Iran's Guards flex muscle in Middle East despite Trump warningBEIRUT (Reuters) - A week after U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a blistering speech about Iran s Revolutionary Guards, the most powerful military and economic force in the Islamic Republic has shown it has no intention of curbing its activities in the Middle East. In defiance of other world powers, Trump chose in a speech last Friday not to certify that Tehran is complying with a pact to curb Iran s nuclear work and singled out the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), accusing Tehran of destabilizing the region. A senior IRGC commander said after the speech Trump was  acting crazy  and was following U.S. strategy of increasing  the shadow of war in the region . Iran s Shi ite militia proxies have made formidable military gains in recent months in Syria as well as Iraq, stretching from northern Iraq to a string of smaller cities and this week, after the Trump speech, re-captured the oil-rich city of Kirkuk.  In the short-run clearly Trump has increased the power and aggressiveness of the IRGC,  said Abbas Milani, the director of the Iranian Studies program at Stanford University.   The IRGC can t back down from a street fight. Their domestic and regional prestige is predicated on the fact that they fight a good fight and they don t back down.  The day after Trump spoke, the head of the Guards  al Quds overseas operations, Major General Qassem Soleimani, traveled to Iraq s Kurdistan region. He held talks about the escalating crisis between Kurdish authorities and the Iraqi government after a Kurdish independence referendum. The niece of the late Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani, Alaa Talabani, told the al Hadath TV channel that Soleimani met with members of her family on Saturday. He had come to pay respects to Jalal, a former Iraqi president and founder of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) party who died this month. Other Iraqi and Kurdish officials told Reuters Soleimani held meetings with Kurdish leaders to persuade them to retreat from Kirkuk ahead of the Iraqi army push into the city.  I don t deny that Mr. Qassem Soleimani gave us the advice to find a solution to Kirkuk,  she said.  He said Kirkuk should return to the (Iraqi) law and constitution and to have an agreement about Kirkuk and give up the intransigence about the referendum which was a decision not thought out.  Within days, Iran s mostly Shi ite allies in Baghdad launched a lightning assault, pushing Kurdish fighters out of disputed territories such as Kirkuk and consequently strengthening Iran s hand in Iraq. Commanders of the Kurdish forces, known as the Peshmerga, have accused Iran of orchestrating the Shi ite-led Iraqi central government s push into areas under their control, a charge senior Iranian officials have denied. A video posted by the Kurdish Rudaw channel online on Wednesday showed an Iraqi Shi ite militiaman loyal to Iran hanging a picture of Iran s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the Kirkuk governorate office. Iran, which has a large Kurdish minority, has reason to be wary of Iraqi Kurdish independence. It fears it might encourage its own Kurds, who have also pushed for separatism. After the independence vote in Iraqi Kurdistan on September 25, videos posted online showed hundreds of people celebrating in the streets in the Kurdish areas of Iran. FRONT-LINE PLAYER Regional analysts say the emergence of Iran in Iraq, Syria, Kurdistan and Lebanon, where it wields influence through its allied Shi ite Lebanese Hezbollah militia, means Tehran has become a front-line player in the region which Washington could not afford to ignore.  Trump s stupidity should not distract us from America s deceitfulness ... If the U.S. tears up the (nuclear) deal, we will shred it,  said Khamenei.  Americans are angry because the Islamic Republic of Iran has managed to thwart their plots in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and other countries in the region.    Speaking after Trump s speech, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the Guards  aerospace division, said:  From the start of the Islamic revolution ... (presidents) have increased the shadow of war in the region ...  Dear brothers and sisters today Trump is acting crazy to gain concessions through this method.            The ramping up of tension could put the two countries on a collision course in the Gulf where clashes have only been narrowly avoided in recent months. Small boats from the Revolutionary Guards  navy veered close to U.S. naval vessels in the Gulf at least twice this year, prompting the U.S. military to fire warning shots and flares. In August, an unarmed Iranian drone came within 100 feet (31 meters) of a U.S. Navy warplane, risking a crash, according to a U.S. official. Some recent naval showdowns between Iran and the United States took place near the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway where up to 30 percent of global oil exports pass annually. During the presidential campaign last September, Trump vowed that any Iranian vessels that harassed the U.S. Navy in the Gulf would be  shot out of the water . The Guards could also target U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria through tens of thousands of loyal Shi ite militia fighters without directly acknowledging a role in any attacks.  The IRGC can claim ignorance of Shi ite militia attacks against the U.S. military,  said Ali Alfoneh, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council who has done extensive research on the Guards. In early October, an American soldier was killed in Iraq by an explosively formed penetrator, or EFP, a type of roadside bomb which was often used by Iran s Shi ite militia proxies in Iraq, according to the U.S. military.  This is the first time that we ve seen it used in this area,  U.S. Army Colonel Ryan Dillon, a coalition spokesman, said. Dillon said the U.S. military has not yet concluded who carried out the attack. Dozens of American soldiers in Iraq were killed and injured by EFPs used by militia groups linked to Iran after the 2003 invasion of Iraq by U.S. forces, according to the U.S. military. Asked about the threat posed by Shi ite militias allied with Iran in Iraq and Syria, particularly after Trump s speech, Dillon said:  We re always assessing the threats no matter where they come from. During certain announcements or certain dates or when certain events happen, we make proper adjustments.  Trump s new plan, observers say, will also weaken a group that had made progress in curbing the Guards  political and economic ambitions in recent years: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and the pragmatist politicians in his cabinet. Since becoming president in 2013, Rouhani and members of his cabinet repeatedly pushed back against the Guards  economic influence and involvement in political matters. Now, Rouhani s push against the Guards has been tempered because of the hardening in Trump s approach to Tehran, regional observers said.  What this has done is that even those who were critics are now defending the Revolutionary Guards,  said Nasser Hadian-Jazy, a political science professor at Tehran University.     worldnews
iran guards flex muscle middle east despite trump warningbeirut reuters a week president donald trump delivered listening speech iran revolutionary guards powerful military economic force islamic republic shown intention curling activities middle east in defiance world powers trump chose speech last friday certify tehran complying pact curb iran nuclear work singled islamic revolutionary guard corps irc accusing tehran stabilizing region a senior irc commander said speech trump acting crazy following strategy increasing shadow war region iran shi ite militia proxies made formidable military gains recent months syria well iraq stretching northern iraq string smaller cities week trump speech city kirke in clearly trump increased power aggressiveness irc said abbas milan director iranian studies program stanford university the irc back street fight their domestic regional prestige predicated fact fight good fight back the day trump spoke head guards al buds overseas operations major general passed soleimani traveled iraq kurdistan region he held talks escalating crisis kurdish authorities iraqi government kurdish independence referendum the niece late kurdish leader halal taliban aaa taliban told al hadith tv channel soleimani met members family saturday he come pay respects halal former iraqi president founder patriotic union kurdistan put party died month other iraqi kurdish officials told reuters soleimani held meetings kurdish leaders persuade retreat kirke ahead iraqi army push city i deny passed soleimani gave us advice find solution kirke said he said kirke return iraqi law constitution agreement kirke give intransigence referendum decision thought within days iran mostly shi ite allies baghdad launched lightning assault pushing kurdish fighters disputed territories kirke consequently strengthening iran hand iraq commanders kurdish forces known peshmerga accused iran orchestration shi iraqi central government push areas control charge senior iranian officials denied a video posted kurdish draw channel online wednesday showed iraqi shi ite militiamen loyal iran hanging picture iran supreme leader ayatollah ali khamenei kirke governorate office iran large kurdish minority reason wary iraqi kurdish independence it fears might encourage kurds also pushed separatism after independence vote iraqi kurdistan september videos posted online showed hundreds people celebrating streets kurdish areas iran player regional analysts say emergence iran iraq syria kurdistan lebanon wields influence allied shi ite lebanese hezbollah militia means tehran become player region washington could afford ignore trump stupidity distract us america deceitfulness if tears nuclear deal shred said khamenei americans angry islamic republic iran managed thwart plots lebanon syria iraq countries region speaking trump speech amir ali hajizadeh head guards aerospace division said from start islamic revolution presidents increased shadow war region dear brothers sisters today trump acting crazy gain concessions method the camping tension could put two countries collision course gulf clashes narrowly avoided recent months small boats revolutionary guards navy needed close naval vessels gulf least twice year prompting military fire warning shots flares in august unarmed iranian drone came within feet meters navy airplane risking crash according official some recent naval showdown iran united states took place near strait hormuz waterway percent global oil exports pass annually during presidential campaign last september trump vowed iranian vessels harassed navy gulf would shot water the guards could also target forces iraq syria tens thousands loyal shi ite militia fighters without directly acknowledging role attacks the irc claim ignorance shi ite militia attacks military said ali alone senior fellow atlantic council done extensive research guards in early october american soldier killed iraq exclusively formed generator ep type roadside bomb often used iran shi ite militia proxies iraq according military this first time seen used area army colonel ryan dillon coalition spokesman said dillon said military yet concluded carried attack dozens american soldiers iraq killed injured fps used militia groups linked iran invasion iraq forces according military asked threat posed shi ite militias allied iran iraq syria particularly trump speech dillon said we always assessing threats matter come during certain announcements certain dates certain events happen make proper adjustments trump new plan observers say also weaken group made progress curling guards political economic ambitions recent years iranian president hassan rouhani dramatist politicians cabinet since becoming president rouhani members cabinet repeatedly pushed back guards economic influence involvement political matters now rouhani push guards tempered hardening trump approach tehran regional observers said what done even critics defending revolutionary guards said passer political science professor tehran university worldnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: Iran's Guards flex muscle in Middle East despite Trump warningBEIRUT (Reuters) - A week after U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a blistering speech about Iran s Revolutionary Guards, the most powerful military and economic force in the Islamic Republic has shown it has no intention of curbing its activities in the Middle East. In defiance of other world powers, Trump chose in a speech last Friday not to certify that Tehran is complying with a pact to curb Iran s nuclear work and singled out the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), accusing Tehran of destabilizing the region. A senior IRGC commander said after the speech Trump was  acting crazy  and was following U.S. strategy of increasing  the shadow of war in the region . Iran s Shi ite militia proxies have made formidable military gains in recent months in Syria as well as Iraq, stretching from northern Iraq to a string of smaller cities and this week, after the Trump speech, re-captured the oil-rich city of Kirkuk.  In the short-run clearly Trump has increased the power and aggressiveness of the IRGC,  said Abbas Milani, the director of the Iranian Studies program at Stanford University.   The IRGC can t back down from a street fight. Their domestic and regional prestige is predicated on the fact that they fight a good fight and they don t back down.  The day after Trump spoke, the head of the Guards  al Quds overseas operations, Major General Qassem Soleimani, traveled to Iraq s Kurdistan region. He held talks about the escalating crisis between Kurdish authorities and the Iraqi government after a Kurdish independence referendum. The niece of the late Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani, Alaa Talabani, told the al Hadath TV channel that Soleimani met with members of her family on Saturday. He had come to pay respects to Jalal, a former Iraqi president and founder of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) party who died this month. Other Iraqi and Kurdish officials told Reuters Soleimani held meetings with Kurdish leaders to persuade them to retreat from Kirkuk ahead of the Iraqi army push into the city.  I don t deny that Mr. Qassem Soleimani gave us the advice to find a solution to Kirkuk,  she said.  He said Kirkuk should return to the (Iraqi) law and constitution and to have an agreement about Kirkuk and give up the intransigence about the referendum which was a decision not thought out.  Within days, Iran s mostly Shi ite allies in Baghdad launched a lightning assault, pushing Kurdish fighters out of disputed territories such as Kirkuk and consequently strengthening Iran s hand in Iraq. Commanders of the Kurdish forces, known as the Peshmerga, have accused Iran of orchestrating the Shi ite-led Iraqi central government s push into areas under their control, a charge senior Iranian officials have denied. A video posted by the Kurdish Rudaw channel online on Wednesday showed an Iraqi Shi ite militiaman loyal to Iran hanging a picture of Iran s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the Kirkuk governorate office. Iran, which has a large Kurdish minority, has reason to be wary of Iraqi Kurdish independence. It fears it might encourage its own Kurds, who have also pushed for separatism. After the independence vote in Iraqi Kurdistan on September 25, videos posted online showed hundreds of people celebrating in the streets in the Kurdish areas of Iran. FRONT-LINE PLAYER Regional analysts say the emergence of Iran in Iraq, Syria, Kurdistan and Lebanon, where it wields influence through its allied Shi ite Lebanese Hezbollah militia, means Tehran has become a front-line player in the region which Washington could not afford to ignore.  Trump s stupidity should not distract us from America s deceitfulness ... If the U.S. tears up the (nuclear) deal, we will shred it,  said Khamenei.  Americans are angry because the Islamic Republic of Iran has managed to thwart their plots in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and other countries in the region.    Speaking after Trump s speech, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the Guards  aerospace division, said:  From the start of the Islamic revolution ... (presidents) have increased the shadow of war in the region ...  Dear brothers and sisters today Trump is acting crazy to gain concessions through this method.            The ramping up of tension could put the two countries on a collision course in the Gulf where clashes have only been narrowly avoided in recent months. Small boats from the Revolutionary Guards  navy veered close to U.S. naval vessels in the Gulf at least twice this year, prompting the U.S. military to fire warning shots and flares. In August, an unarmed Iranian drone came within 100 feet (31 meters) of a U.S. Navy warplane, risking a crash, according to a U.S. official. Some recent naval showdowns between Iran and the United States took place near the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway where up to 30 percent of global oil exports pass annually. During the presidential campaign last September, Trump vowed that any Iranian vessels that harassed the U.S. Navy in the Gulf would be  shot out of the water . The Guards could also target U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria through tens of thousands of loyal Shi ite militia fighters without directly acknowledging a role in any attacks.  The IRGC can claim ignorance of Shi ite militia attacks against the U.S. military,  said Ali Alfoneh, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council who has done extensive research on the Guards. In early October, an American soldier was killed in Iraq by an explosively formed penetrator, or EFP, a type of roadside bomb which was often used by Iran s Shi ite militia proxies in Iraq, according to the U.S. military.  This is the first time that we ve seen it used in this area,  U.S. Army Colonel Ryan Dillon, a coalition spokesman, said. Dillon said the U.S. military has not yet concluded who carried out the attack. Dozens of American soldiers in Iraq were killed and injured by EFPs used by militia groups linked to Iran after the 2003 invasion of Iraq by U.S. forces, according to the U.S. military. Asked about the threat posed by Shi ite militias allied with Iran in Iraq and Syria, particularly after Trump s speech, Dillon said:  We re always assessing the threats no matter where they come from. During certain announcements or certain dates or when certain events happen, we make proper adjustments.  Trump s new plan, observers say, will also weaken a group that had made progress in curbing the Guards  political and economic ambitions in recent years: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and the pragmatist politicians in his cabinet. Since becoming president in 2013, Rouhani and members of his cabinet repeatedly pushed back against the Guards  economic influence and involvement in political matters. Now, Rouhani s push against the Guards has been tempered because of the hardening in Trump s approach to Tehran, regional observers said.  What this has done is that even those who were critics are now defending the Revolutionary Guards,  said Nasser Hadian-Jazy, a political science professor at Tehran University.     worldnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: iran guards flex muscle middle east despite trump warningbeirut reuters a week president donald trump delivered listening speech iran revolutionary guards powerful military economic force islamic republic shown intention curling activities middle east in defiance world powers trump chose speech last friday certify tehran complying pact curb iran nuclear work singled islamic revolutionary guard corps irc accusing tehran stabilizing region a senior irc commander said speech trump acting crazy following strategy increasing shadow war region iran shi ite militia proxies made formidable military gains recent months syria well iraq stretching northern iraq string smaller cities week trump speech city kirke in clearly trump increased power aggressiveness irc said abbas milan director iranian studies program stanford university the irc back street fight their domestic regional prestige predicated fact fight good fight back the day trump spoke head guards al buds overseas operations major general passed soleimani traveled iraq kurdistan region he held talks escalating crisis kurdish authorities iraqi government kurdish independence referendum the niece late kurdish leader halal taliban aaa taliban told al hadith tv channel soleimani met members family saturday he come pay respects halal former iraqi president founder patriotic union kurdistan put party died month other iraqi kurdish officials told reuters soleimani held meetings kurdish leaders persuade retreat kirke ahead iraqi army push city i deny passed soleimani gave us advice find solution kirke said he said kirke return iraqi law constitution agreement kirke give intransigence referendum decision thought within days iran mostly shi ite allies baghdad launched lightning assault pushing kurdish fighters disputed territories kirke consequently strengthening iran hand iraq commanders kurdish forces known peshmerga accused iran orchestration shi iraqi central government push areas control charge senior iranian officials denied a video posted kurdish draw channel online wednesday showed iraqi shi ite militiamen loyal iran hanging picture iran supreme leader ayatollah ali khamenei kirke governorate office iran large kurdish minority reason wary iraqi kurdish independence it fears might encourage kurds also pushed separatism after independence vote iraqi kurdistan september videos posted online showed hundreds people celebrating streets kurdish areas iran player regional analysts say emergence iran iraq syria kurdistan lebanon wields influence allied shi ite lebanese hezbollah militia means tehran become player region washington could afford ignore trump stupidity distract us america deceitfulness if tears nuclear deal shred said khamenei americans angry islamic republic iran managed thwart plots lebanon syria iraq countries region speaking trump speech amir ali hajizadeh head guards aerospace division said from start islamic revolution presidents increased shadow war region dear brothers sisters today trump acting crazy gain concessions method the camping tension could put two countries collision course gulf clashes narrowly avoided recent months small boats revolutionary guards navy needed close naval vessels gulf least twice year prompting military fire warning shots flares in august unarmed iranian drone came within feet meters navy airplane risking crash according official some recent naval showdown iran united states took place near strait hormuz waterway percent global oil exports pass annually during presidential campaign last september trump vowed iranian vessels harassed navy gulf would shot water the guards could also target forces iraq syria tens thousands loyal shi ite militia fighters without directly acknowledging role attacks the irc claim ignorance shi ite militia attacks military said ali alone senior fellow atlantic council done extensive research guards in early october american soldier killed iraq exclusively formed generator ep type roadside bomb often used iran shi ite militia proxies iraq according military this first time seen used area army colonel ryan dillon coalition spokesman said dillon said military yet concluded carried attack dozens american soldiers iraq killed injured fps used militia groups linked iran invasion iraq forces according military asked threat posed shi ite militias allied iran iraq syria particularly trump speech dillon said we always assessing threats matter come during certain announcements certain dates certain events happen make proper adjustments trump new plan observers say also weaken group made progress curling guards political economic ambitions recent years iranian president hassan rouhani dramatist politicians cabinet since becoming president rouhani members cabinet repeatedly pushed back guards economic influence involvement political matters now rouhani push guards tempered hardening trump approach tehran regional observers said what done even critics defending revolutionary guards said passer political science professor tehran university worldnews