On first Saudi visit for emergency meeting, Iran president slams US for stonewalling Gaza ceasefire

News Network
November 11, 2023

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Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi says the US is stonewalling a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as he starts a visit to Saudi Arabia to attend an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). 

President Raeisi arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, his first visit since the two countries agreed to restore diplomatic relations in March.

Footage aired on the al-Ekhbariya channel showed Raeisi, wearing a traditional Palestinian keffiyeh scarf, greeting Saudi officials at the airport after disembarking from his plane.

“If the crimes being committed nowadays in Gaza are not crimes against humanity, what is a fine example of such criminal acts then?" he said at Mehrabad airport in Tehran before heading to the kingdom. 

"America declares in its statements that it does not want the scope of the war to expand and has even sent messages to Iran and some countries.

“The statement is, however, not consistent with its actions. America is directing the war machine in Gaza. It is blocking a ceasefire in Gaza and expanding the scope of the war. The true nature of the United States must be exposed to the entire world,” the Iranian president noted.

Raeisi highlighted that his trip comes at the invitation of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

He went on to state that the Iranian request for an extraordinary summit on Gaza conflict dates back to a month ago.

“Heads of Muslim countries are expected to come up with a landmark decision on the issue of Palestine, which is the most pressing matter in the world. This decision should then be fully implemented and put into effect. This arena is no longer the sphere of words and declaration of positions. It should be the scene of actions,” the Iranian president underlined.

Raeisi described the immediate cessation of Israeli bombardments, mechanisms aimed at helping the oppressed and resilient people of Gaza, removal of the Israeli blockade on the territory, and realization of Gazans’ rights as the primary responsibilities of the OIC, stressing that the intergovernmental organization was originally founded to resolve the Palestinian issue.

“Upon my return from Tashkent, I stated that the issue of Palestine had overshadowed all other topics at the 16th ECO (Economic Cooperation Organization) Summit. I hope to make the Iranian nation’s voice heard, and that convergence and unity of Muslim countries could solve the Palestinian conflict,” he said.

Raeisi highlighted that all thinkers, scholars and the intelligentsia across the globe have expressed their solidarity with Palestinians, saying, “The international community is loudly protesting at the US support for the Zionist regime’s crimes and genocide, which in fact amount to war crimes.”

Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, including hospitals, residences, and houses of worship, since Palestinian resistance movements launched their surprise attack, dubbed Operation al-Aqsa Storm, against the regime on October 7.

At least 11,078 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,506 children and 3,027 women.

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News Network
November 15,2024

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Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has killed or captured 69 terrorists linked to the Israeli spy agency Mossad during a major counterterrorism drill in the country's southeast, its spokesman says.  

General Ahmad Shafaei, the spokesman for the “Martyrs of Security” drill, said Friday that a total of 23 terrorists have been killed and another 46 arrested in various clean-up operations ever since the IRGC Ground Force launched it in the Sistan and Baluchestan province on November 1.

Seven terrorists have also turned themselves in during the period.

“The undeniable fact about terrorists is that they rely on arrogant powers, particularly the intelligence service of the wicked and vicious Zionist regime," Shafaei said.

“Unfortunately, weapons and munitions at terrorists’ disposal are among the most sophisticated ones in the world. This accounts for their heavy dependence.” 

The official stated that several members of the disbanded terror teams were non-Iranian nationals, who had been hired by foreign intelligence agencies to carry out acts of sabotage and terror inside Iran.

In a most recent operation, six terrorists were arrested and four others were eliminated, three of whom were non-Iranians, he added. 

On October 26, ten members of Iran's law enforcement forces were killed in a terrorist attack in the Gohar Kuh district of Taftan in the Sistan and Baluchestan province.

The so-called Jaish al-Adl terrorist group claimed responsibility for the assault, which was one of the deadliest in the province in recent months.

The group has carried out numerous terrorist attacks in Iran, primarily in Sistan and Baluchestan.

Its tactics include the abduction of border guards as well as targeting civilians and police stations within the province to incite chaos and disorder.

In January, Iran launched a military operation during which the headquarters of the Pakistan-based terrorist group was targeted in missile strikes, destroying its infrastructure.

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News Network
November 17,2024

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An Israeli airstrike on the office of Syria’s Baath party in Lebanon’s capital Beirut has killed the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah's Media Relations Officer, Mohammad Afif, reports say.

Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) reported that the Israeli raid struck the Ba'ath party’s building in central Beirut district of Ras Al-Naba'a on Sunday, adding that the strike was an attempt to assassinate the leader of the resistance media front.

According to Baath Secretary-General Ali Hijazi, Afif was having a meeting in the Baath Party headquarters when Israel carried out the attack.

"Afif did not fight with weapons and did not lead a military unit in Hezbollah. Rather, he led a media unit," he said.

Reuters, Sky News, Al Jazeera and a number of Henrew-language media reported that Afif was killed in the Israeli strike.

However, Hezbollah has not yet confirmed Afif’s death or whether he was present at the site or not.

Earlier, the Lebanese Health Ministry said at least one person was killed and three others injured after an Israeli strike targeted a central district in Beirut.

Lebanon's al-Mayadeen television network reported that five people were killed in the attack.

The latest development came after Afif said Hezbollah was behind the Caesarea operation and targeting Netanyahu’s home during a speech at the Ghobeiry area in the southern suburbs of Beirut on October 22.

This was the second assassination attempt on Afif in the last two months, after he survived an attack on the Hezbollah media relations office several weeks ago.

Israel launched a ground assault and massive air campaign against Lebanon in late September after a year of exchanging fire across the Lebanese border in parallel with the Gaza war.

At least 3,287 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon over the past year, with the vast majority in the past seven weeks. Another 14,222 have been wounded, mostly women and children.

In response to the ongoing aggression, the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah has been staging hundreds of retaliatory strikes against the occupied Palestinian territories and the Israeli forces trying to advance on southern Lebanese areas.

The movement has vowed to sustain its strikes until the regime ends the escalation.

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News Network
November 11,2024

Mangaluru: Six youths including teenagers have been arrested by the Bantwal Rural Police in connection with a brutal assault on 21-year-old Aboobakar (name changed to hide identity), an incident that was widely shared on social media after footage revealed the victim tied to a pole and violently beaten.

The arrested individuals, all from Kanchinadkapadavu, Sajipanadu village in Ullal Taluk, have been identified as Mohammad Sapwan (25), Mohammad Rizwan (25), Irfan (27), Anis Ahmad (19), Nasir (27), and Shakeer (18). According to police reports, the assault took place on November 7 in Kanchinadkapadavu.

The sequence of events began when Aboobakar was reportedly called to a residence in Kanchinadkapadavu by a female relative. Upon his arrival, he was confronted by the accused, who questioned his presence, tied him to a pole with ropes, and attacked him while he was shirtless. 

Aboobakar managed to file a police complaint the following day, detailing the assault. As his injuries worsened, he was admitted to a private hospital in Mangaluru.

While in the hospital, Aboobakar alleged that his attackers intended to kill him during the assault. This statement led to additional charges of attempted murder being filed. 

Police officials stated that the suspects were subsequently apprehended, charged with group assault and attempted murder, and placed in judicial custody. The investigation is ongoing, and further details are awaited.

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