The following are selected MEMRI TV clips from Iran in 2018, on a variety of topics (visit the MEMRI TV Iran country page).
#6819 – Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei Inspects Military Foot Drills Depicting Collapse Of The White House
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei inspected military foot drills performed by the IRGC. During the drills, the soldiers sang: "Allah Akbar! Khomeini is our leader!... America, America, death to your deception! The blood of our youth is dripping from your fingers!" An announcer also said: "We will eliminate the regime of injustice… 'Death to America' is the cry of my life!" The drill included a depiction of the White House with a Star of David on top. The White House was labeled "House of Injustice," and the pillars on the front of the White House were labeled "Corruption," "Racism," "Terrorism," "Axis of Evil," "Hollywood," "Dollar," "ISIS," "Genocide," "War," and "Violence." The drill then depicted the White House being split by a sword, followed by the collapse of the White House and the Star of David. A similar theme appeared in a 2007 marching drill, which can be seen here: MEMRITV Clip 1587. The foot drills aired on channel 5 of the Iranian TV on October 16, 2018.
#6765 – Iranian Human Rights Activist Faezeh Rafsanjani Calls For Clear Definition Of Khamenei's Authority, Adds: Relations With U.S. Should Be Like With Any Other
During a comprehensive interview posted online, former Iranian MP Faezeh Rafsanjani said that Iranian President Rouhani's government has little authority because Supreme Leader Khamenei supervises most of its institutions, and that the IRGC interferes whenever the government tries to make changes. Rafsanjani, a leading human rights activist, a journalist, former Majlis member, and daughter of former Iranian president Hashemi Rafsanjani, said in the interview that one of the problems in Iran is the centralization of power. She suggested that the Iranian constitution be reformed to decentralize power and to clearly define the Supreme Leader's authority. She added that Iran has a "problem with [its] foreign policy," saying: "We expect America to relinquish its enmity towards us, but in meantime, have we relinquished our enmity towards America?" Rafsanjani stated that Iran's relationship with the U.S. should be like with every other country. The interview was posted on aparat.com, an Iranian video-sharing service, on September 8.
#6691 – IRGC Qods Force Commander Qasem Soleimani: Trump's Rhetoric Is That Of A Casino; You May Start The War, But We Will Determine Its End
In response to U.S. President Trump's recent tweet to Iranian President Rouhani, IRGC Qods Force Commander General Qasem Soleimani warned "Trump the gambler" that "you may start the war, but we will be the ones to determine its end." In a speech delivered on July 26, 2018, in the city of Hamedan, Iran, General Soleimani said that Trump's rhetoric was "that of a bartender or a casino manager" and warned him that "we are near you in places that you can't even imagine. We are a nation of martyrdom." His speech aired on Iran's Channel 5.
#6873 – Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, Commander Of IRGC Aerospace Force Reviews U.S. Bases In The Region: We Can Strike The Americans Anywhere, They Are "Like Pieces Of Meat Before Our Teeth"
During a show on Channel 1 TV (Iran), the IRGC's Aerospace Force commander General Amir Ali Hajizadeh reviewed maps of different U.S. airbases in the region, including Al-Udeid in Qatar, Al-Dhafra in the UAE, and Kandahar in Afghanistan, saying that they are all within Iranian missile range. He also said that American aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf or the Gulf of Oman are within range, and that the U.S. military presence that used to be a threat to Iran is now an opportunity. He described Iran's arsenal of captured UAVs, saying that it consists of Sentinel, Predator, Reaper, Shadow, ScanEagle, and Hermes drones, and he added that Iran would support any group or country that wants to confront Israel. The show aired on November 21, 2018.
#6357 – Iranian Protester Tears Down Poster Of Ayatollah Khomeini And Curses Him, Urging Fellow Citizens To Step On The Poster
Footage emerged on social media of a protester in Iran tearing down a poster of Ayatollah Khomeini, Founder of the Islamic Revolution regime, while calling him a "hyena" and a "dirty beast," who "smeared shit all over the nation." The protester said that "that bastard belongs on the ground," and urged fellow Iranians to step on his poster, lying on the ground. The footage was posted on Twitter on January 3.
#6398 – Iranian Leader Khamenei's Representative In Iraq Mojtaba Hosseini: Israel, That 'Cancerous Tumor,' Will Be Extracted In A Few Years
Shiite cleric Mojtaba Hosseini, Iranian Leader Khamenei's representative in Iraq, said in a recent interview that Israel, which he called a "cancerous tumor," was "founded upon evil, strife, and interference in the affairs of other countries," and that it "will be extracted in a few years." The interview with Hosseini aired on the Iraqi Al-Ayyam TV channel on January 14.
#6419 – IRGC Deputy Commander Salami Threatens To Fire Ballistic Missiles At Aircraft Carriers, Enemy Bases In The Region In Event Of War
In a recent TV interview, IRGC Deputy Commander Hossein Salami described Iran's defense capabilities, saying: "We have begun to develop highly precise ballistic missiles, which will be able to identify targets moving at sea" and hit them "with 100% precision." With regard to its drone technology, Salami said that through reverse engineering Iran has produced a drone more sophisticated than the American RQ-170. He further said that Iran's "missile cities" were "completely concealed and unidentifiable, secure from conventional and non-conventional enemy attacks." "We have tried to spread our missiles all over, in a way that would enable us to fire various types of missiles simultaneously, while constantly changing the launching locations," he said. Salami was speaking on IRINN TV on February 3.
#6495 – Iranian Army Chief-Of-Staff Abdolrahim Mousavi: We Will Crush The Murderous America, Put An End To The Zionist Regime
Iranian Army Chief-of-Staff Abdolrahim Mousavi said that "we have succeeded in defeating all the Satanic forces that wanted to shatter the front of the resistance" and that "we will be able to crush the murderous America at the height of its power, and Allah willing, to put an end to the Zionist regime in less than 25 years." He was interviewed by the Tasnim News Agency at the Rahian-e Noor Museum of the Iran-Iraq War on March 24.
#6557 – Iranian MPs Burn U.S. Flag In Parliament, Chant 'Death to America,' Following Trump's Withdrawal From Nuclear Deal
Iranian parliamentary members burned a U.S. flag in the Majlis and chanted "Death to America" in the wake of U.S. President Trump's withdrawal from the nuclear deal. The footage was posted on the IRINN website on May 9.
#6647 – Footage Of Protests In Khorramshahr, Iran, Shows Man Killed By Gunshot, Burning Of Religious Seminar
Footage posted on Iranian social media accounts on June 30 shows scenes of the protests on the streets of Khorramshahr. In the footage, the shooting of a man, who lies dead in the street, is blamed on the police, and citizens allege that the police attack shops and break their windows and then accuse the citizens of doing the damage.
#6622 – Top Iranian Official Mohammad-Javad Larijani On Claims In U.S. 9/11 Report: In Some Cases, We Allowed Al-Qaeda Members To Pass Through Iran Without Stamping Their Passport
Senior Iranian official Mohammad-Javad Larijani referred to the U.S. 9/11 Commission Report, and said that in some cases, Al-Qaeda members travelling from Saudi Arabia to Afghanistan and elsewhere were allowed to pass through Iran without having their passports stamped. Larijani, who heads Iran's Human Rights Council and is a top adviser to Supreme Leader Khamenei, said that the Iranian government had agreed to this request, because they were in transit and would be in Iran "for only two hours." The interview, held with Iran's Channel 2 TV, was posted on YouTube.
#6797 – Iranian TV Children's Show: Standing Next To Missiles, Children Sing In Praise Of Jihad And Martyrdom
On "Sacred Defense Week," commemorating the Iran-Iraq war, Iranian TV featured a children's show in which young children were taken to a military base and shown various military vehicles and weapons. The video includes a song in which the children praise their fathers' willingness to wage Jihad and die as martyrs, singing: "My dad's hope is to be a role model and sacrifice himself in the path of God." The show aired on Iran's Channel 2 on September 26, 2018.
#6754 – Iranian MP Parvaneh Salahshouri Slams The Iranian Regime's Authorities For Political And Military Oppression, Economic And Social Collapse: Nobody Is Listening To Us
Addressing the Iranian parliament, member of parliament Parvaneh Salahshouri protested against the interference of the armed forces in state affairs, against the corruption and the "unjust judiciary," and against the clerics, who instead of dealing with poverty, corruption, and other social issues, are more concerned about women's appearances. She criticized President Rouhani for claiming that there is no crisis, at a time when the Iranian currency is "plummeting" and unemployment, corruption, and poverty are rampant. Salahshouri warned that "the silencing of critics has left no trace of our republic" and that "we have failed to create the ideal Islamic community." Her address was posted on the Iranian ICANA news agency website on September 4, 2018.
#6434 – IRGC Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani: The Blood Of Imad Mughniyah Will Be Avenged By The Uprooting Of The Child-Killing Zionist Regime
IRGC Quds Force Commander General Qasem Soleimani, in an address marking the 10th anniversary of the death of Hizbullah commander Imad Mughniyah, said that his blood and the blood of other martyrs would not be avenged by the firing of one missile or the killing of one person. "The blood of Imad will be avenged by the removal and uprooting of the child-killing Zionist regime," he said. His address was broadcast live on IRINN TV on February 15.
#6639 – Protesters in Tehran Shout: Our Enemies Are Right Here! America Is Not Our Enemy! No To Gaza, No To Lebanon!
Footage posted on social media on June 25 showed protesters in various locations in Tehran marching and shouting slogans like “No to Gaza, no to Lebanon! I will give my life to Iran!" and "Death to the dictator." In one demonstration, the protesters shouted "Our enemy is here! It is a lie that America is our enemy!"
#6383 – Iranian MP Mojtaba Zolnour: Nothing Will Be Left Of Israel following The First Wave Of Hizbullah Missiles
Iranian MP Mojtaba Zolnour, who chairs Iran's parliamentary nuclear committee and is a member of the parliamentary national security and foreign affairs committee, warned that "Hizbullah has armed the land of Lebanon with over 110,000 missile launchers, which lie concealed underground." He threatened that "the moment the [Israelis] wish to fire a missile at us, 110,000 missile launchers will fire [missiles] at them. With the first wave of missiles, nothing will be left of Israel. He was speaking on IRIB4 TV on January 18.
#6375 – Iranian Cyber Official Reza Taghipour: Letting Telegram And Instagram Take Over Our Cyberspace Was A Strategic Mistake; Telegram Provides Terrorism Instructions
Reza Taghipour, a member of Iran's Supreme Cyberspace Council, criticized what he called the "serious strategic mistake" of not establishing a national Iranian information network. This, he said, was what had led to the foreign-owned Telegram and Instagram networks "taking over" most of Iran's cyberspace, necessitating a request to the "foreign, non-Muslim" CEO of Telegram, Pavel Durov, to shut down his messaging app within Iran. The interview with Taghipour aired on Iran's Channel 5 on January 14.
#6354 – Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei Blames Popular Uprising On Iran's Enemies: 'All Those Who Oppose The Iranian Regime... Have United'
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said: "All those who oppose the Iranian regime, with their money, their political clout, their weapons, and their security systems... They have all united in an attempt to cause trouble to the Islamic regime, to the Islamic Republic, to the Islamic Revolution." His statements were broadcast by Iran's Channel 1 on January 2.
#6353 – Iranian Women Defy Old Guard In Recent Protests: Be Men And Step Forward
In footage from the recent Iranian unrest, women are seen protesting in the streets. "Be men and step forward," shouted one women, addressing the Iranian regime. "We have oil, gas, gold mines, diamond mines – you name it, we've got it," said another. "There's no reason for our women to [become prostitutes] for pennies." The footage emerged on the Internet on December 31.
#6421 – Tehran Friday Sermon By Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami: We Will Produce As Many Missiles As We Can And Increase Their Range As Much As We Want
In a Friday sermon delivered in Tehran on February 2, Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, a member of the Iranian Assembly of Experts, said: "Our defense policy is to produce as many missiles as we can and to increase their range as much as we want." He further said that Iran would "not enter negotiations with anyone" and would "not allow any government to interfere" with its missile program. The crowds responded with chants of "Death to America," "Death to England," and "Death to Israel." The sermon was broadcast by Iran's Channel 1.
#6826 – Iranian Researcher Shams Al-Din Rahmani Denies The Holocaust, Says The Jews Control The Oil Industry
In a video that was posted on the Internet on October 6, Iranian expert on Palestinian affairs Shams Al-Din Rahmani said: "We are not saying that we should strangle all the Jews like Hitler, who they claim perpetrated their Holocaust – which, by the way, is an absolute falsehood." Rahmani compared Hitler to Churchill and Stalin, saying that they were all the same. Rahmani also said that the Jews took control of the world in the mid-19th century and that the oil industry, which is owned by Rockefeller and Rothschild, is developing through the use of Jewish loans. He added that the immigration of 2.5 million Jews from Eastern Europe and Russia to America is what turned America into what it is today. The video was posted on the Iranian website Kheybar.net.
#6569 – Tehran Friday Sermon - Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami Warns: We Will Turn Tel Aviv And Haifa To Rubble
In a Tehran Friday sermon, Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, a member of the Iranian Assembly of Experts, said that Iran was "strengthening its missile power on a daily basis" and that "If Israel makes a mistake, we will turn Tel Aviv and Haifa to rubble." In the May 11 sermon, Khatami addressed U.S. President Trump, saying that the people are "more unified and stronger than ever" in their cry of "Death to America!" He said that the pro-Trump camp in the region, including Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, and the GCC, would become "America's cannon-fodder" and that "just as America plundered your resources, it will plunder your souls." The sermon was broadcast by Iran's Channel 1.
#6587 – Ayatollah Abbas Kaabi Of The Iranian Guardian Council: The U.S. Embassy Is Satan's Stronghold, Israel Weaker Than A Spider Web
Ayatollah Abbas Kaabi, a member of the Iranian Guardian Council, said that the move of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem constituted a "new Balfour Declaration," and that the embassy was "a stronghold of Satan and a den of corruption." Accusing the Saudi and UAE rulers of being "accomplices to the aggression against Jerusalem and Palestine," Ayatollah Kaabi said that Iran would provide money and weapons to anyone who confronts the Zionist entity and added that "Israel remains weaker than a spider web." Kaabi's statements aired on Al-Mayadeen TV on May 14.
#6593 – Senior Iranian Official Admiral Ali Shamkhani: We Have No Reason To Change Our Policy; The U.S. Navy Is Scared Of The Iranian Presence In The Gulf
Admiral Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, said that while the U.S. engaged in a "policy of hostility" toward Iran, before the nuclear agreement, after it was signed, and after pulling out of it, "we in Iran will not change our policy - especially our regional policy - unless the interests of the peoples of this region are secured, especially in Iraq, Syria, and elsewhere." Speaking in an Al-Jazeera interview on May 26, Shamkhani said that the Iran presence in the Gulf area "scares the American naval forces." He added that it is Iran's "unwavering policy in the Persian Gulf to respond to any violation and said that "we are ready to confront anyone who wishes to attack us - be it America or any other country."
#6799 – Senior Iranian Official Hossein Amir-Abdollahian Threatens To 'Raze Tel Aviv And Haifa To Yhe Ground'
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who is the special assistant to the speaker of the Iranian parliament and a former Iranian deputy foreign minister, said that if Israel "carries out even the smallest mistake" against Iran, Iran would raze Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground. He accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of employing childish and bombastic diplomatic tactics at the U.N. General Assembly and on TV, and said that Netanyahu and Israel have reached the end of the road. Abdollahian added that the Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, will never unite, and that Iran, Iraq, and Turkey are the only reason the Arab nations can maintain their security. Abdollahian called on the Arab countries to stop playing Trump "the lunatic" and Netanyahu's games, and invited them to partner with "their real friends, like Iran." Abdollahian's remarks aired on Russia Today TV on October 18, 2018.
#6602 – Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei: If Europe Does Not Meet Our Demands, We Will Have The Right To Renew Our Nuclear Activity
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said that Iran requires "real guarantees" from Britain, Germany, and France, because "we do not trust them." "If the Europeans do not meet these demands, we will have the right to renew our nuclear activity," he said, and the crowds responded with chants of "Death to America!" and "Death to England!" The speech was attended by a large group of Iranian officials, and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif can be seen joining in the chants. Comparing America to "the famous cat from 'Tom and Jerry'," Khamenei further said that "all their exaggerated tricks and ploys have failed." The speech aired on Iran's Channel 1 TV on May 24.
#6879 – Iranian Sheikh Sadiq Akhvan: Massacre Of Jewish Banu Qurayza Tribe Is A Holocaust-Like Fabrication By The Jews
Iranian Sheikh Sadiq Akhvan said that no story has led Islamic scholars and historians into a trap laid by the Jews as much as the story of the massacre of the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza in Medina, which he said is "another Holocaust-like lie." He said that the Jews are infamous for fabricating myths. Sheikh Akhvan added that the Jews should have established Israel in Germany or Britain instead of Palestine. His remarks aired on Al-Kawthar TV (Iran) on November 17, 2018.
#6440 – Senior Iranian Official Mohsen Rezai Threatens To Annihilate Tel Aviv If Israel Takes The 'Smallest Step' Against Iran
Iranian Expediency Council Secretary-General Mohsen Rezai said that "if Israel takes even the smallest step [against Iran], we will annihilate Tel Aviv and raze it to the ground." In a February 21 interview on Al-Manar TV, Rezai, who is former IRGC commander, said: "If they ever dare to carry out any stupid act, they will see what annihilation awaits them." He further said: "Why did the U.S. come and settle down in east Syria, on the bank of the Euphrates? We all know that the U.S. came there to support ISIS."
#6825 – Louis Farrakhan Refers To The U.S. As 'Great Satan' During A Tehran University Speech; Says To Iranians: If You Persevere In Your Revolution Despite The Sanctions, 'Victory Will Be Yours.'
Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan visited Iran as the Islamic Republic celebrated the anniversary of the seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Iran in 1979. During a speech At Tehran University, Farrakhan said that the U.S. is "gloating" over new economic sanctions. He said that nothing happens without the will of Allah, and added: "Is it not true that you have called America the Great Satan? If you believe that, then wouldn't Satan be actively involved in trying to destroy a nation that is set up on... submission to the will of God?" He also called on Iranians to persevere and to "carry forward the Revolution." Part of Farrakhan's speech aired on IRINN TV on November 4, 2018.
#6698 – Iranian Cleric Seyyed Mohammad Anjavinejad Harshly Criticizes The Regime For Corruption And Theft: Our Country Is Beyond Repair
Iranian cleric Seyyed Mohammad Anjavinejad recently delivered a sermon in a mosque in Shiraz in which he leveled harsh criticism against the Iranian regime. Denouncing the regime officials for what he described as widespread corruption among their families, Anjavinejad said: "They robbed you and me. We have no idea... how many billions each of those families conceals." Anjavinejad, who holds the religious title of Hujjat Al-Islam, is a veteran of the Iran-Iraq war. He lectures at Shiraz University and founded an institute specializing in cultural and educational matters. The sermon was posted on the Iranian Aparat website on July 7, 2018, and circulated on other social media sites.
