Iran To React Immediately If Attacked : Says Iran's UN Ambassador Mohammad Khazaei

Iran's United Nations Ambassador Mohammad Khazaei

Iran's Ambassador to the United Nations Mohammad Khazaei has warned that any aggression against the Islamic Republic will be swiftly met with 'appropriate' action.

Iran would not hesitate to act in self-defense and respond to any attacks on its territories, IRNA quoted a formal letter of complaint by Iran's UN envoy to the world body's Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday.

Khazaei lashed out at the "inflammatory remarks and baseless allegations" made recently by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and underlined that the Islamic Republic would take appropriate defensive measures to protect itself.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran expresses its deep concern over such remarks, and strongly condemns the provocative, unjustifiable and irresponsible comments," the senior Iranian diplomat noted.

Sarkozy warned on August 31 that Iran's alleged attempts to build long-range missiles and “nuclear weapons” could lead unnamed countries to launch a pre-emptive attack.

French president's accusations against Iran comes as the IAEA has conducted numerous inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities but has never found any evidence indicating that Iran's civilian nuclear program has been diverted to nuclear weapons production. 

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Israeli Hermes 900 UAV Can Reach Iran

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) will soon acquire the “Hermes 900” Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) manufactured by Elbit Systems Ltd.

Asenior IAF officer Said that the IAF is co-partner in the development of the model, which will be assigned to the squadron currently operating the “Hermes 450”, another Elbit Systems product. 

Built as a medium-altitude long-endurance aircraft, many of the Hermes 900’s features are twice the size of those in the older model. With its 15- meter wingspan, carrying capacity of 350 kilograms (maximum), and cruising altitude of 30,000 feet, Hermes 900 can remain aloft twice as long – over forty hours - as the earlier model.

Experts believe that its long-endurance capability and satellite communication systems will enable it to operate in ranges of thousands of kilometers, thus reaching countries as distant as Iran.

Hermes 900 carries equipment under its belly and wings. Cameras and other visual devices can be quickly replaced for daytime or nighttime missions.

The air force is testing the UAVs in the designated squadrons. The “UAV Intelligence and Space Department” is responsible for the technical aspects of operating and maintaining an allweather aircraft on a 24-hour a day basis.

Elbit Systems has announced that three “Hermes 900s” will be delivered to the IDF.

“In the future, one third of the IAF’s aircraft will be UAVs”, a senior air force officer Said.

www.israeldefense.com

Iran Unveils Shalamche Surface To Air Missile

Tehran: Iran on Sunday unveiled a new domestically manufactured surface-to-air missile, the Mehr news agency reported.

Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi said the Shalamche missile, with a maximum speed of Mach 3 (around 3,670 km per hour)), can be used in electronic warfare.

Iran unveils surface-to-air missile
The missile is equipped with sophisticated radar signal processing technology and an advanced launcher, the minister said.

Iran unveils surface-to-air missile
The range of the missile, which is 40 km at present, will increase in the future. 

www.mehrnews.com

Iran Develops Long Range Radar System

A senior Iranian commander says the Islamic Republic has succeeded in the design and production of a domestically-manufactured long-range radar system.

The advanced system can detect, intercept and destroy aircraft equipped with radar cross-section system (RCS), cruise missile and strategic long-range aircraft, the commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base, Brigadier General Farzad Esmaili, said on Wednesday.

He added that the cosmos radar, designed by experts of the military base, can detect objects at a range of several thousand kilometers and will join Iran's air-defense in the near future, IRIB reported.

The Iranian commander emphasized that the Islamic Republic strongly monitors the slightest possible moves by any country.

Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base is in charge of detecting and destroying any aircraft seeking to launch an aggression against the country, Esmaili pointed out.

The United States and Israel have repeatedly threatened Tehran with the "option" of a military strike, based on the allegation that Iran's nuclear work may consist of a covert military agenda.

Iran says its nuclear program is completely peaceful and within the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, to which it is a signatory.

Iranian officials have warned that the Islamic Republic will give a firm and crushing response to any act of aggression by the US and Israel. 

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Iran Looks Korean

Satellite, and ground, photos of Iran's new missile launching site demonstrates amazing similarity to North Korean facilities. Both Iran and North Korea deny that they cooperate in missile technology. But decades of North Korean missile technology, and North Koreans, showing up in Iran have made it pretty obvious what is going on. Iran, due to lack of experience, and embargos keeping everyone else away, was forced to go to North Korea for advanced missile technology. Thus the long range (about 4,000 kilometers) Taepo Dong 2 missile that is currently built in North Korea, has a price tag on it. Iran is willing to pay well for missile technology, because North Korea also offers missiles for sale.
Iran manufactures a 1,300 kilometer range missile, the Shehab-3, as well as several others with shorter ranges. Iran has offered them for sale, but has found few prospective buyers. North Korea already has the outlaw missile market cornered. Iran has been under an arms embargo (for most major weapons exporters) since the Islamic revolution of 1979. China and North Korea have broken the embargo, but quietly.
North Korea has taken the basic Russian SCUD missile (which was developed, with the help of captured German scientists, from the German World War II V-2 ballistic missile) and improved it as the longer range (1,300 kilometers) Nodong missile. The basic SCUD design was also enhanced to produce longer range (up to 600 kilometers) SCUDs. All of these have been sold to foreign buyers like Yemen, Iran and Pakistan.

Strategy Page.

More Mythical Mystery Missiles From Iran

Iran recently announced that it had delivered the first new type of ballistic missile, the Qiam 1, to the Iranian Air Force. Few details were given, other than the missile was liquid fueled, had no fins and that its warhead could maneuver as it plunged to earth (which makes it more difficult for anti-missile systems to hit). The Qiam 1 looks their existing Shahab 3 ballistic missile. This is one weapon the Iranians have put a lot of money and effort into. It was known that they were building an extended range (from 1,300 to 1,800 kilometer) version of their Shahab 3 ballistic missile. The new version (Qiam 1?) puts all of Israel within range, even if fired from deep inside Iran. Chemical warheads (with nerve gas) are thought to be available for these missiles. But Israel has threatened to reply with nuclear weapons if the Iranians attack this way. Iran would probably get the worst of such an exchange, and the Iranians are aware of this.
This Shahab 3/Qiam 1 missiles are basically 1960s technology, with the addition of GPS guidance. Russian and North Korean missile technology has been obtained to make these missiles work. This has resulted in missile designs that apparently will function properly about 80 percent of the time, and deliver a warhead of about one ton, to a range of some 1,700 kilometers, to within a hundred meters of where it was aimed. By current standards, this is a pretty effective weapon.
In general, however, such vague and threatening weapons announcements are quite common for the Iranians. Last year, for example, they announced that they had developed an armed UAV, with a range of 1,000 kilometers. Pictures of this new weapons showed what appeared to be a copy of 1950s era American cruise missile, or target drone. These, in turn, were based on a similar weapon, the German V-1 "buzz bomb" that was used extensively in World War II to bomb London. The Iranian "Karar" UAV has the benefit of more efficient jet engines, more effective flight control hardware and software, and GPS navigation. Karar is not a wonder weapon, but the Iranians are depending on a clueless international mass media, and their own citizens, to believe it is.
In the last few years Iran has announced many similar weapons. There was, for example, a domestically designed and manufactured, helicopter gunship and another UAV with a range of 2,000 kilometers. Recently, there have also been revelations of heavily armed speed boats, miniature submarines, new artillery rockets and much more. Two years ago they showed off a new Iranian made jet fighter, which appeared to be a make-work project for unemployed engineers. It was a bunch of rearranged parts on an old U.S. made F-5 (which was roughly equivalent to a 1950s era MiG-21). The new fighter, like so many other Iranian weapons projects, was more for PR than for improving military power.
If you go back and look at the many Iranian announcements of newly developed, high tech, weapons, all you find is a photo op for a prototype. Production versions of these weapons rarely show up.   Iranians know that, while the clerics and politicians talk a tough game, they rarely do anything. Even Iranian support of Islamic terrorism has been far less effective than the rhetoric. The Iranians have always been cautious, which is one reason Arabs fear them. When the Iranians do make their move, it tends to be decisive. But at the moment, the Iranians have no means to make a decisive move. Their military is mostly myth, having been run down by decades of sanctions, and the disruptions of the 1980s war with Iraq. Their most effective weapon is bluster, and, so far, it appears to be working.
Not all of the clerics that run the country are eager to go to war with Israel, or even threaten it. But because the clerical factions do not want to appear at odds with each other in public, the more radical leaders are allowed to rant away about attacking Israel. That's also the thinking behind the many IRGC press conferences announcing imaginary new weapons. The clerics are not going spend billions on mass production of second rate systems that are most notable for being designed in Iran

Strategy Page.

Iranians Sue Russians For Refusal To Supply S-300 Missile System

The Iranian government has brought a lawsuit against the Russian government to the International Court over Moscow's failure to deliver S-300 missile systems to Tehran. The Iranian ambassador to Moscow, Mahmoud Reza Sajjadi, held a news conference in Moscow on Wednesday to complain to the Russian media and people.

Sajjadi said during the news conference that the S-300 shipment would not be a violation of the UN Security Council's Resolution #1929, that prohibits the sale to Iran of conventional weapons, including missiles, tanks, military helicopters, warplanes and warships.

The Iranian diplomat told the reporters that President Ahdmadinejad ordered the lawsuit in the hope that the court would rule in favor of Iran and thus help Russia carry out the weapons shipment.

Iran and Russia signed the S-300 contract in 2007 during the Bush Administration. Russian leader Vladmir Putin became the de fact arms dealer of the world by selling arms and weapons systems to countries such as Iran, Syria, Venezuela, North Korea and others.

In September 2010, under pressure from the U.S. and European Union, the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed an agreement banning shipments to Iran of the weapons and equipment listed in the UN resolution.

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Iran's Indigenous Self-Propelled Howitzer Unveiled

Iran has unveiled its indigenous wheeled 155-mm self-propelled howitzer developed by Defense Industries Organization.

“The 155-mm self-propelled howitzer has been designed and manufactured by the Defense Industries Organization’s creative and innovative experts with the aim of increasing the mobility of artillery units of the Iranian armed forces,” Tehran Times quoted Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi as saying.

The new weapon has increased mobility, enhanced maneuverability, longer firing range, a higher rate of fire, and lower production costs in comparison with the tracked self-propelled howitzers, the Minister said.

In the near future the artillery gun will be mass-produced and delivered to the artillery units of the Iranian armed forces, the report quoting the Minister added.

Iran To Mass-Produce IRGC's Fastest Speedboat

Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Naval Force Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi said his forces are due to mass-produce and arm home-made Bladerunner speedboats in the next Iranian year (starting on March 21).

The vessel will be mass-produced in 1390 (March 2011-March 2012) based on the specified timeline," Fadavi told FNA, and further voiced satisfaction with the production trend.

The commander said Iran has already mounted different types of weapons, including missile launchers, onto the country's speedboats, and noted that the Bladerunners, too, would be equipped with different arms due to their unique features.

The Bladerunner 51, weighing 16 tons and 15.5 meters (45 feet) long can reach a maximum speed of 65 knots
 

In February, Fadavi had said that the IRGC plans to boost the high mobility of its vessels in the next few months, adding that IRGC experts are working on projects to increase the speed of missile-launching and fully armed vessels to 80-85 knots.

"Increasing the speed of the vessels which carry arms and equipment to 80-85 knots sets the objective of the IRGC naval force for the next Iranian year (starts on March 21)," Fadavi said at the time, and stressed, "Limitations of high-speed vessels for carrying weapons should be removed." 




In August, Iran inaugurated the production lines for manufacturing 'Seraj 1' vessel and a new generation of 'Zolfaqar' missile launcher, both developed by the country's experts.

Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi had earlier announced that the use of speedboats is at the heart of the Iranian Navy's operational doctrine since high-speed vessels have already proved highly efficient in fighting back US heavyweight warships.

He further announced that Iran is now capable of manufacturing speedboats which can traverse at 60 to 70 knots per hour, yet the country is still seeking to increase the speed of these vessels to 80, 90 and even 100 knots per hour.

In August, the IRGC launched tens of its missile-launching speedboats in the Persian Gulf.

The speedboats in Zolfaqar, Tareq, Ashoura and Zoljanah classes were launched in a ceremony attended by Admiral Fadavi and a number of other high-ranking officials.

The Islamic Republic has mass-produced a large number of speedboats with rocket- launchers and other sophisticated military equipment which are able to strike a heavy blow at any foreign warship if the country comes under attack.

The IRGC had earlier announced that it is ready to deploy its submarines and combat boats to intercept vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

The IRGC is responsible for the security of the Persian Gulf. In 2008, Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, former commander of the IRGC and the current military advisor to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, declared that the responsibility for defending the Persian Gulf had been handed over to the IRGC.

Iranian Displays Advanced Ballistic Missiles, Air Defense Systems & Anti-Ship Missiles on Army Day Parade

Above: the Iranians displayed the Ghadr-I Ballistic missile at the Army Day Parade 2010. This missile is capable of hitting targets at a range of 2000 km. The Iranians displayed an earlier version of the Ghadr in 2007. This missile is about four meter longer than the Shahab-3B/M versions, adding 35 seconds burn time. Photo: Ali Rafiei, Fars

Iran's S-300 'look-alike'

Iran has unveiled several new missiles and UAVs at the 2010 Army Day Parade, highlighting long-range ballistic missiles of the solid-propelled Safir and liquid propelled Shahab family. Iran also hints on the existence of a new missile in its arsenal, an S-300 'look-alike'. The vehicle displayed on the parade carries four cylindrical canisters measuring roughly as the S-300 container-launcher, but the Iranian vehicle does not show any erection apparatus. If these vehicles are part of a real system, they could be vehicles carrying reload missiles. The system is definitely not the Russian S-300, but could be a derivative of the Chinese HQ-9.
 

Iranian S-300 'look alike' missile carriers shown on the Army Day Paradein Tehran, April 18, 2010. These vehicles seem to be carrying mock-ups representing a future missile being developed by Iran. The design looks similar to the Russian S-300 or Chinese HQ-9, but is too simplistic to represent an operational SAM unit. Photo: Ali Rafiei, Fars

Yet, the likelihood of this vehicle being a true missile is questionable, according to Aviation Week reporter Dave Fulghum, that considers the Iranian display a hoax. Iran has claimed for several months now that it has developed an indigenous air-defense missile comparable to the S-300 it has ordered from Russia. Iran is also modernizing its Hawk missiles, into the locally modified Hawk (Shahin) to improve its air defense capability. Iran has also introduced the Mersad (Ambush) - a further improved version of the Hawk. Iran's Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said recently that Iran's defense industries began full scale production of the Mersad surface-to-air missile, considered to be superior to the missile Iran received from the USA during the 1970s. The range of the Mersad is claimed exceed 40 km. The system introduces modern radar signal processing technology, an advanced launcher, and improved guidance and target acquisition systems.
The parade included mostly locally developed and produced systems, and, therefore has not displayed the latest air defense system in Iran's arsenal – the SA-15 Tor delivered by Russia few years ago. These point defense missiles being used to defend many of its nuclear sites.


The Iranians are also planning to introduce locally developed radars to replace a series of aging Russian-made systems currently deployed in the Persian Gulf. "The systems will be designed and installed chiefly for defense purposes," said Vice President for Science and Technology, Nasrin Soltankhah.  She added that the new radar systems will also feature capabilities to provide meteorological data for weather forecasting and analysis.
Iran's Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said recently that Iran's defense industries began full scale production of the Mersad surface-to-air missile, considered to be superior to the US-made Hawk missile Iran received from the USA during the 1970s. The Mersad introduces modern radar signal processing technology, an advanced launcher, and improved guidance and target acquisition systems.
The Iranians are also planning to introduce locally developed radars to replace a series of aging Russian-made systems currently deployed in the Persian Gulf. "The systems will be designed and installed chiefly for defense purposes," said Vice President for Science and Technology, Nasrin Soltankhah. She added that the new radar systems will also feature capabilities to provide meteorological data for weather forecasting and analysis. 

 

An Iranian fast boat launching the Nasr-1 anti-ship missile. Photo: MEHR

Anti-Ship Missiles on Display

Two classes of antiship missiles participated in the parade. The Ra'ad (Thunder), is the first indinenously produced anti-ship missile from Iran. Based on the Chinese HY-2 Silkworm, the Ra'ad and its Silkworm launcher were matched to a tracked platform to provide an all-terrain weapon system that can be deployed along the coastal plains of the Persian Gulf. The missile has a maximum range of 360 km. Iran is also producing three types of anti-ship missiles designed for operation from surface vessels or land vehicles.
These include the Chinese C-802, the land-based configuration carries three missiles, capable of attacking surface targets at distances of 120-180 km. The missile has an autonomous (self-targeting) range of 40 km. The Kosar is a smaller, short-range version of the Chinese C-701, This missile can be guided using radar or TV guidance.

The newly developed Nasr 1 is larger than the Kosar missile - based on the Chinese C-704 design. Longer and heavier than the C-701, the new missile has a heavier warhead, capable of destroying larger ships, with displacement of up to 3,000 tons. The Iranians designate the weapon a 'cruise missile', but it seems it is more likely a short-to-medium range anti-ship missile. According to Jane's Air-Launched Weapons, the range of the C-704 is 170 km (106 miles) and its warhead weighs about 109 kg (240 pounds). There are probably two versions of the missile – one using radar guidance and another, operating a TV seeker. Future enhancement of the missile could also include air-launched versions. A longer range version of the Nasr could also be in development – most probably a long-range naval attack weapon based on the Chinese turbojet-powered C-705 cruise.
Iran is also fielding enhanced versions of the Noor (Chinese C-802), converted into an air-launched version that can be carried by Mi-17 helicopters and strike fighter jet aircraft.

Latest Ballistic Missiles on Parade

Among the ballistic missiles displayed on the parade were two Shahab 3 missiles and the solid-propelled Sejjil 2. All missiles were seemingly of operational capability, carried on erector-launchers, by commercial trucks.
Above: Sejjil-2 long range ballistic missile. Photo: Ali Rafiei, Fars
Above: An Iranian Shahab-3B ballistic missile. This variant has a larger warhead, compared to both
the Shahab-3 and the Shahab-3M. Photo: Ali Rafiei, Fars
Fateh 110 short range guided missile is believed to be based on the unguided Zelzal-1 rocket is probably the Iranian first attempt to develop an advanced ballistic missile having trajectory shaping, terminal maneuvering and precision attack capability. From the images have been released sofar it seems that the missile seems to be in development. Photo: Ali Rafiei, Fars

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Iran Accelerates Space And Missile Launch Projects

Iran is rapidly and significantly expanding capabilities to accommodate larger missiles and satellite launch vehicles (SLVs), including the Simorgh 3 SLV in construction at Semnan space centre, according to Jane’s analysis of satellite imagery of the site.

The construction begun in mid-2010 is aggressive even by Iranian standards, with a number of very complex facilities nearing external completion only months after they were started. The site is likely to assume operational readiness by 2013, judging by the pace of construction. Rapid construction – which prevents extended overhead analysis – could underscore the secretive nature of the site, the strategic importance of the facilities, and Iran’s inclinations towards space readiness.

The first new project is at the launch/engine test facility, where a launch pad or engine test stand is in the early stages of construction. The flame trench that funnels rocket blast exhaust away from the tower is roughly the same size and shape as one first identified by Jane’s in 2010, but is situated 73 m to the north.

Elements at the second site are identical to the flame trench and auxiliary pad at the first, but construction of the second tower had not commenced as of 9 March 2011. The first tower is still under construction but should be finished by the end of the year; that pace suggests that the second tower will likely be completed by 2013.

Although Jane’s previously suggested that this tower could be either a launch facility or engine test site, the towers will likely be used primarily for testing.

Iran Has Tested Prototype Of Its First Domestically-Built Stealth Fighter

An Iranian air force commander said Sunday that Iran has successfully tested the prototype of its first domestically-built stealth fighter, the English-language satellite Press TV reported.

" The plane, due to its physical attributes and the material used in its body, cannot be detected by any rada r," Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh, the force's coordination deputy, was quoted as saying.

Nasirzadeh said data from the test flight was favorable and the air force will move forward with its plans to produce the plane called Sofreh Mahi, which means Manta Ray, the report said.

However, he said that the production process will not be rushed as such complex systems need thorough analysis and exhaustive testing.

According to Press TV, Iran on Wednesday successfully test- fired a satellite rocket and unveiled three new satellites and a satellite carrier to mark the 31st anniversary of the Islamic revolution.

India Bans Iran Nuclear-Related Trade

India has banned trade in all goods and services with Iran that could help  Tehran pursue development of nuclear weapons, a government statement said.
The changes were made in new foreign policy trade rules to conform with a UN Security Council resolution imposing sanctions on Iran related to its nuclear and missile development programme, said the commerce ministry.

India sits as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

The changes posted on a government website Saturday ban trade in all equipment, goods and technology which could contribute to Iran's enrichment-related, reprocessing or heavy water-related activities or to the development of nuclear weapon delivery systems.

Energy-hungry India, which has long enjoyed warm ties with Iran, has been treading a delicate path in its relationship with the Islamic republic as the United States presses New Delhi to break commercial links with Tehran.

The export ban comes as India has been struggling to work out a long-term method to pay for oil imports from Iran.

Iran is the second-largest crude supplier to India after Saudi Arabia and supplies up to 14 percent of the country's oil import needs. India imports around 80 percent of its crude oil.

India's central bank, in response to US pressure, said in December oil and other import payments could not be made through a Tehran clearing house which Washington alleges is being used to bypass sanctions against Iran.

The decision meant India no longer had a means to pay for the fuel.

India and Iran have been negotiating for months on ways to resolve the payment deadlock on a long-term basis and salvage the trade, which is worth around $12 billion annually.

Late last month, Germany's Handelsblatt business daily said India was set to pay Iran for billions of dollars worth of oil imports by channeling funds to Tehran via the German central bank.

There has been no comment from India but earlier, government officials said such a route could be a way to break the payments deadlock.

Iranian Air Force to Equip Fighter Planes With New Stealth Systems

The Iranian Air Force is to equip its jet fighters with new radar-evading stealth systems.

About three different types of radar interferences systems have been manufactured for installation on the fighter planes, according to the Tehran Times.

Air Force Brigadier, General Mohammad Alavi, said the new systems have already been tested and are capable of evading any radar instruments.

Osama Bin Laden Dead Long Before US Raid- Iran's Intelligence Minister Says

Iran's intelligence minister says the country has reliable information that former head of the al-Qaeda terrorist group Osama bin Laden died of disease some time ago.
“We have accurate information that bin Laden died of illness some time ago,” Heidar Moslehi told reporters on the sidelines of a Cabinet meeting on Sunday.

He questioned Washington's claim that bin Laden was killed by American troops in a hiding compound in Pakistan on May 1.

“If the US military and intelligence apparatus have really arrested or killed bin Laden, why don't they show him (his dead body) why have they thrown his corpse into the sea?” Moslehi asked.

“When we apprehended [former Jundallah ringleader Abdul Malik] Rigi, we showed him and also aired his interview,” ISNA quoted the intelligence chief as saying.

By releasing such false news, he said, the White House seeks to overshadow regional awakening.

Moslehi said US officials resort to such PR campaigns to divert attention from their domestic problems as well as their “fragile” economic situation.

US President Barack Obama claimed that Osama bin Laden was killed by US forces on May 1 in a hiding compound in Pakistan.

A US official later announced that bin Laden's body was abruptly buried at sea, falsely boasting that his hasty burial was in accordance with the Islamic law, requiring burial within 24 hours of death.

However, burial at sea is not an Islamic practice and Islam does not have a timeframe for burial.

US officials also claimed their decision for a sea burial was made because no country would accept bin Laden's remains, without elaborating on which countries were actually contacted on the matter.

Analysts, however, have raised serious questions as to why US officials did not allow for the application of a DNA test to officially confirm the identity of the corpse before its hasty burial.

Iran Develops Technology To Spot Stealth Jets Says Top Iranian Commander

A top Iranian commander says the country's military has developed the technology to spot and intercept radar-evading aircraft.


“The (Iranian) Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base is capable of detecting, identifying, intercepting and countering different types of radar-evading planes and enemy's cruise missiles... in the country's skies,” said Brigadier General Farzad Esmaili.

“In order to spot, identify, intercept and deal with enemy spy planes, we will tap into the country's full potential,” he added.

The top Iranian commander further underlined that the Islamic Republic remains vigilant against Israeli and US military threats.

“The more the threats, the more vigilant we will be, and the more the sanctions, the more our progress,” he noted.

Esmaili pointed out that the morale of the Iranian nation, particularly the Armed Forces, is “at the highest level possible.”

“By God's grace and thanks to the perseverance of local experts, at the moment we have developed modern radar and missile systems, and there are no problems in this regard,” he went on to say.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran bears no animosity toward any country, but we will firmly counter any aggression should we witness any hostile act by other countries,” the senior commander stressed.

Commander of the Aerospace Division of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Amir Ali Hajizadeh announced earlier that a lot of super-modern enemy spies had been shot down.

In some cases, said Hajizadeh, aircraft similar to the downed planes were built through reverse engineering. 

Source:www.presstv.ir/detail/184440.html

Riyadh will build nuclear weapons if Iran gets them,

Saudi prince warns  Prospect of a nuclear conflict in the Middle East is raised by senior diplomat and member of the Saudi ruling familyProspect of a nuclear conflict in the Middle East is raised by senior diplomat and member of the Saudi ruling family

A senior Saudi Arabian diplomat and member of the ruling royal family has raised the spectre of nuclear conflict in the Middle East if Iran comes close to developing a nuclear weapon.

Prince Turki al-Faisal, a former Saudi intelligence chief and ambassador to Washington, warned senior Nato military officials that the existence of such a device "would compel Saudi Arabia … to pursue policies which could lead to untold and possibly dramatic consequences".

He did not state explicitly what these policies would be, but a senior official in Riyadh who is close to the prince said yesterday his message was clear.

"We cannot live in a situation where Iran has nuclear weapons and we don't. It's as simple as that," the official said. "If Iran develops a nuclear weapon, that will be unacceptable to us and we will have to follow suit."

Officials in Riyadh said that Saudi Arabia would reluctantly push ahead with its own civilian nuclear programme. Peaceful use of nuclear power, Turki said, was the right of all nations.

Turki was speaking earlier this month at an unpublicised meeting at RAF Molesworth, the airbase in Cambridgeshire used by Nato as a centre for gathering and collating intelligence on the Middle East and the Mediterranean.

According to a transcript of his speech obtained by the Guardian, Turki told his audience that Iran was a "paper tiger with steel claws" that was "meddling and destabilising" across the region.

"Iran … is very sensitive about other countries meddling in its affairs. But it should treat others like it expects to be treated. The kingdom expects Iran to practise what it preaches," Turki said.

Turki holds no official post in Saudi Arabia but is seen as an ambassador at large for the kingdom and a potential future foreign minister,

Diplomatic cables obtained by WikiLeaks and published by the Guardian last year revealed that King Abdullah, who has ruled Saudi Arabia since 2005, had privately warned Washington in 2008 that if Iran developed nuclear weapons "everyone in the region would do the same, including Saudi Arabia".

Saudi Arabian diplomats and officials have launched a serious campaign in recent weeks to rally global and regional powers against Iran, fearful that their country's larger but poorer regional rival is exploiting the Arab Spring to gain influence in the region and within the kingdom itself.

Turki also accused Iran of interfering in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and in the Gulf state of Bahrain, where Saudi troops were deployed this year as part of a Gulf Co-operation Council force following widespread protests from those calling for greater democratic rights.

Though there has previously been little public comment from Riyadh on developments in Syria, Turki told his audience at Molesworth that President Bashar al-Assad "will cling to power till the last Syrian is killed".

Syria presents a dilemma for Saudi policymakers: although they would prefer not to see popular protest unseat another regime in the region, they view the Damascus regime, which is dominated by members of Syria's Shia minority, as a proxy for Iran.

"The loss of life [in Syria] in the present internal struggle is deplorable. The government is woefully deficient in its handling of the situation," Turki said at the Molesworth meeting, which took place on 8 June.

Though analysts say demonstrations in Bahrain were not sectarian in nature, two senior Saudi officials in Riyadh said this week that Tehran had mobilised the largely Shia protesters against the Sunni rulers of the Gulf state. Iran has a predominantly Shia population. Around 15% of Saudis are Shia. The officials described this minority, which suffers extensive discrimination despite recent attempts at reform, as "vulnerable to external influence".

Though there has been negligible unrest internally, Saudi Arabia has been shaken by the events across the Arab world in recent months and has watched anxiously as a number of allies – such as President Hosni Mubarak – have been ousted or have found themselves in grave difficulties. President Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen is being treated in a Saudi Arabian hospital for wounds caused by a mysterious blast that forced him to leave his country this month.

The former Tunisian ruler Zine al-Abedine ben Ali, whose relations with Riyadh were complex, is reported to have been housed in a luxurious villa in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah after he fled his homeland for Saudi Arabia.

Saudi officials admitted that decision-makers in Saudi Arabia were "not keen" on demonstrators ousting governments, but said they were "even less keen on killing and massacres".

Turki also warned that al-Qaida has been able to create "a sanctuary not unlike Pakistan's tribal areas" in Yemen.

Saudi Arabian foreign policy historically has been pro-western, although differences have emerged with the United States in recent years. The Arab Spring has also caused some tension, with the deployment of troops in Bahrain opposed by Washington.

Turki also accused Iran of interfering in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and in the Gulf state of Bahrain, where Saudi troops were deployed this year as part of a Gulf Co-operation Council force following widespread protests from those calling for greater democratic rights.

Though there has previously been little public comment from Riyadh on developments in Syria, Turki told his audience at Molesworth that President Bashar al-Assad "will cling to power till the last Syrian is killed".

Syria presents a dilemma for Saudi policymakers: although they would prefer not to see popular protest unseat another regime in the region, they view the Damascus regime, which is dominated by members of Syria's Shia minority, as a proxy for Iran.

"The loss of life [in Syria] in the present internal struggle is deplorable. The government is woefully deficient in its handling of the situation," Turki said at the Molesworth meeting, which took place on 8 June.

Though analysts say demonstrations in Bahrain were not sectarian in nature, two senior Saudi officials in Riyadh said this week that Tehran had mobilised the largely Shia protesters against the Sunni rulers of the Gulf state. Iran has a predominantly Shia population. Around 15% of Saudis are Shia. The officials described this minority, which suffers extensive discrimination despite recent attempts at reform, as "vulnerable to external influence".

Though there has been negligible unrest internally, Saudi Arabia has been shaken by the events across the Arab world in recent months and has watched anxiously as a number of allies – such as President Hosni Mubarak – have been ousted or have found themselves in grave difficulties. President Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen is being treated in a Saudi Arabian hospital for wounds caused by a mysterious blast that forced him to leave his country this month.

The former Tunisian ruler Zine al-Abedine ben Ali, whose relations with Riyadh were complex, is reported to have been housed in a luxurious villa in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah after he fled his homeland for Saudi Arabia.

Saudi officials admitted that decision-makers in Saudi Arabia were "not keen" on demonstrators ousting governments, but said they were "even less keen on killing and massacres".

Turki also warned that al-Qaida has been able to create "a sanctuary not unlike Pakistan's tribal areas" in Yemen.

Saudi Arabian foreign policy historically has been pro-western, although differences have emerged with the United States in recent years. The Arab Spring has also caused some tension, with the deployment of troops in Bahrain opposed by Washington.

Iran shot down unmanned US spy plane: Lawmaker

A state-owned news site says Iran has shot down an unmanned US spy plane over the Fordo uranium enrichment site in central Iran.

The state TV-run Youth Journalists Club quoted lawmaker Ali Aghazadeh Dafsari as saying Iran’s Revolutionary Guard shot down the plane.

Wednesday’s report did not say when the incident happened.

Iran is locked in a dispute with the US and its allies over Tehran’s disputed program, which the West believes aims to develop nuclear weapons. Iran denies the accusations.

Fordo is built next to a military complex to protect it in case of an attack. Iran only acknowledged its existence after Western intelligence agencies identified it in September 2009.

Read More AT:
 

http://www.dawn.com/2011/07/20/iran-shot-down-unmanned-us-spy-plane-lawmaker.html

Iranian Nuclear Scientist Killed in Tehran

Killers on a motorcycle Killed an Iranian nuclear physicist on Saturday, Iranian media reports said, in a killing that bore similarities to other slayings of scientists involved in the country's nuclear work in recent years.

The semi-official ISNA news agency identified the victim as Darioush Rezaei, a 35-year-old physics professor involved in Iran's nuclear program, and said he was killed in front of his home in Tehran. Iran's official IRNA news agency also reported the killing but had few details on the attack or the man's background.

Several Iranian nuclear scientists have been killed in recent years in attacks that Iran has blamed on the U.S. and Israel, which accuse Iran of seeking to develop a nuclear weapons capability under the cover of its civilian atomic energy program. Iran denies those accusations and says its program has entirely peaceful aims.

The semi-official Mehr news agency also identified the victim of Saturday's attack as a professor of physics and said he was assassinated in front of his house in Bani Hashem street in Tehran.

The wife of the scientist was wounded in the attack and rushed to a hospital for treatment, Mehr reported, quoting a police official.

Despite UN and other sanctions, Iran has steadily moved ahead with its uranium enrichment work, the central aspect of its nuclear program and the process that is of deepest concern to the West because it can be used both to produce reactor fuel and material for nuclear warheads.

Iran insists it is only after reactor fuel, but the UN's nuclear watchdog agency has accused Iran of stalling its investigation into the work for years.

In November, a pair of back-to-back bomb attacks in different parts of the capital killed one nuclear scientist and wounded another. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad blamed the U.S. and Israel.

In those attacks, assailants on motorcycles attached magnetized bombs to the cars of two scientists as they drove to work. They detonated seconds later.

The man who survived that attack, Fereidoun Abbasi, is on a list of figures suspected of links to secret nuclear activities in a 2007 U.N. sanctions resolution, which put a travel ban and asset freeze on those listed.

At least two other Iranian nuclear scientists have been killed in recent years.

Read More AT:

http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/iran-nuclear-scientist-assassinated-in-tehran-1.374847