2020-09-25: News Headlines

Eve Ottenberg (2020-09-25). Provocation on the High Seas: U.S. Naval Adventures Near the Shores of Russia, China and Iran. counterpunch.org The war on terror is slowly ending. The U.S. military will try to keep bases in Iraq and Afghanistan, but with most troops gone in the next few years, the lives of the few who remain will be at constant risk. Pressure will mount to get those soldiers out. But Pentagon bureaucrats and brass are masters of institutional infighting, and, apparently, ignoring presidential orders they don't like, so who knows how that will turn out? One thing is sure: the military's focus has shifted, from the Middle East to Russia and China. That means U.S. soldiers and materiel will continue to be in places they shouldn't, in ever g…

yenisafak (2020-09-25). Iran, Russia discussing joint production of COVID-19 vaccine. yenisafak.com Iran and Russia's sovereign wealth fund RDIF are discussing the joint production of a vaccine against COVID-19, Russian news agencies cited the Iranian ambassador to Moscow as saying on Friday."We are holding talks, I spoke with the head of RDIF Kirill Dmitriev, our officials have held several rounds of consultations and we announced that we will co-operate," Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali was cited as saying.Thus far, Russia has struck a manufacturing partnership deal with India, which is due to produce 300 million doses of the 'Sputnik-V' vaccine domestically. It is also discussing such partnerships with sev…

MEE and agencies (2020-09-24). Iran's coronavirus death toll surpasses 25,000. middleeasteye.net Iran's coronavirus death toll surpasses 25,000 | Health Ministry says 5,000 people have died from Covid-19 in past month and warns of 'third wave' | Thu, 09/24/2020 – 18: 47 | Islamic Republic has suffered worst outbreak of Covid-19 in Middle East (AFP) | The death toll from Covid-19 in Iran has surpassed 25,000, the highest total in the Middle East, with infection rates continuing to surg…

MEE correspondent (2020-09-24). Iranian press review: Middle East's highest peak gravely threatened by mining. middleeasteye.net Iranian press review: Middle East's highest peak gravely threatened by mining | Meanwhile, US sanctions lead to flu vaccine shortage and conservatives want the next president to be a military commander | Thu, 09/24/2020 – 12: 35 | Mount Damavand is under threat from mining in its foothills (Greger Ravik/flickr) | Conservatives say next president should be from military : | Conse…

South Front (2020-09-24). Video: Iran Says Houthis Use Its Military Knowhow in Battle Against Saudi Arabia. globalresearch.ca Iran has supplied Ansar Allah (also known as the Houthis) with technical expertise and know-how, a spokesman for the Iranian Armed Forces Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi said on September 22. However, the general claimed that Yemeni forces "have learned how …

Stephen Lendman (2020-09-24). Russia Intends Military Cooperation with Iran When UN Arms Embargo Expires. globalresearch.ca On issues related to the JCPOA nuclear deal and expiring UN arms embargo on Iran next month, the Trump regime is isolated on the world stage. | Commenting on its unlawful imposition of what it called "snapback" sanctions on Iran, its …

yenisafak (2020-09-24). US to announce more Iran sanctions on Thursday, top envoy says. yenisafak.com The United States will slap new sanctions on a number of Iranian officials and entities including a judge who sentenced Iranian wrestler Navid Afkari to death, U.S. Special Representative for Iran and Venezuela Elliott Abrams told a hearing at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday.Navid Afkari was executed earlier this month after being convicted of stabbing a security guard to death during anti-government protests in 2018, Iranian state media reported, in a case that has sparked international outcry. Iran's Supreme Court rejected a review of the case in late August.

WSWS (2020-09-24). Iran: Reopening of schools fuels resurgence of coronavirus. wsws.org According to Iran's health minister, as of August 22, at least 164 medical workers had lost their lives fighting the pandemic.

_____ (2020-09-24). One Hundred Seconds Till The Apocalypse. popularresistance.org Since 1947, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has adjusted its Doomsday Clock to provide humanity with an expert estimate of just how close all of us are to an apocalyptic "midnight" — that is, nuclear annihilation. A century ago, there was, of course, no need for such a measure. Back then, the largest explosion ever caused by humans had likely occurred in Halifax, Canada, in 1917, when a munitions ship collided with another vessel, in that city's harbor. That tragic blast killed nearly 2,000, wounded another 9,000, and left 6,000 homeless, but it didn't imperil the planet.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-24). Martyrs teaching new generations to be no afraid of enemy. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 24 (MNA) — Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei noted that martyrs have taught the generations of the Iranian people to not be afraid of the enemy.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-24). Iran's COVID-19 death toll tops 25,000. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 24 (MNA) — According to the Iranian Health Ministry, more than 25,000 people have died due to the COVID-19 since the start of the outbreak.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-24). US must compensate for damage caused to Iranian nation. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 24 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the US must compensate for the damage it caused to the Iranian nation.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-24). Rouhani felicities National Day of Armenia. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 24 (MNA) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani congratulated National Day of the Republic of Armenia in separate messages to the president and prime minister of the country.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-24). Sports, tourism key pillars in boosting vitality, health. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 24 (MNA) — At the inauguration ceremony of 422 projects on Thursday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani noted that Sport and tourism are two key pillars in boosting vitality and health in society.

Staff (2020-09-24). We Are Closer to Nuclear Annihilation Than We Have Ever Been. truthout.org Whether you're reading this with your morning coffee, just after lunch, or on the late shift in the wee small hours of the morning, it's 100 seconds to midnight. That's just over a minute and a half. And that should be completely unnerving. It's the closest to that witching hour we've ever been. | Since 1947, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has adjusted its Doomsday Clock to provide humanity with an expert estimate of just how close all of us are to an apocalyptic "midnight" — that is, nuclear an…

yenisafak (2020-09-24). Turkey says dialogue with EU crucial in East Med tensions. yenisafak.com A senior Turkish diplomat on Thursday urged dialogue and cooperation between the country and the EU on the Eastern Mediterranean as a way to contribute to security, stability and prosperity in the region. Deputy Foreign Minister Yavuz Selim Kiran was speaking at the International Conference on the Eastern Mediterranean, organized by Turkey's Communications Directorate, after making a presentation on Turkey's priorities in the region, as well as its vision of fairness and cooperation.Dialogue between Turkey and the EU is crucial for the Eastern Mediterranean, said Kiran at the videoconference, urging Brussels to w…

yenisafak (2020-09-24). Iran 'coordinates steps in Syria with Russia, Turkey'. yenisafak.com The Syrian issue requires an exceptional strategy, and Iran coordinates its steps in Syria with Russia and Turkey, the Iranian foreign minister said Thursday."There are serious problems in our region," Javad Zarif told Iranian media during his visit to the Russian capital Moscow."Syrian issue requires special coordination. We coordinate our steps with Turkey and Russia in Syria under Astana process."The Astana peace process to end the Syrian conflict was launched in January 2017 by Turkey, Russia, and Iran.Since the eruption of the bloody civil war in Syria in 2011, thousands of people died, millions fled the cou…

_____ (2020-09-23). 'Confirmed' Has Become a Meaningless Word in Mainstream News Reporting. strategic-culture.org Caitlin JOHNSTONE | Last week Politico published a The claim was nonsensical on its face; the idea that Iran would see the assassination of some random ambassador to an irrelevant country as a proportionate…

Anya Parampil (2020-09-23). US & allies ignore Colombia political assassinations. thegrayzone.com Red Lines host Anya Parampil speaks with human rights lawyer Santiago Salinas Miranda about a wave of massacres and political assassinations sweeping Colombia. They discuss the Colombian government's role in the murders and ask why the international community has turned a blind eye to the killings.

MEE staff (2020-09-23). Saudi King Salman delivers scathing attack on Iran in UN speech. middleeasteye.net Saudi King Salman delivers scathing attack on Iran in UN speech | Saudi monarch suggests kingdom backs its Gulf neighbours' normalisation deals with Israel on second day of UN General Assembly | Wed, 09/23/2020 – 17: 09 | 'We support the efforts of the current US administration to achieve peace in the Middle East,' Saudi Arabia's Salman says (AFP/File photo) | Saudi Arabia's King Salman delivered a scathing at…

Melvin Goodman (2020-09-23). Arming the Planet: the USA as the World's Leading Weapons Dealer. counterpunch.org For the past several decades, the United States has been the world's leading producer of major weapons systems and the leader in global arms sales. More of these sales have taken place in the globe's most volatile region, the Middle East, than in any other region of the world. The so-called peace deals between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrein, which were brokered by the United States, were business deals designed to expand U.S. arms sales in the Persian Gulf.

pip.hinman (2020-09-23). Inner West council takes a stand against uranium. greenleft.org.au

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-09-23). Washington Is Left Isolated as It Passes Renewed Sanctions Against Iran. globalresearch.ca After the US State Department claimed that Tehran did not meet the terms of the "nuclear deal," Washington renewed its anti-Iranian sanctions on Monday. The UN and the EU found the claims made by Washington to be unconvincing and refused …

Peter Koenig (2020-09-23). Iran — US Sanctions — Unilateralism — Turning the Clock Back to Before the Nuclear Deal. globalresearch.ca Background | Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has slammed US sanctions against his country, saying they are a flagrant violation of the UN charter. | In an address to the UN General Assembly, Rouhani said the Iranian nation successfully withstood the US maximum …

_____ (2020-09-23). US Bully In Last Chance Saloon. popularresistance.org US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced this week the reimposition of international sanctions against Iran. Trouble is nobody is listening to Washington's remonstrations any longer. Not only has the emperor no clothes, he's lost bullying power too. | The Trump administration asserts it has the legal right to invoke "snapback" UN sanctions on Iran over Washington's baseless allegations that Tehran is in breach of the 2015 international nuclear accord. This is in spite of the fact that the American side forfeited its legal rights when it unilaterally quit the nuclear deal in May 2018.

Press TV (2020-09-23). Iran: US Sanctions Unilateralism. dissidentvoice.org PressTV Interview — slightly enhanced transcript Background Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has slammed U-S sanctions against his country, saying they are a flagrant violation of the UN charter. In an address to the UN General Assembly, Rouhani said the Iranian nation successfully withstood the U-S maximum pressure campaign. He added, Iran even flourished under the …

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-23). Iran, Sweden study avenues to send food, medical aid to yemen. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 23 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister's Senior Assistant for Special Political Affairs and Sweden's Special Envoy for Yemen held an online meeting and explored possible avenues for disptaching food and medicine to Yemeni people.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-23). IRGC Drones Trace US Aircraft Carrier Fleet. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 23 (MNA) — IRGC Navy Commander Rear Admiral Ali Reza Tangsiri announced on Wednesday that the US Nimitz-Class aircraft carrier and its escorts were monitored by home-made drones at the entrance of the Persian Gulf.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-23). Tunisia always played a positive role in addressing IW issues. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 23 (MNA) — Iranian Parliament Speaker's Special Aide for International Affairs said that Tunisia has always played a constructive and positive role in addressing issues of the Islamic World (IW).

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-23). Trump mistakes United Nations for United States once again. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 23 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman said that Trump mistook the United Nations for the United States once again.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-23). Iran, Russia seeking to expand scientific cooperation. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 23 (MNA) — Iran's Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali met and held talks with the special assistant to the Russian president for science and technology Andrei Fursenko on Wednesday.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-23). 'That night's train' to be screened at Cinekid Festival. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 23 (MNA) — Iranian movie 'That night's train' by Hamidreza Ghotbi is to be screed at Cinekid Festival in Amsterdam, this October.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-23). Iran's qanats symbolize patience, hard work. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 24 (MNA) — Over the centuries, qanats have served as the main supplier of fresh water in arid regions of Iran, and thus helped harmonize the population distribution across the country.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-23). How effective was JCPOA in Iran's economic growth? en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 24 (MNA) — Some argue that the signing of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) had a great impact on the country's economic growth; the statistics, however, tell a different story.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-23). Restoration of Pahlavi one of Saddam's goal to invade Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 23 (MNA) — In an interview with Mehr News Agency, Anthony Tucker-Jones talked of Saddam's intentions and miscalculations in attacking Iran, including his attempt for the restoration of the royal family, Pahlavi.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-23). Inauguration of Holy Defense museums and exhibitions in Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 23 (MNA) — An exhibition with the theme of Sacred Defense was inaugurated on Wed. with the presence of Parliament's Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Major General Bagheri at the Islamic Revolution & Holy Defense Museum.

sputniknews (2020-09-23). Photos: Iranian Drone Makes Close Pass Over US Navy's Nimitz Aircraft Carrier in Persian Gulf. sputniknews.com Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has released several close-up photos of the US Navy's aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and ships from its strike group, which entered the Persian Gulf last week.

yenisafak (2020-09-23). Saudi king calls for comprehensive solution on Iran. yenisafak.com He said Iran has exploited a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers "to intensify its expansionist activities, creates its terrorist networks, and use terrorism," adding that this had produced nothing but "chaos, extremism, and sectarianism.""A comprehensive solution and a firm international position are required," he told the 193-member General Assembly in a video statement, pre-recorded due to the coronavirus pandemic.

yenisafak (2020-09-23). Two Pakistan Army troops killed in Kashmir border clash. yenisafak.com Two Pakistani army soldiers were killed in a clash along the Kashmir border with India, the military said on Wednesday.The clash, the latest in a string of border skirmishes, took place along the Line of Control (LoC) — a de facto border that splits the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir between the two arch rivals."During intense exchange of fire, Sepoy Noor ul Hassan, 29, and Sepoy Waseem Ali, 25 embraced shahadat (martyrdom)," according to a statement."There have been 2,333 cease-fire violations by Indian troops in 2020, " the statement further said.Long-fraught relations between the two South Asian nuclear…

Andrew Korybko (2020-09-22). The US' Nuclear START Ultimatum to Russia Risks. New Nuclear Arms Race? Provoking the Unthinkable? globalresearch.ca The previously unthinkable scenario of the US and Russia returning to nuclear brinkmanship with one another is once again on the cards after America's START ultimatum to the Eurasian Great Power. | *** | What Could Be Worse Than The Cuban Missile …

Andrew Korybko (2020-09-22). The US' Nuclear START Ultimatum to Russia. New Nuclear Arms Race? Provoking the Unthinkable? globalresearch.ca The previously unthinkable scenario of the US and Russia returning to nuclear brinkmanship with one another is once again on the cards after America's START ultimatum to the Eurasian Great Power. | *** | What Could Be Worse Than The Cuban Missile …

Philip Giraldi (2020-09-22). A Peace Deal Like No Other: Much Ado About Nothing, But Act 2 Is Coming Up. thealtworld.com It is odd that the White House is gloating over its claimed peace agreement in the Middle East at the same time as one of the signatories is bombing Syria, Lebanon and Gaza. It all suggests that peace in the region will exclude designated enemies and the friends of those enemies, since the ties among the three parties — Israel, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain — is transparently in part an offensive alliance directed against Iran and its friends, to include Syria and Lebanon. A significant amount of the horse trading that preceded the gala signing ceremony in the White House involved who would g…

WSWS (2020-09-22). US escalates military intervention in Syria. wsws.org The bolstering of the US force with another 100 troops, armored vehicles, and air power heightens the threat of confrontation between the world's two biggest nuclear powers.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-22). US sanctions not to affect Iran-Russia coop.: Ryabkov. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 22 (MNA) — Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that the US new sanctions will have no effect on Moscow's collaboration with Tehran.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-22). Iran registers 3,712 COVID-19 cases in 24 hours. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 22 (MNA) — The Iranian Health Ministry has confirmed 3,712 COVID-19 infections and 178 deaths due to the disease in the past 24 hours.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-22). Kabul to host largest Iran's energy exhibition: TPOI chief. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 22 (MNA) —The first exhibition of Iran's technical and engineering services in the field of water, electricity and energy will be inaugurated in Afghanistan's capital today, said an official in Ministry of Industry, mine and trade.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-22). Erdogan calls for diplomacy to resolve Iran's nuclear program. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 22 (MNA) —Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for diplomacy to resolve Iran's nuclear program entitled "JCPOA", adding that structure of the United Nations must be reformed and corrected.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-22). Ghasemi urges France to support Iranians against US pressure. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 22 (MNA) — Iranian Ambassador to Paris Bahram Ghasemi urged the French parliamentary members to support Iranians against US sanctions.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-22). Cultural exhibition of Sacred Defense in Ardabil. en.mehrnews.com ARDABIL, Sep. 22 (MNA) — On the occasion of the national Sacred Defense Week, annual commemoration of the 1980—1988 Iran—Iraq War, the cultural exhibition of Sacred Defense was inaugurated in Iran's northwestern province Ardabil.

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-22). Iranian illustrators honored at Moscow Image of the Book. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 22 (MNA) — Some Iranian artists have been honored in the International Illustration and Book Design Competition, Image of the Book in Moscow, Russia.