Author Archives: Holly Dagres

Belarus and Iran Broaden Military Cooperation

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“Commander of the Iranian army, Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, shakes hands with the commander of the Belarusian Air Force, Major General Andrei Yulianovich Lukyanovich, in Tehran,” Tasnim News Agency (IRGC-affiliated news source), 7 August 2024.

“The political, military, and defense officials of the two countries are determined to develop and deepen cooperation.”

A meeting between Iranian and Belarusian military officials underscores the strengthening of ties between the two internationally isolated countries. In the excerpted article by state broadcaster IRIB, the commander of the Iranian Army, MAJ GEN Mousavi, said “The political, military, and defense officials of the two countries are determined to develop and deepen cooperation.” During the 7 August meeting in Tehran, his counterpart, GEN Lukanovich, echoed this sentiment, noting “We also seek to expand and deepen military relations and exchange and benefit from the valuable experiences of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” The visit highlights Tehran and Minsk’s intent to bolster their strategic partnership.

Just months prior, in March, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko visited Iran for the first time in seventeen years.[i] Since the Ukraine War began in February 2022, Iran has expanded its ties with Russia through an impending defense pact that already includes selling its Shahed drones and, most recently, ballistic missiles to Moscow.[ii] It’s only natural that Belarus, a top Russian ally and shares a border with Ukraine, would also want to deepen its ties with Tehran. As MAJ GEN Mousavi pointed out during his discussion with his counterpart, Iran and Belarus have “common threats and interests” as the two countries are under Western sanctions.

In the meeting cited in the IRIB article, the Iranian Army commander also said, “Belarus holds a strategic and special position and is a strong barrier against NATO expansion. We, along with regional countries, are also opposed to NATO’s expansion.”

During his March visit, the Belarusian dictator met with then-President Ebrahim Raisi and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and signed seven memorandums of understanding, including one in trade and transportation, with a target of $100 million in trade.[iii] MAJ GEN Lukyanovich’s August visit appears to be an extension of that bilateral cooperation, which includes economic as well as military ties. With Iran isolated by the United States and the West, the strengthening of relations with other internationally isolated countries like Belarus is a mutually beneficial opportunity for Tehran in the realms of trade and military cooperation to survive economic pressure via sanctions.

Sources:

“آمادگی نیروی پدافند هوایی ارتش برای توسعه همکاری‌ها با بلاروس (The readiness of the army air defense to develop cooperation with Belarus),” Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (state broadcaster), 7 August 2024. https://www.iribnews.ir/00I3RX.

According to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), Major General Andrei Yulianovich Lukyanovich, commander of the air force and air defense of the Republic of Belarus, met and held discussions with Major General [Abdolrahim] Mousavi at the General Staff Headquarters of the Armed Forces.

In this meeting, the army commander described Iran and Belarus as two countries with common threats and interests, under the unjust sanctions of America and the West, and possessing independence and non-dependence.

General Mousavi, while appreciating Belarus’ chivalrous and independent stance on the issue of the assassination of [Hamas political chief] martyr Ismail Haniyeh, stated: “Belarus holds a strategic and special position and is a strong barrier against NATO expansion. We, along with regional countries, are also opposed to NATO’s expansion.”

Referring to the unilateral sanctions imposed by global arrogance against Iran since the victory of the Islamic Revolution [referring to the West], the army commander added: “We have tried to make the most of this threat and not make our country’s defense dependent on external powers…”

The army commander emphasized: “The political, military, and defense officials of the two countries are determined to develop and deepen cooperation, and a clear example of this is the visit of the president of Belarus, Mr. [Aleksandr] Lukashenko, to Iran and his meeting with the late dear martyr President [Ebrahim] Raisi, which laid the foundation for relations and joint commissions…”

General Lukanovich said: “We also seek to expand and deepen military relations and exchange and benefit from the valuable experiences of the Islamic Republic of Iran…”Referring to Iran’s defensive capabilities to defend against enemy threats, General Lukanovich invited the army commander to visit Belarus and observe the country’s capabilities.

Notes:

[i] “Iran, Belarus Vow To “Strengthen Cooperation” During Lukashenko’s Visit,” IranWire, 13 March 2024. https://iranwire.com/en/politics/114738-iran-belarus-vow-to-strengthen-cooperation-during-lukashenkos-visit/

[ii] Natasha Bertrand and Kylie Atwood, “Iran transfers ballistic missiles to Russia, sources say,” CNN, 7 September 2024. https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/06/politics/iran-transfers-ballistic-missiles-russia/index.html

[iii] Maziar Motamedi, “Iran and Belarus sign cooperation roadmap in Lukashenko visit,” Al Jazeera, 13 March 2023. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/13/iran-and-belarus-sign-cooperation-roadmap-in-lukashenko-visit

OE Insight Summary:

BYS air force commander visits IRN to expand military ties despite regional tensions.

Image Information:

Image: “Commander of the Iranian army, Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, shakes hands with the commander of the Belarusian Air Force, Major General Andrei Yulianovich Lukyanovich, in Tehran,” Tasnim News Agency (IRGC-affiliated news source), 7 August 2024.
Source: https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2024/08/07/3135937/generals-urge-promotion-of-iran-belarus-ties
Attribution: CCA-SA 4.0 Intl.

Iranian Military Equipment Integrating Artificial Intelligence

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“Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri speaking,” Student News Network (Iranian media outlet), 31 July 2024.

“Artificial intelligence technology has been utilized in the new equipment, and we are currently witnessing its results.”

As the international community enters the world of artificial intelligence (AI) warfare, Iran is integrating and developing this technology into its military equipment.[i] As reported by Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGC-N) said during a ceremony in the southwestern port city of Bandar Abbas on 9 August, “Artificial intelligence technology has been utilized in the new equipment, and we are currently witnessing its results.” Tangsiri claims 2,654 new missile systems, drones, and other equipment have been integrated with AI to enhance precision, acquisition, and capabilities in its military hardware—demonstrating Tehran’s top focus is AI.

In January, General Hossein Salami, commander of the IRGC, made similar claims about the country’s drone fleet.[ii] Progress appears to be limited, as little public information is available on the subject, except for comments from high-ranking officials in the military apparatus. It’s also worth noting that Tehran has a history of making outlandish claims to boast its abilities. Nevertheless, Iran is thinking about how to further integrate and develop this technology by investing in training on how to integrate AI into its array of military equipment.[iii]

According to the IRIB article, RADM Tangsiri noted: “In the equipment and facilities that we put into operation today, we paid special attention to innovation and technical creativity.” He explained that AI has been a top priority and applied to systems used by the defense ministry and the specialized missile sites of the IRGC-N.

Not only does AI improve Tehran’s capabilities and support its top priority of regime preservation, the integration into its military hardware is a selling point on the arms market as Iran becomes a global exporter to Russia, Ethiopia, Venezuela, Sudan, and other countries.[iv]

Sources:

“استفاده از هوش مصنوعی در تجهیزات جدید سپاه (Use of artificial intelligence in the new IRGC equipment),” Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (state broadcaster), 9 August 2024.

https://www.iribnews.ir/00I3a3

According to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri stated during the ceremony for adding new equipment to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Navy (IRGC-NV): “210 systems out of 2,654 products in the field today were showcased, demonstrating every wave of new equipment joining the arsenal is large and meaningful.”

The commander of the IRGC-N added: “In terms of the equipment intelligence and countering electronic warfare, systems were introduced in this ceremony that were practically handed over to the forces by the IRGC’s top commander.”

Commander Tangsiri said: “In the equipment and facilities that we put into operation today, we paid special attention to innovation and technical creativity.”

The commander of the IRGC-N emphasized that: “In these added equipment and systems, we saw an increase in accuracy, aim, and targeting, which increased the confidence of using these weapons in the electronic warfare environment, adding to the capabilities of the equipment.”

Rear Admiral Tangsiri also stressed that the application of artificial intelligence in developing these systems has been a priority, both in the Defense Ministry and the specialized missile centers of the IRGC-N, and the results of these efforts are now evident.Commander Tangsiri stressed the importance of using artificial intelligence in the construction of equipment, whether in the Defense Ministry or the specialized missile center of the IRGC, saying: “Artificial intelligence technology has been utilized in the new equipment, and we are currently witnessing its results.”

Notes:

[i] Mahmoud Javadi, “Heavy Thunder, No Rain: Defense AI in Iran,” The Very Long Game. Contributions to Security and Defense Studies, 19 July 2024. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-58649-1_19

[ii] See: Michael Rubin, “Iran Announces Integration Of Artificial Intelligence Into Drone Fleet,” OE Watch, 10-2023. https://fmso.tradoc.army.mil/2024/iran-announces-integration-of-artificial-intelligence-into-drone-fleet/

[iii] Mahmoud Javadi, “Heavy Thunder, No Rain: Defense AI in Iran,” The Very Long Game. Contributions to Security and Defense Studies, 19 July 2024. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-58649-1_19

[iv] Danny Citrinowicz. “Iran is on its way to replacing Russia as a leading arms exporter. The US needs a strategy to counter this trend,” IranSource, Atlantic Council, 2 February 2024. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/iransource/iran-drone-uavs-russia/

OE Insight Summary:

Commander of IRGC-N says AI has been implemented into new IRN military equipment.

Image Information:

Image: “Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri speaking,” Student News Network (Iranian media outlet), 31 July 2024.
Source: https://snn.ir/fa/news/1160582/%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%AA%D9%86%DA%AF%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D8%A2%D8%B4%D9%86%D8%A7%DB%8C%DB%8C-%D8%AC%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%A7-%D8%AF%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%A7-%D9%88-%D8%AC%D8%B2%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D9%85%D9%87%D9%85-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA-%DB%B3%DB%B0%DB%B9%DB%B3%DB%B9-%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%B4%D8%AC%D9%88-%D9%88-%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%B4-%D8%A2%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B2-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%87%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%BE%DB%8C%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%81%D8%AA-%D8%B4%D8%B1%DA%A9%D8%AA-%DA%A9%D8%B1%D8%AF%D9%86%D8%AF-%D9%81%DB%8C%D9%84%D9%85
Attribution: CCA-SA 4.0 Intl.

Bahrain May Renew Ties With Iran Following Saudi Arabia’s Lead

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“President’s deputy chief of staff of political affairs Mohammad Jamshidi,” ISNA, 7 June 2024.

“Bahrain directly sent this message that it wants to resume relations with Iran.”

Summary: Iran claims that Bahrain wants to restore ties with Tehran, following Saudi Arabia’s lead.

According to a state media interview with Mohammad Jamshidi, the Iranian president’s deputy chief of staff of political affairs, Bahrain “wants to resume relations with Iran.” The interview, reported by the Iranian Students’ News Agency on 7 June noted in May, Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said Manama welcomed the recommencement of ties between the Persian Gulf neighbors.[i] A similar message was reportedly delivered during Al Khalifa’s visit to China during the same month.[ii]

If true, the resumption of Iran-Bahrain ties would end nearly a decade of separation. In 2016, Bahrain followed Saudi Arabia in ending ties with Iran after a mob stormed the Saudi missions in Tehran and Mashhad in response to the execution of Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr. An example of the warming ties occurred when President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and their cohort died in a helicopter crash on 19 May, and Bahrain’s King Hamad gave his condolences to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.[iii] The Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani also attended the state funeral.[iv]

For their parts, in March 2023, Iran and Saudi Arabia recommenced ties through a China-brokered deal which allowed the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kuwait to follow suit (both had downgraded ties due to the storming incident). Bahrain appears to be the next in line, which is noteworthy not only because it is home to the United States Fifth Fleet, but also because it normalized relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords in 2020.[v]

Bahrain tends to follow Saudi Arabia’s thinking. With the ongoing Gaza war bringing strong criticism from the Arab streets of the region’s monarchies—Jordan, Bahrain, and the UAE—the revival of ties has the potential to keep the Persian Gulf calm (in the event of a regional escalation between Israel and Iran), and arguably balance out some of the angry sentiment towards Arab monarchies for their relations with Israel.

Sources:

“تمایل بحرین برای برقراری روابط سیاسی با ایران (Bahrain government’s desire to establish political relations with Iran),” Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA- semi-official news agency), 7 June 2024. http://www.isna.ir/xdRgjG

The president’s deputy chief of staff gave news of Bahrain’s desire to establish political relations with Iran. According to ISNA, Mohammad Jamshidi stated in part of a television interview: “Bahrain directly sent this message that it wants to resume relations with Iran, however, this request was made during a meeting with Russian officials.”

Notes:

[i] “King of Bahrain Says No Reason to Delay Normalizing Ties with Iran,” Asharq al-Awsat, 24 May 2024. https://english.aawsat.com/gulf/5023861-king-bahrain-says-no-reason-delay-normalizing-ties-iran

[ii] “Bahrain sent message through Russia to normalize ties with Iran: Official,” Al Jazeera, 7 June 2024. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/6/7/bahrain-sent-message-through-russia-to-normalise-ties-with-iran-official

[iii] “President Sheikh Mohamed and other world leaders send condolences on death of Iran’s Raisi,” The National, 22 May 2024. https://thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2024/05/20/iran-president-raisi-condolences

[iv] “Assigned by HM King, Foreign Minister condoles with Iranian officials,” Bahrain Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 22 May 2024. https://www.mofa.gov.bh/en/assigned-by-hm-king-foreign-minister-condoles-with-iranian-officials

[v] “The Abraham Accords,” US Department of State. https://2017-2021.state.gov/the-abraham-accords/

OE Insight Summary:

IRN claims that BHR wants to recommence ties IRN, following the lead of SAU.

Image Information:

Image: “President’s deputy chief of staff of political affairs Mohammad Jamshidi,” ISNA, 7 June 2024.
Source: http://www.isna.ir/xdRgjG
Attribution: CCA-SA 4.0 Intl.

Iran Asserts the Strength of Its Air Defense Capabilities

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“Brigadier General [Alireza] Sabahifard visiting the radar and missile positions in Tabriz,” IRIB (state media broadcaster), 11 June 2024.

“[Iran’s air defenses] have the capability to react promptly and momentously against any potential threats.”

Summary: Following Israel’s attack, Iranian Army Air Defense Force Commander Brigadier General Alireza Sabahifard visited the northwest region to assess its air defense capabilities and has asserted that they remain very strong.

Following Israel’s recent attacks, Iranian authorities are seeking to reassert the capabilities of their air defense systems by making visits to various air defense zones in the country. On 19 April, Israel carried out a retaliatory strike in western Esfahan (Iran), which took out one of four Russian-made S-300 air defense radars.[i] The Israeli attack was in response to Tehran and its proxies launching more than 300 drones, as well as ballistic and cruise missiles, in response to the Israeli strike on the Iranian embassy compound in Syria in mid-April.[ii]

As per the first excerpted article from the state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), during a visit to Iran’s northwest, Iranian Army Air Defense Force Commander Brigadier General Alireza Sabahifard underscored the capabilities of Iran’s air defenses claiming it “has the capability to react promptly and momentously against any potential threats.” Sabahifard emphasized that “The Army’s air defense force has achieved significant and valuable accomplishments, especially in the areas of producing various types of drones and radars.” According to the second excerpted article by IRIB, Sabahifard said, “Radars, missiles, electronic warfare, and drone systems will be unveiled in the near future and integrated into the country’s air defense cycle.” These comments about the strength of the air defense systems are in line with other Iranian officials’ efforts to downplay the Israeli retaliation in Esfahan. They have claimed that the attacks were merely carried out by quadcopters or, as they described, “toy” drones. But as evident by Sabahifard’s comments, Tehran is trying to sell the notion that is air defense systems can withstand any threat. In the wake of the tit-for-tat with Israel, the Iranian military is reassessing its air defense capabilities and better preparing itself for the possibility of another attack.

Sources:

“پیشرفت‌های پدافند هوایی ایران شتابنده و جهشی است (Iran’s air defense system has developed exponentially),” Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (state broadcaster), 9 June 2024.

https://www.iribnews.ir/00HqxS

According to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), Brigadier General [Alireza] Sabahifard stated on Sunday during a visit to the air defense northwest region of the country: “The army’s air defense force has achieved significant and valuable accomplishments, especially in the areas of producing various types of drones and radars. These achievements are very important and precious stones that are a source of pride for friends and a cause of concern for enemies”

The commander of the army’s air defense force emphasized that air defense is at the forefront of the country’s defense, stating: “This divine force with its various defense systems has the capability to react promptly and momentously against any potential threats…”

The commander of the army’s air defense force pointed out that though air defense is successful and anonymous has been established within the armed forces, he added: “Air defense is a manifestation of the power of Islamic Iran, which under the shadow of self-belief and self-confidence for Iran was able to reach important developments for Iran and Iranians to be proud of today…”

“رونمایی از انواع سامانه‌های راداری، موشکی، جنگالی و پهپادی در آینده نزدیک (Unveiling of various radar, missile, forestry and drone systems in the near future),” Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (state broadcaster), 11 June 2024. https://www.iribnews.ir/00HrNy

According to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), Brigadier General [Alireza] Sabahifard during his continued visit of the region’s air defense in the northwest of the country, evaluated the combat capability and operational readiness of the radar and missile positions of the “Shahid Nikandish” Tabriz group.

The commander of the Army’s Air Defense Force, referring to the effective role of air defense in improving the combat power of the armed forces, added: “Radars, missiles, electronic warfare, and drone systems will be unveiled in the near future and integrated into the country’s air defense cycle.”

Notes:

[i] Jon Gambrell, “Satellite photos suggest Iran air defense radar struck in Isfahan during apparent Israeli attack,” Associated Press, 22 April 2024. https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-s300-radar-hit-isfahan-attack-ce6719d3df8ebf5af08b035427ee215c

[ii] “Iran says Israel bombs its embassy in Syria, kills commanders,” Reuters, 1 April 2024. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-bombs-iran-embassy-syria-iranian-commanders-among-dead-2024-04-01/; Matthew Mpoke Bigg, “What We Know About Iran’s Attack on Israel and What Happens Next,” New York Times, 14 April 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/14/world/middleeast/iran-israel-drones-attack.html

OE Insight Summary:

Following ISR’s attack, IRN Army Air Defense Force Commander Brigadier General Alireza Sabahifard visited the northwest region to assess its air defense capabilities.

Image Information:

Image: “Brigadier General [Alireza] Sabahifard visiting the radar and missile positions in Tabriz,” IRIB (state media broadcaster), 11 June 2024.
Source: https://www.iribnews.ir/00HrNy
Attribution: CCA-SA 4.0 Intl.

Iran’s Army Chief Claims It Is Accelerating Israel’s Destruction

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“Photo of commander-in-chief of the army (Artesh), Sayyed Abdolrahim Mousavi,” Iranian Online (semi-official news agency affiliated with IRNA), Uknown.

“History is divided into two eras, before and after Operation True Promise.”

Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Army, Sayyed Abdolrahim Mousavi, recently declared on Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting that “just like the resistance of the people of Gaza… Operation True Promise also created a strategic movement in the world.” Mousavi was referring to Iran’s retaliatory attack against Israel on 13 April in response to the Israeli air strike on the Iranian embassy compound in Damascus, Syria that killed senior members of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Quds Force earlier that month.[i] Mousavi highlighted how the history of the world had been divided before and after Iran’s operation against Israel.[ii] Referencing comments by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Mousavi emphasized that Israel’s destruction would come in the next twenty-five years and was only accelerated by the events of the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023 as well as Operation True Promise, because the latter chipped away at Israel’s security and invigorated political divisions within Israeli society. Of note, Iran’s 13 April attack brought Israel and Iran out of their forty-five-year shadow war, which had been marked by assassinations, cyberattacks, and sabotage. Israel’s subsequent attack on Iran on 19 April restored deterrence for the time being, but Israel’s limited response – destroying an S-300 [RG1] air defense system, demonstrating Israel’s ability to attack and take out Iranian air defense – has given Iran’s clerics the space to continue making bold statements at a time when regional tensions are at an all-time high, and when miscalculation is always a possibility.[iii]

Sources:

“دنیا به قبل و بعد از عملیات «وعده صادق» تقسیم شده است (The world is divided between before and after ‘True Promise’ operation),” Iranians Students’ News Agency (ISNA), 9 May 2024. https://www.isna.ir/news/1403022014474/%D8%AF%D9%86%DB%8C%D8%A7-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D9%82%D8%A8%D9%84-%D9%88-%D8%A8%D8%B9%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%B9%D9%85%D9%84%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%88%D8%B9%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%82-%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%B3%DB%8C%D9%85-%D8%B4%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA

The commander in chief of the army said: History is divided into two eras, before and after Operation True Promise. Just like how al-Aqsa Storm and the resistance of the people of Gaza took the world in a new direction, Operation True Promise also created a strategic movement in the world.

Today (May 9), Commander Sayyed Abdolrahim Mousavi, on the sidelines of awarding the medal of sacrifice presented by the commander-in-chief to the families of martyrs in the presence of journalists, spoke about the achievements of the army in the country: In the constitution it is emphasized that the army is popular. The army is national capital that belongs to the people of Iran, and wherever the country needs, the army will act.

He continued: If there’s a threat in the skies, the army will fulfill its duties. If needed in the sea, it will raise the proud flag of the Islamic Republic. If a conflict arises, they will fulfill their duty. Air defense forces are a broad umbrella in the sky that will constantly defend the country…The commander-in-chief of the army added: As the Supreme Leader predicted, the Zionist regime (Israel) will not see the next 25 years, with al-Aqsa Storm and Operation True Promise this issue will accelerate, and it is likely that the life of this illegitimate regime will end sooner so that the whole world can be saved from this cancerous tumor.

Notes:

[i] “Iran says Israel bombs its embassy in Syria, kills commanders,” Reuters, 1 April 2024. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-bombs-iran-embassy-syria-iranian-commanders-among-dead-2024-04-01/; Matthew Mpoke Bigg, “What We Know About Iran’s Attack on Israel and What Happens Next,” New York Times, 14 April 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/14/world/middleeast/iran-israel-drones-attack.html

[ii] Ibid.

[iii] Jon Gambrell, “Satellite photos suggest Iran air defense radar struck in Isfahan during apparent Israeli attack,” Associated Press, 22 April 2024. https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-s300-radar-hit-isfahan-attack-ce6719d3df8ebf5af08b035427ee215c

Image Information:

Image: “Photo of commander-in-chief of the army (Artesh), Sayyed Abdolrahim Mousavi,” Iranian Online (semi-official news agency affiliated with IRNA), Uknown.
Source:https://inn.ir/news/article/65026/%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%84%D8%B4%DA%A9%D8%B1-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B3%D9%88%DB%8C:-%D9%88%D8%B9%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%82-%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%88%D8%AF%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%DB%8C%DB%8C%D9%84-%D8%B1%D8%A7-%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%B9%D8%AA-%D8%A8%D8%AE%D8%B4%DB%8C%D8%AF
Attribution: CCA-SA 4.0 Intl.

Iranian Commander Threatens Pursuit of Nuclear Weapon

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“IRGC Commander Ahmad Haghtalab delivering speech,” IRIB video screenshot, 18 April 2024.

“If the false Zionist regime wants to exploit the threat of attacking our country’s nuclear centers as a tool to put pressure on Iran, it is possible and conceivable to revise the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear doctrine and policies to deviate from previously declared considerations.”

On 18 Aril 2024, Ahmad Haghtalab, an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander the head of security for Iran’s nuclear sites, declared on Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, that “If the fake Zionist regime [of Israel] wants to use the threat of attacking nuclear sites to put pressure on Iran, it is possible and conceivable for [Iran] to revise its nuclear doctrine and policies, and deviate from its past declared considerations.” Haghtalab also threatened that if Israel attacked Iran, Tehran has identified Israeli nuclear sites and would respond in kind in the vein of Operation True Promise. This refers to Iran’s 13 April retaliation after Israel’s strike and killing of several high-ranking IRGC commanders at the Iranian embassy compound in Damascus, Syria earlier in the month. Other Iranian officials have also made public comments in recent months about the revision of the country’s nuclear doctrine. As per the second excerpted article, the IRGC-affiliated Javan newspaper noted that Haghtalab’s comments regarding Iran’s possible nuclear pivot were the first made by a high-ranking IRGC official and were made with “coordination with top decision-making bodies.”  Iran appears to be testing the world stage, and with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in shambles,[i] Tehran may be preparing to fully pursue its nuclear program. Indeed, Iran has been incrementally pulling away from the JCPOA and is now enriching uranium at 60 percent purity—short of the 90 percent purity required to be weapons-grade.[ii] In strategic terms, a nuclear weapon could also be considered a deterrent against forced regime change, and the ailing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, now 85, may be thinking about Iran’s survival post-mortem. Whatever the rationale, the renewed discussions of a nuclear revival merit attention.

Sources:

Source:

“مراکز هسته ای کشور در امنیت کامل هستند (Nuclear centers of the country are completely safe)” Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (state broadcaster), 18 April 2024. https://www.iribnews.ir/00Hf4p

Chief Ahmad Haghtalab, pointing to the Zionist regime’s criminal act by attacking the consulate of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the country of Syria, has stamped out international laws and regulations…

The IRGC commander of the protection and security of the country’s nuclear centers, emphasizing that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran are fully ready, noted: the nuclear sites of the Zionist enemy have the necessary identification and information and is at our disposal, and so to respond to their possible action. Our hands are on the trigger of firing powerful missiles to destroy specified targets.

He said that if the Zionist regime wants to take action against our nuclear centers and facilities, it will definitely and certainly be faced with our reaction…

If the false Zionist regime wants to exploit the threat of attacking our country’s nuclear centers as a tool to put pressure on Iran, it is possible and conceivable to revise the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear doctrine and policies to deviate from previously declared considerations.

Source:

“ اسرائیل تهدید اتمی مقام رسمی سپاه را جدی بگیرد (Israel must take the nuclear threat of the IRGC official seriously) Javan newspaper (daily newspaper closely tied to IRGC), 18 April 2024. https://www.javanonline.ir/0058dL

These statements, which are made for the first time by a senior IRGC official, are of serious importance in some ways…

Israel must take the message of this IRGC commander seriously because the red line of any country is its national security, and if Iran sees that its conventional weapons cannot provide security for its nuclear facilities, it may reconsider its defense and nuclear doctrines…Certainly this comment, which is widely published by the Islamic Republic’s official media, was not without coordination with the higher decision-making bodies of this system.

Notes:

[i] In 2015, five world powers plus Germany signed what became known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which curbed Iran’s controversial nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief “Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action,” The Diplomatic Service of the European Union, 14 July 2015. https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/joint-comprehensive-plan-action_en

[ii] In 2018 the Trump administration withdrew from the 2015 JCPOA deal and reimposed sanctions, despite Tehran having not violating the agreement at the time. See: “President Donald J. Trump is Ending United States Participation in an Unacceptable Iran Deal,” White House, 8 May 2018. https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-ending-united-states-participation-unacceptable-iran-deal/; Francois Murphy, “Iran undoes slowdown in enrichment of uranium to near weapons-grade -IAEA,” Reuters, 26 December 2023. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-undoes-slowdown-enrichment-uranium-near-weapons-grade-iaea-2023-12-26

Image Information:

Image: “IRGC Commander Ahmad Haghtalab delivering speech,” IRIB video screenshot, 18 April 2024.
Source: https://www.iribnews.ir/00Hf4p
Attribution: CCA-SA 4.0 Intl.

Iranian Senior Advisor Believes Resistance Axis Already Defeated Israel

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Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi speaking at ceremony honoring Syria martyrs in Esfahan. He recently articulated that he believes that the Resistance Axis cannot be defeated.

“The Soviet Union,…invaded and occupied Afghanistan in 1979 [and] finally ran away… American occupiers from 2001 to 2021 occupied Afghanistan and Iraq, but you saw how they ran away.”

On 1 April 2024, around six months into the Israel-Hamas war, Israel killed several senior members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in an air strike at the Iranian embassy compound in Damascus, Syria.[i] Speaking to IRGC members and the families of those killed, assistant and senior adviser to the commander-in-chief of the armed forces (referring to the Supreme Leader), Major General Rahim Safavi said that the Resistance Axis—Iran’s proxies in the Middle East such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad—have defeated Israel already. GEN Safavi’s remarks, which were published by the Iranian state broadcaster IRIB on 14 April, are noteworthy because they showed that he believes the international community and public opinion have turned against Israel. GEN Safavi argues that the fight against Israel will prevail because “occupiers… don’t have the durability and survivability.” Despite the high death toll and Israel’s continued push to eradicate Hamas in Gaza, he notes that the demise of the militant group was not possible since it is a deeply embedded ideology in the psyche of Palestinians as part of their “culture of resistance.”[ii]

Using history as a reference, GEN Safavi pointed out how the Soviet Union was unable to defeat the Mujahideen in Afghanistan during the Soviet-Afghan war. This view, which is shared by many in the upper echelons of the Iranian clerical establishment, suggests that the Resistance Axis, despite taking heavy hits by Israel in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, will not be vanquished. In GEN Safavi’s view, the Resistance Axis is winning the battle of hearts and minds, given how the international community and international public opinion have turned against Israel. Thus, regardless of the war’s outcome, GEN Safavi believes that “America and [Israel] have been defeated… and the Resistance Axis has been victorious.” This thinking is what incentivizes Iran to continue materially and financially supporting its proxies in the region because, inevitably, it believes Israel will no longer exist as a country and will be replaced by Palestine.

OE Insight Summary:

Senior advisor to IRN Supreme Leader believes Resistance Axis already defeated ISR because Hamas ideology cannot be eradicated, and ISR is losing international public opinion.

Sources:

“محور مقاومت تعیین کننده سرنوشت آینده منطقه خواهد بود (The Resistance Axis will determine the future fate of the region),” Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (state broadcaster), 7 April 2024.

https://www.iribnews.ir/fa/news/4199860/%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%B1-%D9%85%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%85%D8%AA-%D8%AA%D8%B9%DB%8C%DB%8C%D9%86-%DA%A9%D9%86%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%86%D9%88%D8%B4%D8%AA-%D8%A2%DB%8C%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B7%D9%82%D9%87-%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D9%88%D8%AF

Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, assistant and senior adviser to the commander in chief of the armed forces (referring to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei), said on April 14 in a ceremony honoring and celebrating the efforts and sacrifices of the terrorized martyrs of Damascus (referring to the high-ranking IRGC Quds Force members killed by Israel on April 1, 2024)…

Addressing the martyrs’ families and the IRGC, he referenced three concepts that change events, trends, and strategies and said: The blood of your oppressed martyrs, the blood of the defenders of the shrine (IRGC-linked personnel dispatched overseas separate from Quds Force), the resistance (axis), and the oppressed Palestine—at least 100,000 martyrs and injured in Gaza—will make a big change in events, trends, and strategies of the region and our country will determine the future fate of the region under the leadership of Iran.

He clarified: The events that are happening now and in the future in the West Asian region (Middle East) or in the international environment and the Islamic World are different during the past four decades in terms of politics, culture, economy, and security…

In the last six months, the Zionist regime (Israel) has committed all kinds of crimes and war crimes, genocide, rape, and famine against two million, which is considered to be the summary of the 75-year record of this regime. These criminal actions change the face of the security, international, media, and culture systems of the world.

Major General Rahim Safavi added: Of course, all the crimes that are currently happening in occupied Palestine are being done with the backing/support of America, some Western countries, and the treacherous silence of some Arab and non-Arab countries (Turkey) in the region…

Contrary to what the criminal [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu announced that (Israel) wants to destroy Hamas’ movement and free its prisoners (hostages), we must say that Hamas’ movement is an ideology, a culture of resistance, and a cause of liberation for Palestinians to freely return to their land, the holy Jerusalem’s Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque as the first qibla of Muslims…

Pointing out that no occupying force has been able to remain in any land forever during the past 100 years, he states: by studying history, we see that, for example, the Soviet Union, which at the beginning of the victory of the revolution, invaded and occupied Afghanistan in 1979, finally ran away… American occupiers from 2001 to 2021 occupied Afghanistan and Iraq, but you saw how they ran away…

The powerful occupiers in Islamic and even non-Islamic lands don’t have the durability and survivability because nations fight for the freedom of their lands, and defend their rights, land, and this is a rational and divine tradition…In this very Gaza war, until today, the Palestinian fighters have maintained most of their strength and are resisting and carrying out offensive operations. Whatever happens after the Gaza war indicates that thanks to the blood of the Gaza martyrs, defenders of the holy shrine, Yemen, Lebanese Hezbollah, Iraq, and Syria, America and the Zionists (Israel) have been defeated in this six-month war, and the Resistance Axis has been victorious. With God’s grace, the new Islamic Middle East will be formed, centered on the resistance and Islamic Iran.

Notes:

[i] Susannah George and Mohamad El Chamaa, “Israeli strike on Iranian Consulate in Damascus kills key commander, Iran says,” The Washington Post, 1 April 2024. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/04/01/syria-iran-embassy-strike-israel/

[ii] Aaron Boxerman “What We Know About the Death Toll in Israel From the Hamas-Led Attacks,” The New York Times, 12 November 2023. 1https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/12/world/middleeast/israel-death-toll-hamas-attack.html

Image Information:

Image: Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi speaking at ceremony honoring Syria martyrs in Esfahan. He recently articulated that he believes that the Resistance Axis cannot be defeated.
Source: Iranian Students’ News Agency (semi-official news agency), 12 April 2024. https://www.isna.ir/photo/1403012412626/%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%85-%DA%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%85%DB%8C%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%AA-%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%B4%D9%87%DB%8C%D8%AF-%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%87-%D9%82%D8%AF%D8%B3-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D8%B5%D9%81%D9%87%D8%A7%D9%86#7
Attribution: CCA-SA 4.0 Intl.

Iranian Warships Conduct Joint Naval Drills With China and Russia

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“Shahid Sayyad Shirazi (FS313-03),” Khabar Online (Iranian news website affiliated with reformist political faction), 21 January 2024.

“The new ships added to the IRGC Navy are participating in this joint exercise for the first time and are conducting operations.”

In March, China, Iran, and Russia held joint naval drills in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, known as the 2024 Maritime Security Belt.[i] As part of the fourth group exercise since 2019, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Navy (IRGC-N) deployed two new warships, the Shahid Hassan Bagheri [R1] and Shahid (Ali) Sayyad Shirazi. As noted in the excerpted article from the Iran-based Mehr News Agency, both warships are heavily armed, guided-missile catamarans of the Shahid Soleimani class launched in 2022.[ii] Shahid Soleimani class warships are believed to be the most advanced IRGC-N ships to date and have an operational reach of 5,600 miles.[iii]

According to the second excerpted article from IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency, both ships are named after martyrs of the Iran-Iraq War. The article also provides tech-specs noting, that the warships are powered by four engines, are 67 meters long, travel 45 knots, and carry an array of defense and offensive missiles, and an armed combat helicopter. According to Tasmin, the warships are reportedly capable of traveling 5,500 nautical miles—a slight discrepancy to the 5,600-mile range reported for Shahid Soleimani class ships by Mehr News Agency. In January 2024, another Shahid Soleimani class warship was revealed: the Shahid Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis The ship is named after the commander of the Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella group of Shia militias, whose commander was assassinated along with Soleimani in Iraq. While the Shahid Soleimani class warships are no match for U.S. capabilities, they should not be underestimated. The new additions are part of Iran’s plans to expand its presence in the Persian Gulf and extend its reach from the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean.

OE Insight Summary:

IRN recently added three warships to its navy and deployed two of them during military drills with CHN and RUS in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

Sources:

“حضور ناوهای جدید سپاه در رزمایش مشترک با چین و روسیه دراقیانوس هند (The presence of new IRGC ships in the joint exercise with China and Russia in the Indian Ocean),” Mehr News Agency (semi-official news agency owned by Iranian government’s Islamic Development Organization), 13 March 2024. https://www.mehrnews.com/news/6054031/%D8%AD%D8%B6%D9%88%D8%B1-%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%AC%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%AF-%D8%B3%D9%BE%D8%A7%D9%87-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%B1%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B4-%D9%85%D8%B4%D8%AA%D8%B1%DA%A9-%D8%A8%D8%A7%DA%86%DB%8C%D9%86-%D9%88-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B3%DB%8C%D9%87-%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%88%D8%B3

According to Mehr News, the 2024 (Maritime) Security Belt exercise was conducted with the participation of the countries China, Russia, and Iran with shooting at the designated surface targets.

In this exercise, the Shahid Mahmoudi, Shahid Haj Qasem Soleimani, Shahid Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis warships, Tondar-class Shahid Tavassoli frigate, as well as IRGC maritime helicopters and the heroic soldiers of the Islamic Republic are present.

The new ships added to the IRGC Navy are participating in this joint exercise for the first time and are conducting operations.

“الحاق ۲ ناو رزمی شهید صیاد شیرازی و شهید حسن باقری به نیروی دریایی سپاه (Addition of two warships Shahid (Ali) Sayyad Shirazi and Shahid Hassan Bagheri to the IRGC Navy),” Tasnim News Agency (IRGC-affiliated outlet), 21 January 2024. https://www.tasnimnews.com/fa/news/1402/11/30/3041554/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%82-2-%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%88-%D8%B1%D8%B2%D9%85%DB%8C-%D8%B4%D9%87%DB%8C%D8%AF-%D8%B5%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%B4%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B2%DB%8C-%D9%88-%D8%B4%D9%87%DB%8C%D8%AF-%D8%AD%D8%B3%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D9%86%DB%8C%D8%B1%D9%88%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%A7%DB%8C%DB%8C-%D8%B3%D9%BE%D8%A7%D9%87

According to Tasnim News Agency’s defense correspondent, this morning in Bandar Abbas (a port city), the combat patrol vessels the Shahid (Ali) Sayyad Shirazi and Shahid Hassan Bagheri were joined by the IRGC Naval Combat Organization in the presence of chief of staff of the armed forces Major General Mohammad Bagheri.

These two stealth vessels are of the Shahid (Qasem) Soleimani class, and recently the Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis vessel of this class was unveiled and joined the IRGC-Navy. These ocean-going vessels are catamaran-type with a speed of 45 knots and many offensive and defensive missiles.

These vessels are equipped with a Navab vertical launch missile defense system and a Sayyad cruise missile with a range of 700 kilometers. They are capable of carrying three light missile launchers and an armed combat helicopter. These two IRGC naval vessels are 67 meters long, 20 meters wide, weigh 600 tons, and have four engines. Shahid Bagheri’s vessel was built at the IRGC-N’s specialized vessel center in Bushehr. The Shahid (Ali) Sayyad Shirazi vessel is equipped with Sayyad long-range defense missiles and Navab defense missiles. These vessels are capable of sailing 5,500 nautical miles.

Notes:

[i] According to Iranian Rear Adm. Amrollah Nozari, the exercises cover 6,500 square miles of sea “in an area of strategic importance to the whole world.” See: Brad Lendon, “China, Russia and Iran put on show of force with Mideast naval drills,” CNN, 14 March 2024. https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/13/middleeast/china-russia-iran-navy-drills-intl-hnk/index.html

[ii] The Shahid Soleimani class warships are named in honor of assassinated Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani, who was killed via a U.S. drone strike in Iraq in 2020. For a review of the U.S. strike on Soleimani, See: Michael Crowley, Falih Hassan and Eric Schmitt, “U.S. Strike in Iraq Kills Qassim Suleimani, Commander of Iranian Forces,” The New York Times, 2 January 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/02/world/middleeast/qassem-soleimani-iraq-iran-attack.html

[iii] Eric Wertheim, “Iran’s first VLS missile catamaran,” U.S. Naval Institute, December 2023. https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2023/december/irans-first-vls-missile-catamaran; Farzin Nadimi, “New Iranian Warship Signals Longer Maritime Reach, More Aggressive Strategy,” Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 16 September 2022. https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/new-iranian-warship-signals-longer-maritime-reach-more-aggressive-strategy

Image Information:

Image: “Shahid Sayyad Shirazi (FS313-03),” Khabar Online (Iranian news website affiliated with reformist political faction), 21 January 2024.
Source: https://www.khabaronline.ir/news/1874777/%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%87-%D9%86%D9%81%D8%B3-%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%B3%D9%BE%D8%A7%D9%87-%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%87%DB%8C-%D8%B4%D8%AF%D9%86%D8%AF-%D8%AC%D8%B2%D8%A6%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%B9%DA%A9%D8%B3
Attribution: CCA-SA 4.0 Intl.

Iran Vaunts Benefits of State-Owned Construction Company

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IRGC Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami and Commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters Brigadier General Abdolreza Abed touring preparations for the Grand Mosalla Mosque of Tehran, IRNA (State Media) in March 2024.

“The enemy wanted to prove that ‘we can’t,’ and we had to prove that ‘we can,’ therefore, we were able to overcome the sanctions policy with the power of Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters.”

Iran claims it has been able to circumvent sanctions thanks to an infrastructure entity blacklisted by the United States: the Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Company (KAA). In an address published by state-aligned outlet Moniban News, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander Hossein Salami cheered: “The enemy wanted to prove that ‘we can’t,’ and we had to prove that ‘we can,’ therefore, we were able to overcome the sanctions policy with the power of Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters.”

Established during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), KAA functions as the IRGC’s lead contractor for civilian construction projects as well as its nuclear and ballistic missile projects. This resulted in its blacklist designation by the U.S. Department of the Treasury in 2010, given that its subsidiaries are known to funnel money to the IRGC and are used to fund its activities at home and abroad.[i] In the first excerpted article Salami noted that the KAA has helped the country be more independent and is a “powerful response” to sanctions playing a role in at least thirty sectors, including road and urban development, energy, marine, and oil sectors, and hospital construction. The KAA is considered one of the three main pillars of the IRGC-run economy. (The others are the Basij Cooperative Foundation and IRGC Cooperative Foundation.) Beyond its ability to help Iran circumvent sanctions, KAA has played an important role related to educational and employment opportunities. As per the second excerpted article from the Iranian state-run Entekhab News, Salami also emphasized that KAA has provided opportunities for university students not just in the field of engineering but all higher degrees. Additionally, it has prevented brain drain, a historic problem for Iran that has only increased in recent years due to the dire state of the Iranian economy due to U.S. sanctions and systemic mismanagement and corruption. While Iranian officials tend to fluctuate on whether U.S. sanctions on the country have impacted the economy, the recent comments by the IRGC Commander about the KAA seem to confirm that the punitive measures are not putting the necessary strain on the clerical establishment to change its behavior in the region.

Sources:

“سردار سلامی: بدلیل قدرت قرارگاه سازندگی خاتم الانبیا (ص) از تحریم عبور کردیم (General Salami: Due to the strength of Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters, we overcame sanctions),” Moniban News (State-aligned news. outlet), 3 March 2024.

https://www.moniban.ir/%D8%A8%D8%AE%D8%B4-%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%B3%DB%8C-3/203934-%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%AF%D9%84%DB%8C%D9%84-%D9%82%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%AA-%D9%82%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B1%DA%AF%D8%A7%D9%87-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%86%D8%AF%DA%AF%DB%8C-%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%A8%DB%8C%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%B1%DB%8C%D9%85-%D8%B9%D8%A8%D9%88%D8%B1-%DA%A9%D8%B1%D8%AF%DB%8C%D9%85

Major General Salami added: One of the biggest things the construction headquarters did was refuting the enemy’s particular thinking in this regard. The enemy wanted to prove that ‘we can’t’, and we had to prove that ‘we can,’ therefore, we were able to overcome the sanctions policy with the power of Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters and jihadist bodies like the headquarters.

In explaining the hostile sanctions of Iran’s enemies, the IRGC commander stated: The sanctions policy was not a subjective and unrealistic policy, but rather an operational policy of the enemy, and it was completely objective, real, and tangible. But Islamic Iran, with the jihadist forces of Khatam al-Anbiya, was able to surpass and defeat the enemies of the Iranian nation.

In explaining the ethos of the Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters, he said: The ethos of the Khatam headquarters is not just providing technical work, but rather this headquarters is the heart of the revolution and its ethos is to preserve the political independence of the country, to restore the national self-confidence, and actually making the country not rely on the presence of foreigners, and follows this policy text in its basic actions, and for this reason, it undertakes great works and accepts risks…

Today, the Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters is playing a role in at least thirty various sectors: road and urban development, energy, marine, oil, hospital construction and unique buildings, and the subway.

The commander-in-chief of the IRGC states: The Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters has expanded in various specialized fields, which is a powerful response to the enemy’s sanctions.

“فرمانده کل سپاه: قرارگاه خاتم‌الانبیا جلوی فرار مغز‌ها را گرفت (IRGC Commander-in-chief: Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters prevented the minds from escaping),” Entekhab News (state-run media), 3 March 2023.

https://www.entekhab.ir/fa/news/768073/%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87-%DA%A9%D9%84-%D8%B3%D9%BE%D8%A7%D9%87-%D9%82%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B1%DA%AF%D8%A7%D9%87-%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%85%E2%80%8C%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%A8%DB%8C%D8%A7-%D8%AC%D9%84%D9%88%DB%8C-%D9%81%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%BA%D8%B2%E2%80%8C%D9%87%D8%A7-%D8%B1%D8%A7-%DA%AF%D8%B1%D9%81%D8%AA

General Salami emphasized that the Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters has prevented elite minds from leaving the country. He said: The Khatam headquarters has provided a wide and modern field for technical and industrial elites of our country, and every engineer and doctor with any degree of education can fulfill their dreams during their time at university at the Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters.

Notes:

[i] The Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters was designated in 2010 by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. See: “Treasury Targets Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, 10 February 2010. https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/tg539

Image Information:

Image: IRGC Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami and Commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters Brigadier General Abdolreza Abed touring preparations for the Grand Mosalla Mosque of Tehran, IRNA (State Media) in March 2024.
Source: https://www.irna.ir/news/85406994/%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B4%D9%85%D9%86-%D9%85%DB%8C-%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%AF-%D9%85%D9%84%D8%AA-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%B1%D8%A7-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%B2%D9%87-%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%B3%DB%8C-%D8%AE%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%87-%D9%86%D8%B4%DB%8C%D9%86
Attribution: CCA-SA 4.0 Intl.

Iranian Navy Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches From Warship

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“The moment the Dezful ballistic missile is fired from the Shahid Mahdavi warship in the form of a launch container,” Telegram video screenshot, 13 February 2024

“Nowhere is safe for powers who seek to threaten our security.”

Iran has successfully test-fired two unidentified long-range ballistic missiles with a range of 1,700 kilometers (1,056 miles) from the Shahid Mahdavi, a converted cargo ship operating in the Gulf of Oman. According to the excerpted article published by the news outlet Mehr News Agency, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami commented on the first-time launches with a warning: “Nowhere is safe for powers who seek to threaten our security.” The Shahid Mahdavi functions as a multipurpose aircraft carrier capable of carrying an array of military hardware, including air defense systems, drones, radars, and missiles.[i] The ballistic missiles reportedly hit targets in the Kavir Desert in central Iran.

Iran has the most extensive and diverse missile arsenal in the Middle East and North Africa. It is also the only country to possess a 2,000-kilometer range missile without a nuclear weapon capability.[ii] Iranian officials maintain that Tehran’s decision to acquire ballistic missiles was prompted by the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) in order to deter future missile attacks by enemy countries.[iii] Calling the launch a “success,” Salami was quoted in the first excerpted article as saying that “the range of influence of [Iran’s] sea power has increased to any desired point.”[iv] The second excerpted article from the Iranian media source Khabar Online reports that Salami highlighted that the IRGC is “determined to powerfully defend national security, national interests, and the achievements” of Iran. As tensions in the region remain elevated as part of the Gaza war, and as Iran-backed Houthi rebels continue to attack ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, this new development underscores what happens when Tehran is unchecked by the international community.

Sources:

“شلیک موشک بالستیک دوربرد از ناو جنگی سپاه (Launch of long-range ballistic missile from IRGC warship),” Mehr News Agency (semi-official news agency owned by Iranian government’s Islamic Development Organization), 12 February 2024.

https://www.mehrnews.com/news/6022735/%D8%B4%D9%84%DB%8C%DA%A9-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B4%DA%A9-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%AA%DB%8C%DA%A9-%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%88-%D8%AC%D9%86%DA%AF%DB%8C-%D8%B3%D9%BE%D8%A7%D9%87

Referring to the strength of the IRGC Navy, Major General Salami stated: Our offensive power and naval defense, with the arrival of a multitude of drones, cruise missiles, and even ballistic missiles with the ability to target combat vessels at sea, are very complex and show an interweaving of a combination of up-to-date, advanced, and modern capabilities.

He continued: “In the IRGC Navy, we had new achievements. The first issue was the joint work between the Air Force and IRGC Navy with the launch of a long-range ballistic missile from a warship that was successfully achieved, and with this new success, the range of influence of our sea power has increased to any desired point.”

The IRGC commander-in-chief, also referring to the other capabilities of the IRGC Navy, emphasized: “The oceanliner (warships) can appear anywhere in the oceans, and naturally, when they can launch missiles, nowhere is safe for powers who seek to threaten our security.”

“شلیک موشک بالستیک دوربرد سپاه پاسداران از روی یک ناو جنگی به روایت سردار سلامی (Firing a Revolutionary Guards long-range ballistic missile on a warship according to General Salami),” Khabar Online (Iranian news website affiliated with reformist political factions), 12 February 2024.

https://www.khabaronline.ir/news/1872279/%D8%B4%D9%84%DB%8C%DA%A9-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B4%DA%A9-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%AA%DB%8C%DA%A9-%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%AF-%D8%B3%D9%BE%D8%A7%D9%87-%D9%BE%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%B1%D9%88%DB%8C-%DB%8C%DA%A9-%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%88-%D8%AC%D9%86%DA%AF%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D9%87

According to Khabar Online News Agency, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander-in-Chief General Hossein Salami said in a televised interview with the Revolutionary Guards program on Channel One: “In the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, we are always ready to give our lives for the great Iranian nation and are determined to powerfully defend national security, national interests, and the achievements of the Islamic revolution and must stand against all threats and dangers with all our strength and prevent the formation of new equilibriums in the field of the country’s national security.”

Notes:

[i] The test launch on the Shahid Mahdavi, which was released on video, was a joint project between the IRGC Navy (IRGCN) and Air Force. The type of ballistic missiles used in the exercise was not verified, as several state media outlets have named various missiles with an array of ranges.

[ii] Michael Elleman, “Iran’s Ballistic Missile Program,” Iran Primer, 13 January 2021. https://iranprimer.usip.org/resource/irans-ballistic-missile-program

[iii] Kamran Taremi, “Ballistic Missiles in Iran’s Military Thinking,” Wilson Center, 14 October 2023. https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/ballistic-missiles-irans-military-thinking

[iv] United Nations Security Council Resolution, UNSCR 2231, which once constrained Iran’s ballistic missile-related tests and transfers, expired in October 2023. For additional information, see: “Arms embargo on Iran expires despite US opposition,” Al Jazeera, 18 October 2023. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/10/18/arms-embargo-on-iran-expires-despite-us-opposition

Image Information:

Image: “The moment the Dezful ballistic missile is fired from the Shahid Mahdavi warship in the form of a launch container,” Telegram video screenshot, 13 February 2024
Source: https://t.me/SEPAHCYBERY/83945
Attribution: IRGC Cyber Telegram Channel