New Iranian naval base opened in the Persian Gulf; Iran and UAE sign an MoU to set up a joint commission; US military arrests 39 Iranian-sponsored criminals in Iraq; 15th Iran-India Joint Economic Commission meeting held
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  • The chief of the Iranian navy, Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi stated that Iran opened a naval base on the Straits of Hormuz capable of keeping foreign forces out of the Persian Gulf. Adding that the new base would create a new line of defense in the Persian Gulf, Mousavi noted that it can prevent any enemy from entering the Persian Gulf's strategic area. The facility, which was inaugurated on November 3, in the southern port of Jask about 1,700 kilometers south of Tehran, is in the eastern part of the straits at the entrance to the Persian Gulf. A spokesman for the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain had no immediate comment on the base opening, stating that he was not aware of the Iranian report1.

    Reports noted that UAE-Iran bilateral ties were set to touch a ‘new horizon,’ following a key decision to set up a joint commission in the wake of UAE Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s visit to Tehran on October 29. Shaikh Abdullah and the Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to this effect and also discussed various issues of common interest to boost bilateral cooperation. While Iran’s Mottaki hailed the agreement as an “important step in bilateral relations,” the UAE Foreign Minister highlighted the historic ties between the two countries. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on his part added that the new UAE-Iran bilateral initiative underscored the concerted efforts of the leadership of the two countries to ensure the best interests of the Emiratis and the Iranians. UAE is home to a large number of Iranian expatriates and is also Iran’s top trading partner. Iran’s bilateral trade with the UAE exceeded $14 billion in 20072.

    The US military meanwhile stated that it had arrested 39 Iranian-sponsored ‘criminals’ in Iraq during the month and seized some $500,000 meant to fund militancy in the country. The military added that one of those arrested was a key member of the Iranian-sponsored Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq criminal network, an alleged financier responsible for funding militant operations against Iraqi and US forces3.

    Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee met with his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki on November 1 on the sidelines of the 15th Iran-India Joint Economic Commission meeting to discuss issues of mutual interest as well as regional developments. Mottaki, expressing satisfaction with the current volume of bilateral trade, noted that the two countries shared deep-rooted historical and cultural bounds and had always adopted a strategic approach towards meeting their respective national interests. He also highlighted the huge potential for joint investments and for further increasing the volume of trade exchanges. Mr. Mukherjee on his part noted that ties between Iran and India always remained close and had never been affected by any external pressures. The EAM also stated that NAM member-states always adopted a multilateral approach in dealing with discrimination and injustice and acted independently in pursuit of their goals. Both the countries inked several memoranda-of-understanding at the end of the Economic Commission meeting4.

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