Latest news with #EyIran
Gulf Insider
40 minutes ago
- Politics
- Gulf Insider
Ayatollah: Israel Nearly Collapsed
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday issued his first comments since the Trump-backed ceasefire with Israel took effect, congratulating 'the great nation of Iran' for its 'victory over the fake Zionist regime.' 'Despite all that noise, and with all those claims, the Zionist regime almost collapsed and was crushed under the blows of the Islamic Republic,' he said, according to the national IRNA news agency. He also claimed to have 'delivered a slap to America's face.' At a moment the Trump administration is celebrating to 'obliteration' of the Islamic Republic's core elements and main facilities of its nuclear program, the Ayatollah downplayed the effects of the military campaign. He described that the United States entered the war along Israel's side 'because they felt that if they did not enter, the Zionist regime would be destroyed.' He presented this as a sign of Israeli weakness, echoing prior statements issued during the aerial raids. 'However, the Americans did not gain anything in this war,' he asserted. He went to say that those that attacked Iran suffered a high cost. According to more from state media translation: 'We thank God for aiding our armed forces, who managed to breach their advanced multilayered defense systems and flatten large parts of their military and urban centers with powerful missile and weapons strikes,' he said. Ayatollah Khamenei said it proves to the Zionist regime that aggression against the Islamic Republic comes with a high cost that it will have to pay, crediting both the armed forces and the people of the Islamic Republic for the glorious victory. The last couple days since the ceasefire has held saw throngs of people come out into Tehran streets, to demonstrate in solidarity with the military, and to show defiance and that the 12-days of attacks did not bring the nation to its knees. There have been other signs of symbolic defiance and resistance as well, including public events and a concert by the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, which goes back nearly 100 years. On Wednesday, in the city's popular Azadi Square, reports described: As residents gathered for the performance, the orchestra played 'Ey Iran,' the country's unofficial national anthem that has long been considered a song of national pride and resistance and had once been banned by the Islamic Republic due to its association with anti-government sentiment. Established in 1933, the orchestra has survived multiple regimes, coups, revolution and wars, widely seen as a symbol of resilience. Its hardest days came during the term of hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad when the orchestra was disbanded due to sanctions, financial difficulties and negligence. It total over 630 Iranians died and thousands were injured in the strikes, with Israel also claiming to have assassinated at least 14 Iranian nuclear scientists and many more high-ranking military commanders. But Israel, and Tel Aviv especially, had whole building and neighborhoods leveled, and had some of its military command centers hit by Iranian ballistic and hypersonic missiles. On the other side, much of Tehran was destroyed, and the Iranians admit that key nuclear facilities suffered significant damage; however, they have pledged that nuclear energy development will continue as a matter of national sovereignty. Also read: Iran-Israel Conflict: US President Donald Trump Receives Nobel Peace Prize Nomination For Ceasefire Deal
Saudi Gazette
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Saudi Gazette
Tehran Symphony Orchestra holds free concert to honor Iranians killed in conflict with Israel
TEHRAN — The Tehran Symphony Orchestra held a free concert Wednesday at the city's famed Azadi Square, dedicating it to Iranians killed in the 12-day conflict with Israel. As residents gathered for the performance, the orchestra played 'Ey Iran,' the country's unofficial national anthem that has long been considered a song of national pride and resistance and had once been banned by the Islamic Republic due to its association with anti-government sentiment. Established in 1933, the orchestra has survived multiple regimes, coups, revolution and wars, widely seen as a symbol of resilience. Its hardest days came during the term of hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad when the orchestra was disbanded due to sanctions, financial difficulties and negligence. Three years later, reformist president Hassan Rouhani revived the orchestra as part of a campaign promise during his presidential bid. Theaters, cinemas and concert halls went dark during the conflict with Israel, but officials have since promoted musical street performances and poetry readings in an apparent attempt to lift public morale. The government has also re-opened cultural institutions and has announced a number of free concerts and performances across the capital, along with half-price tickets for films and theatrical shows. — CNN
