Iran Denies Operating Espionage Network in Yemen

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast today denied allegations made by Yemeni president that Iran was meddling in Yemen’s domestic affairs. On Thursday, Yemeni President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi said his country has uncovered an active Iranian espionage network operating inside Yemen.

Afghanistan Maps Its Minerals – Explorations Begin

Afghanistan has become the first country whose surface minerals have been mapped from the air. The "hyperspectral imaging" produces reflections of light shone from an aircraft resulting in specific colors for different minerals.

The survey sponsored by U.S. Defense Department’s Task Force for Business and Stability Operations (TFBSO) and conducted by the US Geological Survey (USGS) has so far produced a mineral map which comprises more than 800 million data points corresponding to an area of 440,000 sq km, some 70 percent of the country.

In 2010, the TFBSO team had identified vast reserves of copper, cobalt, gold, lithium, oil, and gas in the country, estimating the value of the country’s reserves at a trillion dollars. In 2012, the first two of more than 30 world-class mines were put up for international tenders by Afghanistan’s Ministry of Mines. The exploration rights for a major iron mine was awarded to a consortium of Indian companies and a Chinese state-owned oil company won the right to explore an oil field.

Currently four large copper and gold mines are being tendered, with more than 20 companies from across the world participating in the bidding process. The early phase of the tender process for the Afghan-Tajik oil field has also begun. ExxonMobil is one of the companies that has filed an Expression of Interest to explore the vast oil field.

The recent USGS's hyperspectral imaging will now help to pin down which economically viable minerals are where.

"This is a tremendous tool for the Afghan government for locating and identifying its myriad rich mineral deposits," said TFBSO Director Jim Bullion.

"These maps clearly show the enormous size and variety of Afghanistan's mineral wealth and position the country to become a world leader in the minerals sector," Bullion added.

Photo Credit: The data distinguish a range of different minerals / USGS

Panetta Warns Iran against Attempts to Close Hormuz

The United States has the military capacity to defeat any Iranian attempt to shut down sea commerce in the Persian Gulf region and will hold Tehran directly responsible for shipping disruptions, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said today. 



“The United States is fully prepared for all contingencies here,” Panetta told reporters in Washington. “We've invested in capabilities to ensure that the Iranian attempt to close down shipping in the Gulf is something that we are going to be able to defeat, if they make a decision to do that.”


“The Iranians need to understand that the United States and the international community are going to hold them directly responsible for any disruption of shipping in that region, by Iran or for that matter by its surrogates,” Panetta added. (Reuters)

UPDATE: IRGC deputy naval commander Brig. Gen. Mahmoud Fahimi said in Tehran that U.S. cannot clear Persian Gulf waters of mines in case of conflict.


"The Americans boast a lot about many things, but they are facing problems in practice," Gen. Fahimi said. "We have no doubt that the United States cannot do anything in the area of minesweeping." (Fars New Agency, 18 July)

Israel Blames Iran for Bulgaria Bus Attack

At least six Israeli tourists were killed and more than 30 wounded today in an attack on a bus at an airport in Bulgaria. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said "all signs point to Iran."

“Israel will respond forcefully to Iranian terror,” Netanyahu said. “In the past few months we have seen attempts by Iran to harm Israelis in Thailand, India, Georgia, Kenya, Cyprus and other places.” (AFP, 18 July)

UPDATE: Iran's state TV calls the claim by Prime Minister Netanyahu of Iran’s involvement in the suicide attack in Bulgaria "ridiculous" and "sensational."

20 Nations to Stage Anti-Mining Exercise in Middle East

The U.S. Defense Department has announced that 20 nations will stage a joint anti-mining exercise in multiple waterways in the region on 16-27 September. The exercise will focus on countermeasures against any threats, presumably from Iran, to mine the strategic waterways. (Associated Press)

“This is a defensive exercise aimed at preserving freedom of navigation in the international waterways of the Middle East and aimed at promoting regional stability,” Defense Department spokesman George Little told reporters on Tuesday. (AP, 18 July)

The exercise will practice mine countermeasures in multiple waterways. It will demonstrate "the international community's ability to work together to ensure free and secure trade," said CENTCOM Commander Gen. James Mattis.

Word of the exercise follows Monday’s announcement that the U.S. Navy will deploy aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis to the Persian Gulf/Arabian Sea in September. The Pentagon also recently doubled the number of minesweepers in the region. And it sent the USS Ponce, an amphibious transport dock recently retrofitted to become an afloat forward staging base in the Persian Gulf.

The Pentagon has not released the name of the other nations participating in the exercise, leaving it to individual countries to make the announcement.

Quiet, Quiet… Hush!

“In regular days, very clear messages are passed from Washington to Jerusalem over the phone. Today, what lies at stake is important and disturbing enough to withstand the heat and jet lag.”

Quiet, Quiet… Hush!

An Israeli perspective by Ofer Shelah (Ma’ariv)

Translated by Viktoria Lymar (IranEdge)

Reprinted with permission from IranEdge.com

Photo Credit: IranEdge.com

Kadima Pulls Out of Israeli Government

Israel plunged toward a political crisis today after the largest party in the government quit the governing coalition. Kadima Party, the more moderate member of the coalition, voted to pull out of the government in a feud over granting draft exemptions to ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students. Kadima is led by Shaul Mofaz, a former IDF chief of general staff (he was born in Tehran in 1948), and will now join the opposition. The move might force Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to call for early elections. In the meantime, Israel will be led by a coalition with a narrow parliamentary majority dominated by religious and nationalist hard-liners. 

Iran VP Blames West for Drought – It Then Begins to Rain, a True Story!

Iran’s Vice President Hassan Mousavi said on Monday that the West was using new technology to create a drought condition in Iran.

“The world arrogance and colonist (the U.S. and the EU) are influencing Iran’s climate conditions using new technology... The drought is an acute issue and soft war is completely evident... This level of drought is not normal,” Mousavi said. (Fars News Agency/AFP/businessinsider.com)

Moments after the VP made the pronouncement, it began to rain. It really did.

Iran Hopes for Resumption of Nuclear Talks – Foreign Ministry

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said today in Tehran that Iran hopes for resumption of high-level nuclear talks with the major powers. He added the July 24 technical meeting in Istanbul between Iran's No. 2 negotiator Ali Bagheri and Helga Schmid, EU deputy foreign policy chief, will be key to the resumption of the stalled negotiations. 

Recent reports indicate that the P5+1 countries are undecided if they want to resume the negotiations at ministerial levels, citing lack of success in three rounds of talks recently; with the U.S. reportedly saying it will not engage in talks for the sake of talking. 

Clinton: U.S. Will Use ‘All Its Power’ to Prevent Nuclear Iran

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, wrapping up a visit to Israel today, said the U.S. will do everything in its power to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Clinton added that although diplomacy is going nowhere, Iran still has time to “make the right choice.”

“Iran’s leaders still have the opportunity to make the right decision,” Clinton said. She added that, “We will use all elements of American power to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.”

“The proposals (from Iran) we have seen thus far are nonstarters,” Clinton said. “Despite three rounds of talks, Iran has yet to make a strategic decision to address the international community’s concerns. So we are pressing forward in close consultation with Israel. I think it is absolutely fair to say we are on the same page trying to figure our way forward to have the maximum impact.” (The Times of Israel, 16 July)

Photo Credit: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Ohad Zwigenberg/Pool/Flash90/The Times of Israel

Major Powers Undecided Over New Round of Talks with Iran

The Times of Israel reported today that the six major powers are undecided over whether to schedule a new ministerial-level round of talks with Iran. David Horovitz, the Times editor, writes that the P5+1 is contemplating to formally call a temporary halt to the process of negotiating with Iran on its nuclear program. The Americans in particular, citing that ministerial level talks have not made significant progress, have reportedly said they will not engage in talks for the sake of talking.

Lower-level technical meetings, the first of which was held in Istanbul on July 3, with another scheduled again for Istanbul next week, could still continue. These sessions are aimed at clarifying positions between the sides. (The Times of Israel, 16 July)

UAE Starts Up Pipeline to Bypass Strait of Hormuz

The United Arab Emirates today inaugurated an overland oil pipeline that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz. The 380-kilometer (236-mile) Abu Dhabi Crude Oil (ADCO) Pipeline links the country’s oilfields in Abu Dhabi across western desert and over Hajar Mountains to the port city of Fujairah on the UAE’s Indian Ocean coast, south of the Strait of Hormuz.

The ADCO pipeline is designed to carry up to 1.8 million barrels a day of crude, allowing the Emiratis to ship as much as two-thirds of its peak production through Fujairah. The pipeline gives the country an insurance against any possible blockage of the strait. (AP, 15 July)

Iran Ready to Talk with Syrian Opposition - FM

Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said today in Tehran that Iran is ready to start dialogue with the Syrian opposition and to host talks between the opposition groups and the Syrian government in an effort to bring an end to the conflict in the country. (Fars News Agency, 15 July)

Salehi’s remarks represent a major shift in Iran’s policies toward Assad and the deepening crisis in Syria. Until now, Iran viewed the opposition groups as terrorists bent on destroying their country at the behest of the Western powers. But recognizing the legitimacy of the opposition and their place in a transition government of national unity could indeed be a major boost to attempts at ending the crisis. 

Iran Auto Production Plunges by 36 Percent

Iran's auto production fell by more than 36 percent over the past three months, ISNA news agency reported today.

The production fell to 241,500 vehicles in the first quarter of the Iranian year (March 21 to June 20). Iran produced more than 1.5 million vehicles in the last calendar year. The decline coincides with the halt of parts deliveries to Iran by French manufacturer Peugeot due to sanctions.

Peugeot is a partner of the main Iranian automaker Iran Khodro (IKCO), which manufactures the 405 and 206 models in Iran, accounting for approximately 40 percent of Iranian automobile production.

The head of the Iranian Association of Automobile Manufacturers, Ahmad Nematbaksh, told ISNA that the drop in production is due to the "lack of money available to the manufacturers" given by the state, which caused a "cash crisis."

The business daily Donaye Eghtesad said the decline in production is "unprecedented in the past 20 years."

Photo Credit: Iran's leading automaker IKCO unveils the new "Dena" in Tehran last year. (AFP Photo/Atta Kenare)

No Poverty in Iran - Friday Prayer Imam

From Hojatoleslam Sediqi’s sermons at the Friday Prayer yesterday in Tehran:

• "Poverty does not exist in Iran." 
• "If we really wanted to have relationships with the West, we would not have revolted (against the Shah)."

 The popular news site Tabnak responds to Sadiqi’s remarks on the absence of poverty in the country.

• "The question is, Could we eliminate poverty and its ugly manifestations by denial of realities on the ground?"

Sadiqi’s remarks on the goal of the Islamic revolution: If indeed the principle goal of the clergy who imposed themselves as the leaders of the revolution was to break relations with the West, they have indeed succeeded. 

Iran’s Aging Airliner Fleet Seen as Faltering Under U.S. Sanctions - NYT

After 17 years of U.S. sanctions that have prevented Iran from buying new Western planes and spare parts, the country’s civilian aircraft are far past their normal years of service and rarely a year goes by without major airline accidents. Most Iranian planes are forbidden to operate within the EU for safety reasons. Anger over sanctions.

To read the New York Times article, please click here.

Iran Will Soon Make Embargo Ineffective – Oil Minister

Iran’s Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi said today in Tehran that his office has drawn up plans to make EU embargo of Iranian oil ineffective. Qasemi did not disclose any details on how the plans will work, but the Iranian officials had earlier said they are organizing a consortium of private companies to bypass the embargo. (shana.ir/AP)

Will Netanyahu Pay for His Choice?

“This is the only October positioned a month before the United States presidential election, a month when President Obama is quite paralyzed, – even if Israel invades California, he’ll have to laud it.”

An Israeli perspective written by Ben Caspit (Ma’ariv) 

and translated by Viktoria Lymar (IranEdge)

IranEdge.com is a new blog published in Israel on the Iranian nuclear situation. The blogger Viktoria Lymar ably translates articles originally published in Hebrew that represent the Israeli perspectives on the nuclear situation; articles generally not accessible to non-Hebrew-speaking public. This is the first of such translations reprinted here with the permission of IranEdge.com and Ms. Lymar: 
Will Netanyahu Pay for His Choice?

Photo Credit: IranEdge.com

Iran Will Be Nuclear Armed by 2014 – MI6

Britain's foreign intelligence (MI6) chief John Sawers said in a rare public speech in London that Iran will become armed with nuclear weapons within two years. The Daily Telegraph broke the news on Friday.

Sawers also said that the MI6 agents had foiled Iran's attempts to produce a nuclear weapon as long as four years ago.

"You'd have Iran as a nuclear weapons state in 2008 rather than still being two years away in 2012," Sawers said.

When Iran does finally acquire nuclear status, the MI6 chief warned that Israel and the US "would face huge dangers".

"I think it will be very tough for any prime minister of Israel or president of the United States to accept a nuclear-armed Iran," Sir John suggested.

Source: AFP, 13 July 2012

Baghdad in Talks with Syrian Opposition and Government - FM

Iraq’s Foreign Minister Hoshiar Zebari said during an interview with Al Arabiya that Baghdad was in talks with both the Syrian government and the opposition.

“(We) have held meetings with Syrian opposition, and have relations with the Syrian government (at the same time),” Zebari said. (Al Arabiya, 13 July)

Zebari added that Iran does not have any role in formulating Iraq’s policy toward Syria. “Iran does not control a national, political Iraqi decision.”

Zebari described “what is happening in Syria as important to [Iraq],"
adding, "that the [Iraqi government] is afraid that the conflict to widen to become a full-fledged sectarian war.”



Photo Credit: Iraq’s Foreign Minister Hoshiar Zebari / Al Arabiya

Libya: Moderates Led by Mahmoud Jibril Winning Landslide Victory over Islamists

The National Forces Alliance (NFA) led by Mahmoud Jibril scored a landslide victory over rival Islamist parties in Libya's historic free national election, partial returns showed on Thursday (Reuters, 12 July).

Counts from across Libya attested to a resounding defeat for the political wing of Libya's Muslim Brotherhood. Final official results are not due until next week. But with a large majority of votes counted, Jibril's alliance had unbeatable leads in Tripoli and the eastern city of Benghazi, the cradle of rebellion against more than four decades of rule by Muammar Gaddafi.

"The people saw in Jibril an openness to the rest of the world and they craved this openness after being closed off by Gaddafi," Libyan political analyst Nasser Ahdash told Reuters.