dChan - Q Origins Project Archive

Anonymous ID: 397dcf Jan. 8, 2020, 4:36 a.m. No.7750427 🗄️.is 🔗kun

>>7750200

TY Baker

Good morning fags

Anonymous ID: 397dcf Jan. 8, 2020, 4:41 a.m. No.7750460 🗄️.is 🔗kun >>0469

>>7750275

bin Laden did not kill himself

he died in a cave late 2001/2002.

>>7750419

> just apply 2000 volts directly to the motherboard

Funny you say that. I have seen engineers design 7 layer, $1000 printed circuit boards that arrived at the shop with an internal short. A car battery between hot and ground will mostly take care of that, mostly.

>>7750536

It was the satellite weapon that was causing the earthquakes that accidentally hit the plane.

/s

Anonymous ID: 397dcf Jan. 8, 2020, 5:11 a.m. No.7750584 🗄️.is 🔗kun >>0597

Gingrich just said 52 Iran has been found guilty of terrorism 52 times in the US.

There's that number again.

>>7750584

*times

Report: Hezbollah will attack Israel if US responds to Iran attack

"We in no way consider the Zionist regime (of Israel) to be separate from the criminal US regime in these crimes."

By TZVI JOFFRE JANUARY 8, 2020 15:06

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Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah delivers a speech (photo credit: REUTERS)

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah delivers a speech

(photo credit: REUTERS)

Hezbollah will attack Israel if the United States responds to missile attacks carried out by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Tuesday night, according to the Iranian Tasnim news agency.

"We in no way consider the Zionist regime (of Israel) to be separate from the criminal US regime in these crimes," the IRGC warned in a statement.

"We warn the Great Satan, the bloodthirsty and arrogant regime of the US, that any new wicked act or further aggression (against Iran) will bring about more painful and crushing responses," the group stressed.

The IRGC warned on their Telegram channel that they would attack Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and Haifa in Israel if Iranian soil is targeted, according to CNN.

The French foreign ministry advised French citizens in Haifa to exercise caution following the threat, Reuters has reported. "Following the recent escalation in tensions in the region, the city of Haifa has been the subject of explicit threats," it said in a statement.

Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles at targeted US bases in Iraq on Tuesday night in retaliation for the killing of former IRGC Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani last week. The Pentagon said that the missiles were launched from Iran.

https://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Hezbollah-will-attack-Israel-if-US-responds-to-Iran-attack-613482

Iran will suffer ‘crushing blow’ if it attacks Israel, Netanyahu warns

At same conference, US Ambassador Friedman says US has strongest army in the world, prays for ‘overwhelming’ victory over Tehran

By Raphael Ahren Today, 11:57 am 3

8,974 shares

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a conference in Jerusalem on January 8, 2020 (Flash90)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday warned Iran against attacking Israel in response to the American killing last week of senior military commander Qassem Soleimani.

“We’re standing steadfast against those who seek our lives. We’re standing with determination and with force. Whoever tries to attack us will receive a crushing blow in return,” he declared at a conference in Jerusalem.

“Qassem Soleimani was responsible for the death of countless innocent people,” Netanyahu said. “He destabilized many countries. For decades, he sowed fear and misery and anguish. And he was planning much worse.

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“President Trump should be congratulated for acting swiftly, boldly and resolutely against this terrorist-in-chief, who was the architect and driver of Iran’s campaign of terror throughout the Middle East and throughout the world,” he added.

“In the Middle East, no day is like any other. The regional upheaval continues. The struggle between extremists and moderates continues unabated,” the prime minister went on.

“On one side is radical Islam led by Iran, which seeks to grasp large sections of the area by means of murderous terrorism, and to grasp, strangle and eliminate us, because they understand that the strongest force of Western culture is here, in the State of Israel. They understand this very well.”

Many leaders in the Middle East agree with him, the prime minister said. The region is split between radical Islamists and a “pragmatic camp” that is threatened by the extremists.

“This camp well understands the campaign for existence, for life and for the future,” Netanyahu said. “The State of Israel is the anchor of stability in these stormy waters. The challenges that we are dealing with are not lessening — on the contrary.”

Netanyahu also reiterated Israel’s full support for the United States in its ongoing military confrontation with the Islamic Republic.

“It’s very important to say that Israel stands completely beside the United States,” he added. “America has no better friend than Israel, and Israel has no better friend than America.”

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visits the prime minister’s Sukkah, during talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on October 18, 2019. At left is US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman (Amos Ben Gershom / GPO)

Before the prime minister spoke, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman briefly addressed the Iranian attack on a US base in Iraq overnight Tuesday-Wednesday.

“We’re all watching closely the event in the regions,” he said at the conference at the Begin Center in Jerusalem, organized by the right-wing Kohelet Forum think tank.

“Initial assessments are positive. We pray that these reports are true,” he said.

“Our military is by far the strongest in the world and our cause is just,” Friedman added. “We pray to God that we will prevail overwhelmingly.”

A senior commander in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has warned that Tel Aviv could also be targeted, while a former head of the IRGC threatened to turn Israeli cities “to dust” if the US attacks targets in Iran.

Still, on Monday, Israeli security officials told the high-level security cabinet that Iran is unlikely to attack Israel in retaliation for the US airstrike that killed Soleimani in Iraq.

According to several officials who were present at the cabinet meeting and spoke to Hebrew media, several scenarios were presented regarding Iran’s possible response to the attack, with the security officials saying the chances of an attack on Israel were low.

“Israel was not involved in the killing and there’s no reason it will be dragged into it,” one senior official said.

… post too long

https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-will-suffer-crushing-blow-if-it-attacks-israel-netanyahu-warns/

EU promises to try to save Iran nuclear deal despite setback

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen calls for calm in region, says continued escalation ‘in no one’s interest’

By AP Today, 1:23 pm 0

5 shares

In this file photo taken on December 13, 2019, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen looks on during a press conference at the Europa building in Brussels. (KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP)

BRUSSELS — The European Union said Wednesday it “will spare no efforts” in its attempts to keep alive an international deal preventing Iran from developing atomic weapons.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said her foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell will continue to work “in the midterm” to reach out to all participants in the global deal in the hopes that the 2015 nuclear agreement can still be saved despite a rollback on commitments from Tehran.

Von der Leyen also reiterated the need to de-escalate the tension in the region, especially after Iran’s missile attack on two American bases in response to a US strike that killed one of its top generals, Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani.

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“The use of weapons must stop now to give space for dialogue,” she said. “We are called upon to do everything possible to rekindle talks. There cannot be enough of that.”

This photo provided by the US Army, paratroopers assigned to 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division walk as they prepare equipment and load aircraft bound for the US Central Command area of operations from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, January 4, 2020. (Spc. Hubert Delany III/US Army via AP)

Speaking alongside von der Leyen, Borrell urged all parties involved in the growing tensions to eschew more military action.

“The latest rocket attack on airbases in Iraq used by US and coalition forces, among them European forces, is yet another example of escalation and increased confrontation. It is in no one’s interest to turn up the spiral of violence even further,” he said.

Borrell has invited Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif to Brussels for talks, but a date for his visit has yet to be set amid a frenzy of diplomatic activities. The EU foreign ministers have organized a special meeting on Friday to discuss the ongoing crisis.

Iran struck the nuclear deal in 2015 with the United States, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia and China. The deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, has been on life support since US President Donald Trump unilaterally abandoned it in 2018, triggering sanctions that have hurt Iran’s struggling economy. Since then, Tehran has gradually rolled back its commitment to the deal.

An Iranian cleric looks at domestically built surface-to-surface missiles at a military show marking the 40th anniversary of Iran’s Islamic Revolution in Tehran, Iran, February 3, 2019. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Borrell said the Iran nuclear deal is “today more important than ever because this is the only place where we can sit together with the Russians and Chinese to talk on a multilateral basis about the many risks that we are facing. It’s one of the most important tools of nonproliferation and regional security.”

After Soleimani was assassinated in the US drone attack, Iran announced over the weekend that it would no longer respect limits set on how many centrifuges it can use to enrich uranium.

Zarif said the move was a “remedial step” taken within the framework of the nuclear deal and he said it could be reversed.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/eu-promises-to-try-to-save-iran-nuclear-deal-despite-setback/

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Iraq's Al Asad and Erbil airbases have been struck by Iran. Here's what we know about them

By Alan Weedon

Updated about 7 hours ago

An aerial shot of the Al-Assad airbase.

Photo: Al Asad airbase pictured last month. (AP: Nasser Nasser)

Related Story: Trump knew Iran would retaliate for Soleimani's killing — here's why he did it anyway

Related Story: Iran's Supreme Leader hits out at US after missile strikes: As it happened

Related Story: Ayatollah warns Iran missile strike is a 'slap on the face' against US, Trump statement imminent

Al Asad translates to "the lion" in Arabic and is the name of one of two Iraqi airbases that were struck by Iranian missiles early on Wednesday morning.

Key points:

The two Iraqi airbases targeted were hosting US and coalition forces at the time of the attack

Al Asad, in Iraq's west, is the country's second-largest airbase

It remains unclear if there were any casualties

Iranian state TV said Tehran launched "tens" of surface-to-surface missiles at Iraq's Erbil and Al Asad airbases in response to the US assassination of Iranian military general Qassem Soleimani.

The attack was launched at 1:30am (local time).

The Associated Press reported that Al Asad housed "about 1,500" US and coalition forces, but did not specify what other countries had personnel there.

As it happened: Iran missile strikes

In the hours since the strikes, Canada, Slovenia and Germany have confirmed they have personnel at Erbil.

Germany and Canada have confirmed that their personnel are safe.

It remains unclear if Australian forces were stationed at either base but, at a press conference earlier today, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed the safety of all personnel stationed in Iraq.

Map shows Al Asad airbase, Erbil Airbase, Tehran and Baghdad.

Photo: Erbil airbase and Al Asad airbase were hit in the attacks. (ABC News)

Al Asad is Iraq's second-largest airbase and was constructed in the 1980s with assistance from the former Yugoslavia, according to air defence website Airforce Technology.

It is located approximately 180 kilometres west of Baghdad in the western province of Al Anbar.

The base has two main runways, measuring 4.3km and 4km respectively, while a nearby weapons storage facility occupies 3 square kilometres, according to website Global Security.

During the Iraq War, it served as the second-largest US military airbase after Australian special forces captured the base in 2003.

In 2011 it was handed back to the Iraqi Government and it currently serves as the headquarters of the 7th Division of the Iraqi Army.

It also houses an infantry school.

A satellite image of an airbase in a desert landscape with a creek running past it.

Photo: Al Asad is Iraq's second-largest airbase. (Google Earth)

Erbil airbase is located in Iraqi Kurdistan, in the north of the country, but little is publicly known about the base.

In previous years it served as a critical base for US and coalition operations against the Islamic State (IS) group in Iraq and Syria — last year it was the launching pad for US special forces who carried out the killing of IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in Syria.

US assessing damage at the two bases

What might happen in a US-Iran war?

Iran and America's tensions are at fever-pitch. Here's a breakdown of what we know about the two militaries and what we might expect.

A US Department of Defence (DOD) statement on Wednesday's strikes, which it said numbered "more than a dozen", confirmed that Al Asad had been hosting US military and coalition personnel, without giving further details.

"It is clear that these missiles were launched from Iran & targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting US military & coalition personnel at Al Assad & Erbil," the statement read.

"We are working on initial battle-damage assessments".

The DOD statement also noted that bases in the Middle East hosting US and coalition personnel had been on "high alert due to indications that the Iranian regime planned to attack our forces & interests in the region".

Iraqi air bases house coalition forces in bid to defeat IS

Looking up at the belly of a C-130 airplane on a clear day, you see US soldiers leap out of a rear door wearing parachutes.

Photo: During the Iraq War, Al Asad served as a strategic US airbase after it was captured by Australian forces in 2003. (US Army)

Since 2014, US forces and forces from the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and Gulf states have been part of Operation Inherent Resolve — the official title for the military intervention against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

Al Asad has hosted coalition air forces since the operation began.

… body too long

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-08/iraqi-al-asad-erbil-air-bases-iran-missile-strike/11852106

Qantas among host of airlines to announce diversions from Iraq and Iran airspace in the wake of missile strike

Updated 4 minutes ago

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.

Video: The Pentagon has confirmed atleast a dozen ballistic missiles have been launched from inside Iran (ABC News)

Related Story: Ayatollah warns Iran missile strike is a 'slap on the face' against US, Trump statement imminent

Related Story: Iran has retaliated against the US. Here's what you need to know

Related Story: Will Donald Trump strike back?

Australians travelling to Europe and the Middle East could be facing longer flight times and diverted flight routes following Iran's missile attacks onto US airbases in Iraq.

Key points:

Qantas will no longer fly through Iran or Iraq airspace, which may lead to the suspension of the newly-launched Perth-London route

Other airlines have also announced diversion of flights around Iran and Iraq

It comes after Iran launched missiles at US bases in Iraq following America's killing of a top Iranian general

Qantas has announced it will avoid airspace over Iran and Iraq until further notice, which may lead to the suspension of Qantas's direct Perth-London route, which was launched less than two years ago.

The airline said it was considering sending the flights leaving Australia through an Asian city to refuel, given the extra distance.

Direct flights from London to Perth would be able to continue thanks to prevailing wind conditions.

The 17-hour long-haul journey would be the only Qantas flight affected by the diversion.

Qantas said none of its planes were in the region when Tehran launched "tens" of surface-to-surface missiles at the Al-Assad and Erbil bases in response to America's killing of a top Iranian general.

Several other international carriers, including Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways, offer indirect stopover flights from Australia that travel through the area.

Many have announced they would be diverting or cancelling flights in the wake of the heightened tensions.

Iran missiles locator map

Photo: Erbil airbase and Al Asad airbase were hit in the attacks.

(ABC News)

US Federal Aviation Administration bars carriers and pilots from airspace

Earlier on Wednesday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced it was barring US pilots and carriers from flying in areas of Iraqi, Iranian and some Persian Gulf airspace.

Such restrictions are often precautionary in nature to prevent commercial aircraft from being confused for ones engaged in armed conflict.

Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) does not have the same jurisdiction in Australia as the FAA does in the US and does not issue bans on carriers from flying in certain areas.

CASA said it would be up to individual airlines to assess whether or not to continue flying through the regions.

Major airlines divert routes

Singapore Airlines Ltd said after the attacks that all of its flights would be diverted from Iranian airspace.

What might happen in a US-Iran war?

Iran and America's tensions are at fever-pitch. Here's a breakdown of what we know about the two militaries and what we might expect.

Malaysia Airlines said it did not fly over Iraqi airspace and would re-route to avoid Iran as a result of the attack.

Taiwan's China Airlines said it would not fly over Iran or Iraq because of the tension.

Dubai-based Emirates and flydubai each cancelled a return flight to Baghdad on Wednesday after Iran's missile attack and said it would make further operational changes if required.

"We are carefully monitoring the developments and are in close contact with the relevant government authorities with regards to our flight operations, and will make further operational changes if required," Emirates said in a statement.

Qatar Airways said its flights to Iraq were operating normally.

Korean Air Lines Co Ltd and Thai Airways said they had been avoiding Iranian and Iraqi airspace before the attack on US troops.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.

Video: Prime Minister says Australian personnel in Iraq are safe (ABC News)

Transport Canada said it was in close contact with the FAA and that Air Canada was altering its routes.

India's aviation regulator has not issued formal instructions to airlines yet but has held meetings with those concerned and advised them to remain vigilant and take precautions, an official said.

… body too long

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-08/qantas-to-avoid-iran-iraq-airspace-perth-london/11852472

>>7750643

They said the military analyzed the attack. Need more sauce than that?

Iran plane crash mystery: When countries shot down their own planes

There are speculative theories being spread on social media claiming that the Ukrainian plane that met an accident today was actually shot down by Iran. However, officials have rubbished this saying the plane crashed due to technical glitches.

India Today Web Desk

January 8, 2020

UPDATED: January 8, 2020 17:31 IST

An Indian Air Force's court of inquiry last year found that on February 27, the force accidentally shot down one of its own helicopter in Kashmir. (Photo fro representational purpose) (File photo)

A Ukrainian plane carrying 176 people on board crashed soon after takeoff from the Imam Khomeini Airpoirt in Tehran, Iran early Wednesday morning. All 176 people on board the Boeing 737 were killed in the tragic accident. Iranian officials and the Ukrainian Embassy in Tehran were quoted as saying by BBC that a "technical failure" caused the crash.

Later in the day, Ukraine's embassy in Iran said the causes of the crash had not been disclosed and any previous comments were not official, Reuters reported.

However, another speculative theory about the crash is also being floated around on social media. Attributing the theory to Al Hadath, a Jordanian news agency, Twitterati have claimed that the tragic Ukrainian plane was actually shot down by Iranian missiles.

However there were also people who questioned the trustworthiness of Al Hadath, saying it's a Jordanian agency and is hence bound to blame Iran for everything. (Iran and Jordan do not share cordial relations.)

IndiaToday.in cannot verify these claims.

However, irrespective of whether this theory is correct or otherwise, modern history is replete with examples when a country accidently shot down its own planes.

Here are five such examples:

1) 2019: Indian Air Force shoots down own chopper in Kashmir

A day after the Balakot airstrikes on February 26, 2019, the Indian Air Force mistakenly shot down its own Mi-17 V5 helicopter that was flying near Srinagar. Six IAF personnel were on board the helicopter and all of them were killed. In August, a court of inquiry commissioned by the Indian Air Force found five officers guilty of taking down the helicopter. It was found that Mi-17 V5 helicopter was shot down from the Spyder air defence missile system.

2) 1994: US Air Force shoots down 2 US Army choppers

In the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War, a massive humanitarian aid effort was launched by many countries to help the affected people in the region. But on April 14, 1994, the US military suffered an unforeseen tragedy. Two US Air Force F-15's were patrolling the no-fly-zone area. During this, they accidently shot down two US Army Black Hawk helicopters which were carrying 26 people, which included 15 US civilians and 11 from other countries like the UK, France and Turkish military officers and Kurdish civilians. This is regarded as one of the worst air-to-air friendly fir air accidents which involved the US military.

3) 1943: US forces bring down own plane in Sicily

The history of friendly fire air tragedies is not a recent phenomenon. At the heights of World War 2, in July 1943, the US forces in Gela hurled a barrage of fire at unseen planes of their own air force that were coming to their rescue. The result was more than 300 casualties. "Troops transport planes carrying American paratroopers careened all over the sky, bursting into flames, disintegrating, spraying men in all directions," is how an article on this tragedy on the website www.americainwwii.com starts describing the scenes.

4) 2003: US missile brings down British plane in Iraq War

During the Iraq War that started after the 9/11 terror attack on the US, a Royal British Air Force plane was shot down in a friendly fire when a US Patriot missile hit it. The plane was believed to be "missing" for a long time but in March 2003, Britain said it was likely that its plane went down in a friendly fire from the US. "This is the first friendly fire incident (of the Iraq War),"a British defence spokesperson was quoted as saying by the Irish Times.

5) 1956: The US jet that shot itself down

… body too long

https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/iran-plane-crash-mystery-when-countries-shot-down-their-own-planes-1634991-2020-01-08

Iran crash is first fatal incident for Ukrainian airline

Founded in 1992 after the collapse of the Soviet Union, planes operated by loss-making privately-held Ukraine International Airlines, which is based out of Kiev's Boryspil airport, had suffered technical problems in flight over the years but had never crashed before.

Reuters

Tehran

January 8, 2020

UPDATED: January 8, 2020 14:15 IST

Passengers' belongings are seen after the Ukraine International Airlines plane crashed after take-off from Iran's Imam Khomeini airport, on the outskirts of Tehran, Iran, on Wednesday. (Photo: Reuters)

HIGHLIGHTS

Cause behind the crash is not clear as of now

Iran's semi-official Fars news agency cited unspecified technical problems

Ukraine International Airlines was founded in 1992 after the collapse of the Soviet Union

A Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) Boeing 737-800 crashed in Iran on Wednesday, killing all 176 people on board, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Iranian state TV. It was the first fatal crash for Kiev-based UIA.

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash, though Iran's semi-official Fars news agency cited unspecified technical problems.

Founded in 1992 after the collapse of the Soviet Union, planes operated by loss-making privately-held UIA, which is based out of Kiev's Boryspil airport, had suffered technical problems in flight over the years but had never crashed before.

UIA says on its website it had been awarded the IOSA - the IATA Operational Safety Audit certificate - meaning its operational and safety standards were fully in line with international requirements.

The airline, which operates domestic and international flights, has a fleet of 42 planes made up, according to it own website, of various Boeings, including 737-800s and 737-900s. It also operates Embraer aircraft.

Financial problems forced it to scale back its route network last year.

UIA is in the process of trying to modernize its fleet and has ordered three Boeing 737 MAX aircraft which it has not yet taken delivery of due to continuing safety concerns over the MAX project.

https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/iran-crash-is-first-fatal-incident-for-ukrainian-airline-1634975-2020-01-08

Final answer will be to kick all US forces out of region: Iran President Rouhani

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that the country's final response to General Qasem Soleimani's death would be to expel all US forces out of the region.

India TV News Desk India TV News Desk

Tehran Updated on: January 08, 2020 17:33 IST

Final answer will be to kick all US forces out of region: Iran President Rouhani

Image Source : FILE

Final answer will be to kick all US forces out of region: Iran President Rouhani

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that the country's final response to General Qasem Soleimani's death would be to expel all US forces out of the region. Taking on to twitter, President Rouhani praised late Quds Force's General Qasem Soleimani, and his efforts to "heroically fight against ISIS, Al Nusrah, and Al Qaeda." He said, "General Soleimani fought heroically against ISIS, Al Nusrah, Al Qaeda et al. If it weren’t for his war on terror, European capitals would be in great danger now. Our final answer to his assassination will be to kick all US forces out of the region."

Earlier, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has termed Wednesday's early morning missile attack at Iraqi bases housing US troops a tight slap on America's face. The missile attack on US troops was in retaliation to the killing of the top Irani general in a US airstrike. According to Iran's state media, around 80 'American terrorists' (US troops) have been killed in Iran's missile strikes.

Making a statement after Iran attacked US bases in Iraq, their supreme leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said, "A slap was delivered last night, but what is important is that the seditious presence of America in the region should be ended."

His remarks came after he had vowed "severe revenge" for a US drone strike that killed one of Iran's top military commanders near Baghdad international airport last week.

READ | 'A slap was delivered last night': Ayatollah Khamenei on rocket attack at US base in Iraq

In the meantime, Iraq said that Iran had given it advance notice of the missile attack on the United States forces that is believed to have killed 80 American soldiers.

Iranian state television said at least 80 "American terrorists" were killed in attacks involving 15 missiles Tehran launched on US targets in Iraq, adding that none of the missiles were intercepted. State TV, citing a senior Revolutionary Guards source, also said Iran had 100 other targets in the region in its sights if Washington took any retaliatory measures. It also said US helicopters and military equipment were 'severely damaged'.

Reportedly, several European nations have announced partial troop withdrawals from Iraq, citing security concerns. Iraqi parliament passed a nonbinding resolution calling for all foreign troops to leave their country, days after a US drone strike killed Soleimani in Baghdad.

https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/world/hassan-rouhani-says-final-response-to-general-soleimani-s-assassination-would-be-to-expel-all-us-forces-577520

Could Iran-US tensions mean troubled waters ahead in the Strait of Hormuz?

The Conversation

08 Jan 2020, 16:22 GMT+10

Soaring tensions between Iran and the United States have reignited fears that the Strait of Hormuz could become a flashpoint as Tehran responds to the killing of its top general.

Oil prices climbed on news of the fatal airstrike, reflecting concern that any fallout could disrupt shipping in the narrow seaway through which 21% of the world's crude oil passes.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Maritime Administration issued an alert over potential Iranian action against "maritime interests in the region" and the U.K. announced that the Royal Navy would resume escorting vessels through the Strait of Hormuz as a precaution.

As a researcher who studies strategic maritime chokepoints like this one in the Middle East, I have seen how past skirmishes in this waterway have fit into Iran's use of hybrid warfare - unconventional tactics that achieve strategic goals without triggering conventional military retaliation. In fact, Iranian leaders will likely feel tremendous political pressure to ratchet up maritime hybrid warfare in response to the drone strike that killed the general.

A 21-mile-wide waterway

This 21-mile-wide channel connects the Indian Ocean with the Gulf. For all of recorded history, it has connected Arab and Persian civilizations with the Indian subcontinent and Pacific Asia. For example, before the rise of European seaborne empires in the 15th and 16th centuries, porcelain from China and spices from the Indochina peninsula often passed through the strait on the way to Central Asia and Europe.

Today the Strait of Hormuz separates Iran from the countries of Oman and the United Arab Emirates, which have strong military ties with the United States.

All shipping traffic from energy-rich Gulf countries converges in the strait, including crude oil and liquefied natural gas exports from Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

This maritime chokepoint became an arena of conflict during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. Each side in the so-called "Tanker War" tried to sink the other's energy exports. To avoid being targeted, Kuwaiti oil tankers were reflagged under the U.S. shipping registry, obscuring their true ownership. Although crude oil continued to flow, marine insurance rates for vessels operating in the strait spiked by as much as 400%.

Why is the strait a concern now?

The U.S. killing of General Qassam Soleimani has sparked fears that Iran could take action in the Strait of Hormuz as part of a retaliatory move - as they have threatened before.

Recent tensions in the Strait of Hormuz arose after the Trump administration's decision to leave the Iran nuclear deal in May 2018. When Iran struck that accord in 2015 with the U.S., U.K., Russia, France, China, Germany and the European Union, it agreed to restrict its nuclear development in exchange for lifting economic sanctions against it.

By July 2018, Iran had threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz to retaliate against the ratcheting up of U.S. sanctions against it.

By engaging in hybrid warfare, Iran appeared to be disrupting trade flows through the Strait, raising diplomatic stakes in the process.

Notably, in June 2019 attacks on Japanese and Norwegian-owned oil tankers coincided with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to Tehran. Iran denied any involvement, but the U.S. released video footage it said showed Iranian special forces removing an unexploded mine from one of the tanker's hulls. If Iran was behind the attacks, it could have been a signal to Japan and China that they need to pressure the Trump administration to ease its sanctions against Iran - or risk disruptions to vital oil and gas exports to Asia transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Could Iran close the strait?

In my view, Iran would certainly have trouble stopping all shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Modern cargo vessels are massive and difficult to disable. Unlike in the 1980s, most oil tankers now have double hulls, making them harder to sink. Furthermore, earlier this year the U.S. assembled a multinational coalition to monitor and respond to threats to commercial shipping in the strait.

Iran will also be wary of the impact that closing the Strait of Hormuz could have on its relations with important economic partners, such as China. It is estimated that 76% of crude oil passing through the waterway is destined for Asian markets, with China, India, Japan, South Korea and Singapore among the largest markets.

In the past both the U.S. and Iran have pivoted back to diplomatic solutions when tensions have become too high, suggesting that neither side wants to see the conflict escalate from hybrid warfare into a full-blown war.

https://www.shanghainews.net/news/263647878/could-iran-us-tensions-mean-troubled-waters-ahead-in-the-strait-of-hormuz

7 Jan, 22:15

All passengers and crew killed in Ukrainian plane crash near Tehran

Over 170 people were on board the plane

KIEV, January 8. /TASS/. Passengers and crew of a Ukrainian plane crashed at Tehran Airport were killed, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

"The passengers and flight crew are deceased," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry’s consular service said in a statement on Facebook.