Tag Archive for Iran

Reports: Iran plot to kill Saudi envoy in Cairo foiled

Saudi embassy official Egypt security services arrested Iranians planning to assassinate the ambassador. Tehran: Absolutely incorrect

Egyptian security services foiled an Iranian plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to Cairo several months ago, the legal advisor of the kingdom’s embassy said in local dailies on Tuesday.

Iran's Ahmadinejad Photo: AFP

Iran's Ahmadinejad - Photo: AFP

Egypt “arrested three Iranians planning to assassinate the ambassador, Ahmed Qattan,” Al-Hayat quoted Sami Jamal as saying.

“Egyptian authorities informed concerned parties at the Saudi foreign ministry of the details of the plot, but the Saudi side opted to keep silent on the matter,” Jamal said. The arrests were made three months ago. Continue Reading »

Iran says identified source of reported cyber attack on oil industry

Official at Islamic Republic’s Oil Ministry tells Fars news agency that Iranian security officials were able to identify a computer virus designed to steal and damage data.

Iran has been able to identify the source of a recently reported cyber attack on its oil industry, an official at the Islamic Republic’s Oil Ministry said on Saturday, adding that a computer virus attempted to “steal and damage data.”

Iran refinery - AP - 23.4.12

An Iranian oil worker repairs a pipe at an oil refinery in Tehran - Photo by AP

On Tuesday, Iran’s Oil Ministry said its IT systems had suffered no lasting damage from a suspected cyber attack, but its experts would require two or three days to investigate and address the impact of the virus.

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Iran seeks expanded IRGC presence in Gaza Strip

LONDON — Iran has been pressing to expand its presence in the Gaza
Strip.

Arab diplomatic sources said the Iranian leadership was urging the Hamas
government of Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh to allow additional military
trainers into the Gaza Strip.

The sources said Iran, particularly its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, wants to build a credible military force in the Gaza Strip to confront Israel in any future regional war.

Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei greets Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. /AFP

Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei greets Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. /AFP

“Iran wants Gaza to be as capable as Hizbullah,” a diplomatic
source said. “This means that Hamas and its allies would have tens of thousands of missiles and rockets that could paralyze central and southern Israel.” Continue Reading »

India: Iranian was Watching Jewish Sites

India has expelled an Iranian man who gathered information on Jewish sites and local Jewish businessmen.

India has expelled an Iranian man accused of gathering information on Jewish sites in the city of Pune. 40-year-old Hamid Kashkouli passed his findings on to Iran.

One of the sites Kashkouli spied on was the local Chabad House. In 2008 a Chabad House was among the targets when terrorists launched a multi-pronged attack in Mumbai. Nine were murdered, among them Chabad Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, 29, and his wife Rivka, 28.

Kashkouli had been in India as a PhD student. However, in his three years in the country, he made no progress in his doctorate work. Continue Reading »

Experts: Iran Preparing for Cyberwar Against U.S.

Experts say Iran is busy acquiring the technical know-how to launch a cyber-attack on the United States and its allies.

Iran is busy acquiring the technical know-how to launch a potentially crippling cyber-attack on the United States and its allies, experts told a congressional hearing on Thursday.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - Photo by Reuters

“Over the past three years, the Iranian regime has invested heavily in both defensive and offensive capabilities in cyberspace,” Ilan Berman, vice president of the American Foreign Policy Council, was quoted by AFP as having told a House Homeland Security subcommittee.

He added, “Equally significant, its leaders now increasingly appear to view cyber-warfare as a potential avenue of action against the United States.” Continue Reading »

Israeli officials see Syria falling into battle between al-Qaida, Iran

Israeli officials are also concerned about reports showing Syrian weapons falling into Hezbollah’s hands, though it is still unclear whether the Shi’ite organization has gotten hold of chemical weapons.

Israeli officials are very skeptical the Syrian government and opposition will stick to the cease-fire that UN envoy Kofi Annan hopes will take hold on Tuesday.

Funeral in Syria.

Funerals in Syria. Photo by: AP

Annan, a former UN general secretary, has been traveling to Syria for several weeks in an attempt to broker a truce between President Bashar Assad and opposition forces, after many months of unrest.

Human rights reports show that more than 100 civilians have been executed so far this year, and the opposition says more than 150 civilians – including 17 children – were killed on Monday alone.

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Iran slams BBC over film about Israel relations

Islamic Republic says Iranian-Canadian’s film includes “unauthorized” footage shot in Tehran.

 

Iran sharply criticized the BBC on Friday for airing what it said was “illegal footage” of Tehran in a new documentary examining the history of Iran’s relationship with Israel, from the Babylonian exile through the present conflict.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei prays - Photo: REUTERS

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei prays - Photo: REUTERS

BBC Persian – whose broadcasts are jammed in Iran – posted Iranian- Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari’s film, From Cyrus to Ahmadinejad, on its website last week, where it is still available for viewing. The Persian-language channel has also organized a showing of the documentary at London’s Frontline Club later this month.

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Obama Intentionally Leaking Israeli Intelligence Information?

Bolton accuses Obama administration of intentionally leaking highly sensitive Israeli intelligence information.

 

Former American ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, accused the Obama administration of intentionally leaking highly sensitive Israeli intelligence information, in an interview with FOX News.

Netanyahu and Obama, 04.03.12

Netanyahu and Obama, 04.03.12 - Photo by Reuters

According to the reports, Azerbaijan has recently granted Israel access to air bases along its border with Iran, which would eliminate the need for Israel to refuel during the course of a possible operation and would significantly improve the chances of its success.

Bolton, who refrained from stating whether or not he believes the reports to be true, highlighted the fact that the reports were leaked by United States intelligence officials. Continue Reading »

Judge awards $2.2 billion to victims of Beirut attack on Marines

Plaintiffs who sued Iran over attack hope frozen Iranian assets in US can be collected; award is third in two weeks

 

A federal judge has awarded $2.16 billion to victims of the 1983 suicide truck-bombing of U.S. Marines in Beirut, his third award in two weeks to plaintiffs who had sued Iran over the attack.

The money will be difficult to collect, but the victims hope to obtain it from Iranian assets frozen in the United States.

The explosion at the Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983. (photo credit: US Marines, Wikimedia Commons)

The explosion at the Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983 – photo credit: US Marines, Wikimedia Commons

U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth awarded the money Friday to estates of dead Marines and to injured Marines and their relatives. Continue Reading »

Ex-Argentina president to face Iran terror cover-up trial

Carlos Menem, several former officials will be tried for allegedly protecting accomplices of Hezbollah, Iran, who are believed to have been behind 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center that killed 85.

The former president of Argentina will stand trial for obstruction of justice in the investigation of the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center that killed 85 people and left hundreds wounded.

Judge Ariel Lijo on Friday ruled that Carlos Menem, who was president of the South American country between 1989 and 1999, and several other former officials will be tried for allegedly protecting accomplices of Hezbollah and its backer Iran, who are believed to have been behind the attack.

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Report: Iran Supplying Weapons to Gaza, but Not to Hamas

Iran is still supplying weapons to Gaza, but they are intended for groups other than Hamas, according to the Israel Defense website.

The affair between the Hamas terror group and Iran may be over, but the Islamic Republic is still supplying weapons to Gaza, according to Amir Rapaport of the Israel Defense website.

In a report Friday, Rapaport noted that the root of the conflict between the terror group and Iran lies with Syria.

“Iran and Hamas reached a point of conflict following Hamas’ unwillingness to support Bashar al-Assad’s actions against his own people,” wrote Rapaport, also noting how Hamas has even begun to fold in on itself in Syria. Continue Reading »

Report: Iran planned to bomb Israeli ship in Suez Canal

Egyptian paper Al-Ahram reports that two Egyptian citizens received instructions from Iranian agents to attack an Israeli ship, and offered a third man 50 million Egyptian pounds to carry out the act.

Iran had planned to bomb an Israeli ship while it crossed the Suez Canal, the prosecution in Egypt’s state security court said, the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram reported on Saturday.

According to the report, two Egyptians were recently arrested and investigated for allegedly planning an attack on an Israeli ship in the Suez Canal.

The investigation of the two found that they had received their instructions from Iranian agents, and that the two asked a third person, by the name of Mohamed Zakri, to carry out the act in exchange for 50 million Egyptian pounds.

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Hello, Iran speaking

While in Israel we are preoccupied with threats and preparations for a possible strike on Iran’s nuclear sites, residents of Tehran, Esfahan, Shiraz and other Iranian cities are already deep into another war – the war for their survival. Phone calls made in recent days by Yedioth Ahronoth to several Iranian citizens revealed a fascinating picture of the enemy state that hides behind the scary rhetoric of the leaders from Tehran.

While top Iranian leaders Ali Khamenei and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad boast that Western sanctions merely make Iran stronger and issue statements claiming Iran’s home front is resilient, the Iranians we spoke with have other news – the situation in the country is terrible. Continue Reading »

Israelis ♥ Iranians on Facebook

Couple spreads message of peace on social network, causing stir in global media

Five days after an Israeli couple professed its love for the Iranian people over Facebook, the campaign continued to make waves in the global media.

CNN‘s website dedicated a prime spot for the campaign Tuesday, exposing its readers to what was quickly turning into the week’s most heartwarming story.

“It is not possible to dial an Iranian number from an Israeli telephone,” the article read. “It will simply not go through… That is why it was so difficult for Ronny Edry, an Israeli graphic designer based in Tel Aviv, to get his message across to the people of Iran.” Continue Reading »

Israel to phase out civilian atomic reactor by 2018

Facility at Soreq will be replaced by 2018 by a particle accelerator that will fulfill many of the same research and medical functions.

Israel is phasing out a civilian nuclear reactor to which it has admitted foreign inspectors while keeping a second reactor, widely believed to have produced atom bombs, off-limits, officials said on Tuesday.

The small facility at Soreq, which began operations in 1960 with a one-time stock of uranium fuel from the United States, will be replaced by 2017 or 2018 by a particle accelerator fulfilling many of the same research and medical functions

A short drive from Tel Aviv, Soreq has served as a showcase for cooperation with international counter-proliferation efforts, though Israel remains outside a voluntary 1970 treaty that would require it forswear nuclear weapons and open up its larger, secretive reactor in the southern desert town of Dimona.

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