Iran Military Developments

[nandu]

Iran denies plans to develop US-hitting missiles

Iranian Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi denied on Wednesday the Islamic republic is planning to develop ballistic missiles capable of striking arch-foe the United States, as alleged by Washington.

"We have no such plans," Vahidi told the official IRNA news agency, describing the allegations as "part of the enemy's psychological warfare."

Vahidi was reacting to Tuesday comments by a senior US official James Miller, principal deputy undersecretary of defence for policy, who told a senate hearing Iran could by 2015 develop missiles that could strike the US.

Miller added that his assessment assumed "foreign assistance" to enable Iran to improve its missile technology.

A report last year from the US Air Force National Air and Space Intelligence Centre had postulated that Iran could build an intercontinental ballistic missile that could hit US soil by 2015-2018, if it received outside help.

Analysts say Iran's Safir (Ambassador) space launch vehicle, which Tehran put into orbit in February 2009, has the potential to be converted into a long-range missile.

Vahidi, however, said Wednesday Iran was producing an air defence system equipped with aerial radar, and a domestically produced missile having a range of 40 kilometres (25 miles) and an altitude of 20 kilometres.

Washington closely follows Iran's missile programme and has cited threats from Tehran and North Korea as the main impetus for building missile defence systems for the United States and its allies.

The US administration also accuses Tehran of a clandestine effort to build nuclear weapons. Iran vehemently denies this.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-...elop-US-hitting-missiles/Article1-534092.aspx

 

[ahmedsid]

Armand, that was speculated to be the S300, then proved its not the S300. So is it the HQ9??? Can someone shed some light? My Knowledge on these systems by Looks not so good, so someone plz! God Speed

 

[LETHALFORCE]

This article was probably released/planted by USA.

 

[nandu]

Iran to produce weapon system similar to Russian S-300

Iran plans to produce missile defense systems similar to Russia's S-300 system, Iranian Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi said.

The Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missile defense system

Asked whether Iran has plans to produce an S-300 defense system, Iran's PressTV channel quoting Vahidi said "We don't need to produce the S-300 system, but we have plans on the agenda to produce similar weapons."

Stating that Iran has developed a medium-range air defense system, the Minister said, "All parts of the system have been domestically produced."

Vahidi added the defense system had "three radars and a domestically produced missile that has high agility and a range of more than 40 kilometers."

According to Russian news agency Ria Novosti, in December 2005, Russia and Iran had signed a contract on the delivery of Russia's S-300 missile defense systems to the Islamic Republic.

Meanwhile, speaker of the Russian parliament's upper house, Sergei Mironov, assuring that Moscow would fulfill its obligations said, delay in deliveries was due to "technical" problems.

"We have bilateral agreements with Iran; Russia has always fulfilled its international agreements. That is why the delivery of this defense complex, let me stress it, is a matter of time," the news agency quoted him as saying.

Russia's S-300 missile system advanced version called S-300PMU1, has a range of over 150 kilometers (over 100 miles) and can intercept ballistic missiles and aircraft at low and high altitudes, making the system an effective tool for warding off possible air strikes.

The S-300 systems could greatly improve Iranian defenses against any air strike on its strategically important sites, including nuclear facilities, the report said.

http://www.brahmand.com/news/Iran-to-produce-weapon-system-similar-to-Russian-S-300/3706/1/11.html

 

[Armand2REP]

Armand, that was speculated to be the S300, then proved its not the S300. So is it the HQ9??? Can someone shed some light? My Knowledge on these systems by Looks not so good, so someone plz! God Speed

It certainly isn't on the same truck the Chinese use. My guess is a mockup, it looks rather fake like most Iranian parade equipment.

 

[bhramos]

Iran plans to produce missile defense systems similar to Russia's S-300

Iran intends to produce missile defense systems similar to Russia's S-300 system, the county's PressTV channel said on Thursday, quoting Iranian Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi.
Answering the question on whether Iran has plans to produce an S-300 defense system, Vahidi said, "We don't need to produce the S-300 system, but we have plans on the agenda to produce similar weapons."
The minister also said Iran has developed a medium-range air defense system.
"All parts of the system have been domestically produced," the TV channel quoted him as saying.
He said the defense system had "three radars and a domestically produced missile that has high agility and a range of more than 40 kilometers."
Russia and Iran signed a contract on the delivery of Russia's S-300 missile defense systems to the Islamic Republic in December 2005. There have been no official announcements concerning the start of deliveries.
In February, speaker of the Russian parliament's upper house, Sergei Mironov, pledged that Moscow would fulfill its obligations, saying the delay in deliveries was due to "technical" problems.
"We have bilateral agreements with Iran, Russia has always fulfilled its international agreements. That is why the delivery of this defense complex, let me stress it, is a matter of time," he said.
Iran's ambassador to Russia, Seyyed Mahmoud-Reza Sajjadi, told the Islamic republic's Mehr news agency on Wednesday "Russian officials are committed to their [S-300] deal with Iran."
The advanced version of the S-300 missile system, called S-300PMU1, has a range of over 150 kilometers (over 100 miles) and can intercept ballistic missiles and aircraft at low and high altitudes, making the system an effective tool for warding off possible air strikes.
The Russian-Iranian deal has alarmed the United States and Israel, which have consistently refused to rule out the possibility of military action against Tehran if it refuses to halt its controversial uranium enrichment program. The S-300 systems could greatly improve Iranian defenses against any air strike on its strategically important sites, including nuclear facilities.

http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20100422/158694709.html

 

[nandu]

Iran begins military drill in Persian Gulf

F-4 Phantom fighter jets fly during the Army Day parade in the Iranian capital Tehran on April 18.

Iran began a massive air, land and sea exercise Thursday in the Persian Gulf aimed at showcasing the Islamic regime's military strength, state-run media reported.

Dubbed the "Great Prophet 5," the military maneuvers conducted by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps fall on the 31st anniversary of the elite force and are designed to demonstrate new weapons systems.

Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi told Press TV that Iran plans to produce missile defense systems similar to the Russian S-300, an advanced surface-to-air system that can defend against aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles.

"All parts of the system have been domestically produced," Vahidi said.

A U.S. military official told CNN that the United States has observed in recent days Iran was "relocating surface and air assets" for what appeared to be a major exercise. The official did not want to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue.

The drill is expected to last the next three days, Press TV said.

Brig. Gen. Hossein Salami, deputy chief of the Revolutionary Guard told Iranian media that the exercises are aimed at demonstrating Iran's "strength, will and national resolve to defend independence and territorial integrity."

The United States will be watching to see if the exercises include the narrow Strait of Hormuz region -- a major transit point for world oil supplies.

The U.S. military official noted there have been several Iranian exercises in the past, but this one received attention because the Revolutionary Guard Corps discussed it publicly in advance.

The U.S. Navy currently is operating several warships in the region, and commanders often are reminded not to let any encounters with Iranians inadvertently escalate.

Iran's missile development is being watched closely by the United States, which is pressing for tougher sanctions against the Islamic republic for its controversial nuclear program.

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/04/22/iran.exercises/

 

[bhramos]

This article was probably released/planted by USA.

these news came after the win of Presidential election where Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner. and as only the Russia and China recognised the election as fair. and whole Iran[majority] has opposed it.

 

[bhramos]

Iranian missiles may reach US by 2015

Iranian missiles may reach US by 2015
Report by US defense officials says Iran's military no match for US.

Iran may develop missiles capable of reaching the US by 2015, a report delivered to Congress Monday night asserts.

"With sufficient foreign assistance, Iran could probably develop and test an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of reaching the United States by 2015," the report by the US Department of Defense states.

It adds that "Iran's nuclear program and its willingness to keep open the possibility to develop nuclear weapons is a central part of its deterrent strategy."

The report indicates that while Iran has a sizable conventional military force, it would be no match for a "well trained, sophisticated military such as that of the United States or its allies" in the event of armed conflict.

The report also notes Iran's duplicitous behavior in Iraq and Afghanistan, where it pledges to promote stability but all the while continues to support insurgents and terrorists groups inside both countries.

On Sunday, US Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that an American strike on Iran would go "a long way" to delay the country's nuclear program. The Telegraph reported that Mullen, speaking at a forum in Columbia University, said a military strike was the "last option" but plans for such a contingency had been made.

http://www.jpost.com/IranianThreat/News/Article.aspx?id=173528

is this realy possible?
whats your opinion guys.

 

[amoy]

In my opinion Iran is the most 'democratic' in the Arab Persian Gulf Region, compared to S.A., Oman....

Yet,

China's treatment of Uighurs also a factor
The sentiment toward China also may be related to the Chinese government's forceful clamping down on violent ethnic riots between Muslim Uighurs and Han Chinese in Xinjiang Province on July 5. China says that 46 Uighurs died in the violence,

They put religion above all... selectively ignoring non-Muslims, who lost their lives or property in the riots. the fundamental difference from our norms - law and order and equity

 

[bhramos]

Iran's Special Forces in Venezuela, Latin America

Iran's Special Forces in Venezuela, Latin America

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps has stepped up its presence in Latin America, especially in Venezuela, according to a Pentagon report to Congress.
The Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force "maintains operational capabilities around the world," said the report on Iran's military power, released Tuesday by the Defense Department.
The force "is well established in the Middle East and North Africa, and recent years have witnessed an increased presence in Latin America, particularly Venezuela," the report said.
"If US involvement in conflicts in these regions deepens, contact with the IRGC-QF (Quds Force), directly or through extremist groups it supports, will be more frequent and consequential," it said.
The report said Iran's top priority is to ensure "the survival of the regime" and that Tehran has ambitions to position itself as a regional power, while expanding its presence on the world stage.
The elite Quds force, which serve under the authority of the supreme leader Ali Khamenei, has been accused in connection with a 1994 attack on a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates last year accused Iran of engaging in "subversive activity" in Latin America.
Venezuela, which accused Washington of meddling in Latin America, has denied the accusations and defended its ties with Iran as focused on economic cooperation.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100422/pl_afp/usiranlatamvenezuela_20100422165548

 

[bhramos]

War Games in Persian Gulf.

 

[bhramos]

War Game in persian Gulf-2

 

[bhramos]

Iran strikes secret nuclear mining deal with Zimbabwe's Mugabe regime

Iran has struck a secret deal with Zimbabwe to mine its untapped uranium reserves in a move to secure raw material for its steadily expanding nuclear programme

The agreement was sealed last month during a visit to Tehran by a close aide to Robert Mugabe, the Zimbabwean president who last weekend celebrated 30 years in power, The Sunday Telegraph has learned.

In return for supplying oil, which Zimbabwe desperately needs to keep its faltering economy moving, Iran has been promised access to potentially huge deposits of uranium ore – which can be converted into the basic fuel for nuclear power or enriched to make a nuclear bomb.


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Mr Mutasa is the former lands minister in the Zanu-PF administration and one of Mr Mugabe's most senior aides.

The revelation came after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, visited Zimbabwe last week to show his support for Mr Mugabe. At a lavish official dinner in his honour on Thursday evening, Mr Ahmadinejad blasted what he termed "expansionist countries" for exerting "satanic pressures on the people of Zimbabwe", adding: "We believe victory is ours, and humiliation and defeat is for our enemies."

Mr Mugabe said both Zimbabwe and Iran were targeted by the West because they wanted to manage their own natural resources.

"We remain resolute in defending Zimbabwe's right to exercise it sovereignty over its natural resources. We have equally supported Iran's right to peaceful use of nuclear energy as enshrined in the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty," he said.

The uranium deal will heighten fears in the West that Iran is stepping up its nuclear programme, which intelligence agencies believe is intended to lead to the development of nuclear weapons in the near future.

Iran maintains that its efforts are aimed solely at providing energy but the United Nations Security Council is considering imposing harsher sanctions against it because of its refusal to allow proper monitoring of its nuclear sites. Mr Ahmadinejad has boasted of his country's plans to step up construction and use of the special centrifuges needed to enrich uranium to ever higher levels – putting a nuclear weapon within reach.

Most of Iran's uranium came from South Africa during the 1970s, but its stockpiles are running low, The Sunday Telegraph has learnt, so its access to Zimbabwe's reserves has been granted at a crucial moment.

The government source added: "The uranium deal is the culmination of a lot of work dating back to 2007, when Mr Mugabe visited Tehran in search of fuel. Now Iran is beginning to reap the benefits.

"Iranian geologists have being conducting feasibility studies of the mineral for over a year now and we expect them to go ahead with mining once they are ready."

A senior official at the Iranian embassy in Harare confirmed Tehran had been offered the uranium rights, after negotiations over many years. "After a lot of diplomatic work and understanding, we have received reports of a deal having been made for Iran to mine not only uranium but also other metals," he said.

The pact seems certain to place Iran under even greater scrutiny by the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

"If Zimbabwe and Iran were to announce a deal, then I am sure it is something the IAEA would be very interested in," said an IAEA source.

Any deal to supply Iran is likely to put Zimbabwe in breach of current UN sanctions on Iran. Under Security Council Resolution 1737, passed in December 2006, all countries are ordered to "prevent the supply, sale or transfer ... of all items, materials, equipment, goods and technology which could contribute to Iran's enrichment-related, reprocessing or heavy water-related activities."

The UN Sanctions Committee which deals with Resolution 1737 said that if the issue of uranium mining in Zimbabwe was raised, it would investigate.

Mr Mugabe's spokesman George Charamba insisted that mining rights had not yet been finalised, but he defended Iran's right to apply for them.

"The Iranians have a peaceful nuclear program. This cannot be said about the Americans who mined uranium in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and went on to produce a nuclear bomb used to attack Japan," he said. "We have our uranium and no one is mining it, until we decide otherwise," he said.

Uranium was first discovered in the Kanyemba district, about 150 miles north of the capital Harare by German prospectors in the 1980s but were not exploited due to low world prices.

Russia, Australia, South Africa and Namibia are among nations that have also expressed a desire to tap into the mineral wealth.

The extent of Zimbabwe's uranium reserves is uncertain, although some metallurgists believe that they may be very large. Initial exploration has indicated that there are an estimated 450,000 tonnes of uranium ore with some 20,000 tonnes of extractable uranium.

David Albright, founder of the Washington-based think tank Institute for Science and International Security, said that Iran was certainly looking for ways to access uranium but they risked serious consequences if they sought to import the materials.

"It would definitely anger Russia and China, as the more they are seen to be evading sanctions, the worse it is for Iran," he said.

"There is a great deal of nervousness about Iran's secrecy, and if they are secretly seeking uranium, is this to run a parallel nuclear programme to its declared one? Iran's underhand dealings helps line up support for stronger sanctions."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...mining-deal-with-Zimbabwes-Mugabe-regime.html

 

[hit&run]

China setting missile plants, Zimbabwe giving yellow cake, i think we can see an axis where whole grand game moves around.

 

[bhramos]

China setting missile plants, Zimbabwe giving yellow cake, i think we can see an axis where whole grand game moves around.

do you mean "Axis of Evil" is setting around!!!!!!

 

[nandu]

Iran's Revolutionary Guards fired five missiles: media

Iran's Revolutionary Guards testing missiles. A file photo

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards fired five missiles as part of ongoing war games in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, state media reported.

The shore-to-sea and sea-to-sea missiles struck at a single target simultaneously, state television reported.

Fars news agency named two of those tested as the Noor (Light) and Nasr (Victory) missiles. It said a third, having a range of over 300 kilometres was also fired, but did not name it.

The Guards have been conducting a military drill since Thursday in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow strategically located waterway through which 40 percent of world's seaborne oil supplies pass.

Iran's missile programme has raised concerns in the West which is already at loggerheads with Tehran over its controversial nuclear project.

The Islamic republic boasts of having missiles that can hit targets in arch-foe Israel.

http://www.brahmand.com/news/Irans-Revolutionary-Guards-fired-five-missiles-media/3732/1/11.html

 

[nandu]

Iranian navy plane flies near USS Eisenhower in Gulf of Oman

Iranian navy plane flies near USS Eisenhower in Gulf of Oman

Washington (CNN) -- An Iranian navy plane that approached a U.S. aircraft carrier last week was flying as low as 300 feet as it neared the USS Eisenhower, U.S. military officials said Wednesday.

The USS Eisenhower had just finished a series of carrier aircraft flight operations when the Iranian plane approached.

The incident, first reported by CNN on Tuesday, came as Iran was beginning a series of military exercises last week meant to show off their military prowess.

The Eisenhower was on duty in the Gulf of Oman in the northern Arabian Sea, in support of the Afghanistan war efforts, when the Iranian maritime patrol aircraft flew within 1,000 yards of the vessel, according to military officials.

While the encounter was not threatening, it was unusual. U.S. navy ships have regularly encountered Iranian aircraft in the Persian Gulf in recent years, but this encounter took place in the Gulf of Oman, in an area where Iranian jets are seen much less frequently, several Navy officials said.

The officials declined to be identified, citing the extremely sensitive nature of any U.S. military interaction with Iranian forces.

Adm. Gary Roughead, the top Navy officer, confirmed the April 21 incident. The Iranians were "not provocative or threatening. As long as they are professional and not threatening or reckless, it's international space," he said.

Radar on the Eisenhower and other U.S. ships in the vicinity closely tracked the Iranian aircraft as it approached the aircraft carrier to ensure it maintained a nonthreatening path, Roughead said. A senior U.S. military official said the Iranian plane was tracked by U.S. units for nearly 100 miles before it reached the Eisenhower.

The Iranian aircraft was a Fokker F27 that was unarmed, officials said. It remained in the vicinity of the Eisenhower for about 20 minutes before leaving the area, according to the senior official. The Eisenhower had just finished a series of carrier aircraft flight operations and a resupply at sea mission.

U.S. officials believe the Iranians wanted a close look at the carrier, but they could not say if the Iranians took photos of the ship.

One of the officials also said Iran may simply have been trying to demonstrate its aerial capabilities to the United States.

U.S. military officials continue to emphasize that recent encounters with Iranian naval forces in the Persian Gulf have been professional and without confrontation or problems. The U.S. Navy takes great care to try to stay out of the way of any Iranian forces in the region, officials said.


http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/04/28/iran.us.carrier.flyover/

 

[Yusuf]

Iranian pilot out to check out american carrier. Looks like the pilot had some sanity and also the americans pretty chilled about it. Good professional behaviour in international area.

 

[nandu]

Iranian pilot out to check out american carrier. Looks like the pilot had some sanity and also the americans pretty chilled about it. Good professional behaviour in international area.

Confused Mr Obama dont know to react.The reactions of US this time is direct reflection of Mr president