WAR Main Persian Gulf Trouble thread

[Zagdid]

Iran reaches agreement with Armenia on new transport routes

TEHRAN - Head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) Mehdi Mirashrafi said good agreements have been reached with Armenia on the development of customs cooperation as well as the use of alternative routes for the transport of goods.

www.tehrantimes.com

Iran reaches agreement with Armenia on new transport routes
October 25, 2021 - 15:39

Mirashrafi who visited Moscow on Sunday to attend an international customs conference noted that Iran has diversified its international routes so that no single route could impose a limitation on the country’s international trade.

Earlier this month, Deputy Transport and Urban Development Minister Kheirollah Khademi had announced an agreement between Iran and Armenia for establishing new transit routes, as the two countries are facing problems in trade exchanges through Azerbaijan.

“The alternative transit route for Iranian trucks in Armenia will be asphalted within the next month, and there will be no need to use the previous route which passes through Azerbaijan and requires us to pay tolls to the country,” Khademi said.
Azerbaijan is controlling and claiming ownership for approximately 20 km out of a 400 km route between Iran and Armenia and has imposed strict regulations on Iranian drivers which are posing major problems for them passing through the 20-kilometer section of Armenia’s Goris-Kapan Road including paying tolls levied by Azerbaijani border guards.

Mirashrafi further pointed to the positive talks held with the members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) during the conference, saying: “The volume of trade between Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union has taken an upward path, and with the agreements reached, we will soon see a leap in trade relations with the member countries of this union.”

Referring to the importance of land crossings for the export and import of goods between Iran and Russia, the official said: "Completing the maritime and road infrastructure and providing more customs facilities, especially in the Caspian Sea region, can increase trade [between the two countries]."

In addition to ground roads, Iran has routes in the Caspian Sea through Ro-Ro ships to Azerbaijan Republic, Russia, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan, Mirashrafi added.

 

[jward]

Hmm

Global: MilitaryInfo
@Global_Mil_Info

U.S. officials to AP have said that Iran was behind the drone attack on the U.S. base in Syria.

4:31 PM · Oct 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

 

[jward]

BREAKING NEWS

IDF to launch drill in Gaza area
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
OCTOBER 26, 2021 07:22






The IDF spokesperson announced on Tuesday that it will be launching a planned drill called "Southern Storm" in order to train for an array of scenarios related to the Palestinian factions in Gaza.

The IDF announced that the drill will run overnight on Tuesday and end on Wednesday. Heavy traffic of army vehicles will be felt in the area and explosions may be heard.

 

[jward]

Babak Taghvaee - Μπάπακ Τακβαίε - بابک تقوایی
@BabakTaghvaee
4m

#BREAKING: The cyber attacks of #Israel not just targeted the fuel supply chain in #Iran it has made the network of almost all of #Iranian banks out of service. It has not just increased the fuel price in Iran rather has also interrupted the whole financial network of the country

_______________________________________
Reza Khaasteh
@Khaaasteh
3h

On anniversary of 2019 fuel protests, Iran's gas station systems have come under a cyber-attack, disrupting distribution of subsidized fuel and creating long queues of cars across Iran. Street billboards have also been hacked, showing messages like: Khamenei, where's our fuel?

 

[northern watch]

Iran says cyberattack closes gas stations across country
A cyberattack has crippled gas stations across Iran, leaving angry motorists stranded in long lines
By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press
26 October 2021, 06:29

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- A cyberattack crippled gas stations across Iran on Tuesday, leaving angry motorists stranded in long lines.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which rendered useless the government-issued electronic cards that many Iranians use to buy subsidized fuel at the pump.

It bore similarities to another attack months earlier that seemed to directly challenge Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the country's economy buckles under American sanctions. Those economic problems worsen as the U.S. and Iran have yet to jointly re-enter Tehran's tattered nuclear deal with world powers.

State television quoted an unnamed official in the country's National Security Council acknowledging the cyberattack, hours after it aired images of long lines of cars waiting to fill up in Tehran. Associated Press journalists also saw lines of cars at Tehran gas stations, with the pumps off and the station closed.

“I have been waiting a couple of hours for the gas stations to reopen so that I can fill up," said a motorcyclist who gave his name only as Farzin. "There is no fuel wherever I go.”

The semiofficial ISNA news agency, which first called the incident a cyberattack, said it saw those trying to buy fuel with a government-issued card through the machines instead receive a message reading “cyberattack 64411.” Most Iranians rely on those subsidies to fuel their vehicles, particularly amid the country's economic problems.

While ISNA didn't acknowledge the number's significance, that number is associated with a hotline run through Khamenei's office that handles questions about Islamic law. ISNA later removed its reports, claiming that it too had been hacked. Such claims of hacking can come quickly when Iranian outlets publish news that angers the theocracy.

Farsi-language satellite channels abroad published videos apparently shot by drivers in Isfahan, a major Iranian city, showing electronic billboards there reading: “Khamenei! Where is our gas?” Another said: “Free gas in Jamaran gas station,” a reference to the home of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

State TV said Oil Ministry officials were holding an “emergency meeting” to solve the problem. Some gas stations that accept only cash and are not in the subsidy card network continued pumping fuel.

The use of the number “64411” mirrored an attack in July targeting Iran's railroad system that also saw the number displayed. Israeli cybersecurity firm Check Point later attributed the train attack to a group of hackers that called themselves Indra, after the Hindu god of war.

Indra previously targeted firms in Syria, where President Bashar Assad has held onto power through Iran's intervention in his country's grinding war.

Cheap gasoline is practically considered a birthright in Iran, home to the world’s fourth-largest crude oil reserves despite decades of economic woes.

Subsidies allow Iranian motorists to buy regular gasoline at 15,000 rials per liter. That’s 5 cents a liter, or about 20 cents a gallon. After a monthly 60-liter quota, it costs 30,000 rials a liter. That’s 10 cents a liter or 41 cents a gallon. Regular gasoline costs 89 cents a liter or $3.38 a gallon on average in the U.S., according to AAA.

In 2019, Iran faced days of mass protests across some 100 cities and towns over gasoline prices rising. Security forces arrested thousands and Amnesty International said it believes 304 people were killed in a government crackdown. Tuesday's cyberattack came in the same month in the Persian calendar as the gasoline protests in 2019.

The attack also came on the birthday of the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi who, stricken with cancer, fled the country in 1979 just before the Islamic Revolution.

Iran has faced a series of cyberattacks, including one that leaked video of abuses at its notorious Evin prison in August.

The country disconnected much of its government infrastructure from the internet after the Stuxnet computer virus — widely believed to be a joint U.S.-Israeli creation — disrupted thousands of Iranian centrifuges in the country’s nuclear sites in the late 2000s.

———

Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.


Iran says cyberattack closes gas stations across country - ABC News (go.com)

 

[Housecarl]

Hmm

Global: MilitaryInfo
@Global_Mil_Info

U.S. officials to AP have said that Iran was behind the drone attack on the U.S. base in Syria.

4:31 PM · Oct 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

Hummm....

So how long before this card gets played front and center? With how Biden and the Triumvirate are polling going to the Galtieri play book starts becoming a real possibility.

 

[jward]

Drone Attack In Syria May Be Warning Of Things To Come
The Oct. 20 drone attack comes as Iran is increasing its relations with Syria.
By Arie Egozi on October 26, 2021 at 2:05 PM

US forces at At-Tanf Garrison, Syria, such as the one seen here in a 2020 file photo, came under attack last week. (U.S. Army photo/Staff Sgt. William Howard)

TEL AVIV: With the US now pointing the finger at Iran as the source of last week’s armed drone attack against American forces in Syria, government sources here are casting the situation as part of a broader Iranian-led expansion campaign in Syria — with armed drones serving as the main weapon.
US officials told the Associated Press that as many as five drones, equipped with explosive charges, hit the al-Tanf military base in Syria on Oct. 20. According to the AP report, Iran “resourced and encouraged the attack,” but the drones were not launched directly from Iranian territory. No American forces were killed in the attack.

Israeli sources have also pointed the finger at Iran-backed militias; those same sources are raising concerns that American forces in Syria and, to some extent, in Iraq are not equipped properly to deal with the growing number of armed drone strikes, which have emerged as a regular tactic for Iran over the last year.

“The Iranians use the armed drones, operated by their many proxies, as a way to cause casualties to the American forces by using what is still considered a secondary weapon system,” an Israeli defense source told Breaking Defense. The source added that that the Iranian drones are carrying increasingly larger warheads and now, in the Ministry of Defense’s view, pose a legitimate threat to American forces.
According to Israeli defense sources, some 350 military members and civilians are still using al-Tanf, including some British and French forces that were described as “intelligence experts.”

RELATED: Iran’s Drones Are Transforming The Middle East: Book Excerpt
While concerned about the health of its closest partner, Israel also has parochial interests in Syria — namely, keeping Iranian influence out. While the government here has kept details of strikes into Syria quiet, Syrian media and open intelligence analysis have shown a history of strikes from Israeli assets into the country.

Those attacks have been complicated in recent months by Russia’s more protective stance against Israeli strikes, an issue that government sources say was raised in an Oct. 22 meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Russian President Vladimir Putin.


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Israeli sources claim that following the meeting, the Russians asked Israel to give them an earlier warning before future air strikes in Syria. Two days after the meeting, Israel, according to Syrian media, attacked a site of the Syrian army and “its affiliates” that caused great damage.

Mordechai Kedar, a senior Israeli expert on Middle Eastern issues, believes Syria is becoming an “Iranian neighborhood,” which has severe implications for Israel. Iran is “now flooding the southern part of Syria near to the border with Israel [with militia members], and that is something that Israel cannot accept,” he said.
When looking at potential threats, the possibility of suicide drone strikes arranged and organized by Iran is rising quickly up Jerusalem’s list. Israel’s concern spiked following the signing of a recent agreement between Iran and Syria on military and technological collaboration. Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, travelled to Damascus for the signing ceremony, where he met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad; media quoted Bagheri as saying, “From now on Iran will strengthen its ties with Syria even more, on all levels.”

Offer Haruvi, a leading Israeli expert on UAVs and drones, said he believes the government here is investing wisely in counter-drone technologies, but noted that these advanced systems are still in the early stages. Ideally, such systems “can first detect the threat and then eliminate it by crashing it with taking control on its flight or shooting it down,” he said.

Recommended Army Awards Laser Weapon Contract To Boeing, General Atomics Team
The Army wants to demonstrate a 300 kilowatt laser weapon in fiscal 2022.
By Andrew Eversden

Syria isn’t the only concern in the region when it comes to armed drones purportedly back by Iran. In Yemen, the main fire power of the Houthi rebels is their Iranian-made UAVs, either armed with bombs for air-to-ground strikes or used as loitering munitions, according to a report prepared by the Israeli Institute for National Security Studies (INSS).
According to research by the INSS’s Ari Heistein and Elisha Stoin, the Houthis “have an extensive arsenal of UAVs, including long-range Samad models. The group used Samad UAVs for long-range attacks in 2018 (Abu Dhabi) and then again in 2019 (Riyadh). However, the Samad-3, which claims an operational range of 1,800 km – theoretically enough to conduct attack on Israel – will have limited ability to inflict damage on Israeli infrastructure, given its 45 kg warhead.”

The researchers note that in March 2021 the Houthi military industries unveiled a Samad-4 model with a claimed range of 2,000 km and greater firepower, as well as a loitering munition referred to as the Wa’id UAV. “These latest developments indicate a potential leap forward in the Houthi arsenal of weapons capable of striking Israel,” the researchers say.
While the Houthis have not yet used their armed UAVs to attack Israel they performed some attacks on Israeli owned cargo ships. The last one claimed the lives of two crew members

Drone Attack In Syria May Be Warning Of Things To Come - Breaking Defense

The Oct. 20 drone attack comes as Iran is increasing its relations with Syria.

breakingdefense.com

 

[jward]

An initially popular-ish war against Iran to counter flagging support at home, ending with his imprisonment
..of all the wars we're on the brink of, this one, or one with the invaders pouring o'er what was once our southern border seem like they have some justification :: shrug ::

Hummm....

So how long before this card gets played front and center? With how Biden and the Triumvirate are polling going to the Galtieri play book starts becoming a real possibility.

 

[jward]

Israel Radar
@IsraelRadar_com


More signs that #Israel is behind cyber operation that paralyzed #Iran gas stations, and that more attacks are coming.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1453249928994635777

View: https://twitter.com/IsraelRadar_com/status/1453249928994635777?s=20

 

[Zagdid]

A cyberattack paralyzed every gas station in Iran

Ebrahim Raisi's remarks stopped short of assigning blame for the attack, which rendered useless the government-issued electronic cards that many Iranians use to buy subsidized fuel at the pump.

www.npr.org

A cyberattack paralyzed every gas station in Iran
October 27, 20215:31 AM ET THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran's president said Wednesday that a cyberattack which paralyzed every gas station in the Islamic Republic was designed to get "people angry by creating disorder and disruption," as long lines still snaked around the pumps a day after the incident began.

Ebrahim Raisi's remarks stopped short of assigning blame for the attack, which rendered useless the government-issued electronic cards that many Iranians use to buy subsidized fuel at the pump. However, his remarks suggested that he and others in the theocracy believe anti-Iranian forces carried out the assault.

"There should be serious readiness in the field of cyberwar and related bodies should not allow the enemy to follow their ominous aims to make problem in trend of people's life," Raisi said.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack that began Tuesday, though it bore similarities to another months earlier that seemed to directly challenge Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the country's economy buckles under American sanctions.

Abolhassan Firouzabadi, the secretary of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace, linked the attack to another that targeted Iran's rail system in July, in comments reported by the state-run IRNA news agency.

"There is a possibility that the attack, like a previous one on railway system, has been conducted from abroad," Firouzabadi said.

He added that an investigation into the incident was underway.
On Wednesday morning, IRNA quoted another official who claimed 80% of Iran's gas stations had begun selling fuel again. Associated Press journalists saw long lines at multiple gas stations in Tehran. One station had a line of 90 cars waiting for fuel. Those buying ended up having to pay at higher, unsubsidized prices.

Tuesday's attack rendered useless the government-issued electronic cards that many Iranians use to buy subsidized fuel at the pump. The semiofficial ISNA news agency, which first called the incident a cyberattack, said it saw those trying to buy fuel with a government-issued card through the machines instead receiving a message reading "cyberattack 64411."

While ISNA didn't acknowledge the number's significance, that number is associated with a hotline run through Khamenei's office that handles questions about Islamic law. ISNA later removed its reports, claiming that it too had been hacked. Such claims of hacking can come quickly when Iranian outlets publish news that angers the theocracy.

Farsi-language satellite channels abroad published videos apparently shot by drivers in Isfahan, a major Iranian city, showing electronic billboards there reading: "Khamenei! Where is our gas?" Another said: "Free gas in Jamaran gas station," a reference to the home of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

The use of the number "64411" mirrored the attack in July targeting Iran's railroad system that also saw the number displayed. Israeli cybersecurity firm Check Point later attributed the train attack to a group of hackers that called themselves Indra, after the Hindu god of war.

Indra previously targeted firms in Syria, where President Bashar Assad has held onto power through Iran's intervention in his country's grinding war.

Cheap gasoline is practically considered a birthright in Iran, home to the world's fourth-largest crude oil reserves despite decades of economic woes.

Subsidies allow Iranian motorists to buy regular gasoline at 15,000 rials per liter. That's 5 cents a liter, or about 20 cents a gallon. After a monthly 60-liter quota, it costs 30,000 rials a liter. That's 10 cents a liter or 41 cents a gallon. Regular gasoline costs 89 cents a liter or $3.38 a gallon on average in the U.S., according to AAA.

In 2019, Iran faced days of mass protests across some 100 cities and towns over rising gasoline prices. Security forces arrested thousands and Amnesty International said it believes 304 people were killed in a government crackdown. Tuesday's cyberattack came in the same month in the Persian calendar as the gasoline protests in 2019.
The attack also came on the birthday of the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi who, stricken with cancer, fled the country in 1979 just before the Islamic Revolution.

Iran has faced a series of cyberattacks, including one that leaked video of abuses at its notorious Evin prison in August.
The country disconnected much of its government infrastructure from the internet after the Stuxnet computer virus — widely believed to be a joint U.S.-Israeli creation — disrupted thousands of Iranian centrifuges in the country's nuclear sites in the late 2000s.

 

[northern watch]

 

[northern watch]

 

[jward]

Jason Brodsky
@JasonMBrodsky

#Iran's deputy foreign minister Ali Bagheri Kani tweets after his meeting with EU that "We agreed to start negotiations before the end of November." Recall that's consistent with the 2-3 month timetable that Amir-Abdollahian set in late August that set off alarm bells in Europe.
And it just so happens to be around the IAEA Board of Governors meeting in late November--with #Iran likely angling to thwart a censure resolution. Who could have predicted that?

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1453368808253628419

View: https://twitter.com/JasonMBrodsky/status/1453368808253628419?s=20

 

[jward]

Winds of War? Israel to Hold National Emergency Drill


2 minutes

IDF prepares for war on home front (Archive: IDF/CC)
Israel will hold a national war exercise to test emergency response on the home front during a large military conflict. The drill will simulate rocket attacks by Hezbollah and Hamas as well as an eruption of nationwide violence by Israeli Arabs.
Scenarios on the domestic front will including wide-scale rioting and and blocking of major roads, Maariv daily reported. The police previously warned that Arab violence within Israel will be more intensive than events during the Gaza war in May.
A new command center for all of Israel’s emergency and rescue forces will be activated during the exercise, the report said.
The week-long drill will be launched at the end of October. On November 3, the IDF will activate rocket alert sirens in numerous locations including Jerusalem, Tel Aviv-area towns, and communities in northern and southern Israel.

The large exercise is the latest in a series of home front and military training maneuvers. This week, the IDF is testing the response to rocket attacks in the central Israel towns of Lod and Ramle, near Ben-Gurion international airport. Earlier drills tested the rocket alert system in northern and southern communities.

In parallel, the Navy launched a surprise drill to practice combat operations on multiple fronts. The IDF also called up some reserve forces to test the mobilization of field units during wartime.

Winds of War? Israel to Hold National Emergency Drill

Israel will hold a national war drill to test emergency response on home front in large military conflict. The exercise will simulate...

israelradar.com

 

[jward]

Guy Elster
@guyelster
1m

#BREAKING Saudi Arabia recalls its ambassador from Lebanon and expels the Lebanese ambassador

______________________________

Iran International English
@IranIntl_En
4m

#BREAKING: #SaudiArabia has recalled its ambassador to #Lebanon on Friday and requested the departure of Lebanon's envoy to the Kingdom during the next 48 hours.

 

[jward]

Hamas will try to launch raids into Israel by blowing up the Gaza border fence with car bombs, defense officials estimate. The IDF believes that the group’s terrorists are training for infiltration operations using large vehicles packed with explosives, Maariv daily reports.


The army held a large exercise this week to prepare for this possibility, the report added. Infantry forces and elite units cooperated with the Air Force, Navy, and Intelligence Branch on diverse battle scenarios, the IDF said in a statement.


The drill started with a simulation of a terror infiltration by 16 Hamas terrorists, Walla News reported. Paratroopers from the 890th battalion teamed up with the Air Force to detect and eliminate the threat, the report said.


In parallel, Hamas is also digging new tunnels that are getting closer to the border while rebuilding other military capabilities, journalist Tal Lev-Ram wrote in Maariv. The Gaza group is investing in cyber warfare, unmanned vessels, and anti-tank weaponry, he said.


Notably, Israel recently completed a massive underground barrier on the Gaza frontier and will soon finish building a high-security border fence fitted with numerous sensors.

Report: IDF on Alert for Hamas Car Bombs on Gaza Border

Hamas will try to launch raids into Israel by breaching the Gaza border fence with car bombs, defense officials estimate. The IDF...

israelradar.com

 

[jward]

Israel Radar
@IsraelRadar_com

Tourists says Iron Dome batteries deployed in Dubai; Israeli Air Force expected to train in Emirates in not-too-distant future as defense ties expand, @alonbd reports; IDF likely preparing ground ops vs. #Iran nuke program on top of airstrike plans, he says.

 

[jward]

Israel Radar
@IsraelRadar_com

Multiple explosions reported in Damascus area in suspected #Israeli strike; assault may target #Syrian air defenses but no confirmation for now,@AuroraIntel says; IDF was considering extensive assault on anti-aircraft systems according to recent report.

Initial reports are saying that this was actually a strike on a Hezbollah arms shipment

Israel Radar
@IsraelRadar_com

#Syria strike targeted Iranian weapons shipment earmarked for Hezbollah, military journalist @OrHeller suggests; rare Saturday daytime strike means very high-value target, or that it wasn't #Israel, says military affairs reporter @AAhronheim

More reports coming in that air defence batteries were also targeted and that the strike may not have actually been an air strike. Surface to surface missiles may have been used.

4:58 AM · Oct 30, 2021·Twitter Web App

 

[jward]

Hassan Sajwan
@HSajwanization

BREAKING : after Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, Kuwait recalls its Ambassador from Beirut and ask Lebanon’s Ambassador to Kuwait to leave in 48 hours - Al Arabiya

5:18 AM · Oct 30, 2021·Twitter for iPhone

 

[jward]

Hmm.



Israel Radar
@IsraelRadar_com
34m

#Israel will aim to target entire #Iranian leadership if Tehran crosses nuclear red lines, writes ex-IDF colonel Ronen Itsik in@IsraelHayomHeb ; threats to strike Iran's nuke project are a bluff, he says. Interesting view sadly not translated to English yet.

 

[jward]

Apex
@Apex_WW

Update - #Iran: Israel, US likely behind gas station cyberattacks

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1454567134495973377

View: https://twitter.com/EndGameWW3/status/1454567134495973377?s=20

 

[jward]

Israel Radar
@IsraelRadar_com


#Israel launches week-long national emergency drill; army to practice mass evacuation of Lebanon border communities due to heavy Hezbollah rocket barrages; hospitals to simulate unusually large influx of casualties
Reminder: Israel's plan of action for missile assault by #Iran axis:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1454706821483147266

View: https://twitter.com/IsraelRadar_com/status/1454706821483147266?s=20

 

[jward]

Jason Brodsky
@JasonMBrodsky
28m

#BREAKING: After #G20RomeSummit,
@POTUS
says today when asked about #Iran drone attack on Al-Tanf airbase in #Syria and attacks on US interests says "we are going to respond. We are going to continue to respond."

Replying to
@JasonMBrodsky
@no_itsmyturn
and
@POTU
The US knew the 5 drones were Iranian & their use was facilitated by the hardline regime, nevertheless the Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said, “If there is to be a response…” IF?? I beg your pardon? Looks like the US is leaving all the military “responses” to Israel these days.

Hmm
Global: MilitaryInfo
@Global_Mil_Info

U.S. officials to AP have said that Iran was behind the drone attack on the U.S. base in Syria.

4:31 PM · Oct 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

 

[jward]

Biden warns US will respond to Iranian actions, including drone attacks
‘We will continue to respond,’ says US president; American officials blamed Tehran for UAV assault on the al-Tanf base earlier this month


By TOI staff and AP Today, 11:19 pm

President Joe Biden speaks during a news conference at the conclusion of the G20 leaders summit, October 31, 2021, in Rome. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)



US President Joe Biden said Sunday that the United States will respond to actions Iran has taken against Washington’s interests, including recent drone strikes.
“With regards to the issue of how we’re going to respond to their actions against interest of the US, whether they are drone strikes or anything else, is we’re going to respond,” Biden said in a press conference following the G20 summit in Rome.
“We will continue to respond,” he added.



Biden’s statement comes after American officials blamed Iran for a drone attack on a remote US outpost in Syria. Officials said Monday that the US believes Iran resourced and encouraged the attack, but that the drones were not launched from Iran.
No deaths or injuries were reported as a result of the attack on October 20.


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In retaliation, the US Treasury Department on Friday announced new penalties against two senior members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps and two affiliated companies for supplying lethal drones and related material to insurgent groups in Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, and Ethiopia.

This is a big deal, but nobody seems to care much:
– x5 #Iranian explosives-laden drones were launched into al-Tanf in SE #Syria last week — hitting a U.S. troop facility in what DOD has called "a complex, coordinated & deliberate attack."Officials: Iran behind drone attack on US base in Syria pic.twitter.com/Ep08bQiy2u

— Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) October 26, 2021

US and coalition troops are based at al-Tanf to train Syrian forces on patrols to counter Islamic State jihadists. The base is also located on a road serving as a vital link for Iranian-backed forces from Tehran all the way to southern Lebanon and Israel.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby declined to provide details when asked about the report during a news conference Monday. He called it a “complex, coordinated and deliberate attack” and said the US has seen similar ones before from Shia militia groups that are backed by Iran. But he would not go into specifics and said he had no update on the munitions used in the attack.


Kirby also declined to say whether troops were warned ahead of time or whether the US intends to make a military response.


“The protection and security of our troops overseas remains a paramount concern for the secretary,” Kirby said, referring to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, “and that if there is to be a response, it will be at a time and a place and a manner of our choosing, and we certainly won’t get ahead of those kinds of decisions.”

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby speaks during a media briefing at the Pentagon, in Washington, February 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)


Pro-Iran media outlets have been saying that the attack on Tanf was carried out by “Syria’s allies” — an apparent reference to Iran-backed groups — in retaliation for an attack days earlier near the historic Syrian town of Palmyra. Israel has been blamed for the attack. US officials say America was not involved.


The al-Tanf attack came in a period of rising tensions with Iran. The Biden administration this week said international diplomatic efforts to get Iran back into negotiations to return to a 2015 nuclear deal were at a “critical place,” and that patience is wearing thin. But Washington is also eager to bring Iran back to the negotiating table.

The US military outpost al-Tanf in southern Syria, October 22, 2018. (AP/Lolita Baldor)


The last major Iranian attack on US forces was in January 2020, when Tehran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles on al-Asad air base in Iraq. US and coalition troops were warned of the incoming missiles and were able to take cover, but more than 100 US service members received traumatic brain injuries as a result of the blasts.


That attack was in response to the US drone strike earlier that month near the Baghdad airport that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

Two months after the al-Asad assault, US fighter jets struck five sites in retaliation, targeting Iranian-backed Shiite militia members believed responsible for the January rocket attack.

Biden warns US will respond to Iranian actions, including drone attacks

'We will continue to respond,' says US president; American officials blamed Tehran for UAV assault on the al-Tanf base earlier this month

www.timesofisrael.com

 

[Housecarl]

Posted for fair use.....

Turkish army coordinates with Syrian proxy forces ahead of possible military action

Turkish military reinforcements pour into the frontlines with the Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria, as Turkish-backed FSA factions stand on alert ahead of an imminent battle.

www.al-monitor.com

Turkish army coordinates with Syrian proxy forces ahead of possible military action

Turkish military reinforcements pour into the frontlines with the Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria, as Turkish-backed FSA factions stand on alert ahead of an imminent battle.

Members of the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army wave on top of a vehicle as they drive back to their base camp, Akcakale, Turkey, Oct. 16, 2019. - Burak Kara/Getty Images

Khaled al-Khateb

@khaleedalkhteb

Topics Covered
Syria Conflict

November 1, 2021
ALEPPO, Syria — The Turkish army continues to send military reinforcements to the areas controlled by the Syrian opposition in northeastern Syria, amid ongoing Turkish threats against Kurdish forces in the area.

Meanwhile, the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) factions are on alert, and meetings are being held between FSA and Turkish army leaders to coordinate the possible military operation they might launch against the Kurdish forces.

The Turkish Turkiye Gazetesi newspaper reported Oct. 25 that several leaders of the FSA-affiliated Syrian National Army who had participated in past Turkish military operations in Syria (Operation Euphrates Shield, Operation Peace Spring and Operation Olive Branch) were summoned to Ankara to prepare for a military operation in northeast Syria. According to the paper, the operation will take place on two main axes with the participation of around 35,000 fighters.

It said that trained FSA soldiers will be deployed across critical areas during the operation, which will take place in the areas held by the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the People’s Protection Units (YPG), such as Tell Rifaat, Manbij, Ain Issa and Tel Tamr, and they will be backed by Turkish commandos who served in Iraq and Syria.

The newspaper pointed out that Turkey is closely monitoring the moves of the PKK and its supporters by air and land before the operation. Ankara also identified tunnels, logistic centers, transport points, camps and communications systems that were dug at the PKK’s headquarters in Tell Rifaat and its surroundings, as well as in Manbij, Ain Issa and Tel Tamr.

An FSA commander told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, “The intensive meetings between FSA leaders and Turkish military officials are indeed happening periodically to prepare for the battle against the Syrian Democratic Forces [SDF], which is led by the YPG. However, these meetings did not take place in the Turkish capital Ankara or inside Turkish territories, but rather in the FSA-controlled areas in northern Syria, specifically in the Euphrates Shield and Peace Spring areas.”

He said, “The FSA factions have raised the readiness of their military battalions, and they have sent more military reinforcements to the contact lines with the SDF in the north of Raqqa governorate and the axes near the town of Tel Tamr in the countryside of Hasakah governorate. Military convoys affiliated with the Turkish army also entered the area, including tanks, rocket launchers and various weapons.”

The military commander added, “The joint military moves between the FSA factions and the Turkish army are not limited to the Peace Spring area, east of the Euphrates, but also include areas west of the Euphrates in the countryside of Aleppo, in northwest Syria. The talks between the FSA leaders and Turkish military officials revolve around the military readiness, coordination in the field and the tactics that are supposed to be followed.”

On Oct. 28, the Syrian Liberation Front (SLF) affiliated with the FSA announced the graduation of a new batch of fighters who underwent military training as part of the military preparations and training for the upcoming battle.

Mustafa Sejari, director of the SLF’s political bureau, told Al-Monitor, “We have completed the training and military preparations necessary for the upcoming military operation, and thousands of fighters are ready to resume military operations against the PKK and its terrorist arms in Syria.”

He added, “The joint military operations between the FSA and the Turkish army will achieve the ultimate Syrian interest in protecting the Syrian people and the Syrian territorial integrity in the face of cross-border terrorist organizations. Our forces are patriotic and act according to the interest of the Syrian revolution, and our previous operations were successful and achieved the desired interests.”

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said in an Oct. 14 speech at the National Defense University in Istanbul that his country “is ready to take the necessary measures to protect and preserve its rights and interests at the right time and place, under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.”

Meanwhile, the Turkish parliament approved Oct. 26 a motion extending Erdogan’s mandate to send Turkish troops to Syria and Iraq for another two years.

Turkey and its allied FSA factions have previously carried out two military operations in Kurdish-held areas, namely Operation Peace Spring east of the Euphrates on Oct. 9, 2019, during which it took control of Tel Abyad and Ras al-Ain, and Operation Olive Branch in 2018, during which it took control of Afrin, northwest of Aleppo governorate.

Mohammed al-Sukari, a researcher on Syrian affairs at the Istanbul-based Jusoor Center for Studies, told Al-Monitor, “It is clear that the Turkish military operation is imminent, and this can be monitored through the recent political and field developments, especially the large flow of Turkish military reinforcements toward the areas of northern Syria.”

He said, “Preparations are underway between Turkey and the FSA factions through the joint operations room, and the meetings between the two parties are ongoing.”

Sukari added, “I believe that Turkey can launch an operation on the Kobani axis, with Russia’s consent. I think it is difficult for Ankara to launch a military attack on Ain Issa, the administrative capital of the [Kurdish-led] autonomous administration.”

FSA commander Capt. Abdel Salam Abdel Razzaq told Al-Monitor, “The areas of Tell Rifaat and Kobani constitute a strategic target for the FSA and Turkey, and it is likely that the battle will be directed toward them.”

More from Khaled al-Khateb



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Khaled al-Khateb | Syria | Oct 27, 2021





Turkish-backed Syrian groups pursue drug operations in Aleppo
Khaled al-Khateb | Syria | Oct 23, 2021


Read more: Turkish army coordinates with Syrian proxy forces ahead of possible military action

 

[danielboon]

erdogan at it again

 

[danielboon]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1455199279274995714

View: https://twitter.com/EndGameWW3/status/1455199279274995714

 

[jward]

A Global Hawk-Like Aircraft Tail Just Appeared On A Truck In Iran​

While Iran has a history of knocking off American drone designs, even realizing a crude emulation of an RQ-4 would be a significant task.

By Thomas Newdick November 1, 2021


Thomas Newdick View Thomas Newdick's Articles
@CombatAir


Photos that have emerged from Iran apparently show components bearing at least a broad visual similarity to the RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude, long-endurance spy drone. A U.S. Navy RQ-4 was shot down by Iranian air defenses over the Strait of Hormuz in 2019. While the parts seen in the images are certainly reminiscent of the Global Hawk’s empennage in some respects, there is no guarantee that’s what they actually are. However, Iran does have a history of producing its own drones that are very loosely based on U.S. drone designs, including unmanned aerial vehicles supposedly derived from the RQ-170 stealth drone, one of which fell into its hands in 2011, as well as another that seems to be heavily inspired by the MQ-1 Predator. They have emulated others from manufacturers around the globe and even built drones out of U.S. manned jet designs.

شباهت ویژه قسمتی از تصویر منتشر شده از دم یک پهپاد ناشناخته در حال توسعه با پهپاد MQ4 . pic.twitter.com/MiuxG66dc5
— فیلد مارشال! (@FieldMarshalPSO) October 31, 2021​

The images in question first came to our attention yesterday and show what could be the rear fuselage portion of a Global Hawk-style drone, complete with outward-angled vertical tail fins, transported on a flatbed truck on an Iranian highway somewhere near Tehran. Providing that the photos are indeed legitimate, the shape of the possible drone component is partially concealed by tarpaulins. There is no sign of the engine that would normally be found between the tail fins, but that is likely a separate structural component. The fins themselves, which include movable rudders, are more vertically oriented than those on the RQ-4 but may have been arranged in this way for road transport. Furthermore, they also appear shorter than those on the Global Hawk. A flat ‘boat tail’ between the vertical tails is also visible, which is very similar to the one found on the Global Hawk and its derivatives. Otherwise, the drone-like payload on the truck is painted white, with a prominent black and red flash on the visible outer surface of the fin.
All in all, the possible clone of the rear portion of a Global Hawk is a mystery. It’s not even clear that the object is RQ-4-derived or even an unmanned vehicle, although the fins at the rear would really suggest this.

U.S. Air Force/Staff Sgt. Andy M. Kin

A U.S. Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawk is prepared for a mission while deployed at an airbase in Southwest Asia.


It’s possible, too, that this is a mockup of a Global Hawk intended for public display as part of an exhibit, or a military parade, which would echo previous Iranian efforts that have yielded a supposed “stealth fighter” as well as a miniaturized American aircraft carrier, both intended primarily for propaganda purposes. It’s conceivable that a full-size model of a Global Hawk could serve as the centerpiece of an exhibit commemorating the shootdown of one of these drones on June 20, 2019.
On that date, a U.S. Navy RQ-4N BAMS-D (Broad Area Maritime Surveillance-Demonstrator) was brought down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile, an episode you can read all about here. The drone had previously entered Iranian airspace near the Kouhmobarak district in Hormozgan province, according to Iran’s IRNA news agency. Official U.S. accounts, meanwhile, said that the BAMS-D was flying at “high altitude” and was around 21 miles from the Iranian coast at the time of the attack and that it fell into international waters.

U.S. Navy

One of the Navy’s BAMS-D aircraft, of the version that was shot down by Iran in 2019.


Having recovered most of the wreckage of the BAMS-D from the waters off Iran, it’s not inconceivable that the country’s scrappy aerospace industry could have produced an airworthy or even just a taxi-able crude clone of the American drone. Some have posited this possibility in the past, although apparently without any confirmation from Iranian or other official sources. Once retrieved, the BAMS-D wreckage was revealed to the media, as seen in the following images:

This particular claimed #Iran recovered piece appears consistent with underside of #US RQ-4 lower intake section. pic.twitter.com/OZpVHRoCC6
— Joseph Dempsey (@JosephHDempsey) June 21, 2019​

#Iran releases a video of parts of the the $220 million sophisticated stealth #US RQ-4 Global Hawk drone that was shot down with an #Iranian-made Khordad 3 air defense missile pic.twitter.com/y2iRx2ephF
— realSeifBitar (@BitarReal) June 21, 2019​

#Iran #USA
An Iranian fisherman has found a part of the downed U.S RQ-4 drone @Amirh_91 pic.twitter.com/pb6nsa22EH
— Elijah J. Magnier (@ejmalrai) June 24, 2019​

Building a knockoff version of the RQ-4 that comes anywhere close to replicating the same capabilities as the original would certainly be a huge challenge. In this regard, drones in the class of the Kaman-22 — the Iranian UAV that’s apparently based on the MQ-1 Predator — combined with some features of the more advanced MQ-9 Reaper, are much more realistic in terms of development and production. Notably, the Kaman-22 also appeared several years after Iran showed an example of what was apparently a captured U.S. military Predator. Still, maybe a lower, shorter, and slower flying, smaller, and far less capable take on the Global Hawk could be within Tehran's reach. Having a long-endurance drone adapted for medium-to-high-altitude maritime surveillance could be beneficial for Tehran, beyond it being a traditional propaganda win.

VIA TWITTER

The Kaman-22, which Iran claimed was “in the final stages of production” earlier this year.


The Navy’s loss of an RQ-4N in 2019 was a serious propaganda coup for Iran, as well as a potential flashpoint in what was a significant period of tensions between Washington and Tehran. It would not be entirely surprising to now see Iran try and further capitalize on the success of this high-profile event.
While Iran has made copies of various items of military equipment in the past, including drones that share general configurations with captured designs, until we see more of this latest shape, we should probably reserve judgment.

What Looks Like The Tail Of A Global Hawk Clone Just Appeared On A Truck In Iran

While Iran has a history of knocking-off of American drone designs, even realizing a crude emulation of an RQ-4 would be a significant task.

www.thedrive.com

 

[Jaybird]

How much did those Hunter Biden paintings cost?

 

[jward]

Israel Radar
@IsraelRadar_com
2h

US Marines to train with Israeli commando units to prepare for extreme scenarios i.e. takeover of US ship or embassy; American forces to be airlifted into southern #Israel for training sessions before heading to Persian Gulf (via@N12News )

Apex
@Apex_WW
54m

US Marines hit the beach in Israel as CENTCOM solidifies ties with longtime ally

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1455546946937102348

View: https://twitter.com/Apex_WW/status/1455546946937102348?s=20

 

[jward]

..4 now, do I hear 5..?

EndGameWW3
@EndGameWW3
3h

Bahrain calls on its citizens to leave Lebanon 'immediately' https://thenationalnews.com/mena/lebanon/2021/11/02/bahrain-calls-on-its-citizens-to-leave-lebanon-immediately/
via
@TheNationalNews

 

[jward]

Idrees Ali
@idreesali114
5m

U.S. officials say multiple drones, believed to be Iranian, had unsafe and unprofessional interaction with the USS Essex warship in the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours.

 

[jward]

Israel Radar
@IsraelRadar_com
18m

#Israel views top #Iranian commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh as target for elimination at the right time, @JerusalemCenter says; head of IRGC Aerospace Force plays key role in drone attacks in region, gains higher status after Suleimani killing, report says.

 

[jward]

Babak Taghvaee - Μπάπακ Τακβαίε - بابک تقوایی
@BabakTaghvaee
·

#BREAKING: State media of #Iranian regime just released details of the recent clash between #USNavy & #IRGC Navy in #Oman Sea. #USNavy had seized oils of an #Iranian oiler & while was transferring it to a #PersianGulf state, #IRGCNavy recaptured it through a military operation.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1455840625694281730

View: https://twitter.com/BabakTaghvaee/status/1455840625694281730?s=20

According to the #IRGC Navy, the oiler which was transferring seized oil of #Iran to an oil port in #PersianGulf on request of #USNavy belongs to #SaudiArabia. #IRGCNavy has also seized the Saudi oiler in exchange for seizure of an #Iranian Oiler by the #US in #OmanSea

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1455843641352667139

View: https://twitter.com/BabakTaghvaee/status/1455843641352667139?s=20

#BREAKING: #US Naval Forces Central Command confirms seizure of the Saudi Oiler carrying seized #Iranian oil on 25 October 2021. According to the 5th Fleet, #USNavy helicopters, aircraft & vessels at the vicinity only monitored the #IRGCNavy's operation & didn't confront them.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1455913439411556353

View: https://twitter.com/BabakTaghvaee/status/1455913439411556353?s=20

 

[jward]

Norman Roule
@Norman_Roule


Iran appears to be able to hijack ships or attack them with drones, mines, and special forces without any international response. Sooner or later, Iranian aggression will touch someone's red line and there will be hostilities. No one should be surprised.

_________________________________________________
World
U.S. Official Confirms Iran Seized Oil Tanker, Says U.S. Military Just Monitored Incident
By Tom O'Connor On 11/3/21 at 10:36 AM EDT

A U.S. defense official has confirmed to Newsweek that Iranian forces seized an oil tanker in the Sea of Oman last week but said U.S. forces just observed the incident and did not confront the Revolutionary Guard.
The semiofficial Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting outlet first reported Wednesday that U.S. forces confiscated a tanker carrying Iranian oil in the Sea of Oman and then transferred it to another tanker. Iran's Revolutionary Guard forces were said to have then carried out a helicopter landing on the second vessel, allowing them to take control and steer it back toward Iranian waters, thus avoiding U.S. warships and aircraft that then reportedly gave chase.
In an official release, the Revolutionary Guard confirmed the incident and said that the tanker reached the southern port of Bandar Abbas on October 25. It accused the U.S. of "piracy," as did Iranian Oil Minister Javad Oji who praised the actions of Iranian forces.

The U.S. defense official, speaking to Newsweek on the condition of anonymity, presented a counternarrative of the event.
"We're refuting the Iranian claims that they prevented us from taking back this vessel," the official said. "Here's the bottom line: This occurred last week. U.S. naval forces in the Gulf of Oman observed Iranian naval forces seize this oil tanker."
The official described what on-scene U.S. forces had seen.
"There were over 10 Iranian fast boats that swarmed this thing," the official said. "There was a helicopter seen flying around, and, bottom line, our forces responded to monitor the situation."
The official said that the U.S. declined to release the incident's details last week "due to a number of sensitivities." The official added that "Iran is now spinning this against us, saying that they prevented us from taking back this vessel when it's very clear that our forces were simply there monitoring."

Footage later released by Iranian media appeared to show a tense scene with Iranian fast attack craft sailing between the Vietnamese-flagged tanker Sothys on one side and two U.S. Navy 5th Fleet Arleigh Burke–class destroyers, USS Michael Murphy and USS The Sullivans, on the other.
The U.S. defense official Newsweek spoke to confirmed that the tanker in question is currently in Iranian waters, and maritime trackers currently show the Sothys located in the vicinity of Bandar Abbas.

۲. تصاویری از عملیات برخورد نیروی دریایی سپاه با ناوهای آمریکایی pic.twitter.com/MUt1oHHxqm
— خبرگزاری فارس (@FarsNews_Agency) November 3, 2021

The U.S. has previously confiscated a number of tankers carrying Iranian oil to Venezuela, accusing them of violating U.S. sanctions that restrict the Islamic Republic from exporting its natural resources. These measures date back to former President Donald Trump's 2018 abandonment of a nuclear deal forged three years earlier by his predecessor with Iran and China, France, Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom.

President Joe Biden, who was vice president when the landmark accord was reached, has publicly set out to reenter it. But so far six rounds of negotiations have failed to establish enough common ground to do so, and unilateral U.S. sanctions remain in place.
Meanwhile, Iran has begun enriching uranium at levels beyond those set in the deal, although the country maintains it is not seeking to build a nuclear weapon.
Last week, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the top diplomat of recently sworn-in administration of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, said Tehran's team would return to the Vienna talks this month after a monthslong pause during the Iranian election.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CBS News in an interview that aired Sunday the Biden administration still felt "diplomacy is the best path forward for putting the nuclear program back in the box that had been in under the agreement," but warned U.S. officials "were also looking at, as necessary, other options" and would not rule out military action in comments reminiscent of his predecessor, Trump's former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
The following day, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh responded by reiterating it was the U.S. that first left the deal, and dismissed "lackluster and hackneyed" remarks regarding other potential courses of action.
Read more

• As Biden Leaves for Europe, His Foreign Policy Looks Even More Like Trump's
• Iranians Losing Faith in Biden, West, Have Hope for Raisi, East: Poll
• Iran Warns of 'Divisive Schemes' as ISIS Wages Sectarian War in Afghanistan

"Instead of slipping into the language and logic of hawks in the United States and falling into the trap of those who do all they can to preserve Trump's failed legacy," Khatibzadeh said, "the U.S. had better make an effort to create a new language and logic based on respecting the rights of nations."

Sanctions relief has been complicated by the Trump administration's decision to target Iranian oil companies not only with nuclear-related sanctions but terrorism ones stemming from the U.S. designation of the Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization in April 2019. Shortly afterward, Iran designated all U.S. forces in the region as terrorists.
Since then, a number of incidents involving oil tankers have occurred at sea, especially in the Gulf of Oman, where two sets of unclaimed attacks on international vessels were blamed by the U.S. on Iran, which has denied involvement.
In the summer of 2019, the U.K. confiscated an Iranian tanker as it transited the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean, accusing it of sending oil to European Union–blacklisted Syria. Two weeks later, the Revolutionary Guard seized a U.K.-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, alleging it was sailing unsafely in the crucial oil chokepoint at the center of regional and international tensions.

The news of last week's incident in the Gulf of Oman comes just a day before the 42nd anniversary of the Iranian hostage crisis. Supporters of the Islamic Revolution that ousted the West-backed shah in 1979 held dozens of U.S. officials and staff at Washington's embassy in Tehran for 444 days.
The day is commemorated in Iran as the National Day of Protest Against Global Arrogance.

Iranian forces seized an oil tanker in the Sea of Oman last week, but a U.S. defense official said U.S. forces just observed the incident. Above, members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps conduct a joint exercise with Russian forces in the northern Indian Ocean on February 17. Iranian Army Office
Update 11/3/21, 11:56 a.m. ET: This story was updated with more information on the Sea of Oman incident and other background.
Request Reprint & Licensing, Submit Correction or view Editorial Guidelines


U.S. official confirms Iran seized oil tanker, says U.S. military just monitored incident

 

[jward]

Israel Radar
@IsraelRadar_com

#Israel plans to evacuate residents living within 5 kilometers of #Lebanon border in case of war; army and rescue services simulate evacuation under fire during national war exercise, @Jerusalem_Post reports.

 

[jward]

EndGameWW3
@EndGameWW3

Iran boasts of boosting its stockpile of 60% enriched uranium to 25 kg https://timesofisrael.com/iran-boasts-of-boosting-its-stockpile-of-60-enriched-uranium-to-25-kg/

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1456767735065686025

View: https://twitter.com/EndGameWW3/status/1456767735065686025?s=20

 

[jward]

Hamas and Iran Join Forces to Encircle Israel
by Yaakov Lappin



Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivers a televised speech in Tehran, Iran June 4, 2021. Official Khamenei Website/Handout via REUTERS

A senior Hamas delegation that visited Iran in October — and met with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei — is the latest sign of the close partnership between the Sunni Palestinian terror organization and the Shiite Islamic Republic.
Hamas has an important role to play in Iran’s scheme to surround Israel with Islamist, heavily armed forces, said Col. (res.) David Hacham, a former Arab-affairs adviser to seven Israeli defense ministers. However, Hacham said that there isn’t a clear consensus within Hamas over just how far it should align with Tehran.

“There is no doubt that in recent years, there has been an improvement in Hamas-Iran ties,” Hacham said. In 2011, a rift developed over the Syrian civil war, with Hamas backing Sunni Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated rebels against Iran’s ally, the Assad regime.
Following that split, the former head of Hamas’ political bureau, Khaled Mashaal, was expelled from Damascus. He moved to Qatar, where he re-established an overseas Hamas headquarters.


November 5, 2021 3:40 pm
0
Pro-Israel Readers Swarm New York Times Comments Section After Article Blames Israel for Gaza Wedding Debt
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Iran suspended military and economic ties to Hamas.
In 2017, new attempts were made to bridge the gap between the two sides, and Iran renewed its financial aid to Hamas. “Since 2017, the money has been flowing in without stop, and the sum is estimated to be many tens of millions of dollars per year,” Hacham added.

The reconciliation was enabled partly because Hamas’ current head of the political bureau, Ismael Haniyeh, who is based in Qatar, and the head of Hamas in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar — whose roots lie in Hamas’ military wing — have a positive view of Iran.
“The military wing is more aware of the military and economic significance of Iran’s assistance to Hamas,” he said. The political wing, meanwhile, has taken a more cautious view of Iran, and is more concerned about how the alliance could affect Hamas’ Sunni Arab credentials.
It appears as if the military wing has won the argument.
“The recent years have seen many Hamas delegations visiting Iran,” Hacham said. Haniyeh was a prominent guest at the funeral of the late Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani in January 2020. There, he dubbed Soleimani “the martyr of Jerusalem,” and said he “provided to Palestine.”

Within Gaza, meanwhile, Hamas is using Iranian technical know-how to enhance its rocket arsenal’s range. Hamas routinely fires rockets into the Mediterranean Sea to test their ranges and performance.
“Iran has taught Hamas how to build its own domestic rocket manufacturing industry,” Hacham said. “In the past, Iranian weapons were smuggled from the Sinai Peninsula into Gaza; though the Egyptian campaign to destroy smuggling tunnels appears to have largely stopped this activity, it is fair to assume that a small number of tunnels remain.”
Despite the disruption in smuggling, Iran continues to play an invaluable role in Hamas’ military-terrorist build-up. Iran provides training for Hamas operatives, shares offensive and defensive operational plans and battle doctrines, and passes along scientific and engineering information needed for producing ever-improving rockets, explosives, and other weapons in Gaza.

“This is all continuing at full speed,” said Hacham.
The latest Hamas delegation to Tehran, which was reported by the Al-Quds Palestinian newspaper, included Khalil Al-Hayya, Sinwar’s deputy, who leads Hamas’s Arab-Islamic relations portfolio.
The delegation was welcomed in Iran by Hamas’ representative to the Islamic Republic, Khaled Al-Kadumi.
After the visit, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, released a statement calling for “the unity of Muslims” as a precondition for solving “the Palestinian problem in the best manner.”
“Iran has an interest in relations with Hamas, because it wants to surround Israel from all sides,” said Hacham. “By establishing strongholds in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, it is surrounding Israel, effectively putting it under a blockade. This motivates Iran to continue investing in its relations with Hamas, in addition to propping up their direct puppet, Palestinian Islamic Jihad [Gaza’s second largest armed faction].”

United by their war against Israel, Iran viewed May’s armed conflict between Palestinian terror factions in Gaza and Israel as a ‘victory‘ for its cause, said Hacham.
After Hamas’ violent coup in Gaza in 2007, Iran expanded its support, based on the vision of turning Gaza into an escalation front against Israel. “Assistance grew from tens of millions of dollars per year in 2007 to $200 million per year a few years later, according to reliable assessments,” said Hacham.
At the same time, Iran has been careful not “to put all of its eggs in Hamas’ basket,” Hacham said, noting that it provides supports to “all variants of radical Islamic organizations in Gaza, with an emphasis on Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which is a central Iranian proxy.”

Hamas activities in other parts of the Middle East, such as Lebanon, also receive Iranian support, he added. “The financial and military assistance isn’t slowing down. Iran has a need to exert its influence over all radical Islamist forces in the region.”
All of this is happening as Iran faces an ongoing, deep economic crisis, which has not deterred its leadership from investing significant treasure in its regional long-range influence program. That fact alone is testament to the depth of the regime’s dedication to its radical hegemony objective and Israel’s destruction, irrespective of the troubles faced by everyday Iranians back home.

Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT) Senior Fellow Yaakov Lappin is a military and strategic affairs correspondent. He also conducts research and analysis for defense think tanks, and is the military correspondent for JNS. His book, The Virtual Caliphate, explores the online jihadist presence. A version of this article was originally published by IPT.

Hamas and Iran Join Forces to Encircle Israel - Algemeiner.com

A senior Hamas delegation that visited Iran in October — and met with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei — is the latest sign of the close partnership between the Sunni Palestinian terror organization and the Shiite Islamic Republic. Hamas has an important role to play in Iran's scheme to...

www.algemeiner.com

 

[jward]

Iraqi Prime Minister’s residence targeted by drone strike, military says

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi casts his vote during parliamentary elections in Baghdad, Iraq on Oct. 10. (Khalid Mohammed/AP)
By Louisa Loveluck
and
Mustafa Salim

Today at 8:52 p.m. EDT



BAGHDAD — A drone appeared to target the residence of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi inside Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone early Sunday, signalling a major escalation as Iran-linked groups contest the results of last month’s elections.

The Iraqi military described the attack as a “failed assassination attempt” and said that Kadhimi was unharmed. The explosion, as well as follow-up gunfire, was heard throughout central Baghdad.
The attack came hours after Iraqi supporters of Iran-linked militia groups held a funeral march for a man killed by security forces Friday when crowds tried to storm the Green Zone -- which houses Iraqi government offices and western embassies — from two sides.

More than 125 people were wounded in those clashes, most of them members of the security forces, as militia supporters decried Iraq’s Oct. 10 parliamentary elections as fraudulent.
Although broadly accepted as legitimate by international observers, the results have sparked growing tensions here. As populist cleric Shiite Moqtada al-Sadr emerged with the largest share of the country’s parliamentary seats, the Iran-linked Fateh alliance saw its share cut by around two-thirds, despite winning the largest numbers of votes.
This is a developing story.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/drone-hits-iraqi-pm-house/2021/11/06/248a4b4a-3f61-11ec-bd6f-da376f47304e_story.html

 

[jward]

Jason Brodsky
@JasonMBrodsky
6m

Video of AAH's Qais Khazali threatening #Iraq's prime minister just hours before the attempted assassination of Kadhimi. Important context for tonight's drone attack.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1457152464403247116

View: https://twitter.com/JasonMBrodsky/status/1457152464403247116?s=20