Iran’s Raisi gave Resistance ‘presidential’ treatment at swear-in: Hezbollah’s No. 2
Middle East Observer
THE SAKER
September 17, 2021 / With select comments!
Note the second-row delegates, including the Euro vassals. (Red circle)
In an interview with Lebanese media last month, Hezbollah’s Deputy-Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem explained why the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s new president Ibrahim Raisi was ground-breaking in terms of international protocols.
Qassem said that the new Iranian president provided ‘head of state’ treatment to the leaders of the Resistance Axis attending the swearing-in ceremony, and that this treatment was meant as a message to the world about the special position that the Axis enjoys in the eyes of Iran and particularly under Raisi’s government.
The ‘Resistance Axis’ broadly refers to a strategic anti-Israel/anti-US imperialist alliance composed of, but not limited to, Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, Iraq’s Hashed al-Shaabi, Yemen’s Ansarullah, and various Palestinian armed factions.
Source: Al-Nour Radio via Kalam Siyasi (YouTube)
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Transcript:
Host:
Your eminence, what about your visit to Iran and the swearing-in ceremony?
Sheikh Naim Qassem, Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary General:
Sheik Naim Qassem, attending the presidential swearing in of Iran's Pres. Raisi
The Iran visit was a very successful one. The ceremony in which Sayyed Raisi took the oath to become the President was very special this year in terms of the seating arrangements. I mean in relation to the first-row seats during the ceremony.
It is the first time to occur in Iran, that sitting in the first row (of the attendees), along with the presidents (of world states) – and there were two presidents seated, the president of Iraq and the president of Afghanistan – the former and current presidents of the (Islamic) Republic of Iran; the head of the Guardian Council; the Chief Justice of Iran; the main Islamic Revolutionary Guards commanders and the main commanders of the security forces. In that same row sat the leaderships of the Resistance (Axis) i.e. that of Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Hashd al-Shaabi (PMU) etc.
In contrast, all other delegations were sitting in the second and third rows, among which was the European Union’s representative, in addition to parliament speakers, foreign ministers, and vice presidents. The Iranians wanted to tell the world: ‘we treat the Resistance (Axis) as we (treat world) states, ‘that the Resistance (Axis) has (a special) position (in our) eyes, and it has our support’.
Host:
Those are new rules in international relations and geography. Iran wants to cement new rules?!
Sheikh Qassem:
They wanted this, and the images (from the swearing-in ceremony that you saw) support this. And after the ceremony, upon a request by his eminence President (Ibrahim) Raisi, he requested to sit separately with every (single) leader from the Resistance (Axis) for 30-minute private meetings to discuss (matters of priority). And this happened indeed. My meeting (with President Raisi) was not something I asked for, it was following a request that followed a protocol that is usually enacted with heads of states.
Host: What did you hear from President Raisi?
Sheikh Qassem:
Sayyed Raisi said: ‘rest assured that we support the Resistance (i.e. Hezbollah) with all our capabilities. We consider you an exceptional model in Lebanon and the region and this is an inspiring model for the world in confronting hegemony and occupation and achieving independence. Rest assured that Iran will always be by your side with all its capabilities”.
He has also sent greetings to his eminence Sayyed (Hassan Nasrallah) and the Resistance men (i.e Hezbollah fighters). He also considered the Hezbollah experience a rich one from which all movements in the world must benefit.
Host: (Yet) this is the traditional Iranian stance …
Sheikh Qassem: And he affirmed it…
Host: Just like all other Iranian presidents? Or is there something different on the part of Sayyed Raisi?
Sheikh Qassem:
No all of them (had this stance)…but what is different about Iran today is that the makeup of the Iranian state has a high level of oneness/harmony. Starting from the parliament – whose majority is from the ‘principlists’ as they refer to them – to the Parliament Speaker, the Chief Justice, and now President Raisi, who is very close to his eminence the leader Imam (Sayyed Ali) Khamenei, may Allah protect and bless him. The makeup of the Iranian state today, with its various apparatuses, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), reveals a great level of oneness.
Host: Hawks, it is a government of hawks today.
Sheikh Qassem:
I do not call it a government of hawks, but a government of Islamic authenticity (and genuineness). (This government & the overall makeup of the state) is before a (particular) challenge and an experiment. It wishes to prove its capability (potential) before such challenges, and it is likely that it will depend more on its internal capabilities rather than on (potential) results (that may arise) from a nuclear deal.
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A lot has been happening with Iran and Resistance, from the IRGC operations in Northern Iraq (and the Mossad base which was obliterated) to the arrival of the fuel tankers in Lebanon, to Iran joining the SCO.
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2021/09/17/2573070/iran-granted-full-membership-of-shanghai-alliance-sco
“TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has officially welcomed Iran as a new member of the Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance, at its 21st summit in Dushanbe.”
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2021/09/17/2573013/iran-russia-china-pakistan-reach-good-agreement-on-afghanistan-spokesman
“TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said that a meeting between representatives from Russia, China, Pakistan, and Iran yielded positive results.”
I think it goes without saying that Russia, China, Pakistan, and Iran working together, will almost certainly guarantee peace and stability in Afghanistan.
Also, a lot of major things are happening in Yemen. A massive operation has been concluded against the Saudi coalition. The Yemenis have released the following footage today:
https://youtu.be/RnOOlUlgjp8
And also, last month Iran completed an oil pipeline that bypasses the Persian Gulf. A very major development which went under the radar for the most part.
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2021/07/20/2541092/new-pipeline-transfers-oil-to-iran-s-se-coast-hormuz-strait-circumvented
Obviously, this move will allow Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz on the weakling Persian Gulf states, putting a stop to their oil exports, while still retaining the ability to export Iranian oil.
There is a lot happening, and things are changing in the region very quickly, so quickly that it is becoming hard to keep up.
https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/09/14/israel-iran-nuclear-deal-defense-minister-gantz/
“TEL AVIV, Israel—Israel would be willing to accept a return to a U.S.-negotiated nuclear deal with Iran, Defense Minister Benny Gantz told Foreign Policy—but Israeli officials are also pressing Washington to prepare a serious “demonstration of power” in case negotiations with Tehran fail.
The remarks, made during an exclusive interview last week, appear to reflect a shift in policy for Israel, which under the leadership of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu loudly opposed the 2015 nuclear agreement and worked to undermine it.”
It appears the Israelis are now begging the US to bring Iran back to the JCPOA.
And on another note, Iranian fuel and petrochemical exports are on the rise, in spite of sanctions, or because of sanctions.
https://iranintl.com/en/world/irans-petrochemical-fuel-sales-increase-sanctions-hit-crude-exports — “iranintl”, which we call saudiintl, is a Saudi anti-Iran media outlet.
And last but not least,
Apparently, the price of electricity in Iran is 3% of the price in Europe.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-16/iran-electricity-at-3-of-european-price-shows-sanctions-buffer
But the truth is:
https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/453026/Awarding-low-electricity-consumers-with-free-power-to-begin-soon
For a lot of people, electricity is free in Iran.
And Iran boasts the 6th cheapest broadband in the world. (Or 3rd cheapest, depending on the source.)
https://www.atlasandboots.com/remote-work/countries-with-the-cheapest-internet-world/
Gas, water, electricity, and data, all put together, are now so cheap for the average Iranian, that it might as well be free. Why? Because the Iranian government will not allow corporations to rip people off.
And while Iran works to bring down the cost of living, Western countries are becoming increasingly expensive by the day, and most people are barely making ends meet.
This is Iran, in spite of sanctions. Or because of sanctions?
I used to enjoy reading your reporting of issues on ground in Iran, it is always a joy to see Iran progressing leaps and bounds in spite of imposition of the most draconian sanctions in history from the collective West led by the US.
Anonymous, what is your projection about the Raeisi govt and prospect of Iran economic development in general, especially the drive towards self sufficiency and knowledge based economy which is tagged internally as economy of resistance? Hoping to get a reply from you.
Wonderful News
thanks Saker for making this great fact known – Iran is the greatest.
Iran’s resolve, wits, and courage are impressive to say the least. If the fascist West thought it had inflicted a mortal blow by the cowardly murder of Soleimani, then that was a ’slightly premature’ conclusion. Iran having finally become a member of the SCO should make this point clear.
The Anglo Americans and Eurotrash have another reason to soil their pants in rage.
Iran is officially joining the SCO.
This Is Huge.
http://smoothiex12.blogspot.com/2021/09/this-is-huge.html?m=0