Iranian leaders reject Trump
claims, affirm national unity
April 23rd, 8:10pm
Al Mayadeen English
Iranian officials dismiss US President Donald Trump’s claims of
internal divisions, stressing unity, institutional cohesion, and
coordinated response.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, rejected US' claims of internal
political divisions in Iran, affirming that the country stands
unified ------- in the face of external pressure.
Their statements came in response to remarks by US President
Donald Trump, who alleged the existence of internal conflict
within Iran’s political system.
In separate posts on the platform X, both officials stressed that
political labels such as “hardliners” and “moderates” do not
reflect the reality in Iran.
“In our Iran, there are no hardliners or moderates. We are all
Iranians and revolutionaries,” the statements read. "And
with the iron unity of the nation and the state, with
complete obedience to the Supreme Leader of
the Revolution, we will make the criminal
aggressor ---- regret it."
They added --- that national unity, alongside adherence to the
leadership of the country, would ensure a decisive response
to any aggression. “One God, one nation, one leader, one
path; and this path toward Iran’s victory ........is more
precious than life,” they said.
Araghchi highlights institutional cohesion
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also emphasized the
cohesion of state institutions, linking this unity to broader
regional developments.
In a statement, he said, “The failure of the Israeli terrorist
assassinations is evident in the continued functioning
of Iran’s state institutions --- with unity, purpose,
and discipline.”
He added that “the field and diplomatic fronts are
fully coordinated in the same war,” stressing
that Iranians are “more united than ever.”
Response to Trump’s allegations
The remarks were issued in direct response to Trump’s
earlier claims that Iran was struggling to identify its
leadership ...and experiencing internal divisions.
He alleged that "The infighting is between the 'Hardliners,'
who have been losing BADLY on the battlefield, and the
'Moderates,' who are not very moderate at all (but
gaining respect!), is CRAZY!"
Iran outrightly rejects these
characterizations of
its politicians.
Tehran’s response - reflects a broader effort to counter
external narratives portraying internal fragmentation,
instead, emphasizing institutional stability and
national cohesion.
This comes after the Iranian judiciary strongly rejected
Trump's comments alleging that Tehran canceled the
execution of eight women protesters following his
requests, adding that the report -- was entirely
baseless and false.
Source: News websites
_______________________________________
Leading US magazine: says Trump
war on Iran - ends in final defeat
April 23rd, 5:14pm
(PressTV)
The strategic aftershocks and long-term consequences of the
war of aggression launched by US President Donald Trump
and his closest ally, Israel, against Iran will be felt long
after the fighting ends, the Foreign Policy
magazine says.
“The immediate costs of the war against Iran --- are already
apparent,” the magazine, a leading publication for serious
discussion of global affairs and US foreign policy, said.
Even with a fragile ceasefire largely holding, and talks between
the parties scheduled to resume, oil and gas prices have risen
sharply. The Washington-based International Monetary Fund
(IMF) is now warning of a possible global recession.
“These near-term effects are significant. But in the long run, they
may pale in comparison to the deeper strategic aftershocks
that will result from this conflict,” the magazine wrote.
According to the Foreign Policy, wars can act as geopolitical
earthquakes, accelerating global shifts, creating new
realities, and reverberating for years after the guns
fall silent.
“The war against Iran is precisely such an earthquake and
the United States and the world, will be living with its
strategic consequences for years to come,” it said.
US President Donald Trump’s popularity has plummeted
since he launched this unprovoked aggression against
Iran. The magazine said the war on Iran, “delivered a
potentially fatal blow to a US-led international order
that was already on life support.”
“The United States is now the main threat
to the system that it once led,” it added.
By launching a preventive war with no plausible legal basis
— neither under domestic nor international law —
Washington has helped normalize aggression
as a tool for settling disputes between
nations, it said.
The writers of the article, Philip H. Gordon, the Sydney Stein Jr.
Scholar at the Brookings Institution, and Rebecca Lissner, a
senior fellow for US foreign policy at the Council on Foreign
Relations, said Trump has normalized the threat of war
crimes as both a military tactic and a diplomatic
bargaining chip.
He openly threatened to destroy power plants, civilian
infrastructure, and even an entire civilization —
rhetoric that shocked global opinion,
they wrote.
The article also condemned the US blockade of Iranian ports
and the strategic Strait of Hormuz. “Trump has helped
normalize -- the weaponization of geographic choke
points upon which the global economy depends.”
Irreparable damage to US credibility
The magazine touched on the fallout from the unprovoked
terrorist war to Washington's credibility, saying a future
US president ....may attempt to revive the principles
Trump has abandoned, but the "damage is
already done.”
"Even after the conflict with Iran subsides, it will be far more
difficult for the United States to credibly claim leadership
of the international order it once presided over," it said.
The war has also driven a deep wedge between
the United States and its European allies.
“Nor will the United States be able to count on its friends as
before.... following a war that has dealt a body blow to the
crumbling foundations of Washington’s global alliances,”
the Foreign Policy said.
According to the magazine, NATO is already strained by earlier
crises, including Trump’s threats over Greenland, adding the
Iran war may now be remembered ---- as the final rupture.
It noted that European leaders were not consulted before the war,
and several countries refused to provide naval forces to forcibly
reopen the Strait of Hormuz or placed limits on the use of their
bases for bombing Iran.
In response, Trump called them “cowards” and
threatened to withdraw the US from NATO.
Whether or not Trump follows through on these threats,
the conflict is accelerating Europe’s push toward
greater defense autonomy - and possibly even
nuclear autonomy, the magazine said.
Broader global repercussions
The war will also have serious implications for US alliances
in the Indo-Pacific, it postulated. To sustain its aggression
against Iran, Trump was forced to divert a massive share
of America’s finite military assets away from the Indo-
Pacific theatre --- to West Asia, it said.
"Trump’s reckless war on Iran... has not only failed to achieve
lasting strategic gains but has actively weakened America’s
global position --- damaged its alliances, undermined
international law, and accelerated the emergence
of a more multipolar world.''
"The aftershocks --- will continue to reshape
global politics for years to come," it added.
_____________________________________________
Hezbollah Fighters - Respond to Israeli
Violations, Attack Occupation Forces
in southern Lebanon
April 23rd, 4:11pm
(al Manar)
In response to the Israeli violations of the ceasefire and attacks
on the civilians in At-Tiri town, South Lebanon, the Islamic
Resistance carried out on Thursday a number of military
operations against the enemy forces.
Hezbollah Military Media issued consecutive statements to
illustrate the Resistance attacks and their outcomes.
Statement 1
In defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the
“Israeli” enemy’s violation of the ceasefire through its
attack on civilians in At-Tiri town, the Islamic
Resistance fighters targeted at 06:00 on
Thursday 23-04-2026 a gathering of
“Israeli” enemy army soldiers in
Taybeh town with appropriate
weapons.
Statement 2
In defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the
“Israeli” enemy’s violation of the ceasefire through its
attack on civilians in At-Tiri town, the Islamic
Resistance fighters targeted at 10:00 on
Thursday 23-04-2026, a gathering of
“Israeli” enemy army soldiers in
Taybeh town ------ with a
loitering glider.
Statement 3
In defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the
“Israeli” enemy’s violation of the ceasefire and its breach
of Lebanese airspace, the Islamic Resistance fighters
shot down at 10:30 on Thursday 23-04-2026 a
reconnaissance glider belonging to the
“Israeli” enemy army in Majdal
Zoun town.
Source: Al-Manar English Website
____________________________________
Big defeat to big lies: Trump peddles
Iran 'discord' fiction.... to mask
US military, strategic defeat
April 23rd 1:02pm
by Press TV Strategic Analysis
After 40 days of the failed military adventure against the
Islamic Republic of Iran, followed by the diplomatic
debacle in Islamabad with Iran calling the shots,
a new reality is settling over the region, one
that Washington is desperately trying
to obscure.
The US war machine not only failed to achieve its stated
objectives – a widely acknowledged reality – but it also
suffered its most significant military and strategic
defeat in decades.
And now, unable to accept that reality, it has fallen
back on its oldest weapon: the "big lie."
A defeat on two fronts
The first battlefield was military, as the US was eager
to reveal their much-hyped “military card,” bragging
of being the “most powerful military in the world.”
For over a month, the United States – backed by its most
advanced naval assets, air power, and the full weight of
its global & regional alliances – attempted to pressure
the Iranian nation into submission or retreat.
The result: A humiliating defeat --- that quickly revealed the
limits of much-hyped US power. From the strategic waters
of the Persian Gulf to the skies over Yemen and Lebanon,
Iran and its allies in the Axis of Resistance not only held
their ground but dictated the terms of engagement,
forcing the aggressors to plead for a ceasefire.
By the time the guns fell silent, it was Washington, not
Tehran, that was begging for a ceasefire – not once,
but twice. The first request ---- came immediately
after the imposed war had completed 40 days --
when the US agreed to Iran’s 10-point proposal.
The second came as a unilateral extension earlier this
week, wrapped in the language of magnanimity but
born of necessity. It was not a sign of goodwill.
It was a strategic retreat.
The negotiating table has proven no kinder to the US.
Time and again, US officials have sought to frame
the post-war dynamic ...as one requiring Iranian
concessions: excessive limits on the missile
program, the removal of enriched uranium,
and the dismantling of ties with the
resistance front.
Yet every single one of these demands has been met with
Iranian steadfastness – backed overwhelmingly by public
opinion. The latest poll by Iran's IRIB Research Centre
found an overwhelming majority of Iranians --- reject
each of these core US conditions.
The survey, conducted during and after the war, revealed
that 85.7 percent of respondents said Iran should not
accept restrictions on its missile industry, while
82.6 percent opposed the removal of 400
kilograms of enriched uranium from
the country.
Also, 79.4 percent of people rejected shutting
down uranium enrichment, as a US condition.
Public opposition extends to core issues of sovereignty
and regional strategy as well. The poll showed that
73.7 percent of Iranians said the country should
not accept the unrestricted passage of ships
through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, and
68.1% opposed severing cooperation with
the Resistance Front.
With this level of popular support, the Iranian side –
which clearly holds the upper hand – has no
reason.... to offer any concessions. The
opposing side - has won nothing: not
on land, or at sea, or on the table.
And in the end it is always the
winner who takes it all.
The manufactured "internal disagreement"
Having lost all military and strategic leverage, Washington
has now – quite unsurprisingly and predictably – resorted
to its trademark practice: the fabrication of lies. In this
context, that means peddling the so-called "internal
discord" within Iran's leadership.
The narrative being pushed by US policy wonks suggests
that senior Iranian figures ..are divided over the future of
negotiations and the continuation of the imposed war.
But this is not intelligence. It is not journalism. It is
propaganda straight from the Goebbels playbook:
repeat a lie loudly enough, and public opinion
will eventually accept it as truth.
The claim is demonstrably false. Iran's silence in the face
of repeated enemy overtures is not a sign of weakness
or infighting. On the contrary, it is a calculated
strategic posture.
For decades, the United States operated on a comfortable
assumption: that Iran's reactions were predictable – a
known diplomatic rhythm that could be anticipated
and exploited.
That era ---- is now over. Iran has entered a new phase of
asymmetrical engagement with the enemy, one defined
by unpredictability, strategic patience, and an absolute
refusal to be read before entering the room. This very
element of unpredictability has left the enemy
bewildered, and it’s no longer a secret.
And that bewilderment is palpable. When the US Secretary
of the Navy resigns in the midst of a naval confrontation –
the most expensive and strategically vital branch of
the entire US military – it signals something far
deeper than routine political turnover.
It signals a deep and irreparable fracture at the very heart
of the US decision-making apparatus. More than that, it
points to a rotten system that is imploding from within.
Strategic silence as a weapon
Perhaps nothing has unnerved Washington more than
Iran's "silence" regarding reports of the next round
of negotiations in Islamabad. By refusing to
engage with the enemy's narrative, Iran
has denied the US...... the very thing it
needs most: a predictable opponent.
Every US strategy – whether war plan or diplomatic
overture – was built on decades of familiarity
with Iranian behaviour. That familiarity ----
is now worthless.
Their silence, is not an absence of strategy.
It is the strategy: and Iran has mastered it.
If there remains any doubt about Iran's position, the
Iranian people have settled it. The IRIB poll is not
merely a dataset; it is a political document and
a telling statement.
When 66 percent of Iranians believe their country is the
decisive victor of the war, when 87.2 percent rate the
performance of Iran's armed forces as strong or
very strong, and - most crucially - when 57.7%
believe the US needs a ceasefire more than
Iran does, something profound has shifted.
These figures mark a staggering reversal of the familiar
power dynamic. They spell out, in unmistakable terms,
that a new dynamic is at work. The old rules ....no
longer apply.
These numbers are not abstract. They come from a
population that endured 40 days of airstrikes and
bombings, which gave over 3,000 martyrs, and
saw its homes destroyed.
And that same population has delivered a clear message
to its leaders: do not compromise our dignity. Do not
concede our rights. We prefer war over humiliation.
The biggest defeat ...in a generation
The United States - has not lost a battle here or there. It has
lost a major war. It has lost its strategic footing. It has lost
the initiative. And now, stripped of all credible leverage,
it has lost ......whatever was left of its standing on the
global stage.
The fake news about internal Iranian disagreements - is not
a sign of US confidence. It is a symptom of US desperation
after suffering significant losses.
For 40 days, the world watched as the most powerful military
in history was held to a standstill. In the aftermath, that
stalemate has hardened into a new strategic reality:
Iran and the Axis of Resistance are more united
than ever, Iran's hand is stronger than ever,
and the US has nothing to show for its
aggression .........except a string of
resignations and recycled lies.
The big lie will not change the big defeat.
And history ------- will record everything.
_______________________________________
Lebanon rejects deal with Israel
without full withdrawal from
its territory
April 23rd, 10:57am
(Prensa Latina)
Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam reaffirmed today
that his country will not accept any agreement that
does not contemplate the complete withdrawal
of Israeli forces.
According to statements collected by the Lebanese National
News Agency (NNA), Salam considered unacceptable - any
proposal that includes the permanence of a "buffer zone"
----- that prevents the return of the displaced people, to
their localities.
In an interview with the US newspaper The Washington Post,
the head of government urged the United States to exert
pressure on Israel to reduce its demands and end its
offensive on Lebanese territory.
Salam also stressed that his government has taken steps
to strengthen state control over weapons, including the
confiscation of weapons & the prohibition of military
operations by the Hezbollah group.
"The monopoly of arms by the state benefits Lebanon;
no country ...can have two armies," he said, while
acknowledging that the disarmament process
will be gradual, although he assured that
there is concrete progress.
The prime minister also requested support from the US
and France to strengthen the Lebanese army, which
is affected by financial constraints in equipment
and training.
For his part, the country's president, Joseph Aoun,
reiterated that the official position in future
negotiations, is based on not making
concessions... that compromise
national sovereignty and
the interests... of the
Lebanese people.