IRAN UPDATE: 5.13.16 - Iran's Plans to Control a Palestinian State

Iran's Plans to Control a Palestinian State - By Khaled Abu Toameh - http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=313

 

The Iran nuclear deal, marking its first anniversary, does not appear to have had a calming effect on the Middle East. The Iranians seem to be deepening their intervention in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in general and in internal Palestinian affairs in particular.

 

This intervention is an extension of Iran's ongoing efforts to expand its influence in Arab and Islamic countries, including Iraq, Yemen, Syria and Lebanon and some Gulf states. The nuclear deal between Tehran and the world powers has not stopped the Iranians from proceeding with their global plan to export their "Islamic Revolution." On the contrary, the general sense among Arabs and Muslims is that in the wake of the nuclear deal, Iran has accelerated its efforts to spread its influence.

 

Iran's direct and indirect presence in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Lebanon has garnered some international attention, yet its actions in the Palestinian arena are still ignored by the world.

 

That Iran provides financial and military aid to Palestinian groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad has never been a secret. In fact, both the Iranians and the Palestinian radical groups have been boasting about their relations.

 

Iran funnels money to these groups because they share its desire to eliminate Israel and replace it with an Islamic empire. Like Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, Hamas and Islamic Jihad agreed to play the role of Tehran's proxies and enablers in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

 

But puppets must remain puppets. Iran gets nasty when its dummies do not play according to its rules. This is precisely what happened with Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

 

Relations between Iran and Hamas foundered a few years back over the crisis in Syria. Defying their masters in Tehran, Hamas leaders refused to declare support for the Iranian-backed Syrian dictator, Bashar Assad. Things between Iran and Hamas have been pretty bad ever since.

 

First, the Assad government closed down Hamas offices in Damascus. Second, Assad expelled the Hamas leadership from Syria. Third, Iran suspended financial and military aid to Hamas, further aggravating the financial crisis that the Gaza-based Islamist movement had already been facing.

 

Islamic Jihad got it next. Iranian mullahs woke up one morning to realize that Islamic Jihad leaders have been a bit unfaithful. Some of the Islamic Jihad leaders were caught flirting with Iran's Sunni rivals in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. Even worse, the Iranians discovered that Islamic Jihad was still working closely with their erstwhile allies in the Gaza Strip, Hamas.

 

Iran had had high hopes for Islamic Jihad replacing Hamas as Tehran's darling, and major proxy in the Palestinian arena. But here were Islamic Jihad leaders and activists working with their cohorts in Hamas, in apparent disregard of Papa Iran.

 

The mullahs did not lose much time. Outraged by Islamic Jihad's apparent disloyalty, Iran launched its own terror group inside the Gaza Strip: Al-Sabireen (The Patient Ones). This group, which currently consists of several hundred disgruntled ex-Hamas and ex-Islamic Jihad members, was meant to replace Islamic Jihad the same way Islamic Jihad was supposed to replace Hamas in the Gaza Strip -- in accordance with Iran's scheme.

 

Lo and behold: it is hard to get things right with Iran. Al-Sabireen has also failed to please its masters in Tehran and is not "delivering." Palestinian sources in the Gaza Strip say that Iran has realized that the investment in Al-Sabireen has not been worthwhile because the group has not been able to do anything "dramatic" in the past two years. By "dramatic," the sources mean that Al-Sabireen has neither emerged as a serious challenger to Islamic Jihad or Hamas, and has not succeeded in killing enough Israelis.

 

So Iran has gone running back to its former bedfellow, Islamic Jihad.

 

For now, Iran is not prepared fully to bring Hamas back under its wings. Hamas, for the Iranians, is a "treacherous" movement, thanks to its periodic temporary ceasefires with Israel. The Iranian leaders want to see Hamas killing Jews every day, with no break. Ironically, Hamas has become too "moderate" for the Iranian leadership because it is not doing enough to drive Jews out of the region.

 

That leaves Iran with the Islamic Jihad.

 

In a surprise move, the Iranians this week hosted Islamic Jihad leader Ramadan Shalah and senior officials from his organization, in a renewed bid to revive Islamic Jihad's role as the major puppet of Tehran in the Gaza Strip. Islamic Jihad officials said that the visit has resulted in the resumption of Iranian financial aid to their cash-strapped organization. As a result of the rift between Islamic Jihad and Iran, the Iranians are said to have cut off nearly 90% of their financial aid to the Palestinian terror organization.

 

Some Palestinians, such as political analyst Hamadeh Fara'neh, see the rapprochement between Iran and Islamic Jihad as a response to the warming of relations between Hamas and Turkey. The Iranians, he argues, are unhappy with recent reports that suggested that Turkey was acting as a mediator between Hamas and Israel.

 

Other Palestinians believe that Iran's real goal is to unite Islamic Jihad and Al-Sabireen so that they would become a real and realistic alternative to Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

 

Whatever Iran's intentions may be, one thing is clear: The Iranians are taking advantage of the nuclear deal to move forward with their efforts to increase their influence over some Arab and Islamic countries. Iran is also showing that it remains very keen on playing a role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict -- one that emboldens radical groups that are bent on the destruction of Israel and that share the same values as the Islamic State terror group.

 

Iran's latest courtship of Islamic Jihad is yet another attempt by the mullahs to deepen their infiltration of the Palestinian arena by supporting and arming any terror group that strives to smash Israel. For now, it seems that Hamas's scheme is working, largely thanks to the apathy of the international community, where many believe that Iran has been declawed by the nuclear deal.

 

But more Palestinian terror group leaders may soon perform the "pilgrimage" to their masters in Tehran. If this keeps up, the Iranians themselves will puppeteer any Palestinian state that is created in the region. Their ultimate task, after all, is to use this state as a launching pad to destroy Israel. And the Iranians are prepared to fund and arm any Palestinian group that is willing to help achieve this goal.

 

 

Iran claims to successfully test missile that can reach Israel - By Tamar Pileggi -

http://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-claims-to-successfully-test-missile-that-can-reach-israel/

 

Highly accurate ballistic missile has a range of 2,000 kilometers, was launched two weeks ago, Tehran general says

 

A senior Iranian general on Monday announced that the country's armed forces successfully tested a precision-guided, medium-range ballistic missile two weeks ago, the state-run Tasnim agency reported.

 

"We test-fired a missile with a range of 2,000 kilometers and a margin of error of eight meters," Brigadier General Ali Abdollahi was quoted as saying at a Tehran science conference.

 

The eight-meter margin means the "missile enjoys zero error," he told conference participants.

 

The general went on to say that 10 percent of Iran's defense budget has been allocated to "research projects aimed at strengthening defense power," the report said.

 

Under a nuclear deal signed last year between world powers and Iran, ballistic missile tests are not forbidden outright, but are "not consistent" with a United Nations Security Council resolution from July 2015, US officials say.

 

According to the UN decision, "Iran is called upon not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology," until October 2023.

 

That has not stopped Iran from carrying out a number of tests of ballistic missile technology since the nuclear deal was adopted on October 18, 2015.

 

In November, Iran launched a missile with a range of 1,930 kilometers (1,200 miles) from a site near the Gulf of Oman, US officials said at the time.

 

In March, Iran test-fired two more ballistic missiles, which an Iranian news agency said had the phrase "Israel must be wiped out" written on them in Hebrew. An Iranian commander said the test was designed to demonstrate to Israel that it is within Iranian missile range.

 

That launch sparked international fury as it appeared to flout the agreements made in the Iranian nuclear deal.

 

The US, France, Britain and Germany decried the launch as "destabilizing and provocative" and called for United Nations action. A UN committee later determined Iran's ballistic tests were in violation of a Security Council resolution prohibiting Tehran from launching ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons.

 

Last month, American and Russian officials said Iran test-fired an advanced rocket system in the Dasht-e Kavir desert, in what some considered a cover for intercontinental ballistic missile research.

 

Israel has pointed to ballistic missile tests as proof Tehran plans to continue pursuing an atomic weapon, despite the landmark agreement aimed at curbing its nuclear program.

 

In response to the missile tests, Washington imposed fresh sanctions over Iran's missile program in January, almost immediately after lifting separate sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program under the nuclear deal.

 

Iran maintains that because it cannot develop nuclear weapons under the deal, none of its missiles is capable of carrying a nuclear weapon.

 

 

 

Iran threatens to sink US warships - By Tova Dvorin - http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/212122#.VzNShI-cE2x

 

Islamic Republic's naval forces claim secret weapons arsenal at the ready to hit any US warship, brands America 'absolute evil.'

 

The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) threatened to "drown" any US warships approaching Iran, a top general said Tuesday, according to state-controlled media.

 

"We have informed Americans that their presence in the Persian Gulf is an absolute evil," Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi stated to state media. "Americans are aware that Iran would destroy their warships if they take a wrong measure in the region."

 

He further threatened that the US would "lose control of everything" by drawing others into Middle-East affairs.

 

"There has never been normal conditions in the Persian Gulf and Americans can feel the presence of IRGC navy forces at any spot," he added.  "Iran's great power has forced US to consider creation of deterrent capabilities."

 

Fadavi also boasted that the West remains unaware of Iran's alleged naval capabilities, including surface-to-air missiles.

 

The threats surface just days after top White House adviser Ben Rhodes revealed the US deliberately misled the American public about the 2015 Iran deal.

 

While the public was led to believe talks began after the election of "moderate" Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, talks with Islamists in the country began far earlier, he said. 

 

In November of 2013, it was revealed that a preliminary deal between Iran and the West was made possible due to secret talks that the United States and Iran held for more than half a year and were authorized by US President Barack Obama himself. Those discussions were kept hidden even from America's closest friends, including its five negotiating partners and from Israel.

 

 

 

Iran Shows Off Third Underground Missile Site - Bill Gertz -

http://freebeacon.com/national-security/iran-shows-off-third-underground-missile-site/

 

Qiam missile launch highlights hidden facilities

 

Iran's military recently publicized a third underground missile facility and showed the launch of a new ballistic missile through the top of a mountain.

 

U.S. intelligence agencies said in a recent internal report on the launch that the new underground missile facility was disclosed by Iran in March.

 

It was the third time since October that Tehran showed off an extensive network of underground missile facilities. The new video, however, for the first time shows a missile launch from one of the country's underground launch facilities.

 

Disclosure of the new video comes as Iran this week conducted the third launch of a ballistic missile since January, when the nuclear deal aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear weapons development went into effect.

 

Two missiles were launched in March, including one shown in the video, identified as a Qiam-1, or Uprising-1, that appears to be a smaller variant of Iran's Shahab-3 missile.

 

Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said Monday that he could not confirm the latest Iranian missile test but is aware of the reports.

 

The Pentagon is developing special precision-guided bombs and missiles designed to penetrate reinforced deep underground bunkers like Iran's missile facilities.

 

"Iran has to abide by U.N. resolutions with regard to ballistic missiles tests, and if they have violated or not been consistent with those resolutions, that clearly would be a concern for us," he said.

 

Iran has produced three videos of its underground missile storage and launch facilities that are designed to highlight Tehran's defiance of the United Nations resolution on the Iranian nuclear deal that calls for a halt to nuclear-related missile tests.

 

The latest video was disclosed March 9 by the Mehr New Agency, run by the hardline Islamic Propagation Office, which is in turn affiliated with the Qom seminary.

 

The missile test was the last stage of an exercise held by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps aerospace division that the report said was part of several missiles being fired from different parts of the country.

 

The video begins with grainy footage showing an underground tunnel where missiles are stored on either side.

 

The video then shifts to a concrete cavern where what appears to be a Qiam-1 ballistic missile is being set up beneath a launch tube in the ceiling of the cavern.

 

The video then shows a news announcer stating that on March 8 a Qiam missile was launched "from the depths of the earth."

 

The final scene shows a missile lifting off through the top of a mountain.

 

Rick Fisher, a military affairs analyst with the International Assessment and Strategy Center, said the latest missile video is disturbing.

 

"It is not likely that Iran simply figured out this method of launching liquid fueled missiles from tall caves with launch holes that reach the surface, that until launch are very well concealed from overhead surveillance," Fisher said.

 

"It is my suspicion that this launch method was pioneered by China and if that is the case, then we need to revise our estimates of the number of DF-4 and DF-5 ICBMs that China may be able to launch at the Untied States."

 

The concealed cave launchers allow states like Iran, China, and North Korea to hide large numbers of missiles for decades.

 

"This method of cave-launch may also be in use in North Korea, again allowing Pyongyang to conceal a significant number of missiles from overhead/space detection," Fisher said.

 

The Iranian missile propaganda campaign began in October when Iran disclosed a video showing an extensive network of tunnels and troops with medium- and long-range surface-to-surface ballistic missiles.

 

The video was made public three days after Iran tested a new long-range missile that the United States said undermined a U.N resolution.

 

Then in January a second video was released by official Iranian media showing tunnels filled with road-mobile Shahab-3 ballistic missiles and new Emad precision-guided missiles.

 

The second tunnel video was released by the Tasnim news agency and state television.

 

Iranian state-run media quoted Brig Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the IRGC aerospace division, as saying in October the Iranians have numerous underground missile tunnels around the country that are some 1,500 feet below ground.

 

"The Islamic Republic's long-range missile bases are stationed and ready under the high mountains in all the country's provinces and cities," Hajizadeh said.

 

"This is a sample of our massive missile bases," he said, adding "a new and advanced generation of long-range liquid- and solid-fuel missiles" is slated to be deployed in 2016.

 

The January video included footage of Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani visiting the IRGC's new underground "missile town" where Emad missiles have been deployed.

 

The locations of the missile tunnels were not disclosed.

 

IRGC Brig. Gen. Hossein Salami was quoted in the video reports as saying Iran has 14 underground missile depots located at depths of between 90 feet and 1,500 feet.

 

The underground facilities appear modeled after China's underground missile facilities that were disclosed for the first time several years ago.

 

China has an estimated 3,000 miles of underground nuclear and missile facilities that has been dubbed the Great Underground Wall.