the Palestine World Award program are judged by judges from different countries within two months. The Secretariat will then review the works received from the judges and award the best ones in each category.

Closing Ceremony and Awarding Process:

The first edition of the Palestine World Award will be held in Lebanon in 2022. The exact time and place for the closing ceremony will be announced via the event’s official website at www.palintaward.com.

Omani FM leads official delegation to Syria to further bilateral ties

ByNews Desk- The Cradle 

The Omani sultanate has been one of the few Arab states that have maintained diplomatic ties with Damascus since the start of the US-backed war

On 31 January Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi visited the Syrian capital Damascus, heading an official delegation.

Al-Busaidi met with his Syrian counterpart Dr. Faysal Mikdad. According to reports ahead of Al-Busaidi’s visit to Damascus, the Omani official’s is set to discuss bilateral relations between Syria and Oman. During his visit he also held a meeting with President Bashar al-Assad.

“The relations with the sisterly Sultanate of Oman have been continued and have not been severed… The Sultanate has stood by Syria in its war against terrorism”, Mikdad said upon Al-Busaidi’s arrival.

“We used to meet in Muscat and now we receive in Damascus our brothers from the Sultanate with open hearts and open minds…Relations between our two brotherly countries have been continuous and have not been severed for many years, and I will not limit this to the beginning of the crisis in Syria”, Mikdad added during a joint statement made to the Syrian press.

“I do not consider myself as a guest, but here in my country… We look forward to meeting with the brothers, exchanging views and discussing what we can work on within the framework of developing bilateral relations and cooperation between our two countries in all economic, commercial and scientific fields,” Al-Busaidi said.

“All the Arab brothers always look forward to meeting with Syria and the return of Arab cohesion to its normal status, therefore, all our endeavors, myself and others from the Arab brothers, are directed towards this field”, the Omani foreign minister said in response to a question from the press.

Despite reducing its diplomatic presence in the country in 2012, Oman was one of the few Arab states to maintain relations with Syria after the start of the US-backed war in 2011.

Over the past few years several Arab states have rekindled relationships with Syria, pushing for the country to reintegrate into the regional fold.

On 27 December 2018, the UAE announced the reopening of its embassy in Damascus. Bahrain and Jordan have also reopened their embassies in Syria.

In October of 2020, Oman appointed an ambassador to Syria, fully reestablishing its diplomatic presence in the country.

Meanwhile, last year Jordan’s King Abdullah II held his first phone conversation with President Assad in a decade, despite the Hashemite kingdom having been used as a training ground for US-backed Salafist militias who were involved in the fight against the Syrian Arab Army (SAA).

According to reports, Saudi Arabia, who have been notorious for the funding and arming of rebel groups in Syria throughout the last decade, have sent intelligence officials to meet with their Syrian counterparts, despite no official call from the kingdom to restore its relations with Damascus.

One of the topics of discussion at the upcoming 37th Arab League Summit in Algeria will be Syria’s readmission into the league.

Israeli-Turkish Normalization: How Are Tel Aviv’s Preconditions Humiliating to Erdogan?

Alwaght- The Turkish-Israeli relations underwent challenges since 2008, when Tel Aviv waged another criminal war against Gaza Strip. The storming of Turkey's Gaza-bound aid ship Marmara in 2010 took their confrontation to next bevel. Their ties even went worse when in 2018 Trump recognized Al-Quds (Jerusalem) as the Israeli capital and Turkey recalled its ambassador to Tel Aviv. However, things changed when in September 2020 some Arab states initiated normalization process with the Israeli regime. Tempted by the thaw, Ankara in recent months said it plans to restore ties with the Tel Aviv. Some suggest that the foreign policy shift is driven by the unstable economic conditions in Turkey. 

Foreign policy shift 

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's economic policy of cutting interest rates shocked the economy, and the lira price plunged as the dollar rose. In recent days, Erdogan, in addition to presenting a roadmap to improve the economic situation, called for changes in the foreign policy of the country in relations with other countries, especially the Israeli regime, and at his meeting with Turkish Jews and members of Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States said: "Despite the differences between Tel Aviv and Ankara over Palestine, bilateral relations in the fields of economy, trade,  and tourism have been developing. These relations are vital to regional security and stability. This relationship will soon return to normal." Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Cavusoglu, in his press conference at the end of 2021 highlighted these relations. 

"Diplomatic relations with Israel have already begun, while Turkey maintains its Palestine principles. The negotiations with the new Israeli government have started and we advance it with a pragmatic approach," he was quoted as saying. 

Israeli preconditions for détente with Turkey 

The Ankara normalization with Tel Aviv has always been affected by the Palestinian cause and the Turkish support to Hamas, a Gaza-based resistant group. In recent years, Hamas office's activity in Turkey and Israeli settlement projects in the occupied Palestinian territories have been posing challenges to Israeli-Turkish relations. Erdogan more than once said that improving ties with the Israeli regime is possible if the latter takes measures towards de-escalation with the Palestinians. In recent days, Erdogan said he would talk to the Israeli President Issac Herzog. He also said Israeli Prime Minister Neftali Bennet sends updates at various levels, adding that policy cannot go ahead with rift and argument. 

"We need to take politics on the peace track. Israeli friendly and constructive approach within the pro-peace efforts undoubtedly contribute to normalization of our relationship," he was quoted as saying. 

Reacting to these comments, former Turkish FM Ahmet Davutoglu, who defected from Erdogan orbit  in 2016, recently said that Tel Aviv is unaware of this Erdogan plan and the Israeli officials in largely humiliating stances suggest that a final decision about normalization with Ankara has not been made yet. 

Actually, following Turkey's show of desire to normalize relations with Israeli government, the Tel Aviv media and analysts stressed that the latter is insisting on halting Hamas activities on Turkish soil as a precondition.

"Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is very pleased with the return of the Israeli ambassador to Ankara, but the important thing for Israel is to stop Hamas activities in Turkey," the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper quoted an anonymous Israeli diplomatic source as saying.

The Haaretz, another Israeli newspaper, reported that the Turkish president said in a speech that Turkey is ready to improve relations with Tel Aviv, but that the Israeli government must first show "more sensitive policies" towards the Palestinians. 

"Tel Aviv has made many conditions for the return of relations with Turkey, the most obvious of which is Ankara's commitment to close the Hamas office in Istanbul and to stop the activities of the released prisoners associated with the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas," the Yedioth Ahronoth reported. 

Israeli goals behind playing Turkey 

Turkey is one of the countries that wants to normalize relations with the Israeli regime while at the same time has close ties with Hamas, has supported it and has also tried to establish its position in the region as a country supporting the Palestinian cause. These, especially the last ambition, is contradictory to Ankara's new foreign policy approach for reestablishing diplomatic ties with the Israelis. 

Under such circumstances, the Israeli government, realizing Turkey's sensitive conditions especially economically, has made any return of diplomatic relations between the two sides, as well as the return of the Israeli ambassador to Ankara, conditional on the cessation of Hamas activities in Istanbul. Tel Aviv’s goals are to limit Turkish support for Hamas, to see Ankara relinquishing its position as a supporter of the Palestinian cause in the region, and to close any Hamas office in the country, eliminating any possibility of helping the group. This could gradually weaken the interests of Hamas and the Palestinian resistance. 

By pursuing the normalization, the Israelis and Americans try to reduce the Palestinian cause to a purely Palestinian, rather than a Muslim and Arab, case. By creating dependence especially in economic terms through normalization, Tel Aviv and Washington intend to take from the Arab and Muslim states the power to make any moves risky to Israeli interests. The conditions for restrictions on supports to Hamas and its activities in Turkey are a continuation to the Israeli policies to decentralize and isolate the Palestinian cause as a top Muslim and Arab world agenda case.