Author: Steven Sahiounie

Police in Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan province, which borders Afghanistan and Pakistan to the east, have seized over 180,000 litres (47,550 gallons) of smuggled fuel, media reported on Monday, citing a police official. Sistan and Baluchestan police chief Brigadier General Mohammad Ghanbari stated that three fuel depots and seven tank trucks were seized and that 65 smugglers had been arrested, Iran’s Mehr news outlet said. Despite the Iranian government’s creation of markets in Iran’s border regions to prevent the illegal trade of gasoline, smuggling in these areas has increased in recent months in the wake of further US sanctions on Iran’s oil…

France will be launching the coalition in response to a flare-up in tensions in the Middle East in the past six months, caused by a series of attacks on oil facilities and tankers. Western nations have largely attributed those incidents to Iran, despite a lack of conclusive evidence. France’s defence chief has announced that the proposed European maritime force will be headquartered in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Defence Minister Florence Parly made the announcement on Sunday as she spoke to reporters at the French naval base in Abu Dhabi, which is set to host the…

At least nine civilians were killed overnight in the village of Gajgin in Afghanistan’s Farah province by US-led coalition aircraft, broadcaster 1TV reported on Sunday. At the same time, five other people, including one minor, were severely injured and later sent to the hospital. Local authorities confirmed the incident, telling journalists that they had asked the government in Kabul to address the tragedy. In the meantime, there has been no official comment from the coalition forces. The reports come amid another escalation in Afghanistan almost two months after the US President Donald Trump suspended peace talks with the Taliban movement, noting…

Last month, the Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy warned of “bitter fate” for those who breach Iran’s borders amid the ongoing political standoff with the US. Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) chief Hossein Salami has pledged that the IRGC would obliterate the US, Israel and Saudi Arabia if they cross what he described as Tehran’s red lines. “We have shown restraint … we have shown patience towards the hostile moves of America, the Zionist regime (Israel) and Saudi Arabia against the Islamic Republic of Iran … but we will destroy them if they cross our red…

The Small Group of the Syrian Constitutional Committee will gather for the second round of discussions in Geneva on Monday following a two-week break. The group will work on initiatives concerning Syria’s constitution, which will be submitted to the committee for approval. The United Nations Office in Geneva said the meeting of the 45 members of the Small Group will be held at the Palace of Nations. The 150-member Syrian Constitutional Committee includes representatives of the Syrian government and the opposition, as well as civil society members. Each of the three groups holds one-third of seats in the committee. The…

The first units of the medical special forces arrived at the Russian military police base near Kobane in northern Syria, where they will provide assistance to the local population. Special forces medics arrived near Kobane on a Mi-8 helicopter along with equipment, medicines, dressing materials. According to surgeon Sergey Ponomarev, local residents have not had adequate medical care for a long time. “Chronic diseases are neglected, acute [diseases], respectively, too … We are ready to work here all the way … After some time, the full medical team will arrive. I think we will be able to take about 100…

The Syrian army recaptured four villages in the northern province of Idlib from militants over the past four days, Sputnik correspondent reported on Monday. The Syrian army regained control of the village of Umm Halahil in the southeast of the Idlib province, causing substantial damage to the terrorist group, and also recovered the villages of Dahra-Zarzur and Sir. Over the past day, the military has also recaptured the village of Al Musharrafah in the province’s southeast and taken control of the agricultural areas adjacent to it. As a result of an operation carried out in August, the Syrian military has…

Turkey is set to test its Russian S-400 defense missile system despite repeated warnings from Washington that it could lead to sanctions, Turkish media report. Broadcaster CNN Turk cited the governor’s office in the capital Ankara as saying on Sunday that the Turkish military planes, including F-16 fighter jets, would conduct low- and high-altitude flights over the city on Monday and Tuesday as part of “anti-air defense system tests.” Turkey’s Milliyet newspaper also confirmed that the flights aimed to test the S-400 radar system. Ankara began receiving the S-400s from Russia last July but they are not yet operational. The two countries…

By Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich When protests in Hong Kong, Iraq, and Lebanon erupted, I was fully anticipating protests in Iran to follow. In 2018 alone, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) had spent millions of dollars in these countries (and elsewhere) to promote America’s agenda. However, I did not expect unrest in Iran to take place while I was visiting the country. In retrospect, I am glad that I was here to be witness to these latest events. On Thursday, November 21st, friends took me to a very charming Iranian restaurant in the heart of the city. During our lunch, they talked…

BY ERIC ZUESSE Since this news-report is going to be especially harsh regarding today’s Democratic Party in the United States, readers should be aware that until that Party nominated Hillary Clinton in 2016, this writer was, and consistently voted as, a Democrat, and that I have never been, and never could be, a Republican. In no way does this article reflect a Republican viewpoint. It is not partisan — not favoring one person’s viewpoint over any other’s. (Though it does favor trustworthy evidence over untrustworthy hearsay and witnesses, etc.) This article is written by a consistent progressive, which means a person…