How history proves US animosity with Iranians

Iran-US hostility dates back to the US-backed 1953 coup in Iran and before when Iran declared nationalization of its oil industry.

Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei made the remarks on Sunday, speaking to thousands of school and university students on the eve of the National Student Day.

He said that the US has used whatever and whoever at his disposal to hit Iranians.

In the chain of US crimes, both before and after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the US has done its best to hurt Iranians that had cut the hands of the US off Iranian natural resources.

Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadeq was the man who nationalized the Iranian oil industry – a hard blow to UK and US interests in Iran that had the potential to go beyond the borders of Iran and endanger their interests in the whole region or even the entire world.

In 1953, the Iranian democratically-elected prime minister was toppled in a US-UK-led coup.

UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s government desperately tried "to restore their stake in Iran's petroleum industry by virtually any available means, including military action,” wrote Malcolm Byrne of the National Security Archive and Tulane that plotted a coup to oust Mossadeq from premiership.

Following the coup, the US reinstated the shah to throne in Iran and helped him resists the will of the Iranian people.

The US support emboldened the shah to massacre the people that were revealed after his removal from power in different occasions in different cities.

But the chain of unrest eventually led to the Islamic Revolution under leadership of Imam Khomeini in 1979.

After the Revolution, due to the US animosities and attempts to hurt the people and Revolution, some Iranian students stormed and seized control of the US embassy in Iran on 4 November 1979.

On 22 September 1980 Iraq, under Saddam, invaded Iran. With the military and intelligence support of the US and other Western powers, as well as certain Arab countries in the region, for Iraq, the war went on for eight years. However, they gained nothing. But the war killed hundreds of thousands of people and left thousands of fatally and irremediably injured soldiers and even civilians, including children. With the green light from the US, Iraq repeatedly used chemical weapons against Iranian border cities.

The Iraqi chemical warfare and war crimes faced a blind eye by the international community thanks to US secret lobbying.

In the last days of the US decided to enter the war in favor of Iraq. The USS Vincennes warship targeted Iran Air passenger flight 655 bound to Dubai from Tehran, murdering all the 290 people on board, including 66 children.

Iran and the international community got entangled in a stand-off on nuclear program for 10 years.

The US and the European states including Russia ans China passed a resolution at the United Nations Security Council imposing sanctions on Iran.

Iran declared time and again that its nuclear program is civilian and that Iran does not want to produce atomic bomb, the propaganda campaign escalated by the US over Iran's nuclear program.

Iran signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with the five UN Security Council members plus Germany, which took effect on  January 1, 2015. It was a 159-page agreement to downsize its nuclear program in return for lifting the UN sanctions.

Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei issued a religious edict (Fatwa) prohibiting nuclear bomb, saying that Islam forbids weapons of mass destruction.

Soon after Donald Trump became the US president from the Republican Party, the US Administration announced its withdrawal from the JCPOA and restored the sanctions which had been lifted by UN Security Council Resolution 2231 endorsing the JCPOA.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif protested to the US Administration over violating the International Law obliging the Governments to abide by their Agreements and settlement of international disputes by negotiations.

Zarif said that the US Administration perpetrated "Economic Terrorism" by restoring the sanctions on Iran.

The US hostility toward Iranians still remained unabated despite the breakthrough made by the JCPOA.

Written by: Hossein Abolqasemi, IRNA English desk staff writer 

Pakistan PM Saudi visit: Islamabad offers to host direct Iran-Saudi talks

Islamabad, IRNA --Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan is expected to leave for Saudi Arabia on Tuesday on the second leg of his mediation efforts after Tehran amid press reports about Pakistani Government's offer to host direct Iran-Saudi talks.

Pakistan is playing the role of a facilitator to bring peace to the Persian Gulf.

Imran Khan during his visit to Tehran held separate meetings with the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Dr. Hassan Rouhani.

Reports quoting well-placed diplomatic sources said that the prime minister will meet with King Salman bin Abd al-Aziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh.

Some important high-ups will also accompany the prime minister, including Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

The sources pointed out that Prime Minister Imran Khan may also visit some other Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates for his peace efforts.

Local media reported that the prime minister told Iranian leadership that Pakistan is not only ready to facilitate the dialogue but also willing to arrange face-to-face talks in Islamabad.

Pakistani press say Pakistan’s proposal is aimed at opening some channels of communication between the Saudi and Iranian Governments.

Pakistan, having close strategic ties with Saudi Arabia and being a neighbour to Iran, is increasingly concerned that any conflict between the two countries will have serious impacts on the country as well as for the region

Daily ‘Dawn’ in its Editorial comments on Tuesday said tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran will have a destabilising impact on Pakistan for a variety of reasons. Perhaps this helps explain Prime Minister Imran Khan’s shuttle diplomacy between Tehran and Riyadh.

“While in Tehran, Mr Khan said that efforts to facilitate dialogue between the Saudis and the Iranians were his own initiative,” it said.

It added considering the combustible situation in the Persian Gulf, there are signs that multiple efforts are underway to bring down the political temperature, mainly through back-channel means, but also through public diplomacy like that of the prime minister.

It said there have been reports of a secret UAE effort to open channels of dialogue with Iran, while Saudi Arabia is also said to have sent messages to Tehran via Iraq.

“Such efforts must be encouraged. A peaceful resolution to the crisis in Persian Gulf is a far more preferable course than confrontation,” said Dawn.

It noted that Pakistan can act as a bridge between Tehran and Riyadh and help facilitate a dialogue.

Another daily ‘The Nation’ said in its editorial that the peace initiative that Imran Khan wants to lead tells one that the current Pakistani leadership has deliberated on the pros and cons of any possible conflicts between Tehran and Riyadh.

It said the fact that it was PM Khan’s second visit to Iran this year will also help strengthen the ties between Pakistan and Iran.

“It is not wrong to say that Khan’s visit to Iran was amicable and productive,” it said.

Daily Times also said in its editorial that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s initiative to stave off tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia serves the interests of either side, and is for the good of Pakistan and Afghanistan as well.

It said Riyadh should be receptive to Pakistan’s initiative.

Would the U.S. Allow Imran Khan’s Goodwill Mission to Succeed?

By: Kayhan Int’l 

The peaceful policies of the Islamic Republic; its insistence on diplomacy to resolve misunderstandings and conflicts; its endeavours to promote trade, cultural, scientific and all other bilateral and multilateral ties; and its staunch support for the denied rights of the oppressed, is known to the whole world, which also very well knows that Iran neither imposes itself upon others nor has attacked any country, but at the same time it resolutely defends itself in the face of any aggression.
This clear cut stance of Iran was among the reasons that brought Pakistani Prime Minister, Imran Khan Niyazi to Tehran on a goodwill mission, which in his own words is his personal initiative and not any kind of mediation to make the region tension-free through exploring the prospects of a dialogue with Saudi Arabia.
The former Cricket Captain’s sporting spirit is highly appreciative, and during his press conference with his host, President Hassan Rouhani, he was assured that any good gesture will indeed be reciprocated in like manner by Islamic Iran, which expects sincere and concrete measures – and not empty words – to end the crises in the region.
Imran Khan’s hopes, however, of starting a dialogue between Iran and the U.S. for ending sanctions, or more properly America’s economic terrorism, seemed far- fetched, given the untrustworthy, if not criminal nature of President Donald Trump, and Iran’s principled stand that any talks depend on Washington’s rejoining the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action) regarding Iran’s inalienable right to peaceful nuclear energy, which the American president had blatantly breached.   

The honourable guest, also heard the remarks of the Iranian President during the joint press conference that those who made the big blunder of targeting the Iranian oil tanker, SABITI, with missiles off the Red Sea port of Jeddah, will be receive due punishment once the investigations are complete regarding their identity.
Imran Khan, who is on his second official visit to Iran since becoming Prime Minister – the previous one was in last April when he directly landed in holy Mashhad from Islamabad to pay respects at the blessed shrine of Imam Reza (AS), the 8th Infallible Heir of Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) – seems to have chosen the appropriate time for the present trip when scores of thousands of Pakistani pilgrims on their way to Karbala for commemorating the Arb’aeen anniversary of the Chief of Martyrs, Imam Husain (AS), are being accorded the best of hospitality, as an indication of the fraternal bonds between the two friendly Muslim neighbours.
These ties could be further enhanced, if Pakistan were to shrug off pressures by the meddling Americans and their regional clients, to increase the volume of bilateral trade with Iran from the present 2 billion dollars per annum to 5 billion dollars.
Islamabad should take the courageous step of connecting its side of the joint border with Iran’s natural gas pipeline which will indeed greatly benefit the Pakistani economy and the Pakistani people, more than the few million dollars that the regime in Riyadh doles out to prevent any such link.
In the words of Pakistani Foreign Minister, Shah Mahmoud Qureshi, who is accompanying his Prime Minister: "Saudi Arabia is our strategic partner, whereas Iran is a friend and neighbour. We are seeking that misunderstandings between the two Muslim countries will be cleared through talks.”
Sweet words indeed, but goodwill requires real change of heart, coupled with practical measures, and not any fruitless rounds of diplomacy, which will neither stop the war in Yemen nor end the unwanted American presence in the region.
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who cordially received the Chief Guest from Pakistan, was frank and forthright in this regard when he pointed out to the mischief wrought by Riyadh in destabilizing Syria and Iraq, and said: "We presented a four-point plan long ag for end of the war in Yemen that could have restored stability, but unfortunately certain countries seem to be acting as per the dictates of the US.
He also made it clear to Imran Khan that Iran has never aggressed any country, but those looking for a fight will deeply regret it.
The Pakistani Prime Minister said he intends to travel to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to apprise Riyadh of Tehran’s principled position.
All the best for his sincere endeavours, which seems to be a gargantuan task to succeed, in view of the presence of CENTCOM terrorists all over the region and the subservience of regional states to the U.S.

Approaching End of Israel

By: Kayhan Int’l

The chronic question of Palestine cannot be resolved unless the Muslims of the world close ranks and mobilize all resources including military means to liberate the former qibla of Islam.

The recent meeting in Tehran between the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and a special representative of the Hamas Islamic movement from Zionist-besieged Gaza, highlighted this issue. 

May God damn the British occupiers of Palestine for planting the illegal Zionist regime in the heart of the Islamic World in 1948, after settling the non-Israelite and non-Semite Khazar European Jews in this Muslim land between the two world wars!

It is interesting to note that the Wise Leader is fully confident of the end of the cancerous tumour called Israel, at the most, within the next two decades, but maybe more sooner than one realizes.

Ever since the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA), had designated the usurped land of Palestine as the principal issue of the Muslim world, Iran has spared no efforts in marshalling its resources and awakening the Ummah worldwide for this great task of liberating Bayt al-Moqaddas and al-Aqsa Mosque. 

The struggle requires sacrifices, and the Muslims of the world are ready to offer their lifeblood for the holy struggle.

According to observers, the recent provocations of Israel against Lebanon’s legendary anti-terrorist movement, Hezbollah, and against the Hashd ash-Sha’bi (Popular Mobilization Units) of Iraq, is like to trigger an explosive situation in which the Zionists will suffer the most, if not totally wiped out from the map of West Asia.

This is something logical, and irrespective of the treason of regimes, such as those of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, Palestinians and their supporters will definitely triumph over the Israelis. 

We know the US cannot do a damned thing, and we have full and firm faith in God Almighty that whatever weight they throw behind the Zionist entity, their efforts will end in futility.

The holy Qur’an has promised believers of final victory, and Insha Allah (God Willing we will soon be marching toward al-Aqsa in the heart of Palestine.

Iran’s Strategy Of Reversible Escalation

General Mohammad Ali Jafari of the Revolutionary Guards and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani

by Eldar Mamedov

In case anyone thought Iran was bluffing with its threats to respond robustly to U.S. “maximum pressure,” recent developments should have disabused them of that notion. Not only did Iran down a highly sophisticated American drone near its borders in the Persian Gulf, but it also announced plans to reduce its commitments under the nuclear deal (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA). The phase of strategic patience Iran exercised in the year after the United States violated the agreement has come to an end. It is now being replaced by an assertive action phase. That action will develop on two main fronts: the nuclear agreement and regional security.

Contrary to a popular view in the West, this shift is not the result of “hard-liners” displacing “moderates.” There is a job division within the Iranian system: diplomats deal with the nuclear dossier while the Revolutionary Guards lead on military deterrence. There is, however, an overarching unity of purpose: to strike back, with all means available, at what Iran sees as an economic war waged by the United States and its regional allies Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel.

Far from being an act of suicidal defiance by some irascible religious fanatic, Iran’s decision to respond to U.S. pressure follows from a set of careful strategic calculations and domestic political imperatives. After respecting fully their JCPOA commitments and being denied economic dividends, Iranians decided that they should not be the only ones paying the price of the American decision to violate that agreement.

On the nuclear file, the decision to surpass the stockpiles of 300 kilograms of low enriched uranium (LEU) permitted by the JCPOA by July 2019 is designed to pressure the Europeans to deliver on their commitments to provide economic benefits to Iran. Although the EU insists on full implementation of the JCPOA, reduced compliance is the best that Iran can offer at this stage. Such a decision is the result of a national compromise among different forces, including those calling for pulling out of the JCPOA and possibly even the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as well.

The purpose of this move, according to Iranian officials, is not to destroy the JCPOA but to save it. As soon as Iranians get the promised sanctions relief, the process can be quickly reversed to a stockpile below 300 kilograms of LEU.  To get back to that point, a practical solution has to be found on Iranian oil exports. If European companies refrain from buying Iranian oil out of a fear of heavy American sanctions, officials in Tehran insist that the EU issue credit lines: make money available to Iran to cover its needs in exchange for oil deliveries after the lifting of the sanctions in the future. Iranians reason that if the EU indeed sees the JCPOA as essential to its security, as its officials often claim, it should put its money where its mouth is.

On the military side, Iran is increasing pressure on the United States to abandon its “maximum pressure” policy by seeking to impose real costs. Tehran’s downing an American drone should be seen in this context, not as an unprovoked hostile act. Although American drones reportedly violated Iranian territorial integrity in the past, the current context obliges Iranians to respond, at some point, publicly and visibly, as both a deterrent and a demonstration of their ability to defend their people and territory.

Trump’s announcement that he stopped a retaliatory strike and now looks forward for “negotiations without preconditions” with Iran might appear as an opportunity to arrest the slide to war. Not so in the eyes of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. This, again, is not a sign of some pathological stubbornness or ideological anti-Americanism. It is simply because negotiating now would validate the basic premise of the “maximum pressure” campaign: that suffocating Iran economically has forced it to the negotiating table to make further concessions—this time also on ballistic missiles and regional policies, deliberately excluded from the JCPOA. Trump´s imposition of sanctions on top Iranian officials, including Ayatollah Khamenei and foreign minister Javad Zarif, only underscores the hollowness of his offer to talk.

So, as Washington doesn´t appear to be serious about lifting the economic siege of Iran, Tehran will seek to coerce it to do so. The downing of the drone is a message that Iran means business. Absent changes in American behavior, this may not be the last step in the series of Iranian escalations. Officials in Tehran have repeatedly warned that, if they are unable to export oil, no one else in the Persian Gulf will either.

Just like with the nuclear issue, however, this escalation is reversible if the United States takes steps to stop its economic war against Iran. That, and not more sanctions, could even open the door for the talks Trump claims to seek.  Ayatollah Khamenei made it clear that Iran would not negotiate “under pressure”—not that it would not do so under any circumstances. Potentially, that could even lead to broader talks on regional issues and ballistic missiles. But then all other issues will have to be brought to the table too, such as region-wide non-proliferation, covering Israel´s nuclear arsenal, Western arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the war in Yemen, and so on.

Although Iran’s strategy of reversible escalation enjoys a consensus among the elite, it is a risky one. Reducing commitments under the JCPOA may push Europeans closer to Trump, instead of stimulating them to deliver on their commitments to Iran, and increase Iran´s diplomatic isolation.

When it comes to United States, Iranians, particularly in the conservative camp, seem to be too sanguine about Trump not willing to start a war in order not to harm his re-election prospects in 2020. Despite the restraining influence of such figures on the American right as Senator Rand Paul and Fox TV anchor Tucker Carlson, Trump may still be painted into a corner by his hawkish advisers and lash out militarily at Iran.

When confronted with these doubts, Iranian officials seem to concede that their strategy is a gamble. However, a strong sense of being a wronged party, Iranian nationalism, and the regime´s revolutionary resistance ideology are preventing them from blinking first in their confrontation with the Americans. Whatever one thinks of the wisdom of such a posture given the existing balance of power, if the standoff ends up in a war, it will be America’s fault, not Iran’s.

On Trump’s Economic Terrorism Against Iran

• 
  

TEHRAN (FNA)- On Monday, June 24, President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing what he called “hard-hitting” new sanctions on Iran in response to the downing of an unmanned US drone in the Strait of Hormuz by the Islamic Republic.

The new sanctions deny Iran’s Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and his office access to key financial resources. As foolish as it may seem, in addition to eight military leaders, the US is also sanctioning Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

The stated agenda is to ratchet up pressure on Tehran “until the regime abandons its dangerous activities including its nuclear ambitions.” Other goals include: to contain Iran’s influence in the region and curtail its ability to finance national development plans by blocking its access to international technology and market.

As is often the case, the Trump regime’s bullying is a deep part of American culture. This is especially true of the political and media establishments, who present themselves as being civil and savior, and anything but bullies. The inconvenient truth is that bullying is embedded in American culture, 

governing elites and most powerful institutions: the military, the corporation, and the state. They all live in a society that bullies the world through militarized capitalism. And they never bother to play by international rules and protocols.

Likewise, the war-party establishment embraces a global militarism that threatens and bullies all nations opposing US interests. Although Trump preaches many universal values with a pledge to “make Iran great again,” he is still explicit in his embrace of Iranophobia and economic terrorism.

In the prevailing environment, the international civil society and independent nations don’t have to abide by. 

Washington’s self-serving rules and bullying tactics, including its addiction to sanctions. Sovereign nations don’t have to embrace the bullying code of the US military either. Quite the opposite, the world community should hold the US to account for its illegal move to impose new sanctions on Tehran.

Nonetheless, the 45th president of the United States faced a key Iran-related decision when he rose to power: To give diplomacy and multilateralism a chance or go beyond the bounds of international law, view the counterproductive sanctions as a tool of power and influence, and listen to Iran hawks whose stated agenda is to provoke Iran, alienate Washington’s NATO allies, and escalate tensions without any clear idea of the end. And everything shows that he has always been after the second line of policy.

Trump’s executive order has nothing to do with “containing Iran” and everything to do with power play and keeping a military footprint in the region. The perverse essence of this gambit is based on a cynical miscalculation meant to prolong the economic war and protect Washington’s illicit interests. It is no surprise, then, that this will only get much uglier.

The World Court has even hit the US for not ensuring that their sanctions aren’t blocking food and drugs into Iran. This too is a subject that has been a big deal in recent years, with US sanctions blocking even aid during recent the flooding in Iran. And you may not believe it but President Obama also did the same as he also never allowed supply of medicine to Iran through banking sanctions.

However, the signs are there that the US is still playing the victim card to save its hegemony. It is obvious that Trump doesn't want to take responsibility (a classic sign of victim behavior) for the latest saga - a US drone shot down in the Strait of Hormuz. He has trouble accepting that the US Navy has played a role in this. Instead, he holds onto his grudges, points the finger at Iran, and ignores the US Navy’s undeniable role in perpetuating the problem. 

Under current geopolitical environment, the Trumpsters should avoid thinking they are perfect and that they can prolong their unipolar moment, issue diktats to Iran, and dismiss the multipolar reality they live in. This arrogance and narcissism closes them off from having trustworthy and cooperative relationship even with their own NATO allies.

At any rate, Iran has long been in full compliance with the nuclear deal and diplomacy and this is the United States that is pushing the whole world into chaos and tension to appease Israel and warmongers in Washington and earn billions more through arms sales to the Saudis and some other dictatorial monarchies in the Arab world. Those who wish to deescalate the situation should pressure the US to show respect for its obligations under the nuclear agreement and act responsibly in the international environment rather than requesting Iran, the real victim, to unilaterally continue provding the United States and its western allies with not just merits of the nuclear deal, but even more concessions and surrender to the US bullying.

US secretary of state declares “military response” to Iran “being considered”

by Peter Symonds

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo yesterday continued the Trump administration’s belligerent threats against Iran, declaring in an interview on CBS “Face the Nation” that the US was “considering a full range of options.” Asked if that included “a military response,” he declared “of course.”

Pompeo blustered his way through the interview, dismissing any suggestion that the US had no evidence to prove that Iran had attacked two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman last Thursday. He insisted that a grainy video released by the US Central Command showed a small boat of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) approached and removed an unexploded limpet mine from the Japanese-owned Kokuta Courageous.

Last Friday, Yukata Katada, the president of the Kokuka Sangyo shipping company that owns the Kokuta Courageous tanker, rejected the claim that the ship had been damaged by limpet mines. “The crew are saying it was hit with a flying object. They saw something flying toward them, then there was an explosion, then there was a hole in the vessel. Then some crew witnessed a second shot.”

Confronted with these remarks yesterday on Fox News Sunday, Pompeo simply dodged the question, declaring that “the intelligence community has lots of data, lots of evidence” and “the American people should rest assured we have high confidence with respect to who conducted the attacks.” He provided no evidence or data, however.

The Secretary of State gave a similar response when asked on CBS about comments by German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas that the video was “not enough.” Pompeo baldly declared that Maas had seen “a great deal more than just the video” but did not elaborate. In a not-so-subtle swipe at Germany, he added that “there are countries that just wish this should go away and they want to act in a way that is counterfactual.”

Germany is not the only country to question the lack of evidence. Japan Today reported yesterday that the Japanese government had also requested further proof. “The US explanation had not helped us to go beyond speculation,” a senior government official said.

Another source close to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told the website: “These are not definitive proof that it’s Iran. Even if it’s the United States that makes the assertion, we cannot simply say we believe it.”

The source also noted that the attacks on the tankers took place as Abe was meeting with Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during his trip to Iran to try to mediate between Tehran and Washington. He said the attacks had “severely affected the prime minister’s reputation” and “making mistakes when determining facts is impermissible.”

Clearly Japan and Germany simply do not believe the US allegations and suspect that the incident could well be a provocation organized by the US or an ally to provide the justification for war against Iran. Commenting on US claims that the sophistication of the attacks “proved” it was Iran, a Japanese foreign ministry official told JapanToday: “That [argument] would apply to the United States and Israel as well.”

Iran has emphatically denied any involvement in the incident. In rejecting the allegations, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani branded the US as “a serious threat to the stability of the region.”

The Trump administration deliberately ratchetted up tensions with Tehran when, in breach of UN resolutions, it abrogated the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany. The US has re-imposed and intensified crippling economic sanctions on Iran with the express aim of reducing its energy exports to zero.

The US decision to confront Iran is not just aimed at Iran but at allies such as Germany and Japan, as well as open rivals such as China and Russia. In the wake of the 2015 agreement and the partial lifting of sanctions, these and other countries have been developing economic and political relations with Tehran. Largely excluded, Washington is exploiting sanctions and the threat of brute military force to sabotage these ties.

In what amounted to a blunt threat, Pompeo implied that the threat of war would force other countries to line up with the US. On Fox News Sunday, he noted that “very little of our crude oil comes through the Gulf,” then added that other countries—China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia—were highly dependent. “I am confident that when they see the risk, the risk to their own economies and their own people… they will join us,” Pompeo boasted.

At this stage only Britain and several Gulf States have backed the US claims. Crown Prince Mahammed bin Salman, who is implicated in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi last October, declared over the weekend that Saudi Arabia “will not hesitate to deal with any threat to our people, sovereignty and vital interests.” Yesterday, US F-15 fighter jets flew in formation with Saudi warplanes in the Gulf region.

Last month, the Trump administration ordered the USS Lincoln’s carrier battle group, a bomber strike force led by nuclear-capable B-52s, along with 900 additional ground troops and a Patriot missile battery into the region. Leaked plans also revealed that up to 120,000 troops could be deployed to the region.

On Friday, according to the New York Times, Trump’s National Security Adviser John Bolton, a notorious warmonger, met for three hours with acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan and Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, General Joseph Dunford, to discuss the tanker attacks.

The Pentagon is reportedly weighing sending as many as 6,000 additional troops to the Gulf region, along with warships and fighter jets. Washington is also trying to assemble an international coalition to provide warships to escort tankers through the Gulf. Asked about these plans yesterday, Pompeo refused to comment.

When pressed on CBS as to whether Trump had the legal authority to attack Iran, Pompeo dismissed the suggestion that the US Congress would have to approve such action. He declared that “the American people should be very confident… [that] we will always do the hard task it takes to protect American interests, wherever they are.”

The Trump administration is engaged in a reckless drive to war against Iran on the basis of lies. The US military build-up in the Gulf region, including the prospect of military manoeuvres in the narrow Strait of Hormuz, sets the stage for provocations that provide the trigger for a catastrophic conflict that would draw in other powers.

Scorn for US peace plan brings Hamas, Hezbollah closer

Ahmad Melhem

RAMALLAH, West Bank — As confidence in the Donald Trump administration's Middle East peace plan appears to be faltering, even in the United States, cooperation for challenging the deal seems to be growing among Palestinian factions, Lebanese Hezbollah and other critics.

The United States has scheduled an “economic workshop” for June 25-26 in Manama, Bahrain, where aspects of the so-called deal of the century are to be presented. The Palestinians, who were not consulted on the meeting or on the peace plan generally, plan to boycott it. The list of attendees remains tentative.

In a May 31 speech marking International Quds (Jerusalem) Day, the annual event initiated by Iran to show support for the Palestinians, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah remarked, “It is possible to push the deal of the century to failure, and we are pushing for this outcome. The axis of resistance will stand against the deal of the century.”

Days earlier, in a May 25 speech on Lebanon's Liberation Day, Nasrallah had called for a Palestinian-Lebanese dialogue to oppose the peace plan. He stated, “There is a common interest at the Lebanese national level as the Lebanese people reject naturalization [of Palestinians in Lebanon]. This is a shared sentiment, as the Palestinians are also opposed to naturalization and want to preserve their right to return.”

Hamas has welcomed Nasrallah’s statements. In a May 26 statement, Hamas spokesman Rafat Mubarak said, “A Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue is the best and the strongest tool to fight the deal of the century and the plan to resettle [Palestinian refugees in Lebanon] and deny them the right of return.”

It appears that the yet-to-be-unveiled US proposal has become an opportunity for the strengthening of ties between Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah. Osama Hamdan, Hamas representative in Lebanon, told Al-Monitor, “The relationship between Hamas and Hezbollah was and will remain excellent. The most important achievement we could accomplish as Trump pursues his peace plan is to reestablish the importance of the Palestinian cause in the Arab and Muslim world.”

Hamdan further asserted, “Nasrallah’s call goes hand in hand with [his] movement’s decision to reunite Arab and Islamic efforts, irrespective of their disagreements.” According to Hamdan, “[Answering the call will require] some research into the measures, tools and coordination efforts needed through work with Palestinian factions and Hezbollah.”

Husam Badran, a Hamas political bureau member and the movement's lead on international relations, told Al-Monitor, “It's important to face the deal of the century with an Arab-Palestinian consensus based on a strategy of unifying all efforts. Nasrallah’s call falls within this context, and we welcome it. This is the decision expressed by the different Palestinian factions.”

Badran emphasized, “Responding quickly and preparing for a Lebanese-Palestinian meeting [is important], especially since the deal of the century aims to annul the right to return.”

Palestinians have already begun working toward such a meeting. Ihsan Ataya, Islamic Jihad's representative in Lebanon, told Al-Monitor that various Palestinian political forces in Lebanon have been discussing a common vision for taking on the US plan.

The Lebanon-based Alliance of Palestinian Forces — comprised of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Palestinian Communist Party and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine — recently requested a meeting with Hezbollah. According to Ataya, the process is at a preliminary stage, but is being pursued. The goal will be to agree on practical measures to resist Trump's plan and protect Lebanese and Palestinian interests. He remarked that converting Palestinian and Lebanese rejection of naturalization into practical steps will require brainstorming on the political and legal dimensions of the issue.

In a speech marking International Quds Day, Yahya al-Sinwar, Hamas' leader in Gaza, noted that Iran has supplied the Palestinian resistance with missiles and asserted, “The deal of the century aims to integrate Israel into the Arab and Islamic region. Whoever supports the [Palestinian] liberation of Jerusalem and the resistance is a friend, but anyone who [sells out] Jerusalem is an enemy.”

Among the chorus of critics opposing the peace plan, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, recently called the deal an “evil plot” that will fail. During marches on International Quds Day, protesters in Gaza praised Iran while condemning the plan.

Ahmad Melhem is a Palestinian journalist and photographer based in Ramallah for Al-Watan News. He writes for a number of Arabic outlets.

Auspicious Start to Further Expansion of Iran-Pakistan Fraternal Ties

By: Kayhan Int’l 

Pakistan’s Prime Minister made an auspicious start to his first ever formal visit to the Islamic Republic as the Executive Head of his country by opening his account with Iran with a spectacular "Six” when he landed in holy Mashhad on Sunday and straightaway paid his respects at the sacred shrine of Imam Reza (AS) – the 8th Infallible Heir of Prophet Muhammad (AS) – and that too on the blessed 15th of Sha’ban, which both Shi’a and Sunni Muslims mark as the birthday of the Awaited Saviour of mankind, Imam Mahdi (AS) – may God hasten his reappearance to rid Planet Earth with all vestiges of oppression and corruption through establishment of the global government of peace, prosperity and justice.

Imran Khan then stroked a scintillating cover drive to score "Four” more the next day in Tehran when he announced formation of a joint Iran-Pakistan anti-terrorism border force to weed out terrorists during talks with his host, President Hassan Rouhani.

Next he showed his prowess as an all-rounder on the political pitch as well when he discussed at the two countries’ joint chamber of commerc, Pakistan’s purchase of gas, petroleum, electricity and various other goods from Iran thereby dismantling the sanctions castle of the US president, "lock, stock and barrel” with a fast-paced "Yorker” that has caught Donald Trump and his team of thugs on the wrong foot. 

His brilliant captaincy of the national cricket team that had brought many laurels for Pakistan including the One-Day International World Cup, now faces an acid test in the diplomatic corridors of Islamabad as the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, granted Imran Khan and his delegation an audience, where he provided valuable guidelines for fair play in the political arena, without the least concern for the state terrorism of the US, which frequently targets Pakistan.

Holy Mashhad hosts at least 400,000 Pakistani pilgrims every year, and Imran Khan, who humbly prayed at the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS) like any other ordinary pilgrim, expressed gratitude for the local government of Khorasan for excellent facilities provided to visitors from Pakistan. 

He said the guiding light for his government are the principles on which the Prophet of Islam established his state of social justice in Medina – which reached its pinnacle in Kufa, Iraq during the 4-year model government of Imam Ali ibn Abi Tale (AS).

He said Pakistanis can never forget that Iran always stood with Pakistan in
Pakistan’s relations with Iran are marked by close historic and cultural linkages and strong people-to-people exchanges. Both countries are also members of the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

According to Rouhani, he and his guest agreed on the need for both sides to expand joint efforts to bring peace to Afghanistan. He also said Tehran was interested in expanding trade between Iran’s Chabahar and Pakistan’s Gawader ports by connecting them with a railway.

The Iranian president noted that Iran, Turkey and Pakistan as co-founders of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) could increase economic cooperation by connecting their railway systems. This, he said, would open a corridor from Europe to China.

Other security issues discussed in the meeting included US President Donald Trump’s recent attempt to label the famed humanitarian defence organisation, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), as ‘terrorist’ and his mischievous endorsement Israel’s illegal annexation of Syria’s Golan Heights.

Addressing reports about Saudi and US pressure on Pakistan to join an Arab-Israeli front against Islamic Iran in the region, Rouhani said Imran Khan had assured him that Pakistan "has never joined and will never join any coalition.”

All said, it would be interesting how Imran Khan bats or bowls without resorting to stone-walling tactics against neighbouring Iran.

Supreme Leader receives Pakistani PM

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei
(R) and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan meet in
Tehran on April 22, 2019.

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says terrorist groups backed by enemies of Iran and Pakistan seek to cause tension in the two countries' relations, adding that mutual relations must be bolstered in spite of the enemies’ will.

Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks in a Monday meeting with the visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and his accompanying delegation in Tehran.

“Terrorist groups, which sow insecurity along borders, are fed with the enemies’ money and weapons and one of the goals sought through anti-security measures along Iran's border with Pakistan is to contaminate the two countries’ relations,” the Leader noted.

Ayatollah Khamenei continued by emphasizing that good relations between Tehran and Islamabad are beneficial to both sides, “but these relations have serious enemies, which despite their will, cooperation and contacts [between Iran and Pakistan] must be strengthening in various sectors.”

Explaining about the historical backdrop of the two countries’ relations, the Leader noted that the Indian subcontinent reached the acme of its progress and dignity under the rule of Muslims.

“The biggest blow dealt to this important region by the British colonialists was to annihilate the prominent Islamic civilization that existed there,” Ayatollah Khamenei stated.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (1st L) attends a meeting between Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei (1st R) and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan (C) meet in Tehran on April 22, 2019. (Photo by khamenei.ir)

During the meeting, which was attended by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, the Pakistani premier explained about his negotiations in Tehran, saying, “Many problems were solved through these negotiations and Pakistani ministers held good talks with their Iranian counterparts.”

Khan stated that there are certain hands at work to prevent Tehran and Islamabad from getting close, adding, “We try to make relations between the two countries stronger than before and we will maintain continuous contacts with the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

Confirming the Leader’s remarks on India, the Pakistani prime minister said the British colonialists plundered all the wealth of India, destroyed its education system and made India the crown jewel of their colonial rule.

Earlier in the day, the Pakistani premier held talks and attended a joint press conference with the Iranian president.

PressTV-Iran, Pakistan to form joint anti-terror force: Rouhani

Iran and Pakistan have agreed to form a joint force to eliminate terrorist groups as PM Imran Khan began his first visit to Tehran with a pledge not to join any coalition against the Islamic Republic.  

Speaking after talks with Khan, President Rouhani said Iran and Pakistan agreed to form a joint force to eliminate terrorist groups.

Make Sure U.S. Leaves Iraq As Soon As Possible

:Ayatollah Khamenei Tells PM Abdul-Mahdi

Kayhan Int’l

TEHRAN – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei told Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi here Saturday that the U.S. is pursuing goals other than a military presence in the Arab country.
"The Americans seek a long-term presence and are after forming a government similar to military regimes in the early days of Iraq’s occupation,” the Leader said.
"Unlike their rhetoric, the Americans consider democracy and the current political system in Iraq against their interests, and hence, the Iraqi government must make sure that U.S. troops leave Iraq as soon as possible,” he added.
Ayatollah Khamenei said like the Americans, Saudi Arabia is also following ulterior motives in Iraq.
"They were sending money and weapons for Daesh when it occupied Mosul and now that Iraq has defeated Daesh, they (U.S .and Saudi Arabia) are expressing friendship.”
The Leader lauded relations between Baghdad and Tehran, saying the Iranian government and nation deem progress and felicity of Iraq as their own.
Prime Minister Abdul-Mahdi said Iran has always stood by the Iraqis in hard times, the last of which was during the Arab country’s battle with Daesh terrorists.
The premier touched on his talks with President Rouhani, saying good agreements were reached in the areas of railway construction, establishment of industrial towns, development of commercial relations, transportation and dredging of the Arvand river.
"Iraq's relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran are special and we have announced that we will never join the U.S. sanctions against Iran,” Abdul-Mahdi said.
Earlier, President Hassan Rouhani called for Iran and neighboring Iraq to expand their gas and electricity dealings and boost bilateral trade to $20 billion despite difficulties caused by U.S. sanctions against Tehran.
"The plans to export electricity and gas and hopefully oil continue and we are ready to expand these contacts not only for the two countries but also for other countries in the region,” Rouhani said after a meeting with Abdul-Mahdi.
In March, the United States granted Iraq a 90-day waiver exempting it from sanctions to buy energy from Iran, the latest extension allowing Baghdad to keep purchasing electricity from its neighbor.
"We hope that our plans to expand trade volume to $20 billion will be realized within the news few months or years,” Rouhani said.
Rouhani expressed hope that work on building a railway linking the two countries, would begin within the next few months.
The railway project was part of deals reached during Rouhani’s March visit to Baghdad, meant to underline that Tehran still plays a dominant role in Iraq despite U.S. efforts to isolate Iran.
The Iraqi prime minister’s visit comes right on the heels of President Hassan Rouhani's trip to Baghdad last month and the two neighbors' pledge to boost the already flowering trade to $20 billion in two years from $12 billion today.
Along with ministers of commerce, foreign affairs, planning, transportation, health and energy, a number of Iraqi parliamentarians as well as 30 representatives of the private sector are accompanying the Iraqi premier.
Abdul-Mahdi said Iran has played a leading role in fighting terrorism and promotion of peace and stability in Iraq as he called for further development of mutual relations.
Enhanced economic, security, trade and oil cooperation will lead to good achievements not only for Iran and Iraq but also for the entire world, he said.
The Iraqi premier also stressed the importance of promoting peace in the Middle East and solving the Yemeni crisis through political means, saying Iraq is firm on countering any threat by any country against Iran.
With a 1,400-kilometer-long joint border, Iraq has turned into a strategic ally and an important trade partner for Iran in recent years.
Iraq's huge energy reserves and a large, diverse market bestow it a special place in the economic equations of the region.
Until two years ago, Iran was Iraq's third biggest trade partner after Turkey and China, but it vaulted to the top place last year with a record $9 billion worth of exports.
Iraq relies on Iranian gas imports to generate as much as 45 percent of its 14,000 megawatts of electricity consumed daily in addition to another 1,000 megawatts imported directly from Iran.
For their run-of-the-mill sustenance, Iraqis also depend on Iran for everything from food to machinery, fruits and vegetables.
A remarkable feature of this close relationship is that much of the blossoming has occurred either in the run-up or after the reimposition of draconian U.S. sanctions on Iran.
Iraq is pushing back on U.S. pressures in what has become a major point of conflict between Washington and Baghdad, the New York Times reported in February.
Observers say the increasingly powerful and mutually beneficial relations between Iran and Iraq will make it all but impossible for the White House to keep the two neighbors apart.
Iraq's President Barham Salih has stressed that his country would not be part of a regime of unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States against Iran.
"There is no doubt that we will be affected by these sanctions, but it is certain that we will not be part of them,” he said last month.
Prime Minister Abdul-Mahdi's visit to Iran also comes after a Saudi delegation traveled to Baghdad to reopen the kingdom's consulate in Iraq.
Saudi Minister of Trade Majid bin Abdullah al-Qasabi led a business delegation to Iraq as part of efforts to enhance ties between the two nations.
Riyadh has viewed Iraq's proximity to Iran with enmity. This is while Iraqi leaders have repeatedly praised Iran's role in helping the Arab country confront the Takfiri menace.
Iraqi officials have frequently accused Saudi Arabia of aiding and abetting the Daesh terrorist group, which was largely defeated in Iraq and Syria in late 2017.