| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Next Iran president will fall in line with Supreme Leader Khamenei's support for terror, says ex-CIA official |
| 2024-05-21 |
| [FoxNews] Iran will fortify its relationship with the "axis of tyranny" and continue to carry out its support of Hamas following President Ebrahim Raisi's death in a helicopter crash Sunday, according to foreign policy expert Dan Hoffman. "I think we're going to see the continuation of the general contours of Iranian foreign policy, meaning domestic repression, carrying on support to Hamas, and their so-called axis of resistance against Israel and the United States and then fortifying their relationship, their alliance with this new axis of tyranny – Russia, China and North Korea," he said during an appearance on "Fox & Friends" Monday. The former CIA station chief and Fox News contributor elaborated on the expectation of continued internal oppression despite Raisi's death, since Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei sets policy for Iran. Though Raisi was considered a likely successor for the supreme leader, he did not have the same influence, Hoffman noted. "I fully expect that domestic repression, including of women, especially of women, will continue," he said. "Also, I think that a new president, when one is chosen, will fall in line with the supreme leader's wishes." The supreme leader tapped Vice President Mohammad Mokhber to serve as interim president following Raisi's death Monday. During his tenure in office, Raisi supported the country's enrichment of uranium up to near-weapons-grade levels, attacks against Israel, particularly one last month made in response to an alleged Israeli attack that killed Iranian generals at the country's embassy compound in Damascus, Syria. Domestically, he also supported crackdowns on dissenters following the controversially suspicious death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody after being arrested for allegedly not wearing a hijab. Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and other officials were confirmed dead on Monday following a lengthy search attempt to locate the helicopter crash site in the fog-shrouded mountainous region in the northwest part of the country. The supreme leader tapped Vice President Mohammad Mokhber to serve as interim president following Raisi's death Monday. During his tenure in office, Raisi supported the country's enrichment of uranium up to near-weapons-grade levels, attacks against Israel, particularly one last month made in response to an alleged Israeli attack that killed Iranian generals at the country's embassy compound in Damascus, Syria. Domestically, he also supported crackdowns on dissenters following the controversially suspicious death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody after being arrested for allegedly not wearing a hijab. Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and other officials were confirmed dead on Monday following a lengthy search attempt to locate the helicopter crash site in the fog-shrouded mountainous region in the northwest part of the country. Related: Mohammad Mokhber 10/18/2023 Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: October 17th, 2023 Mohammad Mokhber 08/09/2021 Iran's Raisi names US-sanctioned Mokhber as first VP |
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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan | |||||||
| Chronicle: Iran's war against Israel | |||||||
| 2024-04-14 | |||||||
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. [Korrespondent] 22:52 Israel closed its airspace for three hours, starting at 1 am. Jordan previously closed its skies to civil aviation. Iran announced this in Tehran. TsAGAL confirmed the Iranian drone launch, saying the army is familiar with the threat and knows how to deal with it. 23:19 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the evening of Saturday, April 13, addressed the country's citizens about the Iranian attack, saying that Israel had been preparing for this for years. In the address, the Israeli Prime Minister said that the country is ready for a direct attack from Iran, both defensively and offensively, and will retaliate. “I have established a clear principle - whoever harms us, we will harm him. We will defend ourselves against any threat, and we will do so calmly and decisively,” Netanyahu concluded. 23:40 Iran confirmed the launch of a UAV and announced the earliest possible launch of a missile attack on Israel, the Iranian Fars agency reports. 23:42 Jordan is ready to intercept drones and missiles that fly through its territory in the direction of Israel, reports Reuters.
23:59 Information appeared in the Arab media that an explosion was heard in the center of Tehran.
00:07 Jordan has opened its airspace to Israeli Air Force fighters.
00:22 The Iranian Ministry of Defense said that any country that opens its territory or airspace to Israeli attacks on Iran "will receive our direct response." 00:24 Between 400 and 500 drones and missiles will be launched into Israel from Iraq, Syria, southern Lebanon and Yemen, but the bulk will be launched from Iran, ABC NEWS reports. 00:37 Air defense begins operating in Tel Aviv. Videos of air defense missiles flying over are appearing on social networks. 00:44 Arab media report the first launches of Iranian ballistic missiles towards Israel. 00:58 British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that London will continue to defend the security of Israel and all regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq. 01:05 Iranian oppositionists condemn the attack on Israel and call for an uprising. Prominent Iranian opposition figures have denounced Iran's drone attack on Israel as contrary to the will of the majority of Iranians, whom they urge to oppose the regime of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In particular, Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who lives in exile in the United States, came out with condemnation. 01:25 Israeli media quote Israeli officials as saying that there is no information yet that ballistic missiles were launched from Iran at Israel. 01:27 The United States shot down a number of Iranian UAVs heading towards Israel, ABC reports.
01:55 Iran's mission to the UN says it considers the attack on Israel "complete." “The case can be considered completed,” the message says. "However, if the Israeli regime makes another mistake, Iran's response will be much stricter."
2:31 Celebrations continue in Tehran regarding the attack on Israel. Hundreds of people with Iranian flags took to the streets of the city at night.
Times of Israel liveblog, April 13: IDF says Iran fired 200 missiles and drones; most intercepted; minor damage at IDF base | |||||||
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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran | |
| Iran is approaching the 'red line' when it is ready to strike Israel | |
| 2024-04-05 | |
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Kirill Semenov [REGNUM] Israeli authorities believe that an Iranian strike in response to the attack on the Iranian diplomatic mission in Damascus on April 1 is inevitable and could occur as early as this Friday, that is, Quds Day, or Jerusalem Day, which falls on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The British BBC reports this. In anticipation of retaliatory strikes, the GPS system began to jam over Israeli territory. In addition, IDF soldiers serving in combat units are denied leave. The risk of further escalation in the region has never been higher. AT THE "RED LINE" The attack on the consulate is not the first time since the start of the offensive on Gaza that Israel has struck Syria, where high-ranking Iranian officers have also previously been killed. Last December, Israeli attacks killed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps General Razi Mousavi, who was responsible for supplying Lebanese Hezbollah with weapons. On January 20, General Sadegh Omidzadeh, head of intelligence for the Quds Force in Syria, was killed. But these attacks were not aimed at an Iranian government facility, but at Syrian military bases and headquarters where Iranian officers were present, or at Hezbollah facilities that hosted Iranian advisers and trainers. However, a direct strike hit the Iranian consulate in Damascus this week, killing General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, head of the Quds Force in Syria and Lebanon, his deputy Mohammad Haj Rahimi, Hossein Aminullah, the top Iranian adviser in Syria, as well as four others officer, seriously shifts the “red lines,” if not to say that he completely violates them. First of all, because Iran’s diplomatic mission came under direct attack, which in itself is an unprecedented act of aggression and a direct attack on the Islamic Republic, taking into account the status of the diplomatic mission as the sovereign territory of the country. In this regard, on Wednesday Russia initiated a meeting of the UN Security Council, at which it proposed to prepare a statement condemning the Israeli strike as an attack on a diplomatic mission. However, the USA, Great Britain and France opposed it. However, even Saudi Arabia, which until recently was considered an enemy of Iran, condemned the Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate. However, the main question remains whether Iran will respond to the Israeli strike symmetrically, that is, on its own, or asymmetrically, that is, it will entrust this mission to its regional proxies. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that Israel would be "slapped in the face." “The defeat of the Zionist regime in the Gaza Strip will continue, and this regime will be close to decline and collapse,” Khamenei said in an address to country officials in Tehran. “Desperate efforts like the ones they made in Syria will not save them from defeat. Of course, they will also be slapped in the face for this,” he added. It does not directly follow from Rahbar’s statements whether Iran itself will strike Israel or will continue to act with the help of its allies, only increasing the intensity of attacks on the Jewish state. Nevertheless, Tehran is now closer than ever before to that “red line” when it is ready to strike directly at Israeli territory. It is unlikely that it will be possible to limit ourselves to attacks on certain Israeli intelligence Mossad targets in Iraqi Kurdistan, as was the case before. It is obvious that the result of the attack in Damascus is not the efforts of some intelligence network, but a direct attack by the IDF. Therefore, an attack by Iranian ballistic missiles on Israeli territory is more real than ever. But it would rather be of a very limited “tactical nature” in order to avoid the risk of a full-scale war. Overall, Iran appears to have no intention of abandoning its war of attrition tactics against Israel in the hope that, over time, Benjamin Netanyahu's regime will further isolate itself and weaken its international support through its own actions. At the same time, Tehran will continue to influence Israel by weakening its capabilities in Gaza through its allies such as the Lebanese Hezbollah or the Houthis. Iran has always sought to avoid direct confrontation with Israel, preferring to use its regional proxies for this, and so far it is hardly ready to abandon this well-established strategy that is producing results. At the same time, the retaliatory actions of Tehran and the Axis of Resistance forces under its auspices often affected not so much Tel Aviv as Washington, since the targets of attacks by pro-Iranian forces were primarily American military facilities in Syria or Iraq. NEW FRONT AND ATTRITION STRATEGY However, this time the Islamic Republic needs to ensure that its response is specific to Israel. The situation is noticeably different from the terrorist attack in Kerman, when Iran blamed it on both the United States and Israel, although the explosion itself was carried out by ISIS terrorists (a terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation). Back then, the accusations were based on assumptions and circumstantial evidence, but now Israel’s involvement in the attacks is obvious, which means the answer must be appropriate. Iran's main ally, Hezbollah, already has a wide arsenal of various missiles, drones and other weapons and has not yet fully deployed them in the confrontation with Israel. Now Hezbollah has the opportunity to activate these resources. There are other options regarding the opening of new fronts against the Jewish state. In particular, massive attacks from the pro-Iranian “Islamic Resistance of Iraq” from the Syrian part of the Golan Heights, which have long served as a base for pro-Iranian groups, cannot be ruled out. Attacks can be carried out using MLRS, other types of missiles, or the latest drones, which can be obtained from Iran. It is also likely that assault groups will be used to invade the Israeli-occupied Golan. In addition, attacks on Israel can also be carried out through the territory of Jordan from Iraq by the forces of the same “Islamic Resistance”. Abu Ali al-Askari, chief of security for Iraq's Kataib Hezbollah militia, part of the pro-Iranian Iraqi Islamic Resistance, said his forces are ready to arm and train 12,000 militiamen in Jordan for the war against Israel. Al-Askari even has a plan to disrupt ties between Jordan and Israel by blocking roads and preventing the delivery of goods. “If the actions of the Iraqi militias embarrass the Iraqi government, we will be able to find suitable alternatives,” a Kataib Hezbollah spokesman said. In Jordan, which has been grappling with street demonstrations against Israel for more than two weeks, urgent military discussions have been convened to prepare a scenario in which the kingdom becomes the new front for an "axis of resistance." THE US DOES NOT WANT ESCALATION On the other hand, a massive Hezbollah incursion into Israel would likely force the United States into the conflict as well. It cannot be ruled out that this is part of Netanyahu’s plan. It is significant that the Israeli strike occurred on April 1, immediately after a virtual meeting in which Israeli officials agreed to take into account US “concerns” about a possible invasion of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. “The American side has expressed concern about various actions in Rafah. The Israeli side agreed to take these concerns into account and hold subsequent discussions between experts,” the White House said. And they added that further discussions will be held, including another meeting next week. Therefore, Tel Aviv’s attack on Damascus is a challenge from Israel to not only Iran, but also the United States. Like, if you are so afraid of an escalation with Iran over Rafah, listening to your “Arab friends,” then we will make a new round of confrontation with the “Axis of Resistance” inevitable. And then it will no longer matter whether the IDF launches an attack on Rafah or not. We can say that Washington has found itself virtually hostage to Tel Aviv and is forced to continue to support it, despite its rejection of what the Netanyahu regime is doing in Gaza. Refusal to support Israel would mean the loss of a political future for any American politician. Now, Israel, with its strike on an Iranian diplomatic facility, can drag the United States into a new confrontation with Iran. Moreover, this time the conflict could take much more dangerous forms. Fearing such a scenario, the United States has already sent an urgent message to Iran that Washington was not involved in the attack.
In particular, the commander of the US Air Force in the Middle East, Lt. Gen. Alexus Grinkevich, said that Iran's assertion of US responsibility for Israel's actions could end the pause in attacks by pro-Iranian militias on US troops that have been ongoing since early February. He said he does not yet see any specific threat to American troops, but is concerned about Iranian rhetoric as it creates increased risks. In general, Iran will most likely refrain from any actions that could bring the escalation to a new level of tension and will continue to use the strategy of exhausting the Netanyahu regime. Moreover, in addition to the blow to Damascus, the Israelis launched another one in Gaza. It claimed the lives of aid workers and Western citizens, which also prompted unprecedented condemnation of Netanyahu's actions. A growing split between the Jewish state and its allies - the United States and the countries of the European Union - is evident. And it is important for Iran to maintain the dynamics of dissatisfaction with Israel’s actions in order to prevent the restoration of consolidation of the Western world. | |
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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Fearing Israeli assassinations, Iran pulls IRGC commanders from Syria - sources |
| 2024-02-02 |
| [Jpost] As hardliners in Tehran demand retaliation, Iran's decision to pull out senior officers is driven partly by its aversion to being sucked directly into a conflict bubbling across the Mideast. Iran's Revolutionary Guards have scaled back deployment of their senior officers in Syria due to a spate of deadly Israeli strikes and will rely more on allied Shi'ite militia to preserve their sway there, five sources familiar with the matter said. The Guards have suffered one of their most bruising spells in Syria since arriving a decade ago to aid President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian war. Since December, Israeli strikes have killed more than half a dozen of their members, among them one of the Guards' top intelligence generals. While the sources said Iran has no intention of quitting Syria - a key part of Tehran's sphere of influence - the rethink underscores how the consequences of the war ignited by Palestinian militant group Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel are unfolding in the region. Iran, a backer of Hamas, has sought to stay out of the conflict itself even as it supports groups that have entered the fray from Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq and Syria - the so-called "Axis of Resistance" that is hostile to Israeli and US interests. One of the sources - a senior regional security official briefed by Tehran - said senior Iranian commanders had left Syria along with dozens of mid-ranking officers, describing it as a downsizing of the presence. The source did not say how many Iranians had left and Reuters was unable independently to determine that. The news agency could not reach the Guards for comment and the Syrian information ministry did not respond to emailed questions for this story. Iran has sent thousands of fighters to Syria during the Syrian war. While these have included members of the Guards, officially serving in the role of advisors, the bulk have been Shi'ite militiamen from all over the region. Three of the sources said the Guards would manage Syrian operations remotely, with help from ally Hezbollah. The Lebanese group did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Another source, a regional official close to Iran, said those still in Syria had left their offices and were staying out of sight. "The Iranians won't abandon Syria but they reduced their presence and movements to the greatest extent." The sources said the changes so far had not had an impact on operations. The downsizing would "help Tehran to avoid being pulled into the Israel-Gaza war," one of the sources, an Iranian, said. Since the Gaza war erupted, Israel has stepped up a years-long campaign of air strikes aimed at rolling back Iran's presence in Syria, attacking both the Guards and Hezbollah - which in turn has been exchanging fire with Israel across the Lebanese-Israeli border since Oct. 8. Israel rarely comments on its attacks in Syria and has not declared responsibility for the recent strikes there. In response to Reuters' questions, the Israeli military said it did not comment on foreign media reports. INTELLIGENCE BRIEF In one of the attacks, on Jan. 20, five members of the Guards were killed, Iranian state media reported, including a general who ran intelligence for the Quds Force, which is responsible for the Guards' overseas operations. The strike flattened a Damascus building. Another, on Dec. 25 outside Damascus, killed a senior Guards adviser responsible for coordinating between Syria and Iran. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led prayers at his funeral. Reuters spoke to six sources familiar with Iranian deployments in Syria for this story. They declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the subject. Three of the sources said the Guards had raised concerns with Syrian authorities that information leaks from within the Syrian security forces played a part in the recent lethal strikes. Another source familiar with Iranian operations in Syria said the precise Israeli strikes had prompted the Guards to relocate operational sites and officers' residences, amidst concerns of an "intelligence breach." Iranian forces came to Syria at Assad's invitation, helping him to beat back rebels who had seized control of swathes of the country in the conflict that began in 2011. Years after Assad and his allies won back most of Syria, Iran-backed groups still operate across large areas. Their presence has cemented a zone of Iranian influence stretching through Iraq, Syria and Lebanon to the Mediterranean, helping to counterbalance Tehran's regional adversaries including Israel. Three of the sources said the Guards were once again recruiting Shi'ite fighters from Afghanistan and Pakistan to deploy to Syria, echoing earlier phases of the war when Shi'ite militias played a part in turning the tide of the conflict. The regional official close to Iran said the Guards were drawing more on Syrian Shi'ite militias. Gregory Brew, an analyst with Eurasia group, a political risk consultancy, said the failure to protect Iranian commanders had "clearly undermined Iran's position" but Tehran was unlikely to end its commitment to Syria to preserving its role in Syria. Russia has also supported Assad, deploying its air force to Syria in 2015, and any weakening of Iran's role there could play to its advantage. "Moscow and Tehran are working more closely together but their relationship may be strained if they compete openly in Syria," Brew said. Russia said this month it expected President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi to sign a new treaty soon, amid strengthening political, trade and military ties between the two nations. Guess it's working. |
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| -Signs, Portents, and the Weather- |
| Joe Biden 'is struggling to keep his head above water' as US is challenged by Iran and Russia - 'and China and North Korea are taking notes', experts say as they warn inaction now 'will cost American lives later' |
| 2024-01-17 |
| Talk to Obama's cook. [Daily Mail, Where America Gets Its News] Joe Biden 'is struggling to keep his head above water' as the US 'ignores' threats from Iran and continues to be challenged by Russia - while North Korea and China are 'taking notes', experts have warned. Iran's Revolutionary Guards confirmed yesterday that their forces launched ballistic missiles close to the US consulate in Erbil, northern Iraq - a move condemned as 'reckless' by the US State Department. Former military intelligence officer Colonel (Ret) Jonathan Sweet and foreign policy expert Mark Toth labelled the US response 'as perfunctory as it was lacking', saying it is just the latest example of the Biden administration's inaction in the region. Iran's so-called 'Axis of Resistance' - including Lebanon's Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthi rebels - has been increasing its attacks on Israel and commercial shipping routes, prompting the US and UK to launch devastating strikes by air and sea. But, the experts told MailOnline: 'For all the US military might put on display throughout the Middle East, Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden right now, Iran and their proxies have not been deterred.' Meanwhile, as the war in Ukraine approaches its third year, Vladimir Putin's rhetoric has become more aggressive, threatening Ukraine's statehood and warning that Russia would 'never' abandon the gains it has made. With the prospect of being drawn further into the Ukraine war effort or any Middle East conflagration deeply unpopular among voters in an election year, Toth and Sweet say the White House is 'taking the path of least resistance' and avoiding the inevitable. 'Neither Russia nor Iran has any intention of standing down,' Toth and Sweet said. 'Kicking the can down the road only makes the problem worse. That is the Biden dilemma – pay the political cost of kinetic intervention now or in American lives later.' The Biden administration has emphasized de-escalation as its key aim in the Middle East, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken making four trips to Israel and the wider region since the war erupted following the October 7 attacks by Hamas. With such strong words repeated regularly, Toth and Sweet say 'Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Al Khamenei continues to kinetically call President Joe Biden's bluff across the Mideast.' 'The Biden Administration does not want a direct confrontation with Iran, but that seems to be the calculated direction Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is taking them. The US is also working to pour cold water over potential threats in the Far East, after the election of William Lai in Taiwan prompted fury from China, who the incumbent president has called for independence from. In response, Biden bluntly reiterated the US position by saying 'we do not support independence', in an apparent effort to prevent escalation and keep dialogue going between Taipei and Beijing. Toth and Sweet describe it as an attempt 'to appease' Chinese President Xi Jinping, and labelled his response 'self-defeating'. Meanwhile in Europe, the governments of Estonia, Sweden and the UK have warned that the prospect of large-scale war is on the horizon. Alarm bells have sounded over leaked German intelligence documents, which reveal the path to a war with Putin using Belarus as a launching pad for invasion. At last night's World Economic Forum, President Zelensky told Western leaders: 'Strengthen our economy and we will strengthen your security.' Biden's efforts to deliver $106billion aid package to Kyiv have been stalled by Republicans in Congress, which his administration said it is working to solve as quickly as possible. But as the war with Russia drags on with limited Ukrainian gains, donor fatigue appears to be setting in for many policymakers. After he secured a landslide in the first Republican primary this week, a return to the White House is looking increasingly likely for Donald Trump, whose previous comments have stoked fears that he could slash funding for Ukraine. 'Domestic politics are coming into play,' Toth and Sweet said, adding that 'the White House appears to be on the path of least resistance' amid the presidential election cycle. 'In doing so, Washington risks appearing as willing to throw its partners – and service members deployed in the Middle East and East Africa, under the bus to avoid any direct military intervention for the next 10 months,' they warned. 'Zelensky and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are in the fight for their country's very survival – not some election cycle. Both are prepared to go it alone without the US – Netanyahu told Biden so much concerning the threat. |
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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran | |
| Death toll of the terrorist attack near a cemetery in Iran more than 200 people | |
| 2024-01-04 | |
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
“The number of victims of the terrorist attack in Kerman has reached 211 people,” the report says. Previously it was reported that 103 were killed and 142 were injured. As Regnum reported, two explosions occurred in the Iranian city of Kerman during a mourning ceremony on the anniversary of the death of Soleimani. Authorities called the incident a terrorist attack. The explosions were carried out remotely; the bombs were placed in bags that were lying near the mausoleum building. Soleimani was killed on January 3, 2020, as a result of an airstrike by American forces near Baghdad airport. The Pentagon said the strike was carried out on the personal orders of then-US President Donald Trump. Trump later noted that US authorities consider it acceptable to eliminate the country's opponents and that the CIA has organized many such killings in the past. Iran responded to the killing of Soleimani by attacking American military bases in Iraq. Related: Kerman: 2024-01-03 At least 103 killed in Iran 'terrorist attack' at event honoring general taken out in US drone strike Kerman: 2023-11-26 More than 400,000 Afghan migrants return home from Iran Kerman: 2023-07-30 The Azadi Briefing: Fear, Disillusionment Undermine Taliban's Efforts To Woo Exiled Former Afghan Officials | |
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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran | |
| Iran issues threat to Israel, US with new hypersonic weapon | |
| 2023-11-20 | |
The missile, developed within Iran in spite of numerous sanctions from the West, has a supposed range of 1,400 kilometers (870 miles). BUILDING ON FATTAH I The first version, Fattah I, was unveiled in June but the newer version contains a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) warhead that supposedly supports the weapon reaching maximum speed, Iran’s Tasnim News reported. The source reported that the updated missile can reach speeds of Mach 5-20 (6,170-24,700 kph). The weapon was unveiled by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at Ashura Aerospace Science and Technology University, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency. | |
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| Israel: Has the homeowner finally gone berserk? | |||
| 2023-11-04 | |||
| [Ynet] The war against Hamas it appears is being conducted on two separate levels. One pits the IDF against its Arab/Muslim enemies. There the sides "understand" each other quite well. The second is the Israel-U.S. level in which the latter either by design or default speaks as if Washington is on another planet. For instance, on the first level, Iran’s Tasnim news agency on October 10, quoted the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as telling an audience of Iranian military cadets that "From the military and intelligence aspects, this defeat [of October 7,] is irreparable. It is a devastating earthquake." Some days later, in an apparent response, Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant commented on the beginning of the "next phase" in the IDF’s operation against Hamas, which began the night of October 27, by saying "Last night the earth in Gaza shook." However on the Israel-U.S. level the miscommunication is apparent. The gap is most noticeable with regard to repeated calls by Washington (and other Western capitals) for Israel to abide by the laws of warfare in the pursuit of its military response to Hamas’s massacre.
And since the "laws of war" in question have been invented by the same people who invented multiple (> 2) human genders, and their sole purpose to give advantage to the side willing to use its civilians as human shields... In contrast, Israel’s political and military leadership has repeatedly conveyed its assessment of the country’s dire strategic situation and the stark choices it is now facing. ...In an address to the nation on October 25, Netanyahu said "Israel is in the midst of a fight for our existence," declaring that the goal was "saving the nation." Three days later, at a press conference with Gallant and former defense minister and IDF chief Benny Gantz (who was newly installed as minister without portfolio in Netanyahu’s war Cabinet), the concerted message was that the war against Hamas is one of historical and existential significance for the country and therefore Israel must win it. ...In its most extreme form, this last-resort "doctrine" has sometimes been labeled the "Homeowner Gone Berserk" response. Moreover, Israel is keenly aware that the war against Hamas must communicate clearly to Iran and its regional proxies, first and foremost the Hezbollah terrorist army in Lebanon, what awaits them if they dare attack. The enormous destruction inflicted on Gaza is therefore a tangible and graphic warning to Israel’s other enemies. It is not as if Washington is completely oblivious to Hamas’s malevolent practices. For example, in an address to the Washington Foreign Press Center on October 23, National Security Council’s Coordinator for Strategic Communications Rear Admiral (ret.) John Kirby said, "Hamas...because they’re nothing but a terrorist group — they’re certainly not a responsible governing power — they could care less about the laws of war and they could care less about the people of Gaza, using them as human shields, tunneling under their homes, headquartering themselves in hospitals and schools, encouraging them to stay home right there in northern Gaza and putting them literally in harm’s way because they don’t care. That’s the big difference between Israel and the United States, and groups like Hamas. So there’s a big difference in approach here."
Indeed, the West’s rules of warfare are nothing but a force multiplier for jihadists like Hamas. They boost this murderous army’s ability to press on with its deadly strategy and aid its efforts to escape the promised obliteration by Israel. ...In essence, the jihadist strategy envisions carrying out monstrous attacks deliberately designed to shock and chip away at any vestige of (the U.S.-engineered) world order and then hide under the umbrella of "world opinion"—i.e. their Arab brethren and the usual cabal of Russia, China and the "progressive" West European left supported by the Muslim "fifth column" residing across Europe and the U.S.—accusing Israel of committing "genocide" so as to limit and undercut its expected military response to their terrorist outrages. Somebody in Biden Admin should read about Masada. | |||
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| Terror Networks |
| Energy weapons of the sheikhs: is the West facing a new oil embargo? |
| 2023-11-02 |
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Oleg Krivoshapov [REGNUM] On November 1, Iran's spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for a halt in food and oil supplies to Israel while shelling of the Gaza Strip continued. |
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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| US strikes Iran-linked sites in Syria in retaliation for attacks on US troops |
| 2023-10-27 |
| [Breitbart] The U.S. military launched airstrikes early Friday on two locations in eastern Syria linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Pentagon said, in retaliation for a slew of drone and missile attacks against U.S. bases and personnel in the region that began early last week. The U.S. strikes reflect the Biden administration’s determination to maintain a delicate balance. The U.S. wants to hit Iranian-backed groups suspected of targeting the U.S. as strongly as possible to deter future aggression, possibly fueled by Israel’s war against Hamas, while also working to avoid inflaming the region and provoking a wider conflict. Information about the specific targets and other details were not yet provided. According to the Pentagon, there have been at least 12 attacks on U.S. bases and personnel in Iraq and four in Syria since Oct. 17. Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said 21 U.S. personnel were injured in two of those assaults that used drones to target al-Asad Airbase in Iraq and al-Tanf Garrison in Syria. In a statement, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the “precision self-defense strikes are a response to a series of ongoing and mostly unsuccessful attacks against U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militia groups that began on October 17.” He said President Joe Biden directed the narrowly tailored strikes “to make clear that the United States will not tolerate such attacks and will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests.” And he added that the operation was separate and distinct from Israel’s war against Hamas. The Biden administration has not accused Iran of having a direct role in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and has said it appears so far that Tehran was not aware of it beforehand. But the U.S. has noted that Iran has long supported Hamas and has raised concerns that Iran and its proxies could turn the conflict into a wider war. Austin said the U.S. does not seek a broader conflict, but if Iranian proxy groups continue, the U.S. won’t hesitate to take additional action to protect its forces. According to the Pentagon, all the U.S. personnel hurt in the militant attacks received minor injuries and all returned to duty. In addition, a contractor suffered a cardiac arrest and died while seeking shelter from a possible drone attack. The retaliatory strikes came as no surprise. Officials at the Pentagon and the White House have made it clear for the past week that the U.S. would respond, with Ryder saying again Thursday that it would be “at the time and place of our choosing.” “I think we’ve been crystal clear that we maintain the inherent right of defending our troops and we will take all necessary measures to protect our forces and our interests overseas,” he told reporters during a Pentagon briefing earlier in the day. Biden said Wednesday that he warned Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, that if Tehran continues to “move against” U.S. forces in the Middle East, “we will respond.” The latest spate of strikes by the Iranian-linked groups came in the wake of a deadly explosion at a Gaza hospital, triggering protests in a number of Muslim nations. The Israeli military has relentlessly attacked Gaza in retaliation for the devastating Hamas rampage in southern Israel nearly three weeks ago, but Israel has denied responsibility for the al-Ahli hospital blast and the U.S. has said its intelligence assessment found that Tel Aviv was not to blame. The U.S., including the Pentagon, has repeatedly said any strike response by America would be directly tied to the attacks on the troops, and not connected to the war between Israel and Hamas. Such retaliation and strikes against Iranian targets in Syria after similar attacks on U.S. bases are routine. |
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| Iraq |
| Drones attack a US military base in Iraqi Kurdistan |
| 2023-10-22 |
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. [Regnum] Two drones attacked the US military base "Harir" near the city of Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, Al-Mayadeen TV channel reported. This was announced by the pro-Iranian movement "Islamic Resistance of Iraq", which launched drones early in the morning of October 21. There has been no information yet about casualties or damage. Pro-Iranian forces carried out an attack on US troops in Iraq this week for the third time. Thus, on October 18, the Islamic Resistance of Iraq launched attacks on Harir and another American base, Al-Assad, in Anbar province. The Al-Assad base was also attacked by the Islamic Resistance on October 20. In addition, on October 19, the group sent three drones to the American al-Tanf base in Homs province in Syria. The Islamic Resistance said all three drones reached their target, while the Americans said two UAVs destroyed air defense forces. Attacks by the pro-Iranian movement on the American military have become more frequent amid the worsening of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict for two weeks now, since October 7. Hamas and the Israel Defense Forces exchange rocket attacks. In addition, Israel plans to intensify military operations as part of the ground operation. The United States fully supports Israel in its conflict with the Palestinian Hamas movement. American President Joe Biden announced this when he visited Tel Aviv on October 19. In a number of Islamic countries there are protests against Israeli actions against Muslims. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on October 17 threatened Israel and its allies with dire consequences for attacks on Gaza. |
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| Iraq |
| US military shot down two drones during an attack on coalition forces in Iraq |
| 2023-10-19 |
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. [Regnum] The US military shot down two drones while attempting to attack US-led anti-terrorist coalition forces in Iraq. A Pentagon spokesman spoke about this on October 18. “An attempted attack against US and coalition forces in Iraq was interrupted early in the morning of October 18. Two drones were shot down during the attack,” RIA Novosti quoted a representative of the American defense department as saying. There were no casualties as a result of this incident. Reuters reported on October 18 that the US military intercepted two drones that were heading towards the US al-Assad air base to carry out an attack. The agency's sources did not specify who tried to strike the American military. Speaking on condition of anonymity, they said that the US military is on high alert, believing that as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict worsens, Iranian-backed groups may increase their activity. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on October 17 called on Israel to stop attacks on the Gaza Strip. He called the Israeli actions genocide and threatened a response from the Arab world. Khamenei stressed that the United States stands behind Israel. Related: Al-Assad air base: 2023-08-17 Pentagon denies reports of recent US military movements in Iraq Al-Assad air base: 2023-08-16 Sadiqoun bloc condemns alleged entry of 2,500 US Soldiers into Iraq, citing sovereignty violation Al-Assad air base: 2020-03-24 US military allegedly building new base for Patriot missiles near Syrian border |
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