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Mil News Middle East Military News
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- Mar 9, 2018
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Lavrov on Russia's S-300 Supplies to Syria: It's No Secret, But Not Decided Yet
Russia may supply its S-300 long-range surface-to-air missile systems to Syria on a free-of-charge basis, according to a Russian newspaper citing sources.
The Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, has stated that the issue of Russia's supplies of S-300 air defense systems hasn't been decided upon yet.
He added that Russian President Vladimir Putin had discussed the issue with the Defense Ministry in order to help avoid a situation, in which Syria was not prepared enough for "aggressive actions" like the massive airstrike conducted by the US, France and the UK on April 14.
"What decisions will be taken by the leadership of Russia together with the representatives of Syria have yet to be determined; there is no secret here," Lavrov said.
Vladimir Ermakov, the director of the department of nonproliferation and arms control of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said in a separate statement on Monday that ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/...sputnik05.htm?_m=3n.002a.2273.ph0ao0037n.23cd
As Syria War Grinds On, UN-EU Conference Aims to Revive Peace Process
Efforts to find a political solution to the Syrian civil war resume this week as representatives and ministers from 85 countries gather in Brussels for a two-day conference Tuesday, co-chaired by the United Nations and the European Union.
Its stated aim is to mobilize humanitarian aid to Syrians inside the country and boost support for the U.N.-led Geneva peace process. However, with Syrian government forces – backed by their Russian allies – seemingly determined to try to secure a military victory, hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough in Brussels are low.
Syrian jets continued to pound opposition targets in southern Damascus Monday. The Hajr al-Aswad neighborhood and the nearby Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp are the last pockets of the capital held by Islamic State fighters and other militant groups.
The districts are also home to thousands of civilians. Spokesperson for the United Nations' agency for Palestinian refugees Chris Gunness described conditions in the Yarmouk camp as "akin to hell." ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/...423-voa01.htm?_m=3n.002a.2273.ph0ao0037n.23ci
Russia may supply its S-300 long-range surface-to-air missile systems to Syria on a free-of-charge basis, according to a Russian newspaper citing sources.
The Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, has stated that the issue of Russia's supplies of S-300 air defense systems hasn't been decided upon yet.
He added that Russian President Vladimir Putin had discussed the issue with the Defense Ministry in order to help avoid a situation, in which Syria was not prepared enough for "aggressive actions" like the massive airstrike conducted by the US, France and the UK on April 14.
"What decisions will be taken by the leadership of Russia together with the representatives of Syria have yet to be determined; there is no secret here," Lavrov said.
Vladimir Ermakov, the director of the department of nonproliferation and arms control of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said in a separate statement on Monday that ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/...sputnik05.htm?_m=3n.002a.2273.ph0ao0037n.23cd
As Syria War Grinds On, UN-EU Conference Aims to Revive Peace Process
Efforts to find a political solution to the Syrian civil war resume this week as representatives and ministers from 85 countries gather in Brussels for a two-day conference Tuesday, co-chaired by the United Nations and the European Union.
Its stated aim is to mobilize humanitarian aid to Syrians inside the country and boost support for the U.N.-led Geneva peace process. However, with Syrian government forces – backed by their Russian allies – seemingly determined to try to secure a military victory, hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough in Brussels are low.
Syrian jets continued to pound opposition targets in southern Damascus Monday. The Hajr al-Aswad neighborhood and the nearby Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp are the last pockets of the capital held by Islamic State fighters and other militant groups.
The districts are also home to thousands of civilians. Spokesperson for the United Nations' agency for Palestinian refugees Chris Gunness described conditions in the Yarmouk camp as "akin to hell." ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/...423-voa01.htm?_m=3n.002a.2273.ph0ao0037n.23ci
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2018
- Messages
- 325
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Iran Nuclear Deal's Fate Remains Unresolved Following Trump-Macron Talks
The leaders of the United States and France are calling for expanded negotiations with Iran, but in remarks to reporters on Tuesday they gave no indication whether President Donald Trump would pull his country out of the existing nuclear deal with Tehran.
"I don't know what President Trump will decide regarding the JCPOA," said French President Emmanuel Macron, referring to next month's deadline for Trump to extend sanctions waivers to keep alive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Trump again on Tuesday severely criticized the pact, calling it insane and ridiculous, and saying "it should have never been made."
Iran likely would regard the re-imposition of sanctions as killing the JCPOA, and that country's president, Hassan Rouhani, warned on Tuesday of severe consequences if the United States withdraws from the agreement. MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/...424-voa01.htm?_m=3n.002a.2274.ph0ao0037n.23da
Turkish president vows to continue with Syria operation
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has rejected calls for his country to stop a controversial military operation in Syria, saying the fight would continue as part of Ankara's broader crackdown on Kurdish militants.
"We will continue to do what is necessary for our nation's tranquility. We will also do what is necessary in the northern part of Syria," said Erdogan on Tuesday while addressing members of his ruling AK party in Ankara.
Turkey started operation Olive Branch in Syria in late January with an alleged aim of pushing back Kurdish militants, known as the YPG, from the city of Afrin and surrounding areas. The Turkish military finally captured Afrin's central neighborhood after more than two months of fighting, which inflicted relatively heavy losses on its ranks.
Syria, as well as the United States and several European countries who support ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/...presstv01.htm?_m=3n.002a.2274.ph0ao0037n.23dz
The leaders of the United States and France are calling for expanded negotiations with Iran, but in remarks to reporters on Tuesday they gave no indication whether President Donald Trump would pull his country out of the existing nuclear deal with Tehran.
"I don't know what President Trump will decide regarding the JCPOA," said French President Emmanuel Macron, referring to next month's deadline for Trump to extend sanctions waivers to keep alive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Trump again on Tuesday severely criticized the pact, calling it insane and ridiculous, and saying "it should have never been made."
Iran likely would regard the re-imposition of sanctions as killing the JCPOA, and that country's president, Hassan Rouhani, warned on Tuesday of severe consequences if the United States withdraws from the agreement. MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/...424-voa01.htm?_m=3n.002a.2274.ph0ao0037n.23da
Turkish president vows to continue with Syria operation
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has rejected calls for his country to stop a controversial military operation in Syria, saying the fight would continue as part of Ankara's broader crackdown on Kurdish militants.
"We will continue to do what is necessary for our nation's tranquility. We will also do what is necessary in the northern part of Syria," said Erdogan on Tuesday while addressing members of his ruling AK party in Ankara.
Turkey started operation Olive Branch in Syria in late January with an alleged aim of pushing back Kurdish militants, known as the YPG, from the city of Afrin and surrounding areas. The Turkish military finally captured Afrin's central neighborhood after more than two months of fighting, which inflicted relatively heavy losses on its ranks.
Syria, as well as the United States and several European countries who support ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/...presstv01.htm?_m=3n.002a.2274.ph0ao0037n.23dz
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2018
- Messages
- 131
- Points
- 103
In 2017, Islamic State forces deployed four different models of improvised recoilless launcher well suited for urban warfare. This report studies the features and components of these sophisticated inventions
Pdf here=http://www.conflictarm.com/download-file/?report_id=2628&file_id=2630
Pdf here=http://www.conflictarm.com/download-file/?report_id=2628&file_id=2630
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2018
- Messages
- 325
- Points
- 133
Russia starts production of S-400 missile systems for Turkey
Russia has started production of S-400 surface-to-air missile defense systems for Turkey under an agreement concluded between the two countries late last year.
"We have started to execute the contract. We are not talking about the deliveries of S-400s, but rather the production of the air defense systems have started," Rosoboronexport General Director Alexandre Miheev said in the southwestern Turkish coastal city of Antalya on Wednesday.
On April 3, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin said in the Turkish capital Ankara that they had agreed to expedite the delivery of S-400 missile systems. The delivery is expected to start between late 2019 and early 2020.
Turkey's English-language Hurriyet Daily News newspaper reported on December 29 last year that the loan deal for four S-400 surface-to-air missile batteries had been signed in Ankara.
The developments came only two days after Sergey Viktorovich Chemezov, the Chief Executive Officer of Russian state corporation Rostec, told the Kommersant daily newspaper ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/...presstv01.htm?_m=3n.002a.2275.ph0ao0037n.23eh
Russia has started production of S-400 surface-to-air missile defense systems for Turkey under an agreement concluded between the two countries late last year.
"We have started to execute the contract. We are not talking about the deliveries of S-400s, but rather the production of the air defense systems have started," Rosoboronexport General Director Alexandre Miheev said in the southwestern Turkish coastal city of Antalya on Wednesday.
On April 3, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin said in the Turkish capital Ankara that they had agreed to expedite the delivery of S-400 missile systems. The delivery is expected to start between late 2019 and early 2020.
Turkey's English-language Hurriyet Daily News newspaper reported on December 29 last year that the loan deal for four S-400 surface-to-air missile batteries had been signed in Ankara.
The developments came only two days after Sergey Viktorovich Chemezov, the Chief Executive Officer of Russian state corporation Rostec, told the Kommersant daily newspaper ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/...presstv01.htm?_m=3n.002a.2275.ph0ao0037n.23eh
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2018
- Messages
- 325
- Points
- 133
EU, Germany, Britain, Russia Say Iran Deal Should Be 'Preserved'
The current agreement with Iran is working effectively to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons and should not be abandoned, EU foreign-policy chief Federica Mogherini has said after the leaders of the United States and France called for a "new" deal.
After meeting at the White House on April 24, U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron said they wanted to negotiate a new deal with Iran that would go beyond the landmark 2015 agreement with world powers and encompass broader concerns in the region.
"On what can happen in the future, we'll see in the future. But there is one deal existing. It's working. It needs to be preserved," Mogherini said as she arrived for a donor conference on Syria in Brussels on April 25.
The deal Iran signed with the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China, and Germany in June 2015 imposed curbs on Iran's nuclear program -- slowing its potential path to development of a nuclear weapon -- in exchange for relief from economic sanctions. Iran says it does not want nuclear arms.
Trump has given the agreement's European signatories a May 12 deadline ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/...5-rferl02.htm?_m=3n.002a.2275.ph0ao0037n.23fg
The current agreement with Iran is working effectively to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons and should not be abandoned, EU foreign-policy chief Federica Mogherini has said after the leaders of the United States and France called for a "new" deal.
After meeting at the White House on April 24, U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron said they wanted to negotiate a new deal with Iran that would go beyond the landmark 2015 agreement with world powers and encompass broader concerns in the region.
"On what can happen in the future, we'll see in the future. But there is one deal existing. It's working. It needs to be preserved," Mogherini said as she arrived for a donor conference on Syria in Brussels on April 25.
The deal Iran signed with the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China, and Germany in June 2015 imposed curbs on Iran's nuclear program -- slowing its potential path to development of a nuclear weapon -- in exchange for relief from economic sanctions. Iran says it does not want nuclear arms.
Trump has given the agreement's European signatories a May 12 deadline ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/...5-rferl02.htm?_m=3n.002a.2275.ph0ao0037n.23fg
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2017
- Messages
- 41,223
- Points
- 463
Israel:
Israeli Navy Commander in Chief has announced the names of the four Sa’ar 6 vessels currently under construction in Germany.
In an announcement on April 22, Major General Eli Sharvit said the new ships would be named INS Magen, Oz, Independence and Victory.
Construction on the new class of ships started at the Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems shipyard in Kiel, Germany, with a keel-laying ceremony in February this year. The first ship is set for delivery in 2019 while all four ships are expected to be delivered by 2021.
The agreement for the construction of Magen-class ships was signed between Israel and Germany in May 2015. The corvettes are loosely based on Germany’s Braunschweig-class (K130) corvettes with improved stealth features.
Measuring 90 meters in length and displacing around 2,000 tons, the Sa’ar 6-class corvettes will feature a high-trajectory anti-missile system and a high-trajectory shooting interceptor, close and far-reaching attack capability, long-term survivability, sea and air detection capabilities, and the ability to carry a Seahawk helicopter.
In addition, the ships will be equipped with the Naval Iron Dome, Barak 8, electronic warfare systems, cyber defense systems and means of detection and surveillance.
“We will receive the ships in about two years, each one a few months after the last,” Major General Eli Sharvit said. “The arrival of the ships is expected to significantly change the face of the Navy and the Shayetet 13 (Israeli Navy special operations unit) in particular.”
https://navaltoday.com/2018/04/23/israel-names-four-new-german-built-saar-6-corvettes/?uid=5430
Israeli Navy Commander in Chief has announced the names of the four Sa’ar 6 vessels currently under construction in Germany.
In an announcement on April 22, Major General Eli Sharvit said the new ships would be named INS Magen, Oz, Independence and Victory.
Construction on the new class of ships started at the Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems shipyard in Kiel, Germany, with a keel-laying ceremony in February this year. The first ship is set for delivery in 2019 while all four ships are expected to be delivered by 2021.
The agreement for the construction of Magen-class ships was signed between Israel and Germany in May 2015. The corvettes are loosely based on Germany’s Braunschweig-class (K130) corvettes with improved stealth features.
Measuring 90 meters in length and displacing around 2,000 tons, the Sa’ar 6-class corvettes will feature a high-trajectory anti-missile system and a high-trajectory shooting interceptor, close and far-reaching attack capability, long-term survivability, sea and air detection capabilities, and the ability to carry a Seahawk helicopter.
In addition, the ships will be equipped with the Naval Iron Dome, Barak 8, electronic warfare systems, cyber defense systems and means of detection and surveillance.
“We will receive the ships in about two years, each one a few months after the last,” Major General Eli Sharvit said. “The arrival of the ships is expected to significantly change the face of the Navy and the Shayetet 13 (Israeli Navy special operations unit) in particular.”
https://navaltoday.com/2018/04/23/israel-names-four-new-german-built-saar-6-corvettes/?uid=5430
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2018
- Messages
- 131
- Points
- 103
Switzerland
Switzerland authorised the export to Syria of five metric tons of the chemical isopropanol in 2014, which can be used to make sarin gas, Swiss public television, RTS, reports.
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) announced in May 2014 that Syria had destroyed its stock of 120 metric tons of isopropanol. However, six months after the elimination of the stock, a Swiss firm was able to export five metric tons of isopropanol to Syria without any opposition from the Swiss authorities, RTS reported on Tuesdayexternal link.
The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) told RTS that the client was “a private Syrian pharmaceutical firm” and that there was "no indication that it had links to the Syrian regime at the time, nor today".
Isopropanol, more commonly known as rubbing alcohol, is found in disinfectants, cleaning agents, paints and varnishes, but it is also a major component of the type of gas used in recent suspected chemical attacks by the Assad regime.
The European Union has imposed ever-tighter sanctions on the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, including on the export of several chemicals. Isopropanol, or isopropyl alcohol, came under EU sanctions in July 2013. However, the Swiss authorities did not add it to its own list of banned products.
SECO told RTS that Switzerland “has fully adopted European sanctions against Syria” but that “in certain cases measures… are regulated differently, for example via the law on the control of goods”.
“These products… did not need an authorisation in Switzerland at the time,” said SECO, which did not oppose their export, as there were no indications in 2014 that these deliveries might be used for a weapons programme.
However, SECO said such exports would “probably be blocked” today in view of concerns over chemical weapons use in Syria.
According to Swiss public television, SRF, the president of the Senate Security Policy Commission has called for the affair to be clarified.
More here = https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/for-sa...horised-isopropanol-exports-to-syria/44071586
Switzerland authorised the export to Syria of five metric tons of the chemical isopropanol in 2014, which can be used to make sarin gas, Swiss public television, RTS, reports.
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) announced in May 2014 that Syria had destroyed its stock of 120 metric tons of isopropanol. However, six months after the elimination of the stock, a Swiss firm was able to export five metric tons of isopropanol to Syria without any opposition from the Swiss authorities, RTS reported on Tuesdayexternal link.
The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) told RTS that the client was “a private Syrian pharmaceutical firm” and that there was "no indication that it had links to the Syrian regime at the time, nor today".
Isopropanol, more commonly known as rubbing alcohol, is found in disinfectants, cleaning agents, paints and varnishes, but it is also a major component of the type of gas used in recent suspected chemical attacks by the Assad regime.
The European Union has imposed ever-tighter sanctions on the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, including on the export of several chemicals. Isopropanol, or isopropyl alcohol, came under EU sanctions in July 2013. However, the Swiss authorities did not add it to its own list of banned products.
SECO told RTS that Switzerland “has fully adopted European sanctions against Syria” but that “in certain cases measures… are regulated differently, for example via the law on the control of goods”.
“These products… did not need an authorisation in Switzerland at the time,” said SECO, which did not oppose their export, as there were no indications in 2014 that these deliveries might be used for a weapons programme.
However, SECO said such exports would “probably be blocked” today in view of concerns over chemical weapons use in Syria.
According to Swiss public television, SRF, the president of the Senate Security Policy Commission has called for the affair to be clarified.
More here = https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/for-sa...horised-isopropanol-exports-to-syria/44071586
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2018
- Messages
- 325
- Points
- 133
Iran Recruited 80,000 Shi'ite Fighters In Syria, Israel Says
Iran has recruited at least 80,000 Shi'ite fighters and is running an "induction and recruitment center" at a base near the Syrian capital, Israel says.
Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon told the UN Security Council on April 26 that Iran had established the training base just over eight kilometers from Damascus.
Iran, along with Russia, has given President Bashar al-Assad's government crucial support throughout Syria's seven-year conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands of people. Holding up a map, Danon said, "What you can see here is Iran's central induction and recruitment center in Syria," where he said the Shi'ite militants are trained to "commit acts of terror in Syria and across the region."
The Israeli envoy posted on Twitter a satellite map of the alleged recruiting center, with a caption reading, "Imam Hossein – Iranian Garrison on the road to Lebanon." There has been a spike in hostile rhetoric between Israel and Iran since an air strike on a military base in Syria that Tehran and Moscow blamed ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/...6-rferl03.htm?_m=3n.002a.2276.ph0ao0037n.23fy
Iran has recruited at least 80,000 Shi'ite fighters and is running an "induction and recruitment center" at a base near the Syrian capital, Israel says.
Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon told the UN Security Council on April 26 that Iran had established the training base just over eight kilometers from Damascus.
Iran, along with Russia, has given President Bashar al-Assad's government crucial support throughout Syria's seven-year conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands of people. Holding up a map, Danon said, "What you can see here is Iran's central induction and recruitment center in Syria," where he said the Shi'ite militants are trained to "commit acts of terror in Syria and across the region."
The Israeli envoy posted on Twitter a satellite map of the alleged recruiting center, with a caption reading, "Imam Hossein – Iranian Garrison on the road to Lebanon." There has been a spike in hostile rhetoric between Israel and Iran since an air strike on a military base in Syria that Tehran and Moscow blamed ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/...6-rferl03.htm?_m=3n.002a.2276.ph0ao0037n.23fy
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2018
- Messages
- 325
- Points
- 133
Mattis: No Decision Yet on US Withdrawal From Iran Deal
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis says there has been no decision made on any U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement but Washington is working with its European allies to see if there are ways to improve the pact.
"The decision has not been made whether we can repair it enough to stay in it, or if the president is going to decide to withdraw from it," Mattis told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Thursday.
He said the U.S. recognizes the nuclear pact was an "imperfect arms control agreement." "It is written almost with the assumption that Iran would try to cheat. So the verification, what is in there, is actually pretty robust," Mattis said. "Whether or not that is sufficient, I think that is a valid ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/...426-voa01.htm?_m=3n.002a.2276.ph0ao0037n.23g8
French President Says He Doesn't Expect Trump To Keep Honoring Iran Deal
French President Emmanuel Macron said he does not expect U.S. President Donald Trump to continue honoring the Iran nuclear deal because of his campaign pledge to do away with it.
Speaking near the end of a three-day state visit to Washington late on April 25, Macron said Trump "will get rid of this deal on his own, for domestic reasons" and because of his "campaign commitment" to withdraw from the deal.
Macron spent hours with Trump during his visit and for months has sought repeatedly to persuade Trump to continue honoring Iran's landmark 2015 agreement with world powers, which granted Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear activities.
On April 24, the two leaders said they wanted to forge a new, broader deal going beyond the nuclear agreement to address concerns Trump has raised about Iran's ballistic-missile development and involvement in the Syrian and Yemen civil wars. ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/...6-rferl01.htm?_m=3n.002a.2276.ph0ao0037n.23gd
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis says there has been no decision made on any U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement but Washington is working with its European allies to see if there are ways to improve the pact.
"The decision has not been made whether we can repair it enough to stay in it, or if the president is going to decide to withdraw from it," Mattis told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Thursday.
He said the U.S. recognizes the nuclear pact was an "imperfect arms control agreement." "It is written almost with the assumption that Iran would try to cheat. So the verification, what is in there, is actually pretty robust," Mattis said. "Whether or not that is sufficient, I think that is a valid ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/...426-voa01.htm?_m=3n.002a.2276.ph0ao0037n.23g8
French President Says He Doesn't Expect Trump To Keep Honoring Iran Deal
French President Emmanuel Macron said he does not expect U.S. President Donald Trump to continue honoring the Iran nuclear deal because of his campaign pledge to do away with it.
Speaking near the end of a three-day state visit to Washington late on April 25, Macron said Trump "will get rid of this deal on his own, for domestic reasons" and because of his "campaign commitment" to withdraw from the deal.
Macron spent hours with Trump during his visit and for months has sought repeatedly to persuade Trump to continue honoring Iran's landmark 2015 agreement with world powers, which granted Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear activities.
On April 24, the two leaders said they wanted to forge a new, broader deal going beyond the nuclear agreement to address concerns Trump has raised about Iran's ballistic-missile development and involvement in the Syrian and Yemen civil wars. ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/...6-rferl01.htm?_m=3n.002a.2276.ph0ao0037n.23gd
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2018
- Messages
- 325
- Points
- 133
Pompeo Pushes Hard Line On Iran During Middle East Visit
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has arrived in Israel, the next leg of his first diplomatic trip to the Middle East during which he has been briefing U.S. allies about President Donald Trump's threat to quit the Iran nuclear deal.
Pompeo met on April 29 with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks that centered on Iran.
"We have just had very productive, very focused conversations on our common interests and how to defend our common values," Netanyahu said at a joint press conference following the meeting. "I want to thank again President Trump for his historic decision on recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital."
Pompeo said Trump had "a comprehensive Iran plan that is designed to counter the full array of threats emanating from Tehran." He added that the United States was "deeply concerned about ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/iran/2018/iran-180429-rferl01.htm?_m=3n.002a.2278.ph0ao0037n.23ih
Iranian Army overhauls F-4 fighter jet: Report
Experts with the Iranian Air Force have successfully overhauled an F-4 fighter, rendering it airworthy, news agencies reported on Sunday.
The 1.5-year-long project at the Shahid Lashkari Air Force Base in northern Tehran Province was finished, using up to 18,000 man-hours, Tasnim News Agency reported on Sunday.
The aircraft had been grounded for years before the overhaul process began. It has undergone a final test and restored to the Air Force's fleet.
The news of the overhaul came as Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami said on Sunday Iran's Armed Forces are not afraid of any enemy.
"Today, notwithstanding all the enemies' hue and cry, our beloved nation stands steadfast courageously and powerfully," he told a group of military cadets in Tehran.
"Thank God, the enemies have fallen short of realizing all their objectives so far," he added.
Iran's Armed Forces, he said, are capable of guaranteeing security ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/...presstv05.htm?_m=3n.002a.2278.ph0ao0037n.23ir
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has arrived in Israel, the next leg of his first diplomatic trip to the Middle East during which he has been briefing U.S. allies about President Donald Trump's threat to quit the Iran nuclear deal.
Pompeo met on April 29 with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks that centered on Iran.
"We have just had very productive, very focused conversations on our common interests and how to defend our common values," Netanyahu said at a joint press conference following the meeting. "I want to thank again President Trump for his historic decision on recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital."
Pompeo said Trump had "a comprehensive Iran plan that is designed to counter the full array of threats emanating from Tehran." He added that the United States was "deeply concerned about ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/iran/2018/iran-180429-rferl01.htm?_m=3n.002a.2278.ph0ao0037n.23ih
Iranian Army overhauls F-4 fighter jet: Report
Experts with the Iranian Air Force have successfully overhauled an F-4 fighter, rendering it airworthy, news agencies reported on Sunday.
The 1.5-year-long project at the Shahid Lashkari Air Force Base in northern Tehran Province was finished, using up to 18,000 man-hours, Tasnim News Agency reported on Sunday.
The aircraft had been grounded for years before the overhaul process began. It has undergone a final test and restored to the Air Force's fleet.
The news of the overhaul came as Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami said on Sunday Iran's Armed Forces are not afraid of any enemy.
"Today, notwithstanding all the enemies' hue and cry, our beloved nation stands steadfast courageously and powerfully," he told a group of military cadets in Tehran.
"Thank God, the enemies have fallen short of realizing all their objectives so far," he added.
Iran's Armed Forces, he said, are capable of guaranteeing security ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/...presstv05.htm?_m=3n.002a.2278.ph0ao0037n.23ir
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2018
- Messages
- 325
- Points
- 133
Syrian army retakes villages from US-backed militants in Dayr al-Zawr
Syrian army troops have managed to liberate a string of villages from the clutches of the US-backed militants of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the eastern parts of the Euphrates River near the border with Iraq, where the Kurdish-led forces are in control, reports say.
Syrian state television, citing military sources, reported that units of army troops freed a number of villages, including al-Janinah, al-Jee'ah, Shamr al-Hesan and Havighe al-Maishiyah, from the grip of the SDF militant group in the eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr, near the Iraqi border, on Sunday.
The Kurdish-dominated SDF is composed largely of militants from the Kurdish People's Prote
The SDF militants, mainly active in the eastern part of the Euphrates River, are purportedly fighting against the remnants of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group, which has already been driven out of all its urban bastions both in Iraq and Syria. However, Damascus regards them as unwelcome armed forces occupying parts of Syrian territory without the consent of the central government. ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/...presstv01.htm?_m=3n.002a.2278.ph0ao0037n.23iw
Syrian army troops have managed to liberate a string of villages from the clutches of the US-backed militants of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the eastern parts of the Euphrates River near the border with Iraq, where the Kurdish-led forces are in control, reports say.
Syrian state television, citing military sources, reported that units of army troops freed a number of villages, including al-Janinah, al-Jee'ah, Shamr al-Hesan and Havighe al-Maishiyah, from the grip of the SDF militant group in the eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr, near the Iraqi border, on Sunday.
The Kurdish-dominated SDF is composed largely of militants from the Kurdish People's Prote
The SDF militants, mainly active in the eastern part of the Euphrates River, are purportedly fighting against the remnants of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group, which has already been driven out of all its urban bastions both in Iraq and Syria. However, Damascus regards them as unwelcome armed forces occupying parts of Syrian territory without the consent of the central government. ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/...presstv01.htm?_m=3n.002a.2278.ph0ao0037n.23iw
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Syria
The Syrian army began an intense bombardment of a rebel enclave near Homs on Monday, a war monitor said, as President Bashar al-Assad pushed to recapture all the remaining areas his forces have besieged.
The attack comes as Syrian state television broadcast footage of work to clear roads into part of a pocket in south Damascus where fighting had raged, to allow some rebels there to withdraw in a surrender deal, it said.
Late on Sunday, the Syrian army said missiles had struck bases in northern Syria, describing it as a “new aggression” by its enemies.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said the strikes had targeted a rocket cache and killed Iranians and Iraqi fighters. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency said no Iranian base had been hit or Iranians killed.
Israel’s military, which has previously used air strikes in Syria to target a growing Iranian presence there, said it did not comment on such reports and had no information on the attack.
The Syrian army’s assault on the pocket between Homs and Hama - the most populous remaining besieged area in Syria - included air strikes and artillery, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Reinforcements arrived in government-held areas before the bombardment, which targeted Rastan, the biggest town in the pocket, and several nearby villages, the Observatory said.
More here=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...=topNews&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=twitter
The Syrian army began an intense bombardment of a rebel enclave near Homs on Monday, a war monitor said, as President Bashar al-Assad pushed to recapture all the remaining areas his forces have besieged.
The attack comes as Syrian state television broadcast footage of work to clear roads into part of a pocket in south Damascus where fighting had raged, to allow some rebels there to withdraw in a surrender deal, it said.
Late on Sunday, the Syrian army said missiles had struck bases in northern Syria, describing it as a “new aggression” by its enemies.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said the strikes had targeted a rocket cache and killed Iranians and Iraqi fighters. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency said no Iranian base had been hit or Iranians killed.
Israel’s military, which has previously used air strikes in Syria to target a growing Iranian presence there, said it did not comment on such reports and had no information on the attack.
The Syrian army’s assault on the pocket between Homs and Hama - the most populous remaining besieged area in Syria - included air strikes and artillery, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Reinforcements arrived in government-held areas before the bombardment, which targeted Rastan, the biggest town in the pocket, and several nearby villages, the Observatory said.
More here=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...=topNews&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=twitter
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Could We Blunder Into A Nuclear Arms Race In The Middle East?
Between potentially mishandling the Iran Nuclear Deal, and alienating the burgeoning nuclear power programs in the Middle East, the United States risks bungling an opportunity to direct the region’s nuclear future and, instead, might cede that leadership to Russia, China or South Korea.
Saudi Arabia is looking to acquire nuclear technology in the form of a civilian nuclear power program. Which sounds good – similar to what the United Arab Emirates is doing. Since actual nuclear power has nothing to do with weapons, that’s great.
However, Saudi Arabia considers itself the Sunni Leader in the world and a bulwark against Iran, which considers itself the Shia leader in the world. The Saudis will not restrict themselves in any way nuclear relative to Iran. Which means uranium enrichment and maybe reprocessing of used nuclear fuel.
If the White House does not extend sanctions waivers under the Iran Nuclear Deal by the May 12 deadline, things will get very complicated. The Deal could fall apart, the United States might try to re-impose sanctions unilaterally without the support of Europe or Asia, and would push our allies and adversaries into a complex Q&A of ‘Will Iran restart its nuclear weapons program?’ or ‘Who gets Iranian oil?’ or ‘Who keeps doing business with U.S. banks?’ ...MORE
https://inhomelandsecurity.com/coul...e-in-the-middle-east&utm_campaign=20180430IHS
Between potentially mishandling the Iran Nuclear Deal, and alienating the burgeoning nuclear power programs in the Middle East, the United States risks bungling an opportunity to direct the region’s nuclear future and, instead, might cede that leadership to Russia, China or South Korea.
Saudi Arabia is looking to acquire nuclear technology in the form of a civilian nuclear power program. Which sounds good – similar to what the United Arab Emirates is doing. Since actual nuclear power has nothing to do with weapons, that’s great.
However, Saudi Arabia considers itself the Sunni Leader in the world and a bulwark against Iran, which considers itself the Shia leader in the world. The Saudis will not restrict themselves in any way nuclear relative to Iran. Which means uranium enrichment and maybe reprocessing of used nuclear fuel.
If the White House does not extend sanctions waivers under the Iran Nuclear Deal by the May 12 deadline, things will get very complicated. The Deal could fall apart, the United States might try to re-impose sanctions unilaterally without the support of Europe or Asia, and would push our allies and adversaries into a complex Q&A of ‘Will Iran restart its nuclear weapons program?’ or ‘Who gets Iranian oil?’ or ‘Who keeps doing business with U.S. banks?’ ...MORE
https://inhomelandsecurity.com/coul...e-in-the-middle-east&utm_campaign=20180430IHS
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Pompeo Says Israel, Palestinian Peace Still A US Priority
AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday that a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains a priority for the Trump administration, despite its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and its planned move of the U.S. Embassy to the holy city over Palestinian protests.
Pompeo also said the U.S. is “fully supportive” of Israel’s right to defend itself and declined to criticize the Israeli military for its use of live fire against Palestinian protesters along the Gaza border.
He spoke in the Jordanian capital of Amman as he wrapped up the Middle East leg of his first overseas trip as America’s top diplomat.
Pompeo called on the Palestinians to return to long-stalled peace talks with Israel. He said the United States is open to a two-state solution to the conflict if both parties agree, calling it a “likely outcome.”
But he would not agree with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi’s characterization of the conflict as “the main cause of instability” in the region.
“The parties will ultimately make the decision as to what the correct resolution is,” Pompeo told reporters at a joint news conference with Safadi. “We are certainly open to a two-party solution as a likely outcome.”
But, he said, the Palestinians had to return to a political ...MORE
https://inhomelandsecurity.com/pomp...-still-a-us-priority&utm_campaign=20180430IHS
AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday that a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains a priority for the Trump administration, despite its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and its planned move of the U.S. Embassy to the holy city over Palestinian protests.
Pompeo also said the U.S. is “fully supportive” of Israel’s right to defend itself and declined to criticize the Israeli military for its use of live fire against Palestinian protesters along the Gaza border.
He spoke in the Jordanian capital of Amman as he wrapped up the Middle East leg of his first overseas trip as America’s top diplomat.
Pompeo called on the Palestinians to return to long-stalled peace talks with Israel. He said the United States is open to a two-state solution to the conflict if both parties agree, calling it a “likely outcome.”
But he would not agree with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi’s characterization of the conflict as “the main cause of instability” in the region.
“The parties will ultimately make the decision as to what the correct resolution is,” Pompeo told reporters at a joint news conference with Safadi. “We are certainly open to a two-party solution as a likely outcome.”
But, he said, the Palestinians had to return to a political ...MORE
https://inhomelandsecurity.com/pomp...-still-a-us-priority&utm_campaign=20180430IHS
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Netanyahu: Iran 'Brazenly Lying' about Nuclear Weapons Development
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran on Monday of "brazenly lying" about its ongoing nuclear weapons development in violation of the 2015 international pact that sought to restrain Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
In a televised address to his countrymen, Netanyahu displayed what he described as an Israeli intelligence coup: copies of "half a ton" of documents, charts, blueprints, photos and videos documenting the Iranian nuclear program. He said Israel had recovered more than 100,000 pages and files on Iran's nuclear program and is keeping them in a secured place.
He described the cache as "new and conclusive proof" that Iran is working on building nuclear bombs.
There was no immediate response from Iran about Netanyahu's speech. But beforehand, foreign minister Javad Zarif derided it, saying, "The boy who can't stop crying wolf is at it again. ... You can only fool some of the people so many times." ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/...430-voa01.htm?_m=3n.002a.2279.ph0ao0037n.23j9
PM Netanyahu's Remarks
Israel Prime Minister's Office
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this evening, at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, made the following remarks:
"Good evening.
Tonight, we're going to show you something that the world has never seen before. Tonight, we are going to reveal new and conclusive proof of the secret nuclear weapons program that Iran has been hiding for years from the international community in its secret atomic archive.
We're going to show you Iran's secret nuclear files.
You may well know that Iran's leaders repeatedly deny ever pursuing nuclear weapons. You can listen to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei: "I stress that the Islamic Republic has never been after nuclear weapons." You can listen to Iran's president Hassan Rouhani: "Nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction have no place in Iran's security and defense doctrine, and contradict our fundamental religious and ethical convictions." This is repeated by Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif: "We didn't have any program to develop nuclear weapons. Anyway, we consider nuclear weapons both irrational as well as immoral."
Well, tonight, I'm here to tell you one thing: Iran lied. Big time.
After signing the nuclear deal in 2015, Iran intensified its efforts to hide its secret nuclear files. In 2017, Iran moved its nuclear weapons files to a highly secret location in Tehran. This is the Shorabad District in southern Tehran. This is where they kept the atomic archives. Right here. Few Iranians knew where it was, very few, and also a few Israelis ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/...rael-pm01.htm?_m=3n.002a.2279.ph0ao0037n.23je
Iraq to continue pounding Daesh positions inside Syria
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has pledged to continue airstrikes on the positions and headquarters of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group inside neighboring Syria, stressing that Baghdad will not meddle in the political affairs of the Damascus government.
"Iraq will continue air strikes in Syria and will do more to eliminate Daesh group. It will neither allow Daesh militants to come back, nor a similar terrorist organization to appear, but Iraq doesn't mean to interfere in internal affairs of Syria," Abadi stated on Tuesday.
Lieutenant General Anwar Hama Amin, the commanding officer of the Iraqi Air Force, also noted that Iraqi military aircraft will press ahead with their aerial attacks against Daesh strongholds in Syria.
"All the countries in the world are fighting against the terrorist organization. Today we have a Joint Operations Command in Iraq and we have a commander-in-chief. When they issue orders of strikes, we will implement them without hesitation," he ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/...presstv03.htm?_m=3n.002a.2279.ph0ao0037n.23jt
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran on Monday of "brazenly lying" about its ongoing nuclear weapons development in violation of the 2015 international pact that sought to restrain Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
In a televised address to his countrymen, Netanyahu displayed what he described as an Israeli intelligence coup: copies of "half a ton" of documents, charts, blueprints, photos and videos documenting the Iranian nuclear program. He said Israel had recovered more than 100,000 pages and files on Iran's nuclear program and is keeping them in a secured place.
He described the cache as "new and conclusive proof" that Iran is working on building nuclear bombs.
There was no immediate response from Iran about Netanyahu's speech. But beforehand, foreign minister Javad Zarif derided it, saying, "The boy who can't stop crying wolf is at it again. ... You can only fool some of the people so many times." ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/...430-voa01.htm?_m=3n.002a.2279.ph0ao0037n.23j9
PM Netanyahu's Remarks
Israel Prime Minister's Office
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this evening, at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, made the following remarks:
"Good evening.
Tonight, we're going to show you something that the world has never seen before. Tonight, we are going to reveal new and conclusive proof of the secret nuclear weapons program that Iran has been hiding for years from the international community in its secret atomic archive.
We're going to show you Iran's secret nuclear files.
You may well know that Iran's leaders repeatedly deny ever pursuing nuclear weapons. You can listen to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei: "I stress that the Islamic Republic has never been after nuclear weapons." You can listen to Iran's president Hassan Rouhani: "Nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction have no place in Iran's security and defense doctrine, and contradict our fundamental religious and ethical convictions." This is repeated by Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif: "We didn't have any program to develop nuclear weapons. Anyway, we consider nuclear weapons both irrational as well as immoral."
Well, tonight, I'm here to tell you one thing: Iran lied. Big time.
After signing the nuclear deal in 2015, Iran intensified its efforts to hide its secret nuclear files. In 2017, Iran moved its nuclear weapons files to a highly secret location in Tehran. This is the Shorabad District in southern Tehran. This is where they kept the atomic archives. Right here. Few Iranians knew where it was, very few, and also a few Israelis ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/...rael-pm01.htm?_m=3n.002a.2279.ph0ao0037n.23je
Iraq to continue pounding Daesh positions inside Syria
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has pledged to continue airstrikes on the positions and headquarters of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group inside neighboring Syria, stressing that Baghdad will not meddle in the political affairs of the Damascus government.
"Iraq will continue air strikes in Syria and will do more to eliminate Daesh group. It will neither allow Daesh militants to come back, nor a similar terrorist organization to appear, but Iraq doesn't mean to interfere in internal affairs of Syria," Abadi stated on Tuesday.
Lieutenant General Anwar Hama Amin, the commanding officer of the Iraqi Air Force, also noted that Iraqi military aircraft will press ahead with their aerial attacks against Daesh strongholds in Syria.
"All the countries in the world are fighting against the terrorist organization. Today we have a Joint Operations Command in Iraq and we have a commander-in-chief. When they issue orders of strikes, we will implement them without hesitation," he ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/...presstv03.htm?_m=3n.002a.2279.ph0ao0037n.23jt
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Israel postpones U.S.-based test of Arrow-3 missile interceptor
- A planned live test of Israel’s Arrow-3 ballistic missile interceptor in the United States has been postponed to improve the system’s readiness, the Israeli Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.
Jointly manufactured by Boeing Co, Arrow-3 is billed as capable of destroying missiles in space, an altitude that would destroy any non-conventional warheads safely. Israel regards it as a bulwark against Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
No new date was given for the live test. The system passed its first full interception test over the Mediterranean sea in 2015 and was deployed in Israel in 2017.
Israel had planned another test in the summer of 2018 in Alaska, whose expanses would have allowed larger interception distances.
The Defense Ministry statement said the postponement had been agreed upon with the Pentagon, which is Israel’s partner in the Arrow system development, “with the goal of reaching maximum readiness for a test on the American range”.
The operational capacity of Arrow-3, and earlier generation Arrow-2 units also deployed in Israel, was unaffected, it said.
Israel has had difficulties with its Arrow-3 tests.
Its first full trial, scheduled in 2014, was aborted due to what designers said was a faulty flight by the target missile. Follow-up Israeli tests last December and January were also called off at short notice due to technical problems.
More here=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...rrow-3-missile-interceptor-idUSKBN1I23KA?il=0
IAEA declines to directly address Netanyahu's Iran accusations
The U.N. atomic watchdog declined on Tuesday to directly address Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s accusations that Iran was breaching its landmark nuclear deal with major powers.
Netanyahu on Monday stepped up pressure on the United States to pull out of the 2015 deal, presenting what he called evidence of a secret Iranian nuclear weapons program. Iran is known to have had a weapons program until 2003; analysts and diplomats said he appeared to be recycling old accusations.
“In line with standard IAEA practice, the IAEA evaluates all (nuclear) safeguards-relevant information available to it,” said a spokesman for the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is policing the deal. “However, it is not the practice of the IAEA to publicly discuss issues related to any such information.”
In a report issued in December 2015, shortly before the pact went into effect, the IAEA said “a range of activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device were conducted in Iran prior to the end of 2003 as a coordinated effort”.
Those activities continued after 2003, though in a less coordinated manner, and there was no credible indication of any beyond 2009, the IAEA said at the time. The spokesman’s statement on Tuesday reiterated the 2015 report’s findings.
More here=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...etanyahus-iran-accusations-idUSKBN1I23CE?il=0
- A planned live test of Israel’s Arrow-3 ballistic missile interceptor in the United States has been postponed to improve the system’s readiness, the Israeli Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.
Jointly manufactured by Boeing Co, Arrow-3 is billed as capable of destroying missiles in space, an altitude that would destroy any non-conventional warheads safely. Israel regards it as a bulwark against Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
No new date was given for the live test. The system passed its first full interception test over the Mediterranean sea in 2015 and was deployed in Israel in 2017.
Israel had planned another test in the summer of 2018 in Alaska, whose expanses would have allowed larger interception distances.
The Defense Ministry statement said the postponement had been agreed upon with the Pentagon, which is Israel’s partner in the Arrow system development, “with the goal of reaching maximum readiness for a test on the American range”.
The operational capacity of Arrow-3, and earlier generation Arrow-2 units also deployed in Israel, was unaffected, it said.
Israel has had difficulties with its Arrow-3 tests.
Its first full trial, scheduled in 2014, was aborted due to what designers said was a faulty flight by the target missile. Follow-up Israeli tests last December and January were also called off at short notice due to technical problems.
More here=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...rrow-3-missile-interceptor-idUSKBN1I23KA?il=0
IAEA declines to directly address Netanyahu's Iran accusations
The U.N. atomic watchdog declined on Tuesday to directly address Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s accusations that Iran was breaching its landmark nuclear deal with major powers.
Netanyahu on Monday stepped up pressure on the United States to pull out of the 2015 deal, presenting what he called evidence of a secret Iranian nuclear weapons program. Iran is known to have had a weapons program until 2003; analysts and diplomats said he appeared to be recycling old accusations.
“In line with standard IAEA practice, the IAEA evaluates all (nuclear) safeguards-relevant information available to it,” said a spokesman for the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is policing the deal. “However, it is not the practice of the IAEA to publicly discuss issues related to any such information.”
In a report issued in December 2015, shortly before the pact went into effect, the IAEA said “a range of activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device were conducted in Iran prior to the end of 2003 as a coordinated effort”.
Those activities continued after 2003, though in a less coordinated manner, and there was no credible indication of any beyond 2009, the IAEA said at the time. The spokesman’s statement on Tuesday reiterated the 2015 report’s findings.
More here=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...etanyahus-iran-accusations-idUSKBN1I23CE?il=0
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Iran Denies Morocco Accusation Of Arming Secessionists
Iran's Foreign Ministry on May 2 denied it was arming a rebel group seeking independence for Western Sahara after Morocco severed diplomatic ties with Tehran over the allegations.
"Remarks attributed to the foreign minister of Morocco about cooperation between an Iranian diplomat and the Polisario Front" in Western Sahara are "false," the ministry said in a statement.
Rabat on May 1 cut ties with Tehran after Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita accused Iran and its Lebanese Shi'ite ally, Hizballah, of training and arming fighters of the Polisario Front, a Western Sahara independence movement, with surface-to-air missiles since 2016.
Bourita said he had just returned from Iran, where he personally informed his Iranian counterpart of the decision to end ties. Morocco's ambassador already has departed Tehran, while the Iranian Embassy in Morocco will be closed "immediately," he said.
Bourita said Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was "in shock" after their discussion ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/mili...2-rferl02.htm?_m=3n.002a.2281.ph0ao0037n.23mm
Iran's Foreign Ministry on May 2 denied it was arming a rebel group seeking independence for Western Sahara after Morocco severed diplomatic ties with Tehran over the allegations.
"Remarks attributed to the foreign minister of Morocco about cooperation between an Iranian diplomat and the Polisario Front" in Western Sahara are "false," the ministry said in a statement.
Rabat on May 1 cut ties with Tehran after Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita accused Iran and its Lebanese Shi'ite ally, Hizballah, of training and arming fighters of the Polisario Front, a Western Sahara independence movement, with surface-to-air missiles since 2016.
Bourita said he had just returned from Iran, where he personally informed his Iranian counterpart of the decision to end ties. Morocco's ambassador already has departed Tehran, while the Iranian Embassy in Morocco will be closed "immediately," he said.
Bourita said Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was "in shock" after their discussion ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/mili...2-rferl02.htm?_m=3n.002a.2281.ph0ao0037n.23mm
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- Messages
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US commandos secretly help Saudi troops in Yemen war: Report
A recent report says the US has expanded its role in Riyadh's bloody war on Yemen well beyond mere arms sales and logistical support by secretly deploying a team of elite commandos to the Yemeni border to help the Saudi military in battles against the Houthi Ansarullah movement.
Citing US and European officials, The New York Times reported Thursday that about a dozen commandos with the US Army Special Forces, known as the Green Berets, had been deployed in December 2017 to Saudi Arabia's southern border regions.
The secretive mission, according to the report, is aimed at helping Saudi forces locate Yemeni missile launch sites and destroy the missile supplies of the Houthi movement, Yemen's de facto military power, which has been defending the country, along with allied forces, against the Saudi aggression.
The New York Times, however, said there was no indication that the commandos had crossed ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/mili...presstv01.htm?_m=3n.002a.2282.ph0ao0037n.23n4
A recent report says the US has expanded its role in Riyadh's bloody war on Yemen well beyond mere arms sales and logistical support by secretly deploying a team of elite commandos to the Yemeni border to help the Saudi military in battles against the Houthi Ansarullah movement.
Citing US and European officials, The New York Times reported Thursday that about a dozen commandos with the US Army Special Forces, known as the Green Berets, had been deployed in December 2017 to Saudi Arabia's southern border regions.
The secretive mission, according to the report, is aimed at helping Saudi forces locate Yemeni missile launch sites and destroy the missile supplies of the Houthi movement, Yemen's de facto military power, which has been defending the country, along with allied forces, against the Saudi aggression.
The New York Times, however, said there was no indication that the commandos had crossed ...MORE
https://www.globalsecurity.org/mili...presstv01.htm?_m=3n.002a.2282.ph0ao0037n.23n4
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Turkey says it will retaliate if U.S. halts weapons sales
Turkey will retaliate if the United States enacts a proposed law that would halt weapons sales to the country, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Sunday.
Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives released details on Friday of a $717 billion annual defense policy bill, including a measure to temporarily halt weapons sales to Turkey.
In an interview with broadcaster CNN Turk, Cavusoglu said the measures in the bill were wrong, illogical and not fitting between the NATO allies. “If the United States imposes sanctions on us or takes such a step, Turkey will absolutely retaliate,” Cavusoglu said. “What needs to be done is the U.S. needs to let go of this.”
The proposed U.S. National Defense Authorization Act, which is several steps from becoming law, would ask the Defense Department to provide Congress with a report on the relationship between the United States and Turkey, and would block the sale of major defense equipment until the report was complete.
Turkey plans to buy more than 100 of Lockheed Martin’s (LMT.N) F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets, and is also in talks with Washington over the purchase of Patriot missiles.
Turkey signed an agreement with Russia in December to buy S-400 surface-to-air missile batteries as part of Ankara’s plans to boost its defense capabilities amid threats from Kurdish and Islamist militants at home and conflicts across its borders in Syria and Iraq.
The move to buy S-400s, which are incompatible with the NATO systems, has unnerved NATO member countries, which are already wary of Moscow’s military presence in the Middle East, prompting NATO officials to warn Turkey of unspecified consequences.
More here=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...if-u-s-halts-weapons-sales-idUSKBN1I7050?il=0
Turkey will retaliate if the United States enacts a proposed law that would halt weapons sales to the country, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Sunday.
Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives released details on Friday of a $717 billion annual defense policy bill, including a measure to temporarily halt weapons sales to Turkey.
In an interview with broadcaster CNN Turk, Cavusoglu said the measures in the bill were wrong, illogical and not fitting between the NATO allies. “If the United States imposes sanctions on us or takes such a step, Turkey will absolutely retaliate,” Cavusoglu said. “What needs to be done is the U.S. needs to let go of this.”
The proposed U.S. National Defense Authorization Act, which is several steps from becoming law, would ask the Defense Department to provide Congress with a report on the relationship between the United States and Turkey, and would block the sale of major defense equipment until the report was complete.
Turkey plans to buy more than 100 of Lockheed Martin’s (LMT.N) F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets, and is also in talks with Washington over the purchase of Patriot missiles.
Turkey signed an agreement with Russia in December to buy S-400 surface-to-air missile batteries as part of Ankara’s plans to boost its defense capabilities amid threats from Kurdish and Islamist militants at home and conflicts across its borders in Syria and Iraq.
The move to buy S-400s, which are incompatible with the NATO systems, has unnerved NATO member countries, which are already wary of Moscow’s military presence in the Middle East, prompting NATO officials to warn Turkey of unspecified consequences.
More here=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...if-u-s-halts-weapons-sales-idUSKBN1I7050?il=0
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