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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Strict security measures in place in Mumbai for Messi's events at 2 venues Dec 14, say police
Mumbai (PTI): In view of Argentine superstar footballer Lionel Messi's visit to Mumbai on Sunday, the city police are implementing stringent security measures, like not allowing water bottles, metals, coins inside the stadiums and setting up watchtowers to keep an eye on the crowd, officials said.
The police also said taking extra care to avoid any stampede-like situation and to prevent recurrence of the chaotic situation that unfolded in Kolkata during Messi's visit on Saturday as thousands of fans protested inside the Salt Lake stadium here after failing to catch a clear glimpse of the football icon despite paying hefty sums for tickets.
Messi is expected to be present at the Cricket Club of India (Brabourne Stadium) in Mumbai on Sunday for a Padel GOAT Cup event followed by attending a celebrity football match. He is expected to proceed to the Wankhede Stadium for the GOAT India Tour main event around 5 pm.
"In view of Lionel Messi's visit to Mumbai, the police are geared up and have put in place a high level of security arrangements in and around the stadiums located in south Mumbai. Considering the chaos that prevailed in Kolkata and the security breach, we have deployed World Cup-level security arrangements at Brabourne and Wankhede stadiums," an official said.
Expecting heavy crowd near the stadiums during Messi's visit, the city police force has deployed more than 2,000 of its personnel near and around both the venues, he said.
As the Mumbai police have the experience of security 'bandobast' during the victory parade of ICC World Cup-winning Indian team and World Cup final match at the Wankhede Stadium, in which over one lakh cricket fans had gathered, we are prepared to handle a large crowd of fans, he said.
"We are trying to avoid the errors that occurred in the past," the official said.
There is no place to sneak inside the stadiums in Mumbai like the Kolkata stadium, according to him.
The police are also asking the organisers to provide all the required facilities to the fans inside the stadium, so that there will be no chaos, he said, adding the spectators have purchased tickets in the range of Rs 5,000 to 25,000. After paying so much of amount, any spectator expects proper services, while enjoying the event, he said.
The police are expecting 33,000 spectators at the Wankhede Stadium and over 4,000 at Brabourne Stadium. Besides this, more than 30,000 people are expected outside and around the stadiums just to have a glimpse of the football sensation, he said.
The organisers responsible for Messi's India visit recently came to Mumbai to discuss security arrangements. During the meeting, the Mumbai police asked them not to take the event lightly, according to the official.
After those requirements were fulfilled, the final security deployment was chalked out, he said.
Police has the standard procedure of the security arrangements inside the Wankhede Stadium, where people are barred from taking water bottles, metals objects, coins. Police are setting up watch towers near the stadiums and there will be traffic diversions, so that there is maximum space available to stand, according to the official.
Police are also appealing to the spectators to use public transport service for commuting and avoid personal vehicles to reach south Mumbai.
To avoid any stampede-like situation, police are also taking precautionary measures and will stop the fans some distance ahead of the stadium and public announcement systems will be used to guide the crowd. Barricades will be placed at various places to manage the crowd.
In case the crowd swells up beyond expectation, the police will divert people to other grounds and preparations in this regard underway, he said.
Additional police force has been deployed in south Mumbai to tackle any kind of situation, he said.
