Science and Technology

Iranwire – Psychological warfare, known by a number of names including psychological operations and “psy ops,” is one of the oldest tactics employed in wars. Such tactics are aimed at undermining the enemy’s morale and its will to fight or resist and, sometimes, at persuading the enemy to change its position. Another kind of psy-ops is propaganda aimed at strengthening …

Iranwire – The United States and France accused Iran of violating a UN Security Council resolution endorsing the 2015 nuclear deal after it carried out a long-range ballistic missile test. The Islamic Republic successfully test-launched a ballistic missile with a potential 2,000-kilometer range on May 25, state media reported, the latest in ballistic missile tests and satellite launches. French Foreign …

VOA – Iran on Thursday unveiled a new liquid-fueled ballistic missile. State media said the missile has a range of 2,000 kilometers with a 1,500-kilogram warhead. State television showed what it said was a successful test launch of the missile. Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani said the missile could be readied for launch in a short period of time. …

Al-Monitor – A Tel Aviv-based cybersecurity firm said on Tuesday that several Israeli companies sustained a cyberattack that was likely orchestrated by Iran. ClearSky Cyber Security said that at least eight Israeli websites were targeted in a “watering hole attack.” This occurs when the actor infects a website that a specific group uses. The firm said the attack was “highly likely …

VOA — Banned from using popular Western apps, Iranians have been left with little choice but to take up state-backed alternatives, as the authorities tighten internet restrictions for security reasons following months of protests. Iranians are accustomed to using virtual private networks, or VPNs, to evade restrictions and access prohibited websites or apps, including the U.S.-based Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The …

Iranwire – Dozens of human rights groups and activists have condemned the frequent internet outages imposed by the Iranian authorities on the south-eastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan, saying the restrictions “not only violate freedom of expression but also serve to cover up human rights violations.”  “For more than three months, the people of Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan province, particularly …

VOA – Iran’s new domestic surveillance program for enforcing its mandatory hijab law is having a shaky start, with many women appearing to ignore it, lawyers sharply criticizing it and activists observed to be plotting to subvert it. Iranian state media said the program went into effect April 15. A week earlier, Iran’s national police chief, Ahmad Reza Radan, said …

Al-Monitor — The US Treasury Department on Wednesday targeted an alleged sanctions-evasion network supporting Iran’s defense industry.  The department designated Iranian national Mehdi Khoshghadam, who heads Pardazan System Namad Arman (PASNA), an Iranian company sanctioned in 2018. The Treasury accused Khoshghadam of leading PASNA’s sanctions evasion efforts by using front companies to procure electronic components from foreign suppliers mostly based …

Al-Monitor – Israel’s National Cyber Directorate announced Friday afternoon that it had identified and blocked several attacks on websites of Israeli banks. The directorate explained the attackers tried to overwhelm the sites and make them crash. “Thanks to the banks’ strong cyberdefenses, the websites continue to be live and operational, barring the occasional interruptions,” noted a statement by the directorate, explaining that the attacks …

Al-Monitor – Last month, at the Al-Khurais electronic warfare range in Saudi Arabia, US and Royal Saudi air defense units teamed up for live-fire drills to shoot down a series of training drones mimicking the speed and altitude of a variety of Iranian attack UAVs. In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Army Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, the top commander of US forces …