Iran, Iraq defense ministries meet in Tehran

 

IRI and Republic of Iraq defense officials share a common table before an elevated portrait of Imam Khomeini 

According to FARS News Agency:

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan and his Iraqi counterpart Sadun Farhan Al-Dulaymi, in a meeting in Tehran on Tuesday, explored avenues for bolstering and reinvigorating the bilateral defense ties between the two neighboring nations.

The Iranian and Iraqi defense ministers underlined the need for the further expansion of the bilateral ties and mutual cooperation between the two countries.

Al-Dulaymi also pointed to the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War, and said, “The war that Saddam imposed on the two countries’ nations has increased the Iraqi government’s incentive for more intimate relations with Iran.”

Al-Dulaymi is heading a high-ranking delegation to Iran, and his visit takes place at the invitation of Brigadier General Dehqan.

The Iraqi army’s chief of staff as well as the country’s ground force, air force and navy commanders are accompanying Al-Dulaymi during his visit to Iran, which will be his second since he was appointed as Iraq’s defense minister.

Definitely not what the Bush administration had in mind when invading Iraq ten years ago.

It's presumed the IRGC is suggesting solutions that previously worked for Iran to be applied in Iraq's current counter-terror efforts, as well as discussing military-related consequences of the ongoing Takfiri fight in neighboring Syria.

President Rouhani's pick for defense minister: Hossein Dehghan

 

Hossein Dehghan is a retired Iranian brigadier general designated as defense minister by President Hassan Rouhani, on August 4, 2013. According to a RAND report dated 2009:

[Hossein Dehghan is a former] Deputy to the president and director of the Bonyad-e Shahid va Omur-e Isargaran (Foundation for the Martyrs and the Affairs of Self-Sacrificers), former commander of IRGC of Tehran, former acting commander of IRGC of Isfahan (District 2, National), former commander of IRGC of Lebanon, former commander of District 1 of Sarallah and Sarallah Operations Headquarters, former acting commander of the Air Force of IRGC (Niru-ye Hava’i-ye Sepah-e Pasdaran), former commander of the IRGC Air Force, former acting chairman of the joint headquarters of the IRGC [and] former general manager of the Cooperatives Foundation of the IRGC

In 2010, Dehghan was appointed secretary of the Expediency Council's political, defense and security committee. In addition, he served as an advisor to the former President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad. [Source: Wikipedia]

Addressing Iran's parliament during the confirmation process for defense minister, Dehghan has provided his vision as defense minister. This includes:

* Preserving the independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

* Increase participation in peace and stabilization policies, with emphasis on regional balances.

* Promote Iran defense industry capabilities in meeting strategic requirements.

* Emphasis on passive defense in compliance with the requirements of development projects and land use planning.

* Soft power enhancement by means of increased visibility and positive image of the armed forces.

* Linking knowledge, power and strategy in industry and Iranian DoD missions.

Further details entail:

* Air defense research,  air defense missile systems, radar detection, recognition and tracking, advanced AD command and control.

* ICT: stable, secure communications, electronic warfare and cyber defense.

* Naval priorities: light and heavy combat ships, submarines, and further development of anti-ship weapons.

* Aerial priorities:: further UAV development, optimizing local production [upgrades] of combat, support and commercial aircraft as well as rotary wing aircraft.

* Aerospace: improved performance and precision of SSMs, TELs, satellites and ground stations (directing, controlling and receiving).

* Refinements of tactical and technical capabilities of Artesh weapons, ammunition and equipment.

* Police and Border: technical support, manufacturing and supply of equipment and materials, fullfilling requirements of law enforcement mission requirements.

Suggested further reading and the source for reporting on Dehghan's confirmation process can be found at mashreghnews.ir or by clicking HERE.

Iran's defense minister in Afghanistan - pictorial

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Iran's Defense Minister IRGC Brig. Gen. Vahidi (center) arrives in Kabul; his IRIG Dassault Falcon 50 visible in the background. Vahidi's delegation includes three other IRGC generals (one not shown).

Afghanistan's Defense Minister Wardak with Iran's Defense Minister Vahidi.

Afghanistan's security delegation (left) seated across Iran's. Both nations are Islamic Republics.

Vahidi seated next to Afghanistan's Second Vice President Abdulkarim Khalili. Khalili is an ethnic Hazara Shiite.

Vahidi with First Vice President Mohammad Qasim Fahim.

Photos: Vahid Reza Alaei at Fars News Agency

New Coastal AShM Systems Delivered to Iran Navy

According to Fars News Agency:

Iran's Defense Ministry has supplied a number of newly developed anti-ship coastal cruise missile systems to the country's Navy as part of the country's broader plan for enhancing its defense capabilities.

The new coast-to-sea missile systems were officially transferred to the country's Navy in a ceremony attended by Commander of the Iranian Army's Navy Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari and Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi.

"These sites have been developed in three types, including light sites, independent sites and extensive sites that include target detection, missile launch pads, radar guidance systems," Vahidi noted, adding that all the designing and development phases of these sites have been carried out by the Iranian experts.

Vahidi noted that deployment of these systems along coastal lines will provide Iran with the capability to identify, detect and destroy multiple targets thorough a single command and control center.

click photos to enlarge

New mobile AShM triple-launcher

Three such AShM triple-launcher systems on display

Close-up detail of swivel-mounted box launchers

Marine Industries Organization (MIO) facility

IRGC Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi at the transfer ceremony. He has certainly aged during his tenure as Iran's Defense Minister.

Iran Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari.

Photos: Vahid Reza Alaei at FARS News Agency and JameJamOnline.ir

Change at Iran's Ministry of Defense

The Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution and Commander-in Chief of the Armed Forces Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei decreed on Wednesday the appointment of Hojjatoleslam Jamaleddin Mirmohammadi as head of the Ideological-Political Organization of the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics. The decree urges Mirmohammadi to concentrate on upgrading spiritual qualifications of the ministry personnel.