WAR Main Persian Gulf Trouble thread

P

Plain Jane

Just Plain Jane
www.reuters.com

Iraq populist cleric calls for anti-U.S. demonstrations on Sunday

Iraqi populist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr called for demonstrations against the U.S. embassy on Sunday in Baghdad and other cities, a statement from his office said.
www.reuters.com www.reuters.com

NEWS
JANUARY 26, 2020 / 6:47 AM / UPDATED 12 MINUTES AGO
Iraq populist cleric calls for anti-U.S. demonstrations on Sunday

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi populist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr called for demonstrations against the U.S. embassy on Sunday in Baghdad and other cities, a statement from his office said.

The demonstrations are to also decry “those who have offended the symbol of the nation, Sayed Moqtada al-Sadr,” the statement said.

Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; Writing by Nadine Awadalla, Editing by William Maclean
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
 
Zagdid

Zagdid

Veteran Member
www.armytimes.com

Why the Army pulled Bradleys out of Syrian oil fields after one month

There were no combat badges dished out to the mechanized soldiers during their month-long stint.
www.armytimes.com www.armytimes.com

fair use Kyle Rempfer 1 day ago

Bradley fighting vehicles sent into Syria to guard oil fields from a potential Islamic State resurgence were pulled from the country after roughly one month, U.S. Army Central Command confirmed.

Mechanized soldiers from the 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team were dispatched in late October but were pulled sometime in November after combined patrols with Turkish forces “never materialized" and the “mission requirements changed,” said Army Lt. Col. David Olson, a spokesman for the Army’s regional component command.

“Originally, what was going on in the battlefield, they were still doing combined patrols with the Turks, and then that stopped,” Olson said over the telephone. “They didn’t get that far.”

Exact numbers weren’t given, but Olson said there were “only a handful” of Bradleys sent in the first place. Soldiers rotating through that part of Syria have in the past received combat action badges and combat infantry badges after skirmishing with ISIS fighters, but the none of the mechanized soldiers received them during their month-long stint.

The Bradleys were dispatched in late October following President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from northern Syria after Turkey launched an incursion on Oct. 9 to combat U.S.-backed Kurdish forces near the border.

The Operation Inherent Resolve coalition still “has a mix of Motorized Infantry, Special Operations, and other troops partnered with the [Syrian Democratic Forces] to defeat ISIS remnants and protect critical infrastructure in Deir ez Zor and Hasakah Provinces," said Army Col. Myles B. Caggins III, a coalition spokesman, in an email. “We adjust troop composition based on operational needs."

Traditionally, motorized units are those that utilize “soft-skin” vehicles, like Humvees, while mechanized units involve armored vehicles, like the Bradley.

The 30th ABCT still has roughly 100 soldiers “in and around Syria” to support operations, Olson said. But there are no longer any Bradleys. About 500 American troops remain in the country.

The WarZone first reported the mechanized troops’ departure, sharing photos that showed Bradleys awaiting airlift at Erbil International Airport, in northern Iraq, in December.

The Bradleys were part of a media blitz that showed the U.S. military’s commitment to Syria even after the White House abruptly pulled American forces from the northern part of the country, ceding bases to Russian troops and paving the way for Turkey’s offensive against Kurdish groups.

The 30th ABCT soldiers were photographed and touted by the coalition during press events on Nov. 11 before they returned to Kuwait. They were originally posted to Kuwait as part of Operation Spartan Shield’s rotational brigade.

While they’re no longer there, U.S. officials said the goals remain the same.

“We are maintaining our presence in northeast Syria and at At-Tanf garrison to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS and deny ISIS access to oil fields in [northeast] Syria,” Marine Corps Capt. Marisa Roberts, deputy spokesperson for the coalition, said in an email.

At-Tanf is a small garrison in southern Syria where U.S. special operators have been training an anti-ISIS force dubbed Maghaweir Thowra.

“Our mission in Syria today remains the same as it was when we first began operations in 2014; to enable the enduring defeat of Daesh. ISIS fighters are still operating in the region and relentless pressure from our SDF partners is keeping them from resurging,” Roberts added.
 
Zagdid

Zagdid

Veteran Member
oilprice.com

U.S. Unexpectedly Lifts Iran-Related Sanctions On Chinese Tanker Company | OilPrice.com

The United States is set to lift sanctions on a Chinese tanker operator which it alleged transported Iranian crude oil
oilprice.com oilprice.com

U.S. Unexpectedly Lifts Iran-Related Sanctions On Chinese Tanker Company

fair use By Irina Slav - Jan 31, 2020, 9:30 AM CST

One of the sources, from a large Chinese oil company, said Cosco had already been taken off the sanction list and only an official confirmation of the removal was pending. The other source said Washington had given indication it was about to lift the sanctions.

Washington imposed sanctions on several Chinese tanker operators last September, alleging that they continued to transport Iranian oil in violation of the sanctions that the U.S. Department of Treasury imposed on Tehran earlier that year.

“We are imposing sanctions on certain Chinese firms for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction for the transport of oil from Iran, including knowledge of sanctionable conduct, contrary to U.S. sanctions,” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in September 2019, adding in a tweet that “We will take action on any sanctionable Iranian oil transaction.”

As a result of the sanctions on the Chinese tanker operators, 25 Very large Crude Carriers operated by a regional unit of Cosco in Dalian went out of service, and shipping rates for oil cargoes around the world shot up. This ended up disrupting shipping markets because it remained unclear for a while whether the sanctions only concerned Cosco’s Dalian tanker unit, which operates some 40 vessels, according to Reuters, or the whole shipping company with a fleet of more than 1,000 vessels.

Now, if the removal of the sanctions on Cosco is confirmed, this will lead to a plunge in freight rates, which makes it bad news for shipper but good news for the oil industry.

In the meantime, China has continued to import Iranian oil, customs data has shown. The latest from the Chinese customs authority revealed the country imported close to 300,000 bpd of Iranian oil last year. Imports could actually be even higher, with the rest coming from ship-to-ship transfers at sea.
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
The Associated Press Tuesday, 4 February 2020



Rouhani says Iran may block UN inspectors if it faces a ‘new situation’




Iran’s president said Monday that Tehran might reconsider providing U.N. inspectors with access to Iran’s nuclear facilities if the country were confronted with “a new situation,” the official IRNA news agency reported.
Hassan Rouhani’s remarks came during a meeting with Josep Borrell, the European Union’s new foreign affairs chief, who was on his first visit to Iran since taking office.
The visit is seen as the latest move by the EU to save Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers. The agreement hangs on a single thread, one that permits international inspection of its atomic sites, and is already threatened.
“The trend of inspections that has been carried out until today will continue, unless we face a new situation,” Rouhani was quoted by IRNA as saying. He did not elaborate.
Tensions between Iran and the US have steadily risen since President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear agreement and re-imposed sanctions on Iran in 2018. Tehran has responded by gradually rolling back its commitment to the deal in hopes of pressuring Europe into finding a way for Tehran to sell its crude oil abroad despite the American sanctions.

Last Update: Tuesday, 4 February 2020 KSA 04:28 - GMT 01:28



Rouhani says Iran may block UN inspectors if it faces a ‘new situation’
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
Brian Cates // Digital Soldier for Flynn

Retweeted


Heshmat Alavi
@HeshmatAlavi
·
17m

-#Iran's live state TV invites an American expert who says Qassem Soleimani was the most dangerous terrorist the world has ever seen. -Translator whispers frantically, "Cut it off! Cut if off!" -Anchorman looks back at control room saying with his eyes, "CUT IT OFF!"

Heshmat Alavi (@HeshmatAlavi) Tweeted:
-#Iran's live state TV invites an American expert who says Qassem Soleimani was the most dangerous terrorist the world has ever seen.
-Translator whispers frantically, "Cut it off! Cut if off!"
-Anchorman looks back at control room saying with his eyes, "CUT IT OFF!"

Me:
LOL! Heshmat Alavi on Twitter
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1226026091053305856
View: https://twitter.com/HeshmatAlavi/status/1226026091053305856?s=20
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
Aᴍɪʀ
@AmirIGM

IRGC unveils "Raad 500" Ballistic missile, with 500 km range.

Aᴍɪʀ
@AmirIGM
37m

With the use of composite materials like carbon fibre instead of steel, it weighs *half* that of the Fateh-110, with 200 km more range. It also has a "moveable nozzle" (TVC?). The composite body can tolerate 100 bar of pressure and 3000°C. Report: https://farsnews.ir/news/13981120000587/%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B4%DA%A9-%D8%B1%D8%B9%D8%AF%DB%B5%DB%B0%DB%B0-%D9%88-%D9%86%D8%B3%D9%84-%D8%AC%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%AF-%D9%BE%DB%8C%D8%B4%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86%E2%80%8C%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B4%DA%A9%DB%8C-%D9%88-%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%87%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%87%E2%80%8C%D8%A8%D8%B1-%D8%B3%D9%BE%D8%A7%D9%87-%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86%D9%85%D8%A7%DB%8C%DB%8C-%D8%B4%D8%AF…



Aᴍɪʀ
@AmirIGM
30m

The IRGC also said that the use of moveable nozzles means its solid fuel rocket engines can be used outside the atmosphere. My own observations: Fateh's weight has been previously specified as 3320 kg. So Raad-500 weighs ~1660 kg. A remarkably low weight for a 500 km range BM.


Raad-500 (left) has quite a few physical differences from Fateh-110 (centre). It's got a much longer nose than F-110, similar to that of the later Dezful missile (right). Its control surfaces are completely different. Single large surfaces at the back instead of one larger set...


Image

Image

Image

...and one small triangular set on the Fateh series. The front control surfaces are also bigger, and cropped delta shapes instead of delta. It all looks like a design optimised for accuracy and range. The original Fateh series was designed in the 90s, based off the Zelzal...
...heavy artillery rocket. It was not designed to be a pinpoint strike missile like the latest Fateh variants are today. Raad-500 brings Iran's solid fuel SRBM designs up to date with the benefit of its greater knowledge and new role.


In its outward appearance it only shares general dimensions with the Fateh seriee. It has new control surfaces, modern Iranian guidance, a new rocket motor, and likely a separable warhead (the guidance fins are ahead of the "seam", indicating they stay with the warhead).


Image


Ian
@IanD3f
42m

Replying to
@AmirIGM
Stahp, DB3000 updates can only go that fast... :D
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
I don't wanna jinx anything, but isn't it bout time for another Iranian stunt? Thought they were running about three-five weeks apart

Strategic Sentinel Retweeted



Lucas Tomlinson
@LucasFoxNews
6h

U.S. warship seizes 3 Iranian surface-to-air missiles, 150 anti-tank missiles,thermal imaging scopes, drone components and other weapons bound for Yemen. USS Normandy nabbed the weapons while on patrol in the Arabian Sea. (Video: U.S. Navy)
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1228032113825415170
View: https://twitter.com/LucasFoxNews/status/1228032113825415170?s=20
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
US warship boards small boat and seizes Iranian anti-tank guided missiles among other advanced weaponry

Shawn Snow

10 hours ago


GT544NAOS5HQDOLR7BUEK22WHQ.jpg
The crew of the guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60), in accordance with international law, seized an illicit shipment of advanced weapons and weapon components, which held 358 surface-to-air missile components and “Dehlavieh” anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM), intended for the Houthis in Yemen, aboard a stateless dhow during a maritime interdiction operation in the U.S. Fifth Fleet area of operations, Feb. 9, 2020. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael H. Lehman/Navy)

On Feb. 9 a U.S. Navy warship boarded a small ship in the Arabian Sea and seized advanced weaponry including Iranian manufactured ani-tank guided missiles, U.S. military officials announced Thursday.

The illegal weapons were seized by the crew of the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser Normandy, a press release detailed.

Weapons and sensitive tech captured during the ship boarding included 150 Dehlavieh anti-tank guided missiles, three Iranian surface-to-air missiles, Iranian thermal scopes, and Iranian parts for unmanned systems, among other advanced parts and munitions, the release said.

The Dehlavieh is an Iranian anti-tank guided missile system similar to the Russian Kornet, which can be found littered across the Syrian and Libyan battlefields.

The weapons systems are in U.S. custody, the release said. U.S. Central Command said the small boat was boarded in accordance with international law while the Normandy was conducting maritime security operations.



Officials with U.S. Central Command did not say where the weapon systems were bound. But the weapon systems and parts interdicted by the crew of the Normandy are strikingly similar to weapons seized by the guided-missile destroyer Sherman in Nov. 2019, according to the release.

The weapons seized by the Sherman were bound for Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, a release detailed. At that time, U.S. officials described the weapons seizure as the most advanced components bound for the Yemen conflict to date.

The U.S. has often accused Iran of supplying advanced anti-ship, drone and missile technology to Houthi rebels who are amid a civil war in Yemen against the central government.

The Houthis have used drone and missile technology to launch attacks against installations in Saudi Arabia. In mid-Sept. 2019, Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for an attack that crippled two major Saudi oil installations.

The U.S. claims Iran orchestrated the attack on the Saudi facilities by launching cruise missiles from within Iranian territory.

Following the attack, the U.S. announced it was deploying thousands more troops and Patriot missile defense batteries to the Middle East to confron Iranian malign behavior.

“The assessment of the materiel will be an interagency and international effort. International partner nations and organizations have also been invited to inspect the cache,” CENTCOM said in a release.

U.S. Central Command did not say what country





About Shawn Snow
Shawn Snow is the senior reporter for Marine Corps Times and a Marine Corps veteran.
www.militarytimes.com

US warship boards small boat and seizes Iranian anti-tank guided missiles among other advanced weaponry

Weapons and sensitive tech captured during the ship boarding included 150 Dehlavieh anti-tank guided missiles, three Iranian surface-to-air missiles, Iranian thermal scopes, and Iranian parts for unmanned systems, among other advanced parts.
www.militarytimes.com www.militarytimes.com
 
Melodi

Melodi

Disaster Cat
Housecarl said:
I hope they aren't betting the farm on that belief.....
Click to expand...
My thoughts exactly, it has been 40 days since their favorite general died (which means official mourning is over) but if Iran decides to seriously retaliate more than they already have; then I'd say all bets are off.

There are plenty of forces in and around Washington DC that WANT the US to go to war (for a variety of reasons) and so far Trump has managed to avoid it.

But he won't sit back and let the US look weak in the face of an attack either.
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
wish someone would check on these kids- they're being entirely too ...well I won't use the Q word...but...






AFP news agency
@AFP
8h

#BREAKING The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has reinstated sanctions against Iran, saying it has not taken sufficient measures against money laundering and the financing of terrorist groups
 
P

Plain Jane

Just Plain Jane
www.reuters.com

To preserve Shi'ite power in Iraq, Iran-backed groups turn to renegade cleric

When the grip of Iraq's Tehran-backed Shi'ite Muslim parties and militias threatened to slip following the killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, they turned to an unpredictable rival.
www.reuters.com www.reuters.com

NEWS
FEBRUARY 24, 2020 / 8:36 AM / UPDATED AN HOUR AGO
To preserve Shi'ite power in Iraq, Iran-backed groups turn to renegade cleric

John Davison
6 MIN READ

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - When the grip of Iraq’s Tehran-backed Shi’ite Muslim parties and militias threatened to slip following the killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, they turned to an unpredictable rival.
At meetings in the Iranian holy city of Qom, they struck a deal with populist Shi’ite cleric Sayyed Moqtada al-Sadr, who commands a following of millions of Iraqis.
According to senior Iraqi officials and militia insiders, they promised Sadr a greater say forming a new Iraqi government and an augmented spiritual leadership role among Shi’ite paramilitary groups.

In return, he would draw on his mass following to weaken the anti-government and anti-Iran dissent that has erupted on Iraqi streets, and redirect the unrest toward demands for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq, the sources said.
The agreement, sponsored by Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah group, sought to preserve Shi’ite power in Iraq by uniting the factions of the Iran-backed groups with their rival Sadr.
The militias were in disarray after a U.S. air strike killed Soleimani and Iraqi paramilitary chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis on Jan. 3.
Sadr was also off-balance. He had led anti-government unrest in previous years but did not control the latest round of anger against the political elite in spontaneous, leaderless demonstrations that broke out in October.
With the deal struck, Sadr - an opportunist who has at different times fought the United States, decried Iranian meddling, and supported then abandoned protests - now looks set to have a big say in the selection of a new government which must be picked by next Monday, officials and lawmakers say.


The previous cabinet resigned under protest pressure last year.

After Soleimani’s killing, Iran and Hezbollah officials instructed pro-Iran militia leaders to put aside their differences with Sadr. The two sides had clashed in parliament and over government posts last year in an intra-Shi’ite power struggle.

They met in Qom - Sadr’s new base as he pursues further religious study.
“Iran saw Sadr as the only solution to prevent the collapse of Shi’ite power under protest pressure and the weakening of factions it backs,” an aide to Sadr who traveled to Qom said, requesting anonymity.
“Sadr has the popular base through which he might control the street. They wanted to use that.”
Several paramilitary sources with knowledge of the meetings confirmed that the Iranian side asked Sadr, who comes from an influential clerical family with a history of leading anti-government insurrection under Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein, to use his following to control demonstrations.
In return Sadr demanded freedom to choose the next government and to be able to block the Iran-backed parties’ preferences. “Iran did not oppose this,” the aide to Sadr said.
Two paramilitary sources said Sadr demanded control of two ministries under Prime Minister-designate Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi, who has asked parliament to approve his government this week.
The militia groups also agreed Sadr could have an augmented symbolic role leading them in opposition to the United States, the paramilitary sources said.

“The resistance factions agreed Sadr would be the main voice in the resistance. The groups will in return support decisions he makes,” said Nasr al-Shammari, a spokesman for the Iran-backed and U.S.-sanctioned Nujaba paramilitary faction.
Shammari and two other paramilitary sources said Iraq’s militia groups would consider a greater role for the head of Sadr’s Peace Brigades militia, Abu Doaa al-Essawi, in coordinating their military strategy.

The groups have been seeking a replacement for Muhandis, expected to be a commander from the late militia leader’s own group, Kataib Hezbollah.
Government officials and parliamentarians say Sadr will have significant influence over the cabinet line-up proposed by Allawi, which the premier has said will consist of independent candidates.
“If this cabinet passes it’ll work well for Sadr. He prefers independents because they’re weak and he can coopt them. He has a militia and the ability to intimidate people,” a government official said.
Kurdish and Sunni politicians oppose the line-up being pushed by Sadr, fearing they stand to lose portfolios.

SHORT TERM GAINS
Sadr might make political gains in the short term. But his deal with Iran-backed groups has alienated many supporters.
“They stole our revolution, the militias and the Peace Brigades (Sadr’s own militia),” protester Mahdi Abdul Zahra said as he watched police fire at his friends in Baghdad.
Sadr’s followers, who had joined protests and sometimes protected demonstrators from violence by security forces and militiamen, abandoned protest camps on his instructions and subsequently attacked them.
Sadr has threatened to call a new “million-strong” rally to pressure parliament to approve the new cabinet - another move that could eclipse the original demonstrations that demand the fall of the entire Iraqi ruling elite.
Sadr issued an array of contradictory statements in early February. They called for a large protest demanding the withdrawal of U.S. forces, then for his supporters to abandon anti-government protests, then rejoin them but cleanse them of alcohol and other vices.

Followers took over some protest sites and clashed with demonstrators, killing several people.
“We rejected Sadr’s initial call to withdraw from protests and were angry with him,” said Sheikh Shiyaa al-Bahadli, a tribal leader in Baghdad’s poor Sadr City district.
Reporting by John Davison; additional reporting by Ahmed Rasheed, Baghdad bureau, Editing by Angus MacSwan
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
MORE FROM REUTERS
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
Instant News Alerts
@InstaNewsAlerts
·
4m

The US announced it was imposing sanctions on 13 foreign entities and individuals in China, Iraq, Russia, and Turkey for supporting Iran's missile program. The State Department said the action included new sanctions against five firms or individuals in China and Turkey. (Ynet)
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
No damage or casualties in tonight's rocket attack at Camp Taji. #Iraq

Baxtiyar Goran
@BaxtiyarGoran

Rocket attack on [Camp] Taji military base northern Baghdad. The base hosts the US-led Coalition troops. #Iraq
One katyusha rocket landed at Camp Taji. This is second attack in a week. #Iraq

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1271871752491208706
View: https://twitter.com/BaxtiyarGoran/status/1271871752491208706?s=20










Aurora Intel - #StayHome
@AuroraIntel
5m

Interesting, pro-#PMU/#PMF channels are claiming that it wasn’t a Katyusha Rocket but a drone controlled by the Opensource Ardupilot. If that’s the case, did we just see use of a suicide drone in #Iraq?
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1271889363421540356
View: https://twitter.com/AuroraIntel/status/1271889363421540356?s=20





 
jward

jward

passin' thru
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top