Latest news with #MehdiH
Gulf Insider
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Insider
Iran Allegedly Begins Sea Trials of Second Tanker Mothership
Open-source intelligence analyst Mehdi H., known on X as 'mhmiranusa' and known for his reporting on Iranian naval developments, reports that the Iranian Navy's new forward base ship—also referred to as a forward operating base ship—is set to begin sea trials. 'Iranian Navy will soon start sea trials of a new forward base ship named Kurdestan. This new base (442) like IRIS Makran (441) is a converted crude oil tanker previously named Tabukan (IMO: 8917467),' Mehdi H. said, adding, 'The conversion by ISOICO includes a helipad likely for helicopter & UAV ops.' Iranian Navy will soon start sea trials of a new forward base ship named new base (442) like IRIS Makran (441) is a converted crude oil tanker previously named Tabukan (IMO: 8917467).The conversion by ISOICO includes a helipad likely for helicopter & UAV ops. — Mehdi H. (@mhmiranusa) April 30, 2025 A separate OSINT account on X by the name of U.S. Homeland Security News commented on IRIS Makran (441), calling it an 'Iranian mothership' that 'provides intelligence and targeting information to the Houthi rebels in Yemen against US forces in the Red Sea.' 🚨Update: Iranian mothership is providing intelligence and targeting information to the Houthi rebels in Yemen against US forces in the Red Sea. Will the US target this warship?? US is doing the same for Ukraine against Russia. — US Homeland Security News (@defense_civil25) May 4, 2025 Click here to read more Also read: US 'Not Serious' About Nuclear Talks After Trump's Secondary Sanctions: Iran
India.com
26-04-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Yemen Houthis display power by shooting down 22 US MQ-9 drones.... how did the rebel group prepare air defense?
Yemen Houthis display power by shooting down 22 US MQ-9 drones.... how did the rebel group prepare air defense? There has been a long-standing conflict between Yemen's Houthi rebels and the US which began after the war in Gaza, when the Houthis, supporting Hamas, started attacking US and Israeli ships in the Red Sea. This conflict intensified last month after the US army carried out air strikes on the Houthis. While the US army is carrying out attacks in Yemen claiming to target the Houthis, the Houthis are also showing their strength. The Houthis have shot down several US drones, which shows that this group has air defense. According to report, Houthi rebels in Yemen have demonstrated their air defense capabilities. They have shot down US MQ-9 Reaper drones. This shows the air defense capabilities of this Yemeni group. Although the exact information about the air defense capabilities of the Houthis has not been revealed, it is clear that the threat to American planes in Yemen is greater than ever. The air defense system possessed by the Houthis poses a serious challenge to America. Houthis are giving shocks to America According to the report, the air defense capability of the Houthis has attracted attention in the last few months. A US defense official has said that the Houthis have shot down six MQ-9 drones since March 15. Earlier in March, a US defense official said that the Houthis had shot down 12 US Reaper drones since October 2023. The Houthis have claimed that they have shot down 22 Reaper drones since October 2023. However, this has not been independently confirmed. Mehdi H has tweeted, 'Yemen's Houthis (Ansarallah group) claim that they have shot down another i.e. 26th American MQ-9 Reaper drone in Al-Hajjah Governorate on 22 April. Houthis made modern weapons themselves! The Houthis claim that they have developed missiles and drones domestically. However, Iran's role in this cannot be denied. Iran has been helping the Houthis for a long time. There can be debate on how much help Iran has given to the Houthis, but it is clear that the Houthis have succeeded in acquiring missiles and other dangerous weapons. A US defense official said, 'We are surprised to see some things about the Houthis. They force us to think. Although the Houthis are not very technologically advanced, we think they are quite modern in terms of making weapons. There is still a lot that we do not know about the Houthis.' Houthis have dangerous missiles The Houthis have surface-to-air missiles. The most modern of these are the Burke-1 and Burke-2. They were demonstrated in September 2023. The Houthis claim that the Burke-1 has a range of 31 miles (50 km) and the Burke-2 has a range of 43.5 miles. The Burke-1 can hit targets up to a height of 49,212 feet (15 km) and the Burke-2 can hit targets up to a height of 65,616 feet (20 km). Experts believe that the Burke-1 and Burke-2 have been made with Iran's missile technology. It is not clear how the Houthis use the Burke. However, it is clear that the Houthis have greatly increased their defense capabilities in Yemen. In such a situation, Houthi rebels can surprise America and Israel in the coming times.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Yahoo
Iran's Wacky Aircraft Carrier Has Entered Service
Iran has finally shown a drone taking off and landing on – in the latter case with the help of arresting gear – the deck of the country's unusual new 'drone carrier,' the Shahid Bagheri. Newly emerged imagery also shows various drones and crewed helicopters on the flight deck, which has a ski jump at the bow end, including the appearance of 'drones' styled after the infamous Qaher 313. Officially touted as a sea base-like ship, Shahid Bagheri has now been shown launching a small missile boat and is armed itself with cruise missiles along with weapons for self-defense. The new pictures and videos of the Shahid Bagheri were released around a ceremony earlier today marking its formal entry into service with the naval arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The conversion of the 'carrier' from a commercial container ship reportedly started in May 2022, and it began sea trials in its new configuration in November of last year. The imagery from today's ceremony includes footage showing a modified Ababil-3 drone with an arresting hook, which does not appear to retract or otherwise be capable of being stowed during flight, launching from the Shahid Bagheri's 590-foot (180-meter) flight deck. What is presumably the same drone is seen in another clip recovering on the deck by catching an arresting wire with its hook. The Ababil-3 also has two small turbojet engines installed, one under each wing, which could provide valuable additional performance for operations from a short flight deck without the aid of a catapult. 2. Second video shows the takeoff & landing of Ababil-3 drone on the IRGCN drone carrier named Shahid Bahman Bagheri. — Mehdi H. (@mhmiranusa) February 6, 2025 Something like microjet engines (probably for test) are installed under the Ababil-3 drone wing pylons onboard the IRGCN drone carrier Shahid Bahman Bagheri during the ceremony today. — Mehdi H. (@mhmiranusa) February 6, 2025 How permanent the 'carrier' modifications to the Ababil-3 might actually be and whether a more refined design is in the works are unknown. At its core, the Ababil-3 is otherwise a well-established Iranian design in active service in Iran, as well as other operators in the Middle East, including Iranian-backed proxies in the Middle East. The drone is capable of performing surveillance and reconnaissance missions and employing small precision munitions. Video clips show small remote control plane-esque 'drones,' styled on Iran's Qaher 313 aircraft taking off and landing on Shahid Bagheri's deck, as well. Larger drones, or mock-ups thereof, with a design in line with the Qaher 313 are also seen on the deck. There are unconfirmed reports that the larger and smaller types are 20 and 60 percent of the size of the original Qaher 313, respectively. Both are seen marked JAS-313 and one of them is seen in a clip being lifted up to the flight deck on an elevator. What actual capabilities they might have are unknown. 2 new drones derived on the Qaher-313 project were unveiledThe first, is a 60% scaled version dubbed JAS-313, which likely serves as an armed strike droneLikely has some kind of internal bay for smaller missiles/PGMs — Iran Defense|نیروهای مسلح جمهوری اسلامی ایران (@IranDefense) February 6, 2025 Another photo of the Iranian JAS-313 drones onboard the IRGCN drone carrier Shahid Bahman like they ran out of the exhaust covers and covered the left one's exhaust with glue tape and plastic cover. — Mehdi H. (@mhmiranusa) February 6, 2025 The Qaher 313, also known as the Q-313 and F-313, which first appeared publicly in 2013, is itself a dubious and widely ridiculed design that has never flown. Iranian media has shown imagery in the past of a remote control plane-like subscale model of the design, as seen in the video below. In 2023, media outlets in Iran reported that an uncrewed variant or derivative was in development. Subsequent reports claimed that a Qaher 313-derived drone had made its maiden flight last year. Other types of drones are also seen on Shahid Bagheri's deck in the imagery from today's ceremony, such as the Mohajer-6, another popular Iranian design in service in Iran and many other places globally, including now with the Russian armed forces. American-designed Bell Model 206 and Model 212 helicopters, as well as Russian-made Mi-17 Hips, are seen operating from the ship's flight deck. Despite the aforementioned clip of the aircraft elevator, no views have yet emerged of any internal aircraft hangars. 9. Another photo of Qaher/Qaem/Jask-313 drones onboard the IRGCN drone carrier Shahid Bahman Bagheri. — Mehdi H. (@mhmiranusa) February 6, 2025 The IRGC Naval Forces have released footage of their new drone-carrier ship, the IRGC Shahid Mahdavi. The ship has been seen on commercial satellite imagery and rather grainy footage before, but this is the first such footage of the deck in use by drones and helicopters. Also,… — OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) February 6, 2025 Beyond its aviation-related capabilities, the new imagery of Shahid Bagheri highlights the ability to launch and recover small boats using davits behind large doors on either side of the hull, as seen below. Using small boats armed with missiles and other weapons in swarms has long been a signature tactic of the IRGC's naval arm. There are claims that the ship can be used to launch uncrewed surface vessels (USV) and underwater vehicles (UUV). Pictures that have now emerged, as seen below, also show one of Shahid Bagheri's boats launching ports being used as a way to connect, via a ramp, to a smaller landing craft-like vessel alongside. In this way, the 'carrier' could more rapidly load and unload personnel and materiel, including for onward movement ashore. The Shahid Bagheri has its own onboard armament, including launchers at the aft end that look to be for anti-ship cruise missiles and a turret with what appears to be an automatic cannon at the bow. The ship otherwise has a large open area at the aft end behind its main superstructure that could be used for various purposes, including as an additional flight deck for helicopters and vertical takeoff and landing capable drones, as well as additional missile launchers, especially containerized types. Iranian officials claim the ship has short and medium-range air defenses, as well as electronic warfare and intelligence-gathering capabilities, but any clear evidence thereof is less visible from the imagery that has now emerged. We have also not gotten a look at some of the spaces inside Shahid Bagheri, including a medical bay and a gymnasium complete with an astroturf soccer pitch, as well as basketball hoops. 7. Hospital of the IRGCN drone carrier Shahid Bahman Bagheri. — Mehdi H. (@mhmiranusa) February 6, 2025 5. Soccer pitch of the IRGCN drone carrier Shahid Bahman Bagheri. — Mehdi H. (@mhmiranusa) February 6, 2025 Major questions about Shahid Bagheri's capabilities do remain. As TWZ has noted in the past, the retention of the original container ship's main superstructure toward the aft end immediately creates an unusual flight deck arrangement. After images of the ship largely completed emerged last year we wrote: 'The fact that the Shahid Bagheri retains the original superstructure, which spans the entire width of the deck, means that a conventional flattop configuration cannot be adopted. Instead, an angled flight deck provides the requisite runway length, presumably for launch and recovery. Adding the angled deck — which extends all the way to the bow ramp — involves the construction of a prominent overhang or flare on the left-hand side of the vessel. In contrast to the satellite image seen below, the angled deck now has white-painted markings applied, showing the margins, which extend to the end of the ramp, as well as the centerline.' … 'The dimensions are very tight and the superstructure is located immediately next to the angled deck area, meaning that recovering aircraft, if indeed they plan on recovering aircraft, could hit the superstructure even with a small error in its flight path.' 'If the angled deck is used, and aircraft don't make a full stop after touching down, they will head up the ski jump again, but will they have the power to actually fly off for another attempt? It's also unclear if the vessel will use arresting wires to bring drones to a stop, or perhaps a barrier recovery system for some type.' We now know that at least some level of arresting gear has been fitted, though it remains unclear if the installation was temporary in nature for the commissioning events and whether more refinements may be coming. So far, the modified Ababil-3 and the smaller of the two JAS-313s are the only fixed-wing craft we have seen use the ship's flight deck, as well. How Iran might employ the ship remains an open question, though what we have now seen is entirely in line with our past assessments. TWZ previously wrote: 'The question of what aircraft will fly from this odd ship is key to understanding the goal of its design. Medium-altitude, long-endurance types seem like ideal candidates, as do vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) drones and many of the one-way attack munitions Iran currently fields. Jet-powered, higher-performance drones could potentially call the carrier home, which would help explain some of its features. In this way, the vessel could also be used to launch heavier and longer-range drones, including one-way attack types, which would be an advantage. We just don't know at this time.' 'Regardless, there is ample space on the side opposite the angled deck extension for many types of drones and other modular weaponry. The aft deck behind the superstructure could field helicopters or smaller catapult and net/line-recovered drone types too. Cruise missiles launched from containers on trailers or trucks are another option and something that Iran already has experience of using.' … 'While it wouldn't necessarily be expected to launch its drones against U.S. and allied warships and other assets in the region in some sustained manner, the Shahid Bagheri could conceivably wreak havoc on commercial shipping, including more opportunistic attacks against poorly defended targets, even for a brief period.' … 'Having the ability to launch drones, especially one-way attack drones, from a dedicated drone carrier could be beneficial in some scenarios against some enemies, as well as for 'gray zone' attacks. It remains very questionable, however, how long the Shahid Bagheri would survive were it to be used in an offensive capacity like this. The fact that it can deploy these capabilities, potentially anywhere around the globe, also gives it a unique place in Iran's military portfolio. While it may not survive long after doing so, being able to threaten targets far beyond its current reach using weapons launched from its own country or by its proxies certainly seems like an asymmetric play Iran would go for, regardless of its actually tactical relevance.' The Shahid Bagheri does also join a number of other one-off sea base-like ships with aviation and other capabilities already in service with the IRGC and the regular Iranian Navy. Iran has also used modified commercial vessels as covert motherships to coordinate attacks, including by regional proxies, and to conduct intelligence-gathering missions. In addition, Shahid Bagheri carries significant symbolic value for Iran, which regularly rails against U.S. Navy carriers and other warships operating near the country in the Persian Gulf. In turn, Iranian officials have increasingly sought to mount long-distance naval deployments, including in the Western Hemisphere. It is claimed that Shahid Bagheri has an operational range of 22,000 nautical miles, which, while dubious, is in line with these more global ambitions. Whatever actual capabilities Shahid Bagheri offers, it does also reflect a real global trend toward the construction of new big deck warships heavily focused on drone operations, as well as the conversion of existing vessels into differing degrees of 'drone carrier.' Countries that operate traditional flattops, including the United States, are increasingly looking to expand the uncrewed components of their carrier air wings, as well. With Shahid Bagheri now officially commissioned into IRGC service, we are likely to start seeing more of what it can actually do and how the Iranians intend to employ it. Contact the author: joe@
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Yahoo
Iran's Wacky Aircraft Carrier Has Entered Service
Iran has finally shown a drone taking off and landing on – in the latter case with the help of arresting gear – the deck of the country's unusual new 'drone carrier,' the Shahid Bagheri. Newly emerged imagery also shows various drones and crewed helicopters on the flight deck, which has a ski jump at the bow end, including the appearance of 'drones' styled after the infamous Qaher 313. Officially touted as a sea base-like ship, Shahid Bagheri has now been shown launching a small missile boat and is armed itself with cruise missiles along with weapons for self-defense. The new pictures and videos of the Shahid Bagheri were released around a ceremony earlier today marking its formal entry into service with the naval arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The conversion of the 'carrier' from a commercial container ship reportedly started in May 2022 and it began sea trials in its new configuration in November of last year. The imagery from today's ceremony includes footage showing a modified Ababil-3 drone with an arresting hook, which does not appear to retract or otherwise be capable of being stowed during flight, launching from the Shahid Bagheri's 590-foot (180-meter) flight deck. What is presumably the same drone is seen in another clip recovering on the deck by catching an arresting wire with its hook. The Ababil-3 also has two small turbojet engines installed, one under each wing, which could provide valuable additional performance for operations from a short flight deck without the aid of a catapult 2. Second video shows the takeoff & landing of Ababil-3 drone on the IRGCN drone carrier named Shahid Bahman Bagheri. — Mehdi H. (@mhmiranusa) February 6, 2025 Something like microjet engines (probably for test) are installed under the Ababil-3 drone wing pylons onboard the IRGCN drone carrier Shahid Bahman Bagheri during the ceremony today. — Mehdi H. (@mhmiranusa) February 6, 2025 How permanent the 'carrier' modifications to the Ababil-3 might actually be and whether a more refined design is in the works are unknown. At its core, the Ababil-3 is otherwise a well-established Iranian design in active service in Iran, as well as other operators in the Middle East, including Iranian-backed proxies in the Middle East. The drone is capable of performing surveillance and reconnaissance missions and employing small precision munitions. Video clips show small remote control plane-esque 'drones,' styled on Iran's Qaher 313 aircraft taking off and landing on Shahid Bagheri's deck, as well. Larger drones, or mock-ups thereof, with a design in line with the Qaher 313 are also seen on the deck. There are unconfirmed reports that the larger and smaller types are 60 and 20 percent of the size of the original Qaher 313, respectively. Both are seen marked JAS-313 and one of them is seen in a clip being lifted up to the flight deck on an elevator. What their actual capabilities they might have are unknown. 2 new drones derived on the Qaher-313 project were unveiledThe first, is a 60% scaled version dubbed JAS-313, which likely serves as an armed strike droneLikely has some kind of internal bay for smaller missiles/PGMs — Iran Defense|نیروهای مسلح جمهوری اسلامی ایران (@IranDefense) February 6, 2025 Another photo of the Iranian JAS-313 drones onboard the IRGCN drone carrier Shahid Bahman like they ran out of the exhaust covers and covered the left one's exhaust with glue tape and plastic cover. — Mehdi H. (@mhmiranusa) February 6, 2025 The Qaher 313, also known as the Q-313 and F-313, which first appeared publicly in 2013, is itself a dubious and widely ridiculed design that has never flown. Iranian media has shown imagery in the past of a remote control plane-like subscale model of the design, as seen in the video below. In 2023, media outlets in Iran reported that an uncrewed variant or derivative was in development. Subsequent reports claimed that a Qaher 313-derived drone had made its maiden flight last year. Other types of drones are also seen on Shahid Bagheri's deck in the imagery from today's ceremony. This includes the Mohajer-6, another popular Iranian design in service in Iran and many other places globally, including now with the Russian armed forces. American-designed Bell Model 206 and Model 212 helicopters, as well as Russian-made Mi-17 Hips, are seen operating from the ship's flight deck. Despite the aforementioned clip of the aircraft elevator, no views have yet emerged of any internal aircraft hangars. 9. Another photo of Qaher/Qaem/Jask-313 drones onboard the IRGCN drone carrier Shahid Bahman Bagheri. — Mehdi H. (@mhmiranusa) February 6, 2025 The IRGC Naval Forces have released footage of their new drone-carrier ship, the IRGC Shahid Mahdavi. The ship has been seen on commercial satellite imagery and rather grainy footage before, but this is the first such footage of the deck in use by drones and helicopters. Also,… — OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) February 6, 2025 Beyond its aviation-related capabilities, the new imagery of Shahid Bagheri highlights ability to launch and recover small boats using davits behind large doors on either side of the hull, as seen below. Using small boats armed with missiles and other weapons in swarms has long been a signature tactic of the IRGC's naval arm. There are claims that the ship can be used to launch uncrewed surface vessels *(USV) and underwater vehicles (UUV). Pictures that have now emerged, as seen below, also show one of Shahid Bagheri's boat launching ports being used as a way to connect, via a ramp, to a smaller landing craft-like vessel alongside. In this way, the 'carrier' could more rapidly load and unload personnel and materiel, including for onward movement ashore. The Shahid Bagheri has its own onboard armament, including launchers at the aft end that look to be for anti-ship cruise missiles and a turret with what appears to be an automatic cannon at the bow. The ship otherwise has a large open area at the aft end behind its main superstructure that could be used for various purposes, including as an additional flight deck for helicopters and vertical takeoff and landing capable drones, as well as additional missile launchers, especially containerized types. Iranian officials claim the ship has short and medium-range air defenses, as well as electronic warfare and intelligence-gathering capabilities, but any clear evidence thereof is less visible from the imagery that has now emerged. We have also not gotten a look at some of the spaces inside Shahid Bagheri, including a medical bay and a gymnasium complete with an astroturf soccer pitch, as well as basketball hoops. 7. Hospital of the IRGCN drone carrier Shahid Bahman Bagheri. — Mehdi H. (@mhmiranusa) February 6, 2025 5. Soccer pitch of the IRGCN drone carrier Shahid Bahman Bagheri. — Mehdi H. (@mhmiranusa) February 6, 2025 Major questions about Shahid Bagheri's capabilities do remain. As TWZ has noted in the past, the retention of the original container ship's main superstructure toward the aft end immediately creates an unusual flight deck arrangement. After images of the ship largely completed emerged last year we wrote: 'The fact that the Shahid Bagheri retains the original superstructure, which spans the entire width of the deck, means that a conventional flattop configuration cannot be adopted. Instead, an angled flight deck provides the requisite runway length, presumably for launch and recovery. Adding the angled deck — which extends all the way to the bow ramp — involves the construction of a prominent overhang or flare on the left-hand side of the vessel. In contrast to the satellite image seen below, the angled deck now has white-painted markings applied, showing the margins, which extend to the end of the ramp, as well as the centerline.' … 'The dimensions are very tight and the superstructure is located immediately next to the angled deck area, meaning that recovering aircraft, if indeed they plan on recovering aircraft, could hit the superstructure even with a small error in its flight path.' 'If the angled deck is used, and aircraft don't make a full stop after touching down, they will head up the ski jump again, but will they have the power to actually fly off for another attempt? It's also unclear if the vessel will use arresting wires to bring drones to a stop, or perhaps a barrier recovery system for some type.' We now know that at least some level of arresting gear has been fitted, though it remains unclear if the installation was temporary in nature for the commissioning events and whether more refinements may be coming. So far, the modified Ababil-3 and the smaller of the two JAS-313s are the only fixed-wing craft we have seen use the ship's flight deck, as well. How Iran might employ the ship remains an open question, though what we have now seen is entirely in line with our past assessments. TWZ previously wrote: 'The question of what aircraft will fly from this odd ship is key to understanding the goal of its design. Medium-altitude, long-endurance types seem like ideal candidates, as do vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) drones and many of the one-way attack munitions Iran currently fields. Jet-powered, higher-performance drones could potentially call the carrier home, which would help explain some of its features. In this way, the vessel could also be used to launch heavier and longer-range drones, including one-way attack types, which would be an advantage. We just don't know at this time.' 'Regardless, there is ample space on the side opposite the angled deck extension for many types of drones and other modular weaponry. The aft deck behind the superstructure could field helicopters or smaller catapult and net/line-recovered drone types too. Cruise missiles launched from containers on trailers or trucks are another option and something that Iran already has experience of using.' … 'While it wouldn't necessarily be expected to launch its drones against U.S. and allied warships and other assets in the region in some sustained manner, the Shahid Bagheri could conceivably wreak havoc on commercial shipping, including more opportunistic attacks against poorly defended targets, even for a brief period.' … 'Having the ability to launch drones, especially one-way attack drones, from a dedicated drone carrier could be beneficial in some scenarios against some enemies, as well as for 'gray zone' attacks. It remains very questionable, however, how long the Shahid Bagheri would survive were it to be used in an offensive capacity like this. The fact that it can deploy these capabilities, potentially anywhere around the globe, also gives it a unique place in Iran's military portfolio. While it may not survive long after doing so, being able to threaten targets far beyond its current reach using weapons launched from its own country or by its proxies certainly seems like an asymmetric play Iran would go for, regardless of its actually tactical relevance.' The Shahid Bagheri does also join a number of other one-off sea base-like ships with aviation and other capabilities already in service with the IRGC and the regular Iranian Navy. Iran has also used modified commercial vessels as covert motherships to coordinate attacks, including by regional proxies, and to conduct intelligence-gathering missions. In addition, Shahid Bagheri carries significant symbolic value for Iran, which regularly rails against U.S. Navy carriers and other warships operating near the country in the Persian Gulf. In turn, Iranian officials have increasingly sought to mount long-distance naval deployments, including in the Western Hemisphere. It is claimed that Shahid Bagheri has an operational range of 22,000 nautical miles, which, while dubious, is in line with these more global ambitions. Whatever actual capabilities Shahid Bagheri offers, it does also reflect a real global trend toward the construction of new big deck warships heavily focused on drone operations, as well as the conversion of existing vessels into differing degrees of 'drone carrier.' Countries that operate traditional flattops, including the United States, are increasingly looking to expand the uncrewed components of their carrier air wings, as well. With Shahid Bagheri now officially commissioned into IRGC service, we are likely to start seeing more of what it can actually do and how the Iranians intend to employ it. Contact the author: joe@
