Archive for the ‘Iran’ Category

The surprising origins of the postal service – BBC News

With mail processing delays around the world and the United States Postal Service (USPS) teetering on the brink of collapse as a result of the financial losses caused by the pandemic, as reported by Politico, many people are coming to realise just how crucial a role the mail plays in their daily lives.

Far fewer, however, may be aware of how the modern postal service came to be, and the ancient Persian institution that served as the model and inspiration for the USPS and other such delivery services.

Although civilisations like those of Egypt and China are said to have been amongst the first to use postal services, and the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian Empires in modern-day Iraq were using forms of mail delivery before the Persian Empire was founded in the 6th Century BC, the Persians of Iran took the idea of a postal system to previously unseen heights and then some. They used an extensive network of roads worked by expert horsemen who covered stupefying distances throughout the massive, diverse empire with bewildering speed and unwavering resolve.

The Achaemenid Persians (approx. 550-330 BCE) were able to deliver, through the use of a system of couriers on horseback (known as pirradazi in Old Persian), messages from one end of the massive Persian Empire to the other in a matter of days. According to scholars, a message could be sent from Susa, the administrative capital of the empire in western Iran, to Sardis, in what is now western Turkey, in between seven and nine days, following the Royal Road, a sort of highway connecting the two cities. In the Histories, the Greek historian Herodotus who estimated that the approximately 2,600km distance would take three months on foot marks Susa and Sardis as the extremities of the Royal Road, but the Persian postal system was far vaster.

Herodotus description is fragmentary The Royal Road from Sardis to Susa is just one royal road among many others, writes Dr Pierre Briant in From Cyrus to Alexander: A History of the Persian Empire.

At its peak under the reign of Darius the Great, the Persian Empire stretched from Greece to India. Briant notes in his book how tablets from Persepolis, the ceremonial capital of the empire, show that messages were sent to and from India and Egypt, also pointing out that the historian Ctesias mentioned the Greek city of Ephesus, too, in his writings.

The entire imperial territory, Briant writes, was covered.

Never before had messages been delivered on such a massive scale. The ancient Persian postal system was powered by horses that operated on a relay system, making journeys speedy and efficient. But the Persians would not have been able to cover the daunting distances they did in so little time had they not been expert horsemen. The ancient Iranians (of whom the Persians were just one of numerous peoples) were redoubtable when it came to horsemanship. The postal system aside, the Iranians inspired the use of cavalry amongst the Athenian Greeks, for example, and also devised the game of polo.

Historically, the Persian Royal Road was the first major land structure conceived to thoroughly exploit horse transportation and relay, writes Dr Luc-Normand Tellier in Urban World History: An Economic and Geographical Perspective.

According to Dr Lindsay Allen, a lecturer in ancient history at Kings College London, the Persian postal system was also impressive for its use of a standardised language across such a vast expanse, as well as its consistency in terms of message delivery and format. Although Old Persian was the Persians native tongue, the linguistically unrelated Aramaic was the administrative language of the empire and thus used in composing messages throughout it, much in the same way that English and Latin-alphabet transliterations are usually used on envelopes and parcels worldwide today.

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For long distances were looking at Aramaic on ink on prepared animal skin, folded up and sealed, Allen said. This was the first time that consistently formatted letters, folded and sealed, were used. Unfortunately, we have only a few surviving parchment letters written in Aramaic [but] even these suggest there was shared administrative practice between letters sent to Egypt and those sent by a local governor in Bactria.

While the Royal Road was an incredibly efficient and effective way of delivering messages, it was only used for administrative purposes and not by private individuals. The Persian emperors used the Royal Road and other such routes for issuing decrees and for their armies, tribute-bearers, and troops of government workers, according to Briant.

It was also used by the emperor to keep abreast of all the goings-on in the empire. In the Cyropaedia, a book in praise of Cyrus the Great that is still read as a classic guide to effective leadership, Xenophon attributes the establishment of the Persian postal system to Cyrus and describes his use of it in gathering intelligence: The king will listen to any man who asserts that he has heard or seen anything that needs attention, he writes. Hence the saying that the king has 1,000 eyes and 1,000 ears; and hence the fear of uttering anything against his interest since he is sure to hear, or doing anything that might injure him since he may be there to see.

This was the first time that consistently formatted letters, folded and sealed, were used

According to Xenophon, Cyrus first found out how far a horse could travel when ridden hard before breaking down, and then used this distance to set up stations at intervals throughout the empire. The couriers travelled from dusk till dawn, and Xenophon who was once hired by the Persian prince Cyrus the Younger as a mercenary and had to flee back to Greece from Iran with his army when the formers coup detat went awry considered the Persian postal system to undeniably be the fastest overland travelling on Earth.

Herodotus also mentions the relay system in the Histories. The first rider delivers his charge to the second, the second to the third, and thence it passes on from hand to hand, he explained; and his description of the Persian couriers gives added credibility to that of Xenophon, who wasnt always the most historically accurate: There is nothing mortal that accomplishes a course more swiftly than do these messengers, by the Persians skillful contrivance [They] are stopped neither by snow nor rain nor heat nor darkness from accomplishing their appointed course with all speed.

This is the most famous description of the Persian couriers and the ancient Persian postal system. In a slightly amended form that reads, Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds, it now serves as the unofficial motto of the USPS. It can also be seen engraved on the facade of the USPS stately James Farley Post Office in New York City. In popular American culture, the phrase is associated with the dedication of the USPS worker to the extent that the mailman Cliff Clavin in the popular 1980s television series Cheers quoted it with pride to his drinking buddies.

On that note, so famous is Herodotus account of the Royal Road that the term has been used throughout history to refer to denote an effortless path. There is no royal road to science, wrote Karl Marx in the preface to the French translation of his book Das Kapital, and only those who do not dread the fatiguing climb of its steep paths have a chance of gaining its luminous summits.

After the fall of the Sassanian Persian Empire in the 7th Century AD, the Persian relay system of message delivery continued to be used if not wholly, then at least partly, according to the Encyclopaedia Iranica by invaders like the Arabs and Mongols, as well as the indigenous dynasties that followed like the Safavids, Zands and Qajars.

However, the Achaemenid (and Sassanian) glory days of the pirradazi by then referred to by the Turkish term chapar were long gone. In her 1890s travelogue Persian Pictures, for instance, Gertrude Bell wrote about how she and her companions found themselves lying in a little alcove under the archway of a tiny tumble-down post-house, vainly demanding fresh horses.

Nevertheless, the myriad chapar khanehs (post offices) that dotted Iran at the time, no matter how decrepit they could often be, were invaluable to travellers like Bell as they also served as little inns between major cities. Kinarigird is the last stage from the capital of the Medes and Persians, wrote T S Anderson in his late-19th Century travelogue My Wanderings in Persia, and it was with no small amount of satisfaction that I entered the chapar khaneh [I] was soon enjoying (in slippers and loose jacket) the beauties of an Eastern moonlight, as also of a good dinner on the roof.

Chapar khanehs are no longer used in Iran today, but they can still be seen throughout the country. In Meybod in central Iran, for instance, a Qajar-era (1785-1925 AD) chapar khaneh serves as a Post and Communications Museum (featuring wax figures of Qajar postmen) and tourist destination. And, although in ruins, an earlier one from the Zand period (1751-1794 AD) can be seen in the nearby village of Sar-Yazd. Elsewhere, travellers can visit the remains of a Safavid-era (1501-1736 AD) post office in Zafaranieh near the north-eastern city of Sabzevar.

The Royal Road and the Persian postal system may very well be things of the past, but the ingenuity of the Achaemenid Persians and the perseverance of their couriers continue to influence and inspire well beyond the borders of ancient Iran, and even the mighty Persian Empire.

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The surprising origins of the postal service - BBC News

Hong Kong national security law to take effect; Iran sentences journalist to death; Koalas could be extinct by 2050 in New South Wales – WBFO

Top of The World our morning news round up written by editors at The World.Subscribe here.

The National Peoples Congress Standing Committee,China's top legislative body,passed a highly controversial national security lawfor Hong Kong Tuesday, which will take effect just ahead of the 23rd anniversary of the end of British rule on July 1. The legislation outlawssecession, subversion, terrorism and foreign collusion with a maximum penalty of life in prison. It comes inresponse to pro-democracy protests; activists havewarned of the erosion of human rights and the risk of turning Hong Kong into apolice state.

The law gives Beijingsweeping powersto crack down on political opposition in the semi-autonomous territory, where many Hongkongers are protective of the broader rights and liberties afforded them under a separate legal system. The territoryhas enjoyed a semi-autonomous status under China's "one country, two systems" policy since revertingto Chinese sovereigntyin 1997. Semi-autonomyhas afforded the special administrative region certain freedoms, which could be compromisedunder the new law.

The national security legislation was fast-tracked, andonly a few Hong Kong delegates were able to read the drafted text before the law was passed. This lack of transparency raised alarm bells, but the legislation was nonetheless signed by President Xi Jinping and added to Hong Kong's Basic Law,the territory's mini-constitution. Carrie Lam, Hong Kong's chief executive,urged the international community to accept the lawin a video to the UN Human Rights Council. Taiwan, which Beijing views as a breakaway province,condemned the law, and will dedicate an office to help Hongkongers looking to flee.Pro-democracyactivistJoshua Wong tweetedthe law "marks the end of Hong Kong that the world new before," but pledged to continue to fight for freedom: "When justice fails, our fight goes on."

Tune into The World today, when wewillspeak with Chinese artist and activist,Ai Weiwei:"I think the world will abandon Hong Kong. It's a very sad story."

What The World is following

The New York Times reports thatPresident Donald Trump was briefed on a suspected Russian operation to incentivizekilling US soldiers in Afghanistan as early as February.This new reporting contradicts Trump's claim that he hadnot been informed and undermines his efforts to cast dispersions on the veracity of the intelligence. Concerns have been raised that the White House knew about Russian machinations but authorized no response.The World spoke with Gen. David Petraeus about Russian bounties:"We were looking for this kind of activity, frankly, from Russia."

Ruhollah Zam, an Iranian journalist,has been sentenced to deathfor the charge of "corruption on Earth." Zam's workincluding running a channel on Telegram, a messaging app, that helpedinspire widespread economic protestsin 2017; authorities accused Zam ofinciting violence.Zam had been living in Parisbut was convinced to return to Iran, where he wasarrested in 2019. The decision may be appealed by the supreme court.

Koalas could become extinctby 2050 in New South Wales unless swift action is taken to prevent further habitat loss, an Australian parliamentary inquiry found. Koalas were dramatically impacted by bushfires earlier this year and climate change is heightening risk to the iconic species.

From The WorldA US report shows big strides on human trafficking. Advocates say the message is misleading.

Every year, the US issues an annual report that ranks countries by their progress fighting human trafficking. The 2020 report lists22 countriesreceiving improved rankings for their work on the issue over the past year. But advocates across the globewarn that with the pandemic and economic downturn, theres an urgent risk that more people will fall prey to human traffickers. They say the report is poorly timed, and counterproductive.

Fair & Lovely cream gets a makeover in India, but will it change prejudice?

Last week, consumer giant Unilever announced it will rebrand its bestselling skin-lightening cream,Fair & Lovely,and drop the word "fair" from its name in the latest makeover of the brandin response to global backlash against racial prejudice.The Fair & Lovelycream and colorism is something Mumbai-based documentarist Richa Sanwal has been familiar with since she was a child growing up in India. Sanwal welcomes the news from Unilever, but says more needs to be done to change the stigma associated with a darker skin tone that has been perpetuated by skin lightening products.

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In case you missed itListen:Russian bounties on US troops in Afghanistan

In the past few days, The New York Times published bombshell revelations that Russia reportedly offered cash bounties to Taliban-linked fighters for killing US soldiers in Afghanistan. The World's host Marco Werman speaks with David Petraeus, the retired former head of US forces in Afghanistan and an ex-CIA chief, about how the US should respond if the reports are verified. And, one of the most important North Koreans alive isKim Yo-jong, the half-sister of leader Kim Jong-un.Her influence in the regime has been hyped up by rumors some true, some not but its now becoming clear that Kim Yo Jong really does have a lot of power. According to The Worlds Patrick Winn, whether North Korea tilts towards peace or war could hinge on her decisions. Also, the coronavirus lockdownsaround the world haveled animals to explore some places previously filled with people. The World speaks toChristian Rutz, an evolutionary ecologist at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, about wildlife movement while humans are in quarantine.

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From The World 2019

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Hong Kong national security law to take effect; Iran sentences journalist to death; Koalas could be extinct by 2050 in New South Wales - WBFO

Could Irans air force ever be a threat to Israel or Europe? – The Jerusalem Post

In Irans endless drive to prove that its military makes it a great world power, the Iranian media showed off three locally built Kowsar fighter jets this week. They were delivered to the armed forces by Defense Minister Gen. Amir Hatami. Iran claims it has been building domestically produced jets since 2018.US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has sought to spotlight Irans air force in recent comments, claiming that if an arms embargo is ended, Irans expanded jet fighters could pose a threat. Pompeo wrote on Wednesday that if the UN arms embargo were to expire in October, Iran will be able to buy new fighter aircraft like Russias SU-30 and Chinas J-10.These lethal aircraft could threaten Europe and Asia, the US says. In theory, they could also threaten Israel.Pompeos map of Iranian aircraft threats shows that the J-10 could make a one-way 1,648-km. flight and reach Israel. But being unable to return to Iran, it would be the end of the Iranian air force if it embarked on this journey.The SU-30 could get to Italy on a one-way mission. That is enough gas for the Iranian pilot to defect. And that likely is the only reason an Iranian pilot would take a precious aircraft on a one-way mission: to flee Iran. An Iraqi pilot actually did that in 1966, flying his MiG-21 to Israel to flee Iraq.A more reasonable discussion about Irans air power reveals that its great achievements are in drone technology, not aircraft. HESA, the corporation that makes some of Irans aircraft, is built on an American Textron factory that once made Bell helicopters in Iran.It is basically good at making copies of 1970s American equipment. For instance, the Kowsar is a copy of an American Northrop F-5, first built in the 1950s. The engineering team at HESA has also managed to copy a Bell 206 helicopter and rename it a Shahed 274.What HESA has been more innovative at is making drones, such as the Ababil. Iranian drones have struck Saudi Arabia and have been given to Houthi rebels in Yemen and Hezbollah. They are a serious threat to the region; Irans air force is not.Tehran still has American F-14 Tomcats and some MiG-29s it acquired in 1990. Some of these are Iraqi aircraft acquired when Baghdad sent its air force to Iran in 1991. Iran also has American F-4s and F-5s and several Su-22s.Iran has used its air force sparingly. In contrast, the IRGC and its aerospace engineers led by Amir Hajizadeh have actually pioneered precision guidance for missiles and drones. This is a major threat, and it is where Iran has sought to do asymmetric warfare, building capabilities that can go around its enemies.For instance, Iran used ballistic missiles to attack US forces in Iraq in January. It has attacked ISIS and Kurdish dissidents. Tehran has transferred ballistic missiles to Iraq and precision-guided munitions to Hezbollah. It is in this IRGC-based technology that the Islamic Republic excels.The end of an arms embargo would give Iran access to more sophisticated weaponry. But the implication that it would funnel that to its aging air force in order to threaten others seems unlikely.On the other hand, the immediate neighbors of Iran are chaotic, and it can exploit the weaknesses of Iraq and Afghanistan to use its air force. Turkeys air force is already pounding Iraq, claiming to be fighting terrorists.But Irans adversaries in the Gulf have access to the latest US air-defense technology.In general, Iran is a substandard country when it comes to its regular air force. But when it comes to its drones and missiles, it may be one of the worlds major powers and certainly a major threat.

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Could Irans air force ever be a threat to Israel or Europe? - The Jerusalem Post

Upholding the nuclear non-proliferation regime – GOV.UK – GOV.UK

Thank you very much, Mr President. And thank you to Rosemary DiCarlo for her briefing today. And, of course, welcome, Olof Skoog, Secretary Pompeo and Foreign Minister Zarif to the Council today. Its also good to see the Secretary-General here.

Mr President, the United Kingdom welcomes the Secretary-Generals ninth report on the implementation of UNSCR 2231. We offer our thanks to the Secretariat for their continued professionalism and the support they provide the Secretary-General enabling the production of this report. The Secretary-General and his team are fully mandated to thoroughly investigate and report on activities which are contrary to or inconsistent with Resolution 2231. And we support the findings set out in this impartial and professional report.

Mr President, together with our French and German colleagues - and I take this opportunity to align myself with the statement of German representative and I am sure to align myself with the statement youll be making later, Mr President. The United Kingdom has frequently restated our full commitment to the JCPoA, in line with our collective security interests, which include upholding the nuclear non-proliferation regime and preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

We have also frequently stated our unequivocal regret and concern at the United States decision to leave the JCPoA and to reimpose sanctions on Iran. We understand the continued impact this has had in Iran and on the Iranian people.

Since May 2018, we have worked tirelessly to preserve the JCPoA. We have fully upheld our commitments and we have gone beyond our obligations to develop INSTEX, which is operational and facilitating transactions.

Mr President, the United Kingdom deeply regrets that since 2019, Iran has taken nuclear measures contrary to its commitments under the JCPoA. These measures seriously undermine the non-proliferation benefits of the agreement. This is the reason that the E3 initiated the JCPoAs Dispute Resolution Mechanism on the 14th of January as one of the last tools under the agreement to find a diplomatic way forward and bring Iran back into compliance with the Deal.

Mr President, 2020 has seen a continuation of Irans destabilising activity around the Middle East, including activities which are inconsistent with UNSCR 2231 and other resolutions. As we have noted previously, Irans ballistic missile technologies pose a threat to regional security, both in their role as a potential delivery system for weapons of mass destruction, but more immediately, in their enabling role as the means of delivery for the increasingly lethal conventional payloads developed by Iran.

We are deeply concerned by Irans development of advanced technologies under the guise of Space Launch Vehicle research and the roles these technologies play in supporting Irans military ballistic missile program. We reject Irans claims that the Qased system used in their most recent launch is not a military launch system. In addition to the self-proclaimed role of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps in the launch, Irans official reports show a Transporter Erector Launcher, characteristic of military ballistic missiles and not a static launch done, or gantry, of the type normally associated with civilian Space Launch Vehicles. We recognise the high caliber of Irans scientific community and its desire to participate in the exploration of space and advancements of scientific knowledge, but we encourage Iran to join other multinational space exploration endeavours. Iran must not develop launch systems in contravention of UNSCR 2231.

Mr President, the Secretary-Generals report clearly details how Iran actively proliferates missile technology throughout the region, including to non-state actors. As well as violating several Council resolutions, these actions are destabilising for the region and escalate already high tensions. If Iran wants to be a responsible actor, it should stop.

We note the findings in the Secretary-Generals report that materials seized by the United States in December 2019 and February 2020 was consistent with weaponry either manufactured in Iran or found to have been transferred to Iran after 2016.

We further note the reports conclusion achieved through thorough analysis of the wreckage of the attacks that weaponry used in the Aramco attacks, as well as in the Afif and Abha attacks, were of Iranian origin and were identical in material, structure and assembly to that Iranian weaponry seized by the United States.

The Aramco attack was reckless, destabilising and completely unacceptable, affecting more than five percent of the worlds oil and gas production. As well as having implications for the worlds energy supply, the attack risked undermining efforts to stabilise the region. This attack followed the 2019 attacks on commercial shipping near Fujairah and in the Gulf of Oman on the Yanbu oil pipeline. The United Kingdom has performed thorough assessments and, as we previously noted, we believe that all these attacks were almost certainly carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

As I said at the outset, the United Kingdom remains committed to the full implementation of Resolution 2231. But in light of the aforementioned concerns and the detail contained in the Secretary-Generals report, we believe that the planned lifting of arms restrictions on Iran in October would have major implications for regional security and stability. We are committed to working with JCPoA partners and Security Council members to address these concerns. E3 Foreign Ministers have stated that unilateral attempts to trigger UN sanctions snapback would be incompatible with our current efforts to preserve the JCPoA.

Preservation of the JCPoA will continue to be the guiding principle for the E3 on this agenda. This is because we believe in the absence of a viable alternative, that the agreement provides the best means of achieving our shared objectives on regional security and stability, upholding the nuclear nonproliferation regime and ensuring the continued authority and integrity of the Security Council.

Thank you, Mr. President.

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Upholding the nuclear non-proliferation regime - GOV.UK - GOV.UK

First Iranian fuel tanker reaches Venezuelan waters without US interference – The Guardian

The first of five tankers loaded with gasoline sent from Iran has reached Venezuelan waters, expected to temporarily ease the South American nations fuel crunch while defying Trump administration sanctions targeting the two US foes.

The oil tanker Fortune encountered no signs of US interference as it eased through Caribbean waters toward the Venezuelan coast late on Saturday. Venezuelan officials celebrated the arrival.

Iran and Venezuela have always supported each other in times of difficulty, Venezuelan foreign minister Jorge Arreaza tweeted. Today, the first ship with gasoline arrives for our people.

The tanker and four behind it were finishing a high seas journey amid a burgeoning relationship between Iran and Venezuela, both of which Washington says are ruled by repressive regimes.

The Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, had earlier warned of retaliatory measures against the US if Washington causes problems for tankers carrying Iranian fuel to Venezuela.

If our tankers in the Caribbean or anywhere in the world face trouble caused by the Americans, they [the US] will also be in trouble, Rouhani said in a telephone conversation with the emir of Qatar, the semi-official news agency Mehr reported.

A flotilla of five tankers carrying Iranian fuel for gasoline-starved Venezuela is approaching the Caribbean.

Iran will never initiate a conflict, Rouhani said. We have always the legitimate right to defend our sovereignty and territorial integrity and to serve our national interests, and we hope that the Americans will not commit an error.

Iran is supplying about 1.53m barrels of gasoline and alkylate to Venezuela, according to both governments, sources and calculations made by TankerTrackers.com based on the vessels draft levels.

Venezuela sits atop the worlds largest oil reserves, but it must import gasoline because production has crashed in the last two decades. Critics blame corruption and mismanagement by the socialist administration amid an economic crisis that has led to huge migration by Venezuelans seeking to escape poverty, shortages of basic goods and crime.

The Iranian tankers hold what analysts estimate to be enough gasoline to supply Venezuela for two to three weeks.

The shipments have caused a diplomatic standoff between Iran and Venezuela and the US, as both nations are under US sanctions. Washington is considering measures in response, according to a senior US official who did not elaborate on any options being weighed.

The US recently beefed up its naval presence in the Caribbean for what it said was an expanded anti-drug operation. A Pentagon spokesman, Jonathan Hoffman, said on Thursday he was not aware of any operations related to the Iranian cargoes.

Venezuelas defence minister has said its military will escort the Iranian tankers once they reach the nations exclusive economic zone.

Iran seized a British-flagged tanker in the Gulf last year after British forces detained an Iranian tanker off the territory of Gibraltar. Both vessels were released after a months-long standoff.

Venezuela recently arrested mercenaries, including US citizens, who botched an operation to kidnap the president, Nicols Maduro.

The failed raid provided a propaganda boon for Maduro, who has long claimed to be the subject of a US-sponsored assassination plot.

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First Iranian fuel tanker reaches Venezuelan waters without US interference - The Guardian