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.

Iran urges UN action on Saravan attack

Source : Trend.Az

Iran has called on the UN Security Council to take proper action in response to a recent terrorist attack in southeastern Iran, which killed 14 Iranian border guards, Press TV reported.

The Iranian border guards lost their lives and three others were wounded on the border region near the city of Saravan in Iran's southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan on October 25.

In a letter to the president of the UN Security Council on Monday, Iranian Ambassador to the UN Mohammad Khazaei said that evidence indicates the Jaish-ul-Adl terrorist group carried out the terrorist attack by infiltrating Iran's eastern borders from Pakistan.

"The UN Security Council's proper response to this terrorist attack will send a strong message to this terrorist group and their supporters that such criminal actions by any group and at any time and place will not be tolerated," Khazaei stated.

The Iranian official added that the Islamic Republic will take the necessary measures to bring the terrorist group to justice.

The Iranian diplomat added that the Islamic Republic expects the complete cooperation of the international community and its neighboring countries.

On October 26, Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned Pakistan's chargé d'affaires in Tehran Sohail Siddiqui in protest against the terrorist attack, the perpetrators of which fled to Pakistan after the attack.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has called for an investigation into the incident, tasking the Foreign Ministry with taking the necessary measures to implement a border security agreement with Pakistan.

In February, Iran and Pakistan signed a security agreement, under which both countries are required to cooperate in preventing and combating organized crime, fighting terrorism and countering activities which pose a threat to the national security of either country.

Iran to investigate causes of shooting incident on border with Pakistan soon

Source : Trend.Az

Iran will investigate causes of shooting incident on border with Pakistan within the shortest possible time, ISNA quoted Deputy Interior Minister Ali Abdollahi as saying.

"The investigation of the issue will take time, so at this point we cannot comment on anything," he said.

Friday night shooting occurred between Iranian border guards and a group of armed people in the direction of Saravan city located in the south-east of the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan. The group was trying to enter the country from Pakistan.

Some 17 Iranian border guards were killed, five more were injured and 4 more were taken as hostages, Iranian news agency Fars reported on Saturday citing an anonymous source.

According to preliminary information, the incident was committed by terrorist groups operating against the Iranian regime, the agency said.

Meanwhile, member of the Iranian parliament's National Security Committee, Mohammad Hassan Asafari said that the committee will discuss the issue this week.

Three Terrorists Killed in Clashes with IRGC in West of Iran

Source : Farsnews

TEHRAN (FNA)- At least three terrorists have been killed in clashes with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) troops in Iran's Western Kurdistan province, an IRGC commander said.

Brigadier General Mohammad Hossein Rajabi said three terrorists were killed and two more were captured during the clashes between the Iranian security forces and members of a terrorist group in the countryside of the city of Baneh in Kurdistan province.

The Iranian commander added that the operation was carried out in coordination and cooperation with provincial security forces.

Brigadier General Rajabi added that none of the IRGC forces was injured in the clashes.

PJAK, a militant Kurdish nationalist group with bases in the mountainous regions of Northern Iraq, has been carrying out numerous terrorist attacks in Western Iran, Southern Turkey and the Northeastern parts of Syria where Kurdish populations live.

The separatist group has been fighting to establish an autonomous state, or possibly a new world country, in the area after separating Kurdish regions from Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Syria.

Iranian intelligence and security officials have repeatedly complained that Washington provides military support and logistical aids for such anti-Iran terrorist groups.

IRGC present Russia with its drone as gift

Source : http://old.mehrnews.com

TEHRAN, Oct. 21 (MNA) – IRGC Air Force commander has presented Russian Air Force commander with a home-made drone, a replica of American ScanEagle.

Mehr News reported that Russian Air Force commander Lieutenant General Viktor Nikolayevich Bondarev told reporters that IRGC had achieved higher success and it had many capabilities.

“I am regularly updated about the IRGC increasing capabilities and now I may say that it has taken great steps in aerospace field, and has found the most proper place,” added he.

During the meeting between IRGC and Russian Air Force commanders, IRGC commander Brigadier General Amir Ali Haji Zadeh pointed out that “today, we presented Russian side with the technological and technical symbol of the Islamic Republic of Iran in developing and manufacturing drones, the ScanEagle.”

A video featuring the IRGC Aerospace capabilities in controlling foreign sea fighters was also presented to the Russian Air Force delegation.

SH/MR MNA EN

EU may open a diplomatic mission in Iran

Source : Vesti Kavkaz

Tarja Cronberg, the head of the European parliament's Iran delegation and a member of the foreign affairs committee and the security and defence subcommittee, says the European Union should open a diplomatic mission in Iran.

According to her, the recent negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme have progressed positively and should form the basis for a deepening of EU relations with the Islamic Republic.

"It is vital that the EU steps up its diplomacy towards Iran and goes beyond the nuclear talks. The best way to do this would be to establish a dialogue on human rights and to set up an EU representation in Iran," Cronberg is quoted as saying.

Iran, Norway urge expansion of ties

Source : Xinhua | English.news.cn

TEHRAN, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Iran and Norway called for expansion of their relations in diverse areas, semi-official Fars news agency reported Tuesday.

The issue was raised in a meeting between Head of Iran-Norway Parliamentary Friendship Group Vahid Ahmadi and Norwegian Ambassador to Iran Jens-Petter Kjemprud in Tehran on Tuesday.

"Iran and Norway enjoy abundant potentials and capabilities to increase the level of their cooperation and expand their bilateral friendly ties, which can be used for improvement of the level of the friendly interactions between the two countries," Ahmadi was quoted as saying.

Kjemprud, for his part, underlined that Norway attaches importance to the development of ties with Iran, saying that " Norway seeks to promote the level of its friendly relations with Iran in different arenas, specially parliamentary ties and scientific and academic cooperation."

In January, Kjemprud also said that his country was ready to boost cooperation with Iran in the energy sector.

The calls for improving relations between two states come after the relations between Norway and Iran turned for the worse in 2010, with each country expelling diplomats following Norway granted asylum to an Iranian consul in Oslo

Iran plans to stage cyber drills

Source : Xinhua

TEHRAN, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Head of Iran's Passive Defense Organization Gholam-Reza Jalali said Saturday that Iran plans to stage cyber exercises in the near future, semi-official Fars news agency reported.

"The cyber maneuvers bylaw has been prepared and will be circulated among the relevant organizations" in a bid to enhance cyber capabilities and prevent cyber attacks, Jalali said without further elaboration.

Jalali made the remarks ahead of Iran's Passive Defense Week in October.

He said his organization also plans to set regulations for the country's vital infrastructures so that they could achieve complete safety in the cyber field.

"Vital infrastructures fall within the first layer of the information technology and if they stop functioning, it will cause danger at national security level," he added.

Over the past few years, Iran has been the target of numerous cyber attacks aimed at disrupting its nuclear and energy systems. Iran accuses the United States and Israel of being behind these attacks

Iran to stage major air defense exercise

Source : Mehr News Agency

TEHRAN, July. 5 (MNA) – The commander of the Khatam-ol-Anbiya Air Defense Base announced on Wednesday that Iran would stage a major air defense exercise, entitled the Defenders of the Sky of Velayat 5, in the second half of the current Iranian calendar year, which started on March 21.

Brigadier General Farzad Esmaeili also said that domestically manufactured Hazem radar- evading UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) would be used in the war games.

Iran, Russia may hold joint naval drill

Source : MehrNews.com

TEHRAN, July. 2 (MNA) – The commander of the Iranian Navy says Iran and Russia may hold a joint naval exercise in the Caspian Sea.

“The commander of the Russian fleet has talked about a joint naval drill. The exercise may be held after the Islamic Republic makes a decision (in this regard) and after arrangements are made,” Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said in a news conference in Tehran on Monday in reference to news reports saying that Iran and Russia had planned to stage joint naval maneuvers.

Deputy Commander of Russia’s Caspian Flotilla Nikolai Yakubovsky said on Friday that the two countries were examining a plan to hold a joint naval exercise in the Caspian Sea in the second half of the current year, according to RIA Novosti.

Commenting on the recent dispatch of an Iranian fleet of warships to Russia, Sayyari said that the mission was an example of naval relations between Tehran and Moscow, adding that the two countries would cooperate to counter possible threats to the security of the Caspian Sea.

An Iranian fleet of warships, comprised of two missile-launching vessels, docked at the Russian port city of Astrakhan on Friday for a four-day stay.

The deputy commander of the Iranian Navy said on June 25 that one of the purposes of the mission was to cement relations between Iran and Russia, adding, “Given that the Caspian Sea is known as a sea of peace and tranquility, conveying the message of peace and friendship to countries bordering this sea, particularly the country of Russia, and displaying the naval might of the Navy and increasing the knowledge and experience of its young members are other purposes of the dispatch of the fleet of warships to Russia.”

“During the stay of the fleet of warships of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Navy in Astrakhan, Russia, besides visits to military and port centers, meetings will be held with a number of officials and senior military commanders,” he said.

A detachment of ships of the Russian Pacific Fleet on the way from Vladivostok to the Mediterranean Sea entered the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas on an unofficial visit on April 20.

The detachment consisted of The Admiral Panteleyev major anti-submarine ship, The Admiral Nevelskoy and The Peresvet large landing ships, The Foty Krylov ocean-going rescue ship, and The Pechenga sea tanker.

 

Iran building new missile-launching warships

Source : http://old.mehrnews.com

TEHRAN, Jun. 30 (MNA) – Iran is building new domestically designed missile-launching warships, the deputy commander of the Iranian Navy announced on Saturday.

“New missile-launching vessels and warships, including warships of the Peykan class, are being manufactured,” Rear Admiral Abbas Zamini said.

In addition, the Navy official said that new domestically manufactured destroyers were also being manufactured by experts at the Marine Industries Organization of the Iranian Defense Ministry.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Zamini said that the Navy planned to retrofit its old warships and destroyers with advanced equipment and systems.

Iran’s latest destroyer, the Jamaran 2, was launched in the Caspian Sea on March 17.

The Jamaran 2, which is a destroyer of the Moj class, is able to carry helicopters and is equipped with advanced radar systems, electronic warfare systems, artillery and anti-aircraft guns, torpedoes, and surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles.

Iran’s first domestically manufactured destroyer, the Jamaran, was launched in February 2010.

The Sahand destroyer was also launched in September 2012.

The Navy has also announced that it plans to build seven destroyers of the Sina class, which are capable of firing missiles.

AM/EP MNA END

182

Rouhani: Iran to establish foreign policy based on moderation and respect

Source : Trend.Az

Iranian president-elect Hassan Rohani says he will establish foreign policy based on moderation and respect toward the world.

In a televised speech broadcasted live on the IRINN Network Rohani said that the enemy wanted to show a false picture of Iran, but we should thwart its plot through collaboration and confidence building with other nations.

Iran can play a decisive role in this historic era. Iran is the greatest power in the region and should play its role with moderation. The country has gained successes and failures in the past. We should analyze them and build the future.

Rohani won 50.7 percent of the vote to secure an outright victory. In the Iranian system, if no presidential candidate receives 50 percent of the vote, the two top candidates must face off in a run-off election.

Nearly 50.5 million Iranians, including more than 1.6 million first-time voters, were eligible to participate in the presidential election. The Interior Ministry put the voter turnout at 72.7 percent.

Rohani currently represents the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in the Supreme National Security Council and is also a member of the Expediency Council and the Assembly of Experts. He is also the director of the Expediency Council's Center for Strategic Research.

Iran sends naval fleet to Russia

Source : islamicinvitationturkey.com

A deputy commander of the Iranian Navy says Iran has dispatched a naval fleet to the Russian port city of Astrakhan in a move to consolidate friendly relations between Tehran and Moscow.

Rear Admiral Siavash Jarreh on Wednesday said “Two missile-launching warships, which were manufactured by the Iranian young specialists and joined the naval forces in 2003 and 2006, have been dispatched for the first time to Russia’s Astrakhan Port in the form of a naval group.” The Iranian commander added the measure is aimed at consolidating the amicable ties between Iran and Russia and conveying Tehran’s message of peace and friendship to the Caspian Sea littoral states,. Jarreh pointed out during the Iranian naval fleet’s stay at Astrakhan Port, the Iranian naval officers will visit some military and port facilities in Russia and hold meetings with a number of high-ranking Russian commanders and officials. On April 21, a group of Russian Navy warships docked at the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas after a long journey from the Pacific Ocean. In recent years, Iran’s Navy has been increasing its presence in international waters to protect naval routes and provide security for merchant vessels and tankers.

Iran to Set Fire to over 1 Ton of Illicit Drugs in Southern Province

Source : islamicinvitationturkey.com

Over 1 ton of illicit drugs will be set on fire in Iran’s Southern Bushehr province to mark the international day of drug campaign on June 26, a provincial police commander announced on Tuesday. “Concurrent with the UN International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26, one ton of narcotics, including hashish, crystal, etc., will be set on fire in Bushehr coast,” Commander of Bushehr’s Law Enforcement Forces General Heydar Abbaszadeh told FNA.

He noted that Bushehr’s law enforcement police managed to seize more than 1 ton of narcotics from 70 drug gangs during last Iranian year (ended March 20)

Iran is slated to commemorate the UN International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26.

More than 100 tons of narcotics will be burnt in Tehran province and 16 other provinces on the occasion of the UN International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (June 26).

Eastern Iran borders Afghanistan, which is the world’s number one opium and drug producer. Iran’s geographical position has made the country a favorite transit corridor for drug traffickers who intend to smuggle their cargoes from Afghanistan to drug dealers in Europe.

Iran spends billions of dollars and has lost thousands of its police troops in the war against traffickers. Owing to its rigid efforts, Iran makes 81 percent of the world’s total opium seizures and has turned into the leading country in drug campaign.

Sistan and Balouchestan province, where Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan come together, has porous borders, where bandits and drug traffickers operate despite frequent entanglements and intense efforts of the Iranian law enforcement police.

More than 3,720 Iranian security personnel have been killed fighting drug smugglers since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iran has recently established a central database and strengthened police-judiciary cooperation in a new effort to combat organized crime.

Every year, Iran burns more than 60 tons of seized narcotics as a symbol of its determination to fight drugs.

Iran urges end to arming Syria militants

Souece : MehrNews.com

TEHRAN, Jun. 24 (MNA) – Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir- Abdollahian has called for an end to the “dangerous” arming of “irresponsible groups” in Syria.

In a meeting with members of the follow-up committee on Syrian national dialogue in Tehran on Sunday, Amir-Abdollahian urged the countries which arm “irresponsible groups” and encourage them to carry out terrorist acts to stop their actions and instead contribute to Syria’s reconstruction.

During their talks in the Qatari capital, Doha, on Saturday, top diplomats from Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States agreed to provide militants in Syria with arms.

The top officials agreed to "provide urgently all the necessary materiel and equipment to the opposition on the ground, each country in its own way, in order to enable them to counter brutal attacks by the regime and its allies and protect the Syrian people."

Amir-Abdollahian expressed hope that representatives of the Syrian people and opposition would attend the comprehensive national dialogue which the committee plans to hold in the near future.

“Iran has always supported and will support a political solution, national dialogue, and an end to violence in Syria as well as non-interference in [the internal affairs of] this country,” the Iranian official stated.

The committee on Syrian national dialogue is comprised of representatives of the opposition, members of the People's Assembly and independent figures.

Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since March 2011 and many people, including large numbers of government forces, have been killed in the violence.

Reports show the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country and that very large numbers of the militants are foreign nationals.

On Friday, the militants announced that they had received new weapons that could lead to "changes" in the war against the Syrian government.

Iran launches space survey and monitoring base

Source : Trend.Az

Iran inaugurated its first space survey and monitoring base with the goal of boosting security of Iranian space systems and surveying satellites which are passing over Iran, IRNA reported.

The base was launched officially in a ceremony which was attended by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The base will help manage the traffic of satellites and share spatial information with other countries, said Iran Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi on the inauguration ceremony.

Iran will launch its own communications satellite into space in 5 years, head of country's Space Agency, Hamid Fazeli said, IRIB News reported.

Iran plans to use its own satellite to translate local channels, as formerly it was doing so through other broadcasting satellites, as Eutelsat SA and Intelsat SA.

Eutelsat SA and Intelsat SA stopped the broadcast of several Iranian satellite channels last year, citing pressure by the European Union.

Hamid Fazeli said that Iran plans to send "IranSat" into space via three stages. First one of which would be sending "IranSat 1" into space in two years, then "IranSat 2" will be sent in 1,5 years after that.

Fazeli noted that satellite's manufacturing and design cost $70 million, launching of the satellites - $30 million, plus additional $40 million for transferring function blocks.

Iran launched its first satellite, called the Omid (Hope), in February 2009. The Rasad (Observation) satellite was also sent into orbit in June 2011.

In February, 2012, Iran successfully put its third domestically manufactured satellite, named the Navid (Promise), into orbit. On February 8, 2012, Iran received the first image sent by the Navid satellite.

As part of its space program, Iran also plans to launch the Fajr (Dawn) satellite in the near future.

The Fajr, which is a reconnaissance satellite powered by solar energy, will be Iran's first new-generation satellite to be sent into space.

Iran Dismantles Terrorist Cell Plotting to Sabotage Upcoming Election

Source : Fars News Agency

Election TEHRAN (FNA)- The Iranian intelligence ministry announced that it has disbanded a terrorist cell tasked with conducting sabotage activities concurrent with June 14 presidential election in Iran.

In a statement released on Sunday, the intelligence ministry said it has managed to identify and arrest all members of the terrorist cell after finding traces and gathering accurate information about the cell's activities and mission.

The statement further mentioned that the head of the terrorist cell had been recruited by the spy agency of an Arab country and later contacted the Israeli spy agency Mossad after travelling to Israel.

After receiving the needed intelligence and military trainings in Israel, the head of the terrorist cell has received a list of actions from Mossad officers to conduct espionage and terrorist activities in Iran, the statement said.

It further said that the prime suspect had later formed a 12-member team to conduct sabotage and terrorist activities in Iran, specially during the upcoming election day on June 14.

Last week, an Iranian security official said that the country's security forces have arrested several terrorists led by Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO, also known as the MEK, PMOI and NCRI) who planned to sabotage the election in Iran.

"Following the identification of active members of several groups linked to the MKO grouplet, several simultaneous sting operations were conducted in Tehran and several other cities and serious blows were dealt to those groups," the security official said on the condition of anonymity.

Despite using alias names and titles, most of the identified groups had a history of association with the MKO grouplet and many of the arrestees had been previously jailed for similar activities, press tv reported.

Two of the arrestees had recently entered Iran to instruct their agents inside the country on how to spark turmoil during the election, the source reiterated.

Candidates officially started election campaigning this morning after the official announcement of the eligible candidates. Campaigning will continue up to June 13, that is 24 hours before the start of the election.

Iranian voters will go to over 66,000 polling stations inside and outside the country on June 14 to elect their next president.

DM: Iran to Unveil New Home-Made Missiles, Submarine Soon

Source : Fars News Agency

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi announced on Wednesday that his ministry will unveil a series of new missiles and a submarine produced by the country's experts and engineers in the near future.

Iran will unveil new air-based missiles and a new home-made submarine, Vahidi told reporters in Tehran today.

He said that the country will also inaugurate a space center soon.

The Iranian Army has recently test-fired different types of newly-developed missiles and torpedoes and tested a large number of its home-made weapons, tools and equipments, including submarines, military ships, artillery, choppers, aircraft, UAVs and air defense and electronic systems, during massive military drills.

In relevant remarks last week, Vahidi announced that the defense ministry will supply large numbers of different types of missiles to the country's Armed Forces and unveil different defense projects in coming days.

He said that the country' latest defense achievements will also go on display in the next few days, including a special space center.

Last week, the defense ministry started mass-production of a highly mobile home- made air-defense system.

The production line of the new system, Herz (Protector) 9, was inaugurated in a special ceremony attended by Vahidi.

Addressing the ceremony, Vahidi said that the system which has been designed and developed by Iranian experts at the Defense Industries Organization is a "sophisticated smart air-defense system and is capable of detecting, identifying and intercepting low-altitude targets through automatic controls".

He said that the system enjoys high mobility and night operation capability and can be connected to the country's integrated air-defense network.

Iran's IRGC receives long-range missile launchers: report

Source : Xinhua

TEHRAN, May 27 (Xinhua) -- The aerospace force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps took a delivery of mass-produced new long- range missile launchers, Tehran Times daily reported on Monday.

The surface-to-surface missile launchers, manufactured by the Iran Aviation Industries Organization of the Defense Ministry, were delivered in a ceremony held here on Sunday.

On the sidelines of the ceremony, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi told reporters the mass delivery of the launchers is a manifestation of the might of Iran and its self- sufficiency in designing and manufacturing this strategic system, according to the report.

The minister said "Iran is not seeking confrontation with anyone and will not begin a war or a conflict, but it will also not allow any act of aggression and hostility."

Iran to tighten border security close to presidential elections

Source : Trend.Az

Iran will tighten the border security close to upcoming presidential elections, Fars reported citing deputy head commander of the border security, Mohammad Reza Tavoosi.

He said that the elections are closing in, and the control at the borders needs to be strengthened for security purposes.

Tavoosi added that security forces will be tasked to make sure the voting at the border provinces of Iran will be carried out without incidents.

The deputy commander noted that the border security will be on alert around 15 Iranian border provinces.

In April, Deputy Commander of Iran's Border Operation Troops Hamid Sharafi said that the residents of border areas will assist border guards during the presidential elections, after necessary training.

Sharafi noted that the number of border guards had been increased in the mountainous areas, it is planned to strengthen control on maritime borders too.

Iran will hold the 11th presidential election on June 14, 2013.

The voters will select the successor of the current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is not able to participate in the elections for the third term according to the country's constitutional laws.

The president of Iran is elected for a four-year term in a national election and the Guardian Council vets the candidates for qualifications.

Iran Deploys ‘Large Numbers’ of Missile Launchers

Source : RIA Novost

TEHRAN, May 26 (RIA Novosti) – Iran has deployed “large numbers” of new long-range missile launchers, Iranian semi-official news agency Fars reported on Sunday.

Iranian Defense Minister, Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi was quoted by Fars as saying the new ground-to-ground missile launchers would enable Iran’s armed forces to “mightily crush any invading enemy and will make him regretful of his deeds."

The report did not specify, however, the type of new weapons or their number.

Vahidi added the Iranian defense industries were now capable of producing different home-made weapons and military systems in aerospace, naval, air, ground, electronic and optic fields, according to Fars.

Thousands of IRGC Missiles Ready to Hit Enemies' Vital Interests in Region

Source : Fars News

TEHRAN (FNA)- Lieutenant Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Major General Hossein Salami cautioned enemies to avoid threatening Iran, warning that the IRGC has readied thousands of missiles to target enemies' vital interests in the region, if they dare to attack Iran.

"One day the IRGC's biggest weapon was Kalashnikov and G3 rifles, but today thousands of missiles are ready to be launched at any target that we want from the enemies' vital interests in the region," Salami said in Tehran on Saturday.

He referred to Iran's astonishing progress in developing and manufacturing different military equipment, and underlined, "We are witnessing our country's self-sufficiency in all military and defensive industries, which is acknowledged by the world as well.

"We have conquered the outer space and are not dependant on any power. This is one of the biggest achievements of the Islamic Revolution."

Israel and its close ally the United States accuse Iran of seeking a nuclear weapon, while they have never presented any corroborative document to substantiate their allegations. Both Washington and Tel Aviv possess advanced weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear warheads.

Iran vehemently denies the charges, insisting that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. Tehran stresses that the country has always pursued a civilian path to provide power to the growing number of Iranian population, whose fossil fuel would eventually run dry.

Iran has warned that it would target Israel and its worldwide interests in case it comes under attack by the Tel Aviv.

The United States has also always stressed that military action is a main option for the White House to deter Iran's progress in the field of nuclear technology.

In response, Iran has warned it would hit the US, Israel and their worldwide interests and close the strategic Strait of Hormuz if it became the target of a military attack over its nuclear program.

Strait of Hormuz, the entrance to the strategic Persian Gulf waterway, is a major oil shipping route.

No need for U.S. bases in Afghanistan after 2014: Iran

Source : Tehran Times

TEHRAN – Iran has advised the United States not to maintain military bases in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of foreign forces from the country, which is scheduled to take place in 2014.

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi made the remarks in a meeting with UN special envoy to Afghanistan Jan Kubis in Tehran on Wednesday.

On May 9, 2013, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Washington wants to maintain nine military bases after the withdrawal of U.S.-led coalition forces at the end of next year.

Salehi stated that there is no need for U.S. military bases in Afghanistan after 2014, and Afghan forces should take full responsibility for the country's security.

He went on to say that Afghanistan should pursue a political process to establish peace and security in the war-torn country.

The Iranian foreign minister also called on Western states to take a “wise stance” on the issue and to avoid actions that could harm people in Afghanistan and neighboring countries.

Kubis said Iran plays an important role in regional developments and asked neighboring countries to help in the efforts to reconstruct Afghanistan.

In addition, the two officials also emphasized that Afghanistan should hold a free and fair election with the participation of all groups.

MT/HG

Iran’s Army Tests Different Types of Simulators

Source : islamicinvitationturkey.com

The Iranian Army Ground Force tested different types of home-made simulators in the massive wargames in the country’s Central province of Isfahan.

The wargames, dubbed as Beit ol-Moqaddas 25, started on May 20 in the general zone of Nasrabad in Isfahan province and will last until May 24, the anniversary of the liberation of Khorramshahr city from the Iraqi occupation during the (1980-1988) war.

Lieutenant Commander of Ground Force for Training General Hossein Shokohi said the army tested direct-fire and artillery simulators as well as smart surface-to- surface missile simulators on Thursday.

The simulators will also provide a comprehensive analysis of the Iranian Army’s fire efficiency and precision-targeting, the commander added.

Different army units, including air force, airborne, infantry, armored, cavalry, artillery, air-defense, drone, communications and logistical units have participated in the wargames.

The Iranian Army has recently test-fired different types of newly-developed missiles and torpedoes and tested a large number of its home-made weapons, tools and equipments, including submarines, military ships, artillery, choppers, aircraft, UAVs and air defense and electronic systems, during massive military drills.

Defense analysts and military observers say that Iran’s wargames and its advancements in weapons production have proved as a deterrent factor, specially at a time of heightened threats by the US.

Iran to start mass-production of new air defense system

Source : Trend.Az

Iran plans to start mass-production of a new air-defense system on Monday, Fars News reported.

The production line of the new system, Herz (Protector) 9, will be inaugurated in a special ceremony attended by the country's Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi tomorrow.

Last Tuesday, the Iranian defense ministry announced that Iran plans to unveil five new defensive achievements in coming days.

Also, a senior Iranian military commander announced last month that the country would unveil a home-made long-range air-defense missile system similar to the Russian S-300 in the near future.

"This system, dubbed as Bavar (belief) 373, is being developed in the country and will be officially unveiled soon," Lieutenant Commander of the Iranian Army's Self- Sufficiency Jihad Rear Admiral Farhad Amiri said.

He noted that Bavar-373 missile defense system has reached the production stage and its subsystems have been already tested.

Earlier this year, senior military officials announced that Iran was testing the subsystems of Bavar 373 missile defense system.

Commander of Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base Brigadier General Farzad Esmayeeli said then that "laboratory tests are underway on subsystems of the long-range Bavar 373 air-defense system".

The Iranian Armed Forces have recently test-fired different types of newly-developed missiles and torpedoes and tested a large number of its home-made weapons, tools and equipments, including submarines, military ships, artillery, choppers, aircraft, UAVs and air defense and electronic systems, during massive military drills.

MP: Enemies of Syria Seeking to Spark Sectarian Strife

Source : Fars News Agency

TEHRAN (FNA)- Those who are seeking to topple the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have resorted to sectarian strife to further fuel unrests in the country, a senior Iranian lawmaker cautioned.

"The fire that was started in Syria more than two years ago can only be fueled through fomenting divisions between Shiites and Sunnis, and those who support the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad are well aware of that; therefore, they are trying to provoke terrorists whose identity and religion are not known to fan the flames of anti-Assad fire," member of the parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Seyed Baqer Hosseini said on Thursday.

He pointed to gruesome videos showing the atrocities committed by foreign-backed militants in Syria, and stated that the terrorists' crimes "reveal the identity of their masters."

A video posted online on Sunday showed a militant in Syria cutting out some of the organs of a Syrian soldier and biting into one.

Human Rights Watch, which also validated the video, said that the act constituted a war crime.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against Syrian police forces and border guards being reported across the country.

Hundreds of people, including members of the security forces, have been killed, when some protest rallies turned into armed clashes.

The government blames outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups for the deaths, stressing that the unrest is being orchestrated from abroad.

Supreme Leader Warns of Enemies' Plots to Dissuade People from Voting

Source : Fars News

TEHRAN (FNA)- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said that enemy states are exercising plots to discourage the Iranian nation from participating in the upcoming presidential election, but to no avail.

"The aliens first sought to cancel the election, but now that they can't do so, they are trying to discourage the people (from voting), cool the election and affect the people's choice," Ayatollah Khamenei said, addressing a large gathering of the Iranian people in Tehran on Wednesday.

He said discouraging the people is one of the enemies' main tactics in election, and said, "They want to inspire the public opinion with the idea that voting and participating in the election is of no use."

Ayatollah Khamenei warned that the enemy wants to coax the Iranian nation into electing a person who will push the country towards dependence, weakness, backwardness in different fields and put Iran on the path of compliance with the aliens' policies. Yet, the Leader underlined that the Iranian nation is wise and vigilant and will elect the best person for ruling the country as president.

In relevant remarks during his address to thousands of Iranian workers on the occasion of the 'Labors Day' in April, Ayatollah Khamenei said that the presidential election is a typical instance of the "political epic", and ensured that the voting "will be held in due time and with the enthusiastic presence of people."

Meantime, Ayatollah Khamenei cautioned that enemies of the country also aim to prevent the Iranian nation from staging an "economic epic" through increased pressures and sanctions on the nation.

"They are trying to create a gap between the people and the Islamic establishment through political pressures in a move to disappoint the people, and at the same time lie and boldly say that they are not the enemies of the Iranian people."

The Leader underlined that the Iranian nation and government will disappoint the enemies and defuse all their plots against Iran's economy through their strong will and resolve.

Anti-Israeli Forces Can Hit Targets 400km in Occupied Territories Soon

Source : Fars News Agency

TEHRAN (FNA)- Forces fighting the Israeli regime will soon manufacture missiles with a range of 400 km, commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Qassem Suleimani has said according to sources.

A report by al-Mayadeen network quoted an unnamed source close to Suleimani as saying that the recent Israeli air raid on Damascus cannot weaken the anti-Israel resistance movement.

"The same way stones (Symbol of the Palestinian's anti-Israel Intifada movement) grew into missiles with a 100km-range, God willing, we will help the resistance develop its capability to build home- made missiles with warheads and with the range of 400 km in the near future," the source quoted Suleimani as saying.

No official source has confirmed the report yet.

In November, IRGC top Commander Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari announced that Iran has provided the Palestinian groups with the needed technology to mass produce Fajr-5 missiles, adding that Palestinians now have a large depot of the strategic weapon.

"We cannot send arms to Gaza because of its siege, but we have provided them (the Palestinians) with our experiences in manufacturing Fajr-5 missiles and today this missile is being manufactured (by Palestinians) in large numbers," Jafari told reporters in mid November.

As regards Iran's military assistance to the Palestinian resistance groups, Jafari said, "We extend technological aid and assistance to every Muslim standing against the arrogance (power)."

Political and military experts believe that Israel was shocked and later pushed to reassess its calculations after Palestinian groups responded to the Israeli army's Wednesday aggression on Gaza with a stunning retaliation, hitting Tel Aviv, a move which eventually made Israel start an overture and change its war rhetoric about an impending ground incursion into Gaza to a tone of compromise in pursuit of truce.

Israel was surprised when Palestinians in Gaza targeted Tel Aviv, 70km away from the foremost Palestinian territories, for the first time on Friday. The longest range recorded by Palestinian missiles prior to Friday had been 40km.

Things grew worse for Israeli rulers when Hamas targeted Herzliya, a city 11km North of Tel Aviv, on Sunday.

Targeting Herzliya means that Palestinian resistance groups now have the capability to hit targets, at least, 80km away, much beyond the previously thought 40-km range for Palestinian missiles.

And this strategic weapon which has changed the scene of the war between Israel and Palestinians is a rocket known as Fajr-5.

Fajr-class rockets, Fajr-5 (Dawn 5) in particular, are known and described by the world military experts, as a weapon system appropriate for asymmetric wars, where the military power of the conflicting sides differs significantly.

Fajr-1 rocket is a solid fuel 107mm rocket with a range of 8.3km and can be mounted on speed boats.

Fajr-2 is the second generation of Fajr-class rockets. It is a 240mm rocket that can hit targets in 25km in distance.

Fajr-3 is an optimized version of 240mm Fajr-2 rockets but with a range of 43km and a 85kg payload. The rocket is launched by Fajr-3 rocket launchers and can provide heavy firepower in asymmetric wars.

The world class Fajr-5 is a solid fuel non-fixed wing 333mm rocket designed and optimized for artillery missions to hit enemy's command and control, logistic, radar, communication, economic and political centers.

It is a rocket with 75km range, a payload of 178kg and speed of 1009meter per second.

The two-stage version of Fajr-5 rockets are the most effective and longest range of the Fajr-class rockets and can be used against enemy targets such as command and control centers, logistics, radar, communication, airports, plants and economic and political centers

Iran to Equip IRGC Vessels with Stronger Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles

Source : Fars News Agency

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) vessels have been equipped with sophisticated missiles with a range of 300km, a senior Iranian defense ministry officials announced on Sunday, but meantime added that more new missiles with much more advanced capabilities will be supplied to the force in the near future.

"Numerous products, including missiles with a range of 300 km, are available for the IRGC's Navy now," Head of the Defense Ministry's Aerospace Industries Organization General Seyed Mehdi Farahi told FNA.

"Yet, more new cruise-type products with different ranges and highly-advanced capabilities will be supplied to the IRGC navy soon," Farahi added, stressing that the range and precision of the new missiles is higher than the abovementioned missiles which have a range of 300km.

"These missiles could increase our defensive power in naval battles."

Last month, Iran equipped its warplanes with advanced anti-ship cruise missiles in a bid to boost the country's capabilities in confronting naval threats.

Iran started equipping its Air Force fighter jets with air-to-surface Nour cruise missiles in a project dubbed as Qaem. Nour has a range of 120 kilometers.

Nour is a well-known cruise missile used by the Iranian army and the IRGC in different wargames and can be launched from coast, vessels and aircraft against enemy vessels, oil facilities and naval positions.

Also in April, a senior Iranian defense ministry official said that Iran's anti-ship ballistic missile power has forced the US warships in the Persian Gulf to retreat from their positions.

Addressing a group of Iranian soldiers here in Tehran at the time, Deputy Defense Minister General Majid Bokayee said Iran designed and developed home-made anti-ship ballistic missiles because this kind of missile can target enemy vessels easily.

"We managed to employ the ballistic missiles which had previously been designed and produced for ground-to-ground missions for targeting enemy ships, and then we witnessed the US naval fleets' retreat in the Persian Gulf after the first test on the missile," Bokayee stated.

In July 2012, Iran's supersonic anti-ship ballistic missiles, 'Khalij-e-Fars (Persian Gulf)', displayed their 100 percent precision capability after hitting and destroying the specified targets in the last phase of the Payambar-e Azam 7 (The Great Prophet 7) drills.

Iran's Envoy, Lebanese FM Underline Political Solution to Syrian Crisis

Source : Fars News Agency

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran's Ambassador to Beirut Qazanfar Roknabadi and Lebanese Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour stressed the necessity for finding a political solution to the current crisis in Syria.

During the meeting on Friday, the Lebanese foreign minister pointed to Iran's leading role in the region and said the Islamic Republic has always taken steps to serve regional nations' interests and encourage unity among them.

"We also believe that the Syrian crisis has no other solution but a political one and dialogue, and we have always underscored this issue," Mansour stated.

The Iranian ambassador, for his part, condemned the recent Israeli aggression against a research center in Syria, saying it proved that the US and the Israeli regime seek to strengthen Tel Aviv's security by supporting Takfiri groups in Syria, and destroying infrastructures in the Arab country.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against Syrian police forces and border guards being reported across the country.

The US and its western and regional allies have long sought to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his ruling system. Media reports said that the Syrian rebels and terrorist groups have received significantly more and better weapons in recent weeks, a crime paid for by the Persian Gulf Arab states and coordinated by the United States.

The US daily, Washington Post, reported in May that the Syrian rebels and terrorist groups battling Assad's government have received significantly more and better weapons in recent weeks, a crime paid for by the Persian Gulf Arab states and coordinated by the United States.

The newspaper, quoting opposition activists and US and foreign officials, reported that Obama administration officials emphasized the administration has expanded contacts with opposition military forces to provide the Persian Gulf nations with assessments of rebel credibility and command-and-control infrastructure.

Opposition activists who several months ago said the rebels were running out of ammunition said in May that the flow of weapons - most bought on the black market in neighboring countries or from elements of the Syrian military in the past - has significantly increased after a decision by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Persian Gulf states to provide millions of dollars in funding each month.

Iran Unveils New Domestically-Built UAV

Source : RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, May 10 (RIA Novosti) - Iran has unveiled a radar-evading unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of carrying out both surveillance and attack missions, the Press TV channel reported on Thursday.

“This drone has been built by defense industry experts and is simultaneously capable of surveillance, reconnaissance and missile and rocket attacks,” said Iranian Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, who attended a ceremony to unveil the aircraft.

“This aircraft with its stealth quality can avoid detection by the enemy,” he said.

Press TV gave no exact technical parameters of the aircraft, but said the two distinguishing features of the new UAV, dubbed Hamaseh, are “high altitude and long flight range.”

Iran, Sudan agree to boost naval cooperation

Source : Xinhua

TEHRAN, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said Thursday that Iran and Sudan have agreed to boost naval cooperation, official IRNA news agency reported.

In a meeting with his visiting Sudanese counterpart, Dalil a- Daw Muhammad Fadhlallah, Sayyari said that given the two countries strategic status, they can enjoy closer collaboration.

Sayyari invited Sudanese technical and educational teams to visit Iran's marine centers, voicing Iran's readiness to train Sudanese naval forces in Iran's northern Nowshahr Marine Sciences University, said the report.

Unity between the two countries' forces will be effective in confronting their common enemies, he was quoted as saying.

For his part, Sudanese navy commander said that he believes cooperation of the naval forces of the two countries can safeguard the security of international and regional waters including the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.

He expressed hope that cooperation between the two countries' naval forces will expand.

His visit to the Islamic republic is in line with promoting strategic ties between the two states, he said, noting that during his visit, an agreement was signed between the two countries, under which Sudan will buy equipment from Iran in a bid to protect security of the Sudanese coastlines.

The also signed agreement to jointly establish security in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and Gulf of Aden, according to the report.

Iran Overhauling Destroyer for New Int'l Missions

Source : Fars News Agency

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari announced that the country is overhauling and modernizing a destroyer named Bayandor to make it ready for missions in international waters.

"The Bayandor Destroyer will join the naval fleet on May 24 after undergoing major repair work and being equipped with various weapons systems," Sayyari told reporters on Thursday.

He said that Iran can use the destroyer to carry out missions in international waters in the future.

Sayyari said the destroyer is fitted with state-of-the-art equipment such as missile, torpedo, artillery, sonar and other information and communication systems.

In recent years, Iran has made great achievements in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing essential military equipment and systems.

Iran's first home-made destroyer, Jamaran, was launched in late February 2010. The Mowdge Class vessel has a displacement of around 14,000 tons and is equipped with modern radars and electronic warfare capabilities and is armed with a variety of anti-ship, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles.

Iranian defense ministry officials had said earlier that the third generation of the home-made vessel, Jamaran-3 destroyer, will come into operation by the end of the current Iranian year (March 21, 2013 - March 20, 2014).

Iran reaffirms support for Syria

Source : Tehran Times

TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi met with Syrian President Bashar al- Assad in Damascus on Tuesday and assured the crisis-hit country that the Islamic Republic will continue to support it.

In the meeting, Salehi briefed Assad on Iran’s efforts to restore peace and stability in Syria, saying that the crisis can only be resolved through national dialogue and without foreign interference.

He said that the terrorist actions carried out by extremist groups in Syria should wake other countries up to the realities on the ground in the Arab country and should force them to step up efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the two- year-old conflict.

Assad, for his part, hailed Iran’s stance toward Syria and said that Damascus was determined to continue its support for the line of resistance against Israel.

The efforts of terrorist groups in Syria are doomed to failure, and the future belongs to those who are advocates of the resolution of the crisis through political means, the Syrian president said.

Speaking to reporters in Tehran on Wednesday, Salehi called on Syrian opposition groups to dissociate themselves from terrorist groups in the country.

“We think that genuine opposition groups should immediately dissociate themselves from these mercenaries and enter dialogue with the Syrian government and determine the fate of their country,” Salehi said.

EP/PA

Police Chief Hails High Security at Iran's Borders

Source : Fars News Agency

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran's Police Chief Brigadier General Esmayeel Ahmadi Moqaddam said security status along Iran's borders is in desirable conditions and drug traffickers can no more use cars and motorcycles to smuggle drug into Iran.

"Today, there is no place along the country's borders for the possible entry of drug- traffickers' cars and motorcycles and the trafficking of drugs by armed convoys has been eradicated," Ahmadi Moqaddam said, addressing policemen and women in Iran's Southeastern province of Kerman on Wednesday.

"And this development is very important," he added.

Iran has 5,440 kilometers of land borders. The country shares its Northern borders with Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan which extend for more than 2,000 kilometers, including about 650 kilometers of water along the Southern shore of the Caspian Sea.

Iran's Western borders are with Turkey and Iraq, and to the East with Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman littoral states form the country's 1,770 kilometers of Southern border.

In relevant remarks in September, Commander of the Iranian Border Guard Units General Hossein Zolfaqari said that the country is closely monitoring its border regions through high-tech equipments, including optical and radar systems.

Speaking to reporters at the time, Zolfaqari underlined the significance of the use of high-tech equipments and technologies in border control, adding that Iranian border guard units are using radar and optic systems to control the country's borders.

Iran leads international efforts in fighting drug networks and narcotic traffickers. According to the World Drug Report 2012, the Islamic Republic of Iran in 2010 was ranked first in terms of opium and heroin seizures, accounting for 81% of the world opium seizures and 34% of the world heroin seizures.

Iran unveils most modern mine-sweepers

Source :

TEHRAN, May 7 (MNA) –Iranian Navy has held its special training operations of new mine-sweeping system in the vicinity of east of Strait of Hormuz.

Brig. Gen. Attaollah Salehi, commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army and Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari Army naval commander attended to the special operations of new mine-sweeping system, east of Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman.

In this operation, after the enemy forces laid mines around the neighboring Iran, special Navy units discovered them when they were carrying out patrolling and reconnaissance in the area.

They used subsurface exploration equipment to make sure of the presence of mines. Then the new mine-sweeper system made by the Islamic Republic of Iran, neutralized and detonated the mines planted in the area using helicopter units.

By becoming this system operational, Iran will join the few countries in the world that has mine- sweeping capabilities to neutralize mines both on surface waters or hunting them.

Iran says Latin America can help resolve Syrian crisis

Source : Xinhua

TEHRAN, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi called for cooperation betwee Iran and Latin American countries to work out a peaceful solution to the ongoing crisis in Syria, Press TV reported on Tuesday.

Salehi made the remarks in a meeting with the visiting Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Rogelio Sierra Diaz in Iran's capital Tehran on Monday.

Iranian official expressed hope that cooperation between the Islamic republic and Latin American countries, specifically Cuba, would help bring an end to the turmoil that started in Syria in March 2011, according to the report.

Iran and Cuba could contribute to the resolution of the crisis in Syria given Cuba's special position as one of the founders of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), he was quoted as saying.

On relations between Iran and Cuba, the Iranian foreign minister called for the enhancement of bilateral cooperation in various fields.

For his part, Sierra Diaz hailed the friendly ties between Tehran and Havana, saying Cuba supported Iran's "constructive measures" to settle regional crisis.

Sierra Diaz also met with Iran's deputy foreign minister for Europe and Americas' affairs Ali Asgha Khaji on Monday.

In the meeting, Khaji said that independent countries like Iran and Cuba could work together against the policies by some Western states that threaten regional and global stability, according to Press TV.

The Iranian official stated that certain Western states, which claim to advocate human rights, support the terrorists in Syria and show double standards in their policies.

The two sides also discussed the developments in Latin America and the Middle East and underlined the necessity of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries and observing the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of states, said the report.

Iranian Ambassador to Azerbaijan condemned the destruction of the shrine in Syria

Source : Trend.Az

Iranian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mohsen Pak Ayin criticized the destruction of the grave of Hujr ibn Adi, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad in Syria, the Iranian embassy told Trend on Monday.

According to Ambassador, the countries sponsoring terrorism under the guise of supporting democracy, have to answer for contempt shown towards the Muslim shrines, in particular in respect of Hujr ibn Adi' grave.

Expressing concern over the lack of respect towards religious shrines in Syria, Pak Ayin noted that such actions also contradict with the international standards and laws.

The ambassador urged Muslim and other peace-loving countries and international organizations to condemn the acts contradicting with the humanity.

Iran to Unveil New Home-Made UAV in Days

Source : Fars News

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran plans to display a new reconnaissance and combat Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in the next few days, the country's defense minister announced on Monday.

Speaking to reporters here in Tehran today, Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said his ministry will unveil "several naval achievements, drones and missiles" on the sidelines of a conference due to be held in Tehran this week to commemorate the defense ministry's martyrs.

Vahidi added that a new drone, named Hemaseh (Epic), will be unveiled during the said ceremony.

The Iranian Army has recently test-fired different types of newly-developed missiles and torpedoes and tested a large number of its home-made weapons, tools and equipments, including submarines, military ships, artillery, choppers, aircraft, UAVs and air defense and electronic systems, during massive military drills.

Defense analysts and military observers say that Iran's wargames and its advancements in weapons production have proved as a deterrent factor, specially at a time of heightened threats by the US.

In April, the Iranian Air Defense Force displayed its Sarir (Throne) drones on the occasion of the National Army Day.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the ceremony, Commander of Khatam ol- Anbia Air Defense Base Brigadier General Farzad Esmayeeli stated that Sarir is a long-range, long-endurance radar evading air defense drone.

"Sarir is capable of carrying cameras and air-to-air missiles and tens of this UAV have so far been produced and used," he added.

Iranian Defense Minister: Israeli Attack on Syria Endangers Regional Peace

Source : Fars News Agency

Peace TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi condemned the Israeli attack on a research center in the outskirts of Damascus today, and warned that the Zionist regime is endangering security of the entire region.

The Iranian defense minister warned that the sinister measures by Israel jeopardize the security of the entire region, and said the Tel Aviv move revealed its confusion vis-à-vis the current developments across the Middle-East.

Explosions shook Damascus early on Sunday. The Syrian state television said Israeli rockets had struck a military research centre on the outskirts of the capital.

The blasts occurred a day after an Israeli official said his country had carried out an air strike targeting a consignment of missiles in Syria. The research centre hit on Sunday was also targeted by Israel in January, the Voice of Russia reported.

"The new Israeli attack is an attempt to raise the morale of the terrorist groups which have been reeling from strikes by our noble army," Syrian television said, referring to recent offensives by President Bashar al-Assad's forces against rebels.

There was no immediate comment from Israeli officials on Sunday's explosions.

Late in January, the Syrian Army said in a statement that two people were killed and five others injured in an Israeli air strike on a scientific center in Jamraya, 25 kilometers (15 miles) Northwest of the capital Damascus.

Senior IRGC Commander: Iran's Security Borders Stretched to East Mediterranean

Source : Fars News Agency

TEHRAN (FNA)- Lieutenant Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Major General Hossein Salami said the US and its allies have failed to contain Iran's power through pressures, adding that Iran's security borders are now stretched to the East Mediterranean region.

Addressing a gathering to commemorate IRGC martyrs in the Northern Mazandaran province on Saturday, the General noted the West's stern opposition and pressures against Iran's progress in the field of nuclear technology, and said the western antagonism was actually aimed at confining Iran's power and influence.

"Enemies want to deprive us of the nuclear capability, but we have today stretched our security borders to the Eastern Mediterranean," he said.

"The wheels of our economy have now gone past the enemies' plots and their tricks failed to stop our movement," added the General.

He also said despite all enemy pressures, sanctions, cultural invasion and psychological operations against Iran, the Muslim country is moving ahead.

Washington and its western allies accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian nuclear program, while they have never presented any corroborative evidence to substantiate their allegations. Iran denies the charges and insists that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.

Tehran stresses that the country has always pursued a civilian path to provide power to the growing number of Iranian population, whose fossil fuel would eventually run dry.

Despite the rules enshrined in the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) entitling every member state, including Iran, to the right of uranium enrichment, Tehran is now under four rounds of UN Security Council sanctions and western embargos for turning down west's calls to give up its right of uranium enrichment.

Tehran has dismissed west's demands as politically tainted and illogical, stressing that sanctions and pressures merely consolidate Iranians' national resolve to continue the path.

The Islamic Republic says that it considers its nuclear case closed as it has come clean of IAEA's questions and suspicions about its past nuclear activities.

Political observers believe that the United States has remained at loggerheads with Iran mainly over the independent and home-grown nature of Tehran's nuclear technology, which gives the Islamic Republic the potential to turn into a world power and a role model for the other third-world countries. Washington has laid much pressure on Iran to make it give up the most sensitive and advanced part of the technology, which is uranium enrichment, a process used for producing nuclear fuel for power plants

Iran reiterates sovereignty over PG islands

Source : islamicinvitationturkey.com

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said that his ministry has retrieved documents from its archive underlining Iran’s sovereignty over three Persian Gulf islands of Abu Musa, the Greater Tunb and the Lesser Tunb.

According to Fars news agency, Salehi said on Thursday “Iranian Foreign Ministry has 40 million sheets of document in its archives, and we came across new documents which prove Iran’s sovereign rights over the three Iranian islands of the Persian Gulf.” Last month, the Iranian Foreign Ministry lashed out at the Arab League for its interfering statement on the three Iranian islands of Abu Musa, the Greater Tunb and the Lesser Tunb. At the 24th Arab League summit in the Qatari capital of Doha in March, Arab League Deputy Secretary General Ahmed Ben Helli read a statement advocating the unfounded claims laid by the United Arab Emirates about the three Iranian islands. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast said at the time “The islands of Abu Musa, the Greater Tunb, and the Lesser Tunb are inseparable parts of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” International documents clearly show that the three islands of the Greater Tunb, the Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa which were historically owned by Iran, temporarily fell to British control in 1903. The islands were returned to Iran based on an agreement in 1971 before the UAE was born. Iran has repeatedly declared that its ownership of the three islands is unquestionable.

Indian FM to arrive in Tehran for economic talks

Source : Xinhua

TEHRAN, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Indian Foreign Affairs Minister, Salman Khorshid, will arrive here Friday for the meeting of Iran- India Joint Economic Commission, press TV reported.

During the meeting slated for May 3-5, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi will head the Iranian side while his Indian counterpart will lead the Indian delegation.

On Sunday, Iran's envoy in New Delhi Gholamreza Ansari was quoted as saying by Fars news agency that the extension project will top the agenda of the talks between the two countries.

"About six memoranda of understanding in various economic sectors are being drawn up and we hope they will be signed by both sides during the joint commission," the Iranian diplomat said.

On March 11, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari inaugurated a gas pipeline project in Iran's southeastern Chabahar city, which is projected to link Iran's gas pipeline to that of Pakistan.

When the 1,600-km pipeline is completed by mid-2014, as scheduled, Iran is expected to export some 21.5 million cubic meters of natural gas to Pakistan on a daily basis.

On April 19, Iran's Oil Ministry Spokesman Alireza Nikzad- Rahbar said that New Delhi was in talks with Tehran to join the gas pipeline project.

Indian Petroleum and Natural Gas minister said in March that his country was willing to join the Iran-Pakistan project, describing the multi-billion- U.S. dollar project as "beneficial" to New Delhi.

Iranian Army upgrading missile units

Source : Tehran Times

TEHRAN – Deputy Army Commander Brigadier General Kioumars Heydari announced on Wednesday that the Iranian Army had started upgrading its missile units.

The general also said that the new domestically manufactured missiles, which had recently been delivered to the missile units of the Army, would be used and test-fired in the war games that would be staged in the current Iranian calendar year, which started on March 21.

Iran-Turkey ties key to regional security: Iranian spokesman

Source : Xinhua

TEHRAN, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said that Iran-Turkey relations are strategic and maintenance of mutual ties contributes to the regional security, Press TV reported Wednesday.

Ramin Mehmanparast made the remarks during a meeting with his visiting Turkish counterpart Levent Gumrukcu in Tehran. They discussed regional and international developments, bilateral issues and the means to expand media cooperation between Tehran and Ankara.

For his part, the Turkish official stressed the need for the expansion of Iran-Turkey media ties in order to enlighten public opinion and remove ambiguities between the two countries regarding regional developments.

On Tuesday, Gumrukcu held a press conference at the Turkish embassy in Tehran during which he stressed that despite differences of opinion between Turkey and Iran over a number of issues, there is no mistrust between the two countries, according to Press TV.

He further added that finding a political solution to the crisis in Syria is Ankara's priority.

Leader Orders Navy to Focus on Malacca, Bab el-Mandeb, Hormuz Straits

Source : Fars News Agency

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Iranian Navy has concentrated its missions on the strategic straits of Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb and Malacca after a relevant order by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said on Monday.

"The golden triangle of Malacca, Bab el-Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz is an important triangle and is the Navy's point of concentration as recommended by the Leader," Sayyari said, addressing Navy cadets in Iran's Southern port city of Bandar Imam Khomeini.

Underlining the strategic and vital importance of the three waterways for Iran, the Admiral explained that 93% of Iran's exports and imports pass through these sea routes.

Earlier this month, the Iranian Navy dispatched its 25th flotilla of warships to the Gulf of Aden and the high seas to protect the country's cargo ships and oil tankers against pirates.

The 25th fleet of warships, comprised of Alborz missile warship and Larak logistic ship, left the Army's first naval zone for a mission in the high seas after the 24th flotilla returned home.

The Navy's 24th fleet of warships docked in Southern Iran after successfully conducting a 72-day mission in international waters to provide maritime security in the region.

The Iranian flotilla comprised of Khark chopper carrier and Sabalan destroyer and was on a mission to the Pacific Ocean since late January.

Presence in the Indian and Pacific oceans and the China Sea, patrolling Southeast Asia's strategic Strait of Malacca, crossing the Equator, docking at China's port city of Zhangjiagang port and identifying 370 surface and subsurface vessel units were among the important tasks carried out by the fleet.

Last month, the Iranian warships docked in Zhangjiagang after a 13,000-kilometer voyage in 40 days as part of their mission to convey Iran's message of peace and friendship to the East Asian states.

The Iranian commanders, however, underlined that the Iranian Navy's activities and its combat capabilities pose no threat to any country in the region as they just carry a message of peace and friendship for nations.

The Iranian Navy has been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008, when Somali raiders hijacked the Iranian-chartered cargo ship, MV Delight, off the coast of Yemen.

According to UN Security Council resolutions, different countries can send their warships to the Gulf of Aden and coastal waters of Somalia against the pirates and even with prior notice to Somali government enter the territorial waters of that country in pursuit of Somali sea pirates.

Iran's FM says next year "drug tsunami" to hit region

Source : Trend.Az

Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said that next year, the region will experience even more problems with drugs, and it will eventually be hit with a "drug tsunami", IRNA reported.

Salehi made the remarks at the meeting of senior officials in the framework of the Ministerial Conference of the Istanbul Process on Afghanistan, which started its work today in Kazakhstan.

The key objective of the meeting is to agree on the text of the Almaty Declaration and other documents of the main ministerial-level meeting scheduled for April 26, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan.

Speaking of Afghanistan, Salehi said that next year the land in Afghanistan that is used for growing drugs, will increase by 3 times.

Further speaking, Iran's FM noted that the region suffers from low level of education, lack of financial resources, and weak economic structures.

"These are the common problems for regional countries, that negatively affect all of them," Salehi said.

He noted that for solving these problems, foreign forces must exit the region, as regional countries should deal with their problems on their own.

"The result of foreign intervention in the region has led to increase of drug trafficking in the first place," Salehi noted.

Salehi expressed hope that Afghanistan, and other Asian countries would pay more attention to regional cooperation, and increase it, so that the overal security in the region would improve.

Iran has intensified its fight against drug trafficking as the Islamic Republic's geographical position has made it a favorite transit corridor for drug traffickers who intend to smuggle their cargoes from Afghanistan to drug dealers in Europe.

Each year, the government of Iran spends hundreds of millions of dollars erecting barriers along the borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan and pumping resources into checkpoints. Officials said the battle against drug addiction and trafficking costs Iran $1 billion a year.

Western sanctions make Iran's economy "more dynamic": minister

Source : Xinhua

TEHRAN, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Western sanctions against Iran have made the country's economy more dynamic, an Iranian minister said Tuesday.

The sanctions not only failed to cripple Iran's economy, but also helped it become more dynamic, Tehran Times daily quoted Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance, Shamseddin Hosseini, as saying.

The West has made a "miscalculation" by imposing sanctions on the Islamic republic, Press TV quoted him as saying at the same time.

Iran is under the West's substantive sanction pressures, especially on its oil industry, oil exports and financial system, due to its controversial nuclear program.

On Sunday, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Western sanctions against Iran serve psychological purposes rather than being a measure of effective use.

"Enemies of Iran try to block the nation's progress and they have waged a massive psychological war (on the country)," Ahmadinejad was quoted by Fars news agency as saying.

Meanwhile, Iranian officials have reiterated that the country has made "great advancements" under Western sanctions.

Iran Army fighters equipped with 200Km-range missiles

Source : Islamic Invitation Turkey

One of Iran’s new achievements in airplane industry has been unveiled in National Army Day, which is said to improve Iran’s capability in air fighting. Deploying sea Cruise missiles on air fighters and helicopters has been one of techniques focused upon by the commanders and experts in Iran’s defensive industry as dealing with marine threats posed by the enemy.

Project Qaem was one such project dedicated to deploying Nour120Km-range air-to-surface missiles on Army fighters.

Project Qaem; Nour Cruise missile deployment on fighters

Nour Cruise missile is the most famous and most produced sea Cruise used in marine drills of the IRGC and Army Navy. These missiles would be used in targeting floating targets, oil platforms, and marine strongholds of the enemy as ground-based, sea-based and air-based. The 200 Km-range Qader Cuise missiles was unveiled in August 21 2012 by the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, but at that time western media propaganda that the story of Iran developing such missiles had been false, and that Iranians had a foreign replica of the missile. No sooner than they had launched the propaganda that Defense Ministry delivered more than 20 Qader new missiles to IRGC and Army Navy, to show that the Islamic republic of Iran, not only designed and developed the missile, but also it produced in factory scale in short time since unveiling.

Qader Cruise missile

Images of launching Qader missile from coastal areas to surface and floating targets show confidence on high range of the missile and its targeting systems. The Defense Minister said during delivery ceremony that like its previous model, this missile can be launched in three methods of ground-based (launched from coastal areas), sea-based (launched from floating systems) and air-based.

Launching Qader Cruise missile from coast

Autopilot system, high-precision navigation system, pre-launched programming, capability of low-profile radar targeting, advanced radar system capable of dealing with electronic war, preparation and immediate reaction to attack targets and capability to inflict damage to ground targets are among the capabilities of Qader Cruise missile. After launching the missile in naval drills, which demonstrated its capability to be launched from coastal and floating launchers, the air-based version of Qader deployed during the National Army Day ceremony, indicated that deploying project of this missile on air fighters has been successful, and now the time has come for deploying 200Km-range missiles on air fighters and helicopters; which widens the Army scope in dealing with airborne threats.

Air-based Qader missile during National Army Day parade

A common feature of using Qader on air fighters and helicopters is that given the long range, launchers can be deployed in a distance far away from enemy floating systems, and on the other hand, cut the scope of safe zone for enemy warships maneuvering, and thus, increasing the likelihood that enemy systems would be kept at bay, thus more vulnerable to damage. Along with Fakour air-to-air system (capable of targeting F-14 fighters), this system is air-based achievement deployed during National Army Day ceremony.

Official dismisses G8 statement about Iran’s missile, nuclear programs

Source : http://old.mehrnews.com

TEHRAN, Apr. 20 (MNA) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday dismissed the recent statement issued by G8 foreign ministers about the country’s nuclear and missile programs.

In a statement issued after a meeting in London on April 11, G8 foreign ministers “expressed their deep concern regarding Iran’s continuing nuclear and ballistic missile activities in violation of numerous UN Security Council and IAEA Board of Governors resolutions.”

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said, “Iran’s missile program is in line with the country’s defense doctrine in legitimate defense of Iran’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity and poses no threat to any country.”

He also said that “the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear program is entirely peaceful and is under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency and can in no way be a source of concern.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, Mehmanparast dismissed another part of the statement in which G8 ministers “urged Iran to comply with international obligations to uphold human rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of religion, and end interference with the media, arbitrary executions, torture, and other restrictions placed on rights and freedoms.”

The Iranian spokesman said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran, as a religious (state) established based on the demand and will of the people abides by its international commitments in the area of human rights.”

He added that the human rights issue should not be used as a tool for political purposes.

EP/PA MNA END

Iran to Mark National Army Day with Nationwide Parades

Source : Fars News Agency

In Tehran, the ceremony will be held at the mausoleum of the Founder of the Islamic Republic, the late Imam Khomeini, in Southern Tehran.

Senior Iranian officials as well as a host of top military commanders will attend the ceremony.

The Iranian Army plans to display its latest weaponry and military products and achievements in the annual parades.

Earlier, Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said his forces plan to display their latest achievements on the National Army Day.

"The new achievements of the force (Navy) will be unveiled on Farvardin 29 (April 18)."

Iran's Air Defense Force also plans to display its latest equipment and capabilities, including its latest Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in the parades.

Commander of Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base Brigadier General Farzad Esmayeeli announced on Wednesday that his base will show its latest achievements and different types of radar systems in the Army Day parades here in Tehran tomorrow.

"Also in the parades, we will display reconnaissance and defense drones which have been designed and manufactured with the assistance of the Defense Industries," Esmayeeli added.

The commander said that UAVs are considered as a covert defense layer and can be used for deterrence and other purposes.

The Iranian Army Ground Force also plans to unveil three new products.

Commander of the Iranian Army Ground Force Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan told a press conference on the threshold of the country's National Army Day that "these achievements are in the communication, simulators and air defense fields".

The Iranian Army has recently test-fired different types of newly-developed missiles and torpedoes and tested a large number of its home-made weapons, tools and equipments, including submarines, military ships, artillery, choppers, aircraft, UAVs and air defense and electronic systems, during massive military drills.

Defense analysts and military observers say that Iran's wargames and its advancements in weapons production have proved as a deterrent factor, specially at a time of heightened threats by Israel and the US.

South Africa’s deputy FM to visit Tehran

Source :

TEHRAN, Apr. 17 (MNA) – South Africa’s deputy foreign minister is scheduled to pay a three-day visit to Tehran at the head of a delegation. The trip starts from Wednesday.

The South African delegation plans to review the implementation of mutual agreements and discuss cooperation in areas of education and environment.

Iran to Unveil New Naval Cruise Missile, Air-Launched Achievements

Source : Fars News Agency

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran plans to unveil its latest home- made naval cruise missile as well as four air- launched achievements in the near future, an Iranian defense industry official announced.

"We will unveil a new cruise class naval missile in the near future," Head of the Defense Ministry's Aerospace Industries Organization General Seyed Mehdi Farahi told FNA on Wednesday.

"The missile is an optimized version of the previous missiles which can boost our defensive power in sea battles," Farahi said, adding that the new surface-to-surface missile is more powerful than the previous version and enjoys a longer range.

The defense ministry official further said that Iran will also display 4 news air- launched achievements tomorrow on the occasion of the National Army Day on Farvardin 29 (April 18).

He further said that Iran will display its achievements in ballistic, cruise and anti- armor missiles later this Iranian year (March 21, 2013 - March 20- 2014).

Yesterday, a senior Iranian defense ministry official said that Iran's anti-ship ballistic missile power has forced the US warships in the Persian Gulf to retreat from their positions.

Addressing a group of Iranian soldiers here in Tehran on Tuesday, Deputy Defense Minister General Majid Bokayee said Iran designed and developed home-made anti-ship ballistic missiles because this kind of missile can target enemy vessels easily.

"We managed to employ the ballistic missiles which had previously been designed and produced for ground-to-ground missions for targeting enemy ships, and then we witnessed the US naval fleets' retreat in the Persian Gulf after the first test on the missile," Bokayee stated.

In July 2012, Iran's supersonic anti-ship ballistic missiles, 'Khalij-e-Fars (Persian Gulf)', displayed their 100 percent precision capability after hitting and destroying the specified targets in the last phase of the Payambar-e Azam 7 (The Great Prophet 7) drills.