LATEST: Russia Puts Out PR — We Will Help Iran’s Economy

On a Sunday when Iran’s regime put out a series of declarations on the Middle East, the Revolutionary Guards offered the most provocative warning: “arming [Palestine’s] West Bank will soon start to turn the region into a hell for the Zionists”.

The deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guards, General Hossein Salami, told State TV on Sunday, “The US cannot provide security coverage for the Zionist regime since the entire occupied Palestinian territories can be targeted by the overlapping fire power of Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad.”

Iranian officials, including the Supreme Leader, have called for the arming of Palestinians in both the West Bank and the Gaza, especially since this summer’s 50-day war between Israel and Gaza.

Salami talked about the plans, asserting, “The West Bank Palestinians will not abandon their cause. One day, in a not far future, the West Bank will turn into a hell for the Zionists’ security, and the sons of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip will grow united.”

Elsewhere, the regime’s top officials used the visit of the UN envoy on Iraq, Nickolay Mladenov, to put out a series of statements over the Iraqi crisis and the Middle East.

The Supreme Leader’s top foreign policy aide, Ali Akbar Velayati, claimed that “certain regional and Western countries” were supporting the jihadist Islamic State and called on the UN to identify them.

Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian alleged, “Tthe US intends a military return and redeployment in Iraq rather than [a] focus on the fight against the Islamic State.”

And Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif pledged that Tehran will host an international conference on violence and extremism in the “near-future”.

Russia Puts Out PR: We Will Help Iran’s Economy

Russia has put out PR announcements declared that it will assist Iran’s fragile economy, following a meeting in Tehran with the Iranian Industry Minister.

Russian Economic Development Minister Alexei Uluykayev said Moscow will take supplies from Iran in a “goods-for-oil” exchange deal soon:

This issue has been raised. In August, the /Russian and Iranian/ governments signed a relevant memorandum on closer cooperation in trade and economic relations. We are working in this direction….

We can promote a big volume of our non-raw materials exports, such as equipment for the oil and gas industry, agricultural machinery, motor vehicles, aircrafts, railway cars, power machines, electricity generators,” he told journalists….

Russia can receive a serious portfolio of orders for machine-building, for industries with high added value.

Western media picked up the announcement as confirmation of a Russian-Iranian deal, said to be worth up to $20 billion, but this is likely to be premature. After August’s announcement, Russia pulled back within hours, saying no practical arrangements had been agreed.

Iran is eager to secure Russian assistance amid continuing US-led sanctions the failure to reach a comprehensive nuclear agreement, and a falling global oil price.

Tehran’s oil exports have been cut by more than 40% since 2012.

Uluykayev also said that Iran has requested Moscow’s help to secure Iranian accession to the World Trade Organization.

“The Russian side has agreed to offer its assistance,” he said.

Detained Opposition Leader Karroubi Writes MP — Persist in Efforts for Trial To Answer “One-Sided Charges”

Opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi, under strict house arrest since February 2011, has written to MP Ali Motahari, urging him to persist in efforts for a trial.

Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi, both candidates in the disputed 2009 Presidential election, and activist and academic Zahra Rahnavard have been held without charge and cut off from almost all communications.

Motahari has pressed the Rouhani Government to resolve the case, saying he will bring the President to Parliament for questioning if this is not done. However, the Supreme Leader has rejected any lifting of the house arrests.

Karroubi said that the house arrests were “an illegal punishment” and that he should be given a chance to present his defense against the “one-sided accusations”.

Supreme Leader’s Top Aide Hits Back at Critics of Nuclear Talks: Be Quiet

The Supreme Leader’s top foreign policy aide, Ali Akbar Velayati, has hit back at critics of Iran’s nuclear negotiations with the 5+1 Powers — including those who chided him for weakness in the talks.

Velayati said that, since Ayatollah Khamenei has agreed to the extension of the talks to July 1, there should no longer be any domestic opposition: “The Leader of the Revolution said we are supporting the negotiations and their extension, and the negotiating team is moving in the framework defined by him and he approves of the negotiations and negotiators.”

He emphasized that the leader’s approval means all opposition must end now.

Last week, the Revolutionary Guards and hardline critics lashed out after the failure of Iran to reach a comprehensive agreement with the 5+1 Powers (US, Britain, China, Russia, France, and Germany), saying that Tehran’s negotiators had not defended Iranian interests.

One outlet, Raja News, specifically told Velayati that he needed to obtain some “wisdom” over the issue.

See Iran Daily, Nov 27: Regime Splits Over the Nuclear Talks

Supreme Leader to Navy: Be Prepared Against Enemies, Whatever the Political Situation

The Supreme Leader, addressing naval commanders on Sunday, put out a tough message for military preparedness: