The Antonov An-140 is a short-range turboprop airliner, first flown on September 17, 1997. Apart from the main production line in Kharkiv, Ukraine by KSAMC, aircraft are being produced in Russia and under licence by HESA in Iran as the IR.AN-140 or Iran-140. It can carry a maximum of 52 passengers.

KISH ISLAND (Iran), (RIA Novosti) – Iran will need an additional 20 An-140 turboprop aircraft to ensure effective patrols of its national borders, Iran’s aircraft industry official said on Wednesday.
The Iranian HESA company has so far produced five An-140 passenger planes at a facility in Esfahan under license (as IRAN-140) and eight other aircraft are being assembled by Iranian specialists trained in Russia and Ukraine.

US General David Petraeus has taken control of US military operations throughout the Middle East and much of Asia as head of US Central Command.
His responsibilities include Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran.
At a change-of-command ceremony at Central Command headquarters, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said he was “precisely the man we need”.

BAGHDAD – The deadly U.S. raid into Syria may complicate efforts to win approval for a new U.S.-Iraqi security deal by drawing attention to a fact many Iraqis detest — that they can’t control everything American forces might do.
Syrian officials say U.S. troops and helicopters launched the raid Sunday inside Syrian territory close to the Iraqi border, killing eight people.
The U.S. command in Baghdad would not comment, but a U.S. military official said American special forces targeted the network that smuggles fighters and weapons into Iraq. The official spoke …

Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani is an influential Iranian politician, businessman and former President.