The aid to the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, Sayyed Mojtaba Zolnoor, threatened that the Islamic Republic will strike Tel Aviv with its missiles if it comes under attack, Fars news agency reported on Tuesday.

“If the enemy takes its chance and fires a missile towards Iran, the dust from an Iranian missile strike will rise in the heart of Tel Aviv even before the dust from the enemy attack settles” in Iran, said Sayyed Zolnoor, who is Sayyed Khamenei’s representative in the elite Revolutionary Guards.

Fars reported that Zolnoor made the comments at a mosque late Monday, where he also said Iran’s foes were aware that Tehran “has become a ballistic power.”

Iran has regularly boasted of its missile capability to face any possible attack from the Zionist entity, saying it has an arsenal which can strike regional arch-foe Israel.

World Shia Leader said Tuesday the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) should focus on its primary objective of defending the Palestinians as a Zionist plot to drive them out of their homes unravels.

In a meeting with government officials and prominent scientific and political figures, Imam Seyyed Ali Khamenei said recent developments in the occupied Palestinian lands reflect the signs of a “dangerous plot” by Tel Aviv against the Palestinians.

“De-Islamisation of Islamic works, incidents at Ibrahimic Mosque and the driving of Muslims out of their homes are a dangerous plot which is unfolding before the eyes of a Muslim world that has been engaged with trivial matters,” the Leader said.

The remarks come at a time when the Israeli regime has stepped up a campaign to expand illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian lands in defiance of international opposition and UN Security Council resolutions.

Moreover, Israeli forces in recent months have shut down the al-Aqsa mosque to Palestinian worshippers and damaged Islamic properties on the site, attacking, killing and arresting protesters.

Imam Khamenei said the OIC should make serious efforts to unite Muslims against Israel.

“[Thus], the Organization of the Islamic Conference, which was essentially established to uphold the rights of the Palestinians, should fulfill its duty in defending Palestine and uniting the Muslim world against the mischievous moves of the Zionists,” the Leader said.

Imam Khamenei described the potentials of the Muslim world in countering “the evil acts and greediness of the Zionists” as very high, reiterating that the strength of the Muslim world is not limited to oil. “Rather, the Muslims possess the biggest market for consumer goods, as well as the world’s most vital routes and pathways.”

He said the Muslim world can achieve its “rightful aspirations” by merely sticking to reason and sound political interactions in the world.

The detainees were held in a central prison in the western province of al-Hodeidah, said the ministry.

“The release of the 54 Houthi followers came upon high-level governmental directives,” the ministry said in a statement posted on its website.

The Yemeni government and Shia Houthi reached a ceasefire agreement on Feb. 11 on ending sporadic battles in northern Yemen which had started since 2004.

The Yemeni government accused Houthis of seeking to re-establish the clerical rule overthrown by the 1962 Yemeni revolution which yielded the Yemeni republic.

Meanwhile, in the southern troubled province of al-Dhalee, the center of independence-seeking Southern Movement, some 18 suspected followers of the Southern Movement were released on Monday by the security authorities.

The Interior Ministry said “the 18 southerners were detained on March 27 for involving in armed riots, anti-government activities and raising anti-unity flags in a funeral procession for a man killed in a separatist protest earlier last month.”

Northern and southern Yemen were unified in 1990 according to a deal between the People’s General Congress and the Yemeni Socialist Party. However, the deal fell apart, leading to a crisis between the two allies, which developed into a civil war in 1994.

Nowadays, voices rise in South Yemen where secessionist sentiments are simmering, calling for disengagement from the north and the restoration of the southern state.

Amnesty International sheds light on the suffering inflicted upon civilians in northern Yemen during the joint Saudi-Yemeni offensive against the country’s Houthis.

Photos taken last month by independent sources in and around the town of al-Nadir show the devastation civilian communities in the Sa’ada region went through during Saudi airstrikes against Houthi fighters in Yemen.

“This is a largely invisible conflict that has been waged behind closed doors. These images reveal the true scale and ferocity of the bombing and the impact it had on the civilians caught up in it,” Philip Luther, deputy director of Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa program said on Tuesday.

“This information has only now come to light through Yemenis who fled the conflict and have reached other parts of the country,” he added.

The photos show damaged or destroyed market places, mosques, gas stations, businesses, a school, a power plant, a health center and dozens of homes, Luther said.

In August 2009, Sana’a launched a huge military operation to crush the resistance by Houthi fighters — who accuse the central government of repression and discrimination against the country’s Shia minority — in the north, mostly in Sa’ada province.

The Saudi military, to assist government forces, entered the scene in November with heavy airstrikes and repeated ground incursions in the beleaguered north Yemen, which continued up to days before Sana’a and the Houthis signed a ceasefire deal in February 2010.

Riyadh insisted the attacks were carried out in areas lying on its border with Yemen, but the Houthis accused the Saudi army of targeting civilians in villages deep inside Yemeni territory, at times with forbidden white phosphorus bombs.

“These images reveal the true scale and ferocity of the bombing and the impact it had on the civilians caught up in it,” Luther said.

The pictures further prove testimony given by many witnesses who had fled Sa’ada to Amnesty International delegates in Yemen earlier this month. They repeatedly said that Saudi Arabian airstrikes were clearly different from earlier Yemeni military attacks and were of an intensity and power not experienced before.

Under international humanitarian law, the deliberate targeting of civilian objects, as well as indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks on civilians, is forbidden during conflicts and amount to war crimes.

According to the United Nations, more than 250,000 residents of Sa’ada were displaced in the conflict in northern Yemen.

It is the greatest and first indigenously designed and developed guided missile destroyer in the country which was launched at the order of the Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei in late February.

Manufacturing of the destroyer is one of the most complicated technologies in the world and the Islamic Republic of Iran is among the seven countries which have the capability to make the destroyer.

Jamaran destroyer is equipped with the most powerful sea missile codenamed ‘yakhont SS N 26′ which could destroy a giant warship.

The vessel is also equipped with modern radars and electronic warfare capabilities as well as a variety of anti-ship, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles.

Forces from the Intelligence Administration arrested the English teacher Hassan Al-Makki (30 years) from his workplace in Jubail.

Mr. Al-Makki was rushed to Khobar city and was placed under custody where he will spend few days prior to his transfer to the general prison.

Mr. Al-Makki is being accused of breaching the governmental ban on practicing Shia religious activities.

In addition to the previously arrested Shia figures on similar background, Mr. Al-Makki is the fourth victim and the youngest among all four.

Saudi authorities closed nine Shia mosques in the cities of Khobar, Ras Tanura, Khafji and Abqaiq.

Saudi authorities put surveillance on several “mosques possible” areas and have detained several Shia citizens for hosting Jama’a prayers in their houses.

It should be noted here that Emara vice Prince Jalawi bin Abdulaziz and Emara Prince Office manager Zareb Al-Qahtani informed Shia delegation to utilize Sunni mosques when they went complaining about closure of their own mosques.

Yet, when Shia citizen followed Emara instruction and performed prayers in Sunni mosques, they were detained by authorities!

During a meeting that was held in Qatif and was attended by several public, social and religious figures from around Saudi, Mr. Al-Nimer highlighted that Saudi Shia citizens are deprived from their basic rights.

Mr. Al-Nimer, further explained, that Saudi Shia citizens in Dammam and Khobar are not allowed to have their own mosques, religious hall (Hussainya) and cemeteries.

“This is not normal at all.” Mr. Al-Nimer added.

Saudi authorities closed nine Shia mosques in the cities of Khobar, Ras Tanura, Khafji and Abqaiq.

Saudi authorities put surveillance on several “mosques possible” areas and have detained several Shia citizens for hosting Jama’a prayers in their houses.

It should be noted here that Emara vice Prince Jalawi bin Abdulaziz and Emara Prince Office manager Zareb Al-Qahtani informed Shia delegation to utilize Sunni mosques when they went complaining about closure of their own mosques.

Yet, when Shia citizen followed Emara instruction and performed prayers in Sunni mosques, they were detained by authorities!