WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV Newsroom's headlines from 0900 GMT to 1700 GMT, November 23, 2017.

Palestine's first priority

Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the issue of Palestine remains the top priority of the Muslim world. Ayatollah Khamenei described Palestine as the key to victory against enemies. He said hegemonic powers and Zionists have turned the occupied Palestinian land into a base for disrupting peace across the region. The Leader noted that the goal of the enemies is to sow discord among Muslims and create a safety margin for Israel. He called for unity among Muslims to confront the cancerous tumor, Israel. Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks in a meeting with scholars from around the world who were in Tehran for a conference on tackling the Takfiri ideology. The Leader also warned against the enemies' plots, saying despite the end of Daesh’s rule in Syria and Iraq, the Zionists and the US may try to revive their evil schemes in other forms.

Daesh ‘rule over’

The commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps announces the end of the rule of Daesh following its recent defeat in Syria. Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari said if it had not been  for the mobilized popular forces and volunteers, Syria would have been disintegrated. He described the terror group’s defeat as a great victory for the region. However, the top IRGC commander said Daesh as an entity has not been completely destroyed and is still a threat to Islamic nations as well as the region as a whole. Major General Jafari noted that the terror group may continue its operation in the form of guerrilla groups and that everyone must remain vigilant.

‘Serving Israel-US interests’

Yemeni scholars say Saudi Arabia’s ongoing war on its southern impoverished neighbor is serving the interests of the United States and Israel. In a gathering held in the capital Sana’a, a group of prominent academics noted that most Arab nations are under the control of Israel. They also accused the Arab League of supporting the Saudi war on Yemen. They said the pan-Arab organization has failed to address crimes Riyadh has been committing in the impoverished Arab nation. The scholars stressed that the Yemeni people needed to confront the Saudi crimes. Over 13,000 people have been killed since Saudi Arabia launched its aggression against Yemen in March 2015.

IAEA verifies compliance

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, has reiterated that Iran is abiding by its obligations under the 2015 nuclear agreement with the P5 group of countries. Yukiya Amano was speaking during a nuclear energy conference in Austria. He stressed that the IAEA has access to all locations it needs to visit in the Islamic Republic. The IAEA’s confirmation is a rebuke to US President Donald Trump’s repeated accusations that Tehran is not complying with the historic nuclear deal also known as the JCPOA. The US administration has called for inspecting Iran’s military sites, which Tehran calls a red line. Last month, Trump refused to certify Iran’s compliance with the JCPOA. World leaders have condemned the move.

Saudi-US military ties

Saudi Arabia has reportedly struck a $7 billion deal with US arms contractors to obtain precision-guided munitions. Sources say Raytheon and Boeing are the two private American firms supplying the weapons. The deal is said to be part of a 110-billion-dollar arms agreement reached between Riyadh and Washington during US President Donald Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia in May. However, the mega-deal should get the Congress approval before coming into force. Some lawmakers are expected to object to it due to the mounting concern about the extent of civilian casualties in Yemen. Saudi Arabia’s military campaign in Yemen has so far led to the death of over 13,000 people.

Saudi collective punishment

The head of the Norwegian Refugee Council says Saudi Arabia's blockade on Yemen is illegal and collective punishment of Yemeni civilians. Jan Egeland, a former UN aid chief, also says relief operations are still blocked, a day after Saudi Arabia announced it would let humanitarian supplies into Yemen. Other international agencies including the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance have also expressed concern over the Saudi blockade. More than two weeks ago, Riyadh cut off food imports to Yemen. The United Nations says some seven million Yemenis are on the brink of famine as a result of the Saudi embargo. UN officials have demanded Riyadh lift the siege so that aid can be delivered to Yemeni civilians. The International Committee of the Red Cross has also called for the resumption of commercial traffic to the war-torn country.

Anti-Daesh battle

Iraqi forces have launched a major operation to clear desert areas near the Syria border of Daesh terrorists. The military said in a statement that the objective is to prevent Daesh remnants from using the region as a base for future attacks. Army troops, federal police as well as Popular Mobilization Units are taking part in the campaign. The operation is the final move to rid Iraq of the terror group. Last week, Iraqi forces recaptured the border town of Rawa, the last remaining town under Daesh’s control in the country. Earlier, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared that Daesh has been defeated from a military perspective but he would declare the final victory after the terrorists were routed in their desert hideouts.

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