The following are selected MEMRI TV clips from Iran in 2019.
#7289 – Top Iranian Generals Observe As Villagers Use Mock Missiles On Zip-Lines To "Bomb" Capitol Hill, U.S. Ship, Israel
On June 1, 2019, Ofogh TV (Iran) aired a documentary about Iranian villagers who staged a mock bombing of Israel, Capitol Hill, and a U.S. Navy ship. The demonstration was held in the village of Kiasar in northern Iran, as part of an annual display in honor of Iranian martyrs. The report shows the producers of the display making the model missiles and setting up several cables that were 800 to 1,000 meters long down which the missiles would glide to their "targets," where they would make a large explosion. One of the missiles had a quote by Imam Khomeini painted on it that said: "Israel must be erased from the annals of history."
#7602 – Ali Shirazi, Khamenei's Representative In Quds Force: Our Confrontation With America Will Continue Until The Leaders Of The White House, Israel Are Annihilated
Ali Shirazi, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's representative in the IRGC's Quds Force, said in a November 4, 2019 speech that aired on Yazd TV (Iran) that the Iranian people's confrontation with America, which he said is in keeping with the teachings of the Quran, the Prophet Muhammad, and the Jurisprudent Ruler, will continue until the leaders of the White House and of Israel are annihilated and until the "oppressive foundations of the global arrogance are disrupted." He added: "Allah willing, [this] collapse will occur as soon as possible." Shirazi delivered his speech at a rally celebrating the anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, which led to the Iran hostage crisis.
#7582 – General Abdolrahim Mousavi, Commander-in-Chief Of Iran's Army: America Is Like A Scorpion From Hell, We Will Squash It Underfoot; Our Conflict With America Is One Of Religion And Values
General Abdolrahim Mousavi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army, said in a November 4, 2019 speech at a rally celebrating the 40th anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran that the conflict between America and Iran is about values, beliefs, and religion rather than issues such as human rights or Iran's nuclear and missile programs. Saying the America defines itself by its conflict against Islam, he compared America to a "scorpion from Hell" and promised that Iran is willing to pay the necessary price to squash that scorpion underfoot. The audience chanted: "Death to America!" The speech aired on Ofogh TV (Iran).
#6970 – Ayatollah Lotfollah Dezhkham, Khamenei's Representative In Fars Province: We Will Shout "Death To America" Until We Turn The White House Into A Shi'ite Islamic Center
Ayatollah Lotfollah Dezhkham, Khamenei's representative in the Fars Province of Iran, delivered a Friday sermon in the city of Shiraz on January 25, 2019. Ayatollah Dezhkham said that the Iranian people are fighting and awaiting the day when the banner of Islam will fly all over the planet and the Mahdi establishes his global rule. He said that the economic sanctions are evidence that the U.S. and President Trump are terrified of Iran, and added: "Until we turn the White House into a Hussainiya [Shi'ite Islamic center], we will all continue to shout: 'Death to America!'" The crowd subsequently chanted: "Death to America!"
#7580 – Iranian Schoolgirls Demonstrate On Anniversary Of 1979 Takeover Of U.S. Embassy In Tehran: It Feels Good To Punch America In The Mouth; Death To America! Death To Israel!
On November 4, 2019, Hamoon TV (Iran) aired a report about Iranian schoolgirls demonstrating in the Sistan and Baluchestan Province on the anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, which led to the Iran hostage crisis. The girls told the reporter that they are celebrating the takeover of the "spies' nest," that it feels good to "punch America in the mouth," that Iranian students can help annihilate Israel, and that being a student is like being a fighter in the Iran-Iraq War. Holding up signs that read "Down with U.S.A.", the girls chanted: "Death to America! Death to Israel!"
#7612 – Iranians Protest In The Wake Of Increase In Fuel Prices, Burn Police Vehicles, Throw Stones At Policemen, Chant: Death To Khamenei, Death To The Dictator!
Numerous videos were uploaded to the Internet depicting the November 2019 protests in Iran in the wake of an increase in fuel prices. The protesters chanted "Death to you Khamenei!", "Death to the dictator!", and "Oh Shah of Iran, come back to Iran!" in the streets. People also burned pictures of Khamenei, burned police buildings and vehicles, and confronted riot police, in some cases by throwing stones at them and cursing them. In one video, a man shouted at a police officer: "Sir, are you not with the people?" In another video, a woman stood on a bridge cursed Supreme Leader Khamenei, Imam Khomeini, and the Iranian government as people cheered her on.
#7544 – Senior Iranian National Security Official Mojtaba Zonnour: Our Drones Are Tracking, Ready To Strike American Bases Throughout The Region; We Can Destroy Israel In Less Than 30 Minutes
Mojtaba Zonnour, the Chairman of National Security and Foreign Policy Committee in Iran's Majlis, said in an October 11, 2019 interview on Channel 5 (Iran) that Iran employs a strategy of deterrence and asymmetric warfare that renders its enemies' strengths ineffective by exploiting their weaknesses. He said that Israel would be destroyed within 30 minutes if America or Israel make a "mistake" and that Iranian drones are tracking activity in American military bases as far as Diego Garcia Island. Zonnour said that the Iranians "have registration fire" on most of the American bases in the area and threatened that they will be struck if Iran is attacked. In addition, Zonnour said that adhering to a "culture of resistance" will guarantee Iran's security.
#7517 – Iranian Cleric Ebad Mohammadtabar: When The Hidden Imam Arrives, The Whole World Will Convert To Islam Or Die; We Will Confront, Defeat The Jews, Zionism
Iranian cleric Ebad Mohammadtabar said in a September 7, 2019 sermon that aired on Hamoon TV (Iran) that when the Hidden Imam arrives, the whole world will have to convert to Islam or die. He also said that the Muslims will confront the Jews, whom he said the Quran describes as the biggest enemy of Islam, and he said that the Muslims will humiliate and defeat Zionism. Mohammadtabar added a prayer that the congregation will have the privilege of seeing the coming of the Hidden Imam with their own eyes.
#7513 – Woman At Entrance To Hospital in Shiraz, Iran: We Are Hungry, Need Medicine; To Hell With Our Leaders; Khamenei's Time Is Up, He Should Go Meet His Maker
On October 1, 2019, a video of a woman at the entrance to a hospital in Shiraz, Iran was uploaded to the Internet. Encouraging others to join her in protest, the woman shouted: "My child is hungry [and] our people are hungry... [Our leaders] are thieves [and] they should leave this country... To hell with them... I have diabetes and I can't get my medicine... Mr. Khamenei, your expiration date has come and gone. Go meet your Maker."
#7446 – Kerman Friday Sermon By Former Iranian Minister Mostafa Pourmohammadi: Narrative Of "So-Called Holocaust" Should Be Researched; The Jews, Zionism Constitute An Invasive Civilization Of Arrogance
Former Iranian Minister of Justice and Interior Mostafa Pourmohammadi, who currently serves as an advisor to Iran's Head of the Judiciary, said in a May 31, 2019 Friday sermon in Kerman, Iran that the narrative about Israel being established because the Jews needed to escape Nazi crematoriums and the "so-called Holocaust" is questionable because it seems unlikely that the Jews would have been able to move to Palestine and establish a state in the two years between 1943, when he said the Jews were burned by the Nazis, and 1945, when he said Israel was established. He also said that the fight against the Jews and Zionism is a fight against a "contemporary invasive civilization of arrogance" and that it is a "great war between civilizations." The sermon aired on Kerman TV (Iran).
#7441 – Iran's President Rouhani Alludes To Possible Meeting With Trump: Only If U.S. Lifts Sanctions, Bows Down To The Iranian People, Recognizes Our Revolution
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in an August 27, 2019 speech that aired on IRINN TV (Iran) that the countries, such as the United States, that have imposed sanctions and "carried out economic terrorism" against Iran must repent, return to their obligations, act in the service of the world's interests, recognize the Islamic Revolution, and reject their previous mistakes in order for Iran's conduct towards them to change. He said that circumstances would be different if the U.S. lifted all the economic sanctions and "bowed down" before the Iranian people. He said that Iran wants to resolve issues in a reasonable manner that is in keeping with its interests, and he added: "We are not interested in photo-ops. If someone wants to have his photo taken with Hassan Rouhani… It can be done with Photoshop, but a real photo is impossible, unless one day they lift all their unjust sanctions."
#7330 – Iranian National Security Official Mojtaba Zonnour: If America Attacks, We Will Destroy Israel Within 30 Minutes, Sink U.S. Aircraft Carrier
Mojtaba Zonnour, the chairman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Iranian Majlis, said in a June 30, 2019 interview on Al-Alam TV (Iran) that America has 36 military bases in the region, the closest of which is home to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and the most remote being on Diego Garcia island in the Indian Ocean. He said that all of these bases are within range of Iran's missiles. He claimed that Iran has "intelligence hegemony" that enables it to quickly detect any changes in these bases. Zonnour said that Israel will survive for less than 30 minutes if the U.S. attacks Iran and that the American aircraft carrier in the region that is supposed to intimidate Iran is actually an easy target because of its size. He further threatened that Iran will sink the aircraft carrier along with its 7000-man crew if America attacks Iran.
#6977 – Iranian Official Hassan Rahimpour Azghadi: Iran Has Supporters Throughout The World, Including America And Europe; U.S. Attack On Iran Would Result In World War
Hassan Rahimpour Azghadi, who is a member of the Iranian Supreme Council for Cultural Revolution, said during a broadcast that aired on Channel 1 TV (Iran) on December 21, 2018 that Iran's global influence extends into Yemen, Lebanon, Palestine, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and other countries throughout the world, and that it even has supporters in the U.S. and Europe. He said that Iran has forces that are willing to sacrifice their lives for it even without being told to do so. He gave the example of a Hindu Marxist professor at the University of Delhi in India who told him that if America attacks Iran, he and his students would fight alongside Iran, even in Indian territory. Azghadi alleged that leftist Indian students had told him that they would leave no Americans alive in India if the U.S. attacked Iran. Azghadi referred to a statement by Imam Khomenei that a world war would break out if the U.S. attacked Iran and he added that Iran is not a country; rather, it is a "great international revolution."
#7304 – Iranian TV Promotes Establishment Of National Intranet: It Would Be More Secure Against U.S. Cyber Attacks
On May 29, 2019, Khalijefars TV [Iran] aired an animated short that discussed the potential benefits of the establishment of a national intranet. The narrator compared Iran's current Internet connection to traveling from Tehran to Shiraz through Germany, and, reminding the viewers of the Stuxnet virus that attacked the Bushehr power plant in 2010, he explained that a national intranet would be more secure and faster, and that it would render pointless any foreign attempts to disconnect Iran from the global network. Making the case that several countries such as South Korea and China have already established a national intranet, the narrator described an internal network as "long-term thinking to preserve our information security and our resilience in the international community."
#7300 – Iranian Music Video Titled "Death = America" Depicts Lady Liberty As Skeleton Holding A Menorah, Lyrics Say: Death Is Too Small A Punishment For America
On May 31, 2019, Hamoon TV (Iran) aired a music video to a song titled "Death = America", by Iranian singer Hamad Zamani. The video shows Zamani sculpting a skeleton holding stone tablets and a Jewish menorah in the fashion of the Statue of Liberty. Zamani sings: "How many people paid with their blood for your stars... Even death is too small a punishment for you... Like a ghost, it roams the streets of Las Vegas... Death lies in the purposeless lives [led] in the godless homes... All your promises are illusions... The land is strewn with corpses of doves... Your lifeline is pulling the world towards death." The music video was produced by NASRTV, an Internet channel, as part of Iran's "Down with USA Grand Award" competition, which first took place in 2013.
#7299 – Senior Iranian Official Mohammad-Javad Larijani Compares IAEA Inspectors to Cockroaches, Adds: In Some Cases, We Need 90% Enriched Uranium; We Should Suspend Our NPT Membership
Senior Iranian Official Mohammad-Javad Larijani, the Head of the Institute for Research and Fundamental Sciences, said in a June 12, 2019 interview on Channel 2 TV (Iran) that the IAEA observers and inspectors, which he described as "cockroaches," should not be allowed into Iran or its scientific facilities, and that Iran is under no obligation to provide them with information. He stressed that Iran is not actually committed to the JCPOA or the NPT because the other signatories are doing whatever they want, and he said that Iran should suspend and renegotiate its membership in the NPT. Larijani added that Iran has the right to engage in all types of nuclear research, including laser enrichment. He also said that Iran is not limited by the level of its uranium enrichment and that in some cases, it needs uranium enriched to 90%. Mohammad-Javad Larijani is a former MP and a former deputy foreign minister, and he has previously served as Khamenei's advisor on foreign affairs. He is the international deputy of the chief justice and secretary of the high council for human rights. He is also the brother of Ali Larijani, the speaker of the Iranian Majlis, and of Sadeq Larijani, the Head of Expediency Council.
#7281 – Iranian Citizens in Messages to President Trump: We Will Punch You in the Mouth; You Would Not Dare Do Anything
On May 31, 2019, Khorasan Razavi TV (Iran) aired a report from the Quds Day Rally in Mashhad, Iran. One young boy told the reporter that he came to the march because the Americans treat the Palestinians poorly and in order to say "Death to America and Israel" to remind them that Iran can defeat them. When asked what they would tell President Trump if they spoke to him on the phone, several of the Iranians participating in the march told the reporter that Trump is not worth speaking to. People also "told" Trump that he wouldn't dare do anything to Iran, that the Iranians stand behind Khamenei's words, that Iran will not forget America's "acts of betrayal," and that the Iranians will "land a strong punch in the mouth of [the] arrogant people."
#7275 – Senior Iranian Official Yahya Rahim Safavi: America Cannot Afford War With Iran, Knows We Would Land A "Shocking Strike"
General Yahya Rahim Safavi, a senior advisor to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and former commander of the IRGC, said in an interview with the Fars News Agency (Iran) on June 2, 2019, that war with Iran would be very costly for the Americans and that as soon as such a conflict would begin, the price of oil would exceed $100 per barrel, which he said America's allies cannot bear. General Safavi also explained that Trump's military experts would advise against war with Iran because they know Iran has an unpredictable "strategy of surprise" and that it would "land a crushing a shocking strike" on U.S. forces. He added that the U.S. will ultimately leave West Asia and that the Arab nations should not trust the U.S. because it eventually tramples its servants underfoot like it did the Shah, Hosni Mubarak, and Qadhafi.
#7262 – Tehran Billboard In Honor Of Quds Day Shows Destroyed American, Israeli Ships, Says: "We Drowned Them All"
On May 28, 2019, Fars News Agency (Iran) released a video showing a large billboard that was put up in Vali-e Asr Square in Tehran in honor of Quds Day. The video is a time lapse of the billboard being put up in Tehran's commercial center. The billboard shows destroyed American and Israeli ships in a "sea" made of a Palestinian keffiyeh, with an image of the Dome of the Rock in the background. The billboard reads "We Drowned Them All" in Farsi, Hebrew, and English.
#7219 – Protest At Tehran University Against Enforcement Of Hijab, Students Chant: "Death To The Dictator"; "The Nation Is Panhandling, But The Leader Is Acting Like God"
On May 13, 2019, a protest took place at Tehran University against forced hijab and the presence of guards on university premises for the purpose of enforcing the hijab. Students chanted slogans that included: "Death to the dictator," "Freedom of thought is impossible with a beard," "The nation is panhandling, and the Leader is acting like God," and "The students rather die than accept humiliation." The students were also confronted by Iranian security forces and the Basij. The videos in this clip were posted to the Internet on May 13, 2019.
#7165 – Iranian Majlis Designates U.S. CENTCOM As Terrorist Organization
IRINN TV reported on April 16, 2019 that the Iranian Majlis ratified with an overwhelming majority a bill that would designate the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) as a terrorist organization. Iranian Defense Minister General Amir Hatami said: "American's deception and sanctions have become ineffective." He added that 26 rounds of U.S. sanctions, the U.S. pulling out of the JCPOA, and designating the IRGC a terrorist organization "prove that the U.S. sanctions weapon is no longer capable of shooting at the target." Hossein Naghavi-Hosseini, of the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee told IRINN TV: "All the U.S. forces deployed in the region, all their facilities, their bases, and the entire logistic apparatus at their disposal are considered terrorist entities." He added that all U.S. bases and the personnel in them "should be treated as terror bases." Mohammad Ali Vakili, a Majlis member, told IRINN TV that this is only the first bill of a group of bills "aimed at confronting the hostile measures of the American government against the Iranian people" and the U.S. should be warned against further steps in the future.
#7107 – Head Of Iran's Broadcasting Authority Abdolali Ali-Asgari: The Iranians Replaced The Jews As God's Chosen People
Abdolali Ali-Asgari, head of IRIB, Iran's Broadcasting Authority, talking about superiority and great nations, said that while in ancient times God had given the Jewish people superiority, the Iranian people - the countrymen of the Prophet Muhammad's companion Salman the Persian - were chosen to "shoulder the heavy burden of truth and progress in the world" after the Jews "pursued worldly ornaments and behaved unjustly." Ali-Asgari was speaking at an award-giving ceremony of the broadcasting authority in Tehran on March 12, 2019, and his address was broadcast on Iran's Channel 5.
#7070 – Iranian Filmmaker Nader Talebzadeh: 9/11 Is a Big Lie, Fabricated Crime; Explosives Were Planted, 3,000 Jews Warned to Stay Away
Iranian filmmaker and TV host Nader Talebzadeh said in a February 27, 2019 interview on Ofogh TV (Iran) that people in America have no right to ask questions about the "fabricated crime" of 9/11. Talebzadeh referenced theories that the collapse of the Twin Towers had been a planned detonation and that 3,000 Jews had been warned to stay away from the area the day before the attack. He said that Iranian officials who want to sign the FATF's Combating Financing of Terrorism treaty should be warned of the "links" between FATF and 9/11, where he claimed FATF was "born." Talebzadeh, who is the organizer of Iran's New Horizon conference, was recently sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury. For more about Nader Talebzadeh, see MEMRI TV. Clips No. 7065, No. 1735, No. 945, No. 881, No. 127.
#7038 – IRGC Aerospace Cmdr Hajizadeh: We Hacked U.S. Drones And Have Thousands Of Hours Of U.S. Intelligence Footage
On February 20, 2019, Channel 5 (Iran) aired a report saying that the IRGC has infiltrated American command centers in Iraq and Syria and acquired intelligence from them. General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the IRGC's Aerospace Force, said that the IRGC hacked up to 10 American aircraft that flew over Iraq and Syria and monitored the intelligence that they gathered. He said that Iran passed information to the Iraqi PMU and other operatives in the region. He then showed a video that he claimed was a recording from an American reconnaissance flight over ISIS centers and said that the IRGC has thousands of hours of this type of footage.
#7007 – IRGC Unveils Dezful Smart SSM, Top-Secret Underground Missile Factory; IRGC Commander Jafari Says Iran's Ability To Deter Is "Certain"
On February 7, 2019, Channel 1 TV (Iran) aired a report about the IRGC's unveiling of a top-secret underground ballistic missile factory and the Dezful smart surface-to-surface ballistic missile. The factory and missile were unveiled in honor of the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution and of the Fajr decade. Major-General Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the IRGC, said that Iran's ability to deter is "certain," and that Iran's ballistic missiles are for the protection of Iran and the "oppressed and downtrodden nations in the region." General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the IRGC's Aerospace Force, was also present at the unveiling, and he explained that the Dezful missile is engineered in a fashion similar to the Zolfaghar missile, but that it has twice the destructive capacity and a range of 1,000 kilometers. The reporter assertively said that Iran answers "to no one but God and [its] conscience," and he added: "May those who are jealous be blinded by their envy."
#7605 – Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: Erasing Israel Does Not Mean Erasing The Jews; The People Of Palestine Must Drive Out Netanyahu And Other Riffraff Foreigners
In a speech delivered on November 15, 2019 at the Islamic Unity Conference, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that while the erasing of Israel is a recurring theme in the rhetoric of Iranian Revolution Leader Khomeini and current Iranian senior officials, this does not mean that the Jews must be erased. Israel must be erased by the real people of Palestine, Muslims, Christians, and Jews voting for their true representatives and driving Netanyahu and other "riffraff foreigners" who are the "real thugs" out. The crowd in attendance responded with the chants "Inshallah" and "Death to Israel!" Khamenei said that although some people claim it is inconceivable that Israel will be erased after 60 or 70 years of existence, we can see that in the Balkans peoples gained independence after a similar period of time. "This will happen" he said, "We support the people of Palestine." Khamenei said that America is not only the enemy of Iran, but it is hostile towards all the Islamic world and countries. He added that the West monopolizes nuclear knowledge and capability and only permits other countries to obtain this knowledge by surrendering their honor and independence and this is why they prevent Iran from having nuclear power. Khamenei said: "Every action taken to obtain this [nuclear] power is [religious] good." The speech was aired on Channel, 1 Iranian TV.
#7604 – Iranian Human Rights Chief Mohammad Javad Larijani: We Can Easily Obtain Nuclear Weapons, We Just Don't Want Any; We Should Never Reverse Our Reduced Commitment To The JCPOA; Iran Is The Most Important Democracy In West Asia
Mohammad Javad Larijani, the Secretary of the Iranian Judiciary's High Council for Human Rights, was interviewed on Channel 2 (Iran) on November 12, 2019. He said that the West is unworthy of bearing the standard of human rights, that human rights are the ideological foundation of Iran, and that Iran should not view countries like Britain, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia as models for democracy and human rights. Claiming that Iran is the most important democracy in West Asia, Secretary Larijani criticized the JCPOA for limiting the Iranian people's development in the nuclear sciences, and he said that it would be a strategic mistake to reverse any of the steps Iran has taken to reduce its commitment to the JCPOA. Rather, he said that none of these steps should be reversible. He explained that it would be foolish to roll back investments in projects such as the Fordo and Arak nuclear facilities. Secretary Larijani also said that Iran should partly blame itself for agreeing to the JCPOA's trigger mechanism, which he said the Europeans are threatening to activate, and he asserted that if the mechanism is activated, Iran should withdraw from any past nuclear commitments and refuse to join any future agreements. He said that in such a scenario, Iran should even negotiate regarding whether or not it should join the NPT.
#7575 – IRGC General Gholamreza Jalali, Head Of Iran's Civil Defense Organization: Our Nuclear Sites Experience As Many As 50,000 Cyber Attacks Per Day; Israel, Neighboring Countries Steal Our Clouds As Part Of A Climate War Against Us
IRGC General Gholamreza Jalali said in a September 27, 2019 interview on Channel 5 (Iran) that the Stuxnet cyber attack on Iran had the positive effect of causing Iran to pay attention to cyber security in its nuclear installations. He said that the nuclear sites experience as many as 50,000 cyber attacks per day, ranging from unimportant viruses that are automatically taken care of by security systems to what he referred to as "cyber weapons," which he said are advanced viruses that have several encrypted layers, that hide in the computer system, and that gather intelligence or sabotage Iran's computer systems. General Jalali said that there are less than ten cyber weapon attacks per year and that Iran successfully defends itself from these attacks. In addition, General Jalali reiterated previous statements of his that certain neighboring countries are cooperating with Israel in order to "steal" Iran's clouds. He clarified that he suspects a "climate war" is being waged against Iran by means of technology that affects the atmosphere and ionosphere.
#7507 – Cuban Ambassador To Iran Alexis Bandrich Vega On Whether Cuba Needs Iranian Weapon Systems: We Would Fight The Americans Face-to-Face, Defeat Them
In a September 20, 2019 interview on Channel 5 TV (Iran), Cuban Ambassador to Iran Alexis Bandrich Vega was asked if Cuba is interested in having missiles and drones like the ones that Iran possesses and produces. Ambassador Vega responded that Cuba has a defense system called "all-people-war" that mobilizes all of the Cuban people to participate in defending Cuba. He said that Cuba has missiles and drones that can withstand attacks from air and sea, including missiles launched from the United States, and he said that millions of Cubans know how to use weapons and camera-equipped missiles. Ambassador Vega added that a U.S. attack on Cuba would be met with face-to-face resistance that would cause the Americans to leave.
#7504 – Senior Iranian Official Mohsen Rezaee: We Will Catch Trump And Place Him On Trial; The Americans Cannot Defend Themselves, So How Would They Defend Saudi Arabia?
Former IRGC Commander-in-Chief General Mohsen Rezaee, who currently serves as the Secretary of Iran's Expediency Council, said in a September 22, 2019 interview on Channel 2 TV (Iran) that there can be no security in the Persian Gulf unless America, England, and other foreign countries pull out of the region. He said that America's presence is at the root of the lack of security in the region and that all the countries in the region will "become friends" the day America leaves. In addition, Rezaee said that America's inability to retaliate against Iran for downing an American drone is evidence that the U.S. cannot help defend Saudi Arabia. He said that Iran will eventually catch President Trump, who he said has "played all his cards," and place him on trial before an international court for the crimes he has committed against Iran and other nations. Furthermore, Rezaee said that China has been strengthening its relations with Iran and that the two countries are working on a 25-year strategic agreement.
#7483 – IRGC Aerospace Force Commander Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh: We Constantly Monitor U.S. Vessels Within 2,000 Kilometers Of Iran, Are Ready To Strike Them; We Stand United With Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen Against America
General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the Commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, said in an interview with Iranian filmmaker Nader Talebzadeh that was uploaded to the Internet on September 12, 2019 that Iran is constantly monitoring American naval vessels within a range of 2,000 kilometers from Iran, and he said that it would only "take one spark" for Iran to attack these vessels. He said that the U.S. must leave the region and that Iran can defend itself and its airspace to an unprecedented degree. General Hajizadeh also said that Iran is acting in accordance with Islamic principles by helping Muslims around the world and in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, and he said that Iran will stand alongside the resistance front at all costs. He emphasized that Iran and the resistance are an interrelated coalition. The interview was uploaded to a YouTube channel called Nader's Show. The show is hosted by Talebzadeh, who is designated by the U.S. Treasury Department as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist for his involvement in the New Horizon Institute. The video was published with English-language subtitles, which were transcribed by MEMRI for viewing comfort.
#7458 – Russian Senator Iliyas Umakhanov On Iranian TV: Russia Understands Iran's Decision To Renew Uranium Enrichment; I Would Volunteer To Fight Alongside Iran In War With U.S.
Iliyas Umakhanov, the Deputy Speaker of Russia's Federation Council, said in a September 3, 2019 interview on Channel 5 TV (Iran) that the behavior of the U.S. and President Trump resembles street brawling, bullying, and hooliganism, which he said can only by "cured" by force and determination. He said that he understands why Iran has decided to renew uranium enrichment, and he expressed support for a peaceful Iranian nuclear program. In addition, Umakhanov expressed hope that relations between Russia and Iran will remain peaceful and strategic rather than tactical. He avoided specifically answering how Russia would respond if Iran withdrew from the JCPOA, and he said that the Arab countries along the Persian Gulf would have to be very stupid to listen to the U.S. and fight a war against Iran. When asked what Russia's response would be if war breaks out between Iran and the United States, Umakhanov said: "I volunteer for the war."
#7448 – Senior Iranian Official Hossein Sheikholeslam: 150,000 Missiles In Lebanon, Syria, Gaza Are Meant To Deter Israel And The U.S. And Are Worth Our Investment; Israelis Should Leave To Europe
Former Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Sheikholeslam, who has served as Iran's ambassador to Syria, said in an August 27, 2019 interview on Ofogh TV (Iran) that Iran has invested in the "huge defensive and strategic endeavor" of deploying roughly 150,000 missiles in Lebanon, Syria, and the Gaza Strip that are meant to be launched at Israel at Iran's discretion. He said that since the U.S. has defined Israel's national security as part of its own national security, this strategy is Iran's greatest deterrent against both countries, and he claimed that Israel would have certainly attacked Fordow, Bushehr, and Natanz dozens of times were it not for Iran's missiles in these countries. Sheikholeslam went on to say that a ballistic missile launched from Iran would take eight minutes to get to Israel and would be detected by American and NATO radars in the region. In contrast, he explained that missiles launched from Lebanon would start a rapid descent almost as soon as they can be detected and monitored. In addition, Sheikholeslam said that Iran does not intend to drive Israel into the sea or to use nuclear weapons against it. Rather, he said that Iran's military capabilities are exclusively for purposes of deterrence and that Iran simply wants the Zionists to "understand" that they have violated the rights of the Palestinians and to leave the region, especially since they "have citizenship in several European countries anyway."
#7422 – Fmr. IRGC General Hossein Allahkaram: We Can Strike Regional Oil Centers At Any Time If The U.S. Makes A "Mistake"; We Are "Escalating The Crisis" With Regard To Nuclear, Regional, Oil Issues
Former IRGC General Hossein Allahkaram, the head of the Ansar-e Hezbollah Coordination Council, said in a July 27, 2019 interview on Channel 5 TV (Iran) that Iran has a missile that is used by Hamas and that has a range of 70 kilometers, that cannot be detected by radar because of its non-ballistic trajectory, and that cannot be detected by the Star Wars system or be intercepted by other missiles. Allahkaram explained that this means that, at any given time and if the Americans make a "mistake," Iran can simultaneously strike multiple key oil centers in the region such as the Ahmadi region in Kuwait, the Dhahran areas in Saudi Arabia, and areas in the UAE. Allahkaram said that Iran is refraining from doing this because of its defense strategy, but that Iran is keeping with its "crisis escalation theory" by "escalating the crisis" with regard to nuclear, regional, and oil issues.
#7396 – Threats To Close Strait Of Hormuz In Iranian TV Animation: America's Withdrawal From The JCPOA Has Forced Us To Adopt New Foreign Policy
On July 30, 2019, Ofogh TV (Iran) aired an animated video about Iran's strategy regarding the Strait of Hormuz. The narrator said that 18 million barrels of crude oil, 30% of the world's natural gas, and 50% of the region's international business deals go through the Strait of Hormuz, and he said that America's withdrawal from the JCPOA and enforcement of economic sanctions against Iran have forced Iran to adopt a new foreign policy. The narrator said that if Iran's oil production drops to zero, Iran is willing to take "a powerful preemptive measure" to protect its national interests by closing the Strait of Hormuz, which he predicted would cause the price of oil to increase beyond $250 per barrel. He also predicted that closing the Strait of Hormuz would cause almost all the oil wells in the region to close, and that it would cause other Middle Eastern countries to go into a rapid economic "free fall." The video was produced by the Iranian broadcasting authority's Basij Center.
#7371 – Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zangeneh: Unless We Match Iraq's Superior Oil Extraction Technology, It Will Extract Our Share In Joint Oil Fields
Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zangeneh said in a July 7, 2019 interview on Channel 2 TV (Iran) that roughly 92% of the oil in the Sarvak layer of the Azadegan oil field remains in the ground, and he said that this is an example of why Iran needs better oil extraction technology. He said that chanting slogans about Iran's oil productions is not enough. Zangeneh went on to say that Iraq is not committed to joint oil production with Iran in the West Karoon oil field, and he warned that Iraq has the upper hand in this matter. He added: "[Iraq] extracts its own oil, and if we procrastinate, it will extract our oil, too... The world is governed by a balance of power. Woe to the weak!"
#7366 – Iranian President Rouhani: JCPOA Was An Important Political Achievement Because UNSC Acknowledged Our Right To Enrich Uranium
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in a July 14, 2019 address that aired on IRINN TV (Iran) that the JCPOA had been advantageous for Iran because it allowed Iran to legally enrich uranium. He said that the U.N. Security Council had said that Iran's right to enrich uranium must be supported, and he explained that this was an important legal and political achievement since the Security Council did not say this about any country other than Iran. Rouhani also said that the JCPOA benefited Iran from an economic perspective and that it enabled Iran to launch 14 phases at the South Pars Gas-Condensate field.
#7326 – Debris Of U.S. Drone Shown On Iranian TV, Pastries Passed Around Studio To Celebrate The Successful "Revolutionary Hunting"
On June 26, 2019, Iran's Channel 1 and Ofogh TV stations aired shows discussing Iran's June 20, 2019 downing of an American drone over the Strait of Hormuz. Mohsen Maghsoudi, a TV host on Channel 1, said that the "lion cubs" of Iran's air defense units shot down the American drone in an historical act of "revolutionary hunting," and that Iran had received divine assistance in order to "vanquish America's global hegemony." Maghsoudi showed debris from the fuselage of the drone, which he said the IRGC had lent to the station for the show, and he claimed that the drone had been an MQ-4C drone, although American authorities have said that the drone was an RQ-4A. The debris had "Death to America" written on it in Farsi. Maghsoudi then presented sweet pastries for the studio crew to eat in celebration of the Iranian success. Major Mohammad Ali Khodabaksh, an IRGC Aerospace Force expert on defense operations who was a guest on the show, said that Iran's ability to shoot down an American drone from an altitude of 50,000 feet is a message to the world that Iran can also shoot down F-35 and F-22 jets. In a broadcast on Ofogh TV, Tehran University professor Dr. Mohammad Sadegh Khoushki said that shooting down the drone stopped the Americans from launching a war against Iran since it caused them to realize that their military commanders' assessment that the U.S. could not win a war against Iran was correct.
#7296 – Iranian Official Hassan Rahimpour Azghadi: Iranians Fought Alongside Hamas, Islamic Jihad In Gaza; We Will Destroy Israel Within 25 Years
Hassan Rahimpour Azghadi, a member of Iran's Supreme Council for Cultural Revolution, said in remarks that aired on Ofogh TV (Iran) on May 31 that, even without the help of other countries, Iran will destroy Israel and liberate Palestine within 25 years, as Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has said in the past. Azghadi said that the Americans would end their sanctions if Iran stopped supporting the Palestinians, but that this is where Iran "draws the line." Giving the example of Israeli assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists, he said that Iran has paid a heavy price for its stance, and he added that Iranians had been present in Gaza and had fought alongside Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants during the recent conflict with Israel.
#7258 – Iranian TV Show Cites 'Protocols Of The Elders Of Zion': Russian Revolution Was Part Of Jewish Plot Led By Rothschilds To Establish New World Order, All-Jewish Government
On January 4, 2019, Ofogh TV (Iran) aired a show discussing the Russian Revolution and Marxism, and how they were part of a Jewish conspiracy led by the Rothschild family to control the world's wealth. Russian Revolution researcher Zahra Sattarian said that the Rothschild family would employ usury in order to indebt countries to them so that they could control those countries' central banks, and she said that the entire global economy is controlled by a Jewish-Freemason network that is headed by the Rothschilds. Sattarian said that one of the goals of the Rothschilds and the Jews was to establish a new world order and an all-Jewish government, and she explained that the Russian Revolution was part of an act of vengeance against the Romanov dynasty.
#7215 – Former IRGC General Saeed Ghasemi: We Trained Mujahideen In Bosnia; Rouhani, Zarif, Salehi Should Face Trial
On April 14, 2019, an interview with former IRGC General Saeed Ghasemi was uploaded to the Iranian media website apparat.com. Gen. Ghasemi said that ISIS had been created by Hillary Clinton and he criticized the Iranian government for focusing on the JCPOA rather than Iran's "great victory" against ISIS. He criticized President Hassan Rouhani for not having visited Syria yet, and said that if Iran joins the JCPOA then people from France, Holland, and the U.S. would come and rape Iranian women like American forces did in Okinawa. Ghasemi recounted his experience training mujahideen in Bosnia and Herzegovina under the cover of being a Red Crescent member and said that the IRGC worked alongside Al-Qaeda during that time. He said that it was "marvelous" that people who were loyal to Iran came from Turkey, France, Germany, and Tunisia to fight in Bosnia, like the foreigners who had come to fight in Syria. Ghasemi praised Hizbullah Sec.-Gen. Hassan Nasrallah and Iranian filmmaker Nader Talebzadeh, and said that if the Arak reactor ever fell into the hands of "the people of the party of Allah," then Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Iranian FM Javad Zarif, and Iran's atomic energy chief Ali Akbar Salehi would be prosecuted, and that he would then give them a prison uniform, a ball and chain, a pickaxe, and a sledgehammer so they could take out the cement that had been poured into the reactor.
#7124 – IRGC Strategist Hassan Abbasi: SEALs Cried When Captured By Iran, 20 U.S. Servicemen Commit Suicide Every Day, Yet The U.S. Wants To Attack Iran
IRGC strategist Hassan Abbasi claimed in a March 13, 2019 interview on Ofogh TV (Iran) that there is a new law that requires a new country to ratify the "homosexuals law" every three months. He claimed that 27 countries have ratified this "law" so far, and that Iran will be considered abnormal by the world because it will never legalize same-sex marriage. He also said that in 2016, several American super-commandos of the "SEAL navy" cried when they were captured by Iranian forces and that 20 American servicemembers commit suicide every day because they have nothing motivating them and they are not accepted by society. He said that the Zionist and Saudi soldiers suffer from these psychological problems as well and that this is in stark contrast to Iran, whose commanders pray for Jihad and martyrdom, and whose people believe that they are still alive even after being martyred for the sake of God. He added: "Our deterrent force will never be an atomic weapon… It is actually the culture of Jihad and martyrdom."
#6989 – Iranian TV Animation Shows Ghadir-Class Submarine Sinking American Aircraft Carrier
On February 1, 2019, IRINN TV (Iran) aired a computer-generated animation of an American aircraft carrier and four destroyers being sunk by an Iranian Ghadir-class submarine. At the end of the animation, a titled reading "40 Years [For the Iranian Revolution]" appears, and a narrator says: "Our Iran has the technology to manufacture very advanced Ghadir-class submarines."
#6988 – Iranian Atomic Energy Chief Salehi: We Needed 10 Years For Centrifuge Testing Regardless Of JCPOA; We Have Enough IR1 Centrifuges Despite What U.S. Thought; New Centrifuges Ready For Industrial Production
Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, was interviewed on Channel 2 TV (Iran) on January 30, 2019. He said that Iran is neither rich nor poor when it comes to uranium and that it is working to produce a strategic uranium reserve. He said that testing on the IR4 and IR2M centrifuges has been completed and they can now be produced industrially. He also said that the IR5, IR6, IR7, and IR8 centrifuges are currently being tested, and that this is being done in compliance with the JCPOA. He explained that the 10-year period in which the JCPOA limits Iran to using only IR1 centrifuges for uranium enrichment is roughly the same amount of time that Iran would have needed to test new centrifuges anyway, and that the U.S. had thought that Iran would not have enough IR1 centrifuges to last for those 10 years. However, he said that less than 1% of IR1 centrifuges disintegrate – compared to the previous failure rate of 40% - and that Iran today has 14,000 IR1 centrifuges, many of which are in storage, such that Iran has more than enough IR1 centrifuges to last for the 10-year period.
#6967 – IRGC Deputy Commander Hossein Salami: America Cannot Withstand Our Weapons; U.S. Economy Cannot Support A War Against Iran
During an interview that aired on Channel 1 (Iran) on November 3, 2018, IRGC Deputy Commander Hossein Salami said that America has failed to achieve any of its political goals in the Middle East and that it is strategically confused. He claimed that there is no evidence to support President Trump's claims that U.S. foreign policy has affected Iran's behavior in the region, and that it has been Iran – not the U.S. – that has succeeded in affecting political, strategic, religious, and cultural developments that have benefited it in Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria, and Yemen. Salami said that Iran has military response capabilities on par with those of the United States and that Iran can quickly threaten vital American interests and cut off American control of the Middle East. In addition, he said that America does not have the political unity or economic ability to carry out a war against Iran, which he said would extend beyond the region. Salami added that the American aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf are within range of Iran's accurate ballistic missiles, and he asked: "Can they withstand such weapons?"
#6961 – Al-Nujaba Militia Leader Sheikh Akram Al-Kaabi: IRGC And Lebanese Hizbullah Officers Have Guided Us In Fighting The American Forces Since 2004 And Helped Us Improve Our IEDs
Secretary-General of the Al-Nujaba militia in Iraq, Sheikh Akram Al-Kaabi, was interviewed on the organization's TV network, Al-Nujaba TV, on January 1. Al-Kaabi said that the IRGC and Lebanese Hizbullah helped the militant Shi'ite forces that were fighting the U.S. forces as early as 2004. He recounted the details of the 2004 battle of Najaf between U.S. and Iraqi forces and the militant Mahdi Army, in which 13 American servicemen were killed and over 100 were wounded. He said that IRGC and Hizbullah officers were present on the ground and helped the Mahdi Army in the battle. Al-Kaabi added that when the battle of Najaf was over, he traveled to Lebanon and met Hassan Nasrallah and Imad Mughniyeh, who debriefed him about the battle. According to Al-Kaabi, Nasrallah and Mughniyeh put all their capabilities and expertise at his disposal. He went on to describe how the Al-Nujaba militia began using explosively formed penetrators in the IEDs that they employed against American M1 Abrams tanks in Iraq.
#6944 – Qom-Based Media Producer Muzaffer Hyder: Iranian Leader Khamenei Is The Wisest Man Alive; Islam Is The Solution To The World's Problems; America Orchestrated 9/11
Islamic Pulse, which is an Iranian media company based in Qom that produces English-language videos, uploaded a video to its YouTube channel titled "BACKFIRE" on December 24, 2018. U.K.-born Muzaffer Hyder, a producer at Islamic Pulse, said in the video that America orchestrated 9/11 and started a war against Islam because it realized that Islam is a feasible political system that can solve the world's problems. Hyder described America as the enemy of humanity and he explained that Islam chooses its leaders based on their wisdom rather than their wealth, giving the examples of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and U.S. President Donald Trump, respectively. Hyder praised Khamenei, saying that he is the most honest and knowledgeable man in the world and that he cries in the night praying to God for the sake of humanity. Hyder studied in the United Kingdom at the University of Kent and the Canterbury Christ Church University.
