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.