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The Ontario Superior Court of Justice is expectedto certify a class-action lawsuit launched byfamilies ofFlight PS752's victims againstIran, a wing of its militaryand Ukraine International Airlines, according to theirlawyer.

Toronto-based lawyer Tom Arndt said the court heard the certification motion yesterday and today indicated it would be endorsing the proposed lawsuit.

The move comes after the court found the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in default last month for failing to submit a statement of defence.

Habib Haghjoo who lost his daughter Saharnaz Haghjoo and his eight-year-old granddaughter Elsa Jadidiwhen PS752 was shot down said he's "thrilled" the lawsuit is moving ahead. He said the point of the lawsuit is to seek justice, not compensation.

"Now the fight can begin," he said. "I believe this could at least be some ointment on our wounds, a bit of comfort if we get a ruling against the Iranian regime and airlines. They took our loved ones. We want them to be liable and accountable. It is important."

The lawsuit alleges the Islamic Republic of Iran and theIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corpsan elite wing of the country's military designated as a terrorist organization by many countries kept the airspace open and planes flying during a period of intense military activityin order to collectoverflight fees.

CBC News has reported that, in recent years,Iran has usedits geographical location next door to Iraq and near Syria to providesafe passage for foreign airlines connectingbetween Europe and Asia, orbetween Asia and other areas of the world. Like many countries, Iran charges airlines an overflight fee for using its airspace but its prices are more than double whatCanada charges.

Iran's airport authority reported to Iranian media it earned more than $140 million in overflight revenue between March 2018 and March 2019.

For three days after the aircraft crashed outside Tehran on Jan. 8, 2020,Irandenied shooting it down. In response to mounting international pressure and evidence, Iran later admitted the IRGC "mistakenly" shot down the jet just hours after Iran's forces fired missiles at Iraqi bases where U.S. troops were stationed.

That surface-to-air missile attack was retaliation for the United States' killing of Iran's top military leader, Gen. Qasem Soleimani.

The lawsuit alleges the airline was negligent fornot grounding its aircraft the morningPS752 was destroyed. Several airlines rerouted their flights, but Flight PS752 departed "despite the known risks," the law firm said in a press release when it launched the lawsuit.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration had issued an official notice at the time ordering American commercial aircraft to avoid Iran and the airspace from the Gulf of Oman to the Mediterranean.

Airlines from Canada, Australia andSingapore "also steered clear," according to a Canadian report on Flight PS752 released in December. Ukraine International Airlines is one of the companies that continued to operate in the airspace that Iran kept open.

Iran has maintained that a series of human errors and other issues led to the accidental firing of missiles which misidentified the commercial plane as a hostile target.

But Canada's former minister of foreign affairs Franois-Philippe Champagne has said he doesn't believe human error was to blame. Canada has submitted a long list of questions for Iran to answer includingthe question ofwhy the airspace was kept open when missiles were being fired.

Ralph Goodale,Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's special adviser on Flight PS752,hassaid that"given the extraordinary nature" of Iran'sdescription of events, "it is understandable that victims' families find Iran's explanations difficult to accept."

"To remove doubt and relieve anxiety, Iran bears a heavy burden of responsibility to be completely comprehensive and transparent in substantiating its explanations with credible, compelling evidence, which has not yet been forthcoming," Goodale wrote in a December report.

Canada's Transportation Safety Board (TSB) announced yesterday it received a draft of Iran's final report on its safety investigation. Ukraine which has access to the report since its plane was involved appointed a TSB representative as a technical adviser so thatCanada could provide feedback on the findings.

The TSB said itcan't comment further on the contents of the Flight PS752 report until Iran releases it publicly. Countrieshave until the end of the month to provide feedback.

Iran's president announced in December the country's cabinet set aside $150,000 in compensation for each of thevictims' families. Canada has said it rejects that offer and willonly accept compensation through appropriate negotiations with a group of countries affected by Flight PS752.

Haghjoo called the $150,000 offer a "huge insult to families."

"They kill our loved ones and now want to buy us or expect us to get over it with this money," he said.

See more here:
Court expected to clear Flight PS752 victims' families to sue Iran, airline - CBC.ca

Tehrans strategy has been to use its Shia militias to assist the PKK and exploit the terror group against Turkey, which it views as a threat in Iraq.

Immediately after Turkey started Operation Claw-Eagle 2 in northern Iraq to rescue 13 Turkish prisoners in the hands of the PKK, the US-designated terrorist group Harakat Hezbollah al Nujaba published a statementthreatening to attack Turkey just as they did the US if Turkey does not change its position.

Shortly after, another Shia militia controlled by Iran, Asaib al Khayf, publisheda video of the launch of a missile targeting the Turkish military base in Bashiqa, Iraq. Moreover, Shia militias attackedthe Erbil airport and killed one civilian contractor, and injured nine others, amongst them one US service member.

In the meantime, Iran-backed Shia militias sent reinforcementsto the Sinjar region torpedoing the agreement between Iraqs central government and the Kurdish Regional Government of Iraq (KRG).

All of these incidents are part of Irans strategy to shield the PKK and exploit the terror group against Turkey.

Irans aid to the PKK

The Iranian relationship with the PKK is nothing new. The PKKs main bastion in northern Iraq is the Qandil Mountains, of which a part is located inside Iran. PKK's high cadres survived Turkish airstrikes by taking refuge on the Iranian side.

Despite Turkish pressure, Iran never engaged in a real attempt to crack down against the PKK. In contrast, the KDP-aligned Kurdish Demoratic Party of Iran (KDPI) was heavily targeted by the Iranian security forces.

Even though Iran has problems with its own Kurdish minority, according to the thinking in Tehran the PKK is Turkish and, therefore, Turkeys problem. The scale of PKK attacks against Turkey on the one hand and its disinterest in Iran on the other, shows that Irans assessment is right.

Therefore, Iran has always been sympathetic to the PKK and only engaged in limited military cooperation with Turkey. Every time the PKK was under heavy pressure by Turkey, Iran came to its aid.

In the past, this aid was to provide a safe-haven to the PKK but nowadays it is manifested via Iran-led Shia militias from Syria to Iraq.

In Syria, when Turkey and the Syrian opposition launched Operation Olive Branch against the YPG/PKK in Afrin, it was Iran that had to send soldiers, weapons, and ammunition against the Syrian National Army and the Turkish Armed Forces. At that time, Turkish drones successfully conducted strikes against the Iranian militias trying to go into Afrin.

In Iraq, the Shia militias have gained a lot of strength and influence. US policy had the side-effect of empowering Iran in Iraq, which is now used by Iran to threaten Turkey, undermine the Sinjar agreement, and prevent the PKK from collapse.

Contending threat perception

The region of Sinjar has become a hotbed for the PKK after many Yazidis were unable to return home and stayed in KRG camps. The Turkish government conducted precise drone attacks against the PKK in Sinjar in an attempt to curb the region of the groups presence. Under the Sinjar deal between the KRG and Baghdad, the Baghdad government would take control and expel the PKK and Shia militias in the region.

In the meantime, Turkey managed to block off the PKKs supply routes into Turkey and eliminated several PKK camps near the Turkish border. These developments would minimise PKK presence to just the Gara and Qandil Mountains.

When Turkey started a rescue operation, Iran feared that Turkey would clean the Gara mountains from the PKK and that the group would be on the verge of collapse. That fear prompted Iran to show some teeth against Turkey via its proxies.

The open threat by Harakat Hezbollah al Nujaba and their comparison of Turkey with the US indicate that for Iran, Turkey is an equal competitor to the US in Iraq. Moreover, the attack of the smaller and lesser-known Shia militia towards the Turkish military base is an Iranian attempt to warn Turkey by maintaining plausible deniability.

Turkey and Iran have been engaged in a rivalry over Iraq both in the past and the present. From the Iranian perspective, elimination of the PKK would mean that Turkey could use its resources to compete with Iran for influence in Iraq. Additionally, the large Turkish minority in Iran is a source of concern for Iran. Therefore, Iran wants to keep Turkey at bay by guaranteeing the survival of the PKK.

If Turkish moves against the PKK were not enough, the active cooperation of the KRG with Turkey to block PKK supply routes within northern Iraq and the KRGs pressure vis-a-vis Sinjar made it worse for Iran. Iranian proxies also warned the KRG by attacking the Erbil airport, a heinous attack condemned by the US, Turkey, and many other states.

Turkeys perception of the threat posed by the PKK is viewed as more imminent than the one posed by Shia militias. More than ever, it is clear that if Ankara wishes to eliminate the PKK threat, it has also to focus on the presence of Iranian-controlled Shia militias in Iraq.

The attitude of Irans militias and the simultaneous attacks against the KRG, Turkey, and the US indicate that all the three governments have to work together to limit Iranian aggression in Iraq.

Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints and editorial policies of TRT World.

We welcome all pitches and submissions to TRT World Opinion please send them via email, to opinion.editorial@trtworld.com

View post:
Why Iran is shielding the PKK in Iraq - TRT World

By the time the 1970s were fully underway, the Boeing 747 was shaking up the aviation industry across the globe. Several new opportunities were opening up for airlines and their long-haul operations. Two carriers were looking to take prospects further on the back of this progress. Lets take a look at how Pan American World Airways and Iran Air united to introduce the 747SP.

The two airlines were looking for a high-capacity plane to transport passengers nonstop between New York and Tehran. However, at the time couldnt perform as well as subsequent 747 builds on such long-distance trips. So, the easiest solution was to shorten the standard 747.

Boeing also saw this request from Pan Am and Iran Air as an opportunity to develop an aircraft to beat trijet rivals, such as the DC-10. The middle market solutions of the 757 and 767 werent around yet. So, a shortened 747 was formed.

The aircraft performed its first flight on July 4th, 1975. Then, it was approved by the Federal Aviation Administration on February 4th, 1976, and was subsequently introduced with Pan Am that year. The legendary carrier dubbed the first 747SP in its fleet Clipper Freedom.

After being launched, airlines would have noticed that the 747SP is 47 ft (14 m) shorter than its siblings. The planes main deck doors were also reduced to four on each side to make up for its lower capacity. Moreover, the models vertical and horizontal tailplanes are larger and its wing flaps were simplified.

The 747SP soon found it hard to have a place in the market. Notably, there would be significant advancements with engine capabilities and aircraft such as the 747-200B caught up with the SPs range.

Yesterdays Airlines shared that due to the quick transformation in the industry, deliveries of the aircraft were mostly over by the end of 1982. However, there was one unit that was delivered as late was as 1989.

The 747SPs commercial service ended in 2016 when Iran Air stopped flying it. Nonetheless, over the decades, theSP was put to good use as a personal jet for royalty with an abundance of cash. Moreover, some government agencies also became fans of the type for its size and range offering the perfect balance for private operations.

The SP also performs important tasks on a scale that is beyond global. NASA took on a former Pan Am and United Boeing 747SP. Registration N536PA arrived at the space agencys holdings in October 1996 before undergoing a transformation into the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). It would hold a 17-ton, 8-foot-wide infrared telescope mounted behind a massive sliding door.

NASA highlights that the plane flies into the stratosphere between 38,000 and 45,000 feet. This move puts the unit above 99% of Earths infrared-blocking atmosphere. As a result, astronomers can study the solar system with methods that are not possible with ground-based telescopes.

Altogether, the aircraft still holds a significant role in society with NASA. However, if it wasnt for Pan Am and Iran Air approaching Boeing together to find a solution for their venture between the United States and Iran, there would have been no 747SP.

What are your thoughts about the Boeing 747SP? Did you ever fly on the aircraft over the years? Let us know what you think of the plane in the comment section.

Link:
Why Did Boeing Build The Boeing 747SP? A Route To Iran Holds The Answer - Simple Flying

Ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in Iran

Confirmed cases 1099

Confirmed cases 100499

Confirmed cases 500999

Confirmed cases 1,0009,999

Confirmed cases 10,000+

Last updated on 9 May 2020

Deaths

The COVID-19 pandemic in Iran is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus2 (SARS-CoV-2). On 19 February 2020, Iran reported its first confirmed cases of infections in Qom.[3] The virus may have been brought to the country by a merchant from Qom who had travelled to China.[4]

In response to the coronavirus the government cancelled public events and Friday prayers; closed schools, universities, shopping centres, bazaars, and holy shrines; and banned festival celebrations.[5][6] Economic measures were also announced to help families and businesses, and the pandemic is credited with compelling the government to make an unprecedented request for an emergency loan of five billion US dollars from the International Monetary Fund.[7] The government initially rejected plans to quarantine entire cities and areas, and heavy traffic between cities continued ahead of Nowruz, despite the government's intention to limit travel. The government later announced a ban on travel between cities following an increase in the number of new cases.[6][8] Government restrictions were gradually eased starting in April. The number of new cases fell to a low on 2 May, but increased again in May as restrictions were eased, with a new peak of cases reported on 4 June,[9] and new peaks in the number of deaths reported in July.[10] Despite the increase, the Iranian government stated that it had no option but to keep the economy open;[11] the economy of Iran was already affected by US sanctions, and its GDP fell by a further 15% due to the coronavirus pandemic by June 2020.[12]

Some early outside estimates of the numbers of COVID-19 deaths are much higher than those from government sources,[13][14][15][16] while the People's Mujahedin of Iran has consistently claimed a much higher death toll.[17] Leaked data suggest that 42,000 people had died with COVID-19 symptoms by 20 July compared to 14,405 reported that date.[18] The government has also been accused of cover-ups, censorship, and mismanagement.[19][20][21][4] However, the World Health Organization says that it has not seen problems with Iran's reported figures,[22] although a WHO official later said that due to limited testing in the early months, the number of cases reported in Iran may represent only about 20% of the real number until more tests could be conducted.[23] Later increase in the number of cases in May was attributed to increased testing by the Iranian government.[24] The official number of cases surpassed 200,000 with over 10,000 deaths recorded by June 2020.[25] President Rouhani, however, estimated that 25 million may have become infected by July 2020, considerably higher than the official count.[26] Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Iran account for around a quarter of all cases in the MENA region by mid-July.[27]

Multiple government ministers and senior officials have been diagnosed as SARS-CoV-2 positive, as well as 23 members of the Parliament (around 8% of all MPs) by 3 March.[28] At least 17 Iranian politicians and officials had died from the virus by 25 March.[29] Notable Iranians reported to have died from COVID-19 include Hadi Khosroshahi,[30] Mohammad Mirmohammadi, Hossein Sheikholeslam, Fatemeh Rahbar, Reza Mohammadi Langroudi,[31] Mohammad-Reza Rahchamani,[32] Nasser Shabani,[33] Hashem Bathaie Golpayegani,[34] Hamid Kahram,[35][36] and Khosrow Sinai.[37]

On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, that had been reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019.[38][39]

The case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower than that for SARS in 2003,[40][41] but the transmission has been much greater, creating a higher total death toll.[42][40]

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View post:
COVID-19 pandemic in Iran - Wikipedia

1. Iran Says U.S. Attempt to Seize Oil Cargo Is 'Act of Piracy'  Bloomberg
2. Tehran calls US seizure of Iranian oil an act of piracy  Al Jazeera English
3. Iran threatens to block snap nuclear inspections  Financial Times
4. We could restrict UN nuclear inspections, Iran warns West  DW (English)
5. Iran disowns minister's warning that it might seek nuclear weapons if cornered  The Times of Israel
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

The rest is here:
Iran Says U.S. Attempt to Seize Oil Cargo Is 'Act of Piracy' - Bloomberg