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BySam Dagher

(Bloomberg) The US is trying to convince Middle East allies to add dozens more robot vessels around the Arabian Peninsula to better detect threats from countries like Iran, a move to protect waterways vital to global commerce and oil trade.

The US, which leads two international maritime coalitions out of Bahrain, wants to have more than 100 unmanned surface vehicles sometimes called robots at sea in operation by the end of the summer,Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, who commands the coalitions and the Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet, said in an interview. An initial target of 50 was met in February and the technology delivers a cost-effective and efficient way of deepening US partnerships, he said.

The plan is being carried out as Iran,emboldened by a China-brokered deal to re-establish relations with US ally Saudi Arabia,seized a seciond tanker in less than a week. The US Navy released footage of boats it said were owned by Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps swarming the Panama-flagged oil tanker Niovi as it sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, between Iran and Oman.

In addition to Iran, the US is concerned about Chinas efforts to expand military and security ties with Gulf Arab states, who have historically relied on the US for defense needs. China, the largest trading partner for most of those countries and the top buyer of crude oil from the region, already has a naval base in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa.

Its only logical China would want military bases in the Middle East to be closer to the action, saidJohn Schaus, a defense expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

In March, China held joint naval drills with Iran and Russia in the Gulf Oman.

You cant compare a rudimentary exercise to the broad sophisticated integration with large partners that we are leading here, said Cooper, referring to those drills. He described a US-led maritime exercise earlier this year as the largest in the region, involving 42 countries, 7,000 people, 35 ships and 30 USVs. It also included amockpatient transfer in a USV.

In an operations room at the Bahrain naval base packed with screens and computers, Captain Colin Corridan, commander ofTask Force 59which is responsible for deploying the new USVs, said a lot of the footage and information collected from the sea robots is synthesized by artificial intelligence to ease the burden on humans. The USVs are made by Canadian, Israeli and US companies, among others, and cost from $800,000 to $3 million. They range in size from slow-moving solar-powered buoys to large unmanned speed boats.

They are just eyes on the water constantly sending signals, said Corridan.

At an outdoor hangar displaying some of the USV models, Lieutenant Commander Jorge Lens from the Spanish navy and a member of Corridans task force says some unmanned vessels can stay out for months without the need to refuel and resupply the record is 220 days in the Red Sea.

Julie Angus, co-founder of CanadasOpen Ocean Roboticswhich manufactures USVs, was among those who traveled to Bahrain in November to take part in anaval exercise. She has alsotouted the autonomous vessels potential in the field of marine conservation.

So far only Bahrain and Kuwait have publicly announced plans to buy USVs, according to Commander Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for US and coalition naval forces in Bahrain. The Iran tanker seizures are precisely why the more enhanced visibility provided by USVs is critical to regional security and stability, he said in emailed comments.

Bilal Saab, director of theDefense and Security Programat the Washington-based Middle East Institute, warned the US faces an uphill battle convincing Gulf Arab states, who typically take large and expensive military gear, of the utility of these vessels. That said, USVs are exempt from the lengthyForeign Military Salesprocess that Gulf countries often complain about.

Its mind-boggling, your entire economy and national survival depends on your export of oil yet you do not have the maritime capabilities to secure your waters, they have always relied on us, said Saab.

The US military including the Navy must also contend with the narrative that its attention is turning away from the Middle East and Gulf Arab states have to think of security alternatives including potential alliances with China and Russia.

Bahrains Undersecretary for Political AffairsAbdulla bin Ahmed al Khalifasaid that while his own country is committed to its partnership, certain regional states are frustrated with the human-rights conditions often attached to US military sales. This is making them look elsewhere.

Its an open market, he said in an interview.

With assistance fromJulius DomoneyandPaul Richardson.

2023Bloomberg L.P.

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US Planning More 'Robots at Sea' In Middle East To Combat Iran - gCaptain

Ever since a French diplomat and developer, Ferdinand de Lesseps, sliced the Suez canal through Egypt in 1869, linking east and west, many Middle Eastern countries have tried to follow suit. Israel has recently broached cutting a canal from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, or a rail link from its port at Haifa via Jordan and on to the Gulf. A former Iraqi transport minister tirelessly promotes a scheme to carve a canal from Iraqs southern port of Basra all the way to Turkey. The most serious venture, though, is a Russo-Iranian one to link the Caspian sea to the Indian Ocean.

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After decades of feasibility studies, a joint fear of isolation by Western powers is driving Russia and Iran to build a sanctions-proof corridor. Since the West tightened sanctions on Russia after it invaded Ukraine, the ostracised pair have opened a roundabout rail-link via Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. Russia is upgrading its own ports with Iranian investment. An Iranian shipping company on the Caspian is boosting Irans fleet of freighters. Russia is helping build a 164km railway through Iran to its border with Azerbaijan on the Caspian shore. Once this is complete it will provide a sanctions-defying rail link that runs from the Baltic down to Bandar Abbas on Irans Persian Gulf.

Annual Russian-Iranian trade has already leapt by 20% in a year to nearly $5bn, says Emil Avdaliani, a Georgian think-tanker. Russian pundits predict that trade with Iran could surpass that with Turkey, worth $30bn. Last month Russia supplied refined oils (petrol and diesel) to Iran by rail, some of it for transporting onward. It recently shipped 12m tonnes of grain through Iran to India. Other projects include upgrading Russias canals between the Don and Volga rivers that link the Black Sea to the Caspian. Another rail link, to Irans south-eastern port of Chabahar, could speed up Russian exports to India even more.

Russia once shied away from investing in Iranian infrastructure for fear of Western sanctions. But the war in Ukraine has made it cast such caution aside. It has encouraged Iran to send it military drones for hammering Ukraine. Last year Russia was Irans biggest foreign investor, far ahead of China. To evade Western sanctions, the pair have unveiled a finance-messaging system as an alternative to SWIFT. And both countries voice simultaneous grandiloquence in challenging a wicked world order.

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Russia and Iran are upgrading their transport links - The Economist

5 May 2023

Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi have been detained in Iran for more than 200 days

Mahsa Amini's name made headlines around the world when she died in custody last September, sparking waves of protests in Iran. But not many people have heard of Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi.

The two female journalists helped break the story of Ms Amini's death and have been detained in two of Iran's most notorious prisons ever since.

"They paid a hefty price for their commitment to report on and convey the truth. And for that, we are committed to honouring them and ensuring their voices will continue to echo worldwide until they are safe and free," said Zainab Salbi,the jury chair.

Image source, Niloufar Hamedi

Niloufar Hamedi's photograph of Mahsa Amini's father and grandmother embracing after her death went viral

Mahsa Amini died in hospital in Tehran on 16 September, three days after she was detained by morality police in the capital for allegedly failing to wear her headscarf "properly".

Witnesses said the 22-year Kurdish woman had been beaten while in custody, but authorities denied she was mistreated and instead blamed "sudden heart failure" for her death.

After being informed of her death at the hospital, Ms Amini's father and grandmother hugged each other.

Niloufar Hamedi, a 30-year-old journalist with the Sharq newspaper, took a photograph of that moment of grief and posted it on her Twitter account. Alongside it, she wrote: "The black dress of mourning has become our national flag."

Two days later, Elaheh Mohammadi, a 35-year-old reporter with the Hammihan newspaper, published a story about Ms Amini's funeral in her hometown of Saqqez, in the western province of Kurdistan.

Ms Mohammadi began her article, which was headlined "A homeland of grief", with a quote from Ms Amini's father: "Mahsa had no underlying health conditions. Whoever says that is lying."

Ms Mohammadi went on to describe how almost 1,000 men and women attended the funeral.

"The mourners cried out, 'Woman, life, freedom,'" she reported. These words would later be heard at protests across the country.

Image source, Mahsa Amini family

Mahsa Amini died three days after she was detained for allegedly failing to wear her headscarf "properly"

On Ms Amini's grave was written: "You won't die. Your name will become a symbol."

It foretold the events that would shake Iran in the days and months to follow.

On 22 September, just six days after she tweeted the photograph of Mahsa's grieving family, Niloufar Hamedi was arrested.

Security forces also raided Elaheh Mohammadi's home at the same time, seizing her electronic devices. On 29 September, she too was arrested.

Both Ms Hamedi and Ms Mohammadi were already known for hard-hitting news reports and coverage of human rights issues.

"[Niloufar Hamedi] was often the first reporter to break a story," says Sina Ghanbarpour, a fellow Iranian journalist.

"So when Mahsa Amini was arrested by the morality police officers, it was no surprise that I first read about it in a report by [her]."

"Journalists in Iran are risking their lives on a daily basis to report on the conditions and oppressions there," the Harvard fellows noted.

Mahsa Amini's death led to a wave of protests in Iran and rallies in solidarity around the world

The Islamic regime controls much of the country's media, while journalists and independent news outlets are under intense pressure. Access to the internet is also frequently cut off.

According to Reporters Without Borders, journalists in Iran "are constantly persecuted by means of arbitrary arrests and very heavy sentences handed down after grossly unfair trials before revolutionary courts".

"It's an endless nightmare," one Tehran-based journalist recently told the Paris-based media watchdog. "I'm afraid to write anything, even in my notebook. I feel I'm being watched all the time."

Although Ms Hamedi and Ms Mohammadi had the backing of their newspapers, it was still the individual journalists who faced consequences.

Dozens of reporters have been arrested in Iran since Mahsa Amini's death and authorities have been accused of harassing their family members as well.

Protesters have also been detained in their thousands, while hundreds have been killed.

Almost eight months on, the protests are not as visible, but many Iranians are still fighting for the abolition of the system that controls their personal and public lives.

Women across Iran are choosing not to abide by the mandatory hijab rules and are taking a huge risk each time they go out without a headscarf.

Elaheh Mohammadi and Niloufar Hamedi's newspapers have insisted that they were just doing their jobs

Ms Hamedi and Ms Mohammadi have meanwhile been kept in harsh conditions at Evin prison in Tehran and Qarchak Women's Prison, south of the city.

Reports from inside Qarchak suggest that the facilities are inhumane, with a lack of medicine, food and even safe drinking water or clean air.

Ms Mohammadi lost 10kg (22lbs) in the first three months of her detention, her husband wrote on his Instagram page.

Both women have also struggled to access legal support.

The first lawyer appointed to represent the pair said in October that he was unable to communicate with them or access the legal documents surrounding their arrests. Less than a month later, he was himself arrested.

The journalists' families have struggled with the pain of not knowing what is going to happen to them.

"I'm asked, 'What do the authorities tell you?' I'm not even sure which institution or person to contact," Ms Hamedi's husband, Mohammad Hossein Ajorlou, said in an interview with Sharq.

He too has found it difficult to get information about what his wife is accused of and what is likely to happen to her.

At the end of October, Iran's ministry of intelligence and the intelligence agency of the Revolutionary Guards issued a statement accusing Ms Hamedi and Ms Mohammadi of being trained by the US Central Intelligence Agency to foment unrest in Iran.

Their newspapers denied the allegations and insisted they had just been doing their jobs.

The journalists were recently moved back to Tehran's Evin prison, apparently in preparation for their trial

Last week, after they had both spent more than 200 days in custody, the Iranian judiciary announced that Ms Hamedi and Ms Mohammadi had been indicted and their cases referred to a court.

Judiciary spokesman Massoud Setayeshi told a news conference that they faced the charges of "collaborating with the hostile government of America, conspiracy and collusion to commit crimes against national security and propaganda against the establishment".

Mr Setayeshi said they would stand trial before Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran and that the start date would be determined within a month.

Branch 15 is presided over by the notorious judge Abolqasem Salavati, nicknamed "the Judge of Death" because of the harsh sentences, including many death sentences, that he has handed down to political prisoners, human rights activists and protesters.

He explained they were a gift his wife had given him to mark Persian New Year, or Nowruz. She had woven them with thread taken from prison's towels, he said. The post ended with the phrase, "Woman, life, freedom."

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The journalists imprisoned for reporting the death that shook Iran - BBC

ANI | Updated: May 08, 2023 04:38 IST

Tehran [Iran], May 8 (ANI/WAM): The UAE-Iran Business Council held its inaugural meeting in the Iranian capital Tehran on the sidelines of the Iran Expo, which runs from 7th to 10th May.The UAE side was chaired by Abdullah Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry and President of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The Iranian side was chaired by Dr Mahdi Safari, Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Diplomacy, with the participation of a number of senior businesspeople from both sides.In opening the meeting, Al Mazrouei commended efforts by the organising committees of both sides in establishing and activating the Council, which will greatly contribute to strengthening cooperation between both countries' business sectors.He said that the establishment of the UAE-Iran Business Council comes at a time when bilateral relations are witnessing economic growth and provides notable opportunities for the private and public sectors in both countries to enhance flourishing trade, investment and economic ties.He added, "The UAE is confident that the Business Council will serve as a vital platform to further enhance partnerships between the UAE and Iran's business sectors."

Al Mazrouei also stressed that the launch of the UAE-Iran Business Council "embodies the joint keenness of both sides to enhance and elevate economic and trade cooperation between the two countries to new horizons while widening engagement for the Emirati and Iranian business communities."He explained that UAE-Iran economic relations have experienced significant development and continued growth in various fields, pointing out that economic cooperation in these sectors has contributed to increasing joint trade and investment exchange.For his part, Dr Safari expressed his appreciation for the attendance of the UAE side and coordination in holding the Council's inaugural meeting in Tehran, which represents an additional step towards bolstering economic relations between the two countries. He also stressed that the meeting contributes to fostering an environment for consultation, discussion, and the exchange of views on issues that serve the two countries' business communities.The UAE economic delegation, which includes representatives of various entities, held a series of meetings with officials from diverse Iranian economic institutions and sectors.The UAE-Iran Business Council was established in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture in 2014.It aims to explore avenues for mutually beneficial economic opportunities between the two sides in a range of fields, including food, health, and tourism. The Council also serves as a platform for senior business leaders in both the UAE and Iran to facilitate exchange and business partnerships. (ANI/WAM)

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UAE-Iran Business Council holds inaugural meeting in Tehran - ANI News

JEDDAH: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi reaffirmed that Iran and Saudi Arabia are two great nations. The restoration of ties between the two countries would change the equations and bring order to the region, he said during an interview with the official Syrian News Agency (SANA) on the occasion of his landmark visit to Syria.

While hailing the normalization of bilateral ties between the two countries, the Iranian president asserted: We reject and do neither accept that Saudi Arabia is considered as our enemy, nor that we will ever be hostile to the Kingdom.

Raisi said during his interview that Iran was playing a mediating role in Russian-facilitated talks aimed to normalize ties between Syria and Turkiye. He emphasized that Iran plays an important role in the region and the world. We are ready to play such a role to bring closer the views between these two Muslim countries, and solve their internal problems through dialogue and negotiations between them.

We touched on this topics during the Astana meeting as well as during the meetings of foreign ministers, he added. Raisi concluded his two-day official visit to Damascus on Friday. During the first visit by an Iranian president to Syria since 2010, Raisi held wide ranging talks with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al Assad. Raisi described the visit as a turning point in bilateral relations.

It is noteworthy that the Arab League foreign ministers are holding an emergency meeting in Cairo on Sunday to discuss the conflict in Sudan and Syrias readmission to the bloc, after it was suspended in 2011.

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Saudi Arabia, Iran are two great nations: Raisi - The News International