Washington, Dec. 28 – Iran launched on Friday what international media outlets are describing as a “massive” six-day military exercise in the Strait of Hormuz. The exercises appear aimed both at demonstrating Tehran’s military capabilities in general, and saber-rattling specifically in the context of rising tensions between Iran and its Arab neighbors....

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Iranian media is conveying government boasts over new surface-to-surface missiles available to Tehran’s navy. The announcement comes on the eve of naval exercises, which include a range of Iranian assets including destroyers and homegrown drones, and which involve surface combat, subsurface combat, and electronic warfare. Analysts have expressed concern over...

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An Israeli anti-terrorism think tank has issued an update in its ongoing project chronicling Hamas fighters who were publicly classified as civilians killed in Israel’s recent Operation Pillar of Defense. The report, from the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, outlines how the Iran-backed terror group lists its fighters as civilian...

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The six Arab states that comprise the Gulf Cooperation Council have issued a joint communique condemning “continuing Iranian interference” in their internal affairs as well as Tehran’s growing nuclear program. “Politically, (there is) lots of meddling in the affairs of GCC states; an environmental threat to our region from the...

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Iranian calculations that it can weather Western efforts to isolate Tehran may have been boosted this week as a Russian destroyer docked in Iran on Wednesday morning. The event deepened concerns that Moscow’s military cooperation with Tehran is undermining the West’s efforts to pressure the Islamic republic, and comes in...

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A top American diplomat and foreign policy veteran has called 2013 a “decisive year” for resolving the standoff between the Iranian regime and countries seeking to reduce opacity around Tehran’s atomic program. Dennis Ross, who has served prominently under every president since Bill Clinton, told an audience at the Jerusalem...

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A Russian destroyer docked in Iran on Wednesday morning, deepening concerns that Moscow’s military-to-military cooperation with Tehran is undermining the West’s efforts to isolate the Islamic republic. Iran state media reported comments by Iranian Vice-Admiral Hossein Azad boasting over “strengthening military ties between Iran and Russia.” Russia restored military cooperation...

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Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi defended the country’s regular military exercises, which are widely perceived to be destabilizing sabre rattling, by insisting to reporters that “Iran is the most important security provider in the region.” Vahidi’s reassurance will likely be undercut by statements from Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Deputy Commander...

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Iranian computers are apparently being targeted by a new, compact piece of data-destroying malware. Dubbed Batchwiper, the virus erases logged-in users’ Windows data as well as all files stored on drive partitions with the letters D through I. Over the last two years, Iran and its proxies have been targeted...

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Iran remains “defiant” despite a new incentives package being prepared by the P5+1 countries. Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani, the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation, spoke to Iranian media and strongly denied any possibility that Iran was prepared to suspend its current enrichment...

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