Science and Technology

Al-Monitor – The head of the aerospace unit of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Brig. Gen. Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, said Tehran was planning to unveil a new “strategic missile” soon. The hard-line general told Iran’s state TV that the missile was already available and being kept in the IRGC warehouses. Hajizadeh did not specify the type of the projectile, which he …

Iranwire — Hackers have targeted the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) app Telewebion, streaming anti-regime images and slogans on the platform. The group Edalat-e Ali [Ali’s Justice] was behind the disruption on Tuesday, February 1, the anniversary of Ayatollah Khomeini’s return to Iran in 1979 ahead of the Islamic Revolution. During the period the hacktivists had control, audiences could hear …

RFL/RE – Iranian police say they have arrested 17 people suspected of filming candid-camera pranks that boosted their social-media followings but incited panic in the streets of Tehran. Those arrested allegedly “amused themselves by playing on people’s nerves and the peace and security of the public by filming candid-camera footage of horror gags on the streets of the capital,” Tehran …

Al-Arabia – Twitter said Saturday it had permanently suspended an account linked to Iran’s supreme leader that posted a video calling for revenge for a top general’s assassination against former US president Donald Trump. “The account referenced has been permanently suspended for violating our ban evasion policy,” a Twitter spokesperson told AFP. The account, @KhameneiSite, this week posted an animated …

Al-Monitor – Russia seems to be having a hard time finding a buyer for its most advanced weapons in the Middle East. In early January, there were reports that Algeria had rejected a deal to purchase Russian Su-35 fighter jets. According to Algerian defense analysts, Algiers came to the decision due to a lack of a modern on-board radar station, which does not …

Al-Monitor – The United States military identified Iranian intelligence as being behind a group of hackers widely known as MuddyWater on Wednesday, confirming previous reports by private cybersecurity groups. MuddyWater has reportedly attacked both government and private enterprise networks in the Middle East, but has also targeted organizations in the United States. The group, also believed to be known as Seedworm, Static Kitten, …

Al-Monitor – A number of lawmakers in Iran’s conservative parliament are advancing an impeachment bid against the country’s health minister, marking the first such attempt against the government of hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi. During an open meeting Jan. 11, the impeachment motion’s architect, Kamal Hosseinpour, criticized the health minister’s personal preference in COVID-19 vaccination, and his decision to take an imported …

Iranwire – In Iran, internet speeds have dropped dramatically over the past month, while access to Virtual Proxy Networks (VPNs) and open social networks including Twitter and Telegram has become more difficult –  prompting criticism and protest campaigns, shared extensively on social media. It follows alarm over the “User Protection Bill”, due to be tabled before Iranian parliament in March 2022. Proponents of the bill argue …

VOA – Iran’s space launch Thursday failed to put its three payloads into orbit after the rocket was unable to reach the required speed, a defense ministry spokesman said in remarks carried on state television Friday. The attempted launch, which came as indirect U.S.-Iran talks take place in Austria to try to salvage a 2015 nuclear deal, drew criticism from …

VOA – France on Friday condemned Iran’s satellite rocket launch and said it was “all the more regrettable” as nuclear talks with world powers were making progress, echoing concerns expressed by the United States and Germany. Iran said Thursday it had used a satellite launch rocket to send three research devices into space, as indirect U.S.-Iran talks take place in …