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Memri
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Fact Check: Iranian President Pezeshkian Lied To Tucker Carlson
In his July 7, 2025 interview with Tucker Carlson following the 12-day Israel-Iran war,[1] Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attempted to present Iran as a moderate and peace-seeking victim of American and Israeli aggression. However, a closer look at statements by Iranian regime officials and Iran's religious leadership exposes Iran as the exact opposite. July 7, 2025 Three main claims made by Pezeshkian in the interview were: Denial that Iran had ever backed an assassination attempt against President Trump, [2] along with denial that two Iranian grand ayatollahs had issued fatwas ordering the assassination of President Trump. [3] He said that "they have not issued decrees or fatwas against any individual or against Donald Trump," that "the meaning of this fatwa should not be construed or considered as a threat against an individual," and that it "has nothing to do with the Iranian government or to his eminence the Supreme Leader." [4] Explaining about the calls of "Death to America" in Iran, he said that when the Iranians "say 'Death to America' it doesn't mean death, they don't mean for the people of the United States, or even the officials of the United States." [5] About the issue of the (nonexistent) fatwa by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei banning nuclear weapons, he said: "The truth is that we have never been after developing a nuclear bomb, not in the past, not presently, or in the future, because this is wrong and this is in contrast to the religious decree or the fatwa which has been issued by his eminence the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran – so it is religiously forbidden for us to go after a nuclear bomb." He added, "This was always corroborated thanks to our cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency."[6] This report will examine the facts and present documentation from official Iranian sources refuting Pezeshkian's statements. Pezeshkian: Iran Has Never Backed An Assassination Attempt Against Trump Fact: Iranian regime officials have in recent years often expressed their commitment to assassinating President Trump, inter alia because of his decision to kill IRGC Qods Force commander Qassem Soleimani in January 2020 due to his direct responsibility for the deaths of many Americans. Furthermore, at the end of the 12-day Israel-Iran war, the Iranian religious establishment mobilized for this mission and two grand ayatollahs issued a fatwa explicitly requiring the Muslim public in Iran and in the West to act to kill Trump.[7] At the same time, clerics in the holy city of Qom in Iran also called for carrying out fatwas requiring Trump's killing.[8] Furthermore, the Iranian regime launched a new movement, the Blood Covenant, for killing Trump, and regime media outlets promoted it and its aim and raised over $40 million for this cause.[9] Source: accessed July 9, 2025. The following are MEMRI reports and clips about the above: Iranian Religious Establishment Declares Jihad Against President Trump For Threat To Khamenei That He Never Made, Calling For His Assassination: 'His Punishment Is Death'; 'His Blood Is Permitted'; This Is 'A Deed Warranting Enormous Reward' That 'Assures Paradise'; 'Every Cell Of The Resistance In the West Is Charged With Carrying Out This Sentence'; Over $42 Million 'Has Been Raised Online For Carrying Out This Assassination', July 9, 2025 Hossein Shariatmadari, 'Kayhan' Editor And Close Associate Of Supreme Leader Khamenei: 'The Day Is Not Far Off When A Few Bullets Will Be Fired Into Trump's Hollow Head To Avenge The Blood Of The Martyr [Qassem] Soleimani' – This Is A 'Religious And Islamic Principle' And Khamenei's 'Promise And Clear Position' Of Vengeance; 'Vengeance May Come At Any Possible Moment – We Are Ready, We Will Wait Until The Time Is Right', May 1, 2025 Iranian Regime Mouthpiece 'Kayhan' To Iranian President: 'Mr. Pezeshkian, Iran Has Planned, And Is Planning, To Assassinate Trump', March 4, 2025 Despite Iranian Foreign Ministry's Denials, Regime Mouthpiece Outlet 'Kayhan' Writes: Punishing The Murderers Of IRGC Qods Force Commander Qasem Soleimani Is Still On The Table; There Is No Guarantee That Trump Is Safe From Punishment, December 6, 2024 Reactions In Iran To Trump's Election Victory: 'The Return Of The Murderer'; 'The Sword Of Vengeance… Hovers Above Trump's Head'; 'America – The Great Satan'; 'Iran And The Resistance Axis Are Ready', November 8, 2024 Since The U.S.'s January 2020 Killing Of IRGC Qods Force Commander Qassem Soleimani, Iranian Regime Officials Have Reiterated Their Intent To Assassinate Trump In Retribution – But Today, Iran Denies Any Connection To The July 13 Assassination Attempt Against Him, July 17, 2024 'Kayhan' Editor Shariatmadari To Trump: The IRGC Will Take Revenge Against You Personally For Your Involvement In Killing Of Qods Force Commander Soleimani, October 8, 2020 Former Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Larijani: Our Islamic Scholars Have Issued a Fatwa Designating Trump as Someone Who Wages War against God – Any Muslim Might 'Do the Job', July 12, 2025. Pezeshkian: The Recent Fatwa Ordering Trump's Killing "Should Not Be Construed Or Considered As A Threat Against An Individual" And "Has Nothing To Do With The Iranian Government Or To His Eminence The Supreme Leader Of Iran" Fact: A fatwa absolutely can mean murder or threats – for example, the fatwa issued in 1989 against author Salman Rushdie.[10] Furthermore, Trump is explicitly mentioned as subject to the death penalty in the fatwas issued in late June 2025 by Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi and Hossein Nouri Madani. They stated specifically that the punishment for Trump is the same as for a muhareb – an enemy of Allah and Islam – which is death and the permitting of his blood. Both these ayatollahs are leading jurisprudents closely affiliated with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. They have the authority of a Marja'i Taqlid, the highest religious level and one that obligates their followers to obey them and morally emulate their positions in every one of their fatwas. Hamedani is one of the most prominent of the Shi'ite religious authorities in Iran and is affiliated with the revolutionary-conservative stream, and Makaram Shirazi is one of the greatest religious clerics in Iran and considered the founder of the Howze-e Ilmiyya seminary. They are both directly supported by the regime, with allowances, security, and plots of land for the educational institutions they control. For more, see: Anti-Trump Fatwa By Iranian Grand Ayatollahs: Any Person Or Regime Who Threatens The Leader Is The Enemy Of God And Islam And His Punishment Is Death, June 30, 2025. Iranian Religious Establishment Declares Jihad Against President Trump For Threat To Khamenei That He Never Made, Calling For His Assassination: 'His Punishment Is Death'; 'His Blood Is Permitted'; This Is 'A Deed Warranting Enormous Reward' That 'Assures Paradise'; 'Every Cell Of The Resistance In the West Is Charged With Carrying Out This Sentence'; Over $42 Million 'Has Been Raised Online For Carrying Out This Assassination', July 9, 2025. Pezeshkian: When The Iranians "Say 'Death To America' It Doesn't Mean Death, They Don't Mean For The People Of The United States, Or Even The Officials Of The United States" Fact: On February 8, 2019, in a speech marking the 40th anniversary of Iran's Islamic Revolution, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei clarified that calls of "'Death to America' mean death to [President] Trump, [then-national security advisor] John Bolton, and [then-Secretary of State Mike] Pompeo... 'Death to America' means death to the few who run that country. That's what it means. It means them now, and in past times." To view this clip on MEMRI TV, click here or below: Pezeshkian: "We Have Never Been After Developing A Nuclear Bomb, Not In The Past, Not Presently, Or In The Future... This Is In Contrast To... [Khamenei's] Fatwa... So It Is Religiously Forbidden For Us To Go After A Nuclear Bomb" Fact: With regard to developing nuclear weapons, documents from Iran's AMAD Project for developing nuclear weapons that were exposed in 2018 reveal that up until 2003, Iran was systemically working to develop a nuclear bomb and planning a nuclear warhead, carrying out simulations and neutron source testing, and conducting tests connected to vital components for nuclear weapons. A 2011 report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) described extensive Iranian testing of warheads, explosion simulations, and work on operating apparatuses at the Parchin nuclear facility, where IAEA inspectors even identified signs of military nuclear activity. The U.S. intelligence community also determined that until 2003 Iran had had an active nuclear weapons program. With regard to the claim of a fatwa by Khamenei prohibiting nuclear weapons, such a fatwa has never been seen; there is no official documentation of its existence, it never appeared on Khamenei's fatwa websites, and a number of versions and dates of issue are attributed to it without it ever having been published. It should be noted that in May 2012, Hassan Rohani, the negotiating team head from 2003 to 2005 and later Iran's president, acknowledged that it was he who had come up with the idea of a "nuclear fatwa" by Khamenei in 2004. He explained that when he directed the nuclear negotiations with the European countries, they demanded that Iran anchor in law a ban on nuclear weapons, as had been demanded of Germany and Japan after World War II. Rohani had told them that a religious decree from the head of state and top religious authority Khamenei would be sufficiently binding. (He also said in the same 2012 interview that in 2004 the Iranian government had discussed the idea of passing such a fatwa in the Majlis.) Rohani also told his European counterparts that Khamenei had published such a fatwa in a Friday sermon in November 2004 – but what Khamenei had actually said in that sermon was that nuclear weapons were "problematic." Again, as noted, no such fatwa has ever been found. Furthermore, senior regime officials have recently called for changing this (nonexistent) nuclear fatwa so that it allows the building of a bomb. This means that even if there were such a fatwa, it would not be considered perpetually binding by regime officials, and could be changed. Also, in the past two years, senior regime officials have repeatedly, publicly, and explicitly called for Iran to develop nuclear weapons. Below are MEMRI reports presenting the claim of the nonexistent fatwa as well as reports and clips presenting recent calls by senior regime officials to build nuclear weapons. MEMRI Reports On Khamenei's Nonexistent Fatwa Renewed Iran-West Nuclear Talks – Part II: Tehran Attempts to Deceive U.S. President Obama, Sec'y of State Clinton With Nonexistent Anti-Nuclear Weapons Fatwa By Supreme Leader Khamenei, April 19, 2012 Release Of Compilation Of Newest Fatwas By Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei – Without Nonexistent Fatwa About Nuclear Bomb, August 13, 2013 President Obama Endorses The Lie About Khamenei's 'Fatwa' Against Nuclear Weapons, September 29, 2013 The Official Iranian Version Regarding Khamenei's Nonexistent Anti-Nuclear Weapons Fatwa Is A Lie, October 3, 2013. Iranian President Hassan Rohani In Article In Saudi Daily: While Avoiding Confrontation And Hostility, We Shall Be Diligent In Pursuing Our Supreme Interests, December 23, 2013 U.S. Secretary Of State Kerry In New And Unprecedented Statement: 'President Obama And I Are Both Extremely Welcoming And Grateful For The Fact That [Iranian] Supreme Leader [Khamenei] Has Issued A [Nonexistent] Fatwa' Banning Nuclear Weapons,' March 31, 2014 Tehran Again Offers Khamenei's Nonexistent Fatwa In Negotiations As A Guarantee That It Is Not Developing Nuclear Weapon, November 14, 2014 Iranian Regime Continues Its Lies And Fabrications About Supreme Leader Khamenei's Nonexistent Fatwa Banning Nuclear Weapons, April 6, 2015 Insights Following Exposure Of Iran's Military Nuclear Program – Part I: The Leadership Of Iran's Religious Regime Lies About Essential Islamic Matters, Manipulates Religion To Justify Its Grip On Power, Regional Expansion, May 6, 2018 Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif Reiterates Iran's Lie, Promoted By Obama Administration, That Supreme Leader Khamenei Issued Fatwa Banning Nuclear Weapons; No Such Fatwa Ever Existed, May 31, 2019 Iran Uses 'Maximum Pressure' On Biden Administration – Part II: Supreme Leader Khamenei: 'If The Islamic Republic [Of Iran] Decided To Obtain Nuclear Weapons, Neither You [The Zionist Clown] Nor Those Greater Than You [The U.S.] Would Be Able To Stop It' , February 23, 2021 Shift In Iranian Regime Statements On Nuclear Weapons: Regime Spokesmen Talk Openly About Them, Aiming For Western Acquiescence To Iran As A Nuclear Threshold State, August 2, 2022 Khamenei's 'Nuclear Fatwa,' Once Again, November 29, 2022 Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei: 'If It Were Not An Islamic Principle, And If We Had The Will To Build Nuclear Weapons, We Would Do So – Even The Enemies Know That They Cannot Stop Us'; MEMRI: The Fatwa Banning Nuclear Weapons That Is Attributed To Khamenei Does Not Exist, June 26, 2023. In Advance Of Revival Of U.S.-Iran Nuclear Talks, Iranian Calls For Iran To Possess Nuclear Weapons Are Again Heard, September 5, 2024. Iranian Regime Continues To Lie About The Nonexistent Fatwa Banning Nuclear Weapons, February 11, 2025 Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's Nonexistent Nuclear Fatwa Reemerges In Iranian Discourse With Trump Administration, May 29, 2025 MEMRI Reports On Senior Iranian Officials' Calls To Acquire Nuclear Weapons Iran Uses 'Maximum Pressure' On Biden Administration – Part II: Supreme Leader Khamenei: 'If The Islamic Republic [Of Iran] Decided To Obtain Nuclear Weapons, Neither You [The Zionist Clown] Nor Those Greater Than You [The U.S.] Would Be Able To Stop It', February 23, 2021 Shift In Iranian Regime Statements On Nuclear Weapons: Regime Spokesmen Talk Openly About Them, Aiming For Western Acquiescence To Iran As A Nuclear Threshold State, August 2, 2022 Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei: 'If It Were Not An Islamic Principle, And If We Had The Will To Build Nuclear Weapons, We Would Do So – Even The Enemies Know That They Cannot Stop Us'; MEMRI: The Fatwa Banning Nuclear Weapons That Is Attributed To Khamenei Does Not Exist, June 26, 2023 Senior Iranian Regime Officials Warn Of Iran's Coming Nuclear Breakout, April 25, 2024 Iranian Majlis Member Dr. Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani In Interview With Iran's Roydad 24 News: 'Iran Is Slowly Making Preparations To Announce That It Has A Nuclear Bomb', May 15, 2024 In Advance Of Revival Of U.S.-Iran Nuclear Talks, Iranian Calls For Iran To Possess Nuclear Weapons Are Again Heard, September 5, 2024 Following November 21 IAEA Resolution Censuring Iran, Iran Intensifies Its Statements On Accelerating Its Nuclear Program – Speeding Uranium Enrichment, Adding Centrifuges, Leaving The NPT, And Producing Nuclear Weapons, December 2, 2024 Against The Backdrop Of U.S.-Iran Negotiations, Top Iranian Officials Call For Obtaining Nuclear Weapons, April 11, 2025 MEMRI TV Clips Of Calls In The Past Year For The Iranian Regime To Acquire Nuclear Weapons Friday Sermon In Qom, Iran By Mohammad-Reza Hamedi: We Request That Khamenei Reconsiders His Fatwa Banning The Production Of Nuclear Weapons, November 22, 2024 Ali Larijani, Senior Advisor To Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei: If America Or Israel Make The Mistake Of Bombing Iran, It Will Force Us To Go In The Direction Of Building Nuclear Weapons, March 31, 2025 Iranian Majlis Member Mohammad-Qasim Osmani: Iran Must Build Nuclear Weapons For Deterrence Purposes; Nuclear Technology Will Place Iran On Equal Footing In Negotiations, April 7, 2025 Iranian MP Mohammad-Reza Sabbaghian: The Solution To Netanyahu And Trump Is Building Nuclear Weapons; Iran Must 'Stand Strong Against The Bully', April 8, 2025 Former Iranian Nuclear Chief Fereydoon Abbasi: If I Receive Orders To Build A Nuclear Bomb – I Will Do It; We Can Build A Small Nuclear Bomb That Can Destroy A Whole Military Base, And Is Not Classified As A WMD; The Zionists Have A Chance To Leave Now, Whoever Stays Should Be Eliminated, May 26, 2025 Iranian MP Abolfazl Zohrevand: We Need To Be Able To Produce As Many Nuclear Bombs As We Want In Less Than 24 Hours, And Equip Our Missiles With Tactical Nuclear Warheads, July 9, 2025.
The Wire
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Wire
CBFC Directs Sitaare Zameen Par Makers to Include Quote by Modi Mentioning the Year 2047: Report
Film The suggestion to include Modi's quote is part of the five changes/suggestions to the film which the CBFC has directed the makers to incorporate. Videograb from the trailer of Sitaare Zameen Par. Photo: New Delhi: The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has directed the makers of the Aamir Khan-starrer movie Sitaare Zameen Par to include a quote by Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioning the year 2047 in the opening disclaimer. The suggestion to include Modi's quote is part of the five changes/suggestions to the film which the CBFC has directed the makers to incorporate, reported Hindustan Times. The film was subsequently issued a U/A certification on June 17, which confirms that the modifications were done, with the Prime Minister's quote inserted after the film's opening disclaimer, which has also been changed as per the CBFC's directions. The newspaper reported that it was not immediately clear what the quote is about. The movie, which is set to release on June 20, stars Aamir Khan and Genelia Deshmukh, and tells the story of a basketball coach who teaches the sport to a team of intellectually disabled people as community service after the directions of a court. The other changes in the movie directed by CBFC were the replacement of the term 'business woman' with 'business person'; a 30-second disclaimer at the beginning of the film be replaced with a 26-second voice-over; a visual containing the word 'kamal' (lotus) be removed, along with its appearance in subtitles; and 'Michael Jackson' be replaced with 'Lovebirds' in the subtitles. In recent years, the CBFC has increasingly been suggesting cuts and modifications in movie scenes. In April this year, the CBFC had asked the makers of the film Phule to remove several caste-based terms, after objection from Brahmin outfits, resulting in the postponing of its release. The directive of CBFC included removing terms such as 'Mahar', 'Mang', 'Peshvai', and 'Manu's system of caste', with the censor board terming them as 'sensitive.' Ananth Mahadevan, the director of Phule had told The Wire that he didn't agree with the modifications suggested by the CBFC. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
Memri
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Advisor To Saudi King: We Must Unite Behind Trump's Vision For Peace And Stability In The Region As We Rallied Behind The U.S. During The First Gulf War
On March 4, 2025, senior Saudi diplomat Hassan Yassin, [1] who serves as an advisor to King Salman bin Abdulaziz, published in the English-language daily Arab News an article titled "Let the World Join Forces, as It Did in 1991." In the article he welcomed the efforts of U.S. President Donald Trump to form a new world order grounded in coexistence and cooperation and called on the Arab countries to support this initiative, as they supported the U.S.-led coalition during the first Gulf War in 1991. Trump's policy of reconciliation and resolving conflicts, he said, can bring an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict and usher in a new age of peace, stability and cooperation in the region. It should be mentioned that, on December 17, 2024, Yassin published a similar article in which he argued that the current developments in the Middle East create an opportunity for advancing peace, including with Israel, after many years of chaos. [2] Left: Hassan Yassin with Saudi King Salman; right: Yassin with Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman (Images: The following are excerpts from Yassin's recent article: [3] "On Nov. 29, 1990, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 678, empowering a US-led coalition to use 'all necessary means' to remove Iraqi troops from Kuwait if [they did not leave] by Jan. 15, 1991. It was a historic vote in the UNSC, with neither China nor the Soviet Union resorting to their veto power. China abstained and the Soviet Union voted for the resolution. This ultimately led to a 42-country coalition enforcing the UN resolution militarily and with success. Just as in 1991, the world order is today shifting and there are new opportunities for the world to come together to end disputes and foster a new atmosphere of cooperation. "There is no denying that US President Donald Trump is upending old methods and alliances, forcing a new world order. While we may not all be fans of the new president or his impulsiveness, there is clearly an opportunity to contribute to a new world order that can be focused on ending disputes and promoting greater cooperation worldwide. On a geostrategic level, President Trump is moving from confrontation to greater dialogue and cooperation with the great powers that are Russia and China. The US remains the world's most influential power and has the capacity to provide an impulse similar to that which led to a global coalition removing Saddam Hussein from Kuwait. "An American reconciliation and enhanced cooperation with Russia and China can set the stage for a more peaceful and collaborative world order. If President Trump can push Russia and Ukraine to end their conflict and embark upon an era of peace, then I believe we can get Israel to do the same in the Arab world. The US has the ability to make this age-old dispute a conflict of the past. It is clear to everyone that Israel and the Arab world must coexist peacefully, with major gains available to all in terms of stability, trade and a regional economy that could really take off. President Trump also realizes that Israel cannot occupy Palestine and areas of Lebanon and Syria indefinitely. As a result, a great play for peace is there for him to seize. "If these objectives are within the reach of a new world order of coexistence and cooperation, perhaps those who currently oppose Trump should give him a chance, encourage him and allow him to claim credit for achieving the objectives of global peace and stability. We once lived in an age of mutually assured destruction; let us at least try an age of mutually advisable cooperation. Just as the war in Ukraine can be ended through cooperation and innovative solutions, so can the Arab-Israeli conflict… "Perchance President Trump is onto something. Perhaps we can all give him the benefit of the doubt and do what we can to help him achieve goals that will benefit us all. Medicine does not always taste good, but if it is effective then we should all be open to it to usher in a new era of peace, stability and cooperation." [1] Hassan Yassin was an associate of previous Saudi kings and many other Saudi officials, and worked closely with Saudi petroleum and finance ministers. He is the founder of the Saudi Information Office in the U.S., which he also headed in 1972-1981. His father was senior Saudi statesman Youssuf Yassin, who was an advisor and associate of the founder of the Saudi kingdom, King Abd Al-Aziz Aal Sa'ud. [3] Arab News (Saud Arabia), March 4, 2025.
