Iran released two Greek-flagged tankers on November 16, the same day that the Iranian-flagged tanker Lana (formerly Pegas) left Greek waters. Iran had seized the two tankers in the Persian Gulf in May, after the United States had confiscated part of the Lana's oil cargo in Greece.
News Briefs
November 12, 2022
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that his country would support further sanctions against Iran and that it was pushing to convene a special session of the UN Human Rights Council in response to Iran's crackdown on protestors. Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian had threatened his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock with an "appropriate and decisive" response if Germany supported more sanctions.
-- Deutsche Welle
November 10, 2022
Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force, claimed that his country has developed a hypersonic ballistic missile that can maneuver both inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere.
-- Tasnim News Agency
November 10, 2022
In its quarterly report, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) estimated that Iran has amassed 62.3 kilograms of uranium enriched to up to 60% fissile purity, an increase of 6.7 kilograms since the IAEA’s last report in September. A separate report stated that the agency is “seriously concerned” that Iran has not cooperated with an ongoing IAEA probe into the presence of uranium particles at three undeclared sites in the country.
-- Associated Press
November 5, 2022
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) successfully launched a new solid-fueled space rocket. Iran claims that the rocket, called the Ghaem-100, will be able to put an 80-kilogram payload into a 500-kilometer orbit. The head of the IRGC Aerospace Force Amir Ali Hajizadeh said that the rocket would soon be used to place a Nahid satellite into orbit.
-- Associated Press
November 5, 2022
After months of denials, Iran admitted for the first time that it had provided a "limited number" of drones to Russia. Iran's foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian claimed that the transfer happened months before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February and that Iran is not aware of them being used in the war.
-- Associated Press
November 4, 2022
A Slovak manufacturer of light aircraft exported Rotax 912 engines to Iran in April, according to a report in the Slovak newspaper Denník N. The engine is used in Iran's Mohajer-6 drones, which have been supplied to Russia for use in Ukraine.
-- The New Voice of Ukraine
November 1, 2022
Russia began swapping oil products with Iran, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said after meeting with Iran's oil minister. Iran is also seeking a gas swap deal with Russia, and the ministers discussed infrastructure projects including port development and a freight corridor linking the two countries.
-- Bloomberg
October 27, 2022
Iran began the construction of a 10-megawatt research reactor at Isfahan. The reactor will use fuel plates enriched to 20 percent.
-- Mehr News Agency
October 24, 2022
The head of Ukraine's intelligence service said Ukrainian forces have shot down more than two-thirds of the roughly 330 Iranian-made Shahed drones that Russia has launched in the war so far. He also said the Russian military had ordered some 1,700 Iranian drones in total.
-- Associated Press