Posted on 10/08/2022 1:05:38 PM PDT by nuconvert
Iranian Regime national tv Channel One hacked about an hour ago. During a broadcast of Khamenie speech, a red crosshair appeared over his face and chanting of Women. Life. Freedom. There was writing to the side saying "Rise up. Join us". Also 4 photos at the bottom of the screen of young people killed and additional writing: "The blood of our youth is dropping from your paws".
Also, there was a huge banner in the middle of Tehran highway today that read: We are no longer afraid of you. We will fight.
Also, attempted attack on IRI ambassador in Denmark. Her bodyguard was stabbed. Diplomatic Security intervened before the attacker could stab the ambassador.
Protest activity and strikes will likely increase in the coming days.
The nature of the planned protests increases the risk to protesters.
Supreme leader succession is heavily coloring how the Iranian political and security establishment responds to the protests.
Foreign Affairs Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian stated that the Iraqi central government committed to disarming and removing Kurdish militants from the Iran-Iraq border region.
At least 16 protests took place in 11 cities across 11 provinces.
Unidentified individuals attacked and killed a Basij member in Marivan, Kurdistan Province.
An LEC officer died due to injuries sustained in protests in Baneh, Kurdistan Province on October 27.
LEC Western Tehran Provincial Commander Keyvan Zahiri announced the arrest of two individuals planning to conduct a suicide attack in Quds City, Tehran Province.
The LEC Intelligence Organization arrested two individuals making Molotov cocktails and explosives in Qom City, Qom Province.
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-crisis-update-november-23
LEC = Law Enforcement Command
IRAN CRISIS UPDATE, NOVEMBER 25
Protests continued but did not surge across Iran despite calls for protests.
The regime’s protest crackdown and abuse of arrested demonstrators will alienate large swaths of the population and entrench anti-regime sentiment throughout Iran for a long time.
Citizens in Mazandaran Province sent medical supplies to protesters in Kurdistan Province, according to Radio Farda.
Prominent Sunni cleric Moulana Abdol Hamid continued to inspire protests throughout Sistan and Baluchistan Province.
Hacker group Black Reward defaced the website of IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency.
The IRGC Ground Forces has deployed armored and special forces units to unspecified locations in northwestern and western Iran, likely to crack down on protesters and deter further demonstrations.
US-based NGO Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI) estimated that the regime has arrested over 18,000 protesters thus far.
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-crisis-update-november-25
IRAN CRISIS UPDATE, NOVEMBER 26
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei publicly rejected the possibility of compromise or reform to placate the ongoing protests. Khamenei may have meant to use his speech to signal to other senior regime officials his disapproval of cooperating with reformists to quell the protests.
President Ebrahim Raisi visited members of the Basij special forces on November 25, confirming their involvement in the protest crackdown.
Protest coordinators and organizations have called for protests throughout Iran from December 5 to 7.
Protests centered primarily around universities, highlighting once again the different demographics that comprise the protest movement
At least 15 protests took place in four cities across four provinces.
Dozens of local leaders from Baneh, Kurdistan Province issued a video statement condemning the regime crackdown and expressing support for the protesters.
Iranian-backed militants fired two rockets at US patrol base in Hasaka Province, Syria.
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-crisis-update-november-26
IRAN CRISIS UPDATE, NOVEMBER 27
Iranian protest organization groups may be reinforcing their organizational capabilities as protest activity entered a relative lull over the past several days.
At least six protests took place in four cities across four provinces on November 27.
IRGC Commander Hossein Salami warned Israel, Saudi Arabia, the US and the UK against supporting anti-regime protests in a speech to Basij members in Sistan and Baluchistan Province.
Regime and IRGC media channels published a video threatening to attack Azerbaijan using rhetoric common during the Iran-Iraq War.
Cultural and parliamentary entities have proposed legal measures to expedite the suppression of protesters and reward elite members of the regime.
Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shia Al Sudani will travel to Tehran on November 29 ostensibly to mediate tensions between Iran and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-crisis-update-november-27
Social media users circulated calls for protests following the US-Iran world cup match on November 29, although it is unclear to what extent these demonstrations will materialize.
The Iranian regime is coordinating with Qatari officials to suppress public acts of defiance among Iranians in Doha, including members of the Iranian national football team.
At least 10 protests took place in six cities across six provinces on November 28.
Social media users documented trucker strikes throughout Iran for the third consecutive day.
IRGC Aerospace Force Commander Amir Ali Haji Zadeh announced that over 300 protesters and security personnel have died since anti-regime protests began on September 16, although this number is almost certainly higher.
The Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) has stationed security forces at the Iran-Iraq border, decreasing the likelihood of an IRGC ground incursion into Iraqi Kurdistan.
Anti-regime Black Reward hacker group claimed to have leaked a conversation between Basij Deputy Commander Ghassem Ghoureishi and state-affiliated media actors referencing intra-regime fissures over ongoing protests. Black Reward claimed a cyberattack on IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency's website on November 25, which Fars later confirmed.[5] The recorded discussion between Ghoureishi and his subordinates purportedly originated from Fars’ digital archives. The two-and-a-half-hour-long audio file confirmed extensive protest activity and other acts of defiance on November 15, including significant strikes in 22 of Iran's 31 provinces and almost complete store closures in Tehran city. Ghouresishi additionally stated that Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani, President Ebrahim Raisi, and Judiciary Chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei separately met with reformists at unspecified dates, possibly corroborating prior reporting that senior Iranian officials had met with prominent reformists to discuss strategies to quell ongoing unrest.[6] The audio file also referenced directives allegedly given by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to violently crack down on dissent. One of the speakers noted that Khamenei complained that members of the Expediency Discernment Council—a council that mediates between regime entities and advises the supreme leader—had failed to condemn demonstrations and separately warned LEC Commander Hossein Ashtari against failing to sufficiently suppress protests. The conversation similarly included referenced waning morale among security personnel.[7]
Black Reward has previously described itself as a group of anti-regime Iranian hackers who support the Mahsa Amini protest movement, although no entity has been able to confirm the group's identity nor the veracity of their information.[8] The group previously claimed to have hacked sensitive information relating to the Iranian nuclear program on October 21.[9] CTP cannot authenticate Black Reward's leaked audio file. The conversation does allude to intra-regime fractures congruent with CTP’s prior reporting and assessments, however, and is completely plausible if not verifiable. CTP does not regard this audio file as independent confirmation of previous assessments, however, as it has not been authenticated by any reputable actor.
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-crisis-update-november-28
Iranian authorities have arrested a niece of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after she recorded a video describing the authorities led by her uncle as a “murderous and child-killing regime”. Farideh Moradkhani comes from a branch of the family that has a record of opposition to Iran's clerical leadership and has herself been jailed previously in the country.
https://www.france24.com/en/video/20221128-iran-arrests-khamenei-niece-after-condemning-regime
video
Some Iranian protesters celebrated the US victory over Iran in the World Cup.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and its proxies in Iraq threatened to incite conflict and unrest in Saudi Arabia—especially among the Shia population—likely in retaliation the alleged Saudi role in stoking protests in Iran.
At least nine protests took place in eight cities across seven provinces.
Prominent Sunni cleric Moulana Abdol Hamid continues to inspire public displays of dissent in the Iranian Sunni population.
A Basij member died due to an unspecified cause around Saravan, Sistan and Baluchistan Province.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al Sudani paid an official visit to Tehran likely to discuss Iranian drone and missile strikes into Iraqi Kurdistan and related security issues with senior Iranian officials.
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-crisis-update-november-29
Iran Murders Flight Attendant For Pro-Freedom Protest
Mahan Air flight attendant Sanz Keshavarz, who worked the Airbus A340, reportedly took part in protests and was killed by the government in response. The airline – which is said to work closely with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard – has been said to warn all of their employees who attended the woman’s funeral that they could be prosecuted.
https://viewfromthewing.com/report-iran-murders-flight-attendant-for-pro-freedom-protest/
vodeos
IRAN CRISIS UPDATE, NOVEMBER 30
Protest activity may increase on December 5-7.
The recent calls for protests may highlight the increasing organization and sophistication of the protest movement as well as some fractures.
Anti-regime outlet Iran International published a purportedly internal regime memo discussing the protests.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al Sudani met with US-sanctioned Astan Quds Razavi (AQR) Custodian Ahmad Marvi in Mashhad, Khorasan Razavi Province, possibly to discuss commercial or financial cooperation.
At least nine protests took place in seven cities across six provinces.
An Intelligence and Security Ministry member died due to an unspecified cause in Zabol, Sistan and Baluchistan Province.
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-crisis-update-november-30
Rise in Iranian assassination, kidnapping plots alarms Western officials by Shane Harris, Souad Mekhennet and Yeganeh Torbati
The Iranian government has stepped up its efforts to kidnap and kill government officials, activists and journalists around the world, including in the United States, according to government documents and interviews with 15 officials in Washington, Europe and the Middle East, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information.
Tehran has targeted former senior U.S. government officials; dissidents who have fled the country for the United States, Britain, Canada, Turkey and Europe; media organizations critical of the regime; and Jewish civilians or those with links to Israel, according to the officials and government documents.
Iran’s intelligence and security services rely largely on proxies to carry out their plans, offering hundreds of thousands of dollars to jewel thieves, drug dealers and other criminals in murder-for-hire schemes, the officials said. That hands-off approach probably caused some operations to fail, the officials said, as plots have been disrupted — and, in some cases, the hired hit men appear to have gotten cold feet and never carried out their orders.
But officials say Iran’s persistence makes it likely to eventually carry out the killing of a high-profile dissident, journalist or Western government figure, and that could spark direct confrontation with Tehran.
Iran’s security services have carried out lethal operations abroad since the regime took power four decades ago, officials said. More recently, they said, between 2015 and 2017, Tehran is believed to have killed at least three dissidents in Western Europe, including an Iranian Arab activist who was gunned down in front of his home in The Hague.
IRAN CRISIS UPDATE, DECEMBER 1
Protesters in Zahedan, Sistan and Baluchistan Province rhetorically defended prominent Sunni cleric Moulana Abdol Hamid against the regime.
The Raisi administration may be conducting a purge of local officials across Iran to install more loyal cadres.
At least five protests took place in four cities across four provinces.
Neighborhood youth groups disseminated instructions on how to prevent state security services from collecting intelligence on protesters in preparation for the planned protests on December 5-7.
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-crisis-update-december-1
Prosecutor General Mohammad Javad Montazeri stated that Parliament and the Supreme Cultural Revolution Council will announce an opinion on the mandatory hijab law by December 17.
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-crisis-update-december-2
IRAN CRISIS UPDATE, DECEMBER 3
Protest coordinators and organizations continued issuing guidance in preparation for the planned countrywide protests and strikes on December 5-7.
Statements from the neighborhood youth groups portray a protest movement that is still trying to cohere and experimenting with different approaches.
At least nine protests took place in seven cities across seven provinces.
The State Security Council threatened to confront protests “decisively and without tolerance” in a statement, likely to deter turnout of mass protests planned for December 5-7.
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-crisis-update-december-3
IRAN CRISIS UPDATE, DECEMBER 4
Western media inaccurately reported that the regime abolished its morality patrol.
Thirty neighborhood youth groups announced the formation of an umbrella organization—the Neighborhood Youth Alliance.
Inclement weather may negatively affect turnout during the planned protests on December 5-7.
At least nine protests took place in nine cities across seven provinces.
Law Enforcement Command Sistan and Baluchistan Provincial Commander Brigadier General Mohammad Ghanbari announced that unidentified gunmen attacked and injured two LEC officers in Chabahar.
Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani met with several prominent hardline, moderate, and reformist politicians likely to discuss cooperation to quell the protests.
Deputy Interior Minister for Security Affairs Majid Mir Ahmadi tried to emphasize the economic consequences of the protests, possibly to fracture the protest movement.
The office of prominent Sunni cleric Moulana Abdol Hamid released a statement trying to dissociate his criticism of the regime from Baloch separatistism.
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-crisis-update-december-4
Wondering why security forces of #Iran’s Islamic Regime are so brutal & wild?! The answer is that, some of them use drug before suppressing anti-regime protests! This CCTV footage shows a member of emergency units of #Iranian Police using Meth before beating people.
https://twitter.com/BabakTaghvaee1/status/1599414837570072576
IRAN CRISIS UPDATE, DECEMBER 5
Protest activity and strikes increased significantly—in line with the calls from protest coordinators and organizations for countrywide demonstrations until December 7.
Iranian media and officials published conflicting messages on whether the regime will abolish the morality patrol.
At least 29 protests took place in 18 cities across 16 provinces.
Social media users reported significant countrywide strikes in 73 cities across 27 provinces, although this number is almost certainly higher.
The Mashhad and Karaj neighborhood youth groups called on protesters to identify and mark businesses and shops not participating in the countrywide strikes.
LEC Sistan and Baluchistan Provincial Commander Brigadier General Mohammad Ghanbari announced the death of an LEC officer who unidentified gunmen attacked and injured in Chabahar.
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-crisis-update-december-5
IRAN CRISIS UPDATE, DECEMBER 6
Countrywide strikes continued throughout Iran.
Protest turnout decreased significantly, however, possibly due to divisions and poor planning in the protest movement.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei met with Supreme Cultural Revolution Council, possibly to discuss the morality patrol and mandatory hijab law.
At least 13 protests took place in five cities across five provinces.
Judiciary spokesperson Massoud Setayeshi announced the issuance of death sentences to five arrested protesters.
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-crisis-update-december-6
Protest activity on December 7 largely adhered to instructions issued by various local protest organization groups, demonstrating the capability of the protest organizations to generate coordinated acts of anti-regime defiance.
Regime officials and entities defended ongoing internet restrictions as a means to quell unrest on December 7.
At least 19 protests took place in 13 cities across nine provinces on December 7.
An anti-regime outlet claimed that some Iranian officials are arranging for asylum in Venezuela in the event of regime change.
Intelligence and Security Minister Esmail Khatib accused German officials of supporting anti-regime dissident groups in Iraqi Kurdistan.
The sister of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei issued a public letter on December 7 urging security personnel to defect in support of anti-regime protesters. Badri Hosseini Khamenei stated that Khamenei had failed to heed the Iranian population's requests and endorsed the Mahsa Amini protest movement, stating “I hope for the people's victory and the overthrow of [the Islamic Republic].” Hosseini additionally called on the IRGC and other armed forces to join protests “before it is too late.”[30] Hosseini alluded to having privately voiced her grievances to Khamenei.[31] Security personnel arrested Hosseini’s daughter, Farideh Moradkhani, on November 23 for publicly supporting protesters.[32]
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-crisis-update-december-7
“The sister of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei issued a public letter on December 7 urging security personnel to defect in support of anti-regime protesters. Badri Hosseini Khamenei stated that Khamenei had failed to heed the Iranian population’s requests and endorsed the Mahsa Amini protest movement, stating “I hope for the people’s victory and the overthrow of [the Islamic Republic].” Hosseini additionally called on the IRGC and other armed forces to join protests “before it is too late.”[30] Hosseini alluded to having privately voiced her grievances to Khamenei.[31] Security personnel arrested Hosseini’s daughter, Farideh Moradkhani, on November 23 for publicly supporting protesters.[32]
Worth repeating
IRAN CRISIS UPDATE, DECEMBER 8
The Iranian regime executed a protester on December 8 for the first time since the Mahsa Amini protests began.
At least nine protests took place in seven cities across six provinces.
Two Iranian security personnel have died since December 7.
Hossein Taeb discussed the alleged Western-Israeli hybrid war against Iran on December 8.[17] Taeb has been the adviser to IRGC Commander Major General Hossein Salami since Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei dismissed Taeb as IRGC Intelligence Organization chief in June 2022.[18] Taeb may be trying to position himself to replace Ali Shamkhani as Supreme National Security Council secretary. Social media rumors claimed that Taeb and his political allies are trying to install him to the position, as CTP previously reported, although their chances of success at present appear low.[19] Taeb has become an increasingly public-facing figure since his removal, regularly making public statements criticizing the US and Israel.[20]
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-crisis-update-december-8
The Turkish connection: How Erdoğan’s confidant helped Iran finance terror
Sıtkı Ayan, the businessman helping Tehran sell oil, dodged US sanctions for years.
https://www.politico.eu/article/sitki-ayan-recep-tayyip-erdogan-terrorism-hezbollah-iran-turkey-lebanon/
Iran hit with new sanctions over first protester execution
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4114992/posts
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