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In an open letter, 100 Iranian political and civic activists have accused the Islamic Republic Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei of turning the outbreak of Covid-19 into a national disaster across the country.

Furthermore, they have also slammed the Islamic Republic President Hassan Rouhani for aligning himsels with Khamenei in covering up the facts and attributing the novel coronavirus outbreak in Iran to an "enemy plot".

All the signatories of the letter, including former consultant at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Behrouz Bayat, Physical Chemistry expert Mehran Mostafavi, and Radio Zamaneh's former Managing-Director Mehdi Jami are based outside Iran.

The activists argue that Islamic Republic leaders covered up the outbreak of the deadly virus, lest it discouraged people from participating in the celebration of the Islamic Revolution in February followed by national elections, adding, "Thus, a golden opportunity to contain the dangerous virus was wasted."

The Head of the Epidemiology Committee of Iran's Coronavirus Combat Taskforce on Saturday admitted coronavirus (SARS-2-CoV) was spreading in Iran without being noticed since around January 20.

In a video conference with reporters, Dr. Ali-Akbar Haqdoust said there was a delay in the detection of the virus in Iran. Iranian Health Ministry officials have until now insisted that the virus arrived in the country about two weeks later, in February.

Earlier in March, Khamenei had maintained that the country's coronavirus outbreak could be part of a "biological attack on the Islamic Republic."

Speaking on the occasion of the new Iranian year (beginning March 20), Khamenei grabbed the chance to expand on his favorite topic, the "enemy."

There are two groups of enemies, humans and the "invisible" Jinns (djins).

The jinn, in his belief, are invisible supernatural creatures with extraordinary powers of destruction now working hand in hand with a host of other enemies.

Blasting Khamenei for such comments, as well as the Islamic Republic authorities' decision to expel the Paris-based Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) or Doctors Without Borders from Iran, the signatories of the letter state that the life and existence of every individual in the country is taken hostage by the Islamic Republic Supreme Leader, his advisors, and close allies.

Moreover, they have harshly criticized Khamenei for his reluctance to allocate one billion dollars from the National Development Fund to fight the spread of coronavirus. President Hassan Rouhani last week asked Khamenei to allocate the money for medical needs.

However, Khamenei had earlier endorsed allocating $222 million to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps' (IRGC) extraterritorial arm, the Qods Force.

The signatories have also lambasted the Islamic Republic leaders for not granting furlough to all political prisoners whose lives are endangered by the Covid-19 outbreak behind bars.

According to the letter, the Islamic establishment is able to suppress widespread anti-regime protests within days, but unable to stop unnecessary inter-city travels to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

Based on the official data provided by the Islamic Republic Ministry of Health on Sunday, 2,640 have fallen victim to the Covid-19 in Iran.

Nevertheless, the data collected by Radio Farda shows that at least 4,298 people in Iran have died from the virus as of March 28.

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One Hundred Activists Blame Khamenei For Severity Of Coronavirus Outbreak In Iran - Iran News By Radio Farda

Iran maintains a large fleet of submarines as the strategic port of Bandar Abbas, the majority of which are domestically manufactured. Most of Irans underwater fleet are midget submarines, designed for infiltration and sabotage, or small displacement submarines that may have limited endurance and dive depth. However, the Soviet Kilo-class is their bestagainst the U.S. Navy if a conflict were to ever occur.

Adapted Soviet Technology:

After a failed attempt to partner with North Korea on submarine manufacturing, Iran looked elsewhere for necessary submarine know-howRussia. Iran acquired three Soviet-built Kilo-class submarines in the early to mid-1990s that are among their most capable.

A U.S. Navy report explained how Iran as a submarine power could have drastically altered the environment in the Persian Gulf region.

In past Gulf conflicts, submarine threats to Western naval forces were nonexistent. This environment changed dramatically when Iran took delivery of three diesel-powered Kilo-class boats from Russia for $600 million each (because of delivery delays and additional crew proficiency training, Iran eventually paid $750 million for the third boat). The first boat arrived in Iran in November 1992, and the second Kilo pulled into Bandar Abbas in July 1993. Because of extensive U.S. pressure to cancel the deal, Russia held up delivery of Iran's third Kilo until December 1996.

Although the Kilo-class is a fairly modern submarine design, it had teething problems while in service with the Iranian navy. As the Kilo-class is diesel-electric, it has several large batteries that store electricity generated by on-board diesel engines.

These batteries were optimized for cold, blue-water ocean in which the Soviet Navy would typically have operated in, and not the comparably hot coastal waters of the Persian Gulf. With assistance from India, Iran was able to manufacture replacement batteries that were optimized for warm-water operations.

Two factors would likely hamper (or perhaps make impossible) American anti-submarine operations in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. Because of the Gulfs relatively shallowness and unpredictable heat patterns, anti-submarine sonar would be nearly useless, due to difficulties in sonar operation when not at depth.

Compounding the problem in the Persian Gulf are the complicated conditions in the Strait of Hormuz. A meager supply of freshwater from the Gulf into the Straight, coupled with high temperatures that cause a great deal of evaporation results in a very saline environment. This high-salt environment creates complex underwater currents[that] makes antisubmarine acoustic detection of the submerged Kilos almost impossible.

The Kilo-class is also very difficult to track. Part of the difficulty is due to anechoic tiles that parts of the Kilo-class hulls were equipped with. Anechoic tiles are essentially large rubberized tiles embedded with air bubbles of varying sizes that deflect or absorb sonar. Some types of anechoic tiles also have surface pockmarks that serve the same purpose.

Natural Limitations

Despite the difficulties in anti-submarine operations in both the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian submarine movement would be severely limited by the shallow depth, especially in the Gulf. A scanty one-third of the Gulfs narrow water area is deep enough to meet the Kilo's minimum submerged depth requirement of 100 feet. This would likely limit the usefulness of Irans Kilo-class inside the Gulf, though they would pose a very serious threat outside the Gulf.

Caleb Larson is a Defense Writer with The National Interest. He holds a Master of Public Policy and covers U.S. and Russian security, European defense issues, and German politics and culture.

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Iran's Russian-Built Kilo-Class Submarines: Real Threat to the U.S. Navy? - The National Interest

Irans drones have typically been knock-off western technology with limited ordinance capacity and very limited range when compared to their American counterparts. But, Tehrans drone program be getting a GPS boost.

Shahed 129

Irans drone program operates a variety of Unmanned Arial Vehicles (UAVs). The backbone of their UAV program is the Shahed 129, a large-sized armed drone, visually similar to the American General Atomics MQ-1 Predator, though the Predator is a vastly more capable platform.

While the earlier (presumable first-generation) Shahed 129s had a thinner, more pencil-shaped fuselage, the newer models have a distinctly Predator-like nose bulge, presumably to accommodate a synthetic-aperture radar antenna, a higher-resolution radar system, or perhaps a link for satellite-based navigation.

The early-model Shahed 129s (and possibly the newer models as well) were limited not so much by fuel capacity as by their data-link capacity.

The United States MQ-1 Predators can be operated from virtually anywhere in the world, while the Shahed 129 is reliant on a ground operator. If true, dependence on a ground-based controller would likely limit the Shahed 129s range to 200-400 kilometers (125-250 miles).

Pit Stop

In 2015, a Shahed 129 crashed near the Iran-Pakistan border. This early-model Shahed may have flown outside of the ground-based controllers range or run out of fuel. Photos of the downed drone showed what appeared to be two or possibly four hardpoints for bombs and/or missile attachment.

Although Iranian drones have usually taken an observational role, rather than a direct-action stance, Iranian drone capabilities have slowly been shifting towards an offensive ground attack role.

Armed and Dangerous

Irans drones have been wreaking havoc in the Middle East. This video shows a Shahed 129 taking off and retracting its landing gear.

Back in February of 2016, an Iranian drone, presumably a Shahed 129, was seen with what appeared to be a missile similar to what has been seen in Iranian state media.

Several Shahed 129s made an appearance in Syrias civil war again in 2017, two of which were shot down by American F-15Es. One of the drones was apparently able to drop ordinance on or near Syrian fighters before it was shot down.

Going Global?

In 2016, a Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Air Force commander implied that Iran was in the process of upgrading their drone fleet in order to end its reliance on ground-based controllers towards a satellite-based system. This may be the reason for the nose bulges seen in the newer model Shahad 129s.

If claims about GPS-navigable Shahed 129s are credible, then Iran presumably has the ability to use GPS navigation in tandem with other weapons systems, namely ballistic weapons.

If true, this lessens the technological military advantage of both regional adversaries (Israel), and those of the United States. This tech could be exported to Irans regional allies like Hezbollah in Lebanon, Yemen, or indeed to Syria, where this has presumably already happened.

Caleb Larson is a Defense Writer with The National Interest. He holds a Master of Public Policy and covers U.S. and Russian security, European defense issues, and German politics and culture.

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Shahed 129: Iran's Very Own Predator Drone That Fights F-15s? - The National Interest

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Printed newspapers and magazines are to vanish from next month in Iran, which has been particularly hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic. "In order to effectively implement the plan to reduce social contacts adopted by the Ministry of Health, no more newspapers are to be printed by the specified date (April 8) and will only appear online," the state news agency IRNA quoted a spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior as saying on Monday. About 65 newspapers and magazines are published in the country, including sports newspapers, which are very popular among Iranians. According to the Ministry of Health, more than 40,000 infections and 2757 COVID-19 deaths have been registered in Iran since February. Australian Associated Press

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Printed newspapers and magazines are to vanish from next month in Iran, which has been particularly hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

"In order to effectively implement the plan to reduce social contacts adopted by the Ministry of Health, no more newspapers are to be printed by the specified date (April 8) and will only appear online," the state news agency IRNA quoted a spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior as saying on Monday.

About 65 newspapers and magazines are published in the country, including sports newspapers, which are very popular among Iranians.

According to the Ministry of Health, more than 40,000 infections and 2757 COVID-19 deaths have been registered in Iran since February.

Australian Associated Press

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Iran orders halt to printed newspapers - The Canberra Times

"We recently received information from U.S. officials that has led both them and us to conclude that our wonderful husband and father died while in Iranian custody. We don't know when or how he died, only that it was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic," they said in a statement.

"It is impossible to describe our pain," the family said.

"Bob Levinson was a truly remarkable individual - the best husband, father, brother, grandfather and friend anyone could ever ask for. He was an American hero - a true patriot, and his compassion and kindness knew no bounds," they said. "We will miss his warmth, humor, and wisdom, but most of all, we will miss the deep and unconditional love he had for each one of us. He will never be forgotten - we will make sure of it."

Levinson traveled to Kish Island, Iran, in early March 2007, according to State Department officials, and was never publicly seen or heard from again. He became the longest-held US citizen in history in 2016.

Iranian officials had long denied that Levinson was ever in the country, claiming there was no proof.

President Donald Trump personal's focus on bringing American hostages home also gave them heart, as did the administration's move later in November to offer a $25 million reward for information leading to Levinson's return. December saw the release of Princeton graduate student Xiyue Wang, which seemed to offer the family some hope as it indicated Iran was willing to release Americans.

On Wednesday, despite the family's statement, Trump said that he doesn't "accept that he's dead."

"It's not looking great, but I won't accept that he's dead," the President said during a White House briefing.

National security adviser Robert O'Brien said in a statement Wednesday evening that "Iran must provide a complete accounting of what occurred with Bob Levinson before the United States can fully accept what happened in this case."

"While the investigation is ongoing, we believe that Bob Levinson may have passed away some time ago," he said.

'The very definition of cruelty'

In their statement, the family noted that they had not received his body for a proper burial and they "don't even know when, or even if, his body would be returned to us."

"This is the very definition of cruelty," they said.

"Those who are responsible for what happened to Bob Levinson, including those in the U.S. government who for many years repeatedly left him behind, will ultimately receive justice for what they have done," they said.

The family said Wednesday that they "expect American officials, as well as officials around the world, to continue to press Iran to seek Bob's return, and to ensure those Iranian officials involved are held accountable," they said.

In their statement, the family thanked Trump "and the members of his Administration - National Security Advisor Robert C. O'Brien, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell, C.I.A. Director Gina Haspel, and FBI Director Christopher Wray - and their staff, who have done all they could to make our family whole again."

CNN has reached out to the State Department and the FBI for comment. The CIA had no comment.

"Our family also wishes to thank Congressman Ted Deutch, Senator Bill Nelson, Senator Marco Rubio and Senator Bob Menendez, and their staff members, who fought for Bob Levinson in every possible way," they said.

In a statement, Rubio said that "the news announced today by his family was the one none of us ever wanted to hear."

Menendez said his "heart goes out to the Levinson family tonight, who are mourning the loss of a beloved husband and father, especially his son, who works in my DC office and his daughters who are New Jersey constituents."

Both the Florida Republican and New Jersey Democrat, respectively, called for Iran to be held accountable.

Deutch said he was "devastated for the Levinson family."

"They have endured more than any family should ever have to, and it has been my great honor to fight alongside them for Bob's return. They deserved a better outcome. They deserved to be reunited with Bob," the Florida Democrat said.

'They will only know him through the stories we tell them'

The family said they would hold a memorial service when the threat posed by Covid-19 has subsided.

"Our family will spend the rest of our lives without the most amazing man we have ever known, a new reality that is inconceivable to us. His grandchildren will never meet him. They will only know him through the stories we tell them," they said.

In a December appearance in a District of Columbia courtroom to seek damages against Iran for holding Levinson, his children shared stories of a loving, dedicated and thoughtful man who took joy in his family.

Their testimony was often interrupted by tears as they struggled to speak. Siblings, husbands, wives and grandchildren Levinson had never met listened intently, some occasionally reaching for tissues or each other's hands.

"My father is the patriarch of our family, by far the greatest and most amazing man I've ever known, bar none," Levinson's youngest child, Douglas, told the courtroom.

When his mother told him his father had disappeared, Douglas remembers screaming, then the difficulty he had breathing. The next day, he went to his father's study to write him an email. "I was concerned. I was worried. I was a 13-year-old kid, I wanted him home," Douglas said.

Douglas read the email aloud in court, almost 13 years after he'd written it. "Hi, Daddy, I'm sitting in your den crying," he read, his voice cracking. "Everyone is looking for you, even the FBI. ... Daddy, I love you so much. Please, Dad, I'm so scared. ... I love you so much."

CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq, Kylie Atwood, Zachary Cohen, Joshua Replogle and Michael Callahan contributed to this report.

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Family of American Robert Levinson, who disappeared in Iran, say they believe he is dead - CNN