In a letter to American students supporting the Palestinian people, Ayatollah Imam Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, said, “You are now standing on the right side of history.”

The beginning of this letter of support says, “You are now part of the Resistance Front, and you have begun a dignified struggle under the ruthless police pressure of your government that evidently defends the oppressive and brutal Zionist regime.”

Referring to the reasons and factors behind the formation of the great Resistance Front and its struggle against the occupying Zionist regime, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said in the letter, “From the very beginning, the Zionist regime carried out an iron fist policy against the defenceless people of Palestine. They disregard all moral, human, and religious values and, day by day, escalate their ruthlessness, terrorism, and oppression. The US government and its accomplices did not even lift a finger against this state terrorism and ongoing injustice.”

Ayatollah Khamenei said that the Resistance Front emerged from this dark and despondent atmosphere, and the establishment of the Islamic Republic in Iran expanded and empowered them. He asked, “Can a nation defending itself against the crimes of Zionist occupiers in its own land be considered terrorist? And should giving humanitarian aid to this nation and strengthening its arms be considered as support for terrorism?”

Addressing the young Americans supporting Palestine, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution told them, “I want to assure you that today, the situation is changing. Another fate awaits the sensitive region of West Asia. Many consciences have awakened on a global scale, and the truth is becoming clear. The Resistance Front has also grown stronger and will continue to strengthen while history is also turning a new page.”

Ayatollah Khamenei spoke about protests in support of the Palestinian people in other countries, as well as the support and solidarity of university professors with their students and mentioned the police crackdown, saying, “I empathise with you, young people, and I respect your steadfastness.”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution concluded his letter by recommending that Muslims become familiar with the Quran, saying, “For us Muslims and for all people of the world, the lesson of the Quran is perseverance in the path of truth. Regarding human relations, the lesson of the Quran is that we should neither commit nor submit to oppression. By comprehensively adhering to and acting upon these commandments and hundreds of similar cases, the Resistance Front will advance and will achieve victory, God willing.”

The text of the letter from Ayatollah Khamenei is as follows:

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

I am writing this letter to the youth whose awakened consciences have moved them to defend the oppressed children and women of Gaza.

Dear young students in the United States of America, this is our message of empathy and solidarity with you. You are now on the right side of history, turning a new page.

You have now become part of the Resistance Front and have begun a dignified struggle under the ruthless pressure of your government, which clearly defends the oppressive and merciless Zionist regime. You have begun a dignified struggle.

For years, the great Resistance Front has been fighting afar with the same consciousness and sentiments that you possess today.

The aim of this struggle is to halt the barefaced oppression perpetrated by a ruthless terrorist network known as the Zionists. They have, for years, inflicted the harshest pressures and tortures upon the Palestinian people after seizing their country. The genocide perpetrated by the Zionist apartheid regime today is a continuation of decades of the most heinous oppressive behaviour.

Palestine is an independent country with a diverse population of Muslims, Christians, and Jews, and it has a very long history. After World War II, Zionist capitalists, with the support of the British government, gradually brought thousands of terrorists into the country; they invaded its cities and villages, killed or expelled tens of thousands of people to neighbouring countries, seized their homes, markets, and farms, and established a state called Israel on the occupied land of Palestine.

After this initial British assistance, the United States government has been the greatest supporter of this usurping regime. The United States has continuously provided political, economic, and military support to this regime to the extent that, with unforgivable recklessness, it has paved and aided the path for Israel to produce nuclear weapons.

From the very beginning, disregarding all moral, human, and religious values, the Zionist regime has adopted an iron fist policy against the defenceless people of Palestine. Since then, day by day, it has been escalating its brutality, terrorism, and oppression.

The US government and its accomplices have not even lifted a finger against this state-terrorism and ongoing oppression. Today, some of the statements made by the United States government regarding the horrific crimes in Gaza are just disingenuity.

The “resistance front” emerged from this dark and despairing atmosphere, and the formation of the Islamic Republic in Iran expanded and empowered it.

The leaders of international Zionism, who own the majority of media outlets in the US and Europe and those who are under their financial influence and bribery, have labelled this human and courageous resistance as terrorism! Can a nation defending itself against the crimes of Zionist occupiers in its own land be considered terrorist? And can giving humanitarian aid to this nation and strengthening its arms be considered as support for terrorism?

These ruthless global hegemonic leaders do not even show mercy towards human values. They pretend that the terrorist and merciless Israeli regime is defending itself, and they label the Palestinian resistance, which defends its freedom, security, and right to self-determination, as “terrorism”!

I want to assure you that today, the situation is changing. Another destiny awaits the sensitive West Asia region. Many consciences have awakened on a global scale, and the truth is becoming more apparent. The resistance front has also become stronger and will continue to grow stronger. History is also turning a new page.

Along with you, students from dozens of universities in the United States, other universities, and people from other countries have also taken a stand. The support and solidarity of university professors standing with their students is very significant and carries much weight; it can be reassuring when facing the severity of government-directed police attacks. I also empathise with you, young people and highly respect your steadfastness.

The Quran’s lesson for Muslims and all people of the world is to stand firm in the path of truth: فَاستَقِم کَما اُمِرت؛(1) “So remain steadfast as you have been commanded.” The Quran’s lesson regarding human relations is: لا تَظلِمونَ وَ لا تُظلَمون (2) “Do not oppress others, nor be oppressed.”

By comprehensively adhering to and acting upon these commandments and hundreds of similar cases, the Resistance Front will advance and will achieve victory. God willing.

Sayyid Ali Khamenei

May 25, 2024

Iran is exporting more oil than at any time for the past six years, giving its economy a $35bn-a-year boost, a report by the Western media has said.

Tehran sold an average of 1.56mn barrels a day during the first three months of the year, almost all of it to China and its highest level since the third quarter of 2018, according to data company Vortexa.

Iran’s success in exporting its crude underscores the difficulties facing the US and the EU as they seek to build up pressure on Tehran, the Financial Times reported as cited by the news service of Iranian oil ministry-SHANA.

“The Iranians have mastered the art of sanctions circumvention,” said Fernando Ferreira, head of geopolitical risk service at the Rapidan Energy Group in the US.

The Iranian oil industry had found ways to get around sanctions.

Iran’s Oil Minister Javad Owji said last month that oil exports had “generated more than $35bn” in the preceding year. On another occasion, he said that while Iran’s enemies wanted to stop its exports, “today, we can export oil anywhere we want, and with minimal discounts”.

Iranian Oil Minister Javad Owji said Wednesday that Iran recorded a 20% increase in oil and gas production last year of 1402 (March 21, 2023-2024) in the Iranian calendar, predicting a higher production this year. /MNA/

More than 300 medicines are made out of 1,200 medicinal plants in the country.The production of medicines from plants in the country dates back to 1980.

About 4,400 natural products and over 2,000 traditional products are being supplied by domestic companies to the market.

So far, about 30,000 plant species have been identified in the world, with Iran’s share of about 8,000 species which is more than the whole of species found in Europe.

The per capita consumption of medicinal plants in Iran is about one kilogram of dried plants, in other words, 83,000 tons of medicinal plants worth 1.2 trillion rials (around $4 million) are consumed in the country, while in Europe this amount is 900 grams and in the United States is 2.5 kilogram.

Iran holds some 40% share of market In October 2023, an official with the Ministry of Health said that Iran holds some 40 percent share of the market for medicinal plants in the neighboring countries.

“A large volume of pharmaceuticals, supplements, food products, and beverages are exported to Iraq, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, and Afghanistan,” IRNA quoted Hamidreza Banafsheh as saying.

Iran is among the leading countries in the field of medicine and health technology, supplying 98 percent of pharmaceutical items to the domestic market, the official noted.

“Nearly 450 out of 1,400 knowledge-based companies are active in the field of herbal medicines, biotechnology, and food industries.”

He went on to say that the National Institute for Medical Research Development aims at expanding exports of medicinal products.

Since most of the raw materials for the production of herbal medicines are native to the country, these products can internationally compete with those of the other countries, he added.

Besides, some 15 to 20 percent of Iran’s herbal medicines are unique in the world. Iran has the capacity to introduce new herbal medicines to the world, he highlighted.

Producing and commercializing pharmaceutical plants are the best ways to introduce the rich resources of herbal medicines which, in addition to making foreign currency revenues for the country, will lead to the scientific authority of Iran in this field, he concluded.

Medicinal plant exports can be increased

According to the chairman of the Union of Medicinal Plants Exporters of Iran, the country’s export of medicinal plants can be increased through compliance with world standards.

Mohammad-Ali Rezaei Kamal-Abad stated that world standards are increasing due to the health-oriented consumption of herbal products, and failure to comply with these standards will lead to the return or destruction of these products.

“In the past years, poisons have entered the country, which is not only not used in other countries, but has also caused water and soil pollution in our country”, he lamented.

Referring to the importance of agricultural product export standardization, he added: “Standardization is done in our country, but this standardization is not up-to-date. With the coordination of ministries, expenditure and updating of information can help to standardize agricultural products and develop the export of these products”, he commented.

He said that having more than 11 climates out of 13 climates, Iran has 8,000 varieties of medicinal plants, which is at least twice as much as Europe.

People highly welcome traditional medicine

On January 7, Nafiseh Hosseini-Yekta, the director of the health ministry’s Persian medicine office, said surveys show that more than 80 percent of people in the country intend to benefit from Iranian traditional medicine, ILNA reported.

Their interest in traditional medicine has never faded, she said, adding that traditional medicine is being taught in universities.

Traditional medicine has its roots in the culture, customs, and traditions of Iranians and has always been of interest to them, the official highlighted. /T.T/

Iran’s car output reached 1.188 million units in 2023 and took 16th place in the world car production, the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA) reported.

The International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (known as OICA) announced that car production in Iran in 2023 reached 1,188 cars which has grown by 12% compared to the previous year.

Car manufacturing in Iran is the third most active industry in the country, accounting for 10% of GDP and 4% of the workforce after the oil and gas industry.

China took the first place in this list with 30.160 million cars, followed by the United States with 10.611 million cars in the second place and Japan in the third place.

India, South Korea, Germany, Mexico, Spain, Brazil, Thailand, Canada, France, Turkey, the Czech Republic, and Indonesia were in the next places before Iran.

Slovakia, the UK, Italy, Malaysia, and Russia were placed after Iran. /MNA/

The 31st edition of the International Holy Quran Fair is underway at Imam Khomeini Mosalla in Tehran. The fair features various Quranic institutions and governmental bodies, as well as international participants from 25 countries. The event also highlights the issues of Gaza and Palestine and the role of the Quran in inspiring resistance, ISNA reported.

Countries such as Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Kuwait, Bangladesh, Iraq, Palestine, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Pakistan, France, China, Croatia, Russia, and the U.A.E. are present at the international section of the fair.

The fair seeks to familiarize people with Quranic concepts through artistic, cultural, and theatrical mediums, especially for children and teenagers. It also offers sections on artificial intelligence, Nahj al-Balaghah, Quranic research and consultation, Quran translation, and easy Quran memorization.

The motto of the fair is “I read you,” which reflects the importance of reading the Quran.

Having kicked off on March 22, the exhibition will run until April 14, every day from 5 p.m. to midnight./ T.T/

Iran national team defeated the Philippines 4-0 on Saturday to win the 2024 IIHF Women’s Asia and Oceania Cup. The competition was held at the Gorodskoi Katok in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Team Melli had defeated the UAE 16-0, Kyrgyzstan 6-0 and India 10-0 in their previous matches.

Iran had won a sliver in the competition last year.

The 2024 IIHF Women’s Asia and Oceania Cup is an international women’s ice hockey tournament run by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).

This edition of the tournament took place from March 24 to 30 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

The tournament followed a single round robin format. /T.T/

Benevolent people across Iran donated more than 26 trillion rials (about $52 million) in zakat (alms) in the past Iranian calendar year which ended on March 19, an increase of 25 percent year on year, ISNA reported.

Zakat is the third of the Five Pillars of Islam and refers to giving a fixed portion of one’s wealth to the needy and poor.

It enjoins every adult, mentally stable, free, and financially able Muslim, male and female, to pay a certain amount of money to support specific categories of people.

The profession of Faith (shahada) – the belief that “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God” – is the first pillar of Islam. Prayer (salat), alms (zakat), fasting (sawm), and pilgrimage (hajj) are the other four.

As much as 80 percent of the collected zakat is spent to provide basic foods for the needy and the rest is allocated for development projects in underprivileged areas, Habibollah Asoudeh, the deputy director of the Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation, has said.

Iran has been named the 32nd most generous country among 114 countries by the World Giving Index 2021.

The ranking is done based on the three indices of ‘helping a stranger’, ‘donating money’, and ‘volunteering time’.

Iran was 38th in helping a stranger, 23rd in donating money, and 92nd in volunteering time.

Benefactors have also donated money to free prisoners of unintentional crimes and help develop the health sector.

As an annual tradition, benefactors come together in a ceremony to raise funds for releasing prisoners of unintentional crimes during the holy month of Ramadan (which started on March 12 this year).

On January 5, with the participation of altruists and benevolent people, a total of 2,548 prisoners of unintentional crimes were released from prisons nationwide.

Freeing prisoners of involuntary crimes is done in three ways. The first way is granting prisoners leave and the second way is providing a number of them with loans to be paid inside the prison.

The third way of assistance is the release of unintentional convicts by paying their debt. /T.T/

The Organization of Student Affairs plans to provide new services to foreign students studying in the country’s universities, Hashem Dadashpour, the head of the Organization, has said.

He explained that a major part of the problems for registering cell phones, consular affairs, as well as accommodation will be resolved within the next few days, ISNA reported.

Moreover, online language learning systems will be launched for applicants to take Persian language courses before entering Iran and prepare to study in universities, he concluded.

In September 2023, Dadashpour said the ministry of science was planning to increase the number of international students to some 320,000 from currently around 100,000 by 2026.

“There was an increase in the number of international students over the sixth National Development Plan (2017-2021). The seventh development plan (2022-2026) has also put increasing the figure to around 320,000 on the agenda,” he explained.

“Strengthening scientific authority, developing public diplomacy, and expanding the Persian language are the three main reasons for attracting international students,” Dadashpour said, IRIB reported.

He went on to say that the principle of attracting international students is a major strategy and plan for the Ministry of Science.”

Dadashpour stressed that the international campus of universities is the center of attracting international students and managing their affairs, but all university vice-chancellors are responsible for international students as much as Iranian students.

He pointed out that “International students’ attendance at the cultural events of the university helps Iranian students to get more familiar with them and their culture.”

“Also, international students can have their own cultural and artistic organization.”

The infrastructure of the university, educational and cultural planning, and the university staff should all attract students in a way that gives them a different positive view of Iran as they get back home.

The deputy head of the student affairs organization considered it important to provide suitable centers and platforms for teaching the Persian language to international students in universities.

Dadashpour stated, “Learning the Persian language is an important precondition for studying in Iran.”

The 61st meeting was held with the motto of cultural transformation of the university and smart governance.

Foreign students from 119 countries

Currently, international students from 119 countries are studying in Iran, IRNA reported.

Shortening the processes of providing services to international students, such as issuing visas and residence permits, offering employment, banking, and transportation services, and benefiting from cultural advisors who are currently based in 81 countries, as well as ambassadors in different countries, are among the capacities which can be used to attract more international students.

The Ministry of Science is planning to upgrade an online system titled “Study in Iran” in order to familiarize foreign students with universities as well as the conditions and costs of living in the country.

For the time being, the system is operating in four languages Persian, English, Arabic, and Chinese, Dadashpour said in June.

“We plan to add three more languages, namely Russian, French, and Spanish in the next few months,” he added, IRNA reported. /T.T/

The 35th Tehran International Book Fair (TIBF) is scheduled to take place at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Mosalla from May 8 to 18, the book fair’s deputy director Ali Ramezani has said.

After careful review and examination of the available options, Imam Khomeini Mosalla was chosen as the venue for this year’s TIBF, Iran’s primary book trade event, Ali Ramezani explained.

Ramazani highlighted the registration process for domestic and foreign publishers interested in participating in TIBF, emphasizing that publishers from both categories can now access the event’s official website to review the participation regulations and conditions.

The registration for foreign publishers in this edition commenced on Saturday and will run until April 20, he added.

He further noted that in this edition, the workflow has been streamlined from publisher registration to book presentation in booths for operational agents and publishers.

Earlier this week, Yasser Ahmadvand, the director of the exhibition announced that India will be the special guest of this edition of TIBF.

A cultural memorandum of understanding was signed between the officials of the Tehran International Book Fair and the New Delhi International Book Fair, aimed at fostering discussions between Iranian and Indian cultures with a focus on books, he explained.

He further noted that as per this agreement, Iran will also serve as the special guest at the New Delhi International Book Fair in 2025.

The Tehran International Book Fair has turned into a landmark, momentous book fair in West Asia after 34 editions in a row. Millions of visitors inspect the fair every year, including thousands of university students, scholars, and their families.

The cultural event currently serves as the most significant cultural event in Iran. On average 2,500 domestic and 600 foreign publishers participate in the landmark event. The foreign publishers substantially offer their materials in English or Arabic however titles in French, German, Chinese, Korean, or Japanese are also available./T.T/

For more details Please visit the following website

https://tibf.ir/en

The head of the Iran Food and Drug Administration (IFDA) described Iran as one of the most successful medicine exporters in the region. Seyyed Haidar Mohammadi made remarks at the opening ceremony of the respiratory medicines factory where he also said that Iran has a lot to say in the pharmaceutical industry.

“We are one of the most successful drug exporters in the region,” the IFDA chairman said.

“With the sanctions against our country in place, if we wanted to even just import the drugs that we have managed to produce, it would not be possible for us,” he added.

Mohammadi continued, “In the meeting I had with the Deputy Minister of Health of Russia, he was surprised at Iran’s progress in the pharmaceutical industry despite tough and long-term sanctions.”

He further revealed and condemned the lies told by Western countries who claim to have not sanctioned drugs and medicine for Iranians.  /MNA/