Submitted by: M Mulukin
Iran Blames Israel, U.S. For Assassination of Top Nuclear Scientist…
28 November 2020
Iran accused Israel and the U.S. of organising the assassination of one of its top nuclear scientists on Friday and vowed revenge, sharply escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf in what could possibly be the final weeks of Donald Trump’s presidency.
The reclusive Dr. Mohsen Fakriazadeh, [pictured above] reputed father of Iran’s nuclear weapons and missile programs, was assassinated near Tehran on Friday, November 27.
He was attacked by unknown killers in Damavand, Tehran Province, during an armed conflict with his bodyguards. [scene pictured below]
This was confirmed by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards of which the scientist was also a brigadier general.
Shariar Heydari, Deputy Chairman of Iran’s parliamentary National Security Commission told reporters that the Iranian scientist was martyred when “a car exploded in front of his vehicle followed by gunfire by the terrorists” killing the scientist and one of his bodyguards.
The physicist who operated in the shadows was first prominently named by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in April 2018, during his televised revelation that the Mossad had removed Iran’s vast nuclear archive from a secret warehouse in Tehran.
He presented a photograph, saying “Remember that name, Fakhrizadeh.”
Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was the head of research and innovation at Iran’s Ministry of Defence, and was also viewed internationally as the head of Iran's nuclear weapons program.
He was killed close to the Damavand campus of Islamic Azad University, about 60 kilometres east of central Tehran, Iran's Tasnim news reported.
"Terrorists murdered an eminent Iranian scientist today. This cowardice—with serious indications of Israeli role—shows desperate warmongering of perpetrators," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a tweet.
Iran’s army also accused the U.S. of bearing responsibility. Curiously, Trump re-tweeted a New York Times report on Fakhrizadeh’s killing without commenting.
Zarif urged the international community to condemn the attack, while the head of Iran’s armed forces, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, [pictured above] called for the assassination to be avenged.
Four other Iranian nuclear scientists have been killed since 2010, with Tehran blaming the intelligence agencies of its arch foes, Israel and the U.S.
Fakhrizadeh's assassination comes after Trump reportedly considered bombing Iran and days after US Sec Pompeo had a secret meeting in Saudi Arabia with MBS, Netanyahu, the Mossad Chief, Israeli NatSec Advisor and the Israeli Military Secretary.
Latest Iran nuclear inspection report reveals multiple concerns…..
Headlines about increased stockpiles of enriched uranium are only half the story.
President-elect [perhaps?] Joe Biden’s team has indicated that he wants to return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and its numerous restrictions on Iran’s nuclear activities once he takes office, but the latest report by the International Atomic Energy Agency shows that Tehran’s dangerous program is moving ahead anyway.
Even if the next administration does manage to reinstitute the JCPOA in some form, it will likely be a rather different accord.
A range of troubling issues surfaced in the latest quarterly report by the IAEA inspectors who monitor Iran’s adherence to the 2015 JCPOA.
These issues are partly a consequence of Tehran’s 2019 decision to stop complying with certain limitations on its activities after the Trump administration announced its withdrawal from the accord.
Two issues stand out given the concerns they raise about potential nuclear weapons development: increased uranium enrichment and purification of plutonium from spent fuel.
On the former, the report reveals that Iran’s overall stockpile of enriched uranium is now 2,442.9 kilograms, almost twelve times the amount agreed to under the JCPOA.
Worse, most of this stockpile has been enriched to 4.5% of the fissile isotope U-235—a significant step up from un-enriched uranium along the path to possible weapons-grade material, and above the JCPOA limit of 3.67%.
Surely Trump must make an urgent attempt to destroy this threat?
Massive Armada of IRGC Boats Mobilise in Gulf Amid Rumours Israeli Strike Imminent…..
28 November 2020
The naval forces of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Thursday conducted large-scale exercises in the Strait of Hormuz at a moment Tehran believes Israel will launch a pre-emptive strike aimed at drawing Trump into ordering US military action in the region before he leaves office in January.
According to state-run English language PressTV, "The event saw sailors, enlisted with the popular volunteer Basij force, taking to the waters aboard more than 1,000 light and semi-heavy-lift vessels."
Photos showed an impressive number of small but fast military boats that are typically used by the IRGC Navy (which is separate from the much larger national navy of the Islamic Republic) to harass and encircle larger ships, whether tankers or foreign warships.
IRGC Admiral Ali Reza Tangsiri, [pictured below] who oversaw the manoeuvres, called it a display of strength and a showcasing of Iran's "maritime power" which provides security in the Arabian and Oman Seas.
Crucially the 'show of force' comes amid widespread reports that Trump is mulling some of kind of pre-emptive action against either Iran or its regional allies, such as the powerful Shia militias in Iraq.
Included in the "strike options" are most likely plans to hit the Natanz enrichment facility, according to the report, which suffered sabotage and damage last summer in a likely Israeli covert operation but which is being repaired and rebuilt.
Israel too is said to be preparing for such a scenario, with its armed forces said to be in a high state of readiness. Iran is apparently taking these reports very seriously.
This means that it's more than likely we'll see Iran ramp up its military exercises and shows of strength as the weeks POSSIBLY wind down on the Trump presidency.
Just In: The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz [pictured above] is being moved back into the Persian Gulf region along with other warships to provide combat support and air cover as US troops withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan by January 15 under President Trump’s orders a defence official tells CNN.
The movement puts increased American military fire-power and thousands of personnel into the region through the possible end of the Trump Administration.
It may be up to [so-called] President-elect Joe Biden to decide when to withdraw them.
Russia tests ‘Unstoppable’ Nuclear Missile…
28 November 2020
Russia claims to have successfully tested an “unstoppable” nuclear missile, with state media saying it has the ability to hit US cities in minutes.
The Russian military has claimed to have successfully tested an “unstoppable” nuclear missile, with the weapon almost reaching speeds of 10,000km/h.
The hypersonic weapon, known as the Mach 8 Zircon or Tsirkon, [pictured below ] has been touted as President Vladimir Putin’s “weapon of choice”, with Russian media even claiming it could destroy prominent US locations within five minutes.
The Russian Ministry of Defence recently performed a test launch of the nuke in the White Sea, with officials claiming to have successfully hit a target located 450 kilometres away in the Barents Sea.
In a statement, the Russian Ministry of Defence claimed the missile reached speeds of more than 8 March, or about 9878 km/h.
It reportedly took just over four minutes to reach its target.
Footage of the launch shows the nuclear missile being fired from the Admiral Gorshkov frigate under the cover of darkness.
Putin has praised the successful test as a big event for Russia.
“Equipping our Armed Forces the army and the navy with the latest, truly unparalleled weapon systems will certainly ensure the defence capability of our country in the long term,” he said.
He heralded the launch as “a great event not only in the life of the Armed Forces, but also in the whole of Russia”
The president went on to call the missile the “newest, truly unparalleled weapon system in the world”, which would ensure “the defence capability of our state”.
Middle East Update….
Amir Tsarfati
27 November 2020
[Excerpted]
While the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain may have been the first two Gulf States to make peace with Israel, there are several others that the White House has been urging to follow suit.
One of the most anticipated – and perhaps the most significant – is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
If you thought Iran was displeased before, just wait until Saudi Arabia makes peace with Israel.
We may not know when all of it is going to take place, but we can see the stage being set for the Ezekiel 38 scenario more than ever before!
And adding to this, Netanyahu is set to travel to both Bahrain and the UAE next week!
As for Israel, we’ve found ourselves involved in several airstrikes throughout Syria in the last week.
Following last week’s strike in the area of Damascus after Iranian-backed militias placed explosives near our southern border, we hit six different locations in the Deir ez-Zor region of eastern Syria.
This is the key location where the Iranians attempt to move their weapons through to the Mediterranean Coast.
We also carried out strikes in Gaza after Hamas launched a rocket at us. Our air force hit several Hamas compounds.
The IDF also targeted Hezbollah militias near Damascus and on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights.
And just yesterday, our military conducted another strike in the eastern Syrian town of Al-Bukamal. More Iranian-backed casualties came as a result of this strike.
It has been a busy week, and sadly, that’s not the end of the story. An Israeli Air Force flight cadet and flight instructor (res.) from the IAF Flight Academy were killed in southern Israel in an aircraft crash [pictured above] on Tuesday. We mourn with their families.
Something else taking place that is necessary to observe is the pending military contract between Russia and Sudan that will result in the construction of a Russian Naval base on the Sudanese coast.
This base will allow Russia to dock nuclear-capable warships and supply up to 300 soldiers on site.
Did I mention Ezekiel 38? First it was Syria. Now Russia is building its presence south of Israel.
Regardless of the US election aftermath, Israel continues to gain sovereign recognition on a global scale.
Following US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s visit to the West Bank last week, he released a statement revealing that any and all items being imported to the US from Israeli settlements in the West Bank will be labelled “Made in Israel.” [Including a special wine vintage labelled in his name].
This is monumental for my country, and a critical change from former policy. I discuss this and much more in my most recent Middle East Update video.
Trump’s legal team strategy…..
28 November 2020
In a Newsmax interview attorney Alan Dershowitz [pictured above] was very complimentary of Trump’s legal team.
Dershowitz is a part of the team as a constitutional scholar who has taught law for 50 years at Harvard.
Dershowitz’s comments likely reflect the Trump’s legal team’s strategy.
Dershowitz mentioned Trump’s transition cooperation with Biden for the sake of the country was a good move. That may have been Dershowitz’s idea.
It appears there are two paths: The first would be getting Biden under 270 electoral votes.
Also, getting the election to the Supreme Court over the Constitution violations in Pennsylvania and Georgia.
The second path would be attorney Sidney Powell’s [pictured above] voter fraud efforts but proving cyber/algorithm voting fraud will take more time.
It is important to lead with what Dershowitz said needs to be done.
A one/two punch may happen.
But it is important to get Biden under 270 and deal with the Electoral College through the House of Representatives, where each state has one vote.
Republicans control 26 state legislatures and maybe more when the final votes are tallied.
Dershowitz said the Trump legal team needs to present his cases by today or next Monday and/or Tuesday at the latest. Time is of the essence.
Trump Administration Ousts almost all of the Pentagon’s Defence Policy Board…..
November 27, 2020
Eleven members of the Pentagon’s Defence Policy Board have been abruptly booted by the apparently outgoing Trump administration, according to a new report.
Former Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger and Madeleine Albright; retired Admiral Gary Roughead; one-time ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee Jane Harman; and Rudy De Leon, a former chief operating officer at the Pentagon were all removed, effective immediately.
Also ousted were former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and former Treasury Department under-secretary David McCormick, former deputy Attorney General Jamie Gorelick; chief US nuclear negotiator Robert Joseph; former Deputy National Security Advisor JD Crouch II; and former top defence official Franklin Miller.
The status of the other two members on the board was unclear. This is a MAJOR late development in the ongoing saga of the post-election drama.
Israel Report
Editor; Mike Claydon
No comments:
Post a Comment