Iranian war and violence news

[weatheriscool]

UK joins Israel saying Iran attacked tanker; Tehran denies
Source: AP

By JON GAMBRELL

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United Kingdom joined Israel on Sunday in alleging Iran carried out a fatal drone strike on an oil tanker off the coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea, putting further pressure on Tehran as it denied being involved in the assault.

Calling it a “unlawful and callous attack,” British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said his country and its allies planned a coordinated response over the strike Thursday night on the oil tanker Mercer Street. It marked the first-known fatal attack after years of assaults on commercial shipping in the region linked to tensions with Iran over its tattered nuclear deal.

While no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, Iran and its militia allies have used so-called “suicide” drones in attacks previously. However, Israel, the U.K. and the responding U.S. Navy have yet to show physical evidence from the strike or offer intelligence information on why they blame Tehran.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett went further than Raab in remarks Sunday at a Cabinet meeting, making a point to stare directly into the camera and slowly warn: “We know, at any rate, know how to convey the message to Iran in our own way.”

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/middle-east- ... c9876af6dc

[BaobabScion]

UK joins Israel saying Iran attacked tanker; Tehran denies
Source: AP

By JON GAMBRELL

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United Kingdom joined Israel on Sunday in alleging Iran carried out a fatal drone strike on an oil tanker off the coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea, putting further pressure on Tehran as it denied being involved in the assault.

Calling it a “unlawful and callous attack,” British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said his country and its allies planned a coordinated response over the strike Thursday night on the oil tanker Mercer Street. It marked the first-known fatal attack after years of assaults on commercial shipping in the region linked to tensions with Iran over its tattered nuclear deal.

While no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, Iran and its militia allies have used so-called “suicide” drones in attacks previously. However, Israel, the U.K. and the responding U.S. Navy have yet to show physical evidence from the strike or offer intelligence information on why they blame Tehran.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett went further than Raab in remarks Sunday at a Cabinet meeting, making a point to stare directly into the camera and slowly warn: “We know, at any rate, know how to convey the message to Iran in our own way.”

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/middle-east- ... c9876af6dc

False Flag. They just want another excuse to attack Iran's nuclear facilities.

[weatheriscool]

Israel's military chief says 'accelerating' Iran strike plans
Source: al-Jazeera

7 Sep 2021

Military plans dealing with Iran’s nuclear programme have been “greatly accelerated”, Israel’s military chief warned, as questions on the ability to revive a landmark accord limiting Tehran’s weapons development continue to grow.

Preparations for possible action against Iran are being intensified, Chief of General Staff Aviv Kohavi said in an interview, adding “a significant chunk of the boost to the defence budget, as was recently agreed, was intended for this purpose”.

“It’s a very complicated job with much more intelligence, much more operational capabilities, much more armaments. We’re working on all these things,” Kohavi told Walla news.

He also said efforts were under way throughout the Middle East to check Iran’s allies.

The main objective is “minimising Iranian presence in the Middle East with an emphasis on Syria … But these operations take place throughout the Middle East. They’re also against Hamas, against Hezbollah”, said Kohavi.

Read more: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/7 ... rike-plans

[weatheriscool]

Iran says has enriched over 210 kilograms of uranium to 20%
Source: AP

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s atomic agency said Friday that its stockpile of 20% enriched uranium has reached over 210 kilograms (463 pounds), the latest defiant move ahead of upcoming nuclear talks with the West.

In a report carried by semi-official Tasnim and Fars news agencies, spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi said the atomic agency had produced well beyond a 120 kilogram target for 20% enriched uranium set by parliament.

Under the historic 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the World Powers, Iran was not meant to enrich uranium above 3.67 percent. Enriched uranium above 90 percent can be used for nuclear weapons.

After months of delays, the European Union, Iran and the U.S. announced Wednesday that indirect talks to resuscitate the deal would resume on Nov. 29 in Vienna.

Read more: https://thepublicsradio.org/article/ira ... nium-to-20

[Doozer]

Despite being a theocracy, the people of Iran are majority-quite secular by nature. Could recent events be a factor in them becoming less religious?

[Xyls]

BREAKING: IRAN ATTACKS US CONSULATE IN ERBIL

Iran is confirming it has fired at least 6 ballistic missiles at the US Consulate and other targets in the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan Erbil...



This is enormously provocative...

[raklian]

Iran is treading into dangerous waters. It's not just USA it needs to be concerned with... there's also Israel and Saudi Arabia. I'm beginning to wonder if Iran is doing this at Russia's request to divert USA's resources from supplying Ukraine with weapons to this new front.

[Xyls]

Well, that's the big thing the U.S. currently has it's attention diverted in 3 areas where it is now beginning to get overstretched.

Ukraine in Eastern Europe against Russia...
Persian Gulf against Iran...
Taiwan against China...

The U.S. is going to have a hard time focusing on one of these issues and providing security guarantees let alone trying to keep resources ready in the event of multiple conflicts...

The more conflicts the U.S. gets in the more likely there will be more conflicts as others see pressure being released on their theatre...

Europe likely can counteract against Russia in Ukraine to some level, and the US has no intention of actually militarily intervening there. But Iran, would likely cause a US response but the resources diverted there would have to be considered so that it doesn't look like they are giving China an opportunity to attack Taiwan...

There is no real reason the US would consider invading Iran, as what would be the purpose. The problem is the US wants Iran's nuclear capabilities destroyed and that may not be possible without some sorts of incursions. The problem is any incursion will likely cause Iran to escalate it into a full scale regional war. And based on some war games the U.S. navy may not actually perform so well against Iran on it's own territory... (Similar to Russia in Ukraine, as they likely would have the logistics but not enough resources, and there ships would be vulnerably to asymmetrical type attacks from Iran.) Not to mention oil going to like $300 a barrel lmao...

The real issue is would the US be able to divert resources towards the Persian Gulf while not encouraging China to attack Taiwan. Because quite frankly if all these areas blow up at once you might as well consider it the start of World War III as all the democratic nations and US allies get drawn in.

[Yuli Ban]

I can at least state with 95% certainty that China isn't going to strike Taiwan. Doing so would require an extraordinary military build up that we absolutely would have already noticed. And I mean a build up that takes place over the course of many months, not some magical 48-hour mobilization to blitzkrieg.

As for something involving Iran, that's far more questionable as the American elite has been thirsty for war against Iran for decades. It's still a miracle that nothing came out of those early 2020 tensions.

[Revolutionary Moderate]

Hopefully, the US doesn't invade Iran because a war against Iran will be like the war in Afghanistan except worse because just like Afghanistan, Iran is mountainous, and unlike the war in Afghanistan, the U.S. miltary will not be fighting an insurgency, they will be fighting a professional military.

[weatheriscool]

Iran seizes 2 Greek tankers in Persian Gulf as tensions rise
Source: AP

By JON GAMBRELL and NICHOLAS PAPHITIS

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard seized two Greek oil tankers Friday in helicopter-launched raids in the Persian Gulf, officials said. The action appeared to be retaliation for Athens’ assistance in the U.S. seizure of crude oil from an Iranian-flagged tanker this week in the Mediterranean Sea over violating Washington’s crushing sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

The raid marks the first major incident at sea in months as tensions remain high between Iran and the West over its tattered nuclear deal with world powers. As Tehran enriches more uranium, closer to weapons-grade levels than ever before, worries mount that negotiators won’t find a way back to the accord — raising the risk of a wider war.

The Guard issued a statement announcing the seizures, accusing the tankers of unspecified violations. Nour News, a website close to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, warned a short time earlier that Tehran planned to take “punitive action” over Greece assisting the U.S. in seizing oil days earlier from the Iranian-flagged tanker Lana.

Greece’s Foreign Ministry said it made a strong demarche to the Iranian ambassador in Athens over the “violent taking over of two Greek-flagged ships” in the Persian Gulf. “These acts effectively amount to acts of piracy,” a ministry statement said.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/middle-east- ... da17b59475

[weatheriscool]

Report: Iran turns off 2 of UN nuclear watchdog's cameras
Source: AP

By AMIR VAHDAT and JON GAMBRELL

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran turned off two surveillance cameras of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog that monitored one of its atomic sites, state television reported Wednesday.

The report did not identify the site, but it appeared to be a new pressure technique by Tehran as Western nations seek to censure Iran at a meeting this week of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The Iranian state television report described the two cameras as monitoring “OLEM enrichment levels and flowmeters.” That appeared to refer to the IAEA’s Online Enrichment Monitors, which watch the enrichment of uranium gas through piping at enrichment facilities.

Iran currently is enriching at both its Fordo and Natanz underground nuclear sites.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/united-natio ... ad7dc210bf

[weatheriscool]

Iran enriches to 20% with new centrifuges at fortified site
Source: AP

By NASSER KARIMI

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran announced Sunday that it has begun enriching uranium up to 20% using sophisticated centrifuges at its underground Fordo nuclear plant, state TV reported, an escalation that comes amid a standoff with the West over its tattered atomic deal.

That Tehran is enriching uranium up to 20% purity — a technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90% — with a new set of its most advanced centrifuges at a facility deep inside a mountain deals yet another blow to the already slim chances of reviving the accord.

Behrouz Kamalvandi, a spokesman for Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, said uranium enriched to 20% was collected for the first time from advanced IR-6 centrifuges on Saturday. He said Iran had informed the U.N. nuclear watchdog about the development two weeks ago.

Centrifuges are used to spin enriched uranium into higher levels of purity. Tehran’s 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers had called for Fordo to become a research-and-development facility and restricted centrifuges there to non-nuclear uses.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/middle-east- ... 197d9b5464

[Hournmentent]

Iran enriches to 20% with new centrifuges at fortified site
Source: AP

By NASSER KARIMI

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran announced Sunday that it has begun enriching uranium up to 20% using sophisticated centrifuges at its underground Fordo nuclear plant, state TV reported, an escalation that comes amid a standoff with the West over its tattered atomic deal.

That Tehran is enriching uranium up to 20% purity — a technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90% — with a new set of its most advanced centrifuges at a facility deep inside a mountain deals yet another blow to the already slim chances of reviving the accord.

Behrouz Kamalvandi, a spokesman for Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, said uranium enriched to 20% was collected for the first time from advanced IR-6 centrifuges on Saturday. He said Iran had informed the U.N. nuclear watchdog about the development two weeks ago.

Centrifuges are used to spin enriched uranium into higher levels of purity. Tehran’s 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers had called for Fordo to become a research-and-development facility and restricted centrifuges there to non-nuclear uses.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/middle-east- ... 197d9b5464

I somehow stopped following this news in recent times and it surprised me a lot.

[caltrek]

Now Is Not the Time For Naivety On Iran
by Luke Coffey
October 8, 2022

Introduction:

(Eurasia Review) In recent weeks Iran has stepped up its pressure at home, in the region, and beyond.

For the past three weeks the regime in Tehran has faced major upheaval at home in response to the death of Mahsa Amini. The protests started outside the hospital in Tehran where Amini died, and spread rapidly to her home province of Kurdistan and to every major city in the country. This has led to a brutal crackdown that has resulted in more than 150 people killed and hundreds more injured.

Meanwhile, in recent weeks there were Iranian drone and missile strikes in northern Iraq, and Russian-operated Iranian drones over the skies of Ukraine are growing in number.

Even after the appearance of Iranian drones in Ukraine, and Tehran’s brutal crackdown against its own people, the Biden administration continues to hope for a new nuclear deal in Vienna. It is time for the international community, led by the US, to acknowledge that Iran is not going to be a responsible player on the global stage. Policies for this new reality must be developed accordingly. Here are five things that the US and its partners in Europe and the Middle East can do to deter Iranian aggression.

The first thing would be to walk away from the Vienna talks.

Read more here: https://www.eurasiareview.com/08102022 ... analysis/

caltrek’s comment: I do not agree that the U.S. should “walk away from the Vienna talks.” A major point of such talks should be to dissuade Iran from going down the road of becoming a nuclear power. That should not include a hardline position that only the U.S. be allowed to interfere with the internal affairs of other countries. We may not like the mischief Iran engages in with its external dealings, but it is still better that they do such things without being a nuclear power.

Maybe I am missing something, but this seems to be a point that neither the Democrats (except perhaps Obama) nor the Republicans seem to understand here in the United States.

[weatheriscool]

Evin prison fire: Gun shots and sirens heard at Iran's notorious detention centre
Source: BBC

A major fire has broken out at Iran's notorious Evin prison, known for housing political prisoners, journalists and foreign nationals.

Videos shared online show flames and smoke at the site in Tehran, and gunshots and explosions can be heard.

An official quoted by state media said the situation was under control, but video footage appeared to show the fire continuing after this.

Iran has been gripped for weeks by anti-government protests.

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-63271817

[raklian]

caltrek’s comment: I do not agree that the U.S. should “walk away from the Vienna talks.” A major point of such talks should be to dissuade Iran from going down the road of becoming a nuclear power. That should not include a hardline position that only the U.S. be allowed to interfere with the internal affairs of other countries. We may not like the mischief Iran engages in with its external dealings, but it is still better that they do such things without being a nuclear power.

Maybe I am missing something, but this seems to be a point that neither the Democrats (except perhaps Obama) nor the Republicans seem to understand here in the United States.

It may not matter now that Iran is increasingly getting involved in the Ukraine-Russia conflict. This is likely to change the calculus how the United States may approach Iran with regards to the nuclear talks. It's difficult to rule out United States aiding, if not directly, a regime change in Iran if the situation grows more difficult.

[caltrek]

caltrek’s comment: I do not agree that the U.S. should “walk away from the Vienna talks.” A major point of such talks should be to dissuade Iran from going down the road of becoming a nuclear power. That should not include a hardline position that only the U.S. be allowed to interfere with the internal affairs of other countries. We may not like the mischief Iran engages in with its external dealings, but it is still better that they do such things without being a nuclear power.

Maybe I am missing something, but this seems to be a point that neither the Democrats (except perhaps Obama) nor the Republicans seem to understand here in the United States.

It may not matter now that Iran is increasingly getting involved in the Ukraine-Russia conflict. This is likely to change the calculus how the United States may approach Iran with regards to the nuclear talks. It's difficult to rule out United States aiding, if not directly, a regime change in Iran if the situation grows more difficult.

Screwing around with thoughts of facilitating a regime change are what alienated the Iranians against the U.S. in the first place. (Google Mossadegh and CIA involvement in Iran.)

Of course, the pendulum may have swung back to an alignment with U.S. interests, but in the long term there would still be a deep resentment against the U.S. engaging in this sort of subterfuge, and that is a best-case scenario outcome.

A regime change not involving U.S. subversive practices would be preferable, although I am sure the conspiracy minded would insist that the U.S. was involved. In any case, that is probably a hypothetical that will simply not come to pass.

Yes, Iranian involvement on behalf of Russia in the Ukraine does not help the situation.

[weatheriscool]

Officials: Saudis tell US that Iran may attack the kingdom
Source: AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — Saudi Arabia has shared intelligence with American officials that suggests Iran could be preparing for an imminent attack on the kingdom, three U.S. officials said Tuesday.

The heightened concerns about a potential attack on Saudi Arabia as the Biden administration is criticizing Tehran for its crackdown on widespread protests and condemning it for sending hundreds of drones — as well as technical support — to Russia for use in its war in Ukraine.

“We are concerned about the threat picture, and we remain in constant contact through military and intelligence channels with the Saudis,” the National Security Council said in a statement. “We will not hesitate to act in the defense of our interests and partners in the region.”

Saudi Arabia did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Nor did Iran's mission to the United Nations.

One of the officials who confirmed the intelligence sharing described it as a credible threat of an attack “soon or within 48 hours.” No U.S. embassy or consulate in the region has issued alerts or guidance to Americans in Saudi Arabia or elsewhere in the Middle East based on the intelligence. The officials were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Read more: https://news.yahoo.com/officials-saudis ... 23174.html

[weatheriscool]

Iran Votes to Execute Protesters, Says Rebels Need 'Hard Lesson'
Source: Newsweek

After numerous calls for harsh punishments in recent days, the Iranian parliament on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly in favor of the death penalty for protesters.

Iran has been experiencing unprecedented levels of protests and civil unrest since the death of Mahsa Amini on September 16. The 22-year-old Kurdish woman was arrested by the country's "morality police" for supposedly wearing an "improper" form of hijab during a visit to Tehran and allegedly beaten severely while in custody. The beatings are believed to have led to her death from a fatal head injury, but Iranian authorities have denied the accusation.

In the wake of Amini's death, there have been large-scale nationwide protests the likes of which Iran has not seen in decades. Female protesters have notably taken to burning their hijabs and cutting their hair in public in defiance of the rules imposed by Iran's Islamic government, under the leadership of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iranian lawmakers have, in recent days, called for strict punishments for the protesters who have been arrested. On Monday, CNN reported that a letter signed by 227 members of the Iranian parliament urged that the protesters be given harsh punishment that "would serve as a good lesson in the shortest possible time."

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/iran-votes-exe ... on-1757931