Iran Makes Moves with IAEA, Ballistic Missiles – What Are They up to? – Analysis: Iran on Tuesday, May 30, started to claim that it has closed two IAEA probes into either undeclared sites or unexplained traces of molecules of uranium enriched to the 84% level, leaving only two outstanding probes.
The claims come only days after the Islamic Republic last week said it had tested a ballistic missile with a range of 2,000 kilometers and only days before the IAEA Board of Governors is set to meet next week.
What is Tehran’s game at this time? Is it trying to convince the IAEA Board not to refer its nuclear violations to the UN Security Council for a potential global snapback of sanctions?
The latest ballistic missile test reminds Western Europe that the Islamic Republic could increase its range to a point where it could threaten Western Europe, even if Tehran does not cross the nuclear threshold. Independent experts suggest the missile could reach greater distances of up to 3,000 kilometers if armed with a lighter warhead.
Regarding the IAEA probes, it is unclear if anything at all happened Tuesday. The IAEA issued no public statement, only Iran issued one. Further, Israeli media requested clarification from the IAEA, and at press time the international inspectors had issued no response which would back up Iran’s claims.
IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi has said repeatedly from 2020-2022 that, “Iran has not provided explanations that are technically credible in relation to the agency’s findings at three undeclared locations in Iran.”
“Unless and until Iran provides technically credible explanations for the presence of uranium particles of anthropogenic origin at Turquzabad, Varamin, and ‘Marivan’ and informs the agency of all current locations of the nuclear material and/or of the contaminated equipment, the agency cannot confirm the correctness and completeness of Iran’s declarations under its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement.” (JPost / VFI News)
“God, we ask for long-term stability and prosperity in our region. We hope that no country and no person in the world will ever have to face the reality of a nuclear war because the impact would be catastrophic. We pray that You will put an end to the plans of Iran and stop the enrichment of uranium.”
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Ukraine Slaps 50-year Sanctions Package on Iran Amid Latest Drone Strikes: After repeated attacks on the country by Russian forces using Iranian-made drones, Ukraine’s parliament — the Verkhovna Rada — approved 50-year sanctions against the Islamic Republic on Monday, May 29.
The sanctions include a total ban on trade, movement of resources, direct flights, and withdrawal of capital by Iranians. They also stop a range of electronic payments between Ukraine and Iran. Investment in Iran and the transfer of intellectual property rights and technology were also banned by the measure.
“The resolution synchronizes Ukrainian sanctions with the actions of the entire civilized world on the path to the complete isolation of Iran,” the parliament said in a statement. The measures come days after a massive drone attack on Kyiv overnight Saturday, the largest since the invasion in February last year.
Russia launched the “most massive attack” on the city with Iranian-made Shahed drones, said Serhii Popko, a senior Kyiv military official. The attack lasted more than five hours, with air defense reportedly shooting down more than 40 drones.
A 41-year-old man was killed and a 35-year-old woman was hospitalized when debris fell on a seven-story nonresidential building and started a fire, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. (TOI / VFI News)
“God, we pray for the Ukrainian people that have been afflicted by the war, for the families that have lost their loved ones, and for the injured civilians that are hopefully recuperating. We pray that You will comfort the family of the Ukrainian man who was killed during Saturday’s attack. We ask that You will bring an end to the war and that the Ukrainian people will be able to rebuild their lives soon.”
Taliban Claims: ‘We Will Conquer Iran Soon’ Amid Water Dispute: The Taliban threatened on Sunday, May 28, that it could conquer Iran as tensions increase over water disputes between Afghanistan and Iran, leaving at least three people dead.
In a video released by the Taliban, a senior commander in the terrorist organization running Afghanistan warned that the Taliban would fight the Islamic Republic’s Revolutionary Guard “with more passion” than they fought the US forces. He added that the Taliban “will conquer Iran soon if the Taliban’s leaders give the green light.
As well as the Taliban commander’s video, another video released by the terrorist organization, taunting Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi went viral on social media. In the video a Taliban member fills a single yellow jerrycan with water, sarcastically telling Raisi “Mr. Raisi, take this water barrel and don’t attack, we’re terrified.”
Iranian media has not explained what the clashes are about, claiming only in one report that they were to do with drug trafficking. Iran also claims that the Taliban shot at IRGC officers on the border first. The Taliban, however, claim the opposite.
Other media sources report that the clashes happened over a water dispute, a report that would explain the Taliban’s video. Earlier in May, Raisi warned the Taliban not to violate Iran’s rights to the Helmand River which is shared between the two countries. (JPost / VFI News)
No one sues justly, and none pleads a case honestly. They trust in confusion and speak lies. They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. – Isaiah 59:4
Ship-mounted Iron Dome System Aces Fresh Tests: The Defense Ministry and Navy said Monday, May 29, that they had recently successfully carried out a new series of tests of a ship-mounted version of the Iron Dome air defense system.
The test came after the system, known as C-Dome, was declared operational on the Sa’ar 6-class corvette INS Oz in November. During the recent test, the C-Dome mounted on the Sa’ar 6-class corvette INS Magen intercepted projectiles simulating threats the system is likely to face at sea.
“The C-Dome system constitutes a significant leap forward in our defense capabilities and ensures the Israeli defense establishment’s superiority and operational capabilities in the face of growing threats in the maritime arena,” said Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in remarks provided by his office.
The C-Dome, much like the ground version of the Iron Dome, is capable of downing rockets, cruise missiles, and drones, the ministry said.
Brig. Gen. (Res.) Daniel Gold, head of Israel’s Defense Research and Development Directorate (DRDD), said the tests were part of a broader range of efforts aimed at improving Israel’s air and missile defense technology at its disposal. “The campaign’s success further strengthens our confidence in the defense systems and their ability to protect extensive areas as well as the State of Israel’s strategic assets on land and at sea,” he said. (TOI / VFI News)
“God, we thank You for looking after us and protecting us at all times. We are humbly grateful that You have gifted us invaluable weapons, as well as defense professionals who strive to ensure our security.”
Successful but Scrappy: Air Force Marks 75 Years Since Its 1st-Ever Strike Mission: The Israeli military on Monday, May 29, marked 75 years since the Air Force conducted its first-ever strike mission, during the War of Independence in 1948.
A memorial plaque for the operation and for one of the pilots who was killed in the mission was also unveiled. The daring airstrike at the Ad Halom site, close to the modern coastal city of Ashdod, is thought to have prevented the Egyptian army from marching on Tel Aviv just two weeks after Israel declared itself a state.
The mission was led by Lou Lenart, an American fighter pilot who helped smuggle the plane parts into Israel and later helped establish the Air Force’s 101st Squadron. His number two in the mission was Ezer Weizman, who later became the chief of the Air Force, defense minister, and president.
The third pilot was Modi Alon, an Israeli-born pilot who had volunteered for the Royal Air Force during the British Mandate of Palestine. The fourth was Eddie Cohen, a South African fighter pilot in World War II who moved to Israel.
While the strike did not cause significant damage to the Egyptian division, it stunned them, as they believed Israel had no air force. The Egyptian army halted its advance, a move thought to have changed the course of the war, which ended in Israeli victory nearly a year later.
During the ceremony on Monday, Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar noted the surprise action. “The story of the first attack quartet is significant in shaping the ethos of the Air Force that we are so proud of. We arose thanks to Jewish volunteers and lovers of Israel, volunteers from abroad,” Bar said, referring to Lenart, Cohen, and the Mahal volunteer unit. (TOI / VFI News)
: : The first extensive exploration of Israel’s deep-sea economic waters, or exclusive economic zone (EEZ), has yielded evidence of endangered sperm whales, vulnerable Cuvier’s beaked whales, and species of dolphin, prompting calls to abandon further gas and oil exploration, or to at least carry out further research before such exploration can start.
The discoveries of these creatures, in waters up to 200 marine miles (370 kilometers) from the Mediterranean coast, were made by a joint Israeli-UK team.
According to a paper presented at a European Cetacean Society Conference in Spain in April, sperm whales were found feeding around 10 kilometers (six miles) off the coast of Haifa, at a depth of 370 to 1720 meters (1215 feet to 5,645 feet).
Whales, and especially Cuvier’s beaked whales, are particularly sensitive to underwater sound, and mass stranding events have been linked to naval sonar, the researchers said.
Greenpeace Israel’s director, Jonathan Aikhenbaum, said, “Israel’s deep sea is a marvel that we are only beginning to get to know and it is vital to protect it at all costs. Promoting polluting fuel drilling in such a sensitive area and at such a critical time of climate emergency is unthinkable.” (TOI / VFI News)
“So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.” – Genesis 1:21
Israel to Bring Thousands More Foreign Workers to Tackle High Living Costs: The Israeli government announced in late April a plan to bring thousands of workers from India and China to lower the high cost of living in the country.
The workers will be assigned mainly to two fields. Some will be caregivers, where a major gap exists between families who need full-time assistance, and others will be employed in construction.
The high cost of living is one of Israel’s most pressing issues. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), the consumer price index has risen consistently in recent months.
One of the biggest drivers of that increase is the price of housing in the country. As the population continues to increase at one of the fastest paces in the developed world and housing prices consistently rise, there is an acute need for more housing units to be built.
“We need to build a lot more, a lot faster. This is done also by increasing the number of workers; this is where we come in,” said Inbal Mashash, director of the Foreign Worker Administration at PIBA. Last week, Mashash participated in an Israeli delegation to China in which 5,000 Chinese candidates were tested for work in Israel. (JPost / VFI News)
Near the Western Wall, Jewish Radicals Shout at Christian Evangelicals to ‘Go Home’: Christian worshipers who prayed at an archeological park bordering the Western Wall on Sunday, May 28, were met by hundreds of Jewish protesters, including Jerusalem’s deputy mayor, shouting at them to leave.
The protesters were responding to an Evangelical Christian call for prayer at the Davidson Center, which is situated south of the Western Wall Plaza and features access to a segment of the Jewish holy site.
On Christian websites — including the one devoted to advertising the prayer gathering — the event was described as promoting the safeguarding of Jerusalem and God’s “purpose for Israel.”
At least one glass door of the Davidson Center was smashed, and at least one person was detained amid the clashes. The Davidson Center is an archaeological park adjacent to the egalitarian plaza, south of the Western Wall central plaza, that currently serves as a restriction-free prayer space for non-Orthodox Jews.
Asked to comment on the incident, the Foreign Ministry said it condemns “any harm to the freedom of religion and worship in Jerusalem,” and any attacks on religious figures in the city. The statement added that the State of Israel views such freedoms in the capital, “which is holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims, as a central value in the fabric of life in the city.” (TOI / VFI News)
“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” – Ephesians 4:3
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