Mayor Zakani, thank you very much for speaking with us at The Gray Zone. You just presided over the largest gathering in human history, the funeral of Salah Ali Khamenei. What does this funeral mean to you?
0:16What is it and what is its symbolism in history? A mass gathering was visible, and two flags were visible in the hands of the people . One flag was the red flag of Iran, and the other was the red flag of Yalatar al- Hussein. The flag of revenge, the Iranian flag, was present in large numbers among the people. The message was that Trump had not achieved any of his goals and would not achieve them in the future. And besides creating significant problems and enormous inconvenience for the American people and committing serious crimes against us, it will ultimately only lead to a deep sense of shame for America.
1:13He won't get anywhere. And the second part concerns the red flag. It was the color of revenge. And if you had seen it, you would have noticed that it was in the great hands of the people. This shows that the people of Iran will not shed the blood of their Imam. And they will certainly ensure severe punishment for those directly responsible for these actions. Starting, first of all, with those at the very top of the hierarchy, namely Trump and Netanyahu.
1:52In this regard, the people, through the grief and martyrdom of our martyred Imam, who fought for his life, experienced an awakening and, in fact, a new pain for the Islamic revolution. The revolution has resumed, and this is something Trump could never have imagined even in his wildest dreams.
2:12Then something else happened.
2:15I saw the funeral in Solman. I know about the funeral in Humen. I expected there to be millions and millions of people there. This did n't surprise me. The only thing that surprised me was how angry people were. Just the depth of outraged anger and desire for revenge, and the way signs saying "kill Trump" are everywhere.
2:38Semi-official looking billboards above the roads depicting a bullet heading for the heads of Trump and Netanyahu.
2:45What does this mean?
2:49Should Iran pursue a policy of assassination to satisfy this part of the public desire for justice and revenge? Each of our martyrs, for whom Trump and Netanyahu are responsible, is actually a separate matter. America, Israel, and all their supporters must be held accountable. We are talking about humanity. We are talking about justice. We are talking about friendship.
3:20But America, which means Donald Trump, Israel, and Prime Minister Netanyahu, are actively pursuing policies that constantly spread the seeds of hatred. This anger, this sacred anger, exists deep within our society and is held in all its strength to prevent America from committing aggression against its land, because our land is the land of civilization. Our people are people with deep roots. And in direct response to every crime they commit, this deep-seated sense of righteous indignation becomes even stronger and more widespread. And in fact, this collective spirit is rising even more than before.
4:19The officials also have no other viable alternative but to follow this path, with no other choice but the solemn and inevitable path of seeking justice and revenge. And it is absolutely necessary that they follow the path of bringing those responsible for this horrific act to justice. Because this is exactly what citizens demand. This is the least they expect in terms of justice and retribution. But the fundamental essence and true nature of the revenge are entirely centered around the goal of completely dismantling and eliminating the American presence from the region and strategically establishing a new
5:02political geography based precisely on the collective will of the sovereign countries of the region, which must be firmly established for the future. And furthermore, by destroying American dominance, a new order based on justice must be established. It is crucial that there is mutual respect and a commitment to international obligations in the world. We must actively monitor these developments, and domestically this will certainly lead to stability.
5:39In fact, there will be a cleansing . This is what was being put aside as a sense of Westernization in Iran for many years before the revolution. Of course, in the future this will also lead to the removal of these deposits of Westernization in Iran. And they practically no longer have any hope or any position in Iran, because people see this, and even those who had any trust in America no longer trust.
6:06Today, if you look closely , they no longer hold this belief. They consider it a bad deal.
6:11For example, in the JCPOA we made commitments. We fulfilled all our obligations, even though it was to our detriment. But although it was to our detriment, we made the commitment because we firmly adhere to our promises and agreements. But Trump came along and openly tore it apart . And it was a wrong precedent he set, destroying trust and civil relations. In fact, he has removed the conditions from himself and from a number of organizations attributed to him, namely the US government. There was also a lot of anger in the crowd about this . President Przeskań was shouted at very angrily when he
6:52came down. The Assembly of Experts, 68 members, condemned this and particularly highlighted, uh , the sacrifice of Lebanon by weakening Iran's control over the Strait of Hormuz. I mean, we're looking at the price of Brent oil right now. It is below $70 per barrel. Do you think this government or the negotiators prematurely sacrificed Iran's leverage by failing to find any mechanism to oust Israel from Lebanon?
7:29Memorandum of Understanding.
7:33This is a comprehensive topic, accompanied by an officially detailed information bulletin. In fact, it has a strong conceptual foundation , which served as the basis on which the country's top officials signed this formalized memorandum of understanding and cooperation. And this memorandum of understanding with this conceptual framework, which was conveyed to the Supreme Leader and officials, continues. From the very beginning, the United States began to look for distractions.
8:14For example, the first part included the issue of resistance, especially in Lebanon. But the United States chose the secondary path, or they signed a memorandum of understanding with us.
8:27They have chosen a secondary path through the governments of Lebanon, Israel, and the United States, which is unacceptable to us or downright horrific.
8:40Certain agreements have been reached , on the basis of which Iran's legitimate rights should be recognized. But again, the United States is trying to create an opportunity to circumvent even this point. And of course, there are a number of conditions, and there are specific and critical points in these 14 points that the United States, based entirely on its own internal minds, and this completely baseless and unjustified sense of moral superiority that they ascribe to themselves, just chooses to completely and utterly ignore.
9:16And I believe that this will definitely violate this memorandum of understanding, as it has already been so far. So these false analogies that are being given to Trump to pave the way for certain actions and so that he can attack Iran again, as he did last year, in my opinion, this memorandum of understanding will lead nowhere, and the blame for that lies with the United States itself. Who do you think is in charge in Washington, Donald Trump or Benjamin Netanyahu?
9:49In my opinion, the United States is acting under Israeli command.
9:53Netanyahu is giving Trump exactly what he wants. And Trump also likes to think he's in charge here.
10:04Looking at the surface, at first glance, it appears that Trump is based in Washington and pushing his own agenda. But if you look deeper, Trump is repeating Netanyahu's policies and following him.
10:18In fact, Netanyahu is the real boss, even if at first glance it seems like Trump.
10:25I want to talk about the war, but for me, this war really started where the war was provoked on October 7th, the floods in Alaquah. I don't know if you share my point of view, but I would like to ask you about this and how, in your opinion, the events of October 7 changed the axis of resistance.
10:45Did they make the axis of resistance weaker or stronger?
10:48The beginning of the war... it has been 47 years since we have been on the front lines of American aggression. That is, after the Islamic Revolution, our main diplomatic approach was to deliberately give the United States a fair chance.
11:06The mistake that America made, the intervention that it made in 1932 during the coup. In fact, in 1932, it overthrew the national government in an American-backed coup so it could take over Iran. This is something that is now even published in official American documents. After some time, when the confidentiality period had passed, they officially announced that they had carried out a coup.
11:41Now I'm not talking about what they did in other parts of the world.
11:44I focus on what they did to us, to our own country. But at the very beginning of the victory of the Islamic Revolution, we acted.
11:57We said, “It’s okay. You can stay too." But they turned the embassy into a center for waging war and destroying the Islamic Revolution. And then the journey just continued from there.
12:12All kinds and various.
12:14In fact, they committed all kinds of crimes. I mean, the day Saddam attacked us, who provoked him, it's obvious who provoked him and who helped him. And eventually, when things got tough, this whole Vansen shooting down thing, they just kept shelling us. We had civilian passengers. We did not send any signal that we had no red lines.
12:41It was America versus Iran, and it just went on and on. In my opinion, October Week, this event serves as a powerful act of public protest and a grim reflection of a truly devastating and historic crime, where nearly 2 million people were deeply affected and forced to endure these tragic circumstances, confined to a limited geography, besieged, and turned into an open-air prison. It's like a protest by a group of prisoners who were unjustly imprisoned. They are protesting.
13:23You cannot protest the actions they have taken because they have their own unique historical geography that belongs entirely to them. Since 1948, the Israelis came there and seized power. Between 1968 and 1973, they fought two wars. And the United States has always supported them. They won, and no crime. In fact, they have never been held accountable, and they are not obligated to anything . They only understand power, and even that they don't truly understand. The events of October were a reaction to Israeli crimes committed by Hamas as an act of force. And we didn't know about it . We really didn't
14:07know. But the point of your question was that the resistance was weakened later. No, because they don't even know what resistance is.
14:22This is not true. The resistance intensified. And the second point is that in fact this recent war that the Americans and the Israelis started against us was related to October 7th. No, doctor.
14:35Their question did not concern October 7th at all. The American question is baseless excuses.
14:42Baseless excuses. What does this mean? This means that I want to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons so that we don't have nuclear bombs at all. The interesting point is that, firstly, they themselves possess the largest nuclear arsenals, and they are also the only country that brought death and destruction to the people in Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
15:18And then they come and want to hold a meeting with us in Pakistan, even though Pakistan itself has nuclear bombs and is not a member of the NPT. And as for us, who are members of the NPT and have allowed the most inspections, who is to judge? Should America judge?
15:40Should Israel judge?
15:42Should Pakistan judge? This doesn't make any sense at all.
15:47It makes no sense that anything would be ambiguous or that they would want to interfere in our missile program, for example, or want to interfere in the area of regional resistance.
16:00The truth is that America's griping is mainly due to the fact that Trump is a gambler capitalist, and he understands nothing but money, and he sees everything through the prism of money. This is not a disadvantage. What if someone else is like that too? It's not a flaw, but it doesn't give him the right to commit crimes, right?
16:21Let him go and do business, but he has no right to commit crimes. What happened is that in addition to these people telling lies.
16:31The second point is that for the sake of their false words they even commit specific crimes.
16:37For example, they are targeting the community's imam leader. They martyr us, claiming that the atomic bomb is sacred, and I myself work in the field of nuclear research and nuclear medicine.
16:51Our use of a peaceful approach is much more difficult than our use of a destructive approach. In fact, let me tell you that nuclear annihilation is devastating. This is much harder. We chose this more difficult path. We are devoted to him, and we have been tested many times. Even American intelligence agencies have acknowledged that Iran's path is actually moving away from pursuing a nuclear bomb, and they have no evidence of this.
17:26Then let me tell you that we are being accused because of these baseless accusations. They are attacking us.
17:33They killed 168 of our children using martyrdom methods. I recently met with these children, their mothers and fathers.
17:41They are holding a gathering in Trani to say goodbye to their leader. A leader who wants to answer the only call from this palace. A boy , a girl, a small child who must live a whole year.
17:52They come and make martyrs of others, and others, and others.
17:55They reach the top. In this situation, they are martyring the Imam of our community, who is a learned, wise, prudent, and pious leader of justice. Well, what connection is there, for example, between Trump and such a famous figure, are they even going this way?
18:15So from this particular perspective, they have also committed a serious crime, and their crime far surpasses what we can imagine. I mean, we find it hard to believe, sorry to tell you this , that they could be so thoughtless and stupid as to attack a community leader, making people's blood boil; that they could attack children, making people's blood boil to the point where they could no longer bear it. This is just the beginning. This situation is the beginning, not the end. This is actually the beginning of a movement. And, in my opinion, America has not achieved any of its goals in this regard.
19:00She is disappointed and defeated. And its foundation is not the October Revolution. Its basis is the hostility it feels towards the Islamic Revolution . What does she want?
19:10She wants to take over Iran, which has never happened to her and will never happen.
19:16You were a friend and associate of Qassem Soleimani, the late commander of the IRGC's Quds Force, a major general, and the second- ranking figure in the Iranian government.
19:35The United States under Trump, who was influenced by Benjamin Netanyahu, assassinated him while he was traveling to a peace conference in Baghdad, which led to an escalation of the conflict with Iran.
19:52Do you think Iran responded decisively enough to this assassination, or should it have responded differently, which could have prevented the current war? This extremely important and serious point that you mentioned should be deeply thought- provoking and thought- provoking for the American people, because we are beginning to see many encouraging and promising signs of change in America, particularly in American universities and among the general public. That is, the same spirit rises. The unprecedented and compassionate response across America to the tragic killing of Palestinians has been very encouraging.
20:39For example, an officer set himself on fire because of the injustice being done to Palestinians. This is the awakened conscience in society that rebels against the ruling power that perpetrates oppression. This is a source of pride. Or the movements that took place in American universities. Although the American military and police showed no mercy to the professors or students, this in itself indicates that American society is preparing to wake up, realize, and make a different choice. One that won't bring people like Trump to power. What is important is that these people actually took into account the problems
21:25and interests of the human community as a whole.
21:28These are the same people who protested against Trump and Netanyahu.
21:33Let me point something out to you. The fundamental question you asked. First of all, Qasim's crime was that he blocked America's plans. In fact, Hajj Qasim's crime was exactly that. Trump called him a criminal and killed him because he stopped ISIS. ISIS, which, according to Mrs.
21:55Clinton, was created by America, and ISIS did not adhere to any basic human principles. They beheaded people. They ate people.
22:06They beheaded people. And they displayed the most brutal behavior.
22:13Hajj Qassam's crime was that he stopped ISIS and closed their case.
22:19Therefore, he should have been convicted of this crime. He should have been convicted for this crime. They convicted him while he was a guest in Iraq. Although he was officially invited to Iraq, and he went there to carry out a peacekeeping mission.
22:41On the question of the specific response we have to this, what we did in response to this crime was not enough, definitely not enough, because if what we did there had been enough, they would not have committed this crime here. This was not enough, and this is what is being criticized now. This requires serious action against America, so now the crime they committed this time shows that they have not been disciplined and they need to be disciplined. From my personal perspective, the Nation of Islamic Iran is fully prepared and determined to engage in long-term resistance, ensuring that the United States
23:23of America, Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump, and the State of Israel are held strictly accountable and finally face true justice for all their collective actions and policies, so that they never even imagine the possibility of committing such a crime again.
23:42They may commit crimes again, they may attack again.
23:45This is possible on their part because even at the negotiating table they paved the way for attacks. Past experience has shown this.
23:54But they should know that this case is still open and they will be held accountable for it. And if they commit any other crime, they will also face a harsh response. Do you think the United States and Israel will attack again, will it be an Israeli attack, or could it start perhaps in Yemen or Iraq, given this deadline set for the PMU to disarm in September? How do you see the script developing, given that you said you thought they would fail?
24:28Israel wouldn't even have the courage to confront us if it weren't for America. Israel is nothing without American support. It's as obvious as day. But that's not my opinion. What is important is that Israel only acts because it has American support. This is the first point. So for every crime and atrocity that Israel commits, America is complicit. These two concepts are inseparable.
24:51The second point is that neither we, as Iran, nor the axis of resistance have exhausted all our resources yet, because we are thinking about a long-term war. It's not like we've used all our capabilities.
25:05In fact, since America's hostility has not ended, the hostility of Israel, which follows America's lead, has not ended either. We have carefully prepared and strengthened our vast resources for a long and grueling war.
25:23The second crucial point is that any act of unprovoked aggression directed against us will mean that everything they have painstakingly built up to this point will be completely lost. All the huge financial and strategic investments they have made across our region will be gone forever.
25:41We have an old proverb on earth : there is no color in the world darker than black.
25:50We stand in defense of our country. We never attacked America. We did not attack. We do not wish to cause any harm to the American people. That is, we are not going to take the responsibility of going out and for some unknown reason trying to attack an American school or kill American children.
26:09Absolutely not. This is fundamentally incompatible with the values of humanity.
26:17We simply do not accept this. But America also should not expect us to ever abandon our vital interests in this region.
26:26In fact, if they continue, they will eventually completely lose all their regional interests. Just as their military bases, which they had worked on for many decades, were seriously damaged.
26:38It is clear that American interests go far beyond the physical bases themselves. They suffer losses in their interests wherever they invest . All this is in our database. We don't want to let this go.
26:50Last time we didn't do anything. We only attacked the base.
26:53But now, if they take one step forward, we will take 10 steps forward. After that, they must think about the consequences themselves. Last time, the Babylonian Straight was not closed . If the resistance decides, Babylon Mandeb will be closed. In fact, we are fully prepared to confront America. We have our hands full. But they use it as a magazine for bullets, shooting them one at a time . They won't shoot everything at once. They fire one bullet at a time. America also has no options against us.
27:27America has no options at all. That is, if Trump is threatening , it is just for show. Their infrastructure, their interests, and the related infrastructure in the region are not at all comparable to ours.
27:40If they attack our infrastructure, they will suffer 10 times more damage elsewhere.
27:47The determination that exists in the country today, as far as I understand, is that they are preparing with motivation for their loved ones to reclaim the violated rights and crimes that occurred in America, to take it away from America and say to America: " Who gave you the role of world policeman in the first place, that you came from the other side of the globe to dictate to us what to do?" Who are you to treat us like this and constantly try to humiliate others? By what right, for example, do you interfere in the affairs of Venezuela? Every time you interfere somewhere, you act like this. When
28:24you get to Europe, you behave like this towards Ukraine and others. And wherever you go, you act like you're superior to everyone else. No, you are just like everyone else.
28:34You are no different from others. In fact, in my opinion, this wave of resistance and justice-seeking, led by our esteemed leaders, should lead to a global protest movement.
28:45Getting rid of nuclear weapons. Why does anyone still have nuclear weapons today? For what purpose? For what reason? This is a nuclear weapon that can kill hundreds of thousands of people instantly. Why does it still exist? Why are there nuclear arsenals in our region and around the world ? Who is responsible for this ? Who is doing this? This should lead us to a powerful new movement for change.
29:13If you want to know my honest opinion on this matter, let me tell you frankly what I think will happen in the near future. First of all, the United States of America will not abide by the terms of this agreement.
29:24Right. Donald Trump has no intention of adhering to this agreement at all. Their energy reserves, and in particular their strategic oil reserves, were rapidly depleting. So in the end they were forced to sit down at the negotiating table and reach some agreements. But, sir, you have to understand that they are simply not going to stay committed to this commitment in the future. I won't do it because he wants everything and anything to belong to everyone, not just America.
29:51America should demand only its share from the world. But now everything is not like that. The wrong approach currently prevails. The wrong approach has dominated since World War II . Now, even these incorrect approaches that exist are not accepted by America.
30:05Therefore, the United Nations and other components and elements of world powers are actually in their hands. It is not under this law that they attack, commit crimes, and even go beyond these limits to the point that even these voices are heard. In my opinion, the world after the war between Iran and America will be a different world. And this is not just desirable.
30:30Its signs are clear, and countries have woken up.
30:33Other countries no longer want to pay tribute to America because America cannot even support itself, let alone protect others.
30:42It is in this duality, created by the Americans, that countries remain confused. Qatar is a loyal ally of America. If anyone doubts this, they are mistaken. But even Qatar, when Israel attacks, gets hit by Israel. In fact, America didn't say a word, didn't make a sound. Now you might say: well, they're hitting Hezbollah. Perhaps there is some conflict of interest between Hezbollah and America.
31:11So America is happy. But there is no conflict of interest between Qatar and America. They are in harmony and cooperation. Therefore, today the world faces duality. And this duality, this duality indicates the need for awakening, for a movement to destroy this dichotomy and establish the correct path of history, the path of humanity, the path of justice, the path of mutual respect. When someone reaches an understanding with another, make no mistake, if they have power, they can break that understanding.
31:42Let me say something. at the end of the war, because we belong to the generation that passed away from the Iran-Iraq war. At the very end of the long war, Imam Kummeni officially accepted a ceasefire. It passed Resolution 598, which was a formally agreed ceasefire.
32:00However, as soon as it was accepted, Iraqi forces attacked again. They have launched a new offensive against us.
32:06They attacked the people of Iran. At that particular time, we were stationed in the region and witnessed it. Well, our martyr and relentlessly striving Imam, the beloved Imam Janati, was holding the position of President at that particular time. He moved and personally arrived in the conflict region, and after this significant event, a huge flow of devoted people arrived in the surrounding area.
32:34For example, there was a famous division called the 27th Khazat Russel Division, peace be upon him, which at that time consisted of several different battalions and specialized units. Suddenly, as the crowd gathered, its number exceeded 30 battalions, which meant that a huge force had been assembled . They said that Imam Kmeni sent him a message: " Now we are ready to go and take Basra." We can take Basra because now we have the strength and human resources to do it." The Imam replied: “We have made a commitment and will not go back on our word. This is the difference with Iran.
33:11Iran is not like America and Trump.
33:14When we make a commitment, we do n't break it.
33:17But they make commitments from the very beginning , only to break them.
33:21The world understands and sees this. The world understands and sees that something is happening. In my opinion, if an agreement is reached, America will break it.
33:30And after that, the situation that will arise will be very difficult for America." You were a close political ally and friend of former President Ibrahim Raii, who, according to the official version, died in a helicopter crash. Um, I want to ask, do you believe the official version, was he tortured, and how do you think Iran would be different today if that had n't happened?
34:00Um, there are other things said about this version. There are also other claims regarding the version of Marty Rice's martyrdom. but we accept the main confirmed version.
34:13We accept the main confirmed version.
34:17Furthermore, the principles of reason and logical thinking do not allow for simple speculation, which essentially means that the main version is the only thing that really matters in this context. They do, but I personally am not going to speculate on their motives.
34:34No, we should accept the basic version as it is, but we must be constantly on the alert. This is so that we can be specifically prepared for these various speculations. This is quite different from what...It is important to note that the next point is that the current situation in the country certainly has a significant impact on the overall outcome.
34:57It affects the calculations. It affects the calculations, and in any case, the presence of someone like Marty could certainly be effective, and his influence was very significant. He himself eventually suffered a noble martyrdom. And in truth, it was the divine will of the Almighty for this particular spiritual path to unfold in this very way within the rich tapestry of our ancient culture and at the core of our deeply held religious beliefs. In our service to the nation, we consider this a profound and sacred divine test and believe that in fact these difficult trials and...
35:40tests are specifically designed for us to overcome.
35:44But what I can tell you with absolute certainty is that Iran today has a leader who has exceptional experience, deep knowledge, and profound wisdom. I have known him and worked with him for 23 years. This is the leader of the revolution, Imam Syed Mojaba Kame. First of all, he has a deep and comprehensive understanding, a deeply sincere and devoted heart , an extremely thorough and thorough understanding of history, a very serious and disciplined mastery of modern sciences, and extensive practical knowledge. He has a deep understanding of how to effectively counter America's unreasonable and excessive demands. And that is why
36:29America lost in every possible way. She lost in all aspects. And Trump achieved nothing. Our revolution was rejuvenated after that.
36:43He harmed us.
36:45K—is a great force in our hearts. But this big comb doesn't make us weak.
36:51This doesn't mean we should just sit back and relax or feel depressed. We don't have a system that falls into depression. Our strength is multiplied several times. We become motivated. If we wanted to make scientific efforts, we...
37:06Of course, we would make even more efforts, because America, which is an obstacle to our scientific progress, has not been able to stop our activities. No matter what happens, we will do even more. This is the center of human society. The Islamic revolution took place here . And even David happened. They compare Iran to Egypt and see that for 47 years it has defied America.
37:30We launch rockets.
37:32We send satellites. Let me tell you very clearly, our core capabilities are built entirely on our own internal autonomy.
37:40Now just stop for a moment and imagine what would happen if Egypt did not receive its basic annual salary every year. Well, he would suffer.
37:48Hapless. He would suffer. But we are not like that . Our thinking and reasoning are logical. His logic is based on the fundamentals of humanity. So anyone in the world, if the people of America understand our logic, they will definitely vote for us. I am sure that the majority will definitely vote for us.
38:12Maybe the minority won't vote, but the logic we follow is sound. It is based on mutual respect. It is based on the rule of law. It is not that the One who has more power can do whatever He wants. To trample the law underfoot and not be accountable to anyone. Is n't that exactly what Trump is doing? This ugly act that Trump or America is committing is actually its essence and core. From my personal perspective, did this particular course of action, which was taken earlier, lead to a truly comprehensive and devastating loss for America? And if they truly intend to make this same mistake again and
38:51continue down this path, another path will be chosen , and this next path will bring even greater losses to America. Even in this very statement that the Supreme Leader of the Revolution made regarding this memorandum of understanding, he directly stated that I have a different principle or opinion. The one that wants reciprocal action against America. If this happens, it will be based on principle and will win, and then it will be very difficult for Trump, very difficult for America, extremely difficult. And the world will rise up against America, and America will say: "Who are you to...?" "In a world where
39:39the Strait of Hormuz is closed, Babylon Mandeb is closed, other problems will arise . And this talk about someone appointing you as an agent for sabotage, let it go .
39:53Trump is responsible for global sabotage, and the world will turn against him. In that regard, I think the future is one where the American people have to make a choice. You have to make a choice. And there should be no people like Trump in this election . And you have to focus your policy on a kind of domestic approach . That is, you need to take care of yourself, your people, and your own society, and that is the most important thing you can do, and show respect for others.
40:26What is your opinion on what happened in Trani on January 6, 7, and 8, when protests erupted and escalated into riots that, according to official figures, left over 3,000 people dead. Were these protests for freedom and democracy or more rights, or were they unrest for regime change, instrumentalized by foreign intelligence forces? How do you see this as the mayor of a city that experienced this traumatic event?
41:00We don't need to engage in any speculation about idols. It is more than enough for us to simply turn to the official public statements of former President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They directly said that this was our doing, and they openly announced to the world that this was their direct action.
41:18Furthermore, they supported it in every way possible to ensure it, and they actively pursued it to the end. So, in my personal opinion, it is now absolutely and unequivocally clear what exactly happened. We firmly believe that we should not actually engage in any baseless speculation. We simply refer to these official reports. This is exactly what former President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu have publicly stated. We are carefully considering this. This is entirely their own doing . They have invested heavily over many decades to reach such a specific point and take decisive action. But in the end
41:58they failed in their goals. They failed miserably and were ultimately crushed. An extremely large and significant number of these same 3,000 people were also purposefully and systematically targeted by the very agents who were supposed to protect them.
42:16In fact, their own Agents were deliberately attacking them. So, it actually reflects a deliberate and dangerous path that they consciously chose, right?
42:27An attempt to destabilize our entire country from within through calculated crimes, extreme violence, bombings, brutal murders, and cold-blooded killings of innocent people. And even now they are very intensively pursuing this.
42:41They really try to do it. They are doing a few things they have always wanted to do, and that is what they have said themselves.
42:50One of them is the attempt to instill in our country a culture, especially towards women, that caters to their own desires, a culture that undermines the beliefs of this nation.
43:03They want to spread and promote the culture of consumerism, the same culture that dominates the West, and make it dominate in Iran as well. The second point is their efforts to surround us in order to impose sanctions and blockades, as well as to exert economic pressure on us through the conditions they have created.
43:22Their goal is to exacerbate economic hardship and poverty in our society and to incite unrest in society to incite the disadvantaged to revolt. In other words, along with weakening faith, they want to put economic pressure on people. The third point is that they are also taking two actions from outside our borders.
43:44First, they brought their terrorist proxies to our borders and repeatedly expressed interest in having them attack Iran. Some of them have taken over parts of our land, for example, in the northeast, in the northwest or in the southeast, in the northwest or southeast. They want this and even perform operations. And the fourth point is that in the end they themselves want to come and commit the crime they want, to complete it themselves: to attack, to bomb, to strike, to do whatever they want, with their hands free.
44:15They are interested in carrying out these four actions together during the 12-day war. Uh, when it started, they asked people why they weren't going out? They are so unaware of what is happening inside Iran. They thought that if they started a war, people would immediately take to the streets. I mean, they're always wrong.
44:37Part of the reason is these hypocrites who are outside the country, whose hands are stained with the blood of 17,000 people and who are terrorists, officially terrorists , and all that. what ISIS is doing . This is something they have done in Iran before. These are false messages that they receive and believe. And they continue to pursue these criminal acts. During the 12-day war, when the attack happened, they asked, “Why didn’t you rebel? Why didn't these mercenary terrorists attack Iran?" "Back in the DMA, when some people rioted with the Americans, they asked, "Why didn't you attack?" "During the
45:14Ramadan war, when they attacked us again, they said, " Why?" "Well, why did n't the countries of these mercenary terrorists and those inside attack? Why did n't they rebel together?
45:25They always want these things to happen together, but they can't. They simply can't. And because they don't know us, they don't understand our society. In the recent war, America lost 51,470 housing units.
45:39The second one was damaged right here in Trani. But you never perceived Tran as a city torn apart by war. No one needed to set up a tent.
45:47Everyone, thank God, found order. And they wanted someone to protest, but no one did. Everyone became brothers, friends, and comrades. Therefore, what happened at 10:00 was certainly the work of the Americans and the Israelis, because they themselves said so.
46:03About 3 or 4 weeks after these riots were suppressed in Trani, war was imposed on your country. How has this war, this epic fury, as we call it in the US, I think you call it the Ramadan War, changed the city of Tran, and how exactly has it affected your municipal projects and housing developments?
46:30housing, bombing?
46:34Honestly, as the mayor of Tran, I can say that even under the bombings, we carried out our projects. That is, we were doing three or four things at the same time.
46:44First, we provided daily services to people, and we did it.
46:49Here, uh, Tran was a clean and lively city. Secondly, we had to carry out projects. You may be interested to know that we are currently building 200 km of metro simultaneously. Currently, we have 300 km of metro and 163 stations. There is a 5- year contract with various companies and various areas of work, thanks to which the length of our city metro will reach 517 kilometers. With 304 metro stations, it is truly something extraordinary. If you ever have the opportunity to go and see it, you will understand that there is extensive work going on underground or that major projects are being implemented in the city
47:34. Let me tell you that even now we are opening a new project every week and none of our projects have suffered.
47:42Our next important goal was to solve the problem of unemployment caused by this crime committed by the previous administration. We quickly gathered and settled people wherever we wanted.
47:53Whenever something happened, people would come and the municipality would immediately round up and relocate everyone. People were accommodated in hotels with respect. It's interesting that you should know that about 10,000 people, almost 10,000 people whose homes were damaged, were accommodated by us in hotels. The rest went to their relatives.
48:13Their relatives, those who needed a place to stay, everyone who wanted one, we had places for them. We even sent some of them on a trip to Mashhad.
48:20They went on a pilgrimage and then returned.
48:23Serious work was done on this. For families out of these 10,000 who, for example, did not stay in hotels.
48:28Each family was treated as part of this 10,000 family group. In America, no matter what they do, the opposite happens. And you can understand why that is . If we don't keep an eye on our projects, if we don't work on our projects, this is what happens.
48:42You have Most of our audience is in the United States, although it is an international audience. I'm just wondering if you have any message or anything you'd like to say to the American people. I speak to the citizens of the United States to say that you, like every other part of the world community, also have fundamental rights. You are valuable people and operate within certain boundaries. In any case, the hopes and dreams that you cherish for your own life are, naturally, what you should wish for everyone else.
49:19Now, what we wish for ourselves, we also sincerely wish for people in all other parts of the world. And we wish the same blessings for the people of Iran, so that they too can thrive in their daily lives and feel truly comfortable, so that we can all help each other grow together in the years to come . The more the American people cultivate and strengthen this vital perspective within themselves and articulate it clearly at their elections, the more carefully they will select leaders and representatives who sincerely hold to that perspective. Those who do not seek the path of war, who do not seek
49:58unnecessary bloodshed, who do not seek aggressive conflict or global instability, who do not seek to break the law, who do not seek to...
50:08commit crimes.
50:09So, first, the American people themselves must review these bright moments, these lights that are being lit in America, as I mentioned, in American universities, former American servicemen who have spoken out, who have protested.
50:23So, American society must first pay attention and look within itself. And they must solve problems in their own society . The oppression of black people, the oppression of people of color, the oppression of the lower and middle classes, actually, and the conditions that exist in American society. People must create a new situation. So when we say here death to America, which is our common slogan, we never mean death to the American people. That's another thing. There is a significant difference. We say death to the politics that cause suffering to others. This is what we mean. We mean the government that
51:09commits these crimes. This is what we are talking about . The American people must move beyond the boundaries set by the media propaganda that sits in their heads like an octopus . And through a kind of cognitive warfare, it changes their minds. And then these Americans need to return to themselves and choose a new path. At this point, this is truly the path that enables peaceful coexistence throughout the world, because the source of unrest is American officials. And with this change of choice, they can find a way.
51:46They must make another right choice. It is in their own interest, for their own benefit, and for their future. Because the future of the world is no longer such that the US government and America can continue to function on the money of other countries. It gradually fades and disappears. They need to stand on their own two feet. So they should think for themselves before trying to do something for others by electing officials who dig a hole for others.
52:16Mayor Ali Resa Zakani, thank you so much for speaking to us in a gray area and being so generous with your time.
Read the essay version →