New 'Countdown to the Destruction of Israel' Sign Installed in Mashhad

The Khorasan newspaper based in Mashhad has published a photo of a 'Countdown to the Destruction of Israel' sign that has apparently been installed on the boulevard near the airport in the city. According to this sign, there are less than 24 years left until the destruction of Israel. It seems that the basis for the calculation on this sign is a prayer by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who stated in September 2015: 'God willing, in the next 25 years, there will be nothing left of the Zionist regime.' The Hamdeli newspaper reported on its front page on Saturday, November 6, that there was a 'severe attack on the 10th Majlis (Parliament),' stating: 'A few days after the 10th Parliament granted confidence votes to the new ministers of Hassan Rouhani, one of the most serious attacks on the representatives present in the Majlis occurred, and Ahmad Alamolhoda, the Friday prayer leader of Mashhad, referred to discussions that took place during the confidence vote session about the 'sedition' and said: 'Today, the sedition is in the Islamic Consultative Assembly.' 'Sedition' is a term used by a faction of the ruling establishment, led by Ali Khamenei, to describe the protests following the 2009 presidential elections. In the 9th Parliament, the principlists, who held the majority at that time, refused to grant confidence votes to some of Hassan Rouhani's proposed ministers by labeling them as 'seditionists,' but last Tuesday, the 10th Parliament granted confidence votes to three of those proposed ministers. The Hamdeli newspaper described Ahmad Alamolhoda's statements as 'one of the harshest expressions regarding the 10th Parliament,' noting that the Friday prayer leader of Mashhad stated that 'some inside are defenders of the American sedition of 2009.' He said: 'Look at where we have reached, while some come to defend America, defending the 2009 sedition, which is an American sedition, the very same Hillary Clinton, who wants to become president, said at that time when she was Secretary of State, and she still says in her campaign speeches, that we initiated the 2009 sedition, we led this unrest in Iran with Twitter, she officially says the 2009 sedition was ours, and then some in the National Assembly, in such a sacred place, ask how long will we talk about the sedition?' The Khorasan newspaper also reported that Mohammad Taqi Misbah Yazdi stated: 'After 37 years of the Islamic Revolution, the discussion of minimal and maximal religion has not yet been clarified; if you see that some individuals do not pay attention to the statements of the Supreme Leader and the religious authorities, their problem arises from here; they say we have studied diplomacy and want to negotiate with America, you go and reach those rulings.' According to this newspaper, Mohammad Taqi Misbah Yazdi stated that part of the people and officials 'thought that after the passing of Imam Khomeini, they would hold a referendum and do their own thing; these individuals believed that the people should appoint the president, not a cleric, while in the discussion of Velayat-e Faqih, it is stated that if there is no signature and approval of Velayat-e Faqih, that government is tyrannical.' The Javan newspaper, close to the Revolutionary Guards, also reported in its Saturday issue that Mohammad Ali Mohammadi Kermani said in Friday prayers in Tehran: 'Negotiating with America does not solve any problems, and the inclination of some officials towards America must be resolved.' Mohammad Ali Mohammadi Kermani also stated: 'If there is an inclination towards America among some officials, it must be resolved, and the issue of America's enmity with Islam must be taught to children and youth from the family level to the university.' Meanwhile, the Shargh newspaper reported that Mohammad Reza Aref, the head of the Hope faction in the 10th Parliament, said: 'Some who played no role in the revolutionary struggles now accuse reformists who were at the heart of the most important events of the revolution of collusion with the West, but if at some point, for the sake of expediency, some untold truths are revealed, it will become clear who were the revolutionaries and who were the collaborators.' According to this newspaper, Mohammad Reza Aref emphasized in a meeting with former members of Parliament that 'the appropriation of the values of the Islamic system by a political faction is dangerous. The reformists have practically shown that they are not monopolistic and are ready for dialogue and interaction with various political currents within the system while maintaining their reformist identity, but some constantly fan the flames of division in the country, and their existence relies on the disputes between the Haidari and Naimi factions.' Ahmad Gholami, in the editorial of the Shargh newspaper titled 'Making the People Ineffective,' wrote: 'Opponents of Rouhani's government are not merely opponents of his government; they are serious opponents of all governments that threaten or restrict their interests,' and 'the opposing forces always think about how to make a popular government ineffective.' The editorial writer reminded that 'the opponents of Rouhani's government, with a historical background of destruction, are very skilled at demolishing the government and wrote that by resorting to the method of 'diversion,' a truth can be distorted and another truth fabricated, and 'diversion also has another function, which is to divert the people's attention from vital political issues to marginal discussions that may even have more appeal and attraction among the general public.' The Etemad newspaper reported on its front page details of a 'Pastor's Feast,' stating: 'Two days after the 10th Parliament granted confidence votes to the proposed ministers of the government, the Hope faction went to the Pastor's Feast to express their concerns to the President and hear his thanks.' This newspaper quoted Mahmoud Sadeghi, a representative from Tehran in the 10th Parliament, as saying that during the meeting of the Hope faction members with Hassan Rouhani, the President of the 11th government stated that 'he intended to change one of the economic ministers along with the three recent ministers.' The Arman newspaper dedicated its front page to Mostafa Tajzadeh, a reformist figure, quoting him as saying: 'Rouhani's discourse is more reformist than reform itself,' and 'reformists in Mr. Rouhani's government confidently state that Iran needs reforms and democratization.' Mostafa Tajzadeh also stated: 'In the current situation, it is not expedient for the reformist movement to act independently of Mr. Rouhani, and the two should continue their path together.' The Arman newspaper also reported on its front page, quoting Farshad Momeni, an economist, as saying: 'The knife has reached the bone for the people.' Farshad Momeni emphasized that 'what Iranian society desperately needs, and it is essential that the media and government cooperate in this regard, is that realism, politics, and fairness should replace politicization, manipulation of statistics, information, and opportunistic games,' stating: 'The economic growth of 95 has none of these characteristics; therefore, the growth achieved is more beneficial for factional and political competitions than for the people and the country, and it will not solve any of the country's problems.' This economic expert also stated: 'The President must at least realize in the last year of his term that one of the roots of failure in the economic field is due to the fact that it has been requested that the economic advisors move on one leg, and in fact, the leg they chose is a broken leg that has sufficiently demonstrated its incompetence over the past few years.' Rasoul Montajebnia, the deputy of the National Trust Party, wrote in the editorial of the Novavaran newspaper: 'The decision to support Rouhani in the second round of elections is still not definitive.' The Arman newspaper reported, quoting Nader Mansourkiayi, the director of the Office for the Prevention of Social Harms in Education, that 'one percent of students are addicted, meaning a large number of individuals are dependent on drugs,' but a field project called social work in schools that is currently active indicates that 'in the last school year, one percent of students were identified as at risk, meaning 136,000 students are at risk of drug use, but those who were using drugs numbered 3,600.' The Shahrvand newspaper reported on a '10 trillion tomans debt' owed by insurance, stating that Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi, the Minister of Health, during the 15th Assembly of the Charity Institute of Aid Workers of Ashura, said: 'Insurance owes us 10 trillion tomans and has not been able to pay the doctors, nurses, hospitals, etc., for about 12 months. 11 million people have been insured under the health system reform plan, most of whom have an income of less than 900,000 tomans. Now that this effective action has been taken and is completely in line with the goals of the revolution and the opinions of the leader, why is there such unkindness?' Hamid Reza Asfari, the former spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in an interview with Etemad newspaper about the consequences of the presidential elections on Iran and its international relations stated: 'Trump also adheres to the JCPOA, but if he tears it up, it will be very beneficial for us. Because the consensus that existed among Western countries plus Russia and China will no longer exist. That is, if America unilaterally tears up the JCPOA, both European countries will turn against it, and Russia and China will stand against America, and it will no longer be able to issue resolutions against us in the Security Council.' This newspaper quoted Hamid Reza Asfari as saying: 'Our issue with Hillary Clinton is neither nuclear nor human rights; rather, our main issue is Israel.' The Iran newspaper quoted Elias Naderan, a member of the central council of the Martyrs' Society, as saying: 'In the case of the Tehran municipality properties, both violations and crimes have occurred.' The Saturday newspapers in Iran reported the death of Mansour Pourheidari with photos of the player and coach of the years of the Taj or current Esteghlal football team. The Shargh newspaper, with the headline 'In Mourning for the Father of Esteghlal,' wrote: 'Mansour Pourheidari, one of the most decorated figures in Iranian football, a man who was given the title 'Father of Esteghlal,' passed away yesterday at the age of 71. The Esteghlal legend had not been in good condition for several months due to severe cancer and succumbed to death after several days of unconsciousness on Friday morning.' The Etemad newspaper, alongside its photo dedicated to Mansour Pourheidari, in a report titled 'Farewell to the Most Passionate Esteghlali,' wrote: 'Many have given him the title of the most passionate Esteghlali. A man who sacrificed his life for the steadfastness of his beloved club. A man who suffered but remained silent. He witnessed treachery but said nothing and did not step outside the bounds of decency and dignity. He may be the last legend of the Esteghlal club, whom even Persepolis fans remember and respect.' The Shahrvand newspaper published a portrait of Mansour Pourheidari on its front page, stating: 'Mansour Pourheidari, the legend of Iranian football, has passed away.'