Iran Raps Muslim Killings in Myanmar

Human Rights Department of Iran’s Judiciary has condemned the massacre of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, calling on authorities in the southeastern Asian country to take swift action to end the violence.
“Reports pertaining to the mass-killing of Muslims in Myanmar have triggered a wave of concern in Muslim countries such as Iran,” said the department in a statement.
It also urged Myanmar’s officials to observe the rights of religious minorities in the country, calling for appropriate measures to safeguard the Muslims’ security in Myanmar, Press TV reported on Wednesday. The statement once again warned against the ‘western-led inhuman’ culture of Islamophobia and called for an end to such ‘discriminatory’ attitude toward Muslims across the world.
“We are witnessing that earlier warnings about the support of Islamophobia culture by western states have been right as such an approach has now spread to Myanmar,” the Judiciary’s HR Department added.
Based on recent reports, Muslims in Myanmar are in a disaster situation. Since June, hundreds of members of the nearly-one-million-strong Rohingya Muslim minority have been killed and tens of thousands of others among them have been displaced in the west of the country due to a wave of communal violence. On June 3, 10 Rohingya Muslims were killed when a mob of an ethnic group, known as the Rakhines, who are mostly Buddhist, attacked a passenger bus in the western Myanmar Rakhine state that borders Bangladesh.
According to a group of UK-based NGOs, from June 10 to 28, 650 Rohingya Muslims were killed, 1,200 went missing, and more than 80,000 others were displaced as a result of rioting, arson, and a cycle of revenge attacks in the western state.
Over the past two years, waves of ethnic Muslims have attempted to flee by boats in the face of systematic oppression by the Myanmar government.
The government of Myanmar refuses to recognize the Rohingya Muslims. It claims the Rohingyas are not native and classifies them as illegal migrants, although they have lived in Myanmar for generations.

Silence Deplored
Basij (volunteer) Force lashed out at international circles and the so-called advocates of human rights for ignoring the ongoing massacre of Muslim minority in Myanmar.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Foreign Relations Office of the Basij Organization pointed to the recent massacre of thousands of Myanmar Muslims by the followers of Buddhism in front of the police forces, and calling it a ‘horrifying disaster’ and another shame for the Yangon government.
“The more woeful issue is that the criminal acts which are a clear instance of massacre and crime against humanity have met the complete silence of western governments and the US, the western international communities and human rights circles,” the statement said.
“This apparent ignorance and shameful silence of human rights and international circles as well as those who claim to be advocates of human rights have further aggravated the catastrophe and encouraged extremist Buddhists to commit harsher attacks and aggressions against Muslims and created a much more terrifying conditions than before,” the statement stated, and called on the Iranian Foreign Ministry to adopt the necessary diplomatic measures to exert pressure on Yangon to stop the violence.

OIC Emergency Meeting
Meanwhile, a senior Iranian lawmaker called for convening an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to discuss Myanmar’s violence against the Muslim community in the country. “The Islamic Republic of Iran should call on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to hold an emergency meeting [on Myanmar],” Hussein Naqavi-Husseini, a spokesman for the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said on Wednesday.
He expressed concern over the situation of Muslims in Myanmar and said Iran should lead the international initiative to help end the ongoing violence against the minority group.
Describing the violence in Myanmar as the violation of all international regulations and charters, the lawmaker said, “It is surprising that the UN Security Council and human rights institutions do not show any reaction.”
He called on the international organizations to condemn the violence and also criticized certain Muslim countries for remaining silent on the issue.
The UN has described Rohingya Muslims as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world.
They are deprived of basic rights including education and employment and are subject to forced labor, extortion and other coercive measures.
Earlier, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast urged Myanmar’s government to recognize the rights of Rohingya Muslims in the country, calling for an international move to stop the violence against the minority group.
“We strongly advise Myanmar’s government to recognize the rights of its minority groups. The Muslim community is an inseparable part of the country and their civil rights have to be recognized,” Mehmanparast said at his weekly press conference on Tuesday. “We also urge Muslim countries, international organizations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to take serious measures to end the violence,” he added.

Annan Plan Best Solution to Syria Crisis

Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has urged the Syrian government and opposition to respect the six-point plan put forward by UN-Arab League Special Envoy on Syria Kofi Annan.
Speaking on the sidelines of the first international Scientific Conference on the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Tehran on Tuesday, Salehi said Syrian opposition groups are numerous and Iran has been in touch with many of them.
“If some of them are opposed to Iran’s proposal to host a meeting aimed at meditating between the Syrian government and opposition groups, a great number have welcomed the idea,” the foreign minister added.
He said, “Iran believes the Syrian government and opposition groups must hold talks and respect Annan’s six-point plan to tackle the ongoing crisis in the country.”
On July 16, Salehi announced Tehran’s readiness to facilitate dialog between the Syrian government and opposition groups.
“We have been in touch with a large section of the Syrian opposition and have had mutual negotiations. We are ready to facilitate talks between the opposition and the government of Syria,” he said.
Syria has been experiencing unrest since mid-March 2011. While the West and the Syrian opposition accuse the government of the killings, Damascus blames ‘outlaws, saboteurs and armed terrorist groups’ for the unrest, insisting that it is being orchestrated from abroad.

Enemies’ Naval Moves Under IRGC Surveillance

From Page 1
An estimated 40 percent of the world’s oil supply passes through the waterway.

Anti-Mining Drill
Meanwhile, the US announced this week that 20 nations will stage an anti-mining exercise in the Middle-East waterways.
US Defense Department press secretary, George Little said the drills intended to increase relevant capabilities and cooperation.
He stated that the large minesweeping exercise September 16-27 is a defensive drill, while claiming that the exercises are ‘not ... aimed to deliver a message to Iran’.
The US Central Command said in a statement that there will be scenario-based exercises held in the Persian Gulf, but they will not extend to the Strait of Hormuz near Iran.
Exercises will take place in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Gulf of Oman, according to the statement.

IRGC’s Mine Capability
In response, Lieutenant Commander of the IRGC Navy for Operations General Mahmoud Fahimi stressed the IRGC’s unique capability of designing, producing and laying different types of sea mines, and underlined that the US does not have the necessary minesweeping technology to defuse IRGC capability.
General Fahimi pointed to the minesweeping dills due to be conducted by the US and its allies in the region, and stated, “Americans boast a lot about many things, but they face problems in practice. We have no doubt that the US cannot do anything in the area of minesweeping.”
Referring to reports about the deployment of tiny US underwater drones in the Persian Gulf to help find and destroy sea mines, Fahimi stressed the complex task of mine sweeping, and said, “Look, how weak they are that they want to use minesweeping drones. If they had the ability and capability, they would conduct minesweeping using manned systems because this cannot be done with unmanned vessels and systems.”
He further underlined that the IRGC is a master of mine designing and enjoys an unbeatable capability to mass-produce different types of mines.
“The IRGC navy also has other capabilities to confront enemies and the Americans will learn of them out when necessary,” the commander told FNA.

Ready to Counter Threats
A senior military official said the naval forces of the Islamic Revolution’s Guards Corps (IRGC) remain vigilant in the face of the enemies’ plots and will counter any threats to the country.
“The IRGC naval forces are ready to conduct any mission to defend marine borders and safeguard the country’s security against possible threats by the enemies,” Deputy Commander of IRGC Navy Rear Admiral Javad Moshidi said.
He added that the IRGC Navy has the expertise of professionals, military equipment, speed boats, and short-, medium- and long-range missile systems while maintaining its combat readiness to defend the country, Press TV reported on Wednesday.
The official further said that the IRGC naval forces will stage maneuvers in the near future, adding that the necessary equipment has already been supplied for the drill.
The IRGC Navy is fully prepared to carry out the exercise and will once again demonstrate its military prowess to protect Iran’s borders, Moshidi pointed out.
Over the past years, Iran has made important breakthroughs in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing important military equipment and systems.
On July 14, Fadavi warned Iran’s enemies that any threat against the country will be met with a crushing response from the armed forces.
“In case of a possible threat to the country’s borders, the [Islamic] establishment’s enemies will face a crushing and firm response from the armed forces including the Islamic Revolution’s Guard Corps Navy,” he said.
Tehran has repeatedly clarified that its military might is merely based on the nation’s defense doctrine of deterrence and poses no threat to other countries.

Scrap Metal Aircraft
A senior Iranian military commander said the IRGC does not dread the giant US aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf and simply views them as ‘pieces of scrap metal’.
“The IRGC has never been terrified of large US aircraft carriers and the thunder of missiles launched by the United States and the extra-regional enemies. These munitions, in the viewpoint of the IRGC, are nothing more than scrap metal,” the deputy commander of the IRGC, Brigadier General Hussein Salami, said on Tuesday.
The IRGC staged ‘The Great Prophet 7’ war games in the north central Iranian province of Semnan from July 2 to 4.
Domestically produced missiles, including the Shahab (Meteor) 1, Shahab 2, Shahab 3, Khalij Fars (Persian Gulf), Tondar (Lightning), Fateh (Victory), Zelzal (Earthquake), and Qiam (Uprising), were fired at mock targets during the war games.
In February, the IRGC conducted the Val Fajr military exercise in the Markazi (central) Desert, days after the Air Force wrapped up its four-day ‘Tharallah’ exercise near the strategic Persian Gulf region.
Also in February, during the ‘Hamiyan-e Velayat’ military exercise, the IRGC forces practiced tactical commando raids and aerial combat, launched air offensive and defensive operations, and carried out heliborne and anti-heliborne operations.
In January, the IRGC Ground Forces held the ‘Shohaday-e Vahdat’ war games in the northeastern province of Khorasan Razavi.

Enemies’ Naval Moves Under IRGC Surveillance

From Page 1
An estimated 40 percent of the world’s oil supply passes through the waterway.

Anti-Mining Drill
Meanwhile, the US announced this week that 20 nations will stage an anti-mining exercise in the Middle-East waterways.
US Defense Department press secretary, George Little said the drills intended to increase relevant capabilities and cooperation.
He stated that the large minesweeping exercise September 16-27 is a defensive drill, while claiming that the exercises are ‘not ... aimed to deliver a message to Iran’.
The US Central Command said in a statement that there will be scenario-based exercises held in the Persian Gulf, but they will not extend to the Strait of Hormuz near Iran.
Exercises will take place in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Gulf of Oman, according to the statement.

IRGC’s Mine Capability
In response, Lieutenant Commander of the IRGC Navy for Operations General Mahmoud Fahimi stressed the IRGC’s unique capability of designing, producing and laying different types of sea mines, and underlined that the US does not have the necessary minesweeping technology to defuse IRGC capability.
General Fahimi pointed to the minesweeping dills due to be conducted by the US and its allies in the region, and stated, “Americans boast a lot about many things, but they face problems in practice. We have no doubt that the US cannot do anything in the area of minesweeping.”
Referring to reports about the deployment of tiny US underwater drones in the Persian Gulf to help find and destroy sea mines, Fahimi stressed the complex task of mine sweeping, and said, “Look, how weak they are that they want to use minesweeping drones. If they had the ability and capability, they would conduct minesweeping using manned systems because this cannot be done with unmanned vessels and systems.”
He further underlined that the IRGC is a master of mine designing and enjoys an unbeatable capability to mass-produce different types of mines.
“The IRGC navy also has other capabilities to confront enemies and the Americans will learn of them out when necessary,” the commander told FNA.

Ready to Counter Threats
A senior military official said the naval forces of the Islamic Revolution’s Guards Corps (IRGC) remain vigilant in the face of the enemies’ plots and will counter any threats to the country.
“The IRGC naval forces are ready to conduct any mission to defend marine borders and safeguard the country’s security against possible threats by the enemies,” Deputy Commander of IRGC Navy Rear Admiral Javad Moshidi said.
He added that the IRGC Navy has the expertise of professionals, military equipment, speed boats, and short-, medium- and long-range missile systems while maintaining its combat readiness to defend the country, Press TV reported on Wednesday.
The official further said that the IRGC naval forces will stage maneuvers in the near future, adding that the necessary equipment has already been supplied for the drill.
The IRGC Navy is fully prepared to carry out the exercise and will once again demonstrate its military prowess to protect Iran’s borders, Moshidi pointed out.
Over the past years, Iran has made important breakthroughs in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing important military equipment and systems.
On July 14, Fadavi warned Iran’s enemies that any threat against the country will be met with a crushing response from the armed forces.
“In case of a possible threat to the country’s borders, the [Islamic] establishment’s enemies will face a crushing and firm response from the armed forces including the Islamic Revolution’s Guard Corps Navy,” he said.
Tehran has repeatedly clarified that its military might is merely based on the nation’s defense doctrine of deterrence and poses no threat to other countries.

Scrap Metal Aircraft
A senior Iranian military commander said the IRGC does not dread the giant US aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf and simply views them as ‘pieces of scrap metal’.
“The IRGC has never been terrified of large US aircraft carriers and the thunder of missiles launched by the United States and the extra-regional enemies. These munitions, in the viewpoint of the IRGC, are nothing more than scrap metal,” the deputy commander of the IRGC, Brigadier General Hussein Salami, said on Tuesday.
The IRGC staged ‘The Great Prophet 7’ war games in the north central Iranian province of Semnan from July 2 to 4.
Domestically produced missiles, including the Shahab (Meteor) 1, Shahab 2, Shahab 3, Khalij Fars (Persian Gulf), Tondar (Lightning), Fateh (Victory), Zelzal (Earthquake), and Qiam (Uprising), were fired at mock targets during the war games.
In February, the IRGC conducted the Val Fajr military exercise in the Markazi (central) Desert, days after the Air Force wrapped up its four-day ‘Tharallah’ exercise near the strategic Persian Gulf region.
Also in February, during the ‘Hamiyan-e Velayat’ military exercise, the IRGC forces practiced tactical commando raids and aerial combat, launched air offensive and defensive operations, and carried out heliborne and anti-heliborne operations.
In January, the IRGC Ground Forces held the ‘Shohaday-e Vahdat’ war games in the northeastern province of Khorasan Razavi.

Armenia Willing to Expand Ties

Armenian Defense Minister General Seyran Ohanyan reiterated his country’s willingness to expand security and defense ties with the Islamic Republic.
The Armenian minister’s remarks came in a Tuesday meeting with the new Iranian ambassador to Yerevan, Mohammad Raisi. He wished the envoy well in facilitating a further enhancement of the Iran-Armenia relations in all fields during his tenure.
In the meeting, Raisi and Ohanyan also discussed a number of current issues and conflicts in the region as well as ways to deepen mutual collaborations in various fields, particularly security affairs, IRNA reported.
The Armenian minister further stated that relations with Iran are of utmost importance for Armenia and Yerevan is determined to expand ties and cooperation with Tehran at the bilateral, regional and international levels.
On July 9, Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar, heading a high-ranking delegation, paid an official two-day visit to Yerevan during which he met Armenian President Serzh Sargsyana and other top officials.
During the Iranian interior minister’s visit, Iran and Armenia signed a security agreement to expand cooperation on measures against organized crimes and the fight on drug smuggling as well as security and border issues.
Mohammad-Najjar declared Iran’s readiness to share its experiences with Armenia in police training and criminal extradition as well as the fight against drug-trafficking and organized crimes, noting that the agreement between the two countries set a good framework for mutual cooperation. Iran and Armenia have taken major strides towards promoting mutual relations in the recent years, particularly in the energy sector.

Persian Gulf States Must Unite To Expel Outsiders

A senior lawmaker called on the Persian Gulf states to unite to expel foreign forces from the region in the wake of a deadly US attack on a fishing boat off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.
“The presence of foreign warships, particularly those operated by hegemonic and aggressive powers, does not benefit anyone and the security of the Persian Gulf,” spokesman of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, Seyyed Hussein Naqavi Husseini, said on Wednesday.
He added that Persian Gulf states should work together to limit the activities of foreign warships and expel them from the region, ISNA News Agency reported. “The Islamic Republic of Iran has always warned against the threat posed by presence of foreign forces in the Persian Gulf. We have always believed and repeated that presence of warships belonging to hegemonic and aggressive powers will not benefit…security of the Persian Gulf and will [even] disturb it,” the lawmaker noted.
“Let’s not forget that the Americans also shot down our Airbus jetliner with [about] 300 people onboard (in July 1988), and have now attacked a fishing boat from the UAE; a country which has had no conflict with the US,” Naqavi Husseini pointed out.
He stated that the attack indicates that deployment of foreign forces and warships in the Persian Gulf only helps to spread insecurity and tension in the region. The USNS Rappahannock vessel fired rounds from a .50-calibre machine gun on a small motorboat near the Dubai port of Jebel Ali on Monday, killing one fisherman and injuring three others.
The dead man and his wounded colleagues all came from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
The US Navy says the boat approached at high speed and ignored repeated warnings while fishermen in the ill-fated boat denied that such warnings were given. Indian and US officials have launched independent enquiries into the incident.

Message for Lebanese FM

Iran’s ambassador to Beirut on Wednesday submitted Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi’s message to his Lebanese counterpart Adnan Mansour on the anniversary of the end of the 33-day war with Israel.