Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
Iran’s IRGC chief tells Trump that country views him as ‘murderer’ of Soleimani |
2025-05-16 |
[IsraelTimes] The top commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami, tells US President Donald Trump that the Iranian nation considers him the “murderer” of Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani. That’s like trying to insult an American by calling him a cowboy. Total insult FAIL. Soleimani was the commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force. He was killed in Iraq in a drone strike on January 3, 2020, ordered by Trump during his first term in office.Trump had said earlier that the United States was getting very close to securing a nuclear deal with Tehran. |
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
After blows to proxies, Iran advances space program with Russian assistance |
2025-04-21 |
[IsraelTimes] Islamic Republic said to build 54-square-mile complex with spaceport at Chabahar; experts say space technology could enhance Tehran’s long-range missile capabilities Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneouslytaking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militiasto extend the regime's influence. The word Iranis a cognate form of Aryan.The abbreviation IRGCis the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA).The term Supreme Guideis a the modern version form of either Duceor Führeror maybe both. They hate is reportedly building a major spaceport as part of an effort to maintain its regional prowess following major blows to its proxies across the Middle East. Bloomberg detailed the Islamic Theocratic Republic’s plans to build the facility, likened to Florida’s Cape Canaveral, in Chabahar, a launch site close to the equator, making it more efficient for launches. The site, which was supposed to open last year, will contain a 54-square-mile complex, allowing Iran to launch powerful spacecraft into orbit, the Friday report said. The program has reportedly raised concerns among Western nations — particularly the US and Israel — that Iranian space technology could be used to advance the country’s intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capabilities. "Iran’s work on space-launch vehicles — including its two-stage, liquid-fueled Simorgh satellite carrier rocket — likely shortens the timeline to produce an ICBM due to the similarities in technology," General Anthony Cotton, commander of US Strategic Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee last month. One of the program’s reported aims is to send to space 20 internet satellites named after Qassem Soleimani ![]() With more satellites, Iran could better guide its long-range weapons, according to the report. John Sheldon, an Abu Dhabi-based founding partner at AstroAnalytica, a space consulting firm, was quoted as saying the Iranians "could become much more precise in their targeting and have quicker reaction times to launch their own ballistic missile forces to hit targets much more precisely." The report did not provide precise figures regarding the costs of the program, though a senior Iranian official reportedly said last November that approximately $11 million would be provided to Iran’s space agency, despite the sanctions that have crippled the Iranian economy. According to the report, the program is also being supported by Iran’s strategic relationship with Russia, as both countries face sanctions from the West. Russian President Vladimir Putin ...President-for-Life of Russia. He gets along well with other presidents for life. He is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substance. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to him. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substances... and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a 20-year strategic pact in January. "What Russia definitely has is the expertise," Juliana Suess, a researcher at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, was quoted as saying. "That’s something that Iran is after." In October, two Iranian-made satellites were sent into orbit from Russia. Iranian drones have also been used throughout Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The advancement of the program has led the UK and the EU to sanction Brigadier General Ali Jafarabadi, who leads the IRGC’s space division. The UK has also sanctioned the Iranian Space Agency. "Our enemies constantly try to prevent us from standing on our own feet, but this has driven us to achieve scientific and technological advancements," Pezeshkian said of the program in February. Matthew Schmidt, an associate professor of national security and political science at the University of New Haven, told Bloomberg that the Iranian space program’s advancements are motivated by the blows the country’s proxies were recently dealt in Leb ![]() and Syria. "Iran has a need now, especially after the losses of its proxy power to Israel, to reestablish some kind of pathway to do power projection," he said. "They see space technology and aeronautical technology as a place to do it." Iran has not explicitly said whether the program is intended for military purposes, claiming that its goal is to achieve the same technological capabilities as Western countries. However, those who apply themselves too closely to little things often become incapable of great things... Iran has called for the destruction of Israel for decades and launched barrages of long-range missiles at its adversary twice in the past year. The Islamic Theocratic Republicrecently began negotiations with the US on its nuclear program, aiming to reach a deal that will ease sanctions. It is unclear whether the Omani-mediated talks are making headway. Iran claims that its nuclear program is intended only for civilian purposes, but it nevertheless has enriched uranium to levels that are only necessary for developing an atomic bomb. |
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
State-controlled Iranian newspaper calls for firing bullets into Trump's ‘empty skull' |
2025-04-06 |
[FoxNews] The Islamist revolutionary newspaper that is widely considered the voice of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei ...the very aged actual dictator of Iran, successor to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini...> on Saturday stoked a targeted liquidation of President Donald Trump ...So far he's been unkillable, and they've tried.... According to the Persian language article published in the mouthpiece Kayhan newspaper of Khamenei, "He’s way out of line! Any day now, in Dire Revenge for the blood of Martyr Soleimani, a few bullets are going to be fired into that empty skull of his and he’ll be drinking from the chalice of a cursed death." Trump ordered a dronezap in January 2020, which eliminated the U.S. global Iranian regime terrorist Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani ![]() ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneouslytaking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militiasto extend the regime's influence. The word Iranis a cognate form of Aryan.The abbreviation IRGCis the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA).The term Supreme Guideis a the modern version form of either Duceor Führeror maybe both. They hate has repeatedly vowed Dire Revenge liquidations targeting Trump and former officials from his first administration. According to the Trump administration, Soleimani oversaw the murders of more than 600 American military personnel. |
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
Trump says ‘would be nice’ to solve Iranian nuclear crisis without Israeli strikes |
2025-01-25 |
I agree — it would be very nice. Not likely, I suspect, which is that whole reality thingy intruding, but nice if it were to happen that way. [IsraelTimes] US president reportedly set to tap Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff as Iran point man, signaling turn away from ‘maximum pressure’ policy of 1st term: ‘Certainly somebody I would use’US President Donald Trump ...dictatorial for repealing some (but not all) of the diktats of his predecessor, misogynistic because he likes pretty girls, homophobic because he doesn't think gender bending should be mandatory, truly a man for all seasons... on Thursday said he hopes the Iranian nuclear crisis can be solved without Israel having to carry out a military strike against the Islamic Theocratic RepublicThe remarks came after it was reported that Trump is planning to name his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff as his point man on Iran, signaling the new administration’s resolve to address Tehran’s nuclear program diplomatically rather than militarily. "I’m not going to answer that," Trump first replied when asked by news hounds in the Oval Office whether he would support an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, adding that he would be holding meetings with various bigwigs on the matter shortly. "Hopefully that can be worked out without having to worry about it. It would really be nice if that could be worked out without having to go that further step," Trump continued. "Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneouslytaking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militiasto extend the regime's influence. The word Iranis a cognate form of Aryan.The abbreviation IRGCis the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA).The term Supreme Guideis a the modern version form of either Duceor Führeror maybe both. They hate will hopefully make a deal, and if they don’t make a deal that’s okay too," he said. Offering two possibilities. The second one is likely to be uncomfortable. His administration has signaled in recent days that it wants to try and reach a diplomatic agreement with Iran to curb its nuclear program, rather than carrying out a military strike.There had been some in Israel who assumed that Trump’s return to the White House would lead to the US backing an Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear sites or even carrying out such an attack itself. Trump had criticized his predecessor Joe The Big GuyBiden ...46th president of the U.S. You're a lyin' dog-faced pony soldier... for publicly telling Israel not to strike Iranian oil and nuclear sites in retaliation for Tehran’s ballistic missile attack last year. Trump had argued that Biden shouldn’t be publicly telegraphing Israel’s next move. Senior Trump officials were earlier quoted by Channel 12 news as saying the new US president "doesn’t want to kick off his term with a war," is interested in a "firm deal" to prevent Iran from attaining nuclear arms, and assesses that "the Iranians will run to the negotiating table under his leadership." WITKOFF ’CERTAINLY SOMEBODY I WOULD USE’ Trump on Thursday also addressed the Gazoo ...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppressionand disproportionate response... hostage release and ceasefire deal he helped finalize, saying it "should hold." The comments appeared to soften ones he made earlier in the week, when he said he was not confident that the agreement would hold. Asked to elaborate on those comments, Trump told news hounds, "It’s a very tricky place." Trump credited his envoy Witkoff for securing the agreement that had been elusive for months. Noting that "both sides" liked Witkoff, Trump said, "That deal would have never been made without Steve." "The deal should hold, but if it doesn’t there will be a lot of problems," Trump warned. Trump was also asked whether he’ll want Witkoff to be negotiating directly with Iran, amid the reports that he was planning to have him handle US diplomacy with Tehran. "No, but he’s certainly somebody I would use," Trump said. The Financial Times had reported that Witkoff, known for his central role bringing the Gaza ceasefire deal to a conclusion, will oversee efforts to tackle Iran’s nuclear ambitions as part of a broader attempt to curb conflicts in the region, adding that the ceasefire agreement will remain Witkoff’s main focus. News of Witkoff’s tentative appointment came as Trump revoked the security detail of two prominent Iran hawks from his previous administration: former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former Iran envoy Brian Hook, both of whom were considered under threat by Iran. Pompeo and Hook were the public faces of the US "maximum pressure" sanctions campaign against Iran after Trump in 2018 withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal. The deal, signed in 2015, offered relief on sanctions in exchange for Iran’s drastically limiting its nuclear program. In response to Trump’s withdrawal, Tehran, which is sworn to destroy Israel, has breached the deal in several ways, including by accelerating its uranium enrichment to levels that are unfeasible for civilian use. Mohammad Javad Zarif ...former Persian foreign minister, Mouthpiece of Mullahs, good friend of John Kerry and similar exemplars of Merkin values... , a top Iranian official who was Tehran’s lead negotiator on the 2015 deal, said Wednesday that he hopes "this time around, a ’Trump 2’ will be more serious, more focused, more realistic." Though Trump has publicly vowed to resume "maximum pressure" on Iran, the Financial Times said that the US president and his aides have indicated in meetings that they want to keep the door open to diplomacy with the Islamic Theocratic RepublicAccording to the newspaper, some Trump officials have told foreign counterparts that they expect Witkoff to check whether diplomacy with Iran was possible. However, by candlelight every wench is handsome... US officials cited by the newspaper said that Trump’s approach to Iran in his second term, and Witkoff’s mandate vis-a-vis the Islamic Theocratic Republic, were not yet settled. A senior Republican staffer in the US Congress, quoted by the Financial Times, expressed frustration at Witkoff’s appointment, saying the new Iran point man was not hawkish enough. "He’s already lifting pressure on Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, and in the process abandoning American hostages and endangering Israel," said the aide — though the White House on Thursday re-designated the Houthis as a terror group. "He keeps saying he knows what Trump wants, but he doesn’t understand what Trump believes," the aide added. The Financial Times noted that two of Trump’s appointments — Michael DiMino, the Pentagon’s new top Middle East official, and Elbridge Colby, nominated for under-secretary of defense for policy — have expressed skepticism over the use of military force to thwart Iran’s nuclear program. A more robust approach, meanwhile, has been advocated by Trump’s designated national security adviser, Michael Waltz, and new US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ...The diminutive 13-year-old Republican U.S. Senator from Florida, Secretary of State in the second Trump administration... The top diplomat, who was confirmed on Wednesday, said in a phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later in the day that "he looks forward to addressing the threats posed by Iran and pursuing opportunities for peace," according to a State Department readout. IRAN HAWKS POMPEO AND HOOK LOSE SECURITY DETAIL A congressional staffer and a person familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity ... for fear of being murdered... to discuss personal security details, confirmed Thursday that Trump had revoked Pompeo and Hook’s security details. Neither source could offer an explanation. They said Pompeo and Hook were told of the loss of protection on Wednesday and that it took effect at 11 p.m. that night. A day earlier, Trump had revoked the security clearance and Secret Service protection from John Bolton, another Iran hawk who was fired as Trump’s national security adviser during his first term. Bolton, who has been targeted for liquidation for Iran, later wrote a book whose publication the White House unsuccessfully sought to block on grounds that it disclosed national security information. Trump had soured on Pompeo some months ago, saying publicly that he would play no role in his new administration. In a social media post this week, Trump also fired Hook from his presidentially appointed position on the board of the Wilson Center, a think tank. A representative for Pompeo did not immediately reply to a request for comment, and Hook has not responded to multiple voice and text messages from the AP since Bolton was stripped of his protection on Tuesday. The New York Times ![]() ...which still proudly claims Walter Duranty's Pulitzer prize... first reported on the loss of protections. The Biden administration’s State Department had provided and then systematically renewed round-the-clock protection by the Diplomatic Security Service for Pompeo and Hook since January 21, 2021, when they left office along with Trump. The last such authorization was on October 21. Iran has blamed both for the killing of Iran Revolutionary Guard commander Qassem Soleimani ![]() According to a March 2022 report to Congress, the State Department said it was paying more than $2 million per month to provide 24-hour security to Pompeo and Hook. But later determinations did not give a dollar amount. In those notifications, the State Department told politicians that threats against Pompeo and Hook remain "serious and credible" and continue to warrant government-provided security details. Biden administration officials briefed Trump officials earlier this month about the ongoing threat posed by Iran to Pompeo, Hook, Bolton and others and why the administration had extended the security details for them, according to a former senior Biden administration official familiar with the matter. The official, who requested anonymity to discuss the private briefing, said Trump administration officials are "well aware" of the "active threats" against the former government officials and called the move "highly irresponsible." Related: Steve Witkoff 01/21/2025 Hamas leader says terror group prepared for dialogue with US, credits Trump with ‘ending’ Gaza war; PA’s Abbas ditto Steve Witkoff 01/20/2025 Trump team considering relocation for some of Gaza’s residents during post-war rebuilding — NBC Steve Witkoff 01/17/2025 Top Trump official says US will back renewed Israeli offensive in Gaza if needed Related: Mike Pompeo 01/21/2025 The new CIA director and the Tehran regime headache - opinion Mike Pompeo 01/12/2025 Iran again closes schools, offices to conserve power amid crisis Mike Pompeo 12/19/2024 How Tucker Carlson blocked 'warmonger' from becoming Trump's defense secretary Related: Brian Hook 10/04/2024 Iran Plot To Assassinate Trump Was FBI Setup Brian Hook 03/05/2024 FBI Ramps Up Manhunt For Iranian Intelligence Officer Plotting To Kill Key Trump-Era Officials Brian Hook 09/14/2023 Biden has a secret, illegal deal with Iran that gives mullahs everything they want |
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
Iran TV shows missile base after paramilitary march against ‘threats’, army holds air defence exercises |
2025-01-12 |
[IsraelTimes] Iranian state TV shows the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps touring an underground missile base used in an attack against Israel, hours after fighters marched through Tehran. The footage of the missile base at an undisclosed location “in the mountains” and the parade by paramilitary Basij volunteers come after the weakening of Iran’s allies Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, during wars with Israel. They also come days before US President-elect Donald Trump is due to take office. During his first term, he oversaw the killing of Revolutionary Guards commander Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike in Iraq, and reinstated sanctions on Tehran after pulling out from a landmark nuclear deal. State TV showed Guards chief Hossein Salami visiting the missile base, which the report says has “dozens” of different types of missiles and was used during Iran’s second ever direct attack on regional foe Israel late last year. Iran drills air defenses, touts fortified ‘missile city’ in challenge to Israel, Trump [IsraelTimes] IRGC general claims arms production up in speech from underground weapons plant, days after Israel reveals it destroyed underground Iranian missile plant in Syria Iran ![]() spontaneouslytaking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militiasto extend the regime's influence. The word Iranis a cognate form of Aryan.The abbreviation IRGCis the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA).The term Supreme Guideis a the modern version form of either Duceor Führeror maybe both. They hate was holding air defense exercises Saturday, state media reported, as the country braced for more friction with Israel and the United States under incoming US president Donald Trump ...The Hero of Butler, Pennsylvania... The war games came a day after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps released footage of what it called an underground "missile city," claiming that weapon production had ramped up, contrary to Israeli claims. Iranian leaders are thought to be readying for the possibility that Trump could empower Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to attack Iran’s nuclear sites, while further tightening US sanctions on its oil industry through his "maximum pressure" policy. "In these exercises,...defense systems will practice the fight against air, missile and electronic warfare threats in real battlefield conditions... to protect the country’s skies and sensitive and vital areas," Iranian state television said. The drills were part of two-months-long exercises launched on January 4 which have already included war games in which the elite Revolutionary Guards defended key nuclear installations in Natanz against mock attacks by missiles and drones, state media said. Iran’s military has said it was using new drones and missiles in the exercises. On Friday, Iran released video showing IRGC Commander-in-Chief Major General Hossein Salami visiting an underground missile production facility with tunnels large enough to hold large trucks and multiple production areas. "Maybe the enemy thought that our production power has stagnated," he said in the televised speech. "But the growth rate of our missile power" is rising. State-linked media claimed that only 10 percent of the facility had been shown. The structure in the video appeared to bear similarities to an underground missile production facility in Syria that Israel has alleged was built by Iran. Earlier this month, the Israel Defense Forces revealed that it had sent a team of commandos into the heavily fortified facility in September, who managed to lay explosives inside the plant built deep inside a mountain, largely destroying it. The raid was one of several setbacks suffered by Iran in recent months, including Israel dismantling the leadership and arsenal of client terror group Hezbollah, an Israeli strike on Iranian air defense targets and the loss of ally Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad Leveler of Latakia... in Syria. While Iranian officials have downplayed Iran’s setbacks, an Iranian general, Behrouz Esbati, who was reportedly based in Syria, said in a speech circulated on social media that Iran had "badly lost" in Syria. Rooters could not verify the recording. Trump in 2018 withdrew from a deal struck by his predecessor Barack Obama How much damage could he do in four years?... Eight, then... in 2015 in which Iran agreed to curb uranium enrichment, which can yield material for nuclear weapons, in return for the relaxation of US and UN economic sanctions. |
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
Suicide bomber kills police officer, wounds another in Iran |
2024-12-30 |
![]() A suicide bomber killed a local police officer and wounded another in a southern Iranian port city, home to a large Sunni Muslim community, local media said Sunday. The hardline Javan Daily, a newspaper close to the country’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said the attacker stopped Capt. Mojtaba Shahid’s car Saturday evening in Bandar Lengeh in the province of Hormozgan before detonating his vest. Shahid’s deputy, who was also in the car, has been hospitalized in critical condition, the paper reported, describing the attack as an act of terrorism. The city, some 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) south of the capital Tehran, has no recent history of terrorism. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but some local news outlets claimed Ansar al-Furqan, ...the Sunni Arab jihadi/separatist group based along the Iranian border with Pakistan’s Baluchistan province. It’s been a thorn in the Iranian side for the past quarter century... an al-Qaeda-linked Sunni armed group, was behind it.The attack came days ahead of the anniversary of two suicide bombings on January 3 in which nearly 100 people were killed at a memorial in southeastern Iran for top IRGC commander Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated in Iraq in 2020 by a US drone. Islamic State claimed those two suicide bombings. Related: Hormozgan: 2024-07-08 At least two people killed in Iranian frigate sinking in southeastern Iran Hormozgan: 2024-02-03 Iran president vows against 'bullies' Hormozgan: 2023-02-19 Iran’s new underground air base seen preparing to host advanced Russian fighter jets Related: Ansar al-Furqan: 2023-12-16 Gunmen kill 11 victims, including police officers, injure others during attack on Iranian police station Ansar al-Furqan: 2023-07-09 ‘Army of Justice’ Claims Responsibility for Deadly Attack in Zahedan, Iran Ansar al-Furqan: 2018-12-10 Iran arrests 10 suspects in suicide bombing that killed two |
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
Police commander killed by suicide bomber in southern Iran |
2024-12-29 |
[IsraelTimes] A suicide bomber killed the head of police intelligence in Iran’s southern port city of Bandar Lengeh on Saturday, Iranian state media reports. The unidentified bomber was also killed and another police officer was injured in the attack outside a police headquarters in the Gulf port city, the media reports say. The attack came days ahead of the anniversary of two suicide bombings on Jan. 3 in which nearly 100 people were killed at a memorial in southeastern Iran for top commander Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated in Iraq in 2020 by a US drone. Islamic State claimed those two suicide bombings. |
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Home Front: WoT |
US charges Iran Guard captain over alleged role in 2022 death of American in Baghdad |
2024-12-21 |
[IsraelTimes] Mohammad Reza Nouri indicted for multiple terrorism- and murder-related offenses over killing of Stephen Troell; suspect being held in Iraq, where he has already been convicted An Iranian officer blamed for the 2022 killing of an American in Iraq has been charged in New York with federal murder and terrorism crimes, authorities announced on Friday. Federal authorities in New York City said Mohammad Reza Nouri, a captain in Iran’s paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has been charged in Manhattan federal court with multiple terrorism and murder-related charges that carry a potential penalty of life in prison. At least one charge carries the potential for a death sentence ...the barbaric practice of sentencing a murderer to be punished for as long as his/her/its victim is dead... Nouri, 36, is in jug in Iraq, where he already has been convicted by an Iraqi court for his role in Stephen Troell’s killing, authorities said. Troell, a native of Tennessee, was killed in his car by unknown assailants as he pulled up to the street where he lived with his family in Baghdad’s central Karrada district. He worked for Global English Institute, a language school in Baghdad’s Harthiya neighborhood, which operated under the auspices of Texas-based non-governmental organization Millennium Relief and Development Services. It was a rare killing of a foreigner in Iraq, where security conditions have improved in recent years. Acting US Attorney Edward Y. Kim said in a release that Nouri orchestrated the killing of Troell in Baghdad, Iraq, in November 2022. "Nouri is alleged to have gathered intelligence on Troell’s daily routine and whereabouts, procured weapons and vehicles, and provided safe harbor to the operatives who carried out the sinister plot to brutally attack Troell in front of his wife," Kim said. The prosecutor said the "Iranian regime is actively targeting US citizens, such as Troell, living in countries around the world for kidnapping and execution both to repress and silence dissidents critical of the regime and to take vengeance" for the death of Qassem Soleimani ![]() In court papers, the US government asserted that Nouri celebrated the killing with a coconspirator on the day of the attack and left Iraq for Iran spontaneouslytaking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militiasto extend the regime's influence. The word Iranis a cognate form of Aryan.The abbreviation IRGCis the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA).The term Supreme Guideis a the modern version form of either Duceor Führeror maybe both. They hate the night of the killing. It said shortly before leaving Baghdad, Nouri visited a religious site associated with mourning for Soleimani’s death. US Attorney General Merrick Garland said in the release that the Justice Department "will not tolerate hard boyz and authoritarian regimes targeting and murdering Americans anywhere in the world." |
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
Lebanese Druze politician says country should ‘permanently abandon’ war on Israel |
2024-12-17 |
[IsraelTimes] Hezbollah ally Wiam Wahhab, who heads the minor Arab Unification Party, says ‘the nation does not want war’ and the only victor in the region is Netanyahu Wiam Wahhab, a Druze Lebanese politician and former minister, said in an interview on Sunday that Leb ...The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else?... should end its long-running fight against the State of Israel and pursue normalization. Wahhab, the founder and head of the minor Tawhid Party, or Arab Unification Party, is considered an ally of the Hezbollah terrorist group, which holds considerable power in Lebanon, and of ousted Syrian president Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad The Scourge of Hama... In an interview with the local al-Jadeed TV station, Wahhab said, "We must permanently abandon this mentality of war with Israel," according to translation from the L’Orient Today Lebanese news outlet. Wahhab, who served as environment minister in Lebanon from 2004 to 2005, said he would be willing to strike a "deal with the devil," meaning Israel, in order to ensure the safety of his Druze community. The Druze population in Lebanon is thought to make up about three percent of the population. Wahhab’s party does not currently hold any seats in parliament. "The Lebanese have sacrificed more than 75 years of their lives for the Paleostinian cause. This must come to an end," he said during the interview, adding that "the nation does not want war and no longer wishes to fight the Israeli state." After decades of constant fighting against Israel, Lebanon "must stop following pipe dreams... the nation does not want to fight," said Wahhab. "We want to live comfortably," he added, suggesting that "the only victor in the region is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who continues to reshape the Middle East." "The Lebanon front has paid a heavy price since Hezbollah opened a support front for Gazoo ...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppressionand disproportionate response... ," said Wahhab, referring to the more than year of attacks by the terror group on northern Israel, starting right after the Hamas ![]() onslaught on the south on October 7, 2023. Israel believes that around 3,500 Hezbollah operatives have been killed throughout the conflict. A tentative ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah entered into effect last month, though each side has accused the other of violating the terms of the deal. Wahhab suggested that the Iranian Axis of Resistance® "ended after the deaths of [Iranian general] Qassem Soleimani ![]() ...The late, lamented satrap of the Medes and the Persians in Leb...> " in an Israeli ... KABOOM!... earlier this year. The only path forward, he said, is normalization with the State of Israel. The Lebanese politician is known for his outspoken statements, and has made comments suggesting Lebanon abandon its fight against Israel in the past. In October 2022, after Israel and Lebanon reached an agreement over their maritime border, Wahhab said in an interview with al-Jadeed that, "in my opinion [by signing the deal], we went for sustainable peace. Let’s not kid around." Related: Wiam Wahhab 10/31/2022 Lebanese politician close to Hezbollah: ‘We went for sustainable peace’ with Israel Wiam Wahhab 05/17/2022 Sunday's vote early results: LF, independents make significant gains Wiam Wahhab 11/28/2018 Roads Blocked in Protest at Wahhab's Anti-Hariri Remarks |
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Home Front: Politix | |
President Trump: Tulsi Gabbard will serve as Director of National Intelligence (DNI) | |
2024-11-14 | |
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In September, Gabbard told Fox News Digital she would be "honored" to join a Trump administration and added that bringing an end "to the influence of the military industrial complex," working to prevent World War III and bringing the U.S. back "from the brink of nuclear war" would be among her priorities. She was reportedly interested in the defense secretary job, but Trump is reported to have promised that appointment to former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, also an Army veteran. Gabbard has criticized Democrats as "pro-censorship" and "anti-freedom," but her criticisms have extended to Republicans, as well. She has spoken out against U.S. involvement in the Middle East and criticized Trump during his first administration for the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. Gabbard controversially met with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in 2017 during the country’s civil war. She was opposed to the U.S. arming Syrian rebel groups and said she was "ready to meet with anyone if there's a chance it can help bring about an end to this war." Gabbard was reportedly placed on a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) watchlist for terrorists known as "Quiet Skies" earlier this year. The program allows federal air marshals to follow U.S. citizens and collect information on their behavior in an effort to stop threats "posed by unknown or partially known terrorists." "As I was traveling, I ended up in 30 to 45 minutes of going through screening every time I would go to the airport to fly," she told Fox’s One Nation. "I noticed air marshals, I noticed K-9 teams. There were things that I saw and noticed that were highly unusual. But the deepest pain and harm and stress that’s been caused by this is that, forever going forward, I will always be looking over my shoulder, wondering if and how my government is surveilling me." In Congress, she co-sponsored legislation that would ban first-use of nuclear weapons and often decries politicians who "beat the drums of war and ratchet up tensions." Gabbard, who is a Fox News contributor, could not be reached for comment. The director of national intelligence leads an office that advises the president, National Security Council and Homeland Security Council on national security matters. Any nominee for the role must be confirmed by the Senate – or put in on an acting basis. | |
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
Iran fears Trump win would bring Israeli strikes on nuclear sites, Western sanctions |
2024-11-04 |
Here’s hoping their fears are fully realized, and then some. [IsraelTimes] Tehran said to believe that if reelected, the former US president would exert the utmost pressure on Khamenei to cave to nuclear containment deal on Washington and Israel’s termsOn the other hand, possibly whatever is sickening the Ayatollah Khamenei will become sepsis, and he’ll end up missing all the fun. Iran’s leadership and allies are bracing for what they would regard as a dreadful outcome of the imminent US presidential election: a return to power of Donald Trump...The tack in the backside of the Democratic Party... Opinion polls suggest that Republican Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris once a marijuana-busting Caliphornia DA remain locked in a close contest. But Iranian leaders and their regional allies in Leb ...an Iranian satrapy until recently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else? It is the home of the original Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers... , Iraq, and Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... are concerned that Trump could well triumph on November 5 and this could spell more trouble for them. Iran’s main concern is the potential for Trump to empower Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to strike Iran’s nuclear sites, conduct targeted liquidations, and reimpose his "maximum pressure policy" through heightened sanctions on its oil industry, according to Iranian, Arab and Western officials. They anticipate that Trump, who was president in 2017-21, will exert the utmost pressure on Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ...the very aged actual dictator of Iran, successor to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini...> to cave in by accepting a nuclear containment deal on terms set by himself and Israel. This potential change in US leadership could have far-reaching implications for the Middle East balance of power and might reshape Iran’s foreign policy and economic prospects. Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneouslytaking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militiasto extend the regime's influence. The word Iranis a cognate form of Aryan.The abbreviation IRGCis the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA).The term Supreme Guideis a the modern version form of either Duceor Führeror maybe both. They hate and its proxies have long threatened Israel with destruction and called to wipe out the Jewish state. Analysts argue that whether Harris or Trump leads the next US administration, Iran will lack the leverage it once held — largely due to Israel’s year-old military campaign aimed at degrading the Islamic Theocratic Republic’s armed proxies, including the terror groups Hamas ![]() in Gazoo ...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppressionand disproportionate response... and Hezbollah in Lebanon. However, by candlelight every wench is handsome... Trump’s stance is perceived as more detrimental to Iran due to his more automatic support for Israel, they added. "Trump will either put very tough conditions on Iran or let Israel carry out targeted strikes on its nuclear facilities. He is fully endorsing a military action against Iran," Abdelaziz al-Sagher, head of the Gulf Research Center think tank, said. "It’s Netanyahu’s dream day to have Trump back in the White House," he told Rooters. POISON CHALICE? A senior Iranian official who declined to be named told Rooters Tehran was "prepared for all scenarios. We have [for decades] consistently found ways to export oil, bypassing harsh US sanctions... and have strengthened our ties with the rest of the world no matter who was in the White House." But another Iranian official said a Trump victory would be "a nightmare. He will raise pressure on Iran to please Israel... [and] make sure oil sanctions are fully enforced. If so, [our] establishment will be economically paralyzed." In an election speech in October, Trump stated his unwillingness to go to war with Iran but said Israel should "hit the Iranian nuclear first and worry about the rest later," in response to Iran’s massive ballistic missile attack on Israel on October 1. Iran launched some 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, sending most of the population rushing to bomb shelters and safe rooms. The attack caused relatively minor damage to military bases and some residential areas, and killed a Paleostinian man in the West Bank. Israel retaliated with ... KABOOM!... s on Iranian military targets, especially missile production sites and long-range air defense systems, on October 26. Khamenei on Saturday threatened Israel and the US with "a crushing response" to attacks on Iran and its allies. "The enemies, whether the Zionist regime or the United States of America, will definitely receive a crushing response to what they are doing to Iran and the land of the Medes and the Persians and to the resistance front," Khamenei said in video released by Iranian state media. Iran’s choices are limited going forward, analysts say. "The reality is: Trump is going to support Netanyahu and give him the green light to do whatever he wants," said Hassan Hassan, an author and researcher on Islamic groups. "Trump is much worse [than Harris] for Iran." Hassan noted that Washington has delegated a substantial share of responsibility to Israel in the conflict with Iran and its proxies, with Israel leading the way. "The US is involved enough in that it’s backing Israel, maybe more so than before. "This time it’s just things are really bad for Iran. Iran is seen as a problem by both Republicans and Democrats ...every time you hear the phrase white people, white supremacy, whiteanything but paint, you're listening to a Democrat. Ask him/her/it to reimagine something for you; they do that a lot, though not well. They can hear a dog whistle a mile or two away. They invented the spoils system and Tammany Hall, and inspired the addition of the word (Thomas) Nastyto the English language. They want to stop continental drift and repeal the law of unintended side effects... During her campaign, Harris called Iran a "dangerous" and "destabilizing" force in the Middle East and said the US was committed to Israel’s security. She said the US would work with allies to disrupt Iran’s "aggressive behavior." But Trump’s reelection would be a "poisoned chalice" for Khamenei, according to two regional officials. If he were to reinstate stringent sanctions, Khamenei may be forced to negotiate and accept a nuclear pact more favorable to US and Israeli terms to preserve theocratic rule in Iran, which is facing growing foreign pressure and has been buffeted by bouts of mass protest at home in recent years. A US-Saudi defense pact tied to Riyadh’s establishing diplomatic relations with Israel, now in its final negotiating stages, poses a significant challenge to Khamenei too. This alliance threatens to shift the regional balance of power by creating a more unified front against Iran, impacting its geopolitical standing and strategy in the Middle East. NEW ARCHITECTURE Hassan said Israel’s recent retaliatory attacks on Iran and strikes on the leadership of terror proxies Hamas and Hezbollah allies have been widely perceived as a significant success. They offered insights into what a limited strike on Iran might look like, setting a precedent and altering assumptions that military action on Iran would inevitably spark a wider Middle East war. A senior Arab security official said that Tehran could "no longer brandish its influence through its armed proxies" in the wake of Israel’s deadly strikes on Hezbollah and Hamas leaders. For its own part, Iran has every reason to fear another Trump term. It was Trump who in 2018 unilaterally pulled the US out of Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and ordered the killing of Qassem Soleimani'>Qassem Soleimani ![]() Trump also imposed punitive sanctions targeting Iran’s oil export revenues and international banking transactions, which led to extreme economic hardship and exacerbated public discontent in the Islamic Theocratic Republic. He frequently said during his presidential campaign that US President Joe The Big GuyBiden ...46th president of the U.S. The man who made Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter look competent, if only by comparison.... ’s policy of not rigorously enforcing oil export sanctions has weakened Washington and emboldened Tehran, allowing it to sell oil, accumulate cash, and expand its nuclear pursuits and influence through armed militias. In March, Trump told the Israel Hayom newspaper in an interview that Iran could have a nuclear weapon in 35 days and that Israel — which deems Iran’s nuclear activity an existential threat — was in a "very treacherous and dangerous neighborhood." An Arab government adviser noted that Tehran recognizes there is a "new architecture in the making," but also that Trump, despite his tough rhetoric, realizes there is no alternative to a deal with Iran given its accelerated uranium enrichment program. "Trump might aim for a new nuclear agreement, he could say I tore up the 2015 agreement because it was incomplete and replace it with a long-lasting agreement, touting it to ’make America great again’ and preserve US interests," the adviser said. As the 2015 deal has eroded over the years, Iran has escalated the level of fissile purity in enriched uranium, cutting the time it would need to build an atom bomb if it chose to, though it denies wanting to. Iran Online, a state-run news website, stated that when Trump left office, Iran was capping enrichment at 3.67 percent under the deal, far below the 90% of weapons-grade uranium. Now, Iran has "enriched uranium to 60% with IR-6 advanced centrifuges" and could achieve nuclear weapons capability "within a few weeks... Completing the nuclear deterrence cycle is Iran’s greatest trump card against Trump," it said. Arab and Western officials warn that the more Iran hints it is nearing the development of an atomic bomb, the more it incites the need for Israel to strike. "If Trump reassumes power, he will support Israeli plans to strike Iranian nuclear facilities," a Western official said. |
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Iraq | |
Demonstrators storm Saudi TV station in Iraq that called Iran-backed militia chiefs ‘terrorists’ | |
2024-10-19 | |
Thereby confirming the contention... [IsraelTimes] Supporters of pro-Iran ![]() spontaneouslytaking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militiasto extend the regime's influence. The word Iranis a cognate form of Aryan.The abbreviation IRGCis the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA).The term Supreme Guideis a the modern version form of either Duceor Führeror maybe both. They hate gangs in Iraq stormed and ransacked the offices of a Saudi television channel in Baghdad early Saturday, a security source says, after the broadcaster aired a report referring to Iran-backed commanders as "terrorists." Between 400 and 500 people attacked the Baghdad studios of Saudi broadcaster MBC after midnight. "They wrecked the electronic equipment, the computers, and set fire to a part of the building," the interior ministry source tells AFP on condition of anonymity, adding the fire had been extinguished and the crowd dispersed by police.
The MBC published a video on Friday entitled “Millennium of deliverance from terrorists,” depicting pro-Iran figures who have been killed in US or Israeli strikes in recent years, notably Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani. The video report also featured assassinated leaders of internationally-designated terrorist groups like the Islamic State (ISIS) and al-Qaeda. “In this millennium, the world got rid of many terrorist figures who terrorized the world and shed blood,” read a text on the footage. Hours later, dozens of protesters holding flags of pro-Iran militia groups stormed the MBC office in Baghdad and later set parts of it on fire, according to footage obtained by Rudaw. Mustafa Sanad, an outspoken Iraqi lawmaker, warned in a post on X that “the issue does not end with destruction or burning,” adding that they will seek the cancellation of the broadcaster’s license in the country. The Palestinian Hamas movement condemned MBC for the “provocative report against the movement and its leaders,” labeling it a “professional downfall and decline.” Hamas called on MBC to apologize and delete the video. MBC Group, formerly known as Middle East Broadcasting Centre, is based in Riyadh and consists of several channels in regional languages. | |
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