Saudi Arabia Parades its Ballistic Missiles

Example of Chinese DF-3/fas.org

For the first time ever the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has publicly displayed its Chinese-made DF-3 (Dong Feng-3) missiles in a parade attended by dignitaries from Bahrain, Kuwait and the UAE – all of course fellow Gulf Cooperation Council member states.

The missiles were paraded at the end of the Saudi kingdoms largest military exercise -- the 'Saif Abdullah'.

It was in March 1988 China provided Saudi Arabia DF-3's with conventional warheads. Guesstimates about how many of these missiles the Saudis have range from 30 to 120.

The missile accuracy is very poor and it is of course very antiquated. They have been around since the early 1970's and are the oldest IRBM's China has in its arsenal.

 

Last July satellite images revealed a surface-to-surface missile base located in the Saudi desert – 200km west-southwest of Riyadh – with launch pads pointing these DF-3 missiles, which have a range of approximately 2500km, at Tel Aviv and Tehran respectively. 

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On the topic of Saudi-Iran relations Arash Karami at Al-Monitor last week wrote up an analysis about the controversy stirred among hard-liners in Iran over a warm meeting between Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani and the new Saudi appointed ambassador to Iran, Abdulrahman Bin Groman Shahri. Throughout the course of the meeting Mr. Rafsanjani made clear his desire to see a reduction in the tensions between the two nations stressing that, "If the two countries are harmonized on regional issues and the Islamic world, seditionists will not be able to induce differences between Muslims."

Shia military funeral for Badr Military Wing fighter

Taking place last Friday at Al Diwaniyah, Iraq, a Shia military funeral procession for Na'me Fazel, a Badr Military Wing volunteer killed in action in Syria. Note large placard of Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei.

Funeral box for Na'me Fazel, a Badr Military Wing volunteer killed in action in Syria. Placard includes image of Fazel in field dress uniform, as well imagery of Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei

Badr Organization members and affiliates at the Shia military funeral held at Al Diwaniyah, Iraq. Note Iraqi national flag hoisted beside decorated funeral box for Na'me Fazel.

Twenty-six years old Na'me Fazel, a Badr Military Wing volunteer killed in action in Syria. Self-depictions for Shia fighting forces engaged in the Syrian conflict customarily include reference to the defense of the Hazrat Zainab shrine.

Photos: ABNA.ir and AhlulBayt News Agency

Rouhani Defends Negotiations for Nuclear Agreement

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani today defended nuclear negotiations with the West, insisting that a comprehensive agreement would benefit the majority of Iranians.

“The people are very happy about the sanctions being lifted,” Rouhani said during a primetime interview on state TV. (IRNA/AFP, 29 April)

Rouhani also said better relations with the United States were possible.

“Relations (with the U.S.) have been and will be difficult,” but it was possible that “tensions... can be reduced.”

Rouhani condemned those who profited from the sanctions while ordinary citizens suffered.

“A small, fringe group is very angry about it (nuclear agreement and lifting of sanctions) because they will suffer losses,” under a nuclear deal, Rouhani said

He singled out Babak Zanjani, who reportedly traded state oil through private channels with the support from IRGC.  Rouhani said Zanjani “pocketed $3 billion.”

File photo: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (AFP) 

Iran Cancels $2.5 Billion Oil Contract with China for Non-Compliance

Iran today cancelled a $2.5 billion contract with China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC), citing the company's failure to fulfill its contract at the giant South Azadegan field.

The first phase of the agreement, signed in 2009, was for CNPC to drill 185 wells, but state-owned company had only drilled seven wells in the past five years. The South Azadegan field is situated at the border region with Iraq. CNPC was to target production of 600,000 barrels per day at the field, which is one of the world’s biggest with reserves of about 42 billion barrels.

“Due to non-compliance by the Chinese company CNPC, the termination of the contract will be issued,” said Rokneddin Javadi, managing director of the National Iranian Oil Company. (AFP, 29 April)

Meanwhile, Iran announced that its annual oil show, the International Oil, Gas, refining and Petrochemical Exhibit, will be held on 6-9 May. Iran will highight the terms of  its new oil contract to lure Western oil giants into investing in its oil infrastructure after years of absenteeism due to sanctions. It is doubtful, however, that the companies would sign any contracts prior to a comprehensive nuclear agreement and removal of all sanctions against Iran.

File photo: Azadegan Field, Iran. (AFP)

Iraqi parliamentary election polling center in Mashhad, Iran

Young Iraqi Shia pilgrims in the holy city of Mashhad line up and present personal documents to vote in Iraq's 2014 parliamentary elections.

Elderly Iraqi woman is presented a ballot. Note the ballot's enormous size.

Young Iraqi woman, passport in hand, having a ballot readied by an election worker

Woman election observer on hand at Iraqi parliamentary election center in Mashhad, Iran

Iranian officers from NAJA providing security at Iraqi parliamentary election center in Mashhad, Iran

A family of Iraqi pilgrims display inked fingers, having voted at an Iraqi parliamentary election center in Mashhad, Iran. Back in their homeland, armed groups opposing participatory political institutions in Iraq (and Syria) are waging a war of terror, principally supported by a regional power lacking both a constitution and representative form of governance.

Photos: Jafar Kaboutari

INEGMA Symposium on Missile and Air Defense

Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis (INEGMA) on Sunday concluded its Middle East Missile and Air Defense Symposium (MEMAD 2014) conference in Abu Dhabi. Subject matter experts in air and missile defense and military and defense industry officials attended the two-day conference.

Michael Codner, a senior research fellow at RUSI Defense Systems, discussing the future of cruise missile capabilities in the Gulf, said, “Iranian cruise missiles are predominantly anti-ship and used for coastal protection, but it is not difficult to change their role either temporarily or permanently.” (INEGMA, 28 April)

Iran’s cruise missile program is developed on Chinese technology, and the conference participants emphasized that China is and will be a “benchmark” for future capabilities in Iran.

“Chinese cruise missile development will give a key indication as to what is likely to be available to Iran,” Codner said. “It would be wrong to assume that China will be an automatic ally to any adversarial power in the Gulf, but it is a benchmark for future threat capabilities.” 

Rear Admiral James Loeblein, deputy commander of U.S. NAVCENT, said, “When short distances are combined with proliferation of advanced cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, the maritime environment can be exceedingly complex… But it also provides us with a tremendous tactical advantage by compressing the opposition's command and control timeline.” 

File photo: Iranian “Ghader” cruise missile, which can be launched from shore, sea and air. (FNA)

'Beit ol-Moghaddas' rapid reaction battalion exercises at Tehran

During the past week, IRGC Mohammad Rasulollah Corps led a two-day “Ala Beit ol-Moghaddas” ("Towards Jerusalem") exercise within Tehran's "five geographical regions."

Left to right:
- Unidentified IRGC Brigadier General 2C, likely in command of assembled 'Beit ol-Moghaddas' rapid reaction battalion exercises
- Commander of Basij, Brigadier General Mohammad-Reza Naqdi
- Commander of Mohammad Rasulollah Corps, IRGC Brigadier General Mohsen Kazemeini

Iranian leadership inspecting assembled 'Beit ol-Moghaddas' rapid reaction battalion for Greater Tehran region

IRGC training deputy among 'Beit ol-Moghaddas' rapid reaction battalion force members

 

An IRGC military brass band (!)

At another geographic region of Tehran, IRGC second lieutenant among elements of 'Beit ol-Moghaddas' rapid reaction battalion. Exercise reportedly included troop movements, ambushes, exercise-related road building efforts, anti-helicopter operations and passive defense measures

IRGC training deputies among ordered columns of 'Beit ol-Moghaddas' rapid reaction battalion

Iran-Iraq war veteran member of 'Beit ol-Moghaddas' rapid reaction battalion

Demonstration of tripod-mounted DShK type heavy machine gun

Setup of firing position for PKM type general machine gun 

Demonstration of PKM type general machine gun 

Extended column of Basij light infantry participating in 'Beit ol-Moghaddas' rapid reaction battalion exercise

Study of young Basij light infantrymen participating in 'Beit ol-Moghaddas' rapid reaction battalion exercise

Situated armor props include decommissioned Ch'ŏnma-ho I (Ga) variant T-62 tank and ZSU-57-2 self-propelled anti-aircraft gun,

IRGC leadership involved in the exercises, including Lieutenant Commander of Basij, Brigadier General Ali Fazli (standing, 2nd from left).

Photo credits:
Milad Alaei, Majid Asgaripour and Azin Haghighi at Fars News Agency
Payam Sani at Mehr News Agency

Iran Shuts Down Ebtekar, A Reformist Newspaper

Iran banned reformist newspaper Ebtekar on Saturday for spreading “lies.” The charge of spreading lies generally means the Iranian authorities were not all that happy about the paper’s reporting and its reformist political leaning.

“I received a note from media court which said a ban has been imposed on the daily for spreading lies,” Mohammad Ali Vakili, managing director of Ebtekar said in Tehran (ISNA, 27 April.)

Ebtekar’s closing makes it third reformist newspaper to be shut down by authorities in recent months. In February, the reformist daily "Aseman" was banned. "Bahar," another reformist newspaper, was closed down in October.

Photo credit: Ebtekar’s front page. (RFE/RL)

Abdullah Is Clear Front Runner in Afghan Election

Abdullah Abdullah, a longtime opponent of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, emerged Saturday as the clear front-runner in Afghanistan’s presidential election. In preliminary results released today, Abdullah had won 45 percent of the vote, not enough to avoid a runoff with Ashraf Ghani, a former World Bank economist and a Karzai advisor, who had won 32 percent. (The New York Times, 26 April)

Abdullah, if he wins in the second round, would be expected to sign bilateral security agreement with the United States. He has been a harsh critic of Karzai on the issue, saying Karzai’s refusal to sign the BSA had imperiled Afghanistan’s security in the midst of a war. U.S. and NATO have said without the BSA, they would not retain any troops in the country beyond their major drawdown of forces in December.

In a sign of alignment of U.S. and Iranian interests in Afghanistan, Iran was also seen as favoring Abdullah’s presidency.

Photo credit: Abdullah Abdullah, shown at his residence in Kabul on Thursday 24 April 2014. (The New York Times)

Iran's replica carrier intended for military training - IRGC-N commander

According to Iranian armed forces media outlet Defa Press, IRGC-N Commander Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi publicly stated that the purpose of Iran's "scale replica" USN Nimitz class aircraft carrier is for use in future training exercises involving IRGC-ASF, IRGC-N, IRIN and IRIAF forces.

As for previous Iranian media claims that the replica carrier's purpose is that of a "movie prop," the IRGC-N commander dismissed such reports as being "meaningless."

Rendering of Iran's replica USN Nimitz class aircraft carrier under construction at the ISOICO shipyard near Bandar Abbas, Note VFA-103 and VFA-31 markings on aircraft props.

Rendering of the stern of Iran's replica USN Nimitz class aircraft carrier

File photo: IRGC-N Commander Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi

Renderings/photos: Defa Press and Press TV

95% of Iranians Ask to Receive Monthly Cash Handouts

Costing Iran’s Treasury $1.3 Billion Monthly - Rouhani’s First Political Defeat

After weeks of unrelenting and aggressive media campaign, enlisting celebrities, sports heroes and religious figures, Rouhani administration could not convince Iranians to forego the 445,000-rial ($18) monthly cash handouts to help the country with its financial crisis. Fully 95 percent of citizens, 73 million people, have asked to receive the cash, which will amount to $1.3 billion monthly bill for the government.

Former president Ahmadinejad started the monthly cash handouts in a populist move to supposedly soften the blow of cutting energy and food subsidies. But the program produced 45 percent inflation; eating considerably into the purchasing power of the people it was intended to help. Rouhani, highlighting the fact and figures, hoped to convince people that the program was a bad idea. But neither his charm offensive, nor those of the celebrities whose help he enlisted, could convince the people to forego handouts. The citizens by their choice in effect handed Rouhani his first major political defeat.

The bad news came on the day the government's second phase of subsidy reform went into effect, practically increasing gasoline prices to $1.50 per gallon. The continuation of cash handouts to 95 percent of population and higher gasoline prices could now push the inflation much higher.

The rial, reacting to fear of high inflation, is losing its value against dollar. Meanwhile, the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) announced today that the cost of its basket of consumer and industrial goods is rising at a 32 percent annual inflation rate.

Combat aircraft of Iran Military Day 2014

Additional photos of IRIAF aircraft participating at Iran Military Day 2014, Tehran / Mehrabad TAB 1

Foreground: IRIAF Grumman F-14AM Tomcat "Modernized" from TAB 8, serial 3-6049 / 160347 (cn H-49)

Background:  IRIAF Sukhoi Su-24MK "Fencer" of 72nd TFS (TAB 7), serial 3-6858

Foreground: IRIAF Grumman F-14AM Tomcat "Modernized" from TAB 8, serial 3-6049 / 160347 (cn H-49)

Background: IRIAF Sukhoi Su-24MK "Fencer" likely of 71st Training Squadron (TAB 7), serial 3-6809

IRIAF Grumman F-14AM Tomcat "Modernized" from TAB 8, serial 3-6049 / 160347 (cn H-49)

Foreground: IRIAF Grumman F-14A Tomcat from TAB 8, serial 3-6002 / 160330 (cn H-02)

Background: IRIAF Grumman F-14A Tomcat from TAB 8, partial serial 3-607x

IRIAF Grumman F-14A Tomcat from TAB 8, serial 3-6045 / 160343 (cn H-45)

IRIAF Grumman F-14A Tomcat from TAB 8, serial 3-6067 / 160365 (cn H-67)

Foreground: IRIAF Sukhoi Su-24MK "Fencer" of 72nd TFS (TAB 7), serial 3-6858

Background: IRIAF Sukhoi Su-24MK "Fencer" likely of 71st Training Squadron (TAB 7), serial 3-6809

Foreground: IRIAF Sukhoi Su-24MK "Fencer" likely of 71st Training Squadron (TAB 7), serial 3-6809

Background: IRIAF Grumman F-14A Tomcat from TAB 8, serial 3-6045  / 160343 (cn H-45)

IRIAF Sukhoi Su-24MK "Fencer" possibly likely of 71st Training Squadron (TAB 7), serial 3-6809

IRIAF Sukhoi Su-24MK "Fencer" likely of 71st Training Squadron (TAB 7), serial 3-6809

IRIAF Sukhoi Su-24MK "Fencer" of 72nd TFS (TAB 7), serial 3-6858

IRIAF Sukhoi Su-24MK "Fencer" likely of 71st Training Squadron (TAB 7), serial 3-6809

IRIAF Dassault Mirage F1EQ-6 of 102nd TFS (TAB 10), serial 3-6211

IRIAF Dassault Mirage F1BQ-3 of 102nd TFS (TAB 10), serial 3-6403

Left to Right:

IRIAF Dassault Mirage F1EQ-6 of 102nd TFS (TAB 10), serial 3-6209

IRIAF Dassault Mirage F1BQ-3 of 102nd TFS (TAB 10), serial 3-6403

IRIAF Dassault Mirage F1EQ-6 of 102nd TFS (TAB 10), serial 3-6211

IRIAF Dassault Mirage F1BQ-3 of 102nd TFS (TAB 10), serial 3-6405

IRIAF Northrop (Owj) F-5E "Saeghe" of 23rd TFS (TAB 2), serial 3-7368 (cn S110-003)

IRIAF McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II of 61st TFS (TAB 6), serial 3-6646

Foreground: IRIAF McDonnell Douglas F-4E "Dowran" of 91st TFS (TAB 9), serial 3-6649

Background: IRIAF Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29UB (9-51) "Fulcrum" of 11th TFS (TAB 1), serial 3-6304

IRIAF McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II of 31st TFS (TAB 3), serial 3-6682

IRIAF McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II of 31st TFS (TAB 3), serial 3-6615

IRIAF McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II of 31st TFS (TAB 3), serial 3-6615

IRIAF McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II of 31st TFS (TAB 3), serial 3-6682

IRIAF McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II of 31st TFS (TAB 3), serial 3-6615

Foreground: IRIAF McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II of 61st TFS (TAB 6), serial 3-6646

Background: IRIAF McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II of 61st TFS (TAB 6), serial 3-6548  / 11095 (cn 4301)

Foreground: IRIAF McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II. serial 3-6669

Background: IRIAF Grumman F-14A Tomcat from TAB 8, serial 3-6045  / 160343 (cn H-45)

Lineup of IRIAF McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II aircraft

IRIAF Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29UB (9-51) "Fulcrum" of 11th TFS (TAB 1), serial 3-6304

Lineup of IRIAF Northrop F-5F Tiger II, Nortrop (Owj) F-5E "Saeghe" and Nortrop (HESA) F-5E "Saeghe" aircraft

IRIAF Chengdu FT-7N Airguard of 85th TFS (TAB 8), serial 3-7704

Photo credits: Habib Noei Oskuyi, Mrd Asa, Erfan Arabzadeh and Hamidreza Jafari