WarSclerotic

‘Even if they escape our sophisticated defense system, they will never see their bases again; because our surface-to-surface missiles are on their marks to target Israeli military bases before the dust settles.’
Top Military Official

via Military Officials Deliver a Stern warning to Israel.

Tehran, Nov. 24, 09 (Hamsayeh.Net) – Iran’s largest aerial drill aimed at protecting the country’s scattered nuclear installations has entered into its second day with a blunt warning to Tel Aviv that Israeli warplanes ‘will come tumbling down’ if they cross the red line.

Israel has repeatedly threatened to bomb Iran’s nuclear installations. Israel says that Iran’s advancements in the field of nuclear technology pose an existential threat to its very existence.

Tel Aviv has never acknowledged its possession of over 200 nuclear bombs which by all accounts is the most urgent threat for the region and the whole world.

In the course of the ongoing military drill the Commander of he Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force, Amir Ali Hajizadeh warned that Israel will pay a hefty price if it decides to attack the Iranian installations.

’One step out of line and Israeli warplanes will be completely destroyed as Iran will annihilate Israeli F-15 and F-16 jets,’ said the Commander.

“Even if they escape our sophisticated defense system, they will never see their bases again; because our surface-to-surface missiles are on their marks to target Israeli military bases before the dust settles,” he added.

The military drill is codenamed ‘Modafean-e-Aseman-e-Velayat 2 (Defenders of the Velayat’s Skies 2) and it is currently underway over central and western parts of the country.

Iran Is A Hard Nut to Crack for Israel, Even Without Russia’s S-300 Systems – Pravda.Ru.

24.11.2009

Source: Pravda.Ru

URL: http://english.pravda.ru/world/asia/110696-iran_israel-0

Iran has launched five-day Modafean (Defenders) exercises to guarantee protection for the nation’s nuclear objects from a possible attack from Israel or the USA.

Ahmad Migani, the chief of Iran’s Air Defense said that the exercises were launched to improve air defense of Iran’s key cities and the nuclear power plant in Bushehr. The exercises will therefore cover nearly a third of Iran’s territory. The Iranian Army will train its ability to repulse a possible bombing of the nuclear objects of the nation.

“Be sure that in case of any aggression, the Zionists’ F15 and F16 aircrafts will be trapped by our air defense and will be destroyed,” Commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh said.

“And if one of their aircraft manages to escape Iran’s air defense – before it can land – the bases from which these aircraft have taken off will be struck by our destructive ground-to-ground missiles,” the Commander said in a reaction to Israelis growing war rhetoric against Iran’s peaceful nuclear program.

“The Zionists may initiate such a war, but undoubtedly its end will depend on our will,” Hajizadeh noted.

Nevertheless, many military experts say that Iran’s “miraculous” arms may somehow strike neighboring Arab states, merely incidentally.

Iran reportedly plans to test-fire Shihab and Sejil long-range missiles too. The missiles may hit targets within the range of 2 kilometers, which is enough to strike the territory of Israel.

Israeli experts stated that they were not impressed with Iran’s air defense drills because Iran did not have state-of-the-art S-300 missile systems, which Russia refuses to deliver to Iran. As long as the rogue state does not have these complexes, its missile defense system is incapable of causing serious damage to Israeli aviation.

Russia ’s Tor-M1 systems are the most contemporary of Iran’s air defense hardware. Russia delivered 29 of such systems to Iran in 2007.

Military expert Konstantin Sivkov said in an interview with Pravda.Ru that Israel will have to face considerable difficulties if it decides to strike Iran.

“First of all, it is the distance. They will have to refuel their jets in the air twice to cover the distance. Israel does not have the required number of tanker aircraft for that, and the nation will have to ask the United States for help.

“Secondly, Israel will have to take account of Iran’s Tor-M1 systems. Iran also has US-made F-14 jets – about 70 of them in total, but only 30 of them are operable. But this amount of planes will be enough for efficient defense. F-14 jets are very well equipped and can detect targets at a distance of up to 300 kilometers. The range for F-15 and F-16 is lower – 200-250 km, which means that Iranian planes are much better than those of Israel.

“Finally, Israel will have to attack eight nuclear objects in Iran at once, which is hard, of course. They will need to have approximately 60 jets for that, as well as refueling aircraft, reconnaissance aircraft, radar stations and so on. Even if Israel tries hard, it will be able to destroy only three nuclear objects. If Iran eventually receives S-300 systems – all of its nuclear objects will remain unharmed, but Israel will lose up to 40 percent of its jets.

Sergey Balmasov
Vadim Trukhachev
Pravda.Ru

Israel and Germany in agreement on Iran | Headlines News | Jerusalem Post.

While Germany and Israel may not see eye to eye on construction in Gilo, they are in total accord when it comes to Iran. The Iranian issue was without dispute in the discussions between President Shimon Peres and German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle in Jerusalem on Tuesday.

President Shimon Peres and German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle in Jerusalem on Tuesday.

Peres told Westerwelle that it was “unacceptable” for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to go around calling for the destruction of a country, and Westerwelle in turn told Peres that “it was absolutely clear that nuclear weapons in the hands of the government of Iran is not acceptable.”

This was not only in the interests of the Middle East, he said, but also the whole of the international community.

Peres expressed appreciation for “the clear position” taken by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the German Government, and said of Merkel: “She gained the appreciation of all of us.”

As for the resumption of the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, Peres hinted that “we are on the threshold” of new developments, but did not spell out what these were in the presence of reporters.

“We are very close to success or failure” he said, adding “I hope we will turn in the right direction.” The political differences have been minimized, he said, whereas the psychological differences have been maximized. In the present crisis, psychology was a significant consideration he explained, “so we have to be very careful and wise.”

As for European policy concerning the Middle East, Peres said: “We would like to see European policy containing both positive and negative elements. We want it to be positive for peace and negative against terror.”

DEBKAfile – US, Iranian naval Red Sea buildup off Yemen. Debut for Iran’s midget subs.

DEBKAfile Exclusive Report

November 23, 2009, 10:58 PM (GMT+02:00)

USS Chosin off Yemen faces Iranian flotilla

The Yemeni conflict is fast evolving from a Houthi insurgency against the Abdullah Salah regime in Sanaa to a broad regional conflagration drawing in Saudi Arabia and Egypt as major players and increasingly the United States, whose involvement is building up into a direct confrontation with the rebels’ sponsor, Iran.

DEBKAfile‘s military and intelligence sources report that over the weekend, the Aegis class cruiser USS Chosin was designated the flagship of Combined Task Force 151 which is patrolling the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea.

Responding to this signal, Iran’s navy commander Adm. Habibollah Sayyari announced Monday, Nov. 23, that Ghadir-class submarines would be joining the four Iranian warships already in position opposite the Yemeni coast. He did not say how many subs were to be deployed.

Our military experts describe the Ghadir as a midget submarine which Tehran claims is silent enough to elude the most advanced US radar. This is the first time those miniature craft will be deployed outside the Persian Gulf and in direct action against the US navy, as well as against Saudi naval craft. Both are blockading Yemeni ports against Iranian arms deliveries to the Yemeni rebels.

US and Israeli naval experts are watching out with great interest for the Iranian midget submarines, which make up the first line of Iran’s coastal defenses and will be making their first operational appearance in foreign waters.

The US and Iran depict the naval buildup in the Red Sea as part of their anti-piracy mission, but our military sources stress that Tehran is determined to bring its arms sealift safely to Yemen’s Red Sea shore for delivery to the Houthi insurgents, while the Americans are equally resolved to help the Saudi navy keep them out.

AFP: US, Israel lack ‘courage’ to attack: Iran leader.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said the US and Israelis “don’t have the courage” to attack Iran.

AFP) – 4 hours ago

BRASILIA — Visiting Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad said Monday that US and Israeli military threats against Iran were a thing of the past, and that, in any case, “they don’t have the courage” to attack Iran.

“The age of military attacks is over, now we’ve reached the time for dialogue and understanding. Weapons and threats are a thing of the past,” the Iranian told a joint press conference with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, closing his one-day visit.

Ahmadinejad’s visit was greeted Sunday in Rio de Janeiro by a 1,000-strong rally of members of Jewish, anti-racist and gay rights groups who protested his past tirades against Israel and other groups.

Fielding a question on whether he feared an attack from Israel or the United States, Ahmadinejad said armed confrontation was no longer a possibility.

That’s clear “even for mentally challenged people,” he said with a smile.

Besides, he added, “those you mention (Israel and United States) don’t have the courage to attack Iran. They’re not even thinking about it.”

During the joint press conference, a protester quietly waved a gay-rights banner in the crowd before police escorted him from the venue.

Ahmadinejad met for three hours with Lula to discuss Iran’s controversial nuclear program, over which Lula urged Teheran to find a “just solution” with Western powers.

After his day-long Brazilian leg, Ahmadinejad was to depart for Bolivia for talks with his counterpart Evo Morales, then on to Venezuela to see his “friend,” President Hugo Chavez. Both Morales and Chavez are strongly critical of the United States.