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Sheikh Qassem: Our supporters make up more than half of Lebanon's population, and all of these people are united under the banner of protecting Lebanon, its Resistance, its people, and its integrity.

Sheikh Qassem: There will be no phased handing in of our arms. [The Israelis] must first enact the agreement before we start talking about a defensive strategy.

Sheikh Qassem: Be brave in the face of foreign pressures, and we will be by your side in this stance.

Sheikh Qassem: Stripping us of our arms is like stripping us of our very soul, and this will prompt us to show them our might.

Sheikh Qassem: We will not abandon our arms, for they gave us dignity; we will not abandon our arms, for they protect us against our enemy.

Sheikh Qassem: The US efforts we are seeing are aimed at sabotaging Lebanon and constitute a call for sedition.

Sheikh Qassem: If you truly want to establish sovereignty and work for Lebanon’s interests, then stop the aggression.

Sheikh Qassem: The United States, which is meddling in Lebanon, is not trustworthy but rather poses a danger to it.

Sheikh Qassem: The United States is preventing the weapons that protect the homeland.

Sheikh Qassem: The government’s latest decision [on the disarmament of the Resistance] is non-charter-based, and if the government continues down this path, it is not faithful to Lebanon’s sovereignty.

Iran's parliament grants confidence to Pezeshkian's government

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
21 Aug 2024 15:59
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All of the Iranian president's ministerial candidates received the parliament's confidence.

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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian walks towards the podium to speak in an open session of parliament to debate on the qualifications of his proposed ministers, in Tehran, Iran, on Saturday, August 17, 2024. (AP)

The Iranian parliament has granted confidence to President Masoud Pezeshkian’s government, speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf announced Wednesday, after lawmakers convened to cast a vote of confidence on the proposed cabinet, resulting in the approval of all nominated candidates.

After attending the final session of the review process Tuesday, Pezeshkian expressed optimism that parliament would endorse all his ministerial candidates.

وفاق #برای_ایران

بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم pic.twitter.com/9Gtz3b62Jn
— Masoud Pezeshkian (@drpezeshkian) August 21, 2024

The debate on the qualifications of the proposed ministers began last Saturday with extensive discussions spanning several days.

Pezeshkian presented his list of ministerial nominees to the Iranian parliament on August 11, nearly two weeks after his inauguration.

In remarks made on Monday, the President stated that none of his ministerial selections were made without thorough consultations with the country's top authorities.

At the start of Wednesday's confidence vote session, Pezeshkian reaffirmed his commitment to collaboration between his administration and parliament, stating, "I will consider parliament's pieces of advice on my decisions."

He also urged unity and called on lawmakers to put aside their differences.

Addressing the session, Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf noted the attendance of 285 lawmakers for the confidence vote and asked the President to exit the session before MPs could proceed with casting their votes.

The new Iranian cabinet becomes as follows:

Abdolnaser Hemmati - Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance

Esmaeil Khatib - Minister of Intelligence

Abbas Araqchi - Minister of Foreign Affairs

Sattar Hashemi - Minister of Communication and Information Technology

Alireza Kazemi - Minister of Education

Mohammad Reza Zafarqandi - Minister of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education

Ahmad Maydari - Minister of Labor, Cooperatives, and Welfare

Gholamreza Nouri Qezelje - Minister of Agriculture

Aziz Nasirzadeh - Minister of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics

Amir Hossein Rahimi - Minister of Justice

Farzaneh Sadeq - Minister of Roads and Urban Development

Mohammad Atabak - Minister of Industry, Mine, and Trade

Abbas Salehi - Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance

Eskandar Mo’meni - Minister of Interior

Mohsen Paknejad - Minister of Oil

Abbas Aliabadi - Minister of Energy

Ahmad Donyamali - Minister of Sports and Youth

Hossein Simayi Sarraf - Minister of Sciences, Research, and Technology

Reza Salehi Amiri - Minister of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism.

During his swearing-in ceremony before Parliament as the ninth president of Iran, Pezeshkian said his cabinet "will seek constructive and effective engagement with the world based on the principles of dignity, wisdom, and expediency," adding that Iran aspires to lead the region in economic, scientific, and technical domains.

"The world also needs to seize the unique opportunity to solve regional and global problems with the participation of a powerful, peace-seeking, and dignified Iran," he noted.

Pezeshkian criticized the United States and other Western nations for arming "Israel" during its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

The Iranian President emphasized that his government was prepared to engage in further talks with the major powers of the world to lift the sanctions against Iran.

He also reminded Washington and the West that Iran's nuclear program is peaceful, as confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and affirmed that Iran was still dedicated to upholding its end of the nuclear agreement.

Addressing the West, Pezeshkian said, "Pressure and sanctions do not work [in dealing with Iran]," as he called on them to respect Iran, which "has always stood on the right side of history."

"Iran is a safe, united, and stable country," he added, saying that "the countries in the region must not spend their valuable resources on conflict and war of attrition."

"My administration wants a strong region," he stressed.

The most significant challenge facing Pezeshkian today is Iran's anticipated response to the Israeli assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital, Tehran.

He affirmed the Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the right to respond to aggressors in accordance with international law and will not succumb to pressure, sanctions, bullying, or aggression.