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Iran holds nationwide aerial drills

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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During the main phase of the drills on Thursday, Army Air Force aircraft used heavy weapons including laser-guided missiles.

Iranian aircraft destroyed vital mock enemy targets using indigenous bombs and Yasin 90 standoff missile, while interceptor planes practiced air combat at low altitude.

Islamic Republic of Iran Army Air Force Commander Brigadier General Hamid Vahedi said one of the features of this exercise is that all air force bases across the country are involved in it in a decentralized form with a centralized command control.

General Vahedi said during the main phase, manned aircraft using the latest electronic warfare techniques disabled enemy air defense systems providing a safe route for drone operations.

Kaman-12, Karrar, Kian and Arash combat drones, equipped with different types of warheads and carrying optimized bombs with pinpoint precision, using the principle of surprise, targeted and destroyed vital enemy targets including surface units and ground radars, he explained.

Vahedi also said jet-powered Karrar drones, which were equipped with 500-pound bombs and rockets, successfully and accurately destroyed their targets.

The air force commander said this exercise conveys a message of security, stability, friendship and lasting peace for the countries of the region, a message of reassurance for Iranians and demonstrates readiness to defend and respond decisively in case of mistakes and miscalculations by the enemies.

Iranian armed forces regularly hold military drills aimed at assessing their combat readiness and their capabilities to defend the country’s territorial integrity.

Turkey says likely to deploy heavy weapons in Syria

By
IFP Media Wire
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“At the moment, our operations are continuing in the critically important points of the region, there are absolutely no compromises. We are continuing this process in Syria. Right now I don’t know what position the regime [of internationally-recognised Syrian President Bashar Asssad -ed.] will take, but we continue to do everything necessary, especially against this approach in Idlib, and we will continue to respond with all our heavy weaponry. We will not leave this situation as it is,” the Turkish leader told reporters on Thursday.

Erdogan made the comments on his presidential plane while returning from a mini-tour of Africa.

Along with the Syria remarks, the president warned that Turkey might kick out ambassadors from ten countries, including the United States, over demands that detained Turkish Open Society Foundation cofounder and activist Osman Kavala be immediately released.

Turkey has carried out three separate incursions into northern Syria over the past five years, mostly against Washington-backed Syrian Kurdish militias, but also in support of rebranded ‘former terrorist’ militants in the northwestern Syrian region of Idlib.

Damascus has accused both Turkey and the US of illegally occupying and pillaging its territories, and has alleged that Turkish forces engaged in ethnic cleansing. Ankara has denied the allegations, while Washington has disingenuously claimed that its presence in Syria is connected to the threat of a resurgent Daesh.

Last week, two Turkish troops had been killed in Idlib by jihadist militants.

Ankara has been occupying the region since 2017, ostensibly as part of a de-escalation operations. Many of the Syria-based “moderate rebels” and outright jihadists fled to Turkish protection in Idlib after being routed and threatened with destruction in other areas of the country.

On Thursday, local sources told the Syrian Arab News Agency that Turkey had deployed a convoy of military equipment and ammunition-laden trucks into Idlib region for use by Turkish-backed militias in the city of Idlib and its environs. The 31 vehicle convoy was said to have included anti-tank rockets and portable air defence systems.

Also last week, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused Russia and the United States of failing to live up to their responsibilities in Syria, and claimed that both countries shared the blame for Syrian Kurdish attacks in Turkish-occupied areas of the country. Cavusoglu’s comments followed threats by Erdogan about Ankara’s patience “overflowing” as a result of constant “terrorist attacks” against Turkish forces and their allies in Syria, and warnings that Turkey would “soon take the necessary steps to eliminate the threats emanating from Syria on our own.”

Syria has been at war with Western-, Turkish- and Gulf sheikdom-backed terrorists and militia groups since 2011. The Syrian military has typically avoided direct engagements with US and Turkish forces, barring occasional flare-ups in fighting sparked by attempts by Syrian troops to liberate their territories from foreign occupiers.

Biden says concerned about China hypersonic missile test

By
IFP Media Wire
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Biden says concerned about China hypersonic missile test

Reports of a Chinese hypersonic missile test have prompted Washington to reach out to Beijing through diplomatic channels, while Biden confirmed to reporters that he was concerned about the technology.

As Biden traveled to Pennsylvania on Wednesday, reporters asked him if he was concerned about Chinese hypersonic missiles.

“Yes,” the president replied.

Earlier in the day, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that the US has raised concerns about the technology with China through “diplomatic channels,” without offering specifics.

Washington’s reaction followed last week’s reporting by Financial Times, alleging that the August launch by the Chinese military involved a glide vehicle that orbited the planet before swooping in on a target faster than the speed of sound. While it’s said to have missed the target, China’s “advanced space capability” came as a surprise to the US intelligence community, according to FT.

Beijing officially denied launching a hypersonic glider, however. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said last week that the test involved a spacecraft rather than a missile, and was of “great significance for reducing the use-cost of spacecraft, and could provide a convenient and affordable way to make a round trip for mankind’s peaceful use of space.”

Over the weekend, however, the state-backed outlet Global Times ran an editorial speculating that, if true, FT’s report means that the Chinese nuclear deterrence system has just dealt “a new blow to the US’ mentality of strategic superiority over China.”

Contrary to ballistic missiles developed during the Cold War, hypersonic missiles are capable of coming in fast and low, avoiding detection by radar until it is too late to launch countermeasures. Russia began developing the technology after the US withdrew from the anti-ballistic missile (ABM) treaty in 2001, and has so far fielded the air-launched Kinzhal and ship-launched Zircon weapons systems.

Gas explosion rips through Chinese city

By
IFP Media Wire
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All the injured have been hospitalized. Over 100 firefighters were mobilized for the rescue operation at the scene.

Officials are investigating the cause of the blast, which happened at around 8:20 a.m.

Video footage shared online shows the massive destruction of a three-story building, with debris littered across the area and nearby buildings affected. Cars parked near the restaurant were also damaged.

Witnesses have described the blast “as if a bomb was dropped.”

“There was a loud boom. I was almost blown away,” said the owner of a nearby noodle restaurant, who was about 50 meters away from the scene of explosion on his way to work this morning.

He told China Newsweek that the explosion left a mess with shattered glasses and dust everywhere. His own business was also badly damaged.

The noodle restaurant owner said he saw a passing bus with its windows completely shattered and dozens of wounded people in the street, who continued to be carried onto ambulances.

Media reports citing multiple sources said construction works on the gas pipeline were carried out earlier in the area. The gas company confirmed that construction work took place the previous night.

It is not yet clear whether this was connected to the explosion.

The gas company has reportedly sent workers to the scene to cooperate with the investigation and said an official announcement will be made.

Iranian president says exports must increase

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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The president was speaking at a meeting with exporters on the occasion of the National Day of Exports in Tehran on Thursday.

Raeisi said stability in rules and regulations results in development, adding that his administration will reconsider rules that hamper exports and economic activities because its policy is to facilitate exports.

The president noted that Iran must export technical and engineering services and science-based products.

Raeisi further referred to Iran’s accession to the Shanghai Cooperation Council, SCO, as a permanent member. He said this has provided a good opportunity for Iranian producers and exporters to take necessary action to develop sales of Iranian goods and services to foreign countries.

The president said Iran’s share of exports to the region and the world as a country with a high potential is meager.

He highlighted transportation problems for foreign trade, saying his administration will soon form a committee to resolve transportation challenges for exporters.

UK threat level against MPs at ‘substantial’

By
IFP Media Wire
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The threat level against MPs has been raised to “substantial”, the home secretary has told the Commons, with police saying they would now work with MPs to review the security they receive.

Patel, making a statement on MPs’ security after the killing of Sir David on Friday, urged them to take the “change in risk seriously” following a review by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre.

“While we do not see any information or intelligence which points to any credible or specific or imminent threat, I must update the House that the threat level facing members of parliament is now deemed to be substantial,” Patel told the Commons.

“This is the same level as the current national threat to the United Kingdom as a whole, so I can assure the house that our world-class intelligence and security agencies and counter-terror police will now ensure that this change is properly reflected in the operational posture,” she continued.

This new level corresponds with the national risk guidance on terrorist attacks, meaning that an attack is “likely”. Patel did not state which level the risk to MPs stood at before – the other levels are low and moderate.

A spokesperson for the National Police Chiefs’ Council said: “In light of this announcement, we will be working closely with government, forces and parliamentary authorities to review the security offering for MPs, ensuring a more consistent security response wherever MPs are in the country.

“Any recommendations made to members will need to be bespoke to their individual circumstances,” the spokesperson noted.

Officers had already been in touch with every MP since the killing of Amess in his Southend-on-Sea constituency, the statement added.

Amess’s death came just over five years after Labour MP Jo Cox was murdered by a rightwing terrorist. Ali Harbi Ali, 25, was arrested at the scene in Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody. He has been detained under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and detectives are expected to continue to question him until Friday after a warrant of further detention was granted.

US-Mexico border detentions at highest level in decades

By
IFP Media Wire
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Between October 2020 and September 2021, US border authorities detained more than 1.7 million migrants at the country’s southern border, the highest number since 1986, according to new Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data, obtained by The Washington Post daily.

The CBP is due to release the data later this week, according to the newspaper.

The WaPo report comes after Tucson Police Department Chief Chris Magnus, nominated by President Joe Biden to head the CBP, faced tough questioning from Senate Republicans, who in particular pressed him to call the surge in migrant arrivals a “crisis”.

Magnus, however, described it as a “significant challenge”, adding that “the numbers are very high”, something that echoed the Biden administration’s preferred remarks to depict the situation with migrants.

Washington has repeatedly drawn criticism from Republicans over the president’s handling of the refugee crisis at the US southern border, with the White House repeatedly calling the issue a “vital human challenge” instead of a “migration crisis”.

The New York Post has, meanwhile, reported that the Biden administration is secretly flying planes with unaccompanied migrant minors to suburban New York in order to quietly resettle them across the region.

The paper also referred to its analysis of online flight-tracking data, which suggested that around 2,000 unaccompanied migrant minors have arrived at the Westchester County Airport, 30 miles north of New York City, on 21 flights since 8 August.

The latest CBP figures showed that at least 37,805 unaccompanied migrant children have already entered the US.

Shortly after assuming office in January, Biden began to reverse former President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies, halting construction of a border wall, moving to end “harsh and extreme immigration enforcement”, and promising to “restore and expand” the asylum system.

Other moves included rescinding the Trump-era travel ban and promising a “path to citizenship” for more than 11 million undocumented immigrants already living in the US.

Majority of Americans blame Biden for rising inflation

By
IFP Media Wire
-

Sixty-two percent of Americans said Biden is somewhat or very responsible for increasing inflation — the same number who believe the country is on the wrong track, according to a new poll released Wednesday.

Forty percent said Biden’s policies are very responsible and 22 percent said they are somewhat responsible for inflation, which has hit its highest rate in 13 years, a Morning Consult/Politico poll found.

Another 18 percent believe the administration’s policies are not too responsible, and 10 percent said they aren’t responsible at all.

Asked if the country is on the right track, 38 percent agreed, while 62 percent believe it’s on the wrong track.

American consumers are suffering sticker shock as the nation faces a supply chain crisis and rising fuel prices.

According to the Consumer Price Index, the cost of food has increased 4.6 percent since last year, with the prices for meat, poultry, fish and eggs topping the list of food items at 10.5 percent.

In August, the inflation rate was up 5.3 percent compared to a year ago, meaning a household with the median annual income of about $70,000, pays an extra $175 a month on food, fuel and housing.

The poll also asked respondents what they view as the top issue when it comes time to vote in the upcoming midterm elections.

Economic issues like wages, jobs, taxes and spending finished on top with 38 percent.

Coming in second at 18 percent are security issues involving terrorism and border security.

Energy issues — carbon emissions, cost of electricity/gasoline and renewables — polled at 5 percent.

Asked which party’s candidate they would vote for if a congressional election were held today, 45 percent said Democratic, 40 percent said Republican and 15 percent said they didn’t know.

The poll surveyed 1,998 registered voters between Oct. 16 and 18. It has a plus/minus 2 percentage-point margin of error.

“Grossi Impeding Talks on Iran Nuclear Deal”

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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“The IEAE director general, who has travelled to the United States to meet the country’s Secretary of State Antony Blinken, once again took a stance against our country and warned against what he called ‘restrictions’ on the IAEA’s monitoring of Iran’s nuclear activities,” said nournews.

“In the interview, Grossi said he should immediately meet Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian to talk to him about the IAEA’s monitoring of Iran’s atomic activities,” the article by nournews read.

Nournews noted although an agreement has been reached on Grossi visiting Iran again, no date has been announced by Tehran for the trip yet due to his ongoing politically-tainted behaviour and his failure to abide by bilateral agreements.

“Grossi reportedly insists that he meetس Iranian officials, especially President Ebrahim Raeisi, before a meeting of the IAEA’s Board of Governors slated for November,” the opinion piece further read.

Nournews said Grossi is incontrovertibly one of the serious obstacles to the resumption of nuclear talks between Iran and the 4+1 group.

“One can say with certainty that since he took over as IAEA Director General, Grossi’s comments and moves have been very similar to the Israeli regime obstructionist actions in Iran’s nuclear program,” the article added.

By levelling unsubstantiated accusations and by referring to fabricated reports and documents presented by former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said Nournews, Grossi reopened dossiers closed after the signing of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Hence he has promoted an atmosphere of distrust and turned into a stumbling block to the talks.

Farhadi’s ‘A Hero’ Picked to Represent Iranian Cinema in 2022 Oscars

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-

“Seeing the change in the regulations for the Academy Award for the best international feature film and the change in the deadline for submission of movies to the past editions of the Oscars, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the jury began its work by examination of 44 previously-screened Iranian movies and then the members … that down to a three-title list,” said Raed Faridzadeh, the jury’s secretary and spokesman.

Faridzadeh said the three movies were Dasht-e-Khamoush (The Wasteland), Bandar Band and Ghahreman (A Hero).

According to him, among them and after a review of the regulations and the technical features of the films, the jury picked Asghar Farhadi’s movie as their pick and it will be submitted to the 2022 Academy Awards as Iran’s representative.

Ghahreman, won Cannes Film Festival’s Grand Prix in its firm foreign screening.

The movie tells the story of Rahim who has divorced his wife and is imprisoned for his debt to his former brother-in-law.

Farhadi won his first Oscar in 2011 for the film A Seperation and then in 2016 for his film The Salesman. He is among few directors worldwide to have won the title twice.

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