Latest news with #Iran-led
Memri
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Bronx Anti-War Coalition - Which Endorsed D.C. Shooter Elias Rodriguez - Holds 'Glory to the Resistance Axis' Rally on May 3: They Taught Us What We Need to Do; Liberation Is Carried out Through Armed
This clip is from the May 3, 2025 'Glory to the Resistance' march and rally in support of the Iran-led Resistance Axis, held in Queens and organized by the Bronx Anti-War Coalition — a group that has celebrated Elias Rodriguez's May 21 attack at the D.C. Capital Jewish Museum, where he murdered two staffers at the Israeli embassy. A masked speaker, wearing a shirt featuring Houthi leader Abdul-Malik Badreddine Al-Houthi, urged attendees to follow the example of armed struggle led by 'resistance groups' in West Asia — the term used by Iran for the Middle East. He stated: 'They taught us what we need to do […], they are teaching us how liberation is actually carried out in real time - it is through armed struggle, OK.' He also declared: 'We need to have a revolution right here, right now, to save ourselves from death from the U.S. war machine.' The speaker criticized what he called superficial opposition to Zionism, stating: 'Anti-Zionism is not just criticism of Israel's policy, no, no, no.' The video then cuts off. Participants in the rally carried a large banner featuring images of U.S.-designated terrorist leaders: Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah; Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyah; Al-Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Ubaida; IRGC Qods Force commander Qasem Soleimani; Houthi leader Abdul-Malik Badreddine Al-Houthi; and Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Marchers also waved flags of Hizbullah, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) military wing Al-Quds Brigades, the Houthi Ansar Allah movement, and Hamas's Al-Qassam Brigades. The video was posted by the World Workers Party on Instagram, which also issued a statement expressing understanding for Rodriguez's attack, declaring: 'Acts of resistance, even individual acts, are inevitable and deserve support and defense.' The group also shared Rodriguez's manifesto outlining his justification for the attack. On April 27, 2025, the Bronx Anti-War Coalition co-hosted a panel with the Workers World Party, The New School Alumni for Palestine, the United National Anti-War Coalition, and Black Intifada.
Ya Libnan
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Ya Libnan
Iran and its proxy in Lebanon should be sued for the $billions in damages caused by the war against Israel, says Ex- diplomat
Hezbollah and Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) flags. Both bear a hand holding up a rifle and a globe Few days after the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel came into effect following over a year of fighting, and after the extent of the destruction in Lebanon became clear, with reconstruction costs estimated at $15-20 billion,[1] many prominent people in Lebanon, who are opposed to the Iran-led resistance axis, began calling for Iran to compensate Lebanon for the damages of the war. According to them, it was Iran – not the state of Lebanon that decided to start the war with Israel through its proxy militia, Hezbollah, and therefore it should be the one to bear the cost. If Iran refuses these demands, they said, Lebanon should sue it in international courts, or else deduct the cost of the war from Iranian assets frozen in the West. [2] Among the prominent people urging this course of action was Dr. Hisham Hamdan, a former Lebanese diplomat known for his opposition to the Axis of Resistance, who placed the responsibility for the destruction in Lebanon squarely on Iran and its proxy, Hezbollah. In an article published in the Lebanese daily Al-Nahar last December, he argued that the state of Lebanon had honored the Armistice Agreement ever it was signed on March, 23rd 1949 and that it was Syria, and later Iran, that violated it by imposing war on Lebanon through its proxy Hezbollah in order to serve its own interests. This, he claimed, constitutes 'a crime of aggression under international law,' and it is therefore the 'national duty' of the Lebanese state and its people to sue Iran in international courts. Hamdan also criticized the Lebanese politicians who have allowed Hezbollah to operate as a 'state within a state' in Lebanon in the service of Iran, a possible reference to former president Michel Aoun and his party the Free Patriotic Movement or FPM Hezbollah's. slain leader Hassan Nasrallah's portrait is amongst the debris of a destroyed building in souther Beirut The following are translated excerpts from Hamdan's article: Lebanon Was Never A Side In The Wars With Israel; The Wars Were Forced Upon It 'The war stopped in November 2024 and a ceasefire agreement was declared. The steps to implement this agreement are still in their early stages. Israel is still clearing the area south of the Litani of pockets of Hezbollah [fighters] and of hidden weapons and trenches [i.e., tunnels]. It has two months to complete this task. The ceasefire monitoring mechanism is not yet complete. Despite this, we hear religious and secular officials describing the ceasefire as a 'hudna,' [temporary lull in fighting] by which they mean that it is just a pause. We still see signs that Hezbollah refuses to acknowledge defeat and talks about going back to square one… 'Lebanon was not a side in any of the wars waged by the militias of Syria and Iran against Israel along the Lebanese border. Lebanon has no connection to the war that took place on its soil. All [these] wars were waged based on an Iranian decision and with Iranian weapons. [Therefore,] under no circumstances should Lebanon be required to bear the burden of [repairing] the damage caused by this war, nor should it be held responsible for the consequences of the damage caused by the actions of the mini-state [i.e., Hezbollah], which makes war and peace decisions outside the will of the state. Neither Lebanon nor the Lebanese should be held responsible for the wars waged by these militias and for the destruction caused to Lebanon by these wars. The Iranian militia Hezbollah] calls itself a resistance force that is fighting the Israeli occupation of Lebanon, yet the intended objectives of its actions clearly contradict the legal concept of the right to resist. 'Suing Iran and its collaborators is a national duty. Lebanon and its people are victims of external intervention in their internal affairs. In 1982, Iran, with the consent of the Syrian regime, established an armed militia in Lebanon which is subordinate to it militarily, financially, and ideologically, [since] Iran funded it and trained its members – and turned it into an arm of its [Islamic] Revolutionary Guard [Corps]. [This proxy militia] conducts wars against other countries in the region and beyond, in Iran's interests and according to its will. Despite the signing of the Taif Agreement in 1989, [3] the Syrian regime prevented the full restoration of sovereignty to [Lebanon]. It assassinated [Lebanese] president René Moawad, [4] and imposed a political regime that allowed the continued presence of [Syrian] weapons [in Lebanon] and kept the decisions of war and peace in [Syria's] hands, in cooperation with Iran and the militia under its control [Hezbollah]. When the Syrian regime [finally] left Lebanon, Iran became directly responsible for the violation of its national sovereignty.' Iran's Intervention In Lebanon Is A Violation Of International Law 'Iran's intervention in Lebanon is a crime of aggression under international law. Iran's establishment of armed groups, irregular forces, or mercenary [forces] that carry out armed operations in our country – [namely] Hezbollah and its supporters – counts as aggression as defined in UN General Assembly Resolution 3314 from December 14, 1974. This resolution was adopted by international consensus and serves as the international legal basis for the definition of aggression. 'According to legal theory, this definition [of aggression, as defined by Resolution 3314] is based on three criteria, all of which apply to Iran's intervention in Lebanon: 'The first criterion – Iran is a state. 'The second criterion Tts intervention makes it clearly liable as a state. Evidence of this is that, in the 1980s, Iran used its militia in Lebanon to assist it in its war against Iraq. [The militia did so] by carrying out attacks on French and American targets in Lebanon, and targets of countries that were aiding Iraq in its war against [Iran], countries whose nationals were present in Lebanon for purposes of keeping the peace there. Iran also used these militias in its regional and international struggles, as [evident from the fact that] many countries exposed terrorist cells belonging to it on their soil, preparing for military action. The war against Israel is another [factor] that fully reflects the depth of Iran's aggressive intervention in Lebanon, for it has turned [the country] into a battleground for its total war against Israel. 'The third criterion – this intervention has become sufficiently dangerous, for it led to direct war between the two countries [Lebanon and Israel], [a war] that threatened international peace and security, caused destruction, devastation and casualties in Lebanon and Israel, necessitated repeated interventions by the Security Council, and provoked Israeli responses under the pretext of self-defense – [all of] which led countries around the world to define [Iran] as a state sponsor of terrorism and to impose sanctions on it.' The Lebanese Government And People Must Sue Iran In International Courts 'We demand justice for Lebanon and its people. We demand that the government sue Iran for compensation in order to repair the destruction. We refuse to pay the price of its aggression. If Iran refuses to pay compensation, the government can sue it for compensation in the International Court of Justice. In addition, the victims can sue Iran's leaders in the International Criminal Court… The Iranians who committed the crime of aggression against Lebanon are in power and are directing Iran's political and military activities. Hezbollah acted as an agent of Iran – by its own admission. [5] 'We do not accept the idea of [Iran's] impunity… True, Lebanon is not a member of the Rome Statute [6] due to the objections of [Parliament] Speaker [Nabih] Berri, on well-known pretexts. However, by appointing expert lawyers, the victims can file this lawsuit in court… The Attorney General has enough evidence, as well as decisions from the Security Council, to show that the actions of the Iranian militia [i.e., Hezbollah] constitute aggression… 'The crime of the 2020 [Beirut] port [explosion] revealed the depth of the crime being committed against Lebanon and its people, under the heading of coexistence between the state [of Lebanon] and the mini-state [Hezbollah]. For Lebanon – including all its regions and facilities – has become a battleground serving the mini-state, and in return, the mini-state protects senior government officials and allows them to exploit Lebanon's resources. The result is that Lebanon – once referred to as the 'Switzerland of the East' – has collapsed economically… 'The crimes against the people and the homeland have escalated without [anyone being held] accountable. The idea of impunity has prevailed in the country. This must be confronted by resorting to international law and putting an end to the avoidance of accountability and punishment.' [7] [1] Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), November 29, 2024. [2] Nidaa Al-Watan (Lebanon), December 2, 2024. Iranian frozen assets in international accounts are calculated to be worth between $100 billion and $120 billion [3] The Taif Agreement of October 22, 1989, was a political accord that ended the Lebanese civil war. It called for extensive political reforms and established Lebanon's confessional system that divides the political, civil, and military powers among Lebanon's various sects. The agreement also stipulated that all the militias in Lebanon must be disarmed and that the Syrian forces must withdraw from the country. . [4] René Moawad was president of Lebanon for 17 days, from November 5, 1989 until his assassination on November 22. Pro-Syrian forces were suspected of being responsible, but the murderers were never caught. [5] Hizbullah's former secretary general, Hassan Nasrallah, declared on several occasions that Iran armed and funded his organization. For example, in a 2016 speech, he said that 'the budget of Hezbollah, its salaries, its expenses, its food, its drink, its weapons, and its missiles come from the Islamic Republic of Iran.' And in September 191 he declared his allegiance to Iran and its Supreme leader Al Khamanei [6] The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) is an international treaty that includes the basic principles according to which the ICC seated at the Hague operates. It was adopted at a diplomatic conference held in Rome on July 17, 1998, and went into effect on July 1, 2002. According to the statute, the ICC has the authority to investigate crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and crimes of aggression, as defined in UN General Assembly Resolution 3314, which is referred to above. [7] Al-Nahar (Lebanon), December 7, 2024. Update from an article that was published by MEMRI last December
Memri
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Arab Writers: The Arabs And The Resistance Axis Must Acknowledge Their Defeat In The War With Israel; We Must Strive For An Era Without War
With the conclusion of the fighting between Israel and Hamas, Hizbullah and other members of the resistance axis, articles in the Arab media condemned the rhetoric regarding the historic victory over Israel promoted by spokespeople for these organizations. [1] The articles argued that these organizations, far from defeating Israel, actually suffered a crushing defeat in the war, as evident from the heavy damage and losses sustained by them and by and the local populations. They also stated that the outcomes of the war proved that the doctrine of 'unity of the fronts' formulated by the Iran-led resistance axis – whereby all the axis members would assist each other in the event of a war against Israel – had collapsed. The writers described this defeat as another link in the chain of defeats suffered by the Arabs in the wars they have waged against Israel since its establishment under the banner of the "Palestinian cause." They argued that these defeats are the final nail in the coffin of the Palestinian issue as the foremost cause of the Arab world and are a reflection of Israel's power in the region. The writers therefore called on those who fought against Israel and on the entire Arab nation to recognize their defeat and dedicate their efforts to developing their countries instead of engaging in futile wars. The following are translated excerpts from these articles: Hamas And Hizbullah Were Defeated; The Doctrine Of The "Unity Of The Fronts" Has Collapsed One of the major arguments presented in the articles against Hamas and Hizbullah's claims of victory is the extent of the damage and losses sustained by them and their environment. This, the writers said, not only represents a defeat for these two central members of the resistance axis, but also shows that the "unity of the fronts," a key doctrine of this axis, has completely collapsed. Lebanese journalist Jean Al-Feghali, chief editor at the LBCI News channel, wrote in the Lebanese daily Nidaa Al-Watan: "...Hamas, which started this war... was defeated in it, and anyone who wants to contest this should examine the balance of gains and losses: the part of Gaza that is aboveground no longer exists; it is completely destroyed; [Hamas'] leaders have been eliminated, from Yahya Sinwar [the architect of the October 7 attack] to Isma'il Haniya... So how can this be considered a victory? "What is true for Hamas and its 'victory' in Gaza is also true for Hizbullah and its 'victory' in Lebanon: more than 20 towns and villages on the southern "front" [i.e., on the border with Israel] have been destroyed... Most of Hizbullah's leaders, from Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, through field commanders, to Radwan Force fighters have been killed, not to mention the [destruction of] the ammunition and missile depots. So how can this be considered a victory? "The outcome is 'a unity of defeats,' stemming from 'the unity of the fronts': Hizbullah has been defeated in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza… The collapse of the 'unity of the fronts' is patently evident from the fact that Hizbullah agreed to a ceasefire without conditioning it on a ceasefire in Gaza… So where is the unity of the fronts?" [2] The 'Victory' Of The Resistance Axis Is Imaginary Khalid bin Hamad Al-Malik, the chief editor of the Saudi government daily Al-Jazirah, likewise came out against the rhetoric of the resistance axis and called on it to acknowledge its defeat. He wrote: "Hamas talks about defeating Israel in [Israel's] war of extermination. Hizbullah also claims to have defeated Israel in the war, and so do Iran and the Houthis. They [all] deny the blows they have sustained, which have weakened them, and deny their failure to respond in kind. This shallow perception of the outcomes of the war against the Israeli enemy means that the victories are imaginary and have no connection to the course of the war and the results of the Israeli offensive… How did Hamas win if all its commanders in Gaza have been killed, as well as the ones who stayed in Lebanon and Iran[?] Where is the victory, if tens of thousands of Palestinians are dead, wounded or missing[?] How can anyone believe Hamas has won when Israel occupied all of the Gaza Strip after destroying 80 percent of it[?] It is not the weapons of Hamas and the [Palestinian Islamic] Jihad that will force [Israel] to withdraw [from Gaza]. [It will withdraw] in an agreement that will include an arrangement preventing Hamas from returning to its condition before the war. "The same is true for Hizbullah, which claims to have defeated the Israeli aggression against Lebanon even though Israel has killed all of its leaders, including Secretary-General [Nasrallah], occupied South [Lebanon], destroyed buildings and eliminated [Hizbullah's] weapons, which were the source of its power. It has [also] prevented future [arms] deliveries from Iran via Syria or via the sea, and now this organization [too] has been forced to accept an agreement that will [preclude it] from returning to its past condition. "As for Iran, which claims to have withstood the Israeli attacks… we did not see it retaliating in a way that compares with the killing of its leaders and of a guest who was staying in its territory [i.e., Hamas leader Isma'il Haniya, who was killed in Tehran]. "The imaginary victories persist [only] in the minds of those who allow themselves to lie and lie until they eventually believe their own lies, like the Houthis, who launched drones and missiles at Israel that did no significant damage to Israeli [military] bases." [3] Syrian cartoonist Dijwar Ibrahim mocks Hamas' and Hizbullah's claims of victory: the Hamas fighter, walking with a crutch, says, "You won too??," and the Hizbullah fighter in a wheelchair replies "Yes, we won" ( January 28, 2025) The Era Of Arab Wars Against Israel Has Ended In Another Arab Defeat; The Palestinian Cause Has Declined Some of the writers pointed to the damage and destruction caused to societies and countries in the Arab world by the wars waged over the decades against Israel in the name of the Palestinian cause. Some even argued that these wars not only failed to further the Palestinian issue but actually harmed it and caused it to be marginalized, while Israel managed to establish its legitimacy. The writers called on the Arab countries to recognize their defeat against Israel and focus on internal development. Dr. Hani Anouti, a lecturer on Middle East policy, wrote in the Lebanese daily Al-Nahhar: "There is a long history of struggles and victims for the sake of Palestine. Tens of thousands of dead are buried in the ground, and millions of wounded are suffering in ruined cities that have been denied development and peace as a direct or indirect result of the Palestinian and Arab conflict with Israel. This conflict, which is approaching its 100th year, has had negative political, military and security effects on all the countries and peoples of the region… "In practice, the Palestinians waged only one war against Israel, in 1948… As for the Arab countries, they have jointly waged three wars against Israel. Some of them fought with armies, fire and blood, and others by providing financial, political and diplomatic support. But the result was catastrophic for these countries and their societies, so much so that Egypt [decided to] end the cycle of violence and the erosion of its capabilities and signed the peace agreement with Israel, bravely defying the Arab and Islamic consensus. It [thereby] established the legitimacy of Israel's existence for the first time in the history of the conflict… "Unfortunately, the Palestinians are unable to approach this conflict realistically, unlike Israel, which has established its legitimacy and existence through force and diplomacy... No country has managed to achieve in a century what Israel has achieved, transforming from an ostracized and illegitimate state surrounded by powerful enemies into a legitimate and strong state that, along with several other countries, has the power to change the fate of the Middle East. "Anyone who examines the history of the [Arab] conflict with Israel cannot ignore an important fact, namely the gradual disappearance of the Palestinian cause on both the political and practical levels, and even among the public, in many countries, both Arab and non-Arab. Despite its importance, this cause has lost its momentum and vitality for many unfortunate reasons... As for Israel, it has succeeded in eliminating all its enemies... There is no longer any military power in the region, legitimate or illegitimate, capable of effectively fighting and defeating it, and thus it has put an end to the era of Arab wars against it. "Now that the era of conventional and direct wars against Israel is over, the discourse on the future of the region and its countries and on their role in the world has reemerged… Are we really at the dawn of a new era of growth, development and innovation in the region, an era without wars against Israel?" [4] Arab Regimes Have Exploited The Palestinian Cause To Commit Crimes And Silence Dissidents Falah Al-Mash'al wrote in his column on the Saudi website Elaph: "The Arabs were defeated in all the wars they waged against Israel. Regardless of the many reasons for these defeats, the result on the ground proves the enemy's superior strength... "The Arab regimes must internalize the reality of the past 75 years, namely defeat in the war means harming our relations with the West and also losing in terms of technological progress, science and economy. The regimes lose [the support of] their peoples, and the peoples lose their future. Ignoring these facts perpetuates the defeat in all the wars, not just the military ones. The same applies to the perception of Palestine as the foremost Arab cause, when the Arab peoples have come to despise Palestine, because it has become a talisman for the continued existence of the corrupt and oppressive regimes, and [because] horrible crimes have been committed in the name of liberating Palestine and of resistance, [crimes of] silencing rivals and dissenting voices... "I listened to the speech of [Hamas political bureau member] Khalil Al-Hayya… after the announcement of the ceasefire agreement. [5] It was a very long speech, full of flowery sentences, boring rhetoric, words of congratulation, slogans and so forth. However, he ignored the real reason for the war waged by the Muslim Brotherhood in Gaza, [6] and [ignored] the complete destruction of the city of Gaza, its facilities and its services – which is the only thing Hamas achieved with over 200,000 dead and wounded! "The Gaza war and its outcomes exposed the full scope and depth of the reality, as well as the deception of the countries that brandished the slogans of [liberating] Jerusalem so that Gaza and its people would pay the price for the continued existence of their regimes… Another discovery was the deception of the resistance axis, which proved to be a mercenary axis of international made-to-order deals. "The Gaza war will be the last Arab war and the last [Arab] defeat if the Arabs learn a lesson from its outcomes and its hidden motives, after they have not bothered to internalize [the lesson of] 75 years of defeat!" [7] Victory Is Achieved By Admitting Defeat, Even At The Hands Of The Criminal Israel Khalid bin Hamad Al-Malik, chief editor of the Saudi government daily Al-Jazirah, urged the Arabs and the resistance axis to acknowledge their defeat in order to better prepare for the next war. He stressed that he opposes Israel and yearns for its defeat, but that "the reality is different. [The reality is that Israel] has neutralized Iran, occupied the Gaza Strip and South Lebanon and carried out painful attacks against Iran and the Houthis…" He added: "Victory comes once you acknowledge defeat, even at the hands of a criminal like Israel. Victory comes after you address the reasons for the defeat and prepare for victory with action rather than words, by planning and not by means of escapades with unpredictable results. "The outcome of the Al-Aqsa Flood [i.e., Hamas' October 7 attack] was more Palestinian and Lebanese prisoners incarcerated in Israel's jails, the destruction of Gaza and South Lebanon, the death of Hamas and Hizbullah's leaders and of Iranian commanders, the occupation of Gaza and South Lebanon, thousands of people dead, wounded, displaced and missing in the Gaza Strip, and the return of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas in return for a limited number of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel… "Victory is not achieved by means of talk and rhetoric or by drugging people with misinformation and lies. We should have eliminated that culture after the 1967 war, whose outcomes shocked people in light of the information that had been spread and proved to be false." [8] [1] For example, in a speech he delivered on the Qatari Al-Jazeera channel after the January 15, 2025 announcement of the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, Khalil Al-Hayya, a member of the organization's political bureau, said that "the Al-Aqsa Flood war was an important turning point in the history of the Palestinian people," and described Hamas' October 7 attack as "a security and military miracle… that will remain a source of pride for our people and our resistance, and will be passed down from generation to generation." He added that Israel had failed to achieve its objectives in the war, including the defeat of Hamas, and promised that the jihad against it would continue. January 15, 2025. Hizbullah Secretary-General Na'im Qassem said that his organization had achieved "a victory greater than the one in 2006." See MEMRI TV Clip No. 11605, Hizbullah Secretary-General Naim Qassem: I Ocially Declare The War To Be A Victory Greater Than The One We Had In 2006; The Enemy Failed To Destroy Hizbullah, November 29, 2024. [2] Nidaa Al-Watan (Lebanon), January 28, 2025. [3] Al-Jazirah (Saudi Arabia), January 29, 2025. [4] Al-Nahhar (Lebanon), January 23, 2025. [6] Hamas is the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood movement. [7] January 17, 2025. [8] Al-Jazirah (Saudi Arabia), January 29, 2025.
Rudaw Net
03-03-2025
- Business
- Rudaw Net
Economic, security uncertainties loom for Iran amid regional, international developments: Academic
Also in Iran Iran-Syria relations conditional on fair elections: Academic Zarif resigns as Iran's VP amid cabinet turmoil US views Iraq through the lens of Iran: Former US diplomat KDPI spokesperson welcomes Ocalan's call for disarmament A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A renowned professor at Tehran University has emphasized that Iran's economy, foreign relations and security are in a precarious position due to ongoing regional and international developments. 'Three key aspects - economy, foreign relations, and security - have been threatened,' said Ebrahim Motaghi in an interview with Rudaw, elaborating that 'inflation has risen, regional fluctuations have emerged in foreign policy, and in security, Iran has lost part of its surplus power in the region.' Following a swift offensive, a coalition of opposition groups led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), headed by Ahmed al-Sharaa, on December 8 toppled the regime of Tehran's ally, Bashar al-Assad, who fled to Russia with his family. The downfall of Assad has been characterized as a major blow to the Iran-led 'Axis of Resistance,' which also includes Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas, and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza. These groups have also suffered setbacks over the past 16 months due to ongoing conflict with Israel. On the international stage, the United States President Donald Trump in early February restored the maximum pressure policy against Iran. He argued that Tehran is 'too close' to obtaining nuclear weapons, but expressed interest in negotiating a deal with Iran. In response, Iran has repeatedly denied any intentions of developing nuclear weapons and its Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei slammed negotiations with the US as 'unwise.' Motaghi told Rudaw that in light of these developments, the Iranian people are in stall for many uncertainties regarding economic policies and foreign relations. In a different vein, the Iranian academic highlighted the positive effects of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's administration, including his more relaxed implementation of the hijab law. Iran's 1979 hijab law requires all women in the country to cover their hair with a hijab and wear loose-fitting clothing in public. Tehran's Guardian Council in early December approved a stricter hijab law, which includes measures such as hefty fines for violations, the installation of CCTV cameras with facial recognition technology in state offices to identify offenders and penalties for businesses that fail to enforce the dress code. Additionally, the law also empowers ordinary citizens to report violations. Pezeshkian in December emphasized discussions are needed to determine the feasibility of the new hijab law, asserting his commitment to reformist principles. Notably, the strict hijab law came despite the nationwide protests which broke out in Iran in September 2022, and were sparked by the death of a Kurdish woman, Zhina (Mahsa) Amini, in the custody of Iran's morality police. Amini was detained for allegedly violating the dress code. Motaghi noted that 'over the past two years, debates surrounding political and social unrest have been taking place in Iran, primarily due to the systematic political paradigm for controlling hijab enforcement laws. Mr. Pezeshkian has clarified that enforcing the hijab law should not be a top priority for the government. He emphasized that every country must first ensure security and welfare before focusing on such issues' The Iranian scholar also stressed that social freedoms, including concerts, student activities, and a greater sense of hope, contribute to societal change. He emphasized that "if such conditions were met,' many value frameworks would inevitably shape the social structure in a deterministic way.
Euronews
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Huge crowds attend mass funeral of ex-Hezbollah leader Nasrallah
Hundreds of thousands of people in Beirut have attended the funeral of Hezbollah's ex-leader, Hassan Nasrallah, nearly five months after he was killed in an Israeli airstrike. Nasrallah died when Israel's air force dropped more than 80 bombs on Hezbollah's main operations centre in a southern suburb of the Lebanese capital. His death marked a significant setback for the Iran-backed group and political party, which Nasrallah had shaped into a potent force in the Middle East. One of Hezbollah's founding members, Nasrallah led the organisation for more than three decades, exerting considerable influence across the Iran-led "axis of resistance", which also included factions in Iraq, Yemen and Palestine. He became a widely recognised figure in the Arab world after Hezbollah fought Israel to a stalemate in the 2006 war. However, the group's reputation suffered after its involvement in Syria's civil war on behalf of former president, dictator Bashar al-Assad. Hezbollah had urged its supporters to attend the funeral at the Sports City Stadium in Beirut on Sunday in large numbers, seemingly as a demonstration of its continued strength despite significant losses in its 14-month conflict with Israel, which has resulted in the deaths of several senior political and military figures. A Lebanese official estimated the turnout to be around 450,000 people, while other sources suggested higher numbers. The pro-Hezbollah pan-Arab television network Al-Mayadeen reported a crowd of 1.4 million. Euronews could not independently verify these claims. "This massive crowd confirms that Hezbollah is still the most popular party at the Lebanese level, and as a result, all the talk that Hezbollah is weak or degraded is out of place," said Ali Fayyad, a lawmaker with the group's political wing, who attended the ceremony. Attendees from around the world Many mourners travelled from across Lebanon to pay their respects. "We would have come even under bullets," said Sahar al-Attar, who journeyed from the Bekaa Valley for the funeral. Giant screens along the route displayed the funeral's title: "We are committed to the covenant." Senior Hezbollah official Ali Daamoush said on Saturday that about 800 prominent figures from 65 countries were due at the funeral, alongside thousands of supporters and activists. Among those attending were Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Lebanon's parliament speaker, as well as representatives of the president and prime minister, were also present. The funeral also drew participants from outside the Middle East, including Western activists. Irish campaigner Tara O'Grady waved an Irish flag and expressed her solidarity with Lebanon. O'Grady stated that she came "to stand with the people of Lebanon and their resistance against the Zionist regime who are brutally continuing to bomb the south of Lebanon". Four Israeli warplanes flew at low altitude over Beirut while Nasrallah's coffin was paraded into the stadium. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that the fighter jets flying over the funeral "send a clear message: Whoever threatens to annihilate Israel and strike Israel — that will be his end." Hezbollah remains 'defiant' As part of the US-brokered ceasefire that ended the war with Israel on 27 November, Hezbollah is not supposed to have an armed presence along the border with Israel. The group suffered another major setback in December when the al-Assad family's decades-long rule in Syria collapsed, disrupting a key route for weapons and funding from Iran. Hezbollah's opponents have increasingly called for it to disarm and transition into a purely political organisation. However, in a televised address played during the funeral, Nasrallah's successor, Hezbollah's current Secretary-General Naim Kassem, said the group remained strong. "The resistance is still present and strong in numbers and weapons, and inevitable victory is coming," he declared. Kassem also reiterated Hezbollah's demands for Israel to withdraw from five key strategic border positions in southern Lebanon where Israeli forces remain deployed. "Israel must withdraw from the areas it still occupies," he added.
