Middle East

Houthi: Yemeni nation won’t ever surrender

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The leader of Yemen’s popular Ansarullah resistance movement has reiterated that the Yemeni nation will never surrender in the face of the devastating war and siege against the country.

Speaking in a televised speech broadcast from the Yemeni capital of Sana’a on Thursday, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said the Yemeni armed forces have managed to strike targets deep inside Saudi Arabia and the territory of its regional allies.

He said Yemeni fighters have gained great military capabilities and deterrent power against enemies.

Houthi highlighted that Yemeni forces have developed homegrown technology to manufacture various types of missiles with different ranges, stressing that Yemeni military experts can also produce a wide array of combat drones.

He described the September 21 Revolution against a Saudi-backed regime in the country and its removal from power as “a God-given gift.”

Houthi said the Yemeni nation managed to throw off the shackles of foreign guardianship by means of the popular uprising.

Houthi also said the United States has adopted hostile policies against Yemen in the hope of plunging the country into disintegration, and has drawn on the existing rifts among Yemeni factions for that purpose.

The Ansarullah chief underscored that the Yemeni nation is interested in civil calm and peaceful coexistence, but colonial powers continue to conspire against the people. He said Americans and Britons opted to wage a treacherous war against Yemen following the abject failure of their plans to contain the Revolution. They incited the Israeli regime and dragged regional countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), into the onslaught as a result, Houthi said.

He said war-mongering regimes and aggressors have killed tens of thousands of Yemenis, committed terrible mass murders and horrendous crimes in the country and targeted all critical infrastructure, exposing their true nature and viciousness.

The Ansarullah leader also denounced the “suffocating siege” imposed by the Saudi-led coalition against Yemen, which has compounded the misery of war-weary people in the Arab country, stating that the blockade has denied access to foodstuff and medicine and imposed exorbitant costs on Yemenis.

Houthi added that the Riyadh-led alliance, through aggression and siege, occupied large swathes of the Yemeni territory, tearing apart the fabric of the Yemeni society, and inciting Takfiri militants and mercenaries against ordinary Yemenis.

He also said the enemy is engaged in a misleading, economic and corrupting war to divert attention from its sinister actions, and avert humanitarian and national priorities away from dealing with the conspiracies against the Yemeni nation.

Saudi Arabia launched the war of aggression against Yemen in March 2015, enlisting the assistance of some of its regional allies, including the UAE, as well as massive shipments of advanced weaponry from the US and Western Europe.

The Western governments further extended their political and logistical support to Riyadh in their failed bid to restore power in Yemen to the former Saudi-installed government.

The former Yemeni government’s president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, resigned in late 2014 and later fled to Riyadh amid a political conflict with Ansarullah. The movement has been running Yemen’s affairs in the absence of a functioning administration.

The war further led to the killing of tens of thousands of Yemenis and turned the entire nation into the scene of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

Middle East

Yemen's Ansarullah flexes military muscle during massive parade in Sana’a

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Yemen’s popular resistance Ansarullah movement has displayed ballistic missiles and armed drones during a massive military parade in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a.

Armored cars, missiles and thousands of uniformed fighters filed past government officials and dignitaries on Thursday in a show of strength, as a military jet buzzed overhead.

The head of Yemen’s Supreme Political Council, Mahdi al-Mashat, and other officials watched as dozens of heavy trucks passed carrying cruise missiles and long-range armed drones.

Thousands of soldiers marched under the scorching sun while officers, wearing Yemeni flags as sashes, waved from the podium.

“We repeat our warnings to foreign forces… that we will not accept their presence on our lands, they have to leave or they will face the volcanoes of Yemeni anger,” Defense Minister Mohammed al-Atifi told the parade.

Wounded and amputated soldiers paraded in wheelchairs and on crutches, marching past huge portraits of Abdulmalik al-Houthi, the movement’s leader.

Armored vehicles and speedboats were displayed with signs that read: “Death to America, death to Israel!”

The movement in a statement voiced its readiness to fight battles in defense of the homeland.

“Our people believe that peace will be achieved only by imposing a deterrent military equation that forces the enemy to submit to all legitimate and just demands,” the statement read

“We will double our level of combat readiness during the coming weeks and months as part of a practical and responsible response to deal decisively and deterrently with any developments.”

“We are ready to fight battles in defense of the homeland and the people if the aggression does not adhere to the requirements of an honorable peace,” it added.

The parade comes following Omani-mediated negotiations between a visiting Ansarullah delegation with Saudi officials in the kingdom’s capital of Riyadh.

The Ansarullah movement has voiced optimism about the quality of earlier talks in Saudi Arabia on the potential of putting an end to a hugely deadly war that Riyadh and its allies have been waging against Yemen since 2015.

The Yemeni delegation has now returned to the Yemeni capital of Sana’a for consultations with the leaders of Yemen’s Supreme Political Council.

According to al-Mashat, head of the council, the Yemeni delegation would revisit Riyadh for “completion” of consultations with the Saudi party.

Saudi Arabia and a number of its allies, including the United Arab Emirates, began the war in March 2015 to restore power in Yemen to the impoverished country’s Western- and Riyadh-allied government.

The former Yemeni government’s president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, resigned from the presidency in late 2014 and later fled to Riyadh amid a political conflict with Ansarullah. The movement has been running Yemen’s affairs in the absence of a functioning administration.

The war and a concomitant siege that the Saudi-led coalition has been imposing on Yemen has, meanwhile, caused the death of tens of thousands of Yemenis and turned the entire country into the site of, what the United Nations has described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

Middle East

Relations of Iran, Oman armed forces strategic: Gen. Bagheri

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Major General Mohammad Baqeri made the remarks in a meeting with the Commander of the Royal Army of Oman Major General Matar bin Salim al Balushi on Thursday.

Cultural, historical, religious, and political exchanges can create a suitable platform for the interaction of the armed forces of the two countries, he said.

Security of the Persian Gulf region should be ensured through the interaction and cooperation of the countries of the region, Bagheri said, adding that the countries of the Persian Gulf region have the necessary capacities to ensure the security of the region and are able to ensure the security of the region by cooperating with each other without the presence and interference of foreigners.

The armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Sultanate of Oman are at a high level in terms of training, operations, and intelligence, he also said, adding that taking advantage of the experiences of the two countries can definitely be a platform for improving security at the regional level.

Stating that Oman’s policy is to develop and strengthen relations with neighboring countries,  the Commander of the Royal Army of Oman added, “We have a lot in common with Iran and the proximity to the Strait of Hormuz has added to the importance of these relations.”

Referring to the visit of Major General Bagheri to Oman, the Commander of the Ground Forces of the Omani Army said, “This action was the beginning of the expansion of defense and military relations between the two countries, and we have also visited Tehran in this regard.”

RHM/

Middle East

Bin Salman comments on recent Tehran-Washington agreement

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Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Bin Salman said that the deal presents a positive “step” in negotiations and he hopes Iran uses the money for good purposes to encourage the world to “do.

Answering a question about the West’s unfounded claims about the potential for Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon, the crown prince again did not mince words and clearly stated that should Iran ever obtain such a weapon, Saudi Arabia would “have to get one, for security reasons, for balancing power.”

“We are concerned if any country getting a nuclear weapon: That’s a bad, that’s a bad move,” he said. “They don’t need to get nuclear weapons because you cannot use them.”

“Any country use a nuclear weapon that means they are having a war with the rest of the world,” he added. “The world cannot see another Hiroshima. If the world sees 100,000 people dead that means you are in a war with the rest of the world.”

“So to use this effort to reach a nuclear weapon because you cannot use it if you use it, you got to have a big fight with the rest of the world.” 

Iran proved the peaceful nature of its nuclear program to the world by signing the JCPOA with six world powers. However, Washington’s exit in May 2018 and its subsequent re-imposition of sanctions against Tehran left the future of the deal in limbo.

Multilateral diplomatic efforts to revive the JCPOA have been stalled since August 2022, with Iran blaming the United States for refusing to remove the sanctions that the nuclear deal had lifted and also failing to guarantee that it will not leave the deal again.

RHM/PR

Middle East

China welcomes Syrian president Bashar al-Assad for summit

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President Bashar al-Assad and First Lady, Asma al-Assad started a visit to the People’s Republic of China, SANA reported.

An official reception ceremony was held at Hangzhou International Airport, where President al-Assad and the First Lady were received by Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao, Vice Chairman of the Advisory Council of Zhejiang Province, Gong Xiwei, and the Chinese ambassador to Damascus and his wife.

The honor guard lined up on both sides of the red carpet, and behind them was a large group of Chinese children carrying flags and chanting Chinese national and traditional songs, as two children presented the President and the First Lady with bouquets of flowers.

RHM/PR

Middle East

Iran proved peaceful nature of its nuclear program

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Addressing a news conference on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, Raeisi reiterated Iran’s compliance with its commitments according to the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“Iran has never left the negotiating table and emphasizes that the US and European countries should return to their obligations (under the JCPOA),” he added.

He regretted that the US and its Western allies pinned their hope on last year’s riots in Iran and left the negotiating table, which was a miscalculation.

“If the Americans are ready to fulfill their commitments, the ground will be prepared for [achieving] progress in the interactions and reaching a good agreement,” Raeisi said.

Iran proved the peaceful nature of its nuclear program to the world by signing the JCPOA with six world powers. However, Washington’s exit in May 2018 and its subsequent re-imposition of sanctions against Tehran left the future of the deal in limbo.

Multilateral diplomatic efforts to revive the JCPOA have been stalled since August 2022, with Iran blaming the United States for refusing to remove the sanctions that the nuclear deal had lifted and also failing to guarantee that it will not leave the deal again.

The Iranian president also touched on the country’s uranium enrichment activities and said, “The nuclear program is completely peaceful, and international observers also have always verified this issue.”

Raeisi rejected Western media claims about Iran increasing its uranium enrichment level, saying the country only enriches uranium to the level needed for its peaceful nuclear activities.

In December, Spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Behrouz Kamalvandi said the country’s uranium enrichment has officially reached the purity level of 60 percent in accordance with a December 2020 parliamentary law– dubbed the Strategic Action Plan to Counter Sanctions, which is aimed at countering sanctions and promoting the country’s peaceful nuclear program.

He said the parliamentary law has “provided good conditions for the country and today our [uranium] enrichment has officially reached 60% in accordance with this law.”

In response to a question about Iran’s move to bar multiple inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) assigned to the country, Raeisi said, “Iran has no problem with the principle of inspection unless the performance of some inspectors causes Iran to lose confidence in them.”

In that case, he added, it is natural that Iran demands the inspectors be changed.

In a statement on Saturday, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi condemned what he called Iran’s “disproportionate and unprecedented” move to withdraw the designation of the agency’s several “most experienced” inspectors assigned to conduct verification activities in the country under the NPT Safeguards Agreement.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan’ani rejected such claims and said the United States and the three European parties to the JCPOA have abused the IAEA with the purpose of achieving their own political objectives.

Iran opposes slightest geopolitical change in region

Pointing to the fresh hostilities between Azerbaijan and Armenian-backed separatists in the Karabakh region, Raeisi said Iran has expressed its opposition to both sides to the slightest geopolitical change in the region.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has repeatedly announced that tension and conflicts are not the solution to regional problems and these tensions can be resolved through mediation of powerful countries such as Iran which neighbors the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia,” the president emphasized.

On Tuesday, Azerbaijan launched a military operation in the region, accusing the Armenian-backed forces thereof of “systematic” shelling, “reconnaissance activities,” fortification of defensive positions, and “high-level of combat readiness.”

Later, however, the separatist Armenian forces reported that mediation by the command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent stationed in the region had resulted in both sides agreeing to the truce.

Tehran welcomed the agreement, with Kan’ani urging the two sides to focus on resolving their dispute based on “dialog and peaceful mechanisms” within the framework of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

War brings along no result other than ruination and spreading hatred and endangers the region’s stability and security, he said.

Elsewhere in his presser, the Iranian president once again highlighted the significance of Palestine’s liberation which has always been the foremost issue of the Muslim world, and said, “The establishment of [Saudi Arabia’s] ties with the Zionist regime (Israel) is a stab in the back of the Palestinian people and resistance.”

Iran believes that Israel’s efforts to normalize relations with certain regional countries would never bring security to them “because regional nations have a deep grudge against this regime for 75 years of its oppression against the Palestinian nation.”

In late July, the Biden administration announced that a deal for Israel and Saudi Arabia to normalize relations may be on the horizon following National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan’s talks with Saudi officials in Jeddah.

RHM/

Middle East

Syria’s Assad arrives in China for first visit in almost two decades

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A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad (R) and First Lady Asma al-Assad (2-R) being welcomed upon their arrival at the airport in Beijing, on September 21, 2023. (Photo by AFP)

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has arrived in China for high-level talks on the expansion of political and economic relations between the two countries, marking his first official trip to the East Asian country in almost two decades.

Assad arrived in the Chinese eastern city of Hangzhou on Thursday, where he is scheduled to attend the opening ceremony of the Asian Games along with more than a dozen foreign dignitaries at the weekend.

He will also lead a delegation for a series of meetings in several Chinese cities, including a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The latest visit comes amid a shift among countries to improve relations with Damascus which found itself in the grip of a foreign-backed militancy and terrorism in 2011.  

China could play a major role in the future of Syria’s reconstruction, which is expected to cost tens of billions of dollars, observers say.

Last year, Syria joined China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a mega project in which Beijing has been expanding its influence in developing regions through infrastructure projects.

This is while Damascus has made clear that it has no interest in Western support for reconstruction in view of the West’s role in the war and the fact that its help will be tied to unacceptable political demands.

The Syrian president faces sanctions imposed by the United States, Europe, Australia, Canada, and Switzerland, but efforts to apply multilateral sanctions against his government have failed to garner unanimous support at the United Nations Security Council, which China and Russia are members of.

Assad’s last visit to China took place in 2004. It was the first visit by a Syrian head of state to China since the countries established diplomatic ties in 1956.

Middle East

US, PGCC ‘empty claims’ only benefit ill-wishers of region

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Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan’ani made the remarks on Wednesday after the PGCC foreign ministers, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and PGCC Secretary General Jasem Albudaiwi issued a joint statement against Iran following their meeting in New York.

“In the current situation, the repetition of empty accusations and claims can in no way serve the interests of regional governments and people,” he said.

Such claims “only benefit the ill-wishers, who cannot tolerate peace, economic development, territorial integrity and national sovereignty of the countries in the region and have always pursued their illegitimate interests in regional interference, instability, and insecurity.”

Kan’ani also noted that the Islamic Republic believes regional problems can be solved through interaction, cooperation, and synergy among regional states without the intervention of extra-regional parties.

The US-PGCC statement urged Iran to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and cease alleged “proliferation of … dangerous weapons.”

It further supported the United Arab Emirates’ claim to the three Iranian islands of Abu Musa, and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs in the Persian Gulf.

The spokesman emphasized that Iran’s missile and drone capabilities lie within the framework of the country’s transparent military doctrine and are only meant for deterrence and the protection of national security.

The Israeli regime, he added, poses a real danger to the region as the main source of insecurity and threat against Muslim countries.

Meanwhile, Kan’ani reiterated Iran’s unwavering stance on the three Persian Gulf islands as indispensable parts of its territory.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran considers any claim to the islands interference in its internal affairs as well as its territorial integrity, and strongly condemns it,” he asserted.

The three Persian Gulf islands have historically been part of Iran, proof of which can be found and corroborated by countless historical, legal, and geographical documents in Iran and other parts of the world. However, the United Arab Emirates has repeatedly laid claim to the islands.

The trio fell under British control in 1921 but on November 30, 1971, a day after British forces left the region and just two days before the UAE was to become an official federation, Iran’s sovereignty over the islands was restored.

MNA/Press TV

Middle East

Shooting reported outside US Embassy in Lebanon

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No one claimed responsibility for the Wednesday night small arms fire in the vicinity of the entrance of the heavily fortified compound in Beirut’s northeastern suburb of Awkar. It was not immediately clear if the incident was a politically motivated attack, ABC News reports.

US Embassy spokesperson Jake Nelson said that “there were no injuries, and our facility is safe.” He added: “We are in close contact with host country law enforcement authorities.”

Shortly after the shooting, the Lebanese army took measures near the embassy and later security agencies started an investigation including analyzing security cameras in the area, a Lebanese official said on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

The American Embassy in Beirut has recently published pictures of its new building.

Some media users blieve that such a building is more like a spy center in the Middle East rather than an embassy.

RHM/PR