Iran will be hosting its second classic car show. The show will open April 28, in Tehran.
It’s not that big, only about 80 classic cars, but for the second effort by Iranian car collectors, it’s good enough. “Most of the cars are being displayed for the first time. Some have never even been used before.”-Fariborz Ensafi, Touring and Automobile Club
Private collectors will show off German, French and, of course, American automobiles. Motorcycles and bicycles will also be on display. The show will run until May 2.
“However, certain characteristics about the Stars worm have been identified, including that it is compatible with the (targeted) system and that the damage is very slight in the initial stage, and it is likely to be mistaken for executable files of the government.”-Gholam-Reza Jalali, Iran’s Passive Defense Organization
No other details were given. Iran’s nuclear plant was hit with a computer worm last year. Iranian officials are blaming the United States and Israel, along with Siemens, for that cyber attack. Siemens made the computer software for Iran’s nuclear plant, and Iranian officials say the cyber attack would have required knowledge of the computer software.
More than 8.1 million tons of goods was transported through Iran the past Iranian year (which ended on March 20). That’s a 42% increase.
86% of the goods were shipped over roads and rail networks. Bandar Abbas and Sarakhs border crossings, in south (Gulf coast) and northeast (Turkmenistan) of Iran, were the busiest.
Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota announced his country’s new President, Dilma Rousseff, will continue the policies of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, in regards to Iran: “Rousseff will stay on the path of her predecessor and mentor Lula da Silva.”
Now Iran will open a trade center in Brazil. The move is meant to increase trade between the two countries. According to a 2009 IMF report, Brazil is Iran’s largest trade partner in South America. Iran also has trade deals with Venezuela, Ecuador, and Cuba.
“The Zionists and CIA agents in the region assist drug dealers at Iran’s joint borders with Afghanistan. These [so-called] advocates of human rights have undertaken the task of investing in the production of industrial drugs from traditional ones and supplying them to Iran’s market.”-Mohammad-Najjar, Interior Minister
The drug trade from Afghanistan has resulted in more than 3,700 Iranian counter-narcotics officers their lives, since the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan.
The United Nations admits that before the U.S. invasion, the Taliban had actually reduced poppy production to some of the lowest levels in Afghanistan’s history. Now, according to a 2010 UN report, Afghanistan accounts for 90% of the world’s illicit opium and heroin production. What happened? The U.S. used to blame the Taliban for the opium production, but the Taliban are no longer in power in Afghanistan, mmmm.
The United Nations also ranks Iran as have the best anti-drug enforcement record in the world. Russia has also made claims about the U.S. being involved with the drug trade out of Afghanistan.
“We are ready to stage such war games jointly with those states on the Southern rims of the Persian Gulf in future.”-Brigadier General Hossein Salami, Islamic Revolution Guards Corps
Iran said that for the 2011-2012 year (Iranian year 1389) observers from other countries will be allowed to watch Iranian war games. It’s hoped that in the near future regional countries will also take part in the war games. The purpose is to build regional support for controling the Strait of Hormuz, and the Persian/Arabian Gulf.
“If Saudi Arabia had not made the historical mistake of deploying its forces on the Bahraini soil, today the conditions in the Middle-East would not be so difficult and complicated.”-Alaeddin Boroujerdi, Iranian National Security and Foreign Policy Commission
Boroujerdi made the comment while meeting with Kuwaiti officials. Kuwait’s National Assembly Speaker Jassem Mohammad al-Kharafi, also condemned the Saudi occupation of Bahrain. Weeks ago Kuwait was going to help with the Saudi and United Arab Emirates invasion of Bahrain, but backed out. Now Kuwait wants Saudi Arabia and the UAE out.
Even Saudi activists are condemning the Saudi Royal Family for the invasion, and gave a dire warning: “I believe that the fire of Bahrain’s revolution will spread to Saudi Arabia. Any free opinion poll in Saudi Arabia would reveal that at least 70% of the people want the overthrow of the Al Saud dynasty.”-Mohammad al-Mos’ari
What makes the situation more complicated is that Bahrain is home to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet.
12 contractors have been freed, after being kidnapped in Afghanistan.
Iran officials will only say their diplomatic efforts worked to free the men. “After the news about the abduction of these individuals, we pursued the case through Kabul’s embassy in Tehran as well as Iran’s embassy in Kabul. We have made several contacts with the Afghan political officials and military forces.”-Ramin Mehman-Parast, Iranian Foreign Ministry
“The Iranian military’s Ground Forces will deploy its peacekeeping troops in any region of armed conflict upon foreign ministry’s recommendation.”-Ahmad Reza Pourdastan, Iranian Army’s Ground Forces Brigadier-General
The Iranian general told foreign military attachés that Iran’s Army is ready for “peacekeeping” duties, anywhere in the world. This is supposedly in accordance with Iran being a member of the Untied Nations, and being willing to help with UN peacekeeping missions.
An Iranian foreign exchange student, attending school in the United Kingdom, was attacked on April 13, by four British women. The British women said they attacked her because she would not remove her hijab (head covering).
“If it turns out that the incident has been a racial attack and the Iranian student has been assaulted because of her nationality, Iran will show reaction.”-Mahmoud Mollabashi, Deputy Minister of Science, Research and Technology