TEHRAN — Despite previous promises of issuing hunting permits by the end of summer, the only permits issued in most provinces of Iran are those for birds and angling. In none of the provinces, hunting permits for quadruped have been issued yet. Mohamad Alavi, director of Control and Inspection Office of Department of Environment of North Khorasan province, says that in this province, hunting permits are issued just for non-marine birds and angling; most of the... (GunPolicy.org)

TEHRAN — The detained members of an arms smuggling gang have admitted that British forces in Iraq monitor the smuggling of arms from Iraq to Iran, the Fars news agency reported, quoting a provincial police officer. Brigadier General Isa Daraei, the commander of the Law Enforcement Forces in Khuzestan Province, told reporters some 117 cache of small arms including handguns and Kalashnikov have been confiscated from four smugglers in recent days. Daraei said that the... (GunPolicy.org)

Tehran — Iranian judges have been given approval to carry guns and to use them if they feel threatened after a judge was shot in an attack in Tehran, officials say. Mohammed Reza Aghazadeh was shot outside his home in the capital, sustaining injuries to his eye. He was said to be investigating cases of land and property corruption near Karaj, a satellite town west of Tehran. The incident comes less than a month after another judge was killed by a gunman on a... (GunPolicy.org)

VIENNA, Austria — Iran is quietly building a stockpile of thousands of high-tech small arms and other military equipment — from armor-piercing snipers' rifles to night-vision goggles — through legal weapons deals and a U.N. anti-drug program, according to an internal U.N. document, arms dealers and Western diplomats. The buying spree is raising Bush administration fears the arms could end up with militants in Iraq. Tehran also is seeking approval for a... (GunPolicy.org)

VIENNA, Austria — Iran has contracted to buy hundreds of high-powered rifles from an Austrian firm, the company's owner said Wednesday. The sale drew an indirect rebuke from the United States, but Austrian government ministries said no laws were broken. Wolfgang Fuerlinger, head of Steyr Mannlicher GmbH, confirmed the deal between his company and Iranian authorities and said U.S. Embassy officials had expressed concerns the arms could make their way to Iraq for use... (GunPolicy.org)

Hezbollah is getting millions of dollars from Iran. They have plenty of weapons. They don't need a few shotguns from Dearborn. This quote from an Arab-American news editor exposes the flawed logic of America's anti-gun lobby. If private gun commerce by violent criminals, drug dealers or fugitives from justice — or illegal aliens — is the target, bear in mind that gun commerce by such persons — anywhere, anytime, under any circumstances — is already covered by... (GunPolicy.org)

TEHRAN — Iran is offering hunting rifles to nomads in exchange for assault weapons in a bid to enforce gun control through the country, a newspaper said on Sunday. Nomads have traditionally carried guns and have played significant roles in social upheavals in Iran. Kahyan newspaper quoted a revolutionary guards commander in the heavily nomadic southern province of Chaharmahal-Bakhtiyari as saying about 30,000 assault rifles had been handed in so far in exchange for... (GunPolicy.org)