Iran bars Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from running for president
When Mahmoud Ahmadinejad put his hat into Iran’s presidential ring a couple of weeks ago, onlookers literally gasped.
The hard-liner had, of course, already run the country for eight years, as an isolationist with a talent for riling the West. His flawed reelection in 2009 sparked the Green Movement, which brought thousands of protesters into the streets. In the ensuing government crackdown, hundreds of people were arrested. The government said at least 27 were killed, but rights groups put the death toll higher.
Iran Guards member begins work as Iraq ambassador
In a sign of the growing regional influence of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, a close advisor to its foreign operations commander began his new role as ambassador to Iraq on Wednesday, state media reported.
Saudi Arabia Warns Iran Is Trying To Turn Yemen Into A ‘Missile Base’
Iran wants to turn Yemen into a “missile base” from which it can threaten Saudi Arabia, according to a Saudi general.
Saudi Gen. Ahmed Asiri claimed Saudi Arabia prevented an “Iranian plot” from threatening the country’s security and stability in an interview with Saudi Arabia’s al-Arabiya news Sunday. He added that the Iranians planned to use Yemen’s Houthi rebels to implement their scheme, allowing Iran to deploy missiles and use Hezbollah suicide bombers against the country.
Rouhani: Iran does not need ‘permission to build missiles’
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday that Iran does not need “permission to build missiles,” in an apparent response to recent sanctions by the United States on the Islamic Republic’s ballistic missile program.
Syria: The Hidden Power of Iran
Despite his largely symbolic strike on a Syrian airfield in response to the April 4 nerve gas attack by the Assad regime, President Donald Trump has given no serious indication that he wants to make a broader intervention in Syria. As a candidate, and even as a president, Trump has pledged to leave the region to sort out its own troubles, apart from a stepped-up effort to defeat the Islamic State (ISIS). He may quickly learn, though, that one-off military actions driven by domestic politics have a way of turning into something far more substantial.
Iran: New Valfajr Torpedo Launched from Ghadir Submarine
Iran claims that the 95 foot-long Ghadir-class submarine has both stealth technology and can launch missiles and torpedoes simultaneously. While this may be an exaggeration, the submarine can nevertheless threaten not only civilian shipping but also military vessels given the Persian Gulf’s relative shallowness and narrowness. The excerpted article from Fars News reports on the operation of the Ghadir-class during the Valfajr-95 war games.
Iran Approves Massive Raise for Islamic Revolutionary Guards
Iran’s parliament voted for a massive increase in funding for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the nation’s missile development program, Saeed Ghasseminejad, an associate fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), wrote in a policy brief Monday.
The Involvement of the Revolutionary Guards in Iranian Infrastructure and Development Projects
The Revolutionary Guards’ expanded involvement in infrastructure and development projects throughout Iran is highly evident. However, the lifting of the economic sanctions following the implementation of the JCPOA provides an opportunity to reduce Revolutionary Guards involvement in the economy by means of encouraging foreign companies to invest in Iran once again. Indeed, the corps is well aware of the challenges it faces following the nuclear agreement that endanger the organization’s economic interests. However, it feels the need to control the state economy not only to finance its own activities in Iran and beyond, but also to solidify its political status, and hence the group’s increased efforts to entrench its involvement in development and infrastructure projects. This trend has some serious ramifications: at the economic level; politically; and socially, by deepening the organization’s penetration into society while serving security interests related to regime stability.
Amnesty International criticises Boris Johnson for lack of action over British mother held by Iran for a year
The Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has been criticised for not meeting the husband of a British mother jailed by a secret Iranian court even though she has now been detained for a year.
The surprising rise of the head of Iran’s most influential charity
When Ebrahim Raisi was appointed a year ago to lead Astan-e Quds Razavi, Iran’s wealthiest and most influential charitable organization, few would have predicted that it could have ramifications for the country’s next presidential election, scheduled for 14 months later.
1...284285286...704Page 285 of 704
