WAR Main Persian Gulf Trouble thread

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Iran-backed media outlet reveals 'sensitive' sites Iran will strike in war against Israel​


November 28, 2022​



Media close to the Iranian government has published a list of "sensitive" sites vulnerable to attack by Tehran and its proxy groups in the event of a future war, in a rare revealing of their strategic plans by Iran and its affiliated media outlets.

According to the state-backed Tasnim News Agency, the Al-Mayadeen media network – also backed and funded by the Iranian government – "published a report on the analysis of Israel's target bank and the sensitive positions of this regime that can be targeted in any war. At the beginning of this report, the general situation of the Zionist regime at the military level and its equipment has been examined."

The sites that the report listed included the Israeli Knesset, the Prime Minister's office, the Defence Ministry, nuclear sites and facilities as well as warehouses and industrial sites such as that of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot and the arms company, Rafael Advanced Defence Systems and the Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa.
Alongside "military and intelligence bases", it said Iran and its proxies could also target "civilian" airports like Tel-Aviv's Ben-Gurion International Airport and the Ramon Airport near Eilat. Such attacks could echo reports in May last year that the Palestinian Resistance group, Hamas, targeted Ramon Airport.
READ: Israel military warns against 'direct confrontation with Iran'
Iranian-backed groups, such as the Lebanon-based Hezbollah, have also threatened to attack Israeli infrastructure in previous years, such as gas rigs off the coast and industrial sites near Haifa. In this case, however, it is one of the rare times when Iranian media and affiliated outlets publish so openly about their claimed targets in the event of a war in the future.

According to analysts and reports, the publishing of the list is intended as a message to Tel Aviv, letting it know that Tehran and its proxy militias throughout the region have the capabilities to successfully target those sensitive sites.
Iran has long warned Israel that it has the military capabilities to strike important areas within the small Occupation state, especially in terms of missile reach. Two months ago, a military commander stated that Tehran has developed a long-range drone specifically designed to strike the cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa.
Israel has itself been working to curb that, claiming a month ago that it had eliminated almost 90 per cent of Iran's military capabilities in Syria through its relentless airstrikes on Iranian and Syrian regime sites in the country.
READ: Ukraine war ignites the arms race in the Middle East
www.middleeastmonitor.com

Iran-backed media outlet reveals 'sensitive' sites Iran will strike in war against Israel

Media close to the Iranian government has published a list of 'sensitive' sites vulnerable to attack by Tehran and its proxy groups in the event of a future war, in a rare revealing of their strat...
www.middleeastmonitor.com www.middleeastmonitor.com
 
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Iran says ‘morality police’ scrapped after weeks of protest sparked by woman’s death​


By AFP and TOI staff




TEHRAN — Iran has scrapped its so-called “morality police” after more than two months of protests triggered by the arrest of Mahsa Amini for allegedly violating the country’s strict female dress code, local Iranian media said Sunday.
Women-led protests, labeled “riots” by the authorities, have swept Iran since the 22-year-old Iranian of Kurdish origin died in custody on September 16, three days after her arrest by the “morality police” in Tehran.
Demonstrators have burned their mandatory hijab head coverings and shouted anti-government slogans, and since Amini’s death, a growing number of women have chosen not to wear the hijab, particularly in parts of Tehran.

“Morality police have nothing to do with the judiciary and have been abolished,” Attorney General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri was quoted as saying by the ISNA news agency.
His comment came at a religious conference where he responded to a participant who asked “why the morality police were being shut down,” the report said.


It was not clear whether the so-called morality police would be replaced by another force or authority.
The Interior Ministry, which is in charge of the morality police, has not publicly commented on its status, the Reuters news agency reported Sunday.


Iranians who live in Brazil protest the death of Mahsa Amini, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, September 23, 2022 (AP Photo/Andre Penner, File)

Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that overthrew Iran’s US-backed monarchy, there has been some kind of official monitoring of the strict dress code for both men and women.

But under hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the morality police — known formally as the Gasht-e Ershad or “Guidance Patrol” — was established to “spread the culture of modesty and hijab.”
The units were set up by Iran’s Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, which is today headed by President Ebrahim Raisi.
They began their patrols in 2006 to enforce the dress code which also requires women to wear long clothes and forbids shorts, ripped jeans and other clothes deemed immodest.
The announcement of the unit’s abolition came a day after Montazeri said “both parliament and the judiciary are working” on the issue of whether the law requiring women to cover their heads needs to be changed.
Raisi said in televised comments Saturday that Iran’s republican and Islamic foundations were constitutionally entrenched “but there are methods of implementing the constitution that can be flexible.”

‘Spreading corruption’​

The hijab became mandatory in 1983.

Morality police officers initially issued warnings before starting to crack down and arrest women 15 years ago.
The squads were usually made up of men in green uniforms and women clad in black chadors, garments that cover their heads and upper bodies.


In this file photo taken on July 23, 2007, an Iranian policewoman speaks with women regarding her clothing during a crackdown to enforce Islamic dress code in the capital Tehran (Behrouz MEHRI / AFP)

The role of the units evolved, but has always been controversial even among candidates running for the presidency.
Clothing norms gradually changed, especially under former relatively moderate president Hassan Rouhani.
But in July this year his successor, the ultra-conservative Raisi, called for the mobilization of “all state institutions to enforce the headscarf law.”


In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian Presidency, President Ebrahim Raisi speaks in an interview with the state TV at the presidency office in Tehran, Iran on Sept. 28, 2022. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP)

Raisi at the time charged that “the enemies of Iran and Islam have targeted the cultural and religious values of society by spreading corruption.”
Iran’s regional rival Saudi Arabia also employed morality police to enforce female dress codes and other rules of behavior. Since 2016 the force there has been sidelined in a push by the Sunni Muslim kingdom to shake off its austere image.
In September, the Union of Islamic Iran People Party, the country’s main reformist party, called for the hijab law to be rescinded.

The party, created by relatives of former reformist president Mohammad Khatami, demands authorities “prepare the legal elements paving the way for the cancellation of the mandatory hijab law.”
As recently as Saturday it also called for the Islamic republic to “officially announce the end of the activities of the morality police” and “allow peaceful demonstrations.”
Iran accuses its enemy the United States and its allies, including Britain and Israel, and Kurdish groups based outside the country, of fomenting the street protests.


In this Monday, Sept. 19, 2022, photo taken by an individual not employed by the Associated Press and obtained by the AP outside Iran, a police motorcycle and a trash bin are burning during a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who had been detained by the nation’s morality police, in downtown Tehran, Iran. (AP Photo)

More than 300 people have been killed in the unrest, including dozens of security force members, an Iranian general said on Monday.
Oslo-based non-government organization Iran Human Rights on Tuesday said at least 448 people had been “killed by security forces in the ongoing nationwide protests.”
Thousands of people have been arrested, including prominent Iranian actors and footballers.
Among them was the actor Hengameh Ghaziani, detained last month. She had published on Instagram a video of herself removing her head covering. She was later freed on bail, Iranian news agencies reported.
www.timesofisrael.com

Iran says ‘morality police’ scrapped after weeks of protest sparked by woman’s death

Country's AG reportedly makes announcement at conference on religion, more than 2 months after Mahsa Amini died in custody; no comment from Interior Ministry, which controls force
www.timesofisrael.com www.timesofisrael.com
 
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Iran says it has executed 4 alleged Mossad agents accused of spying for Israel​


By Agencies and TOI staff​


TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian authorities executed four people Sunday accused of working for Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, the state-run IRNA news agency said. Three others received lengthy prison sentences.
“This morning, the sentences of four main members of the gang of mobsters related to the Zionist intelligence service were executed,” the judiciary’s Mizan Online website reported.
IRNA said the country’s powerful Revolutionary Guard announced the arrests of a network of people linked to the Israeli agency. It said the members had previous criminal records and tried to disrupt the country’s security.

Israel and Iran are regional arch-enemies and Iran occasionally announces the detention of people it says are spying for foreign countries, including the United States and Israel. Iran does not recognize Israel and supports anti-Israeli terror groups across the region, such as Hezbollah and Hamas.
Network members allegedly stole and destroyed private and public property and kidnapped individuals and interrogated them, according to the report. It said the alleged spies had weapons and received wages from Mossad in the form of cryptocurrency.


IRNA identified the executed prisoners as Hossein Ordoukhanzadeh, Shahin Imani Mahmoudabadi, Milad Ashrafi, and Manouchehr Shahbandi. Three other members of the group received sentences of five to 10 years in prison, according to the news agency, but they were not identified.
Reports did not say how the executions were carried out.
Iran and Israel have long accused each other of spying. Israel views Iran as its greatest threat and has repeatedly threatened to take military action to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Iran denies seeking such weapons and has vowed a harsh response to any Israeli aggression.

In January, Israel said it had broken up an Iranian spy ring that recruited Israeli women via social media to photograph sensitive sites, gather intelligence and encourage their sons to join Israeli military intelligence.
In July, Iran said it arrested members of an armed group linked to Mossad after they sneaked into Iran from across its western border.
In 2020, Iran executed a man convicted of leaking information to the US and Israel about a prominent Revolutionary Guard general who was later killed by a US drone strike in Iraq.

AP22301356418597-640x400.jpg

Iranians protest the death of Mahsa Amini in Tehran, October 27, 2022. (This photo was taken by an individual not employed by The Associated Press and obtained by the AP outside Iran)

The executions come at a time of heightened tensions in Iran after more than two months of protests sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini.
The 22-year-old Iranian of Kurdish origin died on September 16 after morality police in Tehran arrested her for an alleged breach of the Islamic Republic’s dress code for women.
More than 300 people have been killed in the unrest, including dozens of security force members, an Iranian general said on Monday.

Thousands have been arrested, among them around 40 foreigners.
Iran accuses the United States and its allies, including Britain, Israel, and Kurdish groups based outside the country, of fomenting the street violence which the government calls “riots.”
Iran’s judiciary has already confirmed six death sentences over the protests, and rights group Amnesty International says that, based on official reports, at least 21 people currently on trial are charged with crimes that could see them hanged.
Iran currently executes more people annually than any nation other than China, according to rights groups.


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Iran says it has executed 4 alleged Mossad agents accused of spying for Israel
 
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Iranian regime likely to survive the protests, Israeli official predicts​


By ANNA AHRONHEIM

The Iranian regime will likely survive the protests that have roiled the country for the past three months and will continue to remain in power for years to come, according to Brig.-Gen. Amit Saar, head of the IDF Military Intelligence Research Department.
“The Iranian regime will manage to survive these protests,” he said Monday at the Gazit Institute Conference in Tel Aviv. “It has constructed very strong tools for dealing with such protests.”
Iran has been engulfed in widespread protests against the regime since mid-September when 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was killed in police custody after she was detained by the “morality police” for not properly wearing a hijab.
The Islamic Republic has been hit by nationwide protests in the past, Saar said, adding that the length and violence of the current riots, along with the young ages of those taking part and their willingness to use violence against regime figures, makes them different.

The reason behind the protests – the legitimacy of the regime itself rather than elections or the economy – is a big worry for those in power, he said.
Protesters in Iran remove their head coverings in defiance of the Islamic Republic's laws as protests continue to grow despite regime crackdown, November 2022. (credit: 1500tasvir)
The lack of fear by the young generation – at least 50 members of Iranian security forces have been killed by protesters across the country – will remain a major concern for the regime, Saar said.
But, he said, “I think that even if these protests wane, the reasons for them will remain, and thus the Iranian regime will have a problem for years to come.”
In addition to dealing with the ongoing protests, Iran is entering the coming year facing global crises including the war in Ukraine.

“For the first time ever, we are seeing Iran providing Russia with advanced weaponry for its war in Ukraine,” Saar said. "The rapprochement between Iran and Russia comes from a Russian need - this is a dramatic change. They knew that there would be international condemnation but it was a clear strategic decision."
Iran is supplying not only attack drones to Russia but has been reported to be prepared to send short-range ballistic missiles which would give a significant battlefield boost to Moscow.
But, he said, "the Iranians will exact a price from the Russians for their assistance in the war in Ukraine, this is what we need to look at.”
Iranian personnel has also been deployed to the area to help Russian forces use the Iranian loitering munitions.

Tehran bulding its capabilities for a war against Israel​

With Israel remaining the central enemy, Tehran is continuing to build its capabilities for a war against the Jewish state. While Iran continues to strengthen its proxy groups across the region, it is also building up its power to fight a symmetrical war against Israel.
Iran is also at the most advanced stage in its nuclear program than ever before with more knowledge, centrifuges and plants.
“Iran has complete control over the enrichment process, and it only requires the political decision to go for the bomb, there is no technical impediment,” he said, adding that though it will still take “a few years” to weaponize, “it’s a totally different program than what we’ve seen in the past.”
 
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EndGameWW3
@EndGameWW3

Pentagon: A ship belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards tried to intercept an American warship in the Strait of Hormuz.



EndGameWW3
@EndGameWW3

The US military accuses the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Navy of "unprofessional and dangerous" actions that could lead to a clash in the Strait of Hormuz.
 
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Saudi foreign minister: 'All bets off' if Iran gets nuclear weapon​


2 minute read
December 11, 2022
3:58 PM UTC
Last Updated ago

DUBAI, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said on Sunday that Iran's Gulf Arab neighbours would act to shore up their security if Tehran were to obtain nuclear weapons.
Indirect U.S.-Iranian talks to salvage a 2015 nuclear pact between global powers and Iran, which Washington exited in 2018, stalled in September. The U.N. nuclear chief has voiced concern over a recent announcement by Tehran that it was boosting enrichment capacity.
"If Iran gets an operational nuclear weapon, all bets are off," Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said in an on-stage interview at the World Policy Conference in Abu Dhabi when asked about such a scenario.
"We are in a very dangerous space in the region...you can expect that regional states will certainly look towards how they can ensure their own security."

The nuclear talks have stalled with Western powers accusing Iran of raising unreasonable demands, and focus shifting to the Russia-Ukraine war as well as domestic unrest in Iran over the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.
Though Riyadh remained "sceptical" about the Iran nuclear deal, Prince Faisal said it supported efforts to revive the pact "on condition that it be a starting point, not an end point" for a stronger deal with Tehran.
Sunni-ruled Gulf Arab states have pressed for a stronger agreement that addresses their concerns about Shi'ite Iran's missiles and drones programme and network of regional proxies.
"The signs right now are not very positive unfortunately," Prince Faisal said.
"We hear from the Iranians that they have no interest in a nuclear weapons programme, it would be very comforting to be able to believe that. We need more assurance on that level."
Iran says its nuclear technology is solely for civil purposes.

A senior Emirati official said on Saturday that there was an opportunity to revisit "the whole concept" of the nuclear pact given the current spotlight on Tehran's weapons with Western states accusing Russia of using Iranian drones to attack targets in Ukraine. Iran and Russia deny the charges.
Reporting by Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
www.reuters.com

Saudi foreign minister: 'All bets off' if Iran gets nuclear weapon

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said on Sunday that Iran's Gulf Arab neighbours would act to shore up their security if Tehran were to obtain nuclear weapons.
www.reuters.com www.reuters.com
 
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Russian Su-35s Won’t Give Iran Air Superiority Over The Persian Gulf​

Paul Iddon
Contributor

I write mostly about Middle East affairs, politics and history.

Dec 12, 2022
08:23am EST



The United States has announced that Russia will deliver Iran Su-35 Flanker-E fighter jets within the next year. While this would undoubtedly mark Iran's most significant fighter acquisition in over 30, if not 40, years, it won't likely enable Tehran to establish air superiority over the Persian Gulf or project power far beyond its borders.

According to U.S. intelligence, Russia will deliver Iran these fighters as part of the "unprecedented level of military and technical support that is transforming their relationship into a full-fledged defense partnership."


There were already several indications that Iran may receive Su-35s in return for supplying Russia with hundreds of drones for use against Ukraine. Furthermore, in September, the commander of Iran's air force said there were plans for purchasing Su-35s.


MOSCOW, RUSSIA - MAY 09: Sukhoi Su-35S aircraft perform during 76th anniversary of the Victory Day ... [+]
Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby has confirmed that Iranian pilots are receiving training on the Su-35 and that Iran could begin receiving the fighters as soon as next year.

"These fighter planes will significantly strengthen Iran's air force relative to its regional neighbors," Kirby said on Dec. 9.
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As speculated since last year, Iran will likely receive Su-35s initially built for Egypt, about two dozen fighters. These are enough to bolster and begin modernizing Iran's old fighter fleet. However, they are not enough to pose any significant challenge to the qualitatively and quantitively superior airpower of its neighbors just across the Gulf.

Iran's air force needs at least 60 4.5-generation fighters to replace its arsenal's most advanced fighters, the F-14A Tomcat and MiG-29A Fulcrum. It's unclear if Russia plans to build an additional 30-or-so Su-35s for Iran as part of a second batch for delivery years from now or deliver fighters from its existing arsenal, which is unlikely given their need in the Ukraine war. There has been some speculation Iran will want to locally produce the second batch. If so, it could be seeking an arrangement loosely modeled after Russia's prior deal with India — which allowed New Delhi to locally manufacture 140 Su-30s under license.

An increasingly desperate Moscow could offer Tehran such an arrangement to induce a swift supply of more weapons for its flailing war effort in Ukraine. As of writing, Iran is apparently reluctant to supply Russia with short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) as it grapples with the ongoing domestic protests that began in September. To reassure Tehran and secure SRBM deliveries, Moscow has reportedly offered its so-called "cut-throats" to help the Iranian regime crush these protests and secure its rule.
Even if the first batch of Su-35s arrives in Iran next year and there is an agreement for more later, Tehran will still face formidable rival airpower just across the Gulf.

Saudi Arabia has over 80 advanced F-15SA (Saudi Advanced) jets, an advanced version of the Strike Eagle which can carry as many as 12 long-range AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles. The United Arab Emirates has a similar-sized fleet of advanced F-16E/F Block 60s and will begin taking delivery of 80 Dassault Rafale F4 standard multirole fighters from France starting from 2027.
The Su-35, with its thrust-vectoring engines and ‘glass’ cockpit, is undoubtedly a sleek aircraft. However, it only has a passive electronically scanned array (PESA) radar, which is less capable than the active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars found on Saudi F-15SAs and Emirati F-16s. The Rafales Abu Dhabi has ordered will have more advanced features, including a powerful electronic warfare system that could make a crucial difference in a dogfight.
Even if Iran ultimately does acquire 60 Su-35s by the end of this decade, it won't likely be able to pose a substantive offensive aerial threat. And that's not even taking into account Israel's large fleet of fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters.

The jets, especially if delivered along with advanced air defense systems such as the S-400, could, on the other hand, make it even more difficult for either Israel or the U.S. to attack Iranian nuclear sites. That prospect, more than any other, is likely what has Washington alarmed about this burgeoning military-technical cooperation between Iran and Russia and why it will most likely take preemptive steps to disrupt it.

Iran's fighters haven't been used for offensive operations since the Iran-Iraq War (1980-88) — with the conspicuous exceptions of a few airstrikes against Iraq-based opposition groups in the 1990s and a single airstrike against ISIS on the Iraqi border in 2014. Tehran invariably prefers to use drones and SRBMs against its regional adversaries, often using its militia proxies throughout the Middle East to give itself plausible deniability. A large fleet of Su-35s isn't likely to change this longstanding strategy unless Tehran finds itself embroiled in another large-scale conventional war. But even in that doomsday scenario, it will probably avoid risk losing its most advanced fighters in a futile attempt to establish air superiority beyond Iranian airspace where they are more vulnerable.

Any delivery of Russian fighter jets to Iran is, without doubt, significant, but it isn't likely to radically or fundamentally alter the military balance in that volatile part of the world.

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www.forbes.com

Russian Su-35s Won’t Give Iran Air Superiority Over The Persian Gulf

Even if the first batch of Su-35s arrives in Iran next year and there is an agreement for more later, Tehran will still face formidable rival airpower just across the Gulf.
www.forbes.com www.forbes.com
 
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Israeli officials: Fearing backlash, Iran plans to limit range of missiles sent to Russia
Barak Ravid
5–7 minutes
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to his Iranian counterpart, Ebrahim Raisi, in Tehran on July 19. Photo: Sergei Savostyanov/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to his Iranian counterpart, Ebrahim Raisi, in Tehran on July 19. Photo: Sergei Savostyanov/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images

Fearing international backlash, Iran wants to limit the range of the missiles it plans to provide Russia for the war in Ukraine, four senior Israeli officials told Axios, citing intelligence reports.

Why it matters: Iranian ballistic missile deliveries to Russia could violate a UN Security Council resolution and trigger a "snapback" mechanism, which would reimpose UN sanctions on Iran.

Such a situation would be problematic for Iran, but even more so for Russia, which is a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
Under UN Security Council resolution 2231, which passed in 2015 as part of the nuclear deal, countries are not allowed to transfer or receive Iran ballistic missiles and drones that have a range of more than 300 kilometers and a payload of more than 500 kilograms until October 2023.

Driving the news: Russia’s deputy defense minister, Alexander Fomin, visited Tehran with a military delegation on Dec. 3.

He met with Maj. Gen. Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, the chief of staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, and attended the fourth meeting of the Joint Military Cooperation Commission, which was formed late last year to boost defense cooperation between Russia and Iran, according to Iranian press reports.
Israel is concerned Russia will provide Iran with engines for its long-range missiles, which would be in violation of the UN Security Council resolution, the Israeli officials said. It's also worried Moscow will allow Tehran greater freedom of operation in Syria to attack Israel and U.S. forces in the region.

The big picture: Iran initially denied providing Russia with drones, but acknowledged last month it did deliver the weapons but claimed it happened before the war started.

Russia has denied using Iranian-made drones on civilian targets in Ukraine, despite growing evidence to the contrary.

Behind the scenes: The four Israeli officials said international pressure has not fully deterred Tehran from planning to send the missiles to Russia and it intends to go ahead with the deliveries soon.

But, in an effort to mitigate the international fallout and not violate the Security Council resolution, Iran plans to give Russia only missiles with a range of less than 300 kilometers and modify other missiles so they stay within the parameters of the resolution, the Israeli officials said.
This includes a Fateh-110 missile system, which has a range of 300 kilometers, but the Iranians plan to modify it so that it doesn't violate the resolution, according to the Israeli officials.
The officials added that the Iranians originally considered also providing Russia with the Zolfaghar missile, which has a range of 700 kilometers, but they are no longer weighing whether to send this system.
The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a spokesperson for Iran's UN representative did not respond to requests for comment.

Between the lines: In recent weeks, Israel has provided dozens of Western countries a dossier with intelligence about Iranian arms transfers to Russia.

Israeli officials said they hope to use the current focus on Iranian assistance to the Russian war effort as a means for increasing international pressure on Tehran.

What they're saying: The White House declined to comment on the Israeli assessment, but National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said in a briefing with reporters on Friday that the Biden administration is still concerned about the possibility that Iran will provide Russia with ballistic missiles.

Kirby said Russia is offering Iran unprecedented military and technical support while Tehran has become Moscow's top military backer. "That is transforming their relationship into a full-fledged defense partnership," he added.
The Biden administration has shared information about Russia’s military cooperation with Iran with U.S. partners in the Middle East and around the world, Kirby said.

Kirby added the U.S. is concerned that Russia intends to provide Iran with advanced military gear such as helicopters, air defense systems and Su-35 advanced fighter jets. He claimed Iranian pilots have been training in Russia to learn how to fly the jets since last spring.

State of play: EU foreign ministers met Monday and condemned Iran's military support for Russia during the war.

In a statement after the meeting, the EU stressed that "any transfer of certain combat drones and missiles to or from Iran without prior permission by the UN Security Council are in violation" of resolution 2231.
"The European Union strongly cautions Iran against any new deliveries of weapons to Russia, in particular any steps towards possible transfers of short-range ballistic missiles to Russia, which would constitute a serious escalation," the statement added.
"The European Union will continue to respond to all actions supporting the Russian aggression against Ukraine and hold Iran accountable including through additional restrictive measures."

What to watch: The UN Security Council will convene on Dec. 19 to discuss the implementation of resolution 2231.

The U.S., U.K. and France already claim Iranian drone transfers to Russia violate the resolution, while Russia and Iran claim it does not.

www.axios.com

Israeli officials: Fearing backlash, Iran plans to limit range of missiles sent to Russia

Iranian ballistic missile deliveries to Russia could violate a UN Security Council resolution and trigger UN sanctions.
www.axios.com www.axios.com
 
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Iranian hard-liner suggests closing key strait over protests​

A hard-line newspaper close to Iran’s ruling clerics has suggested authorities close the Strait of Hormuz in response to alleged foreign support for the nationwide protests gripping the country
By The Associated Press
December 14, 2022, 11:28 AM

This is a locator map for Iran with its capital, Tehran. (AP Photo)

This is a locator map for Iran with its capital, Tehran. (AP Photo)
The Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- A hard-line newspaper close to Iran's ruling clerics on Wednesday suggested authorities close the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for global energy supplies, in response to alleged foreign support for the nationwide protests gripping the country.

The suggestion came from the editor-in-chief of the hardline Kayhan newspaper, who is appointed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in an editorial that could be seen as a trial balloon.

“Closing the Strait of Hormuz to Western countries’ oil tankers and commercial vessels is Iran’s legal right," Hossein Shariatmadari wrote. "We can even seize a part of their commercial cargo as compensation for the financial damage they have done to our country.”

It's not the first time Shariatmadari has proposed closing the strait, through which around one third of all oil traded by sea passes.

The narrow waterway at the mouth of the Persian Gulf has seen a number of tense encounters over the years. Any attempt to close it would risk a major confrontation with the United States, which has pledged to ensure the free flow of commerce, and could roil international oil markets.

The protests erupted in September following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had been detained by Iran's morality police for allegedly violating strict dress codes for women. The demonstrations rapidly spread across the country and mark one of the biggest challenges to Iran's theocracy since the 1979 revolution that brought it to power.

Iran has blamed the protests, and attacks on security forces, on foreign countries, without providing evidence. The protesters deny any foreign agenda and say they are fed up after decades of social and political repression by leaders they view as corrupt and out of touch.

Security forces have cracked down on the demonstrations, with rights groups accusing them of firing live ammunition, bird shot and tear gas at protesters, as well as beating and arresting them.

At least 494 protesters have been killed since September and more than 18,000 have been arrested, according to Human Rights Activists in Iran, a group that has been closely monitoring the unrest. It says at least 62 security forces have been killed. Iranian authorities have given a far higher death toll for security personnel, blaming attacks on unnamed separatists and militants.

Iran has executed two people convicted of violent crimes linked to the protests. One of them was publicly hanged from a crane earlier this week in a warning to others.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday halted the execution of a third individual, Mahan Sedarat, according to Mizan, the official news agency of the judiciary.

Earlier this month, Sedarat's family told the reformist newspaper Shargh that his death sentence had been confirmed. He was accused of wounding someone with a knife, acting against national security, setting a motorbike on fire and destroying a mobile phone. His family said he denied the charges.

Like the other two, he was convicted of “moharebeh,” a Farsi word meaning “waging war against God,” which carries the death penalty. He was tried in Revolutionary Court, which typically holds closed-door trials and has come under heavy international criticism.

abcnews.go.com

Iranian hard-liner suggests closing key strait over protests

A hard-line newspaper close to Iran’s ruling clerics has suggested authorities close the Strait of Hormuz in response to alleged foreign support for the nationwide protests gripping the country
abcnews.go.com abcnews.go.com
 
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Shayan Sardarizadeh
@Shayan86
Dec 17

Fourteen weeks into anti-regime protests in Iran, rights group HRANA estimates 495 protesters, including 68 children, have so far been killed and 18,450 arrested by the regime. Eleven protesters have so far been sentenced to death and two executed.
1671455119264.png
 
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daniel?! When did Iran/China get added to the bingo card? I didn't even know there was an "iran/china" :: makes the gawd I'm stoopid face ::

https://twitter.com/BabakTaghvaee1
Babak Taghvaee - The Crisis Watch
@BabakTaghvaee1
7m

#BREAKING: #Iran Army, Air Force, Air Defense Force & Navy have started large scale exercise "Zulfiqar-1401" in SE #Iran to simulate defending the country's islands in #PersianGulf from invasion of #UAE. This is also a response to recent statement of #China about Iranian Islands.
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1608778662010327041
View: https://twitter.com/BabakTaghvaee1/status/1608778662010327041?s=20
 
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jward said:
daniel?! When did Iran/China get added to the bingo card? I didn't even know there was an "iran/china" :: makes the gawd I'm stoopid face ::

https://twitter.com/BabakTaghvaee1
Babak Taghvaee - The Crisis Watch
@BabakTaghvaee1
7m

#BREAKING: #Iran Army, Air Force, Air Defense Force & Navy have started large scale exercise "Zulfiqar-1401" in SE #Iran to simulate defending the country's islands in #PersianGulf from invasion of #UAE. This is also a response to recent statement of #China about Iranian Islands.
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1608778662010327041
View: https://twitter.com/BabakTaghvaee1/status/1608778662010327041?s=20
Click to expand...
They have always been there
 
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The French magazine "Charlie Hebdo" is it again - this time, #Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei receives a "golden shower"
The French magazine Charlie Hebdo, known for its provocative cartoons, publishes in its latest issue a collection of cartoons as part of its.
competition, announced about a month ago, focusing on the Iranian Supreme Leader and the protests in Iran.
Attached below is a link to the cartoons that were published. Warning! As you might have guessed, many of the submissions are pretty grotesque and
The Iranian regime, for its part, went out of its way to respond to the magazine's publication, with the Iranian Foreign Minister
announcing that the matter "will not go unnoticed", and with the summoning of the French ambassador in #Tehran to a reprimand.
1672869005720.png
 
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Iranian man busted in his underwear on suspicion of planning chemical warfare in Germany: report
Katherine Donlevy
~3 minutes

A man is taken into custody by an officer from the special task force (SEK) wearing a protective mask
The 32-year-old Iranian man was arrested for obtaining ricin and cyanide for a "serious act of violence," officials said. dpa/Christoph Reichwein

An Iranian national was arrested in his underwear Sunday after he was reportedly caught trying to deploy biological weapons in northwestern Germany.

The 32-year-old man had allegedly obtained cyanide and ricin in preparation for a “serious act of violence,” investigators said, according to German outlet Welt.

The Iranian and one other man, whose affiliation was not disclosed, were arrested by anti-terror investigators in the former’s Castrop-Rauxel living quarters around midnight.

Both were apprehended in their underpants — and jackets that had only been thrown on as authorities descended on the building, eyewitnesses told Welt.

Investigators wearing protective suits wheeled the toxins and other evidence out of the building in blue barrels and deposited them at a decontamination point set up by the fire department.

“The accused is suspected of having prepared a serious act of violence that is dangerous to the state,” said the investigators. “The search serves to find the corresponding toxins and other evidence.”

Police have not disclosed the plans for the alleged attack, how far the plans had progressed or whether the men had chosen a target, but warned it may have been an Islamist assault.
Substances found during the search are examined on the premises of the fire brigade in Castrop-Rauxel
Investigators wore protective suits to clear out the evidence.
dpa/Christoph Reichwein
Emergency services in protective suits in Castrop-Rauxel during a large-scale operation by the police and fire brigade.
A “friend of the secret service” tipped officials off about the scheme.
dpa/Christoph Reichwein

Investigators had been trailing the men for several days, Welt reported.

Ricin is one of the most toxic biological agents known and can be used as an effective airborne weapon, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cyanide, fatal to humans in even the smallest amounts, are also listed on the federal agency’s bioterrorism chemicals page.

Officials are investigating the evidence further before formally filing charges, the outlet reported.
nypost.com

Iranian man busted in his underwear on suspicion of planning chemical warfare in Germany: report

Investigators wearing protective suits wheeled the toxins out of the building in blue barrels and deposited them at a decontamination point.
nypost.com nypost.com
 
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jward said:
Iranian man busted in his underwear on suspicion of planning chemical warfare in Germany: report
Katherine Donlevy
~3 minutes

A man is taken into custody by an officer from the special task force (SEK) wearing a protective mask
The 32-year-old Iranian man was arrested for obtaining ricin and cyanide for a "serious act of violence," officials said. dpa/Christoph Reichwein

An Iranian national was arrested in his underwear Sunday after he was reportedly caught trying to deploy biological weapons in northwestern Germany.

The 32-year-old man had allegedly obtained cyanide and ricin in preparation for a “serious act of violence,” investigators said, according to German outlet Welt.

The Iranian and one other man, whose affiliation was not disclosed, were arrested by anti-terror investigators in the former’s Castrop-Rauxel living quarters around midnight.

Both were apprehended in their underpants — and jackets that had only been thrown on as authorities descended on the building, eyewitnesses told Welt.

Investigators wearing protective suits wheeled the toxins and other evidence out of the building in blue barrels and deposited them at a decontamination point set up by the fire department.

“The accused is suspected of having prepared a serious act of violence that is dangerous to the state,” said the investigators. “The search serves to find the corresponding toxins and other evidence.”

Police have not disclosed the plans for the alleged attack, how far the plans had progressed or whether the men had chosen a target, but warned it may have been an Islamist assault.
Substances found during the search are examined on the premises of the fire brigade in Castrop-Rauxel
Investigators wore protective suits to clear out the evidence.
dpa/Christoph Reichwein
Emergency services in protective suits in Castrop-Rauxel during a large-scale operation by the police and fire brigade.
A “friend of the secret service” tipped officials off about the scheme.
dpa/Christoph Reichwein

Investigators had been trailing the men for several days, Welt reported.

Ricin is one of the most toxic biological agents known and can be used as an effective airborne weapon, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cyanide, fatal to humans in even the smallest amounts, are also listed on the federal agency’s bioterrorism chemicals page.

Officials are investigating the evidence further before formally filing charges, the outlet reported.
nypost.com

Iranian man busted in his underwear on suspicion of planning chemical warfare in Germany: report

Investigators wearing protective suits wheeled the toxins out of the building in blue barrels and deposited them at a decontamination point.
nypost.com nypost.com
Click to expand...
1673184347849.png
 
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Babak Taghvaee - The Crisis Watch
@BabakTaghvaee1
·
15m
#BREAKING: Hundreds of Security Forces of #Iranian Regime are deployed to #RajaiShahr prison of #Karaj to disperse and arrest protesters. They have blocked all the roads and streets around the prison.
#MahsaAmini #IranRevolution
"There will be an uprising if you execute them" people are chanting around #RajaiShahr prison of #Karaj as #Iran's Islamic Regime is about to execute two protesters named #MohammadGhobadlu and #MohamadBroghani today.
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1612279743771983877
View: https://twitter.com/BabakTaghvaee1/status/1612279743771983877?s=20
 
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Mossad behind arrest of Iranian planning attack in Germany

With the help of the Mossad, German police take 32-year-old Iranian citizen into custody, suspected of having procured deadly poisons cyanide and ricin to commit an 'Islamist-motivated' attack
Itamar Eichner|Yesterday | 14:03

Israel's Mossad provided intelligence leading to Germany's arrest on Sunday, of an Iranian man suspected of planning a mass casualty attack.

German police have taken into custody a 32-year-old Iranian citizen suspected of having procured deadly poisons cyanide and ricin to commit an "Islamist-motivated" attack, authorities in western Germany said on Sunday.

Israeli sources confirmed the Mossad's involvement after German Bild news paper reported a friendly nation's intelligence agency provided critical information.
The residence of the suspect in the city of Castrop-Rauxel was searched as part of the investigation, according to a joint press release from the Duesseldorf public prosecutor's office and police in the cities of Recklinghausen and Muenster.
"The suspect is suspected of having prepared a serious act of violence endangering the state by allegedly procuring cyanide and ricin to commit an Islamist-motivated attack," the statement said.

This, police said, carries a prison sentence of between 6 months to 10 years.
In Israel, security officials are conducting further investigations, probing if the Iranian suspect's was planning on harming Jewish or Israeli targets.
A cyclist passes a building where German police have taken a 32-year-old Iranian citizen into custody in Castrop-Rauxel, Germany
A cyclist passes a building where German police have taken a 32-year-old Iranian citizen into custody in Castrop-Rauxel, Germany

Castrop-Rauxel is located in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state, whose Interior Minister Herbert Reul said: "We had a serious tip-off that prompted the police to intervene during the night. The authorities are now investigating at full speed."
German police said a second individual was detained as part of the searches, adding a decision on whether to issue an official arrest warrant would be made at a later date as the investigation is continuing.
A spokesperson for the public prosecutor's office confirmed the person to be the suspect's brother.
גרמניה דרזדן גבר רצח אישה ו מתבצר ב קניון חשש ל בני ערובה כוחות משטרה שוטרים
German Police

Ricin, found naturally in castor beans, can cause death within 36 to 72 hours from exposure to an amount as small as a pinhead. No known antidote exists.
According to German domestic intelligence services, the number of members or supporters of Islamist causes has shrunk by 1.5% to 28,290 individuals in 2021, citing the "military breakup" of the militant Islamic State group.
On Dec. 19, 2016, Anis Amri, a failed Tunisian asylum seeker with Islamist links, drove a truck into a crowded western Berlin Christmas market, killing 11 people and injuring dozens.
News about Sunday's searches also comes a month after German authorities arrested 25 members and supporters of a far-right group that the prosecutor's office said was preparing a violent overthrow of the state.

www.ynetnews.com

Mossad behind arrest of Iranian planning attack in Germany

With the help of the Mossad, German police take 32-year-old Iranian citizen into custody, suspected of having procured deadly poisons cyanide and ricin to commit an 'Islamist-motivated' attack
www.ynetnews.com www.ynetnews.com
 
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Iran on agenda when U.S. national security adviser visits Israel​


2 minute read
January 9, 2023
1:12 PM CST
Last Updated 4 hours ago

MEXICO CITY, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Iran's nuclear program and threats posed by Tehran will be discussed when U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan travels to Israel to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new government.
"I'll be going to Israel and that will be a substantial topic of conversation when I go," he said.
Speaking to reporters traveling with President Joe Biden on a trip to Mexico City, Sullivan did not say when his trip would take place. A National Security Council spokesperson said dates were still being worked out.

​

Sullivan said efforts to revive an Iran nuclear deal opposed by Israel had been set aside for now while Washington pressures Iran to stop sending drones to Russia for use in its war against Ukraine and seeks to stop a crackdown on Iranian demonstrators.
Israel has opposed Biden's attempts to revive the Iran nuclear deal, concerned that it will not stop Tehran's development of a nuclear weapon.
"We'll have the opportunity to engage deeply with the new Israeli government on the threat posed by Iran. And I think we share the same fundamental objectives. And we will work through any differences we have on tactics, the same way that we have over the course of the past two years," Sullivan said.

Latest Updates​

In Jerusalem, Netanyahu said he would discuss Iran with the American team.
"The time has come for Israel and the U.S. to be on the same page, together with states - I expect to discuss this with President Biden and his staff. There is now more unanimity on the subject than at any other time," Netanyahu said.
www.reuters.com

Iran on agenda when U.S. national security adviser visits Israel

Iran's nuclear program and threats posed by Tehran will be discussed when U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan travels to Israel to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new government.
www.reuters.com www.reuters.com
 
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Conversation
Business profile picture
Arab News
@arabnews
·
18h
#BREAKING: #Iran’s judiciary says #British-#Iranian national Alireza Akbari has been executed Alireza Akbari
Business profile picture
Arab News
@arabnews
·
11h
#BREAKING: #French foreign minister summons #Iran's top diplomat over execution of British-Iranian accused of spying Alireza Akbari
Business profile picture
Arab News
@arabnews
·
9h
#BREAKING: @USAmbUK
Jane Hartley says #execution of British-#Iranian citizen #AlirezaAkbari in #Iran is appalling and sickening; says US joins UK in condemning barbaric act
arab.news

Iran executes British-Iranian national, UK condemns ‘barbaric’ act

DUBAI: Iran has executed a British-Iranian national who once served as its deputy defense minister, its judiciary said on Saturday, defying calls from London for his release after he was handed the death sentence on charges of spying for Britain. Britain, which had declared the case against...
arab.news arab.news
Image
Business profile picture
Arab News
@arabnews
·
7h
#BREAKING: #France's President @EmmanuelMacron
says #execution of #AlirezaAkbari is a heinous and barbaric act, expresses solidarity with the UK
arab.news

Iran executes British-Iranian national, UK condemns ‘barbaric’ act

DUBAI: Iran has executed a British-Iranian national who once served as its deputy defense minister, its judiciary said on Saturday, defying calls from London for his release after he was handed the death sentence on charges of spying for Britain. Britain, which had declared the case against...
arab.news arab.news
Business profile picture
Arab News
@arabnews
·
6h
#UPDATE: Germany's FM @ABaerbock
says execution of Alireza #Akbari is another inhumane act by the #Iranian regime; says will continue to closely coordinate action against #Iran
arab.news

Iran executes British-Iranian national, UK condemns ‘barbaric’ act

DUBAI: Iran has executed a British-Iranian national who once served as its deputy defense minister, its judiciary said on Saturday, defying calls from London for his release after he was handed the death sentence on charges of spying for Britain. Britain, which had declared the case against...
arab.news arab.news
Business profile picture
Arab News
@arabnews
·
5h
#BREAKING: US 'horrified' by #Iran's execution of British dual national #Alireza_Akbari, says it stands with UK in 'condemning his death, which was politically motivated and unjust'
arab.news

Iran executes British-Iranian national, UK condemns ‘barbaric’ act

DUBAI: Iran has executed a British-Iranian national who once served as its deputy defense minister, its judiciary said on Saturday, defying calls from London for his release after he was handed the death sentence on charges of spying for Britain. Britain, which had declared the case against...
arab.news arab.news
 
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jward said:
Euromaidan Press
@EuromaidanPress
3m

Kamikaze drones hit the factory that manufactures ammunition and drones in Isfahan, Iran.
Explosions are reported all over the country. Looks like Iran won't be able to deliver kamikaze drones to Russia any time soon.
@MrFukkew
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1619501064046387200
View: https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1619501064046387200?s=20
Click to expand...
Gissur Simonarson
@GissiSim
41m

Be careful watching stuff on Iran tonight... not a lot of sources reporting this. Many from Israel or DC.
Something does seem to be happening, but best to wait until we get better sourcing.

Faytuks News Δ
@Faytuks
56m

A lot of unsubstantiated reports regarding Iran are making the rounds now. The only thing that has been confirmed is that there was a drone attack against a military facility in Isfahan.
 
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Jason Brodsky
@JasonMBrodsky

Targeting #Iran's drone or nuclear program are possible explanations concerning attack on the MODAFL facility in Esfahan. #Israel in 2021 warned Tehran was training proxies at the Kashan Air Base, north of Esfahan. That base also made a cameo appearance in training Russians. 1/3

Although the MODAFL facility was not in same location as the Kashan Air Base, that general area is of interest relating to the drone program. Of course Esfahan also has interesting facilities related to Iran's nuclear program. 2/3

In 2022, Iran informed IAEA that it intended to produce centrifuge rotor tubes and bellows at a new location in Esfahan following the attack on the TESA Karaj complex. So these are some potential reasons, but we'll have to wait for more details. 3/3
 
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Iran thwarts drone attack on military site - state media
2 minute read
January 28, 2023
6:54 PM CST
Last Updated 18 min ago
~3 minutes

DUBAI, Jan 29 (Reuters) - A loud explosion at a military plant in Iran's central city of Isfahan was caused by an "unsuccessful" drone attack, Iranian state media reported on Sunday, citing the defence ministry.

"One of (the drones) was hit by the ... air defence and the other two were caught in defence traps and blew up. Fortunately, this unsuccessful attack did not cause any loss of life and caused minor damage to the workshop's roof," the ministry said in a statement carried by the state news agency IRNA.

Iranian news agencies earlier reported the loud blast and carried a video showing a flash of light at the plant, said to be an ammunitions factory, and footage of emergency vehicles and fire trucks outside the plant.
Register for free to Reuters and know the full story

In July, Iran said it had arrested a sabotage team made up of Kurdish militants working for Israel who planned to blow up a "sensitive" defence industry centre in Isfahan.

The announcement came amid heightening tensions with arch-enemy Israel over Tehran's nuclear programme. Israel says Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran denies this.
Latest Updates

Israel promises swift response to synagogue shooting
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Exclusive: Top U.S. Treasury official to warn UAE, Turkey over sanctions evasion

"(The attack) has not affected our installations and mission...and such blind measures will not have an impact on the continuation of the country's progress," the defence ministry statement said.

There have been a number of explosions and fires around Iranian military, nuclear and industrial facilities in the past few years.

In 2021, Iran accused Israel of sabotaging its key Natanz nuclear site and vowed revenge for an attack that appeared to be the latest episode in a long-running covert war.

The blasts at sensitive Iranian sites have at times caused concern amid tensions over Iran's nuclear programme with Israel and the United States.

Israel has long threatened military action against Iran if indirect talks between Washington and Tehran fail to salvage a 2015 nuclear pact.
www.reuters.com

Israel appears to have been behind drone strike on Iran factory, U.S. official says

Israel appears to have been behind an overnight drone attack on a military factory in Iran, a U.S. official said on Sunday.
www.reuters.com www.reuters.com
 
danielboon

danielboon

TB Fanatic
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I had said for months there would be major boom-booms goin down before drone deliveries were allowed== took longer than I expected by weeks
 
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