Thousands Stage Protests against Acid Attacks on Women

Thousands of Iranians have staged protests in Isfahan and Tehran over several recent acid attacks against women, reportedly for not being “properly” veiled. Today, people demonstrated in front of Majlis building in Tehran and Judiciary building in Isfahan, where the acid attacks took place, demanding authorities bring to an end the spate of attacks on young women.

Assailant riding on motorbikes have thrown acid in the face of at least eight women who were driving in the streets of Isfahan with their windows pulled down. Local media say the number of victim could be higher. The attacks have so far claimed one life. (The Guardian, 22 October)

“Isfahan doesn’t want Daesh (ISIL), stop acid attacks!” Tehranis chanted. (Saham News)

“Freedom and security are the rights of Iranian women,” chanted demonstrators in Isfahan.

Fars News Agency has estimated the number of participants in today’s Tehran demonstration at around 2,000.

Photos: Aria Jafari (ISNA)

Khamenei Warns of Dependency on Oil

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, commenting on oil prices losing a quarter of its value since June, said Iran’s dependence on oil revenues is putting its economy at the mercy of major powers.

“Running our country on oil revenue leaves Iran’s economy at the mercy of major policymakers in the world,” Khamenei said. “Instead of relying on its mineral resources, Iran should rely on the talent and potential of its youths. Only then would Iran’s economy become immune to the influence of powers.” (IRNA, 22 October) 

Note: During quarter of a century of Khamenei’s supreme leadership, the economy has remained dependent on oil and significant numbers of those talented youths have left Iran, because of lack of work and lack of hope in future. The senior leadership of the Islamic Republic, including Khamenei, must accept direct responsibility for the situation and launch structural reform of the economy. Actions are what needed. Empty advice on getting rid of oil dependency will not produce serious and painful economic changes that are long overdue.

File photo: Google

Iran Navy commander tours Shanghai Naval Base

Above: Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari and his host Senior Captain Wang Yung at Shanghai Naval Base

According to Irib.ir:

Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari and Shanghai Naval Base Commander Wang Yung stressed the vital importance of the expansion of Tehran-Beijing military cooperation for the reestablishment of sustainable peace and tranquility to the region.

Sayyari, who is in China at the invitation of the Chinese Navy, paid a visit to the Shanghai naval base on Monday afternoon.

The Commander of the Shanghai Base welcomed Rear Admiral Sayyari and the accompanying delegation, and called the visit unique in the history of military-naval cooperation between the two countries.

He said that this is the first ever visit of an Iranian Navy commander to China and called it a turning point in bilateral naval ties.

Rear Admiral Sayyari, for his part, referred to historical background of bilateral ties in the naval ground and stressed that promotion of friendly cooperation between the two forces has special importance for Iran.

He expressed the hope that his visit to China would pave grounds for bilateral cooperation between the two naval forces.

Sayyari arrived in China on Monday morning to confer with senior Chinese military officials on the expansion of Tehran-Beijing military relations.

A high-ranking military delegation is accompanying Admiral Sayyari in his trip.

COMMENTARY: Observing an increasing uptick in official naval visits taking place among the Iran Navy and PLA Navy, as well as Iran Navy and Russian Navy. Military exchanges include:

- 19DEC12, Russian Navy vessel docks at Iran's port city of Bandar Abbas

- 21APR13, Russian Navy vessels dock at Iran's port city of Bandar Abbas

- 04MAY13, Iranian Navy vessels dock at China's port city of Zhangjiagang

- 30JUN13, Iran Navy vessels dock at Russia's port city of Astrakhan

- 20OCT13, Official visit to Iran by by Russian Air Force Commander

- 07MAY14, Official visit to China by Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehqan

- 23MAY14, Official visit to Russia by Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehqan

- 20SEP14, Chinese Navy vessels dock at Iran's port city of Bandar Abbas

- 13OCT14, Russian Navy vessels dock at Iran's port city of Bandar Anzali

- 20OCT14, Iran Navy commander visits Shanghai Naval Base

Senior Captain Wang Yung presents gift to Rear Admiral Sayyari at Shanghai Naval Base

Photos: Fars News Agency

Mahdavi Kani Dies at 83

Chairman of Powerful Assembly of Experts

Ayatollah Mohammad Reza Mahdavi Kani, the chairman of Iran’s powerful Assembly of Experts, died today in Tehran. He was 83.

The Assembly of Expert is a body of 86 senior Shia clerics that chooses and can dismiss the supreme leader. Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani was the Assembly’s chairman until 2011, when he was pushed out of the chairmanship by the hardliners because of his moderate policies. It was not clear if he would seek the post again.

The current supreme leader underwent prostate cancer surgery only weeks ago, making the role of the current Assembly in choosing a new supreme leader, or a council of supreme leadership, that much more important. The elections for the next Assembly will be held in early 2016.

File photo: Ayatollah Mohammad Reza Mahdavi Kani (AP)

Iran Accuses Arab Oil Producers of Conspiracy to Bring Down Prices

Iran has accused Arab oil producers of plotting with the West to bring down oil prices as a tactic to undermine the Iranian economy.

“Some so-called Islamic countries in the region are serving the interests of American and (other) arrogant powers in trying to squeeze the Islamic Republic,” said government spokesman Mohammad Baqer Nobakht. “The (the West) have forced our oil production from 4 million bpd to 1 million bpd, and this recent fall of oil prices is their latest gimmick.” (Mehr News Agency, 21 October)

When oil prices spiked above $100/barrel in June, the Iranian government did not mention the existence of any regional or international conspiracies. Nobakht’s conspiracy theory aside, his comments show that if the price of oil remains at around its current levels, it would seriously undermine the Iranian economy.

Meanwhile, Brent for December settlement increased 37 cents today, to $85.77 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. Oil futures, however, have decreased 23 percent this year. (Bloomberg, 21 October)

Oversupply of oil in the market is seen as the primary cause for the declining prices.

File photo: Iranian oil export terminal at Kharq (Getty Images)

Iranian HM-20 MLRS claimed in use with Badr Military Wing

Above: video still of Iranian HM-20 122 mm multiple rocket launcher system (MLRS) claimed to be in use with Badr Organization Military Wing, as deployed against ISIL in Iraq. (Video provided below.)

Iraq's parliament voted 18OCT 14 to put a member of Badr Organization in charge of the Ministry of Interior (MOI). MOI is charged with overseeing policing and border control in Iraq, comprising several agencies that include the Iraqi Police, Highway Patrol, Traffic Department, Emergency Response Unit (ERU), Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit, and Department of Border Enforcement. Additionally, Badr Organization Military Wing engages in combat operations against ISIL in Iraq.

HM-20 as seen at an Iranian military parade in 2010. HM-20 features four banks of ten rocket tubes in two sections, hydraulic traversing and elevating system with electronic firing controls. Note same adapted MAN 6x6 vehicle used as platform for this MLRS and one now claimed in use with Badr.

VIDEO (published 04OCT14):

Photo: Bahram Tondram at Jamejam Online

Iraqi prime minister’s newish B737 in Tehran

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi arrives 20OCT14 at Mehrabad International Airport (THR) aboard Iraqi Airways Boeing 737-81Z(WL), reg. YI-ASF (cn 40105/4719).

Seen in background, YI-ASF is a recent build having been delivered by Boeing to Iraqi Airways on 17DEC13. Aircraft utilizes a VIP configuration of 75 seats.

Aircraft used by the previous prime minister: Iraqi Government Airbus A300B4-203, reg. YI-APX (cn 239). This ex-Mahan Air jet was provided as a gift from Iran to the Iraqi Government on 21JUL07.

Interestingly enough, Iraqi 8th-Day News on 13OCT14 cite unnamed sources close to the current prime minister's office in alleging that former Prime Minister Maliki (now a vice president) is refusing to transfer this aircraft over to Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. Sources go on to state the aircraft remains at Baghdad International Airport (BGW) "with a crew dedicated to the leadership of the Iranian plane."

The 8th-Day News report remains unverified. However, YI-APX is identified by ch-aviation as currently being stored at BGW.

Photos: Petr Volek, Islamic Republic News Agency and Mohammad Ali Marizad at Tasnim News Agency

Abadi in Tehran

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi arrived in Tehran shortly before midnight on Monday on his first visit to Iran. Abadi took office in the midst of a crisis in Iraq triggered by the rapid advance of the Islamic State. During his one-day stay in Tehran, Abadi will hold talks with senior Iranian leaders on the ISIL, the security situation in Iraq, and the role of Iran’s Quds Force, IRGC, Basij, and Shia militias under their command, in the fight against ISIL. The Islamic State insurgents hold territories just a few kilometers from the Iranian border.

“No ground forces from any superpowers, international coalition, or regional power will fight (in Iraq),” Abadi said in Baghdad, just prior to his departure to Tehran. “This is my decision, it is the decision of the Iraqi government.” (AFP, 20 October)

Photo credit: Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi being greeted by officials upon arrival at Tehran's Mehrabad airport; Monday 20 October 2014 (IRNA)

Turkey to Facilitate Peshmerga Move to Join Battle of Kobane

 U.S. Airdrops Weapons, Ammunition, Medical Supplies in Kobane

 

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Monday that Turkey would facilitate the movement of Kurdish Peshmerga forces to join Kurdish YPG fighters in the battle of Kobane against the Islamic State.

Turkey’s move to allow the Peshmerga cross over to Kobane is a major shift in policy, apparently under request from the United States. Turkish Prime Minster Erdogan in a phone call to President Obama on Saturday pledged to “strengthen cooperation” against ISIL in Syria, AFP reported today.  

Meanwhile, the U.S. military for the first time airdropped weapons, ammunition, and medical supplies to YPG fighters in Kobane. A C-130 cargo aircraft conducted multiple airdrops of the supplies provided by Kurdish government in Erbil. 

CENTCOM said the supplies airdropped in the city were “intended to enable continued resistance against ISIL’s attempts to overtake Kobane.”

U.S.-led warplanes also launched 11 airstrikes against ISIL positions in Kobane on Saturday and Sunday, bringing the total airstrikes against the insurgents in Kobane to 135. 

Meanwhile, Secretary of State John Kerry welcomed Turkish decision to allow the Pershmerga cross over to Kobane to help YPG forces in the fight against ISIL. 

“It would have been irresponsible for us and morally very difficult to turn your back on a community fighting ISIL as hard as it,” said Kerry. 

A spokesman for YPG thanks the U.S.-led coalition and called for more aid in the fight against the Islamic State. 

The airdrops, airstrikes and the impending arrival of Peshmerga forces in Kobane could lead to ISIL’s defeat in the city. Kobane seems to have become ISIL’s major strategic blunder in their four-month offensive in Iraq and Syria. 

Photo credit: A view of Kobane from Turkish side of the border, with Turkish tanks positioned at the border; Sunday 19 October 2014 9Getty Images/NYT)

Iran Electronics Industries Hafez phased-array radar

Above: video still of IEI Hafez ("Retentive") phased-array radar, claimed to be in production

MODAFL on Sunday publicized claims of launching production lines for three domestically-manufactured radar systems for IRIADF : Hafez, Arash-2 and Kayhan. Iran's Deputy Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami made the announcement at a ceremony held at Shiraz.

Hafez is claimed as "a medium range 'phased array, active and 3-dimensional radar,' which is paired with the home-made Mersad air defense system" (updated MIM-23B I-HAWK).

Further claims include ability to detect and track multiple targets from a distance of 250 km.

Mobile radar platform for Hafez system appears to be adapted Iveco 450 Trakker type vehicle.

Detail of vehicle-mounted Hafex phased-array antennae

Detail of Hafez radar operator console

VIDEO:

Press TV Correspondent Killed in Turkey

Press TV said Serena Shim, its international correspondent, was killed on Sunday in a car accident near the Turkish-Syrian border. She was returning from a report scene to her hotel in the Turkish city of Surush.

Press TV called the accident “suspicious,” adding that on Friday Shim had received threats from Turkish intelligence agency, accusing her of espionage, and that she told Press TV that she was fearing for her life. 

Serena Shim was an American citizen of Lebanese origin. She covered hotspots in Lebanon, Iraq and Ukraine for Press TV. She was in Turkey to cover the war in Kobane.

Photo: Press TV correspondent Serena Shim who was killed near Turkish-Syrian border (Press TV)

Abadi goes to Tehran

by Paul Iddon

Iraqi premier Haider al-Abadi.

Iraq's new Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi is set to visit Iran this week to talk, amongst other things, about regional issues such as the threat of the Islamic State (IS) group and ties between Iraq and Iran, which have been quite cordial and warm in recent years. Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made his last state visit to Iraq last year and was told by former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki that Iranian companies were welcome to invest in Iraq and help the country rebuild itself after years of turmoil and war. Ahead of his upcoming visit Abadi also plans to broaden economic and business cooperation between the two countries.

Iran has of course been assisting Iraq to combat the IS since that group launched its onslaught against Northern Iraq last June. As part of his visit to an important regional neighbour Abadi seeks “to unite the efforts of the region and the world to help Iraq in its war against the terrorist group.”

Obviously a neighbour like Iran has vested interests in seeing a stable Iraq that is able to protect itself against Islamist groups like IS given the fact that Iran itself has had problems with such groups. It also has an interest in seeing its interests and political allies in Iraq promoted and protected as well as the opportunity to invest in and trade with a neighbouring developing country.

There is an interesting history regarding the current Iranian regimes past and present attempts to incorporate itself more into the regional order of the Middle East and the Persian Gulf region. Put into historical perspective the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for instance. This economic and military body between the Sunni Arab monarchies of the Persian Gulf was established not long after the Iran-Iraq War was initiated by Saddam Hussein's Iraq. GCC members played a key role in propping up Saddam's regime with billions of dollars as a bulwark against Tehran throughout the 1980's – the leaders of some of these Sunni monarchies, particularly Saudi Arabia, have since sought to contain Iran and in Iraq have been alarmed by the ascension of the Shia majority to political power in the wake of the overthrow of the Saddam regime.

As you know Saddam the GCC countries found themselves facing Iraq following its August 1990 annexation of Kuwait. This happened to coincide with a relative thaw in cross-Gulf Tehran-Riyadh relations (another thaw as it happens is taking place as I write which is also worth following). Iran argued on that occasion that the GCC had proven ineffective when it came to defending Kuwait against the invading Iraqis and in turn proposed that Iran become a part of the GCC to make it a more effective cross-Gulf economic and military cooperative union. Of course, as you know, that offer never materialized.

The present administration in Washington has been quite open about its view of the GCC in essence being a military counterweight to Iran's regional ambitions. This has seen to that economic bloc become a lucrative marketplace for arms producers to the extent that the present U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has even gone as far as to suggest that the GCC members states should collectively integrate all of their armed forces into one six-member military power to protect themselves from the threat many of them see Iran as posing to them and their broader regional interests. Hagel seemed to imply that this would also be the solution to intra-GCC political divisions. Which of course was an allusion to the fact that Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had earlier this year threatened to do their utmost to isolate and reprimand Qatar for having policies and interests in the region which clashed with their own.

This week Abadi is going to Tehran. The Iraqi leader is going to see a regional partner and likely exchange ideas about how that regional partner can effectively help Iraq overcome the immediate threat posed by IS as well as discuss bilateral business and trade relations. Tehran will doubtlessly seek to once again promote itself as a solution to the regions present woes as it has often done in the past. The overall outcome of this meeting and future relations and coordination between Iran and Iraq will surely be interesting whereby Iran's broader regional influence and stature is concerned.

Iran, P5+1 Resume Expert-Level Talks This Week

Technical talks at expert-level between Iran and six major powers at paving the path toward a nuclear deal will be held on Wednesday and Thursday in Vienna, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said today in Tehran. (IRNA)

The date of the next trilateral meeting between the Iranian delegation, the United States and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton will be announced later, Araqchi added.

Lebanese defense minister in Tehran to discuss Iranian military aid, cooperation

Above: Iranian Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Hossein Dehghan shakes hands with LAF delegation, while Lebanese Defense Minister Samir Moqbel (background, far right) looks on.

According to AFP (via Al Arabiya), dated 18OCT14:

Lebanon's defense minister on Saturday started a three-day visit to Tehran for talks expected to culminate in him securing military equipment to bolster Beirut's fight against jihadists.

Samir Moqbel's visit comes two weeks after Iran vowed to supply Lebanon's army with much-needed equipment following its deadly clashes with fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and al-Qaeda affiliate, al-Nusra Front, on the Syrian border in August.

Moqbel will meet his Iranian counterpart Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan to discuss how to improve military cooperation and combat regional security challenges, Fars news agency reported

Meetings with Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, parliament speaker Ali Larijani and Supreme National Security Council Secretary [Rear Admiral] Ali Shamkhani are also scheduled, according to Fars.

Iran's offer of military support -- made when Shamkhani visited Beirut last month -- followed aid packages for Lebanon's army from Tehran's regional rival Riyadh as well as from Washington.

COMMENTARY: According to a regional source, specified Iranian military aid includes the following:

- DShK type heavy machine guns with 12.7×108mm ammunition

- BGM-71 TOW type ATGMs

- Night-vision optics

- 60 mm and 120 mm mortars, ammunition

- T-55 and T-62 tank main armament ammunition

- 155 mm howitzer type ammunition

Iranian military aid to Lebanon would mirror its current assistance to Syria, Iraq, Iraqi-Kurdistan and possibly Yemen in the war against ISIL and al-Qaeda affiliates, reflecting an uncoordinated, competing coalition effort to that led by the United States.

 

Lebanese Defense Minister Samir Moqbel, to his left a brigadier general and colonel of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF)

Photos: Tasnim News Agency

Kourosh Complex in Tehran, recently constructed

Much has taken place at the Kourosh Commercial Complex site since UOI last observed on 07APR14. Amateur photography from around 13OCT14 depicts Kourosh Complex in Tehran completed, with the lower three floors leased to Iranian open-for-business storefronts.

View from second floor of Kourosh Complex in Tehran. This shopping mall went up fast, and its obvious there is demand for disposable income consumer goods in this part of Tehran.

Interior detail depicts a level of finish expected at upscale shopping malls in the West

Upper four levels appear to be vacant, however an amusement arcade is situated within the complex. Intyerested readers are encouraged to view the Kourosh Complex web site HERE.

The completed cineplex at the Kourosh Complex. The Kourosh Cineplex web site can be viewed HERE.

Exterior of completed Kourosh Commercial Complex in Tehran. Note the Hyperstar Market signage on the lower facade, and landscaping details.

Photos: "Raghfarm007," and Davoud Ghahrdar at ISNA