Mediaboss Marketing

AL-MUKALLA: Yemeni security forces, backed by the Arab coalition, killed three Al-Qaeda militants and captured two others in a raid on their hideout on Friday in Al-Ghaydah city, the capital of the western province of Mahra, local media and residents said.

Large explosions rocked many districts in the city of Al-Ghaydah on Friday morning as security forces raided a building, triggering a gunfire battle.

The explosions began shaking the city at nearly 2.30 a.m. and lasted for nine hours, a resident who preferred to remain anonymous told Arab News by telephone, adding that security authorities sealed off the area, preventing people from leaving their homes.

Army troops and security forces also intensified security measures and checkups at the provinces main entrances. Local media said that when security forces were about to storm the building, an Al-Qaeda militant blew up his explosive-laden belt, killing himself and two others.

Two other militants surrendered during the raid, local media reported. Mohammed Ali Yasser, the governor of Mahra, did not answer Arab News calls.

Al-Qaeda in Yemen, also known as Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula or AQAP, has suffered fatal blows since early 2016 when Arab coalition-backed Yemeni forces pushed them out of their main strongholds in southern Yemen after killing a large number of their operatives. In 2015, the militants cashed in on the anarchy and security vacuum that ensued from the earlier military expansion of the Iranian-backed Houthis to seize control of the main cities in southern Yemen, including the city of Al-Mukalla, the capital of the southeastern province of Hadramout.

Prisoner swapThe internationally recognized government and pro-independence Southern Transitional Council (STC) on Thursday swapped dozens of prisoners who were captured during fighting this year.

A local army officer told Arab News that the army released 21 separatists in exchange for 37 army soldiers, including Brig. Sayf Al-Ghoufesh, the commander of 115 Brigade in Abyan. The prisoner swap took place in Sheikh Salem area in Abyan following a successful mediation, the officer said.

In May, a major offensive by army troops triggered heavy fighting with STC forces in the southern province of Abyan and led to the death of dozens of troops on both sides. Despite the heavy fighting, neither the army nor the separatists managed to make any major military breakthrough. A Saud-led military committee is currently in the contested areas in Abyan to monitor a cease-fire agreed under the Riyadh Agreement.

DeterminationYemeni Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Mohammad Ali Al-Maqdashi said on Thursday that army troops and allied tribesmen were determined to foil Iranian designs in Yemen and put an end to the Houthi coup against the internationally recognized government.

Inspecting liberated areas in the northern province of Jouf, Al-Maqdashi thanked the Arab coalition for its military support to the Yemeni army, adding that tribesmen in Marib, Jouf and Al-Bayda have shored up army troops in their continuing battle against the Houthis.

Today we are more confident that our people will prevail and the Houthis and the Iranian project will not survive, Al-Maqdashi said, according to the official news agency SABA.

Link:
Revealed: How Iran smuggles weapons to the Houthis - Arab News

Facebook Twitter LinkedInPinterestReddit

Last week, Iran witnessed growing activities by the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Irans (PMOI/MEK) Resistance Units and the defiant youths. These activities show the resistances capability and indicate the societys restiveness.

In a failed attempt to intimidate the public, the mullahs regime executed Navid Afkari, a 27-year-old wrestling champion arrested during the Iran protests in 2018. Instead, his execution increased peoples hatred toward the regime, and they honored Navid as what he truly was: a national hero.

In this regard, the defiant youths in the city Shiraz, south-central Iran, targeted the mullahs Supreme Court that had issued Afkaris death sentence.

In this regard, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) issued a statement on September 27.

In the early hours of Sunday, September 27, 2020, in protest against the criminal execution of Navid Afkari, the Iranian national wrestling champion, the defiant youth targeted the court in Shiraz, which issued his death sentence and set fire to its entrance, read the statement.

The ISNA news agencys website

This attack by the defiant youths received vast media coverage both in state media and abroad. In this regard, the state-run ISNA news agency wrote: The incident took place in the middle of the night after explosives were hurled at the Revolutionary Courts entrance.Al-Arabiya also reported: The video footage published by the NCRI shows an explosion and fire at the entrance of the Shiraz Revolution Court.

Since Navid Afkaris execution, the MEKs Resistance Units have carried out various activities across Iran condemning this execution and honoring Navids memory. In this regard, the NCRI wrote in a statement on September 24: During the past week, Resistance Units and supporters of the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK / PMOI) continued to protest the execution of Navid Afkari, and Mostafa Salehi, as well as the death sentences issued for other detained protesters.

Tehran- Activities of the supporters of the MEK in protest against Navid Afkaris execution September 16, 2020

The MEKs Resistance Units wrote graffiti and slogans on walls. Some of the slogans were: The only way for preventing the execution of the likes of Navid is to revolt and protest, Navid Afkaris execution is condemned, I am also a Navid Afkari, and Massoud Rajavi: The criminal IRGC must be disbanded.

In a similar development on Wednesday, the defiant and rebellious youths targeted the Iranian regimes court in Khavaran, near Tehran. The defiant youths attacked this court for its criminal decision to demolish the homes of impoverished residents of Khavaran.

The defiant youths attacked Iranian regimes court in Khavaran

The regime has tried to use the coronavirus outbreak and its mass casualties, by systematic inaction and cover-up, as a barrier to another uprising. The major Iran protests in November 2019 and the unprecedented general boycott of the mullahs sham parliamentary elections made it clear that Iranian people want regime change. The recent activities of the defiant youths are testaments to the Iranian peoples desire for regime change.

The recent actions by the defiant youths and the MEKs Resistance Units have also terrified the regimes officials. In this regard, Farhad Bashiri, the regimes Member of Parliament, on September 27 addressing officials said: Gentlemen wake up. Please be careful of whats happening inside [Iran] in the time left; pay attention to the youths and people.

The regimes concern is undeniable, and it is because the Iranian Resistance is its main enemy; and not least since the regime is very much terrified of the Resistance Units, and the activities of the defiant youth. The mullahs understand that it is the Iranian Resistance movement that directs all activities against the regime toward their downfall.

See the article here:
Iran: Ongoing Activities of MEK Resistance Units and Defiant Youths and Their Impact on Society - NCRI - National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)

A month shy of the November 03 US Presidential Elections 2020, President Donald Trump and Democratic Challenger Joe Biden went face-to-face in the first of three Presidential debates, leading to heated exchanges between the two contenders.

Meet The Russian Fighter Jet That Can Out-Do The F-22 Raptors, F-35 Jets Even After 60 Years

However, with the country left divided on whether to let Trump make American great again or to choose former Vice President Biden, there is a fear amidst top officials and intelligence agencies based in Washington, that foreign powers led by the likes of China, Russia and Iran will look to influence the election results.

Joseph Biden & Donald Trump

According to US intelligence agencies, in an operation which was directly ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Moscow interfered in the 2016 US Presidential elections by wrecking Hillary Clintons campaign in favour of Trump in a bid to increase political and social discord in the United States.

Following multiple complaints from officials and intelligence agencies in Washington,Former FBI director Robert Muellerwas appointed as a special counsel to investigate the voting.

While a number of officials associated with Trumps campaign were jailed due to a variety of charges linked to the investigation, Mueller did not establish Trump colluding with the investigation, however, he said that the President was still not exonerated from his report.

The trend has continued four years on, withNational Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) head, William Evanina stating that China, Russia and Iran are among a host of countries looking to influence this years elections.

According to Evanina, many foreign countries are trying to influence voter preferences in a bid to change US policies to increase discord in the country and undermine the American peoples confidence in our democratic process.

While Russia is yet to be dissolved from the blame of aiding Trumps ascension as the 45th US President, Evanina says that Putins government has begun operations to boost Trumps candidacy on Russian Television and Social media as it looks to denigrate Bidens candidacy and other members of a perceived anti-Russia establishment.

Moreover,FBI Director Christopher Wray had issued a warning to the White House that Russia has been conducting a very active campaign to spread disinformation and meddle in the election against Joseph Biden.

We certainly have seen very active very active efforts by the Russians to influence our election in 2020. said Wray.

While commenting on Russian intervention in the elections, Biden has issued a warning to opponent Moscow, saying that there will be a price to pay there if it continues to interfere.However,Trump who has frequently downplayed Russias role in the 2016 elections, said:

I think the last person Russia wants to see in the office is Donald Trump. Nobodys been tougher on Russia than I have, ever.

With the Trump administration continuing its crackdown on Chinese companies and its tough military stance in the South China Sea, Beijing is not Trumps biggest fan on the planet.

In a statement issued by Evanina, he said China prefers that President Trump whom Beijing sees as unpredictable does not win re-election,

China is expanding its influence efforts to shape the policy environment in the United States, pressure political figures it views as opposed to Chinas interests, and counter-criticism of China.

Meanwhile,Trumps comments have gone in line with the speculation, with him stating China would love for us to have an election where Donald Trump lost to sleepy Joe Biden. They would dream (that) they would own our country. If Joe Biden was president, China would rule our country.

However, according to aneditorial in The Diplomat, even if there is a change in leadership there will be no major change in US policy towards China.

There will be a difference in tone, style and words between the Biden administration and the Trump administration on China, rather than a change in policy. written in the editorial of The Diplomat.

Under Donald Trump, the US and Iran have not stayed the best of friends with tensions soaring sky-high since the US Presidents decision to unilaterally withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018, a deal which was signed by his predecessor Barrack Obama.

Moreover, Washington has begun re-imposing the sanctions that had been eased under the accord and have pursued to enforce UN sanctions on the country, leading to beliefs that Iran will not be behind the Trump-wagon and would choose Biden instead.

According to Evanina, Tehran will be against another term for President Trump, which according to them will result in a continuation of US pressure on Iran in an effort to foment regime change. He also says that Irans focus will be on online influence, such as spreading disinformation on social media and re-circulating anti-US content.

Moreover, Trump has given his take on the situation as well by stating that Iran would love to see him lose the elections. However,he also said If and when we win, we will make deals with Iran very quickly. We will make deals with North Korea very quickly. If I did not win the elections in 2016, our country would have been in war with North Korea. We actually have a relation with North Korea.

Continued here:
Biden or Trump: Whom Are Russia, China & Iran 'Secretly Supporting' As The Next US President? - EurAsian Times

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) The chief of Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard threatened Saturday to go after everyone who had a role in a top generals January killing during a U.S. drone strike in Iraq.

The guards website quoted Gen. Hossein Salami as saying, Mr. Trump! Our revenge for martyrdom of our great general is obvious, serious and real.

U.S. President Donald Trump warned this week that Washington would harshly respond to any Iranian attempts to take revenge for the death of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, tweeting that if they hit us in any way, any form, written instructions already done were going to hit them 1000 times harder.

The presidents warning came in response to a report that Iran was plotting to assassinate the U.S. ambassador to South Africa in retaliation for Soleimanis killing at Baghdads airport at the beginning of the year.

We took out the worlds number one terrorist and the mass murderer of American troops and many, many troops and many people all over the world, Trump said. Qasem Soleimani is dead. Hes dead. Bad guy. Bad guy. Very bad guy.

Salami rejected the report of an Iranian plot to assassinate Ambassador Lana Marks, but made clear that Iran intends to avenge the generals death.

Do you think we hit a female ambassador in return to our martyred brother? the general said. We will hit those who had direct and indirect roles. You should know that everybody who had role in the event will be hit, and this is a serious message. We do prove everything in practice.

In January, Iran launched a ballistic missile attack targeting U.S. soldiers in Iraq in response to the fatal drone strike.

Trump has stepped up economic pressure on Iran with sanctions since he pulled the United States out of Irans nuclear deal with world powers in 2018.

Tehran has continued to expand its stockpile of enriched uranium and pressured other nations to offset the harm of U.S. sanctions, while insisting it does not want to develop a nuclear weapon.

Read the original here:
Iran vows 'hit' on all involved in US killing of top general - The Associated Press

It is the latest move in the "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran -- one that has left the US largely isolated. It comes after the administration failed to extend the conventional weapons embargo set to expire next month under the Iran nuclear deal.

Experts told CNN that this unilateral effort -- which comes less than two months before the presidential election -- is unlikely to have an impact on arms sales on its own. Some say the move further alienates the US from its E3 allies -- Germany, France and the United Kingdom -- and serves to further undercut the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the landmark 2015 Iran nuclear agreement.

Although the US withdrew from that deal in 2018, administration officials have argued they have the legal authority to trigger the sanctions that were lifted as part of the agreement.

Special Representative for Iran Elliott Abrams told reporters this week that come Saturday at 8 pm ET "virtually all UN sanctions on Iran will come back into place."

"We expect every nation to comply with UN Security Council resolutions -- period, full stop," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday. "And the United States is intent on enforcing all the UN Security Council resolutions. And come Monday, there will be a new series of UN Security Council resolutions that we enforce, and we intend to ask every country to stand behind them."

But given that most countries have rebuffed the US' legal argument and are poised to ignore the snapback sanctions, "absolutely nothing will change," said Barbara Slavin, the director of the Future of Iran Initiative at the Atlantic Council.

"It has no practical meaning, and in a sense it just makes look ridiculous and and more isolated, because we are running around screaming, you know, 'This is the case,' and the rest of the world is saying, 'No, it's not,' " she told CNN.

"It is still illegal under US law for American companies to sell arms to Iran. There is a European arms embargo, which will continue until 2023. And the rest of the world will wait for US presidential elections and then make its decision about whether or not to sell weapons to Iran," Slavin said. "This is really more about the Trump administration trying to bury the JCPOA while it thinks it has the opportunity."

Slavin and Eric Brewer, deputy director and senior fellow with the Project on Nuclear Issues at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, both noted that the US could already take a broad range of sanctions actions under its own authorities without reimposing snapback sanctions.

"I do think this is mostly at this point about inducing the collapse of the JCPOA, because I think the administration has kind of realized at this point that that is really standing in the way of what they argue is their goal of putting enormous pressure on Iran, to the point where it comes back to the table and is willing to make a range of concessions on the demands that the United States has laid out," Brewer told CNN.

Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, argued that "the JCPOA is basically dead already. We just haven't had the funeral."

Goldberg told CNN that he would expect President Donald Trump to issue an executive order "that authorizes sanctions to be imposed on any firm or individual connected to the transfer of advanced conventional arms to Iran going forward."

"This is a major threat to their global defense sales, both from Moscow and Beijing," he said. "They'll have to make a calculation, if the President is willing to enforce those sanctions, do they want to sacrifice or put at risk their other sales around the world just to help the Islamic Republic."

However, the experts said Russia and China are unlikely to move forward with any arms transfers until after the US election in November.

"Nobody is really in the mood to rush any of this before November, when we see what happens in the United States," Brewer said.

Go here to read the rest:
Trump administration to attempt to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran despite international opposition - CNN