As reported last week, shortly after SWIFT caved to US pressure and defied the EU announcing it would cut off a selection of Iranian banks, on Monday, the US Treasury said the Iranian Central Bank has been officially cut off the SWIFT financial messaging system. The disconnection, which comes at a time when Iran’s economy is reeling and its currency is tumbling as a result of restricted oil exports (albeit offset by numerous temporary waivers for top Iranian oil clients), will made it far more difficult for the Islamic Republic to settle import and export bills. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that the move is “the right decision to protect the integrity of the international financial system”, and comes after several days planning by SWIFT. Steven Mnuchin ✔ @stevenmnuchin1 I understand that SWIFT will be discontinuing service to the Central Bank of Iran and designated Iranian financial institutions. SWIFT is making the right decision to protect the integ

Israel is actively employing its Iron Dome anti-ballistic missile system  during the ongoing military escalation over the Gaza Strip . According to fresh reports, Palestinain forces have launched over 400 projectiles at targets in southern Israel since October 12. The Israeli military claims that at least 100 of these rockets were intercepted. Israel’s Iron Dome ABM System. Threats, Peculiarities and Development Prospects Iron Dome Origins Since its inception, Israel has faced difficult political and military challenges. It defines the operational space in which IDF exists, the nature of development of its armed forces, and of individual weapons systems it uses. The key objective and permanent factors include: Israel’s geography, with the 470km-long country being no more than 135km wide. Hostile environment, including unresolved territorial disputes with neighbors and the Palestinian problem. Close proximity to borders of major cities and critical infrastructure. At t

Illustrative image A coalition of Turkish-backed militant groups, often refered as the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (TFSA), says that its ready to participate in Ankara’s military operation against the Kurdish People’s Protection Units in the area east of the Euphrates River in northern Syria. “We won’t allow a terrorist formation in Syria. Two military offensives against Daesh [ISIS] and YPG were successfully carried out. Now, we are ready for the battle in the eastern Euphrates,” Saif Abu Bakr, Hamza Division Military Chief, told Turkey’s media outlet Daily Sabah in an interview on November 10. The YPG is the core of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which control a large chunk of the area, including the border with Turkey, in northeastern Syria. Ankara considers the YPG and thus the SDF to be a terrorist group, a local branch of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).  The US support to the SDF is the reason of constant tensions between Aknara and Washington .