IRAN: Latest and Breaking News

Morpheus Eberhardt wrote:

KiloGolf wrote:Iranians gave them back swiftly with no problems compared to the RN folks back 07.

This time, as expected, apparently there was a prisoner exchange.

I think it's obvious that this was in fact a blatant provocation, to go with all the other provocations that have been done repeatedly to deteriorate relations with Iran.

Previous RN or even US sailors IIRC were actually just that and possibly not even in Iranian waters.

Therefore Iran made a lot of noise about it as a political tool. Because it was a safe issue...

Those guys were obviously out there doing something that neither Tehran nor Washington want people to know about, hence the sweeping under the rug ASAP.

It's all fun and games to accuse people of "spying/sabotaging" when they're aren't... it's another when you catch some actual spies/saboteurs/SF.

One is a political game the other is an act of war.

Good thing Iran settled this affair promptly and reasonably.
Would definitely not have been the right time for Iran to go around busting balls, especially the US's.

Compare the above to how Turkey and their folks treated the Su-24 pilot, they killed him while he was on parachute , then dragged, knifed and butchered his body on-camera and then they uploaded it on youtube; gloating, jumping and shouting like retarded animals. And Turkey did not apologize

PS. few weeks later Brussels sent them a 3 bln euro check (...)

Maybe Iranians spoofed their GPS kit ? Jamming GPS signals is relatively easy. Even Iran could have that capability. This is a Russian R-330ZH "Zhitel" satellite jammer. It can disrupt GPS signals as well as Iridium, etc.

KiloGolf wrote:



Compare the above to how Turkey and their folks treated the Su-24 pilot, they killed him while he was on parachute , then dragged, knifed and butchered his body on-camera and then they uploaded it on youtube; gloating, jumping and shouting like retarded animals. And Turkey did not apologize

PS. few weeks later Brussels sent them a 3 bln euro check (...)

Not comparable, the Su-24 pilot was bombing the same folks that later killed him, and it wasn't the Turkish military that did all that, just their pet Islamists in Latakia.

flamming_python wrote:Not comparable, the Su-24 pilot was bombing the same folks that later killed him, and it wasn't the Turkish military that did all that, just their pet Islamists in Latakia.

Same thing, handling alleged breach of sovereignty.

The Su-24 pilot was bombing Syrian insurgents in Syria under openly declared, invited mission and deployment, but was shot down with no warning (attempted murder) by Turkish military aircraft while flying over Syria, then murdered by Turkish citizens while parachuting in and over Syria. At all stages him and his body was handled by Turkish authorities, services and secondarily their state-sponsored proxies.

They recorded videos as they were desecrating his body, held him dead for days in Turkey without giving out any news and demanded Russia to apologize. They tried to involve NATO but failed too. Finally when they failed, they staged a propaganda photo op with his body loaded on a TuAF CN-235 (which sealed the deal on how they were responsible all they way).

Compare this to how Iran handled things and voilà.

PS. I'm not a fan of the mullahs but in handling such issues Turkey is at the Middle Ages, Iran is more of a post-Stalin USSR.

This was probably a failed intelligence mission. In these situations, resistance is not the main obligation of the crew, the destruction of sensitive equipment is. So, we will never know how well they behaved, because the details will only be revealed in secret debriefing sessions.

Following the Iranians taking (a copy of) the vessels' GPS data, the US DOD has changed its story. The vessels did not break down and were not lost.

The US vessels were intenionally and knowingly in Iranian territorial waters.

Article 25 of the U.N. Convention of the Law of the Sea, titled “Rights of protection of the coastal State,” states that “the coastal State may take the necessary steps in its territorial sea to prevent passage which is not innocent.”

https://theintercept.com/2016/01/15/the-u-s-radically-changes-its-story-of-the-boats-in-iranian-waters-to-an-even-more-suspicious-version/

Morpheus Eberhardt wrote:

magnumcromagnon wrote:

Morpheus Eberhardt wrote:

KiloGolf wrote:Iranians gave them back swiftly with no problems compared to the RN folks back 07.

This time, as expected, apparently there was a prisoner exchange.

I think it's obvious that this was in fact a blatant provocation, to go with all the other provocations that have been done repeatedly to deteriorate relations with Iran.

I meant that apparently these American prisoners were exchanged with Iranian prisoners that were being held by US. At least there are lots of signs (+ other ...) of this having happened. There are other more interesting conjectures behind this potential prisoner exchange scenario.

Additionally to my post above, it seems that the prisoner exchange is continuing and apparently Iran has further released 4 dual-citizenship prisoners.

"Iran will buy 114 civilian aircraft from Airbus Group SE after the removal of sanctions on the country, Transport Minister Abbas Akhoundi told state media on Saturday. Tehran has for months signaled it buy aircraft after implementation of last year’s landmark nuclear deal between it and six world powers. Later Saturday, the U.N. atomic agency said the country had indeed completed all steps needed to implement last July’s nuclear deal, triggering a process that would lead within hours to relief from years of tight international sanctions.

Iran had agreed to scale back its nuclear development activities under that deal with six world powers, in exchange for the easing of international sanctions that have crippled its economy. Iran’s airlines have been targeted by sanctions for decades, contributing to poor maintenance of their aging 140-plane fleet, though in recent months the U.S. has permitted the sale of some aircraft parts and training documents. The European Union, citing safety concerns, had also imposed limits on Iranian planes landing within its borders. The purchase of Airbus planes would be the first step in a renovation of national carrier Iran Air, Mr. Akhoundi told the semiofficial Tasnim news agency, more than tripling the size of its fleet.

Airbus on Saturday said that once sanctions are eased, it could enter into business with Iranian airlines in compliance with all international laws. It wouldn’t address whether it was negotiating with Iran about potentially striking a deal, citing its policy not to discuss talks with existing or potentially new customers.Mr. Akhoundi promised to invest more than $20 billion in new planes in the next decade during a visit to the Paris Air Show last year. In April, Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization had said the country would need up to 500 new planes in that period.

But many of the most-popular Airbus jet models are sold out years in advance, and if Iran has placed an order, it may have to wait some time to receive its planes."

Source: http://www.wsj.com/articles/iran-plans-to-buy-114-civilian-aircraft-from-airbus-once-sanctions-removed-1452975657

So i assume it would be mostly Airbus A320 Neo family. This also might mean Russians wont be able to sell many liners on Iranian market...if any... nautrally if this contract ever comes to reality.

Militarov wrote:"Iran will buy 114 civilian aircraft from Airbus Group SE after the removal of sanctions on the country, Transport Minister Abbas Akhoundi told state media on Saturday. Tehran has for months signaled it buy aircraft after implementation of last year’s landmark nuclear deal between it and six world powers. Later Saturday, the U.N. atomic agency said the country had indeed completed all steps needed to implement last July’s nuclear deal, triggering a process that would lead within hours to relief from years of tight international sanctions.

Iran had agreed to scale back its nuclear development activities under that deal with six world powers, in exchange for the easing of international sanctions that have crippled its economy. Iran’s airlines have been targeted by sanctions for decades, contributing to poor maintenance of their aging 140-plane fleet, though in recent months the U.S. has permitted the sale of some aircraft parts and training documents. The European Union, citing safety concerns, had also imposed limits on Iranian planes landing within its borders. The purchase of Airbus planes would be the first step in a renovation of national carrier Iran Air, Mr. Akhoundi told the semiofficial Tasnim news agency, more than tripling the size of its fleet.

Airbus on Saturday said that once sanctions are eased, it could enter into business with Iranian airlines in compliance with all international laws. It wouldn’t address whether it was negotiating with Iran about potentially striking a deal, citing its policy not to discuss talks with existing or potentially new customers.Mr. Akhoundi promised to invest more than $20 billion in new planes in the next decade during a visit to the Paris Air Show last year. In April, Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization had said the country would need up to 500 new planes in that period.

But many of the most-popular Airbus jet models are sold out years in advance, and if Iran has placed an order, it may have to wait some time to receive its planes."

Source: http://www.wsj.com/articles/iran-plans-to-buy-114-civilian-aircraft-from-airbus-once-sanctions-removed-1452975657

So i assume it would be mostly Airbus A320 Neo family. This also might mean Russians wont be able to sell many liners on Iranian market...if any... nautrally if this contract ever comes to reality.

Sanctions have been lifted by both EU and usa. Well Russian ssj can't compete against airbus and boeing.

Iranian Banks Able to Reconnect to SWIFT Due to Sanctions Relief

Iranian banks received the opportunity to reconnect to SWIFT international payment system amid substantial relief of international sanctions imposed on Tehran in response to its nuclear program, SWIFT said in a statement.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Saturday, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed Iran's compliance with the agreement on country's nuclear program and implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) came into effect. Soon after that, the regime of sanctions imposed on Tehran has been substantially weakened.

"Those banks that are delisted by the Implementing Regulation will now automatically be able to reconnect to SWIFT, following the completion of our normal connection process (i.e. administrative and systems checks, connectivity and technical arrangements)," the statement said on Sunday.

The statement added that because not all the restrictions imposed on the Iraninan banks were lifted, SWIFT remained prohibited from providing specialized financial messaging services to the EU-sanctioned Iranian banks that remained listed under EU Regulation.

On July 14, Iran and the P5+1 group of countries comprising the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom plus Germany, signed the JCPOA. The agreement guarantees the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program in exchange for relief of sanctions, including the EU nuclear-related financial messaging restrictions.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160118/1033297477/iranian-banks-swift-system.html#ixzz3xZgJEXHM

Xi Jinping: China, Iran Agreed to Extablish Strategic Partnership

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160123/1033598674/xi-jinping-china-iran-strategic-partnership.html#ixzz3y4IGni7a


Iran, China Boost Cooperation, Sign 17 Agreements - Reports

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160123/1033596179/visit-talks-presidents.html#ixzz3y4IJlEdw

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-10/iran-told-to-pay-10-5-billion-to-sept-11-kin-insurers

Iran was ordered by a U.S. judge to pay more than $10.5 billion in damages to families of people killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and to a group of insurers.

U.S. District Judge George Daniels in New York issued a default judgment Wednesday against Iran for $7.5 billion to the estates and families of people who died at the World Trade Center and Pentagon. It includes $2 million to each estate for the victims’ pain and suffering plus $6.88 million in punitive damages.

What's that all about? Some bogus smear campaign against Iran?

Meanwhile Russia is looking at Iran increasing it's military purchases.

Erk wrote:http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-10/iran-told-to-pay-10-5-billion-to-sept-11-kin-insurers

Iran was ordered by a U.S. judge to pay more than $10.5 billion in damages to families of people killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and to a group of insurers.

U.S. District Judge George Daniels in New York issued a default judgment Wednesday against Iran for $7.5 billion to the estates and families of people who died at the World Trade Center and Pentagon. It includes $2 million to each estate for the victims’ pain and suffering plus $6.88 million in punitive damages.

What's that all about? Some bogus smear campaign against Iran?

Meanwhile Russia is looking at Iran increasing it's military purchases.

This is a reflection on the 'creative quirks' of the US legal system, especially the default judgement.

i) anyone can sue anyone for anything irrespective of merit.
ii) lawyers frequently offer 'no win, no fee' deals as encouragement for frivolous cases.
iii) if the defendent doesn't turn up to court then a default judgement is given.

So, pick on a foreign boogie man who you are sure won't turn up at the trial. That may be because they may not even have been served papers about the trial, can't afford to go to the US to defend themslves, or are ignorant of the US legal system. Hey presto, default judgement, mucho wonga for the lawyers (possibly 50%) - all assuming the penalty can be recovered.

short_fuze wrote:

Erk wrote:http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-10/iran-told-to-pay-10-5-billion-to-sept-11-kin-insurers

Iran was ordered by a U.S. judge to pay more than $10.5 billion in damages to families of people killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and to a group of insurers.

U.S. District Judge George Daniels in New York issued a default judgment Wednesday against Iran for $7.5 billion to the estates and families of people who died at the World Trade Center and Pentagon. It includes $2 million to each estate for the victims’ pain and suffering plus $6.88 million in punitive damages.

What's that all about? Some bogus smear campaign against Iran?

Meanwhile Russia is looking at Iran increasing it's military purchases.

This is a reflection on the 'creative quirks' of the US legal system, especially the default judgement.

i) anyone can sue anyone for anything irrespective of merit.
ii) lawyers frequently offer 'no win, no fee' deals as encouragement for frivolous cases.
iii) if the defendent doesn't turn up to court then a default judgement is given.

So, pick on a foreign boogie man who you are sure won't turn up at the trial. That may be because they may not even have been served papers about the trial, can't afford to go to the US to defend themslves, or are ignorant of the US legal system. Hey presto, default judgement, mucho wonga for the lawyers (possibly 50%) - all assuming the penalty can be recovered.

Sounds corrupt, hopefully other countries wont follow.

"A US judge ordered Iran to pay over $10 billion in damages to families of victims who died on September 11, 2001 – even though there is no evidence of Tehran’s direct connection to the attack. The same judge earlier cleared Saudi Arabia from culpability. The default judgement was issued by US District Judge George Daniels in New York on Wednesday. Under the ruling, Tehran was ordered to pay $7.5 billion to 9/11 victims’ families, including $2 million to each victim’s estate for pain and suffering, and another $6.88 million in punitive damages. Insurers who paid for property damage and claimed their businesses were interrupted were awarded an additional $3 billion in the ruling.

The ruling is noteworthy particularly since none of the 19 hijackers on September 11 were Iranian citizens. Fifteen were citizens of Saudi Arabia, while two were from the United Arab Emirates, and one each from Egypt and Lebanon. Saudi Arabia was legally cleared from paying billions in damages to families of 9/11 victims last year, after Judge Daniels dismissed claims that the country provided material support to the terrorists and ruled that Riyadh had sovereign immunity. Saudi attorneys argued in court that there was no evidence directly linking the country to 9/11. In response to the latest ruling, Hossein Sheikholeslam, a senior aide to Iran’s parliamentary speaker, called the decision “absurd and ridiculous.” “I never heard about this ruling and I’m very much surprised because the judge had no reason whatsoever to issue such a ruling… Iran never took part in any court hearings related to the events of September 11, 2001,” he told Sputnik. “Even if such an absurd and ridiculous decision has been made, the charges simply hold no water because Iran has never been mentioned at any stage of the investigation and the trials that followed.”

While Sheikholeslam argued that Iran didn’t take part in related hearings, that lack of participation may have contributed to the decision. A default judgment is typically issued when one of the parties involved in a case does not respond to court summons or appear in court to make their case. Judge Daniels found that Iran failed to defend itself against claims that it played a role in 9/11. Iran believes the lawsuit is unnecessary because it says it did not participate in the attack. In the US, Tehran’s role in 9/11 has been debated heavily over the years. The 9/11 Commission Report stated that some hijackers moved through Iran and did not have their passports stamped. It also stated that Hezbollah, which the US designates as a terrorist organization supported by Iran, provided “advice and training” to Al-Qaeda members.

In a court document filed in 2011 regarding the latest case, plaintiffs claimed Hezbollah “provided material support” to Al-Qaeda, such as facilitating travel, plus “direct support” for the 9/11 attacks. As a result, the plaintiffs argued Iran was liable. However, the commission report itself found no evidence to suggest Iran was aware of the 9/11 plot, and suggested the possibility that if Hezbollah was tracking the movements of Al-Qaeda members, it may not have been eyeing those who became hijackers on 9/11. While the report suggested further investigation into the issue, President George W. Bush has said, “There was no direct connection between Iran and the attacks of September 11.” Iran, inhabited mostly by Shia Muslims, has also denied any connection to Al-Qaeda – a militant Sunni group – and cooperation between the two has been questioned due to religious differences. Al-Qaeda views the Shia as heretics, for example.

“The people who committed those terrorist attacks were neither friends nor allies of Iran,” Iran Press Editor-in-Chief Emad Abshenas told Sputnik. “They were our sworn enemies, members of Al-Qaeda, which considers Iran as their enemy. Fifteen out of the 19 terrorists were Saudi citizens, which happens to be America’s best friend. The remaining four terrorists lived in Saudi Arabia and enjoyed Saudi support. Therefore the perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks had nothing to do with Iran.” How the case moves forward after Daniels’ ruling is unclear. According to Bloomberg, it can be very hard to obtain damages from another country, but plaintiffs might try to do so by targeting Iranian funds frozen by the US."

Worst part is that US can simply remove money from Iranian frozen accounts, as they did before with Yugoslavia post WW2 for an example, claiming that they just "took what is theirs".

Source: https://www.rt.com/usa/335174-iran-damages-september-911-victims/

So the Iranian government should start a case in Iran against the US and all the American people the US government represents.

The case could be based on interference of democracy with the Shah installed in power illegally by the CIA, and follow that up with a claim regarding the financial hardship created by US sanctions and of course the US Navy shoot down of an Iranian Airbus from Iranian waters.

I reckon 500 Trillion would be a starting figure.

BTW I have read about the US court system... the lawyers tend to file cases out in the sticks where big companies are not popular and likely to lose.

The critical thing is that it is the jury that decides the level of damages... if the lawyer can make the company on trial seem heartless and "an international bully" they can get huge payouts for trivial things... I remember reading about a guy who got a BMW that had a scratch in transit. He claimed he was expecting perfection from such a brand and got awarded several million dollars for something that could have been fixed with a few grands worth of paint.

Only the lawyers thrive in such environments...

GarryB wrote:So the Iranian government should start a case in Iran against the US and all the American people the US government represents.

The case could be based on interference of democracy with the Shah installed in power illegally by the CIA, and follow that up with a claim regarding the financial hardship created by US sanctions and of course the US Navy shoot down of an Iranian Airbus from Iranian waters.

I reckon 500 Trillion would be a starting figure.

BTW I have read about the US court system... the lawyers tend to file cases out in the sticks where big companies are not popular and likely to lose.

The critical thing is that it is the jury that decides the level of damages... if the lawyer can make the company on trial seem heartless and "an international bully" they can get huge payouts for trivial things... I remember reading about a guy who got a BMW that had a scratch in transit. He claimed he was expecting perfection from such a brand and got awarded several million dollars for something that could have been fixed with a few grands worth of paint.

Only the lawyers thrive in such environments...

The decision against Iran is laughable and tragic. It relies on the ignorance of the average US citizen. Firstly, al Qaeda is Sunni, Iran is Shia so the idea that Iran supporting al Qaeda is about as likely as an honest politician becoming US President. Secondly, Iran actually captured al Qaeda figures escaping from Afghanistan around the time the US invaded. Thirdly, Iran along with most Muslim countries, expressed their condolences to the US for their loss after 911.

F*ck the US.

Well according to the same cycles Assad is supporting ISIS. Don't pay attention to those suckers, actions are louder than words.