Khamenei: Media Affects Enemy More than Missiles, Planes, Drones

 Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran (AFP)
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran (AFP)
TT

Khamenei: Media Affects Enemy More than Missiles, Planes, Drones

 Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran (AFP)
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran (AFP)

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei asserted Tuesday that using the media against enemies can be more effective than military strength.

“The media is more effective than missiles, planes and drones in forcing the enemy to retreat and to influence hearts and minds,” Khamenei said in a meeting with a group of poets.
“All war is a media war. Whichever actor has greater media influence will achieve their goals,” he said according to the state news agency (IRNA).

Khamenei also stressed the need to protect the Persian language and stressed the need for a stronger translation activity process to make Persian poetry accessible to the wider world.

After one of the attending poets read a poem about Palestine, the Supreme Leader said, “If this poem is translated in Gaza, it will spark enthusiasm. The people in Gaza and the resistance need this kind of synergy.”

Highlighting the message of Iran's steadfastness against global oppressors, particularly the US and Zionists, the Supreme Leader described it as one of the outstanding and transferable messages. He noted that Iran's resilience and unequivocal stance against arrogance are inspiring to people worldwide.

Khamenei also expressed his satisfaction with the continued progress and elevation of Persian poetry and referred to poetry as an important medium in the era of media warfare.

He emphasized the need to utilize the unique heritage of Persian poetry and literature as a powerful and influential medium.



Lawsuit Alleges US Failed to Evacuate Palestinian Americans Trapped in Gaza

FILE PHOTO: Palestinian houses stand badly damaged during the ongoing Israeli military operation, amid Israel-Hamas conflict, in Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza Strip, December 18, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Palestinian houses stand badly damaged during the ongoing Israeli military operation, amid Israel-Hamas conflict, in Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza Strip, December 18, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
TT

Lawsuit Alleges US Failed to Evacuate Palestinian Americans Trapped in Gaza

FILE PHOTO: Palestinian houses stand badly damaged during the ongoing Israeli military operation, amid Israel-Hamas conflict, in Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza Strip, December 18, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Palestinian houses stand badly damaged during the ongoing Israeli military operation, amid Israel-Hamas conflict, in Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza Strip, December 18, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

Nine Palestinian Americans sued the US government on Thursday, alleging that it had failed to rescue them or members of their families who were trapped in Gaza where Israel's war has killed tens of thousands and caused a humanitarian crisis.
The lawsuit accuses the State Department of discriminating against Americans of Palestinian origin by abandoning them in a war zone and not making the same effort that it would to promptly evacuate and protect Americans of different origins in similar situations, Reuters reported.
It was the second case against the US government this week after Palestinian families sued the US State Department on Tuesday over Washington's support for Israel's military.
A US State Department spokesperson said the department does not comment on pending litigation, while adding the safety and security of American citizens around the world is a "top priority."
Thursday's lawsuit was announced by advocacy group Council on American Islamic Relations and attorney Maria Kari, and filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
The suit alleges the plaintiffs' right to equal protection under the US Constitution has been violated by depriving them "of the normal and typical evacuation efforts the federal government extends to Americans who are not Palestinians."
It mentions comparable instances of the US government evacuating its citizens from conflict zones such as in Afghanistan, Lebanon and Sudan and names President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin as defendants.
The State Department spokesperson said the US has evacuated Americans from unsafe areas around the world, including Gaza.
Israel's war has killed over 45,000 people, according to the Gaza health ministry while also sparking accusations of genocide and war crimes that Israel denies. The military assault has displaced nearly Gaza's entire 2.3 million population and caused a hunger crisis.
The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on Oct. 7, 2023, when Palestinian Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.