Iran's Supreme Leader calls Trump liar over ‘peace’ remarks, renews threats against Israel
Tehran: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has accused former US President Donald Trump of lying about using American power to promote peace, describing the claim as "a disgrace" to both Trump and the American nation. Khamenei made the remarks during a public event with teachers in Tehran on Saturday, as reported by Iran’s state news agency IRNA.
Referring to Trump’s recent statements during a tour of West Asia, Khamenei said: “Trump said he wants to use power for peace; he lied. He and other US officials have used power to support killings in Gaza and to spread warmongering wherever possible.”
The Iranian leader also reiterated his long-standing hostility towards Israel, labeling it “the Zionist regime” and “a dangerous and malignant cancerous tumour in this region that must and will be uprooted.”
Khamenei expressed confidence that the United States would eventually be forced to withdraw from the region, citing the resolve of regional nations. His comments were published on his official website and carried by various state-linked media outlets, including China’s Xinhua news agency.
Earlier in the week, Trump visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates as part of a regional tour. In Riyadh, he criticized Iran as “the most destructive force” in the Middle East and pledged to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Trump also signaled he would not return to the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, from which he withdrew in 2018. In response, Iran began rolling back its compliance with the accord.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi reaffirmed on Saturday that while Iran will not abandon its right to a peaceful nuclear programme, it remains committed to sincere negotiations with the US. Both countries have engaged in four rounds of indirect talks, with mediation efforts led by Oman.
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11k litres of milk poured into Narmada river after religious event; environmentalists see red
Sehore (PTI): Around 11,000 litres of milk were poured into Narmada river, often called the lifeline of Madhya Pradesh, in Sehore district on the culmination of a 21-day religious event as part of a sanctification ritual, prompting environmentalists to flag its negative impact on the ecosystem.
The event concluded at Satdev village in Bherunda area, located about 90 km from the district headquarters, with a 'mahayagna' on Wednesday.
The milk was offered to the river as part of rituals and prayers for the purity of the waters, the well-being of pilgrims and prosperity, organisers said.
The milk was brought in tankers to the riverbank and later poured into the flowing water amid chanting of mantras in the presence of a crowd of devotees.
However, environmentalists raised concerns over the practice, warning of its potential ecological impact.
"Such large quantities of organic matter can deplete dissolved oxygen in water, adversely affecting the river ecosystem. These impact local communities dependent on the river for drinking water and threaten aquatic life as well as domestic animals," noted environmentalist and wildlife activist Ajay Dube said.
Religious offerings should be symbolic and mindful, he asserted.
Renowned environmentalist Subhash Pandey said 11,000 litres of milk acts as a significant organic pollutant.
"It is highly oxygen-demanding and can lead to oxygen depletion, aquatic mortality, eutrophication (process of plants growing on river surface) and loss of potability. These effects are predictable from dairy-effluent chemistry and have been documented in similar incidents worldwide," Pandey pointed out.
Narmada originates at Amarkantak in the state and traverses 1,312 km westward to Maharashtra and Gujarat, emptying into the Arabian Sea via the Gulf of Cambay.
It is the largest west-flowing river in the peninsula, passing through a rift valley, and acts as a crucial water source for irrigation in MP, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
