• العربية
  • فارسی
Brand
  • Iran Insight
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Analysis
  • Special Report
  • Opinion
  • Podcast
  • Iran Insight
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Analysis
  • Special Report
  • Opinion
  • Podcast
  • Theme
  • Language
    • العربية
    • فارسی
  • Iran Insight
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Analysis
  • Special Report
  • Opinion
  • Podcast
All rights reserved for Volant Media UK Limited
volant media logo

In Rare Move, US Military Discloses Location Of Submarines Near Iran

Oct 20, 2022, 21:40 GMT+1
The USS West Virginia in international waters in the Arabian Sea
The USS West Virginia in international waters in the Arabian Sea

The US military made an unusual disclosure Wednesday, revealing the location of its submerged nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines in the Arabian Sea near Iran’s waters. 

In a move likely to make waves across the region, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) released photos showing its commander General Michael “Erik” Kurilla onboard the west Virginia. It has been described as a rare decision, as the US military seldom, if ever, acknowledges where its ballistic missile subs are operating, particularly when they are stationed near an adversary's shores.

Praising the submarine and its crew, Kurilla called the vessel “the crown jewel of the nuclear triad,” and said that “The West Virginia demonstrates the flexibility, survivability, readiness, and capability of USCENTCOM and USSTRATCOM forces at sea.”

CENTCOM Commander Michael "Erik" Kurilla onboard the USS West Virginia in the Arabian Sea
100%
CENTCOM Commander Michael "Erik" Kurilla onboard the USS West Virginia in the Arabian Sea

Kurilla's visit may be seen as sending a message to US adversaries in the region, including the Islamic Republic, of Washington's capabilities, including submarines that can carry up to 20 ballistic missiles with multiple warheads.

In June, US officials said attacks by Iranian proxies against bases housing American military personnel in Iraq and Syria were increasing. In August, the US military carried out retaliatory air strikes in Syria against facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

Late August, the US Navy prevented an IRGC navy support ship from capturing an unmanned vessel operated by the US 5th Fleet in the Persian Gulf.

Most Viewed

Iran International says it won’t be silenced after London arson attack
1

Iran International says it won’t be silenced after London arson attack

2
VOICES FROM IRAN

Hope and anger in Iran as fragile ceasefire persists

3
INSIGHT

How Tehran bends its own red lines to boost state rallies

4

Iran halts petrochemical exports to supply domestic market

5

US arrests Iranian national over alleged Basij-linked visa fraud

Banner
Banner

Spotlight

  • Too early to tell who is winning Iran war, experts say
    PODCAST

    Too early to tell who is winning Iran war, experts say

  • How Tehran bends its own red lines to boost state rallies
    INSIGHT

    How Tehran bends its own red lines to boost state rallies

  • Iran blackout cripples freelancer, small business incomes
    VOICES FROM IRAN

    Iran blackout cripples freelancer, small business incomes

  • Ideology may be fading in Iran, but not in Kashmir's ‘Mini Iran'
    INSIGHT

    Ideology may be fading in Iran, but not in Kashmir's ‘Mini Iran'

  • US blockade enters murky phase as tankers spoof signals and buyers hesitate
    ANALYSIS

    US blockade enters murky phase as tankers spoof signals and buyers hesitate

  • Why the $100 billion Hormuz toll revenue is a myth
    ANALYSIS

    Why the $100 billion Hormuz toll revenue is a myth

•
•
•

More Stories

Iran Launches Pontoon Bridge Near Azerbaijan Border Signaling Threat

Oct 19, 2022, 18:05 GMT+1
•
Iran International Newsroom

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in a provocative move has launched a pontoon bridge on the northwesternmost river of Aras near the border with Azerbaijan Republic.

A video published by the IRGC-affiliated website Tasnim shows on Wednesday the ground forces set up pontoon bridges on the river for the armored vehicles and tanks to pass.

It has also been said in the video that installing these bridges have a message and the target audience will receive and understand.

The IRGC special forces also conducted heliborne operations with Mil Mi-17 helicopters on the third day of their wargames in the Aras region.

On the sidelines of the maneuvers Commander of the IRGC Hossein Salami threatened the neighbors that “Iran’s fraternity policy continues as long as there is no plot hatched by the enemies.”

“We have interests in this region, so if something happens in any corner of it, our interests will be jeopardized, then we won’t remain neutral and will defend our interests,” said Salami.

In the meantime, the IRGC has also published a tweet in Arabic saying, “When we split the waters and rescue you!”

Some social media activists have interpreted this tweet as a threat aimed at Azerbaijan Republic saying that since its establishment in 1979 the Islamic Republic has always tried to create crises outside its borders to make up for its inability to deal with domestic problems.

“That’s why the Islamic regime launched a war with Iraq to crack down on its opposition inside Iran back in the 1980’s,” says a video tweeted by a user.

In mid-September, Iran warned that it would not tolerate any seizure of territory from Armenia by Azerbaijan after military clashes broke out between its two northern neighbors.

Azerbaijani troops entered Armenia’s southern region in a move that seemed aimed at seizing territory and cutting off Armenia from Iran. Tehran has warned that it will not tolerate losing its land connection with Yerevan.

Armenia accuses Azerbaijan of attacking its towns to avoid negotiating over the status of the mainly Armenian-populated enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh inside Azerbaijan.

Tehran in the past has also expressed alarm at alleged Israeli military presence in Azerbaijan.

The provocative launch of pontoon bridge and Iran’s message to its neighbors come at a time that the clerical regime has received the strong message from protesters who now shout, “Death to Khamenei” and “Death to Dictator” every day and night to topple the regime.

EU To Sanction 8 Iranians, Entities Over Drone Supply To Russia

Oct 19, 2022, 16:28 GMT+1

European Union governments have provisionally agreed to impose sanctions on eight people and entities over Iran’s supply of drones to Russian to be used against Ukraine.

Three diplomats said that sanctions experts from the 27 EU members agreed to the list in a meeting on Wednesday. It will be further discussed by national ambassadors at a meeting scheduled for later in the day.

EU governments have until Thursday morning to decide whether to approve the sanctions, the goal being to agree the package before leaders convene in Brussels for a summit starting later in the day.

Ukraine has reported a spate of Russian attacks using Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones in recent weeks, while Tehran and Kremlin deny the supply of drones to Russia.

A European Commission spokesperson said there was consensus on foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg October 17, that the EU should react swiftly. "Now that we have gathered our own sufficient evidence, work is ongoing in the Council with view to a clear, swift and firm response," the spokesperson told the EU's executive's daily news conference.

In addition to supplying drones, Iran has promised to send its own Fateh-110 and Zolfaghar surface-to-surface missiles to Russia for strikes on Ukrainian cities and troops. A deal was agreed on October 6 when Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, two senior officials from Iran's Revolutionary Guards and an official from the Supreme National Security Council visited Moscow for talks with Russia about weapons deliveries.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian announced on Wednesday that four institutions and 15 foreign officials that had a hand in the sanctions against the Islamic Republic would be added to the country’s blocklist.

British MP Calls On FIFA To Throw Out Iran From World Cup

Oct 18, 2022, 20:32 GMT+1

A British member of parliament says international football (soccer) governing body FIFA should stop Iran from participating in the World Cup for its supply of weaponry for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

Labor MP Chris Bryant, the chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Russia and former Foreign Office minister, told Telegraph Sport on Monday that any country founded to have “provided military support” for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion should be banished from world sport. 

He called on FIFA to make a move before Iran’s national football team’s opening match against England.

Referring to FIFA and UEFA’s decisions to throw Russia out of the international football events in the wake of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, including from March’s World Cup play-offs and the entire 2024 European Championship, he said, “Sporting authorities around the world and in every sport should be looking very carefully at Iran’s direct engagement and support for Putin in his illegal invasion of Ukraine.”

“Dictatorial regimes relish sporting success. We should deny them that opportunity,” he noted.

Since March, many Iranians themselves have been urging FIFA to ban Team Melli from the World Cup for forcibly barring women from entering stadiums to watch matches. Under FIFA pressure, Iranian authorities started to let in a cherrypicked group for women so they would not face bans and penalties. However, since the start of the current uprising across Iran and a lackluster support from the national squad, the calls on FIFA to ban Iran have become stronger.


Argentina Calls For Iranian Vice President’s Arrest During Qatar Visit

Oct 18, 2022, 15:34 GMT+1

Argentina has called on Qatar to arrest visiting Iranian vice president Mohsen Rezaei over his alleged responsibility for the deadly 1994 bombing of a Buenos Aires Jewish center.

According to the official Telam news agency on Monday, special prosecutors have submitted a petition to Argentina's foreign ministry calling for all appropriate diplomatic levers to be pulled. 

The ministry "requested the collaboration of Interpol for the arrest," while Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero "instructed the Argentine ambassador in Doha... to communicate urgently with the Qatari Foreign Ministry and report on the situation," a diplomatic source said. 

Ebrahim Raisi’s vice president for economic affairs, Revolutionary Guard’s commander Rezaei (Rezai) is wanted by Argentinian special prosecutors for alleged participation in the planning of the July 18, 1994 bombing of the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association, or AMIA, which killed 85 people and wounded 300.

In 2007, INTERPOL General Assembly upheld the unanimous decision made by the organization’s Executive Committee to publish six out of nine Red Notices requested in connection with the AMIA.

The notices were requested by the Argentinean National Central Bureau (NCB) for Imad Fayez Moughnieh, the number two in Iran-backed Hezbollah, Iran’s Former Intelligence Minister Ali Fallahian, Cleric Mohsen Rabbani – known as the chief architect of Iran's Latin American missionary network -- Iranian diplomat Ahmad Reza Asghari – aka Hamid-Reza Es’hagi and Moshen Ranjbaran -- and Revolutionary Guards commander and incumbent Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi as well as Mohsen Rezaei.

Earlier in the year, Argentina condemned the presence of Rezaei in the inauguration of the new Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega, describing it as an insult to the victims of the bombing of the Jewish center. 

Iran’s Guards Launch War Games Along Armenia, Azerbaijan Border

Oct 17, 2022, 12:24 GMT+1

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) has launched a large-scale military drill in the northwestern region of Aras along the borders of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The IRGC on Monday kicked off its three-day military exercise -- codenamed “IRGC Ground Force’s Might” -- in areas striding the northern sectors of East Azarbaijan and Ardabil provinces.

IRGC Ground Force Commander Brigadier-General Mohammad Pakpour said the war game is part of an annual routine aimed at boosting the force’s combat preparedness.

Heliborne parachute operations, night raids, helicopter combat ops, and suicide drone operations were carried out during the first day of the exercises. Construction of a temporary bridge over the Aras River which separates Iran from Azerbaijan and Armenia, seizure and control of supply roads and heights, and offensive as well as destructive operations against designated targets constitute other parts of the drill.

In mid-September, Iran warned that it would not tolerate any seizure of territory from Armenia by Azerbaijan after military clashes broke out between its two northern neighbors.

Armenia accuses Azerbaijan of attacking its towns to escape negotiating over the status of the mainly Armenian-populated enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan.

Tehran in the past has also expressed alarm at alleged Israeli military presence in Azerbaijan.