Latest news with #Semnan
Khaleej Times
2 days ago
- Climate
- Khaleej Times
Earthquake of 5.1 magnitude rattles Iran amid Israel conflict
A 5.1-magnitude earthquake shook northern Iran on Friday, the US Geological Survey said, as Israel pounded the country with repeated waves of air strikes. The quake, which Iran's Tasnim news agency said measured 5.2, struck at a depth of 10km, some 37km southwest of the city of Semnan, the USGS said.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Mag 5.1 earthquake strikes Iran near capital Tehran… as Israel blitzes country to destroy nuke program
A STRONG earthquake of 5.1 magnitude has struck northern Iran amid a war with Israel. The quake struck some 22 miles away from Iran's Semnan region at 9:19pm local time and was also felt in Tehran's Qom region. 1 It is understood to be a shallow quake with just 35 meters of depth. It comes as Israel continues to pound Iran's nuclear facilities and other military targets. The goal, as the Israelis say, is to thwart the Iranian regime's efforts to produce nuclear weapons as well as more ballistic missiles. It also includes long-range weapons that can strike targets far beyond Israel. .
Daily Mail
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Iran is 'intensifying efforts to acquire nuclear weapons with new covert weapons scheme', political opponents claim
Iran is allegedly embarking upon a covert nuclear weapons development plan under the guise of building satellite-launching missiles, political opponents of the regime claimed today. Under the so-called 'Kavir Plan', Tehran is said to be intensifying efforts to acquire weapons with a range exceeding 3,000km (1,864 miles), despite ongoing talks to hash out a new nuclear accord and the lingering threat of a Western-backed resolution that would accuse Iran of violating its non-proliferation obligations. The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) claimed on Tuesday to have uncovered evidence that the regime has designated the desert region in southern Semnan Province to developing and testing nuclear capabilities. The project is said to replace the AMAD Plan, which the UN's nuclear watchdog - the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) - said had ceased in operations in 2003. For its part, Iran denies the existence of the AMAD Plan or any project aimed at acquiring nuclear weapons. Citing reports from within Iran, the NCRI claimed that Iran has 'significantly enhanced' its development programme since 2009 with a covert weapons plan at the behest of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. 'The declared goal of 'desert security' has provided an effective cover for the Kavir Plan and enabled the regime to covertly pursue nuclear-related projects, tests, and associated activities in Semnan,' a statement shared with MailOnline read. 'Under the Kavir Plan, nuclear weapons development is conducted under the guise of manufacturing satellite-launching missiles. According to this plan, the power of the nuclear weapon was boosted, and the range of missiles carrying the warhead was enhanced.' Since December, the NCRI has revealed four sites it says are associated with the Kavir Plan. In May, the group shared satellite images it said showed a previously undisclosed Iranian nuclear weapons facility in Semnan Province. In April, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed 'more Very Scary Satellite Images', suggesting their circulation was politically motivated, intended to coincide with resuming Iran-US indirect nuclear talks. He also accused Israel and allied groups of trying to sabotage talks through a 'variety of tactics', sharing an image of a satellite photo with a cartoon ghost labelled 'SCARY'. The NCRI, which is banned in Iran, insists the desert sites are bona fide. They claim that operations are headquartered in Tehran, with multiple sites involved in developing and testing solid and liquid fuel weapons. The organisation, a political coalition based in Paris and calling to overthrow the Islamic Republic of Iran, reports that the regime has declared the Semnan Province a military zone in an effort to conceal its alleged operations. They cite a network of supportive sources within Iran collecting reports, assembled by the NCRI's Defense and Strategic Research Committee. Reconnaissance aircraft and drones have allegedly been sighted over the compounds. Individuals approaching the secretive sites are said to be identified with facial recognition cameras mounted on drones. American and European tourists to the areas have 'consistently' faced arrest and been subjected to interrogation, the NCRI claims. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) set up an intelligence base in 2010 to gather intelligence in the area and maintain security over the region, the report claims. The NCRI called for a multi-part international response, including reinstating all UN Security Council resolutions related to the regime's nuclear programme; the reimposition of all sanctions; the permanent dismantling of uranium enrichment; IAEA verification of sites being dismantled and shut down; the elimination of the missile programme; and the opening of all nuclear sites to snap inspections. Only yesterday, Rafael Grossi, Director-General of the IAEA, warned that Iran's growing stockpile of highly enriched uranium and unresolved questions about its programme remain serious issues. 'Unless and until Iran assists the agency in resolving the outstanding safeguards issues, the Agency will not be in a position to provide assurance that Iran's nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful,' he said. At the end of May, the IAEA published a damning report that claimed Iran had carried out secret nuclear activities with material not declared to the U.N. nuclear watchdog at three locations long under investigation. The findings in the 'comprehensive' International Atomic Energy Agency report requested by the agency's 35-nation Board of Governors in November paved the way for a push by the United States, Britain, France and Germany for the board to declare Iran in violation of its non-proliferation obligations. Using the IAEA report's findings, the four Western powers planned to submit a draft resolution for the board to adopt at its next meeting - this week. It would be the first time in almost 20 years Iran has formally been found in non-compliance. Iran's top negotiator, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, today reiterated criticism of the plans to adopt a resolution that would accuse Tehran of non-compliance. 'Any ill-considered and destructive decision in the Board of Governors against Iran will be met with an appropriate response,' Araghchi said during a phone call with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya. Iran has said it would reduce cooperation with the IAEA if the resolution passed. With a more encouraging tone, Iran did announce today that the sixth round of Iran-US nuclear talks was planned for this coming Sunday, with the two sides apparently locked in a standoff over uranium enrichment - nearly two months into the high-stakes negotiations. Iran had said on Monday that it would present a counter-proposal on a nuclear deal with the United States, after it had described Washington's offer as containing 'ambiguities'. Iran's parliament speaker has also said the US proposal failed to include the lifting of sanctions - a key demand for Tehran, which has been reeling under their weight for years. Tehran and Washington have held five rounds of talks since April to thrash out a new nuclear accord to replace the deal with major powers that US President Donald Trump abandoned during his first term in 2018. Iran and the US have been locked in a diplomatic standoff over Iran's uranium enrichment, with Tehran defending it as a 'non-negotiable' right and Washington describing it as a 'red line'. The talks represent the highest level contact since Trump withdrew Washington from a 2015 nuclear accord, during his first term. Iran currently enriches uranium to 60 percent, far above the 3.67-percent limit set in the 2015 deal and close though still short of the 90 percent needed for a nuclear warhead. Western countries, including the United States and its ally Israel, have long accused Iran of seeking to acquire atomic weapons, while Tehran insists its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes. On Monday, the IAEA began a Board of Governors meeting in Vienna that will last until Friday to discuss Iran's atomic activities and other issues. It had previously criticised 'less than satisfactory' cooperation from Tehran, particularly in explaining past cases of nuclear material found at undeclared sites. Iran has criticised the IAEA's report as unbalanced, saying it relied on 'forged documents' provided by its arch foe Israel. Israel is believed to have nuclear weapons already.
The Sun
10-06-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Satellite photos reveal Iran's new ‘Desert Plan' nuke program with underground blast sites, vanishing roads & AI drones
Emma Parry, Senior Reporter Published: Invalid Date, CHILLING new details of Iran's secret project to develop powerful nuclear warheads for missiles capable of firing over 2,000 miles have been revealed. Satellite images and new information about the clandestine programme - codenamed the "Desert Plan" - have been uncovered by Iranian resistance networks. 16 16 16 16 They warned that the tyrannical regime's dash to obtain deadly nukes had "intensified". Seven hidden sites in the Semnan province of northern Iran have been identified including an underground base used for nuclear explosion tests. In a bid to keep the programme under wraps, regime leaders have even deleted roads leading to bases from official maps. Low-flying aircraft and drones equipped with face recognition technology patrol the area around the sites - and any foreigners who venture near are arrested and interrogated. The new details, which were gathered by networks inside Iran from the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), were released on Tuesday by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). They uncovered how the regime initiated its "Kavir Plan" - which means Desert Plan - in 2009 to replaced the regime's previous Amad plan, which was exposed and shut down in 2003. The Kavir Plan is a series of projects set up under the direct orders of leader Ali Khamenei to develop boosted nuclear warheads for missiles with a range exceeding 2,000 miles or 3,000 kilometres. That would mean the nuclear warheads could reach US bases in the Middle East as well as countries as far away as Italy, Ukraine, Sudan and parts of Russia. To mask the Kavir Plan, the regime pretends it has a goal of "desert security" and nuclear weapons are being developed under the guise of manufacturing satellite-launching missiles, the NCRI say. They have identified seven sites they believe to be related to the Kavir Plan including the Shahroud Site where nuclear warheads for the Ghaem-100 missile are being developed and the Semnan Site, focused on developing nuclear weapons for the Simorgh missile. The Ivanaki Site is responsible for developing components for the weapons and the Sanjaran Site develops shock wave generators for simultaneous detonation in a nuclear weapon. Underground explosive testing is conducted at the Sorkheh Hesar Site, while the "Parchin Site (Project 6)" has been identified as engaging in the production of explosives and carrying out testing. Meanwhile the SPND, the organisation which commands the secret nuclear programme, is believed to be located in the Noor Building in Tehran. "Tehran has done everything to hide its relentless effort to acquire nuclear weapons. National Council of Resistance of Iran The nuclear sites are patrolled by a special unit called the Kavir Security Unit and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who have set up an intelligence base in the area. To conceal the sites' activities, Iran's Ministry of Intelligence removed the road between Semnan and the provinces of Yazd and Isfahan from the country's official geographic maps to prevent foreign nationals from accessing it, the NCRI claim. The areas around the sites are monitored by light reconnaissance aircraft and drones with facial recognition cameras mounted on them. The regime also uses satellite surveillance technology to monitor the area. 16 16 16 16 'THREAT TO GLOBAL PEACE' According to NCRI, foreigners - particularly American and European tourists who travel to the region for scientific or wildlife research, are closely monitored by security and law enforcement in the area by direct order of Khamenei. They claim the regime "has consistently arrested foreign nationals travelling in the region and subjected them to interrogation". In a statement, the NCRI said: "The regime's approach to the international community regarding its nuclear activities over these decades can be described as concealment, deception, obfuscation, delaying, and destruction of evidence. "Tehran has done everything to hide its relentless effort to acquire nuclear weapons. The regime's policy remains one of stalling and delaying to prevent decisive action while moving forward with its weapons program. The time has come to end this. "This regime's threat to global peace and stability is not limited to its nuclear program. How would war between US & Iran would look by Harvey Geh IRAN would face a devastating invasion if it followed through on threats to assassinate Donald Trump, according to former US advisor Dr Kenneth Katzman. US historian Max Boot predicted it would take up to 1.6 million troops out of their total 2.1 million for the US to fully invade and occupy Iran. Iran would be outnumbered with a total of just 1.2 million troops, 551 aircraft and 1,713 tanks. The US would have 13,043 aircraft and 4,640 tanks at their disposal, not to mention a much bigger navy and 3,770 nukes. Experts say a conflict could spiral and drag in Iran's proxy forces across the region. Among the many targets in Tehran that would be attacked, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Guard Corps (IRGC) would be first on the list. US strikes would also target nuclear sites in Iran. "The genocide inside Iran, as confirmed by the UN Special Rapporteur, and the export of terrorism and warmongering necessitate a decisive policy towards it. "The mullahs' regime is at its most fragile state, facing an explosive society. Since Masoud Pezeshkian was appointed as the regime's president in August, more than 1,300 prisoners— including women political prisoners—have been executed, and dozens are at imminent risk of execution. "Regionally, the regime is at its weakest point in four decades, making it more desperate than ever to rely on the nuclear lever. "Four press conferences by the Iranian Resistance exposing the regime's secret nuclear projects in the past six months demonstrate that Tehran's dash to obtain nuclear weapons has intensified. "Make no mistake. Nuclear weapons are the regime's life insurance policy." 16 16 16 The NCRI has now called for all of the regime's nuclear and missile sites to be shut down and dismantled. They also want to see the snapback mechanism of the Iran nuclear deal triggered, which means sanctions will be reimposed on Iran. Iran claims it is not trying to develop nuclear weapons and its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes only. However, the UN nuclear watchdog - the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) - warned last month that Iran had secretly increased its stockpile of uranium enriched almost to weapons-grade levels. It made Iran the only non-nuclear-weapon state to have produced such material, according to the IAEA's report. US intelligence agencies believe Iran has yet to begin a weapons program but say it is in a position to produce a nuclear weapon if it wanted to. It comes as the US held several rounds of talks with Tehran over a possible nuclear deal, President Donald Trump believes could be completed soon. However Iranian officials dismissed reports a deal was imminent and said they wouldn't agree to anything unless all sanctions were lifted and their nuclear programme was allowed to continue. Trump hit back, giving Tehran a chilling deadline to either sign a new nuclear agreement or face military action. "If they don't make a deal, there will be bombing," Trump said. "It will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before." 16 16 16
Al Arabiya
11-05-2025
- Al Arabiya
Iran executes man convicted of rape
Iranian authorities on Sunday executed a man convicted of raping a young woman in the northern province of Semnan, the judiciary said. The convict, who was not identified, 'was executed by hanging,' said the judiciary's Mizan Online website, without providing further details on the incident. Mizan reported that the case went through 'the necessary legal formalities.' The country maintains the death penalty for several crimes, including rape and sexual assault. Iran carries out the highest number of executions globally after China, according to rights groups including Amnesty International. In December, Iranian authorities executed a man convicted of assaulting dozens of women in Tehran.
