Middle East

Iran to host 150 Muslim luminaries in 5th Mustafa Prize

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Hossein Rabbani, the head of Isfahan’s Elites Foundation, said the 5th Mustafa Prize ceremony will be held on October 2, when high-profile scientists in the field of Artificial Intelligence convene in Isfahan from 57 Islamic countries.

The prestigious ceremony will also host the 9th round of Science and Technology Exchange Program (STEP), which is a platform organized by Mustafa Science and Technology Foundation to expand the scientific network among the Islamic world’s scholars by holding international events and laying the groundwork for enhancing scientific synergy and cooperation.

“Awarding a prize is regarded as a way of identifying outstanding people in scientific fields and brings to the fore the existing capacities in different areas of science,” Rabbani said.

“An international award, like the Mustafa Prize, has profound impacts given its media aspect,” he said, adding that it conveys the message that the Muslim world pays attention to science and technology.

Mustafa Prize was established in 2012 as one of the symbols of scientific excellence and has been held biennially since 2015, recognizing leading researchers and scientists of the Islamic world.

The laureates are awarded $500,000, which is financed through the science and technology endowment. They will also be adorned with Mustafa Medal and Honorary Diploma.

The prize is awarded in the four categories of Information and Communication Science and Technology, Life and Medical Science and Technology, Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, and All Areas of Science and Technology.

In 2016, the Science Magazine called the prize “the Muslim Nobel.”

Middle East

US, allied terrorist groups continue to loot Syria’s wealth

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Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates made the remark in two identical letters on Sunday, which were addressed to Secretary General of the United Nations António Guterres and the rotating President of the Security Council Ferit Hoxha.

Damascus demanded that the US administration be held accountable for looting the country’s riches and be obliged to compensate for the unlawful act.

Syria also called for an end to aggressive practices and violations of international principles and the UN Charter by US occupation troops, who are illegally present in the northeastern part of the country and the strategic southeastern region of al-Tanf.

The letters further noted that Washington and its allied terrorists plunder Syria’s strategic assets in order to increase the strain of unilateral sanctions on Syrian people, prolong their suffering, and deprive them of their national assets.

The Syrian foreign ministry put the damage inflicted on the Syrian oil and mineral sectors as a result of “acts of aggression and sabotage” by US forces and their allied terrorists at $115.2 billion. 

The ministry stated that 150,000 barrels of Syrian crude oil are being smuggled out of the country on a daily basis, adding that 59.9 million cubic meters of natural gas as well as 413 thousand tons of refined gas, worth $21.4 billion, have also been stolen.

Moreover, vandalism and theft of specialized equipment have resulted in damages amounting to $3.2 billion.

The US-led military coalition, purportedly formed to fight the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group, has also inflicted losses standing at $2.9 billion on Syria’s oil and gas facilities, the letters highlighted.

The value of indirect losses to Syria’s economy amounts to $87.7 billion, which includes lost benefits from crude oil, natural gas and refined gas as a result of a sharp drop in their production, the letters read.

The Syrian foreign ministry also called for an end to the illegal presence of US occupation forces and the return of Syria’s energy reserves and natural resources to the Damascus government, so that it can improve the humanitarian and living conditions of Syrians.

The letters came on the same day that the US military used dozens of tankers to smuggle crude oil from Syria’s northeastern province of Hasakah to neighboring Iraq.

Syria’s official news agency, SANA, citing local sources in al-Ya’rubiyah town, reported that a convoy of 40 tankers left Syria through the illegal Mahmoudiya border crossing on Sunday, heading towards Iraq.

The sources added that another convoy of US occupation forces, consisting of 55 tankers, rumbled through the same border crossing hours later and entered Iraq.

The US military has stationed forces and equipment in northeastern Syria, with the Pentagon claiming the deployment is aimed at preventing the oil fields in the area from falling into the hands of Daesh terrorists.

Damascus, however, maintains that the unauthorized US deployment is aimed at plundering the country’s rich mineral resources.

MNA/PressTV

Middle East

Israel to benefit from hostilities in Palestine refugee camp

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Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem said on Sunday that the armed clashes in the Ain al-Hilweh camp in southern Lebanon would lead to no victory and serve the regime’s interests.

“We feel so much regret about the conflicts in Ain al-Hilweh because these clashes are between Palestinian brothers and have environmental effects,” Qassem said.

“Undoubtedly, these incidents will not win any victory and none of the involved parties will benefit from them,” he said. “These events are only in line with the interests of the occupying regime because the camps for refugees must be calm to prepare them to confront the enemy and prepare their return to their land after liberation; not for war and conflict.”

Fresh clashes in the Palestinian refugee camp in the city of Sidon in southern Lebanon continued on Sunday for a fourth day. There has been no tangible result despite rigorous efforts to establish a ceasefire and end the conflict between the Palestinian groups.

Confrontations in Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp have so far left five people dead and dozens injured.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said over 2,000 people were forced to flee since the beginning of the clashes in the camp in late July, which involved heavy weaponry.

The violence erupted in the refugee camp when an unknown gunman attempted to kill a member of an armed group named Mahmoud Khalil, but fatally shot his companion instead. In the confrontations that ensued, Abu Ashraf al-Armouchi, a senior commander with the Palestinian Fatah Party, who was in charge of security inside Ain al-Hilweh, was killed along with several of his aides.

Local media reports said many terrorists and extremists had infiltrated the camp, targeting Fatah members and trying to create chaos.

A ceasefire subsided the fighting but heavy confrontations sporadically resumed afterwards.

Ain al-Hilweh camp was established in 1948 to house Palestinians displaced by Israeli forces during Nakba Day or “Day of Catastrophe,” when the Tel Aviv regime was created at the expense of the forced expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homeland.

According to the UNRWA, more than 63,000 people live in the camp.

MNA/PressTV

Middle East

Palestinians to keep up fight until occupiers’ full expulsion: Hamas

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The Gaza-based Hamas resistance movement said in a statement that Palestinians will resolutely keep up their struggle until the full liberation of occupied territories from the grip of Israeli occupation.

“Palestinians will continue their anti-occupation efforts throughout the West Bank, and confront the Tel Aviv regime’s crimes, especially in the holy city of al-Quds and the al-Aqsa Mosque compound,” the statement said.

It underscored that the long-term battle against the Zionist enemy will finally result in the expulsion of occupiers, the liberation of occupied lands, and the restoration of Palestinians’ freedom.

The statement came after a deadly Israeli military raid on a refugee camp in the southern part of the West Bank on Saturday resulting in the death of a Palestinian teenager.

The 16-year-old Milad Munther Al-Ra’i, was shot dead by Israeli forces as they stormed al-Arroub refugee camp.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said Ra’i was shot in the back and chest during confrontations in the camp.

The official Palestinian news agency WAFA, citing local sources, reported that Israeli troops fired live ammunition and toxic tear gas canisters at a group of young people and children during the raid.

Israeli forces launch raids on various cities of the West Bank almost on a daily basis under the pretext of detaining what the regime calls “wanted” Palestinians. The raids usually lead to violent confrontations with residents.

More than 200 Palestinians have been killed this year in the occupied Palestinian territories and Gaza. The majority of these fatalities have been recorded in the West Bank.

Those figures indicate that 2023 is already the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank since the United Nations began keeping track of fatalities in 2005.

Previously, 2022 had been the deadliest year with 150 Palestinians killed, of whom 33 were minors, according to the United Nations.

Hamas warns of threats against Aqsa Mosque compound

Mousa Abu Marzouk, a member of the Hamas political bureau also warned of potential threats against the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, terming the unfolding developments as “dangerous.”

“Resistance remains the first option in order to defend the sacred site,” he said, calling on Muslim nations to support Aqsa Mosque and take action in its defense.

“The responsibility to protect and defend the al-Aqsa Mosque compound rests with all Muslims,” he said.

The senior Hamas official also underlined the need for unity among Palestinians both at political and executive levels in order to overcome ongoing challenges.

“We extend our hand to all factions, including the Fatah movement, to rearrange the Palestinian sphere on the basis of partnership and draw up a national resistance program, which would preserve the privacy of each Palestinian group and ensure the expulsion of settlers from the West Bank as a common goal,” Abu Marzouk said.

He called on the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority to only listen to the demands of Palestinians, express their positions, and stop advancing the agendas of the United States and Israel.

Middle East

US forces in Syria smuggle 95 tankers’ worth of crude oil

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Sources in the al-Yaroubia countryside in al-Hasakah province told local media Sunday that 40 tankers of crude oil were shipped to Iraq from the al-Jazeera oil fields using the illegal Mahmoudiya border crossing.

The sources also said that a separate convoy of 55 oil tankers, also from the al-Jazeera fields, was smuggled through the same crossing within the same 24-hour window.

Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates in two identical letters on Sunday, which were addressed to Secretary General of the United Nations António Guterres and the rotating President of the Security Council Ferit Hoxha said that the United States and its allied Takfiri terrorist groups continue to violate the country’s sovereignty and plunder its wealth and strategic natural resources.

Damascus demanded that the US administration be held accountable for looting the country’s riches and be obliged to compensate for the unlawful act.

Syria also called for an end to aggressive practices and violations of international principles and the UN Charter by US occupation troops, who are illegally present in the northeastern part of the country and the strategic southeastern region of al-Tanf.

The United States operates about a dozen illegal military bases in Syria, most of them concentrated in energy and food-rich areas of the country east of the Euphrates, which contain about nine-tenths of the war-torn nation’s oil and gas resources. Damascus estimates total damage to its hydrocarbons industry of over $100 billion.

The US military has stationed forces and equipment in northeastern Syria, with the Pentagon claiming the deployment is aimed at preventing the oil fields in the area from falling into the hands of Daesh terrorists.

Damascus, however, maintains that the unauthorized US deployment is aimed at plundering the country’s rich mineral resources.

MNA/PR

Middle East

Erdogan calls for Russia to not be ‘marginalized’ in grain deal

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for Russia not to be “marginalized” in negotiations aimed at restoring a crucial Black Sea grain export deal, stressing that any initiative that isolates Moscow is unlikely to be sustainable.

Erdogan made the remarks in a press briefing after the conclusion of the annual meeting of the Group of 20 (G20) in the Indian capital, New Delhi, on Sunday, where he said the issue of reviving the Black Sea Grain Initiative was discussed in great detail.

“No process that marginalizes Russia on the Black Sea grain initiative will be viable,” he said, adding a meeting is going to be held on the issue between representatives from Russia, Ukraine and the United Nations, without specifying a precise date or location.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative, brokered by Turkey and the United Nations on July 22, 2022, allowed for the safe export of grain from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.

Russia withdrew from the deal in July this year, saying its conditions for the agreement were not met. Moscow complained that its agricultural exports faced obstacles and not enough Ukrainian grain was going to countries in need under the grain deal.

It said its grain and fertilizer exports faced barriers in practice because of sanctions by the West affecting port access, insurance, logistics, and payments – including the removal of agricultural bank Rosselkhozbank from SWIFT.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has already said Moscow is ready to return to the deal if as the West met its obligations with regard to Russia’s own grain exports.

Russia and Ukraine are two of the world’s key agricultural producers. The two are influential players in the wheat, barley, maize, rapeseed, rapeseed oil, sunflower seed, and sunflower oil markets.

More than 24.1 million tons have been exported under the Black Sea Grain Initiative, according to the United Nations.

Middle East

Saudi Arabia strategic partner for Iran: envoy

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Enayati made the remarks in an interview with the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat after starting his mission in Riyadh last week. 

Emphasizing that he would spare no effort in strengthening and developing bilateral ties between Tehran and Riyadh, the Iranian envoy said that the two countries are mutually determined to develop the level of their relations.

Enayati stated that before his trip to Saudi Arabia, he had a meeting with Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi during which Raeisi called on him to do his best to consolidate the bonds of brotherhood and friendship between Iran and Saudi Arabia and take measures towards the development of relations.

Iran considers Saudi Arabia a strategic partner and attaches great importance to it, the envoy continued, underlining that the developments in the last six months promise a bright future for the two countries.

The two countries agreed to resume diplomatic ties back in March following a Chinese-brokered deal after a seven-year estrangement. 

Iran officially reopened its embassy in Riyadh in June, followed by its consulate in Jeddah and representative office with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

The Saudi embassy in Tehran and its consulate in Mashhad have also resumed operations.

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Middle East

Hezbollah: Israel to benefit from hostilities in Palestinian refugee camp

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A high-ranking official with the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah has expressed regret about continued tension at a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, saying the Israeli regime is the only side to benefit from hostilities and clashes within Palestinian factions.

Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem said on Sunday that the armed clashes in the Ain al-Hilweh camp in southern Lebanon would lead to no victory and serve the regime’s interests.

“We feel so much regret about the conflicts in Ain al-Hilweh because these clashes are between Palestinian brothers and have environmental effects,” Qassem said.

“Undoubtedly, these incidents will not win any victory and none of the involved parties will benefit from them,” he said. “These events are only in line with the interests of the occupying regime because the camps for refugees must be calm to prepare them to confront the enemy and prepare their return to their land after liberation; not for war and conflict.”

Fresh clashes in the Palestinian refugee camp in the city of Sidon in southern Lebanon continued on Sunday for a fourth day. There has been no tangible result despite rigorous efforts to establish a ceasefire and end the conflict between the Palestinian groups.

Confrontations in Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp have so far left five people dead and dozens injured.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said over 2,000 people were forced to flee since the beginning of the clashes in the camp in late July, which involved heavy weaponry.

The violence erupted in the refugee camp when an unknown gunman attempted to kill a member of an armed group named Mahmoud Khalil, but fatally shot his companion instead. In the confrontations that ensued, Abu Ashraf al-Armouchi, a senior commander with the Palestinian Fatah Party, who was in charge of security inside Ain al-Hilweh, was killed along with several of his aides.

Local media reports said many terrorists and extremists had infiltrated the camp, targeting Fatah members and trying to create chaos.

A ceasefire subsided the fighting but heavy confrontations sporadically resumed afterwards.

Ain al-Hilweh camp was established in 1948 to house Palestinians displaced by Israeli forces during Nakba Day or “Day of Catastrophe,” when the Tel Aviv regime was created at the expense of the forced expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homeland.

According to the UNRWA, more than 63,000 people live in the camp.

Middle East

Baku has no intention to launch attack against Armenia

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“We are in contact with the authorities of both the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia, and the Armenian authorities have expressed concern about the possibility of (raising) a new military conflict from Azerbaijan,” Kan’ani siad in his weekly presser on Monday, adding that Baku authorities notified Iran that they have no intention to carry out a military attack and that the recent movements are a conventional military action on the eve of the winter season, as the movement in the mountainous areas becomes more and more difficult.

Tehran is critical over the security of the common borders with its northern neighbors and it assures that the country’s borders are safe, and it continues to follow the developments in the Caucasus with seriousness, he underlined.

“Karabakh is a part of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the rights and security of the people of this region must be secured in a specific framework and this is our official position. Iran has always emphasized the need to respect the territorial integrity of countries and has always opposed any change in the international borders,” the senior diplomat stressed, adding that the mutual recognition of the territorial integrity of both sides by Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan will be an important step to achieve lasting peace and security.

On prisoner swap deal with US

“We are optimistic that the exchange of prisoners will take place in the near future,” Kan’ani cited elsewhere in his remarks, commenting on the recent agreement reached between Tehran and Washington.

Touching upon the issue of releasing Iran’s frozen funds, Kan’ani said that Tehran hopes that this transfer will take place in the coming days so that the country can have full access to its assets.

Iran can buy all non-sanctioned goods with its released assets, he added.

On security agreement with Iraq

Elsewhere in his remarks, Kan’ani touched upon the process of the implementation of the recent security agreement between Tehran and Baghdad, according to which the Iraqi side is committed to disarm the armed separatist and terrorist groups in the Kurdistan region by September 19.

This deadline will not be extended under any circumstances and this matter has been officially announced by Iraqi officials to the Iraqi side, he said.

He went on to say that fortunately, the Iraqi government has taken favorable measures in this regard so far and it emphasized that it adheres to the agreement. The Prime Minister of Iraq has also made favorable statements recently, and Iran hopes to see the full implementation of this agreement on the determined date, he continued.

He added that the visit of the President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Bafel Jalal Talabani is not related to the security agreement and is in the framework of bilateral talks.

In July, the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces warned Iraq over the presence and the activity of anti-Iran terrorist groups in that country.

Major General Mohammad Bagheri said that Iran waits until Iraq’s deadline is over and hopes that the Iraqi government fulfills its responsibility, but if the deadline is finished and the anti-Iran terrorists remain armed or continue to carry out operations, the country will resume acting against the terrorists.

IRGC Ground Force Commander Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour earlier said that Iraq has undertaken a commitment to disarm and expel anti-Iran terrorists operating in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.

Since September 24, 2022, the IRGC has launched several rounds of airstrikes against the positions of the terrorists who are holed up in Iraqi Kurdistan.

The IRGC has urged the central government in Iraq and authorities in Kurdistan to meet their commitments toward Iran and take necessary measures to secure the border.

On November 21, 2022, positions of anti-Iran separatist and terrorist groups in northern Iraq came under combined attacks using missiles and kamikaze drones. The strikes targeted the positions of the notorious ‘Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan’ (PDKI) and the Komala Party in northern Iraqi Kurdistan, Iran’s Arabic-language al-Alam television news network reported at the time.

On lifting arms embargos on Iran

Touching upon the issue of lifting arms embargos on Iran, Kan’ani said that Iran expects that the related countries will adhere to their commitments within the framework of the JCPOA.

For any non-constructive action, Iran reserves the right to take action in accordance with each action and it will not ask permission from anyone to secure rights, he added.

In early September, Iran’s Minister of Defense Brigadier General Mohammad-Reza Gharaei Ashtiani said that all cruel arms embargoes on the country will end next October.

On Iran-IAEA ties

Regarding the meeting of the Board of Governors of the IAEA, he stated that the cooperation between Iran and the IAEA continues within the framework of the March 4th joint statement between the AEOI and the IAEA.

The next meetings and discussions will be held in the same framework, he added.  

Expressing hope that the current meeting of the agency will be held in a completely professional format, he stressed that Iran expects the director general of the agency to carry out his professional mission away from political pressures and perform this mission correctly and accurately.

Kan’ani clarified that the agency is a specialized, technical and professional organization which should not be politically abused for political purposes in order to put pressure on other countries.

On Mossad’s chief threatening Iran

Answering a question raised by a journalist on the recent threat of Mossad’s chief to assassinate Iranian officials, Kan’ani said that such a clear declaration of intention to assassinate the officials of other countries shows the terrorist nature of the Israeli regime.

Iran has proven that it will not shy away from securing its safety and responding to any foolish aggression, he cited, adding that the Zionist regime has been beaten by Iran many times in the past.

“Iran will not hesitate to respond to any foolish action,” he stressed.

On attack on Iran’s embassy in Paris

Regarding the recent attack on the Iranian embassy in Paris, Kan’ani stated, “We strongly condemn this action,” emphasizing that attacking a diplomatic place is an attack on the rights of citizens who go to the embassy to receive consular services. 

Iran expressed its protest in an official note to the French authorities, he said, adding that Iran gave the necessary warning to the French government and some European governments to strengthen the necessary protective measures in the framework of the 1961 Vienna Convention and fulfill their responsibilities over securing diplomatic places and the safety of Iranian diplomats.

He clarified that the French government is responsible for the security of Iran’s embassy and diplomatic facilities within the framework of the 1961 Vienna Convention.

According to Kan’ani, the French ambassador in Tehran has also strongly condemned the attack and said that the French government is pursuing to identify and prosecute the attackers.

Regarding the appointment of Iran’s new ambassador to France, he noted that the administrative process is underway and Iran hopes to complete this process in the future.

On holding new negotiations

Referring to the negotiations on lifting the illegal sanctions against Iran and reviving the JCPOA deal, the senior Iranian diplomat noted that the path of negotiation is not closed and new holding negotiations are not ruled out.

“Iran has always declared that it adheres to the diplomatic path as the path to ensure the rights and interests of the Iranian people, and uses diplomatic capacities to realise its rights and lift oppressive sanctions, and we have always welcomed initiatives,” he emphasized.

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Middle East

‘US, allied terrorists continue to plunder Syria’s wealth, strategic resources’

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Syria says the United States and its allied Takfiri terrorist groups continue to violate the country’s sovereignty and plunder its wealth and strategic natural resources.

Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates made the remark in two identical letters on Sunday, which were addressed to Secretary General of the United Nations António Guterres and the rotating President of the Security Council Ferit Hoxha.

Damascus demanded that the US administration be held accountable for looting the country’s riches and be obliged to compensate for the unlawful act.

Syria also called for an end to aggressive practices and violations of international principles and the UN Charter by US occupation troops, who are illegally present in the northeastern part of the country and the strategic southeastern region of al-Tanf.

The letters further noted that Washington and its allied terrorists plunder Syria’s strategic assets in order to increase the strain of unilateral sanctions on Syrian people, prolong their suffering, and deprive them of their national assets.

The Syrian foreign ministry put the damage inflicted on the Syrian oil and mineral sectors as a result of “acts of aggression and sabotage” by US forces and their allied terrorists at $115.2 billion. 

The ministry stated that 150,000 barrels of Syrian crude oil are being smuggled out of the country on a daily basis, adding that 59.9 million cubic meters of natural gas as well as 413 thousand tons of refined gas, worth $21.4 billion, have also been stolen.

Moreover, vandalism and theft of specialized equipment have resulted in damages amounting to $3.2 billion.

The US-led military coalition, purportedly formed to fight the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group, has also inflicted losses standing at $2.9 billion on Syria’s oil and gas facilities, the letters highlighted.

The value of indirect losses to Syria’s economy amounts to $87.7 billion, which includes lost benefits from crude oil, natural gas and refined gas as a result of a sharp drop in their production, the letters read.

The Syrian foreign ministry also called for an end to the illegal presence of US occupation forces and return of Syria’s energy reserves and natural resources to the Damascus government, so that it can improve the humanitarian and living conditions of Syrians.

The letters came on the same day that the US military used dozens of tankers to smuggle crude oil from Syria’s northeastern province of Hasakah to neighboring Iraq.

Syria’s official news agency, SANA, citing local sources in al-Ya’rubiyah town, reported that a convoy of 40 tankers left Syria through the illegal Mahmoudiya border crossing on Sunday, heading towards Iraq.

The sources added that another convoy of US occupation forces, consisting of 55 tankers, rumbled through the same border crossing hours later and entered Iraq.

The US military has stationed forces and equipment in northeastern Syria, with the Pentagon claiming the deployment is aimed at preventing the oil fields in the area from falling into the hands of Daesh terrorists.

Damascus, however, maintains that the unauthorized US deployment is aimed at plundering the country’s rich mineral resources.