{"id":316107,"date":"2024-02-14T07:29:43","date_gmt":"2024-02-14T06:29:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=316107"},"modified":"2024-02-14T21:25:10","modified_gmt":"2024-02-14T20:25:10","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-february-14-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/latest-news-in-brief\/iran-news-in-brief-february-14-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News in Brief \u2013 February 14, 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

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THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS<\/h2>\n

UPDATE: 9:0<\/span>0 PM<\/span><\/p>\n

Academics in US, UK and Australia Collaborated on Drone Research With Iranian University Close to Regime<\/h3>\n

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Academics in the UK, Australia, and the US collaborated on research related to drone technology with an Iranian university that is under international financial sanctions and known for its close ties to the military, the Guardian can reveal.\u00a0The collaborative research was described by one security expert as having direct military applications, while another called it potentially \u201cvery dangerous\u201d. Iranian-made drones have been responsible for a number of deadly attacks in the Ukraine and Middle East conflicts, and their development is known to be a top priority for the government in Tehran.\u00a0The Guardian has seen no evidence that the research contravenes any sanctions or breaks any laws.<\/p>\n

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UPDATE: 6:3<\/span>0 PM<\/span><\/p>\n

Microsoft Says It Caught Hackers from China, Russia, and Iran Using Its AI Tools<\/h3>\n

WASHINGTON, Feb 14 (Reuters) – State-backed hackers from Russia, China, and Iran have been using tools from Microsoft-backed OpenAI to hone their skills and trick their targets, according to a report published on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Microsoft (MSFT.O), opening a new tab said in its report it had tracked hacking groups affiliated with Russian military intelligence, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, and the Chinese and North Korean governments as they tried to perfect their hacking campaigns using large language models. Those computer programs, often called artificial intelligence, draw on massive amounts of text to generate human-sounding responses.<\/p>\n

The company announced the find as it rolled out a blanket ban on state-backed hacking groups using its AI products.<\/p>\n

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UPDATE: 11:3<\/span>0 AM<\/span><\/p>\n

Explosions Rock National Gas Pipeline in Southwest Iran<\/h3>\n

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Under the headline “Sabotage Explosion Hits Two Points of National Gas Pipeline”, the IRGC-run Tasnim News Agency reported<\/a> today, “On Tuesday night, following a terrorist act at two points of the national gas pipeline, strong pressure caused an explosion and fire in the Halvayi Strait of Borujen County.”<\/p>\n

According to the report, two out of four national gas pipeline lines passing through Borujen County exploded and caught fire, causing panic and fear among the residents of Borujen, Boldaji, and Gandoman cities, to the extent that people abandoned their homes and took to the streets.<\/p>\n

Saeed Aqli<\/a>, a manager at the regime’s gas company, stated, “This terrorist sabotage act occurred in the early hours of this morning around 1 a.m. in several areas along the main national gas pipelines.” He added, “Some villages in Isfahan province, which are close to this pipeline, are currently experiencing pressure drops and gas cutoffs.”<\/p>\n

The governor of Borujen also mentioned that the main communication route from Borujen to Lordegan and Khuzestan, in the vicinity of this pipeline, has been closed off. He reported the closure of this national gas pipeline and said, “As long as there is remaining gas in the pipes, flames will persist.” He added, “The communication route from Borujen to Lordegan in the Halvayi Strait area will be blocked until the fire is contained and security is restored to the road.”<\/p>\n

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UPDATE: 10:3<\/span>0 AM<\/span><\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s Terror Plots and Alleged Use of Hired Assassins Show It Is West\u2019s Mortal Enemy<\/h3>\n

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On 29 January,\u00a0Britain<\/a>\u00a0imposed sanctions on\u00a0Iranian<\/a>\u00a0officials it said were involved in threats to kill journalists on British soil, and others it said were part of international criminal gangs linked to\u00a0Iran<\/a>. The UK Foreign Office said the sanctions, imposed in coordination with the United States, targeted seven individuals and one organisation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The sanctioned officials are members of the sinister Unit 840 of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), which intelligence services claim was involved in plots to assassinate two television presenters from news channel Iran International in the UK. Foreign Secretary\u00a0David Cameron<\/a>\u00a0said: \u201cThe Iranian regime and the criminal gangs who operate on its behalf pose an unacceptable threat to the UK\u2019s security.” Assistant Commissioner Matt Jukes, Britain\u2019s head of counter-terrorism policing, told the media earlier in January about Iran\u2019s growing use of criminal proxies. \u201cWhy would you do it yourself when you can procure an organised criminal to take the action on your behalf and provide distance and deniability,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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UPDATE: 7:3<\/span>0 AM<\/span><\/p>\n

Unveiling Tehran\u2019s Nuclear Intentions: Perspectives on Weaponization<\/h3>\n

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The Iranian regime has consistently maintained that it does not seek to develop nuclear weapons, often citing a Fatwa issued by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. However, recent statements from former officials raise questions about Tehran\u2019s intentions.<\/p>\n

During a television program, Ali Akbar Salehi, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and former head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, indirectly suggested Tehran\u2019s capability to pursue nuclear weapons. Salehi likened the nuclear industry\u2019s components to those of a car, implying that Iran possesses the necessary infrastructure to achieve its nuclear goals.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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Conspiracy Afloat: The Nexus Between Iran\u2019s Regime and Houthi Attacks<\/h3>\n

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On Tuesday, February 13, the US military provided further details regarding the Houthis\u2019 recent attack on a cargo ship bound for Iran, occurring just a day prior. Concurrently, a security official quoted by Reuters suggested that the attack was premeditated.<\/p>\n

According to the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), between 3:30 and 3:45 a.m. on Monday, two missiles were launched from areas under Houthi control at the bulk carrier MV STAR IRIS as it traversed the Bab al-Mandab Strait. CENTCOM clarified that the vessel, flagged under the Marshall Islands but owned by Greece, was transporting a cargo of corn from Brazil to Iran\u2019s Khomeini Port.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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Ayda Morad Behrouzi Disappeared with Classmate on Jan. 31<\/h3>\n

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Two teenage girls from Qazvin have disappeared since January 31, 2024, and the city authorities have declared that they are unable to find the girls. Ayda Morad Behrouzi, 13, and her classmate, Hasti Mohammad Hosseini, left home for school at 12 noon on January 31, but have not returned home.\u00a0Souri Babaei Chegini, the mother of Ayda Morad Behrouzi is a political prisoner detained since July for\u00a0defying the compulsory Hijab<\/a>\u00a0code. While in detention, the authorities issued another 7-month sentence for her.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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Bern, Switzerland\u2014February 10, 2024: Iranian Resistance Supporters Rally Commemorating Anniversary of Iran Revolution of 1979<\/h3>\n
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Bern, Switzerland\u2014February 10, 2024: Commemorating the Anniversary of Iran Revolution of 1979.<\/div><\/div>
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