Iranian press review: Principlists call for the continuation of war

On Tuesday, Tehran and Washington agreed to halt military attacks for two weeks and begin a new round of talks. Hossein Shariatmadari, editor-in-chief of the Kayhan daily and a prominent conservative figure, criticised the decision, calling it against Iran’s national interests. “A ceasefire and negotiations only give the enemy a chance to regroup. It is, in fact, a gift to the enemy,” he wrote on Wednesday. Shariatmadari also questioned US reliability in any agreement, saying that even if Washington accepts Iran’s conditions, there is no guarantee it will honour them. 'We should not let the enemy go when it is out of breath' - Hossein Shariatmadari, editor-in-chief of Kayhan “The evidence on the battlefield shows the enemy is exhausted, and Iran is in a stronger position. We should not let the enemy go when it is out of breath,” he added. Meanwhile, a video of a pre-ceasefire interview aired on state television has been widely shared on Persian-language social media. In the video, Mehdi Khanalizadeh, an international affairs analyst close to principlist groups, criticises an earlier proposal for a 45-day ceasefire. “After 45 days, the one who threatens to strike our power plants will return with renewed strength and will carry out those attacks,” he said in the clip. Rescuers describe scenes from the rubble Despite restrictions on Iranian media covering the full scale of damage caused by US and Israeli attacks, newspapers continue to report detailed accounts from the ground. The Shargh daily described what rescue teams encountered at the sites of air strikes. Exclusive: Iranian girls killed by ‘double-tap’ strikes on Minab school Read More » “What I saw was so distressing that I cannot even describe it to my own family,” a rescue worker in Tehran told the daily. “One of the hardest scenes was a body that was only partially recovered. I kept thinking about what the family would have to bury.” Another rescue worker spoke about efforts to recover bodies from the rubble at the site of a school that was hit with double-tap strikes in the city of Minab. At least 165 people, most of them school girls aged between seven and 12, were killed in the attack. “What they encountered was beyond imagination,” Shargh wrote. The aid worker said he was called to help recover the buried body of a teacher. “But what I saw was unrecognisable. The body had no head... Everything was so unreal,” he was quoted as saying. “So they pulled out the classroom curtain, which was in the rubble, and threw it over its body.” Pro-war Iranians denied entry to US A group of pro-monarchist Iranians living in Canada were denied entry to the United States as they travelled to attend a pro-war gathering in Washington. Supporters of Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s deposed Shah, who is supported by Israel, are among those backing US military action against Iran. 'Their Uncle Trump did not receive them, despite all the praise they have given him during this time' - online comment on pro-war Iranians The Canada-based Persian-language magazine Kiosk, which supports Pahlavi, reported that US border agents blocked several of the travellers on 28 March. “Nine out of 12 buses carrying Iranians from Toronto, along with a large number of private cars heading to Washington, were unable to obtain entry permits. After hours of delays, they were turned back,” the report said. The incident prompted widespread reactions on Persian-language social media, including mockery of pro-war Iranians who refer to the US president as “Uncle Trump” in their posts. One user wrote: “Their Uncle Trump did not receive them, despite all the praise they have given him during this time.” Another commented: “Those who betray their country for others will always be disgraced. A mercenary is a mercenary everywhere in the world.” Calls grow to revoke Nobel Prize from Shirin Ebadi In an open letter to the Nobel Committee, 320 Iranian political, civil and human rights activists, along with university professors, called for the “revocation of the moral validity” of the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Shirin Ebadi from Iran. Two mountain ranges, two deserts, two seas: Iran’s geography is its greatest weapon Read More » The signatories argue that the lawyer, writer and activist has, in recent years, supported military action against Iran. They also point to a letter she sent to US President Donald Trump before the current war, in which she called for military intervention. “The Nobel Foundation has always emphasised efforts for peace, human rights, coexistence and the rejection of violence,” the letter read. “However, in recent years, Shirin Ebadi’s positions have been in clear contradiction with these values.” The letter also draws a comparison with Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel laureate from Myanmar, who faced criticism for her silence over the violence against the Rohingya minority. It notes that Ebadi had previously criticised Suu Kyi for failing to respond to what she described as ethnic cleansing, and had urged her to uphold the values of the prize. “Today, Ebadi finds herself in a similar position, one that is even more concerning,” the letter concluded. Iranian Press Review News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0