WAR Main Persian Gulf Trouble thread

jward

jward

passin' thru
Iran International English
@IranIntl_En

Iran's IRGC has released footage purportedly showing its first-ever launch of long-range ballistic missiles from a warship. The missiles that are capable of hitting targets 1,700km away were fired from Shahid Mahdavi vessel during naval maneuvers.
iranintl.com

Iran Claims Navy Can Launch Ballistic Missiles, Extending Range

Iran claimed Monday to have “successfully” launched a long-range ballistic missile from a warship, underlining the regime’s rising belligerence amid a regional crisis.
iranintl.com
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1757420466577244638
View: https://twitter.com/IranIntl_En/status/1757420466577244638?s=20
 
H

Housecarl

On TB every waking moment
jward said:
:hmm:

insiderpaper.com
Iran Fires First Ship-based Long-range Ballistic Missiles
AFP


Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Tuesday it has launched long-range ballistic missiles from a warship for the first time.

The launch from the Shahid Mahdavi during naval manoeuvres involved firing two ballistic missiles capable of striking targets up to 1,700 kilometres (1,050 miles) away.

“The IRGC for the first time has fired ballistic missiles in the Gulf of Oman,” state television reported.

“The firing of a long-range ballistic missile from the warship was successfully carried out,” IRGC chief Hossein Salami said.

Tehran has made support for the Palestinian cause a centrepiece of its foreign policy since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Western governments have repeatedly voiced concerns over Iran’s missile programme.
insiderpaper.com

Iran Fires First Ship-based Long-range Ballistic Missiles

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Tuesday it has launched long-range ballistic missiles from a warship for the first time. The
insiderpaper.com insiderpaper.com
Click to expand...

Great, "SCUD in a shipping container".....
 
O

OldArcher

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Housecarl said:
Great, "SCUD in a shipping container".....
Click to expand...
In years past, “Scud in a (rust) bucket.” Launch missile, and for them, hopefully, scuttle it, before they could be found, thus keeping “secret” who launched the missile. Today, satellites would limit that anonymity. Regardless, this is yet another “arrow” in their quiver… More for our warfighters to worry about… If the Muslims get nuclear warheads that are IRBM or better, Israel will have no choice, but to preemptively attack Iran. Warheads don’t care who buys, or launches them. In other words, the world is a bit more unsafe now, and things will only get worse…

OA
 
H

Housecarl

On TB every waking moment
OldArcher said:
In years past, “Scud in a (rust) bucket.” Launch missile, and for them, hopefully, scuttle it, before they could be found, thus keeping “secret” who launched the missile. Today, satellites would limit that anonymity. Regardless, this is yet another “arrow” in their quiver… More for our warfighters to worry about… If the Muslims get nuclear warheads that are IRBM or better, Israel will have no choice, but to preemptively attack Iran. Warheads don’t care who buys, or launches them. In other words, the world is a bit more unsafe now, and things will only get worse…

OA
Click to expand...

It's not "if" but "when".....
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
Iran International English
@IranIntl_En

#BREAKING Salafi groups based in the border areas of Iran and Afghanistan carried out the sabotage attacks against Iran’s natural gas pipelines, @IranIntl has learned.
The groups who are opposed to the Taliban and the Islamic Republic of Iran, have probably carried out the attacks using drones, according to reports obtained by @IranIntl
.
The explosions have not left casualties but have cut off the natural gas of state institutions and offices of Zanjan, North Khorasan, and West Azarbaijan provinces until further notice.

jward said:
:hmm:


OSINTdefender
@sentdefender
The Line 65 Natural Gas Line between the Cities of Borujen and Shahrekord in Central Iran had a reported “Technical Malfunction” earlier tonight which resulted in a Large Explosion and Fire to occur, the Fire could be seen from over 30 Miles away with several Firefighting and Emergency Response Crews attempting to get Control of the Situation; there is nothing to suggest that this Incident has anything to do with ongoing Conflicts in the Region.
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1757576105379103031
View: https://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/1757576105379103031?s=20
Click to expand...
 
jward

jward

passin' thru

Iran Fires Ballistic Missile From A Shipping Container At Sea​


Oliver Parken​
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has fired two ballistic missiles from launchers disguised as standard shipping containers that were hosted aboard one of its sea base-like vessels. This particular combination, which has not been seen to date, greatly expands the reach with which those weapons could be used to strike potential targets by surprise, especially given that shipping containers can be embarked on any vessel that has the space to accommodate them.

The country's IRGC-linked Tasnim News Agency reports that two "Fateh class" ballistic missiles were recently launched from Shahid Mahdavi, which the Iranian Navy took delivery of in March 2023 after it was converted from a state-owned and operated container ship known as the Sarvin. The outlet also notes that the launch was a collaboration between the IRGC's naval and aerospace forces. At least one of the missiles went on to successfully hit their target in the central desert of Iran, it has been reported. The exact date on which this all occurred, which precise Fateh variant the missiles were, and the distance said missiles traversed to get to their targets, remains unclear at present.

Footage originally released by the Tasnim News Agency, linked below, shows two missiles firing from launchers housed within two separate shipping containers aboard the vessel. In it, we see the launches from various angles, thanks to the placement of video cameras around the ship and what appears to be drone footage captured from above. It also shows the supposed resulting impact on a target of one of the missiles, causing a large explosion.

Additional video released by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) also shows the launches from other perspectives, as well as what appears to be footage from the control operator’s position inside the ship.
Hard details on when exactly this took place are difficult to ascertain. Open-source intelligence (OSINT) accounts on Twitter/X have pointed to various possible dates. @M51_4ever, for example, notes that a peculiar 480 kilometer (298 mile) long Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) was in place on February 12, which may have been connected to the launches, but highlights they could also have taken place earlier in January.

However, TankerTrackers suggests that the open water seen in the footage puts the launch date somewhere between January 25-27.
There seems to be greater agreement on the location from which the missiles were fired from Shahid Mahdavi, however, with the accounts putting the vessel between the cities of Jask and Chabahar along the Iranian coastline in the Gulf of Oman.
Estimated location of the vessel in the Gulf of Oman. Google Maps
Which missile types were launched precisely also remains unclear. The Tasnim News Agency notes that the "Fateh class" missiles featured a 1,700 kilometer (1,056 mile) range. This is considerably longer than the Kheiber Shekan medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM); a third-generation Fateh ballistic missile with the longest known operational range within that family at 1,450 kilometers (900 miles).

However, other Iranian news agencies have suggested the range of the missiles was over 750 kilometers (466 miles), indicating they could have been Dezful MRBMs, which have a known range of over 1,000 kilometers (620 miles).
It has also been suggested the missiles could have been Zolfaghar short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs), which have a known range of 700 kilometers (434 miles). Zolfaghar SRBMs are an improved version of Fateh 110, which has an operational range of 200-300 kilometers (124-186 miles).
Of course, the concept of using launchers disguised as shipping containers to both transport and deploy various kinds of missiles is well established. Years ago, Russia moved to disguise various cruise missile launching systems inside shipping containers and marketed the systems for sale.

Modular container-based launchers have since become more widespread. For instance, the U.S. has fielded a container launcher for Tomahawk and SM-6 missiles that works both at sea and on land. Many more types of far less capable systems now leverage containers as hosts. While some applications use containers for cost and logistical advantages, others really go the extra mile to disguise them to look as much like standard shipping containers as possible. Clearly, this is problematic when it comes to knowing where weapon systems are and are not, especially ones capable of long-range strikes.

Iranian proxies, such as militia groups in Iraq, have begun to use simpler short-range ballistic missiles fired from containers that are meant for concealment prior to launch. This is a relatively new capability, but it isn't as polished as what we are seeing here nor is it paired with the latest in Iranian missile technology. Those systems have also not been deployed to sea.

What's new here is firing ballistic missiles from a launcher that is well disguised as a standard shipping container aboard a ship. This has major potential consequences in the case of Iran and affiliated actors having access to this capability. It severely complicates the tracking of potential threats; gives the enemy a greater advantage in terms of the element of surprise; allows for weapons to be positioned far forward from where they could be otherwise without being detected; and basically makes every ship that can carry a container a potential hostile threat. Using ships as launch platform delivery systems means targets far away that were previously very challenging to put at risk now can be with the help of many kinds of vessels, and all without the advent of new longer-range weaponry.

One of the ballistic missiles seen firing from a shipping container. IRGC screencap via Twitter/X
While all this was already a growing concern for cruise missiles, the introduction of ballistic missiles with a similar launch concept adds additional challenges. Ballistic missiles are tough to defend against, especially across a wide area, and they arrive on target far faster, leaving less time to react. They also hit much harder than their air-breathing counterparts. All these factors, among others, make them especially threatening.
Just having a modular ballistic missile launch system that can be put on virtually any ship with enough room, regardless of whether it is disguised or not, is a big advantage for Iran.

This was highlighted by IRGC Commander Major General Hossein Salami, the Tasnim News Agency reports:
"Our ocean-going warships can be present in every location across the world, and when we can fire missiles from them, there is accordingly no safe spot for a power intending to create insecurity for us," he said.
Salami speaking to Iranian media in connection with the ballistic missile launches. Screencap via Twitter/X
This remains particularly concerning given Iran's use of ballistic missiles on neighboring countries in recent weeks. Tehran has used ballistic missiles to hit targets in Syria, Iraq, and Pakistan. While these may not have been directly related to the Israeli-Hamas conflict, they have no doubt sent a clear message to both the U.S. and Israel about Iran's willingness to use its huge arsenal of ballistic missiles and the expanding reach and accuracy of that arsenal.

One could imagine how non-state actors that serve as proxies for Iran could use this ship-borne, very low-profile capability for asymmetric attacks potentially far from the territory they inhabit, too.
We are sure to see much more of this capability in the future as Iran continues to rapidly evolve its arsenal and distribute parts of it to allied groups throughout the Middle East.
Tyler Rogoway and Joseph Trevithick contributed to this article.


Iran Fires Ballistic Missile From A Shipping Container At Sea
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
Iran Spectator
@IranSpec
⚠️ Breaking News ⚠️

Iran unveiled their new highly sophisticated Air Defence System

The Arman…

Detects 24 targets up to 180 kilometers away.

Finds 12 targets in less than 20 seconds and is SPECIFICALLY designed to target STEALTH bombers (B-2).

The air defense system spins 360 degrees for aiming…
Allowing it to be hidden in the mountains of Iran.
 
jward

jward

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Iran Spectator
@IranSpec

⚠️ Breaking News ⚠️

Iran & Saudi Arabia join forces for the first time in history…

Iran has stepped in to assist Saudi Arabia in its ongoing proxy war against the United Arab Emirates in Sudan

Reports indicate Iran sent Thousands of Drones to Saudi Arabia, with experts noting Iran's use of Saudi airspace to deliver drones to Sudan.

Sudan’s army has already recaptured cities from the rebels, marking the military's first significant gain in 10 months of conflict.

Iran has commenced drone deliveries to the Sudanese army, WITH Saudi help
 
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jward

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Instant News Alerts
@InstaNewsAlerts

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said Iran continues to enrich uranium well beyond the needs for commercial nuclear use despite U.N. pressure to stop it, adding he wanted to visit Tehran next month for the first time in a year to end the "drifting apart". (Reuters)

12:59 PM · Feb 19, 2024
9,672
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H

Housecarl

On TB every waking moment
I strongly suspect they have the devices already separate from the fissile material; whether they be home rolled or license production from North Korea would be interesting to know as well as what will happen next?.....

Posted for fair use......

Does Iran already have nuclear weapons?​

Tehran might have as many as a dozen operative bombs by May
COMMENTARY
By Richard W. Rahn - - Monday, February 19, 2024

OPINION:

Iran may already have five nuclear bombs and may have as many as a dozen by May. Some intelligence estimates, as early as this past October, asserted that Iran could have enough enriched weapons-grade uranium for one bomb within a week and enough for five nuclear bombs within six weeks. It has been more than three months since those estimates were made.

If Iran does have a bomb, why is there little mention of it in the press? The Iranians will probably not want to claim to have the bomb until they have a dozen or so operational ones at diverse locations. It would be foolish to announce one bomb, because the U.S. and Israel would expend considerable effort to find and destroy it — but more bombs in more locations makes this “destroy” effort increasingly complex, if not almost impossible.

The Biden administration has a strong incentive to hide or not reveal the existence of an Iranian bomb because of President Biden’s repeated pledges over the years not to allow the Iranians to have a nuclear bomb on his watch. Barack Obama and Donald Trump made similar pledges when they served as president. If the Biden administration were to acknowledge the existence of the Iranian bomb, the president would be pressured to take action. But what action?

The Israelis have also pledged not to allow Iran to have the bomb — for the simple reason that if Iran has many nuclear bombs, it could mean the end of Israel. It had been assumed that Israeli intelligence was good enough to warn about an Iranian bomb before it was completed — and could be destroyed. Israel and the U.S. had been able to delay the Iranian bomb program in the past by destroying production and research facilities, sabotaging both hardware and software, and assassinating key scientists.

The Iranians have certainly learned from these previous losses and taken measures to make sure their earlier vulnerabilities have been mitigated. Now, there are questions of how good the Mossad (Israeli intelligence) really is given its failure to predict the Hamas strike of Oct. 7. The Israelis are also very much occupied by their current war and are left with fewer resources to take out the Iranian nuclear program. The Israelis have little incentive to announce an Iranian bomb before they have figured out how to stop it.


The press most often refers to the amount of weapons-grade uranium as a proxy for the number of bombs. Nuclear bombs are produced in a number of sizes. A country can build a larger number of less powerful bombs or fewer more powerful bombs, depending on the targets and objectives. A bomb of the power that leveled Hiroshima, Japan, might be built, using only 16 kilos (35 pounds) of highly enriched uranium. More for a bigger bomb, less for a smaller one.

To build a bomb takes far more than just enriched uranium — which must be fashioned into metal in critical shapes. It also requires a powerful conventional explosive to create the critical mass of uranium, and electronic triggering devices to make it all take place in a fraction of a second.

The engineering of a bomb requires a high level of skill — but U.S. engineers were able to do it in 1945, and the necessary knowledge has leaked from the seven known nuclear states in the past 80 years. The Iranians have first-rate physicists and engineers, so there is no doubt they can accomplish the task given enough time and resources.

A country must not only be able to build bombs but to tailor them for delivery. A crude bomb could perhaps be smuggled into a city center in a small truck. A bomb could be hidden on a ship or submarine. A bomb that can be put into a missile, delivered, and exploded at a precise spot takes considerably more engineering skills — but not ones that are beyond Iranian skill sets.

Given what we think we know, it is possible that the Iranians will have as many as a dozen operative bombs by May. At that point, they may feel comfortable announcing it to the world and, perhaps, set one off underground to prove the point. They would almost certainly want to announce their bomb while Mr. Biden is still president, knowing of his dithering and reluctance to take action, rather than gamble on a return of Mr. Trump to the White House.

How many bombs does a country need before it feels protected from an unprovoked attack? Iran and all of the other nuclear powers are making more (or refurbishing — in the case of the U.S. and Russia) bombs each month as an insurance policy.

If, two years from now, both Israel (which has had a nuclear stockpile for decades) and Iran have the capability with enough bombs to destroy each other, it is possible to envision a situation much like the U.S. and Russia had during the Cold War — a stalemate based on mutually assured destruction. And perhaps that could eventually lead to peace.

• Richard W. Rahn is chairman of the Institute for Global Economic Growth and MCon LLC.

6 Comments
 
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Housecarl

On TB every waking moment
Posted for fair use......



Exclusive: IAEA chief says Iran's nuclear enrichment activity remains high​

By Julia Payne
February 19, 2024 9:45 AM PST Updated 7 hours ago

  • Summary
  • Iran's enrichment activity at 7 kg per month rate
  • Nuclear deal 'is all but disintegrated' - Grossi
  • 60% enrichment is well above norm for commercial use
  • Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia staffing is enough to be run safely
  • Sees Russia's presence in nuclear industry growing globally
BRUSSELS, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Iran continues to enrich uranium well beyond the needs for commercial nuclear use despite U.N. pressure to stop it, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said on Monday, adding he wanted to visit Tehran next month for the first time in a year to end the "drifting apart".

Speaking to Reuters after he briefed EU foreign ministers on the subject, the head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog said that while the pace of uranium enrichment had slowed slightly since the end of last year, Iran was still enriching at an elevated rate of around 7 kg of uranium per month to 60% purity.

Enrichment to 60% brings uranium close to weapons grade, and is not necessary for commercial use in nuclear power production. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons but no other state has enriched to that level without producing them.

Under a defunct 2015 agreement with world powers, Iran can enrich uranium only to 3.67%. After then-President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of that deal in 2018 and re-imposed sanctions, Iran breached and moved well beyond the deal's nuclear restrictions.

Between June and November last year, Iran slowed down the enrichment to 3 kg per month, but jumped back up to a rate of 9 kg at the end of the year, the watchdog, known as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), previously reported.

The increase came soon after Tehran barred a third of the IAEA's core inspections team, including the most experienced, from taking part in agreed monitoring of the enrichment process.

"This slowdown, speedup thing is like a cycle that for me does not alter the fundamental trend, which is a trend of constant increase in inventory of highly enriched uranium," said Grossi.

A spokesperson for Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation was not immediately available for comment.

The IAEA warned at the end of 2023 that Tehran already had enough material to make three nuclear bombs if it enriches the material now at 60% to beyond 60%.

"There is a concerning rhetoric, you may have heard high officials in Iran saying they have all the elements for a nuclear weapon lately," Grossi said.

He said the concern was all the higher because of what he termed current circumstances in the Middle East, a reference to tensions over Israel's war with Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza.

"We seem to be drifting apart... Iran says they are not getting incentives from the West, but I find this logic very complicated to understand because they should work with us... It should never be contingent on economic or other incentives."

Before visiting Tehran, Grossi is to fly to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss Iran and the Middle East, along with Ukraine.

Russia is a signatory of the 2015 deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), alongside the U.S., China, France, Britain and Germany. The deal lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear activities.

"Russia has a role to play on Iran. It has played a role in the past as a JCPOA country and in the current circumstances where JCPOA is all but disintegrated, something must fill the void," he said.

UKRAINE​

Grossi said he saw a decrease in military operations around the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, the biggest nuclear power plant in Europe.

Fears of a serious nuclear incident were high when Russian forces took over the facility in 2022 and again following the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam last year.

"There hasn't been a militarization, any deployment of heavy artillery," he said, adding that nearby combat zones and recurring blackouts remained a worry.

"The minimum staff required to look after the plant in the current situation is there," he said.

Grossi said the minimum staffing was still met despite about 100 members refusing to sign a new contract with Russia's Rosatom that took over operations of the idled plant in 2022.

SANCTIONING ROSATOM​

The EU has so far held back on sanctioning Russia's state-owned nuclear firm Rosatom or any of its subsidiaries despite numerous calls to target that industry. Europe still relies heavily on Rosatom which supplies nearly 50% of the world's enriched uranium.

"Many companies in the West depend on Russian supplies - enriched uranium or fuel... The consensus is sanctioning Rosatom would not be realistic and it's impractical. It would put the nuclear industry at a standstill in many countries," Grossi said.

Reducing dependence on Russia's nuclear sector would cost Europe billions, Grossi said, and he saw no immediate shift away. He added that the larger issue was infrastructure and incentives, and projections of rising uranium demand globally.

"Frankly, I see an increased presence of Russian uranium enrichment capabilities in the world rather than a decrease," he said.

Reporting by Julia Payne, Editing by William Maclean
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
Visegrád 24
@visegrad24
BREAKING:

Iran special forces have carried out a cross-border raid into Pakistan during which they killed Ismail Shah Baksh, a leader of Jaish al-Adl and a number his supporters.

The tensions between the countries are far from over.

Will Pakistan strike back?
 
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Housecarl

On TB every waking moment
Posted for fair use......
www.americanthinker.com

Biden’s Iran Policy Is an Existential Threat

If the United States slid suddenly into the blazing abyss of hell, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s prayers would be answered. The ayatollah is Iran’s “spiritual leader and its highest authority — he has the final say o...
www.americanthinker.com www.americanthinker.com

February 24, 2024

Biden’s Iran Policy Is an Existential Threat​

By William Manning


If the United States slid suddenly into the blazing abyss of hell, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s prayers would be answered. The ayatollah is Iran’s “spiritual leader and its highest authority — he has the final say over all government matters in the country.” His rhetorical ethos and fervent prayer is “death to America,” which he recognizes as the “great Satan.” This is the liturgy and policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Democrat politicians reimagine their Iranian counterparts as Ivy League liberals instead of missile-firing, drone-flying, weapons-smuggling terrorists who promise death to America. The Obama administration negotiated the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which lifted oil sanctions and delivered billions of dollars to Iran in return for an agreement that Iran wouldn’t produce nuclear weapons for ten years — the blink of an eye in historical terms. The agreement was negotiated while Iran was delivering improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in large volume to proxies in Iraq, killing and horrifically maiming thousands of American soldiers. Obama’s plan funded the IEDs, Hamas, Hezb’allah, the Houthis, drone manufacturing, and missile production, all helping Iran achieve its anti-American objectives.

President Trump canceled Obama’s nuclear deal in 2018 to take “additional actions to counter Iran’s malign influence and deny Iran all paths to a nuclear weapon.” Severe sanctions were placed on exports of Iranian oil. The Abraham Accords demonstrated a pragmatic foreign policy supporting peaceful coexistence between Arab states and Israel while further isolating Iran.

President Biden has attempted to renegotiate a nuclear deal with Iran. This has proven difficult, since Iran refuses to talk to him. Despite this, Biden has delivered huge sums of money to Iran. Biden wants Iranian oil delivered to international markets to reduce gasoline prices at home. To accomplish this, Trump’s sanctions have not been enforced by the Biden administration, resulting in “an Iranian gain of $26.3 to $29.5 billion” since Biden took office. In 2023, six billion dollars was released to Iran to be used for humanitarian purposes as a ransom for American hostages. Biden is now set to release $10 billion more to a regime that believes that funding terrorists is a humanitarian response to counter the Great Satan.

Robert Malley was “appointed Special Envoy for Iran on January 28, 2021.  Under President Barack Obama he served as Special Assistant to the President, Senior Advisor to the President for the Counter-ISIL campaign, and White House Coordinator for the Middle East, North Africa and Gulf Region in 2015-2016 and, before that, as Senior Director for the Gulf Region and Syria before joining the National Security Council staff in February 2014.” It also appears that Malley helped place Iranian agents in the State and Defense departments while he was negotiating with his buddies in Iran.

Democrats fund Iran and its terrorist proxies while Iran develops nuclear weapons under Biden’s nose. The Biden-Obama administrations have either criminally naïve, unclever, anti-American, or all the above.

Since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, the U.S. has been reacting ineffectively to attacks by Iranian proxies. Soldiers manning outposts in the Middle East should be defended by the full capacity of the U.S. military. Any enemy force that attacks Americans soldiers should be destroyed. If Biden is not prepared to protect soldiers manning remote outposts, these soldiers should be withdrawn, and the outposts abandoned.

After three soldiers were killed in Jordan by Iranian proxies on January 28, U.S. government spokesperson Sabrina Singh indicated that, “the President has said, we don't seek conflict.” Soldiers manning outposts in Syria, Iraq, and Jordan have been attacked hundreds of times. These attacks have intensified since Hamas sucker-punched Israel on October 7. Houthis in Yemen have attacked international shipping in the Red Sea. Navy SEALs died circumventing shipments of Iranian weapons to Yemen. Iranian proxies killed hundreds and wounded thousands of American soldiers during the Iraq War. America has been in a conflict with Iran for decades, regardless of what President Biden wants or Ms. Singh tells the press.

Senator Lindsey Graham called for U.S. forces to destroy oil infrastructure inside Iran. This would be a bold move. Biden and his Democrat handlers wouldn’t consider this for two reasons: they aren’t bold people, and oil prices would surge north of $100/bbl. the day after the attack. Higher gasoline prices in an inflationary economy would be bad politics in an election year. Biden has other options. He could attack drone, missile, and weapons factories in Iran. This would impact Iranian proxies and Russian soldiers fighting with Iranian weapons in Ukraine.

There are reports that Iran can produce nuclear weapons in a matter of weeks. The U.S. must face the possibility that Iran already has a nuclear weapon. Would Iran use nuclear weapons? Only the ayatollah knows for sure, but one thing is certain: countries don’t spend billions of dollars developing weapons to not use them.

Biden should focus his attention on protecting American soldiers. On February 2, Biden ordered attacks on Iranian proxies in Iraq and Syria. A couple of days later, the U.S. attacked the Houthis in Yemen. Biden should allow the military to engage in tactics to destroy any enemy force in the region that threatens Americans. Attacks against Iranian territory should be considered strategically.

For decades, American politicians in both parties have warned that Iran was developing nuclear weapons and missiles to deliver them. Does Iran already have nuclear weapons? If so, what can be done to neutralize its capacity to use them? The U.S. and its allies should meet and decide how best to proceed. There are options:

  • Destroy Iran’s nuclear research, development, and production capabilities.
  • Leave the ayatollah to his own devices.

Don’t be surprised if a government spokesperson takes the stage someday soon and announces that Iran has successfully tested a nuclear weapon. Any decision an American president makes at that time will become much more difficult. The ayatollah’s threats will be taken more seriously. The security of the American people will be diminished.

This is not a suggestion to change the regime in Iran. The Iranian people should choose their own government. A nation’s capacity to wage war on the United States and its allies can be neutralized without winning the hearts and minds of its people and reimagining the nation as a Western democracy. The purpose of America’s government is not to spread democracy abroad, but to protect the security and interests of its people.

While the State Department frets over microaggressions or pronoun choices, Iran is destabilizing the Middle East and working frantically to develop atom bombs. When selecting political candidates this year, Americans should consider candidates for the House, Senate, and president that will engage pragmatically with Iran, which may already have nuclear weapons. In the meantime, Biden continues to fund the ayatollah’s work.

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Sharon Sapp
10 hours ago

Obama's still in charge.
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LEWIS GIBBS
7 hours ago

fixed the headline
OBAMA"S (Biden’s) Iran Policy Is an Existential Threat
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Kent Ramsay
9 hours ago

Question - who has more desire or proven results in "malign intention to destroy America" - Iran or The US Government under Democrats (with Mitch McConnell helping)?

The US Government is a real threat to destroy America and it is doing the job right now at Warp Speed. Iran is a ridiculous boogeyman created by people who want to distract us from the American Left burning down our house and raping all of our family right in front of our eyes.

Let us give true just right now to the people who really intend on destroying us. They are in the house right now with guns and gasoline and sick sexual appetites.
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dennis michael sullivan
8 hours ago

It should be obvious that the greatest threat is in the power centers in DC and surrounding areas.
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Kent Ramsay
7 hours ago

That is the focus of the Masters of the Universe. Or Lucifer.
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chuck
8 hours ago

Obama didn't want us to support regime change in IRAN, but he was Ok with supporting it in Israel and the USA.
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Mario Nawfal
@MarioNawfal
IRAN SEIZES U.S TANKER WITH $50 MILLION OF OIL ONBOARD

Iranian statement:

“Following the sanctions of Western countries and especially the United States, which led to the prevention of the sale of medicines needed for patients by a Swedish company which caused severe physical and mental damage to them, the patients filed a complaint against the United States in International Relations Law Court (Branch 55) of Tehran.

Based on this, with the legal follow-up conducted by the lawyer of the case, finally, the International Relations Court (Branch 55) of Tehran ordered the seizure of the American oil cargo of the Advantage Sweet ship in the Persian Gulf and the cargo of this ship was seized and subsequently the necessary orders were issued in It will be issued to unload the oil cargo.

The value of this oil shipment is estimated at more than 50 million dollars.”

Source: Tasnim News
 
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al-monitor.com
Mystery blast hits oil refinery in Iran’s Bandar Abbas


Two people were injured in an explosion at an oil refinery in southern Iran on Thursday, state media reported after initially saying several people had been killed in the blast.

The semi-official Mehr news agency reported that a fire began in a furnace at the Aftab oil refinery in Bandar Abbas shortly before noon local time. Two personnel were lightly injured and the facility was not seriously damaged, according to the outlet.

Images purportedly showing the fire circulated on Iranian social media.

Mehr did not name the cause of the fire. Other state media outlets reported that the fire broke out during a maintenance activity and that the incident is being investigated.

Iran’s official Islamic Republic News Agency initially reported that several people had been killed.

Why it matters: Mysterious fires, explosions and outages, including at energy facilities, occur regularly in Iran. In December, service disruptions hit more than 70% of Iranian fuel stations. Officials blamed an “enemy conspiracy.”

Some of the incidents have been blamed on sabotage. In February, two Iranian gas pipelines exploded. The New York Times later reported that Israel was behind the blasts.

Know more: Bandar Abbas, located on the Strait of Hormuz, has both economic and security significance for the Islamic Republic. The city has a major seaport and is home to an Iranian navy base.

In December of 2022, China opened a consulate in Bandar Abbas, its first in the country, China’s official news agency Xinhua reported at the time. The People’s Republic was previously represented solely by its embassy in Tehran.

The city also forms part of the International North-South Transport Corridor, is a shipping, rail and road network between India and Russia. The route goes through Iran and seeks to rival the Suez Canal. Bandar Abbas’ port and railway station have been used for shipping along the corridor, though progress on the project remains erratic, Sabena Siddiqui reported for Al-Monitor last July.
www.al-monitor.com

Mystery blast hits oil refinery in Iran’s Bandar Abbas

Iran's latest infrastructure explosion follows others at gas pipelines reportedly caused by Israel, but officials did not immediately specify the cause of the most recent blast.
www.al-monitor.com www.al-monitor.com
 
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On TB every waking moment
Posted for fair use......
www.theguardian.com

Diplomats fear growing power of Iranian factions that want nuclear weapons

Warnings that war in Gaza and Iran’s lack of cooperation on its nuclear programme are strengthening hand of hardliners
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com

Iran's nuclear programme

Diplomats fear growing power of Iranian factions that want nuclear weapons​

Warnings that war in Gaza and Iran’s lack of cooperation on its nuclear programme are strengthening hand of hardliners

Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor
Sun 10 Mar 2024 04.00 EDT
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There are growing fears among diplomats in the US and Europe that Iran’s largely unmonitored nuclear programme and the destabilisation caused by the Gaza conflict are strengthening the hand of Iranian factions that back the development of nuclear weapons.

The Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi, has reiterated in recent days that his country is pursuing a civilian nuclear programme for now.

However, at a quarterly meeting last week of the governing board of the nuclear inspectorate, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the US and its European partners issued dire warnings about the threat posed by Iran’s lack of cooperation on its nuclear programme.

The IAEA director, Rafael Grossi, even admitted that that the inspectorate had lost “continuity of knowledge about the production and stock of centrifuges, rotors, heavy water and uranium ore concentrate” in Iran.

Russia’s envoy to the IAEA, Mikhail Ulyanov, also warned that the situation was “full of danger and risks getting out of control”, though he placed the blame largely on the US walkout from the 2015 nuclear deal.

The warnings came after the success of hardliners opposed to the 2015 deal constraining Iran’s nuclear programme in last weekend’s parliamentary elections. The elections were highly managed and in Tehran especially were marked by a very low turnout, but the parliament can nevertheless help frame domestic political debate.

The sense of urgency has increased not just because Iran is enriching uranium at such a high level – very close to the 90% regarded as weapons grade – but also because in recent months senior Iranian figures have questioned Tehran’s commitment to a solely civilian nuclear programme.

The regional geopolitical context, including fears of the Gaza conflict metastasising into a wider Iran-Israel war, is also a factor, as is the knowledge that the 2015 nuclear deal expires in October next year, during a possible Donald Trump presidency, leading to the nuclear issue being removed from the UN security council agenda.

Kasra Aarabi, the director of IRGC research at United against Nuclear Iran, said: “The Biden administration’s refusal to impose direct consequences on Iran – despite its consistent acts of aggression since October 7, including an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps proxy attack that killed three US soldiers in Syria – has emboldened the Iranian regime and made supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei and the IRGC believe the regime can escalate without facing any repercussions.”

Gen Michael Kurilla, the commander of US Central Command, warned the US armed services committee on Thursday that if Iran became a nuclear power it would “change the Middle East for ever”.

He added: “The key to deterrence is for Tehran to understand that this behaviour will have consequences for it,” clarifying that “the deterrence is temporary”.

There have long been concerns about Tehran’s answers – deemed as not credible by the IAEA – to questions about nuclear material found at three facilities and the extent to which weapons inspectors can do their job in the country, but the US is losing patience with what it describes as Iranian stonewalling.

Laura Holgate, the US envoy to the IAEA, told the board last week: “After five years of only limited, last-minute cooperation by Iran; five years of failure by Iran to follow through on its commitments; and five years of unresolved questions related to the presence of nuclear material at undeclared locations in Iran, we cannot allow Iran’s current pattern of behaviour to continue.”

Holgate has asked for a definitive comprehensive report from Grossi on Iran’s compliance before the next board meeting in June when the E3 group – Britain, France and Germany – will have to consider further sanctions via the UN.

The E3 were equally blunt. In a statement, they said: “Iran has continued enriching uranium far beyond what it committed to in the JCPoA [the nuclear deal].

“Iran must now take serious and meaningful steps that show a genuine desire to de-escalate. Recent public statements made in Iran regarding its technical capabilities to produce nuclear weapons go in the opposite direction.”

The UK ambassador to the IAEA, Corinne Kitsell, said: “After so many missed opportunities and lost time, the need for the board to hold Iran accountable to its legal obligations is long overdue.”

Iran insists it is willing to negotiate a follow-on version of the nuclear deal and talks in the background with the deputy foreign minister, Ali Bagheri, and his European counterparts continue.

At the same time, Tehran is increasingly highlighting Israel’s semi-declared nuclear weapon programme. The Iranian foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, told a Geneva disarmament conference in February that the Israeli regime was “the real source of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction” in the region.

“It is necessary that the entire nuclear arsenal of this regime be eliminated and all of its nuclear facilities be placed under safeguards and verification mechanisms of the International Atomic Energy Agency,” he said.

Aarabi, of United against Nuclear Iran, said: “The remainder of this year will be extremely volatile, not least as there is growing mood within the regime that the next 10 months may present the best opportunity to move towards weaponisation prior to a potential new administration in White House.”

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© 2024 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. (dcr)
 
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UK R REPORT
@UKR_Report

⚡️The United States was preparing a non-nuclear response if Russia used nuclear weapons against Ukraine. - NYT

6:39 PM · Mar 10, 2024
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M e d i a s e t * S *
@MediasetS1
Iran springs a surprise every time in the drone industry.

Iran has unveiled a system that can easily double or triple the range of drones.

For example, the Shahid UAV, whose normal range is 2000 km, can operate at a distance of 4000 thousand km.

This method involves using a parachute and landing the UAV safely at certain points at full range, then refueling and sending it back.

With this method, Iran can easily deliver suicide drones to its allies in certain areas.

Let's imagine that an operation in Syria requires 200 drones. It is sufficient for these drones to be sent from Iran the night before the operation to the base of the resistance axis and then refueled in large numbers from regional bases to strike subsequent targets.

Even if the parachute system can be replaced, the UAV can be sent to any point from one end of the world with several landings and refueling, as long as it is possible to refuel.

This plan may seem simple, but it is a new way to transfer unmanned weapons to another Iranian base, even in occupied Palestine.
5:16 PM · Mar 12, 2024
·
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Iran International English
@IranIntl_En
The Biden admin. on Wednesday reapproved a sanctions waiver that allows Iraq to transfer electricity payments to Iran via third-party countries, unlocking up to $10 billion in frozen funds for the Iranian gov’t, according a copy of the notice submitted to Congress late Wednesday and reviewed by @FreeBeacon
.https://twitter.com/IranIntl_En/status/1768056077562581382?s=20
 
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Iran International English
@IranIntl_En

Britain's National Union of Journalists @NUJofficial
on Friday "expressed its shock and outrage at the stabbing of @IranIntlpresenter @pouriazeraati
."
“This cowardly attack on Pouria is deeply shocking, and our thoughts are with him, his family and all of his colleagues at Iran International. We hope he makes a swift recovery," said Michelle Stanistreet, the NUJ general secretary.
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1773796937629675948
View: https://twitter.com/IranIntl_En/status/1773796937629675948?s=20



Jason Brodsky
@JasonMBrodsky

Deeply disturbing incident. Sending my best wishes to @pouriazeraati
for a speedy recovery. Investigators should probe whether #IRGCterrorists employed a criminal gang to stab Pouria--this is their modus operandi. 1/2
What will it take for the UK to proscribe #IRGCterrorists? The UK's diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic--the need to preserve them are used as an excuse against proscribing the IRGC--have evidently not provided much added value in the form of security to UK nationals. Unless and until the UK and EU start to impose costs against Tehran--not merely statements and summons of ambassadors or chargés--this will continue. The UK and EU should not be waiting until someone is stabbed or worse killed for there to be action taken on a policy level beyond handling this merely as a law enforcement matter. 2/2
 
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Iran International English
@IranIntl_En

#BREAKING Three simultaneous attacks have targeted two IRGC bases in Chabahar and Rask and a police station in Chabahar in southeastern Iran, official news agency IRNA reports. An interior ministry official says two militants have been killed so far.
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1775646826277798291
View: https://twitter.com/IranIntl_En/status/1775646826277798291?s=20






Iran International English
@IranIntl_En
#BREAKING Three Iranian security forces have been killed in clashes with Jaish al-Adl militant group which has claimed responsibility for the attacks against the IRGC military posts and the police station, Iran’s state TV reported, citing a deputy governor of Sistan and Baluchestan province.
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1775649481351917829
View: https://twitter.com/IranIntl_En/status/1775649481351917829?s=20
 
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Charles Lister
@Charles_Lister

NEW - multiple #IRGC casualties amid coordinated attacks on military bases by militants from Jaish al-Adl in Sistan Baluchistan province.

Heavy battles underway through the night.
 
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Instant News Alerts
@InstaNewsAlerts

#BREAKING: Iran now has a supply of highly enriched uranium that could be converted to weapons-grade fuel for at least three bombs in a time frame ranging from a few days to a few weeks. A US official says “they are dancing right up to the edge.” (WaPo)

8:24 AM · Apr 10, 2024
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"The IRGC plans to test a new missile defense system," the IRGC-affiliated Sepah News reported, amid Israel's threats to attack targets inside Iran in case of an Iranian attack on its interests.
"A missile will be launched from a base in the city of Qom and will be intercepted by the new defense system in Iran's central deserts," the report added.
https://twitter..com/IranIntl_En/status/1778100998944223385
 
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