Monday, December 29, 2025
type here...
Home Blog Page 2083

Israel offers UAE defense, intelligence support after Yemen attacks

By
IFP Media Wire
-

The unprecedented missile and drone attacks by Yemeni troops have rattled the UAE and led it to look for ways to bolster its defenses against future strikes.

Israel and the UAE had a back-channel defense and intelligence relationship for more than two decades that only became more public after the signing of the Abraham Accords in 2020.

The Yemen’s Houthis have launched at least three recent attacks targeting the UAE, which is a member of the Saudi-led coalition that has waged an aerial campaign against Yemen since 2015.

A Houthi military spokesperson this week threatened to continue the attacks on the Persian Gulf country, linking them to the ties between the UAE and Israel.

Following the first attack, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed (MBZ) in a letter that Israel was ready to provide intelligence and defense assistance.

In Abu Dhabi last week, Israeli officials met with Emirati military officials, who said the Persian Gulf country needed assistance with its missile defense and counter-drone technology, according to Israeli officials.

The officials tell me one critical field that was discussed was detection and early warning.

Emirati officials declined to comment.

Emirati ambassador to Washington Yousef Al Otaiba and ambassador to the UN Lana Nusseibeh wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed on Monday that the Joe Biden administration and other world powers should deploy sanctions against the Houthis to pressure them to agree to a ceasefire.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke to MBZ and stressed that Washington will continue to provide early warning intelligence and collaborate on air defense, the Pentagon said.

Austin told MBZ the U.S. will send the Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Cole to the UAE and will deploy F-18 and F-22 fighter jets in the UAE.

Israel’s Ministry of Defense and national security agencies are expected to discuss the Emirati requests in the coming days, Israeli officials told Axios.

The officials say they want to help the UAE as much as they can while not jeopardizing sensitive technology that Israel doesn’t want shared.

“We will be happy to help whoever is our friend as much as we can, and if the Emiratis want, we will be happy to cooperate. It is their decision,” Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz stated on Monday.

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid has announced Israel should formally designate the Houthis as a terror organization.

Gen. Frank McKenzie, the outgoing commander of U.S. Central Command, is also expected to visit the UAE next week for further discussion on bolstering defense cooperation, a source with direct knowledge of the issue added.

On Thursday, the UAE announced it intercepted three drones that entered its airspace over unpopulated areas early on Wednesday in the fourth such attack on the Persian Gulf commercial and tourism hub in the past few weeks.

The Houthis have not yet announced a new operation and Wednesday’s drones attack was claimed by a little-known group calling itself the “True Promise Brigades”, according to U.S.-based SITE Intelligence Group. The group’s only other claim was in January 2021, when it said it launched a drone at Saudi Arabia.

The UAE Defense Ministry said it was “ready to deal with any threats” and was taking “all necessary measures” to protect the country which prizes its reputation as a safe business haven.

Saudi Arabia and its allies launched a war against the Arab world’s most impoverished nation in March 2015. The war has been seeking to restore power in Yemen to Riyadh’s favorite officials.

The death toll of the war, now in its seventh year, will reach an estimated 377,000 by the end of 2021, according to a recent report from the UN’s Development Programme.

The fighting has seen some 80 percent of the population, or 24 million people, relying on aid and assistance, including 14.3 million who are in acute need.

Day Three of Fajr Film Festival: A Summary

By
Seyedeh Maryam Hosseini Lahijani
-

 

So far, a number of critics believe Braf-e-Akhar is the best film screened this year and have commended the roles main actors, Amin Hayaei and Majid Salehi, played. 

The movie has been produced under harsh cold conditions of northern Iran and casts a different look at the routine life of a veterinarian. 

The third day also saw government spokesman Ali Bahadori Jahromi visit the venue of the festival. During his visit he said films should naturally reflect the realities and priorities of a country, though he, speaking in the capacity of the representative of the government, called for promoting hope.

Nevertheless, he stressed that one cannot constrict artists and tell them they should go for a specific type of film that raises hopes. 

Meanwhile, the public relations’ office of the festival announced that, starting from Thursday, only photographers of official news agencies will be allowed to cover the red carpet arrivals and news briefings, seeing the surge in coronavirus cases in Tehran, which pushed the city back into the red alert covid status.

Iran: Continuation of Yemen war won’t benefit anyone

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-

Amir Abdollahian also spoke of the Zionist regime’s presence in the Persian Gulf in an unmistakable reference to the UAE’s normalization of ties with Tel Aviv.  

He said the presence of the Israeli regime in the Persian Gulf poses a threat to all regional nations.

Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan also said the UAE is trying to encourage all Yemeni sides to find a political solution with the support of the United Nations.  

The two top diplomats also discussed bilateral ties between Tehran and Abu Dhabi. 

Amir Abdollahian described ties between the two countries as positive and progressing, saying good meetings and consultations have happened between them.

The Emirati foreign minister for his part said his country is serious about expanding ties with Iran. 

Iran and the UAE support opposing sides in the Yemen war. But they have maintained their diplomatic ties despite their differences on the Yemen conflict and some other issues.

Report: Iran adds smaller, longer-ranged member to its Fateh missiles

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-

n a report, Tasnim says the missile is yet another downsized version of Fateh 110 missile, which Iranian experts developed almost 20 years ago.

The report refers to footage from two recent military drills – Great Prophet 14 and 17 — by Iranian armed forces, saying Fath – BM 120, the fourth generation of Fateh 110 – missiles were used during the exercises.

It says, however, that while deployment of the missiles was confirmed by the armed forces and details on their specifications were published, footage shows a blunt head that was a change in the earlier design of the projectiles.

This, Tasnim says, is a new upgraded version of Fath, codenamed BM 250, which is 25 percent smaller in diameter.

The report cites new charts published by the Defense Ministry saying the new missile weighs almost half of BM 120, while maintaining 83 percent of its range.

This means Iran now has a missile in Fateh family, with an accuracy of less than 35 meters, as range more than twice BM 120 and a warhead 50 percent larger.

US says to deploy 5th-generation jets to region in support of UAE

By
IFP Media Wire
-

“Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke today with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates (UAE),” Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said Tuesday night.

“The two leaders discussed the recent Houthi attacks against the UAE that caused civilian casualties and also threatened US and Emirati armed forces stationed at Al Dhafra Air Base. The secretary reiterated his strong condemnation of these attacks, and his commitment to US-UAE strategic partnership,” he added, without referring to the crimes of the Saudi-UAE coalition on Yemeni civilians.

“The secretary reviewed a range of actions the Department of Defense is taking to support the UAE. These include continuing to provide early warning intelligence, collaborating on air defense, and sending the US Navy guided missile destroyer USS Cole to partner with the UAE Navy before making a port call in Abu Dhabi,” he continued.

“The secretary also informed the Crown Prince of his decision to deploy 5th Generation Fighter aircraft to assist the UAE against the current threat and as a clear signal that the United States stands with the UAE as a long-standing strategic partner,” Kirby stated.

The UAE is Saudi Arabia’s main ally in a 2015-present bloody war against Yemen.

Most recently, the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out three military operations, which saw them strike targets deep inside Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Saudi Arabia and its allies launched a war against the Arab world’s most impoverished nation in March 2015. The war has been seeking to restore power in Yemen to Riyadh’s favorite officials.

The death toll of the war, now in its seventh year, will reach an estimated 377,000 by the end of 2021, according to a recent report from the UN’s Development Programme.

The fighting has seen some 80 percent of the population, or 24 million people, relying on aid and assistance, including 14.3 million who are in acute need.

Taliban fighters not allowed entering entertainment parks with weapons

By
IFP Media Wire
-

“Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate (Taliban soldiers) are not allowed to enter amusement parks with weapons, military uniforms and vehicles,” Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said in a tweet, adding “Mujahideen are obliged to abide by all the rules and regulations of amusement parks.”

The announcement comes just months after images of armed Taliban troops enjoying an amusement park on the outskirts of the Afghan capital, Kabul, prompted widespread mockery on social media. In the viral videos, which emerged after the fall of Kabul in August, Taliban troops can be seen flashing their guns as they play on the bumper cars and other rides.

The Qargha reservoir amusement park has proven particularly popular with the Taliban’s crack troops. Reuters journalists observed the fighters sipping tea, buying snacks from stalls along the shoreline, and queueing for rides.

Many of the troops had never been to Kabul before and wanted to visit the park before returning to defend the regime across the country.

The original footage was shot just weeks after the Taliban took control of Kabul on August 15 after two decades of Western-backed rule.

Beijing Winter Olympics: Iran caravan departs for China

By
IFP Media Wire
-

Atefeh Ahmadi and Hossein Saveh Shemshaki are representing Alpine skiing team under the supervision of Bagher Kalhor.

Sattar Seyd, cross-country skiing athlete, and Mostafa Mirhashemi, cross-country skiing trainer, could not accompany the Iranian team, because they have been diagnosed with the COVID-19 disease.

Following Beijing Winter Olympics Committee’s approval, Sattar Seyd and Mostafa Mirhashemi have been replaced with Danial Saveh Shemshaki and Mohammad-Taghi Shemshaki, athlete and trainer, respectively.

The Iranian sport caravan’s motto has been announced: “Powerful like Mountain, White like Snow, Proud like Iran.”

Abbas Nazarian and Bahram Saveh Shemshaki, chairman and secretary of the Ski Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, dispatched to China for preliminary coordination prior to the Iranian caravan departure.

Minister of Sport and Youths of Iran Hamid Sajjadi and President of Iran’s National Olympic Committee Reza Salehi Amiri are scheduled to take part in the international event.

Beijing hosts the Winter Olympics 2022 on February 4-20.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has expressed solidarity with the People’s Republic of China in hosting this year’s Winter Olympics.

Iran Intelligence Ministry arrests terrorist group leader

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Intelligence Ministry Official Website

The ministry said the terrorist, it identified as “Masmatous”, was attested one month ago.

The terrorist grouping’s commander, Jamshid Sharmahd, was earlier arrested in an operation by the Intelligence Ministry.

Tondar is the terrorist grouping, which conducted the bombing attack on Shohada congregation center, run by Rahpouyan Vesal Association, of the southern Iranian city of Shiraz in April 2008. The attack left 14 people dead and 200 others injured.

The grouping was also behind the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist Masoud Ali Mohammadi with a bomb planted in his car in January 2010.

Masmatous was the first person, who announced the assassination on his website.

Officials caution against Omicron’s quick spread in Iran

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Daily Increase in Iran's COVID-19 Cases at All-Time High Again

Alireza Oliyayi-Manesh, with Tehran’s National Committee to Combat the Coronavirus, said on Wednesday that Omicron was highly transmissible and thus, the latest wave of the pandemic in Iran had peaked quickly.

“Predictions are that daily infections will reach very high levels,” he warned, adding, however, that since the Omicron variant does not engage the lungs, it is less perilous.

“The main hazard is directed at people who are not vaccinated, or not fully vaccinated,” Oliyayi-Manesh said, advising people to receive their third doses of inoculation at the earliest.

Meanwhile, another Iranian health official warned on Wednesday that the lightning spread of the Omicron variant could lead to “a grave crisis.”

Ramin Sarrafi Foroushani, a member of the Jahad-e Daneshgahi Coronavirus Committee, said that while scientific data showed that the new variant was less of a health risk, public inattention could lead to serious problems both for citizens and the administrative apparatus of the country.

He also urged officials to reconsider plans to reopen schools and public facilities, given the fast pace of the virus’ spread.

Separately, Tehran’s Provincial Governor Mohsen Mansouri said that elementary schools in Tehran Province would hold classes remotely for one week because of the quick spread of Omicron.

He said 78 percent more people were visiting medical centers compared to the last week and 61 percent more hospitalizations were taking place.

The Health Ministry announced on Wednesday over the past 24 hours, Iran recorded 59 deaths from the coronavirus, registering an upward trend compared to the recent days.
Also, 38,160 new infections were logged, taking the overall infection toll since the pandemic began in Iran to 6,446,404.

A total of 132,563 Iranians have lost their lives to COVID-19 so far.

Israeli minister of military affairs makes surprise visit to Bahrain

By
Fatemeh Askarieh
-

Israeli media reported Gantz would sign a memorandum of understanding with Bahraini leaders during the two-day visit, but gave no details about the agreement.

In a statement, the Israeli Defense Ministry said Gantz flew to Bahrain on an Israeli air force plane, adding that it was the first time an Israeli defense chief had visited the Persian Gulf nation or that an Israeli military aircraft had landed there.

Bahrain and Persian Gulf neighbour the UAE normalised relations with Israel in 2020 in a U.S.-brokered deal known as the Abraham Accords that built on common commercial interests and worries about Iran. Sudan and Morocco followed suit.

1...2,0822,0832,084...5,021Page 2,083 of 5,021

© All Content by IFP News ( Iran Front Page ) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

About Us

Popular Articles

Editor Picks