There will be no new agreement reviving the Iran Deal until after the November elections in the US, if ever

There will be no new agreement reviving the Iran Deal until after the November elections in the US, if ever

    Thursday, September 08, 2022   No comments

When the EU submitted what it called the final draft of an agreement that would allow the US to rejoin the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), commonly known as the Iran Deal, and when EU foreign policy coordinator described Iran’s response to the text as “reasonable”, many observers thought that a signing was just days away. Now, after receiving the US response to the text, many are skeptical that a deal is possible. Considering all the factors at play, it is unlikely that the US administration will be able to sign off on a deal before the midterm general elections. That is our best informed prediction, regardless of what the reporting seem to suggest. The conflicting statements, over this past few days, appear to bolster this prediction.

Just today, Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian stressed that Iran is still in the process of reaching a good, strong and sustainable agreement, but that America should refrain from using vague literature in the draft final text of the agreement.

 

Amir Abdullahian's statements came during a telephone conversation with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, during which they discussed and exchanged views on bilateral, regional and international issues and negotiations to lift the embargo.

 

In turn, Wang Yi said: "We reject unilateralism at the international level and support Iran's reasonable demands in the nuclear negotiations."

 

Today, the Coordinator of Strategic Communications in the US National Security Council, John Kirby, confirmed that the United States at the present moment is not close to an agreement with Iran on a deal regarding its nuclear program.

 

Earlier, the European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said he was "less optimistic" about a quick agreement to revive the Iran nuclear deal than he was a short time ago.

Russia’s war strategy in Ukraine and the role of the Chechen armed forces

Russia’s war strategy in Ukraine and the role of the Chechen armed forces

    Thursday, September 08, 2022   No comments

The war strategy in Ukraine is now emerging: use air and missile strikes to degrade Ukrainian defensive positions and then send the infantry forces to clear and hold territories. That is what happened in the city of Mariupol during the first four months of the operation, and this is what is happening now in the south near Kharkov and in the east. In Mariupol and the Donbas region, the infantry consisted mainly of 10,000 Chechen troops. Those forces returned home in June. Since then, there appeared little progress on the ground but constant bombardment from air and from distance. 

With Ukrainian troops leaving their defensive positions in the south to execute a plan to retake Kharkov and push Russian forces east of the river, Russian forces were able to target the exposed Ukrainian troops and plan for the next phase, which appear to aim at taking more ground and increasing the buffer zone it has created around the areas that will be declared autonomous republics. This is where ground troops will be needed. Again, Chechen armed forces seem to be the go-to option. Today, Chechen officials arranged for the transport of thousands of elite fighters who will be deployed in areas “beyond the Donbas” region.

Meanwhile, today, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that its forces repelled an attack by Ukrainian forces on the Kharkov axis, inflicting losses on the attacking forces of more than 50 people.

According to the ministry, the nationalist battalion "Kraken" opened fire on the retreating, killing most of them.

The Defense Ministry also announced the downing of eight Ukrainian drones over the Kharkov and Kherson provinces, as well as the interception of two American-made AGM-88 Harm missiles over the Antonov Bridge area.

The Russian Air Defense Forces also intercepted a "Tochka-O" ballistic missile in the Bezymyanoy district of Kherson Province, and 48 missiles, including 44 "Himars" missiles, were intercepted in the "Mozikovka", "Znamenka", "Vesuloye" and "Kamenka" regions, "Darievka", "Novaya Kakhovka", "Perslav", "Dnebriani" and "Tomarino".

Simultaneously, the Ministry announced that the units of the 72nd Ukrainian Mechanized Brigade, in the Artemovsk region of the Donetsk People's Republic, refused to carry out orders and left their positions and left, due to heavy losses, low equipment, and lack of fire support.

Also, the Ukrainian forces lost another 350 personnel on the Nikolaev-Krivoy Rok axes, during the past 24 hours, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

"During the day, the Kyiv regime continued its unsuccessful attempts to conduct offensive operations on the Nikolaev-Kryvi Rok axes," the ministry said in a statement.

Video documenting Chechen armed forces deployment to Ukraine:

From the Croatian capital, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan: Ukrainian grain is exported to rich countries but not poor ones

From the Croatian capital, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan: Ukrainian grain is exported to rich countries but not poor ones

    Thursday, September 08, 2022   No comments

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his country wants to start exporting grain from Russia as well, similar to the export of Ukrainian grain.

Speaking at a press conference with his Croatian counterpart, Zoran Milanovic, in the capital Zagreb, which he is visiting as part of a tour of the Balkans, Erdogan added, "Grains are exported to rich countries, but not poor ones. Unfortunately, Ukrainian grain is exported to rich countries but not poor ones."

Erdogan recalled the words of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his annoyance over the export of Ukrainian grain to countries that impose sanctions on Russia.

He continued, "There is a delay in the start of grain exports from Russia, and I will discuss this issue in detail during my meeting with President Putin next week, and all we hope for is that the grain reaches poor countries."

And he added: "Most of all this is the issue of energy. Energy prices are rising. Now Europe is confused about how to face the next winter, and I hope this crisis ends well."

The Turkish President and his Croatian counterpart chaired the meeting of the two countries' delegations, after the end of their bilateral meeting at the Croatian Presidential Palace in the capital Zagreb.

On Wednesday, Putin stressed that "the West was not fair enough regarding the grain shipment deal from Ukraine, because most of the grain shipments did not go to the poorest developing countries, but to Europe."

Earlier, Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzia, said that "Ukrainian grain ships are heading to places other than those they were intended to go to."

Last July 22, a Russian-Ukrainian memorandum of understanding was signed in Istanbul, under the auspices of the United Nations Secretariat, on facilitating the movement of Russian food products and fertilizers on world markets.

In another context, the Turkish president announced that the volume of trade exchange between Turkey and Croatia amounted to $900 million last year.

Russian-Chinese agreement: “Siberia Power” gas payments in rubles and yuan

Russian-Chinese agreement: “Siberia Power” gas payments in rubles and yuan

    Tuesday, September 06, 2022   No comments

Russia's Gazprom and China's CNPC have agreed to transfer payments for gas supplied through the "Siberia Power" to the ruble and yuan.

In a related context, the Russian government is studying a proposal saying that "Moscow may buy between three and four billion dollars worth of Chinese yuan, per month, until the end of the year, to help stop the rise of the ruble."

On August 12, the Chinese ambassador to Russia, Zhang Hanhui, announced Friday that "China will continue to increase national currency settlements in trade with Russia."

"Currently, the sanctions imposed by the United States and other Western countries on Russia have caused certain obstacles in trade cooperation between Russia and China. The competent authorities of the two countries need to improve coordination and interaction in order to solve all the difficulties associated with this," the ambassador told Sputnik.

In related news, and commenting on the energy crisis in Europe, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said today, Tuesday, that Europe will witness a difficult winter against the background of the gas crisis, stressing that Russia was forced to use this weapon after European sanctions, noting that "Turkey does not face that problem."

"Ankara does not have a gas problem, and Putin was forced to use the gas weapon against Europe's position and its sanctions," Erdogan told reporters, before heading to the Balkan countries, including Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia.

The Turkish president explained that "Europe will live in a difficult situation this winter because of the gas outage... However, we do not have any problem with natural gas so far," noting that "Europe is reaping the fruits of what it sowed by taking measures and decisions against Russia, and the latter used the weapons that it has sown." With her hand, the most important of which is gas.

A document seen by Reuters on Monday showed that European Union energy ministers are set to discuss options to rein in high energy prices, including setting gas price caps and emergency credit lines for energy market participants.

On August 28, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, said that the European Union will face, in the short term, serious challenges with regard to sanctions imposed on Russia, due to the situation in Ukraine.

Macron: Dialogue with Russia must continue; Iran: Iran: A senior European president asked Iran's president, Raisi, to mediate in the Ukrainian crisis

Macron: Dialogue with Russia must continue; Iran: Iran: A senior European president asked Iran's president, Raisi, to mediate in the Ukrainian crisis

    Thursday, September 01, 2022   No comments

 Macron: Dialogue with Russia must continue

French President Emmanuel Macron called today for the continuation of dialogue with Russia, stressing that "we must assume that we can always continue talking with everyone", especially "with whom we do not agree."

"Who wants Turkey to be the only power in the world that continues to talk to Russia?" Macron asked in front of the French ambassadors meeting at the Elysee Palace.

He continued, "We should not give in to any form of wrong morale that may make us helpless," stressing that "the diplomat's profession is to talk to everyone, especially people with whom we do not agree."

He added, "We will continue to do this ... in coordination with our allies," recalling that "the division of Europe" is "one of the objectives of Russia's war."

The French president is one of the few European leaders who spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin after Russia's military operation in Ukraine on February 24, in a strategy that has been criticized.

The last phone call between the French president and his Russian counterpart dates back to August 19, during which they discussed the situation at the Zaporizhia nuclear plant and the organization of a visit by a team from the International Atomic Energy Agency to the facility.

For his part, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan played the role of mediator between Moscow and Kiev at the beginning of the war. An agreement was reached between Moscow and Kiev in July in Istanbul, under the auspices of Ankara and the United Nations, to export Ukrainian grain from the ports bordering the Black Sea.

Iran: A senior European president asked Iran's president, Raisi, to mediate in the Ukrainian crisis

The Iranian President's Assistant for Political Affairs, Mohammad Jamshidi, revealed that "one of the senior presidents of Western Europe asked Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to help mediate a solution to the war crisis in Europe."

And he said in a tweet on Twitter, "After assessing the matter, an initiative was developed that the Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, would bring to Moscow with an important message."

For its part, the Iranian news agency ISNA revealed that "the Western president who asked Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi to mediate a solution to the war crisis in Europe is French President Emmanuel Macron."

It is noteworthy that Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian is visiting Moscow today to hold consultations with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.

Before leaving Iran, Amir Abdollahian said, "Western parties want Iran to play an active role in resolving the Ukrainian crisis."

Russia's Complex and complicated relations with Iran--Religion, communism, Islam, Gorbachev, Khomeini, Putin and Khamenei

Russia's Complex and complicated relations with Iran--Religion, communism, Islam, Gorbachev, Khomeini, Putin and Khamenei

    Tuesday, August 30, 2022   No comments

About 33 years ago, the founder and the first leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran sent a letter to the (would be last) leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, to tell him, among other things, that he "must face the truth: the principal problem of your country is not the question of property, economy and liberty, but the lack of true belief in God. The same problem has led or will lead the West to decadence and deadlock." Khomeini died six months after sending the letter, on June 3, 1989, at the age of 86. The Soviet Union, which was officially known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, was dissolved on December 26, 1991--at the age of 69, when Vladimir Putin, now the president of Russia, was 39 years old. Gorbachev died today, August 30, 2022, at the age of 91. Putin, now 69, just visited Iran (July 19, 2022) to establish a strategic partnership with Iran, now led by Khomeini’s successor, Ali Khamenei, 83 years old, who was 50 years old and president of Iran when the letter was sent. The Picture of the current two leaders, Putin and Khamenei, may capture the transformation the two nation-states and these two leaders went through.

The letter is being republished here to reflect on where these two countries (and the world) and these two leaders were then and where they are now.

Environmental degradation is a crime whose effects are disproportionately shouldered by the poor and the future of humanity--the childen

Environmental degradation is a crime whose effects are disproportionately shouldered by the poor and the future of humanity--the childen

    Monday, August 29, 2022   No comments

Pardon this editorial rant; but it has to be said; for the lives lost, and the lives to be lost, the lives that did not have to be lost if it were not for our greed and gluttony.

-- The Editors

Muqtada al-Sadr's attempts to form a goverment to his liking reached a deaded so he decided to retire from politics; What are the reasons that prompted Mr. Muqtada al-Sadr to retire now?

Muqtada al-Sadr's attempts to form a goverment to his liking reached a deaded so he decided to retire from politics; What are the reasons that prompted Mr. Muqtada al-Sadr to retire now?

    Monday, August 29, 2022   No comments

After many tweets announcing steps to force his will and dissolve the parliament in favor of another elections, Muqtada al-Sadr abruptly quits politics and attacks a senior religious scholar.

Muqtada al-Sadr paved the way for his sudden decision, after many tweets, to protest against the political process, combat corruption, and call for demonstrations and sit-ins.

It is important to note that al-Sadr retired from politics, but did not call on his supporters to end their sit-ins and return to their homes.

Muqtada al-Sadr's supporters, after hearing about his decision to retire, went to the Republican Palace and there were attempts to storm it.

His quitting like this is akin to starting a fire and leaving it to someone else to put it out. For this is not the first time that al-Sadr has brandished the weapons of the street in the face of his opponents. Today's storming of the Republican Palace was preceded by a lightning storming of Parliament, in the past few days. His retirement today comes, in what appears to be an attempt to evade responsibility for what matters may develop into, despite Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi's pleas for him to "help in calling on the demonstrators to withdraw from government institutions."

The head of the Regional Center for Studies, Ali Al-Saheb Al-Iraqi, confirmed that Muqtada Al-Sadr's decision may have come as a result of political pressures, heavy balances, and many accusations, especially after the al-Hairi reference stated that he would withdraw from the religious leadership (marja`iyya).

Ali Al-Saheb Al-Iraqi stressed that the security services are expected to intervene to restore calm and stability, and perhaps Mr. Al-Sadr will return to his audience if he feels that this audience is starting to escalate, and it is not excluded that there are parties or people pushing the Sadrist movement to escalate.

Ali al-Saheb al-Iraqi explained that the judiciary is expected to issue a decision to return members of the Sadrist movement to parliament.

According to Iraqi sources, the head of the Sadrist movement in Iraq, Muqtada al-Sadr, announced his final retirement and the closure of institutions, except for the Holy Shrine and the Noble Museum.

Mr. Al-Sadr's office issued a decree prohibiting any activity in the name of the Sadrist movement, as well as the raising of slogans, media, political chants and others in the name of the Sadrist movement.

Al-Sadr's office also banned the use of media, including social media platforms, in the name of the Sadrist movement.

In a tweet, Sadr seems to respond directly to al-Hairi, accusing him of being untruthful about the reasons behind his actions.

The religious authority, Ayatollah Sayyid Kazem Al-Haeri, issued a statement, announcing that he would not serve in the marja`iyya because of illness and advancing age, and decided to drop all agencies and permissions issued by him or by his offices and not to receive any legal rights from his agents and representatives on his behalf as of the date of this announcement .

Below is the text of the statement:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Praise be to God by the weight of His Throne and the ink of His words, and what His Book has enumerated and His knowledge encompasses. And prayers and peace be upon the Prophet of God, who was sent as a mercy to the worlds, Muhammad bin Abdullah, and his pure family.

God Almighty said in the text of His Book: “God does not burden a soul beyond its capacity” Surah Al-Baqarah: verse: 286. Believe God Almighty.

There is no doubt that one of the most important responsibilities and the greatest trusts in the era of the absence of the Imam Al-Hujjah (may God Almighty hasten his reappearance) is that the jurists who gather the conditions of the nation’s affairs and protect its interests in general and in particular, through issuing fatwas and clarifying the legal rulings, and giving instructions and directives, and everything that would preserve its entity, its dignity and its dignity. risks reported.

And after God Almighty enabled me to be a student at the hands of my teacher, the Great Ayatollah, the martyred master Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr (may God be pleased with him), I assumed this responsibility and did my best to achieve the goals for which he was martyred, to the extent of my ability, and to sponsor Islamic work in the Iraq of Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) and support authentic Islam. And protecting the believers, especially the Iraqi society, from the machinations of foreign colonizers.

It is clear that among the necessities of carrying out this great responsibility is the availability of physical health and the ability to follow the affairs of the nation, but today, when my health and physical strength are deteriorating due to illness and advancing age, I feel that it prevents me from performing the duties placed on my shoulders - as I used to perform them before - In a manner that does not achieve perfection and satisfaction, therefore, I declare not to continue to address this heavy and great responsibility, to drop all agencies and permissions issued by us or by our offices, and not to receive any legitimate rights by our agents and representatives on our behalf as of the date of this announcement.

I must have some last words to recommend to my faithful children:

First: All believers must obey the leader, the leader of the Islamic Revolution, His Eminence Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei (may his shadow be long), for His Eminence is the best and most qualified to lead the nation and manage the struggle with the forces of oppression and arrogance in these circumstances in which the forces of infidelity and evil have fought against the original Muhammadan Islam.

Second: I advise my children in our beloved Iraq to do the following:

A- Preserving unity and harmony among them and not making room for colonialism, Zionism and their agents by igniting the fire of sedition and strife among believers, and knowing that their common enemy is America, Zionism and their cowards, so let them be tough against the infidels and merciful among them.

B - The liberation of Iraq from any foreign occupation and from any presence of any security or military force, especially the American forces that perched on the chest of our wounded Iraq under various pretexts, and not allowing them to remain in Iraq, the country of sacred things, and that keeping them is one of the greatest prohibitions in God Almighty, as we have clarified. in previous data.

C- I call upon those who stand up to positions and responsibilities to carry out their legitimate functions that they pledged to the people to fulfill, and to stay away from narrow personal and factional interests, which have inflicted calamities on the oppressed Iraqi people. This is security for them, pride for the people, and stability for the country.

D- Scholars, religious seminary students, cultural elites, and conscious and sincere writers should work to educate the people, so that they can distinguish between enemy and friend and realize the reality of their interests and so that they will not be overlooked and belittled and disobeyed from them in what they do not know and do not benefit them, and so that they become acquainted with the machinations and conspiracies of the enemies, or their origins. At least they do not fall prey to their malicious and misguided goals.

E- The sons of the two martyrs (may God sanctify their secret) must know that the love of the two martyrs is not sufficient unless faith is combined with their approach to righteous work and true adherence to their goals for which they sacrificed themselves. (May God be pleased with them both), or he addresses the leadership in their name while he lacks ijtihad or the rest of the conditions required for legal leadership, then he is - in fact - not a Sadrist, no matter what he claims or affiliation with.

F- I recommend to all believers in our holy mobilization that it must be supported and supported as an independent force that is not integrated into all other forces, for it is the fortified fortress, the striking hand and the force majeure for those who are stalking the security of the country and the interests of its people alongside the rest of the Iraqi armed forces, as we have repeatedly stated and affirmed.

G- The Baathists, the criminals, the corrupt, and the agents must be kept away from positions and responsibilities in the country, and they should not be empowered in any way. They do not want the best for you, and they only care about their partisan interests and serving their masters from the colonialists, the Zionists and their cowards.

________________________________________

al-Hairi's statement

al-Sadr response to al-Hairi

Accusations exchanged between Bashagha and Dabaiba over the victims of the Tripoli clashes

Accusations exchanged between Bashagha and Dabaiba over the victims of the Tripoli clashes

    Sunday, August 28, 2022   No comments

Today, Sunday, the Prime Minister of the Libyan government designated by Parliament, Fathi Bashagha, blamed the Prime Minister of the Libyan National Unity Government, Abdel Hamid Dabaiba, for the recent clashes in Tripoli, which resulted in the killing of 32 people.

Clashes have continued in Tripoli, Libya, since Friday, between forces loyal to the Bashagha government, which won the confidence of Parliament last March, and others loyal to the Dabaiba government, which stemmed from political agreements sponsored by the United Nations.

A statement issued by Bashagha's office said today, "We confirm that the so-called Abdel Hamid al-Dabaiba ... and his armed gangs are responsible for the blood that was shed and the money looted, and are responsible for what will happen," accusing the Dabaiba government of "clinging to power and not accepting the will of the Libyans and the principle of deliberation." peaceful authority.

On the other hand, the head of the Libyan National Unity Government, Abdel Hamid al-Dabaiba, confirmed that a "coup group" had mobilized on the borders of Tripoli from its eastern, southern and western borders, but the "aggression" was defeated.

Commenting on the renewed clashes in Tripoli, Dabaiba said, in a televised speech today, that "the coup group mobilized on the western, southern and eastern borders of Tripoli and booby-trapped the capital's neighborhoods."

"The parallel government project has failed and the Libyan people refuse to extend it," he added.

Earlier today, the Libyan Presidential Council called for the country to be spared any possible war, considering that "every weapon is directed at the chests of its countrymen, and that innocent women, men and children are at the forefront of its victims, and that its fire will damage private and public property."

The fighting has raised fears of a wider conflict in Libya due to the political standoff between Prime Minister Abdel Hamid Dabaiba in Tripoli and Fathi Bashagha, who is seeking to install a new government in the capital. This is the second attempt by Bashagha to seize Tripoli since May.

And the Ministry of Health stated, earlier today, that "32 people were killed in the fighting yesterday, Saturday, and 159 others were wounded."

Calm prevailed in the Libyan capital, in the early hours of Sunday morning, after a day of the heaviest clashes there in two years, killing 32 people and wounding 159 others, at a time when forces allied with a parliament-backed administration failed to expel the Tripoli-based government.

The city's roads were crowded with cars, shops opened, and people removed broken glass and other debris left by Saturday's violence, while burning cars were scattered in some streets in central Tripoli.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune meeting with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune meeting with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron

    Sunday, August 28, 2022   No comments

 

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced that he had agreed with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, to "establish a full partnership between their two countries in the light of mutual respect."

During a joint press conference with Macron, who arrived in Algeria today for a 3-day official visit, Tebboune said: "I agreed with Macron to establish a full partnership in light of the principles of respect and a balance of trust between the two countries... We aspire to enhance trade exchange between Algeria and France."

"I discussed with Macron the situation in Libya, Mali, the Sahel and Western Sahara," he added.

For his part, Macron told his Algerian counterpart: "We have a common, complex and painful past, which contributed somewhat to not looking at the future... We have to look at this past with the will of truth... Let's open the archives from the beginning of the (French) occupation to independence without taboos... And this in order to build the future.

The French president considered that "we did not choose the past, but rather we inherited it, and we have the responsibility to build the future for ourselves and for future generations."

French President Macron arrived in Algeria today, Thursday, "hoping to build trade relations and turn the page on a diplomatic dispute," and was received by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

Relations with Algeria became more important for France, because the Russian special military operation in Ukraine led to an increase in Europe's demand for North African gas, and because of the increased migration across the Mediterranean.

 It is noteworthy that Algeria canceled, today also, the entry visa of the chief rabbi of France, "Haim Corsia" because of his support for "Israel", according to what a reliable source told "Al-Mayadeen", who stressed that "Algeria will not be drawn towards normalization and rejects it in all its forms, and it is firm on the Supporting just causes, most notably Palestine and Western Sahara.

Last July, Tebboune sent a congratulatory message to his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, on the occasion of his re-election for a second presidential term, in which he expressed his "satisfaction with the quality of our personal relationship characterized by trust and affection, and with the developments achieved, albeit relatively, by the Algerian-French partnership."

In it, Macron called for a visit to Algeria "soon, to launch together a dynamic that pushes forward in dealing with major issues, and to intensify and expand Algerian-French relations."

Last March, the Algerian president declared that the "crimes of French colonialism" in Algeria will not be subject to a statute of limitations, calling for a "fair treatment of the file of memory and history in an atmosphere of frankness and trust."

This came after relations between the two countries fell to their lowest level, when Macron said he doubted the existence of an "Algerian nation" before French colonialism.