Khamenei Urges Iranian Officials to Unite, Cooperate

Iran's Supreme Leader with a group of Iranian officials and representatives of Islamic diplomatic missions in Tehran (Khamenei's website)
Iran's Supreme Leader with a group of Iranian officials and representatives of Islamic diplomatic missions in Tehran (Khamenei's website)
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Khamenei Urges Iranian Officials to Unite, Cooperate

Iran's Supreme Leader with a group of Iranian officials and representatives of Islamic diplomatic missions in Tehran (Khamenei's website)
Iran's Supreme Leader with a group of Iranian officials and representatives of Islamic diplomatic missions in Tehran (Khamenei's website)

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei urged senior Iranian officials in the three authorities to unite, cooperate, collaborate, and distance themselves from marginal issues to devote themselves to solving the country's major problems.

During Eid el-Fitr prayer sermon, Khamenei asserted that cooperation and solidarity are the essential and basic strategies for solving problems and advancing the country.

He said if the government, parliament, and the judiciary cooperate fully, the country's issues won't be complicated, asserting that cooperation is the overall strategy.

Last Wednesday, Khamenei criticized economic sessions held by the presidencies of the Judiciary, Executive, and Legislative authorities, saying they were temporary and did not reach their intended purpose.

He asserted that the solution is to hold such sessions until the work is done and completed.

During the Eid sermon, Khamenei called for focusing on resolving issues and refraining from "marginal issues," warning that the enemies want to divide the nation.

Khamenei accused the enemies of aiming for conflict between Iranians because of different beliefs and sects, asserting the need to maintain unity to overcome challenges.

"The enemy is against the unity of the Iranian people," he said, adding that the different sects and beliefs can coexist and work together in the country.

Khamenei implicitly ruled out repeating the war tactics against Afghanistan and Iraq, noting that the US saw that military action could not yield results, prompting it to change its strategy.

He noted that the US tactics are now based on deception, distortion, lies, and concealing other nations' capabilities, recalling: "We must update our knowledge of the enemy's movements, tactics, and methods."

Last Sunday, Khamenei stressed during a meeting with senior armed forces commanders that Iran was the "ultimate goal" of the US invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Khamenei added: "Therefore, the enemy can be defeated despite its seemingly solid calculations and military power."

The Supreme Leader announced his opposition to calls for a referendum on state policy after he rejected calls to change the Iranian constitution last month.

Referring to the comments of one of the students, he said: "The various issues of the country cannot be put to a referendum because each referendum preoccupies the entire country for six months. Besides, where in the world do they hold referendums for all issues?"

Earlier, former Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called for a referendum on the country's issues, including differences over the headscarf. Rouhani's call came about two months after former President Mohammad Khatami called for a return to the current constitution to carry out reforms in the country.

Reformist Mir Hossein Mousavi, who is under house arrest, called for a new draft constitution, which would be submitted for referendum.

Reform activist Ahmed Zeidabadi called to remove Friday imams representing Khamenei in Iranian cities.

In an implicit reference to Khamenei's speech, Zeidabadi tweeted that the work of many Friday imams went beyond raising marginal issues, creating crises, and fueling psychological warfare against people.

He indicated that warning them is not the solution, instead dismissing them. Otherwise, the situation will remain unchanged because of their presence and people like them in military ranks.



China Discovers Cluster of New Mpox Strain

A woman walks on the Youyi Bridge at the Liangmahe river in Beijing, China on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
A woman walks on the Youyi Bridge at the Liangmahe river in Beijing, China on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
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China Discovers Cluster of New Mpox Strain

A woman walks on the Youyi Bridge at the Liangmahe river in Beijing, China on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
A woman walks on the Youyi Bridge at the Liangmahe river in Beijing, China on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Chinese health authorities said on Thursday they had detected the new mutated mpox strain clade Ib as the viral infection spreads to more countries after the World Health Organization declared a global public health emergency last year.
China's Center for Disease Control and Prevention said it had found a cluster outbreak of the Ib subclade that started with the infection a foreigner who has a history of travel and residence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Reuters reported.
Four further cases have been found in people infected after close contact with the foreigner. The patients' symptoms are mild and include skin rash and blisters.
Mpox spreads through close contact and causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body. Although usually mild, it can be fatal in rare cases.
WHO last August declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, following an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that spread to neighboring countries.
The outbreak in DRC began with the spread of an endemic strain, known as clade I. But the clade Ib variant appears to spread more easily through routine close contact, including sexual contact.
The variant has spread from DRC to neighboring countries, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, triggering the emergency declaration from the WHO.
China said in August last year it would monitor people and goods entering the country for mpox.
The country's National Health Commission said mpox would be managed as a Category B infectious disease, enabling officials to take emergency measures such as restricting gatherings, suspending work and school, and sealing off areas when there is an outbreak of a disease.