The following is a collection of MEMRI TV clips from the MEMRI Iran Studies Project in 2020. Producing such content is very costly, and your help allows us to continue our vital work of supporting counterterrorism efforts in the U.S. and throughout the West. We are very grateful to those of our valued readers who have already donated this year, and ask those who have not yet done so to please consider making a tax-deductible donation now.
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About MEMRI's Iran Studies Project
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The MEMRI Iran Studies Project, headed by native-born Iranians, is the only research project in the world that monitors and analyzes materials from the Iranian media on a day-to-day basis:
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It has produced hundreds of hours of translations from Iran's most important media outlets and websites, including over 40 newspapers and more than 30 TV channels.
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It has published hundreds of original analyses on issues of vital importance, such as Iran's pursuit of nuclear and ballistic missile capability and its military and political expansion in the region;
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Focus also on the increasing activity of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) within the country and the IRGC Qods Force outside its borders;
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Also covers the political revolt in the country and its violent suppression by the regime; speeches and statements by military leaders; speeches by leaders; sermons by senior religious and political figures; and more.
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The project also monitors reformists, including women's and human rights activists and others, in the country.
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MEMRI TV clips have over 30 million views in 2020.
The following are MEMRI TV clips from Iran in 2020:
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif was interviewed by Iranian journalist Mehdi Nasiri in a video that was uploaded to the Arman Media YouTube channel on December 9, 2020. Zarif said that the United States has forfeited its rights according to the JCPOA because it has withdrawn from the agreement, however it is still obliged to abide by the agreement and must lift all its sanctions on Iran. Zarif joked that he wished the U.S. would leave Planet Earth, just like it withdrew from the JCPOA. He said that President Elect Biden will be obligated to return to the JCPOA. Zarif added that America "owes" Iran for arming other countries in the region. He explained that the Western powers tried to include Iran's missile program and its regional activity in the JCPOA but failed and had to compromise about it. Hence, Zarif added, they do not have the option to demand the inclusion of this issue now.
The Iranian FM added that he cannot conceive of a situation in which Iran would officially recognize Israel. Furthermore, he said that Iran's strategy for confronting the issue of Israel would not be to throw the "kikes" into the sea or to initiate a military attack against it, but rather it has suggested to the U.N. that a popular referendum, including Palestinians in the land and in the diaspora, would resolve this matter.
On February 23, 2020, Iranian filmmaker Nader Talebzadeh was interviewed by Iranian TV host Alireza Pourmasoud on Ofogh TV (Iran). Pourmasoud said that the mainstream media in the United States consists of six corporations that are run by Zionist Jews who immigrated to the U.S. from Germany and the USSR and who have complete control over what news items are published. He also said that since the Protestant Reformation, during which he said the idea that the Messiah was a Jew was adopted, Christians have aligned themselves with the Zionists with the goal of making Jerusalem the capital of Israel. He added that the recent Netflix series, Messiah, was produced in order to gauge public taste regarding the issue of the messiah. Later in the show, Nader Talebzadeh said that MEMRITV has been monitoring him, and more generally Iranian media for 20 years, and that Netflix changes the script of the Messiah series accordingly.
Ali Bagheri, the Secretary of the Iranian Judiciary's Human Rights Council, advised U.S. President Donald Trump in a November 27, 2020 interview on Channel 3 (Iran) to rent a room in the White House from President Elect-Joe Biden, because once he leaves office he will face a serious prosecutorial process against him on the part of Iran. He said that Iran will take legal action against Trump for his "crimes against the Iranian nation," in particular the assassination of Qasem Soleimani and Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. He also warned that regarding the recent assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Iran will be prosecuting Israel and European countries that do not denounce the assassination.
Former Iranian diplomat Amir Mousavi said in a November 29, 2020 interview on Al-Manar TV (Hizbullah-Lebanon) that when U.S. President Trump took responsibility for the killing of Qods Force commander Qasem Soleimani, he "opened the gates" for the assassination of senior American officials. He added that Trump himself will be on the run for his entire life, even after leaving the White House. Mousavi also said that if Israel is proven to be behind the assassination of Iran's senior nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, as suspected, Israeli scientists will be targeted by "the enemies of the Zionists". He detailed the instrumental role Fakhrizadeh played in developing a cadre of nuclear scientists in Iran. He added that if U.S. President Elect Joe Biden chooses to rejoin the JCPOA, he would not be doing so because he likes Iran, rather as revenge against President Trump.
Iranian Defense Minister General Amir Hatami said in a November 27, 2020 interview on IRINN TV (Iran) that senior Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who had been assassinated on the previous Friday, had been also involved in other scientific projects. He said that Fakhrizadeh had led the organization that developed Iran's coronavirus test kits, and that he had worked on the development of a coronavirus vaccine, of air defense lasers, and on non-radar aerial detection technologies.
Iranian Expediency Council member IRGC General Ahmad Vahidi, who was formerly Iran's Defense Minister and served as the first commander of the IRGC's Qods Force, said in a November 28, 2020 interview on Ofogh TV (Iran) that Iran's commitment to the NPT's additional protocols is meaningless if Iranian nuclear scientists like the recently-assassinated Mohsen Fakhrizadeh and its nuclear installations are not safe. He said that the IAEA and its Board of Governors must understand this and that Israel is bitterly mistaken if it thinks that there will be no response to Fakhrizadeh's assassination. General Vahidi also warned that Iran may view the countries that have recently normalized relations with Israel as collaborators with the Zionist regime.
On November 27, 2020, Fars TV (Iran) aired a propaganda video showcasing the IRGC's military capabilities. The video includes a montage of IRGC fighter pilots, snipers, combat divers, paratroopers, hostage rescue teams, helicopters, speedboats, missiles, radar systems, and civil engineering and public works projects. In an animation that threatens America and Israel, a bomb with the text "Death to America, the Great Satan" written across it is seen, and the text "Islam will win" flashes on the screen.
Iranian researcher Dr. Sam Mehdi Torabi, the Director of the Risalat Strategic Studies Institute, said in a November 24, 2020 English-language interview on Press TV (Iran) that Iran has ICBM capabilities. Dr. Torabi also said that the U.S. will only leave the Middle East with its soldiers in body bags. He said that an American attack on Iran would give Iran the legitimacy to attack U.S. interests in the region in order to drive them away. Dr. Torabi added that Iran is the only natural hegemonic power in the region and there can be no peaceful coexistence between Iran and America, Israel, or the Gulf states. For more about Dr. Torabi, see MEMRI TV Clips Nos. 8035, 8033, and 7851.
Iranian Expediency Council member Mohammad-Javad Larijani, who also serves as an advisor to the Head of Iran's Judiciary, said in a November 23, 2020 interview on Ofogh TV (Iran) that the only difference between Trump and Biden is whether they have different policies towards Iran. He also said that if the U.S. wants to rejoin the JCPOA, it must do so without preconditions, and it must lift the economic sanctions on Iran and compensate Iran for economic damages. In addition, Larijani said that if Iran enters negotiations, it must first suspend implementation of all of its current obligations, including the NPT. Furthermore, he said that those who say that Iran will return to the JCPOA when America returns to it are holding a very bad position.
On November 19, 2020, IRINN TV (Iran) aired a report about the Shahid Roudaki, a new IRGC Navy battleship made from a salvaged Italian shipping freighter. The reporter explained that the Shahid Roudaki is equipped with state-of-the-art weapons and equipment, that it carries aircraft and missile systems, and that it will be deployed in the northern Indian Ocean.
On November 16, 2020, the Qom, Iran-based Islamic Pulse media company uploaded to its YouTube channel an English-language discussion about the response to the Charlie Hebdo cartoons. American Islamic scholar Sayyid Shahryar Naqvi, who currently lives in Qom, asked why it is permitted to insult 1.8 billion Muslims while it is forbidden to insult the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust or to question the Holocaust. The show's host, British-born Islamic scholar Muzaffar Haydar, accused the West of carrying out 9/11. Pakistani Islamic scholar Sheikh Ali "Qomi" Chawla, the director of Islamic Pulse, said that the "sanctity" of the Holocaust is part of a Jewish political scam to take control of all the world's resources. Later in the show, Sheikh Chawla said that Western media tries to promote indecency and moral decadence with sexual content, an LGBT agenda, and "other nastiness" in order to make Muslims less faithful.
In August 2020, Sheikh Chawla was one of several individuals charged by the U.S. Department of Justice with transferring money collected via a campaign by Islamic Pulse directly to Iran and its Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. For more from Islamic Pulse, see MEMRI TV Clips No. 8219, No. 8103, No. 7903, and No. 6944.
On November 11, 2020, IRINN TV (Iran) aired a report about Iran's missile capabilities, with an emphasis on the missiles capable of striking Israel. The narrator described the range, capabilities, and warhead capacities of various families of Iranian missiles, including Shahab, Fateh, Sejjil, Ghiam, Emad, and Fajr. He elaborated that Hizbullah holds a large supply of Fateh-class missiles, which he claimed are the most accurate Iranian missiles, and he added that they can be used to target Israeli naval vessels and all of Israel's territory. In addition, he also said that Palestinian fighters have been using the Fajr-3 and Fajr-5 missiles to target Israeli cities.
Iranian Islamic scholar Rahim Mahdavipour said in a Friday, November 6, 2020 sermon in Bojnurd, Iran, that aired on Khorasan Shomali TV (Iran) that Iran's cyber force carried out two attacks against Israel this year. He claimed that the first attack targeted Israeli desalination plants, and that the second attack, which he said was carried out a few days ago, targeted and disabled Israeli power plants.
In a November 5, 2020 address, which was aired on IRINN TV (Iran), Iranian President Hassan Rouhani spoke about the 2020 American presidential elections. He said that it is not important who wins the presidential race, because "the next [American] administration will undoubtedly surrender to the Iranian people." He added that Iran can "undoubtedly" force its enemies to impellent the law, regulations, and their commitments, once again.
On November 4, 2020, Channel 1 (Iran) aired a report about the unveiling of a "missile machine gun" system capable of rapidly and accurately firing long-range ballistic missiles. The reporter explained that the system uses carriages to rapidly launch the missiles, and he said that all of Iran's underground missile cities will be equipped with this technology. IRGC Commander-in-Chief General Hossein Salami, who made an address at the unveiling, said that Iran must prove its technical, tactical, operational, and strategic "control" over the enemy.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said in a November 3, 2020 address that aired on Channel 1 (Iran) that the West's "attacks" on the honor of the Prophet Muhammad are a sign of the oppressive, unjust, ignorant, and barbaric nature of Western civilization. He also said that the U.S. is suffering from political, civil, and moral decadence that will spell its end regardless of who wins in the 2020 Presidential Election, however, Khamenei added, certain candidates would accelerate America's demise more than others. In addition, he said that Israel will be destroyed.
On November 2, 2020, Iranian Channel 2 TV aired a news report about a Majles bill intended to obligate the government to increase its nuclear activity. The news anchor said that the bill, which includes a series of steps to increase nuclear activity, would bring an end to American and European sanctions on Iran. After the bill was passed in the Majles, Majles members chanted: "Death to America!"
On October 28, 2020, Channel 1 (Iran) aired a documentary titled "Headman's Nakedness." In an interview, IRGC Aerospace Force Commander General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh said that by killing IRGC Qods Force Commander Qasem Soleimani, the Americans had attempted to sow hopelessness in the ranks of the "resistance axis," but that the Iranian reprisal attack on Ayn Al-Asad actually lifted the morale of the "resistance." He said that the attack also caused the people of the countries that the U.S. had beaten in World War II, Germany and Japan, to rejoice because they felt that Iran had carried out their revenge.
General Hajizadeh said that this caused Russia, China, and many other countries to realize "what America really is" and that America isn't as powerful as it seems. Later in the documentary, a montage of videos of Iran's military and missile capabilities was shown, and an animation showed U.S. President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, First Lady Melania Trump, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and other prominent figures being targeted by crosshairs.
Iranian journalist Ghanbar Naderi, a columnist for Kayhan International, said in an October 20, 2020 interview on CGTN Network (China) that Iran should change its policy towards Israel and its neighbors, that it should stop threatening to destroy Israel, and that it should recognize the sovereignty of Israel, Saudi Arabia, and other countries in the region. Naderi, who was speaking from Tehran, added that the COVID-19 pandemic, which he described as a missed opportunity for cooperation between the United States and Iran, has changed the stance of even hardliners in Iran, to the point that Iran will engage with the United States if it rejoins the JCPOA, if it lifts the economic sanctions against Iran, and if it stops threatening Iran militarily.
This clip is a compilation of episodes from an Iranian show in which IRGC General Mohammad-Reza Naghdi, the IRGC's Deputy Commander-in-Chief for Coordination, speaks to Iranian analysts, legal experts, and members of the press. The episodes aired on Channel 3 (Iran) between September 22, 2020 and October 8, 2020. Among his statements, General Naghdi said that the American political establishment has conspired to conceal the truth about the casualties sustained during the Iranian attack on Ayn Al-Asad Airbase. Stating that not all IRGC Qods Force members are Iranian nationals, he said that Iran has a "popular army" of non-state supporters throughout the world, whom he argued are more valuable than national allies because they are more loyal and can operate undetected. Furthermore, General Naghdi suggested that the Qods Force is active in the West Bank, and he said that any Israeli or American reports about Iranian advisors being killed in Syria are lies and propaganda. He also said that the United States is rotten and crumbling and that American attempts to stop Iran, Hizbullah, Hamas, and the Iraqi PMU are futile.
In addition, General Naghdi said that Iran is ready for any type of aggression against it, that Israel will soon collapse, and that any Israeli action against Iran would result in Tel Aviv and Haifa being turned into dust. General Naghdi also discussed the JCPOA, the position of women in the IRGC and the Basij, and a suggestion that he had made for the creation of a computer game in which Basij forces liberate George Floyd from American police.
General Yadollah Javani, the Deputy Commander for IRGC political affairs, said in an October 9, 2020 interview on Etejah TV (Iraq) that Iran's "harsh revenge" against the United States for the killing of IRGC General Qasem Soleimani has not been completed. He reiterated the threat of IRGC Commander General Salami that Iran will target all those who were involved in Soleimani's death. General Javani also said that the United States is in no position to wage a war against Iran, that Iran will respond harshly to any attack or threat, and that countries in the region that help the United States or Israel would also be crushed if the U.S. or Israel attack Iran. Furthermore, General Javani said that Iran is capable of closing the Strait of Hormuz and of razing the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa.
Iranian political analyst Emad Abshenas said in a September 26, 2020 interview on Palestine Today TV (Gaza/Lebanon) that Iran's people, security forces, and intelligence services will target and pursue U.S. President Donald Trump and all the other "terrorists" who were involved in the killing of IRGC Qods Force Commander General Qasem Soleimani. He said that Iran's intelligence services are monitoring these people, that Iran has sued President Trump, that all the people involved in Soleimani's death will be punished, and that President Trump will be sentenced as soon as he finishes his term in office and his immunity expires.
IRGC Second-in-Command General Ali Fadavi said in an October 3, 2020 interview on Channel 5 (Iran) that Iran has missiles with 1,500-kilogram warheads and a range of 2,000 kilometers that can accurately land in a 6-square-meter area. He said that Iran has naval vessels that can travel at 92 knots, and that they are developing ones that will be able to travel at over 100 knots. In addition, General Fadavi said that in 2011, the IRGC had begun forcing vessels in the Persian Gulf, including American vessels, to speak Farsi. He added that Americans do not understand the meaning of God, Islam, truth, or martyrdom, but that they do understand force, missiles, and speedboats. In a September 24 interview on Ofogh TV (Iran), General Fadavi said that the range of Iran's missiles are limited by the political decision of Supreme Leader Khamenei and not by technological constraints.
Iranian author, researcher, and university lecturer Mahmoud Anousheh said in a September 29, 2020 interview on Channel 3 (Iran) that the Iranian people should not be the ones paying the price of poor economic policies and that the proper way to fight corruption is from the top down. The host of the show, Peydan Talebi, said that Iran's officials belong in the toilet if they cannot take care of the people.
Former IRGC Commander-in-Chief, General Yahya Rahim Safavi, who currently serves as Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's senior armed forces advisor, said in a September 22, 2020 interview with Iranpress News Agency that over the past 40 years, Iran has become a regional power. He said that America and the Zionists have grown weaker, and that a third Islamic awakening is about to begin in North Africa and sweep through Asia. He predicted that the power of the Islamic world will soon be shown.
General Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of the IRGC referred to U.S. President Donald Trump's reaction to a possible Iranian retaliation for the killing of IRGC Qods Force Commander Qasem Soleimani in an interview with Iran's Channel 1 TV, on September 19, 2020. In the interview, General Salami said that President Trump lacks any necessary knowledge and the political and military experience to wage war against Iran so he resorts to exaggerating the proportions of an American response to an Iranian act of retaliation. He continued to say that the American military is incapable of engaging in a war with Iran, that its weapons are outdated, that the U.S. economy cannot support prolonged military conflict, and that the American regime cannot even manage a pandemic.
General Salami said that Iran is capable of setting fire to American bases and interests in the region, and it can conquer all of its bases. He continued to say that Iran has been perfecting its "defensive capabilities" since the Iran-Iraq war ended, so it is prepared to wage war against the U.S., protect Iran from defeat, and win this war. General Salami added that Iran has "thousands of regiments on the ground." Referring to U.S. President Trump's statement that an American response to a possible Iranian retaliation for the killing of Soleimani, would be "1,000 times greater," General Salami said that this is completely unfathomable. He said that if President Trump had suggested that the American response would be two or three times as strong as the Iranian attack, this would be a plausible enough exaggeration for the purpose of psychological warfare.
General Salami said that the U.S. is working under the mistaken assumption that Iran would retaliate for the killing of Soleimani by assassinating the American ambassador to South Africa. However, General Salami said that this would be ridiculous because Iran is an honorable and noble nation and it would not assassinate someone who had no part in the killing of Soleimani. He said that the best revenge would be to defeat "the hegemonic order [of the West]." General Salami stated that defeating the American regime would be the most appropriate vengeance for the blood of Soleimani, not the killing of "of some soldiers or an ambassador somewhere."
Ayatollah Ahmad Alamolhoda, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's representative in the Khorasan Razavi province, said in a Friday, September 11, 2020 sermon in Mashhad, Iran that the West conspired to cause the explosion in the Beirut port, and that it has resorted to angrily cursing the Prophet Muhammad because there is nothing else it can do. He specifically criticized the French journal Charlie Hebdo, as well as France's President. In addition, Ayatollah Alamolhoda questioned why in Europe, cursing the Prophet Muhammad is considered freedom of expression while people who discuss or investigate the "false and mythical" Holocaust are condemned and executed. He also said that blacks in the United States are being killed and oppressed for chanting "Human life matters." In May, 2016, Iran held a Holocaust cartoon contest in response to the Charlie Hebdo cartoons of Muhammad, see MEMRI TV clip no. 5472 for an Al-Alam TV (Iran) report about the contest.
Iranian Islamic scholar Mohammad Mousavi said in a Friday, September 11, 2020 sermon in the city of Jajarm that aired on Khorasan Shomali TV (Iran) that he condemns the recent reprinting of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad by the French journal Charlie Hebdo. He said that this is a calculated move on the part of the West to distance Muslims from the Prophet Muhammad, to cause Islamophobia, and to create "Prophet-phobia." Mousavi said, however, that the loyalty of Muslims to the Prophet Muhammad will only grow stronger, and that this will pave the way for the emergence of the Hidden Imam and for the "annihilation of the people of the West."
Mohammad-Javad Larijani, a member of Iran's Expediency Council and an advisor to the head of Iran's judiciary, said in an August 28, 2020 interview on Channel 4 (Iran) that signing the JCPOA had been a mistake and that nuclear energy and scientific achievements are Iran's undeniable right. He added that Iranians who say they just "want to live" and do not care about nuclear energy or long-range missiles are echoing an idea that is promoted by the enemy inside Iran. In addition, Larijani discussed access to the "virtual space" in Iran and questioned why Instagram – which he said is run by Jews and Americans – has access to the minds of the public. He argued that even the United States banned WeChat and TikTok as soon as they began to run contrary to U.S. interests.
Behrouz Kamalvandi, the spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said in an August 24, 2020 interview on Al-Alam TV (Iran) that Iran has 230 tons of heavy water, which he said is used for research. He said that Iran exports surplus heavy water to unspecified countries in Europe or Asia, and that Iran is also producing and exporting 242 chemical isotopes. Kamalvandi said that Iran has over 1,000 tons of yellowcake and over 3 tons of uranium enriched to 4-4.1%, and he explained that this uranium stockpile is ten times larger than the amount agreed upon in the JCPOA. He also said that Iran can enrich uranium further if the need arises.
In addition, Kamalvandi said that within 14 months, Iran's nuclear capabilities will recover from the losses caused by the recent explosion in the Natanz nuclear facility, which he said appears to have been an act of sabotage. He also said that if there is a "snapback" to economic sanctions against Iran, then the JCPOA also becomes null and void. Furthermore, Kamalvandi said that the IAEA inspections must cease because a sovereign country should not be flooded by "unnecessary" questions and inspections, and he added that the IAEA currently wants to inspect sites near Shahreza and near Tehran.
On August 20, 2020, IRINN TV (Iran) aired a report about the unveiling of missiles named after IRGC Qods Force Commander General Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi PMU deputy leader Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, who were killed in a January 2020 U.S. airstrike. Deputy Iranian Defense Minister Ghasem Taghizadeh explained that the Martyr Hajj Qasem Soleimani missile is a surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a range of 1,400 kilometers that uses unprecedented "technologies of flight-control and flight-dynamics." He said that the Martyr Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis cruise missile has a range of 1,000 kilometers and can be launched from deep inland and away from the shore. In addition, an unnamed missile expert explained that the Qasem Soleimani missile re-enters the atmosphere at a speed of Mach 12, strikes its target at Mach 5, and can strike targets that are fortified or are deep underground. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was present at the unveiling.
Iranian Defense Minister General Amir Hatami said in an August 18, 2020 interview on IRINNN TV (Iran) that Iran's missile capabilities are an important part of its defense doctrine. He said that Iran's missiles can penetrate its enemies' air defense systems and that Iran is closely monitoring the enemy's attempts neutralize Iran's missile capabilities. In addition, General Hatami said that Iran is willing to provide weapons and equipment to countries that "need it." He added that Iran would respond powerfully to any attack.
On June 30, 2020, an animated video of a spoken word poem titled "People Everywhere Are Chanting 'Death to America'" was uploaded to the Islamic Pulse YouTube channel, which is based in Qom, Iran. The narrator recited that she chanted "Death to America!" when "U.S. troops showered bombs on Iraq", when the U.S. helped "Saudi Arabia bomb starving Yemenis", when the U.S. helped Israel "exterminate Palestinians", when IRGC Qods Force Commander Qasem Soleimani was "murdered," and when Iran-sponsored Press TV anchor Marzieh Hashemi was arrested and "tortured" by the FBI. The narrator said that she continues to chant "Death to America!" today in solidarity with the protests in the United States. She then explained that the slogan is a warning to the people of America that the "capitalistic, militarized, racist, barbaric, Satanic system called America" is a danger, and that the world's problems will be solved if the institution of America is destroyed. The animation then depicted the Washington Monument crumbling down, the Capitol Building being destroyed in an explosion, and an American flag being riddled with bullets. For more from the Islamic Pulse YouTube channel, see MEMRI TV Clips No. 8103, No. 7903, and No. 6944.
Tehran University professor Foad Izadi said in a July 18, 2020 interview on Ofogh TV (Iran) that people should burn more American flags, because this will help establish solidarity with American protesters who are tearing down statues and burning flags in America. He said that these people should be Iran's "target audience" if Iran wants to start acting in America.
On July 29, 2020, Channel 1 (Iran) aired a report about the second day of the IRGC's "Great Prophet 14" military exercise (for more about the exercise, see MEMRI TV Clip No. 8174). IRGC Aerospace Force Commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh explained that Iran launched ballistic missiles from underground silos during the exercise, and the report said that drones were employed to attack a mock aircraft carrier and its escort ships. The report showed footage of missiles being launched from land and from seacraft, as well as soldiers parachuting and rappelling onto the mock aircraft carrier.
On July 28, 2020, Channel 1 (Iran) aired a report about an IRGC exercise in the Strait of Hormuz, called "Great Prophet 14." In the exercise, missiles, helicopters, speedboats, and military divers practiced seizing an aircraft carrier. IRGC Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami said that strategically, Iran operates defensively, but that its tactical approach is entirely offensive. General Gholamali Rashid, the commander of the Khatam Al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said that Iran will swiftly respond to any threats or "destabilizing actions." The report also showed IRGC forces launching missiles and carrying out other aspects of the exercise.
Mohammad-Hadi Homayoun, an Iranian professor at Imam Sadegh University and Iran's former Deputy Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, said in a July 17, 2020 interview on Channel 4 (Iran) that people who say that Man has gone to the moon are lying, and that travel to the moon and to other planets will only become possible once the Hidden Imam arrives. He said that when this happens, there will be no more diseases, and people will be able to communicate with jinns.
In a July 4, 2020 interview on Russia Today TV, former Iranian diplomat Amir Mousavi said that Iran is prepared to retaliate against America, Israel, and an Arab country that he did not name, all of which he said are "suspects" in the July 2, 2020, explosion at the Natanz nuclear facility. He said that retaliation is waiting for final authorization and that it will consist of filing international complaints, and of a reciprocal cyber attack or a regular military attack. In addition, Mousavi said that America "trembled" when Iran sent its oil tankers to Venezuela.
Media producer Muzaffer Hyder said in a video that was uploaded to the Islamic Pulse YouTube channel on June 4, 2020 that American authorities may have instigated violence during the protests surrounding the killing of George Floyd in a fashion similar to how he said they backed violence in Iran during the November 2019 protests. He said that some American policemen collect KKK memorabilia, and he claimed that "Zio-America" is behind the concept of racial superiority since Zionists consider Jews to be superior to non-Jews. In addition, Hyder said that America fights Islam because Islam rejects racism and he claimed that the current events can be traced back to "the Satanic Zionist agenda." Warning viewers in America to get out of America or resist against the system like the Palestinians do, Hyder said that the slogan of all "free-minded" and "free-spirited" people in the world is: "Death to America!" Hyder, who was born in Britain, currently lives in the Iranian city of Qom, where he studies Shi'ite Islam and is a producer for Islamic Pulse.
Iranian Ayatollah Lotfollah Dezhkam, Supreme Leader Khamene''s Representative in the Fars province, said in a Friday, June 19, 2020 sermon that aired on Fars TV (Iran): "America cannot be the main decision-maker when it comes to strategic matters in the world... The sound of America being shattered, and of its collapse, is being heard all over the world. The shout of the Iranian nation [is] being heard from the mouths of the Americans themselves: Death to America!" The audience responded by chanting: "Death to America!"
#8085 - Anti-U.S. Propaganda Song On Iranian TV: 'It Is The End Of Your Reign, America!'
On June 21, 2020, Ofogh TV (Iran) aired an anti-U.S. propaganda music video titled "I Am America." The video showed animations and clips of President Donald Trump, of conflicts in the Middle East, of the George Floyd protests. The lyrics are as follows: "I am the enemy of terrorism, [even] though I sometimes disguise myself as ISIS [...] I'd bathe in blood in Yemen, Iraq, Gaza, or Damascus - who cares? [...] Gambling with people's lives is my hobby! I am America [...] It's time we unite and our voices become one [...] This is a chance to liberate all the people. It is the end of your reign, America!"
Iranian political analyst Emad Abshenas said in a June 5, 2020 interview on Al-Ahd TV (Iraq) that the majority of white people in the U.S. are descendants of criminals who had been deported from Europe to America, that racism is in their genes and on the rise in the United States, and that groups like the Zionist lobby, the Jewish lobby, and lobby of the rich people control America's economy and decision-making mechanism.
Sabaheddin Torkilmaz, the head of the Imam Reza Islamic Center in Berlin, said in a June 3, 2020 interview on Ofogh TV (Iran) that Imam Khomeini and the Islamic Revolution have inspired Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Yemen, Lebanon, and other countries in Africa and Latin America. He elaborated that the Islamic Revolution has no borders and that the Rule of the Jurisprudent stands in opposition to liberal democracy and American democracy.
Former Iranian diplomat Amir Mousavi said in a June 1, 2020 interview on Afaq TV (Iraq) that there is a conflict between the U.S. and Iran and that Iran will not remain silent over the "terrorist" attack that America carried out against IRGC Qods Force Commander General Qasem Soleimani. Mousavi said that America must extradite Soleimani's killer to Iran or leave the region. He said that the American forces in Iraq will be a target for Iran sooner or later - regardless of the position of the Iraqi government - since Iran has the right to exact revenge against the United States. He added that Iran has the right to chase down American "terrorists" throughout the world.
Mehdi Taeb, the Head of Iran's Ammar Strategic Advisory Base, said in a video that was uploaded to kheybar.net on March 25, 2020 that Jerusalem is important to the Jews because they are using it to rebuild their identity. He elaborated that they have been excavating Jerusalem in search of Solomon's Temple because they want global domination like King Solomon had achieved. In addition, Taeb said that Christians fight against Muslims because the Jews have infiltrated their ranks, though they should really be fighting against the Jews since they had killed Jesus. He added: "The liberation and purification of Jerusalem constitute the destruction of the [Jews'] false identity and the liberation of the world."
On May 22, 2020, Channel 2 (Iran) aired a video titled "COVID-1948" comparing Israel to the coronavirus. The narrator said that the world has been shocked that coronavirus has prevented children from going out to play while Israel has been bombing hospitals and killing children. He said that it is clear in which "lab" Israel was created and added that becoming stronger and increasing solidarity and unity can defeat Israel just as it can defeat COVID-19. He said: "It is enough for the freedom-seeking countries of the world to join hearts [to] rid the world of this virus forever."
Iranian academic and political analyst Mohammad Marandi said in a May 30, 2020 interview on Channel 2 (Iran) that black people in the United States oftentimes live in slums and have education so poor that it is comparable to second- or third-grade education in Iran. He said that the media tells blacks that they are violent, smugglers, dancers, and so forth. Marandi stated that the only thing most blacks have left is sports. Marandi also discussed former U.S. President Barack Obama, saying that Obama had joined the establishment, became "one of them," and spoke of the Founding Fathers, even though they had been slave owners and he would have been a slave if he had lived during the same period that they had lived in.
Dr. Sam Mehdi Torabi, the Director of Iran's Risalat Strategic Studies Institute, said in a May 30, 2020 interview on Channel 2 (Iran) that the United States is an oligarchy in which the power and wealth are controlled by one percent of the society, and that the legal processes and constitution in the U.S. cannot lead to reform. He said that the way to reform the United States, which he referred to as "Satan," is through a revolution that would annihilate America's oligarchs. Dr. Torabi added that Iran would help the American people if they have the courage to start a revolution, but that if they don't have the courage, someone from the outside will have to finish off the American oligarchs. For a related statement in which Dr. Torabi discusses the current unrest in the United States, see MEMRI TV Clip No. 8033.
In a video posted on the Iranian website Kheybar.net on March 23, 2020, Mehadi Taeb, the Head of Iran's Ammar Strategic Advisory Base, said that the coronavirus is the handiwork of the Americans and that the city of Qom was targeted by this virus because it is the epicenter of the Islamic Revolution and the opposition to America.
Iranian Ofogh TV marked Al-Qods Day on May 22, 2020 by airing a video on May 22, 2020, Ofogh TV [Iran] aired a short video titled "The Flood of Jerusalem" in both Hebrew and Farsi. In the video Jerusalem is completely flooded and black fedoras, typically worn by Orthodox Jews are seen floating above the water and washed to shore. The video ends with a quote from Imam Khomeini's book: "If every Muslims were to pour one bucket of water, Israel would be washed away in the flood." The video was produced by the Seraj Organization and by Nasr Internet TV.
On May 20, 2020, the Iranian website etemadonline.com uploaded an interview with Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, who on the same day concluded his position as a member of the Committee for National Security and Foreign Policy in Iran's Majles. Falahatpisheh said that he thought it was "interesting" that Iran's Supreme National Security Council had complained about him because he had suggested that a red telephone be established between Iran and the United States. Calling for financial transparency, he said that many Majles members have been involved in financial violations, embezzlement, and corruption despite having many potential Majles candidates who would have been better suited for the position, and he bemoaned the fact that there are always corruption trials taking place in Iran. In addition, he defended his positions regarding foreign policy, saying that for him, national interests have always come first.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a May 22, 2020 Quds Day address that aired on Khorasan Jonoobi TV (Iran) that the plundering of the state of Palestine and the formation of the "Zionist cancerous tumor" is the greatest crime in recent history. He said that the "heretical doctrine" of Zionism had been invented by England and by the "Jewish masters of gold." He emphasized that fighting for the liberation of Palestine is Jihad for the sake of Allah and an Islamic obligation. Ayatollah Khamenei said that the Zionist regime will be removed like the dangerous malignant growth that it is and criticized people who say that Israel is a reality. He also compared the "veteran Zionist virus" to COVID-19 and he urged people to support and arm Palestinian resistance fighters and help expand the Jihad in Palestine. He added: "Victory is guaranteed."
Iranian Preacher Kazem Seddiqi said in a Friday, May 8, 2020 sermon that aired on Channel 1 (Iran) that Iran is waiting for God to punish U.S. President Donald Trump for spilling the blood of IRGC General Qasem Soleimani. In addition, he criticized the recent German decision to ban Hizbullah activity in Germany, saying that Hizbullah is a global resistance movement that has been "putting out the fires of terrorism" under the command of Qasem Soleimani and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Seddiqi said: "You owe Hizbullah... You have always nurtured terrorists, but it has backfired on you, just like the accusations regarding the [coronavirus] have backfired on you."
General Ali Jafarabadi, the Commander of the Space Division in the IRGC's Aerospace Force, was interviewed an April 23, 2020 on Channel 1 (Iran) about the previous-day launch of the IRGC Noor 1 military satellite. He said that space is a strategic arena that has tremendous potential and in which Iran's armed forces need to have a presence. He said that Noor 1 will play a role in "identification," communication, and navigation missions for Iran's armed forces and that it will also perform non-defense-related missions. General Jafarabadi added that in the future, Iran plans to launch additional satellites into different altitudes and types of orbit and that Iran's next step will be to launch "Noor 2".
Mohsen Rezaee, the Secretary of Iran's Expediency Council, said in an April 28, 2020 interview on Al-Jazeera Network (Qatar) that Iran would raze Israel's cities to the ground if Israel takes "the slightest initiative" against Iran. He added that Iran's attack on the Ayn Al-Asad Air Base after the U.S. killing of Qasem Soleimani had been a harsh retaliation that caused many casualties and destroyed American aircrafts. Rezaee then said that Iran's capabilities and military prowess are "more important than the attack itself." With regard to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rezaee said that the virus is "smart" and man-made, and that the possibility that it was an anti-Iranian bio-weapon has not been refuted so far.
IRGC Aerospace Force Commander General Amir Ali Hajizadeh said in an April 23, 2020 interview on Channel 2 (Iran) that he would like to thank the start-up companies, the universities, and the people from Iran's Ministry of Defense and Aerospace Industries Organization for their help in the construction of the first-stage engine of the missile that launched the Noor satellite into orbit on April 22, 2020. Saying that Iran is now a superpower, he said that the Noor satellite's orbit passes over the U.S. and other countries that Iran can't fly planes over, and he went on to explain that the first-stage engine used liquid fuel that is also used in surface-to-surface missiles because it was a cheaper option. He elaborated that the first-stage engine had belonged to an old missile that had been in storage, and that in the future, Iran will develop a solid-fuel first-stage engine. Furthermore, he said that since Iran used a portable launch pad, it has no need for a stationary command center. He also promised to advance Iran's space technologies, to strengthen Iran every day, and to secure Iran such that nobody would dare threaten it. Later in the interview, General Hajizadeh said that the Americans have a false sense of security, that they only threatened to attack Iran and its cultural sites after hearing the Iranian people's chants of revenge following the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, and that Iran had a plan to strike 400 targets in the event that the U.S. retaliated immediately after the Ayn Al-Asad attack.
IRGC Commander-in-Chief General Hossein Salami said in an April 23, 2020 interview on Channel 2 (Iran) that Iran will respond to any American action in a "decisive, effective, and swift" fashion, and that he has instructed Iran's naval units that if any vessel or combat unit from the naval forces of "the terrorist American military" tries to endanger Iran's civilian or military vessels, those American vessels or units should be targeted.
On April 19, 2020, the Iranian military unveiled two new locally-made radar systems in a report that was aired by IRINN TV (Iran). The first system, the Khalij-e Fars radar system, reportedly has a range of 800 kilometers, uses HF frequencies, has "three-dimensional capabilities," and was developed in cooperation with Iran's Defense Ministry and startup companies. The second system, called Moragheb, reportedly uses phased array technology and has a range of 400 kilometers.
Seyyed Hadi Seyyed Afghahi, a former Iranian diplomat, said in an April 16, 2020 interview on Al-Jazeera Network (Qatar) that the U.S. has over 50 military bases and installations in the Persian Gulf region, in addition to aircraft carriers, and that these facilities and the over 150,000 U.S. service members that they house constitute targets for Iran's precision missiles. He added: "If there are more than 50 coffins with dead Americans in them, the American people will revolt."
Iranian political analyst Emad Abshenas said in an April 13, 2020 interview on Etejah TV (Iraq) that American diplomats, military personnel, and businessman are scared to set foot on Iraqi soil and to "defile" it, because the Iraqi parliament has passed a law requiring the withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq. He said that the U.S. will no longer be able to steal Iraq's resources or exploit its economy, and he predicted that if the law fails to be implemented, the Iraqi people will rise up against the Americans. He added that the Iraqi resistance front would not hesitate to target American soldiers, diplomats, and businessmen.
On April 15, 2020, IRINN TV (Iran) aired a report about a new technology for the detection of COVID-19 that Iran claims to have developed. IRGC Commander-in-Chief General Hossein Salami presented a device with an antenna and said that the technology creates a magnetic field and, by means of a "bipolar virus" that is "installed" in the machine, can detect any area that is infected by coronavirus from as far as 100 meters away within five seconds. He claimed that this technology can also be used to diagnose patients and that it has an accuracy rate of 80%. In May 2017, the Iranian news agency, IRNA, aired a report about an identical-looking device that was purported to be able to detect between 1 liter and 1000 liters of fuel, also using magnetic fields and "bi-polar" technology. The device was meant to help Iranian authorities to combat fuel smuggling. For more about coronavirus-related technologies that Iran claims to have developed, see MEMRI TV Clip No. 7918.
On April 5, 2020, Press TV, Iran's state-sponsored English-language channel, aired a report about a new "smart" technology that the IRGC has developed for diagnosing COVID-19. The technology, which was shown as a camera that records what appears to be thermal imaging, reportedly uses artificial intelligence and CT scans to precisely diagnose coronavirus. IRGC Brigadier General Ahmad Abdollahi, who was presented as the project manager, claimed that the new technology can diagnose COVID-19 within seconds with a 100% accuracy rate, and he said that it will be made available in the imaging departments of Iranian hospitals. In addition, a person who was introduced as an Iranian scientists told the reporter that the technology uses images and data gathered from confirmed coronavirus patients, that it has already been tested in Tehran, and that it can provide a "smart analysis" with a 98% accuracy rate in about 15 seconds.
Iranian researcher Amir Mousavi, a former diplomat, said in a March 23, 2020 interview on the Arabic-language Russia Today channel that scientists in Iran, Russia, China, and Cuba are studying the possibility that the United States created COVID-19. He pointed out that China has directly accused the United States of this, that "genocide is a normal thing for American policy," and that the U.S. had been responsible for such things as using the nuclear bomb, killing people in Vietnam, engaging in biological warfare, the genocides in Iraq, Palestine, Yemen, and Syria, and even the "sacrificing" of 3,000 Americans on 9/11 in order to be able to take over the Middle East. He added: "The American mafia that rules the United States does not even mind killing Americans." Mousavi wore a face mask during the interview.
Former Iranian diplomat Ali Bagheri Kani, the Secretary of Iran's High council for Human Rights, said in a March 18, 2020 interview on Channel 1 (Iran) that America is the Great Satan even during the COVID-19 pandemic and that the Europeans that talk about human rights should be ashamed of themselves for obeying America's oppressive policies. He said that countries that do not cooperate with Iran regarding the coronavirus are responsible for spreading it all over the world, and he mocked a certain European country, the name of which he did not want to disclose, for sending Iran aid in the form of 100 pairs of boots. He added: "This is the kind of creatures that they are."
On March 10, 2020, Channel 2 (Iran) aired a discussion about the coronavirus outbreak in Iran. Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, the Deputy Speaker of Iran's Majles, said that the outbreak should have been handled with force and resolve from day one, that the city of Qom should have been quarantined immediately similarly to how China quarantined the province from which coronavirus originated, that President Rouhani should be leading Iran's Anti-Coronavirus National Headquarters, which he said is currently not being run in an organized fashion, and that the resources made available for fighting the outbreak are insufficient. IRGC General Gholamreza Jalali, the Head of Iran's Civil Defense Organization, said that he had stated in February that the situation in Iran was routine because the outbreak hadn't been detected yet, that coronavirus has many of the characteristics of a biological weapon, and that the United States has many biological labs in the region surrounding Iran that may be responsible for the spread of the virus.
On a March 7, 2020 broadcast of his show on Channel 5 (Iran), Iranian TV host Mohammad Delavari accepted questions about coronavirus from his viewers through his Instagram account. One of his viewers asked if Iran is a strategic target in a biological war, and Delavari said that this question should be addressed to IRGC General Gholamreza Jalali, the head of Iran's Civil Defense Organization, whom he criticized for declining to appear on the show during the coronavirus outbreak because he is "busy," even though he is usually a regular guest. Addressing General Jalali, Delavari said: "When we couldn't care less about your civil defense, you were here all the time, [but] now, when you need to come and tell us what this story is about, you don't have time."
Iranian researcher Dr. Sam Mehdi Torabi, the Director of the Risalat Strategic Studies Institute, said in a February 11, 2020 interview on Iranian filmmaker Nader Talebzadeh's show on Ofogh TV (Iran) that American soldiers are committing suicide because they served in an oppressive army, because they have killed innocent people, and because the wars they have fought in, such as Vietnam and the Second World War, are unjust. He also said that pressure from Iran is the only thing that will lead to the expulsion of the U.S. from the Middle East and he elaborated that this should involve the development of strategic weapons and attacks against U.S. bases in the region. For a related interview on Talebzadeh's show, see MEMRI TV Clip No. 7839.
IRGC General Mostafa Izadi, the Commander of the Cyber and New Threats Base, said in a February 28, 2020 interview on Channel 5 (Iran) that the West is in a crisis. In an apparent reference to Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, General Izadi elaborated that it is sad that a homosexual can run for President in the United States and even have a chance at winning. He added that the Islamic Revolution is an antecedent for "enormous explosions" in the region and that it seeks to show people the way to liberate humanity.
General Mohammad Hejazi, the Deputy Commander of the IRGC's Qods Force, said in a February 20, 2020 interview on Channel 1 (Iran) that Iran is militarily active in Syria and Iraq in order to engage Iran's enemies far away from its border, where they cannot target its cities. He also said that though most countries spend roughly 2% of their GDP on defense, Iran spends no more than 1.2% of its GDP on defense both domestically and abroad, and he further argued that this justifies the expenses that people complain about because it is less costly than fighting the enemies nearer to the border.
IRGC Commander-in-Chief General Hossein Salami said in a February 17, 2020 interview aired on the Hizbullah-affiliated Mayadeen TV (Lebanon) that Iran's goals revolve around the expulsion of the U.S. from the Middle East and the collapse and annihilation of Israel, which he referred to as the "center of evil." He threatened that all of the territory occupied by Israel is within range of Iran's weapons and said that the Israelis have Muslim enemies from Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Syria, Bahrain, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia just across the border from them. General Salami said that Israel's walls, fences, and war-weary soldiers will not be able to protect it and that it cannot rely on American support. In addition, he said that Trump and Netanyahu have "dug their graves" with their policy in the Islamic world and that they will be buried along with these policies.
IRGC General Mohammad Shirazi, the head of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei's Military Office, said in a February 11, 2020 interview on Channel 1 (Iran) that the role of the IRGC's Qods Force is to assist foreign movements and to help oppressed people who are suffering injustice and Muslims in neighboring countries. He said that Qasem Soleimani had approached this role with wisdom. In addition, General Shirazi questioned the "source of this point of view" according to which, Iran should focus on defending its own borders and it should not be involved in conflicts in neighboring countries such as Syria and Iraq. He added that according to the tenets of the Islamic faith, Muslims have a duty and responsibility to help their neighbors. He elaborated that Iran would provide requested help to "anyone in the world who is oppressed and who suffers in justice."
IRGC Commander-in-Chief General Hossein Salami spoke in a ceremony marking the 40th day since the killing of IRGC Quds Force Commander General Qasem Soleimani. General Salami said Soleimani was responsible for the Palestinians' current military capabilities and that as a result of Soleimani's work, the Israelis can today hear across their border the languages of people from Pakistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Yemen, the Hijaz, and elsewhere. General Salami threatened that if America and Israel make "the slightest mistake," Iran will strike both of them.
Salami then addressed the Israelis, telling them not to count on America, because "America always arrives late or does not arrive at all. "If you want to open such an account," he added, "take a good look at the sea, because that is where your final place of residence will be. I am referring to the Mediterranean Sea." The ceremony aired on Ofogh TV (Iran) on February 13, 2020. At the beginning of the ceremony, General Esmail Ghanni, who replaced Soleimani at the commander of Quds Force, read out Soleimani's will.
On February 11, 2020, Fars News Agency (Iran) published an animation titled "Harsh Revenge" that was produced by the Research & Production Center of TV & Animation at the behest of the Islamic Development Organization, which is under the auspices of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The animation shows a U.S. drone locking in and firing upon a vehicle in which IRGC Qods Force Commander Qasem Soleimani is riding outside of Baghdad Airport. The animation then shows a massive crowd chanting slogans and holding up pictures of Iranian "martyrs." Soleimani's coffin is shown magically illuminated, and the animation cuts to an Iranian control center from which missiles are launched at an American military base. The missiles are shown destroying the base and its equipment, including a drone similar to the one that shot the missile that killed Soleimani. The animation concludes with a quote from Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei in which he says that America's corrupting presence in the region must come to an end (see MEMRI TV Clip No. 7710).
Iranian researcher Ali Akbar Raefipour, the founder of the Masaf Institute, said in a lecture that was uploaded to the Internet on January 13, 2020, that Iran's accurate missiles are on the cutting edge of technology and that Israel is within range of Iran's missiles. He said that since nobody knows where Iran's missile cities are, Iran's enemies would be unable to strike them or take control of them even if Iran collapses. In addition, he said that Iran would empty its missile stockpile on Israel's head before this could happen.
Later in his address, Raefipour said that the environmentalists who were arrested by the IRGC in 2018 and accused of espionage were spies who used the pretext of protecting cheetahs to install GPS trackers on the cheetahs' collars and to search for Iran's missiles using telemetric devices. Furthermore, he warned that Americans will die every day as long as the U.S. stays in the Middle East, and he said that Qasem Soleimani had previously restrained the people who will be targeting Americans, but that Iran will now not know who these people are. For more from Raefipour, see MEMRI TV Clip No. 7757.
Mohsen Rezaee, secretary of Iran's Expediency Council and former IRGC Commander-in-Chief, was interviewed on Mayadeen TV (Lebanon) on February 8, 2020. In the interview Rezaee said that Iran has precise information on American activity in the region. He said that all the American bases are under surveillance, all the aircraft carriers are under control and Iran has precise information on American activity in Iraq and the Gulf countries. Rezaee added that Iran even monitors American soldiers when they go to hotels in Kuwait or Bahrain, and it knows such things as the names of accomplices with the U.S. and the food sources of the U.S. troops. Rezaee said that Iran had targeted the American military base in Ayn Al-Assad because it knew that it was very important to the Americans.
Rezaee stated that he has no doubt that if the U.S. attacks Iran, Iran will "raze Tel-Aviv to the ground." He added that Iran has been looking for a pretext to attack Tel Aviv because Israel played a role in the "martyrdom" of IRGC Qods Force commander Qasem Soleimani. Rezaee continued to say that the American presence in the region is volatile and the goal of the "Deal of the Century" was to give it a stable foothold in the region, to do away with the Palestinian cause, and take over Gaza and disarm Hamas. Rezaee said that he expects a significant weakening of the U.S. over the next decade. He added that once the people in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries realize that America is no longer as strong as it was, there will be a revolution in Saudi Arabia, followed by a revolution in other Gulf countries. He said that the global collapse of the U.S. will begin in "West Asia."
IRGC Qods Force commander General Esmail Ghaani said that the "enemy" only understands the language of force and there can be no compromise with it. He added that America has paved the way for all the "free men" of the world to confront it and to punch it in the mouth wherever they encounter it. Ghaani threatened that from now on, the American public should think of what it is doing. He said that Iran does not want American soldiers to be killed and if America does not restrain them, the "powerful hand of the Islamic Revolution" will do so all over the world. Ghaani's remarks were posted online on February 9, 2020.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a February 5, 2020 speech that aired on Ofogh TV (Iran) that the Deal of the Century is stupid and that it will die before President Trump dies. He also said that it is Iran's duty to support the Palestinian resistance and its fighting groups. The audience chanted: "Death to America!"
On January 23, 2020, Ofogh TV (Iran) aired a speech by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during which Iranian youth sang to him. They sang: "Iran has men that are second to none… Even if this country sinks in sanctions for 100 years, we will continue to be at war with the enemy… We are invincible… America's power is waning… Israel is facing its end… We snatched Syria and Iraq from the clutches of the enemy… Oh people of Yemen, the day is near when you hear the glad tidings of the death of the government of Saudi Arabia."
On January 21, 2020, an Iranian animation group called SSAFF uploaded an animated video titled "Ayn Assad" to the Iranian website aparat.com. The animation shows the "aftermath" of the January 8 Iranian attack on the Ayn Al-Asad airbase by depicting hundreds of coffins covered in U.S. flags that have skulls instead of stars. A helicopter is shown flying over the coffins, and the pilot says into his radio that there are "many corpses" that cannot be evacuated with one helicopter. The pilot then requests for an additional helicopter to be sent to evacuate the bodies. The animation ends with the following quote from Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei: "They received a slap in the fact [that] night."
#7759 - Iranian Animation Depicts Jets Bombing Tel Aviv
On January 19, 2020, the Iranian Fatima Zahra Animation Studio, also known as kosar3d, uploaded to the Internet a two-minute-long video titled "FOR QHASSEM" depicting Iranian jets bombing Tel Aviv and Israeli military installations. The video was released alongside an announcement that the studio is raising funds for a three-episode animated miniseries by the same name. The video depicted a billboard in Tel Aviv showing a quote from Imam Khamenei in which he said that Israel will cease to exist within 25 years. The video also showed an Iranian aircraft doing a flyby over the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. The Fatima Zahra Animation Studio has previously released other animated videos, including one titled "The Battle for the Persian Gulf" and one in memory of Rachel Corrie, and American pro-Palestinian activist who was killed in Gaza in 2003.
On January 22, 2020, Iranian TV presenter Mahmoud Shahriari uploaded a video to the Internet in which he addressed the Iranian public. He predicted that the coming Persian year of 1399 will be "hellish" for the Iranian public from an economic perspective. Basing his prediction on conversations he said he had with economic experts, Shahriari said that since the government cannot sell oil due to the economic sanctions, it will take money from the pockets of the people. He also said that all the banks in Iran are bankrupt and that the central bank wants to bail them out. Shahriari warned: "The money you have in the bank is not safe in any way, shape, or form… Handle your finances!"
IRGC-affiliated strategist Hassan Abbasi said in a video that he uploaded to aparat.com on January 17, 2020 that the IRGC should "generate income" by capturing Americans and demanding a ransom for their return. Abbasi, who was speaking at the city of Noushahr, gave the example of the $1.7 billion that Iran received for the return of Jason Rezaian and the $3 billion that Iran, he claims, received from Qatar because the aircraft that killed Qasem Soleimani had taken off from Qatar. He said that the way to solve Iran's economic problems is to capture one American per week and thus "raise" $50 billion per year. He also mocked the anti-regime protesters, saying that rallying 5,000 protesters isn't nearly enough to topple Iran's regime. The audience chanted: "Allah Akbar! Khamenei is the Leader! Greetings to the warriors of Islam! Peace upon the martyrs! Death to America! Death to England! Death to the hypocrites and infidels! Death to Israel!"
In a Friday sermon delivered in the Iranian city of Mashhad on January 17, 2020, Ayatollah Ahmad Alamolhoda said that Iran's long-range accurate missiles can target the palaces of emirs and kings of countries that host U.S. military bases and that the presence of these bases is dangerous for these countries. He said that the Islamic Revolution is about to remove "the structure of arrogance" from the face of the Earth, and he compared Iran to a herd of sheep that is attacked by the "predatory wolf" that is America. He said that Iran must fight America like a goat fights off wolves with its horns. The sermon was aired on Khorasan Razavi TV (Iran).
General Esmail Ghaani spoke at a ceremony for his inauguration as the new IRGC Qods Force commander, replacing General Qasem Soleimani who was killed by the U.S. The ceremony was attended by Soleimani's family and the officials of Iran's armed forces. Excerpts from the speech were aired on Channel 1, Iranian TV on January 20, 2020. In his speech, General Esmail Ghaani said that "the enemy" turned Qasem Soleimani into a martyr "in the most despicable way" instead of facing him on the battlefield. General Ghaani said that with the efforts of "all free men around the world who wish to avenge his blood" the Qods Force will strike Soleimani's enemy in a "heroic way."
Iranian Ayatollah Ahmad Alamolhoda, Supreme Leader Khamenei's representative in the Khorasan Razavi province, said in a January 14, 2020 memorial ceremony for the victims of the Ukrainian airliner, which aired on Khorasan Razavi TV (Iran) that Islam is about to take over the world and "cast a shadow over Planet Earth in its entirety." He claimed that hundreds of thousands of American soldiers were "turned to dust and ashes" by the missiles that Iran launched at the Americans' Ayn Al-Asad base in Iraq in retaliation for the killing of Qasem Soleimani. In addition, he said that Iranians who collaborate with the U.S. are a fifth column who should be court-martialed and executed and that the Iranian protesters who refused to walk on the flags of the U.S. and Israel are actually Americans and Israelis. Furthermore, Ayatollah Alamolhoda said that England's ambassador to Iran, who he said leads English and American spies, should be "chopped into pieces." For more from Ayatollah Alamolhoda, see MEMRI TV Clips No. 7102, No. 7498, No. 7586, No. 7282.
On January 12, during the second day of protests in Iran following Iran's acknowledgment of shooting down Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752, students at Beheshti University in Tehran refused to walk over giant American and Israeli flags drawn on the ground. They booed people who did, and shouted at them that they had "no honor." The video was uploaded to Twitter.
The Iranian Fars News Agency aired a short video on January 10, 2020, titled "Severe Revenge," dramatizing an Iranian assassination of U.S. President Donald Trump. In the video, Iranian officials are seen planning their revenge for the killing of Qods Force commander Qasem Soleimani. They study a board with a diagram of possible targets, U.S. President Trump is at the head and Israeli PM Netanyahu, Secretary of State Pompeo, Saudi Crown Prince Bin Salman, and Masoud Rajavi, former leader of Mujahedeen-e-Khalq are at the bottom. The Iranian officials say they are "going for the big fish," and one of them says: "We should target their head." In the video, the U.S. Capitol Building is blown up and then the Iranian forces storm the White House, shooting anyone in their sight. President Trump, Secretary of State Pompeo and PM Netanyahu, among others, lie dead on the White House floor. The voice of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is heard in the background, saying: "Severe revenge awaits the criminals whose dirty hands are soiled with his blood."
On January 11, 2020, Iranians took to the streets in protest after the General Staff of Iran's armed forces admitted to having shot down Ukrainian Flight 752 from Tehran to Kiev on January 8, 2020. The protesters chanted: "Death to [Khamenei]!"; "The Islamic Republic needs to be destroyed!"; "Resignation wouldn't be enough! You should be prosecuted!"; "Death to this Rule (of the Jurisprudent) after all those years of crime!"; "We didn't sacrifice so many people just to compromise and laud the murderous Leader!"; "Shame on the IRGC's people! Leave the country alone!" The videos were uploaded to various Internet sources, including MANOTO News (Iran).
General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, said to a Channel 1 (Iran) interviewer at Qasem Soleimani's January 6, 2020 funeral that even attacking every U.S. base, killing President Trump, and killing U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper would not be enough to avenge Soleimani's blood. He said that the blood vengeance should take the form of expelling America's evil from the region, and he emphasized that this is certain to happen. Claiming that Trump was a "deserter" from the Vietnam war, General Hajizadeh said that Trump should order coffins for the bodies of American soldiers before threatening Iran. He added that if a war breaks out with the United States, Iran will finish and win that war.
Former IRGC Commander-in-Chief Mohsen Rezaee, the Secretary of the Expediency Council, said in a January 3, 2020 interview on Channel 2 (Iran) that U.S. President Donald Trump has "crossed the red line" by killing IRGC Qods Force Commander Gen. Qasem Soleimani. He said that the Islamic revolutionaries in the region had previously focused on targeting Israel and Saudi Arabia while leaving the United States alone, but that they can now shoot American soldiers wherever they may see them.
Rezaee also said that Iran has increased its monitoring of American bases, warships, and installations in the region and that resistance fighters in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and elsewhere are "preparing for action." He said that since President Trump is not a man of war, Iran is making its own calculations that do not involve starting a war, and he promised that Iran's revenge will be very severe. He added that Iran will do something that will prevent all countries – not just America – from perpetrating crimes such as killing Soleimani.
Former Iranian Defense Minister IRGC General Hossein Dehghan, who currently serves as a defense advisor to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was interviewed on Channel 1 (Iran) on January 5, 2020. He said that if the fact that Qasem Soleimani had been responsible for the death of Americans was a valid reason for the U.S. to kill him, then countries like Iran, Iraq, Yemen, and Afghanistan have the legitimate "right" to kill as many as one million Americans because of all the deaths that the U.S. has caused in these countries. He said that Iran will respond militarily to Soleimani's killing, that any Iranian response will constitute a legitimate form of self-defense, and that the response will be a retaliation on par with the killing of Soleimani. General Dehghan threatened that if war is forced upon Iran, it will respond in a way that will make the U.S. regret its actions. In addition, General Dehghan said that while Iran will not target American civilians, it will consider any American military base, naval vessel, or gathering center to be a legitimate target. He compared President Trump to a rabid dog and said that if Iran doesn't respond to Soleimani's killing in a way that makes Trump regret what he did and feel ashamed, then Trump will only be encouraged to commit more crimes against Iran.
IRGC Commander-in-Chief General Hossein Salami spoke at the funeral procession for Qods Force Commander Qasem Soleimani on January 7, 2020. He said that Iran will exact revenge and that it will be "hard and severe" and "the kind of revenge that causes remorse." He added that "the natural outcome of all of this is that the Muslims will leave no spot anywhere safe for the Americans." General Salami said that the Americans have set all their investments on fire with this "cowardly assassination." General Salami's remarks were met with chants of "Allah Akbar!" from the crowd. General Salami warned Iran's enemies that if they take another step, Iran will set the "place they love on fire" and in response, the crowd chanted: "Death to Israel!" The funeral procession was broadcast live on channel 1, Iranian TV.
General Mohammad Reza Naqdi, IRGC Deputy Commander for Coordination, was interviewed on the Iranian Ofogh TV, on January 3, 2020. In the interview Naqdi said that although Iran has missiles, drones, and "we can do things to them in land and sea" he does not consider this to be real revenge. The blood of the martyrs is more powerful than missile attacks or the targeting of senior officials or agents. He said that the two nations, Iraq and Iran, have become unified by the blood of the martyrs from both countries and this is the real revenge. The Islamic youth are now motivated to carry out attacks against U.S. presence in their countries. General Naqdi said that American pressure on the region has now led the youth "to pull them [the Americans] out of their nests of spies" – referring to U.S. embassies – "and military bases and to hang them blindfolded from trees." He added that motivation to attack the "Zionist regime" has now quadrupled. General Naqdi stated that this popular motivation is a more effective means of revenge than a military blow and this will lead to the U.S. pulling out of the region and the annihilation of Israel.
In a statement aired on Channel 3, Iran TV, on January 3, 2020, IRGC Deputy Commander for Coordination General Mohammad Reza Naqdi issued a warning to the White House: either the U.S. withdraw its military forces from the "Islamic region" or it must "order coffins for its soldiers." He continued to warn the "Zionist regime", saying that they must go back to the "European countries from which they came" or suffer a "decisive blow from the Islamic nation." He concluded by saying that Iran does not want bloodshed, however, "the choice is theirs." General Naqdi spoke in the city Aoveyzeh in Khuzestan Province.
On January 6, 2019, a video posted on Fars News (Iran) depicted an Iranian man shooting U.S. President Donald Trump during a speech about the killing of Qasem Soleimani. The video opens with a text in English that reads: "Hey U.S., if you begin the war, we will end the war." The assassin, who is shown hiding behind a vent grate, extracts a rifle from a briefcase and looks at a picture of Qasem Soleimani before shooting President Trump multiple times. The video shows Trump's bodyguards reacting to the shooting and trying to protect him, as well as the chaos that ensues in the audience. The man is also shown wearing a ring similar to the ring that was worn by Soleimani. A caption reads: "In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful."
When Qasem Soleimani's funeral procession passed through the city of Mashhad, the director of the ceremony announced an initiative to collect $80 million – one dollar from every Iranian citizen – to offer as a prize to whoever provides Trump's head. "We will donate $80 million as a gift," he declared, to "whoever brings us the head of that little crazy man with the yellow hair." The ceremony aired on Khorasan TV (Iran) on January 5.
Former Iranian Diplomat Amir Musawi said in an interview on Al-Jazeera Network (Qatar) that the Iranian National Security Council has issued instructions, sanctioned by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to all the branches of the military and they are now waiting for zero hour. He said that Iran has a black list of US military, intelligence, and political leaders and "the Iranian hand will reach them." Musawi added that this is not yet a comprehensive war and if the U.S. accepts the Iranian retaliation quietly, then this will end there, however, if the U.S. reacts with "insolence," Musawi said that he believes things "will go downhill" from there. The interview was aired on January 4, 2020.
On January 3, 2020, at 6:00 AM, IRINN TV (Iran) aired an announcement about the United States' killing of IRGC Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani earlier that morning at Baghdad International Airport. Quoting the Quran, the anchor said: "'Indeed, to God we belong and to God we shall return.' The soldier of the Jurisprudent Ruler and of the Islamic nation, the military commander of Islam, the Revolution, and Iran, Hajj Qasem Soleimani, was martyred in an attack by American helicopters [after] a life full of Jihad." The anchor explained that Soleimani had "hastened to meet his Creator" with gratitude for "years of Jihad that were full of pride and honor." He added that Soleimani had been "awarded martyrdom" along with PMU Deputy Commander Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis.
