Another False Flag?

Posted on June 14, 2019 by marcia

7 Reasons To Be Highly Skeptical Of The Gulf Of Oman Incident

JUNE 14, 2019

In a move that surprised exactly zero people, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has wasted no timescrambling to blame Iran for damage done to two sea vessels in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday, citing exactly zero evidence.

“This assessment is based on intelligence, the weapons used, the level of expertise needed to execute the operation, recent similar Iranian attacks on shipping, and the fact that no proxy group operating in the area has the resources and proficiency to act with such a high-degree of sophistication,” Pompeo told the press in a statement.

2. The US empire is known to use lies and false flags to start wars.

The US-centralized power alliance has an extensive and well-documented history of advancing preexisting military agendas using lies, false flags and psyops to make targeted governments appear to be the aggressors. This is such a well-established pattern that “Gulf of Tonkin” briefly trended on Twitter after the Gulf of Oman incident. Any number of government agencies could have been involved from any number of the nations in this alliance, including the US, the UK, the KSA, the UAE, or Israel.

3. John Bolton has openly endorsed lying to advance military agendas.

I wrote an article about this last month because the Trump administration had already begun rapidly escalating against Iran in ways that happen to align perfectly with the longtime agendas of Trump’s psychopathic Iran hawk National Security Advisor. At that time people were so aware of the possibility that Bolton might involve himself in staging yet another Middle Eastern war based on lies that The Onion was already spoofing it.

On a December 2010 episode of Fox News’ Freedom Watch, Bolton and the show’s host Andrew Napolitano were debating about recent WikiLeaks publications, and naturally the subject of government secrecy came up.

“Now I want to make the case for secrecy in government when it comes to the conduct of national security affairs, and possibly for deception where that’s appropriate,” Bolton said. “You know Winston Churchill said during World War Two that in wartime truth is so important it should be surrounded by a bodyguard of lies.”

“Do you really believe that?” asked an incredulous Napolitano.

“Absolutely,” Bolton replied.

“You would lie in order to preserve the truth?”

“If I had to say something I knew was false to protect American national security, I would do it,” Bolton answered.

This would be the same John Bolton who has been paid exorbitant speaking fees by the pro-regime change MEK terror cult, promising the cult in a 2017 speech that they’d be celebrating regime change in Tehran together before 2019. This would also be the same John Bolton who once threatened to murder an OPCW official’s children if he didn’t stop getting in the way of his Iraq war agenda.

4. Using false flags to start a war with Iran is already an established idea in the DC swamp.

Back in 2012 at a forum for the Washington Institute Of Near East Policy think tank, the group’s Director of Research Patrick Clawson openly talked about the possibility of using a false flag to provoke a war with Iran, citing the various ways the US has done exactly that with its previous wars.

“I frankly think that crisis initiation is really tough, and it’s very hard for me to see how the United States president can get us to war with Iran,” Clawson began.

“Which leads me to conclude that if in fact compromise is not coming, that the traditional way that America gets to war is what would be best for US interests,” Clawson added. “Some people might think that Mr. Roosevelt wanted to get us into the war… you may recall we had to wait for Pearl Harbor. Some people might think that Mr. Wilson wanted to get us into World War One; you may recall we had to wait for the Lusitania episode. Some people might think that Mr. Johnson wanted to get us into Vietnam; you may recall we had to wait for the Gulf of Tonkin episode. We didn’t go to war with Spain until the USS Maine exploded. And may I point out that Mr. Lincoln did not feel that he could call out the Army until Fort Sumter was attacked, which is why he ordered the commander at Fort Sumter to do exactly that thing which the South Carolinians said would cause an attack.”

“So if, in fact, the Iranians aren’t going to compromise, it would be best if somebody else started the war,” Clawson continued. “One can combine other means of pressure with sanctions. I mentioned that explosion on August 17th. We could step up the pressure. I mean look people, Iranian submarines periodically go down. Some day, one of them might not come up. Who would know why? [Smattering of sociopathic laughter from the crowd.] We can do a variety of things, if we wish to increase the pressure (I’m not advocating that) but I’m just suggesting that this is not an either/or proposition — just sanctions have to succeed or other things. We are in the game of using covert means against the Iranians. We could get nastier at that.”

5. The US State Department has already been running psyops to manipulate the public Iran narrative.

Negar Mortazavi

✔@NegarMortazavi

Outrage on Capitol Hill over completely unacceptable US-funded scheme to shape Iran debate. The @IranDisinfo troll campaign targeted American citizens critical of Trump’s Iran policy and accused them of being loyal to Tehran regime.

Me and @borzou https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/us-iran-congress-meeting-money-trump-conflict-a8954191.html …

278

10:45 AM – Jun 11, 2019

Twitter Ads info and privacy

Outrage on Capitol Hill over ‘completely unacceptable’ US-funded sch…

United States officials say they are outraged by a government-funded troll campaign that has targeted American citizens critical of the administration’s hardline Iran policy and accused critics of

independent.co.uk

6. The Gulf of Oman narrative makes no sense.

One of the ships damaged in the attacks was Japanese-owned, and the other was bound for Japan. This happened just as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was in Tehran attempting to negotiate a de-escalation between the US and Iran with Trump’s blessing , and just after Iran had released a prisoner accused of conducting espionage for the US in what many took to be a gesture of good faith.

Iran has been conducting itself with remarkable restraint in the face of relentless sanctions and provocations from the US and its allies; it wouldn’t make much sense for it to suddenly abandon that restraint with attacks on sea vessels, then rescue their crew, then deny perpetrating the attacks, during a time of diplomatic exchanges and while trying to preserve the nuclear deal with Europe. If Tehran did perpetrate the attacks in order to send a strong message to the Americans, it would have been a very mixed message sent in a very weird way with very odd timing.

State Department officials admitted to Congressional staff at a closed-door meeting on Monday that a $1.5 million troll farm had gone “beyond the scope of its mandate” by aggressively smearing American critics of the Trump administration’s Iran policy as propagandists for the Iranian government, according to a new report from The Independent. That “mandate” had reportedly consisted of “countering propaganda from Iran”, also known as conducting anti-Iran propaganda.

“Critics in Washington have gone further, saying that the programme resembled the type of troll farms used by autocratic regimes abroad,” says The Independent.

“One woman behind the harassment campaign, a longtime Iranian-American activist, has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the State Department over the years to promote ‘freedom of expression and free access to information,’” the report reads.

Pompeo’s statement uses the words “unprovoked” twice and “Iran’s provocative acts” once, explicitly claiming that the US empire was just minding its own business leaving Iran alone when it was attacked out of the blue by a violent aggressor. Sometimes the things put out by the US State Department feel like they’re conducting experiments on us, just to test the limits of our stupidity.

As noted in this article by Moon of Alabama and this discussion on the Ron Paul Liberty Report, the US has been provoking Iran with extremely aggressive and steadily tightening sanctions, which means that even if Tehran is behind the attacks, it would not be the aggressor and the attacks would most certainly not have been “unprovoked”. Economic sanctions are an act of war; if China were to do to America’s economy what America is doing to Iran’s, the US would be in a hot war with China immediately. It could technically be possible that Iran is pushing back on US aggressions and provocations, albeit in a strange and neoconservatively convenient fashion.

Either way, we have seen exactly zero evidence supporting Pompeo’s claims, so anyone you see hastening to blame Iran for the Gulf of Oman incident is either a war whore or a slobbering moron, or both. Knowing what we know about the US-centralized empire and its pre-existing regime change agenda against Iran, there is no reason to believe Pompeo and many reasons not to.

from: https://www.activistpost.com/2019/06/7-reasons-to-be-highly-skeptical-of-the-gulf-of-oman-incident.html

Rome vs. Persia – Perhaps Even Now

Posted on June 29, 2018 by marcia

The Longest Conflict in World History may be the Root of War Today

Markab Alged

The number one enemy of the US/NATO side of world power is Iran. Libya was first, now they want Syria, but the real target has always been Iran: why?

The answer to this question may be in part found in ancient history. Ever heard the expression “all roads lead to Rome?”

That means that the Western power cliques find root in Ancient Rome, whether it’s simple reverence for their ways, like the way the White House was situated on “Capitol Hill,” named after the Roman Capitoline Hill, or if the root is more literal.

England was once territory of the Romans, as was most of Western Europe. The Roman Empire once extended all the way to Syria, and that region of the world has always been the battleground between different Persian and Roman Empires.

Persia is Iran, and the on and off but quite consistent conflict between the Persian Empires and Roman Empires constitutes the longest war in the history of humanity.

The European royal families are father to son, direct descendants of the rulers of Europe hundreds of years ago today: it’s safe to say that kind of power tends to persist and be passed down through the generations.

Understanding that power is passed down, and it’s the historical norm for rivalries to last centuries, why wouldn’t it make sense to think that the modern day US/NATO conflict with Iran could find root in the conflict between Rome and Persia?

There may be reasons that the NATO side wants to control Iran so badly, that we don’t understand, that have roots in antiquity. Could there be ancient reasons why they want Syria, Iran, and modern day Persia?

Perhaps a bit of the historical details will trigger some imaginative theories.

The Roman-Persian wars lasted for 694 years, between the years of 66 BC and 628 AD. This is the longest conflict in human history. The conflict had been over for about 1,200 years prior to the modern day conflict between the West and Iran, but geographically, this region has been a crossroads forever.

Afghanistan, and Persia by extension, has historically been referred to as the “place empires go to die,” or the “graveyard of empires.” Nobody could colonize or conquer Persia during the reign of colonialism, when India, Australia, and other territories were ruthlessly conquered by the British, and the Americas were conquered by the Spanish.

It is the land where empires go to die because the mountainous terrain of Afghanistan and Pakistan shielded the Iranian, Persian homeland from attack.

Syria however, and the surrounding area, unfortunately does not have as great a defense against attack: and that brings us to where we are today. The Syrian conflict is no “civil” war.

States from the Greco-Roman world continuously engaged in conflict with two successive Iranian or Persian empires, the Parthian and the Sasanian empires.

It was the closest thing to constant world war that the world had really seen until the 20^thCentury. Several vassal kingdoms provided the role of buffer states, and several nomadic nations that were allied played roles.

The beginning of Islam, with the Prophet Muhammad rising up out of the Arabian Peninsula to begin the Arab Muslim Conquests, was the fall of the Sasanian Empire and thus the near 700 war.

Then, the Muslims held down the territory of Persia against any intruder for the entire duration of the Colonialism Era.

The war began in Southern Armenia in 69 BC, when the Roman general Lucius Cornelius Sulla decided to invade the territory of Tigranes in Southern Armenia, despite the wishes for an alliance between the Roman and Parthian kingdoms, on behalf of Persia.

Iran wanted peace in the very beginning ironically, but under Lucius, the Romans attacked the Persians over 2,000 years ago.

To read more about this, click this link for a starting point. The details get a little dry, but if you like to read about this type of thing, it could be very entertaining and informative.

So again: is the modern day rivalry between the NATO side and Iran based on something more than we know?

Royal families carry secrets, as do the fraternal orders and secret societies they participate in. I’m sure it’s the same way on the Iranian side of things, but perhaps not the same morally.

(Image credit: commons.wikimedia, slideshare, sott, pixdaus, quora, dreamallowed.wordpress, colorado.edu)

From: https://themindunleashed.com/2018/06/the-longest-conflict-in-world-history-may-be-the-root-of-war-today.html

Turkey, Brazil, Iran Popular Revolts

Posted on June 23, 2013 by marcia

The Revolt of the Global Middle Class

Here’s what protests in Turkey and Brazil have in common.

David Rohde Jun 23 2013, 10:02 AM ET

Brazilians hold a demonstration with a banner that reads, “Villainous politician. Lower your salary,” in Sao Paulo on June 22, 2013. (Reuters)

Alper, a 26-year-old Turkish corporate lawyer, has benefited enormously from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s rule. He is one of millions of young Turks who rode the country’s economic boom to a lifestyle his grandparents could scarcely imagine.

Yet he loathes Erdogan, participated in the Taksim Square demonstrations and is taking part in the new ” standing man” protests in Istanbul.

“The prime minister is continuing to blatantly lie about the demonstrations,” said Alper, who asked that his last name not be used because he feared arrest. “People are actually scared that if they stop this momentum, then the government will feel free to exercise more force.”

From Turkey to Brazil to Iran the global middle class is awakening politically. The size, focus and scope of protests vary, but this is not unfolding chaos — it is nascent democracy. Citizens are demanding basic political rights, accountable governments and a fairer share of resources.

The movements may lose their way. The demonstrations will have a limited long-term impact if they fail to become organized political movements. And the violence and criminality that erupted during some protests in Brazil have prompted a popular backlash.

Overall, though, Americans jaded about world affairs should see the activism as positive. The protesters are performing the same role as middle classes have in developed nations. As their standard of living rises, so do their expectations of government.

The political dynamic in each country is different, of course. In Turkey, the protests are not the equivalent of the Arab Spring demonstrations that toppled governments across the Middle East. Nor are they simply a pitched battle between religious conservatives and secular liberals. Instead, they are deeply Turkish — and hugely important.

After decades of the Turkish state reigning supreme, young Turks are demanding pluralism and basic individual rights. The Turkish state should be accountable to the people, they argue, instead of the people being accountable to the state.

“Basic freedoms such as the right to peaceful assembly are undermined by police and government,” Alper said in an email. “There have been no significant repercussions for police officers and their superiors.”

For years, Soli Ozel, a professor of International Relations and Political Science at Istanbul Bilgi University, scoffed at Westerners who viewed Turkey as a model for the Middle East. The new protests, however, make him feel the label may apply.

“After this unprecedented mobilization,” he said in a telephone interview, “we now have a very vibrant and very much alive civil society.”

Brazil presents a different dynamic.The ruling Workers’ Party is left-leaning and its economic reforms have helped the poor and middle class. But now a souring economy, corruption scandals and $12 billion in government spending on 2014 World Cup stadiums has sparked one million people to take to the streets.

Marcelo Ridenti, a leading Brazilian sociologist, said reduced inequality and increased education have raised expectations. The number of university students in Brazil, for example, doubled from 2000 to 2011.

“This generates huge changes in society, including changes in expectations among young people,” he told the New York Times . “They expect to get not only jobs, but good jobs.”

Recent events in Iran are more difficult to discern. While Brazil and Turkey’s political systems are relatively open, Iran’s is tightly controlled. Until last weekend’s presidential election, hard-line religious leaders seemed to have tightened their grip on power after crushing the country’s 2009 Green Revolution.

In a surprise result, cleric Hassan Rohani won a sweeping victory in presidential elections last weekend. Pro-reform and urban Iranians frustrated with the country’s weak economy, isolation and conservative monopoly on power apparently handed Rohani the presidency. Rohani may prove to be more conservative than expected, but his victory prompted thousands of Iranians to take to the streets.

“I am hopeful about the future,” Hoda, a 26-year-old who asked that her last name not be used, told Reuters. “Hopeful that we will have more social freedoms, more stability in Iran, better relations with other countries and hopefully a much better economy.”

Comparing political movements in different countries carries risks. Societies vary enormously. But observers see parallels between Brazil’s protests, India’s anti-corruption movement , austerity protests in Europe, the U.S. Occupy Movement and similar demonstrations in Israel.

My focus on Turkey, Brazil and Iran is driven by recent events and optimism. Positive dynamics are at work in all three nations.

First, the explosive spread of social media played a role in the movements. Networks of like-minded people were able to immediately communicate with one another — and potential recruits. Some online information has been false or restricted, but technological change has unquestionably sped up the pace of political organizing.

Second, all three movements are demanding basic individual rights and accountable government. They want non-corrupt leaders who respect their right to protest, gather and speak freely. From minority rights in Turkey, to fair elections in Iran, to better policing, healthcare and transit in Brazil, protesters want improved governance.

There will be setbacks, excesses and confusion in the weeks ahead. But the burgeoning middle class activism in Turkey, Iran and Brazil should be hailed. Like their brethren in developed countries, they are a check on government excess — and create stronger, more vibrant societies.

from: http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/06/the-revolt-of-the-global-middle-class/277125/

Iran — Major Earthquake

Posted on April 10, 2013 by marcia

Very strong deadly earthquake in Southern Iran – At least 40 dead and over 1000 injured (also well felt in KSA and the UAE)

Last update: April 10, 2013 at 12:30 pm by By Armand Vervaeck and James Daniell

SUMMARY 14:00- The towns closest to the epicenter have suffered greatly.
– The death toll remains at 12, however is expected to rise in the coming hours.
– Around 40,000 people are affected most of all.
– Landslides were seen.
– A M6.1 earthquake occurred at a depth of 10km in the sparsely populated Bushehr/Kaki region.
– The Bushehr nuclear facility is running smoothly.
– Rescue teams continue to work on retrieving bodies and rescuing survivors from the masonry rubble.

Shaking map

UPDATE 13:49- There are currently 100 rescuers on the scene. According to the rescuers, the towns of Baghani and Senate (bad Farsi translations) in Khormoj have been 100% destroyed (it is still unclear whether the entire village has been destroyed or just some buildings). There are fatalities and injuries that are expected.

UPDATE 13:41- It is as yet unclear if any houses have been affected by the major landslides and rockfalls that have occurred in the mountains.

UPDATE 13:36- The 4 closest villages are currently being assessed. Certain routes (like the highway) closest to the earthquake-stricken areas are closed. This earthquake is rated as CATDAT Red, and is unlikely to be CATDAT Dark Red.

UPDATE 13:33- Some of the aftershocks will also be lightly felt in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Qatar. It is quite likely however that no greater earthquakes will occur than the 6.1 that occurred earlier. The quake triggered panic in Dubai’s high-rise buildings and residents rushed out (it is unclear whether any injuries resulted). Some buildings in the Dubai Marina area have been evacuated and workers sent home according to Gulf News sources.

UPDATE 13:30- Villages in Kaki and closer have some homes that have suffered 100% destruction (collapsed according to the Iran classification). These are likely to be of masonry and it can be expected that a 5-15% fatality rate occurs in these buildings.

UPDATE 13:27- At least 12 people are reported dead.

UPDATE 13:23- The death toll has risen to 5. There are scenes of destruction in Kaki, with many destroyed houses being reported. In addition damage in Borozjan Bushehr and also Khormoj. The arrival of teams from Fars and Bushehr will allow for a better range of fatality information soon. The theoretical USGS PAGER model predicts around 200 fatalities as a median (35% chance between 100-1000 fatalities), so there is a high likelihood that a higher number of fatalities will occur than currently reported.

UPDATE:- Many aftershocks have hit the region. The death toll remains at 3, however is expected to rise.

UPDATE:- The Bushehr nuclear facility (around 100km from the quake) is functioning normally.

UPDATE:- 20 rescue personnel in 4 assessment teams, and 2 helicopters have been sent. Kaki city has some destroyed houses, and some poorly built rural houses in Bushehr (around 50-60km away) have cracking. It is expected that Kaki and Khormoj will have the most destruction.

Kaki City

UPDATE:- Kaki city actually has 10,000 people. Thus, there is more exposure than first thought. Unfortunately, death rates of around 2-3% are not uncommon from such earthquakes. Red Crescent assessment teams have been sent to the scene.

UPDATE:- The Siraj highway is quite close to the epicenter and around 16-22km from Khormoj. 3 people have died, and there are helicopters and assistance being sent to the region. In addition, many landslides have been seen.

UPDATE:- The earthquake has occurred near the Borozjan fault, near a salt dome. There appears to be a town of around 2000 people from satellite images that is close to the earthquake epicenter. Good news is that it is further from Khormoj than first expected from the Iran epicenter.

UPDATE:- Finally news, from the earthquake epicenter where a M6.1 earthquake (local magnitude by IIEES, Iran) – there has been damage reported in Kaki County. In addition, there are scattered reports of possible casualties.

UPDATE:- It is generally bad news in Iran as there are no reports from ISNA, IRNA or Fars News currently on the earthquake. All major agencies have given a shallow 6.2 to 6.3 earthquake (GEOFON, USGS and EMSC). It is expected however that the earthquake may be slightly deeper than first thought which may reduce fatalities. Iran has a very low Q value, meaning that generally earthquake waves reduce in energy (attenuate) faster with distance.

UPDATE:- Many towers have been evacuated across Dubai and in the Middle East given the light shaking. The area of main concern however is the epicentral region. Bushehr at 90km from the epicenter should have been spared major damage, but the closer towns probably not.

UPDATE:- A M5.4 aftershock has also occurred, which will have added to the possible damage.

UPDATE:- There are approximately 3000 people living in the intensity 8 shaking zone according to the USGS PAGER model and 15000 people in the intensity 7 shaking zone. Khvormuj is a city in and capital of Dashti County, Bushehr Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 31,667, in 6,966 families. It is around 25km away from the epicenter.

A strong earthquake has been felt across the region. Magnitude 6.2 in southern Iran can often cause major damage especially when at a shallow depth. It is worth remembering that the 2003 Bam earthquake had a magnitude around 6.5, and caused around 25,000 deaths.

A M6 earthquake struck the same region of Khormoj in 1976 on the 22nd of April causing some damage but no fatalities.

It has been felt intensity IV in Dubai (probably long period waves in a high building).

This current earthquake has been felt in Bahrain, Qatar, UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Most important Earthquake Data:

Magnitude : 6.1 (IIEES Local), 6.3Mw (USGS Global)

Local Time (conversion only below land) : 2013-04-09 16:22:51

GMT/UTC Time : 2013-04-09 11:52:51

Depth (Hypocenter) : 12 km, 10km

for more information and updates, go to: http://earthquake-report.com/2013/04/09/very-strong-earthquake-southern-iran-on-april-9-2013/

Please note, there is some good information on the above captioned page which states emphatically that earthquakes cannot be predicted. I would suggest that you check it out.

Iran Earthquake Update

Posted on December 6, 2012 by marcia

Strong extremely shallow earthquake in Iran kills at least 8 people, 23 injured and a lot of damage

Last update: December 6, 2012 at 12:47 pm by By Armand Vervaeck and James Daniell

Earthquake overview : A seemingly moderate earthquake became a deadly one because of the specific earthquake mechanisms in Iran and because of the poor building quality.

Update Dec. 6, 12:34 UTC :

A full damage assessment has come out from Iran with the following details:-

20 villages have been damaged 60%. (The method for Iran damage)

4 bodies have been delivered to the coroner, however, they are still waiting on 5 members of a 6 member family who presumably died when their house collapsed.

73 relief staff including 10 SAR personnel have been carrying out operations.

Outpatient treatment of victims: 8 people
The number of victims transported to the hospital: 12 people
Destruction of the 20 villages: 40 to 100 percent
The number of people resettled/evacuated to shelter: 1000 people

The following relief has been

Tent: 1000
Blankets: 600
Carpets: 900
Electric Lights: 600
Food and mineral water: 10000 cans.

2000 animals (livestock) are in the cold currently and there is a fear of them dying.

Update Dec. 6, 04:24 UTC : 8 people have been killed, and 1 person is missing as a result of this earthquake. 23 people have been injured with many others treated for superficial wounds.

زهان (Zohan) has seen the most damage and destruction with many houses destroyed. 5 people were killed and 1 is missing in this location. 707 people live in Zohan as of the year 2006, so this will be a great shock for the small town with 1% death rate.

15 villages in addition have been damaged/destroyed. Hosseinabad is one of those affected.

16 aftershocks between M3 and M4 have been keeping people out of their houses. It is extremely cold in South Khorasan at the moment. Around 5 degrees C overnight to 14 during the day, will mean that shelter is required.

South Khorasan is a reasonably poor region, and by the number of articles in the Iranian press about aid, this usually means that there is major damage in the villages affected.

Update Dec. 6, 21:49 UTC : For further news we will have to wait until the early morning hours in Iran. We will keep you updated.

Update 21:49 UTC : 15 emergency teams, 10 ambulances and a lot of heavy excavating equipment has been send to the epicenter area. The weather is quit fair at the moment but temperatures go down to 3°C, thats freezing cold if you have to spend the night in open air.

Iranian SAR and relieve teams are very well organised as the country has a lot of dangerous even deadly earthquakes like this one.

Update 21:44 UTC : The epicenter of the quake was 25 kilometers (15 miles) from the town of Zohan, at a depth of nine kilometers, the Iranian Seismological Center said on its website. The quake caused damage to rural buildings and cut power lines and telephone communication. Iran has mostly adobe and brick stone houses who have a little or no resistance against earthquakes.

Update 21:03 UTC : The number of killed people remains at 5 but the number of injured has risen to at least 20.

Update 20:03 UTC : The Iranian Red Crescent is very active in trying to help the population as well as the SAR teams from the Iranian authorities. It is currently dark in the Iran which makes relieve efforts and SAR searches extremely difficult. We will keep you updated when more news comes in.

Important update 19:45 UTC : Mehrnews Iran is reporting 4 villages very heavily damaged and at least 5 people killed and 12 injured. A terrible result once more.

Update 17:45 UTC : Based on our experience we estimate that it will take many hours before we will get reports from the earthquake epicenter area. The s it is dark in Iran . We are however convinced that at least minor damage may occur in an area approx. 10 to 20 km around the epicenter.

Update 17:40 UTC : Our @Quake_tracker4 was far ahead of most other earthquake twitter accounts. Follow us and be informed as first about important earthquakes

Update 17:29 UTC : We only see a limited number of Iranian people online at the moment. The Magnitude has been lowered in the meantime to M5.6 but at an extremely shallow (and dangerous) depth of only 5.6 km.

Preliminary data are telling us a Magnitude of M6.0, but the final value can be far weaker or even higher.
Even at a Magnitude of 5.5, Iran may generate damage.

Preliminary epicenter

Most important Earthquake Data:
Magnitude : 5.6
UTC Time : 2012-12-05 17:08:12 UTC
Local time at epicenter : 2012-12-05 20:38:12 UTC+03:30 at epicenter
Depth (Hypocenter) : 5.6 km
Geo-location(s) :
43km (27mi) SE of Qayen, Iran
75km (47mi) NNE of Birjand, Iran
125km (78mi) SE of Gonabad, Iran
178km (111mi) SW of Taybad, Iran

from: http://earthquake-report.com/2012/12/06/strong-extremely-shallow-earthquake-in-iran-kills-at-least-6-people-20-injured-and-a-lot-of-damage/

Northwestern Iran Earthquake 11/07

Posted on November 7, 2012 by marcia

Dangerous earthquake in Northern Iran
Whats looks as a moderate Magnitude is always very tricky in Iran. USGS Has predicted a MMI VII for 2000 people. MMI VII means immediate shaking danger for damage and injuries. We are not confident at all that there will be no victims based on the current preliminary findings.
The epicenter area is the earlier destructed Ahar area (see our extensive August 11 earthquake report)
A lot of the houses in the area are still in a bad shape and may suffer again from today’s earthquake. Additionally, winter is on his way with very deep temperatures in this area of the world.
A quote from Tabriz, 51 km from the epicenter : “my bed,chair,computer desk and everything shaked and I ran out ! everybody came to streets , we’re worry about next ones!”
Update 08:31 UTC : Mehrnews reports that 30 people have been treated in hospitals so far
Update 09:11 UTC : The Iranian authorities are luckily reporting a lower Magnitude of M5.1 at a depth of 19 km, a lot weaker than reported by USGS and EMSC. What maybe comes as a surprise to us is not really a surprise in the area as aftershocks have been rattling the area for some days (see below the stronger ones) !
– 2012/11/07 06:26:29 38.43 N 46.60 E 19 5.1 Varzaghan, East Azarbaijan
– 2012/10/27 03:56:41 38.40 N 46.65 E 4 4.0 Varzaghan, East Azarbaijan
– 2012/10/26 22:31:16 38.46 N 46.65 E 10 4.3 Varzaghan, East Azarbaijan
Update 11:16 UTC : The two quakes left more than 250 people dead, injured nearly 1,400 others and inflicted heavy damage on the region. More than 1,800 aftershocks have struck the area since the first quake.

Image courtesy USGS

from: http://earthquake-report.com/2012/11/07/major-earthquakes-list-november-7-2012/

Tabriz, Iran Dangerous Earthquakes

Posted on August 11, 2012 by marcia

2 extremely dangerous shallow earthquakes in the greater Tabriz, Iran area – 50+ people injured, more reports to come

Last update: August 11, 2012 at 3:35 pm by By Armand Vervaeck and James Daniell

Most important Earthquake Data:
Magnitude : M6.2
UTC Time : Saturday, August 11, 2012 at 12:23:17 UTC
Local time at epicenter : Saturday, August 11, 2012 at 03:53:17 PM at epicenter
Depth (Hypocenter) : 9.7 km
Geo-location(s) :
20 km (12 miles) WSW of Ahar, Iran
60 km (37 miles) ENE of Tabriz, Iran

Shaking map based on a Magnitude of 6.2 and a depth of 9.7 km – image courtesy USGS

Important update 13:00 UTC : The first M6.2 earthquake was followed 11 minutes later by an even stronger M6.3 aftershock. This second earthquake had a slightly different epicenter.

Based on preliminary data a strong to very strong earthquake happened a few minutes ago in Western Iran.
We are currently collecting more material and will report accordingly
Preliminary epicenter at 60 km from Tabriz. Tabriz has a population if 1.4 million people). Tabriz is not too close to the epicenter, wo damage, if any, will be moderate
The closest city to the epicenter is however Ahar, a city with a population of 94348 (latest census).
Theoretical intensity calculations are expecting very strong to severe shaking in the epicenter area.
We will start-up an in-depth article as soon as possible.

Update 14:29 UTC : The city of Varzeghan is reported by Iran media as the epicenter of this earthquake. Varzeghan or Varzgan is not a small village but rather a small town (see satellite image below).

Satellite image of the city of Varzeghan (Varzgan, vrzgan) epicenter of the August 11 2012 Iran earthquake

Important update 14:12 UTC : ER reader Mehran comments that Mehr news is reporting heavy damage to clay housing, victims transferred to hospitals, and the epicenter is reported to be the village of Varzgan.

Update 14:07 UTC : Emergency evaluation teams have been send to Tabriz and Ahar were telecommunications and power have been cut. Iran has very good organized emergency and SAR teams and can handle a lot of damaging earthquakes with their own troops and material. Earthquake-Report.com evaluates Iran earthquake response as one of the best in the world!

Update 13:54 UTC : Mobile telecommunication problems in Tabriz. Panic but no reports of damage or casualties yet. Iran has one of lowest attenuation q values meaning that seismic waves attenuate or diminish faster with distance than other parts of the world.

Update 13:53 UTC : USGS has just updated his Iran report and comes now with at least 6000 people who will have experienced the super dangerous Severe shaking (MMI VIII) and 186000 people having received a very strong shaking (MMI VII)

Satellite view of Ahar, Iran a city with 85000 inhabitants and close to the epicenter – image courtesy Google and its contributors

Important update 13:43 UTC : WAPMERR, the theoretical earthquake damage engine, has calculated that based on the Geofon earthquake data and epicenter, 100 to 500 deaths may be expected. Our experience with Geofon is that this estimate will be hopefully reviewed to lower numbers (like often elsewhere). WAPMERR is however an indication that this earthquake is a really dangerous one!

for more information and updates, go to: http://earthquake-report.com/2012/08/11/extremely-dangerous-shallow-earthquake-in-the-greater-tabriz-iran-area/

Ayatollah Khamenei on Coming War

Posted on July 29, 2012 by marcia

Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei Bodes War, Judgment Day

Iran’s supreme religilous and political leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has issued an unprecedented statement calling people across the world to prepare for the wars signalling the coming of Judgment Day.

“We must prepare for the coming. Since we consider ourselves the warriors of the 12th Imam, we must fight,” said Khamenei in a position published simulaneously by a number of Iranian state media, reports Lenta.ru.

“Under the leadership of God, and with his invisible Power, we will restore the glory of Islamic Civilization,” stated the Iranian supreme leader.

Lenta.ru furhter writes that some months ago, a book entitled “The Last Six Months” was distributed among Iran’s army.

According to the book, there is little time remaining for this world, as many prophecies of its end have come true, and accordingly soldiers and officers must be in a permanent war alert.

According to Shia Islam, the 12th Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi is a Messiah who at the end of days will come to the world to instore peace, prosperity and happines.

This however will be preceded by a period of wars, famine, godlessness and rampant sin.

In the past weeks, international tensions around developments in Iran’s ally Syria have intensified, as the bloodshed in Syria is violently escalating.

At the same time, Iran itself faces new hurdles in its nuclear program and a raised militant rhetoric coming from Israel.

from: http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/138256/iran-39-s-ayatollah-khamenei-bodes-war-judgment-day.html

Iran Earthquake

Posted on July 24, 2012 by marcia

Moderate shallow earthquake in Iran

Last update: July 24, 2012 at 7:18 am by By Ashish Khanal

Moderate very shallow earthquake in Iran
36 km SW Borujan (pop 52,654)
Iran is one of those countries which we always follow very closely as earthquakes in this country are often very damaging even at lower Magnitudes. Today’s earthquake looks harmless according to the Magnitude, but the preliminary extremely shallow depth makes us reluctant. We will try to get more details from the Iranians themselves and will update this text whenever needed.
Update 07:13 UTC : The Iranian Seismological agency reports a Magnitude of 5.1 at a depth of 10 km. Epicenter following the Iranians : 7 Km of Boldaji, Charmahal va Bakhtiari, 12 Km of Gandoman, Charmahal va Bakhtiari, 19 Km of Gahroo, Charmahal va Bakhtiari, 424 Km of Tehran, Tehran.

from: http://earthquake-report.com/2012/07/23/major-earthquakes-list-july-24-2012/

Iran/Iraq Border Earthquake

Posted on May 3, 2012 by marcia

Shallow strong earthquake strikes the Iran-Iraq border region

Last update: May 3, 2012 at 11:16 am by By Armand Vervaeck and James Daniell

Most important Earthquake Data:
Magnitude : 5.5Mw (USGS), 5.4Ml (IIEES)
UTC Time : 2012-05-03 14:39:35 UTC
Local time at epicenter : 2012-05-03 19:09:35
Depth (Hypocenter) : 10k (USGS), 14km (IIEES)
Geo-location(s) : 33km (20mi) SE from Abdanan, Iran, 43km (26mi) ENE from Dehloran, Iran

Earthquake overview : A Mw5.5 earthquake has struck the Iran-Iraq border.

Islamic Republic News Agency said on Wednesday night that there has been possible damage caused by this earthquake received.

Keep this page open or return regularly as we will be back with more details when they become available

– IEEES is reporting a Ml5.4 and 14km depth. This will most likely be damaging to local villages.

IIEES earthquake epicenter showing the tectonic regime.

– Amazingly, only 15 damaging earthquakes from CATDAT have been registered since 1900 in this location within 100km radius, and of those this is the highest magnitude.

– Yellow earthquake via PAGER. Max Wyss’ WAPMERR QLARM has given 0-20 fatalities, 10-150 injured.

– This was given an earthquake-report danger rating of RED

for more information and updates, go to: http://earthquake-report.com/2012/05/03/shallow-strong-earthquake-strikes-the-iran-iraq-border-region/

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