Iran’s IRGC defends Iraqi Kurdistan against IS

Source : http://en.trend.az/iran/politics/2315253.html

A senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander says that, if it was not for Iran’s help, the Iraqi Kurdish region would have been occupied by the Islamic State group (IS).

“General Ghasem Soleimani, commander of the Revolutionary Guard's Quds Force himself with only 70 people prevented the IS from occupying the city of Erbil,” Commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh said, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported Sept. 24.

Iran supplied the Iraqi administration with military advice and organized the volunteer Iraqi fighters against the IS, Hajizadeh stressed.

The Iranian commander also criticized the U.S. air strikes against the IS, calling it “a game.”

“They bombard civilian people, rather than striking the IS,” he claimed.

Iranian officials have repeatedly rejected reports about the presence of Iranian military forces in Iraq.

Some Iraqi Kurdish media have underscored the significant role of Iranian forces in fighting against the IS. The media reports say Iranian forces have a decisive presence on the battlefield of the fight.

The Quds Force, the external-operations arm of the IRGC, has been involved for years in training Iraqi Shiite militias. It has also long worked with Hezbollah in Lebanon and has been reportedly helping Syrian President Bashar Assad in the fight against the opposition in that country's civil war.

Iran: Cleric warns against Zionist activities in AlQuds

 Source : Ahlul Bayt News Agency

Supreme Council of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought held its hundred and seventy eighth meeting in the holy city of Mashhad warning against provoking activities of the Zionist regime in al Quds Mosque in the occupied territories.Grand Ayatollah Mohsen Araki, Secretary General of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought in this meeting warned against provoking activities of the Zionist regime in Al Quds Mosque and noted,” Threats of the Zionists in Al Quds Mosque has increased and the US and west are trying to finish the issue of Palestine to the benefit of the Zionist regime and this can be a proper ground for formation of Union for Resistance Clerics.He added,” Muslim clerics have to be aware of this plot and unite over the issue of resistance.”Secretary General of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought referred to the meeting of Islamic Peace Committee in Lebanon and Turkey and noted,” In regards to the crisis in the world of Islam, this committee can play an important role in confrontation with these crises.”In this meeting a report on proximity news in domestic and international arena as well as proposals and options for the World Day of Proximity were given.Promoting the plans, list of guests for the international Islamic Unity Conference and also discussing the statute for the World Union of Resistance Clerics were among the other topics discussed in this meeting.In the meeting of the Supreme Council of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought, necessity of using the regional opportunities to promote the objectives of the world Forum, confrontation with expansion of Wahhabism in Europe and increasing programs on proximity and Islamic unity in state television were also discussed.Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Taskhiri, Ayatollah Mohsen Araki, Molavi Mohammad Es’haq Madani, Ayatollah Mohammad Vaez Zadeh Khorasani, Hujjat-ol-Islam Mohammad Hassan Akhtari and Molavi Nazir Ahmad Salami were among the participants in this meeting. /149

Iran establishes security belt on its territory of Caspian Sea - commander

Source : http://m.trend.az/en/regions/iran/2219246.html

Iran has established a security belt on its share of the Caspian Sea, Naval forces of Iran commander in Caspian Region, Afshin Rezaei Haddad said, Fars news agency reported on Dec. 7."We monitor each move, each action on the territory, in accordance with agreements with other Caspian states," he said. "By doing so, we defend country's interests."He added that the showing of needed will from the Caspian sea countries will help to establish peace and stability on the sea, and Iran's initiative to establish the security belt serves that purpose.Haddad also said that Iran will be sending two groups of Naval forces ships to Caspian states, for strengthening ties. He did not reveal the countries, yet said the ships are ready and will be dispatched in the near future.Back in June 2013, a of detachment consisting of two missile boats of Iran's Naval forces "Peykan" and "Jushan" for the first time arrived in Russia, with an unofficial visit.

Iran threatens to start oil war with Saudi Arabia

Source : http://vestnikkavkaza.net/m/a/48343

Iranian Minister for Petroleum Bijan Zanganeh has threatened Saudi Arabia that it will start selling oil for $20 per barrel, News.ru reports.Tehran is unhappy with OPEC’s decision to keep oil extraction at 30 million barrels per day, forcing Riyadh to increase extraction to compensate reduction at other members of the organization.Zanganeh said in Vienna that Iran will extract 4 million barrels a day, even if the prices drop to $20 per barrel. Iran is currently extracting 2.7 million barrels a day.Iran is holding negotiations with Saudi Arabia to persuade it to reduce oil extraction. Concessions from Saudi Arabia would ease sanctions in the context of the agreement signed by Iran and six mediators on November 24.Iraq wants to increase oil extraction to be increased from 1 to 4 million barrels a day.Iranian Minister for Petroleum Bijan Zanganeh has threatened Saudi Arabia that it will start selling oil for $20 per barrel, News.ru reports.Tehran is unhappy with OPEC’s decision to keep oil extraction at 30 million barrels per day, forcing Riyadh to increase extraction to compensate reduction at other members of the organization.Zanganeh said in Vienna that Iran will extract 4 million barrels a day, even if the prices drop to $20 per barrel. Iran is currently extracting 2.7 million barrels a day.Iran is holding negotiations with Saudi Arabia to persuade it to reduce oil extraction. Concessions from Saudi Arabia would ease sanctions in the context of the agreement signed by Iran and six mediators on November 24.Iraq wants to increase oil extraction to be increased from 1 to 4 million barrels a day

Iran to Equip Jamaran Destroyer with New Home-Made Hi-Tech Radar

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran announced on Wednesday that it plans to mount a new long-range phased-array radar system on its home-made Mowdge-class destroyer, 'Jamaran’.“The first sample of 'Asr Phased-Array Radar' system will be mounted on our destroyer, Jamaran, in the near future,” Head of the Self-Sufficiency Jihad of the Iranian Navy Rear Admiral Ali Qolamzadeh told FNA on Wednesday.Noting that Asr radar system covers a range of at least 2,000km, he said, “The radar system helps us detect and intercept objects which were difficult for us to target and intercept in the past.”Late November, the Iranian Navy unveiled the home-made Asr radar system in a ceremony concurrent with November 28 which marks the ‘Navy Day’ in Iran, during which the Navy discloses its latest achievements in weaponry and equipment every year.Lieutenant Commander of the Iranian Army Brigadier General Abdul-Rahim Mousavi and Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari attended the unveiling ceremony of Asr.In September, Qolamzadeh announced that he Iranian Navy is testing Asr radar.“This radar which has been manufactured by the experts of the country’s defense industry and Navy is currently undergoing (different) tests and will be mounted on some warships of the Navy in future,” he said at the time.Also in September, Commander of Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base Brigadier General Farzad Esmayeeli announced that it is now using new passive phased array radars to detect stealth targets and cruise missiles.General Esmayeeli pointed to the designing and building of new passive phased array radars under the name of 'Soundless Project', and said, "The radar is capable of detecting stealth (radar-evading) targets and cruise missiles and enjoys a high movement and mobility capabilities and acts in different ranges."In December, a senior Iranian military official announced that Iran has equipped its navy with modern electronic warfare systems and radar equipment in a bid to boost its capabilities in sea warfare.“Given the fact that equipping units with electronic warfare systems is the first need and requirement in sea battles, the Islamic Republic of Iran's Navy has equipped all its surface and subsurface units with these systems,” Spokesman of Velayat 91 Naval Wargames Rear Admiral Amir Rastegari said.In February, former Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said that Iran plans to develop different types of radar systems with satellite detecting capabilities.Addressing the second conference on radar technology systems here in Tehran at the time, Vahidi said Iran has witnessed "a jump" in the field of radar designing and manufacturing."Today, we have many achievements in different fields. Radars covering ranges of 500km to 700km have been manufactured and production of radar systems with 1,000km to 3,000km of range is underway," Vahidi explained

Iran Seizes Saudi Fishing Vessels in Persian Gulf

Source : http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13920906001030

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran’s coast guards have seized two Saudi fishing vessels after they entered the Islamic Republic's territorial waters, a provincial official announced on Wednesday.“Yesterday, the coast guards deployed in the country’s Southern waters came to spot two vessels in Iran’s protected waters in the South using electronic and optic tools and equipment,” Commander of Bushehr province Coast Guards Qalandar Lashkari said.He said that the Iranian coast guards rushed to the scene and were faced with two vessels which were illegally fishing in the Iranian waters under the Saudi flag.Noting that 9 sailors were arrested thereafter, Lashkari said further investigation showed that the 9 people are nationals of different countries.Also earlier this year, forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)’s second naval zone seized another Saudi vessel and its four-strong crew after it illegally entered Iranian waters. The vessel was later expelled.In a relevant event on January 3, Saudi Arabia detained 21 Iranian nationals who were aboard two boats near al-Harqus Island 42 miles (78 km) off the Saudi coast, the Saudi border guard said. 

Gunman Kills Iranian Deputy Industry Minister

Source : http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13920820000232

(FNA)- An unknown assailant shot dead the Iranian Deputy Industry, Mine and Trade Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Safdar Rahmatabadi, in an Eastern Tehran neighborhood Sunday evening.The gunman shot Rahmatabadi two times in the chest and the head at around 19:50 local time (1620 GMT) on Sunday.Police forces rushed to the scene of the crime after the terrorist attack.“Investigations show that two bullets were fired at the victim from inside the car,” said a police officer, adding, “Since the cartriges of the two bullets have been found in the car, most probably the shooter had been inside the car and talking to Rahmatabadi.”The officer noted that there was no trace of conflict at the crime scene.