Azerbaijan To Buy Two Satellites From Israel

More than 20 shells were fired Monday morning at a position controlled by the Lebanese Hezbollah, which has established many similar bases near the Israeli border.

So far, there is no official word from the Syrian or Israeli governments about the attack, that came barely three weeks after extensive terror and rocket attacks by Iran-backed Palestinian groups against Israel.

Times of Israel reported that artillery strike was reported by Sham FM, a Syrian radio station affiliated with the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Israel also reportedly dropped leaflets warning Syrian troops not to cooperate with Iranian militia and allow them to operate near its borders. Names and photos of Syrian army officers allowing these militias to operate in the area were printed on the leaflets.

“We are closely watching and aware of the ongoing intelligence cooperation with Hezbollah within the Syrian army’s positions in the region, including near the Israeli border. Your cooperation with Hezbollah has… brought you more harm than benefit. Cooperation with Hezbollah leads to harm!” the flyer read.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based war monitor also reported the Israeli attack, saying that a similar artillery strike took place on April 17.

There are still no reports about possible casualties.

Iranian officials have boasted of having destabilized Israel by the early-April rocket attacks by the Palestinians and with a new vigor has vowed to help militant forces to continue the campaign, saying that Israel has become weaker and will succumb to the “resistance,” a term used to refer to Tehran’s proxies.

Concerns have been growing in Israel over a possible multi-front war, with attacks coming from Gaza, Lebanon and Syria. Army intelligence has warned of the danger, but Iran International's correspondent in Israel reported that the chairman of Israel's national security council Tzachi Hanegbi disagrees with the assessment for the near future.

Israel has been extensively conducting air and missile strikes against Iran’s military presence across Syria at least since April 2017. Thousands of attacks have targeted weapons depots, and other military positions controlled by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.

Iran ships large quantities of arms to Syria and maintains up to 30,000 Afghan, Pakistani and Iraqi militiamen in addition to Hezbollah fighters to turn Syria to a new front against Israel.

Israel has not taken responsibility for the great majority of these attacks but has vowed never to allow Iran to get entrenched in Syria.

Iranian officials have intensified their anti-Israeli rhetoric since the military confrontation earlier this month, with claims of victory and threats of annihilating Israel coming on daily basis.

Iranian media reported Monday that Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian spoke with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh by phone, reiterating Tehran's "spiritual and political support" for Palestinians. Haniyeh reiterated "the serious will of Palestinian groups" to continue "the resistance".

The Hamas leader also welcomes a Saudi Iranian agreement in March to restore diplomatic relations.

At the same time, Israeli officials are visibly angry at what they insist is Iranian orchestrated multi-front attacks, from Gaza, Lebanon and even Syria.

On April 15, the Spectator wrote about "The dangerous shadow war between Iran and Israel" and quoted regional affairs analyst Kim Ghattas as saying in her new book, The Black Wave, that the recent "Saudi-Iran peace deal might be based on the KSA's judgment that Israel will attack Iran sooner or later."

The Spectator, said Iran is likely to continue to use its proxy groups in the region against Israel and further quoted Ghattas as saying, "There is no change to Iran’s foreign policy, except for some cosmetic changes to allow the supreme leader some space and time to figure out how they’re going to ensure the survival of the Islamic Republic."

A Foreign Affairs report in February pointed out that "Israel has long made clear its penchant for applying military pressure to disrupt Iran’s nuclear advances and weapons exports—and, more recently, its drone technology program."

The publication added that "In the last few months, however, Israel’s appetite for risk seems to have increased." Israel's past weeks' attacks on Iranian targets in Syria seems to have proven the Foreign Affairs' argument.

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And last but not least, the Times of Israel quoted former Israeli National Security Adviser Yaacov Amidror as saying that "Israel must prepare for war with Iran without US help."The Times of Israel further quoted Amidror as saying that “We need to prepare for war. It’s possible that we will reach a point where we have to attack Iran even without American assistance.”

In Iran, in a message to his counterparts in Muslim countries, the Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote on Friday, "The Islamic ummah [nation] can see the destruction of Israel thanks to their profound unity." In the message that was carried by IRGC-linked Fars News Agency, Ghalibaf reiterated that the liberation of Quds [Jerusalem] is one of the highest ideals of Muslims.

Meanwhile, the Friday Prayers Imam of Kangan, in southern Iran, Mahmoud Mahmoudi spoke about the recent visit to Israel by Prince Reza Pahlavi, the former Crown Prince of Iran, and said "The Iranian nation will send their message to Israel with the Resistance's missile, not by Reza Pahlavi."

The cleric was referring to Prince Reza's statement in which he said that his visit was aimed at carrying Iranian nation’s message to the people of Israel. Reports on social media and foreign-based Persian television channels indicate that the prince's visit to Israel was welcomed by Israeli officials and Iranian expats in Israel.

Mahmoudi referring to Iran's proxy groups in the region including the Lebanese Hizballah, claimed that "the resistance forces have opened the doors of hell to the Zionists who are now encircled by the resistance."

Earlier, on Thursday, the Friday Imam of Mashhad, firebrand cleric Ahmad Alamolhoda referred to possible Israeli attacks on Iran and threatened that, "If there is going to be any stupidity and aggression, all of the US bases in the region will be destroyed in the region."

In another development on the same day which marked the Army Day in Iran, President Ebrahim Raisi who reviewed the troop on the occasion, threatened Israel while watching obsolete US warplanes produced in the 1960s and 70s fly over the area by saying that "The smallest error by Israel, will lead to the destruction of Haifa and Tel Aviv."

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Khamenei said in a Saturday meeting with regime officials and ambassadors of Muslim countries that Israel is gradually collapsing, and the Muslim nations must focus on supporting the militant elements in and around Israel.

While renewing his support for jihadists in Palestinian territories, Khamenei alleged that “The downfall [of Israel] which started a few years ago, has now accelerated and the Muslim world must take advantage of this great opportunity.”

Earlier, an Iranian IRGC Commander also hailed Palestinian terror groups, claiming 10,000 attacks have been perpetrated against Israelis this year.

Ramazan Sharif, the head of the Intifada and Quds Central Headquarters of the Islamic Propaganda Coordination Council, said earlier this month that the formation of a unified anti-Israeli front from South Lebanon and the Syrian Golan Heights to Gaza and the West Bank has challenged Israel more than ever.

Iranian proxies in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria have all recently attacked Israel with rockets as tensions simmered during the holy month of Ramadan.

Khamenei said in 2016 that Israel must be destroyed in 25 years and the government even set up a countdown clock in Tehran the following year.

Many Iranians mock the anti-Israel rhetoric and the ticking clock, but the regime is adamant in repeating its threat.

Iranians who have been periodically protesting against the regime since 2017, often chant slogans against spending Iran's national wealth to create and support proxy groups.

In his speech on the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr Saturday, Khamenei urged the Judiciary, Executive and Legislative branches “not to obstruct one another” and not to waste time by focusing on “marginal controversies.”

Khamenei, whose regime faces serious economic and political crises, tried to sound hopeful by saying that a strong will can help overcome hurdles.

“By reinforcing our will, we can overcome the problems facing the country and if the three branches cooperate, we will not encounter difficulties,” he told officials and regime insiders who were all present in the ceremony.

As problems have become more serious for the regime, it is becoming increasingly more difficult for the governing hardliners to evade responsibility, especially for members of parliament who have little to show after three years into their term. Elections are approaching next March, and lawmakers have to answer to the people for the current economic disaster.

The national currency has halved in value since August and inflation seems uncontrollable, hovering well-above 50 percent.

As a result, some hardliners have begun criticizing President Ebrahim Raisi and threatening to impeach his ministers.

Khamenei’s call for unity and cooperation should be seen in this light and as an attempt to close ranks in the face of months of popular protests and seemingly unsurmountable problems.

The aging autocrat, ruling Iran since 1989, also asked the people not pay attention to “marginal controversies,” warning them that “enemies” want to divide the nation.

The word ‘enemy’ is a permanent fixture in Khamenei’s speeches, referring to the United States and Israel, an in some instances to European powers. It was no different in the Saturday speech when he used the term 12 times.

Having seen nationwide anti-regime protests for weeks from September to December 2022, Khamenei wants people to ignore criticism directed at the Islamic Republic and show “unity”, which for him means loyalty to the regime.

Khamenei, his top officials and the vast media propaganda machine try to portray dissent in the country as a ploy by the “enemy.” He repeated this conspiracy theory in his speech.

“The enemy is opposed to the unity of the Iranian nation…The enemy wants the people to fight each other for their different opinions and preferences,” he said calling on the people to show love and tolerance toward each other.

However, security forces under Khamenei’s command have killed more than 500 protesters since September simply for trying to express their opinions.

Khamenei also argued that “Islam’s enemies have realized that military force is not effective” and now they use other methods to dominate.

“Terror, distortion, lies, enticements…sowing pessimism among nations…are their tactics today,” Iran’s Supreme Leader said.

In a separate meeting with ambassadors from Muslim countries on the Eid occasion, Khamenei raised another favorite topic of his, by praising “the Palestinian resistance” and claiming that recent events have proven that Israel has “lost the power of deterrence.”

Serious military clashed took place earlier this month between Israel and militant forces backed by Tehran. Iranian officials have boasted of having supported these forces to create instability for Israel.

In the his address in the meeting Khamenei reiterated, “This important achievement is due the resistance of Palestinian youth, and the strategy of the Muslim world should be to help and reinforce combatants in Palestine.”

Israel’s Intelligence Minister Gila Gamliel, who was officially hosting Pahlavi and his wife, Jasmine, during their five-day stay, said Friday that the Iranians and Israelis can move on the path of progress together.

The new path between the nations has just begun, she said, sharing a video of some of the highlights of the historic visit.

"The visit of the Iranian crown prince that I led this week is only the beginning on the way to bringing hearts together and building bridges between the nations,” she said in a tweet in Hebrew.

In other tweets both in Hebrew and Persian, the Israeli official said that Pahlavi is a brave leader in the eyes of Israel and the free world, adding that “Together we stand against the axis of evil and this is the beginning of the road.” Axis of evil was a term coined by the US administration of President George Bush in 2002 to refer to the Islamic Republic, Saddam's Iraq and North Korea.

Gamliel underlined that while the Islamic Republic is disrupting the security of Israeli borders, Pahlavi and Israeli officials are building bridges between the tow nations. She made the comment after a meeting between Pahlavi and Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi.

On the last day of his trip, Pahlavi delivered a speech at University of Haifa, where he laid out his vision for a future democratic Iran and amicable ties between the two countries, which he described as rooted in over 2,500 years of history and based on the shared democratic values, including respect for the rule of law, human rights, and religious freedom.

He renewed his call to the international community “to decide which side of history they want to stand.” “Do they stand with us (opposing the Islamic Republic) or do they remain silent?” he said. Quoting Martin Luther King, Pahlavi said, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

Pahlavi also visited the Baha’i World Centre in Haifa, saying that he was touched by their “message of unity and togetherness.”

Established by Bahaullah in the 19th century, the Baha’i faith initially spread in Iran and parts of the former Ottoman Empire. For nearly three centuries the Baha’is have been persecuted in Iran to varying degrees and subjected to mob attacks often instigated by the Shia clergy.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has on several occasions called the Baha'i Faith a cult and in a religious fatwa in 2018 forbade contact, including business dealings, with followers of the faith. Baha'is, who number around 300,000 in Iran, say their rights are systematically violated and they are often harassed, forced to leave their homes and businesses, and are deprived of government jobs and university education.

During a press conference in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, Pahlavi said that Iranians are the extreme opposite of the country’s current rulers, and that the regime does not represent the Iranian nation. “They have no antagonism to any nation or any faith. I know that Iranians and Israelis see how important it would be for our future to be strategic partners, to work together, to address many issues. I come here to convey this message to Israeli citizens,” he said.

Referring to the 2020 US-brokered Abraham Accords aimed at normalizing relations between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, Pahlavi also expressed hope for a “Cyrus Accord” for peace between Tehran and Jerusalem.

While Pahlavi was promoting peace with the Israelis, Islamic Republic’s President Ebrahim Raisi threatened to destroy the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa in an inflammatory speech in Tehran on Tuesday. 

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During his stay, Pahlavi visited the Wailing Wall and attended the ceremony to mark Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day at the Yad Vashem memorial in Jerusalem. He also met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu twice and President Isaac Herzog. One of the main goals of Pahlavi’s visit was exploring ways to solve the water crisis in Iran with the help of Israeli experts. In line with this goal, he also visited Sorek Desalination Plant.