Psst. Wanna buy some Iranian ammo?

Turns out Iran does make its own ammunition, duh.
Question is: is that what the Pentagon showed?

PS: More at Entropic Memes

PPS: apparently someone at kos disputes the authenticity of diomil.ir - looked real enough, but these things can be faked.
Don't know why they'd bother, it is not going to be hard to get some Iranian made 81mm rounds in the gulf, easier just to buy or confiscate them if you wanted to embellish evidence

In particular the question is whether Iranian ammo would have bright yellow english language markings and Common Era dating, using US convention.

Defense Industries Organization - diomil.ir will sell you artillery shells and mines.
They have a website...

i-58a10c0ea2c77f53f1ddd6671e23a190-single122f.jpg
here is a sample
unfortunately I have not found a larger high resolution image, but at least the lettering is yellow stencil.

Oops, there is more - poor navigation layout.

Here is their line of mortars

i-796e7cfba88651945f9ae8bb216e3118-mor81high.jpg

Pretty picture! "AMIG" products.

Hm, Compare to what the US showed - they are consistent.

Some Macedonians will also sell you mortar shells note english lettering

I'm figuring the 81mm mortar is US kit and therefore standard ammo comes with standard lettering.
Iranian army was equipped by the US in the Shah era, they probably have a lot of US made 81mm tubes and make shells to match.

Oh dear - they are UK kit.
Does that mean the "special relationship" is over?

Here is the FAS info sheet on 81mm mortar

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Goes to show that the ammo that ended up in Iraq could have been a "regular" Iran export to any arms dealer, who later funelled it to IQ customers.

Or, the weapons could have been smuggled to Sunni insurgents by Saudi parties, which would torpedo neatly US preferred scenario.

Georgy Porgy is absolutely certain that the ammo is from Iran, and we all know how high his standards of evidence are.

By Mustafa Mond, FCD (not verified) on 15 Feb 2007 #permalink