WAR Main Persian Gulf Trouble thread
- Thread starter northern watch
- Start date
jward
passin' thru
EndGameWW3
@EndGameWW3
13m
Israel pushing US to keep Trump sanctions on Iran, even if nuke deal resurrected https://timesofisrael.com/israel-pushing-us-to-keep-trump-sanctions-on-iran-even-if-nuke-deal-resurrected/
via
@timesofisrael
View: https://twitter.com/EndGameWW3/status/1412898748376784901?s=20
@EndGameWW3
13m
Israel pushing US to keep Trump sanctions on Iran, even if nuke deal resurrected https://timesofisrael.com/israel-pushing-us-to-keep-trump-sanctions-on-iran-even-if-nuke-deal-resurrected/
via
@timesofisrael
View: https://twitter.com/EndGameWW3/status/1412898748376784901?s=20
jward
passin' thru
Huge Explosion Rocks Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port Sparking Large FireAuthorities in Dubai say that the blaze, which was caused by an explosion on a ship anchored in Jebel Ali, has been brought under control.
By Thomas Newdick July 7, 2021
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@CombatAir
Details are still emerging, but authorities in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates say that a large explosion in a container on a ship anchored in the Port of Jebel Ali, which shook surrounding buildings, subsequently caused a major fire to break out. Officials now say that the blaze has been brought under control and that there are no reported casualties, as of yet, but the full extent of the damage, which appears to be significant, remains unclear.
"We are taking all necessary measures to ensure the normal movement of ships in the port continues without any disruption,” an official statement from the Port of Jebel Ali read. The port is a major commercial hub in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and is the biggest of its kind in the Middle East.
via Twitter/@ModernEraNews
A fireball above the port of Jebel Ali, captured by an eyewitness.
Initial reports had indicated that an oil tanker had exploded or caught fire, which has now been shown not to be the case. Authorities in Dubai have not identified the ship in question, but at least one unconfirmed report suggested that it could be the Comoros-registered container vessel Ocean Trader.
Whatever the cause of the incident, various unverified videos show a huge ball of orange flame rising over the port, while eyewitness accounts report that the explosion could be heard, and felt, from several miles around.
It is also worth noting that another vessel now thought to be in the same port, the Liberia-flagged CSAV Tyndall, had a fire break out last Saturday while it was headed to Jebel Ali. While the cause of that fire has not been established, Israeli officials reportedly blamed Iran for the incident. That would not be the first time that Tehran has been linked with an attack on a commercial vessel in the region, where there have been apparent tit-for-tat operations by both Iran and Israel targeting shipping.
Regardless, so far there is no evidence either way at present that this was anything but an accident, and the identity of the vessel on which the fire broke out is yet to be confirmed.
We will continue to update this developing story as more details become available.
Huge Explosion Rocks Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port Sparking Large Fire (Updated)
Authorities in Dubai say that the blaze, which was caused by an explosion on a ship anchored in Jebel Ali, has been brought under control.
www.thedrive.com
jward
passin' thru
Thomas Sorlie
@Thomas_Sorlie
11m
Rockets hit Iraqi base housing U.S. forces, wounding two Americans -officials #Iraq #USAvia
@Reuters
View: https://twitter.com/Thomas_Sorlie/status/1412901880884305921?s=20
@Thomas_Sorlie
11m
Rockets hit Iraqi base housing U.S. forces, wounding two Americans -officials #Iraq #USAvia
@Reuters
View: https://twitter.com/Thomas_Sorlie/status/1412901880884305921?s=20
jward
passin' thru
The Cavell Group
@TCG_CrisisRisks
2h
Iraq: Expecting a US response to last nights rocket attacks by militias tonight, but reports on air activity at the moment seem routine accept additional ISR Gray Eagle up. No confirmation of airstrikes last night, mixed local reports. Sec Media Cell say HGV launcher caught fire?
https://twitter.com/TCG_CrisisRisks
Iraq: Inaccurate reports about sirens at the Green Zone, all quiet. Sirens at Ain Al-Assad Airbase again earlier with reports of possible UAV. Looks like false alarm though. Much ISR air activity in region tonight.
jward
passin' thru
Joyce Karam
@Joyce_Karam
10h
FIVE attacks on US forces in #Iraq & Syria in < 72 hrs:
• Mon, July 5: Ain Al Assad, Iraq
• Tue, July 6: Union III, Iraq
• Tue, July 6: Erbil Airport, Iraq
• Wed, July 7: Ain Al Assad, Iraq
• Wed, July 7: Deir Zour, Syria Drone & rockets, suspects are pro-Iran militias
jward
passin' thru
Conflict News
@Conflicts
5m
BREAKING: Rocket attack reported against Green Zone in Baghdad. This is the 4th attack in the last 24 hours against US installations in Iraq.
jward
passin' thru
Iran International English
@IranIntl_En
40s
#BREAKING: The C-RAM air defense system was activated in the Green Zone tonight amid unconfirmed reports of another attack on the U.S. Embassy and Union 3 air base in #Iraq. Video circulating on social media is below.
View: https://twitter.com/IranIntl_En/status/1412915467174486018?s=20
@IranIntl_En
40s
#BREAKING: The C-RAM air defense system was activated in the Green Zone tonight amid unconfirmed reports of another attack on the U.S. Embassy and Union 3 air base in #Iraq. Video circulating on social media is below.
View: https://twitter.com/IranIntl_En/status/1412915467174486018?s=20
jward
passin' thru
Rocket attack targets U.S. embassy inside Baghdad's Green Zone -Iraqi security sources
Reuters
1 minute read
BAGHDAD, July 8 (Reuters) - Two rockets were fired at the U.S. embassy inside Baghdad's Greene Zone early on Thursday, Iraqi security sources told Reuters.
The embassy's anti-rocket system diverted one of the rockets, said one of the sources - a security official whose office is inside the Green Zone. The second rocket fell near the zone's perimeter, security officials said.
Sirens blared from the embassy compound inside the zone, which houses government buildings and foreign missions, the sources said.
Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; Editing by Christopher Cushing
www.reuters.com
Reuters
1 minute read
BAGHDAD, July 8 (Reuters) - Two rockets were fired at the U.S. embassy inside Baghdad's Greene Zone early on Thursday, Iraqi security sources told Reuters.
The embassy's anti-rocket system diverted one of the rockets, said one of the sources - a security official whose office is inside the Green Zone. The second rocket fell near the zone's perimeter, security officials said.
Sirens blared from the embassy compound inside the zone, which houses government buildings and foreign missions, the sources said.
Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; Editing by Christopher Cushing
Rocket attack targets U.S. embassy inside Baghdad's Green Zone -Iraqi security sources
Two rockets were fired at the U.S. embassy inside Baghdad's Greene Zone early on Thursday, Iraqi security sources told Reuters.
www.reuters.com
Posted for fair use.....
besacenter.org
IAEA Inspection Reports Mostly Bad News
By Oded BroshJuly 8, 2021
Map of the main sites of Iran's nuclear program, image via Wikimedia Commons
BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 2,091, July 8, 2021
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The latest IAEA inspection reports on Iran show a continued escalation in a wide array of nuclear activities prohibited by the JCPOA, including accumulation of enriched uranium in quantities that exceed the limits set in the agreement as well as increasing levels of enrichment. Moreover, the reports complain that the Iranian regime is constantly hindering the Agency’s verification measures, leading to an ever more significant decline in its ability to ascertain and report on the details of Iran’s nuclear activities. The IAEA’s access, already limited, was further curtailed on June 24, when temporary agreements reached by the Agency with Iran expired. In the background is the victory of Ebrahim Raisi in the Iranian presidential election and the ascendance of a more extremist government than that of Rouhani.
On June 9, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released a series of reports by the Secretary General dated April and May 2021 on Iran’s nuclear activities. Most are short notifications about Iran’s increasing use of advanced centrifuges and increasing levels of enrichment, both of which are prohibited by the JCPOA.
The most important of the reports issued is the detailed quarterly report, dated May 31, which discusses all aspects of Iran’s nuclear program with special emphasis on uranium enrichment activities and facilities. It shows that while the production of low enriched uranium at the Natanz FEP (fuel enrichment plant) appears to have been curtailed by about half—probably due to the “accident” in early April—most of Iran’s other activities are increasingly worrying.
Iran’s current stock of low enriched uranium at the 5% level is almost 1,800 kilograms, about six times the 300 kilograms allowed by the JCPOA and slightly above the 3.67% enrichment level that it permits. In addition, there are another 1,300+ kilograms of uranium enriched to the 2% level. While that might seem insignificant on the face of it, it brings Iran’s total quantity of enriched uranium to more than 3,200 kilograms, or more than 10 times what is allowed by the JCPOA.
It is true that the 1,800 kilograms of 5% enriched uranium are only about a sixth of the quantity that was in Iran’s possession on the eve of the implementation of the JCPOA in 2015, but this is not particularly reassuring. At the Natanz facility, the Iranians are in the process of installing and deploying for use more and more advanced centrifuges, the IR-2m and the IR-4, for the enrichment of uranium. This activity is not permitted by the JCPOA during the first 10 years’ duration of the agreement; i.e., until 2026 (this is in addition to replacing damaged IR-1 centrifuges, which is allowed).
There is more mostly bad news about the PFEP (Iran’s above-ground pilot fuel enrichment plant), which was not affected by the April incident. At that facility, the Iranians are using advanced IR-4 and IR-6 centrifuges to enrich uranium to the 60% level. The quantity enriched so far is only about two kilograms, which is not yet significant per se—but this activity is prohibited by the JCPOA for the first 10 years other than for R&D.
It would appear that at least in its first phase, this step was taken as a provocation in response to the sabotage at the FEP, as well as to increase pressure on the Biden administration in the ongoing negotiations to hurry up and capitulate to Iranian demands before the situation worsens. The 60% level is very near the level of highly enriched uranium (HEU) required for nuclear weapons, and is therefore alarming.
The Fordow facility (FFEP, or Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant), which is located inside a mountain on an IRGC military reservation, is continuing to produce 20% enriched uranium (as well as 5% enriched uranium). According to the report, Iran has produced about 60 kilograms of 20% enriched uranium so far (current to May 24; since then more may have been produced). This would be about a fifth the quantity in Iran’s possession on the eve of the October 2013 Joint Plan of Action (JPA) interim agreement, in which Iran agreed to cease enrichment to the 20% level and dispose of its existing stockpile. It did both in the ensuing months, using about half to produce fuel plates for the Tehran Research Reactor (TRR) and downblending the other half into natural uranium oxides.
The accumulation of significant stocks of 20% enriched uranium is an ominous milestone on Iran’s path to producing highly enriched uranium (HEU) for weapons. Moreover, it should be noted that the Fordow facility was allowed by the JCPOA to continue operations with the explicit understanding and stipulation that it no longer be used to enrich uranium, and that the small number of IR-1 centrifuges allowed to remain would be converted to civilian use with Russian assistance.
The Fordow facility is now using prohibited types of centrifuges to engage in prohibited enrichment to prohibited levels. The fact that Fordow was allowed by the JCPOA to continue to exist rather than be closed down and dismantled is telling. It is now clear why Iran insisted on its preservation as an indispensable part of the agreement.
Another disconcerting aspect of the IAEA report is the theme of frustration, and the long list of substantive complaints, about Iran’s increasing undermining of verification, transparency, and access, and its evasiveness at providing the Agency with information requested regarding suspect sites. The latter was always part of the IAEA’s quarterly reports, but this is now extending to more and more sites, including those that were previously accessible to Agency’s IAEA inspectors.
Iran is also increasing its restrictions on the ongoing monitoring of the enrichment facilities in such a way that the IAEA is reduced to estimating the quantities of the various stockpiles of enriched uranium. The report states that at this stage it is confident that these estimates are reliable as they correlate with verified findings, but intimates that this may not be the case in the future.
Over the past three months, Iran has increasingly restricted IAEA access, and the temporary extensions (or what remained of them) expired on June 24. The IAEA’s verification access is so eroded that it is becoming essentially worthless. At the Agency, work is ongoing to agree with Iran to an arrangement that will facilitate some kind of continued access in parallel to the continuing negotiations to renew adherence to the JCPOA.
It is not clear what position the new government in Tehran will take after the installation of the new president, Ebrahim Raisi, and his government, which will take place on August 3. There is no doubt that it will be more radical than Rouhani’s and more in line with the extremist position of the Supreme Leader, the IRGC, and the other hard-line factions of the regime. It will be interesting to see whether Russia and the European partners to the JCPOA are able to successfully exert pressure on Iran to at least continue to enable IAEA monitoring of some of the crucial elements of the nuclear program, such as uranium enrichment.
The bottom line is the question of how far Iran now is from the ability to manufacture its first nuclear weapon.
According to the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security, a worst-case analysis would put Iran at two to three months from the capacity (given that a decision to do so has been made) to produce enough weapons grade highly enriched uranium (HEU) for a nuclear weapon. the Institute assesses that had the April incident not taken place, Iran would be less than two months away from this capacity.
But the Institute emphasizes that this is a worst-case scenario, and that most assessments are less dire. Still, Iran is evidently, barring a return to the JCPOA commitments, moving forward toward a nuclear weapon relatively swiftly and with determination, and will continue to do so unless other events like the April incident slow it down. The coming months will inevitably see a series of crises in which the Biden administration, the new Israeli government, important Western European leaders, and perhaps others on the regional or international scene will be heavily invested.
View PDF
Oded Brosh is a Research Associate at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies and a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Policy and Strategy, IDC Herzliya.
IAEA Inspection Reports Mostly Bad News
The latest IAEA inspection reports on Iran show a continued escalation in a wide array of nuclear activities prohibited by the JCPOA, including accumulation of enriched uranium in quantities that exce
besacenter.org
IAEA Inspection Reports Mostly Bad News
By Oded BroshJuly 8, 2021
BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 2,091, July 8, 2021
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The latest IAEA inspection reports on Iran show a continued escalation in a wide array of nuclear activities prohibited by the JCPOA, including accumulation of enriched uranium in quantities that exceed the limits set in the agreement as well as increasing levels of enrichment. Moreover, the reports complain that the Iranian regime is constantly hindering the Agency’s verification measures, leading to an ever more significant decline in its ability to ascertain and report on the details of Iran’s nuclear activities. The IAEA’s access, already limited, was further curtailed on June 24, when temporary agreements reached by the Agency with Iran expired. In the background is the victory of Ebrahim Raisi in the Iranian presidential election and the ascendance of a more extremist government than that of Rouhani.
On June 9, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released a series of reports by the Secretary General dated April and May 2021 on Iran’s nuclear activities. Most are short notifications about Iran’s increasing use of advanced centrifuges and increasing levels of enrichment, both of which are prohibited by the JCPOA.
The most important of the reports issued is the detailed quarterly report, dated May 31, which discusses all aspects of Iran’s nuclear program with special emphasis on uranium enrichment activities and facilities. It shows that while the production of low enriched uranium at the Natanz FEP (fuel enrichment plant) appears to have been curtailed by about half—probably due to the “accident” in early April—most of Iran’s other activities are increasingly worrying.
Iran’s current stock of low enriched uranium at the 5% level is almost 1,800 kilograms, about six times the 300 kilograms allowed by the JCPOA and slightly above the 3.67% enrichment level that it permits. In addition, there are another 1,300+ kilograms of uranium enriched to the 2% level. While that might seem insignificant on the face of it, it brings Iran’s total quantity of enriched uranium to more than 3,200 kilograms, or more than 10 times what is allowed by the JCPOA.
It is true that the 1,800 kilograms of 5% enriched uranium are only about a sixth of the quantity that was in Iran’s possession on the eve of the implementation of the JCPOA in 2015, but this is not particularly reassuring. At the Natanz facility, the Iranians are in the process of installing and deploying for use more and more advanced centrifuges, the IR-2m and the IR-4, for the enrichment of uranium. This activity is not permitted by the JCPOA during the first 10 years’ duration of the agreement; i.e., until 2026 (this is in addition to replacing damaged IR-1 centrifuges, which is allowed).
There is more mostly bad news about the PFEP (Iran’s above-ground pilot fuel enrichment plant), which was not affected by the April incident. At that facility, the Iranians are using advanced IR-4 and IR-6 centrifuges to enrich uranium to the 60% level. The quantity enriched so far is only about two kilograms, which is not yet significant per se—but this activity is prohibited by the JCPOA for the first 10 years other than for R&D.
It would appear that at least in its first phase, this step was taken as a provocation in response to the sabotage at the FEP, as well as to increase pressure on the Biden administration in the ongoing negotiations to hurry up and capitulate to Iranian demands before the situation worsens. The 60% level is very near the level of highly enriched uranium (HEU) required for nuclear weapons, and is therefore alarming.
The Fordow facility (FFEP, or Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant), which is located inside a mountain on an IRGC military reservation, is continuing to produce 20% enriched uranium (as well as 5% enriched uranium). According to the report, Iran has produced about 60 kilograms of 20% enriched uranium so far (current to May 24; since then more may have been produced). This would be about a fifth the quantity in Iran’s possession on the eve of the October 2013 Joint Plan of Action (JPA) interim agreement, in which Iran agreed to cease enrichment to the 20% level and dispose of its existing stockpile. It did both in the ensuing months, using about half to produce fuel plates for the Tehran Research Reactor (TRR) and downblending the other half into natural uranium oxides.
The accumulation of significant stocks of 20% enriched uranium is an ominous milestone on Iran’s path to producing highly enriched uranium (HEU) for weapons. Moreover, it should be noted that the Fordow facility was allowed by the JCPOA to continue operations with the explicit understanding and stipulation that it no longer be used to enrich uranium, and that the small number of IR-1 centrifuges allowed to remain would be converted to civilian use with Russian assistance.
The Fordow facility is now using prohibited types of centrifuges to engage in prohibited enrichment to prohibited levels. The fact that Fordow was allowed by the JCPOA to continue to exist rather than be closed down and dismantled is telling. It is now clear why Iran insisted on its preservation as an indispensable part of the agreement.
Another disconcerting aspect of the IAEA report is the theme of frustration, and the long list of substantive complaints, about Iran’s increasing undermining of verification, transparency, and access, and its evasiveness at providing the Agency with information requested regarding suspect sites. The latter was always part of the IAEA’s quarterly reports, but this is now extending to more and more sites, including those that were previously accessible to Agency’s IAEA inspectors.
Iran is also increasing its restrictions on the ongoing monitoring of the enrichment facilities in such a way that the IAEA is reduced to estimating the quantities of the various stockpiles of enriched uranium. The report states that at this stage it is confident that these estimates are reliable as they correlate with verified findings, but intimates that this may not be the case in the future.
Over the past three months, Iran has increasingly restricted IAEA access, and the temporary extensions (or what remained of them) expired on June 24. The IAEA’s verification access is so eroded that it is becoming essentially worthless. At the Agency, work is ongoing to agree with Iran to an arrangement that will facilitate some kind of continued access in parallel to the continuing negotiations to renew adherence to the JCPOA.
It is not clear what position the new government in Tehran will take after the installation of the new president, Ebrahim Raisi, and his government, which will take place on August 3. There is no doubt that it will be more radical than Rouhani’s and more in line with the extremist position of the Supreme Leader, the IRGC, and the other hard-line factions of the regime. It will be interesting to see whether Russia and the European partners to the JCPOA are able to successfully exert pressure on Iran to at least continue to enable IAEA monitoring of some of the crucial elements of the nuclear program, such as uranium enrichment.
The bottom line is the question of how far Iran now is from the ability to manufacture its first nuclear weapon.
According to the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security, a worst-case analysis would put Iran at two to three months from the capacity (given that a decision to do so has been made) to produce enough weapons grade highly enriched uranium (HEU) for a nuclear weapon. the Institute assesses that had the April incident not taken place, Iran would be less than two months away from this capacity.
But the Institute emphasizes that this is a worst-case scenario, and that most assessments are less dire. Still, Iran is evidently, barring a return to the JCPOA commitments, moving forward toward a nuclear weapon relatively swiftly and with determination, and will continue to do so unless other events like the April incident slow it down. The coming months will inevitably see a series of crises in which the Biden administration, the new Israeli government, important Western European leaders, and perhaps others on the regional or international scene will be heavily invested.
View PDF
Oded Brosh is a Research Associate at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies and a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Policy and Strategy, IDC Herzliya.
jward
passin' thru
Babak Taghvaee - Μπάπακ Τακβαίε - بابک تقوایی
@BabakTaghvaee
1m
Two hours ago, #IRGC backed #PMU (Hashd Al-Shaabi) launched a surface-to-air missile (MANPADS) at an unidentified American aircraft flying from Ain Al-Asad Air Base over Al-Nukhib, Anbar province of #Iraq. The missile didn't hit the aircraft!
ORI - WorldNews IL
@OriElmakayes
8m
#Confirmed Surface-to-Air AAD was lunched and got to the position of locking on to a USAF aircraft. Pilot initiated diversion measures and evasive maneuvers which succeed. Pilot and plane are both safe and healthy.
@BabakTaghvaee
1m
Two hours ago, #IRGC backed #PMU (Hashd Al-Shaabi) launched a surface-to-air missile (MANPADS) at an unidentified American aircraft flying from Ain Al-Asad Air Base over Al-Nukhib, Anbar province of #Iraq. The missile didn't hit the aircraft!
ORI - WorldNews IL
@OriElmakayes
8m
#Confirmed Surface-to-Air AAD was lunched and got to the position of locking on to a USAF aircraft. Pilot initiated diversion measures and evasive maneuvers which succeed. Pilot and plane are both safe and healthy.
Well that's definitely going to up the ante. It also begs the question of who else and where has been supplied with them....
jward
passin' thru
Jason Brodsky
@JasonMBrodsky
A U.S. official says the U.S. is not engaged in "open war" with #Iran-backed militias in #Iraq. They would beg to differ. He says, "...we’re asking them, we’re demanding, that they just leave us alone and we’ll leave them alone." That'll do it.
View: https://twitter.com/JasonMBrodsky/status/1413576697144819714?s=20
jward
passin' thru
Jason Brodsky
@JasonMBrodsky
Interesting piece portraying Commander of #Iran's IRGC-QF Esmail Ghaani's loosening hold on militias in #Iraq. Consistent with DIA assessment that Soleimani's death degraded Tehran's relations with its array of partners and proxies in the region. 1/2
But piece doesn't also account for another dynamic: Tehran's use of smaller militias in #Iraq to camouflage its role and protect the older, more established militias. 2/2
View: https://twitter.com/JasonMBrodsky/status/1413435683981692929?s=20
@JasonMBrodsky
Interesting piece portraying Commander of #Iran's IRGC-QF Esmail Ghaani's loosening hold on militias in #Iraq. Consistent with DIA assessment that Soleimani's death degraded Tehran's relations with its array of partners and proxies in the region. 1/2
But piece doesn't also account for another dynamic: Tehran's use of smaller militias in #Iraq to camouflage its role and protect the older, more established militias. 2/2
View: https://twitter.com/JasonMBrodsky/status/1413435683981692929?s=20
jward
passin' thru
Iran Transport Ministry Hit by Second Apparent Cyberattack in Days
By Reuters
July 10, 2021 01:08 PM
An illustration of a cyberattack in progress. (Diaa Bekheet)
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - The website of Iran's transport ministry was taken down on Saturday by what state television said was a "cyber disruption," a day after an apparent cyberattack on the state railway company.
Computer systems of the staff of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development were the subject of the attack which resulted in the ministry's portal and sub-portal sites becoming unavailable, the TV channel reported.
It didn't give any indication of who it believed could have been behind the attack and did not say if any ransom demand had been made.
Train services had been disrupted on Friday, with hackers posting fake delay notices on station boards, state-affiliated news outlets reported. The government-run railway company said only the displays had been affected and that trains ran normally.
Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi warned on Saturday of possible ransomware attacks unless vulnerabilities in computer systems were dealt with, Iranian news outlets reported.
In late 2020, Iran said hackers launched large-scale attacks on two of its government institutions, without giving details on the targets or the suspected perpetrators.
Iran says it is on high alert for online assaults, which it has blamed in the past on the United States and Israel. The United States and other Western powers meanwhile have accused Iran of trying to disrupt and break into their networks.
www.voanews.com
By Reuters
July 10, 2021 01:08 PM
An illustration of a cyberattack in progress. (Diaa Bekheet)
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - The website of Iran's transport ministry was taken down on Saturday by what state television said was a "cyber disruption," a day after an apparent cyberattack on the state railway company.
Computer systems of the staff of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development were the subject of the attack which resulted in the ministry's portal and sub-portal sites becoming unavailable, the TV channel reported.
It didn't give any indication of who it believed could have been behind the attack and did not say if any ransom demand had been made.
Train services had been disrupted on Friday, with hackers posting fake delay notices on station boards, state-affiliated news outlets reported. The government-run railway company said only the displays had been affected and that trains ran normally.
Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi warned on Saturday of possible ransomware attacks unless vulnerabilities in computer systems were dealt with, Iranian news outlets reported.
In late 2020, Iran said hackers launched large-scale attacks on two of its government institutions, without giving details on the targets or the suspected perpetrators.
Iran says it is on high alert for online assaults, which it has blamed in the past on the United States and Israel. The United States and other Western powers meanwhile have accused Iran of trying to disrupt and break into their networks.
Iran Transport Ministry Hit by Second Apparent Cyberattack in Days
Computer systems of the staff of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development were the subject of the attack which resulted in the ministry's portal and sub-portal sites becoming unavailable, the TV channel reported
www.voanews.com
jward
passin' thru
The HbK
@The5HbK
5m
#Breaking #USA - US forces attacked by Rockets. - Keniko oil base is operated by the US forces in Deir ez-Zor province, near the Iraqi-Syrian border. #Iraq #Syria #USA #BreakingNews
@The5HbK
5m
#Breaking #USA - US forces attacked by Rockets. - Keniko oil base is operated by the US forces in Deir ez-Zor province, near the Iraqi-Syrian border. #Iraq #Syria #USA #BreakingNews
danielboon
TB Fanatic
And what will Biden do? "Crickets" We have no business being there.
jward
passin' thru
Didn't he just state he'd respond to attacks, whether any troops were injured or not?
..just because he can't recall what he says, doesn't mean the rest of the world doesn't
jward
passin' thru
Jason Brodsky
@JasonMBrodsky
8m
#BREAKING: a U.S. defense official confirms to Reuters an indirect fire attack on U.S. forces in #Syria tonight.
@JasonMBrodsky
8m
#BREAKING: a U.S. defense official confirms to Reuters an indirect fire attack on U.S. forces in #Syria tonight.
Idrees Ali
@idreesali114
U.S. Defense official says there was an indirect fire attack U.S. forces in Conoco, Syria but according to initial information no casualties, injuries or structural damage.
6:00 PM · Jul 10, 2021·Twitter Web App
jward
passin' thru
Israel Radar
@IsraelRadar_com
44m
Tehran metro system hit by #cyber attack is owned by IRGC company, secretly transports military gear, writes military analyst Alex Fishman in @YediotAhronot; strike on railway system was act of war, #Iran will likely retaliate vs. Israel & US, he says.
View: https://twitter.com/IsraelRadar_com/status/1414145390438494215?s=20
@IsraelRadar_com
44m
Tehran metro system hit by #cyber attack is owned by IRGC company, secretly transports military gear, writes military analyst Alex Fishman in @YediotAhronot; strike on railway system was act of war, #Iran will likely retaliate vs. Israel & US, he says.
View: https://twitter.com/IsraelRadar_com/status/1414145390438494215?s=20
Iran Transport Ministry Hit by Second Apparent Cyberattack in Days
By Reuters
July 10, 2021 01:08 PM
An illustration of a cyberattack in progress. (Diaa Bekheet)
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - The website of Iran's transport ministry was taken down on Saturday by what state television said was a "cyber disruption," a day after an apparent cyberattack on the state railway company.
Computer systems of the staff of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development were the subject of the attack which resulted in the ministry's portal and sub-portal sites becoming unavailable, the TV channel reported.
It didn't give any indication of who it believed could have been behind the attack and did not say if any ransom demand had been made.
Train services had been disrupted on Friday, with hackers posting fake delay notices on station boards, state-affiliated news outlets reported. The government-run railway company said only the displays had been affected and that trains ran normally.
Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi warned on Saturday of possible ransomware attacks unless vulnerabilities in computer systems were dealt with, Iranian news outlets reported.
In late 2020, Iran said hackers launched large-scale attacks on two of its government institutions, without giving details on the targets or the suspected perpetrators.
Iran says it is on high alert for online assaults, which it has blamed in the past on the United States and Israel. The United States and other Western powers meanwhile have accused Iran of trying to disrupt and break into their networks.
Iran Transport Ministry Hit by Second Apparent Cyberattack in Days
Computer systems of the staff of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development were the subject of the attack which resulted in the ministry's portal and sub-portal sites becoming unavailable, the TV channel reported
jward
passin' thru
Hmm. Have we done anything yet in the way of "thanking" them for all those attacks???
Jason Brodsky
@JasonMBrodsky
7m
Big piece by Reuters: the commander of #Iran’s IRGC Intelligence Organization Hossein Taeb urged Iraqi Shi'ite militias to step up attacks on U.S. targets during a meeting in Baghdad last week. The visit coincided with a significant escalation. 1/2
Much more likely than other accounts of Iranian officials’ visits to Baghdad which portrayed them as pushing the militias to maintain calm until after nuclear talks. 2/2
View: https://twitter.com/JasonMBrodsky/status/1414930703679033353?s=20
Jason Brodsky
@JasonMBrodsky
7m
Big piece by Reuters: the commander of #Iran’s IRGC Intelligence Organization Hossein Taeb urged Iraqi Shi'ite militias to step up attacks on U.S. targets during a meeting in Baghdad last week. The visit coincided with a significant escalation. 1/2
Much more likely than other accounts of Iranian officials’ visits to Baghdad which portrayed them as pushing the militias to maintain calm until after nuclear talks. 2/2
View: https://twitter.com/JasonMBrodsky/status/1414930703679033353?s=20
jward
passin' thru
Jason Brodsky
@JasonMBrodsky
1h
#BREAKING: the U.S. Department of Justice has announced kidnapping conspiracy charges against an #Iran intelligence network targeting a U.S.-based journalist.
View: https://twitter.com/JasonMBrodsky/status/1415062939816665088?s=20
@JasonMBrodsky
1h
#BREAKING: the U.S. Department of Justice has announced kidnapping conspiracy charges against an #Iran intelligence network targeting a U.S.-based journalist.
View: https://twitter.com/JasonMBrodsky/status/1415062939816665088?s=20
jward
passin' thru
Adam Kredo
@Kredo0
BREAKING: Biden Admin Waives Sanctions on Iran's Illicit Oil Trade -- State Dept informs Congress Iran will get access to cash on same day DOJ announces sweeping charges on a U.S.-based Iranian spy network
________________________________________________________________________
Biden Administration Biden Admin Waives Sanctions on Iranian Oil Trade As DOJ Announces Charges On Spy Network
Iranian intel agents sought to kidnap American journalist
The State Department informed Congress late Tuesday that it would waive sanctions on Iran's illicit oil trade so that the country can access frozen funds from South Korea and Japan, the same day the Department of Justice announced charges on an Iranian spy network that sought to kidnap an American.
The waiver, signed by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, allows the "transfer of Iranian funds in restricted accounts to exporters in Japan and the Republic of Korea," according to a notification sent to Congress by the State Department. The waiver allows Iranian money that had been frozen as a result of American sanctions to be freed up without violating the law. "Allowing these funds to be used to repay exporters in these jurisdictions will make those entities whole with respect to the goods and services they exported to Iran, address a recurring irritant in important bilateral relationships, and decrease Iran’s foreign reserves," the waiver states.
The waiver was announced on the same day the Justice Department announced new charges against a network of Iranian intelligence agents who sought to kidnap an American journalist and bring her to Iran. The charges include kidnapping conspiracy, sanctions violations conspiracy, bank and wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy charges.
The sanctions relief also comes as the United States and Iran get closer to finalizing a revamped nuclear deal that will even further unwind sanctions on Tehran. Congressional Republicans are likely to oppose the move, which lessens economic pressure on Iran at a time when it is still funding regional terror groups and building out its nuclear weapons program. Sanctions of Iran's oil trade were a hallmark policy of the Trump administration, which sought to cut Iran's exports down to zero and deny the regime a key source of income.
Richard Goldberg, the former director for countering Iranian weapons of mass destruction on Trump's White House National Security Council, said the waiver will relieve pressure on Iran's floundering economy and give it access to much-needed cash.
"There’s a reason we talk about accessible foreign exchange reserves versus inaccessible foreign exchange reserves. If you free up money that’s trapped in foreign accounts for Iran to pay off debts, you are bailing out the regime and rescuing the mullahs from a balance of payments crisis," said Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. "This is a bailout, plain and simple. And to announce it right as DOJ tells us Iran tried to kidnap an American journalist out of New York City—that’s a national outrage."
A State Department spokesman said Blinken signed the sanctions waiver to give Japan and Korea another 90-days to complete transactions with Iran.
"The secretary of state previously signed a waiver to allow funds held in restricted Iranian accounts in Japan and Korea to be used to pay back Japanese and Korean companies that exported non-sanctioned items to Iran," the spokesperson said.
"These repayment transactions can sometimes be time consuming, and the secretary extended the waivers for another 90 days."
The State Department says the waiver "does not allow for the transfer of any funds to Iran," and will make whole Japanese and Korean companies that exported non-sanctioned goods and services before U.S. sanctions were tightened by the previous administration.
The Treasury Department did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Published under: Iran, Sanctions
jward
passin' thru
In Historic Ruling, Court Finds Iran, Syria and Iranian Banks Responsible for Murder of American Citizen in Israel
07.13.2021
Respected international law firms Stein Mitchell Beato & Missner and MM~LAW LLC won a momentous decision yesterday that found Iran, Syria, and Iranian state agencies liable for the murder of U.S. citizen Eitam Henkin and his wife.
Newsroom
Washington, DC, July 13, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stein Mitchell Beato & Missner LLP and MM~LAW LLC won a significant victory in the fight against terrorism yesterday, with a finding in the U.S. Federal court that Syria, Iran, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security, and three Iranian banks (Markazi, Melli, and Saderat) were all liable for Hamas’ brutal murder of American Eitam and his wife Naama Henkin in 2015.
This marks the first time that the courts have found Banks Markazi, Melli or Saderat liable for a terror attack by a foreign terrorist organization against a U.S. national. The verdict was announced yesterday in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, with the Honorable Judge Royce C. Lamberth presiding.
Eitam and Naama Henkin were driving in Israel’s West Bank with their four children – then aged nine, seven, four, and ten months – when Hamas terrorists attacked them and killed them in front of their children. The children survived because their father Eitam, who was a citizen of the United States, and their mother, Naama, fought with the armed terrorists to save their lives. During the brawl, the gun held by the terrorist struggling with Naama fired killing Eitam and wounding the terrorist struggling with Eitam.
The orphaned children and the estates of their parents filed suit in 2019 under the terrorism exception to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, a law used by U.S. victims of attacks by foreign terrorist organizations and their close family members to bring claims against state sponsors of terrorism, government agencies, and any commercial instrumentalities of those states. None of the defendants responded to the lawsuit.
The court’s lengthy ruling yesterday found that Iran and its proxies are liable under U.S. law for the murder of U.S. citizen Eitam Henkin, and liable under Israeli law for the harm suffered by Naama and the children stemming from Eitam’s murder.
“There is no doubt that this horrific, murderous act was sponsored by Syria, Iran, and Iranian state-sponsored organizations, and the court’s ruling yesterday sends a loud and clear message that financiers of terrorism will be held responsible for their despicable actions,” said Jonathan Missner, Managing Partner of Stein Mitchell Beato & Missner LLP. “The Iranian banks, including Iran’s central bank, Markazi, have never before been held accountable so this is a huge step forward when it comes to holding foreign actors to account for the murder of Americans.”
“We are gratified that the United States justice system worked as it should in providing an avenue for recourse for the children of Eitam and Naama,” added Stein Mitchell attorney Michael Petrino.
Gavriel Mairone of MM~LAW LLC stated that “financing is the oxygen needed for terrorism. Bank Markazi, serves as both the Central Bank of Iran and the Central Bank for financing international terrorism directed against Americans and our allies. The Treasury Dept. has sanctioned Melli and Saderat as facilitators and financiers of international terrorists such as Hamas and Hizballah.”
The court will determine monetary damages in a later proceeding.
About Stein Michell Beato & Missner LLP
Stein Mitchell Beato & Missner LLP combines the skills of seasoned trial lawyers with the flexibility and personal touch of a dynamic law firm to achieve extraordinary results for their clients. They are recognized as “the small firm that takes on big cases and wins.” Their well-earned reputation as a top-tier litigation firm with a national and international practice rests not only on our fifty-year history of success, but also on the on-going confidence of their clients who entrust them with their most complex and challenging legal matters.
About MM~LAW LLC
Since 2000, MM~LAW has represented over 15,000 victims of international terrorism and genocide, obtaining judgments in U.S. courts in excess of $9.8 billion, collecting over $1.5 billion, and continuing to pursue collection on unsatisfied judgments. MM~LAW represents over 2800 Gold Star Families and veterans in lawsuits against European and Iranian banks pending in courts in New York and Washington D.C. as well as over 13,000 victims of chemical weapons attacks in lawsuits pending in France and Iraq against weapons suppliers to rogue regimes.
In Historic Ruling, Court Finds Iran, Syria and Iranian Banks Responsible for Murder of American Citizen in Israel
07.13.2021
Respected international law firms Stein Mitchell Beato & Missner and MM~LAW LLC won a momentous decision yesterday that found Iran, Syria, and Iranian state agencies liable for the murder of U.S. citizen Eitam Henkin and his wife.
Newsroom
Washington, DC, July 13, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stein Mitchell Beato & Missner LLP and MM~LAW LLC won a significant victory in the fight against terrorism yesterday, with a finding in the U.S. Federal court that Syria, Iran, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security, and three Iranian banks (Markazi, Melli, and Saderat) were all liable for Hamas’ brutal murder of American Eitam and his wife Naama Henkin in 2015.
This marks the first time that the courts have found Banks Markazi, Melli or Saderat liable for a terror attack by a foreign terrorist organization against a U.S. national. The verdict was announced yesterday in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, with the Honorable Judge Royce C. Lamberth presiding.
Eitam and Naama Henkin were driving in Israel’s West Bank with their four children – then aged nine, seven, four, and ten months – when Hamas terrorists attacked them and killed them in front of their children. The children survived because their father Eitam, who was a citizen of the United States, and their mother, Naama, fought with the armed terrorists to save their lives. During the brawl, the gun held by the terrorist struggling with Naama fired killing Eitam and wounding the terrorist struggling with Eitam.
The orphaned children and the estates of their parents filed suit in 2019 under the terrorism exception to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, a law used by U.S. victims of attacks by foreign terrorist organizations and their close family members to bring claims against state sponsors of terrorism, government agencies, and any commercial instrumentalities of those states. None of the defendants responded to the lawsuit.
The court’s lengthy ruling yesterday found that Iran and its proxies are liable under U.S. law for the murder of U.S. citizen Eitam Henkin, and liable under Israeli law for the harm suffered by Naama and the children stemming from Eitam’s murder.
“There is no doubt that this horrific, murderous act was sponsored by Syria, Iran, and Iranian state-sponsored organizations, and the court’s ruling yesterday sends a loud and clear message that financiers of terrorism will be held responsible for their despicable actions,” said Jonathan Missner, Managing Partner of Stein Mitchell Beato & Missner LLP. “The Iranian banks, including Iran’s central bank, Markazi, have never before been held accountable so this is a huge step forward when it comes to holding foreign actors to account for the murder of Americans.”
“We are gratified that the United States justice system worked as it should in providing an avenue for recourse for the children of Eitam and Naama,” added Stein Mitchell attorney Michael Petrino.
Gavriel Mairone of MM~LAW LLC stated that “financing is the oxygen needed for terrorism. Bank Markazi, serves as both the Central Bank of Iran and the Central Bank for financing international terrorism directed against Americans and our allies. The Treasury Dept. has sanctioned Melli and Saderat as facilitators and financiers of international terrorists such as Hamas and Hizballah.”
The court will determine monetary damages in a later proceeding.
About Stein Michell Beato & Missner LLP
Stein Mitchell Beato & Missner LLP combines the skills of seasoned trial lawyers with the flexibility and personal touch of a dynamic law firm to achieve extraordinary results for their clients. They are recognized as “the small firm that takes on big cases and wins.” Their well-earned reputation as a top-tier litigation firm with a national and international practice rests not only on our fifty-year history of success, but also on the on-going confidence of their clients who entrust them with their most complex and challenging legal matters.
About MM~LAW LLC
Since 2000, MM~LAW has represented over 15,000 victims of international terrorism and genocide, obtaining judgments in U.S. courts in excess of $9.8 billion, collecting over $1.5 billion, and continuing to pursue collection on unsatisfied judgments. MM~LAW represents over 2800 Gold Star Families and veterans in lawsuits against European and Iranian banks pending in courts in New York and Washington D.C. as well as over 13,000 victims of chemical weapons attacks in lawsuits pending in France and Iraq against weapons suppliers to rogue regimes.
In Historic Ruling, Court Finds Iran, Syria and Iranian Banks Responsible for Murder of American Citizen in Israel
jward
passin' thru
Jeff Terry
@nuclear94
Iraq is planning to build eight nuclear reactors, possibly made by Russia, in a $40 billion plan to tackle power cuts that have caused civil unrest.
View: https://twitter.com/nuclear94/status/1414565553310773248?s=20
jward
passin' thru
Jason Brodsky
@JasonMBrodsky
10m
Rouhani trying to generate headlines & panic today by warning #Iran can enrich up to 90% purity if it needed it. Khamenei has made similar threats in the past--saying while Tehran doesn't want a bomb, U.S. couldn't do anything to stop it if it did. 1/2
Khamenei also once said in 2019, “Achieving 20% enrichment is the most difficult part. The next steps are easier than this step.” 2/2
View: https://twitter.com/JasonMBrodsky/status/1415249113243869189?s=20
@JasonMBrodsky
10m
Rouhani trying to generate headlines & panic today by warning #Iran can enrich up to 90% purity if it needed it. Khamenei has made similar threats in the past--saying while Tehran doesn't want a bomb, U.S. couldn't do anything to stop it if it did. 1/2
Khamenei also once said in 2019, “Achieving 20% enrichment is the most difficult part. The next steps are easier than this step.” 2/2
View: https://twitter.com/JasonMBrodsky/status/1415249113243869189?s=20
jward
passin' thru
Iran International English
@IranIntl_En
1m
The Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee has just called on the Biden administration to suspend negotiations with #Iran in Vienna after @AlinejadMasih kidnapping plot:
View: https://twitter.com/IranIntl_En/status/1415444403997523974?s=20
@IranIntl_En
1m
The Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee has just called on the Biden administration to suspend negotiations with #Iran in Vienna after @AlinejadMasih kidnapping plot:
View: https://twitter.com/IranIntl_En/status/1415444403997523974?s=20
jward
passin' thru
Drip-Drip-Tick-Tick-Drip
Jason Brodsky
@JasonMBrodsky
7m
An explosion was reported at an office building in western Tehran on Wednesday night. As of yet, there has been no official confirmation of the report in #Iran.
View: https://twitter.com/JasonMBrodsky/status/1415481847858049024?s=20
Jason Brodsky
@JasonMBrodsky
7m
An explosion was reported at an office building in western Tehran on Wednesday night. As of yet, there has been no official confirmation of the report in #Iran.
View: https://twitter.com/JasonMBrodsky/status/1415481847858049024?s=20
jward
passin' thru
Israel Radar
@IsraelRadar_com
IRGC naval commandos training in Malta to carry out attacks on Israeli-owned ships, defense officials suspect; Iranian divers practice military techniques allowing them to stay underwater for 6 hours, @N12News reports.
View: https://twitter.com/IsraelRadar_com/status/1415531535751655431?s=20
@IsraelRadar_com
IRGC naval commandos training in Malta to carry out attacks on Israeli-owned ships, defense officials suspect; Iranian divers practice military techniques allowing them to stay underwater for 6 hours, @N12News reports.
View: https://twitter.com/IsraelRadar_com/status/1415531535751655431?s=20
Posted for fair use.....
Tehran insists it can enrich uranium to weapons grade purity if needed
"The Zionists, together with reactionary regimes in the region, emphatically opposed the nuclear deal from the outset." They thought the Iranian regime would collapse when Trump withdrew from the deal, "but that was a miscalculation," Iranian President Rouhani says.
By Neta Bar and Reuters
Published on 07-15-2021 07:43
Last modified: 07-15-2021 07:43
Iran said on Wednesday it could enrich uranium up to 90% purity – weapons-grade – if its nuclear reactors needed it, but added it still sought the revival of a 2015 deal that would limit its atomic program in return for a lifting of sanctions.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's remark was his second such public comment this year about 90% enrichment – a level suitable for a nuclear bomb – underlining Iran's resolve to keep breaching the deal in the absence of any accord to revive it.
The biggest obstacle to producing nuclear weapons is obtaining enough fissile material – weapons-grade highly enriched uranium or plutonium – for the bomb's core.
Iran says it has never sought nuclear weapons.
"Iran's Atomic Energy Organization can enrich uranium by 20% and 60% and if one day our reactors need it, it can enrich uranium to 90% purity," Rouhani told a cabinet meeting, Iranian state media reported.
The nuclear deal caps the fissile purity to which Tehran can refine uranium at 3.67%, well under the 20% achieved before the pact and far below the 90% suitable for a nuclear weapon.
Iran has been breaching the deal in several ways after the United States withdrew from the agreement in 2018, including by producing 20% and 60% enriched uranium.
Rouhani, who will hand over the presidency to hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi on Aug. 5, implicitly criticized Iran's top decision-makers for "not allowing" his government to reinstate the nuclear deal during its term in office.
"They took away the opportunity to reach an agreement from this government. We deeply regret missing this opportunity," state news agency IRNA quoted Rouhani as saying.
"The Zionists, together with the reactionary regimes in the region, emphatically opposed the nuclear deal from the outset. When a political crazy man came to power in the US, they told him that if he left the deal, the regime in Iran would collapse. But that was a miscalculation," Rouhani said in defense of the accord.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, not the president, has the last say on all state matters such as nuclear policy.
Like Khamenei, Raisi has backed indirect talks between Tehran and Washington aimed at bringing back the arch-foes into full compliance with the accord. Former US President Donald Trump quit the deal three years ago, saying it was biased in favor of Iran, and reimposed crippling sanctions on Tehran.
The sixth round of nuclear talks in Vienna adjourned on June 20. The next round of the talks has yet to be scheduled, and Iranian and Western officials have said that significant gaps remain to be resolved.
Two senior Iranian officials told Reuters that President-elect Raisi planned to adopt "a harder line" in the talks after taking office, adding that the next round might resume in late September or early October.
One of the officials said many members of Iran's nuclear team might be replaced with hardline officials, but top nuclear negotiator Abbas Araqchi would stay "at least for a while."
The second official said Raisi planned to show "less flexibility and demand more concessions" from Washington such as keeping a chain of advanced uranium enrichment centrifuges in place and insisting on the removal of human rights- and terrorism-related US sanctions.
Trump blacklisted dozens of institutions vital to Iran's economy using laws designed to punish foreign actors for supporting terrorism or weapons proliferation.
Removing oil and financial sanctions is essential if Iran is to export its oil, the top prize for Tehran for complying with the nuclear agreement and reining in its atomic program.
Sources told Reuters a senior commander in Iran's Revolutionary Guards pushed for Iraqi Shiite militias to ramp up attacks on US targets during a visit by an Iranian delegation headed by the head of Revolutionary Guards Intelligence, Hussein Taib, to Baghdad last week. The visit by the delegation followed US attacks on Iranian-backed militias on the Syria-Iraq border on June 27.
Reuters reported the Iranians had advised the militias to broaden the attacks while avoiding a large-scale escalation. In addition, a senior official in the region said Taib had met with several Iraqi militia leaders and relayed them the following message from Khamenei: Maintain pressure on US forces in Iraq until they depart the region.
Tehran insists it can enrich uranium to weapons grade purity if needed
"The Zionists, together with reactionary regimes in the region, emphatically opposed the nuclear deal from the outset." They thought the Iranian regime would collapse when Trump withdrew from the deal, "but that was a miscalculation," Iranian President Rouhani says.
By Neta Bar and Reuters
Published on 07-15-2021 07:43
Last modified: 07-15-2021 07:43
Iran said on Wednesday it could enrich uranium up to 90% purity – weapons-grade – if its nuclear reactors needed it, but added it still sought the revival of a 2015 deal that would limit its atomic program in return for a lifting of sanctions.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's remark was his second such public comment this year about 90% enrichment – a level suitable for a nuclear bomb – underlining Iran's resolve to keep breaching the deal in the absence of any accord to revive it.
The biggest obstacle to producing nuclear weapons is obtaining enough fissile material – weapons-grade highly enriched uranium or plutonium – for the bomb's core.
Iran says it has never sought nuclear weapons.
"Iran's Atomic Energy Organization can enrich uranium by 20% and 60% and if one day our reactors need it, it can enrich uranium to 90% purity," Rouhani told a cabinet meeting, Iranian state media reported.
The nuclear deal caps the fissile purity to which Tehran can refine uranium at 3.67%, well under the 20% achieved before the pact and far below the 90% suitable for a nuclear weapon.
Iran has been breaching the deal in several ways after the United States withdrew from the agreement in 2018, including by producing 20% and 60% enriched uranium.
Rouhani, who will hand over the presidency to hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi on Aug. 5, implicitly criticized Iran's top decision-makers for "not allowing" his government to reinstate the nuclear deal during its term in office.
"They took away the opportunity to reach an agreement from this government. We deeply regret missing this opportunity," state news agency IRNA quoted Rouhani as saying.
"The Zionists, together with the reactionary regimes in the region, emphatically opposed the nuclear deal from the outset. When a political crazy man came to power in the US, they told him that if he left the deal, the regime in Iran would collapse. But that was a miscalculation," Rouhani said in defense of the accord.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, not the president, has the last say on all state matters such as nuclear policy.
Like Khamenei, Raisi has backed indirect talks between Tehran and Washington aimed at bringing back the arch-foes into full compliance with the accord. Former US President Donald Trump quit the deal three years ago, saying it was biased in favor of Iran, and reimposed crippling sanctions on Tehran.
The sixth round of nuclear talks in Vienna adjourned on June 20. The next round of the talks has yet to be scheduled, and Iranian and Western officials have said that significant gaps remain to be resolved.
Two senior Iranian officials told Reuters that President-elect Raisi planned to adopt "a harder line" in the talks after taking office, adding that the next round might resume in late September or early October.
One of the officials said many members of Iran's nuclear team might be replaced with hardline officials, but top nuclear negotiator Abbas Araqchi would stay "at least for a while."
The second official said Raisi planned to show "less flexibility and demand more concessions" from Washington such as keeping a chain of advanced uranium enrichment centrifuges in place and insisting on the removal of human rights- and terrorism-related US sanctions.
Trump blacklisted dozens of institutions vital to Iran's economy using laws designed to punish foreign actors for supporting terrorism or weapons proliferation.
Removing oil and financial sanctions is essential if Iran is to export its oil, the top prize for Tehran for complying with the nuclear agreement and reining in its atomic program.
Sources told Reuters a senior commander in Iran's Revolutionary Guards pushed for Iraqi Shiite militias to ramp up attacks on US targets during a visit by an Iranian delegation headed by the head of Revolutionary Guards Intelligence, Hussein Taib, to Baghdad last week. The visit by the delegation followed US attacks on Iranian-backed militias on the Syria-Iraq border on June 27.
Reuters reported the Iranians had advised the militias to broaden the attacks while avoiding a large-scale escalation. In addition, a senior official in the region said Taib had met with several Iraqi militia leaders and relayed them the following message from Khamenei: Maintain pressure on US forces in Iraq until they depart the region.
Posted for fair use.....
www.eurasiareview.com
Why EU Should Play A Greater Role In Gulf Security – OpEd
July 15, 2021 Arab News 0 Comments
By Arab News
By Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg*
The annual Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)-EU political dialogue this week held its 23rd session. Gulf security topped the agenda and there was a discussion on how the two sides could establish a more regular and dedicated dialogue on this issue.
Although GCC-EU engagement has been quite extensive since the two sides signed a cooperation agreement in 1988, there have been only sporadic discussions about Gulf security and overall regional security; unlike, for example, in the GCC-US security dialogue. There has been a similar dialogue with the UK and, more recently, China also proposed having a role in the Gulf security architecture. With the EU, regional security discussions have been limited to exchanges during the annual ministerial and senior officials’ meetings.
Despite limited GCC-EU security discussions, Brussels has been part and parcel of the Iran nuclear negotiations from the start. Then-EU High Commissioner Catherine Ashton, together with the E3 (France, Germany and the UK), played a crucial role in drafting the 2015 deal. And the EU became the most ardent defender of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) when it was called into question by the Trump administration, which ultimately withdrew from the agreement in 2018. Since reviving the nuclear talks in Vienna in 2021, the EU has remained the JCPOA’s strongest and most active advocate. Curiously, however, there has been only limited interaction between the two sides on the P5+1 talks with Iran.
The EU’s keen interest in the JCPOA implies an interest in preventing nuclear proliferation and weapons of mass destruction in general. It also indicates a desire to be involved in the security of this region, which affects European security directly and indirectly in multiple ways.
In addition to the two sides’ shared interest in addressing the dangers of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, there are many other reasons why Gulf security should be a focus for GCC-EU discussions, through a reliable and consistent channel of dialogue. I will address some of them here.
First, Gulf security is important to the security of energy supplies to the EU and globally. The EU is highly dependent on energy imports and that dependency is growing. In 2019, the EU energy dependency rate was equal to 61 percent, which means that more than half of the bloc’s energy needs were met by net imports. This rate ranges from more than 90 percent in Malta, Luxembourg and Cyprus to 5 percent in Estonia. The dependency rate on energy imports has increased since 2000, when it was just 56 percent.
Petroleum products (crude oil and refined products) are the main component of the EU’s energy imports, accounting for about 66 percent, followed by gas (27 percent) and solid fossil fuels (6 percent). The Gulf region is home to about 50 percent of oil reserves, production and exports. If Gulf energy exports were disrupted, energy supplies around the world would be affected and the prices from other sources could jump accordingly. In the past, disruption of oil supplies happened largely due to Iran’s actions against oil installations and tankers in the Gulf.
Second, concern about Iran’s role in the region is one of the main issues that the EU and GCC share, as both are interested in trying to modify Tehran’s conduct to be consistent with international norms. In its communications with Iran, the GCC has proposed ways to de-escalate and build trust. The EU could support those efforts. This task may have become more difficult since Iran’s parliamentary elections of February 2020, which gave the hard-liners an overwhelming majority. And the election of a hard-line president last month has further strengthened the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ grip on power; all the more reason for the EU and the GCC to coordinate their Iran policy.
Third, fighting terrorism is a top priority for both the EU and the GCC. Terrorism is again on the rise, as Daesh regroups in Iraq and Syria and Al-Qaeda increases its activities in Africa. In addition, the US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan may create another front. The EU and GCC have a common interest in curbing other terrorist groups’ activities, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, for example.
A GCC-EU partnership in countering terrorism on all fronts has produced the establishment of a dedicated working group, which is due to hold its first meeting in October with a view to coordinating more closely to disrupt terrorist activities, financing, and extremist groups’ efforts to recruit young people. The two organizations are also planning to hold a joint conference later this year to address violent extremism and terrorist messaging and discourse.
Fourth, the EU and GCC share concerns about other regional issues that affect them both, such as the Israel-Palestine conflict, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Iraq, Yemen and Afghanistan.
Fifth, Red Sea maritime security is an increasing concern for both sides. The EU has played an effective role in combating piracy in Somalia through Operation Atalanta, but there are more overriding issues in the area that could benefit from EU-GCC dialogue. They should explore partnership possibilities, including ensuring the security of water passageways and international shipping lanes and fighting terrorism, arms smuggling, human trafficking, and organized crime. The dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is another issue of concern to both sides.
With so many shared interests, it should be a foregone conclusion that the EU and GCC states would benefit greatly from a regular dialogue on regional security, collectively and bilaterally, starting with consultations about the Vienna talks. It goes without saying that there will be differences of opinion on some issues but, through regular and sincere dialogue, those differences could be addressed and a convergence of views may be found.
Why EU Should Play A Greater Role In Gulf Security – OpEd
By Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg* The annual Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)-EU political dialogue this week held its 23rd session. Gulf security topped the agenda and there was a discussion on how the …
www.eurasiareview.com
Why EU Should Play A Greater Role In Gulf Security – OpEd
July 15, 2021 Arab News 0 Comments
By Arab News
By Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg*
The annual Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)-EU political dialogue this week held its 23rd session. Gulf security topped the agenda and there was a discussion on how the two sides could establish a more regular and dedicated dialogue on this issue.
Although GCC-EU engagement has been quite extensive since the two sides signed a cooperation agreement in 1988, there have been only sporadic discussions about Gulf security and overall regional security; unlike, for example, in the GCC-US security dialogue. There has been a similar dialogue with the UK and, more recently, China also proposed having a role in the Gulf security architecture. With the EU, regional security discussions have been limited to exchanges during the annual ministerial and senior officials’ meetings.
Despite limited GCC-EU security discussions, Brussels has been part and parcel of the Iran nuclear negotiations from the start. Then-EU High Commissioner Catherine Ashton, together with the E3 (France, Germany and the UK), played a crucial role in drafting the 2015 deal. And the EU became the most ardent defender of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) when it was called into question by the Trump administration, which ultimately withdrew from the agreement in 2018. Since reviving the nuclear talks in Vienna in 2021, the EU has remained the JCPOA’s strongest and most active advocate. Curiously, however, there has been only limited interaction between the two sides on the P5+1 talks with Iran.
The EU’s keen interest in the JCPOA implies an interest in preventing nuclear proliferation and weapons of mass destruction in general. It also indicates a desire to be involved in the security of this region, which affects European security directly and indirectly in multiple ways.
In addition to the two sides’ shared interest in addressing the dangers of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, there are many other reasons why Gulf security should be a focus for GCC-EU discussions, through a reliable and consistent channel of dialogue. I will address some of them here.
First, Gulf security is important to the security of energy supplies to the EU and globally. The EU is highly dependent on energy imports and that dependency is growing. In 2019, the EU energy dependency rate was equal to 61 percent, which means that more than half of the bloc’s energy needs were met by net imports. This rate ranges from more than 90 percent in Malta, Luxembourg and Cyprus to 5 percent in Estonia. The dependency rate on energy imports has increased since 2000, when it was just 56 percent.
Petroleum products (crude oil and refined products) are the main component of the EU’s energy imports, accounting for about 66 percent, followed by gas (27 percent) and solid fossil fuels (6 percent). The Gulf region is home to about 50 percent of oil reserves, production and exports. If Gulf energy exports were disrupted, energy supplies around the world would be affected and the prices from other sources could jump accordingly. In the past, disruption of oil supplies happened largely due to Iran’s actions against oil installations and tankers in the Gulf.
Second, concern about Iran’s role in the region is one of the main issues that the EU and GCC share, as both are interested in trying to modify Tehran’s conduct to be consistent with international norms. In its communications with Iran, the GCC has proposed ways to de-escalate and build trust. The EU could support those efforts. This task may have become more difficult since Iran’s parliamentary elections of February 2020, which gave the hard-liners an overwhelming majority. And the election of a hard-line president last month has further strengthened the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ grip on power; all the more reason for the EU and the GCC to coordinate their Iran policy.
Third, fighting terrorism is a top priority for both the EU and the GCC. Terrorism is again on the rise, as Daesh regroups in Iraq and Syria and Al-Qaeda increases its activities in Africa. In addition, the US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan may create another front. The EU and GCC have a common interest in curbing other terrorist groups’ activities, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, for example.
A GCC-EU partnership in countering terrorism on all fronts has produced the establishment of a dedicated working group, which is due to hold its first meeting in October with a view to coordinating more closely to disrupt terrorist activities, financing, and extremist groups’ efforts to recruit young people. The two organizations are also planning to hold a joint conference later this year to address violent extremism and terrorist messaging and discourse.
Fourth, the EU and GCC share concerns about other regional issues that affect them both, such as the Israel-Palestine conflict, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Iraq, Yemen and Afghanistan.
Fifth, Red Sea maritime security is an increasing concern for both sides. The EU has played an effective role in combating piracy in Somalia through Operation Atalanta, but there are more overriding issues in the area that could benefit from EU-GCC dialogue. They should explore partnership possibilities, including ensuring the security of water passageways and international shipping lanes and fighting terrorism, arms smuggling, human trafficking, and organized crime. The dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is another issue of concern to both sides.
With so many shared interests, it should be a foregone conclusion that the EU and GCC states would benefit greatly from a regular dialogue on regional security, collectively and bilaterally, starting with consultations about the Vienna talks. It goes without saying that there will be differences of opinion on some issues but, through regular and sincere dialogue, those differences could be addressed and a convergence of views may be found.
- Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg is the GCC Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs & Negotiation. The views in this piece are personal and not necessarily those of the GCC. Twitter: @abuhamad1
jward
passin' thru
Heshmat Alavi
@HeshmatAlavi
3m
Former Iranian Diplomat Seyyed Hadi Seyyed Afghahi: #Iran is already capable of producing a nuclear bomb and no one can prevent us. Reminder: #Appeasement emboldens dictatorships.
View: https://twitter.com/HeshmatAlavi/status/1415974730797133830?s=20
@HeshmatAlavi
3m
Former Iranian Diplomat Seyyed Hadi Seyyed Afghahi: #Iran is already capable of producing a nuclear bomb and no one can prevent us. Reminder: #Appeasement emboldens dictatorships.
View: https://twitter.com/HeshmatAlavi/status/1415974730797133830?s=20
jward
passin' thru
hmm
Jason Brodsky
@JasonMBrodsky
On January 3 meeting on #Iran, "both Mike Pompeo and the national-security adviser, Robert O’Brien, told Trump that it was not possible to do anything militarily at that point. Their attitude was that it was “too late to hit them.”"
View: https://twitter.com/JasonMBrodsky/status/1415977785634574338?s=20
Jason Brodsky
@JasonMBrodsky
On January 3 meeting on #Iran, "both Mike Pompeo and the national-security adviser, Robert O’Brien, told Trump that it was not possible to do anything militarily at that point. Their attitude was that it was “too late to hit them.”"
View: https://twitter.com/JasonMBrodsky/status/1415977785634574338?s=20
Hummm....considering what an author was crowing on CNN in interviewing Milley and coverage last night on Carlson's Show I'm guessing the degree intel was getting "massaged" before Trump, and very possibly Pompeii and O'Brien (or not) the deep state may well have gotten what they think they want, a nuclear armed Iran.
The thing is, it is always possible to strike, if not smite, an enemy. The deciding factors come down to the costs and whether you're willing to pay them. In this case it appears the unelected made those calls and fed it to the Administration that way so Trump couldn't make an informed decision.
jward
passin' thru
Israel Radar
@IsraelRadar_com
2m
Israel recruited Kurdish operatives to blow up military & nuclear facilities inside Iran,
@N12News
suggests in a detailed report about Israeli-Kurdish alliance; no official confirmation of this from any government source.
View: https://twitter.com/IsraelRadar_com/status/1415990969913155586?s=20
Earlier reports also indicated that Israel deploys foreign agents in Iranian territory for sabotage missions.
View: https://twitter.com/IsraelRadar_com/status/1415990973482430465?s=20
jward
passin' thru
ʜᴇᴢʙᴏʟʟᴀʜ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜ
@HezbollahWatch
43m
#Iran> Protestors vented anger at Ayat. #Khamenei, chanting "Death to the dictator!" & "Death to Khamenei!" Videos showed people in Khuzestan setting fire to tires & blocking roadways in anger. Anti-riot police scuffled w/ the demonstrators & targeted them w/ shotguns. -Agencies
View: https://twitter.com/HezbollahWatch/status/1416242400045961218?s=20
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mzkitty
I give up.
jward
passin' thru
hmm.
The Cavell Group
@TCG_CrisisRisks
Iraq: Some unusual tensions between militias tonight, reports of threats and unusual militia movements. Not speculating as to cause. Several potential factors from today or last 72hrs could be behind this, but we are waiting more information
View: https://twitter.com/Aviation_Intel/status/1416128493268529153?s=20
The Cavell Group
@TCG_CrisisRisks
Iraq: Some unusual tensions between militias tonight, reports of threats and unusual militia movements. Not speculating as to cause. Several potential factors from today or last 72hrs could be behind this, but we are waiting more information
View: https://twitter.com/Aviation_Intel/status/1416128493268529153?s=20