Tehran expects war could continue
beyond Trump’s presidency
Exclusive
September 24th, 12:10pm
(Al Mayadeen English)
Iran-US war discussions focus on Trump's nuclear
justification, indirect negotiations, Iran's seven
demands, the Strait of Hormuz and the US
midterm elections.
The war launched by the United States and "Israel" against Iran,
now nearly seven months old, is a violation of international law
that Washington has struggled to sell to the US public, Iranian
professor of English literature Mohammad Marandi, & former
FBI Special Agent Coleen Rowley, said on Thursday.
Speaking on Al Mayadeen's The Great Standoff: Iran and the World,
Rowley said audiences in the United States are subject to heavy
mainstream media propaganda that skews coverage in favour
of the US government.
She pointed to the framing of walkouts at the United Nations, noting
that outlets stress ---- that one US delegate walked out during the
Iranian president's speech, then add that Iranians walked out
during Trump's speech, which was as an attempt to make it
look like an even fight.
The difference between Iran
and the US - on full display
Marandi said the contrast shows how different the Iranians are
from US citizens, describing Trump as threatening to carry
out "a holocaust in Iran, a truly monstrous threat," while
the leader of Iran discusses the atrocities the US has
carried out against the people of Iran - and Gaza.
The Iranian leader, he added, spoke from
"a position of strength and honour."
Rowley concurred that "the facts speak for themselves," arguing
that what Trump is calling for and has already committed is "the
deaths of literally thousands of people, including children" and
constitutes a complete violation of international law. A war of
aggression, she stressed, is a violation of international law.
Whether the US viewer can understand that reality despite
the mainstream media push remains to be seen, she said,
describing the term "bully," as used in US media, as a
schoolyard framing.
Trump's aggressive rhetoric reveals
'the nature of US empire': Marandi
Marandi said that Trump was genocidal the previous day, pointing
out that he spoke about Venezuela, while stating that those who
win wars take the spoils. Marandi interpreted this as meaning
that Trump can steal everything in Venezuela. "It shows the
nature of the US empire," he said.
She said she agreed completely with Marandi that the real terrorist
threat and nuclear threat in the Middle East - is "Israel", which has
nuclear bombs that are not inspected ---- not even acknowledged.
"Israel", she said, are "the ones who should have the inspectors
in their country."
In her view, Iran should not be the focus on the nuclear file, adding
that Trump may want to use the nuclear issue to sell a peace deal.
Iran's position is clear - and remains firm on the seven demands
outlined by the chair of the Supreme National Security Council,
Marandi said. Contrary to what Trump implied, there were no
direct negotiations the previous day, while a second round
held that day was, again, indirect.
In both rounds, the chair of the Supreme National Security Council
reiterated that Iran's seven preconditions remain in place. "These
seven conditions will not be changed," he said. "None of them
will be removed. The Americans have to adhere to all seven."
Iranian delegation in US to tell Washington
--------- Tehran's conditions must be met
The Iranian delegation in the United States is there --- to tell
Washington that Iran's conditions have to be met, Marandi
added, asserting that "There will be no give and take."
The positions outlined by President Pezeshkian and statements
by General Rezaei, he said, make clear that Iran's stance has
remained consistent and will continue to be so.
Marandi said Iran's most important flights are with China and
Russia by far, and these two countries will not change
their position.
Iran's flights to China go to multiple cities, and the same is true
with Russia. For the most part, he said, Iran's economic
activities will not be touched.
Marandi addressed General Rezaei's threat to countries in the
region, particularly Qatar and the Emirates, which assisted
the US.
If they try...... to shut down Iranian planes, Rezaei said,
"they should expect their airports to be shut down,
fully shut down."
In Marandi's view, these countries have to make a decision,
calling it clear as day and an important statement, with no
compromise to be expected. "If Iran has to, it will shut
these airports through force," he said.
He said that if Trump launches a major campaign, the countries
that assist the US, meaning Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar,
Bahrain, Kuwait and the Emirates, "are in serious
trouble, because Iran is preparing for a major
onslaught -------- and will be decisive in
its response."
Furthermore, Marandi does not believe these family dictatorships
can last very long under these circumstances, especially after
"the foolish assault on the people of Yemen, by Mohammed
bin Salman when he bombed the international airport."
"The situation is not good for these regimes," Marandi explained,
emphasizing that they "only have oil and gas, and if they can
not sell ---- if their airports are shut down and if the war
continues, they will gradually head toward instability.
Marandi pointed out one irony: while the US wants to strangle
Iran, he believes it's actually strangling the US's own proxies.
Midterm calculations, gas prices
and the prospect of a longer war
Responding to Rowley's question on his opinion, Marandi said the
Iranians are looking at the US midterm elections and seeking to
weaken Trump's position, which, he said, there is no doubt
about. However, they do not view the midterms as
particularly important.
"The Iranians want to hurt Trump," Marandi remarked, adding that if
he loses the House, fine, and..... if he loses the Senate too, "that's
even better," leaving him to face increased internal difficulties.
That does not mean the war will end. "The Iranian government
is planning for a very long-term war," he stressed, pointing to
changes in government policy toward the economy & social
issues, as evidence of a shift toward a wartime economy.
The war may not last until the end of
Trump's presidency, he noted, but
that is the working assumption.
Marandi further pointed to the clear Iranian effort to put pressure
on Trump, arguing that the US president is very worried about
the midterms despite his insistence that he's not. In his view,
that insistence itself is evidence of Trump's concern. The
president's statement that the war will be over after the
midterms, meanwhile, amounts to a clear signal to
voters.. not to give up on him.
Rowley draws parallels
between Iran and
Vietnam
Rowley drew a parallel to past US presidents who, during deeply
unpopular wars including Vietnam, told the public that peace
was around the corner. "They say, peace is around the
corner. I will end the war next year, next month.
They put it off," she said, describing it as
always beyond the horizon...... and
misleading people into thinking
their vote would solve it.
She said this --- is what Trump is aiming for, with his
theatrical and performative stagecraft, suggesting
negotiations are underway - when the demands
are the same as before - and the situation
is basically unchanged.
Furthermore, Rowley pointed out that Trump's base is a little less
solid and his polls show him way down. Even if Democrats win
the midterms, she said, it is not clear what will happen.
Chance of war very high, could happen
before the US midterms: Marandi
The assessment in Iran, Marandi said, is that the chance of war
is very high and that it could come before the US midterms.
Netanyahu may want a war because he is not doing well
in the polls and has repeatedly used crises to pursue
his interests. Such an escalation, he noted,
remains possible.
Trump would seem to have little interest in a war before the
midterms because it could hurt his chances, which are
already not looking good. But if Netanyahu pushes
him, Marandi argued, the influence Netanyahu
and pro-Israel groups have demonstrated in
the past could alter that calculation.
Another possibility is that Trump could wait until after the
midterms ...before launching a major military campaign.
Rowley pointed to rising fuel costs as another factor
complicating Trump's messaging. "Here it's $4.50
or $5 a gallon for regular gas, and diesel gas
is going up."
The price of gas, in her view, is the one issue getting through
to US citizens. After nearly 7 months of war, the mainstream
media outlets have also begun linking higher gas prices to
the war with Iran.
If US citizens understand that the price they pay at the pump
is connected to the war, Rowley said, they are even more
against Trump's decision to launch a war of aggression.
Predicting what Trump or his administration will do, is "a fool's
errand," according to Rowley, who pointed to the president's
repeated pattern of threatening action ...then backing off.
Her expectation is that much of the situation will remain at the
status quo until an opportunity emerges to sell whatever deal
is eventually reached. If it is essentially the same deal Trump
has already signed off on, the administration may be waiting
for a moment when it can present that agreement to the
US public ....in a way that will be accepted.
Should Trump escalate, Rowley expects the US to encounter
the same problems it faced before. Iran, she argued, has
been circumspect and careful in conducting a proper
tit-for-tat defense: if the aggressor escalates, the
defender must escalate - in measure.
Iran has proven more
capable in escalation
Iran has shown itself more than capable of doing so effectively, she
maintained, as has Ansar Allah in Yemen. In her assessment,
Trump has already been forced to back down and decline
to support Saudi Arabia even when Riyadh requested it,
having recognized that greater US engagement will
be counterproductive.
Rowley described the situation as "horrendous" after nearly
seven months, pointing to what she said, was an effort by
the United States to lower its reported casualty figures,
and reassure the US public that the number is smaller.
Some newspapers have finally reported that the toll is higher, she
noted, describing that "bit of truth" - as telling evidence of parts
of the media starting to turn. She compared the development
to the Vietnam War, when the media - eventually - stopped
supporting the US effort.
Amid rising gas prices and pressure on the stock market,
Rowley sees small signs that parts of the mainstream
media are beginning to "jump off the sinking ship,"
albeit to a limited extent.
Europe's complicity, its decline,
and Iran's turn toward Asia
Marandi said relations with Europe are very poor "for obvious
reasons," arguing that European countries are "just as
complicit as the United States" and have assisted
"Israel" in its genocide ----- since day one.
He noted, that not a single European parliament has moved
to sanction "Israel", while describing Spain's measures as
token and limited, though still more than other European
countries have done.
The EU, its member states and the UK, he argued, have stood
shoulder to shoulder with the genocidal forces in occupied
Palestine and continue to do so, including at the UN
General Assembly, where European officials
backed the Israeli regime.
Relations are therefore poor and, in his view, will remain so.
"Iran is really -- not in need of strong relations with Europe."
Europe moving downhill ............rapidly
Europe is also moving downhill rapidly, Marandi said, weakened
by the war in Ukraine, its dependence on the US, its approach
toward China and its behaviour toward Iran. The peninsular
is falling behind economically ---- and is faced with major
internal problems.
Germany, for instance, is moving toward de-industrialization - and
faces an energy crisis that is expected to worsen in the months
ahead. Europe has - consequently - become increasingly
unimportant to Iran - both because of its treatment
of Tehran - and the broader consequences of the
policies pursued by European governments.
Iran has instead shifted its focus toward Asia, where Marandi
said real growth, is taking place. Over the past few years,
Tehran joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
and BRICS, moves initiated under late President
Ebrahim Raisi and now being pursued by
President Masoud Pezeshkian.
"Iran's focus --- is on Asia," he said, pointing to its relationships with
Russia & China, as well as its expanding ties across Central Asia,
South Asia & Southeast Asia. Such developments, he argued,
are unwelcome in the West, because they are making Iran
increasingly independent --- and reducing its reliance on
goods and services the Western countries can provide.
The West, he added, cannot effectively compete with Asian
countries because of its own policies and decline. "It's
their loss more than it's Iran's loss," he concluded.
Source: Al Mayadeen
________________________________________
Yemeni woman killed, girl injured
as Saudi warplanes launch 50+
airstrikes in 24 hours
September 24th, 11:17am
(PressTV)
A Yemeni woman has been killed and a girl sustained injuries
after Saudi border troops fired a barrage of artillery rounds
at a residential area in Yemen’s northwestern province
of Sa’ada, as dozens of Saudi airstrikes have hit
neighboUrhoods across the Arab Peninsula
nation, over the past 24 hours.
The Arabic-language al-Masirah television network, citing local
sources, reported that the Saudi artillery fire struck a building
in Jabal al-Izd area of the Razih border district on Thursday
morning, damaging the structure and causing casualties.
Elsewhere in al-Hajlah area of the same Yemeni district, a girl
was seriously injured and had to have her hand amputated
after a Saudi missile struck near her family home.
Saudi warplanes also launched three airstrikes on the Maran
district in Sa'ada; though there were no immediate reports
of casualties and the extent of the damage caused.
Two Saudi aerial assaults targeted al-Ahkum area in the Hayfan
district of Yemen’s southwestern province of Ta’izz. No reports
of casualties were quickly available.
Meanwhile, the Yemeni military announced in a statement
that Saudi warplanes carried out 52 airstrikes across
Yemen over the past 24 hours.
The statement added that while F-15SA and Eurofighter Typhoon
fighter jets of the Royal Saudi Air Force took off from the King
Khalid Air Base near the kingdom’s southwestern city of
Khamis Mushait and an airbase in the city of Taif,
Saudi missile attacks were launched from
Jizan region.
“The attacks... targeted the governorates of Hudaydah, Ta’izz,
al-Bayda, Ma’rib, and Sa’ada, resulting in deaths and injuries,
including among women and children, as well as damage
civilian infrastructure, including telecommunications
networks, schools, bridges, roads, and other
facilities,” the Yemeni army added.
The military highlighted that “this brings the total number of
Saudi attacks against our country ---- since the start of the
[latest] escalation, to 988 airstrikes and missile attacks.”
The Sana’a administration declared a naval blockade against
Saudi Arabia on July 20, in response to “an unfair and
tyrannical siege” on Yemen lasting nearly 12 years.
The Yemeni military has announced a number of successful
operations --- at ships linked to Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea.
In March 2015, Saudi Arabia and its allies imposed a blockade
on Yemen and launched a sweeping military campaign,
backed by military, political, and logistical support
from the US and several Western countries.
The war has killed tens of thousands of Yemenis. However,
Saudi Arabia has failed to achieve its stated objective of
reinstating a puppet regime that serves its interests.
_____________________________________________
Pezeshkian’s strong UN speech
exposed crimes of US, Israel:
Judiciary chief
September 24th, 10:39am
(PressTV)
President Masoud Pezeshkian’s strong speech in defense of the
Iranian people’s legitimate rights at the United Nations General
Assembly exposed the crimes committed by the US and Israel,
the Judiciary chief says.
Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Eje'i, on Thursday, commended
Pezeshkian’s address to the 81st session of the United
Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday
- saying it was replete with “insightful, noble points.”
He said the Iranian president relied on the spiritual legacy of the
martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali
Khamenei and vigorously defended the legitimate rights of the
Iranian people.
Pezeshkian’s speech also disgraced the US and
Israeli criminals, the top judicial official added.
He emphasized that the Iranian nation’s call for justice is
now resonating .......among free people around the world.
“What is clear --- is that the United States and the Zionist
regime (Israel) committed numerous war crimes in their
aggression against Iran,” Mohseni Eje'i emphasized.
Under international law, he said, the US-Israeli aggression, was
“illegitimate and unlawful”, while the crimes committed during
the war also fell under the category of grave and, in some
cases, particularly egregious war crimes.
He said Iran demands accountability from the international
community and international circles as they reacted to
the numerous US-Israeli war crimes against the
Iranian people with silence, inaction and
tacit approval.
‘We don’t seek permission ------ to defend our country’:
Snippets from President Pezeshkian’s UNGA address
Pezeshkian systematically dismantled Western double standards,
detailing the unprecedented crimes committed against Iran.
During his address to the General Assembly session on Wednesday,
Pezeshkian firmly rejected the US terrorism accusations, blasted
the recent US-Israeli unprovoked war of aggression, reiterated
Iran's 200-year record of non-aggression and its right to use
nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
The ongoing tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, the developments
in Palestine and the Gaza Strip in particular, and Iran’s intention
to expand friendly relations with its neighbouring countries...
were among other key points of Pezeshkian’s speech.
_____________________________________
Austria's hijab ban: tells Muslim girls
their religious visibility is a political
problem: Activist
September 24th, 10:25am
(PressTV)
by M. Salimi
Austria's controversial law -- banning headscarves for girls under 14
is not a measure to protect children, but a form of "state-legitimized
racism" that forces Muslim girls to choose between their education
and their identity, says an Austrian activist.
Sali Attia, spokesperson for the campaign against the hijab ban
in Vienna schools, spoke about the illegal ban ---- that violates
fundamental rights.
Speaking to the Press TV website, Attia, a teacher, activist and
founder of Teachers for Palestine, noted that the legislation,
which took effect on September 1, creates a profound
contradiction at the heart of Austrian education
by turning teachers into enforcers ----- and
'singling out' the religious practice of
one group of girls, while claiming
state neutrality.
"The law begins by excluding and disciplining the very girls
it claims to protect," Attia said. "It sends a message to
Muslim girls: Your religious visibility.......... is a
political problem."
She described the ban as part of a broader pattern of anti-Muslim
policies in Austria, warning that the political consensus behind
the law, supported by the governing ÖVP, SPÖ and NEOS, as
well as the far-right FPÖ, shows how far restrictions on
Muslim religious visibility ------- have moved into the
political mainstream.
A contradiction at the heart of the law
From her perspective as a teacher, Attia said the contradiction is
obvious: the government says it wants to protect girls, but the
law begins by excluding and disciplining the very girls it
claims to protect.
"If a girl ...is genuinely being pressured by her family to wear a
headscarf, then she needs trust, counselling, child protection
and adults at school whom she can turn to," she explained.
"Simply forcing her to remove the headscarf at the school door
does not solve what is happening at home. And for a girl who
wears it willingly, the state is telling her that her own
understanding of her identity and religion ---- does
not count."
The law explicitly prohibits girls under the age of 14
from wearing a headscarf that covers the head
"according to Islamic traditions."
Attia finds this especially troubling because school should
be the place..... where children experience belonging.
"Instead, some Muslim girls now enter school ---- knowing that
something connected to their religious identity is prohibited,"
she said. "Protection should mean strengthening children.
It should not mean excluding them."
Constitutional questions remain unresolved
Attia pointed to an important precedent. In 2020, Austria's
Constitutional Court struck down the previous headscarf
ban in primary schools, finding that --- it violated the
principle of equality in conjunction with freedom
of thought, conscience and religion --- and
stressed the requirement of religious
and ideological neutrality of
the state.
"That is why we see serious constitutional questions, again," she
said. "The new law ---- does not establish a general rule covering
religious symbols. It explicitly refers to a headscarf covering the
head, 'according to Islamic traditions.'"
Five pupils and their parents already attempted to challenge the
new law. In June 2026, the Constitutional Court rejected those
applications as inadmissible ....because the law had not yet
entered into force.
Crucially, the Court therefore - did not decide whether the law itself is
constitutional. Now that the law has been in force since September 1
constitutional questions can arise in a different procedural context.
"For me, the fundamental issue remains: Can the state
single out the religious practice of one group of girls
and call that neutrality?" Attia noted.
Teachers turned into enforcers
One of the aspects that affects Attia most personally as a teacher is
the requirement to instruct students to remove their headscarves
and report violations, with parents facing fines of up to €800.
"My job is to build relationships with my students. They should
be able to come to me when they have problems, including
problems with their parents, religion, identity or pressure
from their community," she said.
Now teachers and school leaders are placed within an enforcement
process concerning the headscarf. The statutory procedure begins
with conversations involving the pupil and parents and can
escalate through the education authority and child and
youth welfare system. Ultimately, parents can face
fines of between €150 and €800.
"That changes the relationship between teacher and student," Attia
said. "Imagine - a twelve-year-old Muslim girl entering my classroom.
Instead of asking first, 'How are you? What do you need, in order to
learn?', the system can require us to focus on what she's wearing."
For many educators who oppose the ban, this creates a serious
conflict with their understanding of education. "We became
teachers to educate, support and protect children – not
to police Muslim girls' clothing," she stated.
The self-determination paradox
Attia described the government's framing of the ban as protecting
girls' self-determination as -- "perhaps the biggest contradiction."
"The legislation itself says that the ban is intended, among
other things, to promote girls' 'self-determination',
equality and visibility," she noted.
For Attia, genuine empowerment means giving girls education,
knowledge, confidence and a safe environment in which
they can develop their own beliefs.
When the campaign uses strong language such as "state-
legitimized racism," Attia said it is pointing to.... what it
sees as a structural problem: Muslims are repeatedly
discussed politically as a problem that needs to be
managed, restricted or integrated.
"The wording of this law - matters. It does not simply establish
a neutral dress code. It specifically prohibits a head covering
worn 'according to Islamic traditions,'" she said.
And the political debate --- did not necessarily stop with children.
During the parliamentary process, the FPÖ proposed extending
restrictions to teachers and school staff; that proposal was
rejected by the other parliamentary parties.
"As a Muslim woman who wears a headscarf and teaches in an
Austrian school, this debate is therefore not abstract to me,"
Attia said. "It sends a message --- to Muslim girls: Your
religious visibility is a political problem. And Muslim
women --- hear another question behind it: If the
headscarf of a 13-year-old, is unacceptable
today, whose headscarf .......will be
debated tomorrow?"
This affects how people experience belonging. "Integration
cannot work if people are constantly told that they belong
only on the condition that they make parts of themselves
invisible," she warned.
What the numbers don't tell us
The government interprets the current numbers as evidence
that the law is working. As of September 18, around 80
cases had reached Austria's education directorates;
55 were in Vienna. There had also already been a
first case referred for an administrative penalty
in Lower Austria.
"But numbers alone do not tell us what happened to all the other
girls," Attia cautioned. "If thousands of girls previously wore a
headscarf and now only a relatively small number of cases
reach the authorities, we need to ask: What happened to
the others? Did they freely change their minds? Did
they remove it because they feared consequences
for their parents? Did families adapt reluctantly?
Are girls covering differently? How do they feel
about going to school now?"
She stressed that compliance with a law does not automatically
prove acceptance of that law. "As a teacher, I am much more
interested in what these measures do to trust, belonging
and participation in school. Those effects cannot be
measured simply by counting reported violations."
Voices of the affected
As the founder of Teachers for Palestine and a spokesperson for
the campaign, Attia has been in contact with affected families.
The most difficult part, she said, is listening to young girls
realize that adults are debating... whether the way they
understand their religion and identity is acceptable.
"What stays with me, is not one dramatic story but the fundamental
question these girls are being forced to confront, at such a young
age: Why do I have to choose ---- between something that is
important to me ---- and simply going to school.... like
everyone else?"
She asked what it means for a girl to see older classmates,
her mother, her sister, or even a teacher like her, wearing
a headscarf, while being told: You are not allowed to do
this because you are not yet fourteen. "What are we
teaching her about herself?"
Attia urged caution about claiming that every girl chooses
independently. "Children are influenced by their families,
communities, friends, social media.. and society —— all
children are. But Muslim girls should not automatically
be treated as if they have no agency simply because
their choices are religious. We need to listen to
them, before claiming to speak for them."
A political consensus against Muslim visibility
The legislation was supported in parliament by the governing ÖVP,
SPÖ and NEOS as well as the FPÖ; the Greens voted against it.
"For me, as someone affected by this debate, that shows how far
restrictions specifically concerning Muslim religious visibility
have moved into the political mainstream," Attia said. "My
concern is what this means for Muslim children growing
up in Austria."
She argued that integration cannot be a one-way process
in which Muslims are constantly required to ''prove'' that
they belong.
"A successful pluralistic society also has to make room for
citizens whose religion remains visible. A Muslim girl
should not have to become less visibly Muslim,
in order to be considered more Austrian."
Lessons from France
Attia drew an important legal distinction
between France ---- and Austria.
France's 2004 law prohibits conspicuous religious signs or clothing
in public schools more generally and French jurisprudence has
applied the rule not only to Islamic headscarves but also,
for example, to Sikh turbans and other conspicuous
religious symbols.
"The Austrian provision, by contrast, explicitly refers to a headscarf
covering the head 'according to Islamic traditions.' So I would be
cautious about presenting France as a direct precedent for
Austria," she said.
The broader lesson she takes from France is that bans
do not make questions of religious identity disappear.
"Twenty years after the 2004 law, France is still dealing with
disputes over religious clothing in schools, including the
more recent controversy over abayas. In 2024, France's
Conseil d'État upheld the prohibition on abaya-type
clothing in public schools. That demonstrates
something important: regulating clothing
does not end the social and political
debate about religion. It can simply
shift a boundary: of what clothing
becomes controversial."
A school where no girl has to choose
The school strike on October 9, 2026 at 12:00 at Platz der
Menschenrechte in Vienna is publicly announced as a
protest --- against the headscarf ban and against
racism, sexism and militarization in schools.
But for Attia, the discussion has to
go beyond one piece of clothing.
"I want an education system in which every child feels that school
belongs to them. That means investing in teachers, school social
work and psychological support. It means smaller classes and
enough resources for schools. It means serious protection
against discrimination. It means strengthening children
who experience coercion at home, rather than
collectively treating Muslim girls as victims.
And above all, it means listening to the
girls themselves."
________________________________
Israeli election authority ---- bars both
main Arab parties from Knesset race
September 24th, 10:08am
(PressTV)
Israel’s election board has disqualified both main Arab lists
from upcoming elections - throwing Palestinian political
representation into the hands of the regime’s Supreme
Court - just weeks before the polls.
Israel’s so-called "central elections committee" voted on
Wednesday to bar the United Arab List, or Ra’am, led by
Mansour Abbas, and the Joint List, an alliance of the
Arab-led Hadash, Ta’al and Balad parties.
It also voted separately to disqualify Hadash legislator
Ofer Cassif and Balad leader Sami Abu Shehadeh
from the Knesset race, which is scheduled for
October 27.
Adalah, the legal centre representing the parties and candidates,
has announced its intention to contest the votes when the
Supreme Court examines the cases next week.
Ra'am characterized its exclusion as "political and unacceptable,"
asserting that the decision was designed to preclude it from
altering the equilibrium of power and transforming the
regime's cabinet.
According to the Joint List, Israeli prime minister Benjamin
Netanyahu and far-right Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir
are attempting to suppress voter participation among
Arab citizens, driven by concern about the Arab
electoral list’s potential to topple the ruling
cabinet .....characterized by genocide
and racism.
Its leader, Yousef Jabareen, challenged the legitimacy of the
committee's decision to disqualify parties that serve the
interests of more than 1.25 million voters.
Abu Shehadeh stated that his exclusion represented an effort
to suppress dissent regarding existing policy, and declared
that such decisions would be contested: through judicial
proceedings, and public demonstrations.
The Likud party, led by Netanyahu, made efforts to disqualify
both the Joint List and Cassif, and was included among the
groups that submitted filings against Ra'am.
Ben-Gvir’s far-right Otzma Yehudit party
also sought to bar Abu Shehadeh.
Arabs, the majority of whom identify themselves as Palestinians,
are descendants of Palestinians who remained on their
territories after Israel's creation in 1948.
These individuals possess what is designated as so-called Israeli
citizenship and constitute approximately 17.5 percent of Israel's
total population.
____________________________________________
Gazans shot at, beaten, attacked by dogs
in Israeli Al-Naqab prison: Prisoners'
Media Office
September 24th, 8:21am
(PressTV)
Israeli guards have shot, beaten, and unleashed dogs on
Palestinians abducted from the Gaza Strip - and held in
the Al-Naqab prison, also known as the Negev prison,
in occupied Palestine.
Palestinian detainees from Gaza suffered wounds inflicted
by rubber bullets as well as broken ribs during a violent
Israeli raid inside the Al-Naqab prison recently, the
Prisoners’ Media Office said on Wednesday,
citing reports.
In the raid, which took place around two weeks ago, one
detained doctor from Gaza was struck by three rubber
bullets, and another Gaza detainee suffered broken
ribs after Israeli forces repeatedly hit him with
their batons.
Israeli forces also released dogs on the prisoners, forcing
them to lie face down on the prison floor, and assaulted
them with batons and rubber bullets, according to the
Prisoners’ Media Office.
Several Palestinian detainees from the Gaza Strip were
wounded during the violent Israeli raid inside the
Al-Naqab prison, the report said.
The Prisoners’ Media Office --- called for urgent international
intervention - to stop the Israeli attacks on detainees at the
Al-Naqab prison - and hold those responsible, accountable.
The new information emerged approximately two weeks
after the raid, amid continuing Palestinian reports of
assaults, torture, and collective punishment inside
Israeli prisons.
Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi said the renewed Israeli raids
and resulting injuries demonstrated the extent of the suffering
endured by Palestinians inside Israeli prisons.
Mardawi said testimonies emerging from Israeli prisons concerning
torture and abuse ------ required a strong response in support of the
detainees to hold Israeli officials responsible for the human rights
and prisoners' rights violations committed against them.
Israeli forces' raids, beatings, and punitive measures inside Israeli
detention facilities, especially against Palestinians abducted
from Gaza, are being repeatedly reported by Palestinian
prisoners’ organizations.
The Palestinian prisoners’ organizations have called on
international rights groups -- to defend the Palestinian
detainees against Israeli violations - and investigate
the dire conditions & mistreatment of Palestinian
prisoners held in custody by Israeli forces.
A Palestinian prisoners’ advocacy group says detainees
at an Israeli prison have reported severe weight loss,
poor living conditions, repeated raids and
inadequate medical treatment.
The news from the Al-Naqab prison followed separate reports
by the Prisoners’ Media Office --- of systematic abuse at the
underground Rakefet detention facility.
The Prisoners’ Media Office said on Saturday that prison officials
had ordered the isolation of one prisoner from each prison cell
---------- before subjecting them to torture and severe beatings.
Israeli forces reportedly targeted one detainee while spraying
the others in the room with gas and firing rubber bullets
toward them ...during such raids.
The latest Israeli raid at Rakefet facility lasted about
15 minutes - and took place without warning or any
explanation given to the detainees.
The detainees were then forced by Israeli forces to continue
wearing wet clothes, and were not allowed to pray, read, or
recite the Holy Quran.
The Gaza prisoners held at the facility .......are also deprived of
sufficient food and access to sunlight, according to the report.
The prisoners held in this closed facility are even deprived
of sunlight ...and of knowing the time of the day.
The Prisoners’ Media Office called for immediate international
action to help end the inhumane torture and abuse of Gaza
detainees in Israeli custody.
_________________________________
'We fight for Iran': Female athletes win
two rowing golds, silvers, at 2026
Asian Games
September 24th, 8:10am
(PressTV)
Kimia Zarei and Zeinab Norouzi celebrate the rowing gold medal
in the lightweight double sculls at the 2026 Asian Games.
Iranian women won two gold medals, two silvers and a
bronze in rowing at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games
on Thursday, with Fatemeh Mojallal making
history as the first Iranian woman to win
a rowing gold at the Games.
Mojallal won the women’s lightweight single sculls final, at the
Nagaragawa International Regatta Course in 7 minutes, 24.57
seconds. Hong Kong’s Winnie Hung took silver in 7:28.54,
and Thailand’s Parisa Chaempudsa was third in 7:40.61.
The result marked the first Asian Games rowing gold for an
Iranian woman. Mojallal had previously won silver in the
women’s quadruple sculls at the 2022 Asian Games
in Hangzhou.
“I am very happy that I was able to raise my country’s flag and
make the dear people of Iran happy,” Mojallal said after her
victory. “I got the most valuable medal --- and I am very
happy about that.”
Mojallal said the achievement followed two years of
continuous training camps, in difficult conditions.
Fatemeh Mojallal:
“We have been continuously in camps for two years, training
in difficult conditions, in winter and summer,” she said.
She dedicated her medal to Iranian women. “I dedicate my medal
to Iranian girls. I hope all the girls of Iran ...succeed in all fields,”
Mojallal said.
Later, Mojallal also won a bronze medal in the single sculls,
as China’s Xinyu Zhang and Uzbekistan’s Anna Prakaten
claimed gold and silver in the division.
Iran also added another gold in the women’s lightweight double
sculls, where Kimia Zarei and Zeinab Norouzi won in 6:53.93.
The Iranian pair finished 5.31 seconds ahead of Hong Kong’s
Cheung Yuen-shan and Leung Wing-wun. Japan’s Chika
Yonezawa and Chiaka Tomita took bronze, just 0.03
seconds behind Hong Kong.
Norouzi said the gold followed a demanding preparation.
“I have a very good feeling and it cannot be described,”
she said. “We went through very hard training, to win
this medal and endured a lot of hardship to achieve
this valuable medal.”
She dedicated the victory to the Iranian public.
“I dedicate this medal - to the dear people of Iran, who have always
supported the athletes, and whose prayers accompany the Iranian
national team members,” Norouzi said. “We always fight --- for the
people of Iran, and this gold medal is for the dear people of Iran.”
The pair also won a silver in the double sculls, clocking 6:55.
China’s Wang and Shen claimed the title with a time of 6:45
and Vietnam’s Tran and Pham finished third.
Iran completed its women’s rowing medal
haul --- with silver in the women’s four.
Mahsa Javer, Soha Fakhri, Saqi Maleki and Hangameh Kamyab
finished second in 6:27.24. China won gold in 6:23, while
Japan took bronze in 6:29.
Meanwhile... Amirhossein Mahmoodpour, added another silver to
Iran’s tally in lightweight men’s single sculls with a time of 6:52.
Hong Kong’s Hin Chiu won the title with 6:50, and S. Korea’s
Hyunsu Park finished third, clocking 6:53.
The rowing competition is being held at the Nagaragawa
International Regatta Course, a straight 2,000-metre
course between Aisai in Aichi Prefecture and
Kaizu in Gifu Prefecture. The venue hosted
the 2005 World Rowing Championships,
the first World Rowing Championships
held in Asia.
Iran now ranks 5th in the medals table with a haul
of six gold, seven silver, and three bronze medals.
The Aichi-Nagoya Games are being held from September 19
to October 4 across venues in Japan, with around 17,000
athletes and officials from 45 countries and regions
competing in 43 sports.
Iran's delegation, named “Minab Angels”—a tribute to the victims
of the US-Israeli attack on Shajareh Tayyebe Elementary School
in Minab on February 28—is competing at the Games..... with
305 athletes - across 38 sports.
Mahmoud Nemati delivers another karate
gold for Iran at the 2026 Asian Games.
The brothers of Nemati have won two gold
medals for Iran at the 2026 Asian Games.